This document was originally a 32 page 8.5 X 5.5 booklet sent to new users when they subscribed to KOTC. It has been recreated here in html format. Although it is formatted differently, the text and graphics are complete. It is divided between 2 web pages, of which this is the second.

CAT 101

Cat Basics in King of the Cats

© 1993-99 QCOM, Seattle, WA. All Rights Reserved. "RIPterm" and "RIPscrip" are products of Telegrafix Communications, Inc.

PART TWO

LEO LINER TRAIN SCHEDULE

SOUTH LIDO LINE

NORTH LIDO LINE

Leo Liner excursions depart every hour every day, but there is no service from 3 to 5AM daily. You'll find the King Street Station on Byron, and from there you can hop a train to a destination out of town! Board for one of two destinations, the North Lido Line headed for points Northward including Smoot Valley and Scoop Beach, or the South Lido Line headed for points Southward including Angelou/Coleridge, the TR Intl Airport and beyond. Make sure you purchase your ticket for the correct Lido Line. All tickets are round trip and are subject to certain restrictions. Don't Miss Your Destination! Travel aboard the Leo Liner is so posh and inviting that travelers often miss their stops, so busy are they enjoying the LL's delightful atmosphere. Don't Miss Your Return! The only way our superliners can operate at such efficient and convenient speeds is to maintain a tight schedule. Make sure you plan for your return trip back to the city...from many destinations the Leo Liner is the only way back.

FREE TIME

Two simple guidelines for four free weeks:

• When your friends create their cat, they will be asked "How did you hear about King of the Cats?" The correct answer to this question is YOUR CAT NAME - so make sure they know it! (Makes you glad you picked such a dignified cat name for yourself, doesn't it?)

• If your friend subscribes to King of the Cats, you will receive two free weeks added to your subscription, provided you are currently a subscriber yourself.

LEVEL ADVANCEMENT

There are two different ceremonies, which involve a series of actions within the ceremonial chambers. You will need to obtain a password, a certain object, and know the proper ritual procedures. The cats who assist with this ceremony do not tolerate errors, and if you make the slightest mistake they will escort you from the chambers. It is possible to learn the Melioration ceremonies with the aid of a CATechism (included with your New User Materials) especially if you are prepared to learn from your mistakes. Remember that discovery and learning are part of the process!

The first few times you engage in this ritual you will find it challenging and difficult. Do not despair; after performing the Melioration a few times it becomes a breeze. It is NOT intended to be easy or intuitive for new cats; perseverance, however, will win the day. Refer often to the Catechism which follows.

A Catechism for the Puss

Featuring selections from the ancient writings of

Felis Silvestris, before the times

of Bastet

A Purr and Answer on the

Sacred Megliarsi Order

Not for the ears of the lower levels

or the heathen breeds

 P. What is the purpose of Megliarsi?

A. It is the Order of Megliarsi, it is the act of the Melioration. Felines acting under the direction of Faelis dedicate themselves to the Order of Megliarsi, to assist us with our progression through life. We are born but tiny, insignificant mounds of fur and bones, but we are able to use the Melioration to become the Nine.

P. So...what is the purpose of Megliarsi?

A. To improve yourself. To raise yourself. To become all that you can be. You begin as a small kitten, and through acts of courage and instinct you are able to make yourself stronger or more agile.

P. What is necessary to perform the Melioration?

A. Many things are necessary. First, the applicat must locate the ceremonial temple, the Sacred Bush, where the Melioration takes place. The bush should be entered only by felines truly deserving of the Melioration. Also, the applicat must have truly earned the privildge of the ceremony. Earning entry to the Sacred Bush is not a right, it is a privlidge. Learning how to participate in the ceremony is a process you develop as you learn, not a god-given right to know. You must try and fail to learn.

