Saturday, January 31, 2009

First OS run- Success!


Obsidian Sanctum was a ton of fun. We did the 25-man, then split into 2 10-man groups and did that.

So first, the 25-man raid. We didn't keep any drakes up, just went thru and killed them all, then downed Sartharion on the second try. Boogga died early in the first try, then died on the second try sometime after the halfway point, I don't remember exactly when. Nothing for him dropped, but I didn't really care, it was fun just getting in there. Recount for the run-


Boogga did almost 2.4k DPS :D There were 2 other hunters, a MM guildie that got the #10 spot and a PUG BM with a really weird PVP spec, he did better than both of them. BM broken? I don't think so. (I'm mostly impressed with Samurai, she did 1k DPS by herself O.o)

Now the 10-man. That was even more fun than the 25. I got to call out the lava waves, and poor Mageddon died 4 times. Also managed a 10k kill shot crit on trash. Again, nothing hunter-ish dropped, but o well, there's always next time. Recount-


His DPS wasn't as high, but he didn't have as many buffs. I think cats might still win against devilsaurs, tho it might have just been Mag dying all the time. Second time I ressed him I just kept him next to me for a bit.

Forgot to make him some buff food & stuff, next run I'll have him better prepared. Got Naxx next week, can't wait! :D

-Happy Hunting!

Friday, January 30, 2009

Need... Sleep.....

Too tired right now to think straight, so just a recap. Khaotíc is level 17 now, she got her Wailing Caverns run, and my sister tagged along with her newest baby hunter and got a new pet while we were in there. Then we hopped over to Moon Guard and Khlar ran Gwyn and Treng thru RFC. I'm going to have a talk with whatever controls the loot tables, we had nothing but caster drops for both runs. Khlar's herbalism is at 250-something, I was way over-optimistic about how fast I could level it. He should reach 300 tomorrow or Sunday night.

Slow NPC is slow.

Boogga has his first raid tomorrow night, we're doing a guild 25-man Sartherion run. Hope I don't embarrass myself too badly.

I need to find a way to keep my cat from getting crazy-hyper right when I'm going to bed. Hearing him tear around my room after the lights go out is not conducive to a good night's sleep, especially since he likes to terrorize my poor turtles when he feels I'm not giving him enough attention.

I'm off to bed now before I fall asleep at my desk......Zzzzz

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Khlar: Searching


When I left Light's Hope I had no clear destination in my mind. I knew my family used to live in Silvermoon City, but I was still confused. How do I get to Silvermoon? How far was it? These might seem trivial concerns to you, but I was like an adolescent away from home for the first time.

Finally I asked one of the paladins. He eyed me like one might stare at a strange bug, then said in a rustic accent, "The quickest way to go is up north, through the Ghostlands. Or you could go to the Undercity and use the teleporter, but it's a longer trip. Reckon the undead folk there might have news for you, though, if you're looking for somebody or something."

I thanked him, then summoned Geth, my deathcharger, and started off. I thought about going to Undercity first, but I was growing impatient, so I headed north to the border. I did not like the Ghostlands, it reminded me too much of the Plaguelands and my time under Arthas' control. Geth was tireless, though, and his long strides carried me through swiftly. In good time I set foot in Eversong Woods. My home.

Once across the border I was struck by a new feeling: fear. What if I could not find my family? How long had I been gone? What if they were all dead? These were just a few of the questions running through my mind. It occurred to me that my parents had a summer home outside the city, near the Farstrider Retreat. I decided to start my search there.

I found the house after a day of searching; I had been gone so long that my memory was hazy. However, it was apparent that the house was deserted, and had been for some time. I settled there for the night, deciding to check with the Farstriders in the morning.

My questioning the next day brought unexpected news. I had a sister! And she had been trained at the Retreat up until 3 years before. The rangers there informed me that the summer home was still in use, in fact my parents were due to return in about 2 weeks. I settled in to wait.

While I waited, I spent much of my time in thought. I realized that it would not be a good idea to surprise them, as I had first intended to do. I returned to the Retreat and asked them to send my parents a message, which they did. But I did not expect my parents to send a reply, stating that they would be there in a day or two.

My stomach in knots, I waited for them to arrive.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

In which Khlar gets attention


Never did get on Khaotíc. I wound up logging on Khlar last night and doing HF Peninsula quests. He dinged 59 in no time flat, then I saw a group looking for a dps and healer for Ramparts. I volunteered for the dps spot and got an invite, we found a healer, and in we went. The group was 4 DKs and priest healer, and we rocked. We breezed thru Ramps and turning in the quest got Khlar to 60. I gated and trained then hearthed back, and we hit Blood Furnace. That was a bit trickier, but we still owned the place. At one point all 4 DKs died, the 2 unholy specced ones rose as ghouls and finished off the mobs and the priest ressed us after. It was awesome hehe. So now Khlar has some upgrades from his starting gear.

He was the lowest level in the group, and wound up second on Recount for both runs, damage and DPS. ^_^

I have to say, after playing on a pve realm all the time, PUGing on an RP realm was quite a bit different. We were all talking about our gear, back stories for our toons, and lots of just random stuff. It was a nice change from pugs that only talk about the run we're doing, or don't talk at all (I've run into a couple of those on Durotan).



So now tonight I'm getting Khlar's herbalism up to 300 before I go to bed (hopefully). Tomorrow I might do his mining, haven't decided yet, but I would like to be able to gather the stuff he runs across in Outlands, so he won't be going back til both are at 300.

I'm trying something out with Khlar, story-wise. He's had his introduction from Gwyn's POV, now I'm going to be telling it from Khlar's, in first person. Kinda like a diary of sorts. First part is done and will be posted momentarily, second is in the works. Once his backstory is told, he will be keeping up on what he happens to be doing whether he is in Outlands questing, or trying to keep Gwyn out of trouble.

P.S. Both instance runs had NO drops for DKs, actually everything was caster gear. Literally. We were all disappointed but the priest made out like a bandit. hehe

Khlar: The Beginning


The battle was over, and I was lost. As I watched Tirion Fordring and the other paladins walk away, I tried to think of what I should do next. The Lich King's voice, which had once rung so clearly in my head, was gone now, and nothing but my own thoughts remained. My own thoughts... how strange it seems. I had not thought for myself in so long.

I looked to Highlord Darion Mograine for orders, but he still looked shaken by what had happened here. No help there. I finally decided to go see the inn. Walking up to the ramshackle building, it struck me that it was the first decision I had made for myself in many years. I stopped at the door and peered in. The interior was clean but bare, with no real beds, just pallets on the floor. I spotted a member of the Argent Dawn sitting at a desk just inside, and arranged to spend the night there. As I lay down on the pallet, I couldn't help but reflect on what I remembered of my life.

I knew my family had been proud of me. I had gone from my Blood Knight graduation straight into Silvermoon's army, to serve my people in the retaking of our homeland from the Scourge and the forest trolls. I had always pushed myself hard, and was promoted to General's aide in record time. Then that fateful day came, when the General decided to take the fight to the Scourge.

We had set out from Silvermoon amid much cheering and celebrating. Our trip to the eastern side of the Plaguelands was uneventful; perhaps we should have taken that as a sign of what was to come. We had barely come into sight of Naxxramas, floating high overhead, when the Lich King's army struck us. They had been lying in wait for us; Arthas had no intention of letting us come any closer. The chaos was unbelievable, the slaughter absolute. The last thing my living eyes saw was my General choking on his own blood, and the axe wielded by a grinning skeleton coming straight for my head.

I have no idea how long I was dead, before the Lich King's will drew life back into my body. But it was not my life- my will was bound to his. I did not even have a conscious thought for many, many months. I know now that I served him for years, as my sister was not even born when I left with the army, and now she is almost grown. But I get ahead of myself- her part comes later.

My mind shrinks from the memories of what I did for Arthas while I was his slave. I killed hundreds of innocents, some murdered in their homes. I led troupes of mindless undead to ravage entire countrysides, and personally executed some of the most pure people of the Light that have ever lived. I was not aware at the time of the evils I committed, but my obliviousness is no comfort, or excuse.

My wits started slowly returning to me at the beginning of the assault on Light's Hope. There was much to be done before that final battle, but as I went about my tasks, at one point I found myself wondering, "Why am I doing this? Is there a point to it, or is it all just mindless slaughter?" I had no answer, and the questions faded from my mind almost as soon as they formed.

Then I was sent to the Scarlet chapel to execute a prisoner. This was something I had done so many times it was second nature. But as I approached to deliver the killing blow, something totally unexpected happened.

She recognized me, and called me by name. Khlar, she said, do not do this. And I found I could not raise my sword. She begged me to recognize myself and what I had once been, but I had no memories yet, and did not understand what she was saying. Then the captain outside shouted at me to hurry up and finish it, and I felt His will exert itself over mine. I killed her.

Looking back now, I remember her, although her name still escapes me. I remember we played together in Silvermoon, and went to start training as Blood Knights together. She did not last long there, however, and left the Blood Knights to follow more scholarly pursuits. But we remained friends up until the day I left with the army.

After I had executed her, I found memories surfacing at odd moments, ones that I soon realized were mine. Had I really lived this life, or was it a trick played by the Lich King? I asked myself that regularly. But there was too much warmth in those memories, and I had to admit that they were mine, from my old life. How had I fallen so far? Even as I struggled to come to terms with the person I used to be, Arthas' will kept me from acting on those memories, driving me on to complete the tasks he set for me. Until at last, all was ready to attack Light's Hope itself.

