Tuesday 7 October 2008

Brewfest madness, Brewfest hangover



I had been eagerly anticipating Brewfest for an entire year. I had gotten my rams, the goggles, my souvenir brewstein and the life-time supply of Brewfest brew last year, when it first started. I found it to be the merriest occassion I have ever been in, so I had been eagerly anticipating this year's Brewfest. I hadn't realised that my own merriment had been so dependent on everybody else's merriment... and this year people in our realm weren't very merry.


I would have loved to tell you that, this year, I had gotten myself a nice kodo. Unfortunately, this was a temporary delusion brought on by some goblin drink, as temporary as me being a Dark Iron Dwarf (this time, courtesy of some dire brew). The merriment was temporary not just for me but a lot of others because the brewfest organizers no longer had their swift mounts to sell. Bummer... bummer... bummer. I mean, I didn't need a new mount, but seeing as so many people were looking forward to getting their own lovely tan mounts and getting their hopes dashed got me down.

Oh, there was plenty of other new items to be had... not from the organizers. Oh, no. Coren Direbrew provided me with most of the lovely new stuff, but I had to insult him and beat him up in front of his crew to get it. I normally wouldn't beat up the underdog (all he ever wanted was to have his brew showcased during the Brewfest), but I was drunk. Drunk on stuff I never thought I'd have to drink; more on that later. When someone told me that the only way I can get a Brewfest Kodo was to get it from Coren, I just beat him up every night. He kept throwing his coins, his pipe, some of his solid beer (I think it was solid beer... hic!) and finally even his mug at me... even his stupid mole machine remote control. He even brought in barmaid 1 and barmaid 2 to bribe us with drinks and stuff. But no kodo. Every night I left him lying down on the floor, groaning and cursing Ironforge. I eventually took his mug, his mole machine remote and his brew—I was so pissed (that is, angry and drunk) that I threw away the rest.

The next morning, after Brewfest, I woke up with a hangover, two barmaids that I apparently promised to employ (Great! Will have to tell my banker that two more shares will have to be allocated to them) and the sinking realization that I destroyed any chance of diplomacy between Ironforge and Blackrock Depths. Good going Ærynn... such a nice example to Myrrh.

What got me so drunk that it impaired my judgement? With so many tickets from last year and plenty more tokens from this year, I bought myself a membership to the "Brew of the Month" Club. Well, there was nothing left to buy and I thought, what the heck, free brew with supposed beneficial side-effects. Not bad... not bad. I awaited my free brew.

What did I get? Some cheapo stuff, that's what. Some brew that made me speak nonsense and a syrupy light brown ale that made me see squirrels. What happened to all the fortifying stuff I had been getting? No added stamina, no spirit... nothing. They did get me drunk, though. And someone who was drunk, talking nonsense and seeing non-existent squirrels will beat up some neglected dwarf on the provocation that doing so will get me a kodo. Brilliant.

The thing is that I not only went down there, but I dragged Sküld and Dwarrow down there (along with their friends), too. I was uncharacteristically temperamental and mean to them, and for that I hope they someday forgive me.

I still look forward to Brewfest, but I should always remember that moderation is the key. Anyway, to cut a long story short—this year people weren't so happy because they were looking forward to finally purchasing their mount and instead learned they had to beat up a sad old dwarf until he coughed it up. All the other trinkets and stuff are fine, but what other thing can you get from Brewfest that can last you all the way to Northrend? All the other toys are nice, and some cheap alcohol every month is nice, but people were hoping to get the ram or the kodo this year for when we invade Northrend. This was the real reason why people had been racing and barking it up until the very end last year.

This year, there just wasn't any point.

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