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.)