Coming Soon: Stuff my Characters Wear

This weekend has been pretty exciting.

I went to put something in Void Storage, not having looked in my Void Storage since I transferred most of my characters from Lightninghoof to Bloodhoof nearly a month ago, and was horrified to find that it was empty! Completely empty, on all the characters who had it! I put in a ticket, and after a false start when I got a boilerplate response about loot being misassigned during a raid, GM Jeydolen chatted with me. Jeydolen assured me that all the stuff was still there, and suggested that a UI error might be why I couldn’t see it. After performing the UI reset that Jeydolen suggested, I still couldn’t see my stuff. The Void Storage dude was giving me the tutorial box, without asking for money to (re)open Void Storage, so I clicked through it and voila, my stuff appeared! Then I felt a little silly — perhaps I had just needed to click through the tutorial boxes again to begin with, and I didn’t really need to have done the UI reset. I was still very appreciative of Jeydolen’s prompt, gracious, and helpful response to my second ticket. Thank you, GM Jeydolen!

Then I went to this weekend’s Laid Back Raid with Kerisa. Karazhan and Gruul’s Lair were on the ticket, and I hoped to get the T4 shoulder token. I didn’t, but after Kara and Gruul, part of the group continued on to Magtheridon and from thence, at my suggestion, to Tempest Keep, where Kerisa scored the T5 shoulder token. Many thanks to the estimable Coolidge for heading up that part of the evening!

Kerisa earned the T9 and T10 shoulders as my raiding main in late Wrath, and she still has them in her bank. After the debut of Transmogrification, she farmed Molten Core for weeks on end until she got the T1 shoulders. In ES guild fun runs (prior to the server transfer) and previous LBRs, she has picked up the T3/7, T6, and T8 shoulders. Now she just needs to get the T4 and T11-Normal shoulders to complete her collection of Favorite Druid Shoulders! (and then I’ll have to start working on outfits to go with them all )

One of my greatest regrets about Cataclysm is that I didn’t manage to get the T11 Druid shoulders when they were current content. I wanted them from the moment I first saw them, but I left Kerisa untouched for months to ensure that Kamalia would be my raiding main. By the time I finally got Kerisa ready for raiding, there wasn’t enough time left in T11 for her to get a pair of those gorgeous blue feathered T11 Druid shoulders before T12 arrived. Well, actually, she did see the T11 shoulder token drop once… and she passed on it, because she felt like the Resto Druid raid leader of ES’s alt run deserved it more. (Sometimes, in my more selfish moments, I wish I’d gone ahead and rolled on it normally.)

Finally, ever since I started writing this blog, I’ve intended to eventually do a series on “Stuff my Characters Wear”. Over the last few days, I’ve begun working on it. I’ve been going through all the alts for whom I have long-term goals and attempting to put together for each one of them a coherent, attractive ensemble that I’d be happy to see her wearing for a long time. It’s a lot easier for the higher level characters! On my lower-level characters, the outfits I’ve been making are frequently only partially Transmogrified, but the idea is to make something that would also be an attractive full Transmogrification Template Kit for a high-level character. Some of my characters will need to gain a level or few of XP before I can get them into an outfit that I like. For the time being, I am focusing only on Transmogrification-friendly outfits. After the initial set of posts is done — but not immediately — I also plan to expand the series to include “wrong” or mixed gear-type pure RP outfits.

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art post: Intervention

for Akabeko

Iharu tapped her chin thoughtfully while Akabeko pecked at her side with a useless clang. “That new guy Had could probably help us set her up with some proper druid pursuits. Maybe she could mentor him?”

Katza created a portal to Orgrimmar, and together they stuffed their protesting friend back into respectable society.

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a fortunate midsummer

When she went to Shattrath at level 60, mini-Kam was severely disappointed that Old Man Barlo wouldn’t give her any fishing quests, even though her fishing skill was already well into Grand Master (Wrath) levels. By the time she reached level 70 and he would, Marcia Chase would also give her fishing quests. So she kept her hearth in Thunder Bluff until she could go to Dalaran, because the Kalimdor/EK and Dalaran fishing bags have the chance to award the Jeweled Fishing Pole, whereas the Shattrath ones do not. Because she had not gotten her fishing pole yet, she kept her hearth in Dalaran after she reached level 80. Presently, I realized that whereas the Orgrimmar, Thunder Bluff, and Undercity fishing dailies are mutually exclusive, the Old World, Shattrath, and Dalaran fishing dailies are not. So I started doing both the Dalaran and Orgrimmar fishing dailies.

