Memories of Zardoz

Tai'lahr · **Posted:** Sat Aug 15, 2015 4:34 pm

I just learned this week that Zardoz passed away over a year ago (May 24, 2014). His name recently appeared on the Explorers Memorial (Mark “Zardoz” Plummer) and Wafna tracked down an obituary for him: Mark Plummer 1954 - 2014. I thought it would be nice to have a thread where we could share our memories of him. For someone who was in the Myst/Uru community for over 13 years, I'm sure there are many.

If you do a search on this forum for “Zardoz”, you’ll see the results are filled with people thanking him for something, quite often for providing historical Myst/Uru information. Being one of the original explorers in Prologue (he let Phil out of the Bahro cave in Eder Kemo) and a member of the community long before that, he was quite knowledgeable about all things Myst & Uru (as well as many other subjects) and left us a priceless treasure in his website, Zardoz's realMyst Easter Egg Hunt and other Goodies.

He was intelligent, witty, kind, helpful, realistic, creative and humble.

MOUL Memories thread by Zardoz, Feb 04, 2008

A thread about Zardoz wouldn't be complete without mention of his pony, but lacking his quick wit, I can't think of anything pithy to say, so I'll just summarize past posts:

[Reveal] Spoiler: Zardoz's Pony

It was a common joke for explorers to ask Cyan for a pony and in July 2009, Zardoz claimed the pony as his own.

In The Official Begging & Pleading Thread, he posted simply, "I would like a pony. Thank you." JWPlatt replied by posting an image of a little girl crying with the caption, "No, You Can't Have A Pony." So, Zardoz wrote a "Dear Cyan" post about the pony and later another one. After that, he would frequently use the pony reference as a metaphor for whatever was the topic of discussion.

Soon, other posters, including RAWA began referring to "Zardoz's pony" in their posts. (There are too many references to list them all, but here are RAWA's and if you do a search here for "pony" many of the results in the first six pages are about Zardoz's pony. RAWA, Nov 09, 2009; RAWA, May 12, 2010; RAWA, Oct 06, 2011; RAWA, Oct 06, 2011)

The last references to the pony were in 2011 when RAWA ended a lengthy post "with love to Zardoz's pony" and Zardoz ended his next post with "Or at least, that's what my pony told me. She hoof-paints, you know ..."

Sweet dreams, Zardoz. I miss you.

Edit: Replaced broken link to Zardoz's realMyst Easter Egg website, now hosted by 75th Trombone.

Yali · **Joined:** Tue May 09, 2006 6:09 pm **Posts:** 427

He was one of those regular UO guys way back in the Mudpie days around 2002. He always seemed to be really funny and real leader in the community. So sad to see him gone.

Wafna · **Posted:** Sun Aug 16, 2015 1:20 am

I only knew him from the forums. I never met him in cavern. When I first started lurking on Myst/Uru forums sometime between Exile and Prologue, he was a regular, active poster. Whenever I saw his name as the most recent poster in a thread, I'd check to see what he had to say. It was always a worthwhile read.

RAWA posted a picture for him once, and I wish I had kept it. I can't remember what prompted it, unless it was a discussion about the elevator at Cyan and the storied extra levels, but it was a photo of a penguin seemingly about to push one of the buttons on the elevator. I've been searching for what might have been the photo's title: Everything and anything to Zardoz.

Artic_Wagon · **Joined:** Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:00 pm **Posts:** 4095

.
If ever the zardof's RAWA signal is needed you can find it in one on his post ( second image)...
viewtopic.php?p=390535&sid=d0733d1f8a21243f4a70e509d3dc281a#p390535

Capella · **Joined:** Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:00 pm **Posts:** 81

This is such a bummer to hear. Zardoz did an amazing amount of work for our community and he will be deeply missed. He was alternately funny and serious, and always full of wisdom and grace. It was my privilege to work with him at MystCommunity, and I can't believe he's gone.

Whilyam · **Joined:** Tue May 09, 2006 1:04 am **Posts:** 4134

Jesus. What a thing to look in on. I always remember Zardoz as being a fun guy who never let things get to him. Always tried to get me to see things the same way too.

aloys · **Posted:** Sat Aug 22, 2015 12:14 pm

This is terrible news.

Zardoz was one of the oldest member of our community, and one of the very first I met way back; close to 15 years ago. He was the only one allowed to call me Metals. He was a great guy, clever, funny, reliable and caring. The kind of person our world need more of. The world is a sadder place because of him leaving. Especially so soon, always the one to take people by surprise, right Z?
Funny how fate has it, as I find myself working on a Myst related project again I was looking at his old RealMyst Easter Eggs Hunt site just yesterday; wondering what he was up to. Learning that he passed away pains me, but learning that he did so silently over a year ago makes it that much harder.

I liked that man a great deal, he was not much the social kind, and neither am I, and since I don't live in the US I never got the occasion to meet him at Mysterium. Still, I really liked the dude and I'll miss him a lot. The way these online communities work mean that, as others have pointed out, we could sometimes stay a year or more without contact, and still meet again like we just left yesterday. That's not going to happen again. Stay close to your loved ones people.

