User:ORakoon/Sandpit

The Fortress News - Issue One - February 2010

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NEW TFN LAUNCHES

The Fortress News' Logo The first issue of The Fortress News, a new-look monthly publication, has today been released on the Urban Dead Wiki. Over the last month the new chief editor, ORakoon, has been busy at work re-constructing TFN, moving it into what is hoped to be a new era of success for the once unfortunate section of The Fortress. “I am very pleased with the great team we have assembled for TFN,” said ORakoon in an interview earlier, just before the first issue was released. “The articles that they have written are of the top quality, coming together to create a first issue that far surpasses my expectations.” The current TFN team looks to be very strong. Joining chief editor ORakoon as Assistant Editor and reporter for Team Battlehawk is Avatorous. With past experience within TFN, superb writing and graphical skills, and high activity and energy, Ava makes the perfect assistant editor. theYeas, CO of Cold Cell, joins as the Wiki Engineer, bringing excellent coding literacy to the position, increasing speed, efficiency and overall quality in the wiki publications of TFN. Taking charge of the camera is Paul Henderson of Team Battlehawk, who will be providing the images to accompany articles along with reporting on his teams operations himself. Completing the trio of Hawks is Zombiedodger, a past reporter for TFN who is set to continue his fine work. Faustus Felix is the current sole reporter for Team Dark Watch, bringing a strong writing style to TFN, certainly a name to look out for. Wes Harrison is providing all the cover that you could need from Team Anaconda, keeping us up to date with all the happenings over there. Puppiemaster, a well known figure in The Fortress and Barkeep of the Tavern, is making sure not one piece of conversation goes unmissed in the busy downstairs of the tavern. Completing the current team is Miss Elainious, who will be covering the entire goings on at Radio BOOM. Jensonson, the head of The Fortress himself, is writing his own article for TFN, as is Brigadier Tommy Crowbar. All in all, a great selection from the finest The Fortress has to offer has come together to make TFN the best it can possibly be.

Anaconda	Battle Hawk	Cold Cell	Dark Watch
On February 2nd 2010, the plucky members of Team Anaconda received word that the Militant Order of Barhah was laying siege to Marven Mall. After recently defending Lockettside from a massive onslaught, the team decided to assist the situation to buy Lockettside some time to regroup. Operation: Road to Perdition’s objectives were to defend Marven Mall, Recover North and South Blyville, and work the revive... Full Article Page 4	Operation: Top of the World, Ma! was the second op for the Battlehawks this year, carrying on the momentum from their previous op, “Back to Our Roots” which reclaimed the long-in-the-red Fortress One, Fort Perryn. “Top o’ the World” was an attempt to retake the North-eastern corner of Malton, the suburb of Dulston. Four NT buildings, three hospitals, four police departments and a mall make this suburb... Full Article Page 4	February for Team Cold Cell kicked off with Operation Gown and Slippers, a three phase plan to retake the suburbs of Dulston and Pescodside in NE Malton, culminating in a Cold Style competition. The operation was planned and led by Cold Cell’s own long serving Chief Assault Officer, Kevin Turvey, giving regular CO theYeas a chance to relax and enjoy the finer things in life... namely killing zombies... Full Article Page 5	When Dark Watch entered Darvall Heights, it was a suburb under siege. More than twenty zeds attacked and destroyed both Herman NT and Crossman PD. With lightning quickness Dark Watch stormed and recovered these buildings. The battle was tenacious, turning now to the side of the zeds, and then back to the daring heroes of Dark Watch. New members made immediate impact in Real Time Strikes, including... Full Article Page 5

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CONTENTS	EDITORIAL
toc stuff	The Fortress is the largest survivor group in Urban Dead. That is an impressive claim. From its humble beginnings in 2005, The Fortress has gone from strength to strength, gaining new members, growing bigger, and branching out in many directions to make life in The Fortress so much more than just a game. Under the superb leadership of Jensonson, The Fortress has seen many changes in every way that it works since it started all that time ago. Many new members have joined, and unfortunately members have left for many reasons, but always The Fortress has been a group that is very good at what it does – killing zombies, helping survivors, and most importantly having fun. With so much going on, it can be hard to keep up with such a large and active group. This new monthly publication sets out to help you do just that, keeping you up to speed with all that is happening. TFN was started a long time ago, but has never really grown to much importance within the group, despite the efforts of the previous editors. As the new editor of TFN, I hope that this will change, with TFN entering a new stage in its history. A monthly publication detailing all that there is to know about The Fortress from the past month. Which, might I add, is an awful lot. Be it the general exploits of the four Combat Teams as they battle for a safer, more human Malton, the newest group to join our Chain of Allies, all the promotions handed out in the past month, the latest ABAs achieved by our members, or simply the most recent discussion in the Tavern over a (fair) few drinks while tuning in to BOOM Radio, TFN covers it all and so much more. So grab a drink, sit back, and let us take you on a journey into an alternate reality, where in one small city in England tired and hungry people battle to survive in a world overrun by zombies, abandoned by their government and left to fend for themselves. And leading that battle for survival is a group of dedicated and experienced people, willing to put their lives on the line for the greater good (and a monthly cheese ration). The Fortress News – Your Eyes and Ears in the City. -- ORakoon
	THE TEAM
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The Head Talks	Sub Article Title Sub Article Content
Landmarks - Words by Jensonson

