The Courant: February 2001

February 23, Friday

The Restoration of the Shrines - Videric

The Restoration of the Shrines on Felucca

February 20, Tuesday

Caravan and Tavern night on Thursday - Videric

When: Thursday the 22nd of February at 20 CET (19 GTM) From: Britain at Wayfarer’s Inn (Trammel) To: Sea Serpent’s Tavern of Cove (Trammel) The Trade Caravan of Cove will be transporting some supplies for the Sea Serpent’s Tooth Tavern, the journey will begin at 20 (CET) at Wayfarer’s Inn at Britain. Because the road to Cove might be dangerous, any volunteers who wish to escort the caravan are welcomed. Also the so called Dark Alliance should be noted as a possible troublemaker, because it has already slain few merchants. The Caravan should arrive to Cove about 21.00 (CET) and from there on the tavern night at the Sea Serpent’s tooth Tavern continues, so if you will not make the caravan, do come to the tavern. Videric Gaveston The Trade Caravan of Cove - http://caravan.lemming.org/ Village of Cove - http://cove.lemming.org/

BNN: Al’Cedra’s Challenge – The Gauntlet - Elv'eng

Al’Cedra’s Challenge – The Gauntlet Bethsainda Ariaachas Feb 20 2001 12:38AM Well, dear readers, the challenge on March 1st is going to be very different this time! I have this right from the dragon’s mouth! This month Al’Tyr will be running things, and he has an event filled with danger, thrills, chills, and general mayhem. It seems that players will be registering as teams of five, and given a color to use during the competition. The dragons seem to be most fond of the City of Honor, and their events often have some connection with it - and this is no exception! The event itself will be fraught with danger and puzzles that must be gotten past. Unlike former events, this one will focus on combat along the way. The last step will be into the lair itself and the five teams of five that make it to the endpoint will have a chance to answer the riddles. The sashes this month will be engraved Master of Sword and Word for the winning team of five. NO team that is not complete may enter the lair. A variety of talents should be incorporated into each team, for who knows what challenges you will have to face. For new readers, the Trammel Dragon appears once a month upon the first, and poses riddles to all citizens of Britannia who have proved themselves worthy through prior tests and trials. This month the trials will focus on combat and battle skills. Teams MUST register in advance for the event. If you wish to take up Al’Tyr’s challenge, teams may come to register for the event in the city of Trinsic at the Keg and Anchor tavern on the 26th of March from 8:30 to 11:30 GMT.

February 15, Thursday

Deepwater Auction! - Elv'eng

This Sunday, the 18th, at 9pm CET (8pm gmt), Deepwater will host a Auction, at the towers of Magiks. Witch is located just east of the Owls eyes, just follow the row of houses till you locate the tower, it cant be missed. You dont need gold with you, a vendor will be placed where you buy the items you bid on from. Sort of Secure trading, and a rune to the town will be found too, so you dont need to walk with your newly bought item. What will be sold? Most things, from armor to weapons, from just small pillows to pintings. Also it do not cost anything to get the items sold right now, but might change in when other auctions will be held. So remember on Sunday, the 18th's, Deepwater will host a auction, at Deepwater tower. Around 9pm cet (8pm cet). Ryndir - Event Cordinator

February 14, Wednesday

Deepwater elects a Mayor! - Elv'eng

Deepwater held its first House Ruling in many months last night. The meeting was hosted by Belladona who kindly let the citizens use her tower for this event, she has also let the citizens know that they can call upon use of the tower in future, if needed. Dianora, the lady that runs the Tavern got up and told the assembled people why it is that she wanted to become Mayor of the small town. She said that the town had once again returned to life after having been quiet for many months, and it was time the town had a Government that the citizens could look to for anything they might need. One other citizen, a fellow called Caine also spoke to the multitude about why he wanted to become mayor. He was worried about a woman taking the mantle of office. It is quite possible some other citizens were worried about this too, but they were convinced by the strength of Dianora's speech that she is the right woman for the job. After the two speeches, Alexandra asked the citizens to stand by one of two trees on the roof of the Tower of Magics in order to express their votes. The citizens voted overwhelmingly with their feet for Dianora. Caine received one vote. Alexandra then declared that the new Mayoress of Deepwater was Dianora, and as a formality he asked Jearom the Captain of the Guards if he recognised her as so. Jearom of course did. Dianora then thanked everyone for their support and her first official act was to name Bronco as Vice-mayor. There was a buzz throughout the whole meeting, and the citizens did seem to be very excited by the whole event. The Orcs did try to assault the tower in which the House of Ruling was head, but the Mayor was whisked away to safety whilst the guards and some citizens dealt with the foul beasts. I doubt this is the last time the Orcs will cause trouble for Mayoress Dianora's new Government. Alexandra The bard of Deepwater

