Ubique's Weekly

A Mutual Endeavors Publication 

Issue #25 ~ 9 February 2004

The Blurb

Storyline Spotlight

The Lair of Hmte: The plot of land in which Hmte has made it's lair is known to be easy walking distance of the Silver Moon Inn. Onto this land someone built a two-story house, with an attic, some time ago. A mansion which had been on the market for some time when it was bought by Old Man Moore. Rimbo Moore had been an adventurer in his youth. He partook of a rich haul from the hoard of a dragon. Perhaps some of it was enchanted; certainly Moore started demonstrating some dragonish traits. He felt a strong urge to take his share of the treasure and hide it away, never spending or displaying it. He bought the house and the land surrounding, hid his treasure away somewhere in it, and kept guard over it for the next thirty years. The house he maintained not at all; he invested in a good roof, and excellent bars and locks, and then let the dust of decades accumulate. He then would sit for hours in one chair in one room, then move to another one, barely sleeping, eating meager foods, and burning twigs to keep himself warm in the wintertime.

Through all this time, Hmte was growing. Somehow, the colony established itself more or less directly under the house. Shortly after Hmte achieved sentience, it shed it's timidity and killed Moore, leaving the house proper abandoned.

It is now a dilapidated structure. The front door has not been used in a generation, and the gardens and topiary are wild and unkempt. The back door was once quite solid, but has been reduced to kindling. The explosion inflicted by Mithril, the ensuing turmoil the subterranean colony of Hmte, and the massive snowfall this year have all resulted in the house slowly collapsing into it's own foundation. There is some good furniture inside, jumbled and dusty, almost all on the crooked and warped ground floor; Moore cleared the second floor and the attic in order to simplify his own security. Very little of Hmte's activity can be seen in the open surfaces; it generally uses the crawlspaces and dumbwaiter to get around within the house.

The cellar is by this time full of rubble and timber. The shattered construction has been rebuilt for Hmte's purposes, the result being that anyone who isn't a two foot long ant will not be able to make it through without difficulty. As for the lair of Hmte proper, below the cellar, it is known that the larder, and quite probably the first chamber of the colony, is a natural cavity that was once the carcass of a huge creature, possibly a dragon itself. It was hollowed out by Hmte simply eating the flesh of the creature away, and the resultant cave is lined with an almost complete skeleton.

No one has yet found the treasure of Rimbo Moore.

(Editor's note: Makes you just want to have your character turn into a treasure hunter, doesn't it?)

This Just In

Headlines

Sanitation Bulletin: Public Heath Officials have advised that people avoid the East End of the Rhy'Din slums as the plague is continuing to spread. If the progress is not halted soon, the entire section of town will be placed under quarantine. Any doctors, healers, or other beings with medical training or magical healing abilities willing to volunteer their services would be more than welcome.

Silver Moon Simplification: Late Saturday evening the entire hired staff of the Silver Moon Inn were called to a meeting to discuss the current status and business of the establishment. While very few of our reporters were allowed access to the meeting, we were still able to scrounge up some information. After several hours of debate and discussion, it seems that some new policies were set down in stone. Among these is the rumor of a new and set schedule. Already we have seen progress being made of sign construction that is to be posted in the front window of the Inn. The press was told that from now on the Silver Moon Inn should be expected to be open seven days a week between the hours of 8:00 pm and 5:00 am (EST), all the time. Apparently the mysterious Management whipped the employees into shape and got them all to agree upon a schedule. There are also rumors of a couple new employees. One of which was said to be spotted Sunday night. A strange and energetic woman by the name of L (SMI LSama). She was working in the company of the elfess known as Gem (Gemethyst, SMI Gem), and it is presumed that the elfess was training the new employee. It's great to know that one of Rhydin's hot spots will now be open for business on a set schedule from here on out.

