Mad King Thorn

Mad King Thorn busted through the deteriorating Lion in the Grand Piazza at 3pm on the East Coast. Here are some pictures for those over on the other side of the world who are sleeping or if you had to work.

That is one big Daddy!

Mad King Thorn returning to Lion's Arch in Guild Wars 2 for Halloween.

Since the hole has left a dungeon, I am guessing the only thing really missed was the cut scene that is shown above. You receive a 10 slot trick or treat bag which is useful if you ask me. I had just bought an extra slot with my last 400 gems and was thrilled. Also dropped all my gold to get that Halloween skin I wanted. XD

Bring it!

Being able to zoom out as much as I wanted. It felt good! Come on Anet, give us this option or at least halfway there. This made the battle feel epic.

Joined the Dirtbags Guild...[Dirt] Here I am with fellow guildy Yzzabel.                   

Act 2 and fighting a Family-Sized Candy Corn Elemental in Mad King's Labyrinth. I thought the name was super witty.

Ghastly Grinning Skull Shield. Should I have Betty use Flameseeker shield and save this for an expansion character? Willow can't use a shield being a Necro.

RL Pumpkin Carving

A special someone bought me a huge pumpkin for carving and believe it or not, I have never carved one in my life. After much research on techniques and steps, there was only one face I could think of after the past 7 years.

Heed my words...The Mad King WILL return!

There are whispers of warning in the crisp Autumn air, the Mad King will return so you better beware.

That is One HEAVY Book

Willow has kept busy with all the events and I just HAD to buy the costumes. After opening 15 BLC and 10 Mad King Chests, I got the Halloween Dagger Skin. Although I absolutely love zombies and use daggers, I am saving up for the Skull Shield for Betty. :O

Jackpot! Candy Corn mining in Guild Wars 2 makes it all worth it. Yum!

Using the right mining pick will make a huge difference.

As simple as the book may seem, it brings me great joy to wear it.

Reading what many are saying online, the broom ride is a hit. I have found myself flying across Tyria for fun and spreading word of the Mad King's return.

Costume Brawl might seem simple but I've caught myself spending a lot of time doing it. ;D

Knock, Knock! To where does that mysterious door lead?

Old Fashion Waiting Patiently Post

While most people wait for the Shadow of the Mad King update in Guild Wars 2, I decided to take some pics of the anticipation. Just like first Beta Weekend in GW1 Istan, it is a time to celebrate and par-tay!

Everyone putting on what is closest to a Halloween costume.

Tarnished Coast knows how to party...and we rock at WvW ;p

Breast Cancer Awareness Photos

Here are some of the pics taken for Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend. XD

Willow and Mitsuko...getting into a whole world of trouble.

You got my back?

Commanders and DWR#2

Ghosts and Ghouls getting ready for the Halloween Update.

WvW dominates the game play of PvP strategist in GW2 and as in most wars, leaders rise to orchestrate the brave into battle.  Originally being on the Fort Aspenwood server, which is mainly a PvP server, I was worried that the unofficial RP server would be weak when it came to WvW. I was willing to make this sacrifice for a more intelligent RP writer crowd. It seems the more intelligent crowd has it's act together and is willing to cooperate.

Commander Odinzu

Several Commanders have recently appeared with more gold going around, but the one I like to call Commander is Odinzu. I remember when he didn't have the Commander title and people still followed him. Why? Out of all the people to follow? Is it just plain luck and fate deals you your cards? Hogwash!

Being a Commander means a lot of people are constantly asking you questions and suggestions, as well as the occasional jealous troll. Odinzu however keeps his wits about him, seems extremely organized and more importantly keeps the attention of his squad. Before setting off for the raiding of a map, he asks his squad to take a seat and takes the center stage. He begins with story time and tells tales of a certain Charr and explains strategy so simple a child could follow it. Cheering him on, he always brings the promise of treasure and boy, does he deliver. Never have I made so much gold than with this treasure hunting purple kitty.

So here is my shout out for Tarnished Coast's most excellent Commander Odinzu. ;p

Dark Willow Rising Issue # 2

Get those skillz, girl!

