#Battle for Azeroth Mount

[wwo0w]

 New mount of the day - 24

Snapback Scuttler

Crab <3

[ecosystem-administrator]

the road to Horizon

I was watching a video recapping someone's journey through FFXIV and it made me think back on the start of my own, so I have some thoughts to ramble here, on my departure from Azeroth and arrival into Eorzea. From the perspective of a WoW refugee who arrived before the big waves of exodus, who left before all the bad news broke at Blizzard.

I don't talk about it much. At first it was because I was still grieving what I'd left, adjusting to the new normal I'd found for myself and trying not to be that person who compares everything to their only other experience in the genre; then, it was because the news had broken about all the things broken in Blizzard behind the scenes, and suddenly it no longer felt cool to have ever enjoyed what they were doing. But I started playing WoW during Wrath of the Lich King, and I continued to play until somewhere in the patch cycles of Battle For Azeroth. 2009-2019, a full decade of investment in the lore, of anticipation and disappointment, of theorycrafting my way around plotholes so I could keep enjoying the things that were enjoyable.

At some point, there was a news announcement coming, and I found myself anxious, dreading the possibility that the plot would focus on some of the characters I'd come to like, and in doing so wreck the stories I'd been building in my head. I had to stop and replay that moment for myself: I was dreading my favorite characters getting spotlight time, because I was afraid of what the writers would do to them. This is, I had to finally admit to myself, no way to live. I had reached my limit. My trust was broken, years of disappointment having finally dismantled my hope. I had to walk away. I wouldn't uninstall, not yet - but I would instead try out that beautiful Final Fantasy game my fiancee and some of her friends had started playing. I had watched over her shoulder one time a good while back as a tiny pink cupcake of a girl drank a goblet of poisoned wine, and at the time I had envied the power of the scene on display. Perhaps starting fresh with a new story would help ease the grief of finally stepping away from a decade of giving my heart to a game that was simply no longer giving back.

It takes time to adjust to a new game, of course. New controls, new abilities, what do you mean crafters are classes just like combat classes, wait what's the difference between a class and a job, how do I know whether I'm where I'm supposed to be, what do you mean dungeons aren't optional content, etc. I stumbled my way through the start of ARR, increasingly enthused to be learning a whole new set of lore but still anxious about how new I was. In FFXIV, we call new players 'sprouts' and tend to them; but I hadn't yet learned that mindset. I had to be told not to remove the sprout icon that flagged me as new and learning, because to me it looked like a 'kick me' sign on my back, a bright waving flag that said "Fresh Meat". That's what it would have been, where I had come from. I didn't know any better yet.

I made my way out of Gridania, around the capitals, through the baby dungeons, back to Ul'dah to get my invitation to the Scions, doing my best to absorb new lore, new controls, and new attitudes simultaneously. So it wasn't until I was leaving Ul'dah and headed out into Western Thanalan toward the Scions, on foot because I hadn't unlocked mounts yet, because I hadn't yet gotten the Horizon aetheryte, that I suddenly had a series of revelations.

I couldn't see player levels just by looking at them. I would have to click on a player and examine them in order to identify what level they were. Conversely, no one could see my level unless they went to that effort. They couldn't tell at a glance if I was overleveled or underleveled, if I was out of place in a zone or where I was meant to be.

The plot I had been through so far had gradually converged on this point in a way that suggested the story was melding with the starting storylines from the other two cities. In WoW, there are overarching plotlines for zones sometimes, but the presence of a Main Plot is a very recent development. Players rarely take the same path from starting zone to max level; but here, we were all walking the same road.

There were no factions. We were all walking the same road, and this was what struck me the hardest. From level 1 to level 70 (at the time I started lmao), every single player around me was somewhere on the same plotline. No one was a threat. There was no world PvP. I would never be ganked, griefed, have to wait for critical NPCs to respawn after max-level players from the other faction had come in and killed them.

Me, to me, at level 15 as the light began to dawn:

This is really how it felt, after all those years of WoW. The road to Horizon was the place where I finally realized I wasn't a soldier anymore, an erstwhile mercenary trying to dodge getting drafted back into a forever war. Of course there were still enemies, but all of the enemies were NPCs. I didn't have to worry about enemy PCs coming in raids, about staying out of their way or deciding to stand and fight. There were no such thing as enemy PCs. The war was, finally, over.

And so I trod onward lighter, still on foot until someone saw fit to give me a chocobo, my faction tabard abandoned in the dust of Thanalan, only an adventurer at last.

[siennablaze219]

((Content warning, graphic violence))

@daily-writing-challenge

(Events from the beginning of Battle For Azeroth, trying to take this week to flesh out pieces about Mirri’s family history)

Lyanna and Rastien were lounging by the pond near their home in Ashenvale, the stars in the sky were bright as they laid upon a blanket and shared a bottle of Dalaran Red that Mirri had brought home to them on her last visit home. They had little to do in the moment, Sentinel Tyl’inithia had come by earlier in the day to pick up all the sabers of rideable age and size, fully trained or not, to take with them down into Feralas. She had made the request for mounts in person a few days prior to give them time to prepare, “I know that you are attached to all your furred children, but skirmishes are being waged and we need replacement mounts for when the Horde cut them out from under our Sentinels. You both served on the battlefields long ago and know this to be true.” She was right, neither of them wished to see the sabers they raised go into battle, but that was what the beasts were bred for.

Had Mirri been home every one of the big cats would have been fully trained and off to the riding instructors already, but her decision to stay among the humans had left them without a trainer so they had taken longer this season than in others past. “We will care for them you know that.” The sentinel had assured them. She had even taken all but one of their sires, it was the same as when the sundering came and the Horde began to work more into Ashenvale, they had a couple promising young males in the yearling cubs that were too small to carry a rider yet and those remained to replace the big males Tyl’inithia had led away earlier.

With heavy hearts they wished their young sabers safe steps and long life in a blessing, then made their way to the pond to relax and not think about their children moving into battle. Blessed as they were to know that Mirri would not be one of their riders, nor Tysha as since Mirri had found her, the ex-Sentinel spy was staying far from any chance at fighting, so at least their blood was safe even if the beasts they gave their hearts to, were not.

The wine looked blood red in the darkened night while the moon rested and the darkness of her new face held its place in the sky without even a hint of its light. Lyanna shuddered softly as her glass held just a finger’s width of the liquid, looking to the cut crystal that remained that showed deep red in every facet as true as if the glass was still filled. Peering into the carnelian liquid, she swirled it around, about to say something to her mate but her head turned, distracted as her ears shifted back towards their home slightly, a sound having caught her attention.

