Sveala Reaches 100

 

I suppose the title is a big give away.  The most beautiful Dwarf Shaman (not The Most Beautiful Shaman) has made it to 100. It was one of those anti-climactic dings, too. I was going to take out Tall Buck, and arrived in the small glade he calls home. Discovering this corner of Nagrand was what it took to finish off the level.  I always find it great irony when this happens to me.

Anyway, I’ve also been working on putting together a complete set of Mogs for my ladies once they reach the leveling goal.  In each case, I’m trying to capture the essence of their class (and often spec) while still having an interesting mog that doesn’t make use of too much of a given set.

Firebird’s Mantle
Warsong Wraps
Greivous Gladiators Ringmail Gauntlets
Waistband of Hexes
Sanctified Frost Witch’s Kilt
Wayfaring Boots
Longclaw Staff

For Sveala, I wanted the essence of Fire and Earth, the elements she has the most affinity with.  The shoulders also hearken to her roots, a daughter of both Ironforge and of the Highlands, she lived with her cousins and learned the ways of the shaman in the shadow of a very real orcish threat.   The gnarled staff of petrified wood is a testament to her will over rock and earth.

Level 3 Barracks unlocked

In Saoire’s master plan to represent Ironforge in Draenor, the level 3 Barracks must be unlocked. To do so, one must complete the achievement Patrolling Draenor. That was completed this weekend, even though Saoire is still only level 94, and therefore unable to upgrade her garrison, much less the barracks, to level 3. Conveniently, the achievement is account wide, and so Gurdrid now has a level 3 barracks, and will soon have 25 followers active.

In other news, Aingrit has made her way to the new continent, and I plan to take her just far enough to build her two profession buildings – Jewelcrafting and Enchanting, so that I can reap those benefits for her.  Aingrit’s leveling will be limited to what she can get from missions, opening her outposts, and mining and herbing until Saoire is level 100. Aingrit does at least have Hellscream’s Decapitator, which will speed things up immensely. Sveala is waiting her turn as well, but I’m not quite ready to bring another toon I don’t play well through the portal.

I’ve kitted out the lower level toons with at least 1-60 heirlooms – since most of them aren’t level 60 yet, I figure they can help pay for their own gear upgrades. Muirri and Sruith still need to make the move from Ysera to Whisperwind as well, and will likely do so in the early summer.

Of Lists, Alts and Upcoming Expansions

 

There are no spoilers here-in, even in Mattyland.

I’m certain everyone who has altitis does this in different ways. We know that the Godmother makes lists, while others try to keep a few key toons well geared, and play others when the mood strikes.

Personally, I find that toons languish unless they have specific goals. Goals also keep me engaged with the game. After I complete a big ones (like creating my set of 5 jeweled panthers), especially if they take the resources of several toons to accomplish, I often find my interest in the game languishes until I find a new goal to capture my attention.

Maintaining the stable is often the trickiest part, especially once they reach max level.   Lately, I have been trying to organize resources in preparation for Warlords, and focusing on Breige and Gurdrid, my two raid-possible toons.   For the first time in months, Breige Valor capped, but not until last night, so I didn’t bother to get on Gurdrid and struggle with getting valor for her, even though I know I really should have. Instead, I worked on getting my Skyshards.

I also keep a massive spreadsheet, with several tabs, titled “All Things WoW”. It has gear lists, mog lists, lists for leveling various professions (so I don’t have to refer to websites), charts of which parts of which tier sets which toons have. Lists of battle pets I don’t own and where to get them. Mount Lists. (Okay, one mount list, but you get the idea). There’s even a tab especially for the OLRG, even though it’s not filled in, for trying to organize where we go for achievements or pretty gear.

As the bucket lists start coming out, and rumors point to a late September release of Warlords, I’m beginning to feel the pressure. I’m considering my options for raiding in WoD. I can, of course, stick with Breige, but I feel like my current raiding environment would allow me to stretch my abilities a bit, and I’m seriously entertaining the idea of tanking in the next expansion. The drawback is perhaps a surprising one, though. We have two very good tanks, and they appear to love their role. Certainly I can backup tank, but then do I take Gurdrid Retribution – something I’m relatively comfortable with in the current atmosphere, or do I return to the paladin roots and go Holy. I was a pretty decent healer in Vanilla and BC, and if I remember that the toolkit is completely different, I can probably pick it back up with relative ease.

But then, there are other toons I could bring in. Sveala is already level 90, and I’ve puttered around with healing on her, so shaman healing has some interest. I’ve also been enjoying Sruith, when I take the opportunities to play her, and I’ve never even gotten a clothie to max level, much less healed as a priest.   Those are probably the most realistic healing options should I choose to go that route.

The biggest reason why these decisions are so important is that if I want to switch to Sruith, in particular, she needs to get leveled, and I need to prioritize the move of the right characters, since I can only really comfortable apply one move per month.

But then there’s the “back burner” plan to get all of my toons to max level, level their professions, and build the self-sustaining machine of several garrisons.   I’m certainly going to be plenty busy, and I think the order of things needs to be determined. I’m sure my list will seem tiringly detailed for some, but I like check marks, and so the list will happen. In spreadsheet form, because that’s the way I roll. You may see parts of my spreadsheet here from time to time. Or not. They are not generally all that pretty unless you’re inside my brain…

Clan of Three Hammers: Tradition

This is the fourth part of the series. Hero,  Honor,  and Loyal are the previous installments.

Tradition. Traditions teach us, they give us comfort. They bring us together. They give us commonality. Sometimes they give us purpose.

Tradition is not just handed down. We make our own traditions – toasting fallen comrades or greeting one another with words from a meaningful shared experience. These traditions are just as important as those our grandfathers taught their daughters who teach us.

I spend much of my time these days in Halfhill, where tradition is steeped in the pure waters from the Vale, and harvested from the earth. The rumors are that the waters are at risk. Endangered by a man who hides his ambition in the traditions of the Warrior Horde. By a man who has abused those traditions so completely that his own people turn away from him.

Other shamans pass through Halfhill, interested in this place for the exquisite cooking or magnificent plants that can be grown. Trolls, Tauren, even Orcs. They hide their traditions, fearing that outsiders will think they support the man who flaunts those traditions. They speak in hushed voices only with those they know. Passing messages, to be sure. Making new traditions.