October 2012

No M.O.A. This Thursday Submitted by Martyna_Zmuir on October 30, 2012 at 9:08 PM CDT From Melian of Majestic Oaks Auction House: There will be no auction 11.1.12, we anticipate many of our customers and staff may have more important real life issues to deal with after the storm in the NE. We should be back as scheduled on the 8th. Thank you for your understanding.

Memorable Moment Winners - Sonoma Submitted by UO_Herald on October 30, 2012 at 5:09 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 30 18:55 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: Over the past weeks we have had the immense pleasure of reading through your most memorable moments. Every entry was very entertaining, heartfelt and reminds all of us how amazing Ultima Online truly is. We have reached end our Most Memorable UO Moment contest, but are happy to share with you the final winners. We received 12 entries from the Sonoma shard and had another tie! Here are the 7 winning UO memories from Sonoma: A Fish Tale My most memorable UO moment happened a couple years ago at the Capt'n EM Rumbelly's Deep Sea Fishing Adventure on Sonoma. A call went out stating that fishing crews were wanted. All brave sailors, fishers and healers were needed as a rumor was spreading the towns that someone had spotted a huge fish in the waters off the coast and Capt'n EM Rumbelly wanted to see the proof since he believed it is was just a long fish tale. To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.

Haunted House Submitted by Martyna_Zmuir on October 29, 2012 at 2:26 AM CDT Originally posted October 27th, 2012 by EM Elizabella on the Great Lakes EM Site: Lady Sybil Musgrave, formerly thought to be the last of the Royal Society of Soothsayers, has asked for help in contacting her nephew. Venture into haunted Musgrave Manor to try to speak with him. You must brave the wall maze and the blackout maze to reach him. Be sure to sign the guestbook (message board) if you can get to it. The late Edgar Musgrave prepared a pumpkinhead full of sugar skulls. Grab a handful (though you may not want to read his cookbook and learn what they’re made of!). If you find Tristan, greet him by name and hear what he has to say, but do not hesitate to ask him further questions, particularly about his family members. He knows more than he may tell you from just a simple greeting. The house is cursed. If all the world turns dark, hasten to a shrine to clear your eyes. However, nothing can bring light to the third floor of Musgrave Manor. You must find your way through it in total darkness. There is a recall rune in our runebook, which is in the wedding house next to the Brit. Counselor Hall. Musgrave Manor is open now. It will close Tuesday, October 30th, at 8 p.m. CDT. That is when the the Royal Society of Soothsayers shall meet again. [Discuss This Article]

Caravan Escort Needed! Submitted by Martyna_Zmuir on October 24, 2012 at 10:45 PM CDT From the Yew-Newcastle Trade Consortium: The City of Yew is sending another supply caravan Newcastle Township November 3, 2012 at 8pm (Cst) The Caravan will be starting from Yew. Pack animal handlers, Outriders and Guards will be needed. Volunteers please contact his Grace, Polynikes, Duke of Yew. (His Pigeon can be found at 603573657). Drinks and food will be had afterwards at the Royal Oaks Tavern in Newcastle. [Discuss This Article]

Memorable Moment Winners - Origin Submitted by UO_Herald on October 24, 2012 at 10:32 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 24 17:20 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: We received 12 creative entries from the Origin shard. Of those entries there were 5 memories that received the most votes from our judges. Here are the 5 winning UO memories from Origin: My most memorable moment in UO is when I achieved the title Grandmaster Fisherman. It may not seem all that special anymore, but back when I was working 65+ hours a week, I could only dedicate 5 – 15 hours a week to Ultima Online. The magic of fishing up items from a shipwreck or the highly desirable message in a bottle seemed like a fairy tale to me for so long. I never thought it would happen. To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.

