Atlantis 2.0: Times 9 From: Geoff Dunbar <atlantis@rahul.net> Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 07:19:09 +0000 Atlantis 2.0 Times October, Year 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Game Master Notes: atlantis@rahul.net for information, problems, or to play. Well, I'm back. Things seemed to have remained relatively in control while I was gone. I read all of the mail, but won't get around to responding to most of it until week. I'm going to be awfully busy the next few weeks, so don't expect too much to get done on my end. I'm getting married on April 8th, so there will be no turn that week, and I'll be gone the rest of the week. After that, things should clear up a lot, and I'll finish up the remaining loose ends. Thanks for your patience. Bug Fixes This Turn: none. Additions This Turn: 1) Be warned: as of next turn, the city guards will attack any units who are on guard in their city. This is to prevent units from being prevented from leaving Atlantis City. Also, the exits from Atlantis City will start to change at some point in the near future. I'll provide some sort of warning. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Melvin wiped beads of sweat from his brow. "That's it for today," he told his assembled students. "Be back here at first light tomorrow. Dismissed." The motley group of elven trainees quickly dispersed, and Melvin was left alone. "Not a bad lot," Melvin mused, "even if they're elves." A voice from behind him made Melvin jump: "I choose the best available, my Lord." Melvin turned to find Abercrombe standing a pace away. "I suppose you do," Melvin replied sourly. "Do you, perchance, have something to report? Or were you just practicing your eavesdropping?" As usual, Abercrombe was unperturbed. "Our forces are moving as you directed. Some of the men report land that has been pillaged, while others have stumbled on someeone's training fround. They make the best speed they can, and should reach their destinations shortly, unless you have other orders." "Let them continue as they were," Melvin replied. "The scouts as well." He paused for a moment with a thoughtful look on his face. "Things are coming together very nicely," he decided aloud. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Does no one listen to these messages? I say again that the areas SW of Kashmar are claimed by the Free Companions. If you have a unit in an area where the Free Companions have a unit on guard, you really should contact yaj@cc.gatech.edu if you haven't already. Uninvited intruders, especially ARMED uninvited intruders, will be severely punished! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wisdom from the Desk of Tristam Store beer in a cool dark place. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ TEAMSTER WAGONS ARE ROLLING! Wagons are rolling in Monzon - Place your orders NOW! Wagons are available in Monzon [12,12] as you read this. Alternate delivery can be arranged - contact your sales-elf today. Horses are available to pull your new wagon as well. Please specify color. Why walk when you can ride in style? SEAPOWER - THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE It is never to early to plan for the future. Your enemies and competitors will have ships. Do you want to be landlocked? Do you want to miss lucrative opportunities because you could not reach your objective in time? Of course not. Catch the wave - get a ship. The Longshore & Longer Reach, a subsidiary of The Maurarhiannons, will meet your shipping needs in Year 2 with a full line of the latest in hull design and trained crew. Place your orders now for the spring sailing season. Remember - A rising tide lifts all boats, and drowns those trapped without one! The Maurarhiannons - We are transport. SPECIAL NOTICE TO WINDOW SHOPPERS All are welcome to stop by our production facilities in Carnforth [11,12], Orrebygd [10,12], and Orrebygd [12,13] and check out our goods. Potential shoppers are warned however that visitors who hide their faction number and / or fail to announce their presence and introduce themselves are likely to be mistaken for spies of the competition and ejected from this plain of existence. Do not make a tragic mistake. Personal property of transgressors will not be returned. Visitors who attempt to set up housekeeping for any purpose without our expressed permision will be prosecuted with extreme prejudice - no exceptions to this policy will or have been granted. We reserve the right to allow a grace period for visitors to come to their senses. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ We are living on the edge ! There is no exit from Rantlu (53,0) to the north ! Let me ask all Atlantean philosophers: What is behind 0 ???? Eai the plainsmen, Muuf's cousin. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Ohhouuuuuuuuuuuuuh", Boudiccea groans, " I shouldn't drunk so much of this Nomad Beer yesterday, looked like milk, tasted really good, but I am sure there was something alkaholic in it. ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh." "Great party yesterdy indeed, and now a great Headache. Those spell of Fireflash I have learned recently is good for nothing - I need a spell to kill headache not enemies." - so she tinks and continues thinking "t'was some kind of diversion yesterday but no it' s good to be alone again. Mmmh, what to do today: study - same as yesterday - today the best would be to study shadows, for light hurts my eyes." And so she does, taking a big spellbook and she is reading the strange runes. And what she will learn, this we will come to know the next TIMES. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE UNRELIABLE SOURCE Komarken (AP) - Larson the Magnificent, head of the Fryers Guild (76), has been linked to the atrocities south of Komarken. Witnesses report that he has been engaged in the wholesale slaughter of factions with the support forces of other ABSTAIN members. When contacted he replied,"I categorically deny being a member of the ABSTAIN. Not only have I never had any dealings with "Sark de Sombreville", I don't have a single man trained in Combat." Sark de Sombreville (111) and StormWatch (143), leaders of ABSTAIN, were not available for comment. Atlantic City (AP) - The AtlantisFrenchPlayers has had a banner month with factions flocking to the new service. When contacted for comment, Larson the Magnificent, head of the Fryers Guild (76), replied,"I categorically deny being a member of the AtlantisFrenchPlayers. Not only have I never had any dealings with "L'Ordre du Temple (366)", I don't have a single man trained in French." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The entertainers are here. Now we need the workers. The mages arrive next month with the first warband. Is there enough time? The master's will want the houses built, and a clearing made, a watch tower, and game for dinner. And what is in the shaft? NOTHING! Can we entertain it? WE shall see. In afew months, this place will be busy with lumberjacks, archers, magicians, and too many orcs for my comfort! ***** The Hand of Darkness, and our allies the Dire Didgett of Darkness, and the Melniboneans, now claim the desert in (6,15) as well as the forest in (6,14). All factions entering this region are requested to state their business. Hand of Darkness g8512580@mcmaster.ca ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Master, Master!" "Yes slave" "It works master!" "So it does." Looking out over burning swamps. "Well it looks like we can pillage and burn even these forsaken swamps, pity the pillage is so low. Make ready slave, onwards we travel." A hint, The swamps to the East of Helvete and South of Abernethy are extremely unproductive, and are becoming even more so. You have been warned! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Will they die? Cleopatra dressed quickly and left the mages tent... 