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QUEST_DARKSUN

The Roles
The team's Warlock is its leader. He is the only one who can place markers
on the Game Board - and the Game Board determines who wins the game! He is
responsible for brewing and casting all of the team's spells, and he is
the only one who can do this. He is obviously the most important person on
the team. But he cannot win the game without the help of the other players.

Gatherers wander the arena collecting reagents (magical herbs) and
delivering them to the Goddess. These reagents are vital components in the
Warlock's spells. Without reagents, the Warlock has no magic! Although
anyone can pick up these reagents, only a Gatherer can receive credit for
delivering them.

Because of their devotion to the positive, Gatherers have sworn an oath of
(relative) nonviolence. Gatherers may engage in combat, if necessary, but
any Gatherer who actually kills an enemy will be imprisoned in the Void
for breaking their oath. There is a bright side to this, however. The gods
frown upon attacks on these innocents, so any player who kills a Gatherer
will be imprisoned in the Void as punishment.

There is a special case when a Gatherer and an Enforcer fight. Enforcers
don't care much about oaths of nonviolence, and killing is what they do,
so an Enforcer can kill a Gatherer without being sent to the Void. Because
of this, if the Gatherer wins the fight he doesn't go to the Void either.

Hunters are noble warriors, with an exacting code of battle. They are the
only players who can declare Blood Hunts - and successful Blood Hunts
result in markers which can be placed on the Game Board to win the game!

Enforcers are merciless killers. They do the team's dirty work - whatever
that may be. Normally Enforcers never go to the Void (though there are a
few spells and special cases that can send them there). If they die, they
are fully restored and put right back into the arena to continue their
task. The shock of death stuns them, however, and they will be frozen and
unable to move for 15 seconds afterwards.

As stated above, Enforcers only rarely go to the Void (a no-exit room of
imprisonment). All other players, however, go there when they die and
remain there until their god comes into ascendence or a spell is used to
free them.

Each team has (exactly) one Warlock. However, the team can have as many or
few Gatherers, Hunters, and Enforcers as the Warlock desires (though there
must be at least one of each type). The Warlock can assign people to
whatever roles he likes before the game begins, but once the game is in
progress the only way to change them is to use the Duty Spell. (The
Goddess will NOT shuffle your team around for you!)

Levels
Warlocks and Hunters have levels. These levels can be seen over the quest
channel when special events (like deaths) are reported, and also if you're
standing in the same room as the person (a player's title will always show
their current level). Players start the game at level 1, and gain levels
by killing enemies. Players who die are set back to level 1. (Players who
are simply imprisoned in the Void are not, however.)

Hunters have a kill tally which remembers how many enemy levels they have
killed (Dark Sun levels, not Medievia levels). In order to advance to the
next level, a Hunter must kill as many enemy levels as that next level.
For example, a level 2 Hunter must kill 3 levels worth of enemies to
advance to level 3. He can kill three level 1s, a level 1 and a level 2,
or one level 3. He then advances to level 3, his kill tally is reset to
zero, and he must kill 4 enemy levels to advance to level 4. The maximum
level a Hunter can have is 5.

Warlocks do not have a kill tally. A Warlock must kill a higher-level
enemy in order to advance, period. Nothing less will do. A Warlock cannot
have a level higher than 3.

If a Hunter kills an Enforcer, he receives one point on his kill tally, as
if the Enforcer had been a level 1 Hunter.

A Hunter receives a free restore every time he levels, for whatever reason.

Players cannot advance more than one level at a time. If a level 1 was to
kill a level 5, he would advance to level 2 and the extra levels would be
wasted.

A Warlock's level affects how well he can brew and cast his spells. A
Hunter's level affects how much time he gets to complete a Blood Hunt, and
how much help his god gives him during it. Also, a few spells (like the
Command Spell) take a player's level into account when they are used.
Gatherers and Enforcers do not have levels. They are considered to be
level zero when it matters.

