CoE Answers, Romani: a Gith ship, eerie captain’s wheel turning on its own
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/ Contents - Cry of Despair, Issue 106, May/June 2006 \_______________________
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Ask CoE - by Reuel HELP CRY2-4
RP, Poems and Stories - Sub-Editor: Mari HELP CRY5-31
Sanctus Irae News - by Jalisa HELP CRY5
Nations News
Human - by Sealom HELP CRY6
Gith - via Romani HELP CRY7-8
Halfling - via Romani HELP CRY9-10
Gnome - via Romani HELP CRY11-12
Half-Ogre - via Romani HELP CRY13
Dwarf - via Romani HELP CRY14
Drow - via Romani HELP CRY15
Elf - via Romani HELP CRY16
Half-Troll - via Romani HELP CRY17
Half-Elf - via Romani HELP CRY18
Sea-Elf - via Romani HELP CRY19-20
Poem Submission - by Vortok HELP CRY21
Story Submission - by Gyraz/Zistrosk HELP CRY22-27
Story Submission - by Vortok HELP CRY28-31
PKill/Deadly Matters - Sub-Editor: Vortok HELP CRY19-20
Amante's Levelling Guide - by Amante HELP CRY32-39
PKill News - by Vortok HELP CRY40
PKC Survey - by Vortok HELP CRY41
Interview: PKC Head - by Vortok HELP CRY42-49
Interview: New Catarrh Leader - by Vortok HELP CRY50-58
Goodbye - by Alysira HELP CRY59
Page: 001
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/ Ask CoE - by Reuel \________________________________________________________
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Reuel:
First and foremost, I must say thank you Kinux for allowing me to resurrect
this article from the ashes and to breathe new life into this project on behalf
of the CoD and all the curious players in the Realms of Despair.
Kinux grins.
Kinux:
Most welcome.
Reuel:
In terms of the coding recourses in the mud, how involved are non immortals in
technical support, and how does a capable coder ever hope of becoming involved?
Kinux:
Non immortals' main role is in testing and reporting. That said, we have had a
number of non immortals forward code fixes to us over the years. The second
part of the question... It is possible to become involved by talking to Conran,
our Code Council head. He can take in the code submissions, or assign needed
coding projects as required. While not as frequent as in the 1.4a days, it
still does happen.
Continued... Page: 002
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/ Ask CoE - by Reuel \________________________________________________________
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Reuel:
The Cleric revamp project... how is that panning out? Do Clerics really have
hope of breaking out of the brew bot shell? In the Cleric help file mention is
made to mystical might and martial prowess, will this play any part into the
greater scheme of things?
Kinux:
It has been mentioned many times before that Clerics will never be a 'hitter'
class. The Cleric project was meant to deal with a number of issues that arose
from the adjustment to Clerics with the shattering... A little history...
After the shattering a council of mortals who played Clerics came together and
brought together a list of suggestions for the class. In addition to thematic
changes, there were a number of spell changes proposed. It is high on our
priority list to get this project completed and into the game, as it had sat
dormant for far too long. But there is quite a bit of renewed interest in
seeing it completed.
Continued... Page: 003
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/ Ask CoE - by Reuel \________________________________________________________
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Reuel:
Third and final question... Are there any other big projects on the horizon?
Kinux:
There are always projects on the horizon. Right now we are really focusing on
a multitude of coding fixes and upgrades from VC, TS and the Ideas file. We
also have quite a few new and revamped areas being prepped for porting in the
near future. If you are asking are we going to do another shattering? No. But
there are substantial upgrades in the future I think I'll need to leave it
there, before I misspeak on something that should remain private.
Reuel:
You guys are an amazing team, and I must just encourage you all by saying...
keep up the good work.
Kinux:
Many thanks, but it's the players of the Realms who keep us doing what we do.
-
Mudmail any questions you would like to see addressed in our next edition of
Ask CoE to Reuel. Every month the top three questions will be selected and
represented in the next issue of CoD. You may choose to remain anonymous if you
so wish, though it is required that you indicate this in your mudmail.
(End) Page: 004
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/ Sanctus Irae News - by Jalisa \_____________________________________________
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The City of Irae would like to congratulate Talisha and Shareed Dracos on the
birth of their twins Kaleena and Astalder. They were born at 3am and 6am
(respectively) on the Day of the Sun, 20th the Month of the Grand Struggle.
We would like to welcome our newest visitors Jericho and Ophy. We hope their
stay here in our City is a pleasant one.
When visiting Irae you may notice a few changes. Construction crews have
begun work on a new gate for carts and wagons. Wooden scaffolding can be seen
along our streets as we are repairing many of the older buildings to
accommodate our new residents. Keep an eye out for these new and exciting
changes.
(End) Page: 005
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/ Human News - by Sealom \____________________________________________________
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After months of civil unrest, Malcom Dragonfang, has abdicated. He has
packed his belongings and left Lomar in a self-appointed exile without
a proclamation stating a reason why.
Prior to his abdication Malcom offered the Throne and Crown of Lomar
to Sealom Bancridhe, one of the primary opponents to his reign. Whilst
Sealom rejected the title of King he has accepted the responsibility
of leading the Nation in new directions.
Surveying the state of the Nation, Sealom recognized the problems that
could arise with regards to accountability within a monarchist state.
Due to this, he dissolved the Monarchy and instituted a new Republic
where all Human Citizens will have the ability to voice their opinions
and views in the Senate.
In addition to the dissolution of the Monarchy, Sealom revoked Nobilic
privilege as an established system in the Nation. These two moves
caused considerable ire amongst the Aristocracy and has given rise to
a pro-Royalist faction who seek to undermine the Republic and restore
a King to the Throne of Lomar.
(End) Page: 006
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/ Gith News - via Romani \____________________________________________________
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The storm comes,
The waves crash and collide against the rocks that run along most of the
coastline of Realms as a violent storm batters the oceans almost as if
the spirits of the sea have awoken, and yet in that wake comes a Galleon
drifting in silence.
A Galleon made from purest black oak and the strongest ebony reinforced
with giant metallic plating that makes the ship more of a floating
juggernaut than humble pirate Galleon. Giant masts reach up to the
heavens that seem to reject this boat as the rain and winds batter its
sails and yet the royal Gralthai flag seems to fly in its on wind.
Two giant lanterns at the front of the Galleon seem to unnerve those
who manage a glimpse of this blackened ship, lanterns like the eyes
of a floating beast. As the wind passes and the storm dies a single
violin plays into the night, its haunting tune carried on a still wind
as a haunting vision enters your mind, a vision of how things might
be. A vision of blood, chaos and carnage, of the dead piled in streets
and of a city that will lie in ruin as a Duke falls on his blooded broken
sword.
And a message remains in your mind, 'They will fall soon...'.
