Zonker

He has been many things, to many people.  A sea captain, a knight, a slave, a hero.  He has been a businessman, even a midwife, and perhaps most close to home, he has been a father and a family man as well.  In 3508 years, Zonker is the man who should own a whole crate of t-shirts that say 'been there, done that.'

Originally concepted about eleven years ago, Zonker came about as an amalgam of two or three of his mun's Dungeons & Dragons characters and was the mun's first FFRP character.  In order to make this a smooth integration, and a proper transition from a table-top scenario to a free-form one, "Much of his backstory was created to make the integration more seamless.  I needed something to explain how his existence was so varied despite the fact that he was human.  As a fan of Robert Heinlein, the "Time" guardian schtick was a natural.  His origin remained one of a medieval warrior, Norse because I simply liked the idea and knew a bit about the Mythos and the stories of the Eddas."

Zonker's mun explained what a Time Guardian was, as well, for those not in the know, "Think of it like Dr. Who, or characters in the later stories of Heinlein.  The "Monks of Time" (the name invented by one of my early play partners) travel Time and space to protect the integrity of Time in the Universe and to keep the balance between Order and Chaos in check."

As one can imagine, having that sort of backstory could only lead to a lifetime of incredible experiences.  Zonker originally got his start as a Time Guardian from the Monks of Time, long before he stepped foot in Rhy'Din.  Originally recruited due to his connection to a cleric who wasn't of Earth origin, this Viking warrior started questing with the cleric.  Eventually, this would gain the attention of the Monks of Time.

"The Cleric, through means still unknown, kept the questers young and healthy beyond normal human parameters by sacrificing some of his own life force and previously absorbed temporal energy.  This kept the others young and healthy but caused the Cleric to age and die prematurely.  After his death, Zonker travelled across the lands to consult libraries and sages in search of the secrets of life and Time.  It was outside one such library that the Monks recruited him, trained him, and put him to work. During these long years as a Monk, he learned of Rhydin,  As one of the junctures of the Nexus, it made sense that the place was well known to such groups."

The bonus of travelling through time was that Zonker was able to absorb the temporal energies that he lived a good deal of his life in.  That provided something not unlike a 'fountain of youth' that served to keep him young and vital; a natural by-product of his work.

As for how Zonker came to Rhy'Din, exactly, we start with the mun.  As mentioned, he was a veteran of table top games and his introduction to the world of online role-play was just as much accident as it was fate.

"I never even knew there was such a thing online RP.  I was simply checking out AOL during a free trial, using one of the ubiquitous disks available at the time.  I thought it was all pretty cool.  Hung around the Pagan Tea House, Friends of Bill W, and especially the much mourned ACLU free speech chat rooms.

"During one AOL session, I was surfing member rooms.  Though I had no interest in the F4M, M4M, and other rooms, there were also A&E rooms where one could chat about books, movies, and such.  I saw a room titled "Lyonsbane Manor" amd thought it was a very creative name (plus it was not EXTREMELY crowded).  I still had no idea about online FFRP.  I went in, and as always, hung out a bit and lurked to get the feel of the room.  I suddenly noticed the :: :: and that the people in the room were definitely not talking about some plot but were playing one out.  "Holy *&^%!" I thought out loud, these people are RPing!"

No one who knows him will be the least bit surprised at how he decided to handle this.

"So ... I jumped right in.  The character who was to become Zonker broke his second favorite sword that day!  The accent and the medieval origin came from a misunderstanding about the extent of the medieval fantasy setting."

In order to make his character a little more fleshed out, he pulled out his old character sheets and worked things out.  Though, he kept the medieval accent, accordingly, "The accent stayed, though became more realistically muddled, cause I liked it."

When asked about his early experiences in the world of online roleplay, and whether or not he was graced with good partners and interesting storylines, he had this to say:

"I had awesome play partners.  The two players in the Lyonsbane Guild recruited me into their Guild.  That was during the craze.  It was a loose one and not part of any larger organization.  While I wondered why they called it a guild (thinking that term was for organized craftsman and such), I joined up because it was what bound the playing group together."

