Einik: New Deadly Clans; Interview: Shadrack; Green Forest; Juliana: Caves
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CoD Issue 73 || Jul 2003
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Table of Contents |
|
| Desk Of The Editor:
| CoD Feature: New Deadly Clans - Einik Interview
| Interview with Shadrack
| Directionally Challenged: Green Forest
| Furthering The Builder's Art: Caves & a Challenge
| News From Around The Realms - IGQC - May
| - IOQC - May & June
| - The Symposium: June
| - Guild/Order News
| Public Submission: A Guide to Killing Rez
| Funny Bones: Viva La Revolucion!
| Realms Census
| The CoD Quest:
| From the Quill of Alysira
| Tribute to Elisabet from the CoD Staff
|
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Editor: Juliana Immortal Sponsor: Alysira
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Staff: Angelea, Khaimran, Qaulorn, Severin, Simone, Wiglaff
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Desk of the Editor by Juliana
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Hi all, I'm happy to introduce one of the newest additions to our reporting
madhouse... Angelea Endymion! She'll be in charge of organizational news,
so you know who to send the latest updates about your org to. This month's
feature is by her as well: She catches up with Einik to give you all an
introduction to the new deadly clans that just came in.
Our regular staff bring you a wide and varied selection as well: Wiglaff
manages to corner the elusive and ex-CoDer Shadrack for an interview at
last, Severin goes tromping through the Green to bring you Directionally
Challenged, Simone's counting census replies, and I offer all would-be
builders a cave room description challenge. :)
Remember that CoD staff positions are still available. Send your applications
by mudmail to Alysira and me. Include any ideas for articles you have, and
a writing sample (a 1-2 page sample article works great.)
We're also open to feedback! Write in to us (mudmail, forum, tells to a CoD
member, whatever.) Let us know what you love, and what you hate. The best
letters might make it into a future Letters to the Editor section. :) So keep
those comments rolling in...
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Interview with Einik - New Deadly Clans by Angelea
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My first assignment and here I am making my way to a secret meeting place to
interview a gith representative from the Pkill Conclave in these Realms. For
the upteenth time, I ask myself why did I take on this assignment. Using my
thief skills, I slink from one shadow to the next, leaving Darkhaven behind;
I make my way to a desolate place just outside of town. I find myself
standing in a spot that is practically devoid of vegetation, dirt blows by on
a stray wisp of a breeze as I keep an eye out for any surprises. A tiny
movement catches the corner of my eye and suddenly, before me, stands an
imposing figure. Einik introduces himself and the interview begins...
Angelea: Thank you for coming.
Einik: No problemo.
Angelea: Now to begin. When will the new clans come in?'
Einik: They will be in this Saturday, June 29th.
[Editor's note: They came in even earlier than that. Yummy.]
Angelea: Wonderful! What will be the names of the new clans?
Einik: The new clans are: Catarrh, Excordis, Maleficae, and Vodikem.
Angelea: And what will be the theme for each one?
Einik: Vodikem will be the training clan, similar to Ophanim. They are
considered the "rabble" of the pk world.
Angelea: Rabble how? bad equipment? lack of experience?...
Einik: For the most part. They are a group of new people attempting to
survive in the harsh pkill environment. Vodikem are the "newbies".
The bottom rung of the ladder.
Vodikem is where the 3 major clans recruit from.
Angelea: What about the other 3 clans. What is their theme and focus?
Einik: Well, Maleficae is a combination of Nominis and Scorn. There's quite
a long backstory behind it. But in short... There was a large
cataclysmic battle between Nominis Umbra and Scorn. Both clans were
essentially destroyed, though some members of Scorn managed to
survive. However...
The surviving Scorn were tainted by the Shadow that controlled the
Nominis. And the Demon lord of Scorn was slowly driven mad by the
corruption of the shadow, or "The Void."
There will be an extensive help file that will explain it better.
Angelea: This sounds very fascinating to be honest. I would love to pursue
that aspect of clan history in a later article if you wouldn't mind?
Einik: Sure.
Excordis.. well, I'm not entirely sure what's going on with
Excordis
to be honest. It was a last minute change. It was originally going
to be called Tempest, but we changed the name and theme just
recently.
Angelea: Why was that?
Einik: Well, Tempest was originally Amante's pet project. But Amante left
for various reasons, and so Luneranik was placed in charge of the
clan. Luneranik felt that it would be best to redo the clan. But if
I am not mistaken. Excordis is similar to the old Malkavian theme.
Angelea: Any chance of having a quick recap of the Malkavian clan theme, to
enlighten our readers and refresh the older ones' memories?
Einik: Malkavian was a clan of lunatics. It's pretty simple.
Angelea: Ahh, that would explain the lunatic's kilt and other items and
the joy buzzer still about, from the days of the old clans.
Einik: As a matter of fact, Excordis means "Foolish, silly, or insane."
Angelea: Nice, I was going to ask about the meaning of each name, this
answers my question for that one. But let's go on to the next clan
and its theme.
Einik: Catarrh is a secretive organization that believes itself to be
better than the rest of the inhabitants of the ruins. They believe
that they have a "Divine Right" of rule over all others.
Angelea: How did they come to that conclusion?
Einik: The leaders of Catarrh are thought to be powerful seers... The clan
has emerged from its self-imposed exile in preparation for the
fulfillment of a prophecy made by these seers. They believe that
the time of their ascension is near.
Angelea: This could prove interesting for the other clans, I'm sure.
Einik: Indeed.
Angelea: What does each clan name mean, why was it selected and what was the
criteria for selecting it?
Einik: Well. Maleficae is a word that I made up. I just played off the
latin root word for "evil."
Angelea: It sounds like a latin version of the french word 'Malefice'
Einik nods solemnly.
Angelea: Very nice.
Einik: Vodikem is a random name Kali created. In the initial stages of clan
creation, he posted a bunch of random names on the PKC board and
told us to pick any ones we liked.
Angelea: And Vodikem was one of those?
Einik: There is no real criteria. If we all agree that the name looks good,
we pick it.
Angelea: Fair enough.
Einik: Excordis means "Foolish or Insane" in latin. Kali suggested it to
Mike/Luneranik, and he went with it.
Angelea: It is a good name considering the clan will be patterned on the
old Malkavian theme.
Angelea grins evilly.
Einik nods solemnly.
Angelea: And what of Vodikem?
