Participants: Katal, Merilonna, Emmeric, Magni, Sven, Kara, KrissyZM, Hyssmaye Erley, IIfer

    A few stalwart, brave fellowship members gathered at the guild tower to embark upon the boldest of hunts. We were not out for some casual Blood elemental or Ogre Lord gold farming, no… The prey we would stalk is among the highest in the UO monster food chain - the Paragon Balron.

     We assembled, partied up, and headed through the Wisp Dungeon in Ilshenar; meeting little resistance from the mages and undead there. We had a few crashes and other problems traversing the teleporters in that maze at the bottom of Wisp. After we had all made it through the teleporter maze, we entered the Balron room and wasted no time in performing precision strikes at the hapless Daemons.

       Merilonna and I would peace the balrons with ease as the warriors and pets brought them down quickly. We had secured and occupied the Balron room… until, after a few more regular balrons, the paragon spawned. It was the constant alternating area peacemaking of Merilonna and myself that kept the beast from striking as often as he would normally be able to. But peacemaking alone wasn’t enough to keep the daemon from harvesting a few souls and pets. The battle would be chaotic at times, with everyone having to retarget every few seconds (due to the constant area peacemaking), and many getting hit with crushing blows from the balron. It took a few minutes, but we were able to finally slay the beast. Before anyone had time to breathe, another paragon balron spawned! The second battle was just as deadly as the first, with a little more cohesion in the group; due to our experience and practice with the first paragon, our combat efforts were clearly improved.

    After the second paragon fell, we decided to get out while the getting’ was good. Hyssmaye got the Orcish Visage minor artifact, yay Hyss!

 A post-hunt picture

    The success of the hunt is the result of excellent teamwork, (not too much lag), and everyone performing above and beyond in their respective abilities. If it were my place and in my power I would give you all medals! I will say that you all have my personal commendation for bravery, excellence, and teamwork. You all make me proud to be in the Fellowship!

As told by IIfer, the long winded.

It was a cool, crisp fall evening at the Haven Archery Buttes for this month’s Archery Contest. Nary a breeze was blowing so it would be a perfect night and the scores were projected to be very high … well, that’s not exactly the way it turned out, but the contestants did their best. I noticed some old faces and some new at this evening’s event. FruitLoop, Lord HulkingGoblin, Corran and Shavanna were the seasoned contest veterans making their appearance, and Brailey, Brannon and Valgalder were here for the first time.

For the benefit of the new contestants, I carefully recited the contest rules, the first of which was: “All arrows are only to be shot at the target and that, although I might be dressed in resplendent red, I was not the target.” The boos that immediately followed from veterans and neophytes alike gave me some pause for concern, and I made a mental note to stand well away from the archery butte when the contest began.

Prizes were announced by Niallis, my lovely assistant for the evening. She very eloquently stated that this evening’s prizes would be 25K in gold for the third place winner, 50K for second and a whopping 100K for first.

I also revealed that an additional prize would be given to one of the contestants, but that the recipient would be determined during the contest. This announcement was met with more than a few raised eyebrows and suspicious glances among the contestants.

The rules having been given, and Niallis having assumed her “Vanna White” like position next to the target, the contest was ready to begin. The contestants took their turns, some for the better, some for the worse, and the first preliminary round was quickly completed. Unfortunately, just before the second preliminary round Niallis, my stunning assistant, had to step away for a few moments, leaving me to figure out the reset mechanism for the butte. The blasted instructions were written in orchish and I had a devil of a time, but eventually the butte was reset and the second round resumed. Of course, Niallis, with perfect timing, returned immediately after I’d struggled to figure the thing out.

Scores for the second preliminary round were significantly lower than during the first. I jokingly accused the stunningly beautiful Niallis of moving the butte during the contest, but only to hide the fear that I’d reset the thing incorrectly. In any event, the round was completed and the scores were quickly tallied.

