Before We Step Through the Dark Portal: Part 2

I look at my friends list today, and I can’t help but wonder where some of you went. Real life, kids, jobs… Maybe you finally figured out how to log off. But whether you vanished into the real world or simply faded away like a disconnected paladin in the middle of a raid, each of you is remembered with fondness and an unreasonable amount of nostalgia.

So, before we step through that Dark Portal into new lands, demons, and quests that make you question your sanity, I want to take a moment to shout out the folks who made Vanilla WoW the glorious, chaotic experience it was. And I’m not going in any particular order here, so don’t get offended—except you, Kaysla, it’s all your fault.

Kaysla:

My oldest friend. The one who nudged me into this world of night elves, orcs, and arguing about DPS meters. It’s still your fault I’m here. You owe me some serious in-game gold for all the repair bills I’ve racked up since then.

Zhalfirin:

Big brother, adviser, and bringer of sage advice—that usually involved telling me to “stop dying so much.” It’s your fault too, and you know it.

Charize:

Oh, Ma, I miss you. You were the mom of the guild, always making sure no one was fighting (unless we were PvPing). There was always a part of me that thought you were keeping snacks on hand, just in case one of us needed a timeout.

Sandrae:

Ah, the Balance Druid Hippy. You were the one always off picking herbs while the rest of us were getting slaughtered by mobs. “Just one more Peacebloom,” you’d say while we screamed for a healer. I swear, you were more Zen than Elune herself.

Samuel:

You know what you did. No explanation needed.

G:

Still cracking me up, G. Remember that time we kited Teremus into Stormwind? Wait, of course, you do—it’s still one of the top 10 stupidest, most fun things we ever did. Never change.

Aramai:

My little pixie. You’re probably still floating around out there somewhere, weaving magic and trolling the raid chat. Love it every time we chat and reminisce about the time we almost wiped that Onyxia raid, but didn’t—thanks to your last-second bandage.

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Griff:

Vixen still has your shiny, snot-ridden paladin hanky in her bank. I’ve kept it there for… sentimental reasons. And also because it’s just gross enough to be funny.

Turina:

RIP, you were an amazing woman. Kind and gentle, you left a void when you passed. WoW lost a truly awesome lady that day. Your spirit lingers on in the fun we had, and I’ll never forget you.

Tworrf:

You dragged me into so many firsts. Raids, dungeons, probably some really bad ideas. You were an amazing tank, and thanks to you, I punched the Baron right in the nose. Good times.

Duffy:

Oh, Duffy. You were young, cocky, and utterly adorable in the way only someone who thought they knew everything could be. You still owe me a drink from Brewfest for convincing Cerria that farts and burps were the same thing. Throat farting, indeed.

Zuri:

The rampant priest. You had every girl in the guild chasing after you, and I never quite understood how you pulled that off. Was it the holy light or just pure charisma? I still wonder.

Anthonius:

You spent so much time hanging around, and you were the one who taught me the endgame. All those late-night discussions on how to min-max and not pull aggro? Priceless. You had the patience of a saint, especially when Kersey and I were being idiots.

Kersey:

You and I got into so much trouble together. Remember that epic adventure to Mulgore? You in your stripper pants, me trying not to laugh so hard I fell off the mountain. Or the time we accidentally pulled half a battleground on ourselves because PvP? Pure chaos. But hilarious.

Elandariel:

Patient, quiet, but with a wicked sense of humor when you let it slip. You saved Ana in the best possible way—by being there when I needed it most. You may not say much, but when you do, it’s gold.

Zandark:

You taught me the best pets to use as a hunter. Without you, I’d have been running around with a moth, wondering why my DPS was garbage. You saved me from so many embarrassing moments.

Rucha:

Oh, you little dwarf, we had so much fun. From late-night dungeons to that time you accidentally pulled the entire mob in Stratholme because you “wanted to see what would happen.” Spoiler: we wiped. But I’ve never laughed so hard.

Karathos:

You know it. Best Paladin ever. And thanks to you, I now have six of them on my account. SIX. I didn’t even like playing paladins before you came along, and now I’m swimming in plate armor and holy light.

Ravoma:

I will never forget the time you dragged us through The Stockades. You were the only reason we made it out alive, and I’m still not sure how. But man, that was one hell of a run.

I’m sure I’m leaving so many people out. There were hundreds of you in those first few years of WoW, each one adding something unique to my experience. You all helped shape my time in Azeroth, and for that, I thank you.

To all of you, wherever you are—whether you’ve hung up your sword, shield, or staff, or you’re still out there somewhere—thank you. For the laughs, the wipes, the epics, and the memories.

I wouldn’t be here without you.