RuneScape Forum Archive | ~~English's Forgotten Tales~~

Englishkid62

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David was my best friend in college; there had always been a feeling in me that we were identical. Ever since the first day, we roamed around the college like a pair of twins up to no good. He was my soul-mate, and as far as I could recall I had never had a soul-mate before. Like everybody else David had trimmed blonde hair, his blue eyes would inspire trust and faith in anyone he looked upon – it was a sense of well-being, highly-valued, respected and adored. We made a perfect team: whenever I committed some mischief David would use his charm to get me out of trouble. Sometimes he threw me strange glances in lessons, when I pretended I was not looking – his eyes could provide me a whole afternoon of amusement. Sadly, things had changed since the first day.

David’s girlfriend, whom he recently acquired (God knew why he felt the necessity, I wished he didn't – but then, who could resist David?), was much more of an attention-seeker; she would not hesitate to brag her achievements to the world.

I personally did not fancy Jenna, nor her superior beauty or her pair of supercilious lips. As long as she was around, David would never be himself. He always told me he was feeling uneasy and lonely but I think it was a load of rubbish. He didn't seem to mind her getting between us all the time – in fact he never seemed to appear to care. When she was around I was unwanted and had to make way for her Highness so that she could sit on his lap. This was the reality: for she was one of the ‘popular ones’ so therefore she gets David. She had long, brown, curly hair and a long face which seemed to assert ‘female dominance’ wherever she went.

12-Feb-2011 16:45:56 - Last edited on 26-Mar-2011 10:03:04 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

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However, she could be fairly amusing when she was – well – under the influence of a good amount of alcohol. Just like many other teenagers across the country we too had great passions and a never-ending fire of life: it was so bright that its heat radiated outwards into your surrounding for miles. When the grandmothers and pensioners envied at its intensity, I would choke back a sneer. Since David liked the idea of drinking too, we would visit a local pub near my house every Friday evening where we gulped down as much liquid as we possibly could. It was great fun; the good news was that there would always be a tomorrow. Somehow, deep inside we all knew that.

It wasn’t long before David caught me playing RuneScape in I.T. – I hated that subject, and I regretted taking it for A-Level ever since the first day. It didn't surprise me at all to find out that David had once played RuneScape, too – after all we did share many interests: there was something else too, but I could never figure out what it was. It bugged me when I couldn’t name something.

Although David had quitted a long time ago, I thought I could do with a little chat about the game.

“I don’t play it anymore,” he said impatiently after I threw him several meaningful questions.

“It gets annoying after some time. By the way, why don’t you become a member? You had to pay but it makes things much easier, you know.”

Then he showed me the ‘Hiscores’, where personal achievements could be publicly cherished and admired. It was simple. The higher the level, the harder and the more time I would need to advance another level until I had reached the maximum level: 99.

“This is where the challenge is,” David said. “It just gets harder and harder until you give up. That’s why there aren’t many people with a 99 skill, let alone achieving several 99s and gets Level 126 combat.”

12-Feb-2011 16:45:56 - Last edited on 26-Mar-2011 10:03:30 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

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He then typed his name in the Hiscores and I was very impressed when his achievements appeared on the screen. Before my eyes, David transformed into a semi-divine being – and the Hiscores had achieved its purpose, to ensure that David was loved, respected and admired.

I acted on David’s advice and became a member that night. For once I was happy, filled with beginner’s joy. However, I soon realized the way to make money was to sell items in bulk, as well as gathering a large batch of raw materials like silver, coal and iron ore. I had to admit I learnt a lot on my first day. The RuneScape forum intrigued me too: I spent three hours memorizing item prices and the names of strange societies. Then a barrage of drop-party invitations aroused my curiosity – well – I didn't know what a drop-party was then, but it was supposed to be something pleasant … like a party. I knew all about parties – a place where sadness was banished into another dimension, a place where everybody could relax and a place where nobody had the right to be left out. I decided to try my luck: the guest list was already huge but it seemed as if the host, Kipplin, didn't really mind if there were more guests coming.

Everyone loved drop-parties – it was like a crazy treasure hunt where certain valuable items (and a few junks) were wrapped up and scattered across the entire household. It was mostly depending on luck, of course, whether you get an item of value at all; any unwanted items would be, without question, littered on the floor along with their fancy wrappings. The good news was that the mess was never really mine to clean up. It wasn’t my house. In fact, I saw no reason why I should be denied the rights to go to a drop-party – after all I was a legitimate player and had nothing to lose. And so I decided to turn up to his twenty millions drop-party. Unlike many other guests that day, I actually conversed with the party host.

12-Feb-2011 16:45:57 - Last edited on 26-Mar-2011 10:04:13 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

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The actual ‘drops’ of the party were long distributed before I turned up, certain circumstances had prevented me from setting off early – the party was so popular that the server was too full to allow me (perhaps some others as well) to join in. Eventually I did arrive when the peak hours were gone. There were no drops left for me. However, the dropped items, as I saw them, were remarkably valuable – some people gained more wealth in one second than I had in the last month – players who entered Kipplin’s house with nothing of value on them (probably out of the fear of leaving a few valuables behind when they left) could walk out a proud millionaire. It was simply magical.

