Lark- Changes in the pack

I had mentioned that I was thinking of changing Lark's stable up a bit. Well, before tonight's raid started, I did just that. She hadn't been bonding well with her dog Vei at all, so first thing was to find him a new home...


..... what? Stop looking at me like that. >_>

Next step involved a trip to Northrend. I took a couple side-trips to see if Arcturis or Skoll were up, even though I wasn't totally sure if I wanted them or not. Neither of them were there, so it didn't really matter anyway. So, on to Dun Niffelem.... where I discovered that Lark had never done the Sons of Hodir intro quests. Darnit! So she didn't get her ghostly jormunger worm, but she did get the next best thing-

Named him Vei, after the dog. I guess Lark is rubbing off on me.

I still had almost an hour until raid-time, so on a whim I figured I'd try taming another new one. I'd had my eye on these beauties for awhile, and had finally decided Lark would be the one to get it. Pitch helped out by forming a raid group so she could get in.... where I promptly found out that they were in Sunwell, NOT Tempest Keep. I can read, really.


The actual tame went off without a hitch, and she got out with time to spare. His name is Devin, and he needs leveled before he can join in the raids, but once he's 85 he'll probably make a few appearances.

The raid ended a bit early and I wasn't ready for bed yet, so Lark headed up north to do something I'd been meaning to finish for awhile now- Exploring the Eastern Kingdoms! She only had Ghostlands and Eversong left, so it didn't take long. But while she was there, I caught her eying the brown lynxes....


I really don't know what she's going to do with this one. I do like him, and Lark was giving me a good vibe, so he's probably a keeper. He needs a name, but I have a couple rattling around in my head, just need to settle on one. Edit: His name is now Mischa.

And as a final note, I realized that I'm forgetting to introduce the most recent addition to the "gang". Meet Taiglin.



Yes, I made another hunter. My excuse is I wanted to try a goblin. She's over on Nesingwary, where I might someday overcome my shyness and get her into the Petopians guild. Maybe.

And yes, I ran her all the way to Teldrassil to get Duststalker. Cazz is her "bodyguard" as well as her buddy, in fact she trusts him a lot more than most people, especially her fellow goblins. But that's a long story, so maybe she'll get her own post sometime.

And now I need to go pass out so I'm conscious at work tomorrow. Happy Hunting!

Fire Turtle!

My store's inventory is over now, and the powers-that-be decided to reward me with 2 days off in a row (which never happens normally. Score!). So on a flash of inspiration, I decided to do something I've usually never had the patience for- I settled in for a full-scale pet-camp.

See, Booggah's been parked out in Hyjal for weeks now. I rushed him up to 81 first thing, then he sat at the Throne of Flames looking for Terrorpene. And looking. And looking. And... you get the idea.

I'd never seen the fire turtle out in the wild until my sis found him and tamed him on her Nelf Kel. I knew he had a whacko respawn timer, and I figured I would just have to keep checking until I got lucky. But then, with 2 days off, I figured I was done trusting to luck.

Yesterday I had Boo logged in ALL DAY, from 11:30ishAM server time until well after 10PM. I left his screen alone mostly, and played Rift, or tinkered with my toons on my other WoW account, or browsed the interwebs, but Boo stayed put. I switched over to him every so often to fly around and check all the spawn points, so he wouldn't AFK-logout. He did take 2 breaks, once to do some questing for better gear, another short one so I could get away from the PC for a bit.

Terrorpene finally spawned shortly after 9:30, at which point there were 3 other hunters there besides Boo. I got in the first taming attempt, but he killed poor Boo. I got him back to his body just in time to see him put down another lowbie, then managed to try again- dead again. It was kind of a scramble after that, and Boo couldn't get another attempt in before a level 85 tauren hunter tamed him.

Then of course I remembered the elixir I had gotten especially for this. Ugh. The tauren was pretty cool, we sat and chatted for a bit, then he offered to sit around and help Boo get him. By then it was after 10, which meant 1AM my time, so we pretty much called it quits. I got a couple more quests done and Boo leveled, then I parked him again and logged.

I set my alarm before bed so I'd wake up exactly 9 hours after he had spawned, and once the alarm went off Boo was back at his spot. I brought Taurros over too, for buffs and to try healing if it was necessary. 9:30 rolled around, still no turtle. Finally _NPCScan went off at about :40 after. FIRE TURTLE!!

