The Shadowlords Invade Cove!
Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008, 3:57 AM EDT by Sheridan_of_ElF (Pacific)
Once again, the citizens of Britannia must answer the call to war! Reports have begun pouring in that the evil forces of the Shadowlords have begun to invade the various cities of the Pacific on both the Trammel and Felucca facets. With the realm reeling on its heels from the recent Magincia Invasion and in the wake of the terrible accident during Kronos' experiment in Moonglow, it would appear yet more bad news has come to Britannia. Is it theorized that when the corrupted rift opened on Verity Isle, the Shadowlords managed to escape the Void and have materialized in our world once more, despite vehement denial of their existence by the Royal Council of Mages and Captain Avery of the Royal Britannian Guard. Scouts have since discovered advancing forces in the coastal city of Cove and dozens of brave souls have taken up the perilous fight against the robed minions of evil. The Vanguard Controllers - armed with glittering, obsidian blades and cloaked in shadowy robes - seemed to attract the most attention from the valiant fighters. Often they could be heard shouting in a strange language... A particularly bold group of Britannians known as the Legendary Saints (L=S) charged headlong time and again into the fray and dispatched a fair amount of fiendish foes. I ran into them outside Cove's Bank. They had an interesting bit of advice... and a mighty bold claim. I guess I should have heeded it, for as soon as I turned my back and climbed aboard my boat to sail off, they murdered me in cold blood. This meant war... What are the odds that a Dread Lord would have some friends in low places...? I let slip to a rather mouthy informant that these jackals were daring to claim a portion of Felucca for themselves, knowing that word would find its way to the territorial Fallen Lords. They arrived to rectify the misunderstanding post haste. For those of you just joining us... A group who killed a citizen 6 on 1 is complaining about unfair numbers... ... ...while calling guards nonstop. Make no mistake... the Fallen Lords are at no one's beck and/or call. They just like a good fight. The conversation degraded from that point into claims that I was biased. And you know, they were right! Yes. You heard it here first, folks... I am fully admitting to a lifetime of bias. I am, 100%, without a doubt, now - and always will be - biased against people who kill me 6 vs 1. The truth shall set me free!
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Blackrock Detector A Deadly Disaster
Posted on Wednesday, April 2, 2008, 10:05 AM EDT by Sheridan_of_ElF (Pacific)
By late morning, word had spread like wildfire throughout every facet of every shard. At long last, the infamous Blackrock Detector would finally see the light of day, thanks to the diligent work of its creator, Kronos and his crew of learned assistants. In every tavern and every vendor shop, down the back alleys, in homes both rich and poor, on guildhouse steps and everywhere in-between, the people of Pacific were chattering excitedly about the hopeful news. All this talk of blackrock had reawakened in me an acute curiosity that I could stand no longer. In my travels, I had acquired and ferreted away a fair stash of the bizarre, obsidian colored ore and locked it all away in a magically protected chest, tightly sealed and out of sight in a back room of my Felucca tower. After hearing tales of other citizens going mad from exposure to it, even so far as to be considered "infected" by the stone's curious aura, I wanted nothing to do with blackrock. But now... hearing the excited rantings and ravings of those who had tinkered and experimented with the ore since then was tempting enough, but was nothing compared to what was being whispered in the darker circles I was known to frequent. Claims of extraordinary powers, fantastic revelations and incredible wealth were what beckoned the adventurous, rogue spirit within me. Recalling home from the Shattered Skull tavern, I entered my stony fortress, mounted the stairs and approached the door to my storage room. I was filled with an unusual trepidation, but my curiosity (and the brewed beverages I had consumed for breakfast) refused to let me give in to cowardice. Tentatively, I unlocked and pulled open the heavy door for the first time in months, nose wrinkling at the stale air I had disturbed. I pulled a torch from its holder on the wall, murmured some Words of Power and oil-soaked light flared to life, repelling the oppressive darkness. Pushing aside a few exceptionally crafted wooden crates, I grasped the handle of the heavy chest I sought and pulled it out into the torchlight. The magic lock was disspelled and the lid tossed back, the finely tinkered hinge squeaking only slightly from the effort. The breath caught in my throat as my eyes settled on the malevolently glittering chunks of black ore piled inside the velvet lined