Kipplin’s house was luxurious, almost as if it was made to entertain party guests. There was beautiful mahogany furniture and rugs made of the finest cloth. His hall was rather imposing compared to the rest of the house, which was decorated in a much more light-hearted way. As I explored around his gigantic mansion I was in tears when I saw the huge water fountains in the garden, gilded shrines as well as his delicate dressing table in the bedroom – for I could not afford any of them.

While the guests busied themselves in Kipplin’s fencing rings where they tested their new weapons, or made their way to his dungeon to challenge his steel dragon, I, on the other hand, was determined to find the host. Who on Earth would have so much wealth to give away? How much money did he have? How did he make his money?

David told me that there were three types of multi-millionaires in RuneScape. The first type was those who inherited their wealth from a senior, more experienced player. The second type was those who earned their wealth from nothing. The New money. There was a more sinister type of millionaire though: they gained their wealth illegitimately by purchasing in-game wealth with real money. I recalled a dubious debate amongst guests about Kipplin:

12-Feb-2011 16:45:57 - Last edited on 26-Mar-2011 09:46:01 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

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“Do you know where Kipplin is?” I inquired, to no one in particular.

“I don’t know. I don’t really care, to be honest – this guy is making me rich.” A much higher level player replied. “He hosts a party every week and I just come whenever I can.”

“Cool, how do you earn your money?” I continued.

“Earn? I don’t,” he replied. “Why bother? Why spend time making hard money if you can simply pick it up here?”

Quite right he was. Why bother? We were silent for a while because neither of us had anything particularly interesting to say. He spoke again some minutes later, “I think he is a hacker, he has twenty million to drop every week.”

“He is a scammer,” a female player at his level suggested.

“He is an under-cover staff,” suggested another, and then they went on, backing up their theory with ridiculous evidence.

A while later they dropped the subject. As far as I was concerned, I had to meet Kipplin to confirm these tales, but none of them knew where Kipplin went after the ‘dropping-ceremony’. It was half an hour later when I found him alone performing higher-alchemy on the second floor, perhaps for his own amusement. He was wearing black magician robes, with a gigantic black hood covering everything except his chin. I never liked the idea of a gigantic hood. When I was in a hood I could see nothing but what was in front of me, only. It just seemed boring to me if I could only stare ahead, in one direction, ignoring all my surroundings (sometimes amusing things could happen in the corner of my eyes and I wouldn’t even notice them). Life would be boring living in a hood, wouldn’t it?

I ventured up to him and asked him how he made his money, but he ignored me and continued to perform his higher-alchemy, which was rather rude for a host. Fortunately, Kipplin was less reluctant to speak after I complimented his black robes and his ‘attractive-looking’ hood.

12-Feb-2011 16:45:57 - Last edited on 26-Mar-2011 09:47:08 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

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“I mine Limestone,” he admitted, but I couldn’t see how that could make twenty millions in a week. Indeed Kipplin was much higher level than I – Level 126 combat with eighteen 99 skills. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I first spotted him on Hiscores. This man achieved the impossible. I started to compare Kipplin’s skills with David’s – and Kipplin was better in every single skill.

At first I thought he was no longer interested in speaking to me when I said his skill levels were so much higher than my friend David’s. I gave him David’s player name for reference – as we were running out of topics of interest I decided to pay him this compliment, but he seemed unable to make any noticeable response except the cessation of his relentless performance of alchemy. His eyes glowed at David’s name, but when he looked upon me once more he became rigid and his face was full of horror – his eyes widened and as if a certain death had possessed him. He then began to ask me anxiously about how good friends we were.

After a thorough interrogation he was relaxed again and dropped the subject, as if his nightmare was not yet realized. He also seemed to be interested in how David settled in college, and was delighted to know that David was alive and well – and happy, more than anything else. Soon my mother called me to dinner and I had to log off, and we said goodbye to each other. He told me later that I was the only person he permanently added to his friends’ list that year.

***

12-Feb-2011 16:45:57 - Last edited on 26-Mar-2011 09:48:05 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

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From that day onwards Kipplin became a combination of my employer, legend and friend. Whenever I logged on, Kipplin was always there as if he was waiting for me, he was always busy, yet he never forgot to say 'hi' through private messages as soon as I was available to talk. He was patient with my questions and he was always there to help me. Since he rarely told me what he was up to, I checked on his progress on the Hiscores from time to time, hoping to get some clue on how he made his money. During that month I completed several assignments for him which included gathering a thousand heaps of coal-ore in return for a shiny scimitar (Which I found out recently, regrettably, that I could’ve bought four scimitars from any other merchants for the same price). For a while, I was honoured by this relationship: he was treating me like an equal despite the level differences between us. He also let me knew when his parties were going to be, so that I could frequently drop by, arriving an hour in advance to pick up my share of his hard-earned cash.

One day in mid-December, I asked him what his favourite skill was.

