Who needs /gems?! We've got Kiara!

By: Kiara

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Groups. We've all had em. They've yet to create a vaccination against them. There are all kinds. Pick ups, semi regulars, statics, and the ever fluctuating guild groups. Now don't get me wrong. I love to solo. There are times when all I want to do is just run around and do my own thing. I can leave whenever I want, ninja afk, watch tv, read a book... whatever. That and I don't have to share the shinies. (This is a huge selling point for soloing, fyi.) But, groups can be all kinds of fun. Especially guild groups.

My guild has a lot of characters in it. We've a limited number of high level folks, cause we're kind of casual. People are catching up and that's broadening the ranks. Still, the peculiar mix of people makes for some fun nights. Our average guild group consists of a tank, a mage dps of some sort, two healers, and a couple of other whatever happens to be on and wanting to die a lot, I mean ... err... get some phat lewts and exps ZOMG!!!!

When we only had about six or eight high levels in the guild (pre KoS level increase) our group was fairly static. We'd go and play around in the Pillars of Flame or other fun stuff in DoF. Ordinarily, you'd think that a group with two healers would be golden, right? Yeah, clearly you've never grouped with us. One of our healers is a certain pink panted dwarf Templar. He has mic issues (our guild uses TeamSpeak). When his mic acts up... the group dies. This includes the second healer. Funny how you can't heal yourself when things are beating on you and the other healer is mysteriously occupied. Repairs are expensive.

That's the average grouping night. Then there were Friday nights. Friday nights include happy hour. Which includes a run to the local liquor store for several guildies. Grouping is fun when half the group is impaired. That's when you find out that things like "Moo" and "Shot time!" are really funny. It's also when you find out that some people get really giggly and the rest of the guild in TeamSpeak is making bets as to whether said individual will pass out from not being able to breathe due to giggle fits, or due to inebriation.

Those are the nights when half the group would keep track of the drinks and try to hit all the hard mobs before drink number four. After that, they knew the night was a wash. This is how the three death minimum rule came about. It's never a complete night grouping in our guild if everyone doesn't die at least three times. Repairs are expensive... Did you know?

Amazingly enough, it's also a little hard to figure out where the little clay statues go in the Poet's Palace thingie when there are people giggling and yelling "Shot time!" while they and the other healer are moving the statues faster than you can place them where they belong. We never did manage to kill that stupid cyclops. Yeah... Repairs? Expensive. * nod *

Life moves on and levels are gained and new people come into the guild. Paladins make good tanks, did you know? I group with a paladin. He's level 70. He's fairly uber. He does have this one enormous failing. Can you guess what it is? That's right. He likes to play this game, you see. "How long can I not taunt before the healer dies?" I've discovered that it's really not that long. It usually works like this. Paladin pulls with the nifty magic missile spell. Templar casts reactive heal. Paladin, giggling like a maniac, doesn't taunt. Templar goes down in roughly six hits. Two hits, if it's an epic mob. Yeah. Did I mention that repairs are expensive?

Our Paladin has other fun games he likes to play. One of them is "Pull the named mob that eats Templars for breakfast with no warning." The mad giggles over TeamSpeak when this happens really and truly make the death worthwhile for me. Another fun game designed to kill the healer? Climbing the chain. Doesn't sound all that bad right at first does it? Well. They lured me to the Barren Sky with the promise of a nifty hat. I like new toys. So I say, "SURE!!!" Did you know that you can die on that chain at least four different ways? The nasties at the bottom snack on your bones, you fall off (repeatedly), the mobs on the chain knock you off to the waiting jaws of the island below and laugh hysterically at the crunch when all your bones break, oh and did I mention you fall off? Fortunately, there's a mender in the zone. And he only charges an arm and half a leg. * sigh * Repairs are expensive.

There's a pool now in the guild. Whoever gets me dead enough for my armour to break, gets a date with Coyote. I'm thinking a certain Paladin is sweet on Coy, because seriously, he's gotten me dead to nakedity at least three times in the last month. * shakes her head sadly * I've been reduced to nakedity (yes this is a word) more times in the last three weeks or so of grouping than in the last several months. I love my guild and the groups I get with my guild. They show their love for the guildies by killing them as often and in the most creative and ugly ways possible. We've even got a Necro who will sacrifice the poor little dark elf Templar to the aggro gods to get to the shinies first. * sigh * I am well loved. Really. But still... Repairs... Expensive.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go start a class that can solo efficiently.