Number One, Baby!

So the reign of the zombie bunnies is over.  Long live the Lords of Water Deep.    Today we raise a glass to you ...

Lol .. I kill me.

Bunny Begone!

When Jaraxel got up this morning ... he yawned, stretched, scratched himself and wandered off to the bathroom ... in his BRAND NEW BUNNY SLIPPERS!


Over in another part of the world, Fidget was doing the same ... except with less scratching.

Did anyone else notice that StarRider's weapon was smoking as she was using it?  I actually went to check it out afterward to make sure she hadn't illegally substituted a bazooka.  Congrats to mxv088000 and GhostDragon for their 5 kills apiece!

I've really not got much to chat about today .. there were no milestone levels .. no drama, either, thank heaven.

-- 0.o --

Stars on Parade

Tonight finds us exuberant, but strangely sober as we sharpen swords, fletch arrows and practice incantations in preparation for our first mission against Zombunny.  There are a few off in the corner, however, completely slammed on Stonehammer Stout .. they say they'll be ready for the big bloodfest tonight, but we'll see ...

• 150: Iola
• 140: Sidhe
• 120: Yegar
• 110: Tharaver

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• He's never been more ready for a bloodfest .  Bizerco presents a new face to the world .. and I'm very, very frightened!  

• One day soon, we will all own a pair of these.   Looks good, hey?

• Season 4,  Episode 10 of The Guild is up.  

-- 0.o --

Stars on Parade

Today's celebrations take us to Rainrun Street in the shadow of Castle Waterdeep where the Lords of Waterdeep sit in contemplation of more tax upon the hardworking souls of this city.  We're headed to The Yawning Portal, whose claim to fame is the large well that leads into Undermountain.  I hear tell there's a beer and wine cellar to rival ours .. time to check it out, crew!  While we're there, we'll lift our glasses to

• 150: Pickleinder
• 110:  Sisbus
• 90:  Vult
• 80:  Gingerman
• 70:  bizerco

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• A reminder that our War Generals -- Helldemon666, EMOK, Smalls -- are the ones to push the buttons for our attacks.  They'll work together to coordinate our advancement.
• Congratulations on our first victory over Legacy.  Congrats to Duchon Mandic on being our hero of the battle.  :D

-- 0.o --

Jaraxel of Water Deep

I am a bit saddened that I feel it necessary to defend a friend who has a genuinely large heart and who donates quite a bit of his time to the fostering of his guild and who cares about the people he invites.  Our front page states .. Not just a guild .. it's your home.  He means it.

There have been implications that Jaraxel is account sharing, and is in fact, many different characters. These allegations are being made for no apparent reason, other than to sow discord and suspicion into a new guild, which is at a particularly vulnerable juncture as people attempt to find new friends among their old buddies.  The reason for that is simple .. they want the higher level players to vacate the premises so their own guild can move forward with no restriction and have already shown that they have no hesitation at taking our members as well. At least, it would seem to me to be the base reason for the exchanges that have been received by our guild members.  These people have set themselves up as judge, jury and are selling advertising space for the execution if you're in the mood to buy.

Jaraxel is accused of being his brother Kingravage.  While Jaraxel's writing style is somewhat the same as his brother because they both share dyslexia, we can assure you that both accounts are different people.

Queenravage, Queenravage1, PrincessWarrior ... absolutely no clue on this one.  Jaraxel has never account sat that one.  It's possible his brother has.

Kiamatar - As most of you know, Kia's account was recently stripped of the character's gear by the aforementioned Queenravage1 and he was mad as hell and asked all of us to attack her.  Some of you did and subsequently received mail from her accusing you of sleeping with Kingravage - yes that was a pretty little drama, wasn't it?  Totally not Jaraxel's style .. or writing style.

Jaraxel does occasionally account sit - when players go on vacation, attend funerals, etc., when asked by the account holder to do so. And so that we're all clear on what the Terms say about account sitting and sharing, I'll reprint it here for you now:

§ 4 Multiaccounting / IP-Sharing / Account-Sitting

Each player is allowed to play and own only one account per server. Playing more than one account will lead to punitive action up to and including permanent ban of all involved accounts. An account must not be shared. Account-sharing - different players using one account alternately - is not allowed. Account-sitting (playing a second, already existing account temporarily) is only allowed if it ranges from 24 hours up to 21 days. Within this period of time, only the account-sitter (the account holder's substitute) is allowed to log in to the sat account. The sitting ends as soon as the account holder logs in to his or her account. Multiple swapping of the active player between account holder and sitter is regarded as account-sharing and will be punished.

In the course of sitting, battles between the sitter's and the account holder's characters are forbidden as well as cooperative attacks of others. Any infringement will be treated as account-sharing. An account is sat at the account holder's risk. The operator is not liable for changes, loss or the deletion of the account.

Moreover, it is not allowed to play with the same IP in order to benefit one or multiple accounts. Such behavior is called IP-sharing. Accounts with a shared IP must not attack each other or attack other accounts together (more than two attacks within 30 minutes).  Infringement will lead to punitive action up to and including a ban or account deletion.

