Journeys: the sirocco trail, highcloud monastery and frostbell hamlet

Three far places reached only by plane from the Skyport. Buy a ticket at the Skyport. Each one is built around a journey: a camel caravan across the desert, a pilgrimage up a mountain, and dog sleds across a frozen lake. Type /journeys (or open the extras menu and choose Journeys) for guides, directions, quests, events and records.

The sirocco trail

A single caravan trail 1600 steps long, winding north through deep dunes. The airport is at the far south, the caravan gate Bab al-Qafila just north of it, and the oasis town of Qasr al-Rih at the far north end. On the way: Ain Tamar oasis, the white salt flat, the Saltwell waystation, Bir Jaff the dry oasis, the canyon pass of Wadi Sakhr, the ruined watchtower of Burj al-Ghul (stairs climb to its roof), Ain Zarqa the blue spring and the Star Plain. It is hot: drink at every water.

Caravans

Stand on the caravan line at the gate and press shift enter to lead a caravan or join the one that is forming. A camel costs 60 ln point. The caravan leaves 45 seconds after the first rider, up to 12 riders, and really carries you along the trail with bells and footsteps, about 10 minutes to Qasr al-Rih. It halts for 20 seconds at every oasis: everyone drinks, water skins are filled, you may get down and stay, and people standing at that water can press shift enter twice to climb on for 40 ln point.

On the way the caravan must decide: shelter from a sandstorm or push on, how to share water, what to do with a lame camel, which way to go when bandits are rumoured, whether to follow a lake that may be a mirage. The last leg crosses the Star Plain at night, and you steer by the stars: Hermit Tariq at the watchtower explains them. Any rider may answer; the first answer counts. Good calls raise the caravan's morale, and morale raises everyone's reward. Rewards are given for three caravans a day. Shift enter while riding opens the caravan menu (get down, drink from your water skin, who is riding).

Trade

Date grower Yusuf at Ain Tamar sells saffron, 120 ln point, 2 a day. Salt cutter Hamid at Saltwell sells salt slabs, 40 ln point, 5 a day. Souk merchant Farouk in Qasr al-Rih buys them, salt for 70 and saffron for 200, with the same daily limits, but only goods that arrived on a caravan. A sandstorm can cost you a slab.

Walking the trail and the well of bir jaff

You can always walk the trail. Drink from all six waters in one day on your own feet (the gate well, the pool of Ain Tamar, the Saltwell cistern, the watchtower well, the blue spring and the fountain of Qasr al-Rih) for 150 ln point, 2 Voyage Tokens and the title Walker of the Sirocco. At Bir Jaff everyone digs together with a shovel, 25 spadefuls a day each: at 300 spadefuls in a week the well flows again until Monday and every digger gets 2 Voyage Tokens and 20 reputation.

Highcloud monastery

A monastery on the summit of a mountain. The airport is at the foot. The pilgrim path climbs seven terraces, each 10 steps higher than the last. At the end of each terrace stone stairs are cut into the cliff: stand on them and press page up to climb. A low wall keeps you from falling off. It is cold, colder at the top.

The pilgrimage

Seven numbered shrines, one on each terrace: 1 ring the bell, 2 light an incense stick (Pilgrim guide Karma sells them at the foot, 20 ln point), 3 answer the riddle stone, 4 stand still and silent for 30 seconds, 5 spin the prayer wheel (press shift enter when it slows), 6 count the wind chimes, 7 lay a copied scroll or an incense stick at the Gate of Clouds. In order, within 40 minutes of shrine 1. Rewards twice a day: 200 ln point, 3 Voyage Tokens and 40 reputation, and the title Pilgrim of Highcloud.

