A city full of Sandfury Trolls is no picnic, but some of the Elder decided to brave Zul’Farrak’s windswept sands a few nights back in a quick run through. Neitzsche, Blackheathen, Fugg and Stroeb geared up and galloped forth - though as we discovered, not all were geared quite right. Blackie seemed to be doing a lot of damage, but stayed alive less than he normally would. Turns out he spent the whole time in his DPS gear - FTL!

Neit introduced a newish tactic, using some kind of Jedi Mind Control to turn the enemy on themselves. We still need a little work on handling the mob once they wake up to themselves, but it’s fun to watch as they wail into each other. And it goes without saying that Neit kept us all alive again.

There was something in the air that meant we pulled a lot of adds all night, but the group still managed to not wipe, though it got pretty close. The highlight was the epic fight against Ghaz’rilla, the three headed hydra monstrosity from the deep. Ghaz has an entertaining habit of tossing his foes in the air like playthings, and there were several times where we were all floating helplessly in middair whilst he mocked our efforts.

The fight seemed to go on for a long time, Blacky desparately trying to keep it’s attention whilst Fugg unleased his Fury hammer blows. But this guy was tough - the combination of his attacks and the falling damage meant that both Fugg and Blackheathen went down. With only Stroeb and Neitzche left things were looking grim - but summoning all our strength and knowing we were watched by the spirits of our fallen Warrior bretheren, we harnessed the power of Midnight and together managed to finally bring down the beast.

Exhausted after the fight, we retreated to tend our wounds and started telling this tall tale to all who would listen…

With Paxmortis recently returned from infecting the West Coast of the USA, and Fugg, Blackheathen and Stroeb spoiling for a fight, the team gathered for a crack at the second half of Maraudon - mainly for the drops, but also to get the teamwork cranking again. We were going in without Neitzsche, our Healer extraordinaire, so loaded up on pots and bandages before dropping in Desolace.

As ever, Fugg & Blackheathen led us on unerringly, and before long we were deep in the festering caverns. Being Priestless made it a tricky errand, but we managed to move pretty smoothly through the various foes on offer. Pax seemed to be slightly overcome by jetlag, but we pushed him on - perhaps a little to hard, as it turned out.

Our first boss, Tinkerer Gizlock, put up a typically Goblinish fight, but went down without too much effort. Alas Blackie was already armed with his Megashot Rifle drop - but Pax was on hand to DE it into a nice shard for some lucky enchantree.

It was at this point that things started to turn a little hairy. On the run back out, Pax managed to not manage to thread the needle between a mob of Subterranean Diemetradon. NP, as the rest came to his aid. But shortly after it happened again, and Pax went down for the count. It’s a looooong run back when the jumper cables fail!

Pax wonders how he can pull all those Dinosaurs when we least expect it

We ventured on, moving toward the next boss, Landslide. On the way, Blackie carefully positioned us to take down a patrolling Shadowshard Smasher squad with a warning not to accidentally back into the dino mob behind. Which Pax, by now predictably, unerringly did! Somehow we all managed to survive that hiccup, only to have the patrol respawn right on top of us. This was the final straw for Fugg, Pax and Stroeb, all who went down. But magically Blackie managed to stay up, with a brilliant use of the last resort Goblin Sapper Charge FTW! For those not familiar - the GSC explodes dealing up to 750 damage to all nearby, including the person who sets it off…

We all knuckled down after that episode, Fugg and (newly Combat Sword specced) Stroeb DPSing for their life, and picked up the eminently DE-able Fist of Stone from Landslide, before Stroeb collected the very handy Blackstone Ring off the lovely Princess Theradras and even handier Albino Crocscale Boots from Rotgrip.

The Elder get vengeance for all those dead Yank tourists in the Top End

So another dungeon down, with no wipes but a lot of entertaining pulls from Pax. But we shouldn’t be too hard on him - jetlag is a killer. Literally.

Some good shots posted recently in the gallery - a selection of highlights follows…more always welcome!

In the belly of the beast - Blackheathen is somehow =inside= the creature…

Pax & Stroeb hoping this doesn’t respawn soon

A Rogue’s work

After thinking his future was getting his toes nibbled by sexy BE bank alts… Darksinger contemplates his new flat-mate

Paxmortis and Stroeb spent reyawn wait time today codifying some of the WoW language that the Guild has created or adopted. The current list can be found on the right hand panel below the screenshow. If you come up with more, let Pax or Stroeb know and they’ll be added to the Codex…xool!

The Brood have kind of settled on a mission - doing every Instance in the game. This meant that last night we were obliged to travel into Alliance territory in the Human zone of Westfall, on a mission into The Deadmines.

The Brood ready themselves for the assault on the Alliance camp at Moonbrook

The first trick was getting into the mines. We battled our way through low level miners, before our first encounter with Alliance scum. A dwarven hunter and his companions, mining for copper, happened upon us - and managed to pretty much slaughter the party. With the exception of…Dawnsinger! Showing incredible survival skills, our Healer stayed up - deserves an award!

