Excelsior

This looks like as good a place to set up shop as any...

There was talk of news teams for shard events, or rather the lack of reporting. Lately I've been gathering snapshots with my handy, dandy, magical paintbrush kit (now with Zoom!) so I figure I can fill a bit of the void.

By no means is this all that professional, nor can I promise it to be regular, but I'm on often enough that I tend to see events as they happen, so I'll do what I can to report the shard's history, as it happens.

Anybody who gathers reports on other events I miss I think should feel free to toss up their own, that way between the lot of us we can get a near-full chronicle. Good grammar, spelling, and a variety of snapshots are a must if you do, at least in my opinion.

Since I've cluttered this post with talk, I think I'll start the news in the next one. Patience, I can only type so fast.

Saturday, December 15, 2007
New Casino Opens On Excelsior!
a report by Zodart

Early on in the week, the shard found itself with a great influx of new players. Seeing this, GM Rayne offered an incentive: "Get 5 new players signed up by the end of the week, and you get a party!" And sure enough, by Friday, we had our 5 new players (welcome to all, by the way).

Come 7PM shard time, Rayne gathered us all at the Town Hall, a fine group about a dozen strong. After some fireworks and fanfare, a strange purple gate was opened. As we cautiously entered, we found ourselves at a large building: the Game Room Royale! A fine gaming establishment for gentlemen and ladies alike!

Right outside you can find the Doorman offering valet parking for any pets. Just leash them up on the golden hitching post. Note the 3 security guards in the back...I wouldn't suggest messing with them. They sport black shades and everything.


When you first step inside, you'll notice the excellent decor. Shades of purple and black, flashing lights, flapping red curtains, all reminiscent of fine casinos around the world. Makes for a very showy and classy place to blow your cash. A banker is handy in the middle of the room if you need more cash (I don't believe they offer loans, watch your spending). Of course he offers "helpful" tips regarding your gambling.


In the main hall, you'll find a number of slot machines. To the left, the standard slot stones, just double-click and you either win or lose. Simple enough. Note our own Event Coordinator Rayne keeping watch on the rowdies. Many thanks to her for her work on the casino.


To the right are special slot machines, the type we're all familiar with. Line of 3 of a kind, win a prize! Each machine has a different theme, from Pirates, to Christmas, to blood and guts! And some of these machines offer special prizes for a jackpot, to include Powerscrolls, ships, and hooded shrouds. Very nice, if you've got the money/patience to win one. I personally...was not faring well on Pirate Quest.


If you're short on cash, you can risk your life instead, by toying with the puzzle boxes in the back. Much like the puzzle chests of Khaldun, you play a Mastermind-like game to find the sequence that opens the box, revealing the prize inside. Don't slip up though, or you'll be burned, zapped, stabbed, or poisoned! The faint of heart should avoid these, but the reward can be great. Note our current Mayor, Gerratt, lamenting his losses at the Power Up slots.


If slots aren't your style, head to the back room to find even more games of chance: poker, dice and darts! These are to be played with multiple players, so get your buddies together for some fun. For the more cerebral types, there are classic board games available: backgammon, checkers, chess, and a seemingly unavailable mah-jong at the moment. Just remember to reset your pieces when you're done.



If you find losing your shirt isn't enough of an insult, you can visit the magic mirror in the lobby. Just say the magic words, and it'll critique your attire and general appearance...unfortunately. Don't break it though, that'll just be 7 more years of bad luck.


At the end of a hard day's gambling, whether to celebrate winning or drown the sorrow of loss, a drink is always good. Stop by the bar, and partake of some exotic brews to ease the day's stress. The barkeep is a nice guy, always willing to hear about your latest adventure, embellished or not.


And so ends our tour of Game Room Royale. Definitely a great place to unwind after that last balron attack, and a decent money-sink to boot. Many thanks to our GMs for setting up this fine establish for all to enjoy. Now if you'll excuse me, I just want to play a few more rounds at the slots...[/img][/b]

Saturday, December 15, 2007
Rats Invade Jhelom!
a report by Zodart

Well, 160 of them anyhow. It seems these tiny rodents made off with a number of snowmen and Excelsior Dollars, and made for the streets of Jhelom.

Luckily these were fairly standard critters, and all those who came to clean the infestation, yours truly included, made very short work of the beasts.

Hopefully the townspeople of Jhelom will do better in controlling the pest population in the future...though frankly I doubt it.

Depicted below, the rat-busters, lining up to claim the reward for a job well done.

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Sunday, December 16, 2007
Capture the Flag Gets Rough
a report by Zodart

As most are aware, the UO Excelsior shard is pretty well non-PvP in all aspects, even in Felucca. However, there is the PvP dungeon, located just west from the Britain Bank through that conspicuous purple teleporter. In here, all the rules are out of the window, and blood flows. And it was here that a very special event was held.

