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A GLIMPSE INTO OUR PAST |
Arabian Nights was first founded on the 21st of May, 2001. It started off as an attempt to create an interesting Horse Role Play, inspired by the less-than-nice players of another game, but as time progressed AN became the largest HRPG online! This was a surprise, considering the game was originally intended to be a small community of players whom had met as beginners on another RPG just a few weeks before. So barely a beginner, Sedona (or Lauren as some people knew her back then), set up a website with 8 territory boards, a mares acres and a joining board. For the first week, this was sufficient for the 10 or so characters and 4 players whom roamed AN, but sure enough more people started to join. After 2 weeks our numbers had double, then tripled and so AN began to grow. The introduction of The Hellion, AN's first 'baddy' caused wide spread dismay amongst all concerned as he ravaged the lands and terrorized the mares. He beat down Silver Shadow and claimed Silver Charm as his own, who was to later on in the game, mother his foal. During this time, desperate for Hellion to be defeated, more than 2 times the normal amount of characters were joined and all faced the wicked brute bravely, but were unsuccessful. That was, until the buckskin mare, Carmel, stepped forward. She defeated The Hellion and is remembered still to this very day as a legend. This would not have been possible had AN not been so loved by its many players who played passionately and actively. Time passed, and AN had its slow days but always came back just as strong as ever. Then, AN was terrorized once again by the return of The Hellion, a devious bi-colored beast known as Heart of Stone and finally, the one whom caused the most trouble, Mad About You. All these characters contributed to keeping AN active and exciting, and along with the wild dog attacks, pick-a-path round ups, a huge brushfire, snow storms and many other dramatic events contrived by the minds of AN's staff to keep everyone on their toes, AN was thriving. But, unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and after 7 months, AN was closed whilst on its return to peaking. Why, you ask? Because too many people loved AN to see it just fade away at the end of an era, so we went out with a bang instead. I'm not sure what made Arabian Nights so popular in the first place. Maybe it was the fact that Sedona herself was learning about Role Playing and web design so she could relate and keep pace with the players as they learned together. Maybe she was just lucky and created AN during a particular 'boom' of popularity? We have no idea, but are glad it happened, because everyone so much from web-mistressing the game. Sedona has gone on to continue web-design and is pursuing it as a career. Many of AN's players are still good friends and have gone on to become masters of Role Play and own their own RPGs. Over the years there has been talk of AN around the HRPG world and it makes us happy that the game could have touched and educated so many during the span of its short, but definitely not meek, life. And that life, is beginning a new chapter. After closing in mid 2006 for "good", Arabian Nights is being brought back in full force. We can look forward to our future prosperity, and to the return of faces old and new. Thank you to all the players of the original AN and welcome to the new (and old) to version 4. I hope we can all share what once was, and bring back the spirit that has lasted so long.
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