Greetings Everyone,

   I wanted to touch base with you guys to explain the reason some of your accounts did not auto renew as they should have.  There was an issue in the system that was corrected and the accounts that were/are set up for auto renewal are being processed at this time.  You should not have to do anything to your account.  The process is checking back to approx the later part of November to make sure nothing is over looked so please give it a day or two.  If your account does not auto renewal in the next day or two then please contact us so we can make sure this issue is fixed.

Bonnie “Mesanna” Armstrong

Tomorrow morning after maintanence the following will be adjusted:

1.  Adjusted Bard AI
2.  Added Healer abilities to Agents of the Crown in Blackthorns castle
3,. Fixed issue where Captains were revealing hidden players
4.  Fixed dungeon mobs spawning in unreachable areas
5.  Adjusted Captains spawn

All these changes will be visible after your normal morning maintanence.

Thank you,

UO Team

By: EM Drosselmeyer

“You don’t actually think this is going to work, do you?” Anon scoffed at King Blackthorn’s suggestion.

“Well if you don’t think you have the ability to do it, I guess you can continue to be known as the second best mage of the realm…”

Anon slammed a hand down on the table, causing Dupre to give him a glare from his seat. “I still am afraid I don’t understand…why are we not simply destroying the source of these?”

“Because we cannot without condemning untold numbers of lives. Anon and I have come to the conclusion that Minax used the shard of the gem of immortality she’d stolen to open up tears in the Ether to another world…a Sosaria conquered by brigands and outlaws. To destroy the connection might destroy one or both of the worlds. Instead…Anon came up with a plan that’s somewhat similar to what Nystul once did…”

“It’s completely different! We aren’t destroying an entire way of life and the source of our strength!”

The King raised his hand and Anon reluctantly went quiet. “Alright. We can cast the spell, but we’re going to have to be uninterrupted…and unfortunately, Minax and this…Shanty you told us of will be on the watch now. Anon is the only one of us who can cast it…and I’ll need to assist him.”

“Shanty’s enchanted blade is powerful…it’s one of those ancient blades that we’d thought were all lost. I don’t have anything that can stand up to it.”

The King pulled on a bellpull and Heckles entered, with an object wrapped in cloth. “It took some time, but I was able to find an object in my collection that may be able to help you against him, Sir Dupre.”

As Heckles approached, he unwrapped it and held the sheathed blade out to Sir Dupre, and he drew it…to show a brilliantly gleaming black longsword, with magical runes engraved along it’s length. The balance was impeccable, and it felt as if it had the perfect weight…He gave a small swing of it’s blade, and saw the same motes of magical energy as Shanty’s Sharkbite had cast. In a deft motion he sheathed it perfectly, and gave the King a nod.

“Then let us do this for the realm…and for Minax’s defeat.”
 

Anon’s preparations were complete and he’d taken a score or more of obscure reagents from the depths of Blackthorn’s vaults; Dupre had replaced his shield with a heavier version and had the squire that saved him paint Blackthorn’s crest atop it in place of his own. He’d replaced the broken pauldrons and it gleamed brightly compared to the rest of his well worn armor. Anon had donned his usual llamahair outfit, but he was also now wearing a hat provided him by the King, also adorned with Blackthorn’s crest. The King opened a gate and they stepped through the shimmering blue portal one after another.

The scene was chaotic before them; Guards, adventurers, explorers, and volunteers swarmed the streets, fighting the marauders and their monsters. Blood spotted and stained the streets of the city of Vesper as battles raged across the islands, the bridges barely holding up to the fury of the fighting. Anon quickly started chanting, and in moments he was teleporting with flashes of light from spot to spot.

Dupre shouted after him “Damn it, Anon, we have to do this together! Let’s go!” He spared a glance to make sure the King was behind him, and they charged after the mage across the splintered wooden bridges. A satyr rose up in front of him, and Dupre drew the black blade out into a diagonal slash, and hacked the creature in half without facing any resistance. Dryad and Cu sidhe rose up to face him, and each one was dispatched with haste, leaving dismembered monsters behind them like a wake while they bolted towards the lighthouse.

