Apsaranta

Apsaranta

Apsaranta/Aphsaranta^EU was the territory that Dragon Lord Apsu ruled over until he was struck down by Tiamat. It was buzzing with life until Apsu’s death, but it has since vanished into oblivion. Various troops with differing objectives can be found there. Elyos can enter this place from the Inggison Illusion Fortress, and Asmodians from the Gelkmaros Fortress. Many factions are after its resources and technology buried beneath the sands. Stellin Industries yet again make an appearance, pursuing their sinister goal of acquiring the power of the late Dragon Lord still present in the lands.

It is a cross-server shared map between both Elyos and Asmodians, for level 81-85.

Accessing Apsaranta

• Via teleporter in Inggison (Elyos)
• Via teleporter in Gelkmaros (Asmodians)

Lay of the Land

When laying foot in Apsaranta, the landscape that greets you is a desolate, unending wasteland, where few ruins can be seen. The Elyos and Asmodian starting areas are raised upon solid ruins that keep part of the former glory of their architecture. When venturing to the central area of the map, an oasis stretching across Mesio River which divides the land in all its length offers sanctuary to all factions and its fauna. Canyons through which many rivers and springs once flowed, and eery deserts make navigation quite an exhausting task if not careful. Sight of ancient Petraliths and skeletons of enormous creatures tell of fierce battles in ancient times. The landmark of the area is Apsu's Temple, which lays at the southernmost point of Apsaranta. Stellin Industries had secured its vecinity, and Balaur followers of Apsu seem to cooperate in this matter. Other notable places are the Harbour Ruins, along with the hidden cave accessible from the north of the seaside, and the Lake Pledge, hidden behind the grand waterfall from which the Mesio River starts.

Bases

The map has 15 bases, 2 of which are permanently under Elyos and Asmodian influence respectively. Elyos players start at the "Guardian Garrison" in the top left of the map, while the Asmodians begin at the "Archon Garrison" on the right side. Travelling towards the south of the map, player will encounter hardier mobs. There are no neutral areas, but in the perimeter of a captured base, NPC of its controlling faction patrol the area, attacking the enemy faction on sight.

When a faction takes control of one of the bases, they can complete quests for the Corps, rewards which also include Glory Points, Abyss Points, equipment, Ultimate Manastones and other consumables. Completing quests increase reputation with some of the Corps, for which the teleport waypoints for the 7^th and 8^th bases is required. To use the teleporter option, the bases have to be under the player's faction control.

A base can be captured only when its status is "vulnerable". The player has to interact with "Apsu's Relic", but it takes a long while for it to complete, so it is recommended to go as a party, as the mobs guarding the base are highly dangerous.

The Lake Pledge is accessible only if at least 2 of the surrounding bases are under the player's faction control (1^st, 2^nd or 4^th).

Neutral Factions

In the center area of the map there are 8 camps for the neutral factions. For the current patch these are the Nightshade Clan and Ancient Clan, with which the player can raise reputation with and buy items used for quests.

World Bosses

Ardath/Adad^EU appears every 6 days in the Apsu Temple, but the time can be shortened with every captured base by 30 minutes. Players may aquire items such as Apsu's Illusion amour, Pledge Tablets, Daevanion Trait Skill Books or Ultimate Extreme Enchantment Stones (and Sharkel with the next Empyrean Lord change patch). Whenever this protective statue is to awaken, the skies in Apsaranta are darkened by an ominous scarlet thunderstorm.

World Raids

Players may participate in world raids to acquire drops suchs as Io, Pledge Tablets or Io crystals.

• Apsu Legion Invasion takes place every 6 days (timer can be shortened with capturing bases), Balaur Troops attack the bases under Elyos or Asmodian influence, and if the players fail to protect the Reian NPC before Apsu's Attack Driller is destroyed, the raid fails in that base.
• Rahmu Corps Airstrike (when next Empyrean Lord change patch) takes place every 6 days (timer can be shortened with capturing bases), Balaur Troops attack the 7^th and 8^th Bases if they are under Elyos or Asmodian occupation.

Gatherable Items

<Io Crystal>, <Ionium>, <Illoe Vine> and <Io Blossom> can be gathered in Apsaranta, items necessary for crafting skin items, quest items, Daevonian Talc, Lord's Sacred Water, or Pledge Tablets needed for Ultimate Fighting Spirit or Apsu's Illusion armour and weapon skills.

