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The Widening Gyre |
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Event Teaser - From the
Zone  Martine smiled with satisfaction as the
electric flows meshed from the three prongs of the transport base, and the
portal flared into being. This was the final one. Twelve in all, his
personal invitations to the Isparians to come visit Marae Lassel. And the
Virindi thought themselves safe there? The fun would soon begin.
And that was only one front of his crusade against the alien beings. How easy it was to magnify Ecorto's desire for order into something more radical. And now the Director stood there in Zaikhal, sending hordes of Isparians nipping at the heels of his former tormentors. They would know pain and fear. They would come to know it well. But Martine wondered whether he was winning the battle at the expense of the war. He trembled with anger as he thought of that meddling witch, Nuhmudira. Housing, of all things! She and her Agents of the Arcanum would need to be dealt with. But Dereth had taught Martine to be flexible, to be patient. Good things were coming. Let the humans play with their new toys, their masks and their elixirs. Let them acquire their "Writs" and think themselves safe and secure in their new homes. The mouse is never easier to catch than when stuffed with cheese. The thing once known as Candeth Martine raised his hands and teleported himself back to his stronghold on Marae. After all, he had visitors to prepare for. Unlike any other gaming experience, the world of Asheron's Call continues to evolve. As autumn fully settles over the land, what further tricks can be expected from Dereth's mortal enemies? Join us, as the The Widening Gyre event opens soon. Be sure to continue your part in this
incredible ongoing story, and we'll see you in Dereth!
Roll Out Article - From the Zone October 9, 2001
These twilight days have seen the Virindi make their next, and most terrifying, play to gain ultimate control of Dereth. Rumors speak of hidden installations, carefully stockpiled resources, and efforts to construct a New Singularity. If not more dangerous, than far more random, the Virindi's countryside raids also continue. The next waves, however, have been composed of Simulacra, cleverly disguised as the very heroes they hunt. As the Virindi strengthen their foothold in the world, the hum of a New Singularity grows ever louder, ever clearer. . . Against these invading forces the true citizens of Dereth cannot be swayed from grand autumnal celebrations--and discoveries. Ever the experimenters, alchemists have hit upon the means to create valued elixirs, replenishing both physical and mystic vigor. Along with a host of sweet dishes added to the already encyclopedic knowledge of cooking, these will serve well to bolster Dereth's heroic forces. And continuing a popular, if gruesome, tradition, the severed remains of certain creatures can again be crafted into masks terrifying to behold--proving the Virindi are not the only ones to don such wear. . . or perhaps their efforts to corrupt humanity have truly begun to succeed. Yet even as the Virindi attempt to conquer all, humanity looks to better house its own occupation of Dereth. Archmages of the Zaikhal Arcanum have completed research on ancient geomancy texts, allowing for the lawful division of housing, and already vendors with bright entrepreneurial spirits have appeared, offering the finest in home furnishings. Of course, safe habitation on this troubled isle must come at some tremendous price. . .