chest. My head swam as I looked upon dozens of chunks of blackrock, ranging from tiny fragments the size of a gold coin to larger, heavier rocks... some exceeding 25 stones in weight. Hefting a medium sized piece in my hand, I held it close to the torch to examine it, but the strange ore seemed to absorb the meager light. I paused to reflect on the intriguing conversation I had overheard in the tavern earlier in the day... "Ye want t'have a good time, mate?" The odd offer was met by a raised eyebrow. "Name's Afzal and a hundred k o' gold'll get me to spill my secret..." The shady informant kept his voice low to keep nosy tavern patrons from overhearing, but failed to notice me, safely hidden in the shadows nearby. The man to whom this one was speaking murmured something that sounded like 'Cecil' and nodded his agreement to the terms. His half lidded eyes did not seem to register neither the cost nor even the conversation, but Afzal plowed onward. "Get yerself some o' that blackrock they be talkin' about, mate. Make sure no'buddy's watchin' you an' say these words 'ere out loud." From an inner pocket, he produced a small bit of paper and slid it across the table to the slightly more alert Cecil. The burly soldier stared blankly at the sheet for a few moments before he crumpled it in his meaty fist and tossed it back at Afzal. "You buffoon!" Cecil bellowed. "Ah'm no mage!" Afzal fell back out of his chair, eyes wide and looking wildly between the crumpled secret that had bounced off his forehead and onto the floor and the exit. The greedy fool of course went for the paper, but a well placed kick from the shadows from yours truly sent him instead sprawling right into the beligerent warrior sparking a rather lopsided brawl. By the time Cecil finally managed to heave his considerable weight off of poor Afzal, I was already sneaking my way out the back of the tavern and onto the safety of my small dragon boat parked nearby. Returning to the present, I reached into my tunic, pulled out the still crumpled page and unfolded it onto the cold, flagstone floor. Sure enough, as any apprentice mage could easily discern, Words of Power were scribbled in a runic script across the page. Despite my extensive teachings and training in Magery, I did not recognize this particular spell, but I was confident I had the skill to cast it. Closing the lid on the rest of the blackrock stash and sliding the chest away a safe distance, I stood and placed the chunk of ore at my feet. I swallowed hard, willing away the wave of dread crashing upon me and took a few deep breaths. Clearing my head, I finally spoke aloud the Words of Power that would eventually be my very undoing... "Vas Kal An Mani In Corp Hur Tym!" I barely recall the explosion or being subsequently tossed backwards into the unforgiving stone wall, but the strange energies that enveloped me before I blacked out are fresh in my mind even now. Well, when I at last had come to, I found nearly an entire day had passed! Stopping just long enough to shove a few pieces of blackrock into my pocket, I hurried off towards Trammel, nearly late for the big show in Moonglow. *** Townsfolk and outsiders alike turned out at the curtained construction site in Moonglow in countless droves... hundreds of curious and concerned citizens from all walks of life converging early to eagerly await the unveiling. As the hour approached, the crowd grew restless, elbowing and pushing for a perfect view of the diabolical contraption on the lawn just east of the town's inn. The overcrowding grew dangerously close to getting out of hand and the mysterious being called Draconi appeared in a dazzling display of light. Urging the cantankerous crowd to back away from the machine to give Kronos and his assistant ample room in which to work, Draconi had little luck convincing the crowd with just his words alone. When the crowd was hesitant to comply for fear of losing a front row seat, Draconi lend a friendly but firm hand in freeing up some room. Shortly after the barrier had been formed, a cheer arose as Kronos politely nudged his way through the crowd to stand before his masterpiece of engineering. After some brief introductions and explanations of what he hoped to accomplish, the Director of Alchemical Studies was ready to get down to business... A young apprentice stepped forward from the crowd to assist Kronos with a last minute check of the machine. Once everything looked to be in order, Kronos called for everyone to step back and commanded the assistant to flip a switch. The machine hummed to life and Kronos called out the Words of Power to activate what appeared to be the power source of the Detector, which began to rapidly spin and whirl. Colorful waves of mysterious energies washed outward from the core and a high pitched sound began to grow in volume. Everyone around the perimeter first took one step and then another panicked step backwards when the machine suddenly lurched and pitched violently before rumbling to a