Out With The Old

When Wrath of the Lich King came out, had I not taken a break I would have had a very good chance at world first level 80 Rogue. I don’t say that as a means of bragging, because well…what’s there to brag about? I didn’t get the achievement. So why bring it up? Well, to illustrate just what I thought of the rogue class at one point. Siori was my main. I loved Combat and then its evolution into Outlaw. So after Saintvache hit 50, I decided she was the next out of the chute.

With the druid and paladin, I fell right back into old habits and rotations and took care of business. Imagine my surprise when that was not the case with my rogue. I got Slice ‘N’ Dice going and made sure poison was equipped and the other usual things. But overall it felt flat. I was incredibly underwhelmed and while I can’t quite put my finger on why, I do think the current state of combo finishers plays a large part. There were more to choose from when I last played. And I found them more affective. Now hitting your rotation is just as easy, but there’s no DoT’s anymore (that I can really see). Dispatch is there for dealing damage and Cheap Shot of course for stunning the target (when Kick just doesn’t do the trick). But overall I just felt I wasn’t putting out as much damage as I used to. It made me really keep an eye on what felt like a depleted survivability.

I did end up getting her to 50 though. How much play she’ll see from here out is up in the air at best. I feel like my Feral Druid does rogue better than rogue does, if that makes sense. Her biggest asset at this point is probably making Enchanting scrolls and opening lock boxes. Not exactly where I expected to be with my rogue if you had asked me a few years back. And if you’re curious, I did look at the other specs. While they might be more optimal, I wasn’t really feeling them all that much more than Outlaw. So, I suppose it is what it is. Perhaps at some point I dust her off again and suddenly the class clicks for me again, I don’t know. But for the short term, the boss is going to be doing her work from behind the desk instead of out in the field.

The Past Is Present

Siori sat at her desk, signing off on several papers that made their way in front of her.  Some were recruit applications (some of which did not get a signature), others supply orders for certain tasks.  A select few held details that only her and two other people would see or know about.  Today, however, this task was to be interrupted by a page.

“Yes Tobias, what is it?” As a guild leader and rogue she had a penchant for being calm, yet strictly to the point when need be.

“Well Miss Siori…um…well, it’s this.”

The young ones were always afraid to interrupt her.  It stemmed from a day she had received mail from her sister for the first time in months.  A girl came in excited to speak to her, and quickly ended up across a table with a dagger and a warning.  Okay, so she wasn’t always calm.

Siori took the envelope and noticed the wax seal immediately.  Rarely did she get sent anything in an envelope and when she did, his seal was never on it.  Hand written notes, signatures.  Even pseudonyms.  But in the years since Deathwing, she had only seen the seal once.  She disposed of Tobias and turned on her heels, envelope in hand.  Siori headed over to the closet, opened the door and then stuck a dagger point into a crack in the corner.  After two clicks, she pushed the back open to reveal a smaller room.  Making her way over to a chair and desk across from the cot, she slipped the dagger through the base of the envelope.  There was but a single piece of parchment in it.

“You made it clear to me that in the future you wished to remain on the sidelines.  You wanted to focus on the tactical side of things.  I vowed to not ask you to come back into the field and I’ve stuck to my word.  In the future, I will continue to do so.  But this isn’t the future.  This is the past, and we need you there.

~MSh

Siori read the note over several times.  She then walked over to the candle and burned it.  The last act before she left the room, was taking her sword off the wall.

#Wowscreenshot Feb 16 & 17 – “Create” and “Vegetable”

Back in the days of Wrath, I came upon a Battered Hilt on the Auction House for somewhere in the neighbourhood of 7-8k.  I decided to pony up and do the quest chain and it was amazing.  The end result is what you see before Siori as she went through the process of assembling (or creating) Quel’Delar.  I’m glad this folder was not among the screenshots I’ve lost over time because it was just a really enveloping story and it’s one of those things that not everyone has done.  I know a few people who still farm Halls of Reflection to try and get the Battered Hilt to drop.

Thanks to Mists, there’s only one thing I think of when I hear the word vegetable anymore.

Calling In A Favour

You know why I like Tauren so much?  Well, yes, they are the wisest race by far and think things through and…well, no.  It’s because I’m a Taurus actually.  Taurus folk have this pretty dominant trait, too.  It’s called being stubborn.  Take me for instance.  While the Mrs. nods vehemently with the last bit of info, my stubborn nature results in me often times doing things myself.  That strategy is often met with mixed results, I won’t lie.  Sure, I’ll help anyone…I’m terrible for asking for help though.  So this is kind of awkward.

See that spiffy Rogue up there?  Yeah, I love her outfit too.  By all means, take a moment to admire it.  It really is a thing of beauty.  Done?  Ok.  Well, for as awesome as that outfit is, the daggers are lacking.  Her Lhakaz’s Swiftblade daggers are nice.  These are the ones she needs to have.  It’ll take an eternity to get them on a good day, but the fact is I can’t even get going by myself.

This brings me to this coming Friday evening.  I am done work relatively earlier than usual, and within a short time will be able to put the Junior Amateur to bed.  Then, I envision taking Siori to Wyrmrest and visiting a certain Hag(ara).  I don’t even need to kill her…but I mean, while we’re there if something unfortunate should occur after she’s been sapped, who am I to argue.  Wait…I so did not mean that the way it came out.  Damn it.  Ok, so before this gets horribly out of hand…can I get some help getting a step further on my Legendary Daggers quest chain Friday night?

edit: I work until 8pm EST and probably won’t get the boy down until about 9 EST.

