The citizens of Catskills were treated to an event that has become very rare
in our fair land.

 On Sunday January 11th, a wedding was held in Minoc near the town hall..

 King Blackthorn himself officiated the ceremony as Inkboy the Wild
and Eramis the Archer exchanged vows in the presence of the Lords and
Ladies of Sosaria.

 The event had a festive air, and formal attire was requested by the wedding
party. It was easy to see that people were only too happy to dress up…
as occasions to do so are rare these days.
 
 After the lovely ceremony I mingled with the crowd and got some pictures
of some of the more resplendent of the finery being displayed.

  All in all it was a splendid affair to chase off even the most persistent
wintertime doldrums. Lets all hope that as our Catskills population continues
to grow, we’ll see more of these happy celebrations.

This relative newcomer to the political arena has challenged Lady Pandora for her seat in Britain. Lord Greywulfe hails from a moderately sized farm outside of Britain, and recently became interested in running for the seat in the hopes of making a change for the better. If elected he hopes to primarily make Britain the leader in research on how to cure the recent plague, and come up with a more permanent solution to lowering crime in the city. He plans to also work on several events including a crafting night to attract commerce to the city. When questioned about his participation in the previously held town hall meetings Lord Greywulfe responded that he was not present at any of them as his work kept him from attending. He then went on to question if he should have had to personally request that the governor address the plague and crime.

Governor Pandora continues her campaign to remain governor of Britain this term at the request of her citizens. The long time citizen of Britain plans to work on finishing the construction of a hospital in Britain, adding courses to the Bard’s Collegium, and once again promoting the library through her events if re-elected. When asked about the accusations that she is unavailable Pandora responded by discussing her many town hall meetings, and the amount of work the jail and hospital required.

Governor Nails Warstein continues his campaign to remain governor of New Magincia this term. He hopes to continue to lead the city in prospering through it’s inherent virtue of humility. Though he is a broker by trade, Governor Warstein has personally helped protect and defend the city from many threats. When asked about his plans for the city should he be re-elected, he spoke of an event to promote the city, and an ongoing project to build an auction house inside the city that would be open to any citizen. He has vowed to devote his attention solely to New Magincia and it’s citizens by not seeking office elsewhere this term.

Many of you should be aware of Inkboy’s bid to replace the controversial governor of Minoc through his many events the past few weeks. His long history with the city of Minoc has encouraged him to run in order to help build the city back up and place it firmly in the center of the community. Throughout our talk his enthusiasm for both the community and elections shone brightly. He wished his competition well in the elections and has planned a party in celebration, regardless of who wins the bid for governor. When asked why he chose to build in Malas instead of Minoc he replied that while he had some plots in Minoc, and plans to acquire more, Luna offered both the space and the population needed in order to begin the process of familiarization, claiming that “Without the Governor’s seat my efforts within Minoc are as limited as my space is there, at the moment.”

From humble beginnings cooking and cleaning at the Shattered Skull this Britain born Ranger of Spiritwood has high hopes of filling the governor’s seat in Skara Brae. She would be taking over from Corinna, the Keeper of the Rangers of Spiritwood, who filled the seat after the sudden resignation of Governor Ouija just before the end of last term. It is hoped that having a Ranger in the seat will help facilitate communication between the city and it’s Britannian Royal Guard regiment. When asked about her plans for the city Gillian stated that she had many events planned including the famous archery tournament, tavern nights, and a special Yule time effort to feed the hungry. For those not aware Gillian is married to the current governor of Trinsic. When asked if that presented a potential conflict she stated firmly “We’ve had a lot of practice having to (keep it seperate). At the end of the day, he doesn’t decide what happens here. And I don’t decide anything about Trinsic.”

Recently I attended the Deal or No Deal game show at the Elven Song Community Center..  I was impressed by the time and effort that had been put into this Community Center and the surrounding buildings.. 
  So I tracked down the proprietor of the establishments and asked for an interview…  We met at the Community Center and after snapping some pictures of the various buildings there, we retired to my favorite bar.. The Cats Lair.. and chatted over ale and wings…

(Ludes):  Hi there,  Thanks for meeting with me..

