May 2002

As you may recall, uncovered evidence from the assassination of the 3 heirs led to the discovery of a conspiracy within the Provisional Government to have Jorus become ruler of Britannia. This evidence is known collectively as "The Moran Reports", and it is several hundred pages of transcribed records, bank notes, sketches, and signed confessions. It is so named for the leader of the conspiracy, an the leader of the Provisonal Government.. Lord Moran. Because of its prolific bulk, we've boiled the report down into a concise summary for your perusal.

1. Lady Manna
Lady Manna was the first heir to die. You may recall that she was a relative to Mondain, and was killed during her speech at Kazolas tavern. Two man, one named Casey and one named Bowhunter were hired by Lord Jorus to assassinate Lady Manna. Lady Manna had turned down Lord Moran's offer to join his conspiracy to put Jorus on the throne. Specific documents in the Moran Reports show that bank checks were released to both Casey and Bowhunter after the assassination. They are still at large, but much of their assets have been seized.

2. Lord Verithamus
Lord Verathamus was killed before he was able to confer with the public. Twelve days ago, he was found slumped over his writing desk with a poisoned dagger in his back. When his body was remove for burial, a note was discovered that he had written just moments before his death.. it had one word: "Angharad". Angharad was the assassin who killed Verithamus. She had been working in the guise of a maid for his familys household.. but before she worked as a maid for Verithamus, she worked as a groundskeeper for Lord Jorus. In the reports there are also records of a bank check being made out to Angharad from Lord Moran. Additionally, the dagger used to murder Verithamus had the Grandmasters mark of Blacksmith Coffey, who works for the Jorus household. Angharad was caught and signed a confession, a confession pointing the finger straight at Moran.

3. Lord Gailt Chamberman
Chamberman was perhaps the most beloved of all the Candidates for king. His speeches at the Lycaeum drew quite a crowd. Though Lord Jorus was jealous of Chamberman, he could not bring himself to provide for the assassination of Chamberman. The two had been childhood friends. Insteal, Jorus commissioned the creation of explosive boxes which would haev killed Chamberman.. but jorus disarmed the boxes to protect his old friend. Lord Moran knew of this, and so had Lady Bissell hire an assassin to kill Chamberman on his way home from his historic meeting. The assassination succeeded. The assassin named Picky did not survive the attack, but there were also records of bank notes being transferred from Bissell to Picky.

4. The Provisional Government
The Provisional Government normally exists in a secretive state so that the members of the government can not be coerced or blackmailed by whatever roughians may wish to do so. While the Moran Reports mention them by name, we are not allowede to republish those named, save that of Lord Moran who led the Provisional Government. All but two of the members of the Provisional Government were found to be corrupt. Signed confessions by everyone except Lord Moran present a filleting picture for the interim government, especially in light of the minutes of the council meetings which are also included in the Moran reports.

What will become of Britannias government now that virtually everyone involved with it has been corrupted? There is talk now of going back to the old Feudal system, where Lords commanded the commoners.. but a more progressive movement is calling for the democratization of Britannia.

Like so many things in the political race for Britannia's crown, todays coronation ceremony ended in utter disaster. Lives were lost, tenshion was heightened, and the throne remains vacant.






Let us start at the beginning of the evening. The caretakers of Castle Britannia had cleaned the red carpet and scrubbed the walls. The home to Britannia's monarch was in fine shape, for what looked to be a fine evening. Though the coronation didnt begin until 7 in the eve, the audience began to arrive at a quarter till six. The Kings dining chamber was prepared with the finest flatware, and everyone seemed at ease that there would be a new king in Britannia.

Lady Bissell and Lord Jorus arrived and took their place on the throne dias. They stood side by side, awaiting the announcement. They themselves did not know who would be chosen king. The clock struck seven, and the Marquis made his speech. He recounted the tale of how the other 3 heirs to the throne had been assassinated. Then, the moment was upon us all. The Marquis unfurled the parchment and read the name within: Lord Jorus.

The Crowd was mostly ecstatic, many of them did not want to see a woman ruler on the throne, and they had gotten their wish, but Lady Bissell had not gotten hers. She ripped the parchent from the Marquis in disbelief. She shouted angrily and finally, the began to attack Lord Jorus.. Lord Jorus the King of Britannia.

Instantly, there was a raucus, as General Nero lept from his place in the audience onto the dias. With haste, he ran Bissell through, her lifeless corpse flopped into the marble steps. He had succeeded in defending his king, though it would not be so great a victory as expected.



The crowd was becoming unruly, among them the Highland Guard tried to calm them.. but they would not be calm. Commissioner Alec DeLeon of the Kilted Police rode his mount directly into the proceedings, demanding the cessation of the coronation. He claimed to have uncovred evidence that both Lord Jorus and Lady Bissell had conspired with the Provisional Government to assassinate the 3 deceased heirs to the throne. Between the fresh King and the Commissioner was a heated exchange of words, and finally Jorus admitted his guilt.

the crowd called for the hanging of their king, some called for his arrest, but neither would be. The Order of the Silver Serpent are the only persons who can rightfully depose royalty, and General Nero was somehow incapacitated by a spell cast by Jorus.

Jorus pushed his way through the crowd, which was so chaotic at this point that they did not notice him. The few who did gave chase. Fights broke out among the congregation, and the carpet and walls were stained with blood.

Just as mysteriously as he was incapacitated, Nero snapped to. He assessed the situation, and did his best to apprehend the fugitive king. Jorus threatened meanacingly with his weapon, and threatened patrons in the audience. On more than one occasion he shouted "I will not be taken alive!" The prediction on his part came true.

He wasn't.

When Jorus contrinued to attack Nero, the General was forced to kill him in self defense. The crowd was near riot, and the Highland Guard lept into action, trying to disperse the crowd. Deleon, Nero, and Jakob Covenant together swore to band together a group of nobles and maintain order over a leaderless nation.

For the moment, Britannia maintains irs relative order while the evidence brought before the court of Truth is examined. Should this vital evidence prove worthy.. let us hope the virtues will protect us.

--Marquis Alazraham

** This story is only a fictional Epilouge to scenario 4 and does not herald the arrival of more in game content. **


As daybreak washed over Yew, the old cabin creaked slightly in warmth of the morning sun. Behind the place, the fence that had once stood firmly was now sinking into muck, making the wood look like the uneven backbone of some long dead monster. The cabin itself had sunk evenly down into the swampy marsh, giving it the appearance of being a larger home for some smaller creature. Vines crawled up the walls like long, bony fingers, greedily pulling the cabin further down into the vile waters.

Dawn stared silently at what had been her home for most of her life. She was too young to remember her parents passing away, but she could remember the sadness of losing them. She could remember this place seeming new to her, warm and comfortable in the confusion. Her grandfather would build huge fires and tell her of the adventures he had been through while serving the king. The cabin roof never leaked, even in the worst storms. The sheep in the yard would frighten away all the orcs, or so her Grandfather had told her.

She had planned on returning here and continuing with her normal life after the battle against the Juka was finished. Now she doubted the cabin could even be repaired.

“I am sorry. I understand this was your home.” Dasha said, approaching from behind.

“Yes.” Dawn’s voice was quiet. She did not move. Her eyes seemed to stare beyond the cabin. Dasha stood beside her and surveyed the old home.

“I also lost my home.” Dasha said. “For Adranath and the other Meer, our home was destroyed eons ago. They have all lived in dreams during the Great Sleep; they have had centuries upon centuries to accept that their home is gone and that a new one would be found.” She crouched and examined a small mound of mushrooms. “I was brought here with the Juka; time ignored us. Unlike the rest of the Meer… in my mind our home was lost only weeks ago.”

Dasha stood and began to pace in the sunlight. “Before the Juka destroyed it, our forest was a sight unlike any in your world now; an endless sea of treetops… during sunrise I would stand in the highest branches and let the morning winds sooth me. The leaves would seem to glow in the light, like gold, while the breeze sung through the forest; it was as if the ancients were blessing the world anew with their power. Nothing in all my experiences compares with how moved I felt at that sight, how much it assured me that my world was infallible.”

