Gswiki:Featured Article

Duskruin Arena returns August 18-31, 2017 with BLOOD ALLIES. Premiering this run are team matches, both 3 on 3 and 2 on 2. Also premiering are Mystic and Arcane BloodRunes for MoonShard pendants. During the April run, achievements started being tracked, and titles based on those achievements will be active as soon as the event begins. Check the TITLE verb in game when the event opens if you participated in the April run (Arena and/or Sewers).

Within the Bloodforge are two new areas: the Smelter and Smithy. The Smelter has a dwarven miner who sells ore that can be smelted into rare forging slabs. The Smithy is an all new, invite only, workshop that offers weighting, padding, and sighting for your gear. Earning invites to this exclusive area is done through impressive battles in the arena. The new weighting and padding system will also be released during this time.

Bloodriven Village will now be open through September 4 for shopping. Purchase any desired arena/sewer entry books/jars before 11:55 PM ET on 8/31 if you wish to run either during the extended period.

Previous Articles

Old featured articles, and their snippet:

Demystifying Unusual Loot

Did you find a funny looking statue in a box? A piece of jewelry? An enchanted weapon on a creature that didn't crumble? A new cloak? Back in 2008, the treasure system was updated to include highly desired properties, such as weighting, padding, and enhancive, on automatically generated boxfound items and creature weapons, shields, and treasure drops. In 2013, Starchitin's player wrote straightforward guide on how to determine which items to keep, and how to find out the items' properties: Demystifying Unusual Loot. Starchitin's player has updated the guide, and GSWiki is pleased to feature it as a helpful resource.

Return to Delirium Manor

Return to Delirium Manor takes place June 16-25, 2017. The Manor grounds can be accessed from anywhere in town via QUEST TRANSPORT DELIRIUM. Search the Manor to find Whax dolls and other jackpot prizes! Also in the hopper are all sorts of doll accessories, SimuCoin items, and automated lightening and deepening certificates! Existing Ebon Gate tickets will convert to general tickets for use at the Gift Shop and for future similar events.

Player Shops

Do you own a player run shop? The shop system has been fixed and rent will be collected beginning May 15, 2017. Shops not visited/interacted with for 90 days will be closed and the eviction process will begin in June. Shop permit sales (method TBD) will commence soon after the eviction process has been completed.

Lumnis Contest

Sunday, March 5 00:00 through Sunday, March 19 01:00 ET will be the second ever Gift of Lumnis Contest. The experience system will not revert during the 2 week contest period and you will continue to get the same Gift of Lumnis bonus experience in effect since the end of the first contest. However, the system will track your experience gain as it would have under the old system to determine if you will place in the contest. Come together as a community to help each other out with bounties and everyone benefits! You might even meet some new people and make some new friends. Keep those crystal amulets on!

Summit Academy

Why exercise when you can get muscles in an instant?! Body customizations are premiering at Summit Academy. The event returns February 24-26 for various character customization and enhancive services. Two prior events, Sylinar's Spire and the Summit Expression Faire, have been combined and automated, allowing for an unlimited number of people to participate. The event grounds are free to access via QUEST TRANSPORT and there will be limited shopping available. Character customization and enhancive services can be obtained via token with SimuCoins. The tokens are transferable, the services are not. For your added enjoyment, Sylinar has created MAGICAL CUBES that contain silvers and gems -- and might hold some unique customization offerings.

Creating Adventure Jan 2017

We say goodbye to another year, but welcome what the future may bring! Our Creating Adventure piece will be returning for 2017! Check out what we've done in 2016 and our new Spotlight on Staff, featuring GameMaster Estild.

The Great Auction of 5116

The event of the year is here! The Great Auction of 5116 will be held Saturday, December 17 starting at 11 am ET in Prime, and on December 18 in Platinum (subject to change). The event will go all day long until all items have been up for bid. Passed items will not get a second chance in this venue. This is a free event for paid accounts with about 100 one-of-a-kind items, and the chance to create your own powerful, unique item (subject to limitations).

