Volume Three Issue Nine
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............./ / THE LEGENDARY TIMES
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..../ /_/..\______/./_____/./__/.../__/./_______/ MUD
.../________________/ running on mud.aus.sig.net 9999
199.1.78.16 9999
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http://mud.aus.sig.net/ ftp://mud.aus.sig.net/pub
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VOLUME THREE, ISSUE SEVEN and ONE HALF July 30, 1996
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NEW IMMORTALS!!!
UPDATES
-Coding-
-Building-
-Player Descriptions-
ANNOUNCEMENTS
-Lecture Series-
-Trivia!!-
-Border Contest Results-
-Ultima On-Line Beta Testing-
-Web Page Award-
ARTICLES
-Newbies and You-
LEGENDARY WORKS
-A New Beowulf Saga-
-The Disturbing Case of John Doe-
-The Life of a Legendite-
-A Newlyn's Journal-
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Please send your responses to articles to the Legendary Times address
at [email protected]. Letters to the editor are welcomed.
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Since this is the first issue in a long time, there's quite a back log of
material to catch up on. Some things which ought to be in, may well not
be, and will hopefully be included in issue Eight. In addition, since
there were so many reader contributions for this issue, I've replaced
this issue's social section with a "lit" section. Those who have social
events which they would like reported in the next issue should send
e-mail or mud-mail.
Thanks for your patience!
- Rusalka
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NEW IMMORTALS!!!
Legend has recently acquired many new immorts. In the Building Dept, recent
additions include Deanna, Leila, Joule, Sandra, and Sabella. All of the new
immorts are very familiar with Legend.
Deanna, who wishes to be Patron Saint of Cats, is working on
Melbourne in the year 1859, at the end of the Victorian goldrush. As Melbourne
is also her real-life hometown, this seems especially appropriate. She's
been on Legend for nearly a year now, and promises her area will be really
interesting and well worth a visit.
Leila is currently working on a Ph.D. in Art History/Theory majoring
in Film Theory. Her thesis is on the titles of the film 'Seven.' Another
Australian, Leila lives in Sydney by the beach and is learning to surf this
summer. She backpacked around the world for a year and a half after finishing
her undergraduate work. Appropriate to her vast worldly experience, Leila is
working on a Carnival area which will move around the mud. She plans to
attend either the University of Chicago or NYU next year, and hopes to make
documentary films someday.
Joule is on vacation and thus could not be reached for comment. A
long time player, she is planning to debug area files, and so forth.
Sandra started mudding over a year ago. In fact, Legend was her
first go at playing any Internet games. Her area, Salem, Mass, is set around
the times of the well-known witch trials of the 17th century. She's
already quite a ways towards completing her area, and it looks to be lots
of fun. Sandra is also working in PR, helping out Rusalka while she was
moving and away from the mud, and working on the Lecture Series.
(Tuesdays, 7:00 or 8:00 EST, ya'll come now, ya hear - shameless plug :).
Sabella has been mudding for around 4 years now and causes equal
amounts of trouble wherever she goes. Legend is the only mud that has kept her
interest for any length of time. She recently acquired an undergraduate
degree in Art History, specializing in ancient to medieval artwork,
especially medieval and early renaissance, and has spent some time
working on a Master's. Her thesis is on the Development of the 'Triumph'
or Tarot, and much of this work is finding its way into her area, Italy
in the Early Renaissance. She's also aiding and abetting Rusalka and
Sandra in PR, working on the Lecture Series.
Other departments are also acquiring immorts at a rapid pace. Recently
immorted in Administration is Baca who has been wandering LegendMUD for about
2 years now. He says it is one of the first muds he found, and, in spite of
some forays into other muds, the only one he's stuck with.
He continues: "I particularly like the range of players we get on
LegendMud and the complexity of the environment it provides for their
interaction. As a newbie immort in Admin, I hope to help maintain and
further improve that environment, so that players can get the most out of
the time they spend on Legend with minimum hassle.
In my spare time (heh), I'm in the process of becoming one of those
bottom-dwelling, paper-generating, flesh-tearing fellows we call
attorneys. Since I think this is as funny as anyone, I'll accept--by
mudmail--between now and August 1, 1996, any lawyer jokes you want to
send me. The funniest (short and appropriately clean, please) will be
incorporated into my poofs for as long as this whole thing doesn't get
old. :)
In the rest of my spare time (heh heh), I write and ruminate on
everything under the sun (and some things over it). For a sample of my
ramblings, take a look at the full text of the speech I gave on LegendMud
the other night on the Communications Decency Act, at
www.nicom.com/~mseidl/CDA.HTM. (case sensitive)."
