Anne McCaffrey

The following is the text of Ms. McCaffrey's reply to a request for permission to run CrystalMUSH. It contains some guidelines, which you should be aware of and follow.

Dear Mr. Molitor,

Let's hope that my antiquated program will manage your INTERNET address without bouncing the message back to me as it is wont to do. [handwritten in: it did twice. Hence I'll try a letter!]

Actually, I've never been `in' on a MUSH: they usually occur when I am fast asleep, not that I have time to browse through the gaming that goes on. But as both my sons are computer gamers, I hear a lot about it and from GM's.

I've had to get a slittle stickier than I like because of someone trying to poach rights they had not been assigned...so I lowered the boom on everyone - so as not to play favorites and to make it eminently plain that I really did know what I was about in the assignment of rights and that I also had a lawyer who looked after such assignments

. That said, I'd be delighted if you would start a CRYSTAL SINGER Mush: there are fewer hard and fast rules for playing in that universe of mine.

So let it be noted, and understood that these are the main parameters:

No use of my characters but they may be referred to.

A notice that CRYSTAL SINGER/KILLASHANDRA/CRYSTAL LINE are copyrighte to Anne McCaffrey and all rights and assignments are hers. I do not LICENSE you to play the game which would require an expensive, formal document that would cost money, but I allow you to enjoy the Crystal Singer universe.

Not all those who reach Ballybran become Crystal Singers but most people, being infected by the Ballybran symbiont, are changed. ALL are rendered sterile. ALL may leave the planet if they have the funds but ALL will have to return within approximately a year to eighteen months (usually the year) for a recharging of the symbiont or they will suffer a most unpleasant and painful death, including return to the appropriate chronological age. ALL remain `young' until the symbiont has finally depreciated to the point where it can no longer regenerate tissue.

RAdiant fluid does relieve `crystal ache': `crystal ache' can be experienced by people contacting a Singer just in from the Ranges. Many myths grow up around people who remain young to look at and have plenty of money to spend. I never have gone to Maxim's planet to enjoy the perversities that exist there but so as not to offend young players, kindly restrict such extravagances. Or at least restrict them to known adults players.

By using a different time period, you avoid any unintentional coincidences.

I would recommend that everyone read at least CRYSTAL SINGER as the Disclosure and Training scenes give a full description of what's involved by joining the Heptite Guild.

Enjoy!