An Extensive Tribute to 5 Years on Royals. (20+ Art Panels)

Xion Suet Li · Apr 21, 2024

Good Luck Out There Don't Get Skem By RNG in IRL! :# KEK

Atta · Apr 23, 2024

I read the story while listening breath of the wild OST. It was a fantastic experience thank you for sharing your adventure

ShamanKing · Apr 25, 2024

Wow Will. This is insane!! This was amazing to read and I enjoyed seeing how each chapter of your maple career played out. (the art is crazy)

Sad I wasn't able to make it to your farewell party. I'm glad our paths crossed on Royals.

Hopefully, whatever you're moving on to brings you lots of excitement.

Until next time. Good luck and Take care!

Sarcasm · Apr 25, 2024

What you felt during these Five years is the same feeling i myself had when i quit the official servers for EMS in 2013. no game, as many a dozen are awesome games, never come close to this exact feeling. there's something about Maplestory and its growth and the small knitted community of friends and a guild system you adapt to. I'm glad this server brings this feeling to many, one thing i regret doing is to have never documented as much as i could have to which you've had captivated within these stories and art work, well put together. it may be the end(for now perhaps?) but this is maplestory, one day you'll come back and you'll be more than welcome. enjoy life!

Schmoggledon · May 13, 2024

Finally made a forum account. See ya again sometime Will, thanks for yoinking me from smegas, taking me out back to a empty FM and indoctrinating me :3
Best wishes and luck for all that's yet to come o/

Sacriel · Aug 2, 2024

Thank you for all the lovely comments!

Many of my artworks pictured here in this thread came from my home guild of Cloudy x Sunny. That I spent 5 lovely years in!

I have an important announcement!

The doors are now open for applications officially on the forum. I highly encourage it!

Come join our family! Start your new adventure, and tell them I sent you via this thread ~ Click Below !

https://royals.ms/forum/threads/️-cloudy-x-sunny-️.235723/

If my journey is any evidence, we are worth a try! Come make memories of your own!!

MitchyD · Aug 20, 2024

Sacriel said: ↑

Hi I'm Will or Willis, known in game mostly as Nicolaus on my DK!
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5 years of MapleRoyals.

I can't let it go so easily.

My Journey. My Friends. Our Shared Memories.

So I'll preserve it forever.

As my farewell.

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Credit

All of this was drawn via commission by the incredibly talented June-ArtCraft.

Disclaimer

1) Events are told from my perspective, with my opinion.

2) Focuses on highlights , mainly positive!

3) OPEN Each spoiler for screenshots and the backstory to each image (Optional). 2022 and later I had way more screenshots! I think my rambling tells a half -decent story, give it a peek !

I PRAY TO GOD EVERYTHING FORMATS CORRECTLY!!
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Chapter 1: Path of Magician

My journey began when I was recommended a Youtube video by Aaon aka @darkjordanx in the summer of 2019. It captured my interest so I downloaded for it myself.

I had my goals set on playing a magician, a class I had never played in GMS and thought was nostalgic but also cool.

After breezing through Maple Island, I found myself before Grendel the Really Old for the first job advancement.

Invisibly, that day (may) have been the server owner himself, watching as another hopeful adventurer stepped forward. Thousands had started their journey, in the same exact way, due to him.

On this day I made a promise to myself. To hit level 200 and reach the summit. To achieve what kid me couldn't.

Having to choose between I/L , F/P , and Bishop was tough. I ultimately went with Bishop, a class my friend had played in 2007 and I hadn't tried before.

KPQ , CPQ , LPQ and CPQ2 Followed. It was fun for what most veteran players would call a grind. Even if I was just spamming heal standing on a platform for most of it. Perks of being new! I looked forward to one day doing huge damage, having seen Genesis used before.

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Chapter 2: Fateful Encounter - Chocolates

Level 70 had been achieved! I made my way over to the next recommended PQ, Pirate Party Quest (PPQ), located a few maps outside of Herb Town.

My fateful encounter came after I did a very long session of runs with a certain bowman, named Vicki, whose guild tag read “Steamy”.

I asked her if I could join, one day after we had finished a PPQ session and interest to run again had dwindled. Immediately she told me she couldn’t make that decision and would need to reach out to the leader of the guild. However, he was not online, so I would need to be patient. I thought she was being difficult and stalling, so I dropped chocolates (use item) on the floor and crouched in game, trying to jokingly bribe her. She gave me credit for being motivated and said she would pass the word on, begrudgingly (LOL).

Days would pass and each time I’d ask her, "Have you talked to him?" She would say, “no, he’s been offline” and this little cat and mouse game continued. But one day he was online and I was told to meet in the FM to meet Chris, the leader of Steamy for an interview.

One standard guild screening later and...

My First Guild!! Via my First Friend!

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New Guild, New Faces!

I set about to meet as many as I could, but two that stood out above them all was Alys and Orel.

@LLew - Alys introduced me to so many more people, and was extremely kind, caring and outgoing. She gave me advice and helped me when possible. A fantastic Jr. and later Leader.

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Orel was my partner in crime, selling my items at his FM shop, accompanying me on pre-quests and just hanging out. An inspirational Dark Knight who I idolized.

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Three people all on different continents had found a common bond via Royals. That alone is a testament to the social aspect of the game.

