Anniversary Party tonight!  Tonight marks the second anniversary of Kazola's Treetop Keg and Winery on Great Lakes UO. To celebrate this grand occasion, Kazola is hosting a big party at the tavern tonight at 8pm Central. We'll have food and drink and games and lots of good company, so drop in and share the fun!

Daedin, Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

New Initiate on Great Lakes:  I'm delighted to announce the Initiation tonight of our good pal and a darned fine player, Zhu Chao. Zhu's been very patient waiting for us to get a nice gathering of people to witness, and tonight's ceremony was further enhanced with the appearance of an honored guest and long time friend of the Guild, Redlowwinski. It was a lovely ceremony, and a pictorial account has been placed in the Gallery, along with the standard roster update. Welcome Zhu!

EdGuArDo and Daedin's Quest:  Earlier today, Knight Candidate EdGuArDo and his Knight (me) set out to travel to all the Shrines of Britannia. You will find pictorial links and text associated with the visits we made (expect some load times). With recent news of the corruption of several of the sacred sites, we were not at all sure what we would find. We began our travels aboard ship from the HCD Area, and headed across the world to the Shrine of Valor. After our visit there, we made the long sea journey to the Shrine of Humility near the dreaded dungeon of Hythloth and toured about the island briefly before taking to sea again. Our next stop was the Shrine of Honesty, which to our dismay brought us to the first of the corrupted shrines. After our contemplation there, we found ourselves facing several orcs, which we quickly dispatch. It was very difficult to see the evil work done to such sacred places indeed. Our sea journey continued to the shores near the Shrine of Sacrifice, now sadly corrupted by the evil that seeks to invade the Land. Our journey there was undisturbed, but seeing what has become of such a once lovely area was not pleasant at all. We then wound our way through the forest, then down the long road to the Shrine of Compassion. Again, we were met with corruption of this sacred place...alas! Our journey led us further down the road, then through the forests for a ways. We also came across a few evil creatures, but of course, none could best EdGuArDo's skill. We then found ourselves at the Shrine of Justice, resting place of the remains of Sir Ardion. It was good, after the previous shrines, to see the stones and symbols all as they should be. We then took again to the sea, sailing around the world again to the Shrine of Honor. Alas, this sacred place has also been desecrated. We then made the long journey north to the Shrine of Spirituality. This place has perhaps suffered the most at the hands of those black souls that seek to overcome us. Finally, we took to sea once again, sailing the long last leg to the lovely gardens within the palace walls of Nujel'm. The lovely flowers and bright desert air revived our spirits as we ended our quest together.

Thanks to the many fine friends who later joined us at Kazola's Tavern. A special thanks to Kazola for allowing us to take the place over (the count was 12 Defenders in one spot...a record perhaps?), also to Colban for the sumptuous fare we enjoyed, to all our guildsmen who shared the evening with us, and to those other people who made time to come by and give their regards to EdGuArDo.

Daedin - Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

Recap of the Reunion:  I was *sorta* waiting until the guys got their pics developed, but its been a while now, so (at Marco's prompting), I'll just give you the text version of how our real world reunion went :)  So...I was the first to arrive in Dallas (on Thursday the 16th). The first thing I noticed was the weather was just about exactly as I'd left it in Seattle, prompting me to wonder if I'd gotten on the wrong plane. It was sorta windy, cold, and a bit rainy...hmmm. Anyway, Ed (our native guild) and I met up shortly after I arrived, and headed out for some dinner. I swear he ordered a hamburger big enough to have its own zip code! After a valiant effort, he finally gave up half way through :) We spent the rest of the evening playing at some board games and remarking with glee that we were actual real live humans, not just words on a screen! (And no..he wasn't wearing a yellow shirt)

Zedd arrived in good order the next morning (he drove down, so he was the designated ship captain), then Ed came back by, and we waited in breathless anticipation for the arrival of Elbryan. After some adventures at the airport, he finally arrived. After a little sustainence, we headed off to explore exciting Arlington. Our lodgings were very close by Six Flags park, and also close to the baseball stadium there. We headed to the center of town in our quest of a theatre. After touring around a bit, we settled in to watch Mission to Mars. Great special effects, some fine acting, but the consensus was "mmm...it was ok". After that, we decided to head to downtown Dallas for dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. Being St Patrick's Day, there was alot of activity, but we got right in and started taking in the spectacle. The Cafe was crammed full of some very cool memorabilia (naturally, I felt really old...I kept remarking "Hey there's so-and-so's guitar!" to the blank stares of my compatriots *sigh*). Some of the other patrons were truley enjoying themselves, so we spent some time people-watching, then headed back home.

