The Child of Daralet

Town Crier tells you, "Sir Alayne of the Dereth Exploration Society has started a program to acclimate new residents of Dereth in these times of strife. For more information, you should seek out his agents in the nine arrival-nexus towns."

Town Crier tells you, "News! Bael'Zharon is free! Hundreds are reported dead in the ruins below the Ithaenc Cathedral. The Hopeslayer is reported to have spells capable of shredding the mortal form into scraps of flesh. He is also protected by skirls of fiendish black mist that melt the flesh from all who encounter them."

Town Crier tells you, "News! Bael'Zharon is free! The sun is dimming - stars can be seen during the day! Storms build up and break at random. Some nights the stars and moons do not appear! Has the whole world gone mad?"

Town Crier tells you, "I don't want to die."

Town Crier tells you, "News! Bael'Zharon is free! Large tracts of land have turned black and barren!"

Town Crier tells you, "News! Bael'Zharon is free! The seas and rivers have changed to blood! Thank heavens the wells still provide fresh water."

Town Crier tells you, "News! Bael'Zharon is free! Dogs and cats are living together!"

Town Crier tells you, "So are swordsmen and war mages!"

Town Crier tells you, "News! Despite the heroic efforts of Thistledown monarchs Drexel Fisthand, Fafhrd, Laurianna, Loren Silvercloak, Matt the Terrific, Mythrandia, Tim the Enchantor, and Wren the Blurry, the final Soul Crystal was shattered beneath the Ithaenc Cathedral!"

Town Crier tells you, "In the tavern the other night, I heard an old mage swearing that he'd seen Bael'Zharon stalking across the landscape, bellowing a challenge for humans to face him. After hearing the stories about what happened on Ithaenc, I wouldn't fight him!"

Town Crier tells you, "Residents of Ayan Baqur have seen many Virindi visiting Claude and Leopold. Some have seen undead sneak into his tent in the dead of night. That disreputable Ulgrim character..."

Town Crier spits on the ground.

Town Crier tells you, "...claims that one night, the stars went out, and a figure wrapped in shadow visited."

Town Crier tells you, "Isn't it wonderful that the minalim has come into season in the Linvak Mountains? It almost makes up for the hennacin dying off in the winter cold."

Town Crier tells you, "I've been hanging around a lot more with my high level friends. Want to join us on an ursuin hunt? It should be equally fun for us all!"

Town Crier tells you, "Isn't it wonderful that the argenory has come into season in the northern mountains? It almost makes up for the verdalim dying off in the winter cold."

Town Crier tells you, "Isn't it wonderful that the lapyan has come into season along the coasts? It almost makes up for the berimphur dying off in the winter cold."

Town Crier tells you, "It's getting cold. Good thing the ursuins are shedding, eh? There was nothing warmer than ursuin fur on those cold Isparian nights. Oh, how I miss home..."

Town Crier tells you, "Travelers say that Elysa Strathelar has been seen again, seeking monarchs to oppose the Hopeslayer."

Town Crier tells you, "News! The undead general Anadil and his spymaster Asmolum were slain at the Ithaenc Cathedral! The nomad mu-miyah of the shattered Dericostian army were seen carrying Anadil's broken form away south of Chalicmere Castle."

Town Crier tells you, "News! Aerfalle, the Lady of Aerlinthe, was sighted on Ithaenc last month, leading a portion of the Dericostian army. It is said that the undead suffered over 5000 casualties in the last month, and their population has dwindled to almost nothing. The scholars of Zaikhal assert that they will never again be major players in the world."

Ulgrim Rumors

Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "I told them not to break that crystal... I can't have anything nice."

Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "I'm telling you, the water hasn't changed to blood - it's just an algae bloom!"

Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "I hear that when Queen Elysa returns, she's going to teach archers Asheron's levitation spell. Then they won't need walls anymore."

Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "I'll tell you why! Him and Elysa, all alone in that great big castle for ten years? Mm-hm. Tell me there's not a swooning romantic novel in there."

Ulgrim the Unpleasant winks, nudges you, and says no more.

Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "Asheron. Bah. If he's so all-fired tough, why isn't he stopping Bael'Zharon?"

Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "Claude won the Mr. Ayan Baqur contest? I demand a recount!"

Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "Claude's running dog lackies rigged the Mr. Ayan Baqur contest vote! I must have a recount!"

Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "Recount it again! It's wrong! The Virindi don't even have fingers - how can you trust them to count the Mr. Ayan Baqur contest votes?"

Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "Mayoi and Nanto must be counted again! The Virindi are trying to steal the Mr. Ayan Baqur contest election!"

Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "Voting? Whassat about, eh? Yeh don't vote for kings."

Ulgrim the Unpleasant tells you, "Vitae is all a state of mind."

New UI and Game Changes

Game Concepts
- The fellowship system has received a major update:
  - Players can choose to use the communication advantages of a fellowship without having to share experience points. There is no level restriction for choosing this option.
  - Experience points are shared equally amongst all members of the fellowship if everyone is within five levels of the fellowship's founder.
  - Experience points will be shared proportional to the levels of the fellowship members if anyone is more than five levels apart from the founder, up to a difference of ten levels.
- Corpse Decay time is now a minimum of sixty minutes. All corpses will decay in the character's level times five minutes, or sixty minutes -- whichever time is longer.
- Dyeing: Three new types of dye plant have been introdued.

New Quests

Live Events

2000/12 - Bael'Zharon's Rampage

Bael'Zharon says, "My master has eaten worlds. It has sucked the light from stars. Its power is in me. You have no chance, children.

