Onward into Loch Modan

When I left off last week, I achieved level 10 and received notice from my trainer to speak with Bink in Ironforge.  I also had a second 'turn in quest' in Ironforge, so set off into the great city to begin my new tasks, leaving much of Dun Morogh behind me until I reach a level where I can safely venture into Gnomeregan.

Ironforge is the Capital city of both Gnomes and Dwarves, and the population ranges all spectrums of the Alliance fraction.   In the past, before Stormwind Harbor connected the Human city with all areas of Alliance life, Ironforge played the role of major gathering point.  To be honest, I still find it more busy than Stormwind, but that could just be my opinion.

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I find moving about in Ironforge easy, and less confusing than other capitols I've been in, but getting from one side to the other does take a while.  As a Mage/Miner, I find my time split mostly between The Commons (bank), The Great Forge (for mining), and the Mystic Ward (Mage training).  I also find I spend a fair amount of time in the Forlorn Cavern, where I have taken some time to relax and fish.

For the moment,  I only needed to find the Mage area and speak with Bink.  She's a little Gnome who set me off to find her gizmonitor in exchange for a new staff or an orb.  

Perhaps I'm a bit spoiled from my past characters, but the level 10 mage quest was a big let down.  At level 10 as a Hunter, you get a quest chain giving you the ability to tame your pet, at 10 as a Druid, you get a quest chain to learn your Bear Form, your first shifted form.  

For me--I chose the new staff, which, when compared to the Staff I already had, okay, yes, it was a good upgrade, including a stat boost of +1 intellect and +1 spirit, but it didn't feel like much compared to my past characters.   Where is the great game changer? Where is something unique to Mage?   Portals are fun, what about them (Oh, not until level 20 I see) -- I also find it funny the second choice for reward was an off-hand item when we are trained in, and melee with, a two handed staff.  Yes, I suppose, in Blizzard's defence, we do have the ability to use a wand, but at this point in the game, unless you're a spoiled alt, you don't have enough money to buy one.

In any case, my mage training was over and done with before I knew it.  However, before I continued with levels, I needed to decide on where to use my talent point.  I had 6 choices and chose improve fireball, (to save time, I chose improve fireball for my level 11 talent too), to speed my cast time of the spell, then continued with my questing to the east of Dun Morogh.  There is a tricky set of quests in the quarry to the south of the zone which netted me experience points, bags full of loot to sell and a lot of copper for my crafting.  Unfortunately, no cloth armor to replace my own, but I made some good cash.   

Speaking of crafting, both are going well.  With my jewel crafting, I have been able to make myself 2 rings, one for stat boost +1 intel, and one for stat boost +1 spirit.  When I reach level 13, I will be replacing my spirit ring with one I can make myself with +Stamina.  Intelligence and Stamina are my two best attributes. 

In my attempt to clear the zone and receive the "Explore Dun Morogh" achievement, I found a short quest line at the Northern gate of the zone, centered around a downed pilot, with an easy end pray.  It's rather dull to blog and then I went here, and did this, and then I went there and did this, but in reality, that is what the game is all about.    What is interesting is how the zones all tie together.  I've always been a fan of organically moving through the land as you are sent on your quests, and the beer delivery quests, as well as the honor picks quest line does just this.   This is about when I hit level 12 and landed in Ironforge for my mage training in Fireball (3),  Slow Fall, a spell to, well, slow your fall and Dampen Magic, a spell to help you and/or your party against spell casters.   One thing more to know about Dampen Magic, if you're in a party, it will also dampen any healing spells being cast on you and your party, so the use of this one will be hit or miss.

Back to Thelsamar, where I set my hearth and logged out for the week.

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Travel on the road to professions (part 2)

Yesterday, I wrote about my thoughts toward professions and how I chose the professions I would like SneekyPeach to participate in. For those who skipped yesterdays post, I chose mining and jewel crafting. Of course, like anything else in World of Warcraft, it was not as easy as it sounds. Especially when you have little money and even less in the way of directions.

