EM NEWS - The Search for Donal - New Information
Posted on Thursday, February 4, 2010, 6:17 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
from UO-Origin Events official website of EM Faine Morgan and EM Molly O'Malley "The Search for Donal – New Information?" Posted By EM Faine Morgan on February 4, 2010 To the citizens of Origin, I’m afraid that once more I need to ask for your help. I received the following in a note today from Caryn Connelly: “The scholars believe they have located the next piece of the formula and are one step closer to finding who holds Donal and why. However, there is also some disturbing news to report. Meet me this Saturday eve and I shall tell you what I know.” I’m asking all citizens who are able to meet me Saturday night, February 6th, at 6 p.m. PST/9 p.m. EST at the West Britain Counselor’s Hall to hear what Lady Caryn has to tell us. I pray that we come one step closer to finding Donal – and that he remains safe. With gratitude, Lady Taryn Sullivan ————————————————————————– OOC Note from Faine and Molly: The SA expansion is NOT required to participate in this event. posted by Sara of Baja
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PRT - Queen Dawn Proclaims The Mystical City a Village Of Sosaria
Posted on Thursday, February 4, 2010, 5:21 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
by Sara of Baja Friday, January 29, 2010, Queen Dawn met with representatives who had submitted a petition requesting town status for The Mystical City. As the proposed city is located in Ter Mur, Queen Zhah sent her representative Kuaven BenMonTas, a Royal Registrar for Ter Mur, to ensure Ter Mur housing regulations are followed by Crystal Canyon, Baciver, Falseprophet, gunner, and Gordon ... founders of the Mystical City.  After asking a few questions of The Mystical City representatives, Queen Dawn requested a tour of their city. The main house will be set up much as a community center with public dye tubs, commodity deed box, hitching post, forge, soul forge, tailoring and other crafting areas. The house also contains a Ter Mur rune library, and ... a house teleporter that is linked to the CCC Vendor House and rune library in Luna The second house in The Mystical City is a medical supply center, and also contains vendors. We then toured the Decor House ... which will be used to celebrate holidays. As we waited for Kuaven BenMonTas to complete her notes, Falseprophet tried to tidy up the front yard of the Decor House. The fourth house on the tour was the AV Armory ... which will also have vendors when completed. The fifth and final house in the city is False's Ginger & Ale ... which is a tavern and bakery with ale and cookie vendors,  and a relaxing garden on the roof. At the end of the tour, Kuaven BenMonTas conferred with Queen Dawn, assuring the Queen that the citizens of the The Mystical City are in compliance with the Ter Mur housing regulations, but did add that regular inspections would be made to ensure the city stays within the regulations. Queen Dawn asked the citizens about their loyalties to the throne as subjects of Britannia. Then Queen Dawn proclaimed The Mystical City a village of Sosaria ... as the town founders and spectators cheered the history-making proclamation.    Until the finished banner can be placed, a lantern will serve as the marker for The Mystical City, the first player ran town recognized on Origin. ______________________________________________________________ related links: PRT NEWS - Petition Received by Queen Dawn
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PRT NEWS - Petition Received by Queen Dawn
Posted on Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 8:10 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
Greetings Lady Crystal on behalf of Queen Dawn, Your request for an audience with the Queen to discuss the official recognition of The Mystical City has been granted. Please have your representatives present themselves in the Throne Room at Castle British at the date and time you requested. Queen Dawn will listen to your petition at that time and accompany your representatives on a tour of the town. Should everything be found in order, the Queen will be prepared to make a ruling on your request then. As your proposed city lies within the realm of Ter Mur, Queen Zhah has gladly agreed to send a representative to hear your petition as well. Sincerely, Bertha Beaudreau Royal Secretary ______________________ While not an EM event, this is the first submission requesting recognition of a player-ran town on Origin. You are invited to come observe Origin history being made. Friday, 8 p.m. PST (9 p.m. MST, 10 p.m. CST, 11 p.m. EST), Queen Dawn will meet with representatives Crystal, Gordon, Gunner, Falseprophet and Baciver to review their petition for their player ran town, The Mystical City, which is located in Ter Mur. ______________________ submitted by Sara of Baja
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EM NEWS - Amazing Race - Origin Style, Saturday, January 30
Posted on Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 5:11 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
from UO - Origin Events official website of EM Faine Morgan and EM Molly O'Malley Amazing Race – Origin Style  Posted By EM Faine Morgan on January 27, 2010 Please join Faine and Molly on Saturday, January 30th at 6 p.m. PST (7 p.m. MST, 8 p.m. CST, 9 p.m. EST) at the Origin Award Hall in Malas for the first EM sponsored Amazing Race! Players may compete in teams or individually to see who can be the first to finish this exciting race across the lands of Sosaria. Complete instructions and rules will be provided at event time.