February 12, Monday

BNN: Dark Alliance Forms! - Elv'eng

Dark Alliance Forms! Bethsainda Ariaachas Feb 11 2001 11:47PM Dear readers, I fear that the news I have to bring you this time is dire indeed! I was with a caravan of trade merchants journeying from Yew to Britain, and suddenly in our midst appeared a fearsome and odd skinned orc. He spoke the human language fluently and said his name was Frabagor. He gave me the document you read in this article, and then, to emphasize his demands, slaughtered two of the caravan merchants before my very eyes! He assured me that the same fate awaited me if I did not make sure that this document reached my readers. Truly, the creature’s threat is not the reason that I convey this information to you, the good citizens of Britannia. Instead I deliver this news as my duty to the realm – most especially when the very safety of the populace is at stake. I fear we are all in for a dark time indeed. Here is the document he gave me, word for word: Under the tutelage of Frabagor, the orcs attempted, without success, to create a treaty with the humans. Within a few weeks time, both the towns of Deepwater and Spiritwood allowed an orc to be murdered within the confines of their borders, after stating that they would defend and protect the innocent orcs who came there to study human habits and learn. The orc lil’wuns were brutally slain at the hands as others stood by and watched. As a result of these incidents and others, we hereby issue this Dark Alliance Manifesto, inviting all in the land to join us in establishing true order within our homeland. A meeting is planned for Sunday night, the 25th of February in the town of Nohkmahr upon the roof of the tower. All who wish to stand up against the forces of oppression and the weak rule of the so-called “good” of this land, join us and swear your allegiance! The following Orcish Alliance, now titled Dark Alliance, Manifesto is hereby put into effect: Whereas the various races and people, maligned and misunderstood, have been the victim of treachery and of murder of the herein mentioned good people of this land… Whereas the strong of this world, of all races and of all creeds are the true people of and by nature suited to rule and maintain order… Whereas the aforementioned good people of this world have taken it upon themselves to brand us and show no respect for our rights and traditions… Whereas the breaking of treaties is just one more insult added to the many we have had to endure… Whereas the very ones who speak of and say they wish peace, attack us when we seek it, and kill us who only sought to better ourselves and enlighten ourselves… WE, the self-proclaimed Dark Alliance, do hereby state that we, as rightful rulers and being of superior might, shall no longer be victims of a system we did not create, and that is not fair to us and others of our ilk. We shall from this day forward take our rightful place in the world, no longer to be ruled over or dictated to by the weak, the sniveling, the cowardly, the irresolute, the self-righteous or self-styled leaders and rulers of this land. With the coming of the mighty Daregard shall we set forth our terms to all who live in this land, who shall give respect and tribute to us, or shall perish in the wind of our swords severing their lives from them if they do not comply. The orc fort will be our headquarters and no violation of it by the aforementioned good folk of the land will be tolerated. Guards will be posted and measures taken to ensure our safety if need be. BE WARNED, a new era is indeed coming. That is it dear readers. Time to batten down the hatches, lock the doors, and get out the crossbows. Rough seas ahead!

Sea Serpent's Tooth invites ye to tell a story! - Videric

Once again Sea Serpents Tooth Tavern welcomes ye to a warm Tavern night at Thursday the 15th of February at 21.00 (CET) (20.00 GTM). We invite all the story tellers of Britannia to tell stories and have few mugs of Reynard Gaveston's ale as well. This time I shall be telling the tale of the monster that is told to sleep at the bottom of Lock Lake here on the Trammel side of Cove. Come and hear the story, and perhaps tell one of your own! -Videric Gaveston Map you can find at http://cove.lemming.org/

