[Telara in the Kitchen] I: Introduction

   

  So I suggested the idea of making recipes for real life food you can cook and eat in your own kitchen to my friend and she was very excited at the idea. Well, I've finally gotten around to posting a page on the subject! Before I dive into the yummy recipes of Telara and how to bring them to your table at home, I'd first like to write a few beginner's tips, advice, and some suggestions about cooking. Especially if your level in the Survival skill is Novice (1-75)! :) When you see the things others make, or when you see what your parent or spouse has created for you, don't be intimidated by their skill. They've likely been doing it a while and know what's what. Don't be afraid to try new things! Also though, know when you are adding too much of something to a dish. Take it slow and gradual at first, always tasting after each addition to make sure you're not spoiling it. And have patience. Some foods take quite some time to make and if your starving, as I always am, it can be hard to wait for a large, difficult meal to finish.
     Now that that's out of the way, go find yourself some oak logs and make a fire so you can cook something tasty! Oh wait...that's probably frowned upon in your neighborhood isn't it? No matter, I'm sure an oven will do just as well!

     On Telara, the Survival skill is quite the handy skill to have under your belt. You really don't want to be dying of hunger. One, that's a humiliating way to die for an Ascended. Two, it's a rather painful way to die. So it definitely helps to level your Survival skill right alongside your Kitchen Survival skill. One thing that bugs me that I noticed about Survival though is that most of the recipes available to us are based around seafood or pork. Well, sadly I do not eat either of these things, so many of my foods will focus on other meats and vegetable dishes. There will of course be the occasional recipe that features seafood or similar, because seafood is very healthy if done properly, but for the most I prefer salads, casseroles, pasta dishes, stews, soups, sweets, feasts and roasts. And probably a ton more I haven't thought of. I really love food and I sincerely enjoy cooking it! The only thing I don't care for is the dishes I need to wash up afterward haha.

     The pros to making your meals at home with your own ingredients are numerous. For instance, it's definitely healthier to use fresh foods from the market rather than buying something instant or ready made! You can also keep track of what's going into your dishes as well, since your the one who added it. That's a definite plus if you have allergies or a preference in your diet! It also saves a lot on cost! At first it might be costly to add things to your cupboards such as new spices, herbs, and supplies, but if you keep track of what and where your spending is, it becomes obvious rather quickly that your definitely saving money in the long run by not eating take out every night. And lastly, there's definitely a sense of accomplishment for cooking your own meals. Be proud of what you've made, and share it with friends and family. Ask them how they like it!

     And here's a list of tips that I've thought of for you, that help me when cooking! I hope I don't need to mention that you should wash ALL fruit and vegetables before cutting and consuming, as well as cutting these completely separately from meats. And don't forget to always wash your hands before and after the handling! Just imaging all those nasty icky fingerprints all over my food makes me shudder.

1. Don't be afraid to try something different and exotic! This includes both meats and vegetables as well as spices! There are so many different types and flavors and textures to spices and herbs. And it definitely varies between dried, ground, and fresh! Instead of buying minced or powdered garlic in the shakers, purchase a few cloves of garlic instead! You'd be surprised at the difference! Also, add berries, dried or otherwise, to dishes that you would otherwise never think of doing so. It won't ruin your meal, it might spice it up a bit instead, adding a slightly sweet or tangy taste to it!
2. When buying ingredients for meals, try low fat, low sugar, non sweetened, and low sodium options instead! The taste might be slightly different and take some getting used to, but this is your body and you only get one (unless you are an Ascended!) so treat it with respect! There are so many different substitutes and options in this day and age that its hard to even keep up with, but a lot of the options available to gluten-free and lactose-free eaters are actually clever and healthy alternatives even for those who don't have this issue.
3. Don't hesitate to ask a family member who is a good cook for suggestions or their favorite recipe, especially if you enjoy it as well. Sometimes tried and true recipes that have been given from mother to daughter are a great way to connect with a family member as well as give more happy memories to share later.
4. Try dishes from different cultures, even if it looks weird or different. You'd be surprised. That Dwarf's homemade chili might be tasty!

     So go forth my fellow Telarans and set feasts for your raid to enjoy, both in Rift and in the home! Be proud of all that you create, enjoy the fruits of your labor, and post comments or pictures of what you make so I can ooohhh and ahhhh over it appropriately! :)

 

[Gameplay] III: Zone Events

    A Zone Event is when a multitude of Rifts open across an entire zone. Usually, a Zone Event is a specific, self contained mission. All details, information, and rewards for the Zone Event will be found on the right hand side, usually near the top unless you changed the UI. It will give the title of the event, the parameters for its completion, and if applicable, a time limit on completing it successfully. As the event progresses, you will be given new stages or missions to complete, getting progressively harder. A Zone Event is usually something completed by many players, not just one or two, as it requires covering a vast amount of land and defending multiple points from planar attack as well as being able to quickly destroy the threat. Zone Events are usually always announced in the chat channels in your chat window, so make sure you keep an eye on the level bracket chat in order to see which Zone Event is going on where, and on which server/shard. You can easily hop onto that server to participate in the event by right clicking your portrait and clicking on Teleport to Shard at or near the bottom of the list! Clicking on the link of the event name in chat will give you the name of the end boss in the event, and you can match it to your achievement list to see if it's a zone event you want or need to gain all the achievements, if that is your goal.

     Zone Events are usually pretty straightforward unless they are special story events. You need to close X amount of rifts, kill X amount of planar minions, and defend either 2/4 wardstones from attack. Wardstones are located at major quest hubs around the zone, usually those strange rock formations in the center. If an enemy invader is successful at destroying the wardstone, they will then take over the quest hub and park themselves there, killing any and all NPC's that are in the near vicinity. Once they establish their own foothold there, they can be very hard to kill, especially for the solo player. Proceed with caution on these ones.

     After you've completed all the items on the list required to complete the event, there's usually a lot of yelling all across the zone and a big bad appears, usually a lieutenant of one of the dragon gods, or some other prominent follower. They shout and threaten a lot, and than go on a rampage through the countryside, usually until they either encounter a town or an Ascended. Big bads are really challenging, even to higher levels, and have special and unique abilities to watch out for, such as mind control, circles of death that instantly kill you if you step in them. It requires you to be fast and smart about attacking them. This kind of sucks because usually there's a mob of about 20-50 players on top of the boss all trying to get in their kill credit at the same time, which can cause some lag, especially on slower computers. It's a good idea to turn your graphics on low when attacking the boss because of this, if you want to see what he even looks like. The lag can be so bad at times that he just appears invisible on some computers. Usually after you defeat this boss, you will get an achievement, saying you've defeated so and so, of such place. Sometimes you will get a title or something else as a reward for the achievement.

     Depending on the zone you completed the event in, you will get a specific type of sourcestone from killing the big bad, as well as quite possibly all manner of in game items. This could include any of the following: mounts, pets, planar essence, weapons, armor, artifacts, crafting goods, World Event loot, quest items, or quirky trinkets that give effects, like a goblet that turns you into a bat for a time. This makes doing Zone Events a really idea if they are in your area. If you are mainly a solo player and a quester like me, Zone Events can be kind of frustrating because they are impossible alone and they kind of take over the zone if left unchecked, which means you can't quest either. So you're kind of stuck until either some other players come to assist, or the zone event eventually ends, saying that you failed to protect Telara and all is lost...which leaves you with a feeling of disappointment and failure. But I guess you can't win them all.

     You can tell what level and difficulty a Rift is by hovering over it's icon on the map and mini map. It will be a swirly vortex of doom, usually color coded to the plane it's opened into. It will say what type of Rift, what level of difficulty (Minor or Major), and will also state its level. In higher end zones, you will also encounter elite Rifts, so make sure you keep an eye on whether a Rift is elite or not, as it makes all the difference to survival. Although an Elite Rift will of course contain much more loot.

