Alternately, it seems like an eternity; or it seems like no time at all. That night, almost exactly 3 years ago, when I attended my first Paxlair meeting, and touched the surface of a game I had never knew existed in the UO I'd been playing for well over a year. It was a night I saw a great Good become a Great (in my view; the "Great-est") Evil. It was a night when I interviewed a Mayor, and tracked down friends and foes alike of the Mayor, named Winfield, and the Evil, named Darius.

It was the first night I had the pleasure of reporting the news for some site called 'UO Chesapeake'. I had no idea what might lay ahead. I would have laughed in your face had you given me the answer, or had you told me where I would be standing today.

On the one hand, it seemed to be overnight that I went from being the 'pup' reporter on some little shard news site cobbled together from two other ones, and hosted on a free Xoom.com server - to being a partner/owner and the programmer/host of what UOC eventually would become. Had you told me I would be a part of UOC - our little 'hobby' site - as it got offers from Crossroads, Stratics, and got my partner invited to sit at a table at the UO World's Faire with Lum and the people from those aforementioned 'big guys'; I probably would have considered you to have hit a bong somewhat too hard.

On the other hand; I almost cannot recall the day when keeping UOC up-and-running, and caring about this entire silly little community of ours, was not a large part of my daily routine. It seems like a blissful eternity. The chance to do the things I have done here has been one of the most rewarding things I have experienced. The relationships and knowledge I have gotten here will be cherished and held close to my heart for a long time to come.

That it lasted as long as it did, as strong as it did, is a testament to the TRUE fansite; as opposed to the 'Get-Rich-Quick' schemes that sites like Crossroads and Stratics more closely resemble. Don't get me wrong; there are many fine people who work on those sites, but I think anyone bothering to read this does truly not need to have what I mean explained to them. I poured a lot of time, energy, and money out of my pocket into this project - some of you have been generous enough to assist with that, and for that I am very grateful - but even without that help, I would gladly do it over and again. I consider it money very well spent.


And the time, too, I consider well spent indeed. The lessons I've learned, the people I've met, and the little help I've been able to lend has enriched me so much more than what I've actually done could have helped anyone else. People have graciously taken time out of their days to thank me and wish me well for what I do here; but honestly, it is I who should thank all of you, the readers, for what you have contributed to my life.


All of that said, though; there comes a time for everything to end, and this is no exception. We hold only so much sway over the future and how those around us react to it. Try as we might, there always comes a time when we must set aside what has served us so well, and move on to other things, greater or lesser. It may not always seem 'right', and our hearts may long to clutch and hold on as long as they may, but inevitably, everything must end.

A site like UO Chesapeake requires firm and steady direction in a time such as this; a time arguably of decline, but not 'death', so to speak. A singularity of purpose and intention is needed in order to pierce the clouds of reality and find a path that will prolong and serve life well. Therefore, and wishing that UO Chesapeake will always attain it's full potential, it is the decision of myself and all other involved parties that I terminate my partnership and duties on UO Chesapeake, effective immediately. This mutual decision has been reached after much intense discussion and debate, and it is agreed amongst us that it will result in the most positive future path for UO Chesapeake and it's readers; the site can hardly be expected to change to modern times if those running it cannot agree on the most basic tenets of that change.

Anyone familiar with the debate board knows well that I can be a firey individual with whom to disagree, and not one to give up lightly when I believe I am right. That we have reached the agreement we have, then, is a credit to the grace, dignity, and dedication to the readership of this site that my former partner exhibits. It is my belief that those qualities will cause this site to continue to shine, as will the dedication of the staff and readership. I wish her and this site itself, then, the absolute best.


For my part, this leaves me somewhat more free than one might initially guess to dedicate more time to the future; to my future, and to the future of gaming itself, even. I have always been one to see the Internet in a slightly different light than most; most see it as a 'mass' media vehicle, and certainly it is that. But in that; in trying to sell millions of books or have hundreds-of-thousands of game subscribers, a company loses, well, it's soul. It is my belief that this willingness to stay 'small' is what caused UO Chesapeake to be as good as it was, and my committment to tightly controlling the growth of Message-Realms.com is because I have perhaps a unique view of how the Internet can benefit us.

Suffice it to say that my future plans include something which starts very soon now, and which recognizes some of the things that we all have felt were 'missing' at times; as wonderful as all these great modern games are; something ugly just happened when they all became too 'big'. I believe, as do those with whom I've gathered over the years, that we can carve out a whole new 'market', and the big guys might never even notice.

At any rate, before I get too far ahead of myself, I simply mention this to suggest that you keep your eyes open... you never know what 'Realms' might suddenly appear and beckon to you, and how soon they might be doing so.


And to me, that's what it's all about... Interacting with other people in worlds that are interesting, exciting, and challenging. It's about making friends and enjoying each other's company. It's about loving what you do, and doing what you love. As a very level-headed friend of mine once said, "If it 'aint fun, don't do it!"


So with that, I bid Ultima Online Chesapeake Daily News goodbye. Don't believe for an instant though, Gentle Reader, that you will be just as lucky!

--Marilla, 3:54am Eastern

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