The Fortress forum was humbly fashioned just over four years ago and, incredibly, the group leaders (myself included) were unconvinced that it was absolutely necessary. Urban Dead was a simple browser based game and The Fortress was able to function at its single base in central Malton through in-game chat and via mobile phone when a player ventured further afield. Today, of course, the forum is an essential tool enabling us to substantially enhance both our efficiency and enjoyment of the game – without it, there is no way we could have expanded into such a thriving

community. Four years on and our incredible and unique forum has reached a landmark, the thousandth member joined in Feb 2010 as we passed our 200,000th post. TFN – The Fortress News Wikizine – also reaches a new landmark today with Issue #1 being published. Previously TFN had been crafted as a single Wiki page with recent operations being uploaded when possible by TFN writers. Now the wikizine is becoming a monthly newsletter, more fresh and vibrant than before with far more relevance to the current moment. It

has become an essential read for all Fortress members and friends alike to discover all of our epic feats around Malton, so many of which would otherwise have gone unnoticed by the casual survivor. There are many other landmarks for The Fortress to achieve in 2010 and beyond and I have no doubt that they will continue to become greater and greater, as they always have done with each previous year. With the implementation of TFN monthly; everyone will be able to read about our efforts exactly when and as they happen. I can't wait! Stay Vigilant!

From the Desk of the Brig

Image I am extremely proud of the Fortress, which has had an exceptional first few months of the year. All the Commanders are outstanding leaders and the teams are healthy and vibrant. Without a doubt The Fortress has had a massive influence on Malton and the 40 green suburbs versus the 3 red suburbs are directly influenced by the hard work of all members of this group. With 103 members The Fortress continues to be the largest, most influential survivor group in the game. Recently we welcomed the 1000th forum member and we show no sign of slowing down. To highlight current events the Fortress Defence Staff has done an exceptional job keeping the four Fortresses in tip top shape. Congratulations to them for such great work. I am very proud of the exceptional work that all the teams are doing. Congratulations for Team Anaconda in their war with Militant Order of Barhah; Lucy Daniels continues to run the team with fresh exciting operations even after her one year Anniversary as Commander! I am very proud of the work that Team Battlehawk did while storming Dulston. Commander Zombiedodger and his team changed that suburb from grey or red to yellow within just a few days. As Schoony of Battlehawk stated “How many [teams] can change a burb color with just a couple days of activity? Four that I know of...Anaconda, Battlehawk, Cold Cell, and Dark Watch.” I couldn't have said it better myself! Commander theYeas and Kevin Turvey led Cold Cell to Dulston and Pescodside where they stomped through North East Malton with cold coordination, slaughtering zombies with anything they could find – a truly exciting operation. Finally, amazing work was done by Commander Ziptrickhead and Team Dark Watch in the recovery of Darvall Heights. Dark Watch combined real time strikes, tenacious coordination of resources and dedication to demoralise the undead menace in that suburb, and returned the suburb from a wasteland to a vibrant bastion for the survivors in the North West. All teams and team leaders deserve a standing ovation for the outstanding work during the first quarter of 2010! Brigadier Tommy Crowbar

