+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| The Olympia Times times@olympia.rt.com |
| November 24, 1991 v1n3 |
| |
| Turn 3 Circulation 50 "It was stapled to the chicken." |
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Orders due: Friday, November 29, 1991
Questions, comments, bug reports, to play: olympia@rt.com
"For Thanksgiving, the Poultry Raisers of America are going to send
the biggest turkey in the country to the white house. The opposing
party claims he is already there."
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path
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Apologies from your Moderator
-----------------------------
I'm in the process of moving, buying my first house, starting a new
job and juggling visiting relatives. And my dog needs shots. Despite
this, Olympia development is still moving forward, just not as quickly
as I would like. Please be patient and hopefully soon there will be a
wonderful magic system and hordes of monsters to kill you all...ack...I
mean for you to slay in the countryside.
Coming soon:
** Real neat magic system **
Academy of Engineers
The Archives
Hordes of scary monsters
That automated order checker
For those of you sending in bug reports and suggestions, Thanks!
Everyone's input is welcome.
Big Time Rule Changes
---------------------
Spells are now entities. The WORK order now only performs menial
labor. Previous work options are invoked with the USE order specifying
the appropriate skill entity.
Before: work horse
Now: use equestrian
Before: work tower
Now: use "tower construction"
Skills such as combat, archery, magic and leadership do not have
USE actions; their use is implicit when necessary.
New (partial) skill list:
Number Skill Initial Per-day
------ ----- ------- -------
101 leadership 60 2
102 combat 50 2
103 archery 50 2
105 stealth 100 5
106 magic 500 10
107 shipbuilding 50 2
110 equestrian 50 2
111 trade 50 2
112 observation 50 3
113 entertainment 25 2
The WAIT command is now: WAIT .
To wait for a particular entity, use WAITFOR .
Sections on these commands from the rules:
USE [options]
Use a skill or spell that the character knows.
WAIT
Wait the specified number of days. Waiting does not interfere
with a unit's ability to participate in work tasks undertaken by
the stack leader.
WAITFOR
Wait until the unit and the specified entity are in the same
location.
WORK
Perform unskilled labor for wages. Wages vary, but typically run
from one to three gold pieces per day. Labor for hire cannot be
performed while units are at sea. Wages are paid at the end of
the week worked.
From the _Olympia Financial Review_:
Stocks in the Olympia Times Publishing Co. plummeted Friday
amid reports of a cash crunch at the troubled paper. One
freelance reporter for the _Times_ claimed that he had not
been paid in over a month. The owner of the _Times_, a known
recluse of the Dark Tower, could not be reached for comment.
However, a PR spokesman for the paper claimed that "The checks
are in the mail."
Rocko was ready. He had beaten the bars, dives, and guilds throughout
Drassa and raised his mighty minions. They were outfitted, and sent
off on their errands.
He smiled as the leader of his personal guard approached, with
another man in tow. "Where are the others?" he asked, when they
arrived.
"Well, M'lord, one is all I could find," mumbled the abashed guard.
"Times is good, not many looking for work, and everybody's
recruitin'!" He pointed at the nearby Golden City Theater Company for
emphasis.
"No matter!" replied Rocko. "I trust you bought the shields, armor,
and weapons we'll need?" He nodded as the second man opened a large
bundle to reveal the purchased items. "Put the spares in this here
boat I'm somehow carrying around by myself," ordered Rocko, "then grab
on and let's go. There are wrongs to right, and suchlike."
He had a plan; he would prove his worth as defender of justice by
capturing the foul Orzok, who had been waging uninvited war upon
Osswid and his followers. He and his men approached Orzok and
stealthily depostied their boat behind a nearby tent at the bazaar.
Rocko slipped up behind him, his men bravely huddled behind him
guarding his back lest the pack of wolves swoop in.
"'Scuse me, Mr. Orzok, you're under arrest." he said, tapping Orzok on
the shoulder with the flat of his longsword. To his utter
astonishment, Orzok fell to the ground, dead! The loyal guards wasted
no time; they immediately called off their watch for wolves and fell
to plundering Orzok's body. "That's good lads," said Rocko, "isn't it
nice the way they prepare the body for the funeral?"
The good-natured and somewhat gullible would-be sheriff turned to a
passing stranger. "Say, did you see that?" he asked, "I just touched
that fellow over there on the shoulder like this..." tap, thud. "Oh,
dear. I'd better put this thing away before I wipe out the whole
town." The second guard winked at the first and moved to the second
corpse, cleaning out its pockets.
"Can't understand it," muttered Rocko, oblivious to the pilfering
going on next to him. He studied the sword intently. "Quite a
bargain for 20 gold; I'll just have to keep it in the sheath, though.
Wouldn't do for me to kill the populace I want to protect!" He turned
to the two grinning guards, whose pockets were somewhat heavily laden.
"What's this now? You boys find some money in the streets? Well,
share and share alike, I always say." He quickly relieved some of the
burden of their purses, and they dejectedly picked up the boat and
followed him to their next destination.
