AoA Player's Handbook

From Mudpedia

The Archons of Avenshar Player's Handbook is a collection of various sources of information within the Archons of Avenshar MUD and from the game's official website^[1] in a presentable guide to new players.

Contents 1 About Archons of Avenshar 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Gameplay 2 History 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Nizzarakk's Challenge 3 Races of Avenshar 3.1 Archons (NPC) 3.2 Dwarves 3.3 High Elves 3.4 Humans 3.5 Vulpari 4 Geography of the Kingdom of Avenshar 4.1 City of Stoneport 4.2 Nivaron Sea 4.3 City of Kehl 5 Guilds of Kehl 5.1 Iron Sentinels 5.2 Order of the Archmagi 5.3 Temple of the Phoenix 6 See also 7 References

[edit] About Archons of Avenshar

[edit] Introduction

Main article: Archons of Avenshar MUD

Archons of Avenshar is a web browser based multiplayer role-playing game. The MUD (Multi User Dungeon) has the traditional text-based input and output handled through a custom graphical client. This client aids the user by avoiding syntax guesswork for various commands (such as checking inventory, shopping, etc.) through the use of buttons and displays certain status information bars. Also included is a tiled graphical map of the surrounding rooms. Roleplaying is encouraged, and being in character is enforced.

[edit] Gameplay

• Golden Orbs. These are AoA's version of experience points. They are obtained by using the bury command after killing monsters. If you fight something that is too weak or too strong compared to your Transcendence, you will get less Golden Orbs. These Golden Orbs are an In Character concept.

• Progressions. Each time you invest Golden Orbs into a skill, the number of Progressions in that skill goes up by 1, raising the skill's effectiveness. This is an Out of Character concept akin to skill level.

• Transcendence. Also called trans for short, this represents the maximum number of Progressions you can train in any skill. The number of Progressions in the Transcendence skill is an Out of Character concept akin to character level. There is an In Character concept of Transcendence which is reflected by the roman numeral after the skill's name. For example, if you have 5 Progressions in Transcendence I, you can raise your Scavenging (Novice) skill up to 5 Progressions. For Out of Character purposes, your character's trans is 5, but for In Character purposes, your character has reached only the first tier of Transcendence.

[edit] History

[edit] Introduction

[edit] Nizzarakk's Challenge

[edit] Races of Avenshar

[edit] Archons (NPC)

From the time of creation, the Archons were given dominion over all of Avenshar. All mortalkind bent a knee in reverence when in the presence of an Archon, as they were without equal among all mortals. For each Archon held within their possession a great artifact possessing powers over life and death; war and peace; famine and plenty; creation and destruction. It was their charge to ensure the sentient mortal races prospered and grew. The Archons were givers of Law and Wisdom, teaching and guiding mortalkind with knowledge regarding the seen and unseen.

As Avenshar grew, so much more did the greed and selfish hearts of mortals. The revelation of mortalkind's true nature came far too late to the Archons. Abusing the knowledge and wisdom provided to them, mortal men held no regard for the law also given. The denizens of Avenshar felt themselves as gods, above the Archons, and no longer desired their guidance. Realizing that mankind would continue uncontrolled, the Archons turned their powers against mortalkind in an attempt to cleanse the world of their growing wickedness. Mortalkind, though, would not be so easily undone. Using the knowledge given to them by the Archons, they forged powerful magics. The war between Archon and mortal was at hand. The sheer numbers of mortalkind allowed them to overtake the Archons, even while suffering tremendous losses. The Archons fell one by one and with each death, a powerful artifact passed to the hands of mortal men. Yet, mortalkind had not the knowledge to harness the power of the relics. Fearing that time would allow men to unlock the secrets of the relics, the remaining Archons at once released the full power of their mystic artifacts, bringing upon the face of Avenshar a measure of death and destruction unseen before this time. The last Archons seemingly disappeared in an fiery storm of massive devastation, taking with them the mortals who possessed their secrets. The remaining peoples were scattered across the face of Avenshar, left to survive without their benevolent care-givers.