Royal Society of Soothsayers Submitted by Martyna_Zmuir on October 23, 2012 at 9:40 PM CDT Originally posted October 23rd, 2012 by EM Elizabella on the Great Lakes EM Site: [Discuss This Article]

Zox’s Monthly Fishing Contest! (November 2012) Submitted by Martyna_Zmuir on October 23, 2012 at 7:00 PM CDT Originally posted October 23rd, 2012 by EM Elizabella on the Great Lakes EM Site: Congratulations to Lord Flipper Flanigan for the winning catch of October! Zox Greatsnapper is excited that Britannia has a new king and she has a new kingfish. Here she is bringing the fish to visit her favorite part of the castle (even though it makes her ears soooo cold!). This month, Zox would like a spooky, creepy, ghoulish zombie fish! Zombie fish haunt Gravewater Lake. It must be caught sometime between October 23rd and November 27th. Please leave the fish in the mailbox by November 27th at 11:59 p.m. CST. [Discuss This Article]

Harvest Festival Reminder Submitted by Martyna_Zmuir on October 23, 2012 at 5:36 PM CDT Fall is once again upon us, heralding the treats and terrors of All Hallows Eve. As with years past, the UORPC shall host a Harvest Festival, a night of games, costumes, and frights! Join us this October 24th at 8pm under the Central Stars at the Yew-Wood Forest Theatre in Nameless Rune (located just 3 screens SE of the Yew Moongate in trammel, 71o 59’N 35o 47’W. Look for the building that says ‘YEW’ on the roof.) There will be many prizes to win during from trivia, a scavenger hunt, and a House of Horrors house drop. For the costume contest, we will be judging based on the originality of your design. (Use shape changing spells or items is prohibited.) Extra credit will be awarded for being “in-character” based on your costume. Start planning ahead now! With Wicked Glee, Helga the Hag (Duchess Willa of the Yew-Wood, Mayor of Yew) Duke Polynikes, Yew Militia Duchess Martyna Z’muir, Library of Sosaria Lord Evilice [Discuss This Article]

Memorable Moment Winners - Siege Perilous Submitted by UO_Herald on October 22, 2012 at 6:06 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 22 17:08 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: We received 13 excellent entries from the Siege Perilous shard. Once again, the entries challenged our judges to make some hard decisions that resulted in another tie! Here are the 6 winning UO memories from Siege Perilous: Aang was making his rounds. He wondered if these lands would ever make him feel alive again. He had walked them for nearly 10 years and had experienced all of the blood-curdling, hair-tingling action that Sosaria had to offer and he yearned for those days again. As he wandered the forest and mused about a life without adventure, a large structure loomed on the horizon. To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.

Memorable Moment Winners - Pacific Submitted by UO_Herald on October 22, 2012 at 5:59 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 21 00:22 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: Of the 13 entries from the Pacific shard, there were 5 entries that made the biggest impression on our judges. We hope you enjoy these most memorable moments as much as we did! Here are the 5 winning UO memories from Pacific: I have been playing UO since February, 1998. The time was not really late from game beginning, but it was hard to find a good place to build a house. I lived my friend’s house which is only 4x4, and there were five people live in the same house. With the time of playing growth, I earned some money, however, the houses was still expensive because there was no space to build my own one. The only way to get an own house is buying from other player. The main reason of hard to get a house for myself was because I lived in Taiwan, but my playing shard is pacific. The shard ping was very high that around 200-900. I missed many chances to build one. Therefore, I was like hermit crabs that always live in friend's home. Finally I had a chance... To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.

Memorable Moment Winners - Napa Valley Submitted by UO_Herald on October 19, 2012 at 10:05 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 19 19:40 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: Once again, it is time to announce the next set of winners in the Memorable Moments Contest. Our judges enjoyed reading the 13 entries we received from the Napa Valley shard and selected 5 excellent winning entries. Here are the 5 winning UO memories from Napa Valley: Attack of the Reds “Come try this game with me! You can do all kinds of things- make any kind of character that you want to play and you can get a house and decorate it!” Peering over their shoulders, I found that I was intrigued with every aspect of the game. I wanted to run those lands and fight those monsters and have as much fun as they were having…I was hooked. To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.

