For Absent Friends

It has been quite a while since my last post on here and sadly during this period we have lost not one but two members of our Realms of Despair community.

Firstly in November there was the tragic news of Kellian's passing. I knew he had serious health problems but his passing came as a shock to me. The announcement posted on the Archives was:

[ 19] Romani: Kellian
Wed Nov  2 21:38:38 2016
To: All
It is with a heavy heart that I bring you the news of Kellian's passing last Monday. As those close to him knew he was ill for a very long time. He was always a man full of energy on the game and he did live his life to the fullest here.

You will be missed.

Kellian I knew from the Guild of Nature. He was an excellent leader, a good listener, patient, wise, funny and dedicated to the people who played in the Realms of Despair. He was an all round great guy who I loved just chatting to one on one.

When going through old logs I found a farewell message from him which sums him up well:

Kellian guildtalks 'Later Nature Types, friend all :)' 

 More recently there was the news of the tragic passing of Dexamph/Benibyle. This has personally shaken me to the core. The announcement was as follows:

[ 22] Dornado: Benibyle/Dexamph
Sun Mar 19 21:41:27 2017
To: RoD
Hi friends

I'm sad to report that Benibyle/Dexamph passed away over the weekend. He played here between around 97 and 05. He held leadership spots in GoV and RB.

Regards
Cory

I first knew Dexamph through the old Guild of Vampires and later I met him in person through a group of local RoD players.  Over the years I have felt close to several players I have never met in person but only met a handful in the real world. The few who I have met in person though have left a lasting impact and we share a common bond. While I hadn't seen him in years I'll always have fond memories of having a beer and chatting with the man about RoD topics like what strategy to use on certain mobs, which mudclient is best and so on. He left a mark on me and I will personally miss him.

Both Kellian and Dexamph will be missed. I feel privileged to have known them both.