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The persistent online world of Layonara is now realized through Neverwinter Nights’ interpretation of the Third Edition Dungeons and Dragons rule set, but this world of mystery and magic began ten years ago in the mind of Leanthar, who has been enjoying role-playing games since 1986 and has fifteen years of GM (Game Master) experience. Since then, Layonara has been through two pen-and-paper generations before finding its home online. Now approaching its second year, Layonara’s most important aspect is the high-quality role-playing advocated by the 23 GM’s and Content Team Members, and enthusiastically practiced by the players who call Layonara their home. The Layonara team ensures that each character has a role that fits into the story of the world, and players soon learn that even the smallest action can change history and shape things from peasants to gods and houses to continents. More than a place to play Neverwinter online, Layonara is a thriving community where players and game masters alike treat each other as family.

In its current iteration, Layonara is a huge world of over 600 game areas spread across two servers that players can travel between seamlessly. Each server represents part of the continent, but new lands and adventures will be added soon. Using the aps/nwnx2 persistence system and HCR modified rules, Layonara features persistent chests for storing , a worldwide bank system, pack oxen, player housing with player placed furniture, bind stones that allow the soul of a character to be tied to a location, quests, journals, and much more. Layonara also features the CNR crafting system which currently includes the following: Smelting, Weapon Crafting, Armor Crafting, Alchemy, Scribing, Tinkering, Wood Crafting, Enchanting, Gem Crafting, Tailoring, Food Crafting and Infusing (which was created by a member of our Content Team).

To preserve the storyline of the world and the familial feeling of Layonara, we do not allow player-killing (PK’ing) or griefing. A Character Submission must be completed and approved before entering the world. Please visit our site at http://www.layonaraonline.com for more information.

If you have any questions email:
Public Relations GM layonara.online@gmail.com
Leanthar at dscott@sierratel.com (World Creator)

Updated

Layonara has expanded in leaps and bounds since the above post. We are still welcoming new players as always but there have been vast improvements in world. Also the contact e-mail addresses have changed. You can e-mail us at layonara.online@gmail.com.

Heres some fresh updated info on Layonara:

Layonara, created by Leanthar as a PnP world in 1986, was brought to life using the Aurora Toolset from Neverwinter Nights over two years ago as a role-play-action server and is hosted at MAE-WEST in San Francisco. All servers are running at least Intel 2.4GHZ with at least 512 Megs of ram and are connected via a 100meg LAN and connecting to the Internet via fully burstable dual T1's.

And what makes Layonara different from the rest then?

Well, to start off, Layonara is a huge world of over 1000 game areas spread across three servers. Each server represents one or two continents and islands with there are several ways to travel between them. When you set out into the world there are persistent storage chests and a world-wide banking system that provides safe storage of your items and gold as you travel the lands. There are also bind stones which can be found in temples and larger cities that an adventurer can bind his/her soul to which he/she will be returned should your character die.

If you would like a place of your own you can buy a house which you can decorate to your own liking using the player placed furniture options.

Well, I've seen that on other worlds as well.

Ah, but there is more. We have a very active team of 23 GM's and Content Team Members.

This means two things:


More quests than you'll encounter on other persistent worlds:


Over the last 3 months we've had about 40 scheduled quests run per month, not to mention the quests that are run by our GMs 'on the fly'. You can also request character development quests for your character where one of the Quest GMs will then develop an adventure for your character to take him/her in a direction you want to go.



More content than on other persistent worlds:


Beautiful, hand-tailored areas.

Over 1,300 custom-made creatures and clans that were made to inspire players to team up.

Layonara specific Prestige Classes as well as allowing the majority of the original ones.

17 subraces, using dynamic item properties. Including Dark Elves, Tieflings, Half-Giants, Orcs, and several more not to mention more may be added in the future!

Layonara Custom Feats such as Eschew Materials which allow spell casters to ignore the need to carry spell components, Daylight adaptation for underdark subraces and more!

An immense Craftable Natural Resources (CNR) system consisting of Armor Crafting, Alchemy, Enchanting, Fishing, Food Crafting, Gem Crafting, Infusing, Musical Instrument Crafting, Poison Making, Scribing, Smelting, Tailoring, Tinkering, Weapon Crafting and Wood Crafting. Several of these were made by one of our Content Team members and were implemented first on Layonara! This CNR list is ever evolving to adapt to players needs.

A fairly in depth spell component system that allows either the purchase or harvesting and crafting of components to cast spells.

A budding new Deity relationship system.

400+ custom created icons for gem dusts, leathers, poison vials and other CNR items!

A fully customized death system. Rather than XP loss at death there are temporary stat penalties to increase the realism of the pain and stress dying causes the body.

Interesting, so what else is there?

In addition to all the scheduled quests there is also the main plot run by Layonara's creator Leanthar. Sinthar Bloodstone who was banished from Layonara over two-thousand years ago has returned. When he was banished he swore vengeance on the dragons and on all mankind. He now has destroyed nearly all of the Dragons that were still alive. His forces control all but two continents and two islands and he grows stronger by the day. It is time for Layonara to uniteyour character is one of the heroes to answer the call.

So I can change the course of history?

YES! Each character, regardless of his/her level, has a role that fits into the story of the world and even the smallest action can change history and shape things from peasants to gods and houses to continents.

Can I also take my character to Epic levels?

Yes you can. We know that on Persistent Worlds many players play hundreds of hours a month, so we do allow advancement up to 40th level but getting there is not an easy task, it takes a long time and a series of Character Development Quests. We currently have a few Epic level characters as well as several players nearing the threshold. Lower level advancement is fairly quick up to 12th Level. Usually, a very active player can reach level 7 in under a week.

Sounds good. So how do I start playing on Layonara?

Go to our registration page and register for a forum account, for free of course, you'll then get an email with how to start out. As mentioned above, Layonara is a role-play-action server (but as you have read above there is plenty of action with all those areas and custom monsters) because of this you have to submit a character for approval together with a short biography so you have a basis to start your character from. Don't worry, it doesn't have to be an extremely long bio and it is usually approved within a matter of hours. There's also a Layonara Handbook that will give you plenty of ideas to create your character or find out more about the world.

Anything else I need to know?

Since the custom monsters were made to inspire players to team up Layonara is not an easy world if you prefer to travel solo, however; our dedicated and loyal player base that is often on at all hours so in general it's not too hard to find some travel companions. Layonara is also a lower magic world than most persistent worldsthat means that we have a lower drop rate of magical items and powerful goods. That is not to say that we do not have them, many do exist and most can be created through our CNR system. Most of the items do have level requirements, which might look a bit strict, but this ensures that even high level players get excited when they get a new piece of equipment.

See you soon!