Guohua has passed.

[Sol]

When I got an email from Gordi earlier this week, telling me the bad news, for the first time in a very, very long time, I sat down and cried. I never cry but this hit me like a ton of bricks. Didn't see it coming, I didn't even know she had been sick.

I cried, not because I lost someone I respected and loved dearly but I cried because the world, the real one and the virtual one had just lost an amazing soul.

I think I might have known her a little more than most, in this virtual world and the real one, so this is my tribute to Guohua, the owner of this Rogue adventure, my friend.

You might not know but in real life, Guohua was a Traditional Chinese Doctor and Acupuncturist, a teacher and a mentor.

I had been sick, very sick, a few years back and I reached out to her. So she asked me about my pee and wanted a picture of my tongue and other questions that I thought were, let's say, weird. But I trusted her so I answered all she asked with honesty. Then I receive this bag of stuff at home, from Guohua. Stuff meaning herbs and roots and sticks and I was like, "the hell?!?". And methodology on making this potion that would help me. Again, as I trusted her, I followed the instructions to a T. A few weeks in, I'm fully healed, back to perfect health. That was Guohua.

She would forever text me afterwards to ask me how I was. Always following up. She was amazing.

In this virtual world, Guohua (it's her real name) and a few of us had been on a site where - after getting into a disagreement with that site owner - we all got banned overnight. We had all gotten the boot without a warning.

That is when the Rogue Nation idea started brewing in Guohua's mind. So the first version of Rogue Nation appeared. On a platform that was costly and a logistical nightmare to handle. That is when Guohua asked me if I could help, and this is when the real friendship began. We went into version 2 of Rogue Nation but it drove everyone crazy. Nothing worked as planned and Guohua wasn't really happy with it. We then launched version 3, this one - thus roguenation3 - and Guohua fell in love with it.

You need to know. Guohua treated this place like a Hotel owner. She would get excited every time someone new joined or even if a guest left a message somewhere. She always welcomed everyone personally. She always sent emails to people lurking, jus to invite them in if they could. She always wanted everyone to feel at home, to be comfortable and entertained.

It was never for her, it was pure altruism. And she always wanted Rogues to have freedom of speech, good or bad. I never was a Trump fan and Guohua was always posting about Trump. I questioned her one day and she told me that she had been so silenced about politics in China that Rogue Nation was to be the opposite. That was Guohua.

She loved everyone dearly, even ones she disagreed with. She was always afraid of offending - as she was using a translator often times - and she felt like maybe she wasn't saying the right words as they should have been said.

I cannot enumerate the number of times she asked me "Marc, can we create this game for members, can we create that feature for members?" as she wanted all of you to have fun and enjoy, at all times. That was Guohua.

She will be missed. Dearly. But she would say that "the show must go on." I just know she would.

I reached out to Mr G and he sends everyone his regards. And he thanks everyone for the support through this tough time.

R.I.P Mrs G.

Marc.