Saturday, February 28, 2009

He made it


Taurron is in Northrend now, yay. He went to Howling Fjord first, I'm gonna move him to Borean Tundra when he hits 70. He did all the quests at the starting town and hit 69 in record time. Going to duo him with my sister's shaman mostly, I hope, since he does tend to die alot.

I picked up a 2-handed mace as a quest reward, but Taur's weapon skill is below 250 and I didn't want to level it. I did try taking him to UC to try and raise it on the target dummies but apparently Blizz has "fixed" them so they don't give skill-ups anymore. GG Blizz. :P

I am adding to Kaledain's story, preparing for when they finally get to Outlands, but I'm not gonna post anything until they actually get there. When they do, tho, I'll have plenty of story ideas all ready to go! For now, it's AV weekend so Kaled is back in there, getting more marks for his Frostwolf. I hope to get him up to 25-30 marks before the weekend is over (he has 18 right now) despite my short attention span when it comes to pvp.

Also, I updated my blogroll, and it has asploded. Eek.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

A Different Stance


No hunters or death knights today. It kinda hit me that my tauren warrior Taurron is only 2 levels away from Northrend, so I hopped on him to see how far I could get. He did Ring of Blood (which he tanked!), then got a Slave Pens group. We were going to do Underbog after but it didn't happen. :(

P.S. A level 67 fury warrior can't hold aggro against a level 69 unholy death knight. Taur started out tanking but we switched duties after the first boss.

He dinged 67 shortly after Ring of Blood and I did something I'd been thinking about for awhile; I respecced him fury (he had been prot since around 63). He has his Honed Voidaxe in one hand and the Warsong Howling Axe in the other. It took me a little while to figure it out and find my groove, but now he's rockin'.

He is now 63% of the way thru 67, but I'm tired now so I'll finish it up tomorrow. Then he'll be Northrend bound! /happy. He finished the night with a special treat, a concert in Shattrath by the Elite Tauren Chieftains.

After him it will be Khlar's turn. I know I can get him to 68 easy, and hopefully my sister will forgive me for beating her out there. :)

Happy Hunting!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Khaotic and Vhid

Kaled was rather impressed with how much blood was running down his arm. As Khaotic rushed him to the house, he held a cloth tight to the gash. Khaotic was muttering behind him. “You would find a way to get cut on a practice blade. Let’s hurry up and get this cleaned. I need to see if it needs stitched.” She had him kneel by the stream behind the house and began washing the blood off his arm, still muttering. “You’ve only been here two weeks, and you manage to do this. I hope you don’t lose a limb before the summer’s out."

Kaled just sat still and let her fuss over him. He didn’t mind her words and he rather liked her touch, despite suddenly feeling very self-conscious. She finally had his arm cleaned up and after an examination declared it to be not stitch-worthy, so she bound up the slash, then sat back and studied him a moment. “I suppose we’re done for today. If you try anything strenuous now that cut’s just going to start bleeding again,” she told him. He nodded, then looked up at her face. “Thank you,” he said shyly. She looked at him impassively for a moment, then suddenly reached out and ruffled his hair. “Don’t mention it. Since we’re done with anything physical today, why not come tell me how far your sword training went?” Kaled fidgeted nervously, then blurted out quietly, “I’d rather hear you tell a story. Can you tell me how you found Vhid?” He blushed furiously at his own daring and dropped his gaze, then peeked at her to gauge her reaction.

Khaotic sat back on her heels and sighed. After a long minute studying him, she said, “All right. Let’s get something to eat and find a more comfortable place to sit.” They went inside the house, where Kaled sat and nursed his wounded arm while Khaotic dug in the pantry for some bread and cheese. She placed both on the table between them along with a flask of moonberry juice, but while Kaled dug in with a good appetite, she just sat for a while, deep in thought. Her mind wandered far back, before her return to Eversong, back to when she was still an active soldier in the Horde.
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The battle for Warsong Gulch had been over for a year, its memories behind her, for the most part. Now she was assisting the tauren in their battles against their ancient enemy, the Quilboar. Her detachment had been sent to aid with an assault on the Quilboar’s home territory, Razorfen Kraul. The mixed bunch of orcs, trolls, and a few blood elves kept apart from the tauren when they weren’t fighting, although Khaotic was eaten up with curiosity about them. She had her orders though, and kept her distance.

Not that she preferred the company of her fellow soldiers. Most of them were bigoted, muscle-brained males that tried often enough to delegate her to camp cook, or something similar. Luckily her commanders knew her fighting prowess and refused to listen to the dissenters, but the soldiers still managed to make her life hard at times. The loudest and rudest was an orc named Raugh, and he had quite a large following already.

He had found her sleeping spot this evening and spent the better part of an hour trying to get her to clean his filthy boots before finally giving up and leaving, his loud, condescending comments following him as he walked away toward the cookfires. As she tidied up the nook where she had set up her bedroll, Khaotic suddenly found herself thinking of Dral. He would never have tolerated her being treated this way, and would have had Raugh whipped for his behavior long ago. Not just because of their relationship, which they had managed to keep quiet, but because he truly thought of males and females as being equal; that was one of the reasons she had respected him so much. She wished he were there now, but knew it was pointless. He would never be there again, the dwarven hunter back in Warsong had made sure of that.

She felt her eyes burning and quickly turned her thoughts to other things. Tears were a weakness she could not afford to show these men; they had enough ammunition to use against her already. As she nibbled at her dinner of trail rations, unwilling to risk another meeting with Raugh at a cookfire, she thought back on the day’s fighting. Her small command of six had been joined by a pair of tauren trackers to thin out the numbers of the Quilboar’s pets, huge savage boars more intelligent than any she had seen before. They were enough of a challenge that her little party had been careful to attack no more than one at a time, any more and they might have had casualties. As she went through the day’s events in her mind, she suddenly recalled something else. Today had been her twentieth nameday.

Suddenly Khaotic wanted to get away from the camp and the other soldiers. She had an overwhelming urge to show these orcish pigs that she was worth more than any of them, but she wasn’t sure how. Then a crazy idea came to her.

