Divided Loyalties Part 3

As the clouds broke beneath me I could just make out my destination in the distance. Ravenholdt Manor's roof top reflected the evening sunlight. My griffin's wings beat in a laborious rhythm against the prevailing winds. The oppressive weight of the gemstones I was to deliver to Wrathion seemed as much a physical burden to my mount as they were a mental agony to me.  Seldom had I so anticipated the completion of a contracted as I did this one. With a stumbling lurch the poor beast landed in the well guarded courtyard. Once my identity was confirmed by one of the guards, I swiftly removed the heavy saddlebags. With a pat and a word of praise for a job well done I turned on my heel and I headed into the manor.

Wrathion and Fahrad seemed not to have moved much since my last visit.  Positioned at either end of a large table covered with maps and dispatches they were consumed with their quest to discover every last member of the Black Dragonflight. My rude deposit of the saddle bags into the middle of their contemplation gained me their rapid attention.

"Ah! Do you see how they shimmer?" Wrathion asked after dumping some of the shadowy gemstones out into his hand. "Many fine gems sparkle in the light, but only these seem to sparkle with darkness." The look on the boy's face didn't seemed more thoughtful than entranced. "I'll preform an enchantment on these while your on your next mission." So Kaitou had been correct in his assessment, Wrathion was going to do something to those gemstones or at least turn them to his purpose. "Are you ready? The gems you collected will be able to augment the power of the weapons I gave you, but I require another ingredient. It will come from your next target."

A snort from Fahrad drew both of our attention. "We've located her here, in the caverns beneath Karazhan." Pointing at the top most map in the middle of the table Fahrad continued. "Fearful for her life, she is researching arcane secrets buried beneath the foundation."

Wrathion then took up the narrative. "Her name is 'Nalice'." I gave a start of  recognition and then Wrathion confirmed my suspicions. "And until recently she stood at Wyrmrest Temple as a representative of the Black Dragonflight." But just before the Cataclysm she had disappeared, no one had known why. Then the destruction of the Sanctums...the death of Korialstrasz and all the hatchings. "Now? She's on the run." This I hadn't suspected. A target I KNEW, my mind raced with the possibilities. Fahrad's voice drew my attention back.

"She's surrounded herself with a small army of deranged dragon cultist." Fahrad continued with his debriefing. "They may not be right in the head, but they're well-armed. And dangerous." With a shrug Fahrad rolled up the map and reconnaissance notes before handing them over to me.  I could tell nothing from his expression how he felt though his tone as he discussed Nalice was both dismissive and mocking.

Wrathion once more took control of the conversation. "Your primary mission is to destroy her, but if you can bring me back a vial of her blood, I'll be able to use it to augment the power of the daggers I've given you.  Your accomplice Zazzo has already been dispatched to the scene and awaits you there. He'll have more details." Oh lovely my gnomish babysitter was going to be there to hyperventilate in my ear again. Just what I needed. At least this time I was going somewhere I was familiar.

"I hope to see you back from this mission alive." Wrathion's tone seemed almost a dare. "But if I do not, I want to say I have enjoyed seeing you work. You're a credit to your race." With a wave he dismissed me. "Good luck." I glanced at Fahrad's face but it remained an impassive mask as he observed his prince once more consumed with the gems I had delivered.

The journey to Karazhan was uneventful. I good nights rest in Darkshire's inn before the final leg resulted in me arriving well rested. Zazzo was his spastic best when I arrived and while I was fresh and rested, he was looking a little frazzled.

"Madness. Insanity!" Zazzo jumped up and down with agitation. "I don't know what Nalice is doing down there, but the entire basement radiates with diabolical arcane energy. She's got an entire cult worshiping her as a goddess."  Wring his hands the gnome mage gestured to the greatly altered Karazhan landscape. The ghosts of the past that had previously haunted Karazhan had been exorcised and now its streets were filled with Dragonkin and cultists. However as Fahrad had insinuated they were not very bright.  Patrols only graced the center streets and buildings. Like a fly buzzing my ear Zazzo's voice penetrated my mussing once more. "If we're going to take her out, we have to do it soon. I hope your ready for this."

I simply nodded before slipping into the shadow. Nalice's henchmen were nothing compared to Creed's Worgen. They were preoccupied with the some strange devices which seemed to be collecting the stray arcane energy that surrounded Karazhan. Even better I KNEW this place, had walked its shattered pathways many times before. It was a breeze to slip along the outskirts of the village and around to the cellar's entrance.  The only true start I had was when one of Karazhan's former residents decided to make an appearance, however she seemed to feel that I was not worth her notice, merely drifting on after staring at me for a few moments.

Nalice herself was holed up in the deepest part of what had once been the Master's Cellar, the extended storage catacombs beneath the keep.  The particular area she was using actually contained a a well I knew the Violet Eye had noted for its arcane energy. So consumed was she with her arcane studies she didn't even notice me until I garroted her human throat.

"An Assassin! Did the little whelpling send you after me? Come rogue. Let's dance."  Eyes blazing Nalice went after me with everything she had, and as a dragon her her skills were immense. "I've got some secretes of my own, rogue." She taunted as she suddenly became invulnerable to my attacks putting a shield around herself and throwing arcane landmines across the floor. However it was simple to see that these generated not from herself but from devices she had manufactured, not unlike the ones her cultists had been working on. Quickly disenageing them made her vulnerable once more. "I...I need more time!"

Nalice's eyes darted around the room seeking assistance but her lackeys were far away, she like many others of her kind preferred to plan alone and it would be her undoing.  Wounds riddled both of our bodies but it was clear that Nalice was in worse condition than I.  "This isn't how it ends. Not for me. I'm a survivor." I almost felt pity for her. She was right. She had been survivor. She was running from her own flight, from the rest of the dragons, but what kind of life would she have had? Hiding out in the cellars of Karazhan? Pretending to be a goddess? Madness was only a breath away, ending her life was a mercy. With a final thrust my dagger hit home.  With a shutter I felt Nalice's life begin to slip away. With a shimmer she lost control over her human form, I leapt back not to be crushed by her draconic weight. "You cling to a shattered world..." she groaned "Your time comes....Soon enough..."

It took me a moment to locate a vial to gather some of the pooling blood.  It seemed that no sooner was it in my possession and corked than I felt Zazzo's presence once more."Nalice. Dead?" I gave a tired affirmative then felt the pull of a arcane teleport.

"You did it? She's dead? Unbelievable! You're some kind of miracle worker!" Zazzo seemed to leap around me as I collapsed on the ground before him. His superfluous praise making me a tad uncomfortable. I was just doing my job. "Here, give me that blood. I can perserve its energies in an arcane matrix for your trip back." Gingerly handing him the vial of blood, the mute testament to my accomplishment I watched with bemusement as he waved his hands around muttering over it.

Once he finishes he hands it back to me as if the vial contains something toxic. "Done! You'll want to get this back to Wrathion as soon as possible, along with those two daggers of yours." Wiping his hands together he continued. "I don't know what he plans to do with this stuff." Zazzo adds with a shrug.  "Between you and me, sometimes that little dragon kid creeps me out. Good Luck!" His duty to me completed Zazzo gave a relieved sigh then ported himself out of there.

By this time I had recovered enough to drag my own sorry carcass up and make my way back to Ravenholdt. Fahrad and Wrathion still circle their table, contemplating their next target, however at my entrance they both look up.

"Ah, you've returned! I no longer sense Nalice's presence. Is she dead? Or has she somehow eluded us both?" Wrathion watched me with glittering eyes as I pulled out the vial of blood and listens intently as I give them both a brief discribtion of what transpired in Karazhan's cellar. "Incredible! Few assassins would be clever enough to infiltrate Nalice's wards and use her own magic against her." Wrathion crowed his face wreathed in smiles.

"She allowed herself to be defeated." Fahrad interrupted bitterly. "The others will not be so weak."

"Perhaps." Wrathion conceded. "For that reason, we will need to gather more supplies....But first." Wrathion motions for me to hand him the vial of blood and my daggers, his face is a mask of equal parts reverence and revulsion.  Part of the blood he pours into a rune covered bowl that Fahrad hands him into which he drops the gems I collected one-by-one, muttering an incantation. The bowl fares with smoke and light. Then Wrathion reaches in removing the gems which he then places at equal intervals along the daggers.  Without warning he takes the remaining blood and pours it over the blades of the daggers, and the steel seems to writhe and twist as though a living thing. When the smoke clears, the shape of the daggers has changed and now they literally wink at me.

What have I gotten myself into.

To be continued....

Divided Loyalties Part 2

Unreasonable anxiety griped me once again, closing my throat with panic. Grimly I clamped it down, doggedly pushing on. Unconsciously my hand crept up towards my shoulder pouch. When I realized I jerked it back to my side. Time was running out and I needed help fast.