    Now that the boring details are out of the way, I'd like to point out that zone events are actually really cool, really fun, and really intense! Especially the big ones! You can often get snippets of lore and story out of them and you get to fight off epic looking bad guys in a huge zone wide showdown. Often players will group together to take this guy down! I've seen giant dragons that shake the earth, strange demonic elementals, crazed cultists, and even avatars of the Blood Storm. So if a zone event pops up in the zone you're in, make sure you participate! It's pretty cool, and plus, you'll be helping the whole zone out.

     Here's a list of Zone Events I've recorded so far. Since I haven't been to any of the new zones yet, I don't have a list of those, but as soon as my character gets there I'll update this list. The list is in ascending order from lowest level zone to highest, until lvl 50, or old world Rift. Storm Legion and Nightmare Tide zones are not included as of yet because I haven't ventured there yet. For a live event tracker that will track which events are going on right now on the live servers, click here: Rift Event Tracker -Note that this is NOT my tracker. It was created by someone else and I do not claim any association with it!

• Silverwood
1. Battle of the Woodlands-Banish Inhibrius
2. Crusade Against House Aelfwar*-Destroy the Greater Aelfwar Idol
3. March of the Gedlo-Banish Cinderon*
4. The Forest Fire-Banish Mar'krul
• Freemarch
1. Battle for Freemarch-Banish the Mark of the Tyrant
2. Gathering of Souls-Banish Grimnir
3. The Crushing Deep*-Defeat Xan'thaerid
4. The Ebb of the Tidelord*-Banish Tidelord Idlopuul
5. The Hand of Death-Banish the Claw of Regulos
6. Fall of the Hammer-Banish Veras
• Gloamwood
1. Descending Night-Banish Moirna
2. Forged in Rage-Banish Kallisifer
3. The Purging of Gloamwood Pines*-Defeat the Hag's creations
4. The Wild Plague-Banish the Werebeast
• Stonefield
1. Experiments in Stonefield*-Banish Oacris the Awakened
2. Field of Screams-Banish Vairen Maelwisp
3. Sticks and Stones-Crush Bulgantis
4. The Undead Burden-Banish Overseer Remalkus
5. The Stone Titan*-Best the Graniteborn Champion
• Scarlet Gorge
1. Shambling Hordes-Banish the Murder of Zombies
2. A Royal Raid-Banish Kayahan
3. Greed in the Gorge*-Beat the other faction to defeating the Earth Colossus
4. Fires of Suffering*-Banish General Argonis
5. Bone Dance-Banish Thangula, the Undead Corruptor
6. Systematic Deconstruction-Dissasmble Eddie, the VX-27 Dredger
7. The Crucible-Defeat Deregal and Fenkor
• Iron Pine Peaks
1. Army of the Wind*-Banish Stormlords and Storms of Crucia
2. Revenge of the Icewatch-Defeat Kapora
3. Chilled to the Bone-Defeat Iktharn Coldsteel
4. Sky Beasts-Banish Nedavada
5. The Snow Pack-Defeat Farus
6. Stone Cold Invaders-Destroy Sither
7. Frostbitten Spirits-Defeat Aristult
8. Planar Chill-Destroy Warleader Kaltes
9. Hunger for the Deeps-Defeat Tideweaver Arkryon
10. Mountain Flood-Defeat Geygesh
• Scarwood Reach
1. Double Danger-Banish the Fleshbound Terror
2. Explosive Life*-Disable the Enhanced Life Charge
3. Hard Knocks-Kill Domovinius
4. Winged Horror-Banish Terrovax
5. The Witching Hour-Banish Lillian Dunst
• Moonshade Highlands
1. Life of a Bog Mother-Banish Mog'thunk
2. Life and Let Die-Defeat Conchobhar
3. Where the Death Fae Go-Defeat Agrona
4. Runebound Technology*-Banish the Runebound Elemental
5. Bogspawn of Gorodon-Destroy Gorodon
6. Run to the Hills-Defeat Maren
• Droughtlands
1. Fiery Hoofsteps-Kill Kartok
2. Burning Dragonian-Defeat Silnolr
3. Terror in the Sky-Banish Pteretorax
4. Saving Lantern Hook*-Banish Tarthak the Immolator
5. March of the Stone Army-Banish Gul'tiesh
6. Sting of the Sand-Defeat Enselithis
• Shimmersand
1. Prince of Earth*-Banish the Prince's Gladiators
2. Wind and Wings-Banish Steetos
3. Serpent Storm-Banish Aurispus
4. Sand Worship-Kill Malan Ta'er
5. Scourge of the Sands-Destroy Derinku
6. From the Pit-Destroy Valificur
7. Power of Nightmares-Stop Crucia from draining the Plane of Water
• Stillmore
1. Unlikely Alliances-Rid Telara of the Monstrous Motes
2. Flesh Monstrosity-Defeat Hrolgaroth
3. Raising Kain*-Banish Kain the Fallen
4. An Eye for an Eye-Defeat Gogalab, Lord Edraam's Minion
5. Dreaded Knight-Banish Darian Targeth
6. Forest King-Kill Barkuth
7. Witch of the West-Defeat Celeste Bospin
• Ember Isle
1. In Golden's Grasp-Banish Ochrin
2. Fires of Rebirth*- Banish Scerrion
3. Ikthus's Rise-??
4. The Seed of Change*-Banish Altha
5. Island Storm-Banish Vornia
• Cape Jule
1. The Battle of Cape Jule-Halt Auram's Assault
• Pelladane
1. Operation: Landfall-Push back the Storm Legion Assault
• City Core
1. Entangled-Defeat the Invasion
• Eastern Holdings
1. March of the Legion-Stop the Ancient Ashorans
2. On the Hunt-??
• Seratos
1. Secret of the Deep-??
2. Strange Tidings-??
• Ardent Domain
1. Feeding Frenzy-??
2. Lady in the Lake-??
• Morban
1. Rotten March-Defeat the Invasion and Stop Thal'Dralak
2. Terror Above-??
• Kingsward
1. Sudden Swarm-??
• Ashora
1. The Silver Army-??
2. Dreams of Blood and Bone-Defeat Volan
3. Return of the Fallen-??
• Steppes of Infinity
1. Craft of Conflict-Overcome Mother Nug's Challenges
2. Shattered Earth-??
3. Fortress Defense: Phase One-??
4. Champions of the Firestorm-Defeat Rabrongar
• The Dendrome
1. Far From Freedom
2. Swarm of the Century
3. Virtue of Vehemence
4. Melting Point
5. Rude Awakening
6. Arboreal Menace
7. Under the Table-Help Orgathor with his drinking problem
8. Thorns Everywhere-Clean up Burnthorn's Mess
9. Why So Sad?-Cheer up Vryl (VERY RARE)
10. The Awakening
11. Boiling Ambition
12. Scuttling Dreams
13. Critical Mass-Banish Darvaka
14. Inner Maelstrom
15. Macabre Feast
16. Portents of Terror
17. Pay No Mind
• Goboro Reef/Draumheim/Tarken Glacier
1. Crushing Force-Banish Hivemaster Tch'chkk
2. Battalion of Flame-Banish Desinara
3. Tendrils of Renewal-Banish Sharlissa
4. Terror from the Deep-Banish Lady Lanthe
5. Horns of Doom-Banish Aroksus
• Tyrant's Throne
1. Leviathon-??
• Planetouched Wilds
1. Earthen Assault-Banish Teth Geonis 
2. Fire Storm
3. Tide of Destruction
• Scatherran Forest/Gedlo Badlands/Xarth Mire/Ashenfell
1. Horrific Horticulture
2. Cometary Ice
3. Cauterized Calamity
4. Tectonic Drift-Banish Aftershock
5. Cosmic Void-Banish She of No Name
6. Cyclonic Conflict-Banish Gust Front
• Vostigar Peaks
1. The Tempest Rises
2. Tipping the Scale:Ahnket-Defeat Ahnket's advance
3. Tipping the Scale: Crucia
4.  Tenebrean Tussle-Defeat Ahnket's Advance (name changed from tipping??)
• Tenebrean Schism
• ?
• World Special Seasonal/Holiday Event Zone Events/Rifts
1. There Arose Such a Clatter (Fae Yule)
2. Parade Day! (Carnival of the Ascended)
3. Bloodfire Behemoth (Air Saga Event)
4. Power of Nightmares (Air Saga Event)
5. Jewel of Brevane-Join in the Festivities (Carnival of the Ascended)
6. Take it Back!-Crash the Storm Legion Celebration-Pelladane (Carnival of the Ascended)
• Events Over Multiple Zones
1. Unnatural Speciation-Destroy the Hellbug Army
2. Bloodfire Army-Banish Xumpothazon
3. Infernal Awakening-Banish the forces of Fire and Earth
4. Unstable Zone Event-Collect Unstable Artifacts in the 30 minute time limit
5. Aggressive Colonization-Destroy the Hellbug Colonies and the Broodqueen
6. Bloodfire Behemoth-Banish Commander Rogmyre
7. Waves of Madness-Defeat the Abyssal Invaders
8. Hammer and Flame-Banish the Forces of Fire and Earth
9. Golden Embers-
10. Visions of Future Past (Freemarch and Silverwood)*-Defend against the Endless Court
11. Night Terrors (Freemarch and Silverwood)-Banish the Sinister Presence
• Obsolete Events that were a one time thing
1. Grim Harvest (River of Souls World Event)
2. Visions of Future Past (River of Souls World Event)
3. Escape the Ancients-Defend the Shade Beacons in Stonefield against the endless forces of the Harrow (Grim Remembrance World Event)

