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Familiarisation

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One of the rewards for Familiarisation (triple charm drops) lasts for a set amount of time after it is granted. This is in-game time; if you log out, that time will only continue to count down once you log back in.
familiarisation intro.jpg
That familiar, tingling sensation.

Pikkupstix, Master of Summoning, seems to have a habit of burning out, through and up (and in one case, just burning) apprentices. That being said, his latest apprentice, Pikkenmix, seems to have some staying power. Perhaps that's due to his uncanny ability to locate active summoning obelisks (and quite possibly some anti-dragon underpants).

The druids use these active obelisks to mentally project themselves into the spirit plane - the place where all familiars are summoned from - as only spirit shards gathered there can be used to infuse summoning pouches here on RuneScape. And what with the recent upsurge of new summoners (thanks to those adventuring types), spirit shards have never been in more demand!

Will you familiarise yourself with the druids' mental techniques? Will you get into the spirit of things? Will you cringe if you hear just one more pun? Summoning-related rewards are up for grabs for those that do (well, not for cringing).


Requirements

There are no requirements to begin helping out the druids, but completing quests such as Fishing Contest or Underground Pass will grant you access to a greater number of summoning obelisks, any of which could become the next active obelisk.


Getting Started

locations taverley.jpg
Location of Pikkupstix

To help Pikkenmix you'll first need to locate where he is, and with him the currently active summoning obelisk. Pikkupstix usually has a vague idea of where his apprentice is at any given time, so heading to Taverley to ask him would be a good first port of call. Once you've figured out where Pikkenmix and the active obelisk is, simply head there and talk to him. He will help you to mentally project yourself into the spirit plane. An obelisk will only remain active for around twenty minutes, but a new obelisk becomes active roughly once every two hours, so if you miss one, there's always another.

Your mental projection into the spirit plane will randomly take on the form of a known familiar so that you can more easily blend in. Your goal is then to pick up as many piles of raw shards as you can, which you'll find scattered all over the ground. You'll be able to gather up to a maximum of sixty of these piles of raw shards to deliver back to Pikkenmix in RuneScape.

Your Form Immediately Opposed By
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Thorny snail
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Barker toad
desert wyrm.gif

Desert wyrm
compost mound.gif

Compost mound
geyser titan.gif

Geyser titan
war tortoise.gif

War tortoise
giant chinchompa.gif

Giant chinchompa
hydra.gif

Hydra
karamthulhu overlord.gif

Karamthulhu overlord
void spinner.gif

Void spinner
obsidian golem.gif

Obsidian golem
vampire bat.gif

Vampyre bat
evil turnip.gif

Evil turnip
compost mound.gif

Compost mound
thorny snail.gif

Thorny snail
spirit coraxatrice.gif

Spirit coraxatrice
spirit kyatt.gif

Spirit kyatt
spirit larupia.gif

Spirit larupia
spirit larupia.gif

Spirit larupia
spirit wolf.gif

Spirit wolf
void ravager.gif

Void ravager
stranger plant.gif

Stranger plant
pack yak.gif

Pack yak
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Ravenous locust
adamant minotaur.gif

Adamant minotaur
forge regent.gif

Forge regent
lava titan.gif

Lava titan
giant ent.gif

Giant ent
beaver.gif

Beaver
fire titan.gif

Fire titan
ice titan.gif

Ice titan
pyrelord.gif

Pyrelord
spirit tz kih.gif

Spirit Tz-Kih
pack yak.gif

Pack yak
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Albino rat
spirit cobra.gif

Spirit cobra

It's not quite so simple as just picking stuff up off the ground, though. As soon as you enter the spirit plane, there will be two types of familiars opposed to your form that will instantly recognise you as a rogue element within their plane of existence. The longer that you remain within the spirit plane, the more types of familiars that will start to see through your disguise and recognise you too.

spirit plane.jpg
Inside the spirit plane

If you pass too close to any familiars that will recognise you, which are depicted at the top of the screen, they will drain some of your mental focus and your presence within the spirit plane will weaken. Your level of focus is tracked by the bar on the left-hand side of the screen. When this has completely worn down, you will lose focus and your conscious will return to your body on RuneScape, next to Pikkenmix, exactly where you last parked it, along with as many piles of raw shards as you managed to collect. Your current level of mental focus can also roughly be gauged by the colour draining from your form in the spirit plane.

losing focus.gif

Mental projection like this takes a lot of effort, so you will only be able to stay in the spirit plane for a maximum of twenty minutes from when you first entered. That is unless the native familiars cause you to lose focus or if you find all sixty piles of raw shards first. It will also take you a while to recover from the familiarisation process, so you will only be able to aid Pikkenmix once every week.

Tips and Tricks

Running

While it is possible to run in the spirit plane, your energy drains extremely quickly, and you are unable to rest, such that you may only be able to spend a few seconds running during your time in the spirit plane.

Players who have completed the As a First Resort... quest are strongly advised to dip into the saltwater pool before attempting this minigame, as the infinite run energy will carry over into the spirit plane, and prove very useful.

Rewards

Once you've returned to RuneScape you can get a reward from Pikkenmix. You can choose between a blessing that grants you luck with charm drops or to receive some ingredients to use in infusing summoning pouches. If you choose lucky charms, for up to the next forty minutes of in-game time, any charm drops that you receive will be tripled. If you go for the ingredients, you'll randomly receive a box of items that can be used to infuse pouches. What item or items you receive, and in what quantity, is based upon your current Summoning level and how many piles of raw shards you managed to collect from the spirit plane. If you enter the spirit plane again before taking your reward, however, you will only be able to hold on to a maximum of thirty piles of raw shards from your last trip. Any more than this you had previously collected will be lost, so it might be more prudent to take your reward before entering the spirit plane again. Pikkenmix will give you fair warning if this is the case.

Development Team

Content:
Developer: Marion C
Graphics:
Graphics: Alex R, Kris F, Mike W, Samantha H
Quality Assurance:
QA: Liam H, Thomas H
Audio:
Audio: Grace D


Distractions & Diversions
Daily Big ChinchompaEvil TreeFamiliarisationPhoenix LairShooting Star
Weekly Balthazar Beauregard's Big Top BonanzaPenguin Hide and SeekTears of Guthix
Monthly God StatuesTroll Invasion
Other Time frame Ancient EffigyChampions' ChallengeCourt CasesDemon RaidsFish FlingersGoblin RaidsThe PitShattered HeartSinkholesTreasure Trails
Retired Chase the Monkey
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