Design Notes

Poison Maker

March 21, 2012

Magic Lesson #3

The nexus next to us

Exploring a world's backstory - its history, lore, and all of the little details which flesh out a land - makes a game richer and allows you to immerse yourself in your character. We don't always have enough time to do that in AQW, which is why I'm so excited about getting to share some of these details with you!

With that said, let the next magic lesson* begin!

Nexuses as Portals:

Nexuses, formed where two or more ley lines cross, do not only act as reservoirs of magic on Lore; they can also be portals to the para-elemental plane of magic. On rare occasions, mages can directly transport themselves to the plane through the manipulation of these portals.

Two of the 4 member-only
Embero Spell** armor rewards!

You may have encountered one of these portals in-game already. If you're a mage and you haven't, then you haven't been paying close enough attention to the pull of your focus stone.*** Legend has it that if a mages looks inside themself and follows the pull of their stone, they will be led towards the nearest nexus. In that respect, it is both focus stone and lodestone.

Event AC rares: Nexus Rift Blade and
Fade Tome and Staff Armaments!

While ley lines are fine for everyday magical needs, if the spell you are attempting requires massive amounts of magic, it would be wise to situate yourself near a nexus. The availability of extra power could mean the difference between life and death. IF you're strong enough to channel it all!

Mana Thief Armor - available in the Event AC Rares shop!

* All magic lessons will be placed in Arcangrove's magical tome after the event is over.
** The Embero Spell transforms a Hero into the form of the creature they most resemble inside!
*** More on focus stones tomorrow!

Misery-loving Magical Monsters

There are many monsters in the world of Sarah Prineas' The Magic Thief, but I was most intrigued by the idea of the misery eels. A monster that is attracted to pain and suffering has so much potential, and allows for so many opportunities to completely upset and overturn expectations!

Cysero teaches a baby misery eel the joys of playtime!****

In the event, Cysero studies the misery eels and, as you can see above, one young eel decides to study HIM in turn!

*** Everybody needs a biscuit to wind a piece of string around.

Action Figures On the Way!

We are SO excited about introducing the first-ever Artix Entertainment action figures! They are coming soon and we don't have an exact date for their Heromart and Toys R Us releases yet, but we could not wait to show you how AWESOME they are!

Artix and Sepulchure action figures!

There will ALSO be a limited number of variant figures in Black versions of the armor. Pay attention to these, because DoomWood: Part 2 "Reforging the Blinding Light of Destiny" is starting soon. They will exclusively be available at HeroMart for our craziest players.

Have a great night and don't forget to check out the event page for The Magic Thief: Chaos in Your Veins!

Tags: Alina, Magic Thief, Sarah Prineas, Nexuses, Embero Spell, Action Figures, Misery Eel, Biscuit-based playtime,

Magic Maker

March 19, 2012

Magic Thief Event This Friday!

Chaos in Your Veins... and in Lore's Magic!

Magic, malice, and mayhem... and Chaos! When a corrupted mage in the duchy of Wellmet gets Chaorrupted, the most powerful mages on Lore go missing, but no one knows why. Not until the stars of author Sarah Prineas' series The Magic Thief gets involved!*

Chaorrupt ALL the magic!

* Check out her website here!

Join Conn, Rowan, and the rest of The Magic Thief cast along with Cysero and Warlic as you journey to a new land to save the lifeblood of your home - Lore's magic! Rescue the missing mages and sever Pettivox's connection to the magic of Lore... or NO one will be able to use ANY magic again without being tainted by Chaos!

The Rysa are servants created from pure magic
combined with Pettivox's blood.

We are incredibly excited that she has allowed us to tell a whole new story set in Lore with the characters and land that so many of her fantasy-fanatical fans know and love! We've been in talks about this event since November, and work began in earnest this past January. Since then, I've read and re-read The Magic Thief in preparation for the event, and can't wait to begin the next books in the series!

No mage is safe from Pettivox and Drakath's plotting!

The magic of The Magic Thief universe is surprisingly similar to that of Lore, and so is the rest of its world. Populated by monsters, villains, and more than a few mages, Wellmet is a town where you will feel right at home! (Unless your home is in the slums of the Twilight. Then you'll probably want to move across the river.)

The Sunrise Palace it ain't, but the Twilight slums are
home to many of Wellmet's citizens.

In the Magic Thief event, you'll get a chance to learn about how magic in AQWorlds operates: ley lines, nexuses, and focus stones are all crucial if the mages of Lore are to guide and guard the home they love! Look for a new piece of information on Lore's magic each day until we reach Friday and the event kicks off with a magical BLAST of Chaorrupted insanity!

The Magic Thief Cast of Characters!

Meet the cast of The Magic Thief series and AQWorlds event! Thieves, mages, and nobility... they fit right in with the rest of the characters in Lore!

	Conn Street-thief turned mage A talented thief… until he picked the wrong pocket! After attempting to rob the wizard Nevery of his locus magicalicus – what mages on Lore call a focus stone – Conn became his apprentice and began learning the ways of a wizard. Quick of wits and deft of hand, Conn’s past serves him well as he learns the ways of magic!
	Pettivox Wizard to the Duchess, Chaorrupted Corrupt and Chaorrupted, the wizard Pettivox is not afraid to get his hands – or his locus magicalicus – dirty if it will bring him power. Drakath dupes him into kidnapping many of the most powerful mages on Lore in order to taint ALL magic with Chaos!
	Rowan Conn’s friend, Duchess’ daughter Smart, sassy, fiercely loyal and independent, Rowan is NOT going to sit and sew while dangers threaten her home and friends. A student at Wellmet’s Academy of Magic, she’s ready to use the resources at her disposal to help her friend Conn save the world!
	Benet Conn’s friend, servant to his teacher More bodyguard than street-brawler, Benet is the servant of Conn’s teacher, Nevery. He knows his way around Wellmet and prefers baking biscuits to breaking heads. He’ll help you navigate the town when you first arrive… IF you don’t threaten those he protects.
	Duchess Willa Duchess of Wellmet, Rowan’s mother Guardian of all who dwell in Wellment, Duchess Willa is strong and determined to safeguard her lands. She’s badly served by her court wizard, Pettivox, who cares more about power than protection. She is ready to help those who wish to keep her people and home safe from harm.

Magic on Lore: Lesson One**

Magic on Lore is contained in ley lines, which run across and through the planet like haphazardly-placed latitude and longitude lines. Where these ley lines intersect, there are nexuses of magic which act as reservoirs. There are two central ley lines: the Verix, running North-South, and the Horix, running East-West. To perform feats of magic, a mage must draw on the magic contained in one of Lore's ley lines or nexuses.

** All magic lessons will be placed in Arcangrove's magical tome after the event is over.

Tags: Alina, The Magic Thief, Sarah Prineas, Chaos, Ley lines,