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Holiday gift ideas; Hobbit cuisine; Half-Ogre Pin-up Calendar

 _____________________________________________________
/ Contents - Cry of Despair, Issue 102, December 2005 \_______________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

   News From Around The Realms   - Sub-Editor: Aslan
     Quest Submissions             - by Aslan
     Write for the News            - by Aslan
     Order News
       Sanctus Irae                - via Aslan
       Arcanes                     - via Aslan
     TS/VC/CoE Updates             - by Mari

   Fun and Entertainment         - Sub-Editor: Babui
     A Game of Chance              - by Babui
     Wedding Congratulations       - by Babui
     Christmas Gift Ideas          - by Babui
     Submit to Funnybones          - by Babui
     Merry Christmas!              - by Babui
     Cry of Despair Quest          - by Alysira

   RP, Poems and Stories         - Sub-Editor: Mari
     Nations News
       Gralthai                    - via Romani
       Hobbits                     - via Romani
       Tyrrhenu                    - via Romani
       Lomar                       - via Romani
       Khazad                      - via Romani
       Uruk'hai                    - via Romani
     Poetry Submissions
     Story Submissions 
     RP/Poems/Stories Submissions  - by Mari

   PKill                         - Sub-Editor: Vortok 
     PKC Updates                   - by Vortok
     A PK Story                    - by Vortok

   General Knowledge             - Sub-Editor: Genge 
     Christmas Quest Results       - by Genge

                                                                      Page: 001
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|_____________________________________________________________________________/



 _______________________
/ Quest Proposals - Aslan \___________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\
I am looking for people to think up ideas that we, the CoD, can put
in our monthly editions. The quests need to be easily doable but
mentally challenging so they can't be done in five minutes flat.
Each month the winning quest proposal will be decided and featured
in the following months CoD.
 
How to submit your quest idea:
 
On a mud signed note to the CoD with the subject My quest proposal
 
1) Type of quest
2) Players you think are needed
3) Objects of quest
4) Rewards
5) Why you think your quest stands out from the rest
 
Any questions please feel free to contact the CoD, of Mudmail
Vortok, Aslan, Genge or Alysira.
Good luck
Aslan de wells Rotheschilde

(End)                                                                
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|_____________________________________________________________________________/



 ____________________________
/ Write for the News - Aslan \________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

Hello all,
Have you seen something that needs to be reported on? got a hot
story or gossip that you feel should be shared in the Realms
press? Do you seek to be a part of the News Desk? If you do then
why wait any longer for a chance of a lifetime.
Send in your News Desk Applications with the following details.
 
Mudsigned mail to Alysira, Aslan and Genge with the following
subject: News Desk Writer
 
1) Why you wish to write for the news?
2) Your past experience
3) The type of stories that interest you
4) Times of day that we can catch you online
5) A short article to show us what you can do no more than 100 words.
 
Good luck!
Aslan De Rotheschilde

(End)                                                                
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|_____________________________________________________________________________/



 _______________________________
/ Sanctus Irae News - via Aslan \_____________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

          |/========================================================\|
          ||Happy Holidays From Irae!                               ||
          ||                                                        ||
          ||  As the first ivory flakes of winter pour from the sky ||
          ||and dust the City of Lions, Irae, signs of the upcoming ||
          ||Yuletide events bring a festive quality to her air. Word||
          ||of various competitions, including those featuring the  ||
          ||merchants of the City, spreads like wildfire whilst low ||
          ||whispers carry rumors of the disappearance of the City's||
          ||beloved Marquis.                                        ||
          ||  The Sera River begins to ice over, permitting children||
          ||and their parents alike to skate across her bright and  ||
          ||lustrous surface. The streets are decked with ornaments ||
          ||of myriad colours and shapes, all brilliant in their own||
          ||right.                                                  ||
          ||  But underneath the glossy mask citizens are instructed||
          ||to tread carefully and mind their coin purses as crime  ||
          ||has also chosen to take advantage of the generous times.||
          ||  The City welcomes a new Cardinal after Father Acridian||
          ||has seemingly vanished. This new man brings with him an ||
          ||increase in the Cathedral guard.                        ||
          ||  The Conservatory once more bustles with life as Elohai||
          ||startled by the Il'Khan-Elohai conflict return to their ||
          ||former studies. The guard keeps itself organized under  ||
          ||the watchful eyes of Dray and Isiredo in Carnak's hiatus||
          ||and maintains its watch over the growing City.          ||
          ||  From the shadows of the Poor Quarters, plots are being||
          ||hatched to spring various "taxes" on visiting merchants ||
          ||despite the law and the trade guild's attempts to stop  ||
          ||these efforts.                                          ||
          ||  And amidst all the chaos, the tailor Raivanna gathers ||
          ||the season in the form of a Masquerade!                 ||
          ||  All of this excitement and more accompanies the dawn  ||
          ||of the Yuletide season and the New Year.                ||
          |\========================================================/|
 
  On an OOC note, the Order of Sanctus Irae wishes well to its
former leader, Augustine Canto Rosa, upon his departure as Order
Leader. Irae welcomes, with open arms, Falennt Sarien Ladisvale
as his successor to lead us into a new year!

(End)                                                               
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 ______________
/ Arcanes News \______________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

  Under benevolent guidance of our new leader, the Order of Arcanes had been
  swiftly growing during this month, both in knowledge, in roster, and in wealth.
     
     On behalf of every member of our Order, I'd like to extend many thanks to 
  Mephie for doing an excellent job leading Arcanes, as well as congratulate her
  on her newly acquired title of Heroine in the Hall of Renown.
  
     I would also like to congratulate Abismo, Kremit, Rexoar, Faye and Ochk on
  passing their trial periods and becoming full members of our Order. They are
  the foundation of our team now, and an excellent foundation it is.
  
     Best of luck to Ikiris, Yibaroane, and Veneno who had passed their quests
  and are now under consideration as Arcane Initiates.
  
     Alas, as I had been so busy with the Arcane matters, I had became somewhat
  out of touch with my old colleagues in wizardry. The time came to call for
  our usual Magician Sabbat, but I realized I no longer know where my magician
  friends reside.

     I will provide their descriptions and I hope someone can find the locations
  of my Arcane friends. Your assistance shall not go unrewarded, of course.
  I will personally see to it that the first person to locate all five of my
  colleagues walks away with a new and excellent item; should there be many
  more entries, I will randomly pick one out of five full correct entries
  and reward them as I see fit.
  
     Here are their descriptions:
  
  As you look at him, he looks back at you suspiciously.  He is busy        
  concocting potions, writing scrolls and performing magic of spectacular
  heights.  He has a long white beard and beady blue eyes, which stare at
  you with impatience and furour.
  