[ Seriously, I was just testing combat, and had no idea Rocko was so
lethal! He will not be attacking anyone else, so don't anyone get
their hackles raised, please... ]
Suddenly, handbills began appearing all over town:
+================================+
| |
| Vote for Sheriff |
| |
| Rocko 'The Truth' Zigarelli |
| |
| Defender of Justice |
| |
| Slayer of Cruel Orzok* |
| |
| He's a bumbler, |
| but he tries hard! |
| |
| *and that vicious jaywalker, |
| Captain McCook |
| |
+================================+
Come one, come all! By the auspices of my benevolent patron, I, Laughing Jack,
do, hereby, call any and all thesbians, jugglers, acrobats, fools, and children
of Rom to display their talents and become a member of my company.
Immediately following auditions, the company will go forth in search of horses
for transportation of our merry band. After a brief training period, we will
then, forthwith, embark upon a grand tour of the continent filled with
adventure, mayhem, and delight.
Foul-mouthed bumblers need not apply, unless of course they are very amusing
foul-mouthed louts.
Fullscale slaughter!
After the seemingly sucidal attack on the tower of darkness by
Orzok, his weakened state was prayed upon by one Rocko. This
bandit was observed murdering the already wounded Rocko on his
way back into town. As if this is not bad enough, the Good
Captain McCook who wandered in on the slaying was also set upon
and slain by this fiend.
-Anon
Hunters Opposed to Wolves and Lycanthropes wil hold an Emergency General Meeting
in the market square at noon tomorrow. H.O.W.L.s founding member Veluri Kalyani
will chair the meeting which has been called after recent allegations that not
enough is being done to protect innocent townsfolk from the marauding wolf pack
terrorising the region. New members are welcome and indeed all able bodied warriors
are urged to join. There is a nominal membership fee of 10 gold which is put directly
into the groups Widows and Orphans fund.
*** Strange Warriors Disappear ***
By Gabriel & The Synthetics
On the 14th of last month, the Infamous Dragon
Warriors melted into the ground and vanished. Magical
happenings are occuring all over, and me, I am curious
as to how these Dragon Warriors arrived when they did,
on the 7th of the previous month.
In the Times v1n2, we saw that they were there
to assist Osswid. Or were they? Why did they depart,
if they were summoned by him? And why is it we cannot
learn to summon these things by ourselves? That small
building where the sole magician in Drassa lives isn't
large enough to teach more than one or two people more
than the basics in magic at any one time.
I request that Osswid inform us how the Dragon
Warriors were summoned. If he does not...
Dearest Mumsie,
So sorry this letter is late, but I caught this terrible fever.
Apparently it is some sort of epidemic. You get sick, then sleep for
a month. Anyway, I'm all better now. I heard there were more murders
while I was asleep. And lots of people talking about the wolf pack I
told you about. But don't worry too much. Say hi to Donald for me.
Your Loving Son,
Prenola
Editorial Submission Regarding The Wolves of Drassa
---------------------------------------------------
Last Month a concerned citizen of Drassa offered a reward to any
brave soul who would rid our fair town of the Feral beasts. Instead
the true menace of Drassa gathered his pack of Animals together and
went on a killing spree. First these dregs of society attacked the
similarly aggressive Orzok. When animals like these kill each other,
the peaceful citizens of our town can't help but win.
Then without casue or provocation, these blood-thirsty murderers
turned on our beloved Captain McCook, and brutally slew this unarmed
citizen. Where are our protectors? Will the Lord of the Tower do nothing
to punish these brutes? I do not suggest that any other citizen take the
law into his own hands, vigilantes like these are only more of the same
monstrous scum that killed Captain McCook.
Then solution is clear, I must leave the town that is my home, for
evil walks the land, and no-one is safe when the Lord of the land allows
ducnt he streets of his towns.
Drassa (OPI*) -- Rocko 'The Truth' Zigarelli, noted victor in unfair
combat and candidate for the office of Sheriff, today announced his
intent to cleanse the province of wolves. "Those danged wolves gotta
go!" he opined. "Can't trust 'em. I persuaded 'em to my faction,
then they up and left me. So, I'm announcing my plan to get rid of
the wolves. It will take some time, since I'll have to recruit a
bunch of people to go fight them, but I'll do it! You just wait and
see."
When asked if this were just a publicity stunt to further his campaign
for sheriff, Mr. Zigarelli replied hotly, "Of course. I mean, of
course not! Those wolves are a threat to everyone. You've seen how
they've been loping around, lolling their tongues out and looking at
everyone wolfishly. Gotta go, I tell ya, they gotta go. And Rocko
'The Truth' Zigarelli is the man for the job."
This reporter then asked the self-styled 'Truth' for details of his
plan. "Top secret," he replied. "Not gonna reveal details at this
time; wouldn't be prudent. Not gonna do it. I am not a crook. I was
out of the loop. Not to the best of my recollection." He squinted
into the crowd, looking dazed. "What was the question?"
In his closing comments, Rocko reminded everyone that the wolves are a
large threat, and at this time he has only a small security force.
"I'm working to amend that," he said, "but give me some time."
* OPI = Olympia Press International