disturbingly motionless stop, much to Kronos' dismay. The shocked crowd gawked and stared at the machine and its maker, equally puzzled with both. Visibly flustered and frustrated, the Head Mage for the project promised the next day would undoubtedly be a success before hastily recalling away. Angry and disappointed, the gathered mob began to fight among themselves and all but refused to leave, incredulous that hours waiting had been for naught. It was several hours more before everyone finally, albeit reluctantly, abandoned the broken machine, many feeling dejected and somehow cheated. The next morning, after a night of ceaseless tossing and turning, I awoke with a dull ache, presumably from my blackrock induced encounter with the wall the previous day... At least that was what I thought before the voices started to haunt me. Unable to shake the strange sensations and creepy voices, I instead headed out early to Moonglow, eager to occupy my mind otherwise. A newly constructed fence and posted guards was hardly an obstacle for me and I stealthily maneuvered past both with a Shadowjump. What a difference a day makes... there appeared to be some sort of electrical disturbance emanating from the machine. I dared not get too close. As the crowd began to assemble once again, Inu the Crone, babbling incomprehensibly and nonstop, wandered over to entertain us. Cheery sentiments and positive outlooks from some of the eventgoers. A staggering assembly, nearly half an hour from the start of the event. -Dragon Parking Only- All Others Towed at Owner's Expense I wonder how that turned out for her... A slightly less enthusiastic greeting for Kronos the Mage and his lovely assistant Melissa. As before, Kronos had barely finished greeting the crowd before jumping right to business and casting his spell. "Bet Ex Wis!" cried Kronos. The machine began to hum and gyrate as it did the night before. More colorful waves of energy flowed freely, accompanied by alternating flashes of incredibly bright light and moments of impenetrable darkness. A crackling of pure energy startled everyone and time slowed to a crawl, freezing everyone in place. As the light faded to blackness a final time and the crowd's yelling blended into a silence which roared in my ears, I felt a distinct sensation of falling, faster and faster... I thought I was as good as dead... Instead, my vision slowly returned and I was surprised to see we hadn't moved an inch. But something was wrong... something was not quite right. The sky was an odd hue and the air far too still for this time of year. The town and the crowd was eerily quiet, but soon astonished whispers became terrified, panicked screams. Horrific creatures descended upon us swiftly and without mercy. Demon berserkers, winged fallen warriors, fetid essences and dark wisps tore through the crowd with a chilling and ruthless efficiency. Taking advantage of the chaos, I disappeared into the crowd and snuck away hidden in the shadows. I made a beeline for the south gate intending to hit the nearby moongate, but that plan was dashed to pieces when I discovered the world ended just a short distance outside of town. Once I finally regained my shaky composure, I noticed the same held true for each of the remaining gates... Trapped with nowhere to run. What was going on here? I deftly dodged any confrontations with the bizarre denizens of this world, and while watching the slaughter, I came to suspect this was not the Moonglow I knew. The over- whelmed army of unwilling participants in this crazy nightmare steadily began to regain ground and fight back the relentless assailants. Attempting to rejoin the others at the center of town, I was stopped in my tracks by the sudden slowing of time along with that nauseating feeling of falling again... Where were we headed this time? Strangely enough, we returned to where we had so abruptly departed... Wandering over to the field next to the inn, I expected to see an angry Kronos hunched over his machine that had spiraled out of control. I was stunned when I saw instead a massive crater where the Blackrock Detector once stood and a bizarre portal. I began to piece things together with others and we concluded that we had been trapped in a sort of alternate, "mirrored" version of Moonglow... one that was still under siege by hordes of vicious beasts. Either brave or foolish, (or both) hundreds of people returned through the corrupted rift back to the mirrored city in search of treasure or out of duty and Honor. An adventurous soul tinkers with a bit of blackrock and the Armageddon spell in the alternate Moonglow and summons a blue wisp. A plan is formulated, even amid all the chaos. Normally one to back away from overwhelming odds such as these, I found myself and my courage bolstered by the valiant efforts of the few brave souls who were fighting off dozens of the encroaching berserkers. Why am I not surprised? Slowly, but surely, the tide turns and the berserkers begin to fall to our persistent