Loving You Sunday Morning

I haven't got the slightest clue why this was unpublished. It wasn't even the final version, but I was sure I had already published this on the blog... Luckily I found the finished version on my backup drive. Oh yeah, I found my blog again, after three years. Three years seems to be the thing for me and this blog.

Heavy plate armour slamming against the paving made a mighty clang - one that was sure to wake up anyone who still slept in the purple, floating city of Dalaran. Raleigh had stepped into a couple of mage-made portals before, but since then his knowledge of the nether travels had indubitably rusted. Despite the rocky start, he got up, and after wiping his armour for any hints of dust, he made his way to A Hero's Welcome.

The tavern was still sleepy at the early hour. Nevertheless, its warm atmosphere had always been dear to Raleigh Croft - something that continued to face him with open arms - with a hero's welcome. Another warm welcome awaited him behind the shiny, freshly wiped counter. A young waitress turned to look at the still somewhat groggy paladin.
”Good morning, sir!” The waitress yelled joyfully. Her voice was of very high pitch, nearly child-like.
”A very fine morning to you as well, my fair lady,” the man said with a soft tone in his voice and a warm smile on his face, reaching all the way up to the corners of his eyes.
”How may I serve you today?” She chuckled with curved lips.
Raleigh had always been rather fond of her. It wasn't merely the extraordinarily voluptuous coffee that kept bringing him to the tavern over and over.
”I would take great pleasure in a cup or two of your special coffee. That, of course, should you have time for such trivial matters so early in the morning.”
The fair-haired, long-eared waitress began to conjure the drink with haste. Her graceful figure danced to the spell as her long fingers brushed through the air in peculiar motions. It almost appeared as if she was indulging the paladin in some sort of special treatment, but alas, it was probably just Raleigh's wishful thinking.

She slowly handed over a cup of coffee to him, following the mug with her gaze and thus ensuring the white ceramic mug would get keep its white colouring. As a sign of thankfulness, Raleigh leaned forward to bow at the waitress; yet the gesture came out rather clumsy as he spilled a sip-worth of coffee to the tavern floor. The half-elven waitress giggled at him, then made a minuscule roundish motion with her hand, one that wasn't visible to Raleigh as her hands were hidden beneath the counter.

As Raleigh climbed up the stairs leading to the balcony, he stopped at a mirror for a short moment. Within the golden lining stood a man with green eyes and red hair that didn't quite reach his shoulders. His nose and cheekbones were covered by freckles that could be spotted all over his face, but in greatly smaller amounts. The wrinkles around his eyes spoke of worries, which the emerald twinkle however seemed to not care about. His lips curved on a minor smile as he turned away from the mirror and continued to walk up the stairs.

. . .

A pair of glasses rested lazily on the bridge of his nose. Rough hands held a book, allowing the emerald eyes to devour it word by word. The book's red-ish cover was mildly stained – it had indubitably been soaked in drops of coffee more than once in its lifetime. But Sunday morning doesn't care about a stained book. It doesn't care about the dirt on your boots, nor is it bothered by ghosts of the past. Sunday morning knows no fear of loneliness or death. It laughs at the face of evil like an impertinent child. If a soul has no Sunday morning, it becomes an orphan.

Flipping the page, Raleigh allowed his hand to slide ever so slightly too far, nudging the coffee cup a tad too violently.
”Son of a...”
His cursing was interrupted by surprise, as the coffee didn't spill out of the cup. He playfully flipped the cup around. The coffee stuck to the bottom of the mug, refusing to leave it under any circumstances he could provide. Those mages really knew how to twist the laws of nature. Raleigh chuckled to himself as he resumed to read his book.

. . .

”Would you like more coffee, sir?” A chirpy voice appeared next to him, its host holding a warm can above his coffee mug.
Raleigh raised his gaze from the inky words, already smiling at the request.
”Certainly.”

IntPiPoMo 2012: Northern lights

In real life I live in Northrend. I love northern lights, and because I live in southern Northrend, I don't get to see them that often, which is why I like to watch them a lot in the interactive Northrend. In Azeroth I'm a shaman. Up north (a norther north than this north) there is a small native people, who have (had, at least) strong shamanistic influences in their culture, which is why, to me, northern lights and shamanism go hand in hand.

The goal of IntPiPoMo is to post 50 screenshots in 30 days. Learn more about it as introduced on Revive & Rejuvenate, with a list of the participants.

13/50

IntPiPoMo 2012: Vrykul

I update the blog pretty often, but I have to say that this month it'll get more than enough updates! I've decided to take part in the IntPiPoMo 2012 screenshot "challenge". The idea is to complete it during November, but as we're already over halfway through the month, I'll have about two weeks to post 50 screenshots of various subjects. My goal is to post 5-10 of those at a time.

