Volume Eight Issue Twenty-Eight

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VOLUME EIGHT, NUMBER TWENTY-EIGHT                         December 25, 2001
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                           TABLE OF CONTENTS

                          NEWS, REPORTS, UPDATES 
             Action and Reaction: To Get It, You Gotta Provide It

                              LEGENDITES
                            Announcements
                              Clan News
              A Quick Reference Guide to Infernal Etiquette
                             Judah's Return
                          Mitra and the Analyst 
                        Cote's Test for Knighthood


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/__|  News, Reports, and Updates!                                         |__\
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Action and Reaction: To Get It, You Gotta Provide It
By Kae


Join a clan and display its [tag] proudly in your title.

  While some people prefer to play rogue kinds of characters, it is easier to
  get into "mainstream" accepts from other clans and individuals if you
  belong to a sub-community. Many people are inclined to accept clans based
  on their own RP, whereas it may be a pain to keep track of the individual's
  status as regards oneself.

Get some info messages.

  Whether you win or lose a few fights, your name gets established among
  others this way, which in turn will encourage others to seek you out --
  whether with hostility or for a friendly fight.

Sign up at USL's Pkill Page (http://www.cutabove.org).

  Getting listed lets others know that you are interested in combat per se.
  Even if you dont make the "top 10" lists, your name will be visible in
  several menus.

Get listed at Natalia's page.

  If you're a bit more hard core and log your fights, send them to Natalia
  ([email protected]) for inclusion on her website
  (http://www.geocities.com/nats_evil_twin/). Again, name recognition is your
  friend.

Choose your style and live it.

  How hard core a pkiller are you? There is nothing more annoying to others
  than someone who takes advantage of a situation, then promptly rejects when
  the odds are against him.

*    If you want all the action all the time, be AA, and only turn it off if
you're in a serious xp hole. Jump and jump back, fight duels, heck, fight
anything that moves.
*    If you want all the action some of the time, seek out pkill clans and
known pkillers and establish bonds of friendship and enmity. Jump and be
jumped back.
*    If you want some of the action all the time, seek out pkill and RP
clans that match your theme and establish bonds of friendship and enmity.
Defend yourself against jumps and fight duels.
*    If you want some of the action some of the time, establish bonds with
others who enjoy the occasional duel, and don't let yourself be goaded into
more sanguine situations.

  Whichever 'style' is to your preference, you should remain more or less
  loyal to it. Each variation has its own 'group' of players who remember and
  recognize each other, and interact accordingly.

What's the point? It's really very simple. In the 'oldschool' days we were
all pretty much in touch with who was enabled and who wasn't. The pkilling
scene comprised a far smaller percentage of characters than it does to day,
and it was a lot easier to keep track. Not so anymore. To get your piece of
the action, whether large or small, you need to put in some effort.

Oldschool pkill will not come back. Moreover, the majority of today's players
probably don't even remember what it was like, and would quite likely protest
loudly if they were told to pick one character to fight with and leave the
rest. LegendMUD changes constantly, and this was indeed one of those large
changes which requires us as players to shape up or ship out.  Adapt or
perish.

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  /__|  LEGENDITES: Information Regarding the People of Our World     |__\
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 =============
|Announcements|
 =============

Emrysia has reached 200 million experience! 

Israfel has reached 600 million experience! 

 =========
|Clan News|
 =========

The Mercenaries Clan was formed by Krynn on December 21, 2001.

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A Quick Reference Guide to Infernal Etiquette,
Brought to you by the Seven Circles.

o Please tip any staff you want to tip immediately. We will be here all of
  eternity, so tipping as you leave is simply rude.
o Please don't feed the lamps. Those burning Heretics are *intended* to
  suffer.
o Don't pet the ugly dog. If you do, don't blame us when you lose an arm.
o Drinks will be available during intermissions. Please decide in advance
  whether you want your boiling blood on the rocks or with vodka.
o Please feed harpies only approved bird seed. No licorice, no popcorn.
o Please don't pull the demons' tails. They're sensitive about their
  appearance.
o Patrons should be advised that breaking twigs off the bleeding trees may
  result in stained clothing and the occasional cannibalistic bush.
o Patrons should be advised that pushing demons into the boiling pitch may
  result in extreme displeasure on behalf of the hellraker staff and may
  have repercussions.
o Patrons are kindly asked not to ridicule Libbicock. The demons are
  extremely sensitive about their names.
o You cannot have a private audience with God here. You can see Hitler,
  Richard Nixon, and Elvis. Patrons wishing to see Hitler should bring their
  own pineapples.


