MUME VIII
Summary
In addition to recent additions, this new version of MUME introduces a new
side to the war and two new races.
Zaugurz Orcs
A fierce tribe of Orcs from the frozen North, the Zaugurz used to be allies
of the Uruk-Tarkhnarb. Not long ago, the Tarkhnarb expelled the Zaugurz from
Goblin Gate; the Zaugurz retaliated with a surprise attack on the western
portion of the Tarkhnarb caves. Now the Zaugurz are back in force, ready to
carve their place into the rich Southern lands…
Beorning Shapeshifters
It is said that denizens of the northern Vale of Anduin have the power of
changing their shape from that of a man to that of a huge bear. Whether they
descend from great mountain bears, or from the first Men who lived in this
part of Arda, nobody knows; however, nobody can deny their valour and their
implacable hatred towards Orcs and Wargs.
Zaugurz Orcs
As has been reported earlier, the politics around Goblin Gate has been
less than stable lately. The Zaugurz Orcs, having migrated southwards
from the cold North, clashed with the Tarkhnarbs, the tribe ruling the
Goblin Gate, and were finally expelled.
Licking their wounds, the Zaugurz moved back to older dwellings
further west, high up among the peaks of the Misty Mountains. Now,
having established a small fortification and having grown in number,
they have set their minds to take their vengeance on the treacherous
Tarkhnarb, and, if possible, regain some territory from them. This
does, of course, include fighting the powerful allies of the Tarkhnarb
as well as the Free People, who couldn't care less what tribe the Orcs
under their swords belong to.
In MUME terms, this means we have a third side of the war. Everyone
wants to kill an Uruk-Zaugurz, and a Zaugurz wants to kill everyone.
The minions of Sauron can tell the different orc tribes apart, but
others cannot. In the same way, the Zaugurz, not knowing the politics
of these lands, can't tell the different kinds of Men apart.
The Minions of Sauron, including the Zaugurz, all share the same
Warlords list. Since the Zaugurz are at a tribal war with the other
races under the Dark Lord's shadow, any kills in that war will make
the winner gain fame. However, such tribal fights will not affect the
balance between the Armies of the West and the Forces of the Dark Lord
(i.e., in view war ).
Beornings and Bears
Beornings can now shapechange to bear form. Bears cannot cast spells, and
they have severe restrictions on what
equipment they can use. On the other hand, they are definitely stronger
than Men, and have greater endurance and agility; their bare paws can
cause vicious damage, and they can bash their opponents with their own bulk.
Due to their fearsome appearance, bears appear as *a Bear* to Elves,
Dwarves,
Hobbits and non-Beorning Men (unless they're members of the same group).
For the same reason, certain mobiles might be friendly to a Beorning in
human shape and hostile to the same Beorning in bear shape.
In order to change to bear form, use the metamorph
command (no arguments).
The outcome is not guaranteed: the chance of a successful change depends on
several factors, among which their level, their distance from the Carrock (in
the Anduin Vale), their current mana, the time of the day, and the moon phase.
Bears return to human form automatically after some time (which depends
on the same factors as above). A bear can try to return
to human form
before the time limit expires; failed attempts can cause fatigue.
Beornings fight with little regard to their own life, and they're not used
to wearing shields (they would prevent shapechanging). Therefore, their
ability to parry enemy blows is slightly reduced (compared to other races).
When they find themselves in the Halls of Mandos, Beornings can choose to
be transported to their village of Ingrove, in the Anduin Vale.
Finally, if you have created a Beorning character before MUME VIII, and you
would prefer to remain a common Man rather than a shapeshifter, you can
tell testbot eriadorian . This choice is irrevocable,
so think twice about
it. As a consequence of changing race, you will lose your citizenship in
Anduin Vale (if any) and you will forget most of the languages you have
learned.
MUME VIII planners and coders: Dáin, Gothmog, Frór, and Manwë.
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