Recycling Can & Alphas Q&A

Today we have a modern, yet nonmember, item in Jam Mart Furniture.

Hmm. Is this a good addition to Jamaa? Is it too human, or is it a good balance in order to teach people to recycle. I think it's fine, as long as they don't start selling other human things. I wish they had used the wood/log style on this, it would fit better into the game.

A few of you may know that I found out about Animal Jam through an ad in the National Geographic Kids Magazine. Well, I still get that magazine, and the started putting an Animal Jam question at the very end of the "Stump Your Parents" article every month. Here are some screenshots I took on my tablet:

 I know, these may not be incredibly interesting. But see the answer options below the questions? Some of them are the forgotten Alphas like "Harper" and "Cornelius"! Do you think AJHQ will bring them into the game any time soon? I sure hope so!

The Legend of the Wolf Kingdoms

First of all, there is a new item in Bahari Bargains, the Skull Necklace. (Which holiday is that for? o.o)

Now, for the best part of this post! I have finally written an addition to the history of Jamaa - from the Wolves perspective! I may expand it if I want to make it an official chapter, (or maybe even book). I hope you enjoy!

   Far from Jamaa, in the mysterious evergreen forests of the North, lay the land Wolves. There were five kingdoms, dividing the land east of the Phantom realm of Arnak in a radial design. At the center of the five kingdoms lay a massive mountain, towering above all else. At the summit the five Wolf Kings would meet, and they would each bring their Gem Staff to represent their power. They would discuss important matters and problems among themselves. They had united for one main purpose: for safety against the Phantoms of Arnak.

   For, in the Wast, the once-conquered Phantoms were multiplying, and becoming stronger. They knew the Phantoms all too well from their many battles. They would try to conquer all the lands, starting with the five Wolf Kingdoms.

   It started with silence. There was a mysterious feeling of fear in every pack; the wolf pups cowered in their den, the hunters found no game, even the pack Alphas seemed nervous. The days became dark and cold.

   Then, one night, screeches filled the air. Thousands of them. All in a terrible chorus of horror. 

The Phantoms had come.

   Most of the wolves hid in fear. But a few valiant warrior remained. They were soon overpowered, the 4-foot-tall Phantoms of the North had enough limbs to wield many swords. Victory belonged to the enemy, and soon all the once beautiful land was covered in the darkness of the Phantoms. And at the peak of the Mountain, they put their ugly flag, flapping the wind.

   They surviving wolves, driven from their homes, journeyed south in search of new land. After months of hunger, wandering through the rough terrain of the North, they arrived in a dense Jungle, with large chambers and statues of stone. They had arrived in the Kingdom of Zios.

   The great Lion-king welcomed the homeless wolves, and gave them the canyons near the sea to be their home. They joined his army, and fought valiantly against the Phantoms. But never again were the five Wolf Kings found. Their Gem Staffs were discovered, though, and hidden deep in the Chambers of Knowledge.

   Soon, as Zios was lost, Mira gave orders for every animal to elect a leader, an Alpha, to unite and strengthen them. After a meeting in the deep caves under the canyons, they chose a young, strong wolf. He knew the Phantoms and their tactics well, and he was wise. He would be a great ruler not only for the Wolves, but for Jamaa.
   They brought him to the top of the biggest arch, looming over the canyons, and there he swore to protect and defend Jamaa. His name was Greely.

Comment with your opinions! Also, if you have a Google Account, pleeeease follow this blog! If you do, I will follow yours if you give me the URL in a comment!

~BlueGecko~

Clover Necklace & Missing Alphas

Today we have another new ocean item for Lucky Day, the Clover Necklace. It is in Bahari Bargains. Wouldn't it be cool if the ocean had it's own holidays?

For today's side topic I will write about the three missing Alphas. When a new animal is discovered by Liza the Panda Alpha, the group of animals votes for one of themselves to become their Alpha, to represent them and lead them. This happened with all except three animals; the Lion, Arctic Wolf and Snow Leopard.

My explanation for this lies in Ancient Jamaa, when Zios the King of Jamaa reigned. Zios was a Lion, so all the Lions in Jamaa had no need for another leader, or Alpha. The Arctic Wolves and Snow Leopards lived beyond the mountains in the cold North. They have never been true citizens of Jamaa, their home is on the outskirts of the land. But know, as the evil Phantoms advance toward Jamaa, the Arctic Wolves and Snow Leopards have been chased from their home.

