June 30, 2010 Issue
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Note from the Editor
UPDATES FROM THE STAFF:
Code and Area Updates
LegendMUD Calendar of Events
PLAYER NEWS:
XP Achievements
The Pkill Front
Clan News
Player Submissions
A Trial of Cautiousness
Moonlit Reminiscence
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A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
First off, I need to say that I'm sorry because I made a mistake in the last
LT. Caja wasn't the author of the letter that I said she was the author of;
It was really Azim, and Caja had just so happened to be the one to email it to
me. So, I'm sorry.
With that in mind, if you send me something that you didn't write, please be
sure to specify who wrote it somewhere in the email, preferably before the
article. Thanks, kids!
Also, be sure to check out the events calendar. We've quite a bit going on
over the weekend of the 4th of July, so hop on in and partake in some
delicious PR fun.
-Lamia
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/__| Updates from the Staff |__\
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AREA UPDATES
Area & Code Updates (6-11-10)
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* No area updates
* Many internal changes and bug fixes
Outage of Doom (6-25-10) (<3 you, Zenzo!)
--------------
Hi everyone -
Sorry about the outage these last few days. We had a heavy lightning
storm here in Chicago, and apparently something took out the power in
the area. When it came back on, the surge zapped the network switch that
the mud was plugged into, and the jolt from the switch in turn zapped the
DSL modem that the mud and all our other home networking stuff runs off.
We called Speakeasy, our ISP, and confirmed the diagnosis -- we were able
to replace the switch, so the only real problem was the DSL modem. Speakeasy
overnight-shipped us a new modem, which arrived Friday morning. We plugged
that in before leaving for work, and fortunately it just worked.
The game was up all along from Wednesday through Friday, and no damage was
done to the mud itself. We were just off the network for about 36 hours.
Hope everyone found something entertaining to do! :)
Lorenzo
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LEGENDMUD CALENDAR OF EVENTS
[All times are system time unless otherwise specified]
July 2010
Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Saturday, July 3rd, 2:00 pm The Rides of Paul Revere
Saturday, July 3rd, 6:00 pm American Truthiness Trivia
Sunday, July 4th, 2:00 pm Taxation without Picnicization
Sunday, July 4th, 8:00 pm Crossing of the Werewolfaware
Thursday, July 8th, All Day Retsu's Birthday of Win
Thursday, July 15th, 8:30 pm Q&A in the Auditorium
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/__| Player News |__\
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XP ACHIEVEMENTS
Phoenix has reached 300 million experience!
Zierath has reached 300 million experience!
Serpentarius has reached 500 million experience!
Xyrico has reached 500 million experience!
Xyrico has reached 600 million experience!
Vito has reached 700 million experience!
Xyrico has reached 700 million experience!
Norbert has reached 900 million experience!
Psylin has reached 1000 million experience!
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THE PKILL FRONT
PK Stats by Mertjai:
4
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we have real PK statistics. Our most active PKer
was definitely Psylin with 20 total fights. Following him was Caja and Kyril
with 8 fights each, and in third was Dazzel with 5 fights. However, they
weren't the only people participating in some hot pvp action. Other
participants were Svartur, Tsung, Krista, Dirge, Divine, Xyrico, Macphisto,
Roxy, Reaver, and Milly. Who knows whether they were PKE fights or just duels
(Well, I know, but I'll never teeellllll), but regardless, keep an eye on all
of them! There's no telling who is bound to stab you in the back next.
-Lamia
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CLAN NEWS
Absolutely nothing. Though, if you haven't already, you should really check
out the clan websites. A list of all clans, as well as links to the websites
(should the clan have a website) can be found at http://clans.legendmud.org
Also, if your clan does have a website, but it's not linked, contact Natalia
or Lamia and they'll put it on the webpage for you!
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______________________
/ \
o O | Wonder what folks are |
`\|||/ |doing over at LegendMUD?|
(o o) \_______________________/
ooO_(_)_Ooo________________________________________________________________
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__|_____|_____|_____|_____|__PLAYER SUBMISSIONS___|_____|_____|_____|_____|
A Trial of Cautiousness
Curiosity kills many things. But to one without fear, it can be all the more
tempting. Serpentarius had sensed something stirring in the ocean, and wasn't
going to let its call go unanswered. By late June he was exploring depths
where even the light dared not, where all manner of unnamed horrors lurked in
the dark.
Fortunately for him, his sea serpent form was as silent and certain as day
turning to dusk, but even so, he had to be careful. Shapeshifting down here
would be inviting disaster. After descending for many hours, he finally
reached the bottom of the ocean, and what greeted him was far from the
desolate wasteland he was expecting.
A sunken city, long since buried beneath the waves, sprawled out in every
direction; ancient houses and temples crumbling away, lined streets spreading
out as far as the eye could see. Not that the eye could see far in this murk.
