Hello hatchlings!

Over the past couple of weeks, we've taken a good long hard look at what
has been successful in the Sect of Blades and what hasn't. For the most
part, the open PK status of Sect members, with both the initial version
and the current version, has been pretty unpopular. We've decided to
strip that part of the Sect out. What we have found, though, is that the
ability to challenge other players to a 'live' combat scenario within
the Sect arena has been the biggest selling point, so what we've done is
modify a lot of the rewards and rules to help foster that environment.

Previously, marks of triumph were used to determine your rank within the
Sect, which in turn would net you a couple of rewards if you collected
enough. This is no longer the case. Instead, now marks of triumph act as
a currency that you can earn and use within a special shop inside the
Sect Hall. There's a large variety of things you can acquire, starting
from 50 marks all the way up to 50,000. Your tally is no longer attached
to your Sect of Blades rank as well.

We've also slightly updated how to earn marks:

GAINING MARKS:
- Killing another player without any assists (100).
* Open PK zones and the Sect arena will double the points.
* Starbursts and other instant revives will halve the points.
* Each subsequent kill per year on the same person will be reduced
by 90%.
* After five deaths per year on the same person, you will receive
no points.
- Claiming a bounty on another player without assists (100).
- Obtaining ten bloodstone charges, if you possess the bloodstone
item (1500).

LOSING MARKS:
- You die to another player in single combat (-20).
- A year goes by without a single kill or death to another
player (-5).
* For each year that goes by, the loss in marks will double.
* This will cap at 100 marks lost per year.

You cannot gain or lose marks if you are not a member of the Sect of
Blades, however, your tally will be remembered should you rejoin.

Along with this comes a change to how Sect ranks are determined. In the
old version, it was determined by the total of your marks of triumph.
With marks being a currency now, it makes little sense to maintain this
approach. Now, your rank within the Sect will be determined by the
amount of duels you have accepted within the Sect arena.

- Green Recruit (rank 1) is your starting rank.
- Soldier of Cause (rank 2) requires 20 duels within the Sect arena.
- Practiced Veteran (rank 3) requires 50 duels within the Sect arena.
- Deadly Duelist (rank 4) requires 100 duels within the Sect arena.
- Master Slayer (rank 5) requires 200 duels within the Sect arena.

Each rank also comes with a small perks:

RANK 1:
- Access to the Hall of Blades after 10 duels.
- Access to Sect channel after 10 duels.
- Visible to others on SCWHO after 10 duels.

RANK 2:
- Ability to compete for the Crown of Omens.
- Your name becomes visible on the Sect channel.
- Access to a new Weaponry ability, learned from Grim in the
Hall of Blades.

RANK 3:
- Access to the Horn of Toscin.
- Access to a new Weaponry ability, learned from Grim in the
Hall of Blades.

RANK 4:
- Access to the enchantment and preservation rooms.
- Access to a new Weaponry ability, learned from Grim in the
Hall of Blades.

RANK 5:
- Earns 50% more marks of triumph.
- Denoted as a Master on the Sect channel.

This rank will always stay with you, even if you if leave the Sect of
Blades and rejoin later.

Lastly, in the current version we had the idea that once you reached a
threshold of marks, you would join the Sect of Blades council and have
the ability to compete for the Crown of Omens. The truth is that only
one person ever managed to reach this position and would've made for
ultimately poor sport - the system relied on at least a couple of people
competing at once.

As such, the rules for having the ability to lay claim to the Crown of
Omens has been changed. Each year, the system will evaluate how each
person performs within the Sect arena and will assign them a rating.
Those who manage to reach the top three for that year will have the
ability to lay CLAIM to the Crown of Omens, and may make use of it under
identical rules for the Hunting Ground items.

The effects for the Crown of Omens have also been changed slightly:

- For each person that has hostility against you, you gain:
* 5% resistance to all damage types.
* 2% resistance to all curable afflictions.
- These effects only apply if at least three or more people
have hostility on you.
- There is a maximum of ten stacks, further people with
hostility upon you will not contribute to the above.

Finally, all ratings are hidden. You will not be able to know your own
or another's.

This sums up the changes to the Sect of Blades. You should find there is
plenty of opportunity for beginners, intermediates, and those that like
fierce competition. You can find all of this information and more within
HELP SECT, so I highly recommend reading it as well.

Happy dueling!

Penned by my hand on the 19th of Variach, in the year 447 MA.