Favors
Favors were previously used to prevent the destruction of a character when you DEPART after dying. Destruction of the character in this method is referred to as "Walking the Starry Road" or simply "Walking." As of April 16th, 2009, permanent player character death has been removed from the game, so favors are now used to prevent various other penalties from dying.[1] The concept of "Walking" still exists, it is just no longer available to player characters.
To gain a Favor you must visit one of the various altars around the Realms and perform a task to be granted a Favor Orb bearing the name of one of the Immortals. Once you have obtained an orb, you're told that you must find a suitable sacrifice to fill the orb. All orbs use the same sacrifice: your unabsorbed EXPERIENCE pool. The more favors or circles you have, the more experience is needed to fill them. In fact, one circle is the same as having one extra favor.
Getting the Orb
There are two standard types of altars that you may receive a Favor orb from: General Altars and Specific Altars.
General Altars
These altars are dedicated to all 13 of the Immortals. There are 3 General Altars in the Realms, Outside The Crossing's West Gate, Out Riverhaven's East Gate and Out Shard's West Gate. To get an orb, you must solve a series of puzzles by either going into a door or an arch. The puzzles through the door are generally the more difficult of the two. The number of puzzles you must solve is influenced by and increases with the number of Favors you already posses.
Specific Altars
There are a lot of altars strewn about the Realms that are dedicated to specific Immortals and several of them may be used to get an orb from that specific Immortal. Unlike the General Altars, the task to get a favor requires the sacrifice of a physical object; what object is acceptable is dependent on which Immortal that altar is dedicated to. For example, the Hodierna alter on the third tier of Ratha will take any of the proper offerings for Hodierna; which consist of healing herbs, unicorn beads, parchment unicorn primers, and Immortal Hodierna Cards. However, it is not possible to gain a functioning second orb until the first has been returned or destroyed.
To use an aspect specific altar dedicated to a neutral or dark aspect, it usually must first be cleaned. Only Clerics may clean an altar. A list of altars can be found here.
Rakash Favors
Rakash can obtain favours in the Awksa Dzilvawta Ala outside of Siksraja. No experience sacrifice is required, though favors are capped at a maximum of five.
Prydaen Favors
Prydaen can now obtain the favor of Eu-Demrris-Tenemlor. Information can be obtained under Prydaen Favors.
The Orb itself
A favor orb is an "orb of light" which shines a different color depending on which guild the person who received is of.
It also shines different levels of brightness depending on how much you have sacrificed to the orb.
Once the orb is filled completely you may place it on the proper alter to obtain your favor.
Orb Colors
Orb Colors vary by guild. There have been some cases of people claiming their orb does not match the prescribed color. Sorenne called these "rogue" orbs on her study of them [1], and they do not appear to be a common occurrence.
Favors have different descriptors the more experience you put into them, starting off with no color, then becoming pale, steady and finally strong before being properly prepared for sacrifice. If an orb is overfilled, such as by filling them and dying before redeeming them, looking at them will produce no reaction at all.
| Guild | Color |
|---|---|
| Barbarian | Red |
| Bard | Brown |
| Cleric | Yellow |
| Commoner | White |
| Empath | Green |
| Moon Mage | Gold |
| Necromancer | ?? |
| Paladin | Blue |
| Ranger | Black |
| Thief | Violet |
| Trader | White |
| Warrior Mage | Orange |
Filled levels
- glows faintly and wavers slightly
- glows faintly
- glows a pale (color), wavering slightly
- glows a steady pale (color)
- glows strong (color), wavering slightly
- glows a strong and steady (color)
- (no response when overfilled)
The Orb Myth
There is a prevalent myth about experience leaking from a favor. This most likely originated in the confusion with cambrinth orbs that leak mana.
Favors will never ever lose experience that has been placed inside it. The perception of "leakage" comes from when multiple orbs are filled simultaneously. The orb size is based solely on the number of favors and circles you have at the time of rubbing it.
If you have two orbs both at maximum experience and place one on an altar, the second orb will expand and need more experience since you now have more favors.
The same is true with departing. If you have an orb that is partially filled (based on the look) and die and depart, losing one or more favors, it can potentially be full when next rubbed.