Great Auction of 5116 | Other featured articles...

Ebon Gate Festival

2016

It's the most wonderful time of the year! The 2016 Ebon Gate Festival commences Friday, October 14. The grounds will be open through October 31 with merchanting in Platinum Oct. 14-21, and in Prime Oct. 21-28. See the event page for pricing, schedule, and teasers. There will also be a separate companion event, Delirium Manor, which is similar to the Duskruin Arena sewers, and will be running concurrently.

Ebon Gate 2016 | Delirium Manor | Shop listing | Other featured articles...

Frontier Days

Frontier Days is happening now in Wehnimer's Landing! The 11th annual Frontier Days Festival kicks off on September 6 with a week of special events by various CHE and MHO player groups. Shops are open for business right now and merchants will be working September 14-17. In addition, The Albatross is docked at the North Dock for the duration of the festival.

Duskruin Arena

Bloodforge

Duskruin Arena returns April 21-30, 2017. Hitch a ride to the updated Bloodriven Village and defeat deadly foes while writing history of your combat prowess within the arena! Fight to the death, facing powerful creatures in the arena and possibly one of the new automaton bosses. These metal monstrosities are new lethal combatants, and some may even carry pieces of metal to be used in the recently discovered BLOODFORGE.

Within the sewers are two new legendary BLOODRUNES for your MoonShard pendants -- the TROLL KING and CAVE TROLL are COMPLETELY EXCLUSIVE to this run only! There are several new classic bloodrunes out there as well, which are a bit more plentiful.

Duskruin Dig

Dig! Dig! Dig! The Duskruin Dig starts December 2nd and remains open until December 11th. Dig to complete your moon-filled pendant, or find an exclusive bloodrune and other unique treasures. The shops of Bloodriven Village will also be open (same as last run).

Duskruin Arena | Moon-filled pendant | Digging prize list | Bloodriven Village | Other featured articles...

Bloodrunes

Duskruin Arena returns August 26-September 5, 2016 for BLOODRUNES! Prove yourself worthy and earn bloodscrip to spend in Bloodriven Village, with new inventory in Spellbound, Gamac's Goods, Skyfire, The Written Word, Bare Aggression, and The Mar and Scar.

Entry to Bloodriven Village and watching arena matches are free to everyone, but entry tokens must be purchased from the SimuCoin Store to otherwise participate in the Arena and the Sewers (digging will be closed). The Scrip Shop from the April high end service bloodscrip redemption event will be open from August 27 through the end of the event with new and returning gear and services.

Once considered trash, runed rocks from beneath the cobblestones of Bloodriven are now being hailed as precious treasure. Scholars from across the lands have come to study their strange markings and chisel away at the mystery of ur-barath totems. Unravel the secrets that link MoonShard pendants to BLOODRUNES.

MoonShard Hunters

Duskruin Arena returns with a special storyline! Between April 22-May 1, 2016, you can prove yourself worthy and earn bloodscrip to spend in Bloodriven Village. This will be the only run until at least December. Entry to Bloodriven Village and watching arena matches are free to everyone, but entry tokens must be purchased from the SimuCoin Store to otherwise participate in the Arena or the Sewers. On May 1 there will be a high end service bloodscrip redemption event.

Beneath Duskruin...
An Ancient Discovery!

Unearthed after thousands of years, an underground temple devoted to the Arkati, forged in combat and blood, awaits exploration!

Legend tells of a mysterious pendant, a divine Arkati artifact, fashioned from the rarest of materials: Moonshards! SHATTERED and lost to the great sewers of Bloodriven, it is now up to you to find and reunite the Moon Pendant. Enter the Arena, brave the dangers within, seek the Moonshards, and unlock the mysteries to become a Champion of the Arkati!

