December 2009

BRPA Sunday Night Taming Recap For December 27, Schedule For January 3

Posted on Thursday, December 31, 2009, 12:18 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Baja Taming Hour, sponsored by The Baja Roleplaying & Event Alliance
December 27, 2009
Recap by hostess Proserpina [K T], BRPA Alliance

Kat MacBroeden's random point level was 11,200,00 on the contribution box, which was won by James [MT], who gave his prize to Smaug. The prize was a choice from various colors of mature chicken lizard eggs, of which Smaug picked the aqua egg.

Hostess Proserpina had lost her dread pompoms and shoes in Felucca (near the Yew gate), and was presented with a pair of Britannia Royal Zoo Member thigh boots as a token of appreciation for all she does for Sunday Night Taming.

Town Guardsmen Corporal Brackus and Ric Flair made a brief appearance as they had heard the Yattering was in the area. After a search of the grounds, the Town Guards decided the Yattering had gone elsewhere.

Starting points: 11,131,902 (Tier 11)
Ending points: 11,228,895
Points earned: 96,993

Non-tamer contributions:
Ceno [K T] … 1-million gold

Tamers:
Lil Debi [M!S]
Sally [C@S]
Kat MacBroeden [DWN]
James [MT]
Katrina Cole [BRPA]
Lady Luna Tic [TAO]
Shayla Keylley [DWN]
Reap [DWN]
Smaug

Next Taming Hour, Sunday, January 3, 2010, 8pm Pacific (9pm Mountain, 10pm Central, 11pm Eastern.

Happy and Safe New Year!

The Zoo crew has placed a Zoo Fund vendor at Sara's vendor house NW of the north Luna gate. All proceeds from the vendor are donated to the Zoo Maintenance fund

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Related Links:
Week 1: BRPA Sunday Night Taming Recap For November 22
Week 2: BRPA Sunday Night Taming Recap For November 29
Week 3: BRPA Sunday Night Taming Recap For December 6
Week 4: Silver Steed Returns To Baja Royal Zoo, December 13
Week 5: BRPA Sunday Night Taming Recap For December 20

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Donal Still Missing Following Magical Mutant Christmas Tree Experiment

Posted on Thursday, December 31, 2009, 11:07 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)

Saturday, December 12, a crowd in Britain to await the arrival of Lady Taryn Sullivan to learn the results of Donal's Magical Christmas Tree Experiment.

Upon arrival Lady Taryn thanked everyone for coming, and then began to tell of the unsettling events she had learned of Donal and his experiment with an ancient and faded gargoyle recipe he had found.

From the formula Donal had been attempting to make Christmas trees and other plants last longer and have higher yields. She then asked for help getting to the lab Donal had been using for this experiment.

Donal's lab was near Skara Brae ...

But the road was obstructed by a tree experiment gone bad ...

horrendously bad!

After a lengthy battle, we were finally able to enter the building Donal had been using.

The rooms were in shambles, and there was no trace of Donal. Lady Taryn decided perhaps she should seek out the gargoyles to help her find Donal.

As Lady Taryn Sullivan left in search of assistance from the gargoyles, the rest of us returned to the EM Hall in Britain where we were greeted by EM Faine Morgan who introduced visitor EM Fiorella from Napa Valley, leading to speculation as to why so many catastrophic events seem to happen whenever EM Fiorella is visiting Origin.

EM Faine also introduced the newest member of the Origin EM team ... EM Molly O'Malley.

Sara's Note: I apologize for the lateness of this report. Not only is December a month of holiday related happenings, it is also the month I have end-of-month, end-of-quarter and end-of-year reports to complete.

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[Breaking News] The Last Event of 2009!
Posted on Wednesday, December 30, 2009, 9:53 PM EST by Eyes of Origin (Pacific)
Sorry, I am a little late with this.. but here is a messege from EM Lillimu regarding the last event of 2009. From EM Lillimu - Breaking News! December 31st, 2009: 3PM PST Amelia honestly thought she'd be enjoying a nice cozy time by the fire, since she's recently recovered from a nasty flu. But nope! As always, something manages to pop up at the very last minute. And she needs your help this time. Meet her at the West Britain Counselor's Hall (Trammel) at 3PM PST on December 31st! We wouldn't give you guys an event on the eve of the New Year without a little extra incentive, though. This time, there will be ten special items awarded during the event: but in order to get them, you'll have to loot them. So there's your heads up! Hope to see you! If you can't make it, don't fret: with the New Year will come more events! -EM Lillimu
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Last of 2009 Obits
Posted on Wednesday, December 30, 2009, 5:01 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. Last of 2009 Obits Ander Farland Boo Boo Kitten Caitlin CryptAngel and Karok Drake Fire Song Gene Pool Slayer Happy Hooker dead twice Holly Jayden Blood JINXY and Emerald Lynn Kalani Karok Lady Sillhouette LionHeart and Katrina Lola SKULLY Malvolio Nemisis Rose Kelly Speed Taylor Cook Tekukuzutaku
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Town Guards Trying To Trap The Yattering

Posted on Wednesday, December 30, 2009, 3:43 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

While at West Britain Bank today, I noticed the following:

Caution, Yatter Goblin Trap
DO NOT ENTER ...
Extremely dangerous!
by order of the Town Guards

I found Corporal Brackus who informed me that the ingenious trap was designed and implemented by guardsman Ric Flair.

The Yattering is a goblin that plagues Britain (recently attacking Corporal Brackus and breaking the corporal's nose) and should be considered dangerous. At the current time there are no photos of the Yattering available as it doesn't stand still long enough to have a picture taken. It has managed to elude capture by the guardsmen for several weeks now, so efforts to incarcerate the creature have been increased.

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Happy New Year Origin

Posted on Tuesday, December 29, 2009, 3:25 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)

from UO – Origin Events, Hosted by EM Faine Morgan and EM Molly O'Malley

Happy New Year Origin
Posted By EM Faine Morgan on December 29, 2009

As 2009 draws to a close, we find ourselves faced with a bright, shiny New Year ahead. We look forward to a year filled with new adventures, surprises, and friends. We also take this time to look back at a year past filled with love, laughter, and yes, a few tears along the way.

EM Faine Morgan and EM Molly O’Malley invite the citizens of Origin to come help them ring in the new and celebrate the old on New Years Day at the Counselor’s Hall in West Britain at 5 P.M. PST/8 P.M. EST. We will be officially welcoming EM Molly to Origin, as well as helping to celebrate the one year EM anniversary of EM Faine. This will also be the officially official grand re-opening of the newly remodeled Counselor’s Hall.

Who knows, maybe we’ll even introduce EM Molly to the fine art of bar dancing? *winks*

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Santiago's Fishing Challenge 12/29 6pm-12am
Posted on Monday, December 28, 2009, 11:47 PM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
Santiago's Fishing Challenge Tuesday 12/29 6:00pm to 12:00am est Meet at the Sons of the Sea in Trinsic. Biggest FEESH wins! Directions
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EM Hall Of Commons Notes 12/27/09
Posted on Monday, December 28, 2009, 11:46 PM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
Em Hall Of Commons Notes Britain, Trammel December 2009 Items From The Poseidon's Fury Event -A Sack of Gunpowder -Shard of the Crystalline Drive -The First Officer's Cutlass -A Ship Model of the HMS Poseidon's Fury -Tricorn Hat of Capt. Marcus Tokinson Remember do NOT try to place your Ship Models. They will lose their special color Announcements Holiday House Decoration Contest. A TON of great entries but in the end one stood out. One that truly captured the magic of the Holiday spirit. A resident of Cimmerian Pass... Nyx! Thanks for everyone's entries. Santiago's Fishing Challenge Tuesday 12/29 6:00pm to 12:00am est Meet at the Sons of the Sea in Trinsic. Biggest FEESH wins! The Captain's Bloodrum challenge Finale, hopefully will hopefully be soon. The elves are busy at work. With something special that will make the finale a real treat. We will keep you updated Next month. Township Series Expect the beginnings of township series. I think only two banners are left to be built. They will be built after the new year. Artifact And of course...You still haven't uncovered the artifact... So stay toon'd for that. Special Congratulations From EM Dudley I was very please with tonight's event. Misty, excellent word scrambler. Elijah Cross... I think he was the first to connect the eleven scrolls to the elven letters. And to Doctor Who for getting "Barquentine" And a fine job fighting everyone. Dudley said Doctor Who was the first one in the final section that he saw.
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This Week at a Glance (12/28/09-01/03/10)
Posted on Monday, December 28, 2009, 11:46 AM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
Monday, December 28 8:00 PM - Tavern Night, Wild Rose Inn [RP] Newcastle, 106° 42' N by 30° 43' E, Trammel Tuesday, December 29 8:00 PM - Activities from Magnus Grey (EM Activities, non-standard) [EM] Counselor's Guild, 8o16'N by 12o43'E, Trammel [All event times listed are based on Central Time.] If you have an event you would like listed, please feel free to send it on in!
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Past ~ Present ~ Future
Posted on Monday, December 28, 2009, 9:14 AM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
~ . ~ Past ~ Present ~ Future I can hardly believe it was a week ago it was posted here in the News about the upcoming Christmas Quest event sent in by EM Elizabella but indeed it is. Things seem like warp speed this time of year. As planned the Christmas Quest took place on December 22nd. I arrived at the Counselors Guild one hour before the event and to my delight people had gathered already. Alina, Silhouette, Cierra, Lady Devika, Radagast, Synister, Tye Weatherlight, Deizil, Lady Deejaa, Nemisis, Siren, Bot, Krovikan, Jackal of Brit, Shivers, Lady Amy and Rax Nahli were all early arrivals engaging in polite conversation and jacked up with the holiday spirit. Almost an hour later, ten minutes before the event started to be exact, I took this screenshot and the place was hopping and jammed ! Just a few minutes late Tiny Tim arrived informing the crowd what needed to be done to save the Spirit of Christmas. As EM Elizabella had warned us earlier in the week....." I warn everyone to bring their equipment ", and that was good advice. Tiny Tim was very weak from previous battles to help but did open gates to needed locations to bring down the evils of Christmas, many rather undead I might add. My personal favorite were the Humbug Spiders and Peppermint Humbugs. Below are a few screenshots from this battle that took place in several locations. Gates seemed to be popping up everywhere. Many ended up at the Abbey, including myself, for a short period. Not sure what that was all about. Needless to say there were many deaths. Some will be included in the next Obituary Column so be sure to check it out. Mega deaths occured when the big bad S.C.R.O.O.G.E. appeared. I died twice at the hands of this nasty holiday hater. I had to recall out before his death as a real life holiday party was calling me but I did snag these screenshots below before departure. For those that read the Great Lakes boards there is a fine post about the Christmas Clocks that were loot from this creature. Another fun event on Great Lakes ! I look forward to what 2010 brings. Now that is mega death...just how I like it.
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Community Meet Up and Gift Swap! - December 28, 2009
Posted on Sunday, December 27, 2009, 9:48 PM EST by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
Community Meet Up and Gift Swap! - December 28, 2009 Date: Every Monday Night Time: 7:30PM CST Location: Skara Brae Community Center The Holidays are not over at the community center! Come join us for a gift swap. At least one of Santa's helpers will be there to spread more Holiday cheer as we head into the New Year! If you bring a gift to exchange please add your name in a book so you don't receive the same one. Join in on some fun and association! 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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Baja Auction House Reopening

Posted on Sunday, December 27, 2009, 6:46 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Frost Keats Announces

The Grand Re-Opening of the
Baja Auction House

Thursday, January 7^th, 6pm shard time (PST)
Gates from Luna Bank starting at 5:30pm

Once the premier auction house of all the land,
Baja Auction House is back!!

Now located on the west side of Luna, BAH will once again takes its place as an elite auction house, selling high end items at great prices. All this while having a good time with friends.

Items to be auctioned include several 120 power scrolls, Winter Solstice memorabilia, Armor of Fortune and much more.

If you have an item you would like to sell, please contact Frost Keats on ICQ (354-580-529) or via e-mail at [email protected]

Items will be accepted until 9pm Pacific the night of the 6^th.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

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Britain Poor Gate and Main Gate Repaired; Child Rescued

Posted on Sunday, December 27, 2009, 12:31 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Article submitted by an anonymous bystander

It was shortly after 8PM PST on Saturday, December 26, when town official Eliar appeared before the gathered crowd at West Britain Bank. After a short introduction, which included a mention of collecting income and sales taxes at the end of the evening, he began explaining to those in attendance the reason why he called everyone together. It seems that, during routine inspections of the Poor Gate and Main Gates within the city of Britain, it was found that the gates were deteriorating and left in a weakened state. A state that could threaten Britain’s defenses in the event of a city wide attack. Volunteers were sought to help collect iron ore resources to repair the gates as quickly as possible. The ore would be used for two purposes: One: To smelt brand new, improved, and more durable, city gates; and … Two: So crafters could create the new gearing mechanisms, springs, and hinges, that are essential to the portcullis gate’s operations in times of crisis.

After a few questions from the citizen volunteers, including one from Hilda asking about financial compensation from the city when one of the defective gates supposedly came crashing down on her unsuspecting dog, Eliar shuffled off quickly and requested the town guards show the citizens the current pitiful state of the Poor Gate. The guards led the volunteers North from West Britain Bank and showed them how the gates had eroded. Pieces of metal gears were lying on the ground busted from their trigger mechanism, and hinges and springs that had visibly come loose.

From there, with the help of volunteer Bastain who opened up a moongate to the desired mountain pass, everyone shuffled through the gate and began mining as much iron ore as they could. The town guards provided protection from any wandering denizens that ventured near the area, keeping a sharp eye on the miners. Guard recruit Kikyo stood perched atop a battlement, ready to swing into action while Guard Leithia kept watch along the Northern end of the pass. Things were progressing well and much iron ore had already been gathered when something unexpected, went terribly wrong.

From out of nowhere, a woman’s voice was heard screaming as she bounded up the mountain pass, crying out as if stricken with grief. Her name was Ruby Dees and she explained to anyone willing to listen that her young daughter, Allie Dees, had gone missing. Worse yet, Allie Dees was only five years old! Ruby Dees was hysterical and terrified! After much commotion and confusion, the volunteers offered to lend their aid to the frantic mother and help search for her daughter. The woman cried out in relief, and urged haste from everyone. A search party formed and everyone headed North and then West through the mountain passes. As we approached a small pond located just outside the dungeon Despise, Ruby Dees prayed that her daughter Allie had not mistakenly entered the dungeon. She trembled in fear at the notion, visibly shaken and distraught. To the horror of everyone, Sirius found a young girl’s hat near the dungeon entrance, to which Ruby Dees confessed belonged to her missing daughter Allie.

The search intensified when the search party entered dungeon Despise in search for Allie Dees. Everyone was heard shouting the missing girl’s name over and over again, “Allie! Allie! Where are you?” was the resounding call. Sally, Aerythe, Dolos, Weezie, Jazzmine Lee, and many others, found several short rescue notes that were undoubtedly dropped by Allie Dees earlier. The mother, Ruby Dees, nearly fainted and had to be steadied on her feet when one note found read, “Something swiped at my arm and now it's all bloody and hurting. Gonna hide for awhile ... Getting dizzy!” The poor girl seemed to be making her way deeper into the depths of Despise, dazed and confused. With mother Ruby Dees, concerned volunteers, and town guards giving chase, it was finally within the lair of the Ogre Lords that little Allie Dees was found first by the bravery of a lone, unsung hero, named James.

It seems that James had bounded ahead of the larger search party, wasting little or no time in his search. James valiantly protected Allie Dees until the rest of the search party, along with her mother, Ruby Dees, arrived. Ruby threw her arms around her daughter, embracing her tightly, while Allie cried and sobbed into her mother’s shoulders, promising never to run away chasing after butterflies ever again. The group of volunteers escorted the pair safely away back to the mountain pass where Ruby Dees thanked everyone for their heroic efforts at reuniting her with her daughter. Allie’s missing shoes were even returned to the wee lass by Learned Hand when he stumbled across them in Despise.

When things settled down, it was deemed by Corporal Brackus and the town guards that enough iron ore had been mined and a command was give to return back to Britain. A gate was opened and everyone poured through … eager to begin totaling up the iron ore collected and hoping it was enough for the necessary repair of the gates. Without delay, several tinkers began crafting fine metal gears, springs, and hinges as requested by a town official, Eliar, and handed them over to the guards along with the remaining iron ore to be used for the eventual replacement of the city gates themselves. The goal of collecting resources for repairing the city gates was achieved with the help of many outstanding volunteers, and the life of an innocent child was even saved in the process!

Special thanks to everyone that attended and took part in this wild adventure!

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The Glorious Lady Alice Does The "Q"
Posted on Sunday, December 27, 2009, 7:35 AM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. . . Todays guest is the very active Lady Alice. Ok, let's start out with your auction addiction * laughs . When did you start going to auctions and what do you like most about them? I started going to auctions years and years ago. My very first auction memory is walking into MOA, back when it was still designed with the auctioneer in the south, and being amazed at how much people were bidding! That had to be back in 2004, maybe? As for what I like most about them, it would have to be the people. I love joking around with the regulars and of course with the crazy auctioneers, lol! I also got the chance to be on the other side when I was the auctioneer for the Tradesman Guild’s 360 degree auction, Libby. During the holiday season most auction houses close down for a few weeks like MOA does. What will you do with that time that would usually spent at auctions? I’ll probably spend my time hunting with friends. I recently got to legendary tamer and am having a lot of fun hunting with my greater. I’m known to be adventurous, so you might find me anywhere in Sosaria! How did you first hear about UO?* Scarily enough, I don’t remember! I was in the sixth grade when I first began playing, back in late 1998 or early 1999. I’ve played on and off since then. All I can say is that there is something about UO that always keeps me coming back for more! I loved you that you dressed Pratt of MOA in pink, his least favorite color. How did that happen? Well, I had to fight Nikita off for the right to do it, first! LOL! DJ Scorp auctioned off the opportunity to raise money for MOA’s Christmas. I can definitely say that my money was well spent!! Since you like auctions you must also like items. If you had to pick one favorite in game item what would it be? I like odd items and items that are not very common. They don’t have to be super expensive, or even rare. I just love things that are unique. Right now, my favorite piece that I own would have to be a server birth wall carving. It has a star pattern on it that I adore. Right now the only thing I’m kind of coveting is a Pushme Pullu. I think it’s adorable! And one question… can we ride it? : ) Why the name Alice? What inspired this character ? I like simple, realistic names for my characters. I played a character with an A name, Abigail, for many years, and the name Alice keeps with that tradition while giving me a little change. Hard to say what inspired her. I guess you could say that Alice is a synthesis of some of my favorite skills: magery, taming, and stealth. Quite the strange, and at times uneven, combo, but I love it! Are you looking forward to the upcoming Christmas gifts in the realm and if so which one the most? Well now that I’ve opened mine – I never could wait until Christmas morning! – I have to say that I adore the icicles, seahorse snow statue, and Pegasus snow statue the best. And I am dying for one of those gorgeous angel boxes! If you had one Christmas wish to come true in the real world what would it be? I would wish for happiness for everyone. What is your favorite color? Well, as I think Pratt can tell you, it’s pink! I’m also a big fan of silver. And, hilariously enough, I abhorred the color pink until I was almost 16! What was the last book you read? Oh, the complicated questions, lol! I’m about to graduate college as an English Literature major, so in the last few weeks I have read tons of novels. But currently, for pleasure, I am reading Stephen King’s Under the Dome. I’m about 100 pages from the end of the 1100 page tome, and I am loving it! What was the last movie you saw? I haven’t seen a movie in theaters in ages, though I did recently – finally! – see Fight Club on DVD. I’m also really looking forward to seeing Avatar and Sherlock Holmes. Give me anything with good action scenes, gore, or hilarious actors (all three if you can!) and I am there! If you could travel to any location in the world where would it be? Egypt! I have been in love with Egypt since I was about 8 years old and have been dying to visit. I simply adore travelling. So far I’ve only managed to hop the Atlantic and get to England, Spain, and Italy. Egypt is my travelling goal, followed by Greece! What do you admire most in a friend? Trustworthiness and kindness. To me there is nothing more admirable in a person than trustworthiness and kindness. What is your motto? I’ll try anything once, twice if I like it! (Originally said by the lovely Mae West!) Thank you for the interview, Lady Lava. It’s been a pleasure! Alice
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DeadBob and Lady Tang Discuss the Book Store’s 6 Years of Success
Posted on Friday, December 25, 2009, 1:29 PM EST by Fallon Valor (Atlantic)
ATLANTIC—One of Atlantic’s greatest strengths is its broad assortment of helpful, player-run establishments. New tenants of the shard should be made aware of several locations as they begin to acclimate to Atlantic – important rune libraries, vendors, taverns, etc. Perhaps the first location any new Atlantian should visit is a well-known shop located just west of Luna: DeadBob and Lady Tang’s “Book Store.” Although the Book Store offers a wide range of needful products – from furniture, to plants, to quest items – it is best known for its collection of low-priced rune books, featuring marked runes to virtually any location in Britannia. Because of its provision of rune books to dungeons, cities, quest locations, and more, the Book Store serves as something of a gateway to the rest of the Atlantic shard. The Book Store has been in continuous operation since its founding in November 2003. A key asset that sets the Book Store apart from other player-run vendors, according to DeadBob, is consistency. “Over the years, players have been able to find useful runebooks for sale on our vendors and free to use in our library,” said DeadBob. “There are some wonderful shops on Atlantic. But we’ve been here so long that players returning after 4 or 5 years absence can still use their old rune to the Book Store to get restarted. It’s like we’re part of the game.” Indeed, the Book Store’s provision of rune books holds great appeal both to new players who are trying to learn their way around Britannia, as well as to old veterans who are simply starting a new character. “Staying useful to the players is a big thing,” DeadBob said. “We continually stock basic runebooks and full spell books at a low price so old players can easily help new players. Items on our vendors tend to be those that players routinely seek, and cheap. Runebooks for the current quests are on our front steps. The very latest event runes are always out front in a box. Plus, we get to know our customers’ needs and keep extensive blackmail files.” Since the Book Store’s founding, business has been steady according to DeadBob. “It’s been fun,” he said. “Well, occasionally a crystal elemental will eat a customer. But I tell people it’s all part of our ‘Level while you Shop’ promotion.” The Book Store has not evolved much since its founding, but this seems to be the key to its success and growth. Its steady supply of low-cost books, sold at the same location, for the same prices, is likely to draw customers for years to come. “Remember folks,” DeadBob added, “at the Book Store, we cheat the other guy and pass the savings on to You! DeadBob and Lady Tang beta tested Ultima Online in 1997. Their vendor shop, the Book Store, is located two and a half screens west of the Luna walls.
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And The Holiday Contest Winner Is!?!
Posted on Thursday, December 24, 2009, 4:37 PM EST by Salya Sin (NapaValley)
Greetings fellow Britannians! The Christmas holiday is not complete without trees decorated with bright lights and shining bulbs, wreaths and mistletoe with colorful ribbons, and boxes wrapped up with their secrets safe inside. Britannia welcomes all of this with gusto and tonight Fiorella took us on a tour of the three Holiday House Decoration winners. First up with Third place... Salya Sin... errr.. myself? Please excuse the "No reporting on what you are participating in" rule, as there are no other reporters and I didn't want to exclude the other two because of that! Next up with Second place, Sir Tedley's "Santa's Winter Castle." And the First place winner of the Holiday House Decoration Contest is Kirth Dorn's "Llama Head Point." The runes to these houses are available in a book at the Awards Hall for anyone who missed the tour. Outside of each house is a scroll marking the house's placement in the contest. I encourage all to go and see for themselves as my humble images do not do justice to the work put in by Sir Tedley or Kirth Dorn. Well done you two!! Merry Christmas to all and many thanks to Fiorella for taking the time to tour the winners and to the EM's who did the judging! Salya Sin
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And The Golden Goose Was Cooked!
Posted on Thursday, December 24, 2009, 3:46 PM EST by Salya Sin (NapaValley)
Greetings fellow Britannians! The evening was starting out to be a normal, quiet night at Luna Bank. The usual vendors who call out their wares had long since retired and most were simply holding their own council while polishing their armor or chatting quietly about the days hunting or crafting with their guild mates. As it was, Cyrus The Town Crier broke the lull in activity by exclaiming loudly, "The Golden Geese have flown their coop! If you'd like to know more..." Those at the bank quickly ascertained the remaining information from Cyrus and were directed to speak to the Bartender at the Fairgrounds. Leon was unfortunately unhelpful at first due to a sudden bought of amnesia and could remember nothing about the escaping fowl. Instead he sent the inquirers to speak with Fiorella's Prince, the bullfrog at the pond? Which in turn sent the masses back to Cyrus, who suggested the jingle of gold might jog Leon's memory. Suspiciously, it did indeed seem to help, in turn sending everyone racing to West Britain Bank where the Town Crier gave a rather disturbing set of instructions. One had to stand over a nearby raging fire and speak the words, "My goose is cooked." HA! If we'd only known... A sudden blackness engulfed my view and left me standing in some remote cavern filled with enough Greater Chickens to feed Britannia's homeless for at least a year! An odd assortment to find in a cavern, to say the least! Britannia's finest began pouring in, dispatching the flock in a haze of feathers and shrieks before coming upon bird-zilla! The first of three hazardous critters, Chicken Little, who might have been pot sized but had an attitude that was anything but. This "little" bird had no trouble fighting off our fiercest pets or warriors. In fact, it jumped targets repeatedly, chasing and attacking anything within range. The next encounter I stumbled upon made Chicken Little look like a Cornish Game Hen. In fact, the aptly named bright red bird, the Guardian of the Poultry, did all it could to defend the deaths of so many of his feathered dependents. Dismounting and area attacks made for a harrowing battle! The third encounter brought Thanksgiving back and went straight to the heart of the matter. Gobblers Revenge indeed! By the number of slain hero's littering the ground, I'd say this dark grey chicken more than made it's point! It would take the death of all three of these named creatures and the multitude of warriors who fell in this extended battle to reach the first escaped Golden Goose. Yet find it they did! Though I've no doubt they may have wished it were otherwise, for the Golden Goose was like nothing we Britannians had ever fought before. No wonder the Town Criers were so frantic that it had flown its coop! What followed was a very haphazard chase coupled with the awe of this creatures ability to teleport and call down the elements. The threats hurled by this creature were prophetic as it left many a warrior laying at it's feet with barely a scratch on it! It was a long battle but Trammel was once again safe from this crazed menace. In truth, the second Golden Goose was located in Felucca by the next evening, but I was unable to get close enough to witness the battle. Yet, rest assured, both escaped geese have been found and secured! Many thanks to those in Trammel and Felucca for their courage and strength, without you, who knows what damage might have been done! And congratulations to those who were gifted for their hard work with one or both of the following items! Happy Holidays, Salya Sin
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Happy Holidays Lake Superior!

Posted on Thursday, December 24, 2009, 12:10 PM EST by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)

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Unusual Fauna Spotted in Luna
Posted on Thursday, December 24, 2009, 3:45 AM EST by DevilsOwn (LegendsAOL)
During a routine last minute holiday shopping trip there was seen two oddly colored stags wandering the paths of Luna. Squeals of delight and surprised faces followed the pair as they handed out gifts and good cheer. There was something for everyone, from bags of coal to Grandma's Cookies, and I overheard the green stag whisper that they had not yet completed their rounds. Keep a sharp lookout, Legends, they are quick and may appear anytime, anywhere!
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[News] New In-Game Items at UO Game Codes
Posted on Wednesday, December 23, 2009, 6:31 PM EST by Eyes of Origin (Pacific)
New In-Game Items at UO Game Codes James Nichols 23 Dec 2009 20:12:58 Greetings! Today we have several new items available on UOGameCodes.com just in time for the holidays! We’ve provided details below, visit UO Game Codes to purchase. Smuggler’s Edge The perfect thief needs a perfect weapon! The Smuggler’s Edge has a 5% chance to proc a stealing attempt when fighting a mob. If the proc is not successful you have a chance of gaining skill in stealing instead. If you have natural stealing skill you have a chance to steal one of two new stealable rares: •Smuggler’s Tool Box – Produces lockpicks daily • Smuggler’s Lantern – Has Spell channeling, faster cast, and is hued Undertaker’s Staff This weapon is perfect when you’re in a jam! (Or just don’t feel like running.) The Undertaker’s Staff can be used to retrieve your corpse if it’s within 40 tiles and you are not a criminal. Merchant’s Earrings Who needs to haggle with a set of baubles like these? The Merchant’s Earrings are a charged pair of earrings that discounts player run vendor costs per day. Deducts one charge per day, there are two versions: The 40 use version grants a 10% discount and the 90 use version grants a 5% discount.
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Red & Purple Mini Mall sights Christmas Pixies!
Posted on Wednesday, December 23, 2009, 6:27 AM EST by Andrasta (Atlantic)
Beware of R&PMM Christmas Pixies bearing gift bags! The last several years, the Red & Purple Mini Mall has gone all out to add some sparkling festive spirit to the Atlantic shard. Besides the all out decorations, we have held a Santa Event where everyone is invited to visit with Father Christmas on the mall’s rooftop garden. Well… the halls are decorated, but the jolly man has been stuck at the north poll and the scheduling has been unfavorable. A few happy elves can not do such a big job alone. We still invite you all to come around and enjoy the little Christmas postcard we put up for the season. Unless there is a last second Christmas miracle and the big guy comes… a Christmas Day visit will be made to our Atlantic community by a special Christmas Pixie to hand out 50 gift bags to some of the good little boys and girls around the lands, chosen at random. We want to give a little something back to our community and NO hints! We at the Red and Purple sincerely hope You and Yours have a Wonderful Christmas this year and hope for a better New Year… for our friends and community members in game, those who retired from play, and those in real life. Happy Christmas… Happy Hanukkah… Happy Winter Solstice… To everyone… from the Red & Purple Mini Mall. Submitted by Lady Frany Flame
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Holiday Decoration Contest Winners Announced!
Posted on Wednesday, December 23, 2009, 6:04 AM EST by Andrasta (Atlantic)
Holiday Decoration Contest Winners! I really want to thank all of the players that opened their houses to help build the community and promote the holiday spirit. All the entries looked wonderful and all were very unique. There is clearly a large amount of talent on the Atlantic shard. I have seen the houses several time and each time I see something new. All the entrants names will be recorded in the archives. There have been placed three Trophies in front of the winning houses signifying their achievement. These trophies will be placed in the EM reward after the new year. The Winners are: People's Choice: Pixie Dust – by Cimber Preece EM's Choice (Eris): Serpent Cross Tavern – by Woody EM's Choice (Nestor): How the Grinch Stole Christmas – by Ginger Snap Submitted by EM Nestor
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Holiday Decoration Contest Update!
Posted on Tuesday, December 22, 2009, 11:35 PM EST by Salya Sin (NapaValley)
From the desk of EM Fiorella: I am so sorry guys for nothing about the Housing Contest. We had three entries and as such we are going to have first, second and third places. I will be placing scrolls at the door steps of each house with their placing and will schedule for a tour tomorrow before the Golden Goose Event. Meet me for the tour at West Brit Bank, at 7 PM PST. You guys are the best. Merry Christmas, EM Fiorella
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A Note From Maya Demeter.
Posted on Tuesday, December 22, 2009, 11:30 PM EST by Salya Sin (NapaValley)
A note From Maya Demeter: Due to the special time of year and the momentum we’re building to reach an answer to the Mutation problems, The Zoo Nights have been temporarily postponed. I have managed to catch a nasty Gargoyle flu which has rendered me useless for a while. I am improving but the gargoyles are fascinated by the fact that I caught it to begin with (que lots of needles and medicine). Thank you for you understanding and I hope everyone has a lovely holiday. Maya
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Strange Stag Spotted In Luna!
Posted on Tuesday, December 22, 2009, 10:45 PM EST by Salya Sin (NapaValley)
Greetings fellow Britannians, Reports have reached me that a red "Stag" has been spotted in and around Luna. The beast appears to be timid in that it runs away, often teleporting to escape whomever has chosen to follow it. Why would anyone follow the apparently frightened creature? It is dropping gifts, of course! The EM's were unclear on when and where you can find this Stag, exactly. They only said to watch for it "periodically" and as Kirthag has stated, I was mistaken on the locations. Look everywhere! Though several reports have come in about sightings in Luna and the Fairgrounds. And now, West Britain Bank. I, myself, have not been fortunate enough to see this splendid event but a witness stated it was bright red and looked much like a Great Hart. The list of gifts are as follows and are dropped on the ground or gifted directly to you: Fruitcake Rumcake Holiday Ale A Christmas Rose Ribbons (inscribed with EM Fiorella and EM Sangria) Cookies (Red or Green made by EM Fiorella and EM Sangria) Keep your eyes peeled Ladies and Gentleman. Christmas is near at hand and it would seem that a very special Stag has come to wish us a joyous holiday! Happy Holidays, Salya Sin
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A Must See Christmas Tree and House Decorated by Christmas Elves!

Posted on Tuesday, December 22, 2009, 7:13 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Earlier today, chocalot told me about a house being decorated near the Yew Gate. Then this evening Nicholas the Old told me the house had been completed.

This is a must see house located just north of the Trammel Yew gate.

Merry Christmas, Christmas Elves, and thank you for bringing such holiday spirit to Baja!

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Britain Poor Gate and Main Gate Deteriorating

Posted on Tuesday, December 22, 2009, 6:44 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

* This note was found nailed to the guard tower near west Britain Bank *

Attention all good citizens:

It has come to our attention during routine general inspection and maintenance performed by the town guards, that the iron portcullis’ at the Poor Gate and Main Gate in Britain (Trammel) have drastically deteriorated over time. The town guards recently notified town officials and a city engineer was dispatched immediately to further investigate and determine what course of action may be necessary. A report filed by the city engineer documented and confirmed the suspicions of the town guards. An excerpt of the report reads as follows;

“… furthermore, the deterioration of the Poor Gate and Main Gate poses a serious threat for Britain’s defenses. The town’s ability to rely on the Poor Gate and Main Gate as a main defensive rampart requires that these structures be operating at their fullest capacity and be replaced immediately and without delay. During examination, one portcullis at the Main Gate even dropped on its’ own accord, without setting finger to the trigger mechanism. Luckily, no citizens were passing underneath at the time of the gearing malfunction.“

Due to the urgency of the situation, and to avoid the lengthy process of the usual ‘Request for Proposal’ bids from various city contractors that typically provide construction-related services for Britain, all citizens willing to lend a hand are asked to meet at West Britain Bank on December 26^th at 8PM PST.