Surveys Continue: The mysterious armored men continue to prowl about the greater Rhydin area conducting what appears to be surveys. Lately, however, it seems that their focus has narrowed down quite a bit. Mostly they have been spotted examining parks, the starport, the seaport, and several buildings surrounding the Silver Moon Inn. We are still quite unsure what it is they are looking for, and none of our reports have been able to get an answer from any of them. In fact, most of them spend the night in the hospital after being brave enough to ask.

Time-Space Fluctuations: There have been odd occurrences happening around the greater Rhydin earlier this past week. Local scientists and researchers proclaim that there some sort of rip in the time-space continuum. In connection to this, reports have been filed concerning digital watches getting stock on the time of 3:20 for hours at a time and then blinking back and resetting to the appropriate time. There does not to be any particular or precise length of time this lasts for, but it has also been known to be effecting regular clocks and various time-telling devices around the globe.

In Other News...

Ahriman (TheAngraMaiynu): No news this week.

Aldous the Axe (SMI Axe): No news this week.

Alexander Woods (Terra Nephilim): No news this week.

Alquin (Woodland Shield): A mysterious stranger dressed entirely in white has been seen recently prowling the streets of Rhydin. Last month it was rumored that he was caught in discussion with a female elf by the name of Gem (Gemethyst) concerning the Invasion of Hmte. Sent to seek out Don and Syd Harada, the stranger in white ventured into the Silver Moon Inn this past week. There he did happen to meet Syd and discuss with her as many details about Hmte that she was willing to share. Since that time he has not been seen.

Andrea Knight (Gaian Rampage): The Glass Walker was seen briefly at the Silver Moon this week. She cooed over Gem's new baby, met with Irina and Cat, and purloined a bunch of rolls and twice baked potatoes from the buffet table. She claims to be on the run from both her twin and her foster family, offering no explanation for either situation.

Anna (AriannaRavenwood): The blue sister, along with her husband Galen (Galen Ravenwood) and son Brion, remains at her husband's clan lands with her twin sister and her immediate family.

Ariana (ArianaMacGyldren): The green sister, along with her husband Galen (Galen MacGyldren) and daughter Elaine (Elaine Aqua), continues to reside at her husband and brother in law's clan lands. She worries about her one heartson Neko (Jibudoka Neko) after the letter she received from him speaking of fighting the orcs. Ariana made an appearance at the Silver Moon Inn this past week with a few of her canines (Fritzs Pack) to touch base with her friends and revealed the news about her youngest son Banshee (Banshee Aqua) being killed defending a monastery from orcs. After that public appearance, the green sister has returned to private mourning and is planning to avenge her son's murder.

Arienh Crowther-Driscol (Arienh Driscol): No news this week.

Auggy (TSgtBenson): No news this week.

Calypso (Lady Proudfoot): Still missing.

Captain Merriam "Heavy Metal" Harris, USAF (Retired) (Heavy Metal Mer): The Virtual Adept is recuperating, having been on the receiving end of the beating of her life. Typical, when you pretend to be an undercover cop in Pittsburgh and a drug bust goes bad...

Carmine (TaciturnMerc): Still battling those ants. He has also cleaned out a nest of kobold squatters and saw to it that they moved on to some other place, chased off some crazy kid that was in the process of stealing all the garden rakes from a shed, and continues to search about for his cat. He is also on the lookout for that perfect gift to give to Dris as his birthday is very close.

Cassiel (InvertedDarkness): Is spending time singing to the spirits that are dwelling within Vadriel's abode. When he is not doing that, he has been seen within various libraries doing research on some project of his own.

Chase LeMonde (Chase LeMonde): On patrol more frequently these days, what with the overabundance of invasions. He had a confrontation with one of those surveying armored guys with an exchange of antagonism. He's also been spending a lot of time at Hammer's garage, getting his ride upgraded.

Chaus (Wake up caIl): No news this week.

