Defences: An Overview

The notion of defences in Avalon refers to two broad concepts: personal defences that can be arranged about your persona, and countermeasures. A "defence" is a protective measure that can be brought about via skills, special powers, innate abilities, equipment, or in some cases bestowed by generous members of different professions, while a "countermeasure" is often an in-the-moment reaction or response to protect against an unexpected or sudden threat.

Combat, in many cases, is a voyage of discovery; not all defences, cures and countermeasures are publicised and it is the reward of the inquisitive, experimental and determined individual to learn of secret means and hidden methods of counteracting, defending and retaliating against an attack.

Syntax: DEFENCES

Lists all defences that are active about your persona, and how much mana you are expending in order to maintain them.

Distinction Between Defensive Methods

Permanent Defences are those which once enacted, remain active at no cost; dropping only if deliberately removed (either by yourself or an opponent, if slain, or if departing the lands. An example of one such defence would be "resilience", obtained at Master Survival and used to increase magical resistance:

2002h, 2002m aex ---resilience
You blink slowly and command a focus on resilience.
2002h, 2002m aex ---
Your magic resistance heightens.
2002h, 2002m aex ---
Your magic resistance heightens.
2002h, 2002m aex ---
Your magic resistance heightens.
2002h, 2002m aex ---
You have altered your innate magical resistance to 190%.

Temporary Defences are those which wear out or expire after a certain amount of time and must be reenacted to maintain. The spiritual aura bestowed by the malloran herb is one such temporary defence:

2002h, 2002m aex ---smoke pipe malloran
You suck deeply on the pipe, basking in the aroma of malloran.
2002h, 2002m aex --- 
You beckon the globe of whirling malloran vapour. It forms a golden aura in your entourage.
2002h, 2002m aex --- 
[Around five minutes later]
The golden aura encircling you flickers bright then fades into nothing.

Ongoing Mana-draining Defences are usually only brought about while actively fighting; they are often situational and concern themselves with the prevention or counteraction against a specific attack or affliction. The extent of the mana drain is dependent on the defence in question, some costing negligible amounts and others requiring great expenditure of mana to maintain.

2002h, 2002m aex ---autowake on
You will now wake up by reflex.
2002h, 1962m aex ---
2002h, 1932m aex ---
2002h, 1902m aex ---
2002h, 1872m aex --- autowake off
You will no longer awake automatically by reflex.
2002h, 1872m aex ---

Panic Buttons are defences that are imposed in an emergency in an attempt to save one's life at the expense of an ongoing offensive strategy. They are invariably temporary and almost always render your persona unable to attack while in effect; any attacks cancelling the defence when made. The pentacle is an example of such a defence available to all:

2002h, 2002m aex ---point pentacle
You conjure up a magical pentacle of protection about you.
2002h, 2002m aex ---jab salvador
Stepping forward to commit offensive action causes your pentacle to vanish with a soundless implosion.
You strike El Salvador, The Witch King, with the edge of your blade.
2002h, 2002m aex 

Specialist Defences are unique to a specific skill or profession and blend a mixture of permanent, essential, temporary, mana draining and panic responses. Examples would include the candescent light-armouring as woven by Mages or the ability to flip away from harm by Thieves and Rangers:

2002h, 2002m aex ---weave lightarmour
You weave light about your form and, after a moment of concentration, force it to solidify into a solid armour.
2002h, 1902m aex

2002h, 2002m aex ---shadows on
You increase your speed and dart about in the shadows.
2002h, 1982m aex ---flip east
Your flip is shadow-speedy. You exert yourself to flip east.
2002h 1922m aex

Essential Defences Available To All

In addition to the professional defences, there are dozens of general purpose defences available to all. Many can be found in the general skills and many can be utilised via certain equipment. Some are widely considered fight essentials: defences ALL Avalonians should be familiar with and ensure are active at all times lest a sudden ambush render you at a significant disadvantage:

• Cold Resistance: Protects against freezing attacks by use of the anticold potion or the attanar herb.
• Fire Resistance: Protects against fire-based (not elemental) attacks when the antifire potion or gylvir herb are consumed.
• Immunity: Renders you immune to certain fatal poisons when the resistance potion is drunk.
• Hyper-adrenalin: Restores your health at the expense of your mana should you fall unconscious. Resurgence potion.
• Diffusion cloak: Provides a spiritual cloak that defends against summonings, via the cloaking potion.
• Resilience: Heightened magical resistance by use of the survival ability of the same name.
• Charm & Talisman Effects: Heightened magical damage output and increased magical resistance by wearing these two items.
• Olvar & Resurrection: Consumption of olvar herb for one-time restoration of life. Resurrection potion to return to life after being slain to ghost-state.

The Theory Of Defence & Readiness

Avalon is a land where murder and assassination are every day occurences. Few protections exist and even fewer places are truly safe from those who would do you harm. Ambush is commonplace and being caught without crucial defences in place is an immediate disadvantage, leading almost certainly to death. Anyone with serious designs on becoming a highly ranked fighter should expect the ambush, predict the surprise attack and be ever on their guard. It is invariably the case with the land's greatest combatants that they are ever-ready for battle; poised to enter the fray with but a moment's notice and keeping oneself defended - at a minimum level of readiness - is the most fundamental precept of combat.