kaern
April 4th, 2008, 12:30 AM
Where would I be now, had I never stumbled upon The Final Challenge?
I'll never forget wandering the gallery, avoiding small puddings, sampling popcorn, and hearing someone shout across the world that there were free IDs in recall. After a while, I figure it out: if you don't know the magical properties of your items, you can seek out a mage who has a list of what different things do, and might look it up for you, if she's nice.
Let's see...sparking lapis lazuli bracelet? Page 30, line 9: +5mv.
Back to the arena. Though it appears to have respawned, the people seem to outnumber the critters. Three days new to this, but I know now that when this happens, we're all going to rapidly run out of things to bash. But we will still move around as quickly as possible in order to continue awkwardly greeting one another. "Oh...it's you again."
One of the first nights I depart, I say "goodbye TFC" on a public channel. Four people respond. Even though my clothes say "Kaern" all over them, people remember my name! It makes me feel I've made some friends.
I take the longest journey of my life so far, north on the Great Western Road, stopping a few times to enjoy the scenery. People pass. Nighttime falls, and I experiment with removing my light to see what the darkness is like. Evening in this world means you can't see ANYTHING.
I discover Ofcol and its welcoming main drag full of little people. I meet a fellow named Laujar. Pretty soon we are locking ourselves in pig pens and casting area spells for the shared experience. "A bit cruel, I know," we confess at various times--although that doesn't stop us from slaughtering entire coops repeatedly. We work up to the lady in the shed, but accidentally hit a rather large pudding too...I panic and recall.
My next favorite area is the bazaar. In fact, I like it so much that even after I keep dying there I still return, in an obstinate attempt to prove who's boss. I rack up 48k in experience needed to the next level, while still at level 12. There's just something about those campfire containers in which sometimes I really do enjoy hiding things, such as the key that I got from the bandit dude.
Life is good. I sleep at the entrance to the campfires just north of where the highwaymen don't go, and am awoken, then chided by a seasoned adventurer to not sleep in public places. I laugh at him and say something about being able to take care of myself. I think his name is Count.
Exploration was always my first love, and one day I follow it all the way to the southern continent. At this time it's only a shore, plus a town called Altibia. Twenty-three squares south from the dock, then two or three east depending on whether the ocean is repeating, then south until the coast. All the familiar faces again: the shopkeepers and the crusty old man, the damn fish that keeps running away. I am mystified, however, by why my purse feels lighter sometimes quite significantly after I've left.
In Altibia I meet Syla, who comes to ruffle and stroll with me around town, and a mortal Molo, who says nothing except that he wants to be a Lich (HELP LICH, alas, does not illuminate for me what the hell he is talking about). After feeling compelled to utter, for no particular reason, the enigmatic phrase "You. Are. You!" during a global conversation, I start an organization called Incredibly Profound Statements, to ensure that my inane public ramblings at least serve a higher purpose. (IPS would eventually have 178 members in its ranks, 160 of which were the same person under different characters.)
I could never forget noticing for the first time being peered at by followers of Ebon Hand while I was resting in the Giant town (which would one day be replaced by trees). And being delightfully infected with plague because I was too sick and feeble to carry all the randoms accumulated over 6 hours in the swamps south of the woods south of the Loth-Llorien woods. Happily, I still had the strength for a haul of 70k in gold coins on that given sweep.
It wasn't merely the mundane that stands out. Some events were truly momentous. Among the drow elves one twilight, Ivan, who had been relentlessly attacking me for weeks, was camped out above the stairs. I had quietly been shoring up better equipment for myself (thought I'd try something different why not), and when our weapons finally clashed it was he, this time, who tucked his tail and scurried away.
Each magnificent quest alongside my idols--Syrinx, Toonse, Erond, Coyul (who long ago had charmed me by heroically rescuing my weapon from a horrible monster and then flashing her cute backwards smiley)...many many others of course--was an evening to remember, so much that eventually I hoped to forge my own grand adventures. It was in the memories and shadows of those great characters that I tried to put together what came to be known as MG [Midgaard] groups, the whole Dragon Tours Unlimited racket, the (mis)adventure that was the first Master's Tower expedition, and on and on...
Life-altering in itself were the beautiful moments spent with love, when I found another soul in the same realm, open to mine. Schwartz expressed it best when he found out: "Oh NOW I understand why you haven't been around...It's...it's...!!!" (To which she replied, "a girl? :)").
The two of us visited the caterpillars and shared morning dew freshly sipped from leaves; we climbed the apple tree on the eve of when it was to be demolished to make way for a new southern riverfront; and when the rest of her following would attack me, she wouldn't join in (o:
I met Tokugawa in the sewers and we were both very cordial about who was to get the red dragon equipment.
I met Khore's first character in town near the east gate (or perhaps that was where I was when he told me about his other character, which he did by first hinting that it rhymed with "whore").
I was constantly transferred to the walrus by Madman, and quickly memorized how to get home from it. One time he transported me to Ebey in the Demon Realm, and stupidly I wizmarked him and brought some folks around who ended up killing him and getting me in trouble.
The Christmas where MM gave out simple rings was a wonderful occasion and I don't think at any other time could I sense that much happiness throughout the entire realm.
I loved having a whole following over my neutral (later unaligned) ass and still being able to eke out experience points and equipment by skipping everywhere super-fast. I hated one PK when I was lured into a death chamber by wanting to do something nice for a newbie.