Anon had already dispatched most of the creatures in the area, and was beginning his setup. Dupre swore underneath his helmet…Damned Grandstander…the King approached Anon and they began to speak, as Dupre shouted over to them. “I’m going to secure the area, and see if I can’t get any of these volunteers to help us keep the bridges locked down.”

Anon waved him off. “I don’t care! Just stay out of my way, you nonce!”

The King gave him a nod as he departed, before turning to Anon. “And you’re sure you can alter these tears?”

“Of course I can! Though we still have the other option if it won’t work.”

“Oh, look! How cute…it seems the Kings found himself a new court jester! Was Heckles not enough of a fool for you, so you’ve replaced him with Anon now?” The taunting voice came across from a nearby rooftop, even as a crack split the air and a multitude of lightning bolts destroyed several of Anon’s carefully placed reagents. “Oh I’m sorry…were those important, little mage? You know, Nystul never needed…”

“I AM MORE POWERFUL THAN THAT PRETENDER EVER WAS! HE WAS JEALOUS OF ME, OF ME!” Anon roared back with fury at her even as he began to cast.

“No, Councilor, we need to…” The King quickly tried to get Anon’s attention, but the mage was beyond hearing.

“I NEED TO DESTROY HER!” And with that, Anon was gone, reappearing next to Minax in a bare moment. Pillars of flame exploded around him in an arcanic burst of fury, setting the entire roof ablaze…but Minax had already leapt down, and her whip flashed out, gripping Anon’s ankle and yanking him from his feet. Anon screamed in his rage as he cast explosions out towards her, but she raised up a great wall of stone to block them.

King Blackthorn turned back to the task at hand, looking at the ruined reagents…their original plan couldn’t be finished now, especially with Anon indisposed. He spared a glance back to the two, and then turned to the task at hand…and began to cast himself.
Anon was still struggling with the Enchantress, but neither of them seemed to be able to gain a true advantage…until Minax led the fighting back towards a certain spot. From Anon’s angle he couldn’t see, but Blackthorn shouted out a warning that went unheeded by the furious mage.

Shanty rose out of his hiding place with an evil grin, and his cutlass swung up. Anon shrieked out in surprise, a sudden panicked casting of teleport looking like he’d completely avoided it…but as he reappeared a few steps back blood was starting to stain his robe. Shanty stepped forward as Anon coughed wetly, trying to cast a healing spell…when Dupre ran from the alley Shanty had appeared from and slammed into the corsair, casting him to the ground.

Minax snorted with irritation, beginning to cast at the knight, only for a wall of stone to rise up between them and protect him. Shanty turned with a laugh as he rose. “Wanna lose another piece o’ yerself, eh? Shanty’ll oblige yer!” As Dupre’s longsword clashed with Sharkbite, they smashed into each other powerfully, their enchantments fighting for supremacy.

The fight continued to rage as Blackthorn focused all his efforts into the casting. He’d never get Anon back to what he needed to be doing, and Dupre couldn’t help him here. He felt the mana being channeled through his body as he tried to cast the spell Anon had created…but he couldn’t reach the threshold without the reagents. He heard a shouted warning and noticed one of the marauders coming across the bridge to aid Minax…and he no longer had time to worry.

Drawing on his own area of expertise that he’d used against Exodus, and the feel of the crystal he’d brought with him in his pocket, mana surged and flowed through him powerfully. The words of power came out effortlessly, as if he’d done this a million times before; An orb of light started to expand from around him, slowly engulfing him…and the King was gone.

As the light expanded and touched, it left the buildings behind…but as it touched Anon and Dupre, they vanished as well, as did the marauders and their minions. In moments all that was left was an empty Vesper, the explorers, the adventurers, Shanty and the Enchantress. Outnumbered vastly, the two fled in a burst of magical energy rather than face the wrath of their victims.
————————————————————————————————————————
“WHAT DID YOU DO?!” Anon shouted as he realized the extent of it, his voice echoing in the cavernous area.

“I did what I could…because you abandoned your post.” The King said calmly, looking to the irate mage and hoping this wouldn’t end in conflict.

“This isn’t what we agreed on, Blackthorn!”

“I’ll still honor your price, Anon….but this was the only option left.”

“No it wasn’t! We could’ve killed them bo…” Anon’s shouts were cut off as he clutched at his chest and fell to a knee, his wound lancing pain through his chest. The King helped him up, even as Anon’s next words were more arguing.

