Josh Gross Memorial

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Vardaen
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Josh Gross Memorial

Post by Vardaen » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:27 pm

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Lt. Joshua Walter "Max" Gross or better known around here as Palamon or Elphir, USN, 30, died in the service of his country on Wednesday night, January 16th, 2008, when his helicopter crashed outside Corpus Christie, Texas. He leaves behind his mother, Karen Gross; his father, Walter Gross; his two brothers, Nathaniel and Benjamin Gross; his two sisters, Rebecca and Elizabeth Gross; his grandmothers, Phyllis Graff and Gretchen Schnurbusch; and grandfather, Richard Schnurbusch. He was predeceased by his grandfathers, Robert H. Graff and Joseph L. Gross. Josh was a 1994 graduate of Johnson City High School and a 1998 graduate of Amherst College, where he was captain of the ski team. Upon graduation, he moved to Colorado where he became a ski instructor for five years. He entered the Navy in 2003 where he trained to be a helicopter pilot. He was assigned to Helmineron 15 "Blackhawks" out of Corpus Christi, Texas. He was a wonderful cook with a great sense of humor, a beloved eldest son, brother and protector, and he will be greatly missed.

I'm posting this thread here for all his RP friends, both online and in person that want to remember Josh. This is a place for us to talk about our lost paladin and all those good times we had with him RPing either here, on Elendor, or Shadowrift, or in person. Please feel free to post your pictures and RP logs of Josh. This thread will remain here for the life of the website which will hopfully be forever.

Some people have already begun to remember Josh over her, so I'm posting a link to it along with some other articles about our good friend.

Our News: https://brennor.dyndns.org/rpg/News/art ... d=221.html

Local News with friends letters to Josh: http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs. ... fmeqJtM%3D
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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TetNak
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Re: Josh Gross Memorial

Post by TetNak » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:36 pm

I've knew Josh (online) for over ten years.

Obviously my experience is not as intense as Vardaen's or Brennor's, but the sadness at his passing cannot be denied.

Josh/Palamon was a super nice guy and I enjoyed working with him on projects and RPing with him. He and I worked on an updated theme for Akarian Dawn MUSH for several months, writing, revising, throwing ideas back and forth, etc.

I had a great time working with him then, and obviously thought he was a great developer of theme and an equally great RPer. Speaking of our site, I am equally pleased the character of Ghanji is still based on the personality he gave him. Although, I do recall him saying once, "Vardaen's turned Ghanji into an ass!"

Although I had mostly lost contact as Josh was busy with in the Navy, it was always a pleasure to speak to him whenever I saw him online.

Josh was a great guy and I want to give my sympathies to his friends and family for such a terrible loss.

Jason/Tet
"Kings have no friends, only subjects and enemies."

- King Stannis Baratheon, First of His Name

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Re: Josh Gross Memorial

Post by jeribai76 » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:52 am

I remember Josh... on Elendor as an amazing roleplayer and a friend.

I remember Josh... when he first invited me to join the team building Shadowrift and one of the most awesome PCs anyone could imagine.

I remember Josh... as we RPed the first meeting between Kharadmon and Palamon, an earth-shattering event witnessed only by us two.

I remember Josh... offering me the position of wizard of Shadowrift.

I remember Josh... arguing with me and bargaining with me as we re-did theme to account for some "issues"

I remember Josh... as one of many friends I have inadvertently left behind.

I first met Josh ... ten years ago? I don't think I've spoken to him in 6 years. Like so many others, He and I struggled to build something and in the process built a friendship. A friendship I failed to keep up as I stepped away from MUSHing. I would not have expected to be so hit. He was an amazing RPer. And a true human being.

To others who may read this that I have left behind, feel free to contact me. I was Jeribai on Shadowrift, Japhin on Elendor, and Agron on Elendor.

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Re: Josh Gross Memorial

Post by Trogdor » Thu Jan 24, 2008 12:49 am

I never had the pleasure of meeting Josh, but just to show you what a small world it is, my brother-in-law was one of Josh's instructors for his advanced helo training.

My b-i-l is also friends with the other pilot, who survived the crash. He hasn't heard much from his friend at this point, since he apparently broke near every bone in his body. But I suspect he will as time passes.

If you think it would help you get through this, I'll be happy to pass on what I can from him. I'm sure there will be official reports. But hearing what happened from the other pilot will no doubt be more personal.

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Re: Josh Gross Memorial

Post by Vardaen » Thu Jan 24, 2008 7:09 pm

I attended the wake and funeral over the last two days. They were a real testament to the amount of people that were touched by Josh's life. People came in from all over the country to honor his memory. With a constant long line out the door of the funeral home during the 3 hour wake, we knew that Josh was really loved.

The services the next day include the prayer service as well as his family getting up and talking about their lost son and brother. At the end the Navy preformed their duties, and Josh recieved a 21 Gun send off, and the playing of taps. That broke everyone in the house to tears, even the biggest strongest toughest guy there.