Dawn smiled sadly as she stared at her former home. “It makes my loss feel small… I only lost a small, simple building in the end.”

“Perhaps,” Dasha said examining the cabin. “It is a rather small building, a speck compared to the size of the great forest. And it is simple, as you said. A structure such as this could take no more than a few days to build. You could easily get another one.” She turned and looked at Dawn. “But this place to you was as meaningful as my forest was to me, is that not so?”

Dawn turned her gaze away from the cabin for the first time and looked at Dasha. “It… it was all I knew. It was home.”

“Then your loss is great indeed. We have both lost our worlds.”

“Dawn!” Adranath called out as he approached. “My apologies for keeping you and Dasha waiting; I wished to examine one of the trees again now that they have been cured.”

“We have not waited long, Master Adranath.” Dawn reached into her pack and removed a small bag. “These are the plant samples Clainin asked me to bring you.”

“Ah, give him my thanks. How goes Clainin’s flora research?”

“One can hardly move through his laboratory with all the plants he has in there now.” Dawn said. “He has been so busy studying them that the guards have to remind him to eat.”

“I can only hope some good comes out of this,” Adranath said sadly as he surveyed the landscape. “There was no way of knowing that the Decay spell could ever have this effect. This world has felt the impact of so much evil and strife within it throughout the ages that nature itself has changed into something capable of all this. All Meer will have to relearn our nature magics again, if it can be done. We can never allow such damage to be done by our hand again.”

“You tried to stop the Juka. You were trying to save Yew, Master Adranath.” Dawn said. “No one can blame you for that. We will always be allies.”

The ancient mage smiled. “The Meer are proud to have loyal and honorable allies such as you. Now if you will excuse me I have... wait, what was−did either of you feel that slight tremor?”

Dawn and Dasha both exchanged glances and shook their heads.

“What sort of tremor?” Dawn asked.

“It was as if the ground beneath me rumbled very faintly.” Adranath looked down. “I suppose the ground is settling a bit from the effects of the decay. In any case, I have duties to attend to. You have my thanks, Dawn.”

“And you have mine, Master Adranath,” she replied.

“Dasha, shall we depart?” Adranath asked the lovely Meer.

“I will be with you in a moment, Master. I wish to speak with Dawn once more before I leave.” Dasha said.

“Very well. Farewell Dawn.” Adranath smiled and began walking towards the moongate.

“Farewell,” Dawn called back.

Dasha paced slowly in the morning sun. “Your people acted very quickly to stop the decay. I found myself impressed by their resolve.”

“We band together quickly in a crisis.” Dawn said.

“That you do. As I said before, we have both lost our worlds. I will never see mine again; I know that. But, after seeing your people work to save this land and cure the decay, I believe I can find a new world for myself here. You shall too.”

Dawn smiled at the Meer warrior and the two locked hands in what Dawn was starting to think of as the “Meer handshake”. They exchanged goodbyes and walked their separate ways, both more confident of their futures.

* * *

“EXODUS!”

Blackthorn’s voice echoed throughout the chamber, almost seeming to shake the walls. He had nearly screamed himself hoarse, trying to summon Exodus’ attention. Upon discovering the retreat of the Juka and Dragoons he had immediately come to demand an explanation from Exodus, but his mysterious cohort would not manifest.

The great doors to the chamber were pushed open and Kabur strode in calmly. Blackthorn spun and pointed at the massive Juka with his great claw hand. “Where have you been? Explain the withdrawal to me at once, you lowborn beast! Where is Exodus? Why does he not answer?”

“I do not know, Lord Blackthorn. I… have only followed orders.” Kabur’s stone face hid his amusement at Blackthorn’s distress.

“Followed orders? Did Exodus give you these orders? Surely you must have questioned them. I demand an explanation from you, Kabur!” Blackthorn’s inhuman eye glowed with a savage fury.

Kabur visibly stiffened. “I have merely followed the orders given to me.”

“Do not try my patience you animal!” Blackthorn swung his great claw arm above his head and brought it crashing down into one of the massive planning tables in the room, shattering it in a hail of dust and splinters. At once his rage stopped and he froze.

Kabur tried to read Blackthorn’s face, but he had difficulty reading human expressions. Blackthorn’s altered face made things even more difficult. It could have been confusion or possibly fear, he hoped. Something had surprised the half-human out of his anger.

“Leave me. Now!” Blackthorn growled.

Kabur turned and pulled the chamber doors behind him as he left quietly. As soon as they shut he allowed a sneer to play across his face.

The Provisional Government has decided upon Britannia's new King! Word passed down to the press today states that the Council has chosen one of the two remaining candidates as the absolute ruler of all Britannia. This comes just days before the deadline to choose the next Heir.

Tomorrow, Friday the 31st at 7 PM central, there will be a Governors Gala and coronation ceremony for the new King. It will take place in the throne room of Castle Britannia, and will be open to the general public.

Pursers at the castle remind patrons to wear their best clothing, as this is a formal event.

Loren gave what seemed a difficult task. Rath Stonesoul would not be king.

While watching one of his 'political rallies', she talked to many in the crowd and listened as they murmured about Rath's associations with the Cult. Loren then watched as dark members of The Cult and The Temple lurked in the background. Then the dark ones showed their support publically for Rath.

That was enough for Loren.

A leader is needed for Brittania, but it would not be Rath. A King should not be influenced by dark or evil forces. The Balance must be maintained. And The Balance is upset if the King is but a puppet to the evil powers. The Order of The Silver Serpent is dealing with The Cult (http://ds180.net/news/index.shtml#newsitem1022728891,19011,). Loren would have Rath dealt with herself.

Roxanne and her Enforcers found the Stonesoul headquarters empty. Looking up at the tower Roxanne spoke a simple phrase: "Burn it".

The doors were broken down and the Enforcers, Araxas and T'Koda entered and began speaking words of power. Walls of flame began to form and envelope the tower.

Read the rest of the story and see the pics here....

I fear for the safety of Jhelom's mayor, Rastus. We were to have a council meeting yesterday evening, but when the members arrived at the mayor's house, we found the door open and the place in a shambles. Knowing that Rastus had recently been sick with the plague which struck Yew, we were concerned that perhaps his fever returned and he may be wandering somewhere, delirious and lost. If anyone has seen him, please let us know, we are worried for his safety. It is unlike him to disappear like this.
Caprial
Jhelom Town Council

Yo! sup G-dawgs!

Okay, so I am not that hip.. and also, I am not that funny, so lets ust skip ahead to the updates.

The most important Developmentt this week: Client Patch 308D! Heres the skinny

We will be releasing a client patch today, Tuesday, May 28th. This patch will contain the following changes (note that this patch does not contain the upcoming wearable art for the 3D client, which is still in progress):

3D client only

• Framerate Countermeasures system added. This automatically disables graphical enhancements in low frame rate situations. Players can change the point at which this happens with a slider bar in their options menu. Setting this to 0 will make this feature never activate.
  
  
• Particle system performance and stability improvements.
  
  
• 3D’s shadows are now simple geometric outlines instead of layered polygons. “Blob” shadows also added for lower end machines.
  
  
• Most gestures have been tweaked to play at better animation speeds. A new system for this change supports the ability to tweak other animation speeds as well in the future.
  
  
• Fancy outlines around text tweaked to enhance legibility.
  
  
• A small box on containers will display how many items are in a stack under the cursor.
  
  
• Generic item counter interface also added to containers. This will give you a count off all the objects of a given type in a specific container. Note that only certain types of objects are counted in this.
  
  
• Death animations will now play out completely.
  
  

Both clients

• Several party system fixes.
  
  
• Ability to disable the menubar.
  
  
• Stat and skill caps are displayed in the interface so the player knows what their limits are.
  
  
• Skill icons added. To create, push your left mouse button down on a skill listing in the skill interface and drag it off to the side of the gump.
  
  
• Many gumps that used to close when you died no longer will.
  