On Saturday, the weather was still a bit cool, so we decided to visit the Sci Fi Con near Dallas. One of the highlighted special guests was author Timothy Zahn, plus several other authors and actors. Of course, it was quite the retail adventure, so we wandered around looking at action figures and toys ad nauseum. Zedd and Elby got sucked in by the sword vendor, so we left the Con with the addition of a couple swords. I'm sure the boys are only planning using them for home protection. Ed decided it would be prudent to hide behind me while Elby carted his new sword around. Gotta wonder why someone would sell a blind guy a sword...(heh).

After that, we went and saw Pitch Black which we all enjoyed. We were going to try our hand at bowling (the HCD Bowling League!), but were thwarted by the 1.5 hour wait, so we decided to turn in early and make an early start at Six Flags the next day.

The weather Sunday was a bit breezy, but much sunnier than the previous days, so off to Six Flags we went. We started off with the 3-D dinosaur motion ride which was pretty fun, wandered around a while, and ended up in line for what was advertized as the number one wooden roller coaster in the universe (or something like that). An Tuath was a bit dubious, but Starfire encouraged us with their enthusiasm, so we decided to give it a shot. Ed and I strapped ourselves in, bid each other farewell, and off we went. Well, I can't say if it is indeed the best wooden roller coaster on the planet, but it was certainly the best I've ever been on! Truely amazing! As Ed and I were recovering, Elby and Zedd's car pulled in and we all staggered down the exit ramp trying to regain our balance :)  We went on to try several other rides, all of which we enjoyed alot! After the obligatory funnel cakes, we figured we'd done enough damage and headed back to our rooms. Circumstances conspired to keep us from meeting up with Shadespawn for dinner, so we spent the rest of the evening chatting and playing board games and such.

On Monday, we headed out to watch the Pokemon movie (yeah, yeah, I know...but I promised them I'd see it). Then back to the hotel to meet up with Shadespawn/Thumperspawn. He braved rush hour traffic and arrived in good order. Off we went to Arlington Stadium for dinner. It's a beautiful stadium (no game there when we were there, but it was great to see it). Much chatting and a fine dinner (thanks again for getting the tab, Thump..you sweetie), and some talk of hooking up in May at the Scarborough Fair near Austin for another real life gathering. After that, we decided to try our hands at bowling again. Well, in the immortal words of our own good Sir Thumperspawn, "Well, as bowlers go, we make really excellent online gamers". Alas, tis true, but we did have a good time.

Finally, it was time to say our goodbyes... It is meetings like this which confirm for me why I've been in the Guild for so long. Our members are not only our gaming pals, but fine friends in real life too. Thanks again to Zedd for driving us around, to Ed for being our navigator/agitator, and to Thump for footing the dinner tab on Monday. It was another wonderful visit, and I look forward to the chance many of us will have in May to meet up at the Scarborough Fair. I'll post up any pictures I get from the meeting. Right now, you can see a few shots that Zedd took in the Gallery, last link in the list, under The Real HCD. Enjoy those and keep your eyes open for more as I get them.

Yours, Aye - Daedin

Post-Quest Reception This Wednesday:  Sir Daedin and Knight Candidate EdGuArDo will be having a party this Wednesday at Kazola's Tavern, Great Lakes shard, UO at 10pm Central (time change from the annoucement on the message board). The two of us will be setting out on a quest earlier in the evening, but are inviting all interested people to join us afterwards for a reception. It should be a fun time, so we hope you can attend. Contact me if you have any questions or need more information.

Daedin - Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

EdGuArDo's Knight's Vigil Announced!  Tonight, His Grace Lord Athelstan extended Knight Candidacy to Squire EdGuArDo. To prepare him for his elevation, he is taking his vigil on Wednesday, April 5th at 9pm in the IRC Guild chat room. All Defenders and any of Ed's friends are invited to join us that evening for questions, answers and companionship there. I look forward to seeing many of you there!

