Tourists may want to note Sunstrider Isle is very much orange and autumn-like – much like Azshara (which if you’re a newbie you won’t get to see for about another 45+ levels). Also note this is a place in which you can stay on for all of fifteen minutes before heading onward to the ruins of Silvermoon and Fairbreeze Village as you work your way around Falthrien Academy, visit various shrines, help unfortunate elves recover lost items, and generally learn straight off the bat how to use your new racial skills – even before you have any skills from your own profession!
However, the area is still fall-like, and orange. If you don’t really like it, roll a Draenei. I can see many blood elves taking advantage of the lush surroundings and talking sufficient amounts of smack about the Alliance with cozy nooks such as these (outside the Ruins of Silvermoon).
Also, the elves in the Sunstrider area are friendly – and there’s even children roaming about. Nothing says “raising future generations of Alliance bloodbath right” like these young impressionable blood elves watching me kill things.
Seriously, could it get any cuter?
Love me tenders, love me sweet, I see you off the road…
You made my XP bar complete and I love you so.
For those of you groaning at the puns here, let me just say I love the tenders. The tenders are the kobolds of the newbie Alliance with all the humor of the trees in Felwood or perhaps, Dire Maul. If you’ve not had the pleasure of killing these creatures, let me just say it squishes all pretense of “elves as tree huggers” right out of you and makes you laugh at the same time.
Love me tenders, love me true, all my quests fulfill.
For, my darlin’, I’ll stab you – and I always will.
These are not your typical ‘whack a rat’ newbie quests you hear about. Indeed, these quests have a sense of humor that you should come to expect from Blizzard, but there’s nothing too far out of the ordinary task wise. But just in case you think you got away from murlocs? Not so fast.
Like my noble comrade Sephirothlol, after running a myriad of errands here and there I also got invited to the social event of the season, at level seven, no less. It struck me as sad, though – it reeks of quiet desperation and living in denial (not just a river in Egypt anymore) by throwing glamour while you’re dealing with what promises to be just the beginning of a lot of outright betrayal. I know I’m not the only blood elf to think so, if the tsk-tsking from nearby Fairbreeze Village is to be believed. Indeed, it is the finest party a girl could get paid to go to. But first, business. Sort of.
Not only are there Darnassus agents, but dwarven spies? This is not good.
There is darkness lingering under the surface, and in the beauty of the ever present autumn, a deep and ugly scar slashes the landscape: The Dead Scar. However, I didn’t have much time to think about it – I needed to go pick up party supplies from Silvermoon City. This was not meant to be. Why?
Somewhere on the way to Silvermoon City,I got lost. And when I say I got lost I mean to say that I wandered off the path and went just about everywhere but Silvermoon City. I went south instead of east like I knew I was supposed to, in the water instead of over it, and instead boldly braved where no level eight blood elf probably has business going: Ghostlands.
Quickly, I assessed the situation, then I remembered: wandering in Warcraft is easy – if you follow these important safety tips.
1. Stay on the road.
2. Look ahead. Look further ahead. Patrols are a pretty clever way for Blizzard to kindly encourage people from wandering way out of their level range. Those old sayings about look before you leap? That works really well for long range exploration as a low ranged newbie. If you see something ahead, just wait and see how far it wanders near the road and adjust your path accordingly.
3. Stay on the road, unless of course this puts you in the way of a patrolling mob. Also, learn to like swimming.
Then I cleverly realized I had yet another safety net:
4. I’m a rogue, baby; stealth is my weapon.
With that in mind, I wandered all the way from Goldenmist Village up to Suncrown Village – in stealth mode. Worked really well. Then I realized I’d come quite too far, and probably should hearth on out for my own safety and leave these adventures to another time.
Will Alyxandria make it back to the party? Or will she continue her journeys deep into the darkness and gloom of the Ghostlands? What betrayals by the naughty Alliance lurk around the corner? Stay tuned …
Published: Nov 30, 2006 01:12 pm