Volume Six Issue Nineteen
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............./ / THE LEGENDARY TIMES
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..../ /_/..\______/./_____/./__/.../__/./_______/ MUD
.../________________/ running on mud.sig.net 9999
199.1.78.16 9999
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http://mud.sig.net/ ftp://mud.sig.net/pub
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VOLUME SIX, ISSUE NINETEEN May 8th, 1999
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Upcoming Calendar of Events -
ARTICLES
- The Immortal Report -
- April Usage Analysis -
- Rumour Mongering -
LEGENDITES
- PKill Newsflash! -
- The Hanging Stones, Part 2 -
- FireHorse's Return, Part 1 -
- To Sarzec -
- The Princess of Terris -
- A Most Unusual Kind of Matrimony -
- Who? -- CLeo interviews Sterling -
___ ___
\ |------------------------------------------------------------------| /
/__| UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS |__\
'------------------------------------------------------------------'
[All times are system time unless otherwise specified]
o(O)o o(O)o o(O)o o(O)o May o(O)o o(O)o o(O)o o(O)o
Thursday, May 13, 7:00 pm - Q & A in the OOC Auditorium
Topic: Housing
___ ___
\ |------------------------------------------------------------------| /
/__| NEWS AND REPORTS |__\
'------------------------------------------------------------------'
The Immortal Report
Kaige has been busy with real life and didn't get very much mud
stuff accomplished this past week.
ADMIN:
Sandra punished a few people for cheating & harassment, pkenabled
a few people this week and spoke with Chimera regarding a pk
interference issue.
Chocorua set some people to 0 xp so they could perma. He also did
a couple restrings and a desc and other than that basic online
stuff and and editted couple of help files. Seth did usual amount
of restrings, unarchived two characters, gave warnings to a pair
of eq swappers. Zandy pkenabled 4 people, set 2 people to 1 xp,
forceclanned a player for pkill interference, and talked to a
couple of newbies. LadyAce pkenabled some people, warned some
people for cursing, and did the newbieban/siteban thing on a
problem person.
BUILDING:
Rufus did a dark pirates update, some documentation, and small
bug fixes. Otherwise he's been too busy being sick and taking care
of some real-life excitement.
Charity made all mounts NO_CARRY|NO_GIVE, and thought about the
various updates she'd like to make to her areas. Cheyla made typo
and grammar fixes, more mob acts, finished room descs, randomized
some stat items, couple more small items, additional quest ideas
and basics worked out on paper. Spent a little time online reading
the spammy discussion board, did a couple of restrings, answered a
couple questions. Croaker added new housing options, and fixed a
bunch of little things in all his areas he had been planning to
fix. He started commenting on the Pittsburgh areafile, and planned
out a hades area.
Kae, in between large RL deadlines, was able to add a few items,
chiefly furniture and atmospheric, to Malta. She redid the entire
mobs clothing section, and made some changes to shopkeepers. She
added a few rooms and mob acts as well. Rusalka did some online
assistance stuff while procrastinating some RL work, and talked to
Chimera about possibilities for an expanded area in Tudor.
Vannessa has her last final is this Friday, so she hopes to be
back in the swing of things by the weekend. :>
LadyAce did a little testing on Pittsburgh, bugfixed Crusades with
Sandra's help, wrote the vow social, added a few room descs to
Klein, and fixed a large list of bugs & typos in the current
Klein. Sandra did more fixes in Pittsburgh, and a little work on
France. She's waiting on more comments from her testers. Sabella
got the basics of Milan's mob part together (formatted and stuff),
and stole stats and put in names and descriptions for a number of
non-named mobs. She also did a little on-line stuff, read the
boards and posted a couple of things.
CODING:
Ea! Fixed a bug with warn, coded a command to restrict a player's
usage of the boards, finished off the sell_housing command for
players to transfer ownership of a house to another player, fixed
a bunch of bugs with the clan limits, a few warnings, a few typos,
made immortalize clear seeks, made keys rentable, fixed a bug with
the OOC, worked on the imm application some, rewrote friendship,
made fly spell default to the caster if no target is given, fixed
a typo in the cure burns spell.
Chocorua fixed dieroll messages for 8, 18, and 80's, added in a
default of 6, added in a cap of 100 on the amount of side a die
cal have and made dancing sword obey ownership while casting.
Rufus added in new wear slots, added some builder tools, and did
some bug fixes. Sandra put in the vow social for LadyAce.
PLAYER RELATIONS:
LadyAce did two skills & spells recalltags, ran a Q & A, produced
an LT, did descs and and talked to people about their descs, did
some strings/restrings/housing zips, unpurged some people,
unarchived some people, talked to some clans about the problems
they were having, gave some people pretitles, and thought about
other requested ones, and helped several players with quests gone
awry.
Chimera says more than anything else that he did this week, he did
real PR work. Not strings and restrings, but talking with players
and relating to them and getting input about the mud. He ran
question for cookie a couple times, did restrings and things too,
and planned a conundrums, but he's gonna put it off a week or so.
Stile managed to spend a little more time online than he has the
last few weeks, both as an imm and as a mort. He did the regular
strings/restrings, ran a game of skills 'n' spells tag and reimb'd
some furniture. Northstar ran a "Lifestyles of the Rich and
Famous" flaghunt, did some strings & restrings, helped with a
tinyplot, and handed out lots of zip.