Einik: That's the random name Kali created. =p It doesn't mean anything
to my knowledge.
Catarrh is something Kitchious came up with.
Angelea: Did he give some background for the name or a history?
Einik: Well, there is an interesting story behind the origins of Catarrh.
Catarrh is actually another name for the mucus that lines your
breathing and digestive passages.
Angelea agrees with Einik.
Angelea: I knew that, which is why I was curious to know how its definition
identifies with the new clan.
Einik: However, the new clan has nothing to do with mucus, we just thought
it looked neat.
Angelea grins.
Angelea: And it does, indeed. What type of new equipment will be available
with the new clans?
Einik: The new clan eq will be similar to the current clan eq in stats.
The names will be changed to fit each clan's theme, though.
Angelea: And the old equipment? Will it vanish from existence?
Einik: Yes, it shall vanish entirely. Everyone starts from scratch.
There will also be a ton of new deadly-only avatar equipment
in the pkill areas that will come along with clans.
Einik: There's some really nice stuff in there. I would know,
I helped build it. =)
Angelea jumps into the air and give Einik a MEGA high five! Woo hoo!
Angelea: I'm sure everyone will be anxious to see what it is. Any surprises?
as in super secret or hard to get items?
Einik: Perhaps there are a few make or pop items...
Einik grins.
Angelea: I love to whet the curiosity of our readers, and I have a feeling
this will definitely do that.
Einik: However, the object of the new equipment in these areas is to close
the gap between low end deadly equipment and high end deadly
equipment.
Angelea: Very good.
Einik: As it is now, beginners have around 95dr. Experienced players have
anywhere from 130 to 180dr.
Angelea winces.
Angelea: That is quite the gap. It would make for some rather one sided
kills...So this new equipment will be something available to
everyone who dedicates themselves to get items.
Einik nods solemnly.
Einik: New deadlies in low end equipment get torn to shreds. This should
help even things out.
Angelea: I would agree considering what you've just told me.
Einik: It will separate out the truly talented pkillers from the pkillers
who just rely on high dr.
Angelea: Definitely. Will the existing deities remain as they are or will
there be changes there too?
Einik: The current deities shall remain deities.
Angelea: Do you know which will be in charge of which clan?
Einik: Thalasian will go to Excordis. Kinux will go to Maleficae. Destre
will go to Vodikem. Conran will go to Catarrh. This isn't written
in stone though, it could very well change.
[Editor's note: Kinux is now Deity of Catarrh and Conran, Maleficae.]
Angelea: But it is a beginning.
Einik seems to agree.
Angelea: How will the new clan Leaders be selected?
Einik: They've already been selected.
Angelea: How was this done? or is it secret...
Einik: We held elections. Mike/Luneranik will lead Excordis,
Trembyl will lead Maleficae, Koloqo will lead Vodikem,
and Ubasolak will lead Catarrh.
Angelea: I assume that the new leaders were selected based on past
experience...
Einik: Most of us have been leaders at one point or another.
Angelea: Being a clan leader certainly sounds very involved.
Einik: We just asked for volunteers initially, and then had elections
to make sure everyone was all right with them. They were the
first four to volunteer, so they got the job.
Angelea grins.
Angelea: An interesting way to do it. I wish them well and I'm sure so
does our readers.
Einik: Politics in the pkill community are pretty lax. We're all friends.
there's not much competition outside of killing. Politics come
second to killing.
Einik smiles happily.
Angelea: Sounds like a good way to survive.
Angelea grins evilly.
Angelea: Why do Clans get changed so often?
Einik: Because the players change so much. We have people coming
and going all the time.
Angelea: So the clans that exist now are no good because the players
have changed?
Einik: It's not that they're "no good"... it's just that the people
who are in charge for the most part are not the same as those
who were in charge two years ago.
Angelea: So, why not have elections and change the Leaders, or make it
that it's a term, Leader for 1 year followed by elections.
Einik: Leaders rarely last 1 year. =p The leader rotation rate is
quite large.
Angelea: Why would the rotation in Leadership be so high? Stress..
loss of interest...?
Einik: Nah. Most people are loyal to one another. Leaders just become
busy or grow tired of leading.. and let someone else in the
clan take over for a while.
Angelea nods her head in understanding "Ahhh yes..."
Angelea: And last question from me. I know our readers would like to know
this. Which clan will you be applying to join?
Angelea gives Einik her award winning sneaky grin.
Einik: I shall go wherever I am needed.
Angelea: Good answer.
Angelea: Do you have any last words to offer our readers?
Einik: Yes. Always remember that full hitpoints + no sanc = bad.
Einik nods to himself. It appears he often converses with himself.
Angelea: Spoken from experience?
Angelea waggles her eyebrows mischievously at Einik.
Einik: Anyone who decides to try pkill will find that useful.
It happens to us all at one point.
Angelea: Same as happens to us peacefuls vs a mob
Einik: Except mobs won't chase you down after backstabbing you. =p
Angelea grins.
Angelea: Well..some won't..
Angelea has been chased by Black Rose.
Einik: Heh...
Einik grins.
Angelea: Thank you so much for your time.
Angelea smiles at Einik.
Einik disappears in a swirl of smoke.
I glance around and realise that this most erudite gith has vanished
from my sight... As I head back to Darkhaven and this office, I go over
the interview in my mind. This was certainly an interesting assignment
and the possibilities for more articles on the deadly lifestyle loom
large before me. I hope you have all enjoyed reading this report.
Angelea Endymion reporteuse intrepide signing off...
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Interview with Shadrack by Wiglaff
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A storm rages, howling wind whips rain into a solid walls of water, as though
nature herself is trying to wash clean the blood and gore of the recent
carnage on this craggy moor. Lightning splits the sky providing momentary
images of the twisted mutilated corpses and the dark hooded figure that
silently regards the scene.
As this Cry reporter picks his path through the fallen, buffeted by a wind
that threatens to send me airborne, I stealthily approach the figure from
behind, the storm masking any hint of my presence, stopping behind her and
tapping her on the left shoulder.
Wiglaff: First question - how did you manage to evade the CoD news hounds for
long enough to rise to the rank of Acolyte?
Shadrack: Hi Wiglaff... The usual mixture of low cunning and effective
fleeing?
Wiglaff: How are you enjoying being an immortal so far?
Shadrack: Just fine thanks, everyone has been nice and really supportive :)
Wiglaff: How big a transition did you find immortalisation was for you?
