Ding. 56. Nearly there.

Msaker made 56 the old fashioned way. I visited my friends, the Dreadmaul Ogres in the Burning Steppes, and, Orc-style, I left none alive. The last 15% I needed, after a night of questing with my wife and friend, took only like an hour. And I was rewarded with a bit of Runecloth and some nice greens for the Auction House.

He also earned Senior Sergeant too. My friends Shaman is also 56 now and also a Senior Sergeant. ... I've got to say: It's really cool to be hanging out there, just knocking stuff out, both of us with PvP ranks, on this sleepy RP server. I really feel like we've "gotten somewhere," are going all the way, and have titles, and level, to show for it. The satisfaction of leveling up a fun-to-play character.

It ain't over 'til the fat dwarf dies.

Three incursions into the Alterac Valley.

That the first would be a win was a given. We mounted up and headed north. Apparently the Alliance mounted up and headed south. Everyone. We captured the Aid Station within 15 minutes game time. I always thought: In a race, Alliance win. In a fight, Horde win. We had a race, and here we were pulling Marshalls. I wondered how the Alliance was doing. We got to Vann and I went in and just followed the man around his keep, banging on him with my Ice Barbed Spear. 20 other people hitting him so often and so hard it was like watching a puppet mistaken for a pinata. We beat him like batter for a cookie bakeoff. Almost felt bad accepting the Marks of Honor. Almost.

The second time in, what a difference. My gosh, we were strung out from Frostwolf up to Stormpike. At one point Alliance had turned every graveyard and destroyed every tower. I could not ride north for the life of me. Any avenue I'd take I was polymorphed, rooted, stunned, blinded, gouged, blasted, dead. I rezzed in the tunnel so often, in one moment of boredom I etched my name in the rock walls. "Msaker was here. Dead." Look for it. Eventually I make my way north, and was working on trying to help capture the Stormpike Graveyard. BOOM! Score screen pops up. Blue alliance name on top. "Horde Wins" above that. Son of a gun. How'd we manage that? Yeah, I was bemoaning our lack of plans, tactics, success in the raid chat and we won. Sorry about that. I'm going to keep my mouth shut from now on. (If you need to keep talking about Favre as we appear to be losing, that's okay.) Saying the obvious things like "WTF are you doing capping Snowfall?" and "Balinda? OMW." and "Lok is moving" I'll continue though.

Third time in. Well, maybe Horde is back to their usual mode. Being area rugs and door mats for Alliance wins. I helped defend Galv for a while. I think the alliance finally bypassed him for a while. I helped defend Frostwolf for a while. That's probably good PvP practice. The fights around the Stormpike Graveyard are different. In the wide open place around the Frostwolf Graveyard a Warrior can really start his stance dancing. Battle to charge, Berserker to intercept, etc. We lose Frostwolf eventually but I see we are soon going to cap the Stormpike Graveyard. We also don't hold the middle ground. I'm killed by some defense at Ice Blood. Rather than rezz in the tunnel and try again I come up with a new tactic: I run up to Stormpike Graveyard in ghost form. When I reach there I have just a few seconds before the Spirit Healer appears and offers me new life. I take it and ride into Stormpike. The group's light, but competent, and I'm soon pounding on Vann again.

Horde wins. Three times in a row.

Why? I wondered that. I'm suspecting the good players have been following the BG Weekends. Msaker is a scrub and has been working on Frostwolf reputation so that's where he's been lately. But this weekend we get all the good players in AV with us. Maybe the rule should be Good Horde vs. Good Alliance = Horde win.

Flush with the victory Msaker travelled out to Dreadmaul Rock and earned the last 15% of level 55 and dinged 56. Today I'm wondering how much higher the PvP rankings I climbed.

I have put together a little gear set from the Auction House and smithing. I have two pieces of the Imperial Plate set, Shoulders (that I made) and a Helm (that I bought). I have two pieces of the Valor set, Belt and Bracers (Auction House. About 30g for both You can make decent money selling off greens you don't want, and stacks of mageweave, etc. The Dreadmaul Ogres are fairly lucrative. Libram of Resilience off one of them netted me 55g.) And with PvP Rank 7 I'll be getting the Blood Guard Gloves and Leggings. That will net me 2 piece bonuses from 3 different sets. +200 Armor from the Valor. +100 Armor from the Imperial. +40 Attack Power from the PvP set. Not shabby bonuses for a Warrior levelling up to the likes of Dire Maul and the dungeons.

Getting those mallets was too easy.

Jintha'Alor. Msaker, Nachmahd, and Droonda, and two guild Warlocks take Jintha'Alor and teach the Vilebranch Trolls a lesson: Don't mess with the Horde. What a hoot. We rode through there with 95% single pulls. One troll at a time. Too easy. Not enough pots, but that's a different story. The only point where we had multiple mobs was in the cave with the Keeper. It was her and two guards. Sure, Nachmahd and Msaker are 55, the Warlocks, Derier and Azghul, mid-50's, and Droonda, 48, made easy work of it.

Msaker later went into Alterac Valley. He was, level 55 mind you, in Auction House [Greens], #8 in Killing Blows. Woot.

Maraudon and the Princess dies.

No offense, but if you've 3 faces and 4 hands and horns and crap? You're going down. For your own good. Primordial Titan or not.

Last night Nachmahd, now level 54, Droonda, now level 48, and Msaker returned to Maraudon. We ran into a priest friend of ours, Ferinthul, and he left the group he was with and joined us. To that other group: Nyah nyah. (Quite a vote of confidence I must say.)

We partied with Ferinthul our second time to Maraudon, as we worked through the Purple Side and collected the Celebrian Diamond. Our first time we worked through the Orange Side and got the Celebrian Rod. Now Ferinthul was missing this part so last night we again went through the Orange Side. Our 1st night we went with a Warlock in the guild, Azghul by name. The other two nights we went with Ferinthul, a level 47 Priest.

We rocked the house. Nachmahd hits like a Mack truck, and Msaker can do a little damage himself, but he's mostly trying to keep aggro. (Holding aggro is more important than dealing damage.) Anyway, we returned to Celebrias and freed him. And we continued on to the Princess. And we downed her. Two Shamans, a Warrior, and a Priest? Pwnage. And, man, that Warrior is getting some heals!

We all had flight points in Moonglade from attending some party there earlier in the year. So that worked out great.

We'll want to get back into Maraudon. I think Droonda would look pretty cool with a Gizmotek Buckler. That was the same buckler that Blackhoof until he went to ZulGurub and got the Zulian Defender. (The old style defender too, it was HUGE!)

Otherwise it's Alterac Valley weekend and we're enjoying that too.

Tonight, Jintha Alor and getting that Mallet made so we can get back to ZulFarak and get our trinkets. Veggies are good.

Msaker out.

We played, hands down, the worst Alliance PUG I've ever ran across.

The stars must have been aligned right but last night Msaker went against the worst Alliance team he'd ever seen in Alterac Valley. It just wasn't right.

The game started normally enough. Most raced north. I noticed a few turning off to go defend Galv. Stonehearth is taken by us. Snowfall by them.

And then it went all wrong, and all right at the same time.

At Stonehearth there was a good bit of fighting going on. "Good grief," I thought. "This is where they stymie us." I figure we'd be banging our head against them here while they stole the Frostwolf Relief Hut and killed Drekk. I did manage to collect a lot of armor scraps before I went down. I rezzed at Iceblood and participated in a little of the fighting outside of Galv's place. More armor scraps and I was killed again. Not before holding my own staying above the half way mark on the score card. I rezzed and this time recalled back to Frostwolf to turn in the armor scraps I'd collected. My turn in managed to turn our guards into Veterans. Cool. The Primalist was gone though so I held onto the blood. Hmm. Lok wasn't being summoned (and he never was). There was one Paladin riding around near Drekk's keep. Seems he was trying to singlehandedly take out the archers. I found him up in a room by himself at the top of the tower healing himself. Level 60 to my 53. So I attack and just follow him around annoying him. Eventually I hear is death groans. (Same pluckiness manages to find the Alliance capturing all the mines.)

No matter! Back into the breach my friends! I rode north and noticed the countryside was pretty peaceful. Iceblood was still ours. And someone was saying in the raid chat "Let them have Snowfall." Sure. That's how it always goes. Galv is safe. Then I notice Snowfall is being captured. By us. Hmmm. I understand the need for a "release valve" for alliance dead. Funnel them safely past our offense so we can just get to killing the General. And they ours. May the fastest team win. But, no, one of ours was capturing Snowfall. And the raid chat was brutal! "Noobs." "WTF AER U DOING? YOU SUX!" I guess capturing every graveyard in the place was bad. Hmm. So the Alliance were going to turtle and this was going to be a longer fight.

I ride towards Stonehearth and check my map. The entire map is ours and we have people strung out from Frostwolf keep to Stormpike. :/ What's wrong with this picture??? Balinda is being attacked and I ride down and join in. (Being a warrior is kind of nice. Just dish out the pain and hope for the heals.) She goes down easily. Aw.

And at last I complete the trip up to Stormpike. It's a long fight it seems to capture the graveyard. All the alliance appear to be there. But we do capture it. And the "Battle for the Bridge" rages for a while too. BUT BUT here is where it's different. We've taken both of their bunkers! They're burning and we're still fighting on the bridge against a heavy defense force. I collect enough scraps and recall back to Frostwolf. Turning in the scraps I get to upgrade our guards to Champions. And I ride north again.

The battle around Stormpike graveyard continues. It's a regular furball at one point with as many alliance gathered in our, OURS DAMNIT, graveyard as we are. Five times I died and as a ghost targeted an Alliance character that I charged upon ressurection. And in the flurry of activity out at the graveyard we're manging to capture the Aid Station.