The finalist for this evening’s contest were announced … Corran, Shavanna, Lord HulkingGoblin and FruitLoop had made the grade. Corran then threw every one for a loop … no, not a FruitLoop, just a regular one … and announced that he was withdrawing from the contest to give another archer an opportunity to win. As a result of Corran’s withdrawal, Valgalder, as the archer with the next highest preliminary round score, was advanced to the finals.

With a smile on my face, I then disclosed tonight’s special prize … a respond slayer crossbow, donated by the archers from last month’s archer’s hunt, plus 30K graciously donated by Corran … yes, the very same Corran that withdrew from the finals! And these prizes were awarded to Brannon … the archer with the lowest score from the preliminary rounds … with the light hearted admonition to practice before the next contest! (I won’t embarrass Brannon by announcing what the score was, but let’s just say it was really, really low. Make that really, really, really low *grins*)

The final round was now set to begin. But there was yet another surprise! I announced a bump in each of the prizes for the winners, third place would be awarded 35K, second would win 65K and the first place winner would take home 125K!

With steady hand, more or less, each contestant took aim and loosed their arrows. True, some were looser than others, but even I have been known to choke during the finals. With the final round completed, I stated that although everyone was a winner tonight, only three would take home the cash! And those three were:

FruitLoop, third and winner of 35K!
Shavanna, second and winner of 65K!
Lord HulkingGoblin, first and winner of 125!

A hearty congratulations to the winners!

The heralds trumpeted the arrival of the contestants for this evening’s tournament … a contest to see who would be the Guild Champion for the next thirty days. Would one of these eager warriors or mages best Masamune, the reigning Guild Champ, or would they all be the chumps of another tournament?

Among this evening’s contestants battling for the right to challenge the Champion were Sinoval, Krissy, GotMilk, Mandorallen, Magni, Emmeric and the ever lovely Lissa. Amindar, a new and strangely handsome warrior, armored in brilliant red, was also in attendance and vying for a right to prove his mettle.

Dice were thrown and warriors and mages paired for honorable battle. The first match of the evening would pit Mandorallen and Magni against each other. With the announcement of “ready” from both sides, the “M” match was on. M quickly struck the first blow … a devastating blow against M that most likely would have killed an ordinary warrior. But M was no ordinary warrior and fought back bravely, using all the power at his disposal to heal and counter strike. Alas, it quickly became apparent that M was outmatched, leaving Mandorallen to move into the second round. (Writer’s note: Had I known at the time of this match that I would be writing this report, I would have taken better notes!)

For the second match of the evening, the charming Lissa drew Emmeric as her foe. Lissa quickly took to the field, her long hair gracefully flowing behind her. And Emmeric took his place too. Upon the “ready,” Lissa, mace in hand, valiantly charged Emmeric. Fear crossed Emmeric’s face as the vision that is Lissa bore down upon him. In a flash of an eye, however, the unthinkable happened. Arcane powers that cared not for beauty, flew from Emmeric’s hand and alas, the poor beautiful Lissa lay face down on the cold hard boards of the battle field.

Although the contest had now lost all its appeal, I was forced, with heavy sigh, to continue watching so that I could bring you this unbiased report.

The next battle was between two formidable warriors Krissy and GotMilk. On ready, they charged as warriors are wont to do, the battle went on … clang, clang, bang, bang heal, heal, lots of running around, more clanging and banging and running. And more clanging and banging and running … and more … and more … and more. Oh for crying out loud, would this battle ever end? Finally, GotMilk was at death’s door … oh, no wait, he healed himself. More clanging and banging and running. And more … wait! What just happened? Krissy just threw in her cape! After ten minutes of clanging, banging, healing and running, the battle was finally over and no one was dead???! The crowd was astonished! After waiting all this time and no one died? What a rip … er … great battle. Yes, that’s it, it was a fantastic toe-to-toe battle between two fantastic warriors, and GotMilk moves to the next round.

