Blog Azeroth Shared Topic: Vanity thy name is…..

World of Warcraft is known to have a lot of vanity items that you can collect from your adventures and in this expansion Blizzard introduced even more of these silly cosmetic items into the game.

This week’s Shared Topic is, “What is your favorite vanity item in World of Warcraft?”

Suggested by Noahdeer.

I struggled on this one as there is just so much choice out there. Therefore I’m going to cheat slightly and pick the favourite items of a few of my favourite characters.

Up first, appropriately it’s my very first character and Dartol’s rod of Transformation.

I usually hate not finishing quest chains but in this particular case, I just couldn’t hand it in. Furbolg forever!

For Sprout, her favourite vanity items are all ones which can be put to good use in PvP, in terms of undermining your opponents.

Nothing says you just lost than a naked Gnome dancing in a clam shell over your corpse.

Other favourites include the Romantic Picnic Basket, perfect for a spot of “camping” in the countryside with a loved one, the giant golden banana (although I’m still disappointed that this doesn’t make people who walk into it, trip up) and the Scarecrow from the Tillers.

Basically, I love semi useless clutter and have bags full of the stuff.

Dulcamara’s Story: Chapter 1 – Peacebloom

Peacebloom

Found primarily in wide open spaces, Peacebloom looks beautiful but like many plants, hides a dark secret within. It’s roots and petals are poisonous unless correctly treated. According to the Botanists of the Kaldorai, this involves soaking in Moonwell water until all the impurities have been drawn out. Once prepared, it’s primary use is in poultices for flesh wounds although certain races also crush the leaves to make tonics to quicken the blood. Folklore has it that Peacebloom flowers more frequently on the site of old conflicts, fertilized by the blood of the fallen. It’s also come to signify seeking forgiveness for past actions and  new lovers often send fragrant bouquets of it’s heavy blossoms after petty quarrels, hoping that the blooms will bring peace to their relationship.

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It would have been easy to overlook the Night Elf, concealed as she was in the shade, still as a statue. On her lap balanced an open sketchpad and in her hand she clutched a pen. Long white hair loosely tied in a plait fell over one shoulder and her silvered eyes were narrowed in concentration. As far as she was concerned, the world began and ended with the plant in front of her, a huge clump of Peacebloom, it’s sickly sweet perfume scenting the air. On the paper, black lines took form, capturing the free flowing shape of it’s petals.

As she drew, she dreamed of the life she could have had. The botanist she could have been, had she chosen a different path. Remembering all the stories about the flora she had listened to as a girl, the tales twisted into being like plant roots, a mix of fact and fiction bringing together history and folklore. Perhaps now she’d have had some exotic plant named after her rather than being a burnt out and broken shadow of herself. “Deserter” rose on her tongue, it’s taste foul like poisonous berries only for her to dash it away, besides it implied a sense of motion, of running when in fact the opposite was true. Her sisters in the Sentinels knew exactly where to look, they just happened to be turning a blind eye. The Priestesses in the Temple had advised rest and relaxation in the short term at least, until she was patched together mentality as well as physically. The scar on her breastbone was healing nicely, knitted together by the very plant in front of her. The same however couldn’t be said for her mind.

Twiceshy and the Big Green Bug of Happiness

Large green bug finally acquired! That’s one thing less to achieve before the patch comes rolling around. Now I just need to take him into a few battlegrounds and feed him Goblins.

Mentzelia: The Harvest Witch

I’ve never been a great fan of titles in-game but there are a couple of NPC only ones that I’d jump through hoops for.

Both belong to Worgen Druids and both have a decidedly seasonal feel to them.

I love the idea of a Harvest Witch (or Druid), in tune with the earth and fully understanding the need to reap just as much as to sow. A herbalist by nature, bags full of flowers dried and fresh. Naturally she prefers the wild places, those quiet groves and silent forests.  Her constant companion is a raven, shiny black feathers and curious eyes.  Thus Mentzelia was born, named for a plant otherwise known as the Moonflower.

Of course, being ever so fond of planning, making her wasn’t enough, I needed to create some outfits for her too.