We're still fighting around the Stormpike graveyard when the win screen pops up. Huh? I scroll up and see Horde wins! How about that. I did not expect that! Amidst the alliance army we still manage to win. Why can't we do that more often? In a race, Alliance win. In a fight, maybe Horde win.

News from the frontlines.

Nothing new since there's just so much happening.

Droonda main healed Zul'Farrak the other night. She's a 46 Shaman and she was our main healer. Nice work! Me, 53 Orc Warrior, Nachmahd, 54 Ehhancement Shammy, Xulu, 43 Troll Mage, and Nazaria, 44 Orc Warlock, ran the circuit. The groups of trolls were easy, and we survived the Fight at the Stairs without a death. We only managed to die when I, or Msaker rather, walked up to the Witchdoctor with the rest of the team in another area and Xulu was afk. Good grief. Green=not mean! Well, that encounter saw a ton of adds spawn, and they never despawned. We rezzed and began to work into the place again, this time moving right instead of left, alas the time got away from us and we didn't complete it.

The day earlier Droonda main healed our Maradaun run. She, I, Nachmahd, and Azghul, a guildmate Forsaken Warlock. We got the Celebrian Rod and the Celebrian Diamond, and got 3 of the 5 gems, all the shards, all the carvings. We did good. And Droonda healed like a pro. Nerf Shamans! No?

And ya gotta have a tank!



Last night it was the Druids Night Out. Greenclaw took Itarilde down to Stranglethorn Vale and we did the hunting quests. Though the cats were yellow to Greenclaw, level 37, I can't imagine what Itarilde saw being only level 32. However, when we'd encounter a Shadowmaw Panther, say, she'd be in Bear Form and tank it and I'd be in Cat Form dps'ing, and pulling aggro off her. We did incredibly well! At our level we can tank, dps, heal, hide. What more can you ask for?



Arcarius managed to reach level 51 at long last. (First ever character, been alive since November '04.) He reached 51 at Raven Hill in the Plaguelands. What was his first action on dinging? You bet! He turned in his scourgestones and traveled to Alterac Valley and attempted to go in. No luck since there appeared to be enough defenders. For another night it will be.

My wifes characters are getting their own love. Droonda of course. What a woman! Winkydink, her Gnome Warrior. ("Need more rage!") Effilda, her Human Mage, cleared house, and quests, in Redridge. Ombria, a Night Elf Rogue, is going to get some attention too.

Our friend Nachmahd continues to press to level 60 with his Shaman. And Nachzug was created last night and is an Orc Warrior nearing level 10. (What's nice is now he knows how Msaker feels when he loses aggro! :) )

Expansion? I don't need it quite yet. (But when it does come, we'll all be ready!)

Until then.



Your humble correspondent signing off.

The Orc who fell through the earth.

(Bowie reference. Msaker used to be known as Oddity. Another Bowie reference. Go figure, eh?)

Paladin hit me so hard I fell through while defending at our Relief Hut.

Rage against the machine!

Was in the Undercity last night.

And one of my readers spotted me. (Hey, Ric.) Somebody was showing off in a dumb way and I said something, the Trade channel I think, and I got recognized by another person. What were the odds? Cool.

Ice Barbed Spear just for showing up, thank you.

No. Thank YOU, Frostwolf Clan. Thank you thank you thank you.


So, wrapping up a little mage quest with Zauberin in the Arathi Highlands, Msaker urged Zauberin to take a break and let his sweetie, Droonda, come out to play.

Nachmahd was waiting for us in Reventusk Village in The Hinterlands. Our mission here? Embarrass the Wildhammer Clan one more time. To send a final message to the Dorfs of Wildhammer.

We took up a cook in Reventusk's, Otho Moji'ko by name, first mission a few days ago. Slay elves. Slay a lot of elves. Slay them all. Break their bones. That was going to send a message, alright. That message being: "Don't mess with Orcs." We cruised through that little lodge like grifters at a Shriner convention. We rescued some troll, escorted him to safety, and wouldn't you know it, before we'd even made it back inside the lodge there he was again. Back in the cage. (Trolls. Hmph. These guys had empires once?!) Wasn't going to rescue him a second time.

Killing a few hundred elves, we wrapped up this little job. Going back we got the second mission. Kill the Gryphons and collect their feathers. But Gryphons are rare and don't seem to have feathers. "Troll Dude. They're lions. With eagle heads, but still, for the most part, MAMMAL." Orcs are smart. We do more than smash and grab shiny stuff. We went to Feralas and killed Frayfeather Hippogriffs. I know, I know. "Orc Dude. Moron. Hippogriffs are part horse and, like you said, MAMMALS." AH HA HA HA. I'll have the last laugh. We quickly collected the needed feathers off the Hippogriffs. Otho the Troll will never know the difference. And he didn't. (And we finished another quest to collect the spirits of Wandering Forest Wandering Tree Things at the same time. Orcs are smart!)

So, we bring Otho his feathers. "Oh, yeah, we sent a message alright. (kee kee) That would be Orcs aren't dumb. ... And never you mind. They're respawns."

And now he wants a final message sent. He wants us to take this spear and plant it in the Dorf village, at their well. Blood covered, wrapped in gryphon feathers, this spear certainly was a message alright! And I had a message of my own. That being: "Dorfs! (My pardon.) Dudes! The troll's are seriously nuts. Are you sure you don't wish to reconsider your previous objections to Orcish suzerainty over your dominions? Are you sure?"

No. They weren't having anything of it. The guard I approached at the well wasn't taking kindly to my approach. I felt a little like the new sheriff coming to Rockridge. All I wanted was a laurel, and a hearty handshake, but no, nooooo, they had to come out fighting. Ooh. Like he's all bad, this little dorf. Come to attack me Mr. Dorf? Come to be all bad and all that? Not today. Not now, not ever. Droonda, Nachmahd, and Msaker beat that Dorf silly. Knocked all the ugly out of him, and then his stuffing. Got a little silver and some wool off him too. Like a rag doll, no? Spears planted, we were done.

Nachmahd takes a side quest to rescue a chicken. I'd done it last time. (Not bad plate boots for the reward.) Droonda had taken the quest but she missed the completion and abandoned it. I figured we'd need to wait for another beacon to drop. But when Nachmahd activated the chicken she was asked if she wanted to take part, she did, and so they were both on the quest. Yay. Gotta save chickens. It went so easy. Just walked it to the beach and they were done.

But, that's not all. We returned to Feralas. This time we were sent to get the spirits of elite Mountain Giants. Level 49+ elites. We were level 46, 51, and 52. Tank + off tank + healer. No worries! We worked off Droonda's giants first since she was getting tired. (I guess not all Orcs are envigorated by slaughter.) Droonda departed and it was just Nachmahd and I. I'll tank, you support. Pull a Giant. EARTHSHOCK. "Let me get aggro." Defensive stance can do much and I managed to pull most of the damage taken onto me. Where it belongs. "Save your mana for healing." We were actually at the point, dumb positioning, where we had two giants and a bear. This is just two of us mind you. Woot. We come out of it hurt, but alive. Good healing. Good tanking I hope. That double trouble happened a few times. We finished the quest pretty quickly too. Back to Camp Mojache. The quest reward? A two-handed axe faster, more DPS, same stats, as the Whirlwind Axe I got at level 30. 20 levels later I get a free upgrade to that axe. Axe proficiency is good. I'll need it for my Arcanite Reaper.

So. Two quests out of the way tonight. It's late. What's left to do? I suggest to Nachmahd that we go to Tarren Mill and ride up to the entrance to Alterac Valley and get the quests there. In anticipation of going in this weekend. AV weekend, yeah baby! I collect like 5 quests, he gets 3 but his quest log is full. Standing there in the tunnel, pretty close to the instance entrance, he asks "Shall we?" He's up kind of late for him. I'm used to it. "Sure." We enter. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the quick BG pops for horde in my Battlegroup. And there we are. I give him a few words of advice. "Follow the crowd." That's how I started out. I'm level 51. Happily nobody commented on that. "Why'd you join noob. Get some levels and then come back." No. Nobody said anything. THANKS! That's cool. So we ride out and head north. Of course. I play some at the Stonehearth graveyard. I manage to get some killing blows in too. What the hell? Me and my Vanquisher/Sword of Omen dual wield and I'm getting killing blows in on level 60's? Execute for the win! I die a few times. But, odd, I don't die nearly as much as Blackhoof does. The Druids take me out twice, but later, not until I was helping assault the Stormpike graveyard, I was pretty happy just wandering around alive and happy. Did a few armor scraps turn-ins. (5000 xp or so for the first turn-in. Nice. Next time I'll catch the blood turn in too.) Nachmahd logged about a half hour later.

(I'll give Nachmahd the formal tour of Frostwolf next time. Show him where to turn in armor scraps and blood. Where to tame dogs for that quest. And we'll go to that mine and get the Frostwolf banner back. It's easy if you've been there before. I'm thinking my Night Elf Hunter will have the same thing to do. Learn where stuff is, how to move around the map and all. Will be fun. Ice Barbed Spear!)

I kept on though, night owl that I am. And, you know what, we won. Here was a first clue that someone was thinking. As we'd set out someone suggested that ten hold at Galvanger's for a bit. They held it for a good long time too. Lately, if Horde wins, it's when someone's defended at Galvanger's for a while. Take note.

Mulverick and Jetzor were up in the air. I've never noticed that. And we tried to summon Lokholar, I followed the Shamans out to the summoning circle (those cows are TOUGH!), took part in the summoning, least a low level character can contribute, but it appeared bugged. No Lokholar today.

