We're Losing This Server

[Carkle Jackson]

I'm not one to complain about the server. I'm a big believer that if you get more than you paid for then you should be satisfied. And since I don't pay for the server, I'm generally pretty happy here. But now I feel that I absolutely must speak out on an issue that I feel very strongly about. That's the destruction of classic zones to make way for new resort communities.

As a young teen, my parents often took me on summer boat trips to the Ocean of Tears. We would spend the week at the Sister Isle. The sun was always bright. I remember running barefoot up and down the beach. Exploring. Hunting for unusual shells. The wood Elf sisters there were very welcoming to visitors and it was always a lovely holiday.

One summer, I met a teen wood elf girl there who was also on holiday. We spent days roaming the island and holding hands. One day, we spread a red and white checkered blanket beneath a palm tree and enjoyed a picnic. After eating kiola nuts and drinking one too many elven wines, we made passionate love on that picnic blanket beneath the palm tree.

When our vacations were ending we promised that we would write. But as often happens with teen summer love affairs, we never did.

For the first time in my adult life, I made a trip to the Sister Isle on my own. When I disembarked from the boat, I immediately knew something was VERY DIFFERENT. There were tons of people standing on the dock all with their attention focused on one man wearing a suit in front of them. Curious, I decided to listen to figure out what was going on.

IT'S A TIMESHARE CONDO! They're putting in timeshare condos on the Sister Isle and all of these morons were there to invest. I was outraged. I'm still outraged as I share this with you. "What the hell?" I yelled. "You're going to pave paradise to put up a parking lot." Nobody would listen to me. All they care about is platinum pieces. Nobody cares that once the tranquility of Sister Isle is gone, it will be gone forever. I've heard that people on this server are greedy but I had no idea they could be this greedy!

In a panic, I ran down the beach and then up onto the dune. My heart sank and tears rolled down my cheeks in a torrent. The palm tree under which the elf girl and I made love many years ago is already gone. There's now a gaudy billboard with a barbarian man in a Speedo and an ogre woman in a string bikini announcing the new condo venture. "What happens on Sister Isle, stays on Sister Isle!"

I stole one of their pamphlets. I was horrified to learn that the developer (Freeport Investment Speculators, LLC.) has plans to build condos on Chessboard island in Timorous Deep, on an island in Lake Rathetear and the island in Dagnor's Cauldron!

THIS HAS TO BE STOPPED! I am calling on the devs and the community to put a stop to this! Think about what we're losing! We need to band together to protect the sanctity of the wild and beautiful places on this server!

[shuklak]

I really don't think they're revamping the old zones.

Wrong side of the tracks.

[Beckoning]

I read that whole thing, which likely confirms I am a loser of the highest form.

[Jimjam]

Excellent commentary on the pixelsickness that has overcome the server and how people need to return to their clueless newb roots!

[fan D]

good post read it all

[loramin]

I read that whole thing, which likely confirms I am a loser of the highest form.

[Lhancelot]

I enjoyed the read.

I mistakenly thought it was an actual cry thread about how DAP was killing the server, or the fatcats were destroying the economy etc., so it took me some time to actually get over my initial reaction which was to TL;DR it.

Glad I took other posters word on it, and read it.

I must confess, I am disappointed though. I fully expected your long lost love to turn up later in the story, perhaps weave her in as part of the real estate mogul group that is buying everything up to turn it into tourist spots!

What happened to her? :(

[Carkle Jackson]

I must confess, I am disappointed though. I fully expected your long lost love to turn up later in the story, perhaps weave her in as part of the real estate mogul group that is buying everything up to turn it into tourist spots!

What happened to her? :(

You make a good point. I should have done more to wrap up that particular thread. Perhaps I could have had her on the billboard instead of the bikini-clad ogre woman.

[Swish]

100pp says skarlonpus was aroused by the OP's text

[Arkanjil]

I feel like this story has so much potential...it's missing the recurrence of the love interest!

[Carkle Jackson]

I feel like this story has so much potential...it's missing the recurrence of the love interest!

Making me think we need a sequel.

