Kinless' Chronicles

That's worth a War Stomp.

I went back to the internet cafe alone last night. But they were full. Not even a spot in the laptops section. I guess I'm not the only one with the means, but not the environment, for using/needing internet.

Two doors down another internet cafe, but without the laptop stations. (I.e. each spot taken by a computer.) But the guy motions me in, taking me to the back. There's an empty spot, with network cable. Hmm. But it's got a big floor fan standing in it. So he tugs on the cable and manages to get the plug past the door frame into the back room. I shake my head, the connection on my laptop is on the opposite side, that would never work. He then goes to a nearby cubicle and disconnects the network cable from the desktop and asks "How about this?" I push the flat screen back, prop the keyboard behind it, and I think I've got room. Out comes the Toshiba, my mouse, and I'm good to go.

First things first. Character transfer. Kinless/Arcarius is now over. Next is Darkhand. I go to the character transfer page. Nothing loads. White screen. World of Warcraft Community Page loads fine. On to the character transfer page. Nothing. White screen. So I go to the forums. Character Transfers thread is five pages long. Blizzard: "So sorry." Players: "WTF Blizzard." I try again, nothing. (I sense a trend perhaps? :)

So, I logged onto World of Warcraft itself and it downloaded a small maintenance patch. Easy enough. And then I logged onto my main character, Darkhoof.

He's right where I left him. In the Lakeside Lodge in Ashenvale. I wonder what folks think when they go there and find a 60 Tauren Shaman just standing there? I see Elves and think "Hmmm. Enemy." And so I attack the first guard. Weak. What, am I playing Cat and Mouse with her? I fire up windfury. Nothing. Then I notice I'm barehanded. Huh? I open up my character screen. There's the Earthshaker right there where it's supposed to be. Black Brood Pauldrons, all the jazz.

I then notice none of my add-ons are loaded. (Well, it's not an add-on problem.) So I turn to the next guard and attack again. I click on the attack button to just to make sure. What's going on? Have I suddenly become a Pugilist? I check my skills, no two-handed weapons. Doh! I've got to redo my talents. So I equip an axe and my Zulian Defender and finish the guard off with some little style.

A few guildies are on. One on Hawaii time so it's morning for him I guess. I say hello. He's wondering if anyone has any gold ore. Darkhoof doesn't but Oddity, my Miner/Blacksmith might. Let me check with him.

Rode to Splintertree, hopped on a wyvern and flew to Orgrimmar to log out.

Oddity happens to be in the bank in Orgrimmar already when he comes to life. Checking the bank account I see I have three gold ores. I make the withdraw and track my guildie down. Omaran's our Main Tank, or one of them, so whatever I can do to help I'm glad to. Three gold ore is nothing afterall. I pass them on to him. He asks if I have any use for metal. I say Sure, I can use it to smith. He opens a trade window, and another, and another. (I had to use the new keyring, Yay!, to free up some space.) He winds up passing me 15 stacks of various metals he had in his account. (Yay!) (Looks like he's redoing his professions again.) Cool. Oddity runs down into Ragefire Chasm and tests his warrior skillz out. Checking the talent tree I see Oddity is 31 or so Fury. Hmm. Seems to work on the Grimtotems in Feralas so must be okay.

I note Omaran is wearing a new tabard. Hmm. Darkhoof's tabard looks like that? I thought I was wearing the old DI one.

So I log back in as Darkhoof and check. Yes, the DI tabard is the same. Ah! He must be wearing the new Argent Dawn tabard. I check my rep with them. Honored. I'm wondering if that's enough to get a nifty tabard.

(This internet cafe isn't so crowded. Everyone is smoking but there's less folks so less smoke. FOLKS FOLKS: NOT SMOKING WILL NOT KILL YOU. In case you were wondering. You don't have to smoke. Really. It won't kill you not to smoke. In fact, it's quite the opposite.)

So I ride out to the Zep. Having now loaded all my add-ons, I've quickly donned the 8/8 Earthfury and my Staff of Dominance. Yeah, baby, yeah. On the Zep I redo my Talent Tree. What to do, what to do. The new time difference means I won't be raiding much with the guild anymore. So I've taken an Enhancement approach. I put 30 points in the me-me-me Enhancement Talents. (No totem buffs, and as much weapon buffing as I can manage.) I've got 30 in the tree now. Stormstrike or not? Hmm. I go to the Elemental Tree. So, for now, I go down that tree. (Like when I was leveling up.) Cheaper mana shocks, improved shocks, shorter shocks, some kind of get a crit with a spell you get a crit with melee talent that's new. I'm 21/30/0 now. IF I find my healing is lacking in instances I'll probably respec and put 21 into the Resto side instead to get Nature's Swiftness. But Enhancement I'll keep.

Well, I get to Tirisfal Glades outside the Undercity. I mount up on the prow of the Zepplin like a pro. As we pull in to dock I ride off. "Yeah. I've played before." I ride up to the Bulwark and find the Quartermaster. I want that tabard. No tabards for sale. Damn. Well, time is getting on so I don't think I'll ride out to Light's Hope Chapel. I'll save that for some other time.

But I've got to play a little with the weapons and new Enhancement tree changes. I ride up to the Scarlet Monastery. I pass a level 37 Human Rogue. He waves at me. Hmmm. I ride past and wave. Yes, yes, all Rogues must die. This guy will gank me and my wife over and over with glee some day. BUT we've got to consider the Karma man. (Like 3 ore become dozens of metals.) Maybe he won't.

I enter the Monastery and head to the Armory wing. Two Scarlet guys, no problem. Five Scarlet guys, no problem. Okay, this will be fine.

Onaeveim logs on. He's the reluctant Resto Specced Shaman from the guild. He hates me for being Enhancement specced. "Don't heal me, Ona. Please, don't heal me!" "STFU." :) He's had a nice fishing trip with his dad. Sends me a link to some Georgia perch thing. Like a record breaking Red Scrapper or something. He's doing well in the guild. Stirring things up like he likes to.

I've got to say: I like my guild, it's progress, and the folks in it. I really got lucky the day I transferred over to Smolderthorn with a handful of people and we created a guild with the right folks that have become this guild today. (Granted, I'm the last of them in that guild. But it's got me an "Honor Guard" spot in the new DI, and they're clearing BWL now.)

I tell Ona, "Good talking with you, later", and give the guild a tres european "Ciao" and log out. Really nice to be able to play again, and chat with friends.

I give the character transfer a try again. HOLY BAT GUANO! I get the transfer page. NO WAY. I pick the server, Frostmane, then they show me my characters there (Darkhand and Honorus). I chose to transfer Darkhand, 45 NE Rogue, to Kirin Tor (friends and family there). Yes, so far, so good. Give them credit card into. Click Continue.

ERROR.

They can't take the credit card. Huh? But the page is back. So I click Continue again. And this time it takes. "Pending Approval." Ah. Nice. Thanks, Blizzard. You guys mean well I think.

Well, that was a fun few hours. Packed up the gear, paid the guy, and left the cafe.