  Clothed in a white cloak and bathed in a soft light, she stares blankly   
  at the wall.  She appears to see something, something not visible to
  your own eyes.

  He looks at you in a solemn sort of way.  His gaze seems to penetrate 
  through your innermost being.  He is wearing a silvery cloak and holding 
  a multi-colored staff.  Although he appears to be older than the oldest 
  man, he seems to have an inner strength which most mortals cannot overcome.

  Deeply tanned for his life out of doors, he tends to the gardens of the keep
  with a magical skill. Without his ministrations, there is no question that the
  garden would quickly fall into disrepair. This is his life's work, and indeed, 
  his life's passion. Still, looking after these grounds is a huge job for just
  one man.
  
  He brews potions all day long so that those who return from battle may 
  purchase what they need.  He has grown weary from the many days of standing 
  over a boiling cauldron and now seeks his new love, scroll scribing.
  
     In conclusion, I would like to note that the Order of Arcanes welcomes 
  applications both from experienced and newer players - aside from being a
  mana-using character, the only requirements are to be willing to meet new
  friends and to have fun!
     
     Should you have any questions regarding our Order, do not hesitate to
  ask any of the coded leaders or regular members of Arcanes, though bear
  in mind that all the membership applications are handled solely by the 
  three leaders.
    
              Best of luck to you in the Realms, and remember:
             
                          As one, we are strong!

(End)                                                       
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|_____________________________________________________________________________/

  
  
 __________________________
/ TS/VC/CoE Updates - Mari \__________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

                         +-+-+ +-+-+ +-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+
                         |T|S| |V|C| |C|O|E| |N|e|w|s|
                         +-+-+ +-+-+ +-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+
TS

November 7, 2005

Passed TS 
=============================================
* Staff of Barad-Dur Anti-Change - Allow barad-dur staves to 
be brandished by all classes.

* Container Proposal- TS/Leonidas - get multiple items from 
a container using the item's abbreviation.

* More char physical traits - TS/Gelroos 

* Custom Colourschemes - TS/Oggiemoge

* Mail Forwarding - TS/Zanzidor

* Induct / Outcast messages - Ts/Dargolith- Allow all Orgs their own 
induct/outcast messages.


VC/CoE

November 7, 2005

Passed CoE:

Allow note vote changes
 
Denied by VC:

New shields
If we start throwing numerous different shield varieties
out there, it will be quite difficult to deal with the shield issue
in either mkill or pkill unless we opt for a lesser damage type, which
then moves it back to the pre-shattering realm of pointlessness.
An across the board addition of shield types for every spellcasting class
is not in our interest.
 
Notice in light of issues brought up about in-area quests:
Mini-quests are being added regularly. Some quests will not be
given to every player - that helps deal with the constant issue of players
farming for desirable items. Some quests will only be available to those who
maintain an awareness as they play. They -will- find these quests. That said,
please do submit any individual -specific-, -quality- quest ideas to Loril.


TS

November 21, 2005

Failed
=============================================

* Hall of Heroes and adding a written description about the reasons for the
character being there. Although this was a nice idea, it was not seen as 
something overly valuable to the game. Further, the content could be unwanted 
by some of the nominees which should be avoided. Management of the text would
also be an additional strain on resources that was perceived as unnecessary.
 
* Config +noexp for Peacefuls
This idea has been brought up in the past and was denied mainly for abuse
reasons. It was also suggested that if you have a low level character who you
wish to remain that way, you can simple die a sufficient number of times as to
lose enough experience to have leveling not be an issue.

  _____________________________________________________________________
o(__    ___    _ __     ____  _   __     ____  _   __     ____  _   ___)o
 |                                                                    |
 |                        o( TS Member List )o                        |
 |                                                                    |
 |                                                                    |
 | Immortal Head: Cappadocius                                         |
 |                                                                    |
 | Immortal Member: Akael                                             |
 |                                                                    |
 | Mortal Head: Mari                                                  |
 |                                                                    |
 |   Aeryn          Mobine        Qaulorn        Vibra     Zistrosk   |
 |   Fenrir         Myceran       Rikkath        Wiglaff              |
 |   Haviland       Ordem         Sumitra        Wren                 |
 |   Maratsade      Oxnyx         Syniad         Zabanire             |
 |   Matanza        Padraig       Theodore       Zanzidor             |
 |                                                                    |
 |__    ___   __    _____   __    _____   __    _____   __    _____  _|
o(_____________________________________________________________________)o


                                ,       ,
                               /(       )`
Have you ever thought          \ \__   / |
about making a difference      /- _ `-/  '
in the Realms?                (/\/ \ \   /\
                              / /   | `    \
Ever thought about how        O O   )      |
things work here?             `-^--'`<     '
                             (_.)  _ )    / 
Ever have an idea that        `.___/`    / 
you thought would improve       `-----' /
gameplay?          <----.     __ / __   \ 
                   <----|****O)))==) \) /========()
Well now here is   <----'    `--' `.__,' \
your chance to stand out        |   TS    |
from the crowd and be            \       / 
part of something exciting.  ____( (_   / \______
                           ,'  ,----'   |        \ 
                           `--{__________)       \/
 
Applications are now being accepted for Open Positions within
The Symposium, Please visit [ http://ts.silverwolf-den.com/ ]
for details on how to apply.

(End)                                                        
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

  

 __________________________
/ A Game of Chance - Babui \__________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

A game of chance.

Those who read the CRY earlier on this year might remember this game.

In the spirit of Christmas, I'm bringing it back for one December round of
CHANCE.
 
Why December, you may ask. Christmas! Quite the perfect time for meeting new
friends, rekindling broken friendships or just sharing a great time with your
current friends!

Forgive and forget! Sharing and giving! Yay. *calms down*.
 
This is a very SLIGHT change though....

Read on to find out more!

A Game of Chance

In this MUD game we all play in, there about 22,500 characters....(says Conran 
- accurate approximation!) What are the chances of meeting a certain person?
What are the chances of finding someone you can call a close friend?
 
Chances are given, whether you take the opportunity, is entirely up to you.
This is a game created for chance. Well, for entertainment purpose too.
4 lucky people will be given the chance to meet someone...someone you may 
or may not know...it is all up to...chance.

                             ,---')
                            (  -_-(
                            ) .__/ )
                          _/ _/_( /        _.---._
                         (__/ _ _) ,-._   /  o    \
                           //)__(\/,-` |_| O  o o O|
                       _\\///==o=\'      |O o  o O |
                        `-' \    /        \O o   o/
                             )___\         `'-.-\\
                            / ,\ \       ____)_(____
                           / /  \ \     '--..---,,--'
                          |\_\   |\_\       /,-.\


Explanation of the process:
 
- 5 participants of any gender will be randomly selected on a first come
  first serve basis. All participants will choose a name to be associated with.

