September 2017


The Lost Vale

Submitted by UO_Herald on September 28, 2017 at 1:54 PM CDT
BNN

Originally posted September 28, 2017 by UO Dev Team on the UO Herald:

By EM Malachi

As they waited for the parade to start, an old man and a mouse shared a plate of cookies. Mythran carefully bit into the sweets and considered the crowd around him. The sun warmed his face, and he felt more happiness than he had in years. He began laughing.

The small mouse looked up, startled, her whiskers covered with crumbs. “Are you all right?”

Mythran smiled at her. “Just remembering a story my mother told me long ago.”

Sherry nibbled on a chocolate chip. “Would you tell it to me?”

Mythran sat back in his chair. “When I was young and just starting to be interested in magic, I asked my mother what spell was the most powerful. Was it a spell that made a great inferno, or summoned storms, or turned everything to gold? She told me this story:

Long ago high in their cloud city, the god of grief and the goddess of fear were arguing, while a third deity watched in amusement. The two bickering gods each believed their powers greater, and it was proposed they would each empower an army to prove their might. The third, the goddess Felicitar, asked if she could join the game. Seeing no threat, the other two agreed. Each set out to build their forces, and the contest would take place in a year and a day.

Doloras, the Weeping Torax, collected twisted and horrible beasts; he trained them by lash and grief for the year. Timyra, the Lady of Screams, recruited the cruelest mages and taught them to summon nightmares. Laughing Felicitar found a simple village situated between the other two forces and gave them a good harvest. She danced with the people during their festivals and sang their songs.

When the final day came, all the other deities came to watch the contest. Doloras and Timyra sent their armies to converge on the village. As the other two armies approached, Felicitar spoke to her people, and the villagers scattered and fled.

Doloras and Timyra laughed and ignored the flight of Felicitar’s folk, focusing their attention on the other’s army. It was a terrible battle, filled with blood and cacophony. When each side had nearly destroyed the other, the people of Felicitar’s village returned to the ruins of their home and drove off the broken remains of each army. They then set to rebuilding.

The other deities were confused by these events and asked the laughing goddess what she had told her people. Felicitar explained that she had told them not to lose hope as they would see their friends and families again.”

As Mythran finished, Sherry rested a paw on her friend’s hand. “I think I would have liked your mother. Thank you.”

Mythran nodded, “You are most welcome. I believe my mother would have liked you too. She was right. Hope is a most powerful thing to fight for. I have you and all of Britannia to thank for giving it back to me.”

As the parade began, Sherry asked Mythran, “What will you do now?”

Mythran considered for a moment before responding, “Many of my people were scattered and lost when our world fell. I heard rumors that some found a hiding place, safe from the Titans. If they are still out there, I will find them and bring them home. Then, I hope, we too can rebuild.”

*****

Across the Ethereal Void, in a place of great power, a being wrapped in shadow sensed the defeat of its pawns and turned its attention toward Britannia.



[Discuss This Article]
Victory At Last! Britannians Rejoice as Titans Defeated!

Submitted by UO_Herald on September 28, 2017 at 1:50 PM CDT
UO Community News

Originally posted September 28, 2017 by UO Dev Team on the UO Herald:

After many great battles The Shattered Obelisk draws to a close as Britannian’s celebrate their hard fought victory with a parade in Britain!  As we celebrate we are also pleased to release the conclusion of the official fiction, The Lost Vale.

Please note: Parade preparations are currently underway and will be completed as His Majesty’s artisans move parade floats and steeds into position.  Citizens are encouraged to walk the parade route and visit King Blackthorn.



[Discuss This Article]
A Huge Thank You

Submitted by UO_Herald on September 26, 2017 at 6:01 PM CDT
UO Community News

Originally posted September 26, 2017 by UO Dev Team on the UO Herald:

Greetings,

On behalf of the entire UO Team, we want to extend a very special thank you to all of our players, past and present, for your continued support of Ultima Online as we celebrate 20 years of UO!

The Anniversary party was a huge success and it was such a pleasure to meet everyone.  We have over 700 photos to sift through and will post those here and on social media so you can check them out!

For all of the winners of the castle raffle, I have emailed everyone with a valid email address.  If you have not received an email and you were a winner, please contact me.

