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Surviving the Shattering and Arena Player-Kill

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  Cry of Despair                                   Issue 65, 11/02
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                                 |
     .JNNNN` .JNNNNNL   NNNNNN.  |  In this month's issue:
    JNNNNN) JNNNNNNNNL (NNNNNNN. |    * A special feature from
   JNN`    JNN`    NNN (NN.  (NN)|      the Realms 101 series-
  (NN`    (NN`     NNF (NN`  (NN`|      'Surviving the Shattering'
  (NN.    (NN.    JNN` NNF  JNN) |    * All you ever needed to
  (NNNNNN (NNNNNNNNN' (NNNNNNNF  |      know to aid you in Arena
   4NNNN`  "NNNNNN`   NNNNNNF    |      Player-Kill.
                                 |    * All the news from Guilds
        The Cry of Despair!      |      and Orders around the
        ===================      |      Realms.
   *       *                 *   |    * Fun-filled Quests!
                      *          |    * And much, much more!
        *        *         *     |
             *                   |
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  Editor: Alysira                     Immortal Sponsor: Elisabet
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  Staff: Ganemanoimu, Ilsensine, Juliana, Kellandra, Khaimran,
  Shadia, Shadrack, Simone, Vaile.

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  Contents                                           CoD, Issue 65
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  Desk of the Editor
  News from around the Realms
  Realms 101 - Surviving the Shattering
  A Beginner's Guide to Arena PK
  The Basics of Roleplaying
  Honesty
  Funnybones
  Advertisements

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  Desk of the Editor - by Alysira                           Editor
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  It is with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to Myra as Editor,
  but I am proud to be taking over as the new Editor of this
  marvellous magazine. So much hard work goes into it, from
  both our staff members, and our contributing readers.
    I've always loved reading this magazine, I remember the first
  article I read was a parody of 'Bootylicious' by our oh so
  bootylicious Imms. After that, I was hooked.
    I've only been working on the Cry for a short while, but I
  do love it, and hope I can manage this as well as Myra has. We
  wish her the best of luck on her return to Immhood!
    Myra wasn't our only member to move on, we farewelled Amoria
  and Diblin this month. But you know that saying, when a door
  closes, a window opens. We welcomed to the staff three new
  members, Ganemanoimu, Simone and Vaile, and I know they will
  all bring us some great articles.
    Well, without further ado, I am proud to present to you, the
  65th Issue of the Cry of Despair!

  -Alysira

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  Guild and Order News - by Kellandra                         News
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  Order of Baali -
  The Order of Baali is now accepting membership applications.
  Details can be found via help baali_apps

  Order of Ringbearers -
  Helicus ordertalks 'i'm in a room alone with thartos... how
  good will that look in the tabloids'

  Guild of Clerics -
  The GoC had a fun month of exploring, runs, trivias, and a very
  special hide and seek game  (Thanks Conran!).

  Don't forget, if you'd like to join in the fun with dirty
  carrots, come read the noteboard nw,w,w,n,n,e,u of dh[] or talk
  to a guildie with CoC in their title for more info :)

  Guild of Fathomers -
  Inductions are open.  For information, see one of the founding
  members (with RC in the title). The founding members include;
  Ceirana- Leader, Uilisia- First, Lavette- Second,
  Happlo- RC Head/TS Rep, Metao, Gonnil- IGQC rep, and Barthanan.
  Our new members are Pirut, Harrah, Asbras, Alakar, Hoicen,
  Austi, Tethys.

  Guild of Rangers -
  Greetings from the Guild of Rangers.
  Edhelaina, Illiomin, and Vercelli became the newest members of
  the guild. Welcome to the Guild, and we hope you find your new
  home comfortable.
  Rialian passed her Pledge Reviews, we congratulate her on a job
  well done, and welcome her to full membership and all its
  privileges.
  Recruiting Council is once again up and active. We are sorry
  for any delay caused by the Shattering, but we had many areas
  and items to check out before we set you young Rangers off to
  explore. After all, we want you to learn and enjoy the
  expierence, not get killed needlessly.

