Piper

Copying this first bit from Aneirin's posts to Stratics and the Catskills RP Portal, since he beat me to it and had pictures! Thanks to the Freehold, and to all in attendance! Since it went over so well, here's the transcript of the winning poem, written by Vlad, read by Eban:

This weekend's skirmish will be held Sunday, March 22, at 2:00 PM EST at the Luna bagball field. I figure you all know where this is, but if not, just ask! There will be gates to the location in New Haven starting at 1:45. Those who cannot otherwise get the proper armor and equipment may be outfitted at that time. Also, I want to take this opportunity to say thanks so much to those of you who continue to come every week and keep this fun for everybody without breaking the rules or quarreling. I'm glad you're all enjoying it so much, and thank you for all the positive feedback. Be aware, though, that this isn't being organized solely by any one individual; it's a group effort, as it was intended to be. I invite any of you from the RP community with ideas for skirmishes (locations, areas of focus, games, tactics, etc.) to contact me about it, and we can discuss it for future events. :> I should also be available in-game after this week's skirmish, if you want to get with me or any others then. Thanks!

At nine o'clock Eastern time (9:00 PM EST) on Friday, March 20, Traveling Bard's Night will be hosted by the Freehold of Roses at the Winter Guard. The event is sponsored by PGoH. The rules of bard's night are simple: * Leave your conflicts at the door and bring your stories with you. * No harsh obscenities are to be used in your stories. * There will be a time limit (usually five minutes, but subject to change due to the number of storytellers). * All stories must adhere to the theme: "Spring/Rebirth." The top three will win cash prizes and will be given an invitation to the champions event at a later date. The prize will be divided as follows: 500,000 gold crowns for first place; 325,000 gold crowns for second; and 175,000 gold crowns for third. Judging will take place by three crowd members chosen at random, who will decide on the winners. Gates will be run from New Haven starting at approximately 8:30 to give people time to come sign up. Remember, it's Friday night, not Saturday this week! And for those of you who don't already know where the Winter Guard is, here's its location, northeast of Luna:

Well, it seems Katherine has the touch of death when it comes to laptops. Her brand new one is crapping out on her and giving her the blue screen of death, so she texted me requesting that I let you all know she may be scarce until the issue is resolved. Katherine you monster stop killing everything you touch~

In response to Kaylor's story, posted here: http://catskills-rp-portal.proboards.com/i...y&thread=46 RP from 3/15/09. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Piper lay sprawled inelegantly across her couch, long limbs twisted and dangling from the sides in a fashion reminiscent of a broken marionette. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling through half-closed eyelids, reaching down to dip a biscuit into the teacup that she'd set on the floor beside her. The lanky woman held the biscuit between her lips as she pushed herself up into a seated position and, gingerly taking the small cup between her fingers, she mulled over the events of the evening with each sip. A roguish smile barely appeared over the rim of the cup she clutched at her chin as she rhythmically rapped her nails against the ceramic. Kaylor's actions had revealed more than he'd intended; she was certain of it. She wondered if he and Va'lis had really thought she would be foolish enough not to see through their trick. Perhaps, though, Va'lis had forgotten that in addition to being a fencer and poisoner, she was also an animal handler of nearly legendary repute with knowledge of magery and ninjitsu -- including the use of animal forms. It seemed being a jack of all trades did have its advantages now and then. Taking a final bite of the biscuit, she crossed her legs up on the couch with an inquisitive expression. What were they after, anyway? she asked herself before shaking her head in dismissal of the thought. While she was always curious, it was of little consquence; Va'lis had been told, in no uncertain terms, not to set foot on Olympian territory. The vampire's dark-haired "Knight of Everthorne" had come dangerously close to sampling a dose of her poison, and she wished in retrospect that she'd followed through on, rather than quelled the impulse. Coaxing the last drop of tea from her cup, she regretted with a small grin that a select few Guardians in particular hadn't been present for the ordeal. Maybe next time, she consoled herself, we'll have ourselves a real show. Rising to her feet, Piper crossed the sitting room and plucked her tricorne hat and cloak from the rack, readying herself before slinging her satchel across her shoulder and slipping through the front doors. After locking them with a soft click, she stepped from the covered porch out into the night, pausing to glance skyward at the perfect canopy of stars. Regardless, next time would be different; the legion had its orders. Now they had only to wait.