Highlights include:
Developer's Notes -- October - From the Zone October 9, 2001 Here are just some of the additions made in the October 9 game update, “The Widening Gyre.” The following list is comprised of detailed notes straight from the developers themselves. For a summary of things of interest, be sure to consult the official event article, The Widening Gyre. We appreciate your feedback and bug reports in helping to ensure that the world of Dereth is a stable and fun place to be. Please submit any such bug reports to http://bugs.zone.com. Miscellaneous Improvements
Letter to the Players - From the Zone October 23, 2001 Asheron's Call Dark Majesty is now upon us. We expect that copies will start to appear at your local software stores later this week. In anticipation of the release of Asheron's Call Dark Majesty, we wanted to take a few moments to answer a few questions we've heard from you over the past few weeks. Many of you have noticed that there are now two sets of lobbies on the AC Zone pages. The new set, labeled “Asheron's Call Dark Majesty,” is for members who have purchased the expansion. The existing set of lobbies is for those who have not purchased the expansion. Once you upgrade your account to Asheron's Call Dark Majesty or buy a brand new Asheron's Call Dark Majesty account, you will need to start going through the corresponding Asheron's Call Dark Majesty lobbies. At that point, you will no long be able to launch through the normal AC lobbies. And once you upgrade to Asheron's Call Dark Majesty, you will automatically be directed to a new set of Asheron's Call Dark Majesty lobbies. You will no longer launch through the Quicklaunch lobbies (the page you arrive at when you double-click the AC icon on your desktop). When you open your Asheron's Call Dark Majesty boxes, you will notice a new coupon number, which is good for 30 days of free play. You can use this coupon in two ways: You can upgrade your existing AC subscription to an Asheron's Call Dark Majesty subscription. If you choose to do this, 30 days will be added to your existing subscription and you will be charged only once per month for AC. Alternately, you can use this coupon to start a new account. This account will start out with 30 days of free play and be tokenized for Asheron's Call Dark Majesty. As most of you know, one of the biggest features in Asheron's Call Dark Majesty is player-owned housing. While initially we are placing 1,000 houses on the landscape for players to purchase, we want to reiterate our commitment to adding more houses as part of our normal monthly update. We will continue to add houses in response to player needs. We are also committed to having a system that does not favor players who are in an earlier time zone or who buy the game before other players can. That means that right now none of the houses are for sale. Throughout the month of October and early November, the houses will come on the market at various times of the day or night--you will not know when that will be. Not all the houses will come on the market at one time either. We feel that this is one way that we can ensure everyone having an equal opportunity at purchasing a house. We will continue to open houses in a similar manner as part of our monthly updates. We also wanted to make sure that no one had an advantage with housing by knowing the final prices before they opened up. To that end, after we ended the beta phase, we made one final change to the housing prices. When a house comes on the market, that will be the first time anyone knows the total cost of that house. Additionally, when future houses come on the market, the prices will be different. Again, this is in part our commitment to ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity at houses. In the months to follow Asheron's Call Dark Majesty's release, you will continue to see our dedication to monthly events that impact the entire world. There are new stories to be told and new adventures to undertake. New houses will come on the market and there will be more items to customize and improve your houses. One such improvement is that in the month of November you will see Allegiance Housing become available for all Asheron's Call Dark Majesty players. We thank everyone for making Asheron's Call the success it is today, and we look forward to some extremely exciting times ahead with Asheron's Call Dark Majesty. --The AC Team Letter to the Players - From the Zone October 30, 2001 Reading through various player feedback, we'd like to take this time to explain a few of the details regarding the Writs of Refuge and the housing system. First, the maintenance period on Villas is 30 days, the same as Cottages or Mansions, not 15 days. Second, the dynamic for obtaining Writs this month was designed for this month only. In future months there will be different methods of obtaining the Writs, some of which will be more static, and some of which will continue to change. Third, for the purposes of this month we made the Writs no-drop and no-give. The ultimate goal of that dynamic is to make Writs a tradable item, and players should expect to see that happen in a month or two. --The AC Team
Event Highlights - From the
Zone
