The history of Darktide

The Mercs' Dereth (1999-11–2000-01). Darktide opens as the one Asheron's Call world where everyone is a player killer. A few hundred players, a handful of Mercs in their 30s and 40s, and a silent unarmed fighter called Og working the starter towns. Black Rose builds the first anti-PK power in a hill town the Mercs cannot find.

Blood comes to Kara (2000-02–2000-07). The Mercs fall apart and the Keepers of Chaos arrive from Ultima Online with $400 and a character called Blood. Ayan Baqur and the Black Spawn Dens change what the server fights over. Dranven goes PK outside Sawato, meets Son of Boar Child, and the two of them find Og.

The AB wars (2000-08–2000-12). The PK monarchies learn to fight together, first at Ayan Baqur and then at Kara, which falls for good. Blood absorbs Red Devil and passes 2,000 followers. The Feared and TDM collapse, Og's monarchy fights a civil war, and Blood swears itself to Bael'Zharon.

GEN and the AB days (2001-01–2001-06). GEN forms at Ayan Baqur to fight the carebears and Blood, and Blood takes the town from it inside two weeks. The antis close their towns, the dupers get banned, and the first level 100 arrives on vassal experience. Boar's monarchy is at war with the server from a tusker camp in the southern Direlands.

Blood on the move (2001-07–2001-12). Turbine's speed-hack check drives Blood out of AB, and for six months it lives at whatever lifestone it can hold. Og deletes his character, the antis' great coalition fails at Mountain Retreat, and the beaten guilds combine as The Last Stand. The Smurfs leave Blood; Lo Kahn is born.

Blood against TLS (2002-01–2002-12). Two superpowers, Blood and TLS, fight over macro spots, mansions and the race to level 126. Mansion recall frees Blood from its lifestones. The Band of Thugs raids with JoV as JOG, gets a man inside Blood's richest macro dungeon, and quietly starts building experience of its own.