Announcements - 2011/07 - Shifting Shadows

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July 2011 - Patch Page

Teaser Images

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Teaser

Original Link - http://ac.turbine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=657-july-2011-fictions-1&catid=85-2011&Itemid=68

Shifting Shadows

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Black Ferah slowly floated along the winding obsidian stone which led up to Ler Rhan's perch high above the molten rock. Ferah was interested in discussing the results of the experiment they had recently conducted. If not for the fact she was no longer human, that interest may have been viewed as excitement.

“Did we get the information we were looking for?”

Ler Rhan turned to face Ferah, “Yes, we have shown that weaknesses in the Ley Lines will allow us to project Bael'Zharon up to the surface for a short time. Were the traitor's forces any trouble?”

“We put up enough fight to let Isin Dule think we didn't want him to see what we were doing. They were able to reach the summoning. It took a lot of effort to allow them to get so far without simply killing them all.”

Ler Rhan allowed a slight smirk to show on his usually expressionless face, “That fool must think he stopped our plans. That should keep him a bit off guard while we prepare for the final event.”

“Why don't we just kill him, we should have done so many years ago when he first betrayed his own kind.”

“If we go after him directly, it will bring the focus of the entire kingdom and we are not ready for that. We shall continue on as planned. Send out more scouts to collect some more Ley Line readings.”

“What are we looking for in those readings?”

Ler Rhan makes gestures in the air as he explains, “Several Ley Lines pass by Tou-Tou. My research concludes that soon these flows will be at their weakest point which will allow us to pull Bael'Zharon to the surface for an extended period of time. The readings will confirm if my research is correct and that our time for reckoning is due.”

“I shall send out the scouts immediately,” replied Ferah before turning to head back down the spiraling walkway.

Just before she reached the ramp to head back down, Ferah turned back to Ler Rhan.

“Let us have faith that with the return of Bael'Zharon, Isin Dule is the first one to fall. He no longer deserves the honor of being a shadow and should have the life ripped from his being.”

“If our plan is successful, many will fall and the corruption will spread through this land until we, under the proper rule of The Hopeslayer, will control this place as we rightfully deserve.”

Ler Rhan turned and stared off into the darkness of his cave before he spoke again, ”Asheron and his weak human allies will either become one of us or join his mother as one of the many who have fallen, and will fall, before our might.”

 

Rollout Article

Original Link - http://ac.turbine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=658-july-rollout-fiction&catid=85-2011&Itemid=68

July Rollout Fiction

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Ziryab Cordoba walked the corridors of the hall pleased with all he saw. The symposium was going better than he could have planned. There were Aluvian friseurs and coiffeurs. There were Sho stylists. There were even a few Viamont shavers. From all over Dereth they came and they were all here celebrating the art of of the tonsor.

“Oh my goodness, it's him! It's really him,” squealed a teenage girl with her hair pulled over to one side, creating a stylish waterfall of hair over her left shoulder.

Hundreds of them.

“He's marvelous,” her friend sighed.

And to think that his father had sneered at the Gharu'ndim boy, dismissing him as merely a barber.

“Out of the way, girls,” Ziryab's bodyguard said politely, but firmly. Ziryab had made sure the guards were always polite.

No. Ziryab was no mere barber. He was a tonsor. He was an artist. And his medium was the manes and locks of the nobles of Dereth. The richest of ladies and the most fashionable of men paid small fortunes for his attentions, because he knew what they wanted. They wanted to be pampered. They wanted to stand out of the crowd…just the way that Ziryab always stood out of the crowd.

“Look at his outfit,” a minor lord said. “Genius. Simply genius. I must get my tailor to do something like that for me.”

For this year's show, he had braided his hair into hundreds of tiny corn-row braids in which silver silken threads mingled with his own jet black hair, the kinky curls tamed for the time being. At the end of each braid was a small silver bead, which beat softly on his back as he walked. He wore a sleeveless silver robe over his muscular body. With so much silver, his gray eyes stood out in contrast from his black skin. He looked like the embodiment of the night.

Which is the way it should be.

“You could never pull off that look with your pale skin,” the nobleman's wife said. “The Black Bird's unique.”

Ziryab. The Black Bird. And how had his career soared.

“True,” the nobleman said, feeling a bit dejected.

Ziryab stopped and smiled at the man. “Celebrate your own beauty. You should wear a sage color robe. It would bring out the green in your lovely hazel eyes.” “He's right,” the man's wife said, her eyes never leaving Ziryab. “Thank you so much.”

“My pleasure,” he said with a bow, the moved on, tossing his head so his braid-beads would chime.

When the rich wanted to be a spectacle, they wanted to be attended by a spectacle. They believed they became whatever they were surrounded by. They believed that his striking beauty would somehow rub off on them. That was just fine with Ziryab; it allowed him to make these rich customers into living canvases for his art. And he did make them beautiful, but that was not what made him in such demand. Making the most out of a natural beauty was easy. Dealing with those who were not so blessed with symmetry of face was the challenge. The secret was simple…if you could not make them beautiful, then make them striking. Memorable. If that meant shaving half their head, then so be it. If that meant weaving feathers into braids, done. If in meant dying their hair into rainbow stripes, then bring on the spectrum of colors.