earthshaking and terrible jokes. All joking ceased when a cry from the battlefront chilled everyone to the bone. Shadowlords?! Surely they were mistaken... right? Wrong. Even the demon berserkers were unsettled by the appearance of ethereal Shadowlords and broke off their assault on us to kill the fearsome entities, who died in massive blasts of energy and dark smoke. Seemingly unaware of the danger these Shadowlords possessed, a citizen charged straight at one, holding a piece of what looked like blackrock in front of him like a protective talisman. As he reached the Shadowlord, the surely dead man cried out an incantation... It was the arcane spell known as Armageddon! The Shadowlord screeched in agony and crumpled lifelessly at the feet of the valorous knight who retrieved the Shadowlord's cloak for a trophy. Envious of the trophy, I stealthed off into the woods to find my own, despite the danger. It did not take long before I found one engaged in battle with a berserker demon. Sneaking up behind the cloaked terror, my blood ran cold and I barely managed to get the words out... So stunned by the violent reaction and tremendous explosion that I found myself rooted in place and nearly killed as the ethereal shadowlord recoiled and and struck out mightily. I immediately fled the Shadowlord's wrath, whipped around the side of a building and hid there, trembling in the shadows. Once I had caught my breath, I risked a peek around the corner. I cheered silently to myself as I witnessed the berserker striking a lethal blow to the weakened Shadowlord with its bloodsoaked sword. Even before the felled horror had collapsed to the ground, the berserker was off in search of another victim. That was fine with me as I had what I came for. After donning the cursed cloak, I felt the life draining from my body... but yet, at the same time, my mental acuity was clearly heightened and mana consumed in spellcasting was quickly replenished. Worn out and beat down, I retired for the evening to browse my loot. In addition to the cloak, there were a few other items of interest that I plucked from the corpses of the dead like threads of Life and Fate from dark wisps... ...and numerous oddly hued planeswords and planeshields from the fallen warriors. I have yet to discover a use for any of these strange items, but I have heard that the threads of Fate and Life have some deeply hidden meaning that only the spirit- speaking Mediums of Sosaria can decipher... Should anyone discover any other secrets or interesting tidbits, please share them! Returning to the corrupted rift after a night of much needed rest, I found that the battle between the ethereal creatures and the demon berserkers had wildly swung in the former's favor. Most intriguing. I shall certainly keep an eye on this most mysterious place, as I expect the rest of the concerned citizenry to do... If any among you, the readers, would like to share their experiences or artistic renditions of what they have encountered in this alternate Moonglow, feel free to flag me down if you see me out and about. Otherwise, I can be reached by those strange communications devices called "ICQ" and "email"! -Ryan "Sheridan" Smith Sheridan@Stratics.com #102-246-016
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Overnight Oddities
Posted on Friday, March 21, 2008, 9:20 AM EDT by Sheridan_of_ElF (Pacific)
I had heard through the grapevine that some strange sights had popped up in the early hours of the evening, so I went on a quick tour of the towns and dungeons across the facets. All seemed as it should be until I happened to wander into the town of Moonglow on Verity Isle. Curious to see if any progress had been made on the contraption under construction, I made my way over to the clearing just east of the Inn. Imagine my surprise when I encountered a sinkhole developing beneath the entire curtained-off area! That's quite a collapse... When I tried to get a closer look, I slid down a bit into the widening pit! Nearby, The Herbal Splendor also seemed to fall victim to the sinking earth. Part of the flooring had begun to similarly sag and dip in a most peculiar way. Nearby, I could hear shouting and a general commotion. Picking my way carefully out of the sloping shop, I made my way north to discover the source of the hubbub. It was Chyloth at the Mage Shop. Through the window, I overheard him talking excitedly about the Dungeon Doom in Malas and some sort of transformation. I recalled away to the depths of that disturbed place and soon stumbled upon what had the Ferryman up in arms, in the "Zyronic Claw" room just north of where the restless souls find themselves imprisoned. This was certainly different! Either there was some demonic decorator at work here or perhaps an even darker force had transformed the room into its current configuration. Most curious findings, indeed. Keep your eyes peeled, my friends for anything else out of the ordinary! I can smell it in the air... something mysterious is afoot...
