Lounge L33ts Episode 10: The Wyvern's Tail

Each of us had played a little of WoW a long time ago, but it never managed to keep us interested. Now, Barry, Matt, and I have gotten around to playing it again, including some of the new content in Mists of Pandaria. So what is it that has us hooked now? Grab your racing ram and let's all head on over to The Wyvern's Tail and Brewfest 2013 to find out!

Lounge L33ts Episode 9: Bastion Guild Hall

What's this? A serious discussion on the gameplay and storyline of Scarlet Blade? Well sort of...Ran shows up in his Weefleboy persona again as we discuss our favorite classes, the plot behind the warring factions, the ideas behind adult MMO's, and the affects of gold farming in general.

Lounge L33ts Episode 8: Reets Retreat - The Glass Floor Room

     For the second season premiere, we try something a little different: and improvised (kind of) RP session. Weefleboy schools us on the professions available, shows off his shiny new smurf suit, and refuses to address some intimate questions on the details of his operations. Meanwhile Pinqi wonders if he/she's chosen the right path in life, and Mad Matt shows off his gun. It's anarchy, I tells you! Anarchy Online!
    Also make sure to check out our Youtube channel!  https://www.youtube.com/user/LoungeL33ts/about

State of Blog 4/29/2013

     Hello all! I just wanted to let everyone know what was going on and the plans for the future of the blog.
     Some bad stuff went down this past winter for both my self and my friend, Randy, with whom I do the Lounge L33ts podcast. Around the end of January, my mom suffered a severe heart attack. She thought she only had the flu, even though my dad felt there was more to her symptoms. She wound up waiting three days to go to the Emergency Room (it's commonly recommended to seek aid within ninety minutes), thus more damage was done to her heart. She was in Bay Area Aurora for a few weeks, and had a triple bypass surgery that turned into a double bypass. Then she was transferred down to St. Luke's in Milwaukee and stayed there for another couple of weeks. Before all was done, her heart had gotten down to ten percent strength and there was talk of a possible transplant. However, with help from a pacemaker/defibrillator she has gotten stronger and is at home now. In fact, she has recovered so quickly that the doctors don't think she'll need a transplant anymore.
     During all this, I dropped everything thing and was planning on moving back home, but my friends and my aunt helped convince me otherwise. Madison is decent city with a lot of culture, and I have built up a support network of friends and co-workers. I have a life down here that I'm not quite so willing to give up. While I'm a little apprehensive when it comes to affording this life, I at least have steady income from a reliable job. I just need to budget better.
     And here we get to Randy's troubles. I won't go into too much detail, but Randy lost the roof over his head and has had to move in with my friend Bob and Bob's parents. He is trying to get on Social Security while at the same time working on his resume and, hopefully, job hunting.
     I have posted a brief video on the situation with the Lounge L33ts podcast here:

http://blip.tv/LoungeL33ts

We have the episode filmed, and I am currently editing it. In addition I have set up a Lounge L33ts email and Youtube account which will soon be seeing activity. I'm planning on uploading the latest episode, then going back and posting the first season episodes in between to help people get caught up. We're going to try something a little bit different: roleplaying sessions. It won't be every episode, but every now and then, we will hop on as our characters and give their point of view on what's happening within their world. There will still be regular episodes where we talk as our selves, but this will help provide a little variety.
     I'm still working on the final part for "The Way to Kumas." I was planning to have it finished quite sometime ago, but then my mom had her emergency. I want to have an ending that wraps up the situation for the characters but allows for further stories to develop off of it. My aunt has told me it's "like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, except much better." I have yet to see the newer movie, but there does seem to be some similarities. I'm planning on being able to write my next short story within a month.
     And so that's what has been going on lately. Between my mom's heart attack, possibly moving back home, and helping Randy move, the blog has been a bit empty. It's time to get back to work.

The Way to Kumas Part IV

IV.

