What are your favorite physical activities or exercises?
I don’t chase complicated workout routines. My favourite physical activities are the ones that feel practical, steady, and don’t require a motivational speech to get started.
Walking is at the top of the list. It’s simple, clears the head, and doesn’t need equipment, planning, or any sort of athletic heroics. Just movement and a bit of quiet.
I also appreciate light stretching or mobility work. Nothing dramatic — just enough to keep everything functioning without complaining. It’s more maintenance than exercise, but it does what it needs to do.
And while it’s not a formal workout, I enjoy anything that has a clear purpose: lifting something that actually needs lifting, organising a space, or tackling the kind of physical tasks that make the day run smoother. Functional movement feels more useful than sets and reps.
Nothing flashy. Nothing extreme. Just activities that help me stay steady without turning it into a survival challenge.
What is something others do that sparks your admiration?
I admire people who stay calm under pressure. Not because they’re fearless, but because they know how to steady themselves when things get messy. That kind of focus is worth more than half the noise we deal with day to day.
I also respect consistency. Showing up, doing the work, and keeping promises — even when it’s inconvenient — says a lot more than big gestures ever do. Steady effort beats flashy effort every time.
Another thing that stands out is the ability to learn without ego. People who admit when they don’t know something, ask the right questions, and come back stronger. It’s practical, honest, and a trait more of us could use.
And finally, I admire those who can find humour in difficult moments. Not denial, not avoidance — just the ability to cut through tension with something light so everyone can breathe again.
None of these traits are loud. They don’t make headlines. But they make life easier, and that’s worth admiring.
If you’d told younger me that I’d eventually beat the Fissure of Woe without a Barrage/Pet group, I’d have laughed.
Back then, FoW was something I visited, not something I finished. I joined random B/P teams, fired arrows at anything that moved,
and hoped the pets would tank things they absolutely shouldn’t have been tanking.
I even tried the old ranger solo runs to the Forest — mostly because everyone else was doing it and I wanted to feel cool.
A full clear though?
That never happened.
FoW politely reminded me I was not the hero of this story.
Until now.
Standing at the Chest of Woe after my first full Fissure of Woe clear — a moment fifteen years overdue.
The Soulwoven Steps Back Into the Fire
This was my first proper attempt at beating FoW from start to finish — no gimmicks, no leaning on other players to carry me,
and no pretending my ranger pet was going to solve my problems.
Just me, The Soulwoven, and a hero team that has become far too competent for its own good.
This photo above is from the full clear —it captures the general theme of this entire adventure:
me walking into a nightmare realm with seven spirits, three mesmers, three necromancers, a ritualist specialising in restoration spirits, and questionable confidence.
The Wovenway Build Holds Its Ground
For this run I used the build I’ve been refining over the last week: a mix of spiritway, discordway, and mesmerway —
which I’ve nicknamed Wovenway.
Tacky? Possibly.
Accurate? Absolutely.
My heroes did the heavy lifting, as usual.
The E-Surge mesmers handled the hex pressure, the Discord minions kept bodies on the ground (helpful for both damage and nostalgia),
and my restoration Ritualist quietly kept everyone alive.
I focused on offensive spirits and Lamentation, occasionally pretending I understood the exact timing of everything happening on-screen.
A Run That Paid for Itself
To my surprise, the run went smoothly.
Suspiciously smoothly.
Either I’ve improved, or the enemies were having an off day.
I walked out with:
Two Passage Scrolls
Five Obsidian Shards
Several gold items
Not bad for what was meant to be “a test run.”
The whole trip paid for itself and then some.
What Comes Next?
FoW is just the beginning.
I’m still working on hero armor — Gwen, Livia, and Xandra now have Brotherhood sets, the rest are getting sorted one by one —
and I’ve been dipping into the Underworld again to see just how far Wovenway can go.
There’s also a strong temptation to record these runs.
Not a single-session full clear (I value sleep), but segmented videos:
three quests at a time, then stitched together.
Practical hero management, realistic expectations, and my usual commentary whenever something explodes unexpectedly.
Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
It took more than a decade, a new name, and a surprisingly effective team of heroes,
but I can finally say I’ve beaten the Fissure of Woe.
Not as a ranger hiding behind pets, not as a tag-along in someone else’s group —
but on my own terms, with my own build, playing a class that younger me barely even understood.