Shadrack: An enormous one...but new challenges are always good :)
Wiglaff: You were a Guildmistress, member of TS, mortal head of IGQC, CoD
staffer...Do you feel this experience prepared you for
immortalisation in any way?
Shadrack: Never thought about it in that sense...I always just enjoyed the
opportunities that those things gave me to work with and learn
from other players, while doing something useful.
Wiglaff: Approximately how long have you been playing realms?
Shadrack: Around 3 years
Wiglaff: Do you remember making your first character?
Shadrack: Yes...I was my first character, and always my main :)
Wiglaff: I know it was a while ago, but I'm interested to know; can you
remember your first impressions of Realms?
Shadrack chuckles politely.
Shadrack: I seem to recall...confusion at the size of the place, amazement
that there were so many people here, and happiness that people
were so helpful.
Wiglaff: There must be a number of 'big events' you can remember, and are
willing to share with us, on your way to levelling Shadrack?
Shadrack laughs.
Shadrack: Dying, cr'ing, and fleeing a lot spring to mind
Wiglaff: Were there any people who particularly spring to mind who helped or
inspired you when you were starting out?
Shadrack: Many...and not just when I was starting out...I would prefer not to
single people out publicly though, as I hope I have already
thanked
those I would like to privately :)
Wiglaff: *grin* I know you can't tell me much about your immortal activities,
but what were your favorite mortal things to do?
Shadrack: Questing and running...oh, and exploring and falling in holes :P
Wiglaff: Did you always want to ascend to immortality, or was it something
that occured to you later in your playing experience?
Shadrack: Neither. It never particularly occured to me as a path I might ever
take.
Wiglaff: Thank you for your time, is there anything you would like to add?
Shadrack: Naw...you got any good jokes tho?
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Directionally Challenged - Green Forest by Severin
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Green Forest: A Tourguide to RoD
A Forest for all seasons. for the Directionally Challenged
by the Directionally Challenged
Trees + animals = forest. A good traditional equation, as demonstrated by the
(once) phenomena success of the Canopy region. This month, DC decided to
check out a small patch of foliage located so right north of Darkhaven. Green
Forest is superior than the Canopy, DC declares -- not only does are there
tapirs and mynahs from the tropical rainforests, there are also coniferous
trees from the northern taiga, deer and pheasants from temperate deciduous
forests, and mosquitos from everywhere else. It is indeed a value for money,
all-in-one forest, verily a Forest for All Seasons (and geographies)!
Jokes aside. Move over, Elemental Canyon! For young levellers, Green Forest
is better place than the Canyon to clear buffer, weak mosquitos being easier
to destroy than unionist elementals (the incompetent DC was just recently
nicked to death by hostile elements). Naturally, for stronger adventurers,
especially avatars regaining favour, Elemental Canyon remains DC's
recommendation for mindless carnage.
It is also not impossible to level in Green Forest from levels 10-15,
especially when the traditional levelling areas become too crowded. DC itself
managed a three level gain within certain minutes of battling selected
creatures. However, young levellers are advised to excercise caution --
sanctuary, ac-reduction spells, and very importantly, a sackful of healing
potions are a must-have, since animals in the forest can do quite a bit of
hurt.
Practical considerations aside, Green Forest's true strengths lie in its
subtle secrets. There is no top-end (lowbie) equipment to be found there, but
explorers will enjoy finding strange items such as smelly socks, trinkets,
and most amazingly, a table and stool that can be wielded as shield and
weapon! As the helpfile suggests, exploration is best done with a character
between levels 10-15.
For Avatars, as usual, there are a few thing things to do, despite this being
a lowbie area. Part of the beauty of Green Forest is that it has one of the
most sophisticated AIs of the areas DC has seen. Rather than go into a
lengthy description here, DC invites you to interact with the druidess Erica
and her hunter husband, and to observe their daily routine.
Two other challenges are to get the ember out of the stove (though this seems
to be a problem with the mud code itself) and to declaw a jaguar (but where
is it?). It is up to *you* to help the Intellectually Challenged (IC) DC to
crack these mysteries!
Finally, we have the area awards:
Favorite Room: "The Spider's Weave" for sheer cruelty towards newbies.
Favorite Mob: The jaguar, for the promotion of social values.
Favorite Item: The stool and table, for solving domestic arguments.
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Furthering the Builder's Art - On Caves and a Challenge by Juliana
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In my previous articles, I mulled a lot on building theory. I gave opinions
and made a lot of suggestions on how to make areas look even better. But the
one thing I didn't really answer was how you actually find the discipline to
keep at it and -finish- an area.
Fact is, I don't really know how myself. :P And I think the answer to this
is
different for different people. But I do believe that only actually doing it
will let you discover your own way.
So here's the challenge. I want you to build a mini-area with me in the
coming months. Give me five room descriptions of interconnected limestone
caves. It's not asking a lot, just five rooms of about 5-9 sentences. I'm
even going to help you find stuff to write about in the article below.
Call it practice. Treat it like a game. If 4 of us do it, we'll have a twenty
room area. If 10 of us do it, we'll have a fifty room beauty. And if 50 of us
contribute, then well, we'll have an Underdark worthy of the Realms.
On Caves
As an ignorant computer game-playing citizen, I used to think caves
were basically gloomy, dark, damp, earthy caverns in the ground with nothing
much else to distinguish them besides their varying shapes and some tree
roots and dirt. Even Morrowind with its carefully hand-placed scenery had
fairly dull caves. Maybe it's lack of processor power. Or no one thought to
research real world caves more carefully...
(I have a confession to make. I don't know much about geology and geography.
So the bad news: If you're more professional than me at this, I might bore
you to death or traumatize you with not-so-correct facts. The good news,
though, is that this encyclopedia next to me does know stuff about caves.)
Lava Tube Caves
Lava tube caves are classified as primary caves, they form as the rock around
them forms. As a stream of lava flows downhill, its surface begins to cool
and form a solidifying crust, but the molten lava beneath it continues to
flow. The remaining lava eventually flows away to leave an empty space - a
lava tube cave.
The shape of these caves can vary from a simple tube to a complex labyrinth
that extends for miles. Lava tube caves tend to be dry, unless they are in a
region of heavy rainfall or are at a low elevation. Like limestone caves,
lava caves can contain a massive variety of speleothems (cave formations).
