Ghosts

F

Firebrand

Cosmic Madman!
Adventurer
Joined
Sep 11, 2005
Messages
218
Location
Dallas, Texas
I'm ruminating more than anything else right now, thinking of those who went before. I think a lot about people who helped me learn to play, and then helped me learn to be a better, and better, player - not only with respect to skills, but even more with respect to working with, and helping, others. These memories all have to do with constructive feedback, help and encouragement. Those players were people who were mentors, guides and friends to me. They were people I came to trust absolutely and whom I looked up to.

Most, but not quite all, of those old mentors and friends have moved on to other things. Now, when I walk, and play, and party, and quest, and help others, I feel like I walk in the sun, but I still walk in the shadows cast by those admirable players.

It's a bittersweet feeling that I've experienced more and more frequently of late, and I wonder if others have felt the same thing, and how they have dealt with it.

lol and I don't know where to put this post. It's not a flame, and it may or may not be a good-times type of post. I wonder how many of us have felt the same thing, and how people have responded to these things.

I hope I won't regret posting this, but I really am curious whether I'm alone in these kinds of perceptions.

All the best,
Fire
 
I can't really relate. My mentor and teacher for practically everything in this game has been my bf Xean who brought me to the game. I have learned things here and there from others, and on my own but when it comes to understanding how to play the game and the jobs the person who taught me all I know is still the person who plays with me. (Actually, he only continues to play because of me, lol)

I do however notice that some good friends have moved on to other things, and you can feel their absence whether it be from the linkshell you were always in, or from the game period.

I think most people deal with the absence by staying in touch on IM (I personally don't though, I hate using those programs too distracting and I definitely can't multi-task) or by email. If the people are still playing the game, but have simply moved on to another area and joined up with another linkshell I think most people just send /tells when they're bored and look on their flist to see who's online.

Hope I didn't misunderstand your post @_@
 
i've mentored more players then i can remember. it one of the things i love doing the most actually. i like seeing them improve and i feel i reteach myself the same lessons i give them. also it makes me remember how it felt when i first learned the things i show them. :biggrin:
 
It's good to acknowledge the people that have forged us, because if it weren't for their time, effort and company we wouldn't be what we are today.
 
Lately I've been thinking about how I started in FFXI. First time entering getting caught up in the opening CS, then taking 30mins to figure out how to move... And when finally able to move finding how cool the music was (Hey, I just started out the music was cool back then). Next step I took was talking to the NPCs and doing the quests getting excited when I got money to buy the armor and weapons from NPCs or armor and weapon rewards from NPCs. When I was high enough I entered Dunes and the FFXI life was changed.

Meeting people and getting advice from strangers on how to voke and why food is helpful changed my thinking. Advice on equipment, what to use and not changed my character. Keep in mind these were parties in Dunes and Qufim when they were crowded with 200 people. I remember complete strangers helping out with my sub job quest until I got all the items. Then getting my first LS and learning more about the game from them. Having them help out with unlocking Jobs, and advice on which job is for you. As I partied more I learned more from watching how players did their jobs at Healing, Tanking and DD.

Looking back I can't believe how much of a noob I was, but then again the feeling I had back then was nothing compared to now. The feeling of entering a world that was unknown it was excitment and enjoy from a kid.
 
I was thinking about the same the other day too. I started this game on my own, no other RL friends played it, so I met people as I went along. My first two good friends that mentored and helped me a lot at the start of the game were two Mithras, bf and gf, by the name of Tobby and Tabby.

They also had previous chars before that, but when I started, they spotted me, since I was playing RDM and later on they wanted to static with my Rdm a little later on.

Since we met from exp ptys more than once, as their drk and pld were around the same lvl as my rdm at the time, they also decided to help me with other things like Kazham keys, Missions, and sub quests, and after the first month I started playing, I created my own social LS which was successful for about 3-4 months, and they moved from theirs to join mine and would help out the LS greatly.