[xtraball]

I bet she got pregnant, rejected by her peers and sent in exile to Felwithe, working as a maid at Tovanik's Venom's for a couple coppers a day... Sad...

[Peacocky]

Yep, many with epic phat lewts had not donate a dime, as for me, I will donate again when I'm epic'd!.

http://i.imgur.com/0tlpQut.mp4

http://i.imgur.com/nqFUZ.gif

[paulgiamatti]

The palm tree under which the elf girl and I made love many years ago is already gone. There's now a gaudy billboard with a barbarian man in a Speedo and an ogre woman in a string bikini announcing the new condo venture. "What happens on Sister Isle, stays on Sister Isle!"

A++ would read again

[Lhancelot]

I think the elvish lass could have done a myriad of things... perhaps pining away for him was too much, and so feeling betrayed she decided to settle for a highrolling ogre mogul, one of the contractors that is to blame for creating the tourist places.

She feels sad and alone with the ogre as he ignores her and only cares about creating more beachfront tourist holes and raking in plats. He spends his time in Ocean of Tears brothels with the wood elf floozies he loves so much.

That's when her hero somehow comes back into the story, 10 years later and somehow rescues her from her terrible ogre husband etc. etc. etc.

[Mead]

don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got til it's gone

[xtraball]

I think the elvish lass could have done a myriad of things... perhaps pining away for him was too much, and so feeling betrayed she decided to settle for a highrolling ogre mogul, one of the contractors that is to blame for creating the tourist places.

She feels sad and alone with the ogre as he ignores her and only cares about creating more beachfront tourist holes and raking in plats. He spends his time in Ocean of Tears brothels with the wood elf floozies he loves so much.

That's when her hero somehow comes back into the story, 10 years later and somehow rescues her from her terrible ogre husband etc. etc. etc.

Ah, but you forget to mention the handsome human pally in his shining armour... Could our hero compete for the heart of her long lost lass ?

[Jimjam]

Plot-twist:

The property mogul was actually a pervy druid.

After witnessing the love of the young protagonist and elf (while disguised in TREE FORM!) he has the idea that he can turn this beautiful island into a sex-holiday resort.

Everyone loves stories where the protagonists own failings doom him. This ship is practically Shakespeare and ready to sail!

[xtraball]

Father of the lass, an important trader on the Island, has also shares of the Condo projet and he doesn't see the sex resort idea favorably... especially since the mogul is dating his daughter.

And what about the Mogul's aide, a mysterious Dark Elf ? What does he have in mind for the resort... and for the lass ?

[Ahldagor]

So there's a player-run brothel on Sister Isle?

[xtraball]

So there's a player-run brothel on Sister Isle?

Watch out for the Troll security guard at the entrance...

[Samoht]

How can a post like this possibly exist without a response from Filbus? Wru, skarlorn/captainamazing.

[Lhancelot]

How can a post like this possibly exist without a response from Filbus? Wru, skarlorn/captainamazing.

He doesn't happen to live off the east coast of Texas, does he? :(

Only way Skarlorn could possibly miss out on this thread is if something catastrophic in nature kept him from it. Skarlorn loves his RP!

Hopefully all is well with him.

[Carkle Jackson]

After witnessing the love of the young protagonist and elf (while disguised in TREE FORM!) he has the idea that he can turn this beautiful island into a sex-holiday resort.

What's this server coming to when you can't even make love under a tree without the fear of it being a pervert Druid?!?!?? Wait! There were wolves and bears looking at us from the treeline. You don't suppose they were... were... Oh gosh.

And I could swear I saw the campfire shifting at one point.

[Lhancelot]

What's this server coming to when you can't even make love under a tree without the fear of it being a pervert Druid?!?!?? Wait! There were wolves and bears looking at us from the treeline. You don't suppose they were... were... Oh gosh.

And I could swear I saw the campfire shifting at one point.

Damn dirty shamen and druids. :eek:

[xtraball]

Damn dirty shamen and druids. :eek:

Who knows what's going on under those robes...

[skarlorn]

What's this server coming to when you can't even make love under a tree without the fear of it being a pervert Druid?!?!??.


