It all started when I was around 16 or 17 years old, just stepping into my fourth year of middle school. Back then, I was studying printing. I was learning to operate massive printers and dive into the world of colors and designs. A year before, my life looked completely different. I was in another school, studying something else entirely, and didn’t know anyone when I made the switch. I wanted to make some friends.

Meeting Dimitri

That’s when I met Dimitri. We hit it off pretty quickly, and soon enough, he started talking about this game called World of Warcraft. He went on and on about it. I had no clue what it was all about, but he had a lot of excitement for the game. One day, he invited me over to his house to try it out for myself.

My First Steps in Azeroth

That first time playing World of Warcraft is something I’ll never forget. Dimitri sat me down at his PC and walked me through the character creation process. There were two factions to choose from: the Alliance and the Horde. Dimitri was all about the Alliance, so I went with that too. I created a Night Elf male. Probably a rogue, though honestly, I’ve forgotten the exact class. Rogues dual-wield swords or daggers and look like sneaky assassins, so it seemed cool at the time.

My first glimpse of the game’s world was the Night Elf starting zone, Teldrassil. It was breathtaking. A lush, forested area full of trees and, at its heart, a massive tree with NPCs all around it. Some of them had quests, others ran shops. It felt alive.

First Contact

Dimitri watched as I moved around for the first time, grinning as I clumsily got the hang of the controls. Then I saw another player. A real person and froze. I wanted to talk to them so badly but had no idea how. “Omg, how do I talk to them?!” I kept hitting random keys, trying to figure it out. Dimitri just sat there, clearly enjoying my struggle, before finally telling me to press Enter. It was just that simple! I typed my first message, thrilled to interact with another player.

Hooked

I don’t remember anything that happened after that, but one thing was crystal clear: I wanted to play this game. I was hooked. Back then, World of Warcraft required a monthly subscription, and my parents didn’t have a credit card. The only way for me to play was by buying physical game time cards. I remember saving up to get them, and when I finally had the game, I created my own account. My first character? Another Night Elf rogue. I named him Swordblade. Seemed fitting for someone wielding swords, right?

Switching Gears

I started playing on the same server as Dimitri. Skullcrusher-EU. But as I leveled up, I realized the rogue playstyle didn’t suit me. By the time Swordblade reached level 30-40, I was ready for a change. After exploring the other classes, I decided to try a druid. I named him Stormkill. Don’t ask me where I got these names—they sounded cool to me at the time!

Swordblade’s Legacy

That druid became my main character, the one I stuck with for the rest of my World of Warcraft journey. Eventually, I leveled Swordblade to max level too, but Stormkill was special. And Swordblade? He earned a PvP title. “Sergeant”. Something my druid never achieved, as PvP titles were removed shortly after.

This is him now, after all these years… Still on Skullcrusher-EU.