Someone mentioned Balinda's so I rode down. I got to take part in her killing. Little ol' Msaker. /waves.

And then I concentrated up north. We took the Stormpike Graveyard and I didn't even notice the north and south bunkers get taken. Next I see we're taking the Stormpike Aid Station. Yay for us. So I'm doing my part at the flag. Trying to intercept and hamstring reinforcements going in to Vann. And we're fighting Marshals and we're holding the Aid Station, and then WHAM the score screen comes up. WTF? Oh noes. I'm stunned. Already? I actually scroll back the chat log to see who won. Horde wins! Alright!

I come out of the BG in the tunnel. I turn in the one quest that I completed there in the tunnel. I went in turned in my 3 Honor Marks (should have saved them for the weekend perhaps). And then I spoke to the guy who wanted Vann dead. We'd done it and he was ready to reward me. With an Ice Barbed Spear. ZOMG. I'm level 51. Some add-on tells me it's item level 63. Woot.

Ice. Barbed. Spear.

Anyway, that was my night. Msaker's been having himself some fun.

/signing off.

Alterac Valley, here we come.

Oh, it's going to be a hoot. Two entry level Hordies coming to a valley near you. You being someone in Battlegroup 7. Msaker, a nearly level 51 Warrior, and Nachmahd, now a level 52 Shaman.

Plan would be, while you guys are out fighting, to do the basic quests. Particularly the one to get the banner from the cave. It should be possible to do alone, but if not certainly there's other noobs to join in.

Droonda will be off in Guild Wars land previewing the new expansion.

And it's AV bonus weekend. And when Nachmahd tires of it, then Arcarius, soon to be level 50, will, hopefully, join the fray on the other side. See things from the Alliance viewpoint.

I'm back in the saddle again.

With friends.

Starting in The Hinterlands now, working our way to getting a mallet and then tearing up Zul Farrak. Msaker and Nachmahd starting in the Western Plaguelands killing bears and spiders for some Shaman Quest. Nerf Shaman!

And now the Tuesday ritual of checking my rank. More later.

Taking a break.

Droonda and Msaker will be away for the week. Going to sunny and warm Spain. My only fear is honor decay. :) At least we get back on a Saturday.

So, squash a gnome or two for me. /waves.

Hi, my name is Robert, and I am an altoholic. Unrepentent too.

But, hold on. Am I really? Compared to some? :) Check out Rah Si Kuhn's site. Whew. I don't get enough sleep just running a few characters. (Found this reading WoW Insider's recent breakfast topic.) How does she do it?

Just the two of us. And then, something completely different.

Itarilda and Freewind returned to Stormwind City, prepared to cleanse the Stockades of the rioters. Just the two of us, so we visit the meeting stone and touch it. Wait. "MMM mmm. Dum dee dum. So. How's things? Like the weather we're having? 'I don't know about you, but I can't understand a thing those wisps say. I usually just nod.'"

Well, we stopped waiting and went in to see how it'd go. I being level 29, she level 31, how tough could it be? I carefully pull and we keep back. One or two at a time was easy enough. The only annoying part was the runners. Playing a Fury Warrior like Msaker I tend not to "stance dance". But I wanted to see how quickly I could fire off a hamstring once their health got low. I stayed in defensive stance, with a shield thank you very much, and then when the health got low I went into battle stance. All my rage was there. I dropped a hamstring on them and then an execute. Tactical Mastery for the win!

We worked our way down the corridor, and at the T made a left. This took us to Dextren Ward. It was going real well. We had a Druid join us for a few rooms but he disconnected. After we'd killed Dextren another person joined the party. Unfortunately the prisoners were back and we had a bad pull. When the new party member says "Well, I'm going to join a group that's ready," I'm thinking "We've cleared 2/3 of this place without you." and I say "Good luck to you." and uninvite him.

Back at the start, just the two of us again, we worked our way back through, and at the T made a right. Is it common knowledge that Hamhock is a Shaman? Mmm. Well, that's that then. We did get 3 out of our 4 quests completed and it was fun. Itarilda did a great job of keeping me alive and I think I did a pretty good job of keeping all the bad guys off her.

Leaving the Stockades and reporting back to Warden Thelwater, we both gained a level. I was now 30 and she 32. Time for training and then some R&R.

---

Getting to Exalted+ with Frostwolf (see below) concluded with a nice win for the Horde.
I do love it when someone actually takes charge. One of the last games, in the silence of the cave, I sent to raid chat "Silence until they take they Relief Hut, and bitching till we lose." It remained pretty much quiet until they took the Relief Hut and bitching till we lost. "Worst game ever," someone said towards the end. GG Battlegroup 7.

But yesterday somebody was suggesting strategies. And when I saw a few turn left at Iceblood Graveyard, and head towards the Garrison, I joined them. I'd never been to the Garrison and that was the first time I saw Captain Galvangar. We were actually going to defend it. But, frankly, how often do the Alliance defend Balinda?

So now there's eight of us in the Garrison, waiting the inevitable approach from Snowfall on the other side of the Field of Strife. And here they came. Like chickens to the stewpot. This went on for a little bit and then quieted down. I went east again to Iceblood Tower and climbed it. Alliance bunkers are much different from Horde Towers. Was it me or were there simply fewer archers defending here? Up next to one of our archers I take a Frostbolt. Hmmm. So I walk to the back and then begin a descent. I hear fighting below. Hmmm. So I fire up a Lightning Shield, put up a Windfury buff on my Unstoppable Force, and drop into a furball. Crikey! (to honor Steve) but there were a bunch of them. Red names. Alliance. I don't last long at all. So that's that then.

I resurrect at Iceblood and make my way north again. Stonehearth bunker, garrison, and graveyard are all taken. Progress!

Someone says "Need Healer and more DPS for Bal". That just happened to be right where I was. I swing left and dismount next to him. He charges the gnome captain at the door. I keep him healed and a mage joins in. The gnome drops as I run out of mana. (Sheesh. Shamans.) So we move in, we're five now. And Balinda is easy enough.

As we ride out I see our frontline has been doing well. Moving up the road to Stormpike Graveyard. This is usually where we get bogged down. Not this time. Our steamroller has kept rolling. Stormpike itself was lightly defended, but never abandoned. We were literally fighting Alliance, two or three at a time, around the flag, while we killed Marshall's, and through the killing of Vannadar himself. That final battle I was just running around the room targetting hoping to catch an Alliance player. And there were a few regular die-hards. Thanks for the HK's, ding! Horde Wins!, and good night.

Blood Guard + Frostwolf's (Epic Trinket) Eye of Command.

Woot.



And the +15% Ghostwolf speed is great for picking herbs.

Exalted with Alterac Valley. Or, Boy, those Pirates are going to pay!

It was a long weekend and Blackhoof sallied forth into the battlegrounds again. This was no honor grind. Honor is precarious. Given out by the Powers that Be, and revoked as easily by the same Powers. The Powers grant benefits and rewards, and the Powers are also the first to lock you out again when you fail to pass the muster. The Powers won't deny progress, but the Powers are soon to be packing up. When Honor changes in the future, to become nothing more than a rankless commodity to be spent like copper, that's the day our War is over. That's when we become mercenaries, assassins, and/or terrorists. Out on our own business or vendettas when we lose State sponsorship. "For the Horde" will be such a hollow battlecry. While Blackhoof will never make Warlord, he doesn't deserve to wear that Warlord gear. If "Honor" is to become nothing more than credits earned towards buying reward, this is nothing more than being able to buy General's stars at the pawn shop. You're not a General, you've only got money.

But, I digress. Alterac Valley, the last few battles, were absolutely horrible! The Alliance are taking the Frostwolf Aid Station and we're still on the road leading to Stormpike Graveyard. Is it me, or is Frostwolf way too spread out to make defensible? I mean we enter Stormpike and we have towers on both sides, NPC's everywhere, live defenders all over the place. I was over in Frostwolf and I was alone when I watched a mage two-shot the entire Frostwolf Aid Station guard with Arcane Explosions. He was backed up with Paladins and some Rogues and then there was a swarm of them. We've captured Stonehearth and they're assaulting our Aid Station. It's always the same. We get Stonehearth, they get SnowFall. Then they grab Iceblood and it's we who ride the gauntlet through them to our frontline.

Second to last match I'm in I see a /say while we wait for the gates to open. "Anyone for Capture a Mine?" I see someone say "Sure." I ask "Can we also do Proving Grounds?" "Sure." So we ride out, Blackhoof and two Hunters. It's very easy with them. We capture the mine from the Kobolds and see it revert to Orcish labor. Then we ride south to the Windpaw Caverns. Again, very easy. At that point I see by the map that the Alliance have assaulted a few bldgs in Frostwolf. The Horde is strung out on the road north, and there's more than 10 AFK according to the raid chat. :/

It took a week but the Alliance x-server pugs have gotten the Zerg to Drekk down to an art.

I reach exalted though and take my ride up to the Frostwolf quartermaster north of Tarren Mill. I buy my Immovable Object and I buy The Unstoppable Force. Yes, I respecced back to Enhancement, with Stormstrike, to see how the up-close-and-personal battles in Arathi Basin will go. I do have about 1,000 more Reputation to earn with the Frostwolf and that will get me the Rank 6 Frostwolf Insignia. That'll be a nice "Been there, done that, lots" memento. And Faction Reputation, unlike Honor, you can't lose. I'll always be esteemed by the Clan. That's an accomplishment.