*Signed by a Gralthai pirate farseer*
(End) Page: 007
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/ Gith News - via Romani\_____________________________________________________
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*The journey of the black shadow continues...*
And yet such a ship that moves silently over the chaotic waves of
realms seems to be itself lost, seeking out its cause in life and
letting nothing come in her way. The royal gralthai flags flying
high over the mast and an eerie captains wheel that seems to turn
by itself, with no wind to guide it. Those who look upon the ship
feel the coldness of shadow, the bleakness of death, that will in
time come for you all.
As men themselves and Gith will admit that dead men tell no tales
and in the dead of the night a ship under the control of a fearless
first mate waits in silence, for its day of glory....and bloodshed.
And yet their captain has come ashore, already blending with
the land to strike a fatal blow when the time comes.
*Written by a shadowy robed Gralthai bystander*
(End) Page: 008
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/ Halfling News - via Romani \________________________________________________
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To all Hobbits and those who are friends of the Hobbit Nation July 1st
will be known from this day forth as Saint Chickens Day in remembrance
of Foofoo the first of our steroid injected chickens who gave her life
valiantly in order to save the life of 7 Hobbits.
As the Hobbit Nation began to grow we knew that we had to make a
new colony. At the same time in defense of all nations in the realms we
had to declare war on the evil Hobgoblins who were killing the young of
all nations and stealing their weapons.
Covering our tracks was crucial to this mission. So from each chicken
nest two or three eggs were chosen and the shells and the embryos were
injected with steroids.
The eggs grew at such a rapid rate that several hobbits at a time
had to take turns sitting on them to keep them warm and chicken costumes
were made so the hatchlings would not be two confused when born. Our
beloved Foofoo was one of the first eggs to hatch and as a newborn she
was over two feet tall.
By the time we were ready to depart for our trip she was a little over
four feet tall and a birch bark nest was secured to her back so she could
carry 5 Hobbits at one time.
There were several times when our enemies were spotted but they did
not attack because they did not see us hiding. The hobgoblins broke their
truce as quickly as they made it and a group of our hobbits were surrounded
and attacked whiles harvesting berries.
Continued... Page: 009
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/ Halfling News - via Romani \________________________________________________
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This time the vicious hobgoblins had dipped their weapons in poison.
Foofoo who had accompanied the hobbits in order to carry the harvest back
was hit buy a poisonous arrow. Realizing the danger to her precious hobbits
she quickly gathered them under her feathers and let out a war cry signal
the need for help and then attacked the goblins with her mighty beak.
Seven poisonous arrows she took one for the life of each hobbit she
was hiding. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw the army of hobbits
and chickens arriving, gently brushed a feather against the hobbits she
loved as if to say goodbye and then died.
We shall never forget you Foofoo, long may your memory live. As of
today the eating of chickens and eggs is prohibited throughout our lands.
Every first of July we shall invite all nations who wish to participate
to join us in Saint Chickens Day. We shall all dress up as chickens and
run around giving gifts to all of the chickens, have chicken dances, chicken
races, and make chicken scratches on the ground.
May you all be blessed with the courage of these chickens,
Sincerely Zasperlyn
Your humble Nation Leader
(End) Page: 010
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/ Gnome News - via Romani\____________________________________________________
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In a sad turn of events, our dear Tiniegh, has fallen ill and can no longer
attend to her duties as Nations Wisdom. For the moment, her seat on the
council will remain empty.
Kairi will be assuming the position of Nations First once her schooling is
completed. She is a bright and energetic young gnome whom I believe will help
breath life back into our quiet nation.
In other news, preparations are still underway for the Olympics. If you
desire to compete in this competition, please let someone on the Council know.
It is widely known that gnomes keep to themselves and that we are a secretive
race, especially given our history, it is understandable that many would feel
reluctant to deal with the outsiders. It is after all, a world for those who
are tall.
Still, we are a strong and proud people. It is time to rise above our past
and shed the fears of slavery.
Continued... Page: 011
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/ Gnome News - via Romani\____________________________________________________
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In other matters, congratulations go out to Jessup and Amaleen Tallowood on
the birth of their sons, Gareth and Caleb. Both boys are healthy and strong
and Amaleen is doing well.
Nations Temperance Farlina would like to invite those interested in swimming
and picnicking, to the Vale to spend time at Lake Chalsa. There are many
places worthy of visiting in the Vale, but those wishing to visit the Roaring
Drunkard are advised to use caution and keep a tight hand on their purse.
(End) Page: 012
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/ Half-Ogre News - via Romani\________________________________________________
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Dateline Opallinoc - An Adventure ?
Raj, the Uruk'hai BattleMaster, decided it was time to dress his Progeny,
Lilraj. in a more appropriate manner. Looking him over, Raj proclaimed,
"Lilraj, you need some moccasins and the fabled Bracer of Light." Lilraj
smiled broadly at the prospect of new items to wear. Remembering the last
incident of going alone, Raj thought it best to have someone watch his back.
Scanning around Opallinoc, Raj saw Klaatu, counting his retirement treasure.
Upon inquirying if Klaatu would want to "have some fun", the Uruk'hai Chieftan
twirled his Vengeance of the Uruk'hai aloft and exclaimed, "Let's go!"
Klaatu and Raj got their carpets running and headed out on the highway to
the Blasted Lands. Strolling in on Horus, they began the melee with Raj
leading, as a BattleMaster should. Things progressed slowly. Suddenly, a loud
ripping sound filled the air. Raj's pouch was torn open. The goodies scattered
all over the floor. A few more melee rounds and Horus was dead. Klaatu whipped
out his large, long container, put in in Raj's hands saying, "Use this thing."
Next was Artemis. She was easily tracked through the forest. The two Uruk'hai
attacked and shortly it was over. Far easier than the tribulations at Horus.
Dateline Revelation City - a Secret Place
While meandering through the Barren Peaks, Klaatu visited 'Rev City' for the
troll's treasure. Scanning around, a dark, locked building was discovered.
Fruitless attempts at bashing the door open, searching and digging for the
hinted key, all to no avail. Although it was found to be able to dig in a tree.
Anyone with ancient knowledge of Revelation City on this, contact Klaatu.
(End) Page: 013
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/ Dwarf News - via Romani\____________________________________
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Dear Realmers of the Dwarf Persuasion!
The revitalized Olympics are coming up, and the Dwarf Nation wants YOU to
join the team! Interested dwarves should see me, mudmail me, or post a note on
the dwarven nation board.
This will be a great opportunity to ease your way into the Nation, into RP
and into a Dwarf Mentality. It is also cheaper than Stoneheft's way (purchasing
large quantities of ale, inhaling all of it, and yelling in a Scottish accent).
Hope to hear from you soon.
-j
Thane.
(End) Page: 014
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/ Drow News - via Romani\_____________________________________
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Some traditions date from generations out of mind and are carried on without
realizing their deeper meanings. An example of this is Lil Shar'tleg, or The
Turn, a celebration that harks back to the solstice celebrations of the
Surface. A time for feasting, competition and frequently all-night revelry,
Lil Shar'tleg is no longer held annually, but instead every four years. As
far as I can see, the reason for this is that the Drow do not, as a habit, get
on well with each other.