These two don't play anymore sadly, they come on from time to time, then are gone for quite a while, I'm hoping that they possibly would come back again, which they could.. Tobby didn't care for end game or anything extra, he liked the basics of the game and lvlled just about everything to 20 or 30, even twice with some jobs on a different character race.

Nostalgia sometimes could be a bittersweet feeling, to return to the past with your old friends and those times when the game really felt more like home, and the fresh new start of adventure and learning.

Now when we look back, we laugh at our noobish days since we're far more advanced since then, but those noob days were once fun too. It was the Summerbreeze festival when I first started this game about two years ago, so during the last Summerbreeze fest, the music and fireworks really reminded me a lot when I started again, and I do hope they have another one this year to bring me back to the past...
 
When I first came to Valkurm I met a tarutaru white mage. I was a Warrior. I remember I didn't even know what a Skillchain was. Competetion for Subjobs was fierce, and Ghouls would always spawn claimed. Every night we searched for the skull. Unknowingly, we had formed a static party.

WAR WAR MNK
WHM BLM RDM

Finally, we all gathered the Subjob items.

Since we had spent so much time together, we also leveled our subjobs together.

The first time we went to Jeuno, we were wiped out twice. I can still clearly remember the shouts of joy when we finally reached Jeuno after the long struggle. To commemorate, we all scrounged up every last gil we had, and purchased an LS. The Taru WHM who lost the dice roll became our leader. It was fun.

I thought we would be together forever.

Was it around the time the Taru WHM had learned teleports? Gradually, we all drifted apart. The cause was the Taru WHM. Always quiet and calm, she started to avoid daily repetitive, killing and leveling up. Without realizing, the gap was too big. The other members who wanted to get stronger, become high level, could no longer party. The level gap became too wide.

One day, she suddenly made an announcement.

"I'm sorry, I'm no longer useful... please find another WHM."

Even before she made the announcement, our members had started to grow apart. We continued competing with each other. Now, when I think about it, I don't know why we wanted it so badly. I think I just wanted to become more powerful. First one person left, then another, then I too found another LS. Finally I maxed out warrior. The Zilart expansion hadn't even come out yet. Since I had achieved my goal, I decided to level THF in order to make money. Then Zilart came out.

My THF was level 58. Wanting to explore the new zones, and because THF had the ability to "Flee", I decided to go as THF. Returning to my hometown of Bastok, through Korroloka, I arrived in Altepa. I had no map. I didnt know where anything was. Aimlessly wandering around, I happened to find the telepoint.

But there was something else there.

...my old friend, the Taru WHM.

She was in WHM AF, sitting there quietly. Next to her name was a familiar colored LS dot.

It was the LS we made together.

No, it must have been a similar colored LS. But somehow, I had also knew it wasn't.

She noticed me. She smiled at me warmly. Then a tell came.

Long time, no see. You look like you are doing well ^^

Maybe she realized unpleasant memories of me. She started to /cry.

I'm sorry bout then. I really wanted to apologize. If someday we met again, there was something I had to tell you.

In the glow of the telepoint, she held a small taru child, with odd hume facial features...

You're the father...
 
well most of the people that taught me this game still play. ^^; I remember lots of noob moments I had in KinkLink, Fire. First two days i couldnt even walk around without going on /follow (laptop controls ftl D:.). then when I was using my mouse pad to steer, walk, and fight >.> we did the Naked-Race from Sandy to Jeuno. first time I ever saw a Teleport Crag.. WAs running with you and Kink and I go.. "WTF IS THAT?!" in Ls chat XD!

That was probably one of my favorite moments in this game :). I died more then anyone else, but damn it, i got to Jeuno! XD

That was my first LS in ffxi, and probably my favorite. I know we've broken up and all, but without the people in Kinklink, i probably woulda quit this game a long time ago.

big thanks to Kink, Fire, Des, Beka, Nogard, Isac, and Domi <3 ya'll made me love this game! /end emo moment^^/
 
When I first came to Valkurm I met a tarutaru white mage. I was a Warrior. I remember I didn't even know what a Skillchain was. Competetion for Subjobs was fierce, and Ghouls would always spawn claimed. Every night we searched for the skull. Unknowingly, we had formed a static party.