Sparing Anon’s wound a glance to see that it wasn’t mortal, Dupre sheathed the black longsword with an air of finality.  As the mages walked away, he looked down the vast hallway…their argument was unimportant, as far as he was concerned. Ahead were tiny glimpses of what seemed to be each of the cities he was so familiar with. Then he turned and followed the two mages, walking out of Blackthorns Dungeon and Vaults.

During normal maintenance schedules all shards will receive Publish 85 tomorrow. We hope you enjoy the holiday gifts and have a  safe holiday.

UO Team!

We are putting Publish 85 on Origin and Izumo today.  The shards will be going down at approximately 2 pm EDT.

One point I would like to make clear is regarding the Vet reward – The Light house

Once the lighthouse is deeded it will unlink from any boat and owner it is linked to.  When you replace the lighthouse you will have to relink it to keep any ships from decaying.  It will NOT automatically relink once the light house is replaced.

Thank you and Enjoy!

UO Team

By: EM Drosselmeyer

His blade clashed against that of the renegade swordsman, each strike forcing him back pace after pace, never ceasing in his advance. As the swordsman caught one of Sir Dupre’s strikes on his shield, Sir Dupre lashed out with his own shield and struck him hard in the face, feeling the mans nose break before the impact. Helmets are worn for a reason, novice… he thought to himself as he disengaged his blade, stamped on the man’s foot, and ran him through. With a sudden jerking back of his sword he let him fall, staining the dusty sandstone vermilion beneath him. He could hear the crack and power of explosion potions being hurled at the lighthouse, but he heard shouts come up from his knights, even as a breathless squire ran to him.

“Sir Dupre, we need you! We’ve got a problem!”
 

Wasting no time, he followed the young squire as fast as he could towards their destination…which became apparent in mere moments. In the streets ahead lay several bodies, and a ragged looking corsair was fending off three of his knights at once…an impressive feat in itself and worthy of recognition, but Dupre had eyes for only one person on the battlefield right then. Two of his other knights were wounded and bleeding through their armor as they staggered away, trying to get a moments respite…or possibly fleeing. A final remaining one hurled a purple potion at the back of a cloaked woman…who spun and caught it with her whip, and then with a flash of motion hurled it back at the remaining knight, sending him reeling as it hit. The dark-haired woman laughed, and the squire nearby said something, but it was all white noise to Sir Dupre as he charged for the woman in her studded leather armor and cloak.

“Time for your reckoning, Enchantress!”

He raised his blade up as he charged, blocking a burst of magical energy on his shield from Minax. The impact was far stronger than he was used to, but he was already leaning into it and it only slowed him briefly as he swung for her neck. The lithe sorceress backpedaled and leaned out of the way, deftly dodging back and forth from each of the famous Knight’s strikes, and warding him off with cracks of the whip towards his visor. Despite knowing the slim chance of her hitting him in such a small target, each time caused him to blink and shy away just enough for her to keep the distance. She was practically dancing backwards, but his assault was keeping her from getting another spell off. He heard a cry from behind him and saw a sudden grin light up Lady Minax’s face, before her lips parted and she spoke in a soft, mocking tone. “I’m afraid this is the end of you, Dupre.”

He sidestepped as soon as she started to talk and raised his shield, preparing to intercept a strike from the corsair, who grinned with a mouthful of missing teeth. The cutlass he swung left little motes of light behind it as it trailed down, and Sir Dupre instinctively turned his shield slightly…even as the cutlass hacked off a corner of the battered shield. Enchanted blade…powerfully enchanted, at that. He could see out of his peripheral vision now that Minax had turned her back to him, and though he ached to make her pay for that arrogance, the corsair pressed on hard.

Sir Dupre parried the next blow and blocked the follow up, but each one sheared off either a piece of shield or gouged a nick into his blade. He attacked like a berserker, trying to keep Dupre on the defenseive, but finally the corsair made a misstep. Sir Dupre closed the distance, locking him in a clash of broadsword and shield against cutlass as they both pressed against the other and tried to overpower through sheer strength.

“Ha! The grea’ Sir Dupre, ain’ yer? Ol’ Shanty’s ‘ere fer yer now, lad. Yer boys were good…but Ol’ Shanty’s Sharkbite proved ter much fer ’em. Looks like it’s ter much fer yer as well!”