- The first participant(A) will ask a question and mudmail it to me. I will 
  make 4 copies, and send them to each of the remaining participants. They will
  answer the question in a mudmail to me.

- Forwarding the 4 answers on a separate mudmail to (A), (A) will decide which
  answers are more preferred and eliminate one participant.

- This continues - 3 questions, 3 people outcast, and (A) will meet up
  with the remaining participant! 

Note:

+ The questions must be general (eg, what is your favourite area?) and must 
  not reveal/hint at a person's identity (eg, what organization are you in?)
+ The mudmails would all be posted to me, so it'll be anonymous - until the
  final meeting where (A) will know who was chosen and who was given up!
+ The results and questions/answers will be published on the cry, so be ready.
+ This is not a dating game. The final person's gender may not be your preferred
  choice.

I am now accepting applications for this game.
 
The first person to apply will automatically be selected for asking the
questions, unless specifically requested otherwise in the applying mudmail.
 
There is only one requirement for this game before you apply. You must be
active!!!! We cannot wait for daysssss for the mudmails exchange.
 

This is a game, if you get outcast, don't be sad, don't be mad, just have
fun!

Be ready to be shocked, be surprised, and be happy! Apply now!

This is a chance to meet a new friend, or catch up with an old one!


Send a mudmail to Babui saying you're interested now!

Remember to specify in the mudmail a nickname (don't be too obvious about 
your identity and keep it clean please!)

Again, this is on a first come first serve basis. First 5 applications will be
entered. I apologize in advance for any inconvenience =(

(End)                                                   
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|_____________________________________________________________________________/


 _________________________________
/ Wedding Congratulations - Babui \___________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

A friend just got married? Want to congratulate them along with the whole of
realms?
 
You just got married? Want to announce to the whole of realms your love for
each other?
 
Well, here's the place!
 
Send me a mudmail with the couples' name, the date of the wedding, and any
comments you would like to make =)
 
Start NOW by showing you care! Start NOW by showing you are truly happy for
them/yourself! Start NOW by announcing to the world!

_____________________,88888e 
______________,a888b.9888888i 
______________888888888888888 
______________88888888888888Y
______________'8888888888888
________________"S888888888"
__________________"7888888Y 
_____________________"e88j 
______________________-> HaPpY WeDdInG!

                                          As the night of halloween draws near,
                                          near, creatures from all over realms
                                          were invited to a halloween ball....
              .o######0o.                      
             0###########0.      .         and witnesssed.... 
            o####" "######0.    (## m#o
            ####(    ######0  ._ ##.##"nn   the moment two vampires declared
            0####o   ###" ## (##o.######"   their love for each other....
    o00o.    0#####o,##. ,#"  "#######(
  .0#####0.   0###########0     ########       on this ghostly day of
 .0#######0.   "0#########"  _.o###'"00"         28 November 2005  
.0###########o._ ""################       _  .
0####" "#########################0      .0#0n0    
#####.   ""#####################"    _  0#####     --- Nivek and Mari ---
0#####.     "###################._.o##o.#####" 
"0#####..##mn ""#############################   
  "0#######""_    ""##################"#####"  joined in unholy matrimony.. 
     ""####m###m      ""############"   ####        
    .########"""         .########"     "##"     
    ####"##"###o        (0######"        ""     xXx CONGRATULATIONS xXx        
    "##".###,##     .o#o ""####.                  
         "##"      .0############.                
                 .n###############   

(End)                                    
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/		 
		 
		 



 ______________________________
/ Christmas Gift Ideas - Babui \______________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

Christmas! Christmas shopping always give me headaches. What to buy? What to
give?! Who did I miss? RAAAaaaA! Well, I racked my brains and came up with a 
few possible Christmas gift ideas!
 
A fish head                       
The skill from dissecting the head carefully and ever so beautifully from the
body of the fish shows care, effort and dedication. It gives the feeling that
the receiver of the gift is the subject of the thoughts inside your head,
making this the perfect gift for someone you care about. I'm sure they'll
excuse the smell.
 
A token to drow hometown          
Many of you may know, and even have visited (even if you pretend not to) the
brothel in the City of Inquity. Xander or Sadath will keep your friend happy 
for hours, or if you wish, you can be an excuse to hop in the fun yourself.
Perfect for those who loves spamming mobs with lovey socials or alternatively,
for someone you prefer to be locked in a room (together or away) for Christmas.
Note - not an option for neutral genders unless you employ the magical usage
of belladonnas/scroll of changes.

A small pillow                     
Something to dance with when happy, to hug when sad, to punch when angry, to
sleep on/with when tired. Perfect pillow, perfect friend. Always around to
share the day, to help when need. Even if you are physically unable to be
around 24/7, this gift from your heart can. A very thoughtful gift for a
friend.

A tall mug of frothy beer          
Good for those who ain't such great conversationalists. For those who dread 
the small talk about your family, day, plans, job, school and definitely
about academic reports, this is a perfect gift. "Yay! Drink up!". Continue
drinking until one passes out. No small talk required. Probably also the best
Christmas gift for the many beer lovers out here on realms.

A rainbow potion                   
"You are my rainbowwwwwww, my colourful rainbowwwwwww...". Is there a special
person who fills your day with the many colours of the rainbow? Here, you have
a rainbow potion to express what they had done and is doing to you, and a
chance to give them back a rainbow of your own. Result = two colourfully happy
people with a great day with the colours of the rainbow. Oh joy.

A tiny forest green cap            
Reminiscing to the days when you were little children, little newbies lost in
the Halls of Knowledge. The forest green cap symbolizes Peter Pan in Neverland,
the land where you never grow up. Brings back joyful memories of time together.
A gift for a friend you have known for a long time or share alot of memories
with. Afterall, memories are what made who we are today!

An expensive-looking pocket watch  
Contrary to the cap, the watch symbolizes upcoming time. This implies you are
wanting and awaiting the friendship to exist, to continue to exist, for a long
time to come. No matter how many hours, how many days, even how many years fly
by, the friendship will always continue. Also very useful for checking the time
as time passes the fastest when you are happy. A gift with both symbolic and
practical uses, great for a good friend you spend many fast hours with and
still looking forward to more time spent together.
 
