Winter Veil Giveaway - Pepe Necklace/Keychain

Winter Veil is upon us, and after the amazing reception my three WoW pieces received, I decided to host a Christmas giveaway for my Pepe necklace! (Or keychain - winner's choice!)

It's on twitter, just follow @TheWyvernsTail and retweet the pinned tweet.

I ship worldwide anyway, so anyone can enter, and it closes on January 7th.

Christmas Promo: Get Pepe 1/2 Price With Loque or Skoll

   Until the 16th of December, buy either Loque'nahak or Skoll - necklace or keychain - and get Pepe for half price! Add your chosen piece & Pepe to your cart, then click 'apply shop coupon code' and type 12DOCWYV in the little summoned text box.

   Because of how Etsy's discount codes work, this doesn't stack. If you want Skoll AND Loque'nahak and two Pepes at half price each, you'll have to make two seperate transactions - one for Skoll & Pepe and one for Loque & Pepe. Shipping will be refunded on the second order.

WoW Jewellery Black Friday Sale

   Hey everyone. Just another brief post. I do intend to return to Atherya's diary, but at first I got caught up playing my warlock then my hunter in Legion, and now my death knight has been handed the reins, but now I'm also handling Christmas sales in my Etsy shop.

   So this is a post to say I will be back! And also to let you all know that, should you have been interested in my Skoll, Loque'nahak or Pepe necklaces, I'm having a Black Friday sale until the 29th of November.

Sale dates: November 24th - 29th

15% off of all products (excluding bundles and gift sets)

Code: BFCM1615

Free gift with all orders in the sale period

   This will also be the last discount sale before Christmas, and I've laid out order deadline dates for Christmas delivery. Orders placed after these dates will be seen to immediately and shipped out as soon as possible, and I will be making more frequent post runs, so they could easily still arrive in time, but I can't guarantee them. The dates are listed in my shop's policies and shop announcement box, but I'll put them here, too:

USA & Rest of the world: December 2nd

Canada & Europe: December 9th

UK: December 16th

I ship from the UK, and domestic shipping is £1.50 and for the rest of the world it's $5.

World of Warcraft Necklaces

   I was asked a while ago why I don't make WoW themed necklaces, and the truth was that, back then, I wasn't very confident in what I made so I didn't want to try to make something more specific and iconic, you know? And to be honest I still don't feel I'm far enough along with my jewellery skills to succeed in doing so - if anything, what I'm about to show you kind of proved it to me, but not enough to hold back.

   So I decided at long last to try my hand at a few easier ones, based on how well I'd gotten on with other animals, but it was tricky to keep their characteristics. Colours turned out not to be a problem, but their shapes were a little harder than expected. Still, I'm proud of how they turned out. So, I give you Skoll and Loque'nahak. They didn't photograph too well - Loque'nahak appears a little yellow, though he isn't, and I need a more downward view on Skoll because he has a lovely bushy tail which you can't see in the image straight-on.

   The jars are 2cm wide and 3cm tall, and both Skoll and Loque'nahak are just over 1cm big. Chains are 16 inches, but a 2 inch extension can always be added for free if you add a note at checkout.

   I do take custom orders for ordinary animals and pets and they come out quite well, and while I'm happy to accept custom orders for other game creatures too, I don't think I'll be able to accept just any because sometimes they can look amazing but too exotic to reproduce in such a small scale. But if there's something you'd like, please don't hesitate to contact me on Etsy - generally I'll be able to tell you right away if I'll be able to do it and give you a price.

The New Invasion Trend

   To be honest, I don't know why I'm surprised, especially because I have to admit guilt to it too. These demon invasions are, frankly, awesome, and I love that they're supposed to increase in frequency on the run-up to the expansion's release, and while it's true that everyone will have all the rewards by then, I think it's more for the sake of atmosphere. After all, the Burning Freaking Legion is coming.

   But I've noticed a trend is emerging: people heading to the invasion sites and just sitting there.

   Like I said: I have to admit guilt to this. I actually started doing this on Friday, not two days after the events began on EU servers. Invasions took about 10 minutes, so they were nice and fast, and because I wanted the gear rewards as well as the transmog, I would move everyone over to where the invasion was happening at about 9, 10am, and I would log in, have my character sit in the inn, and I'd reap the benefits on WoW while seeing to my at-home workout. It takes me about an hour, so I'd back and forth very quickly between circuits to swap characters over every 10 minutes, then bugger off and AFK through the invasion.

   I do participate properly when I'm not exercising, but I've noticed that other people have cottoned on to the fact that, as long as you're in the invasion zone, you can get the chests without getting in combat once. And because of that, invasions are taking about 20 minutes now because no one is doing anything.

   Do as I say, not as I do. It's irritated me seeing it, and when I set my characters up before my workout yesterday morning I saw other people doing exactly the same, running into the Crossroads inn and AFKing.
   I got this screenshot when I came back to the Crossroads today at about 64% of Stage 3 purposely to see if many people were leeching.