Memorable Moment Winners - Legends Submitted by UO_Herald on October 18, 2012 at 5:20 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 18 18:21 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: We received 15 great stories from the Legends shard. Our judges had a wealth of memories to be entertained by and, once again, we ended up with another three way tie! Here are the 7 winning entries from the Legends shard: The Noobiest of Newbies When I look back at the ten years, I have played Ultima Online my favorite memory is of the month I was stuck in the Lost Lands aka T2A. When I think about it, I laugh and laugh. I really was the noobiest of newbies. I am sure you are wondering how anyone becomes stuck in T2A for a month. Well it started with an ostard, yes an ostard. It was 2002 and I was on my tamer Serena hanging out at West Britain Bank like everyone did in those days. A pair of fellow players, whose names have long been forgotten, approached me, wanting to know if I could tame one of them a forest ostard. I replied that I was a newbie tamer, but my skill was high enough to tame a forest ostard. However, I did not have a rune to where the ostards were located. Not a problem, my new friends had a rune and could gate! “Great!” I replied, “Let’s go!” The mage cast the gate spell, and we departed. To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.

THE YEW TIMES - A Newspaper for Sosaria Submitted by UO_Herald on October 18, 2012 at 5:16 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 18 14:30 -0400 GMT by the YEW TIMES Editoral Office on the UO Herald: Written by members of the community Issue 9 WORLD NEWS SCHOOLBOY SLAIN BY PUMPKIN Guards recovered the body of an elementary school boy from a local pumpkin field in Yew following an attack by dormant pumpkin entity which had been allegedly awakened by the young boy's summoning activities. Fellow students claimed that the youth was fixated with the entity for several past Halloweens where he repeatedly made a vigil with no manifestation of the entity in question. Regettably, the lad would finally get his wish. His screams were heard by his elementary school teacher who immediately called the guards, but they were unable to understand her due to her speech impediment. His schoolmates who were nearby claimed that they were unaware of the tragic incident, as they were gorging themselves on fruit pies and dancing like idiots. Standing around the body draped under his own security blanket, his classmates reflected how fortunate they were that they had ignored his many invitations for them to join him in the past, and perhaps that the entity will leave them in peace having feasted upon the soul of their friend. To read the full article on the forums, click HERE.

Memorable Moment Winners - Lake Superior Submitted by UO_Herald on October 17, 2012 at 4:19 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 17 14:16 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: Lake Superior supplied us with 13 amazing entries that forced are judges to make some hard decisions. After reading all the creative stories we finally decided upon 5 great tales. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did! Here are the 5 winning entries from Lake Superior: Sitting in the study of my seaside retreat,I am surrounded by trophies and trinkets won in countless glorious battles. There are priceless treasures and mementos of times long past,pieces of a great town reduced to rubble,exotic weapons and wonderful armor pieces. My gaze falls upon a tattered runebook,the well worn leather cover bears the inscription “A gift from the Wolfpack Guild”. To some it's just another runebook but to me it's a symbol of friendship and kindness. You see this simple runebook would forever change my life. To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.

Memorable Moment Winners - Great Lakes Submitted by UO_Herald on October 16, 2012 at 3:02 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 16 18:48 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: Since we have been overwhelmed in the excitement of having so many ties, we wanted to keep it going by posting another set of winners today! We received 13 entries from the Great Lakes shard and had another tie! Here are the 6 winning entries from Great Lakes: Many of my most memorable UO moments occurred in and around Kazola’s Treetop Keg and Winery in what is now Feluccan Yew on Great Lakes. Located under a majestic yew tree southeast of the Yew Moongate, Kazola’s was a beacon of community in the sea of chaos that saturated Sosaria in those heady early years. As long as patrons respected one another, all were welcomed within its wooden doors. However, this did not stop fierce battles from raging in the tavern’s courtyard as various bands of thieves and murderers sought to make a name for themselves. To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.

Memorable Moment Winners - Lake Austin Submitted by UO_Herald on October 16, 2012 at 2:52 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 16 15:18 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: We received 15 entries from the Lake Austin shard. There were a lot of extremely good memories and a tally of the votes resulted in another tie! Here are the 6 winning entries from Lake Austin: My most memorable moment in all of Ultima Online is when I tamed my first ice white cu sidhe. What makes that moment remarkable is when you take into consideration thatI started my taming at 30 skill points that I bought from a ranger in Skara Brae. It’s hard to imagine, but I trained taming for over a year to make it to a level where I could even attempt to tame a cu sidhe. I remember taming cows and sheep in the bullpen of Jhelom, hinds and timber wolves on the road from Britain to Skara Brae. I spent months taming walrus, polar bears, snow leopards, and white wolves on Dagger Island. Then spent many more months, seemed like an eternity taming Bulls and Great Harts around Delucia. To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.