A magnificent listing of them may be found at the Virtual Lava Tube website.
http://www.goodearthgraphics.com/virtual_tube/virtube.html
Solution Caves
Secondary caves are formed where natural forces erode away already present
cave material to create a hole in the ground (of varying shapes and sizes).
The most common cave of this type is the limestone or karst cave. In this
case, rainwater is the natural force that erodes away the limestone rock.
The
weak carbonic acid created upon mixing carbon dioxide with water dissolves
the limestone, creating wider and wider crevasses as it flows downward until
it hits insoluble bedrock and proceeds towards sea level.
Due to the method of formation, limestone caves are considered solution
caves. Other types of solution caves also include gypsum and salt (halite)
which are rarer, but are formed by the same principles.
Glacier Caves
Glacier caves are formed by a similar process. When the surface of a glacier
is warmed (due to a warm season of weather or geothermal heat), it melts.
This meltwater flows through cracks in the glacier, melting away even more
glacier ice as it flows, eventually resulting in intricately sculpted
caverns.
Rock Shelters
Rock shelters are formed by the erosion of insoluble bedrock at different
rates. Where a resistant rock such as sandstone overlies shale or some other
relatively weak rock, the sandstone is left behind as a roof once the shale
is weathered away through erosion. Rock shelters are small-sized caves at
best, but many surface-dwellers use them as temporary refuges or living
quarters, leaving behind signs of inhabitation.
Sea Caves
Sea caves are formed by the action of waves on weaknesses in the sea cliffs
along coastlines. They may be mere crevices in the cliff or roomy chambers.
Some can only be entered by boat at low tide, while others, occurring along
beaches, can be walked into. A sea cave may have an opening to the surface at
its rear that provices access from the top of the cliff. This ceiling
entrance can serve as a blowhole from which water spouts during times of high
tide or rough seas. Sea caves rarely are more than a few hundred meters long.
Eolian Caves
Flowing water is not the only means of eroding materials. Eolian caves are
chambers formed by the action of wind and are common in desert areas where
they are formed in massive sandstone cliffs. Wind carrying abrasive sand
erodes the walls, floor and ceiling of a small cavity, resulting in a bottle
shaped chamber usually of greater diameter than the entrance. Eolian caves
are rarely longer than a few tens of meters.
Tectonic Caves
Tectonic caves are formed by the mass movement of bedrock. Talus caves refer
to openings formed between boulders piled up on mountain slopes due to rock
slides and collapses. Most of them are very small, both in length and in
cross section. Some boulder piles, however, do have explorable interconnected
"passages" of considerable length up to several kilometers. Fissure caves are
simply that, a large crack left by two masses of rock which simply moved
apart.
Fantasy Caves
Hopefully, that gave you a taste of the many kinds of caves existing in the
real world. Most depend on the movement of water, wind, or the earth itself.
In a fantasy world, there might be even more natural forces that could create
caves.
Fantasy fauna often reaches gigantic size. Mud areas already tend to use
umber hulk tunnels and giant ant or termite hills. What kind of caverns would
humongous earthworms create? Let's not forget the flora also. Fungus or a
giant root could carve out branching tunnels, later rotting away to leave
empty space. A sheer blast of elemental energy might create another kind of
cave.
Function of Caves
As for function, caves may serve as homes, temporary shelters, hiding places,
and water sources. Some might contain glyphs and pictographs on their walls,
made by humanoid hand. Others used as burial grounds or for religious
ceremonies. Naturally forming caves may also be helped along by sentient
races, to produce mines and dungeon complexes, even whole cities of the
Underdark.
Anyhow for this challenge, let us concentrate on one type of cave. The most
common type. A limestone cavern.
How are you supposed to depict a limestone cavern in a mud? Especially if you
look at pictures, they tend to be so three dimensional and convoluted, you're
not really sure how to draw it spatially using mud rooms.
Well, there are several ways you could do it, according to your preference.
You might represent each cavern with one room, or you can depict one big
cavern with a sequence of rooms that focus on special features in each.
Basically, whatever you think looks good will do. You're aiming for the
semblance of "cave-liness" with the arrangement of rooms. The room
descriptions themselves will tell players where they are and what their
surroundings look like.
Let's think of all the characteristics you might consider with a cavern. You
have walls, floor, and a ceiling. Hrm.
Doesn't seem to be much else? What about the open space? What's the shape and
size of the cavern? How deep is the cavern? What kind of mood do you want to
evoke with the cavern - grand and majestic or oppresive and gloomy, or just
wet and yucky?
What material is it made of? What are the colors of the cavern, when seen
with a torch, or with a bright light? Are there any openings allowing
sunlight to flow in? How about ventilation shafts? Is the air fresh, is it
dusty?
What is the temperature? Geothermal heat may be present in the form of molten
lava, a hardened crust with hot lava beneath it, steam, hot water or warm
air. The ambient humidity? Limestone caves tend to be damp, since they are
formed through the action of flowing water. If they are completely dry, they
are in the process of dying and falling apart into dust. How about the smell?
Any sounds that you can hear?
Any special features that are naturally caused? The Virtual Cave has the
most complete list of solution cave formations that I've found
(http://www.goodearthgraphics.com/virtcave/virtcave.html). Any man-made
additions?
Any special flora in the cavern? Or fauna? Caves near the surface may be
inhabited by bats and other surface creatures taking temporary shelter, such
as rodents or owls. Deeper caves have their own ecosystems - blind cave fish,
insects like cave crickets and ground beetles, spotted salamanders,
millipedes, snails, spiders, and snakes. Add the fantasy element and not only
do you have giant forms of the above, but unique creatures like carrion
crawlers and otyughs.
Think about the ease of movement, do you need ropes to cross certain parts,
or might someone twist their ankle if running full tilt without looking at
the ground? The dangers of travelling underground might leave their mark on
the cavern too - floods, cave-ins, fires or poisonous gases.
How about the presence or absence of water features? There might be standing
water in the form of lakes or pools or even a small puddle. Flowing water
allows for all the variety of a river or a stream or even a tiny trickle in a
subterreanean environment. Just think about how wide and deep the water is,
and far the ceiling is from the flow. Cascades or a waterfall add a certain
dramatic effect too.
Here's a tip if you're like me and find a blank page sheer agony to fill.
Do not look at your writing. Don't look at the page at all. If you use a word
processor to type (as do most of us these days), turn off your monitor, and
just type on the keyboard.