On Monday, mini-Kam dinged 84 from doing the tour of the Midsummer bonfires, and she also got that Jeweled Fishing Pole from her Dalaran fishing bag.

wait, what’s that she’s wearing?

… oh, no — oh no no mini-Kam, no! /facepalm

Then on Tuesday, Kamalia finally won the Timepiece of the Bronze Flight in her LFR run.

And today, mini-Kam became my fifth 85.

Sooo… now what? Well, faffing, most likely. I probably won’t bother with gearing Kamaliya up for LFR; she’ll want to be raid-ready in Mists, but she doesn’t need to be now. Instead of spending the money to gem, enchant, reforge, and Transmogrify multiple items as she moves up through the ilevels, I think I’d rather spend some time herbing and lay in a decent supply of cash to afford such things later. Besides which, Kam2.0 wants to farm Scholomance for the Sawbones Shirt and Bloodmail Legguards, and there’s Outland dungeons to be run for other Transmogrification set items.

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what to wear with your Helm of the Fire Festival

Adding new prizes to the holidays is a very welcome idea, but really, Blizzard, really?!

Does this new hat look good on anyone?

Nope, didn’t think so.

Okay, so the bottom part of it is a pretty nifty looking helmet, and I think it would look awesome with a plume or a crest.

But as it is? No thanks, I’d rather not look like a stinkin’ Snobold.

Together, the shoulders and the helm look like something out of the next great Harrison Jones adventure. They look like the kind of thing one might find on little statuettes or idols arrayed around the altar of some forgotten goddess — incense burners that would have to be activated in a specific order and with specific types of incense.

Blood Elf, female: Triumphant set (mail) — Blood Elf, male: Masterwork set (mail)

Night Elf, female: Glorious set (plate) — Night Elf, male: Sparkleshell set (mail)

Human, female: Conqueror’s set (plate) — Human, male: Sunscale set (plate)

I’ve added the Dressing Room preview of the whole Midsummer outfit to the Party Clothes page, but Kamalia refuses to waste a bank slot on this hat. For 350 Burning Blossoms, I’d much rather have another pet… perhaps a pale blue-trimmed scarlet-orange reskin of the Phoenix Hatchling?

If Ragnaros has been summoned inside Blackrock Mountain, on Azeroth, and the Twilight’s Hammer want to provoke an epic elemental battle, why the hex are they summoning Ahune inside the Slave Pens, on Draenor? That has never, ever made sense to me. WTB Heroic Blackfathom Deeps.

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little deuce coupe

Tome and Matty’s Excellent Adventure has been making me wish that I had a more appropriate land mount to take the screenshots with.

My Engineer has made the Flying Machines, but I didn’t get the rep for the Chopper/Mechanohog schematic while she was still puttering around in Northrend. I’d have to farm the Titansteel, too, because I used almost all of the Titansteel I did get to make Jeeves.

Perhaps that’s a project for after mini-Kam gets to 85….

I don’t have the Bilgewater rep to buy the Goblin Trikes, either.

But maybe I should work on getting Kazuliza to level 40 before Mists so that I won’t have to worry about the rep.

And ooooh, what’s this Goblin Mini Hotrod that MMOChampion found in the list of non-Account-wide mounts for Mists? Is that a version of Keys to the Hot Rod that anyone can (probably with a great effort) obtain and use outside of Kezan??? Because it’s on the non-Account-wide mounts list, does that mean it will be able to carry passengers, just like young up-and-coming Goblin excecutives can go rolling with their homies?

Please please pretty please with sugar and a maraschino cherry on top?

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tauren mutant ninja turtles

…or should that be “turtle-mutant ninja tauren”?

Kamalia uncovered the Extinct Turtle Shell while doing Archaeology the other day and promptly declared that because neither my Paladin nor my Warrior are likely to be able to use it anytime soon, she wanted to use it to Transmogrify her shield for her Elemental set.

That reminded me of this Goblin Shaman I spotted a while back who was using a similar turtle shell shield with an almost entirely green Transmogrification Template Kit.

Looking at this outfit, I couldn’t help but think of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Here’s a survey of items to consider if you, too, want to be a Hero in a Half Shell.

