arrakoa
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Build an inn or trading post in World of Warcraft's Spires of Arak zone
Are you a fan of the arakkoa, World of Warcraft's avian humanoids? Blizzard Game Designer Don Adams and Associate Quest Designer Johnny Cash are betting you are, which is why they've brought back the sqwawking Burning Crusade beasties in Warlords of Draenor, complete with a "fancy new model." In a dev blog posted today, the duo discuss the Spires of Arak zone, in which the arakkoa aren't quite as evil as they later become in the BC timeline. Over the course of the zone, you're helping [a] shady resistance group of cursed arakkoa to make their final stand. You're learning about the curse they bear, the ancient gods of their land, and the very real threat posed by the Adherents of Rukhmar, the ruling caste of zealous arakkoa in Skyreach. Your adventure leads to two climactic events in the zone: one involving the plight of the outcasts against the flying arakkoa, and another focusing on the Shattered Hand fortress of Bladefist Hold. Of interest is Cash's note that players can choose to "construct an Inn to help [them] house more soldiers and supplies or a Trading Post to establish trade agreements with friendly locals," thereby unlocking unique questlines and gaining access to special perks in the zone, like quicker hearthing and easier access to rested experience.
The 7 best trinkets in the World of Warcraft
You know, if there's one thing I have noticed digging through my bags, it's that I have a whole mess of trinkets. Of all the gear slots, it seems like trinkets are some of the most versatile and swappable. Depending on whether you need a bit more hit rating, a bit more critical strike rating, a bit more mana regeneration, a bit more health, a bit more armor, or you plan to go PvPing for a bit, you can fill up bags upon bags alone with a whole bunch of trinkets, waiting for the right moment to spring them. Then there's the really bad ass trinkets. I'm not talking trinkets that are traditionally defined as "useful," I'm talking about the trinkets that make you into the life of the party. The ones that make other people notice you, make them stand up and say, "Woah, that guy is using some CRAZY trinkets." You know what I mean. Stop trying to get yourself that Ashtongue Talisman, these are the REAL deal.
Letting things fall through the cracks
The World of Warcraft is a big place. We've got tons of stuff going on, from Highbourne elven ghosts run amok, to crazy furbolgs, to leperous gnomes, all the way to the Burning Legion, the Scourge, and the clash of Titans and the Old Gods themselves. Things are happening all around us, all the time.So it's not surprising that a few things can slip through the cracks. Last night, I was rolling through Nagrand with my rogue when I got a quest to kill an Ethereal near Oshu'gun. While I was wandering around near the mountain, I saw an opening inside, and decided to see what was in there. And inside, I found something very surprising: Kil'sorrow agents holding a Naaru captive. According to the lore, the mountain itself is actually a ship, and the Naaru inside, K'ure, was weakened in the ship's crash and trapped there for centuries. The trapped Naaru in Silvermoon City (who funnels power to Blood Elf Paladins everywhere) gets all the press, but K'ure and his predicament have gone virtually unnoticed by both players and NPCs.Likewise, did anyone notice that the Arrakoa are actually attempting to summon an Old God to Shadowmoon Valley? In the southern part of the zone, among the green pools, you can see the bird men focusing their energies on something that looks exactly like C'thun. Considering all the trouble the Old Gods had caused, you'd think that would get a lot more attention than it does (unless it's just that no one really believes the Arrakoa could really do it-- they haven't pulled it off so far).Is there anything else that's fallen through the cracks of everything happening in the world? I'd think we'd be concerned that the Burning Legion is using a trapped Naaru or that the Arrakoa are trying to raise one of the most powerful beings in the Universe, but with everything else going on, I guess it doesn't raise much of an alarm.
The hidden secrets of Outland
Inspired by this forum thread about hidden and mysterious places in Outland, I took to the skies on my windrider to check out some less-traveled places in the expansion. From the empty Horde village above Shattrath, to Challe's Home for Little Tykes, all the way to Skettis, the hidden capital of the Arrakoa, I went on a tour of some of Outland's secrets.Check out the gallery below to see all the places I found. And while I spent a night touring around, Blizzard spent months making this place. If you've found cool stuff that I didn't include in the Gallery, feel free to drop it in the comments below.%Gallery-2117%
