Focus on the positives. That's what I have to remember sitting here in my swampy boxers and sore back. Yes, for the first time, The Shadow Council simultaneously cleared the Plane of Growth. Wait...wouldn't clearing PoG require us to KILL Tunare?!? I'D LIKE TO THINK SO~

But back to those first few blissful moments of logging onto EQ on a beautiful Sunday morning. The call was out, Tunare up, we gonna kill.

Killer, already the positives are flowing in. Its 10am, I've got a fresh glass of water and the guild is clearing the opening parts of PoG. Its hard to describe the feeling one gets when you're expecting big things from EQ, but we were fooking stoked. An elite crew of 20-some SC's repeatedly training themselves in an effort to A)wipe out or B)clear one of the infinite number of mobs that the PoG harbors. We're killing fast, efficiently and having fun, really, we were having a good ole roll in the hay with legions of mobs falling like Kraglars from the skies of DL at our feet. Thud, thud, thud, thud YEEEHAW DIE DIE DIE!!!

But we focus on the positives, right? Flash foward about 4 hours and we're just finishing buffing after pasting Ali Baba the big wooden librarian tree dude (he's really into silence) guy who they say is hard. (Shhh ok it took a last minute 15k manaburn from Grach to save the remaining 8 people we had~ Ali Baba says Shhhh) So after removing a giant wooden splinter from the ass of most of our melees, we trudge on, hacking down anything that slightly resembles sissy tree hugging fruits.

By now our little clearing raid force has swelled to 45 people and we're mowing through PoG and adding members and apps as we go, but the more people we add, the more mobs our pulling team brought and the more we killed. It seemed like PoG was an endless wasteland of small, annoying mobs who rooted monks and get swallowed inside the models of giant Beastlord pets. But we're gonna kill Tunare, so we don't mind. Hence we continue what is becoming an epic journey that only a handful of guilds on Terris have accomplished, its the green mile of raiding, the longest walk, the El Grande Burrito (PoA doesn't count because Richard Simmons made that zone) and we are determined to finish it. In the immortal words of a_squirrell: "WHEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!"

Back to the action, its nearing the final hour, and the 11hour-old raid is virtually pumping in anticipation. Certain other guilds may feel little or no glee when it comes to the thought of killing Tunare yet again, but to us, Shadow Council stands on the verge of doing the impossible. Kill Tunare? Shadow Council? Riiiiight. 72 members strong, optimism was high. How many guilds on any server would like to stick this feather in their cap? Pets go down without a hitch, and Tunare is ready to be popped...

Saberial tells the guild, 'popping Tunare'

*guild fanfare*

Saberial tells the guild, 'WTF she poofed?'

Tracking team tells the guild 'umm she's not on track'

Well of course she poofed she has to be spawed. Some reassuring tells from friends in other guilds tell us it might take a second for her to come back up.

An hour goes by...

Tracking team tells the guild 'umm she's not on track'

Then after 1 guild campout, petitions, a mass GM disappearing act, we can't stay any longer.

GMs have mysteriously disappeared, and we later learn this isn't the first time Tunare has given a guild the slip. Well, that's comforting.

Suntzua tells the guild 'Get rides out guys ... good job today'

Raid over.

Even though I'm sure VI doesn't read this website, I'd like to extend a handshake of congratulations. You have built an such an irresistable game that 72 people would spend an entire Sunday playing for nothing. No I doubt we're going to cancel our accounts, yes we will curse your ugly children over the internet, I doubt we'll even do so much as take a break, but god dammit...just fucking god dammit.