Volume Eight Issue Three

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VOLUME EIGHT, ISSUE THREE                                 February 13, 2001
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                           TABLE OF CONTENTS

                      A Note from the Implementor

                           Calendar of Events
                           
                       NEWS, REPORTS, & UPDATES
                     LegendMUD Connection Analysis
                             Recent Updates
                             Q & A Summary

                    **Special Valentine Section!**
                          
                              LEGENDITES
                             Announcements
                             A Rising Wind
                      The Betrayal of Rosaline
             The continued diaries of the real Herbert West
                     Horoscopes from Madame Decara


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

                      A Note from the Implementor

                     Happy 7th Birthday LegendMUD!

Each year it's always hard to believe that once again another year has
passed since we opened to the public on February 14th, 1994. This past
year has seen two new areas added to the game world (Cheyla's 1802 Alaska
and Kae's Hospitaller Malta) and various code changes and improvements
(PKOK, polls, areainfo, mud client compression protocol for just a few
examples). A lot of the changes in the past year haven't been all that
visible and many not all that exciting, but they allow things to work more
smoothly and for builders to accomplish more with the acts for their rooms
and mobs.

As usual, I have my own hopes and plans for the year to come, but I'm
never sure exactly what all the next year will bring to Legend. I'm sure
there will be plenty of pleasant surprises as usual. I'm really looking
forward to another Summer Odyssey this June, July and August where we will
once again focus on each era in the game for a month with area updates and
PR events in the theme.

But as everyone knows this time of year the focus is on the Expies and the
people who make the community the great thing it is. So let's all give
each other a big round of applause for making this place what it is! And
be sure to come out on Sunday for the Awards Ceremony!

___                                                                        ___
\  |----------------------------------------------------------------------|  /
/__|  LegendMUD Calendar of Events                                        |__\
   '----------------------------------------------------------------------'


           [All times are system time unless otherwise specified]

         -\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/ February -\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/

     Wednesday, February 14th        Happy Birthday LegendMUD
                                    & Happy St. Valentine's Day!
     Thursday,  February 15th,  7:00 pm     Q & A in the OOC Auditorium
     Saturday,  February 24th,  2:00 pm     PK Tourney
                                            Format will be announced.

         {}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{} March {}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}

       Thursday,  March  1st         Immortal Applications Due
       Saturday,  March  3rd,  1:00 pm   March Madness Tinyplot
       Sunday,    March 11th,  7:00 pm   Trivia


___                                                                        ___
\  |----------------------------------------------------------------------|  /
/__|  News, Reports, and Updates!                                         |__\
   '----------------------------------------------------------------------'

                     LegendMUD Connection Analysis
                            January 2001

                       Peak Mortal Players 63
                         Average Peak was 52
                    Peak PKOK Enabled Players 32
             Pkokenabled Characters represent approximately
                       50% of active players.

                   Peak Accept All Characters 12
             Accept All Characters represent approximately
   11% of all active characters and 22% of active pkok enabled characters.

The first two tables below show the Average Mortal Players,  Average
PKOK Enabled Players, and the number that were "Accept All" connected
to Legend by hour of the day as polled approximately on the hour
system time during the period noted above.

The third table shows the same averages calculated by the day of week.

              hour  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11
              ------------------------------------------
              avg  33 29 22 18 16 15 15 17 21 23 25 26
              pke  17 15 12 10  9  8  8  8 10 11 12 12
              aas   4  3  2  2  2  2  1  2  2  2  3  2


              hour 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
              ------------------------------------------
              avg  29 33 36 40 40 40 40 42 42 43 42 37
              pke  14 16 17 20 20 20 20 20 21 22 21 20
              aas   3  3  3  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4


              day   MON  TUE  WED  THU  FRI  SAT  SUN
              ------------------------------------------
              avg    30   30   29   28   29   32   33
              pke    15   15   15   14   13   15   17
              aas     3    3    4    3    3    2    3



