Bbee’s player shared some of his amazing life story with me months ago after he first got the news he didn’t have long to live, and I’m saddened and privileged at the same time to remember him with you.
There are countless tales of GemStone players who started playing in the early 90s or mid-90s and became lightning-fast typists as a result of our game or perhaps even learned to type in the first place. Bbee’s player also started then but has a story all his own. His starting line was several steps behind most of us, but his finishing line was far beyond most of us.
As he relayed to me, during his first forays into GS he not only couldn’t type but could barely read as he struggled with dyslexia. It took him ten minutes, he said, to kill giant rats in the catacombs. However, he truly loved the game and the community, so he persevered through his struggles. Over the years, he became a better reader, a better typist, and a better writer. He eventually ascended to the level of a professional writer–becoming a news correspondent and a freelancer who wrote plays, poetry, and scripts even for CSI and other TV shows.
Just this January he was excited over a crowning achievement. He’d written a play, which in his words was about a little-known lynching of an Englishman in 1880s Wisconsin–an event he’d been researching for almost twenty years. He read on the Portland Stage in Maine, and Stephen King happened to be there and liked it and recommended it to a production company. It turned into a movie script and then he received an offer on it, to potentially be turned into a docudrama miniseries on PBS.
That news was more publicly known, since he shared it with everyone during a Silverwood event. But earlier on, with each swing of the pendulum on news about his health, Bbee’s player came to me and a few others to make sure that word would get out if the worst came to pass. Through it all, however, he said that he didn’t fear death since he’d had a great life. He attributed his success over the past two decades to GS setting him onto a new path. That’s part of why he gave so generously to our community–because, in his eyes, our community had given him even more.
I don’t think I can overstate how much GS meant to him. He played Prime. He played Platinum. He even said he had 11 accounts at one point. I’m sure everyone remembers the recent month of nonstop guild nights. That was born from his desire to do something big and memorable on his way out, as a final piece to his legacy in case he didn’t have time to do other things he wanted. And, yes, he had other ideas. He had been thinking about gradually auctioning off his lockers and even considered scenarios for roleplaying out the end of Bbee.
Without ever saying these words directly, Bbee’s player embodied the phrase “I’m always thinking about you.” He was always thinking about this community that he loved. I know that we, in turn, will never forget the impact he left on us. Rest well, Bbee.
Everyone is invited to add your remembrances of this giant-hearted guy in a comment. (Press RETURN after filling in your email address to submit. Your Email address will NOT be published. It’s a spam-filtering thingie.)
I didn’t know Bbee very well, and I’m relatively new, but he was very generous, always handing out potions and stuff. Definitely a great player. If I could, I’d nominate him posthumously for Landing council in place of myself and everyone else! He’s the champion we didn’t deserve, but we needed. Rest easy, Bbee.
Bbee was a really good person. And not just for the things he gave away to almost everyone. He was social, and kind, and creative. All the best things a player can be.
When I found out Bbee had passed away I cried.his spirits name/rl name is Lynn.He had many accounts and characters that he loved to roleplay. He mentioned these characters in one of his emails to me Cloudscraper, Honestjohn, Funnypockets, Trounce, Wham, Methusilah but the ones I met and remember were Fulvous and his Monk Eardog who was sweet and barked a lot and wore a collar and Galindorian the professor like giantman that wanted to teach a special type of ancient giant language.. I don’t remember all those I met.one of his characters he pointed out won at the bardfest. Darksin met him as his character Waq ,a silly fun loving gnome she would get engaged to.He’d climb up the back of people to give Darksin a kiss..One time in a invasion he hid under Darksin’s dress ,and then again he would tell her not to fear he would protect her. In RL he was in and out of the hospitals a lot having surgery’s.Once we decided we’d have a daughter and he named her and told me what features to give her ..we laughed about it how we could RP it out .I still have that character and she runs about the town from time to time.he liked to adventure and on date night wed go check out places. one time in the wehnimer museum we saw a stuffed gnome and he cringed . he said he thought he recognized it as one of his relative’s. at the end of our day before we left the game he’d always tell me a story about something to do with the GS history or sometimes Waq’s forefathers .he was brilliant, ,silly and kind with the biggest heart. One time a person was down on his luck and said they would have to leave the game so he prepaid 3 months for them.he didn’t know them but that’s the way he was always giving and helping people. he told me it made him feel good helping others.I got to see his face by a pic he sent, it made me smile .I could see the spirit of Waq/Bbee . I feel the world is sadder , he was taken to soon
~ forever love ~
Darksin
There are so many good memories of Bbee, just sitting in TSC, chatting, being generous, and giving to others.
I was shocked to hear about his health struggles, and then even more shocked to hear he had passed.
I really just don’t know why to say. I am heartbroken.
-Lothy
Bbee. My couzin bee. Ohh how I will miss you and your sweet little buzz. Flitting around giving your nectar freely. I will miss your laugh, I will miss your hugs, I will miss your jaunty little bouncy self. I loved sailing with you, I loved bouncing into you. You were my friend and my family.
Lots of love,
Opalina
This will most likely be the only time I comment on anything here. Cause I’m apparently grumpy as heck.
