That night, Captain Morilwen and Lord Hallgrim stood outside the easternmost outpost of the Unkari camp, watching the mountains to the north. With them were the Mage and the Oracle of the Unkari, as well as ten Ice Archeresses. Behind them rested Hallgrim’s large wooden chest, which now rode on a lightweight elven sledge. No fire was lit and no words spoken as they stood watching for the signal Hallgrim had told them to wait for. After about an hour, Morilwen spotted a flash of orange light in the area Hallgrim had directed them to watch. “The way is clear,” said Lord Hallgrim, picking up the leather straps for pulling the sledge. “Let us depart.” An hour later, they reached the entrance to the icy pass into which the dead had been seen marching. Even Hallgrim, who had not the benefit of elven nightvision, could see the trail in the snow left by the risen in the bright starlight. The party proceeded swiftly into the deepening valley, and before long they had caught up to the tail-end of the macabre procession. There were not many risen, only about one or two every thirty to sixty paces or so, but they were all clearly shuffling in the same direction. Morilwen ordered the party to halt. “Brace yourself,” she whispered to Hallgrim as the Mage produced a scroll from within his robes and began to read the incantation written thereon. Hallgrim drew his heavy furred hood over his head as the temperature near the party dropped suddenly, ringing them in a shield of intense cold. “We should now be able to walk past them without attracting their attention,” muttered the Mage to Morilwen. “Let us proceed.” They pressed on, giving as wide a berth as they could to the ghastly parade, who were heedless of the company’s passing. Most of the risen were carrying bits of burnt wood or cloth, long-extinguished torches, or other things that were once on fire. Many were also covered in once-warm blood. Before long, the valley began to narrow into a ravine, whose high walls met a short distance further ahead of the party. At the base of the corner they formed was an opening in the stone, clearly constructed by hand rather than nature, large enough to admit three rime bulls walking abreast. It was into this opening that the dead were marching, and where Morilwen and her party followed. Inside was a stone corridor that spiraled gently downward into the roots of the mountains. The icy walls of the passage glowed with a mystical light from elven runes carved into them at regular intervals. Frysta runes, explained the Mage, which were for the containment of evil. They continued to be ignored by the few risen they encountered as they wound their way down into the earth. After a few minutes’ quick march, the floor suddenly leveled off and the corridor opened up onto a huge underground grotto whose walls, ceiling and floor bulged with large crystals and pillars of blue ice. The main feature of the grotto was a huge pillar of the ice. Cradled in the center of this pillar was a giant frozen orb containing the silhouette of an unknown horror, from which none present could discern anything more than a massive, bulbous shadow surrounded by vaguely arachnoid limbs. Across the middle of the orb was a large crack in the ice, and there was no doubt in the minds of those gathered that it was through this breach that was flowing all the evil befalling the hoarfrost lands of late. The foot of the pillar was surrounded by risen. Some were pathetically rubbing their charred cargo against the ice, as if trying to melt it with the memory of fire. Others were simply beating at it with their dead arms with mindless repetitiveness. The walls and crystal pillars of the cavern were alight with the blue glow of elven runes of containment, whose light reflected on the countless crystalline surfaces, illuminating the grotto as brightly as the noonday sun. However, many of the runes at ground level had been scratched out by the blade of an unknown vandal. The party walked further into the chamber, at once enchanted by its beauty and seized by the malice it contained. “What is that thing?” whispered Morilwen. “Whatever it is,” growled Hallgrim, “someone is trying to free it. They’ve only managed to crack the ice, and look at the damage it’s…” He stopped suddenly. There was a noise in the chamber that wasn’t coming from the risen, a rhythmic “thk-thk-thk” sound as of ice being repeatedly struck by a sharp implement. Next to one of the larger crystals was a smallish slender hooded figure in a blue-white cloak and robes. The figure