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The Quest For Donal - First Piece Of The Puzzle
Posted on Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 12:06 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
Saturday, January 16, a large crowd was awaiting the arrival of Lady Taryn Sullivan to find out what she had learned from the gargoyles regarding Donal's disappearance following his Magical Mutant Christmas Tree Experiment. Upon arrival Lady Taryn began explaining the Ter Mur gargoyles had granted assistance in locating the reclusive old monk. She quickly explained we would be met by someone and receive instruction on how we might find Donal, however, she had been warned this would not be an easy task. The group quickly departed for the Britain moongate, and from there entered Tur Mur and headed for the Palace in the Royal City where Caryn Connolly waited to speak to us. Lady Caryn peered intently into Taryn Sullivan's eyes, and began to speak. 'Good evening and welcome to the Royal City. I have been chose to be your guide on your search and your liaison with the greatest scholars in this land. Donal is considered a true friend of the gargoyle people ... for this reason, we will assist you. We have studied the tattered book you provided, and you must know that it is very aged and contains very powerful magic. In our archives are references to this formula, and it was determined that is should never fall into the wrong hands. The book you found was but one piece of a puzzle. The other pieces were broken up and scattered throughout the lads, both in Ter Mur and in your world. Each piece leads to the next until the formula can be completely recreated. Know this, however, each piece is strongly guarded by ancient powers. Once the location of a piece has been found and the guardians summoned, there is a time limit for recovering that piece. If that piece is not recovered and brought back in the allotted time, the chain will be broken for all time. Should this happen the formula will never be completed and the chances for finding Donal ... the chances for finding Donal alive will be greatly diminished. Our scholars have determined the location of the first piece and instructed that I guide you to that location and bring the first back. They are waiting to study and determine the location of the next piece. I hope you all understand the seriousness of what you have chosen to embark upon this evening. Once we have begun this journey there will be no turning back from it.' With that being said, Lady Connolly led the group northwest of the Royal City where we soon encountered guardians who tried to prevent us from searching further.  Once the guardians at each location were defeated we were able to access a magical box containing the words to be spoken so that we could proceed. Each stage proved more dangerous the the previous ... However daunting the task at hand seemed, the group pressed forward fueled by Lady Taryn's courage, and the desire to assist the former foundling in her quest to find her old friend, Donal. Caryn Connolly soon declared the group had proven their virtues as she had been able to recover the first piece of the puzzle --  a strange jar with the inscription 'Om Abis-Kans De Kon Reg'. She explained:  'This stands for Ancient honey of the opposite house. But what it means exactly escapes me at this moment. I will return this to our scholars for further study and to perhaps lead us to the next clue. Upon our return to the Royal City palace, Caryn told the crowd she was pleased by their actions, and that she was intrigued by the name of the artifact that had been recovered, and went on to explain the Essence of Empowerment was an ancient potion used to power the guardians we had just defeated. The Gargoyle Scholars are working feverishly to examine the item and, if possible, disable the destruction timer. Caryn will send word to Lady Taryn as soon as the Scholars have information to share.
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The Search For Donal Continues
Posted on Thursday, January 14, 2010, 8:39 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
from UO - Origin Events The Search for Donal Continues Posted By EM Faine Morgan on January 14, 2010 Taryn looked up from the parchment she held in her hands to gaze worriedly out the window. She couldn’t help but wonder what Donal had gotten himself into and if she’d ever be able to get him out. The old monk was the closest thing to a father she’d ever known and she loved him dearly, even though he seemed to have a penchant for getting himself into situations. Taryn turned her gaze back to the parchment with mixed emotions – hope for the sign of help being offered – fear for the warning contained within that offer – confusion over the all too human sounding name which signed the missive…. “Lady Sullivan, You have done well to contact us and seek assistance in this matter. What you ask is not a small matter but, as Donal has been well known as a friend to us through the years, and in respect for your Lady Queen, we will offer what help we can. I have been asked to represent the Gargoyle Scholars and guide you on your search. If you and your countrymen are as brave of spirit as Donal has always told us you are, you may yet find that which you seek. But know that the journey will not be quick nor easy. Prepare yourself. Sincerely, Caryn Connelly” ——————————————————————————————————————— Please meet Lady Taryn Sullivan at the Counselor’s Hall in West Britain on Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 6 P.M. Pacific/9 P.M. Eastern as the search for Donal continues. Note: You WILL need the SA expansion to participate in this event.
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Origin Kicks Off The New Year
Posted on Wednesday, January 13, 2010, 1:10 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
New Year's Day 2010 EM Faine Morgan and EM Molly O'Malley burst into the Counselors Hall, out of breath from running and obviously frightened, the pair was relieved to find a crowd waiting for them. EMs Faine and Molly were quick to explain they had been at the Origin Awards House preparing treats for the New Year celebration when they were ambushed and  their attackers had stolen all the goodies for the party! Led by the EMs, and giving no thought to their personal safety, the group quickly headed to the shard Awards House to help recover the stolen goodies. As the attackers were beaten back and goodies recovered, EM Faine and EM Molly scoured the area to make certain no monsters remained. When all the stolen goodies had been recovered, the group returned to the newly redecorated Counselors Hall to start the New Year's celebration.  With everyone still chilled from the cold radiated by the monsters, EM Faine tried to decide if she should warm her hands by the fire or by Frey's dragon, and Goblin Zuma HappyHeart was quick to provide foot warmers! A little birdie who shall remain anonymous had whispered to EM Faine and EM Molly that December 31 had been my birthday.  EM Faine teleported me to the top of the bar as the crowd sang Happy Birthday. Thank you all for the birthday wishes! (By the way, I'm still going to get even with you, Oriana ...  Just remember, when you least expect it, EXPECT it!) EM Faine Morgan then announced the 'officially official grand reopening of the EM Hall', while those in attendance congratulated Faine on her first year as an Event Moderator. The newly remodeled hall now features benches, commemorative statues, and a poker table that Frey immediately found and staked claim to. We all sat back in comfortable surroundings and enjoyed the cookies furnished by Homebody (who bears a remarkable resemblance to Brat), all the while keeping an eye on the shard cookie monster, FalseProphet. When EM Faine Morgan officially welcomed EM Molly O'Malley to Origin, Molly thanked everyone for already making Origin feel like home to her. Then everyone formed the famous 'Origin Line' as EM Molly O'Malley handed out her first sashes. The party ended with EM Faine teaching EM Molly the infamous Origin EM bar flash dance.
