| What follows is my Journal entries from this Thursday's Storyline quest. It involved escorting a messenger by foot from Vesper to Trinsic (aye, we still have blisters from the harsh lag and long road). The item to be delivered was the message left in the ship sinking off Vesper's Coastline just the week prior. The quest was executed well, no major flaws in the execution on ATL. However, at several points in the quest, everyone was frozen up completely due to server-side lag for well over 4-5 minutes at a time, this usually took 10-15 minutes to completely clear up before we could continue again at a decent pace. This is what we call, horrible, horrible lag. I've been playing since Phase one Beta, and I can remember having to deal with such things regularly back then. However it's a complete mystery to me why one quest (the attack on the Zog in the Hedge Maze) can go over with little to no server side-lag one week, and then the next week, everyone's dealing with being leafless trees for the game's decoration. All I can say is be patient with these things. Yes, if you go to them regularly enough (that's difficult for most I know), you will have tons and tons of fun, and you'll more than likely encounter a small one with little to no lag.
Cale: All right then, everybody be quiet for a second...
Cale: All right then, everybody be quiet for a second...
Cale: All right then, everybody be quiet for a second...
Cale: Please...
Cale: We are going to Trinsic via Britain.
Cale: We are going to Trinsic via Britain.
Cale: By foot.
Cale: We'll need people to be alert.
Nick of Time: What if you fall victim to a sad demise should some fool kill you?
Cale: Then I lose my job and my family starves.
Cale: So let's not let that happen.
Cale: Lead on, folks.
Cale: We're off
You see: an air elemental
You see: an air elemental
You see: an air elemental
You see: an air elemental
You see: an air elemental
You see: an air elemental
Rainman: You have hidden yourself well.
Of course, what is inferred here by me, is that we had to battle many many air elementals :) Just outside of Vesper, we encountered about 15-20 of them over a span of time, no more than 6-7 at once.
Cale: The enemies of my employers are quite determined...
Cale: Not terribly honorable to loot your fellow mates.
Cale: My message goes to Trinsic.
Cale: End of story.
Nick of Time: tranquility the points not to kill
Nick of Time: its to loot
Cale: Nick of Time, I'm very sick of your attitiude.
Cale: You have no honor.
Cale: I would prefer you to stay here, Nick.
Nick of Time: Ill admit that
Nick of Time: Im against the virtues friend
Cale: Alive or dead.
Nick of Time: are you?
Cale: Isobel...
Nick of Time: You dont support spirituality
Cale: Enough.
Isobel: not nearly
This is a decent example of Roleplaying(err, well, cmon, this is UO standards we're talking about). Now, I happen to know Nick of Time, and Isobel. and I also happen to know who Cale was most likely roleplayed by. And I can tell you that Cale and Nick don't like each other. Are they out there yelling, "you suck you fag", or, "Go polish your d*ckless bugged character you moron!" ?? No, they're conversing about their disagreements over something in-game-related. It just so happens that they really do dislike each other, but at least they're staying within the game in their choices of words. Reading that exchange, it really looks more like three characters having a disagreement, not three people using UO like IRC to bash one another with the most clever internet slang they can muster. Sorry to get on the soapbox, I kinda feel the people on ATL following Cale were just tooo tooo impatient.
Rainman: Cale who is this force who wishes to stop thee??
Cale: I do not know...
Rainman: thou must have an idea
Rainman: an inkling
Cale: An enemy of Crawworth's, no doubt.
Cale: I was given specific instructions to carry by foot.
Cale: I know not the exact reasons.
Cale: But here's what I fear for now...
Cale: BRITAIN.
Cale: *laughs*
Cale: Drat...
Cale: I need to change boots.
Rainman: I have another set
Cale: I would appreciate that...
Cale: My feet wil blister otherwise
Rainman: They are my own color
Rainman: I am used to nakedness
Cale: That's much better
Cale: Thanks, friend cobbler.
Cale: Hmm, it seems we are being attacked by TIME ELEMENTALS...