Volunteers in the blacksmithing/mining trade may be needed but all citizens are welcome to attend. A small contingent of Britain’s town guards, the south western garrison, will be on duty to provide support for gathered citizens who are willing to lend a hand. Additional information and details regarding the specific task required to reinforce the city gates will be provided at that time.

Signed,

Town official Elias
and
Town official Eliar

Day: Saturday, December 26^th
Time: 8:00PM PST (9PM MST, 10PM CST, 11PM EST)
Where: West Britain Bank (Trammel)

_______________________________________

NOTE: This is a player-ran event

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Happy Holidays From Chesapeake!!!
Posted on Tuesday, December 22, 2009, 12:43 PM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
Happy Holidays From Chesapeake Homare-Jima, Tokuno Islands December 21, 2009 Monday Night around 8:00pm the communities of Pitmuck, TKO, Kijustsu Anei Village, Guardians Gate and Moria put on one of Chesapeakes largest Holiday Tree Lighting Events. Attendance numbers were between 55 and 65 people, making this the largest attended event ever held on Homare-Jima Island. Citizens from around the shard and off shards began to gather around 7:00pm. The events hosts attempted to keep people entertained that showed early. Ozog of Pitmuck came early handing out ice cream. The Savages started the snowball fights. The Winter Solstice Stag made an appearance handing out cookies and other goods. Savages began to chase the stag to claim its multicolor white fur. The Winter Solstice Stag had other plans then just handing out gifts. The stag could be seen licking ears, Eggnog, eating some good ice cream and more. Angelica from Moria settlement in Felucca was hard at work setting up a beautiful eating area and putting final touches on the food she would serve. Everyone was directed to the lawn of the Blue Light Tavern for the feast. The Winter Solstice came as well handing out cookies for desert to each person in attendance. Decorated cakes by Angelica were handed out. After dinner and all the cookies were handed out, Luna Rossa of the S@GE guild was delivered a summoning spell from Ado The Theif. Luna Rossa then waited for those in attendance to quiet down. After studying the spell she noticed a few changes in it but figured they were done for a reason. Luna Rossa then began casting the spell to summon Santa Clause to the area. "This, the spirit of Christmas, that forever and ever endures. We call upon you nowhar to join us and leave the richest of blessings in our hearts today and always." With the spell cast everyone waited for Santa to appear. To claim the gifts they should get this year. Unfortunately the minor change made to the spell summoned two Harbringers to the area!!! Humans, Savages and Goblins alike jumped out of the stools and knocked over tables to gain higher ground. After a moment of panic in some, they gathered together and beat back the Harbringers! (Yes this was planned. Thats why it was said to bring fighting armor.) After the battle everyone seemed please. Casualties were a bit on the high end but, healers quickly brought the ghosts back to life. People were given a few minutes break to calm down. The event organizers alerted everyone to run to the holday tree. EM Vladimere would appear to lite the top of it ringing in the Holidays on Chesapeake. Behind the scenes drama of lighting the tree Spoiler: show Gareth: Vladimere where are you? Vladimere: next to you. What do I do? Gareth: Have you go to the top of the tree to light it. Vladimere: Account isn't old enough. Gareth: Oh (Censored) Gareth: Ado log onto the playhouse account and grab me a ladder. Ado: Okay Gareth: Darn it the ladder wont fit. Vladimere keeps everyone occupied. Gareth: I need a box and axe brb (Five minutes running around like a chicken with its head cut off.) Finally gets the ladder up Gareth: I cant reach it , even with the ladder. Niva: Lower it down and then try without lighting it. Lowers it and hides on Vladimere Vladimere: Okay we ready? Gareth: I hope this works Crosses fingers (Tree Lights) Once everyone was gathered a few minutes passed as the Torch had some minor problems. EM Vladimere gave a ten second count down. The tree lite up brightly and could be seen all the way to Britain. Everyone snapped pictures and either said Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or Happy Ho Ho. After about five minutes of picture time everyone was ready to open gifts! The Goblins came to the tree to help pass them out. Each person who brought a gift was given a gift. Although we feel bad for whoever got stuck with the Savage gift. Once that was complete the Goblins performed for everyone singing Christmas Carols below the tree. Special Thanks Special Thanks to everyone who attended, making this the best Tree Lighting event in history! Also let us not forget those responsible for making this happen. Special thanks to Ozog and Pillow Pants for orgainizing the Goblins to come and entertainment. Niva The Savage and her Savage Tribe for the snowball fights. Angelica and Moria Settlement for providing the Food and furniture. Angus and Guardians Gate for the harbringers. Luna Rossa and her Sages for the Summoning spell and directing traffic. EM Vladimere for lighting the tree. The Winter Solstice for passing out gifts. Prowler of TKO and Gareth S@GE for decorating the Tree. Everyone who brought gifts for the pressie exchange. Last but not least those behind the scenes in ventrilo making sure everything went over smoothly.
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[News] Storytelling Contest Results
Posted on Monday, December 21, 2009, 4:17 PM EST by Eyes of Origin (Pacific)
Storytelling Contest - December 16th 2009 A few had gathered at the Fairgrounds on the 16th for the Holiday Storytelling Contest. While we wait to see if more would arrive, we were treated to a story from EM Lillimu. It started out a sad story about a sad, lonely mongbat named Sharzamam. But ended in a new friendship between Sharzamam and her new gargoyle friend. Next we were treated to a story by our one and only contestant, Joy from Elf. "The Llama & the Mistletoe" By Joy Waldo the llama lived a peaceful life at a farm near Britain. The elderly farmer brushed him daily and made sure he had plenty to eat and drink. The farmer's young grandchildren also visited on a weekly basis, providing treats and much attention. The brown and white llama was young, and had never experienced a Christmas before living there. His furry ears perked up as he listened to the children talk about Santa Claus, snow and flying deer. Everyone at the farm was bustling when it came time to decorate for the holidays, and the children helped by hanging tufts of mistletoe in random places. Waldo followed behind them to investigate, and he too decided to experience the joys of the plant and pearly white berries. He pulled the mistletoe off of a low-hanging tree limb and chewed happily. His world went black as he pondered the taste. Waldo opened his eyes to an incredible arctic world. Snow coated the farm and icicles hung from the fences, but that was only the beginning. "Ho Ho Ho!" laughed a deep voice from behind. Waldo got up and turn around to see a pudgy man with fur trimmed red clothes standing in front of a sleigh. Waldo cocked his head to the side. "My reindeer have all ran off!" the man said. "I need to deliver all these presents. Could you help?" Waldo pattered over to the man and allowed himself to be hooked to the sleigh. He pulled the contraption along the ground with little effort and felt very proud of himself. "This will never do!" The man laughed, "Come on, lift off! Fly!" The llama thought the little man was losing his marbles, but did as he asked.Waldo gathered his feet and bounced into the air with the sleigh behind him. It took all night, but Santa and the lone llama delivered all of the gifts to Sosarian citizens. As Santa Claus unlatched the sleigh from Waldo, he said, "You did more work than all nine of my reindeer! You truly are a wonder of a llama." Waldo went to his straw bed in the barn and fell right asleep...or so he thought. A familiar voice assaulted the sleeping llama's ears, and he slowly opened his eyes. "Whew, he's waking up. Will he be okay, Doctor?" "He'll be fine. Just don't give him any more mistletoe!" A woman said with a laugh. Congratulations Joy! It was a wonderful story :) After Joy's story we were at a loss at what to do. The evening was still young and no one was quite ready to leave, so we tossed a few ideas around and this is what we ended up with!
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BRPA Sunday Night Taming Recap For December 20, Schedule For December 27

Posted on Monday, December 21, 2009, 11:44 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Baja Sunday Night Taming Hour
Sponsored by The Baja Roleplaying & Event Alliance

December 20, 2009, Recap
by Taming Hour hostess Proserpina [K T], BRPA Alliance

There was a small number of tamers present at the beginning, however they did an awesome job of taming and turning in pets. As the hour progressed the numbers increased as latecomers started arriving.

Proserpina did an unusually exuberant job of encouraging the tamers with her cheers and and high kicks.

Kat MacBroeden's random prize point level was 11,235,000 on the contribution box, which was won by Shayla Keylley who was presented with a set of Chrissay and Draconi jack o’ lanterns.

Starting points: 11,106,108 (Tier 11)
Ending points: 11,241,171
Points earned: 135,063

Non-tamer contributions:
Ceno [K T] … 1-million gold
Wrath [COR]

Tamers:
Lady HRH Elizabeth [D_S]
Lil Debi [M!S]
Kat MacBroeden [DWN]
James [MT]
Sally [C@S]
Shayla Keylley [DWN]
Lady Luna Tic [TAO]
Reap [DWN]
Smaug

Next Taming Hour, Sunday, December 27, 8pm Pacific (9pm Mountain, 10pm Central, 11pm Eastern.

Happy Holidays!

If you would like to help support the Zoo but can not make it to the BRPA Zoo Taming Hour, please contact WildStar [DWN] or Sara [TAO]. We will make arrangements to record your donations and add you to the list of participants, making you eligible for one of Kat MacBroeden's mysterious prizes.

________________________________________

Related Links:
Week 1: BRPA Sunday Night Taming Recap For November 22
Week 2: BRPA Sunday Night Taming Recap For November 29
Week 3: BRPA Sunday Night Taming Recap For December 6
Week 4: Silver Steed Returns To Baja Royal Zoo, December 13

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The Golden Goose Has Flown It's Coop!
Posted on Monday, December 21, 2009, 6:20 AM EST by Salya Sin (NapaValley)
The golden goose has flown it’s coop! Sunday, December 20, 2009 By Sangria Ask Cyrus for ‘news’ at Luna bank on Tuesday at 8:00 pst to get more information. FYI – this event will take place in both Tram and Fel. On Tuesday the event will be held in Tram. On Wednesday it will be held in Fel. Warning: If you choose to do this event in Fel, beware of thieves and the usual dangers that Fel has to offer.
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Community Hunts - Week of December 21st
Posted on Monday, December 21, 2009, 4:29 AM EST by Lady Tia (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. Minotaur Labyrinth hunt (Stygian Abyss) Date: Tuesday, December 22nd Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center, next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Community Peerless Hunt Date: Wednesday, December 23rd Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center, next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Slasher of Veils Hunt(Stygian Abyss Required) Date: Thursday, December 24th Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center, next to the bank Host: 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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272nd Assembly of the High Council
Posted on Monday, December 21, 2009, 4:21 AM EST by Lady Tia (LakeSuperior)
*272nd Assembly of the High Council* Date: Monday, December 21st Time: 10:00 PM EDT/9:00 PM CDT Note Location: West Counselor's Guild, Britain, Trammel Facet Meeting Agenda: - Updates regarding the investigation on current threats to the High Council. - The High Council will discuss the present political and military situation in the realm. - Other items to be announced at the meeting. High Council of Britannia
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Solstice Tidings!
Posted on Monday, December 21, 2009, 3:14 AM EST by Shiel (Oceania)
Merry Meet to all on this, the Summer Solstice and longest day of the year! In addition let me wish everyone all the joys of the Christmas season including a full belly, happy family times and that Santa brings you everything you could wish for. I was just wandering in Luna.. and happened to find some unusual carrots so thought I would report these happenings to the general public. As you can see.. we seem to have some sort of fey visitors... After following the trail for a short time I found the stag himself! I did offer him a carrot but it seems he had already eaten his fill and was leaving them for us. After wandering around Luna for awhile he led us up to Britain and around the bank.. Then through the gate to Felucca Britain gate and up to the town. In Felucca he dropped "Naughty Switches" instead of the carrots... and I got a reminder why I should check my bags and insurance before heading to Felucca.. looks a little shame-faced I'll be ready next time! In good Wiccan/Celtic tradition I am wondering if the EMs will host a full festival... although the nudity might be a problem for some grins wickedly So be on the lookout for the Solstice Stag with goodies for us! I have no idea if or when he will appear again... Oh as a final note - There seem to be some new tower like structures in Luna and in the barracks - Perhaps a new event notification system? I know things have been quiet on the EM event front lately.. perhaps we arent getting the messages about when they are? Hopefully this will change soon :) Merry Xmas to all once more! Shiel.
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This Week at a Glance (12/21-12/27)
Posted on Sunday, December 20, 2009, 11:48 PM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
Monday, December 21 8:00 PM - High Council Meeting [RP] Compassion Grove, 12o29'N by 37o53'W, Trammel Tuesday, December 22 8:00 PM - Christmas Quest Event [EM] Counselor's Guild, 8o16'N by 12o43'E, Trammel Saturday, December 26 7:00 PM - Chicken Fight Club Gates from Luna starting at 6:50 PM, Malas [All event times listed are based on Central Time.] If you have an event you would like listed, please feel free to send it on in!
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First Official PvM Contest Postponed Until Further Notice
Posted on Sunday, December 20, 2009, 7:47 PM EST by Fallon Valor (Atlantic)
ATLANTIC--EM Nestor’s first official PvM competition has been postponed until after the holidays, according to a statement released by Nestor earlier today. The competition, originally scheduled to take place on 21 December, has been delayed until further notice due to a lackluster display of interest, probably as a result of the business of the holiday season. EM Nestor will announce the date and time of the event once it has been rescheduled.
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[EM] Christmas Event – Wednesday Dec 23rd, 8 p.m. EST
Posted on Sunday, December 20, 2009, 3:47 PM EST by Sahra Swift (Catskills)
From the Catskills EM Website: The Solstice Stag is requesting that everyone meet him at the Britain Counselor’s hall on Wednesday December 23rd at 8 p.m. EST. There is something amiss with his brethren -there have been many strange tree and animal sightings - and he hopes that the people of Catskills can find a solution. P.S. – The Stag has been out dropping goodies throughout Britannian towns, keep an eye out. Good luck and see you there! P.P.S – Congratulations to the United Pirates for being the first town to become eligible for a teleporter via town recommendations. I hope there are more to follow. Kasaven
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Poison Ivy Does It Again ! More Holiday Decor
Posted on Sunday, December 20, 2009, 9:24 AM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. . . Poison Ivy Does It Again ! More Holiday Decor ~ The season is in full swing. So busy I have not been able to spend much time in the realm. I missed both sash hand outs this week and I did so want one but there were real life holiday parties to attend during those time frames. One of the most talented and consistant designers on Great Lakes is Poison Ivy. Her vendor shop is always decked out for what ever the season is and there is always a reason to go there. Aside from great decor her shop is always well stocked. A busy gal she is but not too busy that she herself cannot get a little shopping in. I ran into her in Luna today and complimented her on her holiday efforts. Below is a taste. I stopped by the crazy patchwork quilt known as the House of Lords also today to see what that character did for the holidays. His plot is so jammed but he found a little space on the front steps to dedicate to the season in the form of a green gingerbread cookie and Christmas angel food cakes. Yummy ! The FCB Fishmarket, always a warm and smelly place to visit, had its annual Christmas tree set up in its usual space. Below are a few more plots proudly showing holiday flair. The Three Bells owned by Colt Manx amoung his Christmas trees Just waiting for Santa to arrive I keep a file with holiday plots from years gone by and below is a vintage shot of my all time favorite UO Christmas Tree. I would like to share it with our readers. Now that is a tree !
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Chesapeake Community Tree Lighting 12/21/09 8pm EST
Posted on Sunday, December 20, 2009, 7:35 AM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
On Monday December 21st at 8:00pm the Community Tree Lighting event will start. Lord Prowler of [TKO] and Lord Gareth of [S@GE] have been decorating the community tree together. We all look forward to seeing the final product. Goblins will also be found around the tree handing out presents! Guardians Gate will be opening a Red Gate Surprise. Its rumored to be a gate allowing Santa to come through. Ado the Theif has been put in charge of delivering the Sage spell from Luna Rossa to the Cleric in Guardians Gate. You may bring a gift. No price cap has been placed. Those who bring a gift will receive a gift. Place it in a color box or holiday box. Make sure you put a book in it with your character name you will be at the party with. Those who for whatever reason miss getting the gift you can pick it up at any time. EVENT TIMES 8:00pm EST General Gathering [Savage snowball fight] Bring your snow 8:25pm EST Dinner [Supplied to Angelica's Ale House, Moria City] 8:50pm EST Red Gate Surprise [Guardians Gate City] 9:20pm EST [Chesapeakes Event Moderator(s) will light the tree] 9:25pm EST Community Tree Pictures [Anyone] Please face South-East in front of the tree 9:30pm EST Pressie hand out [Goblins will pass out pressies, MUCK] DIRECTIONS The Community Holiday Tree is located on Homare-Jima, Tokuno Islands. Follow the road North and it is one more screen from the Kijustsu Anei Village town banner on your right. All events will be hosted around the the tree area.
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HoC Chat is Back!
Posted on Sunday, December 20, 2009, 7:03 AM EST by AirmidCecht (CommunityNews)
House of Commons Stratics IRC and UO Stratics proudly announce Ultima Online House of Commons. HoC is scheduled for Tuesday, December 22nd, 7 pm EST. Please join us in the #straticshoc channel on the Stratics IRC network for another great hour of questions and answers with the UO team! The HoC Topics of this week will be: Live Game Global Chat Christmas Gifts Bug Fixing Movement Factions Expansion Imbuing changes Mysticism Boss Fights What’s Next Updates to the Live Game and Story Arc User Survey What would make you PvP Based on goals of Factions will it inspire you to PvP Goals also for roleplaying For Returning players … what brought you back? Classic Client Continuing to update and Support Both Clients Where we’d like to go with a new patcher You will not want to miss this one! You can connect to one of our IRC servers through the use of your favorite IRC client or you can visit our downloads section to choose a client. Connect to irc.stratics.com port 6668 or choose a server listed below that is closest to you: stratics.frws.com USA - Colorado 6667 6668 7000 irc.glowfish.de EU - Germany 6667 6668 irc.us.glowfish.de USA - Missouri 6667 6668 irc.gamers-irc.org USA - Colorado 6667 6668 7000 Once connected, join the #straticshoc channel and you'll be able to submit your questions to the assigned question taker. You can also join us any time in #ultima-online on Stratics IRC for general chat about the best MMO ever - Ultima Online! Newer readers that have not taken part before can find instructions and some information on the House of Commons below. House of Commons: http://uohoc.stratics.com/intro.shtml http://uohoc.stratics.com/questions.shtml http://uohoc.stratics.com/hocjavairc.shtml IRC: http://chat.stratics.com/
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[EM] Christmas Quest, Everyone's Invited
Posted on Sunday, December 20, 2009, 3:07 AM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
This just in from EM Elizabella... All are invited to a Christmas Quest on Tuesday, December 22 at 8:00 PM (CST). It will begin at the Counselor's Guild in Britain. A gate labeled "Christmas Eve Dreams" will be left open inside the hall for latecomers. Magnus Grey asks that the Royal Spies attend and bring their equipment. The same is requested of the Volunteer Royal Guard.
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Winter Solstice Stag Injured
Posted on Saturday, December 19, 2009, 8:05 PM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
Winter Solstice Injured Tram Britain Moongate December 19, 2009 The beautiful and wonderful Winter Solstice Stag appeared at the Trammel Britain Gate after the battle. The Stag warmed up to the folks who just got done with a hard fought battle. The stag could be seen licking the ears of those in attendance. Perhaps as a thank you. However the Tonkaweya Savage Tribe had other plans. Despite the yells for them to stop and the threats of death upon them from local cities the savages Cordee and Sai'ge began to hunt the noble creature. Explosion pots were thrown everywhere almost hitting innocents standing around to catch a glimpse of the Stag. After twenty minutes of chase the Noble Winter Solstice dragged its legs slowly in pain across the snow area. The savages managed to injure the creature. The stag went from white to green to red for unknown reasons. After more pursuit the savages arms began to tire and the hunt was called off. The stag was still kind enough to pass out cookies to everyone. When it came to the savages they were given an antler jab to the chest. Sai'ge however did not let that go and cut off a piece of the Stags antler. The Savages plan to one day finally kill the Stag and mount it in Niva's Hunting Lodge! HA-OOH! HA-OOH! HA-OOH!
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Brit Tram Moongate Invasion
Posted on Saturday, December 19, 2009, 8:04 PM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
Brit Tram Moongate Invasion December 19, 2009 By: Merik The town criers screamed out today of an impending invasion headed to Britain! Citizens made way to the Trammel Britian Moongate to combat the cold force. Trained animals, Energy Vortex, Archers, Macers and more gathered around awaiting the arrival of the cold force. Tancred RedStar of Gyldenfeld offered a global room to speak in for the event. Within a few minutes of all being gathered a Frost Troll paid a visit to the crowed. Telling them to prepare for Death! The invasion included Ice fiends, Snow Elementals, Ice Snakes, Ice Slimes, Bone Dragons, Artic Ogre Lords, Lady of the Snow and a few others. The group was successful in beating back the first waves. The Frost Troll reappeared saying he would return soon. After awhile defenders started to disperse and return to other parts of the world. A small grouped remained behind awaiting the second wave. The second wave came moments later and was yet again beaten back by the group. Great work everyone for beating back the cold invasion force in Britain.
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PaxLair Statehood Links To Hub
Posted on Saturday, December 19, 2009, 8:03 PM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
PaxLair Statehood Links To Hub Homare-Jima, Tokuno Islands December 18, 2009 Please welcome the PaxLair Statehood to the hub. As it stands right now the teleporter links to the Statehood hub in PaxOku. From that hub you can reach PaxLair City, Dragons Watch City and Pitmuck. Thank you to Governor Winfield for supplying the teleporter. The hub was expanded once again and organized for better travel. This is the maximum size the hub can be within the Blue Light Tavern. Should it grow more in the future a new location will be chosen. Communities and guilds are still able to add links to the hub should they wish to. Teleporter Links Otters Run Taphouse (Guardians Gate City) Red Wolf Cafe (Town of Gyldenfeld) Torchwood Tavern (Torchwood) Angelica's Attic (Luna City) Oda Nobunga's Mall (Luna City) KiGrd Community Play House (Kijustsu Keys) Angelica's Ale House (Moria Settlement) PaxLair Statehood (PaxOku City) Al Ellisande Bank (Al Ellisande Town) Kijustsu Keys Inn (Kijustsu Keys) SHE Auction House (Zedland) Blue Light Tavern (Kijustsu Anei Village)
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Vanished!
Posted on Saturday, December 19, 2009, 11:16 AM EST by Nh'bdy (Atlantic)
The donations that were being collected for the poor folks of yew have vanished. Luke of the Yew Abbey had sent a retired guard named Edwin to collect the donations and bring them to the yew abbey. Edwin had set off for yew early on the morning of the 18th to see Hogan in trinsic, but has not arrived at the Abbey; He has been missing for over 24 hours. Avery has been asked to investigate. Avery has asked the Royal guard assemble on December 22, at 8:00 PM EST at the Counselors Hall in Britain to help resolve this matter.
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Holiday Contest Tour is Postponed!
Posted on Saturday, December 19, 2009, 10:58 AM EST by Salya Sin (NapaValley)
Greetings fellow Britannians, Due to unforeseen circumstances (EM Fiorella has come down with the flu), our Holiday tour of contest houses is postponed. EM Sangria hopes to have an update up as soon as possible here. I will post any new information as it becomes available. Happy Holidays everyone! Salya Sin
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Tour of the Decorated Homes "Rescheduled"
Posted on Saturday, December 19, 2009, 7:50 AM EST by Andrasta (Atlantic)
Tour of the Decorated Homes "Rescheduled" Many of your neighbors have shown their holiday spirit by decorating their homes. Let us gather this evening at the EM Reward house and tour these homes. Saturday December 19th, 2009 7:30 PM EST (provided there is not another emergency down time) at the EM Reward House. Submitted by Nestor
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Welcome EM Molly O'Malley

Posted on Friday, December 18, 2009, 6:48 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)

Please welcome EM Molly O'Malley to Origin

Saturday, December 12, EM Faine Morgan made the announcement that EM Molly O'Malley has joined EM Faine on the Origin EM team.

Welcome to Origin, EM Molly O'Malley! We're looking forward to getting to know you!

Keep an eye on the Origin EM website, UO - Origin Events, for more information about EM Molly.

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[News] Immediate Downtime: All Shards - Publish 63.2
Posted on Friday, December 18, 2009, 3:01 PM EST by Eyes of Origin (Pacific)
From - UO Herald Immediate Downtime: All Shards - Publish 63.2 Andy Belford 18 Dec 2009 17:33:12 EST Greetings! We will be bringing all Shards offline for immediate maintenance at 5:45 PM EST. At this time we anticipate that all Shards will be back online no later than 8: 00 PM EST. We apologize for the short notice. Please read on for the full 63.2 Notes •Paroxymus Swamp Dragons: These monsters will no longer be converted to normal ones •Players will no longer be resurrected on login •(Enhanced Client) Character’s face color should now always match the player’s body •Fixed an issue which would cause Gargoyles and Elves to lose their skin tone in certain situations. __________________
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Immediate Downtime: All Shards - Publish 63.2
Posted on Friday, December 18, 2009, 2:48 PM EST by AirmidCecht (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com Immediate Downtime: All Shards - Publish 63.2 Andy Belford 18 Dec 2009 17:33:12 EST Greetings! We will be bringing all Shards offline for immediate maintenance at 5:45 PM EST. At this time we anticipate that all Shards will be back online no later than 8: 00 PM EST. We apologize for the short notice. Please read on for the full 63.2 Notes Paroxymus Swamp Dragons: These monsters will no longer be converted to normal ones Players will no longer be resurrected on login (Enhanced Client) Character’s face color should now always match the player’s body Fixed an issue which would cause Gargoyles and Elves to lose their skin tone in certain situations.
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White Stag sighted / Weißer Hirsch gesichtet
Posted on Friday, December 18, 2009, 11:53 AM EST by SevenDF (Drachenfels)
Hello all, After the Meet & Greet on Wednesday there was a nice surprise. There were rumors about a white heart who had been sighted on Drachenfels. He should always appear where larger groups of players are gathered. And where do you meet the most players on Drachenfels in one spot? Luna? That's right, nowhere else! grins So this is where the majority of the players were going after the meeting. Since the deer was under the personal protection of "EMnesty International", I left the bow and arrows at home, going to Luna only armed with the camera grin. After waiting several tough minutes he appeared. Hallo zusammen, nach dem letzten Meet & Greet gab es noch eine nette Überraschung. Es gab Gerüchte, das auf Drachenfels ein weißer Hirsch gesichtet wurde. Dieser solle immer da auftauchen wo größere Spielermassen vorhanden sind. Wo auf Drachenfels gibts es mehr Spieler auf einem Fleck als in Luna? Richtig, nirgends! Also hat sich ein Großteil der Teilnehmer nach dem Meeting auf den Weg dorthin begeben. Da der Hirsch unter dem persönlichen Schutz von EMnesty International steht, habe ich Pfeil und Bogen zuhause gelassen, und mich mit der Kamera bewaffnet grins Nach einigen Minuten zähen Wartens ist er dann auch wirklich erschienen. He really seemed happy and thankful that we just watched him and wouldn't hurt him, he thanked us with putting some gifts on the ground on the trail he went through Luna... Wohl aus Dankbarkeit das wir ihm kein Härchen gekrümmt haben, hat er auf seinem Weg durch Luna immer wieder kleine Geschenke fallen lassen ... So, if you should be back anytime soon in Luna, keep your eyes open! You never know where he may reappear again! grin Also, wenn ihr wieder mal in Luna sein solltet, haltet die Augen offen! Er kann jederzeit dort wieder auftauchen grins PS: Since then, the white "Winter of the Solstice Stag" was spotted several times, so be on the lookout for him! PS: Seitdem wurde er wieder in Luna gesehn, also haltet Ausschau nach ihm! Until next time Sincerely yours, herzlichst Seven
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Something Old, Something New..
Posted on Friday, December 18, 2009, 11:23 AM EST by Petra Fyde (CommunityNews)
Ultima Online Stratics Weekly Announcement: Still striving to update older information, while not falling too behind on adding new information. Continuing our ongoing project to update neglected pages, the Material Bonuses page has been updated to include bonuses from special woods Also updated, The Fisherman Professions essay, with thanks to Mapper. And finally for this week, Neville Brightwhistle's Quest Guide. The 'new' part of this week's update. It's expected that we'll be skipping the update next Friday, but if you'd like to get involved in this mammoth project: Please send submissions to [email protected], [email protected], or you can just send a pm to Petra Fyde.
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[News] EM Cyno Razik's 1 yr Anniversary Party Tonight!
Posted on Friday, December 18, 2009, 8:33 AM EST by Eyes of Origin (Pacific)
Just a quick friendly reminder!! December 18th - Come celebrate EM Cyno Razik's 1-year Anniversary on Pacific! Party to be held at Lord British Castle on Dec 18, at 6PM PST ! * Updated * Let the Celebration begin!!! EM Cyno recalls being accepted into the EM Program.... and he asked what we would like to see in the future.. and I missed the shot, but believe me, more cows might be an awful thing to ask for lol border="5"> He was presented with gifts and then it was time for some games. The prizes for the evening were Pans of Cookies, baked by EM Cyno himself... We were forwarned we might have visitors at the event, but when they say, "visitors" I've grown accustomed to dying! hehe But it looks like there would be no death this night. Our first visitor was EM Lillimu, who presented Cyno a "Rod of Lillimu Smiting". Let the beatings begin! http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/pacific/Cyno10.png OoooOoooo.. now you guys went and did it! Mesanna must have heard EM Lillimu and EM Cyno were misbehaving again and decided to intervene hehe Mesanna presented EM Cyno with a very nice gift. After trivia, sash handouts, cookie handouts and much laughing and fun, it was time to call it a night. Congratulations again Em Cyno Razik :) and Thank you for the the wonderful party.
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Annual Christmas Caroling December 19th 8pm Central
Posted on Friday, December 18, 2009, 7:20 AM EST by Stupid Miner (LakeSuperior)
We will meet at the Britain Counselor Hall (NOTE: Change of Venue from announcement at the HC meeting) at 8 pm Central on December 19th. Refreshments, comraderie, and lessons on caroling (7:45 pm) will be provided. Fa la la la la la la la la Come help spread the cheer of the Holiday Season. Hosted by Merlynna, 6th Seat Britain, High Council
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Better watch out! Better stag safe!
Posted on Thursday, December 17, 2009, 9:44 PM EST by Stupid Miner (LakeSuperior)
(No? Okay, well, I will keep trying) For those that do not know; There are two stags that have been around on LS and have gifts, missions and tasks for you all if you see them be ready for they might have something for you, or something for you to do, just remember hard work does pay off Also make sure you never bring the two together Waves Taken from: http://www.emquantum.com/LakeSuperior/
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DONATIONS!!!!!
Posted on Thursday, December 17, 2009, 7:50 PM EST by Cear Dallben Dragon (Atlantic)
Help is needed The fall harvest was very poor this year in the area around Yew. Many of the local families may not survive the winter. To help the families around Yew; the Monks at the Yew Abbey asked Luke, their paneter, to coordinate food donations. Luke has placed donation boxes at banks in Britain, Trinsic, Minoc and Vesper. Donations will be collected until December 18th.
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Game Update - 12/17/09
Posted on Thursday, December 17, 2009, 7:40 PM EST by AirmidCecht (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com Game Update - 12/17/09 James Nichols 17 Dec 2009 18:10:42 EST Greetings! This evening we have released a new client for users to patch. Additionally we will be publishing additional server changes during schedule maintenance. Publish 63.1 Houses will no longer evict chickens when players claim them from coops or hatch the eggs. Players stuck in body-changing forms (such as Animal Form) will be reverted to their original form on login. Patch Notes Version 7.0.4.3 (Classic) Version 4.0.4.3 (Enhanced) It’s snowing! Turned on snow terrain for the holidays. NOTE: This is only a temporary change
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Player Notice - 12/17/09
Posted on Thursday, December 17, 2009, 1:09 PM EST by AirmidCecht (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com Player Notice - 12/17/09 James Nichols 17 Dec 2009 15:56:19 EST Greetings! Currently some players may be impacted by an issue that causes transformations to persist through logout. We are working to find a solution to return players to their normal forms to be included in the next maintenance cycle. We appreciate your for your patience and apologize for our alchemists behavior. Thank you
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Winter Solstice

Posted on Thursday, December 17, 2009, 10:53 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

from goldenbrewtavern.com

Winter Solstice
Thursday, December 17, 2009
By EM Seppo

Title: Winter Solstice

Description: Rumors speak of sightings of a mythical stag as white as snow. Curiously wherever the stag has been seen, gifts have grown out right from the soil!

Speak to Fay at Trammel Brit Bank to find out where the stag might appear next!

Start Date: 2009-12-18
End Date: 2009-12-25

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EM Seppo says 'Enough Sweet Dough!'

Posted on Thursday, December 17, 2009, 10:46 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

from goldenbrewtavern.com

Enough Sweet Dough!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
By EM Seppo

Thank you, everyone!

I will be in Now You’re Cookin’ in Occlo, Felucca at random times baking the cookies. Feel free to stop by and chat if you so wish!