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When I left SneekyPeach in Kharanos, she had just reached level 6. I woke her up with almost 2 full levels of rested experience - a side perk of signing out inside the inn for almost a week - and decided I wanted to train her up in professions and mage levels before I start my questing in the zone. Mage levels always come first for me, but unfortunately there is an extortionist pretending to be a class trainer here in Kharanos and the training is more than I have available in my pockets. At this point, the only way to make extra cash is from quests or selling items found on animals killed. I should have looked at the quests before I set off to kill and gather. If I had, I would have found one of the quests available would pay me to kill and gather from the boars and bears I was killing for free. Long story short, I could have saved myself a lot of time by accepting the quests first. In my defense, I was trying to avoid leveling until after I trained. It backfired, I had a lot of experience points from all the boars and bears I killed. I passed into level 7, and then some, in this way.

Once I had some more cash in my pocket I was able to speak to the mage trainer again. At level 6 we get fireball, level 2, conjure food, and a new instant cast spell, fire blast. I found that I still use my Frost bolt and Fireballs, only using fire blast in emergencies. It's a mana guzzler.

I had previously chosen to learn all of the secondary professions. Really, why would you not. Two of the secondary professions can be learned here; A cooking trainer can be found at the inn, so can the trainer for first aid (though he's called Physician here for some reason). It's inexpensive to train and level a secondary profession and most of the time you can cook or craft with items you find in your travels.

My mining trainer was also near by. I wish there was a forge here. The closest one is in Ironforge. Looks like I'll be saving my crafting until I hit Ironforge... or I'll be running back and forth - A lot.

I knew that I was setting off on a long journey for my jewel crafting. I could have waited until a later level to make the run, but I am a strong believer in leveling your crafts as you go. Any way I sliced it, I would have to run, now or later; the only jewel crafting trainer was found in The Exodar of Azuremyst Isle, home of the Draenei.

Reading up on travel options for the alliance, I found that the voyage would be safe for anyone of any level, which fit into my plans of training up as quickly as possible.

Breadcrumbs of my trip: Kharanos > Ironforge > Stormwind City >Auberdine > Azuremyst Isle.

Kharanos to Ironforge was not difficult. In fact the entire trip was pretty smooth sailing (no pun intended, as most of the trip was by ship). The segment from Ironforge to Stormewind was quite fun actually -- riding the deeprun tram.

I really like that you can get clear across the country as a level 7 and not get smashed to bits. This has just been rectified on the Horde side with the addition of the Zeppelin from Thunder Bluff to Orgrimmar. Here on the Alliance side of things, it has been so for a long time. I took the above picture while waiting for my third vessel of transportation, yet another boat - this time Darkshore to Azuremyst Isle. I believe I shot this when I took the dock straight across and ended up waiting, unknowingly, for the boat to Teldrassil by mistake. It could be the dock to Azuremyste Island though, I could be wrong. I just love how little SneekyPeach looks when she's sitting alone.

When I got back to Dun Morogh it was l-a-t-e! I decided rather than level much more that evening, I would learn and level up my fishing. It's convenient that the fishing trainer is right beside the only fresh water in the whole zone, the forlorn caves. Fishing requires no thought or skill, and is an excellent way to make money at a low level. I felt safe in fishing, where as in questing I would have died several times from lack of concentration. Once I hit my first cap of 75, and found I was too low for my next level training, I called it a night.

Day two this week (I know, I've already broke my own rule), I was able to reach two more level ranks as I completed my area questing, which, at this level, centers around the frosty trolls, local wildlife and angry leper gnomes of the area. At level 8, ah level 8, a second level of frostbolt and 2 new spells. A new Damage Over Time (DOT) conjure spell, Arcane Missiles and Polymorph sheep, a lifesaver of a crowd control spell that allows you to turn enemies into sheep for a set time. Lifesaver when a second mob comes into play.

At level 10, a second level of conjure water, a stronger level of frost armor and level one of frost nova, my first All Around Attack (AOE), which will also be helpful for crowd control because it roots those effected to the ground.

It's also mage quest time, directing me to talk to Blink in Ironforge, so this is a good stopping point for this week. Next week, mage quest and talent points.

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