[News] Golem Palace Attack, Excavated Crystal Stolen!

[Brytt]

The crystal unearthed from beneath the Royal Palace has been stolen!

In the hours of false security, painful lessons are learned. This may have been true for Queen Dawn, whose security council is discussing the sequence of events this weekend which led to the theft of the crystal which had been unearthed beneath the throne room by Andrew the construction worker.

Members of the Britain Guard had earlier reported that demonic scouts had been seen, surveying the palace. Many were quickly dispatched but many more who had been spotted went unaccounted for.

This immediately raised alarms within the Queen's security council, who recommended that fortifications be raised throughout the city in light of what appeared to be an imminent invasion. Barricades were erected near the northern cemetery road, the Virtue Pass bridge, and to the south, near the guard garrison, while the remainder of the city was closed to entrance. Queen Dawn issued a proclamation that all free hands gather to make defense of the heart of the city, as the reports of an invasion gained additional credibility.

Citizens rallied together, awaiting arrival of the monarchy to explain the defense strategy. Within minutes, the queen appeared, garbed for battle.

As you have witnessed this week there has been unusual activity in our city. What these deamons are scouting for, we are unsure; but we must be ready to protect ourselves and our lands.

The Queen asked for volunteers to man three stations, both a defense squad and scouts to serve as heralds via communication crystal for the remainder of the city defense forces, who awaited near the provisioner to hear word of the direction of the invasions.

Information concerning the timing of the attacks proved premonitory, as a concentrated attack soon followed! Blackrock Golems attacked from the northern road near the cemetery and from the road to the west, near the guard garrison.

The rally was called! Citizens raced to the checkpoints to defend against the invaders. The Blackrock Golems were imbued with an almost unnatural strength, easily capable of dispatching those foolish enough to approach head on. Each Golem took several drakes to take down, many of whom lost their lives in defense of the city. Many drakes are to be thanked for their noble defense, including Little Red Dragon, Morning Breath, Magic Star Pusher, Simian, Gameover, and many many others.

Each checkpoint was painfully cleared and the remaining golems tracked down through the city and returned to the earth that formed them.

When it was over, the Queen summoned everyone to the throne room… to discover that the crystal was gone!

Perhaps to eliminate those witness to their crimes, a blackrock golem then attempted to assault the throne room itself!

Citizens were thanked by Queen Dawn with a reproduction of the empty display case. But many left wondering.... What purpose could someone have for the crystal? What was the crystal's original purpose? Why is it so valuable? Why was it kept in such a public place for display? Did no one on the security council see this coming?

The council declined requests to be interviewed for this report.

 

[siyeng0]

All pertinent questions, to be sure. But there is one that I feel needs to be asked - not just by skeptics like myself, but by everyone:

If the Queen cannot successfully protect a small and innocuous crystal, how can we possibly trust her to defend an entire realm?

The fact that this woman's reign has gone essentially unchallenged worries me. She has repeatedly proven herself incapable of keeping the city of Britain safe, let alone the rest of her kingdom. Her weak personality, indecisive nature and atrocious grasp of colour theory may yet be the downfall of us all.

I am not suggesting that we arrange for her to accidentally expire, inter her corpse with all the respect due to a monarch, eliminate any descendants that she may have borne, and instate a democratically elected senate in her place. But I may be heavily implying that it would be a good idea.

Just look at Umbra for an example of successful leadership. When is the last time that Umbra was invaded by daemons, blackrock golems, hydras, inexplicably multiple Navreys, or that eldritch hussy Mesanna? That's right - never. I believe that this speaks for itself.

 

[Amber Witch]

A funny thing happened to me after the event...

I immediately locked down the display case when I returned home. For the heck of it I tried double clicking it to see if it did anything. Well IMMEDIATELY 5 Netscape windows opened up to some facebook pages where videos were playing. I kept frantically closing them and they kept opening! I was thinking that Mesanna had truly gone merc on our butts and had put some weird link on the display case.

Well after a few minutes yelling 'WHAT THE (insert bad word) is happening!!' and the Count yelling back 'I DON"T KNOW!!' and closing the windows as fast as I could it finally subsided.

It turns out I had mistakenly clicked a link on an open window that had caused this. But I was really freaking thinking that Mesanna was leaving EA and this was some sort of a good-by message.

Sorry Mesanna.. I know you would never do anything mean to us but this really had me going.

 

[WarderDragon]

This is a response to the theft of the 'Mysterious Gem.' I found it interesting and wanted to share it.

In the Shadow of Virtue: Open Letter to Queen Dawn

[[Out of character notes: This is an RP post, in the form of a letter to Queen Dawn. This letter relates to tonight's EM event. If you weren't there, you missed out. It was very rough, and very frustrating, but also very fun, had a very cool reward, had some really cool fighting, some really good atmosphere and trimmings and inspired some cool Role Playing, which in part inspired this letter.]]

The following is published as a paid advertisement in the newspapers, or other journalistic outlets of the realm. You may assume your characters have seen it if you wish them too.

Your Grace, Queen Dawn:

I hope you won't take offense at my making this so public. I feel that a mere antiques dealer such as myself would find it difficult to find your ear otherwise.

Honor, Humility, Valor, and other Virtues compelled me to defend you tonight, with my mind and words as well as with my blade.

However, Honesty now compels me to tell you that I actually agree with some of the criticisms of you. I would suggest that you should not have put the Crystal on display. It was too powerful, too tempting. I understand why you did it, I understand your argument, at least I think I do. But the argument was clearly incorrect. The Crystal should NOT have been put on display.

I further suggest that at least one person on your staff probably also told you this.

Tonight WAS a victory, and I confess the Sin of Pride in knowing that I fought at your side. But it was a victory only in the sense of stopping more people from getting killed than otherwise would have, and in the sense that the enemy was clearly displeased that he wasn't able to kill more of us.

But, it was not a victory in any other sense. We now face graver threats than we did before.

Honesty doesn't mean being open about everything. Some think it does, but they're wrong. Honesty, in part, means dealing with reality as it is, and not pretending it's anything different. Sometimes Honesty requires public action, like how I feel compelled to publish this letter. Sometimes, though, Honesty requires keeping something hidden away. Like the Crystal.

As I said at your coronation, I find it HIGHLY unlikely that you will betray us or leave us, as your immediate predecessors did. For that, and for MANY other reasons, it's going to take a lot to shake my loyalty to you, and the failure with the Crystal doesn't come CLOSE to the threshold.

But now, your Grace, Honesty requires that you learn from the immediate past, even as you and your staff look to the future.

I expect, and ask for, no reply whatsoever. Knowing that you're likely to read this at all is enough.

Your Loyal Subject,
Galen, Antiques Dealer