Stable Keeper

Goblins are not the most savory characters. They have a pretty well established gangster culture. As in the person with the biggest explosions and most money wins, and the best way to create the biggest explosions and get the most money is to screw over other people.



So I'm not going to be trusting them with anything valuable or irreplaceable unless there is someone else watching them.

I'm Here to Kill Dragons - Update

Tuesday night Darkfall ran our second guild 25-man. We had to pug some people, but there were 21 Darkfall guildies in the raid. We hit Blackwing Descent and, despite patch day woes, we killed Magmaw and the Trons. We had a few good attempts on Maloriak, but ran out of time due to earlier problems with the Trons activating in an entirely random order.

Our first guild 25man was in Bastion of Twilight on Sunday. We actually had only one pug then. I remain super pleased about that. And in true Darkfall fashion we did quite well on the bosses and absolutely noobed it up on the trash. We one shot Halfus, and 4-shot the dragon twins with a new strategy. But the trash in Bastion is brutally annoying. There isn't much space and the packs are very close together. Also after the gauntlet before the dragon twins we had a group that didn't reset to the right location. So there was a fair amount of confusion as to where the extra mobs were suddenly appearing from.

I think we still need to do more recruiting, but we're in pretty decent shape. It turns out that a bunch of the people we'd pugged in on Thursday, had been in a guild together. However, their guild leader quit WoW and disbanded the guild. So we ended up scooping up a bunch of new recruits. We also had a few people see my forum post and join from there too.

So, all considered, I'm pretty pleased with our progress towards full DF 25s. I just hope that our progress continues tonight, with good kills and less trash wipes in Bastion.

Rise of the Zandalari

Rise of the Zandalari (colloquially known as Patch 4.1) downloaded onto my computer yesterday. I'm kind of glad that there aren't new raids since we've only just now gotten a 25man together. But I'm rather dubious about the new 5man heroics.

Here is the patch trailer:


Yeah.... I'm not really sure what is happening.

Oh yes, it's quite clear that the Zandalari are rising and a new troll war is going to start. But WHY?

I ran Zul'gurub at level 60. It was the Zandalari, sent by Rastakhan, who were sending you in to fight the Hakkari and stop them from raising Hakkar. The Zandalari were supposed to be the highest caste of trolls. The priestly caste. The people who were bringers of, well perhaps not peace, but certainly some sort of order. Look at the chat log for Exhal, the Servitor of Rastakhan

Exzhal says: [Troll] Bring forth the prisoner. Place him in the circle of binding.
Zandalar Enforcer:[Troll] Right away, servitor!
Zandalar Enforcer: [Troll] Move!
Exzhal says: [Troll] Kneel, heathen
Captured Hakkari Zealot says: Curious. A servitor of Rastakhan that does not know the Hakkari do not converse in the old tongue?
Exzhal says: I said KNEEL!
Exzhal says: Do you know who I am, zealot?
Captured Hakkari Zealot says: You are a fool, soon to forfeit his life. No?
Exzhal says: I could crush you with but a single motion. Do not anger me.
Captured Hakkari Zealot laughs
Captured Hakkari Zealot says: How pathetic. I am infused with the power of the Soulflayer. I fear nothing but the almighty Hakkar. I serve no one but my master, Jin.
Exzhal says: So Hakkar has returned?
Captured Hakkari Zealot laughs
Captured Hakkari Zealot says: Do you really need to ask? Can you not feel him? Has the almighty king Rastakhan sent his Servitor and Hand here on a mission of diplomacy?
Captured Hakkari Zealot says: Oh yes, old one. Hakkar has returned. Soon the world shall crumble beneath his might. Consumed. Left in ruin...
Exzhal says: We will never allow it... We have banished him once from this world before and we will banish him again.
Captured Hakkari Zealot laughs maniacally
Captured Hakkari Zealot says: FOOL! Do you purport to even have one-tenth of the power you had during the Uprising? The nations were united and still were nearly consumed by the shadow of Hakkar. You stand no chance.
Captured Hakkari Zealot says: And now, those nations that you would have called allies have joined forces with us... Yes, old one, do not look so surprised.
Captured Hakkari Zealot says: Bloodscalp, Sandfury, Skullsplitter, Vilebranch, and Witherbark. They all pledge their allegiance to Jin - their souls to Hakkar. You have lost.
Exzhal says: Times have changed. The younger races will join us. You will never succeed.
Captured Hakkari Zealot laughs
Captured Hakkari Zealot says: The young races? The infants? Humans? Orcs? Dwarves? You expect to defeat the Hakkar? To destroy a GOD?
Captured Hakkari Zealot says: It shall NEVER happen. We are legion. We are united. Where are your heroes? Vol'jin sits in sanctuary at the side of the young Warchief, unaware. Zul'jin is missing, probably dead.
Captured Hakkari Zealot says: And... do you expect to defeat the Primal Gods?
Captured Hakkari Zealot smirks
Exzhal says: The Primal Gods? Impossible!
Captured Hakkari Zealot says: Is it? Call out to them, Servitor.
(At this point, Exzhal attempt to make contact with the Primal Gods with a spell emote similar to a Hunter switching Aspects. There is no orange-text emote for this.)
Exzhal uses his index finger to make a cutting motion across his neck.
Captured Hakkari Zealot says: Where are your Gods now? WHERE, SERVITOR?
Captured Hakkari Zealot says: Strike me down. I shall be reborn... Even more powerful.
Captured Hakkari Zealot lowers his shoulders and exposes his neck
(The Zandalar Enforcer kills Captured Hakkari Zealot with a single swing of his axe. Again, no orange-text emote for this.)
Zandalar Enforcer spits on the corpse of of the fallen Zealot.

