Wizard 101 Giveaway!

Getting rid of my ugly helm.

Mrs. Greyrose liked my last post so much she gave me two codes good for one extra castle space and a Red Barn Farm house.  If you love gardening or just really like life on the farm, this house is for you!  What I mean to say is, I'm not keeping the codes for myself, but giving them away.  Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your schoolmates, tell your coworkers, tell your garbage man, tell your plumber, tell everyone about this giveaway!  I'll be giving the codes away, one to a commenter on this post, and one to a follower of my Twitter feed (@shawndrakai) who sends a tweet my way.  Tell me, why do you want the house?  Or, how will you decorate it?  Even better yet, what plants will you plant on your farm?  I will post the winners to both Twitter and my blog on Saturday, May 25th.

Writing the housing post made me stick my nose back into Wizard 101, and there were some new things there!  I didn't show even half of them in this video, so I may make another with my husband's character so we can see what the boys have available, and to see what new pets and mounts can be had.  I am excited to finally finish Celestia with Rowan and see the other worlds that have been released.  I have many new pets and wizards to level, houses to buy and decorate, and gardens to tend. So much to do!  See you in The Spiral!

Yeah, I Made That.

Sunrise in North Burb.

 Eromee woke up in North Burb today, ready to head for Embry Crossroads.  Looking much nicer in her duster, slacks, and high top sneakers, she felt ready to face whatever they threw at her.

Looking more the professional and less the scavenger.

I looked at the tag on her duster, and though fashionable, it places a debuff on one of her main stats.  So, before I sent her to bed for the evening, I made her a new jacket with better stats and no encumbrances.

This jacket I don't trip on.

Tonight, I tasked her with making several new belts and one long red glove. On the table for next play session is some wood scavenging so she can make a more powerful crossbow, learning the new armor items from the books she was rewarded, and finding some scrap glass to make mason jars for a quest.  Oh, and killing lots and lots of baddies for cloth, skunky beer, and dog food.  No, just for the cloth.  I haven't touched the dog food yet, and the beer?  Our little secret...

Fashion Disaster

Before anyone gets upset that I am playing yet another game, don't worry, I am still playing SW:TOR, Wizard 101, and occasionally World of Warcraft regularly.  It's just that I am out of money for subscriptions for this month and possibly next, so I am down to Wizard 101, where I cannot unlock anything past where I am in Celestia, since I am out of crowns, and whatever free MMORPG catches my fancy.  I remember I enjoyed the short trip I took in Fallen Earth way back when it was a new world to explore, and when hubby urged me to try it again, he wasn't really twisting my arm.

Here is my frumpy housewife clone, Eromee.

Matching zip guns is the only way to accessorize in the Wasteland.

Well, in this picture she doesn't look so frumpy.  Rather well put together in that jacket she ripped off a  fresh corpse.  Then, the crafting starts.  I apologize wholeheartedly for the mess you are about to witness.  

At an underground dive bar, in, uh, North Burb town.

A great jacket, some great gloves, and then those horrible cargo shorts.  Just like little boys from the old days, short pants for young players is the norm.  I logged out tonight with a crafting queue that included 7 rounds of crossbow bolts, a duster, a pair of slacks, a shirt, a pair of high tops, and a brown ball cap.  Let's hope this ensemble makes her look better than that old wrinkled kerchief on her head.  After all, a gal can't make herself known in Embry Crossroads in this get up!

Mutant Chicken Legs.

Dress For Romance

When we think about outfits for Valentine's Day, the usual items and sets come to mind. Here is a bulleted list of what the unimaginative will be looking for this season.

• Lovely (insert color here) Dress
• Elegant or Easter Dress
• White Wedding Dress
• Haliscan Set
• Tuxedo Set 
• Black Tuxedo Set

We have imagination, we have vision!   Throw aside these boring examples of Azerothian date wear and open yourself to the possibilities!  First, I have for you Buttercup and her Farm Boy.

Pretty much any farm in the early areas of the Human and Undead zones will do to roleplay this fantastic set. Buttercup is wearing a Simple Dress.  Farm Boy is wearing Blue Overalls paired with your basic axe.  Sorry, the log is a prop only available to non player monsters.

How about something straight out of the Arabian Nights? These outfits, perhaps paired with a flying carpet ride, would be great for a desert or oasis meetup.

