March 2008

Blackrock machine scares Moonglow

Posted on Monday, March 31, 2008, 1:32 PM EDT by Medea (Drachenfels)

Inu the Crone in front of Moonglow Bank, warning the citizens.
Inu warnt vor der Moonglow Bank die Bevölkerung

The Blackrock detector before its completion some weeks ago
Die Blackrock-Maschine vor ein paar Wochen

Kronos tells the crowd about the machine
Kronos erklärt der Bevölkerung die Blackrock-Maschine

Some days ago the news spread out and the nervousness has risen since among the citizens of Sosaria: The Blackrock detector in Moonglow was nearing completion. Kronos, the Director of Alchemical Studies and chief mage on this project has had announced his final steps on the machine. The tension was high as the mage, alongside with his apprentice Dexter, put the machine into motion. Within seconds and with lots of smoke, fire, light and a huge racket (and some spooky creatures) a rift formed in the gardens of Moonglow. Since yesterday evening, the citizens of Sosaria are fighting in some kind of "parallel-universe" against known creatures like daemon berserkers, fetid essence, dark wisps but also against unknown angel-like beings similar to ethereal warriors and the feared shadowlords (also in ethereal form). At the moment, noone knows how long we have to fight against these evil creatures. But a mysterious source revealed not long ago:

«But more eyes are on this project than the government knows. Beyond the benign alchemical research lies a darker power. Friendships will be tested, loyalties questioned, and a future forged by the actions of those who come and bear witness to this 'Mad Mage'.»

Blackrock-Maschine versetzt Moonglow in Angst

The Rift which leads to some kind of "parallel-universe"
Der Spalt, welcher in ein "Parallel-Universum" führt

The feared Shadowlords in their Ethereal Form
Die gefürchteten Shadowlords in ihrer aktuellen Form

Mysterious Weapons and armor is to be found
Geheimnisvolle Waffen und Rüstung kann gefunden werden

Die Ankündigung machte schon einige Tage zuvor die Runde, und die Nervosität in der Bevölkerung Sosarias stieg schlagartig an: Die Blackrock-Maschine in Moonglow war nun von Kronos, dem königlichen Alchemisten und Magier fertiggestellt worden. Die Spannung war greifbar, als in den letzten zwei Tagen die ersten Tests vor der Öffentlichkeit stattfanden. Nachdem Kronos mit seinem Gehilfen, dem Lehrling Dexter, die Maschine in Gang gebracht hatte, öffnete sich ein Spalt im ehemaligen gemütlichen Moonglow Garten, welcher sich mit viel Getöse, Licht und in Begleitung gespenstischer Wesen. Seit gestern Abend nun kämpfen die Einwohner Sosarias in dieser Art "Parallel-Welt" gegen bekannte Wesen wie Daemon Berserker, Fetid Essence, Dark Wisps, aber auch gegen neu erschienene engelgleiche Wesen wie Ethereal Krieger und Shadowlords. Wie lange sich diese Kämpfe noch hinziehen werden, steht noch in den Sternen. Eine geheminisvolle Quelle enthüllte erst vor kurzem:

«Aber noch mehr Augen schauen auf dieses Projekt als es die Regierung vermutet. Hinter dem gutgemeinten alchemistischen Grundgedanken dürfte eine weitaus dunklere Macht stecken. Freundschaften werden getestet, die eigene Loyalität in Frage gestellt und die Zukunft derer, die diesem Anlass des 'verrückten Magiers' beiwohnen, geschmiedet werden.»

Wir dürfen gespannt sein, was uns in naher Zukunft erwartet...

Farewell, auf bald!
~Medea

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Community Meet Up/Hunts - Week 165
Posted on Sunday, March 30, 2008, 6:58 PM EDT by Lady Tia (LakeSuperior)
Community Meet Up and Community Hunts- Week 165 Due to the invasion in Moonglow there will be a brief Community Meet Up at 7:30 at the Skara Brae Community Center but no Community Hunt this week. Everyone keep up the good work on repelling the invaders!!!
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New Blackrock Detector Info Page on UO Guide
Posted on Sunday, March 30, 2008, 4:21 PM EDT by Larisa (CommunityNews)
This just in from our friends at UOGuide. Thank you JC for putting together this AWESOME set-up on UOGuide about the recent event. For all your Moonglow needs, questions and more, visit the Blackrock Detector Info Page On UO Guide .
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The Aftermath of the Blackrock Detector and the Mad Mage
Posted on Sunday, March 30, 2008, 1:30 PM EDT by Daine (Origin)
ast night, Originians gathered at Kronos' Blackrock Detector to be witnesses to the unfolding saga of the Warriors of Destiny which began last year with the disappearance of a young person and the appearance of Inu the Crone and her Beetle. As all gathered around the detector, the mad mage Kronos came and tried once more to start the detector and accomplish the mission of his invention. Soon after starting the machine, there were bright lights, the ground shook and the detector was surrounded by fields and shadow lords appeared! It became apparent that the blackrock detector had warped time and space itself and all found themselves in a place of Moonglow which was not the Moonglow we all have come to know and love. On the side of our Trammel facet Moonglow where the detector had been was a great hole and a black moongate reminiscent of the one now in Magencia. Going through that portal takes you the mayhem of what appears to be the blackrock detector, still assembled. However it is soon apparent that this place is not our Moonglow. It is filled with shadowlords, berserker demons, essences and ethereal warriors all of which, as we speak, are being bravely battled. And for those of you who thought CCC only ran a vendor house! The picture here belies that tale! While the fights are hard won, at the end of battle special items once again abound as in the planesword and shield and in the Cloak of Corruption which replenishes your mana at the cost of your life! How long we must battle the horde of the Moonglow plane is unknown at this time. How long must we battle the evil that invades our land?
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Morning Wiins 7.5 Million!
Posted on Sunday, March 30, 2008, 12:31 PM EDT by Daine (Origin)
ll came to take part in Deal or No Deal last night at the WRR Luna House as it was Origins turn to have the event on our home shard. It is such fun and as one Originian put it, "A well run event!". Soon the line of potential players were selected, all from Origin but one player. From this lineup, Morning was the contestant who picked the winning box. After a heart stomping thought process, selecting box after box, the 10 million prize long gone, Morning stuck to her guns and her NO DEAL slogan and persevered to hold the box of 7.5 million gold. Everyone had a great time and rejoiced that Morning managed to deal through all the enticing moments of the banker to stay the course! Thank you to Whispering Rose Radio and thier sponsors for hosting such a great event!
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Questions and Answers about Moonglow
Posted on Sunday, March 30, 2008, 12:02 PM EDT by Vallend (Catskills)
Draconi was kind enough to answer a few questions about what is going on in Moonglow right now over in UHall, so we are now sharing this information with all of you. Questions: 1. What is up with the "you suddenly feel you have the strength of 2 men"? Those who were there on day one receive a heal buff while remaining inside the timerift. This is not the only effect, and your continued presence in the rift will no doubt bring you even more benefits... 2. Has anyone gotten any arties aside from Planesword & Planeshield? Good question! (Draconi has stated that the top three attackers on the ethereal Shadowlords will get cloaks of Corruption, and Threads of Fate and Threads of Life can be found as loot on some monsters too.) 3. Has anyone seen any Mystic weapons drop on any corpses? Hmm, maybe Berserkers? 4. What's up with the totally insane lag? I didn't lag this much even at the beginning of Magincia. Hundreds of people on the same screen at once 5. I notice that the area we're fighting in has the dynamic objects. Is there going to be rubble? Nope 6. Why is there no area where we can rez without being rezkilled over and over? The creatures spawn everywhere, including right at the entrance gate. I'm sure a solution will present itself in due course 7. What happens if you lose the piece of blackrock you had with you on the first day? Is it the blackrock that's marked or it the character that's marked, or even possibly the account? Character. More things will reveal themselves in the timerift over the coming weeks. Think Magincia. 8. Loyalties? Some have already chosen, more will be given a choice directly, and most can simply align themselves to the cause they feel is their own. 9. Blackrock usefulness in the timerift? Try casting armageddon, spellcaster or no, in front of a Shadowlord. 10.Are the Shadowlords really back? Astaroth, Nosfentor, Faulinei: Yes. (The "ethereal" forms of the three Shadowlords will continually reappear in the timerift. You cannot kill the real Shadowlords at this time, these are merely extensions. They seek blackrock, but they also fear it. The spell, Armageddon, may aid you for once. Destroying an ethereal form of a Shadowlord will yield great riches, and greater curses.) 11. Wait, aren't we killing them in the timerift? Not the true forms of the ones that have been freed in Britannia. These are echoes lost in the ethereal void. 12. What happened to Kronos Murdered by Astaroth. 13. What happened to Melissa, why did they fail to protect the gate? ... 14. Can we join the Shadowlords faction? ... your choice. That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure there will be more. Again, thanks for any answers anyone can provide. THese two questions I added myself because I am sure many of you are wondering how to cast the Armageddon spell with Blackrock. 15. What were the words you needed to say to cast Armageddon with a piece of blackrock? Vas Kal An Mani In Corp Hur Tym 16.How can Blackrock be found? The first way was when the blackrock pillars was destroyed, pieces of blackrock were found around them. The next was small pieces of blackrock were found all over the ground of the lands.(Some people still claim to find some on the ground once in a while), Third they could be found as part of the ToT2 (Treasures of Tokuno 2) and lastly you can get some through mining. (They fall in your backpack much like the rare gems, and that is the way most players get them.) Some people have also been asking me who these Shadowlords are, so here is a story that I wrote last years during "The Candle of Love" event about them. Just who is this Astaroth the Shadowlord and why did he corrupt those three Shrines? People have asked this question of me ever since the Quest for the Candle of Love started. Well first off there are three Shadowlords and they represent the antithesis of the three principles of Truth, Love and Courage. The two brothers represent Hatred and falsehood and their sister represents cowardice. If you have started the new quest you already know Astaroth is the Shadowlord of Hatred, but his brother Faulinei is the Shadowlord of Falsehood, and their sister names Nosfentor is the Shadowlord of Cowardice. The Shadowlords are perpetual, undying, and near indestructible incarnations of Hatred, Falsehood, and Cowardice born from the Shards of the Gem of Immortality. They can only influence their victims and are unable to bring about any physical acts on their own. By whispering their thoughts and desires into their victims minds they slowly bend and twist those that are open to them into doing the acts the Shadowlords wish them to do. The Shadowlords were first seen in the old “Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny Game (1988)”. In it Lord British who is on an expedition to the Underworld, to recover the lost Codex of Ultimate Wisdom, when he is captured by the Shadowlords. When Lord British disappeared Lord Blackthorn took power in Britannia, unfortunately the Shadowlords had been influencing him and twisted and corrupted him into a evil tyrant. At the same time the Shadowlords started to attack the virtues by persuading the people of the land to perform evil acts. meanwhile Blackthorn forced ruthless high-minded laws, based on his now warped version of the Virtues, upon the people of Britannia. Honesty: Thou shalt not lie, or thou shalt lose thy tongue. Compassion: Thou shalt help those in need, or thou shalt suffer the same need. Valor: Thou shalt fight to the death if challenged, or thou shalt be banished as a coward. Justice: Thou shalt confess to thy crime and suffer its just punishment, or thou shalt be put to death. Sacrifice: Thou shalt donate half of thy income to charity, or thou shalt have no income. Honor: If thou dost lose thine own honour, thou shalt take thine own life. Spirituality: Thou shalt enforce the laws of virtue, or thou shalt die as a heretic. Humility: Thou shalt humble thyself to thy superiors, or thou shalt suffer their wrath. The Avatar was then summoned back to Britannia, forming the Warriors of Destiny with Some of those who had aided him before in his quests. They gather the known remaining shards of the Gem of Immortality, (The Gem of Immortality was used by Mondain the Wizard to control Sosaria. When destroyed it lead to the creation of the shards or mirror images of Sosaria in which we live.) and destroyed the Shadowlords, exile Lord Blackthorn and saved Lord British. Some of you also asked what a gargoyle has to do with the start with the Quest for the Candle of Love? Well, in Early Ultima times gone by Lord British befriends the gargoyle Sin'Vraal, believing him to be a daemon. He convinces Sin'Vraal to give up his wicked behavior and escape from his servitude to the evil Shadowlord Astaroth. Though I am sure the use of him was also a nod towards Gargoyles becoming the next player race to the game this summer. It has also been asked too what the Candle of Love is? the Candle of Love, Book of Truth and Bell of Courage are the embodiment of the three Principles that form the 8 Virtues. To protect these three powerful artifacts the construction of 3 keeps was ordered. The Empath Abbey protects the flame of Love, the Lycaeum holds the search for the Book of Truth, and Serpent's Hold should hold the Bell of Courage somehow. So there is a good chance in the future we will have to do something in Serpent’s Hold involving the Bell of Courage. These three items are powerful representatives of the three Principles that appose the Shadowlords and their desires for our lands. Hopefully they will help hold the Shadowlords back and away from influencing the minds of the beings that reside in our lands. So the reason that players need to complete the Quest of the Candle of Love is to drive back the Shadowlords with the Light of Love. May the Virtues stay strong in all of you! Hope that answered some of your questions about what is going on, and I look forward to seeing all of you in the ongoing fight.
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Corrupted Gate In Moonglow Leads To... Moonglow?
Posted on Sunday, March 30, 2008, 11:35 AM EDT by Blackrock_Frank (Catskills)
What a difference one day can make. Friday night, as you may be aware, Kronos tried to start his Blackrock Detector in Moonglow with an underwhelming result. While I admit I couldn't make out what Kronos and his helpers were saying Saturday night - there were simply too many people yelling things, as people in crowds do - I certainly saw what happened! With a little encouragement from the crowd, Kronos started up the machine again tonight. As best as I can tell, a duplicate Moonglow was somehow ripped from our land and is still there, accessable through a corrupted rift where the Blackrock Detector was. This was a strange, strange night, with two Moonglows, one fairly calm and serene, and the other being overrun with dark wisps, fetid essences, and fallen warriors. Seemingly at random, those of us in the "new" Moonglow would be magically transported back to the "old", peaceful Moonglow. While you might think running into a duplicate of yourself, a clone, would be odd, it didn't have much of an impact on me. It was entertaining to see the rest of the crowd dealing with it, though. Scores of duplicates of the original crowd were left frozen in place as battles began in "new" Moonglow. Somewhere along the way the group in the "detached" Moonglow managed to kill several Shadowlords. They are still appearing today, and are quite fearsome. Here is a picture my imps captured as one of these Shadowlords was destroyed. Attack after attack of all sorts was launched against this particular Shadowlord, and it was eventually banished. I mentioned that this second Moonglow seems to be detached because of the way that town just, well, ends, around the edges. It looks like it has been ripped from our world into another dimension, perhaps. Of course, "normal" Moonglow is still where it has been, although there seems to be something preventing magical spells from being cast near the rift that leads to the "other" Moonglow. Speaking of Kronos, I did see an injured man wearing a red robe apparently pulled from the rift by Kronos' helpers, but I couldn't get close enough to ask any questions. I also saw a Timelord near the device, but he was not responsive to my questions, such as, "What in the abyss is going on here?" As the night wore on, and more battles took place in the shifted Moonglow, new and strange items were found. Planeswords, Planeshields, Threads of Life and Fate, and Cloaks of Corruption were whispered about. Our illustrious Queen, Anne, received one of the first Cloaks of Corruption. From the rumors I've heard, each time a Shadowlord is defeated one of these Cloaks is given to someone. While they regenerate mana quickly, they drain your life and are cursed as well. I do hope our other reporters and those of you who witnessed the event can provide more details as to what you saw! I saw both Sahra and Vallend there, and maybe they will be able to add to this report as time permits. There was so much going on... and still is! You Are Living In Interesting Times! Lord Franklin [Blackrock Infected]
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Blackrock Extraction Machine Explodes, Rift Revealed
Posted on Sunday, March 30, 2008, 9:55 AM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)
It was a few moments after nine in the evening and everyone was eagerly awaiting the arrival of Kronos and his assistant mages. We were not to be disappointed, after a brief speech Kronos intoned an unknown spell. It was then that the chaotic energy of the blackrock began to swell and tides of darkness flowed out the machine. As Inu the Crone had predicted days before, the machine was engulfed in a massive surge of flames and a flash of light left all of us blinded for several moments. When we came to our senses, all of us had traveled to the other side of the rift. There is a new Moonglow that floats in a dark abyss apart from Britannia populated by deadly creatures. Huge glowing masses of green gas prowl the streets that are called Fetid Essences; these have the ability to damage you simply by being close. There are also Fallen Warriors, which look like ethereal warriors; I slew one and found a planar sword and shield. There are also Dark Wisps which will chase you and cast magic spells if you get to close, these beings, when slain may leave a black chest. After a short time, the blackrock machine hummed to life again and darkness emanated from it revealing new foes, The Shadowlords themselves. The shadowlords warned Kronos to cease his activities and die. Following the command from these wondrous beings, three mighty entities laid siege to Moonglow and it took all of our combined might to slay them. The rift is still open and all may venture beyond it to explore the abyssal Moonglow. Be warned, fighting the Shadowlords and their minions is no small task. According to adventurers, the Shadowlords are still appearing and those who deal the hardest blows may find a Cloak of Corruption.
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Blackrock Detector \ Bet Wis Ex \ OBITS
Posted on Sunday, March 30, 2008, 8:20 AM EDT by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. Blackrock Detector \ Bet Wis Ex \ OBITS Friday evening when Kronos spoke the words BET WIS EX (a.k.a. locate spell) little did we know what saturday evening would bring. Early saturday morning I stopped by the the Blackrock Detector location to see a handful of people milling about the new fence that surrounded the detector. Copper wire coming from the stone spike portion of the detector led to a brazier housing a kettle filled with oil of vitroil, very dangerous liquid. The arcane circle was no longer accessible. Stopping by the detector several hours before the event many more people had gathered and lighting was now coming to and from the stone spike. Was it gathering energy ? Returning thirty minutes before the event there were so many people my head started to spin, no not like Linda Blair. Great Lakes has always been known for great turn outs for player and non player run events. This was another example of this. The hands on the clock struck twelve as we all waited with anticipation ... nothing happened other than the lightening stopped. O'Dell, Gus, Walker and Jan, the four guards stationed at each corner of the detector did not move nor say a word to the heckling crowd. Then at fifteen past the hour a ball started to appear at the center of the stone spike. It was black and teal in color. The ball of energy then turned red as the spike started to lighten in color. The spike then turned solid white and started to glow! The old hag, Inu The Crone was seen rushing through the crowd, pushing people out of her way, then disappearing quickly. Then ... BANG !!!! Before I could say Holy Lag I was being killed by a red horse and surrounded by Fetid Essence, not to mention hundreds of dead and dieing! Returning this morning to Moonglow the land is blackened and charred where the detector once stood. In its place is a black forboding moongate. I entered and again much death was to be had and seen. Rumors that a Cloak of Corruption can be had on the corpses of ShadowLords have been traveling around. Sundays traditionally I do an Obituary Column of screenshots sent into me by people. This week it will be included in this article and from this event only. Thank you to all that have sent in screenshots to me from and about this event. Charlatan A Homeboy and Madonna M-One Richard Robo Sir Christopher
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Welcome to a new Napa Valley Reporter!
Posted on Sunday, March 30, 2008, 1:38 AM EDT by Lady Mana ()
Greetings, citizens! I'd like to introduce Ailish, the newest member of Napa Valley's reporting team! Things are getting exciting around here, and I'm sure she'll have some great reports for you all to read about the goings on in our community! Hmm. I don't really have any reporting tips to share... but always remember to have a spare pen in the bank in case something unexpected happens and all you can say is "OooOooo". ^^ Wait. That doesn't make sense. Ghosts.. can't use.. pens. Oh, never mind. Please give her a warm welcome! Lady Mana Napa Valley News Manager Lieutenant of the Royal Britannian Guards
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Welcome to a new Napa Valley Reporter!
Posted on Sunday, March 30, 2008, 1:30 AM EDT by Lady Mana (NapaValley)
I'd like to introduce Ailish, the newest member of Napa Valley's reporting team! Things are getting exciting around here, and I'm sure she'll have some great reports for you all to read about the goings on in our community! Hmm. I don't really have any reporting tips to share... but always remember to have a spare pen in the bank in case something unexpected happens and all you can say is "OooOooo". ^^ Wait. That doesn't make sense. Ghosts.. can't use.. pens. Oh, never mind. Please give her a warm welcome! Lady Mana Napa Valley News Manager Lieutenant of the Royal Britannian Guards
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Yew Archers Do It On April Fools Again !
Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008, 8:18 PM EDT by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. The Yew Archers will hold their 3rd annual April Fools Archery Contest, on April 1st at 8 PM, under the Eastern skies. The location is the Skara Brae Fairgrounds. First prize is One Million Gold, Second place 500K, Third 250K and Forth a nice gift bag. All winners will receive an engraved bow. Come join us for an evening of high competition. Gates will be provided from Brit Bank.
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FoF: Time's Passing (Daily Rares/Faction Sigil/Rubble/Pet Commands)
Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008, 4:30 PM EDT by Daine (Origin)
FoF: Time's Passing The long-awaited event in Moonglow is about to begin - what are you doing here, anyway? Go! Go to Moonglow! March 28, 2008 "Why has the spawn of daily rares been stopped? The whip in the small Skara Brae hut is no longer spawning, neither are the smith rares in the barrels in the Smith Shop on Buccaneer's Den. Will they come back soon, if ever?" I passed this one on to the dev team - I don't have a solid answer, but Draconi has a theory, and it's being investigated. -- "What is the CURRENT time to reset a faction sigil?" Draconi got the numbers on this one: Sigil reset timer: 30 minutes. Stolen sigil must reach the faction base by this time. Corruption timer: 10 hours. Grace period timer: 15 minutes. Interference (moving the sigil) during corruption doesn’t cause it to reset the corruption timer until 15 minutes without returning to its place in the base. -- "What’s the deal with the "rubble" palm trees and their coconuts? Apparently they dropped coconuts for a little while then stopped." Draconi says, "Corrupted by the foul magics of the daemon horde, these trees gladly gave up their last few coconuts, but have no further strength to bear fruit. " -- "Why is my pet not listening to me?" QA is getting a number of bug reports to this effect, and wanted to remind everyone of a key fact - your pet cannot hear commands if you whisper them. You have to say them normally in order for the pet to respond properly. -- What's To Come: Check out the event schedule to find out when the blackrock detection machine unveiling takes place on your shard. There are two scheduled portions to the event, and there will be stuff to do for a few more weeks. We're also hard at work on the next patch, which will have more bug fixes, system tweaks - factions and housing, is the plan - and finally a way to turn in your Ophidian items! -- Fansite News Here's an in-game event for you Atlanteans... "The Grand Opening of the Grand Britannian Repertory! From the great walls of Castle British, to the worn sandstone of the Lycaeum, the knowledge and writings of Sosaria have been a focal point in the evolution of our society. Each stroke of quill on parchment, each word etched into paper is a marker of our past accomplishments, deeds and imaginations. With such importance stemming from these words, scrolls, and books, the creation of another library is a monumental occasion. It is with these words, do we announce the opening of the Grand Britannian Repertory. The Grand Britannian Repertory is filled to its capacity with over 1,500 unique, primarily player written books, making it one of the largest, if not the largest library in the history of Ultima Online. To celebrate its opening, there will be a formal celebration on the eve of Sunday March 30th, from 8:00-9:00PM EST (4:00-5:00PM GMT) on the Atlantic shard. The library can be found by going through the Makoto-Jima gate and entering the city of Zento. The library will be located just outside the north eastern exit, at co ordinates: 38o 14'N, 42o 23'W Gates will also be provided at Skara Brae bank before the event." And don't forget the Chicken Fight Club on Great Lakes! "Come One...Come All! Every Saturday night at 8est. Chickens, Cu’s, Squirrels, Mares and many more come to face off. We have no entrance fee and give 100k to 1st place. Anyone can enter and see if their pet IS the best! Gates start at 7:50 at Brit bank. Dont forget about the battle royale at the end of the night... one for Cu Sidhes and one for all others." Remember, if you want your event or news item included in the FoF, send it to jdalberg AT ea DOT com. I'm expanding this to in-game events as well - if you run inclusive in-game events and want some love, send me the announcement! -- See you in Moonglow! - Jeremy
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Unveiling of Detector gone a miss!?

Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008, 3:03 PM EDT by Oriana (Baja)

Blackrock Detector Unveiled!!

Last night many of Britannia’s citizens appeared for the unveiling of the newly completed Blackrock detector.

Kronos the Mage and his assistant Dexter then appeared to test the instruments and present their latest achievement.

Suddenly it appeared as though there was a problem.

Citizens were then asked to come back on the morrow to once again view this machine in action. Many were leery as a huge explosion swept through the area radiating from the machine.

No one knows for sure how many heeded the request to bring Blackrock to this unveiling. But it is told tonight will reward those that did. Reward maybe the wrong word according to some citizens. Only time will tell. One gentleman I interviewed made a curious statement:

Could it be true that those carrying Blackrock are infected with some sort of curse or a blessing?

This morning as some gathered once again to view the Detector; there were a few additions since the night before. Fences are now surrounding the machine and guards posted at each corner.

Suddenly there was a large explosion and our very own Master of Disaster: Draconi appeared to us.

He asked a quick favor and as the good reporter I am I quickly asked him if he had anything to say to the public. And I quote:

So Ladies and Gentlemen, Citizens of Baja: join forces this eve and begin the new stage of this mysterious event!!

