{"id":2028,"date":"2024-03-21T17:39:53","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T17:39:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/wordpress\/?page_id=2028"},"modified":"2024-03-21T17:39:54","modified_gmt":"2024-03-21T17:39:54","slug":"times-of-despair-0997","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/times-of-despair-0997\/","title":{"rendered":"Times of Despair #0997"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color\">Times of Despair for September, 1997<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"cryofdespair\">\na copy of the Times of Despair for September, 1997\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\nTHE TIMES OF DESPAIR - COLUMN LISTING\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\n\nIntro\n- Welcome to the Times of Despair.\n\nUpdates\n- Stories on the Realms about stuff you really need to know.\n\nAdventures\n- The journals of those who wandered the Realms.\n\nEntertainment\n- Poems and stories that add to the spice of life.\n\nHumour\n- Laughable and funny stories for those with a sense of humour.\n\n-------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\nTHE TIMES OF DESPAIR - COLUMN LISTING 2\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\n\nCouncilNews\n- Reports on what is going on in the various councils.\n\nOrderNews\n- The latest news on the Realms great Orders.\n\nGuildNews\n- What goes on in the Guilds of Darkhaven.\n\nClanNews\n- The latest news on the great Clans of the Realms.\n\nSubmissions\n- The \"How To\" on becoming a part of ToD.\n\nStaff\n- The listing of all those who put an effort into this edition of ToD.\n\n.\nWelcomes Times of Despair Readers!\n\nThe amount of positive comments we received on the last issue was\nextraordinary, and I think you will all be pleasantly surprised with this one.\nSince many of our readers will be returning from the long summer break, this\ninssue contains more current information, more updates and more stories to\nkeep you busy! :)\n\nOur Newsletter board is located on the fourth floor of the new Town Hall. The\nSymposium has provided all readers with a map of the Town Hall (Look C1M to\nview it). Please feel free to post comments, questions and ideas there! So,\nwithout further ado, please read on ...\n\nAdonia Calonderiel\nEditor\n-------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\nTHE TIMES OF DESPAIR - REALMS UPDATES\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\n\nU0: Introduction\n\nU1: The Bag Alert - by Rowena\n\nU2: A Day in the Life of the Immortal Knight of the Roses - by Cresis\n\nU3: Tips on Styles - by Cantal\n\nU4: A Warm Welcome to the Newbies of the Realms - by Rowena\n\nU5: Miscellaneous Information That May Be Helpful (for Newbies) - by Rowena\n\nWelcome to the Realms Updates Section!\n\nHere we will try to add some of the latest information and helpful hints that\ncan aid you will traversing the Realms. So, if you have anything you'd wish\nto share with your fellow players, Look SUBMISSIONS for details on how to get\nit in!\n\n|+| The Bag Alert |+|\n\nSome players will read the title of this article and say to themselves, \"I know\nthis!!\". My intention is to inform Newbies, however, it is also a friendly\nreminder to my fellow adventurers.\n\nIt is rare that I go to Zelah's shop (in Darkhaven) when I do not see bags that\nhave been dropped by players after they have emptied the contents of the bag\nthe Shopkeeper hands them into a container in their inventory, (or thought they\nemptied the contents of the bag).\n\nHigher level players know what I mean, so this is just a reminder to be\ncareful. Now, to explain the BAG ALERT to those who are new to the Realms, or\nto those who are not aware of what can happen and to those who may be asking\nthemselves, \"Whatever is Rowena talking about?!\". (I wish someone had told me\nabout what can happen when *I* was a new player). There was equipment, which\nwas trash, called MANacles, and a container called the Girdle of MANy pouches.\nI thought I had dropped and sacrificed the MANacles, however, i accidentally\ndropped and sacrificed my Girdle of MANy pouches. Once I sold what I thought wa\na SHield (i.e., sell SHI), only to sell my SHImmering Robe, (fully loaded\nwith valuable equipment.)\n\nBasically, when you type the command \"empty BAG ,\" and your\ncontainer (the one in your inventory) is a rune covered BAG, the bag you\nreceived from the Shopkeeper will be emptied into the first BAG the MUD\nrecognizes. So if there are ten bags lying on the ground, and you happen to\nhave a container with the word bag in it's description (run covered BAG), your\npotions will be emptied into a BAG on the ground. The MUD defaults to the\ncontainer (BAG) it first recognizes which is the BAG on the ground.\n\nThis applies to any container with the same name in it's description, (key\nwords). Recently I neglected to notice an extradimensional portal on the\nground in the room I was in and put a piece of equipment into what I believed\nto be my extradimensional portal. However, the equipment was placed into the\ncontainer on the ground. I observed an avatar do the same thing in DH []...\n(square). Both actions resulted in loss of equipment, since the equipment was\nplaced into the wrong container, (it was placed into the container on the\nground with the same name).\n\nMy suggestion is:\n\n1) Do not carry two containers of the same name or any container with the\nword BAG in it's description\/as it's keyword. When the Shopkeeper hands\nyou a bag containing your purchases, empty the BAG into the container in\nyour inventory. For example, if you are using a Cloak of Storage, type\n'empty bag cloak', or better yet, 'empty bag storage'. Again, if you\n'empty bag cloak', be sure that there are no other cloaks on the ground.\n(That is why storage is a better keyword to use as many pieces of\nequipment use cloak as a keyword. You may want to leave the room and go\nto a room where you see nothing on the ground and check your Cloak (or\nwhatever container you are using) to make sure the transfer has been made.\nThen 'examine bag' to make sure it is empty.\n\n2) Then DROP and SAC your bag!! If everyone sacrificed their empty bags, this\nwould help alleviate the problem. ('drop bag', 'sac bag').\n\nAlso, recently the code was changed so that the bags the Shopkeepers hand you\nwoth your purchases are timed to self-destruct (disappear) within a short\nperiod of time. If you do not empty the contents of the bag into another\ncontainer, or if you should put the bag into a container without emptying its\ncontents first, you will lose not only the bag but the contents of the bag when\nthe timer kicks in and the bag disappears. Which means LE POOF of your potions.\n\n|+| A Day in the Life of the Immortal Knight of the Roses |+|\nBy Cresis\n\nWhat does an immortal on the Realms of Despair do? Many get the picture of some\npower crazed, self serving, lout who sits at his PC planning ways to advance\nthemselves on the mud. Others may see someone who is there to give a CR, or\ntattle to when someone bothers you. Finally, others couldn't care less if the\nimmortals were there or not. I asked a high level immortal what a day of theirs\nlooked like, but unfortunately most of what they do is private; top secret. I\nsettled for a mid level: Ynnug Starprofit.\n\nYnnug was immortalized on January 19th, 1997. Ever since, he has become one\nof the immortal world's gems. Always there with a friendly smile. Ynnug starts\noff his day with a good cup of coffee and a light snack. From there he proceeds\nto read the numerous note boards across RoD (Realms of Despair) so that he can\nkeep in touch with what's going on. Then, with the many channels on, Ynnug\ncarefully listens to Realms chat by.\n\nYnnug is there to help with a CR (Immortals have a tendancy to eat things when\nyou ask, so always have favor) or to settle a dispute between mortals. However,\nlike most of the Immortal community, Ynnug works on various projects that\nare undertaken to help improve the life of us \"peeps\", as Ynnug fondly calls\nus. His main task is to The Order of Ringbearers. With the many lines of\ncommunitation pouring streams of chatter across the screen, Ynnug watches and\nreads, and answers general type questions asked by the mortals.\n\n\"All in all, it is an event filled day. One that leaves you mentally drained,\nbut it is very rewarding to see the mortals enjoying the fruits of your\nlabour,\" says the level 55 Immortal. After a hard days work, Ynnug logs himself\nonto one of his mortals, to keep in touch, as most Immortals do, with the\nmortal community, to see how it is running. With that finished, and a rubbing\nof some weary, dry eyes, Ynnug goes off for some much needed rest, in\npreparation for the next day of work.\n\nBeing an Immortal is not all \"fun and games\". It requires patience,\ndedication, and a hard working attitude to complete all the tasks assigned.\nhave to be quite strong mentally to keep the energy flowing.\n\nThe Imms on RoD do a good job. It is a tireless, thankless job, that they work\nlate into the wee hours of the night (or morning, depending on where you're\ncalling from), and without pay. They get nothing in return except for the\nsmiles on your face as you, the mortals, enjoy yourselves as you play, on their\nwork. Countless hours go into designing, writing, and preparing the new quests,\nprojects, and coding that goes into making the Realms what it is.\n\nNext time there is a change in code, an addition added, or a quest to be\ncompleted, take the time to thank those who did it. It took time and effort to\ncomplete it. And, if for some reason you dislike that particular \"addition\" ..