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Messages - Gulnyr

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1
Layonara Server / Coming Soon! Dynamic Names
« on: February 08, 2015, 05:57:10 pm »
I wanted to give the community a heads up on the new system that will hopefully be arriving in the next update. We are going to be introducing dynamic names to the world. What are dynamic names? Well now whenever you don't know a character all you will see above them or when they talk and other events is "Someone". It will be up the characters to introduce themselves to others or for your character to dub that character with a name.Associated commands will be:
  • =c intro
  • =c introparty
  • =c introarea
  • =c dub
To introduce yourself to an individual you use =c intro Plen for example. This will find the closest PC to your PC and introduce yourselves as that name to them. This will then change it so the other character sees Plen instead of Someone. =c introparty The Bird Lord for example would do the same thing but for all characters in your party. The same for =c introarea Feathers for example but it will work on any players in the immediate vicinity. If you would prefer to see someone's name as something else, you can forego their introduction and use =c dub instead. This works on the closest PC to your PC. For example, Connor could be near Plenarius and do =c dub Werechicken. If you have someone dubbed, from that point onward any time the player introduces themselves, it will ignore the introduction and use what you have dubbed them as.This will be a bit confusing at first when everyone is "Someone" but it should gradually get all worked out. You don't have to RP the introduction or dubbing of a PC who your PC knows well enough, just run the command(s). (Though feel free to RP it if you want!)Certain parts of the game world will still use your real name. For example the looter notification shows a Floating Message above the player to anyone that's nearby and can't be personalized on a per player basis. Storage logs on crates will still use the original name. There will be other cases we discover too, some will be fixed, some may not be able to be fixed.We hope this will help encourage the RP aspect of ones true name being held secret if they wish it that way. Also characters can use aliases to some if they so desire. Sometimes we're even confused/forgetful if one of our characters has met another yet, so this should help too. GMs always see your real name of course, but they too can dub you something else if they prefer.  (i.e. =c dub Victim #5) *gm grin*If you have any further ideas or just questions or comments, fire away. This isn't a set in stone update if players aren't thrilled about the idea but we think it will be a really fun addition.-orth
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2
Layonara Server / Version 3.40 is online!
« on: December 26, 2014, 01:20:17 pm »

Version 3.40 is online!

This isn't a very significant update in terms of fixes or additions for players but those will be coming. The biggest change is merging Central and West together and cleaning up the haks. We hope this will make joining up and playing together easier plus it alleviates issues with the cross server portals, horses and other inconsistencies across the servers. It also makes deployment, administration and coding a bit simpler. Should the need arrive to separate them due to performance or other issues then we'll go back to that way but all the other updates mentioned in this post will still exist.

If you haven't downloaded any haks I mentioned earlier you can get them from here in one large rar (the Downloads section will be updated shortly to get each individual hak should that be easier for you):

http://e5bf79fd7133583b11df-dabb80c66fac67c5c4cbee545d8dd728.r44.cf1.rackcdn.com/haks/layonara_haks.rar (914MB)

If you have recently downloaded the big hak I mentioned in the other thread to get a jump on things, you will now only need to get the two below:

http://e5bf79fd7133583b11df-dabb80c66fac67c5c4cbee545d8dd728.r44.cf1.rackcdn.com/haks/layo_ctrlv3r18.rar (346KB)

http://e5bf79fd7133583b11df-dabb80c66fac67c5c4cbee545d8dd728.r44.cf1.rackcdn.com/haks/layo_resr1.rar (6.83MB)

Fixes:

  • Fix vine mine hampering to work properly, also fixed bug where movement speed didn't return to normal on exit

  • Fix some areas in The Deep not being set to Night only

  • Fix River of Darkness vampire spawns

  • Fix Imbue III bug with lighting being 1d8 instead of 2d6

  • Fix Divine Might and Divine Shield to be personal instead of medium range

  • Fix minimaps not being displayed properly in many areas

  • Remove debug messages from grave robber script

  • Fix many tileset quirks/bugs and reasons for crashing

Additions:

    [li]

    Added recipe cards for all devices to crafting merchants[/li][li]

    Added a roulette table to Scamps Mug Inn[/li][li]

    Updated icons for spell immunities to show which immunities instead of a generic icon[/li][/list]

    Other updates:

    • Tweak AI on many creatures to be a bit smarter. This started with some of the creatures (Shadows in Storan's Crypt and Vampire Weavemistresses) not doing anything and became a larger effort. Be warned that creatures might not act the same as you're used to. 

    • Server will now preload all houses which have furniture in them owned by players who have played within the last two weeks. This will curtail lag spikes during play and instead puts a bit of delay on server start up instead

    • Developed logic to exceed palette size without crashing DM client by removing non used items from the DM Creator palette only (but not from the module). DMs can no longer use the creator for Creature Items (Skins, Slams, Claws etc), Deeds and Demon Cards. You can still create these by command but I don't see why you'd need to. In the case of refunding Deeds for example, just buy them from a merchant as a DM.

    • Moved all dynamic resources into the module or haks

    • Merge both modules into one

    • Reorganize haks to get rid of duplicates and make resource usage more efficient

    Merry Christmas!

    -orth

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3
General Discussion / tl;dr Worldbuilders for Heifer - Donate, Win Stuff
« on: December 14, 2014, 02:17:35 pm »

YAILWAP

Hey people, thought I would toss a thread here in case any books and game lovers want to throw some change into the hat. Tomorrow is the last day of the Worldbuilders fundraiser for Heifer International, and while every year has gotten more attention and numbers, there's still a lot of people who haven't even heard of it, who are exactly the kinds of people who'd be interested in it. I'll treat this like a standard confidence game* and appeal to generosity, first.

Pat Rothfuss, the author of the as-yet-unfinished Kingkiller Chronicles, started Worldbuilders several years back because he had all this new income and influence and thought he could do something. Why he picked Heifer International as the charity of choice, among other things, is covered in the How We Got Started.

