Revision as of 00:44, 6 June 2010

'Eye of the Tyrancha' is the latest news pamphlet being distributed on all the major capitals and towns on Atys. It uses the finest materials that a novice forager can gather in its creation - just be sure to keep it away from water, sand, dust, dampness and strong winds and your copy should last quite a few hours!

The news agency itself is based in Zora and the owner gives his word that this will likely be the most biased, misinformed and incomplete news coverage you'll ever come across! It is all written from the perspective of a newly arrived refugee from Silan. Read at your own risk.

If you have any news worthy event to report (outpost battles, official or player events or just general craziness) please contact Rikutatis in Zora by Izam courier.

'Eye of the Tyrancha' is a tribute to the old Nexus News as well as to Sxarlet, the most charming trykerette to ever grace Atys News Channel 01!

Sincerely,

Rikutatis, Gibbai Hunter Extraordinaire and part-time Atysian Reporter.

Issue 17: KP Incoming!!

Wastelands, the Prime Roots. You're all by yourself, wearing full focus gear and armed with nothing but your trusted Egiros pick. You've been here in this obscure corner for the past two or three hours, back pressed against the cold stone wall. It's very dark and you keep looking back and forth, anticipating a Kitin attack.

Luck is definitely not by your side - you really need those supreme materials but so far the weather conditions haven't been the correct ones. And then, all of a sudden, the right weather comes! Adrenalin rushes through your body and you run towards the foraging spot. Kneeling down you start the process of harvesting the rare and elusive material.

But obviously, this is exactly when that nasty Kitin Patrol decides to wander by and catch you by surprise! They jump on you out of the nowhere - you lose your life, the materials you had been digging and this narrow window of opportunity called 'the right weather'.

Ahh, the Kitin Patrol...

Surrounded by a Kitin Patrol.

If you like to forage, hunt or trek through the Prime Roots, you may have gone through a similar situation. And it is exactly with that in mind that we decided to publish this special issue of the Eye. So without further delay...

The 3 Most Effective Ways to Evade Kitin Patrols:

3) Live Bait: You know that annoying homin that just won't leave you alone? He follows you everywhere dragging aggro wherever he goes, he crashes your parties and makes the most obnoxious comments. Yeah, that's the one. Invite him along with you to the Prime Roots. When the Kitin Patrol comes, cast a Root spell on him in order to freeze him in place and run away! The Kirostas will be too busy chewing his limbs to even notice your strategical retreat.

2) Blend Into the Crowd: The Kitin Patrol can't get what it can't see. When you notice a patrol coming your way, run to the nearest Kitin nest you find! There will be so many Kitins all around you, that the patrol will be hard pressed to spot you. Pretty simple.

1) Wear Red: The most effective way to evade Kitin Patrols is by evading the Prime Roots all together. Forget all about the bleak blacks and whites of Prime Roots materials and start wearing red. Not only will you look more cheerful and fashionable, but you'll also avoid those pesky Kitin Patrols.

Rikutatis proves that red = sexy.

Ahh, the Kitin Patrol... star of the underground party. How boring life in the Prime Roots would be without you. Long live the Kitin Patrol!

(Images by Jayce).

Issue 16: Who was Dexus Lyron?!

With the recent boom in Atys’ professional market, the demand for many new occupations to be filled by homins from all walks of life has emerged. Due to this situation, the Kitin’s Lair has seen more homins coming and going than it probably ever has, as they move about to harvest larvae, butcher animals and fight the Kitins.

If you’re one of those homins, you may have noticed in the last few days a forsaken corpse lying right at the entrance of the Lair. Perhaps you even stepped on it in your rush to collect larvae. His name was Dexus Lyron. But who among you have actually stopped to consider who that person was? Where did he come from? What were his dreams, his hopes and his fears? What dire circumstances led him to his death? Why hasn’t anyone claimed his body or resurrected his life seed so far?

In short, who was Dexus Lyron?!

Lyron lies dead next to a fellow Ranger.

We have conducted a thorough investigation to unveil the mystery behind Dexus Lyron’s past. Dear readers, prepare your hearts for the tale I am about to tell you! For his is a story of love, betrayal and perseverance capable of moving even the most stoic Fyros!

It all started in Maiden Grove, Witherings. Dexus Lyron was a capable hunter. It is said no torbak could escape his precise aim. His only mistake was to fall in love with a beautiful Matis woman from the Hamazans of the Dead Seed tribe. The Hamazans is a tribe composed entirely of female Matis who have a preference so to speak for male Trykers. In fact, before enslavement was forbidden, they even used to own several male Tryker slaves who would work for them both outside and inside their tents. Those slaves have since then been released and moved on to form the Shadow Runners tribe, who now coexist with the Hamazans peacefully in Maiden Grove.