We were also very excited to announce the next major stage in Ultima Online’s history with Endless Journey coming Spring of 2018.  You can check our preliminary FAQ page about the Endless Journey here.  We look forward to sharing more information about the Endless Journey and what’s next in Britannia in the coming weeks and months.

We also want give a very special thanks to In10se BBQ for an amazing meal and a very big thank you to the Spawn family for making the amazing mugs and decals.  We also want to thank Larper’s Lounge for donating the prizes for the costume contest.

As a special treat, one of the attendees at the party brought a drone and took this amazing photo of the BBQ on Saturday.  Thanks again for everyone who attended.

See you in Britannia,

Bonnie “Mesanna” Armstrong

20th Anniversary BBQ Drone Photo



[Discuss This Article]
Battle of the Shattered Obelisk

Submitted by UO_Herald on September 26, 2017 at 5:48 PM CDT
BNN

Originally posted September 26, 2017 by UO Dev Team on the UO Herald:

By EM Malachi

“Any requests?” asked the bard as he tuned the strings on his lute. Even at the bustling war camp in East Side Park, enough were off duty that Iolo had drawn a crowd. A young recruit requested the song Stones, and Iolo frowned slightly but nodded. Testing his lute one final time, he settled into the tune and started singing:

“Long ago ran the sun on a folk who had a dream
And the heart and the will and the power:
They moved earth; they carved stone; moulded hill and channeled stream
That we might stand on the wide plains of Wiltshire.”

Dupre understood his friend’s reluctance. While a favorite of the former king, it was a somber and sobering piece. He took his mug and moved away from the crowd. A gargoyle dressed in heavy armor walked up to him and stood at attention. “Troop Leader Bolesh, reporting for duty!”

Dupre waved the gargoyle over to his tent. Inside, he grabbed a second goblet and filled it. The paladin offered it to the other warrior, and surprisingly, Bolesh accepted and raised the drink, “To the health of your king!”

“To the success of your queen!” Dupre finished the toast with a smile. They each took a few sips while listening to Iolo’s song:

“Now men asked who they were, how they built and wonder why
That they wrought standing stones of such size.
What was done ‘neath our shade? What was pray’ed ‘neath our skies
As we stood on the wyrd plains of Wiltshire.”

Dupre moved over to a map table with the current deployments around Britannia. “Each city has its own fighting force ready for its defense. With the bulk of our forces here in Britain, we can bolster any city we need to. May I ask how many from Ter Mur we can expect to be part of this operation?”

“Half.”

“Half a company?” Dupre asked with a frown.

“No, half of Ter Mur’s forces. The rest are needed to maintain our borders.”

Dupre whistled. “That will help tremendously.”

Bolesh smiled. “My queen is nothing if not bold. She believes it important that this threat be dealt with decisively.”

Dupre finished his drink as he let Bolesh study the map and the current state of Britannia’s war effort. The other warrior asked pointed questions about how best to defend each location and where to best deploy his forces.

“Oh what secrets we could tell if you’d listen and be still.
Rid the stink and the noise from our skirts.
But you haven’t got the clue and perhaps you never will.
Mute we stand on the cold plains of Wiltshire.”

A messenger ran into the tent and handed a scroll to Dupre. The paladin tore open the seal and quickly read the report. He dismissed the messenger and picked up his sword and helmet. “Looks like your people won’t get a chance to rest, Bolesh. There has been a major attack on Trinsic, and we are needed there as reinforcements.”

As news of the attack started to move through the camp, Iolo finished his song:

“Still we loom in the mists as the ages roll away
And we say of our folk, “they are here!”
That they built us and they died and you’ll not be knowing why
Save we stand on the bare plains of Wiltshire.”



[Discuss This Article]
20th Anniversary Costume Contest Winner

Submitted by DaKaren on September 24, 2017 at 2:05 PM CDT

Great Lake's own Shandara was the first place winner of the 20th Anniversary Costume Contest!   Congratulations!
Shandara 20th Anniversary Costume Contest Winner

Pictured: Mesanna, Kyronix & Shandara

September UO Newsletter

Submitted by UO_Herald on September 18, 2017 at 2:42 PM CDT

Update September 2017 View in browser
14 DAY FREE TRIAL
The UO Team is happy to announce we will be sending out a newsletter periodically so you can stay up to date on the latest in Britannia!