The final battle of the preliminary round found Sinoval, warrior extraordinaire, pitted against the intriguing Amindar. Bulging arm muscles rippled as Amindar, massive axe in hand, guided his ethereal steed to his place on the field. Whether Sinoval’s physique was any match for Amindar could not be determined as it was hidden beneath his tan colored robe, but the thin bladed Bokuto Sinoval carried could have been used by any child of ten. Did he really think he could do the mighty Amindar any damage with that little thing? At the ready, Amnidar charged his great steed toward Sinoval and the battle began. Sinoval appeared to draw first blood, but it was hard to tell with the resplendant red leather tunic that Amindar wore. The battle pitched to and fro with Amindar’s axe biting heavily and Sinoval’s little blade incessantly stinging the powerful warrior. Though no where near as long as the previous battle, thank the heavens, the two were similar in the clanging, banging, healing and general running around. At last Sinoval triumphed and Amindar gave the crowd what they wanted … another dirt nap.

After a brief respite, the next round began with the tired but eager GotMilk and the well rested Mandorallen. The battle commenced on the “ready” and quickly intensified. It was apparent that this was a battle between two fiercely dedicated foes … fiercely dedicated to staying alive that is. The battle raged and blood flew, but neither contestant would give any ground. With one, final might swing of his sword, GotMilk emerged victorious.

After GotMilk walked and Mandorallen was carried off the field, Sinoval, with his bee stinger, and Emmeric took their places. At the “ready,” Sinoval charged and Emmeric summoned his ethereal power ... that same power that laid the exquisite Lissa prostrate on the ground. Sinoval, with his little stick of a sword flying fast, stung Emmeric again and again, leaving him with little time to summon his power. So little time, in fact, that Emmeric was quickly face down on the field.

The final battle to determine Masamune’s challenger was now at hand. GotMilk and Sinoval. Two battle hardened warriors. Two warriors who had already proved themselves against fierce completion. Two fighters who would not leave the field until one of them was dead. Two … ok, ok, on with the battle. Clang, clang, bang, bang, heal, heal, and a lot running around. GotMilk found himself near dead again, only to heal just in time … again. The contestant's swords were flying fast and striking home. How the heck does that little thing Sinoval’s using stay in one piece? The battle raged on, between these two evenly matched opponents. Quickly (or rather slowly) the contest approached five minutes, eight minutes, ten minutes, and still no winner. Sinoval tried a new tactic and stood toe to toe with GotMilk, and GotMilk obliged. Blows were traded and the life slowly began to drain from each contestant … the crowd knew it going to come down to one final blow, but who would land it? I don’t believe it! Sinoval and his bee sting are victorious!!

At last, the final battle was at hand! The crowd anxiously waited as Sinoval was given the opportunity to rest before meeting with Masamune. Whispers rippled through the gallery … could he be the one, could Sinoval best the Champion? Many were surprised that Sinoval had made it this far yielding such a little weapon, but there was no questioning it, he had proved himself against the guild’s best. At last Sinoval took the field and the anticipation was electric. Another epic battle was about to take place. Everyone was on edge, ready for another long battle … a battle between these two warrior titans. All eyes turned to watch as each contestant announced “ready.” Sinoval charged … and took a dirt nap mid-stride, before he could even reach Masamune! The crowd let out a collective sigh … could anyone best this awesome Champion? They would have to wait for the next Guild Tournament to find out.

Congratulations to Masamune, the New Guild Tournament Champion … again!!

I must apologize to you all for my long delay on posting this information. With the new Christmas gifts being released as well as ones from years gone by, I have been in a state of euphoria decorating my house. Alas, all my hard work is for naught since I need to redesign my house to accommodate for a roof. Oh well, what is the most fashion savvy man in the world to do?

