Mr. Lyall

Click to Enlarge.

You tell me
to be sensible
to be considerate
to be... human.
Well, I'm sorry
but I can't.

These were the first words that were penned for Greyer's personality.

Whimsi likes colors.

Taceo: Y'know, Greyer, you look like your name would be Hershel.

Greyer: It sounds so... English.

Taceo: It means "deer" in Yiddish, actually, and I think it's cute.

Greyer: Well, I think it's already taken on Thorium Brotherhood and Fenris and Boulderfist. So... Yeah, tough luck.

Taceo: "Hershel Lyall" has a nice ring to it.

Greyer: My name is Greyer.

Whimsi: Purple-er?

Greyer: GTFO, Whimsi.



...this is proves that my mind goes to strange places when I start making art and story speculations for Mr. Lyall. I really, really want to know the release date of Cataclysm so I can actually space out and schedule his posts and character sheet (gahhhhh!!). I've also been collecting stuff that Greyer would say in conversation and been playing with character interactions, so, stay tuned, I might have something literary to post soon.

Understand

Trying to understand Greyer
is like attempting to drown
everything you have ever thought of.

Suffrocation.
A string of endless night
and rain.

December 14th

Hidden away behind the tree near the northern bank of Dalaran, Taceo draped her cloak around her legs. The cool breeze bit at her cheeks and whisked her short hair about her forehead and eyes. She shivered and withdrew a hand out from underneath her cape to pull her worn backpack closer to the large, gnarled root she leaned against. There would be no tanking nor healing duties today. There were much more than dungeons, high quality gear, and other soldiers to worry about. The only thing she knew was that she could not lose anything and anyone she held dear - and that included her beloved guildmates - to a cataclysm.

Whimsi hummed softly as she dumped her backpack and her container of safety deposit box items on the floor of the northern Dalaran bank. She tossed her coin purse back into her backpack and eyed the rest of the knick-knacks that had collected at her feet. Zombie's curious, horned-skull lowered into the pile and she gently shoved him away from his reins and moss-filled feed bag. The skeletal horse nipped at her once and she forced him away with a sallow palm. Tumnus' head peeked out from underneath his owner's backpack flap. Whimsi smiled and scooped him into her lap. He rubbed his head against her ribcage as she snatched up the various of herbs that had tumbled out of a scroll case she had found while exploring earlier. Adeptly, she bundled them up with twine and stored them away properly into their appropriate jars, sorting which containers would be sent to Tabijin and which would be returned to the bank. After gathering the odds and ends and striking a deal with a nearby vendor, she made her way to a mailbox, tripping twice due to Tumnus weaving his way around her ankles. The canister of deadnettle would sell, as would the leftover mageroyal petals and goldclover leaves... A battered mace, a handful of enchanting dust, a sprig of lichbloom, a discolored potion (still tasted 'minty' though), a spiked staff, a necklace of unusually elegant craftmanship... and a hug. Once the items had been arranged neatly into the mailbox, she bent down and placed Tumnus carefully alongside the items and closed the door, positive that the feline would make the old troll smile. She opened the mailbox lid slightly, her luminescent eyes lighting up the dark, empty corners. She furrowed a brow; while she had been expecting mail hawks and owls to swoop down, she realized that her mail had been magically sent. (Damned mages....)

The elderly troll sifted through the piece of mail that had returned to him at Tanka'Le Village. Most of them addressed him with an elegantly written salutation of "Hail Chief Tabi'" or a "Sir Tabijin." Auction money, letter from Lady Taceo, auction money, returned bid, letter from Lady Taceo, package from Whimsi, package from Winterr, Whimsi's request for a cat toy, a bundle of returned auction lots, auction money, Tumnus... Nothing fascinating as usual. The broad-striped tabby cat purred at him and swatted at his hand as he scooped up the rest of the envelopes. He heaved a weary sigh and tucked the items into his backpack before lifting Tumnus out of the mailbox; he'd have to get Taceo to deliver him back to Whimsi yet again.

