« Trinsic Smithy in Rough Situation | Main | 3 Subjects »
February 4, 1998
Raistlin
Tonight we had a big “guild hunt.” There was Big Bub, Chaft, Master of Puppets, Milton, Mr. Christian, and me (Nobody). We Recalled to Shame, making quite a showing in an impressive sea of orange. We were later joined by some others who are not Britannia Search & Rescue guildmembers, including Kodiak and one grey-cloaked gentleman in-particular (I’ll get back to him in a moment). The night went successfully—until 3 of our members fell against a Poison Elemental. We recovered enormously well, and were successfully assisted at this point by that same grey-cloaked gentleman. After Recalling to the Trinsic Bank, new member Chaft was sworn-in inside a nearby mansion, and the group split up for the night.
The reason I make special note of the grey-cloaked gentleman is not because of who he is, but because of who he was. He has been known to the (virtual) world-at-large as Raistlin, one of the most notorious PKs on Baja. In fact, he’s taken me out twice. But, contrary to what you might expect, we did not fight. There was no malice. We just hung out. He spoke of quitting the game soon, seemingly as weary as I. He was looking for a group a little more honest and good to be with. We both spoke of how long we had been playing: he since Atlantic went up, and myself since the end of the Beta. After our guildmembers recovered their stuff and Chaft was sworn-in, the group broke up for the night. I took “Raistlin” up on his invitation to see his Keep. We recalled to the Arctic Isle and took a quick tour of his home. It was big and mostly empty, admittedly too much for one person. We sat on the battlement facing the shore and chatted for awhile. To stretch a point, we shared something like one of those moments in literature where two arch-enemies, grown world-weary and questioning their existence, meet at the end of a long series of stories. He soon excused himself, citing how the emptiness of the castle was depressing, and took his leave. I left soon after.
I’m happy with the members of the BS&R, and the BS&R certainly is successful. But there’s a feeling I can’t describe when your enemy talks to you about being unsatisfied with his (virtual) life, when he talks about giving up his old ways and joining you before he exists no more. Something like...all the loose ends of the plot are being wrapped up before the story comes to an end. A sense of impending closure.
Posted by Keith at February 4, 1998 12:01 PM