Since that time legends of the Archons have passed from generation to generation, each racial group with their own twist. Along with each legend comes an apocalyptic message: In the not so distant future, the Archons shall return and claim their right of dominion over Avenshar and take vengeance upon all mortals who plague the world.

[edit] Dwarves

Mountain Dwarves call the eastern mountains of Avenshar's mainlands home. For centuries, these barrel chested folk have worked the stone and earth. Blessed with above average strength and amazing fortitude, Dwarves are highly survivable. Their most notable traits are stubbornness and a love for ales of all varieties.

Dwarves typically stand no more than four feet tall. Their build is often quite rotund - to describe them as 'short and squat' is not an understatement. Their skin tones border on the side of extremely light to pale. Hair colors typically found range between black, brown and a fiery red. Dwarven eye color often comes in black or brown, though other colors such as emerald, are not uncommon.

Beards of males are the pride of the dwarven community. Great care is taken to protect and nurture the beard into a showpiece and status symbol.

[edit] High Elves

Elves hail from the northern forest of Avenshar main lands. They are generally tall and lithe. Typically, they maintain a strong bond with nature and their surrounding environments. They are more agile and more intelligent than humans, but they are also physically weaker.

Full grown elves come in varying heights, measuring between five and a half feet to six feet tall. Eyes and hair come in a myriad of rich color, not unlike the flora found amongst their dwellings. Elves are often extremely pale or extremely dark in skin tone.

Due to their high intelligence, longevity and social protocols, the other sentient races of Avenshar find elves to appear haughty and stand-offish. Elves typically seek intellectual pursuits. They are not 'weak', though. What they lack in sheer physical power, they make up for in strategic use of their amazing agility.

[edit] Humans

Humans have managed to spread themselves upon the four winds, taking up refuge in any nook or cranny the environs of Avenshar would allow. Generally, they prefer large city like communities in open areas. Hearty and highly adaptive, humans have a knack for survival. Yet, their physical traits in general are average when compared to the other races of Avenshar.

Humans may be found in all shapes and sizes. From tall and thin to short and portly, there is not one defining characteristic aside from the variety these folk exhibit. Hair colors include shades of red, black, brown, and blonde; eyes may be found in shades of blue, green or brown.

The human communities find an exceptional pride and joy in the city of Stoneport. Stoneport was initially a human settlement which ultimately grew and prospered into the capital city of Avenshar's mainland. The current king of Avenshar is of human lineage as have been the kings of the past. Tales and legends even suggest that it was a human, long ago, that brought together the sentient races of the known world resulting in the kingdom of Avenshar.

[edit] Vulpari

The highly agile and intelligent Vulpari claim to come from deep within the forests far south of Avenshar. They are fox-like in appearance with triangular ears set atop their heads and have short fur covering the majority of their bodies. A long, bushy tail completes their appearance. Impish in nature, they have gained the reputation as being pranksters thus causing distrust of their presence amongst both dwarves and elves.

Their build is rather slender and they typically stand between four feet tall and five and a half feet tall. They are highly social with their own kind. Initially, Vulpari are untrusting of other races, yet warm up to them quickly once a minimal trust is gained.

[edit] Geography of the Kingdom of Avenshar

[edit] City of Stoneport

[edit] Nivaron Sea

[edit] City of Kehl

The nascent city of Kehl lies across the Nivaron Sea, west of the Avenshar mainlands. The King of Avenshar has poured huge sums of gold into the quick building of the city in the hopes that it will offer Adventurers a launching point in their search for clues regarding the Archons. Kehl offers the amenities an adventurer might seek in an outpost town: A raucous tavern, an arms and armor shop, guilds to join, and ultimately a place of meager protection and sanctuary from the surrounding environs. Unfortunately, being a town located at a newly established and far reaching portion of the kingdom also brings with it what civilized society might call unsavory aspects. And, although the laws of the kingdom still apply, there are none there to enforce said laws. As a result, justice generally happens at the hands of the mob.

Kehl is divided into four basic quadrants created by the north-south running cobblestones of Farview Drive and the east-west main thoroughfare known as Main Street. Surrounding the city center exists the business district while the residential districts lie further out.