Daedin - Herald of the Cross (Proud Knight of Ed) and WebChick

News from the Guild Wide Meeting:  I'm delighted to announce (a bit late) the entry of Kyna into the Order of Chivalry!! Congratulations Sir Kyna!! I don't have many details from the meeting, but when I nail Himself down, I'll post more. I did receive the excellent news that Phrygian has also been elevated to Adept of House Valentino, and these roster updates have both been made. Congratulations to Phrygian and House Valentino!

Roster Updates:  Word from Lord Athelstan on some roster updates for EverQuest. The guild welcomes Initiates Jamma and Katwood! Congratulations and welcome you two!

Guild Wide Meeting tomorrow! Don't forget! The IRC server is uo.netc.com, channel is #HCD. If you want to download an IRC client, we have mIRC's site linked in our links section, or you can try using the java based client link on the main menu page.

Daedin - Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

Guild Wide Meeting This Thursday!  I hope you can make plans to attend the monthly Guild wide meeting this Thursday. It's at 9pm Central in our IRC chat room, reachable using an IRC client (like mIRC, downloadable from the links section) or using the java link, main menu. I'll be on my way to our real life meeting in Dallas this weekend, so I won't be attending. If you have questions about the room, contact Sir Zedd, or contact Sir Elbryan or Lord Athelstan for meeting questions. I hope you can make it...always fun to see everyone there!

Daedin - Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

Another fine addition to the UO Roster:  The Defenders gathered tonight to witness the initiation of another fine player, Wei Lao Wei. Wei is well known to many of us, and will undoubtably make a fine addition to our ranks! He has been added to the roster for UO, and some screen shots have been posted in the Gallery. Welcome and congratulations, Wei!

Daedin - Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

Early Morning Update:  Another exciting night on Ultima brought us the following roster updates. First, Heart Reaver was elevated to full Guild status as an Adept of House Starfire. Congratulations Heart! Next, itaP followed suit and was sworn to full Guild status, also as an Adept of House Starfire! Excellent work, itaP, and congratulations Baron Elbryan for these two most worthy and fine additions to your House! Finally, the Defenders bore witness to the mutual oaths of Sir Daedin and Kazola as Knight and Squire! I'm so lucky and so very proud to stand with such a wonderful friend! I've posted up the text and pictures for Kazola's ceremony, wherein she presented herself with a great deal of honor in her oath. I did take pictures of the other ceremonies, and will post them up soon as part of a re-vamping of the Guild roster for Ultima. Patience my dears! And thank you again to everyone who made time to attend these ceremonies on such short notice.

Scheduling changes on EQ and UO:  Word has reached me from His Grace that hunt nights on Everquest will be happening on Saturdays, watch the message board or contact him ingame for questions you might have. Also, while we are so deeply involved in the quests on Ultima, regular skills and hunt nights are being postponed. Our intention is that veteran members of the Guild will instead make themselves available on a more informal time schedule. This puts the burden on younger members to contact more veteran Guildsmen for assistance, which we will gladly and willingly provide. More on that will be addressed below...

News from UO:  We held a meeting last night ingame and discussed some issues that have come up lately. The first being that current game quests have regularly interrupted our scheduled activities in the game. For the time being, we are putting a hold on *regular* meeting times. This in no way should be construed as an abandonment of Guild gatherings. It was, instead, agreed that more often than not, people were arriving at the Dorm anticipating skills or hunt nights to find that we'd gotten some 911 call for quest activities, and sticking to a regular schedule has become fairly difficult. With this change, it has become very important for us to maintain good communication via ICQ, and those who attended the meeting agreed that Tuesdays and Thursdays in particular will be days when we all make an effort to be online and ingame. This will make veterans available for building skills with younger members. Along that thought, Kazola has graciously offered the use of the Treetop Courtyard as a place to work on skills. Also, the secure courtyard might be used, since sparring in buildings may or may not improve skills (so goes the rumor). To help younger members figure out who can help them with what, I've linked everyone who has MyUO to their character listing on the UO home page. This will show you the skills of each member. In addition, I'm compiling a listing of what things people have available to loan (equipment, sparring armor, etc), and when they may be available (look for that in the future). I am putting alot of trust in our younger players to contact the vets for help, but we have made a commitment to help train each other up, and this system will hopefully mesh up different playing times and be more flexible so we can all benefit. The UO roster will hopefully contain info on the players, so watch here for news on how that is coming along.  In the meantime, use your ICQ to spread news of quest things, and to set up training times!! Its been so incredibly fun to show up for a quest call to see anywhere from four to seven or more other Defenders there! Lets keep up that excellent showing, and help our newer members get their skills up so they can improve their crafts and enjoy the perils of questing!

