Rift: Artifact Sets

The artifacts you pick up here and there can be turned into the Artifact Collector (in Meridan and Sanctum).  In return you get Lucky Coins that can be used to buy vanity pets and mounts, and achievements, and various caches.  The caches are random and include gold, potions, and epic weapons and gear.  They are also tiered according to the zone the artifacts were collected in.
http://telarapedia.com/wiki/Artifact_Collector

http://telarapedia.com/wiki/Lucky_Coin

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Rift TV

TGN.tv has created a series of Rift videos about various aspects of play.  There are two pages of everything from general introductory videos and gameplay to character creation and dungeon guides located here.  It's worth a browse to see if there is anything of interest to you but remember that these were made from the various betas.  There may have been changes for the retail releases of the game.
http://tgn.tv/?s=rift

Here is a good introduction video on how to use the UI and maps, etc.
http://tgn.tv/▶-rift-guide-sanctum-city-maps-surprises-tgn-tv/

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Rift: Zones and Their Levels and Factions

Here is a list of major areas (zones) of the game, with the level range and the faction that controls the area.  This seems to be based on the beta so it may not be totally correct and some faction information is lacking. Note that cities and areas within the zones are listed later down on the page.
http://telarapedia.com/wiki/Zone

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Rift: Various Maps and How Map Coordinates Work

Overall map of Telara
http://game-maps.com/RIFT-The-World-of-Telara-Map.asp

This site has maps of Gloamwood Pines, Meridian and Sanctum.

http://rift.incgamers.com/guides/Category:City_maps

UPDATE:  Another overall map from Reckoner with the zones marked out.
http://a.imageshack.us/img23/6420/telaramap01.jpg

UPDATE:  Great complete maps of Gloamwood Pines, Meredian, and Sanctum, with less detailed maps of Freemarch, Gloamwood, Scarlet Gorge, and Silverwood available.
http://rift.incgamers.com/mapping-telara-scarlet-gorge/

UPDATE #2:  IncGamers continues to update their maps with all sorts of information.
http://rift.incgamers.com/zone-and-porticulum-map-updates/

Maps showing cairn locations.
http://forum.mmosite.com/topics/576/201103/01/69,1.html

Rift Junkies maps (NPC coordinates for large cities as well as mining and foraging guide maps)
http://forum.mmosite.com/topics/576/201102/15/49,1.html?time=1298966422

Various maps of cities, zones and Guardian/Defiant areas.
http://rift.incgamers.com/guides/Category:Maps

Fallen Sons PvP guild has a map of Sanctum and one of Silverwood on their website.  Sanctum's city map shows various vendor locations as well as where the map and auction house is located.
http://www.axiomfiles.com/Files/392306/Sanctum.png

The Silverwood area map shows where various vendors are located.
http://www.axiomfiles.com/Files/392306/Silverwood.jpg

Also search for "foraging" and "mining" and also for "maps" as there are links to maps with mining and foraging sites in those articles.

How map coordinates work in Rift.
http://rift.zam.com/wiki/Map_Coordinates_(Rift)

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Rift: From Installing to Starting Out

This is a real beginner's guide that helps you patch the game after installation, then learn how to move around in the game, loot, interact with merchants, etc.
http://rpg-exploiters.com/guides-strategies/rift-planes-of-telara-intro-guide/

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Rift: Cleric Builds UPDATED

Rift Watchers has posted a guide to the Cleric.  The various Souls are categorized as to whether they are a tank, a DPS character, etc. and there is a link to a recommended tree for each.
http://www.riftwatchers.com/2011/03/03/cleric-guide/

The Cleric Justicar is a DPS melee tank.  Here are builds.
http://rift.zam.com/en/buildlist.html?calling=Cleric&type=Melee+DPS&soul=Justicar

UPDATE:  Rift Junkies has posted the first part of The Divine Retribution, a guide to playing Clerics.
http://www.riftjunkies.com/2011/03/25/the-divine-retribution-a-cleric-calling-overview-part-1/

Part Two covers offensive (DPS) Clerics.
http://www.riftjunkies.com/2011/03/30/the-divine-retribution-part-2-offensive-soul-overview/

Rift Junkies talks healing Clerics.
http://www.riftjunkies.com/2011/04/07/divine-retribution-a-cleric-healing-overview/

There is a website dedicated to Clerics now with plenty of discussion of various builds.
http://riftclerics.net/riftclerics/

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Rift: Planar Focus and Planar Essences UPDATED

Telarapedia defines Planar Focus as a piece of equipment characters wear that has sockets in which planar essences are inserted (second link).
http://telarapedia.com/wiki/Planar_Focus

Here is how they work (3rd paragraph).
http://rift.ign.com/articles/previews/7047/The-Telara-Times-Issue-1/p6/c1/

Planar currency
http://www.riftjunkies.com/2011/02/01/planar-currency-and-item-rundown/

Looks like planar essences are usually rift rewards .  They come in "greater" or "lesser" varieties which correspond to certain sockets or slots on the Planar Focus equipment. Two greater planar essences of the same family can't be equipped at the same time.
http://telarapedia.com/wiki/Planar_essence

Currency isn't stored in your bags, it is stored in your Currency section of your Character window.   Read more about Planar Essences and Planar Focus in the online manual, pages 17 and 36.
http://www.riftgame.com/en/docs/RIFT_Manual_EN.pdf

Apparently you can buy Planar Essences and other items from Planar Goods Merchants located in Silverwood, Freemarch, Gloamwood, and Stonefield.  (They may be in other places.)  Sorry I don't have more precise location information.  This talks about other planar pieces ("planar" seems to mean items that come from rifts).
http://www.riftjunkies.com/2011/02/01/planar-currency-and-item-rundown/

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Rift: Finding Trainers for Abilities

Once you move beyond the starter levels where trainers are close to the quest givers, trainers get hard to find.  The online Rift manual says larger towns and encampments are where the trainers are located, but this involves wandering around.  Turning trainers on in the mini map doesn't seem to place trainer icons on the large map or help find them.

I've found two lists of ability trainer locations.  Unfortunately they are just for the Cleric (first link) and Mage, and don't look like they are complete.
http://rift.zam.com/wiki/Cleric_Ability_Trainer_%28Rift%29

http://rift.zam.com/wiki/Mage_Ability_Trainer_(Rift)

Telarapedia has a section for each Callings from which you can choose the Soul you are interested in, then scroll through the Soul to find the Abilities available for it.  The Abilities chart for each Soul (example:  Rogue Assassin, Rogue Nightblade, Warrior Paladin, etc.) explains what abilities are available for each and gives you information such as the cooldown, level you need to get this Ability, etc.  But there is not a trainer location list.
http://telarapedia.com/wiki/Calling

Maybe we just have to be patient?

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Rift Combat Parser (and Forum)

Rift Junkies has a downloadable combat parser.
http://www.riftjunkies.com/combat-parser/

Here's their forum about using this tool.
http://www.riftjunkies.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?20-Rift-Junkie-Parser-Meter

Look at Favorite Links on the right to find other combat parsers.  I'll post them there as I find them.

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Rift: Warfronts (with Maps and Videos)

This site has a Warfronts guide that lists the level a player must be to participate and outlines the objectives and basic strategies.  There are a few videos to aid those who prefer visual information.
http://www.kfguides.com/rift/warfrontsguide.php

Rift Junkies explains PvP and Warfronts, including videos and maps.
http://www.riftjunkies.com/2011/01/12/an-explination-of-pvp-and-warfronts-maps-and-videos/

Black Garden Guide
http://horrifticintentions.com/guides/warfronts/436-war-front-guide-black-garden

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