NOTE: This was the first of the Lecture Series. Be sure and come
here the rest - more shameless plugs :)
Last, but certainly not least (!), are our new immortals in the Player
Relations Department.
Spencer, who is also on vacation (and thus beyond our alliterative
reach) has been playing on Legend for over a year now. His role playing
includes a tour of duty with the Order of the Scroll, where he also did
quite a bit of newbie assistance. Not surprisingly, his main area of
interest in PR is newbie assistance. Not only will he be manning the
watch for newbies who could use a hand with help menus, sleeping, and so
forth, but he's also planning to overhaul the newbie manual (available
through the main menu). Moreover, he has many, many ideas for
new games beyond the familier realms recall tag and flag quests.
Clutch, another long time player, is mainly interested in writing
for us. More specifically, he'd like to put his years of experience with
college newspapers, picky editors, and so forth to use at the Legendary Times.
Already, he's got plans for columns debating various game issues,
and so forth. He's also been looking around for good material among the
various role-plays and happenings among players, so be sure to let him know if
you've anything that you'd like reported in our "social" column.
Lirra, yet another long time player (dating back from Legend's very
first incarnation on an Apple Macintosh, no less!), is most interested in
developing role play. She'd like to get some lively TinyPlots going, as well
as work with player killing clans to strengthen role-play (something she's
well qualified for given her experience as both a Hermetic and Knight of
Legend :)
Incidentally, for those who haven't heard of TinyPlots before, they
originated on MUSH's (games similar to MUD's, only without the MOB's to kill).
A TinyPlot is basically a (somewhat) organized group scale role play event.
They can be sponsored by immortals, although that isn't necessary (for
instance, a plague might strike Tudor London -- players would then act out
their symptoms and efforts to combat the foul disease. Although TinyPlots may
start with a fairly organized plan, they very often spontaneously become
something wholly different then originally planned (an occurrence which is
held to be a Very Good Thing among avid TinyPlotters).
For those who are interested, there are yet many openings in the PR
department (OK, shameless plug!). Mainly, we need folks who enjoy helping out
newbies, answering questions, and basically acting as player-liaisons. In
addition, we are looking for folks who are interested in promoting
role-play events, through role play seminars, impromptu role play
(*GLOOSH*), and organizing TinyPlots (you can never have too
many TinyPlots!). We are also seeking writers, advertisers, game
inventors, and so forth. In particular, we very much need someone to look
after and/or install the Web pages. Those who are interested should
send an HTTP address containing an example of their work (for instance, a
home page), to Rusalka.
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CODE UPDATES
Thanks to Hunter Rose, our board appends have a totally new look
(shameless Coders' plug !). No more do you have to read through all the
appends on every message, no more is it nearly impossible to look up
a particular append. Instead, the various appends are listed under the
main message by number. To read a particular message, for say, the fifth
append of message 8, simply type "read board 8 5." The Coders
have also been making good progress on fixing the memory leaks which
we've been suffering for the past several months. Finally, for those who
have been waiting for skill trees (including me), the latest ETA is
sometime in the middle of this year (it's been a long and difficult
coding process, so bear with us!).
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BUILDING UPDATES
The Building Department has overhauled several areas in
order to bring them more in line with the mud overall game balance. These
include Ireland, Industrial London, Bengal, Macao and India. Although
the areas won't be unrecognizable, certain mobs and items may not quite
be what you remember them to be. We've added patches to San Francisco to cut
down on the number of mobs with outrageous stats, but ask that you PLEASE let
Kaige or Rufus know of ANY bugs that you find in Frisco (both helpful and
harmful).
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FTP/WEB UPDATE
It's again possible to get at the Volume One issues of the Legendary
Times via ftp and the web. Sorry for the snafu--it was a case of mixed-up
permissions on the directory housing those old issues.
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DESCRIPTION UPDATES
Many, many people have changed their long and/or short descriptions lately.
Below is a partial list (if your desc change has been left out, please let us
know so we can put it in the next issue :).
Lust:
(long)
it was: "A dark seductress undresses you with her sultry gaze"
it is: "a sultry seductress undresses you with her magnetic gaze"
Egami:
short: A thin asiatic fighter
long: A thin asiatic fighter irradiating power is standing here,
concentrating.
