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Bad Company General Report

Bad Company General Report Two Point One



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ID: BCG1 (Vol II)
Date: 24.11.1997
Issued by: Titus Groan

It's been a long time Brothers! So Grabber Groan is back from the dead? No! Just back from Holy Crusade I. (Incidentally, it wasn't a total failure - at least one Darksider died and that can't be bad.) Well, some of you know me, some of you don't. Some of you will know what's going on, but most of you won't. It doesn't matter. I'll bring you all up to speed with this report, and give you an idea of what's going on and why. Note that some of the things I'll be talking about were previously Top Secret, and until recently I intended to keep them that way. However, keeping things secret makes it very difficult explaining what's going on to Brothers that aren't directly involved.

Though there is a problem with information getting into the wrong hands. It is impossible to be sure that a group is 100% secure - if you give me a group, I'll give you a way to crack it. If our opponents really wanted to they could infiltrate Bad Company, and there is nothing we can do about it. But what we can do is minimise the risk. Therefore, please do not reveal any plans to anyone who is not in Bad Company. To do so would put Brothers in danger, especially given what we are doing. I'll not labour the point as things will become clear as you read this report.

Many of you will have noticed that the leadership has changed hands, and I am back at the helm (again). Why? The reason is simple. We haven't been doing very well over the past couple of years, and Bad Company has been degenerating. It reached the point where it could not be allowed to continue. For example, both The MLF and ShadowCult have grown larger than Bad Company. The MLF have rebuilt almost as many Temples as we have. There are no effective information services in Bad Company - what you know now depends on who you know. And levels of inactivity in our group are disgusting, which is not surprising considering there is no easy way for Prospects to contact us.

These are some of the problems that need to be fixed if we are to re-establish our presence on The Island, and continue to uphold our reputation as the most powerful group. But my leadership will mean different things to different Brothers. Some of you might think of me as an inspired strategist. Others will remember me as an evil dictator. And the rest of you won't have a clue what to expect.

So before we go any further I'd better explain where we all stand, and the impact my leadership will have on the future of Bad Company. There are three major goals I will be looking to achieve in the future - none of which I'm prepared to compromise;

  • We will have 40+ active Brothers.
  • We will be the most advanced group on The Island.
  • We will destroy The Dark.

I have deliberately avoided giving reasons or justification for any of these goals, as they are either obvious or will become apparent later. What I want to consider now is how Bad Company will operate in the future. It is tempting to say there will be no rules, and Brothers can do what they like. But if this was the case sooner or later some Brother would do something inappropriate, for whatever reason. Having said that I am sceptical about introducing arbitrary rules, because although they can be effective (as we have proved in the past), they can also be detrimental (there are exceptions to every rule). So initially we will use suggestions which you should use to guide your actions, rather than implement a set of rules for Brothers to follow.

Obviously if a Brother does something perverse such as give our maps or plans to The Dark, kill another Brother without good reason, etc, there will be consequences. But in theory it should be possible to run this group without rules. Here are my suggestions;

There should be no ranks, titles, units, or any other meaningless way of separating one Brother from another. The only kind of power, control or notoriety you should expect is that which you earn through your actions. Though we do need ways of acknowledging services rendered (see BCHn), of describing Brothers (see BCBn) and of rewarding Brothers for worthy deeds (see BCLn).

No Brother should deliberately attempt to thwart efforts made by other Brothers to improve themselves or the group. For example, saying you are going to help on a Mission and then backing out without giving other Brothers time to make alternative arrangements would not be considered good form.

There is just one thing I will not tolerate, and that is a Spy. Now, I've nothing against Spies working for us in other groups. The justification for this is that although their use is not strictly honourable, they may well save Brothers' lives at the end of the day - and that's what counts. On the other hand if I catch any Spies in Bad Company I will kill them. Then I will systematically destroy the group they spied for. The most important advice I can give you on this subject is never Initiate a Prospect who controls another Monster in a 'Sider group. It isn't worth the risk.

I will consider all Brothers' opinions (if you bother sending them) before I make any decisions concerning the group. However, just because there are no specific rules this is no excuse to confound progress unless you feel strongly about something!

Anyway, before I get started on our plans for the future let's talk about Mission X. Most of you should have some idea of what is going on by now, but just in case you haven't, I'll start from the beginning.

Mission X has a single purpose, and that's to ensure that Bad Company remains the most advanced group on The Island. In Zargnoth there are only 3 Temple Ruins, and each religion may rebuild only one Temple. Once this Temple is Sanctified any subsequent Fuvite visitor gets the Teleport Spell which enables instantaneous travel to any of the last 9 Temples you have visited. Obviously this has major implications regarding fighting, raiding structures, travel time and Initiating Prospects. It is the single most important Spell you can obtain (to date).

