Announcements

[Judith]

Desert of Despair




The deadly heat smashes anyone who dares to enter the Desert of Despair, like a giant hammer - it traps you and it puts your whole being in a test of survival.
Ruthless sandstorms, raging for years, settle for a few months, only to be replaced by new, even more violent and whirling ones, capable of of burying whole cities, roads and even mountains.
The strong and dry southern winds sometimes carry the sand so deep into the empire lands that, according to some historical reports in the past, there was a "yellow rain" pouring upon the state's Capital. "A yellow snow" even.

How fearsome, raw and wild is the southern desert of Ayarr.

In the past, the citizen of Ayarr made the impossible to tame and cultivate the sandy wasteland, building roads and viaducts, which connected the only two oases with the Dry Sand Stronghold, thus forming a Green Triangle - that is how the locals named the only inhabited by people place. South of it, only death is waiting for you - that is what you learn if you were born here. And yet, many people dared to make trips to the deep south. And those who managed to return, had their odd stories. Stories about black sands, which are so hot that they can ignite your clothes and flesh. Stories of ancient monuments of alien rulers, trying to defeat the first kings of the Ayarr Country. Stories about rifts, caves and cliffs with ore reefs, in the middle of burning like fire sands.
Nowadays, the Green Triangle no longer exists. Sandstorms, Nomad hordes, assassins and robbers - they are the new masters of the desert.

[Judith]

The Cliff Spires






There was this place in the Ayarr Empire, where even if there were human beings, it was never inhabited for too long, or being changed or even - touched by a human hand. This is the South-Eastern border , called the Cliff Spires.
In the West huge granite pieces, eroded from the rivers passing between them, weather-beaten over millions of years, forming bizarre vertical towers that are hanging over the covered with dense verdure
hills and hot jungles.
In the East, the Cliff Spires house thousands of miles of impassable cave mazes, for which legends say that hide wondrous treasures, buried forgotten rulers, chieftains and kings of old, artifacts possessing magic power that can destroy the whole world and many, many others.
In the South, where the sharp and inhospitable rocks retreat some of their territory to e fruitful valley, called The End of All, the mighty castles of Dark Cult and Nomad Tribes are built - the two factions are constantly in war with each other for centuries.
In the north where the giant dry trees
And in the North...
In the North, where the giant dry trees darkly rice their distorted tends looking like witch's nails above the skies, there are the most frightful flying beasts, that the Ayarr Nature could create.
Hiding in their nests in the bare crowns of the dry trees, the flying lizards with terrifying infernal screams, rush after their victims to tear them off with their giant beaks and blackened for the blood claws.
The Cliff Spires province
province has been wild over millions of years, as the world began.
It is wild today.
And always wild will be...

[Oton]

The Endless Forest



The first thing one feels when stepping in the Endless Forest for the first time, is the silence.
But this is not an ordinary silence.
This silence is deserted, a dead one.
On the West a thick, chilling fog surrounds the very massive stems in the clearing, once belonged to the Carpenters’ Guild. The few remaining locals say that this fog can engulf you in an instant and make you… disappear in it. And then it is gone as suddenly as it came. Some of the people about the ones that come with the fog – the ones that have not yet received their verdicts by Father’s Judges – so their non-material bodies still haunt the Land of Ayarr.
On South the massive, sharp-edged Cliff Spires stand as a clouded wall against anyone who dares cross them. The passages are guarded by one of the most evil and merciless bandits the Ayarr Empire has ever seen.
On North the scattered at a great area ruins of Great Derulon can be seen from miles away. Once the mightiest of them all, the Pearl of the East, a center of enlightenment and sciences, Derulon has even rivaled Imperial City in its beauty and power. And even centuries after its inevitable fall the people still whisper about countless treasures and deadly dangers that lie buried beneath the city’s remains.
And on the East… on the East the Ayarr Empire, the universe as we know it… ends. So the myths, the magic and the legends can begin.

[Judith]

The new global map



The new global map design shows:

-   Dangerous Provinces(rounded with yellow)

-   No Man's Lands (rounded with red)
 
- Guild Headquarters
- Guild Outpost
- Castle, owned by a guild

The Global Map has been modified.

