Wow! It's our Blogoversary already!

Amazing.  12 months down and we have had a very big year.

Looking back over the old posts is always interesting, and these ones are no different.  A few intros and then we were into it, with Pets (the Coldfire to start with) and questing, then an intro from Tabitha who was still less than level 10 at that stage.

We had fun with Blaze's first Tips and Tricks and my obsession with the Antique Cello!

Tabitha entertained us with her questing and learning to explore all the amazing things that make Wizard101 the brilliant game that it truly is.

It wasn't long before Alia had us Sightseeing Through the Spiral (I'm sure it is time for the next one!) and then Tabitha purchased her first home only to fall in love with crafting - I can't wait to see what she does with her Arcane house...

We butted heads with many arrogant Ice tanks in PvP (where are they now? lol) and gave a good heads up on where to get some great free temporary mounts.

Tabitha (who is actually from England) made her way to Marleybone and I got my new high level minion!

Robert Shadowgem showed us how good Wizard spells can look and the posts started to get a real flavour of Energy and Gardening to it.  Little did we know at the time where this would lead us!

September rolled around and gardening tips started to be my focus, while KingsIsle had decided to roll out the Loremaster not too long beforehand.  This was a big move as it was the first time we could really, seriously, farm for new spells.  And Loremaster herself is regular feature still in high-level PvP contests.

September also saw something new for us, launching the Wizard101 Weekly.  This little gem, courtesy of Tabitha, is a great resource for all that is Wizard on the web across the week.  It still stays on today and it is always a useful read.

Strange as it seems, Aquila was also released around that time, and I clearly still remember my first time fighting that Squid with Alia.  What a beast!  That was a serious brawl...it is a good memory to relive :)

Halloween saw Tabitha's first time to experience a Wizard101 event, and Blaze gives us an overview of what you can find in the dark, behind the Haunted Cave. This was a really important discovery, and if I had realised what some of those drops were, I would have farmed there a LOT more for Gardening TCs.

Late October saw the first intro to Khrysalis and the Community was abuzz with the fact that there was finally a new world for Wizard!  The screenshots looked amazing and everyone was keen to get their hands on this new part of the wonderful Wizard101 World.

...and then it happened...I got my CELLO!!!  I still remember that day...after more than a year of searching, I prised that cello from the cold, rigid fingers of Stoker who I had just killed (for the 100th time!!).

December came around all too quickly.  I discovered how to tell which crafting table to use, just by looking at the card, and Blaze and I had a great idea - we'd create our own "12-days in the Spiral" (click for lyrics) in time for Christmas.  You can view it here:

I've gotta say, it was a lot of fun with all Wizards really getting into it and having fun.

Alia was also inspired and took us on a few new trips through the Spiral.

The close of 2013 saw me finish my two books on Gardening (updates coming out in the new few weeks!) and if you haven't read them, you can get them on the right hand side of this blog, or you can click here for your free copy of Mastering Gardening in the Spiral, or you can click here for your free copy of Extreme Gardening!

January saw many of the Wizards here at OWK getting into Grub Guardian.  We had often heard of it, but hadn't played it.  That changed quickly after we realised the prizes that we could get from playing this challenging little Tower Defence game!  It was also the month we got into Pet training again.  Mega snacks were flying all over the place, and I offered up my tip on getting that Perfect score while training.

Then came February.  Wow...what  month.  We launched The Manual of Mastery.  Something we had been working on for a while - a great tool to help wizards of any rank get a better understanding of Gear to get the best stats possible.  We also launched our first Beginners Guide to Grub Guardian after getting lots of questions about it, and this still remains one of our most popular posts.

Valentine's Day came and went, and we passed on a hot tip for making money the legitimate way :)

Then we were into March and the Great Gardening Challenge.  Tabitha was keen to race me to Verdant Gardener.  It was a great battle, hard fought and in the best of spirits, but in the end, her Key Limes strategy was just too good.

Then ... KingsIsle's lawyers reached out across the Pacific Ocean and shut down the Manual of Mastery.  We were heartbroken - we had spent so much time and effort on something we just knew the community would be able to use.  It was very disappointing, but I understand the need to protect Intellectual Property.  It was a sad month, but watch this space.  We had been charging a small fee to try to recover the money we spent making the app, but was the wrong thing to do, so we have put the Manual away for now.  However, apparently if it is free, it will be OK.  Trust me, we have no hard feelings...that is where business is business.  Perhaps we will release it as a free app - who knows?

BTW - Assuming we could release it for free, tell me, would you grab a free copy of you could?

April had Tabitha turning one year old, and Sir Ethridon did a review of the Wizard101 mini-games.

Last month I spent helping friends level up, and Blaze finally went back and completed Nastrond - a world he had neglected on his way through the Spiral.  Then he and I took on Mirror Lake in a very unusual way, even getting help from a very familiar face.

And that brings us to the now.  Of all the Wizards here in the Keep, many of us have levelled up or learned a lot in the last 12 months.  Tabitha and I have ventured into the world of Twitter (you can follow us on the links in the top right of the Blog page) and have shared many adventures with people right through the Spiral.

With the successful (and very recent!) launch of Khrysalis Part 2, it seems KingsIsle still have plenty left in store for Wizard101.  As 2014 continues to roll on, we will be there to join in the fun and action of any and all of the wonderful things that KingsIsle will add to their game.

I hope you have enjoyed reading our blog as much as we have loved writing it.

A special thanks for Scarlet Frogslinger, Swordroll, D.S. Devereaux, Paige Moonshade, Frost Caller, Katherine Light, Tabitha Deathfinder and others.  Your comments, messages and advice have always been great.

So, the next 12 months awaits!

See you 'round the Spiral!

Morgrim