The Matis woman who drew Lyron’s attention is indeed one of a kind. We will not reveal her name in order to protect her identity, but we can assure you that she is as beautiful as the setting sun and with a smile that can melt the heart of any man! Lyron was stricken with grief when he found out that he was a few dozen centimeters too tall for his beloved’s tastes. He had been rejected!

Hamazans of the Dead Seed looking sexy with their weapons.

Any homin would have been devastated by such a cruel twist of fate, but not Dexus Lyron! For he had the will of a Vorax! Lyron broke his rifle right then and there and vowed that he would find love again in different lands. And thus he packed his bag and moved to the Grove of Umbra.

In the Grove of Umbra Lyron found work as a caretaker at the Gu-Qin Workshop, an outpost currently owned by the Knights Leviers. This could have been a happy ending, but Fate had different plans for Dexus Lyron! As it turns out, Gu-Qin Workshop has a reputation as a haunted outpost.

Gu-Qin was a Zoraï craftsman who vowed to brave the threat of the Goo but ended up contaminated by the purple plague and eventually lapsed into madness. He disappeared one winter’s night but it is said his demented laughter can still be heard in the jungle.

While we could not verify the veracity of these rumors, one thing is certain. Living in Gu-Qin Workshop took its toll on poor Dexus Lyron. It is said he became a nervous wreck, afraid of his own shadow and avoiding the darkness as if it was the Goo itself. Eventually, he started to sniff cats – or catalysers – as some form of escape from reality.

Gu-Qin Workshop, the haunted Outpost. All images by Jayce.

Now this would have been the end of any other homin, but not Dexus Lyron, no sir! For he had the perseverance of a Yubo in heat! Lyron said farewell to Gu-Qin Workshop, quit cats and departed to carve a living for himself among the Atysian Rangers at Almati Wood. He became a martial artist and was assigned guard duty at the entrance of the Kitin’s Lair.

Now this could have been a prosperous and exciting career, but sadly Lyron’s story was not over yet. As it turns out, Lyron’s health began to deteriorate. Perhaps he was vulnerable to some sort of bacteria found only in the Kitin’s Lair. He could not fight the Kitins as well as he had expected, and often found himself badly wounded as a result. Lyron began to require constant medic attention. Medics from all over Atys would go tend to his wounds. Until one day… the worst happened. Dexus Lyron died in duty.

We are not sure how this happened, but most likely an unwary homin dragged a Terminator Kipucka or something of the sort on him and he could not defend himself. And that was that. To this day Lyron’s corpse still lies at the entrance of the Kitin’s Lair.

Is this the end of Lyron’s saga?! Only time shall tell. However, this article is a tribute to you, Dexus Lyron! May your courage inspire many generations of homins to come! May your love for life spread like wildfire and change this planet forever! Rest in peace, Dexus Lyron. The Eye of the Tyrancha wishes you well.

Issue 15: New kid on the block

It seems like the Marauders have been quite the active bunch of rowdy troublemakers lately (see issues 07 and 14). As if invading the Verdant Heights wasn’t enough, a new Marauder chieftain has shown his face to Atys. He’s known as Dante the Teaser.

Homins from all over Atys gathered in Fairhaven after following strange rumors that a new game was going to be held in Aeden Aqueous. Well, there was a saying in the Old Lands. It went more or less like this: “curiosity killed the yubo”.

It turns out that this “game” was planned and set up by Dante the Teaser. As a Tryker, he was probably trying to overcome his inferiority complex with a grand entrance. While I could not attend this event myself, the Eye of the Tyrancha had a faithful correspondent there to report the happenings – none other than the much enthusiastic and always optimistic Jayce!

As it turns out, Dante the Teaser decided to, well… be a tease. He had homins following him all over Atys as he teleported from place to place, sending hordes of Marauders to fight them along the way. In the end, our brave heroes were finally able to catch up with Dante. They fought and defeated him, but he was able to escape.

Dante’s current whereabouts are unknown, but it’s obvious a new villain has appeared on Atys. Even more worrying was the fact that Dante appeared to be teleporting freely around Atys. As far as we knew, only the Karavan and the Kamis possessed the technology of teleportation. Once again the Marauders surprise us.

Who is Dante? What are his goals? Where is he now? And of course, the question that lingers in the minds of all homins… can we steal Dante’s fashionable light armor?

Dante the Teaser.

