The Free Ugg Campaign has begun!!

[albus]

Hail Citizens of Sonoma!!

The Daemon Liberation Front [DLF] has officially begun their Free Ugg campaign.

You may have noticed the many animals wandering around Skara Brae which have been renamed, "FreeHimNow". This is the start of our campaign.

For too long, humans have enslaved Daemons. The imprisonment of Uggtocuctc in the Skara Brae Community Center has taken this practice to a new low.

Daemons are a noble race of sentient beings.

They were meant to be free!

Citizens of Sosaria, Unite!

Free Ugg!
Free Ugg!!
Free Ugg!!!

Visit our website at Daemon Liberation Front for more information. We plan on holding a rally in the near future.

Until then, we ask that all tamers rename their "soon to be released" pets "FreeHimNow" to heighten the awareness of Ugg's plight.

 

[Isolden]

Now that is cool!

 

[Lady Vixen]

ASPCA will be notified of this heartless re-naming of simple Animals TO "FreeHimNow". The ASPCA however is sympathtic to the imprisonment of the Daemon known as Uggtocuctc, however since he is an intelligent species they feel that using animals to protest his imprisonment is in fact cruelty to them. Members of the ASPCA will do all they can to rehabiltate said animals.

As for Uggtocuctc, I suggest that a protest that the Courts of Yew would be more appropriate for his case.

 

[albus]

We can assure you, M'Lady...

No animals have been harmed during this campaign. Nay, we have tamed them, thus making them less feral and more adoptable. Once they are adopted, they can be renamed to something more to their owner's liking, like "Fluffy".

OK, a side note here: Is it not cruel and unusual punishment to name such a great beast as a White Wyrm "Fluffy". I mean come on people, he probably gets teased in the stable yard. Especially from the Llamas. Because we all know about Llamas and their odd sense of humor.

One thing we have noticed... The animals must be aware of our activities because whenever we tame-rename-release them, a new animal of the same species appears begging to join in. If we were to get enough tamers, Skara Brae would be overrun with cats and dogs named FreeHimNow.

By the way, what is this guild you refer to, ASPCA? We have not heard of them. If they are animal lovers, such as we, then perhaps we can join forces to right this wrong. If anyone from the guild ASPCA reads this, contact me at [email protected] so that we may discuss collaboration between our guilds.

There is an excellent book, The Hundereth Monkey by Ken Keyes jr. that explains what we are trying to accomplish. An excerpt can be found here The Hundreth Monkey. We are attempting to uplift the conciousness of Sosaria, one citizen at a time. When we have reached that magical "hundreth monkey", all of Sonoma will be a better place to live.

 

[The Fog]

What is it with you bunny-huggers?!?? Were you not loved enough by your mothers? Geeze! He's a criminal for crying out loud!!

Don't you realize that Ugg is there due to his part in the removal of Jared Hushenhoy's body from his grave? How about the fact that he has killed and maimed many humans and pets, and is right now continuing to threaten more of the same once freed?

I would not want to be the one to release him....you'd be the first killed! Don't they eat humans?

 

[Kolian]

Daemons don't walk Sosaria in the same way as humans. They're summoned, presumably from some other plane of existence. Killing and trickery is what they do - it's unjust to punish them for their very nature. By killing the daemon, it would be released back to wherever it came from, I think...

 

[albus]

M 'Lord... I fear you may be misinformed.

Ugg was assisting a mage delving into the dark arts. To prevent the discovery of these experiments from the mages of Wind, this unknown mage "captured" Ugg and handed him over to the mages. They sent him to Skara Brae. We do not know why they chose Skara Brae since Moonglow has a greater mage population and the Lyceum.

His brother was responsible for the taking of Jared Hushenhoy AFTER Ugg was in custody and in retaliation for his incarceration. What crimes has Ugg committed, save for being a Daemon? There is no evidence of him having murdered anyone or anything. We do not treat the human murderers of our land this way! On display for all to ridicule.

I challenge any of our fair citizens to explain to me the justification for continuing to keep this being in a form of suspended animation. This was all brought on by a foolhardy mage, tampering with things that are best left untampered with.