The Gods and the Game Clock
Each team has one - and only one! - god whom they worship. There are three
gods in the Dark Sun universe, and each confers a special advantage to its
followers. A god can only be worshipped by one team.

Dark Sun has a game clock which keeps track of the time of day in the
game. One hour in the Dark Sun world is equal to 12 seconds of realtime.
The time of day is announced periodically over the quest channel. Each god
has a phase of the day during which he or she is "ascendent". For example,
Ratri, the goddess of night, is ascendent during nighttime. When a god
comes into ascendence all of his or her followers are released from the Void.

Ushas is the goddess of the dawn, and also symbolizes life and birth. Dawn
begins at 5am and lasts until 8am. Any spell which the Warlock of Ushas
starts brewing during dawn is automatically a Masterspell (unless the
brewing is a failure).

Mitra is the god of the day, and also represents warmth and growth. Day
begins at 8am and lasts until 8pm. Each hour during daytime a random Mitra
follower who is not in the Void will be sanctified.

Ratri is the goddess of the night, and also the patron of thieves and
robbers. Night begins at 8pm and lasts until 5am. Followers of Ratri have
two advantages. First, any spell which the Warlock of Ratri starts brewing
during nighttime will not use any nightshade. Second, during nighttime a
Ratri Hunter can assassinate a higher-level teammate. Normally killing a
teammate results in imprisonment in the Void, but in this special case the
murderer will be raised a level instead of being imprisoned. (The victim
of the assassination goes to the Void as usual.)

If things are moving too fast to handle, a team's Warlock can call a
time-out by telling the Goddess timeout. All players on all sides will be
fully restored and transferred to their team's home room to discuss
strategy. The time-out will last for two minutes. Each Warlock can call
three time-outs per game.

The Game Board
It is the Game Board that determines who wins and loses a game of Dark
Sun. In the middle of a typical game, the board might look like this:

+  A B C D E F G
1  . . . R . . .
2  . U U R . . .
3  . . . R M M M
4  . . . R . . .
5  . . . X . . .
6  . . . . . . .
7  . . . . . . .

Think of this as simply being a large tic-tac-toe board. The spaces with
dots in them are empty. The spaces with U, M or R in them represent
markers of Ushas, Mitra, and Ratri respectively.

Five markers in a row are required to win the game. Notice that Ratri has
almost won, but there's an X in the way. This X is a "blocker piece",
created with the Blocking Spell. Blocker pieces exist simply to block
victories (of all players). Once created, they can NEVER be removed.

Only Warlocks can place markers on the Game Board. To do this, they tell
the Goddess marker <column-letter><row-number>. For example, to put a
piece in the upper left-hand corner, you would tell the Goddess marker a1.
Of course, to put a marker down, you need to have one first! The main way
for a team to get markers is for its Hunters to complete Blood Hunts.
(There are also a few spells that can give a marker.)

A Warlock can only be holding ONE marker at a time. If something happens
to give him another, the extra one is wasted. Also, markers don't last
forever. If they're not played within 24 game hours, they disappear.

Blood Hunts
Blood Hunts are the main way a team gets markers to place on the Game
Board. Only Hunters can declare Blood Hunts. To do so, they tell the
Goddess hunt <victim>. The Hunt will be announced over the quest channel.
You can ONLY call a Hunt on an enemy Warlock OR an enemy Hunter who is
Hunting someone.

Once you declare a Hunt, you can ONLY kill the person you are Hunting! If
you kill anyone else, for ANY reason, you will be imprisoned in the Void.
If a teammate kills the person you are Hunting, that teammate will be
imprisoned in the Void for interfering.

You also have a time limit to worry about. Your god has better things to
do than watch you waste time! A level 1 Hunter has a mere 10 seconds to
complete his Hunt. A level 2 Hunter has 30 seconds, a level 3 two minutes,
a level 4 five minutes, and a level 5 Hunter has no time limit at all.
Obviously it is best to raise your level as high as possible before
declaring a Hunt, because going over the time limit will mean failure and
imprisonment!

