Brakara's Journal of Beasts ((Very Image Heavy))

[Lupis]

Yeah, that's why I had that thing about Braka dragging over the body of another dragon. Someone had just killed my drake and I needed an excuse. (Plus there was a rarespawn.)

[Lupis]

((I think Horde has more Thousand Needles quests than Alliance has, because the quests brought me a little past 45. And they were AWESOME. I'm skipping a lot of quests to show the ones I loved in detail. Oh, and I skipped some of the ones that Tyger showed in detail, so it's more interesting to read - and because those quests weren't as interesting to me as the others. I'm weird. >.>))

Journal Entry 8

I learned about respect today.

The first people I encountered were goblins, making their home on a barge along with many gnomes. They were loud and angry, overall irritating. The air was filled with smoke and the smell of alcohol. I immediately disliked the place.



The local engineer, and the goblin I frequently reported to, was a bit... eccentric. I've never seen such furniture. Trk'hsk liked the crab-like creature, though.



The goblin wanted me to go out and kill pirates, then find a friend of his. He was sure that his friend had gotten captured. Being somewhat experienced in killing pirates, I accepted. He lent me a boat for easy travel, which I greatly appreciated. Trk'hsk adored it, lazing away on the deck and basking.



I had to drag him by his tail to get him off that boat.
The pirates were fairly active, but we cut and shot our way through. I was impressed by the size of the parrots flying about, and the overall massive number of pirates. It was no wonder that the goblin got captured. He was in a cage, which was probably the safest place to be in the entire area.
Regardless... He mentioned the leader of the pirates several times. Tony "Two Tusk". I remember that troll quite well. He's the pirate I helped create a mutiny! I was sent to slay him, which irritated me a bit. After working so hard to help him, now I had to kill him.
He had an... interesting way of hiding. As soon as I saw him, he jumped into a treasure chest. His goons popped out of the others, and I had to fight them off while he teleported from chest to chest.



As I returned to the goblin to report Two Tusks' death, his ghost materialized before me. He wanted me to resurrect him with the help of his ex-wife.



His ex-wife lived nearby, and had an interesting home. There was a massive portal to one side, and beyond it, huge dead fish. Trk'hsk was very interested in a free meal...



While he gorged himself, I spoke to the troll woman. She needed the body parts of Tony's friends, three Southsea captains. They were each hidden away on their boats, but they didn't last long. Tony, being a very good friend, encouraged me to slay them. Pirates...







After lugging their overall unhealthy organs back to the woman, she sent me out to find corpses to make up Tony's new flesh. Just to send a message to the troll, I brought back several rotting turtle bodies.



The woman approved, giggling as I dragged the bodies over. Lastly she needed mojo for the new body, to give it life. She suggested I take the soul of some insane mage to the east. Luckily, and oddly, the massive portal led directly to him. I don't know how she knew I was going to be going there, but I suppose that I shouldn't question it.
Anyways, the human was busy shooting fireballs at a few chickens - he was utterly insane - and didn't notice me. I got off a good shot and ended it quickly.



The troll was very happy to be alive again, and promised... very little in return. He didn't attack me again, and said that my payback was my life. If I could kill him the first time, who says I can't kill him again? Disgruntled, I returned to the barge, and was instantly sent out to a tauren camp called Freewind Post.
Before I was sent out, though, I overheard a little story. Apparently a human and her pet had helped a gnome steal the oil out of the land held by centaurs. They had tried to buy the land with fake gold, and when the centaur called their bluff and attacked, they had simply killed the horse-men. In the end they had succeeded and gathered the oil, but they did it through trickery. I thought about that as I headed to Freewind. Had it been a Horde to do such things, I would have gained from it, but I wouldn't have respected it. Despite the fact that the oil would have gone to the Horde to help us, I wouldn't be able to see the people who had taken it as heroes. I would see them as cowards.