It'll feel more than a little odd, it's not like closing your eyes where you
can take peeks now and then. But it teaches you to trust what you are
writing. Typos will pop in, but ignore them for now. You will revise it all
later. It -will- make sense. By speed-typing blind, you focus more on the act
of creating, rather than reading and worrying about what you've already
created.
If you need more inspiration, take a look at these photographs of limestone
caves, and check out these links to learn more about caves. And you can
search google and find others too. Just sit and look at them and try to
describe them.
How Caves Form
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/caves/form.html
Types of Caves
http://www.earlham.edu/~fusonga/gabecaves.htm
http://www.showcaves.com/english/explain/Speleology/index.html
Cave Features
http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/feb/papr/speleothems.html
http://www.caveofthewinds.com/test/terms.html
http://www.utexas.edu/depts/tnhc/.www/biospeleology/mocavelife/mocavelife.htm
Cave Photographs
http://www.darklightimagery.net/caveimages.html
http://www.cave-pictures.com/index.htm
The objective is five rooms. But if you're feeling hardworking, or this is
fun and relaxing for you, feel free to contribute more. And if you are shy
and you don't like the Realms Forum at all and you wouldn't be caught dead
posting there, then mudmail it to me.
And if you don't think you can build five rooms, but you enjoy my building
articles, I want you do me a big favor. Show me some support for this column.
Write me ONE room. Post it on the Realms Forum. Mudmail. Whatever. Everybody
can write one room.
And this goes out to the immortals of the Realms as well. I know you all are
busy guys, you've got things to do, rules to enforce, quarrels to settle,
names to auth, and areas of your own to build. But aim for five rooms, give
me one room if that's all you've got time for.
I'm even making it easy for you. I've done all this research for you. There's
a whole list of questions about caves above. Just get a pen and answer them.
Or find a photograph and describe it. Or surf around and read about caves
until something sparks your inspiration. Make a pretty room. Make a scary
room. Make whatever interests you. Just make it a room in a limestone cavern
system. :)
Deadline: 10th August, 2003
Possibly Inspirational, Cave-Related Words (courtesy of thesaurus.com)
bedrock, boulder, cobblestone, crag, crust, earth, gravel, lava, lodge, mass,
metal, mineral, ore, pebble, promontory, quarry, reef, rubble, shelf, slab,
slag, thrum, thrump-cap, rock, stone, rocky, bouldered, craggy, flinty, hard,
inflexible, jagged, lapidarian, lithic, pebbly, petrified, petrous, rock-
ribbed, rockbound, rough, solid, stonelike, stony, rugged, rough texture
adamantine, flinty, impenetrable, indestructible, rock-hard, tough,
unbreakable, hard texture, cave, cavern, cavity, den, hollow, pothole,
rock shelter, subterranean, hole, damp, chilly, clammy, cloudy, dank,
dewy, drenched, dripping, drippy, drizzly, irriguous, misty, moist, muggy,
oozy, saturated, soaked, soaking, sodden, soggy, sopping, steamy, sticky,
vaporous, waterlogged, wet, wettish, arid, dried, dry, parched dreary, black,
bleak, boring, cheerless, colorless, comfortless, damp, depressing,
depressive, dingy, dismal, dispiriting, doleful, downcast, drab, dull,
forlorn, funereal, glum, humdrum, joyless, lifeless, lonely, lonesome,
melancholy, monotonous, mournful, oppressive, pedestrian, raw, routine, sad,
somber, sorrowful, tedious, uneventful, uninteresting, wearisome, windy,
wintry, wretched, oppressive, airless, breathless, choky, confined, fusty,
heavy, humid, moldy, motionless, muggy, musty, stagnant, stale, stale-
smelling, sticky, stifling, stuffy, suffocating, sultry, sweltering, sweltry,
thick, tight, uncomfortable, unventilated, dense, circumscribed, compact,
confined, confining, congested, consolidated, cramped, cropped, crowded,
firm, impenetrable, impermeable, jam-packed, narrow, packed, restricted,
short, solid, substantial, thick, tight loose, open, roomy, uncramped
========================================================================
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IGQC Report - May by Wiglaff
========================================================================
The May Inter Guild Quest was hosted by GoM, and the 33 people who
participated had a good time.
The Gods of Mount Olympus had called for the guilds of realms to assist them
and recover seven powerful rings that had been stolen from Pandora's box by
Tricksters representing the seven deadly sins.
The job of the questors was to uses whatever means were necessary from
negotiation or bribing to more openly aggresive nogotiating tactics such
as trying to blast them to death.
The Inter Order Quest for May was hosted by Maidenstone. There was much
exploring, problem solving... oh and some blood and violence, so everyone who
took part had a hoot.
Musashi, the Maidenstone pet had mysteriously vanished, believed to be
kidnapped, So the orders of realms set out to recover the poor little chap.
To do this they had to find certain items and bring them to a strange
character called Qwerty, who would issue criptic clues as to whereabouts of
the items he desired.
When all the orders had satisfied the demands of Qwerty and assembled with
the missing pet, shock horror! Everything was not as it seemed, a fearful
melee ensued. The combined might of the orders prevailed, and things were
put to rights.
June's IOQ saw an invasion of rather fiesty Catgirls out to steal away the
Men of realms, the Women of realms were having none of this, if anyone was
going to steal.... *cough*hack*cough* erm...
So the Order of Arcanes sprang into action and set the other orders on a
quest to rid the realms of these upstart mansnatchers.
After some clues were followed up, and a secret weapon obtained, the catfolk
were chased down in the Southern Mountain Range.
Many bitter battles took place until finally the Head Catwoman was cornered,
the males of the orders bravely had 'the change' and sacrificed their
manhood, and the combined ladies and things in the group took vengeance on
her.
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The Symposium: June by Wiglaff
========================================================================
In June the following proposals were placed before TS,
and after consideration, voted on as follows -
Passed by TS :
Aegir postal service being able to send treasure items.
Config +autobury.
Key usage - seeing what you have locked/unlocked.
Empty brewed flasks so they can be used again.
Mail list showing who is was addressed to and when it was sent.
Lillies and daisies being changed to type flower.
Continuous advancement after reaching avatar.
Allowing gold tokens with split command (on hold)
Allowing token use with the roster command (on hold)
Mudmailing coded leaders using an org's abbreviations.
Character's org displaying on the where command.
Class based group bonuses.