Her dress, the Robes of Insight, look like the Vestments of the Shifting Sands, Robes of the Battleguard, Robes of the Guardian Saint and Robes of the Triumvirate.  You might have to have a little luck finding them, but they are well worth saving when found!  His outfit consists of Verdigris Leggings, Abjurer's Cloak, Crimson Silk Vest, and a Spellweaver's Turban.  The leggings are a reward from a low level Alliance quest, so you Horde out there may have to find something different(any plain pair will do).  As for the turban, only the models above level 59 have the feather.  Here is a list of alternatives, with and without feathers.

How about Explorer meets Native?

Our troll princess is wearing the Tribal Worg Helm with an Aboriginal Robe and carrying an Aboriginal Rod.  The explorer, begging to keep his head, is wearing a White Swashbuckler's Shirt with a Moonglow Vest, Twill Belt and Twill Pants and Simple Linen Boots.  You could do this in about any tropical setting, but it's especially fun in troll ruins and active troll areas.

How about a damsel and a swash buckling pirate?

 

Our damsel in distress is wearing a White Woolen Dress and Cross Stitched Sandals. Our villainous pirate is wearing a Swashbuckler's Eyepatch, White Swashbuckler's Shirt, Slavehandler Jerkin, Swashbuckler Sash,  Coven Britches, Crimson Silk Cloak, and wielding a Cruel Barb.  Sadly, if you want that sash, you have to have had it before The Shattering.

These are just a few ideas for outfits that can lead to wonderful romantic roleplay, or just some fun while sitting in your favorite spot, doing whatever you and your Azerothian lover enjoy doing together.  If you have any other suggestions on outifts I might be able to dig up, please leave a comment below!  

Next up, places to go now that you are all dressed up!  Exciting, breathtaking, fun filled vacation spots sure to please even the most picky of partners.  Stay tuned...

Must...Write...Post.

Will we see this paintings outside Gilneas?

Hey everyone!  I know it has been forever.  I really don't have much to say these days that everyone else out there isn't already saying.  Cataclysm, and before that the Shattering of Azeroth, have pretty near blown me away.  All the new content that I am slowly digesting (Delgada is at an anemic level 82) gets to be a little overwhelming sometimes.


I have plans.  I really want to roll one of every race up, except for the Draenei and Blood Elf, to experience the new starter zones.  So far the only ones I have done are the worgen and troll, and last night I started out the goblin area. Like many bloggers out there are saying, I, too, find the beginning questing so involving that the levels just fly by.  The stories are engaging, and immersive.  Yeah, I get that I am not really the chosen one, but does it hurt to believe it for just as long as it takes to get the hell outta Dodge?

The ruins of Quel'Dormir.

As for my eighties, I have hardly touched them.  Delgada is almost done with Vash'jir.  As soon as she could get back to the mainland, she did, because I stupidly threw her onto the boat without training her professions so she could level them. Thankfully, she is not a gatherer, so all the items she needed to level were already in her bag when she did eventually train, and her tailoring and enchanting are now being worked on.  While in the Undercity, Delgada picked up archaeology, and she hasn't gone back to questing.  She found her first rare last night, piecing together bits of Elven relics.  The Highborne Soul Mirror is a neat toy (and if you have been reading at all on this blog, you know how Del loves her toys) that puts out a ghostly duplicate of the user next to them.  The image turns and watches you as you move, but doesn't leave the place it was cast.  I was surprised to get such a neat thing so early in the leveling, as Delgada is only about 165 skill points in.

My horde guild, KNR, has progressed to level 4.  There are about 12 people at 85 already.  Last night one of our guild mates linked their latest piece of gear in chat,and I about died laughing.  The Emberstone Staff, complete with the same old graphics, dropped for him off a boss in Heroic Deadmines!  I know, this is all old news to anyone paying any attention to the kajillion WoW bloggers out there, but I still find it silly (which is really one of the reason I play, for the silly stuff!) that someone would want to go back to an old instance and get the gear they leveled out of by level 25.

If it's far, we give you a car...riage.

I mentioned earlier I had tried out the Worgen starting zones.  I have more than tried them out.  I now have 3 worgen out of there. I don't have any plans to level more, yet, as I think a druid, mage, and rogue are plenty.  The rogue replaced my night elf druid who was the replacement my now level 63 draenei hunter as a bank alt.  Not that I don't plan to level her, just that she is kinda low on the totem pole.  I really want to have a druid at max level, and the last of the three worgen is the one I am leveling.  Her name is Dearbre, and I am leveling her as a restoration druid.  Dearbre is Catalan for of the tree.  Talk about forcing myself to stay a healer!  She is closing in on level 30 pretty quickly. 

