First off, I'm sorry if this isn't where you put this sort of plea.  Couldn't think of anywhere else to put it.

I'm looking for a mud with ORIGINALITY!  Could anyone point me toward a medieval fantasy (but I'm loose about that) RPMUD, with an original world, and original races (my pet peeve)?

If you don't mind a MUSH, Chiaroscuro might be the place for you. It's an all-original (extremely rich) theme with two original races and everyday humans as the available choices. We are rp-required, and our main area (Fastheld) is very medieval in nature, with nobility, the common man, craftsmen and the poor. If this sounds good to you, just go to or even better, telnet to jointhesaga.com:2003, and give us a try. If I'm around (Wik), I'll try to help you through it.

Try 4 Dimensions.
We're not the biggest Mud around, but we have a nice, stable playerbase, we are totally free to play (no hidden agendas), and we have more original features than many commercial muds out there.

Our world is huge, and all original (in fact we have 4 different original worlds, and Medieval is the largest of the Dimensions). I think I can safely say that you will have a hard time finding better or more in-depth zones and quests anywhere else.  We do have elves and dwarves, since so many mudders like those, but the rest of the races are original.

The full potential of 4D will only unfold as you explore it, since the game is very easy, almost intuitive, to get started in. But our customised Mudschool and unique Quest Academy will give you some hints of what to expect  in the zones.

The IRE games would actually be great, except:
goodies for paying (sort of unfair, cause I'm broke :-)
I can't figure out if it's RP, or OOC!

But the other ones are good sugestions. I'll look into them tonight.

Ilkidarios was correct, there is already a topic in the Tavern for discussing race originality. As I recall, almost all of the points mentioned in this little "discussion" are covered there with the possible exclusion of some of the veiled barbs. Please feel free to continue bickering in there, and leave the original poster to decide what he deems original in a MUD.

Well, keep in mind that our games are completely free to play and that everything that can be paid for can be gotten for absolutely no real money. They're also chock-full of original races.
--matt

Mystic Legends may also suit your bill. Its a free mud with some standard races/class and some original ones. The world is 100% original, and the staff is constatnly working on new additions. There are several new classes coming out in the next month or so. Its a small player base currently, but most nights there are 10-20 people online. Stop by if you get a chance.

ml.mudhost.com 2001

I would suggest Lusternia, an IRE mud. You have to spend about $40 on your character to be taken note of by the main players, but it has about 17 races and is very original. The amazing thing about it is that all of the races are actually interesting with a good story behind them. It's easily the most original mud I've played in terms of story.

Thanks!

I'm sure Estarra, who is the font from which Lusternia's story has flowed, will be pleased to hear that.

--matt

Accursed Lands has what I think to be quite original elements in theme and race selection, and it's also one of the most technically accomplished MUDs I've played. If you're looking for something different, I'd definately check it out.


accursed-lands.com:8000

I'm going to have to agree. Accursed Lands seems to have a level of authenticity that i'm looking for. I enjoy the logical command parsers also.

Its like riding a bike.. You never forget how.

The Inquisition MUD is different. Though it is more medieval than medieval fantasy. It is an original universe somewhat based upon the inquisition into magic and heresy of our own medieval world, only magic really exists and sometimes the Church guesses right and actually burns a witch.

Anyhow, it has a very unique combat and magic system, whichever side in the conflict you want to take is alot of fun. The whole thing runs more like a mystery dinner party game than the average MUD.



theinquisition.org port 5000

Depends on what you mean by original, some more info on your ideas would be very helpful.

You should check out Armageddon MUD. It's loosely based off Darksun, and throws in a pinch of Dune and Thieves' World, and a teaspoon of it's own originality here and there, it's very addictive at times and when you get that right character going for a while, you'll be spending hours at the computer, ignoring the pulls of hunger, thirst, sex, and even bathing. Hehe just kidding but it's really addictive!

port 4050.

-D

Armageddon is a fantastic MUD, but it isn't exactly mideval fantasy.  There aren't forests full of happily frolicking elves and bunnies.  It is a desert world, so there is only one forest, it is tinder dry, and the "halflings" that live there aren't so much happily frolicking as savage and canabilistic.  Don't look for Frodo, they probably ate him, they certainly would have eaten Legolas, Striker and Gimli.

You might call the PC races semi-original, or at least warped.  They often share the names of classic fantasy races, but are seriously bent in some way.  Imagine if someone nuked Middle Earth back to the stone age, and these are the decendants of the survivors a couple thousand years later.

Halflings - Xenophobic savages willing to suppliment hunting by killing and eating any too-talls that invade their territory.  Their social graces are limited, and their table manners appalling.  However, they do seem to live in a sort of xen-like commune, living in touch with nature and eachother, eschewing material possessions.  Think canabalistic hippies.

Elves - Tall and slender, with pointy ears and that elven arrogance everyone loves.  However if these elves were ever immortal, then the apocolypse that turned their land into a smoldering desert ruin stole it from them, and now they barely live longer than humans.  They are the second most populous race in the known world, but remain an oppressed minority.  Despised by the humans, anti-elf prejudice among the human powers keeps them from the most lucarative jobs and prevents them from attaining positions of real power.  They have become a race of theives and swindlers.  Most elves rot in the stinking ghettos of the cities, while a few of their wilder bretheren still run free in the wastelands outside.

Dwarves - Short, strong, completely hairless.  No beards here, the poor bastards don't even have eyebrows.  The usual dwarven determination has been warped into something darker, a sort of genetic version of obssessive compulsive disorder.  Every dwarf has a focus, an over-riding goal that he persues tirelessly.  An obsession that rules his life and colors every action, every thought.

Half-giants - 12 foot tall neaderthals, with a real gift for mimicry.  They are ugly and prone to breaking things, but boy do they come in handy when you want something heavy moved.  Thier sense of self seems somewhat weak, they usually mimic their friends and other people they admire, though if someone new and interesting happens by they may drop their old friends without a thought of regret to latch on to their new friend.

Muls - An angry slave-race, a sterile hybred born of a forced union between a dwarf and a human.  Born to be tools and weapons, occasionaly this weapon turns and strikes down it's wielder.  Unfortunately the world is not a friendly place for a rogue mul, no one wants to be around a moody guy prone to berzerker rages and emo-like deperessions, his emotions are volitile and often violent.  A mul is either a slave or a runaway, and there are very few places a runaway can find safety, much less acceptance.

There are a few other races, including intelligent insectoids, but these should give you the idea.  The environment shapes its people, and this world shows every sign of wanting to irradicate the humanoids responsible for its own wounds.  It is a constant struggle to survive, either in the opressive cities or the barren wasteland outside.


Angela Christine