\ninstead of complaining over public channels, why not write a note with the\nreason why, and a solution\/solutions to the newly added code. The system works\nif you know how to use it. Voicing your frustration over channels not only can\ncause spam, but it can get really annoying to hear 50-60 people say the same\nthing over and over. Believe it or not, the Immortals do read the notes you\nwrite.\n\nCresis Trueheart THE Iron Lady\n\nQuick Stats On The Immortal Knight of the Rose:\n\nName : Ynnug Starprofit\nLevel : 55 (Demi God)\nImmortalized On: January 19th, 1997\nTurn Ons : Mortals helping other Mortals.\nTurn Offs : Mortals that ignore a call for help, whiners, and people who\ncomplain without offering a solution.\nFavorite Area : Doesn't have one.\nFavorite Mob : Ra\nFavorite Social: All the friendly ones! :>\n\n|+| Tips on Styles |+|\n\nA couple months ago, styles were added to be used during fighting. Here's a\nlist of what a couple others and I came up with:\n\n1. ALWAYS stay at evasive when not fighting, this means all classes. You can\nalways switch to aggressive before a big fight or during a fight but if\nyou stay at aggressive and a strong aggressive mob finds you, you're a\ngoner.\n\n2. Adept right away, this means you mages. These styles are going to put a\nlock on your spells for a little while, and the longer you hold off, the\nharder it'll be.\n\n3. Adept at the art gallery's color mobs. They have tons of hp and when\ndisarmed do very little damage, if any. Don't forget sanc.\n\n4. Style %s don't just go up by themselves, you have to switch styles in a\nfight to adept them.\n\n5. You cannot flee at many of the aggressive styles and this can lead to\nscrapping of equipment, death, and many more things. Unless you are a\nhitter (warrior, ranger, paladin), stay at evasive during fights.\n\n6. The only two styles that you can heal on while fighting are defensive and\nevasive. Clerics and druids, if you're healing in a run and hitting at\nthe same time, berserk\/aggressive is not a good idea.\n\nOkay, here go some more \"did you know..?\"'s about styles. Hopefully this will\nallow you to do more and scrap less:\n\nDid you know that..\n\n1. You can't flee at aggressive or berserk\n\n2. You can cast \"word of recall\" at aggressive\n\n3. You cannot use the say channel at berserk\n\n4. You can use the OT channel in any position (call for help!)\n\n5. You cannot remove equipment at berserk\n\n6. You can do more while resting than at berserk\n\n7. Many people have lost FORTUNES in equipment due to aggressive and berserk\nand the lack of the ability to flee, watch it\n\n8. This standard is _not_ the same as old fighting, standard is just another\nname for middle..please don't confuse the two.\n\n9. Defensive is the closest style to \"old fighting\"\n\n|+| A Warm Welcome to the Newer Players of the Realms |+|\n\nHello there! We are happy you have joined us and hope you enjoy your\nadventuring in our world of fantasy. You have finally pulled the rope and ask\nyourself, \"What next?\" Where do I go to gain levels as a new player? What\nequipment should I wear? Fortunately, you have arrived in a land with the best\nhelp available. The Adventurer's Guide that you have in your possession will\nanswer many of your questions about our land. Simply type 'look book' to read\nthe Guide. The Guide also serves as a valuable piece of equipment (worn in the\nHeld slot, refer to the Guide and type 'look sets') as it will improve your\nstats by +1 Int (intelligence), +1 Wis (wisdom) and +1 Con (constitution).\nPerhaps you do not know what 'stats' are. When you type 'look book' and then\ntype 'look 6' (or 'look stats'), you will find information relating to stats\nand the primary stat of your character's class. The Guide will make your time\nspent in the Realms more enjoyable and help you to better play the game as it\nanswers the most frequently asked questions by newer players. You may have the\nGuide e-mailed to you for off-line reading by requesting a copy from Brittany\nat autumn@sinbad.net.\n\nWhere should a Newbie go to level? The best thing to do is find Dwarkhaven\nSquare, or DH []. (type help map). From DH [] you want to find Tagetarle's\nportal (from Darkhaven [] go NW, 2W, S). When you find Tagetarle, type\n'look stone' and you will see a list of some of the best areas for levelling\nfor low level characters. When you decide where you wish to go, SAY the name of\nthe area and Tagetarle will ask you a question about the area. The answer can\nbe found by reading the description of the area. When you answer correctly (by\nTELLing him the answer) he will send you there.\n\nAt lower levels you want equipment to raise your stats to gain the most each\ntime you level, hit points, mana, practices, etc. (Refer to the Guide for more\nhelp). You may only wear equipment that is at your level or lower, and if you\nhave equipment that is above the level of your character, it will disappear\nwhen you log off (quit) or if the MUD should reboot or crash. This includes\ncontainers as well. So, check the level of the container you are using, since\nif it is above your character's level it WILL NOT save with your character\nnor will the contents of the container. Make certain the container you are\nusing is at your level or lower.\n\nNot being able to cover every topic at once, I have decided to list some\nequipment that will help to raise your stats. It is not a complete list by any\nmeans, but just a sampling of what is available. The levels of equipment may\nvary within 5 or more levels, so the levels listed should be viewed as a\nguideline only. Check the Guide to see what equipment slots should be filled.\n('look sets'). There are two equipment setups. Some classes get dual wield.\nThis allows them to wear two weapons, however, they lose the ability to wear\na shield and hold an item.\n\nLight:\n\n| Lev |\n1 Clover Fairie Trefoil +3 Luck (anti-evil, detect Inv) -30 Mana\n6 A small quill +1 Int (anti-evil) resist poison +30 moves\n15 Rainbow Staff +1 Wis\n\nFinger:\n1 Frosty Roseate Ring +1 Str +6 HP +6 Mana\n8 Panther Crested Ring +1 Str +1 Dex HR 1\n9 Golden\/Diamond Thomas +1 Str +10 HP +20 Mana\n9 Solace Ring +1 Dex +20 HP\n\nNeck:\n\n1 Gem Dog Collar +1 Int\n6 Amulet +2 Con\n6 Brown Cloth Cloak +1 Dex\n\nBody:\n\n5 Bone Plate Coat +2 Con +10 HP (Deadly Only)\n7 Silk Bathrobe +1 Wis +1 Cha\n18 Diving Suit +2 Wis +2 Cha +2 Luck +2 HP +2 Mana\n\nHead:\n\n4 Multi-Colored Beanie +1 Dex +1 Con +8 HP\n7 Clear Visor +2 Wis\n14 Forest Green Cap +2 Lu\n\nLegs:\n\n5 Sinew-tied Leggings HR 1\n\nFeet:\n\n2 Muddy Boots +1 Dex\n5 Clogs +2 Dex +10 HP\n\nHands:\n\n6 Swordsman Gloves HR 2 DR 1\n10 Long White Gloves +15 HP +20 Mana\n16 Dwarven Gloves +1 Str +1 Dex\n22 Gauntlets of Ogre Power +4 Str DR 3ck (Affect Sneak, Anti-Evil, Inv)\n18 Dragon Helm +2 Wis +15 HP\n\nLegs:\n\n5 Sinew-tied Leggings HR 1\n\nFeet:\n\n2 Muddy Boots +1 Dex\n5 Clogs +2 Dex +10 HP\n\nHands:\n\n6 Swordsman Gloves HR 2 DR 1\n10 Long White Gloves +15 HP +20 Mana\n16 Dwarven Gloves +1 Str +1 Dex\n22 Gauntlets of Ogre Power +4 Str DR 3\n\nArms:\n\n10 Arabella's Gold Bracelet +1 Str +5 HP\n17 Quilted Leather Sleeves +1 Str HR 1 DR 1 +10 HP\n\nShield:\n\n2 Stone Shield +2 Str\n15 Bulette Carapace Shield +1 Str +1 Wis +1 Con 3 DR (Invisible)\n\nAbout\/Body listed second in slots:\n\n2 Woolen Shawl +1 Wis +5 HP +12 Mana\n12 Trollskin +2 Str +1 Con\n20 Golden Robe +2 Str +3 Int (anti-evil) +25 Mana\n\nWaist:\n\n10 Red Satin Sash +2 Str +1 Con save vs. Paralysis -3\n11 Thain Girth +2 Wis\n19 Black Silk Belt +2 Con +1 Cha +1 Luck +10 HP\n\nWrist:\n\n1 Charm Bracelet +1 Luck\n6 Bright Silver Bracer +1 Str +5 HP\n18 Gold chain bracelet +1 Str +1 Dex HR 1\n\nWield:\n\n7 Claw of Forest Bear +1 Str +2 Con\n13 Electrum Sword +3 HR +15 HP +25 Mana\n18 Neptune's Trident +2 Int +1 Wis +2 Dex +20 HP +30 Mana\nHR 4 DR 3\n\nHeld:\n\n0 ADVENTURER'S GUIDE +1 Int +1 Wis +1 Con\n0 Stuffed Owl +45 Mana\n10 Deck of Cards +1 Wis +1 Dex\n14 Brajtkomu's Doom Sceptre DR 2\n16 Golden Dragon Statuette +1 Int +2 Luck +20 Mana\n\nEars:\n\n3 Pixie Wing +2 Int\n7 White Crescent Dearbone +1 Dex\n10 Pearl Earrings +2 Cha +30 Mana\n\nEyes:\n\n1 Visor of Completion +1 int +1 Wis\n8 Reading Glasses +2 Int +1 Wis\n\nPotions, pills and scrolls are helpful as well. You should carry heal potions\nand scrolls of recall before you set out to explore the areas of the Realms.\nThere are shops in town that sell these items. (Check your Adventurer's Guide\nfor more information).\n\nIf your Charisma is maxed you will receive a better price from the shopkeeper\nwhen you purchase items. There is a piece of Level 8 equipment called a\nGolden Gown (Luther) with +3 Charisma. You may want to wear it when you buy\nitems from shopkeepers.\n\nIf you need help locating any of these items and you see me wandering about\nthe Realms, send me a tell. There is also a Newbie Council and you can find\nout who is online by typing who 'newbie council' or help NC.\n\nIf you have any questions as to topics you would like discussed in the next\nissue of ToD, please send me some mud mail.\n\nUntil then...\n\nEnjoy your adventuring in the Realms.\n\nNote: If anyone would like a copy of Rowena's complete database of equipment,\nplease feel free to email her at swaxxy@sd.cts.com or mudmail her.\n\n|+| Miscellaneous Information That May Be Helpful |+|\n\n_Your Prompt and How It Can Help You_\n\nYour prompt (type \"help prompt\") can show you many things without the need to\nkeep typing 'score'. Besides displaying your current hit points, mana and\nmoves, it can be configured to include your gold coins, and alignment. Since\nmany mobs steal, I find it most handy to have my cash in my prompt just in\ncase a mob decides to rob me. Hopefully I can kill the mob to get my cash\nback.