Event Highlights Within the walls of the dungeon where the Virindi are hoarding the pyreal columns that they have mined, fierce dolls await arriving assailants with a host of other Virindi servitors. In the chorizite repository the Lugian Raiders sworn to the defense of the Singularity are aided by their Virindi masters in the defense of the stockpile. Deep within the Obsidian Plain lies another bastion of the Virindi, where the shrouded minions command their Tusker Guards and Rampagers in the defense of pillars of obsidian. Assembly and return of the fragment created by combining each of these slivers allows entrance into the heart of the New Singularity and a chance to strike down the Director therein. Levistras wills his forces of Rampagers, Terebrous Hollow Minions and Virindi against any and all who would bring the New Singularity to an end. They are so close to success he will not abide failure. While the hearty attempt to purge the rebel Virindi from beneath the earth of Dereth, other adventurers have returned to their Isparian roots in collecting the scalps and heads of their fallen foes to forge into masks. New masks bearing stronger spells and tied closer to the heritage of the Isparian peoples can be found across Dereth. Also collectable are masks that reflect all light giving the appearance of being headless, and masks made from Ursuin, Sclavus, Zombies and other creature heads. Mask crafters this year have also discovered ways to affix the heads to wands, and how to turn Tusker heads into fashionable handbags, sacks and backpacks. Alchemists rejoice as they brew potions more powerful than those previously available. Cooks also show signs of giddy laughter, as they use the thick, sugary substance dropped by the Monougas. Adventurers carry candy apples and vials of healing power crafted by master chefs and grand alchemists lightening their once hefty loads. All across Dereth agents of the Arcanum have opened their homes to others, allowing them to see just what they will be offered in the coming weeks. Also employed by these agents are furniture designers and makers who sell adornments for the homes that will be sold to Derethian residents. It is a time of dwindling storms and growing mirth. Yet even in this time of victory and joy,
there are questions that eat away at the Isparian people. Where is the
destination of these new portals? When will they open? And who has placed
them here? Downloading Asheron's Call - From the Zone November 7, 2001 After well over a year of gameplay, players will find they have an incredible amount of data to download from a new or reinstallation of Asheron's Call. In part, this is due to our commitment to monthly updates, with the result being an ever-increasingly game file size. However, in order to make downloading even easier, the latest self-extracting patch has just been made available. This easy-to-use patch will update your current game data as of the October 2001 event, “The Widening Gyre.” Simply download the patch from the Downloads page. The patch will find your installation directory and replace the appropriate files -- and your version of Asheron's Call will be fully updated! This will work for first time users as well for any player who needs to reinstall the game. If you choose not to download this patch, the monthly update will still be installed automatically when you connect to Asheron's Call. Continue your part in this incredible on-going story, and
we'll see you in Dereth! The Asheron's Call
Newsletter - November 2001
In this issue: 1 -- OUR SAGA THUS FAR
ANNALS OF DERETH
The Asheron's Call
Newsletter
Play it on the Zone!
Welcome to the Annals of Dereth, the
newsletter for the Asheron's Call online role-playing game! We bring
you this bulletin every month to give you a wide view on Dereth's evolving
community, events, and features.
1 --
OUR SAGA THUS FAR... THE GATHERING STORM DUE TO ARRIVE She dismissed the shaken serving woman and her
apologies, though not unkindly. It was the
nature of people to be surprised easily. That was why she was necessary,
after all. She twined a single thread of silver hair around her gnarled
finger. Once the hair had been a lustrous red, and the finger elegant and
smooth. She would not be here forever. But it would have to be long enough. "I have found one suitable for your wishes." The voice
came from behind her. She had not heard him enter, nor was she aware of his
presence until he spoke. It was annoying, that; but she had not stirred at
the words, and she knew that annoyed him though he would never show it. Lightning flashed outside as the rain first started to
reach the castle. She turned slowly to face her visitor. "You could have
been seen," she said, more to release some of her irritation than any actual
concern. He merely smiled. She stood, not as swiftly or easily as in years past,
but without tremble or pain. She wanted to look him in the face for this.
"They will call me worse than 'Monster' should I be discovered at this
game." First her petulance, and now doubt. What benefit age if one was still
afflicted by the weaknesses of the young? "They already do," he whispered, that damnable
smile never leaving his face. __________ Unlike any other gaming experience, the world of
Asheron's Call continues to evolve. After Her Majesty has arrived,
what further tricks can be expected from Dereth's mortal enemies? Join us,
as The Gathering
Storm event opens soon. Be sure to continue your part in this
incredible ongoing story, and we'll see you in Dereth!
2 --
MAJOR EVENTS
AC DARK MAJESTY BECOMES TOP SELLER RECENT EVENTS: THE WIDENING GYRE These twilight days have seen the Virindi make their
next, and most terrifying, play to gain ultimate control of Dereth. Rumors
speak of hidden installations, carefully stockpiled resources, and efforts
to construct a New Singularity. If not more dangerous, than far more random,
the Virindi's countryside raids also continue. The next waves, however, have
been composed of Simulacra, cleverly disguised as the very heroes they hunt.
