Rats! I had hoped to get Fortknight to 80 before the semester started and I am stuck at 79.5 on January 4. So I must stop sooooo close to the end. Well, of course it's not the end; and frankly the difference between 79 and 80 isn't that great. Now it's time to start focusing on gear, finishing reputation grinds, professions, and bigger dungeons. [Hellgrima is at 72 and Tynaqua is at 73, just fyi.] I have worked through Sholazar Basin...pretty but deadly, and am now grinding in Icecrown. This is a shot I took of one of the early quests. Scary to find a footprint like this, eh?
Icecrown is awesome visually, and the initial quests are quite clever in their mechanics. I got to fly planes, ride on the back of a crocodile, hunt for "shinies" in the dirt, fly dragons, burninate thatched roof cottages, blow up bombs, jump down looooong rabbit holes, ride war zeppelins, and on and on. However, there are many repeatable quest for the Ebon Hold reputation grind, and frankly they're boring after a while.
Icecrown is a phased region, which means that depending on where you are in particular main quest chains, the region presents differently. Right now, "we" have retaken the Shadow Vault area. I walked in a noticed several NPCs labeled Cult Researcher, oh man I'd love that title on my university business card. I mentioned this in guild chat and a guildie, Galatea, asked if I had done the quest for the Cult of the Damned Thesis. ROFL! No shit, that's a real quest. Someone at Blizzard is in grad. school, eh? Anyhow, this shot is of the interior in the SHadow Vault. This is a ... yup ... a library front desk. I guess I could maybe check out that thesis, eh? ROFL.
And here's the quest language, for your enjoyment:
Level 80 Icecrown
Obtained at level 80 Horde
Koltira, aboard Orgrim's Hammer, wants you to collect the 3 pages of Cultists' Research from the Cult Researchers at Aldur'thar and use them to create the Cult of the Damned Thesis..
Cult of the Damned Thesis: 0/1
The Cult of the Damned are notorious for concocting grandiose plans that in the end, rarely succeed. But something feels different this time....
Perhaps it's the proximity to the Lich King that has their fervor heightened. Whatever it is, they appear to be more confident than ever. We must know what feeds this bravado and then find a way strip them of it!
I believe the key lies with their researchers. Find out what they're up to and report back to me with the details.
Have you discovered what their researchers are up to, deathknight?
But the semester has begun and I'll be limiting my play time.