Wherever we wind up doing it, I'll do my best to be there. You did well with the last training session.

Background image for another picture I'm working on. Drawn and painted in Photoshop CS3. I need to do more things like this for the practice. Katherine sees a sleeping raptor in the patterns on the water. Too bad I don't know how to analyze inkblot results, but my supposition is that it would suggest she is criminally insane. Posted mostly because I want to find out if anyone else sees an ominous raptor hiding beneath the surface.

:<

This weekend's skirmish will be held Sunday, March 15, at 2:00 PM EST at the Broken Mountains south of Luna, indicated by the star: There will be gates to the location in New Haven starting at 1:45. Those who cannot otherwise get the proper armor and equipment may be outfitted at that time. See you then!

At nine o'clock Eastern time (9:00 PM EST) on Saturday, March 14, Traveling Bard's Night will be hosted by Kate Hawkings at the recently-constructed New Port Theater. The event is sponsored by PGoH. The rules of bard's night are simple: * Leave your conflicts at the door and bring your stories with you. * No harsh obscenities are to be used in your stories. * There will be a time limit (usually five minutes, but subject to change due to the number of storytellers). * All stories must adhere to the theme: "Vanity/Pride." The top three will win cash prizes and will be given an invitation to the champions event at a later date. The prize will be divided as follows: 500,000 gold crowns for first place; 325,000 gold crowns for second; and 175,000 gold crowns for third. Judging will take place by three crowd members chosen at random, who will decide on the winners. In addition, a note from Kate Hawkings: "Dress your best, the best dressed guest in New Port will be awarded 10k *Blaze clothing may not apply* Judging will take place by Miss Kate Hawkings." This is New Port Theater's debut. Its coordinates are 13. 42'S 2. 19'W in Malas, and gates will be run from New Haven starting at approximately 8:30 to give people time to come sign up. Keep an eye out for runes dropped around New Haven as well. See you there!

1. Take That - Up All Night 2. The Wombats - My Circuitboard City ...A bit much BBC Radio 1 lately, perhaps. :< Don't judge. And here's a bonus, something different from the others. Fun song: 3. Splodgenessabounds - Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please The song as explained by Max Splodge: "One night I rushed into the Crown in Chislehurst, waving a pound note, trying to buy two pints of lager and a packet of crisps. The bell rang and the bloke wouldn't serve me. The next day I put down a drum track and bass line and just shouted, 'Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps please.' Mike Reid played it on Radio 1 and it started selling 17,000 copies a day."

Sarain kindly hosted the community forums on Chaos-Spell.net, but unfortunately, she will no longer be doing so, and the Chaos-Spell forums have subsequently been shut down. Phaen Grey messaged me with a link to the newly-created forums this afternoon. They can be found at: http://catskills-rp-portal.proboards.com It can be a good way to keep up with happenings in the Catskills roleplaying community as a whole, and also an excellent medium for spreading word about events and such. I just thought I'd let you all know of the change. (Along the same lines, don't forget about the Stratics Catskills forums: http://vboards.stratics.com/forumdisplay.php?f=48)

Some screenshots, courtesy of Hawkeye Pike: From the first skirmish, two weeks ago: http://www.aschulze.net/ultima/stories10/story0098.htm From the second and third skirmishes, combined into one page: http://www.aschulze.net/ultima/stories10/story0101.htm So much uncontrollable spasming!

