In Memory of Belghast, the One True Aggronaut
Posted on July 4, 2026 by Aywren
Last night, I learned that we lost Belghast, a truly special individual and a pillar of the gaming/MMO community. His blog, Tales of the Aggronaut, has stood tall since April 2009 (based on blog archives), and his tenacity at blogging and podcasting in the gaming realm is legendary.
Note: While Bel’s blog is still active as of writing this, the sad reality is I’m not sure of the blog’s status going forward. Therefore, all links I use in this post will point back to hist blog through the Internet Archive.
I will likely always remember where I was when I heard of his passing – sitting in a hotel room, where I’m currently out of town, helping Syn move her life to somewhere new. I was browsing socials before going to bed – something I almost didn’t do because we got back to the hotel quite late last night – but reading one post turned to another as I had to check and double check that what I read was true.
The news spread quickly across the multitude of folks, including a post to honor him on MassivelyOP.
A Look Back
Bel was not only a gamer, podcaster, and blogger with an impressive track record, but he also hosted the community celebration of blogging, Blaugust, along with the Blaugust Discord, which survives him. The mentors who remain in this Discord are already making plans on forging ahead with hosting Blaugust for 2026 and maintaining the Discord in his memory.
I don’t want to get too much into Bel’s real life, though he has been extremely open about the monumental challenges he’s braved over the past year. In July of last year, he tragically lost his wife. Having lost a close family member only a few years ago, I remember offering support in terms of comments on his posts as he worked through the grief process.
Then, in January, he posted about his apprehension in facing a colonoscopy. This was also a process I recently went through, so I offered my support and encouragement once again in the comments of his blog.
Little did anyone know, this process would uncover a frightening reality of cancer for Bel. Again, I cheered him on in the comments, and read through many of his posts as he detailed his experiences through chemo. Though I don’t know further details, this was shared on Mastodon.
Bel was an extremely strong person who strove to overcome these incredibly difficult struggles, one after another. I was always so impressed with the grace, honesty, and openness he presented in sharing these experiences on his blog. This was so in character for him, and he remains an inspiration to anyone following his story, especially due to his steadfast courage and welcoming care for others.
Warm Memories
I’ve known Bel for many, many years. We weren’t super close – I wish I had spent more time chatting – but I did consider him a mentor and solid net friend. We had a few one-on-one chat conversations for various reasons on Discord, but as outgoing as Bel was, I did my best to respect his privacy - we’re alike in that way, and I know how it feels to need to take a step back from community from time to time.
Despite that, Bel welcomed me as a Mentor to the Blaugust Discord community with a glowing comment that I hope he would not mind me sharing here.
I’ve also been a part of several of Bel’s MMO guilds over the years, including the Greysky Armada FC in FFXIV. I rolled a little alt AuRa in 2015, and actually had the chance to meet Bel’s Lala character back in the day!
Most recently, it was thanks to him that I was introduced to the Gamepad.club Mastodon server, where I have been honored to assist under Belghast – he was co-admin – as a moderator. Like so many people in this community, Bel has served as a bridge to help bring gamers together. It was truly his passion to help people meet and assist friendships flourish, and I know my life was better for him being a part of it.
I admit that I’ve been a little lost in my own IRL trials this year, which has led to me being lax with my blogging. In fact, I’d considered on quietly sitting out Blaugust this year, despite the fact I do have a long list of topics I want to write about.
When I think of Bel, I’m sure he’d want his blogging friends to carry the torch for him. That’s something I’d like to do more of in his memory. Just let me get back home from this trip, so I can organize my posting thoughts.
I will absolutely be participating in Blaugust this year, and hopefully in the years beyond, as the community comes together to keep the event alive.
Links of Interest
Other Tributes
There may be more posts out there I missed or more to come in the future – I searched up the ones I could find – so apologies if yours isn’t listed here!