Once in possession of a globe-stave, you will be able to call forth the orb-channelled powers using the GLOBESTAVE or GBS command. Type GBS followed by a power (like GBS VORTEX) on its own and you will automatically use the most appropriate globestave for the task. You may instead use GBS VORTEX followed by a specific reference to a globe-stave to utilise one stave in preference to others. Examing a globe-stave will show you whether it is active or not - and if you are its creator, will give you its current empowerment percentage. Remember examine looks at your inventory first and then the location; don't be caught out focussing on the wrong stave in a moment of panic.
Syntax: GBS CEASE
The simplest of abilities: allows you to command your globe-stave to cease carrying out whichever power is presently active. Many of the powers listed below are ongoing and will continue to operate, gradually depleting a stave's stored power. Cease, therefore, allows you to control when your stave is active and when it returns to dormancy.
Syntax: GBS VORTEX [<globe-stave>]
The vortex eddies out darkling misty tendrils about the location floor, quickly spreading from location to location with the globe-stave as the epicentre. Soon after it has spread a few locations distant, the vortex will begin to turn inward - sucking much flotsam and jetsam inward; players too will be pulled inexorably in until they have been dragged into the globe-stave location. The vortex is one of those crossover powers able to interact with both the physical and the astral/ethereal forms - thus even ghosts are subject to its effects.
Syntax: GBS SPIRAL [<globe-stave>]
The spiral is another type of vortex, issuing in the same manner from the epicentre location wherein the globe-stave has fixed its roots. This time, however, the pressure exerted will be outward and those players and items will be pushed away from the globe-stave, ever away 'til they are thrust into the ocean. As the vortex, the spiral is a crossover power able to interact with physical and astral/ethereal forms - and thus even ghosts are affected by its tendrils.
Syntax: GBS CONQUISTADOR [<globe-stave>]
Using this power causes the globe-stave to set its orb into 'vigilance' mode. While vigilant it will keep an ever-wakeful eye on incoming and outgoing portals, teleportations and gates - in short, almost all magical modes of hyper-transport. Whenever the orb encounters the touch of any of these hyper-transports it acts in an instant to disperse them: closing portals, shredding gateways, aborting teleportations, etc. There are one or two chinks in the conquistador armour, notably some of the pacifist naturalist movements (like the forest flow) and a neutralisation of any summoning in your location (the location of the stave's fixed point), weakening your ability to use any of the various summon powers to bring an enemy into your grasp.
NOTE: aggressive actions will be either deflected from originating by, or cause to be removed the Conquistador shielding thus you will find it difficult to use conquistador in tandem with ambush-attacks. The Conquistador protections are many but not absolute - for example, the thaumaturgist's fog is known to slip under its shielding.
Syntax: GBS WORMWARDING [<globe-stave>]
Such is the protective qualities of the globe-stave once it has taken root in a location that it can, assuming sufficient power remains within its orb, throw up an umbrella-like shield about its surroundings. Most commonly it is used against the dragon of Mount Sapience to protect the location from its firey breath - whether that be to keep a field from harm, protect commodities from dragontheft, or shield a mortal on enemy soil from fatal dragonflames.
Syntax: GBS RAINSTORMS [<globe-stave>]
Spouting from the orb of the globestave clouds of dense water billow up, up into the lowering skies. Shortly these clouds will begin to shed their load, hammering raintorms about location-region; raindrops whose trajectory and fall seem almost the stuff of design, so accurate are the rains at working into the most stubborn, well-covered nook and cranny. Some of its effects are to douse immolations and damnation fires, to disrupt weather-utilising rituals, to panic demons and dumb animals, extinguish the enflamed, any burning woodland and nearby fire spirits. The rainstorms have even been known to put out pipes of those unfortunate enough to venture into proximity of the globe-stave.
Syntax: GBS UNDERWURLDE [<globe-stave>]
Twelve globestaves mounted at special points (the milestones in the land's cities and villages) about the continent will, when activated, form a criss-cross of luminescent lightarcs across the continent - the light forming a pentagram that opens the portal to the underworld in the labyrinth of the black sun under Thaumacie, in the bright chamber by the lava pool. Step through the gateway and you will find yourself transported into the underworld, gaining all the benefits associated with that new environment. Be warned, however, that if the pentagram is broken you may find yourself trapped and unable to return to mainland Avalon.
Syntax: GBS FERTILITY [<globe-stave>]
Coerces a globe-stave to devote its considerable fecund energies into acts of fertilisation about the locale, shooting off fountains of sparkling emerald-green growth enhancers (from its luminous orb) to compliment the natural growth cycles of most of the flora and fauna of the land. Fields and gardens are gradually made more bountiful while herbs and poisons will see unusually high rates of expansion. Fertility is also invigorating to the individuals close to the stave and everyone in its location will enjoy a speedier balance regain and a shorter equilibrium, such is the celerity gained by mere proximity to the revitalising emissions of the orb.
Syntax: GBS DRAGONLADDER [<globe-stave>]
After placing globestaves by appropriate central milestones around the land, numbering at least a dozen, each globestave must be switched into dragon-ladder mode. All those whose globestaves are being used must be logged into the land. Type LADDERS to see the current "dragonladder" world-status. The final globestave must be placed in the cave of the Dragon of Mount Sapience while the dragon is patrolling the skies and, lo!, a portal will be opened from the cave to the clouds in which the dragon lies waiting. You must ensure you have placed all twelve staves on milestones outside Sapience before you carry out the final ladder-creating GBS DRAGONLADDER in Sapience, using the final globe-stave. The portal will carry groups but they must act quickly to take advantage.