(Image by Jayce)

Issue 14: Lessons learned the hard way

Just as the chill of winter began to settle in the Verdant Heights, homeland of the Matis, wicked creatures stirred in the darkness. Infected and mutated by the Goo, hordes of hateful Gibbaï crawled out of the depths of Upper Bog and Herectic’s Hovel and began to make their way to Majestic Garden. But perhaps even more worrisome was the fact that Goo infected mounds began to sprout all over the Forest in the wake of the Gibbaï march.

Goo infected Gibbaï.

Researchers and concerned homins promptly began to investigate the matter. The most thorough investigation was started by Bitttymacod, and soon many other homins began to contribute to and expand his findings. It was soon revealed that Marauders and Darkening Sap members had established several camps in the Verdant Heights, along the path followed by the Gibbaï. They were attacking anyone who approached their camps. While the Marauders are known enemies of the civilized races (see Issue 07 for more on them), the Darkening Sap are traditionally known as allies of the Matis. I guess becoming friends with fanatic madmen bent on studying the most dangerous substance on Atys has its downside. Some lessons must be learned the hard way. I won’t even say "I told you so".

Homins study one of the Goo mounds.

Indeed, some lessons must be learned the hard way. And it would appear that the Matis had finally learned theirs. After their so called cutting edge research on botanics (read: dubious and shady science) was responsible for the complete destruction of an entire city (does anyone remember Silan?) and nearly caused a catastrophe within Yrkanis itself after a failed experiment with intelligent plants, it would seem that the Matis had finally gained some senses.

Zaero Stachini, Royal Anthropologist and the homin in charge of the official investigation, made the sensible decision to fight and eradicate the Goo infected mounds and Gibbaïs, instead of starting a research program or some such nonsense. The investigation revealed that the Marauders were indeed behind the invasion, apparently bent on taking over the entirety of the Verdant Heights with the help of the Darkening Sap. The Goo mounds were artificially created by their forbidden technology.

Homins gather in Yrkanis to discuss the matter.

The investigators were able to discover the recipe for a potion that could counter the effects of the artificially created Goo. Zaero Stachini urged all homins to go out and collect the needed ingredients to create the potions. Marelli, on the other hand, vengeful little Matis that she is, decided that she’d rather collect the ears of the traitorous Darkening Sap instead. And that was the end of the first Darkening Sap encampment.

Once all the potions had been gathered, Karavaneers and Kamists put their differences aside in a way that would make even Elias Tryton proud and set out to fight the common enemy. Of course everyone’s favorite tabloid could not miss such an event of epic proportions! At that point the hateful Gibbaï were almost upon the capital.

Homins march against the hateful Gibbaï.

The situation began to look really grim after we ran out of potions and launched two failed attacks against the Marauder camps. But desperation is the friend of success – after regrouping and organizing ourselves we were finally able to storm the Marauder and Darkening Sap camps, one by one, collecting the potions we needed to eradicate the remaining Goo infections from the Verdant Heights. A very productive day of Gibbaï slaying was had by all.

A carpet of dead Gibbaï, such a beautiful sight!

The invasion was successfully repelled, but many questions remain… is the Matis government going to act against their former allies, the Darkening Sap? Are the Marauders the new Goo Heads? Are Nung and the Black Circle involved with any of this (they always are!)?

Perhaps more importantly, when is everyone finally going to learn their lessons, start listening to the all wise Zoraï and stop meddling with the Goo once and for all?! Zaero Stachini publicly claimed that she was inspired to start research in this field of study… I mean, seriously?! I guess sometimes lessons aren’t learned even in the hard way.

(Images by Jayce and Rikutatis).

Issue 13: Free Mektoubs

Every now and again there comes a homin with the desire to make a difference, to turn the world into a better place for all living creatures. One such homin is Dippie and hers is the cry: Free Mektoubs!

Mektoubs are used as mounts and pack animals and it is not uncommon to see them subjected to all sorts of poor living and working conditions. Just as an example, the Eye of the Tyrancha caught hardcore forager Rahia trekking her packers in the middle of a nasty thunderstorm. Her excuse? She needed to catch the right weather. Well, enough is enough! We witnessed how miserable and terrified those mekies looked in that thunderstorm. Here's proof:

We have decided to contribute with Dippie's Free Mektoubs organization by putting together a naked protest in the Void. We found several mektoub packers all bunched up in a forsaken corner, suffering under the terrible noon sun with no water in sight. And that's where our noble - and naked - protest took place. Throughout the Void homins could hear our cries: Free Mektoubs!