The Awakening - Epilogue Submitted by UO_Herald on October 16, 2012 at 2:48 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 16 14:04 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: Written by the EM Team Victor stretched with a loud yawn from the back of his wagon, the storm seeming to have finally blown over during the night. It’d only been a few weeks since the healers in Skara Brae had cleared him for being able to leave, and he’d taken his chance once he’d managed to purchase another wagon. He’d been told he might feel it when the weather was bad, but the soft aches that had plagued him during the night were gone with the rise of the morning sun. Crawling out from under the soft wool blanket, he took his seat at the front of his wagon, untied the horses, and got on his way. The wagon rumbled softly along the road to Yew, leaving him with his thoughts as companion for the journey. To read the full story on the forums, click HERE.

Memorable Moment Winners - Chesapeake Submitted by UO_Herald on October 15, 2012 at 6:20 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 15 15:32 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: We had a total of 7 entries from the Chesapeake shard. The entries were so well done that we had an even amount of votes for some of them and ended up having a 3 way tie! Here are the 7 winning entries from Chesapeake: Maestro’s Journal – Fall 329 – Haven After a rough week things are improving. I am returning to town bloody but alive and with loot. This is due to my skills improving but also due to Malloc. I agreed to help him acquire the materials and money needed to advance in his crafting skills; and in return he will improve my armor and weapons. This seems to be the start of a very lucrative partnership. There is just the minor problem of the cost involved in helping him advance. Just when I think we are getting ahead the money is gone. Worse is that we are sharing a room at the inn. I can only afford small room and putting two people into it with armor and crafting tools/materials is just insane. To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.

Memorable Moment Winners - Europa Submitted by UO_Herald on October 15, 2012 at 6:10 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 14 17:10 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: We had received 9 excellent entries from the Europa shard. Of those entries, there were 5 that we enjoyed the most. The top 5 most memorable UO moments from Europa: It was a cold wet December night, when I rolled up at West Britain Bank on my most trustworthy horse. There in the shadows stood my 2 most loyal friends Sir Mangus and Captain Birdseye, both passing the hours away chatting to everyone and anyone who happened to pass them by. Hey boys I shout, what's up? Hey Draco they both reply, nothing going on, its all quite tonight. So I ask if anyone has scouted the champ spawns to see if there is any action going on around the lands. Both shake their heads as to say nothing was happening. After 30 minuets had passed we get a message in guild chat from our Guild mistress Tia "Every one to Guild HQ" and the message is repeated 4 or 5 times. Capitan Birdseye says "hmm, it looks as if something is kicking off, we had better go see what's going on" So I open a gate to Guild HQ and all three of us pop through. To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.

Memorable Moment Winners - Drachenfels Submitted by UO_Herald on October 12, 2012 at 7:03 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 12 23:01 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: We had 13 entries from the Drachenfels shard that included some very creative stories. For your enjoyment, here are the top 5 winners: [Somewhere in Sosaria back in 1999…] Dear diary, *inkblot* It´s been some weeks now, since I started travelling the lands of Sosaria. In my efforts to become a good citizen I had to encounter fearsome creatures like Mongbats, Ettins and evil undead. My brothers Hegor and Kregor are good-for-nothing, lambasting murderers and bandits down at the crossroads, but I think a woodelf should follow the path of the virtues. … more or less. *smiles and takes a nip of Ale* Enviously I noticed all those fine structures built by respected and honorable people everywhere throughout the lands. So I decided to become a home owner… *inkblot* Little did I know about what it means to become the proud owner of even a small property in the lands of Sosaria. It is extraordinarily expensive, knotty and tough. So I slayed thousands of Harpies, Headless and Gazers down in dungeon Covetous. And it was dangerous and harsh and my collection of grey robes was astonishing. To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.

