True Romance in Telara – Share your story and we’ll personally plan your in-game day!

[Elrar]

This contest is part of the celebration with the introduction of in-game marriages in Update 1.7 - check out all the details:

Save the Date – Get hitched and be part of a world record this Valentines Day!

Do you and your significant other play RIFT together or have they been looking for a reason to try? We’ve got a contest to make your big-day even bigger! MMO’s have played a role in thousands, maybe even millions of relationships – we want to know how online games benefit you and your loved one or the favorite memories you’ve made playing together!

Starting today we’re inviting you to share your story! Whether you met in-game, found a common bond in gaming, or use online worlds as a way to spend time together even when you’re physically apart – we want to hear from you. The best part – your story doesn’t have to start in RIFT, true romance can be found anywhere and you don’t need to limit you story to the confines of Telara.

Of course there’s something in it for you – from the stories we receive five lucky couples will get the royal treatment on their wedding day! Yours truly, Elrar – Community Manager, will officiate your wedding and provide all the trimmings, including the new wedding wardrobe outfits. That’s not all though, we’ll celebrate your new nuptials by telling all of Telara with a personalized in-game broadcast!

Here’s the Rundown:

• In 300 words or less (we’re not sticklers, but keep it to the point!) tell us how online games play a role in your relationship in this thread no later than Monday, February 6th @ 10AM PDT
• While we’re looking for the best stories it’s important to be a good story teller! Bonus points for writing style and legibility.
• Obviously – only one entry per couple please!
• Your partner doesn’t need to be an active RIFT player – but they’ll need to be able to show up for the wedding if you want to enjoy the prize!
• Winners will be contacted during the week of February 6th and announced on February 10th – we’ll coordinate a date and time on Valentines Day, February 14th, or set a rain date if needed.

These are the basic rules - be sure to check out the post linked above for all that wonderful legal text. As always we try to be inclusive of as many of our players as we can but due to regulations in certain regions or countries there are restrictions, we’ve provided a list below. Before you ask – Yes: Oceanic players from Australia, New Zealand, or Singapore are welcome to participate!

We look forward to all of your wonderful stories and celebrating true romance in Telara!

[ShawnT]

Once upon a dream, a fellow adventurer and I were in high spirits, celebrating a victorious battle we had faced earlier that day. Mead flowed, songs were sung, and the people of the town danced the night away. Then suddenly time stood still as I saw her and she saw me. The party seemed to disappear around and it was only her and I. I asked her, “May I have this dance?” and she nodded as if she knew that this moment was meant to be. When I took her hand and pulled her close to me the world around us became a blur. Nothing else mattered, only her and I. Under the starry sky we danced the night away, living in the perfect moment. The next day we awoke, both thinking it was all a dream. Then we realized we were next to each other and that the dream was a reality. We looked into each other’s eyes she asked me “What is your name?” – True Story!

Other Couples watch movies together and go out on dates, and while we enjoy those things, we prefer to go on epic adventures through a wonderful fantasy! Together we adventure through the land of Telara, she is my beautiful princess, and I her knight in shining armor. You know what they say, couples that play together stay together! My Girlfriend (Zelie) and I (Zhawn) have played Rift since launch. It is our favorite game. We have always dreamt of a fairy tale wedding but have never found the right place to do it. This contest would be the perfect dream wedding and we would love to be chosen. So pick us and come join us on Faeblight (PVE-RP) for what would be the greatest, most wonderful day of our lives!

[kirbomatic]

My boyfriend and I started dating on August 14th, 2008, after helping each other through two very rough break-ups. We were originally online friends, so we lived roughly 90 miles apart. Although we would make an effort to see each other every weekend, the distance was a struggle. To compensate, we would play various video games together when we were apart. Three years later, I was introduced to Rift, and in turn, I introduced him to it, as a way to play together. We would help each other out with quests and events regularly. When the Chronicles first came out, we spent a couple nights defeating each of them together. With him being an artificer and weaponsmith and myself an armorsmith, we made and gave each other the various pieces to the blood-forged set to make each other stronger as DPS warriors. I have also been training to become a warrior tank so I can help protect him while he knocks enemies down. We always seem to play together, whether it’s closing Rifts for an event or going on Instant Adventures in Stillmoor and Shimmersand. He has even gotten me my current 6 month subscription as a gift. Now, here’s the kicker. If you have yet to do the math, February 14th will not only be Valentine’s Day for us, but also a .5-aversary, as it were. It will be a very special day for us as we celebrate 3.5 years together, and it would be wonderful to spend it being one of the first Telaran marriages as a celebration of our love. Either way, Mercenaryzero and I (Kirbomatix) of Greenscale look forward to 1.7 and tying the knot, Telara-style. Thank you for hearing our story and have a nice day!