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

    /\                            RECENT UPDATES
   /  \   
  /    \                     CODE UPDATE for Feb 2 2001
 /_    _\ 
   |  |     Bug Fixes
   |  |       o help 2.<subject>, etc. should work correctly now
   |  |       o recall <someone who isn't around> no longer gives two
   |__|         messages
    /\      
   /  \     
  /    \                     CODE UPDATE for Feb 9 2001
 /_    _\   
   |  |     Changes
   |  |       o The 9 pieces of equipment that were recently changed due
   |  |         to high +hp eq. will be updated in pfiles. Any old versions
   |__|         of the equipment will be replaced with the new version. If
    /\          the item is strung it will remain strung. The only thing
   /  \         that will change is the stats, rent, price, etc.
  /    \    
 /_    _\   Small Changes
   |  |       o sniffle social now works with objects
   |  |     
   |  |     Bug Fixes
   |__|       o characters with 75+ perc can now see hidden people
    /\        o Worse for wear no longer sends a message to the victim
   /  \         referring to them in the third person
  /    \    
 /_    _\   
   |  |                      AREA UPDATES for Feb 2 2001
   |  |     
   |  |     Ireland
   |__|       Seasoned warriors have 'seasoned' as a keyword again. The
    /\        guard at the dun should not pull you back if he's fighting
   /  \       nor block going north if he's in a different room. The pookah
  /    \      should not attack salmon if it's shot.
 /_    _\   
   |  |     Alaska 
   |  |       Various typo/bug fixes.
   |  |     
   |__|     Arabian Nights
    /\        Various typo/bug fixes.
   /  \     
  /    \    San Francisco
 /_    _\     Some general atmosphere-type additions to the mobs there.
   |  |       Various typo/bug fixes.
   |  |     
   |  |     Legends of the Past
   |__|       Nothing and Aginor are now Legends of the Past. Ramadan
    /\        should not repeat stories until he's told them all, or is
   /  \       Mercenary's chat is less frequent. Mercenary and Arkenstone
  /    \      now 'rent' as Eva and Deathstalker do. Harkon's tours are cut
 /_    _\     back (Yes, he DOES do the tour). Malorn is slightly more
   |  |       difficult, so be careful! A few non-visual bugs fixed with
   |  |       some fight acts. Various typo fixes in Ramadan's stories.
   |  |     
   |__|     
    /\                       AREA UPDATES for Feb 9 2001
   /  \     
  /    \    Nazca & Andes, Arabian Nights, Aztecs, Beowulf, Dreamtime,
 /_    _\   Legends of the Past, and Melbourne
   |  |       Various typo/bug fixes.
   |  |     
   |  |     Ireland
   |__|       Diancecht is back to his normal reaction to clover.
    /\      
   /  \     Port of London
  /    \      The captains will hand back tickets if not in right room and
 /_    _\     will tell you when they leave when asked time. Also various
   |  |       typo/bug fixes.
   |  |     
   |  |     Southseas
   |__|       Master Li and Father Elizondo may be slightly tougher, so be
    /\        careful fighting them.
   /  \     
  /    \    Savannah
 /_    _\     The Sultan's guards should teach correctly now. Items given
   |  |       should work better regardless of your encumbrance. The
   |  |       slaves should only be reacting to their owners. The Laibon
   |  |       won't thank you if he hates you or is fighting someone else.
   |__|       T'kalo shouldn't be trying to make things in his sleep
    /\        anymore. The big-game hunter checks prereqs before sending
   /  \       you for items. There are now notes for sale in Zanzibar.
  /    \      Various other little type and bug fixes.
 /_    _\   
   |  |     
   |  |    
   |  |   
   |__|  