My husband, his best friend and I started out together as worgen.  We joined my alliance guild, Illuminati Order, which is also a level 4 guild, and grabbing achievements left and right.  Here is a picture of the three of us, fresh level one characters in our cool starter clothes.

A priest, a mage, and a warlock looking for adventure!

Then, several quests later, in our top hats and wedding dresses...

Yes, this was a candid shot.

Here's my mage, on a horse.  Why, because she looks so good on it!

Black Beauty.

Last night I started leveling a goblin. I got in trouble, because hubby wanted to level one with me, but I didn't want to wait anymore.  Here is Bittsee, who is sure to be the next Trade Princess, in her hot rod.

Rolling with my homies.

Bittsee's coming out party...

Smog, palm trees and swimming pools.  Kezan, or So Cal?

That is all I have for now.  I am itching to get Dearbre out of Ashenvale, and into mining something she can level her engineering with.  How is Cataclysm treating you?  I'd love to hear from you (pokes blog with a stick to see if it is still alive).

The Plan

As suggested by Kiwired of One of These Alts, and because I had planned on it anyway, I am listing below my plan for my dungeon set 1. A lot of the things on my list are about unattainable (yeah, like I'm EVER going to win a fishing tournament, or finish the Argent Tournament), but this is highly attainable.

Vestments of the Devout

• Devout Belt- drops in Blackrock Spire from some random mobs and Quartermaster Zigris.
• Devout Sandals-drops from Maleki the Pallid in Stratholme.
• Devout Bracers -drops in Stratholme from Thuzadin and Crimson casters. Or the Auction House :)
• Devout Crown- drops from Darkmaster Gandling in Scholomance.
• Devout Gloves-drops from Archivist Galford in Stratholme.
• Devout Mantle-drops from Solakar Flamewreath in Blackrock Spire.
• Devout Skirt-drops from Baron Rivendare in Stratholme.
• Devout Robe-drops from General Drakkisath in Blackrock Spire.

If Delgada ever gets this whole set, it would look like this on her.

And then, if she ever got off her lazy undead rear and upgraded it, they would be the Vestments of the Virtuous, and look like this.

I hope that they implement a separate wardrobe for Cataclysm for all Delgada's clothes.  She's running out of bank space.

Flashy!

My Fizzle Queen, Jennifer Rainweaver, just turned 15.  It seems that every level divisible by 5 after 10 has a neat looking, best for class outfit.  I'm not sure if my hat is the best, but check out the art work on the robe.

Lightning Bolts!

More accuracy, and stylish, too!

This outfit is so much more flashy than any of the Life school items Rowan has worn.  She has bought the best items possible, and they have sported life symbols on them.  They just don't reach out and say,"Look at me! I'm epic!"  Maybe they will when she hits grand master.  In the meantime, I'll enjoy every outfit Jennifer gets to wear.

Flavor Of The Moment - Lulubelle.

I have been wrapped up in leveling a shaman to heal with. Delgada is best throwing shadow about, and I just felt that, even though she has the duel spec option, I'd rather play her as shadow. I have had a shaman kicking around Thrallmar, leveling inscription and twiddling her hooves, so I decided to level her. Here she is, my currently elemental shaman, Lulubelle.


Alright, so it may not be the best pose of her. She was in a 10 man Temple of Ahn'Qiraj (the only one gaining any experience points, at 10 per kill). with a few guildmates. What a pretty room, said Lulu, so I snapped a picture, and pulled the boss. I thought at 65 I would have a smaller aggro radius. Apparently this was not the case.

She got to see a lot of things in Ahn'Qiraj. The floor has many different textures. So does the ceiling. Here is a picture of what one guildie referred to as Uvula Land, the best land in Disney World.


Here's another pretty room. I should have taken the screenshot while there were still mobs inside, for those that would like to see what they look like, but I was more interested in staying alive this time, so that is why the empty room.


Lulu has been other places. But let's dig into her past. She started out a he on my husband's account, a rough around the edges resto shaman named Stroganhoof. Here he is with his leveling buddy, Synna.


They were really quite the pair. Stroganhoof was leveled on my account, and transferred to the hubby's account. He sat there, gathering dust, until he was about to kill him off. I said I'd take him, if he didn't mind me changing a few things. I took Stro to the surgeons, and Lulu arrived on the scene, back on my account.