She got up and crept toward the edge of camp. Her ghostly saber cat got up to go with her, but she made him lie back down. “Stay here, Gul, and make sure no one follows me,” she whispered to him, then snuck away. She soon found herself outside the camp’s limits and inside Quilboar territory. The enormous thorny branches everywhere gave her plenty of cover, but also hid her enemies, so she was extremely careful as she moved further and further into enemy ground. She kept going until she heard the snorts and grunts she was searching for.

Coming around one spiny branch, she found herself just within sight of a cluster of boar. She stopped and watched them from cover, then noticed one male standing away from the others, with recent cuts and scratches covering the places where the Quilboar hadn’t strapped on armor plating. He was a perfect target.

Using every skill she possessed, Khaotic managed to lure the lone boar away from the others’ sight and hearing. When she felt they were far enough, she mentally braced herself, then stepped out of her hiding spot and into the boar’s view. He snorted sharply in rage, and as she quickly prepared the cantrip she had learned long ago, he charged her with an angry squeal.

A few hours later, an alarm spread through the Horde camp. Somehow it seemed a savage boar had snuck through into the very center of the camp without being seen. As several soldiers rushed through, searching for their enemy, they suddenly came upon a very odd sight. Khaotic was sitting on her bedroll wrapping a bandage around her forearm. A few other minor injuries showed on her arms and legs, and by the way she held herself she probably had a bruised rib or two. And sitting at her feet with a very disgruntled expression was the boar they were searching for.

Raugh stepped forward and glared at her. “How did you get that thing in here, wench? And what do you think you are doing with it anyhow?” he demanded. She looked at him coolly. “Seeing as you’re not my commander, I don’t think I’ll answer to you,” she said calmly, which set him back a bit. Before he could come up with a retort, she added, “And I’d appreciate you not calling my new pet a ‘thing’. His name is Vhid.” Raugh was really angry now, and would have gotten an answer from her, one way or another, except that when he stepped closer the boar jumped to his feet and fixed one red eye on him, gnashing his teeth together in an unmistakable threat. Raugh stopped in his tracks, then grinned in triumph as they all heard the commander yell, “What‘s going on over here?”

Ortokk, the orcish commander of the detachment, walked through the crowd to stand next to Raugh and just stared for a moment, taking in the scene. The boar didn’t move except to shift his glare to this new potential threat. Ortokk looked from Khaotic sitting calmly on her bedroll, to the boar standing guard over its new mistress, to Raugh, who was standing with a sneer on his face, sure that Khaotic was going to be punished for her latest transgression. The sneer quickly turned to disbelief when the commander simply asked her, “And what’s this? Fighting the bloody things ain’t enough challenge for you?” Khaotic replied, “I figured you all needed one less boar to fight in the morning.” At that the commander laughed, then turned to the soldiers crowding around. “Alright, get back where you belong. Nothing to see here now.” As they all dispersed back to their own bedrolls, Ortokk called out, “You stay here a moment Raugh. I think I’d like a word with you.” The rest of the soldiers were treated to the sight of their commander giving Raugh a complete dressing-down as they went back to their beds.
__________________

Kaled’s polite throat-clearing snapped Khaotic out of her reverie, and she quickly came back to the present. She glanced at him, sitting across from her at the table and waiting eagerly for her to begin. Khaotic cleared her own throat, then started her story. “It was about a year after the battle for Warsong ended. We were helping the tauren with their Quilboar problem…”….

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Kitties and Death Knights

Tomorrow is going to be Buster's Big Day. No, not that kind of Big Day. I haven't had the heart to tell him yet.


Yup, that kind of Big Day. Poor Buster.

Didn't do much game-wise, but I did get Khlar thru the Ring of Blood. He has a shiny new axe now. :D

He also recently got some new chest armor, but he didn't exactly like the way it looked on him...

...so a shirt was in order. Much better!


And finally, this is the funniest thing I've read since the ice stone melted. Go check out Llanion's 10 commandments of raiding.

That's it for now, til next time Happy Hunting! (and stay away from the cold germs!)

Monday, February 23, 2009

Khlar: Lonliness


I am usually alone these days. It was by choice, at first; I was afraid that Arthas would somehow regain control over me, and I had no wish to hurt anyone that might be near me. But as time goes by and I believe that I am well and truly free of him, still I find my only companions are Geth and my own thoughts.

In Azeroth this is actually preferable to me. Too many people still see death knights as monsters, killing machines that cannot be trusted. And this is true for many, even some of those that have escaped Arthas still continue their dark deeds. But it still hurts when I see their distrustful, even hateful, looks directed at me, after all my attempts at proving myself. So it was with some relief that I turned to the Dark Portal and the broken world that lay beyond.

Once on the other side of the Portal, I found to my amazement that I was accepted there. The soldiers of Thrallmar don't care who you are or once were, only that you are there to help in their efforts against the Burning Legion. That discovery was almost enough to make me giddy. I have since also befriended the orcs of the Mag'har tribe, who have survived here in Outland by being suspicious of everything. This gives me hope that someday, I will be accepted wherever I go.

But still, I usually travel alone. Oh, I have joined a few fellow adventurers for a time, once or twice. I even ventured into the fel orcs' Hellfire Citadel with several other death knights, accompanied by a priest skilled in healing to help us keep on our feet and finish our mission. We were able to thin out the fel orc numbers in the Citadel, and even killed a few key members of their command, though I fear it will not be enough. But I am rambling now. Our little band did not hold together much longer than our return to Thrallmar, however, and I once again found myself alone.

And yet, I hold onto the hope of one day finding a real friend, someone to share my travels and experiences with. I was in Tirisfal Glades just a few days ago, responding to a call for help from Brill. A pair of Alliance members were aggravating some of the Forsaken there, not causing a lot of trouble but still being a nuisance. I went there to help drive the Alliance pests away, and wound up spending quite a bit of time with a troll death knight named Vestaki whom I met there. She was rather shy and unsure of herself, having been freed of Arthas' control just recently, but we had a fairly lengthy conversation, and parted ways with a promise to look each other up again soon. I think she may become the first person outside my family that I could truthfully call a friend.

I have not been home for some weeks now. Gwynifar has sent me a letter saying that she and Treng have been commissioned to try and slay a renegade human mage named Arugal, who is holed up in Shadowfang Keep. I leave Thrallmar tomorrow to go to help them. It will be good to see her again, and Treng as well.
____________________________________

Been trying to finish this one for days, and here it is finally. Vestaki is my sister's death knight, so we'll be leveling them together as much as possible. Although she'll have to catch up, Khlar is 65 now and Vestaki is still 58.