At the end of the small court yard in the central of Old Town sat a stack of crates and two large barrels. I gave the area a quick survey before slipping behind them. Deep in the shadows I could just make out a large grate. With a tug it came up on invisible hinges exposing well worn steps.  Balancing the grate on my shoulder I gave one last scan before descending into the fabled tunnels of Stormwind.  Officially they were created to allow workers to clean and maintain the city's canals and sewer systems. Unofficially they were the underground highway of smuggled goods, information and home to many of the few true native residents in this port city full of immigrants.


Light filtered down through the quartz bricks hidden along the canals, within the planter boxes, and bridges casting murky shadows along the generous walkway of the tunnels. My nostrils are filled with the damp and musty smell of algae and salt rather than sewage and rot.  I give my eyes a moment to adjust to the gloom before heading off once more. Mentally I counted passage and doorways before coming to a stop before a unassuming, yet battered portal. Positioning myself in a beam I tapped a rhythmic pattern on the door, then waited.

I hear rather than see a spy slot open, shortly followed by the sound of a voice cursing, then a bolt sliding away. A hand shoots out, warm fingers grip my icy wrist and I am momentarily thrown off balance as I find myself pulled into the shadowed room. The reenforced door closing with a clang almost on my heels.


"What are you doing here?" Kaitou questioned almost savagely, rapidly taking in my rather altered appearance. "You look like something your cat drag in. How did you find me?" As he peppered me with questions Kaitou pushed me towards a seat and began opening up lanterns about the room. I took the opportunity to inspect his haven. Compact, the room was dry, and scrupulously clean. Packed crates were stacked along the back wall forming stepping cubies leading to a sleeping loft. Each crate was neatly divided by item, cloth, flasks, bundles of leather precariously rolled were stuffed in the bottomed rows, while bags of what appeared to be gem stones and jewel crafting supplies filled those closer to face level. In the middle of the room was a table with two chairs. On the walls hung weapons of various types, daggers, axes, maces and swords, all in excellent repair. To the left was a large square trunk covered with folded stacks of clothing. Beyond that another door which appeared to lead to a small water closet.

Kaitou himself was as usual impeccably dressed. He seemed to have a flare for the dramatic. Oh not that he would stand out if he didn't want to, but rather that he was a firm believer in form AND function. Hence yes, a ruby ear ring to go with his red tipped uniform and each piece pressed, polished, and coordinating to perfection. His hair pulled back with a nonchalance that took time to create and others would never be able to do with quite as much panache. I couldn't help but grin. Kaitou just always made me smile. I on the other hand as he so eloquently stated looked like something my tabby cat had gifted me with.  An eye patch covered a new head wound from my most recent trip to Northrend, my skin was unnaturally pale and the usual injures acquired during prolonged campaigning were not healing as quickly as they had in the past. I didn't think it was just age anymore. That was why I was here to see Kaitou.

"As to how I found you blame Sharky. I pulled rank and favors so he ratted you out."  At Kaitou's thunderous expression I could feel my grin grow. Sharky, a young, up and coming officer had started out as a street rat just like Kaitou, in fact the two were very good friends from those days and it was due to Sharky that Kaitou had come to my attention in the first place. But Sharky had found his calling within the church becoming a priest and gaining new loyalties where Kaitou still walked the solo of code of the streets.  "Kai, Sharky thought you might be my only hope for an answer."

I could see the quickly suppressed surprise. "I need you to look at some gems for me." I pressed on seeing the disbelief.


"Why do you want me to check out gems when you are partnered to a perfectly good jewel smith?" Kaitou questioned motioning me to take a seat at the table disbelief evident in his tone.
 
"I had Therigwin look at them, and give me his opinion. However this is about more than your skill as a crafter Kai." I  observed the younger man through narrowed eyes yet again. I was trusting my instincts in this. I so needed an unbiased opinion, hopefully Kaitou would be able to give it to me.  Reaching into my shoulder pouch I removed a small leather purse, pulled the draw string and pored its contents out onto the table's surface.


"They look like Shadow Crystals." Kaitou commented pulling his Jeweler's Ruby Monocle out and affixing it to his eye before picking up one of the gems for closer inspection. I couldn't help but smile at the fact that even the tools of his trade coordinated with his outfit.

"Yes, they do, but watch this." Getting up I moved about the room once more shielding all the lights. The gems on the table now glittered like stars reflecting on the ocean's surface. I heard Kaitou's hissed breath. Together we relit the room in silence. "So what do you think?" I finally asked.

Kaitou spoke tentatively in response. "Gems and Metals are very different things. Metals are easily altered, mixing in other elements or metals to strengthen it. Gems in general are natural formations, it is how you cut and shape them that you make use of their best qualities. The only thing I have seen that reacted like that in the dark was Saronite, but that was green not purple and a metal." Shrugging he continued. "Why ask me and where did you find them?"

I felt myself shiver at his words, Sharky had been correct with his encouragement in sending me to Kaitou. "Bear with me while I try to explain this ok? You know I'm a scribe right? Well, most scribes are nothing more than really good copiest. A lot of them are artists that can't even read. I on the other hand can read in a number of languages and have a photographic memory which means that once I have read something I never forget it. Alright, now in addition to this I have always been considered somewhat...sensitive? I guess that is the term, to certain types of mind games. Back even before we were working in Karazan there was a shadow priest by the name of Orodrith, a mentor of Sharky, he use to love to play games with me by looking through my eyes whenever I was out scouting. I got to being really hyper aware when people were doing things like that. Then we got to Northrend and encountered the Faceless ones and Yogg-Saron."

I took a deep breath, before continuing. "I noticed something while we were campaigning in Northrend, the more our metal wearers began using the Saronite in their armor and weapons the more reckless and aggressive their behavior became.  At the time we all just thought it was due to the prolonged campaign. I mean we had been in Outland, thought we were coming home only to have to ship out again to go to Northrend. Then I discovered something while transcribing something for the Death Knights and Paladins of the Ashen Verdict. They believed that Saronite was actually created from the pressurized blood of Yogg-Saron."

"Ok, what does this have to do with these gems?" Absently Kaitou was playing with the jewels, running them along his knuckles making them dance, or dropping them through his fingers, seemingly mesmerized by the twinkling darkness of their depths.

"I got each of these in Northrend off of high ranking servants of Deathwing." I saw Kaitou start at the information, his gaze jerking off the gems to my face once more. "They were in caches of no more than seven, usually three to five." Once more I took a deep breath before continuing. "Now I have a question for you. How do they make YOU feel?" I sat back and waited for the answer. I had been watching him as he had absently fondled the gems, but my words had stilled his hands.

"What do you mean?" Kaitou stared at me.

"As you hold them, touch them...What are you thinking, feeling. Do they affect you at all?" I watched him. Praying that he felt it too. That I wasn't going crazy. That it wasn't just to much campaigning and not enough sleep.

"Power." The word seemed dragged out from him. "Your right there is a sense of power about them. I didn't even notice until you asked, it is like a caress on the brain, the stroke of a lover. Sucking you in." His hands jerked away from the gems. "How many of them are there?"

"Three Hundred and Thirty Three." I signed. "That is how many I was contracted to get and the more I collected the more unstable I feel. When I spoke to my spouse about it, he didn't feel it, but then he is also a Blacksmith and worked with so much Saronite while we were in Northrend he wasn't sure what I was asking. He is also a Paladin and the Light is so strong in him that may have something to do with it to." I shrugged " I thought I was going crazy when I talked to Sharky, so he suggested I talk to you. He thought maybe you would be able to give me an unbiased opinion since your tour in Northrend was significantly shorter and he felt you and I were more...alike?" Again I couldn't help but show my own confusion.

"What are they doing to you?" Kaitou asked concern flavoring his words.

"They seem to augment whatever I am feeling." I replied. "If I am anxious it is magnified, confident, I become almost arrogantly so. The only thing that helps is that I'm aware but I feel I am over compensating. My question for you is this, my contract wants these gems supposedly for weapons for me: If I am reacting so negatively to them now, what I am I going to do in the future? Apparently I HAVE to have these weapons to complete my contract." Even I could hear the anxiety in my voice.

Kaitou considered the question, his eyes on the gems glittering across the table top. One arm now pined across his chest, his other hand thoughtfully stroking his bearded chin. "I mentioned that gems are generally natural formations, well Alchemists can also create them, though they use other gems to do it. What you may be dealing with here are Shadow Crystals that came directly from rich Saronite deposits and were then refined either with magic or alchemy. If your contract is who I suspect, one of the immortals they should be able to counter or at least know how to counter anything that is in these gems." Shrugging Kaitou gingerly tucked all the gems back into the leather purse, tying it closed before tossing it into my lap.  "My advice is to get those to your contact as quickly as possible." His expression grim.