  Good Hunting
  Racin Atal
  GM GoR

  Guild of Vampires -
  Greetings from the Guild of Vampires.
  The GoV extends a clawed hand of welcome to its latest full
  members: Erland and Fuil.

  We would like to thank all those who participated in the IGQ
  hosted by the Vampires On September 28th.

  The GoV would also like to remind fledgling Vampires of any
  level that we accept applications for Guild membership at
  level 20. We would like to encourage all Vampires interested
  in becoming a part of our eternal family to read the note board
  in the Secluded Parlor 4s, 3w, 4n, w from Darkhaven Square.

  Sincerely,
  Wiglaff Stormcrow, Guildmaster
  Zya A. Fyremusik, Guild First
  Aleir Ravenyze, Guild Second

  Guild of Warriors -
  GoW is getting ready for this years IGPK to start up.
  Also this month is the warriors turn to write the IGQ this month
  and they are preparing to host that as well.

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  Surviving the Shattering - Juliana                    Realms 101
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  Many things have changed in the New Realms of Despair - this is
  an inescapable fact of mudlife.  Whether the changes are for
  the better, or for the worse, depends only on your perspective.

  Another fact is that things are going to stay this way for a
  long time, so if you want to keep playing RoD, you're going to
  have to be as flexible as a reed in the wind and adapt. New
  strategies must be found to survive successfully.

  This article is based on common sense, and may seem very
  obvious to old-timers. Great, you guys don't need more help
  anyway. :) I'm targeting these tips for the newer players with
  low-leveled characters, to whom these things may not be so
  obvious.

  What Has Changed In The Shattering?

  + Skills And Spells Have Been Rearranged.
  Be Familiar With Your 'Slist'.
  Classes have changed. Skills once relied on may no longer exist
  or have become less useful. New skills have sprung up in their
  place. It would be sensible to become familiar with the skills
  your character has, so you know what options you have in your
  arsenal.

  Also, remember to find a trainer and practice the new skills and
  spells before you go walking out into new territory. That way
  you don't discover the hard way that your best (and only) attack
  is the new skill you haven't practiced yet. :)

  + The New World Awaits You. And All Its Traps As Well.
  12 geos. New areas. Uncountable numbers of rooms. Tread
  carefully, for unknown dangers are plentiful. The Trade Routes
  are safer than wandering aimlessly through wilderness. The
  Caravan, the Meridia, and Tagetarle's ghost will get you to
  certain places safely as well. But sooner or later, you will
  probably want to step off the beaten path and start exploring.

  Expect that you're going to die a few times in places you don't
  know. That's just a new mindset to take. Exploring always
  carries a risk simply because you don't know what to expect
  around the next corner. Eventually, if you explore carefully and
  walk repeatedly around the areas, you will become familiar with
  them and can avoid the dangers without a second thought.

  If you are wearing too much to lose, consider making another
  character which you can explore with. It doesn't have to be
  exceedingly high level if you just want to be familiar with the
  basic walking paths. Hiding and invisibility will keep many mobs
  from pounding on you. If you do encounter an aggressive mob that
  kills you, shrug your shoulders and give thanks that you didn't
  find it with your more valuable character. Move on and continue
  exploring.

  Bear in mind, there is more than one way to do things,
  especially after The Shattering. Many routes will get you to the
  same area. Different mob killing strategies may be equally
  useful. And so on.

  + Spells To Have On You
  Always fly. You can get a fly spell cast on you, or carry some
  object like a magical flying carpet or potions/scrolls. Not only
  does this make you walk faster and use less mvs (invaluable for
  hiking around the new Realms), it keeps you from dropping into
  bad places when you encounter any rooms with no floor. And there
  are a number of these 'pitfalls' to be found. :P

  Carry heals. Any type of healing item works in a pinch. This is
  really common sense. They can keep you alive a little longer
  should you get into a fight or get hurt by something.

  Carry recalls with you. If you do not have the 'word of recall'
  spell, recalls should always be part of your arsenal. There are
  many many places in the new Realms that you can only escape
  from by using recalls, and plenty other places where using a
  recall will be more convenient than retracing your route back.