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2009 Candlelight Tour of Homes
Posted on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, 12:38 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
2009 Candlelight Tour of Homes Sunday, December 20, EM Faine Morgan and EM Molly O'Malley arranged for some special Christmas music, put on their holiday finest, and took the shard on candlelight tour of the homes entered in the Winter Wonderland House Deco Contest. Dressed in the festive red and green robes furnished by Slamdancin Santa, we turned on our speakers, equipped candles or lanterns, and began the tour. Due to the large number of screenshots of the homes, I am dividing this into multiple posts to make page loading easier and faster for those who are on slower connections. Entry One: December 26: Santa Takes A Break Entry Two: Black Castle Entry Three: Radatorm Entry Four: Christmas Deco House Entry Five: Crystal's Christmas Wonderland Entry Six: Japanese Tower of Winter Following the tour, we once again gathered at West Britain Bank where a Solstice Stag cavorted and passed out Christmas goodies and got into the egg nog! EM Faine Morgan and EM Molly O'Malley announced Crystal's Christmas Wonderland as the winner of the EM Winter Wonderland House Contest. The Candlelight Tour of Homes was a perfect way to end EM Faine Morgan's first year as an EM on Origin and to begin EM Molly O'Malley's! Group Hugs!
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Donal Still Missing Following Magical Mutant Christmas Tree Experiment
Posted on Thursday, December 31, 2009, 11:07 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
Saturday, December 12, a crowd in Britain to await the arrival of Lady Taryn Sullivan to learn the results of Donal's Magical Christmas Tree Experiment.   Upon arrival Lady Taryn thanked everyone for coming, and then began to tell of the unsettling events she had learned of Donal and his experiment with an ancient and faded gargoyle recipe he had found.  From the formula Donal had been attempting to make Christmas trees and other plants last longer and have higher yields. She then asked for help getting to the lab Donal had been using for this experiment. Donal's lab was near Skara Brae ...  But the road was obstructed by a tree experiment gone bad ... horrendously bad! After a lengthy battle, we were finally able to enter the building Donal had been using.  The rooms were in shambles, and there was no trace of Donal.  Lady Taryn decided perhaps she should seek out the gargoyles to help her find Donal. As Lady Taryn Sullivan left in search of assistance from the gargoyles, the rest of us returned to the EM Hall in Britain where we were greeted by EM Faine Morgan who introduced visitor EM Fiorella from Napa Valley, leading to speculation as to why so many catastrophic events seem to happen whenever EM Fiorella is visiting Origin. EM Faine also introduced the newest member of the Origin EM team ... EM Molly O'Malley. Related Links: Gargoyle Formulas and Christmas Trees Donal's Magical Mutant Christmas Tree Experiment, Saturday, December 12 Sara's Note:  I apologize for the lateness of this report. Not only is December a month of holiday related happenings, it is also the month I have end-of-month, end-of-quarter and end-of-year reports to complete.
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Happy New Year Origin
Posted on Tuesday, December 29, 2009, 3:25 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
from UO – Origin Events, Hosted by EM Faine Morgan and EM Molly O'Malley Happy New Year Origin Posted By EM Faine Morgan on December 29, 2009 As 2009 draws to a close, we find ourselves faced with a bright, shiny New Year ahead. We look forward to a year filled with new adventures, surprises, and friends. We also take this time to look back at a year past filled with love, laughter, and yes, a few tears along the way. EM Faine Morgan and EM Molly O’Malley invite the citizens of Origin to come help them ring in the new and celebrate the old on New Years Day at the Counselor’s Hall in West Britain at 5 P.M. PST/8 P.M. EST. We will be officially welcoming EM Molly to Origin, as well as helping to celebrate the one year EM anniversary of EM Faine. This will also be the officially official grand re-opening of the newly remodeled Counselor’s Hall. Who knows, maybe we’ll even introduce EM Molly to the fine art of bar dancing? *winks*
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Welcome EM Molly O'Malley
Posted on Friday, December 18, 2009, 6:48 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
Please welcome EM Molly O'Malley to Origin Saturday, December 12, EM Faine Morgan made the announcement that EM Molly O'Malley has joined EM Faine on the Origin EM team. Welcome to Origin, EM Molly O'Malley! We're looking forward to getting to know you! Keep an eye on the Origin EM website, UO - Origin Events, for more information about EM Molly.