Gifts are just a symbol of thought. I'm sure no matter what the actual gift is,
it will mean just as much to a friend as the most expensive and shiniest gift
in the world. In fact, if you really forget everything and approach empty
handed, I'm sure a big hug from the heart or a mudsigned note with your
thoughtful wishes will do. Afterall, it is the thoughts that count. Hope you
guys have a great Christmas with lovely thoughtful gifts =)

(End)                                                    
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/



 ______________________________
/ Submit to Funnybones - Babui \______________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

Is there some log, bio, title, events, random personal thoughts...or even
astrological or food stuff things you would like to share!? ANYTHING really...
 
Why not share your logs/thoughts/anything with the entire mud community?! Have
your logs and articles published on the CRY, so we all can know more new
random stuff or laugh at cute little silly peoples and events =P HAR...I mean.
...We can all be entertained in a nice polite fashion... *nod self*...
 
Oh oh! Or some ascii drawing you did you might want to share! ANYTHING!
Send me your article/log/note/whatever via mudmail! Yay! Send your mudmails to
Babui now! =D
 
         .-. .-.       .-. .-.
        (   Y   )     (   Y   )
         `|   |`       `|   |`
          | 00|_       _|00 |
          |  ,__)     (__,  |
          |,_|           L_,|
          ||               ||
          | \_,         ,_/ |
          |   |         |   |
          |   |         |   |
        (`  A  `)     (`  A  `)
         '-' '-'       '-' '-'

(End)                                                                 Page: 022
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|_____________________________________________________________________________/




 __________________________
/ Merry Christmas! - Babui \__________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

.qggL  *  .gggr.  .         '            .              *            .     +
  PMML  . /|MM        '.       +                    '
  |!MM,' /`|MM  .d/"q,  qgg;+Ml qgg;+Ml vgg. .y.            Vv   Vv   Vv   Vv
  | YMM,j' |MM  MM;.jMl |MM` "  |MM` "   qM| j`   x  O      o,   o,   o,   o,
  |  qM#'  |MM  MM|     |MM  +  |MM    .  MMg'  /(_){-}+--===--===--===--===
.j|.  qF  .+MM..'MMbxr` jMM.    jMM.  *   'MF   \=====/   > >  > >  > >  > >
 .   *                                  x, /
  .x/--\xxl ,xx     .   *     ,gb       v#' .        . '                 *
.dMT    'q| |MM  '            '"'         .dM               *
dMM  *    ` |MM/dMg,  qgg;+Ml qgg  j/"`+  qMM-. qgg/dM#,w#Mb  ,g'`fg, j/"`+
MMM    .'   |MM  MM|  |MM` "  |MM  MMbx/  |MM   |MM  |M|  MM  `p'. M| MMbx/
'MMl  +   . |MM  MM|  |MM  .  |MM  .`vMMl |MM   |MM  |M|  MM  , ,!. | .`vMMl
 'vMb...r/` jMM..MM|. jMM.  + jMM. +,.,P' 'MMx: jMM..dM|..MM, M j't | +,.,P'
     ""         .'        *                  .     *        <=-=:: -=->   . ' 

(End)                                                        
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|_____________________________________________________________________________/ 
 
 
 
 __________________________
/ Cry of Despair Quest - Alysira \____________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

Last month's quest was to design a Thanksgiving dinner using items from
around Realms. Again, only two entrants, only two winners. Congraultions
to...
                            Wysper and Praesagus!

Please see me for your prizes ASAP. For everyone else, here is this
month's quest:

Tell us your ideal Christmas gift. It can be anything, ranging from your
least favourite MUDder being Balzhured, or that pony you always wanted
since the first grade. Just MUDmail Alysira with your response by the 25th
of December (Ho ho ho) and the two funniest/cleverest/originalist/I'm
just making up words nowist/ entries will be selected as winners!

Merry Christmas to all!
-Alysira

(End)                                                           
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|_____________________________________________________________________________/
 
 

 _______________________
/ Gralthai - via Romani \_____________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

Greetings Gralthai

OOC We are currently working on new plots and getting more active in the
community. We also welcome anyone who would be interested in joining the
Nation and/or starting new plots with us, Mud-Mail Mari for more info.

 Leaders:
 Aslan, Captain (Gralthai Pirates)
 Mari, Queen (Githyanki)
 Heathir, Queen (Githzerai)
 
   |`-.    .^.               .-.___.
   ( `.)  (_:_)          _.._`/._.'            .
    `-'`.__.'.         .'    `-._.--.         ( .`._.           .-.
      .'      `-.     (    .--._    `.  _    .-/._.' .-._.-.._ /  )
      `.       _.)     `. (     `-.___)' `.-'   )    `.    ( :)  (_
    _ /)     ( )`---.   )(  `-  _.  .'  .-.  .'       )    \ : ( `)
    ( :(    _  "    .(`-' `._    _.-'   /.-<-(   .-._.'      V   \(
    \ )`._(.`._.  ( :`.     """"      / .-'  `-(_..              `
     )'     `..'    `. )               \(       (`. )
                      v                 `        `-.|

(End)                                                           
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/




 ______________________
/ Hobbits - via Romani\______________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

Greetings, Hobbits near and far!

First I bring you good news from our second territory.  The harvests have been
good to us and all homes have been made comfortable and warm in the hallow
trees. The second wagon train landed safely with no attacks thanks to keeping
our operations secret and excellent guards. Though we are a peace loving
nation we are ready if we have to go to war against the evil Hobgoblin
warriors.  We continue to get reports about Hobgoblins stealing weapons
and engaging others in fights but since no nation has asked for our help we are
observing them and waiting to see which area they are to attack. Have no fear
my people for we will be victorious if it comes to a battle. Right now snowman
armies stand day and night guarding our territories while once again those
participating in our white pudding cooking contest get out their brandy.
 
For those looking for a wonderful holiday feast try Orc heads stuffed
with apples. Boil the heads first to get rid of all vermin. Then surround
their tiny brains with chopped walnuts and butter leaving room for at least 5
sliced apples to fill their cheeks and the rest of their head. Be sure to
sprinkle with plenty of curry and salt and pepper. Pour one quart of plum
brandy on top and bake covered in the fire or hot coals for 3 hours. This is
served with hot crossed buns or pipe weed bread.

Here in the burrows we shake the bushes and find all kinds of wonderful
things on the ground left from the great Hobbit Deity. By the time you read
this most of you will be finished with the last of your Christmas baking and
hungry for something new. May I suggest Passion fruit rice pudding?
This is a fun recipe I discovered during my journey to find a safe new out
post which has turned into a nice settlement now.