Quoted from Hawkeye Pike of the United Pirates: This weekend's skirmish will be held tomorrow, Sunday, March 8, at 2:00 PM EST in the arena north of Doom, indicated by the star: Corrupted Foresets...? Not my spelling, I blame Automap! There will be gates to the location in New Haven starting at 1:45. Those who cannot otherwise get the proper armor and equipment may be outfitted at that time. Those who have participated in the past have had a good time, so we hope to see you there!

Ahahaha wow this is why you are my hero always and forever. Also, a decree unto the people: Let it be known that none named Callista shall be allowed admittance to the aforementioned training event on the grounds of being far too silly.

Hey there! Yes, there's a good bit going on right now -- new EMs, associated events, developing storylines, plus other things inter- and intraguild. The biggest thing since the arrival of the EMs is that a guy named Casca is claiming to be the new ruler and trying to take over Lord British's throne. ...Sooo yes, lots of stuff to do, haha. In addition, the extended Olympus area is now full of twenty-some-odd buildings owned by PGoH members. The town is really coming together; I know we'd all love to have you drop by some time and give you a tour. My ICQ is 205-053-278 should you ever decide you'd like to come see us. Take care!

At nine o'clock Eastern time (9:00 PM EST) on Saturday, February 28, we'll host the Traveling Bard's Night at the Knight's Rest. The event is sponsored by PGoH. The rules of bard's night are simple: * Leave your conflicts at the door and bring your stories with you. * No harsh obscenities are used in your stories. * There will be a time limit (usually five minutes, but may be changed due to the number of storytellers). * All stories adhere to the theme: "Change." * The top three will win cash prizes and will be given an invitation to the champions event at a later date. The prize will be divided as follows: 500,000 gold crowns for first place; 325,000 gold crowns for second; and 175,000 gold crowns for third. Judging will take place by three crowd members chosen at random, who will decide on the winners. As most of you likely know, the Knight's Rest is located in Yew, Trammel, to the south of the moongate. Gates will also be sent from Luna starting around 8:30 that night. We hope to see you there!

I have a few big announcements to make. First, a while ago, Uthan Elgof decided that since he's unable to be around very much, he'd like to retire from his position as Senator of War, as he is able to do according to the codex. While he is retiring from active service, he's to be treated with the same respect as always. I wanted to publicly thank Uthan for his time served as senator and as a Guardian in general, and to let you all know what is going to happen as a result of his retirement. When Thom and I spoke with Uthan, he made a suggestion for who he thought should be next in line for his position. It was his request that Eban be his successor, and after discussing it between ourselves and other high-rankers, Thom and I have decided that this would indeed be the right course of action. Eban is going to lead a hunt for his quest, and then he will be officially promoted to his new rank, Senator of War. Also, Callista came to us last night with a request. She isn't able to be around very much either due to a lot of real-life things going on right now, so she asked if Greg would like to take her place as Head of State since she's so busy. Thom and I appreciate this honesty and the concern she showed for the guild, and Greg agreed to step in as she asked. Therefore, for the moment at least, Callista will step down from her position, and Greg will be reinstated in her stead. This is a pretty big deal as with these ranks, Eban and Greg will both have seats with voting privileges on the Council of Honor. If everything goes as planned, the ceremonies for Eban's promotion to Senator of War and Greg's reinstatement as active Head of State will be held this Saturday following the meeting at seven o'clock. I hope you'll all be in attendance for them! (Calli, as we said, you know we'll always have something for you to do. I hope we'll see you around more frequently soon!)