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The Blackrock Detector Not Working Quite Right?
Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008, 11:36 AM EDT by Daine (Origin)
Originians gathered at the behest of the Mad Mage to see what the black rock detector could do! At times there were explosions reiniscent of the Armageddon spell that kept the onlookers and packers of blackrock pieces away from the Mage and his machine in Moonglow. Was nice to see so many answered the call to gather. And who should appear to address the crowd? Draconi himself! Then Kronos proceeded to boast on his machine. But following his efforts, the machine did not perform as planned and he said, "Uh. Be just a moment folks. Well wait now! Come back tomorrow! It will work tomorrow!" Will all the good people of Origin gather again?
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FoF: Time's Passing
Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008, 7:22 AM EDT by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com's Five on Friday: FoF: Time's Passing Jeremy Dalberg 28 Mar 2008 16:40:35 The long-awaited event in Moonglow is about to begin - what are you doing here, anyway? Go! Go to Moonglow! "Why has the spawn of daily rares been stopped? The whip in the small Skara Brae hut is no longer spawning, neither are the smith rares in the barrels in the Smith Shop on Buccaneer's Den. Will they come back soon, if ever?" I passed this one on to the dev team - I don't have a solid answer, but Draconi has a theory, and it's being investigated. "What is the CURRENT time to reset a faction sigil?" Draconi got the numbers on this one: Sigil reset timer: 30 minutes. Stolen sigil must reach the faction base by this time. Corruption timer: 10 hours. Grace period timer: 15 minutes. Interference (moving the sigil) during corruption doesn’t cause it to reset the corruption timer until 15 minutes without returning to its place in the base. "What’s the deal with the "rubble" palm trees and their coconuts? Apparently they dropped coconuts for a little while then stopped." Draconi says, "Corrupted by the foul magics of the daemon horde, these trees gladly gave up their last few coconuts, but have no further strength to bear fruit. " "Why is my pet not listening to me?" QA is getting a number of bug reports to this effect, and wanted to remind everyone of a key fact - your pet cannot hear commands if you whisper them. You have to say them normally in order for the pet to respond properly. What's To Come: Check out the Event Schedule to find out when the blackrock detection machine unveiling takes place on your shard. There are two scheduled portions to the event, and there will be stuff to do for a few more weeks. We're also hard at work on the next patch, which will have more bug fixes, system tweaks - factions and housing, is the plan - and finally a way to turn in your Ophidian items! Fansite News Here's an in-game event for you Atlanteans... "The Grand Opening of the Grand Britannian Repertory! From the great walls of Castle British, to the worn sandstone of the Lycaeum, the knowledge and writings of Sosaria have been a focal point in the evolution of our society. Each stroke of quill on parchment, each word etched into paper is a marker of our past accomplishments, deeds and imaginations. With such importance stemming from these words, scrolls, and books, the creation of another library is a monumental occasion. It is with these words, do we announce the opening of the Grand Britannian Repertory. The Grand Britannian Repertory is filled to its capacity with over 1,500 unique, primarily player written books, making it one of the largest, if not the largest library in the history of Ultima Online. To celebrate its opening, there will be a formal celebration on the eve of Sunday March 30th, from 8:00-9:00PM EST (4:00-5:00PM GMT) on the Atlantic shard. The library can be found by going through the Makoto-Jima gate and entering the city of Zento. The library will be located just outside the north eastern exit, at co ordinates: 38o 14'N, 42o 23'W Gates will also be provided at Skara Brae bank before the event." And don't forget the Chicken Fight Club on Great Lakes! "Come One...Come All! Every Saturday night at 8est. Chickens, Cu’s, Squirrels, Mares and many more come to face off. We have no entrance fee and give 100k to 1st place. Anyone can enter and see if their pet IS the best! Gates start at 7:50 at Brit bank. Dont forget about the battle royale at the end of the night... one for Cu Sidhes and one for all others." Remember, if you want your event or news item included in the FoF, send it to jdalberg AT ea DOT com. I'm expanding this to in-game events as well - if you run inclusive in-game events and want some love, send me the announcement! See you in Moonglow! Jeremy
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Blackrock Detector Lets Crowd Down
Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008, 7:57 PM EDT by Blackrock_Frank (Catskills)
Hello Catskills! Big news from the City of Moonglow tonight! Hot off the press! Kronos has finished his Blackrock Detector, and tonight, yes, tonight was the very first demonstration of its awesome powers! Scores of warriors, mages, tamers, and other peasants showed up to bear witness to this historic experiment, the switching on of a device which will allow all of the Blackrock in the world to be located. I have to admit this excited me more than a little, as I was spawned from this Blackrock itself! The crowd looked on in anticipation. Kronos certainly has high hopes for his machine. After talking to his assistant, Dexter, Kronos yelled, "Bet Wis Ex!" and Dexter flipped the switch. The tip of it began to pulse, a thrill ran through the crowd, and... Nothing. Kronos stammered and said, "Well wait now! Come back tomorrow! It'll work tomorrow!" We shall see, but I, for one, grow tired of this "mage" and his nonsense, taking up valuable space in Moonglow where a quaint dancehall or gambling establishment could be located. My imps did manage to paint a few more pictures of this night, for those of you who missed it. While you didn't miss much in the way of seeing a working Blackrock Detector, it was nice to visit with so many of my loyal subjects, all together in one place. Of course, what conversation about Blackrock would be complete without our old hag... er, friend, Inu? Inu wandered around town, speaking in a strange tongue. A local farmer who was listening said that it was a language he'd heard of before, something involving swineherders, but he couldn't make sense of it. While I knew exactly what she was saying, I let the poor man believe otherwise. Why cause him any grief by translating her messages about Shadowlords, time being ripped asunder, and massive holes? I also caught a glimpse of a blue wisp hovering nearby, and I could understand what it was saying as well! It did not stay long, and it seemed to be warning us again about meddling with things we shouldn't be... but that's where the fun in life (and death) comes from, isn't it? I always enjoy spending a few moments with Anne, my Queen. I think she was distracted by the crowds, and just as she lured me into the nearby inn to the west she disappeared... I couldn't find her anywhere. Believe me, I looked!! May You Live In Interesting Times, Lord Franklin [Blackrock Infected]
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Draconi Arrives and Exits in a Burst of Fire and Smoke
Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008, 6:42 PM EDT by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. Talk about dramatic entrances and exits.....Draconi arrived in Moonglow this evening in a fashion that any Diva or Drag Queen would die for! Smoke and flames ! Greeting the huge crowd that had gathered around the stone spike at five minutes before the hour Draconi kindly requested that all move away from the spike so that the event could run smoothly. Most followed these direction but a few did not. No names will be mentioned.....you know who you are. As the hands of the clock reached twelve Kronos the Mage arrived informing the crowd to attend at the same time tomorrow evening alluding that the action will take place then and blackrock will be had by all. He mumbled other things that made no sense at this time but by tomorrow it will probably all be made very clear. Though very little happened, other than Draconi's theatrics, it was great to see so many people in one location. I overheard several players comment that this reminded them of the old days when the Brit Bank was jammed with people everyday, all day. I spoke with a few players from other shards visiting on Great Lakes just to see what was happening with this event on our shard. Many guild had huge member showing at this event with DC* having the most. B*R, GOF, YM, YA, G-V and RKR were well represented also. I ran across several friends like Gem of FCB , who also had more than a few members attending this event. Lady Silverbrook another well known Great Lakes lady, was seen in the distance also. Even the Obituary Queen, Princess Amara was there. Well, tomorrow evening should be interesting. The conversations overheard were highly entertaining and I took a few screenshots to share. Enjoy and be sure to read the text. :)
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Start time for the Blackrock Detector Event Tonight
Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008, 12:49 PM EDT by Vallend (Catskills)
Blackrock Detector Event Schedule as posted by Jeremy Dalberg Has the Catskills start times listed as: Friday,3/28/08, 9PM EST Saturday, 3/28/08, 9PM EST (These are the scheduled portions of the event, there will be more to do over the next few weeks as well.) They recommend that the players bring some blackrock for some unknown purpose. If you have any extra please bring it for those players who have failed to collect any, so they too can take part in the event. It also has been noted that, * This event is optimized for the 2D experience, please enable your sound option as well* I hope to see many of you there tonight, for our first major event in a very long time.
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Blackrock Detector Event Schedule
Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008, 12:31 PM EDT by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com: Blackrock Detector Event Schedule Jeremy Dalberg 28 Mar 2008 13:36:59 EST The event schedule is posted! (If you can't make the scheduled portions of the event, there will be more to do over the next few weeks as well.) Schedule below the jump: East Coast Friday, 3/28/08, 9PM EDT (GMT -4) Saturday, 3/29/08, 9PM EDT (GMT -4) Atlantic Catskills Legends Chesapeake Siege Great Lakes Lake Superior West Coast Friday, 3/28/08, 9PM PDT (GMT -7) Saturday, 3/29/08, 9PM PDT (GMT -7) Lake Austin Baja Napa Valley Sonoma Pacific Origin Europe Saturday, 3/29/08, 9PM GMT Sunday, 3/30/08, 9PM GMT Europa Drachenfels Japan and Oceania Saturday, 3/29/08, 9PM JST (GMT +9) Sunday, 3/30/08, 9PM JST (GMT +9) Yamato Izumo Wakoku Hokuto Asuka Mizuho Sakura Oceania * Event occurs over two days * Day One: Do not be concerned if you show up and it all goes up in smoke. Just being there sets the stage for your interactions in Day Two. * Bring blackrock * Don’t kick Kronos when he’s down * Day Two: The experiment is unleashed in full form. * Bring blackrock. * Be prepared to be trapped for a little while * Be prepared to fight * Be prepared to choose your loyalties * This event is optimized for the 2D experience, please enable your sound option as well * Collectable items that “seem” to have only decorative purpose will have a turn-in, along with the Ophidian items, in Publish 52.
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Blackrock Detector Event Schedule
Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008, 12:16 PM EDT by Daine (Origin)
Blackrock Detector Event Schedule Jeremy Dalberg 28 Mar 2008 13:36:59 EST The event schedule is posted! (If you can't make the scheduled portions of the event, there will be more to do over the next few weeks as well.) Schedule below the jump: East Coast Friday, 3/28/08, 9PM EDT (GMT -4) Saturday, 3/29/08, 9PM EDT (GMT -4) Atlantic Catskills Legends Chesapeake Siege Great Lakes Lake Superior West Coast Friday, 3/28/08, 9PM PDT (GMT -7) Saturday, 3/29/08, 9PM PDT (GMT -7) Lake Austin Baja Napa Valley Sonoma Pacific Origin Europe Saturday, 3/29/08, 9PM GMT Sunday, 3/30/08, 9PM GMT Europa Drachenfels Japan and Oceania Saturday, 3/29/08, 9PM JST (GMT +9) Sunday, 3/30/08, 9PM JST (GMT +9) Yamato Izumo Wakoku Hokuto Asuka Mizuho Mugen Sakura Oceania * Event occurs over two days * Day One: Do not be concerned if you show up and it all goes up in smoke. Just being there sets the stage for your interactions in Day Two. * Bring blackrock * Don’t kick Kronos when he’s down * Day Two: The experiment is unleashed in full form. * Bring blackrock. * Be prepared to be trapped for a little while * Be prepared to fight * Be prepared to choose your loyalties * This event is optimized for the 2D experience, please enable your sound option as well * Collectable items that “seem” to have only decorative purpose will have a turn-in, along with the Ophidian items, in Publish 52.
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BNN: Blackrock Detector to be Unveiled! (Live Event)
Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008, 10:30 PM EDT by Daine (Origin)
BNN: Blackrock Detector to be Unveiled! Jeremy Dallberg 27 Mar 2008 17:25:49 EST “After initially losing funding from the Mage’s Council in Moonglow, progress on the "blackrock detection machine" resumed late last month with government intervention, and is finally nearing completion. Despite fears of the dangers involved in working with the still-mysterious substance, officials agree on the necessity of knowing where it is. Captain Avery, of the militia, made the following statement:" To read more, visit the Britannia News Network here: For more information about the event, see below: Event occurs over two days Day One: Do not be concerned if you show up and it all goes up in smoke. Just being there sets the stage for your interactions in Day Two. Bring blackrock Don’t kick Kronos when he’s down Day Two: The experiment is unleashed in full form. Bring blackrock. Be prepared to be trapped for a little while Be prepared to fight Be prepared to choose your loyalties Collectable items that “seem” to have only decorative purpose will have a turn-in, along with the Ophidian items, in Publish 52. More information, including times for the event on each shard, will be announced tomorrow. Stay tuned! From UO Herald.com - Live Events 2008 Mad Mage: March 28th - March 29th Blackrock - the world's most valuable ore. Nearly impervious to the fires of forging and magics alike, yet a violent reagent in spells best forgotten - the bane of the Britannian government and its great hope. Entire cities have been wiped off the face of the map, and every rumor, every whisper points to this mysterious substance. It's been known to drive men mad and beasts wild. More than one infirmary houses raving lunatics, with their imaginary voices, and victims of vicious blackrock infected monsters. At last, one mage believes he's found a way to locate blackrock en masse, with a cunning artifice of machinery and arcane power. Even when his own fellows abandoned him and his work, Kronos found unexpected support in the government, eager to fund his work. He's worked his entire life just for a moment like this, and Moonglow will be forever remembered as the place where his legacy was born. His machine, aided by an ancient artifact and a sample of blackrock, will at last prove his theories... he knows it will. But more eyes are on this project than even the government knows. Beyond the benign alchemical research lies a darker power. Friendships will be tested, loyalties questioned, and a future forged by the actions of those who come and bear witness to this "Mad Mage."
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Moonglow Blackrock Detector to be Unveiled on the 28th!
Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008, 8:01 PM EDT by Vallend (Catskills)
The new Live Events 2008 page had this to say about the event that is planned to start Friday the 28th of March: Blackrock - the world's most valuable ore. Nearly impervious to the fires of forging and magics alike, yet a violent reagent in spells best forgotten - the bane of the Britannian government and its great hope. Entire cities have been wiped off the face of the map, and every rumor, every whisper points to this mysterious substance. It's been known to drive men mad and beasts wild. More than one infirmary houses raving lunatics, with their imaginary voices, and victims of vicious blackrock infected monsters. At last, one mage believes he's found a way to locate blackrock en masse, with a cunning artifice of machinery and arcane power. Even when his own fellows abandoned him and his work, Kronos found unexpected support in the government, eager to fund his work. He's worked his entire life just for a moment like this, and Moonglow will be forever remembered as the place where his legacy was born. His machine, aided by an ancient artifact and a sample of blackrock, will at last prove his theories... he knows it will. But more eyes are on this project than even the government knows. Beyond the benign alchemical research lies a darker power. Friendships will be tested, loyalties questioned, and a future forged by the actions of those who come and bear witness to this "Mad Mage." *Here is some more helpful information for anyone who might be interested in being in Moonglow to take part in this event:* BNN: Blackrock Detector to be Unveiled! “After initially losing funding from the Mage’s Council in Moonglow, progress on the "blackrock detection machine" resumed late last month with government intervention, and is finally nearing completion. Despite fears of the dangers involved in working with the still-mysterious substance, officials agree on the necessity of knowing where it is. Captain Avery, of the militia, made the following statement:" To read more, visit the Britannia News Network here: For more information about the event, see below: Event occurs over two days Day One: Do not be concerned if you show up and it all goes up in smoke. Just being there sets the stage for your interactions in Day Two. Bring blackrock Don’t kick Kronos when he’s down Day Two: The experiment is unleashed in full form. Bring blackrock. Be prepared to be trapped for a little while Be prepared to fight Be prepared to choose your loyalties Collectable items that “seem” to have only decorative purpose will have a turn-in, along with the Ophidian items, in Publish 52. More information, including times for the event on each shard, will be announced tomorrow. Stay tuned!
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BNN: Blackrock Detector to be Unveiled!
Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008, 7:13 PM EDT by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com: BNN: Blackrock Detector to be Unveiled! Jeremy Dalberg 27 Mar 2008 17:25:49 EST “After initially losing funding from the Mage’s Council in Moonglow, progress on the "blackrock detection machine" resumed late last month with government intervention, and is finally nearing completion. Despite fears of the dangers involved in working with the still-mysterious substance, officials agree on the necessity of knowing where it is. Captain Avery, of the militia, made the following statement:" To read more, visit the Britannia News Network Here: For more information about the event, see below: Event occurs over two days Day One: Do not be concerned if you show up and it all goes up in smoke. Just being there sets the stage for your interactions in Day Two. Bring blackrock Don’t kick Kronos when he’s down Day Two: The experiment is unleashed in full form. Bring blackrock Be prepared to be trapped for a little while Be prepared to fight Be prepared to choose your loyalties Collectable items that “seem” to have only decorative purpose will have a turn-in, along with the Ophidian items, in Publish 52. More information, including times for the event on each shard, will be announced tomorrow. Stay tuned!
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More happenings in Moonglow!!

Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008, 5:55 PM EDT by Oriana (Baja)

Get Ready Baja… Things are stirring!

· Event occurs over two days

Day One: Do not be concerned if you show up and it all goes up in smoke. Just being there sets the stage for your interactions in Day Two.
- Bring blackrock
- Don’t kick Kronos when he’s down
Day Two: The experiment is unleashed in full form.
- Bring blackrock.
- Be prepared to be trapped for a little while
- Be prepared to fight
- Be prepared to choose your loyalties

· Collectable items that “seem” to have only decorative purpose will have a turn-in, along with the Ophidian items, in Publish 52.

More information, including times for the event on each shard, will be announced tomorrow. Stay tuned!

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BNN: Blackrock Detector To Be Unveiled!
Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008, 5:52 PM EDT by Watchertoo (QuestandEventNews)
This new chapter has appeared on uoherald.com's BNN news site: Blackrock Detector To Be Unveiled! Anderson the Scribe Mar 27 2008 4:20PM “After initially losing funding from the Mage’s Council in Moonglow, progress on the "blackrock detection machine" resumed late last month with government intervention, and is finally nearing completion. Despite fears of the dangers involved in working with the still-mysterious substance, officials agree on the necessity of knowing where it is. Captain Avery, of the militia, made the following statement: "After the destruction of Haven, we are taking any activity involving blackrock extremely seriously. After thorough and careful review, the Royal Council has agreed to authorize the completion and use of the blackrock detector to ensure the continued safety of Britannia." The mage Kronos, Director of Alchemical Studies and the chief mage on the project, was unavailable for comment. His apprentice Dexter assured the BNN that, despite the delays, work on the project is going smoothly and they do not expect any snags.
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An Interview with Paidric
Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008, 1:42 PM EDT by kayne (Europa)
I had the fortune to catch Paidric for long enough to ask him some questions, I know alot of people asked for this interview so I hope you all enjoy it and maybe get to know a little more about the person who is probably the most famous player on Europa ------------------------------------------------------- If I’ve got this right you started UO originally in the Beta and you left until Europa came online. What was it that first got you interested in UO? I started playing with computers rather young and two games got me addicted: Civilization and Ultima. I especially remember spending months running around in Ultima 7, out of the main plot. When I first heard about Ultima Online I was in heaven. Player interaction is what the Ultima series missed to be godly. I still think no game is as deep as UO nor has better potential for excellence. We’ve all noticed the falling numbers of Youngs in Haven, you more than anyone else must have noticed, do you agree with all the doomsayers around that say this is a sign that UO is dying? Casts asbestos skin There are less young players for sure. Now I don't know how many leave, so I can't say if we're growing or shrinking. But there are surely less new players. I also noticed many of them are returners. Maybe I should keep statistics :-) Though, I still think UO has more potential than other games, it is still unique. KR didn’t exactly make the big bang everyone thought it might, more like the fizzle when we fail in the casting of a spell. What do you think KR’s biggest problem is right now? I think that if at KR Launch the client were like it is now, it would have had more success. Many new players started with KR and I've seen many getting so frustrated they gave up. I remember a very stubborn one who crashed about 30 times during our conversation. Regarding the current state of KR, I have to say it has improved a LOT and there is much less frustration now. I still think it can be a good client, it has some nice features and I'd gladly use it if my laptop allowed me :-) Recently you started the HLP guild and now work alongside Deothos, Minerva and Drill and others. What made you stop helping on your own and start a guild of people willing to help the youngs? I never really helped on my own :-) Along the years there were many people out there to help the youngs and we often teamed up to catch as many youngs as possible. At some point though, we realised the youngs didn't make a connection between us. So we decided to create a guild, to make it easier for youngs. Now we can easily carry on helping someone another member has met. What is the biggest challenge for new players when they join UO? The depth. There is so much to learn! I think the complexity increased a lot since AoS. In the past you had your skills and that was it. Everyone had GM made armor and weapons. Now skills and equipment are to be considered altogether. Not counting all the other aspects of UO like housing, champ spawns, doom, peerless, etc. Add to that the latest skills like bushido, ninjitsu or spellweaving which require a better knowledge of the game mechanics than it used to be. Swordsmanship doesn't require much thought on how to best use it... I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the website you’ve created especially for beginners to the world of UO, its very well designed. What made you create a guide? Explaining game mechanics or guiding a young through the different menus can be very difficult. They don't necessarily see what's obvious for you. So to make our daily helping easier and give better service to the youngs, I decided to put some pages together to answer the most common questions. Pictures speak more than many words! It also allows the youngs to find answers quickly as the website is centered around their first days of playing. I don't go into details about complex systems nor do I plan to, that's the job for Stratics or UOGuide and they do it well! It is thus meant to be a tool for helpers and youngs alike and I think it does the job from the feedback I have, I'll try to keep it updated with all the changes to UO that might affect its content. I’m sure there are a lot of people who think you are some sort of god, Or worse an EA staff member. Are you human? Security of the state... I can't answer that question or I'd have to kill you! and a final word from Paidric: I'd like to take the opportunity to thank the Europa community in general for being the nice people they are! And in particular, Deothos, Minerva Foxglove, my other fellow HLP members, Cailleach Bheaur, RAA guild and all the regulars of Haven. You all are my best reason to stay in UO. Oh, and big thank you to my wife for her patience with that geeky hubby of hers :-) ------------------------------------------------------- I'd like to thank Paidric for taking the time to let me interview him and for answering my questions.
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UO Live Event: Mad Mage (March 28th - March 29th)
Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008, 9:38 AM EDT by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Welcome to the nexus of adventure, mayhem, and daring. The forests, dungeons, and shores of Britannia have seen flame, mangled burning flesh stacked to the waist around many adventurers, and valiant ships left as timbers hardly suitable to clean mutton from an incisor. These hallowed lands are also witness to the joy of unions pledged through eternity, and friendships bonded in fatigue ... savoring well-earned victory. If you are here, you have seen it all, mastered it easily, and still thirsting for more. Well here, let your eyes search no more, bring your skills and set your shoulders for what's to come. We bring to you the rest of the adventure, that which you have yet to see or master. Welcome to Britannia. Schedule of Events for WARRIORS OF DESTINY Mad Mage: March 28th - March 29th Blackrock - the world's most valuable ore. Nearly impervious to the fires of forging and magics alike, yet a violent reagent in spells best forgotten - the bane of the Britannian government and its great hope. Entire cities have been wiped off the face of the map, and every rumor, every whisper points to this mysterious substance. It's been known to drive men mad and beasts wild. More than one infirmary houses raving lunatics, with their imaginary voices, and victims of vicious blackrock infected monsters. At last, one mage believes he's found a way to locate blackrock en masse, with a cunning artifice of machinery and arcane power. Even when his own fellows abandoned him and his work, Kronos found unexpected support in the government, eager to fund his work. He's worked his entire life just for a moment like this, and Moonglow will be forever remembered as the place where his legacy was born. His machine, aided by an ancient artifact and a sample of blackrock, will at last prove his theories... he knows it will. But more eyes are on this project than even the government knows. Beyond the benign alchemical research lies a darker power. Friendships will be tested, loyalties questioned, and a future forged by the actions of those who come and bear witness to this "Mad Mage."
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Server Downtime
Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008, 7:53 AM EDT by Daine (Origin)
Server Downtime Robert Mull 27 Mar 2008 09:19:32 All servers will be coming down at approximately 10:20 AM EDT in order to republish files from last night. We anticipate the servers being back online at approximately 11:20 AM EDT. Check back for more information.
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Server Downtime
Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008, 7:30 AM EDT by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com: Server Downtime Robert Mull UPDATED 11:15 EDT: The servers are coming back up now - thanks for your patience! 27 Mar 2008 09:19:32 All servers will be coming down at approximately 10:20 AM EDT in order to republish files from last night. We anticipate the servers being back online at approximately 11:20 AM EDT Check back for more information.
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Moonglow Maretime Navy
Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 10:58 PM EDT by Sebrina (Chesapeake)
*Moonglow Maretime Navy (MMN)* Dateline Sosoria: Jul 54, 366 (March 26, 2008) For many months there have been rumours of counsils forming on Moonglow. Namely, a City Counsil, a reorganization of the Mages Counsil, and now suddenly word of a Moonglow fleet of ships (a Navy, if you will,) that is being deployed around the island in an agreement with Harbor Master Culver. These facts, as well as the appearance of Inu the Crone, and the recent disturbance at the Black-rock Detector has caused great disturbance on the isle. With word spreading around the island, I had a little chat with the Harbor Master and he explained some interesting things that had escaped my attention, which I should have been aware of. I have to say that my attention has not been focused on such matters in some time and therefore had not been forseen. Master Culver explained to me that the traffic of ships carrying contraband, duped and scripter goods, and such things as black-rock have increased recently, from his observation and a few confiscations. Since the 'Keepers of Dawn' are major land holders on the island, he contacted the Guild Leader, Lord Quaffer, to aid with a solution. It was not long after, that Maltz of (KPD) was appointed as Fleet Admiral of Moonglow. As my attentions had been turned outward from my own island of residence as well as my own guild, I immediately consulted with Lord Quaffer and later with Maltz. Indeed, Lord Quaffer confirmed that the appointment had been made and that the ship builders were hard at work to increase the fleet, as "Maritime Law" seems the best course of action to secure the Island. Lord Quaffer also confirmed that he had been in touch with the Mage Counsil and would have gone through me, yet I was not to be found at the time. Before I spoke with my friend Maltz (now Admiral), I went directly to the Mage Counsil at the Lyceaum to confirm that they had been consulted and had sanctioned this effort, not in doubt of the leige of [KPD], but to assure that all communications were in order. Again, I was informed that the new "Admiralty" of the Island has full cooperation of the Mage Counsil. Now my attentions turned both inward and outward and I consulted with the Royal Astronomer Selcius at the Kings Telescope next to the Observatory that is in my care. After a brief overview of coordinates, he showed me the new cometary movements clustering in a portion of the sky which is symbolic of Verity, hence Moonglow, (Verity Island.) "As ships in the sea," I was told. At the Observatory, it took some time to clear the crystal ball which I had not used for months, but then the vision became clear. Finally, I sailed my small boat out past the harbor waters to find Admiral Maltz coodinating the dispensation of some of the larger vessels of the "Moonglow Maritime Navy." After a brief hail and recognition, I was taken aboard the "MMN VERITY," the flagship of the fleet, and cordially greated on deck by the Admiral. Asking of his opperations, I was bid to come to his stateroom to review plans and charts, where I was graciously served a snifter of brandy while our conversation contininued. I shall summarize his vehement discorse, as I was mesmorized by his enthusiam and brilliant planning. Admiral Maltz: "Why a Naval Operation before an actual town counsil has formed, many shall ask, I am sure. Allow me to explain. There are many elements that need to be checked from the sea first, before they can be irradicated from the land. This being an island unto itself, the precept of Admiralty Law, and Maritime Law apply for the coastal waters of the island. The concept of securing the surrounding sea is most important to this city. However, this should not be viewed as a blockade of any kind. Indeed it is meant to promote peaceful commerce in effect." "I am not totally opposed to some of the pirating and privateering which continues undaunted, yet there are certain activities such as the distribution of blackrock from our port and waters which must be detered. The Mage Counsil has yet to complete the Blackrock Detector and most citizens are not even aware of how it shall work in the future. There are also the further issues of goods being shipped from the island, as we have become aware of magical "duping" activities. Items such as those are considered 'Contraband.' " "This is but a prelude to the sovereignty of a city counsil, in which we shall participate. By no means is this an event to threaten the citizens of Moonglow, nor is the (MMN) a guild, but is established to created a Unity for the island. We are also working on setting alliances with the Royal Britanian Guard (Navy), and with Port Baldmore, though we are unsure of the outcome of these negotiations at this time." "We've asked the owners of privately owned vessels, who are participating to prefix their vessel names with MMN to identify them as a significant part of the fleet. I'm sure that changes in this manifest shall happen over time, yet this is as it stands presently." Forthwith, I present you with a roster of present Captains, Commanders, and Lieutenants and the Vessels under the command of the "Moonglow Maretime Navy." Many of these vessels are captained by private citizens of Moonglow and in that sence, we have simply formed a seafaring militia for the island. In alliance with the Verity Syndicate, the Keepers of Dawn have commissioned several larger vessels to be added to the fleet in the near future." *Moonglow Maritime Navy fleet vessels:* MMN VERITY (flagship) [large dragonship] Admiral Maltz (Capt) Commander Jeffies Lieutenant Orgruf MMN WHISTLER (sister flagship) [large dragonship] Captain Minnoe Commander Erma Fison Lieutenant Chidron MMN DAWN [small dragonship] Captain Micheal Commander Romulous Lieutenant Hasban MMN WIDOWMAKER [large dragonship] Captain Selfir Commander Idnon Lietenant Grimous Fall MMN HAWK [large dragonship] Captain Hawksword Commander Rilborn Mace Leitenant Falk MMN GLOWGALLION [large dragonship] Captain Hectar Commander Phillip Marz Leitenant Hersh MMN GOLDFISH [small dragonship] Captain Marshall Commander Eric O' Shay Leitenant Cracker MMN SOUTHWIND [large dragonship] Captain Longshanks Commander Peligorious Leitenant Falcon D'Brie "Five more fleet ships are currently being built, and we have high hopes for several other citizens of the island to place other ships into the fleet as well."
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Reporter Returns to UO Baja Team
Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 10:01 PM EDT by Cymidei Fier (Baja)
Some of you may remember me as Lady Cymidei Fier. I was a member of the UO Baja News Team for about six years. I am back after exploring other Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games and rediscovering the fun that is Ultima Online. There's nothing like trying out a heartless leveling/raid/grind type of game to make you appreciate how much fun it is to be part of Baja and all the features that make UO unique. Some of my goals now that I am back include, helping with the news, revitalizing the establishment pages, writing features, interviews and most importantly getting to know the community once again. So if you love Baja let me know what you like to do with your time. Do you have an interesting guild, tavern, rune library, player run city (or any kind of establishment)? If your going to host a community event like a chicken toss, net fight, pvp rumble, public harrower or if you like to role-play, let me know, I love all that stuff and I am available to put it in the news. When I am not out reporting or adventuring, I can usually be found lurking around the Dark Tower, researching blackrock and forbidden magic. *PS: My name is pronounced, Ky-me-dee or you just call me Lady Fier for short.*
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Inu the Crone on Moonglow
Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 9:20 PM EDT by Sebrina (Chesapeake)
Aye tiss true that Inu has shown up on Moonglow. For the time being she has taken to the South Gate in front of the Armory. There is also a huge discussion on UHall which you can read through, by clicking HERE It seems that a good deal of her phrasing is in "pig-latin," which makes it all rather funny. As I have already posted on the Spring Festival (Planning Meeting) article, there are also indeed some problems with the Black-Rock Detector. For more information click on Planning Meeting Obviously the Dev gods have something in store for the island - AGAIN!!! My attitude is this...bring it on! I've defended Moonglow before and shall again. If something happens during the festival, well, I know that the people would come anyway, so lets have some fun with it as well. "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in thy phylosophy." [Hamlet] William Shakespeare
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New Museum in Luna
Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 8:34 PM EDT by Lady Mana (NapaValley)
Napa Valley has a rich history, and a number of efforts have been made to chronicle and collect bits and pieces from the past. The newest museum to be added to this list has been established in Luna! Read the following article by Terrance Drith for more information: Many of you may have noticed the recent renovations taking place at the southeast corner of Luna. Lady Acacia Rose and Lord Elbryan Uthador, both of Clann Marrach Faol, have been busy behind locked doors building the newest museum to house pieces & remnants of our shard's history. Many of the items gathered inside are from major events in our shard's history. Plants, rubble, armor and more. Magical items and artifacts of draconic nature rest on displays throughout. The rooftop serves as a display for the recent destruction of the doomed city of Magincia; a section of the voidal rift is set in place surrounded by miniature gate stones. Lord Elbryan tells me that this is just the start of the museum, and indeed he and his wife have made very good use of the space within. They hope everyone will come and visit their new museum and browse the items and displays inside. Informational books accompany many of the displays and give details and histories of the items. A truly impressive museum.
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In Remembrance: Gary Gygax - The UO Dev Team
Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 5:58 PM EDT by Daine (Origin)
In Remembrance: Gary Gygax (1938 – 2008) The UO Team 26 Mar 2008 17:11:07 As many of our loyal fans may know, Gary Gygax, co-creator of D&D and inspiration to generations of gamers, has recently passed away. Tracing the line from pen and paper roleplaying to Ultima Online reminds us of own legends and creators. Yet their inspiration had a source: where would we be without the enthusiasm and love that a small group of adventurers showed with but a handful of dice and some pads of paper, so long ago? And while we cannot easily express our feelings (although this feels about right), we wish to pay our own sort of tribute. Therefore, let it be known that within the darkest depths of the dungeon Doom a new power has awakened! For the Dungeon Master has established a place for his games – games of life and death, waiting for the unwary and daring alike to tread into his sanctuary.
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In Remembrance: Gary Gygax (1938 – 2008)
Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 5:01 PM EDT by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com: In Remembrance: Gary Gygax (1938 – 2008) The UO Team 26 Mar 2008 17:11:07 As many of our loyal fans may know, Gary Gygax, co-creator of D&D and inspiration to generations of gamers, has recently passed away. Tracing the line from pen and paper roleplaying to Ultima Online reminds us of own legends and creators. Yet their inspiration had a source: where would we be without the enthusiasm and love that a small group of adventurers showed with but a handful of dice and some pads of paper, so long ago? And while we cannot easily express our feelings (although This feels about right), we wish to pay our own sort of tribute. Therefore, let it be known that within the darkest depths of the dungeon Doom a new power has awakened! For the Dungeon Master has established a place for his games – games of life and death, waiting for the unwary and daring alike to tread into his sanctuary.
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Inu on the loose!!!

Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 2:29 PM EDT by Oriana (Baja)

Inu the Crone Spotted in Moonglow!!

It came to this reporter’s attention moments ago, that a blast from the past has once again been stirring and walking the streets of Moonlgow. This insane crone can be found once again spouting gibberish and warnings as she roams.

Upon further investigation, a few anomalies around the decaying project, once started by the mages of the realm, were seen. It would appear as thought some of the grounds around and in close proximity to this blackrock “detector” are sinking.