Syntax: GBS ERODEFORTIFY [<globe-stave>]
A globestave is placed in a location holding fortifications and very slowly, once commanded to do so, it will begin to emanate a jet of divinely-heated fulgence at the fortifications gradually building in power until it reaches a point at which the fortifications begin to melt. Slowly but surely, if the beam is unbroken, the fortifications will be eroded. If the globestave has sufficient power (and it will require re-empowerment to remove all but the weakest of fortifications) then it will eventually melt away the foritfications completely.
Syntax: GBS WREATHE [<globe-stave>]
One of the most singular, shocking and understatedly powerful of the globe-stave abilities, the wreathe is a girdle that ripples out a short distance from the stave-trunk epicentre. When the ripples reach the edges of the location they solidify and transform into some strange, arcane wreathe, rendering the location isolated from myriad forms of remote prying eyes and interfering powers. Those surrounded by the wreathe will be perfectly visible to one another but they will be shielded such that they appear almost completely invisible to those outside of the confines of the locale.
This is an invisibility so complete that it is rumoured even the divine pantheon cannot penetrate the little island of solitude it creates. It can only be brought into existence beneath the skies; under the heavens. If you are inside/indoors or underground, the enchantment will not be able to twine its protective cover about the locale. Two known factors interfere with the wreathing: the presence of a fixed seeing stone and the thaumaturgist fog.
Syntax: GBS INVENTORYSTICK [<globe-stave>]
This globe-stave power involves the evoker remaining in very close, almost touching contact with the immediate aura of the stave's trunk. Standing in that protective environment, the evoker will find his or her inventory (those items considered possessions, whether held or worn or stashed in and about your person) sticks to them like glue. Almost all attempts to wrestle, steal, bully, slaughter or coerce the items away will be thwarted. There are both numerous advantages and disadvantages to being unable to be parted from anything the globe-stave considers a possession of your personal space; an ability that rewards astute experimentation.
Syntax: GBS NULLIFICATION <direction>
Syntax: GBS NULLIFICATION <your globe-stave> <direction> <enemy globe-stave>
Place your globe-stave in a location adjacent to another and use nullification: your globe-stave will then engage the opposing globe-stave in a direct struggle for dominance. Anything the opposing globe-stave was doing prior to the engarde will be nullified for the duration of the battle, as it puts all its power into defending itself. Both globe-staves will use up globe power in the battle and eventually one will run out of power completely. If your globe-stave successfully depletes the opposing globe-stave then it will be vulnerable to fragmentation.
Syntax: GBS FRAGMENT <direction>
Syntax: GBS FRAGMENT <your globe-stave> <direction> <enemy globe-stave>
A globe-stave destruction command, which attacks an opposing, depleted globestave and blows them to smithereens. It is only fully effective when the target has zero globe-stave power, otherwise it will work a slow depletion of the enemy stave's luminosity. If your globestave, however, in attacking is weaker than its target then it will simply lose power and the victorious stave will be unaffected.
Syntax: GLOBESTAVE LIGHT <globestave> <direction>/CEASE.
NOTE: requires also the use of high-level Fisticuffs or Endurance.
The LIGHT ability has various potential uses. It can be used by fixing and activating two globestaves in adjacent locations or by fixing and activating a single globestave emanating its light in an exit not blocked or behind a closed door. Having a globestave emanating its energy gradually depletes the power of its orb but allows various secondary abilities to make use of the energy, like Farsight under the roof which has reduced potency otherwise.
Here is an example of connecting two globestaves with the LIGHT power: globestave in location south would need its light-beam heading north, while globestave in the northerly location would set its light beaming south. Thus empowered the two globestaves will hurl forth their light beams to meet, twining seamlessly and forming a bond between the staves.
The most impressive benefit of the globestave LIGHT connections being fixed and activated is if placed at the milestones and the SHIELDED command can be used to review the extent of light-active staves. Should all a town or city's milestone locations be activately light-active, a citywide effect is brought about: the great Light Dome.
Light beams have a secondary use, somewhat unexpected given their magical origins: utilising their light beams as a catapult! The light-beams are beams of luminescence so full of energy they have a tangible form; and these beams have a tensile flexibility. Pressure can be exerted on them and, by dint of the stave's fixed point, the light-ropes will 'twang' back to their former position with great force. This reflex can be made to work for you: you can back into the light-rope beams to such an extent, pushing against the tensile energy lines, until by 'twanging' back they can project you at incredible speed across great distances in the land.
The Fisticuffs "reverse" ability is the general skill used to push against the light-rope beams, to exert counterforce against the energy of the globestaves to a certain point; and then - if timed correctly - rebound at dangerously high speed against some distant specified target. Be wary: this can be damaging to both the human projectile and the target. Strong locked doors cannot be struck without hurting your health even if you break through. If the target is behind many such doors you may find yourself dead of impact-damage before you ever reach your destination. More than three indoor locations with doors twixt yourself and your target and it is ill-advised to try to rebound yourself in.
GENERAL FOOTNOTE:
There are, additionally, a smattering of Bardic abilities associated with augmenting or disrupting the effectiveness of those globe-stave actions associated with the use and projection of sound. Seers, by dint of their seeing stones and the touch of the nether-world therein, can also call upon a singular influence on globe-stave potency. Naturally information about abilities secret to those two professions will not be further elaborated upon here. See also HELP GLOBES, HELP GLOBEIDEALS, HELP GLOBEACTIONS and even HELP REPUTATION to complete a comprehensive understanding of this pivotal facet of the Avalon world.