If all goes according to plan then we should have Temple X up in some 5 Turns. At least 5 Brothers, and possibly 6 will gain the Teleport Spell immediately, making us the most powerful group at that point in time. We should capitalise on this opportunity! I see no reason why even Brothers as young as 100 Turns could not take advantage of this. The only things you need to get into Zargnoth are a Yell of 300 and 500 Ocs. If you don't know how to go about getting your Yell up to 300 then write and ask! It's easy if you know how. Don't worry about getting beaten to a pulp in Zargnoth. You don't need to be tough to get the Teleport Spell. I can get you from Starth to Temple X in Zargnoth, and back into Starth again in 4 Turns flat.

Next up is the forthcoming Holy Crusade II against The Dark. The Crusade will be open to any Brother that can handle himself. So far we have managed to find 11 Darksider Temples and 3 Darksider Forts. This gives us plenty to be getting on with, but more information is always welcome. So if you know of any Darksider Sites or see any Darksiders, then send in what you know. Obviously not all Brothers will be interested in killing Darksiders. On the other hand, many Brothers have been waiting far too long for this opportunity. If you are looking for justification then you've come to the wrong place! I could say that The Crusade will prove our dominance on The Island, or would help you get to Priest. But the only reason I'm doing this is because killing Darksiders is fun. If you are interested then get in touch! There is much to discuss before we start Holy Crusade II.

A word on allies, both now and in the future. At the moment I do not consider Bad Company allied to any group. I had intended to forge an alliance with other Fuvite groups such as The MLF and ShadowCult, but right now this doesn't look like such a good idea. Since we are working with ShadowCult in Zargnoth then it makes sense not to attack them, especially as our future depends on them. But so many Brothers have refused to have anything to do with ShadowCult that any alliance must be ruled out. Moreover, if we succeed in destroying The Dark then we may look at the possibility of disposing of our main Fuvite rivals. Who knows? As a general rule of thumb, if it's in Zargnoth then let it go but if it's in Starth kill it.

We have to sort out inactivity in Bad Company as soon as possible. The following Brothers have been sent this General Report;

NamePlayerStatus
WysdumbMark PhillipsonActive
TarrasqueMark PhillipsonActive
O'MalleyMark PhillipsonInactive
Baddu-BacEd WebbActive
BosworthPaul DixonActive
Count UgolinoChris ThomasActive
Jamison S'Ped TimeChris ThomasActive
Jobfinder TimeChris ThomasUnknown
HafnorJoss AttridgeActive
Dreigg DuffJoss AttridgeUnknown
Aspher SverilixAlec BatemanActive
Arix SvenSvenazukAlec BatemanUnknown
Furry FeindAlec BatemanUnknown
KonstantinMark SimmonsUnknown (reserved)
Karl ShadowbornMark SimmonsUnknown
WyrmbreathMark SimmonsUnknown (reserved)
MalachorMark BrownUnknown
Silvarn DrakGareth FarrowUnknown
MontinGareth FarrowUnknown (reserved)
BobGareth FarrowUnknown
Finnlay O TooleMark BirdUnknown
Willy McToodleMark BirdUnknown
Katrina KlawsMark BirdUnknown
VicAlistair GroveUnknown
VapnajokullSebastian BrixUnknown
Kittusa ClawsSebastian BrixUnknown
KarazamEric FulfordUnknown
ThargBob CroucherUnknown
PerrinShawn JessopUnknown
Garag The SlayerSteve BrownUnknown

If you see any of your Monsters marked as Unknown on this list then write to me as soon as possible to let me know that Monster is active. In some 2 to 3 weeks I will assume any Brothers with status Unknown are Inactive. Once a Brother is assumed Inactive I will attempt to give him to any other Brother that requests him. Get your order in now! Note that some Unknowns are already marked (reserved) - in the event that these Brothers are Inactive then they have already been assigned to other Brothers. I have reserved Montin and Wyrmbreath, and Alec has reserved Konstantin.

I expect to pick up a laser printer around 10.12.97. My map will become available at that point, but note that it won't be completely up to date until sometime in January. I still have to add Bosworth's map, and maps from The SSS, The MLF and ShadowCult, and I need the printer before I can start doing this. From 10.12.97 onwards the following reports will be available to any Brother that has been Initiated;

The History (BCHn): This provides references to past events, deeds and misdeeds, lest we forget. It is as accurate as I can possibly make it. If you have anything to add to it then send it to me. Ask for this report anyway, especially if you are young, as it makes interesting and informative reading in it's own right.