Memorable Moment Winners - Catskills Submitted by UO_Herald on October 11, 2012 at 12:55 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 11 03:50 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: Though we enjoyed all of the entries we received from the Catskills shard, we had to force ourselves to only select half of them. Here are the 5 winning entries from Catskills: Author: Ludes Title: The Discovery of Illshenar Ludes puffed contentedly on his pipe as he sat on the porch of his first home.. It was a small marble workshop south of Minoc, close to the bay.. It had taken almost a year for him and Lady Kyra to buy it.. but at last it was his.. an actual home to store his things and be a base for his new guild. The guild was barely a week old and the guildstone still gleamed with freshly cut corners and sharp lettering. He had one guild member, Garion. A capable fellow he had met near Brit smithy while we waited in line to get our armour repaired. As Ludes puffed away considering his plans Garion rushed up to the house.. "M'Lord!" He exclaimed.." They have discovered a new land!" Sitting up in excitement Ludes drops his pipe and say "What?.. Where?" Garion reaches down and picks up Ludes's pipe.. " The Moongates are tied in M'Lord.. Come, lets go see!" To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.

Murder Investigation Submitted by Martyna_Zmuir on October 10, 2012 at 4:34 PM CDT Originally posted October 9th, 2012 by EM Malachi on the Great Lakes EM Site: To the Royal Spies, Lady Sadako of Tokuno has been murdered while she was a guest at Castle Blackthorn. To avoid a diplomatic incident, we need to investigate and find those responsible. Please go to the crime scene at Castle Blackthorn and follow clues to uncover the group responsible. Please drop the evidence you recover in the mailbox next to the Counselor Hall in Britain. Those who complete this investigation will earn the first Investigation Honor which will move them closer to promotion. Thank you. —Magnus Grey (If you have any questions, please email me at malachi@uoem.net) [Discuss This Article]

Memorable Moment Winners - Baja Submitted by UO_Herald on October 10, 2012 at 3:45 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 10 13:38 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: We received many stories from Baja and our winners shared some inspiring memories of camaraderie. The top 5 most memorable UO moments from Baja: Fig The Ancient I struggled with this one for a while...their are so many good moments to remember but this one touched me deeply, and also gave me insight to the folks that played on our server. It was a few months after guilds were introduced into the world. It was during the times when houses were often vandalized by red characters. They would often kill members and steal the keys to your home then empty it of all its inventory. Because of this I had instructed my guild members not to carry their keys to the guild house, unless they were coming straight from the bank to the guild house. It was late night and I was escorting our latest member into the guild house as we were about to enter the house we were attacked by three red chars. I instructed the new member to run for his life, while I attempted to hold off the red hoard. To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.

B.A.F. Fundraiser for the Poor Submitted by Martyna_Zmuir on October 9, 2012 at 7:18 PM CDT From the desk of Grand Marshal Galen Knighthawke: We have a King now, but this has not automatically solved all our problems. In retrospect, I don't know what made me think it would. We have miles to go before we sleep. The High Council's militia, known as the BAF, will host another fundraiser this Friday, October 12, at 8pm Central/9pm Eastern. Meet at the Skara Brae bank; we will be digging up pirate treasure, likely led by champion treasure hunter Beryl Markham or by Rik Gemtrakker. -Galen Knighthawke Grand Marshal of Virtue, Britannian Armed Forces [Discuss This Article]

Memorable Moment Winners - Atlantic Submitted by UO_Herald on October 9, 2012 at 3:05 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 09 03:34 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: Choosing winners from the Atlantic shard was extremely tough. We had received 22 entries from the shard and enjoyed every one! We hope you enjoy our top 5 winning selections: The Kindness of Friends & Strangers. There has been so many memorable moments in my years of playing Ultima Online that it is difficult to pick only one. Foremost in my mind are the friends and just random people that I have met. These people really enhance the experience of this world we call Sosaria. During the Earth Year 1998, my goal was to place my first house. Placing even a small house on the Atlantic shard was almost impossible back in the old days before the Trammel/Felucca split. I was siting up one night waiting for a large forge house to collapse. A large forge spot was large enough for almost any home. I was chatting with a few people there at the time, not really knowing what to expect, because I had never really done a house camping before. Nor, did I didn't expect all the mayhem that was to follow due to hidden and red people. A very long night rolled around to 7:30 in the morning. The house finally dropped shortly afterward, and to my surprise people came seemingly out of nowhere. To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.

