Dragon Soul - Atkar Takes an Interest

Dragon Soul - Atkar Takes an Interest

Atkar's raid forays into the Maw of Madness, Twilight Highlands, and Naxxramas have taken on some focus. Java has to admit that at least some of the things she is farming is getting back to Java in the form of gold. Is Dragon Soul her next target? It would represent a change from targeting materials to sell and craft and moving up to outright killing for gold. Tiphaine made no comment, but she is keeping a wary eye. There is a certain amount of concern for Tiphaine's sake. No one would dare challenge her leadership, but the unspoken thought is clear - Tiphaine is level 101. Atkar is level 110. Should such a thing even become thinkable, it would be a contest between Atkar's raw power and Tiphaine's long and bloody experience.

Clueless Wildshard is oblivious to the undercurrent of concern. He heard about Atkar's interest in Dragon Soul and offered his experience. Wild admitted that he didn't like Dragon Soul very much, but he was willing to impart what knowledge he still remembered of the place.

To get there, one must enter through the Caverns of Time. In "the old days" Atkar would have had to travel the length of Kalimdor and into the desert wastes of Tanaris to find the entrance. That's when raiders had to physically travel to the location of the raids.

Now, of course, Wild mocked, at Dalaran there is the Chamber of the Guardian portal with instant access to the Caverns of Time. Of course, once there, one must still find the correct portal. There are many such portals, and few of them are marked. One must know which to enter.

Wildshard nodded to himself, letting his own faded memories revive. The raid is not just a slaughter fest. Special tasks are required. He remembers. Few in either family have been on a Dragon Soul raid  - except Wildshard. AND, Surprise! JB and DB. I’m not sure if it was the first time the two had raided together, but it was a good night, downing seven bosses.

But Atkar didn't bother to ask Wild about any of this, considering it a waste of time. Atkar found the portal in Dalaran easily enough, and figured the rest would be just as easy.

A battered Atkar crawled back to Dalaran after returning from the Caverns of Time. The start of the Dragon Soul raid went quickly at first. Nothing could penetrate her combination of gear and shield. She was invulnerable. It was slow work, though. Endless enemy soldiers were spread across a wide field thick with menacing creatures. The beasts went down - slowly. So slow.

Forget the trash mobs, Atkar decided. She went directly after the elite Morchok. It was a short fight. Once Morchok was down, she was able to enter the Temple. There were two drakes to take care of as well. Both Warlord Zon'ozz and Yor'sahj fell easily.

From there, Atkar wandered about, looking for new challenges. Still hanging out at the temple, she spotted the portal to the next boss, Hagara the Stormbinder. The Hagara battle took more time, but Atkar didn't seem to notice. She killed whatever came at her. Eventually it was over and Hagara was dead.

Four elites went down in her first foray against Dragon Soul. She had to cut the rest of raid short, curtailed by guild business she cared nothing about. She was mostly angry at herself, though. She was actually taking damage, and was way off her game. More work would be needed on her gear and her preparedness.

Getting over her anger, Atkar returned to the task at hand. She crushed Ultrazion and actually had fun with Warmaster Blackhorn and his great ship, fighting flying dragons and heavily armed soldiers. Finally, Atkar had to abandon the failing skyship and took her chance, leaping onto the back of Deathwing itself. Despite her best effort to hang on, the slippery dragon swept to the left and Atkar went to the right in a veer, sending her tumbling down to earth. It was a wild, short trip, and the ground got in the way. Ouch.

Resigned at the defeat, Atkar took a look at her spoils. She earned just over a 1000 gold. For a first effort it was okay, but Atkar wanted more. A lot more.

A Blast from the Past:

Atkar stirred up some old memories in Wildshard. There were several bellweather events during the 2012 campaigns to finish off Dragon Soul before MoP launched in 2012.
(1) The Hunter Fortress PvP team put away their bows.

 (2) Wildshard finally won his Raven Mount (one of the most difficult of the old mounts to get), a task that took him literally years.

(3) When Wildshard was raiding regularly, he would never speak on Vent. It took 5 years and a very special occassion for me, as Wildshard, saying "Hi" in Vent. My good friend Lady Hunter practically peed her pants. Wild misses those old times.