These were the simple times of 2019, full of laughter, misadventures and un-optimal gameplay. THE GOLDEN ERA.

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Chapter 4: Crowning Moment - Bishop

From free leeches via guildies and others payed...

At last I had arrived at the 4th job advancement, the road to Bishop one step away. I opted to purchase the Secret Scroll from the NPC in Orbis Tower because there was no way I could kill either Manon or Griffey.

I started recording and said a few words of thanks to my friends and guild before I then clicked the NPC. A barrage of lore later and I ascended to Bishop, the special effect surrounding my character as I advanced. This displayed in guild chat, and many of my friends went wild! Fittingly, the first person to congratulate me by pure coincidence was also my first friend, Vicki.

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I was also very excited, as I had never gotten this far as a kid, 4th job. Together with my friends and guild supporting me, I achieved something special!

Ecstatic, I opened my 4th job skill book and literally hit the floor with disappointment. The book had almost no skills, and none of the ones I wanted like Genesis, Resurrection , or Bahamut.

It was then I learned that the journey was only beginning, and unlocking these skills was going to be a hell of a struggle.

Slowly over time I acquired them all, and finally began to play the class I had picked many months ago.

I took the opportunity to camp at Skeles and obliterate them with Genesis. Finally I did damage.

Palpaltus and Zakum runs followed, more grinding at Skelegons as well. It was fun for a while, but eventually it became very stale.

Pressing Cleanse and Holy Symbol was not the most engaging gameplay , nor was clicking Genesis and repeatedly teleporting. I was burning out fast by fall of 2019.

That led me to go on hiatus - with the future uncertain. I said my heartfelt goodbyes and logged off.

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Chapter 5: New Horizon - Cloudy

Fall changed to Winter and with the winds of change came my return to Royals. I returned to find Steamy completely inactive (sadly) and only a handful of remaining friends online.

I felt a bit guilty having taken a hiatus at that time. I returned, only to wish I could have spent more time with my first guild while it was still flourishing.

I left with Chris (leaders) blessing as the guild had run its course. The truth was hard to face but it was reality, I needed a new home.

My adventures continued, mostly working on alt characters that never got past level 30. A warrior and bowman to be.

Then, One day on a flight to CBD I received an invite to a guild I had shown interest in.

I joined Cloudy / Sunny on that day, a dual guild structure. I was new so I was placed in Sunny per policy.

I Met guild leader Song @MzBunny, an incredible person who made me feel right at home, once again. This wasn't a guild but one big family. Just like how Steamy had been.

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I spent that winter enjoying Happyville and witnessing my first Royals Christmas, which is truly the peak of nostalgia. That BGM has to be the best in all the game.

I enjoyed meeting the members and staff as seen pictured (and more). Many on their way to becoming legends in their own right. Helped me a ton with advice and bossing, absolute PROS!

They even took me on my first Horntail, where I sadly disconnected, but it was the thought that counted in my book.

This picture quality is courtesy of Song taking a phone picture of her laptop screen. This is her signature thing to do, its tradition.

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Chapter 6: Resolution

Now 2020, I had reached new heights. But I was also about to face a new challenge.

I unlocked Genesis 20, passing on the first try. (Was sweating bullets)

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I was able to get into CWK and cleared another god awful prequest, with low drop rate ETC's. That spinning totem is the most terrifying thing in the game. AND it will one shot, 30k HP be damned. The BGM is top tier, and the entire thematic is incredible. I thoroughly enjoyed entering the courtyard and Crimsonwood Keep for the first time, and seeing the bosses at the end. Shao was about the same, god awful prequest and collecting ETC's.

The common thread was the demand for Bishop to be a muled character in order to run most content. I needed an attacker, but I was dirt poor, and didn't know how to wash. I tried to understand washing once and it made my head spin. My only reliable way to make meso was leeching, AND I hated leeching. Thinking all of this drained my motivation quickly. I was here for fun & friends. Period.

Adding to this was my life and career taking a positive turn. With it came a demand for more time. Together this convinced me now was the time, not to take a hiatus like before, but to permanently retire.

I was committed, leaving the guild entirely to show I was serious. Didn't want to take up room for a character that would never log in.

My mindset has always been If I’m departing anything I shed my gear and items to give to people who can use them and KEEP playing.

With this in mind I picked a location you’ve seen featured in artwork already, Grendel the Really Old’s Room. I fired up the Triple Smega and essentially said, “I’m quitting giving away 2b+ in items come on down~.”

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I drew a massive crowd of people unsurprisingly and I gave away items based on who could answer trivia questions. While I was in the middle of this, Song appeared and traded me. She prophetically told me “Why quit forever?” and would hold onto some of my items.

Eventually I moved over to El Nath Hill (that’s what I call it), where the Third Job Instructors House lies, just outside the portal. I gave away all my gachapon chairs and remaining items and had them sit down on it for the final SS.

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People cleared out after thanking me and eventually it was just me, all alone.

I wandered outside onto the cliffs edge as the snow fell and thought to myself as I pulled up the sidebar to hit “Quit” . The great time I’d had, the people I’d met and the adventures I’d been on with them. I saw it all briefly flash before my eyes.