Initially, dice were still a part of the world that Zonker inhabited, though his mun found no problem with this, as it was still tied to his D&D origins.  At the time, he knew nothing of the RDI or the debates going on about dice there.  Though, as time went on, he noticed that the dice had become unrealistic and had gotten out of hand, "...and I began to see them as an unneeded crutch.  Anyway, I was into the RP not the dice or the guild rankings.  I became an FFRP[er] long before I knew the term as such."

As to his play partners, Zonker-the-mun could not give enough praise.  Over the many years, "I had great play partners from then until now.  I have been lucky with that.  Hell, I watched many of my partners struggle through high school, graduated, go to college or join the workforce.  Many stopped RPing, others took looooong breaks and returned later.  I had (and still have) a great time!"

One would think that Zonker himself would be something akin to a force of nature, but not only did he influence the lives of many other characters in the realm, he carved out his own niche in it.  Called the Less Crowded Inn, this particular locale was open for many a year, and drew in many people.  Even to this day, just saying the acronym LCI is enough for people to know where you're talking about, including those who never played in the location itself.

One permanent fixture to the beloved LCI was, of course, Zonker.

"The Less Crowded Inn regulars, with a few exceptions, changed over almost wholly at least three times.  Each new group provided a different golden age.  Zonker evolved, the LCI evolved, and they evolved each time."

The Less Crowded Inn served as a focal point for many storylines.  Zonker's immortality, for instance, was lost there during a Trial for Humanity.  To understand why this is so important, one must look deep into the past... or even deeper into the future.

"He is strongly empathic and he was immortal for a time.  Both placed on him as a curse by Loki during his first mission with the Monks, wherein he travelled to the "end of Time" at Ragnarok and distracted Loki as FenrisWolf devoured the sun.  If this had not occurred, the loop of Time would have been severed and Time would end without starting up again.

"He gave up his immortality during the Trial for Humanity, which took place in Rhydin (at the LCI).  He defended man against Loki and won the right for their continued existence and a covenant by the Gods of Asgard to stay the heck out of their lives."

As one can well imagine, it's pretty hard to top saving humankind as a whole, but the little events make up just as much of Zonker's amazing life as the large ones.  A jack-of-all-trades, mostly due to his extremely long life, some of his mun's more fond recollections are of, "Zonker presiding over numerous marriages (since he had been a sea captain -Viking style- at one time it seemed legit) and he played midwife to many births.

"There were also many "adoptions" into the LCI Family and (explaining his surfeit of brothers and sisters) and, of course, many deaths.  Matilda De Vey (aka Matty) was one of the most tragic."

Given the nature of life and the realm when it comes to tragedy, though, "But it was neither the first nor last.  Later, and a bit more recently, came the destruction by cosmic fire of the LCI itself.  Followed much too soon after the death of his 23rd wife Moriah in a quantum singularity that should have killed him... and rearranged the entire Multiverse."

To say that this was a time-arcing, space-arching storyline would be an understatement.  Spanning worlds, times and lives, Zonker found his mettle tested, and in the end, nearly lost it all.

"Zonker was taken from Rhydin awhile back by some Undead beings.  They manipulated Time and took over a world he once protected, came to Rhydin through the Nexus and he was put into slavery.  He existed there in bondage for many years (though only a few minutes passed in Rhydin) until he lead a revolt.  This was not his first experience as a slave.  In the end, the Monks of Time and other guardian groups excised the Timeline, though Z having existed there remembers it all.

"Unfortunately, some of the baddies still existed and remembered as well.  It was they, years later, who destroyed the LCI then went after Z in vengeance.  They captured him and were to have him watch as they reordered existence so the excised Timeline returned, as the ONLY reality.