Or you could skip the FAQs and check out a video of Pat getting all broken up at his kid beating him to the punch when he tries to be all parently . Should also be mentioned that while the usual face of donations is buying cows, goats, and baby chicks (hi redundancy, haven't seen you since five minutes ago!), it also goes towards things like irrigation pumps, biogas stoves, and training animal health workers, 'cause you know, vets. There's a whole lot more training than milking goats... that said, it's not a fight about which charity is best, or putting one over the other, nor an invite to a debate on the effectiveness of any particular organization (as ever feel free to PM or catch me on IRC for debate, har!)  - ultimately this is the one they picked, and you can win cool stuff ;)

So to continue on in the vein of a sales pitch, to appeal to the shiny-loving right after the save-the-world, it boils down to donating $20  gets you two chances to win in a giant lottery. $50 gets you 5. Etc. You might win a paperback from an author you never heard of, try it out, and discover someone new or find you don't care for it. You could also win, say, a copy of every book published by a particular publisher in the last year. There's pretty much a ton of geekery and swag and games thrown in, as well. The lottery library gives kind of an idea of what all has been donated by different authors, publishers, and fans, but it's kind of hard to get the picture unless you see things like videos of the staff learning to use a forklift to unload a truck full of boxes of donated games, heh. It should also be noted that you don't burn all your chances when you win. Technically if you donated $200, you could win 20 times, even if it is extremely unlikely.

If you'd like to participate but would rather a direct exchange than a lottery, The Tinker's Packs has a lot of things for sale, and all of the money goes to Worldbuilders. There are also a few auctions with time remaining on them, though a whole lot more have already gone.

If nothing else, all the donations this year have brought us things like Neil Gaiman reading Jabberwocky and Strong Bad Writes a Kids' Book as stretch goals.

The direct link for donations is here , make sure your contact information is correct so if you win something, it goes to the right place... because of the massive amounts of donators, there's no email going out to individual winners except in cases where you win something very rare or niche-specific, in which case Pat or someone from the Worldbuilders staff will contact you to be sure you want it and make sure shipping is correct, because nobody wants some one-of-two-hundred ARC signed by some famous author to sit outside in the snow while you're on vacation.

A couple things on that page that could use clarifying even if you've done it before - there are a few new options this year, because it kind of started out as mostly books and author things, and this year there are So. Many. Games. Because not everyone is into board and card games, and also because there are enough OF them to allow you to specify, you can opt to only be in the lottery for books, only for games, or be in for both.

The other question is "Do you want to be included in the drawing for the items mentioned in Patrick Rothfuss's Three Threes blog?" This is basically something that he kinda toyed with last year because the fundraising reach has grown pretty far out from his own fanbase, so things specific to his setting or ...self would not be cool to a lot of people. The things mentioned are a set of his world's currency, stealth copies of his related novella that just came out recently, and a gold favor ring, which has kinda become a tradition of sorts, I guess. The ring is the favor, for whomever physically possesses it. It has his name on it, a nod to some court customs in his setting. You can keep the ring, or you can trade it someday for a favor. Pasta. Move your couch. Put your name in one of his novels.

Now that I think of it, you should also opt-out of further communications by unchecking the opt-in check box if you do not want to be contacted by Heifer in the future. If you don't want their brochures and reminders in the mail religiously, they might as well save the paper, ha.

As a note from me, the time between the fundraiser ending and when possible packages arrive is a few months, so it's best to chalk it up to a good deed done or something and move on rather than frantically checking the mail, or something. You can watch them on facebook if you want the occasional update from staff about their gazillion packages they have to send out. I usually win something or another, but then, no one else in my family has, so... if you really need to know the odds, try checking the little widget at the top right corner of the blogs to see your chances.

If you made it this far, wow! Such dedication. So many cookies! Too bad they are only virtual.

*Psst, not really a con. Not pocketing anything and running for the hills. Just in case. Maybe next time.

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4
Ancients Legacy / Plot status -- 11-Dec-2014
« on: December 17, 2014, 10:23:58 pm »
Rowana and I wanted to give everyone a quick update on the status of the plot quest and what's going to happen over the next couple of months. Also, thanks to everyone who has been involved and actively participating so far.The first and most important thing to note is that there will not be any main plot quests for the month of December. This is primarily due to generally full and/or hectic schedules people have during the holidays. The next main plot quest is currently intended for late January, and we'll get that up on the calendar when we're certain of it.Having said this, in the interim, there will be plot-related happenings serving as backdrop and potentially more information. Also, a few of you have some open threads of investigation...some initiated and some not. If we're waiting on you for information or to start the effort, please get that moving. If you're waiting on us, please PM us. Whatever the case, sooner is better.Lastly, some advice...Please remember this is a group effort. I know that some of your characters are not “team players” (you know who you are *winks*), and that is fine, but I highly suggest, if you are not already doing so, share what you have learned individually and do not, if at all possible, wait until the day of the next quest to catch people up. Likewise, if you are lacking information or wish to get caught up, try and meet up with someone else before the next session. Generally speaking, you'll “succeed” or “fail” as a group. Specific results may pivot on the decisions and actions of individuals, but remember this is plot-level, and the outcome of all of this will impact the world, for better or worse, at the end of it all. A few of you have picked up some important clues along the way. A few of you got some very important information on the last quest session, so, like I said, share.
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5
Roleplaying / Catching up on Worldly Events
« on: September 21, 2014, 04:20:32 pm »
Hi everyone!

I need some catching up on worldly events since...well, a long time ago. Looking for a RP event, ideally on a weekly basis (maybe more), to meet up IG to talk about past events and changes in the world.Any takers?
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6
The Silver Buckle / Equipment & Credit for Food--A Special Offer
« on: August 29, 2011, 06:07:17 pm »
[SIZE=18]EQUIPMENT & CREDIT FOR FOOD![/SIZE]
 
 Your gifts of food to relieve famine-stricken families in the Rohden Alliance will give you valuable bidding power for the
 [SIZE=16][SIZE=18]upcoming auction at the Silver Buckle AND[/SIZE][/SIZE][/B]
 can be turned in at that event or after for
 [SIZE=16][SIZE=18]credit to buy equipment at the Angels Guild![/SIZE][/SIZE][/B]
 
 Donation slips for full boxes of food to The Foundation or to Tilmar/Corsain or the filled boxes will be coin of the realm for the upcoming Silver Buckle auction (// http://forums.layonara.com/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=17974&day=2011-8-30 ). Each slip or box has equal value in bidding on the auction items.
 
