 Bet Your Bones on It!By Tartfull The game of Dragon's Bones hails from sometime during the First Age. The exact origins of the game are lost in the depths of time, but are believed to have been created by the Arkati. However, this is the ONLY game of its kind. These bones are unique. Several games have been created in an attempt to copy Dragon's Bones, but have been unable to attain the same quality and excitement. It is said that the dice were created from the bones of deceased dragons by their Arkati servants to honor them. Nobody knows for certain whether this is true or not, we will never know for certain. All that is known is that these bones possess many strange and unidentifiable magical properties. The creator of the game understood this and established certain special bets to take advantage of these random occurrences. The rules are simple: Someone rolls the bones. People bet money as to whether the roller (called Slayer) will be successful, or unsuccessful. There are several other bets that are impartial to the slayer's success, and are only for one roll. This means that the bet only lasts for ONE roll. You are betting on the outcome of the bones on the next roll. If you bet correctly, you are paid off according to the odds chart. If you do not bet correctly, then your silver is swept into The Dragon's Maw! Other bets last for several rolls, and are only dependent on whether the slayer succumbs to Dragon Strike, or gets the Quarry. The bones are passed to a new slayer whenever the current slayer hits a Dragon Strike.
Play begins with the Fly Out Roll. At this time, there is no Quarry to try and capture. People betting with the Slayer are hoping that a 7 or 11 is rolled on the Fly Out Roll. People betting against are hoping for a 2, 3, or 12 (All of them known as Dragon Bite). If the Slayer rolls something other than the previous numbers on the Fly Out Roll, that roll becomes the Quarry. To win, the Slayer MUST roll the Quarry again before a 7. For those betting against the Slayer, a 7 is the only way for them to win their bet. If the Slayer captures the Quarry, then he keeps the bones and is on a new Fly Out Roll. And the process begins all over. If ANY of the Dragon Bets hit, the Slayer retains the bones, AND the next roll will be a Fly Out Roll. There are several bets that can be made which have nothing to do with the Quarry. Most of them are only concerned with the Slayer rolling a 7 before whatever number is bet upon. There are TWO types of betting: Normal Betting and Dragon Betting. You may make as many normal bets as you wish. If you do make a normal bet, you will be unable to place a Dragon bet. Only ONE person may have a particular Dragon bet.
Dragon's Lair (2,3,4,9,10,11,12) Even Any Dragon Bite (2,3, or 12) 7 to 1 Multiple Roll Bets Dragon Spine - Even (note: A bet on the Spine is in support of the Slayer.) (note: A bet on the Belly is not in support of the Slayer.) Odds Quarry Dependent
You are allowed to bet up to Double your Spine or Belly amount for Odds. Read the poster to learn about the special Dragon bets and how Odds works. All bets listed on this chart are considered Normal bets. When normal betting has closed and Dragon betting begun, you may place a Dragon bet provided you have not bet on anything else. There are FOUR Dragon bets. Only ONE person may bet a specific Dragon bet. The minimum betting requirements and specific payouts for each bet are listed below: Dragon's Breath Payout: Your original bet AND all silver currently bet on the table. Dragon Spawn Payout: 40 times your original bet AND all silver currently bet on the table. Dragon's Blood Payout: Twice the total accumulated while betting Dragon's Blood. Please read the posted warning before you bet on Dragon's Blood. Dragon Master Payout: All silver currently bet on the table plus one half the Dragon's Maw, AND you will receive 1/10th the value of the Maw at the end of the Gaming. All Dragon bets are considered to be ONE roll bets with the exception of Dragon's Blood and if a Dragon Bet wins, the next roll will be a Fly out roll. A note on how Odds work: You may only bet Odds if you have a bet on the Dragon Spine or Belly, and then only after the Quarry has been established. Odds give you the correct odds payout for the Quarry number hitting before a Dragon Strike. The Odds payouts for each associated Quarry number is listed below: Number Correct Odds
To place a bet, the command is: BET <silver amount> ON <bet type> Bet types are: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, SPINE, BELLY, LAIR, ODDS, SCALY (4, 6, 8, 10), BREATH, BLOOD (read warning), SPAWN, ANY, and MASTER. |