P. How does one know if they are truly deserving?

A. Kittens going through this ceremony are judged differently.

A kitten needs have Lelande, or 1000 experiences, to apply for a new level of distinction; a kitten needs have Chasn, or 250 experiences, to apply for more strength or agility. Kittens who have become cats with find that each successive Melioration will compound the Lelande, but the Chasn will double and go no further. All else is undeserving of the honor and ceremony, and the Megliarsi attendants will bar your entry. Cats who have entered the bushes more than three times in one day are not deserving. Cats who have already received the Northern Lights that day and have raised themselves a level are not deserving. Patience is required. The greedy cat who does not realize that there is more to life than levels, strength, and agility will find that the ceremony contains only frustration and agony. Such are not truly deserving.

P. If one is deserving, then they need only enter the bushes to proceed with the ceremony?

A. No. The ceremony is a laborious affair, which taxes the spirituality of the Megliarsi to the nth degree. They are so besieged with requests for the ceremony that many years ago they designated specific days for specific breeds. These days must be strictly followed...the Megliarsi will not allow incorrect breeds to enter the chambers!

P. On what days are certain breeds allowed?

A. Let me offer you this:

SUNDAYS

American Mongrel

Japanese Bobtail

Manx

Russian Blue

MONDAYS

British Shorthair

Havana Brown

Maine Coon

Scottish Fold

TUESDAYS

Bombay Black

Japanese Bobtail

Norwegian Forest

Russian Blue

THURSDAYS

British Shorthair

Manx

Persian

Siamese

FRIDAYS

American Mongrel

Maine Coon

Persian

Scottish Fold

SATURDAYS

Bombay Black

Havana Brown

Norwegian Forest

Siamese

P. What about Wednesdays?

A. The Megliarsi don’t work on Wednesdays. Forget it!

P. Are there sacred times when the Megliarsi will not see applicats?

A. There are. These times can be unpredictable. However, a cat thus rejected need only return after a short time.

P. If one is permitted on the correct day to enter the chambers, what should that cat do upon entering?

A. The applicat, if humble and qualified, will partake of wondrous events inside the chambers. The feline must walk the Hall of Phorlakh, and approach the Megliarsi. They will question you, and you must answer.

P. What will be the nature of their questions?

A. There will be but one question, and they will ask for the "password." This password is a common word, known to all cats in the kingdom but it changes by day. The wise feline will know the appropriate password for the current day before entering the bushes. When asked the feline must supply it...with no mistakes. While we all err, to err in the Melioration will mean that your ceremony will fail, and you will be immediately escorted from the bushes!

P. Can a failed applicat enter the bushes and try again?

A. Yes, but it is heresy to enter more than three times in one day, and the Megliarsi will bar your entry if you attempt it. The wise feline will know what is expected of them before they enter, and will perform the ritual without mistakes, and thereby improve their concentration as well as their other fine attributes. The wise feline will also know that by failing they have learned, and can benefit from knowledge.

P. Once a feline has supplied the password, what happens next?

A. The Megliarsi will judge your worthiness, and offer you a choice of the two rituals, based on your qualifications. They will instruct you as to where to go, and when. You will then pass under the Stone Archway of Cait Sith, and your ritual will begin. Here the paths diverge, based on which ritual you have chosen.

P. If a cat wishes to raise a level, what will that path contain?

A. The applicat will first face the Face of Cait Sith, and must anoint the stone in the proper order. The slightest mistake will cause failure and expulsion.

P. What is the proper order for the anointing of the Face of Cait Sith?

A. Pause briefly before beginning, to reflect upon the importance of your actions. The eyes and nose of the Face of Cait Sith correspond to the stars of Faelis. First anoint the Left Eye in honor of Foggitt, the Just, a great cat of old. Next anoint the nose, as an act of respect to Agmar, the Hunter, a wise and honorable feline. Finally, anoint the Right Eye, in tribute to Cait Sith himself, whose mouth you hope to enter. The successful applicat will be able to enter into the Altar of Talishad.

P. What should the applicat do when in the Altar Room?

A. Talishad requires a homage to cats who have gone before in order to see your own progression. You must first place the Sacred Cat Eye on the Altar, and wait for Talishad to respond. Pawing the Altar lightly will cause the Sacred Eye to appear, if you have it. Don’t enter the bushes or choose the level Melioration if you do not have the Eye!