{*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*}
LegendMUD Connection Analysis
April 1 1999 - April 30 1999
April Peak Mortal Players 70 (hit twice)
Average Peak was 60
April Peak PK Enabled Players 29
Pkenabled Characters represent approximately
27% of active players.
The table below shows the Average Mortal Players and Average PK Enabled
Players connected to Legend by hour of the day polled approximately on
the hour system time during the period noted above. The third table
shows the same averages as calculated by the day of the week.
hour 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
------------------------------------------
avg 46 44 40 33 28 25 23 24 25 27 34 38
pke 12 13 12 9 7 6 5 4 5 6 8 8
hour 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
------------------------------------------
avg 38 41 42 47 47 45 47 49 49 49 52 54
pke 9 10 10 13 13 15 14 15 15 15 15 14
day MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
------------------------------------------
avg 41 39 40 38 37 41 42
pke 11 11 11 9 10 11 12
{*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*}
Rumour Mongering
(Tarn enters the room.)
(Tarn drops a soapbox.)
(Tarn stands on a soapbox.)
Rumour mongering is a normal part of any community and LegendMUD is no
exception, and a little bit of the right kind of gossip never hurts.
But this week I heard the nastiest rumour I have heard in my time on
LegendMUD.
It came from a usually reliable source, and concerned a character that
I don't particularly like or respect. The rumour stated that the char
had indulged in a behaviour that I personally find particularly
offensive. I made some snide remark at the time about the char,
because as I said, I don't particularly like them.
A little while later, I was in a room with 2 other players and I asked
if they had heard the rumour, partially wanting it confirmed, but I
must confess partly out of wanting to spread the gossip. One of the
players had heard it, and one hadn't. So I guess I am also guilty of
spreading this rumour.
Upon reflection, I became concerned that this rumour was floating
about, and that the char involved was quite possibly the victim of
harassment, rather than the perpetrator.
If someone actually witnessed (or was the victim of) the behaviour I
heard about, then they should have taken it to an admin imm, let the
imm deal with the matter, and leave it at that. Yes, I acknowledge its
hard NOT to talk about these things to your friends, when they happen
to you.
If nobody witnessed (or was the victim of) this behaviour, then clearly
the char concerned is a victim of harassment -- a particularly vile
sort of harassment, since the source of the rumour cannot be traced.
(Tarn pauses for a moment, and ponders her own recent behaviour.)
Perhaps we should all take a moment to reflect on our recent behaviour,
and considering whether we have been treating others with the respect
that other people implicitly deserve. I'm not necessarily talking
about respecting the char, but respect for the fact that the player
behind the char is a person with feelings just like the rest of us.
That's all I wanted to say.
Tarn of the USL.
(Tarn gets off a soapbox.)
(Tarn picks up a soapbox.)
(Tarn exits the room.)
________________________
/ \
o O | Wonder what folks are |
`\|||/ | doing over at LegendMUD?|
(o o) \________________________/
ooO_(_)_Ooo________________________________________________________________
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\ |------------------------------------------------------------------| /
/__| LEGENDITES: Information Regarding the People of Our World |__\
'------------------------------------------------------------------'
..Rumors...News...Reports...Rumors...News...Reports...Rumors...News...Reports..
I I I I I I
I I I I I I
I I I I I I
/ | \ / | \ / | \
\ | / \ | / \ | /
\|/ \|/ \|/
* PKILL NEWSFLASH! *
/|\ /|\ /|\
/ | \ / | \ / | \
\ | / \ | / \ | /
I I I I I I
I I I I I I
I I I I I I
..Rumors...News...Reports...Rumors...News...Reports...Rumors...News...Reports..
The highlight of this week's PK incidents was between Tanzer and the
group of Ruby, Craven, and Silencer -- the threesome set upon Tanzer
while he was in his clan hall. Tanzer was able to slip away from them,
and then locked them inside! This left the three members of Ministry of
Darkness hopping mad, but stuck inside for several minutes while other
MoD members worked to free them.
This week, we're pointing out three web sites which players may find
useful. While these pages are not "official" and may contain errors,
spoilers, or other content, many people have found them helpful:
The Ministry of Darkness page:
http://users.journey.net/mgwamack/ministry.htm
The McDonald page:
http://members.xoom.com/davidmacq
The Psytrac page:
http://members.xoom.com/psytrac
Check out the "websites" command online for a list of other helpful web
pages.
This column is compiled and edited by Sandra & LadyAce, but the
articles can come from players or imms -- please feel free to send us
any snippets you think belong in this column.
{*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*}
The Hanging Stones, Part 2
The flight to England was long and boring, and I spent most of my time
asleep with the sounds of Smokey Joe's Cafe filtering into my ears
through the headphones. I'd been out and partying with my friends the
night before at The Shadow, dancing and singing the night away, too
excited to be able to sleep. The time that I was awake was spent
growling at anyone who came within two feet of me or playing with my
little sister Cloud, laughing and smiling indulgently as she ran back
and forth between our parents and I, enthusiastically emparting each
new plot twist in "Little Women" as we read through it together.
