Holy sites
Description
Holy sites are randomly spawned zones for players to find. They are themed after specific Gods and biomes, in unsettled areas of the map. Priests and followers of that deity can maintain the site through prayers and sermons. The Holy site will provide bonuses to all who have a Premium account. The site will also have some additional positive effects within it radius. Some of these benefits will be available to all premium accounts even if they do not follow that particular deity.
- Holy sites are temporary and will last approximately 2 weeks.
Discovery
Each type of Holy site can only spawn in places matching certain features, limiting the areas you might need to search in order to find them.
- You can receive a map, which will help guide you to a Holy site through prayer, sermons or meditation. Note that only actions that would give a chance to gain faith or meditation skill has a chance to give a map. These maps have various modifiers applied to make them less clear than a normal Treasure map or Cartography map, so you may need to compare maps with others or combine them with your understanding of the server layout in order to locate the Holy site.
- These maps hints will be given for Holy site's that have not yet been located and activated. They will also be associated with the God you follow.
- On PVP servers, you may also get hint about opposite-light gods' (i.e. maps of a White light Holy site if your God is Libila and vice-versa).
- Holy sites that have been located and activated can be seen by right clicking an altar and choosing "locate Holy sites". this will show the locations of all activated Holy sites on the in-game map.
Activation
A Holy site is dormant and provides no benefits until it is found and activated by a follower or priest of the site's deity.
- To activate the Holy site, pray or hold a sermon (with enough listeners for faith gain at the special item in the center of the Holy site.
- Once activated, the expiration timer of the Holy site will reset, in order to guarantee that a site will last for its full duration after being found.
Power and Corruption
Power and Corruption are the two most important characteristics of a Holy site. Each ranges from 0 to 100.
Power is the strength of the deity's influence.
This is represented by the QL level of the special item at the center of the Holy site, and can be seen by examining it.
Power affects
- The size of the Holy site.
- The power or effectiveness of almost all Holy site benefits, such as the QL level of goods received from it.
- There is a possibility of the Holy site expiring early, if the power ever reaches 0.
Power is increased by:
- Prayers and sermons within the Holy site by followers and priests of the site God.
- The prayers and sermons may be done at the Holy site's special item, but any altar will work, as long as it is within the current borders of the Holy site.
Power is decreased by:
- Natural decay over time once the Holy site is activated.
- Chance for decay occurs at the same time as Pulse events.
- Amount of power decay is randomized and may not occur at all.
Corruption
- The malicious taint and impurity, which makes the Holy site less effective and possibly resulting in negative effects.
- This is represented by the damage of the special item at the center of the Holy site, and can be seen by examining it.
Corruption affects:
- Damage on items received from the Holy site.
- Chance of backlash effects when performing prayers or sermons to increase the Holy site's power.
- Disabling of pulse effects, item improvement bonuses, and some passive bonuses if the corruption is at least 40.
- The effective power of the Holy site when providing benefits. For example, a Holy site with 80 QL that has 50 damage will only have the effective QL of 40 power for most purposes.
- The corruption will not affect the size of the Holy site.
Corruption is increased by:
There is a random chance when performing prayers , sermons, or special Holy site actions within the site.
- This is far more likely if the current corruption is already above 0.
- Power-affecting actions (prayers/sermons) have a higher chance to corrupt the site than special actions do.
- Any corruption from performing an action may be partially or fully resisted by a soul strength skill check.
- Chance of corruption over time is triggered on pulse events and scales with the number of players who have contributed to the site's power since the last pulse.
Natural chance of corruption over time once the Holy site is activated.
- Just like power decay, this chance occurs at the same time as pulse events.
(PVP only) Desecration actions performed by followers or priests of an opposing deity, using the exorcism skill.
Corruption is decreased by:
Purify actions performed on the Holy site item by followers or priests of the Holy site's deity, using the exorcism skill.
Scaling effects on decay
Chance of corruption gain and power decay over time is increased with the number of players who have somehow contributed to the Holy site's power since the last pulse event.
Rarity Has a significant impact on favor granted to the deity upon expiration.
- This is represented by the rarity of the special item at the center of the Holy site, and can be seen by examining it.
- Rarity of the Holy site is determined randomly when it spawns, and does not change.
Holy Site Types
Wishing Tree
- A magical tree, blossoming with many types of fruit and other produce. Spawns in dense forests.
Sampo
- A strange divine mechanism, dispensing the necessities of life. Spawns on steppe.
Wellspring of Knowledge
- A mystical fountain dispensing knowledge. Spawns on beaches and other natural waterfronts.
Akashic Mirror
- A weird, black mirror that appears to be peering into another world. Spawns on roads and other paved areas.
Glowing Fissure
- A glowing, volcanic crack in the rock. Spawns in barren, rocky terrain.
Otherworldly monolith
- An obelisk that has fallen from the sky and buried itself into the ground. Spawns on sand.
Abyssal Circle
- An unholy ritual circle of uncertain purpose. Spawns on tundra.
Pillar of Decay
- A crude totem of skulls, viscera, and decay. Spawns on tar and peat.
Restrictions
Holy sites are special places protected by their Gods, and are meant to be accessed and used by the public. As such, the following activities are disallowed within Holy sites:
- Founding a settlement
- Expanding an existing settlement into the Holy site.
- Terraforming (digging, mining, etc.).
- Building structures or fences.
- Changing tile types by packing, cultivating, adding or removing pavement, dropping dirt/sand, transmuting, planting or cutting trees, or any similar actions.
- Creatures grazing or moving will also not pack tiles within Holy sites.
- (PVE server only) Blocking in intentionally restricting access to the Holy site in any way.