Report on the University Opening - Elv'eng

Greetings dear friends all, It is with great pleasure that I now have the privilege of reporting to you all that last night’s opening of the Spiritwood University was a splendid success! When I arrived at the new Trammel campus tower, it was to be welcomed by a sight sure to warm me old heart, for the place was literally alive with activity. New applicants gathered round eagerly, old friends offered their assistance, and kind strangers of all sorts came to offer their aid to this momentous endeavour. I welcomed them all as best I could before rushing across town to see how the preparations for the Newcomer’s Craft Fair were getting on. To my astonishment, the streets were already alive with busy activity of the excited onlookers and customers both. I could see that many were keen to learn more of the sponsors behind the event, and this Place of Learning that people’s lips were abuzz with the news of, so I hurried back to the University Tower and prepared to officially welcome all. The main hall was standing room only as I took my place beside my fellow Deans of Study and gazed out at the sea of expectant young faces. To all, we gave a hearty welcome and an invitation to become part of our very first class of scholars, an invitation that met with warm approval. Soon, there was a long queue stretching from the door of the office out into the main chamber as the young, hungry for knowledge, lined up to get on the list. Each I greeted in turn and we spoke briefly about their area of interest, before I gathered their contact details with a promise that one of my learned colleagues would shortly be in touch to set their education in motion. The list grew long and I humbly thank all for their patients. We had many worthy guests this eve, too many to list all, but a special thank you goes to Rilla, the Gypsy Mystic who came to wish us luck before weaving her magical enchantments to set up a portal from Fair to University, thus helping to guide young scholars across the town from end to end. Also to RSC Antarion and the others for helping guide the new arrivals to us directly from Haven town, so that they might take full advantage of the free services on offer from the Grand Master artisans gathered for the Fair. And finally, a warm thank you to Elder Myrath who came to bestow special blessings upon this endeavour and even offering, (after much cajoling it has to be said) to honour us by teaching a course at our institution sometime in the not too distant future! I would add that the Green Robed Elder also did speak of new troubles brewing in the lands and of a rising unrest that was under close study. When asked if he would share his researches with us, he kindly agreed and handed over a book detailing the mysteries of the place called Deceit. This tome now resides in our University and shall no doubt be closely scrutinised by our scholars….. In closing, may I add that we were all so pleased by the results of this eventful evening that we have decided to attempt to stage similar Fairs on a much more regular basis. I look forward now to setting out on the joint voyage of discovery with all of our new students and sharing with them the wonders of this realm. And to all who missed last nights festivities and still wish to be involved, do not hesitate to come along or drop us a line, we are here for all of you. Come join us as we walk the path of enlightenment. Sacre Benedictus Brother Michael, Humble monk of the Virtues and First Chancellor http://www.vuvu.com/university

February 6, Tuesday

Lycaeum Academy Courses (Feb. 5th - 11th) - Elv'eng

(Saturday - february 10th) Welcome to Britannia: On 12:30pm GMT (13:30 CET), Menju Katsuteru will present his course "Welcome to Britannia". This course is specifically ment for young players (Newbies). You will get informations on all the basics in the world of Britannia and you can ask all those questions that you always wanted to get answered! This course is held in the Lycaeum on Moonglow island in Trammel. (Saturday - february 10th) OOC: Roleplaying 101:On 2pm GMT (15:00 CET), Menju Katsuteru will present his OOC- course "Roleplaying 101". This is a course for all those people who always wondered how to roleplay in Ultima Online. You will get information about roleplaying in general, hints on how to talk in-character as well as impressions on how to roleplay specific character alignments. WARNING: this course is specifically for people new to roleplaying. This course is held in the Lycaeum on Moonglow island in Trammel. More information obout the Academy and up to date information on a class schedule calendar can be found on http://learn.at/lycaeumacademy Hope to see ye there! Yoldran

Spiritwood University, first meeting. - Elv'eng

Hail dear friends all, Peace unto thee. This coming Wednesday, the 7th of February, we shall be holding our first public meeting of the new Spiritwood University. We welcome all who come in peace to share their interests and ideas with us. To find the lovely town of Spiritwood, start at the Skara Brae docks right outside town where the ferry lets you cross, go east. Take the second road to your right (south, at a crossroads). Keep going south until the road turns eastwards. Keep following it and you will end up in Spiritwood. The walk is short and the neighbourhood pleasant. The meeting shall be held within the inspiring surrounds of the Trammel Campus. This is a splendid Tower located in the Spiritwood region of the lands of Trammel, in the clearing nearest to the South West corner of the ancient Hedge Maze of Sosaria. Among the topics under discussion shall be plans for the upcoming Newcomers Fair, scheduled for Sunday the 11th of February. We shall look for thee from about 8 PM GMT, that’s 21:00 CET on Wednesday the 7th. Come walk with us along the path of enlightened learning. Michael, First Chancellor and humble monk of the Virtues http://www.vuvu.com/university/

