These. Are. Annas!
Posted on November 20, 2008 - Filed Under Paladin, Roleplay
Ok bad joke I know. But this is post 300. >.> har har.
Anyway - I’m going to apologize in advance if posts don’t have pretty pictures and formatting like you guys are used to. Someone changed something on my server somewhere (possibly a PHP update? don’t know), and the end result is that I can no longer use my text editor to upload posts here. And I’m having real issues with the wordpress image insert function. Sooooo going to be a little less shiny than usual until I get this all figured out.
Today’s post is just a little vignette of a thing, as Aelflaed tries to square with all of the stuff that’s been thrown at her over the last few days.
It doesn’t help that everyone around her (Riders, people in other RP channels she’s in) seems to be edgy, grumpy, quick to anger, and generally unpleasant. Her usually unflappable good spirits have taken a bit of a beating, particularly since she’s running up against stuff she can’t do by herself (and being a healer, she’s used to taking care of others, but not used to having to ask for help). Going to Dragonblight is probably only going to make things worse, but I think she’ll feel better if she feels like she’s actually *doing* something and not just beating her head against these problems.
Also, the whole Arthas-whispering thing? Yeah - that’s not sitting so well.
***** ***** *****
Aely managed to put on an air of unflinching confidence as she tramped around in Westguard Keep, making sure Maera was stabled and fed and that her armor was in respectable condition. She nodded at the innkeepers on her way upstairs, though she wasn’t sure they’d noticed - they were too absorbed in each other, especially at this late hour. The glimmer of light under the door from the room that she and Phileas had been renting was the first thing all day to make her smile.
She closed the door behind her, all semblance of bravado fading from her face and shoulders as she quietly pulled off her armor and lay it and her weaponry neatly near the door. Phileas was sitting by the fireplace, wrapped in a blanket, dozing or reading, she couldn’t tell which - apparently he’d had the sense to come in out of the cold before the wee hours of the morning, something she apparently couldn’t say about herself.
He looked up at her, weariness in his face. “Howway tha, love?”
A thousand thoughts ran through her mind, as she tried to make some sense of the things she’d seen and heard over the last two days. Of … Him. The Lich King. Undead and Val’kyr. Of this new plague, bringing the Vrykul to the point of death in only a few moments. Of dwarves gone mad in their search for answers. Of Riders bickering - even fighting. Of ancient rituals and myths. Everyone was on edge, people were squabbling over nothing (or sometimes more than nothing), not to mention the arrival of Deathknighs. She couldn’t decide whether she mistrusted them or felt bad for them, or both, poor sods.
And some how through all of it, the voice of Arthas, echoing in her own mind in a way that … she couldn’t think about it anymore.
She shook her head, running her fingers over her hair and attempting to tuck the loose bits behind her ears - which admittedly didn’t do much for the disheveled fuzzy caterpillar look she was sporting. “I’ve go’ a favor t’ ask a’ ye. An’… an’ I dinnae think I can answer ye proper ‘f ye ask why.”
He peered at her, grey eyes under a furrowed brow. “Aye? Tha awreet?”
She stopped for a moment, as though considering just how to answer. “… I dinnae ken, Phileas. Leas’, nae righ’ now.”
The creases around his eyes deepend for a moment as he stood up, rolling the kinks out of his shoulders and moving to stand in front of her. “Wha’ does tha need a’ me, then? Anythin’ tha asks, ‘f I can, ’s what I’ll do.”
“I… If ye would jus’…” She sighed softly. “Le’ me sit wi’ ye?” She didn’t meet his eyes, though whether that was for fear of being laughed at, or frustration at her own feelings of weakness, or just to hold off tears of exhaustion she couldn’t be sure.
He blinked at her for a moment - not quite registering the request - and then sat back down, pulling her into his lap, wrapping them both in the blanket and nestling her firmly against his chest.
After a few moments, Phileas chuckled. “Tha’rt a quare one, Aely…thinkin’ I’d need an explanation. Tha’rt knackered again…and tha’s been chasin’ thy thowts th’ las day or sae tae th’ poin’ tha dinnae ken where tha’rt goin’ wi’ ‘em anymuir. Quit thinkin’, love…an’ jus’ rest fer a change. Let me take care a’th rough stuff fer at leas’ a bit.”