Lol

Please more rp stories

PS I've been having some medical procedures done so I've been out

[xtraball]

Hoping you're doing well...

What could be even more frightening is a Perv Druid rooting and abusing the stunned couple...

[skarlorn]

I seriously think this server needs more ERP

[Carkle Jackson]

You guys have convinced me to go in search of the elven lass. There are so many unanswered questions about her. I feel I need to warn you though. I realized recently that perhaps some questions are best left unanswered. And perhaps some women are best left in your past.

http://www.project1999.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2575689&postcount=208

[Lhancelot]

...some women are best left in your past.

Wise words, bro.

[Carkle Jackson]

My feet were covered with sand and my eyes stared out across the water. I was sitting cross-legged on the beach. The wind was tossing around the locks of my hair. Troubled thoughts kept racing through my brain. Sadness at the loss of the tranquility of the Sister Isle. Anger at the greed of the real estate developers. Frustration at the uncaring attitude of the server developers and my fellow gamers who could let this happen. But the thought that surprisingly seemed to be most pervasive was "what happened to the elven lass".

Many years prior when we were both teens, we had met and fallen in love on this island. As was destined to happen, our summer holidays had ended and we went our separate ways... I to the west to the half elven community in Freeport and she to the east to her wood elven people in Kelethin. We had never seen each other again. The years had wiped her name from my mind but it was impossible for it to remove her face. Or her voice. Or the way her skin felt.

I returned here recently to try to recapture the memories and feelings of my childhood only to find that the Sisters of the Sister Isle had sold out and were allowing real estate investors to commercialize their little paradise. Signs were already up announcing the future timeshare condominiums that were soon to be built and encouraging entrepreneurs to acquire commercial space while it was still available. A sign just like the one behind me that now stood where a palm tree had once stood. A palm tree under which the elven lass and I had made love. We had carved our names and a heart into the trunk of that tree and with our hands upon that carving, we made a youthful promise to keep in touch and to find each other again someday. I wished again for the millionth time that I could remember her name.

I picked up a shell from from the sand next to me and hurled it into the water in frustration. And then another. And another.

"That won't fix anything", said a soft voice behind me. I turned my head quickly to find the owner of the voice. The speaker was an elderly halfling dressed all in worn leathers carrying a long wooden staff. His hair was shaggy and a salt and pepper gray. The small man approached me with slow, shuffling steps until he stood right behind where I sat on the beach. Then he walked past me to the ocean. "See?" He asked me, gesturing with his staff at several white objects being pushed by the waves onto beach. They were the shells that I had been hurling into the ocean brought right back to me by the rhythmic crashing of of the waves.

His implication was clear to me. "My efforts were of no use to actually solving my problems." He was right, of course. But who asked him?!?!?! "Thanks Yoda..." I responded insolently. He did not seem offended. Instead of getting angry he grinned playfully and in an impression of the old, green Jedi master said, "Fix anything, that won't." Okay. That was funny. And before I could stop myself, I found myself laughing at the sight of a little old halfling using a Yoda voice.

"By the way", he said. "What is that tattoo on your butt? Is it an Erudite holding a sword?" "No. It's a..." I trailed off. I was wearing my Mystic Koada'Dal Greaves. How could he even see my butt?

Light started to drip from his fingers as he began to cast a spell. I jumped to my feet warily and deftly drew my swords from their scabbards on my hips. A moment later, where the old man stood had been now stood a large palm tree. A Druid! In the blink of an eye, the old halfling man stood before me again.

"What's the meaning of this?!?!" I demanded. "How do you know about the tattoo on my butt?!?!?!"

Without saying a word, the old man lifted the bottom flap of his tunic exposing the skin of his stomach. There on his stomach was an unmistakable scar. The scar was in the shape of two names and a heart. One of those names was mine. The other was the name of the wood elf lass. "Shantara", it said. At last! Her name!

Then it hit me. The only way he could have that scar is if he was... he was...

My swords dropped from my shocked fingers and landed on the beach with muted thuds. Then my arms wrapped around my middle as I fell to my knees and began vomiting violently into the sand on that beach in the Ocean of Tears.