Yep, as Katherine said, the codex has indeed been revised numerous times before. It isn't meant to be an entirely static thing; it changes to reflect changes within the guild, and the changes we're seeking to make are, as procedure dictates, being passed through and approved by the Council of Honor first. Thom and I don't even have a vote on said council; the votes go to the other council members, and we're there to supervise and offer a tie-breaking vote if necessary. So all these changes you're seeing were discussed, approved, and voted through solely by the council members with voting privileges. As Greg was the one who authored the codex originally, he obviously knows it inside and out, and everything we've done has been according to proper procedure under his supervision. If you don't think the codex can be changed, I direct you to Article VI, Section 1: According to such procedures, the council voted in favor of merging Espionage and Arcane into the House of Inquiry, and to merge Genesis and Trades into Commerce. And no, as we said, GM armor is only for RP and designated events. Regular armor is fine for whatever else, and no one would be punished for utilizing it then. That would be silly. However, our members are expected to stay in uniform, not to act in inappropriate ways so as to preserve the guild's image, and to follow the rules that are set. So those are the things that there will be IC punishments for. And if you think getting reprimanded by the Praetorian Prefect or a bit of jailtime for bigger offenses is strict, ask some of the old timers about consequences under previous leadership. We'll be about easy as pie in comparison! If you have any further questions, feel free to ask.

Firstly, Thom and I have discussed the desire to use GM-crafted armor between ourselves several times before, with the first mention at the beginning of last year, if memory serves correctly. And if you really want to know, it was at the suggestion of a few other high-ranking PGoH members that we gave more serious consideration to it. As for PvP balance? Yes. The skirmish today (which, yes, has RP context) went over wonderfully. Everyone had a good time, despite that, obviously, there was a losing side to each fight, and people died -- some several times. It was completely GM armor and equipment with no talismans or jewelry or anything, and people learned and used actual tactics. Everyone who attended seemed to be having fun and now looking forward to the one next week. I think we got some in attendance who wouldn't have come if we'd been decked out in arty suits, and some people who otherwise might not have had much exposure to roleplay got a chance to try that out too. Some who might've been too timid or unsure under different circumstances now seem to feel like maybe they stand a chance not to get completely stomped beyond recognition. As Charlie said, it also adds to RP in other ways. The aesthetic value is very nice for roleplay, yes. And our armor is now completely crafted by the tailors and smiths among our ranks, not by some random Luna vendor crafter with a ridiculous or mildly offensive name. Our crafters have an actual, important role to fill now in the guild, more than just making a few bits of furniture or giving repairs once every three months the way it used to be. Their services are in high demand once again, as they should be from an IC standpoint, since they have the ability to make us all the things we need, from our clothes, to our armor, to the weapons we need to fight as an army when it comes down to defending our own. We forget that blacksmiths served a very important purpose back in the day, in real life. Now our crafters can do the same. They're a cornerstone of guild life. We've not really had any complaints about it, and in fact, a number of folks were pretty much relieved to hear it because it meant they didn't have to have tens of millions in gold to feel like they could compete. It's something that can serve to give people a bit of extra confidence, and it makes us rely on each other more. Those things, I think, make it well worth it. I personally lost a lot of collective extra skills, stats, and mods in the change, but I'm completely fine with it because it adds more to the experience and evens things out for our people. We'll all learn to adapt to it together, as a guild. It's brought us together a bit more and made us better team players already -- working together as a guild and a community -- and it's only just been implemented. I'm very glad to see that happening. That makes it well worth it to me.

It's this Saturday, the twenty-first. ...Just like it says in the thread title. *patpat*

Just so everyone knows, I talked with Thom as she was writing this up, and I second everything that was said here. They're all important points, and I hope you'll take them to heart. Thanks!

Yes that's why you must hug her: to mollify her so she doesn't rip out people's still-beating hearts, like so many Aztec priests! DO IT FOR THE GREATER GOOD

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you all had a good one doing whatever with whoever you care about! Me, I drank rum runners. Great success! Katherine simply adores unexpected hugs! Piper knows this to be a fact proven by science and thus, as the picture shows, obliges her. YOU SHOULD ALL HUG HER ALL THE TIME LOOK HOW HAPPY SHE IS

For Valentine's Day! 1. Oingo Boingo - Violent Love Okay for serious now: 2. The Hush Sound - We Intertwined