Please encourage your friends to sign up on our web site

 

Producer Notes

Greetings everyone,

The team and I are working hard to finish up the second part of Publish 98 which includes Holiday gifts, new Artisan Festival Rewards and new Veteran Rewards as well as several bug fixes.  This month, Ultima Online turns twenty years old, which is an incredible milestone!  UO could not have ever reached this point without the tireless work of scores of staff and the amazing support and help of the over 1 million people have played UO in its lifetime!  Recently, UO was named the 3rd best MMORPG of all time for 2017 by MMORPG.com!  Again, we could not have attained this distinction without you, so from all of us - a huge thank you to Ultima Online's players past and present!  As many of you know, to celebrate this joyous occasion we will be hosting a 20th Anniversary Party and cannot wait to celebrate with the over 200 of you that registered, filling us to capacity in record time!  We hope everyone is as excited as we are!  

For those attending the party be sure to check the party page often as we will be updating it with the latest information.  We are especially excited for Friday evening when we will be hosting a costume contents.  The Judges for the contest will be our honored guests Starr "Lord Blackthorn" Long and Richard "Lord British" Garriott.  The prizes for this contest were donated by Mr. David Johnson of Larpers Lounge.  They are great people to work with and extremely helpful with your armor needs if you might have any.  We can't wait to see what everyone comes dressed as!

For those that are unable to attend the party we will be taking lots of pictures for you guys so you do not feel left out.  Speaking of not leaving you guys out, I have the three winners of the in-game castle raffle that was on TC1.  I will be contacting you via email today so please reply with the shard and character name you will be receiving the castle with.

Recently there has been quite a bit of discussion regarding how the Enhanced Client performs with certain graphical effects that creatures use.  In an attempt to provide a solution I stated you could adjust settings to increase performance.  It turns out these settings were not functioning as we expected, however we have identified the problem and will be releasing a client patch soon to correct it.  Thank you to all those who brought this issue to our attention, and apologize for not addressing this sooner.  You can read more about Enhanced Client performance issues below.

You can see September has been a busy month for us!  We will not be hosting our normal in-game Meet and Greets this month, and will resume those in October.  Keep an eye on UO.com for dates, times, and locations for those Meet and Greets.

As a final note from the UO Team, our thoughts and prayers go out to all that have been affected by Hurricane Irma.
    
See you in Britannia, 

Bonnie "Mesanna" Armstrong
Producer

 

Enhanced Client Performance

Recently there has been quite a bit of discussion regarding how the EC performs with certain particle effects as well as how it performs when opening public monster corpses.

With regard to the particle effects, EMs have been instructed to not use these particle effects or request monsters that use them until we can get a patch out to add additional filtering options for particle effects and fix the issues with the existing filters.  Once this patch is deployed you will be able to properly filter out all particle effects in addition to a new option that will allow you to filter out only those particles that are part of an area or location based effect.



When it comes to opening public monster corpses in the enhanced client, the solution becomes a little trickier.  The challenge is finding a balance in providing enough loot on the monster to keep the encounter enticing, while not overwhelming the clients with hundreds of items.  Recently a video was posted that showed a public monster corpse with over 900 items!  This is far too much, and as most players pointed out the majority of the items in these corpses are undesirable.  One solution we are investigating is to put a cap on the number of items that end up back in a public corpse from the numerous instanced corpses that are part of large scale encounters.  Again, finding a balance between performance and enough items to keep the corpse enticing is key here. In addition to this, we will investigate filtering out certain low-level items to make sure only the higher-end loot is ending up in a public corpse.  This will not impact instanced corpses and players would expect to see the full complement of a monster's loot in their instanced corpse.  This would only apply once the monster's corpse becomes public.  This change will take a little longer to test and implement and we look forward to community discussion and testing of the solution once it is implemented. 

We know it is incredibly frustrating to encounter performance issues when trying to play your favorite game and experience the newest encounters and content.  The entire team must and will do a better job to keep these performance issues in mind and find a balance between making an encounter visually exciting while still offering peak performance.  Thank you to everyone who brought these issues to our attention!
 

 

Question & Answer Corner


1.   Is there any way to reverse the random resources collection?

This change was made to deter monopolization of high-end resource nodes within the world.  While we are open to reverting random resource collection this change requires additional consideration and discussion of all the impacts.  We look forward to continued discussion within the community.

2.   There are some facings of items that cannot be added to BODs properly, can you fix this?

Yes, we are curating a list of items that need to be fixed.  If you have specific items in mind please contact us.