No one else was in sight, so I picked a spot, waited for him to get in range, and popped all Boo's pots and buffs. Once I'd hit Tame Beast (almost forgot to dismiss the trash corehound I'd tamed, go me -_-), I switched to Taurros' screen, to see if he was hibernatable. The spell didn't go off..... because Boo's tame finished before the cast was over. Hah!


It took a bit to settle on a name, I finally went with Runya, which is elvish for "flame." Since I found him so quick, it seemed obvious that I should go level some more! He's a great little tank- a few times I wound up with 2-3 mobs and he hardly took any damage at all. I'm not sure if he even used his shell shield.

We finished up with a quest that seemed appropriate...


Go Go Fire Turtle!

(And on a plus side, all the other pets I wanted for Boo are level 84+, so I can level him the rest of the way in peace. Woot.)

One Down

And one to go!

I rushed through levels 54-59 so fast, the last one I wound up just puttering through. He got it at last, though, and now he can fly around town instead of running everywhere.

He's enjoying it too. I think all my druids so far have really liked flying, but Rheugan's excitement was pretty contagious.

Alanon-mage is sitting at 44, so his levelling trip will be a bit longer than Rheugan's. I'll just need to let my worgen-kitty rest a bit while I get it done. Which is actually easier said than done, now that I think about it. >_>

Rheugan: Ritual

Some in-game RP has gotten me thinking about Rheugan's past- namely, the ritual that all baby worgen go through to regain their humanity (and get their nifty human-worgen shapeshifting spell). The quest kinda rushes through it without saying much about what the character actually goes through, which is actually kind of neat because it leaves a lot to the player's imagination (not to mention that every worgen's experience would probably be different anyway!), but I wondered what really happened for Rheugan when he did it. Soooo, here's a little glimpse of my troubled worgen's past. Enjoy!

___________

Rheugan crept through the woods, his black fur and ragged clothing blending in with the shadows. Tucked into his belt, the sprigs of moonleaf rustled faintly. Probably too quiet for any ears but a worgen's to hear, but he still needed to take care. The Blackwald was full of the Forsaken's spies.

He checked one more time, but the path to Tal'doren was clear. Keeping low to the ground anyway, he hurried back to the tree, and the hope he had found inside it. The Night elves had found Crowley, who had in turn found him and the other worgen, and now they offered him a chance to regain control of his own mind. Rheugan glanced around one last time before ducking through the great trunk's entrance, leaves held firmly in his paw.

* * * * * *

"It is time, Rheugan. This... alchemy that has kept the beast inside you at bay will not last for long." Rheugan turned toward the druids and their "wells," uncertainty in his every movement. Crowley turned to look too, his voice dropping lower, quieter. "The first cursed worgen were night elf druids like our new allies. They, however, abandoned the balance that the rest of their kind embraced and allowed the beast to take over their minds. It is only fitting that their brethren be the ones that deliver us from the Curse. Go, drink from the waters of Tal'doren and make peace with yourself." Rheugan took a deep breath, then approached the Night elves.

Lyros stepped forward to meet him. "Leave your weapon behind, you will not need it here," he said, and Rheugan let his mace drop to the ground. Lyros gently took his elbow- Rheugan tried not to flinch at the contact- and drew him nearer, releasing him to step behind the well when they reached it. He handed the worgen a small clay cup, and Rheugan dipped it in the water, then lifted the cup and gulped it down quickly, before he lost his nerve. Tal'doren, the elf, the other worgen... all faded away.

"Just as Goldrinn's spirit once blessed our druids, let Rheugan be blessed with the wisdom of his race and the ferocity of the wolf god."

Lyros' voice was dim, as if coming from a distance, but he paid it no heed. The wolf was there, staring at him from the shadows of his mind. Rheugan stared back unflinching, waiting. Come, he heard it whisper. Hunt, kill. It's what we live for.

Rheugan felt cold. No, he answered it. I don't want that life anymore. I want to be free. The wolf snarled. You enjoyed it, remember? Come, leave this place, and we can show you what it is to be free.

Rheugan's body seemed to be moving of it's own volition, as he stepped to the next well and drank again. The water calmed him, chasing away the panic the wolf's words brought. He faced it firmly, as Vassandra's voice carried to his ears.

"Just as Daral'nir soothes the cursed druids who gave into the beast and abandoned balance, let Tal'doren soothe Rheugan."

Your "freedom" is only another kind of slavery, he told the wolf. You would have me trade my humanity for a life of killing. I won't do that anymore! Inside his mind, he stood firm as the wolf snarled and snapped at him. Meanwhile, his body took another step and dipped the cup into the third and final well. Talran's voice echoed in his ears now.