“Farming,” he replied immediately. I didn't understand it then, Farming was a waste of time – despite my efforts and attempts in training this skill my crops always die in my absence, or when I logged off. Farming had always been the most distasteful skill in my eyes, and up until now I even believed that Kipplin and I had a lot in common …

“Why farming?” I demanded.

“Farming – to me anyway – was the ultimate test of perseverance,” Kipplin explained, “Farming is like an investment you see, in hope of getting anything in return, one can only pour more and more into it.”

“That’s an interesting perspective.” Then I objected, “But my crops always die.”

“Mine never die.”

I was puzzled.

“How exactly do you farm?”

“I farm, and look after only one patch at any one time.”

12-Feb-2011 16:45:58 - Last edited on 26-Mar-2011 10:04:39 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

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Not to mention getting 99 farming with a hundred patches – even with a hundred patches he would have to give up at least six months of his life to achieve 99 farming. An image crept into my mind, I saw Kipplin in his black robes, looking expectantly at the one and only patch that he had crops growing on it – and performed higher-alchemy whilst standing under his gigantic black hood. Watching over one tiny life form – hope. The scene disturbed me.

“I looked after my crops properly, you see.” Kipplin continued, “If you don’t get any harvest, you must try again, and again. It doesn’t matter how many times we failed – I know we will eventually receive something.”

“Where is the guarantee? How do you know you will ever receive anything?”

“…I don’t.”

“Then … why bother?"

Silence. For a moment I thought I was going to get the answer to my ultimate question in life. Kipplin knew everything. Kipplin was my legend. It was some minutes before he replied: “You won’t get anything if you don’t do anything,” said Kipplin with care, as if this took him a lot of thought. “I believe in the saying – Do your best, no regret – because you won’t get the best possible outcome if you don’t do your best."

"It’s only a game…”

“Yes…” then Kipplin suggested, “It’s only a game, but what about love? It can only grow if you spend time on it – not unlike an investment.”

“Never experienced it.”

“Really?” Kipplin was astonished. “I think life would be meaningless without love.”

“Why would it?”

“Without love there would be no life in the first place,” Kipplin replied. “I can’t tell you how important it is, we live to love, don’t you agree?”

“Well, I wouldn’t worry about it,” I commented casually.

“Love is just one of those things that finds you in time, isn’t it?”

12-Feb-2011 16:45:58 - Last edited on 26-Mar-2011 10:05:25 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

Posts: 9,782 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“No, no, no ... how do you know if you will ever be loved?” When I gave no reply Kipplin said, “If we don’t work for it, we’ll never get it. When there is a will, there is a way. Love is a fantastic thing to have, and I would work day and night for love, I would even die for love, for I believe nothing is impossible if you devote and persevere.”

“I don’t understand…?”

“Or even if you do fail, you’d still get something … God is merciful …” Kipplin continued without realizing I wasn’t following this conversation anymore. I was utterly confused.

“You know … just like the classic fairy tales … God never lets any efforts go wasted…”

“Are you in love with me or something? You sounded like it.” I wasn’t sure why I said that, but it seemed like an awfully convenient time to throw in a joke.

Pause.

“No," he replied. “But he is somebody you know.”

***

…It was a warm summer day and as usual, the school yard was filled with joy and laughter. Some children preferred hanging around in a large group, forming a large circle on the yard and playing silly games with each other or just simply out of the fear of being left out. Some children preferred hanging around in a smaller group, seeking genuine soul-mates and studied together in the library, or consulting each other for academic knowledge. Some children preferred to be alone, or rather, were left alone: not entirely voluntary of course, nor was it particularly craved for … it was just what some of us were meant to be. Social rejects.

12-Feb-2011 16:45:58 - Last edited on 26-Mar-2011 10:05:49 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

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Alex Kipplin loved to hide in a dark, gloomy classroom on the second floor, particularly at break-times. He told me he always had his hood up in school in hope of nobody would see him – despite his teachers repeatedly instructed him to remove it in lessons – but everybody knew it was Kipplin: there was only one hoodie in school, and everybody knew what was hiding under that pathetic hood. Alex loved seeking solitude in a shaded classroom, where he reminded himself who he was and why he would be treated like an abominable little outcast in school … no * it was the entire world. He was hated. Bullied. He knew he wouldn’t be welcomed in the school yard, and he knew there would never be anyone in the world for him, simply because of who he was. Anyhow he was just unlovable.

Alex also had a habit of watching other much happier kids enjoying their break times too, he wondered if he had went outside, just for once, all his despair and his world of darkness would vanish in the sunlight – but it wouldn’t, it was proven: he would be made into a popular subject within two minutes of leaving this classroom.

Every now and then Alex spotted David and his friends in the yard outside. He enjoyed looking at David, and when he looked at him nothing in the world mattered more. He wanted David. He wanted to be out there and talk to him. It was a matter of chance that David caught Alex spying on him, and to Alex’s horror David looked up and threw a frown in his direction; Alex retreated into the more shaded part of the classroom again, and ceased to look out of the window for that day.

12-Feb-2011 16:45:59 - Last edited on 26-Mar-2011 09:52:21 by Englishkid62

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~~English's Forgotten Tales~~

English's Forgotten Tales