Inu the Crone can be heard sputtering things such as:

Spleeny!

Grizzled folly-fallen dewberries!

Mewling half-face.

What’re *you* looking at?

You just can’t make this stuff up folks. She also seems to have learned Pig Latin and spouts various phrases using this odd language.

Come see what Inu may say next!!

I swears on my Mama I’m not drunk or impaired in anyway.

Oh wait…..Whats that….I’m hearing voices….

Yes…Yes I hear you!

Hmm I think I best find the mages to cure me quickly!!

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All Shards to be Published
Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 1:40 PM EDT by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com: All Shards to be Published Jeremy Dalberg 26 Mar 2008 13:50:34 All shards will be published with the following during their next regular maintenance: Fixed a NPC Grammar Error Greater Dragons now drop scales and leather when skinned Properties on the ML recipe bows should now stack correctly with runic, exceptional and material bonuses Fixed an additional bug that caused properties to be dropped on some ML weapons Body sculptors and hairdressers should no longer wander too far away Recipe bows that previously had a 0% exceptional chance now have a 5% exceptional chance (In order to allow for an exceptional chance greater than 0 at GM skill, the success rate and minimum fletching skill have been adjusted. Success rate is now 50% at GM (was 40%.) Min Fletching is now 70 (was 75%.)) Ships will no longer catch fire around the island of Magincia Leather and elf armor will no longer lose properties when runic-crafted or spawned as magic loot NPC animated corpses should now deal damage and take damage in the Trammel ruleset. Players should now be able to complete the summon fiend quest chain. All bunnies will spawn in their normal colors again Pet summoning ball changes: Pet summoning balls unhide the summoner when attempting to summon their pet. Pet summoning balls have a disruptable casting animation like other spells Pet summoning balls have a reuse delay of 15 seconds. Pet AI changes: Guard: The pet should guard as it does currently. Follow: The pet should follow. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. Come: The pet should come. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. (If the pet cannot pathfind to its owner, it will not become passive.) Kill/Attack: The pet will attack its target as it does currently. Stop: The pet will stop attacking. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked, and may wander. Stay: The pet will stay where it is currently, and will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. Fixed an issue where Talismans were occasionally spawning without any properties Players can no longer place insured items on a player-run vendor. (Existing insured items on vendors will not be affected.) Quest items will now untoggle if the player dies while carrying them Players will now receive a 'You have too many pets guarding you' system message if they already have more than 5 pets guarding them. (Note: pets in the stable that have been commanded to guard may count towards this limit.) Each pet that is guarding a player will have a "Guarding" note on mouseover. Fixed issues with the list of guarding pets not being maintained correctly Provoking onto a creature will no longer cause those in combat with that creature to stop fighting The Darkwood Armor set bonus now has 100 Luck instead of Night Sight Acid Proof Rope will no longer remove a spell from a spellbook when crafted The "Bless" spell icon will no longer incorrectly disappear if the player logs out Regina in Castle British now lets you know if you are on the wrong stage of the quest rather than just saying you are too busy Fixed system message upon creating an alliance to correctly show the alliance name Exceptional crafted chocolate will have the maker's mark attached correctly Salvage bags will no longer recycle Age of Shadows gift clothing
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Dark Tower Holds Drow Ceremony

Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 12:02 PM EDT by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Dark Tower Summons Drow Goddess, Lloth

As Reported By WildStar, Grand Duchess of Dawn
Screenshots by Oriana

I arrived at Dark Tower 30 minutes before the event and presented myself to Alton, the new Master of Dark Tower. After a short conversion, I took a seat and watched as other people arrived.

Shortly after the appointed time, Lady Cymidei Fier, requested and received permission from Alton to open a portal to the site of the ceremony. We found ourselves in front of the Spider Temple in the Hedge Maze on Felucca. The temple itself and the grounds around it were richly decorated with bright jewels, reagents and body parts.

The members of Dark Tower entered the temple and turned to face the crowed. Alton gave a short speech and they entered the temple. We followed them into the temple and took up places along the walls.

Lady Fier started the ritual by lighting eight braziers placed within the temple. After that the temple was purified by Adeath, the Cabal of Darkness, with chanting and a twilight lantern. While Adeath was purifying the temple, Alton was chanting in Drow, the language of the Dark Elves, and burning the gems and reagents in the braziers.

Between the chanting and the smoke from the braziers, we were slowly memorized into a dream-like trance by the ritual. I remember startling slightly when hundreds of tiny spiders poured out of the twilight lantern and climbed up the walls of the temple and into the spider webs. After that, Adeath presented Alton with an object wrapped in very dark shadow cloth. Alton unwrapped it and showed the crowd an eight-bladed black steel knife in the spider. Alton then summoned Cymidei Fier, gave her with knife and commanded her to find the sacrifice among the members of the crowd.

She then walked among us, slashing the knife and taunting and menacing the crowd. We were unsure which one of us she would pick. She pulled a man named Vaughn McCloud out of the crowd. He resisted her efforts but she overcame him and at the end, he pleaded for his life. However, by then, it was too late. The spell over the crowd was broken by his death. Nothing remained of his body except bits of bone. The spiders returned to the twilight lantern, an item magically appeared where Vaughn McCloud was sacrificed; Adeath picked it up and handed it to Alton. Alton announced that Lloth had given her blessing to Dark Tower.

Lady Fier doused the braziers then Alton announced that the sacrifice complete. After a short closing speech, we were all gated back to Dark Tower and left from that place haunted by what we had just seen.

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They DO EXIST! (but not for long!) Look for Upcoming Publish
Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 10:05 PM EDT by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
They DO EXIST! (but not for long!) Look for Upcoming Publish Much like Santa and the M&Ms meeting at Christmas, I had that moment tonight after searching for days for the elusive rare purple bunny. "They do exist!" I screamed with joy as Delilah of B^C gave me a new found jellybean looking purple bunny. I was on a deadline with the next publish coming soon that would change the bunnies back to their normal, less festive hue. I had just made a general comment on the forums when Delilah contacted me, so thank you very much you goddess of UO. With that said here is the rest of the publish that is on Origin Shard now if you want to test out the changes and updates before it is shared with Lake Superior and feel free to discuss! Posted to uoherald.com: Origin to be Published Jeremy Dalberg 25 Mar 2008 14:02:55 Origin is currently being updated with the following: Fixed a NPC Grammar Error Greater Dragons now drop scales and leather when skinned Properties on the ML recipe bows should now stack correctly with runic, exceptional and material bonuses Fixed an additional bug that caused properties to be dropped on some ML weapons Body sculptors and hairdressers should no longer wander too far away Recipe bows that previously had a 0% exceptional chance now have a 5% exceptional chance (In order to allow for an exceptional chance greater than 0 at GM skill, the success rate and minimum fletching skill have been adjusted. Success rate is now 50% at GM (was 40%.) Min Fletching is now 70 (was 75%.)) Ships will no longer catch fire around the island of Magincia Leather and elf armor will no longer lose properties when runic-crafted or spawned as magic loot NPC animated corpses should now deal damage and take damage in the Trammel ruleset. Players should now be able to complete the summon fiend quest chain. All bunnies will spawn in their normal colors again Pet summoning ball changes: Pet summoning balls unhide the summoner when attempting to summon their pet. Pet summoning balls have a disruptable casting animation like other spells Pet summoning balls have a reuse delay of 15 seconds. Pet AI changes: Guard: The pet should guard as it does currently. Follow: The pet should follow. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. Come: The pet should come. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. (If the pet cannot pathfind to its owner, it will not become passive.) Kill/Attack: The pet will attack its target as it does currently. Stop: The pet will stop attacking. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked, and may wander. Stay: The pet will stay where it is currently, and will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. Fixed an issue where Talismans were occasionally spawning without any properties Players can no longer place insured items on a player-run vendor. (Existing insured items on vendors will not be affected.) Quest items will now untoggle if the player dies while carrying them Players will now receive a 'You have too many pets guarding you' system message if they already have more than 5 pets guarding them. (Note: pets in the stable that have been commanded to guard may count towards this limit.) Each pet that is guarding a player will have a "Guarding" note on mouseover. Fixed issues with the list of guarding pets not being maintained correctly Provoking onto a creature will no longer cause those in combat with that creature to stop fighting The Darkwood Armor set bonus now has 100 Luck instead of Night Sight Acid Proof Rope will no longer remove a spell from a spellbook when crafted The "Bless" spell icon will no longer incorrectly disappear if the player logs out Regina in Castle British now lets you know if you are on the wrong stage of the quest rather than just saying you are too busy Fixed system message upon creating an alliance to correctly show the alliance name Exceptional crafted chocolate will have the maker's mark attached correctly Salvage bags will no longer recycle Age of Shadows gift clothing
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115th UO House of Commons Log
Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 6:29 PM EDT by Larisa (GeneralNews)
here was a great turnout tonight for the HoC! Thanks to all the players for the great questions and to Jeremy, Leurocian, Supreem and Adida for taking the time out of their busy schedules to answer them for us! If you didn't make it to the HoC, fear not! You can read the entire thing Here!
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Grand Opening of the Grand Britannian Repertory!
Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 6:25 PM EDT by EricksonYates (Atlantic)
Jingle, Jangle, Jumble, Jump! Erickson Yates here! More news from our friends on the lighter side of Sosaria! Take a look at this! Looks like a good time! ====================================== The Grand Opening of the Grand Britannian Repertory! From the great walls of Castle British, to the worn sandstone of the Lycaeum, the knowledge and writings of Sosaria have been a focal point in the evolution of our society. Each stroke of quill on parchment, each word etched into paper is a marker of our past accomplishments, deeds and imaginations. With such importance stemming from these words, scrolls, and books, the creation of another library is a monumental occasion. It is with these words, do we announce the opening of the Grand Britannian Repertory. The Grand Britannian Repertory is filled to its capacity with over 1,500 unique, primarily player written books, making it one of the largest, if not the largest library in the history of Ultima Online. To celebrate its opening, there will be a formal celebration on the eve of Sunday March 30th, from 8:00-9:00PM EST (4:00-5:00PM GMT) on the Atlantic shard. The library can be found by going through the Makoto-Jima gate and entering the city of Zento. The library will be located just outside the north eastern exit, at co ordinates: 38o 14'N, 42o 23'W Gates will also be provided at Skara Brae bank before the event. ~Signed~ Beowulf Thormear - Head Librarian Adrien Garnier - Assistant Librarian Halister Marner - Assistant Librarian
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Atlantic Bagball League
Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 6:16 PM EDT by Ishtar (Atlantic)
Ladies and Gentlemen! The Atlantic Bagball League is kicking off the 2008 season has eight Different Teams! -Each team is represents by 3 upstanding players -A total of 16 games will be played every Saturday night 2 games will be played -Awards Gold & Prizes will be handed out Each Game -Final Event 2 teams will Play for a chance to win 10 million Gold How Do I Get Signed Up? Get three (3) of your friends together Pick a city and PM me using the Stratics board messaging system and Include, City Name, Player Names, And contact info (ICQ,AIM,EMAIL ETC). Can i watch the games on Saturday? YES! That's the whole "real" point. The Stadium has plenty of seating and prizes and event will includethe crowd! Britannia Knights Vesper Dolphins Moonglow Wizards Skara Legion Trinsic Justice Cove Rush Luna Lancers Umbra Magic Malas stadium Teams Each city/guild that wishes to participate in a game must assemble a team. Each team consists of three players, but can have any number of members, and must have unique colors. One member from each team will be designated as the captain and coach of the team. The game is played without goalies, and team members are responsible for stopping goals. About the Game The game is played on a grassy field. A bright yellow bagball, filled with 15000+ stones worth of ore, more than any character can carry or trade, is used as the bagball. The object of the game is to drag the bagball into the opposing team's goal to score a point! Playing Bagball Each team takes their starting positions on their sides of the field. The referee will count down from "three" and then drop the bagball on the sand tile in the center of the field. At this point, both teams will come rushing toward the center, will fight to grab the ball and drag it along the field. Some of the key rules are: -The bagball must be dragged along the ground to other team members! -To score a goal, you must FIRST drop the bagball on the sandstone goalline, THEN immediately in the opposing team's goal. (European bagball rules for more challenging games.) -The first team to 10 points wins the game! Penalties To keep the game fair and fun, some penalties may be awarded by the referee. When the referee declares a penalty the game will stop and both teams will move to their starting positions for a new face off Some of the penalties include: -Standing idly on the opposing team's sandstone goal line, or green grassy goal area -Holding onto the bagball for too long (3 seconds or so) -Picking up the bagball and running -Trading the bagball -Removing the ore from the bagball -Intentionally blocking the bagball with spammed-text, items, etc -Using potions or spells other than night sight -Hiding or stealthing -Riding a horse (ethereal included) -Adding additional bagballs, or other items to the field -Using spells to raise Stamina
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Lady Martyna Zmuir Has Been Forcibly Abducted
Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 5:37 PM EDT by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. From the Britannian Office of Public Safety: It has been discovered by members of the Britannian Armed Forces that the reporter, Lady Martyna Z’muir, has been forcibly abducted from the Nameless Rune Library in Yew. Sources state that the last people to see Martyna tell of her fear that “someone was following her.” The Librarian Killian has told the military that three men in ‘black and red’ uniforms chased her into the higher floors of the rune library. On the third floor, a pool of blood was discovered next to Martyna’s staff “Truth’s Blood”. An engraved dagger was also discovered at the scene, indicating the involvement of the Triad of Evil – followers of the Shadowlord Nosfentor. The public is advised to report the whereabouts of any Triad of Evil member to a Britannian Armed Forces officer. Do not approach the Triad, as they are to be considered armed and highly dangerous at all times. If you know the whereabouts of Lady Martyna Z’muir please seek a B.A.F. or High Council representative immediately. Thank You, and Stay Safe!
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Origin to be Published
Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 12:30 PM EDT by Daine (Origin)
Origin to be Published 25 Mar 2008 14:02:55 EST Origin is currently being updated with the following: - Fixed a NPC Grammar Error - Greater Dragons now drop scales and leather when skinned - Properties on the ML recipe bows should now stack correctly with runic, exceptional and material bonuses - Fixed an additional bug that caused properties to be dropped on some ML weapons - Body sculptors and hairdressers should no longer wander too far away - Recipe bows that previously had a 0% exceptional chance now have a 5% exceptional chance (In order to allow for an exceptional chance greater than 0 at GM skill, the success rate and minimum fletching skill have been adjusted. Success rate is now 50% at GM (was 40%.) Min Fletching is now 70 (was 75%.)) - Ships will no longer catch fire around the island of Magincia - Leather and elf armor will no longer lose properties when runic-crafted or spawned as magic loot - NPC animated corpses should now deal damage and take damage in the Trammel ruleset. - Players should now be able to complete the summon fiend quest chain. - All bunnies will spawn in their normal colors again - Pet summoning ball changes: Pet summoning balls unhide the summoner when attempting to summon their pet. Pet summoning balls have a disruptable casting animation like other spells Pet summoning balls have a reuse delay of 15 seconds. - Pet AI changes: Guard: The pet should guard as it does currently. Follow: The pet should follow. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. Come: The pet should come. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. (If the pet cannot pathfind to its owner, it will not become passive.) Kill/Attack: The pet will attack its target as it does currently. Stop: The pet will stop attacking. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked, and may wander. Stay: The pet will stay where it is currently, and will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. - Fixed an issue where Talismans were occasionally spawning without any properties - Players can no longer place insured items on a player-run vendor. (Existing insured items on vendors will not be affected.) - Quest items will now untoggle if the player dies while carrying them - Players will now receive a 'You have too many pets guarding you' system message if they already have more than 5 pets guarding them. (Note: pets in the stable that have been commanded to guard may count towards this limit.) - Each pet that is guarding a player will have a "Guarding" note on mouseover. - Fixed issues with the list of guarding pets not being maintained correctly - Provoking onto a creature will no longer cause those in combat with that creature to stop fighting - The Darkwood Armor set bonus now has 100 Luck instead of Night Sight - Acid Proof Rope will no longer remove a spell from a spellbook when crafted - The "Bless" spell icon will no longer incorrectly disappear if the player logs out - Regina in Castle British now lets you know if you are on the wrong stage of the quest rather than just saying you are too busy - Fixed system message upon creating an alliance to correctly show the alliance name - Exceptional crafted chocolate will have the maker's mark attached correctly - Salvage bags will no longer recycle Age of Shadows gift clothing
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Origin to be Published
Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 12:19 PM EDT by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com: Origin to be Published Jeremy Dalberg 25 Mar 2008 14:02:55 Origin is currently being updated with the following: Fixed a NPC Grammar Error Greater Dragons now drop scales and leather when skinned Properties on the ML recipe bows should now stack correctly with runic, exceptional and material bonuses Fixed an additional bug that caused properties to be dropped on some ML weapons Body sculptors and hairdressers should no longer wander too far away Recipe bows that previously had a 0% exceptional chance now have a 5% exceptional chance (In order to allow for an exceptional chance greater than 0 at GM skill, the success rate and minimum fletching skill have been adjusted. Success rate is now 50% at GM (was 40%.) Min Fletching is now 70 (was 75%.)) Ships will no longer catch fire around the island of Magincia Leather and elf armor will no longer lose properties when runic-crafted or spawned as magic loot NPC animated corpses should now deal damage and take damage in the Trammel ruleset. Players should now be able to complete the summon fiend quest chain. All bunnies will spawn in their normal colors again Pet summoning ball changes: Pet summoning balls unhide the summoner when attempting to summon their pet. Pet summoning balls have a disruptable casting animation like other spells Pet summoning balls have a reuse delay of 15 seconds. Pet AI changes: Guard: The pet should guard as it does currently. Follow: The pet should follow. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. Come: The pet should come. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. (If the pet cannot pathfind to its owner, it will not become passive.) Kill/Attack: The pet will attack its target as it does currently. Stop: The pet will stop attacking. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked, and may wander. Stay: The pet will stay where it is currently, and will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. Fixed an issue where Talismans were occasionally spawning without any properties Players can no longer place insured items on a player-run vendor. (Existing insured items on vendors will not be affected.) Quest items will now untoggle if the player dies while carrying them Players will now receive a 'You have too many pets guarding you' system message if they already have more than 5 pets guarding them. (Note: pets in the stable that have been commanded to guard may count towards this limit.) Each pet that is guarding a player will have a "Guarding" note on mouseover. Fixed issues with the list of guarding pets not being maintained correctly Provoking onto a creature will no longer cause those in combat with that creature to stop fighting The Darkwood Armor set bonus now has 100 Luck instead of Night Sight Acid Proof Rope will no longer remove a spell from a spellbook when crafted The "Bless" spell icon will no longer incorrectly disappear if the player logs out Regina in Castle British now lets you know if you are on the wrong stage of the quest rather than just saying you are too busy Fixed system message upon creating an alliance to correctly show the alliance name Exceptional crafted chocolate will have the maker's mark attached correctly Salvage bags will no longer recycle Age of Shadows gift clothing
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Orpheito the Chicken Found!!!!
Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 10:37 AM EDT by Daine (Origin)
oor Daine lost his chicken Orpheito and spent the past month trying to find him. He finally gave up and asked all of Origin to come and help before he became some one's dinner. Within ten minutes of setting the entire shard to find the lost chicken, an off sharder was right there at the Twin Oaks Tavern in Spirituality. And in a gesture of goodwill, passed the 1 million gold reward to the next finder who came 40 minutes later! That was CeNedra, artfully dodging all the fake Orpheitos running around Sosaria on Saturday! Believe there were Orpheito bunnies, goats, pigs, and all manner of beasties! More than 30 minutes following the first reward winner, and three more clues later, two more rushed in back to back, Venom and Tank!
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Lady Lava Murdered at Bunny Bash !!!!!
Posted on Monday, March 24, 2008, 8:18 PM EDT by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
The murdered remains of Lady Lava amidst bunny carasses Who would ever think Lady Lava would be murdered...much less at a MOA event! Lady Lava, a long time supporter of MOA and all aspects of this "give back to the community guild" was indeed ambushed at the post Bunny Bash this evening. Rumor has it I was lured to the fairgrounds by the Monday Night Madness Crew knowing darn well I would be killed! This nasty deed was done by several archers. I felt each arrow enter my flesh and yelled with each sharp entry. Did anyone help? NO Could my good friend Vanna White be involved in this some way? I sure hope not. Arriving at the start time of the event I was greeted warmly by many MOA members, including Vanna. hmmmmmmmmmmm Vanna gave me a few thorns to drop which I gladly did. I started an EV bashing area within one of the fenched areas with Siren. It did not take long before it was a full out bunny bash! There were many approaches used to slaughter the bunnies. Falconess summoned animals to do her killing for her. It was fun to watch her personal zoo follow behind her. During the entire bash Melian and MOA crew handed out or tossed on the ground checks, many bits and pieces of prizes were scattered about the fairgrounds as well. Just before my untimely death Vanna, my supposed friend, handed be a very generous check to do some shoe shopping. Too bad I am dead now! Over a million in gold and prizes were given away at this monday night event and I have heard second hand that, No Uh was the 250k prize winner for gathering the most carrots 263! He had some hungry bunnies after him! Benjamming won 250k for gathering the most statues during the bash with a total of 43! Malice was our Most Brightly colored Egg winner with 11 eggs. The more I think about my murder maybe there is something to what Curly The Dread has said about Pratt and MOA. Then again Curly is not a good resource for honest information. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
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What's a "Motto" with you? contest!
Posted on Monday, March 24, 2008, 4:01 PM EDT by Ishtar (Atlantic)
Only a couple more days to vote before we hit the final round! Click here and be heard!
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TAMER-PALOOZA 2, Sunday, April 13

Posted on Monday, March 24, 2008, 12:50 PM EDT by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Yes, Lady Epona and Lord Yalp of CTDM are nuts, and are going to do it again! CTDM is sponsoring

TAMER-PALOOZA 2
Sunday April 13, 2008
3PM to 5PM PDT

ALL Tamers are invited to donate as many animals as possible to the Moonglow Zoo. The tamer with the most points at the end will win. Simple!

1st Place -- 2 Million Gold
2nd Place -- 1 Million Gold
3rd Place -- 500,000 Gold

Not bad for two hours of work!

The fine print ...
1) NO Pre-Tames!!! (this is what caused such a lag the first time)
2) Tamers with donations are to enter through the southern entrance to the zoo and exit by the donation box.

Enter

Exit

3) No gold or check donations will count toward total score, but are encouraged for the benefit of the zoo.
4) Donors must be tamers and will have their skills checked on UO website.
5) Donation points will count as the points for winning.
6) All acceptable creatures are open for donation.
7) Supplies of food, band aids, potions, etc. will be available at the Moonglow Zoo.
8) In the event of a tie, CTDM Guild officers will make the final decision. No CTDM tamer can win but may participate for fun.
7) After the end of TAMER-PALOOZA 2 there will be a pet parade from Grand Arena in Malas to the Luna stable at approximately 5:30PM PDT.

Registration for TAMER-PALOOZA 2 will be at the Grand Arena in Malas and begin at 2PM PDT and end at 2:45PM. Registration will be done with a member of CTDM guild and is free. We then will move to the Moonglow Zoo to start verifying donations at 3PM. Donations only count if verified by a CTDM guild member. Contest closes at 5PM and prizes will be awarded back at the Grand Arena at 5:15PM.

The pet parade is open to all even if you chose not to compete in TAMER-PALOOZA 2. So come out and support the zoo, have some tamer fun with others, and show off your best pet.

Anybody who wishes to make a support donation please contact Lady Epona or Lord Yalp [CTDM].

Thanks for your support!

