20 Days of WoW - Day 2 - Why I Decided To Start a Blog

   The Wyvern's Tail isn't my first blog. I have a second called A Blackbird's Epiphany, that I started in 2011 when I opened my Etsy shop. My plan was to have a blog that showed an insight into my shop that would boost sales. I quickly found out that it was useless - not because it wouldn't boost sales, but because no one would read it. I didn't have much to say. So I decided to just blog for the hell of it since no one was reading anyway. I blogged for me. Over time, I gathered a host of followers, made some good friends and gotten more traffic for my shop. I've also learned a lot about a magical thing called SEO (search engine optomisation) which helps my blog get seen as well as my shop. I don't update A Blackbird's Epiphany as much anymore because I'm paying a lot of attention to this blog instead, but I'm doing my best to juggle them both. I post a lot of my crafts on that blog - tutorials, DIY and stuff like that, as well as fitness and weightloss tips that I've picked up throughout my attempt to get in shape.

   But, as far as The Wyvern's Tail is concerned, the reason I started this blog was because, as you might be able to tell just from glancing at my other blog, none of my readers were remotely interested in games. Well, that's not true, there was one girl who was interested, and another reader's boyfriend played WoW so she payed a bit of attention, but that was it. Don't get me wrong, I still talked about it from time to time, because it's a personal blog, and games are part of my interests. If they don't like posts like that then they don't have to read them - if games are the topic of a post, it's usually quite obvious from the title. But I also have no friends in real life who are interested in WoW. Koruth was the only one, and he has lost interest enough to have stopped playing the game, but he keeps an eye on MMO Champion for any interesting developments.
   This is my space to nerd out. Occasionally I might talk about other games like those I mentioned in the first post of 20 Days of WoW, but otherwise it's quite WoW-based. I enjoy it, though, and the blog has really helped me to see WoW in a new light.

Entry 21: The Thorium Brotherhood

95th Day of Spring
   I awoke to a strange and startling sight this morning. I had been camped on what I thought was simply a natural depression some distance up a hillside, and had slept relatively well for it, if you disregard the heat of the land. But I woke early to a shuffling sound right next to my head, and then a voice with a thick accent spoke in a whisper. I became alert immediately since that particular accent almost guaranteed combat - though I was admittedly somewhat compromised what with my lack of armour (among other things). In my defence, the heat is stifling, and far from what I'm used to.
   I leapt to my feet, reached for the sword a few feet away and prepared myself. Oh, how I cringe thinking back to how I must have looked.
   Fortunately (I think), the two ashen-skinned Dwarves who were now looking up at me were grinning somewhat bashfully, and showed that they were unarmed. One of them was good enough to toss me the blanket I had neglected that night and I made myself decent, and then they began to introduce themselves (though I kept relatively guarded throughout).
   They were Dark Irons, that much was certain, but they weren't aggressive. They said that they were part of a group called the Thorium Brotherhood, and that they had split away from the other Dark Iron Dwarves some time ago.
   They took me and Styric back to their camp, which just so happened to be further up that same hill - not too much further, however. In truth, that natural depression was probably quite visible from there. They then fed me and my horse, but perhaps a little too much. I think both Styric and I shared a moment - neither one of us wanted to continue eating, but with a Dwarf's nature towards food, we didn't know if it would be rude to stop or not. Though I'm sure I just imagined that in Styric's eyes. She is a horse, afterall.
   Either way, they soon stopped shovelling food in front of us, and began asking me questions. I had expected that, but I had also expected them to be a little more prying in nature. They actually just seemed generally curious as to why I was there.
   I told them that I was just passing through, but one of them - one with a significantly louder beard - was eyeing me a little more suspiciously. I didn't have to wait long to find out why, however.
   Not an hour later, he called me to one side - they were all addressing me as Lady Sunleaf, and despite my insistance that the title wasn't deserved, they continue to do so even now. Apparently just being Elven is enough to consider me of noble blood. This Dwarf, Oilfist he said his name was, asked for my help. He explained their position towards the other Dark Iron Dwarves, and that the Dark Irons were, as ever, trying to bolster the ranks of Ragnaros, and do the fiery Lord's bidding.
   After his explanation of the status of the two factions, he asked me for my help. I tried to explain to him that I'm not a warrior, a spy, or anything else of any recognisable talent or use to their situation, and that the only thing I could lay any claim to would be the playing of the lute, but he wouldn't listen. So now I've gotten myself caught up again, and this time in a far stickier situation. At least in Uldaman we had walls around us. Out in the 'Cauldron' as they've been calling it, I won't feel so safe.
   But they're feeding me, their giving me a bed, and even repairing my dented armour (it got damaged after I slid down a hill near 'old' Kargath with next to no control over my direction, except generally downwards). And I'm not the only one here with a weapon so I won't be entirely on my own. I suppose the situation could be worse, and I think I owe them something, even if it isn't much.
   We'll see. They want my help heading down into the area tomorrow, so I had better rest up.