I will not recount that battle. I will only say that as I struck down every paladin that came against me, there were tears running down my face. Then suddenly it was over, and we all realized the lie. Arthas had only used us as battle fodder, so he could get at what he really wanted. Expecting us all to die, he had lessened his hold on us all, and as I watched Tirion Fordring confront the Lich King and drive him off, I suddenly found myself free.

Free...

What do you do with freedom, after so many years of being a puppet to someone else? Hence my confusion. As I lay on that pallet inside the little inn, I had to decide for myself what I was going to do with my life. I realized I was being given a second chance. Do I join the paladins of the Argent Crusade? I doubt they would be comfortable with me, or I with them. Should I go with Highlord Mograine and the newly formed Knights of the Ebon Blade? That was a possibility, but I knew there would be more fighting, and at that moment, I was heartily sick of battle. Should I go with some of my fellow Death Knights, and find my own path? Some of them continued to embrace the darkness inside them, but I knew that was not for me. As I pondered, I suddenly remembered something else.

I had a family, somewhere. Were they still alive? Where were they now? The thought consumed me. Before I dropped off to sleep, I vowed to myself that this would be my path- to track down my family and see how they fared.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Level 80 Devilsaur.... Check!

Yup, Mageddon is level 80 now. :) Boogga got into a heroic Gun'drak group where he leveled to 79, then after some massive leather-farming he got an invite to heroic UK, where Mag dinged 80 and.....

I GOT IT! I GOT IT! I GOT IT!!



The crossbow dropped, Boogga has a new ranged weapon at last, and now there's nothing holding me back from joining my guild's Naxx/Obsidian Sanctum runs. He got his crossbow skill from 350 to 400 in no time at all, and leveled his last pet, his still-unnamed chimaera, to boot. 4 more levels for her and all his pets will be 80. /Bask

Spent some time on Kaled too, he dinged 55 and got his inscription to 300. I think inscription has been the most fun profession to level I've found yet. Now I want to push him to 58 so he can get to Outlands and train, then Taurros will send him herbs to keep leveling it. Unless I can talk my warlock friend into summoning him out there....

He has 15 AV marks now, tho I've been taking a break to level him a bit. Next time he goes in, he won't be quite so squishy. He is also now honored with Timbermaw. ^_^ I'm thinking of making him my rep toon and just try to hit exalted with as many as possible. I think it fits his character well too. :)

Just for kicks, here's the Recount of Boogga's H Gun'drak run-


I think his DPS doing okay right now. This is before he got the new bow, so he still had his old one. We also had a good group for buffs, he was over 4k RAP at one point. I really want to see what he can put out in a 10 or 25-man raid.

Going to run Khaotíc thru a bunch of quests tomorrow, then hit Wailing Caverns/Shadowfang Keep. Hopefully she'll get another level or three.

Time for bed now, goodnight and Happy Hunting!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Ding-a-ling


Today was Level Khaotíc Day, she's up to 15 now. Kaled ran her thru RFC again to finish up her quests, then they took a trip to Westfall and did Deadmines. That was kind of annoying 'cause she died twice when I wasn't paying attention to the patrols, and the only thing that dropped for her was the cloak off of Van Cleef. Gonna run it again a few times and try to get the belt and polearm. Next on the list- Wailing Caverns!

Duoing them has been easier than I thought it would be, even with the lag issues. I have learned though it's not a good idea for them to both be in Orgrimmar at the same time hehe.

I was going to pick herbs with Taurros for Kaled's inscription, but Winterspring was strangely empty of herbs, plus I started falling asleep at the keyboard. Will do a nice long(er) post tomorrow, for now it's bedtime.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Post-patch DPS testing and leveling stuff

I took Boogga to Silvermoon figuring that would be the least laggy Horde city and ran a few DPS tests. I wish I had some screenies of his DPS before the patch but I don't, if I remember correctly he was pushing about 1500. Each test is just a single, nuke-til-he's-out-of-mana burst, I could have gone longer I know, but I just wanted the rough figures. All tests were done with AotDragonhawk. First test was his old spec, with Samurai attacking. I had all her skills on auto-cast except for Call of the Wild. Results:
(Messed up a bit with the picture editor but tried to make it as readable as possible.)
So his DPS didn't drop a whole lot. He also didn't have any raid buffs, but I don't know how much that would have changed things.

After the initial test I respecced him to this. Then I reset Recount and started firing away again. Results for #2:

This one actually dropped his DPS. :P I'm gonna stick with it for awhile and see how it works in groups/raids and such. It also might have been lower because I'm not used to the shot rotation yet, basically I'm still spamming steady and throwing in arcane/aimed shots when the cooldown is up, and I was late on some shots 'cause I hit steady too many times.

Third test, just for kicks I used Mageddon the devilsaur. He is still 78 but specced the same as Samurai except for his last talent point which he will get at 80. Same as with Sam, he had all auto-casts on except for CotW. Results for that one:
You can see he actually did better that time. Might have been that I did the shot rotation better but Mag's DPS is better than Sam's as well so it looks like devilsaurs might be the new /win. (I don't really care about that, btw. Samurai will still see plenty of use, she is his baby after all.)

This could really use some more in-depth testing, but I'm a nub at this sort of stuff. I'll more than likely try it again when Mag hits 80, but then again, I'll probably be alot better mixing my shots by then so who knows what it will look like. If anyone that knows this stuff better than I do has any suggestions or opinions, please feel free to leave a comment. ^_^
_____________________________

Kaled ran Khaotic through RFC several times today, so she's up to 13 now. Then the lag finally got to my PC and crashed the game, ugh. She got some nice drops tho, I'll try some more tomorrow most likely. Now I'm off to AV again for more marks.

The new computer search is going slow. I had some trouble downloading the patch due to not enough memory, hopefully tho I won't have to put up with it much longer. Biggest thing is my dad is helping me (I'm almost totally computer-illiterate, though I am learning), and he's just not in a hurry like I am. So far we're looking at dual-core desktops, I'm not picky about the brand so long as it's not a Gateway (I've had enough of them, thank you very much), and debating between a normal one or an all-in-one, which would be nice just from the space I'd save since my desk isn't that big. Would appreciate some crossed fingers that we can find a good deal soon, and I can finally retire this laptop.

Til next time, Happy Hunting!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Kaledain: Silverpine revisited

I've been itching to write something all week. Came up with this while at work today. This is during their stay in Silverpine, hunting the worgen and Scourge.
________________________________

Silverpine Forest was, Kaled thought, the most depressing place in Azeroth. The dying trees drooped all around him, and the sparse grass was an unhealthy-looking blackish-green. Khaotic led as they traveled down the road toward the Forsaken outpost called, ironically enough, the Sepulcher. Upon their arrival, they found the Forsaken in charge, who gave them all the information they needed to track down the worgen they were there to hunt. Then Khaotic ushered Kaled out onto the road again.

"I try not to camp too near this place. They give me the willies sometimes," she explained to Kaled. He was inclined to agree with her. The Forsaken were his first good look at undead, and they disturbed him in ways he couldn't explain.

The weather had turned chilly while they had been traveling from Silvermoon, and both of them now wore heavy, fur-lined cloaks. Kaled pulled his close and shivered as the wind cut through the trees. He followed Khaotic as she walked about a quarter-mile back the way they had come, then left the road and searched til she found a suitable campsite. The two elves dropped their packs, then Kaled went to gather wood while Khaotic built a fire ring. Soon they had a small fire blazing merrily in the growing darkness, and their bedrolls spread out on either side of it.

Khaotic set water heating for tea while Kaled got out some of their dried travel rations. They ate their supper in silence, broken only by the occasional night bird or, rarely, an eerie cry far in the distance. Their animals had been roving about, staying within hearing range but wandering. As full dark set in, they all came back to the fire, Kechara perching in a nearby tree while the cats lounged next to their masters. Vhid rooted out a bed for himself at the foot of Kechara's tree and settled down for the night.

Kaled and Khaotic sat side by side for awhile next to the fire, then Kaled broke the silence with a huge yawn. Khaotic looked at him with a grin, then said, "Might as well get some sleep. Morning we start our hunt." Kaled grunted assent as he got up and pulled his bedroll closer, then burrowed into the blankets with only his face showing. Ashkeyana moved over to lay against his back, then they both started breathing deeply and evenly in sleep. Khaotic chuckled to herself as she made herself comfortable in her own bedroll, then looked over to Gulhalrathn. "Guard the camp, Gul," she told him quietly, and the big leopard chuffed at her, then got up and moved off into the darkness.

Morning dawned misty and cold. Kaled awoke to the sounds of Khaotic stirring the fire into life. He sat up and stretched, then shivered as the cold hit him. Wrapping a blanket around himself, he stood and walked over to a tiny creek nearby, washed quickly in the icy water, then came back to the fire. Khaotic handed him some jerky, and he took it, then leaned down and gave her a peck on the cheek. She smiled at him, then turned to roll up her bedding. Kaled wolfed down his breakfast and did the same. After washing down the jerky with a drink from his waterskin, he placed it in his pack and slung it onto his back. Khaotic had put out the fire and shouldered her own pack, and they set off.

