Over the Wire

An Introduction

Welcome to the next and final chapter of Salvar's civil war! For this chapter we'll be doing things a bit differently when it comes to mission boards and some of the events being held. While I'm still trying to set it up in another thread, the basic idea is going to be that both sides, the League of Salvic States and the Church of the Ethereal sway are going to be alotted points over the course of the chapter. The first side to reach a certain number of points, which will be determined in the next couple of days, will win the war and crush the other faction in an urban battle within the heart of Knife's Edge at the end of the chapter. All players will be welcomed to participate in the battle which will be held in a thread once the victor is determined. More information on that will be available as soon as possible.

You as the player can earn these points for either faction by obtaining and completing missions found here or approved quests* and have them judged before the close of the chapter. 1 point will be awarded for missions/quests that have been judged and recieved a score between 45-60, 2 points for every mission/quest that has been judged and recieved a score between 61-85, and a total of 3 points for every mission/quest that has been judged and recieved a score between 86-100. The players who rack up the most points for either faction during the chapter will receive a reward and special recognition at the end of the chapter, as well as the players with the highest scoring quests/missions. More details will be explained upon that later.

There will be other things planned for this portion of Salvar's struggle for survival, and hopefully all of you will be around to reap the benefits for it. For now, stay tuned and check the forums daily for updates. I'm available for any questions you might have concerning the FQ and Salvar's involvement. I will also be opening the floor for any suggestions anybody might have for the chapter, and if it ends up being used I will see that you are rewarded accordingly. Until then, sit back and enjoy.

*Don't be intimidated about getting your quest approved for points, what it essentially means is that you contact me with your idea for a quest you have and I'll talk it over with you. If it looks like it's a clear, concise idea that could contribute to the overall storytelling of the war from any side, you'll be approved. I have no intention of leaning on any of you to cultivate some ideas and ignore others, so you're free to come up with what you like so long as it has some sort of impact on the war. Other then that, go nuts. If you have an idea and you truly want it to be recognized in this chapter, come talk to me about it and we'll work it out. More details will be available later.

Getting A Quest Approved:

I mentioned earlier that you can earn points for either faction with not only missions but by quests that have been approved. What does that mean? Not much. The idea is simple. If you have a quest or story you think would have an impact on the war either locally or at large, you're eligible to get your quest sanctioned for points and even larger rewards provided you finish and have the quest judged. The subject matter of the quest is completely up to you, but all that I ask is that the quest have some sort of impact upon the civil war and the faction you are trying to give points to is clearly indicated in either the thread or in a note before you submit it for judgment.

Approved quests will be given the power to award points to either faction provided they are completed and scored before the end of the chapter. Also, all approved quests will be given special rewards for your efforts and contributions as follows;

1) All approved quests receive 2x the experience they would be getting for completing a quest in the FQ.

NOTE: The old 1.5x modifier has been removed in favor of this due to some really disproportional experience handouts. If you're curious, the current output for completing a quest in the FQ as of now is 1.5x experience instead of the usual 2x. Approved quests will get the old 2x experience bonus instead, which is a .5x increase from the new standard. If you have any questions, shoot me or Taskmienster a PM.

2) All participants in an approved quest will be eligible for a random drawing for legendary items that were used during the chapter. This drawing and the details of it will be touched upon later in the chapter.

3) All approved quests participants who score a 70 or above on their quests will be given a special prize depending on the outcome of the war.

a) Should you have sided with the League and they end up winning the war, you will be given a parcel of land and the beginnings of a fiefdom that will be under your direct control. You will then be given status as a baron which will be reflected in a unique member title of your choice provided it has "Baron", "Noble" or "Feudal Lord" in it in some fashion. With a new fiefdom, land, and title under your belt you will be given the status to war with other nobles and build your fiefdoms, specialize it, and populate it in any way you choose.

The specifications of these fiefdoms and the land awarded to you will be unique from other fiefdoms that players/power groups will be able to claim in a future event in Salvar called 'Feudal Wars'. Be the first to get one!

b) If you sided with the Church in your quest and they end up winning the war, you will be given a blessing from the Church themselves and be given patron saint status for the character you used within their gospels. The blessing will be an ability outside the confines of your level by up to two levels provided that it is approved by the RoG Staff (They will be informed of your reward, but keep it reasonable because in the end it's up to them as to whether or not it is approved. You will also need to have a disclaimer attached to that ability in your next update saying that it was awarded to you and where you got it).