Blood fountains giving more blood per drink.
Lowering level restriction for ring engravings.
Sundial for Darkhaven.
Unique ranks for all guild leaders/officers.
Examining donation containers with arguments.
Enhanced quaffrate for peacefuls in the arena.
Guild/order tags showing on where like clans.
'List all' option at shops to see all items for sale.
Adding arguments to shop list command (ie. list warrior human).
'List all' option also including ability to buy items.
Pet whistle item (pet auto-tracks back to owner)
Peacefuls respawning with eq when killed in arena
Haggle command (used in shops to attempt lowering item costs)
Adding genres to who arguments (ex. who fighter, rogue, etc.)
Failed by TS :
Spells being able to be cast below the required mana.
Leaders setting their leader group bonus onto alts.
Tells logged while afk and a replay command to see them.
Config option to see/buy all items in shops.
Permanently swapping names between two characters.
Gaining levels through roleplay.
Mentoring programs for new avatars.
Classifying characters by stats on A-F scale.
'Who area' command (show people in an area in a who display).
During the month the following feedback was received
concerning proposals previously passed by TS -
Denied :
Waitstate token updating prompt.
Reroll only after being authed.
Vampires feeding from bodyparts.
'Save' and the AFK state.
Increasing extra description buffers.
Making coral depths flower 'plant' types - Project already underway.
Auto-bury.
Increasing ignore slots.
Sender as note keyword.
Bloodlet affecting thirst.
Hell release time in config.
Blood fountains increasing bp by 20.
Changing minor invocation message for caster.
Lowering level to have wedding rings engraved.
Passed :
Add compass to config.
Two-handed weapons.
Finditem searching containers first.
Adding a help mobile file.
Addition of 'basic level range' in armor exam.
Restore on level up to level 25.
Adding help hunger/thirst level files.
Ability to use k and m in starting auctions.
Extra_removers can close other peoples votes.
Addition of character name to welcome message.
'Layerable' flag to show on identify.
(a number of these items have already been implemented - see news)
Other TS News :
The TS meeting on Monday June 16 2003 was opened to the public to
watch the workings and debate involved in TS meetings. All were free
to attend, subject to rules of behavior designed to prevent spam.
Public interest levels were good, with a number of people taking the
opportunity to attend the meeting.
========================================================================
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Guild/Order News - GoC by Angelea
========================================================================
What has been happening within the Guild of Clerics this past month?
We have had Akael, who used to be a guild leader, return from MIA and
autodeleting. Welcome back Akael! We also welcomed Thamopolis, who so far has
proved to be a great asset to the guild. Amin has joined the ranks as well,
learning quickly.
The guild has been busy running, doing weekly quests and trivia. We welcome
all clerics young and old, so if you wish to join please feel free to check
out the clock tower, which is NW, W, W, N, N, E, U from the square and get
yourself a guide. The leaders are always open to speaking with applicants to
answer questions. Hope to hear from you soon!
Another chaotic month in our guild!
Unforunately for our new folk, we lack the buffer space to immortalise their
names in CoD glory, with there being so many. But, you know who you are, and
we love you.
We've killed more nasties than we have sense, particularly our beloved
balancer-of-the-cosmos Justice!
And last, but not least, Hardaker has been made the leader of our Mentor-
Apprentice council, congratulations are most definitely in order!
The Guild of Rangers would like to welcome the following pledges who joined
in the past couple of months: Kelahnus, Kertack and Vizgot, with a welcome
back to Wintermute. We hope you will enjoy your time in GoR.
Congratulations to the pledges who've attained full member status: Aiden,
Erante, Mariska and Noktor. You are now officially part of the nuthouse...
Err, I mean, guild.
Also, we'd like to offer belated congratulations to Aiden and Tatyana who
made it into the Newbie Council. Keep up the great work, you two.
We've had several rangers with birthdays in May and June. Barthak, Harthan,
Hordiki, Katryna, Laguana and Linda are now a year older and wiser. I hope
you had a great time and remember, it's not how old you are, just how nutty
you feel.
More congratulations are in order for Barthak and Rialian as they finally got
mudmarried in a beautiful ceremony. May they have many happy years together
and lots of children.
The past month in the Guild of Thieves saw a lot of run activity. Members
were out and about figuring out mobs and mazes. Coming back sometimes
triumphant, sometimes not but still going back to fight again. Black Rose and
Jade have been two favorites. One day, it is sure both will see our thieves
coming and just give up the loot...
Our IT ranks have been increasing, Please welcome Ardaria as a full IT, her
training period is now over and she proudly steps up to the tasks before her.
Theodor also joins the ranks of IT as a trainee. Job well done, both of you.
Our Scribes of Stealth have been exceedingly busy with mapping and exploring
various areas throughout the realms. They've also been busily figuring out
puzzles and secrets from all over and bringing back the fruits of their
explorations to share with the rest of the members.
IGQ saw our thieves joining forces with others to triumph over the challenges
set before them. A grand time was had by all.
That is it for this month. Any level 20 thief or higher who wishes to join a
great family called the guild should contact an IT or a Leader. They can also
come and read our how to join notes posted in the recruiting office
3s, 2w, 1n, w from DH []
Greetings from the Guild of Vampires!
Our sires have been very busy lately interviewing and questing a good
number of new applicants to the guild. In June, the Guild of Vampires
welcomed into its ranks new Chylders Yilican, Yelisa and Tonitrus.
The rest of us have been busy running, exploring and playing trivia
games. We learned that Onteria knows lots of things and can type like the
wind.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of Zya and her many contributors, the
guild website improves almost continuously. Feel free to visit it at:
http://members.rogers.com/guildofvampires/
If you are a vampire level 20 or higher and are looking for a home, why
not stop by our recruiting board (help map) and fill out an application
today?
Stay tuned for news on the resurrection of the Shadow Council and the
creation of the all new Vampiric Scouts.
After some rocky times in GoW, the road has smoothed out once more for the
guild. We can be proud of the way Ilena, our new GM, is pulling things
together with the help of her Guild First Krillian and the newly elected
Guild Second Nena. Thank you for all the hard work and dedication.
The various Councils are doing well. With the cooperation and help of all
our
members, we are pulling together to make a close knit and active guild. More
and varied runs and competions have been on the roster this past month. The
QC is working to make it a fun place to be. Our MC is working with new
Menbers to equip and train them to run for the Glory of our Guild
Two of our members have just made Avatar, congratulations Zarnyth and Mirra.
