August 2009

Pet Dyes Submitted by UO_Herald on August 31, 2009 at 4:24 PM CDT Originally posted 31 Aug 2009 16:54:04 by Regine "Sakkarah" Abel on the UO Herald: We have reviewed the results of the various surveys and the abundant feedback you have provided us. While it is clear that a majority would like a greater variety in pet hues, there is a strong desire to keep a natural feel to their hues, that the coloring be restricted to certain type of creatures, that the colors only be partial hues, and that said hues not be applied through “dyes”. We have heard you.  Unfortunately, with less than a week before launch, there is no way for us to meet requests and expectations in a satisfactory manner. We have therefore decided to discuss what approach to take with hues and pets after the expansion launches. This discussion will involve the artists and engineers, so that we can fully explore a solution that will benefit the community. [Discuss This Article]

FoF: TGIF Submitted by UO_Herald on August 28, 2009 at 4:16 PM CDT Originally posted 28 Aug 2009 16:47:22 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: In this week's Five on Friday we cover Imbuing, The Underworld, and Silver Saplings. To read the full article on the forums, click HERE.

Enhanced Client (beta) Update Submitted by UO_Herald on August 27, 2009 at 5:20 PM CDT Originally posted 27 Aug 2009 17:28:49 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: Updates: Chat font selection moved from context menu list to its own window. Bug Fixes: Adjusting the game viewport will no longer alter the zoom level of the camera. Key bindings with key modifiers (Ctrl, Alt, Shift) will now properly execute when pressed quickly. Tooltips will display proper text after changing languages in the User Settings. Enemy of One tooltip now display proper text after attacking a mob. Helpful hints shown during the login process will now properly randomize. Fixed issues with objects in Legacy container view occasionally becoming undraggable after becoming highlighted. Fixed issues with players being able to pass through masts on ships. Custom carpets will no longer display visible seams with placed together over the new housing floor tiles. Virtue shrine symbols will no longer display visible seams. Fixed issues with flooring appearing over stairs in various areas of the Tomb of Kings. Fixed issues with falling through the floor using one particular custom housing floor tile set. [Discuss This Article]

Got another Survey For You! Submitted by UO_Herald on August 27, 2009 at 5:17 PM CDT Originally posted 27 Aug 2009 16:52:32 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: We would like to hear your oppinion on Pet Dyes. Please read the top of the survey and take a close look at the screenshots prior to filling it out. There are 2 pages to this survey so please ensure that you check out the second page. You can take the survey HERE. [Discuss This Article]

It's Survey Time! Submitted by UO_Herald on August 26, 2009 at 1:24 PM CDT Originally posted 26 Aug 2009 13:40:35 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: It's that time again we want to hear what you think about Stygian Abyss. Click HERE to take the survey. [Discuss This Article]

Interview with MMORPG.com Submitted by UO_Herald on August 25, 2009 at 2:28 PM CDT Originally posted 25 Aug 2009 10:20:38 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: Our own Calvin Crowner sat down with MMORPG.com for an interview. Check it out HERE. [Discuss This Article]

Open Beta has come to a Close Submitted by UO_Herald on August 24, 2009 at 12:18 PM CDT Originally posted 24 Aug 2009 11:51:16 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: Wow it’s been a great couple of weeks. We have received a lot of feedback. It’s time for us to take in all the feedback to make the final tweaks to the game. We want to thank everyone who submitted feedback and participated in our survey. So what does this mean to you? We will be closing the Open Beta portion of the game. The players who were in closed beta will help us test those final tweaks. So if you were in closed Beta make sure you check the internal forums for further testing instructions. [Discuss This Article]

Chesapeake is Down Submitted by UO_Herald on August 22, 2009 at 3:40 PM CDT Originally posted 22 Aug 2009 11:14:24 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: We are aware that Chesapeake is down. At this time we do not have an estimated time of when it will be back up. Keep an eye on the Herald for updates. We will update this post approximately every 2 hours until the shard returns. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. EDIT: The shard is back up. We apologize for the delay in the update. [Discuss This Article]

FoF: Imbuing Imbuing Imbuing Submitted by UO_Herald on August 21, 2009 at 4:50 PM CDT Originally posted 21 Aug 2009 16:25:30 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: In this week's Five on Friday we cover Imbuing, Throwing, and Champspawns. To read the full article on the forums, click HERE.