Kelvin:
short: a betrayed thief
long: A sad thief with a blade in his back stands here in a pool of his
own blood.
On a somewhat similar note, Pegasus recently achieved the 100 million
experience mark, and has subsequently decided to unclan (be sure to
congratulate him on his achievement!)
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LEGEND LECTURE SERIES!!!!
As many of you know we've started a lecture series here at Legend
with both in-game and out-of-game topics. The following is a schedule
of the first 4 in the series. Updates will be appended to the PR board post.
RolePlay and How to Best Utilize Your Character
speaker: Agrippa
date: Tuesday, July 30 at 9pm eastern
Where: OOC Auditorium
Cooking for the Internet Junky
speaker: Chocorua
date: Tuesday, August 6 at 8pm eastern
where: OOC Auditorium
Each will be posted on the welcome board a week in advance with a short
bio of each speaker. Check back often for updates. And we hope you all
enjoy them.
Our first topic, the CDA in context, was held Tuesday July 16th, Baca was
the speaker and there was a brief discussion afterwards. His speech can be
seen in its entirety at http://www.nicom.com/-mseidl/CDA.HTM (warning: this
site IS case sensitive).
Our second talk was given on LegendMUD's combat system, by Arkenstone this
past Tuesday. As with the last, there was also a brief discussion
afterwards. If you missed Ark's speech, you'll be able to find it on the web
page, in case you don't know the address, its http:\\mud.aus.sig.net .
Our upcoming speech, 'RolePlaying and how to best utilize your character'
will be given by Agrippa. The following is a brief bio that Agrippa sent in:
About a year ago, when I got my modem, I read about muds in a newbies
Internet guide. At first I wasn't terribly interested, but became hooked
when I began to interact with other players on Legend. In that year I've
played here almost exclusively, partly because of the historical format, but
mainly because of the quality of people I've met, and the care everyone has
taken to give this mud a depth I haven't found anywhere else.
I've been fortunate to live an exotic and exciting life, in which I've
been a Catholic priest, mafia hit man, Latin American dictator, and
short-order cook. My dream is to be able to tell each of my three wives
about the existence of the others and to share a communal house wherein I
burn incense and am referred to as 'The Messiah'.
-Agrippa
We hope that you all enjoy this series that we've begun, and ask that if
anyone has a topic that you might enjoy hearing about or giving yourself,
mudmail Sabella or Sandra. We have also posted to various newsgroups
inviting outsiders to come and listen in on these discussions.
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TRIVIA!!!
Parrilyn has been running regular trivia games, including ones based on
various themes which have proven quite popular all around. To check on
fellow trivia players' standings, as well as to see when the next game
will be held, we invite you to peruse the trvia board, in the PR wing of
the OOC.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
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BORDER CONTEST RESULTS
After long and careful consultation with various persons (most notably,
Sandra), we've (finally) judged this year's winner to be Elidan, Northstar's
daughter. You can find her winning design just above the "lit" section of
this issue. Thanks to all who entered the contest -- it was a very tough
contest to judge. All those who entered will receive a cookie or certificate
for one, while Elidan will receive a string coupon for her winning entry.
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ULTIMA ON-LINE BETA TESTING
Alright guys!
Ptah, Kaige, Rufus, Sadist, and many others have been working on this
game for
a LONG time...the pre-alpha test is already long gone.....now the beta is
here!!
Those of you who dreamed of a real graphical MUD may want to take a look at
this....and perhaps about 1000 other players will be on at the same
time. The
system requirements are fairly steep, however, and here goes for the
WIN95
version:
8 megabytes of RAM(prefers 32)
486DX4/75 CPU(prefers 133Mhz Pentium)
VLB or PCI video with 1 Megabyte of RAM(prefers 2 MBs with PCI)
50 MEGS of HD space(prefers 150MBS)
2X CDROM(prefers 4XCDROM)
16-bit soundcard
.....and a REALLY GOOD MOUSE:)
You can register at www.owo.com(I think) and you will find more info there)
you must send $2 check to cover cost of CD and postage
See you online!(beta tests prolly start sometime in the fall...)
- Xenon
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WEB AWARD!
EyeOnTheWeb has just named the LegendMUD official Home page one of the most
outstanding on the Net! As a winner of the "Selected Site Award" we get to
place an award graphic on our page, and will be featured in EyeOnTheWeb's
catalog of notable Internet sites at http://www.eyeontheweb.com.
