My Three Favorite Things about Uldum

Ahhh, Uldum. For being a blechy desert, I found this to be one of my favorite zones. Honestly, the majority of my screen captures are from here for the blog. Come to think of it, maybe that's not a good thing >.>

Regardless, I am going to share with you some of my favorite things about Uldum:

3.  Armadillos. 

Ok, so sue me. It made me happy to see an Armadillo.  They don't have to worry about being road pizzas here, that's gotta be worth something, right?

2. The Quests!   

From the pun-ridden Fashionism quest, to the slightly more complex Nazi mockery (and the hilarious quest to restore Gobbles to his former glory gone wrong... we've covered this before, and I am a sick sick person, but there is just something awesome about flambe.. at least it wasn't my doing this time >.>) to of course all of the Dr. Jones quests and Brann's penchant for statues shooting lasers from their eyes.

 Dr. Jones father is a dwarf...  this explains so much!

1.  GAY CATMAN ENCLAVE.

Think about it. I never saw a female cat-thing anywhere.

I never saw children cat-things anywhere.

I looked, I really did. Nary a cat-thing other than male. 

So I did my homework, they were orginally Tol'vir, created by the Titans, and some succumbed to the curse of the flesh.... >.>... which really, only makes it worse, cuz ... welll.... >.>   (I hope I'm not ruining the surprise of Blizzards plan for a yaoi comic spinoff...)

And yeah, I guess the titans could have only made male cat-people... but the dwarves have males and females....  and it really doesn't help that my first thought running into the chained prince when I got to the zone was "Thundercats, Hoooo!".....

  Thundercats, HOOOOOOOOO!!!

I'm just going to battle this huge monster cat thing while you contemplate that...

 I've battled you five times, stop glitching and let me pass already!!!

WTF Weds: Sherbet Colored Pyrite!

So I'm out gathering metals through mining in WoW, flapping around on my flying thing through all the new Catacylsm areas... and find myself mining Pyrite. Awesome! I will refrain from wondering why the substance commonly referred to as "fool's gold" has a higher level than actual gold in the game.... >.> .... and move right to the point.

Why the fuck is there ice cream in my mining bag?!?

I mean seriously...Why on Azeroth is Pyrite SHERBET colored?!?

 Now I'm hungry >.<

It's a metal. Not a crystal. It could be shiny and glittery... but more in a Tiger's eye way than anything else... I cannot tell you how many nights I ruminated about this trying to understand. Well, my duckies, I have concluded that this is why:

 

Once upon a time there was a mage who loved to flambe things. Innocent squirrels, friendly murlocs (who were only trying to say hello through all the salt water they were gurggling!).. and the occasional irrational being that wouldn't fork over whatever she needed to make someone happy... like five handfuls of oozing mucus from bubble blowing sand crawlers. (Fear the bubbles, PHEAR THEM!)  

Regardless, she flambe'd without mercy and without much discrimination and one day accidentally tried to flambe the wrong thing and got sucked into a vacuum to another dimension... with stripes. And polka dots. And maybe a fuzzy purple people eater or two. Maybe three. (Who had all been promptly flambe'd.) 

She lost count when she ran across a zebra whose stripes were unraveling which she found to be a very odd and unsettling sight. "Uhm, you seem to be unraveling...." she said. 

"You think?!?" the peevish and obviously irate zebra replied.  

"Have you tried...." she started to say before being cut off by the zebra who shouted, "DO I LOOK LIKE I HAVE HANDS TO YOU?".... so she...blinked. And stared, a bit startled, before saying cautiously, "Well, obviously you don't, you are a zebra...." and began to wonder just what kind of warpyworld version of a dimension she was in.  

The zebra however, having expressed his frustration, calmed down and studied her… which made her feel rather uncomfortable. She began to wonder if he was carnivorous.  The zebra, however, had realized she was not from this dimension. He walked right up to her and got in her face and stared at her unblinking. 

Then, quite simply he said, "I demand a pencil. Yes, a pencil. A pencil is what I need," the zebra murmured while backing back out of her personal comfort zone and looking at her expectantly.

"Err...." she started to say before being cut off again.  "You will go to the forest of sticks and stones and do battle with the essays of StayedUpWayToLateToFInishThatOne and their minions, the distractor disco balls of sparkly destruction.  Their leader, Writers Block, has a pencil."  

The mage, finding all this... beyond ridiculous, closed her eyes, took a deep breathe, exhaled, and pinched herself as hard as she could. She was rather disappointed to find herself still staring at the zebra whens she opened her eyes again.  Begrudgingly, she asked what direction to head in.  The stressed out zebra of improbability scratched out a map with his hoof for her, and she memorized it and went off to retrieve the pencil.  

It was about halfway through the essays that she realized she could probably teleport herself back to her home.  However, being a mage of her word, followed through and got the pencil to help the zebra draw back his stripes and ended the escapade with a better understanding of why pyrite looks like rainbow sherbet in her mining bag.

... You didn't actually expect a logical answer, did you?