Colleen MacLeod (PrlUnicorn): Collie was spotted at the Silver Moon Inn twice on Sunday evening. Once to cover her duties as an employee and much later in the evening, or morning as it may have been. It is said that she spoke shortly with Sulrin concerning her daughter Rachael, and then later spoke about the same concerns with Shun (XShunkun). The resident spy known as Ehz (Ehzoterik) had some information to share about the affairs of Akito and Rae, but shortly after giving it Collie and Shun ventured off to have some private conversation.

Corey (Corey Elfkin, Corey Elfkinn): No news this week.

D (Duncan H Harper): He's probably seemed moodier than usual lately, and with no apparent reason whatsoever. He's also been seen swinging around the parks lately, anywhere that Hmte has been spotted in the past ... and if anyone could see the look on his face, it could be surmised he's looking for a fight.

Deputy Marshall Wynter (Rachael Wynter): The scarred law woman in black continues to investigate various crime sprees. Yet again, that's kept her too busy to appear in public this past week.

Diana Lasher (Fragile Fury): No news this week.

Doctor Maranya Tatiana Valkonan (Maranya Valkonan): She's tending to her patients as usual. Her usual duties have kept the good Doctor busy and as a result she didn't appear in public at all this past week.

Drake Valkonan (Drake Valkonan): No news this week.

Dris (BardGaIIant): It seems that Dris has recently given himself a reason to get out of the house more often for the next two weeks. According to the schedule he has volunteered to open the Silver Moon Inn three nights out of the week. He has spending more time opening lately than he normally would, and he's really enjoying meeting the new people he has missed out on during his absent times. Among them he met one of the other staff members before the big meeting, a man by the name of Joker (SMI Joker). He was witness to Joker being dragged off for some fun times by some form of ratlike creature that our sources have confirmed to be a tiefling. Since then, Dris hasn't seen Joker. Sunday evening was mostly calming, until a crazed man proclaiming to be a "child of light" decided to target him as some sort of "chosen one," and later his "brother." Before the night was over, he helped Seamus escape some sort of inevitable coddling doom and talked to him about some things he learned from Syd earlier in the week. The "family" seems to be having all sorts of trouble all around and he's throwing his hand back in to offer any assistance that he can.

Dr. Newborn (Nigel Newborn): No news this week.

Ehzoterik VonArcanum Tempestas (Ehzoterik): The world was doomed in the wee hours of Monday morning when Ehz decided to pay a visit to the Silver Moon Inn. There she listened in on an argument between Akito (XHayama) and Rachael MacLeod. Personally she thought Akito was being very mean and didn't hesitate to tell people this. People who happened to be Collie (PrlUnicorn) and Shun (XShunkun) who showed up some time after the other two had left. She also met a bard by the name of Sebastian who she thought was very nice. As well as a Lombax named Marx and some other guy named Vahn, she made quite a few new friends. After somewhat listening to some jerk harass the patrons long after the last tender had left for the evening, she finally registered that she was seeing the mysterious Grant face to face. That caused a switch to flip in her addled little brain and she didn't hesitate to tell him where to stuff his attitude. But after listening to him grumble for a while she thought perhaps to give him a chance and impart some optimism to him.

Ehz told Grant that he should not be so presumptuous of everyone who is judging him so harshly. He seems to be obsessed with Gem to the point of intolerance of others. Claiming to love her, Ehz told him that if he really did love her he would be a little more accepting of all those people Gem holds dear. It might have ended with Grant assuming Ehz to be just another enemy had she not told him that not everyone holds grudges. Maybe, just maybe, there will be some changes in the air.

Elaine (Elaine Aqua): Elaine continues to make batches of cinnamon rolls for the person who got her bad dreams to stop.

Emmy (Empress Grayfur): Has found a new fondness for tumbling in balls of yarn.

Erasimus Greene (PersistanceTime): After granting Gem her favor, he has taken off once more. She hangs around scary people! Besides, he has a bucketful of hairpins to deliver and cannot afford any more delays.

