___The New Official AVATAR_____________________________________
     ________                          __     __
    /  _____/ _____   ________  ____ _/  |_ _/  |_   ____
   /   \  ___ \__  \  \____  /_/ __ \\   __\\   __\_/ __ \
   \    \_\  \ / __ \_ /    / \  ___/ |  |   |  |  \  ___/
    \______  /(____  //_____ \ \___ \ |__|   |__|   \___ \
           \/      \/       \/     \/                   \/
¬______________________________________________August 2009 ____



&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

TABLE OF CONTENTS

AVATAR Focus by Kariya
Player Submissions - Avatar Parables and Fables by Cleites
AVATAR Spotlight - A conversation with Malacylpse
IMMORTAL Trivia – The Answers by Ashtaka
Wings – This Angelic life by Glissade
Mt. Durr Travelogue by Shadowtop
The Tale of Heaustf by Arcano
The Foaming Lunatic a Biography by Kenji
Thoughts from The Dark Side by Kariya
Flashback! by Kenji
Recipe Corner by Essenceroses and Cleites
Recipes courtesy of Glissade, Anessa, and Ted
Ask An Angel - Help, I’m Drowning! by Glissade
Tips and Tricks – So, you’re a hero now...  by Cleites
Command of the month – Config by Essenceroses
August Calendar

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

AVATAR Focus by Kariya

Back in 1995 AVATAR first saw the light of day.  Or, as it is
officially known, "Advanced Virtual Adventures Through
Artificial Realities." Built on the foundation laid by the mud
Farside it has continued to bring mirth and joy to all of its
players.

In 1995, the world was a very different world.  Internet and
game technology hadn't gotten to the point yet where many
people played visual games using the internet.  MUD's like
Avatar were still to be found all over the place, and
flourishing.

But Avatar itself was a much different world back then.  A
simpler code, less classes and races, a lot less unique
features.  Remorts and rebuilding were not on the agenda yet.
The areas were a lot more standard and generic and not as
interesting.  As with any game or even society, over the years
there have been many changes, both of direction and
inhabitants.

One constant however has always been Snikt.  He was the one
who was behind the rise of Avatar.  The idea of Lords,
Legends, Titans, and so on was always in the front of his
mind.

Granted, coding it is different from envisioning it.  But at
least there has always been a plan for Avatar.  That is
probably one of the reasons why the game is still up and
running and there are no plans of stopping.  Despite setbacks,
departures, minor changes in direction, and long delays in
development.  There has always been a vision.  And that
continues unto this day.

And while Snikt dreams, he has also given other coders the
chance to help shape the realm the way they wish.  So from
Mega and Crom to Dawiz and Cuendillar and to Devastant and
Pulse (and the many others who have contributed) Avatar has
always had someone who keeps adding features to the mud.
Sometimes in the form of new races or classes.  Sometimes it
was less noticeable but just as important, like new features,
spells, skills, and whatnot.  Sometimes the changes were
appreciated.  Sometimes not so much.  Sometimes there were
riots in the streets.

Along with new features, over the years the builders have
removed many of the stock areas, or areas that didn't fit the
fantasy theme.  This meant removing fun classic areas such as
the Shire, 100acre wood, New Thalos, and even the late great
Smurf area.  In return we got some great replacements, no
matter if it has been written for lowmort, hero or lord.  Great
castles and kingdoms, full of back stories that wouldn't be
out of place as the background for a novel.  Mysterious lands,
filled with legends and myths that give Avatar its unique
origins story.

But probably the most important factor of Avatar's continuing
existence is the player base.  No matter how long you've been
here, how many or how few lords or legends you have, every
player is part of Avatar.  All the players from the past that
no longer play and all players that log in right now.  Every
one of them, from the extremely vocal ones to the ones that
play and enjoy themselves in silence, has helped shape the
game.

For fourteen years, this has been a successful formula.  And we
continue to build even bigger and better.  We are on the verge
of adding a lot more new advanced Virtual adventures, in all
new and improved artificial realties.  We all hope you will
stick with us for many more years to see how these play out.

(Kariya started playing Farside in early 1994, and switched to
Avatar in August 1995.  He became an Immortal not long after
and has been part of the Avatar team ever since.)

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

-Player Submissions-
AVATAR Parables and Fables by Cleites

It seems that the old tales, the parables and fables of the
Midgaardian countryside, are well-guarded from outsiders and
harder to come by than we initially thought.  Still, we have a
pair of tales for your enjoyment and we encourage you to keep
your eyes and ears open for more.  Even though the deadline
for this issue has passed, always feel free to send
parables/fables or anything else you'd like to
gazinput@outland.org!


The Two Brothers by Cleites

Once there were two half brothers, both sons of a rich
nobleman in a prosperous city.  The first brother, whose
mother was the nobleman's wife, spent his days in the
countryside riding horses, hunting, and cavorting with
beautiful women.  All these things his father taught him and
he learned them with great vigor.  In the evenings, the first
half brother would come home and lord over his younger
sibling, who did not have the same kind of life as he.  This
younger brother was in fact the son of an orcish servant,
begotten in a series of sordid events best left untold.  The
younger half brother, downtrodden his whole life, learned from
his mother the skills of household work, of daily chores, and
of hard labor.  Eventually, the young half-orc's mother
married another orcish servant who, being a kind-hearted
individual took the young half-orc as his own son, becoming
like a father to him.  For many years after this the younger
brother toiled silently, watching his human half brother's
arrogance and cruelty increase until he was an even harsher
master than his own father.

Eventually the nobleman died, leaving his son his entire
estate and all of its servants.  Drunk with power, the young
noble brother became increasingly harsh towards his half-
brother until one night he struck him with a cane.  The young
half-orc, shocked and surprised, exclaimed, "Why do you treat
me so, when I share your blood?!"

"Share my blood you say?" cackled the master.  "It is true
that we have the same father, but my parents raised me a noble
human.  Your parents taught you all they know how to do which
is to serve.  You and I never shared anything, and we never
will!"

At this, a small smile crept onto the half-orc's face.  "Yes,"
he replied, "My parents did teach me to serve.  But my orcish
father taught me something else as well.  He wasn't always a
servant..."

With the slightest of movements the half-orc slipped a
stiletto from under his tunic and deftly cut the young
nobleman's throat.  You see, his step-father was once an
assassin.


The Ugly Calf by Cleites

Once there was a mother cow that had a family of several cute
little calves and one hideously ugly calf.  Often when
grazing, other groups of calves would kick and spit on the
poor ugly calf as he grazed with his brothers and sisters.

When she saw this, the mother cow would come to his defense,
saying, "Let him be, he is not doing any harm!"

However, the mother cow could not watch over her children all
the time and much pain was caused to the ugly calf by the
other members of the herd.  As they got older, even the ugly
calf’s siblings began to taunt and make fun of him.

One day, the ugly calf finally grew up.  The first thing he
did was go to his mother who remarked, "My, how you have grown
up into such a noble beast.  I'm sorry I couldn't protect you
better when you were younger, but know that I love you."