\n\nHere is what I type to set my prompt. You may wish to make adjustments as to\nwhat you prefer to see, but I offer it as a guideline:\n\nprompt %h\/%Hhp %m\/%Mm %vmv %Xxp %g %a\n\nTranslated as:\n\nYour character's name, current hit points\/maximum hit points,\ncurrent mana\/maximum mana, Moves, Experience needed to level, Amount of gold\nyou have and your alignment.\n\n_Mental State_\n\nIt is important to eat, drink and rest often so your Mental State, or how you\nfeel, will not decline. (Refer to the Guide for more information about Mental\nState). You can check the status of your Mental State by typing 'score'.\n\nUnder the amount of gold you should see a line that says how you feel. If you\nsee the text saying \"You feel great\", your Mental State is fine. If you see\nthe text relating to your hunger or thirst, you should eat or drink\naccordingly. Below are possible lines that can appear:\n\n[Thirst] Your current amount of thirst.\n[Hunger] Your current amount of hunger.\n[Mentality] Your current mental state.\n\nKeeping your Constitution (see help stats) maxed enables you to get the optimum\nbenefit from your Mental State.\n\n_The Adventurer's Guide_\n\nPlease take the time to read it. Again, you can have it e-mailed to you by\nrequesting a copy from Brittany at autumn@sinbad.net. Even if you think you\nknow it all, you may find something to enhance your adventuring. If you are\nnew to mudding, the Adventurer's Guide will give you an introduction to the\nbasics of mudding.\n\nA lot of time and hard work made the Guide a reality. I have not seen such an\nextraordinary effort expended on any other MUD. Realms of Despair is one of\nthe most popular Muds and can have over 300 players on at one time. Reading\nthe guide to understand the basics will cut down on spam (refer to your guide).\nMost players are happy to help you, however, answering questions that you can\nhave the answers to can slow down the game. They would rather explain what you\ndo not understand and give you further insight into the wonderful (and\naddictive) world of mud life.\n\n-------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\nTHE TIMES OF DESPAIR - TALES OF THE ADVENTURERS\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\n\nA1: The Final Tale of the White Wizard - written by Elennon\n\nA2: The Quest for Dracula - written by Quinton\n\nA3: The Battle of the Skeletal Forest - written by Draconar\n\nA4: The Girl and the Cyclops - written by Sevoreria\n\nA5: The Stranger - written by Kip\n\nA6: Between the Lines: A Modern Tale of Faith - written by Shelliak\n\n* The Final Tale of the White Wizard *\nBy Elennon\n\nDraconar the White, a wizard long forgotten, was a man who I will never forget.\nAfter his great departure from this realm, I came to see him differently. I had\nheard many different things, like he had overthrown the head of the Wizard\nCouncil in Isengard, sending the leader out of the tower window to where he\nfell to his doom, other things like he had slayed the Balrog of Khazad 'Dum, to\nwhich I later heard to be untrue, the reason being the creature was already\ndead, and other things, like rumours of his return.\n\nEverything came to be untrue. I learned for myself that the old wizard\nhad wandered deep out to the edge of the world, seeking a home by the sea to\nlive his last days in. It was then that I chose to depart from the valley of\nCelennon Anon myself and find him.\n\nIt took me three months of wandering, and finally I had come upon a log\ncabin at the edge of a forest. It was near the sea, above it actually, on the\nedge of a cliff above the beach. It looked like a comfortable and peaceful\nhome, that of an elder half-elven wizard.\n\nI walked to the front of the house, right near the cliff edge, and I\nknocked on the door a few times. I did not hear a sound, not a single movement\nor mutter. I had journeyed so far, just for a fun and an adventurous time, and\nmy destination was at hand. I was not going to let it just pass me by, I was\ngoing to do something.\n\nAnd so I decided I would walk into the house and wait for the famed wizard to\nreturn home. If I were to wait any longer than past the coming of night I would\ngo out and hunt for food. It was a terrible thing to hunt at night, but I was\nquick and a good hunter and tracker.\n\nAnd so I turned the brass doorknob. It opened, creaking and squeaking as it\nmoved away from the doorway, and soon it was fully opened. I was looking with\ndisbelief into the cabin. There was no fire, no candles, no light at all. The\nsun was shining, beams of bright light streaking through the doorway across the\nfloor. In the far end of the room, a figure was slumped in a rocking chair,\nstill as a stone. I figured it was him, sleeping from a long day of wizardry,\nwhatever a wizard does I guess must be tiring. I figured I would have to bring\na fire up in the fireplace, it was a bit chilly. I could not really create a\nfire with magical sparks or anything, but I knew the old trick my father had\n\ntaught me, a sort of elvish secret. Well, it will have to remain a secret, so\nlet's just say I started a fire.\n\nIt was a warm and luminous one, glowing red and warming up the room. Its\nlight flickered across the shapes of the room, making their shadows dance. In\nthe rockingchair I saw indeed the old man, Draconar himself, his head was\ntilted to the side, leaning against his shoulder. He did not snore and yet\nseemed dead asleep.\n\nI dropped my things, drew my hood back, and walked over to him, standing above\nhim. My shadow was cast over him, and still he did not see the change of light\nwithin his closed eyes. I then simply said loudly 'Oh White Wizard, you have a\nguest.' I didn't want to scare him out of his mind by tapping him or anything,\nbecause I didn't want such an old man having a heart attack. I looked at him,\nand then strangely, as if fearing he wasn't just asleep, I nudged him. It was\nnot just a light nudge, but a heavy nudge. I nudged him again, but still he\ndid not move.....\n\nIt was shocking, but not surprising. The famed wizard who I had grown up to\nlove in stories told to me by my father was now before me, cold and lifeless.\nWhat I did, I felt later on, to not be my duty, but it was truly the right\nthing. I carried Draconar from his cabin to the beach below. It was sunset, a\nperfect time I thought for the duty, the end of the day, the end of his day.\nI left him on the beach, in the sand beneath the sun, and I walked back up to\nthe cabin. An old wooden boat, small and not appearing often used, was in the\nback of the cabin. I struggled to pull it down the path beside the cabin to the\nbeach, and finally I arrived and dragged it over to the wizard's body. I lifted\nthe old man, light and not really a burden to carry, and I laid him in the\nboat, his face looking up at the sun. At night he would see the stars and the\nmoon, and I thought it right to let him see the beauty of the heavens from then\non. I pushed the boat out onto the water, and when I was out to my knees, I\npushed it out with all of my strength. It was right of course, to be set upon\nthe sea, a vast and untouched world, and some day, I truly hoped he would make\nit to Valinor, and he would find the beauty of the trees.......\n\n- Elennon Lightstar\n=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=\n\n* The Quest for Dracula *\nBy Quinton\n\nOn a quiet night, not long ago, Stomp (our might tank\/wall...grin), Blacklight,\nDuriak and Quinton (dats me) visited the mighty Dracula. For some reason not\ntoo many peeps go to him, but we proudly laid low the mighty beast. For all of\nabout five minutes the Realms was rid of this foul creature. (hehe) The\nbattle lasted for what seemed hours, the tide of battle sliding back and forth,\nwith the upper hand changing from hit to hit and parry to parry. But, with the\nfortitude and the mighty new paladin class (rah rah paladins) and\nStomp (Warrior) and Blacklight (Vampire) we were victorious!\n\n* The Battle of the Skeletal Forest *\nBy Draconar\n\nThe members of the Arcanes were silent and filled with bewilderment when the\nname 'Axchillan' came into our knowledge. We knew nothing of its meaning,\nbut knew that our hearts were going to be pulled from a peaceful rest into\na fulfillment of rage and anger. Our blades and staves would be held high in\nthe skies, our magicks strong again against our enemy. We were to once again\nbring our mighty souls up from their gathering of strength and to set their\ncourage, loyalty, and honour to the great test.\n\nAnd so the inner fires may burn again in defiance against the power we hate\nmost above all others, the evil of this world. That evil has passed in my\nbelief again. The spirit of evil has risen from rest in the cold and silent\nform of Shaikyn and has moved to a new form, a form in which our eyes have not\nseen, a form known as the Dark Lord Axchillan.\n\nWith the passing of an evening, a battlefield in the shape of a dark forest\nlies in shadow, the dreaded mist of death hovering above the bloodstained\nearth. The corpses of many creatures are beginning to rot now, their\nmemories will most likely be forgotten by morning.\n\nWe were wandering through the forest, silent our footsteps as we peered about\nfor our enemies. Their scents could be smelled a mile away, the stench of\nfoul creatures of filth wandering about. It was when were quietly looking, our\nmagicks strong and flowing about us, that they attacked......