Here's where the first set of Horrible lag set in, just past the large Guard Tower Crossroads on the way to Britain. Which just so happens to be where I remembered to load my screenshot program. (you see, Lag does have its uses.)
Cale: KILL THE TIME ELEMENTALS!
Cale: Well, let's try to make the best of it.
Cale: Well, time elementals or no, the message gets through.
Cale: I was specifically told NOT to recall with this message.
Cale: If any of th rest of you want to, I can understand, but I have my orders.
Cale: Probably just has to do with magic.
Cale: *shrugs*
Cale: I know not the way sof these things
Cale: For I am a messenger, not a mage.
Cale: Or a necromancer, or a daemonologist...
Cale: Sheesh.
Cale: *laughs*
Rainman: but sage winslow is monster enough
Rainman: he is a traitor
Cale: Aye, ye think?
Rainman: Aye!
Cale: I know not of him
Cale: But what I've heard
Cale: And I've heard less and less good of late.
Cale: Tis not my place to judge the man, I suppose.
Rainman: he is of the deamon, it is plain to all
Cale: *laughs*
Kimba Rimer: I believe Cale is not what he seems
Cale: Why so?
Rainman: He knows that Humbolt had enemies within, and that is good enough for me
Cale: Nay, actually I know little of Winslow and Humbolt.
Cale: Someone who wouldn't leave his name commissioned me to deliver this message.
Rainman: then why did thee speak of his Humbolts enemies blocking us?
Cale: All I know is the recipient.
Cale: The recipient is Crawworth, and it is HIS enemies I talked about...
Rainman: You spoke of Sage Humbolt not crawworth
Cale: Given the interference so far, it is only wise to assume he has enemiess
Rainman: true true
Cale: Well, either I misspoke, or you misheard.
Rainman: ah
Cale: I don't know which.
Rainman: forgotten
Cale: Tis Crawworth I deliver to this day.
Rainman: it is of little matter
Rainman: But in truth, is this expedition not doomed, for to get to Crawworth
Cale: As for what happens if Crawworth doesn't recieve this message, I know not.
Rainman: We must go through Sage Winslows town... Britain
Rainman: And they like each other little
Rainman: none too fond
Cale: Vas Many Many Olem
Drackstone: haha
Cale: Kal Poor Orc
Cale: Drat, I never will be a good mage.
Rainman: poor orc??
LAZLO: *grins*
Cale: Am I getting better yet?
TheLumBer: no hehe
Cale: drat
Cale: This is the heart of darkness, folks.
Cale: Britain.
Nick of Time: *chuckles*
Rainman: Heart of Darkess, what kind of talk is that??
Nick of Time: Nay that is Moonglow
Cale: Nay
Cale: Trinsic
Cale: Rel Port
Cale: Rel Port
LAZLO: *grins*
Cale: Hmm, I still can't get the hang of it.
Cale: Brace yourselves for the ultimate in terror.
Nick of Time: how do you know it is to come?
Cale: The Bank of Britain.
Hehe, That was too funny not to put in here.
Snake Eyes: cale, may I ask of your mission
Nick of Time: *chuckles*
Cale: Can I stop thee from asking?
Cale: *laughs*
Cale: Go ahead
Snake Eyes: so what is the purpost of this journy
Cale: I'm not sure, it's not my message to read
Cale: There we go..
Cale: Crawworth's buddies.
Cale: *laughs*
Town Crier: Sage Winslow and Crawworth have retired to discuss the
Town Crier: Zog Cabal. The messenger and escorts continue on thier quest
Town Crier: to reach Trinsic.
At this point, we were just past the small bent bridge inbetween Britain and Trinsic.
You see an air elemental attacking Darokin!
You see an air elemental attacking Darokin!
You see an air elemental attacking Darokin!
You see an air elemental attacking Darokin!
You see an air elemental attacking Darokin!
You see an air elemental attacking Darokin!
Another Large Battle
Cale: Poor Orc Ylem
Cale: All this foul air
We Reach Trinsic, At Last
FoX: He should be approaching milord Crawworth.
Sage Winslow: You need not apologize for them..
