Discussing the Guardian and 'Guild Wars 2'

If you haven't been paying attention to latest Guild Wars 2 news, another profession has been revealed. This is the Guardian, a heavily-armored soldier specializing in both frontline combat and party support. There's been a lot of speculation across the Web that the second soldier profession would be a reincarnation of the Paragon from Guild Wars Nightfall, or some sort of holy warrior, like the Dervish, or a re-imagining of the Monk. 

However, it seems that ArenaNet has done something a little better: they took all of those ideas and synthesized them into something new. Though the Guardian has some very distinct similarities to World of Warcraft's Paladin, there's also a lot that sets it apart.

Notebook: Beneath Emerald Eaves

Another oldie of mine, originally written in 2009. I submitted it to the weekly reading at The Greater Canton Writers' Guild, of which I was a part of, and won some money for it. "Beneath Emerald Eaves" is a flash fiction piece about the beginning and the end of a relationship. I thought that people could enjoy it again and so, re-posted it here at my blog. Enjoy!

Beneath Emerald Eaves

By Blake Gabriel

I remember the day well, every detail frozen, crystal-clear in my memory. I was kneeling, not caring if the grass would stain my jeans; eyes focused on the bluejay perched in the highest branches of the tree. My camera clicked three times in rapid succession.

I rose to my feet and thoughts of the bird were banished by the sight of the woman before me. I never believed in "love at first sight," but if irony could have clubbed me over the head, it would have.

She was tall, maybe to my nose, and slender as a sapling, unbowed by age or the weight of care. She glided with a dancer’s grace, stepping from pedestrian to pedestrian. People that passed her did not walk away without a flyer pressed into their hands.

Notebook: Scarlet Was Her Hair

I wrote this short story two years ago and submitted it to my high school's literary magazine. I believe it got published there too. It's also been on my Scribophile page for the longest time, and since I'm taking it down from that site, I thought it could find a home here. Please, if you haven't read it yet, enjoy! If you have read it already, read it and enjoy it all over again!

Scarlet Was Her Hair

By Blake Gabriel

A soft, delicate hand traced across the small of my back and a gentle voice whispered in my ear.

“Bobby, shh… shh… it’s okay, baby,” Amy cooed. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

Muffling my sobs, I rolled over to face her, drinking in the beauty of her pale skin. She was radiant in the moonlight shining through the crack in the curtain. I smiled weakly, brushing a strand of dark brown hair from her almond eyes. Her gaze seemed to beckon to me, urging me to lose myself in its depths.

Amy wiped the tears from my cheek with the intimacy only lovers could share. We’d been together for eleven months now; there was little we didn’t share.

“What’s wrong, baby?” she asked again in a whisper, her cool breath tickling my ear.

“I was just remembering someone,” I said through long, shaking breaths. “Someone close.”

'Don't Look Back' Music Video, Courtesy of She & Him

She & Him released a new music video for their song, "Don't Look Back," from their album, "Volume Two." Though I personally don't like it as much as the music video for "Thieves", it's still a charming little ditty worth your five minutes. It oozes the adorable, undeniable cuteness that could only be Zooey Deschanel.

Also, she turned 31 on Monday! Happy belated birthday, Zooey! See past the cut to watch the video!

What About Guilds?

We haven't heard much from the folks at ArenaNet lately (other than the blog post about the Kodan), but, if you take into account their commitment to polish, you can't really blame them. I'm all for developers not releasing information if it means a high level of polish and completeness. But, the patience of the fan community isn't infinite.

Guild Wars 2 fans are still anxiously awaiting for the reveal of the last four professions. If you haven't kept up to date, the professions we know of so far are the Warrior, the Elementalist, the Ranger, and the Necromancer. As Guild Wars' unique (and arguably signature) profession, Mesmer is a shoe-in for the fifth profession slot. That leaves three more slots still left unfilled.

Vlog: Making of 'Honor': Beginnings

I made a video that's sort of a faux-interview of myself, as if I was making a "Behind the Scenes" special featurette. This is the first part of the video series where I talk about how I got started writing a medieval fantasy drama like The War of Succession. Watch the video below!