held a large violet dagger with a wavy blade that glowed fiercely with magical energy, with which they were languidly stabbing one of the elven runes on an ice pillar. Morilwen drew an outraged breath. “You there!” she shouted, as she and her archeresses drew their bows and Hallgrim his sword. “Do not move! Step back from that pillar at once!” The figure paused, knife in mid-air. Its hood turned towards the party for a few seconds, then back towards the pillar. The dagger resumed its scarring of the rune, its owner seemingly indifferent to the threat of arrows. “Stop!” shouted Morilwen again, a strange note of panic entering her voice, “If you do not stop you will be shot!” But the figure ignored her. “Lower your bows,” she muttered at the archeresses, who looked at each other with surprise. “Lower them, I say!” she then snarled. The archeresses complied, but Morilwen kept her bow trained on the figure. Hallgrim glanced at Morilwen in confusion, and saw tears in her eyes. “That dagger,” she said, her voice quivering with terror and rage. “Where did you get it?” Again, the dagger stopped in mid-air, but this time, the figure removed his hood as he turned to the party. “Why, you did, dear auntie!” said said Prince Lysanthir, his young voice dripping with sarcastic affection, “For my twenty-fifth birthday! How could I forget?” With that, he brought the dagger down with all his strength onto the Frysta rune. There was a violent pulse of magical energy from the dagger, and suddenly a large fragment of ice burst off of the orb, flying into a far corner of the grotto and shattering into dust, as if it had been hurled there by an ice giant. There was now a hideous appendage extending from the inside of the orb where the ice was missing. It appeared as a giant leg, like that of a crab or a spider, jointed yet which seemed to be able to bend fluidly like the tentacle of a sea creature. It was able to extend and retract itself at will, and it whipped about the chamber, seemingly at random yet at the same time with an apparent intelligence. It was covered in cilia that moved with a hideous life of its own, and it was topped with a needle-sharp white barb with which it seemed to regard the room, like a serpent searching for a meal. “Voorziel!” said Lysanthir pleasantly, as the others looked on in horror, “Awake at last, are you? You took your time…” He turned his face upwards toward the ceiling of the grotto, and a faraway look entered his eyes. “You must be starving.” he said quietly. Jewel of Quarantine As you complete Epic Battles from now and the end of the event on February 12th at 12PM PDT you'll earn Frysta Runestone and Relinquished Soul. When you collect both of these items they'll form Jewel of Quarantine which determines your rewards at the end of this part of the event. As you win wars you'll earn completed Jewel of Quarantine as follows: Team Performance Winning Team: 300 Jewels Losing Team: 0 Jewels Top Performers (Plunder ranking on each team) Rank 1 - 5: 100 Jewels Rank 6 - 10: 50 Jewels Individual Actions (# of successful Attack or Defence actions) 20 - 24: 50 Jewels 25 - 29: 75 Jewels 30 - 34: 100 Jewels 35 - 39: 125 Jewels 40 - 44: 150 Jewels 45 - 49: 175 Jewels 50+: 200 Jewels Hoarfrost Wartokens IV During this event you'll also earn Hoarfrost Wartoken IV through your participation in wars. This allows for those players who are dedicated warrers to compete against each other for the Top Tier equipment. Hoarfrost Wartoken III are awarded as follows: Team Performance Winning Team: 300 Tokens Losing Team: 0 Tokens Top Performers (Plunder ranking on each team) Rank 1 - 5: 100 Tokens Rank 6 - 10: 50 Tokens Individual Actions (# of successful Attack or Defence actions) 20 - 24: 50 Tokens 25 - 29: 75 Tokens 30 - 34: 100 Tokens 35 - 39: 125 Tokens 40 - 44: 150 Tokens 45 - 49: 175 Tokens 50+: 200 Tokens Weekend PvP Blitz During the weekends of January 29 - February 1 and February 5 - 8 we'll be hosting PvP Blitz events in a addition to the main event. During these Blitz events you'll collect and steal Unkari Spellshafts from players in order to earn Jewel of Quarantine to help you with your progress in the main event. Every time you collect 500 Unkari Spellshafts they'll be converted into a Spellshaft Quiver which cannot be stolen. Rewards for these PvP Blitz Weekend events are based on the number of Spellshaft Quiver you own. PvP Blitz Opt-In To Opt-In to the event, players will need to cast the Descry Target spell at the Alchemist. NOTE: Descry Target will only be available