RTMS: Or, the "He Who Smelt It Dealt It" Quest

Obtaining the recipe for dark iron bars is made so much more difficult when I don't actually read all of the instructions. If I had taken the time to just read, READ, and make a quick plan, it would have been a lot less painful.

Anyway, if you are leveling up a blacksmith, and you would like to get the recipe for dark iron bars, make sure you bring:

• 10 Truesilver bars
• 20 Gold bars
• 2 Star rubies
• Boatload of dark iron ore stacks, about 304 or 15.2 stacks of 20. 

And, if you actually want to make anything with those dark iron bars, you will need 8 dark iron ores/1 dark iron bar. For a dark iron pulverizer, you will need 18 dark iron bars (144 dark iron ore stacks) and for the dark iron plate you will need 20 dark iron bars (160 dark iron stacks).

I had none of this on me, was kicked off the bus for not having exact change, and had to start over. More than once, mainly because I got thrown off the side by Lord Incindus when I wasn't looking (lucky shot), forgot to pull the lever, and even though I handled myself supremely in the bar fight, got drunk on Sulfurion Slammers and wandered off into lava.

Know your tithe quota: This is the dude. Put the stuff in the bowl to his left. Keep talking to him. Carry on.

Luperci has the skills, but never did have the energy to get enough dark iron bars. She noticed that Conjuring* was selling a stack for over 300 gold, and from that experience, the cost/benefit analysis almost seemed worth it.

 This is the place where you smelt it, but there is a fire elemental you must kill first. 

*Yes, I cleaned out my bags. Don't judge.

But, there was an adventure in that misadventure, and it was kind of fun, more fun than going to the store for brownie mix and finding the brownie mix exactly where it's supposed to be, and making sure I have enough eggs and oil to bake them with: not sure the results are as tasty, but sometimes the quest is the entertainment, and the boon secondary.

*A mysterious level 1 character who just seems to sing Beatles' songs in trade chat and make stuff.

Hardways.

Professional skill leveling can be more painful than character leveling, but in some ways, equally satisfying. I appreciate that many of you are very experienced players who know most everything there is to know, but for those of us who are just starting to level new characters, they each have their own narratives. "They" need to learn something new, gain access to resources, and figure it out. Also, there are so many excellent resources out there, we don't have to be walking WoW wikis. I was reminded of a boyfriend I had once, and although he was a bona fide* jerk, he did teach me two things: how to change my oil and play craps. (He was a Jersey boy through and through, long before the shenanigans of the Jersey Shore/shudder. And no, I was not, nor would ever be, a Snooky.) In any case, I don't change my own oil anymore. The cost/benefit analysis of paying the good men and women of the lubricating chain stores makes sense, and I don't remember how to play craps anymore. (No, you're not getting hustled: I really don't remember how to play.) 

So, asking a good friend, "Gee, how do I make dark iron bars..." he said something to the effect that it's a lot of trouble. 

And it is.

But, even though I have a few thousand better things to do, right here, right now, I'm going to go to Blackrock Depths and smelt some ore. Because that's kind of cool, that there's a special location to make these bars. 

So, to that end: here is a fun site I came across: http://wow.crafterstome.com/home.html

4.2 Patch Recipes: http://kaliope.crafterstome.com/2011/06/patch-42-recipes-are-up.html

Comments and links to others that you've found useful are appreciated.

*bona fide: made in good faith, which nothing this young man did was in good faith.

Theme song: Casino Queen/Wilco

Drabble: Holy man.

Marrtor

The light. A healer. The prayers, the flash, the heal. To aid, to succor. Giving strength, protection.  Fortify! Renew! Fallen warrior, illuminated stitching, and whole again.  Victory!  The shadows overcome, the blood staunched.  And yet, the blood, the shadows. The memories! The fields of battle, the blood drawn by my hand.  The forbidden words of shadow. Pain. Death!   No. The light!  But my brother, so brave, so bold.  So self-righteous.  Paladins, holy warriors indeed.  They serve, no doubt, but can they melt formless faces? The form of shadow.  The spike, the flay, the fiend.  And the horror, yes, the horror.

This drabble comes courtesy from the creative mind of Guarf. 












Theme song, my choice: Holy Man/Beck
from  Nacho Libre, one of the greatest examples of the journey of the hero.


Documentary on Joseph Campbell: http://www.findingjoethemovie.com/
(found this link via Sir Ken Robinson )

Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey, Lupe!

Glad the update is taking longer than usual, (which is actually normal), because I got quite a lot done this morning: dishwasher monster vanquished, (oh, but we shall meet again, fiend!), bill-trolls packed and stamped, stuffed in the mail box, and shifted some molecules of dirt and grime to another location. However, one thing I am anxious to get started on is to inspect Little Miss Smarty Tank and get her talent tree reconfigured, glyphs ensconced, blacksmith skills polished, and mining skills strengthened. Knowing that she will be spending a lot of time in Mt. Hyjal and Vash'jir, she has her obsidium skill, but really needs her elementium and pyrite pick-ax skills, too.  Because, really, who doesn't like rainbow-colored ore? All Skittles-y and pretty. But as she sits, she is just as low-rent and scummy as any tank who will take damage for hire.

The sad thing is, the sugar-momma of the bunch, my main Mataoka, doesn't ever have enough gold on hand to support all the growing alt-mouths. She's not too proud to take welfare, but it's not offered. In Azeroth, time is money, friend, and you gotta earn it to burn it. She's thinking about reading a gold-guide, but is always a day late and dollar short, so she'll just deal with that another time. She practiced her healing arts last night in a normal-mode dungeon, and the only player who died was she when she hopped off her dragon and spasmed out, falling into the fiery crevasse off of a Grim Batol ledge. Yes. You read that right. Her over-powered guildmates are probably still shaking their heads. I am still laughing over this self-induced death. Hey, it was late, my keyboard did something goofy, stepped on a rock, sun got in my eyes, whatever. Someone save me from myself, please.