I've spent most of the last 2 days in bed, hopefully I'll kick this cold soon. It's no fun being sick. :P

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Random Post...

... is random.

I feel like blah so skipped the OS raid tonight. Don't even know what I want to do right now. Probably gonna get on a random alt that I've been neglecting.

I just got the new album from RED, have it playing on repeat right now and I am LOVING it. Yay for new tunes. :D

Also...random screenshot is random too!




My rogue Zuuluu found a couple people playing with their Winter Veil disguise kits, and joined in. We had some fun with the people running in and out of the bank, too bad no one cooperated with our plan to charge tolls.

Fun times. :)

Friday, February 20, 2009

I has a ding today

Today my sister and I reached our 29th level IRL. Too bad I'm spending it sick. :(

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Sixth of the Sixth

The latest thingy going around now is to post the 6th screenshot in your 6th folder (or the closest you can come to it). Don't know who started it but Klinderas over at Slow Wolf tagged, well, everyone that read his, so here's mine. (EDIT: Neggles at The Angry Butterfly tagged me for this, too. Guess I should read my blogs more regularly. I WAS NOT IGNORING YOU NEGGLES! /apologize)


It's Chilly the original penguin from the beta!! /cuddle

So now, I'm gonna copy Klinderas and say, if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Been Busy...

Apologies for the lack of regular posts. I've been busy and haven't made any time for the blog the last few days. But, I've gotten alot of stuff done.

Khlar is up to 64 and I'm thinking of skipping Zangarmarsh with him and going to Terokkar til he levels, then hitting Nagrand at 65. Though it is tempting to just run thru the zones in "order", then he'll have plenty to do for the upper-60s and I might be able to skip the parts I don't care much for (most of Netherstorm comes to mind...).

Khaotíc is 24 now after a run through RFK and BFD. I wanted to get her here for a reason, which is shown below. :)

Of course after I got that last level I went to get him and discovered that he's actually 23, I could have sworn he was 24 last time I saw him... >.>

His name, Alti'ui'qo, is Drow for wing clip. My trend with Khaotíc is that all her pets have names in the Drow language. And if you don't know what a Drow is, I would enthusiastically recommend you go read R. A. Salvatore's Drizzt series.

Last night's Naxx raid was fun as usual. I didn't really want to go at first but I'm glad I did, 'cause Boogga got his tier 7 chest!! And he had enough emblems after to get a new neck, too. He is now over the hit cap, so I can finally look for stuff without +hit on it, woot.

On a final note, I finally figured out why I've been so tired the last few days. I'm catching a cold or something, oh joy. If I don't post again for a few days, you'll know it's because I can't get out of bed. :(

Can't think of anything else. Til next time, Happy Hunting!

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Altitis breaks out again

I totally skipped out on the Sartharion raid tonight. >.>

But... Khaotíc is level 22 now, and Khlar has reached 62. Fun stuff.

Khaotíc and Kaled had a lovely romantic evening of killing undead and trolls in Ghostlands. She is done with the Dar'khan chain and just has a couple more quests til she'll be done there. Might have gotten her higher but my PC started giving me fits so I called it a night with them.

They did have a little fun last night, Khaotíc had gotten TWO picnic baskets (no black dress yet though) and they both ran through the quest chain so they had some "party" clothes. Silvermoon was mostly deserted so they took advantage and had a little picnic. And yes, I took a few screenshots.


I have to say that I think Khaotíc looks rather stunning in that dress.






Oops, how'd that last one get in there? >.>

I'm having a bit of trouble again with the story of Khlar I was working on. Seems that my writer's block isn't dead yet, it just switched targets. I will get it done soon though, I promise.
Til next time, Happy Hunting! (and watch out for Peddlefeet!)

Friday, February 13, 2009

Andrano & Sangha

Andrano is my hunter on Silver Hand. I hadn't thought up a backstory for him, so I came up with this a couple days ago. Enjoy!
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Andrano Oakbough had wanted to be a druid from a very young age. His mother and her parents all belonged to the Cenarion Circle, and he wanted nothing more but to follow in their footsteps. His father, a hunter, was a little disappointed that his son didn't want to follow the hunter path, but nevertheless encouraged him, along with Andrano's mother and grandparents. They sent him to the Cenarion Enclave in Darnassus for training.

The druids there tried to teach Andrano, but found that he had little to no aptitude for druidic magic; every spell he tried either fizzled uselessly or failed completely. They kept trying, though, unwilling to ask the eager young night elf to give up. Andrano tried as hard as he could, but after one failure after another, he began to lose hope. Finally, one day after an attempt to see the Emerald Dream resulted in nothing but a nasty headache, he wandered away to Rut'theran Village, and on a whim he boarded the boat to Auberdine.

He walked off the dock and along the shoreline a little ways, lost in his thoughts. He barely noticed a friendly Sentinel who warned him about the wild animals as he passed. She watched him go by with a sympathetic smile, then returned to her post.

Andrano found some solace among the huge trees of Darkshore. He walked among them for probably an hour, staying reasonably close to Auberdine but keeping out of sight of the village. He had finally decided to go back before darkness fell when a low growl behind him made him freeze. He turned around very, very slowly.

About 30 yards behind him, a young moonstalker was watching him, partially hidden behind a tree. The black, striped cat looked to be about his age, comparably, but had a wariness and maturity about it already. As his eyes met those of the wild beast, Andrano felt a shock go through him, like a lightning bolt in his soul. In that moment, he knew they were connected somehow.

The moonstalker watched him for several more minutes, then slowly yet casually, it walked out into the open. He- for Andrano saw it was a male- paced over to a large fallen branch, then sharpened his claws on it. Then he sauntered off toward the deeper forest shadows; but before he went out of sight, he stopped and looked back at the night elf. His eyes burned into the elf's, an expectant look in them. As he continued on and passed out of sight, Andrano heard himself whisper, "I'll be back for you, when I'm ready, Sangha."

Andrano made his way back to Darnassus in a daze. He had no idea how he knew the moonstalker's name, but it suited him. The memory of his golden eyes boring into his own was foremost in his thoughts, and he knew at last what he had to do.