The ugly calf responded "I love you too mother and I will
always remember you."

Shortly thereafter, the ugly calf crafted himself a club made
from a large tree branch and beat the entire herd to death,
with the sole exception of his mother.  His siblings had made
it clear he was not like them and so he wandered the
countryside to find more of his own kind.  After many days, he
stumbled across a band of Minotaur with whom he finally fit in
as family.

--------------------

As for next month's submissions, the Gazette Team would like
to see the most creative AVATAR-themed ASCII artwork you can
make!  Do you want to draw Nom, a fire-breathing dragon, or
maybe a picture of your own character?  If so, get cracking on
some ASCII art and send it to gazinput@outland.org no later
than August 30.  The only rules are that each piece should
be AVATAR-themed in some way and that all lines be under 80
characters in length.  The top submissions will be published
in the September issue of the AVATAR Gazette, and the winning
artwork will be given a special, temporary place within AVATAR
itself and its creator will receive a nice little bag of
goodies!

And finally, the schedule for future calls for submissions:

Deadline                     Topic
September 15th               AVATAR-themed poetry submissions
October 15th                 Draw your character! (any medium)

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

AVATAR Spotlight – A Conversation with Malaclypse
by Anessa

A latticework pavilion
Reality is at times a whimsical thing and rarely more so than
when it comes to the confines and surroundings of Malaclypse's
gazebo.  The structure seems to have been chiseled from
crystal with each gleaming facet reflecting images from worlds
afar.  Several large reclining chairs have been placed around
the interior with each offering a panoramic view of the
constantly shifting vistas outside as the gazebo shifts
between planes.

A bed of clouds provides the foundation for the building as it
continues along its chaotic journey.
{{Divine aura}} Malaclypse the Younger is here.
The Sacred Chao knows all.

Malaclypse tickles you - hee hee hee.

Malaclypse says 'hey hey'

The Gazette exclaims 'hey!'

The Gazette says 'Thanks for spending some time with me'

Malaclypse says 'Always a pleasure :)'

The Gazette says 'I'm pretty informal with this, so don't have
a list of questions or anything'

Malaclypse nods his head solemnly.

Malaclypse says 'cool cool'

The Gazette asks 'So first off... tell me how you found
AVATAR?'

Malaclypse says 'When I first got an internet connection I
bought a package which came bundled with a web browser whose
homepage had a link to Avatar Mud'

Malaclypse says 'It was probably the first or second hypertext
link I ever clicked on ;)'

The Gazette says 'wow, that was luck'

The Gazette asks 'How long ago was that?'

Malaclypse says 'Yeah, pretty unusual - and I've been hooked
ever since.'

Malaclypse says 'late 1995'

Malaclypse says 'or mid to late'

Malaclypse says 'was a couple months after the Farside split
if memory serves'

The Gazette says 'So you can easily be considered an old-
timer'

Malaclypse says 'I'm afraid so ;)'

Malaclypse takes a deep breath and starts to speak about the
good old days. RUN!

You laugh.

Malaclypse says 'though I did have a semi-enforced break for a
couple years'

Malaclypse says 'as a result of being a student with no
internet connection'

The Gazette says 'I'd love to hear a bit more about your
playing history...rather extensive I would imagine.'

Malaclypse says '*chuckle*'

Malaclypse says 'Judging by altlist probably too extensive ;)'

Malaclypse says 'I originally started as a human warrior and
soon after created a human cleric'

Malaclypse says '(always like clerics from old D&D days plus
they got early access to transport spells - I hated walking)'

Malaclypse says 'back in the early days I had really
exorbitant dial up/net access costs so I couldn't play nearly
as much as I liked'

Malaclypse says 'though I still managed to hero the cleric, a
giant warrior and a half orc martial artist and thief (as they
were back then)'

Malaclypse says 'then came my student days without access'

Malaclypse says 'during that time Avatar switched from Walrus
and I actually thought the MUD has vanished'

Malaclypse says 'it was only by an off chance that I found it
again from a Google search or something'

You nod solemnly.

Malaclypse says 'I came back online'

The Gazette says 'it took me awhile to find it again too'

Malaclypse nods in agreement with you.

Malaclypse says 'my alts had naturally been purged by this
stage'

Malaclypse says 'but thanks to the appeals team I was able to
get my main alt back'

Malaclypse says 'and I've been here ever since'

Malaclypse says 'making more heroes and lords than I know what
to do with ;)'

The Gazette asks 'When did you become an Immortal?'

Malaclypse says 'I became an Imm around the middle of 2007
although I had been a staff trackie for a couple years before
that.'

The Gazette asks 'Do you have specific duties?'

Malaclypse says 'I'm a bit of a jack of all trades'

Malaclypse says 'My main 'official' role is assisting the
Quest team'

Malaclypse says 'but I'm also involved in design, coding and
retro building'

The Gazette says 'sounds busy'

Malaclypse says 'It is but it is something which I really
enjoy :)'

Malaclypse says 'Just wish I could spend more time on it'

The Gazette asks 'Has being an Immortal changed the game for
you?  When  you are playing one of that long list of alts?'

Malaclypse says 'I think it has to an extent'

Malaclypse says 'I'm more of a social player than anything
else so obtaining gear/levels etc has never really been my
main interest.'

Malaclypse says 'So I guess time which I previously spent
running in groups I now spend hanging about on this alt'

Malaclypse says 'either socializing or doing a spot of work'

Malaclypse says 'That said I do still run my alts but not as
much as I used to'

You nod solemnly.

The Gazette exclaims 'So, now on to some of the more fun
stuff, at least to me!'

Malaclypse grins.

Malaclypse says 'I can leave my hat on, right? ;)'

The Gazette says 'It's fun for us to get to know the person
behind the player...'

You laugh out loud. HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

Malaclypse grins.

The Gazette says 'if you must.. hehe'

Malaclypse snickers softly.

The Gazette exclaims 'Joe Cocker does my favorite version of
that song, btw!'

Malaclypse laughs out loud.

Malaclypse nods his head solemnly.

The Gazette asks 'So, tell us about the person behind
Malaclypse...  anything you'd care to share with us?'

Malaclypse exclaims 'No!'

Malaclypse says 'Just kidding ;)'

You flap your hands in disgust and say Bah!

Malaclypse asks 'anything in particular you are after?'

The Gazette says 'RL work, hobbies...'

Malaclypse asks 'Oh ok general run down eh?'

The Gazette says 'yeah...'

The Gazette says 'whatever you are comfortable sharing'

Malaclypse says 'Hrm, well I'm a chartered accountant from
South Africa'

Malaclypse says '(think I'm about 1 of 4 Africans on the
mud?)'

Malaclypse says 'My hobbies (besides mudding :p) include music
(playing in a band), rugby and bean counting ;)'

The Gazette exclaims 'a bean counter!'

Malaclypse nods in agreement with you.

