As I’ve mentioned previously, I mostly don’t like leveling in 4 zones of Cataclysm with more than 1 char – the pace is so slow that your hate grows exponentially and in the end you’re just happy to hit Pandaria, leaving it all behind. For history sakes, there will be a small overview of the zones – to preserve the good memories (in no particular order). As I don’t feel the mood to write a usual diary-story about Cata, it will be just a flashback of highlights.
So, Deepholm.
To complete the epic storyline of restoring the world pillar I chose Zindari the Troll Rogue. Deepholm involves many areas swarmed with enemies, so Zindari could sneak her way through them.
To get there you must first deal with Thrall – which is very epic as he struggles with the Maelstorm itself.
After you observe his pulsing forehead veins, you are fairly motivated to restore the destruction caused by Deathwing as soon as possible to ease his efforts (btw, I consider Thrall a perfect warchief and he’s one of my favourite characters).
You take his wyvern and travel with Aggra through the gap only to find yourself in one of the most stunning areas. The heights and pillars are really taking your breath at first. Your breath remains taken right to the moment when you are obliged to crawls through dusty pebbles and explore all the heights with your own wings, until your “W” button on keyboard is sunk deep without an option to restore.
Though dark, dusty and depressing Deepholm (alliteration: nailed it!) is not a happy place, it somehow feels cosy. While heights are embarassing, the whole area is conveniently placed round the main hub, and while cut from the other world in a stone sack, you still see the light hole over the temple, which doesn’t let you to roll into claustrophobia.
All the storyline is spinned around pieces of the world pillar, and here’s what you do.
To get a piece kept by Earthen, you must win their attitude and heal their prince. While the first part is only grinding, it also involves a funny episode where you cheat a fire elemental.
Then you procede with stone guys fighting stone guys (troggs). It’s the most dull grinding quest chain ever. And I hated them since Northrend, both metal and earthen ones (although I like flesh dwarves very much). It’s like you even don’t want to help them at all, they don’t cause any sympathy.
Even with the catapult, it’s only an escort. They let you shoot a bit, but then you grind and grind again. You kill more troggs than you ever did in you life, and then you kill more troggs. Finally, they give you a piece. You smile through your teeth and hope you never meet the guys again (luckily so, you don’t).
Southern part is much more fun! It involves a dragon hunt and an epic destruction of a portal to Uldum! Some stealth mission to hack the codes, then re-programming their device. My name is Bond. Zindari Bond.
Oh, and what about those light balls spinning around Zindari? It’s needed for an epic destruction of a Twilight warlord. I personally like the elements concepts in every game, movie or whatever, so collecting the different elemental protection for Zindari was cool.
Earlier, you are engaged into the most amazing quest here: you are investigating the crash of the Horde airship which brings you to unveiling the plot of Twilight Hammer on a vacant Alliance ship. Along with a dwarf gryphon flyer, you deal with an ogre mage. I like ogres!
Then you meet a secret evil agent Millhouse Manastorm. I like gnomes most of all races, but this one is complete nuts and I hate the guy. Still didn’t get what happened with him in the dungeon after he summoned the stone worm.
This questline leads to an epic luring and kill of the dragon who keeps the next piece. 1 to go now, and is kept by stone giants. These guys are actually quite nice. You don’t want to deal with them on a daily basis (though Micromantica had to, for the sake of few achievements), but all in all it’s a pleasant and different questline with much different stuff to do. For example, on this picture you fight a dragon jumping from boulder to boulder!
Earning their attitude, you meet the Stone Mother Therazane. I actually find her pretty nice and funny. You never meet any creature alike in the whole WoW (except her daughter in Maraudon).
And with some more killing of the Twilights and troggs (frankly, the end could be more epic), you get the final piece. Small brawl at the temple itself (really is like a pub fight), and the pillar is finally complete!
Final flight around Deepholm – there are few sights worth admiring.
See you next time!
Gnomecore 