Thursday, April 5, 2012

Hour of Twilight

It's old news now, but with the 4.3 patch there were three new heroic dungeons released. They all have to do with retrieving the Dragon Soul and getting it to Wyrmrest Temple for use against Deathwing. Hour of Twilight is the third dungeon in the set. You're there to help Thrall make his way to Wyrmrest with the Dragon Soul.

Of course, this is no simple task. He can't fly there, because there are far too many black and twilight dragons patrolling and attacking the temple. His plan to sneak in with a small escort force (you) is discovered and quickly turns into a set of battles to reach the temple safely.


Thrall says: Alexstraza's drakes will pick us up on the other side of this abandoned excavation site. Check your weapons this place stinks of an ambush.
Let me know when you are ready to proceed.

Arcurion


Thrall says: Heroes, we have the Dragon Soul. The Aspects await us within Wyrmrest. Hurry - come with me!
Arcurion yells: Shaman! The Dragon Soul is not yours. Give it up and you may yet walk away with your life.

Side note: these screen shots are from the first time I ran this. So when Thrall was all "Lets move out" I hopped into my mechano-hog and was ready to hightail it to the temple. A guildie warlock who was with Kuan and Mornara hopped into the side car with me. Neither of us were pleased when the first set of ice elementals appeared.


Thrall says: What magic is this?
Thrall says: Look out!
Arcurion yells: Destroy them all, but bring the Shaman to me!
Thrall says: Hurry - we must keep moving.


Thrall says: Take a moment to catch your breath before we move on.
Arcurion yells: You will go nowhere, Shaman.


Thrall says: Show yourself!
Arcurion yells: You're a fool if you think to take your place as the Aspect of Earth, Shaman!
Arcurion yells: You're a mere mortal. It is time you died like one.


Twilight forces begin to appear around the canyon's edges.
Thrall says: We're surrounded - dispatch the ascendant while I keep the ambushers at bay.
Arcurion begins to freeze Thrall in a block of ice.
Arcurion yells: The Shaman is mine, focus on his companions!
Thrall yells: You've almost got him! Og'nor ka Lok'tar - Now we finish this!
Arcurion yells: The Hour of Twilight falls - the end of all things - you cannot stop it. You are nothing. NOTHING!


Arcurion yells: Nothing! Nothing...

After Arcurion is dead Thrall shatters the ice wall he'd put up and we continue on towards the bones giant protodrake bones. Thrall goes wolfie and slowly runs there. I fondly remember helping Thrall break out of Old Hillsbrad. And I was really pleased with how fast he moved then. It felt less like a dumb escort quest and more like a running battle. Sadly, it seems that since becoming the world shaman Thrall has forgotten how to run. He kind of skips along in some sort of hold-my-dress-up-with-one-hand gait. It makes me want to yell at him every time I'm in this dungeon.

Asira Dawnslayer


Anyway, once Thrall makes his way to the abandoned excavation the party must fight off a bunch of ambushes and attacks. I'm a big fan of the buff totem he puts down. And though he still has that ridiculous run, Thrall is quite proactive about moving on to the next group to fight. We finally clear the area and get to the location where the red drakes are supposed to meet us for our final flight to the tower.

Of course there is a bit of a hitch:


Thrall says: Up there, above us!
Asira Dawnslayer yells: Where do you think you're going, little lizard?
Thrall says: An assassin! Quickly, ready yourselves for battle!
Asira Dawnslayer yells: ...and with that out of the way, you and your flock of fumbling friends are next on my list. Mmm, I thought you'd never get here!


Asira Dawnslayer yells: Now you see me...
Asira Dawnslayer yells: You're much... better... than I thought...


Thrall says: Well done. Let us see to our friend...
Thrall resurrects the slain red drake
Thrall says: The rest of the drakes should be here shortly. I'll fly on ahead; catch up when you can.

And then Thrall, who KNOWS that the whole place is crawling with dragons and Twilight's Hammer ambushers, flys off. Leaving us, his guards, in the dust (well snow) behind him.

Archbishop Benedictus



Life Warden whispers: Look there! It looks as though the Twilight Cultists have brought the Old Gods and their corruptoin to Wyrmrest. Hold on tight!
Twilight Drake yells: Death to all who oppose us!
Twilight Drake yells: Death to all who oppose us!

And then the poor red drake you're riding is shot out from under you. You land right next to Thrall, who also had his drake killed out from under him. Fortunately you're all on the section of the Path of the Titans just north of Wyrmrest Temple. You've just got to fight through a whole bunch of Old God minions and get to the base of the temple.

However, even once you get to the temple you're not done. Archbishop Benedictus greets you at the door and helps seal the entryway behind you to keep out the Old God minions.

Archbishop Benedictus says: Get inside, quickly! I'll hold them off!
Archbishop Benedictus says: And now, Shaman, you will give the Dragon Soul to ME.
Thrall says: I will NOT, Archbishop. It will never be yours.
Archbishop Benedictus says: I suppose it has to be this way, then. If only you'd seen what I've seen. THEN you'd understand.
THrall says: You were a figurehead of the Light, Benedictus. How could you betray your own people?
Archbishop Benedictus says: There is no good. No evil. No Light. There is only POWER!


I'm not sure if he's got a gnarly neck beard or if that is the collar of his robes. Either way: scary power mad archbishop!


Archbishop Benedictus says: We serve the world's TRUE masters! When their rule begins, we will share in their glory!
Archbishop Benedictus yells: And YOU! We will FEAST on your ashes! Now, DIE!


Archbishop Benedictus yells: The Light will consume you!
Archbishop Benedictus yells: Witness my POWER!

Thrall helps out with the fight to start with, giving players a buff and helping remove some of Benedictus' abilities. However, once Benedictus takes some damage he goes all Twilight. Thrall gets stunned and locked into a Twilight Prison and you're on your own for the second phase.


Archbishop Benedictus yells: Drown in Shadow!
Archbishop Benedictus yells: I looked into the eyes of The Dragon, and despaired...

And now the Dragon Soul has safely reached Wyrmrest. Things are set up for the Dragon Soul raid to begin.

1 comment:

Zane D said...

Greaat reading your blog