Malaclypse says 'Professional! ;)'

The Gazette asks 'what does... chartered, mean?'

Malaclypse says 'oh it comes from the old British way of doing
things'

Malaclypse says 'like - chartered by the queen type deal'

The Gazette says 'ahhh ok'

Malaclypse says 'kinda similar to your guys CPA or MBA (or mix
of the two really)'

You nod solemnly.

The Gazette asks 'I'm curious about the band... what type of
music do you play?'

Malaclypse says 'I'm actually in two at the moment'

Malaclypse says 'The one mostly generates 'noise' and the
other is a rock band'

The Gazette asks 'professionally?'

Malaclypse says 'haha, no way'

Malaclypse says 'purely stress relief to get away from regular
jobs'

You nod solemnly.

The Gazette asks 'What instrument do you play?'

Malaclypse says 'mostly guitar'

Malaclypse says 'can almost play a couple other instruments
but band members know better than to let me near them ;)'

You giggle.

The Gazette asks 'Anything else you'd like to add about
Malaclypse or the player behind him?'

Malaclypse says 'I'm always happy to hear from players'

Malaclypse says 'I don't bite'

Malaclypse says '(much)'

Malaclypse says 'and feel free to send a tell ;)'

You grin.

Malaclypse says 'also I'm currently plotting a way to get to
Ubercon'

Malaclypse exclaims 'but that is a secret!'

The Gazette exclaims 'never tell me a secret in these
interviews!'

You throw back your head and cackle with insane glee!

Malaclypse laughs out loud.

The Gazette says 'one last question, if I may...'

Malaclypse says 'shoot :D'

The Gazette asks 'What advice would you give to the players of
AVATAR?'

Malaclypse says 'Don't get too wound up when things don't go
your way. It is after all just a game. Sometimes it is just
best to sit back and take a deep breath. Also, be nice to the
new guys - they could be the ones saving you on a Noctopia run
some day.'

The Gazette says 'very good.'

Malaclypse asks 'do I pass?'

The Gazette exclaims 'with flying colours!'

Malaclypse exclaims 'woooo!'

Malaclypse gives you a high 5!  You must have done something
good.

You hug him.

The Gazette exclaims 'thanks for the time!'

Malaclypse says 'Thanks Anessa'

Malaclypse hugs you.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

IMMORTAL TRIVIA AND FUN FACTS, by Ashtaka

Last month, we decided it might be fun for everyone to learn a
bit more about the Immortal staff.  We asked the Immortals for
a few fun facts that players may not know about them, and the
responses sparked some interesting conversation!  In this
issue of The Gazette you will find the answers to those fun
tidbits!  How many did YOU get right?

Which Immortal was married in a Scottish Castle located in the
US?  Merck

Which Immortal owns a Balinese cat?  Xiphoid

Which Immortal lived with the brother of a fellow Immortal?
IBN

Which Immortal Has 2 lizards named after Iliad Characters?
Mimir

Which Immortal is making money selling seashells to tourists?
Anessa

Which Immortal played rugby at Twickenham?  Xiphoid

Which Immortal was asked to guard the President of the United
States? Merck

Which Immortal plays with trains all day and gets paid for it?
Ayanna

Which Immortal has hiked and skied Tuckerman Ravine in the
past 6 months?  Mimir

Which Immortal was present at the official opening of the
Sydney Opera House?  Riviat

Which Immortal was a professional Actor for several years?
IBN

Which immortal is the parent of a retired immortal's wife?
Darii

Which Immortal won an award in 4th grade for a short story
about a dragon that couldn't breathe fire?  Zahri

Which Immortal lived in a dorm overlooking a different
chemical factory on each side during High School?  Pulse

Which Immortal has climbed Mount Fuji?  Ctibor

Which Immortal has slapped Snikt?  Dalthane

Which Immortal has experience fighting with a sword, pike,
musket, and cannon?  Riviat

Which Immortal has lived on both sides (politically speaking)
of strictly divided countries?  Pulse

Which Immortal had a weekly newspaper column in a large
metropolitan(US) newspaper as a sophomore in high school?
Darii

Which Immortal eradicated Pooh Bear?  Zahri

Which Immortal has recently planned how to best accommodate a
skull saw in a room already filled with other cut up tools?
Pulse

Which Immortal has a character named in honor of a class he
failed  in college?  Ctibor

Which Immortal is the oldest of 8 children?  Darii

Which Immortal has made and used a dog sled?  Merck

Which Immortal spent $15 Million USD in a single day?  Anessa

Which Immortal slept overnight on the grounds of Nottingham
Castle?  Riviat

Which Immortal attended college on a bowling scholarship?
Ayanna

Which Immortal was paid to hack into banks?  Xiphoid

Which Immortal won the Lord building Contest in 2007?  Mimir

Which Immortal wrote an undergraduate honors thesis on Edgar
Allen Poe's works?  Zahri

Which Immortal sold thousand dollar moccasins at renaissance
fairs?  IBN

Which Immortal has earned an order of Magellan certificate?
Ctibor

Which Immortal was one of two Immortals to live in both
hemispheres(N/S) of the world at one point?  Malaclypse

Which Immortal was the only non-hispanic member of Spanish
dance troupe at the age of 6?  Darii

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Wings - Observations from the Cloud
This Angelic Life by Glissade

Someone recently asked me what it takes to become an Angel of
Avatar.  It was a wide-eyed young elfling (or some such) new
to our community, so I didn’t have the heart to tell her that
it requires love of sitting poised on the edge of one’s seat
waiting eagerly for people to die.  Oh, but then I realized
she was asking how to become one of the Good, Pure Angels of
Avatar.

Here, then, is one Angel's version of the KSAs (Knowledge,
Skills and Abilities) that serve Angels well.

Strength - It is a bit of a paradox that a being that holds
few material possessions would need strength.  Indeed,
strength is not needed often, but sometimes when Avatar is at
its most active, you might find yourself challenged with the
demands of the position, as you are carefully and quietly
explaining the mud to a newbie and then suddenly there is a
hogathon and players are dying in droves around you.  This is
the dual nature of our Angelic role -- we exist to be helpful
guides to new players, but also have divine powers that allow
us to assist mortals at their time of greatest need (like say,
when they are drowning or dying in a particularly awkward
place).

Intelligence - While angels aren't omniscient, it definitely
helps to be well-traveled and know and understand the Avatar
lands we live in.  If you're new to Avatar, one of the best
ways to familiarize yourself with the mud is to read our
extensive help files.  The more you read, the more you'll know
about this mud, even more than some who have played here for
years.  In particular, walking through Mudschool and reading
the newbie guide (available for purchase from Nom) is a great
place to start.  It is quite likely that over half of the tips
and tricks Angels impart to newcomers can be found within
those files.  And enjoy lowmort.  Can you walk to most of the
lowmort areas?  Have you tried your hand at solving some of
their quests?  The most important knowledge for an Angel is to
understand what it is like to be a new lowmort.  Remember what
it was like when you first went through, understand how more
knowledge would have made your life easier, be willing to
impart that knowledge to others, and you will find yourself
well qualified for Angel life.