"Rena, Moriah, Tara Rynien - one of Zonker's oldest foes who he had recently reached a detente with, located the old man and fought to free him.  Moriah, using techniques she learned from Z, brought forth powerful time-tossed objects that Z had some connection to... the Holy Grail, the Spear of Destiny, a few "spacer/futuristic" objects, and like that.  She used them to counteract the singularity that would have altered Time (and ended Zonker's existence).  The forces involved destroyed her utterly.

"Z broke down as their Bond was broken.  Only the ministrations of Rena (et al) held him together long enough to get over it and continue living.

"He has vowed that Moriah, his 23rd wife and soulmate, would be his last."

After all of that grit; surviving, loving, fighting, dreaming, one would think that even without his formerly cursed immortality, Zonker is larger than life and therefore untouchable.  Such is not the case.  Deeply committed to his family, one doesn't have to look very far to see that his family is just as deeply committed to him.

Currently, that family and many many more friends await news to see what's to become of their near and dear.  Recently, while taking down Christmas decorations, Zonker collapsed.

"Zonker [is] lying in Fayalki Memorial Hospital. Whether he will live to be 3509 is highly in doubt."

From here, there is not much else we can say of this man.  So, as is only proper, we allow three of the many, many people who have loved him in his life so far to have a say.

From Maia d'Thalia:

"Zonker is an insufferable stubborn old fool, and I know, for certain, that he shall never change in that regard.  Having said that, I will note that there are precious few people on this mortal coil that I would trust, implicitly, with anything.  My home, my life, my world– anything.  The man was a devoted husband and a very dutiful father. He is a man of honor and great integrity.  Moreso than most, Zonker is also a man of loyalty; so much so that he and I have passed some strong words the rare times when our loyalties have not aligned.  He is the epitome of a true friend, and an infuriating bastard.  I'd not change him for the world."

From Santharina (Rena) Silverleaf:

"Zonker wast mine first family member. He wast the brother that I ne'er hadst. He accepted me almost from the first time I hadst walked into the Less Crowded Inn. I hadst had nae family for a long time when I met Zonker and hadst forgotten how wonderful it was to have someone who cared. He gave me mine first nickname. He shortened mine name from Santharina to Rena. He said that Santharina was too much of a mouthful. It took a bit of getting used to but it wast a good thing. 

"He made me feel beautiful when I couldst see nae beauty within myself. He helped me regain mine own sense of pride in myself and made me realize that though I hadst been a slave for many years that only I couldst allow them to take all that I wast and he showed me how to begin to love myself again.

"He brought mine son into the world and gave me the confidence to raise him and believe in a future for us both. And he hast always been there for me, for Kalen and for any family member that needed him. For any reason. Simply because he loves us all.
There ist naught that I wouldst nae do for Zonker.  I wouldst gi'e mine life for him."

And, from Taryn Ciorstaidh:

"Zonker.  What is he to me? 

"Fearless.  A man who, when ten – or ten thousand – people are telling him he can't, he looks them in the eye and says, "Maybe I can't.  But I'll give it a go anyhow."  A man whose life philosophy is today is a good day to die.  A man who has lived half a thousand years without going mad.

"He's the insufferable ass who, even when you really want him to, wouldn't even consider turning someone away from his door.  Very rare is the Rhydinian establishment that doesn't contain a man that calls himself Zonker's friend.  Not acquaintance, not someone they met once and remember vaguely.  An honest to goodness friend.  It's all he knows how to be.

"He's a single father who doesn't always know the solutions to his daughter's problems, but he'll find them out without blushing or batting an eye.  He's a brother to warring sisters who somehow finds a way to love them all equally.  He's the end all and be all for more people than he can possibly know. 

"He is my heart's guide, my conscience, my True North.  When I am unsure, he is sure for me.  He always has the answer.  He always is the answer. 

"So what is Zonker to me?  Everything."

Regardless of what the future holds for Zonker, his legacy is clear in the love and devotion he has inspired and continues to do so.  Of all of the things he has been in his life --  A sea captain, a knight, a slave, a hero -- the final thing that can be said of him is this:

He has loved and will always be loved.

-- Steff Watson
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Encylopedia Rhydinica
GreaterRealms