Your status as a saint can be reflected in a unique member title of your choice with the word "Saint" in it and it'll be up to you to word it. You will also have access to certain things after the war that are unavailable to regular players in an event of the Church's new rise to power which can vary from anything between from a sect of people that worship you specifically or even having a church built in your name.

If you're interested in obtaining an approved quest, contact me immediately and we can talk it over. Remember, the approval of your quest depends entirely on how and what you choose to do to impact the war and that most of these rewards are reserved for those who finish and have their quests scored. The only exception to those rewards will be the random drawing for legendary items.

Mission Rewards:

Just like approved quests, those who participate and complete missions during the chapter will receive rewards and recognition for your valor and heroism as well. These rewards are subjected to those who finish a mission and have it judged before the end of the chapter, though there will be a couple different rewards for you guys for just throwing your name into the hat.

1) When fighting for a faction through missions, you'll always need to complete your objective (thread) in order for points to be distributed to that faction. For every mission a player completes for a particular faction, they will obtain a valor point. You can only obtain valor points from one faction, so if you were to do a mission for the Church and earn a valor point you would have to continue to do Church missions to accumulate more points. These valor points can be cashed in at the end of chapter for the following prizes:

1 Valor Point - You can cash it in for a custom user title that relates to the faction you are fighting for. For the League you would have to use a title that is in conjunction with nobility such as "Sir", "Lord", or something that desginates military/privileged status. For the Church you'll have to select a name that implies devotion or divinity such as "Acolyte", "Clergyman", "Padre" or something of the like. You'll need to submit your name at a prize thread at the end of the chapter if you're interested in obtaining these custom user titles. The only names you'll not be able to have are "Baron" or "Saint", those are reserved for those who complete an approved quest.

2 Valor Points - A custom weapon or item of your design that your character would've used during the chapter, but didn't really have it at the time. It must relate to the war some way, and guidelines to your level apply when submitting this weapon for approval.

3 Valor Points - A custom skill or trait of your design that your character learned during the war. For your efforts, this skill can be outside of 1 level of your current level. This means if you're level 4, you can make a skill that would normally be reserved for a level 5 character and have it approved. At the very least, it'll give you more lee way to be creative. Remember, RoG rules and guidelines still apply and it must be something that can be approved by whoever is reviewing your profile. Make sure to include a disclaimer in how/where you obtained this skill in your profile when you do your update!

4 Valor Points - Selection of a Legendary Item that was used during the Chapter by either faction. Instead of joining in on the drawing like everybody else at the end of the chapter, you will be among the first people to pick whatever item/weapon/armor you want out of the pile instead of waiting in line. It is to be remembered that these items are considered a prize so in order to have it approved it may not be modified in any way and you must provide a disclaimer for it when you include it in your next profile. Be sure to look at the upcoming list of Legendary Items to check them out and see what you'd like to take home with you!

2) Everyone who claims a mission, whether they finish it or not, will be entered into a drawing for a Legendary Item. Unlike people who complete Approved Quests, you will be receiving only 1 ticket, they receive 2. You can only get tickets for approved quests or missions once, and it is possible to get a total of 3 tickets by completing an Approved Quest and claiming a mission. However, the mission you claim MUST be completed to in order to get that last ticket. More information on the drawing will be explained later in the chapter.

3) Those who score in one of their missions at 75 or above will receive one of the following awards depending on their faction;

- The Black Larch - Those who sided with the League during the chapter and they won will receive a medal by the Vagarand. This medal is considered an item that you can put in your profile and allows you to participate in certain events or activities that wouldn't normally be available for regular players. This medal is considered a display of your heroism and courage during the war and for this your character may pass through any baron's fiefdom that falls under League control without penalty and for any reason. Also, you'll find that most League soldiers will attempt to salute you if they see the medal on your person.

- Denebriel's Seal - Those who sided with the Church during the chapter and they won will receive a coin by the Clergy. This coin has been blessed by the Ethereal Sway and allows you safe passage around those of divine origin. Whether they are Thayne, Ethereal Sway, or a God from some other faith they will not be able to harm you if this coin is on your person. This coin represents your unwavering faith to the Church and that you are under the protection of the gods that you have chosen to serve. It is considered an item that you can put in your profile.

Deadline:

The official start of the next FQ Chapters is October 5th, 2009. The end date for this chapter is January 5th, 2010. You all will have roughly three months to start and finish your threads whether they are quests or missions within this time.

