City of Arabel

[Legacy_StrawMan]

               

Hello everyone! If you're interested in role-playing and adventure, we'd like to invite you to try out our server.


City of Arabel is a low-level, low-magic role-playing PW. The server has been up and running since 2002. We're up 24 hours a day, barring resets.

Low-level, low-magic?

 

The average level on the server is around 6-7. Few people get above level 10, but it's easy to get past the very low levels (i.e. 1-3). As for low-magic, +2 items are considered rare.

Setting

 

The setting is the Forgotten Realms. While Arabel exists in canon, our in-game history has deviated considerably from source-book material:

 

 

The year was 1393, a decade following the Fall of the Primordial.

 

Arabel has entered its fifth incarnation. The setting picks up ten years after events that ended v4. Cormyr was devastated when the Stormhorn Mountains turned out to be the corpse of a primordial entity, one that was granted new life by the blood of martyrs to its cause. While devastated, the region survived total destruction due to the actions of Adventurers hailing from Arabel, as well as through the deployment of a lost elven contingency weapon.


Over the years, not only Cormyr has changed. The forest of Cormanthyr have been reclaimed by elven armies, and remain one of Arabels few allies against outside aggression. Sembia has fallen under sway of the Shadovar, and imposes heavy trade restrictions on Cormyr, starving the once prosperous nation when it most needs wealth to rebuild.


Arabel, cut off and isolated from mainland Cormyr, is both a place of considerable danger, and great possibility. Hardcastle associates discovered a new material, Mythalite, one that soon proved to be very valuable, and has caused an influx of brave men and women willing to make their fortunes on the frontier, serving prospectors and delving the ancient Netherese ruins that Arabel was built on. Dangerous, and far from certain to enrich you even if you live, the success of those few prospectors that succeed inspire more to risk their lives and futures for fortune. Rumors have recently started to surface of dark shadows lurking in the ruins, but so far they are discarded as superstition or the odd remaining aberrant monsters...

 

 

The year is now 1395...

 

 

The Silence

 

Priestess of Eldath, begging for a sign at the Wyvernstones

 

 

In the early days of 1395 Dale Reckoning, the Gods stopped speaking to their followers. This caused considerable consternation among the faithful, leading to severe tensions between rival faiths and even allied faiths, as each suspects the cause has to do with some other Church.


Spells of great power are harder and harder to use, and Cormyr stands at the brink of unrest, though the Monarchy scrambles to show that the Gods have not abandoned their faithful, as evidenced by the fact that divine spells and abilities are still dutifully granted.


In Arabel, Raznor and Vidyahe Caru have independently arrived at certain conclusions and methods to determine the cause of this terrible silence, one they plan to execute in concert with every High Priest of their respective faiths in Faerun. The faiths of Mystra and Oghma have begun to divide for reasons unknown, and both swear that their method will reveal the cause. It remains to be seen which shall gain support enough to enact their way.

 

See here, for further details.

 

 

What's there to do in Arabel?

 

Several ongoing DM plots, over fifty scripted non-DM quests, inter-faction intrigue and politics, and a vast server to explore for the adventurous soul - but beware, the world is dangerous outside the Citadel's walls.

 

We've turned our focus away from DM heavy factions. Instead players are encouraged to create their own factions. There are numerous bases to be sought and claimed in game. Players can also seek the patronage of powerful NPC sponsors.

Multiple, custom scripted sub-races such as wood elves and gold dwarves etc. Are also available to players.

All of this is a little overwhelming, can't I just jump in?

 

Sure you can, and that's the best way to get to know the server. It's easy to come up with a background that requires no knowledge of the in-game history or politics (e.g. a traveler from a distant land, or an adventurer who never bothered himself with politics, and so on), and you can have fun learning about them from an IC perspective.

What do I need to join?

 

The base game and the two expansions (SoU and HotU). Information about our custom haks can be found here, along with our auto-download application.

 

Although, thanks to the magic of NWNx, new players are able to log-in and take a look around, before installing any of our haks.

Contact and Login Information

 

The server IP is 216.155.133.52:5121 or coagame.ender.com:5121

The forum address is coaforum.ender.com

Our IRC channel is #CoA, on the irc.darkmyst.org server.

Here is all of this information in further detail.

Custom Content

 

As mentioned above, we use hakpacks, for which we provide an auto-download application (manual download is possible as well, of course).

 

All relevant links and information can be found here.

I have questions!

 

Go ahead and ask. '>

 

If you want information from DMs only, we have a special Ask a DM forum for you. If you want to ask the whole community, look in our General Discussion forum. You can also contact us via forum PM, email and in IRC.

 

See our Announcements forum for server rules, the Player Resources and New Players Handbook for other helpful information.

 

We also have a presence on the major social networks and Wikia:

 

Facebook

Google+

Twitter

Wikia

Hope to see you there!

 

~CoA DM Team

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_SuperFly_2000]

               

Wouldn't recomend this server.

 

Just rolled a new character and went in....as usual on theese so called "hardcore" RP servers players are just walking around and chatting (more of a social server really).

 

A "so called roleplayer" decides he doesn't like me so he subdues my new character and then kills him. Great new way to start playing on a server.