[Whirled]

OP is named after a Bill Cosby character. So, here's a link for u.
https://i.pinimg.com/236x/aa/d3/89/aad38969cc4b6ef26658d706d002d404--bill-cosby-meme-jace.jpg

[Lhancelot]

My feet were covered with sand and my eyes stared out across the water. I was sitting cross-legged on the beach. The wind was tossing around the locks of my hair. Troubled thoughts kept racing through my brain. Sadness at the loss of the tranquility of the Sister Isle. Anger at the greed of the real estate developers. Frustration at the uncaring attitude of the server developers and my fellow gamers who could let this happen. But the thought that surprisingly seemed to be most pervasive was "what happened to the elven lass".

Many years prior when we were both teens, we had met and fallen in love on this island. As was destined to happen, our summer holidays had ended and we went our separate ways... I to the west to the half elven community in Freeport and she to the east to her wood elven people in Kelethin. We had never seen each other again. The years had wiped her name from my mind but it was impossible for it to remove her face. Or her voice. Or the way her skin felt.

I returned here recently to try to recapture the memories and feelings of my childhood only to find that the Sisters of the Sister Isle had sold out and were allowing real estate investors to commercialize their little paradise. Signs were already up announcing the future timeshare condominiums that were soon to be built and encouraging entrepreneurs to acquire commercial space while it was still available. A sign just like the one behind me that now stood where a palm tree had once stood. A palm tree under which the elven lass and I had made love. We had carved our names and a heart into the trunk of that tree and with our hands upon that carving, we made a youthful promise to keep in touch and to find each other again someday. I wished again for the millionth time that I could remember her name.

I picked up a shell from from the sand next to me and hurled it into the water in frustration. And then another. And another.

"That won't fix anything", said a soft voice behind me. I turned my head quickly to find the owner of the voice. The speaker was an elderly halfling dressed all in worn leathers carrying a long wooden staff. His hair was shaggy and a salt and pepper gray. The small man approached me with slow, shuffling steps until he stood right behind where I sat on the beach. Then he walked past me to the ocean. "See?" He asked me, gesturing with his staff at several white objects being pushed by the waves onto beach. They were the shells that I had been hurling into the ocean brought right back to me by the rhythmic crashing of of the waves.

His implication was clear to me. "My efforts were of no use to actually solving my problems." He was right, of course. But who asked him?!?!?! "Thanks Yoda..." I responded insolently. He did not seem offended. Instead of getting angry he grinned playfully and in an impression of the old, green Jedi master said, "Fix anything, that won't." Okay. That was funny. And before I could stop myself, I found myself laughing at the sight of a little old halfling using a Yoda voice.

"By the way", he said. "What is that tattoo on your butt? Is it an Erudite holding a sword?" "No. It's a..." I trailed off. I was wearing my Mystic Koada'Dal Greaves. How could he even see my butt?

Light started to drip from his fingers as he began to cast a spell. I jumped to my feet warily and deftly drew my swords from their scabbards on my hips. A moment later, where the old man stood had been now stood a large palm tree. A Druid! In the blink of an eye, the old halfling man stood before me again.

"What's the meaning of this?!?!" I demanded. "How do you know about the tattoo on my butt?!?!?!"

Without saying a word, the old man lifted the bottom flap of his tunic exposing the skin of his stomach. There on his stomach was an unmistakable scar. The scar was in the shape of two names and a heart. One of those names was mine. The other was the name of the wood elf lass. "Shantara", it said. At last! Her name!

Then it hit me. The only way he could have that scar is if he was... he was...

My swords dropped from my shocked fingers and landed on the beach with muted thuds. Then my arms wrapped around my middle as I fell to my knees and began vomiting violently into the sand on that beach in the Ocean of Tears.

BRAVO!!!!!! Great ending to the chapter. :)

[Carkle Jackson]

BRAVO!!!!!! Great ending to the chapter. :)

Thank you!

[Swish]

https://i.imgur.com/aXd0Kvm.gif

[xtraball]

some women are best left in your past.

Amen !

[xtraball]

Well... the palm tree was indeed a Druid... but what happened to the elven lass ?????