The rules were simple enough: two teams of four would compete with each other to capture each others' flags and return them to their own base. Simple enough yes? Add in the fact that it's a PvP dungeon, and you're allowed to slay opposing team members. All well and good, but perhaps more experienced players would have the advantage? Ah, that's where the real fun comes in. All those invited were to completely empty their packs and bodies of all items before entering the area. Once inside, participants were offered a small selection of tools to build up their resources and prepare themselves for battle an hour later. Whether by mining, tailoring, pet breeding or otherwise, each team could choose their way to victory.

Prior to entry, the expert druid, pet breeder, and champion-buster Ka'met, and yours truly were chosen as team captains. We selected our teams composed of: Ka'met, Ramet, chaos, and Theros on the Red Team; Myself, drake, Ramious, and Old Man Alewar on the Blue Team.

Our prep time went by quickly, and, fully armed as we could be, we entered the gate into the battle area. We mounted our defense as best we could while our scouts searched for the enemy base.


Imagine our surprise, when despite all the defensive precautions, our flag disappeared before our eyes! It seems Lady Ramet had stealthed right on by and nabbed our flag. One quick point for the Red Team later, and we knew this wasn't going to be an easy battle.

The battle raged on for quite some time, one team chasing the next, and numerous deaths to prevent the flag from reaching the enemy base. After the hard fought war, with the flags changing hands often, the results were in: Blue Team wins, 3-1!

Nobody left losing however, as the only items we had we made ourselves during the event, and everyone received prizes for a job well done. Congratulations to both Red and Blue teams for an excellent simulation run. Hm, what's that? Oh, yes. This was basically a test of the concept. Smoothing out the rules of engagement and the process by which the contest occurs. Yes indeed, there will be another Capture the Flag contest shortly after Christmas, on December 29, using the data gathered during this event. With luck, there will be many more people involved next time, as the bigger, the battle, the more fun to be had by all! We hope to see you there: bring all the courage you can muster!


And now a few snapshots of the occurences during the event. First up, a view of Blue Team's prep area. By a roll of the dice, we were allowed to start on the east side. Notice how very cluttered we left the area while digging for colored ore. How messy! Good thing we didn't have to clean up...


After the contest was over, Colibri had to round us up to make sure we didn't make off with anything. What better way than to stick us in the wall? Pictured from left to right: Ramious, drake, Zodart (hello!), and Old Man Alewar.


And of course, meeting up after escaping the dungeon depths to receive our rewards. Excellent fight all, wouldn't mind doing it again...just don't hurt me.

Saturday, December 8, 2007
Ant Family Conflict Spills Into Human Affairs
a report by Zodart

It was a relatively normal day. An auction had been held earlier on, with many fine items sold and carried off. As things were winding down for the evening, everything seemed calm...that is, until GM Rayne, resident Event Coordinator, informed us of something terrible occuring. We quickly gathered at Town Hall to see what the fuss was.


It seems a rather meek fellow by the name of Andy Ant was being given a rough time by his mean older brothers. While normally seasoned warriors wouldn't get involved in seemingly trivial matters such as sibling rivalry, Andy was a good friend of Rayne's, so we couldn't very well refuse.

What we didn't realize was exactly how many brothers Andy had! This "meer sibling rivalry" was wreaking havoc on the town of Buccaneer's Den, as hundreds of Andy's Brothers tore apart everything in search of their little brother, seeking to torment him even further. Andy seemed to get the right idea though, taking refuge atop a building where his brothers couldn't reach him, for a time at least. We heard his pathetic cries of "Please, let me down from here!", and vowed to do our best to save the poor guy, and the town, in the process.


Our group of fighters cleared through wave after wave of Andy's colorful brethren, punishing them for there bad attitudes and worse manners, all while being taunted by them.


Just as things seemed to be settling down, and the number of evil ants seemed to have been stemmed, Rayne delivered more bad news: it seemed word of the interlopers had reached Andy's far more powerful Evil Stepbrothers. While fewer in number, their extreme power required even more effort on our part to push back, as we resorted to bringing out our strongest spells and finest pets to continue the struggle.

Weary from the long battle already, we believed that surely the battle must nearly be over. However, fate is rarely that kind. With the defeat of the stepbrothers, it seems we incurred the wrath of a most foul beast. Rayne herself did her best to restrain the monster while we composed ourselves for battle, but it wasn't long before the Evilest Stepbrother of All broke through and came for our heads!


This biggest, baddest brother lived up to his title, being a Paragon among his fellows, dabbling in the darkest spells of necromancy, eschewing one powerful blow after another while his undead minions wreaked havoc on the lot of us. I will admit that even I spent some time in the Netherworld by way of his nigh-impenetrable onslaught, but in the end, and after much struggle, we emerged victorious! Andy Ant's evil brothers had retreated, having learned an important lesson in family values, and all who defended the little guy were offered finely crafted baskets with items inside as reward.


A job well done to all involved: Belle Nightshade, Ka'met and Ramet, Rote Leather, Gordino and Xiao Bai, members of the Irish Mob and many others whose names I apologize for not recalling (these magic portraits get a bit fuzzy over time, can't quite make some of you out...). Buccaneer's Den, and Andy himself are safe for a time.