Many of you have asked Jaraxel to look after things while you were away and he's done so.  He has a wide connection of friends within the Shakes & Fidget community and is occasionally asked by others to look after their accounts as well .. he does a good job - he's conscientious.

What I'm really trying to say here is that efforts to bring about the downfall of a burgeoning guild based solely on circumstantial evidence whispered through the mail system where the recipient is asked to not repeat the secret .. these are the hallmarks of a bully.  Don't let it sway you .. if you have questions, please ask Jaraxel outright .. he'll tell you who's account he's sat .. or is sitting. You can do what I'm doing with those mails.  Hitting delete so they don't waste space in my mailbox.

-- 0.o --

Stars on Parade

So .. we're reconnoitering for our big battle against REAL ... lurking in the shadows trying to peek in their guildhall window or overhear some war strategy, when I hear a godawful squawk behind me and chairs and stuff bang about inside as the warriors inside jump to the door to see what's going on.  I almost had a heart attack running away.  Fortunately, I got fleet foots.  Turns out that my stealthy partner, Eagle Talon, had chipped the polish on his new talon manicure and that is what the hubbub was about.  Man, you just can't take some people anywhere!  Even more fortunately, we have new taps downstairs and can embellish this tale properly!  As well as hoisting a flagon for

• 110: Rosehood

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• Down at the bottom of each post is a "wisecracks" link where you can post your own commentary, rebuttal or whatever.  I encourage you to do so.  I do moderate comments, because I've seen the pharmaceutical type spam that can infest forums if the site owners aren't careful.  I assure you that I'll post your comments as is.  *winks at biz*  I've even posted bizerco's comments without edit.
• I am looking for a couple of others to help me with this site.  One for books, one for tracking our war effort and sharing tips for having the best high-level toon.  If either of those appeal to you, please let me know!  I'd like to get another couple of sections going.  
• Quacknor .. nice crits today in battle!

-- x.0 --

A new Arrival

Look what Dolgan Elfbane installed in the cellars yesterday after his arrival!

I think I'm in love.

-- o.0 --

Stars on Parade

Tonight we're headed to the Laughing Dwarf where mxv088000's woman works (and takes his pay) for a darts competition.  Except that the dwarves use axes, but you get the idea.  Bring your own axe and plenty of coin for brew!  We'll sing songs and tell tales about ..

• 160:  Eagle Talon
• 150:  SamanthaII
• 90:  Ironmask, Erdixtwo

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• Looking for biography information .. I've sent an in-game mail around detailing the kind of information I'm looking for.  I don't particularly care if it's a story about your in game toon or yourself .. just make it entertaining if its about your toon ... I want a full backstory!
• Check out Erdixtwo's new look!

-- ô^ô --

By Air or by Sea ...

In a bold move today, the daring Scout Jaraxel of Water Deep and KingRavage of Griffin Riders have whipped up a titanic wave sure to swamp more than a few fair-hearted adventurers.

The elite airborne Griffin Riders bring strafing firepower to the already fearsome cannons of Water Deep ships just in time for the upcoming guild dungeon raids.  Swooping in to add to the depth of raiding firepower as well are Flying Joe and Alien53, most recently of Severed Tongue.  "It goes without saying," enthuses Jaraxel, who remains Guildmaster of Water Deep, "that we'd also like to take a shot at rearranging the Top Five, something that has long been a goal of Water Deep."  We've got things covered by air, sea .. and space!

The waters of guild merger are sometimes rough and we'd like to hope that the friendly attitude portrayed by the past Waterdhavians will prevail in dealings with the guild as we go forward.  It is not our intention to harass or inflame relations with any particular group, guild or person.  This is a golden opportunity for us, however, and we do intend to celebrate, most hopefully with a win or two - - as well as a tankard or two. ^^


We'd like to make the former Griffins and swashbuckling Tongues welcome as we shuffle bunks and sweep out the aeries for the new Waterdhavian griffins. We've just got in a new shipment of kegs that are cooling in the guildhall cellars ... tonight we bid a fond wish for great travels and good fortune to our departing members and tip our tankard to the future of Water Deep.

-- o.o --

Stars on Parade

Whew!! We have a whole batch of reasons to celebrate today and I'll certainly talk about that in a separate post, but we first need to stop and think about really important things.  Beer.  Ahh .. nectar of the gods, that stuff.  And raising a tankard to our friends who've made some notable inroads on levelling:

• 150:  Jaraxel
• 80:  Venkman

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• The changes at Water Deep today mean that some of our friends have gone to different guilds.  Be sure to keep tabs on them, write to them and cheer them on as they level.  Here's a list of who went where as well as their level, so you refer to it later :D
  
  
  • Griffin Riders:  Rev Joe [80], Kerblo [78], Red Scout [76], Good Phantom [73], lordpogi [74], McSquish [73], Adobeyone [70], Malyka [70], Captain Berry [67], [Mellalicious [67], Vultor [67], Doctorgabel [66], TUlen [66], Zorro 44 [65]
  • Boulders Gate: JohnOMars [74]
  • Prelude:  Salazarian [61], Solecks [45]
• For my part, I've had the pleasure of speaking with some of you and getting to know you through writing your biography for this site, and through guild chat.  I will miss the daily checkup to see how you're doing, yet I hope that we'll stay in contact regularly.  I'll be watching for you!

