As a biped and one of the Gifted, many paths are available to you in the war against the Withered Aegis.  One might accumulate a wide diversity of skills.  Sometimes, in the fullness of time, one might come to realize that some of these skills would have been just as well not gained.  In other endeavors, one cannot generally undo the past, but in this case the bell can indeed be un-rung.

Should you desire to clear your mind of the flotsam of a checkered adventuring past, make your way to the city of Dalimond.  Go out the north gate and pick your way across the rocks just offshore.  You will find Ethien the Tempered there, staring off to sea.  He can set you on the path to forgetfulness in archery, melee or magic (but not skills of craftsmanship, unfortunately). 

Ethien will direct you to both the islands of Lerena and Dikaina.  Don't worry - it's both the same place.  Take the note he gives you and then proceed from Dalimond back to the Bristugo travel hub.  You'll want to take a portal to the settlement of Mia's Edge, unless you've already attuned to Grayling or Lerena.

From Mia's Edge take the road north and east.  Enjoy the two beautiful waterfalls and the scenic estates, but don't linger overlong lest the locals in this posh neighborhood get suspicious.  You will ultimately want to be on the main road going east along the coastline.  The scenery is pleasant and the indigenous creatures are absent, so you should have an easy run of it.

Once you reach Grayling, the Gatekeeper is next to the arrival pad, towards the eastern edge of town.  Be certain to give him greetings so you can attune here for future trips.  From here, take the road North and East out of town.  You'll travel north past the point where the water dips inland and nearly touches the Blight.  The Meteor Crater is a remarkable sight, but the residents are somewhat unfriendly towards casual visitors.  Fortunatly, they don't venture far from their home and pose no danger unless you go to them. 

Past this point a short way, you'll find a small stone path leading west and upward.  Here's where you will find the home of Kesset the Grey.  He's just inside.  Happy forgetfulness awaits.

Rambling Istaria: A Brief Tour of Genevia Island, Part II

This time I started my explorations in Genevia City.  The arrival pad is at the far eastern edge of the city.  I arrived after dark and was able to enjoy the softly glowing street lamps lighting the city.  I remember my last visit to Genevia many, many months ago.  What used to be a barren shanty town has become a beautiful, well populated community. 

Shops of all manners can be found in town, and there was a vault just southwest of the arrival pad.  The outgoing portal is west of the arrival pad and is more centrally located.  A stream runs through the center of town and lazily swimming minnows appeared to be plentiful.  You’ll find a tavern west of the outgoing portal, across a small arrow-bedecked foot bridge.  Following the road south from there, I found yet another vault serving the southwest area of town.

I traveled south of Genevia – this time going cross-country.  I began to see outcroppings of sandstone, and before long found a fully-equipped stoneworks.  Skittering down the hillside to the southwest, I found the arrival pad for Sandstone Bluffs.  You’ll find many tiny plots for sale in this area.

Following the road west through town, I came upon more sandstone, this time mixed with turquoise outcroppings, and then garnet as I went further north.  Continuing along this road, I reached the southern edge of Garnet Bay.

If you take the coastal road leading south of Sandstone Bluffs, you will eventually come to the community of Copperton.  The road north of the arrival pad leads through areas of copper and tin ore, as well as additional sandstone.  I discovered the first smelter along the northernmost loop of the road.  Continuing northwest from this point, I found yet another smelter, this one with anvils too.  There was a small ore field right there, as well as a mid-sized gnomish house (You really MUST see this house.  It is truly amazing.). 

North of the house was a smell pond, and beyond that I saw dim wisps floating through a field of sugar cane.  On the north end of the field I found an essence circle up on a small rise.  North of that I found more wisps and herds of deer.  Further north yet, I found a conveniently located tannery (for you – not so much for the deer!).  The road through the area curls east and south.  You’ll find more dim wisps, cedar, flax and more deer.

Exploring the southern end of the island, I found the community of Istaria’s Loom.  Northwest of Istaria’s Loom, and at the eastern edge of the long valley, and found a field of flax and an accompanying clothworks.  As with Sandstone Bluffs and Copperton, there were many small plots of land for sale.  Those that indulge in real estate speculation can only wonder what the worth of these properties will become if the Istarian Beautification League visits these communities with some of the same improvements brought to Genevia city…

Follow the coastal road north from the Istaria’s Loom arrival pad, keeping to the east.  Eventually, as the road curves north, you’ll see a branch continuing east to the coast.  This will bring you to the eastern-most point of Genevia Island and the western-most end of a destroyed long bridge.  Once rebuilt, it appears this bridge will connect Genevia to the western coast of Scorpion Island.