You will need a large bag for this, big enough to fit 3 full grown elves.
Slice two pounds of carrots, one pound of sweet onions, two pounds of
raisins and add 5 pounds of passion fruit. Now find any three elves engaged in 
an argument and give them each a bottle of fine wine. Offer to give them each a
second bottle of wine if they will finish their argument while stomping around
in the bag. This they will gladly do. Throw in a few pounds of nuts while they
are yelling or some hung over pixies. Such will be the heat from their
endeavors that the mix will begin to boil. Be sure to remove the elves and
pixies since they would spoil the taste of the pudding, wash them off and give
them their wine. Now add one gallon of sweet whipping cream and two quarts of
rice. Carefully tie the bag shut and lower the whole bag into a bed of hot
coals. Now pour one gallon of brandy on top and light the bag on fire. By the
time the fire dies down the pudding will be ready and will be enough to feed
you and your friends. If you have any left over go out and make new friends.

In conclusion my beloved Hobbits, I would like to thank each and every one
of you for the privilege of being your Thain. It is something I hope to be as
long as I am with you in this realm. But it is only fair to warn you that
lately I have felt my true love calling to me. When he was killed so many
years ago by a poisonous arrow while defending our village from attack for so
long I nearly died of loneliness. He seemed so far away and though I tried I
could find no one to match my spirit like him. Now he appears in my dreams and
sometimes I hear his voice as a gentle whisper. And now in the winter I feel his
warmth around me as if he is holding me close. I say this to you not to cause
you to fear but to let you know that true love does not die even if one is 
separated for a time by death. I will be joining him, this I am certain of,
though I do not know when. My love for you, my dear friends will go with me.
There is a golden warmth awaiting me for which I draw near. Until then I wish
all of us safety, health and friends and family to love in both the burrows
and our new settlement.
 
Sincerely,

Zasperlyn, Thain of the Hobbits

(End)                                                              
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/




 _______________________
/ Tyrrhenu - via Romani \_____________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

   A new elder has taken over leadership in Nidaros. Farlina 
Willowbreeze has won the bid and steps up to bring her homeland 
into better times. All the gnomes were in a high spirited celebration 
as it was announced and welcomed her with open arms and an air 
of warmth. 

   In her first days, she revived the Circle of Elders and tackled 
many of the issues that were put before her by her Kinfolk.
When asked what was in store for Nidaros now that she has taken 
the position of Elder, she stated, “Now we must keep our eyes to
the future and our past well in memory. Only then we will make our
mark in the world of the tall walkers. Together, our 
people will prosper."
 
     Nidaros mourns for the loss of their Druid Wisdom. She led a 
very fruitful existence while creating a very tight knit Druid circle. 
But with their loss, comes the celebration of  her life, and for the 
selection of a new Wisdom. 

   Tiniegh Tumbleweed, who was on a quest for finding the lost 
words of ancient healing methods, was summoned back to Nidaros. 
Upon her arrival she was given proper ceremony and rose from 
Maiden to Wisdom, thus joining the ranks of the Circle of Elders 
as the Nidaros Nation Wisdom. 
     When approached for comment of her new duties and status, 
she stated, "I promise you, Kinfolk, to uphold my duties as your 
Wisdom. To Offer my support and warmth to all. I am honored to 
be part of The Elder Circle and promise to  keep an unbiased 
mentality when dealing with anything put before me in our Circle 
of Elders." 

 Ainsley Willowbreeze, the younger of the Willowbreeze twins,
has spent her days helping her sister Farlina in her day to day 
duties. 

   When asked of her thoughts of all the busy work ahead, She 
stated. "I know I should be more attentive of the family business,
but I love nature! I’m well known for letting even a single 
butterfly capture my attention and off I go! I can lose track of time 
when I take Sasha to the meadow"  It was at this very point that 
her statement was proven, and she took after a Monarch with a 
smile on her face, her pet fox trailing behind her.

   Even though this good natured gnome can be easily taken to 
daydreams, she does help her fellow kinfolk. Many of them 
boasted about her attention to details when helping them get 
outfitted and armed for defense training. 
 
   Nidaros enters the Yule season in Good Spirits and with the
promise of a brighter Future. And so its gnomes thrive and work
towards that goal. 

              -Tiniegh Tumbleweed

(End)                                                  
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/





 ____________________
/ Lomar - via Romani \________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

                  _..-'(                       )`-.._
               ./'. '||\\.       (\_/)       .//||` .`\.
            ./'.|'.'||||\\|..    )O O(    ..|//||||`.`|.`\.
         ./'..|'.|| |||||\`````` '`"'` ''''''/||||| ||.`|..`\.
       ./'.||'.|||| ||||||||||||.     .|||||||||||| |||||.`||.`\.
      /'|||'.|||||| ||||||||||||(     )|||||||||||| ||||||.`|||`\
     '.|||'.||||||| ||||||||||||(     )|||||||||||| |||||||.`|||.`
    '.||| ||||||||| |/'   ``\||``     ''||/''   `\| ||||||||| |||.`
    |/' \./'     `\./         \!|\   /|!/         \./'     `\./ `\|
    V    V         V          )' `\ /' `(          V         V    V
    `    `         `               V               '         '    '
The Nation of Lomar currently stands without a leader to defend against 
the encroaching Vampire sect. The citizens live in terror as these all 
but unseen foes grow in strength and numbers. The Vampire Sect is also 
known to have sired a would be leader in its attempt to bring forth 
ruling of the nation from the the cities darkened streets.

(End)                                                       
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/




 _____________________
/ Khazad - via Romani \_______________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

To the Citizens of Darkhaven,
 
   Qetag's Reach, once the homeland to many dwarves, was attacked by a band of
pirates who made landfall a week or so ago. In that time, they had raided the
nearby villages, but a sufficient response was not mustered in time to repulse
their attack upon the Reach.
   They captured and occupied the Reach for approximately three days, until a
force of dwarves finally expelled them. Participating in the recapture of the
Reach with the Thane was Ryals Darkstone and Kerin Koran, a half-ogre of the
Guild of Warriors.
   The Reach is safe now. However, the leader of the pirates escaped unharmed,
and I would not be surprised if he launches another attack. Beware, for his
compatriots may attack anywhere.
 
   In other news of the Reach, after the pirates were expelled, rebuilding was
restarted upon the buildings, and after a census was taken to see who was left,
it was discovered that a few of the dwarves had gotten mildly sick. Our healers
are working to contain the disease, and we expect it to pass soon.

Jerald Vancour, the battlescarred.
Thane.

From, the people of the Khazad.