Khaotic showed him what to look for as far as tracks went, as they walked through the trees back to the road. They turned south on the road, going past the Sepulcher and continuing on.

Kaled was quiet while they walked. He was thinking about what they had come for, and was having second thoughts about his part in it. Khaotic noticed his introspection, but said nothing for awhile. When they were well past the Sepulcher, she stopped and turned to him. "You're not sure if you can do this, are you?" she asked him. He was startled for a second, then relaxed; she was good at reading him, and he hadn't been sure how to bring it up. "These worgen are living things," he replied. "It's one thing to hit a training dummy, or swing at each other with dull blades, but I've never killed anything except animals." Khaotic nodded at him. "Let me show you something. It won't take but a minute." She led him off the road into the trees.

They found a cabin not far in, but it looked abandoned, with holes in the walls and the fence starting to fall over. Khaotic stopped and looked back at Kaled. "This was a farm just two days ago. The Forsaken told me about this when I asked for directions. They were attacked by the worgen." She motioned for him to go inside the cabin, which he did. He found the interior in shambles, with smashed furniture everywhere. Then he saw the bodies.

They looked like Forsaken; the bodies showed more decay than he would have expected. Two of the three bodies looked like they would have been only 10 or 12 when they had died the first time and risen as Forsaken. One of them had an arm missing, the torn limb lying on the other side of the room. He noted with disgust that the arm looked chewed.The third was a female in a patched, ragged dress, obviously the mother. She had been gutted. Khaotic came in behind him as he stared at the corpses. "The father was torn to pieces outside, in the back yard. They were a family that died to a Scourge plague and rose as undead all at the same time. They were living here quite happily until the worgen came calling." Kaled took one more look around the wrecked house, then nodded to her and went back outside. He had gotten the point.

By noon they had reached a walled village. Consulting their map, Khaotic announced that it was called Pyrewood. They approached it carefully, stopping at the forest edge and watching it for awhile. Finally Khaotic turned away. "I don't think we should go in," she said. "It's making me uneasy for some reason." Kaled agreed; he was having the same feeling.

Pressing on, they soon were back among the trees. Khaotic suddenly grabbed Kaled's arm, pulling him to a stop as she motioned him to silence. As soon as she did that, he heard gutteral noises from up ahead. They crept forward carefully and peered around a large tree.

Not far in front of them was a group of the strangest humanoids Kaled had ever seen. Man-sized, they looked something like wolves but with human proportions, walking on their hind legs and with arms instead of forelegs. Their hands had stubby fingers ending with large claws. Their wolf-like faces had oversized jaws filled with teeth, and their eyes had a cruel intelligence in them. Kaled pulled back behind the tree and looked to Khaotic, who nodded at him. They had found the worgen.

Kaled took a deep breath as he strung his bow, then nocked an arrow, ducked around the tree, aimed and fired. Khaotic did the same on the other side, and two worgen dropped in their tracks. The others were so startled that the hunters each got off 2 more shots before they retaliated, with blood-curdling howls. Kaled fired a fourth arrow, then tossed his bow aside and drew his swords.

The first worgen that came around the tree was dead before it knew it, its throat and chest sliced open. Then 2 more came, only to be skewered as Kaled and Khaotic each took one. That left only 3 more, which they quickly dispatched. The last tried to run only to be brought down by Kechara and Gul hitting it at the same time.

They made a cursory search of the camp for anything of interest, finding only a smoldering fire and some chunks of rotting meat. They left the camp and moved on.

They found another camp an hour later and wiped it out with the same efficiency. Then they began searching for a campsite of their own, finding a good spot shortly before sundown. After a hot supper of stew made from their dried meat and vegetables, they sat next to each other talking over what had happened that day. Then Kaled set Ashke to watch their camp, and they bundled into their bedrolls, snuggling close to each other in the growing cold.

The next day proceeded like the first until late in the afternoon. They had gone east to the edge of the mountains on the border, and were searching the foothills when suddenly Khaotic froze, drawing Kaled's attention with a sharp hsst. "Scourge up ahead," she whispered to him, and his eyes widened. He waited til she reached his side, then they went on. They discovered a mine hidden in the hills, with several undead wandering just outside. Unlike the Forsaken who retained a fair resemblance to the humans they once were, these were little more than animated, rotting corpses, their eyes glowing an evil red. Khaotic studied them, then turned to Kaled. "There's only six, this should be easy. Kaled, what's wrong?" she said, growing concerned when she saw his face. Kaled had gone pale, and a cold sweat was breaking out on his forehead. "I- I don't know, but I'm not feeling well all of a sudden," he said shakily. "Can you still fight?" she asked him, and he nodded, then pushed himself upright.

They snuck as close as they dared, then as one they drew their bows and fired. Two undead dropped, the rest immediately raising a howl and rushing for the elves. Ashke and Gul ran out from the trees and slammed into one ghoul, their claws and teeth doing massive damage to its rotting body. Another pair dropped with arrows through their skulls, leaving just one. Unlike the worgen, which had tried to flee when outnumbered, the ghoul attacked them savagely. Kaled fended it off while Khaotic slipped behind it, then struck hard, and its head went flying from its shoulders. Kaled jumped back as the body, still twitching, fell at his feet.

They checked the mine, but found no more undead, though the smell discouraged a thorough search. With darkness now approaching, they hurried away to find a safer campsite. The next morning they woke to a thick coating of frost covering the ground.

In the following two days they found 3 more camps of worgen and five groups of undead, which were eliminated ruthlessly. Kaled became pale and shaky each time they found any Scourge, but still fought well. Then they came upon another farm, this one larger than the one attacked by the worgen. It was crawling with undead, they saw when they crept close enough to scout. Khaotic motioned Kaled back, and they backed away until it was safe to speak. "There's about 30 of them, Kaled. Do you want to try this? We can lure them through the woods and thin them out that way before we'd have to close with any." Kaled considered carefully before answering. "I think we can do this," he replied. "If we run into trouble, they don't move very fast. I think we'll be able to get away." Khaotic nodded, then reached out and stroked his cheek. "Be careful, love. No risks."

They separated, approaching the farm on opposite sides. The cats snuck in as far as the fence surrounding the barn, then Kaled sent Kechara in. He drew his bow and began firing as his pets attacked, drawing the attention of most of the undead. He saw Vhid out of the corner of his eye just as the boar charged a ghoul and almost severed its leg. As it fell Vhid pounced on it, tearing it into pieces with his hooves and tusks. Kaled felt his gorge rise as he focused back on his targets, then he suddenly noticed Kechara dive on another ghoul. As she struck, talons tearing into its shoulder, it swiped at her and caught one wing with its claws. Kechara shrieked and fell away. She caught herself before she hit the ground, and flapped unsteadily away into the trees. The ghoul she had attacked sprouted an arrow in its face and fell to the ground, but the others nearby tracked the arrow and charged the place where Khaotic hid, howling viciously. Kaled panicked, and jumped out into the open with a yell. Several undead stopped and looked back, then charged at him, and he melted back into the trees and took off at a run. He glanced back once, quickly counting seven ghouls chasing him, then spotted Ashke charging in behind and taking one down. Kaled sprinted ahead, then paused just long enough to nock an arrow and fire. Five now. He heard Kechara shriek again and saw her pass over his head, and relief gave him more energy. He dashed around a large boulder and came to a halt, drawing another arrow back. He fired as the ghouls, only 3 now thanks to Ashke, came rushing around the boulder. The lead one fell and he leapt onto the next with his blades flashing. Both ghouls were quickly finished.

Ashke padded up to him, his jaws and chest covered in gore. Kaled checked him quickly for injuries, finding none, then looked for Kechara to find her flapping up to him. He had her land on the ground and examined her wing to find a couple bloody scratches but nothing more serious. He felt relief again for an instant, then abruptly remembered. Khaotic was still out there with several more undead. He ran back the way he had come.

Back at the farm, he quickly found her trail and raced along it. He passed by several messy bodies, some obviously Vhid's work, then slowed as he heard fighting ahead. Coming out into a clearing, he saw Khaotic fending off two ghouls while Vhid and Gul both tussled with a third. Kaled drew his bow and shot one ghoul in the back of the head, then Khaotic neatly beheaded the other. Her pets had theirs down seconds later.

The fight over, Kaled and Khaotic just looked at each other for a moment, then Kaled rushed across the clearing and wrapped her in his arms, relief making him dizzy. She pulled away suddenly and began looking him over for injuries, then allowed him to do the same for her. He had a long scratch down one arm from his dash through the trees; she was unscathed. They hugged each other tightly, then collected their weapons and left, heading for their camp.

That night as they sat by the fire, Khaotic told him, "Let's not do that again unless we have to, okay?" He gave a shaky laugh, then put one arm around her. She leaned against him wearily. "How much longer do you think this will take?" he asked her. She thought for a minute. "I'm not really sure. I wasn't expecting to find undead here, and I'd rather not leave until they've been eliminated. But I don't want to spend the winter here, and I'm sure you don't either." He shook his head, then a mischievous grin spread across his face. "No, I'd rather not. For one thing it's too cold for, ah, certain things, and for another, the ground is hard as a rock." Khaotic elbowed him, but grinned too. Then she sobered with a sigh. "Let's give it another two weeks, then we'll head for home. I suppose we should get some sleep now. Let's have Kechara and Gul both keep a watch tonight." He agreed.