 In addition, representatives of the Angels Guild will be at the auction to give you credit for any slips or boxes not successfully used in the bidding. In addition, slips or boxes may be turned in to the Angels for credit from that time through Sunday night. See below for details.
 
 The Angels Guild will follow the Silver Buckle's rules on what is acceptable as donations. During and immediately after the event, all boxes and slips will be worth $2000 credit each. This is offered to encourage more people, especially less experienced adventurers, to attend the event.
 
 To encourage further gathering and donations, the following chart will be used to determine value of items turned in to the Angels after the Buckle closes and before the offer ends at midnight EDT on Sunday, September 4. Donations for the relief of famine in the Boyer Kingdom will also be accepted.
 
 [table=head;sort=1a,2,3] Value for donation| true for each| True per box|
 Nuts| 85| 3000|
 Grains| 28| 1000|
 Meals| 57|2000|
 Flours| 85| 3000|
 Oils| 214| 3000 (14)|
 Fruits| 57| 2000|
 Eggs| 142| 5000|
 Edible mushrooms| 14| 500|
 Campfire fish or meat| 85| 3000|
 Salt| 14| 500|
 Honey| 71| 1000 (14)|
 Milk| 142| 2000 (14)|
 Butter| 200| 7000|
 Non-alcoholic fruit beverages| 285| 4000 (14)|
 Edible spices & herbs| 85| 3000|
 Unlisted edibles| | higher value of donation slip or 500/box|
 [/table]
 
 Value as above, or on the donation slip, if higher.
 Crafted foods like pies, bread, roasted meats = value on the donation slip.
 Inn rations in minimal quantities only.
 No raw meat or fish.
 No dried rations.
 500 credit minimum for any full box
 
 Turn in your donations to any Guild member or by leaving them at our soon-to-be new store at 151 Port Hemstead Fields. You will find the door unlocked and numerous chests set up for your convenience. There will also be a crate of empty boxes with a quill and ink. It would help bookkeeping if you could write your name on each box containing food or donation slips.
 
 [SIZE=18]Please help with the drive to relieve famine in the Roldem Alliance and the Boyer Kingdom.[/SIZE]
 
 Addendum: Acceptable donation slips should be dated 1485 or 1486.
 (Removed pepper to comply with Silver Buckle rules)
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7
Rumour Has It / Activity in the Port Hemp Guild District
« on: July 16, 2011, 11:03:39 pm »
The area around the Foundation Guild hall is buzzing with activity.   While always a busy place, there seems to be more activity than is the  norm.  New faces, some looking bewildered and ragged, others grateful  and industrious bustle around the building.  
 
  Carts arrive bearing fruits of the recent harvest and adventuring souls  deposit donations of grains and other products withing the halls.
  On fine days women can be seen sitting in the open windows, chatting as  hands busily tie bunches of onions into ropes or spinning wheels turn  tufts of fleece into warm wool skeins.  Looms can be heard clacking as  well as the scent of meals being prepared for those working.
 
  Those entering the building would see make shift bunks along the walls  and children darting about under the watchful eye of matrons and teenage  girls alike.
 
  Strong backs arrange supplies and carry barrels and sacks to and from  carts.  Little boys play pirate as they chatter about ships being  loaded.
  Some where in the mix the familiar form of Katrien is seen occasionally  but more often as not it is her burly and jovial foreman Henry that is  directing the organized chaos.
 
 
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8
General Discussion / Happy Birthday
« on: July 07, 2011, 07:22:59 am »
...Symphony Creekskipper!
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9
Layonara Server / Version 3.30.5 is online!
« on: June 08, 2011, 11:29:11 am »
[SIZE=32]Version 3.30.5 is online![/SIZE]
 
 NO DOWNLOADS ARE NEEDED FOR THIS UPDATE
 
Changes/fixes:
  • Adjustments to Kuhl areas and Fort of Last Hope to reflect plot/finale events
  • Adjustments to Audira and a few nearby areas to reflect plot/finale events
  • Adjustments to Parched Hills cave to reflect plot/finale events
  • Adjustments to Mount Thil and Voltrex to reflect volcanic activity
  • Added Siphe Garra
  • Fixed Titanium Enchancement II and III to have correct tagging
That's it!

Oh and in case no one has noticed, there should now (as of the prior reset) be a recipe for Ancient Dire Bear slings.

Enjoy!
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10
General Discussion / Traveling Bard's Tavern Reviews - UPDATED
« on: June 02, 2011, 11:12:42 pm »
[SIZE=16]Soaked to the bone, aching from head to toe, and parched as a desert? You need the warmth of a good tavern, the company of an eye catching beauty, and the flowing spirits of Xeen to recharge your spirit. But wait, what’s this? A bunch of old drunk sailors, drafty walls, and swill you suspect came from the latrine. Well fear no more, the Traveling Bard is to the rescue. This is your guide for finding your tavern, your home away from home. Is it good company that gets you going? Or is it the fine concoctions of a master brewer that you crave? Perhaps you prefer to be pampered and are looking for that unique luxurious experience. Or perhaps it is the melodic hymns of a master bard that is what you are looking for. Look no further, the Traveling Bard will set you straight. Here you will find reviews for all the taverns across the lands, using a unique four stein rating system. No more wasting the night at a hole in the wall drinking swill and waking up on a hardwood floor. The Traveling Bard is your guide to your place of refuge and relaxation.[/SIZE][SIZE=16]

Four Stein Rating System:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16]
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16]Each tavern will be given a ranking between 1 & 4 indicating its quality. 1 is the worst, 4 is the best.[/SIZE][SIZE=16]

?}[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16]                                Best to avoid[/SIZE][SIZE=16]
?} ?}[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16]                        Ok in a pinch[/SIZE][SIZE=16]
?} ?} ?} [/SIZE]
  [SIZE=16]                    Worth a visit[/SIZE][SIZE=16]
?} ?} ?} ?}[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16]                Not to be missed[/SIZE][SIZE=16]