Follow-Up Report
Following the battle at Buc's Den, Andy Ant was brought to Town Hall to recover, having developed a cold from the stress of the day's events. He has since made a full recovery and continues to relax in the area. When asked his feelings regarding the incident, Andy had the following to say:

"Oh, my brothers always do things like this. They're so mean sometimes..."


While it's good that he's feeling well now, we can only hope Andy's evil brothers aren't conspiring revenge for their massive defeat. But if you ants are reading this, remember: if ever you seek to do harm to our land or our friends, we will rise to repel you once again, count on it!

Monday, December 24, 2007
Christmas comes to Excelsior!
a Seasons Greeting from Zodart

Ah, the holiday season...peace, joy, stress. It's got a bit of everything for everyone. Excelsior is no exception, and the festive mood has spread all over. The snows have fallen and the Christmas trees have risen. In fact, I blend in pretty well with the scenery now, don't you think?


Britain is one of the bigger towns to be hit by holiday cheer, covered in snow by the bank, a large tree with presents underneath nearby, and wreaths hanging on the doors of all the shops nearby.


And...wait, what's that up there? Why, it's old Saint Nick himself, getting ready for his midnight ride across Britannia. His nine reindeer have joined him after a bit of an incident earlier in the month. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph had run off all over the map, and we were tasked with taming them and bringing them home. It's seems the task was completed, and they're rested and ready to head out!


Elsewhere, at Excelsior Town Hall, we find garland and ribbons hung all about, giving the shard center that wintery Christmas feel. Adding into that are the elves who have moved in to help Santa with his business, Tamma and Narda. Stitches, who earlier on had lost some special gifts in the containers of Trammel towns, has since reclaimed them all and headed back to the workshop.

Notice that blue gift box to the side...that is for giving/receiving. If you feel generous, add a nice item to this box, and feel free to take one for yourself. But don't be greedy: it's not very nice to take things without giving in return. Goes against the holiday spirit, and remember, Santa's watching!


Carolling is also available, courtesy of our own Seussical visitor, a Who from Whoville! This Who sings everyone's favorite classic song from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". Feel free to join in the chorus, Andy Ant certainly seems entranced.


In Papua, we find a different Holiday being celebrated. Why, it's Chinese New Year, being celebrated by Wang Rong Bao. Hm...doesn't the Chinese New Year begin in February this year? Ah, what's it matter, when there's a celebration to be had? Early or no, Happy Chinese New Year too!


Moving a bit away from the towns, we see that the shard's players have taken up festive decoration as well. Festive trees, wreaths, and snowmen. But these are no ordinary snowmen, they bear the names of our dedicated GMs, from Colibri, to Rayne, to Panchovilla, to Morpheus, 13 in all. And in case you didn't know, if you can gather one of each, you can receive a snowman with your own name upon it! They spawn regularly at the Town Hall right by the elves seen above, so collect them all!

Here's a selection of houses that are showing their Christmas cheer.




Yes, indeed, everyone is feeling joyful in this season. So much so, that we've drawn the attention of the long-missing King of Britannia himself, Lord British! Yes, for this season, the King sits upon his throne once again, leading a choir in song. Come visit, pay your respects and listen to the singing and violins playing merrily in the halls. There's no telling how long Lord British will stay, considering the length of his absence while journeying, so meet him while you can.


Thank you all for reading, and I wish you all a Happy Holiday season. I hope to continue to see all of you throughout the New Year, battling mighty beasts, crafting fine items, participating in myriad events of all sorts, and simply relaxing and enjoying each others' company. As I can, I shall continue to watch the shard, and report her happenings. May the New Year bring us all good Fortune and Happiness.

Ah, shame on me, it seems I've been missing my deadlines lately. Spending too much time in the real world with other distractions, but at least I can offer news regarding the most recent nuisance to plague our lands. Please, read on.

Thursday, January 10, 2008
The Rise and Fall of Manthor, the Berserk Mage
a report by Zodart

If you've been around lately, you've surely heard of a dangerous, and somewhat irritating character making a home out of Felucca's Covetous mountain range. We're not sure where he came from, or what drove him to such extreme power and madness, but anyone who came near felt the sting of Manthor's powerful magics.

Exiting for the special portal into Felucca and heading around the side of the mountain, we find another mage offering warning of the madman inside. He's also a convenient place to shop for magical goods in preparation for challenging the crazed wizard.


Heading into the cave, challengers found the pale, blue-robed fiend muttering to himself. However, at first sight, Manthor flew into a rage and lashed out with some of the most powerful spells I've ever borne witness to, short of a paragon balron.

Seeing that this lunatic was beyond help and a danger to all, many challengers arrived to take him down, myself included. We quickly found, however, this would be no simple task. He seemingly shrugged off every assault we threw at him, from our own magery, to our strongest blades, and our best trained war beasts. Whatever damage Manthor did receive was almost immediately healed. Even with a massive attack, we simply could not damage him quickly enough to outpace his stamina. To make matters worse, whatever spell he was under gave him limitless mana to conjure pain for us to experience. Clearly, there would be a trick to taking the Berserk mage down.

