What is going on with Karazhan chess?

There are no words to describe how much I hate the feeling of having regressed. I had a very clear memory of soloing the Karazhan chess event in the past, and suddenly it didn't work out with three people.

Something is very wrong with the chess game. The opposing faction's chessmen move much faster than they are supposed to, and much faster than you're able to move your faction's men. Echo of Medivh's cheats also seem to last longer and end up covering too much space on the chessboard, making it impossible to move your most important men out of it.

I hope this is a bug. It has to be a bug. The most logical reasons for it are the haste changes that came with 5.0.4. There is also another buggy element to it, which occurs with the cheats. A much bigger area is covered with dark red, fiery graphic. Similar strangeness was seen in the Cataclysm version of Scarlet Monastery when first entering the area with small fire elemental minions. The actual cheat fire is still visible, but looks very different from the other graphic.
Another explanation is that Blizzard didn't want the encounter to be soloable, but it seems quite unlikely that they would change a level 70 encounter at this point.

Regardless, for now I dare claim the Karazhan chess event is not soloable; not until what is likely a bug is fixed.

The following screenshots are of me doing the event alone for demonstration.

Approaching my FIRST move after activating King Llane.

That is some aggressive chess playin'.

"Time for an alternative scenario." BODOM-TSHH!

Through Your Interface: 15 Days of Screenshots #8

See Saz's blog for more information regarding the challenge!

8. Vacation spot
If Azeroth was the real world, where would you vacation to?

I've already mentioned in a previous post that I'd go to Grizzly Hills, but I'm not going to repeat that. Currently, as the summer is ending in the country I live in, I'm looking forward to the winter, particularly the start of it when the grass is still green but frosty, and little rocks stick to the ground and stepping on them makes a different, icier sound. The air is fresh but it isn't particularly cold, just below zero perhaps. This is why I chose Borean Tundra, and the shot itself is from Valiance Keep. I like the atmosphere there. Although I'm not a fan of water at all, I like the presence of the sea.

Monastery madness

It's been almost an hour since I began my Scarlet Monastery runs with Nica in utmost hurry. My plan was to use all the remaining time wisely, since I still want the Tabard of the Scarlet Crusade for three characters. I have lived happily in the belief that the dungeons won't be updated until MoP release, but I was wrong. In this article it is said that Scarlet Monastery, Ragefire Chasm and Scholomance are already getting their revamps. That's very bad news for me, since I've also found out that the five instances per hour limit is account wide. I didn't know about it before. /cry

I knew I shouldn't have waited this long with the farm, argh. Now, as I'm not even aware of when the servers will go offline, I'm thinking of dropping Nica off the tabard farming list. The Scarlet Crusade has nothing to do with her lore; I only want it for her because she is my main and I like to collect things. However it's very essential for Angelus, and fairly essential for Vladan. Raleigh already has the tabard - good memories from that farm.

Please, PLEASE keep your thumbs up for me now!

Edit 2:29 AM: Since the servers are going offline for 12 whole hours at 3 am (server time, GMT+1), I only get one more set of 5 runs. They will be done with Nica. Yes, she's the one who has nothing to do with the Crusade - but I feel it's the right thing to do.

Other than that I can just wish that Blizzard decides to make some (possibly non-reputation) tabards account-wide one day. I have an extra Scarlet tabard on a night elf warrior that currently serves as my banker, as I'm not at all inspired to play that character.

Edit 3:24 AM: Nicasia got her tabard! This makes me a happy little ghost wolf. It was the thirteenth run, and I have time for two more. I have yet to decide what they are.

Here's some footage of Nica and her faithful companion Reth'rek first looting the tabard, and then shining with it in the Monastery.

Edit 3:40 AM: Heh, okay. My decision might have been a bit silly, but I decided to go into the cathedral section with Angelus. As the whole idea for the character itself was inspired by Sally Whitemane's famous hat, Whitemane's Chapeau, it's always been my plan to include it in his default transmog set. It's quite certain that the Chapeau will have the same looks in MoP (although I am just a wee bit worried about this), I wanted it to say "transmogrified into Whitemane's Chapeau" on the item, instead of "transmogrified into Whitemane's Embroidered Chapeau."

Well, I got no chapeau on those two runs that I had time for. I'll have to settle for embroidery. This also means no Scarlet tabard for Vladan or Angelus, who certainly would have been more awesome with their tabards, but I can't have everything. Regardless of that, I know what they have and haven't done in their past and that will do for now.

Other than that I spent the last seconds with Nica just throwing my last oldschool totems around. I'll definitely miss being an arctic wolf, too. I've had the glyph since the day it came out, and I've been very happy with it.

Through Your Interface: 15 Days of Screenshots #6

See Saz's blog for more information regarding the challenge!

6. Favorite line of poetry/lyric
Most of us have a favorite poet or song. Give us an image that you think represents your favorite line, or what line inspires you most. You should probably include said line and *maybe* give some explanation/reasoning behind it, unless you're feeling overly ambiguous.

Right. This is a mission impossible. Music is no doubt the biggest thing in my world, and there are countless and countless lyrics I could call my favorite - it just depends on the moment. Therefore the one I've chosen shouldn't be considered my absolute favorite, it's just one of those that I really, really like. Okay, here goes.

Junior, you're a genious

You think with your mind and not your penis

(Damian Marley - Hey Girl)

I sense an influx of viagra ads.