-- Marcie

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                                 Judah's Return

  The final blow was dealt, Judah's body lay in a crumpled heap at the base
of the cliff.  He had always heard about the proverbial 'bright light,' but
there was none.  He felt what remaining life was still in him, the few drops
of blood flowing through his once powerful heart, flow out of him.    He
closed his eyes, ready to face Aslan at the throne of the Judges.

  When Judah opened his eyes, everything was blurry, as he had just awakened
from a deep slumber.  As they cleared he saw a throne, made of pure platinum,
resting before a great pillar, and upon the pillar, a book.  "Could this be
that be the book of Judgement?" He wondered aloud.  "Indeed it is, faithful
Judah," said a deep voice.

  Startled, Judah looked toward the voice.  His eyes widened with amazement
as he saw a majestic lion sitting upon the platinum throne, 'Had he been
there before?' the questioned echoed in Judah's mind.

  "I was here, humble Judah, but you were not looking for me."  The voice
seemed not to come from the lion's mouth, but rather, directly into Judah's
mind.

  Judah fell to his knees and cried out, "Aslan, forgive your servant for not
seeing you before.  I am not worthy to be in your presence."

  "You are right Judah, you are not worthy, but you are faithful.  Your faith
has brought you through many times, both good and bad.  You have proven
devotion time and again, your faith is credited to you as righteousness."

  "I am ready, then, to enter your holy dwelling place?" Judah asked.

  "You are ready, yes.  But I have task for you first."

  "A task?  Now, Aslan?  Forgive your humble servant, but how can I serve you
now?  I am no longer in the mortal realm."

  "That can be remedied," the lion said with a slight smile crossing the
feline mouth. "I am sending you back to the realm of mortals, to walk as my
priest, my servant once again."

  "But why Aslan?  Why must I go back?  I lived my life as your servant.  You
said yourself that I was ready.  I do not mean to question your will or
omniscience, but my poor mind does not understand."

  "Faithful Judah," the lion began patiently.  "You have been a good servant,
but the vulture god has sent a servant to disrupt the balance of good and
evil, I cannot let this happen yet."

  "But Aslan... Why me?  Why can you not use Camaris, or one of your other
faithful ones that still walk the lands?  I have just now arrived, and I so
want to see my Haley, after all this time."

  "Judah," the lion said curtly, "you are my servant, and I will send you
back if that is what I deem to be the best solution.  The vulture god has
sent one named Jin with dark powers -- your faith, and powers I will give you
will be needed if the balance is to remain stable."

  Judah bowed his head in submission to the plan, knowing that Aslan knew
what was needed.  "Aslan, I humble myself before you.  I am nothing in your
great presence. I will go back as you command, and be your servant once
again."  Judah looked up at the platinum throne and found it empty, except
for a rune-covered staff topped with a platinum lionhead.  "I will do what is
required of me once again."   He looked around, and shouted, "I will be with
you eventually my love."

  As he let his body slip back into the oblivion he had felt before he
thought he heard, ever so faintly, 'And I shall be waiting for you...' The
realization that it was Haley's voice speaking startled him, he tried to pull
back, to talk with her more, but he could not, he kept slipping farther and
farther....

  When he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting in the desert, near an
Oasis he had known well before, and Judah dropped to his knees and wept.

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                             Mitra and the Analyst 

Mitra Alexander lay back on the black leather settee and looked up at the
cracks on the ceiling. From above and vaguely behind her head wafted the
voice of her fashionably expensive analyst.

"Now, then, Mrs. Alexander...during our last appointment, you talked about
some of your dreams, Would you care to do that this time?"

Mitra shook her head.

"Actually not....I'd like to talk about something that happened the other
day."

Papers rustled behind her.

"Do you remember what I have told you about my husband's...habits?"

"Of course." From behind, the analyst smiled wryly into his notebook. They
were all so alike, these married British ladies with their wayward lords.
Even this one, with her exotic looks.

Mitra's voice faltered.

"The other night, I woke up and our bed was empty. I could hear footsteps
downstairs, so I looked down through the window. And I saw him...leaving out
our front door. He looked so wan and pale in the moonlight. I could almost
see the breeze blow through him." Mitra sighed.

"He had looked poorly for several days, but he wouldn't see a doctor... He
staggered across the street to the building on the other side and just leaned
against the wall for several minutes. Finally, he knocked on the door."

"It was opened almost immediately by a young woman with long fair hair. She
kissed him and drew him in while I gnashed my teeth at the window. I was so
very angry.  How dare he do it in front of our own house? How dare he make a
mockery of me? In fact, I was so angry that I wanted to destroy our house,
but couldn't pull myself away from the window."

She drew a small breath.