FoW didn’t stand a chance.
Apparently, neither did my free time.
My taste in cartoons runs across a wide spectrum, and I don’t really try to narrow it down to a single favourite. At the top sits Hazbin Hotel, mostly because it leans fully into its own chaos. The animation style is bold, the humour is sharp, and the characters manage to be a mix of unhinged, entertaining, and unexpectedly sincere. It’s chaotic energy done well.
Right beside it is Helluva Boss. Same universe, different direction, and just as strong. The show mixes comedy, action, and emotional gut punches in a way that shouldn’t work as smoothly as it does. One minute you’re laughing at some unfiltered nonsense, and the next it slips in something surprisingly honest. It earns its place up there with Hazbin easily.
Even with those modern favourites, I still go back to the classics. Looney Tunes remains one of the most reliable sources of humour ever animated. The timing, the slapstick, the complete disregard for physics — it all lands just as well now as it did the first time I watched it. Some formulas age; that one doesn’t.
Then there are the old Disney cartoons, which have a very different charm. Simple stories, solid animation, and a tone that doesn’t need to try hard to work. They’re calm, consistent, and easy to come back to when I want something familiar without any noise attached.
Between the stylish modern chaos of Hazbin and Helluva Boss, the timeless absurdity of Looney Tunes, and the quiet comfort of Disney’s classics, I’ve ended up with a blend that pretty much covers every mood. I’d struggle to pick just one, but together they sum up exactly what I enjoy about animation.
If I had to pick something to do less of, it would be overthinking. It doesn’t solve much, but it does a great job of turning small tasks into mini-boss encounters. Most things take five minutes once I finally start them.
I could also do less multitasking. It sounds productive, but half the time it just splits my focus and slows everything down. Finishing one thing properly beats juggling five half-done things any day.
Another habit I could tone down is doom-scrolling. Not dramatic amounts, just the quiet routine of checking one thing, then another, then somehow ending up reading something that adds nothing to the day except a raised eyebrow.
And finally, I could do less second-guessing. Not every choice needs a full internal review panel. Sometimes “good enough” is exactly what it needs to be.
Nothing life-changing — just small adjustments that would free up a bit more energy for things that actually matter.
It turns out my return to Tyria didn’t stop at nostalgia. What started as a simple “let’s see if this still runs on the Steam Deck” somehow turned into a full plunge back into Guild Wars—titles, missions, buildcrafting, and all.
If you missed the first part of this journey, you can read my original post here:
Returning to Tyria – A Moment I Didn’t Expect to Hit This Hard .
That’s where I covered the first spark that pulled me back in before everything below really started to snowball.
Switching Mains After Fifteen Years
Somewhere along the way I realised my Necromancer—my old faithful—wasn’t the one carrying me this time. Instead, it was my Ritualist, originally named Spirits of Evil, still running the exact same Signet of Spirits build I’d left him with more than a decade ago. And somehow, it still worked.
From there I set one clear goal: Guardian of Cantha. I already had Protector from years ago, but Hard Mode was unfinished business.
Diving Into Builds: Discordway, Mesmerway, and… Wovenway?
Discovering the PvX wiki still existed felt like finding a time capsule. Between that and help from chatgpt, I rebuilt my hero team from the ground up. Discordway led me to Mesmerway, and eventually I stitched the two together with my own Ritualist style—what I jokingly call Wovenway.
The final setup:
1 Discord Minion Master
2 N/Rt healers
3 Energy Surge Mesmers
1 Restoration Ritualist (hero)
Me, running offensive spirits
Zen Daijun was the first wall. Eternal Grove was the second. But with enough testing—and a lot of stubbornness—the team broke through both.
Guardian of Cantha Achieved
Raisu Palace fell, and with it came the achievement I’d been chasing since the mid-2000s.
A New Name, A New Look
To mark the achievement, I gave my Ritualist a new identity: The Soulwoven. The name clicked immediately—something that sounded like an NPC title, or a boss you’d find lurking in the Underworld.
I recoloured his armor in a blue-green mix to match spirit animations, and honestly? It suits him far better than anything he’s worn before.
What Comes Next?