High-level Hunters receive extra help from their gods. A level 4 Hunter
can ask for a restore once during a Hunt. This is done by telling the
Goddess restore me. A level 5 Hunter can ask for this restore twice.

Successfully completing your Blood Hunt gives your Warlock a marker to
place on the Game Board, and enough of those will mean victory!

Magic
Magic in the Dark Sun world is based on alchemy. In order to cast a spell,
a Warlock must first brew the spell as a potion. This brewing requires
time and, more importantly, reagents! There are four kinds of reagents in
Dark Sun. Nightshade berries represent poison and/or corruption. They grow
between midnight and 5am. Sundew leaves represent creation. They grow
between 5am and 10am. Ginseng plants are used in healing and restorative
magic. They grow between 10am and 4pm. Mandrake roots provide raw power.
They grow between 4pm and midnight.

Before a Warlock can use any magic, his Gatherers must turn in reagents to
the Goddess. This is done by finding the reagents in the arena (new
reagents grow in random arena rooms every game hour) and giving them to
the Goddess. The Goddess wanders around the arena semi-randomly, so
finding her quickly may be difficult.

And it's important to find her quickly. Because reagents don't stay potent
for very long! Each reagent is marked with a day which will be obvious
when you pick it up. (For example, "a day 6 mandrake".) You only receive
credit for turning in a reagent if you get it to the Goddess the same day
it appears! Any reagent older than the current day is useless.

Once a Warlock has enough reagents to make the spell he has in mind, he
has to start brewing it. This is done by telling the Goddess brew <spell>.
For example, brew time stop would start brewing that spell. Once a Warlock
starts brewing a spell he is FROZEN and HELPLESS until the brewing is
complete. The brewing takes 10 seconds per level of the spell. If the
Warlock is killed during the brewing his potion is spoiled (and he goes to
the Void!)

If the Warlock is lower level than the spell he's trying to brew, the
brewing may fail! The chances are 20% if the Warlock is one level lower,
50% if two levels lower, and 100% if three levels lower. Since a Warlock
can't go above level 3, level 4 spells always have a chance of failure.
Failure means that the resulting potion is useless and the time and
materials invested in it have been wasted.

If, however, the Warlock is the same level or higher as the spell he's
trying to brew, there's a chance it will turn out as a Masterspell.
Masterspells are more potent versions of normal spells. The chance of
brewing a Masterspell is 20% if the Warlock is the same level as the
spell, 40% if one level above, and 60% if two levels above. The only ways
to brew a Masterspell of a level 4 spell are to use Ushas's special power
or to use the Alchemy Spell first.

After a successful brewing, the Warlock will have the potion in his belt.
A Warlock's belt can only hold five potions - if you fill it up, it's time
to use one of them! The next step is to cast the spell. This is done by
telling the Goddess cast <spell>. As with brewing, the Warlock will be
frozen for 10 seconds per level of the spell.

Spells can fail during the casting phase, too. (The chances are the same
as the chances for failing brewing.) But a failure during casting is much
more serious - it's a BACKFIRE! The Warlock and/or his team will be hurt
by the spell in some way, usually the reverse of whatever the spell was
supposed to do. (The backfire effect is the same whether or not the spell
was brewed as a Masterspell.)

There are some spells that are referred to as "immediate". This means that
as soon as the casting phase is complete the spell will take effect. (The
Time Stop Spell is one of these.) Most, however, are of the "power" type.
This means that the spell will give the Warlock a one-use Power that can
be invoked on demand. To do this, tell the Goddess use <power>. For
example, use alchemy would activate the Power of the Alchemy Spell. A
Warlock is frozen for a mere five seconds after invoking a Power,
regardless of its level.

There are some Powers that take a parameter. For example, the Endurance
Spell's Power is used on a specific person. To invoke these Powers, tell
the Goddess use <power> <parameter>. A few Powers take two parameters.
(The Power of Command, for example, takes a command as well as a victim.)
These Powers are invoked with use <power> <parameter1> <parameter2>.
Powers eventually fade away if not used, and when a Warlock dies a potion
may (or may not) be broken.