I wouldn't give any of it back. Thanks Tynian.
I'll never forget wandering the gallery, avoiding small puddings, sampling popcorn, and hearing someone shout across the world that there were free IDs in recall. After a while, I figure it out: if you don't know the magical properties of your items, you can seek out a mage who has a list of what different things do, and might look it up for you, if she's nice.
Let's see...sparking lapis lazuli bracelet? Page 30, line 9: +5mv.
Back to the arena. Though it appears to have respawned, the people seem to outnumber the critters. Three days new to this, but I know now that when this happens, we're all going to rapidly run out of things to bash. But we will still move around as quickly as possible in order to continue awkwardly greeting one another. "Oh...it's you again."
One of the first nights I depart, I say "goodbye TFC" on a public channel. Four people respond. Even though my clothes say "Kaern" all over them, people remember my name! It makes me feel I've made some friends.
I take the longest journey of my life so far, north on the Great Western Road, stopping a few times to enjoy the scenery. People pass. Nighttime falls, and I experiment with removing my light to see what the darkness is like. Evening in this world means you can't see ANYTHING.
I discover Ofcol and its welcoming main drag full of little people. I meet a fellow named Laujar. Pretty soon we are locking ourselves in pig pens and casting area spells for the shared experience. "A bit cruel, I know," we confess at various times--although that doesn't stop us from slaughtering entire coops repeatedly. We work up to the lady in the shed, but accidentally hit a rather large pudding too...I panic and recall.
My next favorite area is the bazaar. In fact, I like it so much that even after I keep dying there I still return, in an obstinate attempt to prove who's boss. I rack up 48k in experience needed to the next level, while still at level 12. There's just something about those campfire containers in which sometimes I really do enjoy hiding things, such as the key that I got from the bandit dude.
Life is good. I sleep at the entrance to the campfires just north of where the highwaymen don't go, and am awoken, then chided by a seasoned adventurer to not sleep in public places. I laugh at him and say something about being able to take care of myself. I think his name is Count.
Exploration was always my first love, and one day I follow it all the way to the southern continent. At this time it's only a shore, plus a town called Altibia. Twenty-three squares south from the dock, then two or three east depending on whether the ocean is repeating, then south until the coast. All the familiar faces again: the shopkeepers and the crusty old man, the damn fish that keeps running away. I am mystified, however, by why my purse feels lighter sometimes quite significantly after I've left.
In Altibia I meet Syla, who comes to ruffle and stroll with me around town, and a mortal Molo, who says nothing except that he wants to be a Lich (HELP LICH, alas, does not illuminate for me what the hell he is talking about). After feeling compelled to utter, for no particular reason, the enigmatic phrase "You. Are. You!" during a global conversation, I start an organization called Incredibly Profound Statements, to ensure that my inane public ramblings at least serve a higher purpose. (IPS would eventually have 178 members in its ranks, 160 of which were the same person under different characters.)
I could never forget noticing for the first time being peered at by followers of Ebon Hand while I was resting in the Giant town (which would one day be replaced by trees). And being delightfully infected with plague because I was too sick and feeble to carry all the randoms accumulated over 6 hours in the swamps south of the woods south of the Loth-Llorien woods. Happily, I still had the strength for a haul of 70k in gold coins on that given sweep.
It wasn't merely the mundane that stands out. Some events were truly momentous. Among the drow elves one twilight, Ivan, who had been relentlessly attacking me for weeks, was camped out above the stairs. I had quietly been shoring up better equipment for myself (thought I'd try something different why not), and when our weapons finally clashed it was he, this time, who tucked his tail and scurried away.
Each magnificent quest alongside my idols--Syrinx, Toonse, Erond, Coyul (who long ago had charmed me by heroically rescuing my weapon from a horrible monster and then flashing her cute backwards smiley)...many many others of course--was an evening to remember, so much that eventually I hoped to forge my own grand adventures. It was in the memories and shadows of those great characters that I tried to put together what came to be known as MG [Midgaard] groups, the whole Dragon Tours Unlimited racket, the (mis)adventure that was the first Master's Tower expedition, and on and on...
Life-altering in itself were the beautiful moments spent with love, when I found another soul in the same realm, open to mine. Schwartz expressed it best when he found out: "Oh NOW I understand why you haven't been around...It's...it's...!!!" (To which she replied, "a girl? :)").
The two of us visited the caterpillars and shared morning dew freshly sipped from leaves; we climbed the apple tree on the eve of when it was to be demolished to make way for a new southern riverfront; and when the rest of her following would attack me, she wouldn't join in (o:
I met Tokugawa in the sewers and we were both very cordial about who was to get the red dragon equipment.
I met Khore's first character in town near the east gate (or perhaps that was where I was when he told me about his other character, which he did by first hinting that it rhymed with "whore").
I was constantly transferred to the walrus by Madman, and quickly memorized how to get home from it. One time he transported me to Ebey in the Demon Realm, and stupidly I wizmarked him and brought some folks around who ended up killing him and getting me in trouble.
The Christmas where MM gave out simple rings was a wonderful occasion and I don't think at any other time could I sense that much happiness throughout the entire realm.
I loved having a whole following over my neutral (later unaligned) ass and still being able to eke out experience points and equipment by skipping everywhere super-fast. I hated one PK when I was lured into a death chamber by wanting to do something nice for a newbie.
I wouldn't give any of it back. Thanks Tynian.