I hit Enter and logged off. My character disappeared into nothingness, but my spirit remained behind. Frozen in Eternity – Encased in stone on El Nath Hill , a nostalgic adventurer, his journey ended at his final resting place. For friends to see and hope one day he’d return – the stone statue would shatter, and their friend would emerge and come back to “life”. For they say – you can NEVER quit Maplestory.

9 months of 2020 passed, then the entirety of 2021. Not a single login.

It truly was over.

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Chapter 7: Eternal Bonds

Or... Was it? My future was in the dark as the clock turned to 2022.

But there is always light in the darkness or - a spark to light it. That spark for me was Orel, one of my closest friends and Steamy guild mate. My across the seas Israeli brother - reached out to me to just check in on me and talk about life in general. This led to a conversation of our past royals adventures and the guild we shared and the memories along with it. A bygone, but to us - golden era.

It gave me a crazy idea, but I wanted to give it a go. Hold a reunion of Steamy members in game, some inactive others still playing. Also Song and Jimmy, two close friends of Steamy members. It was fitting, as the people who chose to return due to this ended up in Cloudy.

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We spent at least 2 hours sharing old stories and talking about present commitments. Even some shocking secrets of the old era were divulged. I for one was for sure surprised / intrigued by many of them.

Ultimately, this reunion resurrected from left to right: Chris, Myself, Orel (on his shadower) and Alys.

With my friends by my side, my motivation was stronger than ever. The goal of 200 was back on the table!

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Chapter 8: Leech Brick Wall - Cuddles

Setting my sights on the long climb to the mountain peak of 200, I rummaged through my past to recall a character I had briefly played to level 30, a spearman, Nicolaus. I knew the class required way less hp washing and funding overall, along with aesthetically being highly appealing to me. It was time for the Dark Knight.. to rise.

I was intent on finding a new group of friends. I went through the same old pipeline as I did the first-time using party quests to facilitate myself to the high 80’s. I ran into multiple members of a guild called Cuddles in CPQ2 and after seeing them for more times than I could count on two hands, I decided to ask to join.

I spent most of my time on my own, using Sacriel (my BS) to self leech all sorts of mobs up until 120 as I faced what I called the leech “Brick Wall” or the entirety of void of content to do post PPQ 80s~120 for effective fast leveling to reach 4th job. I had to earn it unlike the first time, no free leeches for me and now it was my hands who were “bleeding”. I always hated leeching, but I could stomach it if it was for myself. I was also way too lazy to TC consistently so that added on hours as well. It was that or pay an exorbitant amount of Meso and I was actually poor, unlike people who spouted those words holding perfect weapons in their hands .

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Despite that I still got to spend time with Ezelon (Ben) and Chrono infrequently when GPQ was ran or the off random guild event. These two along with Roo (Ger-LEADER) traded guild master around during my tenure and each of them were fantastic and very social to a noob like me.

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Bit covered in this one, but was present!

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Ben was extremely creative and gifted in making content for anything Cuddles related. From videos to graphics and custom events this man was hard carrying and putting in the hours. I mean FFS they even had their own merch line, I’m not even joking LOL.

Chrono was ultra reliable and cool-headed, the suave advisor to any problem and an absolute pro player. He had the experience but was also very humble, he went out of his way multiple times to help me.

I interacted with Roo the least, but she was always pleasant and welcoming whenever I crossed her path.

The cuddle puddle was very large and extremely active at this time in 2022.

In other news, 4th job had been unlocked!

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The future was bright , and an attacker was now in play. I still had some levels to slog through and some skills to unlock. But this time I was prepared for the grind, unlike when I ascended to bishop 3 years prior.

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Chapter 9: The New Era

Nicolaus, My Dark Knight was now my main. My bishop was now relegated to HS/ Door Mule. His era had ended.

But A New Era had begun. (AN ERA WHERE I TOOK LOTS OF SCREENSHOTS!)

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With it came new friends and more adventures to go on. It was about this time I ran into the guild known as Heroic, led by Jason aka KalEl. (more on this legend later)

One junior in particular I spent the most time with was Cho, or as I like to call him CP. Stands for CLOCK PUNCHER.

While I now had an attacker , it was still carrying over 250+ int on it. Because as i told you, I don't understand washing and went way overboard. I needed to do some bossing, FAST.

Papaltus became our tradition to run as a duo, which early on was literally Cho just soloing it. He carried me to easy exp and levels to push towards 135/ 145 for Zak, Shao, Krex. On Bucc and SE (later).

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Now the upside is this boss dropped 5ks, fairly short runs. Well he was cursed and had the most unlucky dry streak I've seen on the game. Over at least 100 runs or more. Became a meme quickly.

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I could get them every single time though LOL.

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Eventually Cho's Bad luck broke .. once in a while. (Spoiler Warning , we jump a bit ahead in time for this SS. That's how unlucky he was , it was the entire next year before he saw a 5k. LOL )

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Eventually we were onto bigger things at 145, now with friends old and new united. Krex Down or as I would ask all the time "Want to go chop a tree?"

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Shao next, but had to get the prequest out of the way.. thanks Song for the help!

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Palpaltus was ditched and Shao was the new target for murder. A duo was needed for daily runs. Who else than CP to fill that role.

Things went pretty SCUFFED throughout the Shao runs. No potions, wrong hp settings, no pet, No MG, rushing to the wrong side, stoppering over an onyx apple buff.... list goes on trust me. There was no bigger scuff than the "Triple Kill" however.

