Ubique's Weekly

A Mutual Endeavors Publication 

Issue #23 ~ 26 January 2004

The Blurb

For those of you who are members of the Mutual Endeavors AOL Group community, I would just like to toss out a few reminders. At the rate our numbers are growing, one of these days I'm going to have to create a full-fledged interactive website. I have ideas, but I'm not entirely all-powerful. So either I'll be working on one, or maybe one of you loyal members might want to give it a go. Who knows what the future has in store? All we know for now is that the Mutual Endeavors Group page has a lot of options at its disposal. Among these is the Community Calendar. It can be used to bring attention to events such as personal player birthdays, character birthdays, anniversaries, or even upcoming planned storyline events. Take your pick and be creative. Don't hesitate to make use of the tools in front of you. They are for everybody after all.

Storyline Spotlight

Northedge and Northedge Academy: This area of Rhydin, approximately two miles north of "downtown," is home to several familiar inhabitants, including the Haradas (DonatelIo Harada and SmileFang), Seamus (Seamus Wylie), Rose (A Stray Rose) and Cat (Matakhat Cain). It's a pleasant, almost suburban neighborhood, dotted with occasional shops but mostly homes, for all levels of income. The roads are almost up to modern code, with the buildings set well back, with generous yards and frequent patches of woodland. Probably the largest lot in the area is the home of Northedge Academy, formerly a factory that had been converted into an apartment complex, then was bought by Donatello Harada and converted further into one of Rhydin's few schools. It's a large, almost fortress-like building, four stories high and made of mostly sandstone, with gray stone detailing. Stables and dormitories are attached and a forest surrounds it on three sides, a wide, circular gravel driveway leading up to the front. It's a boarding school for K-12, mostly wealthy students, but with a few charity cases taken in every year, on the basis that every child deserves a chance to learn.

This Just In

Headlines

Budget Cuts: Limbo Interdimensional Postal Service announces that it will no longer serve the Greater Rhydin area. Due to recent budget cuts, services have to be cut. Postal customers should seek service from other carriers.

Bunny Boom: Local residents have sent in several complaints concerning an overpopulation of the hare variety in Rhydin. That being rabbits. It seems that an over-joyful young woman has been scouring the countryside in search of victims in need of a little happiness in their lives. She offers this by giving out free baby rabbits. Cute, cuddly, and absolutely irresistible, far too many residents have been gifted with new pets over the course of the past few days. At the rate in which homeowners have welcomed these animals into their homes, speculators conclude that it won't be long now before Rhydin suffers its very own infestation.

Invasion Could Lead to War: Several reports of orc attacks have been reported in the last week. There is a large influx of farmers into Rhydin from the outlying farmlands. It appears the orcs are snatching up farmland. Perhaps they are planning on supplying a major war effort in Rhydin, it's hard to tell at this point.

Public Persecutions: There have been reports of several incidents as of late concerning groups of heavily armored men matching the description given of the one who threatened one of our UW reporters a few months back (see UW Issue #11). These soldiers have been spotted in various points around Rhydin, seemingly observing and taking notes on small personal computing devices. When approached, people are usually greeted with either cold, sterile responses, annoyed hostility, or on rare occasions a swift bludgeoning with some manner of telescopic club. Otherwise, they've only been surveying and taking notes quietly.

Pyrotechnic Conspiracy: At some time earlier in this past week, a family known as the Osbourne's were decimated in a nighttime raid by the Haradas. According to investigative reports, Lord Michael Osbourne was the patriarch of a slave-holding clan whose history extends back for centuries. It is claimed that Lord Michael's eldest son Rufus was the owner of the escaped slave Rose, and was chiefly responsible for her discipline when she was recaptured (before she was bought and freed by one Matakhat Caine). Coroner reports have named the deceased to be Lord Michael himself, his wife, younger son Borigard, and daughter Carreen. Younger daughter Chrissy was not slain, but was unaccounted for when the house was gutted by fire. In the course of the destruction a number of giant ants were seen in the vicinity; given the disturbances in the Osbourne's' landscape, it seems likely that a colony of such creatures was growing in the vicinity. The fire collapsed a large section of the house onto the disturbed section of gardens, so there is a possibility that this colony no longer exists. Human rights activists ensured that the large slave population of the Osbourne Manor was sent away before the destruction began.

