Rain in Gilneas: Screenshots

Silent Screams: The voiceless Women of WoW

This began as a comment on the Godmother’s blog in response to this post. Then it grew and grew and grew, taking on a life of it’s own.

I come from a long line of Matriarchs, women whose character was forged through necessity. Widowed by war, by illness, they did more than just get by. I look at WoW and the closest images there are to my female role models are Magatha Grimtotem, a minor but compelling villain, one who might not reappear in the narrative at all and Therazane who does very little in terms of plot. As for the rest, it’s dead, dying or having babies. I’m not stamping my tiny feet and demanding that women take over the World of Warcraft, far from it but having one or two female characters written in such a way that the women playing this game could take inspiration from them isn’t much to ask. Films, books, tv series and computer games, we sink into their worlds because we’re shown versions of ourselves, the people that in a different set of circumstances we might have been. The characters you can identify with on one level or another are always the strongest but what does WoW offer? The age old stereotypes of women placed on pedestals or biers. Voiceless, their tales are only told as part of someone else’s story.

Azeroth mirrors our world in so many ways apart from one. Men have a far higher survival rate than women, it doesn’t matter if you go off to war with a huge sword, the odds are, that it will be your wife who dies whilst “safely” at home. Child birth seems to be a particularly nasty killer even though there are so many healers running around raising people from (near) death. We can save someone who has been garroted or eviscerated but child birth defeats our magic, or perhaps in the eyes of the story writers these pesky females have done their jobs by giving birth to the next generation of heroes and villains and it’s easier to kill them off. Character development 101, he went bad because his mother died horribly or he became a sterling example of the Light because no one bothered saving his dear old mum. The fact that it’s rather lazy storytelling doesn’t seem to bother anyone. Look at the faction leaders, so many single parent families. Cairne had to bring up Baine by himself although no one seems to know what happened to Mrs Cairne. What happened to Moira Bronzebeard’s mother? No takers, well what do we know about Jaina’s mother or the Lich King’s? Where is Garrosh’s mother and Saurfang’s wife? The common theme appears to be that they are mostly dead or just not written into the story.

I think it’s hugely telling that perhaps the most famous woman in WoW, at least from a Barrens Chat perspective would be Mankrik’s wife, a woman who didn’t even warrant a name until Cataclysm and who has been dead for the entire narrative. Yes, she’s the Warcraft version of Helen of Troy, with more than 1000 adventurer’s launched in her name but she’s the ultimate passive female. Without going to WoWhead, just how many of you can name her? How many have been to see her memorial in the Barrens? It’s a common theme, Tiffin Wyrnn…. nothing more than a huge marble monument in Stormwind Graveyard and a story telling device to help cement the fractured relationship of father and son together. When I hit 84 and got those quests to escort Anduin around, I misread one of them, thinking he was asking to see the graves and for a brief second I thought that’s sweet, a quest to take him to see his mother’s tomb and perhaps put flowers there but no, he just wanted to visit the harbour and chat to person called Graves.

Then there is poor little Tilloa, mentioned only in passing quest text.

However the elder daughter, Tilloa, seems exceptionally smart.  I couldn’t help but to notice her captivating beauty as well.  She is on the cusp of womanhood now.  Supposedly the Lord has arranged her marriage for next year.

(from the Legend of Stalvan)

She’s dead long before we the players get involved, just the same as Eliza (the reason behind us letting Stitches loose on the good people of Darkshire). We get to avenge her but not because we care, not because we know anything about her other than Stalvan’s jealous ravings but for gold and blues. With her fragmented mention in his diaries, we learn everything we need to know about her and like the differences between Petrarch’s writings about Laura and the woman she actually was, all that matters is how he tells it. The final insult, the spit on the grave, is that her lasting memorial will be written by her killer.

So we come to Taretha Foxton and that quest chain in Caverns of Time: Durnolde Keep which always leaves me frustrated. The good old Queen’s gambit, sacrifice the woman to save the Orc. Not only does the story imply that she’s a victim of sexual violence but in the end she’s executed to make a point and of course help Thrall become the Warchief he was destined to be. Next there is Elysa, linked to Taretha not only by their shared possession of Thrall’s necklace but also by their status as forced mistresses.

The pendant? Of course you can have it… Take it! I want no memory of him… just please, please leave in peace…

(from Taretha’s Gift).

It doesn’t exactly sound like a happy relationship does it. In order to make the bad guys look bad, certain boxes need ticking and cruelty towards women seems to be an easy choice.

It’s not just playable races that suffer either, we can’t forget Keristrazsa. The dragon who my questing characters now leave trapped in her bubble because ultimately she’s better there than becoming the broken creature we end up facing in the Nexus.

Aggro: Preserve? Why? There’s no truth in it! No, no, no… *laughs* Only in the taking. I see that now.
Frost Nova: Stay! Enjoy your final moments.
Death: Dragon Queen… Life-binder… preserve me…
Enrage: Finish it! FINISH IT! Kill me or I swear by the Dragon Queen you’ll never see daylight again.
Kill: Now we’ve come to the truth!