    /\                            
   /  \   
  /    \                     CODE UPDATE for Feb 14 2001
 /_    _\   
   |  |     New Features
   |  |       o Socials can be performed on channels with some limitations.
   |  |     
   |__|     Bug Fixes
    /\        o Strings will now properly restring to storage after DTs,
   /  \         *however* instead of going to your inventory, they'll be
  /    \        set to owned and sit in one of the rooms outside of the DT.
 /_    _\       The room will be randomly chosen from all of the exits.
   |  |     
   |  |                      AREA UPDATES for Feb 14 2001
   |  |     
   |__|     San Francisco
    /\        You can now take a stage coach back east to Pittsburgh!
   /  \     
  /    \    Bengal
 /_    _\     Fighting the tiger in the cage should be more interesting for
   |  |       spectators. Also some teachers were cleaned up here.
   |  |     
   |  |     Anasazi America
   |__|       Various typo and bug fixes. Items shouldn't accumulate.
    /\      
   /  \     Crusades
  /    \      Various typo and bug fixes were made.
 /_    _\   
   |  |     As always, we ask that if you find any bugs/typos or have
   |  |     ideas for new items, reactions for mobs, quest hints or any
   |  |     other sort of thing in certain area or areas, please use the
   |__|     bug/idea/typo channels.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
  _______   ____    _______
 /  ___  \ / __ \  /  ___  \  Logs of Q&A sessions are available on the
 | /   \ | \ \/ /  | /   \ |  web pages for those who are unable to attend
 | |   | |  \  /   | \___/ |  or had to leave early. The most recent ones
 | |   | |  /  \/\ |  ___  |  are listed on the sitemap page or you can
 | | /\| | / /\  / | /   \ |  get a complete list on the Q&A index page
 | \_\ \ | \ \/  \ | \   / |  at the url below.
  \___\/_/  \__/\/ \_/   \_|

       http://www.legendmud.org/Community/lectures/QandA/QA_index.html
 
                               RECENT TOPICS

 o Lower Armslore Prereqs?                    o Missed Bashes?
 o Can we have other types of healing tools?  o Dispelling Doppels
 o Charms getting HP/MA?MV bonuses?           o Furniture Rent in Housing
 o High Perc & Seeing Hidden                  o Requests for more Games
 o Purify & Reporting Bugs                    o Wells/Fountains & Poisons
 o Can roots & surgery be improved?           o How's progress on areas?
 o Has the Wagon Quest in Orkneys been fixed? o More Perc & See Hidden?
 o Imping Resist Poison?                      o Weapon Damage Type Variety
 o Putting runes on objects?                  o Date for Skilltrees?
 o Can EQ Change Put Us Overrent?             o How often are imm apps taken?
 o Where do you need new imms?                o How much Unix is needed?
 o Backstab Rumors                            o Info as Imms and Applicants?
 o Change in Base Stat System?                o Why high inactive rate?
 o How many people are Accept All now?        o Coder Projects?
 o Is Admin really harder to get in?          o Houses in Klein yet?
 o Can we get someone to look at a draft?     o What's coding like? 
 o Could banks pay interest?                  o Names & Housing
 o How can morts get more involved?           o Any plans for a LegendMEET?
 o Do new imms have to stick to that dept?    o When's the next PK Tourney?
 o Can we have clan wars with kill counts? 
 o How should we answer the questions?
 o Can Clanhalls be spiffier than regular houses?
 o Is April Fool's day going to be a secret again?
 o Combat System Ramblings: STR/PERC/SPIRIT/BLIND/DIP/SPIRIT