No, it is a fallacy that they eat humans. It is really unknown what their culinary habits are. We have a man in the field, Stanley Moonstone, studying a clan of them. Perhaps he can shed some light on this subject.

And, what is wrong with hugging a bunny? They are warm and cuddly. We currently do not practice this. But what a great idea! This would be good for our image. We could start a campaign for that next. Mayhaps this would foster a kinder, gentler society.

But our cause today is to free the Daemon Ugg!!

Free Ugg!
Free Ugg!!
Free Ugg!!!

 

[Rotte]

It's like clockwork. Any time there is something new that is the focus of the community and subject of debate, there always seems to appear people who launch campaigns counter to the general consensus in an attempt to gain a form of celebrity spotlight.

If this group REALLY was dedicated to freeing imprisoned Daemons, they would have already been seeking to release the Servant of Semidar.. After all, he's only been imprisoned for a couple years, whereas Ugg has been sitting in a cell for a couple of days...

That their initial manifesto didn't even mention the Servant of Semidar, just shows the jaded nature of their campaign. To this, I blow the kazoo of "feigned noblesse oblige"

Rotte
The Knights who say Ni!

 

[hiai]

Aha! Rotte is right! I, myself, was beginning to wonder about the justice of holding Ugg the Daemon captive, without benefit of a trial. And I was thinking that perhaps the DLF was a society of justice-minded individuals who could help Ugg.

But, where are they on the subject of the Servant of Semidar? Methinks they are but posers. For true injustice toward daemon-kind, Semidar's servant is the prime example, and yet they make no effort to free him!

Not only has that poor daemon been imprisoned for much longer, he is not even accorded the courtesy of bearing his own name! "Servant of Semidar", indeed! How would any of us react to being known merely in the context of whom we serve? And, chances are, he is not even a willing servant, at that!

Maybe the difference lies in the fact that the poor "Servant" had no family to demand his return, or to threaten revenge. And therein lies the core of motivation for the DLF, no?

For they claim to be worried about "justice" for the prisoner. I think perhaps they are more motivated by fear of daemon retaliation than any true sympathy. For shame, DLF!

I say, take no prisoners at all! Let said daemons go free. And if they try to harm the innocent, then slay them out of hand. There will the debate about their nature end, and true justice begin. All should be held responsible for their own actions, be they daemon, human, Juka, orc, gargoyle, Meer, dragon, or any of the many other intelligent races.

Each individual makes their own choices, and must abide thereby. Do not persecute some for the behavior of others, just because they share the same race. BUT ALSO, don't hesitate to mete out the justice that the individual has earned, BY THEIR OWN ACTIONS, leaving aside any namby-pamby considerations of how 'disadvantaged' they are by their racial background.

 

[albus]

M'Lord

You misunderstand our intent.
Tis not one of feigned noblesse oblige, as you so nobly suggested.

This Daemon you call the Servant of Semidar is actually not a common Daemon. This abomination has been forged of pure evil by Semidar herself.
Whereas the Daemons we see roaming the Realm came from the Underworld and have made a home here in our land, this one was created. There is no mention of it in our early history. This is why it has no name. We consider it similar to the Golems which are controlled by their creators. We challenge anyone to show that this creation is sentiant.

We do not call for his release because we believe that those much wiser than us have frozen him there to maintain balance. Throughout our rich history, Chaos has always come out of imbalance in the world. The Avatar has always come and rescued us, but alas, we fear if there is another imbalance, he may not come without Lord British to call upon him.

However Ugg happily existed, doing no overt harm to anyone. Then he was captured and imprisoned. This is the injustice we protest. He has been imprisoned for much longer than the couple of days you suggest.

We do not seek "celebrity spotlight". We are but humble servants of the realm. It is every citizen's duty to stand up if they feel a wrong has been committed. This is all we are doing. excercising our rights as citizens to have our voice be heard. We are a passive guild, as is our campaign.

 

[albus]

M'Lady haia

We have answered your question about us not calling for the release of A Servant of Semidar in the above post. We believe releasing it will cause imbalance. It is an abomination of evil created by Semidar herself.