Mira kindly is letting them stay in Jamaa to be safe. But Sir Gilbert and Greely are now making plans on how to defend Jamaa from the Phantom's attack. They know it will be soon.

PS: Visit SirHappyViking's clan blog here:

TheMysticalWarriorsClan.blogspot.com

~BlueGecko~

Clover Trident & Ocean Alphas

Happy Friday! Today we have a new item in Bahari Bargains, in Bahari Bay. The Clover Trident! I remember posting about this last year.

Okay, for today's side topic, I will explain why I do not believe the two seal and dolphin statues are supposed to be Alphas. First of all, here is what they look like:

 In case you were wondering, this kind of fits with today, as the seal is holding a trident. Anyway, both of those are pagan gods. The ancient Romans believed in many gods, as well as the ancient Greeks. They made lots of statues of their gods in marble, just like these two we see here. They are designed to look like an animal version of those two gods. Venus is a Roman god, and Poseidon is a Greek god.

So, unlike the Alpha statues we have in the Mystery Emporium, these statues are AJHQ's animal version of these two gods. Any opinions? Remember to comment!

PS: One of the loyal followers of this blog, cubscout9, has a new clan blog! Visit it here: 

TheJammaRaidersClan.blogspot.com

~BlueGecko~

LaSalle the Raccoon Alpha

First of all, sorry I haven't been posting. I just don't have any motivation anymore. But as long as this community keeps growing, I plan on keeping on posting.

News-wise, we have an awesome new item in the Mystery Emporium in the Chamber of Knowledge: the LaSalle Statue! There are a bunch of French warriors/explorers/famous people, but this probably refers to "Robert de La Salle" He explored lots of America when it was discovered in the 1600s. Here is a picture of him, (credit, Wikipedia) along the Jamaa statue version.

Not much similarity, is there? But isn't it hard to believe that if it wasn't for this blog, we may not have had Alphas back?

For today's side topic, I have a question for you about LaSalle the Raccoon Alpha. If his role in Jamaa is similar to the real-life La Salle, what were his explorations? Did he venture down the rivers of Jamaa, into distant forgotten lands? Will he help Liza the Panda Alpha to discover the new Jungle Land?

Answer all these questions in a comment! I will enjoy reading them!

~BlueGecko~

The New/Old Liza

Today, I can't find any new items around Jamaa. I'm guessing it must be in the Paradise Party. Sorry I made a big mistake yesterday with the new item, it's so confusing when I was gone for a whole week. It was supposed to be a Rare Astronaut Hat.

I will have a side topic today, even though there was no actual topic so I guess this is the main topic. Anyway, this image was sent in by Mister Chunkybuddy.

This was created to protest against AJHQ's terrible remake of Liza the Panda Alpha. It's pretty funny, too! Look, on the left we have the old Liza. Doesn't that look a lot better than the Liza on the right?

Remember to share your opinions in a comment! And thanks for 55 followers! If you have a Google Account and do not follow this blog, just click "Join this site" under the map in the sidebar. Thanks!

~BlueGecko~

Sled & Cliff Dwellings

Today's new item is a Sled, in Jam Mart Furniture. This item is from last year.

Today's side topic is about cliff dwellings in Jamaa. Well, there aren't any, right? First we need to remember most of Jamaa's lands and map were designed in Beta Testing or soon after, and back then AJHQ had very different goals. Just remember that. The Coral Canyons map and land, was designed while Animal Jam was in Beta Testing. First, look at this screen shot from the Coral Canyons map.

That really doesn't look much like anything in Coral Canyons, or does it... If you haven't noticed, Pecks Art Studio is built right into the cliff in that picture. The same with Epic Wonders. The cliff in that picture is really this:

Maybe that's obvious. But if you look inside Peck's Art Studio, you find ancient carvings on the walls:

They are very similar to the ones in the Canyons Pathway.

Lot's writing for a simple point. If ancient carvings are on the wall of Peck's Art Studio, that means that Pecks Art Studio is ancient, or at least the building. So my idea is that an ancient race of wolves once lived where coral canyons is today. Greely was one of them. They carved all the rooms in the cliffs, and they are really "cliff dwellings". The carved the door with Greely on it was Greely's home, as he was their leader. Wouldn't it be awesome if some day we could explore Greely's home? 

