9/9/2022 at 1:57
Ictinus, the Architect
Everyone
The Akkari Class + Ascended Duamvi Subrace!
Following the sacred communion with the Angelic Triad, the intervention of Ael'mael, the ascension of the Exarchs, and their subsequent transformation from duamvi into ascended duamvi, the Akkari class is now available as part of the Templars Guild!
Akkari is a mirror of the Praenomen class, and, before I get into the specifics of the class skills and such, I have a few important points to make.
Vampires are one of the core parts of Aetolia and have some of the most intricate mechanics. While we have worked hard to come up with suitably thematic mirror equivalents for all of the various different aspects of vampire gameplay, there are some minor changes that were necessary in order to preserve the theme. This will be reflected as you go through the AB files and start figuring the class out.
With that in mind:
- The mirror of the vampire subrace is an ascended duamvi. HELP DUAMVI STATS has been updated to reflect this.
- Akkari are ascended duamvi, and thus you must be a duamvi to become an Akkari.
- The Akkari equivalent of nightstalkers are ASPIRANTS and Aaranu is able to make someone into an Aspirant. (ASK AARANU BECOME ASPIRANT
* NOTE: For lore reasons, you will still need to first become a duamvi before you can ascend in full.
- Akkari, like vampires, do have to still manage and spend blood (to clarify a lore point, blood and spirit are heavily intertwined); use of the DELIVER and EXORCISM abilities will be of interest here.
- Upon death, instead of assuming a mistform, ascended duamvi revert to a state of ascended consciousness.
* Instead of earthmelding, they must anchor themselves back to the Prime by INHUMEing in the earth until the light provides them a new body.
* DIFFUSE MIST becomes APPEAL TO SANCTUARY for ascended duamvi.
- In place of bloodlines, Akkari have chains of command; these mechanically obey the same rules and ability-access as bloodlines.
* This hierarchy is only for the branch of duamvi on Prime under command of the Templars. The native duamvi have a separate hierarchy of their own.
- In place of a Primus, the head of the Akkari hierarchy is known as the Grand Crusader.
* This is a separately elected guild position within the Templars.
* To elect the first Grand Crusader, CONTEST VACANCY AS GRANDCRUSADER OF TEMPLARS. Subsequent contests can be done using the current position holder's name.
* Only ascended duamvi can hold this position.
- Sires become Superiors, and Childer become Subordinates.
- Direct Superiors or direct Subordinates are always the next 'link' in the hierarchy chain.
- Superiors and Subordinates may also be used to refer to anyone in that chain.
- For Akkari, blood rituals are now PRAYERS, and can be carried out before the pyre of the faithful at v73479.
- Instead of sunlight damage, ascended duamvi suffer physical pain and maladies from the dark star, and only at night.
* Like vampires, this is negated if your blood level is high enough.
* The Illumination Blaze and Subterfuge Light skills can also negate this, as well as the Light artifact power.
- Where vampires gain special proficiency in scythes, Akkari may now use the twin-bladed manta.
* These are now available to make in Forging.
- In place of coffins, Akkari use holy icons to sanctify a location as a sacred bunker. These icons can be made by jewelcrafters.
- Akkari do not raise minions from the dead but enlist living sentient beings as squires in their holy crusades.
* This is only possible in certain 'good-associated' areas, details of which can be found in AB DISCIPLINE RECRUIT.
- Similar to how Praenomen works, if you are not an ascended duamvi while holding the class, your skill ranks will be capped at Skilled for Ascendance/Dictum and Inept for Discipline. You are effectively considered an Aspirant again.
Some lore points:
- Native duamvi from Spirit are more heavily in tune with spirit in terms of body make-up than Primal duamvi. This is why native duamvi are susceptible to the dark star while Primal duamvi are not. It is also why natuve duamvi can use Akkari abilities but Primal duamvi cannot.
- Becoming ascended for a Primal duamvi gives them a greater font of spirit, allowing them to properly utilise Akkari abilities, but also leaving them susceptible to the dark star if their spirit falls too low.
** New characters selecting Akkari as their class upon creation will be made into duamvi. Much like vampires, you will need to be properly evangelised (embraced) in order to become an ascended duamvi in full. **
Lastly before I move on, is this: THERE IS CURRENTLY NO 'CURE' FOR BEING AN ASCENDED DUAMVI. THINK CAREFULLY BEFORE CHOOSING TO BECOME ONE SINCE BECOMING AN ASCENDED DUAMVI CAN HAVE ROLEPLAY IMPLICATIONS DUE TO THEIR ABUNDANCE OF SPIRIT.
- - -
With the skills of Ascendance, Dictum, and Discipline, Akkari are soldiers in the grand armee of the light, zealous warriors of spirit capable of wielding the holy light to supplement their incredible martial and mental prowess. In battle, Akkari dictate afflictions into the minds of their enemies while wielding the twin-bladed manta and enacting incredible miracles using their own spiritual lifeforce.
The skills translate in the following ways:
Ascendance - Corpus
Dictum - Mentis
Discipline - Sanguis
Nianvi at v11390 is currently the only denizen tutor available for Akkari skills. Learning from players is unrestricted.
HELP AKKARI RP and HELP AKKARI HIERARCHY are available for your perusal, as are HELP files for each of the three skills, and learning messages which may be of interest!
While some abilities are directly shared between the native class and this mirror, most (particularly in Ascendance and Discipline) are entirely distinct and a significant departure from the original theme. I'd encourage reading all the helps and the AB files in order to get a full grasp of what we're aiming for with it!