-- Atherya Sunleaf              

Atherya Sunleaf Writing Competition - Starting Now!

Shot from Entry 2: Thalassian Pass ; see all diary entries

   The Atherya Sunleaf Writing Competition (yup, renamed it) officially starts today, though any submissions received before hand will still count. The competition will run for 3 weeks, giving everyone enough time to put something together, should they want to, and the last day for submissions is the 22nd of September.
   There are 2 requirements for all submissions: 1: the short story must involve Atherya Sunleaf, and 2: it must take place somewhere in Northrend. The stories don't have to be long, but they don't have to be short. But don't go too crazy with them. Full rules and hints are in a previous post, here.

   I have a few simple loot cards to give out throughout the three weeks, probably one a week if I get enough submissions, but at this point in time, I'm still trying to get together a more tangible prize for the overall winner to go along with their inclusion in the diary and a companion pet loot card. If anyone would like to donate something - like a small gift certificate for somewhere relevant like Jinx, or a digital Blizzard store item, or even an item that you've made yourself, then please get in touch. This plea will likely go out for every competition I do in the future, even if I already have a few prizes. The more the merrier! And if you do donate a prize, you're still eligible to enter, and even to win. I hate those kinds of restrictions.

   You are writing a short story - not a diary entry. You do not need to write from Atherya's point of view, in fact I'd advise against it for now. You are more than welcome to write from your own character's point of view, or even in third person. It doesn't have to last for pages and pages. You could write for half an hour and call it done, or you could write for a week. It's the ideas that count.
   The winning submission will be included in the Diary of Atherya Sunleaf page and full credit given, and the story will be written into Atherya's diary as part of her overall story. Any side effects from injuries sustained in the winning submission's story will be carried over to further diary entries until they have healed. Simply put: it will officially become a part of her story, not just a side piece. This is the main prize, but I am hoping to have something more interesting and desirable to go along with it.
   Writing ability counts, but not for much. What matters the most is your idea. If your idea isn't that great, but your writing ability is amazing, it won't count for much towards the story. I'm holding this competition to encourage people to write creatively, but also to put Atherya Sunleaf's story in the hands of others, rather than just my own.

   You're welcome to submit multiple pieces of writing. If you have several ideas, you're welcome to write them all and submit them seperately. It is the individual pieces of writing that will be judged. Just because one person submits 3 good pieces, doesn't mean that they have a better chance than someone who submits 1 amazing one.

   As I said before, this competition runs from the 1st to the 22nd of September. I will read all submissions personally and judge fairly, based on ideas, rather than writing skill. Once the competition has come to an end, I'll write a brief post giving a date that the winner will be announced based on the number of submissions.
   There are 4 specific restrictions to the writing, however, which can be found on the original competition post, along with some hints to make your writing a little easier, and a brief character profile of Atherya if you choose not to read any of the diary entries. Reading some would be helpful, but it's not mandatory.
   I'm looking forward to receiving submissions, and I hope that you'll all spread the word yourselves. If this goes well, I plan on doing it again in the future to help further the story along once again, at which point the restrictions may well change, and the requirements certainly will.