[Carkle Jackson]

Well... the palm tree was indeed a Druid... but what happened to the elven lass ?????

Perhaps the answer to this question lies in chapter 3.

[xtraball]

I can't wait...

[Carkle Jackson]

Feel free to make suggestions for the direction of the story. You guys are my Muses. I liked Jimjam's idea of the tree being a druid in disguise so much that I worked it into the story.

[Carkle Jackson]

Well... the palm tree was indeed a Druid... but what happened to the elven lass ?????

RAFO

[xtraball]

Well...

The elven lass was heart-crushed when you left for Qeynos and she did indeed found relief in Kelethin in the arms of a blond High Elf Pally doing service killing Orcs in GF. However, he spent too much time wasting his money on drinks in the taverns. So one night, as the lass was taking her Elf back to their hut in the trees, the drunk Pally swung her down the platform to the ground. She was badly hurt. And though he had plats to get Cleric's help to heal her, she couldn't recover from her wounds. But it's not the body that was hurt but her heart.
So, one day, she went on a journey to get to Erudin to seek advice from the wise. A long a tiring journey thru Faydwer and a long boat trip, so tiresome that she had to stop in Freeport to rest...

[skarlorn]

Looks like Carkle is gonna have to get jiggy with a chubby old druid

[maskedmelonpai]

Looks like Carkle is gonna have to get jiggy with a chubby old druid

hope you have a quick recovery :3

[skarlorn]

Thanks my dear melonu, this one has been a bit tougher but I have a really cute nurse and she just agreed to have tea with me after I m out of hospital which could be woke... Pray 4 my memes

[maskedmelonpai]

Thanks my dear melonu, this one has been a bit tougher but I have a really cute nurse and she just agreed to have tea with me after I m out of hospital which could be woke... Pray 4 my memes

well i hope she able to brighten the experience for you ^^ i gonna submit three prayers, one each to vishnu, eros and le FSM that you tea date and ensuing relationship be stable, loving and enlightened ^^

[Carkle Jackson]

I was in a snockered state and had been that way for quite a while. I was leaning back in an old, wooden chair with my feet propped up on the splintery, wooden table in front of me. Most barkeeps would have had a problem with that but not Crow. You could do ANYTHING in Crow's Pub & Casino...provided the money kept flowing.

My hair was greasy and matted and my face was covered in several days worth of stubble. I reeked strongly of body odor and urine. I'm pretty sure at some point during my drunken bender I had pissed myself. Probably repeatedly. Most barkeeps would have thrown a person in my state out long ago but not Crow. As I believe I just mentioned, you could literally do ANYTHING in Crow's Pub & Casino as long as you have the money and are willing to spend it.

"Crows. Playing cards. That makes no sense." I thought again for what must have been the hundredth time since arriving in Qeynos a week before. The painting on the wall was quite legendary so I, of course, had positioned my chair where I could see it.

It had been over a week since the Sister Isle yet my mind still reeled with the details that had been revealed to me there. My first sexual encounter had occurred under the swaying fronds of an old halfling druid disguised as a palm tree. After violently vomiting up everything I had ever eaten in my entire life (that's what it felt like), I grabbed my Selo's Drums of the March and played them like I was beating the devil out of them.

Mist appeared around me as I was lifted into the air by my music. The invisibility component of my song kicked in and I faded from the old man's view. "Wait!" He called out, suddenly appearing alarmed. "I need to speak with you!"

"Hell no", I thought as I raced out over the waves. I could feel the spray of the waves on my exposed face as I ran. Normally, I would close my eyes and bask in that feeling while I ran but that day all I could think about was getting away. Getting away and forgetting what I had just learned.

Success! Ahead of me I could see a brown vessel throwing up wake as it traversed the waves. It was the boat and it was heading west towards my home city of Freeport.

More importantly, in the hold of the boat was booze!!! Lots and lots of booze!

I raced up a rocky protuberance on an island near the boat to increase my altitude and then soared over the prow of the boat to land gently on the deck. I stopped playing my song and put away my drum. My sudden appearance on the deck caused no alarm because as I suspected, the boat was empty of other players. The server had been around for many years and there were many, many druids and wizards around to get people places faster than this boat ever could. And I had no problem with that. More booze for me! Yay!