The druids were surprised, to say the least, when he reported to them that he had no further interest in their training. He thanked them politely and respectfully for their time, and told them he now felt a different calling. They just shook their heads as he turned to the hunter trainers nearby and requested training from them. He was accepted immediately; the hunters saw and recognized that look in his eyes.

As a hunter, Andrano finally felt that he fit in. The skills he was taught came easily, almost instinctively, and he passed his tests swiftly. The time finally came for him to learn to bond his companion; he passed that test as easily as the rest, and was pronounced fit to go find his heart-mate.

Andrano rushed back to Auberdine, fretting at the boat's slow pace. He disembarked and immediately trotted out into the woods, looking for signs of the cat he had seen there. He found no signs at first though, and grew worried. What if the cat had been killed by some adventurer, or another wild animal? What if he had gotten sick and died? He was eaten up with worry as he searched, then suddenly his thoughts scattered as he heard, again, a low growl behind him. He turned to look, hope rising.

Sangha stood behind him, studying him coolly. Andrano felt the same shock as before upon seeing the moonstalker again. He knelt down and began speaking to him.

"I've been training hard, Sangha. I'm ready now. Will you join me, and see this world together, my friend?"

The cat blinked slowly at him, then, as if he had understood every word, he began sauntering toward the night elf. Andrano held his breath as Sangha approached and stopped just out of arm's reach. He fumbled with his belt pouch and found a strip of jerky, then held it out to the moonstalker, as an offering. The big cat sniffed it, then stepped forward and took it, swallowing it without chewing. Then he butted his head against Andrano's arm, demanding more.

Andrano laughed as he dug out more meat for his new partner. He knew their journey had not even started yet, and there would be many hard times ahead, but as he bonded with his companion he felt that they could face anything, together.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

I has the blah today

Tired.

Don't feel very well.

Will do a real post sometime soon. I promise.

Going to try to get Elders for Zuuluu until I crash. G'night.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Kaledain: Kechara

I am happy to say that Writer's Block was downed today with no casualties. Loot is listed below.
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Kaled crossed the border between the Barrens and Mulgore and stopped to look around. It had been a very long trip, but the directions had been clear and he had had no problems. He figured he should reach Bloodhoof Village well before dark, and continue to Thunder Bluff the next day.

The rolling grasslands before him were a welcome change from the dusty plains of the Barrens he had just crossed. He could see birds wheeling far overhead, and a wolf pack wandering its territory in the distance. The air was warm and clean-smelling as it blew across his face. He shifted his pack onto his other shoulder and continued on.

The hunters at Farstrider had decided that he could use some teaching from the tauren here, and so had sent him without so much as a by-your-leave. He didn't mind so much, though; he was grateful for what they had done so far. He knew very well that they were only training him because he was there, and something needed to be done with him. If he never returned to the Retreat, he knew they would probably not miss him. Knew it, and accepted it.

Arriving at Bloodhoof Village, he found the inn, then stowed his pack and went out exploring. Dodging a small group of young tauren racing around the central tent, he almost collided with an elder male. "Good evening, young one. How do you like our village?" the tauren asked with a pleasant smile. "Ah, it's great," Kaled said. He had expected to be ignored or told to watch out; the tauren's friendliness was a surprise, though not an unwelcome one. "That's good," the tauren replied. "I hope you enjoy your stay here, young elf." With that he walked away, and that's when Kaled noticed the emblems on his leather vest and headband, and he realized with a start that he had been talking with the village chief.

He wandered a bit more, then returned to the inn. His red lynx Ashkeyana, who he had left with the stable keeper, greeted him happily, and he sat by the front door for a bit, the cat next to him. When darkness fell he went inside and found his bed.

The next morning he set out for Thunder Bluff, arriving shortly after noon. He rode the lift to the top of the bluff, then found a guard and got directions to Hunter Rise. Crossing the connecting bridge left him a little dizzy; he quickly decided he did not want to look down during such crossings. Once on the Rise, he found the tauren that would be his main instructor for his stay.

"Greetings, young hunter," said the tauren. "I am Melor Stonehoof." Kaled introduced himself and shook the tauren's hand, then Melor helped him find a place to put his gear. Then it was back down the lift and out onto the plains for his first lesson.

The following week passed quickly, and was one of the best times of his short life so far. Melor and the other hunters he worked with were all very kind to him, listening to his observations without seeming critical at all, and never asking him to do anything outside of his skills. The plains of Mulgore were breath-takingly beautiful, and helped ease the homesickness he felt for the woods. Then Melor surprised him one morning by arriving with two strangers.

"This is Sheal Runetotem and Beram Skychaser, Kaled," he informed him. "They will be accompanying us today. Perhaps they can teach a thing or two." Sheal inclined her head to him, her expression serene. "Melor has told us much of your lessons, young hunter," she said to him. Beram added, "Let's go see if we can learn something new." And so they all went out together.

The two other trainers opened up a whole new perspective to Kaled, showing him the spirits living in the world, and the necessity of balance in everything. He absorbed all they had to teach, and was eager for more. Then came the day that would change his life, in more ways than one.

Beram wanted to travel to Red Rocks, the tauren's ancestral burial grounds, to honor the long-dead elders buried there. The trip was not long and they reached it before midday. However, they found the place overrun with Quilboar, deadly enemies of the tauren. Kaled got to see how an enraged druid and shaman fought, as they quickly routed out most of the Quilboar. Then they came to a commotion near the back of the burial grounds.

Kaled had been hanging back, sending Ashke in to help and firing a few well-placed arrows when he could. But when the sound of the quilboar's grunts and squeals were joined by an animal's shriek of pain and rage, he quickly pushed his way to the front of the tauren. What he saw filled him with a rage of his own.

The quilboar here had a large bird backed into a corner; they hadn't even noticed Kaled or the tauren yet. The bird, a large gray raptor he had never seen before, stood on a hump of rock with its wings mantled above its head, beak open and hissing loudly. A crude arrow stood out from one shoulder, but it didn't seem to have hit anything vital as the bird had no trouble moving its wings. The quilboar surrounded it on three sides, poking at it with their short spears; the rock wall blocked it on the fourth side. A quilboar at the back of the group was fitting another arrow to its bow.

