The 20 Days of World of Warcraft: Day Eleven

Ama watches on as Jezz practices her torch tossing

Favorite WoW Holiday

Warm thoughts for a cold and snowy weekend (at least where I am). My favorite WoW Holiday is the Midsummer Fire Festival. There are a couple of reasons for this. The biggest is that it reminds me of one of the people I met in game that has most influenced my life, Jezzabell. She was a my best friend and my light when I was going through a very dark time in my life, and I am ever thankful for her companionship. We spent a lot of the in-game holidays together, but the Fire Festival is the one that stands out most to me. We spent it together, just the two of us, running around Azeroth, honoring the Alliance flames and dousing the Horde. We attempted to kill Ahune every day we could, but somehow each time we failed (this was the first year he was introduced, and we were not prepared).

The best things about the Fire Festival?

Toasted Smorcs - I suppose these are rather caster specific, but who can resist smorcs?!

Torch Tossing - There's nothing more fun than juggling fire!

Brazier of the Dancing Flames - What can I say about this awesome prize? If you thought the Piccolo of the Flaming Fire was awesome, just wait til you see this! No one can resist dancing with a hot Draenei!

Searing Scorchling and Frigid Frostling - Non-combat pets ftw! I only wish the two would fight when both are out in the same area.

The Frostscythe of Lord Ahune - New this last season, the scythe is perfect for us Death fans. Who doesn't want to wield a scythe?

The Midsummer Reveler set - Hot! Hot! Hot! (Ama wears this set above in the blog banner).

Crown of the Fire Festival - Add this to your Midsummer Reveler set and you're even hotter!

This is by no means a guide, just my list of favorites about the holiday (which ended up being just about everything). If you're looking for a guide, Wowhead has you covered.






P.S. I can't wait til the Ice Stone has melted... again.

The 20 Days of World of Warcraft: Day Ten

If a level 3 called “yurmom” asks you for gold, you say/do?

I love this question! I have actually answered gold beggars with tirades about how back when I started my first toon on Cairne, the server was brand new, only open to rerolls. Nobody had gold to give anyone else. We all quested and used the auction house and made our way through it. There wasn't anyone to beg from. I'm like the crazy old woman talking about trudging to school 10 miles in the snow uphill both ways. They say, "Plz! Just 1g." I keep ranting until they put me on /ignore.

The 20 Days of World of Warcraft: Day Nine

Which race/class combination are you most like in RL?

As far as race goes, this is an easy one. I'm most like a dwarf. I'm short, "big boned," friendly, but no-nonsense, and stubborn as a mule.

The choice of class is much more of a challenge. In RL there's no way I would be killing anyone or anything regardless of how deserving, unless I was put in immediate danger. Even then I'm not sure I trust my fight/flight instinct. This fact kind of makes me think none of the class choices would really suit me.

I think maybe Shaman or Druid is the class I would most like to be, deeply spiritual and in touch with nature, able to heal, but also able to fight. I think the Mage is more what I truly resemble. I'm rather bookish and intelligent. I love reading and learning. I'm a bit overly cautious to ever try playing with fire or the arcane though. In ways, I think I'm a bit Rogue-ish in that I like to hide in the shadows and watch the world go by. I'm incredibly shy. I've never stolen a thing in my life, though.

In short, I'm a Dwarven Magshadrugue.

Stormshield: Tha Beginnin'

I been piratin' off o' tha Borean Tundra pretty much fer a few years. I know, it ain't quite right stealin' from tha people goin' ta battle tha Lich King, but a gal's got ta make a livin'. Things got real quiet once Arthas be sent ta Davy Jones' locker. Once tha bulk o' tha army be back ta where they come from, both Horde an' Alliance, there weren't much ta do.

I be takin' a break from tha old heave ho, an' be spendin' mah days fishin'. I made up a kinship with tha walrus people, whadaya call 'em? Kalu'ak? They taught meh some o' their fishin' tricks an' I was obliged not ta hornswaggle 'em when I had goods ta trade. They even gave meh a li'l 'ol penguin they found on some iceberg somewheres as a friendship gift er somethin'. They had some right good herb they smoked in their pipes too. I wish that stuff grew everywhere... Anyways, what were I sayin'?

Oh yah, meh an' Bucko (that's what I call tha penguin) be relaxin' an' fishin' an' havin' a blast, but things be real quiet, almost too quiet. Tha Kvaldir wasn't even raidin' no more. An' then tha waves come. I been a freebooter fer as long as I can remember and I ain't never seen no waves like these. There be waves an' waterspouts an' then there be tha water spirits too.

Bein' a Storm Caller mehself, like meh mother before meh and her mother an' on down tha line, I done meh best ta calm tha spirits, but they wasn't happy and wasn't nothin' I could do. Tha waves was bigger'n Ironforge mountain itself, an' they be poundin' tha ship ta smithereens, an' I thought fer sure I be ready to feed tha fish. I be goin' down with meh ship, but Bucko didn't have ta go with meh. I kept tryin' ta shoo him away, but tha bilge-suckin' fool wouldna leave meh.

Last thing I remember be tha mast fallin' an' I be half runnin' an' half swimmin', Bucko at meh side, then somethin' hit meh in tha head an' tha lights went out. Next thing I know I be surrounded by these li'l runts with all these gadgets an' doodads an' I dunno whatall and meh head on fire with tha pain.

