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The Stargazer Vol 3, Iss 4
THE News for the Dragon Quadrant
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Your UDA news source, quarterly news journal.
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The 23rd Day of Duodecim, Year 3483. | Sponsored by TriTeq Industries, Inc.
Issued on December 31, 1999 RL Time. | "When you want the best, get Teq."
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In this issue:
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TOP NEWS
KRINGLE V. IMPS TRIAL CONCLUDES
UDA News
Healers Without Planets Issues Travel Advisory
TriTeq Offers Personal Service to Investigate Losses
Business Universe
Bank of the Dragon Unveils Market Survey Results
Tek'Nar Recalls Migrant Workers
Cutting Edge
TriTeq Promotes Product Blitz
Stargazer Facilitates Editorial Communication
Xenoculture
Guilds Movement Restructured
Star Scouts Offer New Badge
Mystics Report Feelings of Unease
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TOP NEWS
========
KRINGLE V. IMPS TRIAL CONCLUDES
-------------------------------
The United Dragon Alliance Federal Court, in cooperation with the Sapphire
Dragon Outpost Security office of Hartero Kwasnye, heard final testimony in
the suit brought by the Law Offices of Kringle, Claus, and Stein in the
case of Kringle vs. the Immortals of Dragons' Star.
The Immortals of Dragons' Star were being charged with over 100 counts of
first degree Elf-slaughter. Due to space considerations in this high
profile case, the court held final hearings in the Dragons' Star
Amphitheatre.
After lengthy questioning to the chief witness, Pleasure, the court
concluded that a single immortal had carried out the heinous crimes. It
was with great surprise, however, that the court proceedings eventually
revealed that no crime had ever been committed. Just before passing
sentence on the "murderer," Bauhaus, the court proceedings were thrown into
disarray by the entrance of Tigger, who bounced his way down the aisle and
presented new evidence.
The crowd released its collectively held breath as Tigger explained that
the entire mystery of the slain elves had been a "host your own murder"
quest he had arranged secretly with Bauhaus. All the alleged victim elves
crept out from their hiding places around the amphitheatre and offered up
a standing ovation for the entire crew.
-Arachne
The SDO Voice
UDA News
========
Healers Without Planets Issues Travel Advisory
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In an urgent press release today, Healers Without Planets issued a blanket
travel advisory to its volunteers. "What we are finding is that in any
situation where a healer must operate very close to the front lines of
combat," said Honorary Chairman Dr. Taleath Alonnah, "some of the more
fanatical soldiers misunderstand our healing mission and have come to
regard our staff as valid targets of hostility. Reports have reached our
offices," she added, "that some of these zealots go so far as to track our
medical personnel after they have left the scene of conflict."
The press release advised healers in potential skirmish areas to take
extreme precautionary measures that they practice their art out of the
combat zone.
-Lt. Ferthesh Urare
UDA Newswire
TriTeq Offers Personal Service to Investigate Losses
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In an unprecedented move, the CEO's of TriTeq Industries offered to
personally investigate all losses associated with the failure of LockTeq
Storage Devices to function as advertised. Investigators are still entirely
mystified at the overnight disappearance of the devices and their contents.
The collection and examination of evidence continues.
-Smilodon
UDA Newswire
Business Universe
=================
Bank of the Dragon Unveils Market Survey Results
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After several months of reviewing its commissioned market survey, the Bank
of the Dragon unveiled today its new Clan Banking service. This service
allows each clan to have a group account in which to deposit and withdraw
money. This is considered a premium service and requires a one-time service
fee of one million credits.
The Clan Leader and his/her Lieutenants will be able to grant access to
check the balance and withdraw from the account to any member of the clan
on an individual basis. The ability to deposit money into the account is
available to anyone in the clan.
Although the same banking services granted to individual customers have
been extended to these new clan accounts, bank officials caution that
authorized beings will need to append the word "clan" to their commands
at the BoD ATMs to distinguish from their personal accounts.
