February 2007 Archives

So I was talking the other day, about birds, and which one to get when I get to 70 on each of my two major characters. I would like to get snowy ones for each of them, but they are by far the more common of the birds. This shot here is merely evidence on the matter. It is at least a 2:1 ratio of snowy to either of the other versions, or more, on Argent Dawn. So, would I be more unique if I got a plain one? I have now spent almost all of my 60 some odd levels riding that same bird, though. Maybe they should change up some of the gryphons in game to the other forms we can buy? Nah, it would probably take away from their speciality.

As well, on the bird front, Tseric posted in the forums that Blizzard is working on an epic flight form for druids, which will be a quest line(similar to the Paladin and Warlock epic mount quests?) but will require the Epic Riding skill to begin, so I would expect it will not be nearly as high on the cash outlay as the Paladin and Warlock epic quests are. Still, that Blizz is noticing that druids deserve the love that Paladins and Warlocks got for the land based mounts is definitely a good sign, and that, along with a lot of other things that have been tagged as 'upcoming content patch(es)' is much to look forward to, and another sign Blizzard is not slowing down between expansions.

Now, to the in game stuff. Sadly, no birds for me just yet, least not the ones that are only a one time payment, but there is one thing of note. After now 3 failed attempts to complete The Blood Furnace instance, we have only met with frustration. The first time was doomed, as it was an early, early morning run(2 or 3 AM start) with 2 members who were dead tired. When those two are your tank and your priest, you should pretty much just fork over your gold to the repair vendors and call it before you start. Drissa and I did get the fel orc blood quest done, so that was a good thing.

The next day, myself, Drissa, Falaurus on his Priest, Megawatt on his Warrior, and Cancey, another guildmate, tried very hard to finish what had been started the night before. Alas, the forces of bit and byte would work against us, as the Instance server decided on this day to be utter and complete crap. We twice got within site of the room with the second boss, only to have the Instance server die on us and after a good solid 3 hours of trying to get in, only to get partially done and ave the server crash, we called it. We hope to get another run, hopefully more successful, tonight. Drissa did get a nice drop(I think) off the first boss on the second run, and I got a new Libram off the first Boss on the run the night before, which I will be switching out with my current one, a demon/undead specialized one.

Therefore, a ding, since Drissa and I were both so close, was left to grinding. We went out killing wolves and Warp Stalkers, as we both needed Worg Tails and Drissa needed more Warp Burgers, a nice +agi buff food that Medros can cook and even get skill off of still. After many kills, and enough meat to make a levels worth of burgers, I am happy to announce...

Live from Outlands, it's Level 66!!!!

That is right, only 4 more levels until Medros could fly on a bird. I am sitting a little under 1/4 of the way to a bird, and think I just might need to get Arita some questing done, as he now has most of the starter quest in Zangarmarsh. I need some Paladin gold, since my Paladin put so much gold into his epic. Time for a little role reversal, me thinks. I think I might do some questing on Traluun, my Draenei Hunter, as he is in need of some leveling, and has 100% rested XP at this point as well. I guess we'll have to see.

Hope to be recording the next episode of All Things Azeroth with Lelia in the next day or two, so look for more on that in a week or so, once I have time to edit it and all. See you soon, and take care.

So the last 24 hours or so had been a big one, with many dings across two of my characters. No, Medros nor Arita gained multiple levels, but Telaan, my Draenei Paladin, as well as Sardrissa's Draenei Paladin Epidraa, did both gain several levels. The 'day' began on Medros and Sardrissa, questing and killing, and as previous she dinged 65 before Medros, and then we decided to just drop group and have her help me with kills, allowing me more XP and allowing me to play a little bit of catch up, so we can ding closer in future. We decided since we where in Shattrath, and I had gotten bored with killing Basilisks so Arita can get friendly with Scryers, that we would go kill the bird people, which everyone tells me is a reference to 'Dark Crystal'. On the 20th or 30th kill, it finally happened.

Live from Outlands, it's Level 65!!!!

That's right, only 5 more to go until I hit 70. I hope that in the next few levels that my gold production goes up, as I am currently sitting too far from the 900 gold I will need by the time I ding 70 for Medros' Gryphon. Speaking of, I was pondering the other day. Do I want to get the bird that looks the coolest, or one that is unique? Everyone seems to have the snowy gryphon, but it is by far the coolest looking one. There do seem to be more of the traditional looking ones in the last few days, but still I see more snowy than anything else. Arita will get his riding skill for free, so it will be a total of 1,007g for each of my characters to get a normal speed gryphon.