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On the side things like Neo Tokyo Pre-reqs were getting done. Boy do I hate prequests with low drop rate etc!

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155 Came and went, so HT was now on the menu and it was time to shred away. Experiencing it on an attacker was much more fun! With Guildies and friends alike.

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Cant forget the release of LHC, at least the castle part and mobs. Von Leon himself was still behind bars, yet to be released. Fantastic EXP that at the start was nearly 2 levels per run with EXP event Multiplier.

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The return was a success and with new and old friends alike, my passion and motivation for the game was at an all time high!

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Chapter 10: True Rivals

A collective goal Alys, Orel and I set off to accomplish was Ellin Forest badge completion, coming with benefits of 2 new daily bosses, Chao and Ephenia. Comically, Orel realized he had already completed it, so Alys and I took on the challenge ourselves. I brought Sacriel (BS) and she brought her I/L and we blasted away over a few days the endless mobs and etc required to complete the questline. The maps aesthetically are lovely, to navigate and farm on effectively? Absolutely not, drove me insane.

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But this is about rivals right, not longtime friends! It’s context I swear!

The first Ellin Pq I ever partook in I met a new person, a friend of Alys, the one many know as corn girl —— I mean Paige. We also went and killed Bigfoot apparently for some reason, why I can’t recall, but these were innocent and friendly beginnings. Truly Naïve.

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Many coincidences would follow, we both played the same class and lived in the same state in the USA. First time that I'd ever met someone.

This common ground was the source of a friendship but also a rivalry - to settle the score omok was played. I have never stared at pixels so hard trying to win, and it was a pretty even back and forth. Maybe we were both just terrible, but these games always were super drawn out.

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But what added more fuel to the fire was a shared friend, Cho, who was my bossing partner but also married to her in game on another character. So persay a "partner" in a different sense.

Our rivalry became who was the better partner and endless flame and banter in buddy chat followed. I countered back by tieing the knot with one as well (with her in attendance LOL).

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Our rivalry persisted from that point on, much banter was thrown around and Cho was stuck in the middle (He truely suffered, he didn't deserve this). We tried to out-do the other in anything and everything. You get the picture, almost 99% percent of the time.

But rarely sometimes we could get along or as the term was coined "Share".

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Bit hard to chronologically cover this, as this lasted from 2022 to end of 2023 - Just know this was battle was ongoing the whole time.

Onto my other Rival!

-----------------------------------------------

Now we get to my other rival...... a man who needs no introduction, Vic AKA BAJU. A true legend in his own right before I crossed paths with him.

I met my other rival on a whim out of pure circumstance. During the older anniversaries the golden mushroom (which has now been replaced) spawns in a random map on a channel, respawning after each kill after a period of time.

I was hunting it in Perion, specifically the Excavation Site and as I was doing my normal route. I heard the sound and felt the kick of wind as a Night Lord flash jumped over my head. They entered the portal to my right and as I went through just a few seconds later I saw a splattered amount of loot on a platform above me, and a message below me. “BAJU has slain….” That’s all I needed to see to realize I had been outplayed - beaten by mere seconds to my first successful kill.

From there It became apparent to me Vic was extremely efficient at finding the golden mushroom as I repeatedly witnessed him find it as I was hunting. In my mind he has found the most of any individual I’ve ever seen.

Maybe this rivalry, just like the previous, could again come down to the term "sharing".

Vic was so dominant in his mushy hunting that it drove me to compete with him for it, I wanted some kills too. Please share! I was heavily the underdog too, so it motivated even more.

We became very familiar with each other, as we would run into each other hunting it. We would exchange words or whisper, all which was playful banter. Then it evolved to smega-phones and buddy list shenanigans as the banter continued.

This developed into two camps. Are you #TeamBaju or #TeamWillis. My BL as I recall was split 50-50.

Most of the time Vic would outplay me / humiliate me, just like the first time. He ran a wide route from like Ludi to Mu-Lung that I considered his territory.

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But I had my moments as well, finding the illusive golden mob. My favorite spot to hunt on spawn was always Ellinia, Victoria Island as a whole was my territory.

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In a nutshell we were rivals, but we had a mutual respect and looked forward to the competition. Best summarized by our dialogue to each other behind closed doors.

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To the community though we were viciously trying to outdo one another -that was the roleplay/ personas we created.

An efficient mushroom killer, but a better person who I was honored to call my rival. Thank you Vic for the memories!

The golden mushroom will probably never return, but if it does, our unending rivalry burns within its pixels. To future aspiring hunters, you will find your own Vic or Willis in due time if you truly are seeking to be the best. The cycle will continue even as we are gone. That is our legacy!

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Chapter 11: Immortal Flame

History was beginning to repeat itself in multiple ways.

I was losing motivation as friends moved on and content became stale. LHC was great exp but very boring and long, HT even longer. Life again challenged my time commitments, for positive reasons, but still a challenge. I was around 170 at this time.

With that in mind I decided to once again retire. Or as my friends meme me, for the 3rd time (First my Hiatus in 2019, my 2 year retirement in 2020 and now this).

I intentionally went to the same spot, with the same theme. El Nath Hill, 3rd Job Instructors House. I gave away to some of my close friends gathered that day all my gachapon chairs and inventory, had them sit down one last time. I even sat on the same chair with my Bishop.