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Enemy at the Gate Part III
Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2008, 10:58 PM EDT by Sheridan_of_ElF (Pacific)
Welcome once again to the ongoing Enemy at the Gate series, courtesy of yours truly - Kendrik Soulbane, Grandmaster Detective! Last night I had the opportunity to skulk around the Yew Moongate in Felucca to witness some glorious battles. Reds, blues, and of course, the ever-present guards... all were eager to jump in on the opportunity for some late-night pwnage. Many guilds were represented in some fine fights, despite Milo's claim below. Milo gives us his opinion... These folks seem to disagree! As do these folks... Lots of action that night. I never realized that was an option, but it worked! Alexis kicks things off with a bang. Talk about neighbors from hell... I've heard of house fighting... But house vs. house fighting? Come on! Rev Enge celebrates a death blow. max of ESF feels violated! And here he is curbstomped... Ouch. Lots of guard activity this evening. At the gate? Surely not! Some more guard intervention I just call it like I see it, folks. Che Guevara earns himself the coveted Guard Calling Champion of the Week award. Guerrero makes a target of himself... ...and wonders why all the hate. Rev Enge sets the record straight. Everyone's a comedian! max takes home this week's ROFL Award. An honest to goodness duel! Very well fought on both sides. shadow came back from being redlined a few times, but Palamon hung in there and came away with the victory. And would you look at that? No trashtalk after?! What's this world coming to? shadow gets the Good Sportsmanship award this week! The CD/ESF peanut gallery chimes in from the comfort of their front row seats. I tell ya, I get no respect. No respect at all... *tugs on his tie*
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A Harrowing Evening with the Fallen Lords
Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008, 10:43 PM EDT by Sheridan_of_ElF (Pacific)
It was as the sun began to dip drearily towards the horizon and the twin moons of Trammel and Felucca began to make their climb into the purpling sky that I first saw the circling bird high overhead. At the time, I had a perfectly unobstructed, yet somewhat blurry view of the beast on account of the fact that I was inebriated, laying flat on my back on the cold cobblestone street outside the Shattered Skull tavern in Skara Brae. It's a tad hazy now, to say the least, but I seem to recall a rather beefy tavernkeeper and his rather buxom daughter having something to do with my unceremonious exit from the bar... Hmph. By now, the blurry, black blob had descended far enough for my ale-addled brain to recognize it for the raven it was. As it caught sight of me, it unleashed a terrifying, yet triumphant croaking cry and I could only stare in disbelief as the inky avian plummeted towards me like the falling blade of a guillotine. My heart leapt into my throat, choking off my cry for help and my brain screamed at my frozen body to move, but to no avail. Suddenly, in an explosive fluttering of feathers mere inches from my face, the raven braked hard, wings beating feverishly to bring it a stop. So close did the foul fiend come that I would have sworn I could see my own panicked reflection in its beady, empty eyes. For just a brief moment, the pure black terror hovered over me before releasing from its talons a tattered and worn parchment scroll that landed perfectly on my chest. The soft tap of the scroll was enough to jolt life back into my body and I rolled violently away from beneath the unsettling messenger. Before I even finished the last bruising revolution on the unforgiving stones, the raven was gone... a dark shadow in the fading daylight among others of the distant treeline. I lurched unsteadily to my now mostly sober feet, smacking my jester's cap against my thigh to rid it of the streetdust and muttering a prayer under my breath that no one saw the exchange. The raucous laughter from the tavern said otherwise, but I ignored it as I snatched the scroll from the ground and hastily made my way around the corner to ponder its contents with what was left of my dignity. I could barely make out the faded map's location, but the 'X' and the words scrawled in the center of the map leapt right out at me. "Too late...?" I muttered aloud. "Too late for what?" After a bit of