In addition to that, I'd love to complete the November challenge on Tastes Like Battle Chicken. It's called 'Feeling musical' and you can read more about it here. I'll be quite short of time this month, but I'll try my best to find time and inspiration for that one, too. Now, however, I'll get started with the IntPiPoMo with some vrykul shots. And yes, I know prince Keleseth isn't a vrykul!

Learn more about the IntPiPoMo as introduced on Revive & Rejuvenate, with a list of the participants.

Nice tattoos!

For me personally, this view is legendary.

7/50

Through Your Interface: 15 Days of Screenshots #15

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

15. A fairytale image
World of Warcraft is often described as cartoony and looking a bit, well, fairytale-ish. Take a screenshot that makes you think of a fairytale - use Disney inspiration if you must! Feel free to edit this screenshot a bit to enhance the fairytale feel, or just get super creative with that in game camera!

I wasn't sure which way I'd post the last two that I did, but I ended up having this one as the fairytale image. I think it represents the evil side of fairytales quite well. I was instantly reminded of the view in the screenshot as I first saw the Chancel area in Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

And speaking of Amnesia, I'm definitely looking forward to A Machine for Pigs, heh. I guess it'll be a Mists of Pandaria kind of an experience - I hope it'll be as epic of a surprise from first hearing about it to actually playing it. I couldn't help thinking of Razorfen Kraul, if only a little bit.

I've actually reached the finish line with the 15 Days of Screenshots challenge. I've had a ton of fun with it, and I want to thank Saz for coming up with the idea. I've set my eyes on what will likely be the next challenge I participate in. Stay tuned!

Through Your Interface: 15 Days of Screenshots #12

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

12. Inspiring imagery
Show us something that inspires you within World of Warcraft. This can be a character, a person, scenery that leaves you in awe, or whatever it is that strikes a cord in you. The inspiration it creates can be anything as well: Has this character inspired you to roll a certain class? Does a certain zone make you long to write a story about your character adventuring through that particular area?

How nothing else matters

I'm ditching work again just to write about something that's on my heart right at this moment.

Some time ago I mentioned how I feel about Northrend generally. I'd like to share a particular memory, probably my dearest pure WoW memory in history. It's one that I really treasure and cherish.

Today I've spent a lot of time mining with Vlad and just recently I went back to Northrend, Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord in particular, to ease his shortage of cobalt. I was, as usual, reminded of when I did the Explore Northrend achievement that awards Tabard of the Explorer with Nicasia. I only had the slowest flying skill, so I made slow progress, but dear Naaru how I enjoyed that. Similarly to how some people say that vanilla was the best time of WoW - they don't miss the server crashes, endless grinds, unpractical mechanics, severely unbalanced class performance or buffing a 40 man raid every 5 minutes. They miss the feeling they had when they were doing it, and the truth is they're never getting it back, just like I'm never getting back my Wrath of the Lich King. For me it was the golden age of WoW, and this song is my memento of it:

It's not exactly the version that I listened to, but similar enough.

Back then I couldn't play with the graphics I do these days; in fact I couldn't even dream of it. I played with custom graphics that were lower than low, to make fight situations as tolerable as possible. I knew much less of the game than I do these days, both lore- and mechanics-wise. Dalaran lagged like hell, but that music still gives me positive vibes, no matter what.

The elemental unrest world event awakens similar feelings in me, although it was already on the edge of the modern era of my WoW life; not quite like that hazy part, such as your childhood that you're not quite sure about, it just makes you feel a certain way for what it is. I don't know if I'd go back to those times if I could. Probably. Maybe. I don't know. After all it's good that time traveling isn't (yet) possible. It would make things like 'moving on' very, very hard. The cost of living in the past is the present.

Why I wanted to write about this now is not just because I got reminded of it once again, but because it's one of those things that make the future seem light and hopeful. It represents how nothing else matters except the way you feel about it and what you can get out of it. Even though it's been long since my Northrend exploration, I'm still able to feel the exact same feelings I did back then. I sincerely hope that people take things as they come. Forget about the preconceptions and drop the prejudice attitude. Because you never know, it might just turn out to be something great, you only need to let it be that.

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.

From Northrend with love

Rage of the winter mold the horizon,

cover the mountains, forests and lakes.

Rage of the winter, magical wonder,

enchanted fury, majestic force.

(Rhapsody - Rage of the Winter)

There is one I can call my favorite zone in all of Azeroth if I am asked that, but I'd rather mention the whole continent, for it is full of things that really make me feel at home. In addition to that it's extremely beautiful. Therefore, this post is fully dedicated to Northrend, my memories and my feelings towards it. I know it'll most likely sound a bit messed up, but hey, that's how things are inside my mind. Warning: Might be boring.

