RIP Zzentar's player

[leifastagsweed]

Horrible news today. Our dear friend Ken Dumas, player of Zzentar among others, passed away suddenly yesterday, August 10, 2015. This news was shared by his family on his personal Facebook page. I will relay obituary and other information when I know more. RIP <3 you, Zz.

:cry:

[Warriorbird]

That's real unfortunate. He was somebody who clearly cared about what he loved a lot. I feel very sorry for his family.

[Hightower]

Bye, Zz. We had good times.

Man, that really sucks.

~Taverkin

[time4fun]

It's never a good day when we love one of the community. RIP Ken. Zzentar will not be forgotten.

[Tgo01]

Well this sucks :(

Sorry to hear. He will be missed.

[Luntz]

One of the genuinely nicest people I have met in the last 2+ years of playing, always fun to shoot the shit with and never a bad word to say about anyone, even when that's all I had to say. Will be sorely missed. Pouring one out for you tonight Ken.

[Lilith057]

I am deeply saddened by this. Zz was great. He was fun to be around, helpful, and a very nice guy. We lost another great player and his family lost a great person. (I could have worded that better but, I am crying)

[SHAFT]

Wtf? Zzentar was awesome. That's shitty.

[time4fun]

Leifa-

Will you please let us know if there is any formalized donation drive that's going on or that we can start to help out with expenses? We gotta take care of our own- those of us in a position to do so at any rate.

[Cereal Killer]

The man behind Zzentar was one of the nicest players, and definitely the most selfless wizard I ever had the pleasure of meeting. The man gave me a free 5x fusion enchant just because I was a returning, confused player at one point. He was one of the people who actively tried to make Gemstone a more fun game for the rest of us. I'll miss him and will do what I can to honor his memory.

[Nephelem]

Terrible news. Deepest sympathies to his friends and family.

[Ruh]

Zz will be missed and live on in our memories.

[Gibreficul]

He was one of my closest friends from the game, and one of the most genuinely kind people I've ever had the honor of knowing.

[Ardwen]

Damn... Great guy, never had a bad interaction with Zz, He will be missed.

[Larkan]

Great guy from the little I knew him and really helpful. Very sad, best wishes to his family.

[Allereli]

That's terrible news. I'm in shock. I had so many good times with him. He was such a caring and genuine person. RIP Ken and Zz

[Soulance]

Sad to hear this news, and thank you for sharing it. Always enjoyed seeing him in game and on ;lnet. Just as everyone else so far has mentioned, really nice guy and always willing to lend a hand. Tough loss for the game.

[Sherlock]

It's rare to find someone who cared as much about others and was a genuinely nice guy. He always placed others before him and would go to great lengths to help. I will miss our chats. RIP Ken.

[audioserf]

Didn't know him but he seemed like a good, funny guy on Lnet. That's really sad. Condolences to his family and his friends.

[maags]

This is very sad news and my heart goes out to Ken's family. Zz was a wonderful character who had a way of making a nobody feel like a somebody. He’ll be missed.

[Viekn]

I can't believe I'm reading this. Zz was a great part of this game. One of perhaps 2-3 people I chatted with outside of GS. I remember mentioning to him I had a character who didn't know the Haste spell but had a bunch of haste edibles, and if somehow I could use those along with his Zzherb script. Well he took me too a table and basically re-wrote that part of the script and uploaded a special scrip to Lich just for me to download. Talk about going above and beyond. Ken was a great guy and I will sorely miss interacting with him.

[Kragan]

Zz will always be in my memories, one of the guys that I always got along with in my early days and when I returned. He will be missed. RIP brother.

[Whirlin]

Zz was awesome... from his foraging script, to price fixing ayveneh potions, to general guild master-y things... He will be missed.

[Buckwheet]

I didn't know Zz too much in game but on the forum his posts mirrored what everyone else has said about him. This is another friendly reminder to me to make sure I have my digital affairs in order so my family knows what to do.