"Let the Scythe unbind that which was not meant to be bound! Let the soul master the beast, lest the beast master the soul!"

Get down, beast! he said to the wolf. I am the master here, not you! The wolf gave him one last glare, then to his amazement it backed down, showing him its throat in submission. It retreated back to the shadows as he watched it warily, then suddenly a hand gripped his elbow. The outside world rushed back, and he found himself standing unsteadily as Talran helped him stay upright. The Night elf was grinning. "Well done, youngling," he said. Rheugan blinked at him, not quite believing it was over, then he suddenly plopped down on the grass as his legs gave out underneath him.

* * * * * *

"It's done then. You are one of us now." Rheugan looked up from his hands- his human hands- as Crowley spoke. The older man grinned approvingly. "You'll always have a place among my men, lad. The fight's not over yet, and I dare say we'll be seeing a good bit of each other before it's through."

Rheugan offered a shy smile, but a shout from outside Tal'doren interrupted him before he could reply. "Father!" Crowley stood up quickly, turning toward the call as a broad smile crossed his face. "Lorna!" he shouted back as his daughter ran up and hugged him. Rheugan watched the reunion, then his attention was pulled back to the entrance. He quickly stood up himself.

Godfrey and the King were coming.

Just sayin'...

My workplace is having inventory done this week (Wednesday to be exact). Which means instead of my normal schedule, I am working 5 days straight- my next day off in fact isn't until... Wednesday. (-_-) So besides a wonky schedule making me more tired than normal, I'll also be a lot busier than normal as we try to get ready for this.

In a nutshell, posts will probably be on hold until after inventory's over and I've had a chance to recover. I mostly wanted to let ya'll know because I've had bits and ideas running in my head, but haven't had the energy to do anything with them when I get home. Yay for working retail? /sarcasm

"Project Wings" (and other things!)

Hello, little blog. Long time no see, huh?

I have been unmotivated to write anything lately, I admit. Rheugan is being near-impossible to write for, so most of his RP has been actual in-game stuff. But hey, that's what chatlogs are for, right? He's also chugging along nicely (if slowly) at 52 now, and I'm feeling an itch to get him to 60 asap. Which brings me to the title of this post.

I think Davoss started it when he reached 60 and got his flying. See, you can fly anywhere in Azeroth now. And while flying on a level 60 mount may be fairly slow, it still beats running on the ground (and dealing with all the obstacles you'll find there!). So "Project Wings" was born.

My goal with the project is simple-get every character that's close enough their flying mount/training. Dav has his bird, so he's taken care of. Rheugan is next, naturally, and then it will be mage-Alanon's turn. After that I don't really have anyone else close enough- Arnen would be my next at 28- so it's a fairly small, easy project. And hey, it's an excuse to play my lowbies, right? >_>

I've been tinkering with my hunters and pets, too, and have some new additions to show off. Arnen first, since I just mentioned him. I leveled him up to 28 specifically for 2 pets, which he now has!




Sorla the cat is formerly Pogeyan, and Digger is Mahamba- a couple new rare spawns that were added in the last major patch (I think? Correct me if I'm wrong). Sorla is shiiiiiny, if you can't tell from the pic. I'm really digging them both so far.

Next is a couple new ones for Khaotic- a pair of rares that I had to camp for.




I'm not real big on bugs, but I'm liking Rex okay so far. His wings don't actually buzz- it's more of a whispery rustling sound. He gave me a run-around, I had to camp him for 3 days before he popped. Olm was little better- I think it was 2-3 days for him, too.

Last up is Andrano, since he got the most new buddies. First up is his wolf, since I don't think I ever put up a pic of him. And he's named now, too!







I'm trying to write more about Andrano and Carienne, and his naming will be part of that. Otherwise, he's now added a ghost saber (couldn't resist), a yellow condor (love the model but didn't want to wait for level 72ish for the blue), Gosh-Haldrir the rare croc (tamed on a whim, couldn't resist again), and the new spiky Ghamoo-ra turtle (/hugs Morti). I think it's safe to say that he'll have his stable crammed by the time he reaches max-level, agreed?

Other than those guys, not much has been happening. Shaurria is still at 83, though I want to finish her up still. Project Wings will have to come first though, cause I'm serious about the "asap" bit. Davoss is parked at 62 while I decide if I want to power-level his smithing before going further. And honestly, Rheugan has become my biggest focus right now- I may even get him through the Outland questing before Dav, we'll see.