Cloud is the most important person in my life. Our parents are very
loving and spend as much time with us as possible, but sometimes it
feels as if the two of us are adrift, set apart from our family and
friends by some indefinable barrier. Deep down I think she loves me
more than she does the people who birthed her. In fact, she resembles
me much more than either of our parents. Were it not for the age
difference and the fact that my eyes are ebony and hers a deep peircing
blue, we'd look like carbon copies of each other, our skin almost
luminous in its moonlit paleness, our hair a matching white. I think
she's picked up some of my habitual strangeness as well.
When we finally arrived in England, I was stiff and cranky, which
really was a shame. I think I scared the sweet little stewardess who
had waited on us durring the flight. Compared to CK's friendliness, I
must have looked like the Wicked Witch of the West's even more evil
sister. The hotel was nice and cozy, typical of everything my parents
liked and totally at odds with their high-power business personas.
Throwing my bag on the bed I walked out onto the balcony and looked out
onto the rolling green hills. The 'rents had decided on the bed and
breakfast in lieu of a plush hotel, preferring to drive to and from the
conference rather than staying in the city. I smiled as I thought of
them, knowing that they'd never give up their hippy roots ... love
beads and Woodstock forever. Hell, who else but hippies would name
their children Flower Cat and Cloud Kitten?!
I immediately hired a car and kissed CK on the forehead, bidding both
her and my parents farewell, an overnight bag tucked in the backseat
and a map in hand. I had come to see Stonehenge and was determined to
see it as soon as possible. CK begged to come but our parents had
forbidden it, saying that they'd already made plans.
The drive was long, but I was so enchanted by the countryside that I
hardly noticed. As was expected I got lost a couple of times and had to
stop for directions, causing many people to stop what they were doing
and stare at me as I got out of the car. It didn't bug me. I rather
liked it actually. What woman doesn't like being looked at? I didn't
care if the looks were of shock rather than admiration, I was used to
the way people react to my appearance, rather striking if I do say so
myself. Clad in black leather pants, my habitual Doc Martens, a cloudy
blue baby-tee, a leather jacket, and my piercings, I certainly didn't
fit into many people's idea of normal.
I parked the car a ways down the road from Stonehenge, preferring to
hike rather than drive. It was a beautiful evening with little whisps
of rose colored clouds in the sky, stars sparkling in the deep blue. I
could feel the excitement budding in me, alive and in tune with nature.
Sure....sounds cheesy I know, but I'm one of those new agers. A
neo-pagan with an attitude. Connected to the earth and all that jazz.
I stopped as I caught view of the magnificent stones, my eyes shining
with excitement and awe. I gazed at the stunning monument to the past,
feeling its power radiating towards me, pulling me to its greatness. I
tripped over a rock in my haste to reach it, dropping my flashlight but
uncaringly moving on, wanting to touch my hand to the stones, the
moonlight bright enough to guide my path. They were surprisingly warm
when my fingers alighted with reverence upon their surface, as if they
were heated by a fire captured within their hearts. I stood there for
who knows how long, my hand resting against one of the stones, all
thoughts engulfed by the huge slab of rock.
Finally stepping back, I stood beside the altar stone in the center of
the ring, turning slowly to take in each part of the circle, imagining
what it must have looked like in the days of it's creation. Lifting my
face to the sky, I laughed joyously and raised my hands, reaching
towards the moon and hailing whatever gods ruled this wonderful place,
peace and contentment rolling through my veins. The moon seemed huge,
larger than I'd ever seen it, it's light soft and welcoming, bathing me
in brightness. I only had a moment's uneasiness before I heard that
whisper clothing makes when it brushes against itself, and felt a quick
pain at the back of my head, the world retreating into a blessed
blackness.
I awoke to a bright light and a strange voice in my ear, sitting
upright quickly, I groaned, my head throbbing. Looking around I saw
that I was in some kind of cottage, bare and kind of nappy, an older
woman smiling at me with yellowed teeth. Staring at her I said
it...that typical T.V. phrase.
"Where the hell am I???"
"You're just outside of Tara," she answered in what I thought mighta
been Gaelic, and I understood her! What was going on?! I don't KNOW
Gaelic!
"What? Where's Tara? How did I get here? How far is it from......My
sister! My parents! I was supposed to be back by...."
"Shhhhhh. You must rest. You've taken a bad blow to your head. My son
found you out on the moors, your poor body crumpled in a heap upon the
path."
Confusion and panic running through me, I allowed her to push me back
onto the bed, squeezing my eyes closed and hoping that it would all
just go away. It didn't. I opened them and there she still was. What in
hell could have happened?? I was at.....oh god....there was NO way..
Tara??? I fell back into a restless sleep, Dungeons and Dragons dreams
running through my head until I woke up the next morning.
I still don't know how I got to ancient Ireland. There was no
explanation, and no one who knew. Brenna helped me about, I guess she
assumed I had amnesia or something. I didn't mention where I came from
and when I told her my name she gave me a funny look. I guess Flower
Cat O'Brian is a strange name even in history. She taught me how to
mend, tried to teach me how to weave, but gave up, and taught me how to
cook. Needless to say, it took me a while to get the hang of any of
this. With rich parents, I didn't have to do anything at home. We had
maids. But I was grateful to Brenna, I learned what she had to teach.