As the Virindi strengthen their foothold in the world, the hum of a New
Singularity grows ever louder, ever clearer... Against these invading forces the true citizens of Dereth
cannot be swayed from grand autumnal celebrations--and discoveries. Ever the
experimenters, alchemists have hit upon the means to create valued elixirs,
replenishing both physical and mystic vigor. Along with a host of sweet
dishes added to the already encyclopedic knowledge of cooking, these will
serve well to bolster Dereth's heroic forces. And continuing a popular, if
gruesome, tradition, the severed remains of certain creatures can again be
crafted into masks terrifying to behold--proving the Virindi are not the
only ones to don such wear. . . or perhaps their efforts to corrupt humanity
have truly begun to succeed. Yet even as the Virindi attempt to conquer all, humanity
looks to better house its own occupation of Dereth. Archmages of the Zaikhal
Arcanum have completed research on ancient geomancy texts, allowing for the
lawful division of housing, and already vendors with bright entrepreneurial
spirits have appeared, offering the finest in home furnishings. Of course,
safe habitation on this troubled isle must come at some tremendous price... Following is a list of the most interesting additions
made to the game this update. However, please note that not everything has
been included--that would spoil the fun of finding out all manner of things
added or changed! As usual, though, the town criers, barkeeps, and scribes
may know the latest news. Also, the trades of crafting and selling are
always in flux, so changes to prices and features are not always listed here
in their entirety. Highlights include: The Virindi redefine
ruthlessness as they complete the last stages necessary to build their New
Singularity. With the deepening of fall and celebration of the
autumn season, the Virindi have renewed their campaign to wipe Dereth clean
of all humanity. Be sure to check the
Developer's Notes
for October, as well as the
Event Highlights,
to learn more details of "The Widening Gyre" event.
MARAE LASSEL WRITING CONTEST Tell us your tale of Marae Lassel, and enjoy free reign
in Dereth! This contest runs until December 3rd; players are heartily
encouraged to submit their short stories! Finalists will be chosen by those
devious architects of the island itself, the Turbine developers, with the
winning story receiving a free year's subscription to Asheron's Call! Further information and rules for the Marae Lassel writing contest can be
found on the pages of fanStory.com.
Keep your quills as sharpened as your sword--and best of luck to you all! TEAM
PROFILES
3 --
TROUBLESHOOTING
If you have any problems with Asheron's Call or the
Zone, check out our Troubleshooters and Frequently Asked Questions and find
the answer to your problems there. SEND THIS NEWSLETTER TO A FRIEND, AND LET
THEM KNOW TO: PLAY IT ON THE ZONE! If you have any problems with Asheron's Call or the Zone, check out our Troubleshooters and Frequently Asked Questions and find the answer to your problems there. Troubleshooters: http://support.microsoft.com/support/games/zone/asheron/tshoot/default.asp http://support.microsoft.com/support/games/zone/tshoot/default.asp Frequently Asked Questions: http://support.microsoft.com/support/games/zone/faq/asheron/default.asp http://support.microsoft.com/support/games/zone/faq/default.asp Play it on the Zone! http://www.zone.com/asheronscall You registered to receive this newsletter on the MSN Gaming Zone. To unsubscribe, do the following: 1. Go to MSN Newsletters:http://g.msn.com/0NL33946/117 2. Log in with your Zone ID (not your AC character name) and password. 3. Uncheck the box that's labeled "Send me the Asheron's Call newsletter every month to: (your e-mail address)." THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. The information contained in this document represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because Microsoft must respond to change in market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication. INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND FREEDOM FROM INFRINGEMENT. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this document. This document may be copied and distributed subject to the following conditions: 1. All text must be copied without modification and all pages must be included 2. All copies must contain Microsoft's copyright notice and any other notices provided therein 3. This document may not be distributed for profit. c2000 Microsoft, Inc. |
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As the nights deepen and grow ever more
sinister, the autumn moons rise over a troubled landscape. The fall season
has arrived in full, many would attest, with the same baleful chill as the
Virindi who haunt the isle. 