It’s the end of an era … Redwall MUCK was created 30 years ago, with permission from Brian Jacques, as a site to allow role-playing within his universe.

I had the pleasure to found it (or often a pleasure, sometimes not, that’s the nature of a social system) and run it as its Chief Wizard, Otter.

It’s a day for celebration, though I know many are sad to see it go. 30 years is a great run!

We had thousands of characters, and quite a few less players (players can have many characters, and we only tracked characters). We demanded privacy for our users, before privacy was well known. We expected good and kind players. We mostly got them. Many people made life-long friends and even met spouses in our community. It was a great place.

When Brian Jacques passed away in 2011, his works stopped. At that point, without his regular updates to the universe and his promotion, the series readership fell away as well. Everyone wants the new thing. It was a given that our users would drift as well.

Some asked why I didn’t give it away, was it expensive to host, etc.

I didn’t give it away because the people that entrusted their secrets to it (which they shouldn’t have done but did) would have had their secrets exposed to whomever received it. They trusted us, and we honored that trust.

It was never about the money. The MU cost under $10/month to run.

A TV program named Barney Miller may be unknown to most of our players, but it ran a few years. When they didn’t have a good set of new stories to tell, they closed it and took it off the air. It was smart, and it meant they left only good memories. Other shows ran long after there was nothing to say. Who remembers or wants to remember them?

Thus, we came to a close.

On September 15, 1995 the MU started.

On September 14, 2025 the MU closed for the final time.

I sent the final system message. It was this:

Otter shouts, “Go forth everyone and bring into reality that which was brought here. And pass it forward, do what they say can’t be done. Thank you all for coming, and it wouldn’t have been the same without each and every one of you. To 30 great years!”

I meant it.

There should always be places for those who don’t fit in, who wish for a place to go where things are better, who are welcomed when they arrive. For 30 years, Redwall MUCK was such a place.

Thank you, all of you, players and confused non-players alike.

And while it’s not literally true, the idea is still true:

I won’t say goodbye to you, because one evening you may drop by to share this good life with us. You know you are always welcome at Redwall Abbey. All you need to bring with you is a ready smile and an open heart.

Keep the Light,
Otter