I dashed mechanically and unseeing across the deck for the stairs that lead down to the hold.

CRASH!

"Oweeee!" I exclaimed as I inspected my bloody nose looking for a fracture. I had run into a wall. "Damn you, Devs!" I shouted to the heavens, hoping that Nilbog, Rogean, Haynar or any of their pals could hear me. "When are we getting the stinking original boats back?!?!?!"

I, of course, didn't get an answer and was forced to wait on the deck of that non-Classic boat (with no booze I should mention) until the stupid thing zoned into East Freeport.
The sound of seagulls was deafening. Their cacophany was irritating but being under the gray and white birds when they flew by was worse. Way worse.

I considered grabbing some booze at the local pubs. Freeport is my home, after all. I am reasonably well liked around town. Except for in West Freeport. That section of the city is just strange.

I decided on a whim to leave. I had this silly idea that if I ran fast enough, I could leave the memory of the old Druid's revelation behind. I pulled my drum from my bag and and away I went.

Like a ghost, I wound my way through the narrow streets and expansive squares of Freeport.

As I entered the commonlands, I saw players offering to buy this and others offering to sell that. "Oh..." I thought for a moment. "Is that guy selling an Edge of the Nightwalker?" I've been considering buying one for my offhand. I stopped to consider. I heard an animal's feet approaching me from behind and then a howl. A druid in wolf form ran past me on her way to join the excitement in the tunnel. "Druids..." My tormented mind thought and I resumed my running.

Night was falling as I approached the Kithicor Forest and although all of Norrath was shrouded in the halflight of dusk, this forest was already covered in darkness. As I raced through the forest, the undead who haunt these trees at night launched an attack at me and found themselves left far behind as I raced right past them. Heathcliff don't play that!

I won't bore you with the details of the rest of the trip but needless to say, I eventually found myself in Qeynos. My feet were aching and I was out of breath. I was hot and sweaty. Villagers asked me if they could show me to an inn. I just shrugged them off and made my way here. To Crow's.

I heard a man distinctly clear his throat in front of me. I looked up and saw nobody. I thought that was peculiar but probably no more peculiar than some of the other things I thought I had seen in my inebriated state.

"You can be a hard one to find." Said the last voice in the world that I wanted to hear. The old druid appeared in front of me, obviously dropping his invisibility. He may have been a short man but he was almost blocking my view of the painting. "Crows. Playing cards. That makes no sense." I thought again.

"I said". The old druid repeated, "You can be a hard one to find".

"That's not what your wife told me last night", I responded sarcastically.

A moment later, I passed out in a drunken stupor.

[Rygar]

Hmm... 3rd chapter left me puzzled, no new info. Felt like it missed the mark I must say, but keep at it. Love me some RP stories of Norrath.

[xtraball]

Hmm... 3rd chapter left me puzzled, no new info. Felt like it missed the mark I must say, but keep at it. Love me some RP stories of Norrath.

True !! What happened to the elven lass ????

[Carkle Jackson]

Appreciate the feedback. Yes. This is a transitional chapter with a goal of character development and world building. You'll finally learn more about the elven lass in chapter 4.

[maskedmelonpai]

im lieking you story vey much. it feel a lot liek another famous bard I read about. please make sure you get a bath in you next installment. the grease and pee stuff made me unhappy :c

also, crows play cards because they are clever and they are on the backs of a lotta cards too. also, crows can retrieve floating objects from inaccessible spaces by depositing small heavy objects in the water to raise it level. did you know that?

i think too that when you finally find you elven girl again, she should have red hair because it is best.

[skarlorn]

screenshots plz

[xtraball]

screenshots plz

Did that perv druid make a sextape ??

[Carkle Jackson]

The sounds of a city awakening and the blinding rays of the rising sun seemed to assault my senses simultaneously and I opened my eyes. I was laying in a soft bed. I had surmised that much before opening my eyes. Around me was the tasteful yet cheaply acquired decor of an inn. The floor was a hardwood that had been polished to a shine and covering the floor was a rug that had been woven and dyed a deep red and brown.