We are constantly marking runes to various quest locations and making them available in the training hut, so people can get to where the action is. This is an ongoing process, but since the training hut is public, you can at least (hopefully) use those rune books to get to where the action is.  We can make recall scrolls available to those who need them, and I can cut you a rune near the training hut for easier travel as well (but you *have* to keep that rune banked!). Contact me for any help on this you need.

Respectfully submitted - Daedin, Herald of the Cross (WebChick) and UO Preceptress

Roster Update!  His Grace informed me that Maeric has entered the ranks of find Adepts on Everquest under the sponsorship of House Heimdall. Good job Maeric and congratulations! The roster has been updated

Daedin - Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

A Very Eventful Night!  It's almost hard to remember a nice quiet hunt night on Great Lakes...the denizens of our normal haunts must have grown slack with the lack of HCDers there to smite them! Anyway, we started off with some reconnaissance work at the camp near Trinsic recently set up by Sir Dupre, Paladin of Honor and close advisor and friend to Lord British. We also toured around a series of half-completed black altars in the cities of Cove, Yew and Britain (*shudders*). We expected something was afoot, and word finally reached us that Dupre was addressing the populace in Britain, so we high tailed it over there. His message was one of grim tidings. Apparently Joye, a noted librarian of Britannia was recently found murdered. The assumption was that she possessed some critical information regarding Minax, the Dark Mistress who is the mastermind of our recent travails in the Land, and hence her death was meant to silence her. It is rumored that following her demise, Joye tried to contact Dupre from the Ethereal Void with her information. After some study, Lord British's High Mage Nystul determined that to get her message, five brave souls would have to be sent to the Void, retrieve her, and *hopefully* be resurrected. As we gathered at the Library, Sir Dupre scanned the crowd looking to choose these five souls.

His first choice was the notable Alec DeLeon of the honorable BKP Guild, then, for his wisdom and bravery, our own Squire EdGuArDo was chosen! (I arrived just at that point) Sir Dupre then cast about for the other three who would travel. Well, imagine my surprise and shock when he called out my name! How glad I was to be able to go along on this most perilous mission with my beloved Squire! Then, to our mutual delight, Lady itaP's name rang out! Three Defenders! Alec was then joined by his guildswoman Nephalia of BKP, and our numbers were complete.  At this point, we five were whisked off to Nystul's laboratory where he told us that he had incantations and potions to take us to the Void. He seemed unsure if we would be able to return, but we were undaunted! He spoke the words and we quaffed the vile green potions given to us. My heart beat fast as I felt the poison run through my veins, my life draining away...my last breath exhaled in a cry "Resolute in DEED!" and I was parted from the living...

We found ourselves in that horrid grey that is the afterlife, standing with Nystul still. He said words of power, and an eerie grey gate opened to enfold us. We each of us said what prayers we could and stepped inside...

We found ourselves in a very strange place indeed....the Ethereal Void is a mostly featureless world. As we entered, we met several souls lost in that awful place. Our hearts went out to them as we asked them for news of Joye. In particular, we met Ophelia, who had lost her life trying to save her love Atien. Her tale wrenched our hearts, for she seemed not to understand at all where she was and that her time among the living had come to a close. We met a spirit known as Eslin who lead us through that terrible cold place. With words of power, Eslin guided us on our way to a strange shrine. Once there, we placed ourselves in strange vortexes and chanted rune mantras each in turn. Suddenly, the spirit of Joye stood before us! She too seemed confused as to where she was, but she followed as we made haste to retrace our steps back. We found ourselves again at the grey gate, among those poor lost souls...they cried for us to take them from that awful place, but even after offering her own spirit to stay that one of them might return, Lady itaP was told it was impossible to relieve their plight. With heavy hearts, we bade farewell to Eslin and saw Joye safely into the gate.

We then stood again within Nystul's laboratory....but to our horror, Joye was not among our number! Quickly, Nystul chanted words of power, bringing her spirit to where we were. We had succeeded! We then stood nervously waiting to see if we would be able to rejoin the living. With a hard effort, Nystul cast words of great power, drawing symbols in the air all around us...