You cannot have two potions of the same spell in your belt, or a Power
available for more than one use. (You can, however, have a spell's Power
and a potion of that spell at the same time.)

On the status report, a plus sign next to a spell or Power name means that
it is a Masterspell.

The Chaos Battle
It's possible for the Game Board to get into a state where no one can win.
This is called a "deadlock". As soon as the Board deadlocks the Chaos
Battle begins. All Warlocks and Hunters are transferred to a no-exit room.
Anyone who dies is fully restored and transferred right back in. Since
everyone is in the same room, Blood Hunts are pretty easy to complete!

During the Chaos Battle, you can either place your marker on the Board OR
you can remove an enemy's marker (either action uses up your marker). To
remove a marker, use the marker command with its Board position as if you
were trying to place a marker there. You still cannot remove blocker
pieces - they are truly permanent. The Chaos Battle continues until
someone has enough in a row to win, and then they win the game.

Informational Commands
There are two commands that you can use to get information about the game
from the Goddess. First, if you tell the Goddess board, she will show you
the Game Board. Second, you can tell her info <spell>, info <player>, info
<role>, or info <god name>. If a spell is asked about, she will give you a
brief description of it and list its level, type, and reagent requirements.
Asking about a player will return their role (and level, if applicable).
Asking about a role will show you the names of all of the players who
currently hold that role. If a god is asked about, you will be given the
names of all the players who follow that god.

The Spells
This is a list of all spells, sorted by level and alphabetically. Note
that level 1 spells will never normally backfire, but might as a result of
the Incompetence Spell or Shatter Spell.

Dark Sun Spells - Level 1
Duty - Changes the role of a team member one notch along the spectrum
Gatherer <-> Enforcer <-> Hunter. Masterspell version lets the caster
change a Gatherer to a Hunter and vice versa. Backfire changes a random
team member to a random role.
Power. Level 1. 1 sundew.

Freedom - Releases half of the people on the caster's side who are in the
Void. Masterspell version releases all the caster's teammates. Backfire
imprisons half the caster's team in the Void.
Power. Level 1. 2 ginseng.

Protection - Everyone on the caster's side is sanctified. Masterspell
version also armors, blesses, and invises them. Backfire casts a level 33
dispel magic at everyone on the caster's side.
Power. Level 1. 1 sundew, 2 ginseng.

Renewal - Everyone on the caster's side is fully restored. Masterspell
version also releases all the caster's teammates from the Void. Backfire
gives all of the enemy players a restore.
Power. Level 1. 3 ginseng.

Unity - Everyone on the caster's side who is not in the Void is transferred
to the caster's room. Masterspell version also teleports all enemy players
in the arena around randomly. Backfire teleports the caster's team around
randomly.
Power. Level 1. 2 ginseng.

Dark Sun Spells - Level 2
Blindness - No one (including the caster) can see the Game Board for the
next three minutes. Masterspell version lets the caster's team see the
Board (by using the board informational command) but not anyone else.
Backfire prevents the caster's team from seeing the board for one minute.
Power. Level 2. 3 ginseng, 1 nightshade.

Death - An enemy of the Warlock's choice is hit by three level 33 harm
spells. The Warlock is credited with the kill (if there is one).
Masterspell version hits the victim with five spells. Backfire hits the
caster with five spells.
Power. Level 2. 3 nightshade.

Endurance - Gives a teammate of the Warlock's choice restores every 10
seconds for three minutes. Masterspell version gives the restores every 5
seconds. Backfire kills the Warlock. Note: if a player under the influence
of this spell is involved in a Contest, Battle, or Assault, the spell is
suspended until the event is over.
Power. Level 2. 4 ginseng.

Entropy - All Powers of all Warlocks (including the caster) must be used
within 30 seconds or they will be lost. Masterspell version allows only 15
seconds. Backfire removes all of the caster's Powers immediately.
Power. Level 2. 2 sundew, 2 nightshade.