The corsair’s breath stank of rum and decay as he laughed in the knight’s face, and Dupre pressed harder, starting to force him back. He could feel the man’s strength failing him, and it would only take one opening…knock the blade away from him and he’d be helpless, as lightly armored in leathers as he was…but just as he prepared to give him the final shove a crack snapped the air and he heard a crack and a tug as Minax’s whip wrapped around his plate gorget, and she started to pull.

“Shanty, you said you had his measure…” Her voice was filled with irritation but a trace of amusement.

With the Enchantress aiding Shanty, he weighed his options, gritting his teeth under his helmet…none of them were good, but at any second she could add her magical might to this if she grew bored with it. With a last shove of his shield, he flung Shanty backwards, and reared his blade to strike while Shanty raised his to block…a blow that Dupre never aimed at him. Dupre’s sword cleaved through the whip in a single stroke, and he raised his shield to block as a bolt of pure energy tore from Minax’s other hand, forcing him back a pace. He started to turn to meet Shanty as he caught motion out of the corner of his eye, but he already knew it was going to be too slow.

When his blade came up to match the corsairs’ own, Sharkbite cleaved through Dupre’s sword and snapped off the last third of the blade. The glittering cutlass continued on, skittering across his armor before catching a seam and taking a chunk of it…and of his shoulder…clean off. The pain and impact drove him down to one knee, and Shanty struck again, with Dupre barely getting his shield up in time to block. As he held it with both hands against the man, Sharkbite was slowly cleaving through the shield, closer and closer to his arm, and he heard the Enchantress start to cast. So this is how it ends…

And then suddenly the Enchantress swore as an explosion went off, and then another; Dupre’s vision flashed with white as a massive lightning bolt exploded right next to himself and the corsair, weakening his attack just long enough for him to get his feet under him, and cast him to one side. As he rose to his feet, Shanty bolted…running straight for Minax and grabbing her, and both of them vanished in an instant after she cast a spell.

Sir Dupre looked over as the one who threw the potion at the enchantress ran up to him, the squire who’d initially fetched him…and had ran back for armament it seemed. He glanced down to his broken broadsword and the practically ruined shield before he noticed the squire was talking. “Sir, you’re hurt! We need to get you to the healers!”

Sir Dupre smiled inside his helmet. He’d watched two of his own armored knights flee with what looked like only minor wounds, and this unarmored squire had returned and attacked the Enchantress herself. It was only then though that he saw who the squire was accompanied by, and his smile died beneath his helmet. Standing smugly on the street with an air of sheer bravado was a man in a llama hair robe and cloak, who practically giggled with laughter as he saw Dupre’s stance go rigid.

“I do believe that you owe me a debt of Honor now, Mister Shiny. Or would you rather Halfblade after that performance? And here I thought you knew how to use those things.” Anon’s mocking tone inspired an anger in him that begged for redress, but he only gripped his broken weapon’s hilt tighter and finally sheathed it.

“What are you doing here, Anon? I’ve no time for this…I’ve got wounded knights to deal with. If you want to gloat, go do it over at your Lycaeum with all your sycophants praising how wondrous you are while you chew your mandrake and cavort with…” Dupre’s words stopped as a man flanked by two guards approached, and Anon’s grin got even wider.

“Oh, where are my manners, Mister Shiny? Did I neglect to mention I had company for you? You know, it’s only courteous to curtsey to His Royal Highness the King of the Realm and the wondrous Lord Blackthorn, Master of Chess and…”

“Grand Councilor…enough. Please.” The King’s voice was a bit strained, and he waved him off. “Sir Dupre, I’d like to speak with you…after your wounds have been tended to.”

Dupre nodded, but every part of him bristled at Anon’s presence with the King. “And him?”

King Blackthorn followed Dupre’s gaze to the giggling mage for a moment. “He’s with me, and the Grand Councilor’s abilities and services are needed…as are yours, for the good of the Kingdom.”

Dupre weighed his request for but a moment before exhaling, and discarding the broken remains of his shield, the crest on the front nearly cleaved in half. “I’ll meet you at the Keg and Anchor within the hour, then.”

