so there was this little event called blizzcon...

...and it was epic. Legendary, even.

First: this year's swag made up for its lack of quantity with quality: we got a collectible Jim Raynor Noobz (n00bz?) action figure which apparently will not be available anywhere except for Blizzcon...and, of course, eBay.


Second: Everyone and their grandmother is talking about Cataclysm so I might as well join in.


I'll be honest: When I first heard the rumors about the new expansion I thought that a lot of it sounded really stupid. Azeroth changed forever? That wasn't so bad, but the new class and race combinations sounded a little off to me. Troll druids? Night elf mages? Holy cows? (I'm sure that joke is very original and has never been used at all before this moment. You saw it here first!) And the addition of goblins and worgen made me /eyeroll. BUT THEN. Then they announced it at BlizzCon and let me just say this, Blizzard is REALLY good at selling stuff. Seriously. Halfway through the gameplay trailer they completely had me.



We got to try out the starting areas for the two new races.

SPOILERS, OKAY?: When you load in as a worgen, your character is stuck in a pillory. You're in this gloomy, foggy village that feels vaguely like the setting of a horror movie, and are currently under siege by the Forsaken. Worgen get a sprint on a three-minute cooldown and can turn into a human form (for cosmetic purposes only, since you pop right back into worgen form when you get into combat).

When you load into the goblin starting zone, you're floating unconscious on a raft while a doctor tries to jumper-cable your ass back into the world of the living. The zone is the polar opposite of the worgen zone: it's colorful, lush, and tropical and it feels like you should be knocking back a couple of mai tais here instead of rescuing your comrades from the wreckage of your ship.

I want my Alliance puppy dog, but man goblin racials are sick. Anything that allows you to shoot rockets at people or rocket jump is nothing short of amazing. (So this means that all the current races are going to get improved racials, right? Please? I would like to stop being scoffed at for rolling a blood elf instead of an undead priest!)

The costume contest was amazing, as always. There were some really awesome ones this year. I do believe that Ms. First Place, the Diablo Mistress of Pain, was well deserved. I drool over that costume so. Much.

I like to think about what I would cosplay as when I go to BlizzCon, but because I procrastinate/am always broke I never actually come up with anything. But next year, I would REALLY love to go as this beauty:


I am still trying to collect my thoughts, which are jumping all over the place...so! More on BlizzCon later!

veteran of the wrathgate

When I first heard about this chain back in the beta days of Wrath, I was uber-excited. Since then, I've been looking forward to completing this questline for myself, and last December I finally did. What did I think?

Most. Epic. Questline. EVER.

If you haven't already done this questline and you hate spoilers, please skip this post because it's going to be HELLA spoiler-heavy. Yes, I just said "hella." AND WHAT?

Right before the joint Alliance-Horde assault on the Wrathgate, Illythia had to report to Saurfang the Younger, who would lead the charge. This was the last she saw of him:



And then: EPIC IN-GAME CINEMATIC OF EPIC-NESS!



(I apologize for the tiny video. If I left it at full size it would have eaten up my layout. Here is the link to the video on YouTube.)

Saurfang the Younger and Highlord Bolvar Fordragon gave their lives heroically along with the good men and women of the Horde and the Alliance, leaving my poor priest distraught at this tragic turn of events.


But there was still hope...Dragonqueen Alexstrasza and her consort, Korialstrasz, were there to survey the damage.


Alexstrasza then sent Illy to High Overlord Saurfang to deliver the news of his son. R.I.P., Saurfang the Younger.

And then Illythia learned that Orgrimmar was in a state of lockdown. When she got there, there were large groups of Forsaken refugees hanging around the entrance to the city.


From them, Illythia got an inkling of what was unfolding:


Sylvanas was in trouble? She mounted up and rushed for Grommash Hold, but paused when someone in the crowd caught her eye...


Oh, Gamon, you hapless Tauren, you.

When Illythia got to Thrall's chambers, Lady Sylvanas Windrunner was already there, asking for his aid.


And then someone else showed up:


Illy hoped that no one told Lady Jaina Proudmoore about her escapades at last Hallow's End. Otherwise, this would shape up to be a pretty awkward meeting.

In any case, this was no time for awkwardness! The Undercity was under siege by the traitorous forces of Grand Apothecary Putress and Varimathras. Illythia was asked to help Thrall and Sylvanas exact a quick and terrible vengeance.

And so the Battle for Undercity began.


It was really the first time that she had seen Thrall and Sylvanas fight. It was quite spectacular. Sometime during the battle it occurred to her that she was very, very glad that she was on their side.


And of course, there was much fangirling over Lady Sylvanas herself. How could she not? Sylvanas is one badass lady.


Those who betrayed her would soon regret their decision.


No obstacle was too much for Thrall, who destroyed everything that the Legion threw at them.


Boulders? HA! They are but pebbles in the eyes of the Warchief!

Now it was time to face the traitorous dreadlord himself.


Oh, Varimathras. You thought you could get away with this? The Dark Lady does not know forgiveness. By the end of it, he was begging for his measly life.

We thought that the battle was over, but then - Alliance! Thousands of them!


Wait, did Varian just - NO. HE DID NOT JUST CALL SYLVANAS A "WITCH." HE DID NOT JUST CALL THRALL A "GREEN-SKINNED ABERRATION."

It's time to lay the smackdown --


And it was about then that Jaina swooped in, froze everyone, and sent Varian back to his room with no dessert. ILY, Jaina.


The Undercity was now safe, Sylvanas was back in her seat of power, and Thrall and Saurfang were left to ponder what was left of their fragile pact with the Alliance.

Thrall : It ends like it began...All that we have fought for in this world is lost. The hopes and dreams carried by my father and mother... by Doomhammer... Gone...If only you were here right now, old friend. You would know what to do.

Overlord Saurfang: I know what he would do. He would say to you what I am about to say to you: Thrall. Lead your people. Let's go home, old friend.

Thrall nods.

Thus ends the account of the Battle of the Undercity. It's easily the best questline in the game, and I think anyone who sets foot in Northrend should be required to complete this. Seriously.

Next post: how speccing shadow is working out for me!