Issue #10
Into the Shining Night
I followed the directions given to me this evening in order to find and interview The Lord Reaver. I swear the directions led me in circles at least twice but I finally managed to navigate my way to the back alley cantina where we were to meet. Needless to say, this was not the place this reporter wanted to be in the middle of the day, much less the middle of the night. I was led to a corner booth where I was introduced to Nathan, Lord Reaver of the Order of the Shining Night (OSN).
Like several other alliances (Anti-weasel coalition, Divine Order of the Weasel) the goals of the OSN are to increase the strength of the Pardus universe. The OSN is similar but chooses to strengthen the universe through a trial by fire. They will test/attack anyone and anywhere. Their goals are to implement change. So whether you boost defenses, go on the offensive and attack them, or pay them for “protection”, their aims have been achieved. Each makes Pardus stronger in a different way.
My conversation with Nathan went something like this:
Tribune: I know you are a busy man, and I appreciate the opportunity you’ve given the Tribune to interview you. Many among the universe do not know who you are. Can you give us a brief history of yourself and how you found yourself starting the OSN?
Nathan: Well as you may know I was once just an ordinary pilot trading in what some consider illegal substances. After several months of successful trading, despite harassment by various pirates and Inquisitors, I woke up one day to find one of my buildings again destroyed. My first reaction was to fly into a rage, but then a darkness swept over me, and out of the darkness a voice. It was the Shadow speaking directly to me!
She told me that I was being tested, shaped for a purpose. And that purpose was to be her agent of Chaos. That day I learned the fundamental Law of Chaos: Resistance IS Life, Adapt or die.
So I accepted the burden the Shadow had given me, and I set forth into the universe to bring the Fire to everyone, so that they too may have the chance to serve the Shadow. Only the strong may survive!
Tribune: Your basic philosophy states that you want to make Pardus stronger through pain and suffering. Most people are going to see you as nothing more as simple pirates? Any comments on that?
Nathan: It matters litle what people think or feel. It matters only what they do. Resist us and our objective is attained, for you must become strong enough to fight us. Tithe the Order and you again help us attain our objective, for you must become strong enough to carry the burden of the Tithe.
But really we cannot be compared to mere pirates. Pirates bring chaos only for personal gain. They act at random and are little more than parasites. The Order exists and acts with a purpose. Like a sword forged in fire under the blacksmiths hammer, we will strengthen Pardus, our resolve cannot be questioned, our purpose cannot be deflected. We are the true agents of the Shadow, and the Shadow will not be denied.
Tribune: Eventually, you’ll find yourself being hunted by hunters who have little to gain from your destruction. How does your code take into account these kinds of situations?
Nathan: Reavers of the Shadow fear not death. Should a hunter be skilled enough to kill one of our number he has simply served the Shadow’s will. He has strengthened himself, and strengthened us by testing us.
I welcome hunters! For it is right and just that I too should be tested.
Tribune: Many of the Pardus universe have never lived the life of a warrior, especially a rogue warrior. Describe some of the issues the OSN has to deal with on a daily basis?
Nathan: Well of course there are the obvious hassles of finding places to repair ones vessel, and of course one must always be on the lookout for hunters and bounty collectors.
But there are many who secretly support the Shadow, and our friends do help and aid us from time to time. All in all, serving the Shadow is actually quite liberating. There is a certain freedom one has when he knows his cause is just.
Tribune: Along the same lines, the life of a warrior is not cheap. Attacking on a full time basis is generally not a recipe for financial success. How do you fund your operations?
Nathan: Through tithes and of course by selling the goods taken from weak. And the odd job taken here and there. It’s actually quite a profitable way of life.
Tribune: The life of the OSN looks difficult. Only the hardiest souls look to be right for the OSN. How do you select your membership?
Nathan: We used to demand a test of new recruits, I would personally shove them out an airlock and wait ten minutes. Only those strong enough to survive were allowed to join. But after 3 weeks with no survivors we have had to change our recruitment policy. Now we take anyone willing to fight and swear allegiance to the Shadow. We also have many hidden converts who remain traders. They provide secret support by providing intel, repair facilities, and tithes. There are many paths to righteousness.
Tribune: I know the recent changes in ambushing must have you ready to go. Any thoughts on the new ambush drives?
Nathan: Yes, I am quite excited about this. More proof that we are on the path of righteousness! These new ambush drives are perfect for our operations. They provide a flexibility and strength that was lacking. Enabling Reavers to strike with impunity. I think many will fear these changes, but again I remind them of the Law of Chaos: Adapt or Die.