Threat to Society: Based on numerous anonymous tips, authorities are seeking one Carver Mephisto in connection with the Tablesetter Murders. Readers are warned not to approach Carver. If he is spotted, contact the authorities immediately.

In Other News...

Ahriman (TheAngraMaiynu): Still working on a new hobby. Be afraid.

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

Alexander Woods (Terra Nephilim): His mother still acknowledges him in the womb. Will she when he comes out?

Anna (AriannaRavenwood): The blue sister, along with her husband Galen (Galen Ravenwood) and son Brion, continues to stay 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. Ariana made an appearance at the Silver Moon Inn this past week to touch base with her friends. She also found out that her heart brother Seamus (Seamus Wylie) has a new interest in his life, Rose (A Stray Rose).

Auggy (TSgtBenson): Tech. Sergeant August Benson has been given a clunky old gunship to support patrol efforts related to the Hmte threat. Rumor also has it that he has a date coming up with a certain sketch artist.

Calypso (Lady Proudfoot): Recently attended a local cat show to investigate what the rabble was doing. Her opinion: peasants.

Captain Merriam "Heavy Metal" Harris, USAF (Retired) (Heavy Metal Mer): This week held a bit of a tumult, as it saw the parting of ways between the Virtual Adept and her six-month beau, Royce Kingsley. Apparently Royce has returned to his homeland. Mer has simply returned to the Wing and set up shop there, as much as possible, since she destroyed a good half of her operating equipment in the chaos of departure.

Carmine (TaciturnMerc): He has has seen various black tuxedo cats turned in by people wanting to collect the reward, but none of them have been Mozart.

Cassiel (InvertedDarkness): Intent on paying Revari a visit in order to get his ring back.

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

Colleen MacLeod (PrlUnicorn): No news this week.

Corey (Corey Elfkin, Corey Elfkinn): The timid, elf-life painter was slaughtered along with all the other members of his traveling party. It appears that they are among the first victims of a hordes of orcs sweeping through the areas surrounding Rhydin.

D (Duncan H Harper): He's back out and about, and on the prowl. People may have spotted him here and there, in the park, around the SMI, beating people on the side of the roads, whatever.

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

Deputy Marshall Wynter (Rachael Wynter): The scarred law woman in black continues to investigate various crime sprees. That's kept her too busy to appear in public again this past 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): The Scientist is enjoying semi-retirement immensely. He hasn't come out of the lab in some time.

Dris (BardGaIIant): Other than rolling his eyes at all the non-Mozart cats he has seen this past week, Dris has been very scarce. Mostly spending his time at home working on various commissions.

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

Ehzoterik VonArcanum Tempestas (Ehzoterik): Much to the friendly neighborhood psychopath's dismay, another game of Hide and Go Seek flopped. This time she got tired of waiting for Mesteno to come find her, so she decided to skip on over to the Medieval Tavern to see what was going on. Failing miserable in her attempt to ice skate with them, she satisfied herself by building a snowman next to the porch of the Tavern. Chances are it's still there with the way the weather has been lately. After returning home she was astounded some few days later to find a basket on her doorstep. In it were two adorable bunnies that she just couldn't resist. Naming them Alice and Mr. Bun-Bun, she took them in to add to her growing Limbo family. Surprisingly enough these two rabbits seemed to be rather active in the mating department and Ehz has been madly dashing about the varied realms handing off baby bunny presents to random passersby. Apparently she thinks this is a fabulous way of adding joy to peoples' lives.

Elaine (Elaine Aqua): The most adorable little girl in the entire Multiverse's bad dreams continue.

