The rarely sighted roaming band of merchants known as the Itinerant Bazaar appeared once more in Achaea today, peddling exotic wares from wooden spirit boards to bull mounts to succulent caviar. Having satisfied their eager customers, the merchants vanished as mysteriously as they came.

The grand auction has ended! Check AUCTIONS in-game to see the list of winning bidders.

A spectacular auction has kicked off, with rare and special items up for bid ranging from a vial of never-ending health elixir to a new shop in Delos to a cloak that grants the metamorphosis tracking ability! Enter our realms and peruse the auction items using the AUCTIONS command. All auctions end Saturday, August 9th.

Our July 30% credit bonus sale has been extended until the end of August! If you were unable to take advantage of the sale in July, you're in luck. Furthermore, a grand auction the likes of which have not been seen in Achaea for many years has been announced: rare artefacts such as a never-ending vial of health elixir, a theft-proof safebox, and much more will be up for auction starting on Saturday, August 2 at midnight GMT/5pm PST and ending a week later on Saturday, August 7 at the same time.

The date for the long-awaited City vs City Capture the Flag has been announced! Join your city in a fast-paced, exhilarating 2-hour battle for glory and victory: August 2nd, noon PST/3pm EST/7pm GMT.

A 30% credit bonus sale has begun! See Announce news post #2810 in-game for details.

This weekend, from midnight Friday GMT until midnight Sunday GMT, experience gain from bashing and quests will be DOUBLED in all the Iron Realms! That's 5pm PST/8pm EST on Friday through 5pm PST/8pm EST on Sunday.

The magazine Total PCGaming recently named Achaea the #1 MUD worldwide! From Total PCGaming: "Achaea prides itself on being one of the most popular text-based MMOs in the last decade, offering its gamers a deep role-playing experience."

After years of careful excavation, Duris the archaeologist has finally announced the grand opening of the Chapel of All Gods, restored to its former glory!

A jubilant cry from the Aalen forest brought adventurers to the homeland of the Tsol'aa race. There, they discovered not only that the forest was healing from the lava-born fires that recently swept across Sapience, but a number of previously secluded portions of the small kingdom had been revealed.

The puzzle of the terrible power that drove the river spirit Zaphar to madness was traced to its source: a mysterious nightmare spirit named Nomku whose influences in recent times have run far and deep, causing havoc everywhere dreams may touch. The investigations of a cadre of brave and imaginative Achaeans followed the mystery of Nomku, ultimately taking them to the Dreamrealm itself to discover the true nature of Nomku's power and to help overcome the nightmare spirit once and for all.

As a benevolent gesture to a town known for its industriousness, the god Phaestus sent the mechanical automatons from his temple to assist in the reconstruction of Delos, making swift work of the repairs.

Driven mad by some strange and malignant power, Zaphar, the Old Man of the River, sent a flood crashing down upon the town of Delos, reducing it to ruins.

A relic held by the Wardens of the Cerulean Spire, the broken Sword of the Mountain King, was made whole by a wandering Dwarven forger named Norfan Bladeshaper. As the reforging was completed, Norfan revealed himself to be Phaestus, the Smith Lord, an Elder God who had long concealed himself from mortal eyes in the shape of Norfan.

A whirling maelstrom of snow blanketed much of central Sapience in snow. Kolyartus the Blizzard, a powerful ice demon from the far north, was discovered to be the cause of the sudden climate change, having somehow broken free of his prison. His ice-demon minions wreaked havoc, rampaging through the snowfall and slaying countless Achaeans in their path. Finally, a special spear wielded by Agrias of the Sentinels of Nature brought down Kolyartus, ending the blizzards.

Sailors upon ships may now deep-sea fish off their decks, reeling in enormous catches the size of which have never been seen on land.

The Mayan-crowns-incentive credit sale has been extended through the end of the week, Sunday May 4 GMT!

Congratulations to Lhydium and Falgorn, tied for first place in the recent Delosian Game Quiz. Kail won 2nd, and Delphinus 3rd. The theme for this Quiz was "Achaean Word Puzzles".

In celebration of April, Adventurer Appreciation Month, we have begun a 10% bonus on all experience gained throughout the rest of the month! The first half of the month granted a 10% bonus on all gold drops.

April is Adventurer Appreciation Month! For the first half of the month, we are raising gold drops by 10%. For the latter half, we are increasing experience gain by 10%. Enjoy! Furthermore, we are offering special incentive gifts for purchasing credits during this month, ranging from personalised stationery kits to Sceptres of Aqueous Mastery to dragonskin packs. Read Announce news post #2754 in-game for details!

Concerned by the recent resurgence of chaos in Achaea, the long-absent goddess Lorielan has returned.

Achaea bids farewell to Eris, Goddess of Chaos, whose long-laid schemes have at last come to fruition: her experiments in time travel combined with the chaotic essence she drained from Babel, former god of chaos, have led to her departure from this realm completely towards an unknown destiny. However, no end is without a new beginning. With the destruction of the Living Spire, a reborn presence unveiled itself to Achaea: Babel, God of Oblivion has risen!