Brenna's son Fergus came by every other day to look in on his mother. A
member of the guard, he lived in the Dun with the other warriors. I
picked up his sword one day and examined it, taking a few practice
swings and almost falling over. Fergus laughed his ass off and took the
sword from me. I was embarrassed, but immediately leapt upon his
mocking offer to teach me. I mean hey....those martial arts classes
back home were just NOT gonna cut it here, and a girl has to know how
to defend herself! He blanched saying he had been kidding but I was
adamant! If Maev could fight, then so could I.
Fergus snorted derisively and looked me up and down. "A little slip of
a girl like you wielding a sword? You're liable as not to cut off your
own arms. You don't have a fighter's body or constitution. I bet you'd
throw up at the first sight of blood!"
Understandably, this pissed me off. There was no way this brawny
brainless buffoon of a Tim Allen from the past with his grunting and
spitting was gonna tell me that I couldn't fight. Slipping into the
stance my karate sensei had drilled into my muscles, I proceded to
attack him, rolling out of the way of his forceful punches and rushes.
The fight ended with me running into his fist and seeing a field of
stars, but by that time he was pretty damn well bruised himself and
conceded that I wasn't a simpering chit of a girl.
"Huh. After that I SHOULD show you just what it's like to go through
training with a sword. All right girl. Meet me here tomorrow morning at
dawn," he stressed the last two words and I grinned sheepishly, knowing
he was reffering to my habit of staying up with the owls and not waking
up till lunch. "and I'll have a sword for you."
Let me tell you...I sucked. No questions about it. I was probably the
worst swordsman you could find anywhere. But determination can take you
a long, long way. I did all those Jean Claude Van Damme things, held
full buckets up with my arms out straight, did the splits on chairs or
tied up with ropes. It hurt. Bad. Fergus thought I was nuts, maybe I
was. But I had a right to be. I was centuries in the past and
completely lost, the discipline of fighting was the only way for me to
get away, so to speak.
Eventually I went from awful to passable, and then I got pretty damn
good, if I do say so myself -- I could beat Fergus anyway. After I got
used to being where I was, I returned to being my laid-back self; much
less intense and a lot more fun to be around. I convinced Fergus to
show me about and got to know some of the other warriors. What can I
say, I've always been a guy's girl. They got a kick out of my pierced
tongue and I convinced them that it was a symbol of bravery where I was
from.
From there, I learned more about fighting from a warrior here or there,
mercenaries, knights....and helped a few people myself. There was this
one knight, Sir Christian, who, I suppose, took a liking to my
determination and the way I carried myself. He introduced me to Sir
Ganymede, and we had a long talk and I really got to liking him. He's a
real stand-up type of guy, and even though it took me a while to get
used to his mode of speach, after we could communicate with relative
ease, we got along just fine.
He gave me a copy of the Code of the Knights of Legend and I fell in
love with it immediately. Chris later introduced me to Sir Rictor, and
I think he took a liking to my hair or something because the next thing
I knew, I was his squire! I wonder what my parents would say about
that....not only am I fighting but I'm a member of an organized
fighting group! I sometiems wish that I could hold to their ideals, but
this...this is a very different world than the one I left.
Eventually I was deemed ready to join their ranks and I was inducted
into the Knights of Legend. I still get a little thrill every time
someone calls me Lady Flower, even though the name does sound a bit
preposterous for a knight. There've been some ups and downs since I got
here, but that happens everywhere you go, right? That at least doesn't
change from time period to time period. I've learned a lot more about
myself, life, and well, everything since that weird night at
Stonehenge.
I've come to love all of my brother knights and many other people of
this strange strange time.....I hope only that I'll never fail any of
them when they need me, because they've really been there for me when I
needed them. Many times when I was down and out, torn and bleeding, a
friend's hand and soothing hug has lifted my spirits and tended my
wounds. Sometimes I wonder if these friends aren't more real somehow
than those I left.
{*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*}
FireHorse's Return, Part 1
It is time the tale be told of my return from the wilderness.
I know that you all thought me dead. So it had to be. My return is
no great mystery, no magick, no sorcery. My death was, in fact, an
elaborate hoax. I had no wish to hurt those I loved, most of all my
wife Jen-Jen and my dear sister Windsong. I apologise to you both with
all my heart and soul.
I was leaning against a sturdy oak in a small copse of trees on the
road to Londinium, enjoying the warmth of the summer sun against my
skin, when I saw in the distance someone on horseback who was clearly
embarked on a mission of some urgency. I observed, imagining what
perhaps was the cause of their haste. As they approached I was shocked
to discover the rider was an old childhood friend from the Blackfoot
reservation I grew up on. 'White River!', I cried.
Then I saw the grave expression on his face. For him to travel so far
from home it had to be something very serious. 'What is it?' I asked
quickly.
Through his broken and snatched breaths, I heard the words 'father' and
'war'. Given that my father is the warmaster of our tribe, despite his
great age, I did not grasp his meaning. I calmed him down, got him to
rest a moment, then bade him tell his tale.
'I am so sorry that our first meeting in so long should be brought
on by such events as these. FireHorse, your father is dead. And his
death was of a foul nature. He fell ill many moons ago, and was being
nursed by various members of the tribe. Then Mountain Bear, the son of
your family's close friend, took on the task by himself. We were all so
pleased to see him realise at last the importance of compassion and a
sense of duty to the elders. However his plans were of an evil nature,
for he slowly poisoned your father until the last drop of life spilled
from him.'
