AVALON Visited by Angelina the Dangerously Sane Last month I left my temple in Gods and went to visit Genesis, the Creator of the world of Avalon. I landed at the Meeting Place, where a wood opens out into a secluded glade with warm sunlight streaming down into it and lighting a mossy plinth in the centre. Several tree stumps, polished smooth by the passage of ages past, surround the plinth. There is a serene tranquillity here which lifts the cares of the land from your shoulders like a blessings from the Gods. After a short time spent looking at the myriad of HELP files, I was divinely transported by the fathomless will of Genesis to the Cave of the Trees, where I met and and talked with him. The original creation of Avalon was by Genesis who had the idea and who wrote it. As time passed he was joined by Alderon now the God of Life, then by Astrea later the Goddess of Wisdom and finally by Elatar the God of the Stars. They all helped to create the world that is now Avalon. More time passed and then they were joined by Pendragon, Geolin, Cornelius and Myrkul until at last they felt that Avalon was ready to receive its populace. Genesis told me he had based Avalon on ancient Greece and that the land is divided into three main areas. To the northeast is the Orc City, the Dark Hill and the realm of Myrkul the Lord of Darkness and who is a fallen God. In the centre is Greenwood, a buffer between Mycenae and the dark forces. Mycenae, the white- walled city of the good people is far to the south of the land. King Theseus and Queen Cassandra rule there, assisted by the Town Council who are elected by the players. Beyond Mycenae is the Southern Sea, realm of Marianina, Goddess of the sea. Players in Avalon can choose a patron God and can also choose, if they wish, to become a member of a Guild. The benefits of having a God as a patron are pretty obvious - a little protection from a high-level persona makes life a lot easier, I would think. You have a choice of several and which one you opt for depends on how you want to play Avalon. Genesis is the God of Time. He admires courage and bravery without injustice and the fathomless poetry of the living world. He would be the idea patron for those who aim to achieve honour and glory, not only for themselves, but for the world around them. Elatar is the God of the Stars. He admires courage and depth of character and the ability to see beyond petty struggles. He would be an ideal patron for those keen on furthering their horizons, broadening knowledge and following the path of the stars. Marianina is the Goddess of the Sea. Her followers are piercing in thought, quick and philosophical. It is said that she first taught mankind the beauty of song. Pendragon is the God of War. He admires bravery, honour and the fighting spirit. Pendragon would be the ideal God for those who enjoy bloodshed and honour through combat. Cornelius is the God of Magik. He applauds the knowledge seekers, the mighty and those out to gain glory. He would be the ideal patron for a Mage seeking to unlock the secrets of great power and dominance. Alderon is the God of Life. He abhors violence instead choosing to nurture life and further the cause of the living. Players who do not wish to fight and spill the blood of others would find him their best choice. Astrea is the Goddess of Wisdom. She is a caring patron, treating her followers with respect and love. She would be right for the wise, friendly person aiming to achieve without trampling over others. There is yet another deity, a dark force known as the Master. He lives in the Void and holds dominion over those greedy of power. You must remember when choosing, that each of the Gods and Goddesses have their own merits. Each has a positive outlook. The choice of Guilds is just as varied and it's not necessary that the Guild you select should have your patron God at its head. There are Guilds of Magicians, Alchemists, Animists, Healers, Warriors, Astrologers, Bards, Templars, Rangers, Thieves and Smiths. Guild members recognise each other by certain items of clothing which they wear at all times. As a member of a Guild, you learn and are taught the various skills possessed by that Guild. Death in Avalon is not a simple matter of losing points and then returning to the game at a lower level. When you die, your spirit returns as a ghostly form, haunting your corpse until another (live) mortal can perform the ceremony of reincarnation upon you. This is not a simple matter, it requires that your body be taken to the Waters of Life in the Temple of Alderon. The spell itself is long and complex. In ghostly form your magikal essence will begin to dissipate, so it's essential that you have a number of allies prepared to perform the reincarnation rite upon you when your spirit calls. In Avalon you have the ability to own objects and keep them from session to session. Instead of simply dropping things and therefore losing them when you Quit, you keep many objects until your next game. These include all weapons and goods you may have bought from the shops. For instance, you can commission mighty weapons from the Town Smiths and keep them, although this will cost you a goodly sum in gold. On Trader's Way in the city of Mycenae is an Estate Agent where you can buy your own house. It's important to have a place of your own for here you are safe and you can store your goods and possessions until you need them. The house can be as small or as large as you wish, it's limited only by your own imagination. You can also go into commerce and have your own shop or tavern or whatever you wish. One of the useful things you can buy is a Steed (I think that this doesn't necessarily mean a horse, presumably this too is left to your own imagination). Steeds are useful for combat and in travelling around the land. You are advised to leave your Steed somewhere safe when you leave the game otherwise you may never see it again! Well, that in a very shortened version, is what Genesis told me and I've been back a couple of times to try to get a feel for the game as well as talking to other players. It's a very complex game with over 2000 locations, which can be played in many different ways. This makes it quite difficult for the new player to understand what exactly they're supposed to do. There are puzzles to solve which will bring you the necessary gold, although compared to the number of locations there aren't a lot, but new puzzles are continually being added. One nice thing - time spent on the game increases your score so that, as a bewildered novice, you don't sit on the bottom levels for ages. I'm also told that Avalon becomes more difficult as you progress through the ranks. A fairly large part of Avalon is dangerous, full of orcs and trolls but mainly confined to the northeastern part of the land which you can avoid until you become more practised. I'm also told that it can be a very violent game with some very bloodthirsty players. As in all Mugs, it's the players who make the game and if there is a preponderance of people who enjoy killing other players then that's how it will play. On the other hand an alliance of peaceable folk can change the way things are. Avalon has been running since August 1990 and is young as a Mug, so that the fact that it's a bit prone to crashing is no surprise - most Mugs go through this in their early days. It is London based and will play at 1200/75, but plays best at 2400 baud. It has currently, 6 lines and the number to call is 081 968 0333. Costs are: 25p per hour, œ25.00 per quarter and œ80.00 per year. There is also, at the moment, a free 2 hour GUEST account.