Disclaimer: I do not own Runescape or any of the NPCs that are mentioned in this story; those are the property of and Jagex. It should also be noted that I do not own the story world that this story takes place in or some of the characters that are mentioned in the story. Welcome to Runescape was wonderfully written here on by Calime07. If you haven't read it yet, read it ASAP.
Welcome to Runescape: Balancing Act
"Are you coming to bed soon handsome?" She asked through the hallway to me as I sat in the computer room playing my favorite MMO, Runescape.
"Yea," I replied trying to make sure my prayer didn't run out against Dharok the Wretched at Barrows. "Give me another ten minutes; I'm almost done with this run."
Yep, that's me. Justin Gwinn, Runescape junkie. Thankfully my fiancé understands and doesn't hold it against me. Shoot, she plays too. There was something really strange about to happen this night though, and little did I know that this obsession of mine was about to get a whole lot more serious.
"Crud, just a few bolt racks again." I sighed as I emptied my Ectophile to escape from the crumbling tombs of the Barrows Brothers. Vampman arrived in Port Phasmatys but then suddenly the Mysterious Old Man appeared. "Great, another random," those always popped up at the worst times. I was suddenly caught off guard when he didn't use my RS name but turned towards the camera and actually spoke, "Mr. Gwinn, your coming with me!"
I felt like my head was in a vice and my body was getting squeezed out of a toothpaste tube. It was complete darkness and a little cold at first, but suddenly a bright light surrounded me. After a few seconds my body started feeling back to normal and the bright light surrounding me started to fade.
When my eyes finally adjusted to fire lit room around me I was shocked to see I was lying in a room that look strangely like the log in screen. I picked myself up and found myself clothed exactly like my Vampman character. As I looked around I wondered what was going on. I noticed the flames dancing in the lamps in front of me, and was mesmerized for a few moments when the rune engravings started floating out of the fires. I always thought it was a cool effect for just a log in screen, but to see something like this for real, I was little beyond what I ever expected to be possible.
"Cassie is gonna kill me when I don't show up in bed in a few minutes, especially when she sees I passed out at the computer again." I said as I convinced myself that this was just a dream.
"Welcome to the Temple of Login Vampman." I swung around and found my hand sliding around to my back on its own clutching the handle of Vampman's super-poisoned Dragon Dagger hidden in a back sheath under my over shirt. I didn't even feel it, how did I know it was back there? I didn't have much time to think about that though, because I was staring right into the eyes of a giant floating skull. The skull shone like it had been polished to perfection for some twisted collection. Small orbs of light seemed to cross the surface and fly off in random "strings" that made a strange hair effect for the thing in front of me. It was missing its jawbone, but I seemed to have no trouble talking nonetheless.
"What's going on, is this a dream?" I asked not quite knowing why, but something told me I had nothing to fear from what ever this was. I knew I had seen this character before a long time ago somewhere but I didn't recognize it at the moment.
"Sadly, no. You must understand I would not usually get involved in the affairs of the mortals of either realm unless the balance of the worlds became unbalanced."
It hit me right then, Guthix! I was actually talking to Guthix! As far as the game was concerned Vampman followed Guthix, and I remembered where I had seen him before. I was on his replies in the God Letters in the knowledge base.
"Guthix?"
"That is the name by which my followers announce me."
I had two options, believe this was real and find a way home, or accept that this was a convincing dream and enjoy it as much as I could. Looking back now, I should have taken it a bit more seriously.