  
• Misc bug fixes and client performance enhancements
  
  

The end finally came to the Cult of the Black Dragon in the year 368. Nero, General of the Order of the Silver Serpent, finally broke the camel's back. After almost thirty years, the General's campaign to destroy the Cult came to an end.

The time had come for General Nero to strike a death blow the Cult. After the long siege of Serpent's Hold, the power of the Cult had been drained to just a fourth of what it had been. With the orcs occupied by some new clan, the time was now.

Rumors abounded that they would try something else, so the decision was made to finally destroy them. The information that Rath Stonesoul and Brother Marcus had recieved from Antony only encouraged this action. Basil had something to do with the ressurection of Edguardo, and the only way to find out would be to take his body and study it.

Troops from the Highland Guard, the Order of the Silver Serpent, and House Stonesoul amassed to attack. The army was split into two parts and moved from both Britain and Trinsic to trap the Cultists. Resistance was met at several points, but was quickly put down. It was clear that the Serpent's Hold Alliance had fared much better since the Serpent's Hold siege.

Almost all of the Cultists were captured and put into chains. They were transported to Skara Brae where they will await trial. It is expected that Rath Stonesoul will be the judge and jury of this trial.

A List of the Captured:

Name: Boromir
Age: 34
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 170
Birthplace: Vesper
Known For: Was a Chaos Knight for the Black One. He was originally a member of the Royal Knights of Redemption and spent many years honorably fighting the Cult and Basil. In the end the words of sin and treachery from Basil wilted this flower. During the time of India West, Boromir finally was corrupted and joined the Cult. He became very good friends with Basil. He spews propaganda of trying to free the common worker, but it is believed that really he wishes to only enslave the common worker for his own goals. His capture will ensure the end of violent propaganda.

Name: Jacop
Age: Unknown
Height: 5'7"
Weight: Unknown
Birthplace: Unknown
Known For: Is of elven descent and is also world reknown for his skill with the bow. It is rare to see one from his hand. Originally he appeared in Sanctuary where he was a loyal citizen. What happened to him isn't known. One day he was seen in Cult colors and swearing alliegance to Basil. Jacop is one of the oldest members, having survived through all the different leaders of the Cult.

Name: Shaleen
Age: 34
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 143
Birthplace: Delucia
Known For: Is of dark elven descent and was the mistress of Basil. How she came to join the Cult is a mystery. Many believe it was while Basil was working a nightshade smuggling ring in Delucia. Since her joining she has learned to wield the axe with a vengeance, extreme caution was used when dealing with this member. Her capture is of great relief because it was believed that she had been trying to earn the trust of Jasmine of Skara Brae so she could get close and kill her.

Name: Kandalor
Age: 75
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 250
Birthplace: Moonglow
Known For: Why he was fighting with the Cultists is unknown. Kandalor is now a practicing Mondainite as far as intelligence said. Also known as the Lord of Deceit, Kandalor is a brigand of Britannia. He was responsible for the slaying of Teleburiel, the daemon hunter. At one time Kandalor served the Cult, he even led it for a short period of time while Basil was in meditation. He is known for his ruthlessness and his battle skills.

Name: Anna
Age: 47
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 147
Birthplace: Skara Brae
Known For: Also known as Corsair, she is the oldest remaining Cult member in the guild. Is considered to be one of the brains of the operation since she is the last one with any experience dating back the time of Andrew and Basil. She is one of the strongest warriors in the Cult and was always to be feared when mounted. Her battle skills in the siege of Serpent's Hold were almost mythical. Her capture assures the end of the Cult.

Name: Eli
Age: 29
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 190
Birthplace: Britain
Known For: Was a Chaos Knight for the Black One. He is known for his skills as an assasin, not as a regular warrior. Eli was one of Basil's most trusted members and his most used weapon, as well as the weapon of many others of ill repute. Eli's capture will surely lower the amount of assasinations world wide, but it may also lead to a bloodbath among the assasin guilds as they vy for the top spot now.

Name: Infestus
Age: 41
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 250
Birthplace: Cove
Known For: Not much is known about this quiet warrior. He joined the Cult during the reign of Eowen. He was known to be one of their best warriors. He joined back up with the guild when Ryth appeared to reunite them in some unknown cause. He is intensely loyal and was a plague for the adventurers and miners in the orc cave south of Yew. His capture will surely ease the minds of many road travelers who knew him for his murderous ways.


Unfortunately, two people escaped capture during the final push against the Cult. Well really only one escaped.

Ryth was bantering Nero from the top of the Temple. Evidentally allied forces feared that maybe more Cultists laid in hiding inside the doorway, thus they didn't charge in after them. Soon though it was realized that he was alone.

Ryth managed to escape with Basil's body before any of the troops could aprehend him. This man is wanted for several crimes against the people of Britannia.

Name: Ryth
Age: 84
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 164
Birthplace: Vesper
Known For: Not much is known about this man. What he has told us has checked out so far. He was a good friend of Basil when they both were very young in Vesper. Ryth wasn't of noble blood like Basil, but he was of a rich family. Basil and him both studied together. About the same time Basil turned to Chaos and founded the Cult, Ryth disappeared. No records can be found of him. He re-appeared a few years ago after spending almost an entire 12 years in Ilshenar studying the land. Since then, this man has reunited the Cult. He is a mage and is considered very dangerous. If you see him, please contact the authorities right away. This man is wanted alive.


The other man mentioned was that of Raistlin, Basil's apprentice. The details are a bit sketchy and it isn't know what Raistlin's plans are, but he revealed that Rath Stonesoul was going to have Lydia of Stratics assasinated. After this revelation, Raistlin disappeared. He is wanted for questioning and a pardon may be considered depending on what information he can provide.

Name: Raistlin
Age: 29
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 154
Birthplace: Forest Around Thurisaz
Known For: This man is known for many evil deeds. He studied several years under Basil. It was said even Basil feared the power that this child wielded. After Basil's death, Raistlin took leadership of the Cult. Using the influence of the Cult, Raistlin created a vast Empire, the Empire of Armageddon. This Empire consisted of the Temple of Mondain, the Sisters of Enchantment, Bregans D'Aerth, Quellar Viaxus, and the Legion of the Undead. The remenants of this Empire are still being squashed, and its effect will forever leave a footprint on this world. Yet Raistlin disappeared long before the Empire was removed. It was only recently, with the reappearance of Ryth that Raistlin once again appeared to the world. This man is considered extremely dangerous and is wanted for questioning.


A trial will be held in Skara Brae, time will be posted soon. If either Raistlin or Ryth is seen, please remember to contact the authorities.

A book was found in the keep, evidentally Ryth dropped it for Nero before he disappeared through a moongate. Some managed to get through the moongate to find themsevles at the Moonglow Moongate. What the contents of the book that Ryth left are is unknown.

A few days ago, Lord Rath Stonesoul and Brother Marcus went to Britain to see if they could help the Order of the Silver Serpent and the long dead Edguardo.

As many people know, a warrior named Anton whom is a member of the Order of the Silver Serpent had been acting as if he was Edguardo, running around in yellow and blue, not to mention trying to cast the spells of a powerful mage. Much mystery has swirled around the death of Edguardo. There have been ghostly sightings in Nujel'm, strange occurences in Serpent's Holds, and other things that have led some people to believe the man is still alive.

It was just a few months ago that a crowd dismissed Anton's words of Basil and Edguardo being supernaturally binded.

Marcus and Rath found him at Castle British and escorted him to the upper levels of the castle. Marcus asked Anton if he would mind being hypnotized to see if anymore information could be uncovered. Anton had his memory wiped clean of the mess involving Edguardo not too long ago by a doctor in Moonglow.

Anton agreed saying that he doubted that much would be figured out. Marcus put him into a deep sleep trance and began to question about what happened on the island of Nujhel'm. Anton recollected Edguardo and him having talks about what would happen, whether or not Nero would rescue them, or if they were doomed to die in the miserable prison.

He spoke of how when it became apparent that Edguardo would be executed, that Ed attacked him and began to mumbled words of what he believed held a magical power. Anton said he was held down by Edguado until the guards were right outside the door preparing to take him off.