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



------------------------+------------------------+------------------------
   @>----->----->-----    VALENTINE'S GREETINGS     -----<-----<-----<@
------------------------+------------------------+------------------------
Talos,                  |                        | Genocide,
My wish for you, on     | Happy Valentine's Day  | Thank you for showing
this day of hearts is   |          and           | me that I am lovable,
that you might find     |   Happy 7th Birthday   | no matter what, for who
your heart again,       |       LegendMUD!       | I am, as I am.
         Myshella       |                        |        Love, Crystaline
------------------------+------------------------+------------------------
Dearest Ganymede,       | To Bruson Carthine, the handsomest, bravest,
  I love you now and    | strongest man in the world,
  forever.              |    I love you and cannot wait to be your bride.
      Your Valentine,   |                             My life is yours.
                Denstra |                              Naomi Eliezer
------------------------+------------------------+------------------------
             Happy Valentine's Day,              | To LadyDagger:
                   Rosaline!                     |   *tackle* Valentine!
-------------------------------------------------+------------------------
To my Queen Crystaline                           | Oh dear sweet myself...
                                                 | no other has as perfect
Thank you for looking past my imperfections and  | as a valentine as I.
     loving me for who I am                      | You seem to know
Thank you for standing beside me throughout all   | exactly what I am
     of my pains hurts and woes                  | thinking. Your every
Thank you for being there just because           | move seems as if I had
Thank you for being there when no one else was   | thought it myself. I
Thank you for drying my tears                    | love your megalo-
Thank you for easing my fears                    | maniacal ways, your
With you I want to be for eternity.              | true sense of self
Thank you my love for agreeing to marry me.      | belief and trust. Oh
Thank you dear heart for loving me               | myself... you are truly
Thank you for being mine throughout eternity     | the greatest gift of
                                                 | all.
                                  Genocide       |        Love, Starbiter
-------------------------------------------------+------------------------
too timmmeee,           | Roses are Red,         | To my Destiny,
                        |   Violets are Blue,    |
happeee vantiiins daa   | But blood is more red, | As we celebrate our
ta bestestestestest     |   Especially from you. | 25th year together, I
fwen geowg saaa hiiii   |                        | want you to know that
tooo.                   |        ---The Vampire  | my passion for you
                        +------------------------+ burns as brightly as
sinseerrleee, gwajeff   |        __  __          | the first time I met
             makdunkan  |       /  \/  \         | you... You are my love,
------------------------+       |*TONK*|         | my Destiny, for now and
Gizzy,                  |        \    /          | eternity.
 We love you momma!!!!  |         \  /           |   With love,
       Kaloe and Aspen  |          \/            |     your brat, Adriana
------------------------+------------------------+------------------------
To Akai_Hayate:         | To Kyla:     Happy Valentine's Day and
 Hey, it's Valentine's  |            good luck with your color set!
 Day and you haven't    +------------------------+------------------------
 watched Love Hina?     | To Maida:              | To Khelben:
 Shame on you, get with |   Valentineyip?        |  Cheer up, grumpy!
 the program!           |       *peer* Where?    |      Have a Valentine!
------------------------+------------------------+------------------------
Dear Valentine,                                  | To my beloved Asguard,
                                                 |
You don't know this, but I've been watching you  | On this day of love,
for a long time. I've seen you wander the world  | and our day of
with your scalpel I've seen how you help people  | marriage, I tell the
without a second thought to your own well-being. | world the truth of how
                                                 | much I love you, and I
I've loved you for a long time and I'm so glad   | give to you my heart
that you are my Valentine for now and always.    | and soul in eternal
                                                 | wedded bliss. I love
It's only you, Zhivago, that I think I've ever   | you.
really loved. You are my heart, my soul, my      |               Silvaria
being.                                           +------------------------
                                                 |   To FighterFrog:
Thank you for being the wonderful man you are.   |      Ribbit!
                                                 |   -pouncetackle-
                           Love, Your Huggy      | Happy Valentines Day!
------------------------+------------------------+------------------------
RogueMoon,              | To Percy,
                        |   You're a real nice guy to invite me out on a
We have been together   | date and all, even if Mertjai kinda strong-armed
for many years, thru    | you into asking me. I'm real sorry about scaring
all the ups and downs   | you. I come on too strong I guess. But I'm not
we have survived it     | stalking you, honest! Oh, and I also apologize
all. -=pounce=- Still   | for those pictures I showed you. I thought you'd
in love after all these | like them!
years.                  |       Happy Valentine's Day, Percykins.
              CK        |                            --Aemilia Weatherbee
------------------------+------------------------+-----------------------
Stasis,                 |     To Lachdanan:      | Aaaaarrgh,
                        |                        | Happy Valentines Day,
 Happy Valentines Day,  |     This valentine     | my love. You make my
 my sweet son.  Your    |    is to thank you     | life complete. I cannot
 daddy and I love you   |     for putting in     | wait to share a lifetime
 very, very much.       |      so much time      | of Valentines Days with
                        |        to EQ me!       | you. I will love you
  Love,  Mommy & Daddy  |          *hug*         | always,  Kyla
------------------------+------------------------+------------------------
   @>----->----->-----    HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY     -----<-----<-----<@
------------------------+------------------------+------------------------