-Leidar Minllen
Tek'Nar Recalls Migrant Workers
-------------------------------
In a surprise announcement, the planet Tek'Nar, supplier of Lizardman
bodyguards to many important personages throughout the galaxy, has recently
announced that they are finally approaching their goal in mana and credits.
As a result they have stopped sending out quite as many of their citizens
as bodyguards since they are now needed to aid in the rebuilding of the
home planet. While some personages have complained about the reduced number
of bodyguards, officials of Tek'Nar assert that everyone will still have
access to at least one bodyguard.
-L. Bistrl
Cutting Edge
============
TriTeq Promotes Product Blitz
-----------------------------
Never has the motto "When You Want the Best, Get Teq!" been more fitting.
In a product blitz, TriTeq Industries announced a glut of new products and
improvements on current offerings that the company is bringing to market
effective immediately. Revealed in the product bulletin were:
o The near complete stabilization of TriTeq's Forson (tm) product...
The new Forson seems to be completely inert; however, certain actions
still cause it to fade away. Extensive testing revealed that attempting
to assemble, rub, or quaff anything while possessing Forson that is not
your own causes it to fade away.
o Major improvements in personal emergency transporters...
Emergency transporter bands are now automatically reset to the point
you last rented, be it RDO, SDO, a clan home, or a ship. Also, new
functionality was added to the bands enabling you to cancel the
automatic reset by simply issuing the command "RENTLOCK".
o Breakthrough Reconstruction Device
Employing nanotechnology in a custom designed self-contained power
source, "The Edge", TriTeq's new shop off the EDO lobby, allows Clan
Leaders to customize any item that can be worn as a pin into a badge
for whichever clan he or she leads. The device, which houses 100
million nanomachines, takes the object, breaks it down into its
component molecules and reassembles it into the new object without
damaging any magical properties of the item. TriTeq guarantees the
one-shot will dissolve into harmless, environment-friendly particles.
o Multiplex Transmissions now available for private messaging....
Expanding functionality of the already huge private messaging system,
TriTeq now allows you to specify multiple recipients in private
communiques. Simply append additional names to the mail command,
separated by a space. (Example: mail joe fred jane ashley). Triteq
cautions that recipients do not get to see any recipients of the
message other than themselves.
o Kaslia Smodinton Sabbatical Reaps Benefits of New Spell...
Long known for its research largess, TriTeq's sponsored sabbatical
for Kaslia Smodinton paid off in her returning to the RDO training
facilities with a new summoning spell. Available only to those beings
of a neutral inclination, Kaslia has agreed to train (for a small fee)
only the best of the best in the spell "Time Elemental".
o Simulation Suites Expanded
By popular demand, TriTeq has installed a Simulation Suite on EDO for
the conveniences of those beings who prefer to rent out in their Clan
Home.
o Extra security measures installed in private dwellings retroactively..
Correcting some small oversights in the encryption scheme of their
private dwellings security systems, TriTeq took quick steps to remedy
the system's vulnerabilities. Owners of personal quarters on SDO were
required to rebuild their guest list. Due to heavy turnover in some
clan organizations, authorization for entry into a Clan Home has now
been automated. The system automatically verifies membership of
individuals against a Clan's public roster and only admits those beings
verified as members.
-P.R. Bot 4000
Stargazer Facilitates Editorial Communication
---------------------------------------------
The Stargazer News Office announced a new line of communication directly to
the editorial staff of the Stargazer at a press conference today. "This
is a big day for the Stargazer," he announced excitedly. "Our new VMB
(Virtual Messaging Board) makes use of existing Triteq PDA technology and
allows our readers to submit comments, suggestions, and even story ideas
from anywhere in the system," remarked the editor. The messages "posted"
will be sent directly to the editorial staff and will strictly maintain
the confidentiality of sources.
The Stargazer VMB will be accessible by typing the keyword 'SGB' into your
PDA while at any location in the known galaxy. The SGB VMB is already
fully operational, and several volunteers have already begun submitting
tips and editorial comments.