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I said my goodbyes and logged off, the question was, was this it?? To me at the time, IT WAS.

Months would pass but as my life settled down, I felt that calling once again. That effect Maplestory has, to never let you truly quit and keep playing.

I returned to the exact same scenario as in 2019 with Steamy. It was legit Deja-Vu.

My Guild on Dark Knight (Cuddles) had become inactive and was nearing the end of its lifespan. (Cloudy ofc was still going strong, on my Bishop!)

With the blessing of leadership and Ben (Ezelon) in particular I moved on, once again a refugee without a proper home/family. My first idea came to join an alliance guild I had the pleasure of doing events with from time to time. I therefore reached out to Heather the co-leader of Tenacity and told her I wanted to apply.

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I was blessed with two incredible co-leaders and more so - friends. They impacted my story so much and many memories that would follow.

Heather was extremely welcoming and highly energetic, willing to go bossing with a group of guildies for fun. She was also extremely talented in art, and just in general a very GIVING person. Look around the forums and see how many people she has drawn for, of their in game character. GM's , well known members , you name it. She is the artist of royals, in my book. She did it all for her friends to.. for FREE out of the kindness of her heart.

I was honored and still am to have been given one. I'll cherish it forever.

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Sive was very helpful in bossing and advice, he would frequently also run LHC with me on his shadower. Very calm and relaxed. Chill you might say even.. Just like his discord profile picture of him in the water of a beach holding up a cold alcoholic beverage. I joked he was always out vacationing on the coast or relaxing, due to how chill he was.

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The leadership and members were also all lovely people. I truly have never leveled faster or done content as frequently daily then during this time. To each one of you, thank you for the runs, and the laughs and conversations in the FM.

They also hosted many incredible events, very unique and theme related to the royals seasonal patches. I understand I'm biased, but I would daresay THE BEST on the server.

Best run moments were by far... firing Sena at Zakum or Heather locking herself out of her own hosted Auf Run , by having a 1/1 on the day for entry by some bug.

On the darkside was the cult of Heather, which enshackled you for life in service to…----- [ Can not display txt.file , missing or removed by outside source] ERROR ERROR.

Please send help.

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Chapter 12: A Tale of Snow and Fire

It was Christmas in Royals once again! The best time to play AND the most nostalgic.

There's a competition for a prize hosted by Maple Claws. The Guild Snow Collecting Event.

Collect Nevermelting snow, donate to explode the snowblower and gain a top 25 spot for your guild. Then win a fabulous chair!

Tenacity had prize incentives for the top 3 donators of snow each year and I was highly motivated to try and achieve one of those spots. However I had no experience in hunting snow or a good way to collect.

I was able to learn through watching veteran guildies go area boss hunting. With some training I was off to the races!

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Things started off very well, and soon Tenacity was leading the entire event. #1 on the leaderboards. It was completely a team effort, led by the famed slayer of Levi himself, Rich! (Yogibe2r) .

His duck hat and glasses are iconic, a very cool and unique fit that will ever be tied to only him on this server. Find him in Leafre Forest, in the Dragon's Nest! The Canyon to be specific!

Bosses fell by the many for the means of snow hunting to my spear, my inspiration at an all time high. I was chasing top 3 for guild donation on an individual level as well!

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We had one real challenger to our Snow Crown, and they put a valiant race over the entire event. It felt like a back and forth as our scores kept rising. Ultimately though as the server closed for maintenance , we had achieved the top spot, #1 and with it the Snow Crown for 2022-2023!!

I also believe this was an all time record of snow donated (GM's or someone show me a SS to prove otherwise, I could be wrong.)

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I also had achieved my goal of top 3, in my first snow hunt coming in 3rd with 129k~. Rich led the way, riding LEVI to victory. It truly was his pet dragon! Nearly 200k!!

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Most importantly, it was a team effort, as we amassed nearly 900k due to each individual putting in there fair share!! Small or large, it counted and mattered!

In this cold, snowy season, in game and in real life, my heart was warmer than ever from those around me. From the everlasting memory and achievement we had created TOGETHER.

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Chapter 13: A Promise Made

Lurking in the back this entire time was Von Leon, the true endgame boss of Royals.

I had my eyes on him and watched as Rogue conquered the Lion King pre-nerfs for the server first clear. (GZ to you all!)

Then watched the 2nd clear -"Community Clear" down him later as well. (GZ to you all!)

Two awe inspiring events, showcasing the teamwork of Royallers to come together to defeat a new challenge together.

This led me to make a vow to myself. I would defeat Von Leon and clear it. Not for my own personal achievement, but to gain the experience necessary to keep true to a promise I made to a very close friend.

In shorter terms - A Promise Made!!! A crossing of arms as a symbol of a promise! (center of art panel)

It was a reckless promise, as only two groups had taken down VL at the time, but it was with good intention!

But all this was idle talk. Actions speak louder than words. Now I had to throw myself into the arena and face the gauntlet itself!

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My First 3 runs were with BAA - Belt Addicts Anonymous. This was led by Alice (Sylafia) and Chrono (ChronoBuddy) and also had some GM's in disguise running with us. Other members who were a part of the first two clears. Also complete newcomers like myself. A good mix of experienced veterans and ambitious noobs.

