Journeys with Jaye

Orko, the Gandalf of MMOs

So there I was last Sunday, two minutes to raid start, and majorly short handed with numbers.  We got a nice burst of dps and utility raiders at the last moment, but still short on healing.  I was scrambling to figure out how to eek out another two healers so we could get the raid going, but I had people telling me they didn’t think things looked promising, and that we would be better off calling it.  I was in the middle of my own little Helm’s Deep, and the orcs just blew up the outer wall.

As if on cue, I see the message, “Orko has logged in,” and what had been a questionable raid suddenly turned into a productive night of upgrades.  While he wasn’t the only one that made that raid happen, it’s one of many examples of how Orko always seems to have impeccable timing when it comes to helping turn the tide.  He shows up precisely when he means to, and not a moment too soon.  But his arrival always means great things are about to happen.

Time and time again, Orko’s been the glue that keeps things together in guild.  Last week he dragged the flag across the field of Ganak, with a dozen players clawing at him to drop it, to give us a come from behind victory in Battlegrounds.  Last year, he returned after a walkabout in Hyboria, right after we had lost a couple of active guild members and were knee deep in some of the most challenging content we had faced to date.  He helped us keep momentum going at a time when it looked like we were inches from the brick wall.

Ten years ago, he was working deals to help Revelry and Honor line up a solid raid force for our first try at Venril Sathir, and our first shot at getting into the Prexus rotation.  He was also there to help me with the unenviable task of awarding the legs that dropped.  And he was there to draft up all the logistics for our Plane of Sky summon/rez island hopping campaign.  (/hug Staff of Forbidden Rites).  Raiding that zone was arguably the most complicated endeavor we faced as a guild, and Orko had every detail covered for us.

I know I risk sounding like a cheesy Budweiser commercial, but it’s a pretty amazing moment to look to the east at dawn on the fifth day, and see a large sarnak, decked out in a pink bunny hat and matching pink robe.  He has been a big part of why RnH has lasted so long, and he’s always done it with an upbeat and calm approach, no matter how much we’re struggling.  It’s the Orko’s that make playing an MMO such a cool experience.

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Sparklecat!

That’s right.

My poor co-host is going to set himself on fire.  Put down the gasoline Darren!

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New Halas

I have been peeking at the progress of the next EQ2 game update on Test server, with a particular curiousity towards New Halas.  I fondly remember the days of old Halas, watching all those brand new Barbarians running around with only a kilt and some blue facepaint.  And the nights – oh the nights!  There was nothing more fun than seeing barbarians running around through the snow maze outside Halas, lost and blind as a bat.  Those that were lucky would make it as far as Blackburrow, only to zone in and get flattened by a train of 50 gnolls and a huge brown bear.

That Halas is long gone, sadly, after having been destroyed by Shatterings, Rendings, the Rallosian invasion, and finally, the Cataclysm.

But up in the north, a stout band of Coldain dwarves endured, and has been fighting against the Ry’Gorr orcs.

The Ry’Gorr were determined to overtake the Coldain, and crossed the Frostfang sea to launch their attacks.

Meanwhile, the Priests of Love and the Sisterhood of Erollisi have been waiting for a sign from Mithaniel Marr that his sister’s death was not in vain, and that love would overcome hate.   Erollisi’s statue in the Plane of Valor would be that sign.

Mithaniel Marr made an agreement with the Coldain -  the statue was placed in the center of their village, which would now be known as New Halas.  In return, they received Mithaniel Marr’s blessings, and their lands became reconnected with the rest of Norrath.

I’m looking forward to seeing New Halas go live – and I’m placing a bet that the Marketplace teaser announcement yesterday is referring to kilts.  We might not have blind barbarians in game, but there’s still a chance we’ll see a few braving the ice in nothing but blue paint and a plaid skirt.

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