That's 900 for training and bird for Medros, and 100 for the bird, and 7 for the stormcrow for Arita. I guess I will see where I stand around 68 on Medros, and by then I should be able to decide if I need to do some major leveling on Arita, to add to the overall balance sheet across the two. Based on the cash Medros is earning from runs and such, I am sure Arita will have no problem getting a Gryphon by 70. I guess I am still a fair ways off from that, so no need to decide just yet.

After a few hours of restful sleep, I decided upon waking that it was time to spend a little quality questing on my Paladin, who has at full rested XP. Drissa and I logged our paladins, and began to finish off quests we already had completed, and see what else was out there. We both dinged 12 shortly there after, getting us access to the Redemption quest, and as we had to go back to Blood Watch hold anyway, we headed out by bird, and quickly did the quest, though we didn't head back to Exodar for a bit. I died a couple times(making me wish we had finished the Redemption quest) but eventually got a few more quests, and a lot more killing done, and dinged 13 after only a few hours.

This opened us up to more quests, but we decided to head back to the capital to turn our quest in, get our lovely res, and when we hit Blood Watch, we decided to call it for the day, as we had run out of rested. This was not, though, before we saw another cool NPC line, just outside of the inn in Blood Watch. Not bad, though, and with this pace I think we can easily hit 40 in a couple months on those characters. It is awesome to quest with someone who I work so well with, and have such a great relationship with. Wouldn't give her up for any amount of gold, gems, or gear.

Anyways, that was my day. It was pretty full, but now I am not feeling so hot. I guess it might have something to do with my missing Gall Bladder. Gonna go rest, will let you know when I next do something interesting or cool in game.

So yesterday was a day for my druid. I spent most of yesterday questing on Arita with Sardrissa, just knocking off quests. Due to the many ramparts runs, Arita was already halfway to 63 and still in Hellfire Peninsula. Even I think that is a little much for a second run alt. I already did these quests, why is it taking so long??? Well, that changed with Sardrissa beside me, which was a concern since she is already significantly ahead of me in XP, being on a few bubbles from 65.

Our first order of business, though, was a trip to the old world. For those ofd you who don't know, I am somewhat of an Auction fiend. I have a knack for doing amazingly well selling stuff on the AH. Well, the night before I had spent time putting up a bunch of stuff I had been pack ratting in order to try to get closer to getting Arita his epic mount. When I got back up, I had found I had been very, very successful. Before this, I had about 340g for Arita's, and Sardrissa had about 315g. The epic riding skill is 540g. In the span of 12 hours, during which I was asleep, I made, I kid you not, 550g, putting both her and I more than over on the cost of epic mounts. Here is the screen shot of us on the cats which have sat in our collective banks as a carrot to save money for months now.

So we tried to group quests up, so we had fewer repeat runs to a sub zone. First we did a quick run at the Raging Colossus', and after a few deaths and with the help of Crystillyga, a Rogue from the guild, we got them and the summoned one down. Next Drissa and I did the area where the Illidanari are, to collect relics, kill them off, and do the quest line that start there and ends with the killing of the boss. By the time those were turned in, we were doing really well, and continued on to the Go to the Front quest which I had left mid chain cause I didn't want to solo the areas, not yet being super confidant as a moonkin.

A few demons, a few tanks, and a letter later, we were done, and on the way to the Pools of Aggonar. We killed the fiends and such, and then found ourselves waiting for the mob that is the kill for the Overlord quest, Arazzius the Cruel. This guy is well known to be very, very hard. Thankfully, a LFM* in the General channel got us a damned good make up for a PUG*. Me, a Druid, Sardrissa, a Hunter, a Mage and Priest who were already questing together named Morex and Jeffner, and then the final piece, a Warrior, who it turned out as the first began, sold of his one hander.

Thankfully, we were saved in that another group was planning to kill him too, so we worked together to get the 2 kills, so each group could get their credit without a huge, hard, and possibly wipe filled fight. This is how Medros and Drissa, along with a guildy Falaurus, had to do it after 2 wipes on him, so I wasn't too bothered by it. Without a doubt, the 3 person recommended group is a pipe dream.

