Adventuring 101
Getting Around
With its diverse terrains and sprawling cities, Alyria welcomes the restless explorer. This section outlines the many ways to travel through these lands, from horseback to ships, spells, worldgates, and more. For the seasoned adventurer, the thrill of exploration may take them to the very edges of the known world, and beyond.
The following sections are taken directly from the game's help system.
MOVEMENT
NAME
movement - information on moving around in the world of Alyria
north (n) - moves your character north
south (s) - moves your character south
east (e) - moves your character east
west (w) - moves your character west
northeast (ne) - moves your character northeast
northwest (nw) - moves your character northwest
southeast (se) - moves your character southeast
southwest (sw) - moves your character southwest
up - moves your character up
down - moves your character down
enter - enters a special item, such as a portal
DESCRIPTION
Adventurers can move around in the world of Alyria in the following
directions:
north south east west up
northwest northeast southwest southeast down
Directions can be abbreviated (example: 'n' is the same as 'north',
'ne' is the same as 'northeast'), if NOVICE mode is off (see 'HELP
SET').
Movement consists of moving your character from location to
location. Locations in the game are usually referred to as "rooms",
even if they are outside. "Rooms" can be of varying shapes and
sizes based on the type of room, and may have different terrains
as well.
Generally, movement costs stamina. Using a horse or other mount
to get around can save you stamina points. Different types of
terrain (such as a hilly room versus a city street) will take
more or less stamina to move through.
Some bodies of water (lakes, rivers, the ocean) as well as
special rooms cannot be crossed unless you have an active
LEVITATION spell.
Portals and other special items can be entered using the ENTER
command (example: enter portal).
The Materia Magica Compass tells you the obvious directions in which you
can leave, as well as in which directions there are obvious doors.
The following is an example of the compass (shown when you type
LOOK, or just enter a room normally):
The Runic Temple - - -
(-------------------------------------------------) W E
- - -
You may turn the displayed compass ON or OFF using the SET COMPASS
command. If you prefer to display the exits on one line instead
of as a compass (which may be easier for some auto mappers), you
can toggle on SET SHOW-EXITS.
The symbols displayed in the compass locations may vary depending
on the status of the room that lies in that direction, or the
exit between you and the room that lies in that direction.
No Exit: -
Directional Symbols: N, S, E, W, NE, NW, SE, SW, U, D
Windows: [ or ]
Closed Door: #
Uncertain/Obscured Exit: ?
Windows are a special type of exit. You may LOOK
and see the room that lies beyond the window, but you may not
move in that direction.
If you are in a rooms that is "dark" (no visible source of light,
or the light is quenched due to a smoke bomb or 'momentary darkness'
spell) the exits may appear as question marks.
Some rooms may be "dizzy" rooms - this usually happens due to
a disorientation spell that has been placed on the room. In these
rooms, the exits will appear as question marks.
The color of the displayed compass direction will give you
information as to conditions in that room. Bright colors indicate
that the room has a light source, and dark colors indicate that
the room requires a light source.
Bright Yellow - Indicates the room is normal and lit
Dim Yellow - Indicates the room is normal and dark
Bright Red - Indicates the room is flagged as PK and lit
Dim Red - Indicates the room is flagged as PK and dark
Blue - Used to display a window
Magenta - Used to display a closed door
PK Rooms will also add a line in bright red to the displayed
room information, such as "WARNING: You are in a LAWFUL PLAYER
KILLING room".
Turning SET SHOW-COLOR-ALTERNATIVES on in conjunction with
SET SHOW-EXITS will show you text-based status information (not just
with colors). This can be useful for players who make use of screen
readers.
There are additional display settings you can also tweak - please
see HELP SET for a list.
SEE ALSO
pk, recall, travel, hide, sneak, mount, dismount, vital statistics,
rest, sit, stand, sleep, wake, set, levitation, momentary darkness
TRAVEL
travel - information on how to get around the world of Alyria
The world of Alyria is vast, and there are several ways of getting around. The first and most basic is simply walking, traveling under the stars with a sextant and coordinates provided in the Novice's Atlas, or the help- files. This can be exhausting, so let's look at some of the alternative methods, detailed below: SHIPS Sponsored by the Council of Seven, several ferry routes span the world; -The famed Merdraco travels to each main city in a crescent, looping back on itself. -The Hallowhold ferry travels from the docks of Lowangen (Sepharia) to Tellerium (Avros), and back again. -The Riddenmast sails between Rune (Sepharia) and Sigil (Auryn), a route popular with young adventurers. To board a ferry, go to the docks outside the specified city and either look for a green '4' against the docks, or look for a sign pointing out the boarding location - then 'SHIP BOARD <direction>' to board. Use 'SHIP EXIT <direction>' to leave (but make sure there's an adjacent dock or land). THE IRON WORM Found in the city of Rune, the Iron Worm is a fast and safe method of transport for adventurers above level 25. The Ganuk family sell tokens for travel in their shop on Solomon Street in Rune; all you need to do is buy a token and give it to Ganuk's father on the platform below the shop. MOUNTS To control a mount, such as a horse, you may command the animal to 'walk', 'gallop', or 'run', followed by the <direction> you wish it to move in. A quick 'stop' or 'whoa' will get your mount to stop. Mounts will attempt to follow roads and trails if they are given a command while on one, and the direction they are given will result in them staying on a road or trail. They will also try to stay on the best path available. Mounts can be purchased in many 'pet' stores, borrowed from stables around Alyria, or found wandering loose in the wild. THE RUNE ORPHANAGE The Rune Orphanage on Solomon Street, run by the kindly Uncle