squinting, I finally realized the map depicted the Dungeon Shame. "Ahh, and Covetous, too...." When I flipped the parchment over, I discovered another map with an even more curious message. How absolutely bizarre... While the reason escaped me, the letters in the lower corner of this side of the parchment were unmistakeable. Glancing to the sky, I knew there was no time to waste pondering the details - the last sliver of the sun was bidding Sosaria a fond farewell. Rather than recalling directly to the main entrance of the dungeon, I instead chose to enter from one of the caves further along. I had barely crept into the dark depths before encountering FL foot soldiers setting up a perimeter. That could only mean one thing... the harrower had been summoned! With only a few seconds to spare before the fields were laid down, I managed an inconspicuous shadowjump in the nick of time and just out of their range. As I snuck deeper into Covetous, the halls echoed with the sounds of a furious battle and the creeping sensation of pure evil chilled me to the bone. It was not long after quietly picking my way past dismembered limbs and organs and other unidentifiable body parts that the passageway opened up to reveal an unnerving scene. The harrower shrugs off assault after assault, all the while taunting its foes and their pets. Without so much as a whisper of a raid by another guild, the true harrower emerges. ...and soon falls victim to the coordinated efforts of the Empire. The room erupted in a flaming shower of gold coins, carpeting the dungeon floor in glittering treasure. The red line of defense rushes the room to assist with gold collection. Business as usual... It's amazing how often these two shots go hand in hand. With two harrowers already under their belt before 8:00 PM, the Fallen Lords were far from done for the evening. I ran into, quite literally, a few FL on my way through the Fire dungeon. As I suspected, the Dungeon Despise was next on their list. I'm never one to pass up my favorite game of avoiding detection and sneaking past defenses. With still no sight nor sound of any resistance from the rest of the shard, FL cleans up nicely with Barracoon the piper and is rewarded with a Legendary 120 Fencing and a 115 Animal Taming scroll. It was at this point that I thought once again my evening would come to a close, but instead I found myself foolishly following the members of FL into the Star Room portal. I was revealed as I set foot on the other side, closed in on and trapped immediately with blades to my throat. One of the members of the Empire's Dark Circle strode forward to stare me down. "Your presence is requested to conduct an interview..." Somehow, I felt the word "demanded" might have been better suited. A short journey later, I found myself face to face with the three guildmasters of the Fallen Lords: Arycke, Dread Raven, and Haginor. "Busy night, wasn't it? Well... by my count... Two harrowers and a rat spawn uncontested? So far anyhow..." "So. What is your take on this newly formed AFL, these Ancient Fallen Lords?" "What do you have to say to their claims that some of them felt slighted upon their return?" "So you feel it was a problem with getting reacquainted with the changes that had come to FL?" "Dracus mentioned some current members of your regime that would be joining their cause. Any truth to that?" "So Ooji and Danny Ocean and some others are going anywhere then?" I ended on a note that had a familiar ring to it. Would this AFL uprising be just another failed attempt to rid Pacific of the Fallen Lords or will it somehow overcome the odds and overthrow the Empire...? I think FL is pretty clear on how they feel about that. -Ryan "Sheridan" Smith
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A Day in Despise and an Ancient Evil Awakens
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008, 10:46 PM EDT by Sheridan_of_ElF (Pacific)