(Inkboy): Hello..

(Ludes): So Inkboy the Wild..  Interesting name..  is there a story behind it?

(Inkboy): There is, a bit of a story and the rest is more enjoyable to let others figure out on their own.  Being a scribe and someone who has a deep interest in the archiving of written records, books, stories and so forth..  Inkboy just seemed fitting. 

(Ludes): Brings to mind a scribe apprentice with ink stains all over him.. *chuckles*.. So first give us a little background on your gaming history.

(Inkboy): My first experience with RPG gaming goes back to the days of Telengard, until I found Ultima I.  I can’t recall the exact year, but it was the 1980s.  I was instantly hooked on the story line and spent countless hours playing that game and looking forward to what may come next.  As more ‘expansions/versions’ came out — I was addicted to every single one and had to play each.
 
(Inkboy):  I have played Ultima I all the way to Ultima: The Ascension
           Heck, I even played Lords of Ultima on the web. 

(Ludes): Did you end game them all?

(Inkboy):That’s going back a long time ago, I remember finishing Pagan after a lot of trial and error.  Ultimas  1, 2, and 3..   I know I completed.  It’s so long ago, although I can still see Shadowlords in my head lol  — ending a game is not as rewarding as it is ‘depressing.’  When Ultima Online came out and the idea of a persistent world, without ending, now we’re talking awesome.

(Ludes):  You mentioned you played Ultima IX  Ascension…  was it weird seeing the graphic innovations that showed up in that game.. and stepping down in graphics to a more Ultima VII type feel for Ultima Online?

(Inkboy): I really liked the graphics in Ultima IX, even though I found the interface a little clumsy, but it was nice.  However, when Inkboy the Wild first entered the World of Sosaria in 1998 .. I never even considered or compared the graphics.  The world was totally immersive and the interface easy to understand and utilize. 

(Ludes):  Did you have a “favorite” Ultima pre-online?

(Inkboy):  No.  I enjoyed the blocky 4-bit.. What would you even call those graphics back then with Ultima I..?  As enjoyable as any of the series.  The depth and complication increased but it’s the overall story line.. the struggle between good and evil, the characters.. it’s a package deal of those elements that made each one just as addictive as the last.

(Ludes): So when Ultima Online hit the scene.. Sept. 1997  What where you doing that day?

(Ludes): Not being part of Ultima Online, sadly.  Back then, I was the owner/operator of an online community for Teens.  It wasn’t until December of 1998, when I was given Ultima Online as a Christmas present that the sixteen year addiction began.

(Ludes):  So what was your first impression of the game then?

(Inkboy): My first impression?  I think there were several, although the predominate one: amazement.  Quickly followed by “Oh, I’m dead.”
(Ludes):  Tell us how you ended up on Catskills…  after all it was a small shard at first… dedicated to RP…

(Inkboy):  Well, that was the first time I had ever experienced “Shards” or picking a place to ‘belong.”  So, I just figured that since I was East Coast it made sense.  Although Atlantic and Chesapeake made sense too.  It’s not very exciting, but I think the major reason was I just liked the way it sounded: “Catskills.”

(Ludes): What year was that?

(Inkboy): December of 1998  *smiles*

(Ludes):  So you have some history on the shard obviously,  you mentioned you remember The Travel Lodge.. that was a great place.  Have you played steadily through the years or have you taken time outs?

(Inkboy):  For the first several years, it was a daily ritual.  Come home and be in the game until the messages would pop up about the server going down.  That went on for a good number of years and then life, as it has a way of doing, and other obligations interfered so it became more a hobby than a daily experience.  That lasted for a few years and then I slowly began to come back on a more consistent basis.  Now, it has become a daily ritual again and there are no plans on ending that any time soon.
and yes, Travel Lodge, Brass Monkey, Vendor Castle and a small little sandstone potion vendor deep in a forest — all fond memories, that are sadly gone.