\n\nThey were of great strength, what I thought to be filled with a very piece of\nthe Dark One himself. They seemed immortal, slashing their way through us with\ntheir blinding claws, screaming into our faces with stinging breath, and\nshaking the earth with their mighty spells. They were not the mere orcs that\nwander sickly about places like Moria and the dark lands beyond that, they\nwere especially raised and grown in power and strength by this new dark\nspirit itself. To me, I see that Axchillan has a different plan than Shaikyn,\nI see he is smarter and has greater strategy in our destruction. What he does\nis not simply gain all of his power to it's fullfillment and send his servants\nthinking they will actually win while he soaks in his own greatness. He spreads\nhis strength as it grows, still gaining even more power but sacrificing some of\nit bit by bit to make his servants stronger, this way he may be ensured that we\nwill be weak by the time he has a chance to attack himself.\n\nAnyway, the orcs that we fought I guess to have been given a great amount\nof his gift, although I may be quite wrong. They fought like gods, tearing us\napart so fast and quickly that as our insides spilled across the floors, our\nsouls barely were saved and brought back into the realms before our goddess\ncould spread her visions towards us. It was a dreaded time, and my brothers\nand sisters, behind our mighty queen, Morgase, fought to their deaths many\ntimes in order to bring the orcs to their knees, to which they were served\ntheir rightful punishment in being thrown down and destroyed.\n\nAnd so the battle was so great, some fell back from exaustion, myself staying\nback bringing their strength up as others went forward. My spells were good,\nbut their courage and eagerness to destroy all other dark creatures was\ngreater. It was soon that I was alone again and had to move forward. When\nI walked past the scene of disgust left behind by the orc battle, I found\nmyself wandering through a thick and confusing forest. I knew not if it was\na dream or reality, but I believe there were other creatures slain along the\npaths. When I finally reached my fellow Arcanes, there laid the golem still\nwith a look of terror upon it's face. The Arcanes had won in this great battle\nthat I had not even come to witness, and it seemed a great amount less\ndifficult than the orcs. And so, as I regained my own power, bringing from\nthe cosmos the great mana, I listened to the commotion over a single key. It\nappeared as if there would be at least one more obstacle to go through, and\n\nAnyway, the orcs that we fought I guess to have been given a great amount\nof his gift, although I may be quite wrong. They fought like gods, tearing us\napart so fast and quickly that as our insides spilled across the floors, our\nsouls barely were saved and brought back into the realms before our goddess\ncould spread her visions towards us. It was a dreaded time, and my brothers\nand sisters, behind our mighty queen, Morgase, fought to their deaths many\ntimes in order to bring the orcs to their knees, to which they were served\ntheir rightful punishment in being thrown down and destroyed.\n\nAnd so the battle was so great, some fell back from exaustion, myself staying\nback bringing their strength up as others went forward. My spells were good,\nbut their courage and eagerness to destroy all other dark creatures was\ngreater. It was soon that I was alone again and had to move forward. When\nI walked past the scene of disgust left behind by the orc battle, I found\nmyself wandering through a thick and confusing forest. I knew not if it was\na dream or reality, but I believe there were other creatures slain along the\npaths. When I finally reached my fellow Arcanes, there laid the golem still\nwith a look of terror upon it's face. The Arcanes had won in this great battle\nthat I had not even come to witness, and it seemed a great amount less\ndifficult than the orcs. And so, as I regained my own power, bringing from\nthe cosmos the great mana, I listened to the commotion over a single key. It\nappeared as if there would be at least one more obstacle to go through, and\n\nafter a while of casting many spells and healing them, they came across the\nkey and were ready for their next challenge.\n\nAnd a challenge it was..........\nBeyond a massive stone door, the smell of charred bones and burnt meat\nflowed out into the forest. The great door opened slowly as it was unlocked,\nand then, prepared for anything, the Arcanes marched in.\n\n*CrAsH!*\n\nAs the beast's tail flew behind a few of the knights of magick, it slammed the\ngreat door closed, breaking it off its hinges so that it couldn't be moved.\nThe few arcanes inside knew not of what was before them, for it was too\ndark. We all leaped to the door, trying one by one to try to do something to\nget into the blocked off cavern.\n\nAnd inside, we heard the clashing of blades splintering stone and spells of\nshocking and flames flying about and crashing off walls. And then came a roar\nthat was sure to let us know what was within the cavern. It was a Dragon.\n\nSpikes and their Shocking Grasps, their Necromantic Touches and their\nEarthquakes. Blades were swung, daggers thrown, arrows strung, hammers\ncrushing. And so, as we worked as one, we were strong....\n\nThe dragon who's name was long and unpronouncable among humans was\ndriven into the corner of his cavern, his nostrils charred and his belly\nsliced open, and with the blood of a dragon, a liquid that makes mortals\nstronger and their hearts more couragous, spilled across the floor, the beast\ncollapsed. It was over, and the shiver that it caused cracked the door,\nbreaking it down and causing much of the cavern to fall. And so the wounded\nand weary arcanes came out alive, and the great battle was over.....\n\nA confusing and heart-weary day, the adventure was one that would surely\ncause it's adventurers to want to have a long and peaceful sleep. May Adonia\nwatch over us tonight as we do, and may she have a third eye keeping watch\nover Axchillan as he curses us and punishes his minions....\n\nCongratulations Arcanes. As one, you were Strong. The Battle is Over...\n\nBut a new war has just begun. - Draconar the White Wizard\n\nEditors Note: This was a Tale posted on the Arcanes board, written about one\nof the Quests the Arcanes embarked upon to rid the Realms of an evil Lord.\n\n* The Cirl and the Cyclops *\nBy Sevoreria\n\nAs she climbed to the summit, her mind raced to loved ones, friends, people\nshe cared about, people she might not see again.\nShe knew she might die at the hands of the mighty Cyclops, but she also knew of\nthe many who die if she didn't defeat it.\n\nNo birds sang as she walked, no animals, no sounds at all, except the howling\nwind. The trees all looked dead, no flowers were growing, even the grass\nlooked brown and lifeless.\n\n\"What an eerie place,\" she thought, \"How can any...\"\nHer thoughts were interrupted by the Cyclops' club smashing down beside her.\nImmediately she reacted and leaped behind a tree.\n\"This is it\" she thought, as she unstrapped her sword, \"but how do I kill a\ncreature 3 times my size?\" she wondered.\n*SMASH* The tree splintered as the club came down upon it. The impact threw her\nback. She picked herself up, and started running towards its legs.\nAs she passed through its legs she took a swipe at it's ankles, a blood\ncurdling scream filled her ears as she did.\n\n*WHOOSH* The club zinged just over her head. realizing the danger, she leaped\nbehind a rock. Her heart was pounding, but that's all she heard.\nShe peered over the rock, trying to see where the cyclops had gone.\nSuddenly she felt a huge hand grip her, it was the cyclops!\nAs the cyclops brought her closer to its face, she struggled to get free,\ndropping her sword in the process.\n\nThe cyclops glared at her, her mind raced, loved ones popped into her head,\nsuddenly she remembered the jeweled knife that a special loved one gave her.\nShe also remembered that she strapped it to her arm before she left, and it was\nstill there! In one swift motion, she undid the strap, took out the knife,\nand flung it at the cyclops' face. The cyclops reeled, screaming in pain. It\nclasped its face, dropping her. It started to stagger, and fell to its\nknees, then on its face.\n\nShe was hurt, and hurt bad, her head was bleeding, her left leg was numb, she\nhad a sharp pain in her side, and her vision started to blur. Her mind raced\nto love ones, friends, family, the cyclops, the cyclops\n\n\"uhn... I have to kill it\" she moaned. Almost completely on will-power she\ngot to her feet. Her head pounded, she staggered as she walked toward the\ncyclops. As she reached its head, she could see the pool of blood formed on\nthe ground\n\n\"I have to make sure it's dead\" she thought. With great effort she raised the\nsword over her head, and in more of a falling motion then a slicing motion,\ncame down on the cyclops' neck, beheading the beast.\n\nShe fell, and fell hard, the world faded, and she drifted into unconsciousness.\n\nShe opened her eyes, At first it was all a blur, but soon she could make out\nthe form of a man over her. She started to moan, placing a hand on her\nforehead. \"Shh,\" he said, \"you were hurt pretty bad, but you'll recover.\"\nShe closed her eyes. \"I did it,\" she thought, \"I DID IT!\"\n\n* The Stranger *\nBy Kip\n\nWhile walking the forests of our fair land, I came upon a dying man. Before he\npassed into immortality, he told upon me his life story. His only dying wish\nwas that his story be passed on for future generations to hear. Please, accept\nthis story ...\n\nPorving is a small island, far west from Darkhaven. The people who inhabit the\ntown upon it all have a dark tan, brown hair, and are taller than the usual\nhuman. They all live off the land, growing what they eat and use. They are at\none with the nature around them. Their children can wander out with no fear of\nthieves hiding to rob them blind, or evil vampires to snatch them away.\nEveryone knows everyone, and trusts everyone. Until one day.