After reaching exalted, but before respeccing, Blackhoof accompanied Droonda down to the sands of Tanaris. She had never been there and took the missions the goblins had to go kill Rogues and Bandits and Assassins. She did the business, and I kept her safe and healthy. We didn't group so she'd receive the full benefit of the experience. Except on the mages, which I'd pull by attacking their voidwalkers.

We also rode up to Steamwheedle and got all the pirate missions. Blackhoof had never done them himself so we grouped for that. And when Nachmahd appeared and learned where we were, he wanted to join us as well. Rum: Everyone wants some. And we rolled through that camp like cavalry through a wheat field. >>Epic'd Shaman<< thank you very much. But 20 pirate hats took so long! But this was satisfying. Especially after the drubbing given the Horde by the Alliance. At least in my Battlegroup.

Msaker, level 49 now, Droonda, nearly level 44, and Nachmahd, also level 49, have a few more things to do yet in Feralas. The rain forest is very nice in the rain too.

And my Alliance characters... Where's the time??!

Blackhoof's not an egotist. ... No, wait a sec. Nope. He is. :)+

It's been mentioned that I don't talk enough about the other people I play with. Oh, I don't know about that. I've mentioned Droonda/Itarilda, my wife. How she just got her Timberwolf mount. Even had the picture to show for that. Nachmahd my buddy. The only screenshots I could catch of him show an empty scene, no Tauren. What's up with that? He's probably out of range picking an herb somewhere. I'd call him a Pansy, in honor of his devotion to herbs and such, but he's about 2 feet taller than me and double my size. Don't mess with a Tauren or you'll get the horns. So Hippy and Flowerboy will have to do.

Soooo, without further adieu, let me tell you a little about our latest adventure.

We set off to kill us some pirate captains. You know the three Captains, moored off the beach to the east of Booty Bay.

We make our way out to the island. There's a mess load of warlocks to be cleared. I go after imps first, then the 'lock herself. I hate the fireballs. Nachmahd is beside me, damn Enhancement Shaman making me work to beat him in DPS, and Droonda is backing us up, yay for Restoration Shaman! It's easy to clear off the island.

Now we have two boat ramps. Up the left one we go. There's two or three at a time. Swashbucklers and Mages and some sort of Rogue slash Deckhand type. I so hate being gouged over and over. Hard for me to hold the aggro. Me being Msaker of course. (See it's not all about Blackhoof. ):p )

Hey, isn't that some nice emoticon for a Tauren?
):) = happy Tauren.
):( = sad Tauren.
): = ambivalent Tauren.

:][ = tusked Orc? (We don't smile)

Where was I? Ah yes. So we've stormed the first ship. We do pretty good. Droonda is pulling a little aggro, but nothing we can't handle. (Cheaper on the bullets that way.) We clear through to the Captain and kill him.

Next!

Next boat. Same procedure as last year. We clear down to the Fleet Admiral this time. Hey! This is easy. The 2nd and 3rd targets of our assassination quest done here.

The first on the list must be on the boat off to it's own. "This is going to be sooo easy" I think.

We swim over, clear the island. Mana regenned we storm the boat. Kind of a WTF moment arises when we are just surrounded by pirates. What's an adventurer to do? "Run" I say to my wife and I turn and leave the boat. "Run" I type in party chat. I keep moving out. "Run" I type again in party chat. I've got 4 or so on me. Droonda and Nachmahd's health bars are dipping. Mine is too. (Love the shield and plate armor.)

Two pirates swim after me and take me down to about 1/3 and then stop. They just stop in the water. This is like a guard spawn! That's NOT what was on the other ship. They spawned more and more just because we were there.

Well. That's just not fair.

Nachmahd anked, Droonda is rezzed, and I dance and wait. "I'll pull" I say and go up the ramp. Pow and I get two to follow. Maybe it's three. Well, this seems to be the toughest boat. There seems to always be more pirates than we see and expect. BUT we're two Shaman and a Warrior. You think we can be stopped? Nah. The 1st Captain is killed and we swim back. Job well done.

That concluded our adventures for the night and everyone logged. Everyone, that is, except that wished-he-was-an-Officer Blackhoof. But let's not talk about him again. :)

Rank 6. Nice. Never been an officer before.

"And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to." - Col Jessup, A Few Good Men.

So I got into the Officer's Hall finally. Bought myself a nice Officer's Tabard. Next week I hope I'm rank 7 and I can pick up some of the officer gear. It's late nights, but a 15% increase in my Ghostwolf run speed might be worth something.

And all the while my faction rep grind is steady. Over 1/3 of the way to Exalted with Frostwolf. Half way or so to Revered with Warsong and the Defilers. All of these factions offer nice rewards. My goal, if it's even possible at my casual pace, is "Champion".

It's not all wins and wins.

Alterac Valley we lost 3 times in a row. Twice as we were working on Vanndar. The first we got bogged down on the road to Stormpike Graveyard. I can't imagine the hours long battles that used to be waged. But I got 3 tokens out the effort here.

Arathi Basin I entered in with some trepidation. This is the toughest one of the battlegrounds for me and the battles seem most personal. It was pug-vs-pug and we five-capped it. Woot. 3 tokens from this.

Warsong Gulch, and it's gotten late. I only needed 1 more token to make 3. Initial rush out the gates. I see Alliance running down west side of the Gulch and we running up the east side. I'm epic mount, carrot on a stick, mithril spurs, and I always dismount outside so they can't hear the dismount. I'm alone and I run to the balcony. There's a fight going on below and someone bubbles me. "God? Is that you?" No matter, I grab the flag, drop an earthbind, a searing totem, and run for the door. Ghostwolf and start running. Back down to our base along the west side. Our flag is taken and is going north mid-field. I have company with me. Troll. Friend. I go up the ramp. Our flag is still gone. I tuck myself into a corner and wait. I see a Night Elf ride up and approach. I jump down and land on a gnome. (Heh.) Earthbind and I run down the tunnel towards the speed boots. Gone. And 3 more red names coming up at me. Hmm. I turn and run out the side tunnel. Up to the roof. I cross the area, jump down, drop an earthbind, and then go out the door I first exited at the game start. I ghostwolf and make myself scarce behind some clutter in a corner. I see that I've been targeted, by a hunter. Dwarf. Grrr. Well, I can't stay put. So I take off, moving to the east, and then north, off the cliff. But I don't want to go too far, so I cut hard to the left and simply run west along the bottom of the cliff. Not sure I want to try the tunnel, since most flag deliveries are handled via the tunnel I expect there'd be a mob in there, so I keep running west. Then up the ramp, back around to the left, and then up into the base at the balcony. Bang, our flag is returned and I jump off the balcony and cap it. 1/0.

Well, that's a lot of running so I try a little defense now. I'm keeping totems down by the flag. It's kind of quiet. There's a priest there with me, from my own server it turns out. Two rogues too, Night Elf and Gnome. As soon as I come out of gouge I'm gouged again. Mooo! When I come out of this gouge I just start jumping around, I'm spamming shocks, the priest is bubbling and healing, both of us, and first the Night Elf dies and then the gnome is gone. Dead? Doesn't matter because here comes a mage, with the Alliance flag, and she caps it. 2/0. Nice. /cheer!

Rinse and repeat. Except this time no rogues show up. Guess the leetness of me and the priest have kept them scared away? Good. "I AM SHAMAN! HEAR ME ROAR!" Believe it! Please? (We are seriously so nerfed vs. the pally's. Whatever shall we do?) Anyway, here comes the Alliance flag. Our base is a sleepy haven waiting for it. I drop an earthbind at our flag and then head down the tunnel. What's that I see? A blue flag. Yay! Surrounded by red names. Ruh roh! I run down and drop an earthbind. I'm trying to target the closest attacker. The mage is out in front. A Warrior. Frostshock! But, alas, the mage falls. Oh noes! I remember reading there is a delay between the flag dropping and reappearing. And it reappears ahead of the drop in the direction of travel. I am surrounded by Alliance now. They're worried about getting their flag back. "Oh. This Flag?" I grab it. I've got Alliance on me like they were ticks and I was some backwoods 'coon hound. The priest is keeping me alive. I'm concussed and poisoned and slowed and I walk the flag to our flag. Capping it as the rogues are busy trying to kill me. "HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN?! I AM SHAMAN!" Heh. 3/0

Ah. It's late and I turn in For Great Honor (3 tokens from each of the battlefields). Rank 7: I'm coming for you.

Blackhoof - Kirin Tor.

Go Dawgs!

Droonda got her mount. She was very happy. And she always had a thing for red heads. (She married me afterall.)

About 120K in honor this week. Hooray for the new x-server Battlegrounds.

Road Trip!

Really enjoying playing the tank. Msaker, the name, means Carnivore in Armenian. Ashot Msaker was a king of theirs way back. Anyway, looking at it, doesn't it look like Massacre? Kewl.

Spent a bit of time in the Arathi Highlands and up in the Alterac Ruins. We're hunting elite Ogres. (When we can kill a Mauler in edgewise between the two level 49 Hunters, One a Troll, one a Night Elf, tiger and boar for pets, named Cat and Boar. They ran circuits, and the were running the identical pattern hours later when we returned. Bots? I'm 100% sure of it.

Then we do a run up into the Hinterlands. After we'd insulted the Witherbark Trolls long enough, collecting their skulls and making a village decoration out of them, (Probably a well known fact: not every troll has a skull. Yeah, mon!) I called a Road Trip. We'd run to Reventusk Village on the coast. Before we entered the village we killed a few turtles. I, level 46, and Droonda, level 39, and our friend Nachmahd, level 48, enjoyed the run.

Later Msaker and Droonda returned to Grom'Gol. The easy way.

