Fantasy Faire 2016: Tale of Exiles hints and tips

This year, Fantasy Faire once again presents the hunt in an expanded, story-based quest in which visitors to the Fairelands are invited to participate.

As the Bard Queen’s Emissary to the beleaguered races of the realm once called Belfience, but now cast under the darkness of the Unweaver and called Malfience,  those joining the quest are tasked with finding the Exiles from that once peaceful land, and with their support undo the evil of the Unweaver and bring healing to the land.

To help you play your role to the fullest, here are some hints and suggestions to start you on your way.

Getting Started

There are two versions of the HUD available through the special RFL of SL vendors, which are prices as follows:

• L$250 – provides you with the quest HUD and tools to get you going
• L$350 – provides you with the quest HUD and tools to get you going and male and female Emissary costumes so you can be more in character – and it will help you recognise other Emissaries, so you can help and support one another!

When you have purchased your HUD package wear it, and then touch it to unpack the contents to a folder in your Inventory called FF2016 The Tale of Exiles. This contains 3 game elements which must be worn: the Game HUD, and two attachments simply called “Attach Me” and “Attach Me 2”.

On wearing the HUD, a scroll will open on your screen with some important information. – please read it through and then click it to close it.

Your viewer’s World Map will open, together with an invitation for you to join The Tale of Exiles experience (shown right) – you may have to move your world map to one side to see this.

Make sure you click YES to accept the experience, as this will ensure that things behave correctly as you go.

The HUD

As with most HUD-based activities, the HUD tracks your progress, provides hints, and for the quest, provides access to various options, of which Teleport and Inventory at the top let and right are probably going to see the most use – toggle to open / close.

Teleport opens a list of the Fairelands (above left), clicking on the name of one will display the World Map, allowing you to teleport to it. Note that the destinations are not necessarily where the Exiles are – although some might be closer than others!

Inventory records the various items you collect during the quest (above right). You can page through the items using the back and forward buttons and – at the appropriate time in your quest, click on Use to make use of the displayed item.

Click Help to obtain a note card describing the rest of the functions.

Saving Progress

You don’t have to complete the quest in a single go; the HUD will record your progress and items collected, allowing you to leave and do other things, and then return to the quest later. You can remove the HUD (and other attachments) on leaving the Fairelands / breaking off from your quest, and then re-attach them when you return to the Fairelands or want to resume your quest.

However, if you want to be completely assured your progress has been saved before stopping, click Setup > Save.

Reloading Progress

Occasionally, things do go wrong in Second Life. If you find your HUD is misbehaving, or failing to display the right information, click Setup > Reload. This should force the HUD to reload information from the quest database and correct problems.

Game Play Guidelines

Gameplay comprises a number of chapters (indicated by the HUD) which can be divided into four parts: Heed the Bard Queen, Seek the Exiles, Find the Eggs, and Heal the Lands.

Part 1: Heed the Bard Queen

When you start the quest, the HUD will open your World Map so you can teleport to the Bard Queen – or you can use the LM supplied with the HUD package. You will also have to return to the Bard Queen once you have located and spoken to all eight of the Exiles.

• When you arrive at the Bard Queen, click on her to converse through dialogue boxes (top right of your screen)
• Part of the Bard Queen’s story will be told through videos displayed in your viewer. If the videos do not start automatically, click the screen. If they refuse to run, use the links in local chat to watch them on YouTube (please do not share or embed links to the videos in blogs!)

• When the video has finished, close the window and click on the Bard Queen to complete your audience with her. She will have more to say and items to give to you!
• Note you will be returning to the Bard Queen and will need to repeat these steps when you have completed the second part of the quest – located the Exiles.

Part 2: The Exiles

Eight Exiles are scattered through the Fairelands. The Bard Queen will first direct you to find The Book of Exiles, which contains clues to help you find the Exiles (which you can do in any order you like).

• Exiles may be found anywhere in a Faireland region, but not in any of the shops
• Touch an Exile to interact with them via dialogue box in the top right of your screen
• Make sure you click on all the main options displayed – your quest is not only about finding items as directed by the Exiles, it’s about collecting information
• Items you must find are located in the same region as an Exile (but again, not in any shops). When you have found it, touch it to add it to your HUD’s inventory and return to the Exile

• Touch the Exile to conclude your conversation with them. They will give you a physical reward you can keep – and they may impart more important information, so again, check the options in the dialogue box carefully!
• When you have located all eight Exiles and collected the items they have tasked you with finding, return to the Bard Queen.

Part 3: The Eggs

As instructed by the Bard Queen, the second part of your quest involves you travelling to Malfience to recover a set of stolen dragon eggs – and, if you’re so minded, aiding the Queen’s Scout. The latter isn’t absolutely vital to the Quest, but doing so might prove useful.

To complete this part of the quest:

• You will need to use some of the items you collected on behalf of the Exiles:
  • Sometimes the use of an item will be via a dialogue box offering a selection of items from which you must choose
  • Sometimes the suggestion will be made in text via a character, and you will need to select the item by paging through your HUD’s inventory and clicking the Use button
  • Sometimes the use of an item will be down to remembering what you were told about it – so you had better have kept notes!
• Four eggs must be found by interacting with humans, merfolk, elves and dwarves – the order in which you do so is up to you
• You’ll be dealing with royalty at times, so remember to observe protocol (and remember the advice you have been given!). Failure to act appropriately will mean you may have to find other ways to gather the information you need on the location of certain eggs
• Puzzles and combat may be involved in the recovery of some eggs, so be sure to have your wits about you!

Part 4: Healing the Lands

Once you have collected all four eggs, your HUD will direct you to Dragon Temple in Malfience, where you must solve the final puzzle and enter the temple.

The final puzzle comprises spelling a password using seven key symbols:

• Study the ring of letters on the left of the HUD and their associated key symbols.
• When you think you know the password, click on each of the keys on the right to page through them and select the key matching each letter of the password
• If you are right, you will be teleported into the grounds of the temple and allow to proceed – just follow the directions on your HUD
• If you need a clue as to what the password might be, remember the purpose of your mission.

When you have completed the hunt, you will receive a set of gifts from creators participating in Fantasy Faire, and if you want, you can use Setup > Reset toy reset your HUD and do it all again (you will not have to re-join the quest experience)!