Crawworth: Thank ye, one and all
You see: Crawworth
You see: Sage Winslow
Crawworth: Ye are a fine group to have taken time to escort him
Sage Winslow: Nay..
Crawworth: Aye?
Sage Winslow: I like my baldness..
Crawworth: Ah, I see you are correct
FoX: Here come thee now.
Cale: Crawworth...
Sage Winslow: Crawworth, I believe your messenger is here.
Crawworth: What a (c)rowd
Crawworth: Aye? Where?
Cale: Crawworth, your message.
Crawworth: Please let the man through
Cale: Please stand back people...
Cale: Please stand back.
Cale: Please stand back.
Cale: Please stand back.
Cale: Please stand back.
Cale: Please stand back.
Cale: Please stand back.
Cale: Crawworth, this is for you.
Crawworth: Thank ye, messenger
Cale: *hands the book to Crawworth*
Crawworth: Please, one and all. Stand back
Crawworth: No need to crowd
Cale: GENTLEMEN, LADIES, I THANK THEE FOR ESCORTING ME.
Cale: Please remember the fallen, for they served well, too.
Crawworth: *looks over the tome*
Crawworth: This will take some time
Cale: I thank thee all.
Crawworth: This will take some time for Sage Winslow and I to decipher
Crawworth: Thank ye one and all for seeing them safely to me
Crawworth: Thank ye one and all for seeing them safely to me
Cale: I mean, I'm only earning a messenger's salaery, after all.
Sage Winslow: Farewell.
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| From the Town Cryer Newspaper, July 10, 1998
Message to CrawWorth Meets With Unexpected
Resistance
Caitlin Elopidat
UP: Britannia
Trinsic -- The crowds in Trinsic heaved a collective sigh of relief as the group came into view outside the city walls. The message from Vesper had arrived safely, though not without complications. Word had reached Trinsic earlier in the day that several attacks had been made on the messenger and the escorts who were to bring the package from Vesper.
The message was originally found on a ship that was sunk off the coast of Vesper by G'Thunk and his devilish band of troll warriors. The only readable part of the note were the words URGENT : ZOG CABAL . The rest of it was a non-sensical jumble of symbols, signs, and pictograms. Sage Winslow himself made a journey to Trinsic around the same time as the message to help Lord CrawWorth make sense of the note.
The message itself was assailed from all sides, and at what seemed like every turn. From the moment the group escorting the note left Vesper things were clearly out of hand. Just minutes after exiting the city's boundaries a large force of orcs and ettins, armed with magic and weapons, assaulted the group in what appeared to be an attempt to stop the message from reaching it's destination.
After making their way past this threat, and closer to Britain, they were again confronted with a massive force determined to block their way, this time in the form of the undead. Skeletal knights, bone mages, skeleton warriors, zombies and liches unleashed their unruly brand of destruction in the messages general direction.
To make matters worse there is a swamp that must be crossed to reach Britain, and it was here that the forces allied against the messengers were at their most deadly. A huge band of lizardmen swarmed through the swamp in search of the message (or so it seemed) and made a desperate attack against the escorts. The mercenaries guarding Atalanto had become wise by this point, and Atalanto was kept out of harms way for the most part. At one point of the journey she was surrounded by warriors with their backs to her as they fought off one vicious attack after another.
Was this the work of the Zog Cabal? Could they possibly wield this much power. It is interesting to note that not a single troll was sighted during the messages march from Vesper to Trinsic. Some speculated that this was a sign that the two groups work alone. Others think just the opposite. Deliberately keeping trolls out of the picture could mean that they are trying to make the populace think that there is no connection, but if it were a random gathering of monsters and evil forces then by all means one or two should have been spotted.
More importantly, what exactly is contained in that message? Is it a note from one Zog Cabalist to another? Surely they wouldn't have labeled it in clear Britannic if it were. Was it a warning from someone who knows more than he is capable of telling the public? And who was the intended recipient? CrawWorth has used his influence to gain the note, and knowing him, he will get to the bottom of this mystery.
Friday, July 10, 1998
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