Faye: She Who Tends the Dead (Faye Random): Still hibernating.

Fox Pepper (Rings Twice): Still unemployed.

Fury (ReversedHaIo): No news this week.

Gem (Gemethyst): Other than training one of the new Silver Moon employees, we don't have much news on Gem at all.

Irina Braeden (Irina Braeden): In this week's installment, Irina's working at her new job, no Metroid attacks!, fought with and made up with her friends, dated Auggy, gotten rabies shots, a windfall of gold from a mysterious benefactor and a pooch named Jake, hits the local inns almost every night and yet she still finds time to work on the next issue of Bright Suns. All in all, a pretty typical week for this native Rhydin resident. Stay tuned.

J (Duncan J Harper): Still not gone, still not forgotten ... ask the master printing chief.

Jack Bishop (Jackrabbit Blue): From meeting dragons to searching for the meaning of life, Jack's life moves on. His employer Doc 'Anya (Maranya Valkonan) bought he and his girlfriend Nerissa each cell phones as perks of the job. He's watched his friends bicker back and forth. Met someone somewhat like him. Overall he's had a good week. If you don't count the times he thought he was going to be skinned alive.

Jade (Irreverent Jade): Still pretty much a vegetable.

Johan (Johan the Hunter): He appeared fairly quiet and midbeat (as opposed to upbeat) at Saturday night's meeting. Maybe he has stuff on his mind, maybe his exhaustion as of late is catching up more and more with him, maybe he's worried about the missing Zel... no one really knows.

Joshua (Fashion Error): Having recently arrived in Rhy'Din, he was pointed in the direction of an inn and has been staying there for some time. However, the Red Dragon Inn has proved to be far too irritating a place to rest in. For one thing the neighbors are noisy, fights break out on a daily basis, and he keeps getting propositioned by some strange girl who wears nothing more than a pink, glitzy string bikini. He has packed up all his things, mounted Old Nag (his rather shabby looking horse) and demanded that he be taken to a more respectable (or at least quieter) establishment.

Kakabel (FrameworkMemento): No news this week.

Kevin (Kevin N Summers): No news this week.

Kymeera: The Nightmare Keeper (The Dream Warden): Glory! He has found a new toy to torment on a repeating basis! Woe be to Morgan Knight ever wanting to have a nice night's sleep for a while.

Mallora (Ma11ora): The high priestess is out of the realms this week as she was last week. It is expected that she will be back to celebrate her birthday this upcoming Saturday.

Matakhat Cain (Matakhat Cain): No news this week.

Matriel (Rarefied Rain): Word has reached her ear that something amazing is to be seen within the land of Rhy'Din, so she has decided to pay a visit, taking her warm spring showers with her.

Melly (Melanie Wyndham): The shy relief baker and counter help at Ariana's Divine Delights Bakery has yet to tend at the Silver Moon Inn.

Mesteno (Bronze Mesteno): Two confrontations with a certain troublemaker known as Grant, further unfortunate snake encounters due to out of control magic and a friend mutilated by a serial killer would be enough to spoil anyone's week. Unless you're Mesteno that is. Then you spend the rest of the time with "tunnel vision" over Michael despite best efforts to do otherwise and even feel determined enough to jump back on the wagon again. It was a typical mix of violence and sappiness for the gangly sadist.

Mestrangelo (MestrangeIo): No news this week.

Mithril/Gadreel/Lusus (ASaintOfSinners): Has been one very busy beaver. Recently he met with a pagan goddess who seems to have taken some interest in his personal affairs and was made aware of his nephew's recent birth. He has chosen to keep his promise and not directly involve himself in the child's life.

Morgan Knight (Morgan Rampage): Now the victim of permanent nightmare syndrome thanks to a deal he made with Kymeera.

Mozart (AmadaeusFelidae): Still missing.

Nerissa Siallie (Nerissa Siallie): No news this week.

Nicole Brock Anorlasvessë (Nicole E Brock): No news this week.