We'd like to thank the following protesters:

• Awryn, Tea Lady.
• Rahia - maybe she felt guilty after the thunderstorm incident?
• Dippie, owner of Free Mektoubs.
• Rikutatis, Eye of the Tyrancha's owner.
• Aeralin, Global Chef.
• Sharonie, fashionable Matis. We all love her.
• Sweetmarie - who was initially shy with the whole naked business but eventually decided to undress. Naked brawl for the win.

Images by: Jayce and Rikutatis.

Issue 12: A Fyros Wedding

Pyr was the stage for a magnificent wedding between Xadyn Kosto Ma-Seng and Lovemenot Xa Krinn. Homins from all over Atys came to celebrate their union. It was a traditional Fyros ceremony, held at the Agora after nightfall.

After the ceremony the newlywed couple along with their guests went to Lydix Deps' bar for the party. Xadyn and Lovemenot could not stay for too long, as they had a honeymoon trip planned to Dew Drops in the Lakelands. But Liliang kept the party going, buying round after round of drinks for everyone.

Your intrepid reporter lost count of how many rounds Liliang ordered after the 17th, but needless to say things got quite interesting after a while. Rahia started recruiting new volunteers for her male harem (although I know nothing else about that!), while Liliang attracted a lot attention - and earned quite a few dappers - with her table top dance. Perhaps the fact that she was wearing Zoraï light armor at the time helped.

The night ended when Goofymonkey stumbled out of the bar mumbling something about how she had to go find Dai-Den and put him back in the guild hall. There have been no reports of Goofy's whereabouts since then.

If you'd like to have your wedding planned and organized by Liliang, she can be contacted through Izam courier at: 1800 /tell Lili.

Once again, congratulations to the newlywed couple!

Issue 11: Girl Fight

A group of homins gathered in Pyr in order to help the Akenak solve the mystery of the potholes on the imperial roads.

Kaixe Mekops led the investigators to the potholes and afterwards to her mother's camp at the Leviers. The story behind the Fyrosian roads was unveiled then.

When Pyr was being built, the Barkers tribe and the Burning Faces were the ones who helped with the construction efforts. They pressured the Empire to open new Mines in the Desert and the Prime Roots in order to harvest more materials and continue the construction of Pyr.

However the Burning Faces also had their own hidden agenda. They wanted to find the origin of Fire in order to destroy it - the Great Dragon.

The Karavan was angered when the Fyros began to dig too deep, but the Kami decided to help them. We all know what happened then, as the Dragon's Fire was released and caused much destruction on Atys.

At this point you might be asking yourself where are the girls, when they're going to fight and what ancient history has to do with all this, but I urge you to keep reading.

After the Dragon incident, the Fyros were very low on resources. The Burning Faces asked the Kami for help, which they received in the form of the first Tree Bores brought to the Desert in order to extract the materials from the Outposts.

At any rate, the Barkers ended up angering the Kami with their harvesting practices. They disapproved the Empire's decision to distance itself from the Karavan and side with the Kami, and decided to make their own alliance with the Karavan.

When Pyr was finished, the Burning Faces received all the honors and the Barkers' work was not properly recognized. This caused much resentment and tension. However they kept on working for the Empire, harvesting resources from their base camp at Sawdust Mines.

From their dealings with the Karavan, the Barkers learned new technologies, which they used to benefit the Fyros Empire - namely the construction of the great Furnace and of the imperial roads.

And it was to the Barkers camp that the investigators decided to go, in order to ask them for the wood needed to repair the roads. On their way there they came upon a suspicious man with a pick digging a brand new pothole on the road! The culprit was caught on the act!

His name was Ambyx and he tried to deny his guilt despite all the evidence against him. Even after being kicked in the shin a couple times by Akenak member Liliang, he still refused to talk.

Akenak Khandoma had him taken with the group to the Barkers camp, where she asked the tribe chief for their help to repair the roads. Pebus Ibiraan, Barkers Chief, agreed to help with the repairs as long as Ambyx was punished for his deeds. Khandoma accepted the terms and the prisoner was taken back to Pyr.

It seemed like the end of a successful investigation led by the Akenak. Khandoma offered to buy a round of drinks for all the gathered homins. And that was when Sweetmarie appeared, blades in hand, and proceeded to spank Marelli over some faction feud.

The Akenak were torn on the issue. Khandoma asked the women to stop brawling inside Pyr, to no avail. Vinnie, on the other hand, seemed quite content to watch the girl fight. There are reports of a wide grin on his face.

Special Report: WANTED! Dead and in Pieces...

Tutors Overseer Pei-Jeng Zhao was on his way to Fustylake for his monthly bath when he was cowardly assaulted by a marauding Gibbai. Luckily Pei-Jeng survived the attack, but he was severely injured and will not be able to leave his tent for a while. Tutors Tribe Chief Arkus Xalon is very distressed by the matter, especially because it'll be another month before Pei-Jeng bathes.