It was a busy day on the Pacific shard. Plenty of activity at the Yew Moongate and sources reported battles raging in both Despise and in the deserts of the Lost Lands. I set out to find a few of these battles and came up with a much greater story in the end than I could have anticipated... I first encountered a small group consisting of members from CD, ESF, and KDA in the depths of the Dungeon Despise in the heat of battle with the Champion Barracoon. As I stealthily made my way onto the battle-scarred and boobytrapped island, I immediately recognized one of the combatants... Holy Shadow of the Krafters of the Dark Arts. We had a run-in previously and it was quite entertaining to watch as the Fallen Lords arrived en masse to rain on his parade... Gimme UrSoul gets past the paralyze fields with some fancy footwork, but soon runs into the second layer of FL's defense... Once the competition is eliminated, the Champion is healed back to full in preparation for the beatdown. A short time later, in a likely attempt to provoke a fight, FO_O took a shot at the Vermin Horde's Champion. I arrived just after the Fallen Lords had wrestled the spawn from FO_O's determined clutches. I find a chink in the armor and sneak my way past the posted guard onto the contested island. Now, if I just stand still... Oops. It was then that FO_O made one more valiant push, but they were repelled with ease on both sides due to the overwhelming number of Fallen Lords. A familiar scene ensued in which Barracoon was swarmed and defeated in mere seconds by FL. The gracious Lupus Arcus resurrected me after they had their fill of loot and I returned to the bank to lick my wounds. No sooner had I opened my bankbox did I feel a mounted rider brush past my shoulder. A deep, booming voice called for the banker and my eyes widened in recognition... Could it be? Impossible... I emerged from the shadows and hailed the Ancient Fallen Lord. To my surprise, I was greeted warmly. Dracus wasted no time. Heads turned at the bank as he made his bold proclamation. I was taken aback at the list of those who had already signed onto the AFL banner... Names that had not been uttered in eons tumbled from his lips. And to top it all off, word of yet another alliance. Most interesting... Tempted as I was to join in on the fun and revisit memory lane, I declined. It wouldn't do at all to be a part of the story of the century and unable to share it because I was laying facedown in the dirt. Stay tuned for more on this breaking story...
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Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt Results
Posted on Friday, February 22, 2008, 3:20 AM EST by Sheridan_of_ElF (Pacific)
Scavengers from every corner of the realm gathered earlier this evening at the magnificently redesigned Yew Waterfall Garden in anticipation of the Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt. Mixed reviews had reached us from other shards, but ever optimistic, the citizens of Pacific showed up in droves for their chance at the coveted prize. It was a beautiful day as I made my way by boat to the Waterfall garden. Despite my narcoleptic tillerman's uncanny ability to run my boat aground every chance he gets, we made it in one piece... aside from a slight incident with a rock in the river, that is. I disembarked and secured the News Cruiser as my tillerman nodded off once more, oblivious to the roaring falls nearby. It was not long before seats filled up and it became standing room only. Right on time, our host Adida appeared from the ether and announced the rules. The next thing I knew, a chest had materialized on the dais next to Adida and a mad rush for the contest books ensued. For a chance at one of only five 2008 Valentine Hunt Champion roses, the list proved quite easy to accomplish. I quickly calculated that Britain would be an ideal location to find all but one of the items required. Once I recalled to the abnormally quiet streets of Britain, I shifted into the swifter form of a wolf and darted in and out of various establishments across the City of Compassion. For the large vase, the last of the items on my list, let's just say I called in a favor and err... "borrowed" one from an old friend... I scurried back to the Waterfall Garden and found Adida explaining the way it would work. Not on the platform, you say? I started pacing around, eyes peeled for the drop. Which ended up all of a few feet away... As you can see, several people were none too happy about missing their chance. Congratulations to the winners! And check out the fancy gear on Adida! As swiftly as she had come, Adida bid us all adieu but not without her trademark sense of style in a dazzling display of pink and purple explosions. And a gift of pink bunnies! There's always one, isn't there? Squire of Light, indeed! -Ryan "Sheridan" Smith.
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Here, there be Super Dragons!
