The Menu Chat Challenge

Best graphic I've ever made, right here.

A couple of weeks ago, Elizabeth and I were doing quests in the Last Wood. We were buffing to kill some roaming ice monsters when I saw a bubble - menu chat - from the sidelines, asking "Please may I join?" I was pleasantly surprised by this request, since many players don't bother to even asked, so I told them that it was okay.

When the two wizards, whose similar names revealed that they were being run by the same person, joined the battle, I received another pleasant surprise. I noticed that they had excellent gear and the best wands available in the bazaar, besides a concrete strategy. This revealed that they actually knew how to play. As the battle went on, we had a rather nice discussion, as far as menu chat can go, and we added each other, discovering that we were even on the exact same quest.

More recently, I logged on. My friend whispered me, using text chat, and I soon found out that he had received text chat for Christmas and was thrilled about it. As we talked more, he revealed that he'd been playing since the game opened, he was active reading in the community, and he knew about this blog.

Where's my point? Menu chatters are not necessarily the immature and inexperienced players many people make them out to be.

I was on menu chat for a year because I didn't lie about my age when I joined. At first I was clueless about what I was missing, but then Elizabeth joined. She was just barely old enough for text chat, and the difference was monumental. She made so many more friends. Sometimes people would walk up to her and start conversations, but more often than not, I was treated like an inanimate object.

Menu chatters are people, too.

And here lies the point of this challenge. Go without your text/open chat for a week, just to step into the shoes of the menu chatters. This can be disabled via the Parental Controls screen in your account settings page. To make this an organized event, Elizabeth and I have chosen to set the dates from January 5 - 11, 2014. Although I hardly relish the thought of adopting menu chat yet again, I will do it to raise awareness.

Will you do it with me?

- Sophia E

I Can't Believe It's Over

"Shoot!" I thought as I talked to the last NPC of Khrysalis, Part One. "It's over! I have to wait for the next part!"

Did you know this was the only world that has made me feel this way so far? Khrysalis was epic. It's the best world ever, with a cut scene every few quests, balanced difficulty, and a storyline that left me gasping at every twist and turn. I may do a more detailed write-up later.

Let me tell you - that last dungeon was fast and fun! It was a night of spontaneous bee dancing, chatting, repeatedly forgotten wands and spells, and frantically digging for a rebirth as the rounds till the super hit ticked down. Eventually, we defeated Ghost Dog, and Morganthe threatened to hurt us more than we'd ever known as our powers were drained away - I don't know what that means, but it sounds like an epic plot twist and I can't wait to find out!

I leave you with a taste of just one small part of the epicness found in Khrysalis. This is not a glitch.

Fear my giant holiday spirit!

- Sophia E

Presents!!

So, yesterday was Christmas, and I got lots of presents. Some were just okay, but most of them were great! I got:

• Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - I've never played any Zelda, but I tried it out for an hour or so this morning. It's really, really awesome. My only problem? I played through the whole waterfall cave, killed everything, but then I didn't find the bird at the other side. Oh, well. I'll try again tomorrow.
• Book about publishing - It's very useful, but somewhat discouraging too. Ignorance is bliss, I guess. I've been learning a lot, though.
• Rhyming dictionary - I can tell this will be great. There are tons of hilarious rhymes in it.
• Bad poetry - My mom wrote me a limerick, detailing how she was going to get me some nice boots but they haven't come yet. It's as bad as the slippers limerick. I'm not even joking. It was good for its humor value, and I can tell I'll like the boots.
• 10,000 pageviews! :D You are all awesome.

- Sophia E

Christmas Day

If you celebrate Christmas - Merry Christmas, if you happen to be reading this on the actual day! Even if you don't, I have a card for both groups. Enjoy!

- Sophia E

My Wizard City Wildlife Sanctuary

Welcome to one of my first serious finished housing creations: a wildlife sanctuary for homeless pets! When you first arrive, you come to a gorgeous hedge maze filled with woodland creatures wandering around happily. I even crafted a sign just for this purpose.



When you head up the walkway, you first find this gorgeous view, with a centerpiece of a unicorn fountain. On the left, you see our merchandise racks; on the right and in the back, you can adopt pets from all over the Spiral. Upstairs, you'll find our petting zoo of cats and dogs, also up for adoption but significantly less dangerous.



Ever wanted a magical creature of your very own? Visit Sophia EmeraldBlossom's wildlife sanctuary today - now on castle tours!

- Sophia E

I Am a Turkey.

Gobble, gobble! (That's turkish for "hi!") Recently, I stole a code for a turkey hat from Sophia's secret file full of little tidbits. I swear, that girl is a hoarder. Anyway, even though Thanksgiving was about a month ago, it's awesome being a turkey. It drops feathers, even! How awesome is that? Hey - it could be my Halloween costume. (Wait - Halloween was even longer ago. Shoot.)

Well, just popping on to show you my awesome new gear. Cluck gobble errrrrrr! (Turkish for see you later!)

- Emma I

December Stuff

Okay - I have a lot of stuff to say. (If you haven't seen my pixie story, read it. It's the post right before this one.) The first is a rant at the weather. We got not one, but two big snowstorms, and now the weather's above freezing and it's probably going to all melt off right before Christmas! The weather has malicious intent. It's mocking me.

On a more relevant note, it's DECEMBER! Besides being one of my favorite months of the year, that means a lot of things for the blog. For one, my blog is almost at 10,000 pageviews. Thank you, everyone!  Also: if you recall, my blogaversary is January 9th. That means I'm thinking about 2014's contest!! Believe me - this one is going to be epic. I'll also be giving the blog an all-new makeover. Check out my new profile image!

Also, on a sadder note: awhile back I bought a few Grub Guardian levels with some crowns I won from a contest, and used my epic level Forest Lord on them. Today, after not going to Grub Guardian for a while, I found that Lord Rex had disappeared. After searching all my houses, my attic, my bank, my shared bank, and all my other wizards' houses, attics, and banks, I've come to the rather distasteful conclusion that Lord Rex is gone. I must say goodbye to this highly sentimental piece of my wizarding adventure.

