The world of Astonia
Thou shalt embark on thy journey in the southern part of the world, in the vicinity of the provincial town of Cameron. The climate is mild and pleasant, and the laws of the Empire are still being followed. As thou advancest, thy journey will take thee northbound to the Imperial capital Aston. In and around Aston thou wilt meet with travelers from all over the world and encounter manifold creatures and monsters of wondrous nature.
As thou travelst northwards on the Imperial road, thou shalt see even wilder creatures, such as banshees, swampthings, goblins, dwarfs and demons. Having reached the dark city of Exkordon, thou hast entered the vast uncivilized part of Astonia that has forsaken the Imperial regency.
Killing and being killed
Thou shalt have to partake in many a battle during the course of thy life in Astonia. Shouldst thou die with no Saves to thy name, thou shalt lose all thine equipment and all items in thine inventory. Thou hast the chance to regain thy belongings if thou canst reach the place of thy death, where thy body will await thee for 30 minutes.
Since Ishtar doth not gladly suffer his followers to fail in battle, each death shall be punished by negative experience: experience thou must earn again before it counts towards thy next level. Newcomers lose no experience.
Every time thou reachest the next level, Ishtar will be pleased and grant thee one Save, thus once saving thee from death. Thou canst hold at most ten Saves.
- Thou shalt not lose thy belongings nor receive negative experience if thy death occurs in an area marked as an Arena.
- If thou art a player killer and art killed by another player, a Save shall not be used, and thou shalt not lose any experience.
- With
/allow <name>thou canst let another player search thy grave for thee.
Shopping
Thou shalt meet many traders and shopkeepers in Astonia. Just say: <name of the shopkeeper>, trade. The goods he has to offer, as well as their price, shall be displayed, together with what he would pay for the items thou art carrying. In Cameron, Fred is the merchant; in Aston it is Jeremy.
Banks
Thou shalt see banks in most of Astonia’s towns and cities. Say balance to see how much money thou hast in thine account, deposit <amount> to deposit gold and withdraw <amount> to withdraw it.
Alchemy
As thou advancest in the world of Astonia, thou shalt find that alchemy is used by many of its inhabitants. Thou too shalt have the ability to use it. To create potions, make use of at least one empty flask and the mushrooms, berries and flowers thou findest on thy way. The phase of the moon matters for what an alchemist can make.
Travel
When thou touchest a Transport Station, the teleport map appears. Thou canst only travel to places whose Transport Station thou hast touched before. A scroll of recall takes thee back to the last blue square thou didst step on.
Night falls in Astonia, and many places are dark. It is always a good idea to carry several torches with thee.