A strange seal found in the lair of the tentacled monstrosity was destroyed this day, releasing the ancient chaos god Babel. At that very moment, the Goddess of Chaos Eris revealed herself, absconding with Babel and draining him dry of his essence in fulfillment of her long-laid plot. Triumphant, the Goddess vanished from sight, leaving the followers of Babel in shock and despair.

Equipped at last with the Eye of Golgotha, a mighty foci of Chaotic power, several members of the House of Occultists worked in concert to channel a great storm of rainbow-coloured light above the Living Spire in the midst of the Savannah, visible across the continent early in the month of Mayan.

Appearing in the wake of a tentacled monstrosity's savage attack on the village of Tomacula, the Aldar Han-Silnar, long ago banished to the Crystal Plane for his part in the Great Betrayal, was confronted by his brother Han-Tolneth. Quickly reaching an impasse, the two men were heard exchanging cruel insults when suddenly a forest of crystals enveloped Han-Silnar, whisking him away to an unknown destination.

With a roar of triumph, Ashaxei, the legendary white dragon, proclaimed a new age for the Greater Dragons of Achaea as the skill of Dragoncraft was unveiled.

A bloated corpse and other strange debris washed up near Tasur'ke today, leading captain Haldor of the Luminescent Moon to patrol the waters beyond Sapience's northeastern shore. The voyage led him to the discovery of Colchis and the Port of Umbrin, two islands embroiled in an ancient war.

Atlantia and the members of the Ivory Mark announced the opening of the Ivory Tower deep within the Sangre Plains. The opening ceremony, alas, was marred with blood by a surprise onslaught from the Quisalis, leaving a crimson stain on the occasion.

Heralded by a most unexpected announcement, renowned architect Lukia DeGage revealed to the peoples of Sapience the details of her latest project: the building of a bridge to span both sides of the Great Southern Road as it crosses the churning waters of the Pachacacha River.

Newly opened for exploration by Sapience's youngest members, Mount Gheladan, the lair and home of the copper dragon Lasuna, was unveiled in the wee hours of the night on the 22nd of Phaestian, 472AF.

On a missive from Maklak, the infamous ice wizard, Zydain, Shimra, Lodur, Laytron, and Chani trekked across the relentless, frosty plains of Sapience's northern tundra, making all haste. Working together, these five members of the illustrious Crown Merchants House soon uncovered the frost-bound, xenophobic settlement of Hriddan, nestled within the shadow of Isaia's western mountain range.

The strange band of travelling merchants known as the Itinerant Bazaar appeared in Sapience today, peddling foreign and exotic wares ranging from dartboards to crocodile-skin quivers to enormous mount-trained vultures. After doing brisk business, the wandering bazaar vanished as mysteriously as it had arrived.

Nestled deep within the craggy peaks of the Northern Vashnar mountains, the decrepit, fouled edifice of Creville Asylum was discovered by proponents of Light. With the aid of only an injured nurse recently escaped from its maddening confines, Kruellagh, Ellodin, Beatrice, and others successfully uncovered Kortoxian's greatest secret in a race against the Mhaldorian task force determined to stop them.

In an attempt to quench the fires of zealotry, seekers of Chaos summoned Lord Taug to destroy the burning pyre at the Chrysalis Basilica in Shallam, where karmic texts and related items have been discarded of late. Their efforts led to a momentary victory, though the pyre was relit days later by a Divine ray from the Sun.

Locked in a hidden shrine deep within Xhaiden Dale, a mysterious athame dagger sought by the Church as well as the Occultists was recovered to the Chrysalis Basilica.

Construction continues in the Sangre Plains on a tower for the Ivory Mark, thanks to a generous donation from the king of Arcadia and the assistance of Champion dragons Griffel and Sobriquet.

The 25% holiday credit bonus sale has been extended until the end of January 21st, 2008!

Ashtan has won the latest game of City-vs-City Capture the Flag, assuring their ownership of the Effigy of Victory until the next CTF! Congratulations to Ashtan!

Deep within the choppy ocean waters off Sapience's southwestern coast, the island of Tuar was discovered by Logistics, Ashlog, and several other members of the Sentinels of Nature, as well as Moragaine and Genwin. Their journey was precipitated by clues revealed in Vixen, the Sentinel House tutor's most recent dreams.

A tavern at the Port of Tasur'ke has just opened, serving a variety of seafood dishes and drinks for sailors and landlubbers alike!

In keeping with the holiday season, Logosmas decorations and goodies are available at the newly relocated Festivities Annex in New Thera.

An open call for new Celani has been posted! Find out if you have what it takes to become a God.

A 25% holiday bonus sale on credits has begun today, lasting until end of the day GMT on January 1st, 2008! Purchase 100 credits and receive a 25-credit bonus; purchase 1000 credits and receive a 250-credit bonus; and so on!

