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A Heavy Goodbye: Dennthota Ahtarmwyn (AKA: David DeGonzales - Printable Version

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RE: A Heavy Goodbye: Dennthota Ahtarmwyn (AKA: David DeGonzales - Salty Lake - 09-15-2016

I can't describe how bummed I am to hear this news.

Denn is--was--one of the closer friends I've made through FFXIV. We were among the founding members of the roegadyn linkshell Broken Chairs back in 2.0, and became fast friends when we realized we were both vegans and anarchists. We both enjoyed silly RP, and had a lot of laughs during our scenes together. I regret that we didn't keep in better touch after he killed off the Dennthota character, and that we never did get around to meeting in person.

RE: A Heavy Goodbye: Dennthota Ahtarmwyn (AKA: David DeGonzales - Fleeting Dawn - 09-15-2016

This news has hit me very heavily.  Denn is one of my most fondly remembered friends that I made here in Final Fantasy.  He and I did manage to meet last summer when I was down in his direction.  He was so much fun to hang with, both in and out of game.  

I am so sad and such a wreck right now. Thank you for letting us all know.  And thank you, you silly dolphin.  You made my time in Vegas excellent and my time on FF amazing.  I will never forget you nor the times we had. 

Fleeting Dawn/Laurie

RE: A Heavy Goodbye: Dennthota Ahtarmwyn (AKA: David DeGonzales - cuideag - 09-15-2016

Thoughts and condolences to friends and family. I didn't interact with Denn as much as I would have liked - I knew him mostly as that scoundrel Cicero way back when - but he was always eager to invite me to RP whenever we did cross each other in game. I will do my best to attend.

RE: A Heavy Goodbye: Dennthota Ahtarmwyn (AKA: David DeGonzales - ArmachiA - 09-15-2016

Denn and I worked very closely during his time in FFXIV, as both of us were the main storytellers/GMs for our guild.

Denn as a person was a force to be reckoned with. It was actually hard to believe he didn't have much experience roleplaying, and no experience with GMing. He started small when it came to GMing with us, he made a character named Cicero who was nothing more than a minion to our main villain. However, Denn brought ideas to the table I'd never even thought of, he was completely unafraid of giving me some insight and playing his villain with the loose set of rules I'd given everyone. He was able to weave those tiny threads I gave and turn it into probably one of the most memorable villains we ever had, starting from a henchmen, to second in command, and finally over taking our main villain completely to become the next Big Bad. I'm sure some of you interacted with him as the flamboyant cat, he liked to take all his characters out into the world and rp with everyone he could.

His creativity and enthusiasm for crafting a story easily matched my own, and we found ourselves coming up with plotlines together - sometimes parallel and not intersecting but still together. He was a great partner in crime, we bounced off each other almost effortlessly, and he was the only one I trusted so much I didn't even need to hear what he had planned next (Though he told me anyway). His ideas were wilder, bolder, riskier than mine and, while I pulled him back from those lofty heights more than once, he taught me to step outside of my own comfort zone and take the risks that we think we can't do in MMO RP. He always knew how to build off the ideas that I already had, and knew how to start things while I was afraid it was too soon.

I met him in 2014 and 2015 - for the NB annual Vegas meets. His enthusiasm for Roleplay turned out to be just an Enthusiasm for life itself. I always considered him somewhat of a nihilist with a devil may care attitude, but at the same time he cared very deeply for the people he let into his life. Over the course of these 2 meetings, he talked to everyone about their hopes and fears and what they thought about the world. He was genuinely interested. Constantly said he just wanted to see people smile. He was a risk taker and a goof ball, someone who constantly said he was trying to get his shit together, that he would be better someday.

He was already better, he just didn't see it.

Denn took some time off the game in order to really focus on school (He was going into the medical field) and talked about how he was wanting to write a book. I loved that idea, it seemed like a natural progression of his creativity. When I told him I, too, wanted to write a book, he immediately said he wanted to read it. I believed him because that's just how he was, his love for people was enormous. He managed to sneak into the game sometimes though, and he was in talks with me and Ellion for coming back for the expansion with a whole new story idea.

The last time I talked to Denn one on one was a few months ago. In July, I had to take my own time off the game due to my worsening mental health issues, and he immediately sent me well wishes and told me he was finally out of the darkness and getting his shit together, and he knew that I could find my way out too. In hindsight, that makes all of this really unfair.

We were all going to see him in Vegas this year, as 9 of us are headed down for FanFest in October. He was excited, posted in the thread and told people he was really looking forward to it. Told us we had to go because it was going to be his last year in Vegas...

It's too hard to think about him being gone.

RE: A Heavy Goodbye: Dennthota Ahtarmwyn (AKA: David DeGonzales - Salty Lake - 09-15-2016

Y'all changed your FC tag to DENN and now I'm crying all over! What a tribute to a great person.

RE: A Heavy Goodbye: Dennthota Ahtarmwyn (AKA: David DeGonzales - Seriphyn - 09-15-2016

Sad

All the best to everyone affected by this.