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Downside of a Respec
Posted on November 19, 2008 - Filed Under Healing, Paladin, Shaman
So yesterday I let you all meet my new “leveling” hybrid spec. And then last night I healed Utgarde Keep and The Nexus, both with a level 72 tank and mostly level 72 DPS.
The verdict?
Definitely doable, though both Keristrasza and Ingvar were tough, both on my mana and my ability to keep up with group damage.
Without the buffs to Chain Heal and without Riptide (I miss it so…) and Earthshield, I found myself relying a lot more on full force Healing Wave spells, which is to be expected, given that it’s a 5 man and not a 25 man group. I had the most trouble with Keristrasza - but that was more a positioning issue than anything else. (Tail sweep = ow!)
I really think it’ll work out though, especially as I get my legs back under me for 5 man healing - and hopefully I won’t get too terribly frustrated. My current points in healing are not unlike the healing spec I had in Burning Crusade when I was trying to heal 5 mans, and not having the synergy of the bottom of the Resto tree - well, we’ll see how it goes, especially as my levels catch up with my gear.
Having a tier 6 geared protection paladin tank doesn’t hurt anything, but it’s not necessarily the most reliable way to gauge how effective a healing spec is, even if you are doing an appropriately leveled instance.
Oh - and one other, unrelated thing. Aely hit 72 last night - do I want to go straight for Dragonblight, or go do some of the Borean Tundra to get ahead before I move on?
(I know, I know - Wrathgate - but I’m seriously considering waiting on some guildmates to do that particular questline, since the poor girl’s mentally exhausted already from all of the Arthas stuff. I don’t think she realized just how bad it would be in Northrend, and it’s wearing her down)
*WTB working copy of modelviewer PST!
Bucking for a Lightning Bolt
Posted on November 18, 2008 - Filed Under Guides, Shaman
Ok - so this is a healery type blog right? I do all the healing dances (well, not Druids - yet!), and you guys have come to expect lots of tasty healery goodness when you come here.
*
But… I have a confession to make. I’ve not healed anything in Lich King. Sure - I’ve done Utgarde Keep and The Nexus, Azjol-Nerub and Ahn-Kehat… but I have lots of healer friends. Lots of them. Part of being on a 25 man healing team means that proportionally you have 1 tank, 2 healers, and 3 DPS for every 5 people.
Soooo that leaves those of us that play healers with a decision to make. PUG - or DPS. I’ve chosen the second option. Now, for Aelflaed that’s not been so big a deal - a full respec to Ret has been fun, and an enjoyable way to solo. And Annalira’s Disc spec is perfectly viable for smite-spam (though I’ve hardly played her at all). But Annorah? Well… I’m loath to make her into a full on elemental shaman. I like me some riptide.
So Annorah got a bit of a respec - not a huge one, but one that’s helped significantly with the “soloing” I’ve done with my husband’s paladin, and lets me not feel like a gimp when I’m having to DPS while one of the holy priests gets to heal.
This is what I eventually settled on: 25/0/37 (at level 71) and 30/0/40 (at level 79)
Are they the best builds EVAR? No way. Would I recommend them for raiding? Hell no. But for leveling, they’ve provided me with enough damage to be useful without gimping my healing so much as to be useless.
Elemental Combat:
- Convection and Concussion - more damage for less mana, a no brainer
- Elemental Fury - bigger crits = better
- Elemental Focus - because not only does this increase my mana management, but the 40% mana reduction applies to healing spells as well
- 4 points in Reverberation, because they’ve gotta go somewhere!
- Call of Thunder - similar to Elemental Fury - the crits, they are tasty!
- Elemental Reach - standard range increasing talent
- 2 points in Unrelenting Storm - again for the mana regen goodness
- And eventually, 5 points in Lightning Mastery, which reduces the cast time of offensive lightning spells.