Potency - All reagents turned in within the next 24 game hours (by any
team) count double. Masterspell version makes them count triple. Backfire
destroys all of one type of the caster's reagents.
Power. Level 2. 1 mandrake, 1 sundew, 1 ginseng, 1 nightshade.

Ruin - Every 7 seconds a random enemy on each enemy team who is not in the
Void is hit by a level 33 harm spell. The spell lasts for three minutes.
Masterspell version hits an enemy every 5 seconds. Backfire makes the
caster's team get hit every 5 seconds for the next minute.
Power. Level 2. 2 ginseng, 2 nightshade.

Understanding - Raises a player of the Warlock's choice one level.
Masterspell version raises the recipient by two levels. Backfire lowers
the level of everyone on the team by one.
Power. Level 2. 1 mandrake, 2 sundew, 1 ginseng.

Wither - Destroys half of the reagent that each enemy team has the most
of. Masterspell version also sends all enemy Gatherers to the Void.
Backfire destroys all of the reagent that the caster's team has the most of.
Power. Level 2. 3 nightshade.

Dark Sun Spells - Level 3
Alchemy - Any spell brewed by the caster within the next two minutes will
be a Masterspell (if the brewing is successful). Masterspell version lasts
for three minutes. Backfire makes all of the caster's Masterspell potions
into normal versions of the spell.
Power. Level 3. 3 mandrake.

Battle - All Blood Hunts are cancelled, and all Hunters are placed in a
no-exit room. Whichever side wins the battle receives a marker.
Masterspell version restores all of the caster's Hunters before the
battle. Backfire restores all enemy Hunters before the battle.
Immediate. Level 3. 1 mandrake, 3 sundew.

Blocking - Converts one of the caster's board pieces into a blocker piece.
Masterspell version lets the caster keep the Power after using it.
Backfire picks a random one of the caster's pieces to convert.
Power. Level 3. 2 mandrake.

Chaos - Unleashes the Chaos Storm on a team of the caster's choice. The
effect is random and could be helpful, harmful, or neither. If the caster
chooses to use this Power on his own team, the probabilities shift slightly
towards the more desirable effects. If it is used on an enemy team, the
probabilities favor the less desirable effects. Masterspell version makes
the effect more beneficial or more catastrophic. Backfire hits the caster's
team with the Chaos Storm, with the probabilities shifted a significant
amount towards the undesirable effects.
Power. Level 3. 1 mandrake, 1 sundew.

Chrysalis - All of the caster's Hunters are released from the Void, placed
in random arena rooms, and frozen for 60 seconds. Any that survive the 60
seconds are raised one level. Masterspell version raises the survivors two
levels. Backfire reduces all of the caster's Hunters one level.
Immediate. Level 3. 1 mandrake, 2 sundew, 1 ginseng.

Command - An enemy of the Warlock's choice can be given one of the following
commands: "marker" (forces enemy to play his marker within 15 seconds or lose
it), "stop" (freezes enemy for 15 seconds), or "die" (kills enemy, unless
they have a LOT of hit points). There is a 20% chance per level of the victim
that they will resist the command. The Power must be used within 30 seconds
of casting the spell. Masterspell version allows 60 seconds to use the Power.
Backfire freezes the caster for 30 seconds.
Power. Level 3. 2 mandrake.

Contest - Calls a Contest of Strength. The highest-level Hunter on each
team is placed in a no-exit room. (If there are several candidates, one is
picked randomly.) All Blood Hunts called by or against the contestants are
cancelled. The winner's side receives a free marker. Masterspell version
restores the caster's Hunter before the contest. Backfire restores the
caster's enemies before the contest.
Immediate. Level 3. 2 mandrake, 2 sundew.

Incompetence - All chances of brewing failure and spell backfire are
doubled for everyone (including the caster) for three minutes. Any spell
which would normally have no chance of failing/backfiring has a 10% chance
of doing so. Masterspell version lasts for five minutes. Backfire causes
only the casting Warlock to be affected by the spell.
Power. Level 3. 2 sundew, 1 nightshade.

