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Dear Ibrahim,

It is with regret that I must inform you that after much considerations from myself and fellow Deeprunners, we must decline your generous offer of means to progress deeper. Though we recognize the value of what you offer, we are a company of yet humble means and have assessed that our limited resources are at the moment required elsewhere.

We thank you and your masters for your interest in our quest and shall keep you in mind as we continue our progress.

Nessia of Ticker Square,
Pathfinder & Deeprunner

I seek certain rare, ancient works of knowledge. The first, a copy of the original Writ of the prophet Al-Pesh. The second, by the name of "Cruelty and Clay, how the Potter's Wheel may be Spun".

Any able to deliver such will be very well rewarded, either in dinar or otherwise. Open to all reasonable offers.

-Nessia, pathfinder of Ticker Square

To the the Tower of the Astronomers,
Seers of the Stars,
Masters of the Shade

From Nessia of Ticker Square
Pathfinder,
Veteran of Bet Neppahi


Greetings honored students of Q'tolip. I hope this missive finds you in good health in these times of grief, for all the brave Nadiri lost to the wicked jungles of Bet Neppahi. I write to you today on the matter of one such lost mind, a man much more brilliant than went by many names. I knew him as V. I wish I could have waited longer before making such contact, but the disk continues to turn, and so must we.

Nadiri V and I were partners in work, or at least, I like to think about it that way. I make no illusion of being able to read his mind. I oft assisted him in his quest to delve into the mysteries that lie below, from an interest we shared in making the unknown known, in threading where few others could or would. In those last moments we shared together, huddled in a damp thicket in Bet Neppahi, he bid me this : Should be not return from that accursed forest, that I continue the work that we had started together.

Yet as you know, Nadiri V was a man who guarded his secrets jealously. Though he told me some over out shared work, he kept knowledge a steady trickle. And now the trickle of his savant mind had stopped, much before it was empty. I have every intention of keeping the promise I made to him that day, but I admit fully that his loss has set me back many steps. And such is the subject of this letter - I write in hope that, should any of it exist and survive, the Tower might provide me with notes that my partner in delving may have kept on the ageless catacombs below our Well and the tools to access it.

I make no illusion about the likely answer to this letter. But for the queer friendship I shared with him, I find it necessary to try. I will find the path to the bottom of those depths. I only hope that it is sooner than later, and with the collaboration of the wise Tower rather than without.

On the back of each map, a few words are scrawled.

As surveilled by pathfinder Nessia and her team
On Hziran 6th, IY 7789
For the benefit of the people of Ephia's Well
May they always find their way

Water Domain currently grants Mage Armor at level 1, however this spell is now available to all clerics. Would love to see it changed to something else. Don't really care what, the domain spell is just refudant at the moment as far as I can tell.

Dear Alejandro,

It has been difficult times for all of us, and your words about taking even a small moment away from it all have put me to thought.  I know you need it, and perhaps I could also use such reprieve more then I think. For this reason I've taken to reserving a table for two at the Bountiful Belly tomorrow evening, to enjoy exotic foods and rare gastronomic luxury that I rarely afford myself. If you would be so willing, it would make me a very happy woman to have you join me for this experience.

Your shining star, hopefully,
Shae Winterbloom.

Dear Sol,

Allow me first congratulate you on your election to the seat of Legate. Though I only watched the race at a distance, I know how hard you worked in this arduous task, and it must be a relief to see it bear fruits. I hope you manage to still take enough rest, it wouldn't do to burn yourself out. Though I suppose this current letter is of no help in that regard.

On to the main matter, I wanted to write to you about a concern regarding your choice of magistrate to appoint, specifically on the subject of the priestess Mari. I understand that she has been of great help to you in your campaign, but this seems like an inappropriate position for her. The foundations of a system of justice is Truth. For people to have faith in justice, they need to have reasonable confidence that it is based on real events, on actual crimes (or lack of), not the whims of one party or another. Gellema is the enemy of truth, it's antithesis, she is lies and deception, and her mouthpiece has no place sitting in judgement. I worry that not only may justice might be corrupted by this appointment, but also the people's trust in it. We are fortunate in the well to have a strong, stable system of justice which people can trust and who's judgements are mostly accepted and followed. Few places in this once-city-now-desert do. I would not wish to see it fall.

I hope you might reflect on these words, and perhaps find a more suited position within your government for Ms. Mari.


        Shae Winterbloom,
                  Sword of the Wishing Star
                              Friend of the Well

It is with some regret that I write to you today to formerly inform you that I am leaving my position as assistant to the Office.