[Ker_Thwap]

Always enjoyed interacting with him on these boards, he had his opinions of course, but always seemed to consider alternative points of view in a thoughtful manner.

[Attoll]

Zzentar / Ken was an Intelligent, Kind, Selfless and Great friend. From Hunting gnomes and rats to chatting on aim while the game was down several times a day. From getting IMs asking when I was coming back after my absence. He was always great to talk to and be with. This saddens my heart as he was one of my truest friends. He was a tremendous Asset to the in game world, and a great guy to talk to in the real world he will be deeply missed. Love you my friend and may you be in a better place.

You will always be in my thoughts Ken and deeply missed. You were liked and loved by so many and sincere best wishes through this time of pain for your family.

Brett

[Mogonis]

Whoa. I just came back after six months and have been wondering where Zz is. Crazy. I remember years ago when Zz was still Graveyard level hanging out with him in the Crypt. Farewell, man.

[rolfard]

A great man among adventurers and a wonderful person to have spent time along side of. Zzentar/Ken established himself in many roles including an officer at Twilight Hall and a driving force for the Black Wolves. His was an inspired time here helping the young and boasting with the old and writing scripts for fun and to help out everyone. I won't be able to fully digest this news for a long time and may well expect to see him to show up at events that he helped sponsor and run. May your friends find you along the path to your next adventurer, my brother.

Rolf/Jon

[okc_chelle]

Truly sad...Condolences to family and friends alike!

Chemaine

[Astray]

That's a bummer. Dude was pretty rad. Condolences to his folks and family.

[GS4-Seomanthe]

Leifa-

Will you please let us know if there is any formalized donation drive that's going on or that we can start to help out with expenses? We gotta take care of our own- those of us in a position to do so at any rate.

^^ Please let us know, if you hear anything Leifa.

Deepest sympathies to Zz's family and friends-- I can see he was a treasured member of our little community and I regret that I didn't get a chance to get to know him.

[zhelas]

WTF!!! I met Ken when Zzentar was only level 32. I helped him with the mechanics of the game and ever since then he and I played Zzentar and Zhelas as brothers in game. Zhelas was the best man during Zzentar's and Anmut's wedding. It was a running joke that when he was taking folks on a group hunt for the Black Wolves their survival rate wasn't high:) Either that or Zhelas would be the one getting squished.

Ken was a great guy. Rest in peace my brother.

Bill
Player of Zhelas/Silwyk

[leifastagsweed]

I will certainly share whatever useful news I can share. I am just still in angry, stunned shocked at his loss.

Hugs to all of you, my friends.

[Orp]

My condolences to his family, ZZ/Ken was a great guy, I have such fond memories of him, will be strange to log in without him around.....RIP <3

[Atlanteax]

I am unfamiliar with Zz, but for those who have lost a friend, my sympathies.

[zhelas]

I was asked to post the following by Mysd Danlion.


As you start past the entrance to Black Wolf Manor you notice two seemingly terrified guards glancing nervously over their shoulders. Curious you pause too look past. You see a very agitated small dirty cat pacing back and fourth tail high in the air and slightly puffed. A low menacing growl can be heard from time to time.

As you listen more closely you hear soft sobs. You take a step or two closer peering into the shadows of a large white statue you see what appears to be a tiny filthy creature clutching something to its chest curled up at the feet of the statue.

"What goes on here?" you query the guard. "Why is no one helping this poor thing?"

"Not sure, Sir. It showed up here last night, we cannot get near it the cat won't let us."

Crouching low and moving slowly you move into the courtyard the growl from the cat becomes louder as it bears its teeth. In a moment you !recognize him under all the dirt and burrs. "Zeus!" The cat blinks at you slowly and lowers his hackles and looks almost mournfully at the small ball at the feet of the statue. In that instant you know. You rush over and scoop up the small dirty ball who breaks out into a piercing wail.

"NO NO NO!!!!! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME LEAVE!!!!!! KILL ZEUS!!!!"

"Shhhh little one. No one is going to make you leave." You stroke her hair trying to brush it from her dirty little face so she can see you.