He entered the main function room and he was hit with the physical force of the base of the drums. Two dozen of the best drummers were beating away an intoxicating rhythm as models strutted down the runway displaying this year's exhibitors' newest creations.

There were traditional hairstyles, like the beehives popular in Viamont and Aluvia. There were also more risqué hairstyles, including those where people's hair were lifted into spikes or fins. Each one was met with sounds of approval. Dereth had never seen hairstyles like this before.

By the end of the show, the crowd was on their feet and their thunderous applause filled the hall. Ziryab lay back on his cushions, smiling as he raised his glass of fine wine to his lips. It was all going so well. He was ready to open his school. His would spread his art to every corner of Dereth.

 

Rollout Article (Previous Version)

Original Link - http://ac.turbine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=658-july-rollout-fiction&catid=85-2011&Itemid=68

July Rollout Fiction

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[Wiki contributor's note: After numerous spelling errors were pointed out in this thread the article was rewritten.]

When the rich wanted to be a spectical, they wanted to be attended by a spectical. They believed they became whatever they were surrounded by. They believed that his striking beauty would somehow rub off on them. That was just fine with Ziryab; it allowed him to make these rich customers living canvases for his art. And he did make them beautiful, but that was not what made him in such demand. Making the most out of a natural beauty was easy. It was dealing those who were not so blessed with symetry of face that was the challenge. The secret was simple…if you could not make them beautiful, then make them striking. Memorable. If that meant shaving half their head, then so be it. If that meant weaving feathers into braids, done. If in meant dying their hair into rainbow stripes, then bring on the spectrum of colors.

He entered the main function room and he was hit with the physical force of the base of the drums. Two dozen of the best drummers we beating away an intoxicating rhythm as models strutted down the runway displaying this year's exhibitors newest creations.

There were traditional hairstyles, like the beehives popular in Viamont and Aluvia. There were also more risqué hairstyles, including those where people's hair were lifted into spikes or fins. Every one was met with sounds of approval. Dereth had never seen hairstyles like this before.

By the end of the show, the crowd was on their feet and their thunderous applause filled the hall. Ziryab lay back on his cushions, smiling as he raised his glass of fine wine to his lips. It was all going so well. He was ready to open his school. His would spread his art to every corner of Dereth.

 

Release Notes

Original Link - http://ac.turbine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=656-july-2001-release-notes&catid=85-2011&Itemid=68

July 2011 Release Notes

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Welcome to the July 2011 release notes!
With summer in full swing the Asheron's Call team focused this month on a variety of fixes for current issues and a few makeover items. Just in time for strolling on the beach, there are some new ways to style your character.
Let's take a look at all the changes in the July update!

• Quests of the Month changed
  • Weekly: Shadow Statues
  • Bi-weekly: Ikzisik Tika Ri Zikma (requires Messanger's Collar quest flag)
  • Monthly: Empyrean Propylaeum

• Monthly Kill task updated.

• A slew of new Society Contracts.

• The NPC Aun Javhalrea, the Game Warden, has been fixed so that he does not get into stuck state from players who killed Shadow Dire Champions.

• The NPC Eldrytch Web Fort commander, has been fixed so that she does not get into stuck state from players who give Celestial Hand supplies for the Fort Assault quest.

• Closing client while in PvP should no longer get corpses stuck even when in mid animation.

• Fix to account/character login bug, where when a player abruptly crashes client & logs back on as a different character on the account while their first character is still in world. Instead now, doing such should log off all characters from that account.

• Fixed prismatic arrows so they should work with normal element missile launchers (with or without non-rend/cleave properties).

• Change to Leave Society NPC (Gaston Shadowbound) to erase all society contracts when used.

• Level 45 Facility Hub Warden NPC should now accept all 6 Blackmire Lore quest items including Elysa's Ord.

• Fixed the Frozen Gearknight quest where sometimes it would not reset the path when it was loaded.

• New textured hairstyles have been applied to all races/genders.

• Frozen Stone Walls from Gear Crossbow quest should no longer be affected by Life Spells.

• Hive Splinters should now stay around longer.

• New Society Shield Covers let you choose exactly which style of shield you'd like to have.

• Covenant Helms and Horned Helms will now display on undead players.

• Players can now give their Scepter of the Portal Currents to Pagrok in exchange for the recall spell to Candeth Keep.

Known Issues

• Crowns and other open headwear will not display the new textured hairs when worn.

• Covenant and Horned Helms will not display on undead characters who still have appearances chosen before the undead art update went in.

• After one of the new society shield covers are applied, it is recommended that players relog to see the correct scaling adjustments of their shields.

• Old society shield covers will be replaced with a new specific shaped Society shield cover.

• Contract status not updating progress regularly for a few kill task quests in each society. Specifically the quests to kill Moguth Moarsmen, Shoguth Moarsmen, Magshuth Moarsmen, and Vaesho are not updating.

• Some contracts for quests that have an item pickup as their starting event still reset to “In Progress” instead of “Available”.

So these are just some of the things we have in store for Asheron's Call in July. Please remember that along with everything listed here, there are several new quests and exciting things going into the game for the July Event.

 

Developer Comments

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