The Nature of Shadows Submitted by DaKaren on August 20, 2009 at 9:44 PM CDT Originally posted by Tim “Draconi” Cotten on the UO Herald: Britannia lay under siege, both from forces without and within. Her borders marred by intrusions by daemonic horde and mortal traitor, her fields in ashes, homes empty, deserted. The great cities still moved on, unheeding the carnage consuming the countryside even as voices rose in protest, only to be cut down by the merciless enforcers stalking the streets. The agents of the Shadowlords moved freely amongst the common people, subverting their will with insidious guile. Their earliest attacks had taken a toll on the will to fight, and now the very people of Britannia were becoming part of their own downfall. Every day the Shadowlords themselves grew stronger, preparing for the day they could convert the world into yet another dark jewel in their ever expanding collection of conquered shards. Worlds without number had fallen thus far, and now, this shard too would be stained with the darkness eternal. A few, a precious few, strove to fight back against this dying of the light. Hope had returned in our future leader Dawn, a savior in times beyond saving, who began rallying the faithful for our final stand.   Unlikely allies appeared, and pieces moved across the great, unknowable battlefield of fate. Even then we were helped and hindered by forces beyond our reckoning.   Amongst the chaos one man had sought out the secrets of the Shadowlords, willing to sacrifice anything to discern their true nature: to learn how to defeat them once and for all. I, Dexter, write the following account of the Elder Mage, Sutek, a man I was proud to call my mentor, and in those days in hiding, my only friend. These are his words, the words that taught us how to defeat the monstrosities by our own hand. “A bargain has been struck… we shall know what must be known.” Sutek’s eyes stared into the pool of liquid light, I remember his face, blank, serene, his eyes piercing through the very ether. “There are three, as we have known, and they are Astaroth, Faulinei, and Nosfentor. They are creatures of Hate, of Falsehood, and Cowardice.” “Yet they are not… creatures, they simply… are. Hate, Falsehood, and Cowardice.” “They are the very embodiment of the Anti-Virtue, they are everything… that the Virtues are not.” “They are… not eternal, they have been created, as an… archetype, a shadow of a greater… danger. One which has not yet turned towards us, not yet…” “Their mortal hosts… live, and yet live no longer.” “Slaves they shall become… these agents of chaos.” “Beware them, for though pawns they are yet power…” “The Murderer, the Betrayer, the Fool.” “Beware their masters greater, their shadows of shadows.” “Our world was shielded from… their influence, their power. The great rift, in Moonglow, allowed them to pierce the veil.” “Yes, it was then that the Lord of Time attempted to thwart them…” “And is now cut off from the ethereal void as are they. That is why they are weak, all of them! They are all trapped here, in our world, without…” He sagged, yet kept speaking, possessed of a stranger’s will. “They feed on us… they grow stronger while the Time Lord weakens.” “The rift must be re-opened so they can be cast out…” “In another world there was One who was known, one, who, who fought them, and defeated them. For that world was saved.” “It is at once another world, and our own world. My mind… cannot…” “They are the antithesis of everything the Virtues are… and thus, they too have an opposite.” “This… Avatar, he is destined to defeat the greater… power. While we in our worlds…” “Yet we are aided, still.” His eyes tightened, as through blinded by an unseen brilliance. After this, his voice changed, the meaning of his words shifted as though another were speaking through him, and no longer merely to him. They echoed in rhythm, filling my mind with images. The dawn of hope comes; a light to fill the void, and with her ride legions forgotten. The cold of platinum against crimson fire, elder ones return to the world of men. She shall take in hand the icons of power, The Book, the Candle, and the Flame. She shall pledge herself to Virtue, She shall descend into the darkness, and with her, all the chosen kingdom, and there,  end At this point, Sutek collapsed, and struck his head against the table as he fell into a crumpled heap atop the dirty floor. The scrying pool went dark as I rushed to his side. Only time would tell if he had said all he had hoped to say… He awoke some minutes after, barely remembering his ordeal, or his breakthrough. He seemed a bit muddled, but quickly took command, and soon enough we were on our way to meet up with the resistance movement. It was with this message I had written that we met our new leader, Dawn. And as she meditated upon these words a strange thing occurred, something we have never forgotten. A beautiful light seemed to enshroud her, transfiguring her before us into the very embodiment of our hopes. It was as though, in that moment, we all had a moment of perfect clarity, of what must be done, and the assurance we would succeed. And that’s when the Dragons came. … Elsewhere, a filthy figure clawed at scraps in the gutter of the street, clutching a chewed apple core greedily. Grime was combed through her hair, her fingernails black with the detritus of a hundred nights without a warm bed or shower. She was dressed in a ragged kimono, out of place in the Britannia city, but uncaring. Inu the Crone’s eyes focused. She straightened, lifted her head slowly, and with a newly clear voice and unburdened eyes stared into the heavens. She had only two words, two words she had longed to say for many years, that now spilled out so humbly. “It’s gone.” [Discuss This Article]

