Our Events: A History

[Beldin Brightaxe]

Oh, wonderfull summary Eryn. Huv ter say Ah really appreciate thae hard werk ter put all the detail intae one story.

An' Ah huv ter say how proud Ah am of Grom. Anything that'd keep thae lad oot ae thae ale be a good thing.

Nice writeup...If you plan to update it perhaps it could be made sticky... so people can see what has been up?

[Eryn Darkthorn]

Well, I tried to edit it to fix that picture on the bottom, but it removed all of the tags, and there is no way I am going to go through that again. I was planning after this to just post event stories as they happen on the news page which creates a new thread here. However, there is no way I will be able to attend every scenario and it would be great if people could add to this so we can all keep track of the plot.

[aurora_stuart]

great write up Eryn!! what fun mini events we've had!! *giggles*

[Kragmoor]

Very, very nice. This should prove most useful for anyone interested in the state of our events. At least for me it has already become invaluable...I would have never know otherwise that something happened Tuesday evening.

I'm too big a baseball fan though to just walk away from two of the best playoff series I have ever seen so I have hardly been on since Monday.

At least I know where we stand now in terms of these events. I just wish I could get to more of these mini-events, they seem to just happen whenever.

Dwarves, expect to see more of me around your fair city. I have a yearning for participation and it seems the gods have favored your tavern. If I must check there 3 times a night I'll do it (well, after game 7 tonight that is, hehe).

[Eryn Darkthorn]

Ok so today at some point our criers announced that the Guards were needed to go get reagents for the cure to Martel's poison. The guards went into shame and into Ilshenar. The fought several champions as well. I wasn't there at all and don't have screenshots(didn't hear about it til it was over). Garth Grey was present after it ended and said he would provide more details. Looks like we will start seeing Lord Martel again soon though..

[NAvienne]

Bet I know when it was! I was killing blood eles in Ilsh and had several major periods of lag...sometime between 1:30 and 2:30 central time this afternoon I bet!

[Bundle Of Sticks]

I was there, no pics though.

I came a little after it started. First we went to the mage towers in Shame to find some reagents. A wizard spawned (light blue highlight, no loot) and did like 300 damage meteor swarms. We found 2 of the reagents and moved west to the other tower and repeated the same. This time a light purple wizard spawned to prevent us from finding the reagents. Canin (I can't remember, think that's right) then led us to Humility shrine in ish. From there we went to Lizardmen City and into a cave in the middle of the city. There was a balron and ancient wyrm in the passage way. We killed them and moved to the exit of the passage way and came out in the ancient wyrm's lair where Rikktor was waiting us along with a few other ancient wyrms. Rikktor seemed a lot harder than the normal one at champ spawns and after killing him we were able to release the last needed reagents. There were no artifacts spawned (to my knowledge) but the loot wasn't too bad. If you want to check out the reagents, they are on display upstairs in the Brit Castle. He said he was working on a cure and hopefully Martell will be back with us soon.

[Janos Pendragon]

Not to give her too big a head, but I thought eeryone ought to see that Eryn is getting recognized for her great work as shard reporter already. Joshua Rowan was so impressed with her summary that he reposted it as a major article for event news for all of the shards. Check out what he had to say here. (http://uo.stratics.com/news/QuestandEventNews.shtml#newsitem1066501928,53306,)

Good work hun!

[Eryn Darkthorn]

Last night Nyssa was in Luna for awhile, and I had a chance to ask her a few questions. Clainin the alchemist who is working to cure Martel's poison now has the right reagents, but it may still be awhile before he finds the right combination. Nyssa said that Sten was still imprisoned, and that she was going to ask Clainin what was needed for a truth serum that might be used on Sten. She said she would have to wait on that until after Clainin had finished his work on Martel's cure. She said that she might be returning to Luna this evening at some point. As a side note, Nyssa seems almost certain that Sten is now working exclusively for Minax. I was going to make this a news story in itself, but had some issues with the computer late last night.

[Eryn Darkthorn]

Just to keep all of this in one thread. Im going to paste the most recent plot posts here. No fancy pics or anything just straight info but I will include links to the original news if there are any.

Search for Truth: News thread here: http://uo.stratics.com/news/LakeAustin.shtml#newsitem1066686861,6346,

Nyssa posted a call to arms on the bulletin board in Paladin Hall. When many had assembled there, she announced that Clainin, Lord British's chief mage, was working feverishly on a cure for Martel now that he had the right reagents.

Nyssa had gone to see Clainin to discover if there was a way to make a truth serum that could be used on Sten Wyndham. Clainin was too busy to help her, but did give her the name of a mage he had known long ago. The name was Laz'gul, and after searching for some time, Nyssa discovered that Laz'gul was dead. She knew where he had once lived, and believed that he might have left notes behind. However, the place was well guarded and this was why she needed the aid of the Royal Guard. The Guard was led through the public moongate to Trinsic in Trammel, and from there Nyssa opened a gate to the entrance into the Hidden Valley.

Laz'gul, it seems, had chosen to become a lich, and had called some of his friends to help guard his old possesions. The Guard encountered a battalion of Lich Lords and Skeletal Mages, which were dispatched after a fevered battle in the close quarters of the Hidden Valley.

In the basement of Laz'gul’s house, the Guard discovered a book with the following words inscribed:


The Potion of Truth
When it becomes necessary to sift truth from lie, this potion, if properly made, is the means whereby that can be accomplished. No matter how great the resistance, the subject with answer any question presented, and ye may rest assured, if he lies, the pain he feels will show thee that he does so. Be warned, there is a chance the subject will die from this potion! Reagents required:

- Rusty Pig Iron
- Wyrm’s Heart
- Nightshade flowers
- Pure Blackmoor
- Vampire Batwing
- Demon Blood
- Sulphuric Ash
- Grave Dust

Fill a flask with these components and add the blood of the one of whom ye seek the truth. Heat it until all the reagents congeal. Stir the mixture and allow it to cool. Stand in the center of a pentagram and utter these words of power whilst holding the flask above thy head: “ Angras Vex Sophos” while making the third gesture in the arcane forms of elder magicks. If the words are spoken correctly and the gesture is made, a bolt of lightning will strike the flask. Fear not, ye will not be harmed unless ye have faile din one or the other. In that case, consider thyself fortunate if ye survive. Let the potion cool once more, and then, soon after, give it to the subject to drink, or if ye prefer, place it some food that he may partake of it unbeknownst to him. He need not consume it all, yet do not save what remains, for it will putrify in a matter of hours and be rendered useless.
The subject will convulse for a short time, and appear poisoned (indeed he shall be!) but it will pass soon. Begin the questioning, but only one person should ask the questions as the subject may become confused and fight its effects. The effects will last only a short time, so be sure thy questions are ready beforehand. If the subject seeks to lie, he will be stricken with great pain and ye will know he doth lie to thee. Present the question again until ye have the truth. If the subject dies it is possible he shall not be able to be resurrected, for the potion shall make his body unfit for resurrection, being corrupted by the effects of the potion.

Such is the chance ye must take if ye are willing to know the truth.

The Guard returned to Luna where Nyssa was waiting. Camilla Drodon had made a copy of the book, which she gave to Nyssa. After reading the book, Nyssa left to go see if Clainin could spare a moment to help her with the potion. While she was away, a group of Royal Guard returned to Hidden Valley to finish off the remaining monsters. Sir Ohpid of Yew, and Executioner killed Laz'gul during the skirmish.
Nyssa returned to Luna a short while later, explaining that an aide of Clainin had made the potion for her. Nyssa, a mage of many talents, had baked two delicious pies and had added the potion to each. One to be used this evening, and one to be kept in reserve for later uses. (Of the many lessons learned this evening, the one learned best was this: be ever watchful when Nyssa offers you pastry.) As it was noted in the book, the potion works best when only one person is chosen to ask the questions. Nyssa asked us to choose who that person should be. Elrythien Nywiel, was elected to play the role of interrogator. The Guard gated into Yew prison in Trammel, where Sten was incarcerated. Sten was coaxed into eating the pie, and was immediately wracked with pain just as the book had foretold. Upon questioning he revealed the following:

He has met Keeonean twice, both times in the Orc dungeon.
When asked about his wife, he didn’t seem to know whom we were referring to until the name Lynnette was mentioned. Some thought this might indicate that this is not the original Sten.
He admitted to allowing Lynnette to be kidnapped and tortured.
The purpose of the communication crystal was to spy and send information. He was paid by Keeonean to do this.
He did not know how to free Lynnette from her prison.
He admitted to spying of his own free will.
After these things were revealed, the truth potion wore off. Sten was confused at first, but once he realized what had happened he issued many threats. He claimed to be much more than a simple farmer. He said he had played everyone for fools, and that everyone would die just like Martel and soon. During his rant, Sten said, “Lady, please get me out of this!”. We must assume that she heard his plea, for shortly thereafter he escaped his bonds and fled. Due to the restrictions of the Trammel facet, The Royal Guard was unable to attack him. They chose to track him instead. He somehow jumped a gate into Delucia, Trammel. From there he accessed his bank box, and after a few more threats disappeared before the eyes of the gathered Guard.
It was a very angry and frustrated group that returned to Paladin Hall in Luna. When Nyssa arrived and heard the tale, she was not upset in the slightest. She said that she had suspected that Sten could be freed at any time from the prison.

