Adventures
in the Snow

By Aunraye

It was a relatively sunny
afternoon, probably around 1 or 2 when I logged in. The moment it was done loading
I was suddenly in late evening with the skies darkening a bit. It didn't matter
that there was still sun outside, my world was in a darkening evening. I set
out on my journey a bit hesitantly. I made sure to spend some time practicing
my spells on the spiders, skeletons, and snakes I passed. Then I took the portal
to the Plane of Power.

It wasn't that I didn't
like to travel, but I wanted to go somewhere new and exciting that I hadn't
been to before. I figured this was a way to do it. I wandered the Plane for
a bit in thought reading the map for names of places doing some searching to
figure out if these places were ones I should know or not. It was a lot of moving
around and deep thinking about it but finally I decided to take the plunge.
I looked for a stone to a place I knew nothing about and I clicked.

It didn't take long, and
I was in a new place. One I'd never seen before, and that was by now into full
night. I think the sun might have still been shining outside. It should have
been, but if you had asked me then, I couldn't have told you that. It was a
snowy winter wonderland. I don't get a lot of snow where I live so it was exciting
to see a place full of snow and ice caps. I was thrilled. It was like a free
visit to Antarctica or the North Pole. At the zoo its always penguins and polar
bears for me so of course when a polar bear wandered into sight I almost squealed
in excitement.

I began to wander around
watching the polar bears and wondering if I'd see a penguin. It may have been
a bit out of character for my dear dark elf, but I couldn't help myself. I found
myself suddenly staring at the entrance to a new place and I looked around debating
changing scenes. In the end my love for the winter wonderland won out.

I spent time attacking skeletons
and little green goblins. I even saw a wolf or two that I chose to challenge
myself with. After a bit for more of an exciting challenge, I began to work
on my melee skills instead of my spells with my magician. Hopefully it'd never
be something I'd have to do in a group, but I couldn't pass up the challenge.
After all shouldn't I be the best I could be at everything?

This winter wonderland had
absorbed every ounce of attention I had. It didn't matter that for the moment
I was playing alone instead of with my guildmates or friends. It didn't matter
that I wasn't winning quickly in my melee battles or that nothing any of them
dropped was something exceptional. Not that I turn down some extra coins or
things I could sell but it wasn't the priority. No I was playing in the snow,
the snow I never got to see at home. Granted very few places see that kind of
snow, but snow is so rare where I live that it always has a magical quality
to it in my mind.

I never once attacked a
single polar bear or polar bear club. I targeted one once, but it was just too
cute and too much of my favorite animal. I couldn't do it. So I kept my targets
to the more "evil" looking targets, things that wouldn't break my
heart when they died. I never did remember the name of the place. I didn't even
remember it long after I'd arrived. It was just luck of the clicking stone.
I spent several hours there, more time playing alone than I've ever spent in
one session. It was this peaceful perfect unspoiled world. I didn't even see
another player the entire time I was there. Some days this was saddening and
made me wonder but in this world, it was a gift, a blessing.

Adventuring and exploring
the large world left to me by the developers is one of the most exciting parts
of the game play for me. It's true in this case I didn't walk there, which is
often the more adventurous way in many people's opinion and mine too to be honest.
However, in this case I wanted to find something new, a place I'd never see
otherwise, a place that was far away and exciting. I found it, and I loved every
minute of it.

As Vanguard works it's way
through the beta phases and all the fans wait eagerly for more news, a chance
to be in beta, and the actual release I remember that day. The world of Telon
is expected to be large and full of varying terrain and adventures for everyone.
If the reports are even minimally accurate, then there will be many, many days
that I can spend losing myself in new wonderlands of exploration. Areas that
after long journeys I will be amazed and thrilled to find myself looking at
a new section of the world and will pause my travel in to explore and learn
to find the animal I cannot bear to hurt and the ones I will practice my skills
on. It is an adventure well worth waiting for as I watch the beta count down
progress towards release.