Humbaba and Gilgamesh are gearing up for holiday parties all over AncientWorlds, as the month of December roars in like a lion and roars out like - Gilgamesh!
Mesopotamia, like all the worlds, both retired some beloved scribes and welcomed new ones in November. First, a famous valediction (but no farewell) to Meso's long-time scribe, ApilIshtar Etana, who retired this fall after a full and fruitful term. From 2005, ApilIshtar has been one of Meso's strong scribes and has built more 'hoods and come up with more party ideas than almost any scribe, anywhere. We're happy that she'll still be with us as a guide to our newcomers! Succeeding ApilIshtar is Ashurbanipal Assurbanipal, or "Ash" for short, who has been a Meso member since 2006 and was featured in our Labor Day Edition. Ash has big shoes to fill, but being a guy, he's bound to out-do ApilIshtar's size IVs!
We must also wave farewell to Flavia Amytas, whose term has also expired, and thank her for her contributions to Meso. Flavia will hopefully also stick around to make sure her successor, Xena ApilSin, , can handle scribal duties after all that Kash. However, Xena's been with Meso since 2002, and she must have acquired that necessary immunity that allows Meso citizens to party and speak at the same time.
Finally, it was also the full end of a long term for Persia Xerxes, who has served two full years in Meso and was loved by all. Hopefully we will continue to see her in the Kash Bowl! As her successor, we're delighted to welcome back one of the first AW scribes for Mesopotamia, Apiladay ApilSin, who has been a member of AS/AW since the beginning of time, and is well known for partying with Zig ApilSin, King of Babylon. Welcome back, Apil.
Three strong scribes for Meso means that 2008 should be a full and interesting year. Free Kash for a year to our retiring scribes, and welcome to our new ones!
On the subject of the AncientWorlds' Gem Awards (events that are so great, they just keep on giving), Mesopotamia's Goldfest pulled in all our volunteers, new and old, but it was worth it: the Powers that Be have awarded Meso three GEMS awards, two for 2007, and one for Goldfest, 2006. Apparently there was a misunderstanding about the rules for Innana's Descent, but (thanks to renomination by Laurels Curius) it was an award-winner this year as well. Thanks to everyone who built the GEM events!
Mesopotamian Astrology: An Exhibition (Goldfest '07)
Mesopotamia: Choose your Own Adventure! (Goldfest '07)
Inanna's Descent (Goldfest '06)
Our groups may have slowed down some after the 'hoods got started, but there is still a good deal of activity in them. Confederacy of Dunces and, recently, Explorer's Guild are our most active groups, but of course, that doesn't mean the other groups don't deserve your attention. Some are new, and you may not have seen them. Others may have changed recently. Check them out!
One of the newest things in our hoods is that Germaniae Flavius has made several significant new boards in the Jerusalem 'hood, including a holiday party and contests. She has a few homes there, one (in the Lower City)with many shops, including a "Rent A Camel". Other neat places in the Lower City are Susanna Ben Judah's "Pool of Siloam", Germaniae's "Mustard Seed Food Court", and Lucius Cornelius' "Mercator Flavii of Jerusalem". In the New City are Germaniae's "Pool of Bethesda" and Rachel ben Judah's "Sky Watching". In the Upper City are Marcella Marius' "Where Is God", Patasi Hammurabi's 'abode', Hilarity Hatshepsut's "The Stones Cry", Patasi Hammurabi's "Herod's Temple", Fabricius Flavius' "Herod's Palace", as well as Fabricius' "Antonia Fortress". Jerusalem is truly developing as a real 'place to be,' especially with the holiday festivities there this December.
On the open board, things are still purring along like a well-tuned motor. The Kash Bowl is still active (after well over 4,000 posts), and people are still being greeted by our tireless Welcoming Committee, though even the posts that were made years ago deserve to be looked at again. The history of our lands is several thousand years old....it won't be THAT much older if somebody posted it 2 or 3 years ago!
