Announcements - 2002/06 - Castling

Event Teaser
''Material retrieved from original Zone caches available at http://web.archive.org.

''Original Link (now dead) - http://zone.msn.com/asheronscall/news/ASHEeventteaser.asp



 Castling

June 10, 2002

Elysa Strathelar knew she was dreaming. She struggled against the invisible tendrils that held her, and that felt real enough. Panic and anger surged within her as she fought, twisting and snarling. . . but it was obviously a dream. A figure stood just outside of the corner of her eye, enough so that she knew he was there, could not see him directly. He seemed to flicker, there, not there, there, not there.

And she was floating, hovering above her bed. She could not turn her head, which was bound like the rest of her body, but she was several paces from her vaulted stone ceiling, and she could see the torch flames on the wall lapping up the warm night air as soft breezes blew in through the open tower windows.

In a back corner of her mind, behind the rage and fear as she fought against her unseen tormentor, she wondered what the dream meant. Yet another example of the icy rage she felt toward Martine? Her continued attempts to deal with the shock of almost losing her son? Her previous resentment towards Asheron, as she had had to cope with these problems alone? All of these, perhaps.

There was mumbling. She could hear the tones, but the words were hard to make out, and Elysa could not turn her head to catch the sound. Eventually, she heard two voices. One was low and deep, with an almost keening quality. The other was high and tinny; hollow tones encased in dank metal.

How unusual to have such lucidity during a dream, she thought. There was none of the usual muddled slew of images barely connected to one another. No, there was only the struggling and resistance. The anger and the fear.

The voices were closer now. “Elysa. . .” This was the low voice, and the stark need in it made her wonder what hell the person uttering her name had gone through. Twenty years in Dereth had made her intimate with pain, and she recognized immediately the sound of someone similarly seared.

She stopped struggling. She wanted to comfort the man, reassure him. As she ceased struggling, she felt her body slowly lower back towards the bed.

This time the voice was right behind her head. “Elysa, I. . .” and she felt a hand touch her, stroke the sides of her hair. It felt warm and wet, and glistened red at the edge of her vision. This was not a dream.

Elysa convulsed, disbelief warring with the worst fear she had ever known. The voice continued, “I know I have said, and done, horrible things, Elysa. But here, hidden away in stone and shadow, there is no wider audience. There is only you and me. And so, so much to talk about.” Acid bile rose from her stomach, making her gag with the vileness of it, of him. This was not a dream. She tried to break free from his magical bonds, she tried to scream. Nothing. She could not move. This was not a dream.

“What was it, Elysa, that first drew me to you? In the beginning, I admit, there were certain opaque intentions and manipulations in regards to your Empyrean advisor. I wanted him dead, I needed him dead. You were, at first, a tool. One of many at my disposal, I thought.”

“Warning. Proximity. . .”

“Silence!” There had been that tinnying voice before Martine had cut it off. It came from her side as well. Someone else? Elysa struggled to control her fear. She tried to draw strength from her one consolation. . . Borelean was not here. She had sent him away with Asheron to a safer, less public place, after the first reports had trickled in of Martine's appearances throughout Dereth.

Her son was safe. Now all she needed was for Martine to. . . he brought up his deformed claw against the side of her face and pressed it there. She could feel its warmth. It throbbed. All thought left her mind as Elysa screamed silently.

“Yes, my darling. I understand that emotion well. You have known pain. Such exquisite pain. And that was why I marked you. You had lost, as I had lost. You had grieved, as I had grieved. I had thought that you should lose a child, as I had lost a child. . . but that is behind us now. We will raise Borelean together, as man and wife. We will rule Dereth as King and Queen. Dereth and beyond.

“Tonight is when I claim you, Elysa. We shall be married. We shall be in love. No one will stand in our way.

“Warning. . .”

The heavy oak door leading to Elysa's bedchamber exploded inward. The invisible bonds holding Elysa up immediately disappeared. As she fell back she glanced to her side. Surrounded by a blue nimbus, his eyes flashing scarlet, Asheron stood in the doorway.

__________

Finally. Martine had waited for this moment for such a long time. And now everything was at hand. His bride-to-be at his side. His nemesis in front of him. A corpse-to-be. Martine raised his hands sending a coruscating stream of flame at Asheron. An appetizer for the banquet to follow.

He saw Elysa fall and land on the bed. She reached under the pillow and hurled something at him. A throwing knife, flipping end over end, the light of the flame shining off its metal blade. Asheron had warded off the fire and bolts of acid and frost were now speeding back toward Martine. His heart warmed to see what a little lioness Elysa was. Lovely.