Kehl is surrounded on its four sides by a large, protective barrier wall. Tall watchtowers exist along the wall to aid in the early warning of potential invaders.

[edit] Guilds of Kehl

[edit] Iron Sentinels

The Sentinels are an age old group of martial combatants specializing in the use of arms and armor. These are the men-at-arms of Kehl who provide the first line of defense against those who attempt invasion of the city. Following a strict code of honor and discipline, the Iron Sentinels temper themselves through glorious combat. Do not mistake them as fool-hearty warriors, though, as they are extremely adept in the arts of war.

Skill name	Description
Sentinel's Resolve	A Sentinel's resolve gives him strength of body and mind, allowing further training in the martial arts.
Brutal Strike	Brutally strike your opponent with your weapon!
Pommel	Deliver and up close and personal beating with the pommel of your weapon!
Dual Wield	Increase damage and attack frequency of secondary weapon while dual wielding!
Shield Mastery	Increase your block chance and damage absorbed when using a shield!
Melee Weapons	Increases general combat proficiency with melee weapons.
Weapon Mastery - 2 Handed	Increases combat proficiency with 2 handed swords, axes and hammers.
Weapon Mastery - Polearms	Increases combat proficiency with polearms and spears.
Weapon Mastery - 1 Handed	Increases combat proficiency with 1 handed swords, axes and hammers.
Weapon Mastery - Staves	Increases combat proficiency with staves.
Weapon Mastery - Knives	Increases combat proficiency with knives.

[edit] Order of the Archmagi

The Order of Archmagi was formed long ago and is the only sanctioned guild that may study the arcane magics of the universe. Upon joining the guild, members are taught to 'see' the strands of magic as they exist in their native, chaotic forms. Magi then learn to weave those strands into meaningful patterns(also called spells) resulting in a particular effect. Spell weaving allows for the crafting of varied magics, ranging from subtle defensive measures, to illusions and ultimately, to highly destructive abilities capable of leveling entire cities! Mastering the arcane takes years and years of training, but the sheer power one may wield is unmatched by any other form of knowledge possessed by mortalkind.

Skill name	Description
Arcane Sight	Arcane Sight empowers the knowledgeable mage, increasing the ability to use more powerful spells
Energy Bolt	Launch a bolt of arcane energy at your foe!
Lightning Bolt	Electrocute your foe with a powerful bolt of lightning!
Fireball	Blast your enemies with a massive ball of fire!
Mana Shift	Transmute health into mana.
Melee Weapons	Increases general combat proficiency with melee weapons.
Weapon Mastery - Staves	Increases combat proficiency with staves.
Weapon Mastery - Knives	Increases combat proficiency with knives.

[edit] Temple of the Phoenix

The Temple of the Phoenix houses those who devote themselves to the ways of life and fire. The warrior priests of the temple offer healing to the wounded, resurrect those who have fallen and provide spiritual guidance to those in need. Although these monks respect life, their prowess in battle is legenday as they call upon the aspects of the Phoenix to rain fiery torment upon their foes. The priests follow a strict code of shamanistic ideals, searching for enlightenment by focusing their spiritual energies upon the Phoenix - a fiery, mystical bird.

Skill name	Description
Way of the Phoenix	Provides practitioners with a deeper shamanic connection to the Phoenix, strengthening mind and the body.
Minor Heal	Heal your target of minor wounds. Higher progressions heal a greater percentage of wounds.
Purification	Call upon the Phoenix to purify your target of disease, curses and other ill effects.
Torment	Call upon your vengeance of the Phoenix, commanding a fiery vortex of souls to torment your foe!
Burning Hands	Grasp your foe and burn them with Phoenix fire!
Vitalize	Invigorates your target, lessening the fatigue they may be suffering.
Melee Weapons	Increases general combat proficiency with melee weapons.
Weapon Mastery - 1 Handed	Increases combat proficiency with 1 handed swords, axes and hammers.
Weapon Mastery - Staves	Increases combat proficiency with staves.
Weapon Mastery - Knives	Increases combat proficiency with knives.

[edit] See also

• Archons of Avenshar MUD

[edit] References