Veton laid back in her hammock, careful to slowly rest her hooves on the wooden bar closest to the inn entrance. Tanaris held nothing but desert, goblins, and their need for items from places and creatures she could barely face. She wondered what her family would be doing if no one had left the crash site and continued helping with the recovery of their ship. She wondered if she had even the slightest chance to run into Lena, Elodi and Zilaara again. Thoughts of Goruth and Ealenia and the possibility of becoming a battle medic alongside them even crossed her mind. Her tail tip curled as a warm gust of wind blew through the small Gadgetzan inn; she really hated it here.

Rain poured heavily from the sky, seeping its way onto and into anything it landed on. Greyer shook the water from his thick pelt, starting at his tattered ears and neck and working his way down to calves, restoring the fur at his ankles to its previous damp, feathery appearance. He wished he had stashed his armor away for the night; though it provided some protection from the storm, distressed patches and seams sewn together with only waxed cotton cord could not keep him dry. He swallowed and let out a yawn, baring his teeth and curling tongue; after howling for nearly an hour, boredom had finally caught up with him. His eyes focused on his newly-found companion, a tawny-pelted, middle-aged individual by the name of Spritzer. If they hadn't been chased off by their fellow denizens, they would've been in the inn enjoying a pint of ale and enjoying themselves instead of prowling about by the King's Gate, waiting for the rain to stop. Spritzer's sightless eyes shifted from Greyer to the sky above. Greyer snorted and stood up briefly before planting his hands on the muddied path, continuing to head back to his makeshift camp on all fours. The blind bartender's khaki-furred ears swiveled forward and upon hearing Greyer's footfalls above the whispering rain, he set his nose to the ground and followed suit, the claws of each of his paws digging into the soaked terrain.

If anything, everyone, despite the distance between them, eagerly awaited the return of Greatfather Winter to restore their spirits of hope and happiness....

Versus: Our Blog's Two Males

Tabijin:

• more like a father (understanding, worrisome)
  
• had a family and lost them (two dead, one lost)
  
• disowned a friend
  
• was shaped by family tradition (father was a Shaman)
  
• "Fallen patriarch"
  
• was an elitist to some degree; was a chief adviser to tribe

Greyer:

• more like a son (rebellious against authority, unruly)
  
• had a family and lost them (all deceased)
  
• betrayed by a friend
  
• dislikes family tradition (older brothers overshadowed him)
  
• "Rising rebel"
  
• was a humble being, befriended the tavern bartender

Hmmm... trying so hard to make Greyer unique compared to Tabi and the girls; perhaps, even, an "anti-Tabijin." Already ran his personality through the D&D character alignment test and came out surprisingly as Chaotic Neutral (no one has had that result before, so it was like "whoa"). So, yeah...

Also, if you're also creating a Worgen, check these out:

• WoW.com | Worgen
  
• WoW.com | Know Your Lore: Gilneas
  
• WoW.com | Know Your Lore: Worgen

[Note: these links do not directly contain quest spoilers.]

...heh, for all I know, Greyer's father/family could've made armor/supply packs for the war(s), the Lyall family could've assisted in building the Greymane Wall... Could Greyer become afflicted with the Curse because of an encounter with his father or brothers (whether a bite or simple contact)? Something to consider, I suppose. I really want some more specifics about the Curse's dynamics beside the fact of it "spreading through Gilneas unchecked for several years."

On a different note and on the other side of the Greymane Wall, Greyer can't seem to shake off the annoyance of an individual by the name of "Spritzer." Not sure who he is just yet, but Greyer's howling and snarling by the King's Gate has been heard almost nightly now.

Run Awayyy!

You're freeeeeeeee!

...secretly, Taceo is trying to snatch up all the pet turkeys and release them back into the wild. /facepalm.

Thankful

This year, the girls [and Tabi'] and I are thankful for:

• Lunarius & Nikolaos
  
• Rested experience bars
  
• The Shadow of Paragon [my 3d pixel family!]
  
