Sojourner of the Ringing Deeps

 

There were 5 or six more quests after the last two I could see.  I persevered, did I not?  Yes, I did.  Look at that nice payoff.  Also, Atherne is level 80, so no doubt more goodies shall fall into her lap.

Entering Hallowfall again with Anduin was a completely different experience.  That kid dives right into things.  He still has what used to be called "A Sense of Wonder".

We fly down and meet the famed Faerin.  She was quite impressive immediately with her determination to do her duty and save her people all in a trice.

Now that we are going to confront the onrushing Nerubians, things have gotten dark pretty quickly.  Onward!

Still Ringing In The Deeps

 I can't believe how many quests were gated behind that one quest I hadn't done.  I've spent the evening trying to methodically finish every quest in the zone, but more and more open up.  There are some really large character arcs you wouldn't want to miss.

I was able to finish Janky's quests pretty quickly and help him open a shop.  Such a grateful guy.

Atherne continues to have some pretty smooth moves.

I think she's an honorary Bronzebeard now.

Three quests are still on my map, let's hope those are the last, because Anduin has shown up and wants to meet me at the Hallowfall gate. 

Don't make the Boy King wait, I say.

Hallowfall and Backtracking to the Deeps

 I made it to Hallowfall and took the obligatory "isn't it pretty" picture of the giant crystal and the very cool airships.  The area is pretty, but so far I'm not engaged in the quests given.  In theory that changes.

 

I could not stop thinking of the Ringing Deeps.

It was driving me nuts that I had none of the story achievements for the Ringing Deeps even though I had done every quest, and had also gone back to the surface and completed the Isle of Dorn.  There was a suggestion on a forum to try turning on trivial quests, as perhaps I'd out leveled the ones I needed.  Nothing.

As it turned out, I had simply not done a quest that I thought was a delve or dungeon, waiting to do it at a calm time for the dogs.  It's all about the dogs.

New Candle, New Hope was an instance, but not a delve at all.  Once that was complete, a whole series of quests opened up.  There was another sliding tile puzzle. and I did the first level of it easily, but couldn't get the second stage.

Luckily since it was part of a quest series you could bypass it.

Then, there was a climbing puzzle  reminiscent of one in Battle for Azeroth, without flames and a burning building and a cat.

A character named Granny Scribbles tells a series of brave kobold stories.  I think you're supposed to start feeling warm towards the kobolds, who have clearly been misunderstood.

 

The previously hard to find Janky has you stealing wax from bees.  Why are there always bees?

I've improved in flying out of necessity, but my landings can be rough.  I still hate that you run out of vigor (?) and just plunk down to the ground.  They should include the sound of the air going out of a balloon with that.

Soonish, back to Hallowfall to see if it lives up to its reputation.

Screenshot Saturday September 7, 2024

 I am trying to do every quest in the Ringing Deeps, and though I feel like I've done a ton, I have none of the three Achievement Progress goals for the area.  Too many bosses, too much candle admiration.  Also, all of those alts to move through to Darkmoon Faire.

The creatures and mini bosses in the Ringing Deeps are so cool looking, they figure here quite a bit.  Also, I keep seeing nice touches I'd like in a home of my own.

Though I scream and smash them when I see them in real life, I'm not an arachnophobe and wouldn't use the filter.   

Big Hugs!

Obstorn the Fiery

Oozemodius  Reminds me of...

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away.

I was disappointed that the cave didn't have more worms.  Although, what first appeared to be a brain- like creature was in fact a ball of worms.

Obligatory selfie in front of a bookcase.

If I had a house, it would need an alchemy lab like this.

Where the candles are made!

I can't resist it when a game has my character's name in a book or any sort of text.

At The Lost MInes, With The Candles and the Kobolds

Somewhere out there, there are fans of kobolds. Those rat like, candle carrying little miseries who assault you when you first enter the game in Elwynn Forest.

For sure, someone on the dev staff loves them, because kobolds have been given a lavish life under the surface of the planet.

Here are the Lost Mines, where you collect candles, kill kobolds, and admire the warm toasty underground candlelit world.

I love this guy and I could just watch him walk around the mines.

Those wily kobolds have been holding out on us even more.  In a place called The Warrens, the kobolds live in candle laden luxury.

I've taken a small break with Atherne for Darkmoon Faire and am sending in my Proudmoore Blacksmith, a Reddit poster showed you could get extra Herbalism and Mining Khaz Algar knowledge at Darkmoon.

It's true for Herbalism and also for Alchemy.  Maybe the other professions as well?  Perhaps I'll send one of each profession through to Dornogal this week.

Ringing Deeps Delve: The Waterworks

 Not much time to play on Saturday (I'm ahead in my posts) so I thought to try The Waterworks Delve.  I went with Tier 2, thinking I was ready to advance.  The Delve does say you can do it at any level.

I'll say upfront that I now know I'm a Tier 1 person for Delving.  Yup, stay low as you can go, I say.

Atherne is level 75 and Ilvl 474 going in, which seemed respectable. 

I died three times to an early Elite who I didn't realize was Elite the first time around, till I'd engaged in the fight.  Always a mistake.

I calmed down and got him though, by a hair.

When I encountered another of these in a big room, I waited till he'd wandered out of the way to make my moves.  He never saw me 😀

Flame Traps in the Delve!

There was a room with more than just a pot of treasure.  I felt I earned it!

The Final Boss is Waxface.  I could smell defeat!  I took several screenshots during the fight just to show I did make progress on the guy.

Thanks to a lot of dodging and weaving and whapping, not to mention I am now a Brann's Healing Pots Addict, I got that guy down.   Yay!

Outside the Delve, there's a Mystery Box!  When opened, a messenger of the Harbinger gives a warning!  Stay out of Delves?  Pfft!  Tier One or Bust!

Brann, always a dwarf with a good attitude, sees only more treasures, and a Mystery to be solved.  That's my guy.

The Ringing Deeps: The Plot Thickens!

We help an Earthen named Batzvara as she assists Inert Earthen who have shut down inexplicably to find a peaceful end.  She doesn't seem concerned that so many Earthen have just chