Message in a Bottle Second Edition
PAGES
- Front Page - Message from the Editor
Page 2 - Global Event Gossip
Page 3 - Cannons and Corrinades
Page 4 - Articles of Avonmora: Treasure Hunting & Meet The Crew
Page 5 - Historical Lookback
Page 6 - Special Bulletin: Fantasy Draft VIII
Message from the Editor:
Ahoy Avonmora Citizens and Pirates!!
Yesterday,..2020 is dead, gone and deceased and the end of year celebrations and the holiday season are over,...life will begin to get back to the new nearly normal soon..
Welcome to Issue #2 of MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE.
Once again we encountered difficulties and once again we rose above them. Like a lighthouse we stand tall and strong against what can be pretty fierce weather here at Message In A Bottle to bring you your community news...rain, hail, snow, not even hostile natives can... blah blah....I digress.
~ After some trouble pulling up the anchor for the start of the Draft, DezNutz commandeered the wheel and ensured Fantasy Draft viii would set sail and in doing so, he eventually brought about a cracking start to the Event! There were as many delays to the Captain's selections as there were laughs in the efforts to garner votes. Some very funny and witty commentary by Haron and our enthusiastic em-cee, El Draque made for fun and memorable times…
While his crew waited expectantly for some brilliant battle banter, KJU at one point stepped into the ring and shouted out to Draque "That is a funny gif" … He continued to make us laugh with his ongoing selection of already chosen crew including one of his rival captains, Anne Bonney, who graciously declined thank you. Great strategy as one would have come to expect from KJU...but sadly, the brilliance didn't pay off this time.
The expected memes and jibes were landing bringing much fun and laughter to Avonmora whose citizens looked forward to a smooth sail after the last messy attempt. No Draft would be complete without some controversy. Last time it was cheating and bribery and threats for votes. Noobs were bullied and attacked for outing the co-ercer and the promising noob left the game not long after. This time, not only was there some consternation at the previous drafts 'cheater', he was now heading up this Fantasy Draft viii! Outrage!
An unfortunate accident saw Clockwork needing to withdraw. We all hope Clock is doing better and on the mend now.
This time, just to add to that and to make the ever-growing list of Draft-crimes longer, there are confirmed reports of open-mouthed amazement as the voting rules were altered so that 'some' members of the community could change their vote.
One particular guild, whose members were most disappointed to hear this as 2 of the draft teams held their members, one of whom was a Fantasy Draft Captain. When all guild members realised they each had 'made a mistake' at the same time with earlier voting selections...they looked to their GM and like any good GM, the GM headed off to meet with officials in the hope to secure the opportunity for the rest of the guild who also wished to re direct their votes. But alas, t'was neer to be!
MIAB found this odd but since the word was that everyone seemed to be doing it, the GM in this report approached draft officials with the request. Expecting a "No," but receiving a "No! No and no" response was 2 no'es more than hoped for although t'was no surprise even though the GMs explanation that they all had 'made a mistake' was the same reason as others put forward who got to recast their vote. The 'no' was unmistakable. Nothing more to see here.
Now this may or may not have made a difference to the final outcome but Pirate Pitt won regardless of rumors that some kind of hoodoo-guru-voodoo-doo-doo was used in gathering of votes and by enchantment of the good folk of Avonmora, he ensured his win... (MIAB does not wish to take away from the excellence of Pitts crew selection by any means - the voting is in question, not the crew nor their abilities).
His proven-out-there-in-your-face-blatant-theft of some classic intellectual property didn't seem to go against him at all either. Thus questions of magical interference began to rise.
MIABs most ethical reporters claim folk said they just could not think clearly for some reason and did not even know why they voted for Pitt as their intention was to place their votes elsewhere.
One gentleman said he and his wife were just feeling a little 'confused'' but most adamantly insisted that Pitt's team was indeed " very capable of the task regardless of their heady votes."
