Dearest Bria –
It has been countless months since I began writing you about my journeys, and fatigue is my constant companion. I have ventured into Central Gondor, a land that no longer seems like home. Borowolf, our brother and esteemed captain of men, has seen too much of battle and has chosen to stay behind in Rohan to assist in the rebuilding of that land. I fear the rumors of ‘evil trees’ that accompanied our entrance into Western Rohan were true in his case. He grew weary from combat and no longer could he motivate men as he once could. His sapped skill, along with our experiences at the Hornburg, proved too much for this once brave warrior, I fear.
I left Borowolf at Helm’s Deep and pressed onward towards the region that was once our home. Though I am also weary, I continue to push through endless creatures, beasts and quests out of pure obligation. Our fabled companion, the son of Arathorn, does his best to rally us, but my spirit will not lift. All I see is the constant darkness that surrounds us and the endless grind that lies ahead. I miss my companions. The once merry band of rugged adventurers – Viabrant, the jolly minstrel, Rolfkrage, the fearless champion, my fellow hunters Morielraen, Anaka, Ivanlasse and Keishira, and even the grumpy dwarf Aurvald have all been absent from our adventures for nearly a year’s time. Were we separated in battle or while traveling through difficult terrain? I cannot even recall. They are simply gone, and it is only I who is left, gazing east at this cursed blackness and my eventual fate.
In truth, I know not what lies ahead, good Bria. When I began this quest, I thought to see it through to conclusion. But with each passing day, my resolve grows dimmer. The ongoing battles and the absence of my companions have sapped my will. Perhaps it is best to leave the conclusion of this tale to those with fresher legs and sharper minds. When I began this journey, I was youthful and confident. Now, I am weary and wise. I may be of better use to the people of these lands by assisting in the rebuilding, as Borowolf has chosen to do. Perhaps it is time for Braxwolf the righteous to lay down his bow for good.
Keep hope, Bria, for there are good free people carrying the banner of the king. I may be among them one day. But for now, I must rest.
Your brother,
Braxwolf
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It may be the cursed power of Sauron. The closer I get to his realm the wearier I feel and the more it seems my will to fight on is sapped. The loss of many of our brave friends and cheery kinfolk weighs heavily also. But I yet hope to press forward in this quest, little by little perhaps, resting as I must to gather my strength.
I hear rumors that the scattered forces of the Free Peoples will soon be rallied into several great armies. If this be true it may prove a great boon, and will raise my spirits much. With such combined forces we may hope to battle on and perhaps even live to see the downfall of Sauron. Or if that proves finally to be beyond our resources, at least to make an end worthy of song.
I definitely get the feeling on this. I’ve had friends leave the game, and it was rough every time. I feel the grind sometimes, and it’s rough.
But…
There is so much in this game that I’ve never experienced, and I doubt I’ll ever have the time to explore it fully.
If someday I do fully tire of the quest grind and swear it off forever, I expect I’ll live out my days as a wanderer, exploring and taking screenies of a beautiful landscape that never gets old.
Or maybe I’ll just fish in the Shire and play music in Bree.
Or maybe I’ll go full-time creep and do my best to stave off the dern freeples.
Regardless, even if real life pulls me from the game, I’ve always returned and I expect I always shall.
LOTRO was my first MMO. It’s by no means perfect and my eyes are fully open to its myriad flaws. But I love it and I expect to be here ’til the end.
Question is – when the servers finally do go down someday, would I rather be on my warg and /mourn for one final howl? Or would I rather be on my guardian, charging through the Great Barrow for one final hurrah? Or would I rather be with kinnies at the kin house, drinking from the keg one last time?
Who knows?
My end will come with the end of the game, I think, but until then, there is much to do and love in this game.
And for me…. it’s still fun 🙂
🙁
For me LOTRO is and continues to be a wonderful game and a delightful experience.
Rest and rest well.
All the best, Brax. Your arrows of truth and wisdom have always hit their mark, and I look forward to hear of your next adventures, in whichever world they take place.
Though I consider myself to have a solid resistance to the wears of MMO grind, one of my tricks has usually been to have multiple worlds (other MMO titles) to traipse and delve into when I’m starting to feel the chains twist a bit too tightly in another. I think that a user only experiencing one game at a time inevitably turns it into a sloughfest, and so I do my best to keep myself out of that hole in any given title.
Basically, it’s alt-oholism on a meta level. Cheers!