CHEs and MHOs

Are you looking to meet people in GemStone IV? Are you looking to become more involved in the community? Is hanging out in your local town square not your cup of tea? If you answered yes to any of these questions, check out the many options of the Co-operative Houses of Elanthia (CHE) and Meeting Hall Organizations (MHO). Paid subscribers may join one CHE and as many MHOs as they wish. CHE and MHO purposes range from "providing a nice place to live" to "serving the masses with massies," from education and culture to much darker intentions, and everything in between. F2P characters will find that many groups will welcome them at events and meetings, even if they cannot join officially.

If you wish to become even more involved, many of these groups are looking for willing officers. Officers might run events, recruit members, build structures, or design prize closet items. All is done in coordination and cooperation with fellow officers and dedicated CHE or MHO GameMasters.

Are you an officer of a group without a GSWiki presence? Please help the community by creating or updating the page for your group.

Co-operative Houses of Elanthia | Meeting Hall Organization | Other featured articles...

Hot Summer Nights

Our highly anticipated Hot Summer Nights (HSN) are coming back this year, and we’re excited to offer you several months of new releases! Starting June 21st, we plan on bringing you a content-enriched summer you won’t forget! While we don’t want to spoil what is to come, what’s an announcement like this without some teasers?! We plan on bringing you new login rewards, spell updates, lore changes, changes to death messaging, documentation, and even a new end-game hunting ground! Be sure to book your summer vacation in Elanthia this year!

Player Guides

With the advent of the Free to Play subscription, the GemStone community anticipates an influx of new and returning players, and we have prepared for it! We have come together and developed new guides for each starter town and almost every profession. These guides lead new players through the character manager, basic training tips, and how to navigate through the first few levels, as well as respective local customs. Click on Read more... below to access the New Player Category, which features articles specifically chosen to introduce people to the world of GemStone.

Unarmed combat system

The Unarmed Combat System encompasses a unique combat style which features four types of attacks: Jab, Punch, Kick and Grapple. This system replaces Voln fu (Kick, Punch and Throw) as the primary unarmed attack method used against Undead creatures. Unarmed combat attacks are not, however, limited to the undead. They can be used against all creatures and characters.

Effectiveness with unarmed combat depends significantly upon a character's brawling skill. Although similar to AS/DS in its functionality, unarmed combat replaces melee and ranged weapons with the hands and feet, and AS/DS mechanics with Unarmed Attack Factor (UAF) / Unarmed Defense Factor (UDF).

Adventurer's Guild

The Adventurer's Guild is the in-genre name of the Bounty System. This organization is comprised by the assignment of certain heroic or adventerous tasks that characters within Elanthia can participate in. There are no level, race, or profession requirements to participate in this guild. Adventurers successfully completing tasks will be rewarded with experience, silver, and bounty points with which they can earn rewards.

Receiving a bounty task is as simple as going to the local town's bounty office and asking the Taskmaster there for an assignment. Based on the type of task assigned, you may also need to go to the local jeweler, furrier, herbalist, or town's guard to receive the details of your task. Once assigned a task, you cannot be assigned another for 15 minutes (real time not game time).

ASK TASKMASTER ABOUT BOUNTY : to receive a bounty task or turn in a completed one
ASK TASKMASTER ABOUT REMOVAL : to turn in an incomplete task
ASK TASKMASTER ABOUT EASIER : adjusts the level range of tasks you can be assigned (only available after level 15)
ASK TASKMASTER ABOUT HARDER : adjusts the level range of tasks you can be assigned (only available after level 15)
ASK TASKMASTER ABOUT ADD <person>: to add another character 10 levels below to 5 levels above your level to your current task

River's Rest

River's Rest is a small town near the mouth of the Tempest River on Maelstrom Bay. It is a part of the Turamzzyrian Empire and the County of Torre. Though, due to the town's size and relative isolation, it is generally ignored by both county and imperial authorities. Due to this, River's Rest is considered a safe haven for those wishing to avoid the law. Its isolation also results in a small but tightly-knit player community.