I couldn't do that. Could you do that? Why can they do it? Who are those guys?

A line from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, when Butch wonders at the trackers following them.

The new Battlegrounds. An improvement? I don't know. But I can say there were like 19 Alterac Valleys happening (mid-afternoon EST) and rather than wait 2 hours for an AV match to pop, (or more), I couldn't walk away from the AV quest giver before the match started. At one point I had 12 honor marks in my bag because the matches were coming so quick I couldn't turn them in. It also meant I advanced from about 6k in honored to Exalted. In one night.

So, staying up way later than I should have, after I was done in Orgrimmar Blackhoof mounted up and rode post haste up to Alterac Valley itself. There was a quest to turn in (had I done something?! :) that would give me a weapon of sorts. :/ The Ice Barbed Spear is worth 7g when I sell it to a vendor. The one-handed mace I could use, *if* I needed a one-handed Mace with +Str on it. Which I don't. I haven't picked yet.

Then I went to see what was available to me for being exalted with the Frost Wolf folks. More weapon choices. A big blue axe. :/ (Stats aren't that good for me.) Ah, well. With Revered I'll actually pick up the Don Rodrigo's band, and Therazin's touch, perhaps. And the Lei of Lifegiving. I'll also pick up The Unstoppable Force and that Shield, for the times I respec back to Enhancement to spice things up. And then it'll be Arathi Basin matches.

And once Revered is reached with the Frostwolf Clan I'll head out and offer my services to the Defilers. While AV offers weapon choices, AB offers armor upgrades. They complement each other. By design!?

All in all, I was pleased last night with my ability to play Alterac Valley as much as I wanted.

One negative though. Previously playing against folks on my server, I knew a few of the people on my side, "Oh, look! A guildie!" and some on the other as well. "Not those punks. Not again!" Knew *of* them that is. Now each match is a collection of 40 strangers from across the servers. I keep looking at the list trying to find someone else on from Kirin Tor. Or find someone from my old guild over on Smolderthorn. (There are Battlegroups of servers? How's that determined??" I wonder if we'll make "friends" and "acquaintances" like the old days, heh, or is 6 Million players too large a pool to expect that?

Anyway, Blackhoof of Kirin Tor /salutes you.

Why do we fight? Why do our factions fight?

Do my actions in the battlegrounds effect anything or anyone except myself? No. I could get a rank that I have to fight to maintain. That's just a tag over my head that other people see. I could get my hands on the officer's gear of my faction (Horde or Alliance) if I get high enough rank, and I can get gear from the groups who we do battle for (Frostwolf Clan, Silverwing Sentinels, etc.).

Remember last year-end? The "Christmas" themed city decorations? I was thinking why not use that kind of "decorating" as a reward for a faction doing well?

Picture the NPC's walking around. Shoulders stooped. All of them dressed like Topper McNabb. Blue skies are gone, replaced with gray clouds. (No rain though. Just gray skies.) Take away the luster, add some general shabbiness and gloom. This place looks like it's hit the skids.

Over in Orgrimmar, the innkeeper and her patrons are wearing tuxedos. The stone floor in the bank and the auction house are replaced with marble. The open fires are contained in fire buckets. Things look a little bit neater. The vendors are buying stuff for a slight premium. There windriders fly a bit faster than the alliance's griffins, who've succumbed to a miasma of sorts.

Oh my! Has Stormwind City suffered a plague? An economic downturn? No. The Alliance side has not earned as much honor, relatively, as the horde side. (More Alliance population needs to get more Honor against a smaller Horde population.)

If we can string up Christmas lights, we can certainly make a place gloomier, or brighter, in response to how the faction has done in battlegrounds.

This would give folks an incentive to participate in the wars raging every day in the battlegrounds. (When they're working, of course.) Each side will want the pleasure of, and take pride in, getting their side the spiffy digs and improved earnings, and would love to see the other side living in greater squalor.

Now that's something worth fighting for. I want to see gnomes on skidrow, their persistent little smiles removed from their faces. With extreme prejudice. "Death Coil this, my preciousses." >;) Or living in splendour, whatever your poison. Whatever you are willing to fight for. Because it'll make a difference to everyone around you.



You'll know your side has been CRUSHED when your beautiful cities look like Stratholme. Time to contribute.

GG Blizzard. Ya went and broke World of Warcraft.

To whom it may concern,

You began extended maintenace two hours early today. And now you tell me it is scheduled to last two hours later as well? Due to issues? What the hell? Key rings and a Shaman nerf. Bam. You patched those in just fine last time. Yeah, I admit, Cross Realm Battlegrounds sure sounds like a technical feat. All that networking mumbo jumbo is meant for brains brighter than this Tauren's 25W bulb. Cross-Realm = Cross Server, no? Aren't you having server problems as it is? Sorry, but IMHO you should have fixed the server issues first. Experienced a few weeks of server happiness. Then patched cross-server stuff into the game. Servers broke? Check. Broken servers connecting to broken servers? Check, check. Hmm.

Anyway, hurry it up. I've got rank to check.

Yours truly,

Blackhoof of Kirin Tor

P.S. Love the game. Please fix it. KTHXBYE.

P.P.S. In way of apology you might, if you are so inclined, drop one of those Totems of the Storm in my bags while the server is still down. I don't have one of those yet. Sure would like one though. If you could arrange it I'd keep mum about it. Promise.

Consolidated on a good server: Medium population, more RP, less 1337, active Battlegrounds, all my characters.

Darkhoof retired from Smolderthorn and has been resurrected as Blackhoof of Kirin Tor, 60 Tauren Shaman. Blackhoof is quite pleased that twice the number of alliance versus horde means the battlegrounds are as busy as ever. Too, horde tend to win most bg's. And, shocking, he actually gets invited in BG raids. (On Smolderthorn in AB and WSG nobody ever invited anyone and folks just lose, and they were always losing, on their own.)

Oddity also retired from Smolderthorn and has been resurrected as Msaker of Kirin Tor, 45 Orc Warrior.

Msaker is joined by Droonda, my wife, a 37 Orc Shaman. Their friend Nachmahd, 46 Tauren Shaman, greeted their arrival.

It's been a good transfer over. I have my characters, my wife, and a friend and co-addict, all with me on the same server. Each of us have multiple level 30 characters here. Droonda is my wife's character closest to level 40 and her mount. I have four characters with mounts, one level 60. Morticai (36 Forsaken Warrior) and Greenclaw (36 Night Elf Druid) are close to their mounts too.

It's really really good having a built in support network and close friends close by.

Spies in the mix. Twinks must die.

Hmm. Some things make you go "HMMM!"

Last night Freewind, Itarilda, and our friend Nachruf quested some in Duskwood. We were now tasked with slaying Morbent Fel. Not an easy task. He's orange to me, and an elite. And he's guarded. Such an easy fight. We cleared the lower area and slowly moved up the stairs. With a Druid and a Paladin present, and Freewind tanking with sword and board, it went so smoothly. The adds went down, and then we worked on Morbent Fel. I absolutely love it when something goes that well.

Freewind's level 29 now. And he was within 3 bubbles of dinging 30. What's that mean? Yeah, baby: Battlegrounds!

I was going to be top of the pack in there. Level 29 Warrior, what could go wrong? Mmmm, how about twinked Rogues whose enchants damage you more than their swings. I kid you not, I examined the combat logs. Their weapon enchants were doing more damage on me than their weapons were. That's just wrong. Sorry. In order to finally get my Crusader enchant on my level 60's Earthshaker, I had to save up a lot of stuff and sell a lot of herbs. But here, these level 29 characters have what amounts to 50G in enchants on their weapons? It's not their skill at this point, it's the money they're willing to dump on a level 29 sword. All I can do is make their life tougher. Rends, deep wounds, and hamstringing them. And I pay particular attention to them. I even make special "/target Twink" macros so I can find them whereever. I know I'm winning when they single me out for their attention. ;) Win, lose, it's just a difference in two honor tokens. And I'll save my cash for the necessary things. Like buying my wife's Enchanter weapon enchant spells!

Spies in the battlegrounds. Someone stated in the Warsong Gulch /General "They can see where we are." I thought it was the ravings of a poor loser. However, nobody answered back "L2P noob." I thought it was unlikely. Until I saw a zerg approach our tunnel. There must have been seven of them. The 3 rogues with their brilliantly glowing Enchants. I was watching from above, at the cemetary (where I spent a great deal of time it turns out), as they approached. I was going to announce "Zerg incoming" to the raid. Then I saw them turn, and head east. All of them. Hmm, I thought. Curious, I was watching to see where they went. Nobody on my side was over there. Maybe this was a secret way up to my level. Roh roh. They got to the trees and one of the Rogues went behind a tree limb. Okay, this is where I can see the path up, I thought. Or, maybe, this is a secret spot where folks can hide with flags. But nobody is there. I don't see a flag.

Then the rogues two lightsabers start swinging. And then the group erupts. From their midst stumbles a level 22 Druid. She's stunned and going down fast. I look for the flag. I don't see one. What's going on???

Why do 7 Horde approach our base, ignore getting the flag, head to a nothing corner of the map and track down and kill a level 22 Druid?? I didn't see her, no way could they have seen her. She must have been Shadowmelded, and behind a tree limb. These guys zeroed in on her like guided munitions to a bunker. We've got a snitch.

I announce it in /General and nobody says anything about it. The zerg grabs the flags and caps it for the win. I haven't done too badly scorewise. I'm near the top with killing blows (DOTs FTW!) and Honor Kills. (And deaths.) At the bottom is the Raid Leader. Level 29 Druid. 0 Killing blows, 0 deaths, 30 Honor Kills.