Remember Theramore

I'm sure that by now we all know what's going to happen to Theramore Isle. Therefore there is no spoiler warning in this post, since it would only be spoiled for a very short time anyhow. I just wanted to post some screenshots of the town, just to have a personal memory of it in the blog. Lanfranco and I went to say goodbye to Theramore together, so he appears in some shots.

I didn't get to experience very much Theramore RP, but the little bit that I did experience was great. I wish I could have done more of it. I'm not sure if there will ever be anything that can compare to it.

Farewell Theramore, you will always be in my heart.

And the music, I always loved it.

P.S. I love having internet as sensitive as mine... These days I upload screenshots to Photobucket to save disc space. The internet is fast and fairly good normally, but when I begin to upload, my latency jumps up to 5k and I can't do anything on WoW. It's not something that really disturbs my time, but it's fairly silly considering I live in a technology super country! Ah well, my time will come I suppose, when I move out of this small town.

P.P.S. I am now getting to know the new Toyota GT86, because clicking the link was the only way I could silence the ad quickly.

P.P.P.S. My latency is now 14.5k!

The wedding of Sol & Lykke

A very special event took place on the realm of Moonglade. Solmund and Lykkedragen got married, and were wed in Nagrand. My priest had the honour to perform the ceremony, and the guests, who consisted of friends and guildies, were a rather mottled bunch.

The main participants were:
Solmund - groom
Lykkedragen - bride
Lanfranco - bestman
Silverfrost - maid of honour
Angelus - vicar

Of course the event would have been nothing without all the guests, so big thanks to all of them on my behalf as well.

Below is the ceremony with some screenshots included. There were plenty of other emotes in it, too, but I couldn't catch all of them. Something borrowed was from them christian fellers, as the ceremony itself was very christian-inspired, as it seemed to fit the wedded couple. No blasphemy was intended and no blasphemy took place, and it shouldn't be considered such - I personally don't even see why it would be.

Angelus: Dearly beloved family, friends and fellow Azerothians. We have come together in the presence of the Light to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity. Marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted in the name of the Light.

Into this holy union Solmund and Lykkedragen now come to be joined. If any of you can show just cause why they may not lawfully be married, speak now; or else for ever hold your peace.

I require and charge you both, here in the presence of the Light, that if either of you know any reason why you may not be united in marriage lawfully, you do now confess it.

Lady Lykkedragen of Silverbeam, will you have this man to be your husband; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

Lykkedragen: I do.

Angelus: Solmund Strongheart, will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?

Solmund: I do.

Angelus turns towards the bestman.

Vows... With UI. I don't really keep the healing addon there.

Angelus: May I have the rings, please?

Angelus holds the rings on the palm of his left hand, placing the other one on top of it. As the rings are sealed between his hands, a warm, golden glow escapes from between his fingers.

May your love remain like these rings – forever pure, forever untarnished.

Angelus hands the rings over to Solmund and Lykkedragen.

You may say your vows.

Solmund: Lykke, you are my north, my south, my east and west. My working week, my Sunday rest. My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song. I thought I'd never love forever... I was wrong. I will love you and cherish you for as long as I live.

Lykkedragen: I will always stand by your side, because you make me smile when I feel like the world is ending. You give me strength to keep on fighting, because you are my reason to keep standing. You make my heart and soul sing, and every minute I'm away from you feels like an eternity of pain. I will always stand by your side, protecting you with my last breath. I will be your light when the world gets dark. I will always stand by your side, because you are my music, my strength, my light, my faith. You are my everything. I love you.

Angelus: By the right and honour I have been granted, I now declare you husband and wife.

Let us pray.

Eternal Light, creator and preserver of all life, author of salvation, and giver of all grace: Look with favor upon the world you have made, and especially upon this man and this woman whom you make one flesh in Holy Matrimony.

Light be with you, Solmund and Lykkedragen.

You may kiss the bride at will.


After the ceremony we indulged in a feast, drinks, cheese (which appeared to have been expensive, since our guild even got the It All Really Adds Up achievement right after the wedding!), and Milkbox's musical performance of a love song:

Partying.

For a thousand words, and thousand embraces
They call away, so far away
They only reach you, when you hold her by silver wings
For a thousand words, and thousand embraces
Through a thousand years, a bond even stronger
And you must hold her foreeeeeeeeeeveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrr


I wish to thank the wedded couple for their permission to make a blog post out of the lovely event, and each person for making it as it was! Once again congratulations to Sol and Lykke!

And as of today, I felt happy on the game after a while now.

Through Your Interface: 15 Days of Screenshots #5

See Saz's blog for more information regarding the challenge!

5. Title of choice
Show us an image of you pimping your favorite title and give us a reason why you dig it so much.

My title of choice is Bloodsail Admiral. I did it together with Lanfranco and that's the first shot after turning the quest in and receiving the title. Grinding the reputation was, to my mind, a very important event in how Lan and I got to know each other better, and doing that with him was a great experience. The title is still pretty rare, too. It also reminds me of itself whenever I am to have something to do with goblins.

Below are a couple of shots of us on our way to Booty Bay to kill the baron. After killing him, we rode Lan's chopper to Darkshire and pirated around for some time.

And yes, the guild featured in the shots was a bad one. We left it long ago and formed ours after.