EM Seppo

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[EM] Christmas Stag, Story Contest Cancelled
Posted on Thursday, December 17, 2009, 5:17 AM EST by Vallend (Catskills)
From the Catskills EM Website: Apologies, everyone, but due to a few scheduling conflicts and unforeseen events, I am going to have to cancel the Story Contest for this month. Be safe and enjoy the holidays! Oh – and keep your eyes out for a White Christmas Stag around the towns as Christmas grows closer, he is rather friendly and probably wouldn’t mind being fed a few apples. Kasaven
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Publish 63 to all Live Shards Tommorow - 12/16/2009
Posted on Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 9:25 PM EST by AirmidCecht (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com Publish 63 to all Live Shards Tommorow - 12/16/2009 Andy Belford 16 Dec 2009 20:54:26 EST Greetings! Publish 63 is coming to all live Shards tomorrow, 12/16/2009. Deployment of the Publish will commence with European Shards at 12:00 AM EST and will continue on the normal maintenance schedule. For the full Publish 63 notes please read after the jump. Below are the additional changes we have made since TC1 last week: Publish Fixed an issue that prevented skill on various artifact and crafted items from being detected by the imbuing system. Some community collection items cannot be imbued due to the balance issues. Eternal Guardian Staff cannot be imbued due to balance issues. Patch Updated Global Chat color to blue to improve readability in the Journal. Fixed Classic Client crash when user clicks the Leave gem while the Create Channel dialog is open. Disabled Trial Accounts from participating in custom chat channels. Fixed a bug that prevented players from being able to enter certain cave entrance Thank you! Publish 63.0.0 Christmas Items Happy Holidays from the UO Team! You will have to wait to find out what your getting this year Sarah the Trader A foreign trader is passing through our lands, looking to trade your Halloween costumes for some of the exotic ones she brought with her. Since she will only be around for a short time please visit her in Moonglow. Imbuing Changes Imbuing UI Redesign The design of the initial imbuing gump has been changed to match the rest of the imbuing UI. Two new options have been added to the initial imbuing gump menu: o Imbue Last Properties - This option uses the last used property/intensity combination, and allows you to target a new item to imbue with that combination. It will check to make sure the new item is allowed to be imbued with that combination. o Unravel Container - This option replaces the functionality of the unravel bag. It allows you to choose any container in your backpack, and will unravel any items contained inside. This is a recursive operation, so it will unravel items contained inside of sub-containers located inside of the targeted container. If there are any special material items inside, you will be asked if you wish to proceed. The design of the property selection gump has been changes to better organize the available properties for the targeted item. On the left side of the gump is a list of categories for the available properties for the targeted item. On the right side of the gump is a list of properties in the currently selected category. The design of the imbuing confirmation gump has been redesigned for clarity and ease of use. The gump layout has changed to better organize the information on the current imbuing attempt. New buttons have been added that allow the intensity to be changed in steps of plus or minus 10 intensity per button press. Changes to Imbuing Skill Gain Imbuing focus value changed from 50 to 60. This means that you can gain skill from a wider range of difficulties. The overall chance for skill gains has been increased. There are now bonuses to skill gain chance when performing an imbue that requires relic fragments or rare item ingredients (monster drops, etc.). The bonus is per ingredient used, so more difficult imbuing attempts that use more ingredients will increase the chance for skill gain. The number of times a single item can be imbued before it has diminished skill gain has been increased from 10 to 20. The unraveling skill gain cap has been removed. The difficulty value passed into the skill gain system is now roughly equal to the total intensity of the item * 2. Unravel focus value changed from 50 to 70. This means that you can gain skill from a wider range of difficulties. As with imbuing an item, there is now a bonus chance to gain skill based on the number of ingredients returned during the unravel attempt. The quality, and to a lesser extent the quantity, of the ingredients returned give a bonus to the chance to gain skill. Unraveling Changes The 50 intensity requirement to get multiple ingredients has been removed. The type and quantity of ingredients returned from a successful unravel attempt has been modified so that in general, it returns more materials on average per unravel attempt. Except for items with a total intensity of 1 to 49 intensity, which always give exactly 1 magical residue, there is now a chance to receive a bonus ingredient. Unraveling single items and unraveling multiple items via the Unravel Container feature now use the same process, which eliminates any difference in results between the two methods. Unravel bags will no longer be sold, and existing unravel bags will lose their current functionality, as it has been incorporated into the initial imbuing menu. Special Material Item Changes Items made from or enhanced with special materials can now be imbued. o This only applies to new items created after this change. Artifacts can now be imbued. o These follow the same rules and restrictions as other items. This means most are unable to be imbued, as they already exceed the property and intensity limits of the imbuing system, but many of them can be improved through the imbuing system. Items that are part of armor sets are not allowed to be imbued, as the set bonuses combined with the normal imbuing restrictions would allow for the creation of ultra-powerful items. The bonus to durability is not considered in the total intensity of an item. Since some special materials add durability as an item property, we did not want those special materials to be less attractive in combination with the imbuing system. Character Body and Hue System Fixed various exploits and bugs that resulted in avatars becoming permanently invisible Fixed various exploits and bugs that resulted in permanent avatar skin tone change New Rules: o The new system stacks and tracks all hue and body change effects o These effects are prioritized, and when multiple effects are stacked then the changes with the highest priority are the ones applied to the avatar o Cosmetic effects are transformations that are generally cosmetic only Prioritization (highest to lowest): Xenrr’s Fishing Pole Barreraak’s Ring Halloween Costumes Incognito Savage Kin Body Paint o Functional effects are spells and spell-like effects that generally have ancillary effects (e.g. the brittle skin effect from Medusa) Prioritization (highest to lowest) Petrification / Brittle Skin Spells of all schools o Functional effects are higher priority than cosmetic effects, with exceptions: Some “easter egg” effects are cosmetic but override the visual appearance from functional effects o Characters can now have multiple cosmetic effects on at the same time. For example: A player can now equip Barreraak’s Ring while wearing savage paint The avatar will take on the goblin appearance but will still have all of the effects of the savage paint (per visual priorities listed above) If the paint is removed (or explodes) while in goblin form: The avatar still looks like a goblin so long as the goblin item remains equipped Then when the goblin item is removed the avatar reverts to its original body and skin tone o Characters are still limited to having one functional effect on at a time For example, you still cannot cast Animal Form while polymorphed o Characters may have one high priority effect and multiple low priority effects on at once. For example: While holding the goblin fishing pole, and wearing a Halloween costume, the player may now cast Animal Form The Animal Form effect takes priority until gone The avatar’s appearance will then revert to that of a goblin If the fishing pole is unequipped, the character’s appearance then reverts to the Halloween costume Xenrr’s Fishing Pole is now Spell Channeling Bug fixes Fixed an issue with players kiting in silver serpents into the Refugee Camp Non Gargoyles can no longer see the sparkles in the flight path in the Enhanced Client Fixed an issue in Imbuing where the special materials bonus for heartwood was not being applied to items made from that material. Two Quests had the same name, changed one of them to “To turn base metal into Verite” Fixed the rockfall damage in Navrey’s lair to all players and pets within a 5 tile range Fixed an issue where pets were getting their skills set to zero (0) when petrified Fixed Halloween masks to not take any damage Fixed the issue where players could not get rid of Cursed parchments, they will now delete themselves on log in Fixed issues players were having with being polymorph several times and getting body changing effects stuck on your player. Fixed an issue with being able to Imbue an Ecru Citrine with excessive weighted intensities Escorts will following players thru the house teleporters to other facets Fixed an issue with being able to kite Renowned Mini champions away from the SA Champ spawns, these mobs are now leashed. Soulstones and soulstone fragments will now display the owner name on mouse over tooltip. Threads of Life have been fixed so they do not lose scripts when you unstuck them Players who die in Animal Form to Entangling Roots will no longer lose their original hue Fixed a bug where performing Shadowjump on a grey NPC would flag you criminal Fixed an issue with players losing bonded mounts when the pet does not stable properly Fixed the Tinkered Ter-Mur Candelabra, it was not lighting up in either client If a monster kills 2 or more Refugees their corpse will not be loot able Players are able to stack full sacks of flour. You will have to remove one sack of flour and open it to be able to use it for cooking. If you only have closed sacks of flour in your pack you will receive the message “You do not have the components needed to make that.” Ask and Answer balls will not have their names reverted to Crystal Balls Arcane Gems and Clockwork assembly will now stack Fixed an issue in the Enhanced Client when a player has a “Last Object” macro set up and the object is either destroyed or removed from the player, the macro locks up and the client must be restarted to enable the macro again Fixed an issue with the Enhanced Client gumps using double [» (>>) and « (<<)] and triple arrows do not display. Turned off the pumpkins from spawning in fields Patch Global Chat System Classic Client 7.0.4.0: ‘Chat’ button on the menu bar will now open a Channel Selection window instead of the Chat window. Channel Selection window will allow users to join, leave, or create a chat channel. User may only participate in one channel at a time. Text from a chat channel will appear in the System Messages area and in the Journal. Players may use the comma key (,) to participate in a chat channel. Enhanced Client 4.0.4.0: Added new button on the menu bar that opens the Channel Selection window Channel Selection window will allow users to join, leave, or create a chat channel. User may only participate in one channel at a time. Text from a chat channel will appear in chat tabs that have the ‘Custom’ chat text filter enabled. Players may use /c, /chat, or the comma key (,) to participate in a chat channel. NOTE: Due to the difference in schedules of client patches and shard publishes, users will experience minor irregular behavior with this system when using the updated clients on shards that have not received the new publishes. This includes missing messages when leaving a chat channel, always auto-joining the General-Trammel channel on login, and seeing a non-finalized list of available default channels (The final list will only include: General, Looking For Group, Help, and Trade).
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MOA Annual Holiday Event Gathers HUGE Crowd
Posted on Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 8:22 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. . . Pratt was full of holiday cheers this evening at the annual MOA Christmas event. No longer in his Alice pinks Pratt was dressed for the season and for the crowds. On the subject of crowds, vet player Spite and I agreed the crowd at MOA this evening reminded us of the old days. Vet players often do that...talk about old school and the old days of UO before there was a Tram. Before I go any further I want to point out that if you missed tonights event it will happen all over again tomorrow evening, thursday 12/17. The crowd was so wide and varied it was hard to catch everyone. I did however share harvest wine with Tamar and Ginseng who were sitting on either side of me. Many regulars and familar faces about town were in attendance including, Anok Libertine, Ghost, Emerald Lynn, Rowan, Lady Mist, Gem, Hannah, BriarRose, Dragon Lord and Charlatan A. MOA staffers assisting were the lovely Ethereal, Logan and man about town D J Scorp. Trivia and 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas took place and the gifts were amazing. The other half takes place tomorrow. On the subject of trivia, some of the gold given away was donated to MOA from some very generous people on Great Lakes. MOA thanked them during the event. I just cannot do a holiday article without featuring a little fashion, the red and green were heavily highlighted at this event. Below are a few screenshots of the fashionable patrons of MOA, oh yes I am in one of the shots also * laughs . As it is with each year the big man in red is what it is all about and this year he made his appearance at MOA Ice Castle. I stopped by early to check out the decor, a lot of work and thought was put into it. Each room was wrapped with its own form of paper and bow. There is a bed to sleep in with dancing sugar plums over your head. Holiday books spread about is a very nice touch for those that like to read. A holiday fountain greets you as you enter the castle warming you up for what is to come. The crowds start to gather outside the castle as I was finishing up taking my screenshots. I had a few private words with Santa* confessing I had been nice this year and not naughty. I think he believed me but I am not positive. I mingled amoung the crowd as the MOA Singers headed by Great William sang Christmas carols. After the last gift was given and Santa headed back to the North Pole my mind went back to earlier in the night at the auction house where Pratt, MOA staff and patrons shouted out their wishes for all during this time of year. Note: After tomorrows auction and visit by Santa MOA will go on winter break and will not be back until January 6th.
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Majestic Oaks Celebrates Season of Giving
Posted on Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 7:55 PM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
[Minoc/Vesper Crossroads, Trammel] The spirit of the season was alive and well at the Majestic Oaks Auction House. With Pratt leading the festivities, assisted by DJ Scorp, Melian, Ethereal, and Logan, the evening progressed through half of the Twelve Days of Christmas (the odd numbered days this evening, the even ones saved for tomorrow). With few items on the auction table for this special end of year celebration, there was plenty of gold and gifts to go around! Six happy attendants went home with extra special gifts for the first half of the Twelve Days of Christmas. For the eleventh day, Dog took home eleven lucky coins. On the ninth day, Nikita received nine heritage tokens. WALLACE took home seven clothing bless deeds on the seventh day, and Koutnay walked away with five soulstone fragments for the fifth day. Three ethereal mounts were gifted to Sever Faith on the third day, but the best was saved for first. A set of 12th Year Veteran teleport tiles were given to Lord Fishman in celebration of the First Day of Christmas. The in-house event wrapped up with the auctioning of a mystery chest won by Xevei for 500,000,000 gold. Included within were a singing ball, a polar bear mount, a Luna White pigment of Tokuno, a valorite runic hammer, a character transfer token, and a Seasons' Greetings Card from 1997. DJ Scorp and Pratt played a game of dueling dealers, which took 300 million off of the final tab, so Xevei walked away with a very nice chest for 200,000,000 in gold! Proceeds from Mystery Chests are used to fund the MOA events throughout the year, so it went to a very worthy cause, as MOA does a great job of providing fun, entertainment, and prizes at every auction. With the auction done, everyone headed to Impy's Arctic Castle to see Santa Claus and receive Christmas presents from the jolly old elf himself. Majestic Oaks Auction House did a wonderful job hosting a fantastic celebration in the finest tradition of the holidays: the spirit of giving! Tomorrow night's auction will wrap up MOA's celebration, and their auctions until next year. Join them again on Wednesday, January 6 and Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 8:00 PM CST for their next fine auctions, sure to be filled with fun and great items! And don't forget to stop by tomorrow night for the second half of the celebration!
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The End of Noxum, Poxcrafter... Cult Remains
Posted on Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 3:20 PM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
[Britain, Trammel] Last evening, Lord Magnus Grey assembled the Royal Spies in the Counselors Guild in Britain with details of the evening's mission, including the fact that Kahler's sextant would soon cease to function. In addition to that, a solstice stag was found prancing around the meeting place, in its tracks dropping the occasional Christmas Angel Food Cake. Once the mission briefing was complete, the Royal Spies headed out to Magincia to learn the location to be revealed by Kahler's sextant. It turned out to be a set of ruins due south of the dungeon Shame, another of the usual blue moongates awaiting them in the ruins’ center. Inside the gate, in a swampy cavern, the Royal Spies were met by Imperus Noxum, a poison elemental who had, according to rumor, once been a man. Noxum spent several minutes trying to entice the Spies to aid him, and while a few seemed ready to assist, most stood defiantly against him, trying to get him to use a polymorph spell that some had previously brought to him. "You don't really understand. This is you dealing with me. I don't need to deal with you," Noxum taunted them. Noxum admitted to working with the Cult of Styx. When asked by Spy Fl'Gith about his knowledge of the Cult's plans for him, he responded, "I have a good idea. Some really impressive mastery of elemental magics to the point of immortality and great power." Royal Spy Galen pressed Noxum for information however, dealing specifically with a threat that had been leveled toward the Meer of Ilshenar. "The meer... I almost forgot about them," Noxum answered. "They have a place underground where many of them sleep, right?" Discussion with Noxum soon reached the point of Noxum's tolerance, and he ended the conversation. "Well, good luck with the Meer," Noxum said, smiling. "Maybe I'll see you again." He then vanished through the gate, and disappeared into the forest near Shame. Some of the Royal Spies ventured deeper into the cavern looking for clues, finding ratmen in a deeper cave before finally emerging in the swamps near Destard, while others immediately headed for the Meer crypt in central Ilshenar. There, among the Meer Eternals, they were met by several Cultists of Styx, undead, ancient liches with great powers. Once the undead menace was defeated, a Meer named Daner shared information learned from their scouts. "There is something in Yew..." the meer stated, "I think it is near your prison there." The Spies rushed to the prison, and found another blue gate beneath the prison walkway which led back to the crypt that had been the scene of nightly battle throughout the course of a week. This time there were a few creatures to be dispatched, and two gates, each with a coded phrase in the Cult's reagent code before each one. Spy Fl'Gith, familiar with the code, tried to decipher them quickly, but failed to do so before some had jumped through the gates. Lord Grey arrived on the scene, saying, "Two gates? Which one is the right one?" At the same time, Spy Fl'Gith finished his deciphering of their code and called out, "West gate reads 'death!'" The other gate read "power," so the Spies then rushed through the proper gate and were immediately set upon by a strange beast, a plague malevolence. "Wouldn't it be nice if this was the magical creature mentioned in PoxCrafter's book?" Spy Galen mused. Beyond the beast were two more gates, and two more messages, which Spy Fl'Gith quickly deciphered, not wanting any further accident. "Left reads, 'magic,' right reads 'lies.' Go left!" he called out. Within that final gate was a chamber very clearly ready for a ritual, and in the center, both the lich mage Poxcrafter and Imperus Noxum, confined within the flames of a spell. "I feel it! Something is happening!" Noxum cried out as the spell completed itself, but then something went wrong. "You tricked me!" he cried out. "My power, my form!" Suddenly both Imperus Noxum and Poxcrafter, enraged, attacked the Royal Spies. The battle was rough, and filled with poison gases, but in the end the Royal Spies felled both Noxum and Poxcrafter. The battle over, all that remained of Imperus Noxum were his human corpse, and a few green tinted remains of his Malevolence. Royal Spy Galen, apparently ill with some unknown affliction, coughing violently, said, "I had the spell. Someplace. We need to... Cast it... Or all this means... nothing..." Danar, the Meer, present at Lord Grey’s behest, asked to see the spell. He then encouraged everyone to leave, quickly, and set about summoning fire elementals to torch the last remains of the vile site of the ritual. Back in Britain, the Royal Spies settled in for a wrap-up of the mission. "Beauvina," Lord Grey started the summary, "word of advice. When a powerful mage says, 'cleansing fire' and 'run,' it is a good idea to run." Imperus Noxum was dead, Poxcrafter stopped. Yet there was the air of possibility that all was not yet over. "I read this journal," Lord Grey finished the debriefing, "and it mentions two worrying things. The skull [of Mondain] was moved before our arrival. And the cult has human members, not just undead." The Royal Spies meet on Tuesday evenings at the Britain Counselor's Guild in Trammel, just south of Lord Blackthorn's Keep, 8:00 PM CST. Special thanks to Lady Beauvina, who took notes and provided sketches for this article.
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[News] Storytelling Contest Tonight 7PM PST
Posted on Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 7:21 AM EST by Eyes of Origin (Pacific)
Just a reminder - December 16th - Storytelling contest at the Luna Fairgrounds, at 7PM PST! This time there's a theme. Each story has to mention both a mistletoe and an icicle somewhere in it. Rules are as usual: rated for a PG-13 audience in mind, germane to Britannia, under 5 minutes in length, and only one entry per person.
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White Fur
Posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 10:22 PM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
White Fur Kijustsu Anei Village December 15, 2009 Solstice of the white hart came to Kijustsu Anei Village this evening to spread holiday cheer. Some of the inhabitants of the village would have been thrilled to see such a noble hart and honored to great it. However the uncivilized savages were first to meet this creature. Sinhi readied her spear for the upcoming hunt at Niva's Hunting Lodge when, a white streak of light caught her eye. She immediately went into hunter mode as she began to track the white light. Sinhi was joined quickly by her fellow savages. Niva and Sai'ge joined in on the search. Niva immediately shouted she recognized the tracks as deer tracks. Suddenly without warning out came the most beautiful animal anyone has ever seen. The small but, bright creature dropped a carrot on the road. Sinhi quickly raced to the carrot and claimed it as hers. Sai'ge who is new to the tribe challenged Sinhi to a Ka-Har for the carrot. [Definition of a Ka-Har] Sai'ge quickly lost the battle. Another item dropped that was a red meat of some kind. Again this was claimed by Sinhi. Sai'ge and Niva seemed irritated and came up with a new plan to get themselves new white headdresses. Niva ordered Sai'ge to get "Purple glass" aka Explosion potion. They would use these to scare the creature out of hiding then attempt to kill it and keep the white fur for themselves. The tribe threw the explosion potions all around the area. Three different times the noble white creature ran out of hiding. After awhile the Savages got closer and closer to entrapping it until, unexpected guests arrived. Red Savages began to emerge from the forest around them. One after another started to attack the Savage Tribe. Could it have been the Solstice of the White Hart called for help? Did the Savages make a fatal error in trying to kill the White Hart? Stronger waves of forces began to occupy the South -West side of Kijustsu Anei Village. The Tribe called in its own re- enforcements. Different cities came to the aid of the savages. Pirates, Nobles, Paladins, Knights, Murderers, Necromancers, Mages, and even the Orcs! Yes even the Orcs fought along side the Tribe. Perhaps because the T_T Tribe was not as much of a challenge as the new Red Tribe. The battle went on for a long time but, the entire community was successful in beating back the Red Savage Tribe. However.... those that aided the Savages who were trying to kill the White Hart may find themselves in some trouble...
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Pure White Stag Sighted
Posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 10:18 PM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
Pure White Stag Sighted Malas, Luna Bank December 15, 2009 By: Ozog of [Muck] The white Stag came into the luna bank today as people were busy cashing checks and buying holiday gifts. The "pure White Stag" was seen dropping Strawberry Cheese Cake [Happy Holidays 2009]. Around 2 - 3 were dropped that we know of. Chief Detective Sheffield came and questioned the Goblins about the sighting but sources say "they sorta fibbed." Since the detective wants to put it in the zoo! Congratulations to Pillow Pants for being one of the few to be able to snatch up the Cheesy cake! Must be quick from dodging all those trolls!!! Be on the look out for more for a pure white stag wandering around luna. *Update* The White Stag made another visit to the Luna bank tonight. Carrots, Cakes and meat could be found around the area. Cheever of [K~S], Gareth [S@GE] and Panoramix [Qc] were kind enough to give us a photo of the event items and another close look at the beautiful Pure White Stag.
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Around Kijustsu Anei Village In 80 Seconds
Posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 10:17 PM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
Kijustsu Anei Village Homare-Jima, Tokuno Islands December 15, 2009 Kijustsu Anei Village was honored to have the town banner constructed within the town. Tiger Lily, Gunga, Niva The Savage, Gareth and another watched as it was built. Afterward Tiger Lily and Lord Gareth hung around. After awhile of telling the gods out loud how powerful they were and how they could take them on a lovely over powered chicken came to play. After five minutes of battle Tiger Lily and Gareth were victorious. Assassination contract circulated through the village a few nights ago. The target? John Duke! While working on armor in his smith area inside of PaxOku three robed figures attacked. Explosion potions were tossed at the poor orc slave. Fire ended up breaking out on all floors. No major damage was reported. It is still unknown who posted the contract on John Dukes head. and the slave known as John Duke left the building unharmed. Better luck next time robed figures! A ceremony at the site was performed by Kiara Cara of S@GE, the Kijustsu Anei Village Cleric, asking for the site to be blessed by the gods and the Ancient Ones and claiming it as our own. A special elixer is poured onto the ground and then the Powers of the Elements were called upon to claim the land in the name of Kijustsu Anei Village. A place of respect and peace, enchantment and adventure Last weeks all shards tavern night was a bit more interesting. Death seemed to be the theme of the week. A low level savage named Sai'ge learned her lesson quickly when calling Niva The Savage "Cowered" and "weak". Niva the Savage responded politely with a few swings of her wor fork knocking little Sai'ge unconscious. Another small scuffle happened between Ado The Theif and Lord Gareth. For reasons unknown Gareth knocked Ado on his butt. The event hosts would like to thank all those who attended from our shard as well as other shards. They hope the recent beatings does not reflect poorly upon the event or establishment.....as if you could look down upon the Iron Bandit Inn any lower.... Tiger Lily of the TIPS guild hosted the weekly Monday Night Outing at 8pm est. The group set out to Illish and battled Slimes, Rats. Ratmen, and Silver Serpents. Only a few deaths were reported but a great turn out for the second time of running this event. The other half of the entertainment was a drunken hobo that wandered into the tavern and tried his hand at the spawn. Watch out for this guy swinging a sword! Thank you to the TIPS guild for offering a community wide hunt every Monday at the Blue Light Tavern. Please welcome the SHE guild and the town of Zedland to the Teleport Hub. After High Council approval they linked on the 15th of December in the afternoon. We look forward to seeing more visitors popping in from the Zedland area and hope they have just as many visitors from the different areas connected. A new tavern has been built by Bluto of RBG. The tavern is located in the Kijustsu Keys outpost, South of Guardians Gate. You may also reach it by way of the teleport hub. Bluto has named the Tavern the Rusty Key. While construction details are being finalized the pirates in the area are already trying to order drinks from the construction workers. We look forward to having a new and great tavern apart of the community. Kijustsu Anei Founders were very thrilled on Monday night to be offered the chance to participate in the USA alliance leagues as a co-host. Village founders accepted the offer after a few hours of discussion with Lord Angus the leader of Guardians Gate. Iron Bandit Inn co-workers beat the Blue Light Tavern in requesting to be the official tavern host. However the recently constructed Rust Key Tavern had insider information and requested long before the offer was made to host the event. Thus beating both taverns out by a few hours. As this becomes finalized we will let you know which of the three village taverns will be able to host the most popular and well known league event. Some members of the Chesapeake Community Cooperation -Towns Chapter started talks with Moria a new town in Felucca. Shard Wide Fight Night is in the works to be hosted monthly or biweekly in Moria, with the help and support of other towns. Moria has recently connected its city Tavern with the teleport hub. Remember this area is in Felucca when going there. Once official word and construction is finished we will update the entire shard.
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Silver Steed Returns To Baja Royal Zoo

Posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 7:17 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Sunday Night Taming Hour, sponsored by BRPA
December 13 Recap by Proserpina [KT]

The Silver Steed Returns to Baja's Royal Zoo

With 570,000 points to get to Tier 11, the tamers began their task as the Taming Hour hostess, Prosperpina, waved her dread pom poms and cheered the tamers on. With a generous donation from a non-tamer, the zoo was put within 92,000 points of Tier 11 and the return of the Silver Steed.

Asimov won prizes at 335,000 points and at 125,000 points. At the end of the evening he opted to pass his prizes to James [MT], who picked a Heritage Token.

James was also the tamer to push the zoo to Tier 11 with his donations of drakes, and won an Interactive Silver Steed Statue as his reward.

Tamers:
Kat MacBroeden [DWN]
Whisper
Lims-Kragma
Lady HRH Elizabeth [D_S]
Lord James [MT]
Lady Luna Tic [TAO]
Katrina Cole [BRPA]
Lil Debi {M!S]

Security:
Zachariah [DWN]

Non-Tamer Donations:
Asimov [SHDW]
Oriana & Arlon
Briar Rose [M!S]
Sara's raffle

Next Taming Hour, Sunday, December 20, 8pm Pacific (9pm Mountain, 10pm Central, 11pm Eastern.

If you would like to help support the Zoo but can not make it to the Zoo Taming Hour, please contact WildStar [DWN] or Sara [TAO]. We will make arrangements to record your donations and add you to the list of participants, making you eligible for one of the mysterious prizes Kat MacBroeden spoke of.

Related Links:
Week 1: BRPA Sunday Night Taming Recap For November 22
Week 2: BRPA Sunday Night Taming Recap For November 29
Week 3: BRPA Sunday Night Taming Recap For December 6

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Santa Claus Visits Gyldenfeld!
Posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 3:34 PM EST by Morpheus Mardox (Chesapeake)
Santa Claus Visits Gyldenfeld! With a magical "HO HO HO" Santas's sleigh landed atop the Red Wolf Cafe in Gyldenfeld last eve much to the delight of those in attendance! Players from the around the realm gathered in line for the opportunity to tell the jolly one thier Christmas Wishes. Amongst the grandly decorated rooftop patrons sipped eggnog and swapped holiday memories (and a few snowballs). With the help of his elven Elfabeta, Old St. Nick took the time to visit with each and every arrival granting wishes and bearing gifts along the way. On a side note Elfabeta encourged this reporter to lay eyes on working conditions in the north pole! Even the sultry MRS. Claus graced us with an appearance during the night wowing the crowd and putting to rest the curiosities of what Santa does during the off season! Amidst all the gifts and fanfare twas a great evening had by all. Thanks to the city of Gyldenfeld for the wonderful holiday surprises. Merry Christmas!
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[News] A Mysterious Stranger
Posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 11:24 AM EST by Eyes of Origin (Pacific)
I arrived tonight to find the citizens of Britannia, waiting eagerly for the arrival of the Mysterious Stranger. From the EM Hall we travelled to the Compassion Gate. Not sure what all this means, but it definitely doesnt look good. We fought our way through Compassion to the Core. Little did we know about what waited inside for us and the carnage to follow. Many brave souls were lost, but we kept fighting, despite the Agents determination to beat us. A few finally found a way into a back room where we find a machine like none other and a note from what seems to be the late Casca. Seems as though he was determined to destroy us, even from his grave. We were successful, or as successful as possible in stopping the Agents of Corruption. With the help of all involved, we have finally rid our lands of the evil brought upon us by Casca. It was a proud night for all of Britannia indeed! Mesanna, if you get a huge influx of requests and emails from the citizens of Pacific, you can Thank Cyno ;) hehe
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Origins Server Downtime - Publish 63.0.0 Release
Posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 10:59 AM EST by AirmidCecht (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com Origins Server Downtime - Publish 63.0.0 Release James Nichols 15 Dec 2009 13:33:18 Greetings! At 2:00PM EST Origins will be brought offline to release Publish 63. Additionally Client 7.0.4.2 (Legacy) and 4.0.4.2 (Enhanced) will be available to all servers. We anticipate Origins to be back online by 4:00PM EST. For the full Publish 63 notes please read here. Below are the additional changes we have made since TC1 last week: Publish Fixed an issue that prevented skill on various artifact and crafted items from being detected by the imbuing system. Some community collection items cannot be imbued due to the balance issues. Eternal Guardian Staff cannot be imbued due to balance issues. Patch Updated Global Chat color to blue to improve readability in the Journal. Fixed Classic Client crash when user clicks the Leave gem while the Create Channel dialog is open. Disabled Trial Accounts from participating in custom chat channels. Fixed a bug that prevented players from being able to enter certain cave entrance Thank you!
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A Report of Current Happenings by EM Seppo

Posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 8:16 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

from goldenbrewtavern.com

A report of current happenings
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
By EM Seppo

We wanted to clarify/report something as it seems to have been missed, perhaps.

While the actions taken towards “Gargoyle friendly” listed guilds have been widely reported thus far, we would like to point out that there have also been few things happening towards guilds who registered as “curious” and “hostile.” The interactions vary according to a guild’s status towards the gargoyle. While the ones listed as friendly received a stern warning, the ones that are “curious” were targeted with propaganda and the ones that are listed as hostile received offers of some type of an alliance.

Going forward our interactions will depend on how a guilds chooses to react. Any guild is free to change their status if they wish by simply reacting accordingly. All statuses, especially the two extremes (friendly and hostile), will receive on average equal but different type of attention (including status specific events) as the arc progresses. As things proceed, we might at times request members of certain status to keep things secret. If you choose to ignore this then at least do it in an in character manner that allows us to react accordingly. No IM’ing your friends in opposite faction, please. A new page has been created with the updated guild status and can be found here.

Any new guild is free to register/jump in at any time really, but keep in mind that anything that might be perceived as a reward will not necessarily carry on from the past if you miss it. It is also strongly recommended that you register by filling out the original registration and sending it in via the contact form. It would be nice if there were more people registering as anti-gargoyle as it is bit lopsided at the moment but that is not a big issue. We are also open to individual sign-ups, but do prefer signing up as a guild (regardless of size).

Regards,
Baja EM team

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Attention Chefs! EM Seppo and EM Pallando Need Sweet Dough

Posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 7:52 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

from goldenbrewtavern.com

Cookies! Who wants cookies?
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
By EM Seppo

Hello, the EM staff on Baja would like to request donations for sweet dough in order to make loads of cookies. We have already received 150-200 sweet dough but more is always welcome. Please leave any donations in a bag with your name in a book in the mailbox at the museum.

Cheers!