  Even if you're dead, buy a few recalls at Poshir before you go
  finding your corpse, just in case you walk into an awkward
  place accidentally and can't get out again. As many spells now
  have a limit on their reach, it may not be so
  easy to get a recall transed to you, regardless of how much you
  beg for one.

  Scry is your friend. This has been the case in the old Realms,
  and still holds for the new. If you're a thief or a drow, you
  have absolutely no excuse where this is concerned. Always look
  in a direction before walking into it. And don't walk into it
  if it looks scary or dubious or says something like 'Death
  awaits you, foolish one.' If you don't have scry normally,
  again, find someone to cast it on you or find scrolls/potions
  that have the spell.

  + Miscellaneous Tips
  Pay attention to where you are. This is where the 'geo' and
  'where' commands come in handy. Keep the geo in your prompt if
  you don't mind a longer prompt. This is invaluable should you
  die to something nasty and need a CR. Not many people can
  pinpoint your corpse from the single room name they see when
  they locate it, but if you can give them the area and geo,
  they have a narrowed down region to search. Telling them what
  killed you also helps a lot.

  Portal reach is limited. Unless you died nearby, don't expect
  to stand in Darkhaven and get a magic portal to wherever you
  died. You may have to walk out of Darkhaven to the neighboring
  geos to get close enough. Or jump from portal to portal.
  Follow the instructions of the mage CRing you if there is one.

  In cases of desperation, when no one will help you even when
  you've asked for CR politely many times, and you can't
  supplicate corpse for whatever reason, and you've not that many
  ticks left on your corpse either: consider getting an Imm CR.

  Don't bother the imms if it isn't urgent, though. And certainly
  attempt to get your corpse yourself first. The more you manage
  on your own, the tougher you get in the long run.

  Be ready to FLEE when necessary. Sometimes running away and
  losing a bit of XP is better than dying. If you're an Av, then
  you're even more free to flee. (Please make sure there are no
  DTs in the vicinity before fleeing, however.)

  If you're hideously curious and not sure if something is
  dangerous and want to find out, use a character that is naked
  or is only wearing equipment that you can afford to lose. That
  way if he DTs or dies in a location that you can't get your
  corpse back from, you don't lose anything.

  + On Deities
  They are handy things. Supplicate corpse is always a good thing.
  So is supplicate recall. At the same time, be aware of what
  you're getting into. Once devoted, deities cannot be changed.
  If your deity doesn't like you for some reason, you may spend
  hours trying to gain favor, or worse, end up damned.

  The path to the deities' naos (temples) can be dangerous
  depending on how far they are from Darkhaven. If you're a low
  level character, and keep dying along the way, it might be a
  good idea to put devoting off until you can survive the rigors
  of the journey.

  + On Directions
  It's been a couple months after the Shattering, and there are
  a number of good websites with fairly accurate directions: such
  as Nelkum's and the Druidic Cartographers. On the other hand,
  you use the directions at your own risk. They may cross
  dangerous paths with aggro mobs, and you won't know until you
  run into them... By then, it may be too late.

  The directions may also be inaccurate. People are human, they
  make mistakes, and the Realms may also change on them without
  warning. If following the directions doesn't get you where you
  want to go, well, they are wrong, and you have to live with it
  and find other directions or explore yourself.

  + On Asking Questions on Channels
  People are usually glad to help if you ask politely and specify
  what kind of help you need. (CR requests are almost never
  turned down, directions are often supplied, quest items now and
  then. Forget about asking for money or someone to level you,
  that's sheer laziness and won't help you in the long run
  either.)

  On the other hand, the people on the channels may be wrong!
  Take their advice with a pinch of salt. If there's one thing
  the Shattering did, it's leveled the playing field considerably
  as far as mud knowledge goes. Older players are familiar with
  the older parts of the realms, but less likely to be familiar
  with the new parts.