There she is, a couple days ago, level 65 and wearing her very first epic. Isn't she lovely? She thinks that gown is so great, she's still wearing it in her new home in the Howling Fjord. Here's to a new grind to 80!

Wearin' O' The Green: In Color!

The Captain's Set.

The Forest Set, with the Green Brewfest Hat.

The Green Iron Set, sans helm. It would muss her hair!

Batter up, it's the Shimmering Set! Sorry, there weren't any ball caps. Blizzard, we must have one!

Wearin' O' The Green

Thought I would dredge through the many items available to wear and pick some green colored, though not necessarily uncommon in nature, items to wear today as you down a few ales in Ironforge or wish you had a good ale elsewhere.

These items almost everyone should be able to find. The stats are non-existant, but the colors are fabulous! During the Elder Festival, did you pick up the Festive Green Dress? If you didn't, don't cry into your beer, because chances are it's already been watered down. Instead, pick up Green Wedding Hanbok or Dark Green Wedding Hanbok. They're not green all over, but they will keep them from pinching you, unless they are too short to see that high. Speaking of beer, if you were clever with your coin at Brewfest, you bought a Green Brewfest Hat. Now, it doesn't necessarily match the last three items, but as I noticed in the lunch line today, when it comes to wearing the green, the more outlandish and mismatched, the better! Another fun option, for you engineers out there, are the level nineteen twink item, Green Tinted Goggles. If you have a tailor friend, the Green Holiday Shirt can be made after a short trip into Scarlet Monastery. Well, make that about 5 of those, the silk drops in there like leaves in the fall! If you have some Frostweave and you don't care, Green Lumberjack Shirt could be yours. Make sure you get a Lumberjack Axe to heft over your shoulder, to complete the look.

Now for some gear that you can use! For you plate wearers out there, I bring you the Emerald Set. Looted from mobs in the 55-60 zones of old Azeroth, these items are randomly enchanted. You might be lucky to find a whole set, who knows? For lower level plate wearers, the Jade Set is looted from level 42-51 zones. For you leather wearers, the Jadefire Set is very fashionable, and available in the 46-55 areas of old Azeroth. This set even has a cloak, which might go nicely with the plate set as well. A lower level leather set, the Forest Set, would be great for the 24 and under crowd.

Cloth wearers, to start, I give you the Beaded Set. The shirt is alright, but that robe is the eye-catcher. Another nice robe with green on it is the Spider Web Robe. The Beastwalker Robe is a lucky drop off Nefaru, a rare worgen in Duskwood. The Conjurer's Set is a lovely dark green, my favorite color, and gives the option of a shirt or a robe. The Greenweave Set is very rustic and raggedy, for that slept-in-my-clothes-after-a-bar-brawl look. The Ivycloth Set is a great leprechaun-like set, except for the robe. I'd stay with the tunic. The Pressed Felt Robe is also a great looking choice. The Shimmering Set, without using the robe, looks like you are ready to play ball! The Willow Set is also a great looking set.

For mail wearers, the Brackwater Set is the earliest green set. Set up your warrior or paladin bank alt with this set for some holiday fun! The Soldier's Set has some nice green accents, for those who don't want an all green outfit. If you have a friend that is a blacksmith and you are at least 34, the Green Iron Set is a real eye catcher! For enough gold to make a leprechaun drool, and enough green to keep you from pinches, try the Captain's Set. This set is a crowd-stopper, especially on the female toon of your choice.

I'm sure there are more options out there, as I didn't touch Outland or Northrend, much. Remember to gather some friends, drink some ale, and put the dwarves to shame this holiday!

This would have kept me from getting pinched so much at school today! Some real world green for Saint Patty's Day! Have fun out there tonight, whether it's in Azeroth or in the real world. Designate a blimp operator, cyclist, or driver. You know the one to pick...the one standing in the corner with the obviously non-alcoholic beverage. Stay safe, and I hope you visit my corner of the internet again soon!

Lookit! Delgada Has Wings!

They invited me over to play with Loatheb tonight, and they even let me roll! Heroes' Mantle of Faith and Handbook of Obscure Remedies are my upgrades for tonight. How exciting! I even hit second place on our final attempt in damage done. No screen shot, sorry everyone, my UI is skunky and I don't wanna share it!