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PaxOku Shops Open for Business
Posted on Monday, March 24, 2008, 11:41 AM EDT by Lady Katherine (Chesapeake)
Mayor Gareth of PaxOku is happy to announce that despite some vendors mysteriously leaving their posts, the shopping meccas in the city are expanding and remain open for business. The first, the PaxOku City Market, occupies the location of the former PaxKratOku Auction House. The merchants there offer a wide range of goods both crafted and magical, including resources. The City Market is located on the northwest side of the road near the Blue Light Tavern. Kristens Anti Corner Mall in PaxOku's Kijustsu Anei Village is the place for those seeking fine crafted goods. All the major crafted goods, including decorations, containers, ammunition, and furniture are available to purchase. The Anti Corner Mall is in northeast Kijustsu Anei Village on the southeast side of the road. The PaxKratOku Auction House has moved to its new location above the Blue Light Tavern. The auction is on Wednesday nights at 9:00 PM Eastern time. On most auction nights, items are taken for auction for a 5% fee. The Auction House is on the northwest side of the road between the Museum of the Virtues Annex and the City Market. Mayor Gareth extends an invitation to everyone to visit PaxOku and patronize these establishments. Happy Shopping! PaxOku City is located on the island of Homare-Jima in the Tokuno Islands. To reach the city, take the moongate to Homare-Jima, go east to the road, and follow the road a short distance northeast to the city.
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115th House of Commons This Tuesday!
Posted on Monday, March 24, 2008, 12:07 AM EDT by zigzag (GeneralNews)
Join us Tuesday, March 25th at 4pm PDT/7pm EDT in the #straticshoc channel on the Stratics IRC network for the 115th Ultima Online House of Commons. Among the topics open for discussion will be the updates now on TC1 and recent publishes, so mark this date as one not to miss! To be part of the next House of Commons, connect to one of our Stratics IRC servers using your favorite IRC client. A list of popular IRC clients is available on our downloads page , and for those who wish to chat via their browser you can connect via our java IRC client. (Java required - download here) Connect to irc.stratics.com (port 6668) or choose a server close to you from following list: stratics.frws.com USA - Colorado (ports 6667 6668 7000) irc.glowfish.de EU - Germany (ports 6667 6668) stratics.afraidyet.net USA - Texas (ports 6667 6668) irc.gamers-irc.org USA - Colorado (ports 6667 6668 7000) Once connected, join #straticshoc – and you’re there! Also join us in #ultima-online any time to chat with other players about all things UO!
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Auctions for Lake Superior - week of March 24th
Posted on Sunday, March 23, 2008, 6:41 PM EDT by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
The following are our Auctions for this week on Lake Superior: FATE Auction Date: Wednesday, March 26 Time: 6:45 CST Location: Road West of Umbra by Orc Fort Contact: Dosa Ravengard - ICQ 302871673 YGV Auction Date: Thursday, March 27 Time: 7:00 p.m. CST Location: Northwest of Yew Moongate BEC Auction Date: Friday, March 27 Location: BEC Auction House - South of Luna Contact: Lady Tia - ICQ 23944805
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Community Hunt - week of March 24
Posted on Sunday, March 23, 2008, 6:38 PM EDT by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Want to go hunting but don't have a big enough group? Are you looking for good guides to dungeons you've yet to explore? The community hunts are open to everyone! Come show your support for the Lake Superior community and take a walk on the wild side at the same time. Meet some new and old friends and have a bit of a challenge along the way. Lost Lands Passages Tour Date: Tuesday, March 25 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Peerless Hunt (Mondain's Legacy Required) Date: Wednesday, March 26 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Doom Gauntlet run Date: Thursday, March 27 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Ilshenar Champ Spawn Hunt Date: Friday, March 28 Time: 9:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Hosts: Taeara Mi'aken And remember, these hunts are for everyone, regardless of their skill level or guild affiliation. Come meet new friends, see new places, gain experience and just have fun. Sabina Nikolai, High Marshall, Community Hunt Organizer The Order of the Silver Rose
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Moonglow Spring Festival (Planning Meeting)
Posted on Sunday, March 23, 2008, 3:12 PM EDT by Sebrina (Chesapeake)
Moonglow Spring Festival (Planning Meeting) Friday March 28th 2008 9pm at the Moonglow Counselors Hall (just North of the Moonglow Bank) Calling all past Past, Present, and Future Moonglow Spring Festival Folk T'is that time again to begin plans for our annual Moonglow Spring Festival. The call goes out across our Chesapeake shard to start planning for this fanstastic event. It is an Absolute Blast and keeps getting better every year. Calling all Towns, all Guilds, all Races. Anyone interested in helping, donating, or event hosting: Please join us. Our itenerary from last year: Openning Ceremony Bunny Bash Moonglow Regatta Tournament of Champions (Tournament continues) Orc Bowling Dungeon Crawl Scavenger Hunt Colored Egg Hunt Colored Net Toss Pet Addoption Around the World Race Cow Tipping Prize Announcements for Writing Contest and Fishing Tournament To overview last year's event click on Rainbows over Moonglow We are sure that most of our past hosts will want a hand in these events again, but there is no reason we can't have more. Some additional suggestions that were given last year were: Murder Mystery 'Deal or No Deal' or Black Jack Sheep Sheering Contest PvP Event (On Moonglow Fel) Any other ideas? Post here! Anyone that is unable to make the planning session - yes, post here! -and of course, additional chitchat, discussion, details, indeed this is the place...all are welcome!
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Community Meet Up - Week 164
Posted on Sunday, March 23, 2008, 1:18 PM EDT by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Community Meet Up - Week 164 Date: Every Monday Night Time: 7:30PM CST Location: Skara Brae Community Center Meeting Agenda: We'll hear weekly announcements of upcoming events and hunts for Lake Superior from Sabina our events coordinator. The weekly community meetings, events, hunts, etc are always open to the public. No invitations needed! Everyone is always welcome to come ask questions, make plans, or make announcements. Bring a friend if you can make it, tell a friend if you can't!
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227th Assembly of the 7th High Council
Posted on Sunday, March 23, 2008, 1:17 PM EDT by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
*227th Assembly of the 7th High Council* Date: Monday, March 24, 2008 Time: 10:00 PM EDT/9:00 PM CDT Location: Magincia Parliament Buildings, Trammel Facet Meeting Agenda: An announcement regarding the status of the 8th Seat Other items to be announced at the meeting Lord Buzz Aldridge Chancellor of Virtue, High Council of Britannia
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Bunny Bash Monday Night !
Posted on Sunday, March 23, 2008, 12:28 PM EDT by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
photo taken by Lady Lava on 3/22/08 as the Easter Bunny enters her condo complex to host an egg hunt
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~ EASTER OBITS ~ Part Two
Posted on Sunday, March 23, 2008, 8:14 AM EDT by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
.:~ EASTER OBITS ~ PART TWO Raziel and Sir Snake Ida JM Scout Mia Tohru Navaho Sir Snake Suradis Waffles
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Event: Easter Hunt
Posted on Saturday, March 22, 2008, 2:31 PM EDT by Ishtar (Atlantic)
The Rune Library Alliance hid over three hundred and sixty bonnets to be found at six locations. People were gated to the areas to find them and turn them in. It was great fun for all, even if you only found one, you got a prize! The Top 5 winners are: Peach Cobbler took 5th place and won 100k Subhadra took 4th place and won 100k Gentry took 3rd place and won 250k Evil Orc took 2nd place and won 500k Avatar was the 1st place winner taking in a prize of 1 million gold! Thank you to the Rune Library Alliance for your efforts. I had a lot of fun and am looking forward to more events from you in the future. Have a Happy Easter! -Ishtar-
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EASTER OBIT COLUMN ~ Are You In It ?
Posted on Saturday, March 22, 2008, 7:51 AM EDT by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
~: No this special Easter Obit Column is not full of dead purple bunnies or pastel colored chicks, though I am sure the CFC could provide many. Enjoy and Happy Easter ! Lady Lava looks on as death happens outside of the FUN! event plot Malikae stands in for Vanna White @ Monday Night Madness Food poisioning ??? Over and Over again Blitzkreig bones of Ida Caramon Majere CHOSEN ONE Elros Evil Twin Fiesty Houston
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Clean Up Paupa Day.
Posted on Saturday, March 22, 2008, 2:23 AM EDT by Katlene (Oceania)
Written by Amathist & some of the brave people that took part. Clean Up Paupa Day It was an ordinary day, started in the ordinary way, and then I glanced at my calendar and realized it was "Clean up Papua Day" the excitement built and I was just bubbling to go...but I had to get organized first. So I went to Luna and placed some runes inviting everyone to attend the "Clean up Papua Day" event, I then went and polished my armour for I could not be seen to be a slob of a pirate. Then off to Papua with a back pack full of marked sashes and prizes today was going to be fun, I was sure of it. I was actually not the first to arrive, for the excitement it seemed was contagious, there where at least 3 others in Papua when I arrived. Soon after, the little pen near the stables was full of people wanting to cleanse the little town of the ugly Ophidians. There was a huge turn out the guilds I noticed with representation where III, TBD, DP, S^R, OLD, KoV, C*S and PoC, there where also a few running around without guilds, I noticed Yurgi Twinkletoes, Foblug, Lady Ishi, Bowie, Peter, Varkus and Jack. There could have been other guilds and other individuals but it’s hard to take notes while killing back the spawn. Sorry to any mighty hunter I missed. We all went forth into battle and soon there was a pile of bodies at everyone's feet. The snake like creatures where falling fast to the eager hunting party. Sashes of varied greens marked with "Clean up Papua" where dropped for the hunters to pick up and savour as keep sakes. And every so often there were arties or cheques of gold to be snavelled by anyone paying attention. Soon, Brood-mothers were being taken out, and then the Berserkers. Possibly my most fond memory of the day was when all the weary hunters gathered just in the middle of Papua, looked at each other and cautiously asked "is it over....did we do it" No one knew for sure. Scouts were sent out and the only Ophidians to be found were at the Terathan Keep, so the hunter party, eager as ever decided "Well why stop now" They regrouped out side the keep and set forth to free it from the foul snakes... being ever cautious of the icky spider like creatures as well. By days end blood and snake goo and spider web hung from everyone, but one other thing they had in common was this sheepish smile... They had done it! Papua and Terathan Keep were now free of Ophidians and it felt good. We had accomplished something as a shard and had a great time doing it. Here are some quotes from eager hunters: Beastmaster - KOV Thanks for a fun event. I was there at 10am and helped heal you, a lot, hehe. Had a Great time, thanks. I worked the eastern to north side as everyone was too grouped together to be really effective in the western part, all fighting over one Ophidian. Respawn made it interesting, but all in all everyone worked well and we achieved the desired result. Papua is free to be used yet once again. I too will wear my sash and remember the battle we all fought to cleanse our beloved Papua. Once again TY to you and all that participated. Congrats. Lihan – DP The Liberation of Oceania. I believe the event went very well. I loved the fact that at Papua, everyone sort of (unintentionally) split into groups. At one time I was running around with around 5 pallys which was great! I remember killing beast upon beast and every time I moved forward more serpents were waiting... It seemed to be a never ending wall of serpents. After much killing and over 100 gains in tactics I hear the words "THE BESERKERS ARE HERE" meaning once they are dead Papua would be liberated. After running around for 10mins looking for them and finding out they were killed I went to help clean the rest of the serpents up. While we were all killing a General Ophidian Warrior, 2 Berserkers popped up and showed us who is boss. After dying twice and getting back on my horse, we slayed both Berserkers, bringing peace back to Papua... Once Papua had been finished it was then time to help the Terathan’s regain their home. After many fights and trying to avoid the Balrons, General by General fell to the army..... Once all the Generals and every red looking serpent were disposed of one measly Brood Queen remained. After spending 10minutes whacking her with my sword, back up arrived. After slaying her, the fight had ended. The Terathans cheered... Then they attacked us, demanding that we leave their home (hehe) If you have any questions about anything just let me know. I'm sure lots more than that happened but I was too busy killing things. Calios - PoC Calios attended the onslaught from early on, had to logout just after helping take down the first Berserker that spawned. Had a great time, died once from a Knight Errant (General). I thought I had targeted somebody's Cu - double click attack General am dead hmmmm. Was an awesome experience for me, Not having too much game time usually, I actually got almost 2hours straight WOOT! Anyway the great thing about the Day was that whoever was there was willing to help or know their limits to call for help. And it was non-stop so there was no break aside from telling my boys to stop fighting, run over to them hehe come back, still alive oh good!! Lady Ishi - OLD I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lady Amathist for a well organised event. It has given me a great respect for PoC a very fine guild. My character was lady Ishi and I am also a member of OLD the abandoned remnants of ORB. It was fantastic to see the teamwork, comradeship and good spirit shown during the clearing of Papua. How good is it to be able to slip through from moonglow to the mage shop in Papua again just like in the good old days. Just shows what we can achieve when we band together under good leadership. I will wear the sash with pride and be grateful to have been part of a great morning of murder and mayhem Lionheart - PoC We all play UO for many reasons. Some for the friendships they have made, some for the action and thrill of PvP, some for the role-play and some to see their characters develop. Sometimes an event takes place that we will remember for years to come. Today was certainly one of those times for me. After 9 years playing I look back to some of the great mock wars I have been in, some great tourneys and tournaments and some great role-playing events. To be honest there would only be 3 or 4 that I cherish, however today gives me another one to my list...the day the Oceania Shard fought back and won Papua! Well done to everyone that took part in this momentous occasion.
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Five On Friday (Archcure/Essence of Wind/Faction and Housing Changes)
Posted on Friday, March 21, 2008, 9:22 PM EDT by Daine (Origin)
FoF: Prickly Publishes March 21, 2008 "Why is this patch removing the ability to sell insured items?" One of the biggest concerns we have is making sure players don't lose items to bugs. If you've ever experienced this, you'll understand why - the GMs can't replace them, and potentially months of work can disappear in a puff of bits. We've gotten a fair number of reports of items dropping to players' corpses even though they were insured, and we believe we've narrowed down one of the possible triggers to buying a previously-insured item off of a vendor. It doesn't fail every time; there's no obvious reason in the code why it would fail at all. But we decided that the best strategy to prevent this bug from occurring was to eliminate that trigger as best we could, and that means requiring that items placed on a vendor not be insured. (Existing for-sale items are fine, however buyers may want to consider re-insuring the item themselves. As near as we can tell, trading insured items, whether via the trade window or just leaving stuff in your house for multiple characters to use, is also fine.) Yes, this makes shopping in Felucca much more dangerous - a Bag of Sending might be a good thing to take with you when you're bargain-hunting! And we will keep checking the bug reports for other instances of the elusive Insurance Bug. -- "Why are you un-nerfing Archcure? Why did you nerf it in the first place?" Leruocian says: "When we were looking into a flagging issue for archcure, we noticed that the cure percentage for archcure seemed very high for a spell that was only two circles higher than cure and it affected an area of effect. So on paper, it seemed like it needed an adjustment. However, there are other variables to consider as you all have pointed out. 1. Poison can be applied very frequently. 2. Frequent interrupts can occur. 3. A lot of our high end mobs use poison regularly. 4. Players who like to play medic style characters would be drastically affected by this change in peerless encounters. 5. The spell casting time of archcure. And so on. So after further internal analysis as well as reviewing all the player feedback, we've decided to put the cure potency percentage back to what you all are used to. I didn't mind taking credit for leading the recent PvP effort which the team feels was highly successful. I'll also take the blame for the proposed archcure change. Thanks again to everyone who expressed their feedback on this issue." -- "I have a question about the spell weaving spell "Essence of Wind". How much does it slow the targets' casting? Does it go from 2/6 to like 1/6? Or what part of casting does it take off?" It reduces Fast Cast by 2 * (1 + focus) That means that, with a focus of 5, it reduces FC by up to 12 (Fast Cast can become negative.) The Swing Speed penalty is -1 * (1 + focus), meaning it reduces SSI up to 6%. The alert reader may note that this is utterly insane, and we confirmed that it is, in fact, backwards. Look for this bug fix in an upcoming publish! -- "Where are the faction changes and the housing changes we were promised?" In testing, in the case of the faction changes - we're hoping to get those in to the next publish. Once they stop crashing servers, we'll give you some more info about them The housing stuff is waiting on a fix for the housing server that handles the test shards - without that, we can't test any of those changes internally or externally. So, with a little luck, the next publish should have both sets of fixes, and you should have previews of them much sooner than that. -- What's To Come: The new publish is up on TC for your testing and bug-reporting pleasure, and will remain so until early next week. Then it will take a brief tour through Origin, and, barring unexpected complications, be published to all shards. Once that happens, things will get MUCH more exciting... -- Fansite News UO Toolbar has been redesigned - check it out! Whispering Rose Radio has some events coming up! "The new studio is ready. Whispering Rose Radio is bringing the best game within a game to Europa!! Come join Howie SandManDel and Vana Mana Rose this Saturday March 22nd at 10pm GMT - 3pm PST - 6pmEST. Gates will be from West Brit Bank 30 minutes prior to game time. This is a weekly cross shard event meaning all gold paid out is delivered to the shard of choice. We will be bringing many players from different shards with us to Europa. Some follow us weekly as we hold the game (at the same time) on different shards every week. Listen to Howie broadcast on Whispering Rose Radio throughout the entire event. Everyone has an equal opportunity to be chosen as a contestant. There will be 1 main contestant, 4 semi-contestants as well as 5 - 250k door prize checks handed out during the game. If you want to receive your winnings on a different shard just let us know and it will be transferred free of charge. Check here for more information and pics. wink Vana Mana Rose" The K-D guild has a shard-wide event coming up on Napa Valley! "Come join K-D guild as they hold their shard wide Vorpal Bunny Hunt on Saturday March 22, 2008. Gates will be provided at 5:30 PM PST, behind both the tailor shop in Luna and in front of the Skara Brae Community Center. Participants will be gated to the large wheat field in Moonglow. The hunt will start at 6:00 PM PST and last for 1 hour. Regs will be sold on site at cost. All participants who remain the whole hunt will receive a grab box as they leave the field. The prizes will consist of: 1st place: 500,000 and special grab box 2nd place: 250,000 and special grab box 3rd place: 100,000 and special grab box Remember, if you want your event or news item included in the FoF, send it to jdalberg AT ea DOT com. I'm expanding this to in-game events as well - if you run inclusive in-game events and want some love, send me the announcement! -- Happy Friday, everybody! - Jeremy
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FoF: Prickly Publishes
Posted on Friday, March 21, 2008, 4:04 PM EDT by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com's Five on Friday: FoF: Prickly Publishes Jeremy Dalberg 21 Mar 2008 17:43:05 As a week in which I had considerable difficulty spelly my own name draws to a close, I present you with thoughts, musings, and the AoE spell that REALLY needs nerfing "Why is this patch removing the ability to sell insured items?" One of the biggest concerns we have is making sure players don't lose items to bugs. If you've ever experienced this, you'll understand why - the GMs can't replace them, and potentially months of work can disappear in a puff of bits. We've gotten a fair number of reports of items dropping to players' corpses even though they were insured, and we believe we've narrowed down one of the possible triggers to buying a previously-insured item off of a vendor. It doesn't fail every time; there's no obvious reason in the code why it would fail at all. But we decided that the best strategy to prevent this bug from occurring was to eliminate that trigger as best we could, and that means requiring that items placed on a vendor not be insured. (Existing for-sale items are fine, however buyers may want to consider re-insuring the item themselves. As near as we can tell, trading insured items, whether via the trade window or just leaving stuff in your house for multiple characters to use, is also fine.) Yes, this makes shopping in Felucca much more dangerous - a Bag of Sending might be a good thing to take with you when you're bargain-hunting! And we will keep checking the bug reports for other instances of the elusive Insurance Bug. "Why are you un-nerfing Archcure? Why did you nerf it in the first place?" Leruocian says: "When we were looking into a flagging issue for archcure, we noticed that the cure percentage for archcure seemed very high for a spell that was only two circles higher than cure and it affected an area of effect. So on paper, it seemed like it needed an adjustment. However, there are other variables to consider as you all have pointed out. 1. Poison can be applied very frequently. 2. Frequent interrupts can occur. 3. A lot of our high end mobs use poison regularly. 4. Players who like to play medic style characters would be drastically affected by this change in peerless encounters. 5. The spell casting time of archcure. And so on. So after further internal analysis as well as reviewing all the player feedback, we've decided to put the cure potency percentage back to what you all are used to. I didn't mind taking credit for leading the recent PvP effort which the team feels was highly successful. I'll also take the blame for the proposed archcure change. Thanks again to everyone who expressed their feedback on this issue." "I have a question about the spell weaving spell "Essence of Wind". How much does it slow the targets' casting? Does it go from 2/6 to like 1/6? Or what part of casting does it take off?" It reduces Fast Cast by 2 * (1 + focus) That means that, with a focus of 5, it reduces FC by up to 12 (Fast Cast can become negative.) The Swing Speed penalty is -1 * (1 + focus), meaning it reduces SSI up to 6%. The alert reader may note that this is utterly insane, and we confirmed that it is, in fact, backwards. Look for this bug fix in an upcoming publish! "Where are the faction changes and the housing changes we were promised?" In testing, in the case of the faction changes - we're hoping to get those in to the next publish. Once they stop crashing servers, we'll give you some more info about them :) The housing stuff is waiting on a fix for the housing server that handles the test shards - without that, we can't test any of those changes internally or externally. So, with a little luck, the next publish should have both sets of fixes, and you should have previews of them much sooner than that. What's To Come: The new publish is up on TC for your testing and bug-reporting pleasure, and will remain so until early next week. Then it will take a brief tour through Origin, and, barring unexpected complications, be published to all shards. Once that happens, things will get MUCH more exciting... Fansite News UO Toolbar has been redesigned Whispering Rose Radio has some events coming up! "The new studio is ready. Whispering Rose Radio is bringing the best game within a game to Europa!! Come join Howie SandManDel and Vana Mana Rose this Saturday March 22nd at 10pm GMT - 3pm PST - 6pmEST. Gates will be from West Brit Bank 30 minutes prior to game time. This is a weekly cross shard event meaning all gold paid out is delivered to the shard of choice. We will be bringing many players from different shards with us to Europa. Some follow us weekly as we hold the game (at the same time) on different shards every week. Listen to Howie broadcast on Whispering Rose Radio throughout the entire event. Everyone has an equal opportunity to be chosen as a contestant. There will be 1 main contestant, 4 semi-contestants as well as 5 - 250k door prize checks handed out during the game. If you want to receive your winnings on a different shard just let us know and it will be transferred free of charge. Check Here for more information and pics. wink Vana Mana Rose" The K-D guild has a shard-wide event coming up on Napa Valley! "Come join K-D guild as they hold their shard wide Vorpal Bunny Hunt on Saturday March 22, 2008. Gates will be provided at 5:30 PM PST, behind both the tailor shop in Luna and in front of the Skara Brae Community Center. Participants will be gated to the large wheat field in Moonglow. The hunt will start at 6:00 PM PST and last for 1 hour. Regs will be sold on site at cost. All participants who remain the whole hunt will receive a grab box as they leave the field. The prizes will consist of: 1st place: 500,000 and special grab box 2nd place: 250,000 and special grab box 3rd place: 100,000 and special grab box Remember, if you want your event or news item included in the FoF, send it to jdalberg AT ea DOT com. I'm expanding this to in-game events as well - if you run inclusive in-game events and want some love, send me the announcement! Happy Friday, everybody! Jeremy
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TC 1 Has Been Updated
Posted on Friday, March 21, 2008, 2:53 PM EDT by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com: Test Center 1 Has Been Updated Jeremy Dalberg 21 Mar 2008 16:42:32 TC1 has been updated with the following: Changes to Archcure have been reverted Fixed an additional bug that caused properties to be dropped on some ML weapons Fixed the issue with bonded pets not leaving ghosts Added Pet Summoning Balls and 100 Translocation Powder to bank boxes Added a Crystaline Ring to the bank per players request. Note: players will have to make a new character to get this ring in their bank box Fixed an issue with the Library Talisman sometimes not having useful properties
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Overnight Oddities
Posted on Friday, March 21, 2008, 6:20 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, 7:58 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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KR Client Updated
Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2008, 2:19 PM EDT by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com: KR Client Updated to vers 2.51.0.3 Jeremy Dalberg 20 Mar 2008 15:20:28 The KR client will be updated at 4:30PM EDT with version 2.51.0.3. Notes after the jump: Fixed a number of stuck areas Fixed various incorrect tiles
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2D Client Updated
Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2008, 2:18 PM EDT by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com: 2D Client Updated to vers. 6.0.6.2 Jeremy Dalberg 20 Mar 2008 15:19:21 The 2d client will be updated at 4:30PM EDT with version 6.0.6.2. Notes after the jump fixed several areas where players might get stuck fixed a client crash Removed the "2d/3d" client picker
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KR Client Updated to vers 2.51.0.3
Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2008, 2:12 PM EDT by Daine (Origin)
KR Client Updated to vers 2.51.0.3 Jeremy Dalberg 20 Mar 2008 15:20:28 EST The KR client will be updated at 4:30PM EDT with version 2.51.0.3. Notes after the jump: - Fixed a number of stuck areas - Fixed various incorrect tiles
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2D Client Updated to vers. 6.0.6.2
Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2008, 2:07 PM EDT by Daine (Origin)
2D Client Updated to vers. 6.0.6.2 Jeremy Dalberg 20 Mar 2008 15:19:21 EST The 2d client will be updated at 4:30PM EDT with version 6.0.6.2. Notes after the jump: - fixed several areas where players might get stuck - fixed a client crash - Removed the "2d/3d" client picker
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Staying Safe: Harrassment and Online Gaming
Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2008, 10:06 AM EDT by Ishtar (Atlantic)
Though it is infrequent there are occasions, even in the gaming world where one may encounter a person or player that oversteps their bounds and behaves in a manner that may be deemed as harassment. I feel this is an important thing to talk about, regardless of how infrequent. It is always better to be safe when online as this is a game and is meant to be enjoyable. Now, because of the fact that this is an online game, it can be considered harassment by computer and is illegal in numerous states. Not quite the same as stalking because in most cases, stalking typically requires two or more contacts. Where in cases of harassment by computer, it may just be one incident. Unlike regular harassment, online harassment is different because the acts committed may include a range of various crimes that would not normally be considered harassment if done in person. To get a clearer picture, per wikipedia here are some definitions on the types of harassment: Bullying Harassment that can occur on the playground, school, in the workforce or any other place. Usually physical and psychological harassing behavior perpetrated against an individual, by one or more persons. Psychological harassment This is humiliating or abusive behavior that lowers a person’s self-esteem or causes them torment. This can take the form of verbal comments, actions or gestures. Falling into this category is workplace mobbing. Community Based Harassment - stalking by a group against an individual using repeated distractions that the individual is sensitized to, such as clicking an ink pen. Racial harassment The targeting of an individual because of their race or ethnicity. The harassment's include words, deeds, and actions, that are specifically designed to make the target feel degraded due to their race of origin or ethnicity. Religious harassment Verbal, psychological or physical harassment's used against targets because they choose to practice a specific religion. Religious harassment can also include forced and involuntary conversions. Sexual harassment Harassment that can happen anywhere but is most common in the workplace, and schools. It involves unwanted and unwelcome, words, deeds, actions, gestures, symbols, or behaviors of a sexual nature that make the target feel uncomfortable. Gender and sexual orientation harassment fall into this family. Stalking The unauthorized following and surveillance of an individual, to the extent that the person's privacy is unacceptably intruded upon, and the victim fears for their safety. Hazing To persecute, harass, or torture in a deliberate, calculated, planned, manner. Typically the targeted individual is a subordinate, for example, a fraternity pledge, a first-year military cadet, or somebody who is considered 'inferior' or an 'outsider'. Hazing is illegal in many instances. Backlash Backlash or 'victim blaming' occurs when the harasser or other people in the environment blame the victim for the harassment, or the resulting controversies and conflicts after the harassment is reported or discovered. Backlash results when people erroneously believe the victim could stop the harassment if they really tried, or that the victim must have done something to cause the harassment. The victim may be accused of trying to get attention, covering for incompetence, or in cases where the harassment is proven, lying about the extent of the effects. "Old school" attitudes about certain kinds of harassment remain and there are in many circumstances social pressure for victims to "keep their mouths shut" about abuse or suffer the consequences. Per Electronic Arts in UO there are two types of harassment, verbal and physical. First listed below is verbal followed by physical: If you petition in game with a complaint of harassment you are going to be presented with two harassment category choices; Verbal and Physical. This article will attempt to clarify for you what is considered valid verbal harassment. Behavior that is always considered harassment includes derogatory and/or hateful comments that are sexual, racist, religious, or related to gender or creed. Origin has a zero tolerance policy towards harassment of this kind, as stated in our Terms of Service, and violation of the above can result in immediate and permanent account suspension on the first offense. Behavior that is dependent on circumstance and how you attempt to resolve the situation include most other verbal harassment situations such as name calling. Before you submit a complaint be sure you understand what constitutes harassment and that you have followed these steps: You have asked the player to "please stop", and they have continued to repeat the offending behavior. You have tried to remove yourself from the situation, for example, by recalling away or moving several screens. You have done nothing to instigate or further encourage the harassment. You have added the player to your ignore list, which is located in your UO options, under Filter Options. You have read and understand Electronic Arts' definition of harassment, and Electronic Arts' Terms of Service. Your account information is up to date, including a current email address. Please note that profanity itself is not prohibited, as Ultima Online is a teen rated game by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. However, this does not permit a player to harass another player with profanity. The following information applies primarily (not exclusively) to the lands of Ilshenar, Malas and the Trammel facet of Ultima Online. While you have the ability to attack other players freely on the Felucca facet, players are generally not able to defend themselves against physical harassment in Trammel, Malas and Ilshenar. We'd rather not go into the specifics of all the actions we consider physical harassment, but we do want to make it clear that it is not okay to ruin the fun of UO for other players, specifically when that is the intent behind your actions. It is important to realize and accept that everyone plays this game differently, and everyone has different expectations from the game and from the other players. Ultima Online is a social setting, and as such, we expect our players to treat one another with the same respect and dignity they would use in any other social situation. If your sole purpose and intent in any action is to continually upset, aggravate, or otherwise annoy another player, you may be a "grief player." Using game mechanics to cause grief to others can also be seen as exploitation, and will be treated accordingly by game staff. If someone is using grief tactics against you, please report it to a Game Master using the Help button on your paperdoll. Once the Help menu appears, choose the Harassment option, and enter the exact name of the other player, and a brief description of his actions. For example: Jody keeps luring these poison ele's to us and hiding. Clearly luring! The following are NOT considered physical harassment: Res killing Stealing or kill stealing Legal player killing, such as takes place in guild and faction wars Refusal to take turns at spawn points Refusal to resurrect another player Blocking a recall location Area Peacing Before you submit a harassment complaint, be sure you understand what constitutes harassment and that you have followed these steps: You have asked the player to "please stop" (and then they have continued to repeat the offending behavior). You have tried to remove yourself from the situation, for example, by recalling away or moving several screens. You have done nothing to instigate or further encourage the harassment. You have added the player to your ignore list, which is located in your UO options, under Filter Options. You have read and understand Electronic Arts' definition of harassment, and Electronic Arts' Terms of Service. Your account information is up to date (including a current email address). These guidelines do help when handling the basic offenses, but what about when it goes beyond this. For example when a player is asked to be left alone and the person stands outside their in game home. With the ability to stealth and hide in game it can make it easier for a person to watch and "stalk" another player. The fact that the game allows for anonymity also may embolden the offender. In the eyes of the law it would still be considered a form of harassment. This is a form of what is called cyber stalking and some basic elements of how one may do this per wikipedia are listed below: False accusations Many cyber stalkers try to damage the reputation of their victim and turn other people against them. They post false information about them on web sites. They may set up their own web sites, blogs or user pages for this purpose. They post allegations about the victim to newsgroups, chat rooms or other sites that allow public contributions, such as Wikipedia or Amazon.com. Attempts to gather information about the victim Cyber stalkers may approach their victim's friends, family and work colleagues to obtain personal information. They may advertise for information on the Internet, or hire a private detective. They often will monitor the victim's online activities and attempt to trace their IP address in an effort to gather more information about their victims. Encouraging others to harass the victim Many cyber stalkers try to involve third parties in the harassment. They may claim the victim has harmed the stalker or his family in some way, or may post the victim's name and telephone number in order to encourage others to join the pursuit. False victimization The cyber stalker will claim that the victim is harassing him. Bocij writes that this phenomenon has been noted in a number of well-known cases. Attacks on data and equipment They may try to damage the victim's computer by sending viruses. Ordering goods and services They order items or subscribe to magazines in the victim's name. These often involve subscriptions to pornography or ordering sex toys then having them delivered to the victim's workplace. Arranging to meet Young people face a particularly high risk of having cyber stalkers try to set up meetings between them. Behaviors of a cyber stalker: Cyber stalkers meet or target their victims by using search engines, online forums, bulletin and discussion boards, chat rooms, Wikipedia, and more recently, through online communities such as MySpace, Facebook, Friendster and Indymedia, a media outlet known for self-publishing. They may engage in live chat harassment or flaming or they may send electronic viruses and unsolicited e-mails. Victims of cyber stalkers may not even know that they are being stalked. Cyber stalkers may research individuals to feed their obsessions and curiosity. Conversely, the acts of cyber stalkers may become more intense, such as repeatedly instant messaging their targets. More commonly they will post defamatory or derogatory statements about their stalking target on web pages, message boards and in guest books designed to get a reaction or response from their victim, thereby initiating contact. In some cases, they have been known to create fake blogs in the name of the victim containing defamatory or pornographic content. When prosecuted, many stalkers have unsuccessfully attempted to justify their behavior based on their use of public forums, as opposed to direct contact. Once they get a reaction from the victim, they will typically attempt to track or follow the victim's internet activity. Classic cyber stalking behavior includes the tracing of the victim's IP address in an attempt to verify their home or place of employment. Some cyber stalking situations do evolve into physical stalking, and a victim may experience abusive and excessive phone calls, vandalism, threatening or obscene mail, trespassing, and physical assault. Moreover, many physical stalkers will use cyber stalking as another method of harassing their victims. Now I only touched the surface of how, even in a game one may be at risk. Remember that there is a Terms of Service in place for the game and violations are penalized and upheld by the law. However, one must make sure if they are the victim of harassment, even in the gaming world that they take appropriate action. Make sure you have asked the offender to stop. When doing this be very clear and then remove yourself from contact. Luckily, Ultima Online allows you to "ignore" other players, in these cases, use it! Save everything, though it would be great to just turn your back and delete all contacts and communications, don't. Keep chat logs, ICQ's etc., any and all form of communication. If the offender created a web site about you, save copies of it to your local system and get a trusted friend or relative to do the same and would be willing to testify in court. If phone correspondence is made, have your local phone company trace it, immediately. Speak with authorities and have them take any other correspondence such as mail etc. The problem one normally faces here is speaking with the proper authorities, who do you go to. On Ultima Online, start with Electronic Arts. Via a messaging service, make sure you read their Terms of Service and contact the appropriate party. Same thing if a web site is created, contact the host. Keep track of all these communications as well. To be safe even online, one must be aware to protect themselves. There are preventative measures one can take to help avoid and prevent things like this from occurring like using a free email service and only use that email for online related correspondence. Also, only give your primary email to close friends and loved ones. Make sure you ignore unwanted users, like I said earlier we are lucky to have this feature available in game. Never volunteer personal information, this can open the door for you to become a victim. If you find yourself in a conflict situation, walk away, do not respond or engage in it. If you do this, you are allowing yourself to be drawn into the situation further and giving the offender exactly what they want, a reaction. Taking this away in most cases will make them move on to a new target. If an area becomes stressful, leave the area. I recommend this for boards etc. as well as they are used as a form of communication and may allow a person to continue the behavior. Especially in the gaming world, as they are used often to encourage safe interaction. Yet, it only takes one person to twist that and use it against another player. Sometimes, one must change to avoid this situation. If it comes to that change completely, make sure you use no former traces of anything you used in the past whether for characters, email and so forth. Also watch what you say online, in the gaming world it is easy to just chat but try and make sure that whatever you say it is something you can say to a person's face regardless of whether or not you say it in game. I also wish to reiterate one last and important point, never ever give out you user name and password to anyone! Stay safe! Play for fun! -Ishtar- (Note: Posts in italics taken from wikipedia and EA.)
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Vernal Equinox Is Upon Us / From The Desk Of Lady Lava
Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008, 9:22 PM EDT by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. FROM THE DESK OF LADY LAVA ..... Four times a year, usually with the change of each season I bring you, " From The Desk of Lady Lava ". With the Vernal Equinox upon us, a.k.a. the first day of Spring, this week seems like the perfect time to post it. For those of the readers that may not know, the Vernal Equinox is the day the sun crosses directly over the equator. I would like to start this edition by saying HAPPY SPRING to everyone! "From the Desk of", gives me the opportunity to give a little personal insight into myself, other people and topics that may not warrant an entire article or are off topic. Spring, Easter and St. Patricks Day all have fallen very close to one another this year. Recently on Great Lakes I featured Spring and Easter decor with player Dai's Easter decor hitting a high note. She did a hopping good job. St Patty's was featured also. Below is a screenshot sent in by Zynia of Great Lakes on St. Patty's Day as she expressed her holiday green and good luck in Moonglow.Though the holiday is past I wanted to share this with our readers. The creative people of Catskills sent in no screenshots this season so I took is upon myself to venture far and wide looking for Easter or Spring decor and I came up empty handed I am sad to say. Though I did come across many lovely gardens and water features, no pastel or spring inspirations did my eyes feast upon. Determined I went to heavily populated areas on Catskills and still no luck. I just know there is a great holiday design out there! I thought for sure MOP would have done something special at one of thier plots. I did run into Brother Taik of GRIT which I have spoken to in the past. He sent out pigeons asking for Spring/Easter plots and he came up empty handed also. Thank you again Brother Taik for your efforts. Always on the look out for designs and plots using rubble....yes I do have a rubble addiction, I found one on Catskills during my deco hunt. I admit my addiction and do not try and hide it. At this time I would like to stray away from Spring for a moment. A long time player by the name of Dragons Desyre is leaving us. She works all day at a computer in real life. Her job combined with gaming is taking its toll. Both her hands and wrists are being damaged and her doctor informed her she needs to give up gaming or have permanent damage. I know the sore aching feeling from gaming for hours all to well. I call it "mouse abuse". Many players have informed me over the years that they have had to take breaks from UO to give thier hands a rest. Dragons Desyre like most, if not all, of us have fond memories in the realm. Rather than sell her very loaded account she is giving it to a new player hoping she makes/creates a fond memory for them. Very generous of you Dragons Desyre, and my best to you and your health! Most of our readers, mainly Great Lakers, have noticed I have not been posting as many articles the past few months as usual. Real life and a new beau have gotten in the way. There may be stretches in the future that I may not post for a week but then I will post several articles in one day. Do not think I have forgotten about you because that would never happen. Not only have I been enjoying spring time in the realm. I live in the desert of southern California and things are in full bloom here. Below is a tree in bloom that I see out my bedroom window. I took this photograph last week. Looking outside my window has not been enough for me this spring. We have had more than usual rainfall here so the desert is in full bloom. I took a two hour drive this past weekend to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to see and take photos of the flowers. I would like to share two of those photos with you. To learn more about this wonderful state park go to www.theabf.org For those of you that celebrate Easter have a happy one and may your spring be filled with warmth and love. Fondly, Lady Lava p.s. keep those decor and rubble screenshots coming my way
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Vernal Equinox Is Upon Us / From The Desk Of Lady Lava
Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008, 9:21 PM EDT by Lady Lava (Catskills)
. FROM THE DESK OF LADY LAVA ..... Four times a year, usually with the change of each season I bring you, " From The Desk of Lady Lava ". With the Vernal Equinox upon us, a.k.a. the first day of Spring, this week seems like the perfect time to post it. For those of the readers that may not know, the Vernal Equinox is the day the sun crosses directly over the equator. I would like to start this edition by saying HAPPY SPRING to everyone! "From the Desk of", gives me the opportunity to give a little personal insight into myself, other people and topics that may not warrant an entire article or are off topic. Spring, Easter and St. Patricks Day all have fallen very close to one another this year. Recently on Great Lakes I featured Spring and Easter decor with player Dai's Easter decor hitting a high note. She did a hopping good job. St Patty's was featured also. Below is a screenshot sent in by Zynia of Great Lakes on St. Patty's Day as she expressed her holiday green and good luck in Moonglow.Though the holiday is past I wanted to share this with our readers. The creative people of Catskills sent in no screenshots this season so I took is upon myself to venture far and wide looking for Easter or Spring decor and I came up empty handed I am sad to say. Though I did come across many lovely gardens and water features, no pastel or spring inspirations did my eyes feast upon. Determined I went to heavily populated areas on Catskills and still no luck. I just know there is a great holiday design out there! I thought for sure MOP would have done something special at one of thier plots. I did run into Brother Taik of GRIT which I have spoken to in the past. He sent out pigeons asking for Spring/Easter plots and he came up empty handed also. Thank you again Brother Taik for your efforts. Always on the look out for designs and plots using rubble....yes I do have a rubble addiction, I found one on Catskills during my deco hunt. I admit my addiction and do not try and hide it. At this time I would like to stray away from Spring for a moment. A long time player by the name of Dragons Desyre is leaving us. She works all day at a computer in real life. Her job combined with gaming is taking its toll. Both her hands and wrists are being damaged and her doctor informed her she needs to give up gaming or have permanent damage. I know the sore aching feeling from gaming for hours all to well. I call it "mouse abuse". Many players have informed me over the years that they have had to take breaks from UO to give thier hands a rest. Dragons Desyre like most, if not all, of us have fond memories in the realm. Rather than sell her very loaded account she is giving it to a new player hoping she makes/creates a fond memory for them. Very generous of you Dragons Desyre, and my best to you and your health! Most of our readers, mainly Great Lakers, have noticed I have not been posting as many articles the past few months as usual. Real life and a new beau have gotten in the way. There may be stretches in the future that I may not post for a week but then I will post several articles in one day. Do not think I have forgotten about you because that would never happen. Not only have I been enjoying spring time in the realm. I live in the desert of southern California and things are in full bloom here. Below is a tree in bloom that I see out my bedroom window. I took this photograph last week. Looking outside my window has not been enough for me this spring. We have had more than usual rainfall here so the desert is in full bloom. I took a two hour drive this past weekend to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to see and take photos of the flowers. I would like to share two of those photos with you. To learn more about this wonderful state park go to www.theabf.org For those of you that celebrate Easter have a happy one and may your spring be filled with warmth and love. Fondly, Lady Lava p.s. keep those decor and rubble screenshots coming my way
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Se'an Silverfoot Wins USA Alliance Archery League!
Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008, 4:04 PM EDT by Morpheus Mardox (Chesapeake)
Se'an Silverfoot Wins USA Alliance Archery League! It was a fine evening of archery inside the city of Serpents Hold as competitors and onlookers alike gathered atop the Warriors guild to decide the championship winner in this months archery league. Hosted by the city of Guardians Gate and scored by Daria Blackmoore(RBG) the matches went off without a hitch as the USA Alliance prepared to award 600k in prize monies to prospective winners. Only needing a solid finish to secure the victory in March's USA Alliance Archery League Se'an Silverfoot went above and beyond Monday almost winning round four. In a close matchup in the finals it was Se'an Silvefoot versus Brutus Tankard going the distance as both arrived undefeated giving us a "best two out of three" final match. With each archer taking a round apiece, it came down to the last shot to decide the nights champion. Victory secured Se'an pulled out all the stops almost besting Brutus. In the end it was Brutus Tankard taking the weeks winnings of 100k and Se'an outlasting the competition to become March's Champion and take home the 500k purse along with the bragging rights of being the best shot in the realm! The night wasn't without some early round excitement as Queen Zen and our Champion himself both scored 700pts rounds to split the weekly side bet of 100k. And of course any time one has Orcs afoot there's always a sight to see as the two in attendance took aim at themselves rather than the butte's! All in all the months league was a resounding success as Se'an Silverfoot represented his guild and city well in taking the championship! Conrgatulations to Se'an and all of our competitors we couldnt have done it without you!
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TC 1 Has Been Updated
Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008, 1:14 PM EDT by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com: Test Center 1 Has Been Updated Jeremy Dalberg 19 Mar 2008 14:33:51 TC1 has been updated with the following: Arch Cure now cures poison at the same difficulty as the regular cure spell. At 120 magery: Level 1: 100% chance to cure Level 2: 100% chance to cure Level 3: 97% chance to cure Level 4: 66% chance to cure Level 5: 35% chance to cure Fixed a NPC Grammar Error Greater Dragons now drop scales and leather when skinned Properties on the ML recipe bows should now stack correctly with runic, exceptional and material bonuses Body sculptors and hairdressers should no longer wander too far away Recipe bows that previously had a 0% exceptional chance now have a 5% exceptional chance (In order to allow for an exceptional chance greater than 0 at GM skill, the success rate and minimum fletching skill have been adjusted. Success rate is now 50% at GM (was 40%.) Min Fletching is now 70 (was 75%.)) Ships will no longer catch fire around the island of Magincia Leather and elf armor will no longer lose properties when runic-crafted or spawned as magic loot NPC animated corpses should now deal damage and take damage in the Trammel ruleset. Players should now be able to complete the summon fiend quest chain. All bunnies will spawn in their normal colors again Pet summoning ball changes: Pet summoning balls unhide the summoner when attempting to summon their pet. Pet summoning balls have a disruptable casting animation like other spells Pet summoning balls have a reuse delay of 15 seconds. Pet AI changes: Guard: The pet should guard as it does currently. Follow: The pet should follow. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. Come: The pet should come. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. (If the pet cannot pathfind to its owner, it will not become passive.) Kill/Attack: The pet will attack its target as it does currently. Stop: The pet will stop attacking. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked, and may wander. Stay: The pet will stay where it is currently, and will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. Fixed an issue where Talismans were occasionally spawning without any properties Players can no longer place insured items on a player-run vendor. (Existing insured items on vendors will not be affected.) Quest items will now untoggle if the player dies while carrying them Players will now receive a 'You have too many pets guarding you' system message if they already have more than 5 pets guarding them. (Note: pets in the stable that have been commanded to guard may count towards this limit.) Each pet that is guarding a player will have a "Guarding" note on mouseover. Fixed issues with the list of guarding pets not being maintained correctly Provoking onto a creature will no longer cause those in combat with that creature to stop fighting The Darkwood Armor set bonus now has 100 Luck instead of Night Sight Acid Proof Rope will no longer remove a spell from a spellbook when crafted The "Bless" spell icon will no longer incorrectly disappear if the player logs out Regina in Castle British now lets you know if you are on the wrong stage of the quest rather than just saying you are too busy Fixed system message upon creating an alliance to correctly show the alliance name Exceptional crafted chocolate will have the maker's mark attached correctly Salvage bags will no longer recycle Age of Shadows gift clothing
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Dark Tower to Invoke Drow Goddess

Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008, 9:34 AM EDT by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Dark Tower Forum
Dark Tower Establishment Page

The Dark Tower, lead by Master Alton, will seek to summon the Goddess Lloth to gain her favor, on the next Dark Moon.

All are invited:
Saturday, March 22, 2008, 8 pm PDT - Dark Tower in Trammel
(Outside Trinsic Gates at 106 36'S x 32 12'E)

The young dark haired ranger from Skara Brae watched the entrance to the temple with a worried expression, his hands rested on his tautly drawn Yew bow as he listened and waited. For several days, he had been following the trail of a missing rancher's daughter named Beth who was taken from her family's home two days ago. He was told by the girl's family that a small band of cloaked figures had raided the family home and dragged Beth screaming into the night. Soon the ranger's patience was rewarded and a lone shrouded man emerged from the cave-like depths of the temple, clenching a bloodied sword in one hand. The swordsman's eyes searched instinctively to where the ranger was hiding, then the swordsman intoned a few arcane words and was gone in a flash of ether. Without warning, the ranger felt a burst of intense pain and then he faded into unconsciousness.

When the ranger woke up he felt groggy, stiff and cold. The broken stone slab that supported the ranger's body was wet with rain. By the dim light of a flickering brazier, the ranger could see an enormous tattered spider web swaying overhead. The ranger tried to get up, but he was bound by barbed cords that cut deeply into his flesh, with the slightest movement. He cried out in pain and was then that the young ranger saw his captors.

Three drow elves began selecting implements; finely edged runic-blades, forceps and vials, from crates near the temple steps. They did not speak as they began their work. They surrounded the bound ranger, a cold hand reached down to hold the rangers outer thigh with one hand as the other hand brought down a small black blade. The ranger cried out only to have a thick, foul smelling rag shoved into his mouth.

Then another took his place and began a small incision on the outer thigh. The third drow followed, expertly skinning him with cutting sheers. The ranger could only listen in horror as his flesh and skin were removed with steady rhythmic snips. Waves of agony surged through the ranger's body until darkness at last came to him, absolving him of his pain.

The ranger woke much later and he wished he was still unconscious, pain seared through him with unrelenting fury. The ranger was wheeled before the Priestess of Lloth, bound to on an odd chair.

He was bound tightly and could not move his face or neck. His body felt hollow, he knew that there was no flesh on his face or body because he could feel his raw, exposed flesh hanging without any skin to support it.

The Drow Priestess sat on a small silver throne near a burning pyre of skulls. The ranger could also see a pit filled with thousands of tiny spiders that teemed in hungry anticipation. "Why are you here on the Temple Grounds, Rivven filth?", the priestess asked the ranger.

The ranger tried to speak but his words came slowly and were strained "Skara ... Brae ... disappearance."

The Priestess only nodded, and made a gesture to her attending acolyte. The acolyte, opened a small jar and removed a thick strip of meaty skin, dangling it mockingly before the ranger. The ranger knew that it was all that was left of his bicep because he could see the tattooed outline of a stag's head. He tried to turn away in revulsion but could not. Then the acolyte dropped the meat into the pit. The tiny spiders swarmed safely out of the way as the meat landed with a thud, then they eagerly devoured it, snapping and striking at each other with their fangs. Although the ranger did not understand why, he felt each bite as the spiders consumed his flesh, he struggled against his bonds, again feeling the barbs bite deeply into what was left of his ruined body.

"This interloper is of no interest to us.", the Priestess said imperiously. "Give him to the pit." The acolytes cut the ranger free and pushed the chair forward, causing the ranger to fall effortlessly. "Lloth tlu laoles" the Drow said as one ... as the ranger died.

The Priestess turned then to the shrouded swordsman. "Alton there is more that must be done if Lloth's favor is to be gained. Lloth grows tired of these petty gifts and requires from you a greater sacrifice if you and the Dark Tower are to have her blessing. Return by the dark of the moon with riches and captives worthy of Lloth's blade."

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Shard Wide Vorpal Bunny Hunt
Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008, 6:26 PM EDT by Akasha1 (NapaValley)
Shard wide Vorpal Bunny Hunt Come join K-D guild as they hold their shard wide Vorpal Bunny Hunt on Saturday March 22, 2008. Gates will be provided at 5:30 PM PST, behind both the tailor shop in Luna and in front of the Skara Brae Community Center. Participants will be gated to the large wheat field in Moonglow. The hunt will start at 6:00 PM PST and last for 1 hour. Regs will be sold on site at cost. All participants who remain the whole hunt will receive a grab box as they leave the field. The prizes will consist of: 1st place: 500,000 and special grab box 2nd place: 250,000 and special grab box 3rd place: 100,000 and special grab box
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Easter Egg Hunt!
Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008, 7:28 AM EDT by EricksonYates (Atlantic)
Jingle, Jangle, Jumble, Jump! This just in from our good friend Lady Rachel! Enjoy! ========================================== Saturday March 22nd 4pm Eastern Time Please join us in Moonglow where you will be gated to the hunt areas. Prizes will be awarded for the most Easter Bonnets collected. 1st prize 1 Million Gold 2nd prize 500K 3rd prize 250K 4th and 5th prize 100K each Each participant will receive a random prize when they turn in their loot! Refreshments will be served. Town subject to change if Draconi blows us up! Hope to see you there.
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DEA Takes 1st, 2nd, 3rd at LSN's Crimson Rumble

Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008, 8:03 PM EDT by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Friday, March 14, [LSN] hosted their Crimson Rumble PvP Tournament. The house started filling with competitors and spectators. After South Wind [LSN] read the rules, the tournament began.

It was an action packed evening, full of surprises, with all competitors displaying exceptional skills and cunning. The winners of the rounds were determined by the best two out of three matches, then advanced to next round.

Round One:

Raza vs Shame [H20], with Raza advancing

Seth [H20] vs Thantos [LSN], with Thantos advancing (no screenshot on this one, grabby malfunctioned)

Sinister Illusion [LSN] vs Hurley [$C$], with Hurley advancing

SHANNA- [DEA] vs Zorro [LSN], with SHANNA- advancing

Tinkerbell- [$C$] vs Hades [Pak], with Tinkerbell advancing

Azureous vs Kenkanaga [H20], with Kenkanaga advancing (no screenshot on this one, grabby malfunctioned)

Biske [DEA] vs Jei [SI], with Biske advancing

Taslin Hoffstah [DEA] vs Crea Lightblade [SI], with Taslin advancing

Round 2:

SHANNA- vs Thantos, with SHANNA- advancing

Kenkanga vs Taslin Hoffstah, with Taslin advancing

Biske vs Tinkerbell-, with Biske advancing

Hurley vs Raza, with Raza advancing

Round Three

Raza vs Biske, with Biske advancing to compete for 1st or 2nd place; Raza advancing to compete for 3rd place (no screenshot on this one, grabby malfunctioned)

SHANNA- vs Taslin Hoffstah, with Taslin advancing to compete for 1st or 2nd place winners round; SHANNA- advancing to compete for 3rd place.

Final Round to Determine Winner Placement:

For 3rd Place:
Raza vs SHANNA-, with SHANNA- winning 3rd place

For 1st and 2nd Places:
Taslin Hoffstah vs Biske, with Taslin winning 1st place, Biske 2nd place

1st Place -- Taslin Hoffstah [DEA] -- blessed Crimson Cincture
2nd Place -- Biske [DEA] -- blessable Totem of the Void
3rd Place -- SHANNA- [DEA] -- Primer On Arms

I apologize for not getting screenshots of all the rounds. I had my fax receiving program on, and received several faxes while at the tournament ... Even though I didn't open the faxes, grabby took screenshots of the fax screen instead of the UO screen.

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A Harrowing Evening with the Fallen Lords
Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008, 7:43 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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Morgaine Wins the Luna House!
Posted on Sunday, March 16, 2008, 10:58 PM EDT by Daine (Origin)
orgaine picked up and used the winning rune on Saturday night and became for a moment the grand winner of the Luna House giveaway that Crystal Canyon and Bacivier made in honor of thier new grandson. Many runes were dropped over this week. But only one runed took you to where Bacivier was waiting. There was a small celebration outside the giveaway Luna House where everyone was asked to pose for the camera. Morgaine loves her Fel home and is comfortable there and in an incredible gesture of friendship, gave the winning house to a friend. All around, this giveaway and giveaway again shows how incredible are the Origians.
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IDOC Falls With Style ! FCB Does It Again
Posted on Sunday, March 16, 2008, 9:35 PM EDT by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
~ Dear Lady Lava and all you land lubbers, Above you see a snapshot I took at that dastardly Curly the Dread's house at the moment of destruction. For all the salty dogs of FCB and Captain Gem it was a glorious sight indeed. Curly has a history of causing trouble not only within our guild but to the entire community. He has been known to show up at public events dressed only in his spoiled undershorts causing a ruckus and accusing others of stealing from him when we all know he is the one with light fingers. Thank goodness Lacey gave Curly a kilt to wear recently so we were all spared his nasty undershorts showing at this event. I stopped by Curly's seaside plot two hours before the drop and a small group had already gathered consisting of Art Fuldodger, Lord Kallant, Emeline, Animal, Lady Mist and Sir Mixll. Chances are Curly had done this eager bunch wrong in the past. One hour before the event Lacey started stating that if certain people got more than million they had to share with her. On the subject of millions....Curly arrived early as did some of me other mates FiFi LaForge and Chelle. As Amari taunted Curly yelling out he was " in trouble " and laughing Curly informed the crowd that was gathering that there was 10 million spread out within the house and keys....many keys. These keys were linked to ships and the ships had even MORE treasures on them. You know us pirates, rob and plunder...rob and plunder as much as we can. However not usually to each other but then there is Curly. As the crowd grew I tried to remember as many as possible. I am afraid my years at sea, the rocking of ships and sun have fried my memory skills somewhat but here are some of the IDOC lovers, Lord William, Red Riding Hood, Silver, Lord Zonker, Ivor of Yew, Baralai, Lord Shanny, Century, Moon, Wendy, Dunadain, Tai Hann Moon, Taz, Restless, Pira Desh'Mieve, Lord Sabin, SUPERMAN, Bo Hunter, Qwen, Oliver, Badseed, Bubbles, Wallace, Deke, Sexy Kitten, Claudia, Hayde, Lady Flame,Lady Fraise, Lady LEVI STRAUSS, Gee Jr, kevin, Little Johnny, and Daisuke Jigen. Just before Captain Gem arrived Temujin warned and informed everyone of the lag that will take place as the house drops. Dutch Schultz commented on how relaxed this IDOC was which he voiced as a refreshing change compared to the Fel IDOC's. As with all IDOC the exchanges, fights, drama, and jokes beforehand are a boat rockin good time. Making the best of his own future lose Curly did some trivia to entertain the crowd. For those that may not know I Tunna frys da fish and Haemetite got that question correct. Captain Gem explained to the crowd why Curly was being punished and thanked everyone for helping with a HUGE spank from all. Curly still seemed to have one trick up his sleeves and booted everyone out of the house....that did not last long though as he was soooo outnumbered. It was flyin that so many peeps turned out for this and it was grand seeing all me mates too, including Terryn, Helter Skelter and Nicodareus. I probably missed a few with so much activity. Lava I am sorry you could not attend this but I will leave you with a few more snapshots from the night. Sending warm salty breezes your way, Tunna This is my favorite. Look at the bottom of the water barrel. That is FiFi LaForge's head/hat coming thru the floor to the second level. Talk about hard headed, lol.
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Star Trek in UO???
Posted on Sunday, March 16, 2008, 9:34 PM EDT by Larisa (CandidCoverage)
Thanks for this interesting picture!! Beam me up Scotty!
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Community Meet Up - Week 163
Posted on Sunday, March 16, 2008, 6:57 PM EDT by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Community Meet Up - Week 163 Date: Every Monday Night Time: 7:30PM CST Location: Skara Brae Community Center Meeting Agenda: We'll hear weekly announcements of upcoming events and hunts for Lake Superior from Sabina our events coordinator. The weekly community meetings, events, hunts, etc are always open to the public. No invitations needed! Everyone is always welcome to come ask questions, make plans, or make announcements. Bring a friend if you can make it, tell a friend if you can't!
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Community Hunt - week of March 17
Posted on Sunday, March 16, 2008, 6:55 PM EDT by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Want to go hunting but don't have a big enough group? Are you looking for good guides to dungeons you've yet to explore? The community hunts are open to everyone! Come show your support for the Lake Superior community and take a walk on the wild side at the same time. Meet some new and old friends and have a bit of a challenge along the way. Vesper Museum Exhibit Tours Date: Tuesday, March 18 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Peerless Hunt (Mondain's Legacy Required) Date: Wednesday, March 19 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Rock Dungeon crawl Date: Thursday, March 20 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Ilshenar Champ Spawn Hunt Date: Friday, March 21 Time: 9:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Hosts: Taeara Mi'aken And remember, these hunts are for everyone, regardless of their skill level or guild affiliation. Come meet new friends, see new places, gain experience and just have fun. Sabina Nikolai, High Marshall, Community Hunt Organizer The Order of the Silver Rose
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Auctions for Lake Superior - week of March 17th
Posted on Sunday, March 16, 2008, 6:53 PM EDT by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
The following are our Auctions for this week on Lake Superior: FATE Auction Date: Wednesday, March 19 Time: 6:45 CST Location: Road West of Umbra by Orc Fort Contact: Dosa Ravengard - ICQ 302871673 YGV Auction Date: Thursday, March 20 Time: 7:00 p.m. CST Location: Northwest of Yew Moongate BEC Auction Date: Friday, March 21 Location: BEC Auction House - South of Luna Contact: Lady Tia - ICQ 23944805
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Happy Easter From Dai's Depot, MOA Is Ready For The Holiday & Curly's House Is A Mess!
Posted on Sunday, March 16, 2008, 2:47 PM EDT by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. Several weeks ago I asked readers to send in screenshots and/or direct me to St. Pattys or Easter inspired plots. Today I was directed to Dai's Depot which is decked out in total Easter spring decor, even the vendors are dressed in spring pastels. 119o 27'N, 24o 15'N are the cords if you would like to experience it yourself. Chelsea has done a great job! I popped by the MOA auction house afterwards and to my delight they too are ready for the holiday week. It should be a fun week at the auction house. Needless to say I LOVE the sunflowers as I started a sunflower craze on Great Lakes a few years ago. Then there is Curly's house !!! In a few hours " By Order of Captain Gem of FCB this house is to be demolished ", and it is a good thing. Not only is Curly a trouble maker he is a baaaad housekeeper. I will not be attending this event but Tunna of FCB will be covering the event for me.
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Mysterious Rune Leads To Mage Tower

Posted on Sunday, March 16, 2008, 8:33 AM EDT by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Saturday afternoon, while I was doing some banking, a rune on floor of Luna Bank caught my attention.

Upon recalling from the rune, I found myself in Dungeon Shame being greeted by the Mage Tower guildmasters, Ivan and snake man, along with several members of [MT].

The rune obviously had captured the interest of others, as several people showed up while I was speaking with Ivan and his guildmates.

Ivan informed me that the [MT] guild house has recently moved from their location outside of Skara Brae to a larger facility, a keep northeast of the city of Britannia and south of Compassion Desert.

The MT rune library, one of the largest public libraries on Baja, is still located north of the Skara Brae Fairegrounds.

Ivan would like to extend an open invitation to all Baja residents to join [MT] in their weekly guild hunts. On Fridays, 7pm PDT, [MT] goes to Dungeon Doom one week and the Palace of Paroxysmus the next. On Saturdays, 5pm PDT, they hunt the Monstrous Interred Grizzle in Bedlam, and sometimes head over to the Prism of Light for the Shimmering Effusion following the Bedlam hunt. Sundays, 4pm PDT, [MT] leads old-style dungeon crawls in random locations. For all weekly events [MT] meets at Skara Brae near the bank and stable. They also sponsor special public events, such as the Net Toss they recently had. Ivan also hinted there were be another toss in the near future, and that a 'Mule PvP Tournament' is in the works.

If anyone is interested in learning more about Mage Tower, Ivan suggests you speak to any [MT] member as they can put you in contact with a Mage Tower Elder; or visit their website; or leave a pm for Ivan, also known as GreatGustave, on the Stratics forums.

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Super Stratics Sunday - 14th Edition - Luna Shopping Mall Part 3

Posted on Sunday, March 16, 2008, 5:07 AM EDT by kayne (Europa)

Welcome to the 14^th Super Stratics Sunday. Its been a while since the last but I'm sure you'll all forgive me for that. Mapper is still extremely busy with the real world and sends his love to you all.

If you have an establishment, a guild, or a news item you would like featured in a Super Stratics Sunday or indeed any news items for an article please send it over to [email protected] or PM me

Carrying on the tour of Luna this time round. We left it last time just to the right of the south entrance with Et In Arcadia Ego.

First up this week is the second half of Et In Arcadia Ego this one is just to the left of the south entrance. My apologies for not seeing it there last time.

Next up is the unnamed shop owned by Iceman, selling mainly BOD's

Here we have a rather well designed shop called the lighthouse store. Owned by Lotfi. Selling some armor, blacksmithy runics and BOD's.

The latest Five on Friday is out. This weeks contains some info for Tamers about pet resists and stats. Also lots of info on an upcoming publish. Check it out Five on Friday

This week saw the start of "Project Zoo" the aim of which is to fill the europa zoo and have lots of fun meeting other people in the process. So far lots of fun has been had by various different people. Check that out Here

Events next week,

No doubt there will be lots more trips to destard as part of Project Zoo, so look out for that. It needs people to support the tamers. Necromancers dont forget you can tame and donate wolves to help the project. Remember you can get Artie drops while you are supporting.
The Rusty Dagger Ale House is on TONIGHT. Its open every Sunday from 8pm to 9.30pm.

As always, Swaggers Inn, The Trinsic Rose and The Kings Deer Tavern are all open in the evenings ALL WEEK!

This weeks screenshot I've dug out of an archive. Its from 2002 so lets see if anyone recognises themselves or each other.