I never saw this coming. But the admonition after I raise someone to not take candy from strangers? Bbee was never a stranger. That will live on until the day I stop playing.
Bbee, you live on, both IRL and IG, through the lives you touched by just being an awesome person.
Cheers,
Dely
When I first returned to GS4 after a 20’ish year hiatus, he was one of the first people I encountered. It was actually during a time IRL when I was going through a hard time as well, so his kindness was a ray of sunshine on my raincloud. He gave me his pills and asked me to give him stuff to cover with blood with no context lol. I was nervous but apparently it was goryvials. I still have and wear those items.
Always a funny guy I could enjoy making jokes with, and the way he would hand you something and tell you to eat or drink it with no context will always be funny to me. He and I had once even talked about the possibility of using his goryvials to make uniforms for my MHO.
Aside from the many times he’s given me pills and free encumbrance potions, the last time I saw him was maybe a month or two ago when for a whole week he was paying for guild nights AND helping my warrior with training and promotions at the warrior guild. I miss him and cherish his memory.
He will definitely be one of the legends I tell future players about, true legends that walked Elanthia.
Trying to keep my eyes dry,
Conrash
I felt my heart wrench when I heard. Bbee was the friendliest soul. I never understood why he’d insist on giving my weak little burghal gnome an encumbrance potion nearly every time I saw him, but it was always given so freely and happily, like I was doing him a favor by taking it.
I remember him leaning on me at Bardfest, and laughing with him afterward about his ridiculous, silly little song.
I’m sorry I didn’t get to see him before he passed. I didn’t expect that he wouldn’t be there when I come back.
Much love to Bbee. I’ll remember him.
Oh Bbee, what can be said about you?
You were wonderful, kind, caring, a joy to be around.
So many times, you’d just pop into TSC, and just give out pills and potions and all the goodies. You were our Pill Pusher, and it was amazing. I always wondered just why the person behind the character would do this… now I know, and it just makes it even more special.
We’ll miss you so much, Mister Bbee. Thank you for all the warmth, hugs, and kindness you gave us.
~Cylnthia
Man. This really hit me.
I didn’t know him well. For a long time I guess I figured he had some kind of angle, offering these simucoin items seemingly for free. I guess I’m kind of pessimistic that way. It seemed hard to believe someone was just giving that stuff away regularly. Eventually I came across him in game and of course he insisted on giving me some encumbrance potions, too. And he shared a version of the story above. And I was just kind of struck.
I wish I could have talked to him one more time. I hope he passed knowing that our community will remember him fondly.
I came into the world of Gemstone with no clue on the world, the mechanics, the lore. After being accustomed to some semblance of movement, my first evening led me to Bbee, who took me around to hunt and learn the mechanics. He always had a generous personality, but his heart was, by far, his greatest gift in an out of Elanthia.
He often came by to say hi and engage in conversation. He swung by with pills and potions and all sorts of goodies. But the man just enjoyed the company. He enjoyed spreading warmth and joy. And often, when things got darkest in this place when things went pretty rough, I always thought of him because he was that positive light in dark moments.
We helped him complete a bounty a few weeks ago, and as I thanked him for all he had done to help me and others, this is one of the last things he said.
Bbee says, “We are all a bbig family.”
Indeed, good sir. Indeed. All of us will miss you, but I and many will do what we can to spread forth that good nature you sowed upon so many.
Much love,
Yardie
On New Year’s Eve, I went to the big OOC event and ended up spending a large portion of the night sitting and talking with Bbee. He told me about a few of the things he was proud of, that he had done in his life. He had been a Navy Seal in Vietnam, and went on to become a journalist. He said he was 77 and that his 50th anniversary was in four months, and he was so proud of his family and his wife, and how they still loved each other. He always seemed like a really great, caring person.
Speaking honestly to Bbee, you say, “I wanted to tell you, that I think you are one of the nicest, most generous, kindest, most friendliest people in all of Elanthia.” 1-1-2022 New Years Eve
You see Guild Night Bbonus Bbee the Ravager.
He appears to be a Malghava Halfling.
He is tiny. He appears to be very young. He has thick-lashed sea green eyes and rosy skin. He has a shaven head of titian hair pinned back on one side with a tri-petaled snowy white trillium. He has a plump face, a small nose and protruding ears. A smattering of freckles dot his nose and cheeks. He has a fake-looking white beard.
We’ll miss you forever. -Evii Natanial
Earlier this month, Mister Bbee asked to meet me at FWI. There, he told me how much he appreciated the TownCrier and and knew how much work it had to be to keep up.
He gushed and gushed! This always makes me uncomfortable!
I thanked him for such high compliments, and gave him a big hug. Before I left, he handed over TWO blue potions to me! I thanked him for the donations to the TownCrier prize pantry and was about to ask him if I could tell people who donated them when the time came.
But he stopped me flat out, insisting I drink them myself, right then and there! He was having nothing short of that!
What a special guy with a huge heart and a huge presence.
It’s a reminder to us all to make sure the people and things we care about know how much we care now, for sure.
I have not finished shedding tears over his passing.
We’ll miss you Mister Bbee! It was truly an honor to have lived in Elanthia at the same time you did!
Lots of love,
Luxie