For nearly an Achaean year, strange dreams haunted the sleep of Achaeans, sometimes crossing the threshold between dream and reality and manifesting in life. The phenomena intensified until early in the year of 466 AF, adventurers began dreaming of a child cradled in the boughs of a tree. They realised that this was surely a representation of the child-god Pandemonium, son of the union of the god of War and Chaos, long asleep within the nurturing branches of the Eileithyian Tree. Surmising that it was his dreaming causing the chaotic ripples in the Dreamworld, mortals were able to bring him out of his deep sleep, and he awakened finally as Pandemonium, God of Strife!

After a long and bloody four years, the war between the city-states of Ashtan and Shallam has come to a conclusion with Shallam conceding defeat to Ashtan's greater military might!

The young Achaean named Caramia came upon a fisherman who had been swept out to sea. The tale he told led the seafarers Inuad, Asara, and Schisstae, in the ship Aristeia, to venture far to the northwest of Sapience. There they discovered, off the coast near Saoghal, the island named Eirenwaar!

The world of Achaea swam in turmoil today as a plague of undead descended upon the realms, a result of the machinations of the Magisterion, three powerful liches of death magic. With the help of the spirit of Pryla'ka, a Tsol'dasi Priestess of Life unseen since her death in the Death's Heart Saga over two centuries before, Achaeans were able to thwart the Magisterion and return the balance of life and death to the world once more.

The time of Mayaween has arrived to the realm, and the ghostly house of horrors known as the Griesly family manor has once again made its appearance northeast of New Thera. Mayaween decorations, candies, and costumes are also freshly stocked in Delos, so get your hands on them while you still can!

A series of islands called the Ilyrean Isles have been discovered in the Borean Ocean off the far northern coast of Sapience! The isles' namesake, Ilyrean Isle, is an island of desolate tundra within which are caves inhabited by a white-furred giant race called the Sakuwats. The first Achaean to discover this island was Loscann Ze'Dekiah, captain of the ship named Luminescent Moon. Only one other of the isles appears to be inhabited -- Suliel Island, discovered by Inuad Stormsong Cholla'Yi, in the ship named, appropriately, the Icedancer.

After learning the contents of an ancient scrap of parchment discovered by the archaeologist Duris, Priyer, Ryzan, and Infinious followed the note's hints to similar documents, all hinting towards a mysterious prison to the north. Requesting passage on a ship owned and captained by Daeki, and later joined by Aviolana, the adventurers traversed brutal waters and searched long and hard before finally discovering the accursed ruins of Tenwat Prison.

Fifteen years after the assassination of Lord Makarta, Atlantia, former princess of Arcadia, has undertaken his position of gathering members for the Ivory Mark!

A new type of ship called a Windcutter is now available for commission at the harbour on the Eastern Shore, a smaller, less expensive vessel than the previously available Thalassian seastrider.

The 5th Annual Delosian Game has concluded, and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners are Istiria, Zeyfer, and Tievel! Congratulations to all.

Reviving age-old conflict in the recent crusade against Chaos, the cities of Shallam and Ashtan are officially at war.

The first ships capable of being sailed by adventurers have arrived in Achaea at long last! Thus far, the crews of ships have discovered four new islands in the vicinity of the continent of Sapience - Zanzibaar, Clockwork Isle, Tapoa, and Zaphar Isle. Captain a ship and sail around the world!

The Iron Realms 10-year anniversary essay contest has been judged, and three Achaeans have placed in the top ten, winning credit prizes! Congratulations are in order to Auralys, Spudd, and Linus, who placed 2nd, 7th, and 8th.

Congratulations to Ashtan, Bastion of the North, for their victory in the Ten Year Anniversary City vs City CTF!

First through fifth place winning tickets in the Ten Year Anniversary Lottery were held by Istiria, Fanris, Skarash, Firey, and Hyperlith, who won 1000, 800, 600, 400, and 200 credits respectively! Congratulations!

The weekend of our ten year anniversary is here! We're kicking off with a series of arena and worldgames on Friday and Saturday for credit, gold, and other prizes, and on Sunday will be a Treasure Hunt, Tumble Races, Quizzes, a City vs City game of Capture the Flag, and the Ten Year Anniversary Lottery drawing! Don't miss out!

A Lottery in honour of our upcoming 10-year anniversary has opened, with 3000 credits in prizes! The grand prize winner alone will win 1000 credits, so buy your tickets now!

Lead-up celebrations for the 10-year anniversary of Achaea and the Iron Realms continued this weekend with a series of arena games for credit prizes! There were six games in all, and those who placed in the top five in each game all received prizes. First place in each game were: Freezetag - Cooper; Bait-the-Frog - Kaje; Levels 10-29 Free-For-All - Toan; Levels 30-49 Free-For-All - Voy; Levels 50-79 Free-For-All - Brimir; Levels 80-100 Free-For-All - Griffel. Congratulations to all!