P. What will happen when the Eye appears on the Altar?

A. Talishad will give you a secret meow. This meow must be remembered above all else. Talishad will impart instruction which should be heeded; all other meows must be ignored, only this sacred meow, given specifically for you, should cause you to respond later in the Callieach.

P. After the applicat has received the Sacred Meow, what must they do?

A. They must not linger in the Altar room of Talishad for long, but they must commit the Sacred Meow to memory, and leave through a small door behind the altar. After a short passageway, they will emerge in the Qualway. Each drapery must be shredded by the applicat, as proof of their prowess and ability.

P. What if an applicat fails to shred each drape?

A. They must in order to escape this chamber. There is no way out until all four drapes are in tatters! Then the portal will open, and the feline can make their way to the final chamber, the final testing ground for the level melioration, the Cailleach.

P. What must the applicat know to pass through the Cailleach?

A. The applicat will rest quietly on a central pillow, and will wait patiently. Soon a Megliarsi will appear, and give a meow. If the meow called is the Sacred Meow received earlier from Talishad, the applicat must respond immediately! However, if the meow is another meow, and not the Sacred Meow, the applicat must not respond, but sit quietly and wait. Patience and long-suffering will reward the puss who follows these directions exactly. An over-anxious puss, or a mistaken puss, will fail the ceremony, and indeed, should not receive the Northern Lights.

P. What are the Northern Lights?

A. If a puss responds correctly, having finished the ceremony with triumph, the Northern Lights will bestow the reward, and the puss will advance to a higher state of being. This will conclude the ceremony for the puss who chose the ritual for a higher level. The Megliarsi will perform this ceremony only once per day for the successful applicat who completes it.

P. And what of the feline who chooses the ritual of added strength or agility?

A. This puss will turn right and pass under the Archway of Nahmad, to enter the Room of Smells. This room is bathed in an acidic odor, and a cat must not tarry long here. The room appears to have three basins of liquid, but in fact there are only two, and one is an illusion. The feline must use their superior sense of smell to determine the true basins.

P. What will the feline smell in the true basins?

A. One will smell of a sour odor, and this basin holds the promise of agility, and the other true basin will smell pungent, and this one will hold the promise of strength. The false basin will have no odor, and the cat will sniff only the acid in the air which fills the room. This false basin will trick the feline, and will produce no benefit. Chose between the other two basins.

P. After the applicat chooses, what must they do?

A. They must wash with the water from the basin of their choice. There is no other way out of the Room of Smells. Then they will proceed to the dressing room, where they must adorn themselves with the Pasht. It is a multi-colored tassel, which one drapes about their neck. Having done so, the applicat is ready to face the Megliarsi for the three questions. If the applicat approaches the Megliarsi without the Pasht the applicat will fail and be escorted from the bushes in disgrace. The applicat must also be in possession of the Sacred Squeeze Toy. The Megliarsi will not ask to see it, or to take it from you, but you must have it, and he will be able to tell if you lie to him when he asks about it.

P. What must the applicat know to answer the three questions posed by the Megliarsi?

A. They must know their history. They must know felines, our breeds, our customs, and our eating habits. They must demonstrate some common sense. And they must not fail a single question, or they will be escorted out. If they are accurate, and answer wisely, they will be awarded and find themselves outside the bushes.

P. What if the cat fails?

A. Failure is as normal an activity in life as success. The failing process is one of learning, and therefore growing. The Ceremony is as much about learning and growing as it is about succeeding and receiving a reward or acknowledgement. In fact, if you suceed, you are not allowed back into the ceremonial area that day...you are always expected to learn from whatever activity happens to you. A cat must never fear failure, for fearing failure is fearing growth, and growth is absolutely necessary in order to suceed.

P. Is there anything the applicat must do after the ceremony?

A. They should reflect on the ritual and it’s meaning for them. Then they must work hard, and endure, and gain experience, so that they may partake of the ritual once again. All felines must continue to grow and progress. It is our nature to do so. The Melioration is a great and fantastic reminder of that fact.

