[Balanor]

Word spreads like wildfire –
The zulkirs, in an ongoing effort to fund their new experiments and projects have ordered the seizure of all treasure in vaults, inn chests, temples, and anywhere else in Thay. The hundreds of dead adventurers in their land over the course of the last several years, and the unexpected increase of a number of magical items to the realm have proven too tempting to pass up. Those who wish to retain their property either need to convert it to coin or carry it on their person.

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OOC - To explain in real-life terms; the database containing all the persistently stored contents of Thay has grown rather large again and could be causing some potential lag whenever a persistent storage container is opened. In addition, persistent storage within player-owned buildings has to be changed to address the long-term and significant problem reported here. I am tentatively planning to delete the storage database on November 30 and apply a new, improved behind-the-scenes method to persistently store items. This deletion will unfortunately affect *all* players and PCs that have persistently stored items.

I understand that some of you may have difficulty narrowing down all the stuff you accumulated, however the use of backpacks and boxes will help increase your carrying capacity during the period leading up to the storage database deletion. And I do apologize for the disruption this causes. But think of this as spring cleaning where you may need to get rid of the things you really don't need or use.

What will be lost?
1. Items within any persistent storage container (Chests, Bookcases, Armoires, etc). This includes items within the Vaultkeeper storage vault chest as well
2. Items stored in Horse saddlebags and Pack Slave Saddlebags
3. Items within storage containers in Player Houses. The furniture within PC houses will remain, it's only the contents of any chest or storage container in the house will be wiped out

What will *not* be lost?
1. Items within your PC's inventory
2. Items within your PC Merchant's inventory
3. Gold stored with the Vaultkeeper or kept on your PC

In the days before the database wipe, you'll either want to load up on backpacks and store potentially lost items in on your PC(s) or, preferably, sell them. If you own and have room on your PC-owned merchant, you can also give them items as well. I will turn off the large inventory 150+ item notification messages that you receive with tomorrow's server reset, and in the interim up until November 30, feel free to load up on all the items your PC can carry which you feel you absolutely must retain on December 1. In addition, I will not turn back on the partial zulkir seizure of large accounts until December 15 to give everyone more time to spend down any large amount you may get by selling items from your storage in the next couple weeks.

After the storage database has been rebuilt though, which will literally only take as long as a server reset, items can be placed back into persistent storage containers and we won’t need to go through this process for a very, very long time (years, hopefully).

If you have any questions or concerns on this, please post here (even though this is the event forum, we can certainly talk OOCly about it here).

[Animayhem]

Since this time around the vault storage and saddlebags will need to be emptied, maybe for the limited time could maybe two weight reduced bags of holding be given to be emptied by dec 2. Bags will disappear am of dec 2 empty or full?
If not we just stock up on bulls strength potions and either log off near our homes or the vaults.

[Balanor]

Vault Storage and Saddlebags needed to be emptied the last time this occurred as well. Although to answer your question; no, I don't think we'll be giving out bags of holding or bull's strength potions. (And it's possible to ICly get a bag of holding for each of your PCs already, Animayhem)

But, more importantly, if anyone is trying to keep so much stuff you can't even move, then I think you seriously need to re-evaluate what you need to keep vs. what you want to keep. Or in other words, if you were a poor sod stuck on a server without any persistent storage, what would you need to function?

[Wids]

And if you absolutely need everything in your inventory, you could also just load up your characters and mothball them for a day or two while the vault cleaning takes place. Roll up a new alt, abstain from adventuring and sit around roleplaying, maybe turn off the computer and go mow the lawn or whatnot. I plan on spending the day firing up the Aurora Toolset and creating that Liber Transfiguratus myself.

(Also, Wyren sells affordable Bull's Strength potions. Ask about bulk discounts; they're cheaper by the dozen and even cheaper by the hundred! ;) )

[Balanor]

To get more specific and address a couple questions I've received on this:
The storage wipe and next server update will occur at Noon (Central Time) on Sunday, November 30. Before that time, make sure you pull out and sell any items you truly don't need. After that time, you can place items back into persistent storage.

[Balanor]

It is now safe to use persistent storage again.

[Wids]

Huzzah! :D

Enjoy the one entire Minor Spike Trap that Wyren left in her Junk Trunk for you, Zulkirs. :P