My first instinct reminded me of a battle long ago in another land. Golems and their controllers terrorized the land, powered by energy towers that had to be deactivated to do any serious damage. So we scoured the surrounding area in search of some power source to be destroyed, or perhaps a monster familiar lending Manthor unholy strength. There was nothing to be found. Thinking that a more powerful wizard might have more answers, I consulted Merlin in Nu'jelm. He was...less than helpful.

The first unsuccessful day of the mage's rampage ended, we were given a hint: Manthor's weakness is his ears. Aha, so music must be his bane. However, even the best bards with legendary skill could not move this man to tears. Peacemaking, Discordance, Provocation, all failed before Manthor's madness. And so we were again at a loss. Some tried yelling at him, or making funny sounds in his vicinity, to little avail. Old Man Alewar offered compliments in hopes of winning Manthor over, but was met with a flamestrike in return.

Another day passed and the Berserk Mage continued flailing wildly in the forest. Many people began to take advantage of his nigh-invulnerability, simply attacking him to let of steam. We were offered another hint: his weakness was actually fairly common among mythical monsters. Ears, a common weakness? As music served no end, we tried speaking various common magical phrases to him. "Recsu recdu" "Kal Vas Flam" "vendor buy the guards a bank" Unfortunately, nothing. A strange thought passed my mind...if his ears are the weak point, and silver is a common weakness of monsters, why not try some silver earrings? I tried to pin the shiny baubles on Manthor to weaken him.

I was quickly incinerated.

Another day past and a trip to the healers later, many had given up on stopping the furious, frenzied fighter. One final hint was given: there was a indeed a magic word giving Manthor power that must be spoken to break the spell, and the results would be readily apparent. As I was quickly losing my mind to the riddle, I opted to stop by the mountain just once more with every word I could think of. I found fellow hunter, Lord Ramious there, himself trying to think of what word would work. In desperation, I followed a stream of conciousness and spouted whatever words would pass my tongue. Silver, iron, moon, sun, light, dark, night, day, pimp, stake, stake to the heart, garlic, stupid, boom, headshot! And still nothing.

For whatever reason, mirrors had been coming to mind for this puzzle of late, and the Magic Reflection spell did little to stave off the magical assault, so why not a final guess. Without expecting much result I spoke the name: "rohtnaM". With a start, I noticed Manthor had begun to faint, suddenly weakened, and finally taking damage!


Now was our chance! Manthor was reeling at the sound of his own name pronouned in reverse, unable to focus. We quickly applied all the force we could muster and in short order, Manthor, the Berserk Mage was finally dispatched! Upon a study of his corpse, we found something strange. Through some spell or alchemy of some sort, Manthor had been transformed into Yetam, some manner of creature I myself am unfamiliar with.


Was this a one time occurence, the appearance of such a creature? Are there more of the sort lurking near the Dungeon Covetous? Whatever the case, should you ever meet a wildman who just won't die, make sure to get his name and flip it for him. It could save your life.

Sunday, January 13, 2008
A Night at the Auction
a report by Zodart

About once every two weeks, the GMs hold an auction so as the suck the gold from our very pockets. Oftentimes, however, people worry that without a gigantic wallet, they can't attend. While it's true prices tend to soar before long on the big ticket items, it's still an experience to be had, and you never know, you might find a good deal on an otherwise expensive item.

As auction time drew near, quite a few people turned out to see the spectacle, a much larger crowd than normally shows up, a very good thing! Even if you're not flooded with gold, there's still great fun to be had just watching the numbers fly higher.

Our host for the evening, Rayne, arrived shortly to get things started, with Colibri on hand to hand out the prizes to the highest bidder. Break out your wallets everyone!


Early bids included some player-provided items, such as a very nice Fire Steed, and other tameables such as the recently added Wyrmy Wyrm, one of the now-5 types of wyrms spread through the land. Large numbers of ointments, organic material, and Excelsior Dollars, otherwise expensive or time-consuming to acquie, were sold for excellent prices, though the bidding was fierce, and at times, not unlike a tennis match, bback and forth.


With some of the more common items out of the way, next came the decorative items. While they don't serve much practical purpose, they are often unique in appearance, perhaps the only one of their kind on the shard. They ranged from the very pleasing Water Horse statue...


...to the gruesome and somewhat sad remains of Ronald MacDonald...


...to the silly, showing someone's bias in soda.


Some of the more common deeds appeared next, allowing various character additions, or uses on pets, such as a Title Change deed and a +1 breeds to a pet deed, allowing a pet that cannot breed anymore otherwise one more go at it.

However, the real treat came at the end of the auction. Every so often, the GMs add their own flavor to the items, named after themselves, often with unique properties or a certain flair all their own. Today's items all came from Rayne, starting with her very own Admin diploma. Unfortunately, own it does not give you admin powers, from what I've heard, but that didn't stop prices from skyrocketing to buy it.