P. What about Melioration after you have reached The Nine, or Ninth Level?

A. The Ceremony is different for applicants who are seeking Cait Sith; level Melioration requires all kinds of other qualifications, and such a cat should study their Ninth Level instructions before attempting the ceremony. Strength and Agility can be increased in much the same way as we have discussed.

P. Thank you.

A. You're Welcome.

Here ends the Purr and Answer.

CAT 101 Glossary

Account - Your cat and associated abilities. If your cat loses all nine lives, your "account" is closed, and you cannot log in with that name ever again.
Agility - a cat stat, from 0 to 100, indicating how agile you are. This value indicates how well you can jump.
ANSI - Colored text, which has been the standard transmission protocol of most BBS’s for several years. King of the Cats uses the RIP protocol almost exclusively, not ANSI or text.
Appearance - a cat stat, from 0 to 100, indicating how good you look.
Bulletin Board System - one of the many types of online systems wherein users can communicate, download files, and run online programs or "doors."
Cardinal - a cat in the church who counsels cats.
Cat - on King of the Cats, an individual user. In the real world, fluffy, lovable creatures who cause mischief and endear themselves to their owners so that we will always feed them, play with them, and clean up their waste products.
Catamount - The meeting place for the NYD Committee. It also contains the Hall of Kings, and the private offices of the Signet Triad.
Cat Stats - a series of scores which indicate the status of your cat.
CATechism - a text which provides help on the Melioration Ceremony.
Chattel - Shares of ownership in a company, similar to stocks.
CNN - Cat New Network, a pirate news service, being broadcast over regular television bandwidths.
Divertimentio - A giant amusement park where the cats own and operate the rides.
Email - see Emew. Your KOTC Emew is internet capible.
Emew - Electronic Mewing, or private messages sent from one cat to another, or through the internet.
Ethyl - the woman who owns the house into which all new cats first land when they enter King of the Cats. Her story is contained in this booklet.
Experience Points - a score awarded and added to whenever a cat performs noteworthy achievements of small or large note. Experience points can be exchanged for a higher level, or more Strength or Agility.
F.I.S.H. - (Feline Interface System Hub) an access point to the cat communication services. Think of it as a node on a network which your cat can access to get their Emew.
Graphical Online World - an online system which immerses its users in a total graphical thematic environment. For the record, King of the Cats coined the term - since there wasn't anything like this in 1993 when KOTC began.
Health - a cat stat, from 0 to 100, which indicates the healthiness of your cat. If this value reaches zero, your cat loses a life.
King - the King of the Cats is the one cat who has performed the necessary requirements as set forth by the NYD Committee.
Level - a cat stat, which starts at one and goes to ? It is a general indicator of your status in relation to other cats.
Lives - a number from 9 to 0, which indicates how many lives your cat has left before your account is closed.
Mayor Boyland - the mayor of the city in which King of the Cats takes place. He does not like cats.
Megliarsi - the cats who manage the Melioration Ceremonies.
Melioration Ceremony - a series of rituals used to exchange your experience points for more strength, agility, or a higher level. Requires exact participation in the ritual and may require many attempts before succeeding.
Nine, The - a new level of play for Ninth Level cats. All kittens work toward achieving The Nine, wherein they receive a new series of cat stats, and gain new abilities and challenges. Cats who are members of The Nine have mastered KOTC and are playing on a strange and different level which includes Aliens, Astral projection, and Quests.
NYD Committee - a clandestine group of honorable cats who meet occasionally to determine the new requirements for the next King of the Cats.
Open Areas - chat areas in which anything you type will be read by everyone else in that area.
Parade - At the King's discretion, a parade may be held on the weekends. Cats build the floats.
RIPscrip - or sometimes just RIP, which stands for Remote Imaging Protocol. The language associated with this protocol is called RIPscrip. It allows color graphics to be received by a user calling an online system.
Royal Mane Society - A private club which admits members who are at least 9th level or higher. RMS members enjoy special services which the RMS funds.
Scent Areas - special message areas where cats leave public messages for each other. These areas must be sniffed out, they are not plainly marked. They are usually located at nose level.
Shouting - in chat areas, typing IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS gives the impression of yelling, and is not considered polite.
Signet Triad - The official name of the association of cats who are level 18 or higher. They have private offices in the Catamount.
Strength - a cat stat, from 0 to 100, indicating how strong you are.
Subscribing Cat - a cat who has paid a subscription price in order to have full access to the kingdom.
Terminal - the part of the online communication setup that the user interacts with; usually a program running on a PC. The terminal connects to the host, which is usually a BBS. In the case of King of the Cats, the terminal is usually RIPterm, running on an IBM-compatible PC, or any other RIP-compatible telecommunications program.
The Times - a daily human newspaper of the city in which King of the Cats occurs.
Thread - A way that a message and replies to that message can be "tied" together. By following a "thread" you can read all of the replies to a message without reading all the messages that are logged in-between those replies. Whenever you post a reply, you are adding to the thread.
User - someone who calls an online service. On King of the Cats, all of the users are referred to as cats.

