The View Through The Branches

Flames assemble for the kick off...

Flames turned 5 years old on February 12th 2010.

Five years and one of the longest active guilds on Terenas. I joined Flames of the Phoenix after ejecting myself from major guild drama on April 17th 2008. I had only raided in one guild, I had my full ilvl213 set of gear, I was used to be lead healer and essentially healing officer. I was wearing everything BiS from Naxxramas and was ready to roll into Ulduar with a new guild and a new lease on my Warcraft life.

In an effort to get away from my old guild, I’d even changed my character name. I couldn’t quite bring myself to server transfer, however. I had my old rogue friend, Baruch, my early warrior pal, Sophista, and a host of other chaps I didn’t want to leave behind.

On June 5th, just two months later, I stupidly changed guild again, back to a splinter of my first raiding guild. The guilt I felt for having left them made my silly “conscious” flare up, and I changed guilds once more. As soon as the option came available, I also name changed again – Elsen I was once more. Espreya wasn’t my character, she didn’t suit it. I stuck it out for 3 and a half months, and went back to Flames of the Phoenix on September 19th 2009, and hopefully this is where I will stay for the rest of my Warcraft career.

I hid in the Barrens...

I use my story to illustrate that of a lot of Flamers. You come, something calls you away, but you always come back. There’s something about the place that just makes it all quite right. And of course I’m glad I came back – I’d never have met Mike or developed what we have now without the place. I’m pleased about my time away – I met two very special friends during my time in Respice, Jaedia of the Lazy Sniper and Zalduun, my partner in healing crime and little brother. But Flames is where I’m meant to be, and I think is in many ways the perfect fit for so many people and players.

Which is why we decided to celebrate the 5 years Flames had been existence with a bit of a party. I have to admit, I went straight to Beru for ideas, as I remember reading her 5th anniversary post about Monolith’s celebrations.

We decided on a Scavenger Hunt.

Nyo found me first

7 teams competed, each of 2. We had:

1. Team WTFHeroism (our resident shammy Shamubar and my healing partner the lovely Zalduun),

2. Team Boomkin and dead blue thing (named/partnered by Nyo, our moonkin raid leader, with Mike, his housemate, my boyfriend, resident draenei DK)

3. Team Mad Moon Monsters (Jaedia and Madmac, one of our mages)

4. Team Moose (Stug the paladin, Darkstarelf the feral kitty and Cerbie the DK)

5. Team Vanilla (Astrelle, m’pocket tank, and his sister Windleaf)

Team WTFHeroism

6. Team Exploding Strudels (Kabooms, our queen exporter of Exploding Strudels, and Dhearic, our tanking druid)

and finally

7. Team Chopped Up – assembled at the last minute by two of the people whose team members disappeared (Yanader, our suicidal mage, and Mirielle, another of our DKs).

The judges and adjudicators were myself and Meylenne, our GM.

We assembled on Stormwind steps, and allocated the teams to the judges. Under my control were teams 1, 2, 4 and 7, Meylenne watched over teams 3, 5 and 6.

Most people were ready on vent, and “bang on 7pm” (in actuality, it was about 7:15), the questions were released on the forums as a post.

Nyo and Rydia hand in (yes, my boyfriend is a death knight in a bunny suit)

The questions were as follows:

1. We hear that the great Prophet may soon be under attack from the Dark Ranger. Rush to the Exodar and tell me how many Shields of Velen protect him.

2. I once heard of a great dwarven warrior by the name of Grags (replaced by “suicidal mage named Yanader”). I demand you find him, /spit, /flirt or /kiss him and bring me a screenshot as proof of your kill!

3. Tyrande, the beautiful night elf priestess, has become a tad vain recently. Please check if her hair still is the jet black it always was.

4. The murlocs of Azeroth are slowly driving me insane. Contribute to our war effort and bring me 20 murloc eyes. I would also like to see the one called Cookie dead. Bring me proof of his death in the shape of his tenderizer, stirring rod, or if you cannot find those, a screenshot of his death.