Posted on Wednesday, February 20, 2008, 7:28 AM EST by Sheridan_of_ElF (Pacific)
The world's gone mad, I tell you! Exploding houses with burning effigies... Chocolatey confections and stuffy animals... And it seems you can't go anywhere now without tripping over a garishly colored rabbit or getting trampled on by the dubiously named "Super Dragons" that have begun to surface all across Sosaria and that we've all heard so much fuss about lately. Well, I paid a visit to the perilous caverns of Destard to see for myself just how tough these reptillian juggernauts really were and what all was involved when skilled animal tamers attempted to convince one to join forces with them. I soon learned it took much more than a honeyed tongue and peaceful tunes to soothe these savage beasts... Upon recalling to the entrance of the dreaded dragons' den, I couldn't help but notice a collection of deathrobes littering the ground. And standing tall in the middle of the pile was a brave soul called Porkchop. I nodded a greeting as the Elder Animal Tamer hastily dressed and rushed back into the entrance... only to return a few moments later, deathrobe furiously flapping behind him. Deciding that discretion was indeed the better part of Valor, even in the depths of the Anti-Valor Dungeon, I moved silently through the entranceway, sticking closely to the shadows. It was not long before Porkchop came once again dashing headlong into the fray... Despite healing and lyrical help from fellow tamers Xena and KIAWAH, Porkchop's attempt at appealing to the greater dragon's sense of logic fell a bit short... Somehow, I don't think protection is really an issue for this fellow, Porkchop. Xena steps up to the plate and tries a different approach - asking the greater dragon to join her. So uhh... was that a no, then?? A flanking strategy for taming fares no better and the undaunted dragon wrangling duo pauses to ponder the pricey penalty for failure. Perhaps things might have gone differently had he not had such a tasty-sounding name... It was around this time that TAMMY discovered she was not resistant to decapitation or evisceration. Huzzah! Backup hath arrived in the form of another Legendary Bard... Amadeus! He'eees in... Aaaaand he's down. TAMMY should really be more specific in the future... Finally, success! Turns out he just wanted a little TLC, folks! Elsewhere in the dungeon, Xave makes his attempt at sweet-talking his way into a greater dragon's heart... and ends up in its stomach instead. Percival lends a healing hand to help improve Xave's chance for survival. After a brief chat, Xave goes to try and make back some of that lost insurance money. Some folks host a short-lived shindig with their various pets. More does not necessarily equal better as they found out quickly. Solace and Zarra don't fare much better. Congratulation on your new friend, David! Er. Ex-friend. RIP "HellFire" - We barely knew you... Even the llamas want in on the action. I wonder if they're any relation to those diseased rabbits running around...
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Enemy at the Gate, Part II
Posted on Sunday, February 3, 2008, 6:18 AM EST by Sheridan_of_ElF (Pacific)
Greetings, folks! It's another installment of Enemy at the Gate where we take a look at the PvP and drama surrounding Pacific's Yew moongate in Felucca. The fights pictured below took place earlier on in the week and, once again, we have some heroes... we have some zeroes... and of course some plain, good ole' knockdown, drag-out fights courtesy of FO_O, FL, H@X, Bury, CD, and more. Enjoy! We'll start this week off with some random killshots. Mythias seems to have it out for Zorro. You didn't hear it from me, but perhaps it has something to do with a certain letter Z found embroidered on a certain pair of unmentionables Mythias found in his dear old mum's room... Scandalous. I can see why you wouldn't want Baron off his leash! He's been busy! Speaking of busy, Shadow and Solmyre were quite an active duo. They did a lot more killing than being killed - hats off to the two of you gentlemen! Solmyre even had time to root around in my corpse... *ahem* Yes, even I manage to take that monochrome dirtnap now and then! *mutters* Poor wildx. Kudos on the well fought duel, despite the outcome. wildx gets this week's Keep on Truckin' award for not giving up or throwing in the towel despite getting the brunt of the brutal attacks from our various gatefighters... What did you do to everyone to rile em up like that, wildx?? We've got a jumper!! Zorro calls for a timeout, but a rat wasn't having any of that. That's alright, Zorro got his revenge in the end (with perhaps a bit of help)! Ouch. No one likes a sore loser... It's Felucca - take your dirtnaps in stride or may all your hassle-free dreams come true on the other side of that moongate, my friend. Yes, you are in control of your destiny! Remember, any of the color commentary above is just for kicks and may not accurately reflect the situation depicted in the screenshots... a grain of salt or spoonful of sugar may be required. See you next week everyone... and until then, smile when you take that gank at the gate! You just might be on Stratics Camera!
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