Still - I'm excited for Christmas, and the Hobbit movie (I'm seeing it in a theater tomorrow!) and some other things, and this season is supposed to be happy, so I won't think about Lord Rex just now. I can tell you that I have lots of awesome things planned for 2014, and I have high hopes that it will be the best year of blogging and adventuring yet!

- Sophia E

An Illustrated Pixie Story

Once upon a time, there was a pink pixie. She lived in a dull gray city full of buildings that felt too big for her. Although lots of people came and went through that city, they were nothing like her. Many, in fact, were quite rude. The pixie felt different. She had trouble talking to people, and she often felt like she had no friends. There was nothing to do, and she usually was very sad. The dull gray city might have been nice for the big towering passersby, but for the pixie, it was miserable. Despite the streetlamps on every corner, it was dark there all the time. No matter where she went on those winding streets, she always ended up in the same places. Life was sad and boring.

The Trouble with Winter

When calendars change to their very last page

And December begins, feeling like a new age

The sparkly new season's alive and on stage

As everyone cheers -

But the end of the old year brings fresh doubts anew

As you think of the promises that never grew

With old resolutions you unknowingly slew -

The passing of years.

The winter's new weather is chillingly fun

The fresh-fallen snow sparkling in the sun

And hot cocoa's passed around to everyone

The glory of snow -

But I dream of the weather as outside, it's cold

Somewhere else in the country it snowed, I've been told

But this barren, dead grass is depressing and old -

The freezing winds blow.

Spontaneous singing, the carolers play

The holiday spirit is shown day by day

The pine tree decor makes a gorgeous bouquet

And Christmas is near -

Of the month of December, it's only the first

With carols since Thanksgiving Day I've been cursed

And Santa's on every street corner: the worst!

The headaches are here.

The passing of time makes me ponder my year

The beautiful weather is snowy and clear

The season is filled with excitement and cheer

My feelings splinter -

For despite that the new year's exciting and fine

The sky seems to think that for snow, it's not time

The carols are only an annoying chime -

That is the trouble with winter.

I hope you enjoyed the little poem - an update of sorts should be up in a few days!

- Sophia E

Too Many Things

Okay. I haven't blogged in a while because I feel like so much has changed that I never posted about. Here goes:

• Sophia is level 90
• Emma is in Avalon and has her permanent outfit (pictures forthcoming)
• I'm no longer writing the Greatest Treasure
• I plan to start another fanfiction after NaNo (more on that later)
• I'm getting really into decorating (more on that later as well)
• I got a pet with buff cards on it
• Etc. etc....

I hope to start blogging way more often until NaNo, and I'll try to schedule more weekly posts, too. That's all for now.

- Sophia E

The October Agenda

My goals for the month:
~ Post more. Sorry about my lack of posts over the past few weeks; the beginning of a new school year is always hectic. I have an idea for a cool new post series that I'll also most likely be posting this month.
~ NaNo prep! I'm going to be on the Treehouse planning.

That's about it, but both of those goals are pretty huge. Also, can I just say that I'm not too excited for Halloween? Most other fansites are going on and on about all the awesome new Halloween updates, whereas I think the whole Frankenbunny deal is pretty lame. Combined with the fact that this holiday has never been one of my favorites and the contest prizes don't have crowns in them, you could say that I could care less. I will not change my Twitter name to Sophia SpookyBlossom, thank you very much.

Here's a cool screenshot.

It's a nice view from the top of Nemean Rock.

Later! (Hopefully within a few days.)

- Sophia E (not S)

The Necromancers: A "Tragic" Tale

A few days ago, my friend Elizabeth GoldenThistle picked up a help request on Wizard101 Central. She was to be helping someone with a random Azteca boss, and one of the Mercs101, Crazy Daisy, would be coming.

Elizabeth showed up at the sigils about ten minutes before the scheduled time. Soon, a friendly wizard named Angus showed up. The two of them chatted for a while, until Elizabeth noticed that it was time for the run and Daisy had not yet appeared. As it was customary of the Mercs to show up early, she was worried and began to wonder if she was at the wrong boss.

She had since explained to Angus her reason for being there, and she turned to him and said, "I think it's weird that Daisy's not here yet."

Angus, somewhat surprised, said, "Oh - I'm Daisy. I'm just on my boy wizard." Embarrassment ensued.

Once I had two boy wizards on my account. One was Luke SkyWalker, a diviner, who I deleted because I decided his name wasn't funny any more. Then, I was reduced to one: Daniel DeathBlood, a necromancer and the star of his own movie. Now I have zero boy wizards on my account. I like it better this way. Less confusion, less awkwardness, and, well...my new girl necromancer was too awesome to refuse. I present to you my short story, a winner of Central's short story contest.

The Return of the Theurgist

Just over three months ago, I posted on this blog for what I believed to be the last time. The spiral had become dull and boring for me, and I didn't think I'd play ever again.

That decision was probably for the best at the time. I really needed to devote my mental energy to editing. That said: I still read some of the blogs I'd followed, mostly Emma's and Destiny's blogs. At first I was sort of indifferent, just reading because I wanted to know what they were up to (skimming many of the posts) but slowly I became more and more engaged in reading the blogs, even the completely spiral-specific ones. I missed it.

I began to discover that maybe I did need a break. The magic might have left back then, but now that I saw all the new updates and everything's fresh again, it's returned. Sophia EmeraldBlossom is back in the spiral and here to stay.

Just a week ago or so, a shocking discovery came to me as I was browsing the blogaverse. I was the only completely wizard blogger left. This created a sense of duty that hastened my arrival.

Coincidentally, this is also my second wizaversary. I received a silver dragon statue (congratulations to everyone who got the awesome mount!) and it looks all pretty and shiny. I am also going to write the Greatest Treasure more actively and try to make my posts even better.

If you're not reading this, I really don't blame you. I just wanted you to know that I'm back. (I will continue to be semi-active on the Treehouse.)

- Sophia E

A Fond Farewell

There's not much point in beating around the bush. I might as well just break the news. The spiral has completely lost its magic for me. I'm going on hiatus...perhaps permanently. This might very well be the last post on this blog, and I'll no longer be found in the spiral, wizard or pirate.