RE: A Heavy Goodbye: Dennthota Ahtarmwyn (AKA: David DeGonzales - Faye - 09-15-2016

Oh no. Sad

I role-played with him several times back around launch. It was always memorable and never a bad experience. I am very sad to hear this, and I give my condolences to all his friends and FC mates. I'll be at the vigil if I can make it.

RE: A Heavy Goodbye: Dennthota Ahtarmwyn (AKA: David DeGonzales - ArmachiA - 09-15-2016

[Image: iosaf1kl.jpg]

In 2014, we all had NB shirts made for Fanfest. Denn bought the "La Curaga" one instead of his own and followed La Curaga around with it on. Pretty much shows the kind of spirit he was.

(09-15-2016, 04:48 PM)Salty Lake Wrote: Y'all changed your FC tag to DENN and now I'm crying all over! What a tribute to a great person.

Thanks! We can't do very much, but we want to honor him.

RE: A Heavy Goodbye: Dennthota Ahtarmwyn (AKA: David DeGonzales - Kage - 09-15-2016

I have been telling some people of all the fond memories I have of the short interactions I had with Denn, the player and with the roleplayer.

I went to check out his characters' lodestone pages (see if Cicero was changed or what not) and saw that you all changed it to <DENN> and I just started to tear up.

Denn always added so much fun to whatever he was doing, in game, in roleplay... in raid. I fondly remember him losing a roll and allowing Kage to knock Denn out by having thrown Kage up into the air and as Kage fell down, Denn's eyes were blinded by the sun and she was knocked out by Kage's shield. In another scene, Denn accepted Kage's invitation to the Ball in Ul'dah as a date. And in another when Denn was going around as a Bandit, Denn sent me a tell asking me if certain things could go ahead. Kage had just gotten shanked in the Quicksand by Denn's lover. Denn and Kage had a linkpearl to communicate and so the idea would be that Denn would contact Kage in concern asking about his whereabouts. Denn, in disguise, would burst in like a Kool-Aid Roegadame. It didn't quite end up that way due to the sheer amount of people who ended up in those scenes but it was a truly memorable scene.

Denn was one of the first in the Ul'dah Raid group (but certainly not the last) to welcome me as I pugged in for T1-4. Our very first meeting was a great positive. Our last was no less different as he helped close out a roleplay arc for a few of us that his character Cyrinius'li Cicero played a part in.

Denn also played some games outside of FFXIV with me, helping me learn that Sins of a Solar Empire is truly a pirate's space.

It's really just unfair. I remember his talks about work and school, talking about the field he was in. I'd always silently cheered him on, thinking he would get there. No doubt in my mind that would be the case.

RE: A Heavy Goodbye: Dennthota Ahtarmwyn (AKA: David DeGonzales - McBeefâ„¢ - 09-15-2016

Sad.

He was a cool person.

RE: A Heavy Goodbye: Dennthota Ahtarmwyn (AKA: David DeGonzales - LiadansWhisper - 09-15-2016

I actually found out about this this morning on Facebook from Curaga. I am so sad. I actually started crying at work (which didn't go over well with the boss!).

I hadn't spoken to him since March, and I don't even know why. I had his number. I should have called him. Now I'll never get the chance.

This is the last time I got to RP with him, if I'm remembering correctly:

[Image: 14638133840_c6d4303805_o.png]

I'll never forget you, Denn. I'm so sorry I didn't keep in touch like I should have.

RE: A Heavy Goodbye: Dennthota Ahtarmwyn (AKA: David DeGonzales - Qaeli - 09-15-2016

This leaves me with a heavy heart. I did not know David on a truly personal level, but Dennthota and Qaeli were sparring and drinking buddies on several occasions. I enjoyed his energetic writing style, and it was fun shooting the shit about martial styles.

Even though I haven't been around in Eorzea in some time, I've never forgotten those that I had the pleasure of roleplaying with, and I always remembered Denn very fondly.

Truly, my condolences extend to all of you who truly knew him—friends, family, loved ones. Trite as it will ever sound, I am deeply sorry for this loss. 

He was missed in life, and he will be missed in its passing.

RE: A Heavy Goodbye: Dennthota Ahtarmwyn (AKA: David DeGonzales - FreelanceWizard - 09-15-2016

He and I never really got to interact, but it's always a sad day when a creative light goes dark.

To his family and friends, my deepest condolences. You're in my thoughts.

RE: A Heavy Goodbye: Dennthota Ahtarmwyn (AKA: David DeGonzales - Siha - 09-15-2016

My condolences to everyone that knew Denn. I only interacted with him a few times, first as Cicero and then as Denn later on but each time he was so very kind and no matter how nervous I was he was the kind to reassure me things would be alright. I'm sad to say that I never got closer than acquaintance to him because from what I could tell, and heard, he was an amazing human being. I'm sorry for such a terrible loss.

RE: A Heavy Goodbye: Dennthota Ahtarmwyn (AKA: David DeGonzales - Tyndles - 09-16-2016

I did not talk with Denn much, but with Dais he helped integrate Gilles into the FC proper.  My heart hurt to hear this news and my thoughts are with you guys right now.