"That is my next stop." I stuffed the purse back into my shoulder pouch. "I kept the rest of the gems in the bank to try and reduce the impact. Kai?" I stared at the younger man feeling the rising tension with the return of the gems to my person. "I need you to be my back up in this. You don't have the personal involvement that most of the others in this company have, that is why I came to you. If I become a problem, you need to take me out. Understood?"  The shock was evident. How many others contract their own assassination? It would almost be funny if I wasn't so terrified. I watched Kaitou take it in, then grim faced nod. Where ever this lead, I knew that those I loved would ultimately be safe, even if the danger ended up being me.

To be continued...

Distractions

Yes, I know I have fallen off the face of the earth again. I actually have been working on the next two sections of my legendary quest short story. However a comment made by a guildy (Thanks Kaitou!) had me throwing what I had written all out and reworking it, hopefully they will be posted soon.

I have also gotten my Mist of Panda Beta Invite (which I can now talk about along with every one else). I have to say I am MUCH happier with the look of the female panda than I was the Worgen. I am very hopeful for this expansion in what it will do for Rogues. But it is still early yet. So far so good, warm fuzzies any way (pun intended) the graphics are living up to hype and it reminded me a bit of when I first flew over the hills of Storm Peaks in Northrend to see Ulduar for the first time. I love what they have done with the over all feel of the "kingdom" for want of a better term.

On top of that an unexpected death in the family has had me dealing with a ton of unanticipated estate legal matters.  Thankfully everyone is getting along but a word of advice, I don't care HOW old you are, take the time to collect all your financial, legal, and even social information and update it yearly. Then make sure that you have at least two trust worthy people who know how to access it. Laws change and if you don't touch stuff but every decade it makes a night mare for your loved ones.

More to follow soon.

I Blame Squelchy

After all this IS his fault, and despite what he thinks I DO read...I just had a bug that for some reason kept erasing all my replies...sigh. Anyway, what is his fault this time? Squelchy decided to link me for a Meme originating from Gnomeaggedon.

• Go into your image folder
• Open the sixth sub-folder and choose the sixth image.
• Publish the image! (and a few words wouldn’t hurt, though I dare say I couldn’t stop a blogger from adding a few words of their own).
• Challenge six new bloggers.
• Link to them.

This required me to go digging into my folders and like Squelchy I'm going to use creative license.  Why? Because my sixth folder is my WoW book Cover art folder for blogging...how boring is THAT?  So I just went to my latest screen shot folder and looked at the sixth shot to see what it happened to be.

This is my hunter Kessah. While questing in the Twilight Highlands I came across this little gem of a floating cog and several barrels. Things like this just tickle my funny bone. (Unless it is that Twilight Jasmine I keep trying to pick then it vexes me but that is a whole other situation.) I played around with it for a few minutes trying to land on it etc. before finally taking this screen shot and getting on with my day.

For my list, unfortunately most of the people I followed have either gone inactive or changed focus making this rather difficult. The mournful tune of "Where have all the Rogue Blogs Gone" is playing through my head.

Garona over at PvE Rogues (I know Squelchy already pinged her but oh well.)
Dinaer at Foever a Noob also pinged by Squelchy, maybe if we BOTH do it he will get it? We can dream.
Tocar most likely will not get the ping but I have enjoyed his writings.
Kae may no longer play her rogue but I still keep up with her.

Now...I running on empty. How pathetic is THAT? Everyone else I read has either already DONE the Meme or is SO inactive as to be a complete waste of time, as in over 2 months. I am a loyal reader, it may take me a while but I catch up.  I don't drop people, including Adam from Noisy Rogue who doesn't even PLAY WoW anymore. So there you go. I can only come up with Four rather than six, didn't use the correct folder and basically failed to follow the Meme correctly. I'm a rogue. Deal with it. *Throws down a smoke bomb and vanishes*

Yes, I am a cheap date

So today is Valentine's Day. The day when we are inundated with cards, candy and cheap toys, or maybe that is just if you are a child as that is what is presently covering my dinning room table. The poor Platewearer HATES this holiday because despite the fact that he does wonderful loving things through out the year there is this pressure to preform on this particular day and do so in a spectacular fashion.  Even worse he feels he is suppose to do this completely unaided.  The fact that he had only managed to get me (in his words) "a bunch of flowers" just did not cut it. I thought they were wonderful and was perfectly content with them.

So later he was thrilled to discover something that was just released that he KNEW I would like. I found it in my mail box just before raid.

If this is any indication of the dragons we will see in Mists I am TOTALLY for it. This mount flies, swims and FLIPS (as in a special animation not just manipulation).  What was even funnier? I was not the only guild spouse to receive this particular gift today and we were each THRILLED with the additions to our virtual mount collections. The important thing about this whole silly holiday is to take the time to let your significant other know that you appreciate them in ways that THEY will appreciate. Forget how others tell you that has to be done. For me, I am happy with my flowers and my dragon. If that makes me a cheap date, so be it.

Unsolicited Advice

Legendaries have an interesting effect on on people. Each of those orange items are by design meant to be rare. As a result they can elicit greed, envy, and a multitude of other undesirable vices. When the Rogue only legendaries were announced for Dragon Soul an interesting thing happened. Suddenly everyone and their cousin was dusting off their long ignored or neglected Rogue alt and attempting to get them into Dragon Soul to start the quest.

The vast majority I spoke with knew little to nothing about what the actual quest entailed, only that they could get "a pair of daggers".  About half gave up after no more than hearing they would have to pay 10k as well as solo bosses with 200 and 300k health respectively. I don't know WHY they thought since these were for "rogues" only it would suddenly translate into "cheap". We may use Cheap Shot but come on guys really? The first part really isn't to bad and for someone with a rogue alt, if they actually wanted to invest SOME work, you could get Fear and Vengeance with a minimum of fuss.

However just because you have the first set of quest daggers doesn't mean that they will be the best items for you to use.  It all depends on what spec you are running and what you are doing. Our community has been especially blessed over the years with the spreadsheets we have had at our disposal. Thus allowing us to know precisely what we should do to get the optimal dps from our characters. Thus comes my little rant.

Each week our guild goes into LFR as kinda a break. A chance to gear up alts, spend time together as both raid teams and just RELAX in a larger raid setting. Frankly when we are doing 10 mans, while it is FUN, you have to focus, etc.  This last session we headed in and as happens from time to time had a rather loud individual join us as one of the other LFR members. Now this member was NOT a Rogue, nor did he play one as his main. He was a healer. I WAS the Top of the dps meter at the time when we had this conversation as well. But he decided to inform me that "my weapons were wrong".

Now I am always willing to listen, you never know when you might learn something helpful. So I said "Oh really?" He then proceeded to tell me how I should be using BOTH daggers as Combat because of the proc on Fear and Vengence.  I responded with "according to my spreadsheet I lose about 300 dps using Fear over No'Kaled, the Elements of Death" my current main hand. (Now granted I couldn't remember the specific numbers of the dps difference at the time but I knew it was over 300 dps the last time I checked.) He then proceeded to lecture me the DURATION of the raid about how I was wrong and didn't know what I was talking about. After determining that this individual did not play a rogue as his main, nor was he familiar with Shadowcraft or Elitistjerks I then proceeded to no longer respond. I just didn't see the point.

Unsolicited advice has its place. If I see a rogue struggling I will check to see if they are using the correct poisons, gems, etc. However there is a correct way to give it and opening up with "You are doing such and such Wrong" is generally not the best. Try instead "Why are you..." For example "Why are you tanking in your Chief's hat?" The response can range (at least in our guild) from "Opps! Forgot to change after making feasts!" to "Because we are going to Taste the Rainbow tonight and I wanted to be prepared!" People are generally more willing to listen to what you have to say when you start with a question and invite conversation rather than an attack.  This is even more so when you are on a character of another class, say an alt.

Know Your Rogue Lore: Asira Dawnslayer

The reasons individuals become involved with the Twilight's Hammer are numerous. Archbishop Benedictus turned his back on the Light and become the Twilight Father out of despair after seeing Deathwing's face. Others just like the idea of anarchy and chaos. While still more are drawn to the idea of power or death.

Asira Sunbright would have been your average blood elf blade-for-hire, winning some small acclaim in the gladiatorial ring if Cho'gall had not taken notice of her.  At first when approached for some small jobs she was hesitant. The Twilight's Hammer didn't have the best reputation as employers. Not that they weren't generous, or their tasks challenging. It was just that they their handlers tended to be rather unstable.  Eventually greed over came her miss givings.

Eventually Asira's close and continued association to the corrosive influence of the Twilight's Hammer began to impact her personally.  The jobs became less about the money and more about the thrill, the challenge, the death itself.  The transformation from hired hand to fully committed member came when she chose to change her name to "Dawnslayer".  A major step in elf society, signalling something essence altering had occurred within an individual's life, making their previous exsistence "dead".