Wisdom - An Angel must not only have strength and
intelligence, but the wisdom to use it wisely.  Some of it is
teaching newbies how to fish.  Angels don't spoon feed; they
use their judgment to decide what will help a player become
self-sufficient.  Wisdom is also having a cool head when
players get aggravated or frustrated with the game.  Wisdom is
also interacting well with the Immortal staff and not abusing
Angel abilities for personal gain.  A wise Angel will live
long and prosper.

Dexterity - Flexible, creative thinking is also helpful to an
Angel.  Every new player has different needs and will respond
to different types of advice.  The dexterous Angel adjusts
help to fit the player.  Angels also get creative in their
problem solving.  It can be fun and challenging to try to help
a lowmort who is stuck behind a locked door.  How will you
help them?  What kinds of tools or tricks will enable lowmorts
to extricate themselves?  A dexterous Angel will teach players
different ways to fish.  Sometimes it's not just a matter of
knowing which God is worshipped most often for a class; it's
knowing how, if someone picks a different God from the norm,
how they can get it to work successfully with their playing
style.

Constitution - There is a darker side to being an Angel, but
knowing it in advance may prepare you for the dark nights
ahead of you.  Sometimes you'll find that no one is dying, and
no new players are on-line.  Instead it's just a steady hum of
civilization at work in Avatar.  In those moments, your job as
an Angel becomes quite still.  Then you will need to call upon
your creative skills to think of what to do with your time.
You might start up conversations and contribute to Avatar's
social milieu.  You might check in on people who say they are
fine, to make sure they really are fine (sometimes you can
surprise players with a tip that they didn't even know they
needed to ask but are glad they found out).  You could hone
your help skills by reviewing Avatar's extensive help files.
Or you log your Angel off and come back another time when it
is more active.  However, keeping an Angel presence is
important to Avatar so that there is a welcoming face to greet
newbies when they do show up.  So the higher your constitution
for hanging out waiting for the activity to pick up, the
better Avatar will be served by your Angel tour of duty.

Putting on my legal halo, I'll add a disclaimer that just like
with any race/class, everyone finds their rhythm in different
ways.  One thing Angels have in common is that we're all
different in how we approach our job and what we bring to it.
The one essential characteristic is an interest in helping
others grow to love the game like we do.  If that type of
Avatarian existence intrigues you, read help angel/angels
and consider applying!

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Mt. Durr Travelogue by Shadowtop

The route to Mt. Durr is a busy one, up the White Stone Road
and west along the Dwarven Trade route (depending on exactly
where you are coming from of course), with plenty of traffic
along the way.  You can see knights patrolling the highways,
keeping the merchants and pilgrims safe from the occasional
bandits.  Monks can sometimes be seen wandering from here to
there, or the odd deer bounding out of the forests which are
common in that part of the world.  All in all a busy road.  It
is easy to see why when you reach the Dwarven community of Mt.
Durr.

For as long as anyone can remember dwarves have lived in the
area, I have been told.  Some people I have spoken to talked
of some kind of kingdom at some point in the past, but today
the city of Mt. Durr is a prosperous mining settlement
governed by the ruling clans - one which represents the
dwarves who prefer to spend their time on the surface, and one
which dwells mostly underground - which seems an oasis of
peace and welcome in our sometimes troubled lands.  The folk
of Mt. Durr are pleasant and welcoming for the most part and
Mt. Durr is an excellent place to visit when one grows tired
of adventuring in the more wild places.

The town itself lies high up between two mountains - Mt. Durr,
which has given its name to the town itself and legend says
the mountain is named for the god Durr, or may even be Durr
slumbering in stone form; and Devil's Peak, much further away
and with a singularly less pleasant reputation.  The town
itself is built along the eastern skirts of the mountain it is
named for, though with the steep nature of terrain it is built
on, the city almost tumbles down the cliffside in a cunning
arrangement of picturesque terracing which provides
breathtaking views of the lands to the south.  Apart from the
views, pleasant squares offer a nice place to sit and enjoy
your lunch when the sun is shining, or a surprisingly
beautiful flower garden is a lovely spot to wander and take
the time to... smell the roses.  A nearby watering hole,
Bomli's, is a popular spot with the locals and one can find a
drink, something to eat and pleasant company and entertainment
there at near any time of day.

However, arguably the most beautiful spot in the town is
actually below ground, in the heart of the mountain itself.
The Tears of Kra are a little publicized spot which will take
your breath away.  A cunningly lit underground waterfall
simply has to be seen to be believed.  As it is a religious
site for the Sisters of Kra, be sure to treat it with respect.
I found it useful to hire a guide, or pathfinder, to take me
along and make sure I did not stray off the path.  She had
lots of useful tips for me, and told me all about the
magnificent material, durrite, which is mined here.  She was
also good enough to steer me away from some of the more
dangerous tunnels, one of which apparently leads to a huge
rift in the earth named the Great Divide and is best to be
avoided.  She also told me that I should steer clear of the
mines, as they require a pass to enter, only obtainable from
the Guild of Miners and Gem Cutters.  Ostensibly the reason
for this is because the mines can be a bit dangerous to the
uninitiated and a layman could lose their way, or run into
something dangerous down in the caverns.  Personally, I
thought it was mostly to safeguard the dwarves’ wealth.  I
heard rumours of a lively tavern down there which brews the
best beer in Mt. Durr, as well a few other wilder tales, but
did not have the time for a full investigation.

The Sisters of Kra, who maintain the beauty of the
subterranean, also have a temple to Kra in the northeastern
end of town, which is a pleasant and bustling area.  A local
character, the retired patriarch Borgin, makes his home around
there and if not busy working on his memoirs is a pleasant
chap to talk to, able to spin many an interesting tale and
fill the interested tourist in on some of the local lore –
like the yarn of long dead King Vorin.  Be careful not to let
his cat out though when you visit.  The sneaky animal seems to
seek any opportunity to escape and has sometimes got into
trouble for the jewelled collar which Borgin gave it.  It
always apparently returns, eventually, but at times certain
unscrupulous people have attempted it harm.

While in town make sure to try the pies if you can, a local
delicacy and popular staple.  Other delicacies I heard about,
but was sadly unable to try are the aforementioned Marlot's
Ol' Special - an invigorating brew by all accounts; cavern
truffles - a rare delicacy popular with Clan Chief Voinar; and
a particularly good green tea - a favorite with the miners.  A
number of other drinks and tasty morsels fill out the local
specialties of the area and are one of the many excellent
reasons to make this a welcome stop for the wandering
adventurer.