   I've decided to stop doing it now for a number of reasons:

1: it takes too long for everyone else

2: to set an example

3: to save Azeroth.

   And, no, I've not completed any of the sets, I've actually had seriously rotten luck with drops and I would still benefit from 'playing' the game like this until I've managed. But I'm not going to.

   This event wasn't made for the sake of it, and while, to a degree, it is filler content and a means to build hype for the expansion, Blizzard knows that most people who are getting the expansion already pre-ordered it. They're under no obligation, really, to provide us with new content three weeks before something like Legion is released, especially when most of us have already paid for it, but it's for the atmosphere, the severity, and to get the story where it needs to be. And, I suppose, maybe to draw in an extra month of subs, but a lot of people probably would have resubbed in the month leading up to Legion to dust off their characters.

   "I don't want to play the game, I just want the rewards" - it's the kind of mentality that encourages the fast-track 'unlock collectables' for 89p and stuff that Ubisoft brought out for Assassin's Creed. For people who 'don't have the time' - it's a freaking video game, it's not life! You play when you do have the time; games are, by definition, 'hobbies' and 'passtimes'.

    *Ahem* Anyway.

   I'm writing this post, really, to make a vow not to use this crappy tactic for the sake of gear I'll be replacing in a fortnight, and especially not at the expense of low level alts who are trying to avoid questing and dungeoning for the upteenth time to get to max level. I've been getting about 10 levels a day on my dwarf mage (yes, I made an Alliance, and it feels so wrong running towards blue flags for safety) through the invasions, which I've been using as an alternative to the neutral questing zones, and it's starting to irritate me when I see arrogant level 100s sitting on their flying mounts over Westfall doing bugger all while I'm running around killing everything at level 45 so they can get all the rewards. So when I went on Daeaye, Atherya, Spinegrinder and so on, I've been making a point of doing as much damage and killing as much as I can, to make a point. Even if all I end up doing is helping the AFKers get their rewards quicker.

   Well, that's not all I'm doing. I'm saving Azeroth, yo.

   How many of you are guilty of the same thing? Come on, confession time. Hang your head along side me.

Get The Archguardians Of Laceria For Free!

   Yup, just a little heads up to let you know that from today until August the 8th, my debut fantasy novel, The Archguardians of Laceria, is available to download for free from Amazon. You don't need a Kindle to read it, Amazon's free Kindle app can be easily downloaded and installed onto your PC, mac, laptop, tablet, smart phone, etc, so anyone can read it easily without having to pay a penny! For the app OR the book!

   So head over to your regional Amazon website and snatch it up for nothing at all.

   I'll be releasing the book on other platforms in September, including the iBookstore, Nook, Kobo and so on, but for now it's an Amazon exclusive, which is why I'm able to offer a free book promotion at all!

Grove Warden, At Last

   It was a rest day today, which meant my morning was free rather than spending it exercising. Seeg had been saying for a while that we should go for the Grove Warden, and today we saw someone selling a run and went for it. Seeg hasn't played in ages and I'm still wasting my time with Jakur of Ordon (though I did take time out from farming him to farm pamphlets - oh the joys of WoW) so we hadn't really seen anyone sell it until now.

   And of course Seeg upset everyone by getting the Edict of Argus on his first ever Archimonde kill - I got Archimonde's belt, so that's kind of cool.

   So yep - a good Wednesday, and a mount I'd wanted since its model was first released ticked off of my list.

The Occasional Upside To Camping

   Jakur of Ordon drops the last toy I need from the Timeless Isle, and I've been camping him for days. I'm getting quite sick of the sight of the place if I'm honest, so I've been taking my frustrations out on the nearby mobs - I was half way through honoured with Emperor Shaohao when I started, and I just hit exalted with the latest Jakur kill - evidently he decided the mount was enough, so he didn't drop the toy this time, either.

   Fortunately I do a lot of my book work on my laptop, so in cases like this I usually just shuffle the keyboard out of the way, plonk the laptop down on the table in front of it and get on with the important stuff while I wait, my PC monitor visible just behind it. It keeps me from going insane.

August 1st - Author AMA & Book Sale

   Mark your calendars! On August the 1st, I'm going to be the author of the day on the fantasy subreddit, and I'll be participating in an Ask Me Anything! So be sure to head over on August the 1st and post your questions on my AMA thread!

   The questions don't have to be book-related. The idea is that you get to know me as a person as well as my work, so you can ask me about games, my life, my views on things, or my creative process!

   I'll blog a link to the AMA thread on the day so you don't miss it!

   Not only that, though, but my debut fantasy novel, The Archguardians Of Laceria, will be available to everyone for free on Kindle from the 1st to the 5th of August, and as you don't need a Kindle to read Kindle books anymore, it's available to everyone!