Kaled yelled at them in a fury and the whole group jumped and turned to face their new enemies, but it was too late for them. The three tauren, with Sheal in the form of a great bear, charged into the quilboar with weapons- and claws- flashing. Kaled got three shots off, finding a mark each time, then pulled his sword off his back and joined the fray. Soon the only quilboar left were four stragglers running away across the plain, then it became three as Kaled got another shot off with his bow. The threat ended, he turned to face the bird.

She- for Kaled was strangely certain it was a female- was in no mood to let them come close, and still stood on the rock with wings upraised threateningly, hissing. From what he could see she wasn't hurt badly, but he needed to get that arrow out and see how much damage it had caused. He crouched down, placing his weapons to the side, and sidled nearer carefully, crooning to her soothingly. It took ages, but eventually the wild look left her eyes and she lowered her wings. She still had her beak open, hissing at him, but it lacked her earlier viciousness. Finally he got close enough to touch her and, holding his breath, he reached out and gently scratched her neck feathers. She calmed down at his touch, folding her wings close to her body and relaxing her stance on the rock. Kaled continued scratching for a bit, then carefully reached out and picked her up.

She was startlingly large, which he hadn't noticed before, though not too heavy. She could easily have done him some major damage; her talons were almost as large as his hands and her beak was razor sharp. But she remained quiet as he examined her thoroughly. He removed the arrow without much difficulty, noting with relief that it had missed the main muscles of her wing and wouldn't affect her ability to fly. He was finally satisfied that it was the only injury she had taken, when a throat cleared behind him abruptly reminded him of the others' presence.

"She is a strigid owl," Melor said from behind his shoulder. The bird hissed again at his voice, but made no further protest. "They live far to the north in the Night Elf lands of Teldrassil. I wonder how she got here." "Probably blown off course during her migration," Beram put in, and the other two agreed. "What will you do with her?" Kaled asked. "Can she live here?" Melor's face clouded slightly, and the others shook their heads. "She will compete with our native swoops. It will upset the balance," Sheal explained. "Well then, what will become of her?" Kaled asked them, growing worried. Melor looked at him with a grave expression. "It would be a terrible shame to put down such a beautiful bird," he said, and Kaled's expression grew horrified. "You mean you would kill her?" The other tauren, knowing what Melor was doing, kept silent.

Kaled looked at the owl in his lap, thinking furiously. "What if I kept her? I can care for her, and she would leave with me." Melor dropped his hand onto Kaled's shoulder with an approving smile. "That, my young friend, is an excellent idea," he said warmly. The other two quickly gave their approval. Then the bird, as if giving her vote as well, suddenly hopped rather clumsily onto his shoulder, her talons digging into the leather shoulder pad he wore, then hooted softly. Kaled grinned happily as he reached up to scratch her again. "I think I will call her Kechara," he said.

Before leaving Red Rocks, Kaled carefully introduced Kechara to Ashke, holding the bird on his arm as the two animals sniffed at each other. Ashke seemed to approve of the owl, and stood still while she gently nibbled at his nose. Then she surprised Kaled by hopping off his arm onto Ashke's back, where she rode for the entire journey back to Thunder Bluff. Back at the hut where he slept, the lynx lay down at the door, and Kechara hopped down to the ground, then went in and examined the tent before picking out a corner where she settled down. When Kaled entered she turned her head upside down to look at him, then ruffled her feathers when he laughed at her. She hooted softly a couple times, then tucked her head down and went to sleep. Kaled marveled at her acceptance of him, and went to bed himself with a light heart.


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The fight at Red Rocks is also I think where he figured out how to use the elemental spirits for his "hunter magic" but I don't want to make this too long, so I'll put that in a different story. Working on another for Khlar, will post that soon as it's done. :)

Monday, February 9, 2009

Why ADD is bad

I had a plan for today, I really did. You see, my rogue Zuuluu wants a wolf mount. Not a frostwolf, a real, Orgrimmar-approved wolf. His rep with them is getting pretty close (can't remember exactly what it's at right now) so I was going to take him out and find Elders, all of them if I could. Because each Elder you talk to gives 75 rep to all Horde factions. And with 38 Elders in Azeroth, 6 in the old-world dungeons (which he can stealth thru), plus whichever ones in Northrend I can reach with him (he's still only 70), that's a hefty chunk of rep.

But I never did it. My sister convinced me to go with her to Zul'drak so her hunter and Boogga could run thru Har'koa's quest chain, then after she logged to go to work, I wound up getting on Khlar. Poor, poor neglected Zuuluu. :(

But on a positive note, Boogga's chimaera Gwaihera is almost level 78 now. He also got the Amphitheater of Anguish completed, and Karda the hydra tanked it! He did a great job too, considering our group's healer was a feral druid who claimed he went OOM after 3 heals. He died on the last boss but we finished him off shortly after. I love my hydra. <3

Also Khlar's mining is finally 300 (and herbs are up to 312 now too), so I can finally take him to Outlands for good, except for occasional instance runs with Gwyn. Thorium on his server is ridiculous, he'll have a steady cash flow whenever I want to go farm some. Gonna see how close I can get to 62 before I log tonight. Maybe I can find some Elders for Zuu sometime tomorrow after work, before our Naxx raid. Maybe.... >.>

Also on a more frustrating note, I am trying to write another story for Kaled, but I'm having a major writer's block. It's about to drive me crazy. Every time I try to think it out, I start thinking of something else. Argh.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Kaledain: Beliefs

I've been thinking about this since the post I did a few days ago(the 5 questions). Kaled and Khaotic definitely have very different beliefs about some things, and it might seem strange that they never fight or argue over it. So I came up with this at work today. Enjoy!
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One night, a few months after their wedding, Kaled and Khaotic sat by a campfire near their house, just enjoying the night sky. They had had few private moments like this since Toorambar had come to live with them during his tutorship, but he had gone back to Mulgore for a holiday, and they had been making up for lost time. Covered only by a thin blanket, they watched the stars above them.

