by russ kale

The developers of 'Thunderrealm Island' have opened up a new section of the game world, 'The Darkwaters'. You're a member of one of the few guilds that have been allowed into this zone, only a few hours before it's opened to the rest of the game's subscribers. Somewhere in the Darkwaters lies the answer to a mystery at the very heart of the Thunderrealm mythos... and you're going to be the first to find it.

Six months ago, your guild began collecting all the shinies required to gain early access to the Darkwaters. It took ages - there were arguments about whether this was a good use of guild resources; some people left the game for good. Some players took charge in special missions; others sacrificed their characters or powers for further advancement. Finally, two guilds were chosen as victors: the Children of Diode and the Order of the Creeping Moss. You count among these guilds' numbers - will you be the first to find the treasure, or will victory slip through your fingers like the sands of Thunderrealm Cove?

'Thunderrealm Island 2: The Darkwaters' is based on MMORPG structures: although the game is set entirely inside the MMORPG, you will be playing not only the in-game avatar, but also the real-world gamer that created and controls them.

Guilds will interact with each other, trying to make friends, resolve personal disputes, and discover information. At times, they will compete against each other to complete encounters that give them information to discovering the secrets of the Darkwaters.

The two guilds in this iteration of the game are the Children of Diode, a sect of robot clerics that worship the Great Charge, and the Order of the Creeping Moss, a gang of plant-person ninjas. Within each guild, characters will belong to one of six classes - more information on this will be given during registration.