“Ever the drunkard, I see! Shall we bring a nice winsome lass for you to woo and slobber over as well?” Anon’s taunts cast out after Dupre’s back as he walked towards the healers with the squire.

“I’ll find a nice handsome mongbat for you in exchange, mage.” He could hear the Grand Councilor’s tittering laughs behind him, but ignored them as the squire led him on.

Castle Blackthorn Dungeon

The dungeon of Castle Blackthorn is open for exploration!

• The dungeon is accessible from Castle Blackthorn in Trammel and Felucca.
• The Invasions within the Loyalty Cities have been magically sealed inside the dungeon.
• Minax artifacts can be found by destroying Minax’s beacons and her minions within Castle Blackthorn Dungeon and also engaging other creatures within.
• Blackthorn Artifacts are available from Agents of the Crown and will accept Minax Artifacts for turn in.
• Agents of the Crown can be found in Castle Blackthorn in Trammel and within the loyalty cities in Felucca.

City Election Changes

• Each account may now only vote once per shard.
• In order to cast a vote a character must be at least respected within a city.

Holiday Gifts will begin December 1 at 12:01 AM and will continue until January 1, 2014 12:01 AM.

· A holiday candle tray available in a variety of colors

• A lobster dinner

· A Scroll of Alacrity book (holds 300 scrolls and must be locked down in a home to add scrolls to the book)

• A Deed to a claw foot tub

Please visit the Reward givers in New Haven on TC1 to check out these items.

16th Anniversary Veteran Rewards

House Add-on Lighthouse – 5 year reward, recovers any ship except rowboats that are linked to the lighthouse.

• All weapons will be saved
• House add-ons that currently allow you to dry dock your ship will be saved
• All other items will be destroyed
• The ship model can be found in the house moving crate

House add-on Gadgetry Table 8 year reward which provides owner an advanced tinkered golem

• Takes 3 slots

• Only control one at a time
• Having the Tinker skill will assist making the golem more powerful
• Starts with capped skills no training necessary
• No tinkering is required
• Can claim one every 24 hours

Ethereal Tiger Mount 15 year reward

Runic Reforging Changes

Enable tinker crafted weapons and tinker created gargish armor to be reforged by runic blacksmith, carpentry, and masonry tools.

Blacksmith:

• Smith Hammer
• Sledge Hammer
• Pick Axe
• Pitchfork
• Butcher Knife
• Cleaver
• Skinning Knife
• Hatchet
• Gargish Necklace
• Gargish Glasses
• Gargish Amulet
• Gargish Earrings

Carpentry:

• Nunchaku

Masonry:

• Gargish Stone Amulet

Bug Fixes

Enhanced Client Bug Fixes:

• Corrected issue where occasionally the SA client sees other player’s avatars as naked and/or dismounted even though they are in fact mounted and clothed.
• Removed dirt from lightning effect.

• Snow added to the client
• Cliloc Changes

• Snow added to the client
• Cliloc Changes

Written by EM Drosselmeyer

The city had been a nicer place once. It had been busier, filled with bustling life and mages learning and earning their keep amidst masters and grandmasters. But that was many years ago, he reminded himself…and despite the ferocity of those remaining in these lands, so many had already moved on to calmer waters. He’d been warned against going at all by his Royal Guard, with them finally relenting when he agreed to take two with him as protection, but he told them as simply as he understood it himself; If he found who he was looking for and they were intractable, a regiment would likely not be enough.

The gates of wrought iron still stood, and though there were traces of rust, it was no worse off than the rest of the great city. As he passed through, more foreboding signs abounded…there were bodies amidst the streets, and he shook his head…most of them inhuman, monstrous things that should have been in the dungeons of the lands instead of the streets of a city steeped in history. Cracks of lightning and the pull of bowstring could be heard from various directions, but it was when the entire sky seemed to open up with a continuous peal of thundering roars that he knew where he wanted to go.
 

As they headed forward, his guards saw a dragon rise up from behind a building, jaws smeared with the red of blood, and let loose a roar at the trio. They immediately stepped in to engage, mace and war axe singing their deadly song as the warriors danced with the beast, and the man found his hands conjuring forth power. Fireballs and bolts of pure energy were slung forth from his hands before one of the guards sank his war axe deep into the beast and wrenched it free as it fell, shaking the ichor from it as they resumed on their way once more. “We must hurry, because I fear he will not tarry long.”