I always find it really depressing when bloggers quit. It's very sad, but all good things must come to an end, and this blog is no exception. What's even worse than quitting is when people take their blogs down so nobody can ever view them again. I'm not going to do this. As long as blogger continues running, the Artsy Theurgist will remain available for viewing.

Also, I may be leaving this blog, but I'm transferring my attention to the Treehouse, which will now be posted on year round. You can also contact me at my new address, sophiarose580 at gmail dot com. If you're just dying to know what happens in the rest of the Greatest Treasure, just send me an email and I'll see what I can do. UPDATE: I've decided to keep the fanfiction going. I'll be posting when this happens on the Treehouse, not here.

This time on Wizard/Pirate101 has been really enjoyable. I've made some friends and had lots of fun, but it's just a game and I think it's time to move on with my life. Thanks, everyone, for the great time I've had. I won't forget this.

This may be a short post, but I think that's all that needs to be said. I'll see you over on the Treehouse.

- Sophia E

Players vs. Developer: Who Made the Armada?

Every pirate hates the Armada. Those nasty, heartless clockworks never seem to stop trying to take over the spiral. However, you have to admit that their design is quite ingenious. Who made those clockworks, anyway? Welcome to the first post of Players vs. Developer! Our topic? The creation of the Armada.

The game doesn't give us much information about it. Our clues are restricted to the puppet show Captain Avery showed us, which doesn't tell us much.

Who was this Valencian genius?

It turns out that other pirates wonder, too. Who better to ask than the man who wrote the pirate story? He goes by Blind Mew. On a thread for players to ask him questions, some came up with all sorts of interesting theories. One of my favorites was written by baronzemo123. It was written in one long sentence, so I'll paraphrase it as I understood it. He guesses that Kane was once human and had a wife who he loved very much, but was killed by Polaris in the war. He wanted revenge, so he changed himself into a clockwork to help fight Polaris. He also recreated his wife (the mysterious queen) and his family (the other elites) and made a whole army to serve them. Over time, he began to lose his humanity and became completely machine and ruthless, and now he wants to take over the spiral and make everyone a clockwork.

In response, Blind Mew only said: "I'm afraid I won't confirm or deny your theory about their origin, not at this stage." Interesting! We'll just have to see how this plays out.

On a lighter note, jake344 asked if Kane was our pirate's mother, to which Blind Mew gave this amusing response:

"I'm not clear what you're asking. I think I can read this question 3 ways:

• Is Kane, the clockwork leader of the Armada, an artificial being technically without gender, the pirate's mother? I'd have to say no (a line from Monty Python's Life of Brian leaps to mind). Or is that not what you meant - are you asking...
• Is your pirate is secretly a Clockwork, built by Kane, and just doesn't know it? Again, I'd say no - somebody would have noticed by now, and I'm presuming the player pirate eats, drinks, sleeps, etc. An interesting idea, but that's not the kind of plot twist I'd go for here - it's much more of a horror trope than high adventure. Was that what you meant, or...
• Is Kane actually the pirate's mother in disguise? Again, I figure someone would have noticed by now. Besides, the whole "No <insert hero name here>... I am your <parent> has been done, and I don't think we could top the most famous example. 

So, no matter which way you're asking, it feels reeeeeeeally farfetched." I found that quite funny.

Other theories on the clockwork's creator were Marco Pollo (hmm) and Steed (interesting!). Blind Mew did say that we'd definitely find out eventually, so we'll just have to wait and see. I hope you enjoyed this installment of Players vs. Developer, and next time, we'll be talking about betrayal...

(By the way, this is my 100th post! Hooray!)

- SSS

5.9.13 Captain's Log

Note to self: although the buffaloons and their bumbaloon cousins may look cute from the windlane, up close they certainly aren't. I should know. I had to fight at least thirty of them on end, to get meat to attract the attention of Brother Wolf. I did eventually, and I still have my doubts about whether it was worth the trouble. It was tough. The striped ones in particular had several nasty tricks, and Bonnie Anne saved everyone with her gun. I still need to thank her, since I forgot in the business that followed. To appease Brother Wolf, we had to make some sort of healing balm to cure Sister Snake's venom, and after a few quick scrapes in Skull Island, we had everything set. Then, it was time to get down to business, to defeat Three Scars and finally return to Thunderbird for news on the so-called Duck of Death. Three Scars was in a very foreboding vortex, and soon he'd boarded my bison skiff, Silver Tree, and we were in thick battle. Sometimes I wish the bison were smaller, and it was hard to see. If nothing else, they were easy targets! After we brought Three Scars down, a lone Black Storm archer jumped ship and asked to join my crew. I was a bit skeptical, especially once he told me his name was Mighty Hair. What kind of a name is that? I let him come along anyway, and I eagerly await seeing him prove himself in battle. This brings me back to the present moment. As I write, I'm sitting on deck, relaxing at Gold Creek. Very soon, we'll have to leave for the Bison Village and inform Raven Eyes of our progress. In fact, I hear Lieutenant Emmett calling for me right now. I need to set sail. I'll write more soon!

- SSS

A Leap into Pirate101

I decided to try Pirate101 for a month and see how I liked it. The verdict? I'm liking it quite a bit, so far. Right now, I'm level 15 and just starting Valencia. I'm collecting ships and loving them all, and their names. First I had my pirate death trap raft named the Twitchy Turtle. Any ship with Twitchy in its name makes me laugh. Then came my pirate skiff, automatically named the Red Venture. I knew I wouldn't be having it for long, so I left it alone. Soon afterward, I bought myself a pirate frigate and named it the Silver Rose, after my pirate's last name, my pen name, and also the Knights of the Silver Rose in Avalon, my favorite world. Just recently, I got myself a monquistador skiff, and it came named Furiosa Angela. I wasn't a fan, so I decided to rename it to something. I went to the rename person and saw that Rosa Sophia was an option. I did it. (Yup, I named my ship after myself.) The bad news? I'm now gold-starved. Uh-oh. Okay, ship ramble? Over.

Speaking of ship names, I found an epic wharf rat one. I forgot to take a picture, but it was the Lost Clownfish. Nemo! :D So, anyway, I really like Pirate101 so far, and I'm wondering what I'll do when my membership runs out.

