Unto MacGyver Fox, clever as our family namesake, comes this letter of Greeting from Maximillian Fox. Written in the Harbormaster’s Office in the Port of Bliss, on the last day of Blossom at the end of the Second Millennium.

Hello Nephew,

Many apologies for the brevity -- I just docked this hour, and found your missive waiting for me. I must post a reply immediately, for the captain of the Swan is holding the ship for this note, and he won’t wait long. If I don’t get it into his hands, it may be another 6-month before another vessel sails for Alusia.

Stephen also asked me questions about how to get started in the Isles. One incredibly important thing I should suggest is keeping your eyes peeled for a place to settle down. Find a place in the unexplored territories, some small settlement which you can use as a base to explore from. If you treat the locals well, you can maneuver yourself into becoming the local nobility, in return for protecting them from monsters and bad guys. It’s a rewarding relationship... I guarantee they will embrace you if you improve their survival chances!

Besides... you need a place to keep your treasure that’s TOUGHER than all the places you looted it from.

Worthwhile trading goods? In terms of profit per unit weight, you can hardly beat Alusian silk, or spices from the far southeast. Neither can be gotten locally in the Archipelago. Another profitable choice is art -- especially the written word. Don’t bring lots of the same thing, though... 20 minutes after you sell the latest bodice-ripper from Ardania, somebody will be printing scores of the same volume at the local press. Variety is the key, here, and make sure you charge enough for the initial sale... that’s all the money you will make on that particular work.

I need to post this. I intend to sail next week to see if I can locate Crystofer. I should be back in Bliss within the month. I look forward to showing you around the area when you arrive.

Safe travels,

Uncle Max