The Flag Quest is a competitive game played by any number of players. It tends to be set in a specific combat venue, be that the Avalon mainland or the Battleisle, the Arena or the Underworld. Players participating are split into teams (between two and six), each team being known by the colour of its associated flag: Red, Blue, Black, White, Silver and Gold. Each team will have a home base, defined by the presiding deity, about which the player-members should assemble prior to Flag Quest start. Each time will also have a LEADER: this player being the only one able to raise a captured flag at the home base.
The winner of the Flag Quest is the first team to raise ALL competing flags and there will be a flag for each team involved: so a Flag Quest with four active teams will have four coloured flags to be raised to claim victory.
Raising a flag is performed at your home base by typing RAISE <colour> FLAG e..g.. RAISE RED FLAG. The time taken to raise the flag from the moment RAISE is typed is predefined by the presiding deity. The flag will need to be defended from attack/seizure while it is raising. Once raised it is a little more secure and opposing teams will have to LOWER <colour> FLAG e..g. LOWER GOLD FLAG to take it down, before fleeing the dangers of the enemy base. Lowering, like raising, takes an anount of time defined by the Gods.
Type FLAGS at any time to see the defined times for RAISE and LOWER on a flag, as well as information on the various teams, their bases, leaders, and the current whereabouts of all flags 'in play'; as well as the flag status - whether raised or in the process of being raised, etc. Talk to everyone in a Flag Quest using the Flag Quest calling channel with OOFQ <text> or to your fellow team-members only with OOT <text> as described in HELP CALLING.
If you wish to take part in a Flag Quest you will need to speak with the God responsible for running it. Announcements will generally be made across Avalon beforehand. You will be able to take up membership of one of the participating teams: generally chosen by the presiding deity or the team's leader. For the duration of any 'competitor' status, membership of one of the quest teams, such protections as pacifism, duellism and divine protection are suspended. They are automatically restored at the end of the Flag Quest. This allows for everyone to contend on an equal footing.
WARNING: flags behave like sands (from the Sands Quest) insofar as they cannot be taken into indoor locations, they cannot be taken out of plain view of the skies. Flags cannot be taken too high above ground, nor can they be held by individuals with no physical form. They cannot be in the inventory of one who is protected or duellist. Flags cannot be placed inside other objects nor can they be held by NPCs or CCCs. If a flag is lost, it will be randomly placed somewhere in the combat venue: the area of Avalon being used for the contest.