Next were bottles of "Rayne water" which act as multiple-use Greater Heal potions, though personally I'd rather use them as decoration for the lovely blue bottles they come in.

The final item of the night was quite a surprise. Perhaps those who have been to Buccaneer's Den recently recall seeing a certain robe that made me very sad...well tonight was the night! That very same robe was put up for sale, and despite its name, I knew I had to have it to finish my Waterproof item set. Of course it was a hard-fought battle, as everyone wanted this rare item, mean names or no. But in the end, being a fan of ironic things as I am, I made a liar of that very robe. It was worth it.


Every auction I've personally attended has been a blast, even some time ago when I couldn't afford anything offered. Just for the social aspect and to see the sort of things being bought, it's a journey that shouldn't be missed. Who knows, you might just find something nice at a price you yourself can afford.

Hm? Just how much gold do I have that I can afford things like that? Wouldn't you like to know. I think the people I tend to outbid would like to know as well.

My computer troubles may hold back news reports, but news doesn't stop happening! And boy if there isn't a lot of news going around lately. So, without further ado, I present the first reports from the depths of the Sanctuary! (Do be warned, there are spoilers ahead regarding this new dungeon. If you wish to be surprised and most likely die within, read no further)

Wednesday, February 12, 2008
Sanctuary No More
a dungeon crawl by Zodart and Fuzz

Having been unable to visit the realm for some time due to a variety of issues, imagine my surprise upon return to hear of new evils spreading through the land. Fell beasts near Umbra, dangerous new dungeons, and monsters that can only be described as "Peerless". I'm no stranger to such monsters, having battled the Dread Horn and Travesty on many occasions, so itching for adventure after my absence, I decided it was time to challenge these new threats. Meeting with a fellow warrior Fuzz, after cleaning up a particularly nasty balron, we decided to investigate the so-called Sanctuary. (Editor's Note: Unfortunately, Fuzz himself is not pictured below. During the battle with the beasts, my magical paints and portaits were damaged, rendered useless. The depictions you see are from a follow-up investigation deeper into the bowels of the dungeon).

Firstly, having heard reports of great rewards in battling the Peerless, we first stopped by Excelsior Halls to claim a Collector, in which to place our spoils to turn in for a greater reward. If you seek a collector for yourself, come before this woman, and speak the name of the area you wish to hunt in. She made for me collectors for the Sanctuary, Palace of Paroxysmus, Prism of Light, and Bedlam. Though I knew of other areas plagued by twisted beasts, those collectors were not yet ready for production. No matter because there was more than enough challenge in facing even the first dungeon.


Bearing our golden item Collectors, Fuzz and I made way to Felucca's Shame Mountains to find the Sanctuary, so named as a refuge for the more evil races of Britannia: orcs, gargoyles, ratmen and the like. Not far north of Skara Brae, cut into the mountain we found this makeshift fort (with an obvious sign outside no less...) and steeled ourselves for entry.


A Sanctuary for monsters indeed! Dozens, perhaps hundreds of the denizens of this hideaway greeted us most warmly. By which I refer to flamestrikes and oil bombs. Stumbling over all manner of refuse and livestock to fight back the defenders, we made our way deep into the hovel these creatures called home. Remembering that certain special creatures in the Peerless areas held key items for our collectors, we sought out unusual beasts or great power, and no sooner found a blue imp named Skrat lingering in a graveyard (no doubt containing the unwary adventurers that came before us).


In other Peerless areas such as the Twisted Weald, those special monsters such as Malefic or Sabrix are indeed more powerful than others of their kind, but in this small imp lay even greater strength than that, almost a mini-peerless itself just by virtue of its incredible stamina. However, with teamwork we made short work of the little devil and searched him for any special items, unfortunately coming up short. However, seeing this display of power set the tone for the rest of our adventure.

Delving even further into the melee provided by the Sanctuary's inhabitants, we found ourselves at a dead end. Perplexed as I was, Fuzz knew from experience the path to go in deeper: a flaming well not far away. Perhaps not our wisest maneuver jumping in headlong, as we found ourselves entirely surrounded on the other side by an entire horde of ogres, ettins, orcs, and gargoyles. Hard fought as it was we survived to continue our search and found this fellow, the Cyclopian Warrior!


This time, instead of magical strength, we were met with physical strength. But no matter, Fuzz and I weren't about to let a titanic brute stop us after making it this far. Receiving no key item from this one either, from the other side of the wall we spied one Netopir, a large black gargoyle, menacing in appearance, although oddly his room was much cleaner and more attractive than any other in the Sanctuary. Clearly, this was the leader of the monsters here, the Peerless monster we sought after. But how to reach him with the path thoroughly barricaded?


A short search later I found what would appear to be a hole in the ground, but which contained a long, dark, and somewhat cramped tunnel. There are actually several of these within the Sanctuary, leading to various areas, but this led to the inner sanctum of Netopir.