Gifts For Your WoW Sweetie

You know it. Everyone knows it. You've been /drooling over that hot Draenei shaman for well over a month now. You don't even care if there is a real live girl controlling her. So, what do you plan to do to get her to notice you?

Well, you could just /tell her you think she's fine. That could end up well, or could really make you swear off pixel chicks forever. So, slow down, turbo. Lose the haste gear. Watch her habits. When you raid together, does she always have a non combat pet at her heel? When you bump into her in town, is she wearing her new epic gear, or some fashionable hanbok? When she farms, what is she after? Is she into ore, herbs, or leather? Or perhaps she likes cloth. Maybe she is working her way through all the patterns in her favorite profession while she farms. Maybe she is after that one specific pet. Whatever the case, gather as much information on her habits as you can. We are on a quest, to win her pixelated heart, and the reward? Only time will tell!

You've watched her for a while. She likes the non-combat pets? Maybe she isn't exalted with the Oracles yet, or too young yet to know who they are. How about a White Tickbird Hatchling? I hear they hatch pretty regularly from the egg you can buy from the Oracles. If you haven't got the faction to do it alone, ask a guildmate, or check the auction house. These do not bind on pickup, so you are fairly certain to find one there. She already has a bird? How about an engineered pet, like the Lifelike Mechanical Toad? It's not a super easy pet to find, but if you know the right people, or advertise for a bit in trade, you can probably get one of these. The Mechanical Squirrel Box is another cutie, but is also fairly common. I wouldn't risk gifting this to any but the lowest level character. She's a pet afficionado, and has everything known to Azeroth? I'll bet, if you put your mind and time into it, you would be able to farm up one of the most rare pets in the game, the Parrot Cage (Hyacinth Macaw). If you are any level above 60, these mobs should be easily aoe'd to the ground. The drop rate is rather low, but you want to impress? This one is the best!

She isn't too into the mini pets? She's into leather? Perhaps a nice poem and a crate of rare leathers will tickle her fancy. Loves ore? Then perhaps that poem would go better with a crate of rare ores. Likes to blend herbs? A few stacks of common herbs and a few more rare lotus to go with would be sure to please. Does she have a crafting profession? I'll bet a smooth fella like you could find a few rare recipes that she doesn't have. Wrapped in a box and ribboned, it's sure to pluck at her heartstrings.

You say she's pretty independent, and doesn't need anything? How about a nice dress? This time of year, tailors and collectors trot out the best of these, but not without a price. See if you can find the dress from the easter holidays, or maybe you'll be a lucky enough guy to get a dress from a gift box you get from those alliance gals swooning over you in Stormwind. You might know a tailor that would make a wedding dress or a festival dress for you. Additionally, there are vendors in Moonglade and Dalaran that make some nice hanbok and dangui. Some of the lower level white quality robes are also very prized for their looks. Kill spiders in Tirisfal Glades for a Spider Web Robe. You can rarely get Snowy Robe from Starving Winter Wolves in Dun Morogh. Light Magesmith Robe drops from Frostmane Trolls in Dun Morogh. The White Woolen Dress made by tailors is also very pretty.

What are all these dresses worth without the proper accessories? Shoes can make or break an outfit. If your gal has toenails to show off, Cross-stitched Sandals would be a good find. If she'd rather hide her feet, make sure the dress is long, or buy her some Dress Shoes. Most women have favorite necklaces and rings they wear daily, so I wouldn't buy anything there. But a pretty flower or bauble to hold in her hand? Flowers are always a good idea! There are flower vendors in Dalaran, Thunder Bluff, The Culling of Stratholme, Valgarde, and Stormwind. There is also a bind on equip offhand frill with stats, Dreamseeker Dandelion which would look lovely, and add some combat stats. What if she isn't a flower loving girl? Maybe she'd still like a different offhand to compliment her attire. Does she love her ale?A Ritual Stein or Lapidis Tankard of Tidesippe might catch her eye. Is she often questing in the dark? Beacon of Hope would help light her way. Does she seem a bit gothic to you? Swampchill Fetish might thrill her dark little heart. She loves to read, you say? I'll leave that up to you, you clever fellow. There are books to be had all over the place! Now, if she's into the odd offhand, perhaps you'd better go fishing.

By now I should have hit on something to win your sweeties heart over. Just because you have won her heart does not mean the work is finished. Tomorrow's post? Hot spots to take your sweetie for some romantic roleplay!