Kaled ran through the trees. The Scourge were chasing him, but ahead of him Khaotic was also running from pursuers. He had to reach her before it was too late. Breaking out of the trees into a large clearing, he spotted her facing down at least ten undead. He shouted, trying to draw their attention, but they ignored him and closed on his mate. He tried to run faster, but his legs felt like they were stuck in the ground. Looking down he saw skeletal arms reaching up and grabbing at him. He yelled again, this time in fear, then looked up as he heard Khaotic cry out. He watched in disbelief as the undead overwhelmed her, dragging her down and burying her underneath them. He was in such shock that he didn't even respond at first when his own pursuers reached him and attacked. Then he tried to fight back, but they were all over him, suffocating him. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe. As he struggled to get a breath, he thought he heard a cold voice in his mind, saying, "You are mine now."

Khaotic woke abruptly when she heard Kaled cry out. She searched the surrounding darkness for danger, but all was quiet. Then Kaled started thrashing in his blankets next to her, and she realized he was having a nightmare. She got free of her own blankets, then sat next to him, shaking his shoulder and calling to him softly. He would not wake, however, and grew more frantic. When she almost got decked by his flailing arm, she sat on his chest and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at her, saying sharply, "Kaled! Wake up, it's only a dream!" At that his eyes snapped open, fear filling them, and he looked around wildly for an instant. Then he realized where he was and suddenly went limp. Khaotic slipped off his chest and sat next to him again. He looked all around their camp, then reached out for her. She allowed him to pull her close, and murmured to him soothingly, smoothing his tousled hair as he held her tightly. Finally he released her, his breathing almost back to normal and his eyes no longer fearful. She got him to sit up a bit, until she had his head and shoulders in her lap, then pulled him back down and covered him up again. Finished with that, she gently stroked his hair while she asked him softly, "Nightmare?" He nodded with a shudder. "Need to talk about it?" she pressed, but he shook his head. Then he looked up at her face. "Why is this happening? Is there something wrong with me?" he asked her. "No, love," she responded immediately. "The Scourge are unnatural, and all elves are affected like this when they first encounter them. You're reaction is pretty severe, but it's not the worst I've seen." He digested that, then looked back at her, not quite convinced. She sighed. "Look, Kaled, you told me how you were trained partly by the druids and shamans while you were in Mulgore." He nodded. "What did they teach you? How did you learn to do those skills that would normally take a bit of magic to perform?" He thought a bit then replied, "They talk to the spirits, the elements. I was able to learn a bit of that, and adapt it. That kind of magic doesn't take inborn ability, since the spirits are providing the magic." "Yes," she said. "And the spirits live in the land, water and air. Look at this place. It seems dead, doesn't it? There's elemental energy here, but it's low. That's because of the Scourge. They are like an assault on the senses, a disease if you will." Kaled was quiet again as he absorbed this information. Finally satisfied, he looked back at her face and smiled. "So I'll be fine, right?" "Yes, love. Just give yourself some time, you'll get used to it and won't have these reactions anymore. Now you still need sleep, and I'm right here. Nothing will happen, not til morning anyway." And she leaned down and kissed him, then shifted til they were both comfortable. She held him until he fell back asleep, then slid out from under him. She wrapped herself in her blankets, then laid down next to him and held him close until sleep took her as well.
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I tried to make this a short one but it didn't quite turn out that way. Oh well hehe.

P.S. Kaled is up to 10 AV marks. Gonna take a break tomorrow and try to get another level, then head back in. Horde side is still fail, we had one match that was 20-something-low us-40 them, but at least the matches are short. Alliance side is flooded with DKs tho, I think half their team was made up of them. :P

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Moving right along

Kaled is up to 53, getting the last couple quests for Sunken Temple dinged him yesterday and my sister ran him thru today on her troll hunter. Got some nice screenshots, though some are kinda dark. And new boots!



He has 4 AV marks so far. The 51-60 AV on my server is fail. Each match started out with about 30 alliance and maybe a dozen horde. We never got a full group except for one match we filled up about 5 minutes before it ended. But hey, it's still fun, and that's the point, right? :)

We had some technical difficulties with our internet, so I'm not gonna have all the time I thought I would for battlegrounds tonight, but I'm still gonna run thru 1 or 2 matches.

Post-patch, I haven't noticed a huge drop in Kaled's dps, stuff still dies fast. I haven't logged on Boogga yet tho, I'm kind of afraid to after hearing about what other hunters have said. I'll try to get him in an instance tomorrow and see what happens.

AV is calling, gotta go. Happy Hunting!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Patch 3.0.8- Khlar's Intro

Gwynifar's hands shook slightly as she re-read the note from her parents. Treng entered her room and sat next to her on the bed. "What's wrong?" he asked, noticing her pale face. Wordlessly, she handed the note to him. He read it over, glanced at her in confusion, and read it again, out loud, "Gwyn, please come home at your earliest convenience. We've had some troubling news. It's about your brother, Khlar. Love, Mum & Dad." He looked at her, still confused. "What is it? And why are they asking you to come home? I thought their council said you weren't exactly welcome back." Gwyn looked at him with anguished eyes. "My brother, Treng. Didn't I ever tell you? Khlar was killed by the Scourge a year before I was born! Why would they have news about him now?!" Treng was silent a minute, digesting this. "I think we should leave right away," he finally said. Gwyn was surprised. "You're coming with me?" she asked. He replied, "Of course, you're my sister. I guess this makes Khlar my brother, too." Gwyn said nothing more, just hugged him gratefully.

Their trainers were a little disturbed at the news as well, and gave their permission without argument. They set off the very next day, their pets roaming around them but staying within sight. Authir seemed upset by his mistress' distress, and spent most of the journey riding on her backpack, sending little mental messages of comfort. Gwyn's ability to communicate with her pets this way had startled the orcs at first, although they had said it was not unheard of, just very rare. Haiden too would run over to her periodically, pacing at her side for a bit or licking her hands.

When they arrived at Silvermoon City, Gwyn almost ran right back out of the gates. The way the elves had decided to kick her out those years ago, combined with the disturbing message, made it very difficult for her to walk through the gates and down the main street. Arriving at her parents front door, she took a deep breath and knocked loudly. The door was opened by a maid, who told her kindly that her parents were not there but at their home outside Silvermoon, near the Farstrider Retreat. Gwyn and Treng thanked her and left the city.

They reached the small cottage where Gwyn had spent the first 5 years of her life. Looking at it now, it seemed smaller than she remembered. Gwyn stepped up to the door, then looked at Treng, who gave her an encouraging nod. She took another deep breath, and knocked, then opened the door. As they entered, her mother came bustling up to greet them. She wrapped Gwyn in a comforting hug, then turned and looked Treng up and down. "This must be Treng," she said. "Gwyn's told us so much about you in her letters. Be welcome." Then she turned and led them to the sitting room.

Before they entered the next room, her mother stopped them. "Gwyn, we've had quite a shock, and I don't know how to explain it, so your father and I decided it was best to show you. Don't be alarmed, honey, it's not quite as bad as it seems." And with those rather cryptic words, she went into the sitting room, leaving Gwyn and Treng to follow.

Treng gave Gwyn an encouraging pat, then gestured for her to lead the way. She stepped through the doorway, her heart pounding. Her father was sitting on the couch in the center of the room's far wall, her mother just now sitting down next to him. And in her favorite chair nearby was a tall, pale blood elf, who saw her and abruptly stood up.

He had her family's reddish-brown hair, and his features were familiar, but she was sure she had never seen him before. Then she noticed his pale, almost bloodless features, and the eery glow of his eyes, completely unlike the typical glow of their race. Suddenly it all fit together, and as she realized who, and what, he was, she stopped breathing.

Her brother, lost all those years ago, fighting the Scourge..... what she had heard of the Lich King's abilities to create undead soldiers.... the not-quite-stranger's appearance and almost-familiar features..... Gwyn felt her whole body grow cold.

Her brother, Khlar'rissan, the family's hero she had heard so much about growing up, was a Death Knight.

Gwyn started shaking as Khlar turned to face her. "Sister..." she heard him say, his voice strange, as if he had to force the breath into his lungs. "No," she whispered, then louder, as he stepped closer to her, "NO!!" Then suddenly her vision blacked out as her consciousness fled.

Much later, Gwyn and Treng sat outside in a patch of sunlight. Gwyn watched as Khlar sat down next to Haiden nearby and began petting him. The big wolf looked wary, but his tail was wagging. Authir sat next to Gwyn on the grass, rustling his wings softly, and Arthoas was perched in the tree above their heads. All three had accepted the Death Knight, and Gwyn, after a long talk with her parents, was prepared to do the same.

Khlar was no longer a minion of the Lich King. He had broken free some time ago, and tracked down his family, hoping to rejoin them. He could do nothing about his appreance or his undead state, and he was haunted by memories of what he had done under the Lich King's control, but now he wanted a fresh start, to try and make up for the evil he had done.

After sitting in silent thought for some time, Treng finally spoke up. "What is he going to do now, does he know?" Gwyn's reply was quiet enough he had to lean closer to hear it. "No, he has no idea. I thought maybe he could stay with us for a bit. You know, when we go back to Kalimdor." Treng blinked at her. "What are we going to do with a Death Knight?" he asked. "Well," replied Gwyn, more confidently now. "I thought maybe we could keep him out of trouble."