Pardon my ignorance, but we do not know what the meaning of this word "poser" is. I could not find mention of it in the Lyceum in Moonglow, though I am not yet a grandmaster in the art of Scribing so it's true meaning may not be clear to me.

I can not address if we are "posers". From the tone of your words, it does not sound like a nice word. I assure you our intentions are pure and just. We are here to serve the realm. We feel very strongly when an injustice has been done, but we realize we cannot fix every one at the same time, that would be too overwhelming. We must also be cautious, guided by our meditations, to not upset balance.
We are not personally motivated by fear of the Daemons. We sometimes fear for the soul of the land, this is what motivates us. Our society has become fractured. Where once there was community, there is now disassociation. We fear that the virtues have not been as important of late.
We long for the days when Lord British ruled the land and there was peace and harmony. Now there is discordance. People being suspicious of other people. Your words reflect this. Rebuilding our community needs to start somewhere.
We can only hope that our actions will motivate others to get more involved in their communities.

 

[shivan]

Hail Albus,

I salute the efforts by DLF to free the Daemon Ugg.

I was curious about this one called the Servant of Semidar. So I recalled over to Haven to see it for myself.

You are right, this is not a Daemon, it more closely resembles a Balron.

I could not find any mention of this creature in the BNN news. I did find a description of Semidar:

ULTIMA ONLINE : PLAYGUIDE : BESTIARY : CHAMPIONS

Semidar, champion of the Abyss and ruler of winged demons, seeks the blood and death of those foolish enough to challenge her. As a creature of magic, she wields neither armor, nor weapon, but attacks with mystical energy. So attuned to sorcery is she, that those that attempt to use the mystic arts against her may find themselves weakened with surprise.

I have highlighted the word demon. A demon is not a Daemon, they are related but not the same.

I wish you the best of luck in your campaign. Not all citizens doubt your intentions. We just are not as vocal as those that would cast doubt upon good. Methinks those who doubt may have hidden intentions in the shadow of their words. We know that there are those amongst us who do not follow the virtues.

 

[Kolian]

So, Hiai, by that logic, you should be put to death for the murder of every sentient creature you've ever hunted? Or are humans simply the master race to rule over all? Pride is not a virtue, you know.

<blockquote><hr>

The Avatar has always come and rescued us, but alas, we fear if there is another imbalance, he may not come without Lord British to call upon him.

<hr></blockquote>

Technically, we aren't even aware of 'The Avatar's' existence. If we were, he'd be dead by now... But hey...

 

[hiai]

Kolian: Please tell me, what sentient creatures have I murdered? It seems as if you must be thinking of someone you know, and I know it can't be me... How do you know my habits, pray tell? And it seems you've missed my point, anyway.

Which is, that justice demands that we all pay for our own actions, whether positive or negative. Granted, I have been murdered many times. Is this why you assume I, in turn, am a murderer? Surely not, for you must be aware that justice is more scarce than ever it should be.

I merely try to make the point that capturing and holding a captive, without some sort of evidence of wrongdoing, is nothing more than kidnapping. Some vague reference to 'those types' of creatures is not enough to condemn an individual, if true justice prevails.

I make no distinction between human or other sentient races when I voice my preference for equality and justice. If a human tries to kill me, I will defend myself as rigorously as I would if a Balron tries to kill me.

Conversely, if a Balron leaves me in peace, I will not try to harm it. How is this logic and reasoning hard to follow? Please do not spout the Virtues at me. The path of Virtue is a choice for each person, as well. And my place upon the path, or lack thereof, is none of your business.

 

[hiai]

To His Honor the Lord Albus, Leader of the Order of the DLF,

My apologies for any misapprehension I have had as to your true intentions. Though I am not fully convinced of the purety of your motives, only time will bear out the truth or mistake of my suspicions. I did not mean to make any overt accusations, I meant merely to caution others that they must do as I do, and look carefully at all of the possible ramifications of their decisions.