• Chief, B, Moo, Olo', Derek & Sam
  
• Ventrilo chats
  
• Hearthstones
  
• The Light's blessings
  
• Tigule & Foror's Ice Cream
  
• Events that bring my guildies together
  
• Epic and Flying Mounts
  
• Shirts that cover the female torso/abdomen
  
• The screencap .jpg format
  
• Professions & the craftsmen who've mastered them
  
• Successful raids
  
• Daily quests
  
• Fun quest chains
  
• Maintenance Tuesdays
  
• The upcoming release of Cataclysm
  
• Blizzard Entertainment [even though things have changed for better AND for worse, they've still gifted me with everything above...]
  
• ...and, of course, my family and friends who tolerate my obsessive love for this game, haha. ♥

Veton the Shaman

Name: Veton Sophronias
Pronunciation: vee-tuhn
Title: None
Nickname(s): V
Age: ~250? mortal years
Gender: Female
Height: 6 ft. 6 in.
Weight: 135 lbs.
Skin: White
Hair: Tan/Gray/White
Eyes: Luminous White
Concept Date: November 14, 2009
Birthdate: Unknown
Birthplace: Unknown
Faction: Alliance
Race: Draenei
Class: Shaman
Alignment: Neutral Good

Guild: Love and Warcraft
Allies: Goruth, Ealenia, Celenah, Spat, Lyconis
Family: Zilaara (cousin), Elodi (cousin), Craetes (uncle), Totle (father-deceased), Era (mother-deceased), Medes (uncle-deceased), Mene & Lule (aunts-deceased)
Weapons: Shield, 1h Mace; Dagger; 2h Mace
Pet(s): Gust the White Moth
Occupation: Herbalist, Alchemist
Hobbies: Cooking, gathering herbs, potion mixing, fishing, dancing

Known Favorites: Rain, wind, thunder storms, pumpkin pie
Known Dislikes: Blood elves, blinking mages, DPS people who think they can tank [in DPS gear], "n00b" Death Knights

Character in 3 Words: Nurturing, Spiritual, Dedicated.

History: Veton was born to Totle and Era, two skilled paladins who were medics aboard the Exodar. Like her cousin Elodi, she was cared for by her uncle, Craetes, after her parents, uncle, and aunt perished in the Exodar crash. The three cousins were close until Zilaara left Ammen Vale where they had been tending to the crash survivors. Elodi would follow soon after, leaving Veton alone with her uncle's near-constant worrying. It wasn't very long until Veton departed the crash site, determined to surpass her cousins and whatever they had set out to do for the Alliance.

On her journey to Stormwind, she befriended Goruth, a skilled warrior, and a mage by the name of Ealenia. With their companionship came the invitation to become apart of the guild Love and Warcraft. Since then, she has realized what she has to do... train, master the elements, and serve the Alliance alongside her new-found comrades.

As the seasons passed, from Autumn to Winter, Veton found herself against a new enemy - Northrend and the Scourge who threatened to inhabit its every surface. For the first few weeks, Strike was unable to navigate through the frozen skies, leaving Veton to fend for herself on the rough terrain with only Tempest, her white frostsaber, and her ghost wolves.

Once Spring had arrived on Azeroth's lower continents, the young Shaman had seemingly grown beyond the naive Draenei who had left the Exodar crash site. Renting rooms in Dalaran and spending time by the city's fountains and other little snow-bombarded settlements, Veton made her way into the throng of Alliance and Horde soldiers, following them in and out of the city to ward them off or heal their battle wounds.

As the days march on, she continues to strive to be one of her guild's prominent members.

Appearance: Slender, pale-skinned and bright-eyed, Veton is nothing short of athletic in build. Her black-brown hooves are worn, and gold rings and bands accent her figure. Three golden hoops hang from each of her pointed ears. Her shoulder-length, silver hair is thin and always well-washed. Tall horns sprout from her temple, seeming like 'rabbit ears' in shape.

She usually wears her cherished Tabard of the Hand to show her pride to be a survivor of her people - though it is not uncommon for her to switch between favorite allies. Her gear, meanwhile, almost always consists of chainmail lined with ragged leather pieces for comfort; she rarely cares to pay mind to the frays in her cape or the scuff-marks on her knees, glove palms, and elbows. Some pieces look very worn - and most are singed and patched in some places - as if she didn't bother to find more suiting armor to wear. Her hands, though quite soft in general, have a few calluses on her palms from wielding heavy maces, daggers, and shields.

