The Sublime and the Beautiful: IntPiPoMo

Since it’s still the 30th of November I thought I’d get a little closer to the 50 pictures.

Who knows I might even “borrow” another time zone to post my last 9.

Painted Skies: IntPiPoMo

It is with horror that I hold up my hands on the last day of the month and admit that I have only managed to post 26 screenshots so far for IntPiPoMo. However by the time the trees start going up to celebrate Winter Veil, I will be finished, I promise. Today’s theme is loosely based on sky as I fell in love with the backdrop to Mists as soon as I got the Beta installed also the theme to Skyfall is constantly being played at work so it’s semi burned into my brain.

A more peaceful time

The Darkness above the Gate

The Gathering Storm Clouds

A Light in the Darkness

Hope

This brings me to 31 out of 50 (and the moral of this story is… next time count as you go!).

IntPiPoMo: It’s a jungle out there

Today I though I’d share some of our photographs with you rather than posting screenshots. So here are some of the real life versions of my favourite Hunter pets (and a shoal of shiny fish).

Fog and Fairy tales: IntPiPoMo

The Gilneans always make me think of fairy stories. Deep dark woods, full moons glistening over head, fat candles burning down low and red roses dripping petals the colour of blood.

For a period when I was quite small, we lived close to the German/Netherlands border and used to visit Efteling regularly. Naturally as a child I loved it and whilst I was too young to appreciate the roller coasters, I adored the Fairy Tale Forest.  I know the Worgen are meant to be British and whilst the fog might be, the architecture reminds me so much of wandering around that theme park visiting all my favourite fairy stories.

Here on the east coast of Scotland, it’s often foggy. The Haar comes rolling off the sea, striding in-land like some vast Vykrul woman, her white cloak wrapping the world in cotton wool. You can taste sea salt on the air as she passes, clouding your vision and altering your senses.

The Forsaken have the next best set of buildings, all haphazard edges and balconies. I can’t help wondering what sort of monster arose from it’s slab just after this picture was taken.

Forests too change the way we see things, blocking out the bigger picture.

A Dandelion head, it’s lacy strands dancing in the light like a spider’s web.

Finally, who doesn’t love marshes? The colours caught reflected in the viscous water and the strange trees which flower there make it a thing of beauty.

50 Shades of Grey: The IntPiPoMo edition

Karazhan in the rain

Incy wincy spider

A Tree

The Theramore Graveyard

Safe Passage – IntPiPoMo

The Wanderer’s Festival – IntPiPoMo

We are the music-makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams.
World-losers and world-forsakers,
Upon whom the pale moon gleams;
Yet we are the movers and shakers,
Of the world forever, it seems.

Arthur William Edgar O’Shaughnessy

With so many of the WoW festivals revolving around killing and death, the Wanderer’s festival is a real breathe of fresh air. There is no big bad to slaughter, no towns to save, just a leisurely Sunday beach party focusing on celebrating exploration and dreams coming true.

The party starts with the celebrants emerging from the jungle, some carrying lanterns which they take to the water’s edge.

Once released these glowing beacons float out to sea, drifting out to explore.

I find myself returning week after week just so I can sit on the beach watching the world go by.

I love the idea of a regular festival and/or event that happens all year around and really hope it’s something that Blizzard develop further at some point. So far we have the Wanderer’s Festival with it’s hatchling and of course the Darkmoon Faire but perhaps the market at Halfhill could expand into a proper market on a Saturday with twice as many stalls, some selling unique items and recipes. Maybe those enterprising Goblins in Booty Bay could set up a Fish market to help fund the rebuilding project or the Vrykul could host a little gathering once a fortnight to help draw people back to Northrend, obviously we’d have to dress up to avoid being on the receiving end of a pointy spear but the opportunities could be endless.

The Darkmoon Faire: IntPiPoMo

The Darkmoon Faire is Sprout’s spiritual home from home. For one week of the month, she can escape from the hustle and bustle of her day to day life and escape to the Faire. To play games and eat deep fried candybars washed down with iced berry slush. To wander on the beach and saunter through the deep dark woods.

The carousel wheeled, a great back-drifting lunar dream, the horses thrusting, the music in-grasped after, while Mr Cooger, as simple as shadows, as simple as light, as simple as time got younger. And younger. And younger.

(Something Wicked This Way Comes, Ray Bradbury).

Not surprisingly I’m really looking forward to the forthcoming additions to the Faire with the next patch. New pets and of course the carousel implied by the datamined objects on MMO Champion.

Día de los Muertos and the Feast of All Souls: IntPiPoMo 2012

The rules for IntPiPoMo can be found here at Revive & Rejuvenate.

This time of year has to be my favourite, despite being born in the heat of midsummer, I’ve always been a child of the autumn and winter. Preferring cold crisp nights and the smell of apples drifting in on the mist to long hot days. Choosing  Bonfight night with it’s leaping flames casting dancing shadows on the grass and that soft transition period as All Hallows Eve slides silently into the Day of the Dead and then to the Feast of all Souls to the boldness and brashness of the summer holidays. Thus it will come as no surprise to you  that to kick of IntPiPoMo in 2012, I will be starting with images which reflect my love of this time of the year.

I had the privilege to spend la Día de los Muertos in Mexico a few years ago and one of the most beautiful memories I carried back was that of watching the trucks full of marigolds otherwise known as the flower of the dead being brought into the cities in preparation for the Day of the Dead celebrations. I found myself falling in love with the idea that their petals can create a bridge between worlds bringing the dead back for a few scant hours, breadcrumbs for the souls to follow.

We should too, like Webster see the skull (and the rest of the bones) beneath the skin.

Here we see the WoW version, the decorated sugar skulls and the vase full of marigolds whose petals allow us to pierce the veil and give us a fleeting glimpse of what lies beyond the shadows .