He snatched the knife out of the air and tucked it behind his back. It could be a memento to show their children. The acid stream and frost bolts he let through. As his surface flesh crackled and burned, he wanted to show Asheron the type of pain he should expect. He looked Asheron in the eye and smiled.

On each side of the splintered door, stone blocks ripped apart as two of Asheron's Diamond Golems thundered into the room. They towered over everything, animated man-shapes of diamond, Asheron's special creations, representing over a millennia of Empyrean demiurgic research.

They stood motionless as Asheron stepped forward. Elysa had scampered out of sight, but Martine would have time to finish their date later. Asheron was here. Martine giggled.

“Martine, you must stop this madness. We, all of us, are in grave danger. . . we need. . .” Asheron spoke with the tremulousness of an old man. Even the halo of color that surrounded him, a mark of Empyrean power, flickered occasionally, revealing him to be nothing more than the tired, pathetic husk he was. It almost seemed unworthy for this man to have earned so much of Martine's hate. But Martine wanted this play finished.

“We need what? We need nothing, fool. You warn me of sycophants and mice. No one will oppose me. No one can. You are old and tired. I have come to give you the gift of permanent rest, Weyrava. It is far more than you deserve, but today is my wedding day and I am in a generous mood.”

Martine moved forward as the Diamond Golems stepped in front of Asheron. His first spell took the head off of one of them. Its form continued to lumber about and swing at Martine. The second one landed a clean blow to the side of Martine's body that drove him against the far wall. Martine floated himself up as the ribs on his right side began to reform.

Asheron pressed the attack, bolt after bolt of eldritch might slamming into Martine. Martine took each blow, letting the pain of each ravaging attack strengthen his resolve. Enough.

Martine teleported quickly behind the last remaining Golem, the first one having succumbed to its beheading, and plunged his hands through the magical bonds that kept it animated. The Golem blew up, spraying shards of diamond throughout the room. Martine shielded himself from the explosion and saw Asheron do the same. He couldn't see Elysa, but he could always repair her later.

No more words came from Asheron, his focus stayed completely on spewing magical energies at the approaching Martine. There were no more Golems, however. No more saviors and no more tricks. Asheron was his.

As the arrow entered the back of his neck and through his throat, Martine gurgled, a short gasp of air and blood. The sharp metal point of the arrow glistened and dripped red beneath his head. He turned, almost stumbling, to see Elysa behind him, her bow already nocked with another arrow and firing.

“Elysa,” he tried to say, although his vocal cords were still not quite working. Even as he disintegrated the approaching arrow and sent a shockwave knocking Elysa hard against the stone wall, he wanted her to know he still loved her. She crumpled down to the floor. Asheron leapt by Martine to come to her side, but Martine grabbed him as he passed and flung him to the ground.

Martine held Asheron there in the same bonds he had held his bride with, as he took the arrow and passed it through his throat, healing the ripping and tearing as it occurred. A few dry gasps, and he was ready.

“How does it feel, little Empyrean, to be in the presence of a superior. For so long you have hid behind your powers, your “benevolent” attitude toward the Isparians hiding the contempt that you, that every one of you, feel toward my former “lesser” race. Shake your head all you wish. We know the truth.

“But I promise you this, Asheron Realaidain. I will watch and protect these people better than you ever did. Yes, there will be pain. There will be sacrifice. Greatness requires it. But they will love me. I will love them. If you ever cared for any of the Isparians at all, let that be your final consolation.”

Martine's hand glowed with purple sparks as he raised it for the killing blow.

__________

Asheron looked up at Martine and prepared himself for one final strike. It was possible that Martine would focus all of his energies to kill him, leaving Asheron free to cast his own last spell. Asheron had little hope of killing Martine, but any blow might help. I am sorry, Elysa. I am sorry, Martine. I failed you, both.

Martine's blow did not fall. Asheron saw Martine's mask ripple, and the black holes of his eyes filled with a purplish glow.

“Please. It hurts very much to do this. He is fighting me very hard. He is not. . . happy.”

Though the speaker did not speak with the usual syntax of his race, Asheron recognized the high, metallic tones of the Virindi. Had the Virindi side of Martine finally broken through? And did that improve the situation? He struggled to speak, but the bonds continued to hold him in place.

“No. No time to release you. You must listen to me. I have died once already. It's important that you understand that. They had fused the human and my. . . self together. This had never been done before. But they did it, and the human killed me. Complete assimilation. There was no self. There was only Martine.”

