How I met snap. By Jill Stihl, aged 40 something and 3 quarters.

Discussion in 'The Salty Dog Tavern' started by Jill Stihl, Mar 26, 2020.

  1. Jill Stihl

    Jill Stihl Well-Known Member
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    By late 2000 I had got myself settled into Europa, mainly playing my RP Beggar in Trammel. I started a guild called the Vagrants' Union, but I was the only member. It didn't really matter, the guild only existed for me to show a beggarly title so people knew I was a 'real' beggar.

    Brit bank was, obviously, the place for begging. I often found myself there at late night times when the occasional US or Canadian player might be exploring our shard. On one of these nights I was approached by MOTHER CHRISTMAS (in all caps, just like that), wearing a pure black robe and hat. She looked like trouble, but when she uttered the words "Can I join your guild?" all caution evaporated in the heat of excitement.

    I told her yes, she can, but she would have to come to the stone at my house to be sworn in. Ms CHRISTMAS seemed keen, even when I suggested there might be some sort of Beggar's oath, which I was desperately trying to make up as we headed to Trinsic. First small tower on the road out of Trinsic, the HQ of the Vagrants' Union. I showed her inside and clicked what I needed to on the stone. Someone was in my guild, I was so happy.

    One of us, I don't recall who, suggested we go back to town for some begging RP. Yes! Let's go!

    I hardly got halfway down the ladder when I heard ting, ting, ting of a kyrss, and had barely registered the poison flowing through my veins before I died. I didn't understand it yet, but I had just discovered that even in Trammel a guild member could attack another member. Even the Guildmaster himself.

    In total panic I ran around Trinsic woods for what felt like an age before giving up on finding a wandering healer. I logged out, waited five minutes and logged in on another character. She was still hanging around outside my house! I opened the door and challenged her with words along the lines of "well done, I had no idea you could do that", she replied something like "you're taking it well", so I stated the obvious, "tis only a game". The details of our brief talk have unfortunately been long lost in time.

    She wished me well and left. I went back inside. She had left me a book, it said "Wow, you really are a beggar" (my pack had only contained a few scraps and some copies of The Brittanian Big Issue) "All the best, MOTHER".

    That's how I first met snap, who then was MOTHER CHRISTMAS. Ten years later I met her again on UOSA, by then she had been translated to Matron D'Winter, and had grown into a UO legend. And here we know her as snap (no capital). An honest bard who brings value to any server she plays. She has never admitted she was MOTHER all that time ago, and I did ask. TBH I doubt she would remember the encounter anyway, I am but one of thousands to her memory. But that experience was central to sealing my decades long love of UO.

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    At a loose end on Corona lockdown, thanks for reading if you did :)
    Last edited: Mar 27, 2020
    Buga, Dash, Fraggle and 9 others like this.
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    OptimisticSam Well-Known Member
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    Alvien Well-Known Member

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