Volume One Issue Three

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.../                /_/..\______/./_____/./__/.../__/./_______/ MUD
../________________/      WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND HERE
 
 LegendMUD runs at moraff.austin.com port 9999 or (198.3.118.108 9999)
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ISSUE THREE, VOLUME ONE                              Sept. 22nd, 1994
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***SITE UPDATE:
 
It's official: moraff.austin.com will no longer be the site of LegendMUD
two days from now. We don't know where exactly we are moving yet but we 
will let you know via this channel and by any other means including 
posting on the newsgroups.
 
All is not lost, however! Thanks to the efforts of a few nice people, we 
do have at least one confirmed site to move to, though it suffers from a 
lack of space; we also have one long-term solution which will take time 
to put into place. We are attempting to obtain an academic site with 
high quality connection, academic sponsorship, and stability, however.
We'll keep you updated of course. Look for special editions of the 
Legendary Times with late-breaking news.
 
Many thanks to the people who offered to help with site troubles, some 
of whom went far beyond the call of duty: (in alphabetical order)
                                Aragorn
                                Arkady
                                Arkenstone
                                Ganelon
                                K'Mala
                                Obmig
 
***LECTURE SERIES:
 
Dominic's talk on "Military Life: Blood and Duty" was a great success, 
with the attendance of some 20-30 players at different times. We hope to 
have more events in the lecture series in the future. Please contact 
Ptah if you have ideas for any events. They may include plays, (either 
performed by mobs or by players), readings, talks, q&a sessions,  
meetings, or guests to the mud.
 
We hope to be able to offer archives of transcripts of these sessions 
sometime soon, once we have an FTP site to put them at.
 
***NEW CHANGES:
 
You've all been waiting for them, so here they are. These changes should 
be in the mud by Thursday night--that's tonight, as you read this.
 
BUG FIXES:
- blinding flash no longer blinds the caster.
- the blind spell is now an aggressive spell.
- poison is now an aggressive spell.
- scatter is now an aggressive spell if the victim is forced to flee.
- same with fear.
- many agg spells and spells that could be used as agg have been    
  adjusted so they do not work if you attack someone you are not
  supposed to be able to attack.
 
GENERAL CHANGES:
- you now gain prestige for every kill of a mob whose prestige is 
  greater than your own.
- alignment now changes with every kill. Please note that aligned 
  equipment will begin to matter now.
 
NEW COMMANDS:
- whoshort: gives a shortened version of the who list, without titles.
  No more terrible spamming from checking who. :)
 
NEW SKILLS:
These new skills will need teachers put in the game before you can learn 
them. The help files for them are in now.
 
- haggle: a lvl 1 skill, this permits getting better prices from shops.
  Use the HAGGLE command to use it once you learn it.
- begging: for those who do not have the skill, BEG will work normally.
  After you get the skill, BEG  may result in the person giving
  you money--be it mob or player.
- cook: this should enable the ROAST, BAKE, and STEW commands. These may
  be performed on filets to double their food value. This one is still a
  bit buggy and may not work by tomorrow.
- meditate: this skill is intended to appeal to mages, herbalists, and 
  the forthcoming martial arts specialty. While meditating (requires you
  to rest) you regain mana at twice the normal rate.
- eloquence: enables the SPEAK command, which results in "You eloquently
  say, 'xxx.'" A prerequisite for most bardic skills. (See below).
- play: PLAY  or PLAY   will result in
  trying to play that tune. A prerequisite for many bardic skills.
- praise: PRAISE  or PRAISE   will result in
  boosting the victim's prestige if successful. Requires play or
  eloquence.
- satire: SATIRIZE  or SATIRIZE   will result in
  lowering the victim's prestige if successful. Requires play or
  eloquence.
- calm: CALM or CALM  will stop a raging person from raging,
  or if they are fighting but not raging, will stop them from fighting.
  Note that if you calm one person in a fight, they will just start
  fighting again when hit by their opponent. Aggressive mobs will still
  be aggressive after being calmed. Requires eloquence or play.
- inspire: INSPIRE  or  will make a fighting person
  rage, whether or not they have the rage skill. Requires eloquence or
  play.
- entrance: ENTRANCE  uses music to set the victim to dancing
  madly and frenetically, until the next tick. During this time, the
  victim may fight back against others, but will not be able to initiate
  any actions, just as if they were sleeping. They will also take extra
  damage from hits, at the same rate as if they were sitting (33% more).
  They can still flee. Requires play and an instrument.
- tumble: TUMBLE will result in somersaulting around. However, it also
  gives an automatic chance of autostanding instantly after a bash or
  a headbutt.
- judge: an enhanced consider that gives phrases comparing your ac, hp,
  current hp, dexterity, strength, and alignment to that of your target.
  JUDGE .
- armslore: a skill that gives the rough damage and weight of guns and
  weapons. ARMSLORE .
 
All the above skills are the work of Ptah, so please let him know what 
you think.
 
NEW SPELLS:
These will appear in your allspells list immediately and you may figure 
out the word combos and learn them immediately. The following list is 
for several circles and all schools. Notice that there are several 
spells which seem to be repeats; they are different cause and create 
versions. Generally speaking the cause versions are directly offensive 
and the create versions create an item with the same effect as the cause 
spell.
 