A Peerless being a Peerless, we knew to expect a difficult fight out of our adversary, but we didn't even know the half of it. As usual we brought out our finest war beasts to absorb the no-doubt incredible damage he could deal, but we quickly found a flaw in the plan: Netopir can drain the life out of anything near him, not unlike the succubi that can also be found in the Sanctuary! This is a severe problem in tossing large numbers of pets at him, as the more creatures nearby, the more life he can drain. And so of our 10 pets between us, we called back all but two to stave off this effect. Three might have done well enough, but we had our hands full enough keeping the two pets alive.

To make this task a bit shorter, we equipped our bows and attacked from a distance, but it quickly became apparent this battle would be long-fought in this state. Indeed for nearly an hour we whittled away his health, not knowing any better way to fight him for lack of experience, but we were making headway. However, pure brute strength and life draining weren't the only suprises this beast had for us. As his life force dwindled, suddenly hundreds, literally, hundreds of mice began to spawn in the area, covering the floor entirely, straining our ability to concentrate (ed. note: lag!), but we perservered. A few times I attempted to remove the little pests from the area with a well-timed Volcanic Eruption, but I quickly found that not only did this not keep them gone for long, but I lost much karma in doing so! And once my karma was negative, every last one of them came at me! Weak though they were, en masse they prevented my spells from completion, and racked up considerable damage. Thankfully, Fuzz was well on the ball and kept me alive as best he could.

The battle continued on from there as we chased an ailing Netopir around the room, stepping on dead mice all over, when as he neared death, a strange portal opened in the room. Sensing it may be important, I called for Fuzz to use it to see if some treasure awaited within. Now, my intuition is far from perfect, proven here as it simply led Fuzz to the exit of the Sanctuary, leaving me to deal the finishing blow to the Peerless. No trouble though, as he was only a couple arrows from death at this point. Pierced through the heart, Netopir finally drew his last breath, and I finally rid the area of his little minions. Anticipating great rewards for our epic, or dare I say peerless, battle, I investigated the corpse of our fallen foe...to find disappointment!

Fellow adventurers may know from fighting Dread Horn or Travesty, other Peerless monsters, that they often leave behind treasure maps, reagents, powerful weapons, armor, and accessories, gemstones and baubels, all manner of wonderful treasures including rare items, some guaranteed, once they are slain...but upon the corpse of Netopir, some 500 gold, a couple scrolls, and some corruption, blight, and such. Nothing more, not even the Dead Mouse he's supposed to drop for our Collectors! Weary from the battle, and little to show for it in wealth, we retired from the area to collect our thoughts.

Though true that our collectors remained empty of special items I believe we had the distinct honor of being the first adventurers in the land to not only challenge, but defeat this Peerless monster, and peerless he was, like no other. In time we may face him again to receive the true extent of his reward, but for now, we rested.

However, having read the preliminary reports of the new dungeons, I knew that there were two other special beasts in the Sanctuary with items for my collector, and so I sought them out. By jumping down a hole we'd not seen in our first investigation, I found myself in a ratman hideaway. This is perhaps the safest area in the Sanctuary, relatively, as only ratmen and their kind are within. However, their sheer number is nothing short of reminiscent of the battle with Barracoon the Piper, Champion of the Vermin Horde. But among these rats, I found a sickly green one, my target for the hunt, Katchaki!


After a bit of a chase, I found upon his cold body a Spanish Doubloon, one of the items I needed for my Sanctuary Collector! Oddly, I couldn't place it within, some strange magic preventing me from adding it to my collection. For the time I pocketed it, remembering not to spend it on ale.

Climbing a rope ladder to escape the rat's den, I went after our old friend the Cyclopian Warrior. After a few skirmishes, I found a Cyclopian Axe, yet another key item. While I was not strong enough to wield it myself, I was able to add it to the collector...curious. I searched for a time for the final unique beast of the dungeon, the fire ruby dragon, but was unable to find any discernable way into its personal hideout. Though I heard its roars from deep within the cave, I was unable to even catch sight of it, so for the time I left this place for the safety of Britain. However, in time I shall return to plumb the depths of the Sanctuary once again, in the hopes of claiming that special gem, a reward for finding the five special items of the dungeon.

Though longwinded, I hope this account will be useful to my fellow adventurers in seeking to stave off the corruption of the Peerless. This battle will be long fought and frought with danger, but it is my sincere hope that this report will better prepare you all for the battles ahead. Do keep in mind, mere words cannot describe the horrors that await within these new dungeons, go with great strength, go with a party of your peers for protection, and beware the Peerless!

Time for a little story from yours truly....

*clears throat*

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There lives an evil creature known to all of Sanctuary as, Netopir. All the mice in the land know to stay clear of him at all cost. For it is known that his taste for rodent blood is far too great a threat to these small creatures...

There have been times, however, when the mice have gathered in secret, to plot the demise of this predator.

