Trixyraliriix

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Deep within the pools of the Forum, a faint murmur arises...

Special Rules

1. The challenge can be played on three difficulty levels: Easy, Normal, and Hard. This choice is left up to you unless your dragon has Primal eyes, in which case they MUST play on Hard mode.
2. If an event happens that would insta-kill your dragon, you have an opportunity to pray to the Shadowbinder to avert your fate. Throw an apparel item into Baldwin.
   • Black slime indicates the Shadowbinder has rewarded your faith and answered your prayer. You may proceed with your trials as normal.
   • White Slime indicates the Shadowbinder has averted your immediate fate, but could only do so through the intervention of one of her agents. Your dragon has survived but has also become a Grimm. Your trial ends here.
   • Grey slime indicates your dragon has perished despite their prayers. Your trial ends here. Exalt the dragon.
3. If you'd like to run multiple Necrolockes at the same time, you can use Crim's Collection Cart in lieu of Pinkerton for your sign from the Shadowbinder during the first trial. See the Calling rules for the applicable instructions for simultaneous Necrolocke attempts.
4. If you’d like to attempt a speed run (i.e. complete multiple Necrolocke days per irl day) you can use Crim's Collection Cart in lieu of Pinkerton for your sign from the Shadowbinder during the first trial, with each trade representing a new day. See the Calling for the applicable instructions. For the Exodus, each time you leave the Coli will signal the end of a day, and entering the Coli again will begin the next day. Survival rules still apply.

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Picking Your Dragon

1. Go to the Scrying Workshop and open up Predict Morphology. The flight of the random scry is the flight you must pick your dragon from.
2. Special flight rules (complete rules can be found below)
   • Earth - Advantage during the Exodus
   • Fire - Advantage during the Initiation
   • Wind - Major advantage during the Exodus
   • Water - Advantage during the Calling
   • Shadow - Major advantage during the Calling
   • Ice - Major advantage during the Initiation
   • Lightning - Advantage during the Exodus
   • Light - Advantage during the Calling
   • Nature - Advantage during the Initiation
   • Plague - Advantage during the Initiation
   • Arcane - Advantage during the Calling
3. Obtain a level 1 dragon from the AH of the correct flight. All breeds are allowed.

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The Calling
Your dragon has had a baffling and terrifying encounter recently, and there is a constant, growing sense of something being wrong with their body. If they look closely enough, however, they may find a sign pointing towards a source of potential help. This trial uses Pinkerton's Plundered Pile as a mechanic.

1. Every day, draw one item from Pinkerton. If the item qualifies as a sign from the Shadowbinder, you have received her message and passed the first trial. The items that qualify as signs from the Shadowbinder depend on the difficulty level you've chosen.
   • Easy: Umbral Symbols, Coliseum Shadow Familiars, Materials and Food dropped by Coliseum Shadow Familiars, and Shadow Items.
   • Normal: Umbral Symbols and Coliseum Shadow Familiars.
   • Hard: Same items as Normal. However, if you draw an item with any type of bone or a drop from the Forbidden Portal, you must throw the item into Baldwin to determine if your dragon survives the brush with death. Low rarity transmutation materials (Green or Gray) from bone items indicate your dragon has died. Your trial ends here. Exalt the dragon. Low rarity transmutation materials from Forbidden Portal drops indicate your dragon becomes overwhelmed by their corruption and becomes a Thanatos. Your trial ends here. If the dragon survives, and the item is either apparel or a drop from the Forbidden Portal, it also counts as a sign from the Shadowbinder and your dragon may proceed to the next trial.
2. If you receive an Ambush battle stone, your dragon was unable to withstand the pressure of their changes and has died. Your trial ends here. Exalt the dragon.
3. If your dragon still hasn't received a sign from the Shadowbinder by the 13th day, the corruption takes full hold, and they become a Thanatos. Your trial ends here.
4. If you're running multiple Necrolockes at the same time, you can use Crim's Collection Cart in lieu of Pinkerton for your sign from the Shadowbinder.
   • When using Crim, the first trade offer will apply to your first Necrolocke attempt, the second offer to the second attempt, etc.
   • Note that Crim's pool of trades is much larger than Pinkerton's. As a result, ANY Shadow battle stone indicates your dragon has not been able to withstand the pressure and died. Your trial ends here. Exalt the dragon.

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The Exodus
Following the sign they have received, your dragon must now make their way to the Forum of the Obscured Crescent in the Tangled Wood. This trial is represented by surviving daily Coli battles. A lone dragon in the Coli won't last long. Before you begin, you must get two more dragons to represent Will and Determination, which will protect your dragon during their battles.

