Strange question but...is anyone here impersonating me?

[Vephriel]

I literally have no idea how to phrase this, and I hate making a topic but I'm not sure how else to find them?

Today I stumbled upon someone who's taken Vephriel and seemingly made her their "original WoW character", and while it's puzzling to me, I'd really just like to know who is doing it and why?

I only found out because I tried to start a tumblr blog today only to discover the url 'vephriel' was already taken, and from there I discovered a player on Argent Dawn EU who seems to have made a clone of Veph (including my pets), and also apparently roleplays her (I found an RP profile on a AD site).

I'm positive it's someone from the community here as no one else would know about Veph, or Skorn, or her pets. If you want to approach me privately that's fine, I won't make it public, I'm just...I'm a little unnerved. At first the url thing was amusing, if a bit startling, but when I found everything else I'll admit it started to weird me out a bit.

While it's flattering that someone apparently finds Veph interesting enough to copy (even though there's pretty much no character info about her, I don't roleplay her, I haven't fleshed her out really outside of my own head), I don't see the reason for this when you have limitless character possibilities in this game.

I'm sorry, this is such a weird topic to bring up and you can feel free to ignore it, I'm just unsettled and would like for this person to stop impersonating me, if they'll come forward at all.

[cowmuflage]

Hell if I found out someone was coping Cow like that I'd make a topic too! But my toons name is pretty dang common

Yeah this is kind of odd XD It's not me tho you have my word! You are cool and all but I would not copy you tho!

[Castile]

Silly question but is your character based on something else and its a stupidly weird coincidence (the pets being the same is still really weird...)??

Else you may have an admirer or a stalker :S Gosh I hope you find out (and that its all innocent)....

[Vephriel]

Nope, Vephriel was a name I came up with back in BC, and she's always been more or less an in-game personification of myself I suppose. She's just my main character with no ties outside of World of Warcraft.

Which is why I'm so perplexed by this whole thing, I'm not sure what merit there is in taking my identity, but I have to admit I don't really appreciate her being stolen and given all these false traits according to whoever the impersonator is.

I realize this puts them on the spot and I'll likely never hear from the person, but I'd really rather not have my character roleplayed and treated like someone else's creative property. I don't believe there was any malicious intent behind this whole thing, but I can't say I'm comfortable with it either, especially after finding the Roleplaying profile.

[Castile]

Wow i looked it...that photo looks alot like you CREEPY!

Your new page looks nice though I've never tried tumblr before but I think ill give it a go now...unless there some random Castile out there eep!

[Vephriel]

Yeah, I know it's not a coincidence as they're using artwork on both the blog and RP page that looks like my Veph.

This isn't the first time something like this has happened, there's a Vephriel clone on Jubei'thos and Terokkar, but both of those seem to have been inactive for a while. Again, it's flattering that people seem to like my main enough to imitate her, I just can't wrap my head around why. There's nothing special about her, she's just my main. The name thing I don't really care about, it's not like I have a copyright on it if others like the sound of it. I know at first I was the only Vephriel character on the armory but now on both US and EU realms there's quite a few, though most are below level 10 and the rest aren't blood elves. It's the ones that copy my character's appearance down to a T that confuse me.

I guess this new one is just itching at me because they've completely taken my character and are passing her off as their own including in-game, the blog, the RP page, and even a deviantart account.

I'm just a little frustrated.

I know in essence a blood elf can't exactly belong to anyone aside from Blizzard, but Veph has been my main for 7 years. She means a lot to me and I basically think of her as my own character, so it hurts a bit to have her plagiarized like this.

[cowmuflage]

Why a DA account? O.o

Also "raised by Devilsuars" *snort* Wut?

[Vephriel]

*shrug* I wish I could say, Cow. I have no idea what the purpose is behind any of this, just that this person apparently liked Veph enough to run with the idea and try to make it their own.

I am very sorry if any of my posts here sound melodramatic or petty. I keep trying to tell myself it's not a big deal, but I can't help being affected and I've had nothing to do but think about this all day at work so it's been stewing and I'm no closer to finding out who is doing this or why, and I probably never will unless they approach me.

This is the only place I can really even begin to ask or search for answers because it's the only place someone would have found my character at all.

[cowmuflage]

No you don't sound petty at all. Perfectly understandable to wonder wth is going on. I mean I'd do the same!

I do hope it's not a evil version of you with a Evil Spock Goatie and stuff!

[Myrrmi]

Just one word.
Creepy.
Like Hell.

[Malackai]

I think this is pretty creepy imo

[Wain]

Single White (Blood Elf) Female levels of creepy :/

[GormanGhaste]

I guess I've always had a strongly developed sense of self. I don't understand what anyone would get out of impersonating someone else. It just seems sad to me.

[Lisaara]

This isn't petty. This is downright creepy. If I ever found out someone stole Kanagosa or Jetfyre or even Sango from me, I'd be flipping tables! D:

[Kööna]

The same happened to me a bunch of months ago...
I discovered someone copied my name, used a NE female, with the same transmog, same pets, same everything...I got scared.

[Qinni]

You guys must be experts of the internet because I can't find anything you guys are talking about. XC

[Vephriel]

Well, it started with the tumblr url that had already been taken by someone.
From there I found the character's armory and a RP profile for that realm. The artwork used is titled "Vephriel Sunbane my wow OC" and can be linked to this Deviantart profile.

I don't think the DA account is active, but the armory shows pretty recent activity.

A very kind person offered to keep an eye out if they see them online over on the EU side, I just want to pass on the message that I'd like to talk to them and figure out why they're doing this, but I'm not holding my breath.

Anyways, thanks everyone for the support. I was a bit shaken up last night after all of this had been discovered and I just didn't know what to do.

[Wain]

Did I see something that listed what RP guild they're in? You might consider dropping a line to their GM, explaining the situation and pointing them to here. They may be understanding and take steps.

[Castile]

The same happened to me a bunch of months ago...
I discovered someone copied my name, used a NE female, with the same transmog, same pets, same everything...I got scared.

Wow so this isnt even a once off thing then! They say immitation is the most sincre form of flattery but it really does creep me out....did you ever confront that person Koona?

[Lisaara]

*hugs Veph* If that person ever goes to US, lemme know. I'll keep my eyes peeled for her.