He said strange things, "together we are binded", "if you see me fall, I am not dead, in Basil I am", and "You must ressurect me, don't forget, you must tell Nero."

Marcus moved time forward, to the doctor blocking the memories from Anton's mind. He spoke of a house on Moonglow, of people standing in dark robes in the corners of the house, and of dark mumblings of mathematics.

Marcus pryed deeper into these memories until suddenly the connection was severed and Anton snapped wide awake. Anton shuffled, seeming a bit nervous, through his pocket looking for a cigarette but couldn't find one. He made a straight line for the door telling Rath and Marcus he would be happy to help them with anything, but that this session was over for now.

Marcus and Rath said that if he needed anything, and they meant anything, to contact them, and that hopefully they could solve this puzzle.

Nearly 10 days ago, Lord Verithamus was murdered in the safety of his own home. At the scene of the crime, Verithamus was found slumped over his writing table with a dagger in his back. Today authorities announced that they have captured his assassin. Suprisingly, the assassin was a woman. A woman named Angharad.

At this point, the press is not allowed to examine the evidence against her, nor allowed to speak with her. We are told she is being treated well, and that authorities expect to have answers soon.

Hello citizens of Britannia, What I fear has been confirmed the Beast Rune has been taken here. In this letter I will discribe the tool of the demons of my land. The Beast Rune is one of the 27 True Runes of Toranis and Dunan. It's power is said to flow from the spirits of evil beasts. It is said that the stone can take form in any beast it comes across. Once in the land of Dunan it turned into a huge three headed wolf and utterly destroyed the capitol in one hour. The capitol there was atleast four times larger than Britain. What It could do here is almost unthinkable. In my time in this land I have faced many many dark creatures. I once attacked the Black One on my own. I have dived into 14 warriors on my own, though I did not win I lived to tell about it. Though I have overcome every enemy placed in my path, this is something totaly different. We are dealing with a True Rune, a stone that holds powers vastly beyond Britannia. The foreign land of Toranis hosts the Empire of Toranis. The Empire was destroyed not to long ago in 3 days. It was proved that the Rune had a play in the events there. My friends I pray that you do not come across the man who holds the stone. It is with that I end the note. May the Rygalai protect you. -Zeph Wightfyre, Knight General H/K

The night had come for the attack. The horde assembled within the Krenbluk shrine. Xegugg and Grool both stood before the orcs waiting. Only six orcs including themselves had come to the shrine. No mage was with them. One orc was sent out to see if any other orcs straggling behind. He found Gruch sleeping. Throwing off the covers the orc woke up Gruch, and the two ran to the shrine. Gruch yawned and grunted. The decision was made to attack Serpent’s Hold and not to wait any longer. Gruch opened a magical gate, and the orcs charged through. Gruch stayed behind, and he went back to sleep.  

Shalom, padawans!

So, you're wondering why this weeks TDU is a DOUBLESTUFF? Well, quite simply I missed last week.. but I have a good excuse! Honest! Its not my fault.. you see, I was unavoidably detained. Unavoidably detained by..

The night was not eventful, and only a handful of orcs were around the bonfire in the fort. They were all extremely bored due to the fact that there was not any battle for hours. The orcs stepped outside and were demanding tribute from a lost human when he approached.

Come one! Come all! To the Garden City Craft Faire!

The G*C Staff has been working long and hard these last few weeks to supply you with most every craftable item available in our lands. And now that we have whittled our last chair and banged our last set of armor into shape we are inviting you to come to our fair city and gain from our hard work. Everything given out at the faire will be free as a show of thanks to our mall patrons and citizens.

The G*C Craft Faire will be held this Thursday, May 23 at 8:30pm by the Central Skies at the Garden City Mall, just north up the shoreline from Trammel Cove. For those not aware of where G*C is there will be gates available from Trammel Moonglow starting at 8:30pm CST.

See you in the Gardens!

Garden City Staff

Citizens of Britannia gathered at the Lycaeum on Tuesday eve to discuss the political state of Britannia with 2 of her possible heirs.

Lord Jorus was the first to take the floor, but was unable to make much of a dissertation, as the crowd was very displeased with him. Seeking refuge, he big Lord Chamberman speak, and he gladly did so.

Chamberman spoke for quite awhile with a dramatic tone which captured the heart of the people. Citizens were very protective of the would-be king, begging him not to open a recent gift he recieved. Not fearing for his life, Chamberman opened the gift and lived, having proven there was no threat to his life.

Shortly after this incident, a man.. apparently a messenger delivered a keg of ale to the Heir. Again, trying to prove there was no threat to his life, Chamberman drank the ale.. which turned out to be poisoned. Spectators quickly rushed to his aid and saved his life.

Chamberman continued his speech, championing the fact that no man is worthy to sit in the throne of Britannia.. a fact which sat very well with the majority of the spectators.

The fellow who had previusly delivered the ale then returned, presumably to assassinate chamberman. He was readily identified and stopped by a contingent of Highland Guard who were in attendance. The assassin then led the guard in a chase through Moonglow.

Spectators and speakers alike decided that the safest course of action for Lord Chamberman was to return him to his home in Felucca, Britain. And so an escort was formed to take him to his family land. Among the escort were Lord Jorus himself, as well as a large number of Highland Guard, and Marquis Alazraham.

As the crowd stepped through the moongate to Britain, they became seperated. While the group held to await the stragglers, the assassin struck with a poison warfork. Though his assailant were felled quickly, Chamberman succumbed to the deadly poison of the fork, and died atop his horse.

Afterwards, the assassin was unmasked and revealed as a small-time corpse looter named "Picky". There was little else the escort could do, but collect what evidence they could, and return to the lands of Trammel.

Authorities state that they are somewhat closer to finding the mastermind behind these deadly assassinations which have claimed the lives of 3 out of 5 potential successors to the throne. Prime suspests at this moment are Lord Jorus, who was missing after the assassination, and Lady Bissell who was scheduled to appear at the summit, but failed to appear due to illness.

From Xzalian:

Zeph strode down the hall of the Skara Brae town council. He talked to himself about his past attempts at what seemed impossible. He recollected on the times of the Cult attacking Trinsic during Raven McAllister's term as mayor. He remembered his attempts at turning them away. The confrontation with Gwydion, that left him lying in the dirt bleeding. He remembered the rebellion of Dorian DeLacey and his brother Kurgan, which was now returning under a new commander. During these times he had tried to improve Britannia. In his attempts he found only failure and pain. Zeph finally said "I have tried one too many times to improve this place. I have served them against evil and I have fought them." Zeph leaned against the wall sighing quietly. Then a man walked in, his face was hidden under dark robes. He man came up to the swordsman and said, "Wightfyre is it?" Zeph nodded in reply, then the man said "Wightfyre, I have a message for you. It is from the man who calls himself Tallan Ain." Zeph's eyes shot open and he said "Tallan?! I havent heard from him in years. The robed man nodded and said "It reads, Zeph I have tried to reach you several times. It seems that the Beast Rune has been taken from its stone prison. I regret to tell you that we have felt it's presence in Britannia. I am sure you have felt it as well. Not many could miss it, the power that radiates from it is enormous. We suspect it to be Culgan De'Raln, please watch for him, should the power be used there is no telling what he could do. Your friend Tallan Ain Dais." Zeph's face was suddenly white and his eyes had shot open. "The... Beast Rune is here..." he muttered. The robed man asked him "What is this Rune?" Zeph replied "The child of the demons, It is the essence of evil. It is said that once a great wolf came from the stone and destroyed the capitol of an ancient land. The power that comes from the rune is the spirit of a great demon which was banished into a stone. A man had found the stone and had inscribed a symbol onto the stone, which is in the shape of a wolfs head." The robed man nodded slowly and said "Well sir, I am off I have other messages to deliver and it grows dark." Zeph nodded and continued staring at the wall, silent and strucken with worry... It seems the reports that the Legion received are true, a new evil has come to the land. The question is will it act on us or not?

