The Kindness of Strangers

[iasmin]

I was sitting in the bazaar in the middle of a skillup run on patty melts, privately chuckling at the cyclical conversation of price whining, reseller bashing, and desperate pleas for help when a lovely frog toon stepped in front of my trader and started to purchase some of my patty melts. I thanked him, as is only polite, because I happened to be sitting ther at the computer and we got to talking about tradeskilling and being new and how to keep loving the game without burning out. My main toon is a tailor. His toon is much higher than mine. Possibly much higher than mine will ever be, who knows. He asked me to drop out of trader for a moment and much to my surprise when I did a substantial sum of plat popped up in a trade window.

"For your tailoring. Because you love this."

How do you thank someone for this? My god. I felt awkward turning it down and awkward taking it. I took it and promised him and myself that I would do the same. I do it now when I can, if it's buffing a newbie or healing them while they're getting pounded on by one of the Vengeful Trio. Or perhaps handing over that polar bear skin that I have no use for at all, but which might help them with the newbie quest. I've never given plat though. But now I have a debt to repay.

He probably doesn't even read this site or forum. I won't name his toon. But I wanted him to know I'm still thankful. I do love this. Thanks, sir. You make the game a better place.

[eniamn]

guildie gave me a tempest robe no strings attached. just got lucky on a combine i guess. been given lots of stuff by my guild and before my guild by other nice ppl. was given a robe of tears. still love that graphic. given some very nice int caster sleeves that i still were cause any upgrade is $$$$$$!. ranger was given most of the stuff from a higher level ranger toon when they were killing their character.

when doing tailoring i sold a few quivers and gave the rest to the newbies in faydark. not happy with the prices on pies in bazaar so give stacks to friends and newbies. made a whole set of banded for a newbie one time. ae'd blackburrow and let the newbies loot. they loved it. given various small cash gifts to newbies starting out. 20pp will get a lot of spells and backpacks at lv 3.

stuff like this just makes the game more pleasent for eveyone and i love my server. always amazaed at what ppl donate for a port. i never charge except for tls and not even that a lot of the time. its only 1pp after all. to the clerics temping newbies /bow i am not worthy hehe.

[Verdandi]

Ahhhh I love these sorts of stories

Reminds me of the stranger who helped me with a long, long ago CR in Everfrost and then loaded me up with some freshly smithed banded armor. At the time that must have cost her a substantial chunk of change even though she was an ubah 30-something.

I still think of her often when passing in and out of Halas, past the spot where she bestowed her gifts.

[Itek]

I act as the "guild spell bank" for my guild. Was transfering some stuff around with the other guild banker.

We also have a "raffle" to raise guild funds. 100pp a chance. 50pp goes into the "pot" and 50pp to the guild fund. (pearls, peridots, coffins etc.)

I went to hand 300pp to the other banker for 3 chances for myself. I hit trade automaticly. Then I realized that the NAME was different. Someone must have been standing in the way suddenly. I hit cancel just as fast as I could. (Even being a 65 enchanter I am usually broke, so 300 pp would have hurt.)

Then I get a tell from the other guy. He's wondering why I tried to hand him money and then quit. I explained I had meant to hand it to someone else and not seen him.

Then he asked where he could get 300pp because he wanted to buy some bazaar items, but he was 10pp short.

/who Guy

Beastlord 11 Guy

I gave him 100pp. He was quite happy and told me he'd pay me back.

I told him that he could pay me back by helping others and passing it along when he could afford it. And then I told him that shadeling silk was a potential good money maker for him.

(Nobody's gonna buy "Itek is an angel" hehe)

[Ellesidil]

Having been the recipient of such gifts in the past, I did what you plan on doing, just pass the money along some day. When I was a young strapping wood elf selling Wu's Armor in EC (ahhh the old days), I once had a person hand me over 100 spider silks as they had been clearing spiders for some other drop and wanted to get rid of them. I still remember the toon, and see that person once in a while, and every time I do, I make sure to buy some of their stuff in the bazaar if I can use it at all.

The best you can do is use the plat for tailoring and pass along your good fortune to those who might be as moved as you were by it. That often serves as thanks enough.

Ellesidil

[Chenier]

My three favorite stories:

* I was a newbie tailor (at that point, only doing brewing/smithing as tailoring support) and I wanted to get into wood elf cultural. I think I had posted here or rather, on the server section, looking to buy a fier'dal tailoring kit.

A very sweet (and famous to me!) wood elf druid came to where I was grouping one day in DL and gave me his fier'dal kit, plus some supplies. I about fell out of my chair, I was sooo excited!

Thanks A., I still remember your kindness!