[Judith]

Karaganda Island Map

[Judith]

Imperial Karaganda





Exotic.
Wondrous.
Untouched.
Those were the three words that came into the mind of every man who set foot on Imperial Karaganda.
In the past one hundred and fifty years, though, the place where all the Ayarr Empire’s denizens loved so much for its unbelievable beauty and unlimited resources, gained another alias.
The Pirate Land.

***

It was a day just like any other.
A sunny day, filled with herring-gulls’ cries.
Another wonderful day on this haven island where nature and men finally came into peace with each other.
But neither the sun, the fresh sea breeze, nor the herring-gulls could comprehend the man’s insanity which occurred on this day.
Five hundred flat-bottomed pirate frigates, specially built to maneuver in the northern shallow waters of Karaganda Bay, cut into the imperial dreadnoughts’ assault line which had been stuck in the coral reefs for several hours now. The massive ships’ long-ranged cannon managed to wipe out one third of the enemy, but the outcome was clear – the fast pirate vessels dived under the cannons’ falloff, rendering them completely useless. After that the boarding started and with it – the carnage.
In the following two hours the pirates destroyed the invincible imperial armada completely, captured half of the ships, along with five thousand imperial officers and seamen, and slaughtered the rest.
Those who were captured, were taken to an island in the northern Karaganda and were publicly beheaded, to serve as a chilling example for the “corrupted imperial government”, in case the continental authorities decide to send more “expedition armadas” to the free and independent Karaganda, ruled by the wise and democratic Pirate Guild council.
The astounding green coral shallows of the Karaganda Bay turned red from the blood of the thousands that died this day.
And the sun, the fresh sea breeze and the herring-gulls never understood the man’s insanity that occurred on this day.

[Judith]

Marina Haven Inn


Decree of the Pirate Guild Number 5564 - Year 2685, Ayarr Unity

1. According to the agreement signed between the Pirate Guild, the only legitimate ruler of free and democratic Karaganda, called PRINCIPAL and the Continental Imperial Government, called CONTRACTOR, dated 2645 since Ayarr Unity, the PRINCIPAL renders the CONTRACTOR the area called "Marina Haven Inn" for free usage for the period of two hundred (200) years.
2. The Imperial Continental Government is obliged to pay the one-time sum in exchange of the given territory in gold, equal to the weight of the current Ayarr Empire Sovereign, plus his entire family.
3. The Pirate Guild forms a commission within 1 (one) month to travel to Continental Ayarr and to measure the weight of the Sovereign, together with his whole family.
4. Rights and obligations of Continental Ayarr during the stay in Marina Haven:
- Continental Ayarr is prohibited to send any type of Naval warships in Marina Haven.
- Continental Ayarr is prohibited to send regular military troops in Marina Haven.
- Continental Ayarr is obliged to contribute half of the Marine Haven’s trade income to Pirate Guild.
- The Pirate Guild does not bear any responsibility for the management and the security in Marina Haven.
- The Pirate Guild reserves the right to interfere in the management of Marina Haven at any given  time it sees fit.

Welcome to Marina Haven Inn!

[Judith]

New Skills in Imperial Hero


Skills For All Classes

Crafter

Each level increases the chance of crafting rare, legendary and epic items with certain %, as well as increasing the chance for processing raw resources.

Explorer

Each level increases the chance of digging resources with certain %.

Pillaging

Each level increases the gold and item drop with certain %. It can not exceed 200%.

Slayer

Each level increases the chance to choose the strongest opponent with certain %.

Hardening

The hero loses less equipment durability, when defeated in battle.

Furry Warrior's Skills

Battle Frenzy

After a successful hit, the strength of the next hit is increased with certain percentage;
The defense is reduced with the same percentage. The skill is interrupted after an unsuccessful hit.

Deep Cut

The Fury Warrior knows the weakness of his opponent's defense, and decreases hit armor with certain percentage.

Mighty Swing

The Fury Warrior significantly increases his damage when using Charge combined with Whirlwind.

