Wisdom Scroll Hunt on the Haud Pluvia SIM

Greetings dear family!

An old sage has visited our SIM and has hidden 3 Wisdom Scrolls on our land....a Black Scroll, a Green Scroll, and a Red Scroll. These scrolls contain wisdom and knowledge that we all can benefit from, and we're very eager to find them. But we need your help to locate them.

Each Scroll contains a word. We must know these words! The first 15 that locate the scrolls and can tell Donovan OHanlon the words they contain will be rewarded with 50 Linden Dollars as your prize. Come and look for them on the Haud Pluvia Home SIM, and if you find all three, message Donovan with the words and a Date/Time stamp included in the body of your message to win.

The truth is, if we find these Scrolls and learn from them.....we ALL win....but the first 15 will share in the Prize. The hunt will be open for 72 hours. Good Luck!

TOOLS OF THE TRADE - Part 4 - The Blood Cask or Tank

THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE - Part 4 - The Blood Cask or Tank

THE BLOOD CASK (TANK):  It's a common fact that you can only maintain a maximum amount of 5 Full Liters of Blood within your body at any given time.  Though this is a convenient no-cost method of carrying your blood with you, the blood inside your body will deplete over time in the absence of a protection amulet to guard against the effects of the curse.  So therefore, blood in your body is blood consumed over time.  Further, to offer that blood to someone else to feed them has a two-fold effect.  First, it depletes Vital Blood from you, and Second, it requires you physically present to offer that blood to another to aide them.  Wouldn't it be nice to have a way to store more blood, or to make your owned blood available to others when you're not online?  Wouldn't it be nice to have a secure way to leave this blood out for your friends and loved ones without a need to post guards to protect it?  These are all possible thanks to the Bloodlines Cask and Tank storage systems.

The Cask (or Tank) is a storage container that you can use to carry around large volumes of additional blood, and it can be used to drain off excess blood from your body to allow you more room to hunt or feed from others.  They appear as a Cask or Tank respectively (depending on which you procure) and have built in security features that you can set to avoid the theft of Blood you have collected.  They are sold in various sizes and increments at the Bloodlines Main Store, as well as at aftermarket Blood Banks.  The sizes range from 5 Liters to 200 Liters, and each increment can be sold either Full or Empty.  Prices vary for each scenario, so check with the Blood Lines Main Store for pricing options.  To buy a Cask or a Tank, simply stand before the vendor and left click the sign.  A Cask or Tank will appear on the stand in front of you.  Right click the Cask or Tank and choose "Buy".  A purchase confirmation will appear on your screen to alert you that the transfer of Lindens has occurred.  After the purchase is confirmed, then right click the Cask or Tank and select "Take".  This will move the purchased item into your inventory.  When I do this, I always click the sign again out of courtesy so that another Cask or Tank will already be rezzed on the stand for the next customer to buy.  It's a "Take one - Leave one" approach if you will, and is in my opinion simply an act of good etiquette or good manners (like opening a door for someone).

To use your new Cask or Tank, teleport to your home and find the object in your inventory.  Drag and drop it on the ground where you desire to place it.  When you do, the Cask or Tank will immediately cycle through a series of validations to register that cask to you.  Once it's been registered to you, you own it and have full owner permissions to use it as you desire.  The first and most crucial step now is to secure your cask, this will avoid Blood Theft issues.  To do this, left click your cask near the meter and from the drop down menu select "Security", then choose Access, then choose Restricted.  This will close your cask to access by you and others that you approve by name, or by group.  You can always modify or adjust this setting later to allow others to use your cask.  To fill your cask, left click and choose "Fill", then select the amount you desire to transfer from your body.  The system will automatically move that volume of blood from you to your cask if the cask you purchased is not entirely full.  To drink, left click and choose "Drink", and select the volume you desire to consume.  If that amount is available in your cask, and you have that much room empty inside your body, you'll consume that amount of blood.  The blood levels inside your body and your cask are updated with the bloodlines system automatically, so keeping track of levels both inside yourself and your cask is pretty simple.

If you want others to be able to drink from your cask, you have a few different options.  You can leave your cask on open access, you can close access and set a user list, or you can set your cask to group access allowing others in your group to drink from it.  All of these combinations are available through the "Security" menu when you left click your cask.