I thought he said tauren. He didn't say Elf. I managed to keep myself from shooting them, though Trk'hsk wouldn't stop menacing them. I didn't try to stop him anyway. There were a few tauren there, and they informed me that the Grimtotem had attacked as soon as Thousand Needles flooded. Grimtotem again! They also wanted me to save a brave, who had been captured.
It was odd to fight alongside elves. I prefer orcs any day.



I saved the brave. He was only slightly injured, and returned to the others to reequip. Before he left, he mentioned a traitor that had helped kill the tauren of Freewind.



The traitor was in the inn, by the body of the old innkeeper. I slew him without guilt. The Horde has no place for traitors!



The brave and I were then sent out to attack the heart of the Darkcloud Grimtotem. He was an impressive fighter, and we easily cut our way through wave after wave of Grimtotem. On our way, we found a strange rattle. The brave told me about how it was a rare artifact, and as I picked it up, something... strange happened. A windserpent, bright crimson with yellow wings, appeared in a puff of smoke. It floated in the air before me, hissing triumphantly.



It asked me to follow it, then flew away. I wanted to follow, but I had things to do before - more specifically, kill one of the Grimtotem leaders. She was close, a very strong fighter. It took all of our might to down her.



((Continued))

[Lupis]

((Continued from last post))


The next artifact, said the brave, was a scroll. I found it guarded by the second leader of the Grimtotem, an elder shaman. The brave told me that the shaman had been trained by Elder Crone Magatha Grimtotem, a traitor against the Horde and an incredibly powerful shaman. True to his rank, this shaman was very impressive.



He instantly began calling down fire and lightning to strike us. We weathered through it, though I managed to get my leg burned.



In a last act of desperation, he transformed into a mountain giant, which nearly crushed the brave. Somehow, though, my bullets, Trk'hsk's bites, and the brave's axe managed to finally fell the shaman.



Before he died, he called me "Chosen of the Crone." Both the brave and I were confused by this, and I had the feeling that the brave was getting suspicious. The windserpent, he said, was Arikara, the pet and minion of Magatha.
As I picked up the scroll, Arikara appeared again. He praised us, then flew off towards the next bluff. We followed.
Yet another Grimtotem leader lived there. A strong warrior, he was also a high chieftain. The brave was quite battered by the end of that fight, but forged on, encouraging me to find the last artifact - a drum.



The drum was nearby. As I picked it up, Arikara appeared yet again. This time he seemed mocking, and his voice shifted to that of an old woman. Magatha was speaking directly through him, not attempting to hide the fact that she was he and he was she. She asked if I could take care of her unruly nephew. Unfortunately, that was also the brave's next target.
He was well guarded. I was very worried about the Brave - he was really struggling near the end of the fight. Eventually the Grimtotem tauren fell, though. The Brave turned to a nearby cave. I thought he simply wanted to rest there, but there was actually a non-Grimtotem tauren there. She had been the wife of Arnak, the Grimtotem we had just killed. It had been a forced marriage, but I could see that she was sad he was dead.



She had a special task for me - find, attack, and slay Arikara. I headed to Arikara's Needle and used the artifacts to summon him.



To my surprise, the artifacts disappeared in a flash. Arikara had taken them! Then he attacked, though fighting him was not so hard as it had been to fight Arnak. He was still an impressive and powerful enemy to face.



Arikara stopped fighting as he weakened, flying out of reach and speaking to us. Magatha revealed that she had been captured by the Twilight's Hammer and wanted me, of all people, to help her. Lakota, the wife, told me to search the Highperch for her.
When I arrived, I was informed by the tauren man there that the Highperch had been a Wyvern home for many years. Now, however, the Twilight's Hammer was capturing and slaying the beasts. I was to kill the poachers and free the younglings.



The wyverns were happy to help me kill the poachers. My respect for the beasts grew. They're graceful and strong, wilder than any gryphon.
Trk'hsk was very helpful in finding the younglings, though they screeched and cried so loudly that it was no trouble finding them, even if I had been blind. In no time I had a crowd of the tiny beasts about me.