2000/12 - Bael'Zharon's Defeat

An adventurer has struck Bael'Zharon a mortal blow! The Hopeslayer, already weakened by the magic of Asheron, is driven from this plane of existence. As he retreats, his voice rends the air across Dereth, "Puppets of the Yalain! You have defeated me here, with the collusion of a great collection of rabble. But you will never rid the world of my power, and my minions will carry on the war without me! As for you, Dule! Base traitor! I sense your art in this artifact assembled by the last Yalain. Thee and thine are banished from Our sight for all time, and ye shall be hunted until the stars fall from their course! Marked are thee!" The Hopeslayer descends, shrieking, into Darkness.

New Items

Empyrean Cloister Quest
	Skull of Avoren Palacost	Barbed Fletching Tool
	Empyrean Scalemail Shirt	Obsidian Dagger

Exploration Society Letters: Quest Items
	Lucky Gold Letter	Scarlet Red Letter	A Book of Quests for New Explorers
	Holtburg Information Guide	Lytelthorpe Information Guide	Rithwic Information Guide
	Al-Arqas Information Guide	Samsur Information Guide	Yaraq Information Guide
	Nanto Information Guide	Shoushi Information Guide	Yanshi Information Guide
	Al-Arqas Town Stamp	Holtburg Town Stamp	Lytelthorpe Town Stamp
	Nanto Town Stamp	Rithwic Town Stamp	Samsur Town Stamp
	Shoushi Town Stamp	Yanshi Town Stamp	Yaraq Town Stamp

Exploration Society Letters: Armor
	A Society Leather Basinet (Retired)	A Pair Of Society Leather Leggings (Retired)
	A Society Leather Breastplate (Retired)	A Pair Of Society Leather Sleeves (Retired)
	A Society Leather Girth (Retired)	A Pair Of Society Leather Bracers (Retired)
	A Pair Of Society Leather Pauldrons (Retired)	A Pair Of Society Leather Boots (Retired)
	A Society Buckler (Retired)	An Explorer Leather Basinet (Retired)
	A Pair Of Explorer Leather Leggings (Retired)	An Explorer Leather Breastplate (Retired)
	A Pair Of Explorer Leather Sleeves (Retired)	An Explorer Leather Girth (Retired)
	A Pair Of Explorer Leather Bracers (Retired)	A Pair Of Explorer Leather Pauldrons (Retired)
	A Pair Of Explorer Leather Boots (Retired)	An Explorer Buckler (Retired)

Exploration Society Letters: Weapons
	A Society Axe (Retired)	A Society Crossbow (Retired)
	A Society Dagger (Retired)	A Society Jitte (Retired)
	A Society Katar (Retired)	A Society Spear (Retired)
	A Society Staff (Retired)	A Society Sword (Retired)
	A Society Yumi (Retired)	Society Wand of Acid (Retired)
	Society Wand of Fire (Retired)	Society Wand of Frost (Retired)
	Society Wand of Lightning (Retired)	An Explorer Axe (Retired)
	An Explorer Crossbow (Retired)	An Explorer Dagger (Retired)
	An Explorer Jitte (Retired)	An Explorer Katar (Retired)
	An Explorer Spear (Retired)	An Explorer Staff (Retired)
	An Explorer Sword (Retired)	An Explorer Yumi (Retired)
	Explorer Wand of Acid (Retired)	Explorer Wand of Fire (Retired)
	Explorer Wand of Frost (Retired)	Explorer Wand of Lightning (Retired)

Exploration Society Letters: Jewelry
	An Explorer Bracelet of Coordination (Retired)	An Explorer Bracelet of Strength (Retired)
	An Explorer Necklace of Focus (Retired)	An Explorer Ring of Endurance (Retired)
	An Explorer Ring of Quickness (Retired)

Shadow Captain's Heaume Quest
		Heart of Shadow		Shadow Captain's Heaume

Staff of the Nomads Quest
	Anadil's Tomb	Splintered Staff (Necropolis)
	Splintered Staff (Lightless Catacombs)	Staff of the Nomads (Retired)

Virindi Servant's Amulet Quest
		Virindi Servant's Amulet		Fragment of the Singularity

Bael'Zharon's Defeat
	Dark Singularity	Dark Crucible	Sepulcher of the Hopeslayer Portal Gem
	Fenmalain Soul Crystal Shard	Caulnalain Soul Crystal Shard	Shendolain Soul Crystal Shard
	Nexus Soul Crystal Shard	Herald Soul Crystal Shard	Great Work Soul Crystal Shard
	Fenmalain Staff of the Lightbringer	Caulnalain Staff of the Lightbringer	Shendolain Staff of the Lightbringer
	Nexus Staff of the Lightbringer	Herald's Staff of the Lightbringer	Great Work Staff of the Lightbringer
	Fenmalain Helm of the Lightbringer	Caulnalain Helm of the Lightbringer	Shendolain Helm of the Lightbringer
	Nexus Helm of the Lightbringer	Herald's Helm of the Lightbringer	Great Work Helm of the Lightbringer

Craftable Trophies
	Sickly Wisp Heart	Glowing Wisp Heart	Pulsating Wisp Heart
	Essence Flicker	Essence Flare	Dark Heart
	Small Shreth Hide	Shreth Hide	Large Shreth Hide
	Shreth Hide Gauntlets	Shreth Hide Shoes	Shreth Hide Pants
	Small Ursuin Hide (Winter)	Large Ursuin Hide (Winter)	Ursuin Scalp
	Ursuin Hide Girth	Ursuin Hide Coat (Winter)	Ursuin Hide Helmet
	Furry Mattekar Hide Coat