My chest tightened as he spoke, gripped and twisted by some cold,
invisible hand. I had never trusted the boy or his father. The old man
had always wished for my father's position. He had never said so much,
privately nor publicly, but it was obvious from the jealousy and pain
in his eyes. I held my upwelling emotions tightly, and bade him
continue.
'After your father's death, we had to find a new warmaster, and
quickly. As his only children were you and your sister, Windsong, and
we had not heard word from either of you for so long, Mountain Bear's
father, Running Cougar, agreed to take up the role until we could find
you. However, word reached the other tribes quickly, and the fragile
peace held for so long by your father's wisdom and diplomacy fell apart
within days. Mountain Bear worked hard to accelerate the breakdown,
for he wished his father to urge our tribe to war, that we might rule
over the other peoples we have shared the land with for so long. The
people forgot your father's wisdom quickly, and took arms against
former friends. Many have perished on both sides, and more will surely
follow, unless something is done. I am here on behalf of those of our
tribe who do not wish for this war. Our meetings were hidden, and of
course I come unbeknown to all but a few. I have come to ask you to
return with me, to take up your father's place, and to help restore
peace.'
I knew I had to go, and immediately. I knew also that if it were
known to the other tribes that I had come, out tribe would surely be
wiped out. My prowess in battle and my understanding of strategy had
been born of my deep love for my father, and a burning pride in myself
and my people. I had learned all he had to teach, and then left to
further my knowledge in the world beyond the tribal boundaries. My name
was spoken with pride and respect, even among the elders. If I were to
walk openly into this situation, my very presence would provoke fear
certain to result in an all out war upon my tribe, lest I should lead
them to victory and rule over the other peoples.
'I shall have to disguise myself, White River, and also some story
must be taken to the people to ensure they do not become suspicious.
White River, tonight I must die.'
{*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*}
To Sarzec
Come walk with me along the beach
Stay always close within my reach
And dream the dreams you've kept hidden
Dare to love and new dreams
Watching moon reflections glow
From wave kissing beaches waters tow.
A shooting star falls from above
While we make wishes about our love
And walks like this will never cease
The longer we share love's sweet release
Come walk with me in love.
May the spirits find a way to bring you back to me, my king, Sarzec....
Adriana
{*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*}
The Princess of Terris
I had traveled for five days and nights, and as the sun was rising on
the sixth day, I stumbled mindlessly into the castle gate. The castle,
made entirely of marble, towered fifty times my height -- which is very
large indeed since I am 6'7". The morning sun flashed onto the castle,
making it shine with a friendly glow. I looked down at myself. A grubby
backpack, some shorts which were originally boxers I borrowed from a
male friend, a white shirt turned brown by the days, and my hair
looking like a cavern for fleas.
I frowned. I must change before I meet her. I dove behind a bush, took
off my clothes, and bathed in the moat, luckily long freed of
alligators. I washed myself off with some raspberry-scented soap I had
made. I had a beautiful emerald green dress made of silk that I put on,
and fixed my hair into my normal do. I left my backpack behind the
bush, because this was a safe realm, and no one would steal it.
I walked up the bridge lying over the moat, where two guards stood.
The looked at each other, then at me, and bowed. I walked past them
trying not to laugh. A servant met me in the hall, and smiled, but said
nothing. She motioned for me to follow her, and I did. She led me into
a hall, and finally to a door completely made of gold and incrusted
with precious jewels. She knocked three times, and the doors opened,
revealing a woman lying in a bed, with servants and doctors surrounding
her. She looked up and saw me.
"Leave me." She said to the doctors and servants. I stepped forward,
dropped to a low curtsey, and went to stand by her bedside.
"My lady, how are you?" I said, taking her wrinkled hand. She smiled a
faint smile.
"Cara Ivy Sovereign, sit down, please. We have much to discuss." I sat
down in a velvet chair beside the bed. "I am dying, but unfortunately,
I do not have a daughter to carry on my name, as my king did not have a
son. You should have taken your place as the Shadow Goddess, to follow
after your mother and father, but you refused it in the name of love
for that vampire Ronnie.'
'Your parents and I were the closest of friends, for I raised your
mother from birth, and introduced her to your father. I was the
guardian of your mother, as I was yours. You are so much like your
mother. You are fiery, confident, and beautiful. You would have made a
wonderful Goddess."
"But, my lady, I did not want to get caught up in the war between the
Light and the Dark, and the Shadow was a part of that fight."
"But you did anyway, my dear. But I am giving you another chance to be
something wonderful, as if you are not already. You are my only
daughter I have ever known, therefore, I am making you my successor.
You, Cara, are to be the Princess of Terris." I gasped.
"But my lady! I am but a lowly helper, in the ways of my life. I am the
least of all women to be a princess!" I exclaimed. She regarded me with
a cool look.
"Yes, but none of them have I loved so much, nor seen such spirit in
them. You have worked hard to be where you are, Cara, but you are still
so far behind. Men and women alike respect you very much. Being a
princess puts you on the level of royalty, but you don't need respect
from this, because you have it already." She struggled to sit up.
"My lady, please-"
"No, I must give you your title properly," She insisted. "Fetch me my
sword, Cara." I hurried into the next room and grabbed a sword from the
wall, and returned, handing it to her. I kneeled before her, and she
tapped each of my shoulders twice with the sword. "I now proclaim you,
Cara Ivy Sovereign, Princess of Terris, to carry on my name until you
should die."