My clothes had been washed and folded and placed on the top of a bureau. My armor and weapons (looking freshly cleaned and polished), and my bags were sitting in a pile at the base of the bureau where they had been laid carefully.

The squeal of door hinges announced the arrival of a visitor. I looked towards the door and saw a small head covered in shaggy, salt and pepper hair poke into the room and look in my direction.

"Aah! You're awake!" The elderly halfling said and he pushed open the door the rest of the way and let himself into the room. He walked to the side of the room where a simple wooden chair had been set. The chair was similar to the one that I had spent a week in at Crow's but seemingly of a higher quality. The back of the chair was carved with the head of a lion.

The old halfling scooted the chair next to the side of the bed and then (with a lot of struggle) pulled himself up and into the chair. After seating himself comfortably (or as comfortably as a halfling can on a chair made for humans), he reached into the pouch at his waist and pulled out a pipe and what appeared to be a small bag of tobacco scented with spices. He carefully pinched some of the tobacco and dropped it into the bowl of his pipe and then put the stem of the pipe between his wrinkled lips. The old man tucked the bag of tobacco back into his pouch.

Fire flew from the old man's fingertips as he began to cast a spell. An orange light appeared in the bowl of his pipe and the old man began to huff and puff. Smoke began to drift up and out of his pipe. The old man inhaled sharply making his cheeks bulge. The smoke disappeared. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Pulling the pipe from his mouth, he blew out a large but thin stream of smoke with a contented sigh.

"My name is Gidgid. Druid of Rivervale" He began. "And you are Heathcliff. Bard of Freeport. And you are going to help me find my niece, Shantara."

The act of the old man using Flame Lick to light his pipe had been hypnotizing but his words returned me to my senses.

"Are you smoking tobacco or crack, dude?" I asked. I don't consider myself knowledgeable of everything about this server but of one thing I am certain. There is no way that a halfling can have a wood elf niece.

The old halfling snickered. "Okay. Adopted niece." He said. "Her father, Trackros, and I grouped together for many months and over time we became the best of friends. He was a ranger and he saved my life on many occasions. He loved Project 1999 and he encouraged his wife and grown daughter to play. He applied for and was granted an IP exemption so that he and his wife could play together. His daughter lived in an apartment of her own across town. His wife started a high elf cleric named Amberheals and his daughter started a wood elf rogue that she named Shantara. Trackros and I powerleveled Amberheals and Shantara to our levels so that we could all group together."

"Listen, Mother Goose." I interrupted rudely. "I have a terrible hangover and I just want to go back to..."

"The four of us went on many adventures together." He continued as if I had never spoken. "Those were amazing, glorious times but unfortunately, they came to an end. Trackros, Amberheals, Shantara, and I traveled to the dungeon of Old Sebilis to claim the NG camp. After gaining control of the camp, Amberheals announced that she had received a phone call from her work and they needed her to come in. I could heal, of course, so we decided to continue."

"This. Proved. Disastrous." He said with emphasis on each word. "Only a few minutes after Amberheals had camped out and left for work, Trackros made a bad pull and we were almost overwhelmed. We were able to kill off all of the mobs but during the fighting, Trackros was killed."

Tears had started to wet the old halfling's eyes. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, used it to dab his eyes and then blew his nose loudly into it.

"I begged Trackros not to do it!" The Druid wailed. "But he wouldn't listen. He just didn't want the group to end because he had made a sloppy pull."

The old man's head was now in his hands as he sobbed. "So, he alt-tabbed out and then opened a second instance of EverQuest on his same computer. He logged on Amberheals and rezzed himself. He twoboxed! But only long enough to rez himself."

By this point, Gidgid had cried himself out and was beginning to hyperventilate. With a visible effort, he pulled himself together and continued his story. "Trackros had just finished looting his corpse when Braknar appeared out of nowhere. Trackros and I exchanged a glance. We both knew this was bad news. The next thing I knew, the four of us were in The Estate of Unrest and Braknar was demanding that we run figure eights around the fountains. Trackros, Shantara, and I ran smoothly. We looked like figure skaters. But Amberheals... Oh Amberheals!" He wailed. "She kept bumping into walls and falling into the fountains."