I’m sure I’ve missed other hidden surprises of Genevia Island, but I think you’ll find these lands to be well worth a visit – both to enjoy their beauty and their bountiful resources.

Flying Cargo Disks in Operational Testing

For several months now, speculation has abounded concerning the possible development of a flight-capable type of cargo disk, suitable for use by the adult dragons of Istaria.  These rumors were recently confirmed, as these images clearly show.

As yet, nothing is known about the speed or performance characteristics of these (for lack of an official designation) cargo gliders.  A source close to the research and development group refused to provide specifics, but did disclose that they are, and will be, of draconic manufacture, and that the only biped involvement in the project was purely in an advisory capacity. 

Guild Spotlight: Divine Retribution

Divine Retribution is a fairly new guild on Chaos, but the members are anything but newcomers to Istaria.  The founders are all experienced veterans from the realm of Unity, who chose to leave behind years of work and begin all over again here.  Elspeth_Unity was kind enough to speak with Chaos Reigns! about the guild, their past, and their future.

We’d like to begin by welcoming yourself and Divine Retribution to Chaos.  It's can't have been an easy decision to leave the home you've known so long and begin again in a new land. How has the guild been doing since the transition?
It surprised me when I checked how long we had been here to discover that it has been nearly 3 months now…it feels like only a few weeks! In that time we have met and made many new friends, two of our dragons have achieved adulthood, we have purchased 4 lairs and begun construction of one, and we have progressed from running in fright from Lt Khar to giving him a good pasting in revenge whenever we bump into him. In short, progress has been going well and it has been a pleasure to meet some of the existing residents of Istaria and engage in some of the new quests that are available.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have welcomed and assisted us, I will not name names for fear of missing someone out, but your help and friendship has made us very proud to be part of your community

How often do you hear from those who chose not to transition over with you? How are they doing?
We keep in regular contact, through our forums, with other DR people on Unity. It is sad to say that their morale is not as high as it once was. The rumours that have been flying about have not helped anyone’s morale. Some concrete information would go far in settling peoples concerns. With the ability to make characters on any server, several Unitarians have popped into to Chaos to say hello.

What is your guild’s mission statement or charter, if any?
Build, craft, hunt and have fun!

Tell us about your guild’s history, both here and on Unity.
DR has a long and exalted history. DR was originally established in Asheron’s Call and now has chapters in many games. Members from different games are encouraged to intermix via our forums and some will be members of several DR chapters.

DR on Unity was created within the first few days of beta testing and has become a guild to be proud of. Some of our achievements include building a complete set of Journeyman workshops in Parsinia for use by the community, turning Apia into our adventure centre, assisting in many community building projects, guiding and assisting new players, creating expert crafters in every field, being at the forefront of many adventure events.
Since the coming of WoW where we lost many of our most fearsome fighters we have tended to lean more towards crafting and building guild than adventuring, but I am looking to redress the balance in the future and look forward to the days when DR members are seen at the forefront of the war against the Withered Aegis.

What qualities does your guild look for in a new member?
Someone that shares our sense of respect for fair play, values honour and honesty, realizes the benefits and pleasures of working together to reach a common goal and someone who enjoys the concept of the journey of life in Istaria.

What membership requirements, if any, does your guild have?
We do have a trial period for new members

Have you encountered any old friends who had already transitioned from Unity?
Yes, we have bumped into several players who have dual accounts and split their time between Unity and Chaos and we have also met several other players who are EU based but have always played on Chaos.

Is your guild working on any major projects currently?
Having negotiated some lucrative building and crafting contracts we are now in position to buy our 4th lair. The building of the lairs and associated support machines and structures will be taking up our time for the next few months. Usually I try to post a plan for the coming month on our forums, this gives an outline of what I would like to see achieved and gives us a sense of direction and purpose.

