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The sun shone down over the verdant forest in gentle waves of pulsating heat. The trees and bushes soaked it up in great draughts and almost seemed to glow with the absorbed energy. I gazed out over the land, shielding my eyes, and noticed I was beginning to burn some. Since I walk around in clanky plate armor most of the time, I was taking a chance to catch some rays and absorb a bit of sun myself on the top of the marble shop. Ahhh, maybe a bit too much sun today. I frowned at the many scars over my body, then stretched and heard the joints of my back and shoulders snap and pop. My joints always had been noisy, even as a kid, but it seemed that the older I got, the noisier I got.

I heard footsteps pounding on the dark brown dirt road that swept around the shop to the east, towards the busy city of Britain. Actually, there were two sets of footsteps. One slightly metallic set which indicated somebody in armor, and a pounding, earthshaking set that indicated something large and probably ugly as sin. As I peered down the road, I saw a warrior running fast enough to cause little dust devils spiral out behind him. In close pursuit was a raging Ogre Lord. My oh my, afternoon entertainment! I loved to watch races.

"Help!!!", Swind yelled as he passed by the shop. He dodged through some trees and did an admirable backstep to avoid the thunderous smash of the OL's club. "Help PLEASE?", he continued in a slightly more panicked voice. Oh! Now what the heck was I doing just watching this? I grabbed my shield and mace and darted for the door. Hmmm, no metallic footsteps. EEEK! All I had on was a shield and a mace. This would never do!

I quickly donned my armor as Swind Northwhile valiantly traded blows with the Ogre Lord. I hopped on Darlin, who was champing at the bit for some excitement, and galloped the few yards separating me and the combatants. It was kind of tough, chasing the OL and landing a smack since he was still chasing Swind all over but finally the Ogre Lord got a confused look on his face, said "Awwwwww..." and fell over.

Swind took some greater explosion potions from the shaggy corpse and offered the rest of the loot to me. I thanked him and looted the corpse until it quivered. Then, I remembered I had a bunch of GE's in the bank and offered to get them for him, as a gift for adding some excitement to my afternoon.

After all, I could have been sunning myself on the top of the roof, a cold drink next to me, communing with mother earth and father sun and here I was in my heavy, sweaty armor again. Wait, that didn't sound right. I DO like killing monsters, I do!

I galloped to the nearby moongate and noticed some angry people of different kinds nearby but continued on to Jhelom, galloped up the street to the bank, grabbed the GEs and paused long enough to buff myself purple. Ok, I was ready for almost anything now! Returning to the Britain moongate via the rapid transit gate system, I noticed other activities happening. Lots of violence today! I exited the Britain moongate and found Swind battling a mercenary of some kind. Hmm, I recognized that armor, it was a Praetorian! What the heck ws he doing up here? In quick order, we vanquished the two and I handed the greater explosion potions to him. Swind thanked me and I suggested we go through the moongate and see if we could find some action. He heartily agreed.

From then on, it was utter madness and chaos. We met Nox Starfire, Jasper, Chelsea Duklain, Thane, Harley, Belle, Sachiko and possibly others as determined battle swirled in the vicinity of the different moongates. I wondered if this was the Prophet's big push. There were different types this time, not just mercenaries, pirates and brigans, although a lot of them. Very few townsfolk for a change which was nice. I abhor killing townspeople.

Swind and I stuck together and took on a Praetorian General and his Knight. My mace seemed to have less effect than it used to but we continued to battle. An explosion rocked the General and I and my teeth rattled inside my plate helmet. What? Swind was attacking me? He grinned sheepishly and said, "Umm, a bit off on that one, sorry." I laughed with sheer battle joy as another explosion took me down to about 1/4 health and then prudently gulped a healing potion. Swind laughed nervously, then utilized his halberd (I think that is what it was) and nearly cut the Prateorian Knight's head off with one swing.

I can't describe everything that went on. This was a definite uprising of some kind. There were sashes in the loot we took that were emblazoned with "Sash of the Brotherhood" and it is quite possibly someone else found clues more important, I hope to hear if they did. I did hear there was bloodshed in Britain itself, even in the Haunt, but I don't have any details on that incident.

In time all the attackers were slain or driven away and peace once more seemed to reign over Brittania. I brushed off my armor, fed Darlin two apples since she is such a beautiful horsie, and went back to my shop. I retrieved a few treasure maps I had intended to search for after my sun sesson and headed to Skara Brae. After digging up a few chests and terminating their guardians with extreme prejudice, I wandered northwards to check out the brigand fort. No one had talked about it during the separate battles that had wheeled about the various moongates and I was curious.

Darlin stepped lightly, aware we were entering a dangerous area, and I was strung tight as a piano wire. I know about piano wires because a treasure chest I dug up a few days earlier had a piano deed in it. I planned on putting the piano in the Yew seaside house. Wyspr would just love it! As I was thinking about where to place the piano, four or five baddies leaped out in the road in front of us! EEEK! "Should I put the piano by the door or near the fireplace?" I asked them. They looked confused for a moment which gave me the chance to get the first swing in. BASH! A Praetorian Knight's helmet rung like a bell a few moments before my entire armor rang as chain lightning made me light up like last year's Christmas tree.

I rapidly counted my opponents as I swung my mace again and realized that 12 or more was a bad idea, all at one time. I galloped down the road, chased by pesky fireballs and angry Praetorian soldiers. Whew, those mages were tough but they don't like to run so all I had to deal with was steel.

I finished a varied group of Praetorian generals, knights, rogue knights, and brigands and looted their limp l'il bodies before heading back up. Time after time I lured opponents away from their stronghold and took care of them in small groups. It sure seemed to be taking a long time to kill them though. I began to think something was wrong with my oh so wonderful mace that Wyspr had bought me weeks earlier.

Occasionally I heard distant death cries and wondered what else was going on in the world but I was too busy swinging my mace, parrying blows and healing myself to do anything but wonder. I think it was a necromancer that died and changed into a Liche. That gave me a start! I'd never seen that before. It happened 3 different times. Eventually, I cleared the camp of most of the furious mercenaries, adept mages, master mages, necromancers and so on and so on. The last mercenary I fought took forever to vanquish. I felt like I was hitting him with a stick instead of a mace of destruction. I was also very weary. I knew there were 2 or 3 mages left in the camp and probably pirates and brigands hiding under bushes but my second loot bag was already almost full and Darlin was looking a bit peaked. Enough was enough.

I returned home with that wonderful recall spell, passed through the nearby gate to Jhelom to sell all the junk I had acquired and was just sorting it out when Michael Atticus hailed me! "Angry people in the Skara Brae pass! Do you want to assist?" I quickly assured him I would and messaged several other inhabitants of the land. I told Darlin this would be the last time and we galloped to Skara Brae. There were only a few on my side of the pass and it took inordinately long for them to die. Eventually, the forces of good (that's us!) came through the pass, driving terrified opponents before them. I trotted through the pass and scared out a couple pirates who held up much longer than usual and then went home again.

Once there I examined my mace and found out it was worn, almost worn out! I shuddered at the thought of it breaking in a battle and put it and my armor in a chest for my brother to repair. I sent him to blacksmith school, he can repair my armor! Then, I went back up on the roof to see if my drink was still cold. No such luck, in fact, the bees had gotten into it and sucked the glass dry. I sometimes wonder why I put three beehives on the top of the roof. I can't figure out how to get them off either.

So, thus ended a thoroughly enjoyable and vigorous afternoon in the World of Dreams. I fear the Prophet caused all this uproar and wonder what else awaits us in the future.