Arctic MUD

Arctic is a MUD (multi-user dimension), basically an online game. Arctic is loosely based on the Dragonlance series (TSR) written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. This series is set in a fantasy world known as Krynn. Krynn has multiple sancient races and people possess the art of magic. The series started with the Dragonlance Chronicles. These three books shaped the Dragonlance world for the readers.

I have played this game since 1994 or 1995. I'll always remember thinking that there was a guild that could throw knives and always wanted to be one of them. But it turned out they were 'thieves' and they weren't throwing knives, merely backstabbing. And right around those times, I experienced backstabbing first hand while blinded.

My Mud History:

"Noryl" is probably my most famous character and the name that I use online. He reached immortality in late 1997 and has since contributed a few zones and various things to Arctic mud. Other characters of note have been "Dardan d'Vaincre, Weaponsmaster of the Pathfinders."  This character was known for having (superb) in every warrior skill. I have been a member of a few clans. My first clan membership was "Shadow" and it was led by the notorious "Phaze." We were relatively inexperienced at the time and tried to wage war on some minor clans. My Shadow Clan characters were Gard-Thief and Aren-Paladin. Both reached level 28 I believe.

An old log from the Shadow Clan Era, approximate time 1997.

The next wipe is when I made Noryl and Dardan. Noryl joined the Knights of Solamnia. The story about Noryl's days with the knights can be read there in the former knights section. Dardan was one of the main tanks for the Pathfinder clan. I think at his max he was 550hp but could parry like nobody's busines. We were mostly a zoning clan and prided ourselves on doing hard zones on less people than most other clans. I can remember doing Soth on 4, but we did it on 3 and doing Qualinesti on 3-4 people. But like most clans we got dragged into some war and like most zoning clans, got our butts kicked. The war eventually ended with some peace talks.

More logs from this era (older to newer):

http://www.normstorm.com/arctic/warfare.asp?page=10

http://tirannon.tky.hut.fi/cgi-bin/klogview?_Pathfinders.gz

http://tirannon.tky.hut.fi/cgi-bin/klogview?_Pf_Bodycount.gz

http://www.normstorm.com/arctic/warfare.asp?page=9

The next wipe the Pathfinders did not reform. In the early months of this new wipe a clan was supposed to be formed called the "Crimson Jihad" with the best members of a few clans. My character at the time was "Mustafah" and we were all to have arabian sounding names so we could declare war on the infidels (other clans). This clan was short lived due to so many of the members having ties to all of the other clans. Sometime around here I sought membership in the Tarsis Shriners and was 'squired' by Huma/Dilvish. As luck would have it a few weeks later the "Mass Exodus" incident happened and the Shriners left the mud. Around this time is when clan "Destiny" started up with a healthy dose of Pathfinders without a home. We went on to kick some serious mud-butt. Talking two healers with 15+ heals (and this was back in the day) and a few mages with prism and stun. I think Mustafah was my only major character and my only memories were possessing the 'heavily scratched gauntlets'.

Logs from this era (older to newer):

http://www.normstorm.com/arctic/warfare.asp?page=6

The clan survived the rest of the wipe. The next wipe we continued our mud butt kickings but after a short time the clan leader Valerie/Kalik/Victor left for real life issues. We renamed ourselves Acension and gained a lot of new members but a good helping of old Destiny members. I rolled my first healer Zargan, a thief Nagraz and my old standby, a tank, Nefari. We continued to kick mud-butt for quite a while, regularly stomping down the "Shriners." Until "Renegade Legion" rose up. The matchup just wasn't good for us. Most of us were in our mid 20's with family's, obligations, work, college, etc and Renegade Legion seemed to be full of 15 year old punks with no obligations. I remember our last real battle, the beginning of the end for the clan. We had been trying to squash Renegade Legion for some time but they would never fight when the groups were equal and would sit in the inn. Most of us got bored and would leave at this point and RL would go zone, but everytime we tried to make a move they had the fastest recall triggers and went back to inn sitting. One day we were determined to fight. A fight was gonna happen. We called them out, waited, called them out. Waited some more. I swear we sat in the same room for 1.5 hours waiting for them to leave the inn, head across Ansalon to Kalaman and fight us. By the time the fight happened, they had more people, had prep items up the ass and well...we were bored. I don't think anyone did much in the log except die. This was pretty much my last time being active in a clan.

Logs from this era (older to newer):

http://www.normstorm.com/arctic/warfare.asp?page=5

http://www.normstorm.com/arctic/warfare.asp?page=3

http://www.normstorm.com/arctic/warfare.asp?page=2

The next wipe somehow a core of Ascension gathered up a clan and we decided to call ourselves 'Them.' I don't know much about this history, I had a tank named "Tarnath." I left the clan after some internal squabbling got too annoying. Shortly after that, Brama and Goblin joined up and brought a host of friends with them. Then they called themselves "Legion." I guess Legion eventually merged with the "Wildrunners (era 2001/2002)" and are still kicking butt to this day.

Misc Stuff:
A picture of 4 Pathfinders, era January 1998.

Some Dragonlance Pictures I like:

Retreating may be a good idea here...

The death of Sturm Brightblade, Knight of the Crown. Standing over him is Lauranthalasa (who did not kill him). Sturm died at the hands of his former lover, Dragon Highlord Kitiara and her dragon Skie.

The famous Huma Dragonsbane in battle.

One of my favorite characters, Raistlin Majere, Archmage of the Black Robes. In this drawing he is with Takhisis, the God of Evil. Raistlin aspires to defeat her in battle and take her place as a God. In another timeline, Raistlin does actually win and becomes a God, but at the cost of destroying Krynn itself. This timeline is lost and in the current on, Raistlin ends up failing to kill Takhisis and ends up being banished to the abyss forever. Thats a long story told short.