- create watery death: creates a potion with the effect of watery death.
- watery death: offensive spell
- create fiery death: creates a potion with the effect of fiery death.
- fiery death: offensive spell
- instant death: targeted spell, your victim dies. Period. No XP gain.
- create death: creates a potion with the effect of instant death.
- empathy: allows you to restore another's hp, mana, and mv by taking
  their own deficit upon yourself. If their deficit is to great, it may
  have bad results for you, up to and including death. You must be good
  to chant this.
- fever: affects victim with fever, which prevents tick gain.
- vile green goo: creates said item, which is nasty throwable stuff
- stun: sets a victim to stunned
- dream send: sends a dream to a specific sleeping person anywhere in 
  the world.
- wither: offensive spell
- contagious cough: affects area with plague
- evil thoughts: offensive spell--must be evil to chant this
- beam of pain: offensive spell
- etheric void: offensive spell
- ice dagger: creates an ice dagger
- flaming sword: creates a flaming sword
- weakened armor and weaken armor: cause and create versions of a spell
  that lowers a target's ac.
- fire water: creates whiskey in a drink container
- wave of nausea: area effect offensive spell--cannot be targeted!
 
All the above spells are the work of Kaige, so please let her know what 
you think.
 
***AREA UPDATES:
 
- Hell has added something of great interest to mages, especially with
  the new spells going in.
- Beowulf was put on hiatus while the new skills and spells were coded.
- Work proceeds apace on San Francisco and French-Indian War.
- Look for an expansion to Egypt very soon, with shops.
- Llew's working on a Medieval Japan too, having switched to that from
  Ancient China. China's still on his list however!
- Fionn is on vacation in Europe for a month or so. In the meantime, all
  serious problems with Ancient Ireland should be sent to the senior
  immorts to be dealt with.
 
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        o O | Wonder what folks are    |
  `\|||/    | doing over at LegendMud? |
   (o o)     \________________________/
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SOCIAL ITEMS:
 
First, a word from our sponsor:
 
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     ambushes, murders, harassment, and deeds too dastardly for you
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                         26th-32nd level: 3K gold per level
 
- Well, this week I get to do the column, because our estimable social 
editor K'Mala is getting a root canal on the day this issue hits the 
virtual presses. How about we all deluge her with sympathy cards, huh?
 
- One thing which has everyone talking is the late-breaking news that a 
familiar LegendMUD inhabitant has undergone a drastic change of heart! 
It seems that shortly after killing Mercenary, Dagda (well-known for her 
sexual proclivities and assorted scandals) was visited by a divine 
vision. Her heart was shocked when the depth of her iniquity was 
revealed to her, and she has reformed totally. She's become a celibate 
itinerant nun, preaching good and aiding all, deserving or not, who need 
assistance. The vision revealed to her that if she fails to stay good, 
or if she fails to act as she ought, she may be dragged down to the pit 
of Hell and there her soul may be utterly destroyed. However, we all 
know Dagda, and I'm sure you agree with me that she may need help in 
treading this treacherous path to reform. So all you good people, help 
her out... and all you bad people, try to trip her up. :)
 
- Hunter_Rose's and Katya's wedding went very nicely indeed. Attendance 
was well over 20. K'Mala conducted the wedding, and the only slip-up was 
when Hunter_Rose seemed more eager to taste the wine in the glass she 
gave him than to follow the ceremony. It also seems that Dusty and 
Hunter_Rose patched things up somewhat, as she provided the music for 
the ceremony. She was seen whispering in corners a lot with the bride 
however, and plenty of barbs were traded with the groom. The reception 
was held in the Wild Boar Tavern, where couples danced. Khelleck dove 
for the garter, and put it on a blushing Rusalka, who had run to another 
room to avoid the bouquet, but to whom it rolled anyway. :) A sign of a 
future alliance between the Knights and the Hermetic Order?
 
- In other romantic news, Arkady and Caidi eloped recently, when nobody 
was around. The wedding was conducted by the Bishop of Hereford, who 
apparently wouldn't stand still for very long, being a fellow of short 
attention span, preoccupied as he is with the water situation in his 
hometown. Caidi and Arkady have a relationship of long standing. Gifts 
and congratulations are accepted anytime.
 
- In a surprise development, Magdalen and Socrates have announced their 
engagement. This was a whirlwind romance. No wedding date has yet been 
set. There is also a rumor flying around that Magdalen may be retiring 
from the leadership of the Order of the Scroll... truth or fiction? Who 
knows, clans are in turmoil recently...
 
- ...especially the Order of the Knights of Legend. Khelleck was elected 
the new Guildmaster of the Knights, and he named Sir Gwystel and Sir 
Matrix as his deputies with full powers to act in his stead. The Knights 
have lost several long-standing members to associate status recently, 
such as Aragorn and Arkenstone, and there have been rumors of some 
internal conflicts lately. In particular, the good knights may be 
wondering about some new organizations being formed...
 
- ...among which are, word has it, as group of assassins for hire, whose 
secret clan hall may be completed any day now. No word on who will be 
running this group yet--or indeed if his/her name will ever be revealed. 
These guys will likely be an enemy of the Knights of Legend, as will 
be...
 
- a new order of knights, most likely Antipaladin types. The word from 
on high is that Flagg, deity of Hell, is serving as the focal point for 
worship for this group, so I imagine we can expect evil galore.
 
- Finally... the creator if Eire is there as we speak. Fionn has gone to 
seek refuge in Ireland and England for a month. He'll be back after his 
vacation with plans for a new Antarctica area. If you didn't give him 
your address already, tough luck, you won't get any postcards. Fionn was 
ordered NOT to kiss the Blarney Stone as he does that well enough 
already. :)
 
-Ptah, social-editor-for-a-day-who-doesn't-plan-on-doing-it-again-but-
also-won't-get-a-root-canal-to-avoid-it