For The Little Lock On The Hill

I was browsing one of the warlock forums I go to, when a post by the site's moderator caught my eye.

It was a tribute to "the little lock on the hill", a personal account by another warlock player 2 years ago this day (May 24 2007).

When I first read his account, I blinked, then started tearing.

This is the post the original poster, Tanorthewarlock from US Azgalor server, made on The Warlocks Den forums.

"Well...how to start? By getting to the point i guess...my nephew who is 7 years old pasted away today. As i sit the tears have already started to roll. But i wanted to tell you of his level 11 gnome warlock on my account,also on my sever.

He has spent 4 days 7 hrs and some change playing. Alot of time to be only level 11 huh? Well, the first day we played he wanted to make a toon like mine but he wanted his to be "little like him,so he made a gnome. And i was all over him the first few hours...with,"no go over here"" no, you want to wear those pants they are better than yours" " "no, the deer dont give you experence" "why are you going to kill those level 3 kobalds again?"

To which many of his answers where, " i like hearing those guys say "you no take candle" to which he would squeel. As for the pants he just didnt like them,he kept his pants he got in the begining. Said they were his lucky pants. He said his imp liked eating the deer,to which i would be like "no...they dont eat the deer".He would see how long it took him to get thru that cave of kobalds over and over and over again.

After all my "advice" and suggestion on "spell rotations" and how to use his imp effectivly, he told me that a game should be fun and everything i told him was confusing and made his head hurt.

From that day foward i let him do whatever he wanted as long as he wanted to. He loved killing kobalds, running around trees, killing cows, and playing his lock the way he wanted to,even if uncle "tanor" didnt think it was "efficient".

He loved coming over and playing,I gave up many a kara spot so he could do his speed runs on the cave of kobalds. Becuse when it all came down to it those epics were just purple pixels on a screen and my nephews smile will forever be in my memory and the squeel when the kobald would say"you no take my candle".

So I have taken his lock(at level 11 now and forever) and parked him on a hill looking out at the starting valley in northshire.

So to my little warlock,my nephew, my little buddy, who loved his uncle as much as his uncle loved him you will always be in my heart and that smile will always be with me."

I cried when I finished reading this. I have been playing this game for 4 years and so often, oh very often I find myself getting pissed off or mad at things that really, at the end of it all shouldn't and doesn't matter.

Two years later the perspective of a sweet kid really shocked me into realising that yes, WoW IS a game and it should be fun. The little nitty gritty things shouldn't matter more than the people with whom you enjoy the game with. At the same time, it's also crucial to take the time out to show some appreciation to those whom you love around you.

All the fun crazy stuff I used to do with my warlock and which I hardly have the time to indulge in now, takes on special meaning for me from now on. It shouldn't always be the case but I'm glad I'm reminded of the importance of having fun for the sake of it.

So, in memoriam, for the little lock on the hill, thank you. I bought a red rose from Dalaran, rode out to the hill and logged out on your hill. May you always be happy wherever you are, chasing kobolds and feeding your imp deer.

/sniffles.