History

With 8.0, after the disappearance of Inanna following the events in Timeless Terrace/Tempus Fugit^EU, a passage connecting Raging Valley to Apsaranta was discovered. The land was sealed away in a similar matter to how Drakenspire Depths/Makarna^EU was, but after Tiamat's death it weakened enough to reveal this ancient place. Long ago, before the Cataclysm took place, Apsaranta was under the rule of the previous 5th Dragon Lord, Apsu. When Tiamat had taken action with her plan to take Apsu's place, not long after she had taken control of Apsaranta she was banished by the other Dragon Lords for her devious murder, and so the area was left to history, on top of it being completely destroyed. Since Apsu was the most peaceful between the Lords' ranks, one can remark that there are more treasures and resources to be won in this forgotten place of Southern Balaurea rather than terrifying weapons. But the newly discovered Io deems to have the potential of turning the tide of war for who masters it first, its properties been noticed quite easily: monsters have increased vitality in its presence, weapons imbued with Io perform significantly better and used in amour or potions it strengthens the user to "almost the same level with the Dragon Lords".

With both Elyos and Asmodians having secured footholds in Apsaranta, a whole development and conquering campaign has started. While the neutral factions are after the cultural and technological remains of this bygone civilization, Stellin Industries is always a step forward, having secured the Temple in which Apsu was supposedly murdered, and his leftover power could be found. Although the chase leads the player to Apsu's Temple, Inanna could not be stopped from ascending into a dragon, and for now there is nothing to be done but prepare for the worst.

Instances

Group Instances

• Apsaranta's Heart/Heart of Aphsaranta^EU [81+]

Gallery

teleport waypoints

apsaranta map layout

Pledge statue

Pledge altar

Iodra Flower

Illoe

Io

Dimension Gate and Relic

Apsu Temple

Guardian Garrison

Archon Garrison

Mesio River

Ishkur/Adad

Trivia

• The map was designed with the intent of creating a terrain changing under the actions of the players, as bases, world bosses and other activities do depend on how active each faction is.
• The whole area was supposedly a verdant paradise before the Cataclysm, but once Tiamat took over after killing her predecessor Apsu, everything was laid to waste and and little remains to tell of its former glory.
• In the Lake Pledge soundtracks that could be heard in Morheim are played.
• At first glance the map is strikingly similar with Theobomos with its desert theme.
• There are hints during the Apsaranta campaign that there is another area in development connected to it, "Cloudburst - A godforsaken place, far from Apsaranta's Heart. This desolate marshland is unparalleled in the known world", and the guard dedicated to keeping the gate to it closed suggests that it might live up to its name.
• The statue of the Pledge Altar is made in the look of a Daeva, and it was clearly said to have not been built by the Balaur, which makes it a mistery who would have had access to that place.
• All across the map the player can run across "Dry Ashir Trees", which have an innate sacred power. The scrolls used to summon Aggressive Creatures for completing quests draw upon its vitality, literally teleporting them to their doom.
• The neutral factions counted until now: Reians, Popoku, Strigik, Macori, Shulack and Rakuri.
• Most of the map's areas are named after divinities in Sumerian mythology. Interpretations differ, but in one of them, Enki (or Ea) is one of the first descendants of Apsu and Tiamat in "Enuma Elish", also being the one that kills and takes Apsu's powers, as such residing over fresh water. (Enril) Enlil on the other hand is a god of the air, but also the one who brought a flood upon the world, having also reached the title of "King of Gods", although in Mesopotamian mythology many others have had reached that high position along with changing beliefs. Dilmun Desert is named after a real archeological site in Iran, ancient trading center, which in legends was described as a city "pre-existing in paradisiacal state, where predators do not kill, pain and diseases are absent, and people do not get old." It may have also been an inspiration behind the "Garden of Eden". There are appearances from Hindu mythology as well, Arun, or Aruna, being the charioteer of the sun. "He was a son of Kasyapa and Abidi, born in an egg, and only finished in the upper part of his body. He sits before Surya, the god of the sun, and drives the seven green horses which draw the wagon, protecting genius of the morning and evening twilight." Surrid Plateu^EU/Sarik Plateau could originate from Sanskrit, being translated as "melodious bird", while the former in Latin means "to smile". Mishnah Prairie^EU /Mitna Plains, former "Mishnah" is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions and laws which is also known as the Oral Torah, while the latter originates from Sanskrit and means "to be effaced, be rubbed off, be abolished, become extinct, come to an end". Keterr can be found in Hebrew, meaning "crown", and is also found as an element of "Kabbalah", part of old Jewish mysticism. It is attributed to the uppermost part of "The Tree of Life", part closest to God, compassion, kindness, equity and lack of sin.