I stood at the gates, ready to do battle!

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My first run went about as expected. I died alot, to ankhs falling from the sky and one shotting me. I also died IRL of rage + sadness (almost) when on my 2nd run I Dc'ed on third body!

My three runs with BAA would all fail to kill VL, sadly. Credit though to them, they killed it before and after my runs (So clearly I was the problem, no joke. Like I died alot.)

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This was depressing in the moment, but it really made me want to improve my performance. I wanted that VL clear and I'd work hard on understanding the mechanics. (except zerking - FK that)
I was recommended to a new group to run with, that I had to apply to. This was another acronym, a group called CVS.

This was led by Clem , Char (BadHead) AND TO MY SHOCK....

MY RIVAL - VIC (BAJU) !!!!!!!!!!

These were also the same three leaders who led the "Community Clear". Legends in their own right!! Von Leon Hall of Famers!!

My rival was surprised as I was to see him. He knew he had the upper hand however and a little standoff of sorts happened in the application area in discord. Was I even going to get in?

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The answer was yes! I have to thank Char for recognizing our dynamic as rivals and concluding we could try this out despite it. She like many others knew of our famous golden mushroom rivalry. Lots of people did in fact and now the pressure was on. Could we unite together to conquer VL?

I made a great first impression right in front of Char LOL.

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ANYWAYS...

I stood at the gates, yet again!!! With all three leaders in attendance!

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I was treated to the classic CVS experience. Amy dying, right at the start! People were even betting how long it would take LOL.

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I was praying to the lord I would not disconnect. I was doing much better on the mechanics and dying less. I was DOING IT, with my sworn enemy, my rival! A storybook moment!

BUT SADLY WE FAILED MISERABLY!!!!!!!! It was all my fault!!

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JUST KIDDING, WE CLEARED.

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My rival and I had did it, despite the odds!! In reality though, these veterans carried me to victory and I was along for the ride!!

(ALSO GZ CLEM ON 200, I was so excited for my first clear, I let that overide saying Gz. Forgive me!)

I won the raffle on my first clear for a belt, which at the time was a very contested commodity, unlike today where people opt out. Keep in mind at this time there was no bonus.

I would come back to clear with CVS a few more times, and become less and less of a burden as I gained more experience. Thank you to Clem, Char AND VIC for taking this noob DK. Who would not zerk on a sub-optimal class for the boss.

I'm forever grateful to my fellow runners and leaders for this memory!

This would also be the last time I saw my rival. But Our story ended on a fantastic note! We won golden maple leafs as part of the 10th Anniversary Forum Event for my artwork commemorating our golden mushroom rivalry!

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Re-Create your MapleRoyals Memory Event was the official name!

Storybook ending - A Tale of Two Rivals!

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Every class has their heroes, their legends. Dark Knight has had many storied icons defining how to play the class! Berserking is indeed tricky, certainly at many bosses. It requires skill and knowledge.

Let me tell you about my teachers and idols I met in my journey as I reached the endgame of DK.

First Jason (KalEl) - Superman and his dog Krypto!

Jason was such an impressive DK and a kinder, caring and talented person. He leads a fantastic guild, and makes incredible videos commemorating guild / ally events and moments (also 200's).
He was my hero and later teacher.

Just a few shoutouts, too many to list:

Supported me in my journey to 30k HP (via HB) even as I struggled with 250 Int + to wash out.

Took me bossing and showed me the power of the class, specifically at Horntail.

Cared about me as a person and would talk to me about more than just the game.

ILY Jason, Thank you for being an inspiration and mentor on my royals journey - but most importantly A FRIEND, in good and bad times. This noob kneels before the true Dark Knight. I owe you an eternal debt I can never repay!

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We also had a stance ability test - to see who the better Dark Knight was. You schooled me like the novice I am. A mere apprentice to a master
My stance broke and I fell off the platform first.

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I refuse to let you have the last word and be humble, so I'll say it before you can. "NO YOU!"

-----------------

Secondly,

We have MICKY, the king of CWK and so dedicated to Dark Knight he leveled it 3 separate times. Because he loves the class but also for more CWK runs ofc~

He took me to CWK and showed me his techniques. Once again I was the novice and he showed me how Dark Knight shined in this party quest.

Taught me the limits of berserking, and good potion setups for other bosses as well. To be confident in not dying.

In 5 years of royals, my most valuable drop came thanks to you!

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THANK YOU KING MICKY!!! For your friendship, time and knowledge.

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Also SHOUTOUT JTEE , You king. You were my coach for where to stand on platforms in all bosses. You deserve credit too!!!

I always saw you as a NL , but your origins are Dark Knight. I wish i could have been around during that era. (Also your in enough artworks so you'll surely let me off the hook on this one..)

My one WS I passed for you on that perfect ski is my legacy with you.

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After CVS, I had followed Clem to his new VL group, YAVS. Led Also by BossPolice. YET - ANOTHER - VONLEON - SERVER.

I was there at the start, and my first run was a clear! I was a semi-frequent runner now and I died way less. Began to even slightly enjoy VL.

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Made new friends with runners and sometimes , got some nice splits.

But nothing could compare to the 00:01 OR 1 SECOND RUN.

That's right, with one last tick of the clock we downed Von Leon. It was the most nerve wracking, exciting moment of my entire 5 years.