Excerpted from "Ilythiiri: Betrayers of the Sun"
Attributed to Agramar the Bland
Suliss del Veldrin'Velve invites the Ilythiiri to Lil Shar'tleg, to occur the
18th of June at 7pm, hosted amidst the High Society of Iniquity in view of the
ranked houses. Food delicacies and fine drink will be provided by Veldrin'
Velve, but all guests are welcome to add their favourite dishes to the spread.
As it would not be a Drow feast without a demonstration of strength and
prowess, there will be competition and games as well ! Dress to impress.
It is requested that those wishing to bring non-Drow guests please speak with
Valsharess Suliss to make arrangements ahead of time, lest there be an
international incident.
(End) Page: 015
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/ Elf News - via Romani\______________________________________
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A thick mist drifts across the Island of Irrybis a dense and troubling mist
that holds an air of foreboding. The island is quiet and still although the
peace feels somewhat drained. Reports have been coming in of ominous shadows
from all sides of the islands coast. Advice has been issued for all Quendi to
stay in their homes unless on important business and that the coast line is
temporarily off limits. May the blessings of Tel'Seldarine watch over you
all. - Aran Gildeth Calon Dracos.
(End) Page: 016
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/ Half-Troll News - via Romani\_______________________________________________
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Rising from the ruins of an old mountain, the fortress of the
Half-Trolls stands in dark splendor. The fortress is
surrounded by a deep moat full of vicious beasts, and guarded
by some of it's own. Lying amidst the Southern Mountains, the
Half-Trolls have made a home for themselves. The fortress
contains a small city, complete with shops, lounges and other
conveniences which make this hardy race comfortable in this
harsh environment.
If you are interested in being part of this great nation please
contact your Nation Leader or post to the Nation board.
(End) Page: 017
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/ Half-Elf News - via Romani\_________________________________________________
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Gqlwuerwh lwgwmc umqooqo, Uecuqi aeuf oumqlbo xr pxhi, rmlvq l otwhzuqi
rltq lci l zlem xr zeqmtecp pmqqc qnqo. Ec ufeo vqvxmn xr ielchl'o, qhil'o
ulhh repqmq eo thxufqi ec rxmqouecp plmg. Ofq eoc'u ovehecp, gwu..
Dwou, oxvqufecp ec fqm rltq vlbqo nxw umwou fqm. Tlmmnecp l oulrr uflu
hxx bo vxmq hebq l aqlzxc uflc l alhbecp ouetb, ofq hxxbo glbt lu nxw
jwqouexcecphn.
A = W, W = U
Solve the cryptogram to get the riddle and answer it. Send entries to Amalia
via mudmail by:
June 1, 2006
(End) Page: 018
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/ Sea-Elf News - via Romani \_________________________________________________
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-..-..-```-..-..-..-```-..Aerandiri News..-..-..-```-..-..-..-```-..-
The shores of Mathlaan are quiet these few months. A brave warrior
by the name of Yerishio has promised Speaker Isarda that he would
be her spokesperson to the Valsharess of the Drow. Although Isarda
has no idea what the Drow Queen has in mind, the Coral Throne has
warned her discreetly about the double-dealings of the Dark Elves
and she must be careful of any terms with them.
In the Council of the Aerandir, Speaker Isarda has drafted many
letters to some of the Nations of the Realms with trade in her
mind. She has also consulted the rulers of the various Sea Elf
kingdoms about trading with the other races of the realms and
drew up a detailed plan of what to obtain from each Nation.
From the Pixies, she would like to trade for sugar and honey.
With the Gnomes, she has thought of sending some of the young
scholars in the Colony to study with the Gnomish Scientists.
From the Humans, she does not know anything yet but perhaps
they might have milk and cheese to trade.
Continued... Page: 019
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/ Sea-Elf News - via Romani \_________________________________________________
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From the Elves, she does not know anything either so perhaps
a visit to the Island of Arbolon might let her learn something.
If any other Nation wishes to trade with the Aerandir, we have
many things to offer such as pearls, oysters, silver, sea-salt,
watersilk, seasilk, fish and seafood, construction materials
(limestone, granite, hardshell).
We are also willing to form trade alliances with more nations.
_.-,
.--' '-._
_/`- _ '.
'----'._`.----. \
` \;
jgs ;_\
,-._
_.-' '--.
.' _ -`\_
/ .----.`_.'----'
;/ `
jgs /_;
._ ._ ._ ._
_.-._)`\_.-._)`\_.-._)`\_.-._)`\_.-._
(End) Page: 020
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/ Poem Submission - by Vortok \_______________________________________________
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A PK Poem #1: by Vortok
I never knew the sorrow that would follow with this choice,
I barely have a conscience now; a silenced inner voice.
The bloodshed and the horror that befell them from my blade,
The nightmares and the terror, the screams that they all made.
The sounds of dying children, crying as they bled,
And then the sounds of mothers as they saw their children dead.
I chose the path of shadows, the deadly way of life,
The path that costs a fortune; my children and my wife.
Every lurking shadow that seems to pass my way,
Could be my final calling, my final living day.
There are many in the lifestyle, but few that I'd call friend,
Most would show a smile but then knife you in the end.
Something keeps me going, something I can't explain,
Perhaps it is the head rush when I hear them scream in pain.
Perhaps it's just the way my heart races when I'm weak,
When I'm running for my life in a deadly hide and seek.
Perhaps it's when you score a kill and revel in the cash,
Or when you flame your fallen foe and they start talking trash.
Regardless of the reason, there's one thing I can say,
Damn I love this lifestyle, I'll never quit PK!
(End) Page: 021
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/ Story Submission - by Gyraz/Zistrosk \______________________________________
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The Cold and Dark, Misshapen PK Showdown of Flareon and Nelkum
Chapter 1 - The Rain in Spain Stays Mainly a Total Pain
It all started one day when Flareon, hanging out with her best friend and
fellow spellbot-in-arms Merry, noticed that it had been raining and snowing
an awful lot, and that the weather was dreadfully dreary. Both of them knew
that bad weather did not a busy spellbot make, and after playing rock,
scissors, paper for the honor of inquiry, it was agreed that Flareon would
investigate into these dreary goings-on. So with a heartfelt sigh, she donned
her Snow Goggles, her overboot galoshes, and her Botter's Friend (c) Raincoat,
and set off in search of the source of these mysterious weather patterns.
Chapter 2 - Oh Gremlin, Where Art Thou?