Imagine our relief when blessed color came back into our eyes! We were alive!! Nystul bid us make haste to leave, as Sir Dupre would surely wish to communicate with Joye's spirit at his earliest opportunity. We donned the clothing of the living, bid our deepest thanks to both Nystul and to Joye's spirit for her willingness to return with us. With a final working of great magic, Nystul saw us all safely back to the Library in Britain, where Sir Dupre and many others were awaiting our return. Cheers and great gladness met us, especially from our dear fellow Defenders. Although Sir Dupre praised us each for our bravery, I know that it was the love of our comrades, their earnest prayers, and our trust in the most Holy Cross that saw us through. With such as that, even the faintest heart can be made very brave indeed!

I was fortunate to have had my portrait painter handy, and an excellent chronicle of our journey is linked to sections of the text. These are multiple shot links, so there will be some load times involved. I fear this day has taxed us all to our very limit, and I for one will be seeking rest and mediation for some days. Until I am among you again, know that I remain...

Yours Ever Faithfully - Daedin MacAoidh, Herald of the Cross

Arakasi Is Elevated!  In an evening full of many events, one of the highest points was the elevation of Arakasi to Adept under the sponsorship of An Tuath a'Mhonadh. His heroic acts, devotion, and fine friendship are a true credit to his spirit, and we are indeed privileged to count him among our numbers! Congratulations Arakasi! His roster listing has been updated.
 

Late Report!  (So sorry for the delay!) Two nights back we had the privilege of entering in our newest Initiate on UO--Great Lakes. Welcome to Castor Pollux!! Castor has been added to the roster, and some screen shots have been added to the gallery to mark the occasion. Also, I was very pleased to elevate Haplo to the rank of Adept at our gathering, and I'm honored to say he has chosen An Tuath a'Mhonadh as his sponsor House. Congratulations Haplo, and thanks to him for all the fine work he's done. Its an honor to count him among our number! The roster has been updated (albeit a bit late...again, my apologies).

Daedin, Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

New Initiate comes to UO!   After a ceaseless pounding, our good friend itaP has finally worn down and joined us on Great Lakes. We've been priviledged to have fought together on many many occasions, and I'm delighted to count her among our numbers formally at last! The UO roster has been updated, and I posted up some shots from her initiation.

On a side note, just prior to itaP's ceremony, she Ed and I were witnesses to a prayer for the fallen warriors of Trinsic on Paladin Isle of that besieged city. Our nemesis Marabelle arrived and hit us with a large wave of gazers there. Unfortunately, she escaped capture as we were embattled. Immediately following itaP's Initiation ceremony, we whisked off to Krista's Ranger Stationto help Arya Dawnsinger in her attempts to find her lost love. We arrived to be met with several waves large waves of the undead in various forms, as well as attacks by gazers, and at least one Elder gazer. We met up with Haplo there, and I am delighted to say that the four of us made an excellent showing. What a delight it is to stand in battle with my fellow Defenders and see us all working so well together! I managed to grab my camera at various points, so three shots of that can be seen in the Gallery as well.

Kyna's Vigil, a resounding success!  What an incredible turnout! Many many thanks to all of you who made the time to attend! Special thanks to Holy Masters Murgen and Granyte, and to our long missed Defender Sedic! What a wonderful surprise to see some of our most veteran members! The questions and answers from this session were excellent and a fine time was had by all! From our founders, to our newest Initiate...an outstanding collection of Defenders!

Respectfully submitted - Daedin, Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

Tomorrow's Vigil Time Changed! We'll be meeting at 10pm Central (8pm Pacific) for Knight Candidate Kyna's Vigil in our IRC room! Please note this change!

News from the Guild Wide Meeting:  A heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended the meeting last night! Here's a brief summary of what happened...

EverQuest:  Plans are in the works for more hunts to help newer players increase their levels. Watch for news of that on the message board and here. His Grace's "bank" character has many useful items for those in need. Contact him with your 'wish list'. He plans to publish a listing of items he has in the Teutonic Knight's section of the site. His Grace reported that due to a bug, he lost his Guild tag a few nights ago. This leaves us without officers and such, but he has been in contact with the GMs and is hopeful for a resolution soon. His Grace is also bringing back Guild hunts, starting a week from tomorrow and continuing every Saturday starting at Noon Central. It is his desire that players make a more concerted effort to contact each other when logging in so the Guild can group together for hunts more often. His Grace is also planning a Guild Champion's tournament including events for individuals, teams and Houses. Watch here and on the message board for details in the near future.