What long-term goals does your guild have
Our long-term goals are to establish our dragon’s home and to advance to ancient hood (something I was not able to achieve on Unity). Once our dragons have settled down, we will then look towards creating a team of builders, crafters and adventurers able to make the guild self-sufficient and to be able to provide support for the whole community. Our golden goal is too become a guild that is known and respected throughout Istaria as a guild of honour and integrity.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about your guild?
We are still a small guild, by most people’s standards, but we feel that gives us more of a family feel.

How can potential members learn more about your guild?
Through our guild website, www.divine-retribution.co.uk, or talk to any of us in Istaria.

Lives in Chaos: Vandellia Stormdaughter

When the newly Gifted look at all the trades that are available to them in Istaria, the majority either overlook Confectioner or examine it briefly and pass it by.  Those that do become Confectioners quickly learn the name of Vandellia Stormdaughter.  She was one of the first to master the school, and did so without Expert-level formulae or resources.  Only a handful of others managed this feat prior to the Merging of the Worlds and, of those that did, most if not all have traveled on.  Vandellia’s expertise and tireless advocacy of Confectioner issues have resulted in significant additions and changes to the school, and made her name synonymous with it. 

 

Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. To begin with, tell us a little bit about yourself and your history in Istaria.  What are some of your fondest early memories of Istaria?
My fondest memories of Istaria were being in beta and discovering the world as it existed and having the fellowship of a wonderful guild thru several toon wipes. Discovering that they finally activated the confectioner school made me very happy as it seemed to have the potential to be the most varied of all the trade schools. many of my memories are based on the wonderful guild I belonged (Knights of Istaria or KoI) to until they walked into Istarian history.

You were one of the first people to master the Confectioner school, back before the merge, and you accomplished this without having geostone clay or expert-level formulae.  How did you do it, and how did you keep yourself motivated?
Having to feed a huge guild and having to keep up with my adventurer guild mates was both fun and a challenge.  Part of the challenge was resource based, as we were missing rye, barley, sugar, and sheep.  Most of those resources still weren’t in game at shard merge; that, combined with missing journeyman forms, made leveling confectioner a major effort due to diminishing returns xp wise on what I could make.  With the grain missing, the only Tier 3 & 4 things I could make were soups and roasts.  The jerky form for Tier 3 and 4 were in game, but with out the grain the T3 version could not be made.  Tier 3 clay resource spawn at that time was on the spiral in the Observatory, which meant a lot of long distance running to and from to get enough clay to cook foods.  Once I finally got to the point of being able to make t4 foods, I had bought a plot near Morning Light which allowed me to stage the rest of my levels.  The hardest level for me to make was from 99 to 100 and that took me a full week at 8+ hours a day to pre-stage. When I hit 100, I was the first 100 confectioner on Bounty.  It was a massive effort.

It’s not a stretch to say that you are and have been Istaria’s foremost advocate for the Confectioner school.  How do you feel about the changes that were recently announced by the Empire?
I am both cheering on the re-thinking of the school and terrified of the possibility of the school becoming even more tedious and overly complex.  With the recent change the goals I am to a great part absolutely infuriated that they are going to keep the old food forms in and keep them at their current time offs and then add a slew of new, better foods. I find the idea of finally fixing the school and then forcing us to scrounge up, run around, and gather new and good forms to have anything useful/effective not a good idea; in fact, I find it an insult to any confectioner in the game.  I would prefer them to either revise the old food forms and update them to the new standard or remove them entirely and replace the ones all confectioners have with new forms that they shouldn’t have to buy.

What sort of things do you hope to see when the Empire makes Mystical foods and beverages available?
I am truly hoping for racial city recall foods, where you can eat a specific food and it will recall you to that city.  I would also love to see some type of food that has the ability to resist some of the mob abilities that are not covered in techs or by alchemist formulas. I can see beverages as buffs.  I have to consider the real life affects of an alcoholic beverage and its affect on Istarian characters.  I could see one type of beverage increasing resistance to cold or fire or mind/mez spells but if its alcohol-based, it might cause the loss of a bit of dexterity etc.  One form of drink could increase bravery but decrease dexterity, something along that line. Bottom line: if the negatives to a food are not worth its perceived benefit it will not be used.    