I'll see you in the skyways! If you see Smiling Sophia Silver or the Rosa Sophia, don't be afraid to say hi!

- SSS

A Change of Allegiances?

Throughout my 1.5 years of questing in the spiral, I've always been loyal to the original worlds of Wizard101. However, in light of the recent changes in both games, I'm wondering whether it's time to set sail for some slightly more rugged adventures. You guessed it: Pirate101.
Why I want to switch:

• Azteca is feeling like a chore. It's super, super tedious.
• The reshuffle change makes me feel doubtful about what else may come. Wizard101's support didn't listen to the players then; will they continue not to do so?
• With the news about Marleybone and Aquila, I'm really excited! I've always been a mythology fan, and besides - we get to face down Medusa? I'm game. (By the way, who do you think the special guest from Wizard101 in Marleybone is? I'm betting on Sherlock.)
• The story and overall design is better. I wonder what happened to the writer who designed the Malistaire arc? The Morganthe arc just, for lack of a better word, stinks. Sorry.
• If I choose this, I'm a crowns player on Wizard101 so I could always hop back on to craft, decorate, train my pets, or help people with dungeons.

Why I'm reluctant to switch:

• I'd fall even farther behind in Wizard101.
• I'd need to make some major changes to the blog layout, which again, I'm more than a little reluctant to do. I like my banner and layout, and I feel like I'd need to change my blog name and web address as well.
• I've passed a ton of turning points in Wizard101. I just finished Emma's Watchtower Hall (whoopee!) and I have a lot of projects still in the making. I haven't forgotten The Greatest Treasure. 
• I don't want my crowns to go to waste.

If I were to switch, it wouldn't be permanent. I'd be getting one month memberships one at a time, and like I said, I could and probably would hop back onto Wizard101 fairly often. Maybe I could try it for just one month and see how I like it. What do you think? (Please comment. I'm really stuck on this one.)

- Sophia E

Pirate Ships: Could Azteca Hold the Key?

Ahoy there, pirate mateys! I've got a post that may especially interest ye!

Have you ever wondered what's inside your ship? Do you ever wish that you could use your creative talents to make a lovely space for you and your crew to plan battle tactics or just chill? Or do you simply want a predone place for your crew to eat, sleep, and chat? The infamous insides of our pirate ships have always remained a mystery...but could it now be unearthed? Sophia EmeraldBlossom is here, reporting on one of the most wished-for features of Pirate101: the ability to see the insides of our ships.

Of course, there have been many posts on the same subject, so I had to set mine apart somehow. I went to do some research, surprisingly enough, in a Wizard-exclusive world: the ancient jungles of Azteca.

In the area known as Saltmeadow Swamp, the Monquistadors have made an encampment. They seem to be stuck for the moment, and their captain's ship may have been there for quite some time. It doesn't look like it's in the best condition. In fact, it seems to have run aground and gotten stuck in the swamp muck. Gross.

It doesn't seem to be quite ship-shape. Look at those sails!

Although a little apprehensive about approaching a ship full of mad monkeys that may not be completely structurally sound, I decided this knowledge was too important to pass up. After fending off several Monquistan soldiers (those pesky things!) I managed to ascend the ramp and stand at what would have been the helm.

I wonder what happened to the steering wheel.

Once I snapped out of my trance, I searched the ship for the entrance to the hold. After several minutes of searching, I managed to find the tiny, engraved the door that indicated another room beyond. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to fit through and all my efforts would be to no avail, but luckily I managed to squeeze through...eventually. The things I do for my blog!

Look how small that door is!

Not wanting to alert the ship's captain, Ponce de Gibbon, I quietly sneaked around the spacious ship hold, exploring and seeing what it had to offer. I found pleasing results, full of potential for eating, chatting, and relaxing with your crew. Just watch and learn.

The first things that caught my eye were the brass cannons on each side of the ship. There were eight on each side and sixteen in all. I wonder if eventually your friends or companions can man them and help you in broadside combat.

Just look at them. Aren't they cool?

After that, I found the dining table in the room's center. This could be a good place for your crew to gather around and eat, or maybe plan tactics for the upcoming fortress invasion. Since this is, after all, a Monquistan  ship, there's definitely no shortage of bananas!

The table looks a little small, but it's like a portable tavern.

I then left the dining table and focused on the room's subtler points. Next to the roof support near the banana pile, there's a rack for the Monquistador's halberds. Your crew could leave their extra weapons here when they don't want to lug them around.

Looks awfully convenient, doesn't it?

By now, you may be thinking that this ship hold is entirely battle-oriented, and definitely too stiff to relax in. I can prove you wrong! Just take a look at these fine hammocks. They look plenty comfortable, and there are enough of them to hold your entire crew.

Isn't this the epitome of seafaring comfort?

I would've loved to show you the finer points of the ship's hold, like the spare anchors and gunpowder storage section, but Ponce de Gibbon spotted me first. I had to run for it, since I had no desire to face down an obsessive, cheating monkey captain at the moment. However, I think I've shown you enough for you to get the idea. Ship holds are areas with loads of potential. There's no need to dream up fancy, original designs that KI would have to stretch to make; the perfect ship hold is already in the game. This is Sophia EmeraldBlossom, signing off.

- Sophia E

Massive Updates: My Take

If you've been paying attention to the blogs as of late, you know about all the updates that went live yesterday. That's old news now. You probably aren't interested in hearing me talk about what they are; instead I'll tell you how I feel about them! That's more unique, no?

