The Universe is Talking to Me

Ratter, that's crazy talk. The Universe is not talking to you.

No, seriously, man. It is.

You're just a simple orc. Why would the Universe bother talking to you?

Well, fer one thing, it be very impressed by me awesome virility.

Mmmmm..... okay. You got a point there.

And fer another, who the fuhg else does it got to talk to? Kestrel? Pffftf.

Okay, fine. The Universe is talking to Ratshag. So what is it saying to you?

It's sayin' it wants me ta stay shadow spec.

I thought you wanted to go holy?

No, I wants ta raid. Fer a while it looked like holy were the way to go, but the Universe done changed its mind and is telling me ta embracify the Shadow. Lemme lay it outs fer ya:

I go to Kara, and five dps epics drop fer me, and only one healy epic.

BRK wants me to be shadow, so I can be his mana battery.

TJ agrees with the short little bugger, 'cause she wants to drop some Curse of Shadow action and totally rock the house.

Ego done transferred to Drenden and totally ninja'd the healy raid slot I had me eye on.

So, there it be. The Universe done told me to stay shadow. So that's what I'm gonna do. I checked with teh Squeakie, and she says she's cool with it. Gonna hang onta me healie gear, ya know, in case. But Ratter's gonna commit hisself ta being a brutal shadowy priest of darkness. 'Cause that's how the universe wants it.

So I Went To Kara, And All I Got Was A Lousy T-Shirt

And um, oh yeah. Six epics and twenty-two badges of justice.

So it's friday night. I show up on time. I've got buff food, several stacks of water, a buncha sacred candles fer the prayer of fort. And I'm wearing mostly greens and a few blues from Hellfire and Nagrand. So it be fair to say what my arse is getting carried.

Biggest concern going in was that I'd do sumthin' ignorant and wipe the raid. This did not happen. I did pull a few ignorants, and there were a few wipes, but not at the same time. But overall I thinks I did okay. Did me shackle assignments as I were supposed to, kept Vampiric Touch and SW:P up on the boss fights, and had the sense to heal meself when the holy priest were busy. Need to understand some of the boss fights better, but that'll come with experience. Me dps were the sucks early on, but it definitelies got higher as the night went on, and when I gets me gear gemmed and enchanted and whatnot it'll be higher still.

So what I get? Lessee...
Handwraps of Flowing Thought
Boots of the Infernal Coven
Trial Fire Trousers
Ritssyn's Lost Pendant
Staff of Infinite Mysteries
Signet of Unshakable Faith

Mostly dps gear, so I thinks I'll be sticking with the shadow at least until I can get some more healy epics tailored up.

And along the way, I had me a blast. Big thanks to me guildies what made the night possible, and I's looking forward to going back this week.

Da Runnings of Da Bulls

The gathering began in Mulgore hours before the race. Dancing and duelling and just hanging out.

Various funs and games as the crowd grew.

Spelling stuff out in tauren were a big hit. I were a little disappointed, though, that nobody wanted to do "Ratshag". What's the matter with you buggers? Don't you loves me?

Is big thanks to MalokkolaM fer the "moo" pic!

Gettin' close to racetime and the crowds is gettin bigger. Wants ta give a shout-out to Hecatuul, fer all the work he did ta provides people with the purple shirts. Many thanks, bro!

Massing up at the more-or-less start line

And they's off!

We swarmed across the Barrens, totally overwhelming the quillboars and surprising a few unsuspecting questers...

Coming up on Crossroads

Crossing the bridge into Durotar.

Everybody getting onto the zeppelin were one of the funniest sights of the day. Me, I'd run out ahead so's I could be sure to be on the first one. Lag and frame-rate issues were out in full force, and a number of the racers kept right on running and off the other side...

Can ya see me in there? I's the short one...

Was most impressive goblin technology in action. Despite a hundred or so sides of beef, we had no troubles staying airborne.

Heading fer the Silverpine Forest. Some hardy souls opted to swim the lake, and a few even tried cutting through the Plaguelands, but most stuck to the main road so I ran with them.

Can you hear's the distant thunder?

Can ya hear it now?

Arathi Highlands. Here's where it got real interesting. Them raptors and spiders was real appreciative of the "we deliver to you" beefburgers. Somewhere along the road, an undead mage joined the leaders and helped keep the local wildlife off them.

"For Sharvan!"
There was members of Sharvan's family running with us, and I knows they appreciated everybody's kind wishes. So on they's behalf, thankee.

Hammerfall! Some of the shaggy buggers actually made it!

And there they is, dancing on the mailbox with the lovely Zinzi. Big grats to our winner, Slokoshka!

The carnage along the road? it were glorious.

I spent some time doing what I could ta help the stragglers keep going. I tells ya, though, it be dang hard ta keep a second season adventurer alive in Arathi...

Original plan had been ta port folks to Shattrath, but the mage situation didn't work out. But no worries! We just turned the race around and took it to Ironforge! Boy, were them anklebiters surprised. I got there late, and the party and moved on to Stormwind, so I just followed the trail of bodies.

The festivities was still going strong when I had ta leave. Last I heard, they was forming up to go take down Hogger. Big thanks to everybody what came and helped make this a thundering success!

WoooHoooo!

That were awesome!

Pics and details to come soonish. Huge thanks to everyone what made it happen.

/moo

Is Race Day!

Hello, all you shaggy tauren buggers! Got yer hooves polished and greased?

Just wants ta go over a few details, answer a couple questions, and ask a favor.

That tasty piece of trollflesh there on the right is me friend Zinzi. She's gonna be manning the finish line. First person ta opens a trade window with her be the winner.

When ya gets on yer toon, /join RODB

Somebody asked me if it were okay to run through Dustwallow and take the boat from there. Bro, you do whatever ya thinks is gonna work. There is no required course. Ya wants to get there by swimming west from Desolace? Be my guest.

Going starkers is entirely optional. Some folks has got guilds and tabards organized, and one good thinking and generous fellah proposed making shirts in Sharvan's favorite color to hand out to racers. So we'll be handing out lavender mageweave shirts (some research by BRK turned up what purple were Sharvan's favorite color) while supplies last. If you'd like to donate some mageweave ta Erthshade on the Horde side or Athadon on the Alliance side, we could get even more made. And you'd be a damn fine bugger.

Has ya donated a buck over at BigRedKitty? Well, get on it, ya lazy flumperdugger.

Okay, that's what I got. Folks is already gathering in Mulgore, so feel free ta head over. See ya there!

Been a Long Journey

That were then.

This is now.

Time to start the next journey. Wonders where it's gonna take me?

WTB Haelzor 4 Kara, pst

Me friends Jessika and Keredria over in The Left Claw guild done got a problem. They's been progressing quite nicely through Kara lately, but they just lost one of they's two healers. Weren't no drama or nuthins, just plain old simple scheduling problems. Nothing unpleasant or awkward or unusual. Them rumours about the two healers being in a love triangle with the MT what spiraled out of control, leading to a big blow-up in Shattrath with a thrown chair accidently hitting A'dal hisself? Totally unfounded. Just as I's sure there's no truth to the stories of mandatory after-raid decadence in the formaldehyde dens in the undead quarter of Lower City, or the strange tales of guild initiation rites with a two-headed ogre what they keep chained in the basement of guild headquarters. But I digressifies.

Truth is, they's nice, friendly, talented peoples and they's looking for a Kara-level healer on the Drenden server. I'd be offering them me services, but me dance card be pretty well filled by Aetherial Circle at the moments. So if yer interested, get in touch with either Jessika or Keredria. They'd loves to hear from ya.