Krista rose to her feet with a snarl of rage. She bounded to the other side of the tavern where Jerred sat in two steps and slapped him hard across the face. "That is NOT funny, Jerred," She yelled.

Jerred nodded slowly, looking away and rubbed his face where she had slapped him. "I'd expect no less from you, lass," he said. Ignoring the rage in her eyes, he stood up and dropped his pack to the floor of the tavern with a thud and rattle. Bones scattered onto the floor. Jerred bent over and turned the pack the rest of the way upside down, scattering bits of red cloth and dust onto the floor. "This is Redlowwinski," Jerred said in a definitive tone.

Krista snarled. "This is even less funny, Jerred," She said and scattered the bones across the room with her foot.

Jerred shrugged and sat back down. "With no ghost to resurrect, their is no way to prove with conviction that it is Redlowwinski's remains. But I assure you, my forensics tell me it IS Redlow, despite what you might believe."

Redlow, who had remained deathly still, spoke up, his voice cracking. "Kill me," he said.

Krista stopped, breathing heavily as the rage still flowed through her. She kept her eyes locked on Jerred. "What?" she demanded. Continued Here

Investigators are abuzz today after a servant boy discovered the body of Lord Verithamus. The corpse was found sprawled over a writing table in his chambers, a dagger still embedded in its back. Authorities are combing the area searching for any possible clues to the identity of the assassin, but so far they report that no leads have been uncovered.

Lord Verithamus makes the second political assassination in as many weeks. Due to this, Lord Jorus, Lord Gailt Chamberman, and Lady Bissell have been asked to postpone their political event, but the three remain stalwart in the face of this tragedy.

"This is why we chose the facet of Trammel, the very nature of the facet prevents wanton destruction of lives," explains Lord Chamberman.

When you pull into the main entrance at Origin, there is a message that says, “We Create Worlds,” in huge letters. Though disappointment in the company and/or its products has spurred many a parody on that phrase, it will always be special to me and I regard it with a bit of reverence. For me, Origin did create a world, a bigger better place for me to be.

UO was the magic carpet that allowed me to travel to distant and exciting lands, making new friends and opening my eyes to new cultures. UO was the magical kingdom to which Prince Charming traveled to rescue me from gloom and despair. UO changed my life and made it richer, happier and better in every way.

It wasn’t because the graphics were good. It wasn’t because the customer service was personalized and I felt warm fuzzies every time I got to interact with a game master. It wasn’t because I had a false sense of importance because my characters were l33t. It was because I was a part of this amazing community. I learned so much about myself through my experiences, good and bad, in the game.

I want to thank Stratics for allowing me to be a member of such an amazing team. I also want to thank my staff here on Great Lakes for being so talented and hard-working. Thank you to all of the players who, a year after the program was disbanded, continue to tell me how much they enjoyed my quests when I was a seer. It makes me proud to have people, even to this day, pay homage to The Mother, the magical tree that my character Evie planted outside Skara Brae at the end of a quest. The green robe may be gone, but the spirit of what I tried to accomplish as a seer carries on and that makes it all worthwhile.

I am leaving now to embark on a new quest, in a new world, and carry with me the memories of Britannia and all the friends I have come to know and love here. I hope to do with others in the new world I inhabit what you have done with me, to build a strong community and give people a place where they can escape the daily pressures of being John Q. Public for a while and immerse themselves in a vast new galaxy. I wish you all the best of everything and thank you for not only being a part of my life, but for allowing me to be a part of yours.

With fondest regard,
Noel LeFevre, aka Seer Pann (and others)

Adranath tripped slightly in the muck of what had become the swamps of Yew. All around him he felt the pulsing evil of the decay as it fed upon itself, slowly consuming every bit of life in its path. The sensation was so strong now that it took little of his concentration as a user of nature to feel it. The area around him was dense with enough plague spores that they resembled a thick dust. The air swirled with his movements—the ancient Meer was reminded of Clainin's lab, with its hundreds of old texts and tomes stored away on shelves that were rarely given a dusting.

At long last he reached his destination; a huge gnarled tree towering into the sky, stretching its dark diseased limbs upward and outward. The entire surface of the tree was covered in rotting grey bark, and within its branches huge pods seemed to glow with an eerie green hue. The swamp bubbled and whirled slightly at the roots of the great plague tree as the pods slowly shed their spores into the winds.

As he opened a small pouch, the Watcher was overwhelmed by another fit of horrible hacking coughs. The attacks came so strongly now that he felt practically immobilized by the sickness. He hoped the shopkeepers in the area who had become affected were not also suffering as much, but he already knew that was not the case.

One by one he removed a few small items from the pouch and dropped them into a disgusting slimy maw at the base of the plague tree, which absorbed them greedily. As he pulled the final item from his pouch, he paused to examine it. Ironic, he thought, that the beasts created by the plague should be the very solution to curing the land. He was thankful he had garnered Clainin's assistance in dealing with them; his own magics had become too weak to possibly hold a creature of such power. As he stared intently at the object in his hand, he prayed silently that enough of the special creatures could be found to make a difference.

Finishing, he laid the last small object within the maw of the tree, and watched as it also was absorbed quickly. A few short moments went by, and he began to feel a slight shudder from the tree, and within his mind he could sense the decay buckle and grow weaker. Closing his eyes, he could feel the plague tree before him as it struggled to process the ingredients he had placed inside its hungry maw. Finally, he could sense success; the cure was at hand.

Again, the violent coughs overtook his body and Adranath stepped back away from the tree. His objective was now clear, but the ingredients he had fed to the plague tree had only a small effect—it would take a great deal more if the land was to be fully cured.

A gust of wind blew through the swamps and the spores of the diseased tree filled the air like smoke. The progress of the decay had barely been halted, and if it was not cured soon Yew would not be able to host life. From his robes, Adranath pulled a small communication crystal given to him by Clainin, knowing that it represented their only real hope. If the word was spread far enough, and fast enough, the land just might be saved in time.

This article was submitted to us by Dr. Jerred Ghyss...........

Redlow forced a smile to his lips as he looked across the memorial at his wife. Krista smiled back. She was swallowing hard, her eyes watering, as she fought to keep tears from streaming down her face. Redlow looked down and pulled his cloak closer around him. The wind was blowing harshly in the far northern lands they were in. He winced as waves of emotions threatened to blow him away like the cold winds that blew across his face.

He moved away from the marble memorial and put an arm around his wife. "Two years," he whispered sadly.

Krista could bear no more and thrust her face into Redlow's shoulder as she began to sob. He wrapped his cloak around them both and turned his face toward the wind, looking out to sea.

The winds blew off the torid water, which was raging and threatening to crash up onto the small, grassy hill they stood upon. As Redlow watched the waves churn and stared at the ominous black clouds, he spotted a sail of a boat coming over the horizon. He nudged Krista and pointed out to the sea for her to look for herself.

"Probably just a fisherman, Redlow. No one knows we're here," she said, sniffling and wiping away tears with the sleeve of her tunic.

"Aye.." Redlow said, unconvinced. As the ship sailed closer, Redlow made out the emblem on the sails. "Nay," he said with affirmation. "That's my uncle's ship."

Continued here....

Following Lady Manna's ill-fated quest to speak with Britannian Citizens, 3 of the 4 remaining heirs have decided to brave the unknown together.

Lord Jorus, Lord Gailt Chamberman, and Lady Bissell will join forces and appear to speak with the public on Tuesday the 21st at 8 PM Central. The great political event will be held at the Lycaeum on Verity Isle. Due to the threat of attack, it will be held in the Facet of Trammel.

From White Lotus:

The fair and honorable city of Trinsic has proclaimed Wednesday, May 22nd, *Take a Break* Day. Beginning at 6 PM CST, that evening, Trinsic shall sponsor an event at the Skara Faire Grounds, Trammel.

Why there you ask?? Our fair city is over run with Juka and their cronies. If you are tired of having to battle your way to the bank, this evening is made for you.

