As I see it, fighting PCs, willing or unwilling will give me more adrenaline timeout. Fighting NPCs will give me a different timeout. What are these timeouts?

Is there any way to circumvent it? Log out at a shrine or at a protected area?

Also is it wrong if I *have* to drop link if I have to do something really important (ie, have a job and ensure my characters don't perish)?

To reiterate what others have said, it's fairly small for an NPC, and more than a few minutes if it's a PC. If you time it once you'll get a more precise idea.

I got some great advice from various imms on this forum when I started playing that amounted to:

Carrionfields needs a little more scheduling than other online games. The PK and RP requirements mean that there really isn't an emergency quit button. You probably should have a 'wind down' period before you actually need to log out, even if that means you log out early.

If it's really something important and a really sudden and unforeseen emergency, don't worry about the game. Do what you have to do, because...jumping in an ambulance, getting to class, taking care of your kid, or doing your job is just way more important. The game will be here when you get back and scheming to regain a piece of eq you lost will just give you another goal to entertain you.

Given potential for abuse, it's my personal opinion that not having an emergency exit is probably a good thing, despite the occasional burden it puts on those of us who are playing.

Better to stay active but in a safe place. While the adrenaline is going from pk that is.

Imms will sometimes slay you as it can be viewed as cheating to avoid death.

Generally, no, you can't avoid the timeout. Never measured it myself, but feel free to do it. You can't enter the guild until the timeout passes. You can't circumvent it either. No quitting the game cleanly until it's over. Fighting NPCs is a much smaller timeout than fighting PCs.

If you have to drop link unexpectedly often, don't play char without chameleon/camo. That way you can always camo in the wilds and drop link. It's not 100%, but typically rangers and wood-elves don't attack other "wild" chars. Hide is less safe due to unpredictability of who will stumble into you, but next best thing if you can't play ranger or outlander.