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Shavanna Wins Round Three of United Sosarian Archery League!
Posted on Saturday, March 15, 2008, 8:06 AM EDT by Morpheus Mardox (Chesapeake)
Shavanna Wins Round Three of the United Sosarian Archery League! With precision shooting and steadfast iron will Shavanna held off the competition this week to win round three of the United Sosarian Alliance Archery League. Congratulations to our winner and all who came out to test thier aim! Special thanks to the Whispering Rose Radio Network for thier live coverage of the event. The standings are shaping up for exciting finals with Se'an Silverfoot in the lead going into Mondays finals atop the Warriors Guild in Serpents Hold. Join us as we award not only the weekly winner of 100k but the monthly league champion as well of 500k! Here's a pic of the matches!
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Felucca PVP Tournament Event
Posted on Saturday, March 15, 2008, 6:51 AM EDT by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Felucca PVP Tournament Event hosted by forgotten skills Every Saturday at 6:30 pm CST From Yew gate Fel head straight north and follow the water until you find the house owned by Poruno The tourny is a 2v2 team elimintaion style. It's a rather simple tourny, use whatever skills you have without summoning things to defeat your opponent team.
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Where In The World Is Orpheito? (A Contest)
Posted on Saturday, March 15, 2008, 5:32 AM EDT by Daine (Origin)
Where In The World Is Orpheito? here in the world is my Orpheito! I keep losing my friend and wonderful pet, the chicken Orpheito. He keeps running away to sites unknown and dangerous places. If I have not found him by Saturday, March 22 at 1P Central I am calling the whole shard to please help me find him. You just can't miss him! He is a brown fowl, a little smelly, ruffled feathers (has not preened in weeks) and legs that dance! He cocks his head in a cute little twist and smiles at you, you cannot resist! Please meet me in New Haven in the town square unless you have heard I found my friend! And please don't eat any fried chicken in the meantime! If I have not found him I will reward those who do with the following: 1st Prize 1 Milliion 2nd Prize 500K 3rd Prize 250K
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AV Auctions Coming First Friday of the Month
Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008, 6:02 PM EDT by Daine (Origin)
AV Auctions Coming First Friday of the Month ello Origin! AV will begin hosting all shard auctions on the first Friday of the month beginning on April 4 at 7P Central! The AV Auction House is in Icelyn located at 102, 18 North and 9, 21 East in Malas, east of Luna. Time for spring cleaning! So clean out your homes, castles, keeps and towers and see what you can dust off for sale at the auction. Tiny treasures are hanging around in that Leviathan chest from last year. Auctions are a great way to generate that spare gold for an Orny or just come and have a good time with friends across the shard. To submit items, place in a bag with a book. The book needs to list the item and your name with a reserve price (if desired). You can contact the auctioneer at 417-975-446 and AV Auction E-Mail and submissions can be made to the auctioneer or any AV Council Member. AV Council Members are clearly identified by thier guild tags. Submissions will be accepted up to two hours before the auction and a final list published on Stratics. A five percent commission will be charged on all sales and you will receive your checks following the auction. Friday, April 4, 2008 7P Central AV Auction House, Icelyn 102, 18 North and 9, 21 East Malas Auction Rules: No Magic If you buy item not intended for you, you will be banned from the auction. If your behavior is deemed disruptive you will be banned from the auction.
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Five on Friday (Hats and Crafting, Loot/Stats,Resis, Skills of Animals and Monsters/Runic/Barding/Whats to Come)
Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008, 5:19 PM EDT by Daine (Origin)
FoF: Antsy with Anticipation March 14, 2008 "Why does crafting with a runic sewing kit NOT add any properties to hats?" Hats are not considered "armor" by the crafting system, although they are for loot drops. This is probably an oversight, considering they do have resists and behave exactly the same way as leather or metal helms; making them craftable in the same way would give everyone more fashion options! It's something we can certainly investigate in the future. -- "Why are caps and bonnets not possible (so it seems) as magical loot on monster corpses?" I have no earthly idea. They definitely are not on the list of possible random armor pieces that can spawn on monsters, though, unlike all the other hats. This has been submitted as a bug! -- "How are the stats/resists/skills of animals and monsters (including tamables) generated? Are they generated separately? In other words, is it possible to have top stats/resists/skills on the same animal/monster, or there is a hidden cap preventing this from happening?" Leurocian says, "Each creature is generated with a set range of stats/skills. Some of the stats/skills may be fixed and can only be one value. Others may have a minimum and maximum range. In the latter case, it’s a roll of the dice. It is possible, though, for a particular creature to have the maximum stats/skills for its kind upon spawning, but that’s highly unlikely." -- "Do the mod intensities from runic made armors/weapons still have a linear distribution?" Yes they do - what this means is if a runic hammer has an intensity range of 60% to 100%, it's exactly as likely to get a 60% intensity property as a 100% intensity property. -- "What is the barding difficulty for players and other NPC who can't be lored? Does hit point affect barding difficulty of players the same way as on other monsters?" A creature or NPC treats a player character as having a barding difficulty of 125, with one possible exception - if the player has been Discorded, his barding difficulty will be 120. Hit points, skills, stats, etc, do not affect that value - it's fixed. NPCs, even human ones, have a barding difficulty range based on their stats/skills/etc. just like any other creature does. -- What's To Come: The big news this week is that we are rapidly approaching a Test Center publish - shooting for mid-next week, barring complications. We also have the next event all QAed and ready for live testing - some of you may remember that the clock has been ticking in Moonglow for quite some time. Well, that clock is winding down... Since these announcements have been stretched out over several weeks, I've consolidated them all here so you get an idea of some of the non-event-related things that are going to be in this publish (this is not the full list of publish notes, just the highlights): New this week: Darkwood Armor will now have 100 Luck instead of Night Sight as part of its set bonus More relatively minor worldbuilding fixes (incorrect tiles, spots where players got stuck) Insured items can no longer be placed on a vendor for sale Hairdressers and body sculptors will no longer go on walkabout Several other smaller bugs and exploits fixed Previously announced: Weapons should no longer lose properties when runic- or exceptionally-crafted. This should apply to everything, including ML recipe weapons ML recipe bows will be able to be exceptionally crafted and get the Arms Lore bonus as well Greater Dragons will give scales and barbed leather Armor that doesn't have a meditation penalty - like leather armor - won't lose properties when runic-crafted Runic-crafted elven armor won't roll Night Sight as a property Parasitic, Darkglow, and Invisibility potions can be placed into kegs Greater dragons are visibly named "Greater dragons" Fixed a couple of worldbuilding trouble spots (places where folks would get stuck - one in Wrong, one in Magincia.) Made several fixes that we ain't telling you about until they're live on all shards ;) Pet Ball Changes: Pet summoning balls should unhide the summoner when attempting to summon her pet. Pet summoning balls should have a couple second casting animation with the chance to disrupt like other spellcasting. Pet summoning balls should have a reuse delay of 15 seconds. Pet summoning balls cannot be used while in animal form. Here is how the new AI should behave: Commands: Guard - The pet should guard as it does currently. Follow - The pet should follow. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. (unless it is guarding) Come - The pet should walk to. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. (unless it is guarding) Kill/Attack - The pet will attack its target as it does currently. Stop - The pet will stop attacking. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked, and may wander. Stay - The pet will stay where it is currently, and will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. (unless it is guarding) Note: The pet will revert out of passive mode if the pet's owner dies, if the pet is stabled, traded, player character transfers, player and pet log off, etc. QA is currently reviewing these changes internally. Once the changes pass internal review, they should appear on a public Test Center for an upcoming publish. Examples of new macro command combinations: You can tell your pet to guard while it's following you. This will put it in autodefend mode for itself and its master. To turn off guarding, tell your pet to stop or kill/attack. So for passive follow, you could do 'pet name' stop, 'pet name' follow me, and it will ignore attacks on you or your pet. For autodefend follow, you could do 'pet name' guard, 'pet name' follow me or 'pet name' follow me then 'pet name' guard. It doesn't matter what order you initiate the guard command. While your guarded, autodefend should work as normal. The pet will follow you in this case, but will fight whatever attacks you or itself. -- Next week should be exciting - we can't wait to get this build up on Test. It's just so satisfying to clean up so many of these old issues, plus the event has been a long time coming! - Jeremy
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FoF: Antsy with Anticipation
Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008, 2:32 PM EDT by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com's Five on Friday: FoF: Antsy with Anticipation Jeremy Dalberg 14 Mar 2008 15:27:03 Hats, cats, and, um, bards - check it out! "Why does crafting with a runic sewing kit NOT add any properties to hats?" Hats are not considered "armor" by the crafting system, although they are for loot drops. This is probably an oversight, considering they do have resists and behave exactly the same way as leather or metal helms; making them craftable in the same way would give everyone more fashion options! It's something we can certainly investigate in the future. "Why are caps and bonnets not possible (so it seems) as magical loot on monster corpses?" I have no earthly idea. They definitely are not on the list of possible random armor pieces that can spawn on monsters, though, unlike all the other hats. This has been submitted as a bug! "How are the stats/resists/skills of animals and monsters (including tamables) generated? Are they generated separately? In other words, is it possible to have top stats/resists/skills on the same animal/monster, or there is a hidden cap preventing this from happening?" Leurocian says, "Each creature is generated with a set range of stats/skills. Some of the stats/skills may be fixed and can only be one value. Others may have a minimum and maximum range. In the latter case, it’s a roll of the dice. It is possible, though, for a particular creature to have the maximum stats/skills for its kind upon spawning, but that’s highly unlikely." "Do the mod intensities from runic made armors/weapons still have a linear distribution?" Yes they do - what this means is if a runic hammer has an intensity range of 60% to 100%, it's exactly as likely to get a 60% intensity property as a 100% intensity property. "What is the barding difficulty for players and other NPC who can't be lored? Does hit point affect barding difficulty of players the same way as on other monsters?" A creature or NPC treats a player character as having a barding difficulty of 125, with one possible exception - if the player has been Discorded, his barding difficulty will be 120. Hit points, skills, stats, etc, do not affect that value - it's fixed. NPCs, even human ones, have a barding difficulty range based on their stats/skills/etc. just like any other creature does. What's To Come: The big news this week is that we are rapidly approaching a Test Center publish - shooting for mid-next week, barring complications. We also have the next event all QAed and ready for live testing - some of you may remember that the clock has been ticking in Moonglow for quite some time. Well, that clock is winding down... Since these announcements have been stretched out over several weeks, I've consolidated them all here so you get an idea of some of the non-event-related things that are going to be in this publish (this is not the full list of publish notes, just the highlights): New this week: Darkwood Armor will now have 100 Luck instead of Night Sight as part of its set bonus More relatively minor worldbuilding fixes (incorrect tiles, spots where players got stuck) Insured items can no longer be placed on a vendor for sale Hairdressers and body sculptors will no longer go on walkabout Several other smaller bugs and exploits fixed Previously announced: Weapons should no longer lose properties when runic- or exceptionally-crafted. This should apply to everything, including ML recipe weapons ML recipe bows will be able to be exceptionally crafted and get the Arms Lore bonus as well Greater Dragons will give scales and barbed leather Armor that doesn't have a meditation penalty - like leather armor - won't lose properties when runic-crafted Runic-crafted elven armor won't roll Night Sight as a property Parasitic, Darkglow, and Invisibility potions can be placed into kegs Greater dragons are visibly named "Greater dragons" Fixed a couple of worldbuilding trouble spots (places where folks would get stuck - one in Wrong, one in Magincia.) Made several fixes that we ain't telling you about until they're live on all shards ;) Pet Ball Changes: Pet summoning balls should unhide the summoner when attempting to summon her pet. Pet summoning balls should have a couple second casting animation with the chance to disrupt like other spellcasting. Pet summoning balls should have a reuse delay of 15 seconds. Pet summoning balls cannot be used while in animal form. Here is how the new AI should behave: Commands: Guard - The pet should guard as it does currently. Follow - The pet should follow. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. (unless it is guarding) Come - The pet should walk to. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. (unless it is guarding) Kill/Attack - The pet will attack its target as it does currently. Stop - The pet will stop attacking. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked, and may wander. Stay - The pet will stay where it is currently, and will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. (unless it is guarding) Note: The pet will revert out of passive mode if the pet's owner dies, if the pet is stabled, traded, player character transfers, player and pet log off, etc. QA is currently reviewing these changes internally. Once the changes pass internal review, they should appear on a public Test Center for an upcoming publish. Examples of new macro command combinations: You can tell your pet to guard while it's following you. This will put it in autodefend mode for itself and its master. To turn off guarding, tell your pet to stop or kill/attack. So for passive follow, you could do 'pet name' stop, 'pet name' follow me, and it will ignore attacks on you or your pet. For autodefend follow, you could do 'pet name' guard, 'pet name' follow me or 'pet name' follow me then 'pet name' guard. It doesn't matter what order you initiate the guard command. While your guarded, autodefend should work as normal. The pet will follow you in this case, but will fight whatever attacks you or itself. Next week should be exciting - we can't wait to get this build up on Test. It's just so satisfying to clean up so many of these old issues, plus the event has been a long time coming! Jeremy
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Project Zoo - The Start
Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008, 1:04 PM EDT by kayne (Europa)
After some insistence from members of the Europa community a new initiative to fill the Moonglow zoo was launched. Cleverly titled ‘Project Zoo’ it involved a group of willing people bringing various characters to the very back of Destard. The idea is simple some tamers will team up with a few mages and warrior types and go into Destard. The tamers would busy themselves with the Drakes that spawn in the area and the mages and warriors would keep water elementals and wyverns at bay. The drakes would be tamed and then gated with their new owners to the Moonglow zoo where they would be donated in order to gain points and eventually fill the zoo. Here we can see Miss Piper Lullabie of YF hard at work to tame the latest recruit for the project. Here she is arriving at the zoo with her new friend who seemed very willing to help in the cause. (Then again maybe he just wanted rid of his new owner as quick as possible). The evening started with the zoo collection needing around 106,000 points before the zoo would reach tier 3. As we can see here after a short while of everyone working together and the wonderful Europa community coming together we had knocked this total down to 92,547. This works out to be roughly 33 drakes tamed in a short period. Here is Lord Beltain of T/C who joined the effort as a tamer leading one of his new friends through a gate ready to put towards the effort. Here he is again in the middle of saying some nice words to try and get the same drake to follow him around. Finally we have Lord Findecano of SRC with his fiery friend at the zoo. Here we have what is very likely a rare sight at the zoo, the three gates all at the same time of these three wonderful tamers. The evening ended with the points having dropped to a nice total of around 76,000 (sadly I don’t seem to have my screenshot of this final total) This was an amazing 30,000 worth of points an amazing effort from all involved. At an estimate this meant that around 75 Drakes were tamed in this one small amount of time. Imagine what could happen if more people got involved in this over a longer period of time. Our final picture is of everyone who got involved in this, a big thank you to them all. Big thanks to Piper Lullabie for her pictures from inside Destard that she kindly sent over to me.
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A Day in Despise and an Ancient Evil Awakens
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008, 7:46 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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My Kingdom for a Greater chicken!!!!

Posted on Wednesday, March 12, 2008, 8:31 PM EDT by Oriana (Baja)

UG.K Presents:

The Top Dog Challenge!!

What an exciting night this proved to be! Some of Baja’s finest tamers came out for this spectacular event, to pit their faithful pets against one another.

The chicken fights were the first on the docket. The arena was designed specifically to allow the pets owners to command their pets but not allow spells or bandages to be used. Participants were instructed to leave their animals in the arena while they went to the small rooms on opposing corners to await the start of the face off.

Once the wall dropped the fighting began. Only having four birds in this round, it was not long before we had a winner.

Pairs and winners(shown in red):

1st Round- Barnyard Bully- owner- Jalad the Hunter vs. Cluck Norris owner Josephine

2^nd Round- Catchitore- owner Hudrimethal vs. Extra Crispy owner Darwyn

3^rd and Final Round- Extra Crispy vs. Cluck Norris

Cluck Norris and his owner Josephine of PAK were proudly awarded their million gold prize! Well done!!

After the crowd had settled down from the excitement of the Chicken match, it was time to turn it over to the dogs!!

Seven dogs stood ready in the prep arena downstairs from the fight arena, waiting for the bloodshed to begin!! One owner was already upstairs preparing in the arena.

Again the tamers took their place in the arena with their loyal pets to face the next challenge. Many battles took place, one after another each with a different winner. Some battles were seemingly going to end badly for one then suddenly the tides would turn at the last moment leaving the crowd stunned by the results.

But in the end there could only be one winner. After many devastating deaths and as many glorious victories, the winner was determined.

Pairs and Winners(shown in red):

1^st Round- Pancho- owner- vs. Cereberus owner- Lord Nightmare

2^nd Round- Meanbitich-II owner- Lord Alanon vs. Jackal owner- Lord Milrado

3^rd Round- Kamikakushi- owner- Kiljaedon vs. Redline- owner- Lady Gemstone

4^th Round- ooOOOoOOooo- owner- Logoth vs. Steel Death- owner- Lord Yalp

5^th Round- Redline vs. Jackal

6^th Round- Cerberus vs. Steel Death

7^th and Final Round- Steel Death vs. Jackal

Lord Milrado and his brut of a cu sidhe, Jackal, were awarded the prize of 4 million gold.

The end of the event was filled with congratulations to the winners and gratitude towards our gracious hosts. UG.K had once again held a fantastic event. Fine organization coupled with a wonderful crowd that acted with honor and restraint made this event a very enjoyable experience for all those that attended and participated.

Well done UG.K. And well done Baja.

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The Pharaoh's Cup! Sunday, April 6th, at 3PM EST!
Posted on Wednesday, March 12, 2008, 10:56 AM EDT by EricksonYates (Atlantic)
Jingle, Jangle, Jumble, Jump! This just in from our friends with The Hand of Ra! Looks like a fun time! I know I will try and be there! ======================================== In celebration of Lord Ramses passing his crown to his son, the Annual Pharaoh's cup will be held in his son, Rameses II's honor! This is a special boat race that shall begin in New Haven and end in another fine city in the realm. The rules are as follows: -Each ship may be manned by 2-3 person teams. -Each team will receive a bag with colored cloaks and a clue. -The team must work together to follow the clue to the next checkpoint where they will receive and item and the next clue. This will continue until the finish. -The first team that reaches the finish line with all the clue books and items wins. -There will be a First place, second place and third place winner. The first place winner will also receive the golden urn in symbolism of the Pharaoh's cup. Please reply to this article if you wish to register a team for the race, the date of the race will be announced within two to three weeks! Please note any help with prizes and donations would be graciously accepted. The Hand of Ra thanks you!
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Bad Boy Curly To Be Punished. Loot For All !
Posted on Wednesday, March 12, 2008, 7:08 AM EDT by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
~ Once again, FCB Great Lakes Captain Gem has decided that resident Bad Boy Curly must be punished. Curly has been harassing other crew, especially poor (and lovely) FiFi LaForge. Several members have reported various acts of insuborination and mutiny on Curly's part. Gem announced "We had to do this once before and Curly started sailing straight for awhile. Sadly, I have decided that we must punish Curly once more.Therefore, this coming Sunday night, we will gather at his house beginning at 9:00 p.m. CST and we will drop his house. All of his furnishings, rare items, and gold will fall to the ground to be lototed by members of the public. We will have gates from the Britain Main bank. His house is east of Minoc, just after you cross the bridge on the road its south along the water." When asked why Curly has been allowed to remain in the Fishing Council of Britannia, Gem shrugged and began muttering something about a promise she had made long ago to Curly's father after an incident with a kraken.
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Lady Kat's Birthday
Posted on Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 11:12 PM EDT by Ovrkill (Oceania)
Article Written By Cymoril It was a delightful Sunday afternoon and guests were beginning to arrive at the dungeon home that was to house Lady Kat's Birthday celebrations. It was wonderful to see so many recognisable faces, including *Sexy Jo, Lihan, Wild Rose, Lair Spirit, Warloq, Lady Joyce, Kizukai, Johan, Teeshy, Quintarias, Cadelin, CheShirE Smile* and of course *Lady Kat* herself! Everybody has also brought their own pet cat, as we had advised they would be needed for the games. Guests, in their robes, receive information about the afternoon. Over the mewing from the feline guests, Cymoril welcomed everyone as Katlene gave each party-goer a bag with a sunny yellow robe and a book. Cymoril explained the books were for everybody to write their own poem, verse or otherwise creative message in honour of Lady Kat. Lady Kat pointed out that flattery was greatly encouraged, as she would be the one judging it. But first, it was time for a game called "Kuriosity" which was very simply some questions about Lady Kat, so that everyone could get to know a bit more about her. There were eight questions and *Teeshy* somehow managed to answer FOUR of them correctly, and faster than anyone else! A prize was awarded to her, and also to *Kizukai, who answered three correctly, almost just as amazing. Teeshy mentioned she had been studying Lady Kat from afar. After that, it was up to the roof for a game of "Cat Escape". The way this worked was that each cat had to enter a teleporter area and when their owner called them, they would skulk within this area, bouncing off teleporters until they were eventually either teleported OUT, or teleported into the winner's pen. We played a few rounds to determine the winners, and they were as follows: Lair Spirit* (cat: Stealthy Spirit, first), *Lady Joyce* (cat: Joyce Kat, second) and *Teeshy* (cat: Merry Christmas, third). The cats leap around the teleporters in the second round. We then took a short break and headed to the dungeon/torture chamber, where guests saw four bodies splayed out on the floor. Katlene divided everybody into four teams and the rules of Torture Chamber Trivia were explained... Each team had their own victim, who they had to torture into providing information about the location of his loot. Each team's victim had a different location to divulge. UO Trivia questions were then asked, and whoever was the first correct to answer could choose a body part to be removed from their team's victim, and the victim would give a clue as to the wehereabouts of his loot. The correct answerer could then have a guess at the location, before the next question would be asked. Torture Chamber Trivia! All teams did very well, but it was team three who proved their powers of interrogation were second to none, as when Lair Spirit finally asked that we rip their victim's head off, they had enough information and Lair Spirit announced the location of their victim's loot was indeed the Adventurer's Needle (Tailor Shop) in Jhelom. Prizes were awarded to all members of the team: *Lair Spirit, Warloq* and *Lady Joyce. We headed back to the foyer/theatre and it was time for the cake! Katlene placed a delicious purple cake on display and then we all joined in a chorus of Happy Birthday before Katlene "sliced" the cake, giving some to everyone there. Guests sing along to Happy Birthday for Lady Kat.* Our bellies full, guests were now ready with their Odes to Lady Kat. Those who were willing read theirs aloud on stage, and a couple preferred just to pass their books directly to Lady Kat to read. All declared their affection for Lady Kat, with some very well-chosen words, and then Lady Kat announced the winners: *Kizukai* (first), *Quintarias* (second) and *Lair Spirit* (third). Kizukai performs his prize-winning poem. The party was over, and Lady Kat, being the important personage that she is, had to take her leave to attend to other matters. She thanked everybody for attending, and some of us thought we saw her smile, though that may have been due to the barrage of flattery just prior. As she left, guests were reminded to sign the bulletin board guestbook, which was compiled into a book and later, presented to Lady Kat as a keepsake. The Oceania Player Events Network would like to thank everybody who attended to help make this party successful, and disruption-free! Special thanks to Lady Kat for allowing us the opportunity to honour her in this way!
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Lady Kat's Birthday
Posted on Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 11:12 PM EDT by Ovrkill ()
Article Written By Cymoril It was a delightful Sunday afternoon and guests were beginning to arrive at the dungeon home that was to house Lady Kat's Birthday celebrations. It was wonderful to see so many recognisable faces, including *Sexy Jo, Lihan, Wild Rose, Lair Spirit, Warloq, Lady Joyce, Kizukai, Johan, Teeshy, Quintarias, Cadelin, CheShirE Smile* and of course *Lady Kat* herself! Everybody has also brought their own pet cat, as we had advised they would be needed for the games. Guests, in their robes, receive information about the afternoon. Over the mewing from the feline guests, Cymoril welcomed everyone as Katlene gave each party-goer a bag with a sunny yellow robe and a book. Cymoril explained the books were for everybody to write their own poem, verse or otherwise creative message in honour of Lady Kat. Lady Kat pointed out that flattery was greatly encouraged, as she would be the one judging it. But first, it was time for a game called "Kuriosity" which was very simply some questions about Lady Kat, so that everyone could get to know a bit more about her. There were eight questions and *Teeshy* somehow managed to answer FOUR of them correctly, and faster than anyone else! A prize was awarded to her, and also to *Kizukai, who answered three correctly, almost just as amazing. Teeshy mentioned she had been studying Lady Kat from afar. After that, it was up to the roof for a game of "Cat Escape". The way this worked was that each cat had to enter a teleporter area and when their owner called them, they would skulk within this area, bouncing off teleporters until they were eventually either teleported OUT, or teleported into the winner's pen. We played a few rounds to determine the winners, and they were as follows: Lair Spirit* (cat: Stealthy Spirit, first), *Lady Joyce* (cat: Joyce Kat, second) and *Teeshy* (cat: Merry Christmas, third). The cats leap around the teleporters in the second round. We then took a short break and headed to the dungeon/torture chamber, where guests saw four bodies splayed out on the floor. Katlene divided everybody into four teams and the rules of Torture Chamber Trivia were explained... Each team had their own victim, who they had to torture into providing information about the location of his loot. Each team's victim had a different location to divulge. UO Trivia questions were then asked, and whoever was the first correct to answer could choose a body part to be removed from their team's victim, and the victim would give a clue as to the wehereabouts of his loot. The correct answerer could then have a guess at the location, before the next question would be asked. Torture Chamber Trivia! All teams did very well, but it was team three who proved their powers of interrogation were second to none, as when Lair Spirit finally asked that we rip their victim's head off, they had enough information and Lair Spirit announced the location of their victim's loot was indeed the Adventurer's Needle (Tailor Shop) in Jhelom. Prizes were awarded to all members of the team: *Lair Spirit, Warloq* and *Lady Joyce. We headed back to the foyer/theatre and it was time for the cake! Katlene placed a delicious purple cake on display and then we all joined in a chorus of Happy Birthday before Katlene "sliced" the cake, giving some to everyone there. Guests sing along to Happy Birthday for Lady Kat.* Our bellies full, guests were now ready with their Odes to Lady Kat. Those who were willing read theirs aloud on stage, and a couple preferred just to pass their books directly to Lady Kat to read. All declared their affection for Lady Kat, with some very well-chosen words, and then Lady Kat announced the winners: *Kizukai* (first), *Quintarias* (second) and *Lair Spirit* (third). Kizukai performs his prize-winning poem. The party was over, and Lady Kat, being the important personage that she is, had to take her leave to attend to other matters. She thanked everybody for attending, and some of us thought we saw her smile, though that may have been due to the barrage of flattery just prior. As she left, guests were reminded to sign the bulletin board guestbook, which was compiled into a book and later, presented to Lady Kat as a keepsake. The Oceania Player Events Network would like to thank everybody who attended to help make this party successful, and disruption-free! Special thanks to Lady Kat for allowing us the opportunity to honour her in this way!
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Mooki & Gang Are All About FUN!
Posted on Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 8:41 PM EDT by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. Mooki & Gang Are All About FUN! Last night at MOA's Ice Castle I was given a rune to the FUN! Guild event plot but entered a gate provided at the Brit Bank this evening. It was Casino night and the third production/week of this event hosted by FUN! I first thing I noticed were the guild uniforms crafted by ADIDAS because of the purple and green combination, one of my favorites. I was informed the guild uniforms and the event plot were designed by Mooki, their fearless leader. The second thing I noticed was how well organized the staff was. The three dealers, No-Uh, Alba and Mackenzie knew thier jobs well, had their macroes set perfectly and were good at making the patrons feel comfortable not to mention being witty. We all enjoy some entertainment while we win or lose gold. The first patron to set up to the dealers table was Belmun. He was a high roller and having a grand time. As I sat on a bench crafted by Nathalia De Done I learned a lot about this guild by just watching. Lady Lava is not a gambler but enjoys being part of the audience. FUN! definitely likes to have fun. Connor, Silver, Falconess and Hydrox were other FUN! members at hand helping out with the nights event. Hopefully this guild will continue these event nights because they have the personalities to make it work. note: No-Uh I am told has an amazing rubble house and I look forward to visiting it in the future and showcasing it
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Editorial: Dungeon and Hunting Etiquette
Posted on Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 1:44 PM EDT by Ishtar (Atlantic)
How often is one hunting at a spawn in a dungeon or some other location to have it rudely interrupted or in some cases sabotaged in one way for another. Not to say there are true guidelines as to what is acceptable in these situations but more of an unspoken etiquette when hunting. I wish to address a few scenarios that tend to be, in my opinion disrespectful when hunting: 1. The unattended pet: This one is irksome as well as a violation of the Ultima Online and EA rules of conduct "You may not leave an active character or pet in game while unattended. If your character is performing a skill, text or action, you must be able to respond to a Game Master when one attempts to speak to you." * Not only is it a violation, it also does not allow for sharing of hunt spots or spawns. 2. The assumption of help: A group or individual that, thinking they are helping you take kills without asking. A good example would be those who seem overwhelmed by a group of monsters, though they may be working skill another player comes along and kills them all without even a word. Be kind to your fellow player and ask, "You need help." If you get no answer or they decline aid, then more than likely that player is doing fine. 3. The didn't you see I needed help situation: Now no one that I know are mind readers, if one needs aid and does not make it apparent at the time, screaming as to why no one healed them serves no purpose. Many players will aid a person in need if they feel it is necessary, however to assume other players will just know that one needs help may be a bit high of an expectation and unfair to your fellow player. 4. The spawn hog: A group or individual that takes a hunt location and runs off other players in that are by kill stealing and other tactics, such as insults, threats, luring (which in certain facets could be considered griefing), etc. It isn't a lot to ask to share a spot especially if another play asks to take turns. Ignoring that or intentionally going out of ones way to disrupt another's hunting is in the least rude. For example: you are hunting in a low spawn area, such as ice fiends where perhaps only one or two spawn, you are there for a while and another player shows up and begins attacking everything. This is also not a good way to get the spot. Ask if the other player wishes to take turns or if you need to kill a few for a quest if you may go ahead. Unwillingness to share is also just as rude, especially if asked. These are just some of my basic pet peeves when hunting and though there is no official rule set, its still good to keep in mind your fellow players. Not all will agree that this is the thing to do but courtesy to your fellow player, especially when hunting does go a long way. A good gesture tends to be remembered when misfortune occurs and you need that resurrection. I know I have not touched on all the things that can be annoyances to us when we are hunters but I hope that this shows that there is a way for everyone to hunt, have fun and still be respectful. -Ishtar-
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UO Bod Reward Calculator
Posted on Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 1:18 PM EDT by Xena Dragon (CommunityNews)
GreatPumpkinator has updated his UO Bod Reward Calculator, twice! Check out the new version and make sure to read the update history of versions 3.4 and 3.5. Enjoy!
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Spotlight: Ceinwyn ab'Arawn
Posted on Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 11:33 AM EDT by Lady Alessandra (Atlantic)
Recently I was in Umbra admiring the unique decor within its inn when the matriarch of Umbra happened to come across me and invited me to come and enjoy the hospitalities of their tavern, The Den of Sin. I have often been intrigued by this dark, mysterious woman, and accepting her offer, we made our way to the tavern and after we were served our drinks by a quiet hooded man, the matriarch and I began our conversation... Lady Alessandra: Matriarch... thank you for having me in your cough lovely tavern. I have long been interested in getting to know you better, even though many times it seems we are on opposite sides of the fence... May I ask, for the record, what is your name and your profession? Tell us a little about yourself, if you do not mind... Ceinwyn ab'Arawn: My name is Ceinwyn ab'Arawn and I am the arch matriarch of Umbra. I am a necromancer by all means of the word. I was born in the city of Trinsic about 240 years ago... yes... 240 years... now you know why I call most everyone child smiles... after much wandering about Sosaria, Umbra is now my home. Some consider me to be of the evil allignment, but personally I feel justified sending the ignorant to their deaths... *Lady Alessandra: coughs again and shifts in her seat* Can you tell me about the others that reside here in the Realm of Umbra, your family? Ceinwyn ab'Arawn: The The Realm of Umbra is a beacon of freedom to those who find themselves unaccepted or cast out by the so-called normal societies. It arose from the ashes of former empires that had ruled in Umbra. Currently, we have about 50 members or more. We truly are one big dark family. Lady Alessandra: What do you think makes the Realm of Umbra different from the other nations and guilds within Sosaria? Who do you think poses the biggest threat to your Realm?** Ceinwyn ab'Arawn: We are accepting of all walks of life.. or undeath. Usually, a guild will tend to drift toward a particular race, etc. Also, we are very knowlegeable on the history of Sosaria. I've only seen a few others that are as knowledgeable as we are. As for who is the biggest threat laughs slightly I think that the Brittanian Protectorate is a large enough force to pose a threat, but things are always changing here in Sosaria, are they not? Lady Alessandra: Who would you say has been your greatest influence? Ceinwyn ab'Arawn: The biggest influence for me, hmm. I would say necromancy guides many of my actions. Also, I served in the army of the Dark Order, a militaristic force based in Dark Cove. Also, Cear Dallben with his unique strangeness and gift for originality... Lady Alessandra: Matriarch, what have your fondest memories been? There have been many changes in the world over the years, do you feel these changes have benefited or hindered your guild as a whole? Ceinwyn ab'Arawn: The changes and discoveries made within Sosaria are of great use to us. Many magics and techniques have been unearthed and lend aid to our efforts. As for fondest memory... hmm...there was the time we froze Molly of Luna...that was amusing... Another favorite was the time I was sparring with Zalar Soulblight, and he and I fell off of the roof of my house. I landed the killing blow mid-air and his corpse plummeted instantly into bones half way down... cackles happily Lady Alessandra: What are you plans for the future matriarch? Is there anything we don't know that you wish divulged? Ceinwyn ab'Arawn: Yes.. our guild secretly yearns to dress in all pink and we are planning to destroy the city of Trinsic smiles slightly We will continue to host public events. Amd lastly we invite all to join us in enlightening the world. The Virtues are a lie! Lord British only implemented them to restore the Gem of Immortality for his own twisted purposes. *Lady Alessandra: looks down at her timepiece* Matriarch... thank you very much for this time. Perhaps another time we can sit and discuss this in much more detail...** Ceinwyn ab'Arawn: Of course waves her hand dismissively it was a pleasure Aless smiles slightly please come again and next time I will have cheesecake!
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Looking for a few good pens!
Posted on Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 12:24 AM EDT by Mithaniel Razil (Atlantic)
Are your shoes worn thin from traveling from town to town? Is your voice hoarse and sore from speaking with citizens across Britannia? Have a knack for putting pen to paper and writing an excellent story? Then perhaps UO Stratics' Atlantic News Page is the place where you can not only show off your talent but also help bring the community together with interesting, exciting stories and news items about the Atlantic Shard and her citizens. UO Stratics is currently looking for active, talented citizens of Atlantic to add to our crack team of top-notch Ultima Online reporters. As a volunteer you are required to: * Be a competent writer * Be an active, knowledgeable member of the Atlantic community * Be willing to attend events and quests, interview VIPs, report news of interest to the community * Be able to dedicate a minimum of six hours per week to writing and/or posting news items * Have a familiarity with basic HTML * Be pro-active Does the above describe you? Then what are you waiting for??? Apply... right now... do not hesitate! Simply fill out this brief questionnaire and fire off an e-mail to [email protected] with “Atlantic Reporter Application" as the subject. 1. Real name 2. Contact e-mail address 3. ICQ, AIM, MSN number (if applicable) 4. Stratics username and character name (this must be the character name you will be reporting with) 5. Rate your HTML knowledge from 1-10, where 1 is poor and 10 is phenomenal 6. Answer this: Why do you wish to be a shard reporter for UO Stratics? 7. Include a brief writing sample, no more than 500 words (no attachments) 8. Any questions??? Good luck to all applicants!
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Hand of Ra Mystic Garden Mini Event
Posted on Monday, March 10, 2008, 11:01 PM EDT by EricksonYates (Atlantic)
Jingle, Jangle, Jumble, Jump there, folks! Erickson Yates here! Got a little news about an event that happened recently. I myself was not there sadly, but our good friend Mithaniel was in some form I guess. I don't know really. I just know that when your News Manager tells you to toss something up there for him, you do it! Here is what he gave me! ============================================= There was a good turn out for the Hand of Ra Mystic Garden Mini Event. Lots of prizes and fun were had among all. Lady Kero had two very fun games. The first game was easy. Each guest was handed a rune, fifty total were handed out. Six of these runes were winners, two for each of three locations. At each spot a member of the Hand of Ra stood to hand out the prizes they were as follows: Location 1 - The Lady Aulbrey Winners: Tabula Rasa and Wynn, they received a gold skull each. Location 2 - The Lord Rameses II Winners: Wizzax Wear Inc. and Padishar Creel, both received a 100k check. Location 3 - The Lady ishtar Winners: Dark Drizzit and BraveLil Toaster, each won a commodity deed for 10k arrows. Game two was a mini scavenger hunt of sorts. Lady Kero asked for an item and the first person to put that item in a trade window with her won a prize: 1. Item: Tribal Berry Prize: Sentinel's Guard Winner: LillyAnn 2. Item: Red Leather bound book Prize: 2 bolts of pure white cloth Winner: Static 3. Item: Crystalline Fragments Prize: A 3 rune book set, Trammel cities, Felucca Cities & Trammel Dungeons Winner: Dark Drizzit 4. Item: Regular NPC Hair dye Prize: Powder of Fortification Winner: BraveLil Toaster 5. Item: Stout whip Prize: 100k gold check Winner: Dark Drizzit 6. Item: Peppercorn Fish Steak Prize: 2 bolts of pure white cloth Winner: Robot Chicken 7. Item: Monk's Robe Prize: 110 taming, 110 animal lore and 110 veterinary power scrolls Winner: Padishar Creel 8. Item: Bubbling flask Prize: Gold Skull Winner: Robot Chicken 9. Item: Plague Beast Mutation Core Prize: AOS blessed cloak Winner: Dark Drizzit 10. Item: 10 Fertile Dirt Prize: 100k gold check Winner: Padishar Creel 11. Item: Communication crystal Prize: 100k gold check Winner: Sunshine All of the Hand of Ra helped with prizes and donations and hoped all who participated had a good time. A special thanks goes to Lord Chase from RK for donating 2 million gold to help sponsor this event! Stay tuned next month there will be another Mystic Garden mini event and others as well presented by the Hand of Ra!
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Woman Stuck in The Ethers, Pirate Goes Bottomless
Posted on Monday, March 10, 2008, 8:31 PM EDT by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
This was not just any night at Ice Castle! Arriving at the MOA Ice Castle in a pretty spring outfit consisting of lavender AoS sandies and dress, sigil neckless given to me by Nemo years ago, floppy hat in a muted purple shade crafted by Giorgio Armani and a pair of Transparent Hearts in my ears I knew something was not right. Even my new sigil hued bunny named Prolificator sensed an oddness in the air. It was Chests of Doom and Delights and no Vanna was not in sight which is indeed most odd. Melian informed me that Vanna was " Stuck in the ethers " and would not be hosting the evenings event. No Vanna for Chests of Doom and Delight !?!?! UNHEARD OF! The game started on the slow side with Malikae playing hostess, not her usual gig, also not to mention the hair and pointy ears working against her. I even offered to take Vanna's place and die. That did bring up a suggestion by one patron....."celebrity deaths on CD&D nights". Soon enough the castle filled up and the ball was rolling and Malikae was dieing. Though I love Malikae dearly knowone dies like Vanna! Great items were in the chests as always and a rubble tree slipped out of my hands :(. Easy come, easy go I say, not to mention great fun. Just before the evening ended Vanna arrived in the purple/lavender section thru thin air. Vanna was not the only late comer. That trouble making Curly the Dread from FCB burst into the castle bottomless! Yes bottomless and ranting and raving looking for Gem, the Fleet Caption of FCB. Many patrons asked him to cover himself as the ladies in the castle covered their eyes, though I saw a few, including Mother Nature, taking a peek. Curly claimed that Gem was stealing from him, even taking his clothes including his pants. He went on to blame all the MOA members as siding against him even Pratt! Running up and down the rows of benches he indeed found what he was looking for....Gem! Most guilds have a trouble maker, and Curly is FCB's. For those of you that have been in the land of the Great Lakes for some time you know this is not the first time Curly has acted up and for sure not the last!
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Dawn Open House Tour Huge Success