• Lost Pages! I think that this is a great substitute for a new world, and it's not so overwhelming. You can pick and choose which quests you want to do, and did I mention the badges are epic? They're writing badges. Here they are in order of easiest to get to hardest: Scribe of the Howlin' Wind; Bleak Master of the Pen; Quiet Writer of Epitaphs; Author of Virtue's Poetry (Sophia looks great with this one under her name!); Cipher of Lost Glyphs; and Coruscating Calligrapher! All of them are based on a certain school. If you want them, act fast! This event goes away on May 31st!
• PvP Changes/Rank Reset! These are mostly good updates. After doing some testing on the test realm, I'm happy to say that the threat of puppet teams is mostly eliminated. Since I don't PvP, the rank reset doesn't really affect me, but one thing I'm not happy about? The new arena ticket reward system. Since now you get fewer tickets, getting commander gear will be even harder.
• Hair Styles! These are pretty cool, I guess. They're really not my style, but the players who like them are really happy. I look forward to seeing more if they come out. (That preferably aren't so weird.)
• Unstitching! This is long overdue. Now I can unstitch my Waterworks gear if better gear ever comes out, and without losing the items. I got some really cool life symbol boots dropped on Emma, so maybe I'll stitch to those instead when the time comes.
• Reshuffle Changes! This is the one update I'm really not happy about. I'm guessing that KI implemented it to help prevent long PvP matches. The problem is, it doesn't. Just read the latest Duelist101 article for proof. Now people just run out of cards and pass for two hours on end. It also makes the PvE community, with me included, very unhappy. x1? Really? I need reshuffle for the 3v1 solo fights in Azteca!
• New Furniture Sets! These are pretty cool. Come on, we get interactive sinks and bathtubs! Epic! Not only that, but they're available for gold as well as crowns. They're pretty expensive, so I'll wait until I have a little more information before buying them.
• PvP Spectator Mode! This is also long overdue. Now people can stop incessantly asking "Who's winning?" and also see the matches better if they're crowded. I've heard it lags the game in live, so I'll have to go check it out.
• Wyrd House! This actually looks a lot easier to craft than the Watchtower Hall or Celestial Observatory. Emma's almost done with the Watchtower Hall (hooray!), so this'll take the place of my planned observatory. I'm already having amazing ideas to decorate it.
• Red Barn Farm! Epic surprise! All plants will automatically gain a like both in and outside of this house, so this is a great compensation for the loss of permanent pixies. This one also looks like lots of fun to decorate.

There are also lots of miscellaneous updates in the update notes, and I sadly don't have time to go over all of them. Be sure to check them out, too!

- Sophia E

I return victorious!

I'm back from NaNo! I won, by the way. This'll be a really short post (I just finished a writing marathon, after all) but I'll make a big post soon about all the updates that just came out. I'll see you then! :)

- Sophia E

Tales of Grace and Emma - The Riddle Game!

(Sophia speaking here. While I'm away writing at Camp NaNoWriMo, these "Tales of Grace and Emma" are scheduled to post here for your enjoyment.)

Hello again. I just dug up this story about our adventures in the mansion, and apparently Nicholas was authorized to tell these riddles that she wrote. I especially like this one:

On the wings of the wind it soars, the fear of all rodents outdoors.

With piercing eye and sharpest claw, this bird is master of them all.

I wonder if I could write a riddle like that?

Forget it. You couldn't write a riddle even if the frost giant's icy hammer of inspiration smacked you square in the face!

Fine, then. I'd like to see you try!

Sure. Just watch me create my masterpiece. Uh...*thinks for a few minutes* Here it is!

It's the warm and fuzzy thing that people like to put on there feet in the mornings.

*bursts out laughing* You call that a riddle? It doesn't even rhyme, and forget meter or hidden meanings! You didn't even get the spelling and grammar right! Here, let me try:

It snows, it blows, it chills people's toes

Sky high it goes, up, up, it blows.

Ha! You call that a masterful riddle? I'll admit, it rhymes, it has meter, and I think you got the technicalities right, but it's ridiculously obvious and doesn't make much sense!

Emma, yours is obvious, too...

Fine! Here's another!

They come in new colors and old

Protecting people's feet from the cold

They're oh so very fuzzy

As much as anything ever was-y

Not to wear them, you'd have to be bold.

*snorts* Slippers again? While you were reciting your oh-so-profound "masterpiece of writing," I got another riddle! It's really amazing! Just get a load of THIS:

Voiceless it cries,

Wingless flutters,

Toothless bites,

Mouthless mutters.

I'll admit, that's okay. All right, pretty good. But it seems familiar somehow...oh, I remember now! You stole it from The Hobbit! You cheater, you!

Uh-oh. You probably don't want to see what's coming...

- Grace S

Tales of Grace and Emma - Crafter Extraordinaire!

(Sophia speaking here. While I'm away writing at Camp NaNoWriMo, these "Tales of Grace and Emma" are scheduled to post here for your enjoyment.)

Hey, all! I'm still totally pumped about defeating Emma. Even though she's still a nuisance, she knows not to mess with me.
Hmph. Your win wasn't splendiferous! If I'd packed heals, I would've won!
Whatever you say, I suppose. *hums tune* Well, while you're sitting here, I'll tell you ice wizard jokes! You see, there was this super arrogant thaumaturge -
HEY! (What do I do? I don't want her sharing that joke!) Hey, Grace! Look what I just made! *hauls out mannequin*
- and she thought she was the best in the whole spiral, so she decided to challenge a diviner - wow, that thing looks awesome! I've heard about those! Can you really display any gear you want on them?
Definitely! And I'll sell it to you for the bargain price of only 350,000 gold! Of course, if that's a little much, I can help you learn to craft one for yourself. 
I'm game. What do I need to do?
Well, you should visit Eudora Tangletree in Olde Town, and she'll get you set up with an itty bitty crafting station to practice on. 
All right. Practice is good, right? *bounds off*
...
...
...
*returns half an hour later* She went on vacation to Krokotopia. At least, that's what Elmer Meadowgrass said.
Well, that's unfortunate. I suppose I'll have to teach you myself. You need to demonstrate to me that you're capable of hunting down high-quality reagents, so I need you to go find some mistwood for me. Once you bring it back to me, my eager young apprentice, we'll get you started on a very basic dagger.
Mistwood. How hard can it be? *runs off*
*returns later* Is this good enough?
No. It's too mossy. How are you supposed to make anything with mossy mistwood?
*half an hour later* This?
No. It's too knotted.
*an hour later* This?
It has a brown spot on it. No.
*two hours later* This?
It's too well-polished. Where'd you get it, the bazaar? That's cheating! You're hopeless! *stalks off*
*sigh* Well, about that arrogant thaumaturge...

- Grace S

Tales of Grace and Emma - The Duel!

(Sophia speaking here. While I'm away writing at Camp NaNoWriMo, these "Tales of Grace and Emma" are scheduled to post here for your enjoyment.)