Rastien had always been quicker to action than Lyanna and she spoke as she rose, “The sabers.” Sprinting out across the grasses with Lyanna left to follow in her wake, the scent that came after would be one she had never forgotten though she had wished to. Fire, and fur… “The stables.”

Catching up with Rastien would be impossible, her mate’s stride had always been longer than her own, so she called to the Light of Elune and asked for a blessing that would hasten her steps, if only for a moment or three. Rastien, ever the one to react to threat with action rather than thought, had already called the power of Elune’s darkest embrace wrapping it around her making her barely able to be tracked through the long shadows of the trees from what little light the sky offered. Her right hand dropped and she called to the darkness, ready to act the instant she could find the source of the danger. Her voice rang hollow in this form, “They are burning the stables.”

Lyanna did not need to ask who ‘they’ were, the Horde had been running sorties further and further north through the lands for a few weeks now. They had hoped that they would be sidetracked, or the foolishness of more bloodshed would be ceased, but they had been arrogant in those thoughts it seemed. Each had each lived over ten thousand years and never had a foe just decided to go around a home, or give up just because two ancient elves raised nightsabers in the woods.

As they broke into the clearing, shadow and light once again joining together in the team they had become long ago, standing an arms distance apart so each could act independently they surveyed the scene. From inside the stables the sabers were screaming, one mother darted into the forest with a cub, she must have been able to break free from her pen, but the other four and the other six cubs were nowhere to be seen. The cries raised into the night sky, sound dancing with the smoke of the orange of the flames, both equally calling forth tears from Lyanna’s eyes.

A scream of outrage sounded from Rastien’s throat and her head swiveled to an orc with a torch that was behind the barn, reaching out a shadow cloaked arm she clenched her fist and the mohawked woman fell to her knees dropping the offending flame into the black of the night’s grass. Even that flame did not add color back into the scene, everything around them was a mix of the intensity of the bright fire, the black of the shadows of Elune’s darkest face and the ashen grey of them when they chanced to meet together in a bloodless dance of chaos amongst the tides of the shrieks from within the death of the ancient building.

Knowing they must clear the threat before they could even try and asses the damage, Lyanna called to Elune seeking the blessing of the Goddess that they, and their children, had worshipped for their entire lives. Light came to her call and she stepped forward seeking battle, on one side an orc closed, on the other a troll, wary of the living shadow that was Lyanna’s mate, they moved in. The orc held an axe, and the troll a halberd, trying to trap her between them as she was unarmed. With an exhale Lyanna released the power she held and light exploded forward as a star from her lithe form, the divinity of her gift rocketing outwards, maring the depth of the night around her. First to react were the eyes of her foes, having to close in reaction to the explosion of the power she had unleashed, and then their bodies began to burn much as the barn they had torched before they both toppled to the ground.

Rastien knew the gift of her mate, and how she could be blinded by it, so she sprinted to the side, letting the shadows cover her movement through the knee high grasses that surrounded where they lived. Once she was in the embrace of the forest to the side of the barns, and the flash of Lyanna’s star bright spell had faded, her lip curled back in a snarl and with a small flick of her fingers she began to strike the other ten horde members in the party that had come to their home, each one becoming wracked with pain as her anger was released within their bodies. Shadows held her dear and even as they looked about, they did not target her, instead focusing upon her mate who had left the duo she faced lying in the dirt as she stepped back, creating more space between her and the horde.

The fighters recovered quickly, speaking in Orcish, which both of the women had learned from a troll they had saved once, “I thought the buildings were empty except the beasts, you said you searched the house.” A tauren woman yelled, “I will have your head for this Mugla!” Her hand gestured forward and a fire elemental burst into existence much like a phoenix, its heat and glow making the rest of the raiding party step clear to give it room as it broke towards Lyanna, scorching the ground and drawing its hand along the side of the burning stables in a lover’s caress.

“Fel take you,” was all Lyanna had time to get out before the elemental closed. She cursed softly and began to use her anger to first pull from the sky a burst of holy fire, once that had taken hold of the elemental she drew bolts of light from the air which slammed into the chest of the being but it did not stop, it raced forward boosted by the energy of the flames the buildings had become. Screams of the sabers continued to fill the air, but there was no time to act to save them, they had engaged their enemy and would need to see them all handled before caring for their family.

Seeing the danger her mate was in, yet too far to help her Rastien called out with the hoot of an owl, an old trick they had used when scouting before they had retired. Lyanna’s head swung towards her for just a moment, then she began to move in Rastien’s direction. As did the horde members that had followed distance behind the elemental. *”Perfect.”* Rastien thought, a sneer drawing her top lip up as she looked to the shaman that had called the elemental, words pulled to Mirri’s birth mother’s tongue, ancient words, dark words and the mind of the tauren was twisted and became trapped within itself as Rastien took control of the woman’s body. Using the form she claimed, the shadow priestess called lightning to the orc’s hands then loosed it.

A laugh from a troll rang out between the buildings as the magic lit the air next to him. “Now you are in for it bitch.” He called as he continued to run towards Lyanna, but the bolt struck the elemental first, which faded beneath the ferocity of it, and Lyanna’s magics, then doubled back to hit him square in the chest, enough to kill him the instant it blackened his breastplate. The light continued to streak on, hitting an orc and a tauren woman before it faded into the night.

Focused as she was, Rastien did not notice as a rogue appeared from behind her and struck the back of her shadow wrapped head. Lyanna noticed, pain shooting through her skull from the bond they had made long ago when the battlefields were their home. Stumbling as she saw Rastien sway forward, her hand shot out towards her partner and she called the shadow user’s body to her own and laid her healing touch upon the bleeding that had begun there.

These moments were just enough for the last five horde that had been advancing to close on the two women, twelve against two had never been odds the priestesses, even in their fighting prime, should have attempted to handle, but anger had taken them down this path and nothing was going to stop them now but the raiders that had come to the land seeking to destroy what they loved most next to their children and each other, their sabers.

The healing had Rastien renewed enough that she straightened, her eyes in the shadows she wore glowed with a depth of fury and hatred that none of her kin except Lyanna had ever seen in her expression before. Her hands moved lightning fast and pain showed on the face of attacker after attacker, then with a scream into the night she summoned a beast of pure void that skittered across the ground and began to feast on the life essence of a troll that was closest to the two women.

Lyanna took a deep breath and called to Elune softly, a prayer first and then she stepped back to back with her mate. Her hands moved in a calmer, gentle pattern, weaving the light again and again, calling forth holy fire, upon the foes she could see, then drawing light within before expanding outwards within, felling another orc.