[Aarika]

Even though the spark started in another game, it quickly shifted to Rift and reality. The only reason we have ever started talking to one another was because we were the only ones in Ventrillo around 3am. We quickly switched to talking alone away from others on Skype, and as time flew by we got closer. We would talk for hours on a daily basis whether it was texting or on Skype. It was difficult feeling close emotionally, but being 3000 miles apart from one another. One day I decided to pack up my things and move to another state to start away from family trouble. My boyfriend happened to live an hour and a half from where I was moving. So of course once I arrived we planned a day to spend together which went amazingly well. After a friend introduced me to Rift I thought maybe my boyfriend would like try it out with me. At the time he still played another game and wanted to eventually move to a new one the guild was going to once released. Eventually he ended up playing Rift more than me, and he even told me he would have rather played Rift than any other game since I play it. Rift gave us another way to bond when we were apart since our work schedules conflicted constantly. Ever since the day I moved, my life has been increasingly better with him around (and he can say the same). We are coming into our 8th month now and plan on a future together when the time comes. Thank you Trion for creating a fun game to keep us bonded when apart.

[RickoT]

An ancient prison floats in the sky
where many have fought and died.
They arrived apart, and left together
Leaving dead bosses behind

As time would pass, and adventures would come
They found a common thread
Their love for exciting battle
And desire to make things dead

At first they considered each other enemies
And would fight over loot and kills
But eventually that all passed
And they loved one another for their skills

Eventually these great leaders
Combined their fruitful guilds.
And made a huge family.
That ran together for great kills!

-----

Cheese! but fun! My wife and I met in World of Warcraft and were both the leaders of raiding guilds. At first we couldn't stand each other but that all changed over time as we ended up running more dungeons/raids together with our guilds. Eventually we combined our guilds, which of course meant we spent a lot of time together. We eventually grew on one another, and after about a year I moved to be with her. We got married a year after that on Halloween 2010 in costume and had a a Renascence themed wedding in New Orleans! Now we both play RIFT and we LOVE it. It is a way for us both to enjoy our time together and have more fun adventures!

[Viscol]

There was once a human warlock in ol' Azeroth who was kicking butt and taking names in Tarren Mill. No one seemed to be able to get close, and she downed many a foe on the battlefield. Before she could pat herself on the back for taking out a mage with chain fears and shadow bolts, an undead rogue popped out of nowhere and dropped her in a couple of hits. This seemed to go on for the rest of the afternoon, our warlock hero never catching another break. As the great battle died down, she approached this rogue for a duel and he utterly destroyed her.

She was so upset, she hopped onto a new Horde character to talk to the man. He ended up being honest, charming, and one of the nicest people she'd ever met, and she soon found herself leveling her little horde priest and abandoning the warlock altogether, just to spend more time with him.

Almost six years later, they play Rift together on Faeblight and are engaged to be married this year in the real world.

[Aleistia]

My tale begins in the year 2003 in the realm of Earth, where I met a guy in my class at collage who liked the same video games as I did. Our friendship grew over the months, when one day our class went to the local tavern after the end of a term. We soon realized we had more than just a friendship. Shortly thereafter, we moved in together and HAD to have two computers side by side.

We played games over the network and some online games together whenever possible. One day he started playing WoW. I said I wouldn’t like it, but after watching him play for about a week, decided it really looked like something I would enjoy. So I started playing as well. Not too long after, we had our first child.

We Journeyed and adventured in Azeroth for years, then both got bored of it and decided it was time to leave. We caught word of some strange disturbances in the distant land of Telara, so decided to travel there, and remain to this day. Our son wants to adventure with us, but alas is not yet old enough. Unfortunately due to circumstances that occurred in life we have not been able to get married (we are engaged). But in the land of Telara, we can finally be joined. And if we could make our wedding special, even though it’s not in our home land of Earth, it would mean the world to us.