I will forever be thankful for the job I had which allowed me to make a living while doing something that mattered when I arrived in the Well. Through the easy and the harder times, I've met many great people and was able to gain knowledge and experience that I will carry with me in my new position as a student of the Balladeers.

I trust that things will be in good hands of my many remaining former colleagues, but will leave with my affirmation that I still believe the Office does important work, and that should times truly need it, you are always free to call for me to support it.

Live and Drink,
Shea Winterbloom

The following story was shared with me by my father when I was a young girl who spent too long watching the night sky and wondering what the stars meant. Now, I live in a city with hundreds of astronomers who spend years watching the stars but appear to see them as nothing more then cold points of light in the sky, formulas and theorems with no soul. I share it with you, reader, so that the spark of passion that this particular star ignited in me might perhaps one day be mirrored in you. To know that the lights above are so much more then just points, or burning rocks, or whatever other theory is in vogue at the moment among astrologers.

There was once a great hero by the name of Ky'ran, who lived long ago in a place far away, but who slept under the same sky as you and I. Ky'ran was but a man, but not just a man - He was the perfect man. Never before him had there been a soul so pure, and any that came after could only look up to him. This man was a warrior, a sage, a friend and a guide, fighting evil with both sword and tongue, with arm and heart. It is said that everywhere he walked, the world got a little brighter. He suffered many setbacks, as the wicked could not tolerate his presence and always they conspired against him, but his commitment to helping others and standing for truth and justice never wavered and always he rose again.

But Ky'ran was just a man, and like all men he was to die. But he was not just a man, and even death would not stop him, and so when death took his body, his spirit ascended to the heavens and joined the stars among the firmament. There he travels across the night sky, a streak of light for those lucky enough to catch his yearly passage. Each year he falls across the sky, but as in life his fall is never the last, and the next year he returns to fall once more, from where he takes one of his name : The Falling Star.

Ky'ran is a bringer of hope - to catch his passage across the sky is to be filled with courage and determination, to know that heroes really do exist, and that we are never truly alone. When looking up at Ky'ran, one should make a wish, and profess their heart's greatest desire. Should the desire be pure and noble, and the need true, the Wishing Star will make it real. To do so is to form a bond with the star, and to forever be touched by Ky'rans spirit. It is a great boon, for as long as they walk in his footsteps and like him fight against the forces of evil and never falter, they are granted great blessings. But it is also a great burden, for who can truly live up to perfection?

The most we can do is try.


By Shae Winterbloom.

A notice is fixed upon the board in the Office of Minor Nuisances

To: All junior sub-offical assistants to the Office of Minor Nuisances.

From: Shea Winterbloom, junior sub-official assistant to the Office of Minor Nuisances

Reports have come in of a new Minor Nuisance prowling the gutter. Nuisance is a halfling typically wearing dark clothes and a slime creature of unknown category. It has been harassing and attacking travelers in search of offerings for it's dark God and is of moderate danger. Investigate and approach with colleagues if possible. Nuisance is known to pretend to be an agent of the Office but should not be trusted. If more information is found or assistance is needed in dealing with the Nuisance please find Shea Winterbloom.

May the falling star keep your hope in the dark.

[THE WAYFARERS]

Awoken, refugees, or simply disillusioned by the senseless violence of the Peerage - Those who do not find a home in ring 99 will find a family together, in the Rings. Each with their own reasons, they are united by mutual need and their wanderlust into a ringrunning crew, bound towards  Baz'eel and beyond. With the Black Tide on the horizon, time grows short, and the Wayfarers depart soon.

THE WAYFARERS

Hello EFU, myself and Nazey are forming a proper ringrunning crew to go find action and adventure in the deep rings, and we want you to tag along and discover what secrets the server hides while having fun RP as a ragtag bunch of misfits facing difficult challenges together. We are looking for dedicated players that want to go the long haul (At least Baz'eel, preferably ring 1) and are able to play in EST evening times. If that sounds like a good time to you, you can contact either of us through Discord or even better find Maus or Jawick in-game and chat us up.

Race : Non-monstrous
Class : Any
Alignment : Any (But no ultra-evil, necromancers etc)
Special : Characters must be free of major attachments to ring 99.

It's a cool quest that poses a very different challenge from anything else EFU has, and it's a shame that it doesn't get run more. Until I started making calls for it recently, I haven't heard of anyone doing this quest in months. And while there's a few reasons (Difficulty, but that's fine) something that I've found unfortunate is the loot. It's very cool, unique loot, but there's really not a lot of it. Which means often some players will walk out of the quest with absolutely nothing. Adding a small gold pile so that everyone could at least make a few groats would go a long way to making this quest just a little more interesting to do.