References: If you play the game and pay attention to the announcements of zone events in each of the zones, you can get a feel for patterns and where an event is specific and what triggers it. As for the entire list of Rifts, this is mainly taken off websites that list events, although there isn't much information on them. I'm working that, as I've started recording data related to each of the Rifts I encounter in the game. As Rift get's older, they add in new zone events to spice things up, and I'll make sure I keep the list as current as I can.

[Lore] XXI: The Blood Storm

     When the gods created Telara, the world was plentiful, full of rich bounties, vastly differing climates, and many different life forms. This was due to Telara being in the unique position of being the center of the Planes-powerful dimensions ruled by a single element made manifest in the physical realm. These 6 elements converged at a point in the center called the Nexus and Telara was at its heart. When the Planes touched Telara, they left behind incredible deposits of a raw material called Sourcestone. Sourcestone had the potential for vast and powerful wonders. It could be refined and shaped to do just about anything, including resurrection and creating a special matrix that can house multiple souls (Defiant Ascended). Unfortunately for the young and innocent world of Telara, this powerful material gave off an equally powerful and specific kind of resonance that caught the attention of some particularly evil beings. The Blood Storm.
     The Blood Storm were elemental entities who gained dominion over their respective Planes and amassed deadly armies of Planar foes. Eventually they grew so lustful for control and power that their reach extended even beyond the planes they conquered. They were drawn to other worlds in the vast cosmos, cracking them for their sourcestone like marrow from bone. When they discovered Telara, the Blood Storm eagerly descended upon the unsuspecting world, rampaging, destroying, enslaving and reshaping it to their own desires and will. They unleashed disasters and monstrosities of unimaginable horror. Their mere shadows drove men mad. Though the peoples fought back, they had been unprepared for such a threat and individually, the many races were overwhelmed and conquered by the seemingly unstoppable dragons. Civilization, historical records, and society was lost to the chaos and fear that became known simply as the Age of Dragons, where survival was the most important, and indeed the only, subject on Telaran minds. Wayward mortals became drawn to the dragons' promise of power, willing to help unmake the world for a mere taste of the vast potential the Blood Storm offered as well as a place under their great leathery wings.

     Telara seemed lost. The dragons ruled over the planet with iron fists, remaking it into the image of their own lust and greed. In the end though, it was the dragons themselves that proved to be their downfall. They splintered, driven by their own base desires to see Telara in each individual's image. Each of the dragons saw in Telara an image of their own dreams and desires. Destruction, complete control, wild chaos, a great empire of riches and greed, knowledge and profane nightmares, and Regulos's claims were the darkest. He desired total annihilation of anything living. The complete opposite of life, renewel, growth. The opposite of anything else the other Blood Storm members desired. If Regulos had his way, there would be no Telara for the other dragons to rule over. Seeing this, Crucia, knowing that Regulos's true form was beyond her to defeat, set up the other dragons to be pitted against him, hoping they would all destroy each other and leave everything for her. And thus, the Blood Storm fell to infighting, each determined to keep Telara for their own dark reasons.
     While the dragons waged a terrible war above Telara, the peoples of the world finally saw their chance. They rallied all the races together and fought back, taking the Blood Storm by surprise with their determination and ferocity. Distracted as they were with each other, the Blood Storm retaliated too late, unable to comprehend that these mere mortals posed any threat to them and unable to present the unified planar front of before. During the early years of the Blood Storm Wars, the Eth began experimenting with sourcestone, creating incredibly effective war constructs and machines of incredible power to help battle the dragons and their new cult followers, while the High Elves employed their ancient arcane wisdom and combat skill and the Dwarves built many war weapons and designed increasingly effective battle strategies and fortresses. All the races contributed to the defeat of the dragons, refusing to relinquish their world to the hungry planar beings.

     The Age of Dragons lasted for hundreds of years, yet when it mattered most, the dragons were too embittered, ambitious and selfish to join forces against the Telarans, a threat they didn't take seriously until it was too late. One after another, the great leviathans were overcome and imprisoned in powerful, unbreakable chambers beneath the earth in various secure locations around Telara, sealed with a king's ransom worth of pure planar sourcestone opposite their own element. Specific guards were set, the dragon orders, to safeguard the prisons (The Icewatch, The Dragonslayer's Covenant, etc.), and the cultists were hunted down through the centuries to ensure they would not rise up and attempt to free their dragon masters.
     Despite the horror, devastation and death that the Blood Storm wrought on Telara during the Age of Dragons, they accomplished one thing that had never happened before or since. They united the many differing clans and factions and races of the world together under a single banner. After the defeat of the dragons, the gods also joined themselves into a single entity, calling themselves the Vigil. They aided the mortals in the protection of Telara by constructing the Ward, an impenetrable barrier around Telara to keep the Planes from touching the world and sealing off the dragons from their powers. This also ensured that the spirit of Regulos, which had been severed from his physical form, would be unable to return to Telara. After this, the gods fell silent and were unable to be reached directly, instead handing down edicts through their messengers. Peace of sorts settled over Telara for centuries, with the cults rising up and than falling again, causing strife and chaos but ultimately being thwarted throughout history, until the cataclysmic event known as the Shade War, brought about by King Aedraxis Mathos, who broke the Ward, fused his body with the Avatar of Regulos, and unleashed the planes again upon Telara, thus waking the other dragons and allowing them access to their planar power. The Guardians were created by the Vigil worshipping races of Telara as a unified front against the evils of the cults and the planes, and as a reward, the Messengers of the Vigil returned their fallen heroes to them as Ascended-immortal warriors-thus fulfilling an ancient prophecy. The Eth, who had refused to give up the potential power of sourcestone fueled technology, joined forces with the Kelari refugees and their close friends the Bahmi, creating the Defiant faction and succeeding in perfecting their own form of machineborn Ascended that rivaled the Vigil's gift to the Guardians. The two factions never see eye to eye, but separately, they work to keep Telara safe from the newly awoken Blood Storm.