Asheron had not realized the depths of the Virindi experiments upon Martine. He had had suspicions. ..

“But he brought me back. Do you see? I did not exist, and he recreated me. I am not Virindi. I am a part of him that he made into Virindi. Please understand. Even then, so long ago, he did not trust. He knows. He does not want to know, but he knows.”

The Virindi screamed.

“He is going to kill me again. He cannot stand betrayal. But I knew that you must not die now. Martine knows. Please. I.. . I am losing hold. My death did not hurt this much the first time. Leave. Take the woman and leave now. Remember that Martine understands! Leave!”

Asheron was free once more. He spared one final glance for Martine's body, wracked by pain and struggle, and heard the final, anguished screams of the tortured Virindi. He gathered up Elysa, unconscious but still breathing, and began to portal them both out of the chamber.

Martine looked up at their disappearing forms and screamed. Asheron felt Elysa's tower coming apart as Martine let loose with his destructive power. And then there was shadow and silence.

It was time to begin the final plan.

__________

Unlike any other gaming experience, the world of Asheron's Call continues to evolve. Join us, as we open our June Event, Castling. Be sure to continue your part in this incredible ongoing story, and we'll see you in Dereth!

Roll Out Article
''Material retrieved from original Zone caches available at http://web.archive.org.

''Original Link (now dead) - http://zone.msn.com/asheronscall/news/ASHEeventrollout.asp



 Castling

June 13, 2002

Any comfort brought to the people by the victories against the Bronze Statues and their new weapons was shattered by the assault on their Queen and the destruction of her castle by the insane Martine. Just barely escaping the destruction with her and her son's lives, Queen Elysa begins taking steps, with the aid of Asheron, to truly make Dereth her people's homeland. The last Empyrean has been of great assistance of late to the people of Dereth and has some wondering if he can indeed be trusted as the Queen has always maintained. Martine's rage at having the Queen snatched from his grasp has not been satiated by the mere destruction of her castle, and he continues to formulate plans, breathing hate for Asheron.

Still reeling from this attack, the people were dealt another blow when mages were jolted awake in the dark of night, clutching their heads in pain. Throughout the ley lines of magical force deep in the planet, a vast fluctuation was felt. Reports trickled in that the magical Essences, those forces that aided the people in learning higher magics, were destroyed, and the rings where they stood smashed. To their dismay, the recovered mages discovered that their magics were not as powerful as they had once been. They were able, though, to take some solace in the fact that this fluctuation caused their magics to last much longer than they had previously.

Realizing what a blow this was to the Isparians, Asheron shared knowledge on how to create magical foci with the Arcanum. These bulky packs contained the essence of the magical schools known to the Isparians. With these in hand, along with Prismatic Tapers and Scarabs, Isparians could cast their spells without the other components they had used since their arrival on Dereth. Asheron also shared a means to record scrolls so that all those skilled in the various schools could understand them, not just lore scholars. Scriveners quickly set up shop in the various towns selling scrolls for purchase.

Amidst these events, the exploration of Dereth continues. Rumors return of an ancient Empyrean construct unlike any seen before, containing artifacts of an unknown purpose. Parties have begun gathering to find this construct and pull what secrets they can from it.

Following is a list of the most interesting additions made to the game with this update. However, please note that not everything has been included--that would spoil the fun of finding out all manner of things added or changed! As usual, though, the town criers, barkeeps, and scribes may know the latest news. Also, the trades of crafting and selling are always in flux, so changes to prices and features are not always listed here in their entirety.

Highlights Include:


 * More Cottages and Villas can be found for purchase.
 * Find your Fellowship leader more easily.
 * New magic foci can be used in place of traditional spell components.
 * Tedious magical research has been removed and replaced by easily-read scrolls.
 * More things to make your home uniquely you!

Be sure to check the Developer's Notes for June to learn more details of the Castling event. Join us as we continue the ongoing saga of Asheron's Call, and we'll see you in Dereth!

Build Notes
''Material retrieved from original Zone caches available at http://web.archive.org.

''Original Link (now dead) - http://zone.msn.com/asheronscall/news/ASHEeventbuild.asp



 Developer's Notes

June 13, 2002

Here are just some of the additions made in the June 13 game update, Castling. The following list is comprised of detailed notes straight from the developers themselves. For a summary of things of interest, be sure to consult the official event article, Castling.

We appreciate your feedback and bug reports in helping to ensure that the world of Dereth is a stable and fun place to be. Please submit any such bug reports to http://bugs.zone.com.