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Sashes To Be Handed Out
Posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 7:14 AM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. . Miss America and Christmas Carol will not be the only ones wearing sashes this season. This just in....... EM Elizabella will be giving out sashes at the Award Hall: Thursday, Dec. 17, 8 pm CST Saturday, Dec. 19, 3 pm CST A permanent gate is available outside the Counselors' Hall in Britain.
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Yule Fest in Newcastle Township
Posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 1:05 AM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
This in from Newcastle... Hail Denizens of the Lands known as Great Lakes! The Newcastle Township as well as the Royal Knights of Virtue and the members of the Great Lakes Roleplay Community, would like to invite you all to join us for a celebration of the gift giving season. We've decked our Hall and stoked our fires with a yule log and are hoping you will come join us for an evening of merriment and gift giving. We'll provide the food and games! So wrap up a gift for the gift exchange and bring it on over to the Hall of Virtue in Newcastle. Hope to see you there! Friday, December 18th, 8pm CST Newcastle, Hall of Virtue Located at 95°37'N, 27°33'E (Between Wrong and the Chaos Shrine)
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Justice Study Postponed
Posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 12:56 AM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
This just in from the Royal Academy of Virtue... Justice Study postponed. The Royal Academy of Virtue wishes to thank everyone who has shown interest in the Virtue Studies thus far. Originally we had intended to hold the first part of our Justice Seminar this coming Thursday, but due to holiday preparations, and because we wouldn't want to scour Wrong over the holidays, we felt it better to save Justice for the new year. So please join us on Thursday, January 7, 2010 at the Yew Counselors Guild in Trammel (due East out of downtown Yew) for the first part of the Justice Seminar. Textbooks and snacks will be provided. Thank you!
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-Y- Guild Christmas Party and REA Auction
Posted on Monday, December 14, 2009, 7:18 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. . -Y- Guild Christmas Party and REA Auction ~ It is that time of year again and the holiday parties are in full force, I attended two this past weekend myself. The holiday season as we know has been gearing up in the realm also from attire, decor and vendor houses to parties. This evening the -Y- Guild held their holiday gift exchange party during their weekly monday night meeting in their guild house and everyone was full of cheer. Kandi, always helpful in any way she can, arrived to the party dressed in the classic red and green. Generous as they come Kandi also handed out gifts for those that could not be involved in the gift exchange. A good time was had by all and afterwards there was a guild hunt. Nothing like a little red blood for the holidays! MOA has their big holiday themed auctions this week but I thought I would stop by REA Auctions to see what I could see. To my disappointment there was no holiday decor to be seen. There was however great deals and many of the biggests and best guilds on Great Lakes were in attendance including, TDR, MFG, MOA, -Y-, SOB, US>, DC, GOF, DYT, BR, OMG!, YA, ENVY, R&D, H^I, FCB, and G/D. On the subject of decor, a very creative skeleton hangs in this auction house with a book at its feet stating, "I Fake Bid ". Hopefully it discourages such behavior. The REA staff did a great job and Rowan had the honor of trivia and giving away gold, gold and more gold that matched his hair. Hannah and Lady Alice, the true auction addicts of Great Lakes needless to say were in the house. Though the auction house was not decorated for the holiday many of the patrons were and below are a few. Thank you REA for all you do for the community. Happy holidays to you and the -Y- Guild! *note= please forward any holiday events or screenshots my way
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[EM] December Story Contest, Tuesday the 22nd 9 p.m. EST
Posted on Monday, December 14, 2009, 1:22 PM EST by Sahra Swift (Catskills)
From the Catskills EM Website: I will be holding a story contest at the Catskills’ Reward Hall on December 22nds at 9 p.m EST. The subject for this month’s story contest will be The Holidays. Craft a tale of your most enjoyable Christmas time in Britannia, weave a story of the Ghost of Britannia Past, or speak of how a Giant Turkey bested a group of adventurers. Be prepared to share your story over a warm campfire. Also submit a copy of your story in the mailbox, with character name and story title, if you want me to read it beforehand. Good luck to everyone who enters, I look forward to hearing great stories! Kasaven
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[EM] The Pitlord of Felucca – Recap
Posted on Monday, December 14, 2009, 12:19 PM EST by Sahra Swift (Catskills)
From the Catskills EM Website: I want to thank everyone who attended this lengthy event (It ran over three hours) and I hope you enjoyed yourselves. Some people enjoy a challenge, some do not, I hope those who earned their victory feel accomplished for doing so, as it was certainly difficult to slay the Pitlord and his minions, along with the fighting going on at both sides of the Wrong plains. Well done, Catskills. I intended the event to go much like a champ spawn. A large number of ‘lesser Pitlord minions’ appeared, followed by a smaller number of ‘greater Pitlord minions, and then an even smaller number of ‘elite Pitlord minions.’ When they were slain, of course, the Pitlord himself came to the forefront, and the fight with him, the fight to control the territory, lasted long into the night. I gained some feedback at Luna after the event, but more is always appreciated – feel free to send feedback in via the tab at the top of the EM Website. Every bit is read, and every bit is appreciated! Click here for screenshots of the event. (The last screenshot shows some of the challenges one encountered against the Pitlord!)
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Community Hunts - Week of December 14th
Posted on Monday, December 14, 2009, 5:21 AM EST by Lady Tia (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. Niporailem hunt (Stygian Abyss) Date: Tuesday, December 15th Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center, next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Community Peerless Hunt Date: Wednesday, December 16th Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center, next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Naked Dungeon Run(Stygian Abyss Required) Date: Thursday, December 17th Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center, next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Community Champion Spawn Hunt Date: Friday, December 18th Time: 9:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center, 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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Snowball fight Britt bank
Posted on Monday, December 14, 2009, 4:46 AM EST by Nyte Doombringer (Europa)
For those of you who have some, Snow. The kind you throw with. From your backpack. The 23 of December, 20:00h GMT at Britt bank
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Trinsic Christmas Party
Posted on Monday, December 14, 2009, 4:44 AM EST by Nyte Doombringer (Europa)
Sunday Dec 20th at 7:30 GMT time. Location of course is Trinsic. Free food and drinks, fun and games. More info on the Europe Stratics forums.
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Europa Chicken Fighting - trial run
Posted on Monday, December 14, 2009, 4:40 AM EST by Nyte Doombringer (Europa)
We'll be testing them with a trial event on the evening of Monday 14 December, 8PM UK time, so people can see how far we are towards a full 'regular event', suggest changes, and pick up the materials for their own chicken farm should they feel so inclined! The arena, very kindly supplied by O*T, is slightly West of Zento - For more info can be found on the Europa Stratics forum.
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This Week at a Glance, 12/14 - 12/20
Posted on Monday, December 14, 2009, 3:09 AM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
Monday, December 14 8:00 PM - Tavern Night at the Wild Rose Inn Newcastle, 107o39'N by 30o35'E, Trammel About 8:00 PM - Cult of Styx, Day 6 (EM Event) Magincia, 43o56'S by 30o34'E say Vas Kal Ex Wis Corp by sextant Tuesday, December 15 8:00 PM - Royal Spies (EM Event) Britain Counselor's Guild, 8o16'N by 12o43'E, Trammel Wednesday, December 16 8:00 PM - Majestic Oaks Auction and Holiday Madness Vesper/Minoc Crossroads, 56o31'N by 91o53'E, Trammel Thursday, December 17 8:00 PM - EM Elizabella Sash Handout Award Hall, Permanent Gate at Counselor Hall, Britain, 8o16'N by 12o43'E, Trammel Friday, December 18 8:00 PM - Yule Fest Hall of Virtue, Newcastle, 95o37'N by 27o33'E, Trammel Saturday, December 19 3:00 PM - EM Elizabella Sash Handout Award Hall, Permanent Gate at Counselor Hall, Britain, 8o16'N by 12o43'E, Trammel 7:00 PM - Chicken Fight Club Gates from Luna starting at 6:50 PM, Malas [All event times are listed based on Central Time.] If you have an event you would like listed, please feel free to sent it on in!
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Tonight's House of Commons meeting will be held at 10:15 PM ET 12/13/09
Posted on Sunday, December 13, 2009, 3:20 PM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
Tonight's House of Commons meeting will be held at 10:15 PM ET. Apologies for the later time. ~EM Dudley
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EM Events Announcement
Posted on Sunday, December 13, 2009, 3:18 PM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
EM Events Announcement The Holiday House Decoration contest is open until December 15th! Send EM Dudley an e-mail ([email protected]) to enter. Decorate your entire house with a holiday theme. Winner chosen by the EM team and announced on Christmas! The Poseidon's Fury event will be December 27th at 8:30 PM ET. Meet at the wreck of the Poseidon's Fury in Ilshenar. Do not bring dragons. They will be useless. The Captain Bloodrum's Challenge (Treasure Chest Race) Championship Race will be held late December or early January. We've got some exciting new tricks up our sleeves that will make this event a lot more fun! Stay toon'd for more info! BEEEG FEEESH! Thursday, December 31st from 6 PM ET to Midnight Santiago, Sons of the Sea Guildmaster calls upon all anglers to step up and try their hand at catching a BEEEG FEEESH!
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Deadly Master Assassin Attacks An-Buci
Posted on Sunday, December 13, 2009, 12:50 PM EST by Cymidei Fier (Baja)
An-Buci's visit to the Royal Zoo was interrupted by a deadly assassin. Duke Hast Mich led the tour showing the visiting gargoyle scholar each of the animals on display at the Zoo. An-Buci was overheard objecting to keeping creatures such as the sphinx which are highly intelligent and mystical under lock and key. Although some of the humans present thought that An-Buci would make an excellent addition to the menagerie. Just as we had reached the end of the tour and were admiring the polar bears, an assassin entered from the southern edge of the building and wove through the crowd. Without a word, the assassin attacked An-Buci and quickly found himself surrounded by gargoyle advocates. The assassin was strong and capable of knocking out warriors in one hit and if that wasn't enough the assassin also used unusual tactics! The Assassin sang a sweet melody that drained strength and ability from all who heard it. Some of the ladies who heard the assassin’s smooth voice stripped off all their clothes and danced along to the music as they were trying to fight. After a long and difficult fight someone claimed to have recovered the assassin's pendant. After the Assassin had been driven off, An-Buci asked to be taken to the Lycaeum. As An-Buci was recovering from the attack she was told by her defenders that assassins walk freely in Britannia and that the land is lawless. Lady Aino Nystad was slain right in front of Queen Dawn and the killer is still at large. An-Buci was disturbed to hear of Lady Nystad's death and said that she would speak to Queen Zhah of Ter Mur about the danger rampant in Britannia and the ill will that many humans harbor toward the gargoyles.
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PvM Contest!
Posted on Sunday, December 13, 2009, 8:43 AM EST by Andrasta (Atlantic)
PvM Contest! Having learned a great deal from the first attempt, the first official PvM contest will be held the first day of Winter (December 21, 2009). Teams of four (limit of 2 tamers) will need to register in advance by emailing EMNestor We will gather PROMPTLY at 8:00 PM EST at the Counselor Hall in Britain. This will be a timed event, the team that defeats the creature quickest will be declared the winner. All creatures will have the same stats. You must register by 7:00 PM EST on December 21st. There will be a trophy placed at the EM reward hall in honor of the winners. Free death robes for all that enter. To register, make comments, complain email EMNestor
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SunWolf Discusses the History of the Yew Town Council
Posted on Saturday, December 12, 2009, 1:32 PM EST by Fallon Valor (Atlantic)
ATLANTIC--The Yew Town Council (YTC) held its first meeting on 19 June 1998, making it one of Atlantic’s oldest organizations. During the first two years of its existence, the YTC developed into a widely-renowned and well-respected establishment. Many of the Council’s governance and organizational practices influenced the foundations of other town councils. Sadly, on 4 May 2000, when the YTC was at the height of its influence, its predominance suddenly began to decline: an abrupt change to the facet system posed a challenge that the YTC was never quite able to adapt to. The YTC was not a guild, but a loose affiliation of likeminded guilds that collaborated to promote Justice, the virtue of Yew, and to encourage the betterment of Yew’s community. When Atlantic was divided into two facets, however, many of these guilds were forced to reexamine their respective missions. As members of the YTC began to evolve, some lost interest in the Council. Moreover, several new guilds began to pose an external threat to the YTC. In light of these changes, the Council’s leadership found it increasingly difficult to hold the community together. Presently, the YTC is only a shadow of its former glory. Despite the YTC’s regression, the Council remains an important part of Atlantic’s history. It’s legacy is a shining example of what many consider the Golden Age of Ultima Online. One of the Council’s central members, SunWolf, is currently working to redevelop the organization. Because of his centrality throughout the organization’s history, I asked him to tell his story of the YTC’s early years. Sometime around December 1998 or January 1999, I was in Yew and ran across a fellow decked out in a green uniform and armor. His speech was smooth and he really presented himself very well. I was curious about him so I just started asking a lot of questions. Later, I learned that he was a private in the Yew Militia and he was patrolling Yew to see if anyone needed anything. His name was Rabulkain and he would later on become Mayor of Yew. We said our goodbyes and I went in search of the famous Serpent Cross Tavern I kept hearing about. Probably a week or so later, the guild that was based in Minoc broke up, so I moved back to the town I enjoyed being in, which is Yew. I knew the people at West Yew University (WYU) and was one of the protectors of the place back then and aided in anything they needed. One night at Serpent Cross, there was an militia meeting which I was allowed to sit in and Renee, who was one of the bartenders at the tavern, was voted as the new Militia Captain. There was also an attack on the tavern, which I aided in averting. I had been fighting murderers a lot due to the old guild I was in, Covetous, Minoc Mines, and WYU. Rabulkain kept asking me to join Yew, because they needed someone who had some skill when trouble came. So I accepted and noticed they used WYU for training. There was around 12 or so active people who were always together, but they really had no skills in combat. I used to get yelled at by Renee about how I talk and presented myself, since all I knew was the PvP world. Rainbow King and a list full of others pretty much helped me along the way. It was a habit I had to break really, but once I started paying attention to what I was saying, I was promoted to Sergeant, which is a tactical office used to train members. There were three patrols a day and different people with rank would lead them. The patrols were also a test, in a way. Citizens used to report to us any murder activity or if anything else was going in during these patrols. We would also help people recover their bodies in Shame, but it wasn't in our boundaries to actually go inside and unless it was pre-planned. Normally, we ended the patrol there and just camped outside the entrance until we all went our own ways. Thursdays at 9 used to be our weekly militia meeting, Sundays at 3 was the town hall meeting. At the town hall meeting, I meet Gargish Dragon, who had taken time to answer my questions about Yet. He was one of the founding members of the Yew Town Council and he taught me a lot about the Council. Renee stepped down as captain and Zenda was voted in. I was promoted up to second of command after settling some internal stalker mess that happened within the guild. Slowly, everyone kind of stepped aside and let me do my thing. I had read the original meetings of forming this guild and I sometimes wondered where these other guilds were and why they were not around, so I went to find members of them all and asked them. It was many months ago and everyone was in game back then, a month would seem like an year those days, because you were busy all the time. There was just one facet (i.e., Felucca), so there was always something going on and my schedule was always full. It had taken me a lot of time to build up trust in these guilds – they had their own rules, own towns, own people. But I made sure the militia patrolled their areas and remained visible, giving them a chance to meet each other. I also made sure, when patrols were in the LOA village, that they followed the LOA rules – that they didn’t intervene unless they ask for help and respect LOA’s wishes. Respect was – and is – the main thing I enforced in Yew. After some time and a lot of debate, the ties between everyone got closer and trust was built. LOA, Clan Moor, STC, WYU, UN, Fogwood, and a few more all started joining the council. I asked for an ambassador from each guild. Each guild had three votes on issues in order to keep things fair, due to LOA boasting 400 some members. Then Zenda stepped down as Captain and Silver Dryad and Seer Nikademus ask me to become the captain. I declined because I didn’t' feel I was ready and it was a big job. Besides, as lieutenant I could have more time to do more things. The Captain rank went empty for 3 or so days before they asked me again – this time with Gargish Dragon, who I really couldn't say no to – and I accepted. I kept the ball rolling, so to speak, and kept promoting the name and virtues of the Town of Yew guild, which consisted of only 7 active members due to the fact that we stopped recruiting after the aforementioned stalker problem. I met Xanthar in Serpent Cross Tavern. He asked the militia to be at the grand opening of the museums, and so we branched out into their own militia with the same basic uniforms as ours, but blue instead of green. Our numbers was spread thin and WYU formed their own militia. That didn't last long and soon they merged with Yew to increase both of our numbers. No matter where we went, though – Rivendell, or Trinsic, or wherever else – we were well greeted and well know. The militia itself grew to around 48 active people, who all patrolled and helped out in Yew or wherever else they were called upon. Stormweaver Orcs started to appear and we had to keep them in check, as well. I had so many contacts and so many messages, I barely made it out of the office alive. Things remained like that for months. I sent groups of Militia to events, while I stayed working on what had to be done next. The ICQ messages killed me. I couldn't play much anymore. People kept asking me to go meet this person and so forth. I even missed Lord British when he came to address us because someone needed help in Fogwood. After a few months, I worn down and asked my second in command to run for captain. He was voted in and I had departed Yew but stayed around as an adviser. Thrawn was the current mayor at the time and they both knew what yew was. I joined Knights of Sosaria, under Wolf and Breti, to spend more time with Gwendolyn of the Trinsic Council and Auren Therion of the Britian Council. I just wanted to have some personal time and enjoy myself. I attended all three of the council meetings when I was able, but soon trammel was formed. With the birth of Trammel, the Yew Town Council was as lost as everyone else. Many evil guilds appeared in Yew, as well. Yew had such a huge name, it seemed every guild in the world came after Yew and really spread things thin. It confused the current leaders of Yew and eventually new leaders were appointed. Regardless, people left yew little by little over time. The original feeling just wasn’t there. We went from helping people in felucca to just wars with evil guilds in trammel and there was really no reason for the wars, besides land. The battles in the past, prior to the existence of Trammel, with Ncr and Orcs all had meanings. Each group was fighting for a purpose, and even if it was for land. I was asked to return to yew to see what I could do to save it. I returned and people were happy initially, but I didn't really have much energy left. I was still enjoying my retirement with Gwendolyn and seeing what Aurens would get into next. I think different people kept the town meetings going, the militia was pretty much there in name only. We had one last big battle which we won against BWK at Serpent Cross Tavern, but everyone pretty much departed after that. Everyone was heartbroken on how people acted or looked at Yew. The newcomers wanted to control Yew and do their own things in the city. Others came in and did what they did, and ran their own methods of the yew town council. I know nothing of their history or actions, but none of them were truly an open council, as Yew once was. Originally, the militia consisted of Yew citizens who were called upon to defend their lands, but everything seemed to change after Trammel. So, the militiamen returned to the woods, to whatever we were doing before we’d joined Yew, till the day that we all are called upon once again. The minutes from the first Yew Town Council meeting can be found here. The minutes from the second meeting can be found here.
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An-Buci To Visit The Royal Zoo, Saturday, December 12

Posted on Friday, December 11, 2009, 8:45 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

from goldenbrewtavern.com

An-Buci visits the Royal Zoo
Saturday, December 12, 2009
By EM Seppo

Title: An-Buci visits the Royal Zoo

Location: Royal Zoo (Trammel)

Description: The Gargish scholar visits the Royal Zoo in Moonglow. All well-meaning citizens are asked to be present to greet the dignity and provide protection.

Start Time: 4:00 PM PST

Date: Saturday, December 12, 2009

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Attention Tamers! by Amber Witch

Posted on Friday, December 11, 2009, 7:38 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Posted by Amber Witch

Attention Tamers! Are you working taming? Trying to get to Legendary or Grand Master? Make it work for you! While you are gaining in taming you can work your way to a Royal Zoo award! The zoo is now close to the top tier, tier 11. But while being so close, every day the zoo loses a percentage of the points. Instead of releasing your tames why not donate them to the zoo and gets points towards an award?

Baja is one of the few North American shards that does not have a fully stocked Royal Zoo. Each and every donation counts! You can do this on your own and you can join in on the Sunday night taming hour.

http://vboards.stratics.com/showthread.php?t=171073

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Cities Petitions Answered!
Posted on Friday, December 11, 2009, 6:56 PM EST by Morpheus Mardox (Chesapeake)
Cities Petitions Answered! Several player run towns and cities have been added to the list of those recognized by the Queen. In past weeks we have seen the city of Gyldenfeld along with Pitmuck granted town banners. The cities of Kijustsu Anei, Pax Oku, Al Ellisande, and Guardians Gate have all now received town banners as well as diplomatic inquiries from the crown. Exciting times abound as the list continues to grow! Heres pics ,most with map locations to all recognized thus far! Gyldenfeld Pitmuck Kijustsu Anie Pax Oku Al Ellisande Guardians Gate
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Guardians Gate Marks 3 Years!
Posted on Friday, December 11, 2009, 6:08 PM EST by Morpheus Mardox (Chesapeake)
GG Anny3 Guardians Gate Marks Third Anniversary! The player city of Guardians Gate marked it's third anniversary this past weekend with a festival of events and activities. Patrons from around the realm visited throughout the weekend to partake in the Archery Tournament, Dart Tournament, Horse Race, Styngian Dragon Run, Big Fish Tournament, and daily raffles that occured! Special Thanks to all who came out to help celebrate as the city embarks on its fourth year and congratulations to all our event winners. Heres some pics and results from the weekends festivities. Opening Ceremonies Archery Tournament Champion: Se'an Silverfoot (ATD) Ottersrun Expeditions: Styngian Dragon Hunt! Dart Tournament Champion: Wints-Mar (OATH) Horse Race Champion: Phoenix (DWxC) Raffle Winner! Regatta Champions: Gareth (SAGE) Niva (T_T) Big Fish Weigh In Champion: John Boy (USN) Thanks again to all who helped bring this weekend to culmination and heres's to many more years to come in Guardians Gate!
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Publish 63 Coming to Test Center Today!
Posted on Friday, December 11, 2009, 2:39 PM EST by AirmidCecht (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com Publish 63 Coming to Test Center Today! James Nichols 11 Dec 2009 14:26:17 EST Hail adventurers! Publish 63 will be available on TC1 today, we have a number of other changes in addition to the imbuing improvements that were released earlier this week. Below are the full notes for this publish (including the changes to imbuing) so have a look then see for yourselves on TC1, have fun! Publish 63.0.0 Christmas Items Happy Holidays from the UO Team! You will have to wait to find out what your getting this year Sarah the Trader A foreign trader is passing through our lands, looking to trade your Halloween costumes for some of the exotic ones she brought with her. Since she will only be around for a short time please visit her in Moonglow. Imbuing Changes Imbuing UI Redesign The design of the initial imbuing gump has been changed to match the rest of the imbuing UI. Two new options have been added to the initial imbuing gump menu: o Imbue Last Properties - This option uses the last used property/intensity combination, and allows you to target a new item to imbue with that combination. It will check to make sure the new item is allowed to be imbued with that combination. o Unravel Container - This option replaces the functionality of the unravel bag. It allows you to choose any container in your backpack, and will unravel any items contained inside. This is a recursive operation, so it will unravel items contained inside of sub-containers located inside of the targeted container. If there are any special material items inside, you will be asked if you wish to proceed. The design of the property selection gump has been changes to better organize the available properties for the targeted item. On the left side of the gump is a list of categories for the available properties for the targeted item. On the right side of the gump is a list of properties in the currently selected category. The design of the imbuing confirmation gump has been redesigned for clarity and ease of use. The gump layout has changed to better organize the information on the current imbuing attempt. New buttons have been added that allow the intensity to be changed in steps of plus or minus 10 intensity per button press. Changes to Imbuing Skill Gain Imbuing focus value changed from 50 to 60. This means that you can gain skill from a wider range of difficulties. The overall chance for skill gains has been increased. There are now bonuses to skill gain chance when performing an imbue that requires relic fragments or rare item ingredients (monster drops, etc.). The bonus is per ingredient used, so more difficult imbuing attempts that use more ingredients will increase the chance for skill gain. The number of times a single item can be imbued before it has diminished skill gain has been increased from 10 to 20. The unraveling skill gain cap has been removed. The difficulty value passed into the skill gain system is now roughly equal to the total intensity of the item * 2. Unravel focus value changed from 50 to 70. This means that you can gain skill from a wider range of difficulties. As with imbuing an item, there is now a bonus chance to gain skill based on the number of ingredients returned during the unravel attempt. The quality, and to a lesser extent the quantity, of the ingredients returned give a bonus to the chance to gain skill. Unraveling Changes The 50 intensity requirement to get multiple ingredients has been removed. The type and quantity of ingredients returned from a successful unravel attempt has been modified so that in general, it returns more materials on average per unravel attempt. Except for items with a total intensity of 1 to 49 intensity, which always give exactly 1 magical residue, there is now a chance to receive a bonus ingredient. Unraveling single items and unraveling multiple items via the Unravel Container feature now use the same process, which eliminates any difference in results between the two methods. Unravel bags will no longer be sold, and existing unravel bags will lose their current functionality, as it has been incorporated into the initial imbuing menu. Special Material Item Changes Items made from or enhanced with special materials can now be imbued. o This only applies to new items created after this change. Artifacts can now be imbued. o These follow the same rules and restrictions as other items. This means most are unable to be imbued, as they already exceed the property and intensity limits of the imbuing system, but many of them can be improved through the imbuing system. Items that are part of armor sets are not allowed to be imbued, as the set bonuses combined with the normal imbuing restrictions would allow for the creation of ultra-powerful items. The bonus to durability is not considered in the total intensity of an item. Since some special materials add durability as an item property, we did not want those special materials to be less attractive in combination with the imbuing system. Character Body and Hue System Fixed various exploits and bugs that resulted in avatars becoming permanently invisible Fixed various exploits and bugs that resulted in permanent avatar skin tone change New Rules: o The new system stacks and tracks all hue and body change effects o These effects are prioritized, and when multiple effects are stacked then the changes with the highest priority are the ones applied to the avatar o Cosmetic effects are transformations that are generally cosmetic only Prioritization (highest to lowest): Xenrr’s Fishing Pole Barreraak’s Ring Halloween Costumes Incognito Savage Kin Body Paint o Functional effects are spells and spell-like effects that generally have ancillary effects (e.g. the brittle skin effect from Medusa) Prioritization (highest to lowest) Petrification / Brittle Skin Spells of all schools o Functional effects are higher priority than cosmetic effects, with exceptions: Some “easter egg” effects are cosmetic but override the visual appearance from functional effects o Characters can now have multiple cosmetic effects on at the same time. For example: A player can now equip Barreraak’s Ring while wearing savage paint The avatar will take on the goblin appearance but will still have all of the effects of the savage paint (per visual priorities listed above) If the paint is removed (or explodes) while in goblin form: The avatar still looks like a goblin so long as the goblin item remains equipped Then when the goblin item is removed the avatar reverts to its original body and skin tone o Characters are still limited to having one functional effect on at a time For example, you still cannot cast Animal Form while polymorphed o Characters may have one high priority effect and multiple low priority effects on at once. For example: While holding the goblin fishing pole, and wearing a Halloween costume, the player may now cast Animal Form The Animal Form effect takes priority until gone The avatar’s appearance will then revert to that of a goblin If the fishing pole is unequipped, the character’s appearance then reverts to the Halloween costume Xenrr’s Fishing Pole is now Spell Channeling Bug fixes Fixed an issue with players kiting in silver serpents into the Refugee Camp Non Gargoyles can no longer see the sparkles in the flight path in the Enhanced Client Fixed an issue in Imbuing where the special materials bonus for heartwood was not being applied to items made from that material. Two Quests had the same name, changed one of them to “To turn base metal into Verite” Fixed the rockfall damage in Navrey’s lair to all players and pets within a 5 tile range Fixed an issue where pets were getting their skills set to zero (0) when petrified Fixed Halloween masks to not take any damage Fixed the issue where players could not get rid of Cursed parchments, they will now delete themselves on log in Fixed issues players were having with being polymorph several times and getting body changing effects stuck on your player. Fixed an issue with being able to Imbue an Ecru Citrine with excessive weighted intensities Escorts will following players thru the house teleporters to other facets Fixed an issue with being able to kite Renowned Mini champions away from the SA Champ spawns, these mobs are now leashed. Soulstones and soulstone fragments will now display the owner name on mouse over tooltip. Threads of Life have been fixed so they do not lose scripts when you unstuck them Players who die in Animal Form to Entangling Roots will no longer lose their original hue Fixed a bug where performing Shadowjump on a grey NPC would flag you criminal Fixed an issue with players losing bonded mounts when the pet does not stable properly Fixed the Tinkered Ter-Mur Candelabra, it was not lighting up in either client If a monster kills 2 or more Refugees their corpse will not be loot able Players are able to stack full sacks of flour. You will have to remove one sack of flour and open it to be able to use it for cooking. If you only have closed sacks of flour in your pack you will receive the message “You do not have the components needed to make that.” Ask and Answer balls will not have their names reverted to Crystal Balls Arcane Gems and Clockwork assembly will now stack Fixed an issue in the Enhanced Client when a player has a “Last Object” macro set up and the object is either destroyed or removed from the player, the macro locks up and the client must be restarted to enable the macro again Fixed an issue with the Enhanced Client gumps using double [» (>>) and « (<<)] and triple arrows do not display. Turned off the pumpkins from spawning in fields Patch Global Chat System Classic Client 7.0.4.0: ‘Chat’ button on the menu bar will now open a Channel Selection window instead of the Chat window. Channel Selection window will allow users to join, leave, or create a chat channel. User may only participate in one channel at a time. Text from a chat channel will appear in the System Messages area and in the Journal. Players may use the comma key (,) to participate in a chat channel. Enhanced Client 4.0.4.0: Added new button on the menu bar that opens the Channel Selection window Channel Selection window will allow users to join, leave, or create a chat channel. User may only participate in one channel at a time. Text from a chat channel will appear in chat tabs that have the ‘Custom’ chat text filter enabled. Players may use /c, /chat, or the comma key (,) to participate in a chat channel. NOTE: Due to the difference in schedules of client patches and shard publishes, users will experience minor irregular behavior with this system when using the updated clients on shards that have not received the new publishes. This includes missing messages when leaving a chat channel, always auto-joining the General-Trammel channel on login, and seeing a non-finalized list of available default channels (The final list will only include: General, Looking For Group, Help, and Trade).
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Reminiscent Earthquakes
Posted on Friday, December 11, 2009, 1:48 PM EST by Cear Dallben Dragon (Atlantic)
The ageless Meer Dallben sat still at his desk, having fallen to dream-state staring at his journal. Blackrock was quiet today. Even the waves had ceased. ... .....Time ....... A whirling wind swept the pages off Cear's desk and he snapped to consciousness. The wind grew and grew as Dallben approached his keep entrance. Gripping the wall he peered to the sea shore. A man stood ankle deep in the waves. His magic was summoning. His words of power, were words of the ancients. The old kingdom... Existence cracked like lightning in the sailors red morning sky; and the wave crashed. Like the undead crawling from the ground crystals arose on the beaches of Blackrock. Evidence of their world? The mage on the beaches gathered a few and left, as I approached the shores so did a wisp. The wisp did not respond to me, until I spoke my greeting, and another appeared. We exchanged information. ========================================== The Isle of the Avatar in Felucca was wracked today by a powerful earthquake and tidal wave! Rare Xorinite crystals and blackrock were thrust onto the coast by the violent upheaval from the depths of the ocean. Wisps, fortune seekers and dangerous creatures have been attracted to the area in hopes of finding magical crystals. Note: Friday December 11, 2009 at 8:30 PM EST in Felucca. Search the coastline north of the Shrine of Humility. ==========================================
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Finished!
Posted on Friday, December 11, 2009, 12:28 PM EST by Petra Fyde (CommunityNews)
Ultima Online Stratics Weekly Announcement: Well, one small part at least. All the new tinkering menu items have been added to the item database, which in turn updates - Tinkering. We believe that completes the crafting updates. If we've missed something please let us know. More updates for Hunter's Guide Thanks to Wulk2k. The Naxatilor Quest Guide we added last week has been expanded to include the preceding quest from Egwexem Another set of SA quests, Axem The Curator have been added All the new Gargoyle weapons, including throwing weapons, have been added to Weapons listing The two new 'special moves' for those have also been added to the Special Moves page Would you like to help with this project? Please send submissions to [email protected], [email protected], or you can just send a pm to Petra Fyde.
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[News] Publish 63 Coming to Test Center Today!
Posted on Friday, December 11, 2009, 12:09 PM EST by Eyes of Origin (Pacific)
Publish 63 Coming to Test Center Today!James Nichols11 Dec 2009 14:26:17Hail adventurers! Publish 63 will be available on TC1 today, we have a number of other changes in addition to the imbuing improvements that were released earlier this week. Below are the full notes for this publish (including the changes to imbuing) so have a look then see for yourselves on TC1, have fun! For all patch notes please click here http://www.uoherald.com/news/news.php?newsid=1001
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[News] December Events
Posted on Friday, December 11, 2009, 8:18 AM EST by Eyes of Origin (Pacific)
Pacific December Events December 13th- At [B]6PM PST[/B], meet at the West Britain Counselor's Hall in Trammel. A Mysterious Stranger returns and needs your help! December 16th - Storytelling contest at the Luna Fairgrounds, at [B]7PM PST[/B]! This time there's a theme. Each story has to mention both a mistletoe and an icicle somewhere in it. Rules are as usual: rated for a PG-13 audience in mind, germane to Britannia, under 5 minutes in length, and only one entry per person. [B]December 18th -[/B] Come celebrate EM Cyno Razik's 1-year Anniversary on Pacific! Party to be held at Lord British Castle on Dec 18, at [B]6PM PST[/B]![/CENTER] From EM Lillimu - There are more things to come that we aren't quite announcing yet. I wouldn't expect a PvP Tournament this month, unfortunately -- renovations are still underway! Winners of the November contests can find their names up at their respective areas, which include some on display at the Counselor's Hall, PvP Hall, and Amelia's Home in Moonglow (north of the Lycaeum). Thanks! - EM Lillimu Taken From - [URL="http://pacific.uoem.net/index.html"]Pacific EM Website[/URL]
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Gargoyle Formulas and Christmas Trees

Posted on Thursday, December 10, 2009, 7:57 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)

from EM Faine Morgan's Official Website UO - Origin Events

Gargoyle Formulas and Christmas Trees

Posted By EM FaineMorgan on December 10, 2009

Donal sat hunched over the worn, faded tome trying to make out the smeared words in the fading light. He’d lit every candle in the house but the words were written so long ago they seemed to be mere shadows on the page, no more legible than if they’d been written with white ink. The Christmas cookies that Taryn had sent him earlier sat uneaten at his elbow.

Donal had started this project as a treat for Taryn. He knew how much she loved the pretty Christmas Trees and hoped to extend their life for several weeks beyond what they’d normally last. However, he’d already tried several different mixtures with a noted lack of success. Frustration, not normally a part of the monk’s personality, had caused him to toss out the whole lot into the back yard.

Anyone looking in on the scene would think the old monk had gone quite mad. He ran his hand through his hair and beard and he muttered to himself, trying to make out the formula. With the fading of time and the age of the ancient books, it seemed an impossible task.

Donal was so absorbed in the book that, at first, the faint scratching did not penetrate his consciousness. Gradually, however, he looked up from his work and tried to place the annoying sounds. It sounded almost like a tree brushing the roof of the house at the height of a strong wind. But that was impossible as all of the trees were well back from the house.

After several minutes, Donal gave up trying to focus his attention back on the book. Muttering in aggravation, he strode across the small room and flung open the door. What met his gaze filled him with horror. How had this happened? What had he done?

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Winter Wonderland House Deco Contest, Deadline For Entries December 14

Posted on Thursday, December 10, 2009, 7:42 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)

from EM Faine Morgan's official website UO - Origin Events

December Schedule of Events
Posted By EM Faine Morgan on November 29, 2009

Winter Wonderland House Deco Contest

Beginning on December 1st, submissions will be accepted for Origin’s EM Winter Wonderland House Decoration Contest. Each house must in some way reflect the Winter Season (this can be Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc. or simply the winter season).

