The Boon writing Challenge

Matty was really into the whole writing challenge thing, and she proposed one of her own:

So, what I would love to hear is a short piece, poem, limerick, drabble or ficlet, on how you obtained (or didn't) your favorite weapon(s). Yes, this can be complete fiction, a wish if you will.

Should I break tradition and steer away from verse?  Maybe people are sick of my poems and sonnets by now.  But I might NOT be good at fiction writing.  So, I decided, no I'll stick to epic verse.  It's what I like and whenever I write poems, it's like hearing lyrics and music in my head.  And I remembered what I have said before - write what I want to write, not what other people think I should write.  So I modelled my poem around The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a famous poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

The Rime of the Ancient Val'anyr

(Part I)

Whispers of a healer mace
Legendary it was told.
Was hidden deep in Ulduar's depths
Worth beyond its weight in gold.

How to choose which hero shall
Receive this great reward,
Was decided with a roll of dice
'Tween myself and a priest of Horde.

The priestly roll was mightier
And the Fragments he was granted
But one fine day he did not show
Then to me those shards directed.

Thirty Fragments you will need
To forge this mighty mace
Only during 25 mans
Can you get them from this place.

You start with Flame Leviathan
A tank who vents out fire
For achievements you must make it hard,
And leave up at least one spire.

Ignis throws you in the air
And burns you in his pot.
Iron constructs must be tanked away
The encounter's very hot.

Razorscale the protodrake
Was Veranus, Thorim's mount.
But Ignis welded plates to her
Many kills did we amount.

XT, the childish voiced robot
Was Mimiron's own creation
A week went by before we won,
And delivered him to salvation.

Kologarn, Ignis did forge
Shattered Walkway he does guard
Until you defeat him AND his arms
The way ahead is barred.

Steelbreaker, Molgeim, and Brundir
Assembly of Iron is their name
Defeat in different order for
Achievements, glory, fame.

Auriaya, Crazy Cat Lady,
Can be snuck past if you're skilled
But if you're on a Fragment quest
This archivist must be killed.

Freya, Thorim and Hodir
Titan Watchers we must quell
And when defeated they will help
Us in the final fight as well.

Mimiron the last watcher
We killed when time allowed
Don't think we ever could defeat
Him with all members standing proud.

One by one these bosses fell
To our Frostwolves' mighty blows
Those Fragments, rare, elusive but
How much longer? No one knows.

Alas!  My story pauses here
As my quest ground to halt
New content Blizzard did release
New raids did we assault.

 (Part II)

Years went by before I could
Complete my heroic task
Assembling teams when content's old
Was really, a big ask.

When Cataclysm moved our cap
And Ulduar we outgeared
'Twas easier to get a group
And get the damn place cleared.

Vezax guards the Prison
Where Yogg-Saron the old god lies
Green clouds return your mana
Don't destroy them for a prize.

When Vezax falls proceed to Yogg
Who drives us all insane
We kill it from the outside
And we fight it in its brain.

When killed a fragment always drops
Sometimes, your only one
Then wait a week 'til we go again...
Here we go, another run!

All Fragments are collected!
You combine them to create
An item for a quest
One more run I had to wait.

Get to Yogg-Saron and throw
Unbound fragments in its maw
You can only do this 
When Yogg does a Deafening Roar.

Huge guild turnout for that run
To see me complete my
Legendary achievement
Guild history making nigh.

We got to Yogg, the fight ensued
And waited, patiently
Target Yogg, watch the cast
Throw, then wait and see.

The Roar! It came! Throw it now!
My ears were full of yells
My guildies in excitement screamed
And my screen was full of tells.

I clicked the item, watched it fly
Into Yogg's great Maw
But quest completion did not show
The conclusion I did draw...

That I had failed, I tried to cast
The item once again
 I panicked and forgot to heal
As those around me went insane.

The item wasn't in my bag
I was so distraught
All those weeks, and years, a waste!
"I'm a twit!" was all I thought.

They all asked me if the task
Was done, was it complete?
Tears welled in my eyes
As I went to admit defeat.

Leaden chested, heart heavy
I clicked on Yogg to loot
Hoping that the item
May be found on this slain brute.

(Part III)

My eyes went wide with shock and
My heart had flown with wings
For in my hands I now beheld
Reforged Hammer of Ancient Kings.

I squealed in Vent, I typed in chat
Myself could not contain
The end was near, completion nigh
All this was not in vain.

I ran back to the console room
My comrades in my wake
A yellow question mark was there
My hands began to shake.
I waited for all to gather round
So they can witness the event
I closed my eyes, took in a breath
All those weeks, those years I'd spent
Silently I thanked all those
Who'd helped me on my chain
I looked at all those in the raid
And a smile broke out again.
I clicked the mark, the completion screen
Was up and not greyed out
I clicked Complete, my screen lit up
It was MINE, there was no doubt.
That feeling of elation when
Achievements light your screen
A feat of strength, a guild one too!
What a journey it had been.
This mace I had outgrown it
Could not use it in this Tier
But having your own Legendary
That feeling has no peer.
I thanked my friends who'd helped me
Complete this awesome feat
My voice cracked as I thanked those who
Grats'd my quest complete.

My hands they were still shaking
Though my eyes no longer wet
And though the weapon was in my hands
It wasn't over yet.
I equipped my weapon for all to see
To marvel at its glory
And think back on the trip
And how it would make an amazing story.
The one thing I was sad about
Was you can't transmog this mace
How awesome would it look if I
Could carry this look all 'round the place?

Val'anyr lives in my bags
I never let it from my sight
I still equip it now and then
And relive that final fight.

So ends my epic journey and
So ends my long drawn tale
Of all the things within this game
All my achieves in comparison pale

So take this journey if you dare
It is worth its weight in gold
And when complete, please share your tale
For its a story that must be told.


The end.

Comments

  1. That was wonderful Navi! Once again you've given me insight as to what you all are doing in raids, and in a poem!

    Matty will love it!

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  2. Navi--yes, I am "really into the writing thing," and for good reason - I get to read amazing, AMAZING writing like this--my evil plan paid off! I am absolutely blown away- this is truly, truly epic in genre and in scope. And I am feeling guilty because now I know how much you must have bitten your tongue when I went into Ulduar and started getting those shards left and right. But please, please know, Navi I am only poking fun at myself and my stupidity - your tenanciousness and heartfelt deserved joy is, to me, what this world is all about. Thank you Navi, for this - again, the boon is indeed mine!

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  3. I'm lost for words Nav, Amazing!
    This brings back the emotion i felt when i got my daggers, i didn't think i would ever feel those emotions again.... Legendary!!!
    I have gotten 2 guild legendary achievements for us and boy does it feel good! Frostwolves is a huge family and we help each other out no matter what. I thank the guild so much for helping us make these legendary's happen.
    -Roshii

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  4. A truly epic tale!

    Congratulations, and well-done!

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  5. This is awesome. It actually made me feel proud of earning my own even though I've been dismissive of the thing ever since I got it. Maybe if Brann had thrown in a rhyme or two at the time I'd have loved it more.

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  6. awww, Words are so much grander when written as a poem and yours was wonderful!

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  7. Once again, you have outdone yourself, Navi... You should certainly write more poetry!

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  8. Ok, I only just read this after your last post. Very nice read. I remember being on that journey with you...

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I hope these comments work! Not sure why people can't comment lately, it makes me sad :(