Guardian's Skills

Holding Ground

After a successful block, the overall armor is increased with certain percentage for the next round. Strength is decreased with the same percentage. The skill is interrupted after an unsuccessful block.

Stoneskin

The Guardian reaches a incredible concentration that turns his skin into stone. Adds a % on his overall armor.

Trip

Gives the Guardian a chance to stumble his opponent, and reduces his damage with 50% in the next round.

Earthquake

Grants a chance for the Guardian to stun all the opponents who fight him. If the quake is successful, all the opponents miss the next Round.

Dark Mystic's Skills

Dark Prism

Absorbs a certain percentage of the enemy's blessings and uses them upon the party members.

Mystical Whirlwind

The mystics makes Whirlwind with staff.

Reflect Damage

Reflects a percentage of the enemy's damage. The target is being chosen in the beginning of the battle and can not be changed.

Light Mystic's Skills

Light Prism

Reflects a certain percentage of the enemy's curses.

Mystical Whirlwind

The mystics makes Whirlwind with staff.

Resurrection

Resurrects a dead Mercenary during the battle, restoring a percentage of his Health.

Shadow Hunter's Skills

Strong Bowstring

Increases the maximum damage of the last three shots from the weapon's range with certain percentage.

Continuous Targeting

Range is reduced by 1, but the critical hit chance is increased with a certain percentage for each level. The last level grants 100% critical hit chance.  Requires  Throwing knives or Javelin.

Invisibility

An upgraded version of Evade. Increases the chance the enemy to “miss” his opponent as a target. If the hero stands last in the battle, with successful Invisibility, all opponents miss turn.

Ghost Stalker's Skills

Javelin Veteran

Increases the number of the rounds in which Javelin makes full damage.

Continuous Targeting

Range is reduced by 1, but the critical hit chance is increased with a certain percentage for each level. The last level grants 100% critical hit chance.  Requires  Throwing knives or Javelin.

Invisibility

An upgraded version of Evade. Increases the chance the enemy to “miss” his opponent as a target. If the hero stands last in the battle, with successful Invisibility, all opponents miss turn.

[Oton]