  + If It's Too Much, Team Up
  The amount of knowledge to be gathered from the New Realms is
  staggeringly huge. It will be many months and possibly even
  years before all the new things are found, if ever. To do it
  all alone would involve an enormous expenditure of time and
  effort into the attempt, and would only be worth it for a few
  fanatics.

  So find friends. And explore together. A team succeeds where
  lone players fail. Even when your friends aren't around though,
  nothing stops you from exploring by yourself and sharing what
  you've discovered later.

  In the end, while you can get a lot of help from other players,
  the only person you can rely on keeping yourself out of trouble
  is yourself. Keep notes. Keep mapping. Keep trying new things.
  Keep exploring. Keep having fun.

  This will be my last RoD 101 article. I hope you've found at
  least one of the column's tips useful. :) That will make all
  this struggling with words worthwhile.

  After The Shattering, it no longer feels appropriate to supply
  advice from a podium. New knowledge is now out there to be
  collected by a new generation of
  explorers. All we have to do is go out and find it. I wish all
  of us good luck, and happy hunting.

  "We shall never cease from exploration
   And the end of all our exploring
   Will be to arrive where we started
   And know the place for the first time."

  - T. S. Eliot

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  A Beginner's Guide to Arena PK - Ganemanoimu                  PK
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  Somewhere between mob killing and player-killing (PK) is the
  slightly out of place, convoluted world of Arena PK. It’s
  certainly not mob-killing, for your opponents have intelligence
  (or at least, are supposed to). They are gullible, but at the
  same time, they can always outwit you. And it also is not real
  deadly PK, because there is no tangible prize and you can always
  retreat when you’re in trouble if you’re fighting in the Forested
  Arena.

  Your range of actions are usually much more constrained as well,
  and the fighting tends to be a battle of attrition. It is more
  about burning up the opponents heals faster then he can force
  you to burn up yours. As well, there is less pursuit and teams,
  as there are no clans, and because of the nature of the
  Arena. There are a few people I’d like to thank for thrashing
  me thoroughly enough in the arena that I managed to pick up a
  few pointers along the way. These include, but are not limited
  to; Gul, Mac, Marv, Rob, Tod, Justin, Jake, Colin, Ben, Jordan,
  Jen, Glen, Cmike, 2.Mike.

  Right, so the main strategy in any formal Arena PK (i.e. You
  can’t leave to restock), is to conserve heals. If you can
  consistently do more damage to your opponent than he can do to
  you and you both start on equal footing, logic demands that he's
  going to run out of heals before you do. And when that happens,
  you're in a position to force the win. That is of course,
  barring any severe mess-ups or technical problems. (Like a
  sticky enter keys. Yes, I know you guys think that's
  still funny). Arena PKs are sometimes run as quests by
  immortals though glory is no longer awarded to winners as there
  is no inherent risk to it. You can still get cash prizes and/or
  other such prizes in these PKs. These may also affect your
  teams standings (and thusly affect glory prizes) in Inter Order
  Quests or Inter Guild Quests.

  Anyway, I'm going to spell out the basics for you but I'm
  choosing to pass over a few things that I feel are relatively
  minor and Id also like to keep a few secrets to myself. So
  while this might be a good jumping-off point for some of the
  newer people, the best way to learn is to go out and do it
  yourself.

  Alignment
  In terms of alignment, the ideal is neutral for most
  PKs. Evils suffer horribly by anyone who has protection, and
  devouts avoid zapping but have difficulty getting decent enough
  equipment to be competitive. Plus, everyone tends to go neutral
  anyway so all your killing blows will leave your align
  relatively unaffected.

  Equipment
  For equipment, any neutral classes should be wearing Seth-area
  equipment. Neutral warriors will be wielding Hammers of
  Curdardh. Devout warriors will usually be wearing justices, and
  Danbala equipment. To be competitive, you should aim to have
  about 1500+ hp and 110+ dr. Depending on the event, the range
  of equipment can vary but always watch out for those really old
  people decked in Clan who like to make an appearance once in a
  blue moon.

