Yes, yes, Christmas was good. I spent most of it around the house with my fiance, enjoying being lazy and trying out a new game. I've been struggling to put together something reasonably coherent lately, and I have no idea why. I'm sure I'll be back on track in no time.

I finished my internship (hurrah!) and now I realize just how much time I spent at work doing blogging stuff. Because now that I have "free time" I'm spending a lot more of it actually playing the game instead of writing or reading about it.

I have focused most of my writing here on World of Warcraft, with a touch of D&D 4e here and there, but depending on how things go with the newest addition to my gaming aresenal, I may begin to include some information about healing in Aion. Expect a mini-review in the near future. That's not normally what I do here, but I'd like to believe I could provide a perspective on it that others might appreciate if you were interested at all in the game.

If you've been wanting to try Aion (like myself) but were waiting for NCSoft to make some kind of demo version available, well it's here, kinda. The North American release of Aion is about three months old now I think, and now they are offering a Refer a Friend program (finally!) which I've been waiting for since the game was released. I don't just buy games, I need to try them out first. I started on a Refer a Friend basis (provided by Fulguralis <3), style="font-weight: bold;">If you are interested in trying it out, but don't have any friends who play it, let me know, and I'll see if I can set something up for you.

That's enough Aion for the moment. I would like to share a story about more utter fail with you. I know how much you all truly enjoy hearing about my blatant stupidity at times, and I have a fresh epic story to share that simply cannot be ignored.

Sometime last week my fiance was telling me about his debate regarding buying the t9 stuff for his druid. I, assuming I was an expert on all these things of course, told him he could not get any t9 gear unless he ran ToC for the trophies.

"What are you talking about? There's a vendor right here that sells it all for badges."

"No there isn't - he requires you to have trophies too in order to buy them."

"Where are you buying your gear? The guy right outside ToC sells them for badges alone."

"....No he... No, see the... WHAT?!"

See how quickly a pair of Dwarven legs can get you to the Argent Tournament grounds? Observe as all my badges are rapidly swept away to buy two pieces of t9 gear, and gold spent gemming them up, enchanting mats devoured in new enchants.

The entire time I have been going to the vendors in Dalaran to purchase my Badge of Triumph gear, never registering that somewhere in the lands of Icecrown, a lonely vendor stood, awaiting my arrival and my purchases in order to feed his growing family. Instead, I bemoaned my three pieces of t8 gear, weeping over my inability to get a fourth piece to activate the awesomest 4 piece bonus ever for a Disc priest, wondering where on earth that lost rumor of t9 had gone. I had stopped doing random heroics because I didn't need the Triumph Badges anymore, and I didn't really understand why so many people were grinding them for so long, convincing myself that my gear was obviously just quite superior.

Thus, my e-peen epiphany that left me humbled, with a slightly flatter forehead from bashing it against the wall.

So, having given up on ever acquiring the elusive fourth piece of t8 (for now anyway), I am currently putting together the rest of my t9 set. Problem is, I hate grinding heroics. Other people hate grinding dailies, or crafts, or things like that, but for me it's heroics. They are usually incredibly boring to heal for me. I was into it for a little while as I learned the Disc routine, but now that I've pretty much got it down, no challenge remains for me unless it's in the new ICC dungeons.

Now for the third item on today's docket - my first RP character!

Meet FABULOSEAUX.

One of the best things about Aion is the amazing degree of customizability you get to use in designing your characters and even their gear. I imagine this will lead to a much stronger RP base in the Aion community. But you can't trump FABULOSEAUX, the true ladies' man. I mean, look at those kissable lips.


Yes, I see all the ladies in the audience attempting to still their trembling knees. Expect more FABULOSEAUX fabulosity in the coming weeks. He's a Priest as well, and is trying to earn the love of the elusive Snottydin, who he hears is a girl IRL, and can solo heal anything lol. He enjoys fine boxed wine and his own delicate limbs.

PS I know some of you are quite eloquent in French (I'm looking at you Ophelie!), I'd love to have some really stupid pickup lines in French. Don't tell Fabby I asked, by the way. This has nothing to do with him. Nothing at all.