Hi. Emma had to visit the Bazaar to pick up more bronze gears for her Watchtower Hall in progress, so I have the place to myself, but only for a few minutes. Let's hope she goes off chasing diamonds while there. Anyway, I suppose I'll upload a picture to amuse you -
Grace! Look at all these shiny diamonds I picked up! 
Oh, no. Just no. 
Hey! Stop locking yourself into Sophia's bedroom and come out to look at these splendiferous finds! Ohhhh...I see. You thought you could post on the blog while I was gone. Is that right?
I suppose. (There's no point resisting. She's about four times my level, has about three times my health, and has about twice my attack power. I couldn't survive a duel.)
I've had enough of your sneaking trickery! I need to end it here and now! *raises staff and casts wand spell*
Oh, no. Well, here goes. *casts stormblade*
Now don't go blading yourself! *casts iceblade*
Ha! You're doing the exact same thing as I am! *casts elemental blade*
What? I'm not copying your moves! *casts elemental blade*
Says the wizard who just cast the exact same spell I did. (Stupid cards!) *passes*
Muahahaha! Now you can't get rid of this without wasting all your blades! *casts volcanic shield*
Sounds like someone needs to catch up on trap theory! *casts storm prism*
No! You - you cheater! *casts feint*
I learned it from Professor Balestrom! It's completely fair game! *passes*
It doesn't matter. Storm sharks can't defeat me! I'll kill you first! I'm ready! *casts balefrost*
Oh, are you, now? *casts thermic shield*
Noooooooooo! *casts colossus, hits into shield, does 700 damage* Darn it!
Well, you're probably right about one thing - storm sharks can't kill you. But I don't have to use a storm shark! Sparky, attack! *casts 10 pip tempest, does 2,000 damage*
Oh, no! I only have 700 health left! Grace could kill me easily. *discards frantically* I need to draw a heal next round! I need to! *passes*
Who's in trouble now, hmm? *wands off the shield*
I'm out of cards. Good thing I packed reshuffle with me. Uh-oh...I didn't add any pixies! I'm doomed! *flees*
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

- Grace S

"Tales of Grace and Emma" begins!

(Sophia speaking here. While I'm away writing at Camp NaNoWriMo, these "Tales of Grace and Emma" are scheduled to post here for your enjoyment.)

Hello! Grace here. Sophia is away at her treehouse place writing like a maniac, so she decided to pass off the blog to me for a month. What could possibly go wrong?
*off to the side a bit* Hmm...Sophia the archmage gone...Grace the initiate in her place...This is a golden opportunity!

So anyway, I'm here just to tell you that Sophia isn't dead for the time being, and just busy. In the meantime, I'm going to attempt to entertain you. How, I'm not quite sure. Maybe I could tell cheesy jokes or upload random wizardly pictures from her camera with funny captions.

Pfft! Who needs cheesy jokes when they could have me?! I can totally run this show. Go ahead. Hand the blog over. It'll only be for a month. Like you said: what could go wrong?

*backs away* Um, I'm sorry, but no. Sophia said I was supposed to handle this, and I will. I don't think I should be letting the crazy crafter run this blog.

But I'm the queen of cheesy jokes! Just listen to this: What do you call cheese that is sad? Blue cheese! :D

*groan* It's not funny, Emma. (What do I do to get her to go away so I can sign off this post? Oh, I've got it!) Look over there! Your ectoplasm is boiling over!

*gasp* AAAaaahhh!!! My ectoplasm!! *runs off*

Whew. It's a good thing that worked. Now, I'm sorry that this is so short, but it had to be done. Hopefully I'll be able to throw Emma off my trail soon so I can post in a week or so. See you later!...hopefully.

- Grace S     - Emma I

I'll get you for that, Grace, you devilish daughter of a triton! I'll have my revenge next time, just you wait and see!

Goodbye, Grizzleheim!

And good riddance! It's on to Dragonspyre for Emma! So we fought the Coven yesterday. With some help from a high-level storm wizard, we beat them easily, and I got the Arcane Staff (crowns wand) on my very first try! People farm for days for that!

We got to bash up Cyrus Drake (fun!) with a hit that would've killed his brother, and there was this glitch so we could fight him together. You can also see the Arcane Staff in the below picture.

We entered Dragonspyre, a world which I love, got severe nostalgia, and entered the Tower Archives. Emma also got sent off to Celestia by the crafting guy, but she'll wait to get Grandmaster Crafter until we actually quest to there. We met Zarathax (oooh) and got lost in the tower portion of the Archives while looking for an area with just Loathsome Creepers in it. We had fun. Malistaire, here we come!

- Sophia E

Skull Island's Jungles: Secrets Revealed

We all know that KI likes to "recycle" game graphics and use them elsewhere. But is there more to Skull Island's Gold Mine, Dark Jungle, and Valley of the Gold Monkey than meets the eye? Watch this short video and discover the shocking secret.

I only picked out the best bits, so feel free to keep exploring on your own. Most of the area's layout is exactly the same. Have fun! (And look out for other similarities between areas.)
- Sophia E

Fun, Friends, and Fizzles: Another Episode of Emma

Hey, everyone! I guess it hasn't been a while since you last saw me, but I just thought this was a great opportunity to get a post in since Sophia's off writing one of her own at her treehouse place. Anyway, Christina (Elizabeth) and I were doing quests in Mooshu's Village of Sorrow some time ago. We had to defeat Walking Dead to make a soul chain. Anyway, we had to defeat lots of them. Lots and lots of Walking Dead. It was boring. Then, a random person ran into our battle. I was just about to think How rude! when he said "Hi!" (That was in text chat, by the way.) It turned out he was on the exact same quest as us, and we started up a nice conversation. His name was Flint MythGem, (magus conjurer) and he was really nice. We did a lot of quests together, finishing the Village of Sorrow, but I had to leave before we could do the Tree of Life. He's way ahead of us now in quests, but we still sometimes fight bosses together. 