   The Thane seeks to downplay the events of the Reach, and this is especially
obvious after his cowardice in battle. The 'few sick' that he mentions is
growing daily, and the healers cannot seem to find a cure. We can only thank
Aule that it is not spreading like wildfire.
   While it is true that there were three participants in the battle, the true
hero of the hour was Ryals Darkstone, our former Thane, who stood between us
and the dark knight who led the pirates into our homes. While the half-ogre
and former Thane Darkstone were battling scores of pirates and a being of great
magical and physical strength, Jerald was busy lying unconscious on the floor,
napping his way to victory!
   Thus, we have changed his name. No longer shall the dwarves of the Reach
call him Thane Jerald Vancour the battlescarred, but instead we shall call
him Thane Jerald Vancour, the Coward.
 
-from the pen of the Khazad Journalist.

[ooc: the scenes are going well, and the Reach would like to welcome the new
      RPers that have joined us.]

(End)                                                            
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/      
      


 _______________________
/ Uruk'hai - via Romani \_____________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

From the Opallinoc News Bureau -
Dateline Opallinoc: Winter Solstice Festival
The plans are finalized. Meeka's swill is brewing. The great bonfire is
calling the Uruk'hai brethren to the annual Winter Solstice Festival.
Tales of adventure, conquest and plunder are sure to be heard. Foods from
across the Realms to tingle the tongue. Wide variety of liquid refreshments
to be sampled in the copious manner as only an Uruk'hai can. All FREE!!!
B E  T H E R E ! ! ! !

Dateline Opallinoc: Annual Half-Ogre Pin-up Calendar
Get your order in now, for the limited edition Females of Opallinoc calendar.
See your favorite Uruk'hai and Half-Ogre females selected for each month.
Here is a sample of the ilLUSTrious Uruk'hai females you will see ---
Nathalia - rare picture of the former Uruk'hai leader.
Kittany - the fertile Mother of numerous half-ogre children
Silvia - the Earth Shaker of the Ringbearers
Dascia - the newbie caregiver of the NC
Shardla - whether her new owner likes it or not

And no calendar could be complete without Klaatu's life long heart throb -
Cresis - the Ice Queen.

Get your order in soon for holiday gift giving. limited edition when they're
gone, they're gone - don't miss out 

(End)                                                          
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/



 ____________________
/ Poetry Submissions \____________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

   ___________  _______________________________________
  /\          \|                                       \
 |:::\::;,,..           The Requiem                .,:::\
 |::::\::;,,..                                      ,,:::\
  \::::\::;,, Words of madness whispered in my ear  ..,:::\
    ``` \::;,,Falling rain making all the black clear.,,:::\
        |:::Cleanse my soul that has been stained red ,,:::|
       /:::,,...                                   ..,,:::/
      /::;,,..  Hide the sadness beyond my eyes   ..,,:::/
     /::;,,..     Bury me in the sea of night    ..,,:::/
    |::;,,..    Unravel my soul, allow me to die .,,:::|
     \::;,,..                                    ..,,:::\
      \::;,,..                                    ..,,:::\
       \::;,,..     Take away all the voices       ..,,:::\
        \::;,,..   Those who tell me I'm fine        .,,:::\
         \::;,,.                                      .,,:::\
     ____ _\::;..     Take away all my choices        ..::::\
    /::::::\::;..     My choice to live or die         ..::::\
   l:::::::/::::..                                      ..::::/
    \:::::/::;,...      [By Anshuna and Maridia]        ::::/
     \::/::;,.......                                ..,::::/
      \/_____________________________________/|____________/

(End)                                                                
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/      





 ____________________
/ Poetry Submissions \________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

   __ /\ __       Sea
   \_`\/`_/  I open my eyes
   <_>()<_>  No one is there
   /_,/\,_\  All I see is darkness,
   \_`\/`_/  in my own sea of despair
   <_>()<_>
   /_,/\,_\  Am I dying?
   \_`\/`_/  Will I find the land?
   <_>()<_>  All my crying...
   /_,/\,_\  I wonder, am I that bad?
   \_`\/`_/
   <_>()<_>  I float and I swim
   /_,/\,_\  I wail and I scream
   \_`\/`_/  I will become his footstool
   <_>()<_>  And as times before... 
   /_,/\,_\  My back will begin to bow. 
   \_`\/`_/ 
   <_>()<_>
   /_,/\,_\  By: Maridia Fyremusik
      \/

(End)                                                          
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/      
  



 ___________________
/ Story Submissions \_________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

o--+++---------------------------------------------------------+++--o
       ___    ___        __________________        ___    ___
  ____/ _ \__/ _ \_____ (------------------) _____/ _ \__/ _ \_
 (  _| / \/  \/ \ |_   ) \    Anshuna     / (   _| / \/  \/ \ |_  )
  \(  \|  )  (  |/  ) (___)  __________  (___) (  \|  )  (  |/  )/
   `   `  \`'/  '  (_________)        (_________)  `  \`'/  '   '
           ||                                          ||
           `'                                          `'
                    Anshuna  "The Beginning" Part 1
Anshuna grew up in the sands of Teracchei, raised by her mothers handmaidens.
She knew very little of her parents other than they were of the royal family
and the many events and banquets she was forced to attend. At a very young age
she decided to leave her home with all its pampered seclusion and make a
life of her own. After many days of wandering the sands she came upon a
shipyard and after talking with a few of the ship mates, the life they
spoke of intrigued her so she joined them. Starting as a deck hand was a
lot harder than she could have imagined, but in time through perseverance
and hard work she moved up the ranks to the title of First Mate. She spends
much of her time at sea or in a tavern sipping on spiced rum and carrying
out business with the many inhabitants of the realm. In her trading she
has acquired much wealth of her own but she is not ready to settle to one
area just yet. Maybe in time she will change her mind and join the land
dwellers in a nice, quiet retreat.

o--++++---------------------------------------------------------+++--o

(End)                                                             
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/



 

 _________________________________________
/ RP Stories and Poems Submissions - Mari \___________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

 .__ .__    __..___..__..__ ._..___ __.  .__ .__..___.  . __.
 [__)[__)  (__   |  |  |[__) | [__ (__   [__)|  |[__ |\/|(__ 
 |  \|     .__)  |  |__||  \_|_[___.__)  |   |__|[___|  |.__)
 
          HH
          HH
BBB       HH                                        ,z.
=== .___. HH     %%%%                   .o.       ,zZZZ>
BBB |   | HH 838 \\\\ EEE    AAAAA     ,0X0'    ,zZZZ"
BBB |<<<| HH 838 %%%% EEE ## DDDDD    ,0X0'   ,zZZZ"
BBB | C | HH 838 %GR% +++ ## AAAAA   ,0X0'  ,zZZZ"
BBB | O | HH 838 %%%% EEE ## <>  ,0X0' ,zZZZ"
BBB | D | HH 838 %%%% EEE ## AAAAA ,0X0',zZZZ"HH$HHHHHHHDDHH$HH
=== |<<<| HH 838 //// EEE ## AAAAA.0X0 zZZZ"  EE$EEEEEEEDDEE$EE
 
The Cry needs you! Please send your poems and RP stories to Mari!
If you wish to submit simply follow the criteria below.
 