Gidgid sniffled loudly and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. I made note of which hand it was so that I would remember to cut it off if he tried to touch me with it.

"Trackros cast me a furtive glance." Gidgid said. "Then he quickly whispered. 'Watch over Shantara for me!' A 'LD' appeared above his and Amberheals' heads and they were gone. Forever. Braknar turned to Shantara and I (and the assembled throng of Unrest) and said loudly, 'Pro Tip kids. Don't twobox!' Then he was gone."

"We were horrified!" Gidgid spat. "We were in shock! Without a word, I ported Shantara and I to the West Commonlands. She had an amazing internet connection and a solid state hard drive. By the time I had finished zoning, she was already gone. I searched everywhere for her. Every continent. I ported to every Druid portal. Nothing. Nobody had seen her. I decided on one last place to look for her. A place that I knew she'd always loved. A place where I knew she had made fond memories. I took the boat from the Butcherblock Mountains to the Sister Isle in the Ocean of Tears."

He leaned forward (looking me directly in my eyes) and said in a solemn voice. "And there I found YOU."

[xtraball]

So Shantara is the Elven lass ?

[Carkle Jackson]

Without saying a word, the old man lifted the bottom flap of his tunic exposing the skin of his stomach. There on his stomach was an unmistakable scar. The scar was in the shape of two names and a heart. One of those names was mine. The other was the name of the wood elf lass. "Shantara", it said. At last! Her name!

xtraball... From the end of chapter 2. Emphasis added.

[xtraball]

Ohhhhh... OK.

She's disappeared then.... why ???

[Lhancelot]

This is great I like how you weave modern day technology and words with the EQ vernacular and lore. It's engaging and fun to read. :)

[Carkle Jackson]

Ohhhhh... OK.

She's disappeared then.... why ???

Sounds like the grief at losing her parents so tragically. But where did she go? Why hasn't she returned? And what does the old halfling want from Heathcliff? All of these questions and more will be answered in future chapters.

[Carkle Jackson]

This is great I like how you weave modern day technology and words with the EQ vernacular and lore. It's engaging and fun to read. :)

Thanks Lhancelot! I'm trying to not do true RP and not do the story of a guy playing a video. I'm trying to find some middle ground. One that allows for the full immersion into the game and gaming concepts while still being aware the whole time that this is JUST A GAME.

[Jimjam]

I continue to enjoy this story, and like Lhancelot like how you break the barriers between RP and RL. I look forward to further instalments!

[Lhancelot]

Thanks Lhancelot! I'm trying to not do true RP and not do the story of a guy playing a video. I'm trying to find some middle ground. One that allows for the full immersion into the game and gaming concepts while still being aware the whole time that this is JUST A GAME.

I see! I admire this ability, I don't think I could straddle the line between the two and keep the story engaging etc.

[xtraball]

Sounds like the grief at losing her parents so tragically. But where did she go? Why hasn't she returned? And what does the old halfling want from Heathcliff? All of these questions and more will be answered in future chapters.

OK. Can't wait ! Keep up the good work !

[maskedmelonpai]

so, the old druid, he undressed you and washed you stuffs? did he wash you too? sound like you all cleaned up so that is good. sorry to hear the Druids friend boxed :/ did shantara re-roll cause she couldn't bear the grief nomore? when we gonna learn this mysterious little man's name? is the carpet on you innroom floor finely woven, or is it a more coarse weave?

im enjoying the story so far ^^ gonna give it two melons :3





(a note on melons: they are valued at a higher rate than stars)

[Lhancelot]

(a note on melons: they are valued at a higher rate than stars)

One melon is worth 2.5 stars, right?

[Carkle Jackson]

"My name is Gidgid. Druid of Rivervale" He began. "And you are Heathcliff. Bard of Freeport. And you are going to help me find my niece, Shantara."

Hello Maskedmelonpai! Please see the above quote from chapter 4. Emphasis added. I intend to answer all of the questions you posted in the next part.

[p.pumpjob]

whats ur problem dude