Nyssa then said, “Well, I am going to do something that Lord Martel may not approve of. I am placing a bounty on his head. Slay him on sight. If you can bring proof of it, I will reward you”.

She added that the Guard should wait and allow her to track him before attempting to find him on their own. Nyssa thanked everyone for their time and effort in this endeavor and then she departed. She mentioned that she might be in need of help tomorrow night, but it was uncertain.

[Eryn Darkthorn]

On 10/21/03 This was posted by Elves of Lorien:

My assistant stumbled upon a gruesome display in Luna a few moments ago. Sten Wyndam's head is there along with a disturbing message which reads:

"Per the lady Nyssa's request and for all the trouble this worm has caused thee, m'Lord. May thy health improve."

Lord Vangerdahast followed shortly after, and while they were discussing the message, Nyssa appeared. They showed her the message and the head. She said they were locked to the ground using the same magic as was used to lock down the cryptic message in the hall some days back.

Our conversation was brief, but Lady Nyssa was obviously upset by this act, saying that it would deeply upset Lord Martel and that she did not intend this outcome. She wondered if perhaps this was perpetrated by Minax in order to discredit her.

We also discussed the theory that the Sten we spoke with in Yew Prison two night prior may have been an imposter, that perhaps the true Sten could have been killed before then, though this is just speculation. It was also mentioned that the appearance of Sten's death would be a good ruse to stop us from continuing to look for him

It was decided that Nyssa would continue searching for Sten just in case, and that she would decide how best to proceed next.

Another piece of news was that Lynette has been moved. It is not known where or why.

Original Thread here:

http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=uolakeaustin&Number=447460 6&page=2&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&what2=postlist&fp art=

[Eryn Darkthorn]

New developments on 10/25/03. Original thread here: http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=uolakeaustin&Number=448874 2&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&what2=postlist&fp art=

From the bulletin board in Paladin Hall:

<blockquote>Greetings,

My Lord Martel remains very ill, and Clainin's work on a curative continues. He may be finished with it today or tommorrow. When he does, and all is ready, I will do my utmost to send word.</blockquote>

Nyssa returned to Luna later on in the evening and spoke to a small gathering there. In summary, she said that Lord Martel was very ill, and it was deeply worrying her. Nyssa stated that the cure to Martel's poisoning should be ready tommorrow. She said there were several parts in the process and that was what was worrying her. She said 'If anything fails, it could go badly'.

On Lynette and the Sten saga:

Lynnette has been moved from the pinnacle near the Ophidian Palace. She has never reappeared there. She said "I have conclusive proof that the head delivered is that of Sten Wyndham" and "He is, in fact, now dead" "But the more I study this and search for truth, the less I think it is Minax's doing."

Errant offered an interesting theory suggesting that perhaps it was a Shadowlord agent, maybe even Ramuz, who had killed Sten. She said she would persue that line of thinking and investigate it further.

She concluded that she hoped we would all be there at the administration of the cure tommorrow evening. Martel has been moved to Lord British's castle, so that would be where it will occur. Nyssa said "I am fairly sure it will be in the evening."
She said that if word comes it will direct us to go to the castle, but reminded us that the criers will not obey her commands. For those of you that dont know, our EM has always had technical problems with the criers, and they only seem to work for the larger events.

Makes you wonder, if she's really that upset with the head why it's still on the floor...

[aurora_stuart]

hehe cause she can't pick it up /php-bin/shared/images/icons/tongue.gif

[game99]

ohh why are there no gms :/

[game99]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid85/pca6c69f045e2beae0a2b47bc7d7e7758/faba4ceb.jpg

[Eryn Darkthorn]

On 10/27/03 We had another event. The original thread with pics is here:
http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=uolakeaustin&amp;Number=449396 1&amp;page=1&amp;view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=0&amp;what2=postlist&amp;fp art=

<blockquote>
Our Royal Guard Commander Martel Nevarre has been lying near death for almost two weeks, after being poisoned by a magical spider. Clainin, Lord British’s chief mage, has been working towards a cure to the poison, and members of the Royal Guard have aided where they could.

Word arrived that Lord Martel’s remedy was ready. Many gathered in the throne room of Lord British’s castle in hopes of aiding Clainin with its delivery.

Clainin arrived and said “I bring good and glad tidings. I have completed the research of the spell and used the reagents that were gathered to create a potion that will cure the poison coursing through the Commander's body. However, there are yet some tasks that need to be performed before the spell can be cast. Geoffrey and I met with Anon and determined that the spell needs reinforcement. We must visit 3 shrines that we feel are virtues embodied by Martel and attune them to the shrine representations in the Chamber of Virtues. It was our feeling that Honesty, Honor and justice were embodied the most. What we will need to do is go to each of those shrines in turn and chant the mantra thrice. Then we will go to the Chamber of Virtues to complete the spell. Let us be on our way, for the sooner we have cast the spell, the sooner Martel is cured.” After speaking he gated those present to the shrines he mentioned. At each shrine, those assembled said the mantra’s three times. Then a gate was opened to the Chamber of Virtues.

Upon arrival, Clainin asked that some of the guard go and retrieve Lord Martel from his bedroom in the castle. During this time a Tamer named Crystamaere began acting strangly, showing signs of illness, and saying she felt faint. Clainin asked that the participants who had not gone to retrieve Martel stand on the stones that represented their chosen virtue. They were then asked to repeat those mantras three times. Shortly thereafter, Lord Martel was escorted into the Chamber, and he looked extremely ill. Clainin gave him a potion, which he drank. He said that he felt somewhat better after having imbibed the brew. Clainin began to cast the spell that would complete the ritual when suddenly Crystamaere transformed into a monster, and the Chamber erupted in chaos.

Clainin’s spell was interrupted and it took quite some time to kill the intruder and the mass of minions that appeared beside her. Many remarked at how similar she was in appearance to Nierra. When she died piles of gold littered the floor, although no special items were found on her body.

Afterwards, Clainin explained that his spell was unsuccessful because he had been interrupted. Martel felt somewhat better, but still felt the poison coursing through his body. It was at this point that an apothecary by the name of Odric made his presence known. He said that he might be able to aid Lord Martel, but that there would be a price. No one present had heard of this man before, and all were highly suspicious of his motivations. He said that he would go and prepare his remedy and meet us all at the castle. It was agreed and everyone returned to the castle, meeting in the south Council chambers.

Odric returned shortly thereafter. Clainin expressed the suspicion that all were feeling, and asked why we should trust him. Odric explained that he would not benefit from Martel’s death, and actually needed aid in a personal matter. He said, “You see what I have need of is for you and the Royal Guard to recover an heirloom for me. A priceless artifact that Minax now possesses, by priceless I mean it has value only to me.” Martel and Clainin consulted with each other and the Royal Guard on what should be done. There was some debate, but the fact of the matter was simply that Odric had Lord Martel over a barrel and there was little that could be done other than to accept the offer. After agreeing to the price, Odric gave the potion to Clainin. The foul odor and taste were very apparent, but Clainin deemed it to be safe. Clainin gave the potion to Lord Martel, bristling under the mocking and highly disrespectful comments made by Odric. Martel drank the potion and the room held its breath. He literally turned colors before our eyes. He turned yellow, red, white, grey, and black before finally returning to normal. After a few moments Lord Martel announced that he had been cured! He was soon whisked off to rest, but promised to attend to Odric’s debt soon. The smirking Odric said that he would inform the Royal Guard of the date and time to get the artifact after speaking first with his associate. For now all are waiting and wondering just what kind of bargain we have struck, and at what real cost?</blockquote>

[Eryn Darkthorn]

Sten's part of the plot comes to an end. Original thread here:

http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=uolakeaustin&amp;Number=450335 2&amp;page=2&amp;view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=0&amp;what2=postlist&amp;fp art=

Nyssa posted word on the bulletin board in Luna that she would require the aid of the Royal Guard last night. It seems that she had received a pigeon from an anonymous source claiming to know the whereabouts of Lynnette. With the call raised, many of the Royal Guard awaited their orders at Paladin Hall in Luna.