           ________________________
          /                        \
      o O | Wonder what folks are   |
 `\|||/   | doing over at LegendMUD?|
 (o o)    \________________________/
ooO_(_)_Ooo________________________________________________________________
_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|___
__|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|

  ___                                                                  ___
  \ |------------------------------------------------------------------| /
  /__|  LEGENDITES: Information Regarding the People of Our World     |__\
   '------------------------------------------------------------------'


                              Announcements

          The Tuatha De Mannan Clan was formed by Cerberus.

             The Outfitters Clan was formed by Hawklin.


Judah and Haley Eliezer announce the wedding of their daughter Naomi Eliezer
to Bruson Carthine on Wednesday, February 21, 2001. We welcome everyone to
come celebrate this joyous occasion with the Eliezer family.

The wedding will commence at 7pm system time at the fountain in Paris.


     []-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]


                             A Rising Wind

The first seventeen years of my life were marked by poverty and hardship. As
a child, I begged for bread in the streets of London while my father swept
chimneys. My mother seemed to always be ill from a racking cough that slowly
stole her breath away.

In my early teens, I began bringing money home to the family. I knew by my
father's sideways glances that he suspected I walked the docks, accepting
coins from the grimy hands of sailors, though he never said a word. I let him
believe that lie, knowing he would accept me as a whore more easily than as a
thief and a witch.

In truth, I walked through crowded streets. Sometimes, a wind would rise up,
and somehow, by concentrating on that wind, I could will it to go where I
wished. While soot blew in eyes of merchants, gentlemen's hats were swept off
their heads, and ladies' skirts billowed threatening to expose their ankles,
my nimble fingers would dip into their purses and pockets.

One day, my hand dipped into the wrong pocket. I pulled out what I thought
must be a watch. But before I could slip away in the crowd, I was stopped
dead in my tracks. As my hand closed about the object, a vision built in my
head. I saw a desert. Dusky-skinned people walked through the sand, some with
daggers hidden in their robes and others--others would murmur words I could
not understand and the light, the air, would respond. It was magic.  It was
the world in which I knew I belonged, the power to which I was destined.

A hand grabbed my wrist, jolting me back to awareness. The man I had robbed
looked at me, as if searching for something in my eyes. A bobby stood not
twenty paces away. I was certain I would be hauled off to prison.

'Keep the scarab,' the man said, indicating the object in my hand. It 
was a stone, carved in the likeness of a large beetle. I stood dumbfounded, 
heart pounding. 'Come to my curio shop, tomorrow morning,' he told me. 'If 
you work off the debt, I will not report you.'

In the morning I went, certain that he wanted the same thing the sailors
wanted. But instead he told me that I had a gift for magic, and thrust into
my hands strange artifacts. I told him what visions they gave me, if any, and
he taught me of the far-away lands and people that I glimpsed. It went as
such for several years. In the mornings, I helped the proprietor authenticate
his curios. In the afternoons, I picked pockets in the streets.

Until one evening, I came home to find my father sitting at the table,
white-faced. There was silence from the corner, where my mother lay on her
bed, very still. 'She is dead,' he said, voice trembling. He cast scornful
eyes at me. 'And it is your fault.' I stammered a denial: she had been sick
for years, she was dying. 'Do you think I don't know what you are?' my father
screamed at me. 'You are a servant of Satan, a witch! Unnatural things always
happen around you. I felt a cold wind when you walked in the door. It is the
breath you stole from your own mother, little by little until she had none
left. Now she is dead!' He stood up from the table and rushed at me, hands
raised to strangle me.

I am not sure what happened next. I felt enraged and betrayed that my own
father would accuse me of such things. I closed my eyes and imagined the
desert in the scarab's vision. It was in the middle of a sandstorm. The wind
howled, lifting the sand and hurling it in every direction.

