TALES from the DESERT

As BLACK DESERT ONLINE celebrates its tenth anniversary, we speak to the community about its adventures in Pearl Abyss' MMO

- Rick Lane

Beynac-et-Cazenac is a medieval village wrapped around a limestone cliff in the south-east of France's Dordogne valley. Perched atop the cliff-face is the Château de Beynac, an imposing fortress built by the barons of Beynac in the 12th century, featured in films such as Ridley Scott's The Last Duel.

Beneath the castle, the surrounding village hugs the hillside tightly, its narrow buildings connected by twisting streets so steep they threaten to tip you into the river 300 metres below.

Here, hundreds of Black Desert players have gathered to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the popular Korean MMO. Beynac is the inspiration for Black Desert's in-game city of Heidel, and as such makes an ideal venue for the occasion. For one cloudy Saturday in summer, reality and fiction collide. The castle is adorned with Black Desert banners, while the village's precipitous streets have been temporarily redubbed 'the adventurer's path'.

It's on this path where I spend much of the day, speaking to the players, guildmasters, streamers and cosplayers about their experiences in Black Desert. Across the day, I hear stories of epic wars, murderous outlaws, record breakers, virtual meet-cutes, and a small dog who became the symbol of a nation.

THE COSPLAYERS (AND BOYFRIENDS)

The day starts, somewhat unceremoniously, in a car park at the foot of Beynac. As everyone signs in for the event, I spot two reserved-looking guys sat on a wall near the riverbank, away from the larger crowd, and went over to chat. They introduced themselves as Lotus and Setheal.