Erm... Your Hut is on Fire... Hellooo??

While questing in Dustwallow Marsh and doing quests for the witch in the woods, I found myself beating back Grimtotem tauren. I was instructed to burn their tents, which I felt kinda guilty about, but not as guilty as realizing the Grimtotem were apparently fire-blind and daft and were going to die in the fires I just set.  

 Uhhhh... Your Huts on Fire... Helloooo??? Fleee???

The tent is going up in flames and they are just standing there. Surrounded by flame, and they don't even flinch. No one is bringing water. No help is coming... and still... they just stand there, staring at the flames, not moving a muscle, not even the slightest twitch. It is becoming obvious to me that these Grimtotem couldn't have possibly done what Tabetha believes they did.

I doubt the entire Grimtotem tribe was responsible for burning down the Shady Rest Inn. They are suspected because of the hoof prints left outside the inn, but what if that was where one of these fire-blind Grimtotems just happened to be standing there and went up in flames with the inn?  I find this a much more plausible conclusion than them being smart enough to cause arson AND escape from it.

Fashion Friday: The Aptly Timed Scuba Suit

I was totally happy when I got to the now flooded Barrens to discover that I was given my very own scuba suit! Awesome! No more worries about splashing around in the water logged desert now!

Dear Hordie Who Smote Me,

Dear Hordie Who Smote Me,

While I appreciate the extra helping of DEATH while I was visiting Undercity during the Pilgrims Festival, I was really there for the CAKE. Sharing is Caring is obviously not already one of your achievements, unlike the others at the table with me who pleasantly passed food. I find it curious that we can pass each other in Shattrath and Dalaran, but when I come to your home city to honor your roots and family, you attack me blindly. It is because of people like you that there will never be peace in Azeroth. Sad, really.

                               Sincerely, That Damn Mage


-le sigh-

I did find it fascinating that by using a white turkey strider mount I was able to get a lot farther along than I would have otherwise had I been using one of the other alliance faction mounts. By all logic to me, it shouldn't have made a difference, as I imagine I'd still have shown as red to the opposing faction even on the white turkey strider. Curious. Or maybe I just got lucky and had  streak of nice people willing to let me alone.

In any case, I'm not against faction rivalry. I actually found the situation highly amusing. It's one of my more favorite things to go skulking about opposing faction cities for the sheer entertainment value. Well, I find it entertaining... >.>  (I still have yet to get that damned fish from Orgrimmar! >.<) I had been sitting at the table on the outside of Undercity passing food for about 15 mins before someone decided to freak out and kill me. I was grateful of course that they had waited that long and I had gotten a chance to finish what I needed to for the achievement I was going for. Faction rivalry gives lots of fun and purpose to the game, and I have found that it can be even more fun when you run across someone of the opposing faction and you mutually don't outright attack one another.

On deeper pondering though, I found myself getting uncomfortable when I realize how many players have this blind and instantaneous  -OPPOSING FACTION KILL- mentality. In and of itself, it is not wrong or bad or evil or anything, beyond annoying and just part of the game. However, I fear that it reflects back into the real world, with brain pathways already lined and oiled, for thought patterns like: "Whatever I dislike/ am anti-of/etc (be it racism, homophobia, whatever).... I attack instantly without thinking, putting into context, or trying to understand."

I'm not fond of thinking that I could be contributing to perpetuating the synapses that allow for that kind of intolerance. I am very thankful that there are more and more people that are speaking out against intolerance in games and studying ways to make the gaming world friendlier.

WTF Weds: Crocodile Surfing

 Crocodile Surfing... EEHHHH???

I'm a fan of the random, bizzare and somewhat Qwa?!? Alright, a big fan.

I was totally taken aback by the fact that I suddenly found myself riding a Crocodile while touring through Sholazar Basin. Much less, that instead of riding it like I would most any other mount, I was standing on it's back and crocodile surfing.

Pretty cool, actually.  ^_^

Just What Exactly is that Boar Doing?

I guess even Boars get lonely...

Given how especially short their lives are in the Valley of Trials... and frequently they get zotted to death at the whim of young adventurers... I guess I can't blame them.  But just how in the name of Azeroth did it get up there?!?

Fashion Friday: QQF WOW....

So yes, I still peek into WOW as I have more than a few friends still playing. While I appreciate all the work that went into remaking the entirety of Azeroth after the great cataclysm... some part of me still feels it was too late. I loved the new areas and content, and especially the humor and easter eggs. The Octo-Hat is still my favorite quest EVER. I swear I put it on my head over and over and over and over and over and giggled maniacally with glee. It was also pretty awesome that I  could earn my very own tentacle porn staff with questing. Regardless, I am digressing. (As usual >.>) The point is I still try to pay a bit of attention to what is happening in the land of WOW.

Which brings me to the news that Blizzard just released the Tier 13 mage set.

It must be some sort of fashion faux pas to wear goggles over a cowl right? RIGHT???