They would say, "Maybe if we tie his shoe laces together, he will fall to his death!" But the realization soon came that, Netopir was a sandal wearing creature.

Another would say, "What if we poisoned his food! škrat's breath is surely to bring anyone to an unconscious state." However, škrat was much too smart to fall by the wit of a mouse.

Finally they decided, that when a great knight came, they would join in the attack, assisting and claiming vengeance for their lost brethren. They decided that, when Netopir was quite wounded, they would spring out from the shadows, and nibble at his ankles with all their strength!

So, from that moment forward they have been hiding out in the darkness, waiting nearby, praying silently for a brave knight to challenge Netopir.

For the mice of Sanctuary are eager to avenge....

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The following little ditty was heard throughout the Excelsior Lands on the 14th of February...

14.2. 15:52 Aubree: Sing along!
14.2. 15:53 Elf: sing out loud!
14.2. 15:53 Aubree: Farewell to your bricks and mortar, farewell to your dirty lies
14.2. 15:54 Hana: Farewell to your gangers and gang planks
14.2. 15:54 Aubree: And to hell with your overtime
14.2. 15:54 Hana: For the good ship Ragamuffin, she's lying at the quay
14.2. 15:54 Aubree: For to take oul Pat with a shovel on his back
14.2. 15:55 Hana: To the shores of Botany Bay
14.2. 15:55 Aubree: I'm on my way down to the quay, where the ship at anchor lays
14.2. 15:55 Hana: To command a gang of navvys, that they told me to engage
14.2. 15:55 Aubree: I thought I'd drop in for a drink before I went away
14.2. 15:55 Hana: For to take a trip on an emigrant ship to the shores of Botany Bay
14.2. 15:56 Aubree: Farewell to your bricks and mortar, farewell to your dirty lies
14.2. 15:56 Hana: Farewell to your gangers and gang planks
14.2. 15:56 Aubree: And to hell with your overtime
14.2. 15:56 Hana: For the good ship Ragamuffin, she's lying at the quay
14.2. 15:56 Aubree: For to take oul Pat with a shovel on his back (Everybody~!)
14.2. 15:57 Hana: To the shores of Botany Bay~
14.2. 15:57 Aubree: The boss came up this morning, he says "Well, Pat you know
14.2. 15:57 Hana: If you don't get your navvys out, I'm afraid you'll have to go"
14.2. 15:57 Aubree: So I asked him for my wages and demanded all my pay
14.2. 15:57 Hana: For I told him straight, I'm going to emigrate to the shores of Botany Bay

Unedited for spelling, but edited for continuity.

Evil continues to stalk these lands, and so we must fight! Today I bring you the second part of our Peerless investigation series. As always in these, spoilers are to follow, so if you plan to explore these dangerous dungeons yourself, read no further! And so, I present...

Friday, February 22, 2008
Lost in the Labyrinth!
a dungeon crawl by Llexa and Zodart

It was very shiny. Sparkled with a yellow glint in the sunlight. Yes, quite lovely indeed. I slipped the Gem of the Sanctuary back into my gem collector, having just recently received it in honor of defending the realm from the evil of that place. I had received no small amount of help in doing so, of course, from one Sir kroger and my long-time hunting companion and friend Lady Llexa. And it was she that informed me of yet another dungeon plagued by the rising Peerless.

The labyrinth...I had heard of this place. Extremely powerful monsters were said to lurk within, moreso than any other ever seen. Early reports told of minotaurs that with one blow could fell the mightieset warrior, and even the stoutest pet dragon. Leery as I was to spend time in the nether realm, Llexa seemed rather excited at the challenge, so I couldn't very well miss out on the chance either!

Those who had entered before us told of a hidden gateway that would lead us to the entrance of the labyrinth somewhere within the Grimswind Ruins of Malas. With a bit of searching, and perhaps some random wandering, we passed under a ruined archway and found ourselves on a large island floating through the void. In the center of the island was a great mountain, flaming on all sides. Taking care not to get too close, we found before a grand opening in the mountainside, ornately decorated with statues of beasts like a mix between men and bulls: minotaurs. There was no question about it, this was the Labyrinth, a den of the Peerless.


We entered in secrecy, stealthily moving about to view the area and its inhabitants without meeting a quick end. Sizing up the opposition, we found that indeed the minotaurs had inhuman strength, well beyond anything mortal armor could defened against. Choosing wisely to stay to the shadows in their presence, we eventually happened upon some strange glittering lizards: the Golden Liscars.


These glinting creatures are said to carry one the items necessary for the Labyrinth item collector. So we (quietly) dispatched several of the beasts, in search of a large nugget of gold to be pried from their bodies. Llexa managed to find some decent chunks, so we took them with us a delved yet deeper into the dungeon.

As we moved, it was hard to miss the large orange scorpion-like creatures all about, known as Skorps. From a zoological view, one can see that the younger skorps are very dull in color, but as they age, their shells growing harder and their strength increasing, their color grows more vibrant. In particular, we found one very brightly colored skorp guarding a brood of young ones, a skorp warrior.