      Glyphs could be seen running along the walls near the ceiling and the floor, glowing with the same light as that coming from the decapitated head. There were images of cattle, birds, fish, mountains, forests, and people. As well as something else. It had the body and arms and legs of a human, but the symbol was twice the size, and it was headless. This unsettling creature's image was scattered amongst the images of landscape and animals.

      Their guides traveled fast indeed for people who had never been to the place. They passed a dark corner from which came a clicking sound followed by a blast of air. Something heavy hit Growgash in the shoulder and she cried out in rage, spinning deftly with sword in hand. Before her in the gloom, large almond shaped eyes floated burning with a wild green light. The thing hissed and a skittering of many armored feet sounded as the eyes rushed forward. Her sword sliced the air before her and clattered against what felt like twin blades.

      The eyes now rose upward to where the ceiling must be. And then the boy warrior was in front of her, sword in hand. The glowing orbs dodged to the right and he took a chance to swipe at the thing, only for it to back off to the left. It seemed to size him up as he edged forward with a double grip on his blade.

      “Don't be a fool, boy,” the half orc sneered. “It's just playing with you.” The youth seemed to pay no attention. The boy was a distraction and as he hopped lightly about she considered the thing in front of them. Her mother's studies had taught her enough, that a thing with a head and and legs may not have a neck. But if it has a front, it should have a back....

       Behind them were Jaxom and the monk and his apprentice. “Monk!” she whispered harshly. “When I give the word, release the light at that thing. Blind it!” His motionless form left her with little hope as she moved around to the back of the thing. A yell came from the front as the beast lounged forward, providing the perfect opportunity for the half orc. She scrabble up the slippery scales of it's back. Blackness still surrounded them when the crunch of a mortal wound broke the stillness. Then came a “thwak” as Jaxom's sword hit against the armored hide.

      Where is that blasted priest! Even as Growgash raised her blade, she felt the beast shift beneath her. It reared, and a blaze of light flashed, illuminating the pathway behind and casting the beast in silhouette. The great sword of the half orc sliced an arc in front of her, but as the head toppled she made sure to turn away from the light. Everything plunged into darkness then and she could feel the lifelesss body of the beast sink to the ground.

      “Jaxom?” Growgash tried to peer ahead of her, where there seemed to be a figure curled up in a corner. When she touched it, there was only a sticky wetness.

      “Help...” came a spluttering gasp. It was the young mercenary huddled in a ball against the glyphs. There was no help for him now, so the half orc finished him off with a thrust of her sword. Then she turned to follow the glyphs down a steep passage. It seemed like hours, and still there was no sign of Jaxom or the priest and his ward. The fragments of other strange symbols began to appear at chest height. She knew the breaking of these letters meant the breaking of spells, especially those wards against intrusion. The broken writing became more erratic and cluttered until it covered the ceiling and floor. No one was meant to come down here, the orc warrior thought. Why so much protection? What was down here? And where were the others?

      Ahead came shouts and then a bright light illuminated the corridor. Growgash stepped through an archway into an illuminated room. Jaxom was there stumbling backward until he hit the wall behind him. He was clutching his eyes. In the center of the room was the priest, his apprentice kneeling before him. From within the sleeve of his robe, the mage pulled a sinister blade and held it under the boy's chin. Then he glared at the half orc woman.

      “The way to Kumas is paved with blood and bones!”

Lounge L33ts Special 2: Frostbluff

Our resident expert on all things Tolkien, Sarah Bloy, takes us on a tour of the newly renovated Bree on Landroval server. Then it's off to Frostbluff to part take in some of the Yuletide Festival activities. Ran momentarily gets into a kegger of a problem, while the rest of us try to save up for a pony. Afterward, we go to see a play at the famous Frostbluff Theater, where Sarah becomes the Star of the Show and Matt finally finds a use for all that rotten fruit and flower he's got laying around. Finally, we don't play enough MMO's to warrant a Top 10 list, but we do go over our most favorite MMO's and the biggest disappointments for 2012.