Novus Opiate
A coastal town of sandstone domes and upswept tiled roofs on a ridge between dark forest and a cold sea at dusk; a glowing blue lifestone crowns the hill above the houses as a raiding party arrives in its light, and an islet offshore is reached by two rows of pale pillars standing in the water.

Hotspot · The Direlands · “AB”

Ayan Baqur

The richest, hardest-to-reach town on the map. The prize of the AB Wars.

Region
Western Direlands
Founded
May 2000
Prize
Rich vendors, fast dens
Contested
2000 – 2001
Record
Strong

Ayan Baqur, dated

  1. Dated to the month

    Founded

    Original-era evidenceVoices: Official

  2. Dated to the month

    Dens open nearby

    Original-era evidenceVoices: Official

  3. Dated to the day

    Lifestone raided every twenty minutes

    Original-era evidenceVoices: Official

  4. Dated to the month

    Three-week onslaught

    Original-era evidenceVoices: Blood-side

  5. Dated to the day

    A portal in is refused

    Original-era evidenceVoices: Official

  6. Dated to the month

    Blood takes the town

    Original-era evidenceVoices: Blood-side · Outsider

The town Darktide was not built to have: rich vendors, the best dens on its doorstep, and no portal in. Comfort made it the biggest prize on the map.

Beside the Festival Stone

Original-era evidence

Founded in the May 2000 update “Heroes’ Respite”, beside the Festival Stone of Darktide, on a ridge between forest and sea.

Sources · Official, ReferenceHeroes’ Respite; A Brief History for Travelers: Heroes’ RespiteHeroes’ Respite: Solclaim, PY 11 (May 2000)Ayan Baqur; Festival Stone of Darktide

Why everyone wanted it

Original-era evidence

Good prices, and from June 2000 a Black Spawn Den and the Halls of Metos next door.

Sources · Official, Black Rose-side, Outsider, ReferenceDarktide’s PastAsheron’s Call: PVP SRS BSNS – Part 1The Paths of DestructionAyan Baqur; Festival Stone of Darktide

Hard in, easy out

Original-era evidence

No tieable portal near it, so you ran in. A December 2000 request for a portal into AB was refused.

Sources · Official, Black Rose-sideDeveloper Chat, 16 August 2000Turbine Games Q&A: Landscape (AB portal on Darktide)Darktide’s Past

The lifestone on the hill

Original-era evidence

Raided about every twenty minutes by August 2000. No arrival protection: the developers said run in.

Sources · OfficialDeveloper Chat, 16 August 2000

The AB Wars

Original-era evidence

Three weeks of onslaught in September 2000. GEN formed there in December, and by the year’s end Blood held the town.

Accounts differ. Blood says it took AB from GEN and the antis at once; a 2015 retrospective says GEN won first.

Sources · Blood-side, Black Rose-side, OutsiderHistoryDarktide’s PastAsheron’s Call: PVP SRS BSNS – Part 1

After the war

Later evolution

Displaced antis regrouped at Fort Tethana in 2001. A 2010 town network finally linked AB to the world.

Sources · Black Rose-side, ReferenceDarktide’s PastAyan Baqur; Festival Stone of Darktide