'What shall we do in the South, Great Queen' asked Aggie 'That small band now says they will not pillage as they threatened.' 'They would say that now, but we shall see..' said Cleo 'We should kill them out of hand for their insults!' urged Aggie 'And so I would, if I were sure of victory.' said Cleo, unfolding the map 'They no doubt wish to move south. Place guards here and here, and send our best men here! Next month they shall be at our mercy!' 'A Great Plan, Greatest of All' smiled Aggie 'We shall destroy them at our leisure.' 'Perhaps, perhaps not.' purred Cleo 'They amuse me, so I may yet spare them' Cleopatra, mad but fair. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Note from ABSTAIN: Yes, we are terribly sorry for our nastiness. Please, come to Komarken to claim your money (things are sort of DEAD around here right now). <vbeg> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ NOMADS IN ATLANTIS CITY The mysterious appearance of Nomads in Atlantis City may be considered a problem to some. The nomads only visited Atlantis City for a battle that was being held there. The nomads came from the city of nomads, Komarken. Note that Komarken is adjacent to Atlantis City but that Atlantis City is not adjacent to Komarken. Apparently being adjacent from a battle is enough to be invited even if it is not possible to actually travel there. Bug? Perhaps. The rules state explicitly that a unit will join the battle if it could move there. But these nomads could not move to Atlantis City with any possible MOVE command. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Land owners do you wishing to warn off those unfriendly armies, thiefs, spies or unsuspecting wanderers. Do you want to inform traders or other characters of your boarder control and any offers, why not state your claim with the Land Claims Office. All claims should be sent to the office (claim@forsyth.demon.co.uk) with a means of contact and a brief message to other explorers/traders and a summary will be included in the Times each month. The Land Claims Office. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Legal emigration from Atlantis City has gotten out of hand. Good citizens of Abernethy, let's make life as miserable as possible for these Cretans. Yes, they pay taxes, so let's deny them social security benefits. A boon for the rest of us good folk eh? I could use a few more catus coolers when I'm old and gray. And their children have the nerve to eat our food. No more school lunches I say. School? Why are they in our schools? Why are you foreigners coming here? Get out and stay out! Newt Dingbats (member: Abernethians for morals, family values, and godfulness) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ COURIER SERVICE NOW OPENING IN MONZON! The Picts are proud to announce the start of a courier in the Monzon area. Anything transported - We ask no questions. Complete confidentiality. Get in touch with Chieftan Dubh. c/o pdxark@evol.nott.ac.uk Rates negotiable. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The true prince is slow to punish, swift to reward, And grieves whenever he is compelled to be severe. Ovid, Pont. i 2, lines 123-24. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ********************************************************************** * ATTENTION ALL SPELLCASTERS * ********************************************************************** Mages. Are you fed up with wondering what fields of magic to embark upon, how much research is needed for a particular spell, what spells are actually available ? Well I, Raindog The Venerable, announce the forthcoming publication of the Mages Information & Spells Tome (MIST). I propose to compile a list of all of the spells offered in the world of Atlantis and offer an information service to all those spellcasters needing to know where to direct their studies next. To do this I need your information (yes you at the back there too). Please mail me your spell descriptions with details of how many turns research was needed to gain the spell and what foundation it requires. In return I will send you a copy of the latest edition of MIST for your enlightenment. As we all gradually learn and expand our minds over the coming months, so the tome will grow and I will periodically publish updates for all those who have made contributions. I look forward to hearing from you all. If anyone else is currently offering a similar service, please let me know as I haven't been able to read one or two copies of the Times and I wouldn't want to step on anyone's toes.... Regards Raindog The Venerable The Black Riders (17) martin@raindog.demon.co.uk ------------------------------------------------------------------------ AFTER REPEATED STUDYING COMES PRODUCTION! My men are now ready to produce lots of plate armors each month.If you want to buy it then call me.I'll be at 4,18 but can deliver goods and elseware. Price $480 each. The working faction 181 andrew@hra.ergasya.tuc.gr ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Still Going: THE CARTOGRAPHER'S COOPERATION CONSORTIUM ! When you go out on a long series of travels and explorations, what should you never leave home without? No, it's not the Atlantean Express(TM) card. A Map! All travelers should have as accurate a map as possible. Well, here at the Cartographer's Consortium, we're endeavoring to put together such a map. But, we can only do it with your help. So, we're asking you to send in a copy of the reports from areas you have recently explored. In return, you'll get the up-to-date compilation of all Consortium entries. We're over 20-plus contributing members strong, as of when this ad was placed (Friday, 3/23/95). We currently have mapping data on ~250 areas, with economic data on perhaps seventy. The CCC is now cooperating with the services of the Platinum Map. If you like the Platinum Map, you might like the additional service of the CCC, which adds a complied gazeteer of many of the regions mapped by the Platinum Mapping project. Write for info now. The CCC can currently be reached at "tim.hruby@his.com". Please include the prefix "CCC:" in your subject line. P.S., Sorry for the constant repetition (I've received a complaint), but the ad gets responses from new players every turn. I'll cut it back when/if the game is closed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Zendall looked up from the grease stained parchment that had arrived this morning. "Umph...Monzon," He folded the letter, carefully tore it in two and threw it on the fire. He had been traveling a long time but finally he was getting closer to them or, rather, they were getting closer to him. Monzon he thought. Where the hell is Monzon? This was not the first time the world had changed around him and now once again he had lost everything. He'd been alone for almost five years this time. He thought he was dead and in some freezing hell. That night on the sea so long ago was the last time he had seen Prag. He shuddered to think about it. Floating on a piece of wreckage for hours He'd ripped the captain's head off for getting them wrecked and then drawn by the blood cold hands from the deep touched him. He remembered sinking very fast, paralyzed, his armour not helping and then blackness. He woke and found himself in the mountains of this world, dazed and alone. It had been many years since he had seen his friend. He'd been lonely. "Prag, Prag, Prag...what have you been doing," he muttered to himself shaking his head then gazing due south. He shoved the rough woolen cloak from his shoulders and scraped together his meager belongings. The way south lead down through these mountains. "Two months...that's it...two months, then I'll be with him,". He shouldered his pack, left the fire burning and started down the mountain. There was an icy gleam in his eye as he thought out loud "I hope he has my swords...and my armour," the smile on that face was evil. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Collegium of the Order of Hermes will be opening next turn. For the low, low price of 60 silver a turn, the professors will teach the secrets that they have learned. The curriculum has been set around their schedules and is set up like thus. Week 1: Construct taught by Galen (hopefully level 2) Week 2: Construct taught by Galen again Week 3: Construct and Life both taught by Aidan (hopefully level 2) Week 4: Construct and Life taught by Aidan again Week 5: Aelfstan will teach Ethereal, Construct, and Life (hopefully at level 2) as well as energy, nature, and body at level 1. Week 6: Same as Week 5 After six weeks the collegium will close down as the mages will be going on sabbatical. If interested, please contact the headmaster at: Jepether@flash.lakeheadu.ca We hope to see you in the classroom next week. The staff of the collegium Aelfstan Aidan Galen ------------------------------------------------------------------------ MUHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That felt good! You should have seen that guard jump when I yelled down his earhole! Thank You Lord! My stealth is now high enough to steal! Right, where's a newbie faction? Ahhh.... that one should do nicely! The rabid FOX. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The scouts have reported back sir. And our allies? There claim readiness. turn the troops over to them and put all to work studying MAGIC. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo o O O ABOUT PRIVACY (3) o o --------------------- O O The endless chronicle o o O OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo Two months ago I raised this grave issue : WHY DON'T SHIPS OFFER PRIVACY TO THEIR OCCUPANTS ? WHY CAN'T YOU HIDE IN A BOAT ? I tell you : that's because of those filthy, evil, and even worse %$&#@$*@ atlantean shipbuilders. Members of the Shipbuilders' Guild are all spies, as sure as all bureaucrats are member of the Hayjepihee. The favourite companions of shipbuilders are the rats. They are everywhere, see everything, hear everyone, snatch everybody, sneak everytime and everyway manage to break your privacy. The only proper shipbuilders are the Vikings. They are good buddies and decent buffoons. There are no rats in their drakkars. Yet those don't allow privacy either *sigh*. I don't know why, I'm very upset. - Acrobatty the Rigolo (229) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The shadowy figure rode down to confront the mutants. As the rider got closer, the mutants became completely distracted. Instead of becoming hostile, the mutants became absorbed in the simplest tasks. They assisted some of the locals repair a roof. They worked in the fields. They made trail improvements. The shadowy figure rode by heading further away from Kormarken and was completely ignored. It was like some distant intelligence had been driving the mutants before, but that attention was elsewhere now. Without that driving force the mutants reverted to simple tasks. "I wonder if we are all like that." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ He encontrado un curioso Mail en la lista de atl-player, refiriendose a la publicacion de articulos en frances o espanol: por que habria que oponerse a ello? Tras profundas reflexiones, he llegado a la conclusion de que no hay ni un solo motivo para evitar que las minorias (que no somos tan minoritarias) tengamos derecho a nuestro pedazo de Times. Por otro lado, aprovecho para recordar las palabras de Geoff: atl-player no es el lugar de realizar preguntas sobre reglas, para eso estan tanto las propias reglas como el director del juego. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A toda esa panda de desquiciados, paranoides, reprimidos, fracasados, etc que dedican su tiempo a jugar a juegos de rol. Os habeis planteado alguna vez por que lo haceis? Estais gastando enormes cantidades de tiempo, quizas algo de dinero, echando a perder vuestros nervios, enemistandoos de los amigos que tambien juegan al rol y alejadoos de los que no juegan. Con tantas cosas que hay que cambiar en *este* mundo, que haceis en mundos de fantasia? "Mas te valdria estudiar" - Mi padre ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The three men stood on the edge of the former campus of Nor'West College. The big, beared man began to quietly sob as he watched a workman slowly tear down the once impressive buildings. "It's okay, Gunnar", said the elegantly dressed man with the nice pair of gloves. "Please don't cry. You know that it upsets Niall." Gunnar brought his emotions under control. He stoicly replied "I know Aidan, it's just that I get all choked up seeing our alma mater torn down. You, Niall and I all had some really good times there." A small, sneaky kid sidled up to the group. "Hey guys, how's it going?" "Aren't you that kid we talked to last week? Arnulf, wasn't it?" asked Aidan. "Yes, that's me. I want to thank you all for telling me about Nor'West College. I really learned a lot there. Watch this!" Arnulf slipped into a shadow and disappeared. Gunnar and Aidan looked around, trying to find the boy. Niall was too busy fighting with his broom to do much looking. "BOO!" Arnulf reappeared directly behind Niall, giving him a considerable start. "You blasted kid! You made me drop the broom! All of you better help me catch it before it causes too much damage." As Niall said this, the broom was starting to move up the street. The four friends quickly moved to catch it. (The rest of the story has been deleted for purposes of brevity. It is sufficient to say that the destruction caused by the broom and the four friends was the indirect cause of the construction of the new Atlantis City market and the relocation of the group out of Atlantis City). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Marvin delicately stomped around the compound. Stomped because he was angry. Delicately because he was hung over. "Ambercrombe!" he shouted with many reservations, and winced at the effect it had on his brain. In response to this new, unwelcomed stimuli, his liver threatened to revolt; his stomach nearly did. Preparing to shout again, Marvin heard a subtle snort from alost directly below him. There was his aide de campe, passed out, drunk, in the mud, with the newspaper over his face. "hrmppff" grunted Marvin, "todays paper, just what I wanted." Thinking of how effcient Ambercrombe was, even passed out drunk, Marvin kicked him in the ribs. Hard. *****Atlantis Slimes***** "Lets see," said Marvin "Reliable Unsource talking about Lard Wiper, Monzon Bored Exchange....(Marvin read a little of it, but it wasn't that interesting.) Cord Diaper talking about the Walking Dead...(Are they still touring? Opps nope. Just some hollow threats. Boy, that Nard Sniper has a real attitude problem.) Marvin scanned on,"Mr. Kabooms pleasure house of cabbage, Fartknockers we are transcripts, Mead Boys sing Mead Songs for all occasions," Marvin's bile duct didn't like the sound of that one, 'specially after last night,"CCR Cartographer Clearwater Revival, Mr Bonestrippers Fallen Empire,...but wait...what is this? Marvin's hand trembles, his heart pounds, a yellowed piece of paper slips out of the Slimes and into his hand. His eyes are compelled to read this tome. Rose` Rose Where oh where has my little lamb gone? Where oh can he be? With his tail cut short, And his hair cut long, Where oh where can he be? There once was a man from Nantucket, With a .... "Damn Circulars!!!!!" yelled Marvin, and then immeadiately regretted it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The elf laborers at the head of the caravan were singing, but Pilot Pete followed them out of Atlantis City with a heavy heart. Overpopulation was driving factions by the scores into the gate cities, except for the ones that had already apparently been garrisoned. Now Pete's employer, frustrated at the slow