Although technically I'm not eligible for the prize right now (9 days shy of the 4 month period) - I will be by the time that you decide upon who you are going to give these presents to.
Anyway.
Wish list:
As many ectos (or cash) as possible.
These ecto's wouldn't be used for me, but for the few special people who have not only influenced my playstyle and life in GW, but also my actual life. I won't be able to give them all presents, as some of them have stopped playing. I will however, share this story of how I arrived in this game, and how they helped me with not only their kindness, but their advice, friendship, and love.
Warning: this story is long, and parts of it may seem useless. It's however needed to present the full picture of how these people have influenced me.
I've owned this game for I believe 3-3½ years now - I'm not certain how long. I've spent the first 1-1½ not really playing it much at all. It wasn't until I got in to college that I started playing again, at the urging of one of my classmates. He introduced me to Nightfall, and later Prophecies and Factions. Sadly he quit playing actively several months after. He did, however, influence me in one large way. He introduced me to what is essentially the core of all the guilds I've been in, which has changed my life due to the people in it.
Around the time that my friend stopped playing the game, I myself got in to a serious car accident. I broke my pelvis, and was bedridden for weeks. After this, I was forced to stay in a rehabilitation clinic to (amongst others) overcome the paralysis that settled in my left leg, and learn to walk again. I was 17 at the time.
Being that my movement was restricted, and I was confined to this clinic, I hoped that the few people I considered friends would at least come to see me. Alas, they did not. A harsh lesson in reality was learned, and I decided that the virtual might be a better place for me. Due to this, I picked up Guild Wars again.
After playing with the guild my classmate had introduced me to for some time, the entire guild decided that in order to progress further, we needed to go to a new alliance, merge with an other guild. This we did, and eventually every active person in our guild transferred. We became the Knights of Aralia, a guild in the luxon part of the [LaZy] alliance.
Now of the four people who influenced me most, I met the first two here. Our "Guild Manager" Jayne (Aragon Zar), and her roommate and first officer of the guild, Erin (Mischevious Pup). Kind, patient and generous from the start - these women became very good friends of mine, abid at the time, strictly for GW.
They are responsible for the system that our current guild utilizes in regards to in-guild trading. You all put the stuff you don't need in a big pot (multiple storage accounts, at that time provided by them - now by me and several other people in our current guild). People take what is needed, no payment required. People who take and do not give are noticed, and quickly dispatched of. For this alone, I (and my friends) owe these two a debt of gratitude, spreading trust and goodwill in a close environment.
This is however far from all. Several months after I had joined this guild, I was promoted to Officer. This means I was amongst others responsible for the recruitment of new members, and making sure they feel welcome in our guild. In this function, I met the third person who radically changed my life. Her name is Diane (Siorai Banrion).
Hearing of our guild through a friend, she decided to join on a second account first, before deciding if she wanted to join on her main account. Of course, she did - our guild was too awesome to refuse. With her compassion, generosity and overall friendly attitude - she was a person to respect and admire. We grew to become good friends, a friendship that persists to this day.
She, in fact, was the one who introduced me to the fourth and most important person I've met in this game. This person is Jennifer (Carn Angmar), who is currently my girlfriend. Even though we started on a slow pace, we grew to like each other, and became good friends.
Anyway, I digress from my actual story.
The same year as my accident, I started college again, at a different school. I picked up the pace again, and signed up at a student society - a merger of a fraternity and sorority, which has smaller groups in it, called 'Disputes' (which essentially were fraternities and sororities, on a smaller scale). I had fun, and was doing well in college. I however remained active on Guild Wars, as I had made four extremely close friendships, and far more general friendships.
As time went by, around January (a year after my accident), my focus started to lack. I began messing up in college. At the society, I was refused admittance to any of the disputes - likely because I never really let anyone get close. After all, as I had learned during my accident, if people get close - they can hurt you. I would not let this happen again.
However the unintended side-affect this had was that it made me feel like an outcast, with no friends. This reminded me of the periods I was locked in the hospital and clinic without friends who visit, and my childhood (I was bullied quite horribly until I was about 13). I became depressed, almost suicidal.
I stopped going to the society. I stopped going out. I stopped going to college. I didn't return calls or emails from anyone asking what happened - I disappeared from the face of the earth. Guild Wars filled most of my day, next to the chores and work I would do around the house.
My insomnia increased, my mood suffered. Finally, I was confronted by the four friends I had made. Each had individually noticed something was very wrong, and decided to talk to me about it. I was reluctant at first, but eventually talked to them. To each, I talked about a different issue. My fear of friendship, my insomnia, the fact that I had never felt truly happy, and more.
Being the great friends they were, they all kept to their own. They did not discuss anything of what I discussed with them with my other friends. Jayne and Erin, who were roommates, didn't even talk about it. However, after several weeks I finally decided that they should come together and talk about what they had all heard. Merge the pieces in to one big story, as it were.
This allowed me to finally talk to all four of my confidantes at once - to get all of their input. It was a step forward, and eventually - with their help - I was able to break through the wall I had put up around myself, and actively start to get help. They helped me come to terms with what was going on, and how to fix it. Day after day, night after night these four women were there for my in what wasn't my hour of need - but what were weeks of need.
Words cannot express the debt of gratitude I have to these four women, their friendship, and their advice. Finally, after many weeks of this, they had finally convinced me to contact a Psychiatrist, as they were worried that I was clinically depressed. This I did, and even though he himself has been little to no help at all thusfar, their help in getting me so far has been astonishing.
Unlike most stories, however, this one only has a partial happy end. Due to personal reasons, both Jayne and Erin had to leave the guild. Shortly afterwards, our entire guild had a fight with the leader of LaZy, and we collectively left to reform our old guild; Legion of the Feng Huang [ASH]. I have not spoken to either Jayne nor Erin in months, at least not any real conversation. The most I've been able to do is short, five-minute conversations - making sure they were okay.
The happier part of this, on the other hand, was Jennifer. Whilst we were still a part of LaZy, she and I started talking more and more - finding that we had a lot in common. We eventually fell in love, and I went on a vacation to the US, so I could be with her for as long as I could. As I type this, I am in her house. I've been here for over 3 months, but I will have to leave in two weeks, to go back to my home in The Netherlands. I have to finish my college education before I can even consider moving entirely.
As for Diane, she continues to be a great friend and guild mate even now. She is the person I have to thank for introducing me to Jennifer, and was the first to congratulate us when we announced to our guild that we were together.
This was my story. The story of the friends I have, and have had, in this game. The people who have not only changed my gaming life, but who have affected my life on a personal level - and continue to do so even now. Their spirit of friendship, generosity, trust and respect is what has made me the person who I am today. I can never repay this debt to them, but I can most certainly make sure they achieve their goals in this game.
This is what I would do with the ectos - fulfill the wishes they have. I will make them happen with or without the ectos. It will just take me longer without (unless I happen to get a mini polar bear this wintersday
).
In any way - congratulations to the person who will win, in advance. If nothing else, it feels good to let people know my gratitude for these women,.
.
looking forward to RoM! 