One of my first memories of Northrend was this spot in Dragonblight.

The funny thing is that the place/country I live in in real life is, with its surroundings, what Northrend is based on. The architecture, names and tales are inspired by that area's mythology. For years and years I didn't like or appreciate living here, but as I found myself loving Northrend, I realised what an amazing place I come from.
When I'm in a dungeon that's located in Northrend, I like to open a window and if the season allows, I can feel like it would actually feel in-game. I love the breeze and chills in the Halls of Reflection. In Utgarde Keep the fire glows with heat. In the Halls of Lightning I step on cold steel barefoot.

If I had to go on a holiday anywhere in Azeroth, I'd go to Grizzly Hills. I'm pretty sure that I couldn't find anything more homey in Azeroth than a logging camp in Grizzly Hills. There's just something about those that makes me want to become a lumberjack. Altogether it's probably the most beautiful area in the whole game. Strangely enough it's also the zone that looks like my homeland the most. Again; it was WoW that really made me see the beauty of this country. I think to most people 'holiday' means going somewhere warm, but I'm not a big fan of warmth, sweat and endless sun, so I'd be most happy in a place such as Amberpine Lodge.

I didn't really choose my favorite zone. It chose me. Not only is it my lucky zone and the location of my favorite raid, but also home to my favorite quests. I'm talking about the Storm Peaks.

Back when I was digging for my vrykul drinking horn, I had just finished a digsite in Valkyrion and was making my way to Frosthold to take a flight to another site. When I was very close to the frost dwarf village, my NPCscan went off, saying "Time-Lost Proto..." I thought it was a bloody joke. I flew around a bit, trying to target it and found it pretty fast. I aggroed it and killed it on a cliff. Within a minute, there were three people slapping me across the face and crying on the drake's shoulder. I spent a whole of about five minutes in the zone that time. Like a very dear friend of mine said: "All you wanted was a drinking horn, but you got the time-lost proto-drake."
Secondly, the polar bear mount dropped from the satchel the first time I did the daily.

My favorite quests are those where you gank and spank vrykul men in a mine. That always makes me feel good. No further explanations or reasons provided. When it comes to northern lights, there's no better place in Azeroth than the Storm Peaks if you wish to watch those. I just love how the silence expresses how cold and frozen the place is - also something I have experienced in real life.

To tell you the truth, I'm very cautious when it comes to good memories. I don't take them lightly at all. I treasure them to the point where it sometimes makes things a bit complicated. It's just because I know what the worst case scenario could be like.
I don't want to associate my good memories of places, such as Northrend, with people that mean something to me. Not in any way. Because if those relationships get wrecked one day, my good memories of those places will be ruined. They will forever remind me of that person; how I felt when things went wrong. It's already happened a little bit, and the possibility of it happening again scares me. I know I am overly sensitive about this, and I hope people don't misunderstand this matter. I also hope they'll respect it. It is not to express something negative towards those people, but to protect myself. I think it also has to do with independence; not everything should have something to do with someone. I don't claim to own Northrend, but I'd like to be the master of my memories.

Despite all my love for the roof of the world, there's one place there that I don't quite feel at home. Sholazar Basin. Perhaps it's not snowy and cold enough, but it's just not a place I feel a connection to. I never have. The memories I have from there are just as memorable as the others, anyway, and I think no lesser of it. I am just simply a guest there, not a resident.
Some time before I got the Time-Lost Proto-Drake, I had two dreams of it. In the other one, I was looking for it in Sholazar Basin, flying over the trees. Of course that's not where it spawns in - I was going to say 'real life' - game, but I remember that dream like it was last night that I had it.

And so we come to the end of the post about my feelings and memories of this icy continent. It was during Wrath of the Lich King that I was introduced to WoW, all thanks to a good friend. A lot has followed, and it's been a chain of incredible events. Somehow it all lead to what things are now; I'm a guild master and I can see how effort pays off. When our guild hit level twenty-five, I felt that I could finally breathe a little, after all that hard work. My guild was now a real guild.
I want to make a difference in how people are treated, how they are appreciated. I learn leadership as I do it, I notice myself change as a person, and I'm not quite sure how I ended up in this place... I like to think it was meant to happen. But the fact that I can make a difference, I can shape new values, I can do things in a different way, is amazing.

The world is closing in, and did you ever think

that we could be so close, like brothers?

