StarCraft, too

Today is a momentous day!  Why is that, you ask?  Because tonight I played my first match of StarCraft 2 online.  Against a real person.  


And, get this: I actually won!  I really won!  


And now for some backstory.  After all, I need to explain why this is such a big deal.  To begin with, I am scared of games.  I do not know why, but I am.  Even playing something as simple as "Go Fish" is enough to make me break out into a sweat.  I am brought to tears by Pictionary; I am terrified of dominoes and console games alike.  As I said in this post, I never really played games growing up.  In fact, I tend to avoid them like the plague.


My New Year's resolution for this year was to tackle this fear.  After all, games are a big part of my husband's life.  They are a way that he relaxes.  (This boggles my mind--games are a way to stress me, not relax me.)  And I really want to be able to share that with him--even if that is putting me in a position where I might lose.  The horror!


And so, I am facing games.  Or, actually, just one game.  The one game that I'm working on is: StarCraft 2.  I know, surprise surprise.  I certainly haven't picked one of the easiest games to learn--it is called a real time strategy game, after all. 


But today...  today I signed online, and played a game against another person.  And I won.  I did it.


I have a long way to go in conquering my game phobia, but I think I am headed in the right direction.  For tonight, I am content.


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And, speaking of StarCraft, here is the most recent addition to my "StarCraft 2" accessory line, just recently posted to my store.  I call it "Xel'Naga Artifact."  I think it is a fitting tribute to today's victory.

Close-up of the stick toppers.

Detailed view of the dangle and toppers.

Complete view of the hairsticks.

And here we have the pair of matching earrings!

And here is the story that I put with it:


“Now, the Xel'naga that forged us all are returning. But do they come to save... or to destroy?”
- Zeratul, a prominent Protoss warrior, on the Xel’naga

The Xel’Naga are an ancient race prominent in the lore of the StarCraft universe. Their name itself means “Wanderers from Afar,” although they have also been called the Ihan-rii, the “Great Teachers,” and the “Makers.” As a race, they have played an important role in the backstories of the Protoss and the Zerg, manipulating the evolution of both races. 

In the time of StarCraft and StarCraft 2, however, the Xel’Naga are absent. Their only appearance thus far has been in the form of relics—ancient artifacts with mysterious powers. Yet their return is foretold, and even that is a matter of uncertainty. It is not clear whether the Xel’Naga will come to save those that they created, or if they will come to destroy them.

These hairsticks and earrings were crafted in the colors of a Xel’Naga artifact—glowing blues, swirling silvers, and night-blacks. Although they lack any of the powers of the true Xel’Naga artifacts, they can certainly herald back to this ancient race, and remind the wearer to find beauty even when facing the uncertainty of the future.*


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* - Even if the future holds games online against real people!  :)