Scorchling punk.

Actually, a pretty amusing nod to Molten Core.

 

Wary. But not.

We got the title, but needn’t have worried.

So Best Buy sends me an e-mail reminding me I had uncashed coupons.  $20 worth.  What to do, what to do?  Go shopping!  (More browsing than buying with $20.00.)

There it was on the shelf.  The wife’s been considering it for a long time.  Long.  Buying Lord of the Rings Online.  We got a beta key (thanks to the fellow blogger who gave it to us ) and checked it out.  We didn’t like it.  And then all I’d heard about it, I didn’t like it.

But the price was $20.00, to include a free 30 days, and a 10 day buddy account (what we’re playing now), which means, after cashing in those coupons, it was free.

And you know what?  It was amusing.  Level 6 in a few short hours.  The wife and I knocking around a new place, in new duds, seeing new things.  And the graphics, they’re okay too.  Better than okay.  The water is great.  The flowers in the fields swaying in the breeze.  Somehow the whole experience is just better than what I remembered it being back in Beta.  And that Uncanny Valley problem with the characters?  Seemingly gone.  Replaced, perhaps, by that somewhat more “cartoony” look made popular by another current MMORPG.  I can’t say what changed, just that the characters look pretty good now.  My Rohan guy looks … suitable.  The wife’s Breeland lady, ladylike.

And I liked the nighttime feel of the place.  And are those real stars up in the sky?  Is that Orion’s Belt and the Pleiades?  Felt like Boy Scouts again, and that’s pretty cool in itself.

 

Ah, summer!

 

Two for the path of Glory.

Itarilde and Greenclaw are now both riding epic mounts.

She picked the Stormsaber. Greenclaw took the Mistsaber.

It was a little over a year ago that Droonda and Msaker were in the same position.

 

Druids in the Outlands. “Andu-falah-dor!”

Well, a milestone of sorts. Kind of monumental. Our Alliance Druids have finally reached the Outlands. This is my second Alliance character that’s gotten to the Outlands. It’s the wife’s first Alliance character there. She’s looking forward to seeing things from the other perspective. And, as Druids, we’re there to help the Cenarian factions, of course.

Our first time into the Blasted Lands. Our first view of the Dark Portal. Something folks ran from in the past, as Orcs and Demons streamed into our homeworld. This time, the tables turned, we go to their world.

Without hesitation, Itarilde ran up the ramp and jumped through, executing a perfect mid-air flip as she zoned out. I wanted a screenshot! “Come back.” She did, and again, raced me to the portal.

This scene taken after we’d already scavanged some metal and wood for Honor Hold, and killed more than a few Orcs for them. This was our trip to Shattrath City. We stopped in Telredor for the evening.

 

Zomg. What a screenshot.

I’m there doing a quest in Shadowmoon Valley with Arcarius.  It’s the one where you have to retrieve a rotten egg.  Anyway, if you get a bad one, not the rotten egg they want, you’ll get sick.  And you’ll occasionally hurl.  A lot.

It’s an amusing graphic.  So amusing I thought it was worth a screenshot.  But this is what I snapped trying to get the viewpoint right.

That’s my Raptor looking very, very businesslike.  Mid leap and shred.  Pretty cool.

As an aside, I think I’ve mentioned I just dinged 70 with Arcarius?  Well, if I didn’t, I did.  Ding 70 that is.

Like any good 70 I travelled to Medivh’s place, Karazhan, and started the quest chain for access.

I did it with a Protection Warrior.  And with an Enhancement Shaman.  It wasn’t easy fighting all those ghosts.  Not easy at all.

With a hunter?  Piece of cake.  Absolute cake walk collecting those water samples and ghost essences.  As for gear, I’ve done no instances past Ramparts and I’m still wearing my level 60 epic pvp shoulders for crying out loud.  Quest reward and crafted (mid-level crafted at that) gear, and now that I’ve got flight… Easy mode.

 

Hakked.

The guild took 12-14 members to Zul’Gurub tonight. The 3 60-something’s we had along were raking in the loot.

Droonda had never seen Zul’Gurub. Tonight she saw every boss. And every boss was defeated. Including the big guy, Hakkar. This was also Msaker’s first raid into ZG. Previously only Blackhoof had regularly raided ZG, and Arcarius went a couple of times.

This got everyone in the mood for the soon to be Zul’Aman instance.  Bear mounts!

 

Oh, happy days.

The wife’s Warlock, Zauber with the cackling laugh, is finally riding a mount.

 

What I really need.

I need more alts.

Exilarch, Draenei Warrior (Arms all the way, Baby!) dings 14.

I need more pets.

No, not really. But I wanted one.

I need some kind of Warrior’s version of Feign Death.

How about we call it “Skidaddle”. We’ll put it in the “Hide Saving” talent tree.

I could use a little more screen.

And bullets, dang it.

But, all that aside, I’ve got Droonda. I’m a lucky Orc. All the rest is just bonus.

 

All your mount are belong to us.

Msaker on a Brewfest Racing Ram.

Sweet.

Next year I hope they bring Brewfest Racing Cats.