Webs Unwoven

Elder Tribunal has been very busy! In between saving Metzen and destroying the Greench, we've been visitting some of Northrend's most wanted, and gathering presents of our own. First, congratulations to ET on their full clear of the Spider Wing of Naxxramas! Two guild firsts in this wing...

To find fulfillment...don't exist with life...embrace it.

-Jim Beggs

Grand Widow Faerlina, the second boss of Spider Wing, unlike the first is not all about the tanks. This cultist demands coordination and output from the DPS, and they came through for us here, after one practice attempt.

Malice sucks up the greater part of her own venom, and poisons herself.

-Michael de Montaigne

Maexxna, final boss of Spider Wing, is an enormous spider that gorges herself on the corpses of hapless adventurers. Quite the imposing figure for our rag-tag band. Healers and Tanks really came through on this one, to pull us out of spider's web at the last moment.

We also tried our hand at the Plague Wing and met with success. Noth the Plaguebringer was ET's first ONE SHOT in Naxxramas. Great job, everyone. No photo for this one, the Lich King recalled this servant of darkness before we had time to commemorate his demise. Loot will prove with photography fails. We also worked on Heigan the Unclean, and attempted to prove that white men can dance.

In other realms, the Black Dragonflight's days slowly comb to an end, as the Elders keep pressure on their breeding grounds beneath Wyrmrest, within the Obsidian Sanctum. On our first night in OS, we downed Sartharion, and have done so multiple times a week since!

Once there as the People - Terror gave it birth;
Once there was The People, and it made a hell of earth!
Earth arose and crushed it. Listen, oh, ye slain!
Once there was The People - it shall never be again!

-Rudyard Kipling

Finally, we returned to Outland to lay waste to Tempest Keep, and the false Prince of the Blood Elves. Kael'thas down!

All power corrupts, but we need the electricity.

Unknown

Just a little taste...

The report of my death was an exaggeration.
-Mark Twain

On Friday, December 5th, Elder Tribunal made its first foray into a level 80 raid. Ten of us went in and bravely met the first of the Lich King's challenges. And challenging he was! The perverse nerubian Anub'Rehkan challenged us to learn new skills that will come in handly later in Naxx, and reminded us how precious every little upgrade is. Congratulations to all of our new Level 80s, and to those who got loot last night! Keep it coming!

...it will all be over soon.

Live, Learn and then get Lewts (TM)

Of all the pulpits from which human voice was ever sent forth, there is none which reaches so far as from the grave.
-John Ruskin

And thus, the gallery of the dead grows. We lay them beneath our feet, and, merciless, march on towards their masters.

It may be that the old astrologers had the truth exactly reversed, when they believed the stars controlled the destinies of men. The time may come when men control the destinies of the stars.
-Arthur C. Clarke

I have a right to my anger, and I don't want anybody telling me I shouldn't be, that it's not nice to be, and that's something wrong with me because I get angry.
-Maxine Waters

Use your enemy's hand to catch a snake.

Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.
-Winston Churchill

The intelligent man is one who has successfully fulfilled many accomplishments, and yet is willing to learn more...

"Echoes of Doom," or "Ch Ch Ch Changes"

We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.
-Tom Stoppard

Echoes of Doom whispered across Azeroth two weeks ago (a.k.a., The pre-Wrath content patch of 3.0.2) and brought with it a myriad of changes... The Elders have spent the past two weeks busily, testing out new spells and abilities, rebalancing their talent specs and adapting to a new world... preparing for the greater challenges ahead in the frozen and forboding beyond.

For better or for worse, we've tested those abilities on a number of our old enemies, and have proceeded to steam roll through those who once stood in our way. What good is a fact if you can't change it? Lurker and Leotheras have become cake now, and we are proceeding through Mount Hyjal, Black Temple swiftly. On the weekends, Tempest Keep, Kharazan and Zul'Aman find themselves the unwitting targets of our machinations, and have been wiped clean by them. We've set a number of new records for ET recently!

- Solarian DOWN!
- Anetheron DOWN!
- Kaz'rogal DOWN!
- High Warlord Naj'entus DOWN!
- Four Chest Zul'Aman! (and two Three Chest runs!)
- Kharazan in 2 hours and 12 minutes, with each boss fight barely over one minute long!

Great work ET, Grats to those with new loot, and continue to prepare yourselves for the bigger, the better, and the more challenging! Stay Classy, Shattrath.

More pics after the bump...

Blinded by the Light

There is a condition worse than blindness, and that is seeing something that is not there.
-Thomas Hardy

After sharpening our work in SSC on Lurker and his trash, we moved on to Leotheras the Blind. The fight was exciting and challenging for all involved, and showed us how to re-hone our basic skills, how to effectively use our playspace, and how to overcome challenges. After a few nights of intense tries and intense personalities, we finally downed him! He still gives us a run for our money, but it won't be long until he's another notch in our belt and we've moved on to bigger fish (like Karathress and Najentrus.) We're looking forward with mixed feelings to 3.0.2 and Wrath, but everyone carries some excitement.

Congrats to all the new members who have made full member, and congrats to those with new loot. Happy New Year to those to whom it applies, welcome back to school to the students, and enjoy the changing seasons!