I've been debating doing a bit of culling with Lark's stable. I'm just not feeling any attachment to her dog Vei, in fact he nearly didn't even get leveled. And Arnen has his dog Bax, so I will have at least one mastiff. She may also trade in her parrot for one of the rares in Deadmines, if I can ever find one, but that's another "we'll see". Her raid group is fun- last week we got the twin dragons down, and spent some time on the Ascendant Council to boot. I think we'll have them down in a week or two. I need to level some of my others' professions, though- my sis can make flasks on her warlock, and Shaur can pick the herbs no problem, but Lark could use food and stuff too, and it'd be a lot easier (and cheaper!) if I could make everything myself.

Part of the problem with that is that I've been.... playing another game *cough*. A friend convinced me and sis to try out Rift, and I'm loving it so far. Shaurria has been "rerolled" as a cleric, with druid/shaman/sentinel trees, and she's bashed, blasted, and healed her way up to 19 already. I have a beastmaster warrior and ranger rogue as well for my altoholicism, and while they're still little, they're just as much fun. The gameplay is a lot like WoW, the rifts and invasion events are fun and good xp, and overall I'm enjoying it. Not giving up WoW for it, not by a long shot, but it's a nice change for when I need it.



So I think that's about it. I'm attempting an in-depth post about Rheugan, which will likely go on my other blog, and will probably be posting some Rift-related stuff there too, so keep tuned in for that. Til next time, Happy Hunting!

Rheugan: Rage

(Yes, Rheugan gets his name in the title even though it's mostly from Pitch's point of view. >.>)

I've been feeling like Rheugan has stalled lately. Between my computer messing up, which means I'm stuck on the laptop while my desktop gets fixed (boo!), and many of Rheugan's in-game friends just being busy doing other stuff, he's been kinda hanging out by himself a lot recently. In fact, I've been wracking my brain lately just trying to think of something to shake him up.

Turns out I didn't need to. He got shaken up plenty just last night, during our weekly RP night. I'll let Rheugan tell all the pertinent details.

Enjoy!

_______________

Rheugan was at the lake shore near the Earthshrine when Pitch found him. He was human, sitting quietly and watching the Shrine begin to buzz as the morning's activities started. Everything seemed to be normal- except the faint scent of blood that Pitch's sensitive cat-nose picked up as he approached.

Rheugan was aware of him, he knew, although the human didn't move or acknowledge him in any way. Pitch stood looking at him, then shifted out of his cat form and sat down beside him. "Let me see," he said gently, keeping his tone perfectly neutral.

Rheugan held out a hand, and Pitch suppressed a wince. His palm was practically shredded, some of the lacerations quite deep. Three of his knuckles were skinned, and one nail was broken off past the quick. Bits and pieces of bark were stuck in some of the wounds. Pitch pulled his eyes off Rheugan's hand and looked around, quickly spotting the offending tree. It looked like one of his sister Kel's devilsaurs had been chewing it.

Rheugan still sat motionless, his eyes fixed on some spot just past the water's edge. Pitch didn't say a word, he simply took the human's hand in his and reached for the earth-energy beneath where he sat. As he did, he heard Rheugan say quietly, "I couldn't heal it myself." Pitch didn't answer, all his focus going into his work. He had a hard enough time healing himself, and for whatever reason healing others was even more difficult. There was nothing he could say, anyway- Rheugan was much more adept at magic than he was, and the only reason he wouldn't have been able to do it himself was because he was lost in one of his worgen rages. Pitch knew better than to scold or to offer any sympathy- the younger druid didn't need either.

He pushed the healing energy he had gathered into the injured hand, watching in satisfaction as it mended. Rheugan wordlessly offered the other hand, which was in similar shape, and Pitch repeated the process. He didn't even want to think about how much pain Rheugan had been in, or for how long. "Dare I ask what the tree did?" he asked jokingly as he finished. Rheugan said nothing, still sitting motionless and staring into the water.

When it was apparent that he wasn't going to respond, Pitch leaned forward until he could see the other's face. The young man's expression was blank, his eyes distant, as if he was in some other world. "Rheugan?" He gave an almost imperceptible start, his eyes cutting over to the Night elf. Pitch kept up the gentle, neutral tone. "Tell me what happened?"