By this time she had become an assassin of note within the Cult, frequently gaining both the highest fees as well as the most sensitive assignments.  When we first encounter her or even learn of her existence it is because she has been given the task of eliminating Thrall and retrieving the Dragon Soul as he makes his way across Dragonblight during his journey to Wrymrest Temple. Time is rapidly running out for the Twilight's Hammer and it is interesting that only now do they think to send a rogue in to do what rogues are best at, take out a single target and snatch up an item. It only goes to show how mad these guys are.

Sadly, Asira chooses to confront Thrall and his escort out in the open and from the front, never a rogue's strongest position. In addition she is out numbered six to one. Perhaps all of her time spent in the Twilight's Hammers company has instilled a false sense of superiority, or she has just gotten cocky on her past success. About they only ones she manages to irritate are the casters as she puts her tools to use tossing her version of smoke bomb and has still been able to maintain the ability to silence with a thrown knife. Yet she never uses the major tool of rogues....stealth. As a result her career ends at the hands of Thrall and his companions far from her birthplace at Silvermoon.

For those of you who may be interested in replicating her look for transmogrification purposes.  She is using a pair of Uhn'agh Fash, the Darkest Betrayal off of  Cho'gall in Bastion of Twilight.  Her helmet is the Deadly Gladiator's Leather Helm and the rest is a recolored Ruthless Gladiator's set, however her boots seem to be the plate version not leather.  Her cloak come from completing the quest in Ulduar "All Is Well that Ends Well" and delivering the Reply-code Alpha to Rhonin in Dalaran.

Old Servers and "New Players"

For as long as I have played World of Warcraft I have stayed primarily on one server. Lets be frank here, my server is OLD, it was one of the second set of servers released and over the years has reached max population several times. In an attempt to keep things from stagnating Blizzard has used several techniques to mix things up. Offering free realm transfers OFF the server was a popular one for quite a while. There was even a time when they threatened to dissolve the server entirely and send everyone to two entirely new servers unless we got the population down.  They finally have managed to get enough old players to leave try a new tactic.

This past patch our server became open to "New Players" with hysterical results. Apparently to a great many people "New Player" servers means "New Server". So with out doing any research before hand a couple of guilds decide to server transfer. Their intention was to come to this "New Server" and gather up all the "Server Firsts".  Now progression on our server has juggled around over the years with the top guilds sliding around from first, second or third place. The players IN those guilds all tend to be the same, it just may be the guilds themselves that change. Needless to say these new guilds were met with mockery.

When Blizzard opened up the server to new players the effect on some of these old guilds was rather interesting. One decided to transfer off. Another closed up shop, stating they were all going to go play SWTOR. A couple of the others are attempting to pick up the pieces. Over all it feels like a ship that is sinking and the rats are fleeing.  Activity on the server forums is almost nil, the vast majority being farewells rather than recruitment's. The general feeling seems to be that if the server is marked as "New Player" then there is no way anyone will be able to find quality recruits with out having to expend a tremendous amount of effort. Effort few feel they should have to put forth this late in a game.

Old servers have some advantages. All the content is already available to you. Sunwell, AQ, etc. However few people really care about that unless they are after transmogrification gear, mounts or reputations. There also seems to be a whole lot more level 25 guilds on our server. Yet it is like having a bunch of toddlers show up at a retirement home. Some find the little ones amusing while others just want them to get off their lawn and stop making so much noise!

We have considered server transferring as a guild. The reason had more to do with our connection than anything else.  The vast majority of our members are located on the east coast or mid west so getting a server there would be helpful. The problem is that the guild has just grown so large no one feels comfortable forcing a transfer. That and the expense. Numerous of our members have five or more alts so unless Blizzard offered free transfers there is really no way they could stay.  So for the moment we are stuck bailing water and attempting to plug the holes.

Divided Loyalties

Jobs for immortals are seldom favorites. Things just seem to get complicated. It was so simple at the on set and something I'd enjoy doing anyway, snatch a decoder ring from a pocket? Child's play! Leave it to dragons to underestimate their opponents or to fail to understand the allegiances of their hirelings.  Who knew my loyalties would so quickly come under question? Not by the individuals who originally hired me but by myself? 

The cipher I was given to decode was of a type I had never seen before as a scribe, but that wasn't really a problem. One thing I had discovered over the years was to build contacts and the Ethereal's would do just about anything for the right price. Thankfully a group had recently set up shop near the canals in Stormwind, saving me the cost of a trip to Outland.  I just needed to patiently await a translation, considering the condition of the sample wasn't the greatest. Not a surprise since dragons tend to roast first, ask questions later.

I admit I wasn't shocked to see Ravenholdt's name. The manor was once the home of a certain Lord Daval Prestor so ties with the Black Dragon flight were nothing new.  The question was who had brokered this deal, my uncle Jorach? He had grown rather reclusive.  Or was my cousin Fahrad finally stepping up and taking a more active role?  It had been a long time since I had made a trip back to my birth place, and this certainly was not the way I expected to do it. What I found interesting was the fact that the Red Dragon flight seemed completely oblivious to the ties the Blacks have to humans...were they blind? However if they weren't asking I wasn't going to volunteer information.

My traveling companion did not help matters. Why employ me to do a job and then dictate how I do it?  Even worse to stand there and insult your employee TO THEIR FACE! Thieves? Bandits?  I am a professional Thank you very much! Your Allies could have told you that Ravenholdt was more than a simple motley band hiding in Hillsbrad if you'd lowered yourselves to ask. The very fact that they spirited away your precious egg should have displayed that to you. But no, rather than ASK anyone you bumble around make grand announcements about torching places. We petty "short lifers" know more about your precious egg than you realize.

What self respecting rogue enters from the FRONT? Even the Tauren Chieftains know we do everything "from behind"! My irritation was making it difficult to concentrate. If it had been left to me I would have entered the Manor via the narrow ravine between the Hinterlands and Hillsbrad rather than attempt to go in via the well guarded front tunnel. However Mostrasz made it clear he was "guiding" this show...what did he know about how to do my job? Nothing it would soon transpire.

As soon as I entered my former bedroom dormer it was clear things were not going to go as Mostrasz planed. The smell of sulfur permeated the air. Now while Zan's engineering projects occasionally backfired and caused smoke, he worked in the basement for a reason. To keep his smells contained. The only way for the entire manor to reek like it did was if one of two things had occurred: the egg either had been destroyed or hatched. Dragon eggs are not like bird eggs, when they hatch they explode, jettisoning fire every where. That would mean for safety sake the egg would have to have been housed in Zan's steel and stone workshop.

Slipping down the stairs revealed a quiet and orderly interior. Members of the household were still very much on guard which lead me to the conclusion there must be something they felt they had to protect. It was nothing to time a silent drop to the cellar stairs, Mostrasz mutters buzzing in my head, there my suspicions were confirmed. The egg remnants were scatters across the floor, it had indeed hatched, but where was its former occupant?

That question was quickly answered by Prince Wrathion himself, with a style is uniquely his. Yes, he certainly is a Black Dragon, yet he reminds me a little of the Tolvar. I was shocked to discover rather than a welpling he was closer to the size of Prince Anduin. The kid payed attention while in that egg of his. He knows what is at stake both for the world and for him personally but refuses to be nothing more than a dagger in another's hand. HE will control his fate, if he is to be his father's heir then he will take up the reins NOW.  Rather a different approach than that of another Prince I know.

I admit I was rather pleased with Fahrad's dealing with Mostrasz...for a dragon he was arrogant and whiny...a strange combination.  But then there are are not a great many dragons I have actually liked truth be told. Respected yes, as powerful beings, but actually LIKED on a personal level? Not so much. Prince Wrathion may end up one of the few. The kid has something...Guts for sure. He certainly has won over Fahrad, though I am sure the idea of being able to do something besides hanging around the manor keeping up the business for my Uncle doesn't hurt.

The problem with Dragons, Black dragons especially is that they can be so blasted CHARMING....and this one is a KID. It is like some kind of hard luck story come to life, certainly the type to grab a rogue's attention. Jobs like this make my fingers itch. An employer who offers you a job that is a true CHALLENGE? One that respects your skills enough to not dictate HOW you should achieve the goal only that you do? Oh yum...Even better when he rewards you with things you can actually USE, rather than junk.  Sure he gave me a trigger happy baby sitter but hey, I can live with that.

Kaitou gave me a rather knowing look when I asked him if he had any updated maps of Gilneas.  The two of us were soon talking routes with him favoring a land assault and I preferring heading in via the water.  The information we had on Creed was sketchy at best. I could only hope Wrathion's man Zazzo had more updated reconnaissance.