[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16]To come up with a tavern’s overall rating, it will be evaluated in four different areas...[/SIZE][SIZE=16]
[/SIZE]
[LIST=1]
  • [SIZE=16]Establishment[/SIZE][SIZE=16]: The quality of the surroundings, the building, and the accommodations.[/SIZE]
  • [SIZE=16]Food & Beverage[/SIZE][SIZE=16]: The quality and assortment of its various food and beverage offerings.[/SIZE]
  • [SIZE=16]Entertainment[/SIZE][SIZE=16]: The quality of the entertainment. Jukeboxes, pianist, musicians, gambling, etc.[/SIZE]
  • [SIZE=16]Patronage[/SIZE][SIZE=16]: The quality of the folks that you can typically find at the establishment.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16]Overall rating will be an average of all four areas rounded to the nearest half based on The Traveling Bard’s discretion for intangible characteristics.[/SIZE][SIZE=16]

“Eat, drink, sing, and be comfortable.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16]

  -               Courtesy of Flynn de Ballard[/SIZE]
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11
General Discussion / Resigning as GM
« on: May 31, 2011, 04:40:17 am »
It is time for me to hand my GM batch to another.

The plot is nearing its end and the remaining parts are in very capable hands. ;)

So, after more years than I care to count I am resigning from my position as GM in Layonara's amazing Team of GMs.

Before I move on to being 'just' a player I have one thing I would like to ask all you players out there:


At times on quests where you feel wronged or feel that the outcome was not fair, please try to remember why the GMs are here. They are here to make this world around your characters a living and breathing entity that provides you with entertainment and fun. That is the basic idea.

So, instead of taking the fight to the GM and/or the Team, try to consider whether the incident in question is one that your character might deal with in an IC fashion - perhaps that was the intent of the GM in the first place.

Like you, GMs are people and people will walk away if you rattle them enough. After all, they are not acting GMs for their own sake, but for the sake of others.

This was not based on a recent episode or a current situation in game. Please consider this a plea that you might consider in the future. I have seen it happen too many times over the years and it simply burns people out, which ends up making this place less colourful and alive.



Finally, I wish you all the very best of luck and hope that many of you will continue to contribute to this magical place that is Layonara. For me the time has come to move on, although I will probably be around with Kobal now and then.


Kind regards,

Harlas
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12
Wild Surge Inn / Bounty Board
« on: May 31, 2011, 01:28:40 am »
///////////////////////////////////////////////////


It's a big world.  And even the Rofirienites can't be everywhere at once.  (Jennara can be in, at most, five places at once.)  So occasionally, local authorities will place bounties on the heads of those who have evaded the normal agents of the law.

In the theme of Mixafix's Last Stranger Standing, this thread will be the bounties posted by various regional authorities on those that they could not hunt down themselves, and now simply want dead.  When a bounty is placed, an NPC will be placed somewhere in the world (possibly alluded to in the bounty post).  To collect the bounty, a player (or group of players) must find the target, kill them, and return their ear to the authority in question as proof of the deed.  (When you have secured the ear, contact me on IRC or PM me so that the handover can be arranged.)

Be warned, however, that not all authorities are equal, and not all the bounties posted may be palatable to all characters.

Edit: After the first bounty, I had a brainstorm - a format for capture PMs!

Please format your PMs as follows:


Quote

Title: Bounty to Claim

[Name of Target] killed by [Name of Character] on [Date].

[Elaboration, at your discretion.]


Happy hunting!
///////////////////////////////////////////
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13
General Discussion / City Exterior Reskin Override
« on: May 23, 2011, 03:08:28 am »
For those who indulge in such frivolity, here is an override for the City Exterior tileset that I can personally recommend. *cough, shameless self promotion, cough*
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14
Rumour Has It / The End of Hlint's Quarantine
« on: May 19, 2011, 02:02:39 am »
Each person stepped through the portal within the tower, it's magic slipping them from one continent to another at the behest of the taller man in blue. First the halfling lass, then the heavily covered person and finally the man in blue arrived in the wilds. The terrain was a bit choppy and even crag-like in some places marking their location somewhere near the town of Fort Llast. Once a home to one of them, another picked up on their location through other senses and the third recognized much of the sounds that gave a general placement.

 They followed their collective knowledge to find the road. It was quite a bit farther off than he intended, but it was easily reached. Their, not uncalled for, paranoia kept them quiet and moving quickly. It was with a fair amount of relief that they rendezvoused with the awaiting guard from Llast. There was brief discussion about arrangements and concerns about the road ahead. With some assistance from the man and the volunteering guard, the small and covered individual mounted a shared horse. The guard wrapped one arm protectively around her waist though not with any overt familiarity, letting his hand rest on the pommel of his saddle and join the other hand on the reigns.
 
 Along with a scout from the small group of guard, the halfling moved out along the side of the road, scouting in advance of the moving horses. The deep blue coat (for indeed that was what one noticed first) filtered into the horses on foot, his expression somewhat grim. He stretched his senses outward to 'feel' for anything that may give them advanced warning of attack. So too did the woman ahorse, her focus already dwindling somewhat from their long walk. She slouched forward, grateful for the support of the horse beneath her. At some point in the walk, she settled into this steed's gait, different from her own horse's movements but similar all the same.
 

 ********
 

 The halfing slipped down the side of the road in the tall grasses quickly. Every so often she paused, stilling herself in every way and listening. Though the risk was great her small frame was at her command. Her breathing stilled and her heart slowed leaving only the surrounding sounds of nature around her. Though some might laugh at such a notion, the halfling could literally hear the bugs burrowing in the ground just below her feet and the fluttering wings of a bird twenty paces of the tall folk off. Her eyes remained open but she did not bother turning her head for a few moments as she took it all in.
 

 ********
 

 The guard knew this road well, he'd grown up in this area and made more than a few trips between the two Trelanian towns. That those worthless bits of refuge were potentially stalking his road made him angry. He was too disciplined to let it dull his wit or attention however. He took his service to Queen and Country seriously, likely more seriously than some. If he bothered to think about it, he might have realized that this was why he was assigned to this mission.
 