20 Days of WoW - Day 1 - Introducing Myself

   Introduce myself? I get the feeling that this whole 20 Days of WoW thing is going to be like an interview, but here it goes!
   As far as personal stuff goes, I'm a full-time carer for my mum, who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, or MS. My dad works full-time, and she can't be left on her own, so I take care of her. We won't get a carer in because it would play havoc with my mum's mind, and she's at the stage where she won't adjust to it. So, despite being 22 and living with my boyfriend of 3 years, we both live with my parents in England. It's a little tough on us but we get by. As a result, however, I can't get a job, and I need all the help I can get from my boyfriend - named on here as Koruth, his Undead Hunter, though he stopped playing a year or so ago - but I do get a small benefit from the government. Otherwise, the only other money we get is through sales in my Etsy shop, through the very occasional ad space sale on either one of my blogs (so, sponsors, you don't know how much you help me!), or donations.
   My mum doesn't need constant attention, but she does need company, and at the very least for people to be in the house with her to help her with anything she needs, be it a drink, something to eat, or to take her outside or to the toilet, as well as take any calls and see to all kinds of other fun things. And, also, should there be an emergency, to get her to safety because she can barely even move the wheelchair herself these days. It is for this reason that I am unable to raid. Because my primary reason for being at home is to look after my mum, not to play games, write, craft, or run my own business. These are all side things that I do because I'm able to. And so, I cannot do anything that I can't just get up and walk away from at half a second's notice, and a raid is definitely not that kind of thing. I could do it when my dad gets home in the evening and my 'work day' comes to an end, but by this point both Koruth and I are tired and want to chill out. This is also why I'm a solo player (along with having no friends in the games), because I know that if I get up and disappear for 5 minutes, perhaps with no time to even type 'brb', I know that I'm not inconveniencing anyone.
      However, despite the awful severity of my mum's condition (who occasionally doesn't even know who my dad is), there have been some upsides. I'm a realistic enough person to be able to say that, and to be able to freely talk about my mum's condition. For a start, MS actually causes euphoria, so while my childhood memories of my mum before she 'got' MS (she was diagnosed in 1989 but it didn't start to really show until 2004) were her being quite grumpy (because she knew what was going to happen to her), she now will not stop smiling and laughing. I'm not kidding. She is so ridiculously happy. It's just sad that her mind is so far gone that she doesn't even realise anything is wrong with her. Ignorance really is bliss. But otherwise, there are silver linings for me: being unable to get a job has given me the opportunity to start my own business, as small and petty as it may be. I make little from it, but I enjoy doing it, and the experience I take away from it could help me in the future. More importantly, it also gives me all the time in the world to work on my writing and work towards my dream of being a published fantasy writer. I decided on that dream when I was 12 and I read the Lord of the Rings, and 10 years on, nothing has changed. I've written a lot of stuff, from the moment I decided what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I've written so much that I'm confident that I've found most of my weaknesses and been able to work on them. My writing is still not perfect, but I have faith that my ideas are original enough that I can get somewhere with them. I read a lot of fantasy books - 95% of my bookcase is fantasy (and guarded by a dragon, My Little Pony badly disguised as a Thalmor, windrider and a Murloc) - and there are some writers who I don't believe to have much talent when it comes to the written word - nothing exceptional, at any rate - but whose ideas and story-telling ability is so amazing and unique that it's no wonder they got where they did. I'm hoping that I'm at least on the border of that category.

   I enjoy crafting, reading, writing, and playing games, but my taste and ability is slim. There are few games I've played and enjoyed, so few that I can list them all completely right here: World of Warcraft (/played: ), Oblivion (90 hours) Skyrim (300 hours), Fable 2 (5 play-throughs - pretty much the same character each time, from alignment to outfit), Mass Effect (completed 1, got half way through 2, but watched Koruth play all three through several times), Halo Reach (once, co-op, all the way through). I am not a talented shooter as far as games are concerned, but despite my portfolio of gameplay, some of my favourite games are games I've not even picked up. Assassin's Creed is one of my favourite franchises. I've watched Koruth play them all through, been at his side through all of them (even the poorer ones - Brotherhood and ''Revelations'') and loved them. I also enjoyed Fallout, and while I did actually try out Fallout 3, I didn't get far because I got frightened. Sleeping Dogs was a game I quite liked, though I'd never play it myself.
   I'm a game watcher rather than a game player, but when I do play a game, I do my best to finish it and get every achievement I can. I have completely exhausted Skyrim, but I still get the urge to play it. But if guns are involved I enjoy it less because I struggle so much, and don't often finish them unless I have help - hence co-op Reach.