While extensions have been agreed upon, they'll be awarded on a merit basis here and will not extend ridiculously long. If you need an extension at the time of the deadline, you'll need to contact me or Taskmienster later where we'll determine whether it's warranted and how much time is allotted. I, however, wouldn't really suggest on falling back on these three months from now in order to complete the majority of your thread on time because you're not going to get it and if you do you'll regret having to go through it. I've tried it and it isn't worth the headache, believe me. The point of an extension is simply to finish up any last minute posts you need before you submit it for judgment. That's it.

The first faction to reach 18 points before January 4th, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST will be declared the winner. If neither faction reachs 18 points by that time, the one with the highest amount of points will be declared the winner. At that point we'll be running a special event. All other quests and threads that weren't given an extension will be archived. The special event or the last major battle of Salvar's civil war will be fought in a thread titled 'At the Edge'. The thread will remain open for three weeks and will end on 11:59 PM of the last day. Every member of Althanas is welcomed to participate in this battle, but it is to be remembered that the faction who officially won the civil war on January 5th, 2010 will be winning this battle. There will be a roster going up before the thread to determine which side you're on, an information thread and some other things to get all our ducks in a row before the main event. But, it should be exciting, so please attend!

After the end of At the Edge, rewards and recognition will be distributed as the remaining threads are archived and submitted for judging. At this point the chapter and Salvar's official involvement in the FQ will be over.

The language here is pretty simple. Start your thread on time and end it on time. Be responsible, keep up on announcements like these so you're still in the loop and you should be in for a fun couple of months. The goal here is to make Salvar's last chapter enjoyable but at the same time allow it to run smoothly. If anybody has any questions, contact me.

Approved Quest Roster:

These are the up and coming quests that have been approved to fuel the war effort. They will be eligible for prizes and recognition following the chapter should they reach completion. This is more or less to keep track of who I talked to and approved as well as giving everybody else an idea of which of our fellow members are stepping up to the challenge. If you're interested in having a quest approved contact me over AIM (Sirusv2ptO) or shoot me a PM.

Thread Name - Whose Involved - Completed? - Faction

1) My Name is Lorenor.-I - Mutant_Lorenor/Makira - No - Church

2) No Knowledge of Wisdom - Visla Eraclaire - Yes - League

3) Mortal Intervention - Rayse Valentino/Caden Law/Bloodrose - No - League

4) The Beginning of the End - Part 1 - Ranger - No - League

5) Red-Stained Nights (Closed) - Christoph/Nevermore - No - League

6) Paid to Desecrate - Za'Kephazala - No - League

7) One Error Begets Another - Visla Eraclaire - Yes - League

8) The Enchanter's Legacy - 016573 - No - League

Winning the Civil War

Yep, it's true. Any member or player can determine the outcome of this civil war in a very direct way. Instead of having to thumb through quests and looking to find relevent impacts on the war made by players, I'm going to give you guys an ultimatium. The two factions that will be the focus on this chapter and the war will be The League of Salvic States and the Church of the Ethereal Sway which will be fighting for power and control of the entire country of Salvar.

Each faction will be awarded points for every mission or approved quest you and other players complete and judged will be held in a running tally. The first faction to reach 18 points will be declared the victor of the civil war and a thread will be opened up to enact out the climatic battle in which all players, those who've contributed and those who'll enter into the fray for the very first time, will be welcomed to join in and play both sides. The thread will remain open for approximately three weeks and afterwards will be closed with the shocking conclusion and the epilogue that will hint at some of the drastic changes in Salvar's immediate future.

There will also be bonuses awarded to either side specified by certain missions completed which can grant strengths or weaknesses to either faction in the coming battle. Things such as whether or not the League arrives at Knife's Edge in full force or something as simple as St. Denebriel finding that eureka moment that could give her and the Church the upper hand in the final battle. So, you see, the very nature of how this battle will be fought is in your direct control, so I'm hoping that you and other players can see just how important it is for your participation and interest in this pivotal chapter.

Points for either faction will be awarded like this;

1 point will be awarded for every mission/AQ (Approved Quest) that is completed and judged with a score between 45-60.

2 points will be awarded for every mission/AQ that is completed and judged with a score between 61-85.

Finally, 3 points will be awarded for every mission/AQ that is completed and judged with a score between 86-100.

Again, the first faction to reach 18 points during the course of the chapter will be the victors of the civil war. So get off the sidelines and fuel the war effort! The fate of Salvar is in your hands!

