Post Update Screenshot

While exploring a new area, I found a desert pyramid in a taiga.  You will probably see a few instances of this throughout the newly opened areas.

Server Update: Now Running Bukkit 1.7.2

I have updated Bukkit and any plugins that were available to 1.7.x.

The worlds boarders have also been expanded, opening up new areas and biomes to be explored.  Before the update, I filled in the remaining areas of the map to prevent any glitches showing up in the unrendered areas.

If you find any bugs, please notify myself or Mikal.

Enchantment Changes

_Jeb posted on reddit today a screenshot and information on changes that they are planning to make to the vanilla enchanting in Minecraft.  Don't worry though, these changes won't be coming down the pipe for several months.

Hey hey
Time to revisit everyone's favorite subject again: Enchanting!
I don't want to go too deep into theorycrafting, so I'll simply explain what's going on in the screenshot. As you can see, enchanting items will now come with a resource cost in addition to enchantment levels. We're currently using gold ingots for this. Also, enchanting now separates requirements from costs, according to these rules:
The level requirement is calculated the same way as before. Max level is still 30
The cost is based on which enchantment power you choose (1 to 3)
One (randomly chosen) enchantment will be displayed in the tooltip
The random seed for enchantments is not reset until you enchant an item
Gaining enchantment levels have been made more expensive again, but you will not pay more than 3 levels when enchanting an item. Obviously repair costs in the anvil have been rebalanced to fit (notably renaming items only costs 1 level).
As always, work in progress. We'll begin snapshotting Minecraft 1.8 in January.

Christmas Screenshot

SuperSaijinKyle has set up a nice Christmas tree outside his residence in the western snowy taiga forest.

Landmark Spotlight: Shrine of Gorox

Tavern Lore: In the hills outside the village of Omyrth sits the Shrine of Gorox, an evil warlord that once lorded over these lands.  They say that great treasures rest within, but that they are guarded by Gorox’s fallen guards.

Landmark Spotlight: Tomb of the Unknown King

Legends say that a great treasure was laid to rest with the last great king of the Hermit, but that evil minions now roam the halls of the tomb ready to slay any adventurer who trespasses.

Village Spotlight: Lesser Clangington

Simmering in the Great Northern Desert, Lesser Clangington is the first port of call for those entering the desert from the south.

Located nearby are a few pyramids (some buried by the desert sands), and the villages of Greater Clangington along the Great Road to the north, and Bonerton to the south.  The Byhall Jungle is nearby to the east.

Unbreakable Monster Spawner Update

As you may have noticed, Monster Spawners are currently unbreakable.

Over the next few days I will be turning off several of the plugins to determine which plugin is responsible for this current state of affairs.

UPDATE: The cause for this bug (a spawner management plugin) was found and removed.

Village Spotlight: Merekland

I'd like to occasionally share some shots of the villages and structures that everyone has spent so much time working on.  Places that some of you may not have had the time to visit yet.

Here is Merekland.  Located off the main road, this is a one of a kind location with its pink streets, imposing walls, and unique presence.  This town can be found on the western boarder of the Great Northern Desert.

Located nearby, players will find the Ceros Dungeon, and the Villages of Bonertown, Dima, and Lesser Clangington.

MagicSpells Scavenger Hunt

Everyone starts with a handful of spells they can use(type: /cast list to view a list of your available spells), and there are many more to be found and learned.

The MagicSpells plugin allows for several ways to learn new spells: Magic Books, Bookcases, and Teaching.

Several Books containing new spells have been placed in various locations around the world, including books that will allow you to Teach spells to other players, and scribe Scrolls.  You may want to check locations that you have already explored if you are interested in finding these spell books.

Tavern Lore: Ceros, one of the greatest wizards to ever walk The Hermit, scattered many of his secrets before he left these lands.  Rumors in the taverns tell of books that had been found interred in a Jungle Temple, a Pyramid, Ceros' Tower, a Dungeon, and a Village Church.

However, these stories only account for a small fraction of the knowledge the Wizard Ceros was rumored to have wielded. Some say that the vile Warlord Gorox looted a number of Ceros' magic tomes and had them secreted away in his own tomb, where his undead minions guard them still.

Leave a comment below if you have any questions or would like more hints.

Video Spotlight: 10 Hearts

Halloween Screenshot

On Halloween, monsters would spawn with pumpkins on their heads.
Boo!

Plugin Spotlight: Nether Tools

The Nether Tools plugin adds custom crafting recipes which allow players to craft tools and weapons from netherrack, glowstone, and quartz. They use the same crafting procedures at normal tools but replace the stone with netherrack and the sticks with bones.

Due to the fact that these new items are crafted from materials from the Nether, they all are automatically imbued with magical properties.

Examples of Nether Tools:

Netherrack tools have the following properties:

• Increased Durability
• Added Efficiency
• Fire Aspect (set enemies on fire)

Glowstone tools properties:

• Increased Durability
• Added Efficiency

Quartz tools properties:

• Increased Durability
• Added Efficiency
• Do extra damage to undead enemies

Unfortunately, due to their nature, they are not easily repaired at McMMO anvils and often loose their special properties.

Online World Map

You can view a full map of The Hermit online at: mc.the-hermit.net:8123

This map will show the location of any players connected to the server.

Noted locations appear on the map as well, with icons denoting their function.

The red boarder shows the boundaries of The Hermit.  Beyond these, ye shall not pass.  Yet.