A few days ago, I was sitting in the academy, waiting for class to begin. I was bored, and my thoughts began to drift. I found myself thinking of Dragon Court, all the hours I spent pointing and clicking on a game that had no plot line, very crummy and crude drawings, and humor so bad that it was humorous (I still crack up about the wrong answers to the riddles!). Then I began to think of the forums, and all the silly shenanigans that I did (and got in trouble for). I realized that it's been almost 10 1/2 years since I first started playing Dragon Court, and began to get active on the forums. I was in the 8th grade then, and knew almost nothing about role-playing, fantasy, or magic, except for reading the book Eragon which was still brand-spanking new.
I was introduced to the game and forums by Talia and Ekehart. Talia I knew from church, and Ekehart was her boyfriend at the time. I didn't know what kind of character to create, so I made a mage/fighter elf/dragon abomination. For those of you who dealt with the very first incarnation of Zuka... I feel so sorry for you. Let's not forget the several dozen characters I've created on the side as well! I was pretty hot-tempered, a crummy wannabe spammer, and my god, my writing was so atrocious! But it is because of those experiences that I attribute my creativity, writing skills (my report writing once got me a handshake from our Major!), and love for anything fantasy related.
It also made me realize how much I've grown and matured in that time. I earned my Bachelor's in Aerospace last August, I have been dating the same girl for almost two years now, I am a homeowner as of two months ago, I have been working for the Sheriff's Office since January, and I have just completed the second week of my academy out of nine! I spend a lot of time reflecting back and smiling, remembering how much this community has helped me grow, and how I most likely would have never experienced the wonders of fantasy and writing and the friendships that I have, if it weren't for a simple Java game called Dragon Court and the forums the players called home.