Grats to all those who contributed to or worked on the web pages!
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NEWBIES AND YOU
(by Farnsworth)
This is being humbly submitted as my opinion on newbie matters. Some may
agree with me others may not but for what it's worth this is my opinion.
I would like to start this with a definition of newbie. As I see it there
are three types of newbie. There is the first time ever on a mud newbie.
There is the first time at Legend experienced mudder newbie. And there is
the new character for an established player newbie. Unfortunately I think
most of the trouble I have experienced from newbies has been from the last
group which should really be the least trouble.
The true newbie, the person who falls into category 1, deserves all the help
we can give them as far as explaining our system of play, getting good armor
for their level, and advice on mobs to kill and places to go. Funny, I have
NEVER had a true newbie be anything other than astounded by my generosity
when I have given them a little money, bought them some newbie gear, taken
them to Sherwood or Klein, told them how to con things, then told them to
go and kill with my blessings.
The next sort of newbie, the new to Legend but knows mudding sort, is
usually even more happy with the way I treat them cause they are usually
ready to be ignored on a new mud. Once in awhile I find one who asks me to
level them and after I explain that the Legend system isn't really conducive
to that sort of thing when there is too great a split in levels they are
USUALLY understanding and I have never been treated rudely by one of them
after I gave them what help I would and sent them off to kill.
I am often saddened, however, by the last sort of newbie. For those who
don't know me, I am a simple Victorian doctor who couldn't fight his way out
of a sack with his original stats and who isn't a great deal better of a
fighter now (but much happier with his stats this time). I tend to heal
others in my level range and can perform a nice entrance or calm so they
tend to put up with me alright, but I level slowly and fight a LOT of mobs
(level 41 and hasn't soloed a cap yet). I DON'T level people. Never have.
I WILL group with you for exp if you are within ten of my level either way
cause it is beneficial to both of us. A doctor's a real nice thing for a
tank to have with him. But even with all that what I want to say would be
true even if I WERE a tank.
When a newbie comes on and asks (or even demands) to be leveled I take an
instant dislike of this person. Especially after I politely tell them no a
couple of times and they keep asking me. It is even nastier for one to hit
me with a tell to help them as soon as I've signed on. It is particularly
frustrating for me since I don't really believe it is helpful for a low
level to try grouping with higher levels. I recently fell off a mountain
(as some of you may recall) and my wife and brother (levels 50 and 48
respectively) tried desperately to help me out and so we ran around
industrial killing things. I got 40 pts for the vampire as a level one.
And I could have been killed. After the rp aspect of it was done (they
REALLY did need to react that way in the rp sense), we split up and for
awhile I leveled a bit by myself, I admit completely that my dear wife
killed many a mob helping me get my memory back, but I WAS a level 50 and
she IS my wife.
The point of all this is I think newbies (all types) should hear how I think
leveling can be done both relatively quickly and have a lot of fun doing it.
My advice is GROUP. Group as often as you can. At low levels group with
others within 2 or 3 levels of yourself. The gap can widen as you gain
skills with which to benefit the group. The exp split never seems like
enough i know. It seldom adds up to the total available exp even when
fighting 'perfect matches' with like levels. I've never understood why but
I do accept that there will never be as much exp gained with someone as
appears in the total. However killing something alone will never get you as
much exp as the total available anyway. BUT when fighting with someone else
you have a waker, more damage inflicted per round, a bandager
(hopefully), a helper in carrying heavy objects (for example someone to
help you carry stuff to sell or money to bank), and company. Sure you
can probably take on the same mobs you kill together by yourself but how
long will it take and how long will you have to heal up afterward?
Together two level sixes got over 4000 pts each in 45 minutes recently
killing nothing but animals and an occasional slave.
When low level, kill everything in your path that you can *evil grin* -
NOTHING is beneath you! You'll level in no time. But be aware that things
con slightly differently in different places. Judge is much better than con
at letting you know if you really SHOULD attack something. But nonetheless
when in a new area try an easy or fairly easy first and see if it really is.
If so you can work up to higher and higher cons but don't get stupid. When
you have only 30 or 60 hps and something cons death it probably is. And
even with two of you 'Are you crazy" is gonna be a hard fight if you win it
at all most of the time.