Some of the events lined up for your pleasure are:
A rezzing contest, a *Make a Golem* Booth-bring your parts and a GM tinker shall build one for you, a magery contest, Hog Races, A Plant Clinic, *Give a plant a Home* booth, Gladiator fights, a Swamp Dragon Auction and much more.

Any guild or individual wishing to be involved with the event can contact me at 30624507. The bar shall be open for those who wish to sample the fine selection of ales, wines and liqours produced in Britannia.

Take a break from fighting Juka and come and enjoy yourself.

White Lotus-Events Minister of Trinsic

As General Dovolick marched anxiously about, back and forth, to and fro. Pacing anxiously in front of his men, he had to wonder if his sending in green troops, some just out of the academy, was the right thing to do. His veterans stood casually at the front of the formation, waiting for his orders. Among them were Kirk Swordfield and Wiligan, his Knight Captains. Other familiar faces filled the ranks as well, but he couldn't believe all the new faces. 'Where are they getting these kids?’ he wondered. 'Most of these lads are barely shaving.'

'Capta-a-a-i-i-i-i-ns!’ he shouted, 'Gather your squads and form up!’ he shouted in that familiar drone his knights had grown accustomed to. 'We ride for Minoc!'

The men shouted and roared as Wiligan and Kirk placed them into formation. 'Come on men, get it together or the Jukas will be using you like practice dummies!’ Wiligan exclaimed, 'Rath will have my hide if you get yourself killed out there. Look sharp lads! GET MOVING!'

Kirk was shouting similar orders and encouragement to his men. 'Captain, what are we up against, will we succeed today?', asked Karis, a middle-aged mage of extraordinary talent. 'Just stick by the young ones Karis,' Kirk replied, 'Keep them healed, you'll probably get a chance to blast a few Jukas too. Aye, we'll succeed alright. We have to. Just have a little faith brother. Now let's go, Dov's waiting.'

Dovolick, overhearing the conversation between Kirk and Karis, chuckled. Faith was the one thing that many of the new warriors lacked. Time after time they had been beaten back. Time and again they had seen their comrades fall dead before their very eyes. Time and victory are the only things that will see that faith flourish.

The men were excited to get moving, but nervous about the outcome. They had come for Rath. Each one had answered his call to arms. Rath Stonesoul was the reason these men would fight. They believed in him. They believed his promise of a free Britannia. They were loyal to the cause, and prepared to die for it if necessary. They loved him. They would not rest until the invaders were repelled, and Rath Stonesoul was king of all Britannia.

War had ravaged the land over and over. Before, it had been the Orcs, then the Savages, now the Jukas. Yes, Britannia had seen its fair share of invaders. Through it all, Rath stood up to defend them. Not just here in Skara Brae, his own land, but all over Britannia. He would not let Britannia fall to this or any invader. And so, they followed him. Some to victory, others to the grave, but all of them with his name on their lips as they marched into battle.

'Captains, if you are ready, move your men out!’ shouted Dovolick. ‘Minoc, fair lady of the north, here we come’, Wiligan growled sarcastically as he gave the forward march command to his men, ‘Two hundred gold to the first man who brings me the head of a Juka Lord!’.

Dovolick laughed as he watched Wiligan mount his steed and ride over to him. 'Where's Kirk?’ ask Wiligan. Suddenly a shadow covered Wiligan. He turned just in time to see
Kirk's horse rearing up over him.

'Ahhhh!!!’ Wiligan screamed as Kirk brought his mount under control. He trotted up beside Wiligan and Dov, and with a nervous laugh said, 'Heh heh, a little fun before the fight, don't look so alarmed. She's just as anxious as we are.' With that he patted the giant warhorse on the neck to steady her.

Dovolick was happy to see the jovial mood of his Captains. He knew that their mood would turn serious as soon as the roofs of Minoc could be seen.
Karis, looking a bit tired, and old, galloped up to the officers, 'If we're ready, sir, I shall open a gate to he outskirts of Minoc.' Wit a casual wave of the hand, Dovolick agreed. 'By all means.' With that the old mage began to chant the mystical words "VAS REL POR" and a bright, sapphire colored gate opened.

'After you,' Dovolick declared to Wiligan. 'Fine', he said, 'All the more for me. Wiligan gathered the extra reigns in his hand and slapped down hard on his horse’s rump. 'Hayeahhh!’ he yelled as the steed sprang forward. Without hesitation he hurled straight through the gate and disappeared. His men followed him at a dead run. Kirk and Dovolick looked at each other and laughed. Then each took their turn through the portal, and the courtyard at Stonesoul Tower fell silent.

Wiligan
Staff Writer, Quest Publications, Ltd.

from Dovolick:

Knight-General Dovolick, of the Army of House Stonesoul stood next to his master, Lord Rath, at the South Gate of the city of Trinsic, now under siege by the Jukan Horde. Rath gathered the warriors 'round and spoke a few words of encouragement.

'I was going to reply to the accusations made at the last rally, but I have decided not to. I am a man of action, not words. I don't care if you support me, what makes me glad of heart is that you are here with me to help Trinsic. If you choose not to support me, that is fine, but stand behind me today and let us help this fine city. Citizens! Warriors! We fight for Trinsic this eve! Show no mercy to these invaders! Send them back to the pit they crawled from!.'

As the men started their war chants, Rath nodded to the General to begin. General Dov waved the men forward. 'Mages and Archers to the Rear!, Knights to the front line, Citizens form on me!,' his great voice boomed over the chants which were reaching fever pitch. 'Trinsic, Trinsic, Trinsic....', they shouted, slapping sword on sheild.

All grouped together as instructed and began to march into the war torn city. The first wave of Juka was sizable, but soon cut down by the frantic defenders. Their bloodlust aroused, Lord Rath's force had entered Trinsic. Dovolick took half the force and headed west, Rath led the rest North into the heart of the city.

Dovolick passed the first bridge and was set upon by a Jukan horde, accompanied by a Bog Thing and its flock of Boglings. At first, Dov's defenders were pushed back, but they rallied and overcame the invaders. The jukan Lord lay dead at the Generals feet.

Lord Rath drove north cutting and slashing all who opposed them. Trinsic would be free this night, he was determined to defeat these would be conqerors who had enslaved his beloved Britannians. Raths band was met with stiff resistance by the horde but pushed on, heading for the Trinsic Town Hall where his scouts had informed the bulk of the invading army held camp.

General Dovolick's band of newfound bothers, warriors and citizens pushed on, finally coming to a healer shop left abandoned by the Juka. Regrouping his band, he called to his captain, Kirk Swordfield, 'Take some men and hold here, I am moving on. Guard my back Captain, I don't want them circling around behind us!' Kirk nodded to Dov and entered the building, where he was ambushed by one of the Elite of the Chaos forces who had recently formed an alliance with the Juka Nation. The Dragoon was no match for Swordfields resolve. Kirk drug the armored warrior's lifeless body outside and hung it from the sign on the front of the building, as a warning to Chaos not to further interfere.

Lord Rath's men had reached the town hall where they were met with a great Jukan force. Without hesitation he and his fighters rushed into them. The battle was fierce, and many from both sides fell as Rath pushed through them. They defeated the invaders, but at great cost. Fine soldiers, loyal to him, men he loved, and who loved him, lay dead around him.

He dismounted and knelt before Baramis, a man he had known most of his life. A friend. Removing a blood soaked glove, he laid a hand on Baramis's lifeless head. 'Sleep friend Baramis, sleep the sleep of peace. I will join you when I have done what we set out to do. Britannia will be free again. Rest now hero of Britannia.'

Just then a rider at a full gallop rode onto the scene. 'My Lord, I have word from General Dov!', he screamed. He read the note and turned to his men. 'Mount up!, we ride for the North Gate! The General has them running! Prepare to ride!', he yelled to his men scattered around the plaza.