The Tutors are staunch allies of the Zoraï, and the Eye of the Tyrancha cannot sit idle while Gibbai threaten the Witherings.

According to Zoraï tradition, killing a Gibbai brings bad luck and is considered taboo. Well, that was then! It is time to change this practice. Unlike the peaceful and friendly Gibads, the Gibbai are evil, vicious and stupid. Some folks say they're the ancestors of the Zoraï race, but I doubt that is the case. Distant cousins at best. The annoying kind that always seem to crash the party.

At the Eye's request Karavan Follower Jayce agreed to interrogate Jinbai in order to find out the whereabouts of the missing culprit. Unfortunaly Jinbai didn't have much to say and we were forced to put him down.

Jayce interrogates Jinbaï.

Jayce appeared to be somewhat hesitant to fight the Gibbais in this manner. In his own words: "they're quite cute really, if you get up close - all fuzzy with whiskers". Well, shame on you Jayce! Your Matisian ancestors had more moral fiber when they decided to completely obliterate the Momo, the supposed ancestor race of the Matis.

It is time to hunt those Gibbai! The Eye of the Tyrancha offers the astounding sum of 200 dappers for each Gibbai head you bring to our headquarters - the body is optional.

Sincerely,

Rikutatis, Gibbai Hunter Extraordinaire.

Issue 10: Swimming Pirates

Cuiccio Perinia, the renowned Matisian botanic and historian, led an informative botanical excursion through Aeden Aqueous. A small but dedicated group of homins gathered at the Fairhaven stables to hear what he had to say about the unique flora of the Lakelands.

The excursion covered both land and aquatic plants - sadly, no on remembered to take their swim suits with them, so we had a bunch of homins swimming in their clothes and armor. All the boots were filled with water. Inifuss would surely have laughed at the situation had she been there.

Among the plants covered was the beloved Flyner, a symbol of the Lakelands. Its leaf rises, lighter than air, kept by the root hung on the bark. Contrary to popular belief, the stem does not support the leaf, but rather keeps it from flying away. The Flyner has little taste and no nutrition value. Yet the Trykers still like to come up with all sorts of recipes that use it as an ingredient. I guess that says something about Tryker cuisine.

Cuiccio's favorite is an aquatic plant called Sailgrass. Its long blades function as sails and as the wind blows it is transported across the waters. Sailgrass is important for the production of nutrients for marine life. It does make one wonder... could a Tryker be able to use a big Sailgrass as a means of transportation through the water? Two or three trykers could stand on top of it and try to use its blades as sails in order to travel in the direction of the wind. Imagine if the Liberty Pirates or the Corsairs actually sailed through the lakes instead of swimming! Sailing pirates. What an alien idea.

The excursion did not go without its share of incidents. Cuiccio showed us the Trumpeter, a sticky plant that draws its sustenance from insects that get stuck on it and lie there rotting. Needless to say it has a very bad smell. Cuiccio had just told us that there were no reports of any homin ever eating one when Soranno decided to take a bite. The poor homin reported not feeling too well for the remainder of the trip.

At the end of the excursion questions were asked and answered. The issue of Darkmoor's flora was raised - what appear to be Goo infected stingas have appeared in that region recently. Which is rather strange, considering the Goo had never been found outside of the Jungle before. This only goes to confirm Nung's theory that indiscriminate magic use is causing the Goo to spread (see Issue 05 for more on this). You heard it first from the Eye of the Tyrancha! Stop using those double spells before it's too late!

Image submitted by Jayce.

Issue 09: Who let the Kipuckas out?!

World renowned Chef Aeralin has graciously accepted to share one of her praised cook recipes with the Eye of the Tyrancha.

She calls this exotic dish 'Almati Stew' and we followed her to the heart of the infamous Kitin's Lair as she collected all the needed ingredients.

With you... Trykerette Aeralin!

Almati Stew
prep time 6-8 hours
serves 4

• 3 q210 Terminator Kipucka Rostrum
• 2 q227 Kiban Mandible
• 4 q239 Kipesta Tail
• 1 q160 Ploderos Skin
• 4 q89 Bodok Steaks
• 6 q238 Kipee Flesh
• 8 q213 Yelk Mushrooms
• 4 portions of Kitin Egg
• 1/2 cupfull of Stinga Rum
• 1 fial of q250 Excellent Irin Oil
• 6 bowlfulls of water from Musemere Lake

If you want an omelet, you must be willing to break a few eggs. And that's what Aeralin does as she raids the Prime Egg Room in order to collect some fresh Kitin eggs.