There were too many and as they fought the shaman walked forth, she growled out a word between flat teeth and the very earth beneath the Kaldorei womens’ feet trembled, pitching Rastien forward upon the spear of a troll. The serrated edges lodged in between Rastien’s ribs and stuck true as they were meant to, holding the shadow user impaled as blood as black as night bubbled up from between her lips. The tip had pierced a lung and breathing now was more like drowning in her own life’s essence.

Feeling the pain within herself as well as seeing her mate lurch forward, Lyanna unleashed a blood curdling cry. For over three thousand years they had been as one, mating, fighting, loving and raising their children together, never apart until his moment when it felt like the entire sea could fill the space between them as Rastien’s body lost contact with her own. Throwing her hands out to the sides, she screamed Elune’s name and Light began to fill the circle of horde fighters in the shape of Lyanna, the very ground that had trembled under them a moment before shifted from the dark of night to the light of day as she called forth in her faith. Gold eyes shone with the intensity of the sun itself and she loosed a word of power, pouring all that light from her into an attack that felled four of the fighters that had closed on them and burned the troll whose spear was still impaled within Rastien, Lyanna’s own lover shielding the troll from the agonizing power of the light the woman called.

The tauren shaman held back, she did not need to close to use her power, turning from the glory and destruction Lyanna brought upon her raiding party. It was not until the glow faded that she turned to see what had remained. The elf had managed to wrap her arms around Rastien’s middle then shove them both forward on the troll’s spear so they died as they had lived, in the embrace of their Elune blessed love. Of the twelve of the shaman’s party she had left with, only three remained, herself, the troll, and the rogue that had ambushed Rastien in the forest who had been holding himself back, waiting for an exposed back to strike. Ten good fighters dead, and for what? She shook her head, this conflict was pointless, she did not understand this call to war, but her warchief called and Baine had answered. Lowering to the ground, laying a hand on the tauren woman that she had struck down with her own lightning when under the shadow priest’s control. “Be at peace daughter, your father and I loved you well, may we meet again in battle soon.” Tears picked up the dance of the flames that rose in the sky from the barns as they rolled down her face.

[mareastrorum]

Don't forget all the racism in Warcraft's writing which has actually gotten worse over the years whilst even DnD has gotten better over the years.

I mean, it’s hard for me to say Blizzard’s racist writing got worse when Warcraft Trolls were incredibly transparent stand-ins for African and Central American cultures/races from the beginning. That’s not even getting into goblins as the banking/neutral race before a goblin faction joined the Horde. Honestly, other people have written about racism in the narrative of WoW lore at length, and I wouldn’t be able to do half as good a job since I haven’t played in a while.

A key problem with Blizzard’s writing in WoW is that there is no coherent story. It’s an amalgamation of plots conceived by writers without any accountability, which results in an absurd number of retcons and contradictions. It’s a collaborative story with no central lore document. Nothing is actually set in stone. Sometimes the change is genuinely an improvement over prior lore (shadow priests, old gods, and the Void Lords, as they were elaborated upon in Legion), sometimes it’s painfully anticlimactic and nonsensical (Tyrande fails to kill Sylvanas in the Ardenweald because her powers suddenly cut out), and sometimes it’s obvious a team got written into a corner by a different team and the plot just needs to move on (no negative repercussions for Illidan killing Xe’ra in front of her Army of the Light on their flagship). That means that some quest lines are really well done, others are plagued with racism and bullshit, and every possible mix in between.

Like, how Sylvanas was handled throughout the Shadowlands expansion is peak WoW writing. Obvious plot armor, flimsy justifications for her choices because half the writers didn’t want her to be a villain, a half-assed cardboard cutout of a redemption arc so they could fridge her for later, and the cheesiest vague dialogue possible so that future retcons wouldn’t feel as disappointing. I was so excited for her to go genocidal in Battle for Azeroth, committing to a truly evil option that the players band together to stop, and then it was followed by that. Because Blizzard decided to walk back the “genocide is bad” message. For reasons.

I haven’t played WoW since the end of Shadowlands, so I can’t speak as to the changes since then. I doubt they’re better. And I want to be clear: I adored Xal’atath. I mained a shadow priest the entire time I played, which was about 8 years total. The lore of my preferred class was all about self-worship and tapping into dark power in one’s own soul until it was retconned into worshiping Eldritch horrors, and I loved both iterations. I had several now-unobtainable PVP titles. I did BGs and Arenas. I did progression raiding. I had max level toons in every class on multiple servers. My main was in the top 10 for achievement points on our server. I had over 400 days played. I was the lore nerd of my raiding guild. I did that silly trivia bot game every time I came across it in the hub city. I collected mounts, pets (before they were even battle pets) , and toys (when they still took up bag space). I spent a lot of time playing WoW and immersing in the experience.

I never played WoW for the story. The writing was always horribly inconsistent. Writers’ racial and class biases always worked their way into random quests, dialogue, and narrative beats. But you know what? I’m a POC, and that’s everywhere. WoW wasn’t unique for that.

WoW has been around for about 20 years at this point, Warcraft for even longer—so now those stances engrained in the lore aren’t as widely accepted anymore. They were always wrong. It’s just that now more people agree that it’s wrong. I’m no longer on the fringes for thinking “man, it would be nice to have a human character with my skin color” or “it would be nice to see elements of my culture shown through something other than a cannibalistic troll empire.”

D&D benefits from the fact that they release new editions, so the lore from prior editions is easier to sweep under the rug. There is no WoW 2. It’s just WoW. If D&D had taken a similar expansion process as WoW instead of editions, they’d be much more comparable. D&D racism isn’t really “better”—I just haven’t spent quite the same number of hours spent learning it to play a game.

[jacaela]

day 2 - favourite character of favourite race

Couldn't choose one:

Fandral Staghelm, later Majordomo Staghelm, was the former Archdruid of Darnassus, succeeding Malfurion Stormrage after he was lost in the Emerald Nightmare. Fandral played a key role in the War of the Shifting Sands, but lost his only child. His planting of Andrassil unintentionally induced the later appearance of the Emerald Nightmare. He was one of the architects of the plan to create Teldrassil, and believed that the future of the night elves demanded more expansionism and military planning. His radical beliefs and aggressive demeanor often led him to quarrel openly with the High Priestess, Tyrande Whisperwind. After it was revealed that he had been corrupted by the Nightmare Lord and had prolonged Malfurion's absence, Fandral eventually descended into madness and was imprisoned by the Cenarion Circle. He was later captured by the Twilight's Hammer cult on route to Moonglade from Mount Hyjal and turned into the first Druid of the Flame, becoming the new Majordomo of the Firelands, until he was killed during the final battle against Ragnaros the Firelord. Malfurion Stormrage was the first mortal druid on Azeroth, and the night elf who initiated the mainstream use of druidism among the kaldorei people ten millennia ago under tutelage of the demigod Cenarius. He is the twin brother of Illidan Stormrage, as well as the loving and beloved husband of the high priestess of Elune, Tyrande Whisperwind. Together, the two have represented the highest leadership of the night elves ever since the fall of Queen Azshara and her Highborne caste. Through Malfurion's guidance, the night elves successfully halted the Burning Legion's first invasion of Azeroth during the legendary War of the Ancients. In its aftermath, he became the greatest of the world's archdruids. Illidan Stormrage, commonly known as the Betrayer, is the first of the demon hunters, the former self-proclaimed Lord of Outland, the former ruler of the Black Temple, and the original leader of the Illidari. He is the twin brother of Malfurion Stormrage and was, like his sibling, in love with Tyrande Whisperwind. Originally a powerful night elf sorcerer, Illidan officially betrayed his people by defecting to the demonic Burning Legion during the War of the Ancients, though his reasons for doing so were noble as he secretly aimed to repel the Legion's invasion.[13] He eventually returned to the side of his fellow night elves, but his creation of a second Well of Eternity at the end of the war caused his people to name him "Betrayer" and imprison him in the Barrow Deeps below Mount Hyjal. There he remained for over 10,000 years, watched over by the warden Maiev Shadowsong and her Watchers.

[artyloreviews]

Going Back in World of Warcraft

I sat down and played a lot of WoW recently; felt I could write my time off as a business expense, if I wrote something about it. Because I happened to play both Shadowlands, Vanilla, and WotLK in a very short time-frame and I feel like I have something to say on it design-wise, which people might find interesting. Some notes on sandbox MMOs and private servers to boot.

I’ve gotten back into playing World of Warcraft, because of a recent conversation I had with someone playing the game’s latest expansion – Dragonflight. This quickly spiralled into the familiar entrapment of me levelling yet another Human Paladin up to the level cap, gearing up for what is essentially the most recent tier of content and experiencing all that I had missed since over the course of roughly a week. My legitimate personal experience with the game extends from the beginning of Cataclysm, until somewhere around the release of Uldir in Battle for Azeroth. This for most people would be enough to discredit everything I have to say about the game, as I happen to have been around for what is universally agreed upon and is essentially numerically quantifiable as the downfall of World of Warcraft, missing those golden years from late Vanilla up to the end of Wrath of the Lich King. The other fragment of original sin, which I carry with me into this is that I am also of the vocal minority that liked Cataclysm and have only grown fonder of it as the years have passed.

Outside of my legitimate experience, however, I have over said decade, almost pathologically, revisited every expansion from Vanilla to Shadowlands on almost every private server with a respectable playerbase, including some that barely had people in them to drive the auction house. When it was current, I couldn’t have possibly played during Vanilla WoW, as at the time, I would have been at the kindergarten, learning how to write with a crayon shoved up my nose. As such, the only way I could have played Vanilla WoW was at some point past its heyday. While not necessarily a unique position, it is an interesting one nonetheless.

While I do not have any strictly long term credentials that identify me as a hardcore WoW player, like a collective sum of achievement points, rare items, mounts, etc;  I have raided through most of the raid tiers released for the game with tier-appropriate gear at least on Normal difficulty, acquired currently unobtainable items such as Corrupted Ashbringer, fished up a Sea Turtle, farmed Ashes in The Burning Crusade, got Glory of the Firelands Raider and Flametalon of Alysrazor on now essentially defunct Cataclysm servers. All this, essentially never on the same character, but always a character that is named the same, looks the same, plays the same – carbon copies of the same character in a lineage that spreads across a wild multiverse of every state World of Warcraft has ever been released in. I may not be the best at WoW, but I have put in a lot of time in WoW; enough so to where I imagine, I could pass as, if nothing else, a slightly above average player. Not casual enough to only ever fill the DPS ranks of LFR, but not hardcore enough to be in a guild pushing raids on Mythic.

I am by no means a “old WoW” purist as this might suggest, although I do have an appreciation for Vanilla in terms of it, in 2004, containing, at its core, most of the fundamental mechanics of WoW, which over the years have essentially been immutable. The moment-to-moment experience of leaving Northshire Abbey, walking to Goldshire, picking up Fishing, First-Aid and Cooking, walking through the gates of Stormwind for the first time as the music swells, just to deliver a package and pick up Engineering and Mining from the Dwarven Quarters – it’s all essentially second nature to me after a decade or so of constant reiteration.

I’d go as far as to say that those initial ten to fifteen levels, which railroad you through this arc of you just spawning into the world as a recruit, up to you entering your faction’s capital city, is essentially a vertical slice of what the next several hundred hours of the game are going to be – the one thing that has remained consistently true regardless of which expansion you are playing. Going from modern WoW back to Vanilla felt wholesome, in the sense of it essentially stripping away all that sense of rush that comes along with modern WoW, that baggage that came from years of game knowledge becoming not necessarily irrelevant, but just reduced in its scope.

Something I didn’t realise I missed in modern WoW was the random mob drops of essentially “trash items”. Gray items currently are unanimously considered junk by most players - something you can’t even equip or sell on the auction house, where at one point you might have found upgrades for you character or something more exciting if luck was on your side. This change in something as inconsequential as random trash, items that exist for the sole purpose of you getting some variety and not just looting raw gold, has devolved to the point of having addons automatically sell any item of that quality upon opening up a vendor, which essentially turns all of these items into “inconvenient gold”.

The Fargodeep Mine is essentially the first part of the Elwynn Forest, where you can see this, that also happens to have all the trappings of World of Warcraft in one place. It has aggressive mobs, who will for the first time take the initiative on attacking you, meaning that hypothetically, if you are underprepared, you might lose out to attrition, going too deep and not being able to come out without dying at least once. In old WoW, kobolds just happen to drop mining and herbalism reagents, linen cloth, food items and other reagents, various qualities of gear from Poor to Uncommon, and there are also at least two chests with a high chance of uncommon gear – some upgrades, others vendor trash or auction-worthy. In essence, it is a microcosm that is essentially self-sustaining in those early journeyman levels of your class any profession. The mining nodes and kobold drops enable you to sustain and level up Mining, Blacksmithing, and Engineering. The uncommon item drops enable you to practice Enchanting. The linen allows you to level up Tailoring and First Aid. The random herb drops allow you to contribute in a small part to Alchemy. Herbalism, Skinning and Leatherworking do not directly benefit from Fargodeep Mine, but its surroundings, which you need to pass through on your way to the mine, hold the boars and herb gathering nodes for you to get started in those professions as well, if not even more convenient due to their proximity to Goldshire.