Swagg looks into the small golem and pulls out a small glowing orb. "OoOoh Shiny," Willow says with her arms posed like a Skritt. She chuckles and moves to take a closer look and Swagg takes two steps left quickly away from her. "No, bookey! Don't get too close just yet. This is an ancestral stone which is highly unstable and could be lost easily. You have something waiting for you at the Eye of the North but just be patient." 

"Where?"

"The Eye of the North, human? Your people have left entire legacies there and not one tale reaches your ears? Surely you," he begins and then stops, collects his thoughts and starts again. "I am Swagg, attending member in superior standing, Dean's List, Dynamics College," posing with a matter of fact face and stance. "And who might you be?"

"I'm Willow. Just Willow."

"Well, Just Willow, it is a pleasure to meet you. Not many a brave human comes through Rata Sum and understands how to get here on their own."

Not totally sure what he means by this, Willow persists, "The orb?"

"Ah, yes, no more delay." Carefully placing the orb at the small golems feet, he begins to rapidly press points around the golem and it instantly lights up the room in a flash.

Asura gate travel always leaves a feeling of loneliness, the feeling of being separated from yourself and anything. Not this time. This was the brightest light Willow's eyes had ever perceived and when her eyes were able to see again, she realized that she was definitely not in Rata Sum.  Lookin up she could see snow falling through the monster of a building in which she was standing. 

"We continue. Quoth! Nevermore," yells the Asura. He throws his arms out and his two ravens land on his outstretched limbs. Turning to each to get the message he continues, "We are perfectly safe for now, just have to worry about the residuals."

"What? Danger?"

"Not dangerous necessarily but..." Two ghosts appear out of thin air and begin heading towards Willow. But as quickly as they appear, she disappears.

"Please, spirits! I have no time for simple ghost," echoes her voice around the cavernous building. Swagg rolls his eyes and proceeds to introduce the ghost to Willow.

A Stranger Appears

Eye of the North and Willow's inheritance.

"This is it," points Swagg. "Here lies the remains of your Ancestor inside the statue."

"Inside?" Walking up to the life size statue, Willow sees herself in the carving. This is my ancestor? She didn't know anyone related to her. This woman lived hundreds of years ago the ghosts had mentioned. Fought around the time of the Guild Wars. Running her hands along her kin stone portrait, a heavy arrow pierces the center of the statue and shatters it to chunks of rock. "What are you doing?"

"It is easier this way. Go on and pick it up, it is yours now."

Hidden inside the statue were some clothes, a couple of daggers, a beautiful war horn and an axe. She used an axe like me? The clothes were worn with time and had faded colors but hummed with the power of still functioning runes. Sitting next to her crumbled inheritance she tears up and just when she begins to think about what this all means, another flash of light blinds her momentarily. 

Mitsuko Akechi is not to be messed with.

A young woman with cropped hair standing near the entrance with a bewildered look on her face eyes her and Swagg. Unsheathing her Greatsword and raising a Guardian's shield, the woman without losing a beat asks, "Who are you people? Where is this?"

Before Swagg could begin his Asuran introduction, Willow replies, "I'm Willow, this is Swagg. Who are you?"

"I am Mitsuko Akechi. Talk fast and explain yourselves or this can get ugly, quick."

Stay tuned for Willow's connection to the Flameseeker Prophecies.

Dark Willow Rising Issue #1

Ghosty New Necro

Over a month since Guild Wars 2 has been released and I must say, I am still impressed each day. I think the most ironic twist is that my Necro has become my main focus over the past two weeks after gripes about the profession. Discovering different ways to play Necro, I found dagger/dagger, axe/warhorn make a pretty mobile yet heavy damage build. I'm not into wells or minions but love leaping in and out of shadows. The whole Ghosty Necro look and feel not only makes wiping out mobs feel like I am playing a different game compared to other professions, but it carries well over into roleplaying.

How do I get to Rata Sum?

Bah! Useless Garbage!

Dark Willow Rising has made quite a story for herself. Although it is not a typical rag to riches story, she has made a few discoveries that have changed her life around in a whirlwind. 