Now I'm about seven levels ahead of that. I've completely finished Mooshu, earning the Emerald Champion badge, and now we're in Grizzleheim. We blasted (or should I say blizzarded?) our way through Savarstaad Pass since we're double the level it was intended for, and we went on to Vigrid Roughland. These monsters are just a little harder, but it's still really easy. Both of us were friend requested by a level 29 sorcerer: Keira WaterCloud, menu chatter. Side note: I don't mind menu chatters. I was one once, so I can use it fairly well, and I was still perfectly splendiferous back then! Now, Keira was wearing a Marleybone hat and Wizard City robe and boots, all dyed pink, and she had a baby unicorn pet. The stats from this gear were something like 6% death resist, 3% fire damage, and 29 health. We helped her through a mob fight. I had a mega pip fail, so I just threw a few extra blades on Christina and let her do one larger hit instead of two smaller ones. Guess what? She fizzled. Twice in a row. Definitely not splendiferous. 

By the way - in Savarstaad Pass, there's a collectible boat housing item. I went to pick it up, and got not one, but TWO boat housing items. Are they like reagents or something? I wonder what the rare harvest of those Grizzleheim boats is. Basket of fish, maybe? Anyway, I found myself faced with the dilemma of finding a way to fit them both into my already full backpack. I ended up teleporting them to my bank. (How do they fit in there, anyway..?) 

Also: while in Vigrid Roughland, Christina discovered a very interesting new development. It's pretty complicated, so I'll leave Sophia to handle it. Expect an update on this soon! (Ooh...you pirates are going to be SO surprised.)

- Em-

Emma? What are you doing? 

...uh-oh...Gotta run! See you later!

Where are you, Emma? Hmm...maybe she's not here, after all. I guess I'll just sign off this unfinished post - wait. Unfinished post? EMMA!

- Sophia E

Of Damage and Weapons

Hi! I just thought I'd post a somewhat outdated picture I have before it becomes even more outdated.

If you're reading this, you've likely already seen Emma DawnRider's picture of the hit, but I was mostly posting it so you could see my health. 681! A couple more rounds and I'd have been dead. 

Hey, guys! It's splendiferousness incarnate! 

Emma!

I have some awesome news that I need to share! I did the first boss of Shirataki Temple with Christina RainbowSong and it was a really long and tedious fight and he shielded himself right before I hit and I was really angry and miserable and I had to hit through it and waste all my blades and traps especially my feint and I had to hit AGAIN and it was massive unnecessary overkill and I was really grumpy once it was over but I got this really awesome no auction power-pip giving glowing balance sword of splendiferousness from him and it's totally splendiferous and it matches Christina's no auction power-pip giving glowing fire sword and here's a picture of the two of us together as no auction power-pip giving glowing sword buddies! :D

Um...okay? Someone really needs grammar lessons... Anyway, I suppose that's all! I'll see you in a few-

Wait! Wait! I still need to tell you about the time when we went into the nasty rocky cave area of the Cave of Solitude and monsters went all over the place and there was no roof on the cave and...

This is a disaster waiting to happen. I'd better sign this off now before it gets dangerous.

- Sophia E

Moving...sort of

As you may have heard by now, Camp NaNoWriMo #1 is in April this year. Even though the event officially opens on March 5th, I'm planning my novel anyway. (That's mostly because I want to take a break the last few days before April starts.)

I've opened up my writing blog, Sophia-Rose's Treehouse, and that's mostly where I'll be for the next couple of months. I'll still be posting on this blog, and I'll be checking for and responding to comments, but most of my activity will be on the other blog.

During the month of March, I may occasionally post live (non-scheduled,) and I'll probably schedule a few as well, but in April, just about all of them will be scheduled.

That's all for now. I'll see you tomorrow at the treehouse, and probably in a few days here.

- Sophia E

Mission: Mansion - Task 7

"It's done," you tell the others. "Let's go back to the mansion." Grace gasps and places a hand on her chest. You notice that she seems more ghostly than before. "Let's hurry!" she calls. Her voice seems distant, like an echo from a faraway tunnel. She places a hand on your drawing and vanishes in a flash of sparks.  You take one last longing look at the food and do the same. 

You find yourself back on the steps of the mansion, along with the only wizard left in Sophia's group. Grace is nowhere to be seen. She must have teleported out. 

"Well, if we want to break the curse on Bartleby, let's get moving!" says your partner. She looks at the door and says the password, confidently stepping over the threshold. You sigh, deciding to get it over with, and follow her. 

The two of you head up the grand staircase in the entry hall once more, without much idea of where you're going next. Much to your surprise, you're not alone when you reach the top. A girl, dressed all in black, seems to be waiting for you. 

"You," you whisper coldly. "Yes," says Fiona in a matching tone, her mouth forming a sneer. "It's me." 

"Why have you done this to Bartleby?" shouts your partner angrily. 

Fiona waves her hand dismissively. "Oh, it was in my best interests." She doesn't seem to care to elaborate on her reasons, but instead changes the topic. "I suppose you're here to break the curse. You'll never find the amulet that's eating away his life, much less find out how to stop it, unless I tell you. Of course, you could always just search the mansion, but you know what happens if you stay here too long." 

She snaps her fingers, and transparent bluish forms appear around her. You whirl around and find them behind you, too. They're all wizards who succumbed to the curse. Fiona continues on. "They've become bitter and vengeful in all their years invisibly trapped here. You might even find that they want to kill you. It's your choice. You could leave here safely and let Wizard City fall, or you could stand and fight to the death." 

Her eerie smile grows wider as the ghosts close in.

*****

"Well, well," says Fiona when the last ghost vanishes in a puff of smoke. "I'll admit, you're better than I thought. You're out of immediate danger, but you won't survive the mansion's curse. That was laid down by my great-grandfather, and I'm afraid there's no way to break it." You shiver and notice that you're almost as ghostly as Grace was.

"But as for Bartleby's curse," she says, "You're running out of time. Bartleby is dying as we speak, and he won't survive much longer. You'll never find the amulet before you, as the poem puts it, 'join the ghosts in silent moans.' If I think you're clever enough, I just might tell you where it is. You'll never break the curse, anyway. Answer my questions quickly, or I might consider summoning some of my vampire friends..."