On the summit

Bells: at the bell frame, listen to a pattern of big and small bells and ring it back from the menu; each round adds a note. Scripture: at the copying desk in the library, type a proverb exactly to make a copied scroll (4 a day); give scrolls to Librarian Yeshe for a Voyage Token each (3 a day). Meditation: sit completely still in the meditation cave for 2 minutes (3 a day) for 100 health and 200 energy, and a calm that gives 20 energy every minute for 30 minutes. Chores: sweep the courtyard, and carry a pail of water from the spring at the foot up to the cistern within 20 minutes. Tea master Dorje serves butter tea for 25 ln point. The vow of silence: take it from Abbot Tenzin, say nothing in chat for 45 minutes, do two monastery tasks, then report to him.

Frostbell hamlet

Red wooden houses on the shore of frozen Lake Kaldvatn, with the tundra beyond. The airport is in the south, the hamlet just north. It is freezing, and colder still on the open ice. Across the lake: Trapper Olav's hut on the west shore, the reindeer camp to the north east, Kaldvik lighthouse far in the north.

Sled runs

At the sled line below the kennel choose a trail: to the trapper's hut, to the reindeer camp, to Kaldvik lighthouse, or the Frostbell Loop race course. The sled carries you along. At every bend a command menu opens: Gee for right, Haw for left. At open water call Whoa, when the dogs lag call Hike. Wrong or late calls slow you down, and two mistakes tip you into the snow. Records are kept for every trail. Olav, Aslak or the Kaldvik bell send you back to the hamlet. Eight runs a day.

Your husky team

Adopt four huskies at the kennel for free and rename them if you like. Feed them a sack of husky kibble once a day (Kennel boy Eik sells it, 30 ln point) and brush them. A fresh team runs faster. Each run tires them by 8; they recover 10 a day by themselves. Without a team Musher Astrid rents you one for 50 ln point a run.

Whiteouts

A few times a day a whiteout blows in for 8 minutes. The chapel bell, the trapper's bell and the Kaldvik bell ring every few seconds, and you hear where each one is: walk towards the sound. Press shift enter anywhere to listen for the nearest bell. Reach a bell and ring it for 80 ln point, a Voyage Token and 20 reputation.

Also at frostbell

Ice fishing at the three holes with a fishing pole: press shift enter the moment the line jerks (8 fish a day). Old fisher Nils smokes a whitefish into a hot meal for 10 ln point. The sauna costs 20 ln point: stay 30 seconds, then jump into the cold plunge hole within 2 minutes for 150 energy. Herd the reindeer with Herder Aslak. Build snow lanterns in the lantern field: at 100 lanterns in a week every builder gets a Voyage Token.

Weekly events

The Great Caravan: Fridays at 18:00 universal time, 40 minutes. A free caravan forms at the gate for 5 minutes; good calls, the right stars and a finished journey score.

The Festival of a Thousand Bells: Sundays at 17:00 universal time, 30 minutes. Every bell you ring counts; if a thousand ring, everyone gets 2 extra tokens.

The Frostbell Derby: Saturdays at 19:00 universal time, 30 minutes. Race the Frostbell Loop; your best time counts, and snow lanterns count double.

The winner of each event gets a title and a trophy; everyone who takes part gets Voyage Tokens, pass XP and reputation.

Travel items from the point shop

Caravan water skin, 1500 ln point. Permanent. Holds 10 drinks; each drink takes 150 off your thirst, gives 15 energy and cools you by 30. Refill it free at any water of the Sirocco Trail. In a caravan's water crisis it lets you share water with everyone.

Prayer beads, 1200 ln point. Permanent. Meditation takes 90 seconds instead of 120, the shrine of silence 20 seconds instead of 30, and once every 30 minutes you can count the beads for 60 energy.

Sled runner wax, 250 ln point. Single use. Use it from your bag: your next sled run is 15 percent faster and your first wrong command is forgiven.

Rewards

Fifteen quests (five in each place) give keepsakes for three collections of five, titles, trophies, unlocks and standing. Everyday things give up to 80 reputation a day in each place and up to 800 ln point a day across all three.