The Blood Crystal Legend

The land of Ayarr is as old as the Universe itself.
People have walked on it, kingdoms have risen or fallen since time immemorial. And they have come and gone like the stars cross the havens night after night.
Great and epic events has been witnessed by the land of Ayarr. Some of those events happened so long ago and they have been so unbelievable, they have turned into legends, myths and fairytales which serve to put little children to sleep.
Some of these legends have been forgotten. Others became apocrypha and were considered dangerous by the official authorities. And there are those which became myths.
But every legend… Just like every myth… Have always a small piece of truth in them. Because they are told for people. And are for the people.
One of these incredible stories, passed from mouth to mouth in the northern Ayarr provinces, is the Legend of the Blood Crystal.
A long time ago, ten thousand years in the past, north of the Ice Mountains, the Kingdom of the Sun reigned supreme. It stretched thousands of miles in all directions, and the people who lived in it, were direct descendants of the Sun himself. Mighty were the people of this kingdom. Mighty and rich. They had established trade routes with majestic countries all over the world. This huge state was the most advanced of all the realms in the Universe, because there was a gift from the Sun, buried deep into the ground. This gift was a crystal. A perfect, magnificent crystal, which had the power to alter all things, created by men, with unparalleled strength, endurance and everlasting life, once it was put close to the crafted item. No matter what this item was – a weapon, armor or… a spoon. There was only one place in which this crystal could be mined – the Mines of Might, which were located close to the Empire’s center – the Castle of the Sun. So, people from the Sun Empire were almost gods. Their craftsmanship was supreme and all other Empires feared and respected them and their godly skills.
But, as it happens with all beings who have unlimited power, the pride started to engulf and corrupt the Sons of the Sun. They didn’t want to live in peace and to safeguard the lesser realms. They wanted to conquer the whole Universe and to even challenge the Sun himself. Of course, there were some of them, who wanted to keep the status quo and use the great crystals only to do good.
What followed was the bloodiest civil war ever recorder in the history of men. Generation after generation, the Children of the Sun continued to kill each other, and, after a millennia of brutal fratricide, the last Emperor of the Sun, seeing how all his subjects continue to massacre their brethren, decided to proceed with the “final solution”, which would bring and end not only to the conflict, but to everything else.
It was on one bright sunny day, when the merciless battles had finally reached the borders of the Castle of Light.
The last Emperor of the Sun stepped on the balcony, raised his hands towards the havens and called for the Creator to help him:
“Oh, mighty Sun! Help me in my final hour to curse this land and all my subjects, for they have turned their faces away from the path of your Light! In return, I offer you my life and my blood! Let there never be war between us, for we no longer deserve your grace!”
And after he spoke these words, he threw himself out of the balcony.
The Sun, seeing his last Son’s sacrifice, respected his death wish.
And when the Emperor’s body finally hit the ground… The world began to change.
His blood, along with the blood of all those who were fighting, was absorbed by the soil and the Castle, along with the entire Empire’s territory, turned into a red barren wasteland. The Great Crystal, tainted by the foul blood of its masters, turned into a Blood Crystal. It kept its empowering abilities, but, because of the curse, all the things, which were created with it, could no longer be bettered and repaired.
Several years passed, and the last remnants of the Sun Children, slowly vanquished.
Until they were no more.
All knowledge of the crystal was lost. And no one lives who remember it.
The curse created the Ice Mountains, which blocked all access to the lost Empire of the Sun.
And the greatest Empire in the world… seized to exist.
But what is never mentioned in this story… Or more likely is told with a lowered voice… Is that the Blood Castle and the Mines of might are still intact. The curse has preserved them just the way they were, when the realm has fallen. And they are await for their new masters. For eight thousand years already.
But if anyone, by any chance, succeeds in conquering the scarlet castle, he must know that the price of the unlimited power he will gain, is very high.
For creatures of the dark, mindless beasts and corrupted men’s souls are still dwelling in the red wasteland. The cursed crystal stronghold was never meant to be conquered again by men. And if that happens, by any chance, all the creatures that inhabit this hell on earth will answer to the castle’s call and will head for it, in order to destroy its occupants. Like the sea waves are smashing into the cliffs, the forces of the cursed will hammer into the stronghold’s walls – each wave stronger than the previous. So they will continue, until the endless crystal corridors of the Castle are silent and deserted again, waiting for the next one who will try to control the godly power they offer.
Endless is the might of the Blood Castle.
But this might cannot be wielded by anybody.

[Oton]

Land of the Exiles



Every Sovereign is entitled to keep his authority by any means necessary.
The rulers of the Ayarr Empire have obviously stuck to this rule more than necessary.
A dark and shameful secret is buried deep into the Imperial Archives. A secret which is covered with the blood of millions of people, who, throughout the history, have been deemed “enemies of the Crown”.
It all began immediately after the Black Knight’s great victory over the local tribes. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians were captured and the new Emperor of the Ayarr Empire faced a serious problem with what to do with them. They refused to be integrated and live like his subjects in the newly formed state. So the Sovereign had to either order a mass execution or send them into camps where they were doomed to slow, but certain annihilation. Both choices were equally unpleasant, but then his First Officer – Armand Sonoria suggested another option – send them far North, well beyond Everwhite territory, and force them to build a pass through the impenetrable mountains. They should all die while working in the hell of the Frozen Mountains.
But they didn’t die. At least – not all of them.
Somehow they managed to build the pass and go through the barrier which was considered impossible to cross.
And thus, they presented a new problem to the Emperor.
And, again, following the Sonoria’s council, he offered them to stay in the snow wasteland and serve him as… his jailors.
“Here, on this territory, which will be called „Land of the Exiles”, you will build prisons, dungeons, watch towers and keeps, and here, you will guard all those who are the enemies of the Crown.”
With that said, the exiles started building a province, which, in fact, was one large prison.
A prison in which millions of people were brought, processed, spent their entire lives and many of them were executed. No one has ever escaped from this province. And no one has ever known it existed.
Not until now.