-- 0.o --

Stars on Parade

It's almost the weekend, right?  I mean,  Thursday night counts as the start for most places, yes?  Oh good! Tonight, we're heading to the docks and boarding the Faerie Queene for a night of cards, drinking, boasting and toasting! 

• 160:  StarRider
• 80:  Rev Joe
• 70: Adobeyone, Malyka

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• I got nothin' ... hee hee .. for a change.  If you have anything you'd like me to add, just send me a note :D

-- 0.o --

Stars on Parade

Life in Water Deep isn't all fun, games and drinking binges.  No sirree .. there's also ... umm ... oh yea! ... nope, that's still drinking ... ummm ... okay, you got me.  Raise another tankard for our star guildies today!

• 90: Karak
• 70: Smalls

 ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• War General Smalls actually hit the 70 mark yesterday and for whatever reason, I didn't get a SoP done .. it could have been the lawn, the groceries, the search for the right undercounter bulb replacement or the housework that claimed my attention yesterday.  Sorry Smalls!!  Back to the bulb search today, btw.
• A couple of more of you have come forward with your bio.  You all enjoy reading them, so if you haven't contributed your own, please consider doing so.  :D
• New episode of The Guild is up today.

-- ©°© --

Iola

Maureen (Mo) grew up on a dairy farm near a tiny hamlet in central Alberta near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.  Living with five brothers taught me how to  cook .. and how to scrap, although I didn’t get my black belt until later in life.  I have a few trophies and medals from international tournaments I attended.

I’ve worked in radio, in media sales, as a purchaser and an office manager.  I currently reside in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island and coach dragon boat teams during the summer.  I am a voracious reader and have a large collection of alternative fiction.  I say collection because right now it’s in boxes.  If it were on shelves, it would be a library.  My favourite bookstore is The Sentry Box in Calgary.

I have two cats, a garden and a husband, all of whom I’m pleased to give TLC, the garden less than the others.  I like to drink wine if there’s a patio and an ocean breeze involved, but my favourite pub order is an ice cold ale.

-- 0.o --

TUlen

The quickest way to get on Justin's good side is to serve him up a steaming plate of Mongolian Beef, he says.  Living in Chicago with cats Toy and Sappho, Justin's hobbies include a wide range of video games, from shooters to RPGs, as well as rockin' out with his guitar .. he's been playing for 20 years now.

TUlen has been present in many of those games with incarnations as a wizard or mage, but originated in EverQuest and was created by Justin's wife.

He's a stubborn Taurus born on April 20th, so that makes him a rather formidable opponent, in game or in the boardroom where he heads up syndication efforts for a publishing firm.

-- 0.o --

Stars on Parade

No parties today folks .. it's a clean up day around the guild hall, and fortunately, we have a new member who can handle that for us!

• New guildie:  Mellalicious (64)

In other news:

• Jaraxel became the 3rd Waterdhavian to open up Dungeon 10. Well done!
• I've crunched numbers and averaged play over the last 10 days:  Here are our stars
  
  • Duchon Mandic 71 --> 82 (1.1 levels per day)
  • Keldonhing 112 --> 122 (1 level per day)
  • Iola 134 --> 444 (1 level per day)
  • Fidgit 143 --> 151 (.8 level per day)
  • Pickleinder 137 --> 145 (.8 level per day)
• There are five names on the other end of the list, ranging from 0 to 2 levels over the same period of play.  If  you'd like to play in a guild where there is no pressure to perform, then Boulder's Gate or Prelude will happily welcome you.  Both are headed up by people you know and who know you - Drastikkilla and Evilopyrus.  Both guilds are in the 70% bonus range, so the difference would be minimal when you are questing.  
• Guild Dungeons are supposed to be out this month, according to Itzkoopa and Bullbound, folks who should know.

Passwords and Security

I'm not sure if you heard about our recent troubles when a member of another guild got hold of Kiamatar's password.  How this happened hasn't been communicated to me, but I assume that she had it as a result of him giving it to her at some point in the past when there was trust in the friendship.  Kiamatar is, at this moment, working on trying to replace all his gear that she removed from his character and sold.  There is the added issue that we are coming close to the rank of this other guild and need all our high levels well geared and able to be competent in guild wars.

So let's just go over some basic internet security that applies specifically to this guild:

• If ANYONE in any other guild has your password, change it today. 
  
  • I don't care if you trust them, just change it.  We don't need anyone in a fit of anger doing to you what was done to Kia.  It affects us all in the long run .. just change your password.
   