 

Nothing has changed. CoA is still the metagaming heaven where so called roleplayers can grief other players under the flag of "roleplay".

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Falonthas]

               

The above post is enlightening, considering when you roll a new character you begin within the safety of the citadel, and have a clear warning message if you enter old town.

 

Now yes it is possible you fell to the villains that do roam about, but you cannot deny that your opinion is only your own.

 

Now for a post of someone who has played on City of Arabel since 2003, our hardcore roleplay world is a mixture of social, action, story, and long term plots.

We do not just concentrate on one aspect of roleplay. We do not gather experience for our social interactions that you can find elsewhere, yet part of role play is social and it leads to every other aspect.

 

We are low magic, low level but do not let one bad example make you not come and try our amazing server.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Galens]

               

I have played on COA off and on through various versions since 2004. The thing that keeps bringing me back to COA is the emphasis on roleplay. The emphasis of the DM team is on player generated factions and plots. This makes it so that individual stories can affect the entire server and even change the server permanently. Events are often player driven. If you create a unique concept and get others to roll with it it can turn into something really fun for everyone.

 

As to the issue of pvp, I think COA has a really good balance. There rules are pretty straightforward and boil down to the idea that pvp should be fun for both sides. Conflict between characters for in character reasons is a very fun and engaging part of COA. Griefing and killing characters for no reason is not generally an issue on COA and is in most cases explicitly against the rules.

 

Ultimately what COA is about is weaving a really fun and action packed story. These stories have been combining for over a decade now to create a truly unique and rich texture to the game world that is continuing to evolve due to player actions in the game.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Zargen_of_Zandor]

               I highly recommend this Server.

I joined back in 2008 and been playing since. I had quit once and sold my hard copy but a year latter I bought NWN again just to return to this server. It has a great friendly DM team that you can talk to about any problems or concerns you have, they even listen to requests that the players wishes to see implemented. The players that are a member of this server are all friendly as well, even though sometimes their characters might seem a bit mean, but only due to their story they developed.

Superfly_2000 said he does not like this server due to getting killed day one. I for one was arrested my first day in and was executed on day two. But there was an in game reason for such and it was fun to role-play it, I have been around ever since then. Being a role-playing server if your character acts stupid and dumb to the wrong players you will get killed. Those players that kills just to kill and or grief other characters gets banned.

The server is always changing. Players pushes the plots and decides the overall outcome that changes how the city evolves, rather it is good or bad. Things never stay the same, and it never gets stale due to the same stuff being done over and over again. The server has always evolved around the City of Arabel in the Forgotten Realms. Never has it been completely changed to ruin that feel. The DMs host server wide events on occasions that are usually packed full of excitement. Players themselves even holds events and pushes personal plots as well. So there is always something new to do. Team good and Team evil are both prevalent in this campaign with laws, peace keepers, and jails as well as the few man hunts for wanted characters that are enemies of the city.

Overall this is my favorite server for the NWN game and I see no end to me playing on this server. You all should give this server a try at least once.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Parathract]

               

I've been playing on The City of Arabel server for a couple years now and I enjoy it very much.  DM events can be very fun.  The quests are challenging and require team work.  The people are generally nice and helpful.  I also like the low level and low magic setting.  Most of the good gear you have to work very hard for.  Overall the scripting and work put into COA is amazing.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_StrawMan]

               

We're all still alive the telling tall tales.

Come join us!

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_StrawMan]

               

Setting information updated.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_SadGruffman]

               

Been playing off and on with this server for ten years. Experienced so many different things. I've been a mercenary fighting for coin, a Druid corrupted by the foul touch of a rotting god. I've been a knight fighting on the side of good against the mountain of evil.

 

But more important than all that, I've been a part of compelling stories. The best and most defining part of the city of Arabel is the story. Nowhere else have I found a place where I felt so immersed and engaged in the outcome of events.

 

Anyway, I suggest giving it a try.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_AronFF]

               

A "so called roleplayer" decides he doesn't like me so he subdues my new character and then kills him. Great new way to start playing on a server.

 

Nothing has changed. CoA is still the metagaming heaven where so called roleplayers can grief other players under the flag of "roleplay".

 

Sorry for the bad practice you've experienced, but the conclusion you have came to is far from the truth. DM team is quick to deal with such atrocities, if you ask for help. We actually have strict rules against griefing, and those rules are enforced, there are custom systems to recognize and stop returning offenders, actually. 

 

If anything, CoA is the safe heaven of storytelling, not metagaming, and has became more and more friendly place since I've joined years before.

The community welcomes newcomers and you can totally expect a random player to help you out with any issues you might have.

 

You can expect to see a lot of high quality custom content, including a unique, balanced and extensive, cooperative adventure based crafting system, solutions to capture monsters and custom animal companion taming system for druids and rangers amongst a variety of other things.

 

You can also expect player versus player conflicts, hopefully in a more sophisticated manner, where you work against your opponents goals before considering actual fighting. (note that character versus character combat is part of our game.)

 

In conclusion, I can only recommend City of Arabel for a story and character interaction based, relatively low level game experience. 

Feel free to PM me on the city of Arabel forums (coaforum.ender.com) under the same nick (AronFF), if you need anything, but you should probably be fin with asking just about anyone.