Unfortunaly Moma Kipucka was not too happy with Aeralin.

But on we go!

Chef Aeralin explains that the Bodocs from the Cattle Room are rather yummy.

And the Kitins also seem to think that Aeralin is quite yummy herself.

But at any rate, once you've collected all the ingredients, you're ready to prepare the stew:

1. Boil water, Rostrum, Mandible, and Tail over a hot fire for 2 1/2 hours, to make a broth.
2. Remove Rostrum, Mandible, and Tail.
3. Scramble Kitin Eggs and drip drops of Egg into boiling broth.
4. Remove egg drops from broth, set aside and remove broth from heat.
5. Cut Ploderos Skin into thin strips.
6. Heat 2 spoonfuls of Irin Oil until Oil begins to smoke. Add stips ofSkin and cook until completely crisp.
7. Remove Skin from pan.
8. Cut Flesh, Steaks and Mushrooms into large cubes. Add all to pan andbrown.
9. When brown, add 4 1/2 bowlfulls of broth and Stinga Rum and move pot to the edge of the fire. Bubble for 4-6 hours until meat and mushrooms are tender and broth has reduced and thickened.
10. Add in egg drops. Stir and bubble until egg drops are warmed through. Spoon stew into bowls and top with crunchy skins.
11. Serve and Enjoy!

Yum! Any takers?

Issue 08: Mystique

Min-Cho was the stage for the 42nd Mystics Annual Convention. A group of friendly Zoraï fortunetellers and assorted esoterics gathered for this highly anticipated event. There was good food - kincher pie was a winner, as well as much merrymaking and a variety of drinks. Well... perhaps a few too many drinks for some.

Iotis Mixius literally stumbled in, reciting poetry with a voice worthy of a Cute with the flu. In between chatting with fences and dozing off, he told the gathered homins that the mysterious encoded list found in a previous investigation was actually his. A list of ingredients to be more precise. Moreover, he was missing his precious "eight", whatever that meant. The good hearted homins decided to help old Mixius find his "eight" and, needless to say, crazy fun was had by all - or most.

The treasure hunt took homins across the Jungle and many incidents involving the tribes were reported - Troublemaker Marelli told an Antikami that a Black Circle member badmouthed his precious Goo and that caused vicious tribal warfare between both groups. Farther north in the Void the Goo grapplers camp was completely obliterated by an unknown culprit. Giant gingos were seen all over the place, and more than a few homins were forced to run for their lives - some without much success as Nerriah can attest.

In the end the giant gingos were defeated and Mixius' "eight" parts of his secret family recipe were found. The best bale recipe in the Witherings!

Looking forward to the 43rd Mystics Annual Convention!

Issue 07: Something wicked this way comes

A long time ago a group of homins known as the Marauders settled in the Abyss of Ichor, amidst great kirostas, kinchers and other baddies. And that was the end of the neighborhood.

The Marauders are a rowdy bunch, calling them bandits would be an understatement. They claim to be the descendants of those homins who were left behind in the Old Lands during the Great Swarming. They could not escape to the Prime Roots like the others and had to fend for themselves. And they appear to be very resentful indeed for that fact.

The Marauders are shrouded in mystery - it is said that they possess strange and alien technology not known by the other homin civilizations. A Marauder prisoner once mentioned a material called Matoxia, something that supposedly exists in the New Lands unbeknownst to the other homins. Extremely powerful members of this group, known as Marauder "bosses", have been hunted by Kamists and Karavaneers alike, who seek to steal special plans and crystals they possess in order to craft unique armors not seen anywhere else.

While some people complain that the population on Atys has been dwindling, one thing is certain: Marauder armor has drawn entire armies of homins together for a common goal. Let's just say that if the Thesos bar was as popular, the Lakelands would run out of stingas for the brewing of beer and rum.

The latest homin to complete an entire set of Marauder armor plans and become a full-fledged crafter of these armors was the kamist Sarifina, from Temporary Insanity. Sarifina explains that the crafting process resembles that of outpost items somewhat. Materials from any land or creature can be used, which gives the crafter a lot more freedom. In addition, the special crystals owned by the Marauder bosses are also necessary.

What are the Marauders up to? Something wicked this way comes! They were last seen along with a pack of giant gingos attacking the homins who were escorting Kini Fo-Mio and Be'caun keepy to Virginia Falls (see issue 04 of the Eye for more on this). Is this a world wide conspiracy? Are the Marauders related to Nung Horongi somehow? And perhaps more importantly, where can I find some Matoxia?! Stay tuned for more!