• If it's been 3 months since you last changed your password .. do it today. 
  
  • One of the largest real world money making schemes involves stealing account information through various methods - most quite sophisticated, some deceptively simple.  
  • In a recent discovery online, it was determined by Norton that the accounts of a massive number of people had been compromised about six months prior to when they were actually hacked. (It just took that long for the hackers to figure out they couldn't steal everything by themself and hire a team of regular people to just come remove items from characters, sell everything, disband guilds and server transfer toons and change their names)   All it would have taken to save their account was a simple password change.  Make it a regular change.  
  • This information was for World of Warcraft, Aion and some other game - games who have a real passion for account security and foiling potential hackers.  Shakes and Fidget, I'll guarantee, does not have anywhere near the same level of  ability to deal with replacement of stolen items.

• If you go on vacation here and ask someone to account sit for you .. when you return, make sure that you change your password.

• Recently split from your significant other?  Change your passwords today.
  
  
  • I  recently got some mails from Jaraxel's ex who thought it would create a lot of shit for him by sending me obscenities.  This could have been worse - Kiamatar's predicament with no gear could be just the beginning.  Imagine your ex deleting your character. Now, imagine if your ex deleted the character who was guild GM.

Good passwords are at least eight digits long and 

include numbers and symbols. 

-- 0.o --

Stars on Parade

Been a bit of a wacky Friday night in guild ... this morning, there are bottles all over from last night's binge, the dishes have grown into mountains in the sink, the couch cushions from the living room are in the bathroom, and the fridge door handle and floor are all sticky.  What happened here?   And was it good enough to do again?   Once we get things washed up, rearranged, tidied and generally looking sane, we'll hoist a glass for

• 150:  Fidgit 
• 130:  Helldemon 666
• 80:    Duchon Mandic

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• Duchon and Emok were at a Muse concert yesterday and had a blast!  Tim says he'd go back again, but he's not sure he could survive another night of the mosh pit!
• Fidgit is the second Waterdhavian to become a member of the exclusive 10th Cungeon Club.  Cheers!

Sanity

All About You

The S&F gchat and tavern mechanism doesn't always allow for good guild interaction, so this is an excellent way to get to know your fellow gamers.   Don't feel pressured to participate if you'd rather be just a name.  But if you want to get to know folks, please send Iola the following info:

• Name (first only)
• How you chose in game name
• approx age
• birthday (not year), zodiac sign
• Family:  married, kids, etc?
• Where you live, city, state, country
• Hobbies
• Occupation (if you're a student, what are you studying)
• favorite food, music genre
• Pets
• If your gender is different than your toon and you want us to know, share that too!
• Something interesting about you
• Something interesting about where you live.

 We had one new member already comment to us on what a great thing it is to read about the other people in the guild.  I agree! Share moar pl0x!

Stars on Parade

We've got a double-header against Severed Tongue today, so let's prepare for a couple of wild seventh-inning stretches!  And Rev Joe ... can you spearhead the tailgate party for between? I'm pretty sure there are some celebrations on the horizon!  Today, we'll throw the gatorade on

• 140:   Emok
• 120:  Keldonhing

 ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
Notes

• The sixties were a tough decade.  Witness this for proof.  It would seem that we have a whole batch of folks mired in the 60's and have been stuck there for, like, forever!  It's time for serious action .. it's time ... for motivational posters!
•  

-- 0.o --

Mwahhaa haaa haaa!

'Nuff said.  Let's hang onto it!

-- 0.0 --

Stars on Parade

I've been remiss!!  I missed a celebrant yesterday.  However, Quacknor showed up for the drinking challenge last night and acquitted himself quite well.  I believe he's still sleeping it off.  Today, the tankard's clank together for these great folks:

• 130: Kiamatar
• 120: ADI2D
• 90: Quacknor *red face, it was actually yesterday*
• 80: s3rgui01, Erdix
• 70: JohnOMars
• New Members:  Good Phantom (70)

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• McSquish is on his honeymoon right now!  Send him an in-game congratulatory mail, I'm sure he'll love it.  Maybe I'll talk him into giving us a picture of himself and the new missus.  :D

-- ô.ô --

Stars on Parade

Today's celebrations come in the form of a challenge for those who've been jockeying for guild supremacy right around the 140 mark.  After dinner in the guildhall lounge, we'll be stacking up the beers and counting the victor.

• 140:  SamanthaII, Iola

We'll be getting out the challenge glasses .. may the best man/woman win!

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• Looking for handyman/woman to repair furniture.  Oh, and a glazier.  Repairs to be paid by bizerco.
• Also looking for any amusing stories to share.

-- 0.o --

Smalls

Joshua has a family lineage of bridge builders, and like them, has gone into mechanical engineering as his future career.  Unlike them, however, he has intents on redesigning modern architecture.  He believes that good design can withstand natural disasters and provide great versatility in a self-sustaining environment.  Self-sustenance can take us places we’ve not yet thrived ... arctic dwellings, underwater or underground cities or even ...outer space.