MIAB do not wish to comment on these snippets and whole-heartedly congratulate William and Team Pitt on their fantastic win.
Once the draft was over and the record-breaking billions in prizes awarded, Slack began a period of enforced silence albeit brief over the Holiday break.
Update - Unsure of the whereabouts for a few days, MIAB is happy to report Leo is alive and well and has obviously returned to Slack openly promising a new outlook on life. Good luck, Leo.
UPDATE: MORE BREAKING NEWS!!!
MIAB has received late word the Leo the Conqueror has in fact been exiled from the alleyways of Slackton by none other than his own GM. This reporter has not yet spoked with the parties involved but MIAB hope to cover the full story as soon as possible. That being said, Ladies and Gentlemen, we bring you the second edition of Message In A Bottle and hope you enjoy it as much as the first. The feedback was wonderful and greatly appreciated and we hope to continue in this vein and would like your contributions to keep rolling in. If I have done an interview of story with you already, it will go to print. We are fortunate now to have a good size pool of content from which to choose.
Thanks everyone for ideas and (polite) suggestions too.
(The not-so-polite suggestions, I have personally returned to the writers with an emphasis on my middle finger, an extra 'pffft' or two and a thankyou for making me stronger!).
Remember, Citizens of Avonmora, you are the news...bring it!
If we have your stories we will publish them as you intend.
(Argo actually feels she may have shot herself in the foot with the promise to publish exactly what it is any citizen wishes to say...as you will see further on in this issue)
But true to word and the promise - so it be!
**EDITORS NOTE:
Just a reminder _ Opinions published may or may not be that of MIAB but here we offer all the right to openly express oneself about anything
(Argo's eyes plead " so ... don't keelhaul the messenger!)
Any naughty cuss words have been changed to **** and **** and **** so will be easily recognizable.
MIAB just reports VERBATIM.
****Pr- team is always open for new comers and vets alike who want to help out high-lighting the game and the enjoyment of PG!
I could not be more grateful to those kind souls who have stepped up to support and help out. Thank you.
CLOSING THOUGHTS:
2020 was a sh***y year for most. Some of us sadly, lost loved ones, some of us gained new friends as we struggled together. Some of us couldn't hug or be close to our loved ones for months at a time and some of us went above and beyond to assist where-ever possible and help out even if just a little smile or share a decent trade route and some rough-shod piratey "light-em-up-and-rum-comfort". From all accounts, MIAB hears there are, indeed, many good-hearted folk in our little community and there is much appreciation for that.
And we got through. Its 2021. 2020 is behind us now .
The seas can be bumpy at times but its worth it...
Sometimes ye just have to pull ye sheets hard to the wind, hold on tight and do ye best to hold 'er steady...
It is still good to be here.
From MIAB ~ Brightest Blessings to all the folk of Avonmora for 2021!!! Happy Sailing and just keep kickn' on!!
The Argonaut
Editor, Message in a Bottle
Quiz: Name That Ship!!!
CLUE: Until the completion of HMS Warrior IN 1861, this ship was the largest wooden battleship to ever entered service.
Displacement of 6,959 tons,
260 feet in length
60ft beam
The sinking of our MYSTERY SHIP occurred not as a dramatic outcome of some storm or foreign action, but as what an embarrassing failure to manoeuvre, for one reason or another.
Suddenly the MYSTERY SHIP lurched to starboard and rolled over. Jellicoe recalled the moment:
"I said to Lieutenant [Arthur] Leveson ‘we had better go down the side of the ship as she turns over’, and we started to walk down the port side, which by that time was horizontal. I had just reached the jackstay of the torpedo nets in line with the upper deck when the ship turned bottom up…when I found myself under water I let go and started to rise to the surface…I felt the suction of her sinking but was not drawn down."
See page 3 for the answer.....
(I will admit to making the mistake of writing 23 TRILLION but the lovely AB politely pointed it out and I corrected it...now I'm just confused...lol)
i did indeed go and retrieve the message from Shadowood which read :