1. Your Will and Determination dragons are symbolic protectors of your trial dragon and are meant to act as damage sponges in the Coli. It doesn't matter where these dragons come from (AH, bred fodder, etc), but they should start at level 1 and their breed is partially determined by RNG. Because these dragons are symbols only, it is not required that you exalt them as part of the Necrolocke.
2. Throw an apparel item into Baldwin to determine the breed class of your Will and Determination dragons. Note that every breed has its own base battle stats, which will affect how well it takes physical or magical damage and how likely it is to dodge attacks.
   • Grey Slime: Choose one physical dragon and one magical dragon.
   • White Slime: Choose two magical dragons.
   • Black Slime: Choose two physical dragons.
3. The dragon taking the trials should be placed in the middle of the battle formation, with the dragons representing Will and Determination flanking them on either side.
4. Choose the Coli venue that corresponds to your dragon's level.
5. Difficulty rules:
   • Easy: Survive at least one round in the Coli per day. You may use ONE Minor Health Potion per day on any one dragon.
   • Normal: Survive at least one round in the Coli per day. You may not use any health potions.
   • Hard: Survive at least two rounds in the Coli per day. The rounds must be consecutive and you may not use any health potions.
6. Your Will and Determination dragons CANNOT attack. They can only DEFEND. ALL attacks must come from the dragon taking the trials.
7. While battling in the Coli, you CANNOT end a battle by refreshing the page or clicking out of the window.
8. If your dragon FLEES, they automatically fail their second trial and become a Thanatos.
9. If at any point you receive one of the following Coli drops, your dragon has successfully arrived at the Forum and has passed the second trial:
   • Any Shadow familiar
   • Shadow battle item
   • Shadow item
   • Item that qualifies as an Umbral symbol
10. If BOTH Will and Determination dragons faint, your dragon has failed the second trial and become a Thanatos.
11. If the dragon faints at any point, or if you get a Sap or Eliminate battle stone drop, the dragon has succumbed during its journey and died. Your trial ends here. Exalt the dragon.
12. If 23 days have passed and you haven't received any of the above Coli drops, throw an apparel item into Baldwin:
    • Black slime indicates your dragon has died. Your trial ends here. Exalt the dragon.
    • White slime indicates your dragon has arrived at their destination, but not in enough time to attempt the third trial, necessitating a seal to halt the progress of the corruption. Your dragon has become a Grimm.
    • Grey slime indicates your dragon has not yet arrived. You may decide to end the dragon's trial and they will become a Thanatos. Or you may continue to battle in the Coli until you receive a Shadow drop, upon which the dragon becomes a Grimm. While fighting in the Coli, events that would result in death or the dragon turning into a Thanatos still apply.
13. Coli round notes:
    • The minimum rounds you must survive per day is determined by your difficulty level; however, you may attempt as many CONSECUTIVE rounds as you like. Note that leaving the venue between any rounds ends your attempts for the day.
    • The more consecutive rounds you survive, the higher the chances of obtaining a qualifying Coli drop that lets you pass the second trial.
    • It is recommended that you DO NOT attempt consecutive rounds until your dragons are level 2 or higher.
14. Leveling Rules:
    • The dragon taking the trials can have their stats distributed however you like.
    • The Will and Determination dragons MUST have their stat points distributed evenly between AGL, VIT, DFN, and MND. The easiest way to do this is to assign stat points one by one to all four attributes and then repeat until available stat points are gone. Do not try to make stats equal, as the different breeds start off with uneven stats.
    • Remember that your dragon must always battle in the Coli venue that matches their level.

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The Initiation
For the last trial, your dragon must confront the entity that has been plaguing their recent life and survive the direct encounter.

1. Difficuly rules:
   • Easy mode - Survive 3 rounds
   • Normal mode - Survive 4 rounds
   • Hard mode - Survive 5 rounds
2. The venue that you fight in will be chosen by RNG. Thrown an apparel item into Baldwin:
   • Black Slime - The venue must be within three levels of your dragon's current level.
   • White Slime - The venue must be within two levels of your dragon's current level.
   • Grey Slime - The venue must be at your dragon's current level.
3. If your dragon survives all of the needed rounds, they have managed to fully take back control and learn how to wield the entity's power for themself. Upon passing all three trials, they become a Penumbral.
4. If your dragon faints, or if BOTH their Will and Determination dragons faint, they survive the encounter and gain back control of their bodies, but were unable to learn how to use the entity's power. They become an Umbral.
5. If all three faint, the entity fully overpowers your dragon. Go to Higher or Lower in the Fairgrounds and play one round. On a correct guess, the dragon dies and is exalted. On an incorrect guess, the corruption finishes its course and the dragon becomes a Thanatos.

