17.2.2 WILDNODES

The Wild Nodes event is a special event that occasionally occurs upon the Astral Plane, and lasts approximately one Lusternian day. The basis of the event is that the major nations of Lusternia (the cities and communes) must compete with each other to control as many wild nodes as possible. You can check out proximity of the event with the CONFLICT command (see HELP CONFLICT).

Controlling wild nodes is achieved by finding them upon the plane, and planting them in the Astrosphere that is linked to your city or commune. The nations and the Astrospheres they are linked to are listed below:

Glomdoring - the Astrosphere of Scorpio
Magnagora  - the Astrosphere of Capricorn
New Celest - the Astrosphere of Cancer
Serenwilde - the Astrosphere of Taurus
Hallifax   - the Astrosphere of Gemini
Gaudiguch  - the Astrosphere of Sagittarius 

To plant a wild node, you must first have it in your inventory, then move onto the Astrosphere that is linked to your nation, and PLANT NODE. It is also possible for these planted nodes to be taken by your enemies, and you may do the same to opposing nations, by going to a planted node in another Astrosphere and using UPROOT NODE. Both planting and uprooting wild nodes requires a short amount of time, in which you may do no other action. Wildnodes may also spontaneously free themselves despite being planted and have to be recaptured should that happen.

Wild nodes generate some power continuously while planted, which adds to the score of the nation that planted them, though this can occasionally cause strange surges. Additionally, planting a wild node increases the score of the planting nation marginally, and when a planted node is uprooted it decreases that score slightly also.

While wild nodes is in play anyone may use the ASTROGLIDE ability to travel to their nation's linked Astrosphere.

Finally, wild nodes may not be taken from the Astral Plane, if they are, they will be drawn inexorably back. You may at any time check the scores of the nations and time remaining in the event by using WILDNODES STATUS, and you may see the general location of all the wild nodes using WILDNODES NODES.

NOTE: Anyone who dies on the astral plane while wild nodes are in play will conglutinate whether or not they have the skill.

RAMIFICATIONS OF WILD NODES
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 o Because of the mystic energies generated between the astrosphere and nodes 
   while they are in play, the nexus associated with the city or commune will
   receive one-half of the 'score' as power on a monthly basis. This is 
   permanent until wild nodes go into play again.

 o The city or commune with the highest score will further receive additional 
   benefits from the wild nodes: guards will cost 10% less in power plus all 
   discretionary powers will cost only half their normal power cost. These 
   benefits also last until wild nodes go into play again.