In my opinion, a cask is the first tool a vampire should purchase after entering the realm.  Prices vary according to size, and whether the container is full or empty.  Check with the vendor for current pricing information and proper details.  Enjoy, and see you in-world! :)

Merry Christmas Haud Pluvia!

As the Christmas Holiday approaches around the world, it's important to look back and recall all the very special blessings we've shared this year.  Though any attempt to list them would be an exercise in futility, given that we've all traveled varied paths to get here, pausing to recall them strengthens us as a family and ensures our hearts remain focused on the things that are most important.  Isabel Currier once wrote that "It is the personal thoughtfulness, the warm human awareness, the reaching out of the self to one's fellow man that makes giving worthy of the Christmas spirit."  As we reflect on each aspect of that statement we see Haud Pluvia, the family, drinking deeply from that well year round and it brings joy to our hearts.

Each and every one of you make the vision of Haud Pluvia a reality.  It's your collective warmth, thoughtfulness and kindness that make this family the wonderful home it's become.  Each and every one of you has value beyond your understanding, and we're so very proud of you.  This Christmas Season, spend quality time with your family and friends, rekindle relationships and reach out a loving heart to those around you in need.  A time honored Christmas gift suggestion list is still as relevant today as in yester-years: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.

We're so proud to call you all family!  Merry Christmas to you and yours, and safe travels this holiday season.  We love you all so very much!

Aklanin and Donovan

TOOLS OF THE TRADE - Part 3 - The Soul Reaper

THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE - Part 3 - The Soul Reaper

THE SOUL REAPER:  Have you ever had a minion ask you to move their soul from their former Liege, to entrust it to you, and you don't have the Lindens for the Electrum Potion, or the trade soul that's required to force the move?  The Soul Reaper is an advanced tool that's sole purpose (pardon the pun) is to retrieve souls from another avatar at no additional expense.  When I've been able to use this tool I've been very satisfied with its performance and effectiveness.  However, getting to use it can be a challenge at times depending on the avatar that holds the soul you desire to take.  People leave families and change allegiances for a variety of reasons, but most typically it's due to some form of hurt feelings or other drama where feelings are strong.  There's a disagreement of some kind, someone takes offense and leaves a family, and then wants their soul moved to their new family.  This sounds reasonable, and in fact I advocate allowing the souls to move freely to wherever the avatar desires.  Not all Liege's think the same, and some may even outright refuse to allow the soul to leave their possession.  This, in my opinion, is usually some form of juvenile "Soul Counting" behavior whereby the Soul Count is more important to the soul holder than the desires of the minion.  But we'll address those types of etiquette in another posting.  If you cannot get the soul holder to agree to a soul reaping, you have no other option but an Electrum Potion.  If however, through diplomacy, you're able to arrange a reaping the process is smooth and simple.

Here's how the Soul Reaper works.  To use it, you must locate the item in your inventory and right click to wear it.  The Soul Reaper will appear as an ornamental object on your left wrist.  You must be in the presence of the person you desire to reap the soul from when you use this tool, and within 5 meters of them.  Stand in front of them and turn off your Animation Override (AO).  Left click your reaper, and a menu will appear.  Choose "Specific" and follow the menu prompt and type the avatar's name you desire to reap into the Local Chat.  Click done.  The other avatar will receive a menu prompt asking if the reaping is agreed to, and will need to confirm the transaction for the animation to take place.  Once they agree the soul will transfer to your custody for safe keeping.  Easy peezy again.  At the time of this posting The Soul Reaper retails for 599L$.

The next posting will cover Blood Casks and Tanks, how to purchase them, how to use them, and how to safeguard them for security.  Enjoy! :)

TOOLS OF THE TRADE - Part 2 - The Spike

THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE - Part 2 - The Spike

The Bloodlines system has many tools that perform a wide variety of functions, and a good knowledge of these tools will serve you well as you gain experience. 

THE SPIKE:  Have you ever tried to drain 5 Full Liters of Blood from an avatar during a turning.....using only bites?  Or have you ever had need to retrieve large quantities of Blood from one of your Human Beloveds to share with your vampires in need, and wished there was a faster way?  These are situations that arise daily in the Bloodlines Realm, and without the proper tool can be time consuming and frustrating events.  I mean seriously, to drain a new turn of their humanity from scratch using only bites would take an inordinate amount of time (20 bites or more).  Thankfully, the Bloodlines System has a tool to assist you with these situations, and it's reasonably priced.  It's called The Spike.