-Domino
DDO Newswire
Xenoculture
===========
Guilds Movement Restructured; Clans Restructuring at Same Time
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An announcement recently revealed the restructuring of the formerly known
"Heroes" guild and an official announcement of a new guild, as well as a
restructuring of Clan hierarchy. According to Auschua Miminhal, Director of
Sapphire Dragon Outpost Records and Registration division, all of the
announcements were received and recorded at approximately the same time.
"It is interesting that these changes are happening in the guild system, as
well as clan structures at the same time" she said, noting the peculiarity.
In response to the redesignation of the "Heroes" Guild as "Wyrnari", a new
guild charter has been filed and accepted for a group calling themselves
the T'aendriel. Based on the philosophies of the visionary T'naelna, Inulu
Ethangrane, the T'aendriel purport to seek to balance the Universe between
Chaos and Order. TriTeq Industries quickly offered the newcomers a comm
channel deal equivalent to that of the Wyrnari.
Rumors of a similar channel created by SeetKorp for the long defunct Cult
of the Stone Dragon, the Drauynshar, have been officially denied by the
Altairn corporation.
Miminhal noted the clan hierarchy restructuring, mentioning that Clan
Leaders have been granted the option to assign Lieutenant status to any of
their clan members, according to the recently filed Clan hierarchy by-laws.
"It seems," she said, "that this status allows the clan member to admit
new members and to grant special rights." According to SDO records and
registration, Lieutenants also have their own section in the roster list.
Clan Leaders may also designate access to the Clan account at the Bank of
the Dragon. Designated "treasurers" will get a "$" next to their name in
the clan roster so that other members know who to go to if they need to
borrow from the account.
In a concession to historians, SDO records and registration now tracks the
name of the clan founder and lists it on the roster if it is someone other
than the current Clan Leader.
-Rhys Istaloth
UDA Boot Camp Offers New Course
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The UDA Boot Camp has introduced a new training program furthering their
already extensive program in self-sufficiency. Teaching cadets to evaluate
whatever group of beings they have on hand against sometimes enigmatic
opponents is a valuable skill. While not a precise skill, cadets
training in Group Contention Consideration (or gcon for short) can
approximate their group's chances of successfully completing a specific
mission.
-Lt. Ferthesh Urare
UDA Newswire
Mystics Report Feelings of Unease
---------------------------------
Acting as Spokesperson for the League of Reverentials, Luischawn Monk
Sghoan Mhoquab lead a roundtable discussion of the almost universal
feelings of disquiet experienced by mystics and other "sensitives" in
recent days. In a brief statement, Mhoquab explained to reporters, "None
among us are sure of particulars, but we know _something_ is changing on
the sacred grounds beyond the legendary Dragon Portal. We don't want to
cause a panic," she added. "Be assured that none of us has detected
anything definitely bad for beings in the Dragon Quadrant. Just
_different_."
But assurances aside, contemplation centers from across the Quadrant agree
that something is amiss. "They're not fooling anyone who has the least bit
of skill focusing their minds," said one source who wished to remain
anonymous. "The only beings that report no reduction in the benefits of
focusing their minds are at the ones with the most ability. Look at the
facts," the source continued, "Taugreson has already bumped his prices,
and it takes twice as much motility to achieve these lowered dividends.
Something is disrupting the universal harmonic, and certain parties are not
being forthcoming about the cause of it."
Elethaniel Laurenthess, psychic skills trainer for UDA, was unavailable for
comment. Taugreson issued a blanket "no comment."
-Nek D'log
UDA Newswire
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Editorial Staff
Editor: Domino
Publishers: Infoteq, Trillian, Dranor
Reporters: Leidar Minllen, L. Bistrl, P.R. Bot 4000, Rhys Istaloth
Guest Reporters: Arachne, Lt. Ferthesh Urare, Smilodon, Nek D'log
Please direct all comments to: Stargazr@dracon.net
If you wish to become a part of the Stargazer staff, please send email to:
Stargazr@dracon.net with the subject: "Stargazer Staff Application".
Please include a sample of writing over 100 words in length.
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