"But Uncle Zz is gone!!! And I don't know what to do. And Uncle Primum and gone too. And I am loster than ever." Sobs wrack her tiny little body as she buries her face into your shoulder wrapping arms and wings around you clinging to you.

You sit holding her for a while as her sobs slowly subside to the occasional sniffle. Until she finally sits up. You see she is still holding tight to something that has left a slightly sticky residue on your cloak. "What have you got there little one?"

"The last pancake my Uncle Zzentar ever gave me. He told me I wasn't allowed to have any if I wasn't going to share. I was being stubborn and wanted it all for myself and he went off for a hunt. But what I didn't tell him was I secretly wanted to share it with him. I never saw him again."

She holds the pancake out to you.

[Kaldonis]

I was very surprised and saddened to hear about this on LNet tonight.

While not strange, I have to say it speaks volumes to see people from all corners of the game and personality types all agreeing here at what a friendly and intelligent guy Ken was. One of just a handful of people I had contact with outside the game, and I always enjoyed chatting with him.

Best wishes for everyone.

[Allereli]

Memorial service is Sunday night 10 pm eastern at the Black Wolves den, which someone else can post the exact location of, I'm not sure yet. It's in the Landing

[Androidpk]

Memorial service is Sunday night 10 pm eastern at the Black Wolves den, which someone else can post the exact location of, I'm not sure yet. It's in the Landing

Just east of the pawnshop.

[Velfi]

Sad to hear about this. Zz was a good guy, always willing to help out and dedicated to his friends and orgs in game. RIP.

[Allereli]

This is devastating news to the community. Zzentar was a well-known figure in our game world of Elanthia. My first year as a GM, at SimuCon, Ken saw me walking and pulled me into his room to answer an assist. I thought it was one of the funniest things to do, a live-action onduty shift.

We have placed a memorial to Zzentar in Halcyon Hills, at the Forest Glade. GM Flannihan designed the statue and I added on to the room description for both day and night. I know the Black Wolves are also planning something soon as well.

http://forums.play.net/forums/GemStone%20IV/Socializing/Farewells%20and%20Returns/view/733

[Taernath]

Anyone know the lich room id?

[zhelas]

[Halcyon Hills, Forest Glade]
Farther from the tree line, the brush rapdily recedes and gives way to tall, bright green grass. Multicolored leaves cover the ground in haphazard patterns. Further to the east a tall silver fence is visible, sunlight reflecting brightly from its surface. A lone wolf's howl can be heard off in the distance, coming from the forest. You also see a polished marble statue.

>look stat
Chiseled in white marble with streaks of red and grey is the image of a dark elven mage. With his gaze directed skyward, a gentle smile plays across his features. To his chest is clutched a slender, etched runestaff. Delicately carved from thin, red-streaked marble, a raised banner furls above him and drapes across one shoulder. At the base of the statue rests an elegantly scribed plaque.

In Memory of our dear friend Zzentar, who generously shared his knowledge and friendship across these lands.
~~He will live on in the hearts of all those touched by his gentle spirit.~~

[leifastagsweed]

Really wonderful vigil tonight. Thank you to everyone who organized it and much love to all who attended in spirit or in text. It was amazing seeing so many faces, old and new, paying tribute. What a testimony to how wonderful and well loved our friend was. <HUGS>

[iJin]

This is so sad. :( He was such a great guy.

[SHAFT]

Do we know what the cause of death was? How old was he?

[Aiska]

Sad stuff. I didn't know him personally but it's cool to see the community send him off like this. Condolences to those of you who knew and loved him.

[leifastagsweed]

Posted on his FB wall:


The funeral mass for Ken Dumas will be Saturday November 7 at 11 am at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. 4851 Park Avenue,
Memphis TN 38117
All who knew and loved Ken are invited.

[Mogonis]

Wow. November? That seems odd.

[Archigeek]

Not uncommon for people to wait these days.

[Allereli]

http://www.gofundme.com/dm44t5ww