Code Updates

• Fixed 'expie' command so that it doesn't require a person's name.
• Allow multipliers in aliases (alias c test say hi 3*)
• Disallow names with too many capital letters.
  Capitals can no longer be more than half of the characters in your name.
• Fixes emote on muse.
• Fixes spacing for channel socials.

Area Updates

• We are changing the way that herblore entries are handled and making them behave like modern helpfiles instead of strange backwards stepchildren. You probably won't notice much difference, but please report if you notice problems.
• Tweaks and small fixes went in to:
  Arabia, San Francisco, Ireland, Melbourne, Opera, Pittsburgh, Pyramid, Salem, Svartalfheim

Messages From The Staff

LegendMUD's Gone Utterly Twitter!
We now have a twitter account on http://www.twitter.com/legendmud I'll admit to being ignorant about all things twitter, so please check HELP TWITTER for additional info.

It's Here, Finally, the Expies Channel!
No more having to try and recall things that happened eons ago! We now have a new in-game channel for expies nominations throughout the year.
To use it type EXPIE [name of category] [person/item/event you are nominating].
Do not nominate yourself and do not repeat nominations via multiple alts.
Spotting double-nominations and self-nominations is going to be time-consuming for the staff, so any abuse of the channel will result in severe reaction.
I haven't yet devised a cruel enough punishment, but I suggest to just not do it :-)

XP Achievements

• Naeva has reached 900 million experience!
• Flug has reached 300 million experience!
• Jacquelyn has reached 400 million experience!
• Ariah has reached 100 million experience!
• Vogue has reached 400 million experience!
• Bacon has reached 100 million experience!
• Brin has reached 100 million experience!
• Dairos has reached 100 million experience!
• Hendrix has reached 900 million experience!
• Nero has reached 300 million experience!
• Zillah has reached 800 million experience!
• Ileth has reached 400 million experience!

Clan News

• Uber Troopers Clan formed.
• 1337 Second Squadron clan disbanded by Vogue.
• The Followers of the Great High King clan disbanded.

The Pkill Front

Wow, it's been an interesting month. The below figures are based on death logs from the last day of March until April 24th.

==Underworld comes first in overall participation with 73 pkill fights.== Despite Urkle's departure, Underworld remains the most active clan by far. On the flip side, the death toll also remains high in the Underworld with 58 deaths overall.
Participation within the clan was very HIGH with each and member involved in at least 2 battles. They might be dying a lot, but they seem to be having fun doing it!

==The Guardians of Destiny come second in with 24 pkill fights.== The Guardians maintain stability at the second spot for overall participation. They also maintain their position as the clan that killed the most, winning 18 of their battles.
Participation within the clan was very HIGH.

==The Grendels come third with 18 pkill fights.== With only two members carrying the torch, The Grendels continue their decline. The fat lady, however, isn't even getting ready to sing: Grendels are still formidable, losing only four of their battles and giving to us, again, the most successful clanned pkiller during this period.
Participation within the clan was LOW.

==The Silent Blades come last with only 2 pkill fights.== Well, the blades are indeed silent during this period, with participation only from one clan member and two battles fought and lost.
Participation in the clan was LOW.

The most successful clan during this period is again the Guardians of Destiny having won the most battles!

The most successful clanned pkiller is G of the Grendels with 11 victories!

On the non-clanned front we see high participation from numerous people.
Rump is the undisputed pkiller of this period with 55 pkill fights, 47 of them resulting in victories!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

-=Important message to all pkillers=- Because I do not mention your killing stats and name before getting your permission, it'd be very helpful if you could drop me a mudmail with your permission for future editions.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Clashes between clans? New apprenticeship programs? General recruiting announcements? Common pkill gossip? The Legendary Times would be happy to hear from you all about it.

Reporting From The Street

"A Witchy Baking Day"

Did you know that our very own Salem slave - Tituba, is not only a spell caster but is also a baker!!
It's True, I've been notified that Tituba visits Nell often, she helps her bake those delicisious pies we all enjoy. It's no wonder Nell has an unlimited supply - She has Tituba to help her out!