To enter, simply drop a rune in the green mailbox at the Award Hall on Origin. Please name the rune with your house’s name and whether the house is public or private. For example, “Faine’s Gingerbread Cottage – Public”. If your house is private, please also send an email to [email protected] so we can arrange a time for me to view your house.

Entries will be accepted through 7 p.m. Pacific (8 p.m. Mountain, 9 p.m. Central, 10 p.m. Eastern) Time on December 14th. Once the entry period ends, I will post the submissions on our internal Event Moderator site and ask the other Ultima Online EM’s to vote for their favorite. On December 20th, there will be an open tour of all the houses for everyone and the winner will be announced at that time.

There is a portal to the Award House outside the Britain Counselor’s Hall. By entering this contest, you agree to set your house public on the evening of the tour.

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Reminder ... The deadline is rapidly approaching, and as of this evening (December 10) there has been one entry submitted.

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Where did the EM(s) go?
Posted on Thursday, December 10, 2009, 3:34 PM EST by Stupid Miner (LakeSuperior)
Hello everyone, Event Moderator Aname and Autolycus here, just wanting to let you know, we haven’t forgotten about you!?! That is all…. :P But a series of unfortunate events has occurred making it so both of us can’t be on a lot of the time, the last bit of November and the starting bit of December Aname had a very nasty flu, making him not even get out of bed. It really drained him out 100% so he has not been able to even look at his Computer Screen. Then there is Autolycus who well… If he can, will post in a separate message what his computer looks like and you will see why he has not been able to get into UO. Basically the system went down from over use. He has a CPU coming in the mail and will be setting back up as soon as possible. Aname is starting to get some Xmas event ideas so that there will be even more happening. We have 2 for sure events that we will be doing and throughout December we will have a few special little treats now and then. Sorry about the huge delay. Bows respectfully ~Your EM Aname Autolycus *(and this Reporter has Finals)
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More Warnings and Threats

Posted on Thursday, December 10, 2009, 2:32 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Today threatening warnings started appearing alongside the grim effigies that were placed by the Britannian Purity League in their concerted effort to force everyone to join their Keep Britannia Clean efforts and drive the gargoyles from the Britannia.

The threatening books read as follows:

Ultimatum
by Britannian Purity League

Mend your ways, and join the movement against the gargoyles. Any who stand against, also stand against Britannia.

We will take any actions judged necessary to secure the future of our realm.

Show support to our cause and change the name of your house to “Keep Britannia Clean.” Failing to do so before this Friday could result in dire consequences for you and your loved ones.

Be warned!

If you wish to see the threatening effigies and books, there is a runebook locked down on the east steps of my house just NW of the north Luna Gate.

Baja Forum: Grim Effigy Placed by West Britain Bank
goldenbrewtavern.com: Guild Registration (update – 2)
Baja Forum: Keep Britannia Clean! Send The Gargoyles Home!
Baja Forum: [EM-NEWS]Guild Registration

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Mondainites Stop Caravan, Styx Cultists Send Another Message
Posted on Thursday, December 10, 2009, 10:33 AM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
[Compassion Grove, Trammel] According to Justicar Fl'Gith, who spoke with this reporter earlier this morning, last evening's relief caravan intended to aid the starving citizens of Minoc left yesterday evening from the armory of the Yew Militia, and headed for the road leading east past the Serpent Spine Mountains, on into Minoc. The caravan had barely passed the Shrine of Chaos near the Mage City of Wind when members of the Temple of Mondain popped out from the forest. It was reported to the Justicar that Seldane, a member of the Temple of Mondain, had said, "Well, I do fear that one way or another, we will be delivering the food, my good man," and when Xetaryn of Dracona indicated they would not allow the Mondainites to poison the food and complete the delivery, Seldane further responded, "Enhancing, not poisoning." Shortly thereafter, the forces engaged each other, and the caravan was lost, with the Temple of Mondain victorious in derailing the caravan, but unable to achieve any gain from the foodstuffs which were also lost. Justicar Fl'Gith assured this reporter that another attempt to deliver aid to the impoverished people of Minoc. The true reason for this reporter's visit with the Justicar this morning, however, was to ask if there had been a second message left by the Cult of Styx, as this reporter had visited Kahler's black sextant in Magincia, which was reporting, "There is something in the crypt at 80o36'N 25o52'W." Arrival at the scene in the Yew Crypts showed only two ziggurats, which Justicar Fl'Gith indicated had been on either side of a gate which led to a series of previously unknown tunnels filled with many green-bodied undead that appeared to be infected by something. Justicar Fl'Gith, responsible for decoding many of the messages for the Royal Spies, indicated that another message had been found, which to the best of his ability he had determined to read: Corpses to carry the pot. Able bodied citizens are still encouraged to help defend Yew. The Justicar noted that the undead threat in the Yew Crypts was strong and very real. This evening, somewhere around the hour of 8:00 PM (CST), the next incursion of the liches should be noted by the sextant in Magincia. (Sketch of caravan courtesy of High Justicar Ra’Dian Fl’Gith.)
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High Court Clears, Admonishes Foreign Minister
Posted on Thursday, December 10, 2009, 10:23 AM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
[Compassion Grove, Trammel] Last evening, the trial of Malag aste, Minister of Foreign Affairs, was heard, brought forth by the eccentric Lady Beauvina for defamation of character. Lady Beauvina was accompanied by Ongole, a bovine legal representative (starkly absent was the famous Delucian lawyer, Perimoosyn), while Malag aste was represented by Lord Galen. Immediately, the Defense Attorney had several questions for presiding judge, High Justicar Ra'Dian Fl'Gith. First was a clarification of whether the matter was of civil or criminal nature, determined to be civil. Second was to do with Article XI, Section C of the High Council's Charter which refers to legal immunities granted to serving politicians of the realm. "This Court does interpret [the Article] to refer to criminal matters, as civil matters are not prosecuted in so much as the definition would indicate," the judge answered in his customary brogue. Before the trial commenced, Defense Attorney Galen conceded on behalf of his client that the Minister of Foreign Affairs had questioned Beauvina's sanity, had indicated cows did not belong in the council hall, and that he had accused Beauvina of turning the Council into a circus, but "They do not constitute defamation of character under any reasonable definition of the term." This brought into light physical threats leveled by the Foreign Minister which Justicar Fl'Gith barred from trial as out of the scope unless they accompanied statements of defamation. An argument arose, the first of many, between the plaintiff and defense, and Justicar Fl'Gith seemed to be at odds as to how to proceed. In opening statements, Lady Beauvina indicated, "This has went as far as [Minister Malag aste] calling me names while wielding a loaded weapon in the Council chambers." While Attorney Galen objected to that characterization, he responded in his own opening statement, "The things that were opinion or analysis more than facts were said under his official duties as a Councilor, thus subject to the traditional immunities enjoyed by legislators as part of their legislative activities." As the trial commenced, Minister Malag aste was the first called to the stand by Lady Beauvina, and after a brief recess to review transcripts of recent High Council meetings, Lady Beauvina focused largely on Minister Malag aste's refusal to blindly sign off on her and her bovine friends joining the Britannian Armed Forces. Several times during the trial, Justicar Fl'Gith sat back as the plaintiff and defense argued vociferously between themselves, clearly frustrated by both sides’ judicial behavior. Defense Attorney Galen did effectively deal with the issue of the cows in service by looking to the service record of the Foreign Minister, and his combat experience with bovines. Lady Beauvina settled on Minister Malag as her only witness, then turning the defense free to call to the stand librarian and former reporter Martyna Z'muir; the Honorable Mayor of Yew, Lady Willa of the Yew-wood; and the Chancellor of the High Council, Lord DaKaren. Questioning focused mostly on an alleged previous attempt to subvert Yew to bovine rule and on public opinion as to whether most believe Lady Beauvina to be crazy. Several objections were raised, and Defense Attorney Galen resorted to unusual courtroom tactics by directly questioning the integrity of the court. "Justicar, you allowed this case to go forward... I'm truly sorry if you are not prepared for the bizarre consequences of allowing bizarre court actions to be heard." It seemed several times that the Justicar was losing patience with the demeanor of Attorney Galen. In closing arguments, Lord Galen indicated, "All of [her] claims can be compared with reality [... and have] thus far been shown to be not true or unproveable (sic) at the very least." He then, for a second time, involved the Justicar directly in his proceedings. "A judgment for plaintiff in this matter would open floodgates... I, for example, could file a suit against the Justicar for statements made concerning the state of my virtue." Lady Beauvina kept her closing argument simple. "Does [talking to cows] give others the right to judge me, and by that, mock me, threaten me, and defame me to the point of physical violence?" Justicar Fl'Gith recessed to his chambers to deliberate his verdict, an action that seemed to bring comment from an ignorant attendee of the proceedings, Thanatos Angelos, who asked about the judge deliberating, "With himself? Ah, well I suppose it's better than deliberating it with imaginary friends." When Justicar Fl'Gith returned, he ruled in favor of Minister Malag aste, finding him not guilty of defamation of character, but did make note that he was disturbed by the Foreign Minister's behavior nonetheless. "This Court thereby prays that Malag aste will take it upon himself to remember his place among the Virtues, and seek to behave properly even when dealing with uncomfortable situations." During his verdict, the judge also took direct issue with Lord Galen's closing argument. "As Lord Galen indicates, a verdict in favor of the plaintiff would open flood gates [...] that would likely include this Justicar suing the defendant's attorney for defamation of character, not to mention holding him in contempt of court." With this second legal case involving the Lady Beauvina closed with a second loss, this reporter was able to get final thoughts from both parties involved. Not willing to call his win in court a victory, Minister Malag aste referred to a different way of dealing with her and the cows. "Perhaps I should have just arrested her... and been done with it [...] It's not her I have a problem with, it's the cows." Lady Beauvina's final thoughts revolved around the behavior of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and his inability to remain civil, questioning his ability to represent Britannia to foreign nations if he can not keep his cool when dealing with a few harmless bovines.
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A Gathering Of The People, Sunday, December 13

Posted on Thursday, December 10, 2009, 7:20 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

from goldenbrewtavern.com

A Gathering of the People
Thursday, December 10, 2009
By EM Pallando

Recalling into Britain, you drop surprisingly into a thicker-than-usual crowd at the west bank. Surely there must be something serious going on? Weaving through to the edge of the crowd, you make out the voice of the Town Crier close by, finally clear above the noise of the gathered mass:

Citizens!

Our most benevolent Queen Dawn has heard our pleas! In response to recent happenings and the absence of the Royal Council, a “Council of the General Public” has been called together! In her generosity, the Queen has invited any willing citizen or soldier that wish to have their voice heard! Those with petition or plea of serious import, or for those that desire to see the making of the history of our fair Kingdom as it happens, are encouraged to attend! Hail, Queen Dawn the exalted, who treasures her people above all! Long live the Queen!

In addition, it is requested that no pets accompany their owners into the Council meeting area. Weapons and fighting are advised against, save the members of the Royal Guard assigned as security for the safety of the attendees.

Event Location: Castle British Dining Hall, Trammel
Event Time and Date: Sunday December 13th, 8:00-9:30PM PST (though it may run longer).

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A New Guest Arrives At Lycaeum

Posted on Thursday, December 10, 2009, 7:09 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

from goldenbrewtavern.com

A new guest arrives at Lycaeum
Thursday, December 10, 2009
By EM Seppo

(Sorry for missing the event this past weekend. We will not be rescheduling that event as things need to keep moving. This fiction covers what was to be covered during the event. The books mentioned at end of the fiction will be locked down at Lycaeum in coming days.

A note: For future, when talking with NPC’s they will not recognize the name An-Buci, so you have to state it without the dash, “An Buci”)

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Merrick sighed in satisfaction as he looked up at the bright moon crowning the dark night while taking a stroll outside the walls of Lycaeum. Things had certainly quieted down since earlier this evening when a crowd had gathered expecting to catch a glance of the gargish scholar, An-Buci. There had even been a chap, Duke something – the full name escaped Merrick now, who insisted upon setting up his own furniture!

“Gah, common folks! They get excited over the strangest things, ” he guffawed to himself.

Just then, the monotony of the night was broken by an intense blue light from a newly formed magical gate. Merrick shielded his eyes with his hands, but not before catching a glance of three figures stepping out from within it. The blinding brightness of the gate soon subsided, revealing a gargish female flanked by two Royal Guards of Britannia.

“Ahh, you must be the scholar An-Buci from Ter Mur!,” Merrick exclaimed, shocked by the sudden appearance.

An-Buci smiled and attempted a curtsy, in a manner likely to have frightened most humans.

“Des-Ailem, scholar of Lycaeum. It is a great honor to be amongst the wisest of Britannia.”

“Ahh, hmm, thank you!,” Merrick fumbled for words. Then, regaining his senses, “Where are my manners? I am Merrick, a naturalist by expertise.”

At that, he half-extended his arm for a handshake, as it is often the strange norm amongst scholars of Lycaeum, but then changed his mind and bowed resulting in a very odd scene.

“It is a pleasure to be in your company, Merrick the Naturalist. I must apologize for the delay in my arrival but we had to change our plans at the behest of the one in charge of my safe arrival,” An-Buci frowned.

“Ahh, hmm, that is a pity for many had gathered to welcome your arrival. Why, I even spotted some lords and ladies in the crowd, ” said Merrick, while glancing at the sack of books carried by An-Buci.

“But, best to not tarry now. Let me carry the books, you must be tired from your journey. Please, if you would follow me? ”

At that moment, one of the guards stepped in front and motioned the gargish scholar and the other guard towards the gates of Lycaeum. Looking at Merrick, he spoke with an air of authority, “If I may have a word with you. In private.”

Merrick raised his eyebrows, but nodded after some hesitation as he had many questions for An-Buci. Once they were out of an ear shot, the officer spoke with a grave tone, “An-Buci is an official representative of the Gargoyles and the queen has taken special interest in her safety.”

“Fear not, officer. The Lycaeum might seem defenseless but it has guarded many powerful treasures for many ages. She will not come to any harm while here.”

Looking skeptical, the officer mumbled, “That might be. But the anti-gargoyle elements are prepared to take extreme measures to express their point of view. Already, we have reports of intimidation against many pro-gargoyle fractions such as The Ancient Order, Misfits of the Society, The Defenders of Shire, Dawn, Spawners Inc, and Convenant of the Dark Moon.”

Then, leaning forward, he whispered, “If rumors are to be believed, then they have recruited powerful friends such as Cartel, the Dark Tower, and even those who are still true to Casca. Why, we have even received word that they might have hired a band of assassins known as Order of the Black Mantle. If true, then we must assume that they are prepared to even kill.”

“Hmm, mmm! So much trouble over a mere scholar. I will pass your message to the others. Fear not, we will take extra precautions. Now, I must take my leave. There is much to be done.”

With that, Merrick left the guard behind him. There was a commotion ahead of him, no doubt the news of the new guest had spread amongst the scholars of Lycaeum.An-buci would be surrounded by now but Merrick did not mind as he had her sack of books with him.

Once inside his room, he quickly opened the sack, revealing various books with titles unknown to him, such as, ‘Wingless Like Me, by James‘, ‘The Gargoyle Connection, by Kiljaedon Kul Raja‘, ‘How Len-Lem Got His Wings, by Lud-ku’, ‘The Endless Halloween‘, and ‘The Legend of The Slasher Of The Veils, by Cebo.‘ He sighed happily as he took one of them out and inhaled the crisp smell of a new book.

Taming Hour, December 6, 2009
Recap by Proserpina

Beginning donation points 10,260,290, Tier 10
Ending donation points: 10,629,898, Tier 10
Total Points Donated during the hour: 369,608

Hostess: Proserpina [K T]

Proserpina was again on hand with her Dread Cat to record tamers and scores, and to keep the tamers motivated with her cheers.

Tamers Present:
Whisper
NILREM [M!S]
Lil Debi [M!S]
Kat MacBroeden [DWN]
Luna Tic [TAO]
Shayla Keylley [DWN]
Lady HRH Elizabeth [D_S]
Toni Fierce [M!S]
James [MT]
Katrina Cole [BRPA]
DBadger Two
Saladin Shahryar
Reap [DWN]
Sally [C@S]

Zackarias, Knight OBR [DWN], security
Lord FZOUL CHEMBRYLjr [DWN], cheering section

A special thank you to Oriana and Arlon for donating the proceeds from their ingredient hunting trips, adding another 45,000 points to the zoo donations.

Kat MacBroeden had hinted at the possibility of prizes when certain numbers are hit. 550,000 points until the next level was a random prize level, with DBadger Two donating the animal that hit that mark, and was presented with a Heritage Token.

Lord FZOUL CHEMBRYLjr [DWN] helping Proserpina with Team Spirit!

Next Taming Hour, Sunday, December 13, 8pm Pacific (9pm Mountain, 10pm Central, 11pm Eastern.

If you would like to help support the Zoo but can not make it to the Zoo Taming Hour, please contact WildStar [DWN] or Sara [TAO]. We will make arrangements to record your donations and add you to the list of participants, making you eligible for one of the mysterious prizes Kat MacBroeden spoke of.

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Week 1: BRPA Sunday Night Taming Recap For November 22
Week 2: BRPA Sunday Night Taming Recap For November 29