Unfamiliar Territory

Siori hung her head a little as she watched the ships begin to sail off.  Her sister Naeda was on one of them, and it left her feeling empty.  For the first time in five years she would not be at the forefront of battle this time.  Well, the shadows of the forefront.  Mattias Shaw had always included her in the missions.  She could still remember when the ships landed in Howling Fjorde.  When her fellow Night Elves called out to take back Mount Hyjal from the forces of the Firelands, and how she joined countless others on the Molten Front.  Holding the ground endlessly.

But all she would hold on this night was her daggers, and hope for her sister.  That and 40 silver would buy her a pint at Bruuk’s Corner in Ironforge.  Instead of returning to tell stories of war, she would spend this Winter Veil listening to them.  Of course that meant familiar faces would return from this new land that had appeared to the south, among the mists.

Siori was an Elder now.  She could pass on her wisdom to others, but the days of battle had passed her by.  She knew it, though it was not made any easier.  She looked at the ships, her eyesight still better than ever, seeing Kuroma, and Magik, Killthryn and finally Wontan the Gnome.  She had imbued the latter with what knowledge she could.  Truth be told, where she excelled in the shadows and espionage of the mind, he was the equivalent on the battlefield.  In that regard, he would be a better asset on the front.  She was proud of all of them and knew they would bring great victories.  Still, she wept a little.

As they sailed out of sight, her eyes lingered for a time longer before she pulled her white mask over the lower portion of her face and turned inwards toward Stormwind.  She would head to the Dwarven Mountain.  Tumunzahar would no doubt be there -with a meal, wine, and laughter.  And most of all, a shoulder.

Mount Treat

With account-wide mounts coming soon, I thought I’d finally do Liouxpold a favour and get the Cenarion War Hippogryph with Siori.  She’s long been Exalted for the Enchants offered by the Expedition.  When the mounts open up, Liouxpold will have his air mount of choice.  Come to think of it, he’ll get the Brewfest Kodo from Tumunzahar as well (on top of the Frostsaber he farmed himself).  Since she bought it, I figured Siori might as well learn it…low and behold another small achievement for her.

I’m curious when all the achievements combine just how I’ll do as I’ve scattered so many across my toons (a number of which were acquired inadvertently).  Speaking of achievements, I’ve updated the Laid Back Raids schedule yet again.  We’re set up to just a couple of weeks before the expansion launches.

Thursday Thought Patterns

Another musings post if you will permit me.

• Mists of Pandaria launches July September 25th.  The average response seemed to be “finally” from those I spoke with last night.  The next eight weeks should be interesting.
• Laid Back Raids is updated through most of August.  I managed to get a few requests in there.
• I wonder what LBR’s success will be like after Mists launch?  I can’t imagine it too different from what it is now.  Some will pass, some will come.
• Others might just want a break from whatever Mists content they’re on.
• Some will just want to take their Panda into old content.
• Or their Monk.
• I’m ashamed to admit I’ve considered rolling a Gnome Monk named Junkshot.
• The deadline for the Mogolympics is coming Tuesday.  Then the real fun begins…so to speak.
• I wonder if the other judges will speak to me when this is all over?
• I need to put a confirmed section on the Mogolympics information page this weekend.
• Posthumous isn’t on hiatus or anything.  The next chapter is in the works, but my time to dedicate to it has been sparse.
• Yes, I’m writing it as I go.  I have a few key points in my head, but the rest is more like que sera sera.
• Tome got Anzu a little while back.  Mrs. Amateur the Baron’s Reigns to drop.  Ratters had double mount luck recently.  Me? (NSFW)
• Glad most people seem to understand my “not buying Mists philosophy.”
• Someone else told me last night they’re in the exact same frame of mind (minus Guild Wars 2).
• I think Blizzard needs to come through on this one.
• Cataclysm wasn’t terrible, but it turned (quite?) a few people off.  Two in a row wouldn’t be good.
• I expect them to have that in mind, and deliver a better expansion.
• I expect games like Guild Wars 2 and Secret World to force them to knock one out of the park over the next year.
• Working on another Transmog outfit for Tum.
• Got everything but the shoulders.  The two options I’ve chosen are from Molten Core and Naxx.
• I think I should have considered this before scheduling LBR this week…
• I still want my Red Proto.
• Tum’s the closest on that, as I think he needs about a half dozen achievements yet.
• Speaking of mounts, I’m in the process of determining what land mounts and flying mounts each (eligible) character wants.
• No good can come of it, but account-wide mounts might just make it easier.
• Siori’s Exalted with the Cenarion Expedition and Liouxpold’s already got the puppy dog eyes going…which looks really creepy on a space goat.
• I wonder if everyone who’s geared up in the last month feels a sense of “why did I do that?”
• Not saying they should, it’s just an observation.
• Once again, greens will replace epics in the first two days.
• Am I seriously the only one who sees a problem with that?
• Linear stats is still the way to go, far as I’m concerned.
• Hrm…work break’s over.