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Flight Rules
The flight of your dragon will grant it an advantage during one of the three trials.

1. The Calling - Water, Light, Arcane, Shadow
   Whether it's the future, the stars, or the truth, dragons of these flights generally have a keen eye and tend to know how to pick up on subtle signs that others might miss.
   • Your sign from the Shadowbinder can come from Pinkerton OR Swipp.
   • The same difficulty rules for Pinkerton also apply for Swipp.
   • You can check Swipp for signs from the Shadowbinder multiple times a day.
   • If you are playing on Hard mode and see a bone-related trade, you can throw an equivalent item into Baldwin rather than the trade item.
   
   Of all the flights, Shadow dragons boast the most intimate understanding of their deity's modus operandi. Many strive to emulate her example, which has led to a common mantra within the Tangled Wood: "If the door of opportunity closes, find a window."
   • If an event happens that would insta-kill your dragon, or if you wish to try to pass your first trial at any time, you can try to find another way forward.
   • Go to Higher or Lower in the Fairgrounds and play one round.
   • If you guessed correctly, you have not only survived, but also passed the first trial.
   • If you guessed incorrectly, you have failed to find another way forward. If an event has happened to insta-kill your dragon, then you have died. Your trial ends here. Exalt. If you tried to pass your first trial, then you have not succeeded and must continue the trial as normal.
   • You may only attempt to find another way forward a single time.
2. The Exodus - Earth, Lightning, Wind
   Dragons from these flights tend to be well-acclimated with difficult terrain and/or frequent travel, which gives them the knowledge and experience to make their journey to the Forum easier and safer.
   • Regardless of your difficulty level, you may use one health potion a day on any dragon.
   • If your Will and/or Determination dragons reach level 5, in lieu of a health potion, you can teach them Meditate and either Bolster or Ward, which they can now cast on your dragon in addition to defending.
   • Your Will and Determination dragons cannot cast on themselves or each other. They can only cast on the dragon taking the trial.
   • These advantages DO NOT apply during the third trial (i.e. you may not cast Bolster or Ward during the third trial).
   With many Wind clans being nomadic in nature, traveling is second nature to these dragons. This allows them to metaphorically (and sometimes literally) breeze past obstacles that others would find daunting.
   • If an event happens that would insta-kill your dragon, or if you wish to try to pass your second trial at any time, you can try to force your way forward.
   • Go to Higher or Lower in the Fairgrounds and play one round.
   • If you guessed correctly, you have not only survived, but also passed the second trial.
   • If you guessed incorrectly, you have failed to force your way forward. If an event has happened to insta-kill your dragon, then you have died. Your trial ends here. Exalt. If you tried to pass your second trial, then you have not succeeded and must continue the trial as normal.
   • You may only attempt to find another way forward a single time.
3. The Initiation - Fire, Nature, Plague, Ice
   With a fierce will and drive to survive, dragons of these flights are fully ready to throw everything they've got into their final confrontation with the entity.
   • Your dragon is allowed to use one health potion on any dragon during the trial.
   For Ice dragons, they may find this battle startlingly familiar. Even a passing knowledge of the horrors locked away in the Icewarden's Fortress will lead to a realization that can turn the tide of the battle: this is simply one more horror.
   • Select either your Will or Determination dragon. If they are not already level 3, train them to that level (do NOT apply any skill points).
   • The selected dragon can learn either Guard or Clobber, and can use that ability a single time during the trial.
4. Primal Eyes - The Gift of the Gods
   Dragons with Primal eyes boast a deeper connection to the magic of their flight, which can give them an advantage through all three trials. This power, however, is a double-edged sword, as it also puts a larger target on their backs for the entity's hunger.
   • If an event happens that would insta-kill your dragon during any trial, or if you wish to try and pass a trial at any time, you can try to display your mastery in an instant. However, each display of mastery will make the next more difficult to accomplish.
   • Go to Higher or Lower in the Fairgrounds. If this is your first attempt to display your mastery, play a single round.
   • If you guess correctly, you have survived and have also passed your current trial
   • If you guess incorrectly you have failed to display your mastery. If an event has happened to insta-kill your dragon then you have died. Your trials end here. Exalt the dragon. If you tried to pass your trial, then you have failed and your dragon has become a Thanatos.
   • You may attempt to display your mastery one time per trial (or a total of three attempts). On your second attempt to display your mastery you must guess correctly in Higher or Lower three times in a row. On your third attempt to display your mastery, you must guess correctly in Higher or Lower five times in a row.