Meanwhile, 7e of Darkhaven Square, Nelkum sits doing his solo spell routine
on whomever is passing by. He too, notices that the weather has been very
cold and gloomy lately, but since his eclectic collections of useful things
contains gear for such an occasion, he is not overly disturbed. However,
as he is standing there, plying his magical wares, he notices a short, gremlin
like creature enter the gates of Darkhaven and head south. As it passes, he
notes a mysterious semi-darkness cloaked about it, and the chill of cold air
as it passes. Sensing danger, darkness, and evil, he almost does nothing, for
after all, he is a Drow. But then it occurs to him, this ugly little creature
just might interfere with his own plans of Spellcasting, and decides to leave
his post for a while to investigate.
Continued... Page: 022
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/ Story Submission - by Gyraz/Zistrosk \______________________________________
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Chapter 3 - Gremlin Schemlin! Dark is the day... dark is the day
The massive dark ogre turns south on Hawk St, pausing only to ensure that his
magical gremlin disguise is firmly in place, and that Nelkum noted his passing.
Olanzirf," he chuckles to himself, "this is going to be a day to remember.
Off down the street he moves, towards the pet store, casting change weather
wetter, change weather darker, all the while. "Just a few more casts, and
it'll be permanent" chuckles Olanzirf, flexing his hand into a victorious fist.
Chapter 4 - Perceptions of Darkness
"Oh!" exclaimed Flareon, as she stumbled over a cobblestone, to the quiet
snickers of passers-by. She had forgotten how difficult walking about was,
since she had been in the same place for so long. Casting fly, Flareon gently
floated off of the ground, nursing her sore toes. "Now, where is this strange
weather coming from?" she wondered. Casting detect magic all around her, she
sensed something at the edge of her perception, something dark and cold, to
the south of her. Resolutely, she headed south on Vertic Avenue, peering off
into the darkness.
Continued... Page: 023
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/ Story Submission - by Gyraz/Zistrosk \______________________________________
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Chapter 5 - Companions and Icicles
Though the midday was at hand, Nelkum had to cast continual light to see
where he was going in the thick darkness that lay before him. Dark and cold,
the wind blew into his face, sending shivers up his spine. Casting inner
warmth on himself, he smiled slightly, and turned his attention back towards
the gremlin creature that had disappeared into the night. Where had he gone?
Turning the corner onto Law Ave, he ducked into the Companions and Mounts
pet shop. Standing inside the doorway, he started shaking the water off of his
coat, and then suddenly stopped. Something was wrong, he could feel it.
Looking up, he expected to see Ellien's smiling face, but instead the man was
standing there with a look of frozen shock and horror on his face. Approaching
cautiously, Nelkum noted that Ellien was literally frozen solid, in what must
have been an excruciatingly painful way. Nelkum quickly looked in the back
of the store and all around for the perpetrator. All of the animals were also
frozen in place, and every surface felt ice cold. No sign of an intruder, or
of what had happened to them, was evident. "That gremlin!" Nelkum thought out
loud, "He must be behind this! I must stop him!" Without another word, Nelkum
headed out the door, and resumed tracking that mysterious gremlin.
Continued... Page: 024
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/ Story Submission - by Gyraz/Zistrosk \______________________________________
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Chapter 6 - Want some Cheese with your Whine?
Flareon turned off of Vertic, going east on Horizon avenue, certain she had
sensed something coming from this direction. "I hope Matilda is OK." she
thought to herself. As she reached Matilda's Dairy Products, she let out
a small cry. "No! It can't be!" she cried! Matilda was sitting with her
beautiful blond locks flowing down behind her chair, eyes wide open and
staring forward in a frozen look of horror. Ice covered nearly her entire body
and was two feet deep at her feet. Something, or someone, had clearly frozen
her, and the entire shop, in some kind of evil spell. "Hold yourself together,"
Flareon told herself, "You've got to get to the bottom of this!". Taking her
courage at hand, she looked around for any sign, or clue, of what had done
this. She didn't find any sign of an intruder, but she noted that the milk,
lemonade, and cheese were as frozen as everything else in here. Suddenly losing
her self control, she grabbed a frozen wheel of cheese and began to beat
at the unyielding ice encasing her friend. She tried and tried, but the ice
must have had some magical property, and did not yield. Finally, sobbing, she
knelt down and held the cheese in her hands, crying. Tears fell, and froze
before the hit the frozen floor, making a crystalline tinkling sound upon
impact. After a few minutes, she heard a familiar voice behind her.
Flareon, is that you?
"Nelkum!" Flareon cried, bounding up and moving over to him as quickly as she
could, "It's terrible! Matilda's been frozen! I can sense the cold evil,
but I was too late to stop it!"
Continued... Page: 025
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-Cont from Chapter 6-
"There there," said Nelkum, putting his arms around her, "we'll find whoever
did this and make them pay." He didn't tell her about Ellien, since he didn't
want to upset her any further. "I tell you what, lets go see Merry, get you
all healed up, and then we'll go hunt this creature. I think he's some kind
of gremlin."
"Okay," Flareon said in a shaky voice, putting the wheel of cheese into
her extradimensional portal, "let's go find this gremlin."
Chapter 7 - A Hushed Chill Descends Over Darkhaven
Olanzirf, chuckling to himself, mentally reviewed his progress. "Olan, you're
gonna make it, nothing can stop you now. Nimith, Grillek, even mighty Orun
were no match for you. Just three more shops, and then a final spell at
the Square, and eternal icy death shall settle on Darkhaven forever!" Olanzirf
grunted in satisfaction. He knew that his plan was flawless. He only needed
to lure two spellbots to the square once the shops were frozen, to have all the
components he needed to make his ultimate wish come true.
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Chapter 8 - The Challenge
"I think he's in the Square, Flareon," Nelkum commented. Flareon nodded, still
getting used to the novel idea Nelkum had proposed. Nelkum and Flareon had
found that by combining their powers they could more accurately detect and
pinpoint the location of the gremlin. Merry had nearly completed healing them
both, so Flareon said "LSPELLS" and Nelkum said "the works" and they spelled
up to prepare to face this evil gremlin. Suddenly, a loud voice echoed over the
entire city...
FLAREON AND NELKUM - I CALL YOU OUT! MEET ME AT THE SQUARE, IF YOU DARE!
"What was that?" both Nelkum and Flareon asked at the same time.
Nelkum turned to Flareon, "It must be him. Let's give him what for!"
"Yes, Nelkum, let's give him his comeuppance!" exclaimed Flareon.
To be continued next issue!
(End) Page: 027
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/ Story Submission - by Vortok \______________________________________________
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Tale of the Night: My First Bite
The night was still, not a cloud in a sky, and the full moon illuminated
the cornfield just outside my bedroom window. Our home outside the tiny
town of New Ofcol seldom seen activity, and the nights were typically
quiet with the exception of the occasional young adventurer slaughtering
our livestock. Tonight was different somehow, the silence was almost
too quiet, the crickets weren't chirping, the wind wasn't blowing, and
the house didn't creek. I tucked myself tight into my blankets, scooted
as far as possible into the corner and stayed as watchful as possible as
I used the light of the moon to glance around the room.
