sun’s pinion

For work, Dante has to go down to Georgia to oversee some project. I’m not clear on the details, but it’s a raw deal. He’s living in a lowkey crappy hotel (apparently the good hotel was booked) and working 12-hour night shifts (during which he doesn’t have much to do, so he sits around most of the time bored). He’s keeping up with his weekly tomestones by griefing expert roulette on his jank laptop, but for now, we’re raiding with GANON. 

[4:19 AM] Dante: Is it time to go home yet

[4:19 AM] Dante: I don't mean for this shift :(( 

Re-clear zone: Got a 43% parse on Eric! Unfortunately, the hippo re-clear didn’t go so well. Seven of us died in what newbie dubbed the Great Arrow Calamity of 2022. During arrows 2, KJH was on the wrong side for spreads, and everyone but HGR dropped dead (this doesn’t make any sense).

“Such devastation…” Silver said.

HGR used healer LB3 to save the run, and we cleared with seconds left on the clock. He grumbled, “I actually lost more dps than you guys because I’m animation locked for 10 seconds afterward.”

===

Saturday’s session was a backslide arc. We spent a lot of time arguing about how not to get people hit by left/right cinderwing (I’m secretly relieved that I’m not the only one who has trouble with the mechanic) and wiping to darkfires. Darkfire wipes are frustrating because the mechanic is conceptually simple, and in theory the execution is simple. We have numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 marked on the battlefield at cardinals. A certain number of orbs will flash above each person’s head, numbering us from 1 to 8. Numbers 1 + 5 go to point #1, 2 + 6 go to #2, etc. The problem is that people keep misreading the number of orbs on their heads. Someone will say “There’s three people on 3” or “I’m alone at 4” and there’s no time to fix things, it’s a guaranteed wipe.

By Sunday we emerged from the backslide arc with a cleaner phase one, and we got to see the next major mechanic after the add phase, which is an entire fracas. Phoinix is spawning fountains of fire everywhere. People are getting spreads. Birds are charging at people. We spent like 15 minutes analyzing the tape of our best pull trying to figure out what was going on. 

(Silverliner) my god

(Silverliner) what a shitstorm

(meisnewbie) no what a fire storm

Meanwhile, newbie was complaining about the add phase. It’s annoying for everyone (I either overcap my heat or I waste portions of hypercharge windows). But according to newbie, it’s especially bad for him, because he gets thrown off his rotation and can’t recover for the rest of the fight. Without enemies onscreen, he can’t cast his songs and winds up songless.

HGR: “Did you say ‘songless,’ meisnewbie?”

“Shut the fuck up,” said newbie.