If that’s not bad enough, we even got to loot her broken heart with it’s disturbing flavour text just to make sure the message got through.

“A tragic end to a sad tale. If only Malygos’s abuse of Keristrasza hadn’t driven her insane.”

Yes, I couldn’t wait to breach the Eye of Eternity and slaughter Malygos but I’d have felt the same if he was breathing fire on kittens or trampling on the goldclover. Keristrazsa’s not the only female sacrificed in the process of making sure the entire player base knew that the leader of Blue Dragonflight was a little mad, bad and dangerous to know either. Let’s not forget poor Emmy either or our hand in the death of both her and Keristrasza.

Finally we have the women who aren’t dead only missing like Mia Greymane and her daughter. Last seen during the fall of Gilneas, we have to assume they survived but that Blizzard just didn’t bother putting them in game either in Darnassus with the other refugees or in Stormwind with their husband/father. I thought perhaps they might appear during the Hallows End festival, especially as it’s been somewhat taken over by the Gilneans but nothing.

Now I’m not denying that there are men who fall into these categories too, necessary sacrifices in order to keep the plot boiling along (Liam Greymane would be a prime example) but they tend not to be the victims of sexual violence and kidnapping in the process. So in conclusion, this is partly why I was taken a back by people who couldn’t believe that we were complaining about the lack of female characters in the MoP cinematic. It’s not that I want the female characters to outnumber the male but more that I want future generations of girls to grow up playing games, reading books and being inspired by the women they find on their screens and within those pages. To understand that they don’t have to be a footnote or a victim but if they want to be up there, wielding the metaphorical equivalent of a claymore…. then good for them. Also perhaps if little Vanessa Van Cleef had a mother, then Old Blanchy wouldn’t have had to die!

Personally I have high hopes of Sky Admiral Rogers but the cynical side of my brain fears that she will either fizzle out, letting the “men” do all the dirty work or will go slightly more psychotic and become a caricature of the woman she could be.

We are, I am, you are

by cowardice or courage

the one who find our way back

to this scene carrying a knife,

a camera a book of myths

in which

our names do not appear.

(From Diving into the Wreck by Adrienne Rich)

One thing I’m sure of is that I don’t want my nieces and god-daughters growing up and asking why their names do not appear. Oh and female Ogres wouldn’t go amiss either.

Screenshot – Fire in the Blood

Summer Sun: Transmogrification

As it’s Midsummer, I thought my Monk really needed an appropriately hued outfit. Something which acknowledged the fiery orange blossoms picked at this time of year and also reflected the deep oranges of the rising sun. Summery but yet still practical for kicking in faces whilst keeping her zen face on.

I have to admit that it comprises a few of my favourite bits and pieces.

All that’s left is to get those shoulders to drop and of course to find a bonfire or two to help ward off the evil spirits.

Haunted Azeroth: Tol Barad

I love watching horror movies from behind sofas and then having nightmares for weeks afterwards. In fact as a child, I often had to sleep with the lights on because the strangest things could pray on my imagination, Sweeney Todd (possibly understandable), a butterfly getting stuck in someone’s ear, a shadow flickering against a wall or a story read under bright lights, casting shadows long into the night. Even playing WoW with headphones on, I’ve found myself jumping in certain areas so I thought I’d start to share with you some of the places which leave me with a distinct sense of unease.

Tol Barad

No wonder the inhabitants of this prison are hostile.

Cooped up in the dark and the damp, I suspect I wouldn’t be in the best frame of mind either.

On a slightly different topic, Matty raised an interesting question the other day. I’ve never had a character I actively disliked before, even my slightly strange damaged ones have had a side which redeemed them (at least in my eyes). However this left me wondering, could I make a character whose choices in life I found repugnant? The obvious choice to experiment with would be a Death Knight but given my track record …… that’s probably a definite no.

Blog Azeroth Shared Topic: Vanity thy name is…..

World of Warcraft is known to have a lot of vanity items that you can collect from your adventures and in this expansion Blizzard introduced even more of these silly cosmetic items into the game.

This week’s Shared Topic is, “What is your favorite vanity item in World of Warcraft?”

Suggested by Noahdeer.

I struggled on this one as there is just so much choice out there. Therefore I’m going to cheat slightly and pick the favourite items of a few of my favourite characters.

Up first, appropriately it’s my very first character and Dartol’s rod of Transformation.

I usually hate not finishing quest chains but in this particular case, I just couldn’t hand it in. Furbolg forever!

For Sprout, her favourite vanity items are all ones which can be put to good use in PvP, in terms of undermining your opponents.

Nothing says you just lost than a naked Gnome dancing in a clam shell over your corpse.

Other favourites include the Romantic Picnic Basket, perfect for a spot of “camping” in the countryside with a loved one, the giant golden banana (although I’m still disappointed that this doesn’t make people who walk into it, trip up) and the Scarecrow from the Tillers.