5. I’m hungry. I’d like a Delicious Chocolate Cake, please. You will receive extra points for baking it in front of me when you hand in your completed hunt form.

Yanader and Mirielle reach the finishing line...

6. A special family are currently living in the inn on the outskirts of old-Stratholme (pre-culling). They are a family of four – 2 men, woman and child. Visit them and tell me their names. Provide a screenshot.

7. This same family suffered a terrible fate at the hands of the scourge. Visit them as they are in the present day. We will require photographic proof. Provide a screenshot of each (3 out of 4 will do)

8. I would like a Stratholme Lily. Bring me one.

Team Moose crawl into Ratchet...

9. There’s a lovely old horse in Westfall by the name of Old Blanchy. What colour is she? Provide a screenshot

10. Visit the grave of the most famous steed in Wrath of the Lich King. Take a picture of the open grave and of the inscription. Provide a screenshot

11. Please bring us a white woollen dress.

12. Bring me a shrubbery! (hint: 5 of them please)

13. Don Carlos is present in Tanaris and somewhere else. Visit him, and tell me the name of his pet coyote. Provide a screenshot

14. A night elf of the Mithril Order works in Gadgetzan. What is his name? Provide a screenshot

15. Tell me the names of the three children of Madoran Bronzebeard.

Madmac went for a wander, so Jaedia came alone for her screenie!

16. What are the names of the 5 heroes honored in the Valley of Heroes, Stormwind?

17. Hemet Nesingwary appears in Nagrand. Who helps him hunt game in this region?

18. Visit the Barrens and find Takar the Seer. Where is he? Provide a screenshot

19. Nesingwary made it to Northrend too. Collect 15 Nesingwary ears.

20. Provide the following beverages: 1 x Bash Ale, 1 x Black Coffee, 1 x Yeti Milk, 1 x Volatile Rum, 1 x Nethergarde Bitter.

21. Provide the following foodstuffs: 1 x Bladespire Bagel, 1 x Cabbage Kimchi, 1 x Carrot Cupcake, 1 x Crusader’s Rations, 1 x Goldenbark Apple

Astrelle and Windleaf stop on by for their team photo

Our teams had until 10pm UK time to find myself and Mey (Mey was hidden in cat form deep in the deadmines, I skulked on a bed in the back corner of Ratchet), bake their chocolate cake in front of us and officially “hand in” their answers (send them me over MSN, essentially).

Everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves. I tried to include a large variety of questions, and demanding the inclusion of screenshots did mean people couldn’t cheat and wowhead an answer, and the necessity of some soulbound items meant the AH couldn’t be extorted too much.

I did see some great claims in trade, “LF All Ingredient for a Chocolate Cake! C.O.D. it to me for 100g but you must include ALL ingredients!!!” and those desperately hunting out a tailor; “WILL PAY 200G FOR WHITE WOOLEN DRESS!”.

We had a nice selection of prizes: one sandbox tiger loot card, one Path of Cenarius lootcard, and 5 hatchlings.

The Eventual Winners:

And I'm really glad people had fun!

1. Team WTFHeroism – 220 Points
2. Team Boomkin & Dead Blue Thing – 210 Points
3. Team Exploding Strudels – 188 points
4. Team Vanilla: 183 Points
5. Team Mad Moon Monsters: 155 Points
6. Team Yanader/Mirielle: 140 Points
7. Team Moose: 130 Points

Team WTFHeroism have won:
1 x Sandbox Tiger loot card
1 x raptor hatchling of their choice

Team Boomkin & Dead Blue Thing have won:
1 x Path of Cenarius loot card
1 x raptor hatchling of their choice

Team Exploding Strudels have won:
2 x raptor hatchling of their choices (1 each).

I hope you enjoyed seeing a foray into the world of Flames of the Phoenix and if anyone is interested, we’re recruiting a Disc Priest/Resto Shaman, and exceptional applications will always be considered