Every week we highlight EverQuest community members. If you are interested in being highlighted in a Meet the Community, look for instructions here!
| Meet Rithnok the Red Dragon Server: Test Server Guild: Zen Cabal |  |  |
Where in the real life world do you live?
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada How long have you played EQ?
August 1999 so eight years now What other MMOs have you played?
Ultima Online was my first real jaunt into the MMORPG world and my brother showed me this EverQuest thing and that was it! I was hooked for life. As I have said many times before on the Test Server. I'm a part of the furniture. And so far? It's been true What type of work do you do?
Military, I work as a clerk for the Canadian Armed Forces but spent eight years in the infantry prior to my current job. Gotta love stupid injuries. Heh heh. How long is your typical gaming session when playing EQ?
My typical gaming session? Hmmm. That's kind of hard to say. Usually though, about 4 - 12 hours depending on day and how tired I am from work. Only really don't play on Thursdays and Saturdays due to social needs/wants. What does a typical EQ day consist of for you?
Hooo! A typical day consists of me logging into the game and taking a quick look around, saying good day to the rest of the Zen and searching for Gnome Shaped Cookies in the guild bank. After perusing the pantry, I make my way to either Acrylia Caverns or to the Plane of Justice to do a little platinum grinding until I find a group. Once I've found a group then it's hard to say where we go either it's off to Valderholm or to Riftseeker's Sanctum or something suitable like that. OR! In some rare cases it's off to do something INCREDIBLY stupid and see if we can survive, like single grouping Emperor Ssra or something like that. What was the race and class of your very first character?
Half-Elf Paladin (Pollymorphed Star Dragon Samurai.) What got you into gaming and what sort of games do you like the most?
Well I've been into gaming since I was seven years old. Playing old Pen and paper Dungeons and Dragons (On the GAME BOARD). I got into it because my brother and I found the game at a local hobby store and dad bought it to keep us in check from breaking stuff. As for what games I enjoy the most? Well that would be games like Soul Calibur, just about any RPG unless it's stupid. The Final Fantasy series. ESPECIALLY love the Quest for Glory series. Space Quest, umm what else? Oh yeah the Wizardry series and the Ultima series (sans Ultima Online.) What other hobbies or activities do you take part in, other then playing EverQuest?
Camping, Iaijitsu, Kenjitsu, Paintball (hard core love that game), Archery, Outtripping, track and field, high jumping, half marathon running. Reading, writing (which you can find my EQ based stuff on the EQ Test Registry 2.0), Role Play in game. Oh yeah, musketry. What is your highest level in EQ?
Level 75, 800 AAs What race and class is your main character?
Star Dragon Samurai (EQ's only samurai; Iksar Warrior) What do you like the most about the class you have chosen for your main character?
The tactical and direct involvement you have to the class in most encounters. Many times especially at the higher levels I have to fight to ensure I have held the highest agro. I have to be able to speed read through the text of the raid to be able to react instantly to the words of command from the raid leaders. I enjoy the act of the raid events where you aren't just beating the snot out of a single mob. Also I enjoy the aspect of role playing the character, when I started I did everything in my power to fight against the inherent darkness that was the Iksar race. There is a huge story behind it. But suffice to say the Iksar Warrior was the closest I could get to Dragon Samurai and I had a story to tell in the world of Norrath. So I told it. The best way I could. Apparently I did a good job now with my character becoming an NPC in the game. /boggle Does your main character worship a deity?
Yes he does, but not a Norrathian deity. He respects Mithaniel Marr but will never bend knee to any deity. His strength is not one to be wielded for another's philosophies. It's dishonorable. How did you choose your main character's name?
Scrabble. Put a whole bunch o tiles in the bag shook 'em up and choose seven letters, then rearranged them to get to something pronounceable. As for choosing the name in EverQuest? Hooo Rithnok's been around for a long time from AD&D 2nd edition back in 1992 That's the year of creation for him. Carried him on forever. Always had another story to tell about him. Which classes in EQ have you NOT played?
Everything but Paladin and Warrior. What is your favorite expansion?
Scars of Velious, That was where Rithnok really began to shine. What is your favorite zone?
Nagafen's Lair, (Story behind that too), And Plane of Time. I LOVE PoTime, the music, the pace of adventure, the story... Absasmurfly beautiful in its construction. What is your favorite NPC?
Mata Muram or Mayong Mistmoore. Either or, they are the big-uns of the game in my opinion. My goal is to one day confront the Sleeper. But that's a battle for long in the future. Which expansion do you like the least?