I went to turn the Pools of Aggonar quest in at the Temple, which leads to Cleanse the Water, in which you need to kill Aggonis, a non elite demon. When Med and Driss had to do this, it took about 8 people doing it before we realized we had to use the vial to summon the mob. We felt so stupid, especially me since I am usually the one to read the quest log, and if that fails, go to Thott or Alla. So I go back to the Temple, turn that quest in, take a bit of XP and gold, and am now a little over 20k to level. Fly back to Honor Hold, and turn in the Terrorfiends quest there, right around 11k left. Now, for the big one. A group quest should give more than a non group, right? The last one gave 9800, so I was worried.

Live from Outlands, it's Level 63!!!!

So now Arita is ready to move on to Zangarmarsh. He has his epic kitty, and can now ride around and look for herbs, get the flight points, and so on. Hopefully his gathering will be less... on the edge than Med's is. Preferably less basilisk too. I figure that Arita could easily be about the same place as Med when he leaves this zone, especially since stuff Med collected but didn't need has been sent to Arita, so less killing. Medros is in Terrokar, where there seems to either be an abundance of miners, or a lack of ore. I'll keep you updated.

*If you do not know these acronyms, let me know, and I will see if I can make an explanation post.

Arita got the Heart Fire Warhammer himself today, on the same run as Sardrissa got her Shadowrend Longblade and Hellreaver. It was a kick ass run, which went smoothly other than one wipe due to a pet going after the wrong mob, and it was only the second run to for the sword on the day. Thanks to Reneille, Shathezda, and Maxinos for making it one hell of a run. On the Medros front, he and Sardrissa are now completed all quests in Zangarmarsh that do not involve instances, and have moved onto quests out of Shattrath City and Allerian Stronghold.

One note of small concern is that it seems that Medros' quest log is filling a fair bit up with instance quests. It wasn't an issue with Hellfire Citadel, as the quests are more linear, go to ramparts, complete quest, then get ones for Blood Furnace, etc. Now in Zangar, though, and let it be known I haven't yet done the Blood Furnace, that between Underbog and Slave Pens, I have 4 quests in the Coilfang set of instances. Now, true, I had 3 between Ramparts and Furnace, but those, again, were linear, not simultaneous. I don't think it will be a problem,. but with the quests for Shattrath mixed in, I am just worried it will be unpleasant, is all. Time will tell. Night from Outlands.

While out questing with Sardrissa today, and we decided to make use of some coordinates that a guildmate gave me the day before, so we travelled out Aldor Rise in Shattrath City, and headed into Nagrand. This shot was the first one I took just outside of Aldor Rise. The primary reason I decided to take screens out there was a post on Starman's blog about how amazing it looks. He wasn't wrong. This scenery, above all the rest excluding the sky in Hellfire, is the most breathtaking views I have seen in Outlands yet.

We travelled westward to Telaar, and got what I think is the most aggravating flight point I have found yet. I can see a lot of people dying off that man made cliff. I took some more screens, of floating waterfalls, unknown towns, and the amazing scenery, then we flew on back to Telredor in Zangarmarsh. After a little while there, while waiting on our group to be ready for some boss farming in Hellfire Ramparts, Sardrissa dinged while we were killing Ogres or some such. Then, out of the blue, about a half hour later or so....

Live from Outlands, it's Level 64!!!!

That's right, I dinged 64 on Medros! Training brought me a new Holy Shock, Rank 4, for 20s, and Seal of Vengeance, a new Seal that does nice Holy Damage when judged, and has a chance to do extra damage when it procs. Not a bad training overall. As Sardrissa had to get her training there too, we both flew to Shattrah, then portaled to Stormwind. While in Stormwind Sardrissa decided to... investigate an armor upgrade. What do you think?

Once our hearthstones where cooled down, we hearthed back to Telredor, and went back to questing. Once we hit Orebor Harborage, we both had more quests we could grab, and did, once of which was to travel to Sylvanaar, in the Blades Edge Mountains. A guildmate was already there, so after killing some spiders of varying sizes but oddly the same level, we found our way past Fey Drakes, lovely sprite like creatures, and Lynx, to find the elven outpost. I rejoiced to find that I can once again grind rep with Darnassus, especially since Medros is so close to exalted for his cat. Yes, I have a wicked looking Charger, and I want an epic cat.