Zazzo was about what I expected from a gnome mage. High strung, timid and not overly fond of rogues....however when he blithely informed me that I was the 12th assassin sent to take out Creed I was also sure that he has issues with counting, by this time I am sure the number is MUCH higher.

Gilneas was miserable. Overcast, rainy, with a pervading gloom. One would think I would love all the cover but this was a city of "dogs" and I don't mean the Worgen. Even before the curse the Gilnean's were know for their Mastiff hunters and I have seen how since the curse their sensitivity had become heightened.  Slipping into this highly patrolled ruin would not be easy. After doing a little bit of scouting I decide on the water route, swimming in along the docks, then slipping up the stairs, jumping down into the canal, before making my way across the inner courtyard to a tower close to Creed. There I stopped to dry off, eat and observe my target.

The court yard where Creed was presiding still bore evidence of Gilneas' internal struggles. Stocks, guillotines, hitching posts as well as decaying corpses litter the area. In my mind's eye I made a mental map of each obstacle, each obstruction, it could mean the difference between failure and success. My preference is always for as quick a kill as possible.

Fighting immortals one on one is always a challenge. Partially because death is a foreign concept to them. Even as their last breath passes from their lips they can not conceive it is truly happening.  For those of us to whom death is a constant companion, the dance for one more breath pushes us to focus, lest our short lives end even sooner.  The advantage Immortals have is they have the opportunity to learn a great deal more than I could ever hope to in my short life span. The only true advantage I have is that most often they are so arrogant in their immortality they give me openings I could never dare. So it proved with Creed, while he might have been a dragon, he still fell to two good old fashion blades.

I had to laugh to myself at Fahrad's comment on my success. What rogue ANNOUNCES their attack? I might be married to a Paladin but I don't fight like one. Of course I took Creed unawares...that is what we DO.  My guess is that Fahrad would have preferred to have been allowed to go after Creed himself, rather than staying locked down at the Manor protecting Wrathion. My poor cousin, your circumstances have little altered. Once more you must watch me ride away from a place that is no longer my home while you remain chained there by your own choices.

To be continued...

When lore isn't covered in game.

I have made no bones about my love of reading. It has gotten to the point that the Platewarer has decided I need a Kindle. The hope is that it will some how limit the number of physical books that enter our home so we can get rid of a few of the book cases...he is rather optimistic in my opinion.  That being the case it never fails to shock me how LITTLE reading goes on within the Wow community.  This past week when the Hour of Twilight patch dropped I was provided with endless hours of entertainment by nothing more than fellow players who had no clue what was going on because they could not be bothered to read any of the information provided OUTSIDE of the immediate game.

Here are some examples, all of which are completely serious and true. One individual could not understand why Blizzard named the patch in honor of the Twilight movies, that was "just taking the whole Pop Culture thing to far".  Another told us all that at the end of the Raid Thrall was going to turn into the new Aspect of Earth because "secretly he had always wanted to be a dragon".  Finally we have the individual who must be related to Wowcendor's Gogo guy, because he just couldn't understand why all the rogues in his raid wanted the chance to reset Hagara rather than just killing her outright. "It is all about the loot right?"

As one of my guild mates stated "I don't even read the quests, you expect me to read a short story to know what is going on?"  Short stories, patch notes, novels, Magna, even cinematics, Blizzard has come up with a plethora of ways to extend their story lines and expand their character development. However the vast majority of them happen outside of the game itself. What this means is that the majority of players really don't know what is going or why. Even when things happen IN game, it doesn't necessarily help.

Take Thrall's personal motivations. Patch 4.2 started out with an extensive quest chain that did nothing more than look at Thrall's deepest desires. There is a belief that the most excruciating torture a person could ever endure is to have their deepest secrets expose to the world and that is what Thrall had happen. Yet the vast majority TOTALLY missed the significance of that.  In the words of our friend the "GOgo guy" it was "all about the loot" and the rush to the end. Thrall's personal desire for peace, a family, a NORMAL life were lost as individual players imposed THEIR interpretation of his ambitions on to him.  This frequently obliterates the actual story Blizzard is attempting to create.

Varian, Gorrosh, and  Sylvanas are others that have under gone major lore changes outside of the game or at the very least have had the changes in their attitudes explained. Not to mention the alterations to the world itself in the precursor to the Cataclysm. Next year we will have Christie Golden's Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War Novel which will explain all about the destruction of Theramore and the discovery of Pandaria, something that has already been hinted at again outside the game in Charge of the Aspects by Matt Burns, Blizzards most recent official short story.

So does this really impact the average persons enjoyment of the game? That is open to discussion. Those of us who want to know will take the time to look for the actual information and I truly believe benefit from it. Our friend the Gogo guy, couldn't care less. Blizzard could name the final boss of the Mist of Pandaria "George the Bounce" and he wouldn't even notice unless said boss fails to drop his Tier helm. Now this isn't to say that there would not be a general out cry all over the forums, oh no, trolls spew forth much venom all the time. As to the knowledge it is based on being real or imaged? That is open to debate. 

Blizzard has done what they can to at least get the information out there. Sometimes I wish all of it WAS found at least SOMEWHERE in the game. Something like expanding on the Higher Learning and Well Read Achievements with a "Modern History" or "Post Cataclysm Writings" that has books that gave a brief over view of what all had happened for those who may not have gone back and done the new quests or read the outside of game materials. Oh well, not everyone can be a bibliophile.

Digging in the Closet

Well the patch is here and with it the long anticipated transmogrification. I actually started digging through my vast collection of past gear sets a while ago. As the best laid plans of mice and men have a tendency to go awry so have my grand intentions.  Thanksgiving Day the Platewearer decided to sneak onto my blog and discovered I had over 15 partially competed posts. Between that and the gentle chiding of my guild mates I managed to get back to it and get at least THIS one finished for today.

I always knew which tier set I would be using as my primary transmog set. Tier 9. Or as the Platewearer refers to it, my "Dominatrix set". For some strange reason this is a guild favorite on Daraia, though I always wore the Wound Dressing with it.  My daggers are no issue either as I still have my Dirk of the Night Watch and Steel Bladebreaker, both of which I have always loved the looks of. I think my fondness of this particular set has grown out of the fact that while wearing it I felt the most "Alliance".  That and the colors went well with our guild's tabard.

Now I just have to figure out what to do about my sword, and axe. I have yet to really find one I like. While I have had ones over the years such as Vis'kag the Bloodletter, that I still possess, my fondness is more for the memories it invokes than for the esthetics of the actually weapon. I am afraid I tend to be rather old school with my weapons. I prefer them to look like some thing I would actually be able to USE rather than something that would knock me over if I attempted to carry them in real life.  This tends to limit me rather severely. Though....if fist weapons become viable for combat again Calamity's Grasp WILL come out, that thing was one of the FEW fist weapons I thought look cool.

Void storage is going to be my new best friend though as I now have a place to put all these accumulated items. Somethings like Tier 8 I deleted with great glee but others like my old Nightslayer,  Slayer and Bonescythe among others sure do take up a lot of room I would prefer to use for other things rather than shipping items back and forth between my various bank alts. 

So what about the rest of you pack rats? Are you enjoying the freedom that this closet rummage is giving you? I know I sure am glad I get to actually get to keep some of my items now rather than be forced to decide what must be purged and what can be kept. The pixel memories are mine.

Holy Tier Batman!

So we have been informed that our Tier 13 has the distinction of being inspired by the cape crusader because "A 'bat-themed' armor set for rogues seems like a no-brainer." Really?  Come on guys. With the model a male blood elf it is hard to tell exactly how pointy the helm is. Let alone guess if the costume for females will more closely resemble Batgirl's than Batman's.

If I ignore the pop culture inspiration and just take the armor set as it for itself, it isn't bad. Browns, blacks and grays have always been my favorite color scheme for rogue armor. I also like the open handed design of the gloves. The bat heads on the shoulders look a little more like toxic murlocs to me though. The name of the set is not bad either "The Blackfang" sounds more like a spider than a bat but is well fitting of a rogue set.


With transmogrification coming does it really matter if you love or hate the new design? What we really care about is the set bonuses and it is still to early to see what those will be. So the Batman Theme song will be running through my head whenever I get a piece. I think I can resist the urge to macro in "Bam!" and "Pow!" (Yes, I know it is old school but that is always what I think of when I think of Batman, not the newer stuff.)

Now we just have to see what our Legendary daggers look like.

"Wolfheart" A Review

By happy circumstance Amazon saw fit to deliver my copy of "Wolfheart" by Richard Knaak early. I will be totally honest here and state that I was not waiting with baited breath by my door like I was for Christie Golden's "Thrall: The Twilight of the Aspects" or "The Shattering". It was not due to the subject matter. King Varian Wyrnn and the Worgen are certainly topics to inspire conversation and interest. Rather it was Knaak's track record when dealing with this type of subject matter.