Spadge, opened its doors to those of levels 25-59. For four Alyrian months (one real) a player can add the Orphanage as a GLOBAL recall spot - that is, you can use the RECALL command to return to the Orphanage and Rune from anywhere in the world. This mimics the effect of player homes, to which a player can return to from almost anywhere. HOT AIR BALLOONS In the Townes of New Rigel, Lowangen, and Tellerium you can seek out their hot-air balloon platforms and travel between the two cities via air travel for a modest fee. The balloons in each city can be located by using the WHERE IS command. WORLDGATES Near most major cities and a few interesting landmarks, across all planes of existence, lie curious arrangements of large monolithic stones. These huge portals are controlled by the phases of the moon, and found in the strangest places. There will only be two up at any given time, linking spaces across the world. Each city is usually near a worldgate circle, located via SURVEY. See 'HELP WORLDGATES' for more information on this phenomenon. SPELLS There are several spells available to those trained in magic. These allow for magical transportation from point A to point B. Teleport, Blink, Vacuum Invocation, Nexus, and Warp are some of the spells which enable the caster (and sometimes his/her formation) to transport about in the blink of an eye. Strangely, vials enchanted with the Blink spell are held by rats in Rune Forest. GEMSTONES Certain magical gemstones, sold by many questmasters, enable you to return to the respective town instantly. Novice Adventurers start with a gemstone that will return them to their class' hometown, limited by charges. These are also known as warpstones. The best way to learn about all these different modes of transportation is to experience them first hand. The Mark of Transport is a tutorial quest that has the player use many forms of transportation all around Alyria to complete a number of quests. Use MARK INFO TRANSPORT to obtain more information about undertaking this chain of quests.
ROADSIGNS
roadsigns - adventurers can automatically 'run' between cities
Good governance arises through a responsible citizenry, responsive leaders and healthy taxation. When these elements arise together, they foster desirable civic policies that lead to good roads, a population that doesn't need to resort to banditry and a well-maintained network of roads. Roadsigns allow citizens to easily travel between destinations on the same continent. At any roadsign, an Adventurer may 'run <destination>' to start running, and at each intersection the path will be determined for them by the next roadsign. All available destinations can be seen by looking at the roadsign, and clicked on if supported by the Adventurer's client.
RIDING
riding - proficiency in general riding and mounted combat
The riding proficiency improves general riding ability - your mount will use less stamina because you are able to better control the mount. Riding increases the level of the mount that an adventurer can ride by up to 100. It also increases accuracy by 1, and if mastered, permits the use of acrobatics while mounted. In addition, it increases the chance of shield blocking while mounted.
RUNNING
run - speedwalk through the wilds
Adventurers can choose to walk wherever they please, but one of the most efficient methods of moving through the Wilderness is running along roads. Adventurers choose a direction to run, and will continue doing so until they come to an obstruction, stop running, or come to an area entrance. Runs are not required to start or end on a road, but if, during the course of a run, an Adventurer runs onto a road, they will continue along it. Likewise, if they start on a road, they will continue along it until they reach a junction or an area. Running works similarly to Riding, but does not require a mount.
SHIP-SAILING
ship-sailing - compact information about sailing your ship
SHIP DIRECTION <direction name>
Changes the direction (heading) of the ship. If the ship is medium-sized or
larger, the ship cannot be going faster than speed SLOW when you wish to change
heading, or it stands a chance of capsizing. Ships smaller than medium
may change direction at speeds of HALF or less without running the risk of
capsizing.
SHIP DIRECTION
Cancels the ship's heading. Ships may only do this if they are travelling at
SLOW speed. This command will allow ships using steam engines to idle in place
by consuming fuel. Ships under sail with no heading will begin to drift and
can be pushed by both wind and currents.
SHIP SPEED <speed>
Changes the speed of the ship. The speed of a sailing vessel is directly
dependent on the wind direction - for example, if you are sailing directly
against the wind, the ship will move very slowly. There is an upgrade
available for most sail-powered ships that reduces the drag of the wind
when you are sailing against it.
Ships powered by steam and magic engines do not use sails so the wind
direction doesn't impact them.
Acceptable speeds are:
stop, slow, half, full, flank
*More information about ship engines can be found in [2202] SHIP-SETUP help entry.
SHIP PLANK <victim name>
Forces an undesirable off your ship. Splash!
SHIP ANCHOR
Drops or raises the ship's anchor. Lowering the anchor will keep the ship
from drifting in whatever direction the current is moving. In order to use
some of the ship commands, you must be anchored at a dock with a
shipwright. The ship may not be able to anchor in deep water.
CONTEXTUAL-DIRECTIONS AND SAILING
When the SETting CONTEXTUAL-DIRECTIONS is enabled, if an Adventurer is capable of
piloting a ship, inputting a direction on an anchored ship will raise a ship's
anchor, change the ship's heading to match the input direction, and accelerate
SLOWly in that direction.
Inputting the same direction again while the ship is moving will cause the ship to
accelerate by one magnitude of speed (ex. from SLOW to HALF or from FULL to FLANK).
Inputting a different direction from the ship's current heading will cause the
ship to reduce speed if necessary and change the ship's heading to the indicated
direction.
Using UP or DOWN while sailing a ship will set the ship's speed to STOP and remove
the ship's heading. Ships using engines will begin to idle, using their fuel to
remain stationary. Ships with no fuel or sails will begin to drift and are able
to be pushed by wind and currents.