Aetolians,

After much discussion between Varian and myself and the powers that be,
we've decided that some new directions need to take hold within Aetolia
in order to secure its place as a leading realm for many years to come.
Therefore, I'm pleased to announce a few things:

Starting today, Aetolia will begin to move towards development of its
final theme. After much discussion among mortals and Immortals alike and
after discovering the fact that people seemed to be truly and deeply
hurt that they were forced to choose a side in the 'undead versus
living' conflict, we've decided to shift the theme slightly to
accommodate the player base. After all, this is ultimately a game, and
it is here to entertain.

I'm sure you are all curious: What is this theme? Well, the two polar
opposites will still be 'living vs. undead', but our research has
indicated that there is a real need for a static, neutral center for
this conflict. Since the living and the undead are pretty encompassing,
it did take us a while to develop an appropriate idea for this center.
In the end, though, I'm sure you will all agree that 'the Winged', the
group of individuals who can fly because of race, is a perfect candidate
for this neutral group.

This results of this change will be very tangible. First, starting on
the howling of tonight (that's the Howling between April 1 and April 2),
Aetolia will shut down for two weeks in order to rewrite massive amounts
of descriptions in the game in order to fit this new theme. You'll also
see an edited mythos come out of the time down that will make it
apparent why 'the Winged' are so important in the history of Aetolia.

This massive task will require quite a bit of assistance. If you are
interested in helping Aetolia out by rewriting rooms, please send
(belakai@aetolia.com) a short application indicating your top 5 hobbies
and the highest English class you've taken. Participants will be greatly
rewarded with credits and some weapon artifacts. Those who show true
potential will be invited to help with the opening role plays of
Arcadia, the new 'Winged' city and possibly become a member of Council
of that city.

As a side note, this process will be all-hands, which means that
liaisons, unfortunately, will be pushed back until we are certain that
'the Winged' have a substantial foothold managing their place in the
world. However, to make sure the process isn't going too slowly, I have
some great news:

I have quit my dream job to come back to Aetolia to work 20 hours a
week. It isn't a lot of time, I understand, but I am highly efficient,
and you should all see the fruits of my work within hours. Many of you
know that Aetolia means the world to me, and I really want to be part of
this effort to make Aetolia great. With Varian's leadership, and my aid,
we can make Aetolia the realm it should be.

I hope you all support us in this decision. Varian and I will be around
throughout the day to discuss with you the various implications of these
changes.

We'll see you on the other side! Have a good two weeks off!

Belakai, the Shaper

Penned by my hand on the 1st of Khepary, in the year 212 MA.