 Do-It-Yourself WeddingsBy Brownyng Borouk-LionHeart The first step is to move the focus of the wedding from the clothes, (where it tends to be in GM weddings, simply because they are at times hard to decide upon), to the ceremony itself. A ceremony can be rich and meaningful on its own, and the loveliest weddings do tend to be the ones focused on the rite being performed. And remember, this is YOUR wedding and it should please YOU, so always look inward for inspiration. At this stage, try to answer several questions, which should give you some ideas for creating the perfect wedding ceremony for you. How big do you want the wedding to be? This is often a source of conflict between couples; one would prefer to be married in a glade with only two witnesses, the other wants a huge Temple wedding for 200. Try to reach a compromise that both partners feel comfortable with, but remember, this is important to discuss because it will affect the other plans you make. What is your `theme'? It is my considered opinion that every wedding should have a theme, with some caveats, of course. A theme may seem restrictive, but it actually FREES you from too much information, to make considered choices. Themes can be used for everything from planning wedding party dress, to choosing the site, to giving ideas for reception food. Some examples are Celtic weddings, high magic weddings, Elven weddings, nature weddings, (good for Rangers), garden weddings, nautical weddings, ‘dark' weddings, (for those who follow the darker gods), and essentially anything that feels ‘right'. Even a ‘feel' can help you make choices; light-hearted, serious, sexy, worshipful, and elegant. Color schemes can be used in this way too, as can a simple theme such as ‘roses.’ However, one must be cautious not to overdo a theme or color scheme. You're planning a wedding, not staging a play. Use the theme as a tool, but do not become a slave to it. Where will you hold your ceremony? A theme will make this choice
much easier. Again, any place that is special to you as a couple can be used. The most
popular sites are the Wedding Glade, and the Town Temple. The Rose Garden What will your ceremony be like? Consider whether you wish to write your own vows, or repeat cleric vows. Will the bride be given away? Special additions such as handfasting ceremonies, (where the couple's wrists are cut so that their blood mingles), are wonderful ways to make the wedding uniquely yours. A little research should give you plenty of ideas. Who will perform your ceremony? After you have some idea of what you want, it's time to look for a cleric. Elanthia has many fine clerics who perform marriage rites, and love doing so. A few inquiries should turn up the name of a cleric or two willing to help you. When you have an idea of what you want, discuss it with your cleric with an open mind. Most of them have seen a lot of weddings, and often have the idea that you're looking for. Of course, if you are totally stumped on the ceremony itself, they often have a standard ritual that they perform. A wedding is a time for celebrating the union of two souls before the gods. Spending some time focusing on the marriage rite can give you the beautiful wedding you have always wanted, and can be a lot of fun to plan.
Griffin By Lanceval Queylan A glimmer of silver, a flashing of wings, A creature fell and swift, a fire in its eyes, A streaking of light, a dark-shadowed sun, A fierce blaze of limb, a slashing of claw! Ever victor, once more undefeated,
Fraud Alert! By Elf Doe The number of frauds committed daily in the lands is astonishing. This is a major concern because each fraud can easily cost the victim over 50,000 silvers. The most I lost in one fraud was 100,000 silvers. The highest loss I have seen due to fraud was a Dwarven Wand Harness worth over 300,000 silvers. There are two common types of fraud. The first type of fraud is the "take-and-run" fraud. The victim gives the item or promissory note to the swindler expecting something in return. Instead, the swindler takes the item or note and leaves. The second type of fraud is "false advertisements". The swindler makes false claims about the item being sold and laughs at the victim after the trade is done. In both cases, praying to the Gods will not help. It is the adventurers' responsibilities to exchange items whenever they are trading. There are three advantages to exchanging items. First, it eliminates the chance of giving the wrong item away. One time, I donated my weapon to someone instead of the wand which I was holding in my left hand. Second, exchanging works well in busy rooms where it is difficult to see if the other person gave you the item or not. Third, exchanging eliminates the bulk of the frauds that happen in the land. One time, a swindler gave me the note first, so I accepted and gave my crystal to him. When he took the crystal and left, I knew something was wrong... the note was only worth 100 silvers instead of 2000 silvers. It was a minor loss, but exchanging or reading the note first would have prevented it. continued on Page II... |
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Hearthstone is becoming quite popular. The Temple in IceMule,
with its altars to each god, is also a wonderful idea. Shrines such as Kai's, Imaera's,
Charl's, Ronan's and now Leya's are all options, as are shrines to dark gods such as
Luukos, and Arachne's Spider Temple. Always remember if your ceremony is not held in a
safe place, then you should have someone available who can handle any beasts that arrive. 
