On December 20th 2017, a tragic accident occurred taking the life of teenager Nikita Hedingham also known in Rift on her personally created character as Wintercharm. This heart wrenching news reached the Rift gaming community via her mother sending shock waves of disbelief and sadness into a community that is fairly tight knit especially within the dimension building sector that Wintercharm was a well-loved member. Since, flowers have been sent to the family on behalf of the Rift community as well as contributions to her families GoFundMe that everyone sends support and condolences.
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In game, personal dimension builds are being built that some are keeping private while others are sharing to highlight their thoughts of her including:
- Secluded Country Home Morrganna @Faeblight
- Wintercharm - Dreamer Odinstunic @Greybriar
Tribute builds have also been opened that players may contribute to including Wintercharm’s main guild “Dharma” on Hailol shard who is building two memorial dimensions that can be found via Roslies. On Faeblight, Coochee has opened “WinterCharms Tribute” and yours truly has a remembrance garden to plant flowers in Wintercharms Garden on Kiwiflava, Greybriar.
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Last week Trion Worlds developers returned to work and tomorrow they are joining the outpouring of love for Wintercharm by immortalising her memory as a Keyvah Wintercharm NPC - Keyvah being another of her characters on Wolfsbane. On this NPC players can also buy Wintercharm Blossoms for their dimensions builds.
wintercharm from Dev Tacitus on Vimeo
This is not the first time Trion Worlds have placed players names in their games but it is the first time they have honored someone's memory who has passed away in Rift spearheaded by the dedication of Senior Game Designer Chris “Tacitus” Cates who felt it was sincerely the right thing to do for someone who cared so much for the dimension community he is the caretaker of, knowing it would also comfort everyone who cares for her.
Keyvah Wintercharm can be found in Iron Pine Peaks at 2953, 2511 Icewatch Ridge (Exile Den nearest Porticulum.)
Such an incredibly sweet gesture. Wishing Nikita’s loved ones dearest, sincerest condolences and thank you Trion Worlds. You are so loved and missed sweet, beautiful Wintercharm.
You can read more on the Rift site's blog about the memorial.