WAR WAR MNK
WHM BLM RDM

Finally, we all gathered the Subjob items.

Since we had spent so much time together, we also leveled our subjobs together.

The first time we went to Jeuno, we were wiped out twice. I can still clearly remember the shouts of joy when we finally reached Jeuno after the long struggle. To commemorate, we all scrounged up every last gil we had, and purchased an LS. The Taru WHM who lost the dice roll became our leader. It was fun.

I thought we would be together forever. But suddenly a couple of guys who were up to no good started making trouble in my neighborhood. I got in one little fight and my mom got scared and she said "you're moving with your auntie and uncle in bel-air!"
 
Legomyeggo said:
When I first came to Valkurm I met a tarutaru white mage. I was a Warrior. I remember I didn't even know what a Skillchain was. Competetion for Subjobs was fierce, and Ghouls would always spawn claimed. Every night we searched for the skull. Unknowingly, we had formed a static party.

WAR WAR MNK
WHM BLM RDM

Finally, we all gathered the Subjob items.

Since we had spent so much time together, we also leveled our subjobs together.

The first time we went to Jeuno, we were wiped out twice. I can still clearly remember the shouts of joy when we finally reached Jeuno after the long struggle. To commemorate, we all scrounged up every last gil we had, and purchased an LS. The Taru WHM who lost the dice roll became our leader. It was fun.

I thought we would be together forever.

Was it around the time the Taru WHM had learned teleports? Gradually, we all drifted apart. The cause was the Taru WHM. Always quiet and calm, she started to avoid daily repetitive, killing and leveling up. Without realizing, the gap was too big. The other members who wanted to get stronger, become high level, could no longer party. The level gap became too wide.

One day, she suddenly made an announcement.

"I'm sorry, I'm no longer useful... please find another WHM."

Even before she made the announcement, our members had started to grow apart. We continued competing with each other. Now, when I think about it, I don't know why we wanted it so badly. I think I just wanted to become more powerful. First one person left, then another, then I too found another LS. Finally I maxed out warrior. The Zilart expansion hadn't even come out yet. Since I had achieved my goal, I decided to level THF in order to make money. Then Zilart came out.

My THF was level 58. Wanting to explore the new zones, and because THF had the ability to "Flee", I decided to go as THF. Returning to my hometown of Bastok, through Korroloka, I arrived in Altepa. I had no map. I didnt know where anything was. Aimlessly wandering around, I happened to find the telepoint.

But there was something else there.

...my old friend, the Taru WHM.

She was in WHM AF, sitting there quietly. Next to her name was a familiar colored LS dot.

It was the LS we made together.

No, it must have been a similar colored LS. But somehow, I had also knew it wasn't.

She noticed me. She smiled at me warmly. Then a tell came.

Long time, no see. You look like you are doing well ^^

Maybe she realized unpleasant memories of me. She started to /cry.

I'm sorry bout then. I really wanted to apologize. If someday we met again, there was something I had to tell you.

In the glow of the telepoint, she held a small taru child, with odd hume facial features...

You're the father...
Click to expand...

Where is the dragoons, and the sex?
 
My start in FFXI had no players to mentor me, only a vast adventure waiting to begin. I was fortunate to start with my RL friend Nycon. We both started on the Xbox beta server. This server was new, no economy(the only money came from quests and a lot of them), no choco license, not even a person with a subjob. It started with over 1000 newbs without a clue in the world. It was great!!

Job and Partying. Black Mage was my first job. My first party was in the best place.. The Maze of Shakrami. Maze makers were no match for the power of this taru blm... at least until I was destroyed by Stonega. Barstonra? What is that LOL. Later I would learn that spell and MPK my pt at the Oasis in the dunes. Poison Leeches and crabs everywhere and I can Stonega >.< Other places that were used to level were Inner Horutotto Ruins. Goblins were the target and there would be 2-5 parties trying to get them.