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Gargoyle Formulas and Christmas Trees
Posted on Thursday, December 10, 2009, 7:57 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
from EM Faine Morgan's Official Website UO - Origin Events Gargoyle Formulas and Christmas Trees Posted By EM FaineMorgan on December 10, 2009 Donal sat hunched over the worn, faded tome trying to make out the smeared words in the fading light. He’d lit every candle in the house but the words were written so long ago they seemed to be mere shadows on the page, no more legible than if they’d been written with white ink. The Christmas cookies that Taryn had sent him earlier sat uneaten at his elbow. Donal had started this project as a treat for Taryn. He knew how much she loved the pretty Christmas Trees and hoped to extend their life for several weeks beyond what they’d normally last. However, he’d already tried several different mixtures with a noted lack of success. Frustration, not normally a part of the monk’s personality, had caused him to toss out the whole lot into the back yard. Anyone looking in on the scene would think the old monk had gone quite mad. He ran his hand through his hair and beard and he muttered to himself, trying to make out the formula. With the fading of time and the age of the ancient books, it seemed an impossible task. Donal was so absorbed in the book that, at first, the faint scratching did not penetrate his consciousness. Gradually, however, he looked up from his work and tried to place the annoying sounds. It sounded almost like a tree brushing the roof of the house at the height of a strong wind. But that was impossible as all of the trees were well back from the house. After several minutes, Donal gave up trying to focus his attention back on the book. Muttering in aggravation, he strode across the small room and flung open the door. What met his gaze filled him with horror. How had this happened? What had he done? Related Link: Donal's Magical Mutant Christmas Tree Experiment, Saturday, December 12
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Winter Wonderland House Deco Contest, Deadline For Entries December 14
Posted on Thursday, December 10, 2009, 7:42 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
from EM Faine Morgan's official website UO - Origin Events December Schedule of Events Posted By EM Faine Morgan on November 29, 2009 Winter Wonderland House Deco Contest Beginning on December 1st, submissions will be accepted for Origin’s EM Winter Wonderland House Decoration Contest. Each house must in some way reflect the Winter Season (this can be Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc. or simply the winter season). To enter, simply drop a rune in the green mailbox at the Award Hall on Origin. Please name the rune with your house’s name and whether the house is public or private. For example, “Faine’s Gingerbread Cottage – Public”. If your house is private, please also send an email to emfainemorgan@gmail.com so we can arrange a time for me to view your house. Entries will be accepted through 7 p.m. Pacific (8 p.m. Mountain, 9 p.m. Central, 10 p.m. Eastern) Time on December 14th. Once the entry period ends, I will post the submissions on our internal Event Moderator site and ask the other Ultima Online EM’s to vote for their favorite. On December 20th, there will be an open tour of all the houses for everyone and the winner will be announced at that time. There is a portal to the Award House outside the Britain Counselor’s Hall. By entering this contest, you agree to set your house public on the evening of the tour. _____________________________________ Reminder ... The deadline is rapidly approaching, and as of this evening (December 10) there has been one entry submitted.
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Origin Museum East and West Wings Open
Posted on Thursday, December 3, 2009, 8:22 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
Origin Museum East and West Wings Sneak Preview Diablo has been busy working on an Origin Museum -- Two houses side-by-side, inside the Luna walls, just east of the North Gate.  Following EM Faine Morgan's High Seas Gauntlet and Maze Diablo took us on a sneak preview tour of the museums. The museum opened to the public today, Thursday, December 3. When you drop by, plan to spend some time as both buildings display an amazing number of rares and artifacts. I have asked Diablo for a list of items displayed and some of the history behind the items. The unique and rare items are an amazing collection, and to be able to view them all in one convenient place is a real treat. West Wing East Wing In addition to EM Faine Morgan, EM Fiorella of Napa Valley and EM Eira of Sonoma were among those at the preview. Thank you, Diablo, for the sneak peek, and for establishing this public museum so that all may view and enjoy!
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High Seas Gauntlet and Maze Ends In A Tie
Posted on Thursday, December 3, 2009, 7:51 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
EM Faine Morgan started the event by introducing, EM Eira from Sonoma and EM Fiorella from Napa Valley, and explaining their roles in the High Seas Gauntlet and Maze that EM Faine Morgan had pulled out of her EM bag of evil tricks. EM Faine Morgan then went about 'sharpening her fishing pole', leaving those gathered in suspense as to what was awaiting for them. When her fishing pole was sharpened to her satisfaction, EM Faine Morgan opened a gate and sent her 'special' helper EM Eira through the gate first, then the rest of us followed.   At the starting line, EM Faine Morgan explained the rules to us ... We were to navigate a maze of boats by jumping from plank to plank, if a boat's planks were not down, that boat was a dead end. Along the way there would be danger and there would also be things hidden in the boat holds.  The goal was to be alive to find EM Fiorella at the finish line. Once the rules were explained, EM Fiorella and EM Eira magically disappeared, and EM Faine Morgan told us to start navigating the maze. (Not all the boats that were placed show in the radar map below, but it gives you an idea of what we were navigating. Unfortunately, I was so busy keeping track of the boats I had been on and keeping monsters at bay, I did not get any screenshots of the monsters 'special' helper EM Eira seemed to have control of.)  First to the finish line were Pandemonium (Morgaine) and Paris Hilton (Diablo) in a tie. A plaque will be placed at the Origin Awards house in their honor. Congratulations Morgaine and Diablo, well done on the maze! Three people found EM Faine Morgan life vests along the way: Following the event Diablo (Paris Hilton) gave everyone a special sneak preview of the new Origin Museum East and West Wings -- two houses located side-by-side inside the Luna wall a bit east of the north gate. The museum opened to the public today, Thursday, December 3, and is a must see!  I will be posting about it in a separate thread.