Nyssa arrived, but shortly thereafter, "My Interspacial Solidifying Power was suddenly terminated." When she returned, she received another pigeon from the anonymous source and the missive asked for a meeting at the Lighthouse in the New Lands on Fellucca. The location caused a bit of confusion, as Nyssa was unable to open a gate to it. But soon Royal Guard members opened gates into Yew, where the tunnels and secret passages were used to locate the Lighthouse. Who was the mystery source? None other than Sten Wyndham! Yes, the same Sten Wyndham whose head now resides in Paladin Hall. Obviously this was the ‘false’ Sten. He led the guards to a location in the nearby mountains. Once again we were able to glimpse but not rescue Lynnette from her perch on the mount.

Once we had viewed the sickly green woman, ‘Sten’ began to taunt us saying, "There, *smiles* Take a good, long, look. For it is the last time you will see her... I told you I would have my revenge upon you when you locked me in that jail and gave me that swill to trick me. Now you will all pay for it. I am made strong by the power of the Lady!" With that, he began to summon Ogre Warlords and begging those present to try to kill him. A few temporarily became criminals by taking him up on that offer. It soon became apparent to Sten that he was going to die. He seemed shocked by this and said “This is not what you told me lady!!!!!!!”. Lynnette watching from the top of the mount said “'Tis awful! Death! Ah!”, before once again disappearing.

Pigeons were sent, and Nyssa joined us shortly thereafter. Upon examination of the body she determined that this was not Sten Wyndham, but who or what it had been was impossible to determine. The Royal Guard returned to Paladin Hall. Discussing it afterwards, those assembled realized that the entire scenario had been nothing more than an elaborate plot to kill Sten before Lynnette's eyes. Sten, in his journal of long ago, had said that the sight of him had kept Lynnette from killing herself through starvation. Watching ‘Sten’s’ death at the hands of the Royal Guards could serve two possible purposes. It was either to destroy her will to live, or to turn her completely against her brother Lord Martel. As to why Minax would go to such lengths, even as a distraction, is still a topic of much debate amongst the ranks of the Royal Guard.

[Eryn Darkthorn]

We had an event on Halloween night. Original thread here: http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=uolakeaustin&amp;Number=451203 5&amp;page=0&amp;view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=0&amp;what2=postlist&amp;fp art=



It was late in the evening on All Hallows Eve. Lady Galoneth and myself were discussing some of the recent gossip at the inn in Luna, when suddenly Lord Martel Nevarre awoke and came outside to join us. It was quite nice to see him looking well, with normal hued skin rather than the green sickly state he has been in for weeks. He greeted us, and informed us that he had a matter he would like for us to attend to. Lord Martel asked that we gather others to us, but few were able to come at such a surprising time. We met in the Luna Council Hall, where Lord Martel laid out our mission.

"There is a grove wherein an ancient Yew tree stands. This ancient Yew tree is the home of a spirit. Some think a demon. It is quite harmless, but it has great precognitive powers, Seer-like but it only appears rarely. The spirit only appears to those of good and noble heart who deliver the prize it seeks but that prize is not known. At the base of the tree is a small chest, there is a riddle inscribed upon the chest and apparently if one of good and noble heart places the item desired within the chest the spirit may appear and questions may be asked of it. The one foremost on my mind is... Is Lynnette alive and where is she being held prisoner." Lord Martel asked if we would seek out this spirit and ask those questions of it. He gave us a rune, and shortly we found the tree. At the base of the tree was a chest with a riddle inscribed. The riddle was "In Thy Palm I Lie, Making Greedy Hearts Sigh, Flashing Color in Thine Eye." It was determined that the answer to the riddle was a diamond. Caity Lauren, a member of the gathering, happened to have a diamond on her person, and when she placed it into the box, the spirit was summoned.



Caity Lauren began questioning the spirit. Her heart must be quite pure and noble for the spirit answered many questions. We discovered that Lynnette is alive, being held in the desert palace of the Ophidians, but that she should not be rescued at this time. Lynnette was poisoned by the Ophidian Matriarch that is holding her captive. There is no cure to the poison, but the Matriarch has taught Lynnette how to heal herself in bits and pieces. If the two are separated, Lynnette will die. The spirit told us that there is no way to barter with the Ophidian for she takes her orders from the Evil One. As to why Minax is holding Lynnette? "Who can fathom the mind of evil? Perhaps to torment her adversary, Perhaps as a card to be played in her game, Perhaps for pleasure of tormenting her." The spirit departed, and we returned to Luna, meeting in Lord Martel's office.



We relayed the messages of the Great Spirit, and Lord Martel showed a small bit of his temper upon hearing it. He vowed to find out more about this Matriarch, and asked that no one take it upon themselves to find and rescue Lynnette until he had a more definite plan of action. He then said that he had other news to share with us. "I have been reading some history, and it seems that in the next day or so there is the possibility of an ancient evil arising. A demon lord named Og'rath the Annihilator may be set free from the infernal abyss to wreak havoc on the lands. Likely not here, but Trammel. It is written that every few hundred years this may happen. Within a few days of this day. Perhaps tomorrow or the day after, I cannot be sure. What I do know is that he will resurrect several powerful undead lords who will then marshal undead forces and if they are defeated, he will do battle himself." When asked how we will know when the being is summoned Martel replied. "I will do my utmost to have it sent across the realms. So that all may hear wherever they are." With that he went off to prepare and plan for Lynnette's rescue.

[Flying_Ninja]

I liked how Nyssa even included the use of a thief, ya that was me hehe a monkey with a disguise kit on but it was interesting how i became involved. It started out as I stole one of the whatchya m'call it globes...the ones that link to pets...then I stalked the group in hopes of free powerscrolls but it ended up as an event. The group was really nice to me and I ended up giving the tamer her pet globe back. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif

[Eryn Darkthorn]

This event occurred on 11/02/03. Original thread here:

http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=uolakeaustin&amp;Number=451621 9&amp;page=0&amp;view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=0&amp;what2=postlist&amp;fp art=

A message was sent via the Gods that Lord Martel needed the aid of the Royal guards in Luna at the Paladin Hall. The message was heard throughout the world, and as such the number of guardsmen who arrived was staggering.

Upon arrival, the smirking and very impatient Odric greeted the Royal Guardmen and women. It was time to pay the debt Lord Martel had incurred by allowing Odric to heal him. Odric informed the group that the items to be recovered were a bracelet and a pair of earrings, encrusted with gems never before seen in our lands. The jewels were being held in Minax's house in the Hedge Maze on the Felluca facet. Lord Martel told everyone to go downstairs and through the moongate into Jhelom, Felluca. Upon arrival there, he asked that the Guard form into two groups. The first group was to be a diversion, the other group would be sent to retrieve the heirlooms.

The diversion was an attack on the Orc Fort in Yew where the Guard was to kill Kor'bak, one of Minax's generals. The group that went to Yew faced great obstacles, as an enormous number of orcs of varying species appeared as the troops arrived. The guard quickly located Kor'bak, and began to attempt to slay him. He was very powerful, and it took quite some time to defeat him.

Lady Minax herself showed up to aid her General dressed in her finest attire. Sir Ophid of Yew took pictures of her garb which are located here. It was all for naught because, shortly after she arrived Kor'bak died and piles of Orcish gold littered the ground.

Minax was highly angered to discover that her general had been killed, but that anger was slight compared to the rage she expressed when she discovered that this was a mere diversion, and that her very house was under siege. Minax left the orc fort to attend to her house, but she would be too late to stop the Royal Guard from taking the jewels.

Meanwhile, the second group had gone into the hedge maze to locate Odric's heirlooms. The guard faced few obstacles, and Lord Martel quickly found the items located in the house on the second floor.

It appears that the box had been bewitched however, for as soon as the Royal Guard located the Box with the jewels, Balrons and fleshrenderers appeared.

Martel ordered both teams back to Luna, where Odric was waiting. Odric was devilishly gleeful when he received the jewels. He refused to say what purpose they served, or why they were important. He did offer to perhaps make other 'deals' with Martel at a later time. For now the debt has been paid and at the same time the Royal Guard was able to strike a blow to Minax. Lady Minax was highly angered by the events of this evening. Will she get her revenge? Who is Odric, and what does he intend to do with the jewels? We can only assume that time will tell.