The tauren then wanted me to free their patriarch, named Heartrazor. Apparently he was bound and near death. I headed up to the highest level of the Highperch and found him tied there, surrounded by guards. The guards fell and I freed the massive beast. What a sight so see! His wings nearly blocked out the sun!



My last task at the Highperch was to kill the Cultist leader there. He was in command of capturing and training the wyverns. It was obvious that I wouldn't find Magatha, but I helped anyway. Heartrazor even flew me to the human.



He wasn't guarded at all. As we fought, I began to hear the soft beating of wings, which built until it was the roar of many tiny wings beating all at once. Before I knew what was happening, the hatchlings I had saved swarmed all over the human, clawing at his eyes and biting at his throat.



Then they lifted him into the air, flapping their wings in unison to catch the air, and dropped the screaming human off a cliff. Trk'hsk was annoyed that he lost the chance at a meal, but I was laughing too hard to care.



Trk'hsk cheered up as I headed to the east, towards the meeting point where I was to meet Lakota. I hope I don't need to leave Thousand Needles soon, if only for Trk- he loves the boat. When I arrived and dragged the crocolisk onto shore, I saw an interesting sight. Lakota, the mild-mannered tauren, had killed an orc cultist, stolen his armor, and donned it herself.



She encouraged me to do the same. I have to admit that the Cult knows how to make good armor. Goshlok liked it as well. That poor wolf, she hasn't gotten much exercise here.



We used the disguise to assassinate leaders of the Cult. I didn't appreciate the dirty work. There's no honor in making your enemy turn his back before you kill him.



Eventually I managed to find Magatha, bound by magical shackles. I freed her, and was immediately jumped by angry cultists. She let me deal with them as she teleported away, telling me to meet her to the east.



I found her with Arikara. I must admit, they make an impressive pair. Powerful, all-controlling. And although I hated her as a traitor, I found I was beginning to respect her - more than I respected Lakota. Magatha was cruel, but she was also wise and cunning, along with courageous. She didn't stab you in the back. She stabbed you in the front and twisted the dagger.



She instructed me to kill several elementals and collect condensed elements. The cultists attacked in mass, but they were weak and fell easily. The elementals were slightly stronger.



Once the elementals were dead and the elements collected, Magatha had me kill a large arcane elemental. She claimed it was infused with a "doomstone", which the Cult wanted to overload. She wanted it taken as, she claimed, it would explode and destroy the entire region if it was too overloaded. I didn't trust her to not use it, but anything was more trustworthy than the Cult. I slew the arcane elemental and collected her Doomstone.



As I expected, she did not want to be friends with the Horde. She swore she would kill me next I saw her and boasted of having all the artifacts and the Doomstone. Though angered, I had truly expected it. And still I found myself respecting her. Not as a friend would respect a friend, but as one would respect a strong enemy. She used people for her own good and did so without lying or sugar coating. She never promised me anything for my help, and I did not expect anything.

Strangely affected by the events, I let Goshlok wander. He brought me to a ledge that was occupied by green snakes and bright aqua scorpids. I watched them, but none interested me.
Until a ruby colored serpent appeared, glittering brightly in the sun.



I approached, watching it warily. The snake flared its hood and eyed me with a knowing grin, as if it knew everything about me. I couldn't compete with that, but I wasn't going to back down, and returned the gaze. Apparently, that was all it required from me.



Arikara. A fragment of a tauren that could have been a great leader, had she not followed such dark goals. Arikara will follow me to Tanaris. As for Trk'hsk, he will stay here for now until I take him to Orgrimmar. I suppose he deserves a rest, and the goblins have tied my boat to their barge so he can sleep on it all day. He will be happy. And when he goes to Orgrimmar, he can doze in the sun by Lok'vadnod.

[TygerDarkstorm]

*Jumps up and down excitedly* I LOVE the serpent that you tamed--it's so beautiful. ^_^

Apparently a human and her pet had helped a gnome steal the oil out of the land held by centaurs.