Kaled suddenly broke the silence. “What do you think is up there in the heavens? You think our spirits might fly up there to live after we die?” Khaotic looked at him curiously. “You want to ponder the meaning of life while you’re at it? Who can guess what’s up there? I’m not even sure I really care about it.” Now it was Kaled’s turn to stare at her. “Do you really mean that? You haven’t ever wondered what happens when we die?” She shrugged. “Not really,” she replied. “I was usually too busy trying to stay alive at the times it would have been most appropriate.” Kaled was silent for a bit before answering. “What about now, since you don’t have enemies surrounding you screaming for your blood? Does peace and quiet give you time to think about it?” Khaotic sighed, beginning to grow frustrated by his questions. “No. It’s not something I want to think about, Kaled,” she said irritably. He seemed confused by her change in attitude, asking more cautiously, “Why not?” She didn’t respond this time, so he finally gave up and returned to watching the stars.

After a long interval in which Khaotic thought he might have decided to drop the subject, he said very quietly, “I do think there’s something more when we die. I don’t know what it is, but I don't believe we just disappear from this existence.” Khaotic snorted, though not harshly. “You sound like one of the Alliance’s holy paladins,” she said. “So be it,” he replied. “I am not ashamed to say we might worship the same powers.” Khaotic sat straight up at that. “What!?” she said incredulously. “Are you saying that you think the Alliance is better than your own race? To say nothing of the orcs and tauren, or the Forsaken, though I don’t think they believe much of anything.” “No, no,” Kaled quickly responded. “I’m just trying to say that I think this ‘Light' they value so much might not be a bad thing. Who can say that it favors one race over another? It should be the person inside that counts, not which side of the war you were born on.” Khaotic stared at him. “That’s a very noble sentiment, love, but the world doesn’t usually see things that way,” she said.

“Did I ever tell you about the first time I went to Orgrimmar, when I was little?” she asked him, and he shook his head no. “I went with my parents. We had just arrived on the zeppelin, and were walking to the front gates. There was a commotion in the distance and we stopped to see what was happening. There was a young orc and troll running up to the gates as if their lives depended on them reaching it.” An ironic smirk crossed her face when she said that. “Coming behind them and gaining fast were two humans on warhorses wearing the livery of their holy church. Before the two younglings could reach the gate, the humans ran them down and slaughtered them, then trampled the bodies with their chargers. They had no reason for doing it either; they just did it because they were 'Horde scum'. They were paladins, Kaled, followers of this ‘Light’ you speak of. And you think this power cares about us the same as the humans?” Kaled shook his head, a look of dismay on his face. “That’s what I was trying to say, Veldora. Those men were evil, despite wearing the Light’s symbols. Their actions proved their true character no matter what name they claim to serve.”

Khaotic looked down, toying with the blanket in front of her. Finally she said, quietly, “I can’t believe that, Kaled. Not after all the cruelty and slaughter I’ve seen. If it makes you happy to think of it, fine, but don’t expect to convert me.” Kaled reached over and cupped her chin, turning her face to look at him. “I would never do that, love. You ought to know that, of all people. I love you for who you are, all of it, and I would never try to change you.” She smiled at him, squeezing his hand gently in hers. Then her smile faded as his face turned pensive. He turned to look back at the sky, his expression distant.

“Do you know,” he said quietly, almost in a whisper, “the people in Silvermoon that rescued me told me that the accident happened so fast, my parents were most likely dead before they even realized their mistake. The house was burned to the ground, and only fast action saved the neighbors’ homes. Yet I bear no scars from that accident. The workroom was shielded and I was at the opposite end of the house, but I don’t believe that’s what saved me. Think about it a moment. It was like a dragon’s fireball, they said, yet I was pulled from the wreckage alive, barely injured really, and I healed quickly and completely. Only my magic was taken. Nothing rational explains it.” He turned to look at her, his eyes intense and unblinking. “That is why I say these things. I have to believe that something saved me, and it did so with a purpose in mind. I just don’t know what it is yet.” Khaotic was speechless, and just stared at him.

The spell was broken by Ashkeyana yawning loudly as he strolled over to the fire to lay down across from them. Kaled blinked, then looked away as Khaotic drew a deep breath. She reached over to massage his shoulder a bit. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I won’t argue or belittle it anymore.” Kaled looked over at her with a half-smile. “Veldora, if you didn’t question anything, you wouldn’t be who you are. You don’t have to apologize.” She smiled back at him and slid closer to him. “Although,” he continued as he began rubbing her back, “if you want to make it up to me, I have a few ideas….” He didn’t get anything else out after that, as she pressed her lips to his, and bore him back to the ground.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Second Night in Naxx- Heigan 3 manned

We started out in the Plague quarter. Noth was easy and Loatheb was a cakewalk, but the biggest event I think of the night was our try at Heigan the Unclean. My guild had never killed him before, this time we not only got him down, but got him on the first try. The fight itself was rather incredible because 7 of us were dead by the time he was at 54%, only our DK off-tank, priest healer, and one of our rogues was still alive. The 3 of them got him from 54% down and killed him. Our shammy popped his reincarnate when Heigan was at about 34%, but he died again at 10%. I turned fraps on, also around 34%, and recorded it, here it is. :)

It's also on Youtube here but the quality stinks.

I love my guild hehe. P.S. If you don't like the music, please don't complain. You can always mute it.

We did Construct Quarter after and killed Grobbulus after 5 or 6 tries. I didn't live thru any of them. :(

It was so late after we got Grobb down that we called it after that. They're going back Sunday to finish but I won't be there since they're going while I'll still be at work.

Going to work on Khaotíc tonight, I want to get her at least to 20.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

A question of morals

Random post, yay!

I've been checking out some RP bloggers lately and found this post from Too Many Annas that got me thinking. She does this thing every Friday called the Friday Five, where she asks 5 questions, and you answer according to how your character would think or react. This one was about faith and morals, which caught my interest since I've been reading alot of stuff on other blogs about the morality issues in some of the quests Blizzard has put in Wrath. (Perfect example is this quest, where the Kirin Tor have you interrogate a prisoner.) So I started thinking about how my characters would answer these questions. Here are Kaled's, Khaotic's, Khlar's, and Boogga's responses, I didn't include all my toons to avoid the Massive Wall of Text.