When I opened my eyes, our house was in ruins. Broken furniture lay scattered
about. My father was crumpled in a heap on the floor, dead. I ran all the way
to the curio shop. I have done something terrible, I stuttered, shaking
violently and streaming tears.

My friend nodded solemnly. I suspected your gift was strong, but you must
learn to control it, he told me. There is nobody here who can train you.  You
must go to ancient Arabia. Do you still have the scarab? I nodded, drawing
the beetle from my pocket. He explained to me how to use the scarab to travel
back in time, to a place where I could learn to control my magical gift.

I left London behind me, traveling southward through time and space. I cast
aside my old life and, like the wind, carried nothing with me. The
guttersnipe and cut-purse died in the sandstorm; only I survived. To reflect
my new life and the growth of my magic, I chose a new name for myself. I am a
force of nature, destructive and unstoppable. I am Boreas, the North Wind.

     []-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]

                      The Betrayal of Rosaline

Tuesday, March 2, 4:08 PM

I was at The Royal Stag, you probably know the place so I wont waste my time
describing it. I sat at one of the few tables that littered the lobby waiting
for my pet, Wolfgang von Ahrken. There would be a full moon tonight, the
perfect time to turn him into one of us. By us i mean a vampire, as many of
you know, that is what I am, well half of me anyway. And that is not the
story I tell tonight. I was alone in the inn, save for the innkeeper. I took
this opportunity to take out the gown I would wear for the Turning, it was a
lavish gown of white and gold, perfect for my need, I took it out of my
leather pouch and unfolded it. Then Wolfgang was there. After an exchange of
kisses I said, 'One moment.'

'Of course...' he replied, looking at me.  I stood up and slipped into the
gown and nodded to my self, it was perfect.  And then we were on our way. We
walked listening to the birds sing and smelling the fragrances of the cottage
gardens. Then the flower smell was replaced by the smell of rotting garbage
and I quickened my pace as I noticed a rat burrowing through the rubbish
heaps in the street gutters.  Then we were on the London Bridge, crossing it
we came to the English Channel...

A short time later we arrived at the great doors of a Church, the Intempesta
Nox church. On the broad staircase that led to the gilded doors of the church
was the corpse of a young man, a victim of one of my clanmates no doubt. We
entered the church, the familiar things greeting my eyes and I said, 'Go
remove your clothes.' Wolfgang left down, into the crypt where our sweet
Drusilla slept. He returned shortly wearing only a twisted gold ring and a
small explorer's lamp. I giggled as he peered around the room. Then he said,
'I am ready, my dear,' as if he was still wearing his clothes and armor. I
nodded and off we went to the spot I had picked for the turning.

5:59 PM

We arrived at Hagar Qim, a temple of sorts. The ancient stones still stood
erect, forming odd patterns on the  field.

'Alright, this is the place,' I said sweetly.

'Well chosen,' Wolfgang replied. I nodded.

'Now...take me...' Wolfgang said. I stepped closer to him and reached up and
pulled his neck to my awaiting mouth. Suddenly he pushed me away from him!
Surprise I said, 'What's this?!' Then he charged at me with an unnatural
speed and pinned me to the ground.

'What the he...?' I said, starting to get a little angry. He snarled and
licked his lips, then he gaged me with a silk cloth. Worried I spit the cloth
out. Pale orange light reflected off of a few clouds in the deepening blue
sky, the moon would soon be raising. 'What are you doing?' I asked anxiously.
'Get off of me!' Then his eyes narrowed, and as he opened his mouth in a
smile I saw that his fangs had gotten longer, like mine.

'You have fangs.... that means....' Then it hit me, what he was going to do
to me, and I yelled out 'Help!' knowing full well that no one would hear me
in this place. Then he spoke, his voice different.

