Ten years ago on this date, this account was created. My journey in The Elder Scrolls Online officially began. I remember getting that e-mail, that came as if it were delivered by raven, saying I was invited to a Beta Test. I was so excited, that when I played I binged on Weaver's meatsticks (local slim-jim clone to the Pennsylvania area) and Redbull. I still associate the taste of those meatsticks to those early days in ESO, as well as the casing getting stuck in my back teeth.

I don't think I shared that I got an invite on social media at the time, but I was so excited I told my mother. I mean, to her it was just her nerdy son being excited about playing a computer game before most other people get to play it, but still.

Ten years, lots of stuff has changed in the game and in the wider world. Elder Scrolls Online has been my escape when times were hard, it gave me a sense of community and I still feel a unique sense of accomplishment when I help someone out - even if it is someone asking for a taxi to Craglorn in Stonefalls zone chat, or a free vampire bite. I'm far from the best player, I don't have many of the best achievements, I recently attempted Flawless Conquerer in Vet Maelstrom and I got oh so close, but the 7th arena's poison got to me. I might still try, but I don't have as much time as I used to and my responsibilities are more complicated now.

In game I am slowly creeping up to the 2500th Champion Point, while in real life I seem to have found a calling and a career. I've had loss in real life, and in game. Pok Et Heal was the best healer and PVP raid-leader ESO has ever seen, and her loss is one that is still sorely felt. Sometimes I find myself pulled away from the game, other times I set the master volume on mute and hop around zones while doing discography runs of my favorite bands.

I might sometimes go on these forums just to rant or complain, but is that not another echo of the real world? There are always things about real life to complain about, because nothing is ever going to be perfect. Even the vibration of electrons vary by some infinitesimal degree, as the quantum foam on the planck scale pops in and out tiny quasiparticles around those dancing leptons.

I hope The Elder Scrolls Online is around still in 10 more years. What new zones will be added by then? What stories will be told? How will the release of The Elder Scrolls VI, which will almost certainly happen by that point, affect the state of ESO? I can see there being some tie-ins and cross-references, perhaps an entire chapter devoted to the same region. Will I be proud of the ten years prior, seeing how far I've come as a person, or will I be lamenting the fact that in three years and some change I'll be turning 50? What other bands will ESO collaborate with? Don't stop at just Trivium. Just last night I saw Suffocation live, and they released a new album called "Hymns from the Apocrypha"... it made me think of the realm of Hermaeus Mora. It kinda fits the vibe, although the realm of Apocrypha was always more of a cavernous doom/death metal sort of vibe to me.

To another 10 years! I'm excited to see what the team has planned for next year, as I'm hoping something special is planned for both the new chapter and the Anniversary event.