Points:

The League of Salvic States: 4

The Church of the Ethereal Sway: 0

Legendary Items

These will be the items that will be used by various NPCs and even PCs during the course of the chapter. I will make a list of them below for you to glance at and will periodically update them in the coming months. Why is this important to you? At the end of the chapter I will be holding a drawing where players will be randomly given the chance to pick one of these items to keep, and in the case of valor points you will even get a chance at first pick before the drawing even begins! More details on the drawing and how to participate in it will be detailed later in the chapter but there are two things to remember;

1) Everybody who participates in the chapter through missions or approved quests is going to be put in the drawing.

2) There are different requirements for missions or approved quests that can either get you more tickets or get you a chance to be the first in line to pick one of these items for yourself. So, I encourage you to participate in the coming chapter and give it your all. You never know what you might find below!

Without further delay, here are the items to be auctioned off this chapter:

The Eye of Denebriel - Rumored to be one of the very eyes of Denebriel herself, this strange and macabre artifact was said to have been plucked from her corpse during the Long Winter by a hapless grave robber. As an eye of a God, this device is very powerful and was believed to allow Denebriel to glimpse briefly into the future. The owner of this item will be able to see up to 15 seconds into the future per level (A cap of 2 minutes) when used. This is an actual human eye that never seems to decay and is cold to the touch. It still looks fresh.

NOTE: This artifact is in fact an organ, and holding it or wearing it isn't good enough. In order to fully utilize this artifact a player must have their character implant this eye in their head by whatever means. It'll attach itself, but it's up to you to gouge your own eye out for it. The eye color is a soft golden hue. This was by request of the person who wrote the story for Denebriel's death and it is non-negotiable. Include this note along with the rest of the item information when you add it in your profile.

Owned by: Saint Denebriel.

The Red Wake - A ship owned and ran by Captain George Weiss and his crew. It was a faithful vessel and fully manned until shortly after a certain League mission taken by them that the ship was caught in a violent storm twenty miles off the coast. The details of what happened during the storm are unknown as there were no survivors, but all was known was that this ship floated mysteriously back to a port around the outer edge of the Knife. If you listen closely when aboard you can hear the long-far-away screams of somebody being carried upon the wind.

This ship is weathered but still in good condition, but it definitely needs repairs in the upper hull where it looks to have taken a serious hit from a rogue wave. The Red Wake is a schooner-class vessel. What that means is that it is a small vessel with a two-mast set up, fore-and-aft rigged, and it carries two cannons but can carry up to six. The interior of the hull was renovated to carry supplies as a merchant vessel adding a bit more room then the standard schooner, but not much. Still, this vessel is incredibly fast. If fully manned (A six-man crew not including the captain) and used by it's owner, it can travel up to 1.5x faster then other ships. For every level of the owner, it gets a .5x speed bonus versus other ships. There are no caps to this speed bonus.

This ship has been painted red and it's name is emblazoned on the side of it in big, black letters.

Owned by: Captain George Weiss and crew.

NOTE: This item counts as a FAMILIAR when added to your profile. It is NOT a standard item that can just be added to your inventory. Be sure to add it to the appropriate area. You can begin customizing this familiar exactly 1 level after you receive it. The only things that may not change on this vessel is that it is a schooner and the name of the ship is The Red Wake. Everything else is fair game. You MUST include this tag when adding this item into your profile for it to be approved along with everything else. Enjoy!

Blue Crow - A cavalry pistol used and named by Erik Lloyd, a League calvary scout during the war. It is modeled after a EMF 1873 U.S. Cavalry pistol in appearance. It is a single action revolver with a 7'' inch barrel. It has a worn, steel blue finish and a walnut stock. Lloyd made great use of this pistol during the war and later moved onto another newer pistol when it was found that this one's hammer occasionally sticks when pulled back. This is an easy repair for around 500 GP at a skilled gunsmith and it is still in remarkably good condition. It weighs 2 pounds, comes with a holster, takes .45 colt rounds and can hold up to six.

The owner of this item is able to see clearly fifteen yards further than a normal person. It is a great tool for a scout, and has been sitting in an armory beginning to collect dust.

Owned by: Erik Lloyd

Flint Rings - Two worn steel rings with a band composed of flint that run along the outside. A strange set of rings, their original purpose was far more sinister. These rings were owned by Josiah Lund, a agent and demolitions expert of the Church. Worn at the base of two consecutive fingers, he used these rings to light the fuses of his explosives with a mere rub of his fingers. It's harder then it looks. The owner of this item will be able to light any explosive requiring a fuse and can buy him or herself .5x seconds per level (A maximum of 4 seconds) of additional time on top of the normal time it takes for the explosive to go off.