It ultimately becomes a place that will be sought after by more than one player, a cornucopia of resources that you can intentionally go out into the world and farm until you’ve not only satisfied your own quota, but also those of others. I usually choose Engineering and Mining as my starting professions, which early on requires the murder of Kobolds for Linen Cloth, which is also required for, in my case, First-Aid, but is also required by others as a Tailoring reagent.

In later expansions, I have the vivid memory of making a lot of my gold by selling low-level crafting reagents, which I spent the time gathering as I was levelling, because I realised there was an underserviced niche, where the effort required by a player to go back to a zone, which may be a decade older than the latest tier of content is seen as inefficient by most people, who would prefer the convenience of just purchasing those reagents from the auction house. Me, deliberately making the inefficient decision to not rush through the ageing content in order to to reach max level as fast as possible, something often done by almost all seasoned players, who have ultimately experienced that content when it was relevant, but have since moved on, results in an economical niche to service what essentially amounts to someone going from level one to level fifty in a profession, which for me might be my afternoon collecting the ore and reagents out in the world, but for the client at the end of the line amounts to essentially a minute of staring at a progress bar, before those resources are never needed again.

Modern WoW eventually reached a point where resources such as Copper and Tin become an accidental by-product of the miniscule time spent by players in Elwynn Forest and Westfall, as their addons give them an optimised route, which ignores everything but the essentials in terms of experience points and nothing more.

Going through the same process in Vanilla on the other hand feels like you could be “that guy”. The guy who may not have reached level cap or participated in the latest tier of raiding content or reached Gladiator in PvP, but you are THE guy providing the entire server with these low-level reagents in bulk. You are “THE guy who sells Copper and Tin, so that everyone else don’t have to”. And this service you provide to the rest of the realm is essentially you coming up with your own freelance profession, which might end up with you profiting more than if you were to engage in the oversupplied market for the latest tier’s reagents.

Copper and Tin are never required in any high-level crafting recipes and they become irrelevant essentially as soon as the experience points of the zone dry up. This essentially means that players never have a reason to go back to old zones, making everything but the latest hub city and its associated zones empty and lifeless. In Shadowlands at the end of the expansion, the only zones that actually had any players in them were Zereth Mortis and Oribos. The original four zones and The Maw were essentially made irrelevant within the same expansion. Only players who were levelling and a dedicated few madmen, who are willing to collect the various ores from those zones, who engage in the lucrative profession of “old content farmer” are paid dividends for taking the time to gather one or all five of the different ores, so that some blacksmith across the realm can make some ingots for items that will already be inferior to common dungeon gear.

The delineation between what is levelling content and what is the current tier of content is not as clear cut as it is in modern WoW, since in Vanilla, those zones in Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor were essentially all there was to the world – i.e., the current tier was the whole world. Yes, there is a functional difference between being in Elwynn Forest – a level 1 to 10 zone, and Burning Steppes – a level 50 to 59 zone, but travelling from one to another for their unique reagents isn’t as much of a physical and mental leap as going from farming Progenium Ore in Zereth Mortis, Shadowlands to farming Copper in Elwynn Forest, Vanilla, since you’re not just travelling from one zone to the next, you’re travelling back through roughly eighteen years of content.

What WoW has never really done is give you a good reason to go back to old zones, since the new content is always carved out into some new chunk of landmass, making the old zones irrelevant. Even during the Legion expansion, when the Paladin class hall was essentially put underneath an already existing zone - Light’s Hope chapel, in the middle of Eastern Plaguelands - a zone that at the time was introduced six expansions ago and briefly refurbished three expansions ago. Yet its location was essentially irrelevant, as nothing in it or in the expansion required you to interact with anything outside of Light’s Hope chapel’s basement. You can’t even hypothesise how players riding or flying there was somehow passively giving old zones new relevance, since most players just teleported there from the latest hub city and teleported back in a much similar fashion.

World of Warcraft isn’t actually a persistent world anymore; probably never has been. I’m more of the opinion that these roleplaying mechanics, statistics and everything alongside them was pure happenstance. It is spottily documented that The Burning Crusade expansion was essentially in development as Vanilla WoW was coming out. Fundamentally, the design from WoW’s inception was to abandon the existing zones in Azeroth and go to Outland. These abandonment issues were for all intents and purposes, planned from the very start.

I could go on, fantasising about how it could be a different game where these more sandbox elements were the at the forefront, where new expansions would not only introduce new zones, but refine and more importantly redefine the purpose of the existing zones for the current state of the game. These aren’t necessarily new observations either, as “theme park” MMO has been essentially synonymous with World of Warcraft, as where this exact concept of a “sandbox” MMO has been realised in other games like Runescape, EVE Online, Star Wars Galaxies, and Black Desert Online.

Does this mean that I don’t enjoy WoW as it currently is? No, certainly not. There is however a sort of disappointment, which only ever seems to deepen as old and new get farther apart. I think it would be comical of me to suggest that Cataclysm is essentially the golden middle point between the old and the new, but I think it is at least something like that. The reason why so many players yearn to re-experience the good old days and why so many private servers have popped up over the years for essentially every expansion ever released, is because everyone has their own idea of where that golden middle is. What’s really important, I believe, is that the player has the choice to engage in that, if they so wish and I think that it is commendable that World of Warcraft is seeing some of that in the Classic re-releases.

I am however aware that as we get farther away from the days of Ultima Online, Everquest, and I suppose MUDs, the more prohibitive it will be for newer and younger players to experience that type of game, or at the very least – see the appeal in it.

Ultimately it is the players acting against that core design philosophy of always moving forward, that breeds the disappointment and the nostalgia that people have about old WoW. It’s not just mechanics or raid difficulty, it’s people starting to feel themselves and their values left behind by the times. I think it’s essentially foolish to think that WoW shouldn’t move forward, but I can also understand the desire for the old content to also be cared for in some way, instead of just being irrelevant and left to gather dust.

If a friend were to come up to you and express the desire to play WoW, would you immediately hand them the .wtf file set to the realmlist of a server running your favourite expansion, or would you hesitate and let them play the latest one and let them find out for themselves? Ultimately nowadays the question is starting to shift from “Do you want to play WoW?” to “When do you want to play WoW?”. The answer will likely continue to be either 2004, 2008 or the current year, regardless. And despite this natural design of retiring old content and moving on to greener pastures with every new expansion and everyone rushing through the old zones to get to the new, going back is ironically all that players seemingly want to do.

[sekhisadventures]

Gremori Autumnleaves, Night Elf Felsworn

Important Stories:

Anger Incarnate: After making a deal with the Annihilan Pit Lord Granthox, Dissonantia expects the demon's aid... which he gives her in the form of Gremori herself.