[Eryn Darkthorn]

Another event on 11/9/03. Original thread here :
http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=uolakeaustin&amp;Number=453903 7&amp;page=1&amp;view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=0&amp;what2=postlist&amp;fp art=



Lord Martel's assistant Nyssa appeared in Luna looking for the aid of some Royal Guardsmen. I had been away visiting other realms, and had missed quite a bit of the latest news. At the time there were only three gathered, so I asked that she relay the most recent news while we awaited the arrival of others. Nyssa said "Odric came with word of the location of Minax. It was hidden valley west of Trinsic. She was there with Keeonean. It is unknown what they were doing or how Odric knew this. The royal guard attacked. The battle was fierce... many fell. It seemed we would indeed slay her. Well, "they" as I did not partake. Suddenly Keeonean began acting strangely, Minax sought to retreat. As they fled...Keeonean took Minax's necklace and, some reported, gave it to Odric who had hidden himself nearby. Odric subsequently vanished, apparently with the item. Minax fled. Keeonean was surrounded and captured and was taken to the prison in Yew. His trial was last night. Jurors were selected and charges made. Then, a mysterious gate opened and an apparition, in the form of Minax entered and killed the guards and him, Then vanished back through the portal." I asked what the charges against Keeonean had been and Nyssa replied, "Treason, declaring war against the realm, attempted kidnapping of the king, murder, and the poisoning of Lord Martel. I do not think all were listed. Keeonean made a pointed reply. Keeonean blamed the King for leaving, and creating Trammel, accused him of powerlessness." She also stated that neither Lord Martel nor herself had interrogated Keeonean prior to the trial.



Enough of the Royal Guard had arrived by the end of the telling of the story that Nyssa announced the current mission. It seems that Lynette, with Nyssa's aid, had escaped from the Ophidians that had held her hostage these many weeks. Lynnette is still suffering from the poison, but the Ophidian Matriarch had taught her enough to keep herself alive for at least a little while. Nyssa asked that those present go into the Lost Lands of Felluca to capture Sythys, the Desert Queen of the Ophidians. Sythys was the Matriarch that had originally poisoned Lynnette. It was hoped that with the Ophidian in custody, a cure for Lynnette would be found. According to information gathered by Nyssa, Sythys patrols the perimeter of the Ophidian Villa daily. Our orders were to capture her and escort her back to the entrance into the lighthouse in Yew. The Mafia, a member of our party opened a gateway into Yew near the court of Truth. From there we entered the Lost Lands. After some confusion it was decided that the best way to reach the villa was by boat. After crossing the river, we encountered several Ophidian warriors and shaman. They fell quite easily before The Royal Guards, and soon we began to battle our prey Sythys. It took some time, but eventually she surrendered and allowed herself to be taken prisoner.



The Guardsmen escorted Sythys back onto the boat and soon we had her near the Court of Truth.



Nyssa arrived and took her into custody, and announced that Lord Martel himself would like to reward those present for their efforts. He met them in the Court of Truth, giving each his thanks and a check for 10,000 gold. All who had not been recruited into the Royal Guard prior to this event were given sashes. The reds that had joined us mid-adventure were met in the tunnels of T2A, where they were inducted into the Royal Guard as well.

[Eryn Darkthorn]

and another on 11/10/03. Original thread here: http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=uolakeaustin&amp;Number=454223 5&amp;page=0&amp;view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=0&amp;what2=postlist&amp;fp art=


It was supposed to have been a lazy evening. Lord Martel rarely ever has missions for the Royal Guard on Monday nights. Out of habit, I went to Luna to check and see if anything was new at Paladin Hall. I was quite surprised to discover that a new book had appeared in front of the throne. I quickly read the book and discovered that it was an Investigative Report released by Lord Martel regarding the events surrounding the arrest and trial of Keeonean. It contained no truly new information, but I made a copy nonetheless. I was discussing the information with a friend when Lord Martel arrived. He explained that he had a mission of a personal nature this evening, and asked that we spread the word to gather more troops. He was highly dismayed that the criers were still non-compliant, but said that he believed that matter would be resolved soon. I called upon my flock of pigeons, and posted a notice here on the skypages. Many began arriving in Luna and it was soon time to receive our orders.



Lord Martel explained that Sythys, the Desert Queen, had agreed to give him the antidote for Lynnette's poison in exchange for her freedom. We had only to gather the main ingredient. Lord Martel said, "The Desert Queen revealed that there is a cure for Lynnette. She can make it, in fact, and will, for her freedom, which I have agreed to. But the cure involves finding a very rare item, and, as all know, rare items are often jealously guarded. This one is no exception. Sythys, the Queen, says that her people have a guardian. On both facets they have a fortress. The same kind of being guards both: A balron, and they revere it and they are able to learn things from it. One such thing was the poison given to Lynnette. And the antidote is created by an item from the balron, a piece of bone. Normally such things are destroyed, but its followers sometimes keep such things for their own use. So we are to find this item in Terathan Keep. We need only worry about the balron and the Ophidian guards." After explaining our mission, Lord Martel asked that we take the public moongate and go to Jhelom, Trammel. Once there he gated us all into the Terathan Keep.

There was quite a battle at the keep, but the number of Balron and Ophidian corpses far outnumbered those of the fallen Royal guard members.



Royal Guard Machomai spotted the bone that was required for the remedy. After examining it, Martel noted that it had fossilized, and as such he could only take shavings of it. He asked that everyone return to Luna, while he took the bone shavings to Sythys. Martel opened a gateway into the Court of Truth by mistake, and it made for some nice comic relief. He arrived in Luna a short time later and announced that the shavings were all that was needed for the remedy but Sythys feared for her safety. Martel had promised her an escort back to the villa, but this time the facet would be Trammel. He told us that Sythys would be waiting for us in the lighthouse, and then he opened a gate into the Yew Prison so that we could make our way there. Unfortunately, there were only a few present that knew the intricacies of how to find the teleporter into the tunnels. After much confusion, the troops joined the waiting Sythys in the lighthouse and we began the trek to the Ophidian Villa. There were several waves of monsters that attempted to halt our mission.

The Royal Guard got lost several times, making matters much worse. We finally arrived at a river and Guardsman Mihoshi allowed everyone to use his boat to get across. We left Sythys at her Villa, and happily returned to Luna.

Lord Martel greeted us upon arrival and announced that the potion had worked and Lynnette had been cured. He told us he would let us speak with her if we wished. Many were enthusiastic about this prospect and soon he opened a gate. He asked that we not disclose her location, and I will respect that wish and just say she was in a very comfortable place.

Lynnette greeted us, somewhat surprised at the fuss being made over her I think. She thanked everyone for coming to her aid on so many occasions. Lynnette revealed that she knew nothing of Minax's plans, but that Minax did speak to her and said many things. Lynnette was reticent to speak of these things to us, but did say that she had told Lord Martel most of it. She also stated that Minax had planned to kill her but changed her mind. She said "At least Minax did not leave me with the orcs *shudders* The serpent creatures reek, but they care not for humans the way orcs do. If you understand me." What trials this poor woman must have been through one can only imagine! Of the false Sten she said that he was some kind of shapeshifter, and that he had taken the real Sten's place when Sten had left the Dwarf Tavern to go into Trinsic. The real Sten had snuck off to see Lynnette, but was captured by Minax and the shapeshifter replaced him. Sten was kept alive in an unknown location so that Minax could use him to gather information for the imposter. One night he was kidnapped from Minax and soon after killed and his head left behind in Paladin Hall. Lynnette seemed certain that it was not Minax who had killed him.

Lynette then told of her escape from the Ophidians. The reptiles had apparently been shocked when they heard that Minax had killed Keeonean. They had decided it would be best to move Lynnette, and it was during the confusion that Nyssa had opened a gate into Vesper and Lynnette had made it through. Lynnette feels very sorry for not listening to Martel in the beginning, and is very humble regarding her own place in this series of events. She was obviously very sad, but trying to put a good face on things for our benefit. We began to speak of her brother and of the family traits of stubbornness and strength that manifest so frequently. When I brought up my continued suspicion of a possible blooming love between Martel and Nyssa, Lynnette replied, " He thinks more of her than he is willing to admit." Shortly thereafter, she decided it was time to rest and bid us good evening.

I believe the evening was enjoyable for all who attended. It had all the elements for a grand adventure. We had an epic battle, rescue, and even a hint of romance. Lynnette is back and in good health, although I am sure it will take some time for her to recover from her ordeal. I cannot wait to see where the next twist leads..

[Eryn Darkthorn]

This occured on 11/13/03. I believe this to be a stand alone event, not related to the ongoing plot but thought i would include it in case i am wrong. Original thread here: http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=uolakeaustin&amp;Number=454777 8&amp;page=4&amp;view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=0&amp;what2=postlist&amp;fp art=

Wednesday evening, Nyssa posted the following on the bulletin board in Luna: I bring ill tidings. I have received word from reputable sources that the time for the demonlords appearance is nigh, even this very day. Please be ready to engage him and his forces where they may appear. In response to this many began to prepare for battle. On other shards this event was held entirely in Trammel, and was a Harrower in disguise. Our event was entirely different. At 10:30(CST) everyone received a system message from Zilo, "Call to Arms! A menace has despoiled the Moonglow cemetary, and animated an army!" At the cemetery, there was a mass spawn, including such fan favorites as daemons, lich lords and rotting corpses.