Asheron's Call:   Not much happening.

Ultima Online:  The recent plot lines have kept us very busy. The majority of the Guild has been spending time together in various battles associated with the plot. Several regularly scheduled activities (particularly thursday fight nights) have been pre-empted for plot associated battles, etc. Communication about plot associated activities has generally been very good. Keep it up!

Other Guild Matters:  Sir Daedin is soliciting ideas on how to improve the look of the main gallery page. Plans for our trip to Six Flags Dallas are being finalized now. Contact Daedin for more information. Plans are also being made by some members to attend Sir Marco's wedding in August in the Seattle area (woo hoo!).

Order of Merit Bestowed:  His Grace entered Squire EdGuArDo into the Order of the Perciplex for his Mastery of Magics and Arcane Arts as a grand finale to the Guild meeting. Congratulations and well done, Ed!! (many joyous noises were made at this point)

Roster Updates:  The following fine people have joined the Guild on Everquest:  Claud, Phrygian and Kataryna. Welcome Initiates! The roster has been updated to include our newest members!

Respectfully submitted - Sir Daedin, Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

Early Morning News:  Here is a quick reminder of the upcoming meeting schedule:

Guild Wide Meeting is tentatively slated for February 17 (Thursday) 9pm Central, IRC chat room. This date is subject to change, as His Grace may be out of town. Watch here for word on that.

Squire Kyna's Vigil is slated for Sunday, February 20th at 9pm Central, IRC chat room. The next

Knight's Council is scheduled for February 20 (Sunday) Midnight Central, IRC chat room.

Knight Candidate's Vigil Announced!  I received word last night that Squire Kyna of House Valentino will undertake her vigil as a Knight Candidate of the Holy Cross! The time is set for Sunday, February 20th at 9pm Central in the IRC chat room. In particular, members of House Valentino are asked by Squire Kyna to join her for this occasion. In addition, she has made a special request that those Holy Masters who are available might attend as well! For those who have not attended a vigil, this is a question and answer session for both the candidate and for those who attend to express their thoughts on what it is to be a Knight Defender. I encourage you all to attend!

Growing, growing, growing!  Well, it was a tough sell, but we managed to snag another fine Defender on Great Lakes tonight. Our guild is honored by the entry of Haplo into the ranks of our illustrious Initiates! Welcome Haplo!! Our fine friend has been added to the roster, with some screen shots in the Gallery. Hooray!!

Daedin, Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

UO Roster Update:  Tonight saw the elevation of Randal to Adept Defender on Great Lakes. An Tuath and myself are delighted to welcome him into our House, as we know what a fine addition such a fine man will make! Congratulations Randal, and welcome!! The roster reflects the update!

Daedin, Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

Another fine Defender is made!  Unbelievable! Yet another fine person has chosen to join the illustrious ranks of the Great Lakes Defenders. After realizing that resistance is indeed futile, our good friend (and frequent AoK and Homeworld pal) Heart Reaver joined our ranks tonight. What a great pleasure it is to call our long time friend sister at last! The roster and gallery have been updated.

Daedin, Herald of the Cross (WebChick) *soon to be seen in a large, space-going cube near you*

We are the Collective! Resistance is Futile!  We have assimilated yet another fine member into the Great Lakes Defenders! This evening saw the initiation of GriffenLady (a friend of Adept Black Angel from his Diablo days). After the ceremony, GriffenLady joined us for fun-filled skills night that saw our dear EdGuArDo achieve Grand Master Mage! Welcome GriffenLady and congratulations Squire!! Wooo!! The roster and gallery have been updated.

Daedin, Herald of the Cross (WebChick and Proud Knight of ED!!)

Holy Cross! When it rains, it pours!  This evening saw yet *another* fine addition to our Guild with the Initiation of Eric the Red on Great Lakes.  Eric spoke very well in his ceremony of Initiation, and we all adjourned after his entry to a fun session of talk and good cheer at Kazola's beloved Treetop Keg and Winery! My head is still spinning with all the wonderful news from Great Lakes, and I'm sure Eric and all our other recent additions will find great honor and happiness with the Guild! Welcome Eric!!  The roster and gallery have been updated.