Though no signs of life were apparent, Serpentarius could sense a presence
waiting for him. He began scouring the streets, looking through the occasional
window to satisfy his curiosity, but he could find nothing but death, decay,
and lots of ugly fish.
Eventually Serpentarius reached what must be the center of the city. A
magnificent golden structure stood before him, glowing brilliantly in the
darkness, and of such size that it must surely be built by hands not of men.
It was a colosseum; truly colossal indeed, it reached several thousand feet
above the sea floor, and countless thousands across.
Serpentarius was puzzled. Was this the presence that had been calling him?
There was seemingly little else down here, but there was no mistaking the
voice he had heard. Perhaps.. it was a trap? And that golden aura...
Lost in thought, he couldn't even react to what happened next. A giant golden
pincer, hitherto hidden in the sand, snapped shut around him, trapping him.
Only then did he realize the titanic mistake he'd made.
The colosseum then rose up off the seafloor as a gigantic golden crab,
emanating the aura of the Zodiac, emerged from the sand beneath it. A crab
strong enough to use a colosseum as its shell. There could be no mistaking it;
Serpentarius had fallen into Cancer's trap.
'What have we here? The Serpent King himself, come to visit?' taunted Cancer
as he clenched his pincer tighter, almost cutting Serpentarius in two. 'You
shouldn't have..'
'But I insisted,' Serpentarus responded. 'I couldn't ignore the call of an old
friend.'
Cancer lifted his pincer up, bringing Serpentarius closer to eye level to try
and determine his true intent. 'Then I welcome you to this fragment of the
past.'
'And what a welcome it is,' muttered the Serpent King sarcastically. 'Surely
you didn't sink this place yourself?'
Cancer hesitated a moment. 'This curiosity is a dangerous trait you've
acquired,' he responded. 'A power inherited from your mortal 'acquaintances'
perhaps?'
'It's quite the gift,' said Serpentarius calmly.
'Is it, now?' inquired Cancer. 'Take a look around. Observe the inevitable.
This city was once a paradise given to those same mortals by the deities they
believed in. They had the world, and it wasn't enough to satisfy their
curiosity, their eternal need for more. And so they bit the hand that had fed
them unconditionally, only to be struck down, their paradise reduced to a ruin
in the depths.'
Serpentarius pondered a moment. 'Then it's a good thing I have a nasty bite,'
he responded casually.
'And so you wander blindly into the unknown? You severely overestimate your
luck..' warned Cancer.
Fortunately, Serpentarius was quite the bluffer. 'What better way to catch a
fox than to play the hare?'
Cancer was not amused. 'If either of us are caught, it is you. And to fall
into a trap so easily? I fear you may have lost your touch!'
'My touch is better than ever. See for yourself!' responded the Serpent King,
before firing a stream of pure ice from his mouth straight into the eyes of
Cancer, blinding him momentarily. By the time Cancer could recover,
Serpentarius had wriggled free and had disappeared into the gloom.
Cancer could barely believe his eyes, once he could see through them again.
'Your powers are already reawakening?' he questioned in disbelief.
'Indeed they are..' came the response from the darkness. 'Surely you didn't
think me on a mission of revenge alone. I will reclaim what's mine, and you
will help me. Whether you wish to or not!' And with that, he emerged from the
gloom and struck, sinking his fangs through Cancer's armour. Cancer thrashed
about, his pincers striking just where Serpentarius had been a moment earlier,
but the Serpent King's venom was already dulling his senses.
Destruction filled the cityscape as Zodiac battled Zodiac, Serpentarius
striking as swiftly as a cobra while Cancer cleaved entire streets in two with
his pincers, but still could not hit the Serpent King. The battle raged for
hours, the poison slowly defeating Cancer from within while his strikes grew
progressively weaker.
'Why do you persist in this folly?' asked Cancer weakly, the venom taking a
heavy toll. 'Look around you at the ruins of yesterday. Even if you.. reclaim
your powers, you cannot reclaim the past. All you'll find is emptiness..'
'Then I'll jump off that bridge when I come to it,' responded Serpentarius
wryly. 'Though I'm flattered that you care about me so.'
His aura fading, Cancer began to collapse, unable to fight the corrosive
poison any longer. 'You win this one, Serpentarius,' he said weakly. 'It seems
by catching you in my trap, that I fell into yours. You have passed the trial
of Cautiousness and I will give you my power. Such is the way it must be..'
The battle over, Serpentarius swam down to Cancer's eye level as a display of
respect. Cancer was touched by the gesture. 'Hah.. it's good to see some
things never change.. my friend,' he commented, knowing his time was over.
Serpentarius became shrouded in a glorious golden aura as Cancer faded away,
giving up the last of his strength to aid his former friend.