Tilted Scale Mercenary Company


The spirit of the Blade Boom echoes in Little Ticker. Looking to enrich herself in the business of battle, Erica Danebuff has started recruiting for a new elite mercenary company. Ready to sell their services to the peers to fight their conflicts, or anyone else with enough groats to afford their services, they seek to establish themselves as a professional, reliable company worthy of the most lucrative contracts. A secondary, less publicized goal is to become a leading force in Little Ticker and become the leading force in the district.

Generous sign-up bonuses available.

Class : No paladins, no druids
Race : Any
Alignment : Any, but Good and/or Chaotic characters may have a harder time fitting in.

Amazing art by Loops

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I'm never really good at obits, but Thelisa definitely feels like she needs one. I never expected her to last so long, or to be so successful.

Thelisa was a minor noble from a dying family, most of them destitute. The only one of her blood that had been succesful in recent times was her cousin Orianna through her marriage to Desmond Sunpurse. Still, Thelisa was a strong believer in the nobility of blood, of birthright, and she did all she could to act the station of her position.

She started off with a bang, tackling the flagrant corruption in the burgage, with the merchants and the Blackjacks that the houses where happy to use to their own ends. She made her first big splash by arresting and fining the biggest merchant the server had seen in a long time (75k groats just in cash at the time).

She fought the blackjacks (later redjacks) multiple times. She dealt with retainers, trying a few political manovers that went nowhere. Somehow, despite her unfliching rigor, she survived to reach the next phase of her journey.

What was just a duel with Aatish for her cousins honor ended up making her take up residence in the ponds. It was supposed to be temporary at first, but a few people convinced her that she should stay, that the ponds needed someone to keep them safe. So she did, taking up the rule she had a decent claim to.

It was rough at first. Everyone ignored her except those that wanted to beat her up. And a lot of them tried, but somehow she bested them all and slowly solidified her authority. I kept expecting some druids would kick her out. It never came.

I'm not quite sure when it happened, but I knew I was succesful when even those who disliked her called her "Regent". Her trials went uninterrupted. Her decrees of banishment accepted.  In the end, I like to think it was the closest thing to a ruler that the ponds have had in a very long time.

And it was a pretty good rule. Outside of the druids who had to fear her inquisition, the ponds where a pretty safe place during her time. Her goal was to have peace between the peerage and the pondsmen, and it mostly worked.

Speaking of druids, despite all the fear she never actually killed any. She caught a few, but she  always let them go with a second chance (after which they promptly got themselves killed in other ways). I really wanted her to follow that peerage tradition, but I also didn't want her dislike to be without reason. I ended up finding  a satisfactory answer in the words of her patron, the Lady-in-waiting. "Brooke no lying tongue [...] deception led our lady to her state". As shapeshifters, changelings where the avatars of deceit, liars of their very being. Not something she would be flexible on, despite so many people trying.

She wasn't easy to work with. She never compromised, never picked the easy way or the lesser evil. But she was also someone you could trust. It amused me how many people didn't. She quite litterally could never lie as part of her oath.

In the end she died a hero, charging first onto a great monster, on a quest to free her family from the claws of a great evil. I wish she had lived a few more days so she could see what happened next, but isn't that always the case?



Anyways, enough rambling, here is the (very very awesome) loot.

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Big thanks to all the DMs who made it possible, with a special call out to Bearic for all the support he gave me and Ironside for some very cool personal scenes with her family.

Also, a paladin can only be as cool as the villains they oppose. Big cheers to all of you that she fought or conflicted with over these last 6 months.

When trying to craft a wand of Bless Weapon, an error message states that the spell is not valid for crafting on a wand despite that it should be (Level 1 spell).

Please help a poor paladin in need.

When crafting custom armor, you get different appearance options depending on weather you use the "Next" option or the "Previous" option. I didn't go through every list, but I noticed for example that cycling through with "Previous" gives shoulder options that "Next" does not.

The smithy in the Steadings have very little light, making it very hard to see what your armor (especially the colors) will actually look like. Can we get some good, bright lighting in the area?

Oof, what a ride. I didn't have a lot of plans in mind when I made Adelaide, I just wanted to play with the new magic missile colors so I made an eccentric color mage. And boy did the world rock her around.