(Ludes):  Now the sudden return.. with a vengeance..  multiple houses, all the decorating you’ve done,  running events..   I hear your even running for Mayor of Minoc..   what prompted the big return?

(Inkboy): Vengeance, I like that.  Call it a passionate vengeance.  The world has declined, our population is not even a reasonable portion of what it once was.  I see a need in Catskills to create more community, strengthen and rebuild friendships (old and new) and enliven our Shard for the enjoyment of it’s current citizens and to help attract new ones.  So, I saw an unfullfilled need and decided I wanted to fill it to benefit our world. 
  And yes, after review of the cities, I see Minoc as needing help also.  It is also the part of the world I call home, so it made sense to seek change there as well.

(Ludes): I hear you built the Elven Song Community Center to UORadio’s specs so they would host events there… the recent game show seemed well recieved. Is UORadio going to host more events at the Center?

(Inkboy): The Community Center was built primarily to provide an easy to reach gathering place.  It hosts a theatre on it’s second floor for use by the general public, a community chest on it’s ground floor for anyone to pick through or donate to – but, yes, the third floor and rooftop have been built as game show studios in conjunction with the amazing people at UORadio.  The Deal or No Deal event we hosted had one of UORadio’s largest player turnouts both in game and on air.  I was informed, just yesterday, that their sponsors have approved further games at our location and we will continue to host Deal or No Deal, along with Price is Right which will be our next upcoming event at the Center.  However, the Center itself will also host events seperate from those of UORadio.

(Ludes):  That’s Great! I attended Deal or No Deal myself and had a great time.. Everyone will be glad to hear there are more such events upcoming.

(Ludes): You’re running for Governor of Minoc.. yet you built your establishments in Luna..  Some might wonder about that.. of course I personally feel Luna provides a more “central” location for venues.  Care to comment on that?
(Inkboy): I like that you feel that way, I don’t see a concern either…  In fact, it was a strategic move.  However, politics of any type can be brutal, so I expect anything that may afford the opportunity to be twisted or misrepresented to be fully explored.

(Ludes): The previous Governor of Minoc was a PvP’r I believe.. many of Minoc’s citizens might be hoping the buffs and so forth will remain PvP orientated.. do you see that as an issue in running for the seat?
(Inkboy):  My goal as Governor has a large focus on unification, which includes reaching out to Felucca.  Whether elected for Governor, or not, Elven Song will begin to provide pardons, on a case by case basis, to those wishing to free themselves of murder counts and return to Trammel.  However, a Governor may come into his or her seat with their own ideas and intentions, but you’re there to represent the people.  So if the people of Minoc want the buffs and effects which benefit their PvP activities than it is theirs to have.

(Ludes):  Nice..   well thats all the questions I had.. is there anything you’d like to address here before we wrap it up?

(Inkbpy): Not that I can think of, other than our upcoming Grand Opening of the Tavern next to the Community Center this Friday at 8pm Eastern.  We will be hosting 5 million dollars in prizes, answering questions regarding my running for Governor of Minoc and discussing the expansion plans for Luna, our growth in the realm of Minoc and why these may well assist King Blackthorn in expanding his reach, as well.
  I’d also like to put out a plea for books for the library to be donated..  everything is needed from Player written stories and histories , to Runebooks etc..  The Library is in memory of the Travel Lodge and any donations to it would be greatly appreciated.
    The Library is located near the other buildings.. a little north of Luna.. near the mountains.

(Ludes):  Very cool..  I’d like to thank you for meeting with me here and doing this interview..  If you like you can help me finish this pitcher and yon wings before you leave.

(Inkboy): It was a pleasure meeting you, as well.  I hope to speak with you again soon.

UORadio hosted one of it’s popular game shows.. Deal or No Deal.. this weekend

at the new Elven Song Community Center  just north of Luna.

The people of Catskills showed their approval by helping to fill every seat in the studio audience.

Many large prizes were won, not just by contestants but also by the audience

winning door prizes.

Lets all hope there will be many more of these well received events here on Catskills!

