Trion Worlds announces that a six-day "Telara the Merciless" open beta testing event for Rift will commence on February 15th, offering the chance to check out their upcoming MMORPG before it officially goes live on March 1st. Players can sign up here for a guaranteed spot in the beta, and those interested in participating in the Rift head start beginning February 24 can preorder the game here. Here's word:

On February 15th Trion will lift the veil on their upcoming MMORPG Rift™ with a six-day open beta event, giving all would-be Defiants and Guardians the opportunity to preview the epic world of Telara before the game launches worldwide on March 1st. Servers are scheduled to be open from 10 AM PST on Tuesday, February 15th to 10 AM PST on Monday, February 21st, giving users a taste of Telara, including two playable factions, the first 42 levels of play, three PvP warfronts, and several zones and dungeons to explore.