Harvest Festival Announced Submitted by Martyna_Zmuir on October 8, 2012 at 6:18 PM CDT Fall is once again upon us, heralding the treats and terrors of All Hallows Eve. As with years past, the UORPC shall host a Harvest Festival, a night of games, costumes, and frights! Join us this October 24th at 8pm under the Central Stars at the Yew-Wood Forest Theatre in Nameless Rune (located just 3 screens SE of the Yew Moongate in trammel, 71o 59’N 35o 47’W. Look for the building that says ‘YEW’ on the roof.) There will be many prizes to win during from trivia, a scavenger hunt, and a House of Horrors house drop. For the costume contest, we will be judging based on the originality of your design. (Use shape changing spells or items is prohibited.) Extra credit will be awarded for being “in-character” based on your costume. Start planning ahead now! With Wicked Glee, Helga the Hag (Duchess Willa of the Yew-Wood, Mayor of Yew) Duke Polynikes, Yew Militia Duchess Martyna Z’muir, Library of Sosaria Lord Evilice [Discuss This Article]

Guild of Friends 14th Anniversary Weekend Submitted by Martyna_Zmuir on October 8, 2012 at 1:42 PM CDT From the pen of Nallely M Dulcor: Guild of Friends is Celebrating 14 years of activity on the Great Lakes Shard. October marks the guild's 14th year!! Congratulations everyone. Festivities are scheduled: EVENTS: When: October 19th 8 p.m. CST  What: IDOC House Drop Where: Tower GOF Valley When: October 20th11 a.m. CST  Noon Eastern What: Net Toss Where:  New Magincia Docks When: October 20th 7 p.m. CST 8 p.m. EST What: Doom Run Where: Meeting Luna Bank When: October 21st11 a.m. CST/Noon Eastern What: Bank Trivia Where: Luna Bank 2nd Floor When: October 21st 7 p.m. CST/8 p.m. Eastern What:  “A Social” Where: New Haven Bank Look for a rune drop for the IDOC and other events Banner Hub outside Luna’s south gate links to GOF Valley also Ask a GOF member for help. [Discuss This Article]

Memorable Moment Winners - Oceania Submitted by UO_Herald on October 7, 2012 at 5:20 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 05 23:18 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: The Oceania shard's contestants remind us that though some moments are full of strife, it's the people with which we share the challenge that make the moment special. We had three entries from the Oceania shard so all of them are winners! Most Memorable Moment in UO In all my time of playing UO, there have been quite a few memorable moments, But to be honest nothing really captures the very first time I logged in (On my very first account – way back in 1998) It was Chespeake, the shard I first played on; because Oceania didn’t exist yet. I remember installing the game, downloading the patches, and eagerly logging in to see what I bought. I remember reading the back of the box, and it saying “you can do whatever you want to do in UO – or words to that affect” – and I wanted to steal things. To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.

Coronation Submitted by Martyna_Zmuir on October 4, 2012 at 8:26 PM CDT Originally posted October 4th, 2012 by EM Elizabella on the Great Lakes EM Site: You receive an engraved invitation. The Blackthorn coat of arms is at the top and your name has been written on the blank line in calligraphy. The invitation reads: ~*~*~*~*~*~ CORONATION OF HIS MAJESTY KING BLACKTHORN By Command of The King, The Earl Marshal is directed to invite you to be present at Castle Blackthorn on Saturday, the 6th day of October 2012 at 8 o’clock in the evening, central daylight time ~*~*~*~*~*~ [Discuss This Article]

Memorable Moment Winners - Formosa Submitted by UO_Herald on October 3, 2012 at 8:10 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 03 21:10 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: It is time to announce the next set of winners in the Memorable Moments Contest. Players on the Formosa shard mixed it up with entries containing poetry, epic battles and a holiday event. We hope you enjoy their tales as much as we have! We received four entries from the Formosa shard and, once again, all entries are winners! To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.