     Eventually, revelations and successful battles against the cultists lead to the chilling fact that Crucia, the Blood Storm dragon of Air, had merely played both her fellow Blood Storm and the heroes of Telara, pretending to be trapped in her prison, when she could easily control her minions and followers through mind control and air magic, which is the most elusive and hard to control element. She waited until the Ascended heroes had effectively neutralized the other dragons before making a play for domination, manipulating events across Telara to her own advantage so that she could steal a powerful engine called the Infinity Gate and take over once and for all. Also revealed is the discovery that Akylios is not actually the true dragon of the Plane of Water at all, but a maddened usurper who banished the true dragon ruler, Izkinra, and seized control. He is found to actually be what is called a lesser Akvan-a herd of multi-eyed shark creatures. The dragons are more complex then can be conceived by the mortal mind, which is why they could not be truly defeated until the Ascended were created with the powers to properly comprehend their forms. Anyone who tried to understand the true nature of the Blood Storm before the arrival of the Ascended would go mad from the effort.

Status of the Blood Storm:

• Greenscale-The epitome of survival of the fittest. The first of the Blood Storm to be permanatly vanquished by the Ascended. After his true death, a new avatar of Life comes into being, taking on the name of Tasuil.
• Akylios-Not a true dragon. He is actually an unsettling herd of multi-eyed sharks who, acting as one being, conquered the Plane of Water, banished the real dragon, and became a member of the Blood Storm by default. The second dragon to be killed by the Ascended.
• Maelforge-Chaos incarnate. Is revealed to be a pwn of Lady Glasya, the Queen of Flame on the Plane of Fire, who has enslaved Woragrath, the true Dragon of Fire. Maelforge is the 3rd dragon to fall to the Ascended.
• Laethys-What she wants, is what she sees. Laethys wants everything. Her form on Telara is molten gold in the form of a dragon. Her true physical body is still on the Plane of Earth. Is the 4th dragon slain, alongside Maelforge. (Or is she truly, completely dead?)
• Regulos-The only dragon who could rival Crucia in terms of power. His true nature is actually two beings. One is the dragon offspring of Azdah and the other is a spirit/avatar that has the ability to reincarnate on Telara. These two beings finally merged to become the true God of Death and is permanently killed in the Endless Eclipse, leading to a new and terrifying revelation for the Ascended.

[Lore] XX: Sourcestone

 

     Sourcestone results when the Planes intersect with each other and with the physical material of Telara. It is believed that the reason Telara is so bountiful is because of its cosmological orientation on the intersection point of many Planes. Unfortunately, this also makes it a tempting target for the Blood Storm and other, more powerful foes, who's ravenous appetite for sourcestone is unquenchable. They would do anything, and have done many countless horrendous atrocities, to get it.

     The Knowledge Collector, found in Terminus, states: "Sourcestone has been extensively studied by our technomancers but little has been discerned about its exact nature. Sourcestone in its most powerful form incorporates the six elements to create an 'ultimate' sourcestone. This sourcestone was used by the gods to craft Telara. Subjected to intense levels of Planar energy, sourcestone will become aligned to one element of another. Examples of such 'single flavor' sourcestone are often found in rifts."

 

Types of elemental sourcestone:

• Shadestone=death aligned=violet color
• Emberstone=fire aligned=red color
• Tidestone=water aligned=blue color
• Faestone=life aligned=green color
• Stormstone=air aligned=white color
• Earthstone=earth aligned=yellow color

 

     One theory related to sourcestone states that Telara is a planet which houses a node of pure sourcestone at its center, in the Nexus and Forge of Creation. By itself, this pure sourcestone is inert, impressionable. By itself it can't do anything, but when "touched" by a single element, becomes active and material. Where touched, say by a rift from a certain elemental plane, a field of corruption will spread outward from the contact site. The stronger the "touch", the further the planar corruption and influence spreads. When one element merely passes through or briefly interacts with the sourcestone, a more balanced reaction will occur.

     Before the Blood Storm came, there was no use or need for a Ward to protect Telara from the influence of the Planes. It's been suggested in several books of history that all six elements were present and active on Telara in the dawn of time. Unfortunately, when the sentient races began experimenting with magitech and uses for sourcestone, they drew the eye of the dragon gods of the Blood Storm, who descended upon an unsuspecting Telara.

 

     When chunks of sourcestone comes in contact with an element, it takes on the characteristics, composition and properties of that element, becoming "corrupted". It will stay this way until it can be touched by the other elements as well.

 

     And the Elves say this on Sourcestone: "There is only sourcestone. That which does not touch sourcestone is not. Sourcestone shapes the shapeless, materializes the immaterial, expresses elemental energy as tangible places and things. At the Nexus of the elemental planes, the gods found a great mass of sourcestone, which they shaped into a world and named Telara. They gods shaped elemental energy against the sourcestone. Telara was made of 'pure' sourcestone. After it was formed, it became 'ultimate' sourcestone, the strongest and most powerful type of sourcestone, made up of all six elements.

 

     The Defiant use sourcestone to power their technology. It is a tool they would gladly use to keep Telara safe.

     The Guardians think of sourcestone as a divine and sacred artifact through which to commune with the Vigil.

[Raeslyn's Story]: Aelfwar Saga Part 1

A/N: I wasn't exactly sure where to put in this section of Raeslyn's story, but I knew it was important to her journey through Rift, and to the overall story arc that makes up our beloved world of Telara, so here it is, the details of Raeslyn's discovery of the conspiracy surrounding the Aelfwar and their wayward prince. I'll say this, I feel kind of bad for Hylas and I've sort of found him pretty cool, and I just wish that he and Shyla could have had a happy, resolved ending at the end of the story. It makes my heart ache at what she went through with her true love! Anyway, on to the story!
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     I entered the Inner Sanctum of Sanctum, smirking slightly at the unoriginal name given to the seat of Guardian power. I'd been directed by a courier earlier to come straight away and meet with the Tribunal of Sanctum about the weighty matter of Hylas and what exactly we ought to do about him. I felt sort of a strange, anxious stirring in my gut that I didn't like in the slightest. Obviously I'd already set myself against my fellow Aelfwar just by the mere fact of becoming Ascended and being granted the gifts of the gods. Of course, I hadn't volunteered for the job, but that hardly matters in the long scheme, I suppose. I'd aligned myself with the Guardians, I'd actively thwarted Prince Hylas and his forces at every turn, and I'd tried my best to keep him from tearing Silverwood apart with this horrible nightmarish war he'd started against us. I just wish, so hard, that it wasn't me specifically, that had to deal with this now. But since I'd only recently recovered from a direct assault by Hylas, and knew the most about his latest scheme, I can imagine I was the best candidate for the job. Lucky me.

     Up the stairs and down a softly carpeted hallway I plodded, feeling the grim smile pulling at my lips that caused others to flinch and turn away nervously as I passed. That was fine, I wasn't in the mood for more "Hail, Ascended!" nonsense anyway. The courtroom for Sanctum was a large, wide room in the upper levels of the Inner Sanctum. Inside, three pretentious looking officials with stern faces were seated behind a curved table. I studied them silently as I settled in front of them. Two female elves and a male dwarf. I recognized the two women as Cardinal Alwan and Cardinal Fiach, from my time before, but I hadn't laid eyes on the dwarf before. He must have been elected after the Guardians officially took up their mantle, since our dealings with dwarves before the Shade War was very slight. I inclined my head in a respectful manner, which was all they were going to get from me. I wasn't afraid of these people. I was higher up in the pecking order then they were. Everyone knew the Ascended held the real power in Telara.
     The beautiful elven woman with long gold hair cleared her throat after the silence grew heavy and I lifted an eyebrow.

