Hollow Eve Festival 439/Aiding the Merelew
Note: A Hollow Eve ticket is not required to participate in this.
Unstable Ripplegates
To reach the Stone Rotunda, where Arbiter Ceryaen and the Merelew factions are, someone who has already obtained an ecosphere must RAISE it to open a gate. This will create a ripplegate that will open for 5-10 minutes that anyone can use. It takes some time for this magic to replenish, so there may need to be some planning or coordination in these early days as others who don't yet have them acquire theirs. If you DID lose or give away your ecosphere, alas. You probably need to rely on others for now, but maybe not forever.
Opening: With a gurgle, a pool of water quickly bubbles up from the ground and lifts into the air. It begins to spiral, like a whirlpool turned on its side, forming an unstable ripplegate.
Closing: Whatever magic held the ripplegate is no more. The cohesion is lost, and it collapses into a rapidly drying puddle.
The Stone Rotunda
[Stone Rotunda, Gathering Hall]
The circular room is massive and contains several tiered balconies reaching towards the dome overhead. Here, on the ground level, the space is open with only a rectangular stone table at its heart -- a centerpiece viewable from the countless elevated seats in the galleries above. Numerous tanks containing bioluminescent fish, corals and other sea-life line the walls, providing ample illumination for the chamber.
You also see a turbulent ripplegate, Arbiter Ceryaen, Form Shaper Vestaet, Transmuter Zaenen, Preserver of Balance Kixfa, Opportunity Broker Petret and Aluna's Protector Iaxet.
Obvious exits: east.
[Stone Rotunda, Alcove]
Set in a back corner of the chamber, the alcove contains a solid ripplegate that gleams with the light from the tanks set along the walls. The water spirals in an endless loop with the force of a waterfall. The mist surrounding the portal conceals whatever lies beyond it.
You also see a substantial watery ripplegate.
Obvious exits: west.
Tasks
Arbiter Ceryaen can randomly assign you the following tasks. Declining a task results in a ten minute penalty until you can ask for another one. Use TASK command to see these details anytime after you receive a task.
Perceive Mana Task
Arbiter Ceryaen leans on her trident as she says, "The great spider exploded in the seas many years ago, now, yet its effects are still lingering and corrupting our depths. Pieces of it are no doubt washing ashore in your own lands at this point and being dispersed more widely by nature's many servants."
She continues, "The Life Mages of the Trickling Sun, thanks to the resources and sway they carried after your previous efforts, have spent quite some time developing a means of sensing the patterns of this lingering corruption. I can teach this technique to you, if you are willing to assist us. It is an extension of one's attunement to the mana streams -- fear not if such skill is beyond you. Our artificers have developed a tool that can also reveal the auras."
Ceryaen asks, "This is the task set before you. Will you accept?"
Mission
Ceryaen inclines her head and says, "Our thanks." She reaches out and touches a webbed hand to your forehead. A green halo forms, making you wince at the intensity, but it quickly dissipates.
Arbiter Ceryaen says, "PERCEIVE the mana streams around you, and seek the <color> patterns revealed through this technique. When you locate one, SEARCH the area until you uncover the corruption and see to its disposal. Return to me when you have purged <number> or more of these. You may yet find them upon Andreshlew's shores or your own, or even the depths between us."
Walkthrough
You must walk around to different rooms using PERC to perceive different colors of special mana in each room. When you find a room that has the color of mana you have been tasked with finding, simply SEARCH until you successfully find the debris. This may take several search attempts. If you PERC and are told that you are unlikely to learn anything further here, it's because you have already PERC'd that area, and need to move a few rooms away to try again.
Example result from PERC: Employing the technique Ceryaen imparted, you perceive blotchy white mists here and blotchy pink mists below you.
Rewards
After completing some tasks, ASK Ceryaen about ecosphere. You will only be given one: do not lose it. As you continue completing tasks, ASK Ceryaen about ecosphere again to 'upgrade' it, until he tells you it can no longer be upgraded. Once you have standing stored in your ecosphere, you can SHOW ecosphere to the Merelew representative for the faction of your choosing. Your faction choice will determine the title you earn from completing tasks. You can also <ask Ceryaen about standing> to learn about your unpledged and pledged standing.
If you show your ecosphere to a second faction, your standing with your current faction will be reduced by half. This makes it impossible to max your standing with more than a single faction at a time.
| Faction | Merelew NPC | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Depth Shapers | Form Shaper Vestaet | Initiate Shaper |
| Inverted Crucible | Transmuter Zaenen | Tidal Mixer |
| Trickling Sun | Preserver of Balance Kixfa | Depth Preserver |
| Red Fan Traders | Opportunity Broker Petret | Tidal Broker |
| Supplicants of the Tide | Aluna's Protector Iaxet | Tidal Adherent |
Once you have enough standing with your faction, ASK <FACTION LEADER> ABOUT STANDING and you will be given a pendant of chitin scrimshawed with the symbol of your faction.
<Merelew representative> hands you a pendant of chitin scrimshawed with the symbol of the <faction name>. She solemnly says, "This is a great gift, <name>. It is a gift of the seas, but also unique to you and a symbol of the respect the members of the <faction> have for you. It may seem simple, but it may also be of use to you in future visits. Treasure it if you might return to us some day. Do not ask for another if you lose it, for it is equally as disrespectful as asking for another ecosphere."
A scrimshawed pendant reads:
"Earned by <name>, visitor to Andreshlew and friend of the <faction name>. 439 A.V."
Note: 600 is enough standing to fully unlock your ecosphere, receive your title, and be given the pendant.