Tribune: Because of lack of faction bounties, the Neutral Zone probably looks to be one of the easier areas to promote change. Do you plan on moving from area to area, or will one area receive more ‘attention’ than others out of simple location?
Nathan: Now that would be telling wouldn’t it?
[there was an uncomfortable pause here as if I had just asked him if I could marry his thirteen old daughter or something…]
I can say this. The Shadow knows no boundaries and will sooner or later come to all.
Tribune: Individuals, alliances, and even sectors are able to buy “protection” from the OSN on a monthly basis. Can you give us some details as to why protection is needed and to pricing?
Nathan: Yes Tithing is an option available to everyone. They can chose to do this to avoid the Testing. Tithing is done on a monthly basis, and many feel the Tithe is the easier option… as it costs less to tithe than to fortify a building to repel attackers! Anyone interested in tithing can contact me directly or one of our Reavers. I should say at this point that all tithes must be approved by me, Lord Reaver.
We are not unreasonable in our demands. The average developed sector can be protected for a mere 1 million credits per month. Smaller sectors would of course be required to pay a smaller tithe. Whole alliances can protect themselves for as little as 1 million per month per 10 members. And of course the individual can protect themselves for amounts ranging from a pittance of 10,000 credits for a space farm to as much as 500,000 for a DAC owner.
Tribune: Give us your most memorable moment so far as part of the OSN?
Nathan: Most memorable moment… hard to say as there have been so many. There was Spiffs Trading Outpost in Edmize that I spent some few days testing. I tore down its defenses a few times and killed its owner. In the process forcing him to build better and stronger defenses. Trazlo Trevize joined the Order during this time and added his strength to our purpose.
Ultimatly Spiff recruited help and a double ambush destroying my vessel twice finally convinced me that he was indeed adapting and growing stronger, and as such had passed the Trial of Fire. My mission completed I moved on.
Then there was the time Anubis caught me unawares. I was cloaked in deep meditation when a Experienced pirate attacked! Three times my automated defenses did destroy him each time he respawned. Then while I was still in meditating on the Shadow, the pilot Anubis came across me and finished of my battered vessel. His attack was swift and merciless as it should be! Truly there is no shame in being defeated by such a worthy opponent.
Tribune: Anything else you’d like to add?
Nathan: Yes, Pardusians prepare to be tested! The Shadow is coming. Only those willing and able to be strengthened will survive.
To find out more about the Order you can visit the following: http://www.ashdezign.com/osn.html.
And there you have it. Another exclusive interview from the Tiacken Tribune!
Explosive Demand for Explosives
The most watched holo clip last week was the destruction of the Bard’s Nest in the Edmize sector using tons and tons of explosives. The resulting ratings has all areas of the galaxy stocking up on explosives for that rare chance where they get to condemn an orbital building and get huge holo ratings of their own.
Unfortunately, the explosives are scattered throughout the universe and planets need shipment of vast quantities of explosives. And where there is demand, there is opportunity. The planets and starbases have turned to traders to help transport these dangerous materials around the galaxy. Although the profit is a definite incentive, care must be taken when transporting them. Rough treatment will detonate the explosives. More than one unlucky pilot has met his fate in deep space when the explosives accidentally detonated. But for those that complete the missions successfully, vast fortunes await.
CoCo for Body Parts!
A recent phenomenon appeared last week dealing in the buying and selling of alien body parts. Several people from across Sol have come forward saying loved ones have woken up in tubs of ice with their intestines missing!! Apparently a small minority of alien populations enjoys using body parts of other species. While the reports so far is that these parts are for medicinal purposes, other uses are being discovered. (I hear that some are trying to market for chilled Keldon Brains as a delicacy). The initial reaction to this new market was incredibly high, then tapered down as demand wasn’t quite what was expected. Come to find out that Chilled Keldon Brains are an acquired taste that no one has quite acquired yet. Stay tuned though, I’m sure in the future, demand will pick up and the dead market for body parts will rise again!
Tiacken Public Service Announcement
The Tiacken Board of Common Sense would like to remind the residents of Tiacken that the Ice Beasts who have begun nesting in the Tiacken Nebula are NOT to be fed! Video footage taken from the “Tiackenian Darwin Awards” shows people flying into the Nebula to feed the Ice Beasts peanuts, popcorn, ice cream, and an assortment of other Tiackenian foods. This is not smart. The Ice Beasts have a very short temper and tend to enjoy fresh meat over Tiackenian cuisine. These videos show Ice Beasts ripping tourists to pieces in a gory display of ship and human anatomy. Please, please, do NOT feed the Ice Beasts.