\n\nThe town leader, Jonas, was wary of the stranger when he first did arrive on\nthe island. But, being a kind man, Jonas allowed the shipwrecked fisherman, as\nhe proclaimed himself to be, to stay with them on Porving. For two days he did\nstay, eating their food and drinking their water, giving nothing in return. The\nthird day, Jonas approached him. Jonas told him that everyone on the island\nworks for the community, and if he were to continue to live on the island he\nwould have to work. The stranger, who's name was Yaril, became enraged, calling\nthe town leader selfish and uncaring. He told Jonas that he would leave as soon\nas he repaired his boat, which had washed ashore the previous day. Yaril\nfinished a day later, but not before the sun had fallen. He told Jonas he would\nleave first light the next day, and they would never see him again.\n\nThat night, while sleeping contently, Jonas was awakened by a scream. Running\nout of his house, he discovered that the screams came from Mierla, his sixteen\nyear old niece. As he ran to her door, he was shoved aside by a dark figure\nrunning out of the house. He ran into the house, and found Mierla lying on the\nground. She had been raped.\n\n* Between the Lines: A Modern Tale of Faith *\nby Shelliak\n\nJonus trotted his way down the near-empty corridors of the temple of Vaixa, and\nrounded the corner leading to the living section of the temple - only to bump\ninto (and almost step on) a man wearing fine light-blue cloth.\n\n\"Watch where you're going, human,\" Jonus said in the place of an apology.\nThe balding human quickly muttered a quiet admission of guilt.\n\n\"Well, you're forgiven. Just watch where you're stepping next time.\" Jonus\nhelped the man onto his feet, and exited the hallway into an adjacent chamber.\n\nThe man sighed, and rubbed his hand past his receding hairline. Feeling the\nsweat on his forehead, his right hand searched through his robes for a\nhandkerchief, while, out of instinct, his left hand neared the holy symbol he\nwore about his neck. He quickly snatched his impulsive limb back as he began\nto feel his deity's embrace.\n\nWith great effort to lift his elderly and reluctant legs, he walked down the\nmassive corridors of the temple. Now, the temple of Vaixa was not adorned with\nthe usual elaborate carpeting and trinkets usually seen in religious\nstructures; for, as mortals understood, Vaixa was a very modest goddess who\ndisapproved of material wealth. Yet the temple still instilled a sense of awe\nin the common folk; it was immense, with separate wings to accomodate the\npriests, students, and homeless.\nIt was partially because of their modesty that Jonathan, a priest of Wayjuvin,\nwas here. He walked to the end of the hall, and opened large oaken doors that\nled into a cathedral. It was to the confession booths that he headed, ignoring\nthe gothic organ music played continuously in the background, the chanting of\nthe monks elevated on spires of marble.\n\n\"Pax pacis, Sire. I have come for your advice,\" he said as he stepped into\nthe booth.\n\n\"Lex legis, lad. Vaixa will listen to your plea for wisdom,\" said the\nmysterious deep voice from beyond the screen.\n\n\"I believe that I am losing my faith,\" he said, a tone of guilt embedded\nwithin his throat.\n\nThe priest of Vaixa turned his head quickly to look at whom he was speaking,\nand appeared to relax as he saw the light blue robes of Wayjuvin.\n\n\"That is no sin, lad. Now, have you had any impure thoughts? Have you done\nany actions in the past you regret? For these are things worthy of Vaixa's\nforgiveness,\" the priest asked.\n\n\"You do not understand, sire. I seek guidance, not penance. For I am losing\nfaith; and not in the Lord of Ice, but in mortal existence. Everything is so\nrational. Everything has a reason.\"\nJonathan turned his head to look through the screen at the other priest.\n\n\"I do not understand, lad. I can see, even through this haze, that you are\nindeed a priest. The fact you are a priest of Wayjuvin shows you may have had\na lapse of judgement in the past,\" he paused to smile slightly, \"but I think\nthat can be overlooked for the moment. So tell me, lad, why do you require\nthere to be mystery in an orderly world?\" the priest asks.\n\n\"It is not as selfish as you put it, sire. I feel like I am a pawn on a\nchessboard; being moved back and forth until, finally, my usefulness ends and I\nam removed from play. Oh, how I wish the gods were not so open, that they all\ntook little or no interest in my affairs! Then, and only then, all doubt would\nbe removed from my mind that I am not being manipulated.\n\nHe continued: \"The fact that they need to explain to me the mysteries of life,\nand grant me supernatural powers, removes the mystery necessary for true\nfaith.\"\n\n\"I needn't remind you that it was Thoric, a god that rarely shows himself,\nthat created this orderly world.\"\n\n\"I know, sire. And it's the fact that I know this that fuels my distrust for\nthe ones who watch us.\"\nA chill ran up Jonathan's spine as he spoke these blasphemous words; a chill,\nnot fabricated by the mind, but imposed by supernatural force. Jonathan\nbreathed a sigh of relief, as he had expected a far more severe punishment from\nhis master.\n\n\"This is what I mean by 'interest': My god punishes me for my freedom, a\nvain attempt at changing the fashion that I see life, to show me the err of my\nways,\" stuttered the nervous priest. Again, Jonathon took out his handkerchief\nand mopped his brow.\n\n\"The truth is, lad, faith has to be earned. I cannot give you any advice, for\nmy heart tells me that it is not my place to judge other priesthoods. What I\nbelieve is that you should have gone to one of your own for advice.\" Said the\nmysterious voice.\n\n\"No, that would be impossible. We are nomads, and have no churces of areas\nof worship. In addition, since it is mid-summer, most of my kindred are\nsleeping. Even if they were awake, I seriously doubt they would understand.\n\n\"Though those are not the only reasons. I seek your advice because I know\nVaixa dislikes intervening, and has an honor code that prohibits her followers\nfrom exhibiting pride or dominance. I need your advice, your wisdom, to help\nme figure out where my life could possible go from here. I need you to show me\nthe path to *true* faith,\" said Jonathan.\n\nAfter a long pause, finally, the priest spoke. \"Are you certain you want my\naid?\"\n\n\"Yes. Absolutely.\"\n\n\"My advice is this; and this is the only way you can revitalize your\nconfidence in life without sacrificing your ideals that I can think of, so\nlisten closely. I want you to bury your holy symbol, and ignore any messages\nHe gives to you, any dreams you receive pertaining to your beliefs. Don't go\nout on missions, and stop being a nomad. Above all, don't use your powers. If\nHe cannot accept blind faith, then you will have found out that this existance\nis indeed futile. At that time, if you wish, I will be the one who drives the\ninevitable dagger into your chest.\"\n\n-------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\nTHE TIMES OF DESPAIR - ENTERTAINMENT SECTION\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\n\nP0: Introduction\n\nP1: Darkness Within - written by Jastadei\n\nP2: The Ring of Flame - written by Jastadei\n\nP3: On Golden Wings - written by Jastadei\n\nP4: My Love - written by Geroo for Shana\n\nP5: The Ballad of Meriadoc Brandybuck - written by Merry.\nDedicated to Elanora Brandybuck, his mother.\n\nP6: Who'd Have Thought Gerbils Could Fly? - written by Atropis\n\nP7: The Werewolf - written by Sevoreria\n\nWelcome to the Entertainment Section!\n\nHere we will put in anything from poems, duels, or maybe even a critique of\nthe latest Quests within the Realms. So, Look SUBMISSIONS for details on how\nto put an article in!\n\nDarkness Within - written by Jastadei\nThere is always darkness inside,\nWhere one is almost the devil.\nSpirit and darkness will collide,\nTo reach a whole new level.\n\nWithout darkness, there is no light.\nOne is never without the other.\nBoth are wrong and both are right;\nSo closely weaven, they could be brothers.\n\nEvil brings out the best in good,\nAs Good brings out hither.\nThe spirit would kill it if it could,\nThe other, the same with tither.\n\nGoodness thrives on dark,\nDarkness thrives on good,\nWithout evil, we lose our mark;\nWithout good we lose all that should.\n\nEvil brings order,\nGood brings peace;\nEvil helps her,\nGood marks the crease...\n\nThe Ring of Flame - written by Jastadei\n\nFire purifies all that is here,\nHitherto the misgivings.\nThe spirit is one which burns from fear,\nAnd then is no longer willing.\n\nThere is fire which purifies,\nOnly the heart and mind.\nMaking the love in them rise,\nBut first there must be love to find.\nThere are rings which do so,\nBut exist solely in our hearts.\nAnd even if these rings lie low.\nThey come out within art.\n\nArt can bring out many things,\nBut rings they bring out well.\nMagic is brought forth by rings,\nAnd never could you tell.\n\nRings, magic, art, and mind,\nAll which are somewhere tied.\nThey're all connected in a bind,\nAnd never will they confide...\n\nOn Golden Wings - written by Jastadei\nThe followers of chivalry bowed solemnly to knees,\nFor these wings were meant for Thee which came.\nAnd waited for One upon a noble steed,\nWith honest eyes of burning flame.\n\nThe Queen was waited upon a velvet throne,\nBut followers crafted a pedestal so high,\nThe chair of velvet made the reigning lone,\nAnd One had all intentions nigh.\n\nStories passed through all of the town,\nThat he was noble of Mithril ring,\nAnd taking `part the silver crown,\nClasped upon the Golden Wings.\n\nThe fiery eyes of one by Virtue,\nOne who learned to fly by fire.\nThe pedestal was a lower view,\nAnd Mithril and Velvet are sung by lyre.