For those who get bored, however, there is much to do of a
more active nature in town.  There are always a few jobs to do
for those who are looking for a bit of work.  A visit to one
of the clan chiefs, or Borgin, might steer you in the right
direction.  Helping out the local law enforcement Longbeard
with some complaints about thugs from Solace causing some
problems in the lower town could be a job for the civic
minded.  Or for those who prefer to do a bit of investigative
work, there have lately been some rumblings about the trolls
in the mountains to the west causing problems.  These are just
a few things to keep one occupied if strolling around and
sightseeing is not to your taste.

All in all, Mt. Durr is a grand place to visit, not just once,
but time and time again.  The place has layers which take some
time to fully appreciate, and it brings me back regularly for
all sorts of reasons.  Mt. Durr is truly an area of many
hidden delights and subtle mystery, wrapped in a warm and safe
blanket of welcoming Dwarven hospitality.  A must for any
dedicated explorer and traveler.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The Tale of Heaustf by Arcano

Found in a fish-bound journal pawned to Ulrich:

Monday:
Today, I woke up, and walked to my shop.  I stopped in the
Human guild to pay my respects to a dear friend, and went on
my way to my shop.  My morning was uneventful: I opened the
door, made some fine Cerdwyn-brand coffee, swept the floor,
you know, the usual stuff.  I'm going about my day, selling my
armor just fine, and a monstrous gargoyle appears in front of
me.  He makes no talk, and I grab a quick look at him.  He was
wearing the rings of Antharia, but had the light of an Emperor
held above his head.  His shroud was unholy; his bracer was
made of steel.  In short, a real fashion disaster.  I tried to
offer him some of my fine, handmade, all local armor, but he
ignored me.

To my horror, he sent black lightning from his fingers to my
skull.  My very soul was tormented by this strange creature.
I struck back at him, a hearty blow if I say so myself, but it
was for naught.  I felt the life leaving my body, and I
somehow knew that he has learned something from what I did.  I
felt my body decay and disappear and then sweet, sweet
oblivion overtook me.

I don't know how long I was out, but suddenly I was back in my
shop and I felt fine.  Not like I had just woken up, or I had
just died, but completely fine, like I hadn't died or been
hurt in the first place.  I chalked up my experience to not
getting enough sleep and drinking too much with Nyles the
night before, and went on my business.

But then it happened again.  And again.

I can't get anything done like this, I don't know what's going
on.  I keep on being killed by mysterious strangers in
outlandish garb, only to wake up again an hour or two later,
with no harm to myself.  I don't know if it's real or not.  I
talked to some of the other shopkeepers, and they mentioned
nothing of the sort.  Even the knights don't know what's going
on.  Perhaps a good night sleep will clear all of these
problems.

Tuesday:
Nope.  I'm still being killed and reanimated by an unseen
force over and over.

Wednesday:
I talked to a knight today, and can you believe it??  He has
experienced the exact same thing! He says that sometimes these
strangers will come to our town, and kill all of his knights,
and only take their rings.  Oddly enough, when they are
returned to life, they have a new ring to replace the one
stolen.  This is getting stranger and stranger.

Thursday:
I talked to Suretin today, and he promised to ask his more
knowledgeable friends about this strange phenomenon of
continual death and rebirth.  Also, I died again.  Not really
surprising anymore.  Today it was a strange elf who somehow,
in the middle of my store, conjured a fearsome thundercloud
that struck me dead.  This is getting really weird.

Friday:
I tried to stay dead today, after the 5th time I was struck
down by powerful magics.  It didn't work.  I mean, I couldn't
make an effort, I was dead.  Yet... I still came back.  This
time I came back quickly and saw my body rot and dissipate
before my eyes.  Highly unnatural.  There wasn't a trace left,
after only a few minutes.  That's not normal! I have hunted
the great owlbears you can see in my city's zoo.  Corpses will
rot, they will fester, they don't just disappear.  Even
stranger, my murderer had dropped a small handful of arrows;
they looked to be barbed with a strange tip.  Before my very
eyes, an imp appeared and took them away! Maybe tomorrow will
be better, it can't be stranger than this.

Saturday:
Maybe this is hell, and I just don't know it.

Sunday:
I tried to give up, but I can't.  There is a strange force
animating my body.  I didn't sweep the shop today, I realized
it doesn't matter.  No one ever buys anything, I am just here
to be killed, over and over, with no choice in the matter.
Sometimes I am lucky and kill an ill-prepared "hero" (I use
that word sarcastically).  They too, will come back, or
sometimes their friends come back.  Death has no meaning in
this land.  We must already be dead, and cursed to wander this
plane until we achieve a higher state of power.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The Foaming Lunatic, a Biography by Kenji

"Daddy, look at that man over there.  What's wrong with him?"
The innocent questioning of a child caused Gregor to quickly
grab his young daughter, Glenda and pull her close to him.
"Hush child.  It's not polite to say things like that."

Gregor looked over towards the man his daughter mentioned.
Everyone knew to avoid the unkempt man, who frequently ran
around the streets screaming at pigeons and debris.  Just the
other day, Trevor the shoemaker told Gregor how he watched the
lunatic attack the street sweeper's broom, raising his hands
in victory after breaking the wooden shaft, as if he had slain
the great dragon itself.

"But Daddy, why is he shouting like that?" Glenda asked
naively.  Gregor paused a moment, reflecting on how the man
known around Midgaard as the "Foaming Lunatic" had come to be.

"He wasn't always like that, dear child.  He used to be a shop
keep, selling saddles and horse gear to travelers.  He was
well known, and liked around town.  Sadly, things changed.

"His name was Horace.  And he was a very good man.  He owned
his store, where he made and sold saddles to those who have
need of such things.  And he was in love.  He had met the
jeweller’s daughter, Elizabeth, and fallen in love with her.
After courting her for a year, they married.  It was a
beautiful wedding, complete with all the things that make such
weddings so beautiful.  The baker still brags about the cake
that he made for their wedding, saying it was his masterpiece.

"After a season, they had their first children.  The gods saw
fit to bless Horace and Elizabeth with twins, a boy and a
girl.  The town was so happy for them.  I even presented them
with a gift myself, packets of lavender and thyme for the
babies' baths.  Horace was indeed a blessed man.

"As the seasons passed, his children grew strong and
beautiful.  The boy was already showing signs of becoming a
magnificent man.  The girl was as lovely as her mother.  And
Horace and Elizabeth were more in love as every day passed.
Elizabeth was known to frequent the saddle shop, helping her
husband at the counter, while he worked on new saddles in the
back of the store.

"Sadly, one day, a bitter mage entered the store, making
demands of Elizabeth.  No one knows who he was, but he was a
lecherous man, and took a liking to Elizabeth for her beauty.
Elizabeth rebuked him, and he grew angry.  Horace heard the
commotion from the back, and came out to the front of the
store, and told the mage to leave his store.  The mage swore
he would make Horace pay for his words, and stormed out of the
store.  Elizabeth was afraid of the mage, for she saw the
gleam of evil in his eyes, but Horace assured his wife.

