MMORPGs are strange, charming worlds. Sometimes it seems that only negative stories about them make the news, but I know from extensive personal experience that they're home to many absolutely heartwarming stories. The first one I got to see entailed the whole Guinevere server of Dark Age of Camelot getting together, regardless of realm, to remember Tabbie, a player that passed away from Leukemia back in 2002. But I'm digressing...

Today I'd like to tell you about Ben and Owen, two Scotsmen that have respectively a will of steel and a heart of gold. They both play World of Warcraft on the European server Chamber of Aspects and go by the names Hexu and Davidian. 

Ben is a retired soldier of the British Army that lost his sight during a patrol in Iraq, when shrapnel from a roadside bomb took his sight away. Owen is an ex console gamer and FPS enthusiast turned MMORPG gamer.

Ben decided not to allow his disability to prevent him to do the things he enjoyed the most, and after managing to drive a Ferrari on the Knockhill racing track he turned his attention on World of Warcraft. There he met Owen, that supported by their guild Die Safe took up the responsibility to act as a "guide dog" for him, as reported by WoW Insider.

Together Ben and Owen formed a team that allowed Ben to become a full fledged raider again, thanks to the use of autofollow macros and target of target, until they took part in their guild's epic battle against Deathwing, and triumphed.

I can't even start to imagine the level of dedication, determination and friendship involved in this kind of deed, but I can definitely say that it's the perfect example of the fact that strong, beautiful bonds of friendship can be formed between people that met in a world that is real only in their hearts. If you want to know more, you can read the full details over at WoW Insider. You can also check Die Safe's homepage here.

And yes, I totally wrote two stories about WoW today. The sky is falling.