One of my earliest roleplaying memories from way back when I first started playing WoW and wound up on a little server called Silver Hand, was a paladin named Sorox. He was a heavy roleplayer and a nice guy who developed an intense, strictly in-character rivalry with one of my fellow guildies and officers. That really stuck to me at the time. I was a new player and a new roleplayer, and here was this crazy rivalry that continued to manifest itself through the months. That, I thought, was pretty awesome, and certainly inspired me to start tentatively roleplaying myself. He had other characters, too, and while I never knew him as well as many others, to say that I knew of him and respected him as a fellow roleplayer and a good person would be an understatement.
Today, I heard some horrible news. By way of a fluke accident, he had wound up in the hospital, in a coma. The entire server had him in their collective thoughts and prayers… but it was not to be, and he passed away.
So when I learned of a memorial walk to be held in his honor, I went.
We all did.
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow,
across Northrend’s bright and shining snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
on Westfall’s fields of golden grain.
I am in the morning hush,
of Stranglethorn’s jungle, green and lush.
I am in the drums loud and grand,
the thunderous hooves across Nagrand.
I am the stars warmly gleaming,
over Darnassus softly dreaming.
I am in the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I do not die.
–Alicia’s Poem
My fellow Silver Handers who I have linked this to, I did not know Ryan as well as I would have liked. But the seeing the community get together like this was simply amazing. And for that, I thank you.
This is Silver Hand, and this is WoW.
-Tawyn
It is very refreshing to see, in this day and age, that something like this can be done without it being ruined by selfish, apathetic, malicious sub-humans.
To the population of Silver Hand, I raise my drink to you.
/salute
Oh, how sad. 🙁 It’s nice to see so many people on Silver Hand banding together and memorializing him like that, though.
/salutes as well
That’s quite moving.
And a real, vivid answer to those who say online friendships aren’t real friendships…
Humanity can take many forms.
In a game, it can take many racial forms.
In a world where someone leaves unexpectedly and humanity shows up to honor and respect that person – I can only sigh and be thankful that humanity becomes the light in a dark room.
To the friends and families on Silver Hand, you have honor and respect. Humanity at it’s finest hour.
I am sorry for the loss of your friend, may he rest in peace.
Just because they are eletronic, that does not make the pain any less, or them any less of friends.
/salute
The darkness can be pushed away when we see how people who may never meet can feel the collective loss of a friend, face to face is not needed to make great friends….i hold back the tears and saulute you all for showing us that friendship knows no bounds. Rest in peace, you will never be gone for you shall live thru those who loved you.
Pike. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your friends family. Thank you for sharing this touching reminder that even RP and Online friends are still friends.
Peace. Very, very moving. My thoughts are with you and all your friends.
So young. So very much too young. 🙁 My condolences to all who knew him.
Amid all the relentless, jaded cynicism; the sociopathy so intense that at times it makes you wonder whether love still exists at all, anywhere on this planet…Occasionally a small group of human beings prove that the Joker was wrong, and that we are redeemable.