townlong-steppes

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  • Don't tell Scotty -- but go ahead and murder him to steal his visage

    by 
    Anne Stickney
    Anne Stickney
    12.11.2012

    I am reasonably certain that sprites in World of Warcraft are the stuff of nightmares. Rather than being the adorable little pixies the name indicates, the sprites of Azeroth are strange little demonic leaf-beasts. I would not want to wake up in the middle of the night and see one of these things looming over me. Heck, I wouldn't want to encounter one in broad daylight, either. But just because the sprites of Azeroth are unsettling, it doesn't mean you can't have some fun with them. And perhaps because they are slightly unnerving, having the ability to turn into one of these creepy little twerps at a whim is actually pretty cool. I'm of the opinion that if you have a chance to startle the heck out of a guildmate, you might as well take it. Which is why I was delighted to find Scotty the sprite. Scotty, on the other hand, was not quite so happy to see me.

  • Reputation in review: The Shado-Pan

    by 
    Anne Stickney
    Anne Stickney
    11.14.2012

    I gotta say, I really dig the Shado-Pan. I liked them from the first moment I saw them in the beta. I think a lot of it has to do with what kinds of characters make up the faction. While the rest of Pandaria is full of affable characters like the Tillers, who are free with food, drink, story and song, the Shado-Pan represent the other side of the pandaren race. They're the warriors, the fighters, the fierce, strong and sometimes dark side of pandaren culture. They are not welcoming, they are not particularly friendly, and to be perfectly honest the majority of them are pretty angry that we've shown up on Pandaria. Now perhaps it says something about me, but that fact in and of itself made me want to grind out this reputation. I mean, here I am, hero of Azeroth, killed Deathwing and interrupted what was going to be the end of the world and these guys are treating me like a total scrub? Oh it's on, guys. Not to mention the absolutely fantastic taste these guys have in hats. Have you seen the hats? I knew I needed one of those hats the moment I laid eyes on it.

  • Mists of Pandaria Beta: Reputation rewards for the Shado-Pan

    by 
    Anne Stickney
    Anne Stickney
    07.16.2012

    The Order of the Shado-Pan was formed 10,000 years ago when Pandaria first split from the rest of the Kalimdor continent and floated off into the sea. The Shado-Pan were charged by the last emperor of Pandaria with the task of protecting Pandaria from the Sha that had been imprisoned. With such a grim, serious task at hand, most of the Shado-Pan order are nowhere near as lighthearted as the rest of the pandaren players will encounter in their travels. The Shado-Pan offer a variety of rewards for those who choose to gain reputation with their Order. Cloaks, trinkets and helms await those who become revered with the Shado-Pan. And for those who work their way to exalted reputation, the Shado-Pan offer mounts. Three Shado-Pan riding tigers in red, green and blue are available for purchase. Quests and dailies for the Shado-Pan mainly take place in Townlong Steppes, although players first encounter the Shado-Pan in the Valley of the Four Winds. The Shado-Pan are working hard to keep several different threats at bay. Not only are there mantid to worry about, there's also the odd case of the mogu on the isles off the coast of the Townlong Steppes, who appear to be up to no good. Take a look at the gallery below for the full list of Shado-Pan reputation rewards. And remember, point and price totals for items may not be final. We're still in beta, after all! %Gallery-160434% It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

  • Wowhead previews Townlong Steppes

    by 
    Matt Low
    Matt Low
    05.16.2012

    Townlong Steppes opened up in one of the recent builds of the Mists of Pandaria beta. Normally, the Great Wall of Pandaria separates this zone from the rest of the continent, but the pandaren are investigating what's on the other side due to the attacks from the Mantids. The opposition in Townlong Steppes consists of mobs and quests for players who are 88+. Adventurers won't find any shortage of activities in this zone. Assist the Shado-Pan, who are checking out strange, jeweled camps near their garrison. Fend off the mogu, who are commandeering cloud serpents in the islands north of the Temple of Niuzao. Engage the yaungol and mantid alongside your pandaren allies in the Shallowstep Pass. Head on over to Wowhead to preview the screenshots and backstory of all the different areas. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!