Greetings fellow readers!  As all of you can plainly see, Ubique Weekly is not a dead publication at all, in spite of how things might have sounded with an earlier issue.  The truth of the matter is, our Editor In Chief simply needed to take a leave of absence from putting together this newsletter.  After stepping into her shoes, I can see why!  This is a lot of work, but it is something I think is well worth the effort.  I have lots of things this week to share and many ideas for this publication, but it is my feeling that this should cater to you, the reader.  Do you have any suggestions about what sorts of things you would like to see in future issues?  Do not hesitate to let me know, and drop me a line at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  While I leave all of you with that question to consider, on with the news!

Top Story!

The following has been reposted as per The Nefarious SM's request.

Originally I was going to write an article that talked about the values of doing research about a topic before one posted about it in pubic boards, or used such things in role playing.  For example, if one wants to play a Celt from pre-Christian Britain, doing some research on this topic would be a great asset to giving the character depth and believability.
 
It occurred to me though that most readers out there already have this concept in mind, and taking this simple concept and stretching it out to a nice long article was too much work for my lazy self to want to accomplish at this time.  Besides, I came up with an idea that I liked a lot more to write about.
 
Getting submissions for Top Story articles is about as common as getting a glass of fresh water on Mars.  It is not beyond the realm of possibility, but it just has not happened yet.  So what to do about this frustration?  One thing that our Editor in Chief has done is tossed out so-called "homework" assignments to all the readers out there.  One common example is the challenge to hunt down someone and try to get them to join the UW mailing list.  It is an idea that is worth a shot, so I thought that I would give it a go.
 
Here is my challenge to all of you.  Actually, it is more of a contest.  Consider the following scenario:  Your favorite character is trapped in a featureless concrete cell with only the following items.  A copy of Highlights magazine, a pack of Juicy Fruit gum, a deck of playing cards, an ounce of unsweetened baker's chocolate, a 9-volt battery, a frizzy rainbow haired clown wig, and a note explaining that they would not be freed until they used all of the items in at least one fashion.  No magical or psionic abilities work while trapped.  What would your character do?  What sort of uses (if any) would your character put to the items in the room?  Send the answer to DarkAngelGenesis with the subject header  "Top Story."  I will go through these and post one of the results I get in the next Top Story.  Come on, don't be shy.  I would love to hear from all of you.

--DarkAngelGenesis
Storyline Spotlight Editor
Ubique's Weekly
Mutual Endeavors

There's a new establishment in town!  In a game of chance, one James Tanner became the proud new owner of a riverboat, and for the past few weeks he has been trying to figure out what to do with it.  As luck would have it, Mr. Tanner met an interested individual at the Rambling Rose Tavern one evening over what could be considered a cup of tea.  The businessman, known as Matherson Norris, was very interested to learn more about this riverboat that James had acquired.  After much discussion and a short interview process, Mr. Tanner and Mr. Norris came to an agreement on building a riverboat casino in the Rhy'Din area.  Mr. Norris was of the opinion that a riverboat casino is precisely what Rhy'Din needs, and his ideas seemed to inspire Mr. Tanner who hired Mr. Norris on as The Lady Luck's new head manager.

In a recent press release, Mr. Matherson Norris concluded that the staffing process is nearly complete and he would like to "get this show on the road."  Or water, as the case may be.  The Lady Luck is scheduled for its grand opening event this following Sunday (February 27, 2005) at 9:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.  Rhy'Din residents are all extended an open invitation to be a part of the grand opening event and are encouraged to bring pockets-full of money.  For The Lady Luck is a three deck riverboat casino with lots to offer in the way of gambling profit!  Win or lose, you shouldn't miss out on this.  Roulette to black jack and so much more, be sure to dress in your finest and expect to party hard.  This should be a night to remember.