The raid rejoins the queue and we're shortly back in. And against the same folks. This time I do not join the raid, preferring to go on my own. Later on in that match, as we're one flag away from losing, I decide to scope things out in wisp form. I go to our flag area and see two enemy rogues in our flag room. (That's where I died.) I announce it to /General. Someone invites me to the raid and I decline. I watch a Night Elf Hunter come in and she's struck by the first Rogue. She sends in her cat and is stunned by the second rogue. /General "And that's the 2nd one." I say. They win, we retire to the Keep.

There I see some cats running around. Level 29 Druid knows the Level 22 Druid. Both are Corporals. Hmmm. Ms. Cat Form-Can see humanoids on a radar map-and-Does not Die knows Ms. Zerged Druid. Both unguilded.

Is it possible to be in Vent and report to your buddies so their WSG experience, not only enhanced by massively expensive enchants, is also given preternaturally abnormal amounts of info? Was I set up here? Sure feels like it.

Itarilde & Freewind.

Druid and Warrior hearthing home after a hard day in Duskwood.

Iodized Salt.

Had a fun weekend. (Except for the moving in part, and taking loads of stuff down to the garage and basement that perhaps I don't need to own at all anymore.)

Got back to Alterac Valley with Darkhoof and conclude the week, so far, with 952 Honor Kills and some 20,000 Honor. It's so easy to get the kills and honor in AV. Last match I got 400+ HKs. And, an added bonus, every AV I've played to conlusion ends with a Horde victory. (And I've been studying up on it and have a better idea what the goals are.)

With the wife now connected the two us returned to Azeroth. Freewind (26 NE Warrior, Arms) and Itarilde (28 NE Druid, Feline Swiftness + Resto) went to Duskwood and began the quests there. This was her first time there, ever, and she liked it. "Like a spooky Elwynn," she said. Of course, isn't it almost mandatory, that wandering elite skeleton guy bumped into us and we had to run for our lives at one point. She faery fired him and that was the end of her story. So between the two of us I tried to tell her that, basically, I need to hit stuff first, and hardest, and she can kick in with her attacks afterward. "What am I supposed to do? Just stand there??" "Of course not. Just let me get them to hate *me*. Then you can join in." We get into our groove. Kill some Worgen, kill lots of Skeletons and Ghouls. (We make the run from Catacomb crypts through tunnel into the Ghoul Cemetery.)

Later that evening our friend Nachmahd (45 Tauren Shaman, Enh) comes on and can help us out. This is when Zauberin (Forsaken 31 Mage, Arcane) and Morticai (Forsaken, 35 Warrior, Fury) come on and head to Hillsbrad. We assault Don Boragh (or whatever that elite dwarven place is called) and kill a Capt. Underhill. But Nachmahd, irl, had been helping another friend with his kitchen installation, :), and logs off early. And Kathleen is tired too, so that concludes our questing together.

Morticai returns to Ogrimmar and looks in his bags. 2 Warsong Gulch token markers. 3 for a turn-in, and it's Warsong Gulch weekend. Auspicious.

So I sign-up for WSG. I figure as long as I can get 25 HK's, win or lose, I'm good for at least a turn-in. WSG pops and I get invited to a group. Being level 35 I'm kind of mid-level. But I can Rend Rogues and Hamstring Carriers, so I can provide some benefit to the raid. And, boy, do I hate Gnome Rogues. So sneaky. Such snakes. So I pay special attention to them. At one point a 39 Rogue comes into our base, and as he and a Paladin take me on, and down, he actually does the "/chicken" move to me. He dies many more times afterwards, at my hands. Oh yes, we win. I'm shocked. And the raid signs-up again and we are almost immediately back in. And we win again. And again back in, and yet another win. Four wins in a row and it's nearly midnight so I bow out. What a blast. Morticai is Fury, as I've mentioned, and Dual Wielding, and he has two 1.5 second Long Swords in his hands. Of the Tiger, and Of the Bear. And I found that if I have a good buckler in one hand, and one of those swords in the other, I've got that much more armor and I'm still making dents. (A Fury Warrior becomes what amounts to a Rogue in Plate Armor. Pre-MC days we had a Warrior who would regularly out DPS most of the other classes in our raids in UBRS and such.)

But I'm not quite ready to sleep. Darkhoof logs on. He's got 945 kills in the week. Can I break 1,000? I sign up for Arathi Basin and Warsong Gulch. WSG pops. I ask if they're inviting and get into a 5-man raid. We do pretty good. We actually have 2 flag captures. But the alliance are hitting pretty damn hard. But I'm in my 8/8 Earthfury + Staff of Dominance. I've got the extended reach on my lightning bolts. Witnessing a battle up in the Alliance Graveyard I approach. I target someone, let a bolt fly, and peg him. Kek. The party leader says let's get the flag. I move towards the base and find myself above the flag. No defenders. No party members. Why not? So I hop down, grab the flag, and head out. At the entrance I change to Ghostwolf form and start the run back. Where are the enemy?? I encounter nobody, I even have an escort. I run up into our base and look down at our flag. Present, and guarded. I hop down and cap it. Horde wins. Again. When it rains, it pours.

Maybe tonight I can break 1,000 kills before the weekly update.

As an aside, you might ask why my sudden interest in Battlegrounds? Since I'm not able to raid end-game anymore, what other venue do I have for loot upgrades? I'm wearing full Molten Core gear. Where do I go for upgrades?

Actually, I forgot about this, but I joined Requiem in their ZulGurub raid on Saturday. We didn't get very far in. We killed the Snake Boss, but with only one Priest taking on the Bat boss proved too tough. Anyway, the Snake Boss dropped the Seal of Zanjil. (Some caster ring, blue quality.) I asked if I could roll on it. (Since I'm Elemental now I can use some caster gear.) I was told, in vent, that it would be "bad form" for me to roll on any gear. This was for Requiem people to gear up. I was already geared up. I was being greedy. Sigh. Yes, I see the point. Apologies. But my trip to ZG got me 6g in repairs. And if I'm not going to be able to roll on anything I might be able to use... what would be the point in my going? A steady outflow in repair bills? I suppose the /greeded coin drops (I think I got one coin) could be sold and that would somewhat make up for the repairs. The Zandalarian Hero Charm? Now that would be nice. But... I'm going to get to go on a Hakkar kill? And be allowed to roll on the heart? No time soon.

So, I could raid ZG with lesser geared folks, helping them gear up towards Molten Core, for nothing personally and no gain, or do Battlegrounds, where I have little durability loss, I can earn a little cash looting corpses, and I'm earning rep towards some gear.

P.S. Cleared out my bank some by selling some of the herbs I'd stored up. (I needed the space to hold all my Enhancement gear. Not using it at the moment.) I think I put up for auction 10 or 12 stacks of 20 of various herbs. I'd let Auctioneer scan the market first and then just put the stuff up for sale at the recommended buy out cost. I made 60g. Sixty Gold!! (That's 2/3 of a basic mount. On some herbs!) Wow! That's just absolutely lucrative. So while Darkhoof was waiting for a BG to pop last night he headed out, in Ghostwolf form, and gathered herbs in Durotar and into the Barrens. I used to fish outside the entrance. Now I'm going to gather herbs. Might even set the hearthstone to someplace within easy flight of Orgrimmar but closer to the plantlife. (And one of the BG rewards is a set of boots with 15% faster run speed in Ghostwolf form. Woot!)

Alterac Valley.

To be honest, I have no idea what I'm doing. My strategy, for Alterac Valley, has been to get invited into a group. Then I go find my party members. If they're out there somewhere, maybe they know what they're doing and I'll tag along to the win. Kind of like my Molten Core Strategy. ;) I hope one of them is a Warrior, i.e. Plate Armored Damage Dealer, and I can make sure I can keep them alive. But I'm slowly learning the locations and the things to do. (Armor collection, etc.)

I also look to find battles and then, from the outskirts of these battles, safe at 36 yards or so, I keep my side alive with some good healing, and, now more than ever, to some damage casting Lightning Bolts and Chain Lightnings.

I have got to say I love being an Elemental Shaman. Never really did the Elemental thing before now. I have gone with 30 points in Elemental, and 21 points in Restoration. Faster, stronger, efficient Lightning Bolts that can crit real well, is the ticket. Last night in Alterac Valley I was the top Shaman in terms of kills. I was in like the top 10, 5 maybe??, when the battleground closed with a Horde Wins! I have been in a winning Alterac Valley everytime I've played one through to the end.

I was originally thinking Enhancement was going to be a viable PvP build. 0/30/21 with all the weapon buffing abilities. But it just wasn't. Maybe out in World PvP, one on one, maybe. Probably not though. I had my Earthshaker, and some fairly nice PvP orientated gear. Bloodstained Hauberk out of Zul Gurub, some crafted Black Dragonscale Boots, Black Brood Pauldrons from Blackwing Lair, and some items from the Cenarian folks down in Silithus. Going into AB I wasn't really putting any beatdown on anyone with that. I could circle a clothie, keep them stilled with Frostshocks and Earthbind totem, and just hammer them. If I had time I might win the encounter.

But, wowza, new build, and I was really, really enjoying destroying Warriors, who were engaged elsewhere (heh heh) with someone else, destroying them with a couple 1000+ hits (on a 1.5s cooldown) with my new build. Especially if they were using a Sulfuras, the Hand of Ragnaros. "Legendary this, my friend." I love Alterac Valley, I love my build.

Arathi Basin is another story. I always seem to be in a pug against a very, very skilled Alliance AB Guild. Does the Horde ever get the Farm before the Alliance get the Stables?? I have an epic mount, carrot on a stick, mithril spurs, and if I ride flat out, first through the gates, to the Farm, I can capture it just after the Stables are captured, never before.