3.  Can Axem the Curator give out stacked gems instead of loose ones?

This is something we will investigate and check add for a future publish.

4.   Can we have a key ring for the skeleton keys from Treasure maps ?

Yes!  Look for this in a future publish.

5.   Can you please add Fire Ants and Fire Deamons to the fire slayer list?

Yes, we can add these monster types to the appropriate slayers.  If there are creatures you feel should be in a slayer list feel free to contact us.

6.  Can you add Gargoyle artifacts in Shadowguard?

This will be fixed in Publish 99.

 

 

Customer Service


1. If you have an account that was terminated by CS over a year ago and would like to have it back please contact support here and give them the details and identify the account as yours, depending on the termination we will remove the restriction from your account so you may open it again.

2. All Sovereigns purchased from Origin have to be entered on the Account Management page.  You can not enter these in game.

3. Anyone that is trying to reopen an account please make sure you send all the information to support@ultimaonline.com so we can have a record of this.  In the original request to support if you do not know your secret word please ask for a hint.  Give them all the information to identify the account as yours so there will not be a lot of delays.

4.  Anyone that does not get their codes from Origin please follow this link to resolve the issue..

5.  If you have any in game questions or issues please either page in game or email support@ultimaonline.com.

6.  For any feedback to content put in game please send it to UO@broadsword.com.

7.  Regarding Origin orders, codes, and third party resellers.
 
Recently some of the player base may have noticed that an Origin store purchase they have made did not arrive or complete as expected. A confirmation or code email has not been received and you are wondering what may have occurred with your order. The Origin store enacts reviews on all transactions to safeguard against fraudulent purchases, and these reviews may take up to 72 hours. Unfortunately our Billing department is not able to expedite or circumvent this process, however players who have questions or concerns regarding a store purchase can contact Origin support for assistance using the below link:
 
http://help.ea.com/en/contact-us/new/
 
When prompted for a product, choose Origin. Next choose your platform, and select ‘Orders’ as the topic. You can further specify your issue in the subsequent fields before speaking with an agent.
 
We would also like to reiterate that the Origin store is the only guaranteed provider of codes for Ultima Online. The validity of a code purchased from a third-party seller (be it a friend, in-game acquaintance, or recommended site) cannot be guaranteed. Furthermore, any codes we find to have be fraudulently obtained will be disabled and an account that applies any of these codes will have that code removed from said account. This can result in the loss of gametime, character slots, expansion access, Sovereigns (and the items purchased with them), in-game items and more. Please be advised that we cannot assist with any issues stemming from codes purchased via non-Origin means; you will be required to contact the vendor from which you purchased the code for further assistance.


PASSWORD ISSUES
 
To reset your password you must first understand which type of account you are resetting the password for. EA Accounts, Mythic Master Accounts, and Mythic Product Accounts all have separate individual passwords. All of which you can reset at your leisure at our Account Center at https://accounts.eamythic.com/. Unfortunately, Broadsword Support cannot assist with potential EA Account issues or passwords, please follow the steps below.
 
To reset your EA Account password:
     * Please visit https://signin.ea.com/p/web/resetPassword
     * At the EA.com page enter the email used to log into your EA Account to change its password.
     * If you have not received your password or have received an error while trying to reset the password and you have disabled all spam filters, please contact EA Support here, https://help.ea.com/en/contact-us/new/#?product=origin&platform=pc


CREDIT/DEBIT CARD UPDATE
 
To update your credit card information, please follow these steps:
  • Login to the Account Center (https://accounts.eamythic.com) with your EA Account email and its password
  • Select the 'Subscriptions' tab
  • Locate the account you would like to update the card for
  • Select the 'Subscribe' button
  • Select the billing cycle you would like to use and continue
  • When you get to the page asking which payment method you would like to use, instead of choosing to add a card, select the 'Manage Accounts' option in the top right corner of the page. This should load a new page that will contain your previous credit card information.
  • Find the card you wish to update and select the 'X' button
  • You can now re-enter your credit card with the updated information by using the 'Add a card' button.

ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT AT THE ACCOUNT CENTER (https://accounts.eamythic.com/)
 
How to create an account or log into my account?
http://uo.com/Account-Login-Guide
 
How to manage my accounts after I’ve logged into the Account Center with my EA Account credentials?
http://uo.com/account-management/
 
Additional support links and videos:
http://uo.com/faq/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G7ABl5wdyU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5qQwJ6rgI8


 

 

 
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[Discuss This Article]
Family Squabbles

Submitted by UO_Herald on September 18, 2017 at 2:37 PM CDT
BNN

Originally posted September 18, 2017 by UO Dev Team on the UO Herald:

By EM Malachi

“Do we have a compact?” asked the wind.

The mountain rumbled in disinterest. He had already started playing with the dead things buried on this new world. The remaining two, the fire and the sea, glowered at each other. It was clear that they had some disagreement.

Stratos considered for a moment before asking, “What is the problem?”

“Only the same problem we always have: incompetence. Why don’t you ask the Lord of Flame how he failed to capture one human?” Hydros scoffed.

The flames on Pyros’s daemonic face grew hotter. “He is lucky to be alive. I meant to kill him.”

“So you intended to interfere with my plans? You know I like the subtle taste of mage blood. Did the little human scare you?”

The great fire elemental exploded in a burst of flame before pulling himself back together. “I will not work with her.”

Stratos looked to Lithos for help, but the stone face had fallen asleep. She tried to calm both parties, “Brother. Sister. The human leader is maimed. We need to make full use of this opportunity and disperse any opposition. We must work together.”

Hydros gave a cruel laugh. “I can be the ocean and the sea. Why would I need any of you?”

Stratos pleaded with her siblings, “This world is ours for the taking. I have always admired our power when we work together.”

Pyros sneered. “You think you can sweet talk me like your little servants? I claw my mark across the faces of worlds, little sister.”

Lithos opened an eye. “None of us walks unnoticed, brother. Do not forget how I make the ground tremble.” The Titan of Earth returned to his nap.

Stratos continued, “How about a compromise? Each of us will attack alone, but the strikes will be coordinated against the cities of Britannia.” She shaped the air into the globe of Sosaria, marking the location of each major city.

Hydros examined the globe. “I will consider helping, but I want something.”

“What do you need?”

“I want this island here. What is it called? New Magincia? It is less littered with human vermin than some of the others. I will build my temple there.”

Stratos nodded. “We can agree to that.”

Pyros huffed. “If Hydros gets an island, I must as well.”

“You wish to build a temple?” Stratos asked.

“No, I simply want my due. It will be something I destroy so she can’t have it.”

Hydros gave a dismissive wave. “Whatever.”

“Do you have a preference?” asked the air elemental.

Pyros turned the illusionary globe, running a claw along the fault lines and tectonic plates. “I feel the fire under this one. I will break the Valorian islands with one stroke when I come into my full power.”

Stratos looked to Hydros who nodded. “Then we are agreed.”

Lithos seemed to wake from his nap. “When do we discuss which mountain ranges are mine?”



[Discuss This Article]
2017 Smuggler's Run Regatta Winners!

Submitted by Martyna_Zmuir on September 13, 2017 at 9:30 PM CDT

From the office of Dot Warner, Governor of Britain:

2017 Regatta Winners

Congratulations to this year's winners!

Next summer, the top prize may change to a lighthouse deed!



[Discuss This Article]
The Zealot

Submitted by UO_Herald on September 12, 2017 at 11:40 AM CDT
BNN

Originally posted September 12, 2017 by UO Dev Team on the UO Herald:

By EM Malachi

A few weeks ago…

“Grave robbing. Almost no skill to it.”

The thief muttered to himself as he carefully pushed aside the stone door. He waved his torch in front of him and tossed a few pebbles onto the stone floor. When nothing happened, he moved deeper into the tomb. When Sherry had challenged Ricardo to be the first Britannian thief to steal something from another world, he had expected exciting rooftop chases, clever disguises, and better locks. Then the mage Mythran had gotten him here with a single spell, and so far, there hadn’t been even one trap. Where was the challenge for Britannia’s greatest thief?

Moving down through the crypts, he saw the still forms of generations of warriors in rusting armor. They seemed peaceful, so he was respectfully quiet when sneaking forward to steal from them. Ricardo quickly found the fallen king’s treasure horde. It wasn’t the largest room of treasure he’d ever seen, but the thief had to admire the heaping pile of dark gems. A few made their way into a pocket. The room hummed with mystical power, and it seemed to direct the thief toward a pyramid-shaped artifact hidden in the back. The base was worn, as if it had broken off a larger structure. When Ricardo’s hand touched the relic, there came an inhuman screech from down a tunnel and then the sound of something terrible and angry coming toward him.