A few ganks later, we all managed to get inside the mine proper. What followed was pretty much ritual slaughter - Denmother grabbed packs of human miners and goblins, drew them back to the killing zone, where Judelder unleased AoE-a-rama, Xantir displayed his silken battle skills, Dawn healed and healed and healed, and Stroeb (with new pet, Clash) fumbled around all night trying to remember her new keyboard setup. Ahem.

Denmother eats humans

We were overspecced, so the dungeon didn’t pose much trouble. The bosses need a little care, but they too fell with barely a whimper. Mr. Smite was noticible for the enormous dual reavers he wielded. Not that they helped…

The soon to be ex-Mr. Smite

Before the day was out we had snatched Rhahk’Zor’s Hammer, Taskmaster Axe, some nice Smelting Pants and a suit of Blackened Defias Armour for Dens, a Thief’s Blade, the Emberstone Staff, and last but not least, Cookie’s Stirring Staff. Though how anyone could wield a Murloc staff…/shudder.

Ugh, Murloc

So the first Midnight’s Children raid on Alliance territory was a success. Because we were over level, Dens is not eligible for the Warmaster award this time. But if we get through our next challenge, Blackfathom Deeps, unscathed - the she’s more than earned it!

Here There Be Humans

Having spent no small amount of time learning the zen of fishing, today I decided it was finally time to meet the great man himself: Nat Pagle. Creator of the legendary Nat Pagle Extreme Angler FC-5000 “Limited Edition”, this was the man who took the sport of fishing and turned it into an art.

My journey took me first to the murky swamps of Dustwallow Marsh, and thence to a small isle off the West coast of Theramore. As I swam toward Mr Pagle’s island home, my nerves were clattering at the thought of meeting the Great Man. Before approaching him, I changed into my best gear, kindly supplied by Fugg for this very event.

Will you marry me?

He was everything you could hope for in a Human. Which is not a lot, I suppose, but just look at that casting action. That gruff visage. Those shoulders. We chatted, and he illuminated more than one fishing secret in our time together. None more salient than: “I reckon you just need to be determined - determined enough to sit on your duff for hours at a time, doin’ nothin’.” Of course. Of course!

He set me a mission - to catch the fabled Feralis Ahi, a Sar’theris Striker, the Savage Coast Blue Sailfin, and the elusive Misty Reed Mahi Mahi. With his words of wisdom in mind, I travelled far and wide to find these mystical fish.

As I fished each location, I pondered. The Feralas Ahi too me 8 minutes, and more than 17 fish to land. Instead of calm, I started to feel confused - and when I moved onto the Striker, it was over 11 minutes and 34 fish - double the fish! But on the flight to Grom’gol for the Sailfin, something opened in my mind. It was like a door to a new philosophy of fishing. 5 minutes and 12 fish later, I had it. I finally saw the Pagle Path. The final fish, the rare Mahi Mahi, was landed with a single cast. A single flick of a now unstoppable wrist.

I returned, in my Tuxedo this time, to Nat - he insisted on first names now that I had reached enlightenment - and provided him his fish. It was a great moment to see the glint in his eye as he recognised a fellow Artisan.

Mr. Pagle’s Reward

He left me with words that will long stay with me, and which ring true in the heart of all Those Who Fish: Ain’t it amazin’ what you run into in an ordinary day of fishin’?

FtH! Stroeb

Comments:

Blackheathen - Feb 15, 2008

Absolutely brilliant stroeb, makes me want to go back to Dustwallow and pay the great man a visit, just for old times sake.

Note, took me well over 40 fish to get the Ahi, others weren’t too bad though.

The Elder, in Blackheathen’s words, had a “pretty sweet” run through Sunken Temple Thursday night.

The Elder buff up for ST

It was indeed sweet, with crown control the theme for the night - Neit unveiled a sweet shackle undead spell, Pax sheeped beasts, and Stroeb sapped the living daylights out of the humanoids. Stroeb also slipped in some pickpocketing pre-sap for a nice little earner on the night. All the CC made the job for our tanks nice and focussed, we almost felt sorry for the fate awaiting the uncontrolled targets.

Worse than Troll Sweat

We also had DPS out the wazoo with Pax’s AoE raining down, Stroebs dual flurry of swords, and Fugg’s frankly terrifying work with his Light Skyforged Axe. Like the Brood the night before, we were slightly overspecced for the instance, so no Warmastery on offer this time, but it was a flawless run through none the less.

Zolo’s destiny approaches

Well, almost flawless. Over to Blackheathen again: “Shame that some clown released their inner Warlock and managed to pull about 20 mobs at once resulting in the untimely (and only) death of our glass cannon, the great Paxmortis.” That clown of course being Blackie himself, FtL! But, after Pax’s efforts in Maraudon, Blackie was right in claiming that he’d been “studying at the Paxmortis school of dino pulling, seems it works on Dragonkin as well”.