After that 'menace' had been dealt with, there was another call to arms, "The undead menace is spreading! Enemies from beyond the grave gather in Vesper Cemetary!" Vesper was the same as Moonglow, only the spawn seemed heavier there.

Again just as soon as the residents of the graveyard had been decimated, another call went out. "Call to Arms! A third outcropping of undead denizens has captured a foot hold at Cove Cemetary!"

After dealing with the spawn there, yet another message, "The location of the undead general has been discerned! The City of the Dead! Felucca! To Arms!" This caught many unprepared. Most people had been expecting a Trammel only event. The location was difficult to reach and it took quite some time for everyone to get there. The spawn of undead creatures was awesome to behold. Shortly thereafter another message was sent, "A rift to the netherworld has torn open North of Delucia in the City of the Dead!"

Finally, we laid eyes on Ograth the Annihilator. He fought many of those present and then returned to his portal to regain his strength. Some followed him back to his portal in the westernmost building in the City of the Dead. It was there that he would die at the hands of Britannia's warriors.

Much gold was found, but no scrolls were delivered, and no rares were found on the corpse. The reds and Fellucan citizens that had helped kill Ograth, blocked the exit to the building and almost everyone died trying to flee. The majority of the people who had attended this event never made it to the building, and had no idea that the demon had died. It was, in the eyes of many, a very disappointing event.

[Eryn Darkthorn]

We had Lord Blackthorns Funeral on 11/16/03, and It was a bit of a jumble so instead of copying it in bits and peices you can read the thread here: http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=uolakeaustin&amp;Number=455590 4&amp;page=3&amp;view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=0&amp;what2=postlist&amp;fp art=

[Eryn Darkthorn]

It occurred to me recently that there are many people interested in the OSI events on Lake Austin. We have had a lot of interesting information come to light, some has been reported and sadly some has not. So to help get everyone up to date, I thought I would put pen to scroll and write out a history of our events.

http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/martel_paperdoll.gif I shall begin this tale after the invasion of Moonglow as the events prior to that are well documented and can be read in books located in <span class=high>Paladin Hall</span> in the city of Luna. After Moonglow was invaded it was decided that a Royal Guard should be established. <span class=high>Lord Martel Nevarre</span> was chosen by Lord British to recruit and command this guard. Lord Martel is aided by his assistant <span class=high>Nyssa</span>, a mage of extraordinary skill. These two servants of the Crown work tirelessly to keep the whole of Britannia safe from any threat.

One evening Lord Martel confided to some of his Royal Guardsmen that he had a sister. <span class=high>Lynnette</span> and Martel had been estranged for many years because Lord Martel did not approve of her marriage to <span class=high>Sten Wyndham</span>. Sten, it seems, had always been a shady character and was known to be a “cut-purse” prior to his marriage to Lynnette. Lynnette had followed her heart and as a result, cut all ties with her family. After his appointment as Commander of the Royal Guard, Lord Martel began to worry that his sister might be in danger. He sent a few of the Royal Guard to find her, and they did. They also discovered that the Orc’s had kidnapped her husband Sten. Royal Guardsmen, led by Martel, rescued Sten from the Orc's, only to discover that Lynnette had vanished sometime during the battle. Later, it was revealed that Minax had kidnapped her while the Guard was rescuing her husband.

http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/sten_paperdoll.gif Sten disappeared from public view for a time. He was occasionally spotted here and there doing suspicious things such as buying boats and purchasing mysterious items from local merchants. His sudden wealth was also a concern, as he seemed to spend far above his means. In light of this information, an arrest warrant was issued for Sten Wyndham. The charges were “Suspicion of Treason” and “Suspicion of Kidnapping”. When members of the Royal Guard were sent to arrest him, he was being guarded by Ogre Warlords. This new breed of monster is tied to Minax, and has only been seen where she and her minions have been working. His hiding spot was in the tunnels beneath Buccaneers Den, a place used prior as a staging point for attacks on Moonglow.

Sten was arrested. However, the evidence was not enough to keep him imprisoned, and he was soon set free. He was spotted on several further occasions always acting suspiciously. Sten also proved to have a loose tongue when plied with ample amounts of ale. It became obvious to many that there was more to him than met the eye.

http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/minax_paperdoll.gif A book was left by Minax in Paladin hall in which she told Lord Martel that she would kill Lynnette if Martel continued to meddle in her affairs. Shortly thereafter, it was discovered that Minax had planned a secret meeting with the Ophidians in the Lost Lands of Felucca. All of the Royal Guard was called and waged war there, killing all but one of her Lieutenants. Lord Martel caught glimpses of Lynnette, but Minax kept her well hidden during the heat of battle.

Later on the same evening, Nyssa sent a small group of Guardsmen to locate Sten and take him to the Dwarven community of Kraggen-cor, where it was hoped he could be watched. Shortly after his arrival and after much Dwarven ale, he revealed to those present that he had written a journal. He left the journal in the hands of Grom Brightaxe, after securing the oaths of all those present that they would not reveal the contents of the journal until after Sten's death. Those present kept the contents of the journal a secret until recently when new evidence of Sten's wrongdoings came to light.

In his journal, Sten confessed his part in the entire affair. Lynette had been proud of her brother Martel's new position as Commander of the Royal Guard, and this infuriated Sten. He decided to approach Minax and her minions. He made contact with someone named <span class=high>Keeonean</span>, who gave him lots of gold. Together they formed a plan to humiliate and kill Martel. Keeonean arranged for Sten to be 'captured' by the Orc's, thus leading Martel into a trap. However, the true plan was to get everyone out of the way so that Lynnette could be kidnapped. Sten had been a pawn and well used by Minax. He had no choice then but to play along, as his love for his wife and fear for her safety kept him from doing anything more. He was taken to see Lynnette, and according to his journal she had been starving herself. He described the location where she was being held as a hot dry place with stone walls all around.

http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/keeonian_paperdoll.gif Some believe that the discovery of this journal was a ruse by Sten to garner the sympathy of the Royal Guard. If the Guard find Sten to be as much a victim in these events as Lynette, they might reveal information to Sten that he can sell back to Minax.

Soon after his arrival with the Dwarves, Sten snuck out of Kraggen-cor. Nyssa found him near the tavern in Britain, where in his panic to flee he dropped several maps. Once deciphered, the maps led to the entrance to the Minax faction base in Felucca. Ogre Warlords and the like were guarding the entrance. Sten wasn't seen anywhere after that for quite some time.

Recently, a cryptic message was left in Luna Hall. It was decoded and decided that the message was meant for followers of Minax. A meeting was to take place in the spider dungeon in Ilshenar. A mass message was sent out and all of the Royal Guard rallied to aid in the fight. Prior to this battle, Martel introduced <span class=high>Geoffrey</span>, Captain of the Royal Guard and Lord Martel’s second in command. The message turned out to be an elaborate trap to take out Lord Martel. He was poisoned during the battle, and is gravely ill at the time of this writing.

The evening of Martel’s poisoning, Sten was spotted in Luna, attempting to gain access to Lord Martel's room. He ran away when any of the Guard approached him. Nyssa asked some of the assembled troops to look for Sten and detain him. He was found in a house near the Minax base entrance. He claimed that he was being held prisoner there, and that the Guard had “rescued” him. He was escorted back to the tavern at Kraggen-cor.

This leads us up to the events of Tuesday. Sten left a message at the Kraggen-cor tavern that he was going to Trinsic, but would return soon. Members of the Guard gathered at the tavern and questioned him upon his return. He refused to give any information on why he had gone to Trinsic, but he did say that he remembered more about where he last saw Lynnette. The place he described was in the same general location as the initial confrontation with Minax in the Lost Lands of Felucca. Pigeons were sent to Nyssa and she arrived shortly thereafter.

http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/lynnette_ill.gif Nyssa said that her sources indicated that Lynnette might very well be in that location. So the Guard set off into the dark lands to rescue the fair Lynnette. They found her, but as you can see from the picture (below), there was no way that mere mortals could rescue her from her predicament. Even Nyssa, with her awesome magical might, could do nothing to help the poor woman. It looks as if the same substance that has infected Lord Martel might have poisoned her. In addition, if someone had managed to gain access to her location, the <span class=high>Ophidian Matriarch</span> guarding her would have killed her immediately.

http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/lynnette_perch.jpgIt was with heavy hearts that the Guard returned to the Dwarven tavern. Nyssa met them there, and gave everyone present a small amount of gold for their efforts. She also said that she believed that Sten was more than he appeared, and that if somehow he could be lured into Felucca, his pack could be checked. As soon as she departed, Sten awoke and joined us in the tavern. He was lured into Occlo with rumors of the fine Mongbat Brew available there. A thief by the name of <span class=high>Grant</span> snooped his bag. Inside was an active communication crystal. He had been sending messages out this entire time! In light of this the guard members present issued a citizens arrest and took him to Yew prison.

http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/sten_prison.jpgThere was much debate on what to do with him once he was imprisoned. Nyssa arrived a short time afterwards and said she would take care of the matter, and investigate the communication crystal.