Yesterday evening, I studied a trusted friend's profile on the armory. Nice to see he hasn't been lying around, getting fat and lazy, armor plating getting a bit snug around the midsection. Inspecting other players on the armory is a socially acceptable form of flattery. In any case, again, I took notes, and am ready to mimic his configuration. The only differences between him and Luperci is she has a height advantage, but envies his red hair. It would take too much toner and bleaching to get her dark locks to look like his. She'll eventually have to find her own style. In the meantime, he is one amazing tank, a true champion of the light, and she is in his debt.

Oh, there's one more difference: he has about 150237 health: she as about 22000+/-. Better get this anemic little girl some red meat and iron.


Theme song: Good Morning dance number from Singing in the Rain. Warning: there is tap dancing.

Word of the Day: minion

I subscribe to Visual Thesaurus: http://www.visualthesaurus.com/?word=minion

Thought this WOTD was timely. My minions are slackers. However, my warlock guildmate's (not you, the other guildmate) minion, or imp, has a phrase he/she/it throws out regularly in a scratchy, minion-esque voice: "Can't we all just get along?!" Maybe if Rodney King and the LA Police had thrown out healthstones and fel-fire, things wouldn't have gone so wrong.

Theme song: Sublime, April 29, 1992

Escape artist.

There is a monster in the dishwasher. There must be. It is ferocious, and will not go away. The only thing that stuns it is a long rinse cycle and strong detergent. But, once the plates, cups, glasses, and cutlery are clean, if I open the door, it will crawl out, not biting or causing blood loss, but bruising and annoyance, a lot of damage over time. The dishwasher monster makes a high-pitched whining sound like a mosquito in mating season. It spawns new dirty dishes in the sink, and I am convinced it is in cahoots with the washing machine. So, while I plan my next counter-attack with this soul-sucking demon, I perused Psynister's blog roll, and came across this gem:  Planet of the Hats, specifically this post:  http://wowhats.wordpress.com/2011/05/06/im-not-here/

Now to go wrangle some to-go mugs.  Finding lids to mugs weakens it, as does putting the spoons in the right place in the drawer.

Time to run away...

Haikus for dailies

Started soft, raining

Extinguishing flaming mob

Slipped down mossy rocks


Running with posse
/wave at Chromie successfully!
One more achievement


Flaming worm, spitting
Incinerate them minions
Release spirit click

Road of trials.

My brave daughter,

Word has reached me that your level of training has turned to a critical point. You do not have much time to waste, although I am certain, having been through this myself as a young paladin, you wish to simply put up your hooves, put down the shield, and let your responsibilities languish for a spell. This is a dangerous time for you. You have not begun to prove yourself, to your people, king, or country. You do not have the luxury of waste, Lupe. It will take your continued dedication and devotion to the light, and increased vigilance. All you seek you must obtain on your own, no help, no guidance. Arm yourself, my beautiful girl, and seek the path of the light.

Your father,

Arrkis

Luperci folded her father's letter neatly, and repeatedly smoothed and pressed it out flat on the table, then tucked it away in her bags. No one was there for the fireworks, no one noticed, but this somewhat admonishing letter was all that bore witness to her celebration. She knew he was proud of her, but always so damned worried. She wondered what her mother thought. Strangely, though, she felt a bond with her sister she hadn't felt before; they were close to being equals now, and perhaps...the rivalry would be replaced by friendship. She rubbed her brow, and gave herself the gift of a deep breath, cold cloth, and some sleep. She would need her strength.

Can't quit you, Matty

Last night, feeling kind of funky about stuff, stuff in general, real life stuff, and game stuff, and family stuff, and blah blah blah, just kind of in a funk.

It was late, and past my bedtime, but a good buddy asked me to do a heroic, warning me if it was Stonecore, he was outta there. Fair enough. I made no promises of great dps, and away we went. Knowing a tank or healer is like getting seated at the best dungeon tables and knowing the maitre' d. It was Grim Batol, and it was a blast. Lost one healer (there is healing, and there is Matty Level of Healing, which, in my opinion, should be a 25 point achievement for players), and lost a warlock, which made me upset. I know that on the other end there is a human who is trying to do well and play, but our new healer made a snarky comment, and away she went. Maybe I am too soft-hearted for the mean streets of Azeroth, but I do want everyone to play who wants to. In any case, we had a lot of fun. And, no, Guarf, I am not going to make you a sandwich.

So, as I am trying to figure out what I want to get out of my time, perhaps it is just the simple things. So what if I don't get the gear? So flipping what? I am still as cute as I can be, nice as I can be, and gosh darnit, people like me. I bet Blizzard loses more players to fatigue and lack of control of their worlds. They giveth, and taketh away. But I control the purse-strings on this, so take notice, Blizz. Or that collection plate may start looking a little empty.

Anyway, really appreciated this post this morning from Psynister: http://psynister.wordpress.com/2011/07/11/three-legged-stools/

I think it's time to start a new story-time post, say, from Luperci's perspective, and then a tale of conflict and hope for our sweet Zeptepi.

Closed for inventory.

Here is  loot-list for the new Firelands' raids, somewhat closed off to me because of extenuating circumstances:

http://www.wowheadnews.com/blog=189887/patch-4-2-firelands-boss-loot-including-where-pureblood-fire-hawk-drops