"Oh no!" I exclaimed, as I woke up a few moments later. I had let the
silence defeat me, and dozed off for a bit. I attempted to regain my
bearing, and began scanning the room for any abnormalities that I hadn't
noticed before. My heart dropped as I noticed the window, which had
previously been closed, was now open just a crack. The summer nights
air, and the lack of wind made it impossible to notice the open window
by any means other that visual observation, but there was definitely a
beam of light coming in from under the window's base, a beam of light
that wasn't there moments ago when I originally scanned the room.
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I noticed during another quick scan that the far corner was completely
black. Naturally there was a shadow there due to the lack of light, but
this was different. This shadow was pitch black, absorbing every bit of
light that managed to make it's way to that area of the room. The more
I stared at it, the larger the darkness grew, I knew my eyes were just
playing tricks on me, it's one of the oldest illusions in the book. I
raised my fists to my eyes and began to rub them to return my vision to
it's normal state. I then lowered my hands and blinked twice to clear
things up...
"Ah..." I tried to yell, but it was too late. As I lowered my hands I
blinked my eyes to find a set of solid blood-red eyes stating back at me
no more than 6 inches from my face. The dark figure covered my mouth
and with a force of strength I had never felt before, my head was thrown
to the right, exposing my neck and shoulder. Seconds later I felt a
sharp pain in my neck, but only for a moment before the area became
numb. The creature kept hold of me for several minutes, and in an
instant all the pressure was gone, and I slowly turned my head to find
the creature had vanished, and the window was closed.
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It wasn't long before I passed out into a deep sleep. The dreams I had
that night were like none that I've ever had before. Dark visions of
bloodshed, death, and destruction. Ancient battles between man and
monster were played in my mind with such reality that I could remember
the smell of the battlefield when I finally came to my senses.
"Maybe it was all a bad dream", I said to myself as I reached for my
neck where I had remembered being bitten. Much to my disappointment I
felt two large lumps on my neck, and the warm blood that was leaking
from my wound. My heart began to pound in terror as I realized what
had happened... I had been bitten by a vampire.
I ran to the bathroom as fast as I could to check the severity of my
wounds in the mirror. When I entered the bathroom I lit the small
lantern above the sink, and turned my head to the right only to find
that the wound was gone; only the smeared blood remained from where
I felt the wound in the bed.
Continued... Page: 030
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Moments later my blood began to burn as it passed through my body. The
pain started in my neck and made it's way to my head, face, chest, and
finally my heart. Ever so slowly I could feel my heartbeat slowing
down. The more I panicked the more my life began to slowly dwindle
away, until finally everything began to fade to black. I felt myself
leave my body... ringing up into the air. Moments later I felt a strange
pulling sensation as strange and colorful mists swirled around me.
I awoke to find myself laying on the ground before a large gate to a
strange tower. My clothes were gone; only a pair of underwear, and an
odd ring remained on my body. Hovering just above my head, a small
ball of light illuminated the immediate area. Beside me on the ground
was a strange paperback book. The cover was too dirty to read the
scriptures so I turned to the first page to see "An Adventurer's Guide
to the Realms of Despair" written above the table of contents.
(End) Page: 031
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/ Amante's Leveling Guide - by Amante \_______________________________________
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MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!! 2 to 50 in SIX HOURS*!
Have you ever wanted an Avatar, but didn't want to put all that time and effort
into leveling it? Maybe you have an Avatar, but you've realized you leveled
something worthless like a Paladin or a Cleric, and now you need a Thief or a
Warrior to actually run things.
WELL CRY NO MORE, THE SOLUTION IS HERE!
Using my patented leveling techniques YOU can have an AVATAR in UNDER SIX HOURS!
No more wishing you had a Thief, now your dreams can come true in less time than
a day at that crappy job! Call in sick, and surprise all your friends at the
end of the work day with your excellent achievement!
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! For a limited time only, you will also receive this one
of a kind naked picture of Genge!
O-|-<
Isn't he sexy!
Continued... Page: 032
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/ Amante's Leveling Guide - by Amante \_______________________________________
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*Fine Print: 2 to 50 in six hours is in ideal circumstances, on a DEADLY. Ideal
circumstances being you have a constant source of spellups for your character,
a storage character with leveling equipment, and that your character is a Thief,
Warrior, Bladesinger, Fathomer, Barbarian, Ranger, or Vampire. Actual times
will vary, but I have leveled most of these classes to 50 by age 20.
You will also need max int/wis for the most experience. What I do personally is
max int/wis on the character first, THEN load up with Damage Roll.
--
Level 2:
With all characters, get your cage equipment (all east from the first room after
pre-auth). Don't get the spell cast by your class mob (when you look at it),
because the duration is shorter than bot spells.
Once you have your cage stuff, pick up some leveling spells from one of the many
bots that defile the good city of Darkhaven (just kidding, I love you guys).
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Shattered Refuge
Kill Gnomes until level 5. You should have practiced strike, so adept it and
then strike strike strike your way to level 5. Children at level 2, and as you
approach 5, kill the women and men as well. At 5, go practice.
Level 5:
Now that you're level 5, you want to pick up what I call a "newbie satchel".
Get a Wanderer's Satchel from Grimoire, 20 sancs, 20 eldritch pots (buy 20 sanc
and buy 20 eld works), 20 recalls, and as many herbs as you can carry after
that.
Coral Depths
You want to be killing the fish in the ocean until level 10. This is likely
the slowest point if you're a 20 Strength character, but it's still faster than
leveling a peaceful.
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Level 10:
Coral Depths (still)
You're still going to be in Coral Depths, but now you want to kill the mer
people. Make sure you use the "con" command (who said it was worthless?), and
do not kill the built like a tank or dig a grave. Stick to weaker/even/a bit
of luck or you're going to run into troubles. Kill merfolk until level 25.
One thing a lot of people do at this time is go to Darkhaven Art Gallery as
well. With my system you don't want to do that, and I'll explain why. With
the exception of Vampires, I never have to clean my buffer. Why? Because I
never kill the same mobs enough for their experience to drop dramatically.
Level 25:
Darkhaven Art Gallery / Temple of the Moon
In DAG, you want to kill Welmar's hands/mouth (wait on the eyes, remember
that deadlies can flee with no experience loss). Temple of the Moon you want
to kill Pilgrims and Priest of the Moon. Killing anything more than these
will result in screwed up kill buffers, and you will be in trouble. So as
tempting as those Acolytes are, don't touch them yet. Repeat this until level
30.
Continued... Page: 035
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/ Amante's Leveling Guide - by Amante \_______________________________________
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Level 30:
Darkhaven Art Gallery / Temple of the Moon / Tower of Enlightenment
In DAG, keep killing Welmar parts, but now start killing the eyes. Temple of
the Moon you can start killing Acolytes and the Priestess now. ToE is a tricky
place. You want to kill the Fool, Magus, and Hermit. For the Magus to be
worthwhile, you NEED shields. His Shockshield and spells together will tear you
apart, so you need to cut out half of the damage with shields. A few of the
Princes and Princesses can be nice experience too, but some of them suck so I
don't even bother trying to find the good ones. Do this until level 35.