History of River's Rest

River's Rest, while a small town today, is heir to a long rich tradition of history. The founding date of the town is unknown, but the town is believed to have received its name from a corruption of the trollish name for the island, "rhee v'reskha" which means turtle's egg. The island town was one of several towns that came to compose the Kingdom of Elanith which later was absorbed by the Kannalan Empire. Within the empire, River's Rest flourished due to its location at the mouth of the Tempest River, which at the time facilitated trade deep into the interior of the continent. In time, River's Rest became the cultural center of the empire, reknown for its architecture, most notably, four great bridges which extended to the shores of the river. As well as the epic center for poets, artisans, and intellectuals. The collapse of the Kannalan Empire in 3961 dramatically altered River's Rest fate...

Wizard

Wizards are one of four pure professions in GemStone, and are considered to be masters of the sphere of elemental magic. Wizardly offensive spells are primarily represented by bolt spells of a particular elemental energy, and are complemented by a wide array of defensive magics and utility spells. A common mutant Wizard sub-type is the War Mage, which relies on hasted physical attacks in combination with various utility spells.

Wizards can enchant weapons and armor by means of the Enchant Item (925) spell to give bonuses to attack or defense, respectively. Wizards can also imbed their spells into certain imbedable items by means of the Create Magic Item (420) spell, and recharge some of these items by means of the Charge Item (517) spell to keep their magic strong.

Finally, Wizards are able to summon a magical familiar by means of the Call Familiar (920) spell, which they can use for various non-combat purposes.

Patriarch

The Patriarch is the highest position of authority in Faendryl society. The word of the Patriarch is considered absolute law. The duty of the Patriarch is to guide the Faendryl to overall betterment as a culture, but can serve the community in any way he or she sees fit. Traditionally, the place of Patriarch is chosen by lineage, most often the closest relative of the previous Patriarch, but there have been political coups as well. While both males and females could technically hold the position, it is generally expected that it will be a male, which is why only three "Matriarchs" have ever been in power. Plotting against the Patriarch is considered the worst treason, as the Patriarch is viewed as the appex of Faendryl society, and as such, hurting the Patriarch is a betrayal of the entire house.

History of the Patriarch

The first Patriarch was Korthyr Faendryl, who also founded what was to become Ta'Faendryl, as well as leading the Faendryl House out of the forests towards their future as one of the seven Houses of the Elven Nations. After Korthyr's death, his great nephew Khalar Andiris Faendryl took his place, setting the precedent for the Patriarchy being held through lineage. After Khalar, the role of Patriarch lost its respect, with a chain of ten Patriarchs being killed in succession, until the first Matriarch, Geniselle Anaya Faendryl, put her son Yshryth Silvius Faendryl into power as the fourteenth Patriarch. On his coronation, he unified the nation through a legendary speech, and made plotting the overthrow of a Patriarch the worst form of treason, helping to reestablish the power of the position.

Vornavis

The Barony of Vornavis consists of two cities: Vornavis itself and Solhaven, which is located right outside of the walls of Vornavis. Access to the City of Vornavis is strictly controlled, guards controlling who may and who may not enter the gates. Usually, only citizens are allowed into the city. Vornavis is known for its tolerance toward the non-human races, which has caused some issues with the much less tolerable Barony of Jantalar.

History

Dwarves settled in the area first in the year 3725, having found opal-laden cliffs along the eastern end of what is now Solhaven Bay. Fifty years later (3775), the community established within the caverns near these cliffs was completely wiped out, the only thing remaining of the population being dwarven limbs and blood. This event is why the nearby falls are called the Cascade of Tears.

Roughly 200 years later, in 3961, an elven family, called Wildwood, settles on an island in the middle of the Cairnfang River, close to where modern Solhaven is. Due to increasing attacks by humanoids, the family, among with many others that were attracted by the island's relative safety, begin constructing a castle and battlements.