Rheugan stared blankly at him for a few more seconds, then he blinked, finally seeming to register the Night elf's presence. "The fellow your people keep talking about, Tiran Shard, is planning another attack on the Horde," he said quietly. Pitch blinked, then gave a small motion for him to go on. "He thinks he can cut their supply trains if he can blow up part of a road." Pitch's eyebrow went up, then he frowned. "I imagine he has a road already picked out?" Rheugan nodded. "The one between Silverpine... and Gilneas."

Pitch blinked again. "Oh no," he said. "Yes," Rheugan countered. "But that's not all of it. He plans to enlist some help while he does it." Pitch's expression suggested that he didn't really want to hear the rest. Rheugan kept on anyway. "He wants to ally with the Gilneas Liberation Front."

Pitch stared at him, the wheels in his head clearly turning and leading him to the right conclusions. "And you know how he works, don't you," he stated, and Rheugan nodded again, his voice taking on the first hint of emotion he had shown yet- anger. "He'll use them as battle fodder, won't he? He'll destroy what's left of my people."

Pitch covered his face with one hand. "Do you know how soon?" he asked. "Is there any time to try and stop him?" Rheugan shrugged, returning to the listless state he had briefly left. "I don't know," he said. Pitch dropped his hand, regarding the other druid with sympathy. "I'm sorry, Rheugan," he said softly.

Rheugan didn't answer for several minutes. "I want to go with them," he finally said quietly, just above a whisper. "I want to fight with them." Pitch stared. "You'd just die with them," he began. Rheugan's head snapped over to glare at his mentor. "Do you think I care?" he asked sharply. "At least I'd be doing something besides sit around here all day!" Pitch jumped slightly at his tone, staring at him in surprise. "Rheugan..." he started to say, but the human cut him off.

"You keep saying that I just need to get better, but I'm not getting any better am I? I'm stuck here doing nothing useful- just taking up space and time, and you're stuck here too, because you have to watch over me! I want to bloody DO something!" His hand curled into a fist, and he slammed it into the ground as he finished. Pitch winced, even though he knew it was now healed. He had never seen the normally quiet, reserved druid this upset.

Rheugan seemed to realize how far he'd gone, because he froze, staring down at his fist on the ground. Slowly he uncurled his fingers, then placed his hand in his lap and looked out over the water again. Pitch stared at him as he realized he'd been making a huge mistake.

He'd thought to keep Rheugan safe in the city, where he could be near friends and also be watched over. He'd thought the hunting trips they'd gone on would be enough to keep his worgen side happy. Now he realized why Rheugan spent so much time at the lake. It wasn't just about being outside and close to nature; he'd wanted to be as close as possible to where the action was, which in his present scenario were the Earthshrine's portals.

He reached over and placed a hand on Rheugan's shoulder. The younger druid was so tense that he was almost vibrating, the muscles rock-hard. "I'm sorry," Pitch said quietly. "I should have seen it sooner. I'll talk with Alanon, and we'll see what we can do." Rheugan nodded listlessly. "Crowley would never agree to it, I'm sure of it," he said hoarsely, though he didn't sound convinced. It took Pitch a moment to remember what they had been talking about before Rheugan's outburst. "I don't know, you'd know him better than I," he replied. "Listen, I'm going to go ahead and find Alanon, okay? We'll get started sorting all this out." Rheugan didn't answer, but Pitch thought that he was starting to finally relax. Slightly, at least. "All right," Pitch said. "Just tell me you'll stay here, okay? Don't go off anywhere?" At Rheugan's nod, he stood up, then changed to a bird and flew off over the city.

Rheugan watched him go, then shifted to cat, seeking relief in the simplicity of the animal's thoughts. He lay half-curled at the water's edge, staring at nothing.

He wasn't surprised when the bird flapped down to land next to him. However, this bird was smaller and sleeker than Pitch's flight form, and he had just enough time to blink before the bird disappeared and Shaurria stood looking at him. "Y'-.. Pitch said yer not feeling s'well?' she asked him hesitantly. Rheugan's shoulders hitched in a cat-shrug, and she knelt, then sat down beside him. She reached over to touch his shaggy ruff, then before he could protest she had lifted his head and settled it in her lap. Immediately the cat inside him wanted to get free, to claw her off if necessary, but he held it in firmly and kept still. Her fingers began digging through his thick fur, rubbing and scratching, and he let them.

Shaurria began humming softly under her breath. Rheugan didn't recognize the melody, but he didn't care; it was soothing. He lay still, listening and letting her pet him. Finally he was able to let his thoughts go, and soon after he fell fast asleep.