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Santa Coming to Chesapeake!
Posted on Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 9:08 AM EST by Morpheus Mardox (Chesapeake)
Greetings fellow citizens of Chesapeake! I'd spent the whole morning checking my house for an open window after finding all my cookies had been eaten in the middle night when I suddenly noticed a strange note had been left on my fireplace mantle. It was from none other than Santa Claus himself! As he promised last year, Santa will be returning to our realm to spread some holiday cheer and hand out goodies. Santa will be landing his sleigh on the roof of the Red Wolf Cafe in Gyldenfeld the evening of Monday, December 14th at 9:00 PM EST to share some holiday cheer. Have you been a good little rezzer of wayward newbies in the Tram dungeons this year or have you been a bad little smacktalking ganker of afk people in Fel? Come to the Red Wolf Cafe on Monday, December 14th at 9:00 PM EST see Santa! Surprises and goodies await for all as well as photo opportunities with the big man himself. Even though elves may be present as they often labor for Santa in his toy swea, err, "work" shops, orcs are also welcome! To reach Gyldenfeld, take the road west out of Britain in Trammel until you reach the crossroads. You should see the Gyldenfeld town banner and the Red Wolf Cafe is the first large structure on the left as you head north from the crossroads. The Red Wolf Cafe, located in the player-town of Gyldenfeld near the Britain/Skara crossroads in Trammel is a site of occasional player-run, public events. There is never an entry fee and the public is always invited! The cafe was founded in an attempt to foster more shardwide, player-run events and happenings. Starting off as a small, roadside shack in 2003, it has moved and expanded to a bigger and better location and we hope it will continue to provide a fun and friendly place for the citizens of the realm to relax, meet new friends and enjoy the activities.
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[EM] The Pitlord of Felucca – Saturday, Dec 12th, 8 p.m. EST
Posted on Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 6:47 AM EST by Sahra Swift (Catskills)
Hello Catskills, Here is a message from EM Kasaven: I am but a messenger in this instance, yet I deliver it with dire urgency. Long have I dwelled in the depths of the Lost Lands, watching my brothers, Riktor and Mephistus, do battle with the pitiful humans, elves, and gargoyles. I sit by, idle, as they slay my kin, for I care more for my power than my flesh and blood. As bloodshed is cast over the Lost Lands, I grow more powerful. As blood flows in rivulets over the cracked dirt of the Deserts, I take it into my own being. With each death I grow in power ten fold. Now, weaklings, there is a price to be paid for your avarice and insolence, your bloodshed for gold and power. Now, it is my turn to harvest your souls. - Niklam Izzutrub, the Pitlord of Felucca This news is grave indeed, I will research the location of this foul creature so that I might pass that information over to those brave enough to pursue him. Be wary, I do not sense boast in him, be prepared. Meet me at the Counselor’s Hall neigh 8 p.m. EST on Saturday, December 12th. If you have a red character and do not have someone to inform you of the location, I will go to the Felucca Counselor’s Hall (expect combat) immediately after to inform you, also, of the location. – Kasaven (This is a Felucca event, as such, be prepared for player vs player combat, insure your things, and play accordingly. Good luck to all parties involved!)
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Investigating the Cult of Styx
Posted on Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 2:43 AM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
[Britain, Trammel] Lord Magnus Grey assembled the Royal Spies again last evening at the Counselors Guild just south of Blackthorn's Keep in Britain in order to further investigate the threat of the Cult of Styx. Grey announced that Royal Spy Ra'Dian Fl'Gith had decoded a message left by the deceased Royal Spy, Dexter, which Fl'Gith reported read: I have managed to join the Cult of the Abyss. They are a doomsday cult that wishes to help bring the end sooner. They talk of a dungeon -- one that is lost -- being found. They mention the Island of Fire opening its mouth. If such a thing happens, they plan to be there. They use a code that is one part spell, one part ritual. Lord Grey indicated he would be providing more messages from Dexter to be decoded, and then turned to the evening's mission. The Royal Spies had determined the best course of action to be pursuit of the Cult. "I agree that this seems a reasonable action," Grey agreed, but added, "One problem is our lack of information. However, I believe I know someone who can help with this." Grey informed the spies of an expert in magic known as Kahler who was to be found at the Lycaeum. The Royal Spies met up with Kahler, whereupon he asked Royal Spy Halhan to carry his cloak for him, and then asked those present to explain the situation in greater detail. Spy Galen related the majority of the details about the Cult of Styx to the mage, including their desire to bring about an apocalyptic end to Britannia, the use of rituals, and the missing Skull of Mondain. Spy Fl'Gith filled in the remaining details, while others indicated the desire to go after the Cult and that assistance was needed to succeed. Kahler indicated he would need several items to assist the Royal Spies. Kahler sent the Royal Spies into Exodus's lair in Ilshenar, seeking a powerful crystal from an Exodus Dark Core, and indicated they should meet him Magincia at the library and museum for further instruction. The battle within the halls of Exodus near Ver Lor Reg in Ilshenar was quite intense, lightning arcing through the air, striking those who fought valiantly to fell the Dark Core, and in the end, the Royal Spies defeated the strange mechanical creature, with Royal Spy Crazy Carrie of the Guardians of Valhalla recovering the power crystal. Once in Magincia, Kahler indicated he had two further tasks for the Royal Spies to complete, both of a diplomatic nature. The first required a trip to the pixies near the Ilshenarian Shrine of Spirituality to request some pixie-forged silver, while the second sent the spies to Ter Mur for a set of special imbuing tools from the gargoyles. Princess Nissa of the pixies, formerly Princess Buttercup Dandelion Nissa Zmmp! the Pretty, Patient, and Charming the First, now Princess Nissa, Lady of the Mooo, Beauty of the Mooomooo, was met very close to Spirituality. "Moo... stolen... moo... along with my rubies," was her response to a request for pixie-forged silver wire, having been first approached by Spy (and Chancellor candidate) Beauvina. Taken, the princess indicated, by "a mean old harpy." The spies rushed north to the harpy nest, and were set upon by a mean old harpy and her crones, but they were soon felled, and the rubies returned to Princess Nissa. "Mooo... Crazy Wire has the Silver Carrie," Princess Nissa announced, sending the spies on their way to Ter Mur. Queen Zhah met with the Royal Spies outside of her castle in the Royal City, and traded a future favor of negotiating with a red wisp for the set of special imbuing tools. Returning to Magincia, Spy Crazy Carrie turned the items over to Kahler, who then indicated one final ingredient was needed. "This sextant will search for the liches, but I need the parts of one of the liches before I can get it to work." Kahler then provided gates that led to the Abyss, near the Silver Sapling, to awaken Cultist Moldweaver from his dark sarcophagus. Another intense battle, wrought with deadly poisonous gasses and rising undead, was eventually won with diligence from the spies and assistance from nearby fae folk. Back in Magincia, the sextant was finally activated, using the spell Vas Kal Ex Wis Corp, which provided coordinates of 44o2'N by 60o57'W in Trammel. It was quickly determined that this was near a pair of houses in southwestern Yew, and the Royal Spies rushed to see what would be found. Cultists and undead from the Cult of Styx were readily dispatched while Spy Fl'Gith focused on deciphering a short spell code left inscribed upon the ground in reagents. "The word here is 'disease,'" he indicated. The evening's mission at an end, the Royal Spies returned to Britain with Lord Grey to recap the events of the evening, which included the finding of a book that Spy Arch Angel indicated read, "Each night the lich shall rise, hours before the darkest time, to write the story of what will be." Lord Grey noted that Kahler's sextant would continue to function for some time, and that at least for the next few days, the spies should check the sextant in Magincia for new coordinates to track down these liches and learn more of the prophecy forthcoming. Lord Grey also strongly urged all able bodies to assist in the defense of Yew. "The reason we have a Volunteer Guard." The Royal Spies are set to meet again in official capacity next Tuesday at 8:00 PM (CST), and will be checking the sextant for news each night until then. There appears to be a never-ending need for Royal Spies, so those of you who feel this might be your calling in life should feel free to assist.
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What Will Be Our UO Holiday Gifts This Year?
Posted on Tuesday, December 8, 2009, 8:44 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. . " I wonder what our UO Christmas gift/gifts will be this year ? " This question comes up every year around this time. I have heard it so many times over the years it has to be in the hundreds. To see what was gifted over the years all one has to do it look around the realm to see how plots have been decorated for the season already. No doubt there are many more to come. This is a shout out to send in screenshots of holiday decorated plots either by yourself, your guildmates, friends or just a plot you may have happened upon. Lady Lava shouting out from her front porch Giving for many is what the season is all about and Dani is already doing just that. Dani's Xmas Gift Giveway is at cords 35o52'N, 3o 9'E This generous player has set up holiday gift boxes up the stairs and under the Christmas tree full of gifts, free for the taking. I checked it out this evening and the boxes were full of fun gifts. Some players are taking and some are even adding to the boxes, a true generous gesture of the season. The smart vendor shops are also starting to festoon trying to catch the eye of holiday shoppers and browsers as this Luna shop has done shown below. Oh course the oldest tradition and grand daddy on Great Lakes is Christmas with the Majestic Oaks family and their many Christmas Celebrations which start on December 16th Wednesday and December 17th Thursday. Along with the usual and Holiday festivities there will be the Infamous " 12 days of Christmas" This includes one prize for the 12 days 1 prize for day 2 for day 2 and so on. They have allotted over 200 Mil for this alone this year. Gates are always provided at Luna Bank and often Brit Bank for MOA events. Santa will make an appearance, several times I am told, this year. His bags are usually full! Please send in any screenshots, holiday locations or holiday events to my attention at Great Lakes Stratics or send me a PM. The best of holidays to all the great people of Great Lakes.
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Stabytha Stabs !
Posted on Tuesday, December 8, 2009, 7:53 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. . It is time for Lady Lava's Questionnaire again and todays guest is a very colorful character by the name of Stabytha. Stabytha! Now that is an impressive name and one that is hard to forget. What was the inspiration for naming a character this ? I really had no idea prior to naming her this, except for the fact that I wanted a good-sounding name. I have a RL friend named Tabatha. Blanc de Blanc had been trying to get me into the game for about 8-9 years, so I was not about to disappoint with a name like Crazy Larry or Cherry Blossom or god-forbid, Bush Whacker. All your characters have " stab ' in them I am told. What are your other characters names and what type of characters are they? Yes, this is my first time playing a game of this caliber. Stabby, as she was soon called, became a very comfortable and fun nickname. Plus, when logging off, I could use the phrase Stab Ya Later, and I thought that was hilarious. In order of creation: Stabytha, my mage Crabby Stabby, my mule (Crabby from being poked and nailed by hammers, anvils and needles) Stabytha Stye, my archer (She might have a huge stye in her right eye, but boy can she shoot an arrow!!) and Lil' Babs Stabs, my tamer (a fellow guild member suggested Little Bo Stab, so this name was from that. Plus, she is a Southern Belle. My fifth character will be a male, as that is my true gender, but uncreated as of yet...and Stab will not be found in his name. How long have you been playing UO and how did you first hear of this game ? Well, I just got notification about 5 days ago of my 6th month anniversary. LOL, not too long in most peoples' eyes. Like I said, Blanc de Blanc has been playing for years and has tried MANY MANY times to get her RL friend (me) into it. I used to think it was expensive. What other computers games do you or have you played ? I have always been a huge gamer, my uncle had Odyssey, which he gave to me. I also own Atari 2600, 5200, NES, SNES, Advance, Playstation 1&2, and Wii.....LOL retarded now that they are all written down in front of me. I never owned Colecovision, but my friends down the street did, and I loved, really loved playing Burgertime. The Metroid series is by far my favorite. What is your favorite thing to do in the realm ? Right now, I am into BODs,...they are making me no money, so I think I am done pretty soon with them. I love the Dojo Succubus. Doom is fun. I am still very new, so getting lost and having a bit of that "oh, no where did I just wander into" feeling is great. I love the -Y- guild for everyone's helpfulness....some really great people! I love being a goof, and they are a fun guild. Do you own a home in the game and if so where and how is it decorated ? My home is right outside Britannia, I live next to a lake and its nice. I want my house to be very whimsical and fun. My goal is Alice In Wonderland. You gotta know me to get my style, but its Funk-a-fication Nation for sure. Those screaming halloween cats were cracking me up for a long time!!! What is your favorite color in the realm and in real life? I am digging my Orange Thigh-High Boots, the Orange wrap around asian-thingy that Katrina dyed, and that Crabby wears, and the super sexy Purple of my mage book. In real life I own more green than anything. In Espanol, that's verde! What location have you been to in the realm that you think is most beautiful ? Again, not too many places...but the Tokuno Islands (because of the cherry-blossoms and lakes) and the Polar Bear Ice Island for the Snow...which I miss being from Michigan and living now in Mexico City. What is your idea of perfect happiness ? Ouch! Toughy. Travelling. I love it, I have been tons of places and now that I am in Mexico; travelling is cheap and very colorful. Poverty exists, and is massive here. And, so for me, to travel is a great privilege. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself ? What the hll are these questions??? LOL, Redonkulous. I hate that if I have an issue with someone about something, my mouth moves a lot quicker than my brain. I do get my point across, and you will know it. Fool me once, shame on me....Fool me twic, um thre.....well, let's just say you better watch it, I'll stab ya! What is your greatest extravagance ?* Music. I own about 1500 vinyl, and the same in CDs, probably more. And my computer collection is never full enough or perfect enough. I want a house with an amazing way to display it all. 80's, Electro, Detroit House/Techno, Funk and more 80's.....love the fun stuff. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Ya think? ( if something is really obvious)....SHUT IT!!!! (I use this when something is being said about me).... What is your most treasured possession in the realm and in real life ? In the realm, my Crystalline Ring is the most expensive. But I do not dream about it or anything wacky like that. In Real life it is my camera and all the equipment that goes along with it. Not to mention my 5 external HDD filled with music, pictures and the like. If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be ? I love the sea and all its uniqueness and colors and diversity. And tho my favorite animal is the poison-dart frog species, I would dig it if I were a huge manta ray, or a huge sea turtle, gliding thru the sea. What is your motto? Time to be happy and enjoy your life. That is the good motto. Of course there is always the flip-side. I have a very frank motto also, but if you want to know that, you'll have to ask me in-game. ;) Thank you Lava for giving me the opportunity to answer a few questions!! If anyone wants to say hi or go hunting in-game, just say hi, I'll chat you up!
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Beauvina for Chancellor, Part III
Posted on Tuesday, December 8, 2009, 6:26 PM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
In the first two parts of this interview, the Lady Beauvina shared her feelings on the role of Chancellor of the High Council, as well as that of the High Court. She also gave us greater insight into how much she values the Virtues. This final part reveals her feelings about her forthcoming court case and her final thoughts for the interview. Please read on for the conclusion. Speaking of court, and returning to the drow you mentioned earlier, I know you are set to meet [Minister of Foreign Affairs Malag aste] in the High Court later this week. I know you probably cannot say much in advance of the trial, but how do you feel about your case against the Minister? I think a drow who hangs out with "nice" demons in the Abyss and yet hates precious, innocent cows should give ALL loyal Britannians cause for concern. He even tried to reject me assisting the Britannian Armed Forces because I and the cows are "stinky!" I understand that you and your friends often aid the Royal Spies. Do you believe the Minister has taken this into account when rejecting you from the Britannian Armed Forces? Nope! In fact, it was the bulls who single handedly protected Granny when there was recently an attempt on kidnapping her in Ilshenar! They guarded her during the fight! I guess the Minister would rather have nice leather shoes and a dead Granny. I hear that Queen Dawn herself has also given good grace to your bovine friends. Could you explain that a little more? Why yes, Queen Dawn herself says ALL types should work together to follow the Virtues. And I have it on good faith SHE doesn't go to the Abyss or eat babies. That is good to hear. Regardless of your upcoming court case involving Minister Malag aste, if you are elected to be chancellor, will you be able to set aside your differences and work to a better Britannia? Why yes. I am very virtuous, I think the ten... Sorry, Angus... EIGHT Virtues mean that we need to all be friends. I will ensure everyone has hay and cookies to eat... I will walk along others to help guide them to be nice. Hand in hoof. Laughing. Happy. Virtuous. Well, I thank you for your time, Lady Beauvina. It has been most pleasant speaking with you. Why thank you! Angus, did you have anything to add? {Angus responds to her with a "moo."} Okay then. Before we wrap this up, are there any final thoughts you would like to share with your fellow Britannians? Vote for Beauvina, be as Virtuous as the cows! Well thank you again, and good luck in your upcoming election. Thank you as well for being here too. Please continue to read in the coming days for more exciting interviews.
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UO named one of the "Most Revolutionary Videogames of All Time"
Posted on Tuesday, December 8, 2009, 4:19 PM EST by AirmidCecht (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com UO named one of the "Most Revolutionary Videogames of All Time" James Nichols 08 Dec 2009 16:41:04 EST Ultima Online had the honor today of being named one of "The Most Revolutionary Videogames of All Time" by Forbes.com. As many of you know UO was the one to unveil the joy, excitement, and adventure of MMO's to the world and we're proud that it continues to carry on this tradition with a vibrant and active community today over a decade later. From Forbes.com: "Fans of role-playing games remember fondly the Ultima series, which dates back to the original "Ultima I" from 1980. But when Electronic Arts took Lord British's empire online in 1997, it changed gaming forever." So join us in celebrating and thank you to those of you who continue to make UO what it is today whether you've been with us from the start or just getting started. We look forward to many more years with you! Source
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[News]UO named one of the "Most Revolutionary Videogames of All Time"
Posted on Tuesday, December 8, 2009, 2:14 PM EST by Eyes of Origin (Pacific)
UO named one of the "Most Revolutionary Videogames of All Time" James Nichols 08 Dec 2009 16:41:04 Ultima Online had the honor today of being named one of "The Most Revolutionary Videogames of All Time" by Forbes.com. As many of you know UO was the one to unveil the joy, excitement, and adventure of MMO's to the world and we're proud that it continues to carry on this tradition with a vibrant and active community today over a decade later. From Forbes.com: "Fans of role-playing games remember fondly the Ultima series, which dates back to the original "Ultima I" from 1980. But when Electronic Arts took Lord British's empire online in 1997, it changed gaming forever." So join us in celebrating and thank you to those of you who continue to make UO what it is today whether you've been with us from the start or just getting started. We look forward to many more years with you!
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Old School Fight Night
Posted on Tuesday, December 8, 2009, 7:15 AM EST by Lady Lava (Catskills)
. . . Catskills Old School Fight Night (December 13th, 7pm EST) The United Pirates of Catskills invite every fighter to participate in the first Old-School Fight Night! The tournament will take place in the United Pirates Arena, a big building on the coastline east of the Shrine of Honor. The rules: * Leave your equipment and the contents of your backpack at home! Store away your armor, weapons, jewelry, talismans, spellbooks and other fighting gadgets! * Equip yourself ONLY from items sold by NPC vendors in Britannia's towns (not player vendors). You may use any kind and number of armor, weapon, potion, bandage and reagent sold by those vendors. No player-crafted items allowed! * Fights will be held on foot. No need to bring a mount. * Only if your opponent is dead or leaves the arena, you win the fight. * The system of the tournament will depend on the number of participants (double-elimination, knock-out system, round robin). * Every player can enter the contest with only one character. * Tamed pets are not allowed in the tournament. The tournament will take place in Trammel. Thus, to be able to participate, you have to (temporarily) join one of the big involved guilds (United Pirates, Purple Guardians of Honor, or other RP guild). Hawkeye Pike
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High Council Meets, Temple of Mondain Active
Posted on Tuesday, December 8, 2009, 12:36 AM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
[Compassion Grove, Trammel] Last evening's meeting of the High Council of Britannia, presided over by Chancellor DaKaren, was quite eventful. Talk before the meeting convened surrounded the recent erection of a cemetery in Yew by the Temple of Mondain, but as the Chancellor called the meeting to order, Lord Galen made a stunning announcement. "[B]oth Chancellor DaKaren and Martyna should consider themselves subpoenaed for testimony at Malag's hearing this week." This brought discussion about the behavior of the Minister of Foreign Affairs which was cut abruptly short by the Chancellor's gavel, and a reminder of the forthcoming trial this Wednesday at the neighboring High Court. Chancellor DaKaren then moved the discussion to the Cult of Styx which had been encountered by the Royal Spies on their last mission for Lord Magnus Grey. Justicar Ra'Dian Fl'Gith confirmed for the Chancellor that the Skull of Mondain was the missing artifact in question. He also spoke about the decoded prophecy that the Royal Spies had determined involved both Imperus Noxum and the Skull. Fl'Gith then noted that during the Despise tour he conducted in conclusion of his Virtue Study on Compassion, his group encountered a strange elemental beast in the depths of the dungeon. "[T]here was a note found, apparently penned by Imperus... [he] had decided to try to kill us." Several people walked into the Council chambers during the discussion of Imperus and the Cult of Styx, and after the discussion concluded, these folk began speaking about their hardships. Each had a slightly different story to tell, but all revolved around not having food. One man, Henry, revealed, "Our dear brother Zeus has had naught but maggoty meat for the past fortnight." LikaThad Ale, the Councilor from Yew, seemed nonplussed when he said, "We can't help what you like to eat." When asked by Lady Z'muir why he didn't hunt fresh game, Zeus responded that he could not afford a decent weapon. Lord Polynikes of Yew offered to aid them with food, while Kasavar the Dark asked if there were families starving. It was soon learned that the men were from distant Minoc, and had a variety of problems plaguing them. From rats eating their food stores, to failed crops, a cow that had run dry, chickens failing to produce, and children falling ill, it was finally revealed by Henry that he believes the Temple of Mondain to be behind the matters. Some of the assembled folk seemed curious about the issues, while others took a decidedly more negative stance. Chancellor DaKaren, trying desperately to get the meeting back under control, pounded his gavel loudly and requested everyone be quiet, hinting at harsher action if they failed to do so. As the Chancellor attempted to learn more about the situation, a man named Dale muttered, "Seems like our plight falls on deaf ears." While the Chancellor indicated the men from Yew had offered aid, Minister of Foreign Affairs Malag aste snidely commented, "What more would you like them to do? Feed it to you?" The men tried to explain that while they were seemingly natural occurrences, there was no memory of such combined bad times in recent history, and thus it must be the Temple behind the problems. "Hmm... The Temple has apparently gained omnipotence in my absence?" the Chancellor mused in response. The men then mentioned that the Temple had recently been sighted in Zento, and also had encroached into Yew as well, both of which were acknowledged, and yet the overall tone of the Council remained skeptical. Justicar Fl'Gith, for his part, appeared curious, suggesting, "[P]erhaps some of the agricultural and farming woes they speak of might have come from some sort of curse." He followed by chastising the Council for bickering with the men about the details rather than asking questions to better understand the situation. At that point, Malag aste and the Chancellor revealed that Requi Mortaul, the current leader of the Temple of Mondain, was present in the Council chambers. "We have merely been re-establishing our followership," Mortaul said. "I know of no harm brought to any residents of Minoc." The Justicar warned the men present, who were contemplating seeking aid from the Temple if the Council continued to treat them dismissively, that to trust a follower of Mondain would be most unwise. "The Mondainites are more akin to sacrificing their victims [...] than they are at aiding people." After much deliberation and discussion, the men of Yew arranged a caravan to set out from Yew to Minoc in a couple of days with much needed supplies. The meeting then continued with Minister Malag aste Hla-ate informing the Council that he was working to contact the gargoyles of Ter Mur to set up diplomatic relations, and also that a Winter Festival was progressing in Newcastle for the December 18. The public is welcome to attend the Festival, and are encouraged to bring gifts for a gift exchange. Both Malag aste and Councilor Ale made comments about "peasants" and "serfs" being allowed to attend as well. The Justicar seemed offended, and Chancellor DaKaren appeared unsure how to react. Justicar Fl'Gith reminded the assembly of the December 9 hearing at the High Court regarding Lady Beauvina and Minister Malag aste, and also mentioned that announcements would be forthcoming about the December 17 Virtue Seminar on Justice. He also indicated that the documents of the High Court would soon be in order, and that he intended to hold a rededication ceremony for the new High Court building once completed. The Chancellor then turned to the assembly for any public notices. Xetaryn, native of Dracona, announced a permanent gateway had been established between Compassion Grove (located within the High Council building) and Feluccan Dracona. Lord Polynikes of Yew asked for assistance with the December 17 caravan to Minoc set to head out about 6:30 PM (CST). With no one else coming forth the meeting was then adjourned by the Chancellor.
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The Upcoming Snow Fall
Posted on Monday, December 7, 2009, 5:53 PM EST by Cear Dallben Dragon (Atlantic)
The Upcoming Snow Fall I got dressed in warmer clothing as it seems to get colder these days in the lands, and then headed to work. Once there, I stoked the fires in the old tavern and warmed up the oven to prepare it to bake some bread orders. Looked out the window and saw the rain starting to turn to snow as it fell. It looks like winter will be coming to the lands once more and another glorious year is about to pass. Then to my surprise when the day ended and I was about to close up for the night, a gate opened up and people poured out of it and came inside the tavern for drinks and food. Poems was spoken and tales was told. They have stated they was visiting West Yew University as well as some other sights. From all of us from the past to the present and the future, Serpent Cross Tavern wishes everyone happy holidays, and hopes everyone stays warm during the upcoming winter. Hendall, Bartender
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Obituary Catch Up ~ Part Two
Posted on Monday, December 7, 2009, 5:39 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. . Obituary Catch Up ~ Part Two OBITS PART TWO Linum marry McFlurry Miss Chiff Monzie Ozzy Sora Stabytha and Lord T-pain Thalas Unhai Vancish WickedButterfly Woolly Bugger
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OBITUARY COLUMN ~ Catch Up
Posted on Monday, December 7, 2009, 5:19 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. . OBITUARY COLUMN ~ Catch Up OBIT CATCH UP The past few months I have been posting a Obituary Column twice a month rather than once a week and now I have a back up so I am posting two columns this week. Keep the screenshots coming. Many happy deaths and many happy resurrections. A Freakin God Alandra Illmotch Anduril archangel, dead twice archangel sadness Arris Biohazard Boen Breen Chiram DC* Circle ( focus ) gone bad Devika Halhan Eclipse FLOWER Gandalf and Thadius Legs of Gem of FCB Hannah Kat LilBooBabe and Dawn
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Beauvina for Chancellor, Part II
Posted on Monday, December 7, 2009, 1:56 PM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
In the first part of my interview with the eccentric Lady Beauvina, self-appointed spokeswoman for bovine-kind everywhere, we learned a bit about her bid for the office of Chancellor of the High Council, as well as her thoughts about the current leadership in the form of Chancellor DaKaren. The interview continues with discussion of the Virtues and her feelings about the Justicar of the High Court. Please read on for the second part of this three-part interview. The role of the chancellor seems to be quite varied in its duties. For example, the chancellor seems to be looked to as a leader during times of war. How do you think you would have handled the situation with Lord Casca had you been chancellor at the time? I would have taken the bull by the horns... No offense, Angus. I would have worked hard to ensure those hurt by him were supported. They had a place to go. There are many pastures that I would have let people receive help at. We would have supplied Virtue studies and milk. Would you say the Virtues play a large role in your life? Oh, of course! I believe in all ten of them. Fully. All ten of them? I am only familiar with eight myself. May I ask the other two? Isn't patience a virtue? I suppose it might be considered one, yes. Though it has never really been adopted into the teachings from Lord British. Well, eight, ten... I think you should as many Virtues as you can. The more the merrier! In fact, I encourage all to attend those fantastic Virtue studies the Justicar is having! Other than Patience, Compassion, Honestly, Humility, Sacrifice, Compassion, Spirituality, Valor, and Honor, what is the tenth Virtue? The tenth is... Niceness. Yes, Niceness. That seems like a very nice Virtue to strive for. {Angus moos again.} Angus says there are only eight. Thank you, Angus. Oh. Thank you, Angus. Don't laugh at me, Angus, it wasn't intentional! You mention the Justicar who is holding Virtue studies. He recently sided with the High Council in barring animals from meetings. You also implied he may have been paid off. Why yes. Even though he was obviously paid off, I still think people should know the Virtues. Do you feel he is the correct person for the job, or would you seek to replace him if elected? I would probably ask Perimoosyn to run for Justicar. He has a keen legal mind. And looks slimmer in a robe. During that hearing, you indicated that Perimoosyn is rather sensitive. Do you think he would be successful as a Justicar? He can be [sensitive], yes. [O]f course [he would be successful]! Wisdom and being impartial are very important. And not being paid off. The interview wraps up tomorrow with the third part of this interview, so be sure to check back, and keep your eyes open for the forthcoming interview with Lore Denin, frequent Commanding Lord of the True Britannians.
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[News] Imbuing Changes Going to Test Center 1 Today!
Posted on Monday, December 7, 2009, 1:35 PM EST by Eyes of Origin (Pacific)
From the UOHerald Imbuing Changes Going to Test Center 1 Today! James Nichols 07 Dec 2009 15:10:41 EST Greetings! Today we will be releasing the Imbuing overhall we have been working on to go live with Publish 62.3.7. We encourage those interested to hop onto TC1 this week to check it out, we want to get this hammered out before it goes live and as you can see we've made some significant improvements! Below you will find all of the notes, enjoy and see you on Test Center! Publish 62.3.7 - Fixed an issue with pets not logging out correctly with their owners Imbuing Changes Imbuing UI Redesign - The design of the initial imbuing gump has been changed to match the rest of the imbuing UI. - Two new options have been added to the initial imbuing gump menu: -- Imbue Last Properties - This option uses the last used property/intensity combination, and allows you to target a new item to imbue with that combination. It will check to make sure the new item is allowed to be imbued with that combination. -- Unravel Container - This option replaces the functionality of the unravel bag. It allows you to choose any container in your backpack, and will unravel any items contained inside. This is a recursive operation, so it will unravel items contained inside of sub-containers located inside of the targeted container. If there are any special material items inside, you will be asked if you wish to proceed. - The design of the property selection gump has been changes to better organize the available properties for the targeted item. - On the left side of the gump is a list of categories for the available properties for the targeted item. - On the right side of the gump is a list of properties in the currently selected category. - The design of the imbuing confirmation gump has been redesigned for clarity and ease of use. - The gump layout has changed to better organize the information on the current imbuing attempt. - New buttons have been added that allow the intensity to be changed in steps of plus or minus 10 intensity per button press. Changes to Imbuing Skill Gain - Imbuing focus value changed from 50 to 60. This means that you can gain skill from a wider range of difficulties. - The overall chance for skill gains has been increased. - There are now bonuses to skill gain chance when performing an imbue that requires relic fragments or rare item ingredients (monster drops, etc.). The bonus is per ingredient used, so more difficult imbuing attempts that use more ingredients will increase the chance for skill gain. - The number of times a single item can be imbued before it has diminished skill gain has been increased from 10 to 20. - The unraveling skill gain cap has been removed. - The difficulty value passed into the skill gain system is now roughly equal to the total intensity of the item * 2. - Unravel focus value changed from 50 to 70. This means that you can gain skill from a wider range of difficulties. - As with imbuing an item, there is now a bonus chance to gain skill based on the number of ingredients returned during the unravel attempt. The quality, and to a lesser extent the quantity, of the ingredients returned give a bonus to the chance to gain skill. Unraveling Changes - The 50 intensity requirement to get multiple ingredients has been removed. - The type and quantity of ingredients returned from a successful unravel attempt has been modified so that in general, it returns more materials on average per unravel attempt. - Except for items with a total intensity of 1 to 49 intensity, which always give exactly 1 magical residue, there is now a chance to receive a bonus ingredient. - Unraveling single items and unraveling multiple items via the Unravel Container feature now use the same process, which eliminates any difference in results between the two methods. - Unravel bags will no longer be sold, and existing unravel bags will lose their current functionality, as it has been incorporated into the initial imbuing menu. - The bonuses to unravel intensity from special materials have been adjusted so that they more accurately reflect the rarity of the special material. - The bonuses to unravel intensity are now applied as a percentage of the base unravel intensity value, instead of adding a flat amount to the value. This lessens the impact of special materials on lower intensity items significantly. Special Material Item Changes - Items made from or enhanced with special materials can now be imbued. - This only applies to new items created after this change. - Artifacts can now be imbued. These follow the same rules and restrictions as other items. This means most are unable to be imbued, as they already exceed the property and intensity limits of the imbuing system, but many of them can be improved through the imbuing system. Items that are part of armor sets are not allowed to be imbued, as the set bonuses combined with the normal imbuing restrictions would allow for the creation of ultra-powerful items. The bonus to durability is not considered in the total intensity of an item. Since some special materials add durability as an item property, we did not want those special materials to be less attractive in combination with the imbuing system. General Changes - If the damage convert property is rolled when crafting an item with a runic tool, it will no longer count towards the total number of properties rolled. For example, if you use a bronze runic hammer to craft a weapon, you have the possibility to get a weapon with 3 properties plus the damage convert property. Patch 7.0.3.1 - Cliloc changes
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Imbuing Changes Going to Test Center 1 Today!
Posted on Monday, December 7, 2009, 12:39 PM EST by Petra Fyde (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com Imbuing Changes Going to Test Center 1 Today! James Nichols 07 Dec 2009 15:10:41 EST Greetings! Today we will be releasing the Imbuing overhall we have been working on to go live with Publish 62.3.7. We encourage those interested to hop onto TC1 this week to check it out, we want to get this hammered out before it goes live and as you can see we've made some significant improvements! Below you will find all of the notes, enjoy and see you on Test Center! *Publish 62.3.7* - Fixed an issue with pets not logging out correctly with their owners Imbuing Changes Imbuing UI Redesign - The design of the initial imbuing gump has been changed to match the rest of the imbuing UI. - Two new options have been added to the initial imbuing gump menu: -- Imbue Last Properties - This option uses the last used property/intensity combination, and allows you to target a new item to imbue with that combination. It will check to make sure the new item is allowed to be imbued with that combination. -- Unravel Container - This option replaces the functionality of the unravel bag. It allows you to choose any container in your backpack, and will unravel any items contained inside. This is a recursive operation, so it will unravel items contained inside of sub-containers located inside of the targeted container. If there are any special material items inside, you will be asked if you wish to proceed. - The design of the property selection gump has been changes to better organize the available properties for the targeted item. - On the left side of the gump is a list of categories for the available properties for the targeted item. - On the right side of the gump is a list of properties in the currently selected category. - The design of the imbuing confirmation gump has been redesigned for clarity and ease of use. - The gump layout has changed to better organize the information on the current imbuing attempt. - New buttons have been added that allow the intensity to be changed in steps of plus or minus 10 intensity per button press. Changes to Imbuing Skill Gain - Imbuing focus value changed from 50 to 60. This means that you can gain skill from a wider range of difficulties. - The overall chance for skill gains has been increased. - There are now bonuses to skill gain chance when performing an imbue that requires relic fragments or rare item ingredients (monster drops, etc.). The bonus is per ingredient used, so more difficult imbuing attempts that use more ingredients will increase the chance for skill gain. - The number of times a single item can be imbued before it has diminished skill gain has been increased from 10 to 20. - The unraveling skill gain cap has been removed. - The difficulty value passed into the skill gain system is now roughly equal to the total intensity of the item * 2. - Unravel focus value changed from 50 to 70. This means that you can gain skill from a wider range of difficulties. - As with imbuing an item, there is now a bonus chance to gain skill based on the number of ingredients returned during the unravel attempt. The quality, and to a lesser extent the quantity, of the ingredients returned give a bonus to the chance to gain skill. Unraveling Changes - The 50 intensity requirement to get multiple ingredients has been removed. - The type and quantity of ingredients returned from a successful unravel attempt has been modified so that in general, it returns more materials on average per unravel attempt. - Except for items with a total intensity of 1 to 49 intensity, which always give exactly 1 magical residue, there is now a chance to receive a bonus ingredient. - Unraveling single items and unraveling multiple items via the Unravel Container feature now use the same process, which eliminates any difference in results between the two methods. - Unravel bags will no longer be sold, and existing unravel bags will lose their current functionality, as it has been incorporated into the initial imbuing menu. - The bonuses to unravel intensity from special materials have been adjusted so that they more accurately reflect the rarity of the special material. - The bonuses to unravel intensity are now applied as a percentage of the base unravel intensity value, instead of adding a flat amount to the value. This lessens the impact of special materials on lower intensity items significantly. Special Material Item Changes - Items made from or enhanced with special materials can now be imbued. - This only applies to new items created after this change. - Artifacts can now be imbued. These follow the same rules and restrictions as other items. This means most are unable to be imbued, as they already exceed the property and intensity limits of the imbuing system, but many of them can be improved through the imbuing system. Items that are part of armor sets are not allowed to be imbued, as the set bonuses combined with the normal imbuing restrictions would allow for the creation of ultra-powerful items. The bonus to durability is not considered in the total intensity of an item. Since some special materials add durability as an item property, we did not want those special materials to be less attractive in combination with the imbuing system. General Changes - If the damage convert property is rolled when crafting an item with a runic tool, it will no longer count towards the total number of properties rolled. For example, if you use a bronze runic hammer to craft a weapon, you have the possibility to get a weapon with 3 properties plus the damage convert property. *Patch 7.0.3.1* - Cliloc changes
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Auctions for Week of December 7th - NOTE New Auction
Posted on Monday, December 7, 2009, 4:27 AM EST by Lady Tia (LakeSuperior)
The following are our Auctions for this week on Lake Superior: Honorable Britannians Auction Date: Friday December 11, 2009 Time: 9:00 p.m. CST Location: North East of Luna City Contact: Ishtar – ICQ 54216037
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Community Hunt - Week of December 7th
Posted on Monday, December 7, 2009, 4:01 AM EST by Lady Tia (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. Medusa hunt (Stygian Abyss) Date: Tuesday, December 8th Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center, next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Community Peerless Hunt Date: Wednesday, December 9th Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center, next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Sanctuary Exploration (Stygian Abyss Required) Date: Thursday, December 10th Time: 8:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center, next to the bank Host: Taeara Mi'Aken Community Champion Spawn Hunt Date: Friday, December 11th Time: 9:00PM CST Starting Location: Skara Brae Community Center, 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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Community Meet Up - December 7th
Posted on Monday, December 7, 2009, 3:47 AM EST by Lady Tia (LakeSuperior)
Community Meet Up – December 7, 2009 Date: Every Monday Night Time: 7:30PM CST Location: Skara Brae Community Center - located next to the bank 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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271st Assembly of the High Council
Posted on Monday, December 7, 2009, 3:42 AM EST by Lady Tia (LakeSuperior)
*271st Assembly of the High Council* Date: Monday, December 7, 2009 Time: 10:00 PM EDT/9:00 PM CDT Location: West Counselor’s Guild, Britan, Trammel Facet Meeting Agenda: Updates regarding the investigation on current threats to the High Council. - The High Council will discuss the present political and military situation in the realm. - Other items to be announced at the meeting. High Council of Britannia
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New Chesapeake Community Services
Posted on Monday, December 7, 2009, 12:20 AM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
New Chesapeake Community Services Sunday, December 6, 2009 Written by: Merik Many different towns, guilds and individual people have been working hard these last few weeks on some new services being offered to the community. These services are for the entire community to use. They hope this will start helping with communication and promotion of the communities and work with the current installations the shard already has. Below you will find the different services being offered and the location. The Community Teleport Hub was created by Lord Angus of Guardians Gate and Lord Gareth of Kijustsu Anei Village. The starting idea was to link player run community Taverns to one central location. The taverns would then host a community pub ring event once a month to promote each others taverns. The idea was further expanded on to include outposts. Others showed interest in this hub such as Lord Oda Nobunga and Lady Angelica. It was decided to allow the establishments they ran to link as well. The hub still has open slots left for any community wishing to link to it with a tavern or public establishment. Three spots are already on hold for the Settlement of Tel'Ruin, KiGrd Community Playhouse and Cimmerian Pass city. Do not worry that still leaves 5 open spots. Should it become full in the future arrangements have been made to expand it. Should you wish to visit the place it is located inside of the Blue Light Tavern in Kijustsu Anei Village. You can get there by public moongate (Tokuno Islands, Homare-Jima) List of all the places that can currently be reach as of this news article. Otters Run Taphouse (Guardians Gate City) Red Wolf Cafe (Town of Gyldenfeld) Torchwood Tavern (Torchwood) Skeleton Key Shipping Barracks (Kijustsu Keys) Angelica's Attic (Luna City) Oda Nobunga's Mall (Luna City) The Community Rune Calendar was introduced by Angelica and implemented by Lord Gareth. The purpose of this area is to allow different communities to promote weekly static events. Such as weekly auctions, Outings and more. This will also help those communities who find runes they put in Luna getting snatched up and thrown away. To have your rune added simply drop it in the Kijustsu Anei Village mailbox located on the second floor of the building. List of the current runes setup as of this news article. Every Monday Night 8:00pm EST TIPS Guild Community Adventure Every Tuesday 8:30pm EST All Shards Tavern Night Every Tuesday 10:20pm EST Savage Sponsored Hunt Every Thursday 8:00pm EST Cimmerian Pass Auction House Every Thursday 8:20pm EST Blue Light Tavern Adventure Night Every Friday 7:00pm EST KFC Auction House Every Saturday 7:00pm EST SHE Auction House Every Sunday 9:00pm EST EM Hall Of Commons Meeting The Chesapeake Community Mail Center is now operational. Different towns and guilds can request a mail box, who wish to get Newsletters, Runes to Events, Invitations and more. You can request a mailbox by dropping a book into the Kijustsu Anei Village Mailbox. As of right now they are set to be opened by anyone. Should you wish for only one person to access the mailbox you may request to be friended and you box will be set to friends. You can do this also by putting a book request into the Village Mailbox. Niva, Ado or Gareth will setup a time for you to meet them and get your representative friended. The Mail center already has a few boxes setup for those who are already known communities. If you wish to be removed from the mailboxes you may let them know. Please read the Blue book on the stone table before submitting anything to the mailboxes. Please note this is not a replacement for any community mail system. This is just something that is being offered to everyone. It is also helpful to those trying to reach every community. List of Mailboxes already set up as of this news article. PaxOku City Dragons Watch City PaxLair City Cimmerian Pass The City of Moria Town of Gyldenfeld Guardians Gate City Kijustsu Anei Village KiGrd Community Playhouse has been rebuilt by Bam Bam on the boarder of Kijustsu Keys and Guardians Gate. The Playhouse is operated by both communities. Anyone wishing to do a play or any other type of entertainment that needs a stage is more then welcome to request use of the space. The second floor stage area is customizable for your needs. Both communities look forward to assisting anyone wishing to take part. You can contact either community to help setup the stage area.
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Beauvina for Chancellor, Part I
Posted on Sunday, December 6, 2009, 8:21 PM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
The Lady Beauvina is definitely one of Britannia's more controversial figures, seen frequently in the company of cows, and communicating freely that her bovine friends speak to her. She recently lost a hearing in the High Court where she hoped to lift the ban that now prevents cattle from attending meetings with her, and she appears in court again in just a couple of days to pursue a lawsuit against the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Malag aste. Beauvina is currently a candidate for the office of Chancellor of the High Council, and I wanted to get to know her a little more. She agreed to meet me in the western farms of Britain, where Meghan the Rancher was our gracious host. Lady Beauvina, accompanied by her friendly bull, Angus, afforded me the opportunity to learn more about her over an interesting meal of hay. (This interview article has been split into three parts for your reading convenience, and will be published in three daily articles.) Well let me start by first thanking you for letting me interview you, Beauvina... ... and Angus. Oh, yes, certainly! And Angus too! It is a very rare and interesting opportunity to have a chance to speak with someone such as yourself. Oh, I'm nothing special... See, I'm exhibiting HUMILITY! I'm very virtuous, you know. So it does seem. And yet, though you say you are nothing special, very few people would consider running to be the chancellor of the High Council. Might I ask what inspired you to run for the office? Well, the cows, really. And I wanted to help people. Cows and people, hand in hoof... together. Laughing, sharing, helping Britannia. Being Virtuous. That is a very noble cause. Why thank you. If you are elected as chancellor, what would be the first thing you would aim to improve? Well, Angus here has a beef with the Council. I think we need to see a greater presence of the High Council interacting with others. I think we need leadership that works beside people rather than above them. I think they've lost sight of that, you know? When you say "interaction," is there something in particular you feel the Council should be doing? I think they should be going to the people. I think they should be assisting and building community with others. That includes cows and small children. Even demons. You mention that leadership should be beside the people, not above it. Do you feel that Chancellor DaKaren has failed the Council in this regard? Well, I think a good leader should show they will get their hands just as dirty in the mud as those they assist. Yes, I do think that. I also heard rumors he spent time hanging out with supporters of Casca! For MONTHS! There isn't enough hay in Delucia to make me do that. It is my understanding that he had been kidnapped by members of the Order of the Silver Serpent. Do you have reason to believe otherwise? Well, you say kidnapped, but I don't know. I mean, he was unharmed and was gone for a long time. It sounds really suspicious. Right Angus? {Angus mooed in response.} See? That's something that has broiled over for a while. I understand that you felt so strongly about this that you suggested he should be removed from office due to a violation of the requirements for service. Why yes, I did. But he is friends with a drow that kept him on the Council. A drow who is friends with a demon! It seems to me that you feel serving people is a very important aspect of the job. Yes. I would serve anything to get that job... well, except meat. But I'd serve plenty of milk! What other qualities of leadership do you bring to the table? I listen to others, those who aren't just human or gargoyle or elf. I'm nice. Virtuous. Be sure to check back tomorrow for the second part of this three-part interview.
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"Mr. Saturday Night Special"
Posted on Sunday, December 6, 2009, 4:40 PM EST by AirmidCecht (LakeSuperior)
As the main lyrics go, "Mr.Saturday night special Got a barrel that's blue and cold Ain't no good for nothin' But put a man six feet in a hole" I want to thank Captain Caveman and Chase from Tomb along with their friends from BoE and MCB for a well rounded night of fun Saturday night. What started out with boredom turned into a tour of the Abyss starting with the Stygian Dragon and as usual, a collection of many death robes for me....yes, six feet in a hole x's ummm, twelve? I've met the dragon before, felt it's heated lair and stared into cold dark eyes before it turned my world gray. I hoped this time to see it's defeat and was not disappointed when Chase invited me and Nathan to join them. We succeeded twice before we went on to poke fun at the Slasher of Veil. I could not tell you which was more fun, trying to survive multiple hits with literal lines of fire from the dragon or the Slasher. After the Slasher of Veil was conquered, someone had the grand idea of hitting up the Champ area. Knowing it's a Fel ruleset, I was anxious to give it a shot. I always fully expect to be raided so I make sure to line my pockets with gold and shinies to make the simple task of killing me seem more worth it winks* The faction TB waited until the last spawn level before the typical red rage stormed in and took over. Not the fastest girl on a horse, I could not keep up with my party and scurried over to the side of the mountain to wait them out. Reepacheap of WoR took a beating as well as taking a few TB out but in the end TB would walk away with the champ scrolls. I piddled around a bit, picked up their dropped 105 powerscrolls and went on my way home. It was not a typical Saturday night for me and those are the best kind, running into random players for a random night of death and fun. Thanks again guys!
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This Week at a Glance (12/7 - 12/13)
Posted on Sunday, December 6, 2009, 2:27 PM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
Monday, December 7 8:00 PM - High Council Meeting Compassion Grove, 12o29'N by 37o53'W, Trammel Tuesday, December 8 8:00 PM - Royal Spies (EM Event) Counselor's Guild, 8o16'N by 12o43'E, Trammel Wednesday, December 9 8:00 PM - Majestic Oaks Auction Vesper/Minoc Crossroads, 56o31'N by 91o53'E, Trammel 8:00 PM - High Court Hearing, Beauvina v. Malag aste Compassion Grove, 12o19'N by 36o50'W, Trammel Thursday, December 10 8:00 PM - Majestic Oaks Auction Vesper/Minoc Crossroads, 56o31'N by 91o53'E, Trammel Saturday, December 12 7:00 PM - Chicken Fight Club Gates from Luna starting at 6:50 PM, Malas [All event times listed are based on Central Time.] If you have an event you would like listed, please feel free to send it on in!
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[Recap] Survivor Man-UO Style
Posted on Sunday, December 6, 2009, 10:02 AM EST by Salya Sin (NapaValley)
Greetings fellow Britannians! Last night in Felucca, I had an interesting experience. Being only a 6 year vet, I had no concept of what the "good ole days" of UO meant. I'd read it was PvP without the Uberness, or something more like, Uber yesterday is trash today. Now I am sure if an older veteran was doing the telling, they would have a much larger introduction but alas, Britannia, I wasn't there for the old days. In fact, at that time, a shard was a piece of glass... nothing more. Was last night a true representation of the old UO? Probably not... was the EM Event: Survivor Man- UO style a decent glimpse of it? HELL YEAH! The EM's, Fiorella and Sangria, met all competitors at the Napa PvP house where all were ushered up to the arena to be split into naked, weaponless, armorless teams. Those teams would then decide on a color: Blue, Green, Red, or Yellow. Being solo in this bought, I chose Red and was issued a special made cloak of exceptional quality. I was informed that the makers mark was magically added to read "Crafted by EM Fiorella and EM Sangria". After debating the remaining team choices for color, the others were quickly issued their own magically crafted cloaks. One team Green, the other, Blue. On the Green Team, we have REDNECK [DNA], Solaman Kain [)(], Armageddon, Isildor, and Xar. On the Blue Team, we have Hawk [KRY], Bertrand, Mandorallen [BSC], Napa Man,* and by proxy, myself. The rules were simple. Each team would be dropped on an island where they were to seek out an unknown number of boxes. Each box would contain various basics, ie- regeants, bandaids. That done, they would then need to gather resources and craft whatever armor and weapons they would need. No SoulForge, no enhancements. You wear and use what you can make with whatever you can scrounge from the island. Once your team is ready, you hop on your ship and find your opponent. A battle on the high seas ensues, with the purpose of boarding the other ship and stealing their flag. In this case, a bagball. Once you have annihilated the enemy and looted their bagball, your team must then sail to the Shrine of Honor where you turn in both yours, and the opposing team's flag to one of the EMs. That sounds simple enough, right? Joining the Blue Team, we were set down on an unknown island. It was quickly discovered that all the boxes were trapped and a few were locked. Opening any box could potentially mean death and the number of traps per box made it impossible to not take a hit. Now, in today's Britannia, if we want resources, we plan for them. We bring the right character, or we ask a friend. We buy them in Luna or at another shop. There was no shop, there were few options and it took a few runs around the island to remember how to play the proverbial "Young Player". In our first box, we found a blade. Not a particularly good one, but good enough that when we remembered, it allowed for gathering leather and anything else the islands creatures might drop. Our team's craftsman, Mandorallen, quickly found a forge placed on a players house. This allowed him to smelt down the low end loot and craft better weapons. As the leather piled up, orders for medable or non-medable armor were issued and things were starting to look a bit more organized. Who knew starting from scratch again could be so frustrating? The true moment of realization came when one of the team, an archer, needed a bow and ammunition. Our crafter, a human with no bowcrafting skill was completely at a loss. The only option? Kill off the entire islands wild life until a bow presented itself. The Faction Wisps, a pain at any time, were particularly annoying to our Faction teammate but after about 15 minutes of looting, a repeating crossbow was found. Now for the ammunition. After several minutes of, "Ummm...", the team quickly scrambled to remember the basics. Find birds, any bird will do. The poor Tropical Bird population was hammered down, yielding enough feathers, but what about wood? Oh, moment of clarity. Humans have the "Jack of all trades" skill embedded into their brains. Thus, for the Blue Teams first battle, all humans were set to grab an axe and slay as many trees as possible. You can not possibly appreciate the humor or the awkwardness of this situation. I don't know about the Green Team, but I was so proud of the Blue Team that I just wanted to throw confettii. Amazingly, our fabulous crafter had an incredible 70-something percent chance of creating bolts. We were now ready to find and face the Green Team. Who... had apparently made it to the Shrine of Honor and decided it was time to find us. The Blue Team never made it off the island. The scheduled high seas battle became an island joust. Although, towards the end of the battle, there was a brief boating incident involving a ghost from the Blue Team and Xar of the Green Team, I think. As they battled back and forth with commands to the TillerMan, one attempting to dock again, the other, well, I'm not sure. Honestly, I don't even know who was trapping who on the boat, or if one of them just accidentally set sail? I do know that the battle was exciting, with each team battling with skill instead of gear. The mages casting with no Faster Casting or Faster Cast Recovery, no Spell Damage Increase. The dexers had only what Damage Increase the crafter could give their weapons. It was simple, basic, and fun! Both teams suffered casualties, but the healers on the island kept the battle going. Each team attempted to keep the Bag Ball Flag moving, looting it off a team members corpse if necessary. The most seen message of the night? "[Insert Blue Team Member]: I was killed by Solaman Kain!!" And it would be Solaman Kain who would find and loot the Blue Teams flag. After the battle, all met back at the Napa PvP Arena for free wine and a bit of friendly banter. The EM's called the Green Team the winner and what did the Green Team want on their trophy? Only their names. No slang or slurs, no smack-talk. In fact, one member of the Green Team suggested the Blue Team should be listed on the trophy as well. What does that tell you? There was no after battle fighting, or arguing. It was cordial, hilarious, and everyone declared the event a success. And what did the EM's have to say to the rest of the PvP community? Only this... "We keep trying, you have to show up to let us know what to do." You heard it Britannia! If you PvP, and there is something you would like to see happen in Felucca, you have to speak up! As for the change in the original event announcement? There was a glitch getting the puzzles put into the game but slyly, EM Sangria hinted at that not being the case on the next run of Survivor Man- UO Style. I hope to see all of you there! Even though I was only a spectator, it truly was a blast! THANKS FIORELLA! SANGRIA! Best gaming wishes, Salya Sin
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Initial PvP Tournament / Erstes PvP Turnier

Posted on Sunday, December 6, 2009, 8:55 AM EST by SevenDF (Drachenfels)

Initial PvP Tournament / Erstes PvP Turnier
Friday, November 27th

It was all over the town... after a long time our friends of PvP could finally join in for a special tournament. For this reason, our EMs Lyraa and Ealia Tiefwasser decided to do a first tournament which should mainly serve as a test for such an event, to see how the general behavior is and what happens in general on this evening. The rules have been kept as simple as possible:

- Pets have to be stabled before the tournament
- no looting
- no murder counts (grey flagging)
- matches are random (pairs are picked by the EMs)
- healing, curing, potions are fine, unless a match wasn't over within the announced time frame
- if a match ends a draw, a death match will be started, meaning: no healing, no curing, no potions, no nothing

Die Spatzen haben es von den Dächern gepfiffen... nach einer langen Durststrecke sollten auch endlich wieder unsere Freunde des PvP in den Genuss eines Turniers kommen. Aus diesem Grund richteten unsere EMs Lyraa und Ealia Tiefwasser ein erstes Testturnier aus, welches hauptsächlich dazu dienen sollte herauszufinden wie die Reaktionen auf so ein Turnier sind, wie das allgemeine Verhalten ist und wie der Abend generell verläuft. Die Regeln wurden so einfach wie möglich gehalten:

- Die Tiere mussten vor dem Turnier im Stall abgestellt sein
- kein looten
- keine Murder Counts (grau flaggen)
- zufällige Duelle (Auswahl durch die EMs)
- Heilen, Curen und Tränke erlaubt, es sei denn das Duell endet nicht im angekündigten Zeitrahmen
- Endet ein Duell unentschieden im angekündigten Zeitrahmen, so wird ein Death Match ausgetragen, das heisst kein curen, kein healen, keine Tränke, kein Nichts

Participants and spectators gather in front of the tournament location ...
Die Teilnehmer und Zuschauer versammeln sich vor der Wettkampfstätte ...