The casino manager, Mr. Norris, would like to also inform the populace that The Lady Luck is expected to be a "safe environ for everyone looking to have a little fun."  Please remember to check your weapons at the door, as the casino owner would prefer the establishment to be a fighting free location.  Should any problems arise, rest assured that problematic patrons will be asked to leave the premises never to return.  "We have a strict policy," says Mr. Norris.  "Strictly enjoy yourselves.  And if can't let loose and do that, then we're going to have to ask you to leave.  The hard way."  While Mr. Norris has not revealed to us any secrets regarding the security of the casino, he does give off the impression that they won't be taking any chances.  "If you don't feel safe leaving your weapons at the door with Frank, Mike, or Hugo, then you don't belong here," says Mr. Norris.

Anyone interested in a little gambling fun is welcome to board The Lady Luck this Sunday (February 27, 2005) at 9:00 PM EST.  Even if you don't intend on squandering away your life savings, feel free to join in.  For the grand opening event, all drinks are "on the house."  Which pretty much means they're free!  There will also be a free food buffet courtesy of Ariana's Divine Delight's Bakery.  Expect to win big, make a few friends, and just plain have fun.  We'll see you there!

--DarkAngelGenesis
Storyline Spotlight Editor
Ubique's Weekly
Mutual Endeavors

This Just In

Runehound on the Rampage:  One night a couple of weeks ago, Twelve, the grikkyn bouncer at the SMI, heard a disturbance in the stables.  Upon investigation, he found the stables invaded by a Runehound.  Runehounds are bizarre aberrations, resembling dogs only in the body, leg and tail arrangement.  They have no head in front, having a huge fanged eyeless head on a snakelike neck emerging from their back.  The entire body is covered in a slimy integument of a mottled black and green color.  A Runehound has blindsight, possibly based on echolocation, and a strong psychic tracking sense.  It also has a kind of artillery, being able to spit either a spray of corrosive acid or a glob of strong adhesive.  On the whole, they are fast, relentless and savage killers with just enough intelligence to be taught to understand common speech, but not enough tractability to be made into safe pets or companions for any sane huntsman, animal handler, or arena beast-keeper.

Twelve is keeping it.  He has named it Mittens.

He has agreed to keep it out at Ariana's ranch, but it seems that Mittens has gotten used to Twelve and has tracked him back to the Silver Moon on several occasions.  One guest of that establishment has already suffered severe mental scarring just from seeing the freakish thing, and several others have been temporarily glued to the floor by Mittens more nervous reactions.

So far, Mittens seems to like Twelve, but that might be only because Twelve doesn't mind it when Mittens bites chunks out of him.  How Mittens is getting along with others seems to be a bit hit or miss, but so far it appear that Twelve has kept Mittens from dissolving anyone with acid.  Proceed with caution....

Unsolved Mysteries Rerun:  Anyone with information on various cases, including the murders of Aileen Hodgeson, Dorothy Peterson, Becky Johnson, Howard Conway, Patricia Miller, Stella Donaldson, and Paul and Mary Hanson is strongly urged to contact Deputy Marshall Wynter. Leave a message with the local PD, or a voice message at 940-555-7002.  Remember, your local authority needs your help to solve these cases.  You will not be asked to give your name or information about yourself.

Dear Somebody Rerun:  For the past month now we have included a repeated Headline concerning the idea of dedicating a new section to the newsletter that covers a question and answer series. Much like the Dear Abby seen in standard newspapers, we here at Ubique's Weekly are suggesting the implementation of a similar editorial dedicated to characters. Half of what we write is for the players, and the other half is for the characters. So why not give our characters another way of expressing themselves in their world? Recently the Editor In Chief submitted a query to one of our subscribers in hopes of adding a new name to the list of Ink Wire Associates. We're glad to announce that they said YES! It's Dear Ava, as in Ava the Kestriel (SN: The Multifarious). We look forward to this new section of the newsletter and with any luck, this section shall be up by next week.

--DarkAngelGenesis
Storyline Spotlight Editor
Ubique's Weekly
Mutual Endeavors

Filling in the shoes of

--The Elusive Jess
Collaborative Headline Editor
Ubique's Weekly
Mutual Endeavors

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