Dwarven Dungeon Crawl: Questing for Gilneas

Prada was still nowhere to be found, Cob and Vi had been called away on personal tasks. Cordagan, Kaide and I haunted the guild hall, not sure what to do with ourselves. Cordagan had taken up enchanting along with his tailoring, and Kaide decided to try working the skins she’d found, instead of selling the leather. I took up the scribe’s art. 

It was quiet for some weeks. We listened to the stories the older guild members told, we drank, we plied our new trades. We were waiting for something, but even now I don’t know what it was we were waiting for. 

I think Shoryl noticed our plight. While the three of us were hanging around as was our new tendency, Shoryl arrived with a young dwarf. Not being the type of leader who hangs back and lets things happen, she walked right up to us with this dwarf. “My friends, ” she said, “I beleive we have another companion for you, to hopefully get you back to honing your skills as heroes!  I’d like you to meet Rosedove.”

We raised our mugs, and I noticed Sonaira setting a fourth mug at our table, then the two humans disappeared, leaving us with our somewhat reserved new friend. “Have a seat,” I said, trying to break the ice a little. “I’m Sruith, and this is Cordagan, we’re both skilled in combat magics. He in the arcane, I in shadow.  Kaide, here, is  a shaman, and a fine healer.”

Rosedove smiled as she slid into her seat, “I’m just a warrior, I…”

“Just what we need!” Kaide smiled.

“I’ve really only ever killed beasts, a few Dark Iron…” Rosedove protested.

“That’s all right, ” Cordagan chimed in, “We all started there, but we’ve been on some wonderful adventures since then, and Kaide has kept us alive through it all!” And then we beset her with the stories of the Deadmines, Wailing Caverns, and even traveling into the heart of Orgrimar.

By the end of the story of Ragefire Chasm, we had her hooked. She still didn’t think she would be much help, but we promised that so long as she could keep the creatures from hitting me and Cordagan too much, we’d take care of the rest.

“Now we just need to find something to do!” I said.

“But where should we look?” Rosedove asked.

“Let’s start with our trainers. They’re usually quite helpful. And if that doesn’t work, maybe we’ll run across someone else who needs something.” Cordagan suggested.

So we all went to seek out our trainers. As I arrived in the Mystic Ward, I was greeted by High Priest Rohan. The High Priest of Ironforge! “Ah, Sruith, there you are!” he said, “I was worried that you might not come by today, and so I sent a messenger to the guild. High Priestess Laurena sent word from the Stormwind Cathedral that she wants to see you.”

While I had set out to make a name for myself and my guild, I certainly didn’t anticipate it starting to happen so soon. Someone I’d never met, my own High Priest’s compatriot in Stormwind City, had called for me. I couldn’t ignore this summons, but what of the others?  As if reading my mind, Rohan said, “Tell your friends you must go, but don’t be afraid. I would not expect that the High Priestess will not allow you to travel wherever you must with them.”

So I turned to head back to the guild hall, and saw that Cordagan was talking quietly with one of the mage trainers. As he turned away, I saw it in his eye, he’d been given some sort of message. We left the Mystic Ward together, and I learned that he, too, was being sent to Stormwind. I began to wonder if Shoryl was somehow behind this, as she was quite renown in her home city.

When we arrived in the guild hall, Kaide and Rosedove were waiting for us. “We’re to go to Stormwind.” Kaide said by way of greeting, “Both of us.”

Cordagan laughed aloud, “As are we! To Stormwind, then. I doubt this is some fool errand, I saw that it was High Priest Rohan who told Sruith. And it was Magister Sparkfizzle who told me. Neither have the time for such a joke.”  We all laughed at that, it was true, each of us had been sent by the leader of our local trainers.

A trip to the Deeprun Tram took us into the glorious city of Stormwind. None of us had ever been there before, and so we were all busy looking around as soon as we got out of the tram tunnel. The tram station is located inside what is referred to as the Dwarven District of Stormwind, though you wouldn’t be able to tell unless you noticed that all of the shops and inns are run by Dwarves!  There’s so many people of every race in the Alliance buying, selling, and trading their wares that it can be hard to see 10 feet in front of you. 

And the heroes! I saw several priests, and several of them looked as if they’d been made of Shadow themselves. Someday, I would master the arts so well!  But first, we had tasks to complete. I tried to ask a passing hero where the Cathedral was, but he leapt onto a dragon and flew away. A tamed dragon!   So I settled for asking a guard, who was quite polite in answering. We weren’t far away at all.

Much to my surprise, Cordagan had to go to a place called the Mage District, and the others were sent to other locations. We decided that we would get our errands completed and meet at the inn just outside the tram. After all, it was a dwarven tavern, so the ale would be good.

I followed the directions I’d been given by the guard carefully, but at the same time marvelled at the close together buildings and open air. And the canals! They were fascinating. The architecture was nowhere near as grand as that of the dwarves, but… then I turned into the Cathedral District, and saw the Stormwind Cathedral.  It was made of pure white stone, and had blue and gold glass windows. It fair emanated the Light!  I strode up the steps of the Cathedral in awe. This was such a beautiful building. As I walked into the main hall, I was less awestruck, but on reflection, the simplicity of the chamber is a testament to the sacrifices of the heroes of the light.