Ophelia (EspressoBlues): On the lookout for new and exotic coffees and teas to add to the stock in her shop. Still very curious as to what Ra is up to, but he seems to be in a very good mood so she is not complaining. At least not yet.

Parhi Grimjaws (The Multifarious): No News this week.

Pleione (Stellar Balinese): Ever the watchful kitty, she has been spending all of her time watching over Rei as if she expects him to vanish into thin air at any given moment. She is also still not responding to anything Gem says to her.

Rachael MacLeod (RachaeI MacLeod): Was seen leaving the inn after an argument with Akito (XHayama). Their conversations always seem to turn into arguments these days. An eyewitness has claimed that, "Akito was being mean, but not loud." This same witness also proclaimed that Rae pretty much told Sulrin (SMI Sulrin) that he was "free of her," which was presumed to mean that a relationship of some sort was over.

Ramiel (Ember Shade): No news this week.

Randall Woods (Elaborate Guns): No news this week.

Rei (AmethystStarfall): He is no longer interested in wasabi, and now more interested in milk. He is having great fun with the "lets wake up mommy and demand her attention just as she drifts off to sleep" game. He seems to calm down when he takes notice of a certain watchful feline.

Rekah (Rekah Dravina): No news this week.

Revari: The Daydream Weaver (KaleidoscopeWhim): No news this week.

Rhiannon Brock (Rhiannon D Brock): No news this week.

Robin (Robin Kalahola): No news this week.

Rose Hayes Valkonan (Electrum Rose): She was seen earlier this week, keeping company in the Keep with Gem and a few other individuals. Likely this week will keep the Cultist scarce as her time draws near.

Seamus Wylie (Seamus Wylie): No news this week.

Shiver (The Multifarious): Shiver the white dragon had an interesting conversation with Joe Yamada in the Red Dragon Keep Friday night. He learned about tank killing weapons, enough to begin contemplating his own use of some. Oh great, a white dragon with depleted uranium warheads...

Stephen Valkonan (Stephen Valkonan): As usual, he's been busy. He and Cat did Rose a 'favor' early in the week by buying her a new set of clothes. Of course that set off explosions when Irina misunderstood the duo's intentions and accused them of trying to change the girl. Of course that didn't last long when he delivered the computer he'd ordered for Irina's job at the Holotheater. They talked things over and apologies were made all around, so for the moment the waters are calm again. More recently, due to events at Northedge, he has a lot of time on his hands and has both been working on private projects, and entertaining the idea of getting a feline friend--an Abyssinian. He does wonder how Cat's dog will react...

Suriel (Thirteenthchange): No news this week.

Sydney and Donatello Harada (SmileFang, DonatalIo Harada): No news this week.

Terrance Tomar-Duncan (Terrance Tomar): Terrance is still staying indoors for the most part, working on gods-know-what geek projects. He was spotted one afternoon this week at a local leatherworker's shop and various home improvement warehouses.

Tomas Dante Diablo (Rev DiabIo, Revered Tengu): No news this week.

Troy (Troy Embry): No news this week.

Vadriel (Vadriel de Guise): Reclusive as ever, the heretic has been trying to get back into contact with his old tormentor David, and on a slightly less serious note, been puzzled over the disappearance of half of his clothes.

Valleana (Va11eana): She is also out of the realms with her mother. Valleana would like to throw a little get together in Mallora's honor sometime when they return.

Wilhelm "Dozer" Braun (SMI Dozer): No news this week.

Yoshi (KitsuneNineTails): He has built a giant dinosaur made out of leaves, concrete blocks, garden rakes, and industrial strength wire tubing. The park officials claim it is an eyesore and are working on taking it down, as well as hunt down who is responsible for this odd structure that seemingly bloomed overnight. Village kids however love it. He has also been sighted invading vampire taverns with a magic marker and changing all the labels of "bloodwyne" so that they all now read "Bloodwine."