After registration, EM Lyraa announced the rules for the tournament ...
Nach der Registrierung verkündet EM Lyraa die Regeln ...

Spectators and participants take their seats on stands ...
Die Zuschauer und Teilnehmer nehmen ihre Plätze auf der Tribüne ein ...

The duels begin ...
Die Duelle beginnen ...

Girana vs. Asadia

Lastmanstanding vs. Fritzle

Titan vs. Venoxin

Crucial Arrow vs. Aragorn

Moiraine Damodre vs. Kyrgon Malcheton

Crucial Arrow vs. Cohan

An overview of the preliminary round ...
Eine Übersicht über die Vorrunde ...

While the brave warriors smashed eachothers heads in the designated area, some of the audience did the same in another area ...

Während sich die tapferen Recken in dem zugewiesenen Bereich die Birne einschlugen, tat dies ein Teil der Zuschauer in einem anderen Bereich ...

Girana vs. Lastmanstanding

Titan vs. Aragorn

Moirain Damodre vs. Crucial Arrow

Next Round ...
Nächste Runde ...

After tempers had calmed down, it went on with the official duels ...
Nachdem sich die Gemüter wieder beruhigt hatten, ging es mit den offiziellen Duellen weiter ...

It works without words ... the hatred or boredom of one or another spectator must have been limitless *chuckles*
Ohne Worte ... der Hass oder die Langeweile bei dem ein oder anderen Zuschauer muss grenzenlos gewesen sein *grins*

Titan vs. Lastmanstanding

Titan vs. Moiraine Damodre

Lastmanstanding vs. Moiraine Damodre

Final Round ...
Final Runde ...

After the last battle was over, the winners were announced ...
Nachdem das letzte Duell abgeschlossen war, wurden die Gewinner verkündet ...

Congratulations to Titan (1st Place), Lastmanstanding (2nd Place) and Moiraine Damodre (3rd Place)! Trophies will be displayed at the Drachenfels Reward Museum.
Glückwünsche an Titan (1. Platz), Lastmanstanding (2. Platz) und Moiraine Damodre (3. Platz). Die Belohnungen werden im Drachenfels Museum ausgestellt.

Did I mention the hatred which must have dominated between a part of the participants? *chuckles* Just moments after the third place was announced, the viewers only saw a huge dust cloud, and the fun started all over again...

Erwähnte ich den Hass der zwischen einem Teil der Teilnehmer geherrscht haben muss? *grins* Kurz nachdem der Drittplazierte verkündet wurde sahen die Anwesenden nur noch eine große Staubwolke, und der Spass ging von vorne los ...

All in all a successful start for this kind of tournament, hopefully there will be more to follow.
Alles in allem ein gelungener Einstand der Lust auf mehr geweckt hat.

Until next time ... Bis zum nächsten mal!

Sincerely yours,

Seven

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Hello Stratics / Hallo Stratics
Posted on Sunday, December 6, 2009, 8:03 AM EST by SevenDF (Drachenfels)
Hello people of Drachenfels! After I was selected from thousands of applications grin as a shard reporter for Drachenfels, I would like to introduce myself to you. I've been playing since the end of 2001 exclusively on this lovely shard. During this time, I experienced - probably like you all - many ups and downs. The major personal turning point for me came in 2005 when the majority of my friends moved worlds to WoW. And because I am a herd animal, I followed them into this great new colorful world. Howevery, after a year, the effect of the „new stuff“ was gone, and I remembered my „online roots“. Finally, after nearly two years I drew the final line and came back to Britannia (my accounts were active all the time, by the way grin). But exactly this long break was (for me) a very memorable experience. No matter how long you were away from UO, you come back and you feel like coming home... I never had that feeling in any other game. Because there isn't anything better you can do than come home after work and beat the hell out of a dragons wonderful behind... Okay, okay, right, but that is x-rated and is definately not a story for now giggles. Most of the time you will meet my mage Seven ingame, from time to time my tamer Simone. Since I am the most incapable PvPer ever, I take my chances at PvM, which suits my play style. Here, I can hit some Peerless or even blow out the light of life of one of the Champions. One of my other favourite hobbies is to drive my guild or ally colleagues mad grin. What is the reason for me to become a reporter? I have been following the reports or stories about UO for several years. It's always nice to have a report archived and you can remember these beautiful (or ugly grin) stories/days as if they were yesterday. All of us are going to get older and forget things or two... cough. Because of this, I wanted to do my part, especially while Medea is busy with business/private real life stuff and does not find the time for extensive reports anymore. I look very much forward to my great new job, and I hope that you'll be patient with me until I had worked out how it all works. This might take a moment... or two... grin I believe I bored you enough for now. If there is something you would like to read about or if you and your guild/alliance have a big party somewhere out there – please let me know. Until next time... Sincerely yours, Seven Hallo liebe Einwohner von Drachenfels, nachdem ich unter tausenden von Bewerbungen (grins) als Shard Reporter ausgewählt wurde, möchte ich es natürlich nicht versäumen mich zuerst einmal vorzustellen. Ich spiele seit ca. Ende 2001 ausschließlich auf dem Shard Drachenfels. In dieser Zeit habe ich, wie wohl alle anderen Spieler auch, viele Höhen und Tiefen erlebt. Der größte persönliche Einschnitt für mich kam 2005, als der größte Teil meiner Freunde zu WoW wechselte. Da ich ein Herdentier bin, folgte ich ihnen in diese tolle neue bunte Welt. Nach ca. einem Jahr jedoch war die Wirkung des Neuen verflogen, und ich habe mich wieder an meine „Online Wurzeln“ erinnert. Schlussendlich habe ich nach 2 Jahren für mich den Schlussstrich gezogen und bin nach Britannia zurückgekehrt (Ich muss dazu sagen, das meine Accounts durchgehend aktiv waren grins). Genau diese lange Pause hat jedoch eine (für mich) sehr einprägsame Erfahrung hinterlassen. Egal wie lange man von UO weg war, man hat nach jeder Rückkehr wieder das Gefühl „heimzukommen.“ Dieses Gefühl habe ich bis jetzt noch in keinem anderen Spiel gehabt. Gibt es etwas schöneres als nach Feierabend heimzukommen und dem ein oder anderen Drachen noch den Arsch versohlen zu können? Ok, ok gibt es, aber das ist nicht jugendfrei und gehört hier nicht hin kicher Ingame trifft man mich am ehesten mit meinem Mage Seven. Ab und zu auch mit meiner Tamerin Simone. Da ich der unfähigste PvPer überhaupt bin, trifft PvM am ehesten meinen Spielstil. Hier kann ich dem einen oder anderen Peerless in den Allerwertesten treten, oder auch dem ein oder anderen Champ das Lebenslicht ausblasen. Weiterhin gehört zu meiner Lieblingsbeschäftigung, das ich meine Gilden- bzw. Allykollegen in den Wahnsinn treibe grins Warum wollte ich Shard Reporter werden? Ich verfolge seit Jahren Reportagen oder Erlebnisberichte rund um UO. Es ist immer wieder schön, wenn man nach Jahren einen Bericht vor Augen hat, und sich an diese schönen (oder auch unschönen grins) Erlebnisse erinnern kann als wären Sie erst gestern gewesen. Man wird halt älter und vergisst das ein oder andere …hust. Hierzu wollte ich meinen Teil beitragen, zumal Medea leider beruflich und privat sehr eingespannt ist und aus diesem Grunde zur Zeit etwas weniger aktiv ist. Ich freue mich auf jeden Fall sehr über meine neue Aufgabe, und wünsche mir das ihr etwas Geduld mit mir habt bis ich mich eingearbeitet habe. Wie ich mich kenne könnte das nen Moment dauern … oder zwei … grins Glaube ich habe euch nun erstmal genug gelangweilt. Wenn es irgendwas gibt, über das ihr gerne was lesen möchtet, oder wenn Eure Gilde/Allianz eine größere Feierlichkeit ausrichtet, sagt mir bitte Bescheid. Bis zum nächsten Mal… Herzlichst Euer Seven
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Aldagar Morr's Gargoyle Protest Speech, and A Reply by Bard Garvin

Posted on Saturday, December 5, 2009, 4:48 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Aldagar Morr started his gargoyle protest meeting November 30th by passing out the following book:

Propaganda Book
Author Unknown

"Keep Britannia clean. Send the gargoyles home!"

Reasons why the gargoyles should not be allowed in Britannia:
1. The purity of the human and elven races must be maintained! Think of the children!
2. Enslavement to their race is a chance we cannot afford to take.
3. They share similiar physical traits with daemons. Tails. Claws. Wings. Horns. The association is obvious! Gargoyles and daemons likely work together for our ultimate demise.
4. The gargoyle Queen, Zhah, opened magical pathways between their lands and ours. Her reasons must be malevolent!
5. They reportedly attack wayward and innocent tourists to the otherwise pleasant dungeon known as Hythloth.
6. Their "virtue" system is dissimilar than ours, and therefore likely to be deeply rooted in corruption and malice towards us.
7. They are different from us. Nothing good can come from that!

Once everyone had a copy of the book, Mr. Morr gave the following speech:

'Thank you all for coming this evening.

I will make this brief and then we will get on with the protest festivities that I know each of you eagerly await. We are gathered here this evening under a common cause. A powerful cause that requires integral help from each and every one of you standing here tonight. This cause, that of keeping Britannia clean and pure, is starting as but a mere cloud in the sky. Over time, several more clouds will appear, and shortly thereafter, a few drops of rain will begin to fall. The pitter patter of irregular raindrops will surely turn a steady downpour of falling rain. My friends. As you can imagine. That downpour of falling rain has the potential, no, not potential, the sheer will, to transform into a ravenous thunderstorm that will surely set the skies ablaze. Vast lightning strikes and thunder that will shake the very lands we now stand on. Our cause, my friends, will gain momentum and grow just as the thunderstorm grows from a single solitary cloud in the sky. Our cause will become a movement! A movement that not even Queen Dawn can stand against! My friends... Let our voices be heard across the lands as we shout together:

Keep Britannia clean! Send the gargoyles home!
Keep Britannia clean! Send the gargoyles home!
Keep Britannia clean! Send the gargoyles home!
Keep Britannia clean! Send the gargoyles home!'

The speech prompted WildStar to protest by responding 'Keep Britannia Clean! Send the closed-mind home!', and Sally [C@S] to throw bacon at Aldagar, hitting him in the face.

Here's a recount of the meeting written by one of those who oppose Aldagar Moor and his views:

'The Protested Protest
by Garvin

The Gargoyles' advocate, Brother BrLtLsh (BraL TaLSH) of Yew showed up an hour prior to ensure the security of the attendees. Guard placement was entirely for peacekeeping purposes and all remained quiet until 17 before the hour.

Shortly before the appointed hour, the rabble rouser Morr showed himself and immediately began to distribute propaganda against the gargoyles. His anti-racial sentiments included what to a lay person should seem obviously ridiculous except for his flowery and perfumed oratory. The only good thing I can say of him is the man has a way with words.

By his horrendous logic, just because they share physical traits with daemons, this equates them as such. Much like humans are equitable to daemons because we all have two eyes, ears, arms and legs and walk on two feet. Humans also have much in common with orcs and titans as we wear the same armor and have the same general construction, cast the same spells and eat the same food. He went on to insist that inclusion of the gargoyle race's traits into our populace would somehow be detrimental and cause horrific mutations. This of course is all speculation on his part, and even were it to come to pass, I would think that a man who chooses to bed a gargoyle would be prepared for the eventuality that his offspring may look like the mother. As would the gargoyle herself be prepared the possibility of a small pink flightless child that only had a cursory resemblance to her forefathers. If we judge on appearance no polymorphed mage will be safe! This is why we have the virtues, this is why we have the system of karmic governance that was put in place. So we can tell who is likely to do us harm.

He reported false or shakily founded stories of gargoyle atrocity and sees no difference between the hostile nomadic gargoyles of this land and the honorable most intelligent gargoyles of Ter Mer. Morr and Hilda even went so far as to claim that an elderly woman had given birth and a gargoyle had eaten her baby. The odds of either happening are ridiculously infinitesimal (small) and the odds of both? Well, I'd say the odds of both are about as good as imbuing a Soul Seeker with a cooking recipe for Cocoa Butter Puffs.

About ten minutes into the gathering a (possibly drunken) fellow named RADAR dashed in and began crashing into tables and sending the buffet and liquor flying. He settled down momentarily, however, and the protesting of the protest continued. I only heard two voices of accession during the entire evening to his propaganda and prattle. Hilda and another person whom I couldn't see through the press of bodies.

The presence of the many guards seemed to keep things mostly peaceable as the town guards were politically shackled and forced to avoid the entire gathering. Some harsh words bordered on violence when Morr began speaking things of a treasonous nature including forcing the queen through mass numbers to change her policy. This in itself is a dangerous thing for a many to say, even in a free society. I pray he comes to his senses before he is placed in the stocks on the bank roof as they did in days of yore. I do not see the Queen herself directing such action as it would be a sign of weakness for her to take notice of such ilk, but her commanders may justly make quite a stink of it and set this man out as an example ... Loudly decrying his treasonous speech! His opinions may be protected, but the act of rabble rousing continued as if he cared not what the laws dictate. Almost the entire audience joined with the cries to send HIM home and ignore his putrid corruption.

Brother BrLtLsh pointed out a moment later however, as Morr attempted to liken gargoyles to daemons that Morr himself was much like an Imp. Annoying and violent, and best dealt with before more show up. I find this fitting as many adventurers have underestimated the power of multiple imps and chose to ignore them until it was too late and their numbers had grown to a fatal level. I write this now to warn the people of Britannia that danger does in fact lurk on the horizon, but it is not from our new friends the gargoyles, it is from within. As rot spreads through the year's harvest from an ignored vegetable in the pile so does the filth and corruption of the bigot and closed minded. Be wary who you believe, those that cry wolf may in fact be the wolves themselves!

Bard Garvin,
In the employ of the Kind BrlTlsh, Master Mage and Scholar'

Related Links:
Baja Forum: Aldagar Morr Schedules a Gargoyle Protest
Baja Forum: Grim Effigy Placed by West Britain Bank
goldenbrewtavern.com: Guild Registration (update – 2)
Baja Forum: Keep Britannia Clean! Send The Gargoyles Home!
Baja Forum: [EM-NEWS]Guild Registration

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Official Recognition of Pitmuck
Posted on Saturday, December 5, 2009, 3:53 PM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
Official Recognition of Pitmuck As witnessed by Typesetter Ashlynn It is not often we common folk are witness to the proclamations of nobles, especially regarding the official recognition of new settlements. But today, I, Ashlynn of the PaxLair Reporters, was permitted to see such a thing. For you see, the servants of the crown (who I assume represent the throne of Britannia) did bless the not particularly well known town of Pitmuck with a great standard declaring that this settlement will be known from now until the fall of civilization, a place recognized by all peoples, Human, Elf and Gargish alike. But Pitmuck has a strange character of its own. It is not a society of Humans or Elves, oh no. It is a society of Goblins! Not the vicious, cunning and hateful creatures you may expect (though some would certainly call them pests), but a relatively civilized band keen to the ways of Britannians and most notably obsessed with deserts made from ice, of all things. It must be said however that this obsession with ice has earned them the animosity of the troll tribes of ice island, so any visitors should be aware of this. Attacks by these troll bands seem quite frequent, I myself was the victim of such an attack and only by virtue of my Kryss was I able to survive. Still, anyone wishing to visit Pitmuck can find the settlement on the south of Horseshoe Island. One should travel there armed. Though the inhabitants may come across as frustrating, it is their troll enemies that are the real threat, the residents being fairly benign but for their desire to gift you with ice cream, nibble upon your forearm and urinate upon your leg. Accommodation is quite favorable however, with the residents of Pitmuck providing suites fully appropriate for Human and Elf alike. Perhaps only Gargoyles may have cause for complaint.
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The Grinch Who Stole Goblins
Posted on Saturday, December 5, 2009, 3:51 PM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
The Grinch Who Stole Goblins November 28, 2009 - December 04, 2009 Written by: Merik Frost Trolls have been spotted this week in the city of Luna. Many wondered why they have come to the Paladin city. Were they lost? Did they seek diplomatic relations with the city? It was neither of those. They came for one thing and that was ice cream! Lady CharGar sent out messages informing us of the current situation. Throughout the week we were able to piece together more information. The trolls began to send in wave after wave of attacks trying to get to the Ice cream. citizens helped the Goblins defend the Ice cream area. During the attacks the trolls changed their tactics, knowing full well the Goblins defense force was to strong. They began kidnapping the Goblins one by one thus weakening the defense line. Pillow pants was taken 1st by a large troll. Once Pillow pants was out of the way other trolls came in and started to attack the Goblins. Ozog was knocked unconscious. While unconscious the large troll once again came back and took Ido. A ransom message was received demanding the Ice creams be handed over or the Goblins would killed. No rescue attempts should be made by hummies or pointy ears. Later that night Ido ran quickly into the Luna bank. She claimed she escaped her captors. She was able to hear Pillow Pants crying but could not see her. Ido went on to explain her experience as scary and painful. Trolls tied her ears in knots and hung from them. After hearing the aweful treatment of the Goblins search parties went out. Goblins were unable to find Pillow any where. Even savages found no tracks. Many other like Yoshi searched and searched but came up with nothing. Judge Judy ordered guard protection for the Goblins. They were to afraid to return back to the Cave. They slept underneath the table at the Luna bank. A good choice indeed for the Goblin cave was ransacked that night. The next morning the Bank Detective came and informed everyone they found Pillow and are going to rescue here from the Troll's secrete cave. The rescue operation went under way and awhile later a mysterious blue gate opened in the bank. Pillow pants appeared and limped his way over to her fellow Goblins. Pillow's poor little ears were also tied in and knots. Em Vladimere came to see if all was ok. Once the Goblins were together they returned to their cave in the Pitmuck settlement, located on Horseshoe island. All are glade to see the Goblins made it back alive and that Goblin's Ice cream is safe for now.
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UO Herald Maintenance - 12/7/2009
Posted on Saturday, December 5, 2009, 1:01 PM EST by AirmidCecht (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com UO Herald Maintenance - 12/7/2009 Andy Belford 05 Dec 2009 14:00:53 Greetings! This Monday, 12/7/2009, starting at 8:00 AM EST we will be performing maintenance on the servers which host the Ultima Online Herald. During this maintenance users will be unable to access the Ultima Online Herald. At this time we anticipate that thisdowntime will last no later than 11:00 AM EST. As always, thanks for your continued support.
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A Guest Arrives At Lycaeum Saturday, December 5

Posted on Saturday, December 5, 2009, 11:32 AM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

The following announcement was found on the calendar on goldenbrewtavern.com

Sat 12/5/2009: A guest arrives at Lycaeum
Location: Lycaeum, Moonglow, Trammel
Start time: 9PM Pacific (10PM Mountain, 11PM Central, 12AM Eastern)
End Time: 9:45PM

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Holiday Decoration Contest
Posted on Friday, December 4, 2009, 7:21 PM EST by Andrasta (Atlantic)
Holiday Decoration Contest Have you put your lights up yet? Did you not bother to take them down from last year? Well if you decorate your home for the holidays this contest is for you. Simply decorate your public home for the holidays and submit your home to be judged. Players have until Noon EST December 18th, 2009 to submit their homes. To submit your home please do the following: 1) Email EM Nestor with the location and name of the home. 2) Place a bag containing a rune to your home and a book with the name and location of the home into the mailbox at the EM reward hall. We will be placing a runebook at the reward hall as entries come in. On the evening on December 18th we will tour all the homes. The winner will be announced Monday December 21st. The Holiday Decoration Contest Trophy will be locked in front of the winning home until the New Year and then moved to the Reward Hall for safe keeping. Email EM Nestor with entries, comments, questions or criticisms.
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Immediate Hardware Maintenance - Chesapeake Shard
Posted on Friday, December 4, 2009, 1:23 PM EST by AirmidCecht (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com Immediate Hardware Maintenance - Chesapeake Shard James Nichols 04 Dec 2009 10:22:23 Greetings! The Chesapeake shard is currently offline for immediate hardware maintenance. We apologize for the short notice on this, however, we anticipate the downtime to take less than two hours with the server being back online by 12:30PM EST. Keep an eye on the Herald for news and information during this and other, future updates - thank you!
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Post Man Hunt: Man Down
Posted on Friday, December 4, 2009, 12:06 PM EST by Cear Dallben Dragon (Atlantic)
OBJECTIVE: Find Owen Uther and bring him to Justice STEP ONE: Gather in the Court of Truth STEP ONE COMPLETE! ->New information gathered upon Avery's Arrival: Recent slayage at the orc fort to the south. we should go there STEP TWO: Go there ->Slight Distraction: Two Harbingers We died alot here.... But eventually they died as well and we assaulted Reebdoog with questions. The terrified and rather plump orc did not last long against our interrogation. STEP THREE: To the ratman lair in the Icy Dungeon After removing the gift of life from all Ratmen within proximity, we spoke to the leader. It should be said that at the Orc camp, and the ratman lair, Owen was seen fleeing the area. Searching for his sword. The Rat Chief said they had lost the sword to the rules of the dungeon, Ymir. and to speak his name in the highest cave would summon him. so hey, why not go there and do that. OH MY GOD BAD IDEA!!!!!!!!! *Owen Uther did not survive the fight for his sword against Ymir the Ice Lord.* The sword was recovered by the adventurers. And Davaran and I went off to tell his wife of the news. Objective complete.
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It's Snowing.
Posted on Friday, December 4, 2009, 12:00 PM EST by Petra Fyde (CommunityNews)
Ultima Online Stratics Weekly Announcement: This week we have a slight 'seasonal' adjustment to the site, plus: Multiple updates and new entries for - Hunter's Guide look for the 'new' and 'upd' tags. Thanks to Wulk2k, Tina Small and Crysta who supplied data. All new tailoring menu items are added to the item database, which in turn updates - Tailoring Another of the SA quests - Naxatilor Quest Guide with thanks to Tina Small Would you like to help with this project? Please send submissions to [email protected], [email protected], or you can just send a pm to Petra Fyde.
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EM Event: Survivor Man - UO Style
Posted on Friday, December 4, 2009, 6:37 AM EST by Salya Sin (NapaValley)
EM Event: Survivor Man – UO Style Wednesday, December 2, 2009 By Sangria Meet at the PvP Arena naked – Dec. 5th (Saturday) – 7:00 pst Do you like survivor? How about capture the flag? Enjoy being a pirate? Do I have your interest? If so, read on! In the survivor portion you and your team (5 – 10 people) will be dumped naked with an empty backpack, (spellbooks with no mods allowed but nothing else), in a secret location. There you will encounter evil creatures such as mongbats, serpents, and wisps (factioners please take note!). If you wish to survive, you’ll need to make armor and weapons (crafters please take note!). To obtain the raw materials needed you will have to search out locked chests and solve deadly puzzles. Two types of puzzles you’ll encounter are: 1. Control Panel Puzzle You have to find a path from one corner of the panel to the opposing corner. 2. Khaldun Puzzle box Anyone who has ever played “mastermind” will recognize the puzzle. You have to determine the color of 5 pegs. Now that you’re geared up and ready to rumble, you’ll do just that. In the pirate portion, you’re job is to sail your ship in search of the other teams. When you find them, board their ship, kill them and loot them dry. The final portion of this event is capture the flag. Each team has a scroll. So when you loot, grab that scroll!! When you get every teams’ scroll, you’ll go to a location and turn them in to one of the EMs. The team name (or guild name) and the names of the participants will be engraved on two trophies. One will be displayed in the Awards House and the other will be displayed in the PvP Arena. Meet at the PvP Arena naked – Dec. 5th (Saturday) – 7:00 pst
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Origin Museum East and West Wings Open

Posted on Thursday, December 3, 2009, 8:22 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)

Origin Museum East and West Wings
Sneak Preview

Diablo has been busy working on an Origin Museum -- Two houses side-by-side, inside the Luna walls, just east of the North Gate. Following EM Faine Morgan's High Seas Gauntlet and Maze Diablo took us on a sneak preview tour of the museums.

The museum opened to the public today, Thursday, December 3. When you drop by, plan to spend some time as both buildings display an amazing number of rares and artifacts. I have asked Diablo for a list of items displayed and some of the history behind the items.

The unique and rare items are an amazing collection, and to be able to view them all in one convenient place is a real treat.

West Wing

East Wing

In addition to EM Faine Morgan, EM Fiorella of Napa Valley and EM Eira of Sonoma were among those at the preview.

Thank you, Diablo, for the sneak peek, and for establishing this public museum so that all may view and enjoy!

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UO and Mythic - Now on Twitter
Posted on Thursday, December 3, 2009, 8:00 PM EST by AirmidCecht (GeneralNews)
Posted to uoherald.com UO and Mythic - Now on Twitter James Nichols 03 Dec 2009 22:09:26 Good evening! In case you're one of the millions of people who follows twitter on their computer or phone you can now start getting the latest news and info for Ultima and Mythic straight to your favorite app or webpage! Join @MythicNews and @UOHerald for conversation, contests, updates, and more! We're just getting started and now's a great time to join with us, you can sign up at http://www.twitter.com Some of you might have followed the old @UONews - we won't be using that anymore, so come help jumpstart the new one and show the world how active the UO community is!
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High Seas Gauntlet and Maze Ends In A Tie

Posted on Thursday, December 3, 2009, 7:51 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Origin)

EM Faine Morgan started the event by introducing, EM Eira from Sonoma and EM Fiorella from Napa Valley, and explaining their roles in the High Seas Gauntlet and Maze that EM Faine Morgan had pulled out of her EM bag of evil tricks.

EM Faine Morgan then went about 'sharpening her fishing pole', leaving those gathered in suspense as to what was awaiting for them. When her fishing pole was sharpened to her satisfaction, EM Faine Morgan opened a gate and sent her 'special' helper EM Eira through the gate first, then the rest of us followed.

At the starting line, EM Faine Morgan explained the rules to us ... We were to navigate a maze of boats by jumping from plank to plank, if a boat's planks were not down, that boat was a dead end. Along the way there would be danger and there would also be things hidden in the boat holds. The goal was to be alive to find EM Fiorella at the finish line.

Once the rules were explained, EM Fiorella and EM Eira magically disappeared, and EM Faine Morgan told us to start navigating the maze. (Not all the boats that were placed show in the radar map below, but it gives you an idea of what we were navigating. Unfortunately, I was so busy keeping track of the boats I had been on and keeping monsters at bay, I did not get any screenshots of the monsters 'special' helper EM Eira seemed to have control of.)

First to the finish line were Pandemonium (Morgaine) and Paris Hilton (Diablo) in a tie. A plaque will be placed at the Origin Awards house in their honor. Congratulations Morgaine and Diablo, well done on the maze!

Three people found EM Faine Morgan life vests along the way:

Following the event Diablo (Paris Hilton) gave everyone a special sneak preview of the new Origin Museum East and West Wings -- two houses located side-by-side inside the Luna wall a bit east of the north gate. The museum opened to the public today, Thursday, December 3, and is a must see! I will be posting about it in a separate thread.