This concludes all of the events as of this writing.

I would especially like to thank <span class=high>Grom Brightaxe</span> and <span class=high>Elrythien Nywiel</span> for helping me piece these events together. Many of the facts provided here are based off of interviews with the participants and my own personal observations. I believe this to be as accurate an accounting of events as is possible at this time.

[Eryn Darkthorn]

On 11/17/03, Original thread here: http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=uolakeaustin&amp;Number=456177 7&amp;page=3&amp;view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=0&amp;what2=postlist&amp;fp art=

Lynnette Wyndham, our Commander's sister posted the following note on the bulletin board in Luna:

I am seeking information about the death of my husband, Sten. I would pay handsomely for a name or names of those responsible. Please visit me this eve at the rising of the 8th star in the central sky, at my villa in Trinsic, Trammel.

This was quite a shock, as Lord Martel had asked us previously to keep the location of her new home a secret out of concern for her safety. At the appointed time, many arrived at the Villa to see what information had been gathered. Ever the gracious hostess, Lynnette ushered everyone inside, and offered pies to any who might be hungry. When she confirmed that Nyssa had given her the recipe, this reporter politely refused. We never did find out what happened to the second truth serum pie, and I wasn't about to be 'adventurous'. Lynnette seemed nervous at our presence, even fussing over the bag of spilt flour on the floor. She explained that she could not wait any longer to discover who had killed her husband. Lynnette told us that she had snuck to the bank to post because she didn't want Nyssa or Lord Martel to know of her plan. The thought of her going about unescorted worried all of those present. Regardless of our concern, Lynnette had gotten some valuable information. A book had been delivered via courier. It reads:

Meet me, Laethan, at the crypts in Yew, Trammel, this night, and I will tell thee the name of the killer of thy man. My price is ten thousand gold coins. I offer other proof as well. Do not fail to come! I make this offer only this once as it puts my life in extreme peril.
Signed,
Laethan.

Lynnette gave me this book, a rune and a check for ten thousand gold. She said that the gold was her entire savings, but that it would be worth it to her if the man told the truth. I opened a gateway and we went into the crypts in search of Laethan.

After battling through hordes of daemons, ghouls, skeletal knights and other riffraff, we finally found our quarry. Laethan was quick to confirm who we were, and that we had the gold. He told us that the man who had murdered Sten was named Mandred. "He is a member of the Shadow Lords. In league with them. He is no one of importance. And I may be able to lure him to ye some day. For more money that is.. *grins* I know him well." Laethan claimed that he was a rogue, and made his living selling information. Laethan seemed a friendly sort, seeking only to make some gold and pass on some good gossip.

Laethan then led us into another room where he pointed out a bloody hatchet on the floor. He told us that he had seen Sten die in that very room with that weapon. He told us that we could confirm that the blood was Sten's by taking the hatchet to anyone with skill in forensics "Though that skill is quite forgotten. *laughs*" . Laethan said that Sten had been taken from Minax by the Shadowlords, who had hidden him in various locations for awhile before finally killing him in the crypts. According to Laethan they had chosen this location in hopes of placing the blame elsewhere. After this, we gave him his gold and he departed. We returned to Lynnette with the news. She took it badly, and did not want to hear much of the details. She expressed frustration with having to wait for legal justice, a trial and all of that. Lynnette wants the person responsible to pay for their crimes immediately. We explained that we were not henchmen, and she apologized. At first reticent to share the news with her brother or Nyssa, we convinced her that it would be for the best. She suggested that we send a pigeon to Nyssa and have her meet us at the crypts to examine the murder weapon.

We returned to the crypts and met Nyssa in the room with the weapon. Upon examination she confirmed that it was indeed Sten Wyndham's blood on the blade. She also said that she has had dealings with Laethan before and trusted his information. Nyssa stated that she would begin looking for Mandred as soon as possible. She also told us that she had seen Lynnette's post and reported it to Martel who was 'unhappy' with his sister for putting herself in danger again. She confided that she had not told him of her order placing a bounty on Sten's head dead or alive, but said that she would do so now. This led to a discussion of Martel's temper. Nyssa said that she might just leave the information on his bedside table and hide until his anger had been spent. I couldn't resist poking a little into their possible romantic involvement. Sure enough, she confessed that she did indeed care for him greatly. She started to say more but quickly left, obviously embarrassed. It was quite amusing to see her reaction. I hope those two make their feelings known to each other as they already have to everyone else. Indeed Nyssa, if you read this, you could always just leave a copy of this article by his bedside table.. *winks*

http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_040304.jpgIf you were not in Moonglow the beautiful afternoon of April 3, 2004, you missed a history-making event. <SPAN CLASS="high">The Moonglow Spring Festival</SPAN> provided five glorious hours of fun, fellowship, commerce, adventure and even mystery to the enthusiastic participants. There is no doubt that this amazing day will go down in the annals of Lake Austin history as the first and largest event of its kind to grace our young shard. We can only hope that there will be many more to come!

Sincerest thanks are due to the Lake Austin Festival Coordinators, <SPAN CLASS="dark">Aurora Stuart</SPAN>, <SPAN CLASS="dark">Rose Cotton</SPAN> and <SPAN CLASS="dark">Nutty Professor</SPAN>. They worked tirelessly over the last several weeks planning the logistics of each event, recruiting volunteers, gathering donations and arranging prizes. They did an amazing job, and the festival activities ran like clockwork for the enjoyment of all who participated. After the festival drew to a close, it seems few were ready for the day to end. Many hopped on over to the Wal Mart auction to continue the socializing, while another large group headed over to Doom for a run through the Gauntlet!</P>

The coordinators would like to thank the Lake Austin crafters and BOD swappers who participated in the Flea Market and BOD Swap, and Belshazzar for recruiting people to the flea market as well. In addition they wished to thank the following for their donations to the Festival:</P> <UL> <LI>Ariana - Eggs</LI> <LI>Kylie - Nets</LI> <LI>Shiloh - Nets</LI> <LI>Cristina - Eggs</LI> <LI>Gazza of CHA - Eggs</LI> <LI>Boochie and Willie of KGB - books, powder of fortifying</LI> <LI>Belsambar &amp;amp; UMP guild - 500k</LI> <LI>Elves of Lorien - 100k, robe, rose, wand</LI> <LI>Tremere - big chest of stuff (house minis, power scrolls, rares, gifts)</LI> <LI>Phoebe Halliwell - eggs, 122k, wands</LI> <LI>Bek - lamp post, other rares, eggs [/list]

What follows is a visual feast of festival fun for your viewing pleasure. <SPAN CLASS="dark">Click on each small image to see a larger version!</SPAN></P> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="10" ALIGN="CENTER"> <TR> <TD> <P ALIGN="CENTER"> <P</P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><a target="_blank" href=http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_02_040304.jpg>http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_02_040304_sm.jpg (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_01_040304.jpg>http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_01_040304_sm.jpg</A></P>)2. The parade line was formed and it was time to leave Moonglow through the permanent moon-gate, generously provided by a GM, to Britain. They marched around the Britain bank, shouting greetings to bystanders, then through another gate to Luna, and finally to Skara Brae, before returning to Moonglow to proceed with the festivities.</P> <P ALIGN="LEFT"></P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><a target="_blank" href=http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_04_040304.jpg>http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_04_040304_sm.jpg (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_03_040304.jpg>http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_03_040304_sm.jpg</A></P>)</P>

3. Following the parade, the raffle prizes were given away to several lucky winners. Beldin Brightaxe was actually seen jumping up and down upon hearing his number called. This was only moments after muttering that he never won anything.</P>

</P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><a target="_blank" href=http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_05_040304.jpg>http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_05_040304_sm.jpg</A></P>

4. The area behind the Moonglow bank quickly became a bartering center as citizens bought, sold and traded their wares. Items advertised included weapons and armor, resources, rares, house plots, and even accounts.</P>

</P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <P ALIGN="CENTER">http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_07_040304_sm.jpg (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_06_040304.jpg>http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_06_040304_sm.jpg</A><a)</P> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><a target="_blank" href=http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_08_040304.jpg>http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_08_040304_sm.jpg</A>
</P>

