A New Shard for a New Legacy
We have re-activated Housing Decay on Tuesday. If your account has been inactive for more than 90 days, you have 2 days left before your house is gone. After your have reactivated your account, it can take up to 24 hours for your house to be refreshed and display the correct status.
If you have reactivated your account and your house status hasn’t updated after these 24 hour, please contact us.
Update 4:40pm EST: Origin is back online with the fix.
Greetings,
Due to an issue with players dropping their robes discovered on Origin, we are forced to do a revert of the shard back to this morning.
At this moment you are no longer able to log in to the shard; we’ll take it down later this afternoon to fix the issue.
Keep an eye on the Herald for updates.
Thank you for your understanding.
We would like to acknowledge the hard work of UOGuide and all the support they have given UO in the past and the future. Due to their hard work and dedication we were able to speed up the implementation of Item property classifier system by using the UOGuide site as a reference. Special thanks to the UOGuide team for doing such a great job! And our apologizes to them for not calling this out weeks ago.
The UO Team
Greetings,
Publish 74.0 comes to Origin tonight. The Publish 74.0 Notes remain unchanged with one exception:
See you in-game!
The UO team is proud to announce that all shards will soon have their own Casino located on Fire Island in Trammel.
Attention to all beings across the Shards! The 5th match of the Cross Shard Treasure Hunting Competition is upon us!
The year ended on an exciting note, as the Purple Llamas of the Great Lakes shard defeated the two-time champion Blue Beetles of Catskills. But while the new year brings a new champion, it also has seen it’s first challenger – Legends! Please continue reading for their written challenge, as well as Champion’s response.
When: Friday, January 20th
Time: 9pm EST, 8pm Central
Location: Nujel’m Chessboard, Trammel
Shard: Test Center
Come cheer on your favorite team! Moongates will be provided from New Haven bank.
We will turn on housing decay today. Please take the necessary steps to secure your house before its turned back on. Please note that even if your account has been inactive for more than 90 days, you still have 5 days after housing decay is back, before your house is gone.
After your have reactivated your account, it can take up to 24 hours for your house to be refreshed and display the correct status.
If want to log in but you haven’t had the chance to link your account in the Account Center yet, please check the Account Center Management Page guide and the How to link my Accounts guide. You can always contact ‘support@ultimaonline.com’ if you encounter a problem.
See you in-game!
Issue 3
WORLD NEWS
Golem Experiment Falls Flat
A year’s worth of dedication in perfecting the mechanical shepherd has been rife with numerous failures, says controversial tinker and inventor, Harvey Croblink. “Mind you, the mechanical golem though a modern marvel, is pretty much simple-minded in it’s tasks. It lacks the gentler touch,” says Harvey. Improvements in the golem’s intelligence and problem-solving capabilities seem to have made matters worse, despite the machine’s ability to understand more complex commands. An order to herd sheep to another corral, might result in the golem hurling the poor creatures in a catapult fashion 100 furlongs through the air. Bystanders were horrified to witness the metal colossus forcefully plowing a new born spring lamb through the narrow fenceposts when a request was made to retrieve any lost strays that had wandered off. Animal trainers have stated that the sheep are so traumatized at this point, that when they see the metal monster, they tend to try to hide under the nearest sheep and it is not uncommon for cowering sheep to inadvertantly be crushed under a massive sheep-pile in the interests of self-preservation. Last but not least are incidents where the golem will attempt to forcefully feed a malnurished sheep until it bursts. So it’s back to the drawing board for our famous tinker. Better luck with your next promising invention.
Cosmetologists Celibrate End to Animal Testing
Both cosmetologists and animal activists have something to cheer about since the move from animal to monster testing. Britannia’s hair dressers and body sculptors have long considered the possibilities; gazers with long silky lashes and shaded eyelids, Rotten corpses with perfect complection and sensuous lips, and the coveted project of the two headed ettin dying for a makeover. It is just a dream come true for those who have long petitioned for the dual platforms of greater compassion towards animals and a striving for greater beauty. And it is likely that neither group will be disappointed. Even at this time, the Sosarian Hairdresser Faction is looking to hire able bodied hunters to collect monsters for ethically questionable lipstick and blush experiments.