(Scorpions - Wind of Change)

Avenging wrath

This short story is set in the time before the fall of the Lich King. It's just a short encounter in the life of one of my characters. It's also the first novel sort of thing I've ever even attempted to write in English. Please do report any typos and nonsense grammar you find.
Soundtrack while writing: Human Fortress - The Wizard and the album 'Defenders of the Crown'

A young man let out a hacking cough, rapidly waking from a dream. Taking such a deep breath of air as cold as Icecrown's wasn't the best idea he had got. He sat on the snow, leaning against a conifer. The bloke's red hair was tied up on a ponytail. His silvery armour appeared ever so slightly too big for his fairly delicate body structure, his shield too heavy for his untrained arm. He was seemingly in his early twenties.

At first glance the man looked the same as any other Alliance soldier up north. What made a notable difference in his looks was his hair, as red as a flame, and his freckled face. Over his shoulder he held a satchel with a metallic badge on it, carved to read "Raleigh Croft." The young man stood up and looked around.

- Oliver? he popped a question with a rusty voice. He suffered from a cough caused by the weeks spent in the ice cold Northrend.

The horse known as Oliver was nowhere to be seen. He had been tied to a nearby twig, but all Raleigh could trace him by now were the vague hoofprints on the snow. Raleigh followed the trail leading to an open valley with little snow and more ice, not entirely unusual for Icecrown. Sunlight was blocked by a sharp-edged mountain for most part, leaving the area gloomy. Raleigh didn't hesitate taking steps deeper into the valley. His boots clacked against the icy ground as he walked along the trail of fresh hoofprints suddenly ending in a snowless patch. He peered around with a hint of frustration on his face.

The valley was silent - as was Raleigh. He gasped abruptly as a low snarl made its way to his ears. Young crusader Croft turned his gaze to his left, where the source of the sound appeared to be. He could tell it was no animal. The snarl sounded unnatural, far from a nature's creation. It was shortly followed by a dragging noise.

Raleigh was paralysed at the sight of the enormous flesh giant approaching him. Various rotting limbs and other body parts attached with chains and leather straps hanging from its body, it left a trail of hideous stench on its path. The paladin took a step back only to trip on an icy rock. The rough fall, however, accompanied by the rattling sound of heavy plate armour hitting the ground, startled him awake. The Scourge fiend swung its wooden mace towards the human, tiny next to the huge giant. Although losing in size, Raleigh beat the undead in agility, dodging the weapon swing by jumping backwards. The undead didn't wait to attack again and took another shot at the puny human. It was obvious Raleigh couldn't have avoided the attack. Instead he shielded himself with the piece of steel holding a blue painting of the head of a lion.

The swing was strong enough to knock him down to the ground. Raleigh climbed back on his feet as fast as he could, only to soon discover that he was no match for the flesh giant. Looking at the vicious Scourge creation, he grabbed his sword and pulled it out of its sheath made of thick leather.

Crusader's Glory was not a unique weapon. It was mass produced and given to most young soldiers before they were sent to fight the undead on the glaciers and in the frozen valleys. Raleigh held tight to the sword designed for a single hand. For the first time it felt fitting against his palm, his frostbitten fingers hugging its smooth surface.

Raleigh said a silent prayer in between breaths while trying his best to block the undead's attacks, yet running out of strength to do so. The flesh giant swung its mace on a spot not covered by the paladin's shield, hitting him hard on his side. Raleigh fell to the ground in agony. His vision got hazy and he felt his grip of the sword loosen. The giant gave him another hit, one that didn't feel as painful anymore. Crusader's Glory hit the ground with a clang. The paladin lay lifeless in front of the beast. His vision turned to black.

After what could have been ages, a flash of light cut through the darkness. Soft whispers of an unidentified language echoed in the numb mind, coursing through the veins and filling the body with life energy.

Raleigh opened his eyes. He peered at his surroundings for a brief moment, then swiftly lifted his cheek from the icy ground. He jumped up on his feet and grabbed his blade that had been lying next to him. Right by his side stood a familiar foe, staring at the resurrected paladin with rotten eyes, ready to squeeze any remainings of life from him. Raleigh gave the unholy creation one last look, then let his empowered sword cut through its leg. The magic steel shined, enchanted by the Light. It immediately stunned the undead, making it defenseless and weak. With a few more swings the abomination fell to the paladin's feet with a thump.
Raleigh collapsed down on his knees, closing his eyes for a moment of rest, leaning against the cadaver.

Something soft and warm rubbed against an algid man's cheek, stuffy breath warming his face. The man managed a smile, sealing his fingers around a rein.

Disclaimer: I do not own the World of Warcraft, Azeroth or anything in it, but it was me and not Blizzard that came up with the story of this character, whom I have created to breathe life into their world.