Plate (Prot Warrior or Paladin)
with Extinct Turtle Shell, Dragonscale Shield, or Petrified Bark Shield

A: Talonguard Helmet, Heavy Lamellar shoulders chest gloves & boots, Savage Saronite belt & pants, Fel Edged Battleaxe
B: Oathkeeper’s Helm, Emerald set, Dragon’s Call
C: Fel-Steel Warhelm, Gor’drek’s Pauldrons (Horde-only), Fel Iron Plate set, Tooth of Eranikus
D: Kraken helm chest gloves & boots, Pauldrons of the Wardancer, Rustproof Waistguard, Protective Engineer’s Leggings, Nifflevar Bearded Axe

A: Hard Headed Helm, Acid-Etched Pauldrons, Wildguard breastplate & leggings, Khan’aish Girdle, Refitted Bruiser Gauntlets, Marjhan’s Stand, Ethereum Phase Blade
B: Greathelm of the Unbreakable, Bog Pauldrons, Silithid Carapace Chestguard, Girdle of the Immovable, Jade Legplates, Ooze-Ridden Gauntlets, Boots of Avoidance (alternate: Boots of the Colossus), Blade of the Wretched
C: Dreadmaul helm & shoulders, Krakken-Heart Breastplate, Stormtempered Girdle, Greaves of the Bloodwarder, Royal Gauntlets of Silvermoon, Tyrant’s Greaves (alternate: Ancient Skeletal Boots if Tauren, Draenei, or Worgen), Razorwind Axe

Mail 1-40 (Prot Warrior or Paladin)
with War Paint Shield, Kresh’s Back, or Baobab Fruit Shell

A: Thick Scale helm, Sparkleshell Mantle, Brackwater chestpiece & leggings, Thick Scale belt gloves & boots, Bronze Mace (I love the Brackwater Girdle, but it is common-quality and not usable for Transmogrification.)
B: Sparkleshell Mantle, Cadet’s chestpiece & leggings, War Paint belt gloves & boots, Bronze Mace (The Turtle Scale set is similar to the Cadet’s set. The Cadet’s set has common-quality belt and boots and no gloves. The Turtle Scale set has Transmogrification-friendly gloves and no belt or boots. The Cadet’s chestpiece is sleeved, whereas the Turtle Scale chestpiece is sleeveless.)
C: Captain’s Circlet, Sparkleshell Mantle (alternate: Elite Shoulders), Tortoise Armor, Cobrahn’s Grasp, Cadet’s leggings, Algae Fists, Savage Trodders, Bronze Mace

Mail 40-85 (Elemental or Resto Shaman)
with any of the above shields

A: Captain’s Circlet, Spaulders of the Protectorate, Fenclaw chestpiece & leggings, Belt of the Gladiator, Handguards of Savagery, Sabatons of the Flamewalker, Reactive Waraxe
B: Unyielding helm, Bog Epaulets, Green Dragonscale chestpiece leggings & gloves, Skull Rock Belt (H)/Gol’Bolar Miner’s Belt (A), Windreaver Greaves, Giant Club
C: Turtle Scale helm, Unyielding shoulders, Der’izu set, Lifeforce Hammer (Because this mace is similarly styled to the Nifflevar Bearded Axe, I think they’d look great double-wielded!)
D: Thick Scale helm, Spaulders of the Protectorate, Protector set, Emerald Ripper

A: Fel Iron Chain helm & chestpiece, Unyielding shoulders belt & boots, Turtle Scale pants & gloves, Grom’tor’s Charge
B: Remtravel Thinking Cap, Der’izu shoulders, Improvised Breastplate, Archery Belt of the Broken (alternate: Lifecycle Waistguard), Legguards of Nature’s Power, Gloves of the Passing Night, Impressive Greaves, Stealthblade
C: Fel Iron Chain helm (alternate if Alliance: Vindicator’s Chain Helm), Dragonbone Shoulders, Tortoise Armor, Doc’s Belt, Chimaerascale Legguards, Gilded Gauntlets, Boots of the Qiraji General, Water Blade

The Breastplate of the Terrible Price outfits I presented in the Shamadin Collection would also be suitable for being a TMNT.

TMNT Hallow’s End Costume
non-Transmogrification-friendly

Red Mageweave Headband (alternate if Alliance: Keeshan’s Bandana), Sparkleshell Mantle, Turtle Scale chestpiece & leggings, Apothecary’s Waistband (H)/Captain Sanders’ Sash (A), War Paint gloves & boots, Assassination Blade

Cowabunga, Dudes!

