Horizons Play Day - Episode 2

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From last episode:

Through the threshold, the group was greeted by an awesome sight - the floating isles! What will happen to these guys? Can they survive the dangers of standing near the edge of an island that is suspended hundreds of feet in the air? That tale is to come.

Now... wait for it...

Episode 2!

The awesome sight. It's awesome!

Actually... the group wasn't greeted by much of an awesome sight. Araman, as per usual, was scared out of his wits, and required a "gentle" shove by Atomics. After much struggling and screeching, they really were greeted by an awesome sight.

Before them, were two islands suspended in mid air, with torrents of water streaming off each. Several exquisitely carved arches spanned a large walkway and bridge leading to of into the distance. It was unlike anything they had seen before! In fact, they themselves were on such a floating island!

So, as you can probably guess, it was time for some explorations. Nevir, being the fearless type...

Araman: hah, give me a break!

Where does it flow?

Another group of sightseers

...meandered his way over to the source of the water on this island, a torrent streaming down from one of the islands above. This never-ending supply of water has to go somewhere of course, which it does, in the form of a very short river spanning the breadth of the island. As you can probably guess again, Nevir simply had to follow the river to see its destination. At the end of the river, there was (and still is, unless someone decided to dam one of the islands) yet another torrent spilling onto the land below.

Of course, in the meantime, our favorite dragon was still performing a tour of the island, and other things to do in the game. It was soon time to move on. Yet, Nevir was still peering over the precipice. So, being the good man he is, Araman yelled to Nevir that it was time to go. Startled by hearing his name, Nevir lost his footing, and slipped off the edge! (if he were Saris, curiosity truly would have killed the cat...)

Atomics: Actually, he's too ashamed to admit that he slipped off the edge on his own accord...

Don't forget to craft a parachute first!

Racing to the edge, the other two looked over the edge to see a startled Nevir waving up at them from the ground below. Some magical power enabled him to fall without being hurt! (this is only for this "beta" period - whatever that is.)

Anyway, it was time to move on, and there was an impatient dragon stamping his foot. So, it was off to the dwarven capitol of Aughendell! Sight seeing was over.

The city of Aughendell was another of the awesome sights of Istaria. The dwarven capitol depicted the awesome skill of the dwarves in their ability to sculpt anything out of stone, as well as their grandiose style.

Tick tock goes the clock.

The three were taken into the actual city, which, in true dwarven style, is located underground. The first sight to see was the enormous clock ahead of them. It is told that the dwarven clock is perfectly accurate, no matter what may effect time in the world of Istaria (translation: the clock actually ticks at the same speed as time passes in the game world - so if your sundial wristwatch fails, you can always come to Aughendell to stay on time).

Being nearly as craft as gnomes, the dwarves are also masters of many crafts. In many alcoves near the clock were crafters and crafting machines of every sort. From tailors to tinkerers, the dwarves had it all! Being true to their journalistic nature, the group managed to get a couple interviews with some of the dwarven craft masters, and picked up a couple tips. Here's an excerpt of our interview with Fender the tinker trainer:

A very knowledgeable Fender

Atomics: What do you find to be the most 'exciting' aspect of being a crafter?

Fender: For me, I truly enjoy the ability to create some very unique items. With my vast store of techniques, I can also make nearly every item I create quite powerful - and targeted for specific types of people.

Nevir: I hear that you can try your luck at creating items with less resources than what a formula calls for, which reduces your chance of creating a useful item. However, if you create an item with all the required resources, do you ever fail?

Fender: Nope, if you have all the resources a formula requires, you are guaranteed to create the item you desire.

Araman: Do you find crafting repetitive and/or boring at times?

Fender: Sure, we all do at times. However, it is no more boring than going out to hunt some zombies in search of a certain formula. The ability to use consigners as middle men is a quite fun thing as well. You can put your wares up for sale, and not have to worry about a thing! Plus, being a crafter means that you often have more money to spend than those knuckle-headed warriors I constantly see hanging around shrines. And we all love to shop. *grins*

Shhh... it's a secret!

Well, that sure clears up some questions we had about crafting! The three also did a bit more exploring into the depths of Aughendell. After falling off yet another edge (well, railing), Nevir discovered a secret entrance into the dwarven capitol! No dwarven city would be complete without one.

Atomics: This time, I did push him! Buahah

That concludes episode 2 of the adventures of Nevir, Atomics and Araman during Play Day. The third and final episode will be perhaps the most exciting of all! The three are summoned to a very foreboding, and piss-your-pants-scary place. Will they survive? Will they live long enough to be teleported by the dragon, Uilaes, to a quaint town? Will they be able to spend their hard earned cash on a plot of land? Stay tuned, and don't push your friends off railings, even if they do discover secret entrances!

We have also compiled a large gallery of photos to go along with this episode. They are available in two flavors, large and small - and both are wide-screen:
Play Day Episode 2 Gallery - Small (1024 x 640)
Play Day Episode 2 Gallery - Large (1680 x 1050)

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