Quirks:

• Second toon to become lvl 80; the first was Taceo.
  
• The name "Veton" means lightning in Albanian.
  
• Veton, due to a nearly unfulfilled wish of having an all-white, high level Draenei, is related to cousins Zilaara and Elodi Sophronias [on the server Silverhand]. She is also supposedly related to Lena Sophronias [another Draenei who was "put on the back burner" when Taceo was created]. Their last name of 'Sophronias' means "prudent" or "self-controlled" in Greek, loosely translated to "harmony, voice, wisdom and skill."
  
• She was created solely to play with Taceo's guild mates who had transferred servers from Thorium Brotherhood to Fenris.
  
• Veton's father and uncles are triplets, named for Greek philosophers: Craetes (Socrates), Totle (Aristotle) and Medes (Archimedes)
  
• Reached lvl 58/Outland in 4 days, 20 hours, 27 minutes, and 18 seconds [in play time].
  
• Got to lvl 60 in 5 days, 1 hour, 25 minutes, and 52 seconds [in play time]; leveled soon after the first pull in Hellfire Ramparts - her first TBC dungeon.
  
• Her pet Snowy Gryphon, Strike, was quick to bond with her after learning he liked to eat Fel Blossoms.
• As an enhancement-trained Shaman, she came to adopt "Romulus" and "Remus," two ghost wolves who helped her conquer her way to Dalaran.
• From lvl 1 - 80, Veton took 139 days [4 months and 19 days] to level; a total of 232 hours of play time were logged.
  

Soundtrack:
At the Beginning
01 | Enigma - Push the Limits
02 | Basement Jaxx - Do Your Thing
03 | Kelly Sweet - Dream On
04 | Josh Groban - Oceano
05 | Snow Patrol - The Lightning Strike
06 | Norah Jones - Sunrise
07 | Lenka - The Show
08 | Train - When I Look to the Sky
09 | Enigma - Return to Innocence
10 | Adiemus - Adiemus

Into the Fray
01 | Colbie Caillat - Oxygen
02 |
03 |
04 | Stacie Orrico - I Could Be the One
05 | Maroon 5 - Kiwi
06 |
07 |
08 |
09 |
10 |

While shopping...

...I ran into Greyer and he gave me one of his family heirlooms (a really, large, chunky ring @_@; ) to hang onto until we meet again when the expansion's released. It's hanging on my cellphone now. Yay!

Project: Veton the Raiding Shaman

In all actuality, lightning strikes
on dainty Draenei hooves.

Name: Veton
Faction: Alliance
Race: Draenei
Class: Shaman

Project Started: Nov. 14, 2009
Project "Finished:" Apr. 1, 2010

Superior BoE Items Found in Old World: 6
Epic BoE Items Found: 0

WoW Armory | WoW Heroes | Character Sheet | Guild Site

lvl 01 - 16: 09 hours played
lvl 16 - 19: 12 hours played
lvl 19 - 22: 17 hours played
lvl 22 - 24: 22 hours played
lvl 24 - 26: 27 hours played
lvl 26 - 27: 30 hours played
lvl 27 - 28: 34 hours played
lvl 28 - 30: 37 hours played
lvl 30 - 40: 64 hours played
lvl 40 - 50: 94 hours played
lvl 50 - 60: 121 hours played
lvl 60 - 70: 156 hours played
lvl 70 - 79: 225 hours played
lvl 79 - 80: 232 hours played

One of the Gang

Greyer, wejustloveyoooooou... Q_Q







[Shhh... I like to recycle vector art and you wouldn't believe how hard it was to get him to stay human for a quick snapshot in an Alliance shirt.]

Taceo's "game-on" face

Smug enough, for ya?

Together Again [excerpt]

Her almond-shaped eyes peered up at him as a smile curved her full, pale purple lips. Lunarius kissed the crown of her head, bringing his hands to her face to brush a strand of snow white hair from her eyes. His thumbs smoothed over the familiar dark facial markings on her cheeks before intertwining with the two large looped braids at the base of her neck. She raised a hand to his jaw, expressing her fascination with the broad patch of white hair that ran across her husband’s chin and face. “Is the beard a bit much?” he questioned, his deep voice soft and mellow. Lunette bit her lip to hold back a girlish giggle and shook her head. She brought her other hand up to his face to trail her fingertips up either side of his jaw line in adoration, causing him to slowly close his eyes. When he opened them again, she rested her hands on his shoulder pads and buried her face into his chest, “I’ve missed you...”