1) Plagiarism of any kind will not be tolerated
2) All notes are to be mud mailed to Mari before the 15th of every month.
3) If your submission is a continuing story please inform me.
4) Have fun!
 
Mari Fyremusik-Ke'Miravn, RP/Stories/Poems Sub-Editor

(End)                                           
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/
   


 __________________
/ PK News - Vortok \__________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

General:
-  PK player base still low.
-  Artifacts: Art (Exc/Mal), Dan (Fer), Marcus(Cat)
-  PK Geo estimated completion, December...
     
Catarrh:
-  Recent activity increased, is the old Cat back?
    
Excordis:
-  Will selected as #2 for Excordis, congratz!
 
Feralis:
-  Wes selected as #1 for Ferlis, Congraz!
-  Kulj selected as #2, congratz!
-  Marcus departs Feralis and heads to Maleficae.
      
Maleficae:
-  Dre still gone at Army boot camp, Brad leading.
-  Marcus(Saki) comes to Mal and selected as #2.
       
Updated 29 Nov 2005 @ 2:54pm by Vortok

(End)                                                        
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/




 ______________________
/ PKC Updates - Vortok \______________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

PKC can be viewed by typing HELP PKC.  
      
Ideas Awaiting PKC Vote:
-  Voices of the Damned, vanish on zap to be removed
  
Ideas Awaiting CoE Vote:
-  High gold value pk items reduced to lower repair costs
-  Clan EQ influx of 1 set per month
-  Shove/Drag gives adrenaline
-  Proposed renames for Excordis clan eq
-  Intra-clan pdeaths not counting against you (kills don't) 
-  Reduced lag for Backstrike
-  Argument to affects command ("aff sanc" shows sanc only) 
-  2str, -1Lck change to clan eq stats
-  Treachery's Dim Flicker to be made nonmagic

Ideas that have vanished:
   -  Removing or adjusting poison weapons
   -  Adjusting charge for barbs in PVP
   -  Reduce Barbarian suscept magic to 10% for deadlies
   -  Adding AC to PK EQ
   -  Silenced deadlies still warcry
   -  Illusions of the Coryphee layerable with death cloak
 
Passed CoE, Awaiting Code:
   -  True sight potions sold in town
   -  ^zCOPPER ECONEMY ADDED TO PK
  
Passed CoE/PKC and Implemented:
   -  Myriad of Arenas reinstalled, bugs all fixed :)
   -  Clan light stats changed from 2dr/20hp to 1dr/50hp
      
Denied by CoE:
   -  Reintroduce Brakky banners into pk
     
Updated 24 Aug 2005 @ 5:44pm by Vortok

(End)                                                
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/



 ______________________________
/ Try level 24 Pkill! - Vortok \______________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

                       !!! 24 WARRIOR PKILL !!!

This message is for those of you that haven't had the chance to check
out the PK realm, or maybe tried it on an AV and had some terrible luck
losing EQ (like I did when I started, and sometimes still do).
     
Level 24 PK is a great way to enjoy the benefits of PK with little cost to
you except that of deadly heals, which are about 2k a piece (very cheap).
    
A level 24 deadly warrior will take an average person maybe 1 mudyear to
reach the desired level, and all the equipment can be gotten solo. In
fact, this equipment is so easy to get, that it is extremely rare to see
anything looted on level 24s.
 
Please visit the PK website at the addy bellow:
    
http://hometown.aol.com/PKsCry

A full list of EQ along with where to get it (thank Argothian) is posted
under the EQUIPMENT--->SETS--->Warrior 24 link of the page. If it's
your first time playing PK there is a ton of into provided by Amante under
the PLAYER link on the main menu. Hope to see you there, its worth a try!

Lowbie PK Areas will be sent to CoE soon after the PK Geo, so be ready!

Feralis would like to extend a big THANKYOU for the heaps of lovely clan eq
and seth that Cararrh was so kind as to donate to our humble organization.
We will cherish it, friends.

Thursday, November 3rd 2005(5pm-7pm):

LVL  Character       LVL  Character
(50) Saki         vs (50) (Catarrh) Dockord ... Machine Dreams
(50) Hektor       vs (50) (Catarrh) Espadas ... The Umbrageous Ruins
(50) Saki         vs (50) (Catarrh) Dokken ... Shadow Grove
(50) Hektor       vs (50) (Catarrh) Gaston ... Shadow Grove
(50) Saki         vs (50) (Catarrh) Seothan ... Citadel of the Feralis
(50) Vermicio     vs (50) (Catarrh) Gaston ... Grimoire

Love,
Wes

(End)                                                      
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/


 __________________________________________
/ A PK Story: A Dream of the Isle - Vortok \__________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

T'was all a dream, but it felt so real...

A cool breeze sent a chill through my body, signifying that I was no 
longer tucked nicely in my warm bed back in New Darkhaven. As I took
a glance around I noticed I was laying on a dirt path and at my feet
there was a large iron gate. I gathered myself and stood up to get a
closer look, and noticed that the gate was coated in a thick layer
of dry blood. My stomach turned both in fear, and disgust. What vile
creatures would live in such an unsanitary and barbaric place.
 
I opened the gate and began my journey south. Along the way I passed
many old buildings, crumbled and ruined. From the looks of things
the area I was traveling must have been a slum section for the old
city I saw north of the place where I awoke.
 
As I continued my journey I saw a large watchtower with a broken
water line just outside the entrance. There were fresh footprints in
the mud, so I knew trouble could lurk nearby. I treaded lightly, and
much to my surprise, was undetected. Along my travels through the 
slums I saw many strange things: A warehouse, completely dark, with
a basement that had fumes so toxic I couldn't focus enough to cast
any spells; A few abandoned houses, corpses still inside; and an odd
church that for some reason had been untouched by time or trouble.

Along the western side of the slums was an old rope bridge that
extended out over a large gulf. On the far side of the gulf was a
dark swamp, but the bridge had a 3rd extension that led to the mouth
of a large mountain. The swamp gave me the creeps, so I decided to
take the mountain path.
 
Much to my surprise the caves through the mountain were quite warm.
As I moved deeper into the center I passed a strange catacombs marked
with the names and praises to fallen combatants. This was clearly a
cemetery for the honorable warriors that lived in this region. I soon
came upon an underground spring where I stopped to rest and grab some
water before moving on. North of the spring I found an abandoned rock
fortress, quite amazing in its design, but in my weakened state I
was unable to access most of it as the doors were far too heavy. As I
continued north I found myself looking over a large pit that lead to
molten lava below. I managed to bypass the pit and continued to the
north, where the temperature suddenly dropped dramatically.
 