Both nights we gathered at a friends house to tell stories about Josh, and to comfort each other. I thought I knew alot of tales about him, but he did so much, and was friends with so many, that thenumber of stories that were told shocked me.

Josh was like a little brother to me, that goofy little kid that always had such high aspriation and hopes. He taught me to believe in the goodness of others, and that things were never as glum as they might seem. So I'm trying to remember that now, but its damn hard.

I started RPing with Josh when we were in Middle or High School, I can't remember exactly when. We'd spend countless hours in his garage during the summer, or over at my house, or up at Brennor's house late into the night. We played D&D pretty much exclusively, but almost never did we play in any prepublished. Josh always wants to make the worlds, and craft the story, even if he hardly did DM. His one favorite adventure however was Dragon Mountain, he loved that Red Dragon Infirana.

I remember his favorite character, Cyan. He was a 25th level Paladin when it was all over, with a Gold Dragon mount named Asperansul. I think I might even still have the character sheets for them... Anyhow, by the time Cyan had reached this level no one would DM for him as he would just walk through hordes of enemies and it became increasingly hard to DM for a character like that. Eventually Cyan polymorphed into Palamon, many of the same traits seemed to follow the chracters. Josh always loved the Knight in Shining Armor, and I think he lived his own life by that code. He was kind hearted, generous later in life with money (once he could aford more than Mac & Cheese), but always generous with his time and happiness. I rarely remember him playing the bad guy, in game or out of games. In our longest running campaign, known as Cardolin (that included, me as DM, Brennor, Cohobin, Shinling, and Josh and his brother Nate) he once again played the good guy, Erik Connor, a 'scotish-like' Ranger this time who was a savior of his defeated people and liked his Bronze Plate Mail and slapping evil mages around.

We started MUSHing together, I owned the computer, and he paid for the Netscape Online services back when we had a 2400baud external modem that Brennor's mom let us have. We played on Elendor MUSH, and while he joined Gondor, he started in Moria with me as one of the goofiest Uruk-Hai you'd ever seen. After Moria we rarely RPed together on Elendor simply because of cultural distance, but we soon discovered Shadowrift.

A founding admin of Shadowrift, along with me, Brennor, TetNak and his brother Kellinan (Nate) and others, we were able to once again build a world together. He was the knight, and built Durnalis, a prefect combination and so very Josh. For years we work and played on Shadowrift, which would eventually be abandoned for an attempt at a Italian Ren MUSH, but we came back and Akarian Dawn was born. Those were the wanning days of MUSHes but we built and played and worked and continued to enjoy Josh's company. When I can manage it, I'll find those RP logs and put them up here.

He also played Legend of the Five Rings, both RP and CCG. A fan of the Dragon Clan, and the Lady Hitomi, he and the samurai honor went hand and hand, and he went so far as to take some Japanesse language classes in school so he would really know his stuff for the games. He never did buy any cards, but always used mine, and I gladly let him. I gladly wound again if possible.

Palamon moved with us all here, and began at once to craft his next world, Durnalia, the same ideals as Durnalis. His game setting here can be found at: https://brennor.dyndns.org/rpg/Forums/v ... /f=42.html

It never managed to turn into an active game, his duties in the Navy and in life kept him terribly busy. I hope that I can do him the honor of starting up that setting and we can once again wander around and play in one of Josh's worlds.

He is my friend, and he'll never stop being that. I miss you, you goofy paladin bastard. I expect you to have a really great game setting ready for me when we see each other again.

Picture Tribute Site for Josh: http://flickr.com/photos/mario_valenta/ ... 81/?page=2

Vardaen/Raughir/Morcarag/Cil/Saurgoth
Last edited by Vardaen on Fri Jan 25, 2008 6:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Re: Josh Gross Memorial

Post by Taliesin » Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:30 am

But for one meeting in NYC, I only knew Josh as an online friend, but that doesn't diminish the empty place I feel in my soul right now. We shared a lot of adventures over the years on Elendor and the original ShadowRift (his never-ending enthusiasm for which game and my own disgruntlement with it became a running gag between us) and we talked a great deal about girls, families, and so much else. Even lately, when neither of us had done much roleplaying in years, we still kept in touch with the occasional email. And that to me is maybe the hardest thing.

When you don't know a person's face or voice too well-- when you only know him by the words he types-- the melancholia hits you like a sledgehammer when you realize he won't be typing back again.

The first thing I did when I learned of Josh's passing was to log in on Elendor for the first time in a blue moon. A few people left in Gondor remembered him, and we chatted briefly. I won't be going back-- I can say that with even more conviction now than ever before, because he was such a huge part of the happy memories I have of that game. I've always maintained that the setting was what pulled me into that game, but it was the friends I made who kept me there. When they moved on, so did I, and Josh was foremost among them.