Don't be afraid of exploring your world. There are LOTS of exp rooms out
there and all you have to do is enter one to get exp. Always use your exits
command in a new area. The gods were kind enough in their creation of our
world to let us know if we are willing to spend the time to type exits when
we are about to enter certain and irreversible equipment loss. All DT's and
some that are not always DT's appear in capital letters on LegendMud. Stay
out of areas you are warned against however like the Tara landscape and feel
free to ask me or some other higher level around for an escort to or from
Tara if low level cause even if you know the route their are still boars to
worry about. But remember an escort is just that. Passage to safer lands
then you politely thank the person and let them go their way unless
expressly asked to join them for some reason.
When grouped with someone play with your agg wary commands. Work out with
your group mate that when the tank starts the others will keep going agg till
the mob attacks them and then the tank starts going agg while the other
person goes wary till the mob changes his attacks and back and forth. You
will often kill the mob quicker this way and share in the damage some which
can be very useful with low hps to start with. A mob hitting four times
might be survived when two level ones each get hit twice but would die with
four hits.
Lastly, but possibly MOST importantly for the low level is wimpy. Too
low a wimpy setting is responsible for more deaths than anything else
especially at low levels. When something does 5 hps damage to you each
time you are hit and your wimpy is something like 5 out of 20 you most
certainly will die if you get hit 4 times. First flee attempts are often
unsuccessful unless you have very high dex. I know that when I have low
levels I try not to have to flee very much by fighting things I know i
can kill cause 50 hps doesn't last long and half my exp is hard to make
up. But if you want to try a mob you have never fought set your wimpy
high (like 15 out of 20) and if you find yourself trying to flee right
off hope you can. I like to set
my regular wimpy at least 40% of my hps, even 50% when I have more hps and
can afford to be hit a bit before i flee. Remember you can't raise wimpy
above your current hps but you CAN change wimpy during a fight if you wish
so if you've got a mob down to dying and you see yourself try to flee you
can LOWER your wimpy if you'd like to try to stay and finish the job. One
other thing don't set wimpy full unless you are trying to use the strategy
of hit and run because instead of fighting you will keep trying to flee.
Lastly, to those high-levels out there who have been reading and nodding
their heads in agreement. Not all newbies who fit in the last category
behave badly. There is seldom a reason to be rude to a low levels first
contact with you. Even if they are mistakenly demanding your first No
should be polite. You can never be sure if the problem isn't just a
misunderstanding to begin with. Perhaps there is a difference in native
languages. Legend is truly a multi-national place. Or perhaps they had the
unfortunate situation of first time they were on someone took them and did
level them a bit so they think it's standard or they were on at a time when
someone else went up 15 levels in an afternoon and felt left out. Anyway
people seldom deserve to be treated rudely the first or even second time
they 'tell' to you. We should not be a world of snobs. Low levels DO need
some help now and then getting eq or accompaniment to a certain area or mob.
And a newbie who doesn't group with high levels and doesn't want to disclose
alternate characters for rp reasons (lets face it people DO react
differently when they find out who else you play) have a very hard time
getting eq before they can actually kill for it. Should a low level mage
'wanna be' not be able to learn certain words because they need a common but
hard for them piece of eq be denied the chance to learn a word at a low
level just because they haven't made high level 'friends'? Or a person be
denied getting a common skill cause they need a slight stat boost before
they can qualify for it? I'm not suggesting you run out and get wormys for
every level one on the mud, just that we all be more willing to get simple
eq for the lower levels. We used to be a happy family with high levels and
low levels helping each other. Vamp tag for corpse removal used to be a
sure thing. Lately I have seen people have to beg for someone to come help
them. Remember the newbie you scorn could be one of your closer friends and
be getting a look at your character you don't really want them to see.
I hope I have offended no-one. I am really only trying to help. Please send
input on what you have read as I really want to know how it is received.
Well, in the immortal words of Stan Lee, 'Nuff said.
Farnsworth Kurwa the Wordy, Husband to Linda, Father of Alexis and Brother
of Zorn, Sage
___ $
>__|----------------------------------------------------------------|__<
'------------------------------------------------------------------'
LEGENDARY WORKS
Gnat recently composed the following epic:
Beowulf and the monster Godsylla
Meanehwael, baccat meaddehaele, monstaer lurccen;
Fulle few too many drinccee, hie luccen for fyht.
Den Hreorfneorhtdhwr, son of Hrwaerowpheororthwl,
Aesccen aewful jeork to steop outsyd.
