Name: Akysha
Race/Class: Troll Shaman
Main Spec: Enhancement
Primary Professions: Herbalism & Alchemy
Armory Link: http://eu.wowarmory.com/character-sheet ... &cn=Akysha

What's your name and where are you from? The name's Riku and I live in the land of the polar bears, also known as Finland to some.

How old are you? Please give your answer in Reverse Polish Notation. 2 3 + or something along those lines, I think. Math never was my strongest subject...

How long have you been playing WoW? From the beginning of 2006. Spent my first few weeks on Runetotem, not really learning that much of the game. Got lured over to DB by a friend and I've been here ever since. Have never really had long breaks, 1-2 weeks at best.

Is this your main? How often do you play this character? Tell us about your other characters, including any serious alts. This is my current main and most likely will remain as such 'till Cataclysm. I have two other 80s, my tauren warrior in <The Mistrunner Tribe> who I started playing WoTLK with and have since abandoned, more or less, and my undead rogue in <The Old Lordaeron> who was my first fellow to visit Naxxramas, but is now used for PvP rather than PvE. I've been planning on starting a proper PvE career with my undead warlock, but she's still lvl 70.

What's your guild history? Why did you leave / are you leaving your current or previous guild? My guild history's not too colorful, at least if talking about the PvE aspect. I have toons in <The Mistrunner Tribe>, <The Old Lordaeron> (or what's left of it) and <Orcs of The Red Blade>.
Currently my shammie's in <The Second Gurubashi Empire> but I've felt tempted to finally join a guild that'd give me a good access to some proper raiding. Not to mention for some general fun having-ness.

Provide the names of some people we can get in touch with in-game as references. If you know anyone on the Path, either in-game or IRL, mention that here also. Narushka would be the one and only person I know in the Path, as well as outside the game.

What is your role in raids? How do you judge whether you're doing a good job or not? With my current spec, I of course aim to slap and hurt things as painfully as possible. But since I've also been blessed with totems and few other fancy tricks that came with WoTLK, I of course listen up to the raid leader and place around the needed totems (Cleansing totem, Resistance totems of different type, along with some stat buffing ones.) and hex the nasty mobs running around for possibly needed CC. What comes to doing a good job personally, I believe I'm doing a good enough job when I'm keeping my eyes open for totems/other things that are about to run out, while bursting out as much damage as I can.

What's your PvE experience like? I have never been in a pure PvE guild. My vanilla raiding included one visit to Molten Core as my warrior, so not much to brag about. During TBC, I got invited to Karazhan on a certain evening, to help around with healing. I ended up running the place for months with my shaman. But due to some silly drama, my raiding career started and ended up with Karazhan. Once WoTLK came, I, as well as everyone and their mothers, was able to give raiding a go. I've pugged Naxx a handful of times as my rogue. Naxx, Satharion, TOC and Ulduar I've pugged at least partly with my shaman.

Describe your choice of spec, how you came to your current build, and any other things you feel we should know about why you spent your talent points the way you did. I pushed my way through TBC as Enhancement 'till switching to Resto for raiding goodness. During WoTLK, I have stayed as Enh. from 70 to 80, enjoying the spec quite mucho. I've also taken Resto as my second spec, thinking that I just might train my rusty healing skills on some distant future day.

I have changed my Enh. spec several times during my leveling and have sticked with the one I got atm for several months now. I read some tips from Elitist Jerks and fooled around a bit myself, and 'am now happy with it. If something, I'd probably move points from 'Improved Ghost Woffle” over to ”Improved WF totems”, would I start raiding.

Where do you go to read about your class outside of the game? WoWWiki and Elitist Jerks have so far provived enough info for me.

Roleplaying Section: End your application with a short in-character biography, a note from your character to the officers, or other RP story or RP statement about yourself. Effort is much more appreciated than length or content, and this section is not optional.
Akysha gnawed the tip of one of her fingers, spitting out a fingernail. She had been drinking enough once again, to let her mind fill with different thoughts. Her brother had lured her to join the Gurubashi Empire months ago, by filling her mind with a handful of glorious stories about the savage trolls. They all ended up being more or less close to the truth, of course. But still. Was this really the life she was after? She was interested of things happening outside the Vale, which didn't seem to be the case for others in the empire, which was understandable, in it's way.
Akysha had heard rumours of this ”Path” group from her fellow trolls, who had attended their gathering. Judging of that and from some researching of her own, the trolless thought that perhaps they could offer her what she was after.

Hey Riku, thanks for the well-written and comprehensive application!

Couple of practical questions, if you don't mind: your gear seems to be exactly where it needs to be for the content we're raiding right now. What are the next two slots you're looking to upgrade, and with what drops/emblem pieces?

We're still actively recruiting for 25's, and until then running 10's, switching people out as much as possible so that everyone gets the lootz/emblems they need. What is your availibility for our raids like, and, recognizing that we aren't short on DPS (especially for weekend raids), what expectations do you have about getting a spot for the Icecrown runs? How eager are you to see the bleeding-edge progress content versus the first wing or two that we have on farm?

I don't really have anything meaningful to add to what Zalmoxis has said, besides that I think Riku is a totally awesome name

Don't mind at all, of course.

I've been visiting heroic Forge of Souls for the Crit/ArP trinket that drops from the second boss to replace my WG trinket with, but no luck so far. Another update that I can think of, would be the [Band of The Night Raven] belt, buyable with Frost emblems.

Currently, time is something that I really have on my hands, especially during evenings. If things won't change anytime soon, I most likely will be around every evening. I'm of course eager to see Professor Farnsworth and the co, whenever it's possible, but if I won't get my hands on a spot in the raid, I don't mind. I still have only visited ICC two times personally, besides watching videos/reading about it, not to mention my gear still needing some of that pimping.

This is a very strong application with an obviously well-maintained character. I look forward to taking you for a spin. Whisper me, Ekhan, Zalmoxis, Marrowchill, Nimoe, or Kainé for a ginvite.