"One night, I was asked to perform a tirual on one of our resident's pet dog 'Fluffy.' She believed that her Fluffy was posessed by a demon, based on the dog's sudden change in behaviour patterns. So i did what was asked of me: I baked a cake and fed it to Fluffy.

"what's the main ingredient that you use in your cakes?" I asked.

"Urine," she simply stated.

By the blank expression on my face, I believe she knew what I was about to ask her.

Giggling, she admitted, "I only use Urine in my ritual cakes that I give to those who have been possessed. The cakes I bake for family and friends are from fresh lemon and strawberries.

(That sure was a relief to hear being that I ate and shared a few pies the other day, purchased from Nell...)

-Ariah Johnson
Reporting from the streets

A WORD FROM AITHNE

"There Goes the Neighborhood" -- Part II by Aithne Flynn, artist and receptionist alike

Anyway, for those of you who don't know, here's a bit of background. Zillah Grey was a floozy of a man whose "longtime [gypsy] lover killed herself after she found out that Grey was two-timing her" with some Arabian chick.

...

That's right. A woman from Arabia. Turns out it wasn't the woman who I mentioned earlier who was fawning over him, much to my surprise. I know this is so because the child's name was given to me and that was apparently fawning-lady's niece. The child's name is Ameera Grey, just as an FYI. You all may know her. I certainly do. She was heard screaming at Der Phoenix a few weeks ago about how she was going to kill Lucas and Aditu. Why she was going to kill them, I'm not sure, but she's only six so there may be a bit of difficulty with that whole issue.

Back to Mr. Zillah Grey, though. After the young (no, seriously, my source told me she was 10 years younger than Grey!) gypsy pixie offed herself, he "wrapped [her]carefully up in gauze, put her in a glass coffin like some kind of fairy tale princess, and disappeared with it into the crypts beneath his Paris mansion." That information was a bit awkward when trying to digest it to be sure, but not the worst I've heard. It's a bit unorthodox and I'm not quite sure if it's totally legal, but hey. Whatever. It's like that line from that song. In the name of love?

Because, you know, even the most loving beaus and lady friends sometimes stray. It happens because it's part of life and all that. I'm not condoning it, I'm just saying that affairs and affair-like actions happen!

Anyway, the bit that makes all of this old information so interesting now is the fact that this gypsy suicide is alive again.

Maybe.

An older version of her, who is an "exceptionally beautiful, if a bit raggedly dressed for Parisian society" is alive at least. Now, my charming source was a bit skeptical as to whether or not a person can really return from the dead, but I'm a firm believer that they can. So if I end up dead because I'm writing this, keep that in mind. There's a way to bring me back, because there was a way to bring this woman (Lime is her name? Hey, I told you I did a bit of digging.) back to life, then by God, find a way to bring me back, too.

Some may think this is absolutely scandalous and horrible, his having mummified her body and kept her like life was just some macabre fairy tale, but I don't see it like that. Once she returned to life, Grey fled to his London flat, wherever in the great city that may be, and she followed him. I see dedication. He returned to Paris with her and they've been seen together in public, even -- I laughed here -- "necking" at times. From that I can only be jealous of the affection and love for each other that they both have.

I don't know if they'll ever admit it, but it's there.

And that, loves, is the most curious story I've heard in a long, long time.
Not that a man should go out, screw a chick that isn't his woman, have a bastard child, then hoard his woman's body after she kills herself. I'm not suggesting that at all. But dedication should be shown in relationships, no matter how awkward and unbelievable it may be for those involved and those who are onlookers.

We've got some true love going on here. That's my story, and if I'm looking too hard into it because I really am a romantic, I'm still going to stick to it.

THE LEGENDARY TIMES' ADVICE COLUMN

"Ask Mrs. O'Leary": The Legendary Times Official Advice Column

[Note from editor: We at the LT weren't sure Thomas the Innkeeper's rather gruff attitude and direct demeanor were a good match for our little paper. With that in mind, we present our new Advice columnist!]