Now, as for the battle, it was another well-fought outing. The men we at a distinct disadvantage because I have graciously agreed to co-host and could no longer add my supreme knowledge of the more feminine things. However, as fate would have it, Tancred returned from his short sabbatical. Many have asked, how someone as manly as Tancred could be so knowledgeable about things of female fancy. Well I have the answer, guys, he is a true gentleman and lover of women. Where other try to show their manliness but doing things to show their testosterone level, he studies the female and leans what makes them tick. I just wish I could say he was my protégée. But I digress, you are hear to hear about the battle.

It consisted of 13 questions per team. A correct answer was worth 5 points, incorrect –4 and a pass was 0 points. The female team (Kara, Niallis, Hyssmaye, Sweet Dreams [all from *V*] , Annamay [col] and Ilyssa [St.] ) Had a kind of a rough start getting 2 of their first 6 questions wrong. The Men (Tancred, Magni, Crom, Masamune, Gul’Dan [all of *V*] and Phatbean [SIT]) had a very strong start getting all 6 of their first questions correct. That is where this took a quick turn for both teams. It was the sixth question asked to the woman “How many quarters are in a regulation hockey game?” It was noted that they saw this was a trick question. However, instead of answering zero (since there are periods in hockey, not quarters), instead they answered three. This is an incorrect answer. Well, let me say, quite an uproar was had and this host was quite fealfull for his life since he didn’t think his bardic abilities would work again wrath filled women. Thankfully the men came to his aid and offered to let them have a different question. The next question was “What is the name of the car in the TV series 'Knight Rider’?” The woman pondered and then answered KIT. So close, but the correct answer is KITT. It stands for Knight Industries Two Thousand. So, as you can see, we really needed both T’s. This was also not taken well and caused the women to be EXREEMLY watchful for the responses of the men. They were so watchful that when the question “What is a triangular shaped dress called?” the men answered A Line dress. It was not good enough; the correct answer was A-line dress. That little dash was as necessary as the second T in KITT. Then men lost 4 points. The battle continued with several passed questions. Unfortunately for the men, they passed on one too many and in round 11, fell behind the women by one point. Then, in round 12 the women passed and the men took a 36 to 32 point lead. This brought us to the last question. Then women answered correctly giving them a 37 to 36 point lead. Then men could not pass, they had to get it right to win. Unfortunately, again, they were so close, but yet, slightly off on their answer and therefore lose for the second month in a row.

As everyone knows, I love women almost as much as I love myself and with this victory am even more attracted to the group who competed because their brains are as large as their … well, you get the picture. Men, you too did very well. It was a wonderful competition. Not just because of the great ability of the contestants, but because everyone gathered got to be in the presence of Xotche and myself and that is worth more than any prize money. Until next month always remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so here so t hoping you will always be beholding me.

Yanni

    Many guild members and a few prospects met up at the guild tower this evening for an exploration trip in the Tokuno Islands. We started at the moongate on Isamu-jima and followed the road up to the volcano, easily dispatching the sparse monster resistance along the way. We passed across the top of Mt. Sho and fought several dire wolves, fire elementals and lizards at the volcano’s peak. Descending from the east face, we emptied into the wilderness and made our way northwest through some ragged country full of wolves, undead, and other fell beasts.

    Upon reaching the road and heading north, we came into the champ spawn area. The wicked forest was filled with lizardmen, deathwatch beetles, and some other vermin many of us had never seen before. The party stuck close together and slowly fought our way northwards along the road. After many long battles we emerged into the lush green lands of north Isamu-jima Island. We did not hesitate to make directly for the fan dancer dojo.

    Inside the dojo, the fan dancers proved to be formidable opponents. A few lives were lost along the way through the first area. Daemons greeted us upon entering the second level, but we wasted little time as we fought our way to the stairs down to the final dungeon level. It was here that we met the succubi and balrons. Every member of the party remained stout and fought well, slaying several of both species. When our hunger for battle was finally satiated, we left the dojo and reassembled at the guild hall to look over our spoils. It was a successful hunt with many party members donating their 10,000 gold share of loot straight to the guild. A brave and generous bunch they turned out to be ;)

My thanks to all who attended!