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Reason #653455 why the Tauren are the Best Race: Kamalia on the Twisted Nether

Over the past couple of years, I’ve watched various bloggers I enjoy reading be featured on the Twisted Nether Blogcast. I never thought that someday, the featured blogger would be me! I’m honored to be Fimlys and Hydra’s guest this weekend (Saturday 16 June), and you can listen/participate live, too!

Now for a real reason why Tauren are the best:

Tauren are the ONLY race that has access to all of the hybrid classes.

Only Tauren can be all four of the Tanking classes — Warrior, Paladin, Druid, and Death Knight.

Only Tauren can be all four of the Healing classes — Shaman, Druid, Priest, and Paladin.

Tauren will be able to become Monks in Mists, so their supremacy will continue.

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ZOMB PANDA KIDS SQUEEEE!!!1!!

No-one on my blogroll has done this yet, so I guess I get to be the first!

Did you SEE those Pandaren kiddos?

from WoW Insider’s Around Azeroth column

They are so cute and adorable! Even better, you get to supervise one as a Pandawan Apprentice Cook! I am tickled pink that Blizz has made child models for the Pandaren. Now they need to hurry up and make true child models for all the other races they haven’t done yet!

In other Mists-related news, I’d better hurry up and get mini-Kam to 85 so that I can move the rest of my Tauren over to Bloodhoof. I DO NOT WANT to be on a PvP server when the ability to shoot down a flagged enemy player on a flying mount goes live.

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the Draenei tail-ring code

This week’s episode of From Draenor With Love reminded me of something I was thinking about a few months ago.

On the planet Beta in Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga, everyone wears earrings, and the style of an individual’s earrings symbolizes their sexual preferences and relationship status. Although Draenei tail-rings are undecorated in-game, I wondered if perhaps they (or the chintacle-rings) might serve a similar purpose.

There are undoubtably as many variations of Draenei tail-rings as there are Human finger-rings. In-game, a male’s tail-ring is always golden, but the color of a female’s tail-rings depends on her skin tone. In an RP description, however, the metal of the band may be any of several elements or alloys and be worked in many designs. A ring may have one gem or several, small ones or large ones, in any pattern. The important, meaningful component of the tail-ring code is the color of the stone(s), and any mineral of the appropriate color may be used to convey a specific status.

I am positing this code purely hypothetically; neither my past nor my future Draenei artwork will necessarily be consistent with the ideas shown here.

“Seeing Someone” could range from “casual, still keeping my options open” to “it’s complicated” to “very serious, but not yet committed to something long-term” and everything in-between; the type of metal used in or the base design of the band might signify these nuances.

“Bereaved” isn’t necessarily the death of a lover — it could just be a bad breakup.
I chose to designate the plain in-game tail-rings as “Not Interested at this time” because Draenei children also wear tail-rings.

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haven’t you always wanted a monkey?

I think I’m done with the Darkmoon Faire dailies now. Unless someone else decides that she wants a prize, all of my characters who wanted Darkmoon Faire-specific items have got them with this Faire cycle.

Ketura has her Darkmoon Cub.

Cosmo the mountain lion has been Ketura’s faithful companion since level 10. Ketura has tamed Pitch, but she still needs to tame Echeyakee, the Rake, and Sambas for her lion collection to truly be complete.

Keija has her Darkmoon Sword and Darkmoon Mallet.



Hey waitaminute, if Kerri Hicks can dual-wield these things… could I?
/check
Yep, they’re not Unique or anything, so a Fury Warrior totally could!
…oh dear, perhaps I’m not done after all — but neither of my Fury Warriors will have Titan’s Grip for a long time yet, so they can just collect tickets from the profession monthlies, and mostly ignore the dailies.

Kelilla has her Darkmoon Balloon and Darkmoon Cape.

Now she can always carry a little bit of the Faire with her, even when she’s “bottomside” with S.A.F.E.

Karrieanna has her Swift Foreststrider.

I don’t think she’ll be using her Felsteed again for a very, very long time.

And Kazulia has her Darkmoon Monkey.

Haven’t you always wanted a monkey?

Mini-Kam is collecting the Replica Shaman gear, but she’s in no great rush to have it all. None of my other characters have expressed a great need or desire for Replica gear yet, so from now on, I can do only the profession monthlies and just let the tickets build up.

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