It’s hard to believe that three years have already passed since Ruins of Wildwood has opened! The past year the game has grown quite a bit in population of not just characters, but members itself. 2012-2013 has been RoW’s most active year yet, and we only hope to continue this kind of growth!

The biggest change RoW has seen this past year though was the large board switch from Invision Power Board to myBB. While a challenge to move over the entire content and game to a whole new software, myBB has made RoW faster and has given us access to tons of new features. With this move, RoW was introduced with the Library, where all of our content is now stored in one area while also giving our members the ability to write their own articles to submit.

RoW also said goodbye to one of its original creators, Tara, as well as long term member and game moderator, Siki. While their presences are missed, this also gave us the opportunity to place long term and helpful member Sarah on staff.

Much has also happened in one year on the In Character side of the game! Swift River found itself without its original founder, and while Marsh stepped up to the plate temporarily, Ice was also quick to take the leading male spot.. while also siring his first litter of cubs with Corinna. Rhysis and Naira – founders of Poison Path and resident rebels – also returned.. and within a few months, created a new legacy for themselves in the form of Nomad’s Pass – harboring ill will toward the Poison Path pack. With the disbanding of Copper Rock Creek, months later, Nina and Sloane form the Secret Woodlands pack.

New lands were discovered when a passage opened up on the Mountain of Dire.. allowing Relic Lore to expand with new regions such as The Vale of Secrets and The Deep Forest. Of course.. the unknown might not always be a good thing, and a troubled pack on the other side of the mountain was discovered after a pup from Swift River was stolen and killed by the strange leader. Aniwaya Woods quickly makes enemies with the existing packs of RoW as trouble is stirred – the pack harbors the rabies disease, and a handful of Lore wolves are infected when a devious Aniwaya leader Slyscar uses his omega Slimtail to do the deed. Datura and Taima are both stolen, though the two youngsters find their way back to Nomad’s Pass at a later time with the help of Mapplethorpe, where they become RoW’s youngest mated pair.

As tension builds, Elettra of Willow Ridge calls a Lore-wide meeting for all packs to attend, where it is then decided that the inhabitants of the regions must annihilate this new trouble. A group of wolves leave within days’ time from the meeting, lead across the mountains by Ice. A battle ensues, and completely outnumbered, Aniwaya Woods is demolished.

As a quiet peace settles around the packs once more, Sloane and Narime break apart from their packs to form Whisper Caverns, while Koda takes place at his mate Nina’s side after leaving Willow Ridge. With Koda’s leave, Shade is made to take place as the new leader of the Ridge wolves, but soon disberses from the pack in secret with his mate, Rosealia. Willow Ridge has yet to gain a true male lead, though it looks like Angier might be willing to take that step up to be by Elettra’s side. Rhysis has also disappeared in the past months, leaving Mapplethorpe to take his place.

Borden and Jaysyek leave Relic Lore – taking with them, young Aiyana of Swift River. Kade and Ava then rise in the ranks and attempt to re-build Grizzly Hollow to its former glory. Swift River, burdened by their past, decide to leave the land they called home for almost three years and seek the other side of the mountain, where the pack take claim on a land they name Oak Tree Bend. It seemed their unfortunate luck would follow them, as the news of Marsh’s death awaits them on the other side.

Phineas, a wolf who had taken refuge in the ranks of Willow Ridge for the winter, strikes an unexpected relationship with Borlla Tainn, who is newly back to the Lore and seeking to make a new life for herself. Together, the two gather followers and move to the other side of the mountain, where a small and quiet pack is formed by the name of Magnolia Glen. Soon, two more packs appear on the opposite side of the mountain – Kade and Ava disband Grizzly Hollow and move its members to a new land for a new beginning as well – Darkwater Rapids is then born.

With the sudden claim of lands in the Vale of Secrets, it seems there is little room for other packs to form, yet after many hardships of having his mate abandon him, Shade attempts to settle a pack in the same forest as Oak Tree Bend. Fenru, now in the adult ranks of the pack, is quick to scare them off.. and instead, Shade raises a pack with Anastasia in the Deep Forest called Pitch Pine Trail.

With nine active packs, RoW is at the largest it’s ever been, especially with cubs born to each pack. We’re not sure about you guys, but we can’t wait to see what tensions will rise, and what events will stir for RoW this next upcoming year!

For a full overview of the in character events of the last year, please refer to our Timeline.