Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post

Drider_it · 10-30-2008, 09:53 PM

And another candle is gone..

Ezra Phoenix Chatterton, Ephoenix the Hunter, Squirlanator the Mage, is gone. I didn't play on his server or new much about him except for the quest in mulgor and his cool xbow he got from make a wish and blizzard. But as a father of 5, it still hurts to see a child die.

and many children die every day, yet this child was part of the game I have a passion for.

his father wrote....

Ezra died at 9:45 on Monday night. The cancer attacked those portions of the brain that control breathing, and his lungs eventually shut down. He was conscious until the very end, and though he couldn’t speak, he could still communicate with me through hand gestures and nods. Ezra was in pain, gasping for breath, and very scared, but up to a few hours before he died, he was asking for ice cream and choosing the things I read to him. As much as I feared the cancer would take his mind and memory away from him, he held onto those as long as he could.

The ironies are sickening. Ezra’s mind was always his greatest strength, and stayed strong even as his brain was malfunctioning. His spirit and his will to live life well grew so amazing powerful all the way to the point that his life was taken from him. No one I have ever met was as talented at finding the bright side of a horrible situation, adapting his worldview to whatever new hardship befell him, and generally milking every last drop of happiness he could out of life as Ezra, and he’s the one who is taken. The one person in my life who most loved living and was most exceptionally gifted at it, and he’s the one who is taken.

I say these things because I am in pain, because I miss my son so much, and because Ezra’s death is an undeniable tragedy. It is the world’s loss that he doesn’t get to do more, and fulfill his great potential. But I also hope that I can learn from his example. When Ezra couldn’t walk anymore, he turned to World of Warcraft. When he couldn’t see, he turned to music, or our pets, or food, or directing me to play World of Warcraft for him. The trick was that, as his world got smaller, he just looked at it more closely. If I am to take any shred of good from this suffering, I’ll have to learn from him.

I hope to honor my son by learning to love my life as much as he did. It will take a long time to get to that point, especially now that my greatest joy is gone, but Ezra would demand it of me. I ask the WoW community, who have been so generous and kind to us, to please help me honor Ezra by doing the same in your hearts. Ezra’s sickness and painful death was a tragedy, an experience that showed me a glimpse of how easily suffering can invade your life, but his response to it showed me how a strong will can overcome that suffering. As well, the outpouring of love from all WoW players all over the globe showed me how wonderful people can be to someone they’ve never met. Our bodies are fragile, but our hearts are incredibly strong. A tumor the size of a raisin is enough to destroy the brain, but our minds are so much more powerful and immense than the brain.

My son, Ezra Phoenix Chatterton, Ephoenix the Hunter, Squirlanator the Mage, is gone. All we have left in this world are memories of him. Please remember that he was a good person, smart and clever but also very kind, that he loved to play World of Warcraft, that he loved rice pudding and fettucine alfredo, and that he went through so much pain and still found ways to smile all the way to the end. Please remember too the kindness of Blizzard, and the overwhelming love of the WoW community. Without these gifts, Ezra would still have found a way to be happy and optimistic, just not as easily.

Thank you all for helping him through the suffering.

Sincerely,

Micah Chatterton

I found his quest one day by accident. I rushed through it like the rest in mulgor but something stopped me. The dog. The voice of the npc.. It was different somehow. Then I checked Thottbot and found the story. I had recently lost my last uncle to cancer. My father has had his voice removed from cancer. It's hard. I, till the day I close my eyes on this world for the last time, will remember my fathers last words to me. His last spoken words through his given voice.

I made it a rite that I do this quest with every toon i play. If its alliance, I still ride down. In the end, its the same macro.. /me kneels, heart heavy as the tears for the fallen renew the parched earth. A salute to the Stars where he now hunts.

Then the yell... "Beware immortals, a new hunter stalks your heavens. Make way for the Phoenix. For like its name sake. In the fires of death, a new beginning arises. A whole perfect being beyond deaths touch!!!"