Coronation Guests Submitted by Martyna_Zmuir on October 3, 2012 at 2:15 PM CDT Originally posted October 2nd, 2012 by EM Malachi on the Great Lakes EM Site: Fifteen guests are staying at Castle Blackthorn for the upcoming coronation. Come visit with them and see what they think of the new king. (Note: The coronation is sheduled for Saturday, October 6th, 8:00 p.m. CDT) [Discuss This Article]

Memorable Moments from Starr Long Submitted by UO_Herald on October 3, 2012 at 12:21 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 03 14:46 -0400 GMT by Kai Schober on the UO Herald: Another former producer of Ultima Online took the chance to share his memorable moments. Starr Long who was our special guest at the 15th anniversary party used the speech after the coronation of Lord Blackthorn to answer several questions including some of his fondest memories. Here are some more: My fondest recollections are always about the unexpected ways our incredible players were able to create their own experiences. Each one of them illustrated how we had moved from makers of this world to the caretakers. The players were as much the makers as we were now, if not more. One of my favorite examples was the mass protest against lag in Castle Britannia where everyone stripped down to their skivvies, got drunk, danced, and threw up all over the courtyard. Believe it or not it really made us pay attention and love our players even more. I also loved the power of our housing system which was so popular it even began to have real world value. I remember distinctly when someone came up to me and said "You've heard of eBay right?" Remember this was late 1997 and eBay had only launched 2 years earlier and had coincidentally changed their name to eBay the same month we launched Ultima Online. "Yes," I replied "but what does it have to do with us?" "You won't believe this but someone just sold their castle for over $1000!" they answered incredulously. I was floored and proud that a bunch of 1s and Os could inspire someone to pay real money for it. Now of course with gold farming and micro transactions this seems pedestrian but fifteen years ago it was entirely new. Another wonderful expression of player power were the orc clans. Ultima Online only supported human characters but we had orc masks, armor, and weapons. Several groups of players began to wear orc gear and to role play orcs. Some of them even chose to speak orcish to each other! They would build player towns for "orcs only" or sometimes occupy NPC orc locations (a real challenge since they had to constantly keep the "real" orcs at bay). My last recollection is about a letter we received shortly after launch from a player who wrote to us about how much they enjoyed playing. They then began listing all the things they loved like fighting orcs, defending innocents from Player Killers, owning a house, and being leader of a guild. For them however one of their favorite features was the simple act of running through the world, because they were confined to a wheel chair in the real world. That letter along with other social examples like weddings and people maintaining long distance relationships through the game showed me that these virtual worlds have powers to be more than entertainment. -Starr If you have missed the previous moments, check out what Bonnie Armstrong, Richard Garriot and Anthony Castoro wrote! [Discuss This Article]

Mortuary of the Honored Submitted by Martyna_Zmuir on October 2, 2012 at 7:29 PM CDT Has the recent rise in zombie activity got you down? Tired of seeing your doppelganger chase after the brains of your friends and enemies without a souvenir?  The Great Lakes Role-Play Community (GLRPC) has your back! We are proud to announce the “Mortuary of the Honored” Halloween bone clearinghouse located just southeast of the Yew moongate on the edge of the Yew suburb of Nameless Rune (74o 37’N, 36o 45’W) in Trammel. Many eager morticians from around the realm have come together to ensure that the bones of the dearly departed find their way to a place of honor.  You will find the bones arranged in alphabetical order and priced at a nominal 10gp.  Bones found with a special hue will be personally returned to their proper owner.  (Please see the bulletin board within the mortuary to see the list of names.) Those who find uninterred remains may place them in the mailboxes along the southern edge of the mortuary.  Our staff will swiftly ensure their inclusion amongst the honored dead. [Discuss This Article]

Memorable Moment Winners - Balhae Submitted by UO_Herald on October 2, 2012 at 4:29 PM CDT Originally posted 2012 Oct 02 20:29 -0400 GMT by Tim Chappell on the UO Herald: In the past few weeks your entries have tickled our funny bones, tugged at our heart strings and stirred up many enjoyable memories. In some shards the competition was fierce and forced many of us to diligently scour through many entries. Other shards the choice was much simpler. In either case, we would like to thank all of players for their amazing memories and announce our winning picks for your memorable UO moments. The first moments we would like to publish are the ones from the Balhae Shard. We received only four entries, so all of the entries are winners! To read all the stories on the forums, click HERE.