"Elizabeth left the store early that day, as she wanted to go
home with her children.  Horace assured his wife again that
everything would be okay, and that he would be home shortly.
He remained to finish up the last saddle he was working on, a
magnificent saddle for a renowned knight of the realm.  Once
he completed the saddle, he locked up his store, and returned
home, walking the same path he always took home.

"As he did so, he was passed several times by the fire
brigades, rushing to some unknown emergency up ahead.  Horace
began to worry, and quickened his pace.  Another fire brigade
passed by, and he watched as they turned down his street, a
few blocks ahead.  Elizabeth! His mind screamed at him, and he
broke into a run that few men half his age could have matched.

"When Horace turned the corner, his worst fears were
confirmed.  His house was in ruins, the front wall collapsed,
as the fire brigades stepped over the rubble and wreckage.
The rest of his house was in flames, but not of any normal
fire.  It was an eerie green fire, of the kind only demons can
create, and cast sickening shadows along the surrounding area
that moved like creatures from the abyss.  The fire brigades
tried to get close to the flames to extinguish them, but could
not, pushed back by the magical flames and the black,
wriggling shadows.  And as the fire brigades yelled back and
forth to each other, Horace suddenly heard the tortured voice
of his beloved wife, Elizabeth.

"Whatever the fire was, it wasn't just burning Elizabeth, it
was torturing her very soul.  And Horace could hear the cries
of his young children.  It drove Horace mad with anger, as he
tried to rush into the green flames, only to be pushed back by
some unseen force.  He screamed at the fire brigades to save
his family, but they were equally powerless against the mystic
fire.  He screamed and tore at his hair while listening to his
dear, sweet Elizabeth as she screamed in agony.

"As the fire finally faded away, the wriggling shadows all
convened on one area of the wreckage.  For the first time,
Horace could see his two children, surrounded by the evil
shadow beings.  Horace looked on in horror, as his two
children, now twisted and strange, disappeared with the rest
of the shadow creatures.

"Horace crawled through the wreckage, only to find the mangled
body of his wife, Elizabeth.  Her face was twisted into a look
of torture, and Horace lost the last bit of sanity he had.  He
dropped his wife on the ground, and ran away into the dark
night, cackling with madness as he ran.  As he ran away, the
men of the fire brigade said he was yelling about justice.  I
don't know what ever came of the twins."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Thoughts From The Dark Side by Kariya

This time, instead of boring you with deep and insightful
musings, I will bor..errhm..entertain you with random vacation
thoughts.

Yup, that's right, I just returned from a refreshing vacation
in beautiful and delightful New Jersey *cough*.  Instead of
making it a long "and then" story I will give you some bullet
points.

Good: Going on a sixteen day vacation
Better: Staying at a place just under an hour away from New
York City.
Bad: It's New Jersey.
Scary: Actually starting to appreciate -that- part of NJ.

Good: Midtown Comics. Yay.
Better: Visiting your favorite food place (hint: logo features
an owl) with your favorite Immortal and enjoying some good
food & drinks together.
Interesting: Central Park at dusk, right after the rain. Fun
place to walk through and have fun on the kid’s playground.
Smart: Not staying in Central Park until it gets too dark.

Good: Adding a new shot glass to your "favorite food place
locations I visited and bought a shot glass at" collection.
Gooo Princeton!
Good: Movie Stop. Bought DVDs. More than 10. For cheap. Yay.

Really good: Getting presents from fellow Immortals.

Good: Going to a little sorta-random town you've never been to
before.
Bad: It really was a really little town. Nothing to do.
Good: Having (comic)books to read while relaxing in this
little town.
MmmMm: Wendy's sweet & spicy Asian chicken. And frosties. And
fries.

Awesome: July 4th fireworks in New York. Even the wait was
worth it!
Good: Navigating through the overcrowded streets after the
fireworks and eventually ending up at TGIF for a nice drink.
Eeww: Having blisters. Well.. eventually it became one
blister, about 3 inches long, 2 inches wide.

MmmMm: Starbucks. (Sorry Cerdwyn)

Good: Working on a new interesting concept for quests &
mobprograms and getting most of it done in only a few days.
Challenging: To wrap it up and not procrastinate once again.

Bad: Pizza Hut doesn't have online ordering on the very day
you really crave pizza.
Good: The local grill & pizza place down the street comes to
the rescue. Yay!

MmmMm: Mixing your own drinks. Lots of goodness. Lots of fun.

Funnn: The Offspring & Sum 41 concert in the Roseland
ballroom.

Eeek!!: Finding out two days before you fly back that you lost
your passport...
Good: Having a helpful police officer who makes the required
police report within 24 hours instead of the usual 5 days.
Better: Having to go to the Dutch consulate for an emergency
passport.
Best: Getting a new temp passport right away because you (for
some reason) have a photocopy of your lost passport.
Worst: The emergency passport is freakishly pink.

Bad: Flying back home.
Good: Leaving New Jersey *evilgrin*

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Flashback by Kenji

I'm going to take this month's Flashback article in a
different direction.  I want to touch on one of the biggest
projects that I can recall in AVATAR history, and that's the
beginning of the Archer class.

I've been around on AVATAR a long time.  When I first started
playing, I managed to talk my wife into trying out the game.
Her first character was a Martial Artist.  My first one was a
mage, and my second was a Ranger.  I loved my Troll Ranger,
and regret ever letting him purge (which was a regular thing
back then.)

The Ranger class had been stagnant for a long time.  Other
classes were getting new skills developed left and right, but
the Ranger class was not receiving anything new.  It seemed
that Crom really had it in for Rangers, and didn't want anyone
to create more Rangers.  Eventually, the ability to create new
Rangers went away in 2000, and there were rumors about a
"replacement" for Rangers.  Rumors swirled around that this
new class would be a Scout, a Warden, or even just be called
"New Ranger." Eventually, Devastant had a big conference where
he outlined details about Archers, the "replacement" for
Rangers.

As Archers first came out in January of 2002, there was a
storm of new Archer creations.  The realm was overrun with new
Arrow flingers, which made the local fletchers and bowyers
very happy.  The WHO list was full of new Archers, climbing up
the list quickly, sniping at everything that moved.  It took a
few days for word to get around about new gear, items that had
"hidden" bonuses that helped Archers only.

Skinning items was completely new too.  Archers quickly
learned to hoard the corpses of their kills, and the realm was
quickly littered with mangled blobs of corpses.  (Not to
mention everyone trying to figure out which knives were good
for skinning!) Eventually, word got out about several unique
items that could only be gained by skinning corpses, and the
race for corpses was on.

Players quickly learned that their character's hit roll was
far more important than damage roll, and re-organized their
hit gear.  They also learned that traditional tank gear was
not the best thing for a hero archer, and scrambled to find
items that would most benefit their archers attempting to solo
(or duo).  Players started finding value in the crossbows,
something that was ignored at first.

New skills were played with.  Longshotting, fleeing shot and
holding shots (held shot) were all the subject of numerous
experiments, debates and trials.  Players poured over results,
arguing over what was the best method of running their
archers.  Players compared race/class combinations, debating
Elf vs. Drow vs. Centaur vs. Sprite.  The discussions on Chat
and Hero channels were endless and entertaining.

