Shared Topic: Warcraft books/comics

So, I wanted to know if I am the only one reading the warcraft books/comics or if there are others out there for the shared topic this week from Blog Azeroth.

I managed to get my hands on almost every single book and comic (including short stories) for Warcraft and I have only just started to read them. I have spent more time trying to find an actual chronoclogical order of reading, than actually reading, but they all seem to be different. I am at the point now where I am just treating them all as single stories and trying to just read them as such.

I started with “Rise of the Horde” – loved it, I wanted it to go on much longer, reading about Durotan and Ogrim was so cool and obviously where the cities names came from (although the time line doesn’t go that far) and Durotan is Thrall’s father which makes it even more awesome.  I wish that book had a few more.

I then read the 5 books that form the Dawn of the Aspects, which was about the dragon aspects, so any book involving dragons had me hook, line and sinker.  It is about Galakrond and how the aspects became the aspects – Ysera, Nozdormu, Malygos, Nelfarion and Alexstrasza – it is pretty spectacular reading learning how they started out.  They are the guardians of Azeroth – everything stems from that book and it is both heartbreaking and inspiring.  I and am currently reading the first of 3 books for the War of the Ancients Trilogy, which as far as I can tell is about the first time the Burning legion attacked Azeroth and the Well of Eternity – I just keep imagining the instance whilst I am reading the novel.  I also started reading Vol’jin, but it wasn’t gripping me, so I left it and will pick it up later.

I have so many books left to read, plus the comics – I may be reading them for the next few months, but it is so awesome to know the names and places that are being referred to and then understand the characters more – like the complete back story being revealed.  There is something very enjoyable about it.  I can’t wait to get through more of the content!  If you haven’t read any of the novels, I suggest you do, it really does help flesh out the stories and motives of people and events.

I love this world, Azeroth, and so reading the novels brings more of it to life for me especially when I can’t be playing.  I can still be in the world reading and imagining the areas and feeling like I am in game. Go and get yourselves copies today! You won’t regret it!!

 

Rollercoaster week of fame!

I say fame, but really…there was not really any!

I was/am stoked with the huge response the mogging competition is receiving – twitter went crazy and so many of my blogging friends have spread the excitement to others. I cannot thank people enough for the interest shown so far and I am so excited about the comp starting on the 26th!

I was amazingly asked to guest on twisted nether but sadly, my greatest dream (remember starstruck?!?) hasn’t come to fruition because of timing – I cant do live shows at 3pm my time 😦 but I would give my left arm to be on there!! Being asked to be on podcast is such a nice feeling, I just wish we could tee up a time – slight devastation on my part! I have been listening to TNB for a while and part of the BA community for years silently hoping one day I would get noticed, finally it happens – and I can’t do it!

(Yes, that sounds as pretentious to me as it does to you!!!! But I swear it comes from lack of confidence rather than arrogance!)

Speaking of podcasts, the mogging competition was mentioned on another podcast and linked back to the main page! It was a quick and to the point mention but had me blushing all the same! Thank you Group Quest!

Of course the shared topics on BA have had some responses as well – fantastic to see people commenting about missing them being available, but I am busting brain cells trying to think of more topics so they can keep going! We need moar!!!

What’s that saying about fame being a harsh mistress? Is that right or have I confused two and melded them together? Either way, it has been such a boost for me to see the interest and excitement I have managed to create since coming back and I hope others continue to build the community back up!

Thanks everyone! I adore every single person who visits me, reads me and gets something out of my blog.

Shared topic – Mountable Mounts

This topic was brought to you by, me!!  YAY!!  [ insert ping back ].

One of the things I have noticed since my return is the huge amount of mounts available now through rep gains. I am still working on a couple, but it has made me wonder which mounts you guys are loving or hating 

So what are your top 5 mounts – or just the ones you go to all the time because you like the way they ride? What are the ones you really dislike and can never bring yourself to use – does it rub against your collecting nature (if you have one) to buy all the mounts even though you know you will never use them?

The story behind this topic is quite short so, let me give it to  you.  I finally reached exalted for Golden Lotus and thought to myself that one of those sexy riding cranes would be awesome….so I went and bought one, awesome looking thing that it is….sadly..it is absolutely horrific to ride. The way it moves is just completely irritating, however, even after trying the first one, I had to buy the rest of them and try them, just to make sure they all sucked.  Yup, I could not let 2 other mounts be uncollected even though I hate it.   So who is the idiot who dropped 4k on mounts even though she will never ever use them?

The only exception to this rule is the $14k mammoth.I refuse to pay that much money for a mount that I despise almost as much as the cranes.  I was so excited to get a mammoth, they looked awesome, imposing and just fantastic….shame that riding one made me want to punch my monitor :p I still love looking at them even now!

I put the Elekks in the same group as mammoths, although not quite as extreme hatred, I won’t willingly choose to use them 9and I did buy all of them when I could).