Enhanced Client Update Submitted by DaKaren on August 20, 2009 at 9:35 PM CDT Originally posted 20 Aug 2009 18:47:15 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: Bug Fixes: Fixed weapon abilities not appearing properly for certain throwing weapons. Fixed image flipping issues with the Character Abilities and Character Sheet buttons on mouse-over in the paperdoll. Fixed issues with speech still being received from NPC’s after being added to the ignore list. Tooltips for waypoints near the boundaries of the Atlas and Radar windows will now display properly. Tooltips will now anchor properly when displayed near the boundaries of the screen space. Fixed issues with context menus of mobile health bars not displaying the correct contents after switching targets. Fixed issues with “MISSING STRING” text appearing in context menus. Fixed issues with selecting targets that were near the player status window. Fixed issues with skills in the custom tab of the skills window carrying over to other character profiles when switching characters. The Atlas will now change facets and areas properly when “Center on Player” is enabled and the player moves to a new area. The Pet Window will now display multiple pets properly. Fixed issues with gates still remaining visible after its duration has expired. Fixed issues with footstep sound effects playing for only half the footsteps. Fixed issues with losing a target after the target changed notoriety. Party health bars will no longer count against the max limit of mobile health bars that can appear on-screen [Discuss This Article]

Open Beta Publish Notes Submitted by DaKaren on August 20, 2009 at 9:24 PM CDT Originally posted 20 Aug 2009 17:45:01 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: Click HERE to read the full publish notes only for the Retribution Shard.

Chesapeake is Down Submitted by UO_Herald on August 18, 2009 at 10:37 AM CDT Originally posted 18 Aug 2009 09:49:40 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: We are experiencing issues with Chesapeak. We are currently looking for a resolution of this. At this time we do not have an estimated time of when the shard will be up again. Keep an eye out on this message as we will provide updates. The updates will be approximately every 2 hours until the shard comes up. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.    EDIT: It's back up!  10:52AM EST [Discuss This Article]

Open Beta Survey Submitted by UO_Herald on August 17, 2009 at 12:55 PM CDT Originally posted 17 Aug 2009 11:54:23 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: We want to hear what you have to say about Open Beta so far. Click HERE to take the survey. [Discuss This Article]

Open Beta Begins! Submitted by UO_Herald on August 14, 2009 at 8:43 PM CDT Originally posted 14 Aug 2009 17:48:04 by Calvin Crowner on the UO Herald: Greetings! It’s official—Open Beta has begun! Join your fellow Britannians as you venture into the Stygian Abyss on our Retribution server. Explore all that Ter Mur, the Underworld and the caverns of the Abyss have to offer. What do we need from you? Data, and lots of it! Our stalwart and tireless closed beta testers have been hard at work already helping us to reach this milestone, but now the time has come to let loose all the steely denizens of UO’s community—let all citizens’ voices be heard!  What can you expect? Part of testing is stress testing. This means we want to have so many people on the servers that they’re bursting at the seams. Why? Because it helps us catch issues we might not normally see. If problems arise, never fear! We’ll be standing by to ensure that any downtime is minimal, so you can get right back to testing! This is BETA—Bugs Emerge. Take Advil.  However, beyond the morass and sulfurous steam of bugs and lag lays the Promised Land of the UO’s 8th Expansion. Fight the good fight, and help us deliver it with valor. There are LOTS of features and systems we want you to focus your attention on, so equip your + 2 Magnifying Glass of Indiscriminate Assessment (+5 vs. Arachnoids and EMs!)  The system where we need the most focus is Imbuing.  While we want you to travel the world listening to the new soundtrack, slaying monsters, trying the quests, and simply exploring … we would also like to get more input on the system we feel will impact UO the most as a whole.  We are updating this system daily, so please be thorough and detailed in your feedback. We will be collecting player input the entire time, and have a Stratics House of Commons chat planned for mid-week to gather constructive feedback that will enhance the overall game-play before the final release of Stygian Abyss. Keep an eye on the UO Herald for more details! As you explore, be sure to take a minute to fill out the introductory survey found HERE.  From these surveys, we can better measure how your play experience changes throughout the Open Beta Test. It’s also worth noting that there are some goodies we’re holding close to our chest.  We’ll have a publish during Open Beta week based on current feedback from internal testers, as well as initial feedback over the weekend that we feel has merit—so keep an eye out for updates. Oh, and by the way, The Slasher of Veils cannot be killed. Don’t try.  He is my favorite. So stay away. You will die. Oh yes. You will … die. Two final notes: You do not need the enhanced client to play the retail version OR to play on Retribution. We spent a lot time making certain that the content is playable with a special version of the Classic Client, which you can download HERE. This is not the final release of the game. This is Open Beta testing to collect even more information from more people.. The devs are currently on Centerian time. It’s a 37 hour work day … so one of two things can happen … :)  (Name that movie.) See you on Retribution! [Discuss This Article]