Dovolick's force of knights and citizens had become a single concemtrated and focused weapon, destroying everything in its path. His force had come together in a way that only men who fight for freedom can. They pushed on into the financial district and continued moving without rest. Dovolick called a halt on the steps of the bank. He removed his helm and placed it under his arm. Wiping the sweat and blood from his brow, he spoke to the qarriors gathering around him. His famous grin came before the words. "Good work men, we have come far, but the battle is not over. I am proud of you all. You have fought well and bravely. 'Tis men like you that make Britannia the great nation it is, tis men like you that will keep her free.' He looked out over their faces. They showed no sign of faltering. They were resolved, as one. He smiled and waited for a moment more for all to catch their breath from the last assault, and then called out, 'We ride! To the North Gate!

The Jukas were expecting them. They had fallen back under the dual assault of Lord Rath and General Dovolick. They were digging in at the North gate and were already well entrenched when Dovolick and his fighters arrived. Two Juka Lords stood near the front and called out orders as Dov approached.

Dovolick saw the size of the Jukan force and prayed that Lord Rath had recieved his message. His messenger had not returned. Dovolick kicked his horse and started to run straight into the mass of Juka. He shouted, 'Zephyn! Sound the horn!!'. Zephyn, right on Dov's heals, grabbed the long horn from around his neck and blew into it with great force.

Lord Rath, entering from the south heard the war horn and urged his men forward. He knew what the call was for. Rath's men almost leaped over the bridge to the North Gate and immediatly drew arms slaying many jukas that stood between him and his General. The tide was turned. The combined forces were more than the Jukas could handle, even dug in as they were. When the battle was over, Rath rode over to Dovolick's side and spoke.

'The Paladins guild hall is overun. We will atack as one', Rath said. Dovolick nodded and called his men forward. a man from the crowd gave a great shout, "Long Live Trinsic, Long Live Lord Rath, Defender of Britannia!' It was Sosarian, Commander of the Citizens Defense of Britannia (OI-). The men around answered the call. As one they roared, "Long Live Trinsic, Long Live Lord Rath!".

Without need for a command, they raced acrossed the bridge with new found strength and headed for the East shore where the Palidins guild lay under heavy siege. They took the courtyard and Dovolick shoved his way through the horde, broke down the door to the guild hall, 'Inside Men!', he shouted. Let us free our brothers from this rabble!', he called out.

A river of screaming warriors and citizens streamed through the doorway, and into the gret hall. This time a new chant was amongst them, 'FREEDOME!' they chanted, 'Fredom! Freedom! .... 'Dovolick grinned ear to ear as he fought beside his Brothers. The Juak were no match for the mens zeal. Countless lifeless Juka lay like carpet at their feet. When the last had been crushed by the Britannians, they all removed their helmets and gave a great sigh as they whiped the Jukan blood from their hands.

Lord Rath did not rest, he walked out onto the beach and headed for a small building by the shore. Dovolick followed him. It was an Ankh Chapel, all the men gathered round and waited as Rath stood silent for a moment. Finally he spoke.

'This place, this holy place, holds much of Trinsics history and spirit', he said solemnly. I used to come here as a boy. Rath then turned to Alaric, Papas of the Torquil, and asked him to say a prayer. All the men listened, as the words came forward, touching their hearts. A great sense of comradeship and brotherhood could be felt there beside that ankh. Trinsic had been freed from the invading force. There was hope for Britannia. Great hope, and all present felt it.

Dovolick walked away from the Ankh and scribbled a note which he attached to a pigeon, and sent it flying across the city. The message was for Catain Swordfield. It simply read, 'Trinsic is free. Move to the South Gate and await my arrival.'

Kirk gathered his force which included men from the Highland Guard, and his new friend and brother, Turkish, the Militia Captain of Skara Brae. They met Rath and Dovolick at the South gate and the army of defenders was united for the first time since the counter assault had begun. The men exchanged excited stories of battle, and said blessing for their fallen brothers. All gathered about Rath and he thanked everyone for standing up to this invasion. He took his leave of them and Dovolick dismissed the force.

Good fortune and Virtue were with us this night, may they continue to shine their light on the City of Trinsic, forever.

Its unfortunate the spawn won't allow us to actually succeed, I had a good time.

From the Cult of the Black Dragon:

"You know, it would be quite easier if they didn't make such a protest about us visiting."

The old man stepped over the smoldering body of a jukan warrior.

The woman behind him chuckled, "maybe, and maybe I should ask why you bring me to this place?"

Ryth looked around, the Paladin guildhouse was to the south a bit. Then he looked to the east.

"Ah, that is what I am looking for"

The two walked into the small shrine on Paladin Isle.

The woman muttered, "You didn't answer my question."

"I thought you said that maybe you would ask it, I didn't know you had asked the question directly. Either way, life is a mystery, I thought you knew that."

A cackle erupted from the woman, Ryth looked anything but amused. "Now is not the time to be witty with me, now is the time to answer my questions."

Ryth ignored her tauntings and kneeled to the ground. He brushed his fingertips along the stone, "this place has been blessed, a prayer has been recited, everything goes according to plan."

"Will you tell me the damn plan?" Ryth blinked and turned, "Aye, this is where it shall take place. Yet we still run behind as far as gathering the components. My mages are still working on when the light will be at the right angle to glint off the Dream Sickle so we can find whats left of it."

"Finally you give me something I can work with. How long until they know?"

"Soon, maybe within the next few days, be patient."

The woman frowned, but nodded. She spoke words of power and vanished into thin air.

Ryth approached the ankh. He ran his hands over the smooth workmanship. He closed his eyes and grinned.

From: Evilice

As he entered the library in Moonglow, he began to get shivers down his white yet dark backside. He had heard of a document telling of a place in the Castle where Lord British had hidden his crown before departing this world.

He did not want another King in Sosaria. The Undead enjoy a more darkened and sinister world, where Chaos prevails over all. He did not want to be ruled, did not want to abide
by anyone's rules, save his own.

As he eyed each dust covered bookshelf, thoughts ran through his head. He knew he would be a wanted man if he did this but he did not care. It would be worth it to prevent another ruler from taking Lord British's Throne.

He eyed one bookcase that looked as if someone had already searched it. Approaching it, he eyed one gold labeled book, behind it was a piece of parchment.

He took the parchment from its resting place and unraveled it. He gazed in awe at the riddle written on it, running it through his mind.

He knew then that the crown had to be hidden somewhere in British's Castle, and he believed he knew just where.

He made his way from Moonglow to the Moongate as fast as possible on his dark steed. And from there to Britain, the Capital...where his steed carried him as fast as possible to the Castle. Upon entering the castle, he took a cautious step as he met eye to eye with Lydia of the Highlander. In her left hand was the fateful Golden Crown. She had found it. He thought to himself at least he did not have to do all the work. He eyed her menanciously and asked her to relinquish the crown or die in the throne room.

She sternly yelled NO! You will not take it! as she made a run for the door. Just as she reached the door, one of his bolts of lightning hit her in the backside causing her to drop the crown. As she continued to ride for her life, he picked up the Golden Crown, brushing the dirt from it almost thoughtfully. He hurried off to his Crypt to hide it and take a lengthy nap.. and ponder his next move.

Last eve, in the candlelight of Kazola's patrons were gathered to hear a speech. A Speech from Lady Manna, one of 5 heirs to the Throne of Britannia. The Speech, which centered on educational reform, was cut short tragically by two assassins who had been waiting in the crowd.

Authorities announced this morning that an investigation revealed two culprits. The first, a man named Casey is a local mercenary, who has been linked to several other acts of violence. The other is a man known only as "bowhunter" who acted as Casey's accomplice. The former escaped after the assassination, the latter was felled by a patron at the tavern.

The two are part of a mercenary organization, so authorities suspect that they did not act of their own accord, but rather were paid for their services, there are only a few in Britannia who could afford such an endeavor. Authorities are searching for clues as to where the gold would come from.

Patrons and citizens alike are quick to point out the House of Stonesoul as a likely culprit, as a member of HSS was found cowering in the corner of the tavern after the assassination attempt. So far, authorites have made no comment regarding the HSS, but have said that they "will investigate all possible leads."