Not sure whether that's a reference to Roxíe, but I giggled all the same.

Also, I'm not sure how many quests in Thousand Needles the Alliance have--I know it's more than what I did. I just got really bored and upset with the zone and my 45 pet was planned for Tanaris so when I got a breadcrumb quest to the desert, that's where I headed.

[Lupis]

Yes, it is a reference. ^.^
Yeah, the quests before the Grimtotem ones were really boring. I thought the Grimtotem/cult ones were the only interesting ones, honestly, but I -loved- them. So much.
Also, I forgot a picture at the end of that post. Let me edit that back in...

[TygerDarkstorm]

I've been kind of bored in Tanaris too. >_<
But, I have something kind of exciting planned for my level 50 tame. And, since I'm lazy and don't read quest text, I think I'm going to start screenshotting my quest text just so I don't keep forgetting the quests when I go to write my journal entries. XD

Anyway, it was a lovely read like always.

[Azunara]

...

I demand a Sol reference now!

I'll find a way to work in Brakara. This is I vow. *serious nod.* In all seriousness though, I really do like this. xD

And I write everything as I'm doing it, that's why there can be weird pauses. That's the part where I hit series of, "Kill gnolls. Hundreds of them. GNOLLS. GNOLLS. GNOLLS."

[Lupis]

Ahh, I write it all after I finish the levels. Which is why I leave out so many quests. xD I was going to add the Centaur ones, but I sort of... had way too much already, heh. Besides, it was a perfect time for a Roxie reference.
Sol reference... Hmm, I'll fit one in somewhere!

[TygerDarkstorm]

Yeah, I do mine once I'm finished with my 5 levels, I just have what my boyfriend calls CRS (can't remember shit) and as you level up, you need more and more quests to complete to achieve the next level so I'm forgetting what quests I'm doing and what some of my screenshots are for. I'm hoping that screenshotting the quests will help me out when writing my journal.

Although, writing it as I go could work too I guess...Hm...I may have to try this at least once.

Sorry, derailing. >_<

[Lupis]

Journal Entry 9

Tanaris, it turned out, didn't need my help. A human had already come through and completed the tasks they had. As I was preparing to return to Orgrimmar, one of the goblins approached and suggested that I visited his friend in Eastern Plaguelands. Apparently there was a land called the Badlands that was a good place for an adventurer. After bringing Trk'hsk to Orgrimmar, I got on the zeppelin headed to Undercity.



The environment of Tristfall Glades was worrying. I hoped that not all of the Eastern Kingdoms was like that... It was very damp and dark, even during the day. Arikara didn't like it much and kept his hood flared out, flicking his tongue nervously.



Luckily, my run to the Eastern Kingdoms went mostly unhindered. Goshlok seemed to enjoy the exercise.



I was eager to leave Light's Hope Chapel even before I entered. Humans everywhere. They claimed to be friendly towards Horde, but I was uncomfortable none the less. Of course, the ride to the Badlands wasn't exactly relaxing...



As soon as we landed on the coastal town I was confronted by a sheep. That was made of explosives. I hate goblins.
Arikara tried to eat one and I had to polish his scales for nearly an hour to get the char off of them. Luckily for the goblins, he wasn't hurt.


I was sent to yet another goblin town, in the heart of the Badlands. At least that town wasn't filled with explosive sheep... They wanted me to kill ogres, which I was glad to do. At least it got me away from their town. The ogres were practicing spellcasting and were easy fights.



Soon the goblins told me to take a pair of safety goggles out to another goblin that was doing some experiments with dragons. It was an interesting fight, getting through the hordes of dragons and hatchlings, but I managed to make it to the goblin - Rhea - without too much trouble. Thank the spirits for Goshlok's speed. Rhea seemed a fairly acceptable goblin as they go, and wasn't nearly as insane as the others of her race.
Although, Arikara's actions made me wonder about her race. He seemed very agitated, staring at Rhea like he was trying to pry the secrets from her.



