warlord-gurthan
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Faction short story Death From Above now available
How many were paying attention as they leveled through the Dread Wastes and into a path of discovering the Klaxxi and their long lost Paragons? Were you paying attention as the final truths of the mantid were revealed at the end of the Klaxxi reputation grind? That's all well and good ... but those weren't the final truths to be learned. The latest in the faction short story series, Death From Above, is a look at the Klaxxi thousands of years before the events of today -- in fact, years before the pandaren had even begun their rebellion against the mogu. Written by Robert Brooks, Death From Above tells the tale of Kil'ruk the Wind-Reaver and how he came to be a Paragon, cleverly winding in the story of Warlord Gurthan and his final resting place on the Terrace of Gurthan in the middle of it all. It's a story of the mantid swarm, the Empress, and the cycle -- but it's also a story of the Klaxxi, their place in mantid society, and the unique origins of the Paragons who are laid to rest around the Dread Wastes, their locations kept secret until we uncover them. And, in a way, it's a story about you -- the Wakener, the one who has opened the amber shells of the Paragon. It's the story of a Wakener from long ago, and what he learned in the process -- the relationship between Paragon and Wakener is explored, as well as the odd attributes of the Paragons and how they came to be. Perhaps most importantly, it's a tale of the mantid, who are one of the coolest races to be introduced in Mists of Pandaria, and completely deserved a story of their own. Robert Brooks did an amazing job with the tale, right down to the chilly and entirely unsettling ending. You can read Death from Above over on the official site, and while you're there, be sure to check out the other fine tales in the Destination: Pandaria section.
The Warlord's Ashes, hidden daily of the Dread Wastes
One of the more interesting dailies in all of Pandaria is one that won't even be assigned to you by a quest giver. When questing through the Dread Wastes, or later while doing dailies in that zone, you may have spotted a curious tablet propped up at the base of an urn. According to the tablet, Warlord Gurthan, master of beasts and conqueror of men, waits here. He waits for the Earth to LAY before him as beasts once did. He waits for the Sun to KNEEL before him as men once did. Reminds me a bit of the clue to a puzzle in a Resident Evil game or something. Essentially, you (and another warm body) need to arrange yourself so one is lying down in the green circle, and the other is kneeling in the red circle. Doing so will send colored beams directly to the urn, and release the spirit of Warlord Gurthan. Strike the Warlord down, and collect the ashes. This item will begin a quest, which you can turn in at Kil'ruk the Wind-Reaver, which rewards the standard 5 valor points, 2 Lesser Charms of Good Fortune, and a smattering of gold coins. Unfortunately, this isn't available every day. Only on days in which the Klaxxi dailies involve the Terrace of Gurthan, fittingly enough. Nonetheless, it's a great little quest that rewards those willing to explore a little. Considering how there is absolutely no indication from NPCs that this quest exists, I wonder how many more of these hidden gems are just waiting to be found out there. And if there aren't any, there should be, because this is the kind of thing that makes it fun and rewarding to get out and poke around every nook and cranny in Pandaria. Mists of Pandaria is here! The level cap has been raised to 90, many players have returned to Azeroth, and pet battles are taking the world by storm. Keep an eye out for all of the latest news, and check out our comprehensive guide to Mists of Pandaria for everything you'll ever need to know.