Being one who loves to explore, and stupid enough to try in a land of mobs so far above me, I convinced my dearest to travel with me to the other two outposts in Blades Edge Mountains. We rode through relatively danger free areas to get to a gnomish outpost, Toshley's Station, which is where I found a cute little gnomelet with what looked like either a deathray or a water gun. You decide. We then headed north, meeting up with some extremely unpleasant looking mobs along the way but not being dismounted even once, to arrive at our final destimation, Ruuan Weald, and other elven outpost, this time run by the Cenarions. Our adventure done, and our party nearly ready, we flew all the way to Honor Hold, so I could log onto Arita so he could get rep and XP from runs into Ramparts, since Medros had his pieces I wanted from there.

Speaking of pieces Medros has, I wanted to take a second from my day to show off a few pieces of gear Medros has gotten. Other than his first ever Libram(Yay! Ranged slow no longer useless) which was from a quest, after several runs through Hellfire Ramparts, Medros finally got his Light Touched Breastplate which I had socketed with Teardrop Blood Garnet, Brilliant Golden Draenite, andSolid Azure Moonstone. The combined bonuses are amazingly nice, and I am loving the look of it. This adds to my Heart Fire Warhammer which I got my first run, and, which we downed the demon on the second try. Sardrissa is still looking for the Shadowrend Longblade, which drops off Watchkeeper Gargolmar, who also drops the breastplate.

So, back to the run through Ramparts. We got delayed here and there, by people being in the middle of other stuff, and then we finally get going. I have a few fire pots, and such, in case her sword drops and we decide to continue on, and had spent the time waiting for people farming Dreaming Glory for Super Healing Potions, and then, just as we are less than 10 minutes from going...World Server Down. After another half an hour of server coming up, then going down, and so on, it finally stabilizes, and we get going. First run, no sword, and the group decides to not stop, even though the plan from the beginning was to farm the first boss for the sword.

We go through the entire way, wiping a few times, Arita dinging 62, and down the dragon with ease. Our warrior is in his groove, and we did great on the last fight. This done, a priest pice falls, so one of our hunters grabs his Priest to take it, and decides to stick around for a couple more first boss runs. Yay! No more healing for Arita. All Moon turkey, All the time. We clear to the first boss 2 times in 30 minutes, and no wipes, all going amazingly well, but no sword.

So I end the night with a 64 Paladin, and a 62 Druid, my hunter is 52 and has several nice pieces of gear, and using up all the Thorium Headed projectiles I stocked up on before they decided to into Wicked projectiles, and he could very well be 60 and working through outlands in no time flat. So there you go. How I began, worked through, and ended one big, long, day in WoW. I will, though, leave you with one final screenshot, this of Medros wearing his Mirren's Drinking Hat, a cheap knock off of the Crimson Felt Hat, his new Breastplate, and his lovely, shiny(even without enchant) hammer. See you soon.

It is only natural that I start here. Medros. My main. On every server I have played, from beta to Burning Crusade, I have made Medros. Argent Dawn, though, is the place where he really became fleshed out. He is a Paladin, a friend of all Dragons(except the Black flight) and one who learned Honor from non other than Tirion Fordring, who ave all he had to uphold his honor.

Medros is currently 63, after being 60 for much of his /played. In RP, he is engaged to Sardrissa, a Night Elf Hunter, whom he is seen in the company of nearly constantly. He despises undead and demons, and vows to eradicate them all from every place he can find them on. He is a top level miner, and a Armorsmith of some renown. He recently gave up his hammer, given to him by his own personal Hero, in favor of one which glows with the fire of his holy wrath.

Medros hasn't done much on the raid front, never been to Onyxia, Balckwing Lair, Naxxramas, or Ahn'Qiraj, and Molten Core only once, where he got his Lawbringer Shoulders that he still wears. Medros should be 64 within a few days, and will soon be able to put Hellfire Ramparts behind him, having gotten all he really wants out of there, and no longer receives rep from going there.

I couldn't sleep, so I decided to tick one thing off on my To Do list. Make a Game blog. For awhile I have been wanting to make a blog to talk about what I have been doing in game. For awhile that was pretty mundane, picking flowers, mining Thorium, Dark Iron, and the like, but looking back I would have liked to chronicle the rise of Medros(63), Arita(61), and Ameland(52) as they went from scraps of clothing to their current gear.

With the release of The Burning Crusade, and the fact now all my characters(not to be confused with Mules), I figured it was high time to begin blogging the travels of the worlds. So, this blog, currently named 'From the Abbey to the Outlands', will be where I will do it. My next few posts will be character specific updates, with random updates surrounding professions, gear, instances, and the other stuff characters can do on the road to becoming true Heroes of Azeroth. See you soon.