\n\nTo whom who hears a tale of mire,\nAnd those who seek all which was,\nSearch Mithril Velvet of which no Spire,\nBut search for Thee which also does...\n\nMy Love - written by Geroo for Shana\nMy heart trembles when I grasp the thought,\nMy soul wishes to no longer exist when it sees the thought,\nThe thought that you hate me, do not trust me.\nI would cut off my limbs at your command,\nI would do anything to be near you.\nFor the person I love most to hate me\nDoes not destroy my love, but instead destroys me.\nSo many people use me, abuse me\nYou are the only one I have ever opened up to\nAnd if you do not like what you see\nI ask myself\nWhy live?\nWhy Exist? Why think? Why care?\nHaving no existence is better than this one.\nHaving no thoughts is better than the one I think.\nIf there is a heaven,\nI am lost.\nI will cry and never stop,\nBecause I will be without you.\n\nThe Ballad of Meriadoc Brandybuck - written by Merry.\nDedicated to Elanora Brandybuck, his mother.\nAcross seas of blue and fields of burnt yellow,\nthrough shimmering streams and rushing white rivers,\nthere is the one hobbit, an old and strong fellow\namong the great stones and the mountainous shivers.\n\nHis small sword aglow and his helm, yes, a-shining\nhis small furry feet walking from peak to peak,\nthe mountains he wanders, oh them, yes, a-climbing,\nthe ancient small halfling, the master of sneak.\n\n(The light-hearted elven bard steps out and begins\nAnd who has seen snow and felt it's icy cold claws,\nwho has seen dragons, and dodged their great paws?\nWho is the creature, no it's not that small bobbit\nThe Creature is he, yes, Merry the Hobbit!\n\n* Who'd Have Thought Gerbils Could Fly? *\nBy Atropis\n\nAuthor's Note: The following poem has to do with the events on May 10th, 1997,\nwhen Gwenneth got it into her mind (who knows how!?) to launch\ngerbils out of a cannon. Then we all started toying around with\nthem and I flipped my lid and tried to kill them all. In fact,\nthis poem is true ('cept the golf clubs).\n\nOn a warm, sunny day.\nGerbils began to play.\nUntil Gwenneth had an idea.\nTo make the gerbils fly.\nShe filled up a gun.\nWith each and every one.\nAnd shot them all over the sky.\n\nThey soared in a group,\nUntil, with a swoop,\nThey rammed into the ground,\nWith a very loud sound,\nThat was kinda like a big *PHLOOP!*\n\nAnd from this dive.\nSome made it alive.\nUntil Atropis got it in his head.\nThat they deserved to be dead.\nAnd took his golf-clubs for a drive.\n\nBut Blacklight found a pet.\nWho hadn't been putted yet.\nSo to avoid its kill.\nShe hid her gerbil.\nBut Atropis grinned and found it.\n\nHe pulled out his knife.\nAnd threatened its life.\nBut Dria attacked.\nAnd Atropis was smacked.\nAnd the gerbil ran home to his wife.\n\nBut if, at night.\nYou're looking just right.\nYou may see a rodent arc silently through the sky.\nAnd think, 'Who'd have thought a gerbil could fly!?'\nAnd then it'd dawn on you, 'Why Atropis just might!'\n\n* The Werewolf *\nBy Sevoreria\n\nA bell rang in the distrance, telling the hour, midnight. Catrina gripped her\nsword, she knew that the werewolf that was killing the poor townsfolk of the\nvillage of Darvenshire, came out at midnight. She walked slowly down the forest\npath, her eyes looking for danger, her ears doing the same, but she heard\nnothing... no crickets... no owls... no leaves rustling... nothing. Catrina\ngrew scared, she began to walk hurriedly down the path. She heard a twig snap\nbehind her and quickly spun around, sword at the ready.\n\n\"There's nothing there,\" she said. Suddenly, from behind her sprang out a\nmassive wolf, it landed on her back, knocking her down. Catrina quickly rolled\nout from underneat it and sprang to her feet. The wolf stood there, growling,\nit's beady eyes glaring in the moonlight.\n\"Heh heh heh,\" the wolf started to laugh, \"Do you think you can defeat me,\nlittle girl?\"\n\n\"I will certainly try, foul beast,\" she answered nervously.\n\n\"Foul beast? FOUL BEAST?!\" it said, lurching at her, she leaped back, \"You have\nNO idea what you're up against!\" With an eerie howl, the wolf slowly changed\nform into a massive man wielding a huge black axe, \"You see little girl, I will\nNOT go down too easily!\" With a blood searing cry, it lurched again at Catrina.\nCaught off guard, she leaped clumsily out of the way. She spun around, ready\nfor a second attack, but it was gone, vanished into the shadows.\n\n\"Where did it go?\" she wondered. Again, it lurched out at her from the shadows,\nknocking her on her back. It stood above her, growling. In a purely\ninstinctive move, she shoved it off of her.\n\n*WHOOSH* the axe flew by her head and embedded into the ground beside her. She\nquickly leaped up, bringing her sword up on the wolf's chest, gashing it. The\nwolf reared back in pain and darted for the shadows, disappearing once again.\nShe could hear it growling, trustling through the shadows. She soon realized\nthat the sounds were coming from behind her, and quickly leaped out of the way\njust as the axe embedded into the ground again.\n\nCatrina sliced down with her sword, but missed and struck the axe, with a\nresounding twang and a shower of sparks. The axe disappeared again into the\nshadows, and the wolf was growling once again.\n\n\"Who or what are you? You can't be man or wolf!\" she yelled.\n\nAlmost immediately it lurched out at her again... pinning her to the ground.\n\n\"You do not know what I am, little girl?\" it growled, \"I am all evil, all\ndarkness, all your nightmares!\"\n\n\"LIAR!\" she screamed... shoving it off from her, slashing at it as it leaped\ninto the shadows again.\n\n\"You little fool, do you not see that I am a man? I can change form at will,\nand I choose to be a wolf! One that will KILL YOU!\" it said, leaping at Catrina\nfrom the shadows. She was quick, and sliced down at the wolf, however it was\nquicker, and knocked her against a tree. She slowly staggered to her feet.\n\n\"You're an illusionist then?\" she yelled. The axe again came down beside her.\n\n\"HAHAHA! Your puny mind can only BEGIN to grasp the extent of my powers!\"\n\n\"I do not need to understand anything, except that you must be killed!\" she\nyelled, spinning around to see behind her.\n\nThe wolf leaped out from the shadows again, but stopped short of her and stood\nthere.\n\n\"You still don't get it do you?\" it said, changing to human form again, \"You\ncan't win! NO ONE CAN BEAT ME!\" it screamed, lunging at her again.\n\nCatrina quickly dodged and slashed down with her sword, cutting a gash into\nit's back. It kept going, right into the shadows again.\n\n\"Are you so afraid that I might win that you have to hide from me?\" she yelled.\n\n\"I fear NO ONE!\" it yelled back, leaping out from the shadows again, catching\nher off guard and knocking her into another tree. She stumbled to her feet, her\nhead spinning. The wolf had again snuck into the shadows, and sounded like it\nwas in front of her. In blind desperation she flung her sword toward the\nsounds. A blood curdling scream of pain resounded from every direction. She\nstood there, waiting for any sound, but nothing came. She brushed a lock of\nhair from her face, and walked into the shadows before her. Almost tripping\nover it, she saw the wolf, lying in a pool of blood, with her sword sticking\nfrom it's side, dead.\n\n\"Heh, heh, heh. Well done little girl, you may have killed me now, but I will\nbe back!\" an eerie voice echoed throughout the forest.\n\n-------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\nTHE TIMES OF DESPAIR - HUMOUR SECTION\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\n\nH0: Introduction\n\nH1: Viking Song - Author Unknown, contributed by Vaevictis\n\nWelcome to the Humour Section!\n\nHere you can find some crazy stories, songs and poems which you will probably\nget a kick out of them. Whether it be a list of medieval jokes, or a tale\nof craziness.. we want to hear it!\n\n*-+ Viking Song +-*\nAuthor Unknown, Contributed by Vaevictis\n\nDashing thru the town, Our firebrands burning bright,\nStriking foemen down, Setting things alight.\nSwords on axes ring, Making spirits bright,\nWhat fun it is to ride and sing a _slaying_ song tonight!\n\nWe're Viking Men, Viking Men, Plundering your shore,\nAnother dragon ship sails in, Discharging twenty more.\nWe're Viking Men, Viking Men, Axes red with gore,\nShouting out our battle cries and singing praise to Thor!\n\nSee your harbour fair, Filled with our Dragon ships,\nSee men with flame-red hair, And foam on bearded lips,\nWe come at break of day, To depredate your land,\nAnd then when we have gone away, No unburnt building stands!\n\nWe're Viking Men, Viking Men, Plundering your shore,\nAnother dragon ship sails in, Discharging forty more.\nWe're Viking Men, Viking Men, Axes red with gore,\nShouting out our battle cries and singing praise to Thor!\n\n-------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\nTHE TIMES OF DESPAIR - COUNCIL NEWS\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\n\nC0: Introduction\n\nC1: The Symposium\n\nC2: The Newbie Council\n\nC3: The Quest Council\n\nHello there! Welcome to the Council News Section.\n\nHere Councils can submit explanations as to what they do, and\/or current\nprojects they have on the go. If any Council Member\/Head would like to begin\nsubmitting articles, they may do so on the Newsletter board.\n\nAnyone with questions about the Councils within the Realms, can post them on\nthe newsletter board and we will put them in a Q A article within the\nNewsletter.