'Simply call upon me and I'll shield you from despair,' Cancer's disembodied
voice whispered. 'Though nothing can shield you from the inevitable...'
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Moonlit Reminiscence
Exhausted from his battles, Serpentarius flew through the night sky to a
nearby mountaintop to rest in peace. He gazed up at the moon, and the memories
came flooding back.
'I fear this may not last,' whispered a much younger and much less scarred
Serpentarius. He was accompanied by a vision of perfection, both beautiful and
ephemeral: Virgo. They sat beside each other on the moon, where they could
gaze upon the world they had watched over since its infancy.
'Why do you say that, love?' Virgo asked quietly, clutching Serpentarius' hand
tighter. She smiled at him, bravely trying to support the one she loved. But
she already knew the answer.
Serpentarius looked down, away from her. 'The others.. they plot against me.
Already I hear them accusing me of.. of terrible things. They think I'm using
you for your power..'
'Let them think all they want,' Virgo said reassuringly. 'We know the truth,
and there's still those who believe in you. Everything will work out for the
best.'
Serpentarius remained silent, the worry all too visible on his face. He
embraced Virgo tightly and she rested her head on his shoulder, the two Zodiac
knowing their time together was almost over.
'I wish this moment could last forever,' Serpentarius whispered sadly, wishing
upon the stars.
'It will, for we will have an eternity together,' responded Virgo. They both
knew it wasn't true, but they still dared to dream.
A few days later, the remaining Zodiac ordered Serpentarius to relinquish his
hold upon Virgo, to which he refused. Even when they threatened him with war,
he could not bear to abandon the one he loved. The other Zodiac, growing
desperate in their plight to save Virgo, convinced the few still loyal to
Serpentarius to turn against him, with lies and blackmail if needed. The
lovers didn't run or hide. They knew they would be hunted down wherever they
went.
Serpentarius prepared himself for the coming war as best he could. He stood
atop the highest peak in the Realm with Virgo by his side when it happened.
The war began and they spilled forth like a swarm of locusts, assembling
before the mountain. An army of titanic behemoths standing over the Serpent
King. He knew he was to die here. He had already accepted it.
Aries stepped forward, his hooves, and then his voice shaking the ground.
'Serpentarius. Release your grip upon her mind at once, or suffer the
consequences,' he warned.
Serpentarius turned to Virgo. 'You must flee,' he told her calmly.
'No! I'll stay here with you! I can help you!' she pleaded with him.
Serpentarius looked into her eyes one last time. 'And that is why you must
go,' he told her. 'I cannot guarantee your safety if you stay here, and I
would sooner suffer a million deaths than see you wounded because of me.'
Virgo's eyes filled with tears, knowing Serpentarius would not waver in his
steadfastness. 'Promise me you'll survive. Please..'
Serpentarius kissed her hand. 'I promise, you will see me again. I love you,'
he told her.
'I love you...' cried Virgo, her tears falling like rain as she turned and
fled.
Serpentarius awoke from his reminiscence, his face buried in his hands to stop
the tears. He never saw her again. How he wished things could have been
different... how he wished he could just see her one more time, even just to
know she still lives. He cast his mind back to the past, to try and distract
him from the present.
Serpentarius turned back to the Zodiac. 'So about those consequences...' he
said as he drew his scythe. They struck, one after another. Serpentarius
fought as best he could but their strength was inexhaustible. Their blades
cleaved the land into rivers and valleys, their impacts ground the very
mountains down to sand. But they would not relent. For days the War of the
Zodiac raged until at last Serpentarius was defeated; though he fought
fearlessly, he was severely outnumbered, and was struck down without mercy.
He fell from the Realm to the Earth, the impact of which caused such
widespread devastation that most of the life on the planet was wiped out.
Serpentarius was sealed away, his spirit entombed for eternity. The Zodiac
took from him his life, and his powers. He dreamt many dreams over the
countless millenia, often visited by his former friends to tell him about the
happenings of the world, but he cared not for them. There was only one he
wanted to see... Virgo. And he never did. For the millions of years he
slumbered he was plagued by questions, but never given any answers.
And then, by some act of chance perhaps, he was released from his tomb. He
didn't know how exactly, similar to how one can't remember being born, and
certainly didn't know why. But he didn't need to know. All that he wanted was
to see Virgo again. He searched and searched, but to no avail. He even
traveled to the Realm of the Zodiac but she was nowhere to be found. While he
was there, he gave the Zodiac a choice: to return his powers, or to die. And
with that he returned to the Earth, thus beginning his gauntlet of Trials.
He hoped that with enough power, he could perhaps find Virgo again. It was a
distant hope, but it was all he had left. And he would fly to the ends of the
Cosmos to save her.
His determination restored, Serpentarius flew up into the night sky.
There was work to be done.
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