What's crazier is this had been done once before and many people in this group had also been a part of that run (was a CVS run, so led by Clem as well)

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Instead of overly describing it. Watch the video (ofc skip to the end, unless you wanna see our scuff that led to this, LOL)

Then after watch the rewarp via GM Kenny as we got kicked out on the initial run. He one shot VL for us, but we also broke his Seduce with Hero's Will to watch (No ban hammer pls).

Only people who were present at the kill got the rewarp, so some are missing in this SS, due to D/C.

But before that shoutouts to some of the people in that run, who shared that moment with me (scroll down to video).

Woo - Cloudy homie, You screamed "Not Again!!!" in VC after the 1 second Miracle (or Disaster) happened. For the second time.

Dennis - Cloudy homie and Shad God. Cool , Calm, Collected. True Pro.

Chrono - Helped me complete the VL prequests back in the day and took me on my first run! My (former) guild master!

Clem - Kept entirely calm even as we struggled initially and led us to victory. You are the Lion King.

Eri - My Screenshot partner, same spot on the throne , same emote , EVERY - SINGLE - TIME. You ate a D/C this run but you cleared in spirit.

Charley- All I'm gonna say is "ROCKS ...... ROCKS......... ROCKS....... ROCKS.......!!!!" I can hear you shouting it now. Jokes aside, in the last minute you precisely made callouts to keep us on boss and ignore mobs. We had one second to spare, your quick thinking was HUGE.

Initial Run

Rewarp via GM Kenny

(Also a 1 wa TRASH VL Boot dropped from this run, for the one second we had left. I won that raffle. I gave it to Clem, for safekeeping. That's a piece of history.)

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The Time had finally come. To hit 200. It had been a long road, but with the support of my friends I had made it. Without them it would never have been possible. Every single guild, current or former came in support, some even re-downloaded just for this. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for being a part of journey.

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Four individuals you are familiar with played an extremely powerful role in this journey from 2019 to 2023. Hopefully if you have been a consistent reader, you are familiar with all four and what they did and MEANT to me. My 4 Dearest friends. They stood inside the inner heart on the Amoria Map where my 200 was held, for special recognition that day.

Alys (Llew) – Longest Active Friend! Steamy’s 2nd Leader!

Orel (SateSate) – OG bud and co-creator of the Reunion that brought myself and others back.

Song (MzBunny)- Gave me a family I called home since 2019. Too many other damn things to shoutout. Way too many.

Heather (Heatheria) – Gave me the chance to create everlasting memories ! Honored me with an artwork I’ll cherish forever.

Shotuout of course to anyone who came, some story icons like:

Rival Vic – BAJU

Lion King – Clem

Steamys First Leader – Chris

My First Friend – Vicki

CP - CHO

And many more!!!!

I’d like to say it went gracefully. Well I dc’ed when I spawned the monster sacks and trust me, more craziness went down.

Thanks to Jason, we have a video of my 200. Watch it for more if curious ^-^. ALSO, THANKS KING!

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Chapter 17: Resurgence

Cloudy would be the final resting place of my characters, my true home. I became a Jr of the guild, a responsibility and role I was honored to be selected for. My story was reaching its conclusion, but I had come a long way in four years. I wasn’t done yet though. I wanted to do all I could for the guild, and be a mentor to new players and people on their own journey just like former Jrs had done for me. Things had come full circle truly.

Cloudy/Sunny would see a “Resurgence” of guildies !

New Guildies joining and old ones returning one after the other. We would near max cap of 250!!

Here’s some of them!

An OG from 2019 – Ressurected!

Calvin – The Angel Kristya! - Yugioh King of Games

Three Newcomers – With Their Journey to Greatness Ahead.

Zi – Leishun – A Buccaneer just starting his journey on the climb to 200 and legend status. ZI ZI. My son.

Ryle – Tasiele – Ray of sunshine, preparing to level an army of mid 4th job attackers and outfit them with tons of RP.

Steve – Lingading – the to be king of Amoria, starting his apple collection at the time! ‘ANYONE WAN APQ?’
------
Also Sally and Melon (CLOWN) were two huge returns to the guild and royals scene after years of being offline. OG Juniors from the 2019 days!

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With my promise made way back when VL had only been cleared twice. It was time to reveal and execute it nearly a year later, in November 2023.

I had made a promise to my close friend. MY GUILD LEADER. Song.

That Cloudy / Sunny would one day run VL as a guild and defeat it!

I put the idea forward and immediately set to work- becoming the Organizer of the run. We have players from many timezones and each individual had their own schedule so it proved to be a challenge. I also along with Dennis helped new people clear their prequests for VL if they wanted to come. Lastly I provided a simple guide and advice for the mechanics and especially Jail.

JTee stepped up to be the Run Leader. A veteran who was part of the server-first clear of Von Leon. A person who I had looked up to since 2019. His expertise was clutch.

Lastly and most importantly Song would lead us into battle. She was the only one who could have made this possible from the very start. She believed in my dream and in her guildmates to be able to clear. We had a risk of failing for sure, and a second run was unlikely. This was one and done. She took the risk.

Her ability to rally those to her is unprecedented. That is why to me, she is the Empress Cygnus of Royals. A strong, passionate and caring leader. Five years of dedication to her guild and family. Always willing to help others.