 He paused and crouched low in the grasses, peering around above the grasses, then through them, then down at ground, his mind picking out every detail that he came across looking for signs of passage. He lingered here, taking the opportunity to be extra certain the way was clear until a glance backward told him the riders were close enough for him to move forward again. Grimly he darted forward again, slipping through the grasses with little displacement.
 

 ********
 

 The unit pushed this way, not galloping ahead, but making a fast walk toward Hlint with their sensitive and important delivery. It was within sight of Hlint's smoke plumes that the scouts the smaller scout caught the sound of leathered wings on the breeze. She gave a whistle she knew the Trelanian troops used to signal over distances and pelted back to the main group. He was only a few steps behind her at first but her speed left him far behind quickly. She insinuated herself up to the lead guard's horse and spoke quietly, alerting him to the danger. A few moments later, the other scout returned looking worried and already preparing his bow. The double riding guard quickly began to secure his passenger to his horse, brooking no argument from her. He quietly shushed her and told her that if he fell she was to stay on his horse, that he would guard her to his last breath as much as the other soldiers around her. No stranger to battle herself, she bit down on her words and nodded. Instead she turned her attention to her spellweaving, granting as many as she could her protections.
 
 Behind her the man in the blue coat drew in the Al'Noth around him then around her, their forms shimmering and then winking out of sight. He moved then to offer additional protections to their guards, including the halfling woman, giving her the extra advantage of mage sight as well. The halfling placed herself near the double riding horse and scanned the terrain for the first signs of their assailants. The rest of the group began to spread out on the road a bit. Picking up on the tension of their riders, the horses began to shudder their coats and flick their tails, though the remained firmly in place. Their ears pointed forward than to the side at times, listening for what danger their riders sensed. Eventually, it came on wings. Two at first, winged lizard men with terrifying quickness. They screamed their attack, perhaps attempting to spook the horses and break their formation. Despite the effort the trained horses stood their ground, awaiting commands from their riders. In a moment that is known by many fighters to be both too long and too short, the battle begins. When the drach creatures are within range, bows let loose. Most of the shots go wide of the agile creatures. What connects seems to scatter uselessly off of their hide and armors. Bows are thrown to the ground and the sound of blades sliding against scabbards with a hiss telegraphs to all the guards ready weapon.
 
 Soon the moment of slow build is passed and the first spell is loosed, a force of magic snatching one of the fliers out of the air and dropping him on the ground. Glowing missiles begin to fly free toward the downed beast while the small halfling bats the second one away from the horse and riders with a scary quickness. The riders swing only when the second creature comes into range, not breaking form for now. Another volley of missiles streaks forward from the mages and the first creature seems downed. The second screams in rage and dives into snatch at the mounted mage though only gets a bit of steel for his trouble.
 
 “The rest approach!” the halfling woman calls out in a surprisingly loud voice, her ears picking up the sound of stomping feet. With in moments the battle is in a fever pitch. Screams both animal and human a like fill the air, echoing hollowly over clangs of metal on metal. The horses reared and struck at their foes, swords swung through the air, missiles, magical and not, flew through the air in both directions. The skirmish lasted a mere ten minutes, but the change in the world is clear as the victors stood panting over the bodies of the fallen, living and not.

The taller of the two scouts makes his way through the enemies, both granting mercy and protecting their flanks in small movements. The other scout makes her way granting mercies with bindings and salves for those on her own side. The mounted mage remains so, but the man who had sworn himself and his steed to protect her lay on the ground a distance off, tossed there by the flying assailant. Another guard held the rains of the steed and soothed him, refusing to allow the woman to dismount or take the steed to the rider.


 “It isn't safe for you to go miss,” he told her firmly if regretfully, “We will see to them as soon as possible. For now you stay on this horse and we ride like the Pits open up to swallow us whole.” Tearfully the woman nodded in acceptance but her eyes lingered on the man who she'd known only for a half a day.

 Soon the remaining members of the group mounted up, the man in the blue coat refusing the newly freed mount. As well, the smallest scout refused her mount, much to the incredulous reaction of the offering guard. After a moment he just shrugged, remembering the glimpses of her he'd caught in battle. The man in blue shimmered and winked from sight once again, then the halfling scout did as well. Both nodded to each other as he brought mage sight to her eyes again. The rest laid themselves down low against the necks of their horses and kicked them into movement. The steeds jumped to, more than happy to pelt off and away from the scent of blood and death. They alternated full gallop and fast walks the rest of the way, the blue mage and the halfling scout managing, somehow, to keep pace with them, though known mostly by the few check ins they gave every little while after a round of scouting.
 
 Soon the wooden palisade of Hlint sprouted from the horizon. Not long after they were at Hlint, and the group split at the base camp outside of the town's walls. Within moments the precious cure was delivered to Elohanna's arms for delivery on the other side of the walls. She vanished within the walls after a long look at the those on the outside and a brief nod of thanks to those who watched her move in. A red headed woman lead the man in blue and the small scout away to properly tend their injuries.
 
 A hoot of excitement whipped through the base camp as the news spread. There was a Cure.
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15
The Dragon Storm Campaign / So far so good!
« on: February 07, 2011, 05:25:27 am »
I just quickly want to jump in and say 'good work' to the folks on the Blackford War Council. These guys have really put their heart and brains into this and are planning, communicating and RPing in many great ways.

A big thanks for that - it is a pleasure to watch and see things developing.

I encourage you to share whatever you can with the rest of the server community to keep folks in the loop. It is never an easy choice for the GM Team to restrict things to certain players only, but in many cases anything else would just not make sense at all. Therefore it gets so very important to share information amongst each other in game, on the forums and other media available to you. :)

So, please continue the good work!

Kind regards, Harlas
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16
General Discussion / A Fond Farewell
« on: January 08, 2011, 11:39:05 am »
Hi everyone,

I have to say ... it's been a great run! That said, this post is to let the community know that I have just stepped down as a GM. The decision to retire was actually some months in the making, but I stayed on a little longer to make sure my work with Center rolled out smoothly, and to finish off my last commitments to CDQ requests.

