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Old Forest Memories

Friday, February 13, 2009

Inspired by a post over at MMeOw about the Old Forest, I thought I'd recount a tail from the woods back in the "good old days." He elaborates on such times as well, but I'll state it here: the Old Forest used to be epic. Epic in terms of being the only zone to most completely reflect the book counterpart. The place was dark, brooding, dank and all together the most unnatural bit of nature. And by continued tweaking every patch, the trees literally did change.

But it was my first venture into the forest that I'll never forget. I remember I was tasked to find a type of spiders to kill and in my slow bushwhack through the thick trees, I somehow got turned around, but swore the trees had moved. I thought for sure Turbine had created a miracle in an actually mobile landscape. And then I had a bit of luck. I ran into another unwary adventurer - a Hobbit by the name of Harston (my toon was not named Jaxom at the time and it was before my chance encounter that lead to my kinship membership) as hopelessly lost as I was. After a couple tells back and forth about what we were looking for he suggested we could team up, but always port back to Buckland (where both our maps were set).

This idea had its appeal. Simple, quick, and no death at the hands of angry trees... er hurons. But I said something completely opposite: "I got myself lost in the Old Forest, I'm very well going to get myself out, or die trying). Well, it turns out this stuck a chord with my newfound hobbit friend and we've chatted off and on every since. (This incident was in Beta, by the way.)

So, while my first flight into the forest had me removing bark from places I didn't know I had, it built a lasting "friendship". Nothing like a great trial to form lasting bonds. And it sadens me that our new players cannot experience the Old Forest as I had, what with a map and better marked trails. I lament for you, dear dank dark forest, for once you bested me in all the corrupt glory worthy of Tolkien's prose. You are but a shadow of your former self. RIP Old Forest of old, your death to me was my most memorable yet.

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