*****

Fiona looks surprised. "It seems you're cleverer than I thought. Very well. You'll find the amulet in the room on the left." She gestures with her hand. "I suppose I should tell you 'good luck,' but that's just manners. I'll see you around - if you're lucky." She teleports away in a stark flash of skulls. 

Your partner clenches her fists. "Hmph. Good riddance! Let's hurry and find that amulet."

When you enter the room, it's immediately obvious where the amulet is. On a raised pedestal in the middle of the room, there's a bronze amulet with a tree on it. It seems to be the opposite of glowing; that is, everything around it is cast into a strange darkness. On the pedestal next to it is a very heavy and thick book, likely over 1,000 pages long. How can you find the counter-curse in there? In desperation, you step up to it and desperately begin flipping through.

*****

You stare at the text on the page:

TO BREAK THE WILTING CURSE

The incantation to break the curse can only work when it is heard.

O victim of the wilting spell,

Here I stand your curse to quell.

Become again what you once were

As you regain your life-force sure.

And now, to get the curse to break the amulet with a jolt of power must shake. When this threat does no more loom, escape from your impending doom, for the coming blast will cause your death unless you have this cursed house left.

"All right," you say, "I'm going to read the incantation. But be careful! Apparently something terrible will happen after we break the curse, and we need to leave quickly. Get ready to run." Your partner nods resolutely and braces herself. 

You take a deep breath and begin reading. "O victim of the wilting spell, here I stand your curse to quell. Become again what you once were as you regain your life-force sure." You wait for something to happen, but nothing does. You whisper the lines written after the incantation. "And now, to get the curse to break the amulet with a jolt of power must shake." You raise your staff and aim a blast of magical power at the amulet. 

The amulet glows with a foreboding reddish light and begins to vibrate. "Run!" calls your partner as you both dash for the spiral door. You throw open the house's front door and run down the porch steps, out the gate, and to the steep planks up to the spiral door island. You stop short, remembering how you slipped upon entering the house. Your partner launches herself up the planks and heaves herself onto the small island, turning around to pull you up. 

You take one last horrified look at the house, and find it exploding in a cloud of dust and strange black fire. Then, you look down at your semi-transparent body and jump through the spiral door. The curse is broken at last.

So, this is a speed trivia challenge. The trivia questions will come in three sets, and each set of five questions features a different topic. I will comment at 9:00 AM EST with the first question, and your job is to reply to that comment with the answer as fast as you can. The person who gets it right first wins the question. If nobody gets it right, the person who answers first wins the question. The person who wins the most questions wins the set. After the first set is over, I'll post another section of the story, and post another comment with the first question of the second set TWO minutes later so you have a chance to read it. The questions will proceed as before. After the second set is over, more of the story will be posted and the third set will begin. After the third set is over, the rest of the story will be posted and we'll have a winner! Good luck.

Standings:

Set 1: Emma DawnRider
Set 2: Destiny SoulTamer
Set 3: Destiny SoulTamer

Destiny wins the contest! Congratulations! Prizes will be emailed out soon. There has been one change to the first prize. It is now wand of choice + story mention + custom graphics. Comment to say what you want.

- Sophia E

Guess who's here?

It's me again! I know I haven't been on much, what with Sophia's contest, but here I am! My pirate form has been doing some awesome things lately! I did the Presidio a couple of days ago, much to my distress. (I tried to talk my companions out of it so we could attack the Frogfather instead, but they didn't listen.) I'll admit, I felt truly splendiferous after what happened. My crew and I didn't get defeated once! We literally aced the Presidio! And to make it even better: I did it in this AWESOME OUTFIT!!

Don't I have splendiferous fashion sense?

Oh yeah. And my wizard form just got Iceblade! WAHOOOO! Battles are so much easier now!

Emma? What are you doing on the blog?

*stuffs computer behind back* Um...what blog?

Don't try that with me! Out! Now! I have some things to discuss with the readers!

Hmph! I'll get my revenge! *storms out*

I'm so sorry about that. Anyway, I saw your comments, Emma and Destiny. I'm pretty flexible (except for late afternoon and some evenings,) but it looks like this weekend isn't very good for Emma. How do you feel about Monday morning at 9:00 EST? 

Also, I have 5,000 pageviews now! Thanks, everyone!

That's about all for today. I will be posting again soon!

- Sophia E

On Pirates, Crafting and New Games?

So, I logged back onto Pirate101 a couple of days ago to remake my pirates. I'd realized I'd made some pretty bad choices in character creation, not to mention I thought their flags were boring. After that, I played a little on Crafty Emma Evans the Buccaneer (with the sound off) and logged off. Later on, I logged on to Wizard101 to craft some things on Emma IceCrafter (with the sound on) and noticed that the music didn't sound right. It was almost like there were two soundtracks playing at once. I turned down the Wizard101 music volume all the way, and sure enough, there was music playing underneath it. I recognized the Skull Island music. Just to test, I logged off of Wizard101 and Pirate101 music was still playing. I browsed the web, edited a document, and did a few other things and the music wouldn't stop playing! It was really annoying, and I decided just to restart my computer. (By the way, the Pirate101 version of Emma has horrible fashion sense. Right now, she is wearing a skull hat, a blue chicken suit with feathers, and regular old pirate boots, not to mention holding a giant spear. Ugh.)

Speaking of Emma, she recently finished crafting all 15 Ornamental Stepstones she needs for the Watchtower Hall.

Now, about the New Games. Right. My friend Elizabeth GoldenThistle went to Knight101.com just to see if there was anything there. Apparently, the website is "parked," which means someone bought the domain but hasn't put any content on it yet. Is Knight101 a new game? Well, I tried to find out. I tried some other things as well. Ninja101 is also parked, but so are Chicken101 and Pigeon101. Unless KI wants us to strut around the spiral as poultry, I'm not sure whether to take the others seriously or not. Thoughts?

- Sophia E

Mission: Mansion notice

All right, both of the entries have been turned in. Here's the catch: Remember how I only got six people from the raffle at the beginning? That means that nobody needs to get eliminated this round. That's right; both of you stay in for the final round!

The final task is a speed-based trivia challenge. Just post in the comments with the best times for you and we can coordinate something. Good luck! Here are both the graphics entries.

Destiny's entry

Emma's entry

- Sophia E