'''New Functionality and Content


 * 150 Cottages and 50 Villas have been added to the game.
 * See our earlier letter to the players for all the details about our changes to the magic system.
 * There is now a separate panel for negative magical enchantments (the original enchantment panel now lists only positive magical enchantments). Both panels are in the far right upper corner.
 * @allegiance info is a new monarch-only command. Typing @allegiance info (for a character in that monarch's allegiance) will display the following: the full name and title of the character, the full name and title of the character's patron, and the full name and title of each of the character's vassals. This command can only be used once every 30 seconds.
 * The number of allegiance broadcasts the allegiance speaker can make per day has been raised from 3 to 10. In addition, monarchs may now assign speaker status to someone even if they are not currently online.
 * The leader of a Fellowship now shows up as a triangle dot on radar.
 * You can now use the @filter command to filter out recall messages. See @help filter for more details.

'''Miscellaneous Improvements and Changes


 * All vendors now accept all trade notes.
 * Pyreals now stack to a maximum of 10,000. In July we will introduce three additional trade notes into the game.
 * Mansions now have 100 hooks in them, all of them usable.
 * Neutral Balm's burden has been reduced from 135 to 65 and is now available in more vendor locations.
 * The Select Self key now works to have a targeted action actually work on oneself. For example, a player can use a healing kit and then the Select Self key to heal oneself.
 * You now have a number of UI panels and character options that you can bind to a keyboard map.
 * A new mana stone, the Superb Mana Stone, can be found at some mage vendors. In addition, many more mage vendors now carry High and Great Mana Stones.
 * All Bronze trophy items are now givable and droppable again.
 * New characters who start with a magic school will start with the correct focus, 5 Lead Scarabs, and 25 Prismatic Tapers. New characters who start with additional magic schools will receive additional foci, but not additional scarabs or tapers.
 * The time it takes to read and learn a spell from a scroll has been reduced to roughly one second.
 * When a character attempts to use a mana stone to drain mana from an item, there will now be a confirmation check even if the item does not contain any mana.
 * Isparian Bows, Crossbows, and Atlatls are now unenchantable.
 * The Isparian Modifying Tool is now unbreakable. The stones, however, will break each time you put them in an Isparian weapon.
 * The Arcane Lore difficulty on Gorgets with Nuhmudira's Boon has been altered. The new difficulty levels are Red (High) = 180, Blue (Mid) = 150, and Green (Low) = 120.
 * Isparian Daggers now have the correct damage range. Perfect Isparian Daggers have a maximum damage of 8, Superb 7, Good 6, and Quality 5.
 * You now get 3 Wood, Copper, or Obsidian Keys when you successfully carve Wood, Copper, or Obsidian Hearts.
 * We made a few changes to the Tenkkardun Foundry to reduce the viability of combat macroing in that location.
 * Last month we introduced a bug which prevented users from playing if they were using a machine running Win95a. This should be fixed now.
 * We believe we have fixed the bug where, occasionally, a character logging into the world would find that their items had lost all mana. This was a difficult bug to reproduce, and we would appreciate any reports if players experience this bug in the future.
 * There was a bug with the Fellowship panel last month that kept it from updating properly. This should be fixed now.
 * The bug where a character quits a fellowship and the character keeps attempting to assess a person in the fellowship has been fixed.
 * We fixed a bug where the cursor appeared as an hourglass on the Fellowship panel before a player actually created the fellowship.
 * There were a few bugs with the XP-sharing code for certain fellowships involving players over level 50. These have been fixed.
 * There was a bug where you could exploit a vendor by selling healing kits with less than full uses, then buying them back cheaply at full uses. This has been fixed.
 * For Creature Mastery scrolls, you will need to ID and read the description to determine if it's a Self or Other scroll. Self and Other do not appear in the title of the scroll. This will be fixed in July.

'''Minor Details


 * The Invoker now displays the correct inscription.
 * The portal to the Arcanum Research Facility now has a level restriction prohibiting those characters under level 20.
 * Ciandra decided to reverse her impromptu sex-change operation, and now looks like a woman.
 * When using a mana stone on yourself, you will receive a message letting you know when all your items are full.
 * All non-used hooks now become visible whenever a house is abandoned.
 * Players can no longer open the doors to the inside of the statues from the outside, unless they use the correct key.
 * Statue Portal dungeons are now no-recall, no-tie, and no-summon.
 * The Isparian Dagger model has been changed.
 * The experience point total for a few statue creatures has been reduced.