Willow, as mentioned in previous entries, comes from the streets of Divinity's Reach and has only known a life of penury. Growing up with a stolid outlook of the world and a reserved personality, she has finally come out of her shell out of necessity. You can't be shy when a horde of centaurs comes at you. Her life changed the day a massive Norn woman asked her to hold some jewelry for her. Typically, Willow would have taken the jewels and disappeared for a few days until this woman left town, but something about her was different. Although the task appeared to involve laundering, why did she feel this was for the greater good? She seemed genuinely kind, a trait that wasn't too commonly found in people from her experience in DR. After being asked to hold the jewels for 3 days for a strange, criminal reason, the Norn woman, Betty, paid Willow with copper and an axe. 

"I will do my best to be Your Herald and I shall guide you to your destiny. You have reason to begin and leave the past to have never existed. Start new and true and make something of yourself. I'll be catching up on you and sending you to the right people at the same time."

Being trained in the dark arts of Necromancy does not put food on the table. The power to kill only pays mercenaries and bandits, and since Willow was neither, she had to steal to put food on her metaphorical table. A simple axe changed everything. She left the protective walls of DR and headed out into the woods. Cries for wood at market were common and she was determined to quiet those pleas and feed her own pockets. At first, the wood cuttings were ragged and most of the ruined logs could only be used for scraps. But with a little time, she was able to cut wood with a bit more grace and precision to merchant standards. 

A few months after she had a bit of silver saved up from her earnings, Willow opened a bank account in DR following a suggestion from Betty. "Never know what you'll end up finding or saving," she had said one afternoon far outside Queensdale. To her surprise, the day she inquired about registering, Willow was told that there was a package being held for her bloodline by the gentleman at the bank window. "A package? For me? How do you know it is for me? I don't even know my own family." How they knew or how long the package was there, it cannot be said for she had never used the bank in her 19 years of life.

When she opened the package, a small golem was stuffed lifelessly at the bottom of a yellowed jute sack. Running her hands over the body, a birth of red light brought the golem to life. "W00-H00!" /e cheers. After yelling orders and trying different ways to command the golem, Willow discovers the only thing that it can do is follow her. Not even a waypoint locator program which is a standard on most golems! After four or five days of being pursued by the useless machine and feeble attempts of scrap metal bargains at Mabon Market, Willow decides to head to Rata Sum and see if she can find it's maker.  

Artegon Woods Keep, House of Swagg

Wonderful outfit bought with the little copper she had left. 

What an intimidating city is Rata Sum to a human who has only been to DR, LA and even the Grove. Sure, DR and LA are titans in comparison, but the condensed city structure of RS can leave any cartographer puzzled and dumbfounded. That is unless you are an Asura. After being told she smelled bad by Statistic Asura and being shooed away by Synergenic College progeny, she was able to locate a golemancer from the Dynamics College. After proding and probing with no success, the old asura reluctantly admitted she did not recognize the model but knew of someone who might. He went by the name of Swagg and lived not too far to the North. 

The Keep wasn't too hard to find and everyone at the gate knew Swagg by name when Willow mentioned him. "Up the stairs! Top of the tower," the guard at the gate had said. When she reached the top of the tower, Willow was welcomed by two ravens, one white, the other black, followed by a ranger, tall even by Asura standards. "I was told you might be able to help? This golem has no functions from what I can tell. Unless you know something I don't."  Swagg was impressed because he had only read about the schematics of these alpha version golems that went back to the famous Asuran genius Oola's time.

"Simple. Run your palm over the back and THEN the front; if you are the TRUE owner that is," suggested Swagg before continuing on a rant that Willow could not follow. She ran her hands over the mini golem as instructed and a compartment opened to show what was hidden. A stone safely nestled in the heart of the golem was pulsing. What kind of stone?

To Be Continued...

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This blog entry is dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness and to my mother. She will be running a race next week for the cause and my support is with her and her friends.  And real Asura wear pink!

Pink Asura Armor is the hottest look this month. 8.)