To often, what the reader expects to be the focus of the book (BLIZZARD's Lore and crafted characters) are instead lost or over shadowed by Knaak's own creations. Surprisingly this was not the case with this book (UNLESS you count one specific character Knaak introduced in the "War of the Ancient's Trilogy") and Blizzard decided to include within current game play. Rather what Knaak does in this volume is spends the majority of the time focused on the back drop of the story (which is the current troubles in Night Elf society) and the title character becomes secondary until the very end.

Another major issue I had with this book was time line. I found it rather difficult to figure out exactly WHEN this book was to have taken place. It is obviously AFTER the Cataclysm and Malfurion and Tyrande's wedding. Gilneas has already fallen yet is not yet considered a part of the Alliance. THIS point is made abundantly clear.  However the Council of Three Hammers has already been created or at least that is the impression given. What causes my confusion? Varian's attitude toward the Gilneans and King Genn in particular.  Those who have done the the Worgen and Forsaken starting zones know that Stormwind send the 7th to assist Gilneas. If there were the tensions that Knaak eludes to how in the world would this have come about? There are other instances of timeline flow I will discuss later.

SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

Now to the specifics of the story.

The book begins with a rather disjointed attempt at laying out the cast of characters. The veteran commander attempting to protect Ashenvale from another invasion by the Horde. An Orc Sea Captain with a special cargo to deliver to his new Warchief for an audacious plan designed to bring the Alliance to its knees. The Worgen and their King trying to find a place in the world after years of isolation. Night Elf society as it attempts to deal with mortality and all the challenges that brings, the return of the Highborn, and hosting a gathering of the Alliance under its branches.

Several story lines or questions left hanging in game are answered or at least addressed in this book which is nice. There is some continuity between this book and Ms Golden's works. First Knaak deals with where Jerod Shadowsong has been all these years and exactly why he disappeared. (In game we first see him in Mt Hyjal as a prisoner of the Twilight Hammer, again it is hard to say when exactly in the time line that event would fall.) The subject of what became of Jerod's sister Maiev after the death of Illidan is also resolved, though her present whereabouts are a mystery.  Mr Knaak also spells out WHY the Alliance, the Night elves specifically are turning to Stormwind, more importantly its troubled King during these turbulent times.

Varian's troubled past is again rehashed briefly along with his more recent difficulties regarding his son. With the help of the Worgen, he finds resolution to all the various traumas he has faced in his life. This grants the Alliance the leader they so desperately need and cementa the relationship between Gilneas and Stormwind forever.  Knaak also takes the time to further explore the significance of Varian's Lo'gosh nick name.

The Highborn have returned with all their arrogance still intact. They can not understand why the other Night Elves continue to feel uncomfortable about using Arcane Magic. They have no problems with their ALLIES using it! Not only that but instead of thinking of comfort all any one wants to do is think about the trees and wild life! It is miserable! The younger ones chafe at each slight. Only the elders who understand their precarious position keep everyone in line. Then Highborn start turning up murdered just as the Alliance summit is about to start. Suspicion is ripe.

To add to the tensions Mulfurion has insisted that the Worgen of Gilneas be granted sanctuary in Darnassas until their fate can be determined by the rest of the Alliance members. He feels responsible for them. As a result of his decision to place the Druids of the Pack within a pocket of the Emerald Dream, they were later discovered by Arugal, thus the people of Gilneas became infected in the first place.

Further more Mulfurion and his wife are feeling their age. For a race that was once immortal, they are still very long lived. Death was once a rare thing brought on by foolishness or war, now they are coming to realize, it is becoming a more immediate part of their life. After 10,000 years, bones are starting to ache, wrinkles to appear and all those signs they have seen in the "younger races", especially the humans, are staring them in the face. The burdens of leadership weigh heavily on them.

Then Tyrande has a vision. While Mulfurion is unclear how it can come to fruition he pledges himself to assisting in bringing it about. In a seeming reversal of roles Tyrande is the one who heads off to war against the Horde and to protect Ashenvale against Garrosh, while Mulfurion is left to deal with a broken King Varian, along with a murderer stalking Darnassas.

Anduin seems to be the one of the few males who isn't given to self flagellation in this book...perhaps it is because he is still to young? Thankfully Knaak kept him as strong as Ms Golden did in The Shattering. It is Anduin defying his father, abandoning him to follow his calling and seek training with Velen that pushes Varian to the breaking point. Mulfurion takes advantage of the situation and sets Varion up. Forcing him to face his past, prejudices and inner fears as this is the only way he can ever truly heal and become whole once more.

Garrosh when he is seen again is rather two dimensional. Willing to do whatever it takes to show his "worthiness" to be Warchief. Believing if he could just manage to do what neither his Father nor Thrall accomplished he will then prove beyond a shadow of a doubt he DESERVES to be heir to their Horde and remove any lingering questions about his tarnished honor. Taking outrageous risks at times bring him victory but at great cost.  Still rather single minded in his focus he continues to under estimate his opponents.  When faced with the fact that his mid battle duel with King Varian has been interrupted, it is only the fact that his guards are willing to be executed rather than have him return to the fight that forces him to change direction.

Over all I have to give this book faint praise. While it wrapped up several loose ends, they were not necessarily done neatly.  I had my suspicions about the identity about the "murderer" very early so even that came as no great shock. It served its purpose but not with any great depth.

FREEDOM!!

The day has finally arrived. ALL of the minions are in school for the full day! Well not technically.  Three of them have half days today, just to torment me, but the idea is there. Of course I get asked what I will do with all my "free time", only to pull out the three pages of tasks that have been waiting the wings for this day. Some are more traditional are around the house items while others are in game.

The summer months are a mixed blessing for a family full of gamers. With school no longer in session my boys suddenly had time to indulge in their own interests. As they have grown, this has increasing meant MMOs of their own. Jumpstart, Lego Universe, and Wizard 101, have joined WoW and Star Craft in our household. Free to Play games are wonderful for the budget at least. However they require a lot of computers.

Where in the past I had always been able to claim "MY" PC as personal property, that is no longer the case. Now the minions desire to play TOGETHER on their various MMOs. So not only was my play and writing time limited, at times I lost my PC completely, as they battled their way across the cosmos.
 
Of course like any "Evil Mom" game time got limited. The advantage they had was there are four of them to one of me. Add to that the weather this summer was more conducive to indoor activities than out. So despite myself I was often found going weeks with no more than a few hours of personal computer time in exchange for the illusion of minion harmony. It was fun watching each of them grow personally as gamers. 

Gaming sure has changed. Especially computer gaming and the MMOs from when I was first introduced to the genre. My children have never known a time when it hasn't existed. My youngest has never known a time when WoW wasn't around.  It is hard for us not to become jaded and cynical because we have been just so SPOILED over the years. We look back at the "Old Days" with our rose colored glasses but realize that things can't stay that way. 

Looking back I see numerous blog posts started that I never found time to finish. My accomplishments in game are greatly behind where I usually am at this point in past expansions. However when looked at in the greater view I can't complain. My boys are with me only a short time. I will treasure the time spent with them this past summer and watching them grow and expand in their independence. Sure it meant that I personally had to take a back seat on my own plans and goals but that is what parents do isn't it? And now they are back in school. I can once again pick up the gauntlet and focus on my own projects. Once again I can hit the ground running and see where I end up, the road sure has been an interesting one so far.

Finding the Fires

Due to the reintroduction of a bad tempered Dragon, the tectonic plates of Azeroth have shifted, bulged and in some cases split. The ensuing disaster means that things are not what they use to be and this can result in much confusion. Unfortunately some didn't take this into consideration when discussing the Midsummer Holiday Fires. Many of the previously well known locations are now lost beneath water, fortifications or controlled by the opposing faction.  What follows is (to the best of my knowledge) an updated list of the locations of ALL of the fires now available.  Happy hunting!