Time. If only we all could have enough! But with my university days over and my full time job becoming more full time by the day, I know in my heart that I don't have the time for the responsibilities of GMing anymore, and it is time to step aside.

My deepest thanks to the community. You are what makes GMing here worth the time we give up. So thanks, for your commitment and passion to the world, for your creativity on quests and during every day roleplay, and for all the support you give the GMs as we try our best to weave stories for you, puppeteer a dozen NPCs at once, and keep the monsters on a short enough leash that you can at least try to solve the world's problems in a non-combative fashion. Mine were always a little unruly, and apologies to whoever they took a swipe at accidentally during a quest. I do seem to recall a few strand refunds during my tenure ... ;-)

I can say with honesty, it has been my sincerest pleasure to eavesdrop on all your RP conversations, snoop through your character's backpacks and leave the occasional surprise, bash you on the head with the XP wand from time to time, and torture your characters through development quests!

Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

~Carillon
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17
Rumour Has It / Response to recent events
« on: December 05, 2010, 11:07:21 pm »
Within hours of messages arriving at the harborside home of the Foundation head, the dockside building springs into action. Men can be seen loading hand carts and a few caravaan wagons with sacks of grain, barrels of salted meat, wine, ale and crates of the first of the harvest apples and root crops. Bolts of strong cloth and staves are loaded into the wagons as women sit on the ends of the carts stiching what looks like tent panels.
 The red headed Katrien is directing the distrubution of materials and the formation of the caravaan. Lightly armored and armed men form up to protect the goods as they leave the gates of Port Hempshire and head north. Rumor is they are heading to the bard's former home town in Hlint as some sort of catastophy has happened there. The lady herself mounts a chestnut horse and rides ahead out of the city and in the same direction after relaying requests to other guild members and friends. A trained falcon flies at her side as she paces her mount over the fields out of the city.
 
 
 
 // The Foundation has a large amount of supplies ready and on their way to the town. Kat plans to head to Drake ahead of the convoy to ask for some of the fall harvest to be sent to Hlint. The armsmen are under the command of NPC Braonan and suitable amount for their hire will be taken from Foundation accounts.
 //any PC's that wish to assist the Foundation please contact me.
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18
Layonara Server / A note on future updates
« on: November 06, 2010, 12:41:47 pm »
Hello Layonara Community,

I just wanted to let you all know that I'm trying something different with the way I've done updates.  To put it briefly, I'm going to try doing smaller, more frequent updates.  Some of them may also be "stealth" updates, meaning that I may not announce them at all.  Others may be quick-fix updates, such as those I have done since 3.30 has gone online.

So what does this mean?

Well, I'm not making any guarantees, but simple changes and quick fixes will hopefully find their way into play more quickly. Also, I'm hoping to keep better pace with plot-relevant changes as well as possibly add some unexpected variability into the world. Such things may not be frequent, as it is still subject to my rather full schedule. However, this is my intent, and I wanted to let you, the community, to know what is going on, so that when you go on your "usual" and find bugbears instead of ogres, for example, you will know why.

We'll see how it goes, I guess!
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19
Layonara Server / Version 3.30 is online!
« on: October 27, 2010, 08:02:36 pm »
[SIZE=32]Version 3.30 is online![/SIZE]

 

 This version is a pretty significant update in some ways, and it also requires new HAK files.  Please note that I've restructured the “control” HAK file into two files: a “ctrl” HAK and a “res” HAK for size and management reasons. You will need to download both of these files as well as the latest TLK file in order to enter the game.


[SIZE=-1]http://nwn.layonara.com/downloads/files/layo_resv3r1.rar (HAK)
        http://nwn.layonara.com/downloads/files/layo_ctrlv3r10.rar (HAK)
        http://nwn.layonara.com/downloads/files/layonara_v24.rar (TLK)
[/SIZE]

(NOTE: the All-in-One HAK has not yet been updated)



 This update contains some initiatives that we've been working on in one sense or the other for several months, and in some cases nearly a year,, and in particular one far reaching initiative that we hope will improve several long-running ills. I'll mention more on this later, but this one in particular is the result of a collaboration between the GM Team as a whole based on feedback and comments from the community.
 

 For expediency, I want to quickly thank the entire GM Team, the Plot Team, the Project Team and the community for their various contributions, and specifically, I want to thank (in no particular order) Script Wrecked, Alatriel, Rowana, Eorendil, Pankoki, Carillon Guardian-452 and mixafix for their more direct contributions and for saving me a load of time.


And now, onto the meat:
 

 Announcing: Center, Brelin Kingdom, Mistone[INDENT][SIZE=16]Once a town of its own right prior to the Dark Ages, the region of land  once known as Center has seen a resurgence in recent years.  The resettling began with refugees fleeing the destruction and uncertainty brought by the tsunamis that struck the west coast of Mistone. While initially little more than a tent city, Center started to become a crossroads in its own right. Its location along the strategic road between Fort Wayfare and points south helped it to become more than just a transient safe shelter for the displaced. Enterprising merchants set up their tents and wagons, finding the trade and commerce worthwhile.  [/SIZE]
[SIZE=16]
[/SIZE]

[SIZE=16]As has often been the story of other towns, an inn was built to serve not only those who ended up staying for a long term but also those traveling along the road. The merchant presence likewise became a fixture, drawing not only a banking presence but also facilities for skilled tradesmen. Merchants migrated away from Fort Wayfare, though this wasn't long lamented by residents, who on the whole felt some relief at having less traffic (and fewer “undesirables” lingering around their town. In keeping with this sentiment, Fort Wayfare petitioned Spellgard to “do something about that portal” in the middle of town.  Spellgard agreed, and a team led by Connor Garvill shifted the portal's exit to Center.  With the added traffic through every means, Center began to truly thrive and become a hub of activity of all sorts.   [/SIZE]
[SIZE=16]
[/SIZE]

[SIZE=16]While still essentially a transient settlement, as it doesn't qualify as a town yet, Center has grown beyond the simpleness of its rebirth into a place worthy of note.[/SIZE]
[/INDENT] To address one of the biggest problems with v3, Layonara once more has a single starting area: Center.  Located south of Fort Wayfare and north of Port Hempstead fields, Center and its surrounding areas represent a complete low-level experience for all new characters.  Its status as an unincorporated settlement (at best) makes it open to all races, even those banned from cities and towns throughout the civilized world.  That is not to say that they're welcomed by all, but there is either tolerance or numbness in those who might be considered residents.
 

