As an additional addendum, I’d like to note that I’ve recently joined the staff over at Girls Don’t Game. This shouldn’t at all effect my rate of update on this site, and it certainly won’t change the focus. I will generally be posting articles to GDG on Saturdays/Sundays (depending on when I have overtime), if you’re interested in keeping up with my other thoughts about gaming.
Let’s go back a year.
The FDA was just approving a for-use-in-humans Avian Flu vaccine, plant geneticists identified a latent gene in tomatoes that, if activated, would have made them taste like cucumbers, President Bush was attempting to officially rejustify his horribly misguided No Child Left Behind plan, Egypt threatened Germany with “scientific sanctions” if the bust of Nefertiti wasn’t returned to her home country and the US Army gave an airman second degree burns trying to test out their non-lethal anti-crowd heat ray. Among other things, of course.
Last April,<Awen> was making ill-fated forays into Gruul’s Lair, had just lost a few clutch tanks, feral druids had recently taken that massive nerf, and my guild leader idly explained that if I wanted to continue tanking, I’d need to finish leveling my alt warrior for guild use. Back then, the leafy-prospect of healing, for which I had absolutely zero gear, terrified me into feverish level grinding. I’d recently hit 70 on Eluneadora (now Rueful), and was carefully picking and choosing various quests that’d yield me useful rewards. You know, back when quest rewards were still useful for raiding and weren’t immediately replaceable.
I had initially skipped Blade’s Edge for various reasons, but seduced by the prospect of Natasha’s Battle Chain, I picked up my Damaged Mask and headed out to the fel forges. Blade’s Edge used to be deserted. No, seriously. There wasn’t any real need to quest there unless you were a masochist, and most folks went directly from the mushroom speckled Zangarmarsh to Nagrand (fun if you’re a feral druid and enjoyed The Lion King) to Netherstorm.
Speaking of masochism, it was altogether fitting that I ran into another warrior doing the same questline I was–prot specced. Who does that? I hear it’s actually rather efficient to be able to pull eight million mobs and slowly wear them down, but unless you’re a paladin, it seems more tedious than anything else. So for sheer ease of questing, this warrior and I teamed up to beat down some elites and kick some serious ass despite the fact that we didn’t have any real method of keeping ourselves alive. We rocked the tag-team tank/sexecute and eventually got our respective rewards. But here’s the thing–regardless of gear, you know when you see someone who can play. Those are the people you know you won’t mind taking the time to gear up because they’re going to destroy everyone else you know in that class.
This guy, standing around in crummy greens and a shield shaped like a lion-face, of all things, was probably the best warrior I’ve seen move mobs around. Naturally, I felt a little defensive since the <Awen> tag and gear I was wearing was absolutely zero indicator of my skill level. While I was and still am a totally jawesome druid, I knew very little about tanking as a warrior (and got quite the quick crash course). As we conversed a little more, I learned that he’d been the main tank for a Naxx progression guild Pre-BC (which explained a lot), and, even more strangely, that we both knew a good friend of mine, Lauchis, whom I’d pulled into <Awen> on the basis that I knew she’d be a veritable encyclopedia of random knowledge.
And that was how it started. Lycentia got into <Awen> based on his prior tanking experiences and a few recommendations, and we began an exceptionally badass MT/OT relationship that clearly evolved into something…more serious (and tanking is already srsbznss!). I cannot even begin to explain how strange it was to consider any kind of serious “dating” via the Internet, nevermind through WoW. Try explaining that one to your friends.
“No guys, seriously. Wicked hot. No no, him, not his toon. Yeah, his toon’s a chick. No, that’s not gay, the human males look retarded. Listen, nevermind. I realize he lives halfway across the country. No, I’m pretty sure he’s not an axe murderer, although that’d be pretty cool, m i rite? Yes, I know what I’m doing. Probably.”
Fast forward to today. We still rock the MT/OT dynamic duo, but from the same room, in a different guild, and on slightly different toons. We theorycraft over dinner or discuss strats on long car rides. I have listened, endlessly, to the myriad array of changes rogues have undergone in the last million patches.
All I’m saying guys, is that it can happen. It’s a little out of this world, non-traditional, and difficult to explain, but in this day and age when we’re all connected at the hips to our electronics, love can be found in the strangest places.
Brutallus downed by <Singularity> on 4.16.08!
For a high quality image, click HERE. He dropped some shit that accidentally got auto-looted to me and a pair of DPS plate legs that Lycentia took to turn into Felstrength Legplates.
Up Next: FELMYST
Between starting a new job and farming endlessly for raid consumables (2+ stacks of Crawdads, 40 Ironshields, any scrolls I can get my paws on, flasks, Nightmare Seeds, Fel Blossoms, Adamantite Weightstones and Greater Runes of Warding for each night of attempts), I’ve been more than a little busy. I have not, however, forgotten this blog, and as soon as the new job gets squared away this week (and I don’t feel like a zombie), posts will resume as per normal.
Thanks for all the positive feedback, folks.
Kalecgos just downed by <Singularity>! Or, technically, we killed Sathrovarr the Corruptor!
He dropped: [Dragonscale-Encrusted Longblade], [Bracers of the Forgotten Conqueror] x2, and [Bracers of the Forgotten Protector]. Grats, guys!
It’s recently come to my attention that someone was trying to claim my druid as their own—and in a piss-poorly written application post, no less.
Thus, if you ever see or hear of anyone using “Runyarusco” as a reference or claimed as an “alt”, they’re totally full of shit. Why? Because I’m the only Runyarusco in the Armory. I’m also the only “70 resto name Runyarusco in the guild <Singularity>”.
Link to the Application Itself.
Please let me know if you hear of anything else like this. Thanks!