  Classes
  All the different classes have their unique attributes in PK,
  but they can be grouped into two main groups; single and dual
  wielders. Because they have two weapons, dual-wielders can do
  twice as many attacks, and these classes are usually gifted with
  high percentage extra attacks. The main PK classes are thieves
  and vampires. They both have 25 Dex. and can avoid a lot of
  damage whilst dishing out a lot. Thieves hit well with circle
  and vampire’s melee is quite good. Warriors and other 20 or 22
  Dex. classes have tons of melee attacks and can carry more
  heals, but they also take a huge amount of damage and with their
  lower Dex., they are more vulnerable to gouge and bash. As much
  as you love your mage or cleric, single-wielders can never go
  head-to-head with dual-wielders without some kind of significant
  advantage and expect to win. They can deal damage out, but with
  low Dex., and virtually no defensive skills like dodge or parry,
  it makes it impossible for them to tank and do damage at the
  same time.

  Skills/Spells
  Surprisingly enough, the skill/spell world is pretty simplistic
  when placed in a PK context. Firstly, sanctuary, protection and
  fly are all very important. Maxed stats are important and it is
  nice to have demonskin/dragonskin to protect against the common
  weapons. As well, player vs. player damage is unaffected by
  resists past 20% so it isn't necessary to go overboard.
  You should carry important spells as potions. It isn't uncommon
  to go through 4-5 sanctuary potions during a fight.
  Carrying springs is a good habit to get into, both as potions
  and as scrolls. Potions are useless if your stomach is full,
  and scrolls lag you, so know when to use each. As well,
  elemental shields do negligible damage and are just spammy, so
  avoid them if possible.
  Secondary attacks like leap are okay ways to start fights, but
  their damage is puny and shouldn't be used as regular attacks.
  Sneak is a really important skill to have if you can. You'll be
  able to sneak up on people and it will make it a great deal
  more difficult for them to pursue you.
  Gouge and bash cause blindness and lag a player respectively
  and are nice to mix things up a bit, but they rarely hit and so
  shouldn't be depended upon all the time.

  Backstab is awesome and does huge damage, but it’s hard to get
  in so don't try to focus on it, just get it off if you have an
  opportunity.
  Circle does a lot of damage as well, but you have to make sure
  that you’re able to circle (i.e. You attacked first), and also
  be careful when fighting multiple opponents. Two rounds is
  plenty to get whacked when stuck in circle lag.

  Grasp is okay but its dependence on blood-points means you also
  have to feed so you fill your stomach very quickly.
  Single-wielders should just use their strongest attacks like
  necromantic touch, virtue, quantum spike, etc.
  In terms of styles, when tanking, style down as low as possible.
  When attacking, style up as high as possible. You should be
  aware of the limitations of the higher styles. Single-wielders
  should generally always remain in evasive. Simple, no?

  Strategies
  For basics, set a moderate wimpy so you can automatically flee
  out when your get low on hit-points, but not so high that you
  flee out before you can get your attacks in. Somewhere in the
  range of 200-600 is good. Disable your triggers and be
  Config +brief.
  In terms of macros/aliases, I personally use 4 macros;
  quaff heal, drink, style evasive, style aggressive. I also use
  two aliases, one for circle, and one for murder. I switch to
  standard style manually. As stated earlier, the key idea is to
  survive. You may get the most KBs, but if you’re dead halfway
  through, you still haven't won anything. Always keep your hp
  above a certain level so you absorb a big 400-500 hp circle and
  be alive. As well, don't heal yourself up to full, as you leave
  yourself open to a backstab and that wastes heals. When you flee
  from a battle, make sure you ‘drink spring’ before you flee, or
  else you'll be running around on a full stomach and your
  opponents may be watching the springs. Nothing is more
  frustrating than dying because of a full stomach when you still
  have 200 heals left in your container.