New Tank on the Block

...Introducing, Taceo the Retardin [n00b] Tank.
Finally defense capped at 553.

Thanks Myldaine, Azonifel, Oloren, and Nikolaos. ♥

Greyer's Pumpkin

...wasn't going to post or share this random Halloween project of mine, but Greyer's pumpkin won 3rd prize in a [random] pumpkin decorating contest, so, wo0t!

we are all unlikely heroes

Taceo: The ever-strong and determined. A chip on rests on both shoulders. She has never known loss or hopelessness. She is capable of getting anything she could ever want. Nothing can stop her once she has focused on something. She is independently stable by all means: her parents are still living, she knows where the gold is and how much she needs to get her through each day, she is sure of her purpose as a Horde/Silvermoon soldier.

Reser: The 'lesser Taceo.' While she is independent and sure of what she wants, her road to that state of mind was rough; abandonment, a father-like Mage trainer, and years of soul-searching guided her when she had no one to answer her cries for help. She has no recollection of her parents or her friends, leaving her unsure of nearly everything except for the duties of a true Mage.

Lunette: The war-torn veteran... She had everything to begin with: a proper upbringing, a calling for her during the war, the confidence in her teachings as a druid, a companion for life (whom she married and had two children with). Depression broke her a thousand times over, testing her, but she would rise again, renewed after every bout. However, Northrend beckoned, and when the war continued to rage, it tore her from those she held dear, shattering her once again.

Whimsi: The undying optimist without a specific purpose. When something goes wrong, her focus shifts to the next event or thing that could succeed without a second thought about why that something failed. You could give her a small candle and tell her to explore a seemingly endless cave and she'd do it; even if her candle were to be blown out, she'd relight it by any means and continue until she'd memorize every nook and cranny. She does not remember most things, but the things she can recall are only moments of happiness or uplifting insight.

Tabijin: The fallen, crumbling patriarch. He has loved and lost... not just his family, but everything. From riches to rags. He is forced to continue life rebuilding, but whatever he has rebuilt can never replace or fill in the gaps that has formed within him. He clings desperately to the past, not knowing that things will never be the same.

Greyer: The cynical, misunderstood outcast. His isolation and seclusion were all of his own doing - his beliefs and outlook - and he has thoroughly accepted that along with his current condition of being cursed as a monstrous being. His older twin brothers overshadowed him constantly during his childhood and, on several occasions, he has gone out of his way to avoid them and their parents, determined to find something more to define him as 'different.' When his family fell under the effects of the Worgen curse, he watched as his family was torn apart and driven away; first his twin brothers were captured by authorities, then his father, and when he, himself, became afflicted, he watched as his mother fled in fear and mourned as he witnessed her lifeless body being towed to shore. He resorted to living away from society, only returning to his family's leatherworking shoppe for months at a time to temporarily ease his pain of missing them, observing as friends and town acquaintances became monsters themselves. His basic means of surviving are simple; as long as there is a way to continue living with how he is, life can go on.





I don't know why, but,
I wish I had Greyer or Whimsi;
perhaps they'd understand.

Happy Hallow's Eve!

Taceo's Tanking Notes

• Main Tankadin 101
  
• 3.1 Paladin Glyphs
  
• The 969 Rotation Macros
  
• Useful Paladin Macros
  
• Tannyr's Paladin Tanking Guide (How To: 969 Rotation)
  
• The Light and How to Swing It: Paladin Macros
  
• WoWhead: PVE Tanking Build
  
• TankSpot.com

A Lone Howl

Behind the locked gates of Gilneas,

Greyer Lyall weeps

at the sight of a veil full of stars.

We're Recruiting!

The Shadow of Paragon is a small, fun and friendly guild
always seeking to improve itself while thoroughly enjoying the game.
Currently, we have just enough active people
to work on heroic dungeon runs.

