A Story About A Tree is a short essay and an epitaph written by Raph Koster, regarding the "death" of a LegendMUD player named Karyn . The essay raises the subject of inter-human relationships in virtual worlds, particularly the loss of friends, concluding that these are not just games. The case, having caused a massive uproar in the MUD's community, is used as a paradigm to the human ability to grieve about the loss of imaginary people as well as the aspect of death in internet-based friendships. It has been later proven that the real person, Karyn's avatar claimed to be, never existed.