My use of the word 'poser' may have confused you, as it is a form that is becoming popular throughout the lands, when discussing a poseur. As someone with some knowledge of the scribing arts, you will recognize a poseur as a particular kind of actor. This is the type that specializes in impersonations.

In the context in which I was using, I meant to convey that it was possible that your published motives, of wishing freedom and equality for daemons, were merely an attempt at impersonation on your part. That it was possible that you have hidden motivations that impel you to play the part, when in reality your aims were different.

I do not say that this is so. Merely that it is possible. I'm sure you will agree that others have been guilty of such dishonesty in the past. My suspicions were very aroused when that Servant was ignored in your campaign.

Your explanation of the Servant as a construct, while explaining your lack of action in its behalf, does not allay my suspicions overmuch. For one thing, I believe that you are mistaken in the idea of it being a construct, and also question your ability to judge what pure evil is.

Perhaps you are not afraid of demon-kin or daemon-kin. And perhaps you are completely sincere in your efforts. I hope this is so. But my example of the fear of daemon-kin being your true motivation is merely one of the many possibilities in this situation. As I said, time will prove out the truth.

I hope at some time soon to witness your complete sincerity, and will then apologize. In the meantime, I do not apologize for my suspicions, as they are, unfortunately, very necessary in these unsettled times, as you yourself have pointed out.

With respect,
Mistress Hiai of Sonoma

As a postscript, I wish to point out that I am no lady, though I thank you for the flattery. I am a freewoman of independent mind and demeanor, according no false airs to myself, yet allowing no denigration either.

 

[Kolian]

You can honestly claim to never have killed another sentient creature? Regardless of who strikes first, going with intent to be attacked is no different that going with intent to kill.

 

[albus]

Fair Maiden Hiai,

<blockquote><hr>

To His Honor the Lord Albus, Leader of the Order of the DLF,

<hr></blockquote>

I am flattered at your salutation, yet I am not a Lord, and not the Leader of our Guild. Mastiff is our guild master. I am simply the humble scribe of the guild. If you look at the pictures that Lady Nest painted of the aftermath of the attack on Skara Brae, you will see Mastiff, in the room behind the stage. This should also prove that we did not just appear out of thin air after the Daemon attack.

<blockquote><hr>

As someone with some knowledge of the scribing arts, you will recognize a poseur as a particular kind of actor. This is the type that specializes in impersonations.

<hr></blockquote>

I have consulted with the wise and learned scribes in the Lyceum. They assure me that a poseur is definately not a nice word. It refers to those who would impersonate to impress or curry favor not to entertain. I assure you, this is not a descriptor of me or anyone in our guild.

<blockquote><hr>

Your explanation of the Servant as a construct, while explaining your lack of action in its behalf, does not allay my suspicions overmuch. For one thing, I believe that you are mistaken in the idea of it being a construct, and also question your ability to judge what pure evil is.

<hr></blockquote>

Prithee, tell me where in our history is there mention of this servant? You have called it "The" which implies it is a race all of it's own. A unique being which shows no signs of being sentient. I cannot find any information on this servant, it's race, or the of lineage of it's race. The only information is on Semidar herself. She is definately evil. It is a matter of public recorded history attesting to her evil.

I am done discussing the "virtue" or "true motives" of our guild. You do this to draw attention away from the real issue. That of the imprisoned Daemon which is still being tormented by our citizens every day. They poke him and say mean things to him.

We at DLF know that Daemons are evil. They are currently slaughtering many of our brave warriors today in Wind. We do not fight for Ugg's freedom because he is good, or has performed kind deeds. We seek his freedom so that he may go back to being a Daemon. Daemon's are immortal. The worse thing you can do to an immortal is imprison him. There, he has no escape. If you kill a Daemon, he rematerializes in the world. Not neccessarily where you have slain him, but somewhere.

Earlier this week someone had tamed a beast and renamed it "SoWeCanKillIt". Excellent, we say! Free him and immediately kill him. He will rematerialize and continue serving his purpose in this world. The Daemons are all part of the delicate balance of our world. In order for Good to exist there must be Evil. Our Lord British knew that all too well. He accepted it as the order of things, as we also do.