What would you say is your proudest achievement to date?
I have 3 very proud moments: the day I hit my first 100 crafting school, Confectioner, sometime the month before the shard merge.  My second is the day I hit 100 Shaman.  I spent a lot of time out in the cursed wolf circle at the time and worked long and hard for it. My current, and the one thing I am most pleased with, is that when I inherited my original guild’s main guild plot, I re-envisioned the plot, tore most of it down, and shaped it into one of the prettiest and nicest looking plots I have seen.

Do you have any regrets about your time in Istaria, or are there things you would do differently if you could?
I made many plans based on promises and worked hard towards fulfilling my end of the bargain; sadly I have yet to see my effort bear fruit.  But I keep on hoping.

In addition to mastering Confectioner, you have also mastered quite a number of other crafts.  What advice or insight would you offer to the newly Gifted who are drawn to the crafting arts?
I think my signature says it all: given enough time in game, any thing is possible.  I am currently sitting at 1870 craft levels.  I will eventually get the last 30 craft levels, but I am working on them slowly and enjoying every one except for enchanter.  Over all, plan your advancement properly so that you don’t get stuck in the attitude of "another day of grinding".  Don’t grind!  Savor each level for the challenge it presents. Don’t rush to 100.  It’s never about getting to the top; it’s about the journey to get there.

Of all the enemies that confront the Gifted, which do you most enjoy meeting in battle, and why?
I have a love/hate relationship with most of the mobs.  I owe a few enemies from pre-merge a few deaths that I can not give them (yet).  I am enjoying most fighting the gem golems as they are a challenge but not horribly overpowered for me.

Lastly, if Nadia were sentenced to die and the Empire appointed you to be her executioner, how would you carry the sentence out?
I would make her to go out and craft 100 levels in any craft school in unteched flax cargo gear and let her rack up 100 or so death points with accompanying penalties and see how she likes it.

Mystery in the Barasavus Desert

A small portion of the Barasavus desert between New Rachival and Desert’s Edge has undergone a dramatic and unexplained transformation.  While not Blighted, the area’s features are unlike any known portion of Istaria.  The ground has become a deep, almost blood-red, and unusual, spike-covered plants are growing up out of it.

Although it has no explanation to offer, the Empire has issued assurances that the area poses no threat to the people of Istaria and no further comment or investigation seems to be forthcoming.

A gnome who was spotted in the area seemed to know more than he was admitting to, but when pressed for details he simply shrugged and said, "Maybe someone just thought it would be pretty there."  

 

Community Projects

Persons desiring to make a lasting contribution to the community and improving our world in a real and meaningful way are encouraged to join the new ‘World Object Repair Crew’ chat.  This chat is intended to keep the community informed about the state of various community projects and let those interested in volunteering know where their abilities are most needed. Some current projects include:
The Sslanis Lighthouse
The Grayling lighthouse and Artifact of Magic
Four bridge spans between Istaria’s Loom and Scorpion Island
The long bridge between Fabric Isle and the Observatory Peninsula
Community lair structures in Dralk and Chiconis
In addition to these major projects, many smaller communities have a number of lamp posts, archways, and other decorative structures in need of repair.  Gifted of all skill levels are encouraged to join in and help make Istaria a better place for everyone.
Anyone who wishes to raise community awareness of a specific project is welcome to provide the details on the project to the Herald.

Personals

Faerie Builders Inc - All types of work accepted.  T5 metal, T3 all else.  Sandstone work welcome!  Rates standard and negotiable.  Please contact Starna for more information.
Tier 1 lair construction work wanted.  Rates Negotiable.  Please message Ktorin, thank you.
Looking for Quarrying IV, Strength IV and Dexterity IV techniques.  Please message Alladania.
Laziest dragon in Chaos seeking motivation (okay, not all that hard).  Easy suggestions welcomed by Inexplicable Jones.  Usually found sunning on a warm rooftop in Parsinia.

LexDivinia has some huge tracts of land, and now she wants more!  Bristugo is Istaria’s transportation hub, and I want to make it a crafting hub as well.  I’m looking for one or two plots where I can build the most commonly used craft shops, making Bristugo a nice, central location for people to craft items on demand.  My offers start at double Imperial, negotiable based on location, proximity to the portals, etc.  Contact me in-game, or via PM on the community forum.  I’ll be on vacation from the 12^th-19^th, but if you send me a PM I’ll get back to you as soon as I return.