Last week in the internet cafe, and an Alterac Valley weekend, I managed 500-some kills and 48,000 honor. I also went from Rank 3 to Rank 4, Senior Sergeant. And I became Friendly with all 3 battleground factions.

Last night I managed 500-some kills in one Alterac Valley session alone. And some 7,000 honor. And I got Honored with the Frostwolf Clan.

I'm hooked, again, as ever, for now, and the forseeable future. ;)

Wired. From in my freakin' house. Woot!

No more internet cafe. And after I get some of the furniture unpacked I can log on game from the comfort of home.

He ain't heavy, he's my brother.

Was playing some Battlegrounds last Saturday night.

Wasn't planning on doing much. Just wanted to get a little play time in. Hopped on the streetcar, headed into town. Yes, Germany may as well be 1906 when it comes to getting internet service at home through their cookoo clock making mentality. (Black Forest. Nobody makes an entire clock. Everyone only makes one certain part. The money maker is the one who alone gets to put it all together and sell it. Nobody is responsible, nobody really owns the final product. The clock works, but it's too expensive, and, it's 2006 now, so what?) Kabel BW: CAN I PLEASE HAVE INTERNET NOW? YOU HAVE NOT STOPPED ADVERTISING IT SINCE I'VE ORDERED. You can sell it, then provide it. Or, STFU, as we'd say in-game, and get the hell out of the business.

The connection there at the cafe is iffy, it's uncomfortably hot, but I figure I can 1) Sign up for Warsong Gulch there at the Outrider outpost in the Barrens, and then 2) ride into Elfland to go make some trouble.

I put on my spiffy melee gear and ride to Astranaar. Lucky for the locals, I didn't run into any of them. I cleared out the Silverwing Outpost, and then the tower by the Laughing Sisters. Then I reached Astranaar. I took out the two bridge guards on the east end. A mounted Alliance rides towards me. Level 59. He keeps riding. Then he pauses. Turns his horse towards me. I pull another guard and continue making short work on them. Now a Dwarf rides past. Level 60. He reaches his partner and both turn and ride on. I walk through Astranaar and slaughter all the guards. Wee. It's fun having epic gear. Before I reach Maestra's Post I'm called to Warsong Gulch.

I throw on a Lightning Shield. I ask for invites, AND SHOCKING SHOCKING! I get an invite. I didn't realize 60's did anything more than solo the BG's. Really nice. See, IT IS SO MUCH EASIER TO HEAL YOU WHEN I AM IN YOUR PARTY WITH YOU OR IN THE RAID WITH YOU. That's just for you tone deaf ones. Look: If you're not with me, I can't heal you.

I get /whispers asking if I'm going to keep playing. I don't know how much longer, but I have a goal: Friendly with the Warsong Outriders. !!! (I kid you not.) And I'm pretty close. Two guys from K N R chat with me. Two rogues, Evich and Eviloution. They're farming BG rep. I tell them I'm just glad to see that during my playtime hours (evenings Central European Time) my stateside server is active. And I need Rep too. They tell me anytime I want to join them I've got an invite. Cool.

I did a few more Warsong Gulches, and a couple Arathi Basins, and had a good time. And I reached Friendly with the Outriders. And I put my healing gear (8/8 Earthfury+ Staff of Dominance + +55 Healing enchant) to use, and my fighting gear. I am, in no way, burned out on WoW! Bring it on. Bring out your wounded. Bring on the enemy. ;)

In Italy this week.

In search of the elusive boar ham and parma cheese. Mages are great, for water and muffins, but things like that can only be found by gathering.

"You're an addict."

That's what my friend tells me with an in-game /whisper last night.

See, Friday and Saturday we went over to his house, Kathleen and I, for BBQ, and some Irish Pub, and then some Warcraft.

Last night I figured I'd just hop on the streetcar into downtown and try the internet cafe again. It was like a steamroom. After 9 and the temperature in there had to have been in the upper 80's. This is where you begin to sweat just sitting still. There is absolutely no relief to be had anywhere in this heat and in this country. Thank God for the portable air-conditioner we have set up in the bedroom. 23C FTW!

Anyway, I thought it was a little ironic getting a /whisper about my addiction.

Blood Elf Paladins and Draenei Shaman

At first I thought "WTF?!"

At the second glance I thought "They can't do that."

Now I'm psyched.

A Draenei Shaman. And a Blood Elf Paladin. I like it.

...

See, the original lore for "The Broken" the not-totally-corrupted Draenei indicated shamanic roots. Now Blizzard had said "The Alliance will NEVER have Shamans." So, of course, when the news came of the Draenei joining the Alliance, people said "The lore doesn't work." Now it does.

Blood Elf Paladins? Weaker. BUT in their pursuit of magic, ANY MAGIC, to further their cause, why not that of the Light? Do the Priests not learn Shadow Magic in the Cathedral? The "Light" is not "Good" and "Shadow" is not "Evil". Forsaken and Human Priests both use both forms to further their causes.

I guess the only question is why the Blood Elves are forsaking the magic of nature? (I.e. no Shaman magic.)

What I'd like to see, though, is race specific totems. The totems as we have them now are very Tauren influenced. Troll totems should be more voodoo and Orc totems should be more rock. Draenei totems should also have a unique look.

I'm psyched.

What to do? Where to go? The possibilities are boundless!

Returned to the internet cafe again. The heat there was stifling like an oven, making the pressure feel like that bandaging exercise in the Theramore Clinic to get your First Aid skill.

Speaking of Warcraft... :)

I log onto Morticai, only to see where he was (it's been goblin years since he was active). I just flew him to Orgrimmar. (I can't really play too long, or get into anything too attention demanding, at the cafe.) My friend was on. He lives just up the river from Heidelberg. He's got a Tauren Shaman that is in his mid-40's now. Keeps telling me about going to Zul'Farrak and all that. Nachmahd is the Tauren's name. He too had some characters on Emerald Dream that he brought over. A level 26 Night Elf Druid and a Paladin. Nachweis and Nachricht. He has four characters, but for the life of me I can't think of another German word starting in Nach-.

There is a new Massive Online Gamer magazine. First issue had an interview with the lead singer of Blue Oyster Cult. "Don't Fear the Reaper" and such. (Boy, I liked that song when it came out. And Will Ferrel on SNL banging on that cowbell cracks me up to no end! "I gotta have *more* cowbell!") Anyway, this singer for BOC, he's got a lot of characters. All his charters have names that end in -it. Trapit the Hunter, Axeit a Warrior. Smash-, Rezz-, Bank-, etc. (On an RP-PvP server too.) "Don't Fear the Reapit????!"

But, so, I wanted to get my buddies Alliance characters into our guild. I log onto Darkhand. I am the only one in my Guild that is on. And I don't have /ginvite rights. :(

But, snap, (is that a good use of that word?), I'm alive in the world. I fly from Stormwind City to Ironforge. And Ironforge to Thelsamar. I'm bored. What can I find near my level? Quests. One in the Badlands. Recover some parts from some Ogres. Green. Hmm. Sure.

Mount up, ride out, leaping over trees. (I do that because my wife is jealous of my mounts >;) and she's watching. I really need to get her to 40 on a character. I need internet access at home!) "He looks cool, doesn't he?" Phantom Blade on his back, cool Feather Headress giving him lots of agility. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever," she says. (It really is too hot to be in that cafe.)

So I find the Ogres, sneak into their camp, and then ambush the Ogre closest to the tools. Scrolling Combat Text is going wild! Record hit! Record crit! Record sinister strike! Record! ... I guess if you've never been recorded a sneeze is going to set a record.

And being a Rogue is a whole different way to play. Have to worry about having a dagger in my hand to backstab. Changing weapon sets. Etc. But I cut them down quickly enough. I ride out and return the tools. And I get a new quest. Dustbelcher Ogres have some metal things. Off I go. Glorified errand boy. But this time my rusty Rogue skills finally sieze up. I am slain by an Ogre. Oh, the ignominy of it. I recover my body, and look for revenge. I find a hapless Ogre. I aim for a kidney shot and land a premature eviscerate instead. (So many talents to use, so much to relearn!) HACK HACK HACK HACK, it goes down. I get the metal part, but, meh, this needs better concentration to get back into the swing. I stealth out, and outside mount up, and ride to the base camp. I didn't make a dent in my rested xp so don't mind sleeping out under the stars for a spell.

Each class is very different. Each race as well. And Azeroth is a pretty big world. I can't see myself tiring of it.

Two Toons and Counting.

Last night I journeyed back into Heidelberg town. I heard of a new internet cafe, this one a little closer to Bismarkplatz and the streetcar stop. This was a little more upscale too, with marble floors, multiple levels, lots of computers, and two, count 'em, two spots for people to plug notebooks in. Yay! I got one of those spots.

When I got there Hans and Frieda were smoking on the computer to the right of me, and Fritz and Inge on the other computer to the left of me. If you're a sophisticated, educated, computer-literate German, or European for that matter, odds are you are blowing cigarette smoke all over your monitor and keyboard. Probably have a "handy" glued to your ear as well, and you are talking to yourself like some mad person. Ah, the nicotine tar scum that must build up on your computer. (Except computers you can replace, your lungs you can't.)

But I digress!

Darkhand has now joined the clan over on Kirin Tor. I got him up and running and sent a /tell to the guildmaster of my Kirin Tor Alliance guild. "/ginvite please." So with that Darkhand came out of a year's retirement.