We are looking forward to a growing and happy guild.
We have a newly revamped Run Council which includes multiple rank levels that
require experience and training to obtain. The Run Council was revamped by
Zanzidor who leads it. Job well done.
GoP Elections for Guild Second are completed and Zanzidor has become guild
second. Congratulations!
A welcome to our new members, Puriya and Felonx. May this place become your
new home.
Greetings, Realms! This summer, Arcanes has oodles to celebrate:
First, we would like to give a warm welcome to our newest slav-err, members:
Zio, Valnoir, Certlop, and Yeroc! We wish them well in their new roles as
both Arcanes and *cough* Headquarters Janitors. ;)
We would also like to wish a big fat HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Lews, Adonia, Rafa,
Yeroc, and Jexia! We won't reveal their ages, but let's just say that all
have yet to exit their FIRST childhoods...
And last, but certainly not least, we would like to congratulate Priam for
her promotion to Council of Light Leader! She is an experienced player and
a devoted member, making her a great addition to the leadership team here in
Arcanes. Congrats, Priam! =)
It's been a quiet month for Ringbearers.
A few brave members have made some forays out into the wide world and
brought back some interesting trophies. Many mighty creatures now fear the
light footfalls and well sharpened weapons of Ringbearers and their
minions!!
Recently we had a Grand Combat round robin pkill contest of which many
members took part. Suffice to say there were many great battles to be held
and unfortunately for some, a few slaughters to be had. Outright victory
though had to be given to Gregory on his Vampire Vabiciar with no defeats and
some convincing wins. Lets see how he does in 3 months time when we will hold
our quarterly event once more.
Notes from the Ba'al.....
Our dark lord Ba'al has welcomed, with much delight, the Dark Mistress Myra
as the Leader of the Immortal Baali ranks. Her dark children are relishing
her reign.
Zenobia, our princess of darkness, has ensured the survival of our family by
the birth of her beautiful baby boy. We congratulate her and shall endeavour
to ensure his corruption starts early :P
We welcome our new members, Dascia, Maralia, Mari, Kerstin, Kendron and
myself. Well done, and may your evil powers grow within our family of dark
souls.
Many new members have shown a desire to join us. We welcome your interest
and remind you to read help baali_apps when applications to the Kine are
opened.
Until next month, may you remember, evil reigns over us all.
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|__|___|___|__| A great cheer rises from the |___|___|___|__|
\_|__|__|___|/ halls of Lo'Kier. \_|__|___|__|/
\__|____|__/ Good King Anmect has \__|____|__/
|||_|_|_|| aged another year! |||_|_|_||
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(ooc) Happy birthday Crusty. From all of us in RnF
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Public Submission: A Guide to Killing Rez
========================================================================
Right, so the next installment of this little mini-series is as follows. The
mob we'll be discussing this month is Rez, Lord of the Fate Banshees. So
before we start into how we kill him, let's talk a little about why we want
to kill. Rez is considered a relatively low-level mob but the style of
killing is similar to more difficult mobs. This makes it good practice for
harder mobs.
The loot he gives out isn't that bad either. The most notable thing is
Shifting Black Flames which is a regenerating light for evils, probably the
best in-game evil light as far as I'm aware. The cobras are also not that
bad as they're good for mana-users or other classes that require the dex.
So next step, how to get to Rez. First, head straight up from Darkhaven
Square with fly on and then north to the astral guardian. Kill the astral
guardian, grab the wand to unlock the gate, and enter the astral plane with
hide/invis and track Malsangre. Once you're in the same room as her, just
say 'back in time' to be transported into the Scourge of Time area.
There are also walking directions from the Southern Mountain Range geo I
think, but they would be long and messy to put down. So once you're in SoT,
just walk east until you get into the sands and from there you can just track
Rez. It generally is a good idea to leave a character in the tunnel before
you go in so you can track back out easily. Ideally you can also map the
maze so you have another exit there as well.
Rez is an evil mob and has fireshield and shockshield. The generally
accepted way of killing is with 3 thieves. You can use less, but not more as
each of the rooms in the sands are tunneled to 4 people. The maze shifts
quickly so make sure you scry before you move to rez. Also watch out for the
numerous fate banshees that are wandering around the sands as well.
Rez mostly focuses on the tank but throws a few random breath spells at the
hitters during the fight. He also attempts to poison with bite and I think
he gouges, but not absolutely sure on that. The damage is nothing excessive
but he does have a slightly annoying circle prog.
So basically the fight ends up being relatively simple, heal up to almost
full health, circle, repeat! Oh, also he is ip1, otherwise his breath
attacks will suddenly start hitting for a lot more hp.
Rez is a pretty straightforward mob and there shouldn't be any real problems.
The longest time will be spent wandering into the maze looking for Rez and
waiting for the fate banshees to get out of the way. That or waiting for
them to get out of the way so you can walk out and recall to go repair. I
think those are most of the basics, if there are any questions, get in touch
with Juliana and she can pass them onto me. Till next month, cheerio!
========================================================================
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Viva La Revolucion! by Angelea
========================================================================
Abelard flees the female revolution :P.
Angelea Endymion is a one woman revolution.
Ardaria is a one girl revolution
Zilensko is a victim of the revolution :(
Kirg Endymion dirty old man of the revolution.Notorious.
Lox Doomhammer, died at the revolution!.....
Tae will crush the revolution!
Redikipen revels in the female revolution daily :)
Amorthan Kuryrande _is_ the revolution. [ARC-DP]
Formotoni-san kicked everyone's ass in the revolution.
Amorthan Kuryrande tried the revolution... [ARC-DP]
Tuile was walked over by the revolution...
========================================================================
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Realms Census by Simone
========================================================================
Ok everyone! I'm calculating up the results from the census. Since I won't
have them done in time for this issue, everyone who didn't already
participate has another chance! So quickly, grab a note, scribble down your
answers to the questions and mail it to me!
Just answer each question as it pertains to your main character only! This
also means, please do not include any personal information about yourself,
all questions (eg. your age) are strictly being asked of your _main
character_.
The only exception to this would be the questions involving the # of hours,
in which case, please do answer in terms of real hours.
Also, this information will be kept totally confidential, your submission
will solely be used for statistical purposes and everyone's data will only
show up as a number. I'll find some immortal to eat the notes after I'm done
with them, they're usually pretty hungry.
