The rules of the FQ are very simple and should require only a few minutes of your time.
Ways to Play
There are three ways to play with the FQ. The first is to register for a moderated storyline. During Chapter 1, there will be three moderated storylines for Raiaera and three for Salvar. These will be quests led by either the continent writer or a GM which will have a major impact on the course of the FQ. Moderated storylines are only for those with a commitment to high activity. Soon, a registration thread will open where you can declare your interest in participating in a moderated storyline.
The second way to play is to pick from the missions board, a place where important missions will be posted. You can draw from this board as the mood strikes you and participate as you like.
The final way to play is essentially pure free form. For each chapter, a premise will be posted that describes the state of affairs in the continents. From there, you can do whatever you like. No need to ask the continent writer, no need to worry about messing up the storyline. A list of major NPCs that cannot be bunnied will be posted, but in addition a whole slew of major NPCs, such as the advisors of King Rathaxea or High Bard Councilmembers, will be posted for your use. Feel free to use those NPCs as you will -- for assassinations, betrayals, revelations, or anything else you can think of! NOTE: Those using this option should try to tie in their quests somehow with the overall FQ. The FQ is not merely an excuse for writing the same old stories and get a lot of rewards for them; it is an attempt to get Althanas thinking about how we can all write about the same thing within the context of one event. Quests which completely ignore the storylines of the FQ will not receive full rewards.
Time Constraints
Liquid time will not be in effect during the FQ. You may be in one place at a time. This does not necessarily mean that you can't have multiple threads running at once, but you can't get out of it by saying, "Oh, this thread is taking place before this thread." All threads in the FQ should be considered within the same solid time horizon.
You may still be in as many quests and battles outside the Featured Quest as you'd like.
If you move between threads, you will get rewards for all the threads in which you participate.
Although each chapter will have a deadline for its ending, free-form or missions boards quests will not have to conclude on time. If the FQ ends before these threads are completed, they will be transferred to the appropriate forum and can be finished at the leisure of the players. However, there will be a good reason to finish on time...
Special Rewards
For each thread that finishes within the time constraints of a Chapter, EXP and GP rewards will be doubled! Every player who was active in such a quest will be given a weak magical item of their choosing as a spoil -- without having to find the item in the storyline. And that is all ON TOP of whatever is earned in the storyline itself.
At the conclusion of each chapter, there will be special rewards for being a valuable player. They are as follows:
"Highest Score" goes to all the participants who scored the highest in that chapter. 250 EXP/level and 500 GP/level.
"Most Active" goes to the player with the most posts. Players will receive 5 GP per post at the conclusion of each chapter, provided the posts are in threads completed and judged. The fifth through third most active players will receive 10 GP/post, second place will get 15 GP per post, and the most active player will have their point total multiplied by 25 GP per post!
"Most Valuable Player" goes to the player selected by the GMs and writers as the best in that chapter. This player gets 750 EXP/level, 1500 GP/level, and a choice between a few powerful items.
And finally, "Exemplary Contributor" is an award that can be granted a number of times to a number of people. Anyone who distinguishes themselves by maybe doing something others don't want to do can win this award. If everyone's trying to slay the enemy and lead quests to find great magic objects to save the world, you might find yourself an "Exemplary Contributor" if all you do is stay back and defend the city gates from evil. This award can be given many times in each chapter, and if you do something exemplary more than once, you may receive the award more than once. Each reward comes with 500 EXP and 1000 GP, along with an extra something for being a good team player.
In addition, if a PG organizes a quest within the FQ, their group will have 25% of the GP their members earn added to its treasury, and this is ON TOP OF the other GP rewards individuals get, not subtracted from them.
There's a lot to win here in the FQ, so I encourage everyone to participate!
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