“Aye, M’lord.” They responded in unison, falling into pace with their King as he quickly headed forward. Turning a corner, they came across a rank of mages under the command of a man standing astride a slanted rooftop, wrapped in a robe and cloak of llamahair and shouting commands. Even as the mages under his command worked in unison, he spoke in chants that shook the heavens with their power, and a bolt of lightning as wide as a house blasted down into the lighthouse, and it shattered under the power, exploding into ruin. This was the man he sought.

Astride the roof, the man turned with a curious look as one of the mages called out to him, and he grinned a crooked grin as he saw the King. He motioned with an expansive gesture that took in the broken cobblestone and cracked walls of the buildings of the city, smiling widely as he spoke. “Well, boys and girls, all bid welcome to your rightful ruler and King, the most esteemed and glorious Lord Blackthorn! It seems he’s seen fit to give us a call, and here we’ve no feast prepared! What do you think we should do about that, m’boys?”

The knights bristled at hearing the words in such a mocking manner to their King, but he merely waved them down. “Were I to call in that fashion I’d bring a feast for you and your men, rather than expect you to provide, Grand Councilor.”

“How magnanimous! But you’ll never find a mage wanting for food, Lord Blackthorn, only for reagents!” A grin and several chuckles came out of the crowd as the lively man cast a spell and teleported down, appearing only a few feet from the king. “Of course, you were a mage once yourself, weren’t you? I heard about that mess with the gates, so I assume you still are…” The mage swayed back and forth on his feet, examining the regent before speaking again. “Now, what brings the Regent of all Britannia to Felucca Moonglow, M’lord?”

“Grand Councilor Anon, it’s you that have brought me; Or rather, searching for you has. I would ask a favor of you.”

Anon looked at him incredulously. “You came here to ask me a favor? And why would I help you, Blackthorn? You did precious little to convince Nystul of his folly when siding with me might have swayed him.” Distrust and paranoia seemed to tinge each of his words, and his hands were constantly moving in agitation.

King Blackthorn gave an appreciative nod to his remark, noting the behavior once before forcing himself to look Anon in the eyes. “That is true, Grand Councilor…and I cannot say if I had the chance whether I would have changed that or not. I do not have that chance; But we have a chance now to work together. With Nystul gone and Clainin dead…”

“A halfwit and his puppy…”

King Blackthorn ignored the remark, continuing on. “There is no doubt whom is the most powerful and knowledgeable mage in all the realm.”

Anon puffed up slightly, looking rather pleased at the praise, and was about to open his mouth before the King spoke once more.

“Or, rather, there would be no doubt if someone hadn’t managed to open the way for these invasions. Currently, I suppose most would think our culprit is the most powerful mage.”

Anon’s words died as he was about to speak them, a red flush of anger coming to his face. “I am far greater than Minax could ever hope to be! It’s me and my council of mages that have kept her forces in check for years, while that little nonce Dupre played about on horses like he was at a joust!”

The King nodded, despite the insult to Sir Dupre…far more intriguing was the surprising information Anon had revealed. He’d suspected Minax as a possibility, but Anon seemed to have information he did not. “Well, Grand Councilor, I wish to remind her who it is that is her superior in this realm…yourself, of course…but I find it difficult to do without your assistance; And I think I might be able to provide you with certain resources you don’t have.”

Anon studied Blackthorn’s face, searching for something there that Blackthorn wasn’t quite sure of. Many mages were said to get more eccentric as their power grew, and Anon had always been eccentric even long ago…Even putting aside the mongbats, who could know how much he had changed?

Finally, he nodded, and turned to his men. “Well, boys, it looks like I might be forced to traipse off to the land of daisies and stuffed bears! I’ll bring you back some souvenirs, though…and which of you is it…Ah, Kovis! Kovis, you’re in charge of Knobby and Flappy. Take care of them!” Turning back to the king, he gave an overly flamboyant curtsey in front of him. “Well, M’lord King Blackthorn His Grace, allow me to be at your service for one favor…of course, I will expect a payment we can discuss soon…”

The King smiled to him despite the Councilor’s mocking manner, as he knew he needed his abilities more than his own pride. “Then come with me, Grand Councilor, and let us plot. Ocllo should serve well.” Before he could finish, Anon was already casting a gate to the city. “And before I forget…Knobby and Flappy?” His brow was quirked in a curious manner as he studied the mage.