~Gecko~

A History of Jamaa: 2010-2013

   The last day of 2012 has arrived, and a third year of the virtual world Animal Jam is just around the corner. What can we expect? Extreme changes.

   2010 was Jamaa's creation year. Most was spent in Beta Testing, a period before the game was fully released, and players could give feedback and advice. When Beta Testing ended on September 11, 2010, Jamaa was finally released. Most of the rest of the year was focussed on creating holidays in Jamaa, mainly Phantom Day and Jamaalidays. During those times, guides roamed Jamaa helping out Jammers. Updates came every Friday, normaly with four new items and a few other small updates.

   2011 was Jamaa's developement year. During the first half of the year, AJHQ put all their focus on new lands, animals, and items. Soon they were so busy that updates had to be every two weeks. With so many new items, old ones were always being removed from the shops. Jammers started calling these items "rare", and trading for them. But there was a problem, because the trading system hadn't arrived yet. They had to trade through sending items in Jam-a-Grams, which made scamming an every day problem. But AJHQ quickly released the trading system on April 30, 2011, the same one we use today.
    During the Summer of 2012, we have what I consider Jamaa's downfall. It started with two main things, the first being Crystal Sands. Before, Crystal Sands was a relaxing, exotic beach. But AJHQ turned in into a crowded water park! That was the start of Jamaa being humanized, but it didn't stop there. The new items that came out were no longer wild-looking natural items, but thing humans wear. The second problem was the reselling of rare items. New Jammers saw the rares we worked for and wanted them, so they asked AJHQ to resell them. AJHQ did just that. They started with Gloves, which were at that time the most wanted item. Soon almost every item from 2010 was resold. Until recently this didn't stop. Today, the only rare items from 2010 are Scary Bat Wings, the Founders hat, the Worn Blanket, and a few "beta colors" of items.
   With AJHQ so busy, they nearly forgot the Jamaa Lore that had started the game.

   2012 has been Jamaa's rebuilding year. It started with the Jammers who remembered a better Jamaa standing up and protesting. We wanted items to stay rare, and even more we wanted Jamaa's Lore. Jammers like Snowyclaw and I used our popularity to start a movement. Finally AJHQ listened to us, about half way through the year. It started with the Journey Book, a simple attempt to satasfy our want for the expeditions promised in 2010. Then the Summer Carnival came, also attempting to satasfy us. Along with that AJHQ started reselling items in new colors and giving the old colors a "rare" badge. But we kept asking for what we really wanted.
   AJHQ had been avoiding bringing back "Shamans" to the game, because people had been complaining it was against their religeon. In autumn, I posted on this blog why AJHQ can't bring back Shamans, but they can bring them back with a new name. That post post recieved nerly 500 hits and 100 comments, and within a few days AJHQ wrote about Shamans coming back with the name "Alphas". Soon enough AJHQ started creating the Alphas with new descriptions and looks. To end the year, AJHQ released a video saying we can expect adventures having to do with Alphas in 2013.

   That's where we are. We have come so far rebuilding Jamaa, let's use 2013 to finish that job. Alphas and expeditions are coming, we have that gaurunteed. But there are two things we still need fixed in 2013. The first is Zios and Mira. They were originally a god and godess. We can bring them back, as long as they are no longer gods, but a king and queen. The second is Crystal Sands. We need to let AJHQ know that we want the old look; we want an exotic beach, not a water park.
   So are you with me? We can make 2013 the best year yet, if we work together. Write to AJHQ asking for these two things. You would be surprised, they really listen to us.

~Gecko~

Sir Gilbert the Tiger Alpha

First of all, today's daily Jamaaliday gift is a Winter Window! I missed this last year, so I'm glad it's back.

   There are also two new wintery items for sale. On the left, we have the Reindeer Mask in Jam Mart Clothing, resold from December 2010 and 2011. On the right, we have the Stocking in Jam Mart Furniture, which is brand new.