A little tease to start... Her self-buffed only HP.

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The question that probably most people have... was she crazy? Well the answer is complicated. She was very eccentric, but she wasn't really -crazy- when I made her. Her speaking in colors was inspired by the real-life phenomenon of synesthesia, where people will hear colors. But instead of sounds, her mind translated certain abstract concepts to colors. Some people did a pretty good job finding out what those associations where, but for the rest (or to confirm your suspicions)

Yellow - Luck, Wealth, Greed

Orange - Misfortune, Rot, Ill-will (not violent)

Red - Anger, Violence, Battle

Green - Honor, Courage, Growth, Constructive

Pink - Love (All kinds), Good Will

Blue - Calm, Study, Academics, Learning

Purple - Mystery, Curiosity, Unknown


However, she was an Unpredictable, so soon the innocent, eccentric idealist Ticker Refugee was confronted with the powers of the planes running through her... and it broke her mind even while it strengthened her body and her powers. She became not just crazy, but impossibly naive, believing anything that was told to her and doing anything asked of her, seeing even the worst monsters as her friends. She was cared for by the Glitt PCs at the time, her friends who took her in, and eventually they went on Zelia N'dare's epic planar quest to find miraculous waters that could restore her. A lot of them died for it... and then when Zelia delivered her the goods, she instead gave her a potion of raw Planestuff that fucked her up even more, altering her body and mind even further. The results....

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Do you even min-max bro?[/hide]

Luckily, shortly after she came into possession of a chromamantic artifact that could keep the madness at bay, and she embarked on a quest to master each Color of magic so that she would never be at the plane's mercy again. Thus started a long (and very fun) conflict with the druids as she hounded them and hunted them to try and force them to give her their Green magic.

While I had a ton of fun on her (Special thanks to Ironside who really supported me on this PC), all good things must come to an end, and with the failed attempt at pivoting to a leader of magical characters and things slowed down a lot for me, I decided it was time for her to retire and find her last colors somewhere in the planes beyond. Or probably going mad again trying. We'll never know.


THE LOOT
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Definitely the most kitted out and powerful PC that I've played on EFU so far, pretty ironic considering I didn't plan out her build at all and mostly just picked spells based on which color they where. Also my first level 10 PC. Wooo. Good times.[/hide]

EFU Newbie survival guide.

Hello and welcome to EFU! This handy guide is designed to help you make your first steps in the City of Rings a little less painful. EFU's low-magic, low-level, high-danger world may be different from your usual experiences in RPGs or NWN, and this guide will guide you through some of the major tricks and advice that will help you navigate it's particularities.
It should be noted that all of these are general advice and not hard rules. There are times when they will be wrong, and you should feel free to ignore them if they are getting in the way of your enjoyment.

Part 1 – What should I play?

One of the most common questions new players ask is "Is X viable on this server?" The short answer is probably "Yes". EFU caters to a huge variety of character types and playstyles, but that doesn't mean they are all equally newbie-friendly and some can be more challenging or require more experience with EFU's lore, culture or systems to bring to their greatest potential. If you have a character you absolutely want to play, go ahead, but if you aren't sure, consider these suggestions about types of characters that are more newbie friendly.

Race – EFU's main hub is human-dominated, and these humans often look down on non-humans. As such, human is the most newbie-friendly race.

Class – All classes are viable, but monks and rogues can be challenging for a newer player because they rely more heavily on items. Paladins have strict RP requirements and druids are often treated like monsters in the setting, and as such both are also less recommended for new players.

Background – Probably the strongest recommendation of this guide, new players should pick the Awakened background. Starting off with no ties to the City, your character is free to discover and learn about it as you do. It's a very narratively rich experience that you can only truly live once.

Part 2 – It's time to quest!

   Most of your gold, loot and experience on EFU will be gained by doing quests. Quests are scattered throughout the game world. Some quests are static and are always at the same place. Some quests are randomized and may change place and availability each reset (A reset is when the server is rebooted for any reason. Usually happens around once per day). Each quest can only be taken once per reset per character. All quests are indicated by an orange name, either the name of an NPC who gives the quest, or a placeable you must interact with to take the quest. Examining this NPC or placeable will also give you some valuable information:

   Minimum and Maximum party size – EFU does not use the default NWN party system. Instead, when you accept a quest, everyone near you will be your party and you will take the quest together.