'Remember I said I drank the blood of the virgin girls in my parents
country?' To this I only nodded, slowly. 'Ohhh, how I drank the blood. Not to
hear their screams, though it sounds delightful. Not to taste their blood,
though it tastes so sweet. But to see their shock, their fear when they
figured who I was... What I was.' Then he threw his head back and laughed,
the laugh of the insane. He licked my neck and I tried to push him off of me,
my strength seemed to have left me.

'Don't do this!' I pleaded. He responded by tightening his grip on me. Then
he said, 'Ohhh yes, your special blood shall make me so much more powerful.'
I looked into his unfamiliar eyes, pleading with him, saying, 'Don't do
this.' Then he sank his fangs into my neck and removed them, letting a little
blood run out, staining my gown, before he started drinking from me.  I let a
scream to rattle heaven's gates. He pressed his naked body against me to keep
me in control, his body bathed in the rays of the rising moon. He began to
drink more and more, his need becoming greed as he sucked nearly all of my
blood from my body. And the whole while I couldn't help wanting it, wanting
him to end my life by draining my body of the blood that ran threw the long
dead veins. As my vision began to blur he stopped drinking and said in his
cold unnatural voice, 'Ahhhh, how delicate your blood is.' He licked his lips
and smiled as I slumped to the ground my energy drained like my blood. Then
he slowly got up on his feet. I whispered hoping his vampiric ears would hear
my plea, 'Please Luv, help me...'

'Fare thee well m'lady,' he said and turned around to leave me there.

'Don't leave me here..' I said, my voice weak. He turned back towards me.
'Please...' I whispered. A single blood stained tear made a path down his
cheek and he gathered me up in his arms. As he supported my head and guided
it to his neck he whispered to me, 'You and me...forever...' I opened my
mouth, revealing my slender fangs and I bit his neck, letting his blood enter
my mouth. 'Drink my love, drink,' he whispered. As I drank the full moon
climbed the sky and watched. I drank just enough to allow my body to live and
then I let the blackness swallow me whole. I slept.

I slowly opened my eyes, I was back at the church, Wolfgang had me in his
arms. The shock hit me then and I looked up at him. He kissed my lips and I
slapped him as hard as I possibly could in my weakened state.

'Don't you touch me!' I growled at him. He looked at me.

'I just gave you the finest of blood, and you slap me?'

'The finest blood!' my voice low and angry. 'That was my blood you stole!' I
struggled to get out of his arms, and he dropped me. I hit the floor with a
soft thud, and as graceful as I could I stood up.

'You will NOT touch me again!' I said, my voice full of hatred for him.

'We shall see....our blood is one now,' came his reply. 'We are
bound...bloodbound.'

'No!' I shouted. 'I will not allow it!'

'That is too late, then you shouldn't have drank from me.'

I let my anger reveal its self on my face, then i turned and walked towards
the door. As I left the room I heard his last words, 'For you will return, I
trust.'

Disgusted I went back to London and rented a room at the Dewe Droppe Inn.

That is the story of what I remember from that night. It is all true, exactly
as I remembered it, and you can always trust a vampire's memory. I am still
angry at Wolfgang for betraying me and he shall feel the full wrath of me, as
soon as I regain my strength. This I promise you.

     []-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]

          The continued diaries of the real Herbert West

Monday - The imposter has lead me on quite the merry chase in the last week,
which is why it has taken me so long to organize my thoughts and convey them
here. With his wife he has traveled through many strange lands seeking to
learn more of the strange man who left such an ominous note with him, ahhh
how I love to inspire such terror in him.  And so he knows now after speaking
to many of his friends that I exist and that I am watching... Oh, how fun
this little game has become, he believes if he can run for long enough that I
might lose interest. If anything I feel it shall make the inevitable all the
more intriguing.

Wednesday - I did not write yesterday for the most peculiar message arrived
at my door in the early hours and I felt I should reply in kind, the message
was a simple, hand-penned letter from none other than my imposter asking for
some form of peaceful resolution...his tone indicated an almost psychotic
desire to not bring this situation to violence which made me sick to the
core.  I followed the letters instructions and met him, alone, in an
abandoned warehouse on the docks of London, and there he launched into a
flurry of questions and arguments as to how I might not exist in this world
with him and how could this be?  And so to prove my physical form I knocked
him down with a solid blow to the back of his head and took several of my more
personal items from him.  As I left however he whispered through broken and
bleeding teeth, 'This is not the end my friend.' At the time this made me
laugh quietly to myself but now as I lay in the dark by the cold hearth in
the early hours it rings with an ominous tone through my very being.