What is the point? I don't understand. Their glow power would be useless unless in a pitch black environment, and even then it would be more like advertising yourself as Bait. And while I happen to enjoy doing that, I imagine most squishy clothies don't particularly fancy the idea. Even pulling them down to use would be cumbersome with the cowl... unless they are psychic vision goggles?

I can't even begin to fathom the useful, but I'm still stuck on the why.  I mean really. Rocket Lights? Glow Horns? Is it simply to confuse one's enemies?   -mind boggles-    .....  Keeping in touch with the mothership?   .....  -sighs and just gives up trying to understand-  ..... 

The Triplet Mini Mages: Yukiko's Journal Page 1

The Triplet Mini Mages of DOOOM:

The Perplexing Adventures of Cotton Candy, Bubblegum and Ice Cream.
Loch de Qwaa?!?

The Journal and Diary of Yukiko:
Don't you dare read this Mizzy or Ryuu!!!
Seriously! Bugger Off!!


Loch Modan, on some day that isn't today but rather some other recent day.

It has come to my attention that my dear sister Mizzy has a sheep addiction. She turns something into a sheep, which is all well and good, but, instead of then beating it to death in the wise and proper fashion of things that want to eat you for dinner, she resheeps it, and then... sheeps it again. I had an entire tea time picnic the other day while she kept resheeping this one trogg. I'm not entirely sure where this pathology comes from, but I must agree that sheep does taste better than trogg.

Ryuu is afraid of rabbits. Deathly afraid in fact. She zots them dead on sight. She insists they are trying to eat her, but I think they are just trying to be friendly. (That is, the ones that even realize she's there before she toasts them with her flambe power.) I have tried to warn her that wolpertinger season is coming up, and she gets very very upset. Then again, in that case, I can't blame her. Bunnies with sharp pointy fangs are never a good thing. EVER.

As for me, well, I just can't seem to figure out why the wildlife is so darned unfriendly. The fuzzy bears, cuddly spiders and huggable boars... I just don't understand why they are all so angry. They always want to eat me. It's like I'm food or something. *sigh*

Oh! And if the whole sheep thing wasn't irritating enough, Mizzy is a total Herb-i-whore.

*facepalm* Constantly running off and getting into trouble! >.> Though truthfully, I'm a bit worse, I think, when I go for the ore. Not that I'd ever admit that to Mizzy or Ryuu. >.> I always manage to get multiple things attempting to snack on me and give me death. Cake please!!!

PS - I seem to be haunted by our long dead and dearly beloved cat Thori - I keep seeing her as I run into walls. It's very puzzling. I'll be leading us all along some pathway then while jogging I run face-first into the wall. I could swear I see Thori, lingering on the edge of my vision and being all kinds of distracting. Not much different from when she was alive, come to think of it. My sisters, of course, think I'm just loopy, but whatever. I'd rather be a bit mental and hallucinating remembering Thori rather than remembering the really traumatic things like when we visited Gnomeregan and were all totally unsettled by the memories of when Dad ate Mom. Stupid Zombies. I can't wait till I'm old enough to whack the Lich King myself for that.

Many Thanks and Love to Lady M and Miss J, my Fellow Mini Mages!

The Sea of Glowies!

Glowies Ahoy!

Just one of the perks of being UBER.

Even if I had to go into a Lvl 38 dungeon at 80 to feel like it. >.>

WTF Weds: The Tentacle Staff

The Creepiest Weapon I Have Ever Encountered

Yeah. I don't think I've been as creeped out by anything as much as this.

I wish I had a video of it to illuminate the maximum "YEEECCHhhKKk" Factor.

Who Invited the Squirrel?

I will admit it right here and now, I am a badge/achievement whore.

One of my favorite silly achievements was the Turkinator.

Ohhhh... wait....

That involved the mass slaying of the poor innocent turkeys didn't it? >.>

(I find myself suddenly becoming distracted thinking of all the innocent turkeys who had the great misfortune of having been magically altered to instantly turn into nice plump already cooked turkey roasts upon being smote.... by even the slightest of provocations...... Mmmm... Turkey....)

Ahem. Anyway, I had a Turkey army! MUAHAHAH!
Golems and Viking Wannabees: tremble before me and my herd of turkeys!

But wait, who invited the squirrel??

Apres Vous, My Mail Wearing Friend...

One of my favorite things to do with friends in MMO's are things that we shouldn't. Or rather, that I didn't actually expect us to live through. When I convinced my friend Kist to come along with me to slay Onyxia to get the badge before she was way too uber for me to ever even contemplate with her pending reinvention, I was in for some good times.

Now, I realize it's a bit odd, but I don't mind dying. A lot. I assume it stems out of my preference to play cloth wearing casters. I really figured we had no chance in Hades of pulling it off with just the two of us. I greatly underestimated Kist's UBERNESS.

Granted, the first go around, we got our tails whooped. However, I then respecced to have a more frosty demeanor and with a bit of strategy (not having actually read one before, and having tangoed with her for the first time that day) we went back and smote her scaly black hide. Buahahaha.