Sowing  or Restoration

• Helm: Conqueror’s Nightsong Headpiece
• Shoulders: Mantle of Wild Feathers
• Chest: Living Breastplate
• Hands: Shardtooth Gloves
• Off-Hand: Dreamseeker Dandelion
• Main-Hand: Ceremonial Kris
• Legs: Forestwalker Kilt

Reaping or Feral

• Helm:  Conqueror’s Nightsong Headpiece
• Shoulders: Pygmy Shoulders
• Chest: Cosmos Vestments
• Hands: Gloves of Northern Lordaeron
• Weapon: War Scythe

So if you come across a garden nestled by the hedgerow or blooming in a forest, be careful what you take for two sets of eyes may be watching. Then as you wander home, your arms full of stolen herbs, would you see the raven soaring above you, tracking your every move or would you notice the rustle of the long grass as something stalked towards you, perhaps not, at least until it was too late.

Pre Patch Panicking

Time scales and deadlines always make me nervous, suddenly I feel that I have so much to do before Blizzard roll out the next patch.

Sprout

• Finish up her remaining reputations (Shado-Pan and that pesky Alliance one in the Wilds)
• Farm as many Conquest and Valor points as I can lay my sticky little mitts on
• Finish up beating the Pet Tamers
• Hit 480 item level for the new LFR

Twiceshy

• Tame a giant worm

I would also like to level a couple of my alts past their respective starting zones and tick off a few achievements which have been sitting around half finished for ages.

It may not seem like a massive list, but with my limited play time, I’m definitely a bit concerned.

A heartfelt Thankyou

I haven’t exactly been having the best day today. Work is pretty stressful at the moment due to a mix of policy changes by the Government (i.e. people who don’t actually have to implement them) and good old internal drama. Being yelled at, even when you sympathize with the person doing the yelling gets old fast. So I came home, slammed a few doors and checked my email, whereupon I found this gem:

Erinys

A cutesy little gnome is she

Who packs a massive punch

Don’t make her mad, because she spits

That wretch would steal your lunch!

Her blog is really interesting

I’m sure you have all heard.

Though shy at first, her warmth shines through

In every written word.

sent by Navimie of the Daily Frostwolf.

Now Sprout and I may have had the odd sentence written about us, mostly containing large quantities of swearwords but no one has ever written us a poem before. This cheered me up immensely, now I’m actually smiling and contemplating going and beating up some Horde,  so thank you Navi!!!

For Matty

The second I saw this model moth, I knew I wanted one. Quirky, colourful and graceful, Sprout has been hopefully ripping up her cocoons ever since the patch and finally her “patience” has been rewarded.

(I have to admit being a little concerned about the name because I know moths are not everyone’s cup of tea but it just seemed right and she is one of my favourite pets).

Sprout the Brawler

Slightly late to the party but this weekend, Sprout intends taking on all comers in the Brawler’s Guild.

My self-imposed challenge however is to do it as Holy or die trying! No doubt the latter will definitely happen more than a few times but I think with a bit of practice some fights at least will be possible and making the attempt is half the fun in it’s self.

So without any further ado, introducing Brawler Sprout!

Be afraid.

The Snowflower’s Blossom

Snowflower, my newest Priest has suddenly found her raison d’etre, no longer does she languish abandoned part way through a quest chain.

Instead she burns with purpose, driven by a need to leave behind the world she knows and explore what lies beyond the mist.

I’m not a huge fan of instanced start zones. My Death knights tend to get stuck early on because despite my love of being bad, I hate feeling trapped for so many levels and to be honest, stealing horses and slaughtering “innocents” who by their very nature can’t make lv 1s and call you names soon grows old. If only all NPCs were like a certain Miss Ellia Ravenmane. Gilneas was fun the first time around although the Goblin start zone had me feeling like I was playing the wrong game but the Pandaren start has some how managed to engage with me on a personal level. I won’t go into details as to why now because that’s a post and a half in it’s own right but somehow whilst wandering along, the atmosphere has managed to breathe life into character I was leveling for turtle mounts. She’s become a living breathing opinionated entity in her own right.

There is no one factor which has helped create this shift in her character, meeting the Great Turtle helped and of course the sheer beauty of the landscape played it’s part.

Ultimately though, the Forest of Staves was perhaps the biggest influence on her fledgling personality. Snowflower’s staff will never grow along side her ancestors but where-ever she ends up, she’ll carry their memories forever.

Sprout: A Study in Red and Blue

I’ve been thinking a lot about perception and personality recently and thus when I saw this being linked everywhere, I couldn’t resist (or rather Sprout took over and demanded to be immortalized as she really is).

Thus I give you Sprout…. the way she sees herself!

She may look cute but that parasol not only comes from some ancient burial ground but hides an arsenal of lethal weapons.