Has to be... Legacy of Ykesha, the idea was good, the execution seemed very rushed to me. To truly benefit from that expansion you really had to dive into Hate's Fury and THAT was about it. Which zone do you like the least?
Plane of Fear! *Twitch* twen-ty.... four... hr... raids... *Passes out with a hiss* Which NPC do you like the least?
Ireblind Imp (2 days of corpse recovery when he was first implemented.) What is the most platinum you have ever spent on purchasing a single item for one of your characters?
10k for a horse. He got sold for glue. And a new shiny weapon for me. Do you have an item you no longer use but keep around for nostalgic reasons? If so what is it and why do you keep it?
Many! I have almost every Katana, Wakizashi, and Naginata in the game. I keep them because it was a part of Rithnok's Storyline. How the Oriental blades (There being no samurai in the entire game, save Rithnok) were scattered to the winds by Silverwing (Kunark was when Rithnok came around) who stole them from the Imperial City on Kara-Tur where Rithnok was the White Lotus Guard Captain (The protectors and teachers of the Emperor himself.) Silverwing and the Avenging Catiff engaged both Rithnok and Raioko Musashi in combat. Raioko was slain and Silverwing made off with the holy weapons from the temple of Io (Rithnok's Deity the Nine fold Concordant Dragon highgod.) Rithnok followed him through to exact revenge and restore the honor of his home. So I keep every weapon in those categories as each one has a name and each one has a story. So I keep them all as a reminder of the quest. What do you like best about EverQuest?
My guild, My home, my friends, my family, my server. It is they who make this game for me. The creatures are great, but they are adventures to be had with those I have come to know on this server. I play, to be with them. To share the jokes, the laughter, to be a shoulder when someone needs it. To be the jester when someone needs their spirits lifted. These are the reasons I play. And finally to Test, I enjoy trying out the new things no matter how crazy they are. And those Developers who have come and gone and are yet to come have experienced this and the stories, first claw. What do you get out of playing EverQuest?
Being with friends. I know it may only be a game, but I can sit at home after a long day of work, relieve some stress and be with those who are my friends and companions on the adventures we have. Describe your best experience from playing EverQuest?
HA HA! This is a story in itself. My best experience from playing EQ came when I went for the first Wakizashi I could get my claws on. I was 20th level and with the aid of the Guardians of Honor I must have gotten killed about four hundred times just trying to get up to the Avenging Catiff to hand in my Maid and Butler fangs to get my Electrum Bladed Wakizashi. When I finally got it... My group all gated out and I was left to run out on my own. I ran out onto a bridge, Jumped the side and charged to the zoneline. Only to find a Female Paladin and a Male troll AFK at the zoneline. I cursed in more languages than I knew how to speak as I turned around to watch the train CHARGING up the ramp towards me. I knew this song and dance and knew that I was going to bite it and loose all that XP. But, it wasn't the xp that concerned me, it was the fact that I would cause others to loose xp and die as well causing them to run back and get their corpses. So, I did what any real samurai would do... I set myself to stem the tide and pulled out my new wakizashi "ShadowKiss". I charged headlong into the fray to haul all the agro to me and me alone while I screamed out to the two behind me to zone out while I fought to buy them enough time to get back to their keyboards and zone out. I was greeted with a "What are you doing? You can't take them all! Get out now!" From the paladin Shirezza. I politely declined and said that I would hold the line until both of them were safe. It was what a true samurai would do to protect others. I watched my health drop... 80, 60, 40, 20... I fought on as mob after mob dropped I knew I was about to die but I was going to take as many of them with me as possible and maybe the other two could finish them off. Then I see: "You Feel a Healing Touch" health... 100% Renewed with this both Shirezza and I fought and fought both blades of the combatants singing their dirge of destruction through the air to carve through the ranks of the undead. Both of us fought to exhaustion and at the end I remember Bhule coming back to his screen only to BOLT it to the zone line... He got out. Shirezza ran back to the zone line screaming out, "Get out lizard!" to which I replied, "Either we ALL get out or they all die! Now run!" "NO! YOU FIRST!" I grit my teeth behind the screen, one more mob dropped three left and 30% health, I might be able to do this... We shouted back and forth until FINALLY the Paladin relented after casting her last little heal on me and ran out of the zone. I stayed until 5% health and only one mob remained. I ran out. I zoned and arrived in the middle of the Lesser Faydark with -243 hps. I still don't know how that worked. But I was alive, and so were they. It was from then on that Shirezza and I became good friends to the point now that she is my guild leader. I'd have it no other way. Do you run or work for an EverQuest Fan Site?
Nope!