Treng managed to keep from laughing, though just barely. Gwyn hit him anyway.

Monday, January 19, 2009

The Grind Begins


Kaled is now level 51, so it's time to start the grind for his Frostwolf Howler. I know he won't be able to use it til he reaches 60 and gets his mount training, but I really want to get it over and done with, and I'll be taking frequent leveling breaks besides, so he'll probably be close when he finally gets it. This is going to be the only pvp he does; the other items are tempting, but he'll be replacing alot of them in Outlands so I don't think it'll be worth the time it will take to get them.

Khaotíc has gotten all of one level since I last mentioned her. I really need a new computer before I'll be able to dual-box her with Kaled, my old Gateway can only handle it if I turn off everything else and only have WoW running. I'll probably solo-level her for now.



I had some alt-time the last couple days. Andrano and Sangha are now level 17, I'm going to push them to 20 asap (darn OCD bug). Toorambar got dusted off too, he got to level 21 and Ahanu the hyena, who had fallen way behind and was at 15, reached 20 in no time so I'm really happy with them now.



Poor Boogga's been neglected the last few days, except for dailies and some concentrated Spirit Beast hunting. I almost want to give up on it, but BRK just had a post that is giving me hope that the next patch will make it easier.

I'm kind of just puttering around until the patch comes out, really. I want to see how the hunter changes might affect Boogga and the others before I get majorly into anything. Plus the mining changes, which will make Zuuluu happy, and the other big (I think) change they're going to be doing, about the death knight creation. I also have another story completed, but can't post it til patch day because it involves that last thing.

Making Kaled's story was a lot of fun, and it's started me thinking about my other toons. I probably won't be writing stories for all of my characters, but I might use some future posts to just describe their personalities. We'll see.

Can't think of anything else, so til next time- Happy Hunting!

Friday, January 16, 2009

My OCD, let me show you it


Boogga had been sitting at around 19k/21k rep with Shattered Sun Offensive ever since Wrath went live. Today I finally did something about it. Also ran out to Howling Fjord and did 2 quests there so he reached friendly with Hand of Vengeance. He's almost revered with the Horde Expedition, don't know what I'm gonna do about that, except for doing more quests. Hmm, he still has a bunch in Grizzly Hills to do....

Sons of Hodir dailies are fun and easy so far. Good thing 'cause I spent half an hour running around looking for Everfrost chips afterward and found.... one. /Sigh

He's so cute, isn't he?
Also Mageddon the devilsaur got another level, he's sitting at 78 1/2 now and I'm gonna go back and work on it some more. I figure at 79 he should be safe to take to instances, although for a full raid I'll wait til he's 80. Then I'll have to decide every time whether to take him or Samurai. :(

Boogga still needs a new bow, I need to get off my tail and farm heroic UK some more.

His first Oracle egg hatched and he got the brown tickbird. It flies up above his head, looks funny. I'll get a screenshot later.


Some final non-Wow randomness-

My cat likes tomato soup.
He also eats dog food.
It's 10 degrees here in VA. I think I'll hibernate til spring. Under a couple dozen blankets preferably.
My new quote- "Hunters are like potato chips, you can't stop at just one."
Thinking about potato chips reminds me that I'm hungry.
-Til next time, Happy Hunting!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Kaledain : Part 5, take 2

Here is the last part of Kaled's story. I intend to keep going with it, but this is all I have written so far, and I think I need a break. heh
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Kaled moved his things back into his old room so Khaotic could have as much quiet as possible, but he usually stayed near her, sitting next to the bed, holding her hand if she was awake or just watching her while she slept. He cared for her meticulously, changing her bandages as needed, feeding her, and bathing her. He was very careful to handle her gently, touching her as little as possible, always afraid of waking memories of the terrible things she had endured.

Under his care, Khaotic soon was well enough to sit up, staying awake for longer periods of time. The first day she managed to feed herself was treated as a celebration. However, as she became more alert, Kaled began seeing the signs he feared. She still needed assistance to bathe or dress, and while he kept contact as brief as possible, she would still become very agitated until he was finished and stood away. At times she couldn’t stand his presence in the same room as her, and would ask him to leave her be for awhile, with an almost manic look lurking deep in her eyes. When this happened Kaled would leave the room immediately, waiting to return until she called. After weeks of this, just when he thought his sanity was slipping, Khaotic began to be more relaxed around him. Soon she stopped asking him to leave her, and they spent hours just sitting and talking together.

Kaled told her of some of the adventures he had had after she had left, and she laughed as he made them more and more wild and outrageous. And finally, one afternoon as they sat outside enjoying the last hours of sun, she reached out and took his hand, pulling him close until they were leaning on each other. They sat with their arms around each other, while Khaotic laid her head on his chest, and Kaled wept silently in relief as he held her. That night after helping her into bed, more out of habit than need, she grabbed his hand as he turned to leave. “Stay with me, tonight?” she asked softly. As she fell asleep in his arms, he was finally able to release all his fears.

Khaotic had been struggling with herself while she recovered. At times when Kaled had been close, his worried, kind face had been replaced by a rough, leering one, the face of one of her captors. She tried each time to banish the memories, reminding herself that this was Kaled, her Kaled, and he would never harm her. It took weeks for her to find the nerve to ask him to stay. The loneliness during her healing, when he could hardly touch her for the pain it caused her, had almost driven her mad. Finally being in his arms was like returning home at last. He only held her, nothing more, and for now, that was enough.

It was still several days before she was ready for anything more, but when she was ready, she managed to surprise them both. She didn’t go to sleep, after, but snuggled at his side, gently tracing the new scars on his chest with her fingers. Kaled captured her hand in his, intertwining his fingers with hers. “I thought you were dead,” he murmured. “I didn’t want to go on with my life. But now I’m glad I did.” She felt his smile more than saw it, and smiled in return. “I knew you’d come after me, even at the worst. That’s what helped me stay alive, through all the pain, fear and anger,” she replied softly.

“They came just before dawn, when we were breaking our camp and setting out. I remember I was about to call the sentries in, when it seemed these humans were everywhere. They had come right in the middle of camp and we never noticed in the dark. I saw two of my lieutenants struck down right before me, then I killed their murderers.” Her voice had turned hard, flat. “We fought them to the last. Vhid was run through by two men with spears while trying to defend me. I think they cooked and ate him that first night. When there were only maybe ten of us left standing, something struck my head. I awoke hours later trussed like a pig for slaughter. Then the real nightmare began.”

Kaled felt her shudder as she brought up the painful memories. He didn't stop her, even though he wanted to; he knew she had to talk about it, to complete her healing. “At first they just questioned us, but none of us could or would answer. Then the torture started. I think after that, they enjoyed it so much they just forgot the questions. The first human forced me on the third day, after beating me almost senseless; the second one came that night. After that it seemed they just stood in line, for me and the others. It went on for weeks. Then it just stopped. I think I remember short men with wild beards coming and chasing the humans off. Some of them cleaned me up and moved me to a wagon, and everything after that is just a haze, I was in so much pain. But I kept thinking of you, love, and watching for you to come.” Kaled didn’t answer, except to hug her closer.

Khaotic returned to her former self in good time, but she was still missing something very badly. Her pets were gone, Gulhalrathn to the tauren Toorambar and Vhid butchered by the human mercs. She loved Kaled with all her being, but she missed having an animal companion. Kaled was aware of this, so when he found a yearling dragonhawk with a torn wing, he immediately thought of her and took it home. Khaotic quickly joined him in the stable while he tended to the wound, with Ashke laying on the small body and gently licking its ear. They both looked up and moved away when she entered. She looked at the young thing, something intensely powerful shining in her eyes, then crouched down next to it and began crooning softly. The frightened ‘hawk lay very still for several minutes, then wriggled closer to her, stuck its head under her hand, and sighed and went to sleep. Kaled, smiling to himself, knelt down next to her, and she looked at him with brimming eyes. “Her name is Maelthra,” she said softly, and he nodded, then reached out and hugged them both.

The winter passed quietly and spring came again. One warm spring day, Khaotic came out of the house to find Kaled out at the creek near the house, cleaning up some dishes. Maelthra was sunning herself nearby, with Ashke, who had become mildly obsessed with her, lying next to her licking her head. Khaotic walked past them to stand and watch Kaled. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and the scars he had gotten fighting in Alterac were clearly visible. She still could hardly believe he had come after her, despite his dislike of war. She thought the scars just made him more handsome. He soon noticed her and left what he was doing to walk up to her, smiling as he saw the expression on her face. “A copper for your thoughts, love,” he said. Khaotic just smiled wider, then grew serious for a moment. “Would you want to get married?” she asked. Kaled blinked, then his eyes searched her face carefully. “What brought this on?” he asked. Khaotic just shook her head, still waiting for an answer. Kaled moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “Yes, yes, and yes again. When?” he said. “As soon as possible,” she replied immediately. “This spring?” He nodded into her hair. “As soon as it can be arranged.” She turned around in his arms, hugging him tight and kissing him quick and hard. Then she pulled back, with a mischievous grin, and gestured back to the house. He laughed, then chased her as she ran back inside.