But that was only one hiccup, and the only death for the night. Blackie more than redeemed himself with a legendary pull, somehow managing to separate the mighty dragon Weaver from his twin Dreamscythe, meaning we only had to deal with them one at a time.

The remains of Weaver

Fugg again proved himself the instance genius, ensuring we did everything in the right order, and making sure we all completed the not always obvious quest goals. And he also was annointed Dragonslayer, hammering the death blow on three of our four Dragon bosses FtW!

Loot aplenty, of course, though most went to Pax’s DE chest:

• Darkwater Braces of the Owl

• Atal’ai Girdle of the Bear

• Atal’ai Gloves of the Owl

• Vestment of the Atal’ai Prophet

• Fist of the Damned

• Windscale Sarong (a BoP item which Neitzsche, our cloth wearning Priest, picked up much to everyone’s amusement

• Spire of Hakkar

• Dragon’s Eye

By night’s end, Fugg and Blackheathen were knocking on the door of 60 - and by the time you read this, they’ll have reached it. Outland awaits!

For those wondering if the grind to 60 is worth it…Stroeb last night made her first trip to Outland - or as Neitzsche so brilliantly termed it, Xooland.

No turning back

The other side

It’s pretty incredible through the gateway. All sorts of enormous demons and huge raging battles. And these guys too:

Blackie, Neit & Stroeb…run away!

Fel Slayers

Makes grinding bats in the Plaguelands look…old fashioned. And in our first run around, Stroeb upgraded her swords to Foe Reaver (quest reward) and Telaari Longblade of the Bandit (a BoE loot drop!). Greens that were way better than her Blues. So yep, it’s worth it - and you really ‘only’ need to be 58!

Oh yes.

And it only cost 580 gold

So I’m levelling Stormsinger (my rogue) to train her as an enchant procurer.

It’s a fun enough job. Find target, stealth, assault, eviscerate… It’s like a mantra. Anyway, I’m doing the Arathi Highlands thing, whupping Raptors for their eyes, collecting heads from the Darbyrie Estate and snagging Syndicate emblems up at Northfold. Stealth, Assault, Evis… Rinse repeat. Corpses piling up so thick the whole horizon looks labelled in grey. Then there’s a big white tiger.

On me. Chewing happily. Skulls are its level and the arcane shot that slams me down to ¹⁄₃ health seems to indicate a Hunter with intentions on wiping out my pretty Blood Elf existence. No choice. Vanish, praying that a poison spike doesn’t give my stealth away by leaking as I run. Luck on my side.

Praise be the Rogue gods. I flick to combat log to catch the name of my wouldbe ganker and notice 4 names. I look around and realise that a 31 Hunter is getting escorted by a Skulls buddy. Both Night Elves. Yuk. Time to bug out and call it even… I’m watching on the combat log as they run around trying to find me - Track Humanoids, Track Hidden, Track Humanoids, Track Hidden… On off like a submarine sonar pinging for yours truely. Hunt for Red Eviscerator. But they haven’t found me… I’m Sean Connery and they’re a b-list English actor with a bad accent. The immediate danger has passed, I’m safe… And when a pretty young Blood Elf feels safe, her thoughts turn to pleasing herself with that most indulgent of vices - vengeance.

They lose interest in me. My interest in them is growing by the second. I notice they’re farming Syndicate cannon-fodder and they’re standing quite far apart. The 31 is confident as hell, pulling two at a time knowing that his Skulls buddy is there to save ass if required. But they started in the middle of a field and they’re working outwards… Getting further apart. Skulls gets locked down in dealing with 3 Syndicate goons, 31 is taking on 2. He’s going to win, but maybe he’ll only have ¹⁄₂ hit points left after the battle. I watch. If I had streamers and face-paint you would have thought I was a Syndicate Super-fan. I’m praying for every hit-point these thugs can whittle off the Night Elf. One goes down, the next is soon to follow…

Now or never. Vanish has finished cooldown so the ejector seat is gtg. Move quick. 31 finishes off the last Syndicate and Skulls is moving back to regroup. All I’m gonna have is one shot. Cold Blood on. That’s a guarenteed crit for you Rogue newbs… Moving in fast and low. 31 bends to loot the dead Syndicate -

Ambush! 630 damage. One shot and the fucker goes down. Right in front of Skulls the Bodyguard. L2play noobs. Hit Vanish before that big white tiger rips me in half and run like a bastard. Look back once -

Skulls is standing over the corpse of 31. I swear I can see the confused look on his face, but I know that’s madness. In my mind’s eye I picture a teenager whispering to his ‘Escort’ -

WTF!

God I love this game.
Chris