 On more important matters, We finally have Sir Gilbert's bio by AJHQ! Read it here:

"Ever since he was a cub, long before he’d ever even heard of Jamaa, Gilbert has wondered what it must be like to be a monkey. Or a giraffe. Or a penguin, a shark, a rabbit… ALL of the other animals fascinate him. He’s been known to leap at an animal he’s never seen before and pin it to the ground with his terrifying strength, but only to ask them what their fur feels like when it rains. He’s always puzzled and disappointed when, as usually happens, the poor animal is too petrified with fear to answer him. Some of Gilbert’s best qualities are the very things that frustrate the more temperamental, impetuous Alphas the most. He is impeccably polite, quietly dignified, and (he believes) sensibly cautious. He takes the time to hear all viewpoints before making decisions, and in leading the Alphas against the Phantoms he is a wary and meticulous strategist. This drives some animals crazy, and more than once Gilbert’s carefully laid plans have turned into chaotic romps because Peck or Graham decided to “speed things up.” Despite his fearsome appearance and warrior reputation, Gilbert yearns for a quieter life. Perhaps that’s why he works so tirelessly to repel the Phantom invasion — he imagines a day when Jamaa is finally safe for all animals, and he can devote his time to studying the inhabitants of the world he protects."

   I like this, but it could have been more descriptive. Sir Gilbert is definitely my favorite Alpha. Which is yours? Tell me in a comment! And check out today's update in Jamaa, it's pretty cool. :)

~Gecko~

New AJ Homepage

   Wow! AJHQ has just added an awesome new look for their homepage! And... it's an Alphas theme! Click for full size:

   In my opinion, this looks really good. They listen to us! I kept asking them to make the Alphas look more like they used to in 2010, and they did! I think everyone is this picture except Peck (the rabbit Alpha) looks good. Man, they just can't get Peck right. Do you guys agree? Unfortunatly, still no graphics for the new Alphas.
   Speaking of graphics, yes I did get the SWF for the Alphas and the background, but I'm not going to release to the public just yet, sorry! I've had much too much stealing lately. One thing I've noticed is people read updates on here that Snowyclaw hasn't noticed, and then E-Mail them to her so that they get credit. Which is not fair!
   Anyway, did anyone notice Liza is holding a camera? It's kind of odd, my guess is that it has to do with the long awaited quests. :D Isn't it awesome to think that the Jammer Central community had a part in bringing Alphas back? Thanks for reading, and please comment!

~Gecko~

New Items, 3D Graphics & Keyboard Control

Today's free item is, you guessed it, from last year.

   I really liked this item and hoped it would stay rare. Oh well. And because of popular demand, I will try to post new items now. One of my favorite items is now resold in Jam Mart Furniture.

   These are so usefull, they don't just have to be use for the Jamaalidays. And to continue my complaint about both the Alphas video and the 3D graphics. When you make a new account, there are the new screens to make an animal ect. that I showed you yesterday. Then they play the Alphas video, and then send you to meet Liza the Panda Alpha. But wait... she's in 3D!

Wow, come on guys, you have to agree that that looks much worse than what it was before. Look at this:

   Neither of them are perfect, but the new one is disgusting. And it just makes it even more clear that everything will soon be 3D. So I encourage everyone to send at least one letter to AJHQ to keep the old graphics - tell them how much better that art is. Then maybe we can really have Animal Jam like it was in 2010.

   Also, a cool new addition to the game is that starting today you can control you animal with the arrow keys on your keyboard! Press two at a time to go at an angle. Happy Jamaalidays!

~Gecko~

Peck the Rabbit Alpha and Alpha Video

With the update today, AJ released Peck the Rabbit Alpha's bio in the Animal Jam Blog.

"Most animals in Jamaa today don’t remember the first Phantom invasion, when the Alphas first appeared to turn the tide of battle and save our home. Peck doesn’t remember it either. She is the newest Alpha, and the only one selected by Mira since that long-ago victory over the Phantom hordes. Sir Gilbert has often wondered to himself whether Mira made the right choice.

There’s no question Peck is full of talent. She is an artist that revels in any medium, and she has done much to beautify Jamaa and inspire other animals to join her in huge, outlandish art projects. Her Alpha abilities seem to have magnified her already passionate and energetic personality a hundredfold, however, and some animals find her perpetual excitement and restlessness exhausting. Peck’s hot temper is legendary. When Phantoms appear or her friends are threatened, her artistic exuberance flips instantly to full-throttle attack mode. She believes in striking first and planning later (much later, and hopefully while she’s off doing something more fun). Have you ever had a friend who seemed to be made out pure energy, who could never sit still and who was always trying to involve you in some new crazy scheme of theirs? That’s Peck: she moves in a blur, gets bored easily, and never seems to run out of ideas. She takes her role as a mentor to other rabbits very seriously, though, and she is determined to get Jamaa’s rabbits into shape and ready for whatever the Phantoms might throw at them."

