Java spent an entire morning in the Outlands Netherstorm zone expecting to clean up and get some serious leveling with the new heirloom gear. She cleaned up all right, completing endless numbers of quests and following tons of lore threads. At the end, though, it was mostly dissapointment as quest rewards barely topped 5k each. Java managed to get only 38% toward level 71 for all that effort.
The Burning Crusade/Outlands are not worth rummaging around in anymore. Java is going to make the jump to the Wrath of the Lich King. After a short stop in the Outlands Shadowmoon Valley just to say she'd been there, Java hearthed back to Stormwind. Her first stop was at the Mount dealer. Java's mount has a max speed of 270% and that wasn't going to work. It took over half her gold, but she spent 4250 gold to upgrade her mount to 400% speed. Then she headed for the harbor.
At the harbor Java ran into a problem. She's never been to the Stormwind piers. Well, she might have, when she was much younger, but that was long ago. The problem is that there seems to be no way to tell where the ships are going. Java is bound for the Borean Tundra in Northrend, but she doesn't know what ship to board!
A passerby laughed at the question, but he pointed and told Java that the boat he was looking for was at the last pier to the right. That boat took her to the Borean Tundra and the town there. Java was then encouraged to take a flight to Dalaran, the floating city and main hub in Northrend.
Now she stood in front of "A Hero's Welcome," the local Alliance Inn at Dalaran. Inside, there were many travelers. Java was a bit self-conscious. Most of the visitors were level 100. But there was another strange sense about the place as well. Tiphaine lived here for a long time. She is Horde born, and knows this place intimately. Knows the horde areas, the horde hang outs. Java tried to see where Tiphaine once resided, but Horde guards warned her away. There is too much of Tiphaine here, in Dalaran. The old Tiphaine, the survivor of the Death Knight training, and the taint of murder. The very air feels haunted. Even her cat felt it, pressing against a piece of furniture and refusing to move.
And this is where Java proposes to spend considerable time? Not if she can help it.
Java didn't stay long at Dalaran. She returned to the seaside port where she first stepped onto Borean Tundra soil and went to work. She hunted and killed spies, went into underground digs to find lost family members, and killed dozens of wandering ghost warriors along the shore. Java's most frustrating challenge were the flying bats that wouldn't come within reach of Java's Shield strike. Taking flight, Java harassed the bats until she forced them down. It was touch and go for a bit, but Java eventually skewered them all. Somewhere along the way Java hit Level 71 without realizing it, but it took too long. Java needs to increase her quest completion rate. She was underwhelmed with the loot, too. Specifically, Java wanted a better blade, but the good ones were either two handers or made for casters, and the other quest rewards were generic. Not a single piece of gear was worthy of keeping.
As Java quested farther and farther from Valiance Keep (where she first landed in Northrend) she started seeing areas that she knew. Horde memories, for sure, but it helped her get her bearings. Java was having fun and stayed out until well past midnight. Her only frustration was a series of quests called Last Rites. That one stumped her, but a good night sleep was in order. She'll go back at it tomorrow. Oh, by the way, she reached level 72.
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| Java Relaxes with Friend |
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| Java Nervous in Dalaran |
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