  Right after you flee, get sneak back on and then keep moving
  on to different rooms. Anyone can chase you if you move one
  room away.
  There are also a few other options you can follow when you flee
  out. If you’re fairly high on HP, you can always go right back
  into the room and re-attack your opponent, or you can spam
  ‘murder ’ a few times and see whether your opponent
  will walk into it.
  When attacking, if your opponent flees, chase him and move
  quickly, keep looking for him. If he doesn't flee, you may find
  it useful to flee out and re-attack him, as this will often
  give you extra melee attack bonus.
  Your overall strategy will also depend on the type of arena PK
  you are involved in. In a 2-team versus PK, the general idea is
  to focus on the weakest person and then move on up from there
  while maintaining numerical superiority. Keep in mind that
  while you're trying to do this, your opponent is trying to do
  the same to you.
  In free for all, avoid fighting at all in the beginning and try
  to follow the pack and team on whoever the main group is teaming
  on. You should also plan for endgame and form alliances so you
  can end up on the top. For example, those 3 Deadlies may carry
  you to the end 4, but who do you think they're going to team up
  on when everyone else is dead?

  Anyway, those are the basics and a lot of it is really common
  sense when you think it over. Once you get the basics down, it
  really is a lot of fun. The main thing is practice, practice,
  practice.

  Ganemanoimu

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  The Basics of RolePlay - Gawen                         Role-Play
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  "Roleplaying, what's that?" You say. Well, it's simple.
  According to Dictionary.com, to roleplay is "To assume or
  represent in a drama".

  There are many forms of roleplaying. What we shall cover here
  is what goes on in the Realms, and how people go about it. Just
  as a disclaimer, I'd like to state that nothing written here is
  written as a rule on how people should roleplay their
  characters. Consider it more like a suggestion, or a small guide
  to getting started in the roleplay world.

  First things first. How do I get started?
  Well, that's simple. There are many ways you can get started as
  a roleplayer in the Realms. One of the simplest is to merely
  start emoting actions and speaking like the actual character
  that you play everyday. Although, that's really no fun if
  there's no one to interact with.
  There are really three main groups of roleplayers in the Realms,
  and joining one of those three groups is really the way to get started.
  The three groups I speak of are:
  Group A - The 14 Nations.
  Group B - The Order of Rol Na Feinne.
  Group C - The independent roleplay groups.

  Personally, I think getting involved with a nation is the
  easiest way to get started as an active roleplayer here in the
  realms. I myself was first introduced to the Elven Nation, and
  roleplaying itself shortly after meeting some of the Elven
  Nation roleplayers. My very first scene had me literally
  emoting that my character was leaning on a tree, while the
  others in the scene began discussing Nations politics.
  Immediately I was hooked by the mere mention of the great nations
  and how they interacted. Of course, some of that was merely new
  player shine and sparkle, as I was not aware of how things went on.
  Each nation is different and will offer you different aspects
  of roleplay. But be warned, if you are out to join a nation, some
  nations are very active, and some are very inactive. Just because
  you belong to a race, you should not expect that race's nation to
  be active among the roleplaying community.

  On to group B, the Order of Rol Na Feinne. Now, I speak here
  as a person who's never belonged to RnF. I prefer to roleplay
  among the nations, as it allows me to be a member of a
  Non-roleplaying organization, such as a guild or an order.
  That's just my personal preference, but many people that I do
  roleplay with are active members of RnF, and they love every
  minute of it.

  RnF is an order based purely on roleplaying. Unlike other
  orders they do not concentrate on running. RnF is unique to
  the realms in that it is the sole roleplay Order.
  If you wish to join, read HELP RNF.

  Now, our last group, is group C, the independent roleplayers.
  Here is where there is some groaning and complaining about
  "cliques". The independent roleplayers tend to be very private
  about their plots, and only roleplay with certain others.
  The independent roleplayers are usually a small group of friends
  who already know each other, and know each other's style of
  play.  Most independent groups are experienced roleplayers
  who perform plots based on no out of character direction.
  My experience with independent groups of roleplayers is that
  the roleplay tends to be very freeform, and while there is
  direction to it, the plot is very versatile.
  However, this has just been my experience, and the independent
  roleplayers will vary from group to group.