Thank you.
This has been another message from the Tiacken Board of Common Sense.
Explosion Rocks the Universe!
Calico was told when leaving Grecein that a Behemoth stock full of explosives was bad news. But Calico had a loan to pay and a limited amount of time to pay it, so he was throwing caution to the wind and off he went. 300+ tons of explosive goodness. A disaster just waiting to happen. It was supposed to be an easy jump. Grecein to Acksando. One simple little jump. Unofutnately, the wormhole became a bit unstable as wormholes tend to do and one box tipped over and well, after the fireworks, it was lights out.
Even more unfortunate were the events that unfolded because of the actions of Calico. The explosion rocked the wormhole out of alignment into a new extremely long and winding part of the universe. Fortunately, the way was not totally lost and a wormhole to the Acksando remained on the other side. However, this pocket pass happened to be the home of the Ice Beasts who had been trapped here for an unknown length of time! With a path now open, the ice beasts began terrorizing the universe. Now the ice beasts are very unnatural creatures, and the only way they could travel from one sector to another was through the wormholes much like ships do. As they passed through each sector looking for food and a place to nest, they would pass through the wormholes, freezing them just a bit more, making them even more unstable. Scientists have named this entire phenomena (the explosion, creation of Pass-Emp-03, releasing of the Ice Beasts, and the resulting destabilization of the wormholes the Calico effect. Needless to say, pilots across the galaxy can blame Calico for the chaos while scientists do their best to measure the damage done to the wormholes and try to figure out a way to reverse the damage.
Doomstar on the Prowl
Well, it has taken quite awhile, but Admiral Paradis finally acquired the funds to purchase the monstrosity that is the Doomstar. With enough firepower, armor, and hull capacity to take out the nearest planet, the Doomstar is Paradis’s newest weapon in his quest to unite the galaxy in front of the weasel invasion. With his newest quest completed, Paradis is sure to begin his rampage anew shortly. Who will be the first victim? Watch the news to find out.
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Guardians on Rampage!!
Mid last week the Guardian Bladefist was wandering through time and space and happened to run across poor Delenn. Now Delenn was preparing an ambush and had just settled into position when a bleep came across the screen. More out of instinct than anything else, Delenn fired before looking at the target readout. Her luck of someone setting off the ambush was short lived.
Now. the Galactic Guardians are generally a peaceful lot. However, every now and then, the guardians roam the universe looking to test out their new… toys. Delenn happened to be an unwilling victim to one of these tests as Bladefist accidentally tripped the ambush. Bladefists weapons disintegrated Delenn’s ship before she knew what hit her.
The news caught the attention of Fiona, a very capable pilot and fighter in her own right. Deciding to test fate, she asked to see if she could live a round through Bladefist’s weaponry. After selling off the powerful guns, Bladefist met Fiona near Iceo for a test. Armed with only a 30mw mining laser, Fiona attacked one round.
Reports have it that Fiona missed every shot at the Guardian, Bladefist, on the other hand, hit once with his mining laser (his only weapon), doing roughly THIRTEEN times the standard damage. Fiona lived, but had to make sure she repaired her ship before continuing her day.
The moral of the story? If you ever run across a Guardian in a bad mood? Run!!
About Home
The Tiacken sector is a pirate-infested cesspit in the southern portion of the Neutral Zone. Tiacken is consistently raided by pirates who kill and raid to their heart’s content. Residents do their best to squeak out a modest living under the constant shadow of pirates and death.
… Did I say that out loud? …
Let’s try this again. Tiacken is a fabulous vacation spot for thrill seekers of all kinds! With a talented and headstrong group of residents, Tiacken has what you need if you’re looking for excitement. If you’re bored of the same old and need a new challenge, come out to Tiacken. PM Brackard in the Pardus message system for more details about this exciting experience.
March 28th, 2005 at 8:45 am
Long-time reader, first-time poster.
This is one fine-ass site (Can I say ass? I’m, of course, referring to a mule, if I can’t. Better than Francis, himself.)! I love the images and all the work you’ve done. The Public Service Announcements are my personal favorites.
Big up, to you and yours.
Hasta,
Zardoz
March 28th, 2005 at 10:44 am
Hahaha, I didn’t know that about Fiona and Bladefist. The rest was very funny too.
March 28th, 2005 at 2:18 pm
Congratulations on a fine publication. I find the articles most informative, the Public Service Announcements highly enteraining and the staff are terribly helpful:)
Thanks again.