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December Schedule of Events from EM Faine Morgan
Posted on Sunday, November 29, 2009, 5:28 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
from EM Faine Morgan's official website UO - Origin Events December Schedule of Events Posted By EMFaineMorgan on November 29, 2009 Winter Wonderland House Deco Contest Beginning on December 1st, submissions will be accepted for Origin’s EM Winter Wonderland House Decoration Contest. Each house must in some way reflect the Winter Season (this can be Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc. or simply the winter season). To enter, simply drop a rune in the green mailbox at the Award Hall on Origin. Please name the rune with your house’s name and whether the house is public or private. For example, “Faine’s Gingerbread Cottage – Public”. If your house is private, please also send an email to emfainemorgan@gmail.com so we can arrange a time for me to view your house. Entries will be accepted through 10 p.m. Eastern Time on December 14th. Once the entry period ends, I will post the submissions on our internal Event Moderator site and ask the other Ultima Online EM’s to vote for their favorite. On December 20th, there will be an open tour of all the houses for everyone and the winner will be announced at that time. There is a portal to the Award House outside the Britain Counselor’s Hall. By entering this contest, you agree to set your house public on the evening of the tour. High Seas Gauntlet and Maze After filling our bellies with all the yummy food from Thanksgiving, it’s time to exercise off those extra holiday pounds before we once again indulge in all the goodies of Christmas! And what better way to get a good aerobic workout than finding your way through a floating maze? Meet EM Faine Morgan on Wednesday, December 2nd at 9 p.m. Eastern/6 p.m. Pacific for some fun (and exercise) on the high seas. Complete details of this event will provided once everyone has gathered. Please be on time. This is one adventure you won’t want to miss! Donal’s Magical Mutant Christmas Tree Experiment On December 12th meet Taryn Sullivan at the Britain Counselor’s Hall to hear the latest on Donal the Monk’s experiments with the local flora and fauna. Donal has been deep in study with the Gargoyles and has found some interesting references to formulas that extend the life of Christmas trees as well as multiply the harvest time and yield for crops. Taryn will be at the Britain Counselor’s Hall at 10 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Pacific to give the citizens a status update on the fruits of his labors. Taryn will lead the players as they meet with Donal to see first hand the wondrous results of the new formula. Surely nothing catastrophic could happen right? Christmas Candlelight Tour of Houses On Sunday, December 20th, EM Faine Morgan will lead the players on a tour of the houses submitted in the Winter Wonderland House Deco Contest. The tour will leave from the Britain Counselor’s Guild at 9 p.m. Eastern/6 p.m. Pacific and will include Christmas caroling as well as snacks along the way. To help us get in the mood of the season, players should bring along a candle to carry. At the end of the tour, the winning house will be announced as voted by the Event Moderators of Ultima Online.
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A Thanksgiving Message From EM Faine Morgan
Posted on Thursday, November 26, 2009, 7:55 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
from EM Faine Morgan Happy Thanksgiving, Origin!!!!! Good news! I have the EM website (mostly) back up and running. There are few things I still need to test/tweak but it's mostly there with all the history. The url did have to change. It's http://emfainemorgan.com/blog (no www in front). I'll get some answers up on the Player Run Town questions I'm seeing and possibly open up a page to allow people to post questions directly on it.  EM Faine Morgan is hoping the site will be fully back to normal by the weekend.
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Recap of November 22 Meet & Greet With EM Faine Morgan
Posted on Monday, November 23, 2009, 9:29 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
Meet & Greet With EM Faine Morgan, Sunday, November 22 EM Faine Morgan arrived and announced she had baked cookies for the evening however had burned them, (anyone else starting to wonder about EM Faine's culinary skills?), so she provided cake and milk. Frey Wavestrider saved the moment by announcing Brat was on her way and bringing some of her famous cookies.  The mood vastly improved when Brat passed cookies around. (REALLY, what's an Origin event with the Brat's cookies?!) Once cookies were consumed and the crumbs cleaned up, EM Faine Morgan discussed the current plans for Chesapeake, Catskills, Pacific, and some other shards to recognize player-ran towns (existing and future) with banners in the towns and teleporters to the towns at a central location, such as the fairgrounds.  EM Faine also explained EMs would have the capability of looking down player event books with town information, events, etc. at the town banners. EM Faine mentioned that due to Origin's unique, youngish status, what makes a player-ran town on other shards might not apply to Origin. Then explained,  'EM Dudley has worked up a proposal for naming depending upon how many buildings, like 1 to 4 would be a settlement. Can a town (or settlement) be one building? Why not? Let's say you have a tavern, and you have an area for drinking, eating socializing, etc., maybe an area for plays and storytelling, there's no reason that one building can't qualify.  The point in all this is, quite simply, community, not the number of buildings but what do those buildings contribute to the community. There may be some guilds that already have areas they'd like recognized. What I'd really like you to think on are a couple of things: What makes a town? Origin absolutely ROCKS, and I have no qualms about any of the citizens on Origin, BUT we certainly don't want people coming along and plopping down a building just to get a banner hung out front. So, for Origin, what would make a town (not asking an answer tonite). One thing that some of the other shards are doing that could work here is anyone can nominate themselves as a town BUT to get the teleporter placed, they have to petition Queen Dawn and have to have votes agreeing so the whole community gets to have a say in the towns.  You can petition for other people by submitting nominations. We can work out how the whole process itself works, I just wanted to start you all thinking and open the discussions.' The shards will each decide on the process, and the EMs will facilitate and work with the community and make suggestions on what the EMs can and can't do. EM Faine announced she is going to invite Mesanna to meet with Origin after Thanksgiving. (UO Developer Mesanna is the 'boss' of the EM program. She truly cares about the game and its players, is the one spearheading the town/community proposal, and she works very hard for the UO player community.)  Meanwhile, EM Faine asks that you talk among yourselves, think about it, and if you have questions or ideas email Faine at emfainemorgan@gmail.com. EM Faine stated the EM website will be changing as she has to move it and the site may be down for a bit. She is hoping to get all the content moved either this week or the week after Thanksgiving, and back up and running. In the meantime, she will email all announcements to me and I will get them on the forum ASAP. She will also utilize the EM lanterns and the event announcer at the Luna gate, so keep an eye out for both. Upcoming Events: 1. Donal has been up to 'exploring' and 'learning' again, so look for something to happen with that story soon. 2. EM Faine has a little Trammel high seas adventure planned in the near future, so keep an eye out for an announcement, possibly the week after Thanksgiving. 3. Winter Wonderland House Decorating contest. Once the date the contest opens is announced (possibly December 1), entrants will have two weeks to submit entries by placing a rune along with a book telling if your house is public or private in the mailbox at the Origin Award House. If a house is private, EM Faine will need to set a time to meet with you so she can take screenshots of the design. Screenshots will then be posted on the internal EM website, and the EMs will vote on the designs. EM Faine also stated she would TRY (note TRY) to persuade Mesanna to give her permission to place a golden gingerbread cookie outside the winning house. EM Faine would like to know what works best for events for Origin players ... week nights or weekend nights? After the meeting, EM Faine Morgan led us over to the Origin Award House where a sash by EM Laurana was already on display. EM Laurana, who left the EM program this past week, has been a big part of Origin for almost a year. In recognition of the contributions Laurana made to Origin, EM Faine Morgan placed a plaque to commemorate Laurana's time on Origin. As a tribute to Laurana, Falseprophet furnished a pan of the Brat's cookies to be locked down in front of the sash and plaque. We then moved downstairs where EM Faine apologized for an error during the recent scavenger hunt. She then asked permission to modify the winners' award to recognize the top four teams. As Crystal Canyon said, it's 'Team Origin', and arrangements were made to correct the award. Be sure to check at the Award House to view the change.