He was about to run when a sword caught his attention by shouting at him, “Hey, kid! Yes, you! Pick me up! Pick me up! Let me help! Unless you’d rather be cut down in your prime.”

Ricardo grabbed the sword just as a large skeleton dressed in an assortment of lavish robes and armor burst into the room. Without ceremony, the skeleton swung a giant scimitar at him again and again, trying to cleave him in two. The sword in his hand leapt back and forth to block the undead warrior’s strikes.

The feral skeleton paused for a moment to ask, “Who steals from Khumash-Gor?”

Ricardo without thinking replied, “Who is Khumash-Gor?”

The sword chuckled, “You shouldn’t have said that.”

“Khumash-Gor, the Sword of Odion! Khumash-Gor, mortal husband of the Goddess Amoras! Khumash-Gor, Uniter of the Zealans, he who was judged worthy by Apathas himself! Khumash-Gor, who stands before you!” The skeleton’s eyes glowed red with rage.

The sword twitched to parry the great black scimitar, “Well he’s certainly full of himself. Husband, really? We all know it was just a fling!”

The skeletal warrior gave a yell and slammed a boney shoulder into Ricardo, knocking him square across the room.

The sword continued to taunt Khumash-Gor, “And Uniter, really? Really? You just killed everyone who wouldn’t follow you.”

Ricardo held the sword desperately, as the undead king continued to slash at him. “I’m not really sure you’re helping.”

“Would you like to take over? Let me know if you feel capable of tirelessly parrying the supernatural blows of the undead wraith of a murderous raider king. I’ll take a break. Actually, I think that’s going to happen soon anyway.”

The great scimitar hit the black longsword a final time and shattered it like glass. There was a flash of light and the smell of brimstone. Standing beside Ricardo and Khumash-Gor was a grinning red fiend. The daemon stretched and swatted away a strike from the skeleton. “It’s good to be free after so long. I’m glad I was able to find someone willing to wield me so recklessly.”

Khumash-Gor turned his attention back to the thief, and Ricardo pathetically tried to parry with the broken hilt of the sword. “Are you going to return the favor?”

“What turnip patch were you born in? I’m a daemon. We don’t do favors. We make deals. I protected you as long as the sword I was bound to would allow. Blame the people who made a blackrock sword. Wonderful for binding daemons for millennia, but not a terribly practical martial tool.”

“You mentioned a deal?”

“You are about to be cleaved in half by an insane undead despot. I think you’re a bad investment. Nice knowing you, kid.” The daemon disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The broken sword hilt was knocked out of Ricardo’s hand, and he fell to the ground trying to dodge the supernaturally fast strikes. The skeleton held his scimitar within killing distance of Ricardo’s neck and held out a bony hand. Ricardo handed over the artifact he had traveled so far to recover. The glowing eyes looked at the relic before raising his blade to finish the thief.

There came a great wind through the passages of the tomb as if three voices were arguing. Khumash-Gor stopped mid-strike to listen. When the wind died down, the skeleton dropped the blackrock artifact in front of Ricardo and returned to his throne.

Around Khumash-Gor, ghosts and skeletons started to gather, at first a few, and then hundreds of warriors: an army. When it seemed no more would fit in the room, Khumash-Gor strode through them and lead them out of the tomb.

Ricardo recovered his senses and the obelisk top. “I wonder what that was all about.”

A strange woman appeared beside him, her gown shimmering. “My husband has your world to unite.”



[Discuss This Article]
Daemon’s Crag

Submitted by UO_Herald on September 7, 2017 at 8:30 PM CDT
BNN

Originally posted September 6, 2017 by UO Dev Team on the UO Herald:

By EM Malachi

The harsh winds attempted to push the king into the endless void. Blackthorn braced himself against the wind and summoned a field of energy to direct the unnatural gusts away from himself. He stood at the edge of a flat stone ruin with paths branching out in four directions. At the center of the plane, in the circle of glowing runes, were a few broken pieces of blackrock.

The winds ceased pummeling the field, and the air in front of him condensed into a feminine form. The being spoke with a voice like a silver bell, “You are everything we hoped you would be. We do not need to be adversaries.”