Local Man Rises Up in Society
It is a Special Day for local Yew resident, Toby who has moved up in rank from Village Idiot to Village Imbecile. Toby attributes his success to hard work and persistence and some other thing that he can’t remember; but it was something important. Toby stresses that he is not going to let his new found celebrity status go to his head, but he does have ambitions of graduating to Village Moron someday. “I’ve been getting a lot of attention,” Toby says. “I’m not anyone special. I put my shirt on like everyone else; one leg at a time!” Toby says the key to progress is consistency. Each day he wakes up in a random place; sometimes in the sheep pen, on a neighbor’s roof, or in an empty barrel at the mill. He then knocks door to door until someone gives him breakfast followed by a refreshing dip in the bay and a quick run through town in the nude to dry off. On most days, he spends his time pelting locals with dirt clods or making new friends with strangers then fling dirt clods at them. On wash day, Toby makes it a point to pull the fresh linens off the clotheslines and throw dirt clods on them. Locals testify that he used to “try to help” the monks at the abbey which would usually end with them cudgelling him. “They asked me not to come around anymore because I keep making them break their vows of silence,” Toby stated. “But, I didn’t get where I am today by giving up.”
FISHERMEN SPOOKED BY RECENT PHENOMENA
An alarming number of veteran fishermen and mariners have become increasingly concerned about the recent spate of unusual incidents and have convened to compare notes to determine which actions need to be taken, if necessary. Accounts range from the disappearances of lobster traps to the numerous breached and capsized vessels littering the waterways. Experienced angler, Loy Hargil related this narrative. “I was in me dinghy, setting out me traps early one mornin’, as I have occassion to do. Had nine..err, ten traps set, and after a time, it got all dead quiet. No seabirds, nothin’. Suddenly, the hackles on the back of me neck were standin’ up. There was a suddden ebb, and all me traps were sucked down all at once. Had they been secured fast to the boat, methinks it twood have taken me down with it.” Ultimately, no conclusions have been drawn on what is behind these bizarre occurrences.
Play in the Yew Crypts and You Will Die
If you are looking to play hide and seek in the old marble sarcophagi in Yew crypts, think again! Million of adventurers every year think its a good idea to play hide and seek in the old marble sarcophagi in the crypts. Imagine! You and your friends have had a few drinks and are looking for a good time, just playing around in the crypts. Suddenly, someone says, “Hey, let’s play hide and seek” and it seems like a good idea at the time. Pretty soon, you find yourself crawling into a sarcophagus thinking, “They’ll never find me in here.” Moments later, an alarm goes off in the wraith room, and the wraiths are moving in to suck out your life force. Meanwhile, you are struggling to get out, but the lid snaps closed and is far too heavy to lift. You frantically search for a unlatching mechanism but there are none; the handles are on the outside. What will you do? What will you do! Any wise adventurer with a little bit of crypt-smarts knows that sarcophagi might be a fun word to say, but they are not so fun to play in. There are a lot of better ways of having a good time. You can banks sit with your friends, escort local town citizens, or have a contest to see who can pick up the most reagents from the ground. So, be inventive and stay away from the crypts…or you will die.
This has been a public service message from Sarcoffaco. We keep your loved ones fresh..
Make It Happen With the Captain
Do you feel angry, disenfranchancised, or just want to stick it to ‘the man’? Then reach for the longer burning fish oil prized by anarchists everywhere. Captain DeCamps Fish Oil is ideal for any serious activist who wants to lob incendiaries at the pigs or just anyone that happens to annoy them, because DeCamps has a much lower flash point. This means there is lesser risk of accidental self-inflicted injury before you can lob your favorite flaming mixture at its intended target. So whether you are out there on the streets to make a statement or you’re just angry at just about everything, make sure you remember to take the Captain with you. Be sure to look at the back label of our bottles for helpful easy-to-make incendiary mixtures that the whole family can get together to create.
Bulk Up, Mister!
Are you tired of being a 7 stone weakling? Are you tired of Tomb thieves kicking treasure sand in your face? Do you hear the snickering of bank-sitters behind your back when you take off your armor? Then maybe it’s time to enroll in the Charles Atlas of Britannia’s +25 powerscroll performance builder. The powerscoll performance builder made me such a perfect specimen of manhood, that I don’t even bother wearing more than a loincloth when I go out anymore. You will get instant results naturally, and have the body that will draw the eyes of ladies and female impersonators alike. So act now! Write to Most Developed Man 125 Luna Circle Malas and why you want to change your life. Please, also include a check for 17 million gold.