Basically, I love semi useless clutter and have bags full of the stuff.

It’s a beautiful life

In the slackest fashion ever, we’re currently leveling mostly from pet battles. This has meant a fair amount of riding between zones and I’ve been taking a lot of screenshots. Not sure how I failed to notice the Darkshire written in the wrought iron gates before or just how beautiful Westfall on fire is, but that’s what I love about WoW, there is always something new to spot.

Dulcamara’s Story: Chapter 1 – Peacebloom

Peacebloom

Found primarily in wide open spaces, Peacebloom looks beautiful but like many plants, hides a dark secret within. It’s roots and petals are poisonous unless correctly treated. According to the Botanists of the Kaldorai, this involves soaking in Moonwell water until all the impurities have been drawn out. Once prepared, it’s primary use is in poultices for flesh wounds although certain races also crush the leaves to make tonics to quicken the blood. Folklore has it that Peacebloom flowers more frequently on the site of old conflicts, fertilized by the blood of the fallen. It’s also come to signify seeking forgiveness for past actions and  new lovers often send fragrant bouquets of it’s heavy blossoms after petty quarrels, hoping that the blooms will bring peace to their relationship.

——————————-

It would have been easy to overlook the Night Elf, concealed as she was in the shade, still as a statue. On her lap balanced an open sketchpad and in her hand she clutched a pen. Long white hair loosely tied in a plait fell over one shoulder and her silvered eyes were narrowed in concentration. As far as she was concerned, the world began and ended with the plant in front of her, a huge clump of Peacebloom, it’s sickly sweet perfume scenting the air. On the paper, black lines took form, capturing the free flowing shape of it’s petals.

As she drew, she dreamed of the life she could have had. The botanist she could have been, had she chosen a different path. Remembering all the stories about the flora she had listened to as a girl, the tales twisted into being like plant roots, a mix of fact and fiction bringing together history and folklore. Perhaps now she’d have had some exotic plant named after her rather than being a burnt out and broken shadow of herself. “Deserter” rose on her tongue, it’s taste foul like poisonous berries only for her to dash it away, besides it implied a sense of motion, of running when in fact the opposite was true. Her sisters in the Sentinels knew exactly where to look, they just happened to be turning a blind eye. The Priestesses in the Temple had advised rest and relaxation in the short term at least, until she was patched together mentality as well as physically. The scar on her breastbone was healing nicely, knitted together by the very plant in front of her. The same however couldn’t be said for her mind.

It goes to Eleven – Mini Pet Heaven

Inspired by Swenyola’s post on her top ten companion pets, even when I didn’t think I intended returning to WoW, I couldn’t resist drawing up a list of mine.

1. Bean – My baby Hopling, named after Mr Harpy’s rogue as they share certain characteristics.

2. Euphyley –  My Cenarion Hatchling, named after Euphyley of WoW Rare Spawns fame who very kindly gifted her to me.

3. Pyewacket – My Feline Familiar. You can’t go wrong with a Cat in Hat, especially one who can fly on his very own broom.

4. Cobweb – The Giant Bone Spider

5. Ichabod – The Sinister Squashling

6. Billy – Summit Kid

7. Charming – The Swamp Croaker

8. Tattiebogle – Tiny Harvester

9. The Sea Pony –  For a period pet was beginning to be my white whale. I fished and I fished and I fished but got nothing by flotsam and jetsam. Of course when I finally reeled one in, I got another one in quick succession.

10. Mataoka – The Imperial Moth

I may have gone to 11 but I couldn’t decide who to cut in order to add Cecy, so as she’s not a battle pet, I decided she could drift happily on the end.

11. Cecy – The Darkmoon Balloon

Turn Around

Err so I’m re-subscribed to WoW again, I’ve managed to join a guild and my new main is now level 25 and counting. Not bad given that I only got back from Ireland late Thursday night.

We were also blessed with truly amazing weather as you can see from the above picture (it’s the ruins of Dunluce Castle).

I’d actually forgotten how much fun leveling is and I’m torn between enjoying the speed and wishing I could go a little slower to soak up all the atmosphere.

Most of all though, I’m enjoying the details.

For example, I’m pretty sure I’d never noticed this before. Perhaps because this is the first time I’ve ridden around on the bug for any length of time but even so.

Not sure I’d noticed that the Insane Ghoul in Duskwood carried a bunch of flowers either. Wonder if he was just a hoarder or if before his madness got the better of him, he intended to give them to Blind Mary.

In terms of WoW, the plan is to level the Monks, kill Horde, dispose of Garrosh whilst yelling “Remember Theramore” and generally “faff!” a lot. For the blog, well, I have a few long posts I’ve been writing for far too long and I’ve even got a story to justify why my Monk is a night elf. Sewing wise, well mini Gnoll has made it to pattern form but my eye has been caught by something else so will have to see what ends up being made first. Also Sprout will be getting some love, even if it’s just farming Raiding with Leashes mark 2.