So I grabbed my Reporter notebook and did a quick interview with one of our new Advisors..

Ludes:   Hello

Hekima: Hi

Ludes: Thank you for coming..

Hekima:   My Pleasure..

Ludes:  So just a few questions for us Catskillians..

Hekima:  Ok

Ludes:  Tell us about your Ultima history…Did you play the single player games?

Hekima:  No I didn’t actually play the single player games myself…  However I did have some friends in college that did..  It sounded like an interesting game..

Hekima:   But with studies, work, etc… I just never got to it.

Ludes:  When did you start UO?

Hekima:  Long story there..

Hekima:  My ex wife had a friend who had a brother who beta tested EVERYTHING…

Hekima: So we opened our first account in April of 2000.. I had a toon on that account for a while.

Hekima: Back then it was a 5 toon limit.. and she wanted the last slot..  So I had to open a new account..

Ludes: So that was just a couple years out of beta?

Hekima:  That was June or July of 2000  … Yes..  Her account opened just as Trammel went live..

Hekima:  My account opened just as the housing telestorming started…

Ludes:  Right after T2A?

Hekima:  Yes

Hekima:  then I opened my third account in 2003..

Ludes: So you’ve been playing a while.. Tell me this.. How do you find our shard?  Friendly? Standoffish? Quiet ? Busy?

Hekima:  Over the years I’ve not really spent much time on Catskills..  My main shard is Chesapeake..

Hekima:  The people that I’ve met in the last week are very nice, warm and welcoming..

Hekima: Several even offered to take me on their adventures or give me tours of their villages..

Ludes:  So as an Advisor..  what times are the best to see you around?

Hekima: Generally in the evenings.. and on weekends…  I try to be on as much as possible..   but I like to run my {regular} characters too….

Ludes: Of course..

Ludes: So have you been tempted to make a character here on Cats and play here a little?

Hekima:  Possibly… I do have toons here on Catskills mostly just for when I trade cross shard..

Ludes:  The local feeling on the Advisor program is good.. it makes people feel that Broadsword is taking a more “personal” approach to the players..

Hekima: It is my pleasure to assist…

Hekima:  *smiles*

Hekime: Remind everyone that they can contact me or Advisor Skeets by hitting the Help menu and clicking “Contact Advisor”

Ludes:  It was very nice chatting with you today Advisor Hekima… thank you very much..

Hekima:  You’re very welcome..

Announcements from the King included the official start of the policy regarding governors that was announced at the last meeting, and a small discussion on trade deals. Replacement of governors that miss three consecutive meetings will be decided on a case by case basis. Interviews with the King and remaining governors was mentioned as a likely means to picking candidates.  The King stated that while the issue may be revisited in the future, he would not place any kind of sanction on a Governor that failed to provide a trade deal for their citizens at this time. Governor Thom has offered to organize another auction to help fund cities that are lacking the means to secure trade deals.

Governor Mare Jade Sky of Vesper asked for some decorations for their bank, as well as a trash can for clean up. She also inquired about having another dock added to the city for the use of their navy, which was put on hold until after the Royal Dockbuilders have solved the issues surrounding putting docks up in Yew and Minoc. Governor Va’lis Razele, of Moonglow reported the theft of several animals from the zoo, and has asked that it be reported to him if anyone finds people selling young animals. Governor Thom of Trinsic asked for a lighthouse to be built on the southern tip of Barrier Isle to help direct ships around the island when docking with Trinsic. Governor Pandora of Britain discussed the building of the jail, which is scheduled to happen after the construction of the offices for several cities, and the building of a hospital in East Britain.

When the floor was opened to comment by the citizens a man named Mario Trovario stood and detailed a vicious attack on the governor of Buccaneer’s Den, Jack Bauer. According to Mr. Trovario a ranger’s glove and a note were left at the site of the attack. The note demanded that the governor keep to his island of criminals, and stay away from the Council meetings. Seeker Gillian Wilkins of the Rangers of Spiritwood offered their cooperation in the investigation, stating that random bombings and fire were not their way of handling things.