King Blackthorn focused mana into an attack spell before responding to the being that had just tried to kill him. “You really don’t understand who we Britannians are. We do not yield to threats.”

Stratos laughed. Her voice rang out, “I was testing you, just as some of our worshippers have been testing your people. If you consider this a threat, perhaps we overestimated you.”

Blackthorn replied, “We have dealt with would-be conquerors before.” He channeled raw power into a blast to dissipate the aerial being.

The Titan of Air reappeared an instant later, unharmed. She gave a cruel smile and said, “You have never faced anything like us, little human king.”

Blackthorn expected the air creature to attack him directly as she had before. Instead, he felt a tightness in his lungs, as the very air he was breathing thinned. He fought to control the primal panic and focused on the flow of mana around him, seeing the delicate weave of elemental magic. He made the motions of a powerful frost spell. As his motions whipped the spell around him, he cut the elemental tendrils choking him.

The air around him calmed. He watched the Titan of Air fade away, a mocking grin on her face. “I did offer you an alternative.”

Blackthorn had barely caught his breath when he felt a wave of heat coming from one of the stone paths. The temperature rose as the creature came into view. It held the shape of a daemon, but its flesh moved and rippled like living flame. Even from a hundred yards away, the king felt discomfort from the radiating heat. He expected it to move slowly, but it quickly closed the distance. He was still casting a spell to protect himself when the great fiery form smashed into him.

The burning claws of Pyros caused Blackthorn’s wards to sputter and spark. Believing this was his best opportunity, the king grabbed the dark shard from his belt. He plunged the blackrock spike into the creature’s chest and began chanting words of binding.

Pyros tore the blackrock shard from the king’s hands and tossed it out into the void. The terrible face snarled at him, “Better sorcerers than you have tried to bind me.” There was a crackle as the last of his wards died. Blackthorn felt the flames and the force of the Titan’s claws tearing at him. In desperation, he fumbled for the rune in his cloak. He had just cast the Recall spell onto the rune when the heat caused the marked stone to shatter.

*****

Those waiting to do business at the West Britain bank heard a boom like thunder above them. Looking into the sky, they saw a man falling, desperately trying to cast a spell to save himself. Even though he managed to slow his fall, his body hit the ground hard enough to spook the horses tied around the bank. Those who rushed forward to help recognized the burned and broken form of their king.



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20th Anniversary Event Arc – The Shattered Obelisk

Submitted by Martyna_Zmuir on September 5, 2017 at 5:19 PM CDT
EM Events

Originally posted Tuesday, September 5th, 2017 by an EM on the Great Lakes EM Site:

The house is empty, but the door is closed.
Barter with the thief, not the healer.
Listen to the smallest voice, for the clock is broken.
When the evening tide slips the moon’s leash,
And the well is dry but not empty,
The king who stands alone falls.
If hope is lost, valor will follow it into the sea.

Fiction:

The Oracle and the Bard
Enlightenment
Hickory Dickory Dock
Talking Through Wisps
The House Between There and Here
Lurker
The Mountain King
Daemon’s Crag
The Zealot

For additional information, please see uo.com.



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The Mountain King

Submitted by UO_Herald on September 5, 2017 at 12:22 PM CDT
BNN

Originally posted September 5, 2017 by UO Dev Team on the UO Herald:

By EM Malachi

The dead whispered, and Shamino listened. The murmurs belonged to those Shamino Salle’ Dacil had known over the long years – family, friends, soldiers he had sent into battle, and his beloved Beatrix. With the grief renewed after the centuries, he had spent a time wandering the wilds. Then he had returned to Skara Brae to find a way to serve, to bury his pain in work. Now he was standing vigil on Iver’s Rounding to watch over the Well of Souls.

While mages would have explained the Well of Souls with talk of leylines and arcane geometry, the rangers had a simpler explanation: some places are crossroads between here and there, between life and death. These are hallowed places to find solace and peace and to lay to rest wandering spirits, but they are also targets for necromancers and daemons. Protecting this particular crossroad had fallen to the rangers of Skara Brae.

It was sudden when the voices went quiet. The wind through the trees stopped. At the Well, the boundary between life and death weakened, and the color seemed to drain from everything close to it. Shamino frowned and moved closer to look inside. He placed his hand carefully against the veil as he had been taught and felt part of himself step across.