pace of recruiting, had decreed that it was time to relocate. So Pete had packed everything he owned and followed the caravan out of town, waving a wistful goodbye to the Malibu Stacy Dolls as he passed. A flash of familiar color caught Pete's eye near the gate. It took several moments to register, so close had he been to giving up hope. But there, on the ground, was a tattered fragment of a familiar banner. He raced over to it and picked it up, and there before him were the cryptic, mud-spattered symbols he had not expected to see again: "CCXXXI." Suddenly breathless, he turned and was just about to race to catch up to give his employer the news that their long-lost ally had been spotted. Before he could leave, though, a burly fellow sidled up to him and said, "oh, so there that banner is. Been looking for that. Thanks. Say, you're Pilot Pete, aren't you?" Pete stared into the surprised eyes of the familiar stranger, who now sported the even more cryptic emblem "CDLXXI" on his chest. Before Pete could reply, he found himself being carried away by the tide of travelers flowing out of Atlantis City. "Um, nice to see you again," he called, "looks like we're leaving. Follow us!" Then he passed through the gate and was gone . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hi trade's faction around Stinchar! You have good place with materials. You don't know what now? Or you have good teacher without work? Oh, I think: Only with cooperation is certainty. What's easier? Send fast horse with questions ... Postage: **** L.R.R.Hood **** Almeria 1844 285 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ El Circulo interno anuncia orgulloso que ha establecido su base _/ _/ de operaciones en Sledmere con intenciones declaradas de dedicarse _/ _/ pacificamente, dentro de lo posible, al conocimiento y aprendizaje _/ _/ de lo oculto y misterioso. Si alguien quiere colaborar en esta ardua _/ _/ tarea o, simplemente, necesita un mago de alquiler que contacte con _/ _/ Javier@nemesis.iic.uam.es Circulo Interno (288). _/ _/ . _/ _/ _/ _/ . _/ _/ /^\ . Con los respetos del _/ _/ /\ "V" _/ _/ /__\ I O o Circulo Interno. _/ _/ //..\\ I . _/ _/ \].`[/ I _/ _/ /l\/j\ (] . O _/ _/ /. ~~ ,\/I . _/ _/ \\L__j^\/I o _/ _/ \/--v} I o . _/ _/ | | I _________ _/ _/ | | I c(` ')o _/ _/ | l I \. ,/ _/ _/ _/j L l\_! _//^---^\\_ Roy _/ _/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ** MONZON WOOD EXCHANGE ** Monzon Bulletin #1 Published by the Monzon Wood Exchange (289), thayer@eagle.sangamon.edu * Monzon Register open for business Factions in the Monzon area may be interested in the availability of a new service. The Monzon Register is devoted to the free exchange of information of interest to residents. Of the greatest interest to new factions in the area is the store of economic data about the region. More established factions may be interested in the market database, which details local factions and their economic interests. To learn more about the Monzon Register, send mail to: thayer@eagle.sangamon.edu with MONZON REGISTER in the subject line. To enter your faction in the market database, send mail to the above address. Include in your mail information about your faction. An ideal report would look like this: Monzon Wood Exchange(289), thayer@eagle.sangamon.edu Sells: Wagons($120) Buys: Wood($36, or 1WAG/3WOO) * operates the Monzon Register and publishes the Monzon Bulletin. * a pure trade faction. Contributions of economic data about regions are also welcome. * Business opportunity in the Monzon Area The Monzon Wood Exchange is looking for a few good men who can cut down trees. Terms of payment are negotiable -- currently we are offering either $36 per wood OR a wagon for three wood. Also, we will sell wagons to players for $120, the same price that the Monzon market offers us. We will accept wood in Monzon, or in any region that borders Monzon. You cut it, we haul it! To inquire about these exceptional opportunities, contact thayer@eagle.sangamon.edu. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Staring at the map, Angmar drew an `X' through the gate from Atlantis City to Komarken. Interesting that our scouts have been repulsed, he thought. Five more gate cities to consider. The key was in finding the right city or area in which he could expand his burgeoning magical abilities.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "But what about all those vacant lots we found just outside of SLEDMERE?" asked the befuddled Tweedledum. "Oh, well, clearly they must belong to some great and mighty lord or else they wouldn't be just sitting there RIPE FOR THE PICKING now would they hmmm?" replied the much wiser Tweedledee. "But who is this great and mighty lord, since no mention of him or his wondrous land was made at the ATLANTIS LAND CLAIMS OFFICE?" persisted the slow witted Tweedledum. "Oh, well, clearly 'twas just an oversight on the part of the Land Claims Registrar, for no lord in his right mind would fail to register such FINE AND FRUITFUL territory." answered the amused Tweedledee. "I suppose you're right, after all, if the land were unregistered, any ambitious vagabond or wayfarer could just wander in and claim SQUATTERS RIGHTS since no formal title of ownership had been previously announced." said the not-too-bright Tweedledum. "Oh, well, clearly... I say, you've given me an excellent idea my dear-but-dim brother. Quick! Fetch my horse!" exclaimed the ambitious wayfaring and newly energized Tweedledee. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Due to last observations, world of Atlantis has not shape of Torus, but rather that of cylinder. If you're on northern pole (y coordinate is 0), you can't continue to North. Logical, isn't it? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Det var en moerk og stormfuld aften. Targ-Arun sad og smaafroes under et primitivt teltdug. Han undrede sig over hvordan han egentligt endte oppe i disse gudsforladte bjerge, her er jo ikke andet end orker og en stiv vind fra vest. Ret langt fra de stolte bjerge der flyder med jern-malm, som ejendomsmaegleren beskrev. En ide materialiserede sig i hans hjerne, forpustet efter den lange rejse, fortalte den om andre mennesker. Ja, der maatte vaere nogen skandinavere et eller andet sted derude. Targ-Arun gik straks igang med at studere Telepati.... Den Skandinaviske Forening for Fremmelse af Egne Interesser. faction 312 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Race of inhabitants by terrain: City/Town (16 surveyed): 25% high elves, 12% wood elves, 12% tribesmen, 12% orcs, 12% nomads, 6.2% barbarians, 6.2% tribal elves, 6.2% vikings, 6.2% hill dwarves Mountain (15 surveyed): 47% orcs, 20% hill dwarves, 13% barbarians, 13% vikings, 6.7% sea elves Jungle (1 surveyed): 100% tribal elves Desert (6 surveyed): 33% desert dwarves, 33% vikings, 33% sea elves Swamp (7 surveyed): 57% tribal elves, 28% tribesmen, 14% sea elves Forest (20 surveyed): 50% vikings, 40% wood elves, 10% sea elves Plain (21 surveyed): 33% nomads, 24% sea elves, 24% high elves, 9.5% plainsmen, 9.5% vikings Cavern (1 surveyed): 100% darkmen ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Following is the full text of an unsigned note found in the pocket of a Times reporter: In the September issue of the Times, the Merchants' Guild advertised a number of products ("All you need for a finely equipped army") as available from the Guild in Eskerfan ("We ARE waiting for you"). I found this interesting, being in Eskerfan myself in September, and finding absolutely no trace of the Merchants' Guild in that small town. Thus, unless the Guild representatives are hidden (now why would a merchant want to use stealth when selling their wares?), the advertisement was, shall we say, inaccurate. Furthermore, unless the situation has changed since August, Abernethy is closed. You can't get there from Atlantis City (unless you sneak in with sufficient stealth, as I did). I don't know what the Merchants' Guild game is, but I thought you should know that it is not entirely aboveboard. I regret that I can't provide any other information, or identify myself, but I very much fear that if I did so I really WOULD find the Merchants' Guild waiting for me somewhere sometime, and that it wouldn't be waiting just to sell me something. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -iSeguro que la culpa es de esas porquerias que comen hoy en dia!. -La juventud de hoy ya no sabe donde tiene la cabeza. Estos y otros parecidos son los comentarios que los ancianos de Atlantis hacen al ver pasar a sus hijos y nietos, recordando los tiempos en que un elfo cualquiera podia saber como manejar una espada y a la vez saber como talar un arbol o montar a caballo.Pero desde que los jovenes comenzaron a unirse a extranos grupos de extranjeros, autodenominados facciones y a obedecer las ordenes de unos tipejos que se hacen llamar lideres, todo ha cambiado. Ahora un elfo cualquiera solo puede saber hacer una cosa en esta vida.Si sabes cabalgar no sabes escribir y si sabes escribir no sabes cabalgar.Y si un buen dia quieres cambiar de oficio, tienes que olvidar todo lo que sabes hasta entonces para aprender algo nuevo. Y es que la vida en Atlantis ya no es lo que era... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ As the sparkles faded from his eyes, Moz looked around. This wasn't the tavern he had been sitting in. In fact, this wasn't a tavern at all. He had had a few drinks, but certainly not that many he thought to himself. Then he remembered the words of that strange fellow from Kens "You are not fated for this world, nor for any other...", and then in a flash it came to him, as it had many times before. This was not the first time he had jumped worlds, nor would it be the last.... With that thought the clarity faded, and all that remained was a disturbing ghost of a thought of something missing, or something forgotten. Oh well, it will come to me thought Moz as he moved off in the night to find something to eat, or something to do, and see if he could find himself some sort of direction, and maybe figure out what was nagging at the back of his mind. Oh well, live and learn. Where am I? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *YOU* can help fund the missionary work of the Entourage Church. This small band has chosen to live the simple path and to roam the world helping the sick and the poor. By simple honest labour they will work to provide money for those less fortunate than themselves. All donations (however small) welcome. Soon we hope to provide a 'sponsor a missionary' service, however, this can only be done with larger donations. Applications for grants provided by the Entourage Church should be made available for peer review since previous applicants have attempted to abuse the system. _ _ _ -- Without A Clue (Faction 356), [ founding member of the (_ (_ (_ ] [ Charitable Churches Cooperative ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ For another week, OOOOO N N SSSSS AAAAA L EEEEE O O NN N S A A L E O O N N N SSSSS AAAAA L EEE O O N NN S A A L E OOOOO N N SSSSS A A LLLLL EEEEE But prices are getting higher !!! In the marvelous city of Eskerfan (6,17), just 2 hexagons west of Abernethy (8,17), one of the starting place near Atlantis City. YOU, young beginners, with all the difficulties to buy a small armed troop in Atlantis city, why do you wait ? In one month, you can be here ! -> High elves at $50 now. -> All the swords you want for only $60 !!!! -> Armors ? from $100 to $300 (No more Special Magic Armor). -> Horses, you want horses ? ONLY $80 !!! -> Even the leaders are cheaper by us ($100). -> All you need for a finely equipped army ! All of them patiently collected or produced, since 7 months, by the Merchant's Guild. We NEED you for commerce . Guild of Merchants (faction 254) . DON'T STAY ANY LONGER IN ATLANTIS-CITY THE OVERPOPULATED, JOIN US !!! (The Times, the only newspaper which rewards you for advertising !!!) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- << - Combien ?? Aller vous faire empapaouter par les orcs d'Abernethy ! - Tres bien "chevalier", mais vous ne trouverer personne travaillant a moins ! HA ! HA ! ... - Sir, il faut absolument recruter quelques chefs avant de nous lancer en expedition. Nous ne savons meme pas ou se trouve la foret de Jerusalem ! - 120 $ par tete! Non mais tu te rends compte ! Quels voleurs ! Jamais, nous nous debrouillerons autrement! Foi de SangDragon ! >> Sir Cendre de Sang-Dragon etait furieux ! Deux mois! Deux mois deja que son Dieu lui etait apparru, et il n'avait pas progresse d'un pouce ! Pire, un inconnu, Jacques de Molay (848), se proclammait "Grand Master of the Temple" et risquait de demarrer avant lui. Bof, il y avait bien assez de place sur le monde pour qu'il y est plusieurs Ordres du Temple, un par Dieu ... Non ce qui le faisait le plus grogner c'etait les prix des hommes. Il leur avait propose 100 $ par tete, et voila que ces butors lui en reclamaient 120 ! Bande d'escrocs ! Tout l'heritage de Grand-pere allait y passer ! Si ca continuait, il partirait seul ! Voila, sans personne ! Na ! Cat Lord, Page de Sir Cendre de Sang-Dragon. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -- FROM RELIABLE SOURCE IN SLEDMERE (before the death of our journalist) Mysterious deaths in Sledmere -STOP- First hints of the beggining of a bubonic plague found -STOP- May have occured after some wizards' experiments -STOP- Some factions are angry about these apprentice Necromancers -STOP- May strike in a witch-hunt in Sledmere ! -STOP- Informations censured to calm down population -STOP- Watch out new informations next month -STOP- (We will send reporters to Sledmere in memory of this poor fellow next month) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Knowleswright was fuming again. He was always mad at how things went lately. Things were amiss, Atlantis City was way too crowded. He had to get out of here. "Mage wants another hundred silver again," He cursed to himself. "How in Geoff could he spend so much every month?" He kicked at the lazy city guards as he went past them to the street. This had become a habit of his lately. All they ever did was stand around and watch everybody. A kick or two didn't do any harm, and they never seemed to notice it anyway. But he'd seen how quick they reacted when some perverts were about to be attacked. Even come to their aid! Of course it WAS rather stupid to attack the bush-creaping Knights of Ni in broad daylight. Served them right which ever way it had gone. Now some would be WAR Lord had announced aliance with a new faction called "Reapers Justice". Rumors were flying everywhere. Best to discount most of them. Could you even believe some people were saying there were pillagers going around destroying whole communities. Such lack of foresightedness. Such stuff couldn't really be believed. No one could be that stupid, one had to know what was right. He was ready to send out in force. Monzoon seemed reasonable. He'd heard of good hunting there, wood gatherers were wanted too. Unless he was to go find out more about those pillagers. Something interesting might result. Give him a chance to make those warriors earn some of their keep for a change. "What about that Mage?" he continued in thought. "Should I continue supporting him, he hasn't shown any return yet. Just some nonsense spell about a wagon that won't need a horse. And he wants me to buy the wagon for him!" "Ah, Boss Sir," interrupted his scribe. "About these orders. Are you sure you want me to have the unit do what you wrote here?" "That feather scrapper is at it again," moaned Knowleswright. "Either the orders do something different from what I wanted, or they have the troops sitting out of it for another month." He turned his attention to the parchment with the next months plans on it. "It's going to be another long night of it. Maybe I should go to the RED ROSE like my men did last week. They had fun, I can too." But he knew he couldn't stop now. Mouths to feed and an empire to establish. He needed to train more reliable leaders to take over these mundane tasks like these. He would include that in this month's plans too. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ As can now be clearly seen from the CCC map, there is indeed a land bridge, or at least a very long penninsula, extending south from 51,7, making the "Great" Muuf, who claimed that there was nothing to the east or south of his claimed lands a liar. So in effect the Slunecni Zare alliance has not only claimed their small corner of the Stinchar area continnent, already crowded enough, but all lands to the south as well. Is this fair? Are we going to stand for this? Given that there are only a few forests in the north, already being claimed as I speak, and nothing but a bit of tundra to the north east, where are we all supposed to live? There may be vast fertile lands to south, but none of us will ever get to see them if we let the "Great" Muuf and his Slunecni Zare alliance have their way! I propose a call to arms! Let War be declared upon the Slunecni Zare alliance until they relent and allow the masses to move south accross the land bridge! If we all work together he can be easily overthrown and we can all have access to the lands to the south. Death to the Slunecni Zare alliance!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The unnamed faction who attacked me and my allies while I was on vacation should realize that setting default to hostile this early in the game is a bad idea. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Due to the fact that construction of the "Palace of the Snow Leopard Clan" has not yet been started, the Clan has been meeting in the "Shallow Damp Cave of the Snow Leopard Clan". Visitors to the Cave are welcome, however we don't have and food or wine to share with you. Ten silver peices a month only goes so far. If you do visit the Snow Leopard Clan's Cave, you will see that it comprises of two chambers as described below. It is located at: http://www.cet.co.jp/~anthonyc/homepage.htm [The Great Hall of Maps:] Presently a hollowed out space near the front of a shallow damp cave, the Great Hall of Maps contains various COLOURFUL maps of Atlantis compiled using information from various sources. They were made using the Atlantis Enquirer and contain information from the CCC and the platinum map. They are in JIF and JPG format and you may download them. This is a great alternative if you don't have VBRUN300.DLL or can't be bothered to type all that information in. (By the way, thanks to pfleming@eros.otago.ac.nz, who wrote the Atlantis Enquirer for free, and therefore must be a really great guy! I owe him a beer.) [The Great Hall of Arms:] Presently a hollowed out space at the back of a shallow damp cave with a big puddle in the middle, the Great Hall of Arms contains Coats of Arms from various factions living in Atlantis. The Snow Leopard Clan is currently gathering more coats of arms via email. Please send any faction artwork of reasonable size to anthonyc@cet.co.jp with this format. (ASCII pictures will have to be screen dumped to work. I hate proportional fonts...) [ ] [ ] [ BMP JPG GIF ] [ ASCII ] [ ] <faction name>(<faction number>) <City Nearest Primary Location> <Short Description or Faction Slogan> When you are create BMPs, JPGs, or GIFs please attach them to your letter with the filename "<faction number>.XXX". Also if you have claimed an area in Atlantis, create an windows ICON file, and we will place it on our maps for ALL TO SEE... Wintermute and Stormshadow sat on a rock close to the damp morass the Snow Leopard Clan called home. In the distance they could see the city of Kashmer. The newest group of Hill Dwarves would be arriving soon. The Iron would begin to flow. Wintermute quitely held out a poster for Stormshadow to see. *Snow Leopard Surplus Weapon Exchange* Swords 50sp (will trade for delivered hill dwarfs) "We can't do that yet!", exclaimed Stormshadow, who had spent the whole week training High Elves to make blades. "No, but next week we might be able to..." replied Wintermute. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ May I please have your attention for a very brief announcement. Thank you. The town of Kashmar and a one-hex surrounding radius will be off-limits to those without proper approval. Newbies will not be permitted into the city without prior authorization from us. Other folks in the area are similarly warned. We plan to harvest the $17K+ in taxes each turn. Do *not* attempt to interfere. The paltry city guard will not be able to defend inhabitants. This action will commence four months from today. We offer this grace period to allow units to move out of this region. People may move freely through the region without fear for the next 4 months only. Then the killing starts. Now scram! -The Enlightened Ones ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DESPERATELY SEEKING MAN WITH POINTY HAT who bumped into me in Atlantis City yesterday. He dropped his spell-book which I didn't mean to read... Could he please come and REVERSE the effects of subsequent ENLARGE spell gone horribly wrong... I only wanted to impress the wife, not CRUSH her... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Oh, What a difficult way to get people by my side! I tried and tried to buy leaders and other troups, But no one came ... And there less and less leaders to get in atlantis city... 41 on June, 39 on July, 36 on August, what about September??? Whish I could leave this town soon. Signed Furax. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Undertaker has recived troops from his magical allies and they will be moving out this turn.. Where are they going? Wouldn't you like to know... -The Undertaker ------------------------------------------------------------------------ In the interests of pubic safety, this warning message was delivered to the times at the last minute! WARNING: Several members of our faction have died in the past month, after an extended stay at Mr. Azzoom's House of Bondage in Abernethy! We are as yet unsure whether it was fatigue, or disease that killed them. Mr. Azzoom privately addmitted that he had personally 'seen' to them, and that an overdose of pleasure can induce a near-death state! We will keep the populace informed about the menace that is Mr. Azzoom! Faction 1 (The City Guards) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tolendar etait parti vers le Sud avec ses compagnons. La decouverte de nouveaux territoires le mettait de fort bonne humeur. Mais une inquietude le rongeait, il etait parti devant avec son fidele Flarmoth en laissant une partie de ses amis en arriere. Il venait d'apprendre que ceux-ci se trouvaient sur les terres reclamees a cors et a cris par les "Free Companions". Ses amis n'etaient pas belliqueux, mais de folles rumeurs circulaient sur le compte des ces hommes en vert. Un des ses allies avait deja ete attaque. Malheureusement, il etait impuissant devant ce danger. Il pouvait juste faire le serment de les venger si un malheur leur survenait. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ FlatLine surveyed the new land with a feeling accomplishment. "so far so good" he called to his troops. "Now for the hard part, scout the local area find some suitable land, then bring the alliance together". In any event it felt good to be out of Atlantis. "Keep a sharp eye men, there have been reports of pillaging in near by hexes". FlatLine leads his men south on horse back, his troups riding in tight formation alert for any hint of trouble. "The Grateful Dead" (scottm@cet.co.jp) (Member of The Nameless Masses Alliance) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Land Register? Did I hear "Land Register" ? Ho ho, hum hum, sign me up for the whole of Atlantis! The Fon ------------------------------------------------------------------------ As Karthan walks through the busy streets looking for new recruits, he notices that MANY others are doing the same, making it nearly impossible to gain fresh blood for his conquest of the planet. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The first sensation to hit Maas was the bright morning sunlight, piercing his eyelids like a knife through a frail curtain. The next was the smell of hay and horses, and foul, assaulting odors. He opened his eyes and looked around. Somehow, he had been deposited in a stable, but his memory was clouded and offered no remembrance of how he came to be there. Then there was the sound of movement, a person outside the stable. Maas quickly reached for his sword, but discovered, unsurprisingly, yet to his dismay, that it was gone. He scanned the stable--there were numerous options for flight. As he crouched in the corner, a young girl, perhaps eleven or twelve, entered. She was a strange sight. She was fair-haired and fair-skinned and quite attractive, but her eyes were too large, and her ears were shaped wrong. The sight of Maas startled her, and she dropped the bucket she held as she ran out yelling, "Father, Father, the man is awake, the man is awake!" Maas slowly walked to the front of the stable area, poised to run in an instant. He didn't feel the sensation of threat that he so often relied upon to warn him of danger, so he exited cautiously. The stable opened onto a cobbled courtyard which was bordered by an alley on one side and a large inn-like building on the other. It appeared that he was standing within a large city, with towering pinnacles and spires in the distance. Approaching him from across the courtyard was an old, grey haired, unusually tall man who shared the same odd features as the young girl. "Hail, stranger, you should not be up! From the condition you were in last night you surely need much rest!" "What place is this?", Maas questioned harshly. "How do I find myself here? Where are my possessions and my SWORD?", he demanded. The old man's friendly visage quickly dropped into one of uncertainty, and he halted his approach. "You, you carried nothing, good sir. I found you wandering the streets in delirium, muttering something about a quest. I brought you here, for the Guards of the city do not offer pleasant board for vagrants." Suddenly, Maas was awash in memories. The Quest! The search for the Ruby Pentaculum! "You must direct me to the Temple of Saint Ozric!", he cried, "It is most urgent that I see the Pontificator!" "I, I know not of this person or this place of which you speak", the old man pleaded. "Come, my name is Willem, and I will feed you and help you as I may. You are weak yet, you need to regain your strength." The man peered at him. "You are not of this land, are you?", he puzzled. Memories continued to flood Maas' thoughts. He had finally discovered the cave that led to the Altar of the Pentaculum, which was where, it was written, the Ruby was to be found. The Ruby Pentaculum! The Ruby was the last hope held by the Land. Only the power of the Ruby could save the Land from the evil scourge that was laying waste to it. Many had been tasked with finding the Ruby, and Maas had finally discovered its hiding place. He had found the altar, and he had spoken the words which were supposed to reveal the Ruby. The scriptures did not explain what the words would do, but Maas assumed that the altar would open, or a cavity would be exposed, and the Ruby would be contained within. Instead, the wall before him grew blurry, then became a wall of blue mist which swirled and shifted, but offered no view of what lay behind. Maas had entered the wall of mist, and that was the last thing he remembered. The old man was still staring at him inquisitively. Maas said, "No, I do not believe that I am in a familiar place. My name is Maas Mann, and I seek...a certain object of value. I must report to my elders. I must find a holy man of the Order. You must direct me to the Temple of Saint Ozric." "Sir, I believe that I am familiar with most of the factions and orders in the City of Atlantis, and there is not a place such as you describe", the old man replied. "Come, let us serve you something to eat. You may return the favor later, but first, you must get back on your feet. Come." Indeed, thought Maas, some food would at least appease his stomach, which had eventually followed him out of slumber. It was also apparent that he was a long way from the Land, and he would need to regain his bearings. "Very well, good sir, lead on," he said, and started to follow the old man into the building, "and please accept my apologies for my rudeness. I have traveled far and seen much. I thought for a moment now past that my quest was at an end, and that I might return to my home. Now, it appears that I have lost everything, and I am farther from my goal than ever." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ In the bleak days of 1983, as England languished in the doldrums of a ruinous monetarist policy, the good and loyal men of the Crimson Permanent Assurance Company - a once-proud family firm recently fallen on hard times - strained under the yoke of their oppressive new corporate management. Many years passed, and as the corporate management, The Very Big Corporation of America, became rich on the revenues, the weight upon the Assurance grew heavier. On a warm June morning when the slave masters were being particularly heavy-handed, and the proud Crimson accountants were particularly tired, Mr. Evans, the youngest of the Assurance (being a scant 60 years of age), was found lacking in performance. Without further warning, he was sacked. Pushed beyond bounds of decent and reasonable victimization, the aged retainers took destiny into their own hands. With nods to each other, they rose up against the Corporation and mutinied. In minutes the cruel oppressors were locked in the brig, and the manager walked the plank. Quickly they mobilized into attack positions. Deadly swords of ceiling-fan blades and indestrutible grappling hooks of coat hooks were built. The whole of the building was seized. With a command of "Weigh the anchor", the Crimson Company Cruiser lifted out of its foundation. And so, the Crimson Permanent Assurance was launched upon the high seas of international finance! They sailed for many months, until on Tuesday, just after tea-time, the lookout shouted out. There it lay: the prize they sought. A financial district swelled with multinationals, conglomerates, and fat, bloated, merchant banks. Arming their file cabinet cannons, they sailed to their objective, The Very Big Corporation of America Headquarters. Hidden behind the faceless towering canyons of glass, the world of high finance sat smug and self-satisfied as their future, in the shape of their past, slipped silently through the streets - returning to wreak a terrible revenge. Adopting, adapting, and improving traditional business practices, the Permanent Assurance puts into motion an audacious and totally unsuspected Take-Over Bid. With precision learned from decades of practice, the Assurance launched their assault. It was a bloody and vicious battle, but it is sufficient to know that the Assurance proved victorious. And so, heartened by their initial success, the desperate and reasonably violent men of the Permanent Assurance battled on until, as the sun set slowly in the west, the outstanding returns on their bold business venture became apparent. Once proud financial giants lay in ruins, their assets stripped, their policies in tatters. And so they sailed off into the ledgers of history. One by one the financial capitals of the world crumbling under the might of their business acumen. Or so it would have been, if