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Asherons Call: Tapuaua's Throne of Destiny Vignette
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On Thursday night, February 17, Turbine Inc. and its publicity crew held a party which served, I think, as the official start of the marketing campaign for AC2: Legions and for AC1: Throne of Destiny. It was a small gathering, with perhaps a dozen Turbine people, several magazine representatives, and a few of us from the fansites.
Turbine had several large screens set up to show the opening vignettes from Throne of Destiny and from Legions, turn and turn about. The Throne of Destiny vignette explained how the Viamontians first came to Auberean. The aggressive fighters of Viamont had risen from pirates to near-world conquerors. Led by the evil prince Varicci (rhymes with greasy) made war against a Duke and his warrior daughter. They fled into a portal and Varicci followed, only to find that he and his fighters were trapped on this new archipelago which was bordered by an impenetrable screen of magic. "With the help of shadowy allies," Varicci says ominously, "my mages found the spell" to transform some of his warriors into a powerful elite and, still later, to break. the barriers that separated him from Dereth, and the Prince went forth to war.
AC1 players will have a new level cap of 275. Anyone at 126 with extra XP will find himself leveling on first login with the new pack.
 | In the northern islands there's a high-level area, the Ice Forest, with icy slopes and crystalline branches, and the creatures that attack you are PENGUINS. Little ones slide on their bellies to attack you; big ones cast powerful heavy damage spells. |  |
There are many new armor styles, including one that looks like a tuxedo jacket, with lapels. The devs told the artists, "Give us a new suit of armor," and they did. It looks very natty and has a high AL.
There will be many many new 'rares' in the game, each of a different variety, such that only a few of each can exist in a world at a time.
 [p]The graphics have been entirely reworked, over sixteen hundred texture made anew, and the result is beautiful, Ibn and Jessica showed a scene from the current build of AC, figure in Viamontian Alduressa armor, standing at a crossroads in Glenden Wood, looking at the pretty trees. Then they turned on the big demo screen and showed us the same scenes in the new graphics: the trees, the ground, the road, the starry sky all showing new detail, new beauty. |
 We then visited Sawato, where the swamplands are now a lusher green, the trees leaved in greater detail, and the bamboo buildings now show the place where each bamboo stalk was cut at an angle, and in some of the walls the bamboo has taken root in the damp ground and leaves are sprouting from the eaves.[p] |
 | The starter-town for Viamontians is the royal city of Sanamar, many times larger than any city on Dereth proper; the King's domed house, high on its hill, is the largest building AC has ever created. |  |
I think all players will want to make sure to order the special online pre-order package, the one with the bonuses: note that these are not available for order yet (the one listed on Amazon.com, which you can preorder now, is only the ordinary pack). Those ordering the special bonus pack-Turbine will announce when it becomes available-will receive two bonus gems in their inventory on login. One increases your health by 10% temporarily; the other buffs your armor by 30 points.
There will be special boons you can achieve later in the game, including one that gives you an extra pack in your inventory. Jessica pointed out that it will cost two billion XP. Wouldn't you pay 2 billion XP for an extra pack? I would, if I had the XP.
It's going to be a beautiful new world with nasty new enemies to fight. Sharpen your senses; and your swords.
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