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Got Questions? Meet & Greet With EM Faine Morgan, Sunday, November 22
Posted on Saturday, November 21, 2009, 7:07 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
A message from EM Faine Morgan Greetings Origin! I would like to announce a Meet & Greet and Q&A Session on Sunday, November 22nd at 5 p.m. PST, 8 p.m. EST. Please meet me at the Counselor's Hall in West Britain, Trammel at this time. I have several things I'm looking forward to talking with you all about, and I'd be happy to answer any questions I can at that time. In addition, at the end of the evening, we'll travel to the Award House for a ceremony and plaque dedication in honor of the special part EM Laurana has played in all our lives. I look forward to seeing you all there.
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Results of EM Scavenger Hunt
Posted on Friday, November 20, 2009, 4:46 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
By Oriana EM Faine Morgan had agreed to cook Thanksgiving Dinner for the whole EM Team. She soon figured out accommodating them all could be a tricky task. But she knew the citizens of Origin would not let her down. Everyone was called to the Awards Hall in Malas. She put together a cookbook with the ingredients and clues needed to find them. She explained her predicament to everyone then began to handout the books and give directions.   Soon all of the books were handed out. Faine Morgan after making a few more comments and answering questions readied the crowd for the beginning... A few took off right a way. Some started a bit slower as they read over the massive book with clues. But soon everyone was on their way. I stayed to keep Faine Morgan company while the others scrambled to find the right ingredients. While we waited she allowed me a peek at the book... (highlight the area after item to see the ingredients) 1. While Pixies like to scatter these around and they can be used as quest items, Mesanna thinks they could also make charming napkin rings. Item - Ariel's Bauble 2. EM Autolycus is quite the adrenaline junkie. He feels sure that once this is emptied, he can put it to good use as a helmet. Item - Bowl (any type accepted) 3. EM Valdimere's fangs tend to make eating a tad messy. Surely there's something that could protect his EM robe during dinner? Item - Apron (half or full) 4. Perhaps if EM Tashik uses this to start the fire this year instead of the dragon, his eyebrows will grow back before spring. Item - Kindling 5. EM Eira says everyone knows that to make truly good corn bread, it has to be cooked in one of these. Item - Skillet 6. While EM Dudley swears he tastes like candy, no one can truly resist these as dessert. Just ask Brat! Item - Cookies 7. Last year, EM Seppo swore these were eavesdropping. Perhaps this year if it's cut up and creamed, things might go better. Item - Corn 8. Faine makes a note to remind EM Quantum that this is used to carve the bird and not thrown at the other EM's. Item - Cleaver, Knife, Dagger 9. After all the cleaning and cooking and festivities, this is definitely called for, even if it has been known to lead to bar dancing EM's. Item - Alcoholic Beverage of any sort 10. Faine thinks she'll get Mesanna to tell EM Stardancer that these are used to help make cookies, not to help test EM Autolycus's new "helmet". Item - Rolling Pin 11. EM Cyno Razik loves trying new delicacies. However, Faine fails to understand how anything with the word Rot in it can be considered good. Item - Rotworm stew or Rotworm Meat 12. EM Fiorella is a renowned chocoholic. Last year every cow in Britannia ran dry providing the liquid for her chocolate. Faine wonders if this year will be the same? Item - Milk 13. EM Quantum discovered the hard way that you don't really want to use these from Chicken Lizards when making a cake. Item - Eggs 14. Although these have been known to bring a tear to the eye, EM Kasaven eats them like apples. Faine makes a note to stock up on breath mints. Item - Onion 15. Those of you helping out tonite are really saving Faine's ___________ Item - Bacon Many people came back several times to have their items checked. Some worked solo, many worked in teams. The ingredients were very specific, so Faine sent many back out to find the right ones. After an hour of back and forth the teams were set. Everyone gathered once again at the Awards Hall. Faine Morgan began inspecting the bags a bit closer as the hour drew to and end. Soon three winners were announced. Team CCC with 13 of the 15 items Team Zerg with 12 1/2 of the 15 items Team Wavestrider with 11 of the items Team Zerg had the right idea about the rotworm stew. They brought the recipe instead of the actual meat or stew, which was what Faine Morgan needed to suite Cyno Razik's ... unusual tastes. Thus the 1/2 point for them. Team Wavestrider was added a bit later as Faine Checked bags once again and realized she had made a mistake counting their items and once again that rotworm stew made a mess of things. Faine Morgan created the item to go into the Awards House. I bumped into her later as I came back to get more screen shots of the aftermath once the EM's had left after feasting on what Origin had provided. Now for a picture of the proper item with all the winners listed... Congratulations to the winners and to all that participated. It was a wonderful event as always. We on Origin are truly blessed to have Faine Morgan as our EM. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and watch out for those Giant Turkeys in game... __________________ Send in FEEDBACK if you want changes to happen. Things seem buggy? Send reports here... uobugs@uo.com