[Oton]

The Blood Land



The first thing a person sees when he steps into the cursed land, is the dark clouds.
Dark, heavy and hanging down from the havens are these clouds, like some grotesque bellies, ready to burst open any moment.
Your feet sink into a drenched soil. You look down and, in the next moment, you realize this is no moisture.
This is blood.
Fresh and warm blood, as if it was drained from something which was alive moments ago. And it is not only that. The earth seems... Very much alive, you can almost sense slight movements going through it, like tiny water waves, rippling in all directions, without stopping.
The Blood Crystal Castle – the center of this foul power - can be seen from every point in this province, no matter how far your position is.
It stands tall and massive.
Way bigger than Imperial City.
Its outer walls, along with the central citadel, are built from sharp crystals, which are glowing in red. If you get close to this unbelievable stronghold, you would think the crystals are... grown, instead of being shaped by a man’s hand. There are towers... Many towers, coming out of the cursed Fortress’ interior, some of them so much sloped, it is impossible for them to be stable, but yet they are. Like some massive spikes those towers are piercing the clouds... Or, they are probably the creators of all the clouds, using the everlasting energy of the curse, which has twisted the entire land.
Further south, the Avanguard Forward Base, the Blood Castle’s first and last line of the defense, stands silent and deserted, with the blood rain flowing down through its white reinforced palisades. But you know The Avanguard is far from deserted. You don’t know how, but you know that. You just know it.
And then there are the Mines of Might, where the Great Blood Crystal can be extracted. Their deep and endless shafts and caverns are opened only to those who control the Blood Castle.
For as long as the Blood Castle can be controlled that is...
This land should be completely dead, but, in fact, it is very much alive. More alive than you wish to believe.
You can sense this living force everywhere. But it is of unknown origin. It is not created by the Light.
A bush moves here. You see red eyes flash for a moment. Silence again.
A cry, belonging to Father knows what bird, chills your bones to the east.
A hellish beastly roar warns you that you are not welcomed here.
No one is.
This land does not want new masters. Great, demonic power lies within its bowels. But if you want this power, you will have to pay the ultimate price.
And woe to those who do not realize this.

[Oton]

Sun Sanctum



“The Sun brings warmth. It chases the cold away. So we can wake up and live again.”
In the religions of old, it was the Sun, which created everything. The first men, who came to the land, were created by the Sun and they rode his rays on their way to the ground. And men were thankful and happy, because they were carrying the Sun’s Light inside their bodies.
And, for some time, all was good.
But, after a millennia passed, men started to think of themselves as greater than the Sun. They forgot their origins and they turned their faces away from the Light. They even challenged the Sun for the ultimate supremacy over the Universe.
Sorrow came into the Light Bringer’s soul.
Insulted and ashamed, the Sun went far away from the land, to grieve about his Children’s betrayal.
Without the warm rays of the Creator, chilling cold descended upon the men’s dwellings.
The soil seized to grow plants.
Birds and animals died of hunger.
The land was covered with endless snow and ice.
Great suffering came upon the men.
Many have died, before they all realized their mistake.
Temples, altars and pylons started to emerge throughout the lands of Men. In those places the Children of the Sun asked their Master to return and give them his Light again.
Another millennia passed, but the Light Bringer was not convinced his creations have changed.
And, despite all the sacred places, which served to focus the men’s prayers… The chilling cold remained.
Until the last of the Sun Children vanished.

[Oton]

Tier 7 is coming soon.