But in truth, I like more mounts than I dislike…I can never decide what to use, I need to download the addon that randomly chooses them for you, I loved always being surprised with choice.  But here are some pictures of my favourite ones. I turn to these guys all the time and really should give them a rest occasionally 🙂  Tigers/sabres are my absolute favourite, I was devastated when I discovered I couldn’t get one without being exalted – back in WoW, when getting exalted took the entire cloth supply of Azeroth!  Now I have many many many tiger mounts 🙂

I also fell in love with this little beauty and did not stop until I had him…which reminds me I have so many more I need to collect at the Argent tournie still…but it just terrifies me!!

I do love bears as well, I have many of them as well, I love the lop sided run they do…

Of course anything draconic for flying…I have so many dragons I could not possibly put them all up, but here are my most treasured ones:

I still want to 25 man version of the above one, but have a few achievements I need…maybe one day I will get them done…when I am level 100 and it is a cake walk….

I adore the way the tail moves on this mount, it is very hypnotic, and the way the light changes the colours, honestly it is just amazes me at how beautiful they made them!!  I could go one…but I would just end up listing everything…Some special mentions have to go to the Talbuks…they are a very nice ride!

Can’t wait to see what you all love!! (if you posted and are not listed here, please let me know so I can add you!)

Shoryl

Sharden

Tome of the Ancient

Erinys – Harpys nest

Mataoka

Cymre

Admiring Azeroth

Escapist Scrawl

Plenty of paladins

Azeroth Life

Amerence

Velgana

BA Shared Topic – Oaths

Shared Topic this week from Matty:

What vows would your character say, intend, or break, and to what allegiance? Would it be to class/race/specialization, deity, or ruler? This is quite a challenging Blog Azeroth topic, however, I know you are all up to it because you are amazing writers.

I found this one a hard one…many of my readers would know, I am not a very good writer, in fact I would go so far as to say I suck!!  Thinking about oaths and actually coming up with how to formulate those ideas into words was a struggle, however I believe I have come up with something that is only mildly crap :p

The thing you have to understand with my mindset about my toons is I don’t really care about the faction that are in.  If they are alliance, they hate horde or whatever the larger evil is (death wing anyone), and same with my horde toons, they typically hate the alliance.  The issue I have found is that my toons have been back and forth so many times in their life, I tend to just see them as their class and leave it at that.  I wrote some oaths trying to express how my main characters see their life and any oaths they may have taken to continue on their chosen path (horde or alliance 🙂  – yes I know a whole bunch of friends just screamed that I have to choose a side!!!)

My warrior has taken the following oath:
I pledge my life for yours to protect you from all danger and spill the blood of our enemies, before a drop of yours is shed. I shall honour our earth, I shall cleanse in the water, I shall breath in the air, I shall feast with our clan by the fire.  Always must I believe my shield is as important as my heart, and should one break the other will follow.  I am more than my weapon, and my scars will ever be a reminder of the trials we have suffered and the battles we have won.

My Paladin took:
The light shall absolve me; in the light, I shall triumph. Any pain shall be healed, any fear will be quelled. Within the light we will become one, our triple aspect becoming greater than any evil our world can attempt to destroy me with. Protection, healing and killing shall be my future with the understanding I must remember to always protect those who cannot protect themselves. This is my oath until the light leaves my body for the last time.

My Mage:
We bring the storms and we can bring the calm. We are the army that lights up the night sky.  Together we are stronger than man, demon or god.  The fire burns within us, seeking destruction; ice stills our mind, seeking the calm and the arcane flows through our veins; bursting with knowledge.  Seek the wisdom to defeat our enemies, create the balance in your mind and allow the fire in your soul to be shared with your allies.

and finally my Druid:
I am bound to the moon, as the earth is bound by the sun. I feel the turning of the seasons as one feels the rage in battle, all my forms are given to the service of the old gods. I shall nourish the earth as she nourishes me and I will fight our enemies without reservation if they cause damage to the land and the spirits which inhabit it. I fight for those who do not understand the ways of the spirit, so that one day the fight will no longer be needed.

I can’t wait to see more oaths!

Other posts for this topic:

Sharden

Amerence

Velgana

Tome of the Ancient

Ysera’s Daughter

Blog Azeroth – revamping

One of the things I missed the most about not playing wow, was the blogging community and BA with their shared topics.  Getting to read multiple blogs, find new ones and make new friends was not something I did as it just made my addiction harder to ignore.  So after a couple of weeks of playing and settling back into the game, I decided it was finally time to jump back on the forums and see where it was up to.

I was devastated to see that it was sort of dead…not many shared topics being done or many new posts…so…thankfully I am still a mod, so had some ability to go crazy :p  I have added some shared topics, in the hopes of sparking some imagination in others, so far I don’t want to have each week something I have posted, so please please please please please add some more so I can put them in between mine!!!

I also went ahead and created a FB page for BA…it may help keep people more up to date rather than going to forums, only because so many people are on FB all the time now anyway.  I am wondering if moving to a FB group might even be a possibility…??  For the moment, I just want to get the community more active again and see if we can’t get it hopping.

Facebook for Blog Azeroth

Please, if you love blogging and The Twisted Nether Blogcast, share the FB page, like it, comment on posts and add some shared topics to the main forums please!!  Let’s get involved with each other again!!!