Archers spelled the end for Rangers.  Many existing Rangers
were voluntarily rebuilt into Archers (as well as Warriors,
Rogues, and a few special cases.) A few Rangers still exist
out there, and I even managed to acquire another Ranger just
before the rules prohibiting character trades went into
effect.  He's fun to break out every once in awhile, just to
make people take a double look.  And I do really enjoy my
Archer, too.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

RECIPE CORNER, by Essenceroses and Cleites

What is Comfort Food?

Comfort foods are any dish no matter the time of day for a
person to eat something that brings back good memories.  Think
about the Sundays that your mother or grandmother makes your
favorite dish; it is a food that is bound to emotions that we
enjoy to share with our families.  The following are a few
recipes that give comfort to a few people in Avatar.

(Note:  T. is tablespoon; t. is teaspoon; c. is cup)

Glissade’s German-style Potato Salad
It is the most awesome potato salad ever.  It can be eaten
warm or cold, I like it both ways.  Would go well with grilled
sausages and sauerkraut, but that's just me!

4 medium potatoes (about 1.25 lb)
4 slices bacon
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 T. all-purpose flour
1 T. sugar
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. celery seed
1/8 t. pepper
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. vinegar

Garnish optional: 1 hard-cooked egg, chopped; 2 T. snipped
parsley; or 2 slices bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled

In covered saucepan cook potatoes in boiling salted water for
20-25 min or til just tender; drain well.  Cool slightly.
Peel and slice potatoes.  Set aside while preparing dressing.

For dressing, in a large skillet cook 4 slices bacon until
crisp.  Drain and crumble, reserving 2 T. drippings.  Set the
bacon aside.  Add chopped onion to reserved drippings.  Cook
til tender.  Stir in flour, sugar, salt, celery seed, and
pepper.  Stir in water and vinegar.  Cook and stir til
thickened and bubbly.  Stir in potatoes and bacon.  Cook for
2-3 min more or til heated through, stirring gently.  Season
to taste.  Transfer to a serving bowl.  Add garnish if
desired.  Makes 4 side-dish servings.


Anessa’s Lasagna
1 lb. Italian Sausage       1 lb. hamburger
1 clove garlic              1 t. whole basil
1 ½ t. salt                 1 lb. tomatoes
12 oz. tomato paste

lasagna noodles (use 6 or 8 strips)

2 eggs                      3 c. cottage cheese
1/2 c parmesan cheese       2 t. parsley flakes
1/2 t. pepper               1/2 lb. cheddar cheese
1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese (sliced thin)

Brown meats, drain, add next 5 ingredients and 1 cup water.
Cover and let simmer 15 minutes, stirring often.

Cook noodles, rinse and drain.

Beat eggs, add remaining ingredients except for mozzarella and
cheddar cheeses. (cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, parsley,
pepper)

Layer in lasagna pan (This makes a LOT of lasagna):
Noodles
1/2 cottage cheese mix
1/2 cheeses (Cheddar/mozzarella)
1/2 meat sauce, repeat layers.

Top with a bit of shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese.

Bake 350 for 45 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.


Glissade’s Meatloaf
1 lb. ground round
1 lb. ground pork
1 egg
1 small onion, chopped
1-2 slices bread (wet and crumbled)
4 slices raw bacon

Mix all together and shape into loaf.  Top with raw bacon.
Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.  You can use
the juice to make gravy.

(You can put bacon around the sides too for extra bacon
flavor.  Can also sauté the onions with garlic first, but it's
not necessary.  This is a great base recipe and you can add
Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, whatever else you like to it,
too.)


Ted’s Monkey Bread
Kids will love making this delicious bread.

Ingredients:
3 cans biscuits-10 count each
1 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. chopped pecans
1 T. cinnamon
1 stick butter-melted

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the cinnamon and sugars
together very well in a bowl.  Cut each biscuit into fourths
with scissors.  Dredge each in the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
Put a layer of pecans in the bottom of a well greased Bundt
Cake pan.  Arrange pieces of biscuits on top of the pecans.
Continue to layer pecans and dough.  Sprinkle remaining
sugar/cinnamon mixture over biscuits, and then pour the melted
butter over the top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Let stand for 10 minutes.
Enjoy!

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Ask An Angel - Help, I’m Drowning! by Glissade

This is the column where you get to ask Angels any question
you want and get an answer!  Of course, we don't guarantee you
will get the right answer.  As there weren't any submitted
questions this month, I figured I'd cover the topic of
drowning, since those who are drowning have a hard time asking
questions when their lips are turning blue.

I'm drowning, now what? Get in the habit of praying for divine
intervention, such as "pray help I'm drowning!"  Even if you
don't see an Angel on, there is a chance that someone will
hear you and respond.  Doesn't hurt to try.

My groupie is drowning and I don't have the water breathing
spell.  How can I help them?  Are you above ground on a lake
or underwater?  If you are on a lake, casting fly or giving
your groupie a boat will revive them.  Boats need to be in
your inventory in order to work.  Boats can be bought or found
throughout the realms.  They come in various shapes and
weights.  The nice thing about using a boat is that then the
person isn't stuck with spells of an odd duration if they want
all their spell durations synced up.  Boats or flying won't
save you if you're underwater, though.  For that you need the
water breathing spell, or racial swim.  If you have arcane
knowledge, there is a water breathing brandish in the realms
that you can use to help your groupie.

I prayed.  I don't have a groupie.  Here I am twiddling my
thumbs as I gasp for air.  Is there any hope for me?  When you
are drowning, you can still send tells and say things to the
room.  Just start throwing out random pleas for a lifeline.
"Slearn water breathing" will tell you what level the
different classes need to be to learn water breathing.
And try not to panic!

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Tips and Tricks – So, you’re a hero now...  by
Cleites

Starting off in the Hero world can be daunting, what with all
the skills and spells to learn and a whole slew of new pieces
of gear to find - and that doesn't even begin to take into
account the fast-paced world of Hero groups and getting used
to them...  So to help you new low Heroes out, the AVATAR
Gazette Team thought we'd share a few pointers about skills
that are indispensable in groups at the Hero tier.  Granted,
not EVERY class can learn and use the following skills, but if
you can practice them then having these will help you
contribute as much as you can to your group.

Rescue – You don't need to be a big, beefy brute to use the
rescue skill.  Sure, you might not live long if you use it TOO
much, but in the right circumstances a timely rescue by a mage
or rogue can turn the tide of battle and let your group live
to fight another mob.  If you are a low hero and your group is
in a tight spot, keep your eye on your tank (Help Monitor) and
get ready to jump between them and the mob if needed!

Arcane Knowledge – A pile of healing staves and the requisite
skill to use them can turn any low hero into a passable
cleric, helping them to extend their tank's life and keep
smaller groupies (including themselves) alive.  If you have
this skill and take the time to collect a good stockpile of
healing staves, you can market yourself not only as another
groupie to deal out damage but also as a great healer for any
group.