First, the questions from Anna's post:

  1. Does your character have any religious/spiritual beliefs?
  2. Is your character superstitious?
  3. Does your character swear? If so, how? Is he or she creative about it?
  4. How does your character regard “the Law”? Does he or she have a personal moral code?
  5. Does your character like to dance? (feel free to assume that characters can dance in ways other than the WoW standard /boogies)
And my answers:

1. Kaled believes in the Light, more or less, and has a "Live and let live" philosophy. His sense of honor is very similar to an orc's despite the fact that he's a blood elf.
Khaotic believes in herself and those she trusts. To her, higher powers have nothing to do with it.
Khlar does not believe in any religion; he believes himself not worthy of much of anything right now, and needs to redeem himself in his own eyes before he'll start thinking of spiritual beliefs.
Boogga doesn't care much about religion. Give him a bow, a full quiver, and a pet and some critters to hunt and he's content.

2. Kaled, Khaotic, and Khlar are not superstitious at all. Khaotic thinks superstitions are stupid, and Khlar isn't afraid of anything, after all, he's already had the worst possible thing happen to him, to his way of thinking.
Boogga can be mildly superstitious at times, comes with being a troll I guess.

3. Kaled does not swear much at all, he'd have to be really mad or frustrated, and it's usually along the lines of "Blast it" or something similarly mild.
Khaotic usually doesn't swear much, but when she gets ticked off she will cuss like a pirate. She usually swears in Thalassian, so most people wouldn't understand her anyway unless they happen to be another blood elf.
Khlar doesn't hold much with swearing. If he gets mad about something (which is extremely rare) he's more likely to just "dispose" of the problem.
Boogga doesn't swear much, just because he's pretty easy-going and doesn't really care.

4. Kaled has a very strong moral code. For instance, he did not believe in fighting among the races until he joined the Frostwolves in Alterac. Killing monsters, OK- fighting humans and other elves, not good. He follows the Law unless it clashes with something he believes in, then he will follow his own morals.
Khaotic lived as a soldier from her mid-teens until she met Kaled in her twenties. She has had the Law drilled into her, and follows it unless it runs counter to her own equally strong moral code, which is based on honor much like Kaled’s.
Khlar ignores the Law completely, but his sense of honor is close enough like it that it usually gives him no problem.
Boogga also follows his own code of honor, which is similar to most orcs (he actually spends more time among the orcs and tauren than among his own race) so he usually has no problems either.

5. Kaled is really too shy to be a good dancer, although Khaotic will drag him out every now and then. She enjoys a good dance/party, but hasn't been to many recently because she prefers Kaled's company.
Khlar does not dance, he's too serious-minded for it really.
Boogga loves to dance and will cut loose with anyone, anytime he wants.

Feel free to put down your own answers if you want, either post them here or on your own blog if you have one. :)


And for anyone that might wonder regarding that quest I linked, Khaotic would go through with it and question(oh heck, I'll say it, torture) the prisoner, though she would be thoroughly disgusted with the Kirin Tor. Kaled would not do it, no way no how. Khlar would also refuse, it would be too much like what he did while in service to the Lich King. Boogga would do it and has already (obviously since he's 80) without many qualms, though he would think differently if the prisoner were a Horde race (looks human, eh, why not).

Have fun with this and Happy Hunting!

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

First Naxx run

Boogga got into Naxx for the first time after a 25-man Archavon run, where he got his t7.5 gloves!!! He also had no less than 3 10k kill shot crits on Archavon. Mageddon came along and did over 1k DPS by himself. For Naxx I switched to Samurai, might bring Mag next time tho.

Naxx was a 10-man run. We cleared spider wing and military wing, then went to Patchwerk and downed him before some people had to leave and we called it. Had some nice drops, Boogga got some new leather boots from Faerlina and shoulders off the 4 Horsemen. I'm not sure how much I'm going to use the boots since he loses some +hit and int from his Dragonstompers, and he's just reached the hit cap so he kinda needs the +hit. I only got them because the rogues didn't want them. I'll play with them for now and see how they work, an Icewalker enchant might be good enough to get by.

He died almost at the start of the 4 Horsemen because I had no idea what the fight was like, but I got to watch it and think I'll be fine next time around.

He's almost honored with the Sons of Hodir, would be already except I have totally failed at doing dailies in favor of leveling Khlar's professions. He should get it tomorrow and then he'll have a nice shoulder enchant. Next I have to raise his Knights of the Ebon Blade rep so he can get the head enchant.

That's all I can think of for now, til next time Happy Hunting!

Khlar: Geth

Yes, this is a story about his horse. I am an animal-lover after all.
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Through the long years of my servitude, I have had one constant companion. Geth, my deathcharger. I hope you will indulge me as I tell you about him.

My fellow death knights, my "classmates" if you will, and I were all excited to be finally learning to summon our own mounts. A knight's deathcharger was almost as much a part of him as his runeblade. We were instructed to go down to the Scarlet Crusade horse farm in the valley below us, and bring back a horse of our choosing. We left together, and upon reaching the field each of us selected a mount. I chose a tall, sturdily muscled chestnut stallion with a wild gleam in his eye, and jumped up on him bareback. He proved to be barely broken, giving me quite a challenge as I rode him back to the Scourge camp.

Once there, he was taken with the other horses, then they were all killed by a dark ritual, sending their spirits to the shadow realm. Each of us was then instructed to go and find the spirit of the horse we had chosen, and defeat it, then it would be ours. One by one we were sent to the shadow realm. When my turn came I stepped up to our master and he cast his spell. The world around me turned dark and hazy as everyone else disappeared. I turned and looked around, then started down the slope.

Not far down, I came across a shadowy horse, but recognized that it was not mine. I continued on, and the next spirit horse I saw looked familiar. It stamped one hoof and snorted at me, and I saw the gleam in its eye. I readied my runeblade as it charged. I ducked aside and swung my blade, scoring a solid hit on its flank, but it spun around and came at me again. This time it bit at me while it ran past, and I felt its teeth latch onto my shoulder. I struck with my elbow and the horse screamed and let go. One more swing with my blade, another scream of pain from the horse, and it came to a stop, blowing hard and glaring at me. I stared right back, and after a long while the horse finally bowed its head, allowing me to mount and ride back. From that moment, Geth was mine.

He kept his wild spirit, and was usually a challenge to ride anywhere, though he gradually improved. He would allow no one but me to touch him, and made a game of biting the hands off the ghouls that tried. I know that he despises his time in the shadow realm and lives for the times I call him back, to carry me wherever I was told to go.