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A Farewell From EM Laurana
Posted on Tuesday, November 17, 2009, 6:32 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
from UO - Origin Events A Farewell Posted By EM Laurana on November 17, 2009  Players of Origin,  I write to you today with a message of thanks and farewell. I have resigned from the UO EM program, as circumstances prevent me from being able to contribute to the program to the extent that I’d like and that you deserve. I have had a most wonderful year on Origin, as I hope you have, and I thank you for the opportunity to share a piece of Britannia’s history with you. You truly are some of the best players in this game – in all of gaming, I’d venture to say. You will be in fine hands with EM Faine Morgan. I wish you all continued joy and success, in-game and out. I plan to pursue other passions while returning to Britannia as a player. With that, this is EM Laurana, signing out. So long, and thanks for all the fish.  __________________________________  EM Laurana, It has been a privilege getting to know you. You will be missed on Origin, and fondly remembered. Thank you for all that you have done for Origin and the entire EM program. My best to you in all your future endeavors, Sara
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EM Faine Morgan Needs Help With Dinner, Saturday, November 14
Posted on Friday, November 13, 2009, 6:16 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
from UO - Origin Events Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt Posted By EMFaineMorgan on November 12, 2009 Dinner Disaster Origin I need your help! In a moment of sheer madness, while still giddy from the Fall Festival, and telling all the other EM’s how great Origin’s community was, I somehow volunteered to cook a pre-Thanksgiving Dinner for all of them! Yes, yes, I don’t understand how it fits either, but there you have it. I’ve volunteered to cook dinner for the whole lot of them! I’ve gone through the pantry and kitchen and find I’m sadly lacking in many needed items. I’m begging for your help in getting ready for this dinner. I know I can count on the great community we have on Origin to pitch in and help your poor EM out of this pickle she’s found herself in. Meet me at the Origin Award House on Saturday, November 14th at 6:00 p.m. Pacific (7pm Mountain, 9pm Central, 9pm Eastern), and I’ll hand out the “shopping list”. The first person to return with the most correct items within one hour will have my undying gratitude! Not only that, but I’ll even put up a tribute in the Award House commemorating your help! Your very thankful EM, Faine Morgan
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Origin's Halloween House 2009
Posted on Sunday, November 1, 2009, 6:26 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)
Halloween House 2009 For those who missed this year's Halloween House, you missed out on a perfectly demented puzzle! Upon arrival, the house appeared to be relatively normal ... considering it was designed and built by Crystal! Fortunately I had read Crystal's post about the house really wasn't locked, one just had to find a way to enter. I had navigated my way through the beginning of the maze, when I noticed a purple Stuffy had arrived, so I left the house to check out EM Faine's halloween costume. EM Faine relayed EM Laurana's apologies for not being able to attend, but explained she was with us in spirit. As we stood outside and chatted, more people showed up to take the tour. The house was a delightfully evil maze of dead ends, hidden doors and traps. That's Lord Gunner manning the cannon. I wasn't able to capture the flash of the cannon being shot at an unsuspecting EM Faine. From the cannon room, the path through the house took a lot of twists and turns! In this area, the graphics surrounding the house did a drastic change! Crystal, just how did you accomplish this?! Upon arrival at the final door, we passed by the cookie tree where an ebil brat, a skeletal Saug Arierin, and Marilyn Chambers each hand out trick or treat bags stuffed with goodies. Thank you to Crystal, Gunner, Brat, Saug, Marilyn ... and everyone else who participated in the production of this outstanding Halloween House event!