Issue 06: Jungle Fever

Do not listen to all the haters and naysayers who keep insisting the Jungle is dead. That's just Matis intrigue. The Witherings, homeland of the Zoraï, is alive and kicking!

If you're tired of sand in your boots or dealing with wet hair all day long, perhaps you should consider moving to the Jungle yourself! And here are three reasons why the Jungle is the best homebase you'll ever find:

1) Companionship: We have it all. Weekly Najab parties at the Tutors camp (in which najab skins are freely distributed for the purposes of communing with Ma-Duk or Jena, depending on your preferences), a mysterious Zoraï wiseman who is known to send Jungle lovers into all sorts of fun secret missions (here's a tip: he wears goofy white pants and makes the best sap boosted pikes this side of the Bark) as well as a new guild of young Zoraï dedicated to promote more activity in the Witherings. They're known as the Atysian Phoenix.

2) New ways to relax: We all know the life of a forager can be very stressful - waiting for the right weather to come, sometimes for several hours, running from Kitin patrols and other nasties while wearing focus gear, as well as dealing with all sorts of poisonous gasses and dangerous explosions. Well, in the Jungle we have a brand new way to diminish stress! It's an activity called Heavy Artillery Yubo Hunting. It basically consists of grabbing the biggest launcher you can acquire and merrily going about blowing up all yubos that happen to cross your path. Sweet revenge for all those pants you had to wash due to yubo urine.

Sharonie, a closet-Jungle lover, engaged in Heavy Artillery Yubo Hunting.

3) Sports: While Zoraï are known as scholars and magicians, we are also very active and creative when it comes to sports. The latest Jungle hit is known as Kirosta Race. It is often practiced by outnumbered trekkers going through the Great Outback ramp. The athlete races against Kirostas and hopes that his invulnerability aura will last. If you win, you get to avoid death penalty. If the Kirostas win, they get a free dinner.

Owagwyn, another closet-Jungle lover, racing with Kirostas. If you'd like to watch a video of Owag's Kirosta race, go to: http://bit.ly/c7m1Vr

(Images and video submitted by Jayce)

Issue 05: Nung Horongi: A misunderstood genius?

It comes as a surprise to me that there aren't more homins discussing the provocative revelations of Nung Horongi's amber cube. Or, if they are, these discussions have all been private. Perhaps the fact that Mr. Horongi was known as a traitor and a wanted criminal has something to do with this - I guess murder and extortion can generate some suspicion. It could very well be that he has planned this all along and his amber cube was forged just to create confusion and dissent among honest atysians.

But is the possibility that there's some truth in what he recorded on that cube even being considered? Because if his statements are even remotely truthful, then these are shocking revelations indeed! It would mean that the corrupt Goo, the thing that the Kamis strive to fight, was actually caused by the very essence of the Kamis themselves - their magic. If you want to get philosophical, the Kamis are fighting the repercussions of their own existence.

There are rumors that Nung was actually a Trytonite, trying to stir trouble among the factions. An old and blind Zoraï woman I met at the Thesos bar went as far as claiming that he was Elias Tryton himself, returned to punish those who did him harm - I did have to buy her a shot of stinga rum for that information though.

And then, what about the Zoraï Initiates (all two of them)? The Zoraï are sworn to fight the Goo and protect the Kami. I see a moral choice there. In order to fight the Goo, they'd need to eradicate Kami magic. Can you imagine life on Atys without magic? No more healing. Relying solely on your mudane weapons when trekking or fighting bosses.

Sounds hard? Well, the other option is allowing the Goo to eventually take over all of Atys. Although purple is my favorite color, a little bit of green here and there does complement it nicely.

Moreover, Nung also mentions an alternative source for fueling magic. While he didn't give the specifics of it, he said that when Muang did not use his own energy reserves to manipulate magical forces the Goo was not corrupted. Does anyone know anything about this? I hear rumors that new and spiffy powers are about to be unveiled in Atys, along with new challenges - could this be related at all?

As a concerned atysian, all this writer can do is suggest all readers to go green! Save sap and vital energy, avoid those double spells! Work out and train your melee, do not rely on elemental magic to punish those critters all the time. If you follow these simple steps, future generations of homins can inherit a healthy and green Atys!

Issue 04: The groom and the step stool

An investigation was conducted by Chan Ji-Cian to find the missing Zoraï female, Kini Fo-Mio. Kini's parents, as well as her fiance - a successful Zoraï businessman, were terribly concerned about her disappearance. Homins of all races and lands gathered at Jen-Laï to help with the investigations and Zoraï Initiate Ghuiss was chosen to lead the group. Grundelwolf guided the expedition through Knot of Dementia and into the desert as the group followed the tracks of Kini's mektoub.