Two weeks ago, the Dreamrealm was shaken as Aegis, God of War, ordered His army to enter the realm of Valnurana, Goddess of Sleep and Dreams. The army's goal was to reach Aegis' sleeping son, Pandemonium, but they were unprepared for what they would find beyond the material plane. As a result, nearly all were lost in battle, and the powerful daemon Noxuron was unleashed upon the world. Bystanders were afflicted by a series of disorienting visions, which were only recently alleviated by members of Valnurana's order, and the global effects of these events remain to be seen.

Congratulations to the 1st through 3rd place winners of the Third Delosian Game - Jhui, Jaizsur, and Kruellagh!

Compete in the Third Annual Delosian Game, held on the 16th of Mayan, 457 AF (today, Monday, 7pm US Pacific, 10pm US Eastern, or Tuesday, 2am, GMT).

Come take your shot at generous gold prizes, or the special winner's prize for first place only!

Sorry! First through third place winners in previous Delosian games are disqualified for this competition.

The 10th anniversary celebration continued today with a Bandersnatch world event with nearly 700 credits given away as prizes!

The second annual Delosian Game was held this Mayan, with special sponsorship by the esteemed Chroniclers of Lore, who organised an Achaean Quiz for the occasion. Acting as Grand Inquisitor was the chronicler Imyrr, and the winners were, from 1st to 3rd place: Misty, Jalet, and Blujixapug! Congratulations to all three.

Tharos, the Announcer of Delos, announced the beginning of the annual Delosian Games, a competition to be held in the month of Mayan every year, with prizes. The first of the Delosian Games was held today: a special riddle with a twist. The first through third place winners were Saltaern, Delphinus, and Jaizsur!

In a surprising turn of events in the Underworld, adventurers turned their efforts toward helping the unicorn under Lord Ugrach's control, just as the Undead ruler was about to stabilise his power over the Soulbleed Nexus. Guided by the muted seer Apollonia, they succeeded in freeing the unicorn of her binding to Ugrach, dashing the Magisterion's hopes of ruling the Underworld. Angered but not defeated, Ugrach declared himself the victor, and soulbleed began to coalesce at his nexus once more.

War rages in the Underworld as the dread Magisterion vie to wrest power from its sovereign, Lord Ugrach! The aid of adventurers to either side can tip the balance. Meanwhile, a long-unseen mute oracle has made a mysterious appearance in the Underworld, her presence somehow tied to the only living unicorn, an ethereal creature currently under Ugrach's control and coveted by the Magisterion.

Early on Friday the 13th, the notorious Mhaldorian Naga, Tenebrus, achieved what had not been done in well over a century: the raising of the Spawn of the Unnameable Horror.

Your chance to become a God and join our pantheon in the Garden of the Gods has come... an open call for Celani has begun! For those who wish more creative authority over the realm but are yet reluctant to leave the mortal coil, we are also accepting applications for mortal builders. Read news post #2538 on the Announce board in the game for details.

Duels in arenas across the realm may now be held... TO THE DEATH! Combatants now have the option of challenging each other to duels in arenas that end in real death for the losing party.

Another way to customise your character's roleplayed presentation in our world even further: you may now set your character's voice or accent!

Achaean communication has entered a new level of expressiveness today -- adventurers can now add any of hundreds of adverbs to their speech, allowing you to "sing softly", "say derisively", "whine pedantically", and much much more!

A number of player-requested changes have swept the realm, including the ability for organisations to claim manuscripts so that any of their members can edit them, the ability for Bards to use their accentato ability upon denizens, the ability for city leaders to join citizens in matrimony, and much more!

Confronted by a sudden influx of sewage that polluted the river in Actar and caused the river nymph Naiad and many halflings to fall ill, Bodo, the halfling guard, turned to the adventurers Cazarin and Somather for aid. Soon a small party was formed and, with Finchy at the lead, they scaled a previously unexplored peak of the Southern Vashnars called Mount Piraeus, where they discovered a small settlement of reclusive cyclopes whose faulty sewage system had begun leaking into the river.

A number of updates and additions to Achaea were announced today, including a new drinking horn artefact that replenishes itself with liquor, added functionality to the SHEATHE and DRAW commands, and bugfixes and updates to numerous abilities!

Three new artefacts have been unveiled: Anake's Hood, Shackles of Garash, and the horn of plenty! The Hood protects you from those who would eavesdrop on your conversations, the Shackles give the mass-salve effect when worn, and the horn of plenty continually replenishes itself with delicious comestibles.

The Year 450 Land Auction has concluded, with seven plots of land sold for a total of 83.5 million gold sovereigns!

The city of Cyrene, with their allies from Shallam, has won the City vs City Capture the Flag!

Hermann Schmidt of Bagwar's Copse announced a Year 450 Drinking Contest in his tavern today! The last one standing (literally) was the satyr named Latus, who won for his inebriatory prowess a neverending flagon of darkbrew!

Congratulations to Blujixapug and Delphinus, the winning riddlesolvers in the Year 450 Master Riddles!

