TEC FAQ

Q: What's The Eternal City?

A: The Eternal City is an online storytelling game created by Worlds Apart Productions; it became part of the Skotos community on June 1, 2001. It had previously run at its own site, where it had been in existence since 1996. The Eternal City is a fantasy game set in a society similar to that of Ancient Rome and contains strong roleplaying and achievement elements.

Skotos games are rated by how large they are, what genre they fit into, what types of interaction players have, and what the basic style of gameplay is. The Eternal City can thus be described as follows:

	Fantasy. Set in the Republic of Iridine, The Eternal City is a low fantasy game. Magic is rare, death is easy, and the worst enemies are invariably humans. Although the lands of Midlight are an original fantasy realm, Iridine is thematically very similar to the Roman Republic.
	World. The Eternal City is a very large environment, with tens of thousands of rooms. In addition, it has very robust game systems for dealing with skills, combat, crafting, and much more.
	Balanced. The Eternal City is equal parts competitive and cooperative. There's ample opportunity to prove your skills against other players, but there's also a solid basis of roleplaying at the heart of the game.
	Semi-Independent. Players of The Eternal City can find long hours of entertainment practicing and improving skills, exploring Iridine, and battling monsters. However, the players of The Eternal City are some of the most interesting things in the game, so experienced characters will tend to join guilds and participate in game-wide events.

More information on The Eternal City is available in the Introduction and Player's Guide. In additional a lengthy technical FAQ is available for queries about the game system.

Q: What is the story of The Eternal City?

A: Iridine is a vast and ancient metropolis, its origins lost in myth. It is the beloved city of the sun god, Ereal, said to be raised as a monument to his victories over the eclipsing moon. It is a center of civilization in a barbaric world, a shining gem that is the envy of its neighbors.

Now a time of danger and adventure is descending on Iridine. The Cinerans and the Aestivan League have reignited ancient wars; portals have opened to other realms; and, just over the horizon, the eclipsing moons are rising once more.

Q: What is my role in The Eternal City's story?

A: You are a citizen of Iridine finally coming into your majority or a foreigner seeking new wealth in this rich land. Now you must find your way in The Eternal City, becoming a part of its hierarchy and its society. Tailor or woodsman? Priest or locksmith? Healer or warrior? Thief or legionaire? The choice is yours.

Q: What are the main technical features of The Eternal City?

A: The Eternal City offers a number of highly advanced game systems. The two most intricate and carefully crafted are the skill system and the combat system.

The Eternal City skill system offers support for a number of very different skill types, including fighting, healing, locksmithing, woodsmanship, and tailoring. Each of these skills is further divided into numerous actions. For example, the outdoorsman skill package includes shelter building, firepit digging, and fire building. Together these various actions allow for a variety of skill uses and also offer different players different routes for character growth.

The Eternal City combat system is one of the most intricate — yet simple — combat systems available in any prose game. Numerous weapons each have their own distinct actions and styles. Fighting against another person is thus truly strategic. In addition, The Eternal City offers an advanced archery system which allows for firing from range.

Q. Is The Eternal City a MUSH or a MUD?

A. The Eternal City is similar in technology to a traditional MUD on the Internet. A complex combat system and a highly granular skill system allow for considerable achievement within the game. However, like many MUSHes, it also considers ample opportunity for roleplaying. Numerous guilds and regular events help to encourage socialization. Thus, it's able to enjoy the best of both worlds.

Q. Can you Player Kill (PK) in The Eternal City?

A. Yes. However, Player Killing is administered and monitored by the TEC staff, and there must be a good in-character reason for killing another character. Random killing is highly frowned upon by the society of Iridine.

Q. How does The Eternal City compare to other Skotos games?

A. Like Castle Marrach, The Eternal City is a prose-based online role-playing game. You will find some differences, however, in terminology and the specifics of the parser. The Eternal City has gamemasters where Castle Marrach has StoryPlotters; there isn't an exact correlation for Marrach's StoryGuides. Likewise, slightly different commands are used between the two games, particularly for communication.