   Full details are on my main blog, but I wanted to let you lovely people know directly!

Fantasy Writer Of The Day Thread

Waiting for Galleon is somewhat of a social event

Wow, Etsy...

   Got some lovely goodies from WoW artist Tsepish today! I only went into her Etsy shop for the eye mask. I suffer migraines something fierce, and the only time I wear eye masks is when I sleep them off (I have no choice), so when I saw her Illidan mask I had to have it. I eventually did buy it...and then lots of other things, too...

Migraines: I am prepared.

The Trouble With Archaeology...

   I loved archaeology when it first came out. I love history in general, especially archaeology and paleontology, so combining that with fantasy is just great. I did it to death, of course (though the Dwarven staff artefact still eludes me), but I loved reading about the bits and pieces, I loved the idea of digging it up, without mess, and I also loved the excitement of seeing what it was worth. 1 gold, for the most part really, but there were a few 100g pieces and thensome. And, of course, the rare items - pets, clothing, mounts and so on - were what we all really did it for.

   But then, in Pandaria, they messed up a good thing. I'd hoped they would have realised it in Warlords and changed it back, but, no, more of the same. Crates. All worth 1g. Which you turn in for more fragments - in my case, old-world fragments, even then.

   Fine, there's still information behind each artefact, but even if I wasn't going to vendor things (I still have the first chest of tiny glass animals I found), not attaching some kind of monetary value to them did decrease their value.

   In Warlords, I really feel like they gave up on it, as even the rare artefacts offered little excitement. I was especially disappointed in the Headdress of the First Shaman, literally the same model as the original, despite the HD version on one or two NPCs. Part of their model or not, I can't really see the excuse.

   I admit I've not read anything about Legion - at all; I like to explore everything for myself, even if I would be better off knowing something from the off - but I doubt they're going to improve it back to what it was.

   Am I wrong? Has archaeology lost part of its charm for anyone else? I still do it, but I only do old-world. Like I said, that damned staff keeps eluding me, and for completion's sake I must get it.

   What about everyone else?

Debut Book Release

   Yes, I really am going to dare to come over here and talk about this after a silence of so very, very long.

   First of all, I do intend to revive this blog - I know I've said this before, but I do mean it, and I also intend very much to revive Atherya's diary first and foremost. At this precise point, however, it's not possible because, as far as short stories go, I started work on another recently which I've been posting on my main blog. It's not warcraft-related, it's a tribal fantasy, but there is an end in sight for that one, and should be fully installed by the end of July. Aside from that, though, it is just a side-project and most of my dedication is going into my new book.

   Which brings me onto my main point: my book's release.

   I stopped writing this blog really last year, which was when I was working towards the end of the book, and then came the long, drawn-out process of reading, re-reading, re-re-reading and tweaking every little thing I wasn't happy with, correcting every little mistake and making it as close to perfect as my very, very tired eyes could see. And now, after two years of writing, a year of tweaking, and 6 months of publishing prep, my book is now finally ready for release.

   I am stupidly excited about it, of course, as I've wanted to be a successfully published fantasy writer since I was 12 years old, and at 25, it's finally happening!

   My debut fantasy novel, The Archguardians Of Laceria, is being released on Kindle for £4.99 / $7.50 in all regions on June the 4th and will be exclusively available through Amazon, and a part of Kindle Unlimited, until September, when it will be released on other platforms. But with Amazon's free Kindle reading app, fortunately you don't need a kindle to read kindle books anymore, you can download them onto your smartphone, tablet, laptop, computer, etc, which is great because it means anyone can read it! Yay!!

   Queen Rysana is a strong female lead, and I'm quite confident about her. Most female leads that I've come across personally tend to either be too butch or damsels in distress, I don't often see female characters who are able to balance femininity and strength.

   I'm also really happy with the world itself. It's not particularly high fantasy - there is magic, there are 2 dwarves, and there are other creatures and unnatural settings, but there are no great dragons, grand arcane organisations and so on. I'm quite confident that the world is a believable one, with believable characters - but in the end, only readers can decide that. I, at least, am happy with it, and I wouldn't have let publishing complete if I wasn't, because I'm also quite terrified of finally getting myself out there!

   If anyone happens to read it, I'd love to know what you think! I'm presently working on another book, as I mentioned, in a new world, and I've learned a lot even from writing Archguardians which I've taken into consideration on my new story, but if there are any areas of improvement I may have overlooked, I'd like to know about them. Writing is my passion, it always has been, and I want my books to actually be an enjoyment to read.

   So, yep, this is my news and the ultimate reason as to why The Wyvern's Tail has fallen by the way side for so long. The work I had to do on my book to get it ready for publishing ate up a lot of my time. I've still been playing WoW and I'm seriously excited about Legion, but I've had nothing to blog about in regards to it. Hopefully that will change in the coming months, and I'm hoping that, by Legion, it will be alive again.