The Rainy Marshes



In the very heart of Western Karaganda, where even the native citizens of this land do not dare to set foot in, the Rainy Marshes are located. Rain never seizes here. It is as if somebody… or something… became much angry a long time ago and decided to strike down the place with furious storms and floods. The Dark River, which splits the Marshes into two halves, is constantly overflowing, creating vast and impassable swamps. Some of these swamps are dark and cold, sun rays never shed light on them. But if they do, they will reveal things, which we would not see in our most frightening nightmares.
The soil almost entirely consists of clay. The town and the Castle in the province are built out of clay – the last vestiges of men. In west the jungle has almost completely taken over the Clay Town. Beings are lurking on the streets and behind the walls of the houses. Beings nobody knows anything about. And if somebody indeed knows something, he will never admit it. Because those creatures are much too horrible to be real.
In east, like a dim idol, observing silently the engulfed in mystical evil land, the Clay Castle stands tall. His walls are very old, scraped and ruined. His once mighty Citadel is cracked into two halves, as if it was hit with a hammer by a giant long time ago.
Shadows are wandering through the wide, overgrown with bushes streets.
When the night comes these shadows change. And what are they turning into, can make even the bravest one to scream in terror.
And the rain keeps pouring.
Without being able to wash away the corruption, suffocating this ancient land.

[Oton]

Green Paradise



“Father, what an unearthly beauty!” , Alamarin, the captain of the first imperial ship, which landed on the coast of this province, cried out. Later he would be granted with the honor to name this province “The Green Paradise” by the Ayarr Empire Sovereign himself.
After the first wave of settlers established close to the sea shore, and ships, with full cargoes of treasures, valuable resources and spice started traveling back to the continent, not much time passed before the Emperor, under his advisers’ pressure, ordered the start of the full colonization of the lands, located west of the Endless Mountain.
Thousands of new life, treasures and adventure seekers, backed up by the imperial navy’s might, began to conquer this new world, without ever consider the consequences such reckless expansion could cause.
And the consequences, taken form of extremely savage and brutal local denizens, not wishing to relinquish their sacred land to the invaders, soon fell upon the heads of the settlers, along with the heads of those, who sent them to conquer this land in the name of the Ayarr Empire.
Countless hordes of cannibals, accompanied by even more horrific humanoids and giant spiders, came out of the thick jungle and it took them just one night to completely overcome all the settlers’ towns, outposts and military installations.
But that was the least problem for the colonists.
Those of them who were not lucky to fall in the battle, were taken on the shore to see their ships one last time, before they embark deep into the jungle, only to be ritually sacrificed by the locals to the Green Paradise’s true lord.
And who this lord is – only the one who faces him will know. And only if he lives through, so we will know as well.

[Oton]

Edge of the World



My dear wife,

It has been eighteen months, since I last saw you and both my sons.
I hope this letter finds you all in good health. I also hope the Admiralty is giving you my salary regularly and you all prosper. If all is good, you should already have enough money saved, so you can move into that house on the Blue Street, which you’ve been wishing to buy for years.
Three months ago that old bucket “Light”, I’m serving on, finally reached this wretched island’s western shores, which the boatswain – that old drunk – aptly named “The Edge of the World”. It turned out to be a lot bigger than those good-for-nothing pencil necks – the geographers – were telling us. Forgive my harsh language, my dear.
We lost “Wind” and “Faith” to a particularly nasty sea storm. Many of my friends died. I hope they are on better place now and I hope what we are doing here, is making the death of these fine and honest seamen just.
It is with great pride I inform you, my dear wife, that your husband has been appointed as an assistant governor of the Far Away Village – our new home here. It is not that much of a village, though – one street, with poky shags, perched on both its sides. But at least it is a start. The sea is full of fish, and the jungles to the south offer enough water, wood and hunting animals to sustain our small community.
Father Verono finally managed to obtain permission from the governor, my lovely captain, to start building a Temple of Light in the village, so it has been two weeks already since we are all plodding every day, so the darned thing can be erected and that old lubber can finally settle down.
Some of the folks are nervous, because dreadful sounds, roars, coming from unknown beast and all sorts of fable can be heard from the jungles, but – what can a man do – we are simple-minded, cowardly and superstition people, who are making their living far, far away from any civilization.
I hope we will manage to build the village as planned and I hope the next settlers will arrive soon, so I can ask my captain for permission to sail back to Bunar. To you.
Be well, my love. And pray for me.

Yours eternally: Grosan

P.S. if I catch that beardless fella, who works in the bakery, still making passes at you, I will squash his chicken neck. Be sure to tell him so.