A strange disturbance in the Western Ithmia led to the uncovering of the hidden forest of Sparrow's Rest! Charms employed by the Sentinel Andante brought down the magical screens that had concealed a small group of ornery druids originally from Eleusis.

JAIZSUR has been named as the Champion of the Year 450 Games! The Staff of Nicator, symbol of divine favour and mortal excellence, has been bestowed upon him in an awards ceremony formally closing the Games.

VELDRIN has won the Year 450 XP Competition, and DELPHINUS has won the Year 450 Quiz! Congratulations to both!

The Year 450 XP Competition has begun! It will last until 7pm GMT Sunday, May 13. Good luck to everyone!

Making a clean sweep of all three of the Year 450 Championship Games so far, Jaizsur Ta'sa has now won first place in both the Tumble Races AND the 2v2 Combat Tournament! Congratulations also to Jhui, the other member of the first place team in the Combat Tournament.

The Year 450 Lottery winners have been drawn, and HAWFELD has won the grand prize: his choice of 2000 credits OR 0 USD! Congratulations Hawfeld, and to our other lottery winners, 2nd-5th place: Musicia, Keryden, Razool, and Dalavan!

The artist Vinci of Delos announced a Tattoo Competition in honour of Year 450, offering as prize a free PERMANENT magical tattoo! Seventy different adventurers submitted their decorative tattoo designs, and a panel consisting of Vinci, Frida of Caer Witrin, and Zigfrey of Cyrene judged the entries. The winner: Delphinus Windancer, with his tattoo design of the Morning Star and Abbadon, the Destroyer!

The shocking murder of a woman in the small town of Petra led to the discovery of a strange item called Anake's Hood by a Druid named Eurulis Lighthawk! The properties of this hood are yet a mystery...

Year 450 is here! We kicked off celebrations with a Treasure Hunt giving away gold, herbs, even artefacts ranging from daggers of reincarnation to eagle's wings! The Year 450 Lottery has opened and winning tickets will be drawn on Friday at 6pm GMT. Check the full schedule for details, and happy Y450!

The Year 450 Bandersnatch is over, and JAIZSUR has come in first place, earning 12 Y450 Championship Points! Paine and Delphinus came in 2nd and 3rd, winning 10 and 8 points for the overall Championship respectively. Congratulations to all in the top ten, who all earned Championship Points and credit prizes. The next two Championship Games are the Tumble Races and the Twins Combat Tournament, with the Races beginning next Friday 7pm GMT!

Our current 15% bonus credit sale has been extended until the end of May! Happy Year 450 all!

The Year 450 grand prizes for the lottery and the Championship Games have been finalised. The grand prize ticket holder of the Year 450 Lottery shall win a choice between $500.00 USD and 2000 in-game credits! The overall winner of the Championship Games shall win a choice between $700.00 USD and 2500 credits! Good luck to everyone.

In honour of the Year 450 celebrations, we will be holding the second-ever land auction in Achaea, giving prospective landowners to bid for housing plots outside of city subdivisions for the first time since 2004! Read announce news #2448 for details.

Every 50 years sees a grand celebration in Achaea to commemorate the fall of the Seleucarian Empire to the Sapient League and the rise of the Modern Age. The preliminary schedule of events for the Year 450 celebrations and Championship Games has been posted! Thousands of credits will be given away as prizes during these celebrations; you will NOT want to miss out on the fun. Furthermore, a game of City vs City Capture the Flag has been announced as the grand finale to the Year 450 celebrations. Cities, prepare yourselves!

A peculiar assortment of merchants breezed into Sapience this month, setting up their tents east of the Shunai Bridge and hawking a variety of unique wares, from edible hot peppers and rare flowers to specialty leatherwork and exotic steeds. The items were quickly snapped up by buyers and collectors, and after a short day's work, the vendors vanished as mysteriously as they came.

In an unexpected and stunning conclusion to recent events, Mithraea, Goddess of the Sun, long imprisoned in a faroff plane, has triumphantly returned!

A series of mysterious events involving the destruction of the temple of the Goddess of the Sun and a child hidden on the Isle of New Hope culminated in the attention of Agatheis, God of the Elements returning to the prime material plane! Achaea welcomes back Agatheis!

A 15% bonus on purchased credits has begun and will last until the end of April! Enjoy!

Lord Makarta, figurehead for the Ivory Mark, was brutally murdered while attending a wedding in Delos this month. Adventurers linked the assassination to the Quisalis Mark, soon discovering a network of caves beneath New Thera, where the organisation has begun extensive construction.

Earlier this week, a mystical seed containing the essence of a long-lost forest fell into the diabolical hands of the buckawn witchdoctor of Forest Watch. In his lust for power and revenge against the eternal enemies of the buckawns, the dryads, he transformed the seed into a weapon and released swarms of giant beetles upon the Ithmian forests. It was not until the witchdoctor was relieved of his corrupted weapon that the plague abated and the seed's power was used to cleanse the forests.