  Well, now that you know all about the different ways you can
  enter the roleplaying world of the Realms of Despair, perhaps
  you should read about some roleplaying "lingo."

  Firstly, roleplayers are not always playing their character.
  In order to distinguish between the times when one is
  roleplaying, and when one is not, roleplayers use the
  abbreviations "IC" and "OOC". If you haven't figured this out,
  "IC" means "In Character", while "OOC" means "Out of Character."

  Next, a "plot" is simply a storyline, and what is going on in
  the story with the characters involved. There are usually many
  plots happening at the same time among different groups of
  characters.

  We'll move onto "emote".  An "emote" is an in-game command that
  allows you to send a customized message to the mud.  For
  example, I type this -
   emote smiles brightly and greets Samantha with a quiet hello.
  Everyone else will see this -
   Gawen smiles brightly and greets Samantha with a quiet hello.

  The emote command is one of the paramount abilities of a
  roleplayer. Emote is what makes Realms roleplay so very
  challenging. While we can do any sort of action that we please
  with an emote, we must do it in a fashion where our name
  precedes every single emote. Currently there are no commands
  that are similar to a room echo, where the name of our character
  will not be prefixed to the command.

  Along with emoting, there is the ever sensible "say" command.
  Using say is simple, everyone does it at one point or another,
  because it's one of the most simple forms of communication on
  this mud. A good mixture of emotes and says is a very key thing
  in roleplaying, and getting the right balance comes with time
  and practice. Of course, it also depends on the pace of the
  scene. One would not use all says if they were fighting an evil
  dragon. Words are powerful, but you're not going to take out a
  dragon by saying "shoo."

  Now that we've covered the basics, get out there and roleplay!
  The roleplaying community is always looking for newcomers.
  Don't be intimidated, just get out there and roleplay!
  Remember that it's all in good fun, and while at times it may
  be frustrating, it's just for your entertainment.  Don't take
  it too seriously or you'll find yourself not wanting to
  roleplay at all!

  ----------------------------------------------------------------
  Honesty - Ilsensine                                      Honesty
  ----------------------------------------------------------------
  /*|*\/*|*\/*|*\/*|*\/*|*\ Honesty /*|*\/*|*\/*|*\/*|*\/*|*\/*|*\
  \_|_/\_|_/\_|_/\_|_/\_|_/_________\_|_/\_|_/\_|_/\_|_/\_|_/\_|_/

  Honesty plays a strange part in our realms. Perhaps you've never
  really thought about it often in the past, but I would ask you
  all to think about it, even for just a moment. I'm sure you'll
  say to yourselves that you know already, but do at least
  consider the role of honesty in your gaming.

  We play a fantasy game. Most of us know nothing of the real
  lives of our fellow mudders. Sure, we know things about some of
  our friends here, we may even have met some in the flesh and
  developed a concrete friendship or two outwith as well as within
  the realms. Think for a second about those players you think of
  as friends here but haven't met, or haven't spoken to face to
  face. Have you shared important moments with them? Maybe a
  secret or two? I can't speak for others, but I know I have, and
  it shows something important that we can do that - it shows we
  have trust, and faith in the honesty and reality of another.

  Do we have to be honest? Of course we don't. That's what makes
  a trusted friend in the realms so important. We place that
  trust with faith and without direct evidence that the friend
  is really being who they are.

  It can be quite a freedom not to be honest. It is tempting to be
  something you are not. However, you should be honest regardless.
  This game is not an end in itself. Your Seth set is nothing but
  a few lines of code. Your ability to kill a mob will achieve
  almost nothing outwith the act itself. That is not to say that
  out time here in the Realms is pointless. Far from it. The
  engine of the game is not a slot machine on which to roll up
  numbers. It is an interface for people.

  If you think upon nothing else that I have said, think of this.
  Each time you type quit, you leave the game behind. Your
  Darkfire Blaster has left the clutch of your hand. Divine
  Retribution is merely a metaphor. But something follows with
  you as you leave : the people. So try to remember that the
  people are all real, and it is their honesty that makes them so.
  Those who choose to be false or dishonest do so with a
  consequence they perhaps hadn't thought of...