"Several hours passed. Finally, the door across the street opened, and Marcel
stepped out.  But he looked very different than before. He was fuller, more
substantial, almost glowing in the moonlight. There was a movement at the
window above..a pale hand..a frail voice bidding a sad adieu. But he didn't
seem to notice it at all. He strode back across the street toward our house.
A couple of minutes later, I could hear him rummaging about the kitchen and
loudly demanding that Ed make more coffee."

Mitra hesitated for a moment.

"You remember what I've told you about him? His true nature?"

The analyst chuckled to himself. Such fantasies she wove, even more
delusional than most of the ones that he heard from the rest of his British
ladies. He hoped that he would be able to publish her case.

"Yes, you have."

"Well, it suddenly occurred to me that all my jealousies and sorrows were
petty and unimportant. All those times that my friends looked at me
pityingly, all the unpleasant gossip...it was all necessary. Because if
Marcel did not spend time with those other women, he could never be with me
at all." Mitra blinked the tears away from her eyes, determined not to cry in
front of her analyst.

There was a great deal of rustling above. After an uncomfortable silence, the
voice above wafted uncertainly and said "Er, why don't we have another stab
at those dreams?"


                 --<-@  Cote's Test for Knighthood. @->--

I was privileged to attend the first knighting ceremony of the True Knights
of Legend. The squire to be tested was Cote, who had been trained by Sir
Robar Royce. The event was centered around the altar in in Kleinstadt's
church. The following people attended: Sir Delandel, Sir Hardeck, Sir Robar,
Sir Tegid, Sir Ganymede, Lady Freja, Lady Emrysia, the squires Mikko and
Boss, Cote himself, and myself. After The formal greetings among the knights,
Lady Freja cleared her throat and asked for silence, so the ceremony could
begin.

'We are gathered here today to witness Sir Robar's squire Cote take his final
tests to become a knight,' she announced.  She then proceeded with the
information of the first part of the test: a test of valor in battle. To this
end, they made Cote go up against a Ritter, who had been proven to be
corrupt. -In the least he was to be taught a good lesson, but it turned out
that Cote was more than up to the challenge, since all the people who
witnessed his fight were impressed with him.

After the first test, three questions were asked of the Knight-to-be, to make
sure that he had given the Code some thought, and not just read the words.
The first question was about how to respond to a fellow Knight who asked for
help in combat against one other person. Cote answered that he would ask
first what the reason for the fight was; if it was a regular fight he would
not meddle, if however, the enemy had killed his clanmate repeatedly, he
would aid in any way he could. The councilling knights seemed to be satisfied
with this answer. The second question was which actions he would take before
he would expect an enemy to know that he would attack him/her on sight. the
answer included declaring it openly and letting the enemy know, either in
verbal or written form, what to expect. The third question is how he would
handle facing a foe and discovering that he was fighting a loosing battle. To
this the squire's answer was in three parts: For one, if the enemy had done
such a foul deed that he had to be slain, Cote would fight to the death in
an attempt to mortally wound his enemy. In the case of a duel, he would ask
to halt the fight.

When the formal parts of the test was done, Lady Freja asked if her fellow
knights had any questions or advice for the squire. -They all did. The
questions ranged from religious issues over responding to public attempts of
ridicule to who he would trust most, a friend or a knight. Cote seemed to
answer the questions to the assembled crowd's satisfaction.  Meanwhile, Lady
Emrysia wondered why all this tedious testing was done, to which she was told
that it was an attempt to ensure that no one who didn't know the Code in their
hearts were knighted. The advice were mostly battle-related, where the
experienced knights offered tips and tricks to get into a favorable position.
The essence of all this was, as I understood it, that the important thing
about being a Knight, is always to remember your Heart, Honor and Dignity. (I
swear, when these people speak, you can hear the caps).

Then the Knights withdrew to a corner of the room, discussing whether or not
to Knight Sir Robar's squire. -It did not take them long, however, and they
all returned to stand in front of Cote. For a few moments I swear the tension
was so think, I could have cut it with a knife.

Lady Freja then asked Cote to kneel before her. While he knelt down, she
raised a sword with an intricate pattern above her head. She then touched
first his left, then his right shoulder with the sword, ending the ceremony
with the words: 'Rise, True Knight of Legend.'

It has come to my attention that I have missed the second knighting, which
was held about two weeks later than the one I have reported of here. It was
when Sir Delandel's squire, Boss, who was tested, apparently this time, the
enemy to be beaten was a german major in Casablanca. My sources tell me that
Boss also passed his test and was knighted.

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Legendary Times is published by the immortals of LegendMUD. Please send all
replies, additions, or corrections to our address at [email protected] for
inclusion in the next edition. We, however, reserve the right to moderate
this discussion, and may object to some submissions.

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