We challenged the beast several times, a battle we might have won with perhaps some difficulty, but our task was make very difficult by the other denizens of the Labyrinth. Too often Minotaurs, Minotaur Captains, and giant serpents interrupted our battle, hailing in our defeat. But with determination and a bit of discretion, we claimed the warrior's stinger and travelled on.

We were quick to find that minotaurs weren't the only monstrous beasts lurking in the area. The unmistakable roar of dragons could be heard down the path. Standard dragons, shadow wyrms, and the beautiful but deadly Dark Sapphire dragon made nests here. However our goal was to be one very special wyrm, the Egiptski Dragon. This large...pink fellow held yet another key item that we desired. Pictured below are him, a dark sapphire dragon, and a minotaur captain.


Once we finished business with the Egg Dragon (a little nickname I gave him for pronunciations sake, for those who've heard the tale of Lufia), we continued on. Truly it seemed this road would continue on indefinitely. There we many buildings in the area that appeared safe enough to rest in, away from the peering eyes of monsters. After a short recess in one, we stepped outside to find ourselves outside. Entirely. It would seem the Labyrinth lives up to its name in more regards than having minotaurs. Yes, the buildings and structures therein are littered with hidden passages and secret exits that the unwary adventurer may enter unexpectedly. Do take care to watch your step.

Feeling a bit foolish for losing so much ground, Llexa and I charged right back in, this time plowing through as many monsters as we could to let them know how unhappy the situation made us. A short rampage later, we had reached our previous location, and so proceeded onward.

We found a most unusual minotaur ahead at a pool of water. Montavious is a bit flamboyant in color, but mean in temper. While not quite as powerful as his cousins, with the help of his little minions all over, giant serpents in particular, he put up a good fight. We considering for a moment taking a dip in that pool, but thought twice seeing it was swimming with sharks! That's right, there's no rest in the labyrinth, not even in the water.


We had already found three of the special beasts we needed from this area, and not further along we found a flock of flaming Pyres. These brilliant birds burned with a beautiful light, but they weren't about to let us leave with a handful of their lovely feathers without a fight. While not aggressive normally, attempting to pluck a Pyre presented us with the problem of fighting these birds of prey. Hen-pecked though we were, we survived and pushed onward.


Here the path twisted and turned, leading by more and more creatures that wished us ill. We were certainly getting close to the ringleader of them all, perhaps a somehow even larger minotaur? Well, indeed more minotaurs awaited, but apparently weakened (though certainly not weak) from poor treatment. I'm not sure what these Tormented Minotaurs did to earn whatever punishment they had suffered, but we took it upon ourselves to end their misery.


Being that there were quite a few dragons, minotaurs, and giant serpents (Editor's note: I now officially HATE serpents after this place. That is all.) also in the area, we retreated to a building to prepare ourselves for battle. Primed and ready, we lept forward, out of the building and! We were outside. Again. Yes, no sooner had we forgotten the last time we took a quick trip outside, then we did the very same thing.

Bruised enough by fighting everything else, we quietly made our way back to the tormented minotaurs and proceeded to go all out fighting them, the dragons, and the serpents, and ultimately stood over their corpses, knowing the final line of defense to their leader had been breached. A grand stone building rose before us, the Peerless monster of the Labyrinth waiting inside.

He wasn't quite a minotaur, though it did lead me to realize that aside from their lower body, yamandons and minotaurs were actually pretty similar: horns, muscular bodies. But we didn't have the time to admire his visage, Slaarion was very unhappy that we'd been making so much noise while he tried to rest. This behemoth had no need for special attacks or magery, his pure brute strength more than enough to let out his fury. We fought valiantly against the raging daemon and soon, slew him. Having dealt the final blow, Llexa got first pick of his loot, claiming a key item, the horn of defeat!


But no sooner had we so much as looked at his corpse, Slaarion rose once again! It seems he wasn't content with one beating and wanted some more. And so, once again, we fought valiantly and defeated the bloated peerless.

Before I so much as had a chance to glance at what treasures he carried, Slaarion stood (slithered?) yet again. It would seem that no matter how broken his body, the ruler of the Labyrinth would not be so easily dethroned. However, by now we were learning his tricks, and were able to subdue him for a third time. Taking no chances, we quickly gathered what treasure we desired from him, and run up the stairs to find a portal leading out of the gloom to safety. No doubt Slaarion had returned once again not long after we left, but we weren't about to give him the joy of another battle. After all, we had already claimed the items we desired from him.

At long last, our tiring journey through the maze came to an end. The mighty beasts dwelling within not only had devastating power, but trying resilience, but we had survived (for the most part), and come away richer for it, both Llexa and myself with gems in hand as proof of our valor. Already we had felled two of the Peerless, but more danger loomed in the horizon for Excelsior. Even now, rumors of a giant corrupted tree, poisoning the land around it, were surfacing. We knew our next task: we would challenge the Blighted Grove!