May 13, 2014

Congratulations Alastair Q!

The ‘Design a Release Contest’ winner will unleash his diabolical creation this Friday in AdventureQuest Worlds!

A few weeks ago, AQWorlds hosted our first ever “Design a Release Contest,” where 1 grand prize winner would get to see their ideas come to life in a brand new in-game weekly release.

But there’s a problem: you guys and gals are just too darn good at storytelling. So we choose 2 grand prize winners: Alastair Q, and Runester333!

This Friday at sundown, you will be making history alongside AdventureQuest Worlds, as you and your fellow heroes embark upon our first-ever player-created weekly release, “The Fell Beast” by Alastair Q!

Spoiler Alert: Gaze into the Mirror Realm…

Once the twisted playground of a foul Warlock, the forces of Order at last razed this evil construction to the ground at the zenith of the Great War against the forces of Alteon. Only the spirits of the fallen lurk here... along with the cursed Warlock's detestable minions.  

Though the war is over in the Mirror Realm, darkness still broods in the heart of King Alteon the Imbalanced's accursed realm. A foul beast known only as a harbinger of disease and rot, the Cockatrice, runs amok without master or influence, ready to strike at the armies of the Champion of Order, Mirror Drakath.

For a while, the beast was trouble enough, carrying intelligence unlike its brethren, but now, events have taken a turn for the worst. Carrying still a semblance of its master's malevolence within, the Cockatrice has stolen from Mirror Drakath and his forces the most vital prize in the Mirror Realm; the Egg containing the developing 13th Beast of Order.

Hiding in the ruins of the Dark Warlock's Dungeon, the beast guards its prize, and you and Mirror Drakath must first locate this foul creature.

First, you will be heading to Battleoff and Brightfall to question those there as to the beast's whereabouts, before heading into the dark dungeon with Mirror Drakath and facing the hordes of undead who make their home there, all before slaying the fell Cockatrice once and for all!  

Unless you are able to defeat the beast and keep the Egg intact, the realms will be thrown out of balance, allowing Chaos its final victory in your world and those beyond!  

Who is Alastair Q?

Alastair Q is the sort of good-hearted hero who helps the helpless and defends the defenseless, all without expecting a reward from them—the true reward is the satisfaction gained from making someone's life better.

Before falling down a mountain and travelling down the path against Chaos, Alastair Q was simply a mercenary aligned with Good. If there was a job that needed doing, he did, but only if his moral principles would not be violated as a result.

As Sepulchure's forces marched closer to Swordhaven, Alastair took an oath upon himself to protect the realm he loved and to vanquish—or at least slow the process of the Undead, for what mortal can face a Doomknight of the shadow? After the climactic battle in Swordhaven and the subsequent Chaorruption of King Alteon, Alastair swore to do whatever it takes in order to defeat Drakath, all without breaking his morals.

Now, Alastair is more of a lone gun. Even though he will team up when needed, most of the time he's riding solo in his adventures across Lore, gaining the respect of all factions affected by Chaos so as to have the full might of Lore's armies behind him when marching to bring an end to Chaos on Lore.

How did Alastair start playing AQWorlds?

Originally, Alastair was playing the original AdventureQuest back in 2008. He slayed hundreds of foul beasts until he saw an advertisement for AQW, and he thought he may as well go and try it out.

Alastair did, and since 2009, he hasn’t stopped playing!

“I can't really describe what I enjoy about AQW - the beautiful background art, the music (especially in the newer areas), there are just too many details to pin-point.

“If there is anything I love especially, it is the wide range of items available for customization, allowing me to make my character the way I want him to be, without having to worry about what combination of items will be best for combat and instead, being able to enjoy the game, as was intended.”

What inspired Alastair to enter the contest:

“For me, the contest was a means to create a nice, standalone release which connected to the Chaos Saga, which players could enjoy and play through.

"My primary reason for choosing to enter was to contribute to AQW's canon - to form a part of AQW history and play a role, no matter how small, in adding to in-game lore. 

“The second reason would have to be the Cockatrice itself - a very unique beast which rather surprisingly, was not yet present in AQW. There I saw my niche, and built my release around the monster whilst still attempting to retain that blend of humor and seriousness that makes AQW so appealing each and every week.

“The final reason includes the Mirror Realm. All of the other area choices were each appealing in their own way - but the Mirror Realm is perhaps the least unexplored of their own, and being a mirror image of our own Lore, the possibilities for a release were endless! Mirroring the approach of the 13th Lord of Chaos and the end of the Chaos Saga, I pictured things would be going equally well for the forces of Order as they were for Chaos, and so the idea of the 13th Beast of Order came to be.

“Overall, all these reasons are why I chose to join the contest, to try and immortalize an enjoyable release into AQW's canon.

“If I lost, I could at least have the satisfaction of knowing I tried, so I thought I may as well give it a shot. And in the end, is that not what matters - to keep on trying even after loss?”

Such inspiration from an aspiring hero! On behalf of the entire AQWorlds team and all the players who defend the world of Lore, we cannot wait to experience Alastair Q’s release, The Fell Beast, happening this Friday night at www.AQ.com. (Runester333's release will take place within the next few weeks!)

Stay tuned to the Design Notes, the AQWorlds Facebook Page, and my Twitter for more spoilers about Alastair Q’s release!

Battle on!

xoxo Beleen! =D