certain modern theories concerning the shape of the world had not proved to be disastrously wrong. Off the edge of England they fell, until they landed in the realm of Atlantis. Quickly they saw the wealth and opportunities of this new land, and decided to explore the possibilities. This then, is their story. -> From the cinematic masterpiece Monty Python's The Meaning of Life 470 - The Crimson Permanent Assurance Company ------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Damage Inc. * Got some enemy you really cant defeat? Need to teach a competitor a lesson? A new mercenary company formed in Atlantis City in september! Damage Inc., led by the retired adventurer Cilion Highdale will soon be ready to be hired in the fields of battle. While our army, Da Boyz, still camps within the walls of Atlantis City, scouts have already been sent South-West of the city to find a good place to camp. * Damage Inc. * ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Hedrick sat comfortably just above the beach, his back to a scraggly tree, and his horse contentedly munching the sea-oats nearby. Two scraps of paper had arrived this morning by runner, one from the north, one from the south. Hedrick wasn't the best at reading, so he squinted as he tried to make out the first message. "Heh! So ol' Ben got his horse snatched, eh? Always knew he'd get in trouble, leaving his mare outta sight like that. Now Bimmie, here, she stays close by! Gotta watch yer horse, I always say, too many snitchers ready to grab one." Hedrick read farther, and turned a little pale at the grisly scene described. "Uck. Sounds like they weren't too gentle-like when they caught the theif. Stupid thing to do, o'course, horse-snitchin' in the tundra...but ya think ol' Desmorandus might've just hanged the guy, not chopped 'im up into little cubes like that. That guy, he's one scary guy." Hedrick sighed, and refolded the letter. At least, being this far from the Pavilion, he could say that sort of thing without worrying about being overheard. This land bridge was the most desolate place he'd ever encountered. At least the weather was warm. Hedrick unfolded the second note, written in a strange, spidery hand...on that dark parchment favored by the Shadows. Hmm...now *this* could be interesting! "To all allied scouts from Shadow Rider: have found big hole in ground. Smells real bad. Not stupid, not going in. Off to explore new lands. Map follows." Hedrick winced. He pulled out his orders from the Pavilion, just to verify. Sure enough, there it was: "If you find any big holes, MOVE IN." Rats. Safe bet Bimmie wasn't going to like *this* very much. Hedrick wearily pulled himself back up to the saddle, grumbled some unintelligible curse, and headed off south. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ANNOUNCEMENT TO ALL VISITORS OF MOZON ************************************* The Circle of the Blue Mages keeps an open eye to every move made inside this city. We'll try to keep everything in order. Intruders and troublemakers will be thrown out immediately!!! If you're a friendly visitor please feel free to contact the Circle for information about Monzon and the surrounding area. Valderesse Sorceress of the Circle of the Blue Mages (krumm@informatik.tu-muenchen.de) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Denbigh, priest of the Purple Snowflake, servant to his otherWorldly creator, Centre to the `Aitches 'for the Eyes, Friend to The Eggshell, Bani Ghassan, and The Wanderers, and being of The Gathering, well recovered from what turned out to be a sympathetic reaction to a neighbor's affliction with a dis-ease known as the lootbug, has grown concerned at the slow progress recruitment of the Faithful. He has pleaded in a recent talk with the henoatheists of Atlantis City for greater tidings of work in support of the Faith. Centre Denbigh ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mynik, guild leader of the Craftsmen, performs his spot inspection of the facilities being used. "Well," he begins, "the equipment here is a bit archaic. What I wouldn't give to be able to do this work at the common forge in Kashmar." The guild leader walks over to one of the forgers and picks up one of the swords. "Very nice work. I'm sure the Free Companions will be quite pleased with these, but we need to produce more. The miners on the northern ridge are putting us to shame right now." "But there are more of them than us," pipes up one of the workers. "I understand that," Mynik answers. "That's why I just received approval from the Council that we can take a bit of time off after next month for training. Sol's guild will be picking up the slack while we learn more efficient ways of developing weaponry. The best part is we will still get paid our normal salary during the training." The craftsmen were quite happy from hearing this news. It would be a chance to show the Council how good they really are. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gone is any pretext of reading the Times, you toss it aside as you locate that familiar yellowed parchment. For you seek to find, news of the Black Rose, and of his followers. Black Rose: Dreams of a Dark Heart Veil of night, it falls Enshrouding my world Heralding and delivering Dreams, nightmares... of HER Focus, centre, alight All my hopes and fears Hates desires And most of all love of HER For she is everything I could wish, want Beauty, Intelligence, Power In one whole person. I feel as though She will be forever be part of me... forever... for all my thoughts are of HER. Hope springs eternal. In you heart you can almost believe that there is yet redemption for the Rose. It is said love conquers all. You hope, for his sake, for hers, for all of theirs, that this is true. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: What is the quickest way to kill off a unit in Atlantis? A: I wish I knew. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Republic of Rome makes a Claim. The Legate looked up from the map, after a full month of study. His new squire, Coll, came into the room. "What`s the problem now?" "Nothing, Sir. Dinner is served." Even as Coll said this, the sounds of a rider approaching could be heard. A dusty soldier entered, saluted and delivered a missive. "Has the Senate finally decided?" "Yes, sir." the soldier waited silently while Rayelin read the letter. "Coll, turn out the Legion. We`ve got a missive to proclaim. I want every tree from here to Stinchar covered with this poster. See to it." As the Legate began poring over the map again, Coll took the letter and began reading it. Soon every tree would have one pinned up. ******************************************************************************* * * * The Republic of Rome hereby declares the following areas under * * our protection. Trespassers should immediately endeavour to * * leave the area or risk being despatched by Roman steel. All * * further trafficking into this areas are hereby forbidden. * * The following areas are affected: * * (51,3) to (51,0), (50,3) to (50,0), (52,3) and (52,0) * * * ******************************************************************************* "Sir?" "Yes, Coll." "We need a new officer for the new cohort we are recruiting." "Damn, I almost forgot. Hmm, what do we do... Coll would you mind terribly if I made you temporary Centurion." "No, sir." "Right. get out and take care of it then." "Yes, sir." So, he was without a squire again. Well, no problem, there were plenty of applicants for the job. One sometimes wondered why... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Republic of Rome have claimed the above-mentioned spaces. if you have an issue with that, please contact us at strategy@kom.auc.dk. Be warned though that we are prepared to defend our claim, and have more than enough forces to do so and wipe you out afterwards... :) -- Geoff Dunbar <atlantis@rahul.net> Up