   I was surprised to find that I didn't mind the bio, though I'm thinking I might have to change my stories. It's the picture I don't like. I'm almost embarrassed to put that on my blog.

   Also we have the video in the virtual Jammer Central. It is probably fine if you are less than seven years old... you get my point. Watch it here:
   I think it had potential to be good, but the way it showed everything I didn't like. Maybe it's just the style... or I'm just too old to play Animal Jam. Read my update post below! Click here to try to beat my high score in Long Shot.
~Gecko~

Snow Angel and the Old Jamaa

Hey jammers, today everyone receives a wonderful new Snow Angel when they log in.

   Wow, this item seems extremely familiar! Oh wait, it's the same exact same item we got last year, what a coincidence! Sorry, I'm being sarcastic, obviously. It's very annoying to think that AJHQ either doesn't have the creativity to make new items, or they are just too lazy.

   I think this is a good time to talk about what we really want from AJHQ. We are tired of them making modern, human, and ugly items. A perfect example of this is when they released Flip Flops. Even I was surprised, that is just too much. And then there is the updates, it's always a new pet or game or something like that. Very few people were around when AJHQ was always making new lands. I'm not talking about oceans, but real lands. The last one they made was Appondale, in April 2011.

   So I guess what we really want is the old Animal Jam. In my mind, that was a period between July 2010 and April 2011. Every item was awesome, they had a cool style of making everything out of wood and leaves. about every 3 months a new epic land came out, like Coral Canyons and Mt. Shiveer. Guides were online every day, playing games with jammers. Isn't that what we really want? I know almost every person reading this didn't play then, but you can believe me it was much better than Jamaa today. Here is the epic teaser trailer for Animal Jam, I really think it shows what Jamaa used to be like.

Also, here is a video by a beta tester who made a tour of the old Jamaa.    And I'm not saying beta should come back, Beta Testing was a time before Animal Jam was finished, and kids could try out the game and give feedback. But I do think AJHQ could take back some of the simplicity and awesomeness from beta and the time soon after it.    Thousands of people are supporting Snowy Claw and here "movement" because they want the same thing as me. But what you didn't know is Snowyclaw didn't start that movement to bring back the ideas from back then, she wanted the religion from back then.     The one thing wrong with that time was they had made Zios a god and Mira a goddess. The shamans were also part of the religion. So many people complained and they removed everything like that. Then, almost two years later people like me thought of a compromise. The "Shamans" could be Alphas, simply leaders and mentors to their own animal kind. Zios and Mira could be a King and Queen.     That's where we are right now in Jamaa. We don't need Jamaa's old religion, we need it's simplicity. One major example is Crystal Sands, it used to be an exotic beach, and now it's a water park. Who's the genius who thought of that?
~Gecko~

Graham the Monkey Alpha

   The first thing Graham noticed about the other Alphas was that they seemed to do everything the hard way. For example, take that time Liza tracked the Spirit Stone of the giraffes to a Phantom cavern sealed by an enormous boulder. By the time Graham got there, Liza had a dozen animals straining to move the stone out of the way, and after hours of effort they’d barely made it budge. Graham shook his head and clucked his tongue. All of that sweat, and nothing to show for it. Why, it was the simplest thing in the world to build a waterwheel on a nearby stream and set up a system of gears, pulleys, and counterweights that could raise and lower the giant rock with the effortless pull of a lever. Sure, it took a few days to build, and Liza kept asking why they couldn’t just get a few more strong animals to pitch in and move the stone in a matter of minutes. Graham tried to explain that she was missing the point — now they could move the boulder up and down any time they wanted, without breaking a sweat! Liza and the other animals weren’t impressed with Graham’s contraption, and they seemed to forget all about it as soon as the giraffes were freed to return to Jamaa. Graham still visits the cavern from time to time, though. The boulder-moving machine is great for breaking open stubborn coconuts.

-Credit: The Daily Explorer-

   Happily, this works with my story plans. It's just... not descriptive. It tells more about an event than the actual Alpha. Anyway, I'm almost done with the next chapter of Ancient Jamaa: A Nation United and I should be able to post it today.