Ok so here we have Rastkahan, the leader of the Zandalari, sending trolls to help combat the Hakkari and stop troll armies from spreading across the land. This was in Vanilla and these NPCs are now gone from Yojamba isle.

Now in the current Azeroth we've got some troll leader gathering all the troll forces under his banner to retake Azeroth. All we know about this new leader is that his name is Zul. And that he seems to want to unleash Hakkar again...

I'm really wondering what happened to Rastkahan. Based on the people he sent to Yojamba, he seemed like a pretty level headed troll. I'm deeply afraid that, like the goblins, the Zandalar home island got destroyed by Deathwing. And that Rastakhan's corpse is either a pile of ash or under a bunch of rubble. Maybe both.

I'd like it even better if we get a chance to avenge Rastakhan and help his rightful successor restore the honor of the Zandalari.

Thrall's Balls

Thrall may not be the leader of the Horde anymore but he is certainly still well respected. He's still got a very loyal following. And even the people who are loyal to Garrosh still honor Thrall.



So it really amuses me that "Thrall's balls" is the new expletive of choice.

Goblin Starting Area

I don't want to be spoileriffic, but the Goblin starting area is pretty excellent. It's rather ridiculous, but a lot of fun.

Basically you start out as the next up and coming Goblin boss. You've made some cool inventions and are making a name for yourself. This means that Gallywix is annoyed with you, and some people want your help and some people need impressing.



Of course it's such an excellent setup that it can't last. Deathwing has just got loose and is destructivizing. You've got to get off the starter island and then off the next island you find yourself on.



Eventually you have some unfortunate run-ins with the Alliance and then meet up with the Horde. A bunch more cool stuff happens, which is very spoileriffic. You've got to stop the Alliance and help the Horde so that you earn the Goblins a place in Kalimdor.



Kinda cool that my little Nivki went from fancy dress wearing socialite to bad-ass trick rider of wolves.

She does miss those shades though. They were bling.

My favorite dwarf

As a general rule I don't like dwarves. I much prefer horde characters to alliance, and if I am forced to play alliance I'm more likely to go for a human or night elf, or pretty much anything else before I roll a dwarf at this point.

But there is one dwarf that I like. Stormcaller Mylra is a dwarf shaman. She appears in Deepholm and then again in Twilight Highlands. In both zones she is a questgiver or interacts with you while you quest for the Earthen Ring.

Her quests and dialogue in Deepholm are what have endeared her to me. You have to work with her to figure out what is happening in Deepholm and try to solve it. I'm not going to say a lot more since I don't actually want to spoil things for anyone who hasn't done it already.

Here is some of her dialogue, with the spoiler-ish bits not included:


Mor'norokk yells: Wait! You can't do this! You people must have a code of honor or something!
Stormcaller Mylra says: I'm a daughter of the Wildhammer Clan, and a shaman of the Earthen Ring. My code compels me to honor my ancestors and the elements.


Stormcaller Mylra says: Doesn't say a damn thing about dog-ugly ogres.


Mor'norokk yells: Stop it, you tiny, angry woman! I'll tell you everything! What do you want to know?


~~~ Interlude where Mor'norokk spills his guts. ~~~



Stormcaller Mylra says: You were never in any danger, sweetheart. My friends down below would've caught you. You're worth too much to us alive!


Then it's a little wierd. Because Mor'norokk does actually die by propeller. I'm not sure if she dropped him, or if he intentionally fell. Based on his dialogue after this point I'm inclined to think that he suicided. Either way I'm not going to lose any sleep over a dog-ugly ogre.

Earthen Ring has opinions on druids too

I just wanted to mention that we're not the only folks who think Cenarion Druids are dumb. Earthen Ring thinks so too. Here's what they confided to Eeyan whilst he was questing in Twilight Highlands...