Phud! Bashe! Crasch! Beoom! De bigge gye
Eallum his bon brak, byt his nose offe;
Wicced Godsylla waeld on his asse.
Monstaer moppe fleor wyp eallum men in haelle.
Beowulf in bacceroome fonecall bemaccen waes;
Hearen sond of ruccus saed, "Hwaet de helle?"
Graben sheold strang ond switch-blaed scharp
Stond feorth to fyht de grimlic foe.
Me, Godsylla saed, "mac de minsemete."
Heoro cwyc geten heold wip faemed half-nelson
Ond flyng him lic frisbe bac to fen.
Beowulf belly up to meaddehaele bar,
Saed, "Ne foe beaten mie faersom cung-fu."
Eorderen cocca-colha yce-coeld, de real pyng.
- Gnat
\|/ \|/ \|/
The editor found the following lying on a coffee table during her latest
visit to her HMO:
Medical records for John Doe, Bethlehem Hospital.
10-31-1841: John Doe admitted to Bethlehem 3:00am, extremely violent. White
male, black hair, green eyes, 6' 7" & 195 #'s, restraint necessary.
11-1-1841: The C.I.D. has informed the Director, Carl H. Janomayer, that John
Doe, bludgeoned to death, Constable Robert Thompson, before setting the
remains on fire.
11-1-1841, 11:00am: First Interview: John Doe claims to be the Emperor Fu
Manchu; He demanded immediate release & threatened the lives of the staff.
Had to be restrained, placed in isolation.
11-1-1841, 5:00pm: John Doe sans "restraints", found in Lady Dumonte's cell
in the women's wing; Claimed to be "Dr. Zhivago" discussing politics & lost
love with "Catherine the Great". Note: John Doe's cell, Lady Dumonte's cell,
& the doors between the men & woman's wings were locked & undisturbed; He
passed four sentry posts without notice. Each attendant will be officially
reprimanded. When I inquired as to the means of his egress, he grinned
the most evil grin at me & claimed "Magic" Humph! I do not like the
unwholesome way those pale blue eyes stare through me.
11-2-1841, 10:00am: Chief Inspector Larry Talbot has sent, via telegram,
word that John Doe's silvered walking cane has been stolen from the Yard; The
bloodied wraps were still in place & the storeroom locked.
11-2-1841, 11:00am: Second Interview: John Doe knew the murder weapon had
been stolen & again demanded release. Many times during this session, he
directed non-sensical comments to the air. He claimed to hear "voices"
in the Aether, asking things such as; "How does one win the friendship of
the Sidhe?" & Where do I learn Agni?.
11-2-1841, 12:00pm: Second Interview conclusion: It is my professional
opinion that "Dr. W.W.Westcott" s much too dangerous to be released
despite the lack of a murder weapon.
11-2-1841, 2:00pm: Lord Gregore & his companion, Mr. Kelly, had made their
donations to the Hospital before taking Lady Dumonte on her
constitutional in the Gardens. Responding to the cries of Lady Dumonte
& the gentlemen, the attendants, found John Doe & a disheveled Lady
Dumonte in a cul-de-sac, next to
a very large pool of blood. Lady Dumonte claims "Westcott" summoned a demon
that swallowed the missing gentlemen. Doe corrected her saying, that he
does not consort with Demons & that it was only a gnome & that it didn't
swallow them, it just pulled them, piecemeal, into the ground. The blighter
had the gall to then accuse the missing gentlemen of attempted rape & the
staff of turning the Hospital into a brothel. He promised true Bedlam in his
fury. Needless to say, restraint was required, as well as sedatives. He took
a nasty fall on the landing while being taken to a secure cell. We know,
that no-one listens to the insane. A lobotomy is scheduled for John Doe to-
morrow at 10:00am to let the bad humors ou...
[Doctor Sikman Fraude leaps from his desk to his barred window, to
hallucinate, along with the rest of the institution, the sight of Lady
Dumonte flying up to Heaven on her angels wings. He doesn't see the grim
apparition walk through
his lock door. He doesn't feel any initial pain when a dagger like ice,
slips into the base of his spine...the "instantaneous combustion"
however, is another matter.]
The narrative continues in a fine Spencerian script.
John Doe's operation has been postponed & transferred to a specialist. I'm
releasing him into the care of Dr. G. Moreau.
