Garth Ranzz

UP: Sonoma

    Master of the Britain horse races, ibn al�Asifa, returned to his homeland of Glacia last night to face a challenge of leadership for his tribe, the al�Suq.

    Accompanied by his mother Ilien al�Asifa, the tribe�s shaman, and regent in his stead while he follows her prophecy in our lands, ibn faced a tribunal of his tribal Elders.

    ibn�s leadership was challenged by his cousin, Cerin al�Eceri. Cerin declared that ibn had betrayed his tribe by leaving them in thier moment of need. ibn maintained that he was following the needs of his tribe by seeking to end the curse that caused his lovely wife, Yasmine, to be frozen in a block of ice.

    The tribal Elders met with both men, as well as a large party of well-wishers from Britannia, and listened carefully to both arguments. They then requested a day in which to deliberate and discuss these matters.

    The next evening all assembled again to hear the judgement. ibn arrived late, and stumbled up with great wounds upon him, describing an ambush that struck him as he transversed the ice dungeon passages.

    Once they had ascertained that ibn was well enough to continue, the council of Elders handed out thier judgement: the wisdom and vision of Ilien would be heeded, and ibn would remain as tribal leader.

    The joy all assembled felt was marred, however, by an irate Cerin declaring the tribunal a joke. �My people are dead to me now with this action of siding with the barbarians!,� Cerin snarled as he fled the campsite.

    The tribe and the visitors from Britannia began to break bread and discuss opening greater diplomatic ties in the future, when Cerin suddenly returned with an army of ice creatures at his back! All assembled took to arms, and repelled the cowardly assault. The melee was long and hard, with much blood staining the snow, but eventually the adventurers were victorious.

    In the aftermath, as wounds were being healed, and the fallen attended to, it was noticed that not all the elders were still present. A hasty search discovered the corpse of Elder Matrise en�Baruk nearby, apparantly cut down while fleeing.

    Cerin al�Eceri vanished in the chaos of the melee, and should be considered at large, and extremely dangerous.

    ibn declared a twenty-thousand gold bounty for the head of his cousin.

    This reporter approached ibn after the camp was secure, and the elders safely away, and asked him if his plans have changed after this craven attack. With a steely look in his eyes, ibn said, �This is a time of great grief for my people�never in our history has a member of the al�Suq ever betrayed another. I will not rest until my once-cousin is forced to answer for his betrayel, but I also must attend to the needs of my people. My mother�s prophecy is quite clear that our tribe is doomed unless I can find the swiftest in your lands, and free my beloved Yasmine from her prison of ice. In light of this, and the wishes of the Council, I will continue to run the horse races in your lands. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a hunt to begin, and funeral arrangements to attend to.�

    The horse races are held every Tuesday evening at the Britain racetrack at 9 PST. The final is expected to be held within the next six weeks.

From the Town Cryer - The Journal of Ultima Online, Monday, October 11th 1999