Next was the sub job quest. I joined an alliance just into level 14. We killed Mighty Rarabs for hours to get everyone a tail. I gained level 15 by the time were done. Then it was off to Bull Dhalmels. Being an uber nuber blm I didn't understand what hate was... I soon learned the hard way about nuking a freshly pulled Bull Dhalmel as a taru blm. I level'd and delevel'd over 8 times before we got our spit. This alliance had one last fight before disbanding. Our first Bogy... we got pwned horribly. We never got that damn robe until a week or 2 later. I remember collecting the worm and apron from the dunes in parties there, only to get out lotted every pt for the skull. The parties in Gusgen mines fighting Ghouls that just wouldn't drop a skull. Finally there was a 25 Rdm that could solo the bogy's. He kindly helped another friend and I to get our robes. It was a day that truly was unbelievable because my sub was already level'd. I had already hit 20 on blm and 17 on whm.

The Ferry from Mhaura to Selbina. What an adventure this was. Pirates and Sea Horrors and know one knew what aggro or MPK was. People would fish and fight the mobs for exp. They would get aggro and think you could run away from the monsters. The cargo hold was the most dangerous place to be. People would constantly get aggro and run to the hold and proceed to MPK everyone around. I myself found solitude in that entry way to the ship. I could most of the time safely stand there and cast my magic to raise enhancing skill.

The first trip to Jeuno and Qufim. My first trip was with a group of 5 of us. The only route we knew was through Jugner forest. We made it as far as Batallia before we were mercilessly killed by a tiger. HP to windy and wait for another day. I finally made it to Jeuno. It wasn't much. It was a ghost town. The AH was bare. No sneak oils, no prizm powders, nothing. The streets were empty except for the few people headed for Qufim. Everyone was doing the Tarut card quest so it was and easy thing to finish. Hundreds of people in Qufim fighting anything that would move. The front of Delkuftt's Tower was litterally lined with parties. We had to be close to the zone when our members started dying LOL. The first time zoning into Delkuftt's was amazing. The first true CS I had gotten so far.

The starter cities was where all the action was. Those towns were packed with people shouting for quests and missions. They were the only places to get any items and you had to go to the respective city for crafted items. The dragon fight was a huge deal in all the cities. No one knew what to expect in that fight but it was truly a big deal.

Khazam keys were a nightmare. No one had them. So as you can imagine any place that dropped them was literally packed with people trying kill the mobs. Giddeus and Palborough were easy enough and fairly quick. The Ghelsba key on the other hand was not. I spent 8hrs straight killing orcs to get my key. I almost had a full set of Lizard armor by the time I got my key.

The first airship ride was the best. No monsters to worry about, just enjoy the ride and look over the railings.

The jungles went much slower than they would on this server. Getting Exp Chain #1 was almost unheard of as everyone rested to full after every fight. Finally I dinged 30 and could do Advanced job quests. My party ended after I dinged 31 so that was ok.

I spent 10-12 hours killing leeches in Buburimu to get my carby ruby. Then spent a couple hours getting all the colors except ice. I had tried to walk into Rangeumont pass but was met with a swift and painful death upon entering(powders and oils were too expensive and i didn't have the gil for them). I found a rdm that needed that color so we set off. They casted loldeodorize, sneak, and invis on us both and we somehow made it through. We got our ice color and on our way back I got aggro and was killed. It didn't matter because I could be a smn.

The lv 20 smn quests were crazy hard because I had no idea about juice and there were no juices like Yagudo drinks that i knew of. I purchased Hi-Ethers and set off only to get beat down multiple times by Titan. I then just put those aside and used carby to 25. I was invited to parties all the time as smn/blm and carby was a great DD >.>. I got smn to 25 and would level it no further until I had more summons.