Anon responded by giving a heated glare. “My pet mongbats, and it’s the last we’ll speak of them.”

King Blackthorn only nodded, even though he couldn’t stop the thought crossing his mind. Eccentric, indeed…

Left to right:  Jim “Onifrk” Crawley, Bonnie “Mesanna” Armstrong, Stephen “Bleak”  Brown, Jeff Skalski, Greg “Kyronix” Havlusch, Michael  “Misk” Armstrong

Author:  EM Drosselmeyer

     The crystal crackled and sputtered in her hands as she poured her considerable magic into it, causing the ground around her to tremble with the power…but soon enough it calmed, and nothing had happened. She had assumed as much might happen…a focal point was needed, and the crystal alone couldn’t do it. It needed something stronger, something more powerful…and that was when she thought of the perfect spot. And the best part was, almost nobody was ever there. With a wicked smile adorning her face, she gestured over to Shanty. “Attend me, Shanty; I may have need of your particular brand of persuasion if we run into trouble.”

     A dark, guttural chuckle came forth from the slightly heavyset man, as he drew a large cutlass glittering with magical enchantments. “As yer wish, m’lady. Ah live ter serve, yer know…’specially when it mean gettin’ ter ‘ave a little fun with ol’ Sharkbite ‘ere.” His tone was affectionate as he patted the flat of the blade along one shoulder for emphasis. A wave of her hands and with the chanting of the words of power, a red moongate opened up, and the duo passed through to their destination.
———————————————————————————————————————
 

     “Poor ol’ bard…bad day ter go ou’ sightseein’.” Shanty grumbled as he came back to see the Lady setting up the crystal carefully, some of the bard’s blood still on him as he wiped Sharkbite off with an oil cloth. “So, what is it yer up ter up there? Not tha’ I need ter know, but if yer need help…” He left it open ended, as she stood up from what she was doing.

     “While I appreciate your offer, Shanty, magic isn’t one of your strong suits…”

     “Yer got me there, m’lady.” Keeping the cutlass out, he checked it’s edge…despite not needing to, the enchantments keeping it’s serrated edge razor sharp perpetually. “Ah’ll jes’ do what Ah do best ‘en.” He stepped heavily over to the steps and pulled a slightly dingy orange out, peeling it with his bloodied fingers nonchalantly and taking a bite from it as he did. “Yer jes’ yell if yer need me, m’lady.”

     Grinning to herself at Shanty’s antics, she turned to admire her handiwork. The gem lay at what might be one of the strongest focusing chambers…even if it wasn’t typically used for this kind of focusing and reflection. Held in place by a powerful spell, the gem lay at the center of the mirrors she’d finished repositioning. “Showtime…” She said softly to herself, before chanting words of power in combinations unheard of since before Nystul’s vanishing. The room trembled with magical power, the entire structure itself shuddering under the immense forces tearing through it’s very core, before a hideous cracking noise was heard, as if the entire building was being torn asunder.

     Shanty heard the noise and whirled his head, seeing an intensified glare of power flaring out of the windows of the lighthouse, the only sound over that of magical energy is her voice chanting those words, and finally ending with a cackling of successful laughter. The storm of energy howls even louder to drown her out for just a moment, before all suddenly goes quiet, and the light vanishes.

     Stepping gingerly outside, the Lady smiles as she walks out with the crystal in tow, tucking it into her pouch. “This will do nicely…and should be quite amusing at the same time. Let’s see what other mischief we can get up to, Shanty.”

     “Yer got it, m’lady. Yer payin’ me enough an’ providin’ me wif more amusemen’ ‘en Ah’ve seen in years…so yer jes’ lead the way.”
With a smile she chanted the words again, a new moongate opening before her. “And Shanty…call me by my name. I’ve been hiding for long enough, I think.”

     “Yer go’ it, m’lady…err…Lady Minax.”

     With that, they stepped through the gate and vanished, leaving behind only the repositioned mirrors and a body carried away by the ocean to have proven their presence at the great Lighthouse.