The Log (BCLn): Although all of this information should be contained somewhere in The History, this is a handy reference so you can see exactly what Brothers have done in the past. It is a list of Awards given to Brothers for various deeds. These are;

  • The Copper Standard: Clearing a Hillock.
  • The Bronze Standard: Clearing a Loggerhead Camp.
  • The Silver Standard: Clearing a Bodden Camp (when/if possible).
  • The Golden Standard: Clearing a Stone Crypt.
  • The Platinum Standard: Clearing a Tomb of Mumundus (when/if possible).

  • The Black Cross: Killing a Darksider. *
  • The White Cross: Killing a Lightsider. *
  • The Iron Cross: Killing any other player Monster. *

  • The Company Arms: Saving the life of a Brother.
  • The Company Colours: Death in combat with another player Monster.
  • The Company Standard: Avenging the death of a Brother. *
Note: The Company Standard cancels the award of a Cross for that action.
Some of you will realise these honours have been revised. The list above is more concise than previous versions, and easier to work out. The Log is now blank. If you want to claim any award (including retrospective awards) then send me brief details of what you did, along with a date. I will take what you say at face value - you don't have to send proof, but any Brother caught cheating will almost certainly be omitted from the Log in future. Don't forget the date - an award can't be issued without a date!

The Brotherhood (BCBn). We will split this list up into the following categories;

  • Prospect: An Uninitiated Brother.
  • Initiate: An Initiated Brother of age 0 - 99 Turns.
  • Veteran: A Brother of age 100 - 199 Turns.
  • Old Timer: A Brother of age 200+ Turns.
Using this system young Brothers will be able to determine who best to write to, and older Brothers will have some idea of the capabilities of Brothers they meet on their travels. Note that these categories are for classification only, and are not a title. If you don't tell me your age, I'll have to put you in the Initiates section.

The General Intelligence Report (BCIn). This report covers just about all general knowledge I have collected so far. It covers everything from improving stats to how best to fight. If you can add to it then please do.

The Creature Capture List (BCCn). This details whether or not Creatures can be Captured, and if so, how best to do it. If you have any information on which Creatures improve Badness when Trapping a Pit (with them), let me know.

The Item List (BCXn). Contains a list of all known Items and uses. If you can add to or correct this list then please do.

Other information services include a Blurb List. What you do is ask for the Blurbs you need from The Blurb List and I'll paste them into a letter, or separate document if you prefer. I will do this in bunches of 20 or so at any given time. I'll also try to compile a list of Far Structures that I will treat in much the same way - although since I never bothered recompiling this data after losing it we only have a handful at the moment. If you have lists from any Far Structures then please send them in. To date I only have;

  • Drokorn's Stead (FI),
  • The Dark Eagle's Nest (FI),
  • The Blazing Arrowhead (FI),
  • The Black Swan (FI),
  • The Illuminated Torch (FI),
  • The Jolly Ogre (FI),
  • Spigot Red's (FF),
  • The Polished Rod (FF),
  • And a couple of Towns in Zargnoth (T2 & T3).
So as you can see we will soon have a variety of services that should make your life a bit easier. The whole point of doing this is to give Brothers access to as much information as possible. Therefore, if you have any information you think may be useful then please send it in. If you are on the internet and can get anything like Blurb lists, Item lists, Far Structure lists, or anything else of interest then just slap it on a disk and send it in.

Reach me at Richard Vine, ***************************************************.

As far as other information services go, Bosworth is still the official BC mapper so if you need a map write to him at Paul Dixon, ****************************.

Aspher Sverilix is still responsible for Jnr Bad Company, so if you come across any Prospects or Monsters that you think might like to join BC then point them towards Alec Bateman, 28 Thick Hollins Drive, Meltham, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. HD7 3DL. Initiating Prospects is another matter that needs sorting out, although it would appear sensible to direct Prospects towards Temples that advanced Brothers could then Teleport back to and perform the Initiation.

I'm not sure what is happening with the group Newsletter yet. It is probable that either myself or Sverilix will do it, but if you want to contribute then let me know.

There are many other things that I would like to go into here, but don't have the space. If you have any thoughts or ideas on anything at all then let me know so we can work on them in the future.

If you are involved in Mission X then let me know how you are getting on. I need to know where you all are now, and how many Turns you reckon it will take to arrive.

Well that wraps up the first BCGn. If I haven't heard from you in a while then write and let me know where you are and how you're getting on with things in general. It's always interesting hearing what Brothers are up to. Take it easy, and watch The Dark!

Swabber & Swoopstake,

TITUS GROAN

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