Arcarius logged on and sent the same /tell and got invited as well. My first character, alive again! Naturally I respecced my pet and taught him Prowl, Dash, Claw, and Growl, and then rode over to the Battlegrounds guy to sign up. I logged before either Warsong Gulch or Arathi Basic kicked off. BUT I look forward to playing there. Get Sergeant rank or such to demonstrate "For the Alliance!"

(Best wishes, Bero, if you're reading this, with the newcomer to your own family.)

But then came a bit of a glitch. Back to the character transfer pages. I wanted to give my wife a character. I created and pay for both accounts, and so I figured "Naturally." Except Blizzard figures "Not the same surname, obviously an Ebay transaction. No way in hell." She wasn't my wife at the time I created that account and I saw no reason not to name the account with her names, first and last. But she is my wife now. And my credit card has been paying both accounts since day one. I wrote Blizzard a message and let's see how that goes.

I figure $25 is about an hour or so's worth of salary. So a level 19 Hunter, with some pretty decent gear, is easily worth the $25 cost of transfer to me. Because it took a couple of hours to get to 19. I'm only wanting to give my wife the 19 Hunter because the character transfers allowed me to rezz my 48 Hunter back to life. Please Blizzard? Make us happy? <--- Shameless plea, yes. :)

P.S. Arcarius is Kinless' new name. So Kinless becomes simply me, the puppet master. Aka Robert, your humble correspondent. Tschuss, bis spaeter.

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.

New Look.

Damn. Sure wish I had some internet. Germany <> Customer Service Land.

Internet Cafe in Heidelberg. WTFPWNAGEBBQ Smokers 2, wife 0.

How does the rest of the world do it? Twice this weekend I dragged the laptop into town and hoped to at least connect for a breath of time.

Starbucks on the Hauptstrasse. Sat down with some chilly Java Chip Frappucino's and got the laptop out. (By the way, since when is Heidelberg a steamy tropical town? The heat and humidity are brutal. Worsened because there's no A/C anywhere! It's like being on the equator somewheres. Good Radlers though. (Beer + lemon drink mix. VERY good tasting and refreshing!))

Anyway, Starbuck's server is Kaput. No connection. Bummer. So, on the way back to the streetcar stop we remember a 99 cent/hour internet cafe. We head there. I plug in.

We're sitting next to a blonde girl who is puffing away like some dragon on her cigarette while she pecks at her keyboard.

But I manage to log on. Yay! So I check on Kinless' transfer. Seems they don't like the name. Again. (What's up with that! Blizzard: It's a Freakin' EPITHET! LOOK IT UP! Since you won't be bothered, here's what Webster's says: "a characterizing word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a person or thing ". Get it? ARGH!)

So, Kinless leaves Argent Dawn, and then as Arcarius joins Kirin Tor. Arcarius is late latin for whats became Archer. Befitting a Hunter, no? (Arcuarius is the latin for archer, from arcus, meaning bow.) Level 48 Hunter. Time for some BG action perhaps? You bet.

So we try to transfer Darkhand over then. My level 45 Rogue on Frostmane. He's entirely alone there and I want him united with my wife and my friends characters on Kirin Tor. Except the page is down. Not possible. But at least I logged on, ran around the world a bit. But the smoke is killing us, so we depart.

Sunday, returned to the cafe. Got set up. (I actually saw another cafe patron in World of Warcraft. Was that Molten Core??!!!) We've got a fan blowing on us this time. Still kind of smokey. I go to the character transfer page. Error. Again, reload, error. Reload, error. Error, error, error. C'mon Blizzard. If you offer a service, how about it be accessible?

Well, there's that, and then this Turkish kid sits down where Blondie was the day before. Because he is European he is compelled by law to light up a cigarette. (Some day, when the mood strikes Germany, they will outlaw cigarettes and make smoking in the country illegal. If there's something that Germans can do they do it hardcore, balls to the wall, no holds barred, 110% of the way. At the moment they can smoke, and they do so with fury and gusto. The day they are supposed to stop, heaven help the person sighted with a cigarette in his mouth. The day will come. They're always about 20 years behind America. (4-6 weeks to get internet connection to a fully wired apartment? That's worse than some 3rd world country! Sorry. And every room in an apartment is just a room. Every space must be room shaped and have a door. 1906=2006 in German apartment technology. But I digress.)

Anyway, the smoke is making the wife nauseous, and I can't transfer my character, so I quickly hop on, run around with him a bit in Ironforge, and then log out. Felt pretty darn good just stretching my virtual legs.

In the end, about when I can resume playing, on Kirin Tor I will have a 48 NE Hunter, a 45 NE Rogue, a 36 NE Druid, and a 36 Forsaken Warrior. Not a bad little stable of characters. A Draenei Paladin and a Blood Elf Warlock will be in the works come the Expansion.

Kinless gets kin.

Took advantage of the new character transfer service. Kinless being on Argent Dawn, one of like five eligible servers to transfer off of, he took the dive, headed over to Kirin Tor where he'll be in the good company of Greenclaw, Freewind, and Itarilda.

Life without WoW.

This living in temporary quarters is a tough thing. No real internet. Some wireless connection of mediocre signal strength and bandwidth. Seems to work fine for the gent upstairs whose wife uses the internet to videoconference with friends and family back home, but for me, I can barely load a webpage with graphics.

So I can't play WoW, unless my good friend lets me use his internet connection on an occasional basis.

Until I get my own internet again I have to find something to do.

I visit my guild's website and raid vicariously with them. (Chromaggus down!)

I work on my genealogy. Well, since it's pretty much established and the brick walls have only become even more resolute than ever, that amounts to creating the coats of arms from the blazons and importing them into the database. Every now and then a branch of a family is added.

We got Sid Meier's Pirates! for the PC before we moved. So I've played that. Eventually I retired, worn out and weakened with age, at the ripe old age of 3o-something, with the plain daughter of a Dutch governor, and, I had become a Governor myself, very rich, living the rest of my days happily and lavishly.

We then got Fable: The Lost Chapters. After 20 some hours of played time I've defeated Jack of Blades. Yes, I rescued my sister and got Avo's Tear instead of the Sword of Aeon's. I have 5 wives, including the Lady Grey, the most recent I married in Snowspire Village. With 25 Silver keys I'm about to head to the Necropolis where a small bird tells me I'll find some nice armor. At the old age of some 64, with max strength, health, and toughness, and magic, I am a killing machine. I collect legendary weapons as a hobby. :)

Once I finish Fable:TLC, Dungeon Siege II will be my next poison. My wife is playing during the day so she can clue me in.

All I can say is: Rested Experience Bonus!!!

Your bored correspondent, Kinless.

Double header.

Friend of mine went to Ireland with his family to help celebrate the birthday of a friend of theirs. But he left me the keys to his place so the wife and I could get a little World of Warcraft play time in.

Nice.

Friday night it was the Forsaken Warrior Morticai and the Forsaken Mage Zauberin's night. We flew down to Thousand Needles and worked to complete some of the quests we had. We did the Test of Strength quest. We summoned the dead Dragon atop the Grimtotem Mesa, twice. We tracked down Rok'Alim, twice. First time we killed him we weren't on a quest. Second we were on the quest and has spent the better part of an hour running around hoping to run across him again. We finally did. We concluded the evening about ready to undertake the Test of Lore quest from the Shaman fellow up in Stonetalon Peak.

Saturday night it was the Night Elf Warrior Freewind and the Night Elf Druid Itarilde's night to play. Freewind being just level 24, and Itarilde just level 25, headed to the Wetlands. We went to the excavation site, found the fossils for the archeologist in Menethil. We also killed a scad of raptors. Ten of every sort at least! We found a few ancient fragments for the archeologist still stationed there at the site. And we killed Sarltooth for a gentleman outside the cave. Sarltooth was orange for me, but with a Druid healing me, and who loves me, the fight was very easy. Looking for our final vase we managed to fight Sarltooth a second time. I'll admit one fight got hairy as we attracted three or four green raptors at once. I fell and before Itarilde did she battle rezzed me (yay!) and we won the battle. It was close though. We then ran up the road to some tomb and killed slimes until one gave up a bag it was carrying. On the way back I asked if we could just kill an orc or two. Itarilde was getting tired and we were wrapping up the night. We did kill two orcs, and then returned to Menethil. (Both she and I dinged while in the excavation site. She to 26 and me to 25.) I turned in the quests and dinged 26. Yay! We hearthed to Stormwind City and trained and then logged off.

Not a lot of play time, but quality. :)

I've been thinking about character transfers that will be coming up.

Kirin Tor has pretty much become a nice RP home for us. We don't RP but we like the fact that there's not (too) much 1337 speak.

So, my dream team, assembeled on Kirin Tor:

Kinless, level 48 Night Elf Hunter (from Argent Dawn and brought out of retirement)
Darkhand, level 45 Night Elf Rogue (from Frostmane and brought out of retirement)
Greenclaw, level 36 Night Elf Druid (already there)
Freewind, level 26 Night Elf Warrior (same)
Pharazon, Draenei Paladin (because a demon Paladin will be cool)

5 for the Alliance.

Darkhoof, level 60 Tauren Shaman (if he leaves Smolderthorn)
Oddity, level 46 Orc Arms/Fury Warrior (if he leaves Smolderthorn)
Morticai, level 36 Forsaken Protection Warrior (Arms/Fury if Oddity stays put)
Darbanville, level 25 Forsaken Priest (if she leaves Smolderthorn)
JohnDoe (no name yet), Blood Elf Warlock (of course)

5 for the Horde

No reagent vendor. No flght point.

No real internet connectivity.

Argh.

What's up with that??

(Heidelberg's Old Town as seen from it's Castle.)