Piccolo, you will forgive me for this long post. I don't post often but on this occasion I would like to take the time to inform you about ORB, reinforce Miss Echo's comments and pay tribute to a truly great player on this shard, Big Kev.
A tribute also to morn the passing of truly great and legendary Castle.
This year is the 10th year of my account. In 2000 standing outside a small marble down from Minoc stables a character walked past called Kevyn. We chatted, we hit it off, we were the same age, too old dudes in a game full of young ones.
Back then his character was a mule for his son who was an accomplished PvP player when every moongate into Fel was dangerous at every hour of the day.
Screw that I said, make a fighter and come with us to Covetous tonight.
Next thing Big Kev turns up yelling "Im excited". We go to Covetous, we keep forgetting he was with us. Our group would always say to each other before a dungeon run "Cross heal, nobody dies tonight and we share and share alike"
I felt guilty about forgetting Kev that night..where's the new guy? ... "dead on level 2" ...."I saw his bones on level 3". I went around to his place next day to apologise but he was back in Covetous. He never looked back.
His son Bowen, became a member of ORB when Sir Ram was guild leader. Bowen took over the guild from Boric around 2003 and built the famous dueling house below Trinsic and some old players may still remember the great "bash and bury" nights held there. Practicing PvP. About the same time Kevyn obtained his castle, the Ice Mall. He wanted to stock
every item available ingame and did so, in spades, with much work and dedication. Miss Echo has been one of the few players since that Ive seen provide a shop that surpassed the Ice Mall.
Bowen handed the guild leader ship to Big Kev about 04 or 05. Right through till early 2008 there was about eight very active Orbie's with Big Kev as our Guild Leader.
In March of that year, Kev on closing all his accounts also closed the guild and due to a commitment made to Sir Ram many years ago he guild should close forever. The remnants formed OLD (Oceania's last Defenders) with Lord Farrow as guild leader. They will be still be here in Oceania when the lights are turned out and Elvis leaves the building.
So Piccolo thus ends the story of the great guild ORB.
I don't know why I had decided to go by Kev's old castle last friday night. I mean I don't log on much into my own place as it is. But I did.
I was totally stunned to see those two castles had gone IDOC. I tried an ancient email and icq ... but zippo, both bounced back.
So I sat outside in hide and shock. Was I there that night to grab his riches with the ever gathering pack?. Didn't need to. He had already got hold of three times what was in that castle and given it away to us guild mates and others. You didn't have to ask. we would be going to some dark and deadly place and he would say "what are you wearing and what are you fighting with?" After showing him he would say "That's crap" and hand you some awesome artie's that would take you right up to near all 70s and a serious weapon. A passing comment on thanking him would be "oiy, I don't want to be rezzin you all night"
Watching the jackals scavenge and scatter and tread all over each other in a mad scramble to get part of one of the richest IDOC's this shard has seen in a long time was a real hard thing for me sitting there in hide.
After all the pack rats had left I did cruise around and pick up enough name marked items to represent the characters I have played with and respected all these years. Would have loved to get the statue of him but was not to be.
Don't get me wrong IDOCer's and murderers have always been a part of our OU world, its a game style that suits some. When not a housing space could be found in all our shard the IDOC sitters were many and rapacious. One told me at Brit bank he had earned a car in real life by sitting, raping and replacing IDOCs then selling them to players on EBay for real dollars. He is probably living out his days now in Second Life.
Its tough however to watch an IDOC when its a mate who you know would never let a castle like that go outside death or misadventure. I'm with you Fink, I freaked out, I thought the dude must be dead. Its more like he is off grey nomading with his wife somewhere and his son (Undertaker) who took over with a mate Kev's last two accounts, simply stuffed up and forgot to pay. Either way we are never going to know. I know what I am going to keep believing.
He was a Legendary player in both skill and style. His great castle may be gone and his riches scattered back into the keeps and castles of those who will never have the skill and dedication to earn them for themselves. Sometime, someplace on some vendor a soul seeker named Big Kev will pop up I'm sure. So I say parting hail and well met, Big Kev. Thanks for the memories.