Activists Looks for Like Minded Individuals
The L.A.M.P. Foundation is looking for like minded-individuals willing to dedicate their lives to a greater cause. We are working together to make a difference in the community through, Littering, Arson, Mayhem and Protesting. If you think you may have the skills to be an asset to LAMP, ask yourself this:
Litterers:
Are you a free-form or structered litterer?
How much time during the day do you dedicate to sending your special/sacred message?
Do you believe in quantity or quality?
Arsonists:
Do you believe in a spiritual communion with the fire elementals when you do your holy work?
Do you enjoy touching the flames or do they still bother you?
Do you have any problems with rope-burn?
Mayhemers:
How is that working out for you?
Are you a power-maniac or artistic visionary?
How is your relationship with your mom?
Protesters:
Do you have a lot of of free time on your hands?
If you said YES to all of these questions, then you may be the one who we’ve been looking for. Please rant openly at any tavern or inn following a long night of drinking and we’ll contact you personally to see if you have what to takes to be one of us.
Dear Tabi,
I am a widower with the sweetest child a father can ask for. Recently, she got herself into the family way, and I was upset,as you can imagine. But, when her baby was born with 2 heads, I knew that it must have been sorcery and she had been innocent all along. She used to tell me that she didn’t even like the boys in town because they weren’t grown up enough for her. I should have known better, because the only time I’ve ever had to scold her is when a neighbor spotted her by that dangerous dungeon, Despise. She said that she likes picking flowers over there. Now, the entire town is insinuating some horrible things, but I refuse to listen. Tabi, what do I do to convince these people that there is a witch or sorcerer in our midst working evil against us?
Dear Concerned Dad,
I understand that being the lone parent of a daughter must be difficult… Daddies never want to believe their lil girl’s kissing anyone, nevermind a two headed creature. We feed them all sorts of crazy ideals in Children’s Fairy Tales, volume 3.. A Princess kissing a frog and a Beauty kissing a beast are classic examples of this. It is possible that a witch or sorcerer is wielding a spell, or perhaps starting a race of subhumans to help conquer the world; slaughtering all who oppose them and bathing the world in a sea of blood. My gut tells me this is not the case. It is more plausible that she developed a fascination with one of these stories and acted upon them when flower-picking one day. There is a hint of naivety in your thinking, I fear; your claim of her innocence mirrors that of the Madonna. My advice to you is; rather than convincing others of some evil plot, it would be better to accept this new and horrific family member into your home and make your daughter aware of the reality of the situation. Perhaps you can connect with a lady friend with whom she feels comfortable to talk to create a dialogue. Then perhaps your daughter, the baby thing, and yourself can mature into a healthy family entity. However, if I am wrong, please alert me immediately so I may escape to safety before the purge of humanity begins.
Dear Tabi,
I am an old fashioned girl who has finally found the man of my dreams. Sure, he’s jealous, but he says it’s because my beauty drives him crazy. Ain’t that sweet? He once beat up a gazer because he thought it was looking at me in a lustful way. And talk about gallant! The other day after a heavy rain, there was a puddle in our path as we walked together. My honey removed his cloak and strangled five bystanders to build a bridge so that I wouldn’t get my feet wet. He treats me like a queen. The only problem that I have is that he won’t commit? Tabi, what’s a girl to do?
Dear Old Fashioned…
Well, this “man” you have met has quite the appetite but I don’t think its the kind your mother can teach you to quell with some “good home cooking”. His appetition for destruction would send out a red flag in most females, that you find it gallant and appealing makes me wonder of your own gauge of humanity. I find myself asking more questions than have answers for. What were you thinking as you embarked the bridge made of the human remains: your feet may have been dry but your very soul tainted…. And you wish to entwine yourself to this “man of your dreams”? I would say you have a penchant for self destruction should you continue on this path you will find yourself adapting to his ways and a trail of mayhem shall follow you.. I ask you if this is truely the “dream” you wish to make reality. But, I am not going to judge you.
The Peddler – January
Your rivals will be defeated and your business will bloom. Avoid dairy products for the next few days.
The Mongbat – February
You may grow nervous when others seem to know too much about you, but there doesn’t seem to be an easy way today of keeping your feelings hidden. Even if you go about your work in a quiet manner, somehow you still draw more attention than you want. “Aaaaaaah! Get out of my mind!!” You hope you didn’t just say that out loud.
The Phoenix – March
It is painful to try to tackle work that’s over your head, out of your league and generally too difficult for your current ability. And yet, you’ll do this anyway — maybe because you recognize it as “character building.” or you’re some sort of masochist, hellbent on failure.