Bash – Bash is one way for low Heroes to help their group dish
out some serious damage.  Knocking a mob on its rear lets
everyone in the group deal extra damage to it.  This can help
make up for a low Hero's lack of damage skills or high-end
weapons.  It is also a way for a caster to contribute once
their mana has run out.  Once you learn bash, don't forget to
bring along a shield or a hafted weapon – without one you
won't be able to use the skill!

Move Hidden – This skill veils the user, allowing them to move
unseen past mobiles that lack the ability to detect hidden.
This skill is indispensable in many Hero areas, and gaining
access to it should be a priority for anyone planning to run
in any areas other than the realm's most safe and benign
places.  Until you gain access to training this skill, make it
a priority to find an item which grants the Move Hidden
effect.

Portal – The portal spell is obviously useful for getting to
the realm's various areas, but it also serves an equally
important role: getting OUT of the realm's various areas.
When a group needs to make a rapid escape from a nasty, cursed
area it doesn't really matter whether a mage or a warrior
casts portal so long as somebody does.  Even for big brutes
with little to no casting ability, portal is definitely worth
practicing because you never know when your warrior will be
last groupie alive to cast the spell.

Dodge – While dodge doesn't help you deal more damage
directly, if you are a class that can learn dodge at Hero you
should still consider it mandatory to practice.  Dodge
significantly reduces the damage you take from mobiles,
helping you stay alive longer than you normally would and dish
out more damage because you aren't spending all of your time
on the cloud.  Additionally, dodge allows your group to spend
more time killing monsters instead of getting you back to your
corpse and gear.

Happy Hunting!


To expand on the Tips and Tricks from the July issue:
All brandishes count as area spells.  From limited testing, it
seems like area spell brandishes (such as the silver staff)
will hit invisible mobs, which other brandishes won't do.
This would be something nice to utilize at lord, since at
least three of the gear runs (lode, sol, and glyph) have an
invis gear mob, and brands never fail.  In general though,
even a brand of something like "chill touch" will act as an
area spell against all visible mobs.

Thanks to Arcano for the additional information!


&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Command of the month – Config by Essenceroses

Typing Config or help config will give you a large list of
things you can change.  For those players that have alts that
have more than three rounds of damage, they may want to set
their config to look like this:

[-battleother]  You will see others' hits condensed to one
                line.
[-battleself]   You will see your hits condensed to one line.
[+BATTLENONE]   You will not see other players' hits.

For those alts that are like an archer and only get one battle
line, doing it like this will show all battle spam.

[+BATTLEOTHER]  You will see others' hits separately.
[+BATTLESELF ]  You will see your hits separately.
[-battlenone ]  You will see other players' hits.

When in a spammy group you may want to do the configs like in
the first example.  This reduces the total lines showing
damage dealt by your group.  This especially comes in handy in
quest groups or on Lord runs.

I personally keep mine on the first one with all my alts.  But
if you have a damage counter on your mud client you will need
to keep other players’ hits visible in order to record all
damage being done by any of the group members and yourself.

You can play with these and make them to suit your style of
playing or you can use one of these two examples.  Either way
this will help any new player not knowing about this
particular configuration that Avatar Mud has to offer its
players.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

This month’s puzzle is from the player Belakane.  She is
offering a very nice reward for this puzzle!  Belakane has
cleverly renamed most of gear on her alt DaVinci.  The name of
each item is an anagram.

Be the first to unscramble them all in a note on board 2 to
Belakane, and she will reward you for your efforts with as
many renames as the winner manages to correctly unscramble.
Results will be announced in next month's Gazette!

<used as light> orb of the Shogun        [An erst KnighT lamp]
<worn on finger> an Antharian signet ring         [Hail Glory]
<worn on finger>  an Antharian signet ring    [pAean explored]
<worn around neck> a control pendant       [a Mean gray Medal]
<worn around neck> a silver crucifix             [a lent cape]
<worn on body> an embroidered breastplate      [palSieS tunic]
<worn on head> a smoldering crown of dying fire
                                            [a perCh cuT helm]
<worn on legs> a heroic dragonscale skirt   [etheReaL nuances]
<worn on feet> some sandals                 [an iRon seT heel]
<worn on hands> a single silver archer's gauntlet
                                             [an iMage mIrror]
<worn on arms> a pair of steel bracers     [TroPhieS of irony]
<held in offhand> <nothing> ~
<worn about body> the Unholy Shroud   [a Thieving MonKs reign]
<worn about waist> a chained steel collar [a tRee Bone sheath]
<worn on wrist> orosca's enchanted wrist guard      [a Cliche]
<worn on wrist> orosca's enchanted wrist guard  [a noBle idol]
<wielded> <nothing> ~
<held> the LeMans family seal                 [sCholaRly pens]

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

August 2009 Calendar

August 1  William Clark (Lewis & Clark expedition)
August 2  Carroll O’Connor (Archie Bunker)
August 3  Martha Stewart (Homemaking expert)
August 4  Barack Obama (44th President of the United States)
August 5  Neil Armstrong (First person to walk on the moon)
August 6  AVATAR MultiDay
August 7  Billie Burke (Actress - Glenda the Good Witch in
          Wizard of Oz)
August 8  Matthew Henson (1st to North Pole, with Matthew
          Peary in 1909)
          AVATAR ANNIVERSARY OLYMPICS BEGIN
August 9  Boss’ Birthday
August 10 Herbert Hoover (31st President of the United States)
August 11 Hulk Hogan (Professional Wrestler)
August 12 Cecil B. DeMille (Director - The Ten Commandments)
August 13 Alfred Hitchcock (Director of classic suspense
          thrillers)
August 14 Steve Martin (Actor/Comedian)
August 15 Napoleon Bonaparte (French General and Emperor)
August 16 Memachem Begin (Former Prime Minister of Israel)
August 17 May West (Movie Vamp - “Come up and see me
          sometime”)
August 18 Meriwether Lewis (Lewis & Clark expedition)
August 19 Gene Roddenberry (Creator of the original Star Trek
          series)
August 20 Anessa’s Birthday
August 21 Wilt Chamberlain (NBA Superstar scored 100 points in
          a game)
August 22 Giada DeLaurentiis (Celebrity chef, Granddaughter of
          Oscar)
August 23 Vince McMahon (WWE Chairman)
August 24 Monty Hall (Game Show Host – Let’s Make a Deal)
August 25 Quarx’s Birthday
August 26 Mother Teresa (Catholic Nun cared for poor/sick in
          India)
August 27 Lyndon B. Johnson – 36th President of the United
          States.)
August 28 Leo Tolstoy (Russian Author of War and Peace)
August 29 Michael Jackson (Singer)
August 30 Warren Buffett (Billionaire Philanthropist)
August 31 Frank Robinson (Baseball Player named MVP in both
          leagues)