Daedin, Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

More Excellent News!  I'm delighted to announce the entry of Micah into the ranks of our esteemed Initiates on Ultima as of last night. We are very glad to count him among our number, and I for one look forward to working with, and learning from, this late returning veteran of the shard. Also, we were honored to enter Arakasi, famed cartoonist and good friend, as an Initiate Defender on Ultima this evening as well! So many wonderful people have joined us here lately...I feel truly honored that they have chosed to count themselves among our number! The roster has been updated with these noble additions!

Daedin, Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

Early Morning Roster Update:  We were delighted late last night to welcome our newest Ultima Initiate on Great Lakes. Randal, our good friend, has entered the ranks of Initiate Defenders. Congratulations Randal and welcome indeed! The roster has been updated with this happy news (and I stuck a screen shot in the Gallery to mark the occasion).

Alpha World Screen Shots are up!!  Squire Kyna has sent excellent word that Lord Sheppard has sent along some pictures from our original home on Alpha World. These pictures have been placed in the Gallery for your viewing pleasure, so stop by there and have a look!

Character Pictures from Everquest:  Squire Kyna went on to inform me that links to character pictures from Everquest are even now being added to the Everquest roster here.  Gradeki has been seeing to this project...good job Gradeki! I'm adding a contact link for Kyna in both the Gallery and on the roster page (just for sending her pictures...you still need to contact me directly for updates on your rank).

Daedin, Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

News from the Guild Wide Meeting:  Thanks to everyone who made time to attend last night. We had an excellent turnout, and it was great to see so many people making the effort to come.

Asheron's Call News:  Preceptor Elbryan's studies, and some problems with his account have made it impossible for him to log into the game of late. As his future schedule looks pressing, some changes may need to be made with the Preceptorship. A meeting is in the works, and news of developments will be forthcoming.

Everquest:  Sir Marco reported that events are well received, although generally participation is limited to Guild members. New members are selecting Houses for sponsorship. The Vengeance of Norrath Guild seems to be vacillating a bit on joining forces with us at this time, but our well wishes go with them regardless of their final decision. House Valentino is revising the Teutonic Knights sub-page, with many excellent plans for content, including listing player's alternate character names, posting a 'wish list' for desired items, an EQ screen shot gallery, and more contact information for members there. As the page is updated, changes will be made to the main page to make it easier for EQ members to navigate there (a link is now listed in the links section). Daedin and Kyna will both be available to receive screenshots, so if you have any good ones, link information for emailing them will be added to the main Gallery page (In the meantime, just send them to Daedin in jpg format and she'll hold onto them). There was discussion about concerns some of our lower leveled players have in not having guildmates to group with. House Valentino has volunteered to run events intended to help lower level players level up...watch the message board for Marco's announcements of dates and times. A call for renewed efforts in helping lower level players level up was made and was well received.

Ultima Online:  Daedin reported that Skills night is happening each Tuesday at 9pm-CST, we attend the Great Lakes Trinsic Town council meeting on wednesday nights, and hunts are happening on Thursday nights at 10pm-CST. There are several quests ongoing which we are participating in, also, the recent flurry of town attacks can at any time pre-empt the regular schedule. In particular, we have been involved in the defense of Yew and Trinsic during several attacks there. We have recently been joined by some excellent recruits, with 3-4 more coming to us in the very near future. After the regular meeting, His Grace agreed to turn over the Preceptor Stone to Daedin (the one in the Tower), so if you're on that stone, you'll need to be re-added once the transition is made.

General Guild Comment:  Daedin reminded the Defenders to visit both this site and the message board regularly for news and information about upcoming events and such. It was agreed that the old fancy buttons on the menu looked nicer, so they've been re-installed. Some member info was confirmed, so the roster has been updated.

Respectfully submitted--Sir Daedin MacAoidh, Herald of the Cross

Guild Wide Meeting This Thursday, Jan 20th, 9pm Central, IRC chat room! This is your reminder to make a plan to attend this month's Guild Wide Meeting! The gathering will convene in IRC Chat, accessible via the chat room link in the menu frame, or by downloading the IRC client mIRC from the links section and hooking up via that! I hope to see you all there!