Invulnerability - Protects the casting Warlock from some of the consequences
of death for three minutes. If the Warlock is killed while the spell is
operating he does not lose a potion or go to the Void. However, his death
still counts towards whatever the killer was trying to do (Blood Hunts, level
advancements, etc) and he does not receive a restore. 30 seconds of the
spell's lifetime is used up each time the Warlock dies. Masterspell version
lasts for five minutes. Backfire kills the caster.
Power. Level 3. 5 ginseng.

Repetition - Causes the current hour of the day to repeat three times,
repeating all of the effects that would normally happen at that hour.
Masterspell version makes it repeat five times. Backfire causes the next
phase of the caster's god to be skipped, or the current phase if the god
is in ascendence.
Power. Level 3. 3 sundew.

Resolution - All Blood Hunters on all sides are transferred into the same
room as their prey. Masterspell version freezes the prey for five seconds
before the transfer occurs. Backfire transfers all the Hunters whose victims
are on the caster's team, but no one else.
Immediate. Level 3. 1 mandrake.

Shatter - Destroys a random potion held by a Warlock of the caster's choice.
Masterspell version makes the potion backfire upon its owner. Backfire
destroys one of the caster's potions.
Power. Level 3. 3 sundew, 2 nightshade.

Time Warp - Makes the clock race to the beginning of the caster's god's phase,
performing all effects that would normally be performed in the intervening
hours. Masterspell version jumps without performing those effects. Backfire
makes the clock jump to the end of the caster's god's phase.
Immediate. Level 3. 1 mandrake, 2 sundew.

Dark Sun Spells - Level 4
Assault - Transfers all of the caster's Enforcers and all of the enemy
Hunters into a no-exit room. All Blood Hunts are cancelled. Masterspell
version sends all the Enforcers back for another try once they all die (if
they do). Backfire sends all the Warlock's Enforcers to the Void.
Immediate. Level 4. 2 mandrake, 2 sundew, 1 nightshade.

Cancellation - All unused Powers are cancelled. Masterspell version also has
a chance of destroying a potion carried by each Warlock (including the
caster). Backfire cancels all of the caster's Powers and destroys all of his
potions.
Power. Level 4. 1 mandrake, 1 ginseng, 2 nightshade.

Conversion - Swaps an enemy Game Board piece of the Warlock's choice with
the Warlock's marker. Cannot be used to directly win the game. The caster
must have a marker available to use this Power, and using the Power uses
the marker as well. Masterspell version lets you keep the Power after
using it. Backfire converts one of the caster's Board pieces to an enemy's.
Power. Level 4. 3 mandrake, 2 nightshade.

Equalization - Works only if the caster has less pieces on the Game Board
than any other team. For every marker the leader has that the caster does
not, there is a 10% chance that a marker of the caster's god will be placed
in a random Board square that does not let the caster's team immediately win.
Masterspell version increases the chance to 15%. Backfire removes a random
marker of the caster from the Board.
Power. Level 4. 2 mandrake, 2 sundew, 1 ginseng.

Geas - Forces an enemy Warlock to kill a certain number of enemies within
a certain amount of time. If the enemy fails the Geas, the caster receives
a free marker. If the enemy completes the Geas, he receives a random Power
as a reward. Masterspell version makes the Geas harder to complete. Backfire
causes the caster to kill a member of his own team for no reward, and all
enemies get a marker if he fails to do so.
Power. Level 4. 3 mandrake, 3 sundew.

Imprisonment - Imprisons all enemy Hunters in the Void. Masterspell version
imprisons Warlocks and Gatherers too. Backfire sends the caster's entire team
to the Void.
Power. Level 4. 2 mandrake, 2 nightshade.

Time Stop - Freezes all enemies except the Warlocks for 30 seconds.
Masterspell version freezes them for 60 seconds. Backfire freezes the
Warlock's team for 15 seconds.
Immediate. Level 4. 2 mandrake, 3 ginseng, 2 nightshade.

See Also: QUEST