GOING TOO FAR [Author: lum]
The first piece of evidence is this post. Made by someone called “The Forest Wind”, an EZ-Board account with only one post (this one), it was a fairly innocuous “fuzzly” post where the purported guide thought this particular Quellious board was kewl and you could /petition whenever you wanted and included a wholly gratiutious link to http://www.everquest.com/. In short, the sort of thing you’d expect a zealous MMORPG volunteer to post.
What you wouldn’t expect a zealous MMORPG volunteer to post was edited into the post later by “The Forest Wind” six hours after the initial post:
HAHAHAHAHAHA SuXoRs I got her fired!!!!!!
According to “Runicmyst Stonehenge”, the person most recently to talk to her, and supposedly the only person to contact her husband after her death, Sheyla was sent the following letter:
Greetings Leza,
It is with great sadness in my heart that I write to you today. The Quellious SMT has been concerned about your future as a guide for several weeks now. After the incident with the Vox raiders last week, and the post you made on Quellious Quarters, we have reached the decision that while you are a wonderful person, and all on Quellious enjoy being around you, you do not fit the Guide Program. You have shown consistent lack of judgement in some serious petition situations, failing to consult and follow the P&P, as well as your fellow guides. You have also violated the P&P by posting as a Guide, using your guide name even, on an outside web site.
During your apprenticeship, there were some concerns raised regarding your ability to handle angry petitioners, your ability to think clearly in a tough situation, your ability to make the right decision (the P&P decision) on difficult calls. The SMT assigned different guides to work with you and assess your abilities, hoping we could iron some of this out. We now see that we were unsuccessful in doing so.
There are many wonderful people in this world, Leza, and you are one of them. But not everyone is cut out for the rigors and demands, and face it – insanity, of guiding. We don’t have very much free reign here, everything we do is governed by Verant. Guides that cannot stay within those parameters only hurt the rest of the staff, and the players of Quellious. I believe that your heart is in the right place, and that you are/were truly dedicated to the players of Quellious. I hope that you will be able to transfer that dedication to another project soon.
If you should choose to appeal your release, the steps you will need to take are detailed in the P&P.I wish you good fortune, and happy trails,
May the peace of the Tranquil guide you always.
I have been able to verify that much of the above letter is in fact a form letter written for Server Management Teams (SMTs) to use as a guideline when dismissing guides.
“Runicmyst” then went on to post the entire log of his chat with Sheyla. In my opinion, either “Runicmyst” is a talented fiction writer or — well — look for yourself.
Leza> oh, on top of this crap, im fighting for custoday of my child =(
Leza> i sent an e-mail to Montel Williams
—
Leza> i cant talk about it without getting upset =(
Leza> i have been crying all night
—
Leza> basically the Computer ruined my life
Leza> and eq
RunicMyst> or rather saved it..
Leza> yes =(
RunicMyst> you said before that guiding is hte only thing left… perhaps someone is trying to tell you you need to guide yourself?
RunicMyst> =)
RunicMyst> one never knows.
Leza> you may be right, soo right
RunicMyst>
Leza> god you made me cry now
Leza> i sorry
RunicMyst> im sorry. just trying to open things up…
Leza> god why me *cry*
Leza> i need so much help =(
RunicMyst> i can relate…
RunicMyst> perhaps i can help?
Leza> i have no freaking money for court, no money for past bills, no jobs around
RunicMyst> looks like were in the same situation..
Leza> i need to do this myself
Leza> @#%$ing eq has ruined me
RunicMyst> ive learned something.. its times like this you CANT be alone…
Leza> but i am, i am so alone at this time
—
RunicMyst> wow i like that eq portrate too
RunicMyst> wish i could draw =\\ i want one
RunicMyst> perhaps i could convince you to draw one for me one day =)?
Leza> if im still around, perhaps
RunicMyst> still around?
RunicMyst> where do you plan on going?
Leza> *shrugs*
RunicMyst> tell me… where were you planning on going…?
Leza> i donno
RunicMyst> you werent thinking of hurting yourself were you?
RunicMyst> were you…?
Leza> i donno
Leza> i dont know what i am doing anymore
—
Leza> i cant stop thinking of my baby
RunicMyst> how old?
Leza> will be 2 march 22nd
RunicMyst> take no offence at this… i dont mean any but you were very young when you had a child.
RunicMyst> 16/17… what happened?
RunicMyst> get used by some jerky guy? =\\?
Leza> 18
Leza> not really it was me not paying attention to him much, and more to eq
RunicMyst> eqs a great game =) hehhe and heck you meet great people on it =) in my opinion
Leza> it was something i did
RunicMyst> what did you do if i may ask
Leza> Played eq all the time
RunicMyst> hehe thats what i do =) heheh
RunicMyst> verant got us trapped in the matrix =\\
“Leza” signed off around 6 AM on Saturday. According to Runic, later that day she took her own life.
I’ve not been able to find any other confirmation of this from Colorado police reports or newspapers, so obviously this is still in the “wild rumor” stage. The board admins of “Quellious Quarters” have been in contact with Verant about this, who are apparently as confused and know nothing more than anyone else, and have been locking down all posts on the subject until something definitive is discovered.
However, one thing we can pretty conclusively conclude: people, especially one lonely young girl, are broken.
And sometimes these games we so enjoy ranting and raving about help to put those broken pieces back together.
And sometimes they don’t.
When people make an MRPG their primary social outlet, and are only making friends through that medium, any substantial change (banning, kicked out of program x, etc) is like killing off most of their social life. — Delusion