Truly yours,
Dr. Doyle
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A LEGENDITE'S TALE
I was born during May, 1995, so this month marks my birthday. I'd
like to think that I'm just a regular type character on Legend, so I'd like
to pass my story on to the newbies and low-levels who play here.
This is the first MUD my player played on. He had been watching
over another's shoulder, so he had a fair idea of what he was getting into.
He wanted a strong mage type, so he picked Str, Con, Dex, Mind, Spir, Perc,
and started in Tara. Little did either of us know what the future held in
store.
The low levels were fairly standard: running out of movement,
barely escaping with my life, doing easy quests, etc. I quickly learned to
hate stun ... er, headbutt. I tried to learn magic, but wasn't smart enough.
My joy at reaching Level 10 and seeing my stats was like everyone
else's - a mix of happiness and disappointment. With a 50 str, 39 con, 33
dex, 32 mind, 26 spirit and 15 perception, I knew then that the future would
not be overly bright. Certain skills/spells would be difficult to acquire
with those numbers, but I was determined to make it all work.
During this time I met the character that to this day I consider my
best friend on Legend - that one-eyed feline bully, Greebo. We began with
me helping him around, and not too much later, he was showing me the ropes.
I also got to know characters such as Farnsworth, Zorn, Kendrik, Killer,
Pathfinder (to name but a few), who were very helpful as well.
I also toyed with the idea of pkill during this period. There is
little worse than having a good friend killed in front of you and being
unable to do anything about it. But when Legend moved and the player files
had been stored, the MUD was opened up for a free-for-all and I soon learned
that I had no business being pk-enabled. I am a wuss!
I also spent much of my early (pre-30) levels unsure of who I was
and what I wanted to be. I switched to being a dex fighter, and started
learning magic and herblore. There never seemed to be enough practices and
it always took forever to get another. I was VERY jealous of the dex
fighters who could kill a captain or two and level (I didn't do my first cap
until after Level 40).
It was in my 40's that I finally got my last word. And hunt!! And
it was around then that I think I finally settled in to what I am today, a
healer, sage and explorer. It was a long, hard haul, but I've finally
made it.
Anyway, I hit Level 50 this month (thanks to all who congratulated
me). My friend Greebo is long perma'd, and Farns is on his second trip to
50 (Lord knows about Kendrik). Many others are still here, and I've made
more friends, including the Sages (who accepted me with open arms at the
ripe old level of 44). And it's happened without me ever having a 100 stat
(except for prestige).
To the newbies and low-levels out there, I say "Hang in there." The
going will be tough at times (like needing 130K at Level 12), but it will be
worth it in the end. Con and judge your mobs before you lay into them, and
watch your wimpy setting. Map where you explore and learn your way around
the MUD (don't depend on hunt). Don't be over confident, but don't get
discouraged either.
Remember, this is a game! An exciting, complex, interesting,
challenging, multi-faceted game. Have fun at what you do, and do what you
have fun with. For some it might be pkill, for some it's quest solving.
Legend has a diverse group of characters and I'd suggest getting to know
them. Take your time - leveling should be a goal/reward, not a life. If
the player starts to get burned out, take a break - Legend will be here when
you're ready to return.
My next goal is to hit the 100 million mark. I figure another year
to accomplish that. In the meantime, I plan on having a lot more fun. If
you see me out there and need some help, just ask. I'm not one for helping
folks level or getting the "good" eq, but I'll do what I can.
Spencer - Wanderer & Sage
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Found in the desert near Agrabah, a few pages from a
diary....
Myriad's Journal: Adventures of a Newlyn.
March 25, 18th year of Sultan Shazenan's reign.
On the day of my seventeenth birthday, my father finally
granted me permission to pursue a profession in the magics.
Since I was a child, I knew I would not be satisfied with
the domestic lifestyle that my sisters so admired. Instead,
I wanted to explore and discover new lands and ideas.
Listening to the stories told in the palace sparked this
interest. I am the youngest of eight sisters and my father
is not a wealthy man; thus while my father was reluctant to
let me go, I also believe he was secretly relieved that he
would no longer have to accrue a dowry or find a husband
for me. I, too, was relieved. Knowing father, I probably
would have ended up with the town juggler! Tomorrow I will
go to Agrabah and seek my fortune. It will be my first time
alone in the city without an escort.
April 10, 18th year of Sultan Shazenan's reign.