Aleistia and Xarson

[Rift Kit]

In the summer of June 2007, a young (well not so young but work with me) gaming maiden ventured into a new world looking for excitement, love and a place to hone her weapon skills (or at least alleviate the boredom of gaming alone). In this world she met a daring and arrogant warrior (not a bad guy once you got past the swagger). All the other maidens thought she was crazy for becoming involved with the hated warrior and she scoffed at them as they continued to spend time together…peppered with the occasional poke in his ribs with her dagger when he got too full of himself (she had to release the hot air ya know). A deep friendship developed although they lived half the country away from each other. After a long and treacherous journey taking almost two years whilst testing all their strength and resolve, they came together in RL and have been living and gaming together ever since. During this time, they have wed in various online worlds and will again pledge their troth in Rift. Sadly, the young *cough* maiden is still constantly reminded of the words she spoke to her daughter those years ago..."Honey, internet relationships are not real!" *sighs and wonders if Murdantix would like a human child for a snack*

[mngl1500]

Spaten and Sybrina met while playing World of Warcraft and became fast friends. After almost two years of talking and getting to know each other Spaten invited Sybrina to come visit him in Minnesota. While there after seeing each other in person they both were wondering if they maybe would become more than friends. Love was beginning to bloom but during Sybrina's stay there Spaten got in a motorcycle accident and broke his wrist. Sybrina decided to extend her stay to take care of him and see if she really did love him. But that was cut short by the declining health of her grandfather whom she rushed home to see thanks to some help from Spaten. Sadly her grandpa died and she stayed in Massachusetts for over a month with her family but still talking to Spaten almost every day. The night the 35W bridge collapsed Sybrina couldn't get a hold of Spaten and was so scared that something happened to him. When she finally heard from him she was so relieved and she realized that she really did love him much much more then a friend and luckily he loved her too. A few weeks later she packed most of her clothes and a few personal items and left to start a new life in a strange place with the man she loved. He proposed to her on February 13th 2008 (cause he couldn't wait one more day till Valentine's Day) and of course she said YES. They have been engaged ever since and finally in late January of 2009 after much procrastination set a date to be married.

In January of 2011 they took a vacation to Aruba for two weeks to get away from the cold winter. After this two week break Azeroth was not the same anymore. They signed up for a beta and moved to a strange new world called Telara.

They were married on September 17th 2011 and continue to play Rift together.

[Lizzapooh]

I did not always love online games, as a matter of fact I hated it them! They used to be my worst enemy at one time. When I first met my husband, I never knew that he played online games, I was in my early 20’s and my idea of fun was to go out to a club and dance the night away. But after so many months I found out my husband (boyfriend at the time) played a popular online game (this was back in 2000), and I swear up and down, I could not get this guy to get up off his butt and take me out without hearing him say “ohh just one more kill”. This game became that other woman I could not compete with. We eventually broke up, and after missing him, I gave in. I asked him “how in the world do I play this game and where do I start?” And from that day on, I realized what he meant by “just one more kill”. We married in 2002. He got stationed in Hawaii (US Navy) and I had to go to school in Virginia (dual military) that was one of the ways we would spend time together, when we were miles apart. We would vent our military frustrations thru the game, and chat about our day. And do it all over again until we were together again. He retired in 2010 and since that day, we have enjoyed playing side by side. We started playing Rift 5 months ago and so far it’s the best game we have ever played. So, after all the kids are tucked in (3 beautiful kids!), we find a couple hours to ourselves and we try to save the digital world.

Lizzapooh & Thadux

[Tamica78]

It was a cold frosty eve in the Vast world of Norrath in the year 2001 when Tamica druid of Erollsi Marr came apon Tanvaras while Camping "Ice Giants" In Everfrost.....

One cannot say if it was love at first type but Tamica found him to be most alluring and could not resist teasing the poor Half-elf Druid declaring " One day you are going to Marry me" well Tanvaras was rather surprised and not in a good way mind you and replied " Not in your life beep beep"......

Not surprising Tamica who always made sure she got what she wanted did not give up hope , or it may of been loves first kiss or perhaps the 2 day bus ride that Tanvaras took to meet his beloved but Tamica knew she had met her one True love.............

So did Tamica get her way and Marry her one true love??

"Of course she did " and they will celebrate there 8 year wedding annvirsary with her 3 very naughty little dwarfs ( boys) come March the 6th 2012......

And Live Happily ever after..........

[Bathious]

At some point, many couples spend some time apart, be it a few days in Vegas with the guys or a weekend with the girls. For other couples a few days or a weekend is a luxury. For other couples a few days or a weekend is only a drop in the bucket as to how long they have to go without seeing each other. For some couples, marking off the days on the calendar become a ritual, with the reward of being able to kiss and hold their loved ones close, however brief, before again counting the days of their loved ones return.