   Maximum and Minimum level – This is generally a good indicator for the difficulty of a quest you are unfamiliar with. Quests with a maximum level of 5 or less are generally trivial, with little to no danger. Any character should be able to easily complete these on their own. Quests with a maximum level of 6 are generally possible to solo but may present some danger and may require some resource expenditure to complete safely. Quests with a maximum level of 7 are usually your introductory group quests, not much harder than the maximum 6 quests, but requiring a group to complete and being longer. Maximum level 8 (and above) quests tend to pose significant danger, and require a party working together efficiently as well as strategic use of your abilities to complete successfully.

Part 3 – Consumers are survivors

   Permanent magic items tend to be very weak on EFU. Instead, the most common items you find are consumables – Potions, wands, scrolls, trinkets or other items with a limited number of uses. DO NOT IGNORE THEM. A huge part of survival on EFU is acquiring these consumables and using them to complement your character's natural abilities. A lot of mid-high level content is balanced around the idea that you will have buffs – And you might often end up without a character in your party that can provide the buffs you need, so it's important to keep a stock of consumables. If you have trouble finding one in particular, it can be a good idea to find a PC with Brew Potion (Very common on EFU) and have them brew the potion you need. Remember, gold is useless in the Fugue!

Part 4 – Blur blur blur

   Out of all the buffs, one stands out as particularly important for every character – Ghostly Visage, usually called Blur on EFU (Potions of Ghostly Visage are called "Potion of Blur"). Very few monsters on EFU have magical weapons, meaning that the DR granted by Ghostly Visage is rarely ignored, massively increasing your survivability especially against swarms. Additionally, a lot of spellcasting enemies like to spam low-level spells which are blocked by Ghostly Visage but otherwise are very hard to resist, such as Magic Missile.

   If you are a Bard or Sorcerer, you should absolutely learn this spell. If you are a wizard, it's a good idea to keep one or two memorized. If you are another class, you should try as much as you can to keep a few Potions of Blur on hand or other trinkets that can provide the spell. If a fight looks hard or is going poorly, casting/drinking/using Ghostly Visage is the #1 best thing you can do to help you survive it in the vast majority of cases.

Part 5 – Healer reporting for duty

   Outside of a few very specific perks, EFU does not have any healer class. Yet healing is an incredibly important part of party play. Because very few classes have access to consistent healing, it is almost entirely done through items. Healing items are some of the most frequent items you will find, and everyone should try to keep a healthy supply of them on hand and ready. If you run out in the middle of a dungeon – Tell your party. They will generally be more then happy to give you some.

   Healing your allies is just as important as healing yourself, and you shouldn't wait for the last minute to do so. If someone is "Injured", they should receive some healing. If they fall to "Badly Injured", it should be a party-wide priority to get them healed up. That goblin can wait until after your friend isn't one unlucky critical hit or stray Fireball away from death.

   While everyone should do some healing, it is common in larger parties for 1 or 2 characters to take up "Healer Duty", explicitly or not. Usually backline characters like wizards or sorcerers, characters on Healer Duty stand in the back and focus almost exclusively on healing whoever gets hit the hardest in the frontline. If you find yourself in a dungeon that you suspect might be too difficult for you, volunteering for "Healer Duty" is a great way to keep yourself safe (because you keep to the back) while still being an incredibly valuable asset to your party.

AKA That underwater algae cleaning quest that spawns in the Water Gardens

I was talking with another player about this quest and realized that in all the times either of us have done this quest, we've never actually beaten it without any casualties. The quest is weird and requires players to have specific skills and pay attention to things they aren't used to. Which is very cool, I love the quest in theory for that, but because it's an underwater quest (and gives relatively little rewards) it's not run very often, so people don't really know the tricks it pulls and it ends up killing less experienced players (or more experienced players who where counting on those less experienced players to have their back). I was under the impression that this wasn't supposed to be an incredibly difficult quest, more of an average quest for mid-level players like the other quests that spawn in the same place. The rewards also tend to be pretty lackluster since a lot of them are in loot piles that have very high DCs to find anything (25+).

To make this quest a little more attractive and less of a newbie trap, I would suggest doing one or more of the following :
-Remove Hold Monster from the boss's spellbook. This is by far the most frequent cause of PC deaths I've seen. Because you are underwater and in an entangle spam, failing the save on this is almost always lethal as your allies have a very hard time reaching you.
-Lower the DC on the various search piles. Rewarding people with Search is nice, but it would be nicer if people with low/moderate search still had a chance to find something.
-Increase the xp a little bit. I know the other quests in that "spot" have low XP as well, but 47xp at level 8 feels too little for a quest that's still very dangerous even to level 8 PCs.