ADULT ACCESS REQUEST FORM

PLEASE NOTE THAT KOTC IS 99% "ALL AGES," AND WE DO NOT OFFER ANY ADULT FILES FOR DOWNLOAD - WE MERELY HAVE SOME AREAS, SUCH AS THE "PUSS PUSS CAFE," WHICH ARE DESIGNATED "ADULTS ONLY."

Instructions:

1. Fill out completely. Remember to sign.

2. Make a photocopy of a valid piece of ID, showing your birthdate or

age. Valid ID would be a valid Driver’s License, State ID, or Military ID.

3. Mail this form and the photocopy of your ID to the address provided.

No adult access is provided without this form on file in our office, properly signed. Also, adult access is an extra service provided to subscribing cats only. You must be a subscribing cat when we receive this paperwork, or it will be discarded.

FROM:

Cat ________________________________

Name _______________________________

Address ________________________________________________________________

 I hereby request permission to the "adult" areas of King of the Cats, where there are no language or subject matter restrictions.

My cat will be subject to "adult-oriented" aspects of the game, which may or may not involve suggestive or graphic "adult" situations.

I make this request accepting full responsibility for such actions and agreeing to hold King of the Cats and/or QCOM and it’s owners or agents not liable for any consequences which may arise as a result of these situations.

I may request to have my cat barred from adult access areas and situations by notifying you in writing or by EMAIL on King of the Cats (send EMAIL to "SYSOP.")

I understand that while adult language is permitted in adult areas, no abusive language of any kind is permitted, and if I engage in verbal abuse of another user, my account is subject to immediate closure.

By my signature I warrant that I am 18 years of age or older.

__________________________________________________________

Signature

__________________________________________________________

Print your name

PLACES TO CHECK OUT

Here's a short list of some of the places to look for in King of the Cats. Each place may have more activities and amusements inside, or more secrets to discover. Use the online map of the downtown area (the ? icon in Ethyl's Living Room) for more details on some of these areas. Places in the outskirts have to be discovered on their own! KOTC is constantly growing - you never know when a new place will pop up.

• Atwood's House

• Carver's House

• The Catapults (2)

• Christensen Floral

• Elliott's Butcher Shop

• Divertimento

• The Church

• The Rectory

• Rocket Gas Station

• Engle Memorial Cemetery

• Mausoleum

• Minert Mortuary

• The City Powerstation

• City Hall

• Whimpernet Terminals

• Kennels

• Smith, Butler and Winky

• Brokerage Services Offices

• Train Station (travel to:)

• Smoot Valley

• Scoop Beach

• City Sewer System

• The Kit Kat Klub
• The Puss Puss Cafe
• The Terminal Bar
• City Pound
• The Catamount
• Heister Park
• The Meadows
• Gypsy Camp
• Hepworth Elementary School
• Wendell Museum
• Telegraph Point
• Roxy Theatre
• Naumann Fine Art Gallery
• Leishman Tower
• RMS Headquarters
• Sant the Dog
• Stonehedge
• Dr. Parkinson, D.V.M.
• Dr. Bombay's Game Preserve

...and more...

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Part One of Cat 101

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