Battle at Bilgewater: When Dissonantia discovers her human guise has become found out in Stormwind, she attempts to get payback against her enemies by targeting Grimo who is trying to build a device to detect her demons. Gremori is the tool of her revenge.

Race: Night Elf, Fel-corrupted

Class: Demon Hunter, Havoc

Eye Color: Burning Green (Literally)

Birthplace: Ashenvale Forest

Residence: Dissonantia's Lair in the Twisting Nether

Abilities:

Felsworn Might: Gremori is a talented melee fighter, easily able to hold her own against even Az'arad (Dissonantia's wrathguard) without having to transform first. Rather than warglaves, she uses a pair of fel-infused fist weapons, wanting to get as close to her foes as she can in a fight.

Demon Form: At time of writing Jaie is the only one who has seen her demon form up close and she was in no state to remember details, but it resembles a giant Wyrmtongue demon. Her mouth becomes full of huge sharp fangs, her horns extend to curling ram's horns, and she gains a pair of massive bat-like wings. Rather than hooves her feet become huge talon-like claws as well.

Extensive Demonic Knowledge: There is nothing Gremori loves more than learning some new bit of demonology, which is why she was eager to sign on with Unlimited Sin when her former master, the Abyssian demon Granthox, told her of Dissonantia. Her desire to learn of such lore was so great that it was the impetus for her becoming one of the Felsworn even. Between herself and Dissonantia they can uncover many lost secrets of fel magic... though she can be a bit gullible at times and overly eager to believe someone if she thinks they can offer her some new scrap of knowledge.

History

Here's the thing. Gremori is NOT one of the Illidari! She became a demon hunter on her own and of her own volition.

Growing up as Galyssia Autumnleaves, she'd always had a strange fondness for the macabre and disturbing. She loved watching spiders capture other animals and eat them, she'd examine the remains of hunted prey whenever she'd find it in the forests of Kalimdor, and she adored examining anything she could about the War of the Ancients… though not for the reasons her tutors hoped.

Demons fascinated the girl from a very young age… but such knowledge was strictly forbidden among the Kaldorei. Even asking for any knowledge on demonology was looked at as highly suspect at best, but then… when some of your nieghbors may well have witnessed that war with their own eyes it was understandable.

So Gremori grew up dreaming of these dark shadowy beings, wanting to just see one… even a tiny one, even once…

And then she got what she wished for when the Third War came to Kalimdor.

She remembered hiding in the woods with her family, watching the armies of the Burning Legion march through her village… and her eyes lit up. She wasn't a fool, she didn't try to go to them, but she took it all in… every single detail… and hungered for more.

But of course the knowledge of how the war ended is common across Azeroth now. The combined forces of the Night Elves, the Horde, and the Alliance held back the demons at Mount Hyjal until Malfurion could summon every wisp across the continent to swarm Archimonde in a single suicidal blast that scorched the mountaintop for years to come, killing the Eredar General in the blast.

Despite the celebrations, she was not satisfied. Her curiosity had only grown hungrier after that.

Several years later however Gremori, now a young woman, heard tell of a movement on Outland led by the infamous Illidan Stormrage. The Illidari.

She made the trek there at great personal risk, but after pleading her case to the Ashtongue guarding the Black Citadel she was thrown out on her ear and it was only because Illidan himself was not present that she hadn't been killed outright. A night elf who wanted to learn more about demons because she "loved" them? Pure madness!

She was not deterred however… and eventually she got her chance. The Alliance and Horde laid seige to the Black Citadel and, in the confusion, Gremori was able to slip in and steal several tomes of fel magic. She absconded with these back to Azeroth and began studying, and after several false starts she managed to summon a demon. A rather small one, one of the Wyrmtongue demons. She interviewed it, then offered it a drink. However, the drink was blessed moonwell water, poison to the demon. As it writhed in pain she ran it through and cut out it's heart, then ate it whole like a bloody apple.

When the screaming died down some time later she emerged from her hiding spot forever changed, having become a fel-elf. Not an Illidari, by now she'd grown to hate those elitist jerks, but her own creation. She was infused with the very essence of the creatures she wanted desperately to know more about, and had a lifetime to learn as much as she could.

Eventually she would make contact with a demon of the Twisting Nether, a pit lord named Granthox. She took to her new demonic nature like an imp to felfire and became an asset to the demon lord… but eventually the Legion was defeated on Argus as well. Granthox was one of the demons who escaped this, but he now had to make his own way in a universe which had suddenly become full of vicious enemies. The Legion had splintered with the imprisonment of Sargeras, countless factions of demons wanting to become the new rallying point for their kind, outright civil war!

He needed an edge, and he found it. A warlock who had apparently uncovered the secret to creating Anima, the most potent distilled essence of souls that could only be crafted in the Shadowlands. He had offered her 'his services,' but he never specifically said that he himself would be joining her… truth be told Gremori had become rather, well, annoying to the demon. She constantly chattered on about fel lore she'd uncovered and different types of demons, something most demons knew already, and he was eager to be rid of her. Should this Dissonantia give him what he sought he'd just shove her off onto the self-styled Witch of the Blackwald and enjoy having a measure of peace and quiet for once.

[lovinglight777]

My dad just called me a nerd 😕

Because the World of Warcraft references on the Big Bang Theory were wrong and I told my dad about it.

For starters, there is no mount that can help you fight when you go into battle. Mounts are only used as a form of transportation and disappear as soon as you start fighting. The only way you can fight with an animal is when you play as a hunter or you become the animal when you play as a Druid.

You cannot have sex with other players in the game yet someone’s night elf had all her clothes off and she was dancing on a table in Stormwind City

You can’t drop your sword or other weapon in the game

There is no sword of Azeroth

[blizzardbattles]

Warcraft Lore behind "The Prophet's Warning

The Prophet’s Warning

In the aftermath of the Second War, a mysterious prophet appeared before the leaders of Azeroth, taking the form of an unnaturally large raven. His cryptic warnings spoke of an impending apocalyptic threat, urging them to take action. Unbeknownst to all, the prophet was none other than Medivh, the former Guardian of Tirisfal, concealing his true identity to avoid being recognized as the sorcerer who had brought the orcs to Azeroth.

The Mad Prophet

King Terenas of Lordaeron and Antonidas of Dalaran, both wise and respected leaders, found themselves dismissing the prophet's warnings as the ravings of a madman. Little did they know that their decision to ignore the prophet's words would have far-reaching consequences for the fate of Azeroth.