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The Combat Teams

Anaconda

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Battle Hawk

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Cold Cell

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Dark Watch

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Fortress Defense

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Special Article

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Surviving in the City Greetings reader, I trust you are safely secured behind a strong barricade as you read this article. Allow me to introduce myself. I am John Albrecht, a humble survivor living out a nightmare in this accursed city. I was approached by a contact from The Fortress, a paramilitary group that you may well have heard of. They are the largest that operates in the city, and I have witnessed their work before, helping to keep the city safe from the zombies. I was asked if I could keep a record of the state of Malton, writing of my experiences of the city and passing them on to a Fortress member once a month for use in a new publication. This publication, to be precise. Of course I agreed, and so here is my first piece, in which I shall try to give the clearest picture I can of how the city of Malton fares. February has been an interesting month in Malton. With the passing of the cold weather, the last traces of snow melted into the thawed ground, the wild plants that grow up through the cracks in the roads and pavements have once again become a common site in the city – another sign that spring fast approaches. This winter has been a particularly hard one for survivors. Food has been scarce, and I have seen many a person curled up in a building, the barricades barely strong enough to stop the zombies walking in, yet the survivor being too weak to protect themselves. Of course I have helped where I can, but there is only so much a man can do for others when he must also look after himself. At the start of this very month, as I judge it, I found a survivor starved and cold, huddled under a bloodied blanket with the doors wide open, but I could do nothing to help, having not eaten myself for three straight days. Snow melt and the rain of the last month has ensured water is not of immediate concern, although knowing how to find uninfected supplies continues to be a concern. Things are looking up for the survivor population, however. As always, the Necrotech Syringes continue to be effective in reversing the effects of zombiefication, even as far as bringing what should be dead back to life. At the start of the New Year much of the city was in ruins, and by all accounts, from both my own travels and what I have heard from others, most of the suburbs were classed too dangerous to occupy for any substantial length of time and in any large numbers. The fairer weather has helped the survivor cause, with travel across the city now made easier, and the worry of surviving a winter in a city with little power or heating starting to become another distant memory, at least until next year. From the bleak situation we found ourselves in at the start of the year, through the last month we have turned this around. Survivors have retaken much of the suburbs, restoring power and repairing the damage left by the wandering zombies. From the last reports I have heard, little of the city remains truly dangerous, the suburb of Kempsterbank being perhaps the most hotly contested area. Situated near the centre of the city, many survivors pass through the area, and this large population density attracts zombies. St. Ferreol's Hospital, co-ordinates (57,72) for all of you with working GPS units, perhaps remains the most dangerous building in the city. A large horde of zombies hold the building, constantly attacking whenever it is retaken, the barricades often falling within hours. How these creatures seemingly organise themselves so well, a phenomenon that has become known as Horde Intelligence, still remains a mystery, as does the reason why they are attracted to this otherwise un-noteworthy building. What I do know is that despite several well organised, and for a time successful attacks, lead by numerous survivor groups often working together throughout February, the hospital still remains firmly in zombie hands. I passed through the area perhaps a week ago, and I would advise against visiting for the immediate future unless you are well prepared for a battle. Other well known zombie hordes have continued their seemingly random movements across the city throughout February, leaving a trail of death and destruction. One particularly large horde, known to many of the survivors as the ‘MOB’, has caused particular trouble, and is another reason why Kempsterbank is particularly dangerous. They moved in from the west of the city, an area which has seen more than its fair share of zombies in the last month. While the survivors are now retaking the Western suburbs, the destruction the rampaging hordes caused harks back to the days when North-west Malton was nothing more than a ghost town, a place where few souls dared to scratch out a living. Fortunately the suburbs seem to be making a recovery, but for how long the barricades will last before once again falling to undead hands one cannot say. And so reader, I leave you with a thought for the coming month. The key to the human spirit may lie in man’s broken heart, but the key to life is a simple as a jab of a syringe. Good luck, Godspeed, and keep on surviving.

Ally News Words by ORakoon The Fortress has a long list of allies, ranging from all kinds of pro-survivor groups, both young and old, big and small. Lead by the Director of Communications, PrepH, the large and dedicated group of Fortress ambassadors keep in contact with these fellow Maltonians in the ally section of our forum, on the allied group’s forums, and in the city of Malton itself (usually over a drink before setting out to kill some zeds)! The start of February saw a new group join The Fortress’ Chain of Allies. As PrepH himself said, “The Burchell Arms Regulars have been around since midway through 2006 and have been constantly fighting to keep their local pub in Rolt Heights open for business. This noble cause has not gone unrecognized! I have even made a stop in their fine establishment and, I must say, it was one of best kept BARs I have ever passed out in. In addition to their fine pub, I have also heard of their fight against the undead and, although not as impressive to me as their stock of fine liquor, they have been making very impressive strides!” Everyone at TFN welcomes BAR to our Chain of Allies, and we look forward to working with them in the future. And of course, by ‘working’, we do of course mean something that involves a lot of alcohol!

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Around the Tavern

Downstairs in the Tavern is the place to be if you want to hear the mad drunken ramblings of the more vocal members of The Fortress; a place to meet other Fortress members and get anything off of your mind. The Tavern is never closed for business and always welcomes new patrons. February started as any month might start in the tavern, with a spontaneous drunken party to celebrate anything - this time it was Jason Valor being a Fortress Colonel for 472 Days. It was followed by a spontaneous drunken party for Jason Valor being a Fortress Colonel for 473 Days. As I said, any excuse in the Tavern. Over the next week everyone was pretty much too drunk to converse about interesting in particular, until Elaine mentioned a peculiar brand of biscuits and Shrimper went into posting overdrive. The rest of the month has just been one drunken night after another in the Tavern, however, the month also saw one notable addition to its posting ranks in Utter Nutter, the Cow, who got into a real mess while trying to butter some toast. The Tavern is so much more than the rambling drunken posts in the Downstairs thread, as two new games also sprang up in February: Guess the Book quote & Name the Song lyrics. Also appearing was the Worst Movie of all time thread, so why not pop into the Tavern and have a go at one of our games or just add to the drunken posts in the Downstairs thread, where hopefully we will pass the 1000 page milestone during March. Just remember one thing, Lucy Daniels is definitely not MALE... -- puppiemaster Image

On the Air Waves

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