* I had just server transferred and was naked. Being naked and high level is extremely painful because gear really is so much of how you play. Anyway, I think I bought a paw of opollo or something, having lost my epic (and 8th shawl - still working on that). Anyway, it turns out that a friend of a friend had redone the entire druid epic (grouped with two buddies and did it "for fun!" freaks!), so all I had to do is forage the 3 pieces and then run around doing turn ins with him and voila, I got an epic. I'm still stunned to this day of their generosity.

Not only that, but my friend T. provided me with more gear and spells that I would have never been able to afford at the time. =)

* And D., D. came to my aid when I requested a Vindi head so I could get earthcrafter gloves - sweet thing. =)

***
I try to help folks out when I can although I'm always wary of getting swindled (it's just happened too often).

[munwin]

i actually get bored sometimes when im playing, will run to LGuk or some other zone. kill everything i can find for an hour or so then take everything ive looted and had it out in various noob zones (looking for untwinked toons of course). Tradskill items ive just made because...what the hell do i need 40 bracers for?

It just gives me something to do while im waiting for a group.

Munwin

[Lilosh]

Originally posted by munwin
i actually get bored sometimes when im playing, will run to LGuk or some other zone. kill everything i can find for an hour or so then take everything ive looted and had it out in various noob zones (looking for untwinked toons of course). Tradskill items ive just made because...what the hell do i need 40 bracers for?

It just gives me something to do while im waiting for a group.

Munwin

You had me... right up until the point where you said Clerics have to wait for groups.




-Lilosh

[Lothay]

Long ago there was a small group of people, and they all wore a single guild tag. They were generally just people playing the game, but they had one small difference. They liked to help.

And so a tradition was born. These people assist others when they can, mounting expeditions to recover corpses, logging in alts to rescue someone imperiled, or just ready to thrown in and help finish a quest or do some buffing for fun.

And these acts are inspired by the genuine interest in helping people. Sounds corny, or perhaps contrived, but it is true.

The kindness of strangers starts with you and if you're kind to those around you, others will be kind in turn. I won't share any particular stories, I'll leave those for others, but I'm glad to be part of that group of people, and I'm happy to see others follow in their footsteps.

[eniamn]

killed the qeynos newbie zone outside the city for a while taking a break from picnics. handed out several stacks of picnics to the newbies. went to black burrow for their quest drops and killed trains for them. went to the karanas for a bit. made a pally some gothic chain mail cause i was at 165 and it doesn't trivial till 167 and the granite was only 50pp in the bazaar. split 20pp with the group to show them how it worked. pled them the best a wizard could on stuff including 8 ds from 2 spells. lol bad ds as a wizard. one guy kept asking for more and more stuff but he had a guild tag while the others didnt so not sure he was really a true newbie. bought them all acrylia studded masks in the bazaar cause i found them cheap. didn't want to use my other tempers though cause too far below most of the plate and it was cheap at 50pp each.

[salomeasillverfrost]

I keep research and spell mules and do not resell them but give them to anyone who is looking for them, I only ask in return that they give me the research they find, I have probably given away 100's of pieces of research and at least that many spells.

I also pass all my equipment on to lower end peeps and ask they do the same when they are done with it.

I have been known to randomly give new peeps 50pp 100pp to get them started. I am discriminating on who I give it to. You can see the ones that are professional beggars and I have nothing to do with them.

I once gave a lvl 12 wizard my Imbued Fire Opal rings after winning some nice drops in BoT towers and in 3rd tier planes. You would have thought I handed her 100k. She was bouncing off the walls.

I believe in good Karma and also believe what goes around comes around. I always treat others in game as I would want to be treated.

[Doebi]

I started a new mage a couple of months back. She was wandering around Nektulos in her low teens, trying to kill more stuff then she had to run from. As she was sitting and medding, another lower level character (a necro) asked if I had any bonechips I could spare.

Well, being a mage, bonechips aren't a highly prized or horded commodity, so I handed him my 8 bonechips, and refused payment for them. Next think I hear is "Thank you. Wait a sec. BRB"

A minute later, in comes a 51st level chanter. Yep, the necros alt (or vice versa). Any way, he spend several hours just handing around, and PLing me and chatting.

A couple of nights later, a different person did the same thing with his monk.

I had started to become jaded about the game, but these 2 have kind of put the fun back int playing for me.

[eniamn]

when you get so high in the game there is nothing left and have a few dozen alts already what is left to do? i wonder but i'm no where near that yet.

[Malathos]

I make a point of stopping and conning any corpse I find that has gear on it.
If they died recently then I do a quick /who to see if they're logged on followed by a tell asking if they want a rez.

Heck, it's only a paladin rez, but at least I can save them the walk. I then normally heal and buff them before heading on my way. I always refuse offers of cash, but any drinks are always gratefully accepted


I've also spent a lot of time levelling various alts in Unrest and have logged my main back in more than once, to help other young paladins get the items for their ghoulbane.