MUSE Ltd.: moose

moose

moose

noun A nigh-perfect legend (sense 3) from CompuNet MUD, reproduced here in full exactly as it first appeared so as to illustrate the legend concept in general. All the classic legend ingredients are there: the warning of risk; the casual reference to a non-existent object (the strawberry); the inclusion of a wiz-only object that the victim may actually have seen (the mousse); mention of a conveniently useful bug; the helpful asides concerning common pitfalls to avoid; what to do when (utterly spurious) warning messages appear; the growing implausibility of the instructions; the plain, matter-of-fact vocabulary used; the fearsomely attractive reward. A beautifully-crafted example which shows off the skill of legend-writing at its best.

How to reincarnate the moose
by Grobble and Ash
You will need:
- moose head
- pancake
- strawberry
- beauty
First of all, you must get the moose head. If you don't know where that is then you are not skilled enough to turn it into a living moose, as this technique is very risky and often results in death. When you have got the moose head, go to the pantry with the strawberry (which everyone knows you get from the bronze strawberry tree in the Pine Forest - s,ne,sw from the sundial). Type MIX STRAWBERRY WITH PANCAKE, and the ingredients will become strawberry mousse. Take the mousse and the moose to the shrine. You must hurry, as the mousse soon goes off and gives off poisonous fumes which permanently cripple you; if you get the message, "You are beginning to feel a bit heavy", then drop the mousse and run away, as it is about to give off the crippling fumes. When you get to the shrine, type SMEAR MOOSE WITH MOUSSE, and drop the moose head. Don't worry if its eyes fall out - this is normal and they turn into gold when the moose comes back to life. Next, go to the beauty and sacrifice her. Her spirit will flow into the moose and bring it back to life. This is the critical moment. You have to get back to the shrine as fast as you can, as the moose will move towards the wolf when it comes to life. If the moose meets the wolf, it will turn into a mad killer-wolf instead, and chase after you. If you manage to get to the live moose in time, type TAME MOOSE WITH MISTLETOE. There is a nice bug in MUD that you don't actually have to be carrying the mistletoe to tame the moose. When the moose is tame, you can pick it up and dump it in the swamp, scoring about 1,000 or so. If you get chased by the mad killer-wolf it is advisable to quit, as it is almost as nasty as the dragon. Don't blame us if you die trying this method - it is very risky.