The other side looked like a simple stone catacomb. There was light from strange necromantic runes, and the air was still and stale. The ranger moved forward, walking for what seemed like hours. Eventually, the catacombs gave way to a natural cave. At his feet, the earth itself formed into a face and spoke, “Who are you, little being, to stand in my way?”

“I am Shamino Salle’ Dacil. And who might you be?

“I am Lithos. I am the Mountain King. I am the Heart of Earth. I claim this place.”

Shamino asked, “What is the basis for your claim?”

“By right of power. I claim all those who return to the ground, and they serve me forever. As shall you.”

Shamino noticed then that skeletons were rising from the earth around him, their bones etched with evil looking runes and writings. The ancient necromancers reached out glowing hands to grasp at Shamino. He quickly moved between them, dodging their lethal spells. He turned and fled back to the place where he had entered the shadow realm.

Stepping back across the veil, Shamino found himself again on Iver’s Rounding. The ghost of an old ranger he had befriended decades before mouthed the word, “Run!” just as the Well of Souls exploded. Specters and ghosts he did not recognize spilled forth from the rift between life and death, covering the island and crossing the channel to Skara Brae.

The dead had begun their siege of the city of Spirituality.



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Lurker

Submitted by UO_Herald on September 2, 2017 at 8:03 PM CDT
BNN

Originally posted September 1, 2017 by UO Dev Team on the UO Herald:
We are pleased to release the next installment of fiction for the Shattered Obelisk, Lurker.

By EM Malachi

Fog rolled over the bridges and islands of Vesper, cloaking the canal-city in grey. San-Lem shivered and walked faster, so she wouldn’t be left behind by those she had accompanied to the human city. Her employer, Aurvidlem, had requested that his entourage follow human custom and walk from place to place. Now, with such poor visibility, San-Lem was thankful for this rule.

Being the personal healer to a merchant who had grown rich from trade between Ter Mur and Britannia was not what San-Lem had expected from her life. Still, it was better than struggling in the crowded refugee settlements where most of Ver Lor Reg’s survivors had ended up. She was paid in gold and food, a bounty she shared with kin who had escaped with even less than she had. Singularity was worth a few sore talons.

Forewarned of the problems along Britannia’s roads, Aurvidlem had rented passage on a merchant ship. The late summer waters had been warm, and the winds had gotten them to Vesper in excellent time. Then the weather had taken a sudden turn. A human merchant whom Aurvidlem was trading with had mentioned that such fog was out of season.

After leaving Aurvidlem at his opulent room at the Ironwood Inn, San-Lem and the rest of the retinue made their way back to more modest lodgings at the hostel. As they were crossing the bridge from the Marsh Hall, San-Lem noticed that the local birds and insects had gone quiet. She distrusted silence, for she remembered how quiet the machines of Exodus had gone right before they tore her home apart. She listened for a moment, and the sea to the east sounded wrong, rumbling and churning. San-Lem told her compatriots she needed to check something and flew up into the sky. Moving up past the dense ground fog, she had a clear view of the ocean below and the source of her worry: a giant wavefront moving toward the vulnerable canal-city.

She landed quickly back on the ground and shouted a word of alarm, “Jux-wis-re!” The other gargoyles recognized the warning and took to the air, each flying in different directions across Vesper to warn people. San-Lem herself flew toward the most vulnerable part of the city: the docks where they had disembarked.

She yelled warnings as she sped over the canals and cobblestones. Seeing her distress, most seemed to understand well enough. As quickly as she could, San-Lem got to the docks. The waterfront had been cleared by the fog, and she saw only two children were playing at the end. The force of the onrushing waves was clearing the mists. Suddenly seeing the wall of water up-close filled San-Lem with fear. Having the whole docks to themselves, the little boys were jumping from piling to piling, oblivious to the approaching danger. While the same instincts that had saved her from Ver Lor Reg screamed at her to flee, she flew down the dock.

San-Lem grabbed a child under each arm and turned in midair as quickly as the weight would allow. She considered flying into the open sky, but so burdened, she did not think she could stay aloft for long. The door of the Magicians Friend was standing open, and an alchemist was waving for her to hurry. Nearing it, she tossed the small boys into the alchemist’s arms. Hearing the roar behind her, she slammed the door shut and barred it with her body as the cold water hit her.

Vesper was flooded in minutes.



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