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Together – ONE LAST TIME – I entered Von Leon’s chamber, spearheading the group gathered. I had come so far from a new noobie guildie in 2019 and this is when it really hit me. I was nervous as hell, but also kinda emotional LOL. Seeing this collective group of friends come together for what was once a pipe dream. For the guild… FOR SONG!

We numbered 24 in total. 8 were entirely new runners as well. Some even didn’t meet the HP requirement. But I had Hyperbody and I vowed to keep them alive. I wanted anyone who wanted to come, to be able. For this one-time opportunity. If I had to sacrifice my DPS to re-buff them on dispel, I’d do it.

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DISCLAIMER: Any guild member could bring any character they had, regardless of the original guild it resided in. This was to help party composition. That is why you will see other guild tags ~ but make no mistake, this was a 100% guild run. Each runner had a character within Cloudy/Sunny~.

The video of the run can be watched here.

In the end we managed to triumph over VL, despite 6 disconnects. We even got Hero’s WILL drop, which to me was a sign this was destiny to happen. From the game itself.

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Song gave us a victory speech and I then broke the news to my guildies.

This was my final run and all I had left to keep playing. My heartfelt thanks to each person who had come for this group achievement.

I went out a hero on Von Leon’s throne, smiling (and crying)! Surrounded by my family. I had found my storybook ending, my final chapter. In my long Maple-Story.

(4th retirement LOL)

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I was now retired. But my ghost, the ghost of Saint Nick (Nicolaus) came back for Royals Christmas.

I expected nothing of it, but right out the gate, we were leading the Guild Snow Collection Event. I realized I might have a chance to be a two time snow crown holder and champion, back to back. I Immediately put the word out I was leading an effort to for #1 , and for those willing to join me!

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I was given the nickname “Snow Leader” from that day on, by guildies.

I then took about forming a team of dedicated players with this goal in mind.

Members of my Snow Squad!

JTee – The silent snow assassin , working in the shadows.

Emily (Ifia) - The pro snow hunter and Valorant player.

Carl (StarReaper) – The man who picked up Rich’s legacy of Levi Master and Slayer.

Xion (SnowyXion) – The true carry, who did not sleep to collect snow. The Snow Queen.

Joe (Provacateur) – Our Special Forces squad member , with all the intel.

Sally – Head of Recruitment and Outreach. Graphic Design God!

Unlike last year, where we had led the entire way while being chased but never passed.

This year was a vicious back and forth. 4 different guilds switched control over the course of the event

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We neared one million snow and another all time record had already been passed. That Illustrious achievement was a goal we pulled for very hard. We had been stockpiling Snow for a surprise jump in the ranking to be the first to ever achieve 7 digits in the event.

Well we made Royals history that night. I was so proud of my snow squad and guild , for rallying behind me as Snow Leader to achieve this together!

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Ours, who had been our main competition towards the end had also worked very hard so shoutout to them. We pushed each other to the brink and back LOL. Sleepless nights, counting spawn timers to the second for any snow we could get.

The Leaders of both snow efforts would meet as the event ended and call an end to this Snow war - A Ceasefire and Peace Treaty. S/O BECKY aka FeistyFox aka REEE.

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Then we would get pranked! Matt would extend the event for another week becuase of the quest bug that rewarded the 1.2x EXP Coupon for 14 days.

So are final record that may stand forever is just over 1.5 Million Snow~ This SS was legit taken on the last minute before the server DC'ed to Maintenance!

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And Finally my project was complete, THIS PROJECT. So it was TRULY time to say goodbye. This game is inescapable but the time and effort I put into this project will set me free.
I don't need to come back to re-live memories, this has covered that for the rest of time.

Today the day of this post, I held my farewell. Where my character would step through the portal and back into IRL. Surrounded by friends!!!!

But I'll never be truly gone.

I left my legacy to 4 special people.

Heather - My Ryko Chair (Favorite Chair)

Jason - My SCG's

Cho - My Spear

Song - My GM Tagged Golden Maple Leaf (From Forum Event)

IMAGE WILL BE ADDED ONCE ITS COMPLETED!

I also left it in smaller parts to many others, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING!!!

Whenever you wear a black slanted visor, I'm with you in spirit. It's my iconic Item.

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-------------------------------

To Staff: ( Matt, Becca, Kenny , Tim , Bacon ) AND MORE!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND PASSION!

Never forget staff shares the same love for the game you do, and we all want GOOD things for the game. To work with the community, expand the content, and try their best to keep alive a game that no longer exists in an official capacity. In my opinion, we have the privilege to play the game in this form bottom line due to staff.

When bombarded with negativity they saw the positive and did their best to uphold game integrity while also satisfying the community. That’s THE MOST important thing to me. Thank you, Staff and specifically Matt for all you’ve done over the years, through the ups and downs. The love and hard work you put into the game shows! Tens of thousands of people have you to thank for a second chance at their childhood, just like myself!

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FINAL WORDS:

Chase your dreams , Chase Nostalgia !

WILLIS OUT.
Click to expand...

Ah , ggs man.
Wish I could've given you a harder chase on the snow event but my motivation dropped around that time and I told my guildies to chill and avoid burning out.

Love the illustrations though!

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An Extensive Tribute to 5 Years on Royals. (20+ Art Panels)

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