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A Tribute to Nok
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by Jim Butler
March. 21st, 2005
It’s taken me a few months to be able to write about this, but the death of
a close friend has that effect on all of us. I swear I’m not trying to make a
habit out of this, but those of you who read my
Saint of Gaming column a while back might
sense a theme…
 Eran
Edwards was a Gamer, and it didn’t take long for him to join my weekly World of
Bastion game. He was the master tactician, the shrewd diplomat, and the
uncompromising rules lawyer in our gaming group. He wanted to know how things
worked and why—always why—magic acted the way it did. He pushed the boundaries
of play in so many different ways (mostly positive).
When I managed ComputerLand in Wyoming, I hired Eran to come on board as
salesman. His attention to detail and search for the answers made him an
incredible asset to the team. Of course, it also allowed him to pepper me with
questions all day long and plot against Deb
Creech (our accountant who played Saint Meagan Fireform) and Clay Cundy (our
pro-Mac salesman who played King Kellanon Valanax).
Deb and Eran took great delight in tormenting one another (both in and out
of the game). Each would really delve into their roles whenever the opportunity
arose. That could cause a number of heads to turn over dinner in Gillette,
Wyoming, as guests looked over to our table trying to figure out why we were
talking about good and evil, demons and devils, and other assorted fantasy
topics.
Eran played Thanatos, a monk who walked the neutral path and strove to
maintain a balance in the world. His approach to balance frequently put him at
odds with other members of the group, but he was fine with that. It kept
everyone who gamed with him very much aware of his activities.
As this group of epic characters tackled the world’s problems, an event
occurred that forced Thanatos to make a decision that would forever change his
life. The emergence of the lost towers of Garr and Istar brought with them the
very real possibility that an artifact could be loosed upon the world that could
bring about cataclysmic change—good or evil would have a huge advantage if they
could recover these artifacts.
The pacts made by Thanatos forever plunged him into the dark realms of evil.
At first, he glossed over his indiscretions in the name of neutrality and
balance. Soon, however, it became apparent to all that his machinations had
exacted a terrible price. The Grandmaster of Dragons now wore the dark robes of
an evil faith, and he was known as Nokraenom.
Eran threw himself into his new role, joining the premier organization for
evil upon the world and enmeshing himself into the politics of the evil
countries of the world. Within 2 game years, he was lord and ruler over a
powerful northern nation. Within 10 years, he had expanded his reach to a number
of surrounding nations and resurrected the Calirian Empire (something Eran
gleaned from a brief mention in my historical texts for the world). Emperor
Nokraenom was born…
Even after I left Wyoming to go to work for TSR, Eran kept writing emails.
The plots continued for years, and his plots and interests drove group after
group of players from Wisconsin to Washington to Wyoming. We couldn’t play
together any more, but the stories continued to grow…
Eran even started a few games set in the world with new friends after moving
to Colorado to work for Hewlett-Packard. He’d call me all the time to find out
how things were going up here in Seattle, and his instant messages would always
be waiting for me when I logged in. He even made the long drive from Colorado to
Washington to visit me for a few weeks in March of 2004.
Eran died in his sleep on Halloween night due to complications from gout.
The anti-inflammatory and antibiotic medications caused a bad reaction, and he
never woke up. His was the second death in our gaming group, and the third of
former ComputerLand employees.
 Despite
the pain of his sudden death, there is solace and joy within the memories. Like
so many friends who have shared the gaming experience with me in life, his was a
very special soul that made the world a better place.
Eran introduced me to the world of Trade Wars (the old-school BBS game back
before www meant anything other than your keyboard’s w key was broken. He was a
serious MUSH player as well, and dove headlong into
Shadowbane
and EVE Online. He
always preferred the games where it was him against another human player…
Here’s to you, Nok. May the realm you’re in now offer you joy and adventure
beyond our mortal experiences. You and Deb play nice until I get there…
You can view all of the previous columns by clicking here.
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