"My lady." I said. I stood up, and curtseyed deeply. She smiled at me,
and sank back into her bed. She closed her eyes, as her breaths became
quicker and shallower.
"Have courage, Cara. Carry on my name proudly, and let no one talk down
to you." And with that, she gave her final breath, but I knew she was
smiling and satisfied now. I kissed her forehead, walked to the doors,
and shut them tightly once outside.
{*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*}
A Most Unusual Kind of Matrimony
It happened that word went out regarding a marriage soon to be arranged. It
was to be a quiet, private ceremony - had not the minister-to-be been
laughed out by the vampire Bryony who thought a fallen angel was an odd
choice for a priest.
The minister, Marcel Alexander, was visibly nervous. Addressing the
crowd he said, 'Allright... This is a new situation to me... even so, I
trust WhiteRose and Genocide have friends enough who'd want to come witness
their joining?'
Bryony seated herself, licking her dark blue-black lips sensously.
Diamond GrendelBane twirled in, curtseyed and received smiles from some
and a snarl from Bryony, followed up by a laugh from Cyanide. 'Pesky little
dogooder fool,' Bryony muttered to Diamond. 'Definitely, milady,' Diamond
replied with a smile. 'And what are you?' Bryony added, 'Pretty neck,
though.'
'No fair picking a fight where we can't do anything about it,'
Cyanide muttered to Bryony who peered at her. 'Bah, and who the devil are
you?'
'We're ready when you are,' Genocide addressed Marcel, who replied,
'Well, then.' The bridal couple quickly exchanged whispers, and held hands.
'WhiteRose and Genocide have asked me to perform the ceremonly, and
so I will,' Marcel said smoothly. 'I am fully familiar with the Catholic
rites, but I will spare you the boredom of those.' Cyanide clapped her
hands in approval. 'Besides,' Marcel added, 'they'd hardly fit for a
vampire, it would be bad to have the groom run away screaming.'
'And so messy to clean up after,' Cyanide put in. 'Not to mention
the annoying smell of incense,' Marcel agreed. 'I have known WhiteRose for
some years,' Marcel proceeded, gaining his footing as he spoke. 'During
that time she has proved herself a woman blown about by fate and fortune,
often lucky, often down on her luck. Genocide I am less familiar with. I
know him to be of the undead, which in turn is a rare sight to see in holy
matrimony.' He chuckled. 'So let's make it less holy, shall we?' There was
general consent. 'Unholy matrimony,' said Bryony, tasting the words. 'I do
not mind, being a former vampire myself,' said WhiteRose.
'Perhaps you would like to declare to us what makes this shadow
from beyond the grave worthy of a mortal woman's love and affection?',
Marcel asked of WhiteRose. 'If you please.' Cyanide quietly hummed a few
lines of song to herself: 'He's got straight teeth and it's goood sex...'
Bryony snickered. Marcel stifled a smile behind his hand.
'Though you are of the undead, you need me around to help keep you
alive,' WhiteRose told her mate to be. 'I am there to hold you and help
you, forever.' Marcel looked impressed, saying, 'Forever is quite a while.'
Turning to Genocide he said, 'This is quite some declaration of love - can
you match it for this young beauty who has fallen into your hands?'
'Tis both day and night that I again longed for true love,'
Genocide said happily to his fiancee. 'I have found it in you. Though my
soul is dark my love will outshine the sun that you daily walk in. Til the
day I shall depart my soul will be yours.'
'WhiteRose is gonna put you out of the soul business,' Cyanide said
to the minister, receiving several chuckles for her smartness. 'If there be
any here who would think these two are not worthy of each other, let them
speak now or be forever silent,' said Marcel. Surprisingly, Diamond raised
her hand. 'I do not think the undead should be allowed to marry,' said she.
'But that is as a principle, not a comment against Sir Genocide personally.'
'Bah, purity,' Bryony muttered callously to which Diamond
responded, 'No, milady, decency.'
'According to the Christian faith they shall not,' Marcel said
curtly. 'Are any here Christian enough to tell them they cannot?' Again,
Diamond raised her hand. 'Do you truly wish to make this woman a night
creature, sir?' she addressed Genocide who replied, 'I could see this a
problem if I had chosen by myself to become one of the undead - but I
didn't.'
'Will you object to this union?' Marcel asked of the lady. 'Tis her
decision whether or not she becomes one with me,' Genocide told her. 'She's
a light-blind dogooder, she has no say in this,' Bryony snarled. 'But your
coming wife seems to have found a cure somehow, as she called herself a
former vampire,' Diamond argued. 'Why not try the same cure?'
'I was once one who lived a life of ridding this world of the
undead,' Genocide replied. 'Each shall have their say,' Marcel said to
Bryony who grumbled. 'Whether we listen or not is another matter.' 'Bryony
pouted. 'Let me... persuade her...,' she said, licking her lips. 'No
bloodshed until after the ceremony, please,' Marcel said, a smile playing
on his lips. 'Aww,' said Cyanide, disappointed. Bryony whined.
'I was reincarnated,' WhiteRose told Diamond. 'I had no choice in
the matter. I now have a choice in the matter of whether I return to the
darkness.' Genocide told Diamond quietly, 'It was not by choice, m'lady,
that I became what I am.' WhiteRose added to it, 'And I do not believe that
this marriage is on the condition that I become a vampire.'
