⠀⠀⠀⠀It all started in the summer of 2020, in the peak of the Covid pandemic. To escape this pandemic and have fun with friends, a kid named Sam started a Minecraft Realm. This is the earliest place our server can trace its history to. With just under a dozen people, it was a tight knit community of friends. Even with so few people, this server was the closest and most connected we've ever been. Unfortunately, due to the cost of Realms, this server had to shut down.

⠀⠀⠀⠀But, the idea of a Minecraft community was stuck in the heads of all of the players. So, Sam brought back the Realm. With some old members leaving, and new faces joining, it was a refreshing experience. This server was where the defining gimmick of our servers was born: the country system. With a constitution and laws, nations like The First Salmon Republic left their permanent mark in server history, even invading other countries suspected of stealing their possessions and resources. During this period there was also other small servers, like the One Chunk World and Luke's Realm. A defining build of this server was The Pit, an attempted hole in the ground to go to Bedrock, initially envisioned to have different shops and activities inside. The server had its own story and lore as well, which led to its untimely end. An unfortunate prank that framed someone for the burning of another players house left a rift in the community, and that server shut down soon after. This would be the last time Sam would host a server.

⠀⠀⠀⠀After a hiatus, although still disheartened by the end of the last server, Jacob and his cousin Dylan wished to bring back the Minecraft server spirit. So, Jacob decided to buy a server domain called The Pickle Network, named after one of Dylan's nicknames. This server was the biggest we've ever been. Approaching 30 members stretching from Vancouver and Tucson to Warsaw and Bucharest, there was significant outreach for people looking to have a good time. This server had mild modifications, but was for the most part vanilla. This was the server that truly utilized the country dynamic, with 11+ diverse nations claiming land anywhere from the Ice Spikes to the Ocean. There was many diplomatic relations being established, and much story to be told. The two main alliances, the Tea Party and the Oldetown Treaty were formed. These groups were in fierce competition for land and power, and threats of using destructive weapons kept everyone involved on the edge of their seat. Meetings were held occasionally to discuss server rules or achievements, and it was a great way for members to see what others were doing. With the newfound abundance in members, there was a huge influx of creative builds. The most ambitious of such was Oldetown, a community project where anyone on the server could build their own building within a planned out city. Over 8 amazing builders contributed to this project, each with their own style and twist. Along with this, other server members like James and Michael took on projects themselves, creating memorable buildings of their own. After a while, however, server advancement slowed and interest waned, so The Pickle Network shut down.

⠀⠀⠀⠀After a short stint on a modded server and a long time in between, members once again wished for a new server. So, Jacob opened up Cousin Pact SMP, named after the pact signed by Jacob, Dylan, and Jacob's sister Emily on The Pickle Network. Playfully announced with hints that builds from old servers were brought on in a secret location got everyone to speculate of what was to come. On this server, players got even more spread out, prioritizing exploration over community. This isn't to say there was no countries, but that they were less focused on than before. With a smaller but ever-committed community, this server explored previously unfinished projects from TPN such as the rail system, which sought to connect everyone by minecart. Although the members got increasingly busy in their lives, there was still great builds from some like Emily and Michael, who built much of the defining architecture of this server. Even though there were still unfinished projects, the demand was regrettably low, and this server domain was not renewed.

⠀⠀⠀⠀So where do we go from here? At the time of writing this, the Barrel SMP (named after the secret bomb project of TPN) was just announced, and players look forward to new adventures. What this server looks like and what make it unique are just over the horizon. See you there!

• Dylan, Co-Founder