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Coronation Festivities PvP Tournament Results
Posted on Saturday, October 31, 2009, 7:17 PM EDT by Sara of Baja (Origin)
Coronation Festivities PvP Tournament, Saturday, October 24 Due to an uneven number of entries, VENDETTA won the Round 1 bye and automatically advanced to Round 2. Then EM Laurana and EM Faine Morgan gave a quick explanation of the rules: No looting No murder counts Brackets are random Anything goes: healing, curing, potions unless a match isn't over within the allotted time frame. If a match goes to the allotted time, it will be stopped and a Sudden Death match will be started and there will be no healing, no curing, no potions. If you leave the house you will not be re-admitted. Round 1 Match 1 KoRnUtz (advance) Gallin Match 2 Cesar Falseprophet (advance) Match 3 an ebil brat Toranaga (advance) Match 4 Morgaine (advance) Mere Match 5 Tyr Odinson Hero (advance) Round Two Match 1 VENDETTA (advance) Hero Match 2 KoRnUtz Morgaine (advance) Match 3 Toranaga Falseprophet (advance after Sudden Death match) Their first round went to the time limit, and into a Sudden Death match For 3rd Place Morgaine (won) Falseprophet (3rd Place) Championship Round Vendetta (2nd Place after Sudden Death match) Morgaine (1st Place after Sudden Death match) This match went to the time limit, and a Sudden Death match followed. Congratulations to Morgaine 1st place, Vendetta 2nd place, Falseprophet 3rd place! Great job everyone!  Trophies will be displayed at the Origin Awards House. Following the PvP Tournament, there was a free-for-all in the pit: Morgaine won by killing her four opponents and one spectator! Thank you, EM Laurana and EM Faine Morgan, for another great event! Related links: Coronation Festivities PvP Tournament Results Fall Festival Contest Results
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Zhah, Queen of Ter Mur, Meets With Dawn, Queen of Britannia
Posted on Thursday, October 1, 2009, 9:53 PM EDT by Sara of Baja (Origin)
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 Queen Dawn had requested the citizens of Origin gather at the Britain moongate to provide an escort for the Gargoyle Queen Zhah while she visited our lands. A crowd gathered around Britannia's Queen Dawn as she awaited the arrival of  Queen Zhah of Ter Mur. Queen Zhah arrived and greeted Queen Dawn, ' Des-ailem esh ben met, Lady Dawn, pri-lem de Britannia.' (Hail and well met, Lady Dawn, Queen of Britannia) 'I am pleased to make your acquaintance, and acknowledge your dedication to these lands.' Queen Dawn replied, ' Des-ailem esh ben met, Queen Zhah, pri-lem de Ter Mur. (Hail and well met, Lady Zhah, Queen of Ter Mur) We are honored that you accepted our invitation and hope to forge a harmonious co-existence between our people and yours. The citizens of Britannia have come to honor you and celebrate our victory over the evils that have plagued these lands.' Queen Zhah: 'aro! Please know that I hold no ill will for the unfortunate attack und*.' Queen Dawn then gestured towards the city saying, 'Please allow us now to escort you into the City proper.' At a bend in the road the queens were ambushed, but the brigands were quickly dealt with before harm could come to either queen. The crowd escorted the queens safely to Britain, where the procession made its way through the streets to Lord British's Castle. Upon arrival at the castle, Queen Dawn quickly apologized to the visiting queen of the gargoyles for the attack they had encountered along the way.  'Queen Zhah, I sincerely apologize for the attack along our journey. Please believe me when I say we are working to rid the land of the lawlessness that has plagued us in our past days. My most humble thanks to our valiant escort for our safe arrival.' Queen Zhah graciously replied, 'Please know that I hold no ill will for the unfortunate attack. Your defenders proved themselves to be all that we had heard, and I am proud to have had them as my escort this eve. I have spent many generations safeguarding the future of the gargoyle race. I do not appear before you capriciously; you have earned this visit in many ways.  The gargoyle Infel -- you know of him?' Queen Dawn, 'Yes Queen Zhah, we know of Infel. Unfortunately, many of us who only wished to help were betrayed by his machinations. It saddens us deeply to have caused the destruction of the those gargoyles who were only trying to protect the knowledge that Donal had gathered.' Queen Zhah, 'I know all too well of your pain, for his betrayal of his own kind tore through the gargoyle lands as a dagger through flesh. Infel betrayed the gargoyle race, and he betrayed you. You must know that there is no animosity towards your people for the slaying of the Gargoyle Guardians. I have allowed the monk called Donal to work closely with my followers, and the slaying of the Guardians was as much my fault as yours; that is to say, it was neither our faults. Your remorse speaks volumes of your character. Infel betrayed us both, and our common pain will nurture our common strength.' Queen Dawn, 'As well, we hold no ill feelings for one such as Infel. We are all too aware that evil can lurk in even the most virtuous of races. Our own recent experiences have shown us that plainly.' Dawns face reflecting the sadness of the memories of the false King Casca. Queen Zhah, 'Let us move now past that sadness and forward into a new light -- one that knows not the darkness of evil or the bloodshed of deception. Your false king is dead. The disloyalty displayed by Infel shall cease on my word. May we walk amongst each other as citizens in common.' Queen Dawn, 'As you say, Queen Zhah, this is our fondest desire. To embrace peace and walk together as a common people. From this day forward, may your hopes be our hopes, and may your enemies be our enemies. May we seek to blend our cultures and learn from each other as true allies and friends. ' Queen Zhah, 'As a sign of our friendship and future co-existence, I would like to offer a gift to the people of both lands. Would you be so kind as to accompany me?' Queen Dawn, 'We shall be pleased to follow you.' A gate was opened, and we followed the queens through it back to the Britain moongate. Queen Zhah began speaking, 'For many generations, the passage between our lands was closed. The moongates were wiped of the ability for travel, and our races separated by great distance and dangers. It is my great honor to now proclaim that our Mystics have found a way to repair this ancient damage. It gives me great pleasure this day to be able to finally fed ui-de ter-reg, Ter Mur esh Britannia. (Connect our lands, Ter Mur and Britannia) Link the moongates. With Queen Zhah's words spoken, the moongate slowly shifted colors from blue, to green, then back to blue, and Ter Mur's Royal City was now accessible through the moongate. We followed the queens through the portal, and were welcomed to Ter Mur by Queen Zhah. Queen Dawn thanked Queen Zhah and her people for restoring the moongates, then led us to the Royal City so we might explore the wondrous new land. Related Link: A Beginning
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