Right now, I’m upgrading hero armor. Gwen, Livia, and Xandra are already wearing Brotherhood sets; the rest of the roster is still on the to-do list. When that’s done, The Soulwoven has his eyes on two places:
The Fissure of Woe
The Underworld
I’ve been doing test runs, but nothing concrete yet. Which direction he goes first… well, that’s something future me will decide.
What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year?
The past year had its challenges, but there were still some solid wins worth noting. Nothing dramatic, just steady steps in the right direction.
First, I made real progress on projects I’d been putting off. Getting things moving — or finally finished — felt like a quiet victory. Momentum can be slow, but once it shows up, everything feels a little easier to manage.
I also picked up new skills along the way. Some came from curiosity, others from problem-solving, and a few from situations where learning something new was the only practical option. Either way, it all added up and made the year feel productive.
Another positive shift was finding a better rhythm with my hobbies. Writing more, gaming with purpose, and exploring ideas I kept shelving. It helped bring some balance to a year that wasn’t always calm.
And finally, there were moments of clarity — small but useful. The kind that help you focus on what matters and drop the things that don’t earn their place.
Nothing flashy. Nothing loud. Just consistent progress, which is sometimes the best kind.
Progress: 29 Stars Collected | 89 Remaining | 18 Lives Platform: Steam Deck Settings: Vanilla Mario & Music — the chaos provides its own soundtrack.
“Somewhere between leaping across spinning triangles and landing on an airship, I accepted that gravity in this randomizer is more of a guideline.”
With two stars left in Rainbow Ride, I decided to finish what I started and clear the hardest course so far. I remembered spotting one on the airship last time, so that was the first target.
The final star was a guess, so I followed instinct and headed for the triangle platforms. For once, instinct didn’t betray me. Two clean grabs later, Rainbow Ride is officially complete.
The Basement Surprise: Whomp’s Fortress
Expecting Dire Dire Docks, I stepped into its usual spot and instead landed in Whomp’s Fortress. The twist? The water level in this version doesn’t lower, so the passage to Bowser in the Fire Sea stayed sealed.
Which leaves one option: I need to find Dire Dire Docks somewhere else. Because of course the randomizer wasn’t going to make boss access simple.
Whomp’s Fortress: Smooth Climbing
Despite the odd placement, Whomp’s Fortress went down without much resistance. No weird geometry, no star placements that require a physics degree — just straightforward platforming for once.
By the time I exited, I sat at 29 stars and 18 lives, still needing to hunt down Dire Dire Docks and, eventually, Bowser.
Do you have a favorite place you have visited? Where is it?
I do have a favourite place, though it isn’t the kind you find on a postcard. It’s a quiet spot that feels a world away from noise and pressure, even when it isn’t far from everyday life. Nothing dramatic happens there. That’s the appeal.
What I like most is the stillness. No traffic, no background chatter, no long list of things demanding attention. Just space, time, and the kind of silence that lets your thoughts settle instead of scrambling to keep up with everything.
There’s a view, but not the sort that tries to impress you. It’s simple and steady — the kind of landscape that looks the same no matter what else is going on. I think that’s why it sticks with me. It feels reliable in a way most places don’t.
I don’t visit often, but when I do, it works like a reset button. A small pause in the middle of all the noise. A reminder that slowing down for a moment isn’t a luxury; it’s maintenance. Even survivors need a breather now and then.
So yes, I have a favourite place. Not famous. Not busy. Just a quiet corner where everything feels a little lighter for a while. Sometimes that’s all you need.
Keeping a level head when things get messy.
Whether it’s a game throwing nonsense my way or real life deciding to speedrun problems, I stay steady and work through it one step at a time.
Sticking with things until they’re done.
I don’t always sprint to the finish, but I’m stubborn enough to cross the line eventually. Slow progress still counts as progress.
Planning with the future in mind.
Routes, routines, blog schedules, gaming runs—if it benefits future-me, I’ll map it out. It cuts down on surprises and gives me a clearer path forward.
Finding efficient solutions.
If there’s a smarter, quieter, or less painful way to handle something, I’ll track it down. A good shortcut is worth its weight in gold.
Turning experiences into stories.
I’m good at taking something simple—or chaotic—and turning it into a narrative that’s honest, dry, and hopefully entertaining. Survival diaries pretty much evolved from that habit.
Survivor Incognito 