Posted on Monday, March 10, 2008, 8:07 PM EDT by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Dawn Open House Tour

Saturday, March 1, 2008, Lady WildStar, Grand Duchess of Dawn, graciously opened the homes of the historic, player-ran city Kingdom of Dawn for a public tour. There was a large turnout for the event with many guilds were represented.

The tour began at the ‘Dawn Tower’, where Lady WildStar graciously greeted guests. While guests sampled the many fine foods available, Lady WildStar shared stories of Dawn’s long and colorful history as one of the first player-ran cities established in Britannia.

Lady WildStar then invited us outside to begin the tour of the Kingdom of Dawn buildings:

The first building on the tour was the Dawn Northern Outpost, which serves as a marker to indicate you are entering Dawn.

Then to The Greenhouse, where Brother Antos tends his plants

The Merchant Hall was one of the buildings totally redecorated for the tour. The build is divided into work areas, and provides a comfortable, convenient place for the Dawn crafters to work their trades.

The Dawn Royal Palace was partially redecorated for the tour. The King and Queen are on a long journey and it is not know when they will return. Prince Riain, their son, lives and works within the Kingdom.

The Grandfathered Mining Houses ... You will notice there is no space between the houses, and there is an anvil and forge outside.

The Dawn Library, which was newly built because of the huge number of books in Dawn's collection, now houses an extensive collection of player-written books.

The house dedicated to Lord Will Avengem, who left Dawn to serve his country following September 11, 2001.

The buildings of the Dawn Royal Navy

The Ethereal Inn and Rune Library where weary travelers may rest before continuing their journey.

The Hall of Knights, where, after a long day or night of patrolling the Kingdom, the Knights of Dawn enjoy relaxing in front of the fireplace, and find the fish soothing.

The Museum of Dreams houses many fine examples of true rares and Britannia history.

Many took the opportunity to end the evening by soaking their tired feet in the GoV Memorial Fountain.

Thank you, Lady WildStar, for opening your city and graciously sharing the history of the Kingdom of Dawn with the residents of Baja. If your guild or group of friends would like a private tour of the city, please contact Lady WildStar, ICQ 8040775, to make arrangements.

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Overview of the UO:KR Client Available
Posted on Monday, March 10, 2008, 6:17 PM EDT by Watchertoo (CommunityNews)
This just sent to us by our friends at The Syndicate®: An Overview Of The UO:KR Client The UO:KR client came out in 2007. It struggled with bugs and performance issues that caused a large number of players to steer clear of using it. A number of patches were released such that by mid-Feb 2008 the client was in pretty good shape and offered a bunch of useful features to players. The Syndicate® created a series of articles that were used internally in the guild to help educate the members on the new client and the options they might find useful. Those articles have been compiled into a single guide that has been made available on their website to all players. You can find a copy of the article HERE.
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Stratics Forum Menu Updated-UO Toolbar
Posted on Monday, March 10, 2008, 5:16 PM EDT by Larisa (CommunityNews)
From our Friends at UO Toolbar! Stratics Forum Menu Updated The UO Stratics Forum menu in the UO Toolbar's Community\|Forums menu has been totally redesigned. In it you will find most of the forum's feature functions, and direct links to all of the UOS Forum boards. This will provide faster & more direct access, and should be a big benefit to both UO Stratics regular & casual visitors, and staff alike. Also all the forums in the Community\|Forums menu were checked... those with new forum URLs were updated when they could be found, and those with broken & unredirected URLs were deleted. If you have a forum or any other site that you would like to include in the UO Toolbar or other GameXbar ... please feel free to post submissions on the GameXbar Support Forum. Thanks! Sincerely, Nok UO Toolbar
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Story Teller Night at Road To Hope Tavern 7P Central
Posted on Monday, March 10, 2008, 10:33 AM EDT by Daine (Origin)
n Saturday March 15th (Third Saturday of the month). Come share some laughs and enjoy stories, poems, history, anecdotes and jokes after a long day of fighting, shopping, peerless or discovery. This is a great way for all players new and old, Origin and across the shards to come together, drink, eat and be merry. The tavern also hosts a wrestling pit, dice pit and dart boards for additional drunken recreation following the stories. The Road to Hope Tavern is located in the player town of Icelyn at 97 deg 50 min North and 14 deg 37 min East. (Just south of the Icelyn Rune Library). In the past we have had some extraordinary storytellers from across the shards and from Origin. Come and experience something special.
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Auctions for Lake Superior - Week of March 10th
Posted on Monday, March 10, 2008, 4:31 AM EDT by Lady Tia (LakeSuperior)
The following are our Auctions for this week on Lake Superior: FATE Auction Date: Wednesday, March 12 Time: 6:45 CST Location: Road West of Umbra by Orc Fort Contact: Dosa Ravengard - ICQ 302871673 YGV Auction Date: Thursday, March 13 Time: 7:00 p.m. CST Location: Northwest of Yew Moongate BEC Auction No BEC Auction this week. Next one is scheduled for March 21st. Location: BEC Auction House - South of Luna Contact: Lady Tia - ICQ 23944805
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Community Meet Up - Week 162
Posted on Sunday, March 9, 2008, 10:18 PM EDT by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Community Meet Up - Week 162 Date: Every Monday Night Time: 7:30PM CST Location: Skara Brae Community Center Meeting Agenda: We'll hear weekly announcements of upcoming events and hunts for Lake Superior from Sabina our events coordinator. The weekly community meetings, events, hunts, etc are always open to the public. No invitations needed! Everyone is always welcome to come ask questions, make plans, or make announcements. Bring a friend if you can make it, tell a friend if you can't!
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226th Assembly of the 7th High Council
Posted on Sunday, March 9, 2008, 10:14 PM EDT by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
*226th Assembly of the 7th High Council* Date: Monday, March 10, 2008 Time: 10:00 PM EDT/9:00 PM CDT Location: Magincia Parliament Buildings, Trammel Facet Meeting Agenda: Several announcements from Lady Leeda An announcement from Lady Maggie Stweart An Other items to be announced at the meeting Lord Buzz Aldridge Chancellor of Virtue, High Council of Britannia
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Community Hunt - week of March 10
Posted on Sunday, March 9, 2008, 10:13 PM EDT by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Want to go hunting but don't have a big enough group? Are you looking for good guides to dungeons you've yet to explore? The community hunts are open to everyone! Come show your support for the Lake Superior community and take a walk on the wild side at the same time. Meet some new and old friends and have a bit of a challenge along the way. Moonglow Zoo Community Collections Night Date: Tuesday, March 11 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Peerless Hunt (Mondain's Legacy Required) Date: Wednesday, March 12 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Blood Dungeon crawl Date: Thursday, March 13 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Ilshenar Champ Spawn Hunt Date: Friday, March 14 Time: 9:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Hosts: Taeara Mi'aken And remember, these hunts are for everyone, regardless of their skill level or guild affiliation. Come meet new friends, see new places, gain experience and just have fun. Sabina Nikolai, High Marshall, Community Hunt Organizer The Order of the Silver Rose
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Wild Rose Inn and Cafe - Celebrating The Green
Posted on Sunday, March 9, 2008, 4:50 PM EDT by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. Wild Rose Inn and Cafe – Celebrating the Green St. Patrick is believed to have driven the snakes from Ireland. Once a pagan himself, St. Patrick is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. Today we celebrate the day with green beer, green clothing, green flowers and holiday images such as the green clover and lucky horse shoe. The Wild Rose Inn and Cafe has festooned the first floor in grand style for the upcoming holiday next week, from the popular green ale to pots of gold. This is a must see and visit this time of year. The use of plant rubble to accent is a nice touch and green! Be sure to venture to the upper levels while there. On the second floor you will be greeted by Fielding the Inn Keeper. If you ask nicely he may show you the three well designed bedrooms on that level. There is also a public reading table with stacks of books on that level. The third floor houses more bedrooms to choose from and a cozy romantic place for an intimate dinner off of one of the bedrooms. I have a feeling that is the wedding suite or a popular rendezvous spot for dinner before a tryst. The owner of this plot, Newcastle Arms, knows how to use a design tool and green dye tub not to mention much more!
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The Chicks Are Chirping ( and Melian ) About Big MOA Plans For 2008
Posted on Sunday, March 9, 2008, 2:47 PM EDT by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
Well Hello Lady Lava! Say, this is Melian of Majestic Oaks Auction house. I wanted to let you in a little inside information between friends. The rest of the 2008 Majestic Oaks Auction calendar is now posted in Stratics! Let me tell you there are some big things planned for 2008! February saw the Valentine's holiday come with lots of goodie bags, and prizes of things from days gone by that given to some of the newer generations to Britannia. Auctions will be ongoing on their usual Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. CST. Each month will host at least one little something special for the citizens of the realm. From free ale to warm up all those St. Patrick's day celebrators, to an Easter (Spring) Event leading us into summer with fireworks and fall which will bring a visit to fashions of yester-year to Goblins and ghouls at Halloween and many surprises in between. Now we wouldn't want word to leak out that so much is brewing, just yet so keep this on the down low? Ah yes, I knew you'd understand. Yes.. shh! I was never here to talk to you. Sorry Melian.....the cat's ( I mean Chicks ) out of the bag. Lady Lava
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PGoH Jousting Tournament
Posted on Sunday, March 9, 2008, 12:42 PM EDT by Vallend (Catskills)
Saturday night, March 8th the PGoH (Purple Guardians of Honor) held a jousting tournament, at the PGoH Jousting Arena in Trammel, that was open to anyone whom had the 10,000 gold entry fee. The rules were simple the mounts had to be standard horses, only GM crafted non-runic or NPC purchased armor, No jewelry or amulets, and all contestants must wear a helmet and carry a shield. Points were scored by dismounting your opponent and each match was the best two out of three runs. (Though in one case both knights dismounted each other and a fourth run was required.) The first round: Marcus Valgus verses Thor – Marcus won this quickly with two dismounts in a row Veese verses Lord Lazarus – This match was called after an unfortunate death (Turns out that Veese lacked training in tactics training and could not do the dismount) Kate Hawkings verses Catlord – This match went four runs after the third being a tie with Kate pulling out the victory Obake verses Tyr W. Antilles – Obake won this one taking two out of the three runs The second round: Marcus Valgus verses Kate hawkings – Marcus once again won this with two dismounts in a row The Championship Round: Marcus Valgus verses Obake – Marcus road to victory and the grand prize by taking two out of the three runs Here is the final standing as released by the PGoH: First place Obake of GRI Second place Marcus Valgos of DB4/Byz Third place Tyr W Antilles of PGoH Thom Emperor of the PGoH stated that they have plans on running another jousting event next month for those who may wish to watch or take part in it.
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~ OBITUARY COLUMN ~ 3 / 9 / 08
Posted on Sunday, March 9, 2008, 7:50 AM EDT by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. OBIT COLUMN ~ 3 / 9 / 08 Clockwork Flame Kayla Ren'ai Skywise
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UO Player Q&A
Posted on Saturday, March 8, 2008, 9:27 PM EST by Larisa (GeneralNews)
This just in from our friends here on Stratics!!! Lately it seems that not only do we have a surge of new players, but we've also had some returning vets loaded with questions, and not really sure were to go to ask So what's changed since I've been gone??? Well fear not, returning vets! UOHall, while a lovely place to visit, just doesn't quite get you ALL the information you seek...SO we here at Stratics decided to give the New Players Corner a bit of love. The Title New Players Corner seems geared towards, well..New Players! But since we have returning vets that might have the same questions, we don't want them to feel..noobish grins by having to visit the New Players Corner...SO we've re-vamped the forum and renamed it... UO Player Q&A UO Player Q&A Are you a new player with questions? Or perhaps a veteran who needs a refresher course? Welcome to the UO Players Q&A Forum where FAQ stands for Frequently Answered Questions! This is the place where specific questions can be asked and elusive answers and tips can be found. Knowledgeable and courteous players and staff are always willing to lend a hand!. We can't answer you if you don't ask! We hope that new AND old players alike will utilize this new old forum to find the answers you seek!
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CCC Luna Vendor House Giveaway - AGAIN
Posted on Saturday, March 8, 2008, 1:26 PM EST by Daine (Origin)
CCC Luna Vendor House Giveaway AGAIN Can you imagine not showing up to take possession of your Luna House? Well that is what the winner of the Luna House give away did today. They were supposed to have taken over the ownership Saturday morning, March 8. Since they did not show up on the agreed on time, Bacivier and Crystal Canyon of CCC are giving away a Luna Vendor House AGAIN in honor of the birth of thier grandson, Levon Martae on February 7th, 2008 whose arrival was long awaited. In thanks to the community, this plot is being given away in an expresssion of gratitude to all who cared, listened and proved that we are not just pixels in a game but friends. All this week, March 8 - March 15, you will find runes in Luna, on the ground, that say "CCC Vendors". Pick them up. On Saturday night, March 15, at 6P Central, Bacivier and Crystal will be at the special Luna House Giveaway location designated by only one of the runes dropped. If your rune brings you to this location, you will become the proud owner of that Luna House. All of the runes are to safe locations. The Luna House is in the SW corner of the Luna Mall. Good luck to all of Origin. As you pick up runes and use them Saturday night, once again think of the generosity of these true Origin Originals.
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New Player Q&A Panel * 4P Central * March 9
Posted on Friday, March 7, 2008, 9:30 PM EST by Daine (Origin)
unday on March 9, 2008 from 4-5P Central at the New Haven Theatre there will be a shard hosted New Player Q&A Panel. What are the Virtues? What skills are good for a Mage? A Warrior? Where are the best places to train? What is a talisman? How do I train for spirit speak? What is pvp? What is pvm? What are the facets? All players are invited to attend this event where the new players and returning vets can come and ask questions of a panel of Origin vets and hopefully get questions they have, answered. Please encourage any new players and returning vets to attend this event.
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Five on Friday (Skill Stacks/Wood and Spawn Rate/Taming/Stable Slots)
Posted on Friday, March 7, 2008, 8:46 PM EST by Daine (Origin)
FoF: Triple Digits Frostwood rarity, stable slots, and more in this 100th FoF! March 7, 2008 "Does the skill decrease from Discord and -skill items (like Mage weapons) stack??" Yes, the two effects can stack. -- "Can we go over the spawn rates for the various woods? This came up at the Town Hall - people are complaining that the higher-end woods seem disproportionately rare." Leurocian and I scoured the lumberjacking and mining code and discovered that the spawn rate for Frostwood is 1% (as intended.) We couldn't find any bugs or inconsistencies that would make it spawn any less - it's marginally more rare than Valorite, but we're talking four tenths of a percent more rare. The other rare woods are 2%, 3%, and 5% as intended. However. There is a factor that could make Frostwood harder to gather. It's kind of twisted, so bear with me. See, each 8x8 area has a finite amount of resources - be it ore or wood. The amount is comparable between mining and lumberjacking, but there is a critical difference. Each swing of the axe nets you 10 wood, whereas each swing of the pick nets you at most 2 metal. This means you can drain a node in fewer attempts in lumberjacking than in mining. Why does this matter? Because you're not guaranteed colored resources each swing - you have a 40% (or 60% if you're elven) chance to get colored wood or ore with each swing. If you take fewer swings, you get fewer chances to get colored wood before the node is dry. If that's one of the 1 in 100 8x8 areas that has Frostwood, you may well get no Frostwood at all. Whereas with mining, you get a lot more chances to get at least some colored ore. This can affect how much colored wood you actually get, and it REALLY affects your perception of how much of the rarer woods there are - you may never know that that was a Frostwood tree, and it may randomize away before you can try it again. There is a simple solution to this - make Lumberjacking give less wood per chop. Pluses are more chances to get colored wood, comparable to metal, and more chances to get a skill gain. Minuses, well, it just takes more chops to get the same amount of wood. Thoughts? Questions? Let us know! -- "The Playguide page on Animal Taming makes no mention of the additional 4% skill loss if the animal is paralyzed during taming. It would also be useful to confirm whether discordance or peacemaking during taming will also result in skill loss." There is an additional 4% skill loss penalty after taming if the creature is paralyzed, and I'll add that to the Playguide page - thanks for the catch! Leurocian also checked, and Discord and Peacemaking have no effect on the creature's post-taming skills. -- "Can we have more stable slots?" This is the kind of question that I usually skip for the Five on Friday, but what with the 5-slot dragons and purple bunnies and all, it's quite the hot topic. The answer is, we'd like to, but there is some research we need to do before we can add something like that. What will the impact be on our server storage space? Are there any optimizations we'd have to make to handle that new volume of data? This is the sort of thing we'd need to look into, and we don't have the answers off the top of our heads. It may well be something we do - as I said, we'd like to - but we can't make any promises right now. -- What's To Come: There are a couple of substantial tweaks to pet balls and pet AI coming: Pet Ball Changes: Pet summoning balls should unhide the summoner when attempting to summon her pet. Pet summoning balls should have a couple second casting animation with the chance to disrupt like other spellcasting. Pet summoning balls should have a reuse delay of 15 seconds. Pet summoning balls cannot be used while in animal form. Here is how the new AI should behave: Commands: Guard - The pet should guard as it does currently. Follow - The pet should follow. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. (unless it is guarding) Come - The pet should walk to. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. (unless it is guarding) Kill/Attack - The pet will attack its target as it does currently. Stop - The pet will stop attacking. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked, and may wander. Stay - The pet will stay where it is currently, and will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. (unless it is guarding) Note: The pet will revert out of passive mode if the pet's owner dies, if the pet is stabled, traded, player character transfers, player and pet log off, etc. QA is currently reviewing these changes internally. Once the changes pass internal review, they should appear on a public Test Center for an upcoming publish. Examples of new macro command combinations: You can tell your pet to guard while it's following you. This will put it in autodefend mode for itself and its master. To turn off guarding, tell your pet to stop or kill/attack. So for passive follow, you could do 'pet name' stop, 'pet name' follow me, and it will ignore attacks on you or your pet. For autodefend follow, you could do 'pet name' guard, 'pet name' follow me or 'pet name' follow me then 'pet name' guard. It doesn't matter what order you initiate the guard command. While your guarded, autodefend should work as normal. The pet will follow you in this case, but will fight whatever attacks you or itself. -- JFansite News Whispering Rose Radio covered the Jacksonville Town Hall - if you weren't able to make it out, WRR and UOForums bring you pictures and recordings of the event! Thanks, guys! -- I am out of the office for a couple of days - Bob will be covering for me while I'm gone. Have a good weekend! - Jeremy
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Attention Archers! S|A's Best Shot In The Realm Sunday, March 16

Posted on Friday, March 7, 2008, 6:13 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

To all residents of Baja!

It gives me great pleasure to announce the March Best Shot in the Realm contest! This month’s event will take place on Sunday, March 16, and be held at the Skara Brae Fairegrounds in Trammel. The event kicks off with some light refreshments starting at 4:00 PST. Registration will begin at 4:20 PST with the event starting at 4:30 PST (7:30 EST, 6:30 CST, 5:30 MST).

The Best Shot in the Realm Contest (BSR) is a monthly free event hosted by the Society of Archers. Archers of all skill levels are invited to compete and take aim at this month’s prize which is a minimum of 200,000 gold. In addition, the winner will also receive a custom made Frostwood bow prepared by our own craftsmen and engraved to commemorate the occasion. But wait, there’s more! The victor also will receive an invitation to compete in the annual Tournament of Champions held but once a year. The Tournament of Champions is where the winners of each monthly event meet once again to determine who the very best Archer on Baja is!

Last month’s winner was Orion of the Society of Archers and won by scoring two bulls eyes and a “robin hood” in the final round.

We’d like to thank everyone who helped with the event especially those who donated resources, gold, and prizes.

We look forward to seeing you at the Fairegrounds!