            ...When they quit, they take with them nothing at all.

  Ilsensine.

  ----------------------------------------------------------------
  Funnybones - Collected by the CoD                     Funnybones
  ----------------------------------------------------------------

  For some reason, Qaulorn was silly enough to have a helpfile
  named after him.  This has since been removed, however.

  help qaulornisasillyhead

  QAULORNISASILLYHEAD
  It is officially stated that Qaulorn, and his accompanying head,
  are silly.


  And the rest of the community express their sillyness in titles!

  Eihpem, retteb si sdrawkcab semitemos.
  Ugaxipi wielding (Red Aura) Cheesebane.
  Andora, dial 0800-HYSTERIC-CLERIC to place an ad here.
  Deodato is half-shark, half-alligator, half-druid.
  Futhark: Save a tree, eat a beaver....
  Absynthe makth it hard to remember.

  And what have those Mages been stirring up this month?

  Lucenti.      xxxxx               xx       xx. 
  Fithlanthas xxxxxxxxx             xxx     xxx. 
  Zeze.      xx      xxx   xxxxxx   xxx     xxx. 
  Romani.    xx           xxxxxxxx  xxxx   xxxx. 
  Leonidas.  xx    xxxx   xxx  xxx  xxxx   xxxx. 
  Bergeil.   xx     xxxx  xxx  xxx  xxxx   xxxx. 
  Mortis.    xx       xx  xxx  xxx  xx xxxxx xx. 
  Sharil.    xx       xx  xxx  xxx  xx xxxxx xx. 
  Reatha.     xxx   xxx   xxxxxxxx  xx  xxx  xx. 
  Alavius.      xxxxx      xxxxxx   xx  xxx  xx. 
  Treva is Ozzy Osbourne and thinks his guild has lost it. 


  For ages we have searched for answers, and for truth. With
  patience, this can be accomplished. Today I take the first step
  in finding the truth behind a very pressing matter...
  "Why did the chicken cross the road?"
  Here is what some close consultation revealed:

  Shadack - Euhrm.. Why not go find the chicken and ask it instead
            of me?
  Ingwe - To get away from the Avs spam-killing him in hopes he'd
          pop an egg?
  Treva - Because I threatened to bite his head off.
  Darshanin - Dunno :(
  Norbert - Blimey ok, how about the chicken crossed the road cause
            the area tax man was the side it crossing from.
            How's that, secret is out, now you know.
  Tseng - Because the evil corporate chicken rancher told it to.
  Mogki - To get a packet of PK. get it? Neither did he the shop
          was closed :P
  Aurale - Because those funky reunion people were trying to make
             him dance with Vir.

  This is a timeless classic question that has riddled life for many
  an age. However, with the assistance of these learned beings as
  well as my own notes and scripts I think I've solved it.

  You see we must first delve deep into the murks of the plains of
  the new world. Where the chicken domain was at its height. From
  what I've gathered, the chicken was definitely frightened. But of
  what or whom, in this age chickens had a fearless rule over their
  area of plain. After some thought, a reliable reference scripture
  and the key input from Norbert and Ingwe, I've realized this
  chicken was running for his life.

  Then it hit me, it was sometime through the course of chicken
  history that a rage of avatars attempted to capture the plains.
  In this day eggs were of mighty value, and the avatars jumped at
  the opportunity for a fresh item to trade with the known world.

  So you see, this chicken was a hero to its people. It was the
  famous chicken who yelled "The avatars are coming! The avatars
  are coming!", to alert its people, and begin preparations for
  what we all know to be the great Avatar whoopings of the old
  times.

  So that is why the chicken crossed the road. Finally explained.
  Finally, except for one minor detail. I've yet to figure out
  how Vir sorts into this mess. But I shall get back to you all.

  Simone

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  From the Staff of the CoD: Thank you for reading!!!

  Feedback? Comments? Fan/hate mail? Submissions? All are
  welcome at the CoD public boards, located: e,s,2u,s,w,s
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