Level 35:
Darkhaven Art Gallery / Temple of the Moon / Tower of Enlightenment / Olympus
DAG is the same, but now add Phunbaba. Temple of the Moon is the same, ToE
is the same. Olympus is the one that needs information. Stock up on heals
and springs, and go to Cerberus (4n, 2e, d, GIVE 1 COIN CHARON, s). Kill him
and the gates to Hades open. Once inside, find the Cyclopes. In the room with
exits in nearly every direction, they are Southwest and Southeast. As an added
bonus to these guys being nice experience, they drop 300k gold each (assuming
you aren't competing with gold bots for kills). Do this until 40, but ToE stops
being good around 37 or 38.
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/ Amante's Leveling Guide - by Amante \_______________________________________
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Level 40:
Darkhaven Art Gallery / Temple of the Moon / Olympus / Tower of Despair
DAG is the same again, Temple of the Moon you can now add the High Priest,
Olympus is the same. Tower of Despair is an amazing leveling area that you will
never see a peaceful leveling in. Ever. The leveling mobs have anti-multi
programs on them, and there's a DT within them, and Blackmote is only a few
rooms away. Do not let this deter you, however, because it is beautiful for
experience. If you have a Mage, bring it with you. Blind then Sleep the Demi-
Lich, and then take your leveler through to the Evil Priestess (from Lich, w,
u, all n, op e, e). There is a trick here, though. Don't let anyone know you
are leveling here. Go chan -wartalk before you enter the priestess room, so you
don't war when she murders you. Remove your weapons before you enter, too, so
she doesn't scoop them when you flee. Close the door after you enter, then flee
away from her. She does too much damage to be worth killing for most classes.
Once past the Priestess, kill the Dancing Man, Demonicentaur, silver wyrm, and
Banshee. Use scry/scan to make sure you enter the right cell. Dancing Man has
very low hitroll, but hits really hard when he lands. Keep yourself at full hp
no matter what, and sanc/eld up always. Flee before they wear off, because you
don't want to be hit with a sancless round. Wyrm and Banshee both have poison
which lands on anyone, and a lot - bring Gutbusters. Banshee also blinds and
dispels. I use trues on the Banshee, so if I get blinded I can at least recall
to cast the cure. Trues are available in pktown for cheap (buy true). This
goes to 45.
Continued... Page: 037
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Level 45:
Level off another player (ideally a Vampire).
Leveling off other players has been how pretty much everyone does 45-50 for
a long time. It costs a ton of heals, so you're putting out a lot more gold
for those last 5 levels, but it's very much worth it for the speed you get.
45-50 typically takes 30 or 40 minutes, depending on class. A few important
things to mention is don't ever use Murder while doing this, and don't let
either participant die. Spam isn't good for anyone, especially immortals.
If you don't have another player to level off, then continue with the 40-45
places, but you'll probably have to clean your buffer once or twice before you
AV, increasing the time by a couple hours (remember what I said about ideal
circumstances?).
--
Final Notes
A lot of people are probably thinking that I've left places out. I have.
Mithril Hall and Shadowport. Mithril Hall I use as my "between repops" area.
If everything else is dead, I go to Mithril Hall and kill the Grocer and four
Blacksmiths. Between 25 and 45, you shouldn't have to go here often, so it
stays clean in your kill buffer.
Continued... Page: 038
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Shadowport is a great place, but it's extremely dangerous. You can start at
35, but I don't start until 40. Make sure you buy an Arena Key, since you'll
be going to the arena. If you fight the Pyrohydra, drop everything in your
inventory before entering his room (you can't heal anyway) and fight until you
have 300 hp left. Flee, get all, go up, heal, and repeat. Make sure you pick
up your disarmed weapons before you flee, or Pyrohydra will scoop them. The
elven banshee can be difficult if she gasses early. When you enter, you get
lagged for one round. Flee out high because you never know when you're going
to eat a huge gas and die (and CR from her is almost impossible). Keep true up,
as she gouges once in a while. I don't even bother killing the Shapeshifter,
it's too much of a hassle.
If you have a leveling area of your own that I haven't included, you can always
just toss it into the rotation, and end up with more experience per kill.
(End) Page: 039
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/ PKC News - by Vortok \______________________________________________________
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PKC can be viewed by typing HELP PKC. There have been
a few membership changes due to clan swapping and people
returning/quitting.
Ideas Awaiting PKC/CoE Vote:
- Dragon/Demonskin potions to be sold in town
- Adrenaline time on retreat for arena PK
- Modify tronada macecle (fathomer) to drain moves
- Add Ally command for pk team communications
- Allow multiplay, (7 peacefuls/1 deadly)
Passed CoE, Awaiting Code:
- Copper economy
Passed CoE/PKC and Implemented:
A lot of recent additions to PK to include new HQ, code
and various other projects. Review PKNEWS regularly to
stay abreast on the changes and approvals.
Updated 21 May 2006 @ 3:50pm by Vortok
(End) Page: 040
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________________________
/ PKC Survey - by Vortok \____________________________________________________
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PKC Survey: May 2006
Please take the time to answer the following questions. We ask that
you only post one survey with any character you choose, but do not
post using multiple characters.
Cut and paste the following into a mudmail to Vortok.
------------------START SURVEY-----------------
Short Answers:
1. How many years have you been playing RoD?
2. Do you PK using deadly characters? YES/NO
3. Are you a prior PKiller that has quit? YES/NO
4. How many deadlies do you own? ##
5. Do you regularly partake in Arena PK? YES/NO
6. Do you prefer Arena PK over Deadly PK? YES/NO
Long Answers:
1. If you do not, or have quit PK, please briefly tell us why.
2. If you PK (using deadlies), what excites you most about PK?
3. What is the one thing that needs the most work in PK? (fixing)
4. What would have to happen for you to start PKing regularly?
--------------------END SURVEY-----------------
(End) Page: 041
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/ Interview: PKC Head - by Vortok \___________________________________________
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Interview with Marcus, Mortal Head of the Pkill Conclave
Vortok: How long have you led PKC?
Badrol: It must be close to a year or so, I came back after a little
break and took over after Chas (Anarky)... last summer I think.
Vortok: What other organizations have you led?
Badrol: I've lead several clans, and I've also been a leader in a
peaceful organization years ago. I've never been the leader type
outside anything but pk to be honest.
Vortok: What has been your greatest challenge since you have taken
the position as PKC Mortal Head?