Kalimdor

Teldrassil (Darnassus)
A: Darnassus-Warriors Terrace (64,47)
A: Dolanaar (55,60)

Darkshore
A: Lor'danel (49,23)

Azuremyst Isle
A: The Exodar-The Crystal Hall (41,41)
A: Azure Watch (44,53)

Bloodmyst Isle
A: Blood Watch (55,69)

Winterspring
A: Everlook (62,35)
H: Everlook (59,35)

Mount Hyjal
N: Nordrassil (63,23)

Ashenvale
A: Forestsong (87, 42)
H: Silverwing Refuge (52,67)

Stonetalon Mountains
A: Mirkfallon Lake (49,31)
H: Sun Rock Retreat (50,60)

Desolace
A: Nijel's Point (65,17)
H: Shadowprey Village (28,76)

Northern Barrens
H: Crossroads (52,28)

Southern Barrens
A: Fort Trumph (48,72)
H: Desolation Hold (41, 67)

Durotar
H: Orgrimmar-Valley of Wisdom (47,38)
H: Razor Hill (52,47)

Mulgore
H: Thunder Bluff-Spirit Rise (21,26)
H: Bloodhoof Village (51,60)

Feralas
A: Feathermoon Stronghold (47,44)
H: Camp Mojache (72,47)

Silithus
A: Cenarion Hold (57,34)
H: Cenarion Hold (46,44)

Tanaris
A: Gadgetzan (52,29)
H: Gadgetzan (49,27)

Uldum
A: Vir'naal (54,32)
H: Vir'naal Oasis (53,34)

Duskwallow Marsh
A: Theramore Isle (62,40)
H: Brakenwall Village (33,30)

Azshara, Moonglade, Thousand Needles, and Un'Goro Crater, do not have any bonfires.

Eastern Kingdoms
Northern Stranglethorn Vale
A: Fort Livingston (52,63)
H: Grom'gol Base Camp (41,52)

Southern Stranglethorn Vale
A: Beach East of Booty Bay (33,73)
H: Beach East of Booty Bay (32,75)

Blasted Lands
A: Nethergrade Keep (58,17)
H: Dreadmaul Hold (46,14)

Swamp of Sorrows
A: Bogpaddle (70,15)
H: Bogpaddle (76,15)

Redridge Mountains
A: Lakeshire (24,59)

Duskwood
A: Darkshire (74,51)

Westfall
A: Moonbrook (45,62)

Elywnn Forest
A: Stormwind-The Canals (49,72)
A: Goldshire (43,65)

Vashj'ir
N: Silver Tide Hollow (49,42)

Deepholm
N: Temple of Earth (49,51)

Twilight Highlands
A: Thundermar (47,29)
H: Bloodgulch (43,47)

Dun Morogh
A: Ironforge-Hall of Explorers (64,25)
A: Kharanos (46,46)

Burning Stepps
A: Morgan's Vigil (80,62)
H: Flame Crest (62,29)

Loch Modan
A: Thelsamar (32,40)

Badlands
A: Dragon's Mouth (19,56)
H: New Kargath (24,37)

Wetlands
A: Menethil Harbor (13, 47)

Arathi Highlands
A: Refuge Point (50,44)
H: Hammerfall (74,41)

Hinterlands
A: Aerie Peak (14,50)
H: Revantusk Village (76,74)

Western Plaguelands
A: Chillwind Camp (43,82)
H: The Bulwark (29,57)

Hillsbrad Foothills
H: Tarren Hill (58,25)

Silverpine Forest
H: The Sepulcher (49,38)

Tirisfal Glades
H: Undercity-Ruins of Lordaeron (68,9)
H: Brill (57,52)

Ghostlands
H: Tranquillien (46,26)

Eversong Woods
H: Silvermoon City-Court of the Sun (70,43)
H: North Sanctum (46,50)

There are no bone fires in Deadman's Pass, Eastern Plaquelands, the Ruins of Gilneas and Tol Barad.

Outland

Nagrand
A: Telaar (50,70)
H: Garadar (51,34)

Terokkar Forest
A: Allerian Stronghold (55,55)
H: Stonebreaker Hold (52,43)

Shadowmoon Valley
A: Wildhammer Stronghold (40,55)
H: Shadowmoon Village (33,30)

Hellfire Peninsula
A: Honor Hold (62,58)
H: Thrallmar (55,40)

Zangermarsh
A: Telredor (69,52)
H: Zabra'Jin (36,52)

Blade's Edge Mountains
A: Sylvanaar (42,66)
H: Thunderlord Stronghold (33,30)

Netherstorm
A: Area 52 (31,63)
H: Area 52 (32,68)

No while there is no achievement for them, there are indeed fires in Northrend. Individuals after blossoms and cash will not want to miss them.

Northrend

Howling Fjord
A: Fort Wildervar (58,16)
H: Camp Winterhoof (48,13)

Dragonblight
A: Wintergard Keep (75,44)
H: Agmar's Hammer (39,48)

Grizzly Hills
A: Amberpine Lodge (34,61)
H: Conquest Hold (19,61)

Zul'Drak
A: Argent Stand (41,61)
H: Argent Stand (43,71)

Stormpeaks
A: K3 (42,87)
H: K3 (40,86)

Sholazar Basin
A: River's Heart (47,66)
H: River's Heart (47,62)

Borean Tundra:
A: Fizzcrank Airstrip (55,20)
H: Bor'Gorok Hold (51,12)

Crystalsong Forest
A: Windrunner's Overlook (78,75)
H: Sunreaver's Command (80,53)

There are no bonfires in either Icecrown or Wintergrasp.

I hope this is helpful.

Here come the Trolls

Like a great many I took a furlough from Wow. It didn't start out by choice, then when I was able to come back it came as somewhat of a shock to realize it had been over a month. By this time real life had reached out and gotten its grip on more than just myself and the plate wearer but several others in our raid group. I was coming to realize that little in this expansion was keeping my attention unless I had my guildies to interact with while I was playing. (Mumble is my life line.) Furthermore I still really only wanted to play Dar.

Yeah, I had gotten my others to 85. I had even managed to get some long neglected lowbie alts almost there as well as start some others and level them...but by the time I was looking at doing the 80 to 85 grind AGAIN I just found I couldn't do it. After 6 years burn out had set in and it was time to take a step back. The hope being that with the patch my friends would all be energized and back which would help ME.

I'll be honest here. I AM looking forward to the return of ZA and ZG because I've always enjoyed both of those instances. The reworking of them looks fantastic. The way they worked the story line makes SENSE. However I have never been overly fond of Troll instances in general when it comes to the aesthetics of loot. I mean, come on, their stuff is just UGLY....most of the time knees are hanging out, you have a poorly painted board strapped to your face they call head gear, and dead animals complete the rest of the ensemble. *shutter*

Sure it is just a quick blip before the next batch of raid content but hopefully it will be enough to keep us energized. At least those of us who really ENJOY running 5 man content. Sadly I still am not pugging it, I much prefer an enjoyable run with guildies helping to gear up for raids and with all the Valor points those new instances are dishing out we may be able to get some of our newer people taken care of quickly.

Know Your Rogue Lore: Gnomeregan Covert Ops

Way back in July of last year I speculated about the changes Cataclysm might bring to some of the established Rogue organizations, not even realizing that an entirely new one was being formed right under our collective noses. The irony is that there is nothing subtle about the Gnomeregan Covert Ops. They state quite clearly what they are all about and wear their name with pride. However trying to discover any information about them is no easy task. The trick is that they hide in plain sight.

When High Tinker Mekkatorque put out the call for Operation Gnomeregan he quickly discovered that as a leader in exile, he didn't really have authority over anyone in the Alliance.  In addition, much of his reconnaissance information came to him through the human filter of SI:7. Sure they got a lot of would be heroes to show up and volunteer to help, however in the end their efforts were unsuccessful. Mekkatorque needed to rethink his strategy on not only on how to retake his home city, but how to make it livable once again. So he started by looking for the best and the brightest in each of the fields he needed.

One of Mekkatorque's recruits was Kelsey Steelspark, a former operative of SI:7, who he made the head of GCO. Unlike her counterpart Mathias Shaw, Kelsey does not display her title, in fact she assumes the guise of a low level rogue trainer. It is only by paying close attention that her TRUE status is revealed. First notice her presence at the advisory table in New Tinkertown. Take a moment to listen to her conversation with the others and it is quickly clear she has the authority to request back up from political allies as well as order all those new gnome rogues around. Kelsey has undergone a couple of costume changes which lead to some additional confusion regarding her status early on. When she was first introduced in Beta she had a two handed sword leading the casual passerby to mistake her for a warrior, now she displays duel daggers.

Like Master Shaw, Kelsey had to create an organization completely from scratch, but used what she already knew worked in SI:7. However hers is one that has some very steep debts to pay at its very conception. The High Tinker wants an organization that will focus on the interests of the Gnomish people verses SI:7's more militarily advantageous intelligence directives under King Varian. For the past many years the Gnomes have lived in exile, harbored by their neighbors the Dwarves at Ironforge. Kelsey needs to build on getting the information her people need to retake their former home, rebuild relationship with their once trusted allies, as well as further the knowledge of the their recently discovered history. This is no easy task to accomplish in the middle of a toxic clean up site.