They held the ceremony two months later. They kept it small and private, since it was held at their house. Kaled finally got to meet Khaotic’s parents. All of their friends from Silvermoon were there as well. And the young hunter Toorambar came, though he wisely left Gulhalrathn at home, bringing instead a smallish hyena that he introduced as Ahanu. The party after the ceremony went on all afternoon and well into the night. The celebrants never even noticed when Kaled and Khaotic slipped into the house by themselves. When they exited the next morning, they found a couple of their friends and one inebriated tauren still in their yard, passed out.

Late in the afternoon they finally had the grounds cleaned up and all the celebrants gone back to their homes. All but one, that is. As Kaled and Khaotic let the animals out for one last run, Toorambar approached them. Kaled motioned for him to say what was on his mind. Tooram fidgeted a bit, the blurted out, "Kaledain, would you possibly mentor me? You've become my hero, and I want to learn from you." Kaled stared at him in surprise as Khaotic grinned and squeezed his arm. "Well, yeah, sure, if you're sure that's what you want to do," he replied when he had recovered. Tooram grinned back and said, "By the Earthmother, I do! I already brought everything I need, do you have a place for me or should I find a room in the city?" Khaotic butted in. "We have a room, though it might seem small to you." "Great!" replied the tauren. "I'll send for Gul then, if you don't mind, and gather my gear." As he trudged off, Khaotic wrapped her arms around Kaled's waist, laying her head on his shoulder. "I think you've come full circle now, love," she said softly. "Once a shy student, and now the teacher. I am so proud of you." And as the sun set on the beach, she pulled his head down and kissed him.
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And now, did anyone see this coming?
Yep, I remade Khaotic. She's on my second account, so Kaled will be running her thru stuff to help her level. Just got her to 10 and tamed her pet, so I might do Ragefire for awhile. Already planning out a MM/Surv build for her, I want to see how that goes with a full BM hunter like Kaled.

Just what I needed, another hunter. ;)

P.S. Why, oh why does Blizzard feel the need to make all chest armor look like bikini-tops on female toons? :P

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Kaledain : Part 5

More adult-type stuff in this one.

This last part has been giving me major trouble. I had everything done except I wasn't happy with the ending and it was getting to be too long. So I've decided to split this into 2 parts, and put in everything I've written so far instead of trying to shorten it. Hope you like it.
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Kaled came in sight of the small Frostwolf clan encampment a week later, having learned from the Forsaken in Tarren Mill that they were the correspondence for Khaotic’s troops. He met with the elders and exchanged pleasantries, then before he could ask for news of Khaotic, one of the orcs said, “Have you come about the Horde detachment up in the Mountains? Very sad, that.” Kaled felt his heart stop. “I-I haven't heard anything yet. What happened to them?” The orc replied, “Why, they were ambushed just a few weeks past by a mercenary squad of humans. It is believed none of our people survived.” He continued talking, but Kaled couldn’t hear him over the sudden roaring in his ears. He could only stare at the old orc, until his vision turned black and he knew nothing more.

After he awoke, he stayed long enough to hear the few bits of information known about the attack. The humans had been hired by the Stormpike dwarves that were the usual enemy here in Alterac, there was no doubt. The orc army’s camp had been discovered when they missed their usual correspondence with the Frostwolves. The camp was a bloody shambles, human, elf and orc bodies everywhere. A body count showed several higher-ranking soldiers missing, including most of the elven commanders. After hearing that, that he would not even have her body to grieve over, Kaled left the orcs. He somehow made it back to his house outside of Silvermoon, where he settled the animals in the stable, then went into the house and collapsed on the bed.

The next few weeks were a blank to Kaled. He managed to drag himself outside to care for his companions, then he would retreat back to the house where he would sit in a numb haze. His friends heard about what happened and stopped by as often as they could, trying to make sure that he ate and caring for the house and grounds as needed. He found he could not even cry, so total was his grief and loneliness. But one day as he awoke at dawn, he was surprised to find Argus and Ashke at either side of him, as though they were guarding his sleep. Startled, he looked around and found Kechara too, sitting on the dresser nearby. Somehow Argus had opened the lock on his enclosure, and freed the other two as well. Moved by his companions’ devotion, Kaled felt a wall break inside himself, and he cried himself back to sleep, clinging to Argus’ arms while Ashke rumbled softly in his ear and Kechara hooted quietly.

The animals somehow snapped him out of his despair, but Kaled still felt the tear deep in his heart. He eventually got back into a normal routine, but his thoughts were turning dark. He remembered how the orcs had said that it was human mercenaries who had wiped out Khaotic’s detachment, but they were in service to the Stormpike clan of dwarves. When he felt well enough physically, Kaled traveled back to Alterac, to the Frostwolves.

“I want to help in your battles against the dwarves,” he announced when he arrived. The orcs seemed surprised at his decision, but welcomed him in. He was quickly outfitted with weapons and armor, and had them do the same for Ashkeyana. Argus was too gentle for war, and Kechara made too tempting a target, but Kaled figured that Ashke’s speed and stealth were well suited for his new venture. And so, he began his revenge on his beloved’s murderers.

Kaled soon found out all he could have wanted to know about the horrors of war. At times he remembered Khaotic’s words to him so long ago, and understood how she had felt, as he watched his fellow soldiers fall around him. Somehow he managed to survive each day, though he did not escape injuries. Neither did Ashke, and Kaled found it more difficult to see his cat suffer than it was to recuperate from his own wounds. The Frostwolves understood the hunter-companion bond, and he was allowed to remain at camp each time while Ashke healed, but each time he still chafed at getting back to his vengeance. After many months, they finally reached the dwarves’ main base of Dun Baldar, and prepared for an assault.

Kaled was growing sick of war. He often wished he had never come, but was back at home, with Khaotic again. He was no longer quite so heartsick, but still missed her terribly.

On the day of the assault, Kaled was in the third rank from the front. As the first ranks charged in he tried not to listen to the death screams coming from orc and dwarf alike. He ran in next to the others in his rank, Ashke running alongside, and quickly drew his bow and started firing at the first targets he saw. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a dwarf take aim at him with a throwing axe, but before he could throw Ashke hit him from behind, setting his jaws in the dwarf’s neck and breaking it with a powerful jerk. The orcs to either side of Kaled were hacking at any enemies that came within reach. Kaled was still firing when a dwarf he hadn’t seen hit him from the side, bowling him over. Kaled rolled, throwing his fist at the dwarf and connecting with his cheek. He won free, then leaped to his feet, drew an arrow and shot the dwarf point-blank. Breathing hard, he took a second to look around and take stock of their position; it looked like they were pushing the dwarves back to the main buildings. Kaled waved at a few orcs not currently fighting, and they joined him to begin scouting the outbuildings for hiding enemies.

They cleared a couple dwarves out of the first two buildings, then found the next few empty. Kaled was about to duck into the next shed when he noticed an alcove in the mountain wall at the back of the base. His attention was captured by several large, heavily armed and armored dwarves standing at the entrance. They had not joined the fight, instead it looked like they were guarding something there. He called the orcs’ attention to it, then nocked another arrow. As the orcs charged he fired quickly, getting off two shots before the orcs closed. Despite their superior gear and obvious skill, the dwarves went down, taking three orcs with them. Kaled wasted no time in ducking into the alcove to investigate. At the back of the cave, which was well-lit by torches as well as an opening in the ceiling above, he saw bodies lying scattered about. He ran over, calling to the orcs still outside to bring the shaman healers. He knelt at the first body and found a male elf, still alive, but unconscious and trussed up so he couldn’t have moved in any case. He saw no visible injuries aside from many bruises, so he cut the elf’s bonds and moved to the next. This was a female, he could see as he approached, with red hair matted with dirt and dried blood. He suddenly slowed his approach as his heart started pounding.

He knelt by the elf’s side, gently raising her shoulders and turning her head so he could see her face. She cried out hoarsely in pain, then slowly opened golden green eyes. It was Khaotic. He quickly examined her body; what he could see was covered in bruises and welts, several of which had been broken open and were crusted with dried blood. His attention was brought back to her face as she drew a painful breath, then focused bloodshot eyes on his face. Her eyes widened. “Kaled, is it really you, or am I dreaming again?” she asked in a hoarse croak. “No dream, love, I’m here, we’ll get you out of here. Hold on, please,” he begged her. Tears filled her eyes. “Oh Kaled, they killed Vhid,” she whispered brokenly. He could only hold her as gently as he could, while tears streamed down his own face. The healers arrived and, seeing him cradling the battered elf, quickly came to his side. The youngest gently pulled him away while the others bent over Khaotic and began chanting their healing spells. He watched, hovering close, unable to let her out of his sight again. He slowly became aware of the sounds of fighting fading away outside. The battle was ending.

Just as the healers finished their spells, the orc commander of the segment he was in came over to him. “It’s over now, we beat them and have their surviving commanders under heavy guard,” he said. Kaled just nodded mutely, eyes still locked on his beloved. The orc leaned a little closer. “They told us some of what was done to these captives,” he added. Kaled’s gaze snapped over to him. “These are the missing commanders from the ambush those months ago. They have been beaten and tortured, and the females have all been raped many times. When the dwarves discovered what their "allies" had been doing, they arrested the commanders, executed most of them, and moved the prisoners here, putting them under guard for protection. These dwarves acted with honor, and we will release them, after they swear to never raise arms against us again.” Kaled felt rage burn at the thought of any of them going free, then the rest of the orc’s words sank in and he nodded wearily.