Sharing the class, particularly with veteran players, can be done via the EVANGELISM ability in Discipline. This will make an existing duamvi into an ascended duamvi and grant them the class in the process. There are no limits on how many people you can evangelise.
Artifacts for Akkari will be available in the next few minutes for your enjoyment:
- a radiant ingot (hunt_akkari1-3); for hunting
- a holy icon of the sacred flame (artifact_holyicon); mirror of artifact_coffin
- a banner of the Dauntless Host (spirit_bind); mirror of blood_thin (NOTE: This power and its mirror will work mechanically with either class, the difference is purely flavour.)
- a book of holy scripture (swift_sect1-3); mirror of quick_path
- an amulet of the dawn (nightbane); mirror of sunbane
- a holy ciborium (spirit_preserve**); mirror (sort of) of corpse_store
** The spirit_preserve power has some different functionality to reflect the differences in how minions (squires) are raised (recruited). See the AP INFO for details!
As always, while we've done a lot of testing behind the scenes, please report any bugs or typos right away through BUG or TYPO respectively.
The release of mirror ???? is underway and will be concluding tomorrow!
As a final note, the number of maximum class slots has now been increased to 16 following this release. These are the same cost of 500 credits to obtain as other slots beyond the 10th.
Enjoy!
Penned by my hand on Quensday, the 5th of Haernos, in the year 504 MA.
An aftermath:
The Capstan Bedroom.
Several pale-salmon colored rugs are spread throughout the room, adding a touch of color to the otherwise plain wood floors. The walls themselves are white panelling, broken up by the dark colored beams that form the underlying structure of the Inn. Set against the north wall are two oak armoires, complete with decorative brass anchors set within each door. Between the two armoires is a vanity that faces a modified ship's wheel, the center portion now home to a circular mirror. Sitting beneath the vanity is a keg, a leather-covered cushion added to it, forming a stool on which to sit on. Within the central portion of the eastern wall is a large window that overlooks a garden behind the Inn. Hanging on either side of the window are various drawings of ships, a map of Delos as well as a oaken shelf with a sailing ship in a bottle perched upon it. Along the southern wall is a large bed, crafted from oak. An ocean-toned sofa sits here, back curved and seating fat.
You have emoted: It's good, that it's gone. No more reminders. No more squirming, blood-covered, mewling thing, bound to draw attention everywhere Taye goes with it in tow. No more people with eyes she'd like nothing else than to personally reach out and pluck, anything she could do to protect herself from their filthy pity.
You have emoted: It had been bad enough, her staggering journey to Esterport and to this suite. He is damnably well-known. Had he been less known, well. There is nothing she can do; nothing she will, not on this matter. The keys she received. The stairs she walked. The room is, for the time being, Taye's, and who cares how drained this will leave her purse?
You read what is written on an elegant white letter:
Dear Taye,
It is with heavy heart I scribe this letter, as it is one that should not have been scribed in the first place.
I wanted to personally let you know how much we regret the loss of Fayaleti Holbrook Hought. The entire city and the Legion joins me in sending our deepest sympathies during your period of bereavement.
I am personally aware of the numerous professional roles Holbrook undertook to support our city, from being Chief Engineer to his term as Senator. Holbrook was also very active within his guild and his Order. He was the first to bring people together and be a positive leader for others to follow. He was a joy to be around, and he was a solid, faithful man, whose fire and fervor inspired many. He had many people who named him friend and who loved him.
We all share in your pain and sorrow. We would like to pay our final respects to one of our best people. He will always be missed. He will be remembered. Spinesreach will be creating memorials, and he will not just be on the one to those who have fallen in this war because of Duiran's actions, but he will have a headstone in the graveyard where he rests so that he may be visited and remembered for the rest of time.
If there is anything you need, please don't hesitate to reach out to Spinesreach. We stand with you.
Deepest sympathies,
Kanivara Sor'Tirivan Inkh Kwille
Iveti wo Ozidmu Chairman of the Secretariat
You have emoted: We stand with you. Nobody stands with her. Nobody can. They sit, happy and safe in their homes. They sit, offering platitudes and some perhaps thankful prayers, thankful that blood has watered a forest and a realm. Taye does not care to learn more. Spinesreach is not her city.
You rip an elegant white letter in two and throw away the remains.
You have emoted: Taye does not need to reach a hand, for the umpteenth time, into that useless pocket of hers. The accursed thing still rests there - anaxagorite and suncrystal, gleaming, glorious, forever a taunt, a thing she cannot destroy as she would meaningless written words.
You have emoted: And so Taye simply laces those coal-dark hands. Family of flesh has failed her, and twice; why not, then, send up an incense of a novice prayer to one God she had spoken with? Distant creator, Divine curiosity, Patron of a place she does not call home?
I am not of Your chosen city. It's possible I will not be for the foreseeable future. I care not for cities and constructs; I wish for something I may focus upon. It might bring diversion, much-needed, in the face of a change I never asked for.
You will be hard-pressed to make a zealot of me. All I wish is to understand, and be anchored.
I don't know what Your right hand will say. To him I ought to speak, no doubt. I... thought I should let You know.
You have emoted: She should be rising. Should be taking pen to paper, write him, as she'd prayed she would. Letter-spots of watercolour bloom and spill, the kind she would eagerly rush to the Lyrist's shop to buy - brimming with news and sunshine twinklings, far, far back and for her beloved. Taye closes her eyes, and grows still.
You have emoted: For where Taye saw jewels in the blossoming paints now there is only pain, and a man she shall not write to again, even should she live a century and more.