Darkness Ascendant

March 2000 - Announcements Page

Town Crier Rumors

 * Town Crier tells you, "The pollen was not so bad. My counterparts from the Sho and Aluvian lands must have weak constitutions."


 * Town Crier tells you, "High-ranking monarchs have been approached by an unknown presence and subjected to grueling tests on a distant island. Apparently this entity, whatever it is, does not think much of our monarchs.  Might this have something to do with the frightful apparition in the lightning flashes?"


 * Town Crier tells you, "The shadow spires have appeared in the vicinity of these towns: Eastham, Cragstone, Tufa, Khayyaban, Tou Tou, and Sawato.  There are rumors of a few others out in the wilderness, all just as quiet and inactive.  What purpose they serve or will serve is not yet known, though some have been said to have been within them."


 * Town Crier tells you, "Just between you and me, I remember the sun being brighter long ago, before the sudden winter."


 * Town Crier tells you, "Yesterday I found a Wool Fez of Willpower!"


 * Town Crier tells you, "A renaissance in metallurgy! First there was the rediscovery of Lord Atlan's weapon technology! Now, the master armorers in al-Jalima, Eastham and Kara have found ways to utilize shadow and crystal items."
 * Town Crier tells you, "But between you and me, they are very touchy! They will only make one suit of armor of a particular quality for you. They will make another of different quality without complaint, but if you ask for a suit similar to one they already gave you, they become very rude!


 * Town Crier tells you, "News! Three new Festival Grounds have been created for the enjoyment of all athletically - inclined people of Dereth. They are near the Wintersebb Festival Stone east of Qalaba'r, the Leafcull Festival Stone west of Yanshi, and the Leafdawning Festival Stone west of Rithwic."


 * Town Crier tells you, "News! The heritage groups have published a book on weddings, available at scribes. Despite the ominous atmosphere, love is in the air, and people are getting married. The resilience of life is amazing."


 * Town Crier tells you, "Have you noticed the changes in the sky? Though all is peaceful now, some say the distribution of monsters has changed: perhaps they sense a coming storm. But the rabbits seem to be reproducing as usual, so the storm must be a ways off yet. Thank goodness!"


 * Town Crier tells you, "News! Ominous floating monstrosities have appeared all over our island! Many people are holding their breath waiting for something to happen, but there is no sign of activity. Some even say they are empty. Magical experts have determined that it is unlikely that the strange spires pose any immediate threat."


 * Town Crier tells you, "These dark spires loom quietly for now, and experts agree they do not pose any immediate threat. However, I heard a rumor that some people are being taken inside of them and subjected to strange questions. What power can play with mortals like this?"


 * Town Crier tells you, "The Great Sage, Aleister the Loquacious, has published a treatise on fused gems. He certainly earned his name. He is quite long-winded, and very full of himself, to boot."


 * Town Crier tells you, "That dratted pollen has finally subsided! I can breathe freely once again!"


 * Town Crier tells you, "Is it just me, or do the lowly Drudges now look somehow more...menacing?"


 * Town Crier tells you, "Books are now available at the capital cities' scribes that detail scholars' that detail scholars amazing discoveries about the strange crystals that have been acquired from the shadows and the remnants of the Great Work."

New UI and Game Changes

 * Shadow Hunter Armor introduced.
 * Combat
 * Sticky Melee introduced.
 * Graphics
 * Colored lighting effects introduced. Many lights, including the sun and moon, will now cast colored light in both hardware and software modes.
 * Drudges and Golems have received new artwork. See here for some examples.
 * User Interface
 * You get a confirmation dialog when using uncharged mana stones on items that would be destroyed.
 * The Bane and Lure spell icons now have unique colors.
 * Iron Ore and Slag icons updated.
 * Dagger (Skill)
 * Dagger's skill damage modifier is now determined by coordination instead of strength.
 * You can now use objects containing water to fill Empty Flasks!
 * You fetch some water from the well!

New Quests

 * Shadow Armor Quest

Live Events

 * 2000/03 - Shadow Abductions - After the arrival of the Shadow Spires and then three dark presences to Dereth, several tales are told of players being abducted into the spires and interrogated by a shrill voice.

New NPCs

 * Alean the Steel Forger - Eastham at 17.4N, 63.5E
 * Jibril ibn Rashid - Al-Jalima at 7.4N, 4.6E
 * Koga Hideki - Kara at 83.4S, 47.1E
 * Qalaba'r Festival Grounds
 * Farmer
 * Roaming Bowyer
 * Rithwic Festival Grounds
 * Farmer
 * Roaming Bowyer
 * Yanshi Festival Grounds
 * Farmer

New Locations

 * Festival Grounds
 * Yanshi - 12.8S, 42.8E - Yanshi Festival Grounds
 * Rithwic - 10.4N, 53.5E - Rithwic Festival Grounds
 * Qalaba'r - 74.2S, 21.9E - Qalaba'r Festival Grounds
 * Wedding Hall

New Points of Interest

 * Spire's Head
 * Shadow Spires
 * A'mun Desert - 14.2S, 17.7E
 * Aluvian Plains - 12N, 32.1E
 * Blackmire Swamp - 26.2S, 51.4E
 * Cragstone - 24.5N, 48.9E
 * Eastham - 17.9N, 62.6E
 * Khayyaban - 48.6S, 25.2E
 * Linvak Mountain Range - 85.9S, 39.7E
 * North Direlands - 20.2N, 71.2W
 * Obsidian Plains - 62.4S, 71.1W
 * Sawato - 29.5S, 59.3E
 * Tiofor Woods - 43.8N, 0.8E
 * Tou-Tou - 26.4S, 98.0E
 * Tufa - 13.8S, 3.9E

Updated Items

 * Objects containing water can now be used to fill empty flasks:


 * - New Icon.
 * - New Icon.
 * Spell icons for Blade Bane/Lure, Bludgeon Bane/Lure, Acid Bane/Lure, Frost Bane/Lure, and Fire Bane/Lure updated with proper colors. (see portal dat. below)

Updated Creatures

 * Drudges updated with new artwork.
 * Golems updated with new artwork.

Images
Click image for full size version.