Restoration:
- Improved Healing Wave and Tidal Focus - casting time and mana efficiency, standard spells
- Tidal Force - to force crits when things go downhill
- Healing Focus - a purely soloing talent, this one won’t be in my healing build at 80, but it’s useful when you’re running around killing Mammoths (or whatever)
- Improved Water Shield - tasty manas are tasty
- Restorative Totems and Tidal Mastery - since mana regen and extra crit benefits both healing and damage dealing
- Nature’s Swiftness - 3 minute instant-spell, great for casting a fast healing wave if the tank gets blasted… even if you’re DPSing!
- 5 points in Purification - better healing, and prerequisite for Cleanse Spirit, which rawks.
- Mana Tide Totem (again with the synergy)
- Blessing of the Eternals - more crit and a buff to Earthliving Weapon, which I’ll be relying on if I have to heal.
- And eventually 3 points in Nature’s Blessing - which only buffs Healing spells.
So that leaves me at level 79, with one last point to put either in Elemental Mastery (forced, mana-free, critical on any damage spell) or Earth Shield (rocks rock!). Whether I pick one of the two, or respec back to my intended healing spec at 80 will depend on how much instancing I’m doing, how likely I am to be in a 10 man, and whether I feel like it or not.
What have I learned from all this? Well, among other things… I like healing. A lot. I like healing MUCH better than I like DPS. I miss it, and being in an instance when I’m not healing feels supremely weird (at least on the “healing” characters - Angoleth doesn’t mind). So you’ll not likely find much here on DPS, at least not once I get to 80. For now though, this seems to be the easiest way to get through.
*Image Credit - CraigPJ
Monday Miscellany - Leveling? What’s that?
Posted on November 17, 2008 - Filed Under Paladin, Roleplay, Shaman
- Annorah is 71 (and about half).
- Aelflaed is 71 (and about 1/4).
- Rirri is 58 and building up a full stack of rested XP. Annalira is my little disenchant bot.
- Juggling two characters is a little odd - even though I have a very easy system for choosing. Annorah is leveling with my husband’s pally, so if he’s online and wants to level, that’s where I go! Otherwise, Aely gets to go run around the Fjords.
- I’ve respecced Annorah slightly, since one of the fun things about being in a group that you raid with is that there are 7 full time healers (at least!) trying to level. So I’ve dumped about 25 points into Elemental, for some extra damage, and now I can run as DPS or healing - both with relative success, thanks mostly to my gear.
- Of the instances I’ve done so far, Ahn-kehat is by far my favorite. Also seriously creepy. The Nexus is cool, and Azjol-Nerub is appropriately spooky (Annorah does NOT like spidergunk on her hooves!). Utgarde was almost disappointing, but I think I was expecting more Vrykul-awesome and less Undead-blargle.
- Having an accent for RP is a lot of fun… but can be a little weird if you have other characters without one. Annorah very nearly slipped into a full Northron Apostrophe-killing Accent in Ahn-kehat the other day.
- The Deathknight quest in the Borean Tundra is really cool.
- I’m trying hard to remain spoiler-free for a lot of the upper level content. Also trying hard to be supportive of all the friends I have that are trying to power through and be 80 by yesterday. I suspect this will get more difficult when they start wanting to go places I’m too low level for.
- Speaking of accents, I need to work on Aely’s some - mostly to get to a consistent pattern for her speech. Hanging around with the other Northron folks in the Riders makes me want to do better!
- I am completely “arse over teakettle” (as Aely would put it) for the music in Northrend. The use of folk instruments (or what sounds like folk instruments) and melodies is completely awesome. I’m sad that some of it isn’t on the soundtrack.
Sunday Screenshot: Utgarde
Posted on November 16, 2008 - Filed Under Sunday Screenshots
Listen!
We have heard of the glory in bygone days
of the folk-kings of the spear-Danes,
how those noble lords did lofty deeds…*
*the opening lines of Beowulf (trans. R. M. Liuzza). Since arriving in Valgarde, I’ve had Beowulf on the brain, as it were. If you’re ever interested in hearing how this epic Anglo-Saxon saga sounded when it was truly told as an epic (or at least, as close as we can get), look up Benjamin Bagby, who performs it in the original language.