Diamond quietly said to Genocide, 'If you truly wanted to rid the
world of the undead, sir, you could have done it when you became undead, by
ending your existence...'
'I will not subject you to the misery I have had to undergo in
these last centuries, m'lady,' Genocide quietly told his wife to be.
Diamond nodded that that at least was good news to her. 'But then who would
continue in the quest, m'lady?' Genocide asked of her. 'Other living
persons, sir,' replied she.
'The Lady Diamond has spoken against this union on behalf of one
party being of the otherworld,' Marcel acknowledged. 'It will be noted that
she protested. Does anyone care?' Bryony snorted. 'Not the point of not
marrying WhiteRose,' Genocide replied. 'But just the fact that people have
a misconception about all creatures of the night.' Marcel nodded. 'I
suggest, then, that you quickly settle the matter so that we may proceed
before your fiancee becomes impatient.'
Cyanide fidgeted. 'That might be because you have no soul and drink
blood, sir,' Diamond argued. 'Am I not to have true love?' he asked of her.
'If true love means being with a mortal woman who I am willing to give my
soul to?'
Bryony muttered something unspeakable concerned would-be
nightfliers who haven't the wings to flap themselves into a sweat. 'Argue
religious doctrine later,' Cyanide suggested. 'You have the rest of your
lives to argue about what a mistake getting married was.'
'I have gone without human blood for centuries, m'lady,' Genocide
told Diamond eagerly. 'True love requires a soul, sir,' Diamond replied,
gaining her a rather odd look from Marcel who said, 'I believe that is not
quite the issue.'
'Who is to say that I have not one,' Genocide said. 'Love?', Bryony
said. 'Bah, what's love go to do, got to do with it?' Cyanide applauded
her. 'What's love, but a second hand emotion?'
'Then I must say to you, m'lady, if you must end my life then so be
it,' Genocide returned the challenge. WhiteRose said, 'We are not marrying
for the Lord, we are marrying for ourselves.' Diamond replied, 'I am not
trying to end your socalled life, sir.'
'It is established, then, that the Lady Diamond objects, and that
this matter will be settled later between the parties involved,' Marcel
smoothed. 'As for the nachos and the Tina Turner impersonations, they
hardly have a place here.'
'It'll be settled later when I sink my teeth into that neck,'
Bryony said callously, indicating Diamond who said, 'I would wish you would
not do this, but I cannot see this happen.' She curtseyed with grace. 'But
the best of luck to all, no matter how living they are.'
'Go with the peace of your Lord, then,' Marcel said to her as she
left the scenic site. Genocide sighed. 'I will get her...'
'Ah,' said Marcel contentedly. 'I believe there'll be no more
objections now, so let us proceed.' Bryony put in, 'Suddenly it smells
better in here.' And to Genocide she added, 'Don't worry, we'll deal with
her.'
'You who are warm and breathing, would you share your breath and
heat with one who is cold and shallow as the otherworld?' Marcel asked of
WhiteRose, formal again now. 'I will,' agreed she.
'You who are cold and quiet, will you accept the warmth and breath
of one who is of the light and the day?,' the angel asked of Genocide. 'I
will,' said he, quietly. 'Then we shall forge a bond between you such as
may not be broken by the servants of Christianity or any other faith.' He
ignored Bryony shuddering at the mention of the light. 'Bare your arms for
me please.'
The bridal couple both obliged, rolling up sleeves and holding out
wrists. Marcel drew his silver moonstone blade, sharpened it, and said,
'This will not hurt - much.' Both vampires present glanced at the blade
hungrily. WhiteRose's eyes widened. Marcel's blade drew across WhiteRose's
wrist quickly, producing several ruby drops of blood.
Genocide growled to Bryony, 'Don't you even dare!' Marcel repeated
the motion, only the blood flowing from Genocide seemed dark as onyx, cold
as ice. 'I'm hungry, that's all,' Bryony muttered.
'Press your arms together now and know that once light meets
shadow, no force in Heaven, Hell or Earth will separate your souls,' Marcel
said fluently. 'So speak I who watched creation, in a rite more ancient
than your species.'
Genocide and WhiteRose pressed their wrists together, sharing their
blood. 'You might feel some discomfort, by the way, but you'll get used to
it fast enough,' Marcel warned them. 'Now, to honor the traditions of more
recent faiths, will you exchange tokens of your undying faith?' Marcel
prompted, and bride and groom both nodded.
'Then, as all creation comes from those who can bear life, I give
you the task to first present your gift to Genocide,' he said. 'However,
this place would object to such only rite. Therefore it will be urgent that
as soon as we have returned to less magical ground you will present your
soul mate with this ring to honor his faith.' Marcel flipped a ruby wedding
band flecked with moondust in his hand so that all might see it. WhiteRose
nodded as he added, 'This will seal the spell that binds you together. And
as all creation ends with death, it is fitting that you may present your
token of love second.' Marcel displayed a diamond wedding band flecked with
moondust.
Marcel said, 'You will both come to me in my residence in Spain,
there to receive your final bonds.'
Genocide nodded. 'Better.' Marcel proceeded, 'I shall transport you
to Hell and back from there, without risk to yourselves.'