Your advice please, Mrs. O'Leary-
I have an etiquette question I hope you can help me with. I'm a man who loves his chewing gum. It's a habit I started several years ago when I gave up smoking, and I'll be darned if I can stop now. I've almost always got a piece of spearmint or licorice with me. My question is: is it impolite to masticate at the office? Thanks if advance!
-Gummy Glen

Mr. Potty mouth-
Chewing gum OBVIOUSLY isn't the breach of etiquette you should be worried about.
"Is it impolite to masticate at the office?" That's disgusting and inappropriate, and if you were to mention it at my establishment, I'd wash your mouth out with soap before having you forcefully removed from the premises!
-Mrs. O'Leary

Interview with the mysterious Krista

Once again, an interviewer sat down with one of Legend'ss pkillers: Krista, the guild-mistress of Underworld, to discuss her early PK experience.

Interviewer: Thank you for sitting down with me today Mysterious Krista. I am very interested in who you are and why you pkill (or PvP). What do you think new pkillers should know about you?

MK: Hello there. I think anyone who is new, and is contemplating a life in PK, should know, I am always available to answer any of their questions and help with whatever I can, to help them see what PK is like and why it is such a great thing to be in.

Interviewer: Tell me how you got started in the world of PK.

MK: I first got around with a character named Yamaraja was chased non stop around Legend every time I grouped with him. Sana and the Grendels were always chasing him. I started to wonder about this new style of adventure, but thought nothing very much of it. Then I was wandering one day, I met Blackmojo. Most would agree, that the rest is history! *lol* Blackmojo introduced me into PK quite thoroughly! I also knew the GM of Underworld at the time, and because he also was my good friend, me and Blackmojo joined Underworld and my real Legend fun began!

Interviewer: Are the Grendels your biggest enemies?

MK: Hmm Well, years ago as I think back, it's probaby true. We have a long history with Grendels. They have always been determined to *try* to kill us. Our two Clans have been at war, since....well forever.

Interviewer: Novices to Player Killing all need to start somewhere in PK.
Were there any persons who you remember as giving you tips on how to fight?

MK: Oh yes, I had so many wonderful people helping me, right from when I first tried PK out, and failed miserably. Some of the first ones who helped me I remember were, Sana, Horror and Meue. They would spend a lot of time with me, talking about different ways of sneaking up on people, and different ways to attack, then flee and come back and attack. Just really excellent advice from them all, which without, I would never have been in PK, as I am today.

Interviewer: Are you Underworlders as dark as the name implies?

MK: *No* we are not. I think many a Legend player and PKer could easily remember me, or any of the Underworld Clan helping them out at one time or another. We are neither good nor evil. Our Clan stands for the PK way, which means sometimes sticking up for good things and sometimes sticking up for the more evil side. We try to stay neutral and we try to keep our PK fun.
Anyone who has ever joined Underworld, with me as GM, has been *very* surprised at how much fun they have and how different it really is being with us, compared to what others have said it would be like. We are a group of good friends who like to get out into the world to seek adventure and fun, does that sound evil to *you* I ask? And Yes we are called Underworld and that is *only* because that is exactly where I and the rest of Underworld send our competitors to when we defeat them.

Interviewer: What does being GM of Underworld actually mean to you?

MK: Being GM of Underworld has always and still is my proudest achievement in my time in Legend. The people I have gotten to know, through being GM of this Clan, is just more than wonderful. Although some have come and gone, Underworld has always been a close knit, close friends kind of a Clan. Being the GM of such an awesome Clan is nothing short of the greatest thing ever!

Interviewer: What do you think is the future of Pk in the land of Legend?

MK: I think PK needs new people to give it a go. I know, for myself at least, I have been in the PK world for so long now, it would be really nice to have some new people to compete against in it. I encourage any new player, who is looking for a lot of fun, adventure, action and getting involved in one group verses other groups, to give PK a go, and help make the community bigger and more fun for all!

Interviewer: Thank you, Krista. This has been quite an informative session.