Thrall's Vision

The prophet appeared to Thrall, the young warchief of the Horde, in a dream. In this vision, orcs and humans clashed as infernals rained from the sky. Upon awakening, the prophet urged Thrall to lead his people to the ancient lands of Kalimdor if he wished to save them from the looming threat. With the guidance of the elemental spirits, Thrall set sail for the distant shores of Kalimdor.

Jaina Proudmoore's Fateful Decision

While Prince Arthas Menethil refused to abandon his beleaguered people, Jaina Proudmoore, the young daughter of Daelin Proudmoore and apprentice of Antonidas, sensed the truth in the prophet's words. As the invasion began and Stratholme lay in ruins, Jaina heeded the warning and gathered her people to journey westward, hoping to find salvation in Kalimdor.

The Oracle

In Kalimdor, Thrall sought out the Oracle, guided by his new ally, Cairne Bloodhoof. At the Oracle's location, Thrall encountered Jaina and her human companions, and the two factions prepared to battle. However, the prophet intervened, revealing that only by ceasing hostilities and forming an alliance could they hope to defeat the Burning Legion and escape its corruption.

The Last Guardian's Revelation

In a shared dream, the prophet revealed his true identity to Thrall, Malfurion Stormrage, and Jaina Proudmoore. He was Medivh, the Last Guardian of Tirisfal, and it was his actions that had brought the orcs and the Burning Legion to Azeroth. Convincing them that victory could only be achieved through unity, Medivh rallied the unlikely allies to defend the World Tree, Nordrassil.

The Battle of Mount Hyjal

In the final hour of the battle at Mount Hyjal, nature's spirits, summoned by the Horn of Cenarius, swarmed around the demon lord Archimonde, ultimately destroying him. With the world safe for the time being and having repaid a fraction of his debt for his past sins, Medivh vanished, taking his place among the legends of the past. His powers waning, the Last Guardian departed the physical plane, hoping that the people of Azeroth would continue to fight together as they had at Hyjal.

[qocsuing]

Exploring the World of Warcraft: A Look at In-Game Items

Exploring the World of Warcraft: A Look at In-Game Items World of Warcraft (WoW) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that has captured the hearts of millions of players worldwide. One of the game’s most fascinating aspects is its vast array of items. These items play a crucial role in shaping a player’s experience, from enhancing combat abilities to providing unique cosmetic effects.To get more news about Buy wow items, you can visit lootwow.com official website.

Types of Items Equipment Items: Armor: Helmets, chestplates, gloves, and boots that protect your character during battles. Weapons: Swords, bows, staves, and more for dealing damage. Accessories: Rings, necklaces, and trinkets with various effects. Consumables: Potions: Restore health, mana, or grant temporary buffs. Food and Drinks: Sustain your character during adventures. Scrolls: Enhance abilities or provide temporary bonuses. Quest Items: These are specific items required for completing quests. They can range from mysterious artifacts to mundane objects. Crafting Materials: Herbs, ores, and other resources used for crafting professions like Alchemy, Blacksmithing, and Tailoring. Cosmetic Items: Mounts: Rideable creatures that make traveling across Azeroth faster and more stylish. Pets: Adorable companions that follow you around. Transmog Gear: Change the appearance of your equipment without affecting its stats. Legendary Items Some items in WoW are legendary, with rich lore and incredible power. For example:

Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker: A sword that leaves enemies trembling. Sulfuras, Hand of Ragnaros: A massive hammer forged by the Fire Lord himself. Item Acquisition Dungeons and Raids: Bosses drop powerful items. Professions: Crafters create gear and consumables. World Quests: Complete tasks for rewards. Auction House: Buy and sell items with other players. Conclusion World of Warcraft’s items are more than mere pixels—they’re gateways to adventure, power, and camaraderie. Whether you’re wielding a legendary weapon or riding a majestic mount, these items enrich your journey through Azeroth. So next time you log in, take a moment to appreciate the treasures in your virtual backpack!

[lulumk1]

A plan to achieve Blizzard's stated goal of building a cinematic universe for Warcraft, because starting from the First War didn't work:

Warcraft: Lich King

Follows the plot of WCIII+The Frozen Throne, primarily focused on the rise of the scourge and the fall of Arthas. Would feature Mal'Ganis as the primary antagonist, as well as Jaina clashing with orcs. The Culling of Stratholme would be the dramatic peak of the story and the climax would stick on Arthas through the invasion of Quel'thalas and the movie would end on Arthas raising Sylvanas as The Banshee Queen.

Warcraft: Burning Legion

Sets itself up as a prequel to the first movie right out of the gate, but would mostly only portray events from the Draenor side. Would largely follow Gul'dan and Ner'Zhul through their dealings with demons and the resultant consequences. Would feature elements from the WC1, WC2: Beyond the Dark Portal, and Burning Crusade. Would end with Ner'Zhul being enslaved by Kiljaedeen and made into the first Lich King, imprisoned into The Frozen Throne. Would feature moments from the real movie such as the opening of the dark portal and the blood of mannoroth, but largely glossing over the wars fought on Azeroth, except maybe covering their consequences such as the internment camps.

Warcraft: Betrayer

Would pick up immediately where Lich King leaves off, showing the devastation of high elven civilisation and the torment of Sylvanas. Kel'Thuzad betrays his home and summons Archimonde, the primary antagonist of this Film. Immediately the Night Elves begin moving against him, step by step we see flashbacks to the first time Archimonde invaded, The War of the Ancients, from the perspective of Illidan. We are experiencing his memories as Tyrande gets closer to his prison. There would be scenes inspired by Legion, DotA, Burning Crusade and Warlords of Draenor. We would see Illidan's Metamorphosis and the entire Betrayer plotline. The Battle For Mount Hyjal would be the climax, and there would be an epilogue showing the aftermath: the corruption of the blood elves, the new alliance, etc.

World of Warcraft

Our Endgame. Would start on a completely new character: a forsaken player insert, just having been awoken in Tarren Mill. Would show a meteoric rise through the ranks until the character is regularly interacting with famous characters. We would focus on Sylvanas, showing her radicalisation and fall into ethnonationalism throughout forsaken and wotlk storylines, eventually culminating in the Battle of the Wrathgate. The player character would start to oppose Sylvanas before that point and then we would cover some of the joint efforts to stop sylvanas during and after wotlk. The movie would end on a cliffhanger for a potential spinoff movie: Deathwing

[rodeoneerer]

World of Warcraft Classic Cataclysm: Enter a Reforged Azeroth

On May 20th, World of Warcraft Classic Cataclysm revitalizes the cherished world of Azeroth, offering players a new realm of adventures and challenges. This expansion breathes new life into the game with overhauled zones, formidable dungeons, epic raids, and exhilarating PvP content, promising a fresh and engaging experience for all players.

