The Dry Top-exclusive guild “That’s No Tornado” [SAND] has recently completed their 100th consecutive Tier 6 (T6) Dry Top run. For those unfamiliar, Dry Top is a timed event-map where players must complete various events in order to increase the reward tier (Tiers 1-6). Most Dry Top map instances can reach Tier 3 or Tier 4 without much difficulty, but reaching Tier 6 requires significant organization and coordination. [SAND] was formed back in late July of 2015 and is headed by their cherished leader “Muirellthe Moon” (although most people simply call her “Moon”). I recently spoke with Muirellthe Moon about [SAND] and their accomplishments.

How was [SAND] started and what were your goals?

A: [SAND] began as a passing suggestion from a player one night in Dry Top in the early days of me semi-organizing T5’s. It was a random statement, but it stuck with me. I took a few days to really think about it and then took the leap. We had around 7 members when we first officially dropped down, and I couldn’t have been happier. At the time, I had no real goals in mind. Prior to creating the guild, the organizing I did was nothing more than pinging events and trying to encourage everyone on the map to be part of it. My only driving force was that I enjoyed Dry Top and there were a lot of good people around who seemed interested in having more organization.

Dry Top can be a really difficult map if you’re new, and we had so many people willing to teach and so many willing to learn. Though perhaps not a driving goal at first, I did know I wanted to try and continue that in [SAND]: a fun, encouraging atmosphere that had the power to make one of the least-enjoyed maps into a social hub where Geodes and achievements can be farmed.

What are some of the best memories/experiences of the journey so far?

A: One of the best memories was when a T6 happened for the first time. I’m not quite sure if it was before or after the guild was formed, but it was sometime late in the night and map chat just exploded with happiness. There was also one funky night where everyone on the map had a Quickness buff on them that seemed to have originated from Dry Top. It went away when you left the map, but while you were there it had a timer of over a day. Of course, it’s always a great plus when the Skritt Burglar isn’t popped early!

Also, [SAND] has a few really “punny” members and there was one run where it rubbed off on me. I gave one of the worst jokes of all time in map chat:

“Noch Noch.”

(At this point I begged someone in our TS to ask “who’s there?”)

“NO ONE LOL.”

We had just confirmed Nochtli was down and I laughed way too hard. It continued to crack me up all through the night. Pretty sure I even snorted for everyone to hear.

With all of that said, this entire journey has been an incredible and favorite experience so far. [SAND] has become a positive thing for me to channel energy and passion into. I can’t even express how wonderful that has been. I’m still kind of stuck in this line of thinking where I ask myself, “How on earth did this happen?”, “How did I manage to be the founder of a guild with so many good people?” [SAND] continues to grow in front of my eyes, and now I’m “Moondremoth” or “Momdremoth” to most, depending on whether or not the overbearing mood strikes me. I mean wow. I’m the guild leader of almost 250 members and we’re running Dry Top in a fun and relateable way. The best thing for me to hear after a long run is someone telling me that their mind has been completely changed for the better about Dry Top and that they truly enjoyed themselves.

What does the 100th consecutive T6 accomplishment mean to you and the guild?

A: A lot of members were pretty shocked that we were at 100, and then a couple found it hilarious that I actually kept track of that sort of thing; I can be rather neurotic when it comes to keeping track of certain things, and they’ve all seen me get into those freak-outs over whether or not I tallied something correctly. This accomplishment just made me and other members incredibly proud, and I think it should make all of the Dry Top community proud – they’ve been part of it from the beginning: we all make these T6’s a reality, together. We’ve come from a time where I was pinging the wrong chat codes to now, where we’ve had 100 whole T6’s in a row. We’re working together better than ever and the Dry Top community continues to excel. This means there’s more to come for the guild in the way of growth as a community.

To what/whom do you attribute your excellent teamwork and coordination?

A: This is a hard one for me. I really can’t start or end anywhere because there have been countless reasons and people as to why the teamwork and coordination continue to be what it is during our runs. [SAND] has amazing officers who have their unique talents; officers and members alike who step up if I’m getting overwhelmed or need to grab a bite real quick during a run. We’ve got an incredible community from GW2 that really responds and actively engages with us in our maps. I’ll stress it every which way I can every time I can: everyone on the map makes the success happen, which means everyone is involved with the teamwork and coordination. A couple have commented before about how the “cheese” I’m bringing into the maps is too much for them (I know I’m cheesy, but I’ll own it every time and mean what I say!), but a positive atmosphere and positive reinforcement are magic. If people are included in something, they want to be part of the outcome. Every time we’re out there in Dry Top we’re going to be reminding everyone there that they’re making it happen right along with us.

What are your goals moving forward?

A: I think I’ll keep this short and sweet. It’s always going to be my hope that more and more players can come to appreciate the kinds of social and monetary benefits Dry Top can offer. I’m going to keep striving to be the right person for the job, and I will continue to remind everyone that Dry Top is a success we all make together. I’m looking forward to the next 100 in a row!

GuildWarsHub extends a big thanks to Muirellthe Moon for sharing the story of [SAND] with us and our readers! [SAND] is a shining example of the wonderful Guild Wars 2 community and we wish them the best going forward.

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For More Information About [SAND]:

• Twitter: @DryTopSAND
• Website: drytopsand.com