With the recent death of Magni, and almost Dwarven Civil War, many Gnomes found themselves caught in the middle of what was best for the Alliance as a whole and them as a people. The newly created Council of Three Hammers and the Gnomish people don't share the comfortable relationship once felt in the halls of Ironforge. Many of the Gnomish citizens have been replaced by Dark Iron refugees, this could potentially create distrust and resentment. Muradin while known to the Gnomes has been away so long and through so much that past relationships can no longer be counted. Falstad is another relative unknown as the Wildhammer clans have pretty much kept to themselves and don't usually cooperate even with each other. Moira on the other hand has proven herself to be hostile towards the Gnomish people, even imprisoning some of them shortly after her return to Ironforge during her attempt to cement her claim to the throne. The need for GCO is very clear.

Kelsey's second in command is another gnome by the name of Jarvi Shadowstep, it is he who works most closely with the dwarves and gains their assistance cleaning out some of the remaining troubles on the surface around Gnomeregan. In exchange the Gnomes offer equal aid to their Dwaven "cousins" with their Troll problem just outside Kharanos. Jarvi's larger team of operatives are in the trenches getting dirty and building on those former trust relationships. In typical gnomish fashion this involves a great many devices which make you question your safety and sanity. The majority of the Gnomeregan covert ops personnel just go by "Covert Ops Agent" but a few have names and some interesting stories to tell if you are lucky enough to find them.

Delber Cranktoggle is responsible for the "The Ultrasafe Personnel Launcher", as a rogue you are generally ok as we have feather fall...all others? Lets just say bodies falling seems to be the order of the day with this device. Much fun can be had however if you enjoy projecting yourself all over the map.  If you manage to survive (or not chicken out and just walk) you may discover his colleagues Slamp Wobblecog and Snevik the Blade.  Snevik believes in equality for all gnomes and that if everyone saw the world from the gnomish point of view all fighting would cease. Interesting theory, you need to see how it works on trolls for yourself. 

The only other named member of Gnomeregan Covert Ops that I have been able to locate is Ration Officer Flexgear. Unlike the other members of GCO, Flexgear is not working near either Gnomeregan or Kharanos. In fact, Flexgear is not even in the Eastern Kingdoms. She and her small band of operatives, who consist of one male and two other females, are located at small outpost just north of Land's End Beech in Tanaris called Steelspark Station.

Steelspark? Where have we heard THAT name before? Oh that is right, she is the the head of GCO.  For such a young organization to have managed to already have gotten an outpost in Tanaris is impressive. Why are they there? Uldum. Remember what the Gnomes discovered about themselves in Northrend? That they were created by the Titans? Now suddenly more Titan artifacts are turning up and where the Dwarves were looking for their history, the Gnomes are interested in the technology. Kelsey and her crew need to be there to make sure that the scientist and engineers report back to the High Tinker, not only that, if anything goes wrong, someone needs to report that as well. It will be interesting to see how this new group plays out but so far I have been impressed with Ms Steelspark and her people. They are a nice addition to rogue organization lore.

Anduin and I

By now if you have a max level Alliance character you are familiar with the quest chain in Stormwind that sends you off to the Twilight Highlands.  For those who are not, you get the opportunity to spend a little quality time with Prince Anduin Wrynn wandering around uncovering a plot by the Twilight Hammer. What many people may NOT realize is that even after you complete the chain you can go back to visit Anduin at anytime and take him about Stormwind. I like to think he enjoys these visits as he always greets me with "I thought you had forgotten me!"

One of the things I always enjoyed about Blizzard games was their lore or "story telling". They make compelling characters and Anduin is one that has a special place in may heart, not just because he is so close in age to my own sons. It was as the direct result of Anduin that I made a rather enlightening discovery. In Cata some of the quest givers will respond to you differently based upon your class and/or gender.

When the Plate wearer went to do My Son, the Prince, Anduin greeted him by saying "Your a Paladin? Highlord Fordragon was, as well. He taught me a great deal. I...I still miss him." This got me asking around and sure enough Harrison Jones is extremely flirtatious with the females, while the males are treated more like lackeys. So I wanted to see what more I could find...which lead to a problem. With Blizzards new questing design you can't just go and find the chain that you want the lore for and do it. Instead you have to pretty much do the entire zone. And in some cases, you have to do it on a specific race. It has been extremely frustrating.

Places you once could go for accurate information like books, and websites such as Wowwikki and even Wowhead may not be up to date either, as they have completely revamped old content and are continuing to do so. On one hand I like this as individuals we once considered lost in time are coming back into prominence, like Commander Jarod Shadowsong,  Garona Halforcen, and of course his confused Druid self Malfurion Stormrage. Players often have a better idea who the major figures are, what roles they play in the greater picture and how they relate to the over all theme of the game. On the down side, the only variation you have from character to character maybe in how the npc greets you. You no longer have as much freedom of movement within a zone, especially in relation to gaining access to specific factions.

For a Lore monger like myself, I have found I often out level a zone before I complete the quests in it. This with out using Heirloom pieces. Add on guild perks and you can find yourself struggling to stay "level appropriate" and not find yourself locked out of some phased area.

Phasing is another thing I am finding myself loving and hating at the same time. I love that it changes the environment so that you see your actions impacting the world around you. It helps to advance the story, that "lore" I love so much. At the same time it can be such a pain in the butt when you are trying to do simple things like pick herbs, mine or just help out a friend when they are in one phase and your in another. Northrend was a big enough bear, now we have the entire world covered in phasing, the only zones I can think of that DO NOT have phasing in them are Silithus (because they haven't gotten around to it yet), and the Draenei and Blood Elf zones (because they are still tied into the Burning Crusade expansion).

Cata has been such a mixed bag for me. There are some things that I have greatly enjoyed and others that I question what they were thinking. We all have those times I suppose. Perhaps it says a lot that beyond the dungeon redesigns one of the things that they did this expansion that I was happy about was they finally updated poor Anduin.

Anduin has been my role play companion while I do my cooking daily, as well as occasionally accompanying me on blackmailing expeditions. I had always felt sorry for him when he looked like every other snot nosed little kid running around Stormwind, yet he was stuck up in that Keep with Miss Congeniality herself.  At least he had Bolvar to balance things out. Now he has Mr Split Personality as a house mate, I figure the least I can do is give him a break and let him spread his wings from time to time. Auntie Jania can only let him visit so often since the last time he took a road trip he managed to get kidnapped. I can understand his Father's over protective nature, being a parent myself but I would prefer that the next King of Stormwind be sane. So each day I do my small part by giving him a little break from his royal duties of keeping an eye on his Dad. Taking him out amongst the general populace and inviting him to just be a kid.  I'm sure he would appreciate more than lessons on how to take money from the auctioneer or picking locks. Though those are VERY useful things to know.

Guild Chat

Each guild has its own personality, you can see it not just in their tabards but in how they relate to one another in their speech. With some of the new features Blizzard has added guilds whose chat consisted of nothing more than "Anyone want to do a heroic?" or "Can anyone craft X?" have become a virtual ghost town. My own guild has such a diverse make up that our guild chat is one of the things I love best about it. We have some members as young as 10 (yes they play with their parents), all the way up to individuals who count their grandchildren into the double digits. This leads to some pretty diverse conversations.

Recently I mentioned how I have some guild mates who are a tad obsessed with non combat pets. (For those of you who are wondering yes I did complete United Nations.) This leads to many hours spent doing nothing more than hanging out in damp caves awaiting the spawn of rare shale spiders or hunting foxes in Tol Barad. (I would know little about these obsessions. No, I don't want to discuss my own hours farming little known reputations or looking for some elusive stone drake in Deepholm thank you very much.) It is our chatter that allows us all to think we are still sane, or at least all slipping into insanity together.

During the day time college students who are between classes, home schooled students, stay at home moms and our over seas contingent (both military and civilian) generally control chat. This means topics can  fluctuate wildly from what works best for the teething infant to foreign currency and shipping rates. Most often though it is full of silly role play in which guild members ambush each other while doing dailys. Druids accused of stealing nodes have been known to leave hawk chalk on their victims heads while flying away with the spoils.  Unknown rogues may go riffling through unprotected pockets while the unsuspecting are surveying the latest offerings at the auction house only to announce that "they can't afford to purchase anything with only pocket lint and an empty wallet."

Later in the afternoon we get a little more "high brow" as one of our guild members is well known for spouting off little known facts he has discovered while reading or watching the history channel. Often introducing his topic with things like "I will be tank tonight for whoever can tell me who was the first President of the United States."  That particular one brought about the conversation of how the United States formed ITS government which lead into what is going on in our world today and how some nations are attempting to reform their governments.

Most often though we fall into discussions of food. I swear we all have gained at least 10 pounds from guild chat alone. At times it is worse than the food network. It has gotten so bad we had to outlawed the topic during raids to prevent distractions.  Have you ever had a conversation where you described a country using nothing but food? I have....

So what about all of you? Is your guild chat something you enjoy or is it just white noise you never even notice? Does it even exist anymore in the modern age of the Dungeon Finding Tool? Do you miss it? Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of role play to bring it back....at least for us.