\n\n- * - * - The Symposium - * - * -\n\nThe Symposium is a council that focuses on the communication lines between the\nImmortal and Mortal communities of the Realms. Mortal representatives from\neach Guild, Clan and Order, (as well as a few at-large representatives) meet\nweekly to discuss changes, ideas and the needs of the Realms. The group\ndiscusses ideas, conducts polling, and often works directly on the ideas to\ntransform them into reality.\n\nThe Immortal side of this Council deals with the selection of new immortals,\nensuring that ideas from Mortals are seen, forwarded to the right Council and\nthat feedback is provided. The Town Hall was one of the Mortal generated ideas\nthat was handled primarily by these members. Our representatives are\nrecommended by various organizations and voted on by current members. If you\nneed further information, please type : who 'the symposium' to see a list of\nonline members to contact.\n\nHistory of the Symposium:\n\nTS started out long ago as the Mortal Council. It was from these roots that\nThe Symposium developed into what it is today. There have been so many involved\nwith this council that to attempt to give credit to all would be quite\nlengthy. As with any Council, it can only work with dedicated individuals who\nstrive for improvement. The Symposium has always been blessed with this. The\nfollowing maps provide a visual directory for those unfamiliar with the Town\nHall. If you haven't been there, please drop by and read the Oracle, write mud\nmail, visit the Mayor, post an idea and get involved.\n\n- * - * - Welcome to the Town Hall! - * - * -\n\nFirst Floor:\n\nSupreme Court Stairs Mail Room Quiet Room\n|\nMayors Receptionist\n|\nSir Montalbano's office (The Mayor)\n-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-\n\nSecond Floor:\n\nLore of the Archives Stairs Mortal Symposium Board\n| |\nHall--------------Hall-----------------Hall\n|\nThe Archives The Oracle\nThird Floor:\n\nSymposium General Assembly\n\nStairs\n|\nSymposium Blue Room -- Symposium Lobby -- Receptionist -- Elcid's Office\n|\nSymposium General Assembly\n-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-\n\nFourth Floor:\n\nA.C. Assembly Room A.C. Note Room\n|\nHall of Heroes Stairs Class Suggestions A.C. Board room\n| | |\nHall-------- Hall-----------Hall-----------Hall-- Nations room\n| | |\nD.H. Newsletter D.H. General Tome Pkill Board\nAssembly Of conception\n(!)\n(!) indicates General suggestion board\n\n- * - * - The Newbie Council - * - * -\n\nNewbiechat:\n\nFor many of you who are not aware, (what?! You have not checked help NC or read\nthe adventureres guide?!) the Newbie Council is one of two mortal councils that\nexist in the realms. By mortal council, I mean a council composed primarily of\nmortals with an immortal or two to assist with administrative or technical\nconcerns. The Newbie Council -- or NC as it is commonly referred to -- has\napproximately 50 full time members. Its function is to assist 'newbies' with\nintegrating themselves into the life of the Realms. In case you are\nwondering, we consider levels 1 to 20 'newbies' for the sake of our services.\n\nWhat do we do? You name it. From corpse retrievals -- CRs -- to equipment\nrecommendations, to directions, to hand holding; the Newbie Council prides\nitself on making every effort to help out the new player. To that end, we are\nable to communicate with those who are in the Spectral Gates area -- exclusive\nto level 1... you remember the tree, the cabin, the bucket, that feeling of\nbeing lost... and assist them with their first tortuous steps into the Realms.\n\nAdditionally, our approach is a 'team' one. Our membership is in communication\nwith each other most of the time, and, thusly, if one person is unable to\nanswer your questions, they will contact others who can.\n\nThe Newbie Council also provides a board for new playres to voice their\nconcerns or read up on matters in the Realms. It is located one room east of\nLady Tsythia (the person you first see when you enter the Realms after the\nspectral gates area) in the academy. Feel free to review that board or post\nnotes to that board on subjects dealing with matters that affect the new\nplayer.\n\nIf you find yourself in trouble, remember to type: who 'newbie council'\n(include the ' marks around newbie council) for a list of those NC members who\nare online and send a tell to one of them indicating your problem.\n\nHappy Mudding:)\nArticle written by Kwai.\n\n- * - * - The Quest Council - * - * -\n\nThe Quest Council's job is quite important to the Realms of Despair. It is our\ncharge to see to it that players are constantly challenged. We see that the\nplayers are given frequent opportunities to prove their valor, and as reward\nfor excelling in knowledge or ability, reward you with reknown and glory.\n\nQuests range from mere scavenger hunts, to seemingly impossible dares to find\nand slaughter your worst nightmares-turned-mobs. We're the happy folk who sent\nyou looking for emeralds, rubies and saphires. We're the warm, kindhearted\npeople who dared you to defend Darkhaven from demonic forces. And you might\nremember us as the evil incarnates that liberated your beating heart from your\nchest, via a special mob.\n\nAlso under our purview, is the task of deciding how the glory you win may be\nspent. We suggest, and ultimately help decide what amounts of glory will be\nworth what rewards. We constantly seek to finetune the system to ensure it\nworks correctly, and serve everyone fairly. It is our goal to have glory,\nand the entire quest system serve as an extension to the every-day adventures\nof the Realms, and to keep you coming back for more.\n\nIf you have a suggestion for a quest, or an idea about how to better serve the\nRealms through QC activities, write us a note. We have a board in the town\nhall, The Hall of Heroes, located 3u, s, w, n from the entrance.\n\nArticle written by Darkur.\n\n-------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\nTHE TIMES OF DESPAIR - ORDER NEWS\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\n\nOR0 - Introduction\n\nORA - The Order of Arcanes\n\nORM - The Order of MaidenStone\n\nWelcome to the Order News Section of the Times of Despair!\n\nHere we will try to keep you informed of the latest changes in Orders, latest\nnews or induction policies. We hopefully will also have a Q A section for\nanyone with frequently asked questions about Orders.\n\n-+- The Order of Arcanes -+-\n\nLeader: Morgase\nNumber 1: Cantal\nNumber 2: Astinus\n\n_Brief Background_\n\nDuring a time of great chaos, rose the Clan of Arcanes, a group of peaceful and\nvaliant Magic-Users who devoted their lives to aiding the Realms. Now, in it's\nincarnation as the Order of Arcanes, they continue to follow the paths set for\nthem by the Elder Arcanes.\n\n_Recent News_\n\nRecently our Leader Cyrax stepped down, and a new era of Leaders began. Under\nthe hands of Morgase, Cantal and Astinus the induction procedure has been\nrevamped to help speed up inductions and to give the whole Order more chances\nto have a large hand in new members.\n\n_Questing Information_\n\nWe have begun a new series of quests. After the fall of Shaikyn, (our ancient\nenemy) there was a time of peace and prosperity. During this time, though, an\neven larger dark lord grew in power, and later arose; Axchillan. As we battle\nhis various minions, we gather our own power and await the day when we can meet\nhim face to face.\n\nAs a group, our Avatars have been participating in our new series of contests,\nnamed \"Hulkfest(tm)\". Names are drawn out of a bag, and they then must battle\neach other until only one Arcane remains standing.\n\n_Induction_\n\nTo become an Arcane, you must be at least level 25 and must be either a mage,\ndruid, rancer, cleric, augurer or paladin. Please speak to anyone with the\nrank of \"Arcane-Scout\". To see Arcanes online type 'who arcanes'.\n\nFor more information about this Order, please type 'help arcanes'.\n\n***--The Order of MaidenStone--***\n\nDeity: Circe\nLeader: Cruella\nNumber 1: Lizee\nNumber 2: Farrow\n\nThe Order of MaidenStone is rich in tradition and steeped in history.\nCreated by Circe in the times of old, MaidenStone was a deadly clan\nof very select maidens. Only few were chosen to join the ranks of\nthese beautiful, deadly women. When the blight across the land ravaged\nthe lands and brought all clans to their downfall, MaidenStone emerged\nanew in the form of a peaceful Order. Their ideals are still the same.\nTheir methods altered. To learn more about MaidenStone and their\nhistory, type help MS and\/or read the revered MaidenStone handbook.\n\nMembers receive the benefit of a beautiful HQ chock full of luxurious\nameneties such as:\n\n1) Rhiannon's Stables for purchasing such fine mounts as baby dragons,\nflying griffens, arabian horses, wild mustangs and unicorns.\n2) Vesta's Titanium Workship for repairing equipment.\n\n3) The Upper Lip where bartender Scheherezade will make you a\ndynamite Margarita or an elegant Vodka Martini among other items.\n4) MaidenStone Spa - Boris the Towel Boy will massage you at no cost.\n5) Musashi - MaidenStone's resident mascot, and Min's cherished pet\nwill assist you in many of your needs, but watch out, tiger's\nstill aren't exactly domesticated or housebroken.\n6) MaidenStone Boutique - Minerva offers various sought-after items\nsuch as the ever fashionable and useful Sequined Evening Bag,\na detect hidden\/invis potion.\n7) Gula - Rumour has it that MaidenStone's resident healer has\nawesome powers that favour maidens greatly.\n8) A Dining Room with Antoine, MaidenStone's personal waiter.\n9) A Larder overflowing with delicious foodstuffs.\n10) Hidden surprises that only a MS member would be privy to.\n\nPlease note that the MS HQ is being constantly renovated in order\nto keep on the cutting edge and ensure that our members are\nnot lacking for anything.