He lives on California’s Central Coast and has a passion for astronomy, reading and writing.  He has his own website where he publishes his work for e-readers and in blog format.  He’s a PS3 gamer and a player of World of Warcraft, where he’s a member of Exodus, the top ranked US guild, and a follower of True Blood on television.  He also has more than a passing acquaintance with the writer of Looking For Group, which gets another shameless plug from me.

-- 000-(.,.)-000 --

Stars on Parade

Cake is being served in the guildhall tonight .. a bit of a quieter celebration since we have just one person hitting a milestone:

• 140:  Pickleinder

Here's what we're serving!  Pick .. Jaraxel has slaved for hours to make this.  We all know that drow are a bit color-challenged what with being subterranean dwellers for eons, so I'm sure he had a bit of help.  *looks at StarRider*  Hope you like coconut!

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• Boulder's Gate is are coming along nicely, now ranked at #82.  If you're unconcerned over levelling and would like to take up a spot in our associate guild, just speak to Jaraxel and he'll make arrangements.  As a reminder, we'd like to see everyone level at least once every two to three days.  If you're unable to do that due to temporary circumstances such as vacations or studying for an exam, just talk to Jar.  In such circumstances, he can arrange someone to account sit for you if that's your preference. 
• Today, the average Waterdhavian is 88.

-- 0.o --

Stars on Parade

It's another lazy day about the guildhall ,,, bizerco is off catching Water Deep Wharf rats to sell to tourists and Emok and Duchon have taken over the kitchen to prepare a Labour Day feast for us all.  I think Smalls is supposed to be helping, but he's likely found an overstuffed chair where he can read.  I'm thinking of a bright red amber ale and how refreshing it will be with a large helping of apple cobbler!  Cheers to you this long weekend .. and today in particular, for

• 70:  lordpogi
• 60:  Salazarian

That's all for today .. if you have notes you'd like to share with me, please do!  I've got a couple more bios to go up ... Smalls and TUlen ... and then I'll be chasing down some of you!  :D

-- o.ø --

Glechen

Today seemed particularly apt to have a look at the person behind Glechen's good looks, since he's just hit a milestone level and we're serving up sushi (his favorite food) at our picnic later on.

Born May 15, Damie (pronouced day-me) lives in Boise, Idaho, home of the Basque Block Surname Spirals. At 6'3", his kids (5, 3, and 8 months) think he's a giant!  When he's not playing with them or hanging out with you scurvy lot, he'll be out mountain biking, skiing Bogus Basin, or fulfilling his passion of reading.  He particularly recommends The Keep.  During the days, you'll find him at his construction management job wielding hammer and tape measure rather than the sword and board he tramps around with when we see him.

-- 0.x --

Stars on Parade

It's been a busy morning for yours truly .. I've taken fresh breads out of the ovens, popped birds into roast while I went shopping, stopped over at Stoutman's Pride and ordered in another five kegs, dropped by Fanny's and the Anchor & Sail to pick up assorted groceries (including sushi see below) and off to Sugarhill's for that peanut brittle that Emok likes so much, hauled the Pogi brothers out of The Slithering Serpent where they were fibbing about their age in order to get tattoos, devilled a couple of dozen eggs, bought cheese at Three Blind Mice and am now .. well, now I'm ready to collapse.  Instead though, I've planned a picnic .. on our way out of town, we'll drop by the House of the Drunken Spider to pick up wine.  So bring a healthy appetite and a wineskin!  We'lllist our glasses/winekskins to ..

• 140:  Jaraxel
• 110: Glechen
• 100: Tharaver

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• A warm Water Deep welcome to Shava!
• Our Top 5 levellers:  Keldonhing (1.50 levels per day), Gynx (1.33), Duchon Mandic (1.25), Jaraxel (1.17) and Kiamatar (1.08).  These numbers were averaged over the last 12 days. 

-- 0.o --

Stars on Parade

A quiet day here in Water Deep .. the late September sun is baking off the boardwalks near the docks and in the guildhall, you can hear the quiet clink of bottles being removed from the common room.  Later this evening, there will be a barbeque in the gardens and we'll hoist a toast for

• 80:  Narciss
• 60:  Zorro44

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Note

• The average Waterdhavian is now 87!

-- o.0 --

A sophisticated plan ...

At Water Deep, we like to be sneaky about our attacks.  First we get ourselves a ship ... and a captain .. then we formulate a complicated, elegant and sophisticated battle plan.

Orrr ... we improvise:

Blatantly ripped off from I Can Haz Cheezburger?

Stars on Parade

Today is time for a little more sophisticated celebrations .. this time, we're taking a few carriages and going on a pub crawl in Sea Ward.  We'll start out at Gounar's Tavern and stop at The Ship's Wheel, Dancer's Inn, Maerghoun's Inn, the Pilgrims Rest and finally end up at the Wandering  Wemic on Diamond St and Satchel Alley.  The carriage company will supply blankets, but bring your own tankard!  We'll sing songs between pubs and celebrate the bravery and magnificence of our fellow guildies!