Transformed Zones: Cataclysm Classic introduces seven dramatically redesigned zones, each brimming with new quests and rich lore. Traverse the fiery landscapes of Mount Hyjal, explore the submerged realms of Vash'jir, and delve into the ancient mysteries of Uldum. These zones are reimagined with stunning visuals and immersive narratives that breathe new life into Azeroth.

Epic Dungeons and Raids: Prepare to test your skills in nine new challenging dungeons, from the perilous depths of Blackrock Caverns to the mysterious halls of The Lost City of Tol'vir. For those seeking the ultimate challenge, three new raid dungeons—Throne of the Four Winds, Blackwing Descent, and Bastion of Twilight—await. These raids promise epic encounters and the chance to earn legendary rewards, ensuring a thrilling experience for all adventurers.

PvP Battles in Tol Barad: Tol Barad emerges as a pivotal PvP battleground where factions vie for control. Engage in strategic combat, capture crucial objectives, and demonstrate your prowess in this dynamic and competitive environment. Victory in Tol Barad demands teamwork, strategy, and skill, offering intense and rewarding battles.

Discovering Darkmoon Island: The whimsical Darkmoon Island, home to the enchanting Darkmoon Faire, provides a delightful escape from the rigors of battle. Participate in carnival games, embark on unique quests, and uncover hidden treasures while enjoying the festive atmosphere and rich entertainment of the Faire.

Taking Flight in Azeroth: Unlock the ability to fly across Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, granting you the freedom to explore Azeroth from a new perspective. Soar above majestic landscapes, discover hidden secrets, and experience the world like never before as you take to the skies.

World of Warcraft Classic Cataclysm ushers in a new era for Azeroth, where heroes rise to meet fresh challenges and explore a world reborn. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or new to the game, Cataclysm Classic promises an unforgettable journey filled with epic quests, thrilling battles, and endless exploration. Embrace the changes, rise to the challenge, and embark on your legendary adventure in a world transformed!

Welcome to buy WoW Cataclysm Classic Gold from professional and trustworthy game currency store - z2u.com with fast, safe worldwide delivery, full stock meet your demand all time! we promise all cheap WoW Cataclysm Classic Gold for sale here are 100% safe to use in-game!

[kinkinee]

Empower your journey through WoW Cataclysm Classic by acquiring our plentiful gold reserves. Navigate the reimagined Azeroth with confidence, conquering challenges and seizing victory in battles. Elevate your character's strength and status by unlocking rare items and enhancing your arsenal. Join the league of elite adventurers who shape the course of history with every purchase of Cataclysm Classic Gold. Forge ahead into a world transformed, armed with the ultimate currency for triumph."

[ormiurn]

Embark on an unforgettable journey through Azeroth's Season of Discovery with the power of Sod Gold in your grasp. Traverse perilous landscapes, conquer formidable foes, and seize victory in thrilling battles with the aid of your abundant riches. Elevate your character to new heights, acquire coveted items, and establish your dominance in the ever-changing world of Warcraft. Join the elite ranks of adventurers who shape the course of history with every transaction of Sod Gold. Unleash your potential and conquer the challenges that lie ahead with this indispensable currency of power."

[jacaela]

day 4 - favourite character

Darion Mograine is the leader of the Four Horsemen and the former Highlord of the Knights of the Ebon Blade. The son of Alexandros Mograine, one of the Highlords of the Knights of the Silver Hand and the original wielder of the Ashbringer, Darion was a paladin of the Silver Hand, and later of the Argent Dawn. After his father was murdered by his brother Renault Mograine, he came into possession of the corrupted Ashbringer, and tried to save his father's souls inside. During the First Battle for Light's Hope, Darion used the sword to kill himself, destroying the Scourge forces and releasing his father's soul. Following the battle, the Archlich Kel'Thuzad raised him as an undead, while the Lich King made him the Highlord of Death Knights of Acherus and the ruler of Acherus: The Ebon Hold, once again wielding the corrupted Ashbringer. After defeating the Scarlet Crusade in the Scarlet Enclave, he and his fellow death knights broke free from the Lich King's control during the Battle for Light's Hope Chapel and founded the order of renegade death knights known as the Knights of the Ebon Blade. Under the leadership of Darion, the Ebon Blade spearheaded the attack against the Scourge alongside the Argent Crusade during the war against the Lich King, temporarily allied with them to form the Ashen Verdict and topple the Lich King.

Lady Jaina Proudmoore is the daughter of Daelin and Katherine Proudmoore, and sister of Derek and Tandred. She is considered one of the finest mages in all Azeroth and the most powerful human sorceress alive. She is the Lord Admiral of Kul Tiras, the former leader of the Kirin Tor of Dalaran, and of the port-city of Theramore. Trained as the personal agent of Archmage Antonidas, the late leader of the Kirin Tor and Dalaran, she was sent to investigate the plague of undeath with Prince Arthas Menethil, her childhood friend and one-time romantic interest. She witnessed the first stages of the fall of Lordaeron during the Third War firsthand and, guided by a mysterious prophet later revealed as Medivh, Jaina rallied what survivors she could find and fled across the sea to Kalimdor. There, her expedition forces joined together with the night elves and the New Horde and defeated the Burning Legion during the Battle of Mount Hyjal. The human survivors then founded the port city of Theramore, joining the Alliance led by Varian Wrynn, while maintaining peace with the Horde for several years. Shortly after the fall of Deathwing, the Horde led by Garrosh Hellscream destroyed Theramore. Jaina managed to escape with her life, but the experience transformed her, making her more bellicose and even altering her appearance. Following the death of Rhonin during the attack, and fulfilling a prophecy made by the dragon-mage Korialstrasz, Jaina took the fallen mage's place as leader of the Kirin Tor and head of the Council of Six. In spite of personal tragedies, she attempted to maintain the Kirin Tor's neutrality during the Alliance-Horde war. After the Horde-aligned Sunreavers aided Garrosh to steal the Divine Bell, Jaina exiled the Sunreavers from her city during the Purge of Dalaran and aligned the Kirin Tor with the Alliance. Following the Battle for the Broken Shore, the Council decided unanimously to re-admit the Horde into Dalaran for the greater good. Furious, Jaina left the Kirin Tor. Following the War of the Thorns, Jaina returned to her homeland of Kul Tiras in the name of the Alliance but was imprisoned for treason by her mother at the suggestion of Lady Priscilla Ashvane. After Ashvane's own betrayal was discovered, Jaina reconciled with her mother and brought the lost Kul Tiran fleet back home. Katherine stepped down as Lord Admiral of Kul Tiras and named Jaina in her stead, re-pledging their nation to the Alliance cause and to the Fourth War.