The untimely death of an elderly peddler to the snow tiger Grimlath near Caer Witrin today saddened adventurers and denizens alike. Furthermore, due to the unavailability of his specialty art supplies, the town's artists Frida and Anais have announced that they will no longer accept commissions from customers. The unidentified peddler will be buried at the Caer Witrin cemetery.

A great plume of smoke, a sudden scream piercing the air, and an explosion of deafening proportions in the main room of the Crystal Leaf Inn preceded the mysterious materialisation of a strange shaman. Disoriented and with no clear idea of where he was or how to get back to the place whence he came, he sought out the aid of several good-hearted adventurers. Following what there was of his vague memory, they helped him find the way back to his home: the previously lost and forgotten village of Bitterfork, in the deep northwest of the continent.

With help from unexpected quarters, the House of the Crystalline Circle managed to reach the spirit of their loyal House tutor, Ariela the Wise, lost deep within the Dreamrealm. Conducting a powerful focusing ritual, seven determined members of the Circle aided Ariela in drawing a star crystal from the Dreamrealm and awakening with it in material form. With the star crystal, they were then able to heal the rift in their long-damaged Master Crystal!

An impressive gathering marked the premier Festival of Light in the City of Shallam this Scarlatan. Representatives from the Houses of Shallam, orders of Good and Light, and the Holy Church of Achaea showcased their organisations in the public celebration.

Invitations to Shallam's upcoming Festival of Light were sent out today, marking the inaugural flight of paradise birds as part of the city's revamped postal service. The festival, scheduled for Sunday, February 11 at 8 p.m. GMT (3 p.m. EST and noon PST), will showcase the many facets of the Jewel of the East, with free food and drinks provided!

A plume of smoke was seen rising above the Western Ithmia today, apparently the result of an experiment gone wrong by a mage named Gaderian, who lost his staff in the process. After searching far and wide, an adventurer by the name of Hyano found the mage's staff and returned it to him. Gaderian then returned to his home, a lake within the Western Ithmia, leaving the previously lost way to Lake Narcisse open to the world.

While searching the grounds of Adryn Keep for a missing child, adventurers came upon a previously unexplored stretch of ocean along the coast of Sapience: the Eastern shore.

We're giving away over TEN THOUSAND credits in our "Stress the Server" event, Saturday, the 6th of January, at 18:00 GMT (6 pm), or 10 am US Pacific, or 1 pm US eastern). Come to our hour-long free-pk egghunt where every single person with a score at the end will get credits, and a lucky few will win even more - as many as TWO THOUSAND credits to keep in the real Achaea! Read here for more on the beta server. or READNEWS ANNOUNCE 2402 in real Achaea!

Fondly termed "Anarchaea", a public beta server is currently in operation for Achaea! See this page for details.

Our holiday credit bonus sale has been extended through midnight GMT January 15th, 2007! Happy New Year, Achaea!

Today we released our official Achaea quick start guide! It is online now (from anywhere on our site at www.achaea.com, look under Help along the left side of the page), and will be available for download in multiple formats soon.

Merentesh, stylish proprietor of Sundries of Delos, recently placed numerous new items in stock for the season:

• Scented candles,
• Logosmas Envelopes,
• Chocolate Sovereigns, and
• Logosmas Stockings (free, custom stitching service!)

Not to mention holly, mistletoe, draydels, and candy canes usable as weapons!

Following the release of four mysterious elementals from the House of the Crystalline Circle in Shallam, unstable catastrophic occurrences swept the realm, ended finally by the the exiled forest spirit Propasia's rebirth as the goddess Artemis, the Wrath of Nature!.

A holiday bonus of 20% is being applied to all credit purchases until midnight GMT on December 31st! For example, if you purchase a 1000-credit package, you will receive a bonus of 200 credits. Happy holidays, everyone!

The Bard class has just received a significant update, including several new abilities such as Songbirds and Limerick, the ability to Tunesmith their songblessed rapiers, and much more!

In honour of Player Appreciation Week, we are gifting a 30% bonus to all experience gained in Achaea until 01:00 GMT Sunday (Saturday evening for those in the US)!

As occurs near the time of every Mayaween, a path to the Griesly family manor, a nightmarish mansion teeming with fiendish horrors, has been revealed.

We hereby declare this week Player Appreciation Week! To show our appreciation, we've gifted 20 bound credits to every single player who has been in the realms in the last 30 days. Furthermore, until 11:59 PM GMT, October 31st, we are having a 15% credit bonus sale! Lastly, for 24 hours starting midnight GMT on Saturday and ending midnight GMT on Sunday, we will give a 30% bonus to all experience gain! See Announce news post 2372 for details.

An open call has been announced for new Chroniclers for the Archives of Achaean Lore!

The famed explorer and cartographer Delphinus has contributed a splendid new illustrated world map for the edification and enjoyment of all Achaeans!

In anticipation of the coming time known as Mayaween, Merentesh of Delos has begun stocking his shop with costumes both traditional and new, as well as other Mayaween goodies.