Click here for past posts about Alphas from The Daily Explorer.

Click here for the first chapter of Ancient Jamaa: A Nation United

~Gecko~

Back! And Alphas

I'm happy to say I am finally coming back to Animal Jam. I have some great new story ideas too, so hopefully I can write them soon. And... about Alphas. Some of you remember I got them to be called Alphas. Well AJHQ is finally talking about them. Here is their article about Liza, the Panda Alpha:

"Liza is pretty well known to the animals of Jamaa, since she personally welcomes everyone that arrives here and helps them get started on their adventures. Liza has always been a traveler and explorer too, and she vividly remembers the day her travels first took her to Jamaa.

She found a land besieged not only by Phantoms, but by internal conflicts as well. Rabbits and monkeys were always bickering, while koalas and tigers wouldn’t speak to each other at all; and it seemed as though the wolves didn’t get along with anybody. Even among the Alphas there was tension and suspicion.

Liza has a talent for helping animals understand each other better, though, and she was the peacemaker who brought the Alphas together as friends. Their example soon spread to the other animals, and for a long time now Jamaa has enjoyed peace both inside and outside its borders.

After the last major battle with the Phantoms, the rest of the Alphas set out to track these mysterious invaders back to their point of origin and learn more about them. Liza stayed behind, however, both to safeguard our home against further attacks, and to help the thousands of animals arriving here every day find their way around Jamaa Township."

I really do not like this description  because I have the whole history of Jamaa that I created mapped out in my mind, and this doesn't fit in with it. Believe me, my version is much better. Here is their article on Greely, the wolf Alpha:

"Greely may be the least understood of the Alpha animals protecting Jamaa. Solitary by nature and a master of stealth, Greely spends most of his time alone and far from Jamaa, observing the movements of the Phantoms and sabotaging them from the shadows. His strange ability to move instantaneously between shadows is one of the reasons he makes many animals very nervous; it sometime seems as though he can appear anywhere, anytime. His menacing appearance and grim, humorless personality probably don’t help.

Greely and Sir Gilbert took an instant dislike to each other, and despite Liza’s best efforts to bring them together, they avoid one another as much as possible. In both personality and approach to the Phantom problem, they are polar opposites. Where Sir Gilbert prefers to meet the threat head-on and seeks clearly drawn battle lines, Greely believes that the Alphas should turn the devious methods of the Phantoms against them.

The other Alphas may not entirely trust Greely and his methods, but they certainly respect him. He knows more about the Phantoms and their movements than anyone, and it’s possible the Phantoms fear him even more than they do Sir Gilbert. If the reports are true that Greely has recently returned to Jamaa with urgent news, it can only mean that the Phantoms are on the move." 

Now this is much better. It fits in perfectly with my stories, and gives me a bunch of new ideas to enhance it.   Actually, I'm going to start writing my story now! Stay tuned!

~Gecko~

The Legend of Captain Melville Part 1

   It was an unusually dark and misty night aboard the Blue Dragon, Captain Melville's greatest battleship. The soldiers and crew tensely awaited a sign of the dark phantom ship they hunted. Dark waves sloshing against the side of the ship seemed to be overwhelmingly loud. Suddenly out of the mist came a dark shape. Then, the eerie beaten flag o the Phantom ship appeared. The massive black ship used to raid the last free lands of Jamaa seemed to appear from nowhere.

   "Prepare to fire!" The experienced captain yelled. Archers lined the starboard side of the battleship. The black ship was quickly moving closer to the the Blue Dragon. "Release arrows!" He yelled. Hundreds of arrows flew through the sky. The white feathers tied to each arrow made it look like snow above the phantom ship. The phantoms aboard the deck flew back only to be replaced by a seemingly endless amount of phantom troops.

   The phantoms threw large hooks onto the side of the Blue Dragon, pulling their dark ship closer in order to to fight hand-to-hand. Captain Melville knew they had no chance if the phantoms got too close. He yelled down to the first officer bellow the deck, "Prepare the cannons!" The first officer passed the order on to the tigers in control of the seven powerful cannons facing the phantom ship. "Fire!" he yelled, though it could hardly be heard through all the confusion. The seven sparks seemed to light up the whole ship. Then, the deafening blast off the canons and the wood splitting on the side of the phantom ship. Everyone watched as the black ship filled with water and sunk to the depths of Kani Cove forever.

