Death and Death Piles

     Ironically, one of the major facets of life in Kesmai is death in Kesmai.
One unavoidable fact is that at some point you will die.  The trick,
therefore, is to learn how to avoid dying.  This file will discuss some of
the facts about death, and what to do afterwards.

Types - There are three types of death that you can experience.  The most
severe type is being eaten.  Several creatures in the game will eat you if 
they kill you.  They include all of the dragons, ghouls, Thisson, and
the giant in Axe Glacier.  Being eaten is a final death, you will lose
your character, and be forced to reroll.
     The most common type of death is to die in combat with another creature.
When this occurs, you lose one quarter of your experience points, and often
you will lose a strength point also.  At this point you can either be
resurrected by the ghods, or a thaumaturge can resurrect you.  Additionally,
another player could carry you to the priest.  If you are resurrected by the
ghods, you will lose two constitution points.  Otherwise, you will not lose
any.  If your constitution is 3, then the ghods will 'give up' on you and
you will not be resurrected.  The effect is the same as being eaten.
     The third type of death is one that causes you to die, but you do not
lose experience points for the death.  Death by falling, poison, and area
effects, such as fire or ice, are the most common ways for this type of death
to occur.  You still suffer the loss of a strength point, and the constitution
loss if you are resurrected by the ghods.
     In the case of the last two types of death, you will also lose a
number of hit points.  If you had few hit points to begin with (less than
100) you will usually lose two.  Once you get over 200 points, then you
will lose between one and eight.  When you are resurrected, you will have
half of your hits on, and be down to one point of stamina.

Exceptions - There are a few exceptions to the above types.  If you are of
an evil alignment, then any death is a permanent one.  It is also possible
to suffer a permanent death by old age (see the file 'age.ref' for more
information).  If your corpse is dropped at the tailor, you will suffer
a permanent death.  Finally, if you phone slam, or are disconnected while
a corpse, you will suffer a permanent death.

Stripping - If you suffer a permanent death you will be stripped.  If you are
killed in hand to hand combat with a creature, you will also be stripped
by that creature, usually.  This leads to the horrifying spectacle of
watching the creatures pick up and wear your hard earned armor, and pick
up and use your weapons.  If you are killed by one of the methods that
does not result in experience loss, you will usually not be stripped.  Being
stripped means that all of your clothing and equipment will be sitting in
a pile, called a death pile.  Of course, if your killers carried everything
away, then your equipment could be anywhere.  You might be forced to kill
just about every creature in the dungeon to retrieve your equipment.  
Stripping will also occur when another player searches your corpse.  One
other interesting note, if there are many piles throughout the segment
then you might suffer an 'autostrip' which is when you get stripped,
even though you should not have been.  Whether or not you are stripped,
whatever you were carrying in your hands will be dropped.

Burned Corpses - If you die while standing in a fire, your corpse will be
burned up.  This results in an automatic resurrection by the ghods, your
companions will not be able to carry you to the priest.  If a creature that
eats you, kills you while that creature is in the same space with you, you
will be eaten, despite of the flames.  

Death Pile Recovery - If your equipment is lying in a pile, the first thing
you should do is try to get someone to watch it for you.  If you can, then
you need to make your way into the dungeon, either naked, or with another
character, to recover the equipment.  Be sure to be polite to anyone who
helps you out.  Remember, they are doing you a favor.  If your equipment
has been carried off by creatures, then timeliness if of critical importance.
You need to get back there and kill the creatures before they have the
opportunity to wander off.  Also, if another player kills a creature carrying
one of your rings, then they will likely praise their luck and continue on,
ignorant of the fact that you lost the ring.

Statistic Recovery - If you die and lose strength or constitution, you can
recover these points.  There are potions which will restore both of these
statistics, permanently.  See the file 'potion.ref' for further information.

Character Tied Weapons - If you die a final death, you must be aware that
weapons that are tied to your character will not be transferable to your
next incarnation.  All knight's enchanted weapons, shovels, returning hammers,
and quest weapons fall into this category.

Banks and Lockers - If you die a final death, then your bank account will
remain available to the next incarnation.  Additionally, any items in your
locker will be available to your new character.

A Final Note - Death is a necessary part of learning the game.  You will
die several times when you are learning how to play.  However, at some point,
you will be proficient enough at the game, where you should not have to die
again.  When you reach this point, it is important to avoid dying.  Even 
though it is possible to recover from a death, it is the single greatest
drain on your resources.  The best players in the game die rarely, if at all.
The best players in the game are also able to quickly recover from a major
death (being eaten).  It is important that you realize that it is your
knowledge of the game, not the abilities and equipment your character
possesses that define success.