Owned by: Josiah Lund

A Pack of MarCanal Cigarettes - Owned by Baron Harold Krisgal, it was said that he was lighting one of these cigarettes shortly before he was ambushed and killed by Church operatives. The cardboard pack is red and black on the outside and the cigarettes are normal in appearance, however not everything is as it seems. When used, these cigarettes can allow the owner to become far more alert then he would otherwise. This gives him the ability to detect an enemy's presence by sound, smell or sight by an additional 60 yards for up to 4 posts. There are seven cigarettes left.

Owned by: Baron Harold Krisgal

Trog'nen - A simple burlap sack owned by what was believed to be a Skavian mystic at the time of the invasion of Uroda. Normally a bag like this would be able to carry up to 10 pounds and any more would cause it to break, however this special bag is able to carry up to 200 pounds worth of items of any size! It is one of the few famed Trog'nen bags that were commonly carried by nomads during times of travel. They'd use the bag to hold most of their personal belongings while they concentrated on moving the rest of their camp. Very handy!

Owned by: Unknown

League Field Jacket - Commonly used by League soldiers during the war, it is of tree camoflauge in appearance. It is layered for cold weather and is very capacious with pockets. However, unlike the standard field jacket, this one is a bit off. The previous owner of this field jacket was very lucky. So lucky in fact that he managed to dodge explosives, bullets and arrows in ambushes when many of his and other surrounding units were killed by them during the battle at Knife's Edge. This field jacket causes the owner to become very lucky, and what that means to you is that the owner is able to dodge incoming projectiles .5x per level (maximum of 5x) faster then he would otherwise.

What happened to the previous owner of this field jacket you might have asked? The lucky soldier wandered off from his unit when the coast was clear, and took off his jacket so he could take a leak. He never did see that bullet.

Owned By: A Poor Bastard.

Amdal's Mask - His very namesake, this mask has been worn by the legendary assassin, Svend Amdal. Through his bloody work over the decades, this mask has slowly and steadily been imbued with his power and the palpable fear of his countless victims. When worn, this mask grants the wearer a concealment of their indentity. Nobody will be able to recognize you or your likeness other than that of Amdal, making it impossible to obtain your true identity or name while this mask is worn. While much of it's power has been diminished after Amdal was defeated during the war, this mask is still a symbol of the terror and dominion the assassin held over his victims.

Because of this, this mask also grants the wearer the uncanny ability to instill fear in his or her enemies by just being in their presence. For players equivilant or of lower level of the mask's owner, they will suffer from an overwhelming feeling of terror when in line of sight of this mask. This mask will cause players gripped by it's power to fumble with their weapons and be more likely to make mistakes, causing all physical and mental abilities of the owner's enemies to take a -2.0x penalty for as long as they remain in sight of this mask. Players over the level of the owner of this mask are better at fighting off the fear it instills, but still suffer from a -0.5x penalty to their physical and mental abilities when in sight of the mask.

This mask is made of a peculiar porcelin and clay that looks fragile but has the strength of metal equivalant to prevalida. It is of a bone-white finish and when worn, the mask extends all the way to the nostrils and curves off on either end of the jaw. While plain looking, outside of it's uncanny ability to instill fear in enemies, this mask conforms to the face of it's wearer and has been rumored to have a shred of Amdal's unshakable will within it, giving it a life of it's own. However, it's never been proven.

Owned By: Svend Amdal

Special Requirement: The person who slays or defeats Svend Amdal during the course of this chapter will be awarded this mask as a reward for their heroic efforts. It will be added to your spoil list in the quest in question. Only one person can claim to fight Svend Amdal at a time and I'll be NPCing him in your respective thread. If you're interested in obtaining this mask by earning it through a feat instead of trying your chances with the drawing, PM me. Up to 2 people can battle Amdal in a single thread at a time.

Many more items to come!

Submit Your Legendary Items!

You heard it right! I'm opening the floor for any member to submit to me any item, weapon, familiar, or armor that could have been used during the war. This could have been used by any player or NPC, so be creative! Not every submission will be accepted, but if it is you will be notified and given a 400 GP Voucher that can be redeemed at the Bazaar! Be sure to PM me your entries in the following format;

Item Name:
Description:
Who it Belonged To:

The deadline for submitting these items is 11:59 PM, November 24th 2009. Have fun!

If you're willing to divvy up items of your own that you used during the war, use the same format and be sure to let me know it is an item of yours. Items/Weapons/Armor/Familiars owned by players and submitted in this instance will need to be removed from their respective profiles after the drawing. They will NOT be returned to you unless nobody chooses to take on that item. People who go this route will receive a 600 GP Voucher for the bazaar instead.