Two new systems based upon the principle of mutual consent, Friends and Rivals, were unveiled today! The friends system allows you to befriend others, granting you and your friends new features such as notifications when your friends enter the realms, while the rivals system allows you to hunt down your mutually acknowledged rivals without mercy!

Following a concerted effort amongst three of the major city-states of Achaea -- Ashtan, Eleusis, and Shallam -- and their allies in a devastating retributive strike against the city of Mhaldor, all three of the Icons of the Houses of Mhaldor have fallen, crumbled into dust.

The House tutors of the Wardens of the Cerulean Spire and the Spirit Walkers were found unconscious, around the same time that those of the Shaman and Runewarden classes discovered that they had mysteriously lost their power to sketch runes! When revived, the tutors revealed the forgotten history of Runelore: the story of its original loss in ages past, and the secret of what must have recently caused it to sicken once more. With the tutors' help, the practitioners of Runelore were able to restore their art to fullness, in the process rediscovering five runes lost long ago, Runeblades, and more!

A troop of triton warriors were noticed wandering along the roads. The tritons, wary of "landwalkers" but in need of help in navigating dry land, grudgingly let it be known that they were on a reconnaissance mission to locate an oceanic city last known to be off the western coast near the Northreach Forest. With the help of a group of adventurers guiding them, the tritons finally came upon the coastal location where the city was supposed to be. Climbing down treacherous cliffs descending into the ocean, the tritons and their guides found there the ruins of the underwater mermic kingdom, Phereklos!.

Congratulations to the city of Shallam and her allies, who triumphed in the worldwide battles of Capture the Flag on this day to secure for the City of Light the prized Effigy of Victory!

All of Achaea raises its voice in welcome to Vastar, the Skylord, who graces the realm with his divine presence once more!

The elderly ornithologist Ignatius was found lost in the bog near Ashtan, on his way to procure equipment for an unlikely mountain-climbing expedition. Excited by the sight of black cranes he had seen flying into the Northern Vashnars, the elderly gent was determined to see them up close. With the help of a cadre of adventurers, especially his climbing partner Arcani, he scaled the mountains and found his way into a hidden valley long isolated from the rest of the world: Xhaiden Dale!

The discovery of an injured scout on the Raphaelan Highway ended in tragedy when the scout perished from his wounds, but not before he had given away the general whereabouts of his home, the long-secluded Adryn's Keep. Iocun was the first to find the hidden path to this feudal estate off the river Zaphar, harried of late by a group of evil bandits and thieves.

After a period of nearly 2 Achaean years, the solar eclipse was finally ended today with the shattering of the protective dome around Slith, Prince of the Undead Legions, who had been causing the fixed planetary alignment. Though Slith decimated the Achaeans amassed against him before his escape, the realm is graced once more by the light of the sun.

A stumble in the darkness cost Titania, the Queen of the Dryads, a precious gift of jewellery from her beloved King of the Fairies, lost down the river Zaphar within the belly of a silver-backed fish. With the assistance of the Old Man of the River, friends of Titania gained access to previously unexplored segments of the river Zaphar and finally found for the lovely Queen her ring.

A lone ebon-maned nightmare appeared today on the Sangre plains, hunted by a colony of numerous giant white bats intent upon her demise. After the bats were slain through the efforts of many, a net previously used to capture the nychtaur became a silvery bridle for the nightmare, who appeared to be heavy with foal. She was led away to the safety of the Temple of the Moon, but later fled back to the Sangre.

A ritual performed today by Aerilius, Priestess of the Solstar along with five Achaeans, Goldberry, Silas, Zenui, Najara, and Aneevah, revealed a glimpse at a different face behind that of Tavarius, the mysterious man behind the ward of power causing the current eclipse of the sun! Unfortunately, the ritual failed in its ultimate goal, leading to a backlash that tragically took the lives of the ritualists.

The fearsome nychtaur was finally captured by the Order of the Moon, including Kaixis, Apollodorus, and Elizabeth, and the beast's mysterious origins revealed in an exciting saga involving the return of the goddess of dreams, Valnurana, and the god of death, Thoth. Still, the triune eclipse of the sun continues to shroud the world in darkness, with no end to the perpetual night in sight.

Following a daring rescue of the ferryman Nate, battling tempestuous seas and sea monsters brought to the ocean surface in the long eclipse, adventurers have made a new discovery: the seaside village of Ka'doloki!

A strange glowing door, hanging in midair, was stumbled upon by an explorer named Entaro. Those intrepid adventurers entering the door found themselves in an endless hallway, surrounded by doors leading to countless and farflung destinations. Later, it came to light that the door was the result of a failed attempt by the wizard Hycanthus at opening a portal to try to end the eternal night.

A triple eclipse of the sun has cloaked the realms in darkness, the triune eclipsing planets locked in orbit with the sun by a mysterious power!

A covey of explorers assisted a Jaruvian fisherman in escorting his young daughter to a monastery upon a secluded isle in the waters off the Peshwar Delta, bringing back word of the beautiful Isle of New Hope to the mainland.

