10 Touching Tributes Hidden In Video Games
7. The Tomb Of Lord Brinne - Might And Magic VIII
Bill Iburg, also known by his internet alias, Lord Brinne, was an avid fan of video games and an active member of multiple online gaming communities. His unexpected death in 1999 sent shockwaves throughout the video game industry, and several companies decided to honor his memory in some way.
Bill's name appears in Morrowind, Deus Ex, and Ultima IX, but the title that immortalized Bill in the most creative way had to be Might and Magic VIII.
The game features a special dungeon called the Tomb of Lord Brinne. The tomb contains a large sarcophagus guarded by a group of dark elves named after members of the Guild of the Wooden Flute, an internet community of Might and Magic fans that Bill was a part of. The guild's name is a reference to a useless item from Might and Magic VI, the wooden flute, that the player can actually find inside Lord Brinne's sarcophagus.
The best part about this tribute is that it actually turns the wooden flute into an important item. In reference to the hoax stories Bill and his guild friends made about the flute, the item itself is necessary to unlock a specific secret location in the game.