Another useful command that is hard to not spam is ‘who’. It shows the name of the character and their title. Typing who brings up the who list like so.

-Players and High Mortals-

Articut the high master priest

Baldwin Shdednei, Vigilant Eye of God

A ghost

Drakoth the magical inventor

Frey the employed fighter

Gabrielle the low master priestess

Inanna the decimator

Koth the giant killer

Larson the soul snatcher

Laryia the expert trickster

Light the master priestess

Lliira the Joydancer

Margath Relgar, First son of the Bards

Morningstar the new student of nature

Pyros the legend

Tal the novice mage

Tremear the cunning thief

The characters with the custom titles were the high mortals. Currently, high mortal can be obtained by reading level 20. Even in a game made completely out of text players could not resist a chance to bling out their characters to stand out a little bit more. Getting to level 20 was not an easy feat either. Each level required about twice as much experience as the previous. And for whatever reason the experience tables were not the same for each class. It caused the multi classed characters to have levels different between the classes. For example anyone who multiclassed with thief would have a higher thief class then their other classes because it has the lowest experience requirements to level. The player could a certain class and that would be the title that showed up on the who list. The point remains that the titles have meaning.

Time to try and find a place to advance to level 2/2. Isaiah left the corpses of rats behind and after getting lost in the desert for a while and killing a few more rats made his way back to the crossroads in the center of shadow. This time there was another character sitting in the room and not just rushing to wherever it is that people playing this game are in a hurry to get to.

Light, the master priestess is here.

Light says: “hello”

I was spamming buttons to get back to MAH because there was a board there. I typed advance twice getting to level 2/2. I stopped to look at my increased HP and noticed that I missed someone trying to greet my character. I backtracked and went back to the crossroads of shadow and saw light was still in the same spot. Lucky for me she wasn’t in a hurry to be someplace.

“Hello” I said.

There was an awkward pause. Classic RPGs like final fantasy or zork didn’t really have much roleplay even though the “R” in rpg means roleplay. Actually interacting with someone in a game in real time was a novel idea at the time. Yes, chat rooms were a thing. But this wasn’t two people on AOL instant messenger cutie2001 chatting with oakley98. Character could talk, they could emote. They could even steal if they were bards or thieves. If they were so inclined Player Killing was even implemented.

Light says: “Hello there. I’m Light simple priestess of Lathander. Nice to meet you.”

Priestess? Could I have encountered the legendary gamer girl? I gulp behind the computer considering the implications. How do I handle this? Don’t screw this up don’t screw this up.

I say, “I’m Isaiah, nice to meet you too!”

I bow.

She curtseys.

Light says: “Are you new here? Lathander’s temple is west of the city. You could join me if you’d like to talk or have any questions.”

An invitation from a priestess? Of course I’m in!

I smile and say, “Of course lead the way.”

You have been invited to follow Light.

Light whispers to you: “Type follow light and you can follow me there.”

I follow light and she heads out the west gates. We pass a farmland along the road and a temple. Past that temple we pass what looks to be a run down stronghold. Past that our destination is a bright temple with a gold and white themed interior.

Light says: “Welcome to Lathander’s temple.”

Light bows reverently at the altar.

I say: “It is a nice temple, very divine.”

I internally kick myself for not being able to come up with something better to say.

We continue chatting for a bit and I tell her about my nemesis the rats. She finds this funny. She also brought up that the rats drop gold when they die. To get the gold one has to either offer the corpses or bury them. I didn’t find this funny. Leaving money on the table was not good. I’m a college student. With only a part time job, 29 cent hamburgers and ramen are my lifeline.

She suggests that I try to buy some gear from a vendor in shadow and gives me some money. She also says that I need to train in a weapon with the trainer in shadow if I want to do anything other than hurt myself when I equip it. She informed me that the stronghold we passed on the way here is called the Goblin Stronghold and a good place for starting off. When I told her i was a mage she even added that the goblin witch that is in there can drop a random scroll which I could add to my spellbook. Light is such a nice lady. She gives off a feeling of a caring grandmother. Eventually we part ways and I go back to town and buy a longsword and some leather armor and head towards the goblin stronghold hoping to get gold experience and magic.