The Spike is designed to assist in the rapid draining of Blood from an avatar.  In fact, as much as 75% of an avatar's humanity can be drained with one strike of the Spike if you are sufficiently drained yourself as the tool user.  This makes for an efficient and handy way to withdrawal large sums of blood in less time, making the process of draining less cumbersome and burdensome on those participating.

Here's how the Spike works.  To use it, you must locate the item in your inventory and right click to wear it.  The Spike will appear as an ornamental object on your right wrist.  Before you attack with it, ensure you've drained yourself to the lowest level possible while avoiding accidental destruction of yourself.  I typically drain myself to a half liter of Blood (0.5 Liters).  At this low level of blood in my body I'm able to spike the maximum amount of Blood in one strike (75%, or 3.75 Liters).  Once you've drained to an appropriate level, you left click the spike on your arm, and watch for the menu to appear.  Choose "Attack", then choose the avatar near you that you desire to Spike Blood from, then choose the amount you're requesting to take.  The other avatar will get a menu asking them if this is okay, and will ask them to confirm the amount they will allow you to take.  Once they accept, the animation will proceed and you will be able to see in local chat the amount you successfully collected.  Easy peezy.  At the time of this posting The Spike retails for 499L$.

The next posting will cover the Soul Reaper.  Enjoy all! :)

TOOLS OF THE TRADE - Part 1 - The Coffin and Sarcophagus

THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE - Part 1 - The Coffin and Sarcophagus

The Bloodlines system has many tools that perform a wide variety of functions, and a good knowledge of these tools will serve you well as you gain experience. 

                THE COFFIN/SARCOPHAGUS:   The coffin (for vampires) and sarcophagus (for lycans) are tools that make it possible to feed other Bloodlines equipped avatars with the blood or lumens that you personally own.  The tool works in conjunction with a cask or tank in your possession, and does not require the receiving avatar to be present for the feeding to take place.  In essence, gone are the days of watching in sadness as a friend or minion becomes destroyed from the effects of the curse due to no fault of their own.  If their computer crashes and they can't get online, no worries, you can feed them.  If they forget to feed before heading out for a business trip or for the holidays, no worries, you can feed them.  If they need to take a break for a few weeks to decompress from stress, no worries, you can feed them.  In my humble opinion, it's the finest tool supplied by the Bloodlines Creators that can assist a Liege with genuinely "caring for" their minions.  What says you care more than ensuring your loved ones don't succumb to The Curse?

Here's how these tools work.  To use it, you must have a cask that is registered to you with at least the amount of blood or lumens you desire to transfer stored inside.  Ensure the cask (or tank) is set to "Group Off", and rezz your coffin (or sarcophagus) within 5 meters of the cask.  Once fully rezzed, left click the coffin and choose "Transfer".  Do not click the "Next" prompt yet.  The second step is to left click the cask and choose "Select".  Now choose "Next".  Now go to Local Chat and Type /88 and the avatar's full name (for example /88 First Last), then hit enter.  Then select "Done".  Now choose the amount of blood you desire to send the specified avatar.  Once you click the amount, the system will automatically transfer that amount to the avatar's body.  The transfer is immediate, and you can verify receipt by opening the person's Bloodlines Webpage and hitting the refresh button to check on the transfer.

It may sound complicated, but I assure you, once you've used it once or twice it's really no trouble at all.  You can feed anyone, not just your own minions, and you can do this as many times a day as you wish.  The only limitations are that you can only transfer blood that you have in your cask, and each individual avatar you feed cannot exceed 5 Full Liters of blood at any given time.

Since purchasing this tool I've found that I use it more often than my Spike or my Soul Reaper, and the peace of mind it gives me knowing that I can care for my loved ones is gratifying. I highly recommend this tool as a part of anyone's inventory.  The coffin comes in three material finishes; metal, velvet, wood and stone.  At the time of this publication it retails for 599L$.

Tomorrow I'll cover the Spike and the Soul Reaper.  Enjoy! :)

New Library Feature in the Tavern

Good news everyone! The Queen has located an extensive library of classics, epics, fantasies and more in two bookcases inside the tavern (around the fireplace ) for all to enjoy! Over 100 selections available in notecard form to take, read, copy and distribute as you wish.  So, stop in and grab a loved one and a cozy spot by the fire, and break open the binding on some traditional reads that will fill your hearts.  Hope you all enjoy! :)