Skipper

**Skipper,** also known by **Skippy** or **Skip**, was a pet wolf tamed and owned by Ryland in the SMP. Being the first pet of the server and the first pet of the server to die, he is regarded as influential in the SMP's history.

## Name

The name *Skipper,* means "the captain of a ship or boat." The word is derived from the Dutch word *schipper*; schip is Dutch for "*ship*". In Dutch sch- is pronounced [*sx*] and English-speakers rendered this as [*sk*]. The word "*skipper*" is used more than "captain" for some types of craft like fishing and tug boats.

## History

During the Great First Expedition, Ryland stumbled upon an untamed wolf in a Taiga forest. After taming the animal, he came across a shipwreck and thus, settled on the name Skipper.

Being the first pet of the server, Skipper is widely regarded as a influential figure in the SMP's history. The wolf was found on the first day of the server, and died on the second day (in real time) of the server. He witnessed the Community House construction and completion, Ryland's Horse to be tamed, and both expeditions.

## Disappearance

On May 7th, 2023, Ryland logged onto the server and couldn't locate where Skipper was last seen at. The night before, he sat Skipper down in a makeshift doghouse which was infront of the rightside of the Community House, only for Ava to destroy it. She reported no sighting of Skipper before, during, or after the demolition and thus Skipper was nowhere to be found where he was last spotted. Being declared missing, Ryland searched nearby mountains, the newly constructed Community House, and dug up possible holes in the ground but with no lead. The disappearance went cold, and, out of a mixture of sadness and angst, Ryland decided to head west of the Community House in search for possible answers and companionship. This westward movement later turned into the Greater Second Expedition.

## Discovery

During the Greater Second Expedition, while Ryland was camping out at a village he discovered in the snow biome, Skipper spawned standing next to Ryland. Shocked and confused, Skipper seemed fine and in good health, and continued on with Ryland throughout the journey.

## Death

On May 7th, 2023, in the afternoon around 1:00-3:00 (P.M.), all three members were online. Ryland, after coming back from his Greater Second Expedition, sat Skipper down in a corner of the first floor of the Community House, and promptly went to bed. After awaking, he ran outside to retrieve something while the other two members were still inside, a creeper snuck into the house. How the creeper came into the house, either by a door that wasn't closed or a hole in the wall, and how no one noticed until it was too late, is still unknown today. After Evan shouted that a creeper was present, Ava turned around and was too late to move. The creeper exploded the adjacent corner of where Skipper was sitting, killing him instantly at full health. The damages costed the members around 8-10 blocks, and the dog. Ryland in shock, Evan and Ava in confusion caused conflict between the three. A mini-shrine was enacted in the corner that Skipper was sitting in, a three red carpet area and a bone framed up above the middle rug piece still hangs today.

## Legacy

Skipper's legacy is disputed by the members of the SMP. While Ryland claims he "was a good boy, the best of boys" and "a true hero of loyalty and the face of heroic endurance," others label him as "the server's nussance," "annoying" and "forgettable". His legacy is that the Community House's door always remains shut once you enter or leave the structure, animals aren't allowed into the house, and that the famous "Red Collar" Skipper wore is retired by a *de-facto* law and cannot be used by any future dogs tamed on the server. A grave is located at "Skipper's Pennisuala", which was named after Skipper too.

## Relationships

Skipper's Relationship
 Ava
 Evan
 Horse