 Besides the land mass that is Center, the surrounding areas have been remapped somewhat.  Existing areas have been changed and new areas have been added.  
 

 And of course, there are benches.
 

 Along with this, there is a new entry area, which should help introduce new players to the Dragon Storm campaign.
 

 As with many things, it is better seen than described, so please, stop by and have a look.  We're eager to hear your feedback.  As well, why not submit a new character and experience it through new eyes.
 

And since it is such a big thing, it's worthy of special note that Carillon and Pankoki worked quite hard and diligently to bring the Team's vision and plans for Center to life. It is no small feat they accomplished.



 -------------------------------------------------------------------


With all that said, let's get onto the list...



 

 [SIZE=16]Center:[/SIZE]
 The Center project involves 15 new areas created in or around Center, creating a new hub for the server and completely changing the experience of a first level character entering the game world. Some examples of changes relating to the hub that will help the new character:  
  • New starting     point; characters no longer appear in Port Hempstead or Fort Vehl
  •     West housing portal destination changed from Fort Wayfare to Center
  •     Smaller “Hlint-like” area with benches, facilitating players     meeting up
  •     Safe rest campsite for hanging out
  •     Temple and healer available in the area
  •     New basic craft hall in the area, with merchants available
  •     Conveniently located barn and ox merchant
  •     Low level quests located in the city areas
  •     Message board in craft hall, directing new players to other low     level quests
  •     Low level CNR and spawns placed in areas around Center, allowing new     characters to adventure more easily and safely
  •     Convenient and central bindstone, so older players hanging out can     keep an eye out for newer players and help them reach their graves
  •     New inn with full crafting kitchen, meeting room, and large stage     for player functions and quests
  •     New CNR locations, fishing spots, spawns and creatures in new areas     surrounding Center
  •     10 new scripted quests added. (Most are low level and integrated     into Center, but a few are suitable for more experienced characters)
  •     New Prunillan temple added to West server, in Center
  •     Some merchants and quest NPCs moved from other urban areas to     Center, to facilitate player gathering and usefulness of area
  •     Barn moved to Center from Port Hempstead Fields
[SIZE=16]
[/SIZE]
 [SIZE=16]Other New stuff:[/SIZE]
  • New low-level     undead area tucked away south of Center (go looking for it)
  • New module     entry area on West, replacing The Eye of the Storm area with     something that introduces the plot better. (Note: Characters do not     walk this path in an IC sense. It is more to introduce the player to     the plot and the world's setting.  The information is IC, but the     path is not.)
  • New CNR and     adventuring areas added off of Lake Splendor (you have to look for     them though)
  • Krandor     Hospital guild hall has been added to Krandor [SIZE=10](1)[/SIZE]
  • Dwarven Army     guild has been added to Bloody Gate [SIZE=10](1)[/SIZE]
  • The Coalition     guild hall has been added to the Dapplegreen Tower [SIZE=10](1)[/SIZE]
  • Meeting Room     added to Bydell Castle as a place to learn about and discuss the     Dragon Storm Plot [SIZE=10](2)[/SIZE]
  • “Magic     Mouth” system added.  There are two instances in the Bydell Castle     Meeting Room, and others elsewhere (with more planned).  You'll know     it when you see it.
  • WLDQ Reward     for Daniella Stormhaven [SIZE=10](3)[/SIZE]
  • WLDQ Reward     for Jaelle Thornwood [SIZE=10](3,4)[/SIZE]
  • WLDQ Reward     for Lance Stargazer [SIZE=10](3,4)[/SIZE]
  • WLDQ Reward     for Alandric Vensk [SIZE=10](3)[/SIZE]
  • New poison     type available for crafting: Hallow Wraith Spider poison (causes     chance of spell failure) [SIZE=10](5)[/SIZE]
  • Knight PrC     now available (formerly Purple Dragon Knight) [SIZE=10](5)[/SIZE]
  • System to add     a subrace bias to merchants. This is an initial implementation and     may well change over time. Right now, it's only in effect in     Trelania, and if your character is one of those against whom the     merchants are biased, you'll know what I mean. (Note: This was     requested and done due to semi-recent in-game events and player     actions, so you only have yourselves to blame...and if you think I'm     talking about you, you're probably right. *winks*)
  • Added area     between Lor and Castle Mask to illustrate the distance between them     and the benevolent presence of Raelian forces.
[SIZE=16]Changed stuff:[/SIZE]
  • A few changes made to the Red     Light caverns due to CDQ outcome
  • Rearrangement of some low-end CNR     resourced due to Center and Red Lights
  • Re-tie and remodel of 250 Prantz     to Hurm
  • Re-tie of 260 Prantz to Nith
  • Add mastiff to 117 Fort Llast
  • Remodel of Leringard Arms (121     Leringard)
  • Remodel of 125 Leringard
  • Adjusted/Rebalanced Ice Marches     areas, in part due to quest outcomes
  • Mistone Alliance Scout PrC changed     to Agent of the Realm PrC [SIZE=10](5,6)[/SIZE]
  • Show a few signs of life in the     Hallowlight Forest
  • Add Master Weapon Crafter's Anvil     in Mariner's Hold advanced crafting hall
  • Add Lesser Jewelers Benches to     Creedo and Fort Vehl craft halls
  • Adjust location of trash barrel in     Port Hempstead Hall of Reconstruction
  • Remove Systrian from Hlint
  • Adjust Hlint to follow server PvP     settings rather than being a no-PvP area
  • Add/extend some server logging
  • Add reflections of scabbard/neck     armor customizing options
  • Update/add areas in Kuhl kingdom     to reflect state of campaign plot [SIZE=10](7)[/SIZE]
  • Rename Storan to Shade of Storan     to reflect WLDQ outcome
  • Remove non-functional “metalic”     enchanting bowls from the Lookout Tower
  • Remove (illegal!) scribing and     infusing stations from Prantz craft hall
  • Rename Grannoch temple NPC for     lore reasons
  • Move Temple of Shidaleria from     Lan's Port to Fort of Kings for lore reasons
  • Remove/replace all non-human NPCs     from the Lan's Port Fisherman's Tankard for lore reasons
  • Improve emergency portal in West     and Central entry areas
  •     Merchant Interiors of Fort Vehl, Leringard and Fort Llast have been     updated and made more efficient and user-friendly
  •     Inn in Fort Wayfare downsized and made cozier and more efficient
  •     New roads to Dapplegreen, Port Hempstead, and surrounding areas     created, following Layonara maps more closely
  •     Dark Peaks of the Watcher area outside Fort Wayfare updated and     connected to new cave system
  •     GM Area NPCs set to the Neutral To All faction by default
  •     Some quest areas have been updated and refreshed
  •     Lengthen the amount of time that passes before a permed character is     whisked away by the cut-scene
[SIZE=16]Fixed stuff:[/SIZE]
  • Fix area     tagging in Silkwood Spider Cave
  • Adjust     terrain in The Grand Mountains to attempt to work around tileset     weirdness
  • Adjust     terrain in the Thunder Peaks to attempt to work around tileset     weirdness
  • Place correct     Mithril Golem in the Great Rift: Asunder
  • Fixed     (hopefully!) furniture loading problems for a certain range of     houses on Dregar
  • Fix Citadel     of Toran Enchanting Holy Pool
  • Add missing     Enchanting Holy Pool to Temple of Grannoch on Mistone
  • Close     potentially confusing race condition related to striking a rock of     ore right after a nugget has been broken off
  • Fix Implosion
  • Fix “Point     of Influence” markers related to Arkolio's WLDQ reward
  • Fix     activation and other problems related to Arkolio's WLDQ reward
  • Fix Stort     Pawn Shop
  • Rename     Charles Dawson so that he is from the correct town name
  • Remove buggy     vulnerabilities from certain Plot-specific creatures
  • Remove a     status flag reporting in the combat window when casting Power Word,     Kill
  • Marent's     quest now returns bandages
  • Horses     recovered by the horse merchant should now have their names restored     as well
  • Fix spelling     of name for Cailomel guild hall area
  • Add missing     safe rest areas
  • Journal     entries updated, removing any lasting V3 name change problems and     updating outdated entries (e.g. Haven Mine ogre problem)
  • Fixed     descriptions on statues in Lor due to incorrect references
  • Tweaked     portal code for hopefully better resilience.
[SIZE=16]Notes:[/SIZE][LIST=1]
  • [SIZE=10]New     guild halls are for purchase by their respective guild leaders only.     Anyone else who purchases any of these buildings may forfeit the     purchase price of the hall[/SIZE]
  •     [SIZE=10]The Bydell Castle Meeting Room     is deity-neutral, so paladins of certain deities need not worry     about violating their oaths[/SIZE]
  • [SIZE=10]Please     work with the GM who ran your WLDQ to obtain any material/item     rewards that may accompany this reward[/SIZE]
  • [SIZE=10]These     reward include a custom “skin”, which will be applied on login.      For best results, wait until     resting is possible, rest, log out and log back in the first time     you log in after the update.[/SIZE]
  • [SIZE=10]Details     will be up on LORE shortly[/SIZE]
  • [SIZE=10]Any     current characters with Mistone Alliance Scout levels should contact     the GM team about the options for a partial rebuild.[/SIZE]
  • [SIZE=10]Representations     of the state of Kuhl Kingdom disrupt the route typically taken to     Hilm Castle and The Great Forest (and points beyond).  Taking the     “usual” route will become significantly more dangerous. As well,     there are multiple warnings to this effect in-game, both IC and OOC.      Understand that characters caught adventuring in these areas are     subject to the full consequence that the GM Team can bring to bear,     as would be fitting for the current state of the Kuhl kingdom.  In     addition, the spawns in the Kuhl areas may be overwhelming and     completely unfair.  This is by design, and no Soul Strand losses     will be reimbursed due to the “unbalanced spawn” clause for any     losses in these areas. However, since the GM Team does not wish to     hinder the fun of players by restricting travel to points that could     previously only be reached through the Kuhl kingdom (in a mechanical     sense), an alternate route has been provided.[/SIZE]
So there it is!  As I said above, we're looking forward to everyone's feedback on Center.  It represents many hours of work and collaboration, but it may not yet be as good as it can be.  Let us hear your thoughts if there is anything that you feel is needed, missing or should be changed.
 