At that moment the chief healer came up and told them what he knew of the captives’ condition. Kaled told him, “Just tell me how Khaotic is doing.” “She will heal, but she was badly injured, and it will take awhile. We can only do so much with our spells when there are so many wounded. She needs peace and care, but she will recover. Her mind has been damaged as well, however. She has been tortured and worse, many times.” The orc paused, and lowered his voice as his eyes bored into Kaled’s. “Some prisoners of war don't recover emotionally. She will need someone to take care of her, but still remain distant until she is ready for it. She will probably be afraid of males for a long time,” he finished. Kaled listened, absorbing everything the shaman said. He nodded at last, a look of pain deep in his eyes, then turned back to Khaotic. “I’ll take her home,” he said softly. The two orcs nodded. The commander said, “I’ll take care of your resignation so you can leave as soon as she is able. We might be able to spare a few men to help you get her there as well.” Kaled nodded his thanks. The shaman added, “She is sleeping now, but you will not disturb her if you wish to sit by her.” Kaled nodded again, then walked over and sank down by her side. Ashkeyana padded up and sat next to him, and he put an arm around the cat’s shoulders.

They left three days later, with Khaotic laid on a litter carried between two sturdy Frostwolves. Kaled was given a Wolf of his own to ride for the journey. As they made camp the first night, he laid out his bedroll next to where the litter had been placed on the ground. He sat down next to her and gently took her hand in his. She woke just enough to look at him and smile faintly, then fell back into sleep. But her hand held onto his through the entire night.

The trip did not take long, although they took the long route because Khaotic was still too frail to manage the Undercity teleporter. The orcs helped Kaled get her settled into bed, then took their leave. When he tried to give the Frostwolf he had ridden back to them, however, they refused. "He has Chosen you, from the moment he let you on his back," the leader said. "His name is Fog. Take good care of him, brother." Then they rode off.

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Yes, I am going to farm AV for a frostwolf. :P I usually don't pvp much, I get burned out on it too fast, but this will give him a free epic mount while I raise the money for his training. Wish me luck.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Gwyn Part 4: A Glimpse of Northrend


Gwynifar sat in the dying grass outside Undercity and watched as the new Zeppelin took off and flew out of sight. Her newest pet, Silhana, was browsing through the nearby bushes. Growing bored, the young windserpent fluttered back to her mistress and poked in Gwyn's pack for some bread. Gwyn gently pushed her away and got out a piece. She tossed it in the air and Silhana caught it, downing it in one gulp, then hissed happily as little bits of lightning danced down her wings.

Treng came up and sat down beside Gwyn, Derk at his heels. "All you ever do now is watch that Zepp," he said. "What's so fascinating about it? It flies, it makes noise, and it spits out oil and smoke, just like the other Zeppelins." Gwyn sighed. "Don't you want to see what's on the other side, Treng? Ever since the blasted Lich King came and attacked Orgrimmar, that's all everyone has talked about. I just feel like we're missing out," she replied. Treng grunted. "They'll let us go when we're ready," he said. "You mean when They think we're ready," she retorted, then sighed again.

Derk grew bored and got up to go sniff at Silhana, who crackled at him and took off, starting a game of tag. Watching them play, Gwyn felt another twinge of unhappiness. "She's getting restless. I don't think she'll stay with me much longer," she told Treng. "Well, you knew it would only be temporary when you tamed her," he reminded her. "I know, but still I'll miss her," she said softly.

Treng didn't like seeing his new sister so depressed. They had undergone the blood-brother ceremony just a few weeks ago, with the blessings of all their trainers and friends. But right after that had come the attack on Orgrimmar, with frostwyrms dive-bombing the city while ghouls and zombies rampaged in the streets. Thrall himself had come out to drive off the Scourge, and peace had returned pretty quickly, but ever since then Gwyn had gotten more and more quiet and now spent all her free time watching the Zeppelin take soldiers and adventurers to Northrend, to battle the Lich King and his armies. Treng didn't know how to cheer her up, so he just sat and kept her company.

A few days later, Silhana left to go back to the wild. Gwyn took her back to the Barrens where she had come from, and watched, with tears starting in her eyes, while the little windserpent flew off and disappeared into the Wailing Caverns. Haiden sat with his mistress while she stood there, waiting to see if Silhana changed her mind and came back. But she was still gone by dark, and Gwyn returned to the Crossroads with a heavy heart.

The next week found her back at the Undercity, staring at the Zepp again. When Treng found her she was standing near the tower, and she turned excited eyes to her brother. "Let's just go," she said, almost feverishly. "We can get on board and be gone before they even realize we're missing. Come on, don't you want to see what's there?" Treng was shocked, despite being used to her impulsiveness. "But, we have chores to do, and training exercises, and all kinds of stuff. We can't just take off!" Gwyn's excitement died, to be replaced by determination. "OK, stay here if you want, but I'm going. I can't wait any more. Come on, Haiden." And with that, she headed to the tower, disappearing inside. Treng sighed, then exchanged a look with Derk and followed.

When he reached the top of the tower, Gwyn flashed one of her winning grins at him, then stood and waited as the Zepp pulled up to the dock. The goblin nearby gave them a funny look, but didn't stop them as they went aboard and hid down below deck. In short order the idling engine roared to life, and they felt the airship start moving.

They waited until the Zepp had stopped at the Northrend tower and all was quiet before creeping out from hiding, then dashing for the tower and down the stairs. Once on the ground, they stopped to look around. The place had the look of a busy port, with a dock leading down to the ocean nearby, several large buildings, and people everywhere, mostly Forsaken but with several adventurers mixed in. They found a stable keeper to watch their wolves while they explored, then headed to the edge of the town.

They soon found themselves at the base of a high cliff, but further exploration found a lift to the top. They continued onward cautiously, watching for any signs of danger. The town was far behind them when they discovered another village, and peered in carefully from behind some bushes.

This village was very different from the Horde outpost they had just left. The buildings were all of rough planks and stone, with several large smoky fires scattered throughout. And the people...! The people inhabiting the village looked mostly like humans but were tall enough to make a tauren seem short, with brutish faces and muscular frames. Treng and Gwyn made sure they were well-hidden, then just observed them for awhile.

It was Gwyn who first noticed the birds, gray-feathered crow types that appeared to be hunting rats and squirrels in between the buildings. As they watched the birds hunt, they both suddenly noticed one large male humanoid with a hand axe focusing on one of the birds. As he drew the axe back to throw, Gwyn stood up and shouted, "Look out! Shoo!" All the birds nearby immediately took flight, and the huge man started so badly that he dropped his axe. He quickly recovered, though, and grabbed it again with an angry roar. Gwyn was frozen in panic, so Treng grabbed her and yanked her along as he started running back the way they had come. The strange man gave chase as they tore through the bushes and onto the road, then raced back toward the lift. It was farther than they thought, and both were completely winded by the time they reached it and realized that their pursuer had given up. As they caught their breath, they were startled by a rough "Caw!" from above them. They looked up.

The bird that Gwyn had saved from the villager sat on the lift above them. It had its head cocked to one side, studying them curiously. Then it flapped down to the ground and hopped closer. Gwyn held her breath as it hopped up to her, then it abruptly went right on past and went up to Treng, who looked up to Gwyn with one eyebrow raised. Then he knelt down and began petting the bird, who started a happy trill.

Gwyn was a bit at a loss as she watched her brother and his new friend. She was as surprised as he was, since she was usually better with animals than him. Treng looked up at her again, then his eyes widened at something behind her. She turned and looked, and there was a second bird! It was a close match to the first, except its feathers were a little sleeker than the other's. Gwyn looked back at Treng. "Brothers?" she guessed, and he shrugged. She turned back to the bird only to jump as it came up behind her and pecked at her leggings, obviously demanding food. She laughed at it, then dug some jerky out of her pockets.

They headed back to Vengeance Landing, and Treng had no problem talking Gwyn into boarding the Zeppelin for the trip back home. Their new pets, Nikoro and Arthoas, sat near them on the railing as Derk and Haiden sat at their feet. As Gwyn stroked Arthoas' back, she felt at peace for the first time since the Lich King's attack. Treng glanced over and noticed her expression, and knew his sister was back to her normal, irrepressible self.
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(I did NOT name Arthoas after Arthas, the Lich King. It is Thalassian for 'flight'. Just wanted to make that clear. ;))

Monday, January 12, 2009

Just catching up a bit

I know I haven't been posting much besides Kaled's stories the last few days. Between writing out those stories, RL stuff, and just being tired from work, I haven't been playing much. I'm in the market right now for a new computer also, my old Gateway laptop is just developing too many issues. And that coffee spill that messed up the keyboard didn't help.... >.>

But in the time I have been playing, Andrano and Sangha have gotten to level 15, and I've been messing around with both Taurros and Zuuluu, just general questing and some mining in Zuu's case. Kaled is trying to max inscription, so I've been picking herbs with him instead of leveling, although I did go out and grind up Ashkeyana, then went to Un'Goro for a "leveled-up" Argus, so now all 3 of his pets are caught up with him. We'll see how long that lasts. He's also now neutral with Timbermaw, woot.