\n\nAt this time, we would like to wish Farrow congratulations on her\npromotion to Number One as well as welcome Lizee to the spot of\nNumber Two. Farrow, an elf-druid, has been a loyal member of\nMaidenStone for aeons and her promotion is well earned. Lizee,\nelf-mage and daughter of Circe, is known for her cheeky, high-\nspirited nature and is known for cheering up even the most\ndespondent of souls. Both would be happy to speak to those\nwishing to join MS, along with Cruella, noble leader of MaidenStone.\nBe warned though, although Cruella is extremely pleasant and\nhelpful, she has a wicked temper that matches her name. Fiercely\nprotective of her maidens, she would die for any of them, as they\nwould for her.\n\nOn a sad note, MaidenStone tearfully retired two of their original\nleaders to the distinguished ranks of Aes Sedai. Min and Lomion.\nKnown for their skill and prowess in their glory days of pkill,\nMin and Lomion took MaidenStone from their deadly ways into the\nnew domain of the peaceful with grace and aplomb. Their leadership\nwill be greatly remembered as they pass the torch on to their\ndisciples.\n\n-------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\nTHE TIMES OF DESPAIR - GUILD NEWS\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\n\nG0: Introduction\n\nG1: Augurer Guild - Update\n\nG2: Vampire Guild - Update\n\n___====-_ _-====___\n_--###\/\/ \\\\#####_\n_-#########\/\/ ( ) \\\\##########_\n-############\/\/ |\\| \\\\############-\n_\/############\/\/ (@::@) \\\\############\\_\n\/#############(( \\\\\/\/ ))#############\\\n-###############\\\\ (oo) \/\/###############-\n|\/ |#\/\\#\/\\#\/\\\/ \\#\/\\##\\ | | \/##\/\\#\/ \\\/\\#\/\\#\/\\#| \\|\n` |\/ V V ` V \\#\\| | | |\/#\/ V ' V V \\| '\n` ` ` ` \/ | | | | \\ ' ' ' '\n( | | | | )\n__\\ | | | | \/__\n\nWelcome to the GuildNews Section!\n\nFrom the time the Guilds were first introdced to the Realms, they have been\na very large part of what makes the Realms such a great place to be. This\nsection outlines what has been happening in various Guilds lately, and also\ntries to help people to learn more about the Guilds.\n\nEach Guild may choose a representative to submit their news to the ToD.\n\nAll reports can be posted upon the Newsletter Board to be added into each new\nedition of the Times of Despair.\n\nThe Augurer Guild: Written by Aletheidas\n\nAugurers ways of entry are as follows...\n\n#1 - You must be level 15 or higher.\n#2 - You must be joining for the proper reasons.\n#3 You must be willing to make a LOT of mkills and little mdeaths!\n\nTo join our guild you must speak to a member of the guild first, to give you\nan interview and quest. List of contactees as follows:\n\n#1: Contact 'ITs' first. They are the chosen people with 'IT' in their title.\nIf you cannot contact any ITs, then remember patience is a virtue!\n\nAfter your quest is done, I suggest contacting ITs again, or the leaders.\nThe leaders are as follows:\n\nLeader : Sistance\nNumber 1 : Barnaby\n\n*Auggie Update*\n\nHi there :)\n\nOn-the-scene reporter Orlando de Genru, coming to ya with ALL the cool\nhappenin's of the Guild of Augurers.\n\nFirst, a big congratulation goes out to our elected leader, Sistance, guild\nFirst Barnaby, and guild Second Belpolagra. We had a good voter turnout, and\nour Leaders have filled their positions admirably.\n\nInductions have been on the rise as our guild (most noted for its friendliness\nand care of our newbies) has appointed a new head IT, Banta, and his crew of\nroving recruiters (I being one). Please don't hesitate to ask for an interview\nwith one of our IT's -- we'd love to talk with you :)\n\nThe glory of the guild was defended at a recent Trivia quest held by Kador, in\nwhich the auggies stunned 'em all by coming in third place and winning\nthemselves enough glory for a rename! Maybe Belp can get those silk stockings\nshe's been hankering after.\n\nWe certainly have had our share of dissension in the ranks (what organization\nis without it) but we've also had great success leveling our Auggies to avatars\nrecently (Gratz Elisa, Badarc, Carcajou, Keshein!!) All in all, it's been a\nhectic, wonderful month, and it's been a pleasure sharing it with you :)\n\nSigning Off,\nOrlando de Genrou, Augurer Guild Roving Reporter and IT\n\nThe Guild of Vampires: written by Tiff\n\nHello ToD!\n\nI, the Leader of the Guild of Vampires, happened to be reading through a\ncopy of the ToD which Grishnakh put up, and noticed that my guild was--well..\nslacking. So I'm going to do my best to fill you in on the major things going\non in the guild.\n\n1) After elections, the new leadership is:\nLeader: Tiff First: Delphya\n\n2) Our Sires, who are basically an induction team, are now:\nDrune, Aimeur, Enzzo, Casamir, Zaltorak\n\n3) We have two new councils which have been formed recently:\n\nA) The VQC -- Vampire Quest Council\n-- Lead by Delphya\n-- Members (as of 7\/4): Tiff, Drune, Casamir\n-- 3 more members of lower levels will be selected to serve as\nwell.\n\nB) The VIRC -- Vampire Internet Resources Council (Homepage)\n-- Lead by Quotance\n-- Members (as of 7\/4): Aimeur, Casamir, Tiff, Drune,\nDelphya, Vlaimer.\n-- More members may be added.\n\nI'll try to update as stuff comes up. Thanks! Tiff\n\n-------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\nTHE TIMES OF DESPAIR - CLAN NEWS\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\n\nCL0: Introduction\n\nCLL: Lasombra\n\n=======()\n(\/\\___ \/|\\\\ ()==========_\n\\_\/ | \\\\ \/\/|\\ ______\/ \\)\n\\_| \\\\ \/\/ | \\_\/\n\\|\\\/|\\_ \/\/ \/\\\/\n(oo)\\ \\_\/\/ \/\n\/\/_\/\\_\\\/ \/ |\n@@\/ |=\\ \\ |\n\\_=\\_ \\ |\n\\==\\ \\|\\_ snd\n__(\\===\\( )\\\n(((-) __(_\/ |\n(((-) \\ \/\n______\/ \/\n\nHello there! Welcome to the Council News Section.\n\nHere Councils can submit explanations as to what they do, and\/or current\nprojects they have on the go. If any Council Member\/Head would like to begin\nsubmitting articles, they may do so on the Newsletter board.\n\nAnyone with questions about the Councils within the Realms, can post them on\nthe newsletter board and we will put them in a Q A article within the\nNewsletter. For more information on submissions, Look SUBMISSIONS.\n\n+-+ Lasombra +-+\n\nDeity: Darrek\nLeader: Ixshath\nNumber 1: Anakin\nNumber 2: Doramar\n\nOut of the shadows of the darkness, and the abyssal blackness of the night\ncomes a new clan known as Lasombra. Heavily influenced by the occult and the\nmanipulation of both shadows and darkness, the Lasombra exert their will upon\nothers through both force, and manipulation. The Lasombra believe that they\nre the true bearers ofpower, as well as the rightful rulers of the Sabbat. It\nis through these foundations that the Lasombra will affect these Realms as we\nknow them. A both potent and powerful clan of Vampires, we will be a force to\nbe reckoned with. But, such things do not happen overnight and it is with\nthese ideals and goals in mind that I call you to my cathedral of Darkness, to\nfight in both blood and honor under the name Lasombra. It need not matter of\nwhat origin you come from, nor the level of experience you have had in combat.\nWe, the Lasombra will gladly accept you, as well as teach you of the powers and\nknowledges that have accumulated during our times and lives.\n\n- Lord Anakin\n\nSUBMISSIONS:\n\nOur board is now located on the newly created Town Hall (Fourth Floor). Look\nC1M for a map, which was provided by the Symposium. We hope to get the\nNewsletter out on a more regular basis, perhaps even monthly. To do so, we\nneed quite a bit of participation from all Level of Players. The deadlines\nfor all stories is the 1st of every month. Please post all you article ideas,\narticles, etc. on our board. Not all stories are chosen, depending on the\nnumber of entries and\/or the content of your submissions. There will be rewards\nfor the best articles written, so put your quills to your parchments and let's\nget working!\n\nPlease address all articles to Adonia, and make sure you add under which column\nyou would like to see your article printed in. :)\n\nThe ToD Staff\n\n-------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\nTHE TIMES OF DESPAIR - STAFF LISTING\n*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-*\n\nEditor:\nAdonia\n\nWriters:\n|+| Atropis |+| Cantal |+| Cresis |+| Draconar |+|\n|+| Elennon |+| Geroo |+| Jastadei |+| Kip |+|\n|+| Merry |+| Quinton |+| Rowena |+| Sevoreria |+|\n|+| Shelliak |+| Vaevictis |+|\n\nSpecial thanks to all Councils, Guilds, Orders and Clans who submitted their\nnews. Also thanks to Jade and Gilean for the pictures and to Korkas for the\ntitle page picture. A HUGE thank you to Phalanx and Xanthia, my spell-checkers,\nand to Grishnkah who put us up on the webpage. And of course, to our Readers!\n<\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Times of Despair for September, 1997 a copy of the Times of Despair for September, 1997 *-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-* THE TIMES OF DESPAIR &#8211; COLUMN LISTING *-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-* Intro &#8211; Welcome to the Times of Despair. Updates &#8211; Stories on the Realms about stuff you really need to know. Adventures &#8211; The journals of those who wandered the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/full-width.php","meta":{"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"class_list":["post-2028","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2028","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2028"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2028\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2031,"href":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2028\/revisions\/2031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2028"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}