Zelphina (XZeIphina): Still missing.

Classifieds

Ariana's Divine Delights Bakery : Mutual Endeavors and Ubique's Weekly would like to invite all our readers to become a part of a Rhydin-wide phenomenon that has long since slipped under the noses of the populace. For those of you who remember the good old days of AOL's message boards, we would like to remind one and all that nothing is ever completely lost in this day and age. Perhaps one way that we can all achieve our goals of keeping our storylines on the same track is to make use of this forgotten treasure. Therefore, it is our great pleasure to direct everyone's attention to the existence of Ariana's Divine Delights Bakery. With the creator's permission, we are welcoming one and all to read, write, and enjoy the glory that is storytelling through the use of message boards. May the entertainment continuously flow in unison with those overwhelming waves of creative juices!

*               *               *

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it : Currently seeking a local guide for their documentary crew. Any individuals with an intimate knowledge of the area and giant ants are asked to respond to this publication. Bayview Productions is prepared to pay handsomely for this service. For more information please contact them curtesy of Ink Wire Associates.

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it : Are pesky Pixies pirating your poultry? Dagger Drakes diving in your dough? Sarduvian Razor mice dicing your delicatessen? Irritating Insects invading your Igloo? Just call the IDPC. Inter-Dimensional Pest Control, we handle anything from the smallest flea, to the grandest giant. No job too big, none too small. 100% money back guarantee. Coming Soon to Your Town!

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it : Dealer and Procurer of All Things. Specialties Include: Rare Books, Antiques, Modern Machinery. Discretion and Satisfaction Guaranteed. Contact Ink Wire Associates for more information.

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it : Local hotshot photographer seeking work! Looking for someone to capture all those memorable moments on professional designer print? Kevin N Summers may be just the person you've been looking for! He works with artistic shots, action shots, wedding photos (which can be bought as a whole package with the services of Kelly's Catering Company). You want it, you name it! Commission operates on a sliding scale to suit the customers' needs. Any interested parties can contact Mr. Summers by writing to Nick Summers c/o Ink Wire Associates, or by calling our offices and asking for Nick Summers.

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it : Missing: One male black and white tuxedo cat. Stocky build, with greenish gold eyes. Answers to the name of Mozart. If you have information on this cat please leave a message with Carmine either at Driscol Manor or the Silver Moon Inn. There is a reward of 25 gold coins for his safe return. The gold is guaranteed to be genuine.

Silver Moon Inn : Looking for a good place for your characters to meet and interact? Ubique's Weekly and Mutual Endeavors are firm supporters of the Silver Moon Inn, located in the member created rooms under Arts & Entertainment. But before you jump on in and join the fray, you should take a moment to look over the Rules & Regulations that correspond to the environment. Once you've grown accustomed as to what to expect, feel free to see what the SMI might have in store for you.

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it : Ubique's Weekly is a publication provided by the not-for-profit organization known as Mutual Endeavors. As a free source of literary entertainment, you as the reader have the liberty to send out copies of our publication to whomever you think might enjoy the information shared. To save yourselves the hassle of constantly forwarding what you might find amusing, feel free at any time to inform your friends and coconspirators to contact the Editor to request their very own future copies of Ubique's Weekly at no cost to them whatsoever. It's as simple as clicking this link here above.

Announcements

Final Thoughts

Updates: Always remember that any future Ubique's Weekly submissions are always due the Sunday before every expected delivery date. UW is issued every Monday morning to afternoon, depending on how long it takes me to put everything together and send it off to the printers. Comments, questions, updates, additions, announcements, advertisements, etceteras are always welcome for every issue. While some may make it to the front page, there is no guarantee that all submissions will be printed. However, your thoughts are always encouraged to be shared. Just remember to send all of these aforementioned things to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it no later than Sunday at midnight EST. I constantly look forward to hearing from each and every one of you.

Keeping you informed,
--Nefarious SM
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