• 110:  Keldonhing
• 100:  Gynx
• 80:  hvete
• 70:  Duchon Mandic

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• On the left side of our website where the clock used to be is a link to the  Shakes & Fidget comic, inspired by World of Warcraft.  Thanks to StarRider for the info.
• I've got a few bios to put up, but if you haven't given me one, please do share your story with me.

-- 0.ö -

Stars on Parade

Still running behind .. it's staying up late and partying with you all that's messing with my schedule.  And we do like to celebrate!  So get on your dancing shoes and let's head out for more excitement .. we've got some things to cheer about :

• 90:  Enaled
• 70: Red Scout
• Back in Officer ranks:  Drastikkilla

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• So I was a bit confused as to why Emok was choosing our wars lately .. until I checked the middle panel.  Like me, you probably pretty much ignore that thing.  We have not just one, but two new War Generals who will be calling the shots .. Emok and Smalls!  Huzzah!!
• When I logged on this morning, we were at war with Severed Tongue.  It was pretty much a foregone conclusion that we'd not be experiencing victory, but ... BUT .. I was surprised with how well we did.  We had StarRider facing off against their highest level.  So .. well done, team!!
• Check out this change:

Before Witness Protection

After

Stars on Parade

Running late today .. hope to catch up to the rest of you in the guildhall later where we can raise a glass or heft a tankard to celebrate for these terrific people!

• 80:  Erdixtwo
• 70:  Good Pogi, Gingerman

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• Need bio information from a lot of you still :D .. I'll be chasing you down individually.  But if you haven't sent me something, please consider doing it.  In no way, do I want you giving information you feel uncomfortable with, but we all like to get to know the people we play with.  So .. who are you? 

-- o.0 -- 

Stars on Parade

After yesterday's camping experience, we'll just stay in town and head to The  Sleepy Sylph in Castle Ward at the corner of Rainrun and Snail Streets.  The attractions at the Sleepy Slyph include colored driftglobes passing by ... fairy-winged servers in diaphanous costumes and fowl roasting on spits over the fires.  We'll raise a glass of ale to our friends :

• 80:  Vult, Thepogi

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• If you don't already follow this webcomic, I suggest you go read the back catalogue and get caught up .. Richard is the funniest warlock ever.  Looking For Group.  If you have links you'd like to share, feel free to leave a comment and I'll have a look and do a post for some great links.

-- Ø.0 --

Gynx

Gynx has been fortunate to live in many fabulous places ... Scotland, Los Angeles and she now calls The Rose City her home - Portland, Oregon, a incredibly beautiful city situated in the heart of some of the best wine country ever!

A marketer by profession, Caena (pronounced Kenna) is an artist by  heart.  She enjoys biking, drawing, reading, movies, skiing ... and one of my own favorites .. sleeping!  Her 30ish birthday is coming up in September.  Hey, maybe one day, she'll show us some of her artwork!

In Water Deep, Gynx can be found perfecting  her game .. acquiring swift new bows or guns and shiny new gear, challenging dungeon masters and storming the rank ladder!

-- ☼.0 --

Stars on Parade

Today's celebrations call for a nice campfire ... a few roasted hot dogs and .. oh hey, how about marshmallow shooters?  If you don't know how to make them, I'll show ya.  Just bring a bag of marshmallows, a roasting stick and your favorite liqueur.  We'll sit around the campfire, get toasted and raise a shooter to these folks ..

• 130:  Iola, SamanthaII
• 80:  Karak
• 60:  Malyka
• New Officers:  SamanthaII, ThePogi, Smalls, Malyka

 ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• Not sure if you've noticed the change in our centre panel, but Jaraxel has updated our goals.  We're now looking for a Top Five spot on Server 1!  
• Staying Top 10 is still going to remain a daily battle since there are so many others looking to take that from us if they can.  However, our best defense  is to continue levelling at the zippy pace we've been setting. 
• The top guilds have a long, long list of 10o+ players and as a matter of fact, the top guild doesn't take players under 100.  We've got a ways to go before we can challenge for that, but we're on track .. keep up the good work!

-- 0.o --

Stars on Parade

There will be strawberry shortcake and champagne in the guildhall kitchen today because we've got some srs bsns to celebrate!   Bizerco ... try not to eat it all before we get there, k?

• 150:  StarRider
• 130:  Jaraxel, Pickleinder
• 120:  Helldemon666
• 100:  Keldonhing
• 90:  Gynx
• 70:  Venkman
• 60:  Smalls

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• The reason we celebrate with a special cake today is because (trumpet music please, maestro?  ♫♪♫)  StarRider is the first Waterdhavian to complete nine dungeons and open the 10th!  Well done, Star!
• Jaraxel must have had paint fumes to inspire him .. he shot up a record six levels yesterday!  Spread some of the hax around, bossman!
• The average Waterdhavian is now level 84. (Waterdhavian is the official Forgotten Realms reference to a resident of Waterdeep)
• For those who like to listen to music while playing,Waterdhavian Radio!

