In-game mail

Today I logged on to discover I had a new mail in my in-game mailbox. Who could possibly be mailing me? I quickly headed off to the postman, at the Newcomer's Refuge. How exciting!

I suppose this is as good a time as any to talk about the in-game mail system. You can send and receive mail from the postmaster. Presumably, there are postmasters around the world, though not having been out of the Eye yet, I can't say for sure. It seems unlikely that the only postmaster available would be in the newbie tutorial area, however.

You can "check mail" to find out if you have any mail and "receive mail" in order to have your letters handed to you. Be warned though! If you drop your mail, it will be destroyed. Ensure you have fully read your message before you carelessly drop it. In order to send someone a message, you type "mail x" where x is the name of the person.

My mail was from a very nice person named Yeri. He had heard about my blog and had a few suggestions for me about statting, as well as mentioning a few people who were very helpful. It was very exciting to get my first mail and encouraging to know that there were so many people willing to help learn this confusing game.

While I was reading my mail, Tahla told me there was equipment in the barrel in the Eye of the world. I decided since the Eye seemed somewhat quieter today, I would take advantage of her kindness and choose some equipment with better absorption, as well as a much sturdier weapon than a staff. Oh yes, I am now the proud wielder of a dark, serrated axe. Now tell me that doesn't sound deadly! Cute deer will tremble at my passing!

At the same time, Alayla welcomed me back into the game and explained to me that she wasn't actually a designated newbie helper, as I had said in my previous post. As it turns out, the bell might not actually be the best way to attract attention if you need a hand as there are no designated newbie helpers right now. However, any high-ranking person can help out, so that's good news. In light of this new information, it's probably best to "chat" or send a "tell" to someone if you need a hand, rather than ring the bell. You can type "who" to see who is online and generally people with a title in [brackets] will be able to help. This means they are a member of a clan.

Which is exactly what I did when I logged on again a little later. I found myself in the Circle of Light again (I think it's because I didn't rent at an inn. I got disconnected from the game. That's the only reason I can think of.) There was someone there that looked much different than anyone I had met before. His name was red and he had stars in his name, like this: *Khazar*. I said hello to him, but there was no response, so I thought perhaps he was a mob. I tried to ask Alayla, but unfortunately she wasn't there so I asked someone named Mariel what it meant if a mob was red. It turns out he wasn't a mob. He was an actual player, but he was a FADE. I didn't even know you could be a fade in this game. I looked briefly at Dark Side, but all you can choose is trolloc hunter, rogue or warrior. Mariel explained that you can start out as a trolloc and join a clan and once you have enough quest points or alternative quest points, you can become a fade. That...is AWESOME. Challenge accepted!

So watch for future posts about my quest to become a fade!

Newbie Helpers

For the last couple days, I've been hard at work mapping the Eye of the World and making note of all the helpful tips located around the town. I'm also working on noting all the various items available in the world and their statistics for an eventual database. I figure it's easier to add to it little by little as I go along rather than doing it all at once as a big project in the future.

Because of this, my post on the Eye of the World has been delayed, as well as my character development. However, I was fortunate enough to meet one of the mud's wonderful newbie helpers.

There is a bell in the Newcomer's Refuge, where you first enter the Eye, that you can ring to request help. More experienced players can enter the Eye to give guidance and aid to those who are struggling to find their footing in this vast and complicated game. I have to say that my first experience, not only with another player on this game, but with one of the designated newbie helpers, was great. Her name was Alayla and she was very nice. She asked if I needed help, but since I was simply wandering around sight-seeing, I declined her generous offer. She chatted with me a few moments and then mentioned that she had glanced at my site and offered the names of others who might be interested in helping. When I asked a question she didn't know, she directed me to someone else who might know, Leodora.

While I was in the Eye today, another newbie helper named Tahla was there providing equipment that was slightly better than the basics the Guardian gave me. I declined to take advantage of it, preferring to leave it for those who might actually be going into battle (the goats in the Eye can be quite a handful!).

Overall, I was well pleased with the level of kindness and generosity displayed by the mud's players. I am eager to dive in and become part of this community.