The brave homins were faced with many perils during their journey, including ambushes by large groups of marauders and giant gingos, but with Ghuiss' superb leadership they were able to prevail. Wise Ghuiss was seen wielding his trusty crafting tool throughout the entire trek, even during the most fierce battles. Unfortunaly he was unable to finish the pair of gloves he was making. Perhaps he had had a few too many stinga beers.

At last Kini Fo-Mio was found in Scorched Corridor, held as a hostage by the Tunnel Hounders. And with her was none less than Be'caun keepy, Tryker seducer extraordinaire and her secret lover! Once the scandalous affair was unveiled, the couple begged their rescuers to let them follow through with their plans to elope and get married at Virginia Falls.

The soft hearted homins agreed to escort the couple to the Falls. Ghuiss, a Zoraï of many skills, performed his newfound duties as a priest and got them married. Aeralin was the bride's witness and Stitch the groom's. The newly wed couple received many generous gifts from their new friends, including a magnificent step stool for the groom.

Wedding at Virginia Falls. Image submitted by Jayce.

Issue 03: On Meowmeows

The addiction to the stimulant known as experience catalyzer - or cats, as they're known in street lingo - continues to run rampant across Atys. The Daily Yubo was one of the first news publications to denounce the traffic and consumption of the substance in Yrkanis. Since then their use became much more widespread and accepted as the norm.

Sages claim that some inoffensive species such as the ploderos and the cratcha may actually go extinct if homins keep using cats and going on killing orgies. Mothers everywhere lock their children inside their homes when guild officers stroll by offering free cats (if you ever wondered why you never see children around, now you know the truth).

One of the saddest episodes involving the use of cats actually took place on Yrkanis. A group of troublemakers, all hyped up on cats, decided to forcefully shove an entire stack down Bubbles' throat. Bubbles, Yrkanis' yubo mascott, went missing for several days thereafter. He was finally found in Fleeting Garden leading a pack of gingos after having eaten the previous alpha male.

The more traditionalist homins refuse to ingest the substance before training. To them, foraging and crafting for ten years before they can make their first pair of medium quality boots is a source of both pride and joy.

The situation is dire, dear readers. I will keep you updated on future developments, but if you'll excuse me now, I have a shipment of green meows waiting for me in Thesos.

Contributor Jayce caught Nerriah in the midst of a shady transaction, staggering after her first fix of the day!

Issue 02: The end of the KCA

It would appear that this is the end of the Kami Community Alliance. Most of its member guilds have left, one by one, over the past few days. While it lasted the Alliance has done much to strengthen and establish Kami presence on Atys.

One of the Alliance's founders stated that the member guilds had too many different views and they were not a like-minded group anymore.

While this is a sad day for many Kamists, it is still unknown how the Karavaneers will react to the news as a group. However it is said that an entire shipment of fine Avendale dandelion wine was sent to Cicho Trivaldo's bar on Yrkanis and the neighbors were complaining about loud music all night long.

Whether this will have any impact on the current superiority of Kamists on outpost battles remains to be seen. However, many homins are already nervously talking about impending wars on the horizon.

When asked to comment on the rumors of upcoming battles, Hearts of Thunder guild leader Sweetmarie had the following declaration to make, "Rawr!"

While Karavaneers celebrate, Kamists are still occupying Fairhaven. They are currently planning to build a Kami temple in the city. Are the Trykers going back to the ways of Ma-Duk? Only time shall tell.

Issue 01: Scandal in the Desert!

Southend Dune Farm Outpost was attacked and seized by Kami guild Temporary Insanity. The previous owner was Exodus Syndicate, another Kami guild. Your intrepid reporter went to Savage Dunes in order to cover the event - after absent-mindedly zapping a Slayer Frahar by mistake and being saved by the staunch Marelli!

The Attackers: Temporary Insanity states that what they did was take an outpost away from the hands of an old inactive guild in order to make it more useful to the younger and more active generations of homins. Rumors that it will be handed over to another, more active Kami guild are spreading.

The Defenders: An unlikely alliance was formed to fight the attackers, including both Kami and Karavan guilds. Kamists were there because they felt outraged TI was attacking another member of the Kami Alliance unprovoked, while Karaveneers went to combat their enemies. There were rumors that TI interfered with previously established agreements of a handover between ES and another guild.

This war raises relevant moral questions: Do inactive one-homin guilds need so many cats and flowers? Would asking nicely have worked? Is this the beginning of a Kami civil war? Is Marelli really a nice person? Stay tuned for more!