5. Once everyone was clean out of goods and money, it was time for the Bunny Bash. Green thorns were handed out freely, and participants began planting them in unison. Within moments the field was full of fast-hopping vorpal bunnies and all chaos insued. Some of the more squeamish festival-goers remained outside the fence, shaking their heads in disapproval over the massive display of small mammel cruelty, however that did not seem to dampen the violence in any way. Bunny Bashers happily collected statues, eggs, weapons and armor. It was a smashing good time!</P>

</P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <P ALIGN="CENTER">http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_10_040304_sm.jpg (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_09_040304.jpg>http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_09_040304_sm.jpg</A><a)</P>

6. While the bashers occupied, festival coordinators snuck away and began hiding easter eggs as well as some special bags throughout Moonglow. Once all vorpal bunnies had been vanquished, participants raced over the island gathering eggs and looking for the hidden bags. Each bag was to be taken back to the Moonglow bank, with the lucky finder receiving a special prize. </P>

Winners of the Easter Egg Hunt:
Grand prize of +5 stat scroll, candles and other nice goodies: Beldin Brightaxe
Winners of 100k each: Pan Arcane, ZEUS, Taste of Defeat, Tom DeLonge, and Brad</P>

</P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><a target="_blank" href=http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_11_040304.jpg>http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_11_040304_sm.jpg</A></P>

7. If anyone expected things to settle down after the bashing and racing, then they don't know BOD Swappers very well! BOD collectors had the opportunity to wheel and deal with each other for sought after deeds. Negotiations were intense, and many came away with just what they needed to complete that LBOD they'd been waiting for.</P>

</P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <P ALIGN="CENTER">http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_13_040304_sm.jpg (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_12_040304.jpg>http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_12_040304_sm.jpg</A><a)</P> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><a target="_blank" href=http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_14_040304.jpg>http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_14_040304_sm.jpg</A></P>

8. Next was the Net Toss, a deceptively gentle term for what was about to occur! Boats were formed into a square, and then participants were gated on board. The first few minutes were like the calm before a storm. Then the nets, provided to each adventurous sailor by the coordinators, were tossed at once into the depths of the ocean. The water began to boil, and soon all manner of angry sea creatures were dead set on having the festival-goers for lunch.</P>

</P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><a target="_blank" href=http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_15_040304.jpg>http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_15_040304_sm.jpg</A></P>

9. The grand finale of the festival began with the quite gruesome discover of a corpse in the streets of northwest Moonglow. The victim - one Bugs Bunny. Participants discovered a note and a murder weapon on the victim. The threatening note blamed him for causing someones child support to be late, and the weapon was marked with the name Porky Pig.</P>

</P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><a target="_blank" href=http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_16_040304.jpg>http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_16_040304_sm.jpg</A></P>

10. Investigators soon spotted "A Courier" at the Moonglow Inn. It was quickly determined that this messenger indeed delivered the note to the deceased, but he insisted the victim was still very much alive at the time. After being paid the gold he requested, he indicated he was hired to deliver the note by a bad man dressed in a dark hooded robe who was from the dead land.</P>

</P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><a target="_blank" href=http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_17_040304.jpg>http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_17_040304_sm.jpg</A></P>

11. Assuming the name on the murder weapon referenced a blacksmith, Porky Pig was located in Occlo. Investigators grilled him, figuratively speaking, about the dagger used to murder Bugs. He admitted to making the poisoned weapon, and eventually confessed that he did sell it to a nasty man in a dark hooded robe, calling him "forsaken" and "outcast". They seemed to be on to something now!</P>

</P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <P ALIGN="CENTER">http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_19_040304_sm.jpg (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_18_040304.jpg>http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_18_040304_sm.jpg</A><a)</P>

12. It was time to track down the outcast who was believed responsible for the demise of Bugs Bunny. A suspicious character in a hooded shroud called "The Damned" was spotted in Felucca, and was heard to shout, "That pig has betrayed me!" That pretty much gave him away. A mad pursuit ensued, with investigators attempting to surround the suspect. It seems he was a fairly quick fellow, as it took several minutes to lock him down. After a bit of violence involving the death of some of the investigators, the questioning began. As it turned out, The Damned was also somewhat of a weenie, as he spilled his guts pretty easily for fear of being sent to jail. Seems he was hired by a woman to kill Bugs. He did not know her name, but was scheduled to meet her that very night at Finest Alchemy in an island city.</P>

</P> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <P ALIGN="CENTER">http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_21_040304_sm.jpg (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_20_040304.jpg>http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_20_040304_sm.jpg</A><a)</P>

13. Discovering that Finest Alchemy is in Moonglow where the mystery began, investigators quickly returned there to trap the woman The Damned was to meet there. Belladonna was spotted hiding in the shop and the mob detained her, demanding an explanation. She confessed to hiring The Damned to kill Bugs, stating that Bugs had killed Nutty at a rabbit fight contest. As a result, she would not receive the money promised to her by Nutty for the child support, and she lost her home. The crowd herded her back to the Moonglow bank where the remainder of the participants awaited the results of the investigation. Belladonna was given a good fussing at, and Rose Red was rewarded for being the first one to locate the murderer with a prize of 200k and a powder of fortifying.</P>

And so ended the Moonglow Spring Festival 2004!</P> </TD> </TR> </TABLE>



<HR><P ALIGN="CENTER">The above is an excerpt from the original thread found here. (http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=uolakeaustin&amp;Number=494772 7&amp;page=3&amp;view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=14&amp;what2=postlist&amp;f part=)

<HR>




http://harpers11.home.mchsi.com/eol/images/eollogo.gif

Profile (http://harpers11.home.mchsi.com/eol>EoL</A>)

can we get more coverage of events in this thread?

[Calvin]

I miss Eryn...

[Slacktard]

