Users > Sedelyan > Monument Tests > The Test Of Buried Tokens

Body is probably one of the hardest disciplines to come up with new Tests for. Actually, scratch that; Harmony's worse. That said, this one's no treat -- Body tests so far have run the gamut from the Test of the Oyster Catcher (the Monument test for T2-T3) to the Test of the Cicada...or of Banquet, one of the hardest to complete overall. As more techs are produced, of course, and released, it becomes easier to come up with ideas for tests, so hopefully we'll see a few thoughts entered into this in T3.
Ahem, though. The idea of Body is exploration, both of the world and the systems therein. Exploring has its rewards by nature, of course, as any player who's found a particularly unique section of road or a perfect camp with 100-wood runs will tell you. The same goes for herbs. Cicadas and rats, compared to those, are just another bonus...but I digress again. This is a 'spiritual successor' to the Test of the Cicada, save that it's significantly more difficult to find the object in brute force; it also contains similarities to Safari.

The Design

Initially, consider a number of metallic tokens, formed of the rare Yokir metal from the old Tale. These are large discs of hollow metal, filled with sand and emptied once they had cooled. Then, the discs were buried in the desert or -- even -- in towns, by those who wished to preserve them for the future generation. All told, there are 100 discs to begin.

Discs are engraved with the time that they are buried. From the moment the Test opens, points are counted as one per minute. Once discs are dug up, the points stop accumulating while that particular piece of metal is in the inventory; if it is buried or returned to a University of Body, the points are then awarded to the player who carries it. Yokir Discs may not be dropped or given to other players; they also may not be stored in chests. As long as they are in the inventory, they take up 100 weight and bulk; finally, no more than three may be carried at any time.

Discs may be turned in to the University of Body. When this happens, the player is given two points for every minute that the disc was *in the ground*, and it is buried at a random player-accessible location. (Locations which can only be obtained through long-range ferries are exempt.) This is similar to how cicadas and falcons behave when spawned.

Alternately, the player may bury the disc in the ground wherever they choose. If they do this, they obtain one point for every minute the disc was in the ground before...and then one point per minute thereafter, until it is dug up again. Players may, at their own discretion, dig up their own discs; if they do, however, they lose all the points accumulated while the disc was in the ground.

Finally, Yokir Discs may only be held by active accounts. Trial accounts cannot hold them; if an account expires, all discs are considered 'returned to the UBody', points awarded accordingly, and the discs returned to the ground.

How to Pinpoint the Tokens

Obviously, if a player is digging for tokens in a sandy area, even a radius of 5 coordinates is a fruitless, hopeless search. Therefore, there are ways to assist with the process; the foremost is through Beacon Points. Beacon Points require an insignificant quantity of materials to build, and may be torn down at a 100% efficiency rate by any player. Once the hunter has placed three beacon points, they may meditate at any one; the points will resonate, giving a hint as to whether there is a Yokir Disc within their boundaries. Only three beacon points may be placed by any hunter -- it more are created, they will clash and a random one will be instantly torn down.

Second to this, if there is a Yokir Disc within five coordinates of any Beacon point, it will chime, giving an indication that the site is proper to dig at. Digging creates a 120-second endurance timer, and has a diameter of three coordinates from the point the player stands; therefore, it extends 12 feet in either direction. If a disc is dug up, all beacon points immediately break until salvaged and rebuilt.

Passing the Test

Each day, the top 21 players in points are evaluated, including those with buried discs. They gain one of either Focus or Perception (whichever is considered correct for the test itself). Gaining seven allows that player to pass the Test; up to 21 total, however, may be gained.

Comments

Probably Focus would be better - Perception can be gained through other means. Also, would the resonance of the beacons always tell you yes a disc is present within their triangle or no it isn't, or would there be a chance of error in the knowledge received? -Meidori.
The resonance of the beacons will always tell you if at least one disc is present within the boundaries. -Sedelyan

Since this test is very similar in score to Cicadas, why not speed?