Agrabah is a wondrous city. The food! The sights! It
seems that there are always new people wandering the streets
during all hours of the day and night. During my first few
days, I have walked the streets admiring the murals and
watching the local entertainers. I know that I need to make
money to sustain myself. I have also discovered that I have
no profitable skills. Luckily, I met an adventurer named
Joule, who set me down the right path. She showed me a few
fighting moves and gave me critical information about
Agrabah. Thank Allah for her generosity! Without her help,
I may have ended up as one of the town's bellydancers--or
worse yet back at home with my seven unmarried sisters!
April 30, 18th year of Sultan Shazenan's reign.
After living on my own for several weeks in Agrabah, I have
now learned how to earn money to feed and clothe myself.
I am ridding the town of unwanted vermin! While it is not
my lifetime dream to chase stray cats and dogs, it does
provide me with the essentials.
May 1, 18th year of Sultan Shazenan's reign.
I have grown more adept at my fighting skills. I am now
able to rid Agrabah of vagrants and orphans. Agrabah is
still a wondrous place. However, it seems infested with
thieves. The entertainment in the plaza seems to draw a
number of people from many different lands. When I am not
busy, I spend as much time as I can talking to these
foreigners in the hopes of gaining more information about
the world. I have also made progress on my magic education.
June 30, 18th year of Sultan Shazenan's reign.
Day in, day out, same old Agrabah. It has now been several
months of tirelessly killing cats, dogs, orphans, and
beggars. I am bored! I yearn to explore farther, but the
endless expanse of desert keeps me within the city walls.
Each day I try to venture into the desert and each day I get
a little farther before I return to Agrabah.
July 8, 18th year of Sultan Shazenan's reign.
Enough is enough. Today I start across the great desert to
find other lands. This may be my last entry. If I write no
more, you know I have become hopelessly lost in the desert
and died there.
July 10, 18th year of Sultan Shazenan's reign.
Oh joyous discovery--I have made it across the desert and
discovered a strange new land. This land is called Egypt.
How strange the customs are relative to Agrabah! I look
forward to exploring this new town further.
July 12, 18th year of Sultan Shazenan's reign.
I have made a horrible mistake! I inadvertently entered a
sacred room in an Egyptian temple. The guards of the temple
stripped me of all my belongings and cast me into the desert
to die. Oh Allah, what should I do?
July 15, 18th year of Sultan Shazenan's reign.
I have survived. I found my way to Agrabah intending to
find some fellow adventurers to help me with my problem. I
made it to Agrabah and went straight to the inn where it
seems that travelers are plentiful. When I entered the
room, I was pleased that there were several people present.
I asked if anyone would help me. I explained that I had
lost my belongings when I violated a temple in Egypt.
Happily, all in the room agreed they would help. That is,
until I told them which temple I needed their help with.
Once I told them I had offended the priests of Amon, the
entire situation changed. In fact, I would say that I have
never seen a room clear so fast in all my days! Forlorn, I
sat down. Eventually, I looked up and realized there was
still one person standing in the room. He said, "I will
help." I looked at him. "Come on," he said, "I will help."
I was speechless. He was only slightly older than I, but
he seemed to have more confidence and ability than I did.
I quickly introduced myself and again told him what
happened. He still agreed to help. I was amazed, for the
priests in the temple of Amon had fighting skills that were
at least triple mine and his combined. I was also very
pleased that he said he would help. He told me his name was
Densiva. He smiled a lot. With that, the two of us
prepared and then started across the desert to the land of
Egypt. I realized quickly that I enjoyed his humor and his
company. During our trek, we made plans on how to retrieve
my belongings. Densiva said that he would not be able to
kill the priests, but rather distract them long enough for
me to gather my belongings. I eagerly agreed to this
dangerous plan. When we arrived at the temple, the event
happened very quickly. We entered the temple together and I
quickly gathered my things while I watched Densiva being
beaten severely by the priests who wished to prevent me from
doing so. In seconds, we both fled. Once we were a safe
distance away, I noticed the extent of Densiva's wounds. He
was almost dead! I was touched that he would risk his life
for a relative stranger. I helped him bandage his wounds
and I thanked him repeatedly. Before I knew it, I was alone
again. I was left to wonder if our paths would cross again.
In my heart, I hoped we would.
That's all....
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Legendary Times is published by the gods of LegendMUD. Please send all
replies/additions to 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. If you feel we have
wrongly omitted one of your messages, please talk to Rusalka online or
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