Regardless, she wanted us to gather Black Dragon eggs and the bodies of their hatchlings. Gathering the eggs was an interesting experience - each time I tried to touch them, a massive black dragon would swoop out of the sky and try to tear me limb from limb. I had to leave a trail of dragon bodies in my wake.




((Continued))

[Lupis]

((Continued from above))
When I returned, Rhea revealed that she had a Black Dragon broodmother hidden away. She uncovered the beast, and I must admit I was impressed. The beast was absolutely massive, and one of the most graceful, powerful creatures I'd ever seen.



I was excited and very slightly worried by the task of beating down the dragon to steal her eggs. She was ferociously protective of them, but Arikara managed to stall her for long enough that I could drag a few eggs away.



As a reward for our troubles, Rhea said that she would show us her true form. Before our eyes she turned into a great Red Dragon. Arikara only turned his head away, tongue flicking disdainfully as if he'd known it all along.



She didn't waste time. Her cover blown, she asked us to find a nearby gnome doctor, then flew away. Finding the gnome was easy enough. I was fairly surprised at the piles of trogg corpses around his camp, though.



It turned out that he had a bit of a trogg problem, and he wanted me to man a turret and deal with them while he checked on the materials - two eggs and a dragon hatchling's corpse - that I had brought.



The troggs were relentless, but the turret was more powerful then they. Arikara stood nearby as my early warning and I took down all that came close. Still, by the end, it was a close call. I didn't know there were that many troggs alive.
When they finally retreated, I spoke to the gnome again. He told me to find a nearby blood elf camp and get help from them. Apparently, he had some insane idea that a titan artifact would help. I didn't expect much, but I followed his orders.



Ugh. Blood Elves. As I expected, they were nearly useless. They simply gave me two statuettes and told me they were probably special, in some way, maybe. I was left to figuring out the rest myself.
A nearby excavation sight seemed a good place to start my search. The entrance was guarded by two giant golems, but they were inactive and stationary. Halfway through my search I found a small red statue that could hold the statuette, and as soon as the statuette was placed on its hand, it started to glow and shot out a beam of light. After a bit of puzzling, I started to connect each beam of light to another statue until I heard an odd cracking, grinding sound.



The other statuette was placed on an unassuming block of stone in a nearby room. Several green statues rose out of the ground, and I was told by an automated voice to turn them around so none faced out. It wasn't especially hard, but I found it rather amusing.



Again I heard the strange grinding sound, and as I left, I found that the large golems were active again. They attacked as soon as I came upon them.



Somehow I avoided their attacks and Arikara and I slowly drained their energy until they collapsed. As they died, a treasure chest appeared in the back of the cave.
Titans had to have strange minds to think up such a cave...



I returned the artifact found within to the gnome. He activated it, and it hovered over the Black Dragon hatchling. Within seconds it had diagnosed the body as having been corrupted by an "Azerothian Old God", then exorcised the taint. It did the same to the eggs, then combined them into one object - a purified Black Dragon egg. I had a feeling as I looked at it that the egg was going to be very important.
The gnome told me to go to New Kargath, where Rhea was waiting. When I reported there, I was put in charge of a group of mercenaries to kill dragons. Arikara didn't like them and stayed in the inn.



We were sent to kill several of the leaders of the Black Dragons. It took some coordination to kill them, and the mercenaries looked pretty battered after the first two leaders were killed.



The last leader was the broodmother that Rhea had kept captive. It was a long and laborious fight, her relentless attacks paired with the strikes of her younglings. I'm surprised we got out alive. I suppose I should feel lucky - the Bad Dogs, as the mercenaries liked to call themselves, mentioned a group of humans that had fought a black dragon and hadn't been so lucky. The only survivor had been one female human, who had lost her pet moth in the fight. As much as I hate humans, I had to sympathize with the human. Losing a pet was a pain I was glad I hadn't had to face yet.
When I returned to Rhea, she told me to meet her at a hidden clutch where the egg was hidden. I followed and watched as she got it from a cave.