10-30-2008, 09:53 PM	#2618 (permalink)
Drider_it Junkie Location: Louisiana	And another candle is gone.. Ezra Phoenix Chatterton, Ephoenix the Hunter, Squirlanator the Mage, is gone. I didn't play on his server or new much about him except for the quest in mulgor and his cool xbow he got from make a wish and blizzard. But as a father of 5, it still hurts to see a child die. and many children die every day, yet this child was part of the game I have a passion for. his father wrote.... Ezra died at 9:45 on Monday night. The cancer attacked those portions of the brain that control breathing, and his lungs eventually shut down. He was conscious until the very end, and though he couldn’t speak, he could still communicate with me through hand gestures and nods. Ezra was in pain, gasping for breath, and very scared, but up to a few hours before he died, he was asking for ice cream and choosing the things I read to him. As much as I feared the cancer would take his mind and memory away from him, he held onto those as long as he could. The ironies are sickening. Ezra’s mind was always his greatest strength, and stayed strong even as his brain was malfunctioning. His spirit and his will to live life well grew so amazing powerful all the way to the point that his life was taken from him. No one I have ever met was as talented at finding the bright side of a horrible situation, adapting his worldview to whatever new hardship befell him, and generally milking every last drop of happiness he could out of life as Ezra, and he’s the one who is taken. The one person in my life who most loved living and was most exceptionally gifted at it, and he’s the one who is taken. I say these things because I am in pain, because I miss my son so much, and because Ezra’s death is an undeniable tragedy. It is the world’s loss that he doesn’t get to do more, and fulfill his great potential. But I also hope that I can learn from his example. When Ezra couldn’t walk anymore, he turned to World of Warcraft. When he couldn’t see, he turned to music, or our pets, or food, or directing me to play World of Warcraft for him. The trick was that, as his world got smaller, he just looked at it more closely. If I am to take any shred of good from this suffering, I’ll have to learn from him. I hope to honor my son by learning to love my life as much as he did. It will take a long time to get to that point, especially now that my greatest joy is gone, but Ezra would demand it of me. I ask the WoW community, who have been so generous and kind to us, to please help me honor Ezra by doing the same in your hearts. Ezra’s sickness and painful death was a tragedy, an experience that showed me a glimpse of how easily suffering can invade your life, but his response to it showed me how a strong will can overcome that suffering. As well, the outpouring of love from all WoW players all over the globe showed me how wonderful people can be to someone they’ve never met. Our bodies are fragile, but our hearts are incredibly strong. A tumor the size of a raisin is enough to destroy the brain, but our minds are so much more powerful and immense than the brain. My son, Ezra Phoenix Chatterton, Ephoenix the Hunter, Squirlanator the Mage, is gone. All we have left in this world are memories of him. Please remember that he was a good person, smart and clever but also very kind, that he loved to play World of Warcraft, that he loved rice pudding and fettucine alfredo, and that he went through so much pain and still found ways to smile all the way to the end. Please remember too the kindness of Blizzard, and the overwhelming love of the WoW community. Without these gifts, Ezra would still have found a way to be happy and optimistic, just not as easily. Thank you all for helping him through the suffering. Sincerely, Micah Chatterton I found his quest one day by accident. I rushed through it like the rest in mulgor but something stopped me. The dog. The voice of the npc.. It was different somehow. Then I checked Thottbot and found the story. I had recently lost my last uncle to cancer. My father has had his voice removed from cancer. It's hard. I, till the day I close my eyes on this world for the last time, will remember my fathers last words to me. His last spoken words through his given voice. I made it a rite that I do this quest with every toon i play. If its alliance, I still ride down. In the end, its the same macro.. /me kneels, heart heavy as the tears for the fallen renew the parched earth. A salute to the Stars where he now hunts. Then the yell... "Beware immortals, a new hunter stalks your heavens. Make way for the Phoenix. For like its name sake. In the fires of death, a new beginning arises. A whole perfect being beyond deaths touch!!!" __________________ It means only one thing, and everything: Cut. Once committed to fight, Cut. Everything else is secondary. Cut. That is your duty, your purpose, your hunger. There is no rule more important, no commitment that overrides that one. Cut. The lines are a portrayal of the dance. Cut from the void, not from bewilderment. Cut the enemy as quickly and directly as possible. Cut with certainty. Cut decisively, resoultely. Cut into his strength. Flow through the gaps in his guard. Cut him. Cut him down utterly. Don't allow him a breath. Crush him. Cut him without mercy to the depth of his spirit. It is the balance to life: death. It is the dance with death. It is the law a war wizard lives by, or he dies.