 Go forth and enjoy!
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20
Ask A Gamemaster / (Another) Bindstone question
« on: October 27, 2010, 05:32:42 pm »
All PCs are stonebound right?

I'm trying to determine how much my characters know of the process in an IC sense.

What do they feel when they initially bind?

What prompts them to do it (ie. in terms of commonly known lore)?

What might they be told by attending clergy if they go into a temple to bind? This last one, I understand different faiths might say different things to their followers, but is there anything about the process that is common to all faiths?

I read about how dangerous it is ... but is there any IC idea of how many who attempt to bind die during the process? I'd imagine such a risky process to be a pretty significant event in any PC's life yet, to be honest, i've never really given it a whole lot of thought before now. If it is a small margin that survive a very risky process, then sheesh, it is something that'd require more than a simple "I want to go adventuring and see the sights" type motivation to put oneself through the ordeal. I imagine it would require almost zealot-like devotion to something to undergo the process. If it is relatively safe, then why isn't every Tom, *edit* Mick and Harry doing it?

Maybe more related thoughts to follow. Maybe these questions prompt some of your own questions. Feel free to post in this thread. I'm not exclusionary. ;)

Many thanks!



PS. By 'Many thanks' I mean, big thank-yous to the GMs who might answer some of these questions, not I want 'Many thanks' .... that said, you're here now, so might as well.
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