Standing in the rain (or, alternatively: Asshats beware, I have backup)

She never slows down
She doesn’t know why
But she knows that when she’s all alone
It feels like it’s all coming down

She won’t turn around
The shadows are long
And she fears if she cries that first tear
The tears will not stop raining down

So stand in the rain
Stand your ground
Stand up when it’s all crashing down
You stand through the pain
You won’t drown
And one day what’s lost can be found
You stand in the rain

She won’t make a sound
Alone in this fight with herself
And the fear’s whispering
If she stands, she’ll fall down

She wants to be found
The only way out is through everything
She’s running from
Wants to give up and lie down

So stand in the rain
Stand your ground
Stand up when it’s all crashing down
You stand through the pain
You won’t drown
And one day what’s lost can be found
You stand in the rain

So stand in the rain
Stand your ground
Stand up when it’s all crashing down
You stand through the pain
You won’t drown
And one day what’s lost can be found
You stand in the rain

Lyrics are © Superchick, "Stand in the Rain"

To make a long story short, about 3 months ago, one of my toons reported a group of about 5 players on my server for botting/running a power levelling service. These players had their accounts banned from WoW indefinitely. I wasn't told for how long, neither did I care... or so I thought. Somehow one member of this intrepid band of lawbreakers found out that it was my character that had gotten them banned. This player then took it upon himself to make my WoW playing time a living hell. How?, you ask? From what I understand, this player purchased a large quantity of the 14 day game trials and logged in on a variety of different accounts with the express purpose of finding my character and verbally abusing me, as a person, as a character, with connotations for in game and out. Each time I reported a character, another would pop up. This person would use in game chat channels (yell, say, whisper, zone, etc etc) for this, so whatever falsehoods they were stating were widely spread.

On Tuesday September 25 the harrassment got so bad that I was forced to make a choice. Do I continue playing the way that I am, and just deal with the horrid things this person was saying? Do I quit the game? Or, do I leave everything behind, and start on a new server? I chose, rather blindly, the third option.

So, Wednesday September 26 I transferred my two high level toons to a new server. My one error, one mistake, was to not create placeholder characters with my two toons names, so that I would have been forced to choose new names. I've been fighting off and on with a variety of GM's (game masters) for nearly three weeks to be given that one small thing. No more, however. Kel and Hy are here to stay. I've had enough of running scared.

To the wonderful, hardworking people from Council of Elders, I thank you for being my friends, you truly are an amazing bunch of people, I wish you all the luck in Azeroth and beyond. To Kim, Dan, Matt, Ryan, Kyle, and the rest of the officers, I thank you for letting me be a part of your cadre, I learned so much from all of you. To you five especially, I wish I could have told you what was going on, I know you would have understood, would have helped me walk through it, but I selfishly kept it inside, not wanting to bother you with my pain.

To Aetherial Circle, my adopted family, thanks for taking in a broken shell. Thanks especially to the two people who have made me feel so at home in a strange world, you know who you are.