Badrol: Let's see... I guess a big challenge for me is convincing
people not to make pk easier, there's suggestions about new helpful
things almost every week. I think pk should be the elite part of the
game, it should be hard, and it is hard. We've removed a lot of the
stuff that used to lead to deaths, to make it easier for noobs. True
sight potions are no longer an issue(sold in town), spring scrolls
are sold in Grimoire, pk weapons aren't scoopable, there's no more
burying of corpses, things like that. some of the changes are good,
Continued... Page: 042
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(burying of corpses, cough cough), but I think it's easy to get
carried away and remove some of the thrill in pk.
Vortok: What brought you into pk and how long have you been involved?
Badrol: I played peacefuls for maybe a year or two before I made my
first deadly. I just made my first deadly as sort of a joke, I had
no idea what to expect and was instantly killed by a couple of level
9 brutes. I looked at their EQ and figured maybe I could do the
same to other people.
Vortok seems to get a laugh from something saying, "heh heh heh."
Badrol: After maybe 6 years in pk, I think I'm starting to get the
hang of it. for the first few years I didn't play half as much as I
do now, I liked to be sort of in the background on unknown chars,
unclanned and ghetto. mostly because I didn't have a lot of EQ, but
also because I figured I'd learn better, although I can't remember
why I thought so.
Vortok: What is your opinion on the current state of pkill?
Continued... Page: 043
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/ Interview: PKC Head - by Vortok \___________________________________________
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Badrol: I think pk lost a lot of great players when wow came in, but
a lot of peacefuls have made deadlies since and some of the very old
pkers are coming back to play. activity right now is really good
and I pk every day I log on to play. I think pkilling this summer
will be a blast.
Vortok: Why do you think so many people quit and return to pk over
and over?
Badrol: There're many things in pk that people quit over, some quit
because they can't handle losing those big pieces of eq, some quit
because their clan suddenly isn't any good, they can't get any kills
or just because they get bored of pk. I know I've wanted to quit a
few times, mainly because I've been busy with RL and/or other games.
Vortok tsks at Badrol!
Badrol: I don't know :P it's hard to quit playing a game like this,
so many friends etc. plus, rod pk is the only game I've ever gotten
an adrenaline rush from :( sad but true... "THE SHAKES"
Vortok: Ah, yes... the dreaded SHAKES.
Vortok cringes in terror at the thought of THE SHAKES.
Continued... Page: 044
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/ Interview: PKC Head - by Vortok \___________________________________________
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Vortok: What are you and PKC doing to promote pk?
Badrol: It's always going to be hard to get new pkillers, most people
who try pk just don't have what it takes.. like I mentioned earlier
it's really the elite part of the game IMO. If 10 people try out pk,
maybe 3 or 2 of them stick around. I'm always trying to get people
to try out level 24 pk, which is a ton of fun, and when level 24 pk
was big, we got a ton of new pkillers who all turned out to be really
good. I think it was mostly because level 24 damage is huge and it's
very fast paced, but with the current state of pk in which AV damage
is high too a person could easily learn on an AV. I guess I'm always
kind of trying to convince peaceful friends to try out pk... and by
now 90% of my friendslist have pkers.
Badrol frowns.
Badrol: Tough question.
Vortok grins evilly.
Vortok: The fun questions are coming in a sec!
Vortok: What are your goals for PKC? Short term and long term?
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/ Interview: PKC Head - by Vortok \___________________________________________
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Badrol: Short term I'd like to see some stuff like reduced cost on
heals, IP rules changed to allow 1 deadly/7 peacefuls logged, perhaps
some new skills for paladins, (thief - berserk circle;), and mage).
Long term changes are sort of tricky, but I think everyone's goal is
to create a stable pk environment.
Vortok: What is a stable pk environment? Everyone seems to have a
different opinion of it, and thus the dream of it is never reached.
Some think thieves are balanced and don't need circle in berserk,
some think mages are fine the way they are and shouldn't be a pk
class, etc.
Badrol: Yea, what I generally do when a new idea comes up is talk to
people and encourage them to talk to me about any ideas/objections
regarding the note so we don't get 10 people voting yes on a note just
because "their friends did it." in my mind a stable pk environment is
one where EQ isn't too hard to get and where new pkers turn out to be
good pkers, rather than whiny beggars:(
Vortok laughs.
Badrol: The pk areas have helped tons, but heal prices are still
ridiculously high, something that needs to be changed. There's
always room for improvement :P
Continued... Page: 046
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/ Interview: PKC Head - by Vortok \___________________________________________
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Vortok: Ok, next are some controversial questions, these answers are
your personal opinion.
Badrol: Alrighty then.
Vortok: In your opinion, what is the weakest clan, and why do you
feel this is the case?
Badrol: I'd say it really, really varies.. when everything is working
out alright and you have plenty of people on, even a clan with 100%
newbies could do great.
Vortok: You wuss, politically correct answer...
Badrol: I can't put my finger on the weakest clan, but whatever clan
you're in is pretty shi__y, b___h.
Vortok rolls on the floor laughing hysterically.
Vortok: In your opinion, what is the strongest clan, and why do you
feel this is the case?
Badrol gazes thoughtfully into space while rubbing his chin.
Continued... Page: 047
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/ Interview: PKC Head - by Vortok \___________________________________________
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Badrol: Maleficae right now. We've been getting some nice kills
lately, and we're really coming together as a team. Brad has been a
leader for a long time and he really cares about his clan, that helps
a ton and it makes people motivated to pk.
Vortok: How do you feel about the proposed introduction of this PK
Geo that has yet to pull through and why?
Badrol: Well :P I've always been against big changes like that, I
think peacefuls watching other players getting killed at DH is great
advertising and it'd just be a huge change for peacefuls who want to
try out deadly life. They'd basically have to relearn the mud, same
for pkillers really.
Vortok: On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate immortal support to
the PK community, and why?
Badrol: I'd give it a 10. the Imms have been really great lately and
we're seeing a lot of new code. CoE hasn't been denying as much as
they used to, which is also good... I've always felt pkillers know
more than anyone about pk :(
Vortok seems to agree.
Continued... Page: 048
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/ Interview: PKC Head - by Vortok \___________________________________________
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Vortok: That's all the questions I have for you, Marcus. Is there
anything else you'd like our readers to know?
Badrol: Yessir! every day people complain about how boring rod can
be when "nothing is happening" - level a deadly! you won't regret it,
join the cool side of the mud!
Badrol flirts -- probably needs a date, huh?
(End) Page: 049
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/ Interview: New Catarrh Leader - by Vortok\__________________________________
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Chamber of Ashes
Exits: north down
A phoenix of red crystal showers water from its beak.
A board with nhoetes on it.
Exits: [south]
(Catarrh) Mandracore is hovering here.
Vortok: What brought you into pk and how long have you been involved?
Mandracore: Hot pirate wenches like Iliana and Faceripper... and uhh
5 years or so actively (with some breaks in there for other things)
Vortok: You just recently took control of Catarrh, for what reason?
Mandracore: Ashtak was tired of leading, and I believe he was a
little upset with Art, so he asked me to lead Catarrh.
