Ultima Online (PC)

I started playing Ultima Online just after it came out. I saved and saved my gold for weeks so I could buy a nice boat and explore the sea. After I finally got enough gold together, I set to sea. So I stopped at the first island I saw and went exploring. Only to be promptly killed by a Crocodile. Unfortunately trapping my body, my loot and my boat on a desert island while my resurrected self was safe and sound back on the main island. Leaving my only option to get my boat back to save and buy another boat. I never played again.

It was just another day in the life of two lowly guild members hunting the local vermin in the nearby Trinsic swamps just north of town. Had it been any other day it would have been what you might expect out of any would be adventurers looking to scrounge up a decent hunt. That would be of course if you didn't know a guy named "Killian The Red". One part smart-ass, Two parts bad-ass Killian had a real way with words. A few well places insults and he could turn mary against jesus if it suited him. There was just something about the guy that incited people to no end. Who would have ever thought he could, let alone would do that to a GM.

Two hours into a "swamp clearing" hunt we managed to free the desolate swamp of all foriegn and resident life. We were pretty content with our accomplishments for the day.... but no Killian. He somehow convinced all eight of us to send repeat GM requests to the system asking to respawn the swamp. We all politely laughed off the idea, yet decided to do it regardless (oh did I mention persistant?).

Now had it been any peak hour play session I'm sure we would have just been kicked, or ignored. But at 2pm CST on a wednesday day, I doubt there was much going on (given the response we got) and the guys (GM's) were probably just as bored as we were.

Needless to say life in Trinsic was about to become very interesting.

We spammed message after message until finally we all began to give up and go about our business. Of course except for Killian. In his traditional tone of text he let us know that "he let the GM's knew what he really thought about them." and proceeded to pull out his recall stone to teleport back to town.

Seconds before we all began to portal out we heard this... maniacal laughing sound that was alittle too familiar, not to mention odd for this side of town. Right about that time some poor guy comse streaking across the screen screaming for help, only to burst into a pillar of hot white lighting and collapse at our feet. Before we knew what to make out of it, heres comes Mr. I'm-Not-Supposed-To-Spawn here Lich Lord who comences to paralyze most of us.

Those who could get away only got a few squares before the screen (which at the time we thought were our PC's began lagging out). Upon "resyching" be disovered that we were suorrounds by an ARMY of skeletons. Let me stop to put this into perspective. Some people might say that a dozen or skeletons might qualify for ARMY status in some instances. But in my book, an ARMY is well mentioned when every single avilable square of the map (within viewscreen distance) suddenly populates with skeletons... well... its not by any means an inappropriate time to use the word.

Our deaths were swift needless to say. And upon resurecting we ran to town to rally anyone and everyone who would believe us and began to march back north. Afterall no GM ARMY OF SKELETONS were going to run of a true group of heroes!

Ok, well thats what we thought until we got back there. "Mr. I'm-Not-Supposed-To-Spawn here Lich Lord " had a few friends with him. Maybe they were relatives, hell I'm not sure. But whoever they were they were all undead, and very much like "Mr. I'm-Not-Supposed-To-Spawn here Lich Lord" x 6.

Death was swift... and we yet again abondoned our corpses and sought help from the tiny town of trinsic.

We knew what we were up against this time. No more suprises right? Its time to start picking up the phone and calling all of our buddies ot login and began porting to other towns to rally additional aid. Knights of horseback, Grand Master Mages in full form, and an onslaught of poor wretched souls who were moderately equipped headed back to the swamp.

Upon our arrival we found that many others had done similar acts of heroism and had rallied the land to the call! The skeleton army was falling, yet oddly enough the player corpses somehow out numbered the undead?

What could possibly have taken so many valiant souls? Surely not the family of lich lords on at their summser swamp retreat?

Oh no friends, this was not the work of any undead. It was his old school buddies back from the 5th plane of hell.

MR. I'M-NOT-SUPPOSED-TO-BE-HERE-DEAMON-LORD #1
MR. I'M-NOT-SUPPOSED-TO-BE-HERE-DEAMON-LORD #2
MR. I'M-NOT-SUPPOSED-TO-BE-HERE-DEAMON-LORD #3
MR. I'M-NOT-SUPPOSED-TO-BE-HERE-DEAMON-LORD #4

The smashing of plate armor, and crunching of bones by a BIG RED HOOF was the last things I would witness before being sent back to that ever lovely state of grey we were begining to know all to well.

Folks. You can't make this kind of drama up. We were stunned.

What in gods name could Killan have possibly said? We thought. Surely the GM's wouldn't reap this sort of meance on a poor group of lowly adventures without risking their status as immortals? Surely the all seeing creator might notice armaged...

My greatest fun time in UO? 'Working' as an EM - Elendrik - for a couple of years. It was great being able to write little stories, and show up as Jordan, and just talk to people in game. MMOs are best when people can actually effect what's going on, and although that's really difficult to achieve, by having people who can interact 'officially' it really helps things along.

I enjoyed that game too. The guild was named Warriors of Virtue, hence VirtueWarriors now in Rappelz.