My horde death knub* hasn't seen any playtime since he got out of Ebon Hold. I really wanted to get his proffs (mining and blacksmithing) to 300 before heading to Outland but been too lazy to work on them. I'm considering shelving him til later and if I want to play a DK, I can just hop on my Alliance one.

* my word, copyright pending

Can't think of anything else right now. Wish me luck on the computer hunt, I'll probably need it.

Final random note: I was reading some old posts on Pike's blog, Aspect of the Hare, and this just kind of jumped out at me. Quoting from her post "Why I play a BM hunter".....

"That’s why I play hunters. That’s why, specifically, I finally settled on the Beast Mastery spec. It’s about more than a DPS increase. It’s about the aesthetics. It’s about the thrill of the hunt. It’s about that companionship.

Because alone, you are weak.

But together, you become stronger than either of you could have ever imagined."


Well said, Pike. :)

Kaledain: Part 4

This part ends almost where Kaled is at in-game. There is one more part I'm going to write after this, then I'll have to play him for awhile for more inspiration. ^_^
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Kaled woke early the next morning and just lay in bed watching Khaotic while she slept, thinking about nothing but how happy he felt. When she woke she lay still at first, getting her bearings, then turned her head to look at him. She smiled sleepily and asked, "What are you thinking?" He looked away. "I don't know, I've never been this happy before that I remember. I think I'm kind of afraid it isn't real." She smiled again and touched his face. "Never fear that, my love," she said softly, and he chuckled, then pulled her close and kissed her.

Once they were up, dressed, and eating breakfast, Khaotic informed Kaled with a teasing grin, "Now don't go thinking I'm going to go easier on you." And she didn't, pushing him harder that day than she had before. He threw his all into it, determined to improve as quickly as possible. Khaotic seemed impressed, and that afternoon she had him spar with both of her animals, alone. He held them both off easily, managing to "kill" Gul, after which Vhid gave up and wandered off through the trees. Kaled watched him go, baffled, while Khaotic laughed at the look on his face.

That evening he moved his things into her room, since it was the larger one. As he was finishing, Jakobi and his sister showed up for supper again, and they sat gossiping with Khaotic for awhile. Kaled, done with his task, came in and dropped a kiss on the top of Khaotic's head, then sat down next to her. She looked at Jakobi and shared a grin, which stretched wider as they saw the disappointment on Silandril's face.

A couple weeks later they were back at sword practice. Kaled kept his lessons firmly in mind, and at the end of their bout he managed to disarm Khaotic. As her swords went flying, the look of amazement on her face sent Kaled into helpless laughter; then she whooped and jumped on him, wrapping her arms around him and laughing with him.

That night at supper she showed him a note. "This came a couple weeks ago, love. The Forsaken in Silverpine Forest are having trouble with creatures they call worgen, and they're looking for people to help. I didn't mention it before because I wasn't sure you were ready, now I believe you are." Kaled read the note over, then looked up at her. "Well then, when do we leave?" he asked. "In the morning sound good?" she replied with a grin. "Be sure to pack warm clothing, it will be winter before we are done."

Kaled found Silverpine to be depressing, but they were kept busy while they were there. Besides the wolf-man creatures called worgen that they hunted, they also cleared out a few pockets of Scourge undead that they found. Kaled was profoundly disturbed by his first encounter with the undead, and in the following fights he went about killing them very efficiently, but with his distaste plain on his face. After a particularly messy battle that lasted over an hour, with each of them killing over a dozen Scourge apiece, he woke up in the night with nightmares. Khaotic held him, murmuring to him softly, until he fell back asleep.

Khaotic knew what was bothering him, since she had gone through the same thing years ago. To the elves, the undead were a terrible blight, an assault on their senses, and Kaled, having been trained under the druids and shamans in Mulgore, was affected more than normal. The Forsaken were bearable, thank goodness, but she had seen other elves that had become physically ill in the presence of Scourge. She hoped he would adjust quickly, and it seemed he did, for there were no more nightmares.

They returned to their house in Eversong when their tasks were finished. But a few weeks later saw them heading out again, this time across the ocean to the Ashenvale forest.

That was their life for the next two years. They would spend a week to a month at home, then head out to whichever place needed help, or just caught their interest, staying on the road for up to half a year. Then Khaotic received a message from one of her former army commanders. They needed help in Arathi, and wanted her to come. So they packed up and hit the road again. This time Kaled could not go with her all the way. He stayed at the orc fort of Hammerfall, while she went on to the nearby Basin where the fighting was. He hated not being with her, but in a way he was glad, since he still had no desire to see what war was like.

(For the rest of this part, see Argus' story.)


Kaled returned home to Eversong with Argus and the others after leaving a message for Khaotic, and when her duties were done, she joined him there. Since Argus needed some training, they decided to take a break and stay home to rest.

Then, one evening in early summer, as Kaled was feeding the animals, Khaotic came into the stable, a pensive look on her face. She came up behind Kaled and leaned against the wall, then said, “They want me back in the field again, a letter just came today. I’ll have to leave in the morning, and they don't know when I'll be able to come back.” Kaled turned to look at her, stricken. “But, don’t they have enough soldiers out there?” “It’s not that, dear one. None of those soldiers have my experience, and they are orcs. They are brilliant when it comes to bashing things to death, but strategic planning is not their forte. I will have my own command. They need me Kaled,” she finished unhappily. Kaled sighed heavily, then turned to put his arms around her. “Alright, you know I don’t like it, but I know you’ll come back when it’s over,” he said. She smiled at him, then frowned again. “Just one more thing?” she asked. “I can't take both Gul and Vhid with me this time, this army won't provide for two animals when one would be enough. Vhid is tough, and can forage better than Gul can. Will you take Gul to a young hunter I know of? The Farstriders have been keeping an eye on him, even though he is a tauren and not an elf. I feel that he will take good care of Gul.” He looked in her golden green eyes, his heart clenching at what he saw there. “I will,” he said, not trusting himself to say more. She smiled and hugged him, then kissed him. “Supper is ready when you come in,” she told him, then slipped out the door. Kaled stood in the stable, feeling lost. He knew from the look in her eyes that she was afraid she wouldn't be coming home this time.

When he reached the house, he quickly washed up and they had a quick supper before retiring for the night. They lay in bed, just holding each other. Khaotic thought that Kaled had fallen asleep, until he stirred, then lifted his head and looked at her. “Why are you so afraid, love? It’s not like you haven’t been out there before, even after we met,” he said softly. She had to force the words out, they were so hard for her to say. “I've never felt anything like what I feel for you, Kaled. Before, I had nothing to lose, no one that I cared about or who cared about me. Now I feel like I have everything to lose, and I’m afraid I’ll never see you again.” After a long moment Kaled sighed, then replied, “Veldora, you will survive. If you think otherwise you’ll only make a mistake at some critical point. You have to believe that you will live, and believe this too, if anything happens I will come after you myself.” Upon hearing that, Khaotic finally smiled, relaxing slightly. “Well if that’s the case, I suppose I’ll be all right after all,” she said, pressing closer, and they forgot about sleep for awhile.

When morning came, Khaotic filled her pack, then came and put her arms around Kaled. She just leaned against him for a minute, while he held her and rubbed her back, then finally gave him one last long, gentle kiss before pulling away. She shouldered her pack and called to Vhid, who was rooting among the trees nearby, then quietly said, “I will be stationed in Alterac, if you need to get in touch with me. I will see you when I get back again, my love.” As she walked down the path toward Silvermoon, he called back, “Good luck, Veldora. You will come back again, and I’ll be waiting for you!” She raised her hand to show she had heard without looking back, then the path took her out of sight.

After Khaotic left, Kaled spent two more weeks at their house, knowing that if he left too soon to take Gulhalrathn to his new master, the ghostly cat would simply follow his mistress’s trail. He finally felt it was safe to leave, and packed for a long journey, for he would not be coming back here for a long time. Ready at last, he freed the animals from their stable, placed Argus’ pack on his back, shouldered his own, and headed off, the animals wandering freely around him but staying close. He headed for the teleporter to Undercity, then took the Zeppelin there to the orc capital of Orgrimmar. From there he hiked to the Barrens, a desert between the countryside of Durotar and the lush grasslands of Mulgore, home to the tauren. He arrived in the small outpost village of Crossroads in good time, and met the young tauren hunter Toorambar there, who immediately fell completely in love with Gul. Kaled left him and the cat with many thank-you’s and well-wishes, then traveled on to the Stranglethorn jungle.

He spent the next half-year there, helping the orcs against the savage jungle trolls and teaching them to deal safely with the wild animals. When he left he went next to the Badlands, a large desert where another small orc outpost needed help with wildlife attacks. From there he slowly traveled north, stopping at various places, sometimes overnight and sometimes staying for weeks, always heading in the general direction of the Alterac Mountains. He had reached the highlands of Arathi when he realized what he had been doing. After a fierce internal debate, he decided it wouldn’t hurt to see if he could find some news of Khaotic’s command; after all, it had been a little over a year since he had seen her. Maybe he would even find their location, and then wouldn’t she be surprised to have him turn up at her camp! That settled, he broke his camp, called to his companions, and headed off again.


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The next chapter was probably the hardest to write, since I've become very attached to Kaled. Not going to say anything else about it, you'll get to read it soon as I finish it.
-Happy Hunting!