I was greeted by a man in simple robes, and in turn I asked him how I would go about gaining an audience with High Priestess Laurena. I showed him the message I’d been given. He smiled at me, and turned toward the dais at the other end of the hall, “She’s right up there, and I see she’s not speaking with anyone. You can just go on up.” he told me.

I stayed my hand from pinching myself by force of will alone, and strode with as much confidence as I could muster up to the foot of the dais. As I neared, the High Priestess smiled at me, “Sruith?” she asked. I nodded, unable to find my voice.  She beckoned me up next to her. “I’ve a particular task that I think you and your friends might be well suited for.” she said.

“You do?” I asked, perhaps a bit incredulously.

“I do. I’ve spoken with some of the other trainers in Stormwind, and we all think that the four of you are well suited to this particular task. Come with me, and I will fill you in on the details.” I walked with her out the the Stormwind Cemetary, and I learned that a magical staff could be made from items found in a place now known as Shadowfang Keep. She told me the story of Arugal, and of the Worgen. And then she told me that Genn Greymane was in Stormwind Keep, and had intimated to her that there were now Forsaken in this place. He’d sent a small force there to try to deal with the problem but they had been unsuccessful in doing so.  “I believe a young night elf will be joining the four of you in your task. A Druid, if I recall.”

It was the Shaman trainer who provided us with our means of getting to the Keep, so that we could arrive without days of travel north across nearly a third of the Eastern Kingdoms.

Finishing Big Things

Last week, I finished the Loremaster achievement on Kerridwen. I originally created this toon to see the new 1-60 content for Cataclysm, and leveled her from 1-61 on Kalimdor, completing the Loremaster of Kalimdor achievement in the process. Then I went to the Eastern Kingdoms, and did the same. After that,   I got all 6 of her professions up to 300 before heading out to Outland. Thanks to herbalism and archaeology, she was level 67 when she arrived in Hellfire Peninsula. I used the same methodology for tackling Outland (leaving at level 79), before moving to Northrend, and did the same there, though I exited Northrend at a mere level of 83.

Since I just finished Loremaster of Cataclysm, and with it  Loremaster, my plan of attack ought to be to get her professions up, right? Well, her herbalism has been at 525 since before she even left Northrend, and I decided to switch from skinning to alchemy (since I don’t have an alchemist in my Alliance stable) which means a do-over of the whole thing. But I’m psychologically done with that model. I want my professions to be done, so I can go work on shiny achievements.

Is it because I didn’t really have a plan for when I finished Loremaster? Or maybe the fact that I finished the last three Cata zones in less than a week? It might be those things, or it might be that I just want something that feels like it’s moving along. Working on professions is kinda slow, more so if you don’t want to spend money on the materials to complete them more quickly. And archaeology, while fun in the moments that you get to create an artifact, is bloody boring in between times.

Transmogrification is all the buzz

With the next Patch (4.3), we’re getting a new toy. And everyone’s talking about it. Even the people who don’t want to talk about it have to, because it’s getting that much buzz. (some of them say things like “Hey! We’re getting other stuff, why can’t we talk about that, instead of a cosmetic-only feature?) 

In some ways, I agree with them, but in others… well, I play a paladin who doesn’t raid. Because of that, I don’t get Tier gear, which means I end up looking a lot like the death knights (except my eyes don’t glow) and warriors. Our PvE solo play gear is awfully similar, if not the same. 

I’d love to look like a paladin while I’m playing. With shiny gold and silver armor, and an understated sword. Or maybe with gunmetal armor and an understated hammer?  So I like the idea of transmogrification. Therein, however, lies a bit of a problem. I don’t raid, so I don’t have raiding gear lying around collecting dust and taking up bag slots. My main paladin now isn’t the one I raided on, so even if she did still have her raiding gear, it wouldn’t be on the toon I actually want to look all shiny. 

I really only plan to do transmogrificaation on Shoryl, because my druid is almost always in one of her forms, and my hunter has unique equipment (for the most part) so she still looks like a hunter.

What do I plan to do? I currently only want two sets of armor, one of which I can get with patience, and the other of which I *think* I can get with patience and the help of a few guildies. I want Tier 1, and Tier 7.

Except I don’t want banana shoulders. I don’t show my helm, so the stupid little “wings” on the Tier 1 helm doesn’t matter to me. I’ve already saved the House Wrynn Claymore, a nice, clean-lined 2-handed sword. But I need different shoulders. Finding something that looks good, and is, well *smaller* than the banana shoulders is what I’m after. Has to be plate, as that’s the current limitation. Sadly, the perfect set I’ve already done the quest for, so I can’t get those.  I’d love to be able to change the skin on my current shoulders, but alas, I see no options there.

Having posed this question on WoW Insider, though, The lovely Anne Stickney has provided me with the perfect answer.  I will be getting the Field Marshall’s Lamellar Pauldrons.  While I don’t PvP, for little things like this, you can run Outland Heroics and get Honor points. (Or do Northrend world PvP dailies).  So my Lightbringer set will be sporting a lovely lion shoulder motif!  I’m stoked (now I just have to get into MC and spank some bosses until they drop my gear.)