Features of the Stygian Abyss Submitted by UO_Herald on August 14, 2009 at 8:37 PM CDT Originally posted 14 Aug 2009 17:21:07 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: To see the features available in the Stygian Abyss on the forums, click HERE.

FoF: Open Beta FAQ Submitted by UO_Herald on August 14, 2009 at 3:41 PM CDT Originally posted 14 Aug 2009 15:59:23 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: In this week's Five on Friday we are going to cover the most frequently asked questions about Open Beta. To read the full article on the forums, click HERE.

Enhanced Client Update Submitted by UO_Herald on August 14, 2009 at 12:17 AM CDT Originally posted 13 Aug 2009 21:21:04 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: Updates: Messages from Game Masters will now appear in red and can no longer be squelched. Players can now respond to Game Masters using “[“ or “/gm”. Audio no longer plays when the client is minimized. Added ‘Toggle Circle of Transparency’ macro action. Added vertical scrollbars to numerous drop-down menus that exceed over ten items. Bug Fixes: Fixed numerous client crash issues. Boats displayed on the radar now keep up with the player when in motion. Ladders can once again be used to traverse to upper floors of homes. Fixed issues with the +/- buttons in the merchant purchasing window continuously updating the quantity of items. Fixed issues with player profiles not properly saving. Fixed issues with short and mullet hair styles for Elves looking identical in the character creation process. Fixed issues with outlines appearing on female faces in the character creation process. Container slots in grid-view no longer remain highlighted when dragging items of quantity. Pets will now respond to commands when whispering from more than one tile away. Fixed issues with the “Toggle Circle of Transparency” key binding not properly updating the user setting. Chat tabs now properly highlight based on the active chat window. The empty space in the player status window is no longer clickable. Fixed issues with base foundation and floor tiles in customized houses appearing over the customized portions. Players can now toggle between grid-view and list-view when viewing vendor contents. Fixed issues with hued objects sometimes not displaying as hued when placed on the hotbar. Players can now use the Esc key to make objects not-for-sale when interacting with vendors. Text is no longer cut-off when viewing the contents of the mouse wheel configuration drop-down menus. Fixed issues with overhead names still appearing after turning the option off. Items of quantity will now stack with similar items when dragged to a container. Drop-down menus will now open upwards when contents open beyond the lower bounds of a window. Foliage will no longer display when in Felucca. [Discuss This Article]

Open Beta Update Submitted by UO_Herald on August 13, 2009 at 3:50 PM CDT Originally posted 13 Aug 2009 13:53:04 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: We have received a lot of feedback on getting a “head start” on the download for Open Beta. This is a lot easier than you think it is. If you are currently using the Enhanced client there should just be a small patch later on today and you are done! Yes we said done! If you haven’t tried the Enhanced client this is your opportunity to start patching today. This way you will be ready to play when we unlock Retribution for Open Beta.  If you wish to use the Classic Client, an updated installer, it will not be ready until tomorrow. This is a special installer that will allow access to Retribution. [Discuss This Article]