He obeys me unfailingly. I realize that he loves me in his own way, although he is not affectionate at all, instead trying to challenge me for leadership of our little 2-member "herd" at every opportunity.

After I left the Lich King's ranks, he stayed with me. That was my greatest fear, that his magic was connected to Arthas' somehow and I would lose my only friend. That fear proved groundless, and Geth is with me still today. He doesn't care what I am doing with my life, only that I give him some time in it, and for that I am grateful. It is reassuring that there is one creature that does not judge me for my appearance or the crimes I have done while under Arthas' control.

He tolerates my present companions well. Treng shows the good sense I have come to expect from him, and keeps his distance from Geth. But what a start Gwynifar gave me, when I summoned him in front of her for the first time. Before I could stop her, she had reached out and stroked his nose. Imagine my surprise when Geth did not snap off her hand, as I expected, but instead stood still and tolerated her touch. She has some magic with animals, I swear.

She continues to be the only person he allows to touch him, besides myself. I have grown more cautious around people and warn them off before they get close. He is an extremely irascible horse.

He is also protective of me. I could not count the times that something has tried to reach me, only to meet his teeth or hooves instead. He packs a vicious kick.

He is tireless and agile, never refusing a jump or climb. He is surefooted as a mountain ram, taking paths that most mortal horses would never manage. And he is absolutely faithful, and has never failed me when I needed him.

Above all, he is my friend, despite being "only an animal." I think Gwyn and Treng understand our relationship best, as it is similar to the hunter-companion bond. But this one is not forged by spells or compulsion. I have learned that he is capable of refusing my summons if he so desired, but he always comes to my call.

He is my partner, and I thank you for letting me tell about him.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Khlar: Meetings

I was not prepared when the clatter of arriving hawkstriders sounded in the yard; my courage nearly failed me. Would my parents recognize me? Was Gwynifar with them? I opened the front door with trepidation, and stepped out.

My parents looked the same as in my memories of them. Oh, they both had some silver in their hair, and maybe a few lines in their faces, but otherwise, I could have just left yesterday. They both looked up at me simultaneously, and we all froze where we stood.

Fear flashed across their faces. I knew what I looked like, and it was impossible to not recognize I was a Death Knight. The fear was followed by a myriad of other emotions, some of which I understood, because they were running through me, too. I stepped closer, and said, "Mother, Father, it's me, Khlar." My mother gave a half-sob then, and rushed over to me, wrapping me in her arms. "My son," she said softly. My father remained where he stood, with traces of fear showing still. But when my mother released me, and I looked him in the eye, his face softened, and he came and hugged me too. Then my mother ushered us into the house.

We talked for hours. My parents had to hear all of what had happened to me, and then in turn they caught me up on what had gone on after I left with the army. They told me that they had sent Gwynifar a note, and she should arrive in a day or so. I looked forward to meeting her and her friend, the orc Treng. After a big supper that my mother cooked, we all went to bed.

The next day we were in the sitting room, still talking, when we heard a knock at the door. My parents looked at each other. "That is probably Gwyn," said my mother, and she stood and went out. I held my breath as I waited for her to return with my sister. It didn't take long. Mother came back in and sat down again, and then Gwynifar stepped into the room.

I did not want to frighten her, but I couldn't help myself and stood up. She saw me and froze, her eyes widening. I could almost hear her thoughts, and for the first time I was truly disgusted with what I was. I knew she was most likely afraid of me, and couldn't let her think I was a monster. I stepped toward her, saying softly, "Sister..." Before I could say anything more, she screamed, "NO!!" then collapsed in a faint.

My mother bundled her off to her bed as I sat with my father, feeling the horror of what I was and how I appeared to others. I hadn't wanted to frighten her, but the stereotype of my kind was too strong to be overcome by one brief meeting. My father tried to comfort me, saying that she would be okay once she woke and had a chance to talk it over. "You and Mother need to tell her," I said. "She will still be too frightened of me." He protested, but I knew it to be true.

Gwynifar did wake up soon, and my parents talked with her for a good hour while I walked through the woods outside. A large shaggy wolf kept me company. I knew him to be Gwyn's pet, and wondered what his name was.

"His name is Haiden," said a deep, accented voice behind me. I turned and saw the orc, Treng. I looked him over, as he studied me in turn. "You are not afraid of me?" I asked him. He shrugged. "You're obviously not a monster, otherwise there'd've been nothing left here when we arrived," he replied. I said nothing in return, but in my heart I felt a little bit of peace at his words. "You are young to sound so wise, Master Treng," I said after a pause. He scuffed his feet in the dirt. "Ain't being wise so much as being sensible." He looked back to me. "Gwyn will be fine. You just gave her a start cause she didn't know what to expect." With those words, he turned and went back to the house.

I wanted to follow, but decided to wait until Gwyn came to me. I turned back to the wolf, Haiden, and scratched behind his ears, then continued my walk.

I did not wait much longer before Treng came back outside with Gwyn beside him. She came up and stopped before me. She started to say something but stopped herself, then suddenly stepped forward and hugged me shyly. "I'm sorry about that, Khlar," she said. "Think nothing of it," I told her. "It's not an unusual response for me." She laughed a little at my attempt at humor, then stepped back and studied me. "All my life growing up," she said hesitantly, "I've heard stories of you. I felt like I knew you, even though you were dead before I was born. Now I find out you weren't really dead. It's weird." "It's alright," I said. "I'm just glad to be finally free and with my family." She cocked one eyebrow. "You're really free from him? How did it happen?" So I wound up telling my story over again while we sat at the base of a tree, with Gwyn and Treng's pets scattered around us. As we talked, I felt a connection start to grow between us, and I vowed silently to myself that I would protect her, to the best of my power. Protect her from the evil in the world like Arthas and those of his ilk.

And if He should ever come near her or the rest of my family, then may the Light have mercy on him.

I will not.
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I apologize for the lack of regular posts lately. Been busy on Khlar mostly. His herbalism is 300 and trained, now I'm working on his mining. I also took him back to Outlands and hit level 61. His mining is at 240 currently, so he should be in Outlands for good soon.

Got another story for Khlar and a new one for Kaled running around in my head, will try to have them done in the next few days. Til then Happy Hunting!