Bye Z.

Filippe · **Posted:** Sat Aug 22, 2015 12:48 pm

I'm afraid i never had the pleasure of meeting Zardoz, although his name sounds familiar. I do remember OMJ from the pre-MOUL days.

It's good to see the Uru community coming together to note the passing of fellow explorers. I think we sometimes forget that we actually have a history and heritage all our own apart from the D'ni folklore. It always seemed to me that the name Uru meant, in effect, "you are you". We all play our part in the cavern, whatever that is...and we all leave our mark in the stone of D'ni.

/me lifts his cup of coffee in a toast to fellow explorers...."Live long and prosper!"

Calumon · **Joined:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 9:38 pm **Posts:** 1673

I never really knew Zardoz too well beyond what I'd ended up researching for the Prologue Heritage Nights. It's sad to see someone who was such a prominent part of the community gone.

I think I met OMJ a few times In Cavern, but I can't really remember if we talked or not.

Seeing this thread the other day made me visit the memorial for the first time in a long while. I figured I should write something up to pay my respects here too... I think I'll second that /raisesglass:

"To everyone come and gone, may we meet again some day."

75th Trombone · **Posted:** Mon Aug 24, 2015 3:19 pm

Rudolfson · **Posted:** Wed Sep 23, 2015 9:42 pm

Oh yes I remember the Pony and how he started it. I laughed out loud at the time, like many others I suppose. It summed up the atmosphere so well.
Now I got something in my eye and must say good night.

/Frej

Kero · **Posted:** Sun Oct 04, 2015 9:27 pm

Oh Z I hardly knew ye...

I entered the Cavern and joined the original Forums in 2003. Z was always one who could make me smile - even when he was serious. Getting older myself so specific memories are fading. Like the others....I'm going to miss you Z. See you on the other side. We can discuss the care and feeding of ponies.

Romer Openfield · **Posted:** Tue Oct 06, 2015 2:48 am

I go back to the beginnings (my name was different then) and I remember Mark as always a presence, either on the forums, in emails, or in person online in-character. He regularly tipped me off to events and anything that would gather us all together (and I'm sure I was part of a much larger group he communicated with). He loved being one of us, and we loved that he loved to lead us to new adventures and be a presence in our enjoyment.

I did not know he passed and I'm struck by his absence. He was younger than me, and I ache that he's missing the future I'm allowed to share. There comes a point where all of us are denied the future, and I hope we never, ever, wait until that time to realize how very important the present is, as well as the people that allowed us to reach this point in time.

Yes, we all leave our mark wherever we tread in life. I am glad Zardoz chose this path and his mark is a permanent part of our culture and lives in this wondrous place.

RAWA · **Posted:** Wed Oct 07, 2015 7:17 am

Zardoz was a friend. I valued his wisdom, his patience, his insight. He is sorely missed.

We need a withered carrot added near the Wheely Memorial for Zardoz's pony.

.trepråD Koxaven trepråD eDeren
.yavo pilelen yeret vElAon

"In rock he lived, in rock he rests.
May Yahvo, the Maker, receive his soul."

[Thanks to KathAveara for pointing out the typo in the D'ni. Fixed now.]

Ahvree · **Posted:** Wed Oct 14, 2015 3:20 pm

I only heard recently about Zardoz's passing. He was a cavern mentor. When I was fiddle fuddling around with my situation about whether to do this or that story (feeling sorry for myself), Zardoz said, "it isn't enough Ruby to talk about being appreciated. Just accomplish it no matter who is watching. You don't need an audience to accomplish. You need to be a storyteller."

Of course Zardoz was already a storyteller, and cavern explorer royalty. Everyone loved him.

And for several years after the 2nd restoration attempt closed (there is always another restoration), I kept up with his story posts. But I didn't check in the last couple of years. I regret that.

Recently when I brought up his name (I did often) Ghaelen warned me yet (again) that "things change" because she didn't yet want to tell me, she did tell me about his passing and to come here and find this page.

I waited for several days to look (just couldn't, so saddened), but now I am here. I see all of your posts. And I can't find any words to say it better than you all have. So, instead I leave a very special recording of Zardoz's voice and character images for you. He was/is teaching me how to be a storyteller, by being a storyteller - playing the role of a bad guy for video documentary. Whether or not he is a bad guy depends on your perspective about lighting a dark cavern where all the secrets were kept and maybe should be left?

https://youtu.be/iW_BUmZg8s8 Guardians of the Light (a cavern conspiracy) full length vintage machinima (very few bells and whistles back then).

Every year I repeated his words about accomplishment to my public school students, hoping it would nudge them to write about conflict - not to worry about who was watching.

------------------------------------------------------------

I am sure you are still telling tales and teaching stories. Thank you Zardoz for telling them to me.

Ruby O'Degee

Memories of Zardoz

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