Roster Updated!  I received word from His Grace that Nashkell has been elevated to an Adept Defender of House Heimdall! Congratulations, Nashkell! The roster reflects this change.

Daedin, Herald (WebChick)

Adun Achieves Knighthood! New ranks are bestowed!  The Defenders gathered today on Great Lakes to witness the elevation of Adun to the Order of Chivalry! Congratulations, Sir Adun!! We also bore witness to the Initiation of Catchstar, and to the elevation to Adept of Lady Kazola under House An Tuath a'Mhonadh (yay!!). Welcome Catchstar and congratulations Kazola! In addition to these acts, our ceremonies were witnessed by two of our good friends, Milathos and Randal who lent their kind attention to this great day. Thanks to our friends! We didn't stick around long after the ceremonies, and I've yet to get the full scoop on the Everquest part of the day, but to all who made the time to attend, thank you very much.

Yours, Aye - Daedin, Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

Adun's Elevation to Knighthood This Sunday, January 16th, 5pm Central (3pm Pac) The Defenders will be gathering this Sunday to bear witness to the elevation to the Order of Chivalry of Adun, Squire to Sir Marco.  Squire Adun has requested an in-game elevation, so we will first hold his Ultima Online ceremony at our Tower on Great Lakes at 5pm Central, then we'll head over to Everquest and meet at the Temple of Marr, Freeport, Veeshan server at about 5:30pm Central. We're on a pretty tight timeline, so please be prompt, and don't forget to take some screen shots for the Gallery page!

Daedin, Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

Much News from Everquest!  Where do I start!? We have several people to congratulate, first off, so I'll start there. Taima has been taken as Squire to Sir Marco, Aeramon has been taken by Lord Athelstan as Squire, Temptare had been raised to an Adept under the sponsorship of House Valentino, and Naelie has entered our ranks as an Initiate. What a wonderful night!! Also, it appears that we may possibly be joined en masse by another Guild in Everquest. Great news, and I hope it works out well for everyone! You'll see these changes listed on the roster.

Daedin, Herald of the Cross (WebChick)

From Knight's Council:  For the most part, things seem to be clicking right along for us as far as events happening in our various games. We are concerned about a lack of attendance for regular events on UO, and also for our meetings, both for the Guild and for the Knight's council. We do keep track of who attends these functions, and it does affect our decisions on elevations and such, so please make a real effort to keep up on when things are happening in whatever game you're playing, and with the Guild in general.  To that end, here is your reminder that the next Guild wide meeting is on Thursday, January 20th, 9pm CST (IRC chat)...the next Knight's Council is January 23rd, Sunday, at midnight CST (IRC chat). Consider yourself forewarned :)

Roster Changes:  Per His Grace's edict, those of Adept rank who have not affiliated with one of the Great Houses have been re-listed as Initiates. Please check the roster for your game to see if you are one of these people. If you are, you need to get a House sponsor to regain your listing as an Adept--how to do this is listed in the Great Houses section. **IMPORTANT** This in no way means you have been booted out, you just need to follow up on this edict and get sponsored. Please contact your game Preceptor or Sir Daedin if you have questions on this.

In addition, we have some new Initiates to welcome (forgive the delay in getting you on the roster). Lets all welcome Initiates Fortisimo and Strifen, and congratulations Latan for elevation to Adept under House Valentino! Your names have been added to the Everquest roster. Welcome and good work!

January 1, 2000                Happy New Year Defenders!

From Your WebMistress:  Well, its 2:45am Pacific time, the Earth is still rotating, I've had a couple glasses of champagne, its quiet here, and all seems to be business as usual! I've sent all the old news to the archive so as to start the new century with a clean slate. Let me take a moment to wish you all the very best in this new century. As we look forward, let us also take a moment to reflect back on all the wonderful things that have gone before this new year.

Looking Forward:  We are slated to host another board game tournament on Great Lakes (UO) on the 8th (Saturday...details via the link above). We are planning Adun's elevation to knighthood *ingame* on both UO and EQ the evening of the 9th (Sunday...time to be announced), and the Knight's council will convene at midnight CST in IRC on Sunday the 9th. Watch the message board and here for news of other upcoming functions and events.

I hope the holidays were full of cheer for you all! Happy New Year! - Daedin, Herald of the Cross (WebChick)