We are knowledgeable in our character classes
and always play to the best of our abilities.

Like most guilds, we have an awesome tabard
and a nicely-stocked guild bank.

ALL classes and levels WELCOME!
We're preparing to acquire guild achievements
in the upcoming expansion, Cataclysm!

We have a late-night guild activity called
the S.C.R.R.A.W.L. Club;
though, we usually only venture out
when there's enough interest and people online.

These people will also toss ya an invite!
Azonifel
Rhathgryn
Berien
Ealnn

Also check out
our WoW Armory profile
or
our WoW Heroes profile.

Introducing: Greyer

Depending on how the Worgen models look, Greyer will either be male or female, though I do lean towards the male (mainly because all my characters are female, except for Tabijin). Worgen images from WoWinsider / WoW.com.

Full character sheet to come as soon as more information and the expansion are released... but for now, have a masculine (age 23) and feminine (age 11-12) Greyer, his 'finalized' male form (with conceptually incorrect teeth?), and a roughly sketched female form.

...and, erm, no, I didn't mean for 'him' to look like Orlando Bloom or Johnny Depp or Billy Crudup. Haha. I really intend for him to be older, so his pelt is grey (surprise, surprise...).

Oh, and he has a snaggletooth. :D Ain't 'e darling?!

SoP's First Ulduar Run [part 3]

Next up: XT-002 Deconstructor, Kologarn, and Ignis.


Approaching XT-002 Deconstructor's room...


A bit too easy... somewhat. Everyone lines up as Garedar runs ahead to the Antechamber portal. [Click to enlarge.]


Taceo inspects the corpse just to make sure.






The guild approaches Kologarn with caution.




The guild wipes due to Kat' slipping off the edge of the platform... Taceo heals up and is snatched back to the room before the fight resets.


Meeting his destruction, Kologarn's lifeless body collapses into a makeshift bridge.


Oloren and Ealem check out Kologarn's head as everyone rushes to check out the coffer on the other side.




Approaching Ignis the Furnace Master's room...




Rokur explains the fight.


We attempt him a few times but call the raid.
Well, perhaps next time, Ignis. Thanks for the achievement though.

SoP's First Ulduar Run [part 2]

Razorscale flies above the raid...






Oh noes, Ealem! Watch out!




Another easy boss bites the dust. [Click to enlarge.]

SoP's First Ulduar Run [part 1]

[WARNING: 22 images.]

• Siege: Flame Leviathan
  
• Siege: Razorscale
  
• Siege: XT-002 Deconstructor
  
• Siege: Ignis the Furnace Master
  
  
• Antechamber: Kologarn
  
• Antechamber: Assembly of Iron
  
• Antechamber: Auriaya
  
  
• Keepers: Freya
  
• Keepers: Hodir
  
• Keepers: Mimiron
  
• Keepers: Thorim
  
  
• Descent: General Vezax
  
• Descent: Yogg-Saron
  
  
• Plantarium: Algalon

Raid Roles ~
Katelaina [Paladin, MT]
Rokur [Death Knight, OT]
Berien [Rogue, DPS]
Oloren [Hunter, DPS]
Garedar [Hunter, DPS]
Banethor [Warlock, DPS]
Jessop [Warlock, DPS]
Rhathgryn [Shaman, DPS/Healer]
Ealem [Druid, Healer]
Taceo [Paladin, Healer]

There's the raid roster and our progression, now onto the pictures!


Waiting to summon people; all grouped up to protect one another from one suicidal Alliance warrior...


Katelaina, Taceo and Jessop ready for action.


Taceo and Katelaina approve of each other's messy up-dos.


"Ready?"
"Of course!"


Taceo and Oloren await the command to man their siege engine.




The Fearless Katelaina


The Brave Banethor


The Proud Rhathgryn






Heal up!


Oloren and Taceo cause some major havoc.




Rokur makes sure everyone's all set in their vehicles.






Berien quickly scoops Taceo from the floor after the raid loses a siege engine.




"Go Garedar! GO!"




The Flame Leviathan goes down. [Click to enlarge.]