World of Warcraft offers adults the opportunity to act like children among like-minded individuals. This theory was proven on a recent weekend as my guild - a user-created group within World of Warcraft - held an event.

The Red Shirts (Scarlet Crusade server) is a casual gaming guild whose mottos include, "Boldly going where we really shouldn't" and "Die with styIe!" While this is a guild of casual players, the people that comprise the membership have many maximum-level characters and play frequently. Still, they are accessible and as happy to explain game basics as they are complicated strategies for end-game bosses. They are also profoundly silly, and the events reflected that silliness.

First Event: Mount Racing at Shimmering Flats
The first event of the three-hour (give or take) meeting was held at the Shimmering Flats, a region of Azeroth (the World of Warcraft world) inspired by the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA. There is a race track there where non-player goblins and gnomes compete in rocket car races. That night, however, there would be guild races, one for regular mounts and another for "Epic" mounts, which are faster.

Standard Mount Race

Epic Mount Race

Second Event: Death Train
After the races everyone took a portal into Stormwind, the capital city of the human race and the Alliance itself. From there the guild leaders organized a train where everyone followed one another using system commands, and marched through the region "tooting" whenever we passed other users (the /Train command in-game). For those that know World of Warcraft, we ran from Stormwind to the Twilight Grove in Darkshire. The new Guild members sacrificed themselves (pointlessly) to Emeriss, the Green Dragon guardian of a portal to the Emerald Dream, and alternate dimension of Azeroth. After we were all killed, we had our guild member status promoted. This is the way of the Red Shirts.

Marching to Our Doom

Sacrifice to the Dragon

Third Event: The Great Nekkid Race
Guild members still awake ran to nearby Stranglethorn Vale to participate in a footrace that ran from the Alliance Camp in the North to the Gurubashi Arena mid-region. Member were allowed to take any path, but were allowed no armor of any kind or speed enhancements. Unfortunately for the author, his character was at a level where nearby enemies would find him strangely attractive, putting him at a handicap.

Streaking in Stranglethorn

Final Event: Drunken Boxing
Late at night in the real world and lower level than his fellow members, Boz did not participate in drunken boxing, though he did enjoy watching as guild members leaped into the arena butt-nekkid to fight while under the (virtual) influence. A good time was had by all, though he missed out on taking any pictures by that time.

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These pictures and more available here