Erasimus Greene (PersistanceTime): Back in town looking for 24 multicolored bobby pins. This endeavor has gotten him slapped seven different times by seven different women.

Faye: She Who Tends the Dead (Faye Random): Hibernating.

Fox Pepper (Rings Twice): Unemployed.

Fury (ReversedHaIo): No news this week.

Gem (Gemethyst): No news this week.

Jack Bishop (Jackrabbit Blue): Mr. Blue has been spending a great deal of time lately getting in touch with his inner self. A few times he has enjoyed the company of Stephen (Stephen Valkonan), Cat (Matakhat Cain), Morgan (Morgan Rampage), and Irina (Irina Braeden) in such places as the Red Dragon Inn Keep and the Silver Moon Inn. A trip to the Near Dreaming awarded him with a new weapon that he calls simply Knife. Jokes have been tossed around left and right which have awarded him with an influx of Epiphany that he's not sure he can handle, being in such great quantities. He constantly wonders about his relationship with Nerissa (Nerissa Siallie), and whether or not it is going anywhere. Yet he is happy where he's at. It's been a very good week for the only resident Kithain in Rhydin. Most of his immense energy he has spent on building snow castles and other lawn adornments in his free time at Doc 'Anya's (Maranya Valkonan) ranch.

Jade (Irreverent Jade): Still institutionalized.

Jeremy Alexander Aqua (Banshee Aqua): Ari's youngest son has gone off to meet the orcish horde which has laid siege to a Ji'mar monastery in a distant land.

Johan (Johan the Hunter): Johan has taken the matters of Elaine's bad dreams into his own hands and gone to have a talk with Reynard, the god of dreams. Knowing that Reynard was giving Elaine bad dreams as revenge for Ariana overtaxing his daughter Sasha, the goddess of time, Johan was displeased and made the whole spiel about how it's wrong to make innocents suffer for revenge. His argument partially being that Sasha is a grown woman and can make her own decisions. It's unclear whether Reynard acquiesced to these pleadings, or if Johan beat the living ever-loving shit out of him, but Elaine's nightmares shouldn't last much longer.

Kakabel (FrameworkMemento): Discovering constant meditation and prayer to be a waste of time and effort, the amnesiatic fallen angel has taken to wandering around the monastery trying to find some more physical things to do. Such as help with the gardening.

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

Kymeera: The Nightmare Keeper (The Dream Warden): Some locals have been whispering about seeing what appears to be a hyena-don with a seriously disgusting case of the mange in their dreams lately. Whether or not these flash images are at all related to the Nightmare Keeper remain a mystery, but chances are he has his grubby little fingers involved.

Mallora (Ma11ora): Mallora and Valleana will be gone to Valtash the first two weeks of Feb. But will return just in time for Mallora's birthday (the 14th).

Matakhat Cain (Matakhat Cain): It was a busy week for Cat. It started off with a bad tooth being pulled. Could her pastry diet finally be catching up with her? On a happier note, she witnessed the freedom of Rose and also Seamus. Later, she received a strange visit from an apparition she identified as the youngest member of the Osbourne family, all of whom died tragically in a fire earlier in the week. Stephen Valkonan accompanied her to the funeral.

Matriel (Rarefied Rain): No news this week.

Melly (Melanie Wyndham): The shy relief baker and counter help at Ariana's Divine Delights Bakery still hasn't tended at the Silver Moon Inn yet.

Mesteno (Bronze Mesteno): The sadist had been under a great deal of strain due to the collapse of one particular friendship, and has been somewhat avoiding spending time in public where he might be forced into a confrontation over his relationship with Michael Anders. Eager to take his mind off problems, he's signed up for some particularly dangerous Field Work with the Syndicate and been attempting to finish making the Funeral Home Cassiel and Revari procured for him into a livable environment. What might otherwise have been a peaceful week was ruined when he was rudely awoken at gun point during one of his sporadic outdoor naps by Lex, and shot in the foot when he refused to cooperate. A trip to Vadriel's remedied the injury.

Mestrangelo (MestrangeIo): No news this week.