Character Creation
Posted on November 15, 2008 - Filed Under Other stuff, Roleplay
Sometimes, you plan a character. You know you want to play a (whatever), so you look them up, look up the lore, read about the class history, read about race histories, and see what sounds like fun.
Sometimes you have an idea for a personality, and that has to translate into the game, and so you create something that works.
And sometimes, characters appear out of nowhere.
My good friend, TRI raid mate, and one of the best Paladins I know - Gryphonheart - has just started a new blog called The Lion Guard, and he wanted a guild tag to match that blog. (If I am a good healing Paladin, it’s thanks to Gryph and Siha. Hands down.) So I made a tiny little human warrior, named her Oaklawn (the first thing that popped into my head at the character screen) and ran her to Stormwind to help him with his guild charter.
And as I was running, I met Rirri Oaklawn, a little Forsaken Death Knight. Tiny little woman, with a nervous twitch and a serious protective streak.
Just poof - like that - out of nowhere. Maybe because Oaklawn sounds like a cemetery (thanks Rav!). Maybe because I’d been contemplating a Horde Deathknight anyway, but didn’t have a good character concept. Who knows the mental paths that lead to creativity - but there she was. She’s joined the ranks of the Annas (and she’s not even an Anna! dangit!) and is sitting pretty in Hellfire Peninsula.
Now - anyone know how to play a Deathknight? Clueless Anna is Clueless (aka - button mashing).
/giggle
Posted on November 14, 2008 - Filed Under Silly
RP Friday Five - Northrend
Posted on November 14, 2008 - Filed Under Roleplay
The obvious one for today! Here are five questions to think about with your character - they can be answered here as comments, turned into a blog post of your own, or just something to think about while you grind away leveling over the weekend. You’ll find something like this every Friday here at Too Many Annas - and as always, my answers are under the “read more” tag.
Another one of Siha’s fabulous wallpapers
- Does your character have an IC reason to be going to Northrend?
- Will they be going on their own, or part of a dedicated team?
- Which starting zone is your character going to begin with, and why?
- Since this is something of a fresh start, is your character switching specializations or roles for this new adventure to the North?
- How does your character deal with the cold?
Not yet
Posted on November 13, 2008 - Filed Under Other stuff
I didn’t go to a midnight release party. I didn’t download the game overnight. I didn’t stay up late, drooling over gorgeous new content or being frustrated with my computer as it didn’t install fast enough.
I did hang out with some friends, finishing up a few story bits. I did go to bed early.
I will be getting Wrath and installing it today. I will not be in a hurry (at least, not the kind of hurry some of my friends are in). I will enjoy the first impressions, the amazing scenery, the new music, and the learning process that is a new 10 levels worth of lore and story. I will not be rolling a deathknight (yet). I will probably be turning off twitter, or at least not reading it. I will also have a Friday Five post for you tomorrow. I will not be level 80 on Tuesday.
See you guys in Northrend.
Sorry things have been a little unusual around here lately. Because this has been a tough morning, I give you gratuitous kitty pictures. These are my cats and my messy desk (Max is the Siamese, Charlie wears a tux - both don’t like camera flashes, so they look sleepy - and no, my desk isn’t usually that messy).
Where are YOU going?
Posted on November 11, 2008 - Filed Under Guides, Priest
On Thursday, everyone that steps onto a boat to Northrend is going to have to make a choice. In Northrend, you see, Blizzard decided to split up the server rush in the starting zone by creating not just one, but TWO separate zones for levels 68 to 72.
Unfortunately for those of us not in the Beta, we can’t trial run the zones - but there’s a fair amount of information out there to help us pick and choose before we leave. BRK has a similar post (though Alliance based and tongue in cheek), so I’ll try to cover a few of the other things that might influence your decision.
Getting there
There are two boats that go to Northrend. One leaves from the Stormwind Harbor and goes to the Borean Tundra, the other leaves from Menethil Harbor and goes to the Howling Fjord.
There are also two zeppelin that go to Northrend. One leaves from Orgrimmar and goes to the Borean Tundra, the other leaves from The Undercity and goes to the Howling Fjord.
There is also a transport that goes between the two zones.