<blockquote><hr>

http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_040304.jpg" WIDTH="375" HEIGHT="291" ALIGN="RIGHT" VSPACE="5" HSPACE="10If you were not in Moonglow the beautiful afternoon of April 3, 2004, you missed a history-making event. &lt;SPAN CLASS="high"&gt;The Moonglow Spring Festival&lt;/SPAN&gt; provided five glorious hours of fun, fellowship, commerce, adventure and even mystery to the enthusiastic participants. There is no doubt that this amazing day will go down in the annals of Lake Austin history as the first and largest event of its kind to grace our young shard. We can only hope that there will be many more to come! &lt;P&gt;Sincerest thanks are due to the Lake Austin Festival Coordinators, &lt;SPAN CLASS="dark"&gt;Aurora Stuart&lt;/SPAN&gt;, &lt;SPAN CLASS="dark"&gt;Rose Cotton&lt;/SPAN&gt; and &lt;SPAN CLASS="dark"&gt;Nutty Professor&lt;/SPAN&gt;. They worked tirelessly over the last several weeks planning the logistics of each event, recruiting volunteers, gathering donations and arranging prizes. They did an amazing job, and the festival activities ran like clockwork for the enjoyment of all who participated. After the festival drew to a close, it seems few were ready for the day to end. Many hopped on over to the Wal Mart auction to continue the socializing, while another large group headed over to Doom for a run through the Gauntlet!&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;The coordinators would like to thank the Lake Austin crafters and BOD swappers who participated in the Flea Market and BOD Swap, and Belshazzar for recruiting people to the flea market as well. In addition they wished to thank the following for their donations to the Festival:&lt;/P&gt; <ul> Ariana - Eggs Kylie - Nets Shiloh - Nets Cristina - Eggs Gazza of CHA - Eggs Boochie and Willie of KGB - books, powder of fortifying Belsambar &amp;amp; UMP guild - 500k Elves of Lorien - 100k, robe, rose, wand Tremere - big chest of stuff (house minis, power scrolls, rares, gifts) Phoebe Halliwell - eggs, 122k, wands Bek - lamp post, other rares, eggs [/list] &lt;P&gt;What follows is a visual feast of festival fun for your viewing pleasure. &lt;SPAN CLASS="dark"&gt;&lt;B&gt;Click on each small image to see a larger version!&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;TABLE BORDER="0" CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="10" ALIGN="CENTER"&gt; &lt;TR&gt; &lt;TD&gt; &lt;P ALIGN="CENTER"&gt;http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_01_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_01_040304.jpg)&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;1. As excited festival-goers began to gather in Moonglow, free raffle tickets were randomly distributed, and fireworks wands were provided to all. Soon the sky was filled with fireworks and shouts of "Happy Festival Day!!" The guild DiE made a most striking impression, with matching uniforms and a brigade of mighty fire steeds. &lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&lt;/P&gt; &lt;/TD&gt; &lt;/TR&gt; &lt;TR&gt; &lt;TD&gt; &lt;P ALIGN="CENTER"&gt;http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_02_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_02_040304.jpg)http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_03_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0" HSPACE="10 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_03_040304.jpg)&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P ALIGN="LEFT"&gt;2. The parade line was formed and it was time to leave Moonglow through the permanent moon-gate, generously provided by a GM, to Britain. They marched around the Britain bank, shouting greetings to bystanders, then through another gate to Luna, and finally to Skara Brae, before returning to Moonglow to proceed with the festivities.&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P ALIGN="LEFT"&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;/TD&gt; &lt;/TR&gt; &lt;TR&gt; &lt;TD&gt; &lt;P ALIGN="CENTER"&gt;http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_04_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_04_040304.jpg)&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;3. Following the parade, the raffle prizes were given away to several lucky winners. Beldin Brightaxe was actually seen jumping up and down upon hearing his number called. This was only moments after muttering that he never won anything.&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;/TD&gt; &lt;/TR&gt; &lt;TR&gt; &lt;TD&gt; &lt;P ALIGN="CENTER"&gt;http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_05_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_05_040304.jpg)&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;4. The area behind the Moonglow bank quickly became a bartering center as citizens bought, sold and traded their wares. Items advertised included weapons and armor, resources, rares, house plots, and even accounts.&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;/TD&gt; &lt;/TR&gt; &lt;TR&gt; &lt;TD&gt; &lt;P ALIGN="CENTER"&gt;http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_06_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_06_040304.jpg)http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_07_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0" HSPACE="10 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_07_040304.jpg)&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P ALIGN="CENTER"&gt;http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_08_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_08_040304.jpg)&lt;BR&gt; &lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;5. Once everyone was clean out of goods and money, it was time for the Bunny Bash. Green thorns were handed out freely, and participants began planting them in unison. Within moments the field was full of fast-hopping vorpal bunnies and all chaos insued. Some of the more squeamish festival-goers remained outside the fence, shaking their heads in disapproval over the massive display of small mammel cruelty, however that did not seem to dampen the violence in any way. Bunny Bashers happily collected statues, eggs, weapons and armor. It was a smashing good time!&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;/TD&gt; &lt;/TR&gt; &lt;TR&gt; &lt;TD&gt; &lt;P ALIGN="CENTER"&gt;http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_09_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_09_040304.jpg)http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_10_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0" HSPACE="10 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_10_040304.jpg)&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;6. While the bashers occupied, festival coordinators snuck away and began hiding easter eggs as well as some special bags throughout Moonglow. Once all vorpal bunnies had been vanquished, participants raced over the island gathering eggs and looking for the hidden bags. Each bag was to be taken back to the Moonglow bank, with the lucky finder receiving a special prize. &lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;Winners of the Easter Egg Hunt:&lt;BR&gt; Grand prize of +5 stat scroll, candles and other nice goodies: Beldin Brightaxe&lt;BR&gt; Winners of 100k each: Pan Arcane, ZEUS, Taste of Defeat, Tom DeLonge, and Brad&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;/TD&gt; &lt;/TR&gt; &lt;TR&gt; &lt;TD&gt; &lt;P ALIGN="CENTER"&gt;http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_11_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_11_040304.jpg)&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;7. If anyone expected things to settle down after the bashing and racing, then they don't know BOD Swappers very well! BOD collectors had the opportunity to wheel and deal with each other for sought after deeds. Negotiations were intense, and many came away with just what they needed to complete that LBOD they'd been waiting for.&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;/TD&gt; &lt;/TR&gt; &lt;TR&gt; &lt;TD&gt; &lt;P ALIGN="CENTER"&gt;http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_12_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_12_040304.jpg)http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_13_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0" HSPACE="10 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_13_040304.jpg)&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P ALIGN="CENTER"&gt;http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_14_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_14_040304.jpg)&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;8. Next was the Net Toss, a deceptively gentle term for what was about to occur! Boats were formed into a square, and then participants were gated on board. The first few minutes were like the calm before a storm. Then the nets, provided to each adventurous sailor by the coordinators, were tossed at once into the depths of the ocean. The water began to boil, and soon all manner of angry sea creatures were dead set on having the festival-goers for lunch.&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;/TD&gt; &lt;/TR&gt; &lt;TR&gt; &lt;TD&gt; &lt;P ALIGN="CENTER"&gt;http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_15_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_15_040304.jpg)&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;9. The grand finale of the festival began with the quite gruesome discover of a corpse in the streets of northwest Moonglow. The victim - one Bugs Bunny. Participants discovered a note and a murder weapon on the victim. The threatening note blamed him for causing someones child support to be late, and the weapon was marked with the name Porky Pig.&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;/TD&gt; &lt;/TR&gt; &lt;TR&gt; &lt;TD&gt; &lt;P ALIGN="CENTER"&gt;http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_16_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_16_040304.jpg)&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;10. Investigators soon spotted "A Courier" at the Moonglow Inn. It was quickly determined that this messenger indeed delivered the note to the deceased, but he insisted the victim was still very much alive at the time. After being paid the gold he requested, he indicated he was hired to deliver the note by a bad man dressed in a dark hooded robe who was from the dead land.&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;/TD&gt; &lt;/TR&gt; &lt;TR&gt; &lt;TD&gt; &lt;P ALIGN="CENTER"&gt;http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_17_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_17_040304.jpg)&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;11. Assuming the name on the murder weapon referenced a blacksmith, Porky Pig was located in Occlo. Investigators grilled him, figuratively speaking, about the dagger used to murder Bugs. He admitted to making the poisoned weapon, and eventually confessed that he did sell it to a nasty man in a dark hooded robe, calling him "forsaken" and "outcast". They seemed to be on to something now!&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;/TD&gt; &lt;/TR&gt; &lt;TR&gt; &lt;TD&gt; &lt;P ALIGN="CENTER"&gt;http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_18_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_18_040304.jpg)http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_19_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0" HSPACE="10 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_19_040304.jpg)&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;12. It was time to track down the outcast who was believed responsible for the demise of Bugs Bunny. A suspicious character in a hooded shroud called "The Damned" was spotted in Felucca, and was heard to shout, "That pig has betrayed me!" That pretty much gave him away. A mad pursuit ensued, with investigators attempting to surround the suspect. It seems he was a fairly quick fellow, as it took several minutes to lock him down. After a bit of violence involving the death of some of the investigators, the questioning began. As it turned out, The Damned was also somewhat of a weenie, as he spilled his guts pretty easily for fear of being sent to jail. Seems he was hired by a woman to kill Bugs. He did not know her name, but was scheduled to meet her that very night at Finest Alchemy in an island city.&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;/TD&gt; &lt;/TR&gt; &lt;TR&gt; &lt;TD&gt; &lt;P ALIGN="CENTER"&gt;http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_20_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_20_040304.jpg)http://uo.stratics.com/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_21_040304_sm.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="154" BORDER="0" HSPACE="10 (http://uo.stratics.com/php-bin/show/picture.php?/newspics/lakeaustin/la_springfestival_21_040304.jpg)&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;13. Discovering that Finest Alchemy is in Moonglow where the mystery began, investigators quickly returned there to trap the woman The Damned was to meet there. Belladonna was spotted hiding in the shop and the mob detained her, demanding an explanation. She confessed to hiring The Damned to kill Bugs, stating that Bugs had killed Nutty at a rabbit fight contest. As a result, she would not receive the money promised to her by Nutty for the child support, and she lost her home. The crowd herded her back to the Moonglow bank where the remainder of the participants awaited the results of the investigation. Belladonna was given a good fussing at, and Rose Red was rewarded for being the first one to locate the murderer with a prize of 200k and a powder of fortifying.&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;And so ended the Moonglow Spring Festival 2004!&lt;/P&gt; &lt;/TD&gt; &lt;/TR&gt; &lt;/TABLE&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;
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&lt;br&gt;&lt;HR&gt;&lt;P ALIGN="CENTER"&gt;The above is an excerpt from the original thread found &lt;A HREF="http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=uolakeaustin&amp;Number=494772 7&amp;page=3&amp;view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=14&amp;what2=postlist&amp;f part="&gt;here.&lt;/A&gt;
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&lt;br&gt;http://harpers11.home.mchsi.com/eol/images/eollogo.gif
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;EoL (http://harpers11.home.mchsi.com/eol) | Profile (http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Board=uotownhall&amp;Number=4762274)



Man I miss the "old days" of UO................
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[Keira]

One part of LA's history is after Malas opened. I placed a 18x18 next to the road down from Luna and made my medieval castle and village - called Village of Fenwich and Fenwich Castle. Lady Rose (my character at the time) held 4 jousting tournaments there over 2003. Two are recorded at my personal web site http://www.mac512.com/Ultima_Online.html

Lady Rose changed her name to Lady Keira and started new adventures.

Running the jousting arena was a lot of fun. This is a part of LA that was unique as I had people coming from other shards to see this special part of LA. Over the past years I have thought of bringing the jousting arena back. The "downside" was the jousters had to become part of the same guild (temporary guild).