Soon Hydra was to be no more as we all be moved to other worlds. It was time to make preparations to be able to survive on these servers as I had heard about the economies(you could buy a spool of silk thread for as little as 300 gil and a stack of dark crystals for 600). I farmed for about a week collecting stacks of items I thought would be worth a good chunk of change on this server. It paid off in the end. I had a total of 100k when I started farming and bought enough storage space items that I was left with under 2k. After the migration I put my stuff up on the auction and I was up to 300k within a couple days with more to sell.

I was in a few different LS's before I truly found my first true home. It was in Angermanagement. I was invited to a party by some JP's and there was 1 english speaking Elvaan named Oasise in the party. It was a good party but time to eat in Japan couldn't wait the extra 600 exp I needed to level. Oasise asked me if I wanted to come with him while he PL'd himself to finish off his level. I was more than happy to go do that. After we finished getting our levels, he asked if I wanted to adventure around a bit, and of course I said yes. He brought out his smn in full Hobo gear which completely had me hooked on smn now. We messed around a bit out in Altepa and killed a few anticans. The next thing I konw he is offering to trade with me and there was my pearl.

After joining this group I found I laughed so hard from the antics going on in this shell. They weren't always talkative but when they were, watch out. I met others including Daywalker, Noelani, Samson, Isomiau, Paleblue, and many others. I was pretty much the only newb in the group and these peeps weren't always able to help me out, but I got along fairly well on my own. Day, Noe, Sam all helped me with some the BS that is involved with AF quests and coffer keys. Iso brought me out and help me get my very first Avatar, Ifrit, and Paleblue made me my gear Igqira weskit and Demon Helm when I got high enough levels.

I'm no longer in that shell, and these peeps all still play. I see them from time to time, but not as much as I used to. I just wanted to share my story and I hope you got a good laugh, I know I did.

Peace,
Shmed

*Edit* Enormous wall of text >.< No ones going to read this novel LMAO.
 
I had a mentor when i started... kind of. Nicest dude i've meet on this game. Shadowzkull. I joined this server cause an buddy of mine was here and i joined his LS which shadow was the leader of. I swear to god that dude would leave a party if he was 20 exp tnl to help with something. He and another dude named janus and perciva all helped me do pretty much everything i needed up until i was about 60. From AF to Missions to what have you. Then i took a break and when i came back shadow was gone haven't seen him since.
 
I read it Shmed. When the 360 migration happened why did you choose Quetzal?
 
romperstomper said:
I read it Shmed. When the 360 migration happened why did you choose Quetzal?
Click to expand...

Sure did. Germ, Redrocksbum, and Stahi were already here and we all grew up in the same town so it was only fitting I come here.

When the migration happend, we were given about a week and a half to either pick a server or it would randomly put us on one.

Peace, and thanks for reading my wall of text lol.
Shmed
 
shmedly said:
Sure did. Germ, Redrocksbum, and Stahi were already here and we all grew up in the same town so it was only fitting I come here.

When the migration happend, we were given about a week and a half to either pick a server or it would randomly put us on one.

Peace, and thanks for reading my wall of text lol.
Shmed
Click to expand...

Does that mean you're joining Fury? :P
 
romperstomper said:
Does that mean you're joining Fury? :P
Click to expand...

Nope. Unfortunately there are 3 members of Fury that I have a general dislike for and I believe the feeling is mutual. It might cause drama and there is enough drama in endgame without adding to it.

Peace,
Shmed
 
Screw it I'm posting it here. It's a damn funny story this way

I'm tired of Meeting Again. It's too old. Outdated. Doesn't cater to today's audience. Needs more violence, more sex, more dragoons.

And so, I have decided to undertake the monumental task of rewriting Meeting Again. Please understand that I aim to stay truthful to the original message, and leave most of the original script untouched. However, I will expand upon the plot of the original with more action, as the true Meeting Again is mostly a string of observations and flashbacks. Perhaps some day some one will even offer to turn it into a Flash video (/em crosses fingers).

Now, I present to you, Meeting Again: Redux.