to cast once the weekend event has started. Warning: Opting-in lasts for the ENTIRE DURATION of that specific BLITZ EVENT and there will be no way to opt-out after doing so. Opted in players will: Have their name colored orange to indicate their participation Have a spell indicating their participation on their profile Have their Battle List updated to show only players who have opted-in Unkari Spellshaft + Spellshaft Quiver Once opted-in, players will earn Unkari Spellshafts by attacking other opted-in players. These items are both generated AND ARE STOLEN. The number generated depends on the players size. The number stolen depends on the amount of Unkari Spellshafts they currently have. The higher the number they have the more you'll steal. Once a player collects 500 Unkari Spellshafts they'll automatically turn into a Spellshaft Quiver which cannot be stolen. These Spellshaft Quivers are what will determine your rewards from the PvP Blitz Weekend events. Ice Giant's Hammer When you hit another opted-in player there's a chance that the Ice Giant's Hammer spell is activated. This spell lasts for 24 hours, and has the following properties: Provides you with more plunder when attacking or stealing from opted-in players Allows you to obtain more Unkari Spellshafts when attacking or stealing from opted-in players Provides you with a chance of creating Mithril out of thin air when attacking or stealing from opted-in players Will be visible on your profile as an active spell CAN BE STOLEN when you are attacked or stolen from by opted-in players. If stolen you will lose the spell, and the attacking player will receive it. Duration is not reset when stolen but continues to count down from where it was for the previous owner. Note: You cannot steal another player's Ice Giant's Hammer spell when you have an active Ice Giant's Hammer spell yourself. Sealed Giantsbreath The Sealed Giantsbreath item may be purchased in the Marketplace for 59 Nobility Points and casts the Surging Rimeshield spell on ALL of your current clan members. If you already have Surging Rimeshield spell active you will not be able to purchase it until the current spell expires. This spell lasts for 1 hour and has the following properties: Provides you with more plunder when attacking or stealing from opted-in players (This is able to stack with the Ice Giant's Hammer spell) Allows you to earn more Unkari Spellshaft when attacking or stealing from opted-in players (This is able to stack with the Ice Giant's Hammer spell) Prevents other players from being able to steal your Ice Giant's Hammer spell while Surging Rimeshield is active Will be visible on your profile as an active spell Unkari Chest As you complete Epic Battles you'll occasionally find Unkari Chests. These rare chests can contain a number of goods including Health Crystals, Jewel of Quarantine, Seals of the Damned, and more! You can open these chests in one of two ways. 1) Purchasing a Unkari Key from the Marketplace using Gold. You can purchase ONE of these per day. 2) Purchasing a Gold Unkari Key from the Marketplace using Nobility. There is no limit on the number you may purchase. Rewards + Leaderboards Please see the event page in-game to view event rewards and leaderboards. Weekend PvP Blitz events and competing in Wars both reward players with Jewel of Quarantine which count towards your totals in the main event. Competing in Wars will also reward Hoarfrost Wartokens IV, which are needed to compete against other Warring players for Top Tier equipment and rewards. Rewards from the War event WILL STACK with rewards from Clouded Vision. Rewards will be made available for you to collect through the events page shortly after the event ends.
Well let's say Hte had no item limit. You could do closed items and Max xtals and make around 500-800 items (depending on build/crux) And this would make it extremely pay to win. Not that it isn't that way already. But I feel the cap helps to curb that slightly. I can't tell you all the devs reasonsings I don't understand them half the time.
The cap prevents people from playing purely pay to win. Yes paying players will always come out on top with their drops trains but the trains even then require skill in order know when you have reached max drops for that eb and to save for the next stop on the train. Basically caps were introduced to make it so that there is some challenge and to encourage faster ebs.
:lol: I know you're joking but for anyone who actually is confused by this it's a PvP only plunder boost.