+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | The Olympia Times times@olympia.rt.com | | November 24, 1991 v1n3 | | | | Turn 3 Circulation 50 "It was stapled to the chicken." | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ 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." Missed last issue? Send a message to server@olympia.rt.com: path send times.v1n2 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