The Sea Dragon – April
You don’t have to be good at everything. That’s one terrific aspect of having so many friends — On the other hand, you can buy soulstones and be good at everything. Then you won’t need any friends.
The Hermit – May
This is by far the best horoscope of the whole lot, that it even surprised us. Congratulations!
The Llama – June
Your outlook is bright, and you communicate well — people enjoy being around you; if only to pick your pockets.
The Ancient Wyrm – July
Things are looking up for everyone around you. It is a very exciting time to be them. On the bright side, your mother-in-law who was staying with you for just 2 weeks broke her ankle, so you will get to wait on her for the next six months. Yay..
The Anvil – August
Colleagues will remain friendly and your spouse will show warm feelings. Maybe your spouse will show warm feelings to your colleagues, who will in turn be very friendly to her. Maybe, you will walk in on them and surprise them when all this is happening, and everyone will feel quite embarassed.
The Weaver – September
Someone will ask you a question that, in some subtle way, encourages you to commit to a position. Consider that it may not benefit you to take a position or even answer at all.
Your best bet is to make up a ridiculous answer that doesn’t make sense, like your feelings about Yanni. Then they will be afraid to ask you any follow up questions.
The Wisp – October
If spontaneous combustion runs in your family, you might want to take it easy today. Why not enjoy a delicious bagel!
The Unicorn – November
The ones who put you on the defensive have something to teach you, as well. It’s not so easy to find the lesson when you’re in the middle of the fight, but later you can look back and see it very clearly. First you hate them, then you love them, then you kill them.
The Wanderer – December
Raising children is like gardening; First, you start with a fertile environment, and watch them carefully. At times you must feed them poison, or the bugs will devour them.
From everyone here at the Yew Times, we all hope you all had a happy Easter!
Greetings,
We will bring down the Account Center for a short maintenance tomorrow, Wednesday January 18th, at 10am EST (16:00 CET). During the maintenance you will not be able to change subscription, redeem game codes or transfer characters.
At the moment we anticipate the Account Center to be back online at 11:30am EST (17:30 CET).
Thank you for your understanding.
Written by the EM Team
“Last time I do a favor for Rollins…” He looked at the note he’d been given from Rollins about taking a friend of his along with him. Victor glanced around his horses, and checked the fastenings on the saddles for the fourth time as the wind picked up. He looked at the skies as the heavens threatened to open up and deliver their own cargo upon the land, before exhaling heavily. Climbing back up into the bench on the front of the wagon he muttered, “I just hope whenever this Sherry gets here that she’s packed and ready to go.”
“I’m right here and ready, sir.”
“By the Virtues!” Victor exclaimed as his heart raced in his chest, looking down to where the voice had come from, and seeing only a tawny little mouse wearing a tiny grey shawl over her shoulders. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes, before realization hit him. “Y-you’re the Sherry! Sherry the mouse I mean!”
“That’s right! It’d take me a lot longer to walk to Yew than I’d like, so I asked around if there were any travelers on the way, and that’s how I found you! Permission to come aboard, sir!” Sherry let out a few quick squeaks which Victor chose to interpret as her attempt at giggling. He reached a hand down to help her, and she scampered quickly to sit next to him. With a crack of leather he lashed the reins of the horses to spur them on towards the road.
Sherry squeaked in surprise at the noise. Looking slightly abashed, her voice rose above the hoofbeats, “Sorry! It’s been a while since I’ve ridden with anyone. I’d almost forgotten how fast it feels traveling this way! So how has your trading business been lately?”
Victor shushed her, much to Sherry’s chagrin, before he spoke quietly enough that it hardly rose past the percussive beat of hooves. “It’s been…good and bad. I’ve been getting more pay for my goods, but the roads have been more dangerous lately, and a lot of traders don’t make it to their destination. We must be careful.” Victor sighed at length, looking across the darkening road as the sun descended further in its orbit. “It seems that the feeling left over from banding together to defeat Virtuebane is swiftly vanishing, and the nobles are fighting even worse than before.”
Sherry’s face lengthened as she listened, and she looked down to the road swiftly passing by underneath the wagon, before looking back up to Victor. Victor’s eyes were locked on the road, but they darted back and forth in the gloom of the forest, seeking out hidden dangers. Sherry started to open her mouth but was interrupted as Victor spoke once more.