--  ó-ò --

Stars on Parade

Some folks have been working especially hard lately .. break out your vuvuzela (you know you wanted another excuse) and make some noise for these folks!

• 120:  Kiamatar
• 110:  ADI2D
• 70:  Kerblo

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• You may have noticed Drastikkilla depart last night and join Boulder's Gate ... and then he was back!  Looks like he was giving our former guildies a hand with some cash.  Boulder's Gate is a new guild where you'll find our old friends Evilopyrus and CielGrimpeur.  Apparently, Evil accidentally promoted someone else to GM at Prelude .. and while he's trying to get that all sorted out, he's started Boulder's Gate.  The name is a play on Baldur's Gate.

-- 0.o --

bizerco

bizerco doesn't so much enter a room as he slams into it, rips out his chainsaw and leaves it bloody.  I can completely imagine him in a mosh pit.  He says he first met his friend Fidgit when he was yelling at her for attacking his former guild.

At 24, Jake works at a Game Stop in Indiana, Pennsylvania - home of Dog-Hollow Speedway and the Jimmy Stewart  Museum.  When he's not carving up sofas with a chainsaw or trying to get out of doing guild kitchen duty, you might find him heading to a fishing hole with his beagle Sam.  He also has a black upside down catfish.

biz is a fan of food ... he likes pizza, but his favorite nosh?  French fries!

-- ø.o --

Red Scout

Which of these two jobs is more interesting? Chain Analyst at Cargill -- Arrow slinging hotshot for Water Deep? Fortunately for Jon, he doesn't have to make a choice .. he can be both!


Living in Wichita, Kansas,  Jon and his Shih-Tzu Bing are homebodies, enjoying movies and books .. mostly non-fiction business or economics books, but occasionally they'll go a bit crazy and read non-fiction adventure!

Of his dog, Jon tells me that he's a big cuddler and he's trained in Chinese.  I wonder if he also barks in Mandarin.  Hmm ...

Of himself, Jon says that with the spikey red hair and freckles, Red Scout looks a lot like the guy in the mirror every morning.

-- 0.x --

Not such a secret anymore ..

Stars on Parade

The rain drizzles across the harbor and dapples your cloak as you splash up the cobblestones of High Road to the Street of the Tusks and wander between the tables to a big booth on the lower floor of The Dancing Cyclops.  Today is a day of quiet celebration in front of a cozy fire with a big circle of friends, singing and maybe some dancing .. if the ale flows well.

Buy a round today for

• 60:  Duchon Mandic
• 40:  Solecks
• New Officer: Duchon Mandic

 ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• Still looking for someone to help me out with maintenance for this site, specifically with monitoring our battles .. wins/losses. 
• Will be adding more bios today, and if you've not already sent me one, please consider doing it .. also looking for more birthdays to add to our calendar.
• I found a great site for information on Waterdeep, The City of Splendors from the Forgotten Realms and will be sharing tidbits of it here and there.   If you click on the link above for The Dancing Cyclops, you'll find their menu, seating plans, etc.  

-- ^.^ --

Stars on Parade

It's a glorious day in Water Deep.  The sun is sparkling off the water in the bay and the breeze is calling for a sail, a picnic and some fishing!  Make sure to pack some champagne to toast our fellow hearties!

• 70:  McSquish
• 60:  Vultor
• New Officer:  Regerer, Vultor

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

:: Still looking for someone to help me with the website.  See yesterday's post.  :D

-- 0.o --

Help Wanted: Writer of Not-so-serious-stuff

Position:  "The Battlemaster" - war reporter for website

Pay:  ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!  (oh god, gotta compose myself!)

Duties: 
:: Follow up on daily wars - Guilds attack / defense
:: Note wins/loss
:: Note battle heroes
:: Write daily article for weblog
:: Maintain positive, fun writing style promoting Water Deep without denigrating other guilds.
:: Liaise with War Generals, HD666, Salazarian or Jaraxel to find out background on wars, interesting facts, etc.

Apply:
:: with a made up article, to Iola, in game or attached here as a comment to this post.  Make it as fanciful as you wish.

-- 0.0 --

Duchon Mandic

The friendly, 'come hither' grin above belongs to Duchon Mandic, who is also known as Tim, the husband of Emok.  Duchon came in to our guild not long ago as one of our lowest level players, and has since stormed up the ladder and is challenging for level 60 very soon.

Tim is a woodworker by day, satisfying his artistic side by creating stunning hardwood floors.  At night, he's a scout, laying in wait for unsuspecting villains.  He's also pretty much a huge pushover for his daughter and wife, he says.  Also, anything sports related.

Duchon resides in London, England and is a Sagittarius.

-- o.o --

Emok

Emok would prefer to be called Char although I bet her mom still calls her "Charlene-Louise!!" sometimes.  Moms have a way of using your full name to get your attention .. even when you're a mom yourself.