So from there I Googled Res Telluris / Durnalia, the world he was building on here a few years back. He pulled me into it early and we were both really enthused about it for a month or so. Then all of a sudden my fiancee was expecting a baby and we were getting married sooner than we'd planned, which coincided with his move to Pensacola, and Durnalia kind of faded away for both of us. But you guys-- his oldest friends-- kept the forum alive (if archived) and I want to thank you for it. It hurts like hell to read the enthusiasm in his posts, because it makes me want to sit down at my keyboard and just keep going, just keep building, just keep working together... he had that effect on many people, I think.

We talked a lot about building that world, not with any aim in mind but just... to do it. To see what we could create with our friends. We bounced around the idea of writing stories in it, a shared world of sorts, and I'd still like to try my hand at that. It won't be the same without him, of course, but his spirit will inspire it, so he's there in a way. I read above where Steve wants to turn Durnalia into a game... I hope you do, man. Take my parts of the world into it as well, and freely.

What I'd like to do is honor him somehow. I'll share some stories here soon, because I kind of need to, and if it hurts for anyone to read anything that I write I'm truly sorry. I'm just trying to mourn a friend that I knew so well and still barely knew at all. Isn't that crazy?

If I'm any good I'll take the basic structure that we defined as Durnalia and write a real story, a true epic with that as the skeleton. I was always the guy who dreamed big but lacked the discipline to execute. What I admired most about Josh is the way that he DID execute. We talked a lot after 9/11 about joining the military; I called the recruiter and then never went down to sign up. Josh enrolled in OTS. I think if he gives me a moment's notice at all now, he's sitting next to one of you reading this post and saying with a grin, "Then get off your ass and WRITE IT, Rich."

I think I will.

Rich

aka Rondo, Davril, etc.
Rich


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Re: Josh Gross Memorial

Post by Dred » Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:10 am

I suppose I first met Josh/Palamon on Shadowrift. I can't remember the timeline exactly, but I started there by joining Durnalis. I saw immediately that there was a House named Callandor. I thought it would be extremely funny if I named my character Demandred. Josh did too. It became a sort of running joke between us and others in Durnalis. We had quite a few running jokes, I remember.

The first roleplay I remember (and I don't know if anyone else remembers this) was a big battle between Durnalis and the Urudrum (or whatever, it was before they were called this). Josh was so good, I had no idea that Arcite and Palamon were being played by the same person. There were so many other good players in that scene. It was like an all-star cast. Sure, it gave over-the-top new meaning (like most things in Shadowrift did), but it was utterly amazing.

I hadn't talked to him much in the last couple of years. Sporadically, but he always had something good to say. Time and again he would try to get me to come back to Akarian Dawn. I would, but briefly, and I always enjoyed it. We would discuss the history of Durnalis and why it wasn't going to be a player on the new game. I seem to recall us lamenting this exclusion.

To me, classic Josh/Palamon was the write-up of the last Riftwar or whatever for Shadowrift. The derring-do, the lead up, the bloody, shocking conclusion. It should have been made into a novel (with some names slightly modified to avoid copyright infringement). I might not have known him in real life -- hell, I don't think I even knew his real name until a few days ago -- but I think he lived his real life the way his characters lived. If that is so, then he didn't just play Palamon... he WAS Palamon. Right down to the very end.

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Re: Josh Gross Memorial

Post by TetNak » Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:52 am

Hey Demandred!

I had a great time doing the Last Rift War write up with Josh. I've done a lot of projects with a lot of people through the years of MUSHing, and that was one of my finest. I don't think I'd have been able to do it without Palamon. He was the one that offered up Palamon's death in the heroic fashion that it was done in. I suggest anyone who doesn't know this tale to log onto Akarian Dawn and check it out.

You know, I don't think I have ever heard one negative thing about Palamon in all my days of MUSHing, either about silly MUSH politics or anything else. Anyone who knows MUSHing knows that's near impossible. I think its a tribute to how incredibly well liked Josh was.

Jason/Tet/Cvrsul
"Kings have no friends, only subjects and enemies."

- King Stannis Baratheon, First of His Name

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Re: Josh Gross Memorial

Post by Vardaen » Fri Jan 25, 2008 6:15 pm

Its nice to see so many of you guys from the old MUSH days remembering Josh with such fond memories. If anyone is looking for his last work on Durnalia it can be found here: https://brennor.dyndns.org/rpg/Forums/v ... /f=42.html

I think he would be honored to have anyone write one his game up as a novel. Even if it was only read by those of us that knew him. If you need help on it, let me know.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Re: Josh Gross Memorial

Post by Taliesin » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:23 pm

Writing stories based on Durnalia was something Josh and I talked about a lot. Writing a novel set in that world was an ambition of his. I wanted to do one as well, and we figured we'd play off one another's ideas and both be the better for it. I can't think of a more appropriate way to honor him than to actually take the project and move forward with it in that fashion.

That said, as I do this I'll absolutely want to get your input, Steve, and that of anyone else who's interested in reading and helping things along. It's important to me that anything I write that incorporates the stuff we worked on be infused with his spirit, and let's face it-- nobody could do that better than guys like you and Brennor. Let's collaborate....
Rich


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