   The crew and soldiers cheered as the flag sank with a false sense of safety. As they stared at the water where the phantom ship once was, they did not notice the evil fleet approaching behind them. The lookout cried a warning but it was too late. The phantoms boarded the Blue Dragon and the tigers fought desperately for their freedom. Many tigers were killed by simply touching the evil creatures, others were carried off to one of the five ships. Captain Melville was held captive in the fleet's greatest ship, the Wandering Serpent.

   Captain Melville sat in the small dirty room, thinking. He remembered the beautiful beaches of Crystal Sands, his juice hut, a place of simple happiness, and of Sir Gilbert, his childhood mentor. He remembered the many hours he would sit and listen to stories of his adventures, wishing he could have an adventure himself. It had been months since he last saw his family, living in the comfortable cave at the top of the cliff at Crystal Sands, and wondered if he would ever see them again.

   It had been nearly a month since the captain had a good meal. Weak and tired, he did nothing when the phantom guards came to drag him off the ship. He landed on the cold wet ground and looked up and to his horror, realized they had brought him to their land, far from Jamaa. The ground was covered with sharp black rocks, tall mountains hid the horizon, and grey ash clouds covered the sky. And built into a cliff 1,000 feet above him, stood the massive Dark Tower.

*Part 2 will be written soon!*

The Legend of the Chamber of Knowledge

   The young tiger cubs lay down beside the hot embers of the dying fire. "Tell us Grandfather," said the smallest, "of the Chamber of Knowledge. What is it? Why can't we explore it?" The elderly tiger warrior sat back in his chair. "Ah, the Chamber of Knowledge, now that is a very old and legendary tale." The small cubs sat still with fascination. "It all happened long ago. When the land we call Jamaa was a very wild and dangerous place."


    The Great War had come to an end. The 6 surviving Alphas sent an order to move everyone and all valuables into the ancient chambers carved by Zios, the king of old. There the horrified animals hid until the evil phantom armies left to go back to their tower and left Jamaa. After they exited Graham the monkey Alpha made the chambers a gallery of ancient artifacts from Jamaa's past to honor it's greatest warriors.

   Cosmo the koala herbalist brought healing herbs used by Mira, queen during the reign of Zios.

   Peck the rabbit artist brought paintings of the old Jamaa and jars containing past secrets.

   Graham brought carvings of Otto the elephant and Edmund the giraffe, both valiant warriors taken captive in the Great war.

   Liza, the great panda explorer brought rare gems, said to be mined from the very place Zios formed our currency.

   Deeper into the chambers more valuable treasures were were hidden. The gemstone spears given to the 5 wolf kings, Greely being the only survivor.

   The stone statues of the surviving Alphas; Liza, Greely, Sir Gilbert, Graham, Peck, and Cosmo.

   The armor of Captain Melvile, who's ship was disappeared after sinking phantom ship above Kani Cove.

   A gold cast of Zios's mask and weapons he forged on his ancient forgotten table, and his own chest that can only be opened by the lost key.

   A tapestry of the darkness of the phantoms taking over Mira's wonderful land.   

   Even the beautiful diamond Zios gave to Mira before he died.

   And the exhibit of the horrible phantoms with the body of the first phantom king who Zios slaughtered at the peak of the Dark Tower.

   And last, the chamber's most valued possession, Zios's great carpet that lay at the feet of his throne.

   "And when the chamber was finished," said the old tiger, "all of Jamaa held a great feast and the chambers were open to every free animal." "Then why can't we go in?", one of the cubs asked abruptly. "In the chambers lay a trap door," he replied, "and it led to a deep and dark dungeon. There Greely kept the defeated phantoms from the Great War."

   One misty night the surviving phantoms who left Jamaa supposedly forever after the Great War crept into the dungeon and set free the hundreds of imprisoned phantoms. Once again, Jamaa was not safe. The unprepared animals fought desperately for their land, but they were not like their ancestor warriors. Every land in Jamaa was conquered except for the four strongest, Jamaa Township, Serepia Forest, Crystal Sands, and The Lost Temple of Zios.



   "Today the Jamaasian army is slowly taking back the conquered lands, but the chambers have never been entered again." One of the cubs shuddered. "But does that mean the phantoms could come back?" The elderly tiger sighed. "I don't know, I just don't know."