For the sixth time in its history Avalon is upgrading from its trusty

old server (now some five years plus out of date) to a selection of

new all-singing, all-dancing machines to handle its website, mail and

most importantly the game. It may prove to be splendid timing with

the demands of warfare and the land in a gradual expansionist period

right now, the old machine may have exploded under the pressure.

The date of the changeover is scheduled as the 28th. Our internet

service provider is undertaking a seamless migration - this means Avalon

will be shut down for a matter of minutes while some speedcopying is

completed, at which point it will be reborn on the new machines with

everything having been brought over from the old. You will be able to

play again as if nothing had happened. It is likely only those who

remember high bandwidth events like ordinations will have struck

times when Avalon was genuinely pushing the speed of its medieval

current server but this will no longer be even close to an occurrence

for future ordinations under the new server, plus it allows a far more

suitable environment for warfare to come live - the great test worldwar

will occur on the new machines; perhaps the first largescale event to

do so.

If, after the 28th, you experience any problems you've not encountered

before - and java users and those coming in from Europe particularly

keep eyes open for unusual behaviour - bring this immediately to the

attention of the deities (ideally me, Apollo, Sebastian or Aldaron

if any of us are around). We should experience nothing but benefit

from this move-over. The migration could be perfect and smooth and under

a minute's disruption, or it could have teething problems on Monday

the 28th. Bear with the latter; we will mend anything that crops up

promptly enough.

Written by my hand on the 24th of Cloudburst, in the year 1215.