“There’s a lot of paranoia and tension in the realm. I’ve seen fights break out between trading partners of decades, and families torn apart over their family businesses. I don’t think there’s a way to stop it.” Victor shuddered at something that this mention conjured up inside him, and Sherry stared at him briefly.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
Victor’s eyes held a haunted and tortured look in them, and he took a deep breath before he spoke, but he refused to meet Sherry’s gaze. “Sherry … let me tell you a story about an … experience I had last week in Vesper. Maybe it’ll help to finally tell someone. It started off with an innocent enough encounter…” Victor took a deep breath, and as Victor told the story Sherry swore she was seeing it unfold right in front of her very eyes…
Victor paused amidst the bridge and looked south towards the sea, taking in the sights of the boats on the horizon before he heard another’s approach. He ignored them until he noticed that the woman had stopped and rested her own hands on the bridge and seemed to be gazing out to sea as well, though her wide-brimmed hat covered much of her face. As thunder echoed in the distance the woman spoke so softly that at first Victor wasn’t sure she’d spoken at all. “Excuse me?”
“There’s a storm coming, you know.”
Victor chuckled good-naturedly. “Not a rare thing here in Vesper.” He looked over to the woman but his smile vanished in an instant at the sight of her face as she turned to look at him. While the gypsy woman’s toothy smile was almost malicious in its bearing, it was her clouded, murky white eyes that resonated through a chord of fear in his being. Despite her obvious blindness, her gaze seemed to bore deep within to his very core. He had never felt a sense of trepidation like that which accompanied her next question.
“Would you like to know the future, boy?”
Victor swallowed hard and his hand went down to a pocket to fish out a few coins, hurriedly passing them to the woman while nodding his assent. Realizing his mistake he swallowed again, as all the stories of fortunetellers and oracles that he’d heard as a child flooded back to him in an instant.
“Y-yes, I would.”
The gypsy’s arms rose up and the shawl around her shoulders fluttered as she gestured with her hands, performing some archaic bit of wizardry to allow her to pierce the veil. Her voice dropped into a hoarse whisper as her movements held a rhythm all their own that kept his attention riveted.
“People have risen and people have fallen, and throughout it all none hear the calling. The storm clouds gather and their potency rises, as none step forth to address the crisis. Though the raging winds and lightning ensue, it’s their aftermath that poses to consume. The path will open to our preservation, but not without its own consternations. The flames will brew and threaten us all, unless a way is found to pacify the squall.” Her tones had taken on an eerie cadence of song to them, and her swaying came to a close as she finished her incantations, regarding the shaken Victor as if waiting for some kind of response.
“I…I don’t understand. What do we do?” Victor’s voice trembled for a moment as he forgot himself, while he felt a swell of dread rising in his gut. The gypsy folded her arms over her chest and bowed her head slightly so her hat covered all but his view of her mouth. Her lips moved ever so deliberately as she spoke once more, but this time with none of the lyrical tones she had adopted during her divinations.
“The fires of fate will burn hot and bright, and this cannot be stopped by mortal hand; it is our duty to determine what these fires do.” With that she started to walk across the bridge before he shouted to her, causing her to pause and seemingly glance back over her shoulder.
“What do you mean? I still don’t understand!”
“Fire is a destructive and constructive force. In its embrace is where we can burn away our impurities, but linger too long and nothing is left to salvage.” With that parting shot, the blind fortuneteller strode confidently through a Vesper that felt colder and harsher than it had mere moments ago…
As Victor’s tale drew to a close, Sherry gave the wagon driver a plaintive glance, and her tiny body shook as she swore she could almost hear the woman’s voice. She couldn’t find any words in response and instead studied Victor’s face inquisitively. It was plagued with worry and uncertainty, and she could feel its infectious touch beckoning her.
Victor’s dismayed expression only darkened as they passed by the burned and arrow pocked wreckage of another caravan along the road, and the sky suddenly burst forth with a crash of lightning. Raindrops began to patter along the wagon, and Victor gestured to the covered portion. “Go ahead and get inside, it’ll keep you warm and mostly dry. I’ll tell you when we arrive.”
Sherry climbed inside the wagon without a word and curled herself up into a ball against a few sheafs of wheat that were in the wagon, carefully avoiding the holes in the patched and worn canvas roof. Despite the shelter of the wagon keeping her warm and dry, her body was wracked with shivers from a chill that emanated from within. When sleep came to her, it arrived riddled with nightmares.
