In honour of a friend’s re-running the EQChronicles series, I’ve revisted Norrath for a final wistful farewell. It’s always hard to say goodbye. Sometimes it’s just better not to.

It is the first death. My level 5 Bard stumbles off the overhead ramps in the tree house city of Kelethin and plunges fatally to the emerald turf below. His corpse, when I finally find it curled peacefully in the fetal position, isn’t the only one there either. It’s a common way for Half-Elves to learn the dangers of their new home. Colourful platemailed Bards, pulsing with the power of unimaginable levels, often leap heroicly from the highest recesses of Kelethin, protected by their masses of hitpoints and Safe Fall skill. It is a dangerous feat to emulate, I learn.

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Originally published at http://www.bigkid.com.au/ on 28th November 2003

It’s a rare occurance for an act intended to harm someone to actually end up doing them good. When my Bard was brutally blocked from a fair encounter by a group of selfish high level uber-guilders, it seemed he would just have to deal with the loss. But this time being ripped off had an unexpected benefit.

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Originally published at http://www.bigkid.com.au/ on 16th April 2003

Guilds. Love them or hate them, they are an unavoidable part of EverQuest. My Bard ran the gamut of them recently, and during the process I learned a lot about human nature, the online environment, and rubbed shoulders with the meaning of life itself. I kid you not: The Meaning Of Life.

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Originally published at http://www.bigkid.com.au/ on 3rd October 2002

More than a year after beginning his quest, my Bard has finally acquired his fabled Epic weapon. I have waited a while before posting the story in the hope that I could get a picture up, but our FTP problems seem to be enduring. So instead, you will have to be satisfied with an image painted by words. In a way I guess that’s fitting. He is a Bard after all…

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Originally published at http://www.bigkid.com.au on 16th August 2002

The problem with being high level and uber, as my Bard undoubtably now is, is that it’s difficult to relate what is happening in a pithy manner. There is a lot happening of course, but it is varied and slower than at lower levels. Battles that would have been worthy of an effusive Chronicle 20 levels ago are now a common occurance, and merely small stepping stones to much larger goals. His ultimate quest, however, has reached the point of it’s conclusion after a full year of toil.

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Originally published at http://www.bigkid.com.au/ on 16th July 2002

The Bard is back. I said that was it when I left EQ, and it was. Really. It’s just that DAoC was too unformed and in flux for me - and, well, I got bored quickly. Then I started reading my guild’s message board. All the things we had worked *hard* for were just about to happen. They were preparing to take on the Vindicator in Kael (a big bad mob that is recognised as a bit of a watershed for guilds), and then HoT (Halls of Testing) in the dragon arena at the Temple of Veeshan, or ToV. These are big names in Norrath, and inspire awe in those who have heard them but never seen them. Dragons. That’s what I’m talking about. I just couldn’t miss it.

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Originally published at http://www.bigkid.com.au/ on 1st April 2002

Well, I did it. It was not without some sadness last week that I logged into Norrath for possibly the last time, said my goodbyes to my guildmates, distributed some of my possessions to friends, and retired my brave Bard. There is always the possibility of returning as many have done before me (as Verant rarely delete inactive accounts), but due to my reasons for leaving it is unlikely.

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Originally published at http://www.bigkid.com.au/ on 8th March 2002

There’s an ill wind beginning to blow across the land of Norrath, and it has nothing to do with dragons.

The problem for my Bard - now a buffed level 54 - has its origins in a realm he has no idea exists. He’s faced dragons (and died admittedly). He’s faced rampaging giants, crystal spiders, nightmarish hate-filled spirit entities, and even demi-gods.

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Originally published at http://www.bigkid.com.au/ on 10th January 2002

It’s been a long time between reflections for my Bard. The reason for the hiatus was not because he wasn’t busy. Actually, on the contrary - there has been much to do, see, and learn. And amongst all the activity, something important happened.

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Originally published at http://www.bigkid.com.au/ on 29th November 2001

Just recently my Bard discovered himself. You’d think this would have happened before level 40, but it turns out Bards are late bloomers.

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