Char likes fantasy - she says her favorite film is the original Chronicles of Narnia - which may be why we see her here with a full set of horns.  Every girl wants horns - the ultimate accessory, right?  Okay, maybe the sword she carries is the ultimate accessory. She does seem to wave it around rather effectively.

When she has a day job that doesn't have "mom" or "housewife" somewhere in the description, Char is a scientist and as a matter of fact, was part of the team to map the Human Genome!!

As if that wasn't interesting enough, she paints, plays a few musical instruments and is related to Rob Roy McGregor.

-- o.0 --

Stars on Parade

Get your feet off the guildhall coffee table, take out the empties and straighten up the couch cushions .. we have new people to impress!  But before we do all that ... heft an ale to salute these folks!

• 80:  Royal3
• 60:  Regerer

New to Water Deep:

• SamanthaII:  Samantha joins the upper levels of the guild and will help us fend off the likes of our attackers these last few days .. the Top Five Guilds!  Samantha is wife to Merlin II ... should be fun to watch when we come up against each other in battle!
• ThePogi:  I may have this information incorrect as my memory sometimes plays tricks on me, but ... I believe ThePogi is brother to LordPogi and GoodPogi, making it a full triumvirate of badassery!  Welcome aboard, ThePogi!  

Now the bad news.  As new people to the guild, it falls upon you to clean the guildhall kitchen daily until we get new folks.  Make sure you take turns!

-- 0.o --

Stars on Parade

Break out the clown noses, rainbow wigs and big floppy red shoes .. time for a wild celebration!   Let's hear it for the high flying folks of Water Deep!

• 90:  Tharaver
• 70:  s3rgui01
• 60:  Adobeyone
• New Officer:  Adobeyone

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

:: Our average guild member is 79 today!

:: Shuffle over a bit .. make room My Little Pwnies on the 'Friends' bench.  Zimmi and her crew have been declared off limits for the swashbuckling Water Deep hearties.  Join us for grog instead!   Oh alright, if you insist, you can buy the first round!

-- 0.o --

Venkman

James is a bit of an enigma ... he's comfortable playing couch potato -- watching movies .. comedy, action adventure, drama, maybe sci-fi -- or playing Street Fighter with his buddies.   He's also a man of action ... taking the heat to the courts, sand and ice .. he plays beach volleyball, basketball and when the winter allows .. ice hockey.

James, 24, is currently a Costco employee hailing from Vancouver in Canada's province of British Columbia.

-- 0.o --

Stars on Parade

Our milestone today is not of levels, but is still an achievement.   Give Gynx an 'atta girl!" .. she's very excited to have acheived front page on our guild listings .. congrats!

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• Today, we speak of the new link we have right above our gchat that points to our weblog.  Click on it to find updates for Stars on Parade and member bios. 
  
  You can leave comments on posts if you sign in as a member of the weblog.  I encourage you to do that so we can get some interaction going on :)
  
  I have some other stuff planned for the weblog and would love to hear any ideas you might have. This can become quite a dynamic site with your involvement!

• Today's average guild member is Level 78.

-- o.0 --

McSquish

McSquish is a fun name, says Simon, the brains behind the beautiful Elven scout.  He lives in Canada's capital city with his two cats and when he's not gaming, reading or building models in his free time, you can find him working as a custodian. 

He's not a picky eater, but doesn't really care for sugar, which is good because that stuff rots your teeth .. and he'll need 'em because he tells me he plans on living forever!

-- o.0 --

JohnOMars

John O. is a fan of the Mars series written by Edgar Rice Burroughs and his IGN is a combination of his own name and a passion for those books. He highly recommends adding them to your reading list.

He's a grandfather, a Gemini, and his birthday is June 20th. His hobbies include blacksmithing (you do need to tell us more about this John!), landscaping, golf, reading and games.

His family includes a Greyhound named Finnian, who like his owner, can also appreciate a fine tuna melt or dolmathes made by loving hands.

He works as a controller for a manufacturing/distribution firm and spends way too much time commuting. When he's home, he says it's like vacation!

-- 0.o --

Stars on Parade

Today, we get happy for the following players!

• 60:  Chuulmajin
• New Officer:  bizarco, JohnOMars, Chuulmajin

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Notes

• In an effort to get to know each other because it's difficult to interact in a timely manner, we're asking folks if they'd like to participate in a "Who We Are" feature.  Send me a short paragraph that includes your first name, birthday (no year), approximate age, occupation (if you're a student, include your field of study), hobbies, pets, favorite food, something interesting about yourself.
• Development of a weblog is underway so we'll have someplace to check for Stars on Parade and other interesting notes such as the feature noted above.  The address is http://sf-waterdeep.blogspot.com.

-- o.0 --

Stars on Parade

Time to get out the fairy dust and spread it around! Let's celebrate with

• 90:  Keldonhing
• 80:  Gynx
• 70:  Erdix
• 60:  bizarco, JohnOMars

-- 0.o --