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High Court to Beauvina: Don't Have a Cow
Posted on Thursday, December 3, 2009, 3:39 PM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
[Compassion Grove, Trammel] Last evening, Beauvina's suit against the High Council for disallowing her bovine friends to attend public meetings with her was heard by High Justicar Ra'Dian Fl'Gith at the High Court of Britannia in Compassion Grove. Opening arguments were presented first by Beauvina and then Chancellor DaKaren. "The world is filled with a multitude of different things. People, creatures. Diversity is important," Beauvina concluded her opening. Chancellor DaKaren went straight for the heart of the debate. "Livestock [...] has never communicated in any way with the multitude of ranchers who raise and slaughter them every day." During a particularly heated cross examination, Beauvina appeared to have struck some points about the communication of creatures, arguing that Sherry the Mouse, the Mother Tree outside of Skara Brae, and wisps all have varied signs of communication and intelligence. Chancellor DaKaren, however, pointed out that these all speak to a multitude of people, not just a single person. Chancellor DaKaren did question Perimoosyn, Beauvina's bovine attorney, and while far from fruitful, it was at least interesting to note that Perimoosyn did appear to "moo" in response to the Chancellor's questions. Beauvina did appear to become very distressed during the questioning, indicating that Perimoosyn is very sensitive. Malag aste, Minister of Foreign Affairs and ranking officer of the Britannian Armed Forces, testified that he had never been approached by barnyard animals, and asked, "[I]f a cow were truly intelligent as [Beauvina] claims, why then do they remain in a farmer's pen? Why do they follow the farmer to the slaughter?" At one point during the trial, Chancellor DaKaren had the opportunity to put Beauvina on the stand, and went directly after her sanity. "Lady Beauvina... have you ever been under the care of a healer?" Beauvina, for her part, appeared to swiftly recognize the implication and objected to being called insane. Lord Galen took the stand to speak on the matter of intelligence needing to be verifiable, and spoke directly about Sherry the Mouse and wisps, which he said, "[A]re both verifiable... and, more importantly, verified." Xetaryn, a native of Dracona, also testified that animals are intelligent to varied degrees, but not to the extent of involvement in government. Questioned by Beauvina about orcs being allowed to observe proceedings, Xetaryn replied, "There will always be exceptions, even if unbelievable. The trustworthy drow, the good demon, the smart orc, the talking tree. They all have one thing in common: the ability to express their interest to everyone around them, not a singular person." After closing arguments by each side, Judge Fl'Gith retired to his chambers for a brief recess in order to consider his verdict. A few minutes later he returned to uphold the High Council's ban on animals attending meetings. "If truly these cows are speaking to Beauvina," he said in his heavy accent, "then someday they may too speak to the rest of us. Until then, this court encourages Beauvina to continue to aid her friends and keep them abreast of Britannian affairs herself. [...] Until such day, this Court upholds the High Council's ban." Lady Beauvina was available for comment after the verdict, and had strong words when asked if the cows would one day speak to all of us. "Not if they continue to be called smelly, stupid, and dinner. They NEED me. These poor cows that obviously the Justicar hates. I bet he was paid off!" Chancellor DaKaren was much more reserved about the decision, believing the verdict was a victory for common sense. He stated he would certainly welcome a talking cow who could communicate, but that he doubted they spoke to her. "While I know she believes what she hears, it may be the product of a troubled mind." While this court case is now at an end, next Wednesday, December 9 at 8:00 PM (CST), Lady Beauvina's case against Minster of Foreign Affairs Malag aste will proceed at the High Court. The accusation: defamation of character. Lady Beauvina is also a candidate for Chancellor of the High Council and has agreed to be interviewed, so keep reading for more about this eccentric woman and her bovine friends.
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Attention Archers! November BSR Results, December Schedule

Posted on Thursday, December 3, 2009, 2:35 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Submitted to Sara by someone who wishes to remain anonymous:

November’s Best Shot in the Realm, for years a staple of the Society of Archers Guild, was held on a pleasant Saturday evening with 24 archers vying for the elusive crown. This year’s event, hosted by Misfits of Society, ran smoothly with the exception of a few interesting side-show distractions — A roving peasant, a couples' spat, MT, and a Turkey shoot at the finish.

A lost and obviously confused peasant named Miguel walked thru the archers' line of sight a few times before wandering off into the woods.

While this reporter was recording scores I overheard parts of a conversation that went something like this:

FERN: “what are you doing here?”
NICHOLAS THE OLD: “watching this archery contest, dear”
FERN: “NO come with me! “
NICHOLAS THE OLD: “but”
FERN: “no buts, come now!”
NICHOLAS THE OLD: “yes dear”

The rest of the conversation was off screen. Nicholas the Old, we wish you luck. (P.S.: try flowers).

Gracing this night's BSR was none other then MT a.k.a. Moving Target, the present GM of The Society of Archers guild and a talented archer in his own right. While making his 1^stvisitto the revived BSR this reporter didn’t get an opportunity to ask him all those “Whattya Think” questions, Hmnn maybe next time.

As for the turkey shoot, more on that later.

Toni Fierce welcomed all the archers and after giving the night's instructions the 1st round began with M!S shooter Dirnim loosing the 1st arrow. As usual this round was merely practice for many with only Pol the Shepard and Fyiera Fyre falling by the wayside and a new 1st round low was shot with a “5.” Maybe next time use the bow as a club? lol. Pol the Shepherd received the First Out Consolation Prize. On a side note, Fyiera would’ve won the night’s best-dressed award had there been such a thing. Jonah shot the night's 1st robin hood (RH).

The 2nd round was a mix of “Ohhhs” and “Ahhhs” with some like Moving Target, Cherokee, and Greyheart posting RHs, and a couple of talented archers falling to the whims of the buttes.

The 3rd round where only the perfection of 3 perfect shots will move you to what is thought the champion round saw Dirnim and Lazarus warming for the finals with RHs (200 points). A number of “can win anytime” shooters fell aside including talented Llama, 2-time winner Sean Brega, MT, Jonah. Chango, Lynx, Greyheart, and Moo Goo Gai Pan.

Nine shooters moved to round 4 where the champion is usually crowned. This 200 point winner round means not only do you have to be perfect, but you have to split, YES SPLIT, one of your already shot arrows. Lady Kathryn, the night's 2nd shooter and already a monthly winner showed the night could be hers with a 200 and hopes of joining Sean Brega as a yearly 2-time winner. But not yet, as Cherokee, a M!S member also posted a 200 and a 5 shot shoot-off was added to the night. Lady Kathryn showed her mettle by shooting 3 bulls-eyes, a RH and an inner ring shot to post a formidable 260. Not to be dismayed, Cherokee was beyond perfect with 4 bulls-eyes and a robin hood for her 300 score and the crown of November's Greatest Archer, a million gold check, an engraved bow, and a seat in the seasons ending Champion of Champions shoot-off , tentatively scheduled for late January 2010.

As for the turkey shoot, while Cherokee was being awarded her prizes, a wild turkey mistakenly ventured into the area and was routinely dispatched by many archers. Not a very smart turkey to enter an area with 20 plus armed archers, but Thanksgiving wasn’t far off at the time.

CONGRATULATIONS to Cherokee, M!S's 1st archer to capture this year's monthly crown!

The next BSR is scheduled for Saturday, December 12th at 8:30 pm Pacific (9:30pm Mountain, 10:30pm Central, 11:30 pm Eastern). M!S encourages all archers of the land to attend and participate for their chance to win!

November Score Sheet:

Dirnim ^(M!S)	110	150	200	¹¹⁰
Kathryn ^(TAO)	70	150	150	200	270
Nikita ^(OI)	110	150	150	150
Llama ^(M!S)	110	150	110
Sean Brega ^(TAO)	110	110	70^(out)
Tsukiko	110	110	160	150
Chango (K!T)	150	110	30(out)
Maleki (M!S)	150	110	150	150
Cherokee (M!S)	110	200	150	200	^{300 winner!}
Phoenix Death (M!S)	110	70(out)
Richard Lionheart (DWN)	150	70(out)
Jonah (BoH)	200	150	110(out)
Moving Target (S\|A)	150	200	70(out)
Pol the Shepherd	65(out)
Delilah Rose (M!S)	110	150	150	110
Lynx (M!S)	150	110	110(out)
Skadi (K!T)	110	150	150	70
Moo Goo Gai Pan $CF$	70	150	70(out)
Lazarus (M!S)	110	110	200	150
Kitty (Elb)	110	30(out)
Ahebban (M!S)	110	150	110(out)
Fyiera Fyre (M!S)	5(out)
Lil Debi (M!S)	110	70(out)
Greyheart (SI)	110	200	70(out)

2009 BSR Monthly Winners To Date:
February - Lady Kathryn
March - Arlon
April - Zanza
May - Tsukiko
June - Lord Frigin Azim
July - Nikita
August - Lord Sean Brega
September - Lord Sean Brega
October - Howard Hill
November - Cherokee

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Same Questions for Andy Belford on the Community Team
Posted on Thursday, December 3, 2009, 6:47 AM EST by AirmidCecht (CommunityNews)
Same Questions for Andy Belford on the Community Team As Andy walked late into the Salty Dog after James and I downed a few pints, I found it easier to just slide the ale stained parchment in front of him while we went a few rounds with darts. Andy would have to wait until another time to join in on the mongbat fun. BULLSEYE! (Yes, I’m that good…) Let’s start by asking what your specific title is and your duties with this new community team: I’m a Community Coordinator here at Mythic Entertainment, however, as James said, that only scratches the surface on describing what our responsibilities entail. We’re moderators, mediators, video producers, content managers, Ombudsmen, the list goes on and on. Much like our peers in the Community sector we’re jacks of all trades who are required to wear many varied hats (some with feathers!). Secondly, do you play Ultima Online or have you in the past and what is your take on this older mmo? To be honest, I haven’t played UO in a looooong time. What I can say is that UO is what I consider to be part of my foundation of MMORPG gaming. I’ve been an online gamer since my formative years and I would consider UO to be a part of that. While I would say that I dipped my toes in the pool with UO, I really dove headfirst with Asheron’s Call back in 1999. My other online gaming experiences include many, many, many MMO’s, years of online FPS’s (played CS league for awhile and pretty much every casual game I can get my hands on (Farmville is the debbil). What is your background with EA Mythic? I started right around the Launch of WAR last September. The past year has been a definite trial by fire and I’ve learned a lot of valuable lessons during that time. With all the recent changes what do you hope to accomplish with the UO community? UO is a game built on tradition. I say Tradition because anytime you have a community of players with a built in legacy as strong and as well known as UO’s, there is a strong tradition that goes along with it. The development team of UO also has a strong tradition of being one of the most communicative and open teams in the MMO development field. This is something that we are immensely proud of and try to exemplify in our other titles. What I’m hoping to accomplish with UO is to embrace this tradition while rethinking some of the more standard community content formats. I’m currently working on some new social media initiatives involving all three games, UO, DAoC and WAR, which will hopefully be a fresh and, at the same time, respectful new way of reaching out to our communities. Who will be taking on the role of the main line of communication between the UO player base and the dev team? As I said before, we’re extremely fortunate to have a development team that cares so deeply about the community that they make the game for. The community team is more than happy to continue supporting the development team in their day to day interaction with the players. Finally, are there any thoughts you would like to personally share with the UO players as this community team takes on Ultima Online? As a genre, MMORPG’s owe a LOT to the UO community. There have been many respected Community professionals that have come from the UO community in one way, shape or form. Today’s modern MMO landscape has evolved to be what it is largely because of the contributions of Ultima Online and the community surrounding it. I am honored to be entrusted with this legacy and only hope to be able to live up to what it represents in the future. Thank you Andy for sharing a bit of your background and future plans and we hope to introduce both you and James to a great UO experience.
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Manhunt!
Posted on Thursday, December 3, 2009, 6:05 AM EST by Andrasta (Atlantic)
Manhunt! Sara Uther scooped out a heaping mound of mince pie onto Sherriff Brax’s plate. “Brax I am so worried about Owen because no one has seen him or heard from him since the orcs attacked. I’m afraid” Sara said with a nervous laugh. Brax leaned back in his chair, smiling as he drained his mug of the last drop of ale. “Owen won’t die to orcs, he’s too crafty. It’s the bounty hunters that you should be worried about. Running from the law like Owen did, he’ll pay for that." “Owen wouldn’t run!” Sara snapped. “Owen would do whatever it took to get Tyranny back.” Brax said smugly as he ate the pie. “I heard there was a slaughter at the orc fort. No one knows for sure who did it but the orcs are all stirred up.” Sara turned away from Brax and looked at the old wooden clock on the wall. Time was running out. “We need to get back to the courthouse Brax, the Judge is reading the verdict today.” Later, that day at the Court of Truth Sara and Brax watched as the bailiff handed a parchment scroll to Judge Locke. Slowly and deliberately, Judge Locke opened the seal and pressed the parchment flat on his desk. Judge Locke’s lips moved silently as he read the parchment several times over. "Members of the Jury, on the case of Regina v. Owen Uther what say ye?” “Your honor, we cannot agree on a verdict, we’re deadlocked” the Jury foreman replied. “Thank you members of the Jury, I release you from your oath and duties. I hereby order that Owen Uther must be found and brought to the Britannia Prison by any means necessary pending further consideration. Court is now adjourned” Judge Locke added with a rasping cough. Meet at the Court of Truth on Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 7:00 PM EST to join the Manhunt to find Owen Uther.
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Giant Turkey Kills Harbinger ~ Lord Oaks Kills Giant Turkey
Posted on Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 5:03 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. . . Giant Turkey Kills Harbinger ~ Lord Oaks Kills Giant Turkey The leftovers are a memory and all the Thanksgiving Day turkey remains have been consumed. Giant Turkeys on the other hand have left a different type of memory.....a memory of death. Last week a group of hunters and mages headed out to kill Lord Oaks only to be surprised by A Giant Turkey in the area. Not just any Giant Turkey either....A Para Giant Turkey! This feathered beast was a task to kill and took a long time. It was so strong the group summoned a Harbinger which the Para Giant Turkey killed rather quickly to the shock and fear of the group. Half of the group lured the para away keeping it entertained as the remaining people worked the spawn until Lord Oaks and his lady friend arrived. As planned and hoped for, Lord Oaks was set to kill the Para Giant Turkey which he did but it took a long time. This was great fun and a true challenge. Needless to say the foul was not the only thing to die in the process. Below are a few screenshots from this memorable hunt and other turkey deaths in the realm from the past few weeks. Aridas of FCB Bloody Offals of DC* Delray, dead twice Katrina Lexi Lindera and Lexi Linum , dead twice Mageblake, dead twice Mercutio Monzie Moose Nilren Shinjo Silverfox Steel
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Holiday House Deco Contest
Posted on Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 12:00 PM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
The Holiday House Deco Contest will consist of whomever can decorate their house using in game methods to fit the Holiday theme. To enter e-mail EM Dudley ([email protected]) to set up a time for your photo shoot. On December 18th the contest will close, voting will commence by the EM Team and the winner will be announced on Christmas.
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Petitions for township recognition
Posted on Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 11:55 AM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
A few announcements... After a week's worth of voting, Prowler's garden design was chosen as the winner! Congratulations to him! Those who submitted entries may e-mail EM Dudley ([email protected]) to recover them. An expedition into the belly of the Poseidon's Fury will commence November 28th at 9 PM. Rally at the Ship in Ilshenar. Do not bring dragons/wyrms /drakes or other large beasts. They will not fit inside the ship, and they will be useless against the horror that lay inside. For all of those who have submitted petitions for township recognition, if you missed the in game ceremony, you may e-mail EM Dudley with the following information: *Name of Township* *Location of Township* *Leader of Township* *2nd in Command of Township* *Banner design* *Banner location desired (either XY coords or Lat/Long coords)* WHEN SENDING E-MAIL TO EM DUDLEY REGARDING TOWNSHIPS INCLUDE THE NAME OF THE TOWNSHIP IN THE SUBJECT LINE! Also, some of you have submitted preliminary designs. Some are very elaborate. You may want to have a bit of a tone downed version as well. See Catskills shard for some of what has been placed. Added by Merik cough I'm sure we all can figure out who did that..... Added by Merik I went to Rotep from the City Of Olympus. He took me around and snapped some pictures. He took me to two other town as well but their banner is like Olympus banner. So I figured one would work. Wildstar from Baja was nice enough to take me to the Kingdom Of Dawn on Baja. Thank you Wildstar.
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Holidays In Luna
Posted on Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 11:52 AM EST by Merik ONN (Chesapeake)
Holidays In Luna November 29, 2009 By: Merik The shards EMs have turned the normally bare Luna Bank into a Holiday wonderland. Color trees, color plants, Snow and Snowman can be found around the area. Although some holiday crashers came into the area. Trolls and Frost Trolls show up at random times to give some holiday screaming. They were also seen trying to steal ice creams, they already stole ice cream cakes!!! The Queens chief detective (Shefield) was summoned but no Trolls were spotted. He informed the crowed Petition must be made to the queen to launch an investigation. For more information ask the little Goblins in Luna. *Picture by Ozog of [MUCK]* Chest Nuts may not be roasting on an open fire but, feet warmers are stil l there to roast your little feet... or two toes of a Goblin. EM Dudley announced on Sunday a Holiday Decoration Contest coming up. We will have more information for you as soon as it comes in. Stop on by Luna to see the decorations, warm your feet or have an ice cream cone during the middle of winter. Goblins please don't bite Santa Clause. He might give us all coal in our stockings.
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Cult of Styx Engaged, Skull of Mondain Stolen
Posted on Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 10:54 PM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
[Britain, Trammel] Lord Magnus Grey called an assembly of the Royal Spies last evening to investigate strange activities at the Fire Island entrance to the Underworld that included sightings of strange people, the disappearance of a guard stationed there, and screams heard out over the nearby seas. Instructed to use their best judgment, and provided with a ship of the Royal Navy, the spies set out upon their mission. Once upon Fire Island, it was not long before the group encountered ancient liches of a vein similar to those often seen roaming the Feluccan halls of Khaldun, though with the skill of the assembled spies, these liches did not last long. Clues led them to a hidden bay in the volcanic desolation around the island, and there, the spies encountered several members of the Cult of Styx and saw a strange sight of reagents scattered in some sort of pattern upon the ground. A book nearby suggested that these reagents might be the source of a message, the key to deciphering such spread throughout the Underworld. More liches were dispatched, but a single remaining member of the Cult of Styx threatened the group, "[W]hen the sleeping one wakes, you will all suffer!" He went on to say that, "There are many... many more that stand ready to die for the end times!" The lich made reference to the scattered reagents as being a prophecy that the spies could not yet read. The lich did, however, offer to answer three questions. Unfortunately, the questions posed were of little use. The first question asked the lich's name, to which he responded, "My name is Spellwriter now." The second, asking what his quest was, was met with, "My quest is to end the world and all of you." The final question answered was about the location of the base of the Cult of Styx, to which the Abyss was the only answer given. After the final answer, the lich began to cast a spell of self immolation, but Royal Spy Galen interrupted him. In exchange for the right to die in shame, the lich offered to answer all questions posed. It was then revealed that the "sleeping one" is the most powerful, ancient evil that sleeps within the Abyss and the Void, of which the Slasher of Veils is "at best a symbol of the pain you will all know one day," Spellwriter indicated menacingly. Further, the prophecy inscribed in reagents was recovered through the death and torture of a man from Yew. The lich then took the Royal Spies on a tour through the Underworld looking for the clues to deciphering the message. Once all clues had been found, Spellwriter returned them to the entrance of the Underworld and completed his spell of self immolation, erupting in a bright column of flame. Lord Magnus Grey met the spies outside and instructed them to return to the Counselors Guild in Britain for debriefing. It was there that Royal Spy Ra'Dian Fl'Gith indicated that he had run ahead of the others to work on the prophecy more quickly, and believed the message to read: A man of poison will kill many to wake the night. The ruby's owner will speak a word from its skeletal mouth, a word to shatter the lock holding the night. The immediate implication drawn was the involvement of Imperus Noxum, however, the second implication was much more dire. Lord Grey revealed that there was legend of a ruby called the Sun Ruby, otherwise known as Mondain's Gem of Immortality, and that "the ruby's owner" might refer to Mondain himself, as the Skull of Mondain has recently been stolen from its secret location in the care of Britannia. Lord Grey and the assembled spies began to discuss a plan, as well as the need to learn more from information within reports by a man named Dexter. What the eventual course of action will be is yet undetermined, but all citizens of Britannia should be mindful of the potential danger this may represent. The Royal Spies are set to meet with Lord Grey again next Tuesday, December 9, at 8:00 PM (CST), and it is likely this situation will be further investigated.
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Species-ist Accusations Against High Council No Bull
Posted on Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 10:09 PM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
[Britain, Trammel] At the close of this evening's spy mission under the direction of Lord Magnus Grey, Beauvina, an eccentric woman who keeps the company of cows, made it known that tomorrow evening (Wednesday, December 2) at 8:00 PM (CST), she will be appearing in the High Court of Britannia in a case against the High Council itself. "I'm going to emancipate those who are trodden upon," she declared most emphatically. It is her contention that the High Council will only allow humans, elves, gargoyles, and demons to attend their meetings. When asked what outcome she expects of this suit against the High Council, Beauvina responded, "Everyone that wants to hear the Council and is under Britannian rule should be afforded the right." She went on to say that she would like "[f]or the Council to stop being species-ist and be nice to others unlike them." Beauvina will be represented by her bovine lawyer, Perimoosyn, a famed (in her estimation, at least) lawyer from Delucia. Whatever the outcome of the case, this is certain to be an interesting day in Britannian law. The High Court of Britannia is located in Compassion Grove, and the hearing is scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM CST.
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Tag Team PvP Tournament, December 16, Sponsored by N^T

Posted on Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 6:30 PM EST by Sara of Baja (Baja)

Announcing
Newbie’s in Training (N^T)

'Tag Team Tournament'
Wednesday, December 16th, at 7pm shard time (PST)
This tournament will be free to all who attend –
Come show off your skills and have some fun!!

3rd place – 6 million gold
2nd place - 10 million gold

GRAND PRIZE – 20 million gold

Gates will be available from Luna about 45 minutes before the event starts.

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 unnecessary items.

What better way for some noobs to learn how to pvp then to watch the best on the shard show their stuff in the ring? And we are paying very well for the lesson indeed…

This tournament will be a tag team PvP event. Teams of two will be competing agents each other to see which team stands above all the others. Contestants will be responsible for choosing their own teams, choose wisely you may not change teams after the event begins. Two teams will enter the ring and choose which member of their team will go first, the same member does not have to go first each round. The members that are not starting will stand outside the ring until they are tagged in. They will be tagged in if the first member of the team is killed. The dead team members must stay dead until the end of the fight. The first team with both members dead will be eliminated from the event. Each team will be matched up randomly for each round until there is one team remaining to claim the grand prize.

We look forward to seeing you all there!!!

Event Rules:

1) 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. Anyone in the house attacking others will not only get themselves but their entire guild kicked out of the tournament and banned from the house.

2) 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.

3) Looting your opponent will be grounds for immediate disqualification from the tournament.

4) The tournament is meant to be fun. We ask that you help it stay that way by not reporting murders unless asked 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.

5) 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.

6) 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, you will also be banned from the house.

7) This is a one-on-one tournament. No pets, summons, or other followers will be allowed. This includes Necro Familiars and Mirror Images.

8) Any form of cheating or exploits is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate disqualification, as well as banning from this and any future N^T PvP tournaments or events.

9) In this tournament all items will be allowed. Therefore I will not need to snoop backpacks at any point during this event. You MAY use petals, trap boxes, apples, or any other type of enhancing item.

10) You MAY use Fields of any kind

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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Royal Academy of Virtue, More Compassion
Posted on Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 2:12 PM EST by Phayde (GreatLakes)
[This just in from the Royal Academy of Virtue:] The Royal Academy of Virtue invites all citizens of Sosaria to attend the second portion of the Compassion seminar, the first in a series of discussions and adventures into how the Virtues touch our lives. This concluding installment on the Virtue of Compassion will take place on Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 8:00 PM (CST) starting in the East Counselor's Hall in Britain (3°46' S by 21°43' E, Trammel) with a short discussion on the relationship between the Virtue of Compassion and its anti-virtue, despise. After this discussion, gates will be opened to the Dungeon of Despise for a tour of landmarks within -- so be prepared to fend off monsters as we travel. The Royal Academy of Virtue hopes to foster a new age of understanding by taking a deeper look at the core principals of Britannia, and as always, invites everyone to partake in the discussions. We hope to see you there!
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A Few Questions for James Nichols on the Community Team
Posted on Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 1:37 PM EST by AirmidCecht (CommunityNews)
A Few Questions for James Nichols on the Community Team James Nichols is taking on the role of one of the community managers for Ultima Online, Dark Age of Camelot and Warhammer. First of all James, welcome to UO Stratics! It is one of the main sources of information that the community of UO players use to discuss all things Ultima. We also appreciate the communication and feedback we get from the developers when they post on the main forums. This is a motley bunch though, wary of new faces without a little bit of background information. So c’mon and have a seat at the Salty Dog and don’t mind the blaring lights shining on you from above. This is not an interrogation at all. winks Let’s start by asking what your specific title is and your duties with this new community team: James: Ahoy! Currently I’m the Community Forums Manager here at Mythic, though that’s far from descriptive about my current responsibilities. My duties broadly encompass facilitating all the community needs across our three brands. We’re still figuring out all the details but it’s an exciting and new challenge and we’re looking to make some new approaches towards old practices to support these unique and thriving communities. Secondly, and we may as well get this out in the open straight away, do you play Ultima Online or have you in the past and if so what is your take on this older mmo? James: I have, Airmid showed me the ropes in fact! Though I would say I’m far from an experienced player. I’m familiar with the game and have met many fans at Town Halls and have more friends than I can count on my hands and feet that have dedicated many years and still talk about their (mis)adventures! Ultima is a rock-solid game and universe that has been around for nearly 30 years with UO making up 1/3 of that lifespan. It’s a unique game unlike really any other currently played by a large audience and I look forward to learning more about its nooks, crannies, and chicken escaping escapades in the coming weeks. What is your background with EA Mythic? James: I’ve been at Mythic for over two years now arriving here after two years at Sigil Games Online. I was hired on to work on WAR but through that experience I’ve gotten to learn a lot about our legacy through Dark Age and Ultima. With all the recent changes, and there is much we’re sure you cannot discuss yet, what do you hope to accomplish with the UO community? James: We want to ensure you guys continue to receive the attention you’ve come to expect through new features on the Herald and developer interaction. UO is fortunate to have a great, dedicated team that remains committed to its community and has been a part of it for a decade. (I should also note that this dedication makes it a lot easier to get myself into gear for working with UO). Who will be taking on the role of the main line of communication between the UO player base and the dev team? James: Andy, myself, and the dev team will all be working closely together to ensure the same (if not better) level of communication you’ve come to know! Cal mentioned in his Producer’s Letter that there are some great things to highlight for UO including an increase in subscriptions. Without getting into actual numbers, can you share with us percentage wise the increase you are seeing? James: Is “Up” a percentage? I don’t actually have those numbers so you’re asking the wrong guy, but the community continues to grow as more players come back (and even bring their friends) to check out what’s new. Stygian Abyss brought new energy and excitement, coupled with live events it seems like it’s a happening time in Brittania! Finally, are there any thoughts you would like to personally share with the UO players as this community team takes on Ultima Online? James: Any tips for a level 5 paladin? ☺ Needless to say I’m excited to be getting involved in this timeless game, and while we may not know each other yet I look forward to changing that overtime. I might look like an ogre but I’m a big softie – and hugs are free! Thanks James for answering a few questions for the UO community and we hope to hear from you often on the forums. We also hope to have a Part II with Andy Belford up for the players soon!
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Please Welcome Eyes of Origin as Your Pacific News Reporter!
Posted on Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 1:22 PM EST by Stupid Miner ()
Please Welcome Eyes of Origin as Your Pacific News Reporter! I'd like to personally thank Eyes of Origin for taking on the role of reporting for events on Pacific. Please take the opportunity to update her on upcoming events on all sides of the moongate. You've got a great and active shard here and we look forward to bringing more [News] to your forums! Welcome!
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Please Welcome Eyes of Origin as Your Pacific News Reporter!
Posted on Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 1:20 PM EST by Stupid Miner ()
Please Welcome Eyes of Origin as Your Pacific News Reporter! I'd like to personally thank Eyes of Origin for taking on the role of reporting for events on Pacific. Please take the opportunity to update her on upcoming events on all sides of the moongate. You've got a great and active shard here and we look forward to bringing more [News] to your forums! Welcome!
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Please Welcome Eyes of Origin as Your Pacific News Reporter!
Posted on Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 10:55 AM EST by AirmidCecht (Pacific)
Please Welcome Eyes of Origin as Your Pacific News Reporter! I'd like to personally thank Eyes of Origin for taking on the role of reporting for events on Pacific. Please take the opportunity to update her on upcoming events on all sides of the moongate. You've got a great and active shard here and we look forward to bringing more [News] to your forums! Welcome!
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Gaining The Sample (a recap from last nights adventure)
Posted on Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 9:32 AM EST by Salya Sin (NapaValley)
Greetings fellow Britannians. Maya's call for aid last evening was both a success and a tragedy, as 35-40 of our finest citizens met some rather heinous mutations in an attempt to gather samples for testing at the Ter Mur lab. My arrival at the designated meeting place showed a large gathering of eager warriors who met Maya Demeter, the royal naturalist whom warned, "There may be many deaths." The royal rangers were said to have corralled a group of chicks from our recent mutated turkeys, suffering casualties by way of an undisclosed number of bakers who made the unfortunate mistake of crossing paths with the wayward fowl. After a brief speech in preparation, Lady Maya opened a portal and the good citizens of Britannia eagerly went through, finding themselves on the outskirts of the Hedge Maze south of Britain. The maze itself presented no problems as most either teleported their way to it's center, or took the scenic route, taking out the occasional Imps and Demons who got in their way. The true targets consisted of an unknown number of turkeys in paragon form, typically titled "A Noxious Gobbler" and "A Mutated Giblet." Though I did see one variation of this, something about not being Thanksgiving dinner. Desiccrated Corpses and other foul creatures stood to hinder any progress in culling the turkeys as not only did our good citizens need to be mindful of the horrendous chain lightning raining down upon them from the mutants, but also the usual fare found within the maze. Shortly upon arrival, the turkeys, some who appeared in the same oily blackness of Ter Murs invading Void creatures, were joined by a new attacker. As Lady Maya rushed, breathless to inform me, "The creatures have found their evil lot!" And it indeed appeared to be the case, with what we can only assume as the creators of this mutation materialized. These Mad Scientists, again, the number unknown, made an already difficult task appear impossible. The ground beneath our feet quickly became littered with the bodies of the fallen. Some from the enemy, most of them, our friends. After an hour long battle, spanning most of the northeast side of the maze, the Mad Scientists and their progeny were dispatched to whatever hell they spawned from. The remaining citizens stood in a circle, weary and blood stained, praying they had accomplished their goal. Most had found nothing at all on any of the mutated bodies but Lady maya quickly ascertained, we had indeed gained our samples. The few who had been diligent in searching the foul creatures remains managed to gather not only a sample of blood from the turkeys and a pile of strange purple tail feathers but also, a few of the pies the poor bakers lost. A ring was also found by the warrior Tathian, most likely belonging to one of the earlier victims and there is rumor of a halberd of some titled property. Lady Maya expressed appreciation to all who had come to aid in this appalling endeavor and voiced her concerns over the arrival of the Mad Scientists who, in her eyes, were clearly attempting to thwart any plans of getting that blood sample. With all that had happened this night, what would it mean for Britannia? What is the connection to Ter Mur? And more importantly, who is responsible? As the warriors moved off to heal and reflect, I caught up with Lady Maya, who obligingly answered a few questions concerning the outcome of this great battle and it's meaning to all of us here in Britannia. Salya Sin-- First- do you foresee this as an attack against Britannia? Or a fallout from our aid to Ter Mur? Lady Maya-- It still remains unclear. It is possible something came back from one of the artifacts brought home. Salya Sin-- Ahhh... so although related... it is not a direct hit. Lady Maya-- I don't believe so. Salya Sin-- And do you know how soon the two samples can be prepared and the information released? Lady Maya-- We are hoping very soon. Salya Sin-- 1Any idea who the scientists were? 2 Where they came from? Lady Maya-- 1The scientists showing up today, that means they didn't want us to get those samples. They themselves seemed infected in some way. 2 Not as of yet. But with these samples obtained and looking over the mad scientist, me may be closer to an answer. Salya Sin-- So there may still be an unknown assailant? Lady Maya-- It is possible. I don't like to think about it but perhaps someone is trying to ruin the relations we have with the Gargoyles. Lady Maya-- Aye and so far with few exceptions, the gargoyles have been nothing but kind. Salya Sin-- Indeed. Perhaps we know of one who stands to gain with us out of the way. He does indeed dislike us. Lady Maya-- Yes, Gorn is a.... concern. Salya Sin-- Is there anything specific you would like Britannia to know at this time? Lady Maya-- To be vigilant, do not give in to the ways of hate. Let science figure out this solution. Best gaming wishes, Salya Sin
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Pratt in Pink and MOA Ice Castle For The Holidays
Posted on Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 9:06 PM EST by Lady Lava (GreatLakes)
. . . Pratt in Pink and more holiday fare ~ I stopped by the MOA auction house this evening on my quest for holiday decorated plots. For several years in the past I decorated different auction houses for the Christmas season and MOA was one of them. The place was hopping this evening with many patrons bidding on the wide range of items on the auction block. GGR, -Y-, YA, ANKH, H^I, G-V, BANE, BR, MPS, DYT, TDR, FCB, SOB and GOF all had members in attendance not to mention MOA regulars like Hannah and the ever present purple one himself, Ghost. There were two things that struck me odd. There was no holiday decor up yet and Pratt was dressed in all pink! Pratt and I go back more years than I want to admit and it is a known fact both of us really really dislike pink. Exchanging pigeons back and forth with the man himself I receive answers to my burning questions laughs . Well it appears there was some sort of contest bidding last week and the winner got to pick what Pratt would wear for an entire week. Alice was the winner and she picked pink! Oh that wicked Alice ! I would have done the same thing however. As far as the holiday decor, I am sure a tree or two will pop up in the next week at the auction. This does not mean holiday decorating has not been going on. In the past Santa has arrived at MOA and handed out presents to all the good boys and girls ( a few naughty ones too ) on the roof of the auction house. MOA always wanting to mix things up has arranged for Santa to arrive after the auction at Ice Castle to hand out gifts. Ice Castle was the home of MOA Monday Night Madness which sadly no longer runs. How I miss Chests of Doom & Delight. Ice Castle of MOA has recently been transformed into a holiday paradise for this upcoming event and I will not ruin the surprise but I will say even the exterior is decked as you can see below. Needless to say I will attend these events and report as I have thru the years. Just a reminder to send in your holiday decorated plot screenshots. Stabytha who was a guest of Lady Lava's Questionnaire a few days ago has decorated his house and sent in the below screenie. Nice job Stab !
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December 2009

Last of 2009 Obits

Frost Keats Announces

The Grand Re-Opening of the Baja Auction House

Thursday, January 7th, 6pm shard time (PST) Gates from Luna Bank starting at 5:30pm

Once the premier auction house of all the land, Baja Auction House is back!!

Taming Hour, December 6, 2009 Recap by Proserpina

OBITS PART TWO

OBIT CATCH UP

Imbuing Changes Going to Test Center 1 Today!

The Grand Re-Opening of the
Baja Auction House

Thursday, January 7^th, 6pm shard time (PST)
Gates from Luna Bank starting at 5:30pm

Once the premier auction house of all the land,
Baja Auction House is back!!

Taming Hour, December 6, 2009
Recap by Proserpina