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/ Interview: New Catarrh Leader - by Vortok\__________________________________
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Mandracore nods and smiles.
Vortok: What other orgs have you led?
Mandracore: Uhh a few other deadly clans at various points, I was a
leader in Ophanim and Scorn for various chunks of time.
Vortok: Why do you think Ophanim failed?
Mandracore: Because I left! I wouldn't really say it failed, per se.
It was never meant to be a permanent thing, just a possible way to
bring new folks into pkill. Many newer folks think they'll just lose
all of their equipment in pkill...and this fear keeps them from ever
giving it a shot to see what it's really like.
Vortok: Good transition for the next question :)... What is your take
on newbs in clans? Does your clan induct newbs? If so, how many are
you currently training/plan to train?
Continued... Page: 051
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Mandracore: Well, I've always enjoyed having newer folks in my clan
(it's great to have some new faces around in the pkill world). Our
clan will most certainly induct newer people. We've got some fairly
experienced pkillers in our clan, all of which would benefit a newer
player greatly. I don't really have a number in mind that I'd like
to train, but I guess I just keep an open door policy for anyone who
wants to give it a shot. No mouthy newbies who can't handle dying
though. Dying is a part of pkill, especially while you're new at it.
Vortok: What is your opinion on the current state of pkill?
Mandracore: Slower than I'd like to see it. We've got quite a few
great folks in pk, but we haven't seen a lot of new players lately.
New players can do pretty well for themselves now, as people tend to
help them out more than maybe they once would have.
Vortok: What are you and/or your clan doing to promote pk, if
anything at all?
Continued... Page: 052
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Mandracore: Well, we go out and pk first and foremost. Just
yesterday, all 3 leaders of Catarrh were out and pking, which says a
lot for the quality of the folks in those positions. As far as
promoting pkill via other methods, I guess I usually am pretty vocal
about encouraging folks to try out pkill via public channels as well
as in tells. I plan to set up Friday night pkill mob runs for those
that are interested. Interested folks could be from any clan, not
just Catarrh. I'm pretty familiar with all the pk run-mobs, and I
know folks need the gear. Plan on reading a note about it in pktown
sometime soon.
Vortok nods in agreement.
Vortok: Good idea... What are your goals for Catarrh?
Mandracore: Well, the typical goal of improving the pkill skills
(and thus, equipment) of the gentleman (and lady or two) that are
currently in Catarrh. I would also like to change Catarrh's long
held reputation of being a rather homosexual clan into a reputation
of Catarrh consisting of awesome pkillers who are also good guys,
just in general.
Continued... Page: 053
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Vortok: Well, a lot of people are angry with your recent ascension
into leadership. They feel you are "homosexual" as you put it. How
do you plan to undo that?
Mandracore: I'm a pretty good guy, as most folks who really know me
would attest. However, when people do lame things to me (or good
friends of mine) on a regular basis, I often have no choice but to
treat those same people with similar lameness. The problem stems
from me being really good at what I do (in this case, being lame).
This results in hurting peoples' feelings. I don't think I really
have anything to undo. My actions speak for themselves.
Vortok laughs.
Vortok: As I said earlier, some are upset with you becoming a leader;
since you've taken over a few people have already left, was this
expected from the start?
Mandracore: Yeah, I actually suspected the Catarrh casualties would
be quite a bit higher. I suspected we would lose a full half of the
clan. Thus far, it has not been quite so dramatic.
Continued... Page: 054
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Vortok: In your opinion, what is the weakest/strongest clan, and why
do you feel this is the case?
Mandracore: They're all on fairly equal footing now, or at least
that's how I see things. Feralis was lagging behind a little there,
but with their recent acquisition of Jess...I believe they're back
up to par.
Mukul has just achieved Avatarhood! (Intentionally left in! Gratz!)
Mandracore: Excordis is currently lacking a Number Two, but Excordis
has many just regular old members who log regularly enough to not
create an imbalance. I think we're all on fairly even footing with
numbers from each clan that seem to show up for pk. If Maleficae
logged in numbers, they would probably have the most DR, but that
very rarely happens.
Vortok: What are your opinions about the productivity of the current
PKill Conclave?
Continued... Page: 055
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Mandracore: Well, since I haven't taken part in it recently...I'm not
sure that I can be a fair judge of it. I agree with many of PKC's
decisions, though I notice that several of the members need to be
replaced (as they are inactive). Rhadamanthus does a pretty good job
with PKC, and hopefully over the summer he'll have time to work with
them s'more.
Vortok: On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate immortal support to
the PK community, and why?
Mandracore: 8. We have some really fantastic pk immortals, and I was
just going to type out a list of the pk immortals that I like...but
it would really just be a listing of all immortals that show up under
who deadly. Even those who are not really so active in pkill
things... do things that benefit pkill in other ways (e.g. coding).
The only reason the 8 is not a 10 is that some of the pkill projects
(n.b. copper) are a little past overdue ;) Though I understand that
a good bit of work is involved there, so I don't whine about it (with
the huge amounts that we pay our coders, and everything :)
Vortok: How do you feel about the proposed introduction of this
PK Geo that has yet to pull through?
Mandracore grins.
Continued... Page: 056
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Mandracore: I like the idea a lot, and while I've heard mixed
reactions from other folks...I think that ultimately it will be a
great thing for pkillers. It opens up all sorts of possibilities,
and it means that we wouldn't have to rely on a mob to trans us to
pkill areas. Also, I like a lot of the ideas that Jason has
incorporated into the PK geo; new, fun-sounding things always seem
to bring at least a few new folks into pk :)
Vortok: Well, that's all the questions I have, do you have anything
for me or that you want our readers to know?
Mandracore: Are you bored? Tired of killing a silly mob that's
gotten all too predictable? Make a pkiller and see what you
think... pkillers level twice as fast, so you don't even have to
commit much time to it ;) Send me a tell or mudmail, and we can
talk about getting you inducted into a clan as well (no questing
involved!). Even if Catarrh is not your home of choice, I can get
ahold of the appropriate guy and likely get you inducted wherever.
Continued... Page: 057
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Vortok: Alright Nick, thanks for your time. :)
Mandracore: Anytime Jason, now go work on the pk geo ;)
Mandracore snuggles up to Vortok.
Vortok gets a blank look on his face.
(End) Page: 058
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_____________________
/ Goodbye - by Alysira\_______________________________________________________
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This is my last issue with the Cry of Despair.
I sincerely apologise for all the late issues and the lack of quests
lately. I want to thank all the staff members who have worked so hard
compiling these articles, and everyone for putting up with this
disorganisation lately.
Hopefully as of next month, Reatha will be taking over the Cry,
working with Genge and the fantastic staff. I know she'll do a great
job and give the Cry the attention I could not lately.
Thanks again to all the great writers, editors, and other various
people I've worked with on the Cry these past few years. Thanks for
putting up with me lately, too.
-Alysira
(End) Page: 059
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