--------

When I first came to Valkurm, I met a Tarutaru White Mage. I was a Warrior. I remember that I didn't even know what a Skillchain was.

Competition for Subjob items was fierce, and Ghouls would always spawn claimed. Every night we searched for the skull. Unknowingly, we had formed a static party.

WAR WAR MNK
WHM BLM RDM.

Finally, we all gathered the Subjob items. Since we had spent so much time together, we also leveled our subjobs together.

The first time we went to Jeuno, we were wiped out twice. I can still clearly remember the shouts of joy when we finally reached Jeuno after the long struggle. To commemorate, we all scrounged up every last Gil we had, and purchased a LS. The Taru WHM who lost the dice roll became our leader.

It was fun. I thought we would be together forever...

The dragoon to my left jabbed me in the ribs with his spear, and suddenly my mind returned to Altepa Desert. That's right, I remember now. I was exploring the desert when I saw her again - the Tarutaru white mage. Too distracted by nostalgia, the gil-sellers had managed to get the jump on me, and now I was their hostage.

"Ni hao!" shouted the dragoon behind me.

"Easy, fella... I may be resistant to piercing like everything else, but I still have my pride."

This earned me a hard smack to the head. Way to go, bub. Really thinkin' your way out of this jam, aren't you?

"Don't hurt him," said the white mage. "Finish searching his gobbiebag, but I want a word with my old friend alone..."

"Ni hao!" shouted one of the dragoons in protest.

"He doesn't have his great axe," she told him. "He won't try anything funny."

That's good - she thought I was still a warrior. I'll be able to use this to my advantage, I thought, but first... I wanted answers.

Memories came flooding back as I approached her. Was it around the time when the Taru WHM learned Teleports? Gradually, we all drifted apart.

The cause was the Taru WHM. Always quiet and calm, she started to avoid daily repetitive, killing, and leveling up. Without realizing, soon the gap was too big. The other members who wanted to get stronger, become high level, could no longer party. The level gap became too wide.

One day, she suddenly made an announcement. "I'm sorry. I'm no longer useful... please find another WHM."

Even before she made the announcement, our members had started to grow apart. We continued competing with each other. Now, when I think about it, I don't know why we wanted it so badly. I think I just wanted to become more powerful.

First one person left, then another, then I too found another LS. I crossed paths with many of my old comrades on my way to maxing out my Warrior. The white mage, however, disappeared forever.
Until today, that is.

She was in WHM AF, sitting there quietly. Next to her name was a familiar colored LS dot.

It was the LS we made together.

No, it must have been a similar colored LS. But somehow, I knew it wasn't. She noticed me. She smiled warmly at me.

"Long time no see," she tells me. "You look like you are doing well."

"Not well enough," I say, casting a glance over my shoulder at the team of dragoons looting my gobbiebag so that she knew what I was talking about, and like, didn't think there were other problems.

"I'm sorry about back then. I really wanted to apologize. If someday we met again, there was something I had to tell you."

What happened since then? What were her thoughts then?

"I am an adventurer of Vana'Diel," she said.

Of course. I am one too, I thought. However, her idea of 'adventurer' and mine were very different.

"Valkurm was fun. We didn't know our left from our right, thinking together we found the way. But then we went to Jeuno, doing the same thing everyday. We didn't have any spare time. Because I got the teleports, I thought we could all travel the world. But everyone was caught up with leveling... I wanted to see more of the world. There has to be places we have yet to discover. I thought it would be good if we could share that together. I still remember when we saw that rainbow in La Theine. I wanted to experience that again, with everyone..."

When I heard this I was shocked. I remembered back to my days before I quit the linkshell. I was touched when we first got to Jeuno. But after that, did finding a new place matter to me? When I first came to a place, I just thought of it as a new hunting ground. The stone monuments, which detail the history of each area, was just a means to finish the quest for the Crawler's Nest map.

When did I forget what being an adventurer meant?

