Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

You’ve fought your way through countless hordes of Ousted, decided upon a discipline within your archetype of choice (Rogue, Spellcaster or Warrior) and even managed to complete the Kestel Run in record time. All the while you’ve no doubt heard whispers from the eclectic mix of NPCs you’ve met on your journeys about the five High Houses; the distinct branches of the Enclave which you’ve dutifully served since first stepping off the shardship at Hawk’s Landing.

Unlike the more artificial, or tacked on approach to factions present in many MMOs, the High Houses are tied to nearly all aspects of gameplay to varying degrees - a fact made all the more pertinent as you advance your way to level nine which is when you can begin the process of deciding which High House you want to align yourself with. As this is truly a milestone of character advancement that will have a direct impact on the future of your character, we’ve put together the following guide to five High Houses in The Chronicles of Spellborn; Maul, Rune, Shroud, Silver and Torque.

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Upon hitting Fame Level nine you’ll have the opportunity to embark on a series of quests that will culminate in not only granting you access to a potentially eventful shardship journey to Quarterstone, a city which dwarfs Hawksmouth in nearly every aspect, but will open up the rest of Spellborn’s various Shards for exploration and ultimately ally you with one of the five main High Houses of the Enclave. You’ll be alerted that it’s time to begin your journey by one of the game’s handy tutorial windows which offers the following brief description of what the process is all about:

Around the time you reach the ninth Fame Level, you will be allowed to join one of the five High Houses of the Enclave. The choice is permanent and will influence Quests. Be aware that certain events are exclusive to a certain High House. If you want to play these with friends, be sure you and your friends all join the same High House.

Once you have completed the associated Quest Chain you will be sent to Quarterstone where you can finish your registration at the Palace District allowing you unrestricted use of shardship travel to any of the Shards.

Before sending you off to Aldenvault Village to speak with Lieutenant Commander Stalwart though, here are a few useful bits of information that should prove useful in your coming journey:

• A high PeP (Personal Experience Point) rank will be your best friend here, as the initial quest involves a good deal of running. While this isn’t entirely necessary, I found it exceedingly beneficial to attain at least PeP rank three to gain the 20% boost to run speed. This will dramatically reduce the time spent scurrying back and from to the various Houses!
  

• Interested in creating or joining a guild but worried about how it might impact High House selection? Fear not! Guilds can consist of any mix of players allied with the five Houses – after all, they are all part of the Enclave. Any such restrictions will be entirely player-controlled, such as a heavy RP guild that wants to keep membership limited to a specific House.
  

• An exception to the above rule might come into play if you’re planning on spending your time in Spellborn on the PvP server. In that case, High House selection will dictate who you’re able to freely attack (you can’t attack members of the same High House), so it’s a good idea to find other players who might be interested in the same House before diving headfirst into creating or joining a new guild. Unless of course you’re considering joining House Shroud, in which case it might be natural for members to occasionally stab one another in the back!
  

• While not overly restrictive, High House selection is a permanent decision, much like Discipline selection at Fame Level five. Unlike Disciplines though, you do have the opportunity to abandon the initial quest given by the individual Houses before completion, which will allow you to begin the Initiation quest line for another House.
  

• Two of the Houses (Silver and Torque) are located back in Hawksmouth. While you’re there for the introductory quest The High Houses, it’s a good idea to stop by the local shops to pick up your second Body Slot item if you haven’t already done so. These become available for use at Fame Level 10, so having it in your backpack and ready to use can save you an extra trip later on!
  

• It’s also worth mentioning that the two initial quests – Time to Choose and The High Houses – are optional. In other words, if you already have a specific House in mind, you can always skip over these intro quests and head there directly to pick up the first Initiation quest. If you don’t mind a bit of running, or otherwise want to poke around the five High Houses before making your decision, your efforts will be rewarded with 2710 Fame (the amount gained upon completion at Fame Level nine) – not too shabby for what comes down to a bit of exploration all things considered!
  

Speaking of the two intro quests, it’s time we head on over to Aldenvault Village and pay a visit to Lieutenant Commander Stalwart who has an introductory quest to get you started on the path to High House selection!