With one of their colleagues felled, the remaining 4 heirs are rightly nervous - each of them had planned a speech circuit to familiarize themselves with the needs of the citizens, now they are rethinking those plans.

From Zeph:

It is with this letter I end affiliation with all Virtue guilds. With the recent events, mainly with Stonesoul I have decided I cannot continue any alliances with any defender of Britannia and the Virtues. No longer will the Scarlet Legion and Howling Voice stand with Britannia. These times are confusing however I now know the correct path. A new age for the Legion and the Howling Voice has dawned. For the Rebellion!

From Solomon:

We will be holding another rally for Rath Stonesoul before the Trinsic Relief at the South Gate of Trinsic at 7 CST on Thursday.

We will be gating from three banks, Vesper, Skara Brae, and Britain East.

Let those that hide in crowds come and see Rath at his best. Let them see him charge valiantly into the Jukan horde.

If you can thump your chest and call him a coward after this, I will pity you for a life time.

Yes, people will die during this effort to relieve the city, but we will have a group stationed at the healers to heal. Yet hopefully our plan is strong enough that the casualties will be low.

Come see the man that wants to be your King in action.

Thanks,
Solomon

I intend to be there! I hope others hear the call too!

From Anonymous:

Rally? From my advantage the rally looked more like a damn riot. It was a circus, no control whatsoever.

I came to this rally wearing my black and red in support of Rath Stonesoul. Why shouldn't I? He has been my lord for sometime now. He has been very fair to us, the people of Skara Brae.

Yet some people in the crowd hounded him the moment he stepped on the stage. They screamed that he was a puppet. I asked myself, "a puppet of who?" The answer came soon. The folks started screaming he was a puppet of the Cult of the Black Dragon. This was stupid, Rath would never fall to them. My blood boiled and I wanted to strike down these fools, but I couldn't, for I was not dishonoralbe.

A man by the name of Marcus was the first to speak on the behalf of Rath. He kept cool and calm throughout the heckling. He brought up about how Rath had defended us from the Juka and from the Mondainites. Several in the crowd applauded him and Rath nodded from the back of the stage.

Rath stepped forward and began to introduce the next speaker when there was some pushing and shoving in the crowd. Mordain appeared from the Temple of Mondain. I sighed to myself, evidentally we wouldn't be spared tonight from political jargon. He pushed Rath aside, and Rath retreated to the back of the stage.

Mordain told us how it didn't matter who was king, that the forces of Mondain would have to be faced eventually. The hecklers just used this as more fuel for their fire. They kept shouting to look how weak Rath was to stand aside.

It was true, Rath was hiding at the back. I found my heart sinking. Could what the hecklers were saying be true?

Finally Mordain stopped his speech and departed. Rath stepped forward again to introduce White Lotus. The hecklers became even more intense. They called her a puppet also. Thats when I got floored. She said she was, that she was a rebel. I was sure that I was losing something in the speech, but she went on about not having things dictated to her by others.

Then I noticed the dark man standing almost hand in hand next to Rath. My eyes widened, the man wore the robe of a Chaos Knight, it was Raistlin. He grinned as he stepped out to the front of the stage. He spoke with precision, "Rath, if you are not a puppet, then strike me down..." Rath looked as if he was uneasy, he stuttered that he couldn't do it right now. Marcus jumped forward and started to blubber about how there was no honor in humiliating Raistlin today.

Raistlin smiled and walked off the stage. Immediately the crowd began to boo, rotten food was thrown at the stage. I found my own voice shouting boo's at the man that I once thought was my Lord. Rath retreated behind the curtain and never returned.

Marcus tried to quell the crowd, but then a man named Greg hopped on the stage and started shouting how we would be no man's puppet. He yelled for us to join him on stage. I found my feet guiding me up the steps of the stage with others to scream in protest.

The Knights of House Stonesoul lined up in battle formations around Marcus. For an instance my heart fluttered with fear as I thought they were about to cut down innocent civilians. Yet Marcus seemed to know that this would only lead to rebellion and he ordered the group to form up behind the curtains. The people on the stage threw food at the retreating Knights and kept up their chant.

I don't know what happened, but my support of Lord Stonesoul has been severely shaken.

Slowly my sense returned to me as my heartbeat grew slower. I was sipping on my ale in the local tavern when news came. Someone had assasinated Lady Manna, that the assasin wore the colors of House Stonesoul.

My heart hit the floor, my mug spilled, and I began to weep. Those that I thought I had known were not who I thought they were...

I must confess to a certain amount of pride, as this particular piece of art was created for one of my own characters. I hope it meets with your own approval, as I am certainly impressed by Carde's ability on this one. If you would like to get one of these handsome works of art done for your own character, check out Ways of the World.

Tonight At Kazolas' tavern, Lady Manna will be on hand to answer your questions and address your issues on any political subject. As you all know, Lady Manna is one of the 5 persons in Britannia who are eligable to be the next King. The event begins at 9 PM Central.

This announcement comes late due to security concerns, as a number of death threats have been received by all of the candidates. The Herald will bring you complete coverage of this historic event!

As Khan grows more comfortable in our world and with his character, he decides it is time to venture further into our pixilated world with the creation of his “HERO” A character he decides to use to role play and fight evil in our lands. As he creates, Bane, his hero, he runs into the lowest form of scum to walk in our world.

Will he overcome? Will his new found friends be there for him? Will this encounter spoil his excitement and innocence?
Lets take a peek..................


I started my HERO…a parry macer named Bane. I know, cheesy name but Bane was the one “who broke the Bat” and yes I’m a nerd and so are you if you know what that meant! I have him at the fighting pit in Jhelom now working parry, mace and healing so my ‘research’ today will be on those skills. I’m concerned about his armor as his AR just keeps dropping! I’m not used to that. Heh.

My HERO went to Shame last night with a bunch of bandaids and a fervent wish it wasn't TOO crowded. In hindsight I should have wished for no damn scorpions as I did in fact get my wish.

For about a half hour I’m having lots of fun whacking earth elementals, working the non working healing skill, watching my armor disintegrate and doing the never ending dance of run away from the damn scorpions.

Than I met a man named 'Drach'. I’m pounding on an earth elemental with what started as a gm made war axe and must now be a limp noodle as I hardly damage it when another earth elemental spawns. Now its whaling on me and my parrying is really going up. (REAL cool).

I have the two elementals pounding on me and the one just about dead. Drach starts attacking one (and he has no limp noodle, he’s kicking ass). I tell him I have it, please, and was a really good boy asking nicely and he ignored it all. Than I just said "fine take them @#$*&#@" and left him to both of them.

(I leave a situation where I might get upset).

So I go to another spot and one earth attacks me. I start attacking him and about 4 minutes later (I really need a new war axe!) the man we love to hate comes into view...and jumps right on my earth elemental. I ask him to leave me alone and than leave again.

That’s twice...I knew the third time id be visiting a new dungeon though Shame is where I wanted to be. I go to the other side of the dungeon and attack an earth, two spawn and I have three on me. A guy runs by with two on him and they stop right next to me...now I have 5 on me.

Where the hell is Drach when I need him? (I laughed to myself "see what ya get for calling him an @#$*&#@"??"

Well, I had figured out the bandages but these 5 elementals are working Bane good...I have some healing pots but I know I’m not going make it unless I move.
Enter our Hero's Hero. A person named 'Arabella' wanders by, stops and heals me. She keeps healing me as the earths are doing good damage. I say thanks and to "help yourself". We than have a nice conversation as Arabella kept healing me and every now and than hitting one of the earths herself.

Parrying is going through the roof. I ended it around 70-75 with a gain of 14pts.
I had just mentioned how good my parrying gains were when Arabella mentioned blade spirits. Drach shows up. (of course). Instead of leaving I just decide to whale on the earth until Drach killed them. Drach speaks! I was amazed. Now of the following which do you think he chose?

a. "sorry for being a #%*& back there"
b. "no one owns a spawn"
c. "yeah, bs really works good"
d. "I know I’m an @#$*&#@ but I’m a repressed child working out anxiety and have been recently diagnosed with dominant ADD.