In the LS we all made, the last one to remain was the BLM. But eventually we all left, until it was only the WHM. She continued it all by herself, but as I saw now, she didn't stay alone.

My mind finally snapped back to reality: I had to escape, and now was the chance.

Her mind clouded with memories of better times, the white mage didn't notice me pull out my pistol. I flung my other arm around her waist and pulled her to my chest. The dragoons were quick, but they weren't close enough to do anything. I placed the pistol against the white mage's temple, and they backed down.

"Not a warrior anymore, huh?" the white mage chuckled.

"Things are not what they used to be, huh?" I answered. "My belongings."

The white mage managed a nod, and shouted the familiar "Ni hao" to her companions. They gathered my items and returned them to the gobbiebag, tossing it at my feet. I kept the pistol pressed to the white mage, and bent down over the bag. Without instructions, she picked up the bag for me. Smart girl.

I slowly worked my way toward their chocobos, keeping an eye behind me in case there were more I hadn't seen. Dragoons often traveled in large packs because they're weak and gil-sellers, but I counted six chocobos and five dragoons, so I appeared to be safe. I placed the white mage on one of the chocobos, and swung myself up into the saddle behind her.

"You boys forget about following me, all right? Once I get where I need to be, I'll let her go, and she'll meet you right back here at the telepoint."

I waved my gun at the dragoons watching me helplessly - they backed up a bit more, and I think they got the message. With a quick kick of my heels, the chocobo let out a wark and began racing away from my captors. I was finally free, but I knew it wouldn't be long before the dragoons followed my tracks and caught up to me. I knew of an outpost near here, and if I could make it that far, I should be in the clear.

We rode in silence for hours, watching the sun shift from one half of the sky to the other because that's what happens when lots of time passes. Luck was apparently on my side, as there was still no sign of the dragoons. We reached the outpost without incident, and the guards happily made arrangements for me to spend the night because they had nothing better to do.

We settled into our room, and after a dinner provided by the guards, I broke the silence.

"I believe I interrupted your story." She quietly nodded, but didn't speak. "Why gil sellers? And why did you still use our linkshell... the one we made together?"

"Because this is a special LS. I have been invited to many linkshell, but I turned them all down. One day, someone will return and I could say, 'Welcome back.'"

I became embarrassed. I had forgotten all about her, and everyone else too. I even threw away the pearl long ago.

"I traveled the world by myself. Whenever I found something new I would report it on the linkshell. Even though no one was listening."

She laughed at this, and I knew she was being completely honest. I said nothing, and just sat there while she continued.

"I've found out many things. The history of Davoi, the story of the towers in Beaucedine and Sarutabaruta..."

The Taru white mage happily told me her stories, and I felt myself become jealous. Her expression was so genuine and real. The sense of adventure I lost, she was sure to still have it. I had my own tales, of course, but none were happy. Nothing but the blood of monsters and the Gods themselves on my hands, and I had tried to wash that all away when I left the life of the Warrior behind me. Those memories still haunted me, and to think that my life could have gone down a different path had I stayed with her.

"I was so alone, xephoid," she started to cry. "No matter where I turned, I was shunned for my low levels. I was called n00b, and gimp, and sometimes worse... All the adventure in the world would not satisfy me... not without friends."

My eyes shifted away as her tears fell. She was too wrapped up in her tale to notice the guilt on my face, but it was there: big time. We had done this to this poor girl. I had done this. I spent so many years absorbed with the sins I had made against myself that I never once thought of the crimes I had committed against others.

She composed herself enough to finish her story, but I already knew how it ended.

"Gimp... That's what they called me," she continued. "And that's what they call them, the dragoons. It started with a simple teleport request, and then they invited me along to help sell gil. I was desperate, xephoid, you have to see that."

She completely broke down after that, and probably would have kept crying into the night. But I found myself in love with this Taru white mage, this friend from so long ago. I scooped her up in my arms, and she gasped in awe. Our eyes locked, and the tears slowly stopped.

Then we started making out furiously. Later that night, we totally made love. It was pretty hot.