Bardic night at Sea Serpent's Tooth Tavern - Videric

Where: Sea Serpent's Tooth tavern at Trammel Cove When: Thursday the 8th of February at 21 (CET) Sea Serpent's Tooth tavern would like to welcome all the bards and and the storytellers to the bardic night on Thursday the 8th of February at 21 (CET). We would like to hear the best stories and songs performed by the best bards and storytellers. So if you are seeking fame as a bard or a storyteller, or you simply wish to listen to them, please join us. I hope I see thee there, Videric Gaveston http://cove.lemming.org/

February 2, Friday

BNN: Vile Sorcery Corrupts the Land's Cemeteries! - Elv'eng

Something i found on Britannian Networks in the Europa section, have a look: Vile Sorcery Corrupts the Land's Cemeteries! Merrel the undertaker Jan 30 2001 11:18PM As I was wandering through Yew cemetery to inspect and maintain the graves there, I stopped dead in my tracks, terrified at the sight I beheld. The skeletons of those that I had buried, left to their eternal slumber, had risen from the very ground and were lumbering about the cemetery grounds! My first thought was to flee for my life, but then I noticed that they were not paying me the slightest attention. Intrigued, I crouched behind a gravestone and watched silently. It seemed as if the putrid things were digging, perhaps searching for something buried beneath the clotted remains of their graves. Other than that, they simply kept shifting in awkward steps, both around the perimeter and within the small crypt at the very heart of the graveyard. I could hear a chilly, yet enchanting female voice shout dangerous commands at the skeletons from within. With bated breath, I approached the crypt doors and carefully peeked inside. By the dim light that crept through the rotting wood and crumbling stone of the crypt’s entrance, I began to make out shapes in the darkness. T’was then that I saw something beyond all measure of dread… Skeletons were struggling to speak to a beautiful young woman. Most unsettling was the fact that the skeletons actually appeared scared - for as far as that is possible for a pile of reanimated bones. I believed I could hear their bones rattling with fear, in much the same rhythm as my own. With great difficulty the skeletons spoke to her as mistress, and Milady Lynn. It seemed as if the skeletons were ordered by the Lady Lynn to find a book. Truly, t’was quite disquieting to see how she commanded her undead henchmen. Every time a skeleton approached her and told her that it had not found the object she was searching for, her voice would turn as cold as the very graves around me as she hissed something guttural yet edged with unnatural power at it. The skeleton would then shriek, a terrible, haunting sound, clawing at what remained of its face before exploding outwards, sending fragments of bones across the room. After such an act, the lady would call forth other skeletons to do her bidding. Seemingly rooted to the spot, I could not believe what I had witnessed. Had I truly seen such a delicate woman engaged in such gruesome and forbidden acts of necromancy? I was terrified, yet I could not look away. I was unwholesomely interested in what had happened to the long lost and forbidden art. I crawled back to the tombstone where I had hidden earlier, waiting to see what, if anything, would happen next. The lady Lynn probably did not find what she wanted, for, soon enough, she had slaughtered all the skeletons in such a horrid way that I can nay bring myself to recall it fully enough to put into words. Still deathly afraid that I might be caught by the teeming undead, yet irresistibly drawn to follow her, I crept, slunk, snuck and slipped all over the lands of Britannia in her wake. She visited the crypts of Yew and several other cemeteries across the land. All these locations were the scenes of terrible suffering and slaughter. As I followed her through the dark passageways of the crypts I noticed that she favored zombies above the other undead. I think I heard her mumbling something about how delightfully easy they were to control. I listened to her speak to the many zombies that seemed to follow her all over. She spoke of a book. A book called “Domain.” I do not know what manner of horrors this book might contain, or where it possibly came from, but it cannot possibly be a tome filled with good and beneficial knowledge if a such a necromancer, who wields her powers so contemptuously, wishes to find it. Just when I began to have faith that the lady Lynn would not complete her quest and that the book she sought would remain lost for all eternity, my hopes were crushed. We had only just set foot in the cemetery of Jhelom when a pack of hideously malformed zombies rushed to aid her in her search. As I sat down to have a piece of bread for the duration of this round, I suddenly heard the terrifying, ghastly peal of her laughter. Louder and louder, more raucous and guttural it became, until I could not help but cover my ears, to cower in the underbrush. The laughter, I will never, can never forget it – but e’en moreso I cannot forget what it surely must have meant. The lady Lynn has found that which she has sought across the lands of Britannia…and I fear - nay, I know - that our end has come.