Mithril/Gadreel/Lusus (ASaintOfSinners): Still busy.

Morgan Knight (Morgan Rampage): While Morgan would like to think he's shaken up Rhydin since he came, the reverse is probably far more true. Having acquired a sizable chunk of business assets in an exceptional deal, he is working hard on the Holotheater, hoping to have it finished by the end of the month. Not likely there, as Morgan is continually being sidetracked by the theft of swords, and now has a long-lost sister suddenly popping out of the woodwork!

Mozart (AmadaeusFelidae): Still missing.

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

Ophelia (EspressoBlues): One fine day she turned on the TV one day just wanting to kick back, relax and watch a little of the History Channel. But instead, the magically Ehzified enchanted TV showed her the Silver Moon Inn overrun with Hmte ants. So she just turned it off and went to bed.

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

Rachael MacLeod (RachaeI MacLeod): No news this week.

Ramiel (Ember Shade): Still mysteriously working on a secret project that has Ophelia on the edge of her seat.

Randall Woods (Elaborate Guns): Randall has set up house in a small cabin far far away, spatially and dimensionally, from Rhydin. He has vowed not to return. He spends his days watching over his insane adopted daughter Jade (Irreverent Jade).

Rei (AmethystStarfall): Coffee, cheescake, with wasabi!

Rekah (Rekah Dravina): No news this week.

Revari: The Daydream Weaver (KaleidoscopeWhim): The creepy little girl has been seen on a fair number of occasions this week. Both in the physical realm and in various dreams. Among these visits she has kept Mesteno from harming his dearest friend and delivered cryptic messages to Morgan Knight on account of his closest friend Stephen Valkonan. It is still a mystery to most as to what her agenda is, but they may just find out that it's not as complex as it seems.

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

Robin (Robin Kalahola): No news this week.

Rose (Electrum Rose): Still pregnant.

Royce Kingsley (Royce Kingsley): Evidently any rumors of a reported falling-out between Royce and Merriam (Heavy Metal Mer) may have some credence, as Royce has abruptly sold all of his Rhydin holdings at a significant loss and returned home.

Seamus Wylie (Seamus Wylie): A big week for Seamus, in many ways. Stephen Valkonan presented Seamus and Rose with two very important documents in the Silver Moon on Tuesday night -- their freedom papers. Rose's were legal, signed by Cat right there in the SMI. Seamus' are forged, as his owner is long dead, but will suffice if he is ever taken in by the police again. This provoked such a flurry of happiness from the two ex-slaves, including physical reactions like holding hands and spontaneous kisses, that there are now rumors flying that the two have become a real couple -- unheard of for the comittment-phobic Seamus, who's long been known for shunning monogamy. However unlikely, he did seem quite cheerful during his shift on Friday night, much more relaxed than usual. It's possible that the rumors are true, after all.

Stephen Valkonan (Stephen Valkonan): Well, he's been busy. First, he finished the project that had been in progress for Seamus and Rose, which resulted in their freedom. He's been doing the normal thing, that is to say, being a teaching assistant at Northedge Academy. He escorted Cat (Matakhat Cain) to the funeral of the Osbourne family on Saturday morning. Saturday night was the...sort of successful assessment of Morgan's sword. Turns out the werewolf 'thief' was really Morgan's twin sister Andrea, trying to return the artifact to her pack. After a confusing and harrowing number of hours, in which Stephen was flamed at, he returned to Rhydin to pick up a few bad habits--namely smoking and drinking. Is this what the youth of our future are becoming?

Suriel (Thirteenthchange): Recently, the angel of death has been seen wandering the countryside collecting the souls of recently deceased people who apparently did not survive injuries involving some sort of riot.