Thursday - I decided last night that I should move myself to a more
comfortable and defendable lodging and so today I have labored as some lower
caste worker might hauling my heavy oaken furniture to the inn of such ill
repute...The Dewe Droppe Inn. But it seems a nice enough place and the
mistress of the house has offered me reduced rates for various duties about
the house.

Friday - I awoke to the sound of screaming in the house this morning and
rushed downstairs to find several of the woman who lived here with me
standing over the corpse of a rat which had been recently thrown through the
foyer window. Embedded in its chest was a shiny scalpel with the letters H.
WEST engraved onto its edge. Ahhh... so finally this imposter shows some of
his true nature and shows me that he means business, Well.. if all he feels
able to kill are rats I may just survive this little game yet.

Sunday - Ahhh yes another day has gone by with not one sign of the imposter,
has he given up on me so quickly I should hope not.  I watched the woman my
heart bleeds for today for many hours, she was talking with friends on a a
beautiful beach while awaiting some grand and dangerous voyage.  Oh how I
long to hold her in my arms once more and know that I am the only one she
loves....  But that may never be, I have seen the smile on her face as she
watches her new young Herbert with all his dashing charisma and the energy of
youth.  This situation must come to an end.. and soon.

     []-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]


                      .+'''+.            .+'''+.
                      Horoscopes by Mme. Decara
                               '+,,,+'
  
  +---------------------------------+---------------------------------+
  | AQUARIUS      (Jan 20 - Feb 19) | PISCES        (Feb 20 - Mar 20) |
  |                                 |                                 |
  | Your outgoingness and friendly  | Jupiter and Neptune's influence |
  | nature are great assets, don't  | your powers of empathy. A pair  |
  | let others take advantage of it.| of new shoes -- treat your feet!|
  +---------------------------------+---------------------------------+
  | ARIES         (Mar 21 - Apr 19) | TAURUS        (Apr 20 - May 20) |
  |                                 |                                 |
  | The fire in your soul was never | That recent blow to your sense  |
  | more evident in this season of  | of stability can be overcome by |
  | love! Don't be shy, tell them!  | exploration and investigation.  |
  +---------------------------------+---------------------------------+
  | GEMINI        (May 21 - Jun 20) | CANCER        (Jun 21 - Jul 22) |
  |                                 |                                 |
  | Great times are ahead for those | Your sense of self-preservation |
  | who love to communicate! Ease of| kicks into high gear. Feeling   |
  | expression will soon be yours.  | trapped will make it much worse.|
  +---------------------------------+---------------------------------+
  | LEO           (Jul 23 - Aug 22) | VIRGO         (Aug 23 - Sep 22) |
  |                                 |                                 |
  | Know that others appreciate your| Your power of critical precision|
  | generosity and exuberance  even | is put to the test. Adaptation  |
  | if they don't always tell you.  | and completion are your goals.  |
  +---------------------------------+---------------------------------+
  | LIBRA         (Sep 23 - Oct 23) | SCORPIO       (Oct 24 - Nov 22) |
  |                                 |                                 |
  | Blessed with an uncanny ability | Share more of your secret self  |
  | to relate to others that endears| person nearest and dearest to   |
  | you to many, Cupid smiles often.| you this Valentine's Day.       |
  +---------------------------------+---------------------------------+
  | SAGITTARIUS   (Nov 23 - Dec 21) | CAPRICORN     (Dec 22 - Jan 19) |
  |                                 |                                 |
  | Don't let your independence keep|Turn your skills at organization |
  | you from enjoying the party. Let| to establishing and advertising |
  | your optimism shine and enjoy!  | the next biggest and best clan! |
  +---------------------------------+---------------------------------+

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