After you pick which zone you want to start in - and even if you just pick which one you want to check out first - you probably want to log out near the appropriate mass transportation device to get there. Rememeber that Thursday is likely going to have a lot of lag, a lot of quest competition, and a lot of idiots in /yell, so be prepared to do more exploring and less questing (unless you’re trying to break a leveling record). Also, you can turn off /yell by right clicking on the general tab of your chat window, going to settings, and unchecking the box by Yell. This will ONLY turn off PC yells - you’ll still hear NPC yells.
The Borean Tundra
The Borean Tundra is located on the western edge of Northrend, a flat, rugged landscape dominated by ice. It is the home of the Tuskarr, whose capitol of Kaskala is under siege, and contains a strong Nerubian and Drakkari Troll presence as well. There are also Naga living here, on the south end of the area, who like the isolated southern peninsula for its ability to keep an eye on anyone approaching over the open ocean.
The horde will find themselves at Warsong Hold - under the command of Grom’s son Garrosh Hellscream. They are loosely allied with the Tuskarr, as well as witht he Taunka, an offshoot race to the Tauren thought to have been lost long ago. The Zeppelin from Orgrimmar actually docks inside the Hold itself.
The major alliance settlement is Valiance Keep, and the boat from Stormwind goes directly here. The keep is constantly under attack by members of the undead Scourge. Alliance also have access to the Fizzcrank Airstrip, a gnome airport in the Tundra, complete with evil sentient robot enemies!
The Howling Fjord
The Howling Fjord is located on the opposite end of Northrend from the Tundra, forming Daggercap Bay, where the forces of Arthas originally landed on Northrend. A rugged, jagged terrain marked by dark forests and treacherous rocks, most of the zone is thick with wildlife, as it is slightly more temperate than the rest of the frost-ridden continent. The Fjord gets its name from the wind that races in from the sea on three sides, producing a constant howl.
It is here that the stranded Alliance forces set up the outpost of Valgarde, the center of Alliance activity on Northrend. This is the only Northrend region dominated by humans and dwarves, thanks to Valgarde and the temperate climate that allows for farming in some areas. You’ll also find frost wolves, Drakkari trolls, nerubians, murlocs, wendigo, the Vrykul, and Iron Dwarves. Also located here is the first 5 man instance encountered in Lich King - Utgarde Keep - the stronghold of the Vrykul.
The major Horde hub in the Howling Fjord is Vengeance Landing, the military outpost for The Hand of Vengeance, a Forsaken organization set up in opposition to the Alliance. Also in the Howling Fjord is the Forsaken town of New Agamand, named for the Agamand family who perished and now haunt the mills in Tirisfal. New Agamand is the front line of the Forsaken fight against the Scourge.
Howling Fjord also has the turkeys for the Turkey Shoot achievement.
What the Annas are Doing
Annorah will be leveling with my husband’s Paladin, and hopefully heading to the Tundra. Aelflaed is heading to the Howling Fjord, because of the history, and because of Tirion Fordring, and because that’s where many of the Riders are going.
How Do I Choose?
- Flip a coin. Both of these zones are rich in quests and interesting stuff to do and explore.
- Choose with your friends. If your bestest guild buddy just LOVES the idea of the Vrykul… tag along with him or her. There’s strength in numbers!
- Choose based on lore. Garrosh Hellscream, Tirion Fordring, and Sylvanas Windrunner are all making appearances - if you (or your character) have ties to them, go where they are!
- Go where its less crowded. It’s all going to be crowded, but most quick surveys I’ve looked at suggest Howling Fjord will be slightly more so.
- Pick the pretty one. Check out both zones and go with the one that you think is prettiest.
- Pick where your trainers are. Check out this link, find where your profession trainers are, and go there!
- Do both! (though you’ll have to pick one first)
Hopefully braving the lag, server resets, overcrowding, quest camping, and other general patch day, expansion asshattery won’t discourage you too much from seeing all the wonderful things that Northrend has to offer. I’m likely not going to try questing much that first day. I love exploring, getting a feel for new zones, drinking in the scenery - so I’ll be doing that, and hoping that I don’t have to run from too many big nasty beasties!
Good luck!
*All the images from this post are from WoWWiki. Annas do not have a beta key.
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