Peering into the Past Submitted by UO_Herald on August 13, 2009 at 3:47 PM CDT Originally posted 12 Aug 2009 17:54:23 by Tim “Draconi” Cotten on the UO Herald: Dexter’s brow creased in worry. Across from him sat the elder mage Sutek, his constant companion in their self-imposed exile from Britannia. Not exile, he thought, bitterness welling up, but their flight. After Moonglow’s devastating events Sutek had latched onto the younger mage and the injured stranger, rushing them into hiding. But why? Sutek let out a soft groan – he had been hunched over the scrying pool for hours now, eyes unblinking, locked in an endless stare with nothing. It had given Dexter plenty of time to consider their plight, and the recent freedom they had found in the resistance movement. The “why” had become obvious when Casca’s men had come for him: not guards, he remembered, no, these were people who ended… threats. He shivered, recalling their dark armor as they surrounded him in the small, cramped home. He remembered slamming into a chair, rocking back, the knife at his throat, the questions –   Sutek had gotten him out then, and they hadn’t looked back. The third member of their trio, Sutek called him Hawkwind, was still unconscious. Then again, Dexter wasn’t sure the word applied to… him. He looked human, but the vision of the glorious personage he had seen inside the rift persisted in his mind. He could still see the white robe, the burning eyes, and the pillars of fire he had unleashed on the Shadowlords so long ago. Yet this was no immortal, at least, not anymore. All Dexter saw was the husk of a mortal man laid across a stained bed, propped up by pillows smuggled to them by loyal sympathizers. Dexter turned back towards the bowl just in time. It came on quickly, without forewarning, as magic flowed into the bowl and out from it, enveloping the tent in a diffused glow. A light blossomed beneath the surface of the rippling liquid mirror. And then Sutek could see. [Discuss This Article]

Enhanced Client Survey Submitted by DaKaren on August 12, 2009 at 3:42 PM CDT Originally posted 12 Aug 2009 14:12:57 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: We would like to hear what you think about the Enhanced Client in this next survey. Even if you haven't tried the client we would still like to hear your feedback. Click here to take the survey. [Discuss This Article]

Stygian Abyss Expansion Open Beta Submitted by DaKaren on August 12, 2009 at 12:51 PM CDT Originally posted 12 Aug 2009 13:21:00 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: Get your calandars out and clear your schedule between Friday August 14th and Sunday August 23rd players will have access to the Stygian Abyss Expansion. Check back here on August 14th for up to date details. [Discuss This Article]

Stygian Abyss Expansion Submitted by DaKaren on August 12, 2009 at 12:48 PM CDT Originally posted 12 Aug 2009 12:53:55 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: Starting on September 8th players will be able to purchase the newest expansion Stygian Abyss. The cost for the expansion will be $29.99. New players can purchase the full game at $39.99 with 30 days game time added. For the full press release click here. [Discuss This Article]

Screenshot Contest Winner Submitted by DaKaren on August 12, 2009 at 10:40 AM CDT Originally posted 12 Aug 2009 10:01:45 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: Congratulations to MissEcho from Oceania her screenshot received the most votes! Number 1 [Discuss This Article]

Cloaks of Silence Submitted by DaKaren on August 10, 2009 at 10:34 AM CDT Originally posted 10 Aug 2009 10:46:49 by Bonnie "Mesanna" Armstron on the UO Herald: If you did not get a cloak this weekend do not worry, the EM’s will be handing these out during the week also. I know on several shards the EM’s ran out of the cloaks several times and had to be replenished. I hope everyone enjoyed the event, it was great to see so many people. I would like to thank everyone for making it so much fun for the EM’s! [Discuss This Article]

FoF: 01010011 01000001 Submitted by DaKaren on August 7, 2009 at 4:45 PM CDT Originally posted 07 Aug 2009 17:19:01 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: In this week's Five on Friday we cover Tailoring BODs, Throwing, and Custom House Ladders. To read the full article on the forums, click HERE.

UO Gamecode Update Submitted by DaKaren on August 7, 2009 at 2:43 PM CDT Originally posted 07 Aug 2009 15:14:37 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: Last evening we encountered an error with the UO Gamecode store. We have since fixed this error and are in the process of manually distributing the codes that were purchased. For those who attempted the same order more than once the additional charge(s) will be refunded. If you haven’t receive your code and/or refund within 48 hours please create a ticket at http://support.ea.com/.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. [Discuss This Article]

New In Game Items Are Now Available Submitted by DaKaren on August 7, 2009 at 9:23 AM CDT Originally posted 06 Aug 2009 19:46:37 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald:  Players can now purchase the following items in the UO Gamecode Store   Green Ladybug Red Lady bug Natural Hair Dye Plain Blue Rug Fancy Blue Rug Small Rug BOD covers    Check out the new items here.  [Discuss This Article]