Sydney and Donatello Harada (SmileFang, DonatalIo Harada): An uneventful week, for once. Syd and Don's lone contribution to public life was to walk into the Red Dragon Inn Keep eating a quart of Godiva ice cream straight from the carton. They polished it off between the two of them, if anyone wants to know. Hunter (Horned Hunter) walked in some time later, dropping a large bag off in front of the couple and requesting them to take a look at the contents. Inside was a soldier ant, one of the minions of Hmte, chopped into many pieces by Hunter's corrosive sword. They took the ant home for further study, since they've had dealings with the creatures in the past, and undoubtedly will have more in the future.

Terrance Tomar-Duncan (Terrance Tomar): No news this week.

Tomas Dante Diablo (Rev DiabIo, Revered Tengu): Rev. Tom has elected to return to Japan where he is known as Tengu-sama, Lord Goblin. Sources say the move is (at least) semi-permanent.

Troy (Troy Embry): No news this week.

Vadriel (Vadriel de Guise): The heretic has actually braved the public eye this week, visiting the Medieval Tavern briefly in an effort to reacclimatize himself. Other than an unexpected visit from Mesteno and Michael, the ex-priest's week has been pleasantly quiet.

Valleana (Va11eana): See above entry for Mallora. Other than that... the temple is open for whomever would like to come visit and stay.

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

Yoshi (KitsuneNineTails): Authorities want to know who decided it was a great idea to build a village of pink tee pees and populate it with store mannequins dressed up as Scotsmen.

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.

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

Most eligible bachelor/bachelorette... Matakhat Cain (And she knows it!)

Best Couple... Syd and Don Harada (By a landslide. But please, no more peeks into their sex lives, all right?)

Best Death... SMI Halavar (Sealed in a barrel of ale. Twelve would have had a blast.)

Most likely to die soon... Richard D Harker A.K.A SMI Joker (One question...why?)

Most likely to be murdered... PaIiurus (And indeed he was. Good call!)

Most deserving of being murdered... Call me Jack (Our everyday, friendly neighbor Jack the Ripper. A close runner up was Akito. Actually, the winner was Akito, but that just seemed rude to our lovely vote counter.)

Best Inn... Silver Moon Inn (......Right, like we didn't all see that coming.)

Most Shocking Moment... Body parts in the SMI buffet (Can we all say "Ewwww!"?)

Funniest Character... Rev Diablo (Or Tom. Or Norm. Or whoever he is today. Guy needs to hook up with Tara, they'd have the world's most schizophrenic kids...)

Scariest Character... D (Duncan H Harper) (And I can't agree more. Now, if we could just see him now and then...)

Character most likely to climb a tall tower with a high powered rifle... Mithril/Gadreel/Lusus (ASaintOfSinners) (I'm sure his Father is very proud.)

Best Storyline... The Organ Disposal at the SMI (I'd like to take this space to add my own opinion. I believe the real winner of this would be The Invasion of Hmte. It's well thought out, well played, and has an eye towards realism, character involvement, and good old fashioned terror. Thank you, Multifarious, for creating a game we can all be a part of.)

Sexiest Man... Richard D Harker (Maybe he'll be sexed to death? Also...someone nominated Don Harada. What the $%^@ is wrong with you people???)

Sexiest Woman... Ariana MacGyldren (Hmm. The mother of thirteen. There's hope for all of us!)

Worst Luck... Seamus Wylie (Damn straight. The boy can't visit the john without something terrible happening.)

Best Accent... Halavar Arenson (You mean people could read that?)

Best Mental Disorder... Terrance Tomar (Which one?)

Most Sulky... Akito ( ::Giggle.:: )

Most likely to end up in a dark corner all alone... Akito (See Above.)

Most Typical Rhydinian... Gemethyst (Has she been kidnapped yet this week?)

Most Original Character... This was left blank on every single ballot. Or filled with a witty comment. It is this discovery which has led me to create a sentient, walking, talking cheese log, happily married to a cracker. Stay tuned!

All results and commentary were provided by the player behind the illustrious DonatelIo Harada. If you enjoyed this ballot, we'd like to invite everyone with an idea for further questions and nominating subjects to send an e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Perhaps we could arrange for a single question and tally per an issue! Wouldn't that be fun?

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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