I soon emerged from the cave to find myself in a barren ice land. All
around me were large glaciers and snow covered mountains. I passed 
several caves, but dared not travel into any of them in fear of what
I might find.

Deep into the heart of the glaciers my fly spell wore out, and it
couldn't have worn out at a worse time. No sooner than my feet hit
the ground, an avalanche started. Without enough time to recast my
fly I had no choice but to hold my breath and hope for the best. My
body was tossed and tumbled down a steep hill before I emerged in
a four way intersection and regained my composure.
 
Taking to the winds I continued to the north and found myself on a
large snow covered plateau. Northwest of this plateau was a towering
statue of the Goddess of Ice... Shiva. The marble statue stood a
hundred feet tall, and was made of solid marble. Just beyond the
statue was a towering palace of ice.  The large block of ice blocking
the entrance to the palace was far too heavy for me to move, so I
turned my body into mist and attempted to pass through the barrier,
but with no luck.
 
The path through the glaciers lead to the northeast. A dark stormy
vortex was overhead tossing snow and hail upon the landscape, and I
couldn't help but hope that I would soon be away from this horrible
place. I soon found myself hovering over a frozen river that led to
the southeast, the temperature here was a little warmer, and heading
to the south could only serve to make things better, so I followed 
the river.

As I suspected the frozen river began to thaw as I headed farther to
the south. I soon arrived in the heart of a dark forest and joined
a path that went from east to west crossing over the river by means
of a small wooden bridge. The forest was beautiful, and like nothing
I had ever seen before. There was something strange about these woods
and I was determined to figure out what it was.
 
As I stepped closer to one of the trees I noticed some strange
markings along the bark. As I got closer I could hear the sound of
something breathing, and before I could react something gripped my
ankles, and I soon found myself entangled in a web of branches. The
limbs maneuvered my body in a means so that I was facing the tree
head on, and that's when it's secret was revealed. The strange marks
on the bark opened to form a set of large green eyes, and a vicious
looking mouth filled with large thorns. No matter how hard I fought
I was unable to break free. The large tree soon placed my head in its
massive mouth, and chomped down...
 
It was then that I awoke from my dream, sweating, scared, and in need
of a new set of sheets. I have a strange feeling that this is not the
end of my dream. Could this have been a vision from the Gods? A brief
insight of something to come? Only time will tell...

(End)                                                           
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/


 __________________
/ Paladins - Genge \__________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

It is not uncommon to hear people refer to Paladins as a cross between warriors
and clerics. This isn't entirely accurate - they're not particularly good at 
either job. Don't get me wrong, they're a lot better than peaceful rangers - 
which are the single saddest class in the game by a long run - but the only
thing making clerics useful is brew (which Paladins obviously don't have), and
they can't compete with warriors as tanks as they have less dex while lacking
the enhanced parry and dodge of druids to cope with the quaff drops. Their 
hybrid abilities do come in handy in some situations though. For instance, they
can cure blind while fighting (if they style down), and a group of paladins 
using fortify and rescue can survive with a minimum of heal usage on some mobs.

SUPPORT:

  - Armor: Stock Armor spell
  - Benefic Aura: Protect
  - Fortify: Group heal, 70ish hp
  - Sacral Divinity: Sanctuary
  - Ward of Divinity: Res Drain, -ac

UTILITIES:

  - Bethsaidean Touch: Cure blind.
  - Bless: Stock bless spell
  - Breath of Heaven: Aqua Breath
  - Divine Armor: Resist drain and -50 ac.
  - Expurgation: Cure poison
  - Feast of Faith: Create food
  - Fountain of Faith: Create spring
  - Identify: Stock id spell
  - Invis: Stock invis spell
  - Refuge: Group recall, to DH
  - Remove Curse: Stock remove curse

Paladins' combat skills break down as follows:
 - Bludgeons:     95
 - Long Blades:   95
 - Pugilism:      60
 - Enhanced Dam:  90
 - Second attack: 95
 - Third attack:  90
 - Fourth attack: 75
 - Fifth attack:  75
 - Dual Wield:    90
 - Rescue:        80
 - Parry:         90
 - Dodge:         75
 - Two handed:    90

 Surely paladins have a use, with a relatively decent set of spells for a 
fighter genre class? Well, yes and no. They're good with nasrs, rescuing and
using fortify if you don't want to use heals or are fighting something that 
requires a massive amount of healing. Alernatively, you can use them as a tank
for mobs that do a lot of draining damage (mostly they're used for soloing 
Dracula). Finally, you can use them as a storage, in the same style as rangers,
with one exception - Paladins aren't as ridiculously poor in actual combat. In
a pinch, Paladins can sub in for Warriors in many situations, since they do 
have decent attack ratings. When fighting with a Paladin, you essentially have
two choices for the offensive front. You can use rescue and hope to hit in
extra melee, or you can use tzadkiel's touch, which is roughly as useful as
grasp suspiria. Which is better depends on what you're fighting, of course - 
but the general consensus leans towards chain rescuing.

(End)                                                             
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 _________________________________
/ Christmas Quest Results - Genge \___________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

 Excane has won the contest I held the last CoD, winning himself a shiny new
 pkill avatar. Sadly, this was the best entry I got. See how easy it would
 have been to win? Slackers. Oh, right. Excane won a PKav. Hurrah for Excane!
 
 Stoneheft - A stoneheft stout ale, because he's a simple dwarf with simple
 needs.
 Ryals - blade of the Abattoir, because being an RPer, one must have style when
 one illegally pkills someone.
 Dhaulagiri - Maul of Stone (preferably reweighted), seeing as how Dhaulagiri
 is the name of a mountain, wielding a huge-ass hammer with Stone in the name
 is appropriate.
 Jearan - a pair of rounded, metal pliers, so he can remove the spacebar from
 his backspace.
 Ceirana - a handful of rose petals, because I love her and they're green.
 Talinao - a dispel magic potion, because all good barbs fight without magic.
 Magic is the devil's work, it is!
 Grontak - Oblivion, to replace the one that was taken from him! And who 
 doesn't want an Oblivion, really?
 Martsa - A new, preferably user-friendly mud client. Because it would help. I
 think.
 Genge - Saliwillow, because he keeps bugging me for it. So he can get one.
 Even though he already has one. Too bad, you're taking it.
 Cyril - taxes and fines. Sometimes, someone needs the Christmas present they
 dont want. Sorry, Cyril.

(End)                                                            
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