Let me tell you somethings about Eldrok.
This guy was either funny as anyone you can know, or annoying in a way you can't shake. Quilly and I (we co-lead the LagunasWarriors social LS) would sometimes log on to our mules and immediately get a /tell, like he was waiting for one of us to log in so he can tell us something random.
He was on a lot of drugs and drink. Of course, I told him several times he needed to chill out on that, but for some reason he couldn't let go. No one ever figured it would take its toll like it did, otherwise we'd have been more adamant. He didn't seem depressed or anything. There was a short time a few months ago when he seemed to clean up a little, and I encouraged him to keep it going. It was refreshing to get to talk to him properly for a change, while he was coherent.
He kept begging me and Quilly to go with him to Dho Gates to kill some Apex Crabs for some CP. Of course, we'd already mastered our jobs and gone out with him several times, so we were getting a little frustrated he kept asking when he could take others who actually need the cp. We were always trying to help him become more independent, but I know it was more because he just wanted to spend time with us in some way.
He'd call Quilly "sire" or "master" a lot. He tried the same thing with me, but I told him no. I ain't like that, I don't enjoy being put on a pedestal. Sometimes he would spam the LS chat with spam, usually complete nonsense or emotes from the old days. He was super nostalgic for old FFXI, always talking about our old, dead server Hades and how cool it was to EXP in Crawler's Nest. I had to get Q to tell him off several times, as he was one of those guys who would sometimes push the limits
If this was anyone else... he would have been kicked from the LS, but he had this charm about him. Like, you could be telling him off but he'd always apologize and be super cool about it. He wasn't a troll, he was just a guy with a passion and energy which would sometimes get him into trouble without realizing.
I remember us chilling outside the mog house in Bastok Mines only a couple of months ago, the last time I saw him in game. He wanted crabs again, but it was late for me so we just chilled out doing job emotes. A friend from the LS come across us and joined in. Another person I've known for years also found us and joined in. Eldrok befriended this other person I didn't know but had seen around, and suddenly we had a party doing job emotes and pissing around for no good reason.
So if anything, I feel good that we were able to entertain him like that in his final days. Damn... he was infuriating at times, but it's been a while now and I still expect him to send a /tell outta' nowhere. You don't realize sometimes how much of an impact people have on your life til they're suddenly not there. Part of me wishes I could have done something to help him with his addictions, but I guess it's easy to say in hindsight.
All I can say is that if you know anyone like this, even if this person is a twenty, or thirtysomething, try to help them out because they aren't invincible. You could be saving their life without knowing it. Eldrok will be stoked to know he touched so many lives. He's one of those guys I'll probably never forget because he was so unique. Like I said before, he does have an obituary online but I'll only give the link out to those who knew him on this server.
He also loved his music. The last fun thing he sent me was this following video. Doctor Doctor is his theme now, at least from my perspective. RIP friend.
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