Upon this day, the Gods of the Church of Achaea gathered to bequest upon the Church the Codex of Light! May this Codex, like the Holy Codex before it, illuminate the path of the seekers and champions of the Light.

Sheltered within the Shamtota Hills, the mining town of Nimick has deliberately concealed itself from the world at large for many years. This state of affairs has now ended, and the villagers' rebel faction leader has revealed its existence and whereabouts to all.

The disappearance of the rascals in the town of Tasur'ke led to a search by concerned adventurers. To the relief of all, the young troublemakers were soon found frolicking in the kitchens of a lavish manor in north Tasur'ke, the home of a suspiciously wealthy family named Aurick. Aurick Manor has now opened its gates to visitors.

A relaxing haven for explorers of the world to rest their feet between expeditions, the newly constructed Wander Inn has opened its doors in New Thera, including an exclusive members' only area open to only the greatest explorers.

Barak D'Nichliz, dwarven Lord of the Undercaves of Blackrock, was noticed acting suspiciously. His strange behaviour came to a head when he ordered Blackrock's commodity shop closed down. Investigating, a group led by Iocun of the Mojushai of Cyrene puzzled out the spell holding sway over Barak and broke its control over him. Along the way, they discovered the Caves of Delmarin, populated by a half-snake, half-human race called the Dyissans!

A riddle posed upon the pages of the Holy Codex showed the way to bring to life the dragon shrines of Pentharian, God of Valour. Led by Atanamir, the Platinum Dragon, they opened a portal in the heavens to free Pentharian from His long-time imprisonment by the formidable undead prince Slith. Pentharian joined His power with that of Lorielan, Goddess of Knowledge to heal Tarah and return Her to corporeal form. Welcome home, Pentharian!

A ritual interrupted by a malicious vision results in a catastrophe, severely weakening Tarah, Goddess of Harmony and Compassion, who has taken refuge within the divine artefact known as the Holy Codex. As the pages of the Codex fade, the fate of the Goddess is in question.

The Nishnatoba Deadlands were revealed today - over four hundred rooms of desolate wastelands upon which are scattered the Icons of the great Houses, a savage battlefield of unprecedented scope!

In an unprecedented show of might and discipline, the armies of Evil have recently destroyed both the Icons of the Empyreal Assembly and the Guardians of Light!

Recently announced, the Houses of Achaea will now be able to choose from a plethora of new options for their internal governments, including such choices as leadership by triumvirate, elected autocrat, dictator, or oligarchy; fixed term lengths; the appointment of successors; and more.

Mhaldor struck more at the City of Light, kidnapping the young maiden Irilan from Shallam. The soldiers of Light stormed the city of Evil, throwing themselves against the battlements time and time again in their efforts to reach the hapless girl. In a dramatic conclusion, the vizier Altarius rescued Irilan, but not before the ordeal had managed to leave deep marks upon her.

The forces of Mhaldor, City of Evil triumphed after a bloody and drawn-out battle, destroying the Icon of the Crystalline Circle. Despite valiant efforts by the members of the Crystalline Circle and their allies, the Icon of the Crystal Mirror shattered and fell under Mhaldor's grim onslaught.

The lachrymose wailings of a ghost in the Black Forest stirred compassionate adventurers to his aid. Searching for the ghost, Jalet I'sasome was the first to discover previously untouched sections of the Black Forest.

Some time later, a hunter was found on the Prelatorian Highway, badly mauled by the very beasts he had been trying to hunt. A group led by Bleak and Swishowski helped the hunter, Garian, retrace his way back to the long-lost Green Lake.

All in all, it was a good day for explorers!

The Naga Talkaze, member of a small cadre of explorers led by Cypra Lichlord of Mhaldor, was first to discover the hidden Dun Valley Swamps on this day!

Judging for the Iron Realms Poster Contest has ended, and five winners have been chosen! The Grand Prize of $1000 or 5000 credits has been awarded to Imyrr of Achaea. Congratulations to all winners! The winning posters and runner-ups can be viewed here.

A change in the credits system throughout the Iron Realms brings good tidings for all: a 2.5 lesson bonus per credit spent on your character, for up to 1000 credits! That's not the only benefit of the revised system, either. See Announce news #2241 and HELP CREDITS for details.

Maya, the Great Mother has decreed that from this day forth, all Achaeans upon reaching 18 years of age may undergo the Trial of Rebirth within the Flame of Yggdrasil. In other words: Achaea's newbie introduction tour has been entirely rewritten for greater newbie-friendliness within a uniquely Achaean context, as figures from Achaea's rich history guide the new player in a quest to be reborn within the Flame.

Enter the Iron Realms Poster Contest and win up to 5000 credits or $1000 USD! Contest ends February 20th.

The city vs city Capture the Flag has concluded, and the city of Ashtan has triumphed, winning the Effigy of Victory!

The shifting of a glacie