Directions were given swiftly to those who displayed an interest in
attending the final stade of the ceremony. Some chose to go - some not
- and those who did travelled swiftly, there to meet in the summer
residence of Marcel Alexander.
'Welcome to my house,' said Marcel formally. 'Know that as you have crossed
my doorstep, this is your last chance to undo what has been done.'
'The tourniquet of love,' suggested Bryony. 'At least until you
drive each other to murder-suicide, which is a lot harder than just running
for the hills,' Cyanide added with her usual optimism.
Marcel's eyes narrowed in concentration. The floor underneath
seemed to crack and split asunder, and with great noise a passage to
the Eight Circle of Hell opened, creating quite a mess of the
until-then neat hall. The once angel, once lord of the place, stepped
into the passage without looking back.
Genocide said, barely audible, 'Whoa.' He actually looked like
somebody pleased to go home. Cyanide inched back from the edge a bit Bryony
flapped her leathery wings and flew down, a wicked smirk playing on her
pale features. WhiteRose hesitated, then jumped. Cyanide, after listening
for the SPLAT for a while, finally followed suit.
'Here, your word will be forever unbroken as you give him this
token in the name of Life Eternal,' Marcel told WhiteRose, and gave her the
ruby wedding band that she might pass it to her love.
'Here your word will be forever unbroken as you present your love
with this token of Death Eternal,' Marcel told Genocide, giving him the
diamond band which then came to rest to seal the bond on WhiteRose's slender finger. 'Now be good Christians a few seconds and kiss the bride,' he added
with a chuckle.
Bryony glowered at that. 'Blasphemer,' she muttered. 'In my Circle
I will decide what is blasphemy I think,' Marcel retorted quickly, though
technically he did not have that authority anymore. The newly-weds kissed
tenderly, passionately, with the fervor of a recent promise. While Bryony
sulked, others offered their congratulations to them. 'Would you like to
roam a while or should I transport you to home to find a more, well,
comfortable bridal suite?' Marcel asked.
Bryony somehow managed to produce a bar of sexy, vanilla scented
soap from her quite huge bag of bath toys. Receiving it, WhiteRose grinned;
evidently she was already planning its use. 'Very nice! Thank you!' She
touched it to perceive its feel and and texture.
Once again, the once angel closed his eyes in concentration. It
seemed as if the Heavens split asunder, light penetrated, and the gateway
to the World once more opened. He ascended without hesitation.
'Get some massage oil and you'll be all set,' Cyanide winked at
WhiteRose. Bryony stretched her wings, sniffed in one last whiff of sulphur
and flew up. 'We must visit the ancient baths to put this to use,'
WhiteRose told her husband. Then she giggled as he scooped her up in her
arms and carried her out into the light once more. They embraced lovingly.
Marcel chuckled. 'I think we better leave the bridal couple to
themselves now.'
{*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*} {*}
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Hello everyone!
I hope everyone had a good week! The month of may is here! No
worries, now the snow and cold should be gone for good (hopefully).
For this week, Sterling decided to tell us about some of his
dreams and fears. Enjoy!
Name: Sterling Silver
Occupation: Servant of Hell
Q - 'What is your goal in life?'
A - 'At one time, that would have been answered quite simply with something
such as having a family and growing old. I would say now that my only goal
is to leave Hell's services.'
Q - 'To what animal/plant do you compare your mind and soul to?'
A - 'I would have to say a cheetah, perhaps. One never knows what's
expected by the look in the cat's eyes, until they leap...such a calm stare
they have.'
Q - 'What is your favorite meal?'
A - 'I've grown rather fond of the curry dinners in Zanzibar recently.'
Q - 'If you could have anything in the world right now, what would it
be?'
A - 'I would want to be freed of this contract, to be able to love
again. Most things taken for granted, you see...one missed emotion.
That's what I'd like.'
Q - 'What would the house of you dream look like if it were real?'
A - 'A large yard that twists its way up to the front door of the house
branching off of the entryway...a simple dining room on one side, and a den
with stone fireplace on the other. The second floor would be full of
bedrooms for the family. Quite simple really, nothing spectacular I
suppose.'
Q - 'What would be the worst thing that could happen to you right
now?'
A - 'Losing the princess. I don't know what I'd do if I lost her. She's my
hope, you see.'
Q - 'If you could invent a new word, what would it be?'
A - 'Ahm. The sound one makes when confronted with an odd situation and no
other words come to mind.'
Q - 'What beast would you like to be able to tame as your own?'
A - 'A pet lion would be interesting. I've heard that once they are tamed,
they're rather loyal.'
Q - 'If I coud grant you a wish, what would it be?'
A - 'Freedom.'
Q - 'A few last word for our readers?'
A - 'Take nothing for granted... Unless memories of things you once had are
all you wish for your future.'
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That concludes another edition of "WHO?". I would like to remind you that
most of the people interviewed were picked randomly.
I am open to interviewing people on requests as long as there is a good
reason (example: the person is well known, is a GM, is an old legend player,
is a person who achieved something extraordinary or other valuable reasons).
I do give myself the right to decline requests if be needed, but doubt I
will decline any.
Do not forget that you may send in some questions that you would like me to
ask to my guest. Just take a piece of paper, write them down, and mud mail
it to me.
Until next time... May luck be on your path forever!
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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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