That be how I met Fangle. He be tellin' meh ta sit still fer ta heal meh up. How's a gal supposed ta sit still when she been through all that? I didn'a know where I was er who tha li'l buggers was, nor what had happened, and I guess I still don't.

These li'l guys be sayin' we just fell from tha sky, but that can't be true, can it? Some way Bucko made it here with meh, an' Light's Truth that be a miracle, sure an' true. Light knows how I got here, but I be thankful he be here too.

One thing I do know, that Fangle be a darn good healer. He done fixed Bucko an' meh up right good. Tha only trouble be he's takin' a likin' to meh, an' goes with me everywhere. It ain't all bad, but I ain't rightly sure he knows what he be gettin' himself into. I ain't exactly an angel from heaven. I be happy ta have tha company though, as Bucko don't say much. Har Har Har!

Who's That Alt: Introductions

It's no shock that since The Shattering I have been playing new alts. Here's what I've been up to:

Wangle Quickeye: Private Eye: SI:7 operative in training

Wangle went directly to Westfall after reaching level 10 in Dun Morogh, and has assisted Horatio Laine with the investigation of the murders occurring there. She is currently stationed in Lakeshire, Red Ridge.

Kizzey Stormshield: Storm Caller: Pirate Wench

Kizzey apparently was swept off of her ship when the Cataclysm hit. She awoke in Dun Morogh surrounded by gnomes. She has since made friends with a gnome priest (of all things) named Fangle.

Amatzi Drumfury: Dances with Cats: Voodoo Lady

Amatzi is the highest level of any Horde toons that I've leveled. At level 24 she is currently in Ashenvale assisting with the battle against the elves. As a Druid she is not very happy about this situation, but the Orcs have been fighting this battle for a long time, they must be right. Right?

The 20 Days of World of Warcraft: Day Eight

Favorite guild name you’ve come across?

Well, my favorite is my own little bank guild name: <Specced for Drama>. Ashwynn is the Drama Queen of said guild (and its only member). I've never actually seen a true guild by this name. There is one other on the armory, and it looks to be another bank alt guild.

I have a few others that have rolled around my head. I have a tendency to come up with clever ideas for guild names, despite never intending to actual create one. The most recent idea is <Prime Numbers>. The rankings would be by prime number of course, the GM being 1. Guild motto would be: "We're indivisible."

The 20 Days of World of Warcraft: Day Seven

Favorite companion non-combat pet?

Again, another one that is no contest. My favorite non-combat pet is definitely the Pandaren Monk. I actually only got this pet a few days ago (thank you, Spellpower), but I already knew it would be my favorite just from seeing others with them. The karate moves and the little Hee-yah's make him really unique.

If I got to pick the next playable race and class I would definitely pick the Pandaren for race and the Monk for class. I know that it will never happen though, since China will not allow sales of the game if it includes pandas.

If we exclude the pets that can be bought at the Blizzard Store, then next on my list would be the Sprite Darter Hatchling, which apparently is no longer obtainable since the quest is gone.

The 20 Days of World of Warcraft: Day Six

Favorite dungeon and why?

This is no contest for me. Karazhan is my favorite dungeon. It is the first dungeon larger than 5-man that I ever did. It was the place where I truly learned what it meant to raid, what it meant to be a part of a large group working towards the same goal. My first raiding guild trudged slowly through Karazhan, struggling to get through Moroes, where I learned how to Shackle. Heck, we wiped on trash... a lot. I remember wiping to Maiden because we couldn't master the dance of getting in and out of her Holy Ground or be immobilized by Repentance. The anticipation of which Opera would be playing this week. Oh, the humanity of Flamewreath! Although I've heard it is possible, we never wiped on the Chess event. I can remember screaming INFERNAL as we heard Prince boom, "You face not Malchezaar alone, but the legions I command!" Lady RNG saw fit for those Infernals to always land in the worst possible place.

At that time in my WoW life, I did not know much of the lore. Fighting through the crazy atmosphere of Karazhan is part of what led me to study and learn more of this world called Azeroth. If WoW were life, Karazhan would have been my coming of age, blossoming into adulthood. This is the dungeon that made my Priest the great healer that she once was, this is what made me the decent player that I am.

I've since gone back at level 80 and made my way through Kara again, but it is just not the same. There is something absolutely horrifying about being able to essentially 2 or 3 man what was once a huge challenge for me. I have no idea how many times I ran Kara with my guild back then, but I think it was a lot, a lot more times than I ran ICC. The difference is that I never got tired of Kara. I don't know if it really is better designed than ICC or if it is just a growing up thing. I've done the dungeon farming thing enough now that no matter how well designed, I just don't want to farm anymore, maybe?

Vivaciously Yours: New Druid Form?

Viva doesn't much care for the new Druid Tree form, so she's trying something a little different. 

Introducing Druid Shrubbery form

New and Improved: Stay in form while mounted!

In case you're wondering where this is found: The quest to start the chain that leads to Druid Shrubbery form starts here and continues here.

SPOILER ALERT! ---Amusing but spoilery anecdote behind the cut. Enter at your own risk.---