A shadow blocked out the sun and I looked up to see the largest creature I'd ever seen, larger than I could have imagined possible. The air from its wings alone threw me back and Arikara burrowed in the ground for safety. I didn't have any idea what the monster was until I heard Rhea say his name - I was encountering Deathwing, the Aspect of Death.



I could do nothing to stop him. Any attack would be but the biting of a flee. He destroyed the cave with a puff of flame, then took off without a second glance.



I rushed to the mouth of the cave, but I had to wait a few minutes to try and enter - the air was superheated. When I finally got in, I found that Rhea and the egg had been burned to ash.
A scroll was left there, somehow guarded from the flames. It revealed that it hadn't been the purified egg that had been held here, but one of Rhea's last two.
As I left, the gnome doctor ran up. He explained in a rush that the real purified egg was hidden safely away, and that Rhea had one last wish - that I take care of her last hatchling. He had hatched only minutes before.



I swore to the spirits that I would watch over the hatchling. He revealed his name to be Rutilustrasz, and surprised me by being quite upbeat and happy. Arikara was very kind to him and they got on well.
I was told to head to the Searing Gorge, but Rutilustrasz would have nothing of it. He screeched and tugged at my arm, pointing his head southeast. I finally gave in and mounted Goshlok, who seemed rather amused by the little dragon. Rutilus lead us to a pile of bones, then screeched again.
A great white vulture was before us before I knew it, perhaps called by the dragonling. I still don't know why or how Rutilus knew of the bird.



It was very friendly once it saw Rutilustrasz and gave me an approving nod. Perhaps the vulture acted as a guardian for dragon hatchlings before? Whatever his goal was, he appeared to want to stay with Rutilus.



We'll head to the Burning Steppes next. The vulture, who accepted the name Lok'amon, will stay by my side, as will Rutilus. I'm glad - the company of both creatures is welcome. Now that I know Deathwing isn't just hidden away, the world has reached a new stage of dangerous.

[TygerDarkstorm]

Wonderful read like always. I love Arikara's cheekiness and I loved how you tied getting the hatchling and finding Zari. ^_^ Much better than my sob story of killing my poor pet and driving my hunter insane.

[Lupis]

Nah, a little sob story is nice sometimes. I was scrambling for a reason for Braka to tame Zari. Luckily, adorable dragon hatchlings solve every problem.

Taming Zari broke my no-rare rule, but when I think "Badlands" I think of the rares - Broken Tooth, Barnabus and Zaricotl. I already have a cat, though, and a wolf, so Zaricotl it was.
Besides, I adore his skin. <3

[TygerDarkstorm]

Zari scares the bloody hell out of me, which is why I think he's perfect for Yzma.

[Azunara]

Yay! A reference to me in one of my -favorite- zones ever! That's pretty awesome, I approve!

Also, that quest with Rhea's egg was really, really saddening to me. I felt bad for Rhea and her egg, still have the trinket on my lock.

IT should be fun doing Badlands with Sol. Black. Dragons. EVERYWHERE. Burning Steppes, I believe, should also be pretty awesome for her, but I'm not sure if you guys have done it, so I'll be quiet. >.<;

[Lupis]

I love that egg. Rutilustrasz will be a returning character, and when I hit 70 I'm going to xp lock and do dungeons in a frenzy for Wyrmrest Rep. Must. Get. Dragon mount.

[Azunara]

Oh, yeah. But don't you mean 80? Or can we get Wyrmrest rep at 70?

[Lupis]

Derp. 80. xD Although, can you get Wyrmrest rep (with a tabard) in 85 dungeons?

[Azunara]

I honestly have no idea. xD I did the rep grind way back in WotLK.

[Saturo]

Yeah, you can. Faction reps are available in all dungeons, NR rep in 78-85 dungeons and 80/85HCs and Cata rep in 80-85 dungeons and 85 HCs.