Character Creation Process
Getting to Know Your Character
--Attributes
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Realm Navigation
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Rules
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The first and most important thing about pking is that at some point in your travels, whether you are young and inexperienced, or a grizzled veteran, you will be killed by another character. Remember, this is just a game. Do not take it personally. The immortal pantheon understands that the adrenaline starts pumping when your character's life is on the line. And they also understand that no one likes to lose. If you end up dying and feel angry at the person who killed you, just try and take a couple of deep breathes. It is just a game, all that happened is that text on a screen changed their location. Many disputes have spilled over into real life verbal fights because of a death in the game. If you just keep your cool and not take your death personally, you will be doing your part by making the Dark Mists atmosphere more relaxed and thus, more enjoyable for everyone who participates.
A second important fact about pk'ing is that it is not only permitted, but it is also encouraged. Pk'ing is a very important part of Dark Mists for several reasons. The first, and probably, the most important, is that pk'ing is needed to get that powerful sword or rare helmet. You see, there are many objects in the world of Dark Mists that are rare, even unique in their number. Thus the only way to possess them, is to kill your neighbor for it. This is an acceptable and often used method of acquiring powerful artifacts. However, do not think that just because pk'ing is condoned that we allow for rampant, non-roleplayed kills. On the contrary, we are very firm in the next rule.
All pk's must be roleplayed or be part of the
character's ongoing roleplay. Rampant, out-of-rp pk'ing is not only
unacceptable, it is against the rules of
Dark Mists. The lands of Dark Mists are a place of roleplay and experience,
how can one possibly experience any rp if unrestricted pk'ing is allowed
with no interaction between protagonists? Should you decide to go and
kill un-restrained with no rp interaction with anyone, the immortal
pantheon will come down very hard on you.
The third fact that you should keep in mind deals with actual combat. If you try and use the system to your advantage by dropping link to avoid being killed or to avoid being hunted, you would be breaking a rule of pk'ing. Dropping link to prevent yourself from dying is despised by both players and the immortal pantheon alike. Players and their characters are encouraged to report such offenders, and should they be caught repeatedly doing this, their punishment will be severe, anywhere from the loss of life and clothing to the denial of the offending character. It is highly recommended that no players take part in this..
In addition to the above rules, there is some information you should know about how pk'ing is figured out and who it is you can pk or be pk'ed by. Only those characters who are of the 10th level or higher can pk. This is designed to protect the youngest characters and give them a chance to grow and learn more in their guild before they have to fend for themselves. Once at level 10 anyone who is within 30% of your experience point total, both above and below, will be in your pk range. You can easily recognize someone who is in your pk range by the (PK) flag before their name. This flag will appear only if you are able to see the person and if you use the where or who command.
It is impossible to directly pk someone that is not in your pk range. There is a single exception to this rule and that is the House Justicar. Their guards are able to strike anyone who has been labeled a (CRIMINAL).
Keep in mind that there are some places you can pk freely and some places where you must be careful who you attack and when. The land of Thera has many different lands and with many different people living among them. Be careful who you pk and where, because a denizen of the land may help you or may attack you, depending on several factors. And this help or hindrance can turn the tide of a battle.
One last thing, pk'ing in groups is acceptable in Dark Mists. We do not punish those who use numbers to gain tactical advantage over others. If you are not strong enough to kill someone alone, what better way to bring down a superior foe than with numbers? There are a number of organizations that follow a code of combat in one form or another, but it is not required that everyone follow it. This is a roleplaying game as much as it is a pk'ing mud, you are free to choose your own destiny and the rules by which you wish to live.