     "Greetings Ascended. Raeslyn Windrose, I believe?" She waited a brief moment and I nodded sharply. "We are the Tribunal of Sanctum. We three sit in judgment of those that would defy the gods. We determine if their offense is mere defiance, selfishness, or true heresy." I nodded again when she paused to give me a swift glance, trying not to look irritable. Of course I knew this, I wasn't a complete moron. She shuffled his papers and continued reading from them. "I am Cardinal Fiach, the Defender of the Covenant, and we've been going over your report of what's been happening in Silverwood as, well as reports from elsewhere on Aelfwar activity." I perked up, looking truly interested. Elsewhere? I wonder what else the Aelfwar was up to, and where? I opened my voice to ask, and the dwarf gave me a qualling glare. I scowled, but kept quiet. Fine.
     "These reports of horrible acts of violence on behalf of Prince Hylas are deeply troubling." Cardinal Fiach continued, after a look at her comrades. "What we want to know is, is this the work of a power-hungry ruler or a dragon cultist? We've had discussions of Hylas's character with various others who knew him before this.....disaster, and what we've learned is very distressing indeed." She pursed her lips and stared blankly at the table for a moment. Her female ally leaned over and placed a hand over hers, and I was struck by the truth that everyone mourned Hylas's actions, not just those of us who were close to the Aelfwar and their prince. All of us Elves were feeling the loss. I sighed, feeling my shoulders slump.

     Cardinal Fiach sighed as well. "The night when Shyla went off to join the Mathosians' civil war, the entire Elven council convened at the Mirror of Ages to discuss it. It wasn't a matter we took lightly." I knew that yes, but leaned forward slightly, feeling my heart pound. Maybe here was answers, finally. "Shyla was so passionate about it. She insisted fighting with the Zareph Mathos was the right call. It was our duty, she said, to fight back against such evil as Aedraxis. I remember never seeing Hylas so angry. He swore that it was our duty to uphold Tavril's will, to stay and protect the sacred forest. He would not listen to any of Shyla's pleas, which I found odd since he would always agree with her on anything. I'd heard that the night before, he'd been deep in council with an unknown druid by the name of Keelaodh, who I've heard was always resentful of Shyla's influence and position with Hylas. Funny though, Keelaodh was absent from the meeting. Now I wonder, was he hiding something?" Something like sorrow passed over her face than. "Brougan Grote, the mayor of Argent Glade, has also sent us a report on what he witnessed before and at the meeting. He was a member of the Aelfwar order, you see." I almost opened my mouth and blurted out that I was too, but I really didn't think it would be a good time to admit to being a former Aelfwar, what with the prejudice and hate and fear against them now. Hylas had dragged that noble court through the mud.
     "Grote says that Prince Hylas had admitted to wavering on his decision. He was torn between his duty to Tavril, and his desire to protect Shyla and help the Mathosian people. After his meeting with this druid, he was sure. He was vehemently against going to their aid. he outright refused to listen to anything Shyla said, and would not even let her speak to him." Fiach finished her report and peered sharply at me over the parchment. I resisted the urge to feel guilty. I hadn't done anything wrong, after all.

     "I have also received details on the vision quest you underwent, and it's results." I crossed my arms, feeling slightly angry that apparently everything I'd been doing had been spied on and relayed to the council. "It seems that Hylas thinks the gods have betrayed him. I cannot for the life of me, understand how he came to think that!" She look anguished for a moment, before composing herself. The dwarf kept a straight face, not being as close to the topic as the elves were. He was our prince after all, not theirs. "I can only hope that this corruption can be healed from him, if we can make him to see reason! We need more information on this druid though." I stiffened, as all three of the council members were suddenly eyeing me with keen intent. Apparently this was where I come in.

     "Yes, I am eager to help." I said, even though they hadn't actually asked me anything yet. But I had the feeling I knew where it was going.

     Cardinal Fiach smiled at me, although it looked strained. "Thank you Raeslyn. You are a truly compassionate soul." I felt my cheeks heat. Oh great, now I felt silly. "We know little about Keelaodh, only that he was a druid of great magical power but questionable theology. Our spies report that he has now been made High Priest of Hylas's corrupted court. Now that Hylas has been dealt a crippling blow, we may have a chance at bringing down this unholy clerical druid. We need to know what influence he has, if any, over Prince Hylas." I reached down and gripped my daggers, sheathed on my belt, feeling a burning desire fill me to pummel this cleric into the ground. If he was the one who'd corrupted my dear prince, that had turned Hylas from the gods down the dark path of corruption, I couldn't wait to get my hands on him. I really couldn't. My emotions must have showed on my face, for the Cardinal narrowed her eyes at me.

     "Remember, Raeslyn, we need him alive for information. Also, vengeance is not a pretty reason for killing." I made a noncommittal noise, not caring what they thought. Dead was dead, no matter your reasons for killing, and besides, I have a deep feeling that this Keelaodh deserved everything he was going to get. I let my lips curve into a vindictive smile.

     "So, where can I find this...cleric?" I asked, placing one hand on a hip and inspecting my nails, appearing nonchalant, as if this was any other errand to fetch something. Already, I was itching to get my fingers around this slimy monster's throat and wring some answers from him.

     Cardinal Fiach informed me of the last known location her spies had seen the cleric, and I was stunned to find that he'd been setting high and mighty at the Mirror of Ages the entire time. I was so angry for a moment, I saw nothing but red in front of my light blue eyes, blinking furiously. How dare he! How dare this man worm his way into the council of my Prince, and then deign to sit in our most sacred site, with his profane priests and clerics, doing who knows what to the holy ground there. How I'd not heard of this earlier, was a miracle, because if I had, you could bet I'd have been murdering the whole lot of them, conflicting emotions be damned. There was no way I was going to let anyone even attempt to defile Tavril's sacred heart. I turned without a word and strode swiftly out of the council room, hearing murmurs of conversation start up behind me. I ignored them and headed straight for the stable, where I took up the reins of my mare and clattered across the bridge, nearly knocking over a traveler who'd no doubt come to the city to see the wondrous Ascended in person. Ha!

     Several hours of hard riding later, I slowed outside of the beautiful and enchanting clearing that held the Mirror of Ages, tying the reins to a nearby tree and patting the mare's sweaty flank. She could rest while I...attended to business. I gathered the shadows and energy of the planes around me, using them to cloak my form in powerful invisibility, creeping out into the clearing. And was instantly assaulted with such evil and corruption that it took all my concentration to hold onto my cloaking ability. The clearing was crawling with Aelfwar elves, and to my horror, there were even some Fae present. Just more proof of Hylas's corruption, and it made my insides tight with despair. The heavy planar energy was thick on the air, but it made it easier to weave my way through the clearing without being detected. I didn't even have to think of where Keelaodh would be. I just knew he'd be in the very heart itself. At the center of the power that flowed through Silverwood. I clenched my jaw in fury as I stepped under the great roots of the giant and ancient tree that grew at the heart of Tavril's sacred wood. The tree had been here for eons, since the time of Legend, and though no one could say for sure, I had no doubt it was the first tree ever on Telara, put here by Tavril to mark the forming of the Covenant.

     Sure enough, a hideous looking elf was kneeling in a parody of divine respect in front of the ancient altar. I was horrified to see that the altar had been defiled. There was blood and bone strewn around the roots of the tree, and the altar had deep gouges in it. Sorrow and anger filled me. The bell that had been used to bring the elves together for vespers still hung to my left, and with a hateful glare at the druid's back, I swiftly stepped to the beneath the bell. I reached out and rang it, once. The clear, clarion sound rang throughout the clearing, and I could hear the sweet, divine sound in my breastbone, echoing through my bones. I felt clear headed and light, as if in the presense of Tavril herself. Apparently it had quite the opposite effect on Keeloadh. He staggered, nearly falling, and whirled around, face white with fear and horror. His eyes immediately landed on my now visible form and his mouth twisted into a truly hideous rictus.

