The Seven Signs System: Gateway to Lineage 2's Ancient Riches

The Seven Signs system in Lineage 2 represents one of the most intricate and economically impactful mechanics in the game. While it has an indirect connection to the castle seige system, its primary function is opening access to catacombs and necropolis—two locations that are mechanically identical but offer different rewards and access points.

What Are Catacombs and Necropolis?

Despite having different names, players commonly refer to both locations simply as "catacombs." These dungeons serve as the primary farming grounds for ancient adena, though technically you're collecting seal stones that can later be exchanged for this valuable currency. The distinction between catacombs and necropolis becomes important only when considering which faction controls access during specific phases.

Each catacomb location follows a consistent four-tier difficulty structure. As you venture deeper into the lower-right sections of these dungeons, mob levels increase progressively, along with their seal stone drop rates. Interestingly, there's almost no regular adena drop in catacombs—the focus is entirely on seal stones. The only exception is a specific mob type that doesn't participate in the Dawn vs. Dusk conflict, dropping minimal adena amounts.

The Two Factions: Dawn and Dusk

At the heart of the Seven Signs system lies a conflict between two opposing factions: the Lords of Dawn and the Army of Dusk. Every player wishing to participate must register with one faction and choose one of three available seals to support:

Seal of Avarice - Controls catacomb access and spawns special raid bosses needed for SA crystal acquisition. This seal is considered the most valuable because it grants access to the Blacksmith Mammon.

Seal of Gnosis - Controls necropolis access and provides various buffs and debuffs in towns (though these are generally considered minor annoyances rather than significant mechanics).

Seal of Strife - Affects castle guard quality during sieges. Higher-grade guards become available if Dawn wins; lower-grade guards if Dusk wins. This seal sees the least participation as most players focus on the first two seals.

The Battle Cycle: Weeks of Battle and Victory

The Seven Signs event operates on a two-week cycle with distinct phases:

Week of Battle - During this period, anyone registered can enter both catacombs and necropolis to farm seal stones. All collected seal stones, when turned in, contribute points toward your faction's control of your chosen seal. The faction with more points at the end of the week wins control of that seal.

Week of Victory - Only the winning faction can access catacombs and necropolis during this phase. This creates a significant economic advantage, as the losign faction is completely locked out of ancient adena farming for an entire week.

This creates an interesting dynamic where a faction might win the Seal of Avarice (catacomb access) but lose the Seal of Gnosis (necropolis access), resulting in split access to different farming locations.

Seal Stone Exchange and Points System

The progression mechanic is straightforward but impactful. During the Week of Battle, every seal stone you turn in increases your faction's score for your chosen seal. The festival system offers an alternative way to earn points—essentially a group dungeon where 5-9 players tackle waves of mobs for score contributions. However, festivals are generally considered inefficent compared to direct catacomb farming, though some players use them for leveling on crowded new servers.

Economic Impact and Mammon Merchants

The Seven Signs system's importance to the server economy cannot be overstated. Winning factions gain exclusive access to Mammon merchants during the Week of Victory, with the Blacksmith Mammon being particularly crucial. This explains why the Seal of Avarice sees the highest participation—controlling catacomb access means controlling ancient adena flow and Mammon merchant availability.

The competitive nature of seal control creates natural market fluctuations. Prices for items available through Mammons spike when a faction loses access, while ancient adena values shift based on which faction controls farming locations. This two-week cycle of abundance and scarcity drives significant portions of the player-driven economy.

Understanding the Seven Signs system is essential for any serious Lineage 2 player, as it directly impacts your ability to aquire ancient adena, access special merchants, and participate in the server's economic ecosystem.