Sincerely,

Orion of the Society of Archers

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FoF: Triple Digits
Posted on Friday, March 7, 2008, 4:16 PM EST by Larisa (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com's Five on Friday: FoF: Triple Digits Jeremy Dalberg 07 Mar 2008 18:07:23 Frostwood rarity, stable slots, and more in this 100th FoF! Does the skill decrease from Discord and -skill items (like Mage weapons) stack??" Yes, the two effects can stack. "Can we go over the spawn rates for the various woods? This came up at the Town Hall - people are complaining that the higher-end woods seem disproportionately rare." Leurocian and I scoured the lumberjacking and mining code and discovered that the spawn rate for Frostwood is 1% (as intended.) We couldn't find any bugs or inconsistencies that would make it spawn any less - it's marginally more rare than Valorite, but we're talking four tenths of a percent more rare. The other rare woods are 2%, 3%, and 5% as intended. However. There is a factor that could make Frostwood harder to gather. It's kind of twisted, so bear with me. See, each 8x8 area has a finite amount of resources - be it ore or wood. The amount is comparable between mining and lumberjacking, but there is a critical difference. Each swing of the axe nets you 10 wood, whereas each swing of the pick nets you at most 2 metal. This means you can drain a node in fewer attempts in lumberjacking than in mining. Why does this matter? Because you're not guaranteed colored resources each swing - you have a 40% (or 60% if you're elven) chance to get colored wood or ore with each swing. If you take fewer swings, you get fewer chances to get colored wood before the node is dry. If that's one of the 1 in 100 8x8 areas that has Frostwood, you may well get no Frostwood at all. Whereas with mining, you get a lot more chances to get at least some colored ore. This can affect how much colored wood you actually get, and it REALLY affects your perception of how much of the rarer woods there are - you may never know that that was a Frostwood tree, and it may randomize away before you can try it again. There is a simple solution to this - make Lumberjacking give less wood per chop. Pluses are more chances to get colored wood, comparable to metal, and more chances to get a skill gain. Minuses, well, it just takes more chops to get the same amount of wood. Thoughts? Questions? Let Us Know! "The Playguide page on Animal Taming makes no mention of the additional 4% skill loss if the animal is paralyzed during taming. It would also be useful to confirm whether discordance or peacemaking during taming will also result in skill loss." There is an additional 4% skill loss penalty after taming if the creature is paralyzed, and I'll add that to the Playguide page - thanks for the catch! Leurocian also checked, and Discord and Peacemaking have no effect on the creature's post-taming skills. "Can we have more stable slots?" This is the kind of question that I usually skip for the Five on Friday, but what with the 5-slot dragons and purple bunnies and all, it's quite the hot topic. The answer is, we'd like to, but there is some research we need to do before we can add something like that. What will the impact be on our server storage space? Are there any optimizations we'd have to make to handle that new volume of data? This is the sort of thing we'd need to look into, and we don't have the answers off the top of our heads. It may well be something we do - as I said, we'd like to - but we can't make any promises right now. What's To Come: There are a couple of substantial tweaks to pet balls and pet AI coming: Pet Ball Changes: Pet summoning balls should unhide the summoner when attempting to summon her pet. Pet summoning balls should have a couple second casting animation with the chance to disrupt like other spellcasting. Pet summoning balls should have a reuse delay of 15 seconds. Pet summoning balls cannot be used while in animal form. Here is how the new AI should behave: Commands: Guard - The pet should guard as it does currently. Follow - The pet should follow. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. (unless it is guarding) Come - The pet should walk to. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. (unless it is guarding) Kill/Attack - The pet will attack its target as it does currently. Stop - The pet will stop attacking. It will not attack anything, even if it is attacked, and may wander. Stay - The pet will stay where it is currently, and will not attack anything, even if it is attacked. (unless it is guarding) Note: The pet will revert out of passive mode if the pet's owner dies, if the pet is stabled, traded, player character transfers, player and pet log off, etc. QA is currently reviewing these changes internally. Once the changes pass internal review, they should appear on a public Test Center for an upcoming publish. Examples of new macro command combinations: You can tell your pet to guard while it's following you. This will put it in autodefend mode for itself and its master. To turn off guarding, tell your pet to stop or kill/attack. So for passive follow, you could do 'pet name' stop, 'pet name' follow me, and it will ignore attacks on you or your pet. For autodefend follow, you could do 'pet name' guard, 'pet name' follow me or 'pet name' follow me then 'pet name' guard. It doesn't matter what order you initiate the guard command. While your guarded, autodefend should work as normal. The pet will follow you in this case, but will fight whatever attacks you or itself. JFansite News Whispering Rose Radio covered the Jacksonville Town Hall - if you weren't able to make it out, WRR and UOForums bring you Pictures and recordings of the Event! Thanks, guys! I am out of the office for a couple of days - Bob will be covering for me while I'm gone. Have a good weekend! Jeremy
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Spring Is In The Air ! March Madness Is Upon Us !
Posted on Thursday, March 6, 2008, 5:13 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
Vannabird, Spring is indeed in the air and you can tell you have spring fever by your colorful postcard. The flowerpots with my name on them were a very creative touch. Of course I will be attending the event in my finest spring attire. See you there. AVA
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Update: Login Servers Down
Posted on Thursday, March 6, 2008, 3:03 PM EST by Larisa (DeveloperFeedback)
Posted to uoherald.com: Update: Login Servers Down Jeremy Dalberg 06 Mar 2008 12:46:25 UPDATE 5:10 CST: It appears that all server issues have been resolved. Thanks for your patience! UPDATE 11:45 CST: It appears that the login servers are having issues as well - looks like a network connection problem. Still investigating! All shards located in Asia (including Oceania) are down at the moment. We're investigating, and will update as soon as we have news.
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Scribe Contest!
Posted on Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 9:19 PM EST by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
From the desk of Reepacheap: The Skara Brae Community House is looking to add to it's player-contributed library (located on the second floor), and the most fun way to do that is by holding a contest! There will be two categories in this contest: "Non-Fiction" and "Fiction". The best author from each of these categories will receive 2 Million in gold. You may enter both categories, and submit as many items as you like. All entries, winning or not, will become eligible for entry into the library. The non-fiction section includes all books dealing in the "real" aspects of Sosaria. Examples of non-fiction works would be: questing guides, training guides, Sosarian or Lake Superior history, hunting tips, or anything else along these lines. Entries will be judged on accuracy, entertainment, and the general skill of the author. The fiction section includes interesting tales related to UO that aren't strictly informational. They may be in any form: poetry, epic poetry, short story, etc. Examples in this category would be a story of an adventurer going on a quest, or a poem about the finer side of plant growing. Entries will be judged on creativity, entertainment, and the general skill of the author. Entries will be accepted up to Monday March 17th at 12noon Eastern Time. To submit an entry you can do one of two things. Either ICQ me (95092163) and I will meet up with you to take it, or place your entry in the "free box" on the second floor of the Community House. If you use this second option please make sure you let me know you've done so (either on here or via icq) so that I can retrieve it as quickly as possible, and so that I know who the submitter is. The winning entries will be displayed in his previous thread as well as in the library. Good Luck!
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Felucca PVP Tournament Event
Posted on Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 9:00 PM EST by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Felucca PVP Tournament Event hosted by forgotten skills Every Saturday at 6:30 pm CST From Yew gate Fel head straight north and follow the water until you find the house owned by Poruno. Also look for runes and gates night of event. The tourny is a 2v2 team elimintaion style. It's a rather simple tourny, use whatever skills you have without summoning things to defeat your opponent team.
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Mysterious Note a Forgery?
Posted on Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 7:34 PM EST by Lady Katherine (Chesapeake)
An update to the story "A Mysterious Note and a Missing Lady"... As Lady CaT, Viceroy Neira, Mayor Gareth and myself were following up with an investigation of Lady Hester Tarian's home, Lady Charlene Howard [CH] appeared to speak with us. Charlene is a member of Lady Hester's guild, and has been closely investigating the circumstances behind Hester's disappearance. The note that was found She asked me if I still had the note that spoke of Lady Hester's betrayal and request for help. After fetching it from my home, I gave it to her to investigate. After examining it for a few moments, she declared that the seal was indeed genuine, but the handwriting was a forgery! She also identified the handwriting as belonging to Traviata Reed, a friend of Lady Hester. Charlene asked for a warrant to be issued for Traviata to be brought in for questioning. I went to ask Lady Kathleen, the Chief Justice of the PaxLair Statehood, to go to the home to speak with her about this matter. After a few brief questions, Kathleen agreed to issue the warrant for Traviata to be brought in for questioning on the initial charge of forgery. All mayors of the realm's various cities and their sheriffs should please note that if she is found, please hold her for questioning and notify both Mayor Gareth in PaxOku (the city in which Lady Hester is a citizen) and Chief Justice Kathleen. A copy of the warrant issued
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The Harrower and I (Picture Intensive)
Posted on Tuesday, March 4, 2008, 7:00 PM EST by EricksonYates (Atlantic)
Jingle, Jangle, Jumble, Jump! Erickson Yates here, ladies and gentlemen. It has been a long while since we have gotten together I am afraid. I have been busy in another "realm" so to speak. Ole Erickson is trying to get a little business venture started, and he has been busy busy! Enough about that though. I was told by a good source that our friends in HOT were going to be popping a harrower on Monday night. Well, I got all excited! I dressed in my best church clothing (Zog Green Jester Suit of course!) and ventured down to Despise. Well, by the time I got there, HOT had decided against the harrower, and instead they were going to just do a Baracoon spawn in the Despise Dungeon! Needless to say, they were raided by the evil Very Important Players! After I was killed (Shocking, I know.) by VIP, the Big Angry Goose himself shouted to my ghost that they would be popping a harrower of their own very soon! What I bring to you now are some artist renderings of what I saw while at this harrower. Mind you, all of it is in gray. Why you ask? Because I was in Nappa Form! (Also, because Erickson doesn't have UOAssist to turn his dead body into a chicken in order to make things colored again.) Hope you enjoy the renderings! Deciet! Undead! Shivers Ohh My God... Notice no one down there? VIP was that confident in their skills! Someone asked me the other day..."Erickson, what is UO PvP like these days?" Well, person, here is your answer! Fields, super dragons, and area effect spells! Here is the action that was going down! Looks like HOT lost this round! VIP will now finish what they started! Let me tell you, it didn't take all that long either! Look at the bones! So to speak... Well, folks, there it is! A harrower seen from the eyes of a man in Nappa Form! Our friends in HOT did their best! Showed a good showing! Where was LNR? DEI and COW skipped this one as well? In the end, it was all in good fun! Hope it won't take as long for us to meet again! Until then, peace!
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Moonglow Zoo Warming Party

Posted on Tuesday, March 4, 2008, 1:01 PM EST by Medea (Drachenfels)

Moonglow Zoo Warming Party

The dark red stripes on the horizon announced a lukewarm evening as I wandered along the way shortly before the seventh evening hour towards the Royal Britannia Zoo in Moonglow. During the past three weeks a very astonishing thing has happened - the Zoo has been revived up to the last cage with the silver steed! As the story of Cat Crimson already told us, this was again a proof of the fact that the citizens of our homeworld were (or are) anything but inactive! For today's festivities a few of the well known participants invited the whole community to a party - and the Drachenfels people were coming in great numbers!

Last preparations for the big party
Letzte Vorbereitungen für die grosse Feier

Of creative people with creative ideas ;-)
Von kreative Leuten mit kreativen Ideen ;-)

It did not take a long time until the first guests arrived at the zoo, happily greeting each other. In droves they were attending the big party, because no one who cared for the zoo would want to miss this event! At the main entrance big fragrant flowers and plants greeted the visitors. On the right side was a guestbook which was signed by lots of the people and if you entered the zoo grounds, there were a lot of tables and chairs and a lot of colourful decoration awaited the guests. Quiet helpers had turn the zoo into a ceremonial and festive area some hours ago - and it was a raving success. The visitors stumbled across the hallways with open mouths and gazed at the fascinating creatures in their cages - as well as the decoration itself, and the brilliant, dished up food and drinks...

The zoo was decorated beautifully to the last tile
Der Zoo war wundervoll bis auf den letzten Quadratmeter geschmückt

The first guests arriving at the zoo
Die ersten Gäste treffen ein

The spirit had already reached the peak after the first quarter of an hour as New Frarc, one of the very well-known and anxious supporters of the zoo, adressed the guests with a very touching speech: «Please come in and have a seat, drink and eat as much as you like! I just wanted to say something... », he started and the people gather around him. «As you probably know I always wanted the zoo to be a bit more alive. What we did in the last two, three weeks was beyond any imagination. We filled this zoo in record time, with a lot of work from known and unknown tamers and warm hearted people who donated a lot of gold. I would like to thank everyone for this, also in the name of Jessica Goldfox. We might be small in numbers but we can achieve a lot. We've done this together - I humbly bow before Drachenfels, I am honored to live and be here!» The further words from New Frarc were going under in the loud cheering and clapping from the crowd, fireworks were unleashed which painted the nightly sky with thousands of different colours. Discussions about the zoo and about all the world and his wife were continued far into the night. The guests left the zoo at the end of the evening with a big smile on their face. And people genereally agreed that a celebration like this - for whatever cause - had to take place, soon, again, once more...

Die Moonglow Zoo Party

Die dunkelroten Streifen am Horizont kündeten einen lauen Frühjahrsabend an, als ich kurz vor der siebten Abendstunde den Weg zum Royal Britannia Zoo in Moonglow unter die Füsse nahm. In den vergangenen drei Wochen war es der Bevölkerung von Drachenfels tatsächlich gelungen, den Zoo bis auf den letzten Käfig wiederzubeleben! Wie die Geschichte von Cat Crimson bereits erzählte war dies ein erneuter Beweis, dass die Bewohner unserer Heimat alles andere als inaktiv waren und sind! Zur heutigen Feier hatten verschiedene bekannte Mitbeteiligte geladen - und die Drachenfelsianer sollten zahlreich erscheinen!

New Frarc adresses the people with a very touching speech
New Frarc hält eine sehr berührende Rede

To the great people of Drachenfels!
Auf die grossartigen Bürger und Bürgerinnen von Drachenfels!

Es dauerte nicht lange, bis sich am Eingang die Leute mit grossem Hallo begrüssten. In Scharen waren sie heute Abend gekommen, diese grosse Feier wollte niemand, der sich um den Zoo sorgte, verpassen! Beim Haupteingang wurde man von grossen, fein duftenden Blumen und Pflanzen in Empfang genommen. Zur Rechten konnte man sich in ein Gästebuch eintragen, und beim Betreten der Anlagen des Zoos wurde man mit farbenfroher Dekoration begrüsst. Heimliche Helfer hatten sich Stunden zuvor damit beschäftigt, der Feier einen sehr feierlichen und würdigen Rahmen zu verpassen - und es war ein voller Erfolg. Die Besucher stolperten mit offenen Mündern durch die Anlagen und bestaunten die faszinierenden Kreaturen in den Käfigen, ebenso wie die Dekoration - und erst die grossartig aufgetragenen Speisen und Getränke...

Happy partying in the hallways of the zoo
Fröhliches Feiern in den Anlagen des Zoos

Discussing and talking about the zoo
Angeregte Diskussionen über den Zoo

Die Stimmung war schon nach der ersten Viertelstunde auf dem Höhepunkt angelangt, als sich New Frarc, einer der flammenden Zoo-Befürworter mit einer kleinen Rede an die Anwesenden wandte: «Bitte kommt herein und setzt euch, trinkt und esst wozu ihr Lust habt. Und ich möchte gerne noch kurz etwas sagen...», begann er, und die Leute traten neugierig hinzu. «Wie ihr wahrscheinlich wisst, wollte ich den Zoo schon immer gerne etwas lebendiger haben, als es bisher war. In den letzten zwei, drei Wochen haben wir zusammen etwas erreicht, was über unsere Vorstellungskraft hinausgeht und absolut nicht vorauszuzusehen war. Wir haben die Käfige hier in Rekordzeit wiederbeleben können, mit Hilfe von vielen bekannten aber auch unbekannten Zähmern und besorgten Bürger und Bürgerinnen die eine Menge Gold gespendet haben. Ich möchte drum gerne - auch im Namen von Jessica Goldfox - allen Beteiligten von Herzen danken. Wir mögen zwar nur wenige sein, aber wir können trotzdem viel erreichen. Wir haben dies alle zusammen geschafft - ich verbeuge mich demütig vor dieser Leistung, und ich bin stolz und fühle mich geehrt, hier auf Drachenfels zu leben und zu sein!» Die weiteren Schlussworte gingen in den Jubelrufen der Besucher unter, Feuerwerk wurde gezündet und der bereits eingedunkelte Nachthimmel über dem Zoo wurde in vielfarbiges Licht getaucht. Die Diskussionen über den Zoo und Gott und die Welt wurden noch lange bis tief in die Nacht fortgesetzt. Die Gäste verliessen den Zoo am Ende des Abends auf jeden Fall mit einem grossen Lachen im Gesicht und man war sich einig, dass so eine Feier bald einmal wieder - zu Ehren wem oder was gegenüber auch immer - stattfinden sollte...

Discussing and talking about the zoo
Angeregte Diskussionen über den Zoo

Secret attempts to tame the silver steed... ;-)
Heimliche Zähmversuche am Silver Steed... ;-)

Farewell, auf bald!
~ Medea

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Missing Viceroy of PaxOku
Posted on Tuesday, March 4, 2008, 12:40 AM EST by Sebrina (Chesapeake)
*Missing Viceroy of PaxOku* The search continues for Lady Hester Tarian, (Viceroy of PaxOku,) Guildmistress of The Crest of Courageous Hearts [CH]. Lady Charlene Howard presently is in charge of [CH] as searches continue. Knowledge of this disappearance is scant at best. She was apparently attacked weeks ago by an (etheral being) weilding a poisonous blade, which Neira has called an "etheral blade." Lady Hester spent several weeks at her home, the Blue Swan Landing, just North of the Emathy Abbey in the Yew territory, with arm bandaged in recovery of the injury. After Lady Hester's seclusion for several weeks, her sister, Irysa, (Heart of the Crest) found that she was missing from her bed as she had been attending from time to time, to cure the deap wound which had only superficially healed. Irsya, was obviously panicked and began asking aid to find her missing sister. Then, about two weeks ago, a mysterious note showed up on the steps of Se'an Silverfoot's aboad in PaxOku as Lady Katherine has reported earlier (here) Now the search has expanded and additional aid is sought. The note mentions that she has been betrayed, and no one seems to have a clue about how or why such a dastardly deed would be undertaken, or the significance of such an act. Se'an Silverfoot and [ATD], Army of the Dragon, and many others have joined in the search. There have apparently been two expeditions to date to find Lady Hester. I've not learned the full details, but note that an artifact, (Katrina's Crook,) was found along with a "Book of Truth," on the floor at the Blue Swan Landing. Participants of the search include Lady Winmere, NANOC, Lady Sorscha, Da' Oni, Se'an Silverfoot, Crypt Keeper, Charlene Howard, Neira, Cheever and Parser. Between them, they have undertaken an exploration of Hythloth, Humility Shrine in Ilshenar, the Lyceaum on Moonglow, as well as completing a 6th level treasure map on Avatar (Fire) Island, to no avail. In my own opinion, before I even consult the spirit of the Oracle or my crystal ball, look to the city of Magincia. The shephard's crook being the sign of Humilty is conversly associated with the city of Pride recently destroyed, and the rift of the damaged moongate there. I've been though that Moongate shortly after the destruction and found this. Though I suspect that she has not had contact with that plane, I still believe that Magincia is the next lead for the search.
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Archery League - Oni Wins this Week
Posted on Monday, March 3, 2008, 8:34 PM EST by Sebrina (Chesapeake)
*Archery League - Oni Wins this week* I'll have to admit that I've not recently attended an archery event ongoing for several weeks of activity as this one is. This weekly event hosted by United Sosarian Alliance Archery League is certainly worth participation or simply going out to watch. There is some very fine archery to be seen or to compete against, if you think you are good enough. wink Please consult the event calendar for updates to these events, but the understanding is that they shall be held each Monday through the month of March. Here are a few screenshots of the event at the old Haven archery buttes along with this week's winner, Da' Oni. Nice going Oni!
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UG.K Hosting Top Dog Challenge - Revised

Posted on Monday, March 3, 2008, 7:21 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Please Note There Has Been A Location Change:
PRE-REGISTRATION will take place
at the new UG.K Arena in Malas
Automap coordinates 48o 16’N / 15o 28’W

EVENT will be held
at the new UG.K Arena in Felucca
Automap coordinates 133o 30’S / 40o 8
Tuesday, March 11^th at 9pm PST

Pre-registration can be done by visiting the UG.K Arena at 48o 16’N/ 15o 28’W and registering using the bulletin board posted outside (provide Character name; Chicken’s Name; and Cu’s Name).

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED,
ONLY REGISTERED CHARACTERS MAY PARTICIPATE

Deadline for registration is Tuesday March 11^th at 7pm PST. The registration process allows us to establish a line-up, and ensures that we have enough supplies on hand without delaying the event.

Contact Weylin: ICQ 385-540-457

All are welcome! Players are not required to participate in both stages. This is a winner takes all event. This will be a two stage event, with each stage having a different prize.

Stage 1: Chicken Fight

Bonded and non-bonded chickens welcome.
NO HEALING during fight, once one animal has fallen, the victor may be healed and led off the field to be made ready for following round.
NO fighting will be tolerated inside the house. The only combatants allowed at any time will be the animals called into the arena.
NO casting spells upon animals prior to, or during fight.
Do not do anything that can prevent others from enjoying event. Excessive chatter, spam messaging, etc. will not be tolerated.
No mounts allowed upstairs, there will be ‘A’ warning involved with this one.

Prize for Stage 1: $1,000,000.00 Gold

Stage 2: Top Dog Challenge ( Cu Fight )

Same rules apply with the only difference being that only ‘BONDED’ Cu’s are allowed.

Prize for Stage 2: $4,000,000.00 Gold

We would like for everyone to have fun, however, failing to follow the rules and/or otherwise act in a responsible manner will result in an immediate ban and disqualification from the event. We reserve the right to ban/disqualify anyone who we deem unfit to attend.

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Lake Superior Auctions - Week of March 3rd
Posted on Sunday, March 2, 2008, 10:26 PM EST by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
The following are our Auctions for this week on Lake Superior: FATE Auction Date: Wednesday, March 5th Time: 6:45 CST Location: Road West of Umbra by Orc Fort Contact: Dosa Ravengard - ICQ 302871673 YGV Auction Date: Thursday, March 6th Time: 7:00 p.m. CST Location: Northwest of Yew Moongate BEC Auction Date: Friday, March 7th Time: 8:00 pm CST Location: BEC Auction House - South of Luna Contact: Lady Tia - ICQ 23944805
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Community Meet Up - Week 161
Posted on Sunday, March 2, 2008, 10:23 PM EST by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Community Meet Up - Week 161 Date: Every Monday Night Time: 7:30PM CST Location: Skara Brae Community Center Meeting Agenda: We'll hear weekly announcements of upcoming events and hunts for Lake Superior from Sabina our events coordinator. The weekly community meetings, events, hunts, etc are always open to the public. No invitations needed! Everyone is always welcome to come ask questions, make plans, or make announcements. Bring a friend if you can make it, tell a friend if you can't!
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Community Hunt - week of March 3
Posted on Sunday, March 2, 2008, 10:22 PM EST by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Want to go hunting but don't have a big enough group? Are you looking for good guides to dungeons you've yet to explore? The community hunts are open to everyone! Come show your support for the Lake Superior community and take a walk on the wild side at the same time. Meet some new and old friends and have a bit of a challenge along the way. Britain Library Community Collections hunt Date: Tuesday, March 4 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Peerless Hunt (Mondain's Legacy Required) Date: Wednesday, March 5 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Rat Cave dungeon crawl Date: Thursday, March 6 Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Ilshenar Champ Spawn Hunt Date: Friday, March 7 Time: 9:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank Hosts: Taeara Mi'aken And remember, these hunts are for everyone, regardless of their skill level or guild affiliation. Come meet new friends, see new places, gain experience and just have fun. Sabina Nikolai, High Marshall, Community Hunt Organizer The Order of the Silver Rose
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UOForums Interviews Sean from The Syndicate
Posted on Sunday, March 2, 2008, 2:35 PM EST by Watchertoo (CommunityNews)
We have received this from our friends at UOForums.com: UOForums Interviews Sean from The Syndicate Sean from The Syndicate was kind enough to agree to our interview and answer our users’ questions. 1. What has made The Syndicate® so successful that they have been around for so long? The short answer to that question is: read the book (Legend of The Syndicate from AvariPress.com or Amazon.com). The answer to that question is actually extremely lengthy hence why we have a book published. We have been around since 1996 but if we were to found our guild today and make the mistakes we made back in the first couple of years, we wouldn't last as a guild. We made a number of mistakes that we survived because of the nature of the 'perfect storm' that existed back then. The gaming world was nothing like it is today. Expectations were different. Technology was different. People were lucky to have 32.2kbps modems and websites were few and far between and forums even more so. There was no site like uoforums.com for example. So we were able to make rookie mistakes and survive them because there was no one to step in and offer to do things 'right' when we were doing them wrong (like having poor recruiting standards). Fortunately, we made a commitment early on to learn from our mistakes and not repeat them. So because of that we matured into a very successful, very organized, extremely low turnover, highly unified guild. But we did have our bumps along the way, especially at the start, that are common "killers" of guilds. So one of the reasons we published Legend of The Syndicate was to share the mistakes we made and how we overcame them which in turn may help other guilds, that use a similar structure to ours, avoid the same pitfalls. 2. Does The Syndicate® have any plans to move to other major online games besides UO & WoW? The Syndicate has a presence in just about every game out there. We beta tested just about everything out there. We consulted on a number of games that are popular today. And our members play just about everything. But... we only recruit for WoW and for UO. We have no plans to widen recruiting to other games in the near future. We will, at some point, have several hundred members playing some other major game and we will recruit for it. Since we recruit based on who are good friends with, we only tend to add new members when we have a substantial presence in a game that we can develop those friendships with a large number of members. 3. Is there a "high" limit to membership and how does membership application work? While we have no firm upper size limit per-se, we do try to maintain the guild at roughly the size it is now. Of course, a couple years back I would have said we were trying to maintain the guild at roughly 500 members and then 550 and now 600. The reality is that our overall size does creep up over time. The reason for that is that we ONLY (no exceptions) recruit people we are friends with. We ONLY recruit people with the same values, play styles and gaming goals as ours. We ONLY recruit people with a desire to be a member for the long term that have a personality that is compatible with those already in the guild. In short, we recruit like minded people that we are friends with. By having that focus, we have virtually no turnover. We lose about one person every two months to quitting for another guild or unhappy with some rule. Conversely we receive more than 4,000 applications to join each year. We actually lose more members due to needing to leave online gaming entirely (for work, health, parental or spouse related issues) than we do from any other reason. We have virtually no drama and no infighting and no backstabbing etc.. within the guild. So by having that recruiting focus, we do reject a massive amount of applications but we create a very stable guild that stands the test of time. It also means we only grow very slowly over time so while there isn't an upper limit to the size, there is pressure to only add in the exact right people for our team. The rest of our interview can be found in this thread at- UOForums.com
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LLTS.org Reborn
Posted on Sunday, March 2, 2008, 2:33 PM EST by Watchertoo (CommunityNews)
We have received this from our friends at The Syndicate: LLTS.ORG Is Reborn Our core website (www.LLTS.org) has been completely redesigned. I'm very happy with how it turned out so I wanted to share the news. The previous incarnation of our site went back literally to 1996 in some areas. We had bolted onto it and tweaked and revised things for more than a decade and it had become a bit of a Frankenstein. While a few times over its life (the latest being about 4 years ago) we put a new overall layout on the site, there were still parts dating back a very long time and things were still somewhat bolted together. Our new site started from the ground up with a completely new layout and design. The new site has lots of eye candy on it but what is cool about those graphics is that they are 100% owned by The Syndicate. They come from artwork we have had commissioned and done for the guild. The words on the site underwent a complete rewrite. While some areas came out similar to what they were before, lots of sections were dropped, merged, streamlined etc.. to eliminate redundancies and get our points across more quickly to the reader. So the new site has just gone live today and I wanted to share it with you to be among the first of our friends, fellow gamers and members to get to see it :) Sean Dragons The Syndicate® www.LLTS.org
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Baja Unites

Posted on Sunday, March 2, 2008, 7:43 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

I would like to thank Frost Keats of LSN for stepping forward and volunteering to assist Lady WildStar, Grand Duchess of Dawn, by contacting other guilds and requesting that the neutral ground of Dawn be respected during the Dawn Open House last night.

LSN members including Sinister Illusion, mysticmage, Ammonia, Blue Night and Frost Keats, Lord Alanon of UG.K, Super Ken and tofu twenyone of $C$, Sir Guildies and many members of K*R, members of DEA and HoS*, Arlon and Parisa of afk, and many others (I apologize for not getting everyone’s names and guild affiliations) arrived early (and many stayed late) to ensure the truce during the Dawn event be honored. It has been a long time since this reporter has seen so many Baja residents set aside their differences and stand together in a display of unity that typifies the pride and honor of our shard.

To those of you who were present during the minor interruption, I would like to say we were trying to ban the troublemakers (including the dragon), and receiving the message 'This person is already banned', even though they were still inside the house. As quickly as possible, Lady WildStar set the house private, which ensured those who came to defend Baja's honor were outside in the open, and those who attended to cause problems were forced out onto an even playing field. Baja rapidly rallied to regain control of the situation, and the Dawn Open House tour continued without further incidents.

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UO Townhall Question and Answer from Florida
Posted on Saturday, March 1, 2008, 8:48 AM EST by Caledor_Moonrise (Sonoma)
WRR live from UO town hall in Florida 3 pm est! Whispering Rose Radio Live from FLA UO town hall!!!! submit your questions to the shout box on http://whisperingroseradio.com/townhall.htm make sure your voice is heard. Tune in LIVE WRR will take your questions! Tune in by going to http://www.wwrad.com and click the tune in link!
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LSN Presents 'The Crimson Rumble' PvP Tournament

Posted on Saturday, March 1, 2008, 6:35 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Announcing
The Lost Souls of the Night
First Ever PvP Tournament
'The Crimson Rumble'
Friday, March 14, at 6pm shard time (Pacific)
This tournament will be free to all who attend –
Come show off your skills and have some fun!!

3rd place - Your choice of a Totem of the Void
or Primer on Arms
2nd place - Your choice of a Blessable Totem of the Void
or Blessable Primer on Arms

* (Second place prize is subject to availability, if you have a Blessable Primer on Arms that you would be willing to sell, please contact us.)

GRAND PRIZE - Crimson Cincture

All characters will need to report to the LSN Arena house 30 minutes before the event for a review of rules. Gates will be available from Luna and Yew gate. (Automap coordinates: 131º 39'S x 43º 18'E, Felucca facet.)

Please remember this contest is on the Felucca facet, and not everyone can be completely controlled. If you are coming, either to participate or as a spectator, please do not bring anything that you may not want to lose. We strongly suggest insuring any non-blessed items and clearing your backpack of any non-necessary items.

Contact one of the following with any questions:

Frost Keats - ICQ 354580529
Lariat - ICQ 266577302
Intoxication - ICQ 440612311

We look forward to seeing you all there!!!

Event Rules:

Aside from the 2 combatants in the ring, there is to be no fighting in the house. If you wish to spar or "warm up", you may do so outside.
With the exception of Protection, Magic Reflect, and Reactive Armor, pre-casting is not allowed. If you wish to use buffs such as Bless, or a necro or animal form, you must wait until the wall falls.
Looting your opponent will be grounds for immediate disqualification from the tournament.
The tournament is meant to be fun. We ask that you help it stay that way by not reporting murders unless asked to by your opponent. If you ignore this, and your reporting results in a blue turning red against their wishes, you will be disqualified and your opponent will automatically win the match.
There are to be no mounts or other pets on the arena level of the house. There is plenty of room on the lower floor for pets. If you or one of your pets is caught attacking someone else's pet, you will be removed from the house and disqualified from the tournament if applicable.
Mild trash talking is to be expected, but if we feel it's getting out of hand we will give you one and only one warning. Ignore that warning and you forfeit your place in the tournament.
This is a one-on-one tournament. No pets, summons, or other followers will be allowed. This includes Necro Familiars and Mirror Images.
Any form of cheating or exploits is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate disqualification, as well as banning from this and any future LSN PvP tournaments or events.

These rules are just basic guidelines. We reserve the right to disqualify or eject anyone from the arena for any form of nuisance, at our discretion.

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March 2008

BANG !!!!

EASTER OBITS ~ PART TWO

OBIT COLUMN ~ 3 / 9 / 08