For many of us that knew him, he was a father to us. His voice was inspirational, his words meaningful, and his playful attitude provided endless laughs for thousands. It’s very rare to run across a person who just by being there shapes not only a conversation and attitude of hundreds, but also brightens even the darkest moments.
That was Roger “Oldroar” Rall for you. He wasn’t always a member of Gaiscioch. He originally was a Tuatha Alliance member from the Council of Shenanigans. He played there with his friends Holimoli and Prissy who was known as Doctorfixit back then. Prissy and Oldroar became Trinity leaders in our family’s RvR events taking the helm of hundreds at a time in a 3 raid offensive force that swept over the battlefield conquering all.
Eventually a situation arose that removed Prissy from Council of Shenanigans, Oldroar approached me and asked that we give her a home with us. I told him you don’t need to worry about these things, she always has a home with us regardless of the tag above her head. A day later Holimoli, Prissy, and Oldroar all became Gaiscioch.
It was the end of one chapter in their story and the birth of another. Oldroar would grow to become one of the most inspirational men to ever lead in Gaiscioch. He was even considered for eldership several times and approached yet his answer was always the same, “I have not earned it yet, I can not accept it.” Three times we offered, and three times he declined. He was a man who lived to service his friends, family and followers.
He touched the lives of everyone. In hard times when real life tore us down he sat for hours giving us advice and building us back up. The guidance he provided to many of us quickly became the turning point in our lives. From my experiences with him he made me a calmer leader, brought clarity to the chaos, and helped me improve the person I am through patience and perseverance.
He traveled through Warhammer Online with us, joined us briefly in RIFT, and later found enjoyment playing World of Tanks with several members of the family while they anxiously waited for Guild Wars 2 to arrive. For months Oldroar talked about Guild Wars 2 to me, pointing out the similarities with Warhammer Online. He encouraged me to take the trip to Seattle and make contact with ArenaNet.
Shortly before we received our welcoming into the Alpha team for Guild Wars 2, Oldroar disappeared. Nobody had heard from him in days. That is when we had Moredan who was one of our elders at the time and a close friend of Roger’s give him a call. The news was unbelievable. He had passed on in the time it took his wife to get him a glass of water.
This news hit a lot of us hard, but also was the fire that forged a legend. We decided that we were going to pay tribute to Roger’s memory by bringing his attitude and teachings to Guild Wars 2. We began lobbying to get a server named after him. We mounted a letter writing campaign to show just the reach that Roger had on our community. Still today those hundred or so letters hang on the ArenaNet community wall.
ArenaNet informed me that they would dedicate a server in his memory and named it Sanctum of Rall just weeks before one of the final beta tests. We later discovered a NPC in the Black Citadel named “Historian Goshkia” who foretold the legend of Tribune Oldroar.
Sanctum of Rall has become a living testament of his memory and the Gaiscioch presence there will be ever strong until the day they take it offline. This is where a man became a Legend, and an inspiration to us all. Others have a server, we have a legend.
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