My partner and I were introduced to online gaming as a means to connect when I was stationed overseas. We used the time online to stay connected in more ways than just being able to talk. How many other couples can say they spent time killing Frost Giants in the Great Divide while simultaneously ensuring the freedoms of those back home were protected? It kept us sane. It kept us together. And it kept us happy.

My friends and family may never be able to be a part of a legitimate and legal real life commitment ceremony. That being said, it is nice to be able to share something a bit more special and have friends and family be a part of that. When I told my "mother-in-law" about the upcoming wedding, she was more excited then I was. Being able to do this, even though it's in game, means more than you'll ever understand, especially since it's the FIRST game to allow same sex couples to take part in this officially. Even if this isn't selected, I would still like to say Thank You Trion.


Caduces and Lasso

[AkaKaiwyn]

I'll skip our initial meeting, getting to the heart of when our story truly began. He was involved with another woman. I was in a loveless marriage. Many nights I thought I was doomed to a life of unhappiness but, I was wrong.

One hazy afternoon in another game which shall not be named, the other woman approached me. She knew me previously because she'd introduced us. She asked if I'd seen him in game or we'd spoken. I told her the truth, straight up like a shot of liquor that burns on the way down. For many days and nights we'd met as friends. We played together online, shared our lives and talked about past regrets. I told her that I'd no idea how he felt, but I knew I loved him. I told her there was no one else else in the world that had ever had this effect on my heart. That day was rough for us all. I thought I might lose him for telling her the truth before him.

I waited for his call. The thought that he might tell me he wanted to stay with her weighed heavy on my mind. Ten minutes later the phone rang, and with a raspy voice he said he'd make things right. He told her he had feelings for me and ended their relationship. We've been together for 6 years now. We married the day after Valentine's four years ago and share a life full of love and happiness with our beautiful 4 year old daughter. He told me a few years ago that his heart was empty until he met me and gave him a family. Since a month after Rift's release, we've continued to play together to this day and hope to have many more.

[kirra12]

I’m a proud Ethian princess. People address me as Cuupi the Warprincess. My prince hates to intro himself to the public, so I won’t call him to greet you guys, but he’s the extraordinary ninja called Otrahigus (a.k.a Otra). We started playing Rift a day before Rift officially went online. We have travelled through Freemarch and swam all the way to Ember Isle. Since then, we have always gone around bullying guardians in warfronts. All I do is stand at the front and charm the opponents with my magical beauty, waiting for Otra assassinates them one by one. We also often do dates by doing achievements and invasions. How many people in this world can date while riding a crocodile? Being in Rift has also introduced us to new comrades. Our first guild was also one of the first ones who got to slay the Lord Greenscale. To this date, I am still an active raider trying to kill Akylios while my boyfriend only PVPs with me. Playing a game with your spouse/loved ones can prove to break/make the relationship you have in real life. And Rift made ours flourish. We are very thankful that we found this game because it has helped us to understand each other more. I did not know he could curse before. (Like literally.) We hope to receive the honor of being the royal couple in Rift because I am THE Ethian princess! (DARE YOU DISOBEY ME!)

Signed,
Your soon-to-be Queen

[Quelinda]

One warm summer evening in World of Warcraft a strong night elf warrior offered to rush a young elfette druid named Quélinda through a low level dungeon. After many wipes and various mishaps the two began to talk and decided that they enjoyed each other's company so much that they wanted to play together every day. The warrior made a death knight called Enkilarius so that he could spend more time with his lovely Quélinda. After a few months of in-game conversation and long hours of in-game chat time they decided to meet in person since they both lived near Paris.
That was me and my fiancé nearly four years ago. Roughly six months after we met we began to live together in the Paris region. We set up two desks in our living room with computers and we play side by side several evenings a week and on weekends.
Quélinda and Enkilarius enjoyed many many on-line adventures together in World of Warcraft because we played them together for roughly three years going through several extensions of that game.
When Rift came out last year we moved from World of Warcraft to Rift in order to discover a new on-line game together. Now Quélinda and Enkilarius continue their adventures as an elf mage and an elf rogue in Rift on the Cestus server.
It happens that February 14th will be a special day for us because we will be celebrating a civil union in real life on that day. An on-line marriage ceremony will be a fun way to share that event with our on-line friends.