So, on a note, answer the following questions; there is no need to write the
question out again. Simply the question number with the answer beside it will
suffice.
Address the note to Simone with the subject of Census or something similar.
Thank you for your participation :)
1. What is the age of your character?
2. What level have you obtained?
3. How long have you been playing realms? (answer in real years please)
4. Are you peaceful or deadly?
5. a) Are you currently a member of a guild (any of your characters)?
b) If so, how many guilds are you a member of?
6. a) Are you currently a member of an order (any of your characters)?
b) If so, how many orders are you a member of?
7. a) Are you currently a member of a clan (any of your characters)?
b) If so, how many clans are you a member of?
8. How many hours do you spend per week:
a) running?
b) questing?
c) pkilling?
d) roleplaying?
9. How many people do you have on your ignore list?
10.How many people do you have on your friends list?
11.Are you currently mudmarried?
12.How many times have you been mudmarried?
13.How many hours per week do you spend [AFK]?
14.Have you ever attended a major reunion?
15.Do you actively role play?
16.What is your approximate net worth (cash and equipment only)?
17.a) How many avatars do you own?
b) Of those, how many did you level from 1-50 yourself?
18.There are: (answer either a, b or c)
a) not enough cool flying ninjas in the realms.
b) sufficient cool flying ninjas in the realms.
c) too many cool flying ninjas in the realms.
That's it! I've attempted to keep the questions quick and easy hoping for
lots of responses. If there is a lot of interest I will try and do a follow
up looking for some other types of statistics :)
Thank you!
========================================================================
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| | | | \ | | | | |___ [__ |
================|___ |__| |__/ |_\| |__| |___ ___] |================
Let's play Dress Up by Elisabet, Ilsensine and Romani
========================================================================
Last month, the quest was to conjure up a list of clothing suitable for
our newest Immortal, Ilsensine. The winners have been chosen, congratulations!
Please see Alysira for your prizes.
Page 63- Shingo's Entry
Page 64- Jexia's Entry
Page 65- This month's quest
Shingo's Entry:
An illuminated snow globe
A band of eternally frozen ice
A ring with a snowflake ornament
An amulet of the frost maiden
A choker of icicles
a pearl and sapphire breastplate
a coronet of winter blossoms
legplates of solid ice
a trail of snow and ice
icy cold grip
bangles of the realms frozen tears
the four winds
an aura of winter magic
sash of icy silk
bracelet of sapphire
pearl armband
Absolute Zero
An ice-carved figurine of Ilsensine
Never-melting snowflakes
glasses of the purest ice
tattoos of a winter tableau
a pale complexion
crystalline anklet
a silver band encased in ice
Jexia's Entry:
The Light of Knowledge
a tiny serpent
a glowing pendant of amethyst
a tightly laced purple velvet dress
Aura of Mystery
delicate silver slippers
cryptic runes
a faint swirl of mystic light
an intricately etched silver bracelet
The Knowledge of the Ages
a silver rose
a single strand of a unicorn's mane
========================================================================
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Brain Benders by Alysira
========================================================================
And now we come to this month's quest. I know it has been a long time in
the making, but I hope you all enjoy it.
This code below is the room description of a popular mob. Crack the code,
and figure out which mob belongs to this room.
Mudmail all entries to me (Alysira) by the 25th of July, and two winners
shall be picked at random. Good luck!
Crack the Code!
Chbmbfr pf Jnfqvjty
Ypv fntfr b lbrgf dbrkfnfd chbmbfr whjch hpvsfs b ppdjvm pf jntjmjdbtjng
prppprtjpns bnd b wjtnfss stbnd. Pncf b plbce pf fbjrnfss bnd prpprjfty,
thf btmpsphfrf hbs chbngfd mbrkfdly pvfr thf cfntvrjfs, grpwjng mprf
fpvl bnd ppjspnpvs bs tjmf prpgrfssfd. Thf smfll pf sprrpw bnd dfspbjr
pfrmfbtfs thf rppm, bs jf Jvstjce hbs hbndfd dpwn bnd cbrrjfd pvt hfr
sfntfncf jn pnf ffll swppp.
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____ ___ _ ___ ____ ____ _ ____ _
|___ | \ | | | | |__/ | |__| |
====================|___ |__/ | | |__| | \ | | | |___===============
From the Quill of Alysira by Alysira
========================================================================
Greetings, readers.
Just a few months ago I was writing and editting the Cry. You thought
you had gotten rid of me.
Sadly, Elisabet has left the Immortal world, and retired from the game.
Hopefully her retirement will bring her a long-needed break, and a joyous
life. She has done so much for this game and touched the lives of many
people, we wish you all the best!
With her leaving, I've been asked to take over the Immortal Sponsor
position of staff. It's good to be back! Hopefully we'll be able to
continue with all the changes you've been seeing.
If you have any questions or comments for me, feel free to mudmail them
in. Reader feedback is important, remember this is YOUR magazine!
Anyway enough from me, and I hope you enjoyed this month's issue!
-Alysira
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________________________________________________________________________
___________ _
__/ .::::.-'-(/-/)
_/: .::::.-' .-'\/\_`*******
/: .::::./ -._-. d\|
/: (""""/ '. (__/|| Thanks for being
\::).-' -._ \/ \\/\| a great CoD imm!
__ _ .-'`)/ '-'. . '. | (i_O
.-' \ -' '\| __ _ _ _ _
_ _./ .-'| '. ( \\ | _/| |(_) ___ __ _| |__ ___ | |_
.-' : '_ \ '-'\ /|/ ||_ | || |/ __| / _` | '_ \ / _ \| _/
/ )\_ '- )_________.-|_/'\ | _/| || |\__ \| (_| | |_) | __/| |_
( .-' )-._-: / \(/\'-._ `. |__||_||_||___/ \__,_|_.__/ \___| \_/
( )_//_/|: / `\() `\_\
( ( \(/ _/)_/ )/ \\
)_.-\\.\(_)__._.-'-.-'-.//_.-'-.-.)\-'.._
-.-.-' _o\ \\\ (o_ |__\'-.-; Wishing you the best in
\ / \\\__ )_\ .:::::::.-'\ your future endeavours...
:::''':::::')__\:::::::::::::::::'''''''-.
::::::: ''''''''''' ''''''''''''':::. -'\ From: The Cry of Despair
____':::::_____________________________________\________________________
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