   I'm not very interested in music. I used to be, quite a lot, and was even in a few metal bands, but I have since lost interest. I prefer soundtracks over the radio nowadays. Some of the best money Koruth and I have ever spent was on The Hobbit and Skyrim soundtracks.
   I am a huge animal lover (unless the animal in question is a chihuahua), and have had all kinds of creatures, and was a dog walker for 2 years.
   I'm not too into TV - I watch very little, just like playing games. If it's a documentary about dinosaurs, the Abyss, animals, space or volcanos I am there, and I love The Last Airbender. Apart from the 12 year old love story. I'm a fan of Naruto and Bleach, but those (along with Dragonball Z and Pokemon when I was younger) are the only animes I've ever really seen. That and one about a boy who had a ghost living in his house...she had grey hair, wore black, and the show was named after the boy. Something with an A I think, but I've never been able to remember it, and it annoys me so much that I can't recall it. Please don't anyone spoil anything about Naruto, though, I've not seen it in a while - the last episode I saw of Shippuuden, they just took down the 4 reanimated Kages. Oh, I also watched Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, so I kind of know how it goes from that point onwards, and, unfortunately, I had one big spoiler revolving around Tobi (that I found out through Ebay, would you believe it), but that's as far as I am. It was the funniest thing ever when Naruto pretended to have lost his head.

   That is honestly all I can think of. I hope you enjoyed that insight into me. If you want to introduce yourself, you're welcome to post on Who Are You?

WoWscreenshotaday - The Shots I Didn't Use

   Tycertank's WoWscreenshotaday challenge has been awesome. I've really enjoyed it, and if it were to come about again, you could count me in for certain.

   Every morning, and, in some cases, the evening before, I would take my shots, edit them and upload them onto my blog, tweeting them shortly afterwards. I would have planned the shot for a full day before hand, thinking about where I should go, what I should shoot, and what I'd need to craft or gather first, if anything.

   But sometimes I'd take a great shot, only for something else to cross my path or pop into my mind immediately afterwards. For fun, I'd go and take that shot, on the off-chance that it turned out well, and in most cases it certainly did, and it would leave the original stuck in a little folder, never to be seen. Don't get me wrong, there are shots I've taken and submitted that were sub-par, but I stuck with them because I had no other ideas, and I don't regret them, because I still have no better ideas.

   But some of the shots that I didn't submit were actually pretty good, but I didn't feel that they measured up to what came afterwards (or in one or two cases, before). And so I'm making this post, displaying the good shots I took that never made it to the competition.

Alternative shot for Day 5 'Early' - Valley of the Four Winds

Alternative shot for Day 7 'A Sign' - giant snake skeleton in Stranglethorn Vale

Alternative shot for Day 8 'Peek-a-Boo' - creepy skirt Goblin

Alternative shot for Day 12 'Macro' - wood carving

Alternative shot for Day 14 'Trash' - Oracles; one person's trash is another person's treasure.

Alternative shot to Day 18 'Someone You Spoke To Today' - Master Nguyen

Alternative shot for Day 19 'Lost' - Island in Stranglethorn Vale

Alternative shot for Day 19 'Lost' - 'Lost' hatch, numbers read '5 9 16 17 24 43' - in WotLK beta, the numbers matched a fortune card's tell, but were changed when the it was released.

Alternative shot for Day 29 'Lucky' - alternative version of the used shot

Alternative shot for Day 31 'Dangerous' - crashed Goblin rocket