After a few hours of Taru-lovemakin', I turned to my lover and nervously asked her if she could once again give me a linkpearl.

"Next time you go adventuring, please take me with you," I said to her. "I know it is a shameful and selfish request, but I have to be there... I need you."

She just smiled and produced a linkpearl from the linkshell at the side of the bed.

The color...

The color brings back memories.

And that's when the dragoon Super Jumped my new girlfriend from above.

Her blood splashed my face, and I watched in horror as she tried to call out for me. Her life ended almost instantly afterwards, and I was inches from her as it happened. I screamed with 25% horror and 75% fury. The fury won over, and I rolled out of the bed, naked from the previous lovemakin'.

Not a moment too late, either, as another dragoon came crashing down on the bed, and the other three crashed through various windows like they do in the movies. I leapt towards the shelves where I had my equipment, and grabbed the pieces that I would need to kill the dragoons who just killed my Taru white mage girlfriend.

It was payback time. Payback, with a side of vengeance.

The rage within me grew. Memories of bloodshed returned to my hands, and they were eager to spill some more. I may not be a level 75 Warrior anymore, but I still had the instincts. With a mighty battle cry, I began the slaughter.

"KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELHAUL!"

I threw an anchor at the dragoon who Super Jumped my girlfriend. It caught him right against the jaw, and he stood there unable to attack for 30 seconds. He would be the last. I would make sure of it.

The other dragoons watched this in horror, and the one dragoon who tried to Super Jump me on the bed cried out in terror.

"NI HAO! NI HAO! PIRATE CLASS!"

I first produced my pistols, and then produced my rapier. I said, "stand and deliver, or Promathia he may take ya."

The four remaining dragoons rushed me, so I used my level 40 Harpoon skill to pin the second dragoon on the bed against the wall. I quickly run him through with my sword, and leave it in his chest so I can take up both pistols.

"Pirates get Barrage at level 60 when they sub ranger!" I shout as a create a whirlwind of gunfire. Two more dragoons drop, and another shot to the forehead takes out the last one.

I turn around to see the Keelhaul 2 hour ability wear off the first dragoon. I try to reload my pistols, but he thrusts his spear at my head, forcing me to tumble away from the bed. This causes me to drop both guns to my side, and gives him the opportunity to Jump onto my body. 100 damage.

"Ni hao," he says triumphantly. He raises the spear above his head, determined to strike the finishing blow. Before I can act, the spear comes down towards my face...

...but stabs harmlessly to the side of me.

"You forget," I inform the awed dragoon. "You have terrible accuracy because you can't equip accuracy items."

I grab the pistols at my side and unleash a hail of gunfire on the dragoon. He flies back across the room, and impales himself on the handle of my rapier, which is not easy to do since it's not sharp like the point of the sword is, but I shot him pretty hard so it worked.

"I think he gets the point," I say to no one in particular, but I had to do it because that was the next line in my macro.

The carnage over, I scoop up the body of my Tarutaru white mage girlfriend and take her behind the outpost. I make out with her for one last time as I proceed to bury her. Tears well up in my eyes when the task is done, and it's at that point that I remember the linkpearl.

I hastily equip it. The voice of the Taru white mage began to ring in my ear.


"Welcome back. Welcome to the adventuring world of Vana'Diel."

I dropped to me knees and began to cry like a big girl. I raised my head to the morning sky, and shook the world with my mighty level 60+ Pirate scream.

"Oh, Altana! Why?!"


THE END

Credits

Created by Chia
Translated by Amaterasu on Kujata
Made awesome by ircgeek of GameFAQs


After credits roll...

We're behind the outpost again. Off in the distance, we see xephoid pressing on with his journeys. Out of the shadows, a cloaked figure appears. His hands glow, and slowly the body of the Taru white mage rises up out of the sands.

She slowly opens her eyes... She's in a daze, but she recognizes the face of the robed man.

"You were... our black mage..."

ZMG! WALL OF TEXT!
 
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