Finally...
<blockquote><hr>

As a postscript, I wish to point out that I am no lady, though I thank you for the flattery. I am a freewoman of independent mind and demeanor, according no false airs to myself, yet allowing no denigration either.

<hr></blockquote>

Being a gentleman, I have no real response to this other than... I apologize for striking a chord against your issues. We all have them, but some of us really bring them to the surface with the sole purpose of beating someone over the head with them. I assure you I will never again make the mistake of considering you a lady. And you do put on false airs. You place french words, not always appropriately, in your conversation. Yet your name is Asian in origin.

As a postscript, M'Lady does not imply you are actually a lady, it is simply used as a polite, respectful salutation.

 

[hiai]

To Albus of DLF:

I have to hope that we can agree to disagree on these minor points. I will not continue this, when, in truth, we seem to agree on one crucial point: the Daemon Uggtoctc must be freed.

Regardless of my own suspicions, the actions that must be taken are the same. Although, the more you speak, the more your own words condemn you. Your high and noble-sounding words fall flat in the face of your own intentions to kill daemons, and your outright assumptions on the nature of Good, Evil, and the notion of Balance.

I have detected, now, where I have heard such speech before. Always, those who would proseletyze their religious beliefs take such a tone. I have no objection to your preaching, and it is your every right to attempt to convert others to your cause.

I do, however, feel quite mistrustful of anyone who preaches religion without first identifying themselves as such missionaries. It smacks of subterfuge. However, such is your right, so carry on as you wish, not that you need my permission.

Accord me the same respect, however, and allow me my suspicions, which have only grown in the face of these many discussions. My feelings on the matter of the imprisoned Daemon-kin which we have referred to as a Servant of Semidar are obviously misunderstood and (possibly purposefully) misinterpreted, so I will speak no more on the matter with one who claims to have a knowledge of such matters, when he quite obviously demonstrates he does not.

Your consultation at the Lycaeum seems to have afforded you better knowledge. You would be well served to spend more time there. Perhaps there you could learn more respect for a sound education, as your snide remarks concerning my supposed false airs betrays some hint of contempt.

I said I give myself no false airs, and I do not. Using ones vocabulary to greatest effect is considered arrogant only by those who find themselves lacking. Which I fear may be your case, as your attempt to analyze the origins of my name reveals. I make no accusations in this matter, and do not wish to devolve further into name-calling. I merely give fair warning that when verbally attacked, I am capable of a very handy defense.

I shall endeavor not to respond to anymore unkindnesses, for such is the surest way to descend to the level of bickering children, as I fear we are quite on the road to becoming. I bid you good day, and while I cannot wish you great success in all of your endeavors, I do wish you no harm, and success in at least one of them.

In technical point, I must acknowledge that your last salutation to me was exactly correct. I am both very fair of skin and a maiden. But still no lady, in the strictest sense, no matter that you meant your remark as a slight to me.

Mistress Hiai

 

[Bronwyn]

<blockquote><hr>

We at DLF know that Daemons are evil. They are currently slaughtering many of our brave warriors today in Wind. We do not fight for Ugg's freedom because he is good, or has performed kind deeds. We seek his freedom so that he may go back to being a Daemon. Daemon's are immortal. The worse thing you can do to an immortal is imprison him. There, he has no escape. If you kill a Daemon, he rematerializes in the world.

<hr></blockquote>

I am glad to hear you do not campaign against the killing of daemons, I and my sisters set many of their spirits free on a reqular basis. The "vile creatures" fill the faction coffers with silver.

I do, however, submit to you that Ugg is conquered and as such, he is suffering the fate of his misstep that put him in this predicament...to free him only to kill him is a strange purpose. To kill him only to allow one to spawn indiscrimently somewhere else and wreak havoc, is illogical.

I suppose, as with all causes, those from the outside cannot fully fathom the reasons for the groups protest...but I do see yours as flawed. However, please notify us if a time for his release is set...I would be more than pleased to show up and set him free!

 

[Kolian]

...And those kittens, they've gotta go, too.