Screenshot Contest Voting Submitted by DaKaren on August 7, 2009 at 9:10 AM CDT Originally posted 06 Aug 2009 17:17:54 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: Time to submit your vote for the Screenshot Contest! Remember the winner will get 30 days game time added to their account.  Number 1           Number 2            Number 3            Number 4           Number 5    To submit your vote click here. [Discuss This Article]

We hit 2,000 fans on Facebook! Submitted by DaKaren on August 7, 2009 at 9:05 AM CDT Originally posted 06 Aug 2009 11:31:35 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: If you aren't a fan yet become one today! Ultima Online on Facebook [Discuss This Article]

Enhanced Client Updates Submitted by DaKaren on August 5, 2009 at 6:02 PM CDT Originally posted 05 Aug 2009 17:29:33 by Chrissay Zeeman on the UO Herald: Updates: Implemented the Legacy Macro Importer feature (prompt appears after login for each character) Added object highlighting for contents in Legacy Container view Updated font for overhead names and overhead chat Waypoint icons in the Atlas now scale based on zoom distance Bug Fixes: The Citadel and Fan Dancer Dojo will now appear under the proper facet in the Atlas Fixed issues with selecting objects under a minimized Pet Window Fixed tooltip display issues with the Community Collection Rewards gump Fixed issue text entry cursor appearing outside of the text entry box Fixed display issues with the Okay button in the Quantity window LAST WEEK Updates: Introduced rain and snow effects into the weather system “Self” is no longer a candidate for “Cursor Target Last” actions Removed the short delay between each action when executing a macro Bug Fixes: Fixed all speech types using the default “Say” range Fixed “Brightness” graphic setting not persisting through game sessions “Help” text for each skill in the Skills Window now displays the appropriate text Chat window can no longer be stuck off-screen Fixed issues with macros sometimes executing only the first action or none at all Fixed mouseover issues with objects that are placed near each other (such as stacked boxes or house signs) All supported custom user interface file types will now load properly Dragging stacked items to the paperdoll will no longer keep the player in the dragged state [Discuss This Article]

Dawn of Hope Submitted by UO_Herald on August 4, 2009 at 7:01 PM CDT Originally posted 04 Aug 2009 18:03:14 by Tim "Draconi" Cotten on the UO Herald: She kneeled in front of the wooden chest, gently brushing her fingers atop the aged mahogany.  The corner of the house was quiet; her only company the tiny motes of dust spinning in gentle pirouettes down an errant shaft of light. Pulling the old brass key from her skirt sent a glancing ray around the room to play across the ceiling. She gazed at it for a moment, remembering, and lowered it towards the chest. A sound, suddenly familiar, greeted her efforts with a soft click. The chest began opening upwards, revealing the treasures she had placed within so long ago. In her mind the familiar refrain of an old song began: a song of strange places, of lost peoples, and of Stones. The jewels and gold atop the velvet sparkled in the light returned, but her hands slipped beneath them, gently setting them aside. As the tales of her Lord and King awoke within her the humble tune carried on, rising in fervor. She lifted aside the smooth cloth, her fingers grazing against the cherished treasure beneath. The door crashed inwards. One hand had already ripped her armor from its resting place within the chest, the lid snapping closed, as the other leveled a sword towards the intruder before she realized this was no foe who had interrupted her impromptu reverie. “We must go!” She picked herself up, holding up the iron and oiled leather armor, shining despite the years. The man paused then, her determination, her calmness blunting his message. He realized what she held and turned around, suddenly modest, but spoke on. “The madman let them loose on Luna,” he moved to make a spitting motion, and frustrated by the indoors, jerked his head to the side instead. “No place is safe, not even here.” Dawn stepped beside him, cinching a band of leather across her waist, and strapping her sword to her hip. “Then we ride for Luna.” … After the pair had left the old farmhouse a cloaked figure stepped from the shadows to regard the empty room. They never would have felt his presence, let alone seen him, and yet he had been there throughout. White hair with streaks of platinum spilled from beneath the hood as he pushed it back. He regarded the lonely chest, now emptied of its great charge. “Such things should not be left to perish,” he mused, waving his hand, “When her work is done she will have need of you again.” The chest vanished, and then so had he. [Discuss This Article]