      "Ascended!" He spat hatefully. "That chime is forbidden here! You dare to sound the vespers of Tavril among my court! We follow the old ways now, fool. Greenscale now gives us power that the gods never would. Here, let me demonstrate!" I didn't realize until too late that he'd been making subtle hand motions while talking, and he now flung out both hands. Twisted green magic slammed into me and I went flying, impacting against the roots of the ancient ironwood tree. I tasted blood where I'd bitten my lip and groaned. Nothing was broken, of course. I was Ascended and stronger and more resilient than even the hardiest of soldiers, but it had still hurt, and I could feel needles of corrupted life magic stinging my face and throat. It hurt to breathe. I could hear Keeloadh cackling madly, and rolled swiftly to the side, barely avoiding another wave of uncontrolled planar magic. I needed to get close to him so I could get at him with my daggers. Preferably stab him repeatedly. I considered my options as I dodged his flailing magic. He had incredible power at his disposal, no doubt compliments of the monstrous Greenscale, but it was unrefined, chaotic, and uncontrolled. Obviously he relished great power, but lacked the true knowledge and skill to use it properly. Serves the traitor right. As another bolt of pure life energy missed me by inches and exploded into the ground, instantly causing an explosion of growth, which died moments after, he screamed in frustration at not being able to even hit me. I smirked, which infuriated him more, and I used his rage to blink in behind him while he was distracted.

    "And now, your end." I couldn't help but gloat, as I thrust a dagger into his back, ripping viciously upward and under the ribs. The druid choked and collapsed forward, but I knew that for a cleric who'd studied druidic magic, it wouldn't be a mortal blow. At least, not right away. I stepped around in front of him, grabbing his wrist tightly as he tried casting another spell. "Enough!" I barked, kneeing him in the face as he knelt. He swayed slightly and snarled curses at me. I waited until he was silent, and than crouched. He flinched, spitting blood on the ground, ragged breathing filling the silence. The cleric gave a great shudder.

     "Mercy." He finally whispered, voice thick with agony. He struggled to breathe and coughed. "Spare me, Ascended, and I will willingly make myself your prisoner! I can tell you anything you want to know about the Aelfwar's plans!" I gave him a contemptuous sneer.

     "I want only one thing, cleric." I replied coldly after deliberately waiting several moments to make him sweat. His eyes feverishly sought mine and he bobbed his head eagerly. "Yes, name it!"
     "What have you done to Prince Hylas? What trick or spell did you use to corrupt him against us? Against Tavril! Tell me now, how do we unravel your poisonous influence over him?" I clenched my bloodied dagger and held it over his chest as a promise that if he didn't answer truthfully I'd gut him and leave him here to bleed out. Keelaodh licked his lips, eyes darting around.

     "That night, when Shyla so passionately asked that we aid the Mathosians, I lured the Prince into a private council. I admit to that. I played upon his faith, jealousy and desire for power. It was so piteously easy. I wish I could say it was my idea, but the changeling Caelhaidh told me what to say to Hylas, how to motivate him just the right way, to get him to turn from Shyla. It was oh so easy." He sneered at me, and gave a choked laugh. I smashed my dagger into his face, satisfied at the crunch of his nose breaking, and the druid bellowed in pain. I glanced around, making sure no one was roused by our...discussion, before focusing back on the traitorus elf. He continued haltingly, a look of spiteful glee in his eyes. I was really dreading what he was going to say, I knew it. "You can't save him, Guardian. Killing me or the changeling will not give you back your precious prince. He belongs to Greenscale now. He took to my words so quickly and completely you'd think he'd waiting for this his whole life. You won't be able to free him from it now, elfling. He's beyond your reach!" He broke into a fit of dark giggling, and I stood, stunned as I absorbed this. Was it true? Was Hylas beyond our reach? I felt cold and shocked and saddened and horrified and angry, all at once, and my hand shook on the dagger. I wanted to howl in fury, to force Keelaodh to tell me otherwise, to change fate so that this hadn't happened. Why, Hylas, why!!?? Why would you forsake us for such abominable power! He had to know it was wrong, he had to! And maybe, deep down, he was still thinking that. Maybe we could still reach him. I wouldn't give up just yet! I felt my jaw clench with determination. There was always a second chance for redemption and I wouldn't let this wretch sway me from that task. I owed it to my people, to my family. To myself. I swore I would do whatever I could to free Hylas from Greenscale's clutches.

     Keelaodh took advantage of my inattention and jerked himself loose from my hold. He bolted for the opening between the roots, and I actually growled in anger. I needed to kill something, and he presented such an easy target. Within seconds I'd overtaken the heavily injured cleric. If he pleaded, or made any motion to defend himself, I honestly didn't even notice. With vicious cold blooded intent, I stabbed downward into his soft flesh, again and again, venting all my frustration and betrayal and feelings of helplessness I'd kept pent up. I was breathing hard and finally realized the body was still, nothing but a bloody corpse beneath my knife. Shakily, stumbled backward and dropped my daggers. I'd never done anything like that before. My mentor had always drilled into me the importance of remaining in control, of staying calm and collected at all times. It was the trademark of a proper and proud assassin. You needed to always look at every situation objectively and find the most favorable course of action. And yet, I didn't regret what I'd done. Only the fact that I'd enjoyed it a little too much. I pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind and took several deep, calming breaths to stabilize myself. And than a tiny kernel of dismay filled me as I realized I'd defiled the sacred Mirror of Ages even more with this gruesome and vengeful death. I turned and knelt at the altar, feeling a cold tear make its way down my cheek. I knelt there for several moments as I silently offered apology to Tavril for desecrating her altar, before I gathered up the shadows and was gone, melting into my surroundings as if I'd never been. I knew that it wouldn't be long before the Aelfwar cultists discovered my deed and rushed to secure the site, so I swiftly made my way back to where I'd left my loyal horse, still tethered where I'd left her. She greeted me with a soft whicker and I mounted and headed back to the city.
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     "A changeling, you say?" Cardinal Fiach said. I'd washed up at one of the Inn's in the city, before woodenly trudging back and reporting my findings to the tribunal. For all I knew, they'd already been told by their many spies, but I felt it best I get my version to them as soon as possible. I kept my face expressionless as the council members discussed my report. Fiach didn't look happy when I admitted I'd slain Keelaodh, but she didn't look surprised either.

     "It seems the Fae folk had long been planning for a way to uproot our court." Fiach admitted, looking worried. She frowned at her fellows. "Their boldness has finally paid off it seems. What concerns me is the druid's boasting at how easy Hylas was swayed to corruption. We need concrete evidence to prove either way Hylas's true being. Is he really a dupe of the Faery court, or has he truly embraced the worship of that monster Greenscale?" Her companion finally spoke up, admitting, "It's not like Hylas to bend his will to anyone, even such a being as Greenscale. Perhaps...he actually was tricked?" She gave a tentative look of hope to the others. The dwarf gave a grunt, face dubious. Well, now I knew where he stood. He obviously didn't believe that.

[Off Topic] Fae Yule Event!

Fae Yule

     Before I begin, I wanted to give a heartfelt shout out to all the families that endured the horrific massacre at the Connecticut school Friday morning. That was the most horrible, sacrilegious thing I've ever heard about and I'm pretty sure everyone was in shock to hear about it. And before Christmas too....just disgusting.

     I'm not a big celebrator of Christmas. It's not my thing. In fact, it's not even my religion. I do love all the pretty lights and ribbons though, I admit, and having a pretty decorated tree in your living room is a nice addition to brighten things up. Not to mention you can feel the mood change as it gets closer to Christmas. People start getting more excited, more stressed, more short tempered, more crazy. It's like a big knot of...tension. Good and bad tension. For me, Christmas is a time to look forward to having fun and performing activities with guildies in game. Last year I celebrated Yule Tide with friends in Rift and I also celebrated Winterfest with my good friends and guildies in WoW. We had a lot of fun doing all sorts of unique once a year quests, crafted interesting wardrobe items, and got a bit drunk off the eggnog. Yep, that was my Christmas!

     This year is all about Rift, and I'm happy to say that Fae Yule is back! Now, I'm not sure if this is an actual official holiday for the world of Telara, or if it's just a fun non-canon activity that Trion has given us as a fun side activity. Either way, I love the idea, although I'd really like to know what holidays Telara actually does celebrate. Anyway.

     For Fae Yule, there are 3 phases to the event. The first phase, which is happening for...well I'm not really sure how long it will go on for since when I looked at the date and other info in the world event panel they still had last year's date on it. Doh! So I'm not sure about that. The first phase though, is called "Remembering the Yule Mother". The second phase is "Reclaiming Fae Yule" and the 3rd phase is called "Fae Yule Celebration". I can't wait to do all the stuff for all of them! Oh...I wonder if the tavern will have hot chocolate??

      First Phase: Remembering the Yule Mother=So far, this is the only phase available. When the other phases become unlocked I'll add them to the list below. I've spent the day running around doing the various tasks given to me in Meridian by Grandfather Frost and various other helpers he has working for him. He has us participating in free for all snowball fights, sledding competitions, closing Rifts, and a yearly tradition that involves using candles to help a lost traveler find their way home.
     According to Grandfather Frost, you are to reenact a honored event from times past. The quest says "Long ago, a shy elven hunter would, in the dark of winter, place candles in the forest to light the way for lost travelers. This kind hunter became known as Illuminaria, the Yulemother. It is said, even now that on the darkest of dark winter nights, her spirit shows the way to the lost travelers most in need of her light." Isn't that awesome? A little piece of lore added to the season to give it some Telaran significance. Of course, I still would like to know if I can take it as canon lore! And why do all the holidays revolve around the Fae? I'd like to know that too. Along with lighting candles for travelers and random snowball fights, I also went sledding!
     Wheeeee. It was really fun and I did it like 50 times lol. There's a quest giver in Meridian that tells you to go through the portal behind him. When you do, you end up in Iron Pine Peaks somewhere up in the mountains. There, a woman tells you that if you step on the jump pad she'll boost you to the top of the mountain so you can slide down.
     So I stood on the little stone square and whoosh! Up to the top of the mountain I went. It was pretty fun being boosted through the air like a long distance trampoline. I always love free flying/falling in a game. Not sure why hehe. Than you get a sled leaning against the railing and down you go.
     Thankfully, its fairly easy to control your sled as long as you pay attention to the trees and other things. You have to slide through some banners/gates and also hit snowmen along the way that are for some reason ambushing the place. Although how snowmen can ambush a sledding race is beyond me. It was fun all the same though.
     A few things I haven't gotten to experience yet but will definitely be doing, are the festive themed Instant Adventures, the Fae Yule Rifts, and the festive Whitefall Steppes warfront. It just seems like I never have time to do all the fun stuff I want to do. Even with an entire day off to play Rift, I can't seem to get it all in lol! Rift you outdo yourself with keeping a player busy! *shakes fist at Trion*.
     Another thing I was curious about but haven't gotten to do yet is the extra stuff outside the game. Like the cape deal, and the dimension presents for the Facebook thing. Not sure how that works but I should probably check it out at least! Maybe later tonight! Well that's it for Phase One things so far!

Phase 2: Reclaiming Fae Yule= The second phase started today, December 20th, and it's just as fun as the first phase! As I thought, there's all kinds of new and neat things to do! The first thing I did was check out the new quest givers over in the Fae Yule section of town. I noticed that this is where all the World Event stuff goes, is in this dedicated section of the town. Neat idea! Anyway, I went over there and I noticed that all the Fae Yule decorations were ruined and torn down! Who did that?! I didn't have to wait long to find out. It was Atrophinius. He just keeps cropping up all over the place! First the GSB Chronicle (where I first saw him) than in the Autumn Harvest event, and now here! Cept this time he's in a realllllly bad mood cause apparently Crucia mind controlled all the people who make his mead and he's sober. A sober satyr is not a happy satyr. So he got mad and trashed everything. Tantrums much?
     So in order to make Atro feel better, I had to hunt down a faery selling Fae Wassail in Meridian and pawn some off her so I could give it to Atro and make him drunk. He said that he might feel good enough to restore all the stuff he wrecked if he was drunk again. Well, I gave it to him and it didn't get fixed. Apparently it turned into a daily now. You find him 5 of the Wassail and you get the snowflake rewards. That's okay I spose. I can always use more snowflake currency! The other new quest available now is the one from the yeti that was standing in front of those cool looking reindeer Vaiyuu. I wanted one sooo badly! Well now's my chance. The yeti gave me a quest that told me that his precious Vaiyuu loved a flower called snowbuds (or was it icebuds?) and I had to roam around Meridian collecting them for the mounts. Once I'd gotten enough, I turned it in and squeeee mount time! It was the most easiest mount I've ever achieved in the game! It was awesome!! But also kind of a let down cause I expected a long and complicated quest. But oh well!
     I chose the gray reindeer Vaiyuu cause that one looked the coolest in it's festive armor. I rode it around Meridian, lookin' so fine! Still haven't been to do the festive Rifts or the festive PvP though. Ugh, I work too much! Oh, but I did see a tree spawn in Freemarch that had presents around it and circling faeries and satyrs. There were presents under the tree that were clickable and I got some interesting buffs and snowflakes. Nothing more than that though, I'm afraid. Oh well, it was fun to see anyway.
     I did go to the Facebook page (after I created a Facebook account) and like Rift. I would have liked it anyway if I'd had any desire to go on Facebook...and than I went to the presents tab and got my present pile! Woot so happy! My sister also just bought SL earlier this evening, so I'm hoping that that counts as an Ascend a Friend buying SL, which means I'd get that neat cape! But I haven't got it yet and I got the other stuff...hmm I'll to read it again more carefully see what it says. I hate restrictions that aren't obvious!

Phase 3=Celebrating Fae Yule: Celebrate and exchange gifts! This seems to be what this phase is all about. The new quests involved delivering gifts to various random types around Telara. There were also random gifts laying around Meridian that if you clicked on them you got a snowflake and/or a buff. I clicked on a present lying in the center of Meridian and got turned into a reindeer! So cute! I did get into a few of the Whitefall warfronts, and I have to say, it was a lot of fun! Apparently you have to get presents from a tree in the middle of the battlefield and take it back to your own faction's tree. The first faction to gather 3 presents wins. There was also random side things going on too. Like for instance, I'm not sure how you get it started, but someone becomes a werewolf in a Santa hat, called Santa Claws. If you kill that person, than you become Santa Claws. Gets you a fair amount of achievements for doing it too. There was also another one with a satyr. You can pass it on to another person too, you don't have to die for that one to go away. I think that achievement was called "You shouldn't have...no really, you shouldn't!" Or something similar. Oh, I also finally got the neat winter cape when my sister bought SL. There was just a few days delay is all. I didn't mind! Me and my sister both got capes for all our characters, it was super exciting! They looked really nice too. I spent time doing the dailies and gathering up snowflakes. I still need so many *cry* and I'm afraid it's almost over now! When the 3rd phase started I actually ended up really sick with a fever and everything and spent all my time in bed. From Friday until Tuesday morning I just mopped around my apt and slept and took drugs. I tried going to work but I felt so awful I just couldn't! So I missed out on some good opportunities to get some more flakes. I want so many more things yet before the Winter stuff goes away for the year! Waaaaa!
     I really liked the dimension winter themed stuff. There was a village just outside of Meridian that I stumbled across, run by boglings and Greatfather Frost. There was a dimension vendor there, but all the items were so expensive!! I bought what I could though. I had this idea for a frozen wasteland themed dimension, just for funsies. Perhaps for Night's dimension, (My RP main) since she's such a hard hearted Kelari. But now I'm afraid I won't get everything I need before it all goes away. Alas...I suppose I'll have to wait till next year.

     Well that's it for the Fae Yule event. Long enough post eh? I had to keep adding on as the other phases were introduced so I could give an accurate description! Hehe. I really enjoyed it, and I loved that it extended on past xmas. Perhaps that means that the Telaran new year is a bit different than Earth's new year? I shall have to investigate that! I look forward to more Fae Yule next year!

[Lore] IV: The Vigil

     The Vigil are a group of five gods/goddesses** who watch over and guide the Guardians, a faction of beings on Telara dedicated to protecting the world and stopping the Blood Storm and the evil of the planes from destroying it. In the beginning of time, before mortals were created, the Vigil were separate beings who created Telara at the nexus of the planes. They were incredibly powerful planar beings known as Bahralt, Tavril, Thedeor, Mariel-Tuan and Thontic. There was also a sixth goddess, named Aia, the goddess of Fate, who broke away from the doctrines of the Vigil soon after Telara was created, for reasons unknown, although it is suspected it is because the Vigil didn't agree with her plans for the universe and her belief that all mortals had to die in order to save everything else. The five gods of the Vigil kept a close eye on their creation, the world of Telara, helping the mortals on it to grow and learn and become civilized.

     But when use of Sourcestone as a resource drew the attention of the Blood Storm, an opposing and equally powerful group of gods, the Vigil decreed that Magitech would need to be set aside. This caused a fracture among the mortal races, leaving Telara vulnerable. After a long and bloody war with the Blood Storm gods, the Vigil, with the help of the mortal races of Telara, sealed away the physical and metaphysical presence of the dragons in powerful prisons. Then, to further protect Telara from the influence of the planes and other entities of chaos, the Vigil erected a barrier of powerful magic around the world, cutting off Telara from the planes and providing a playground for their creations to grow and flourish. The Ward seems to have apparently cut off the Vigil from Telara as well, not allowing any direct communication between the gods and their supplicants, which was much different from the time before the Ward, when the gods walked on Telara. Many thousands of years later, the Ward is slowly weakening, allowing powerful enemies to slip through rifts in the dimensions and invade the ripe world of Telara.
     The planes are again able to touch the land, converting portions of Telara into pockets of the planes and brining monstrous creatures into being. The weakening of the Ward also had the effect of waking up the dragons of the Blood Storm and weakening their prisons, allowing them to use their metaphysical powers to touch the minds of their followers and to directly or indirectly influence events of the world. Where are the Vigil during all of this? Who knows. They haven't been seen or heard from since the erection of the Ward all those years ago. We only have communication with them through their messengers, winged angelic beings who come to us and impart the Vigil's words of advice and law.
     No one knows if the messengers themselves are in communication with the gods or are just following pre-set guidelines and dictates that the gods gave them at the beginning. But no one has been in direct communication or has seen the gods of the Vigil. There are several theories on why that is. Some say that the erection of the Ward caused the Vigil to be severely weakened, to the point where they no longer can protect or commune with those on Telara. Others, such as the Defiant, believe that the Vigil has abandoned Telara to its own devices, having given up on the mortal races and their failings. The Vigil either doesn't care, or can't intervene with the situation Telara now finds itself in. The Guardians are confident that the Vigil will return when the need for them is at its greatest and they will save Telara and protect those who were faithful. Still others believe that the Vigil is dead, or are off fighting other threats to the universe that we on Telara are unaware of as the threat has been neutralized by the Vigil before it even becomes apparent to us.

     "The gods of the Vigil are a mystery. Since Telara's creation, they have at times co operated, at others competed, and often work at cross-purposes. Since the Shade War they have joined together as the Vigil to protect the world and guide the Guardians in their holy quest to redeem Telara. Many think that the gods have a greater purpose for us than mere adventuring heroes. The threat of the elementals is great and threatens to overwhelm the kingdoms and city-states of this world, but we mortals defeated and imprisoned the dragons themselves without such a drastic step as creating immortal saints such as yourself. Some whisper that the gods have a much grander plan, one that tests us here on Telara, but will truly challenge us in places and lands yet to come. Sanctum is a holy city of peace and contemplation, but if you look closely, you will see hints of dark times to come. I think the gods fear for us, their children. That they worry that the challenges we must face are far greater than these paltry invasions we have seen. So test yourself, Ascended, and grow powerful. We will surely need your strength." (Said by Howakan Farlight, an Abbot of Thontic in Sanctum). An interesting note on this one is a theory that some players are coming up with in regards to the Vigil and the Ward they erected around Telara. You find out later in the expansions that the founder of the Defiant faction, Orphiel Farwind, is in fact an alien being from another world, calling themselves Tenebreans. It appears that on their world, they enslaved their own gods and used that power to create ships that can travel the galaxies in search of other worlds to strip bare of resources and conquer with their powerful armies. Orphiel was one such Tenebrean sent to Telara to destroy or take over our world (not sure which), and bring back the spoils. Instead, upon coming to Telara, he decided to try and protect it instead. An interesting theory surrounding this, and the Ward erected around Telara is that the Vigil knew about Orphiel and his plans, as well as the rest of the Tenebreans, and so erected the Ward to shield Telara from the gaze of the Tenebreans and also as sort of prison to keep Orphiel on Telara and prevent him from reaching his (space)ship. I actually consider that a really cool theory and I would love if this was the actual way the lore went! Of course, since we still know so little about the backstories of any of the NPC's, as well as the true motivation of the Vigil, or where they even come from, this is still just a theory!

     The Vigil was formed out of the need for a stronger being to face off with the Blood Storm, as the gods individually weren't strong enough to hold back the tide of planar force as well as erect the Ward. When they merged together into one force, the Vigil, did they lose their identity? Are they now one entity, consisting of all the qualities and powers of each individual rolled into one? Or are they still separate, thinking and aware beings with their own separate "personalities" and identity? We don't know that either. There is information on the Vigil, but there isn't much known. For instance, what exactly are the Vigil gods? It has been mentioned that they could be Risar.
     **Also, I'd like to note that in Tempest Bay, the capital city of the Storm Legion area, there is a man holding signs. One of the signs mentions the Fate Goddess Aia (the sixth god, noticeably NOT connected to the "Vigil" council like the others, which incidentally, matches the number of the Blood Storm gods...could the Vigil gods and the Blood Storm gods just be opposite reflections of the same planar coin? *shrug*) and that she, or possibly the Vigil gods, destroyed the transit system (the Infinity Gate) to keep the "Divine War" a secret. What's the Divine War? When did it happen? Who were the forces involved? How come we haven't heard of the 6th goddess before? Why isn't she allied with the others in the Vigil? I'd LOVE to have those questions answered!!!

     Other things I've wondered: Have the gods and the Blood Storm ever faced off before, either on different worlds, in their home planes? Is it coincidence that there are six "gods" and six Blood Storm? And what do they even look like?! If I find more information on the Vigil I'll definitely be adding it in here. As of now, I've not even finished the "vanilla Rift" storyline, so I'm not sure about any of the new lore that was introduced in the expansions. I know, I'm so far behind!
     A side piece of information concerning the Vigil can be found by completing a Twisted Artifact set called Twisted: Wrath of the Vigil (lvl 50). The description for this artifact set reads "The Vigil makes their displeasure known in a variety of ways. Those with the power to see these warnings of their future wrath would be wise to heed it." And the names of the artifacts required to complete the set are:

• Wrath: Death by Comets
• Wrath: Maelstrom of Fury
• Wrath: Eyes of Madness
• Wrath: Dancing Beasts (obviously Tavril's punishment)
• Wrath: Famine of the heart (definitely Mariel-Taun's wrath)

A few of these "wrath" artifacts are easy to guess which Vigil member they would be unleashed by, but the others, hmmm I'm not sure...but it's pretty scary what the Vigil is capable of if they feel Telara needs a lesson. I know that Twisted Artifacts are relics from a different dimension, a twisted, alternate version of our Telara, but I always carefully read each one to see if there could be any relevancy to it. This one, I think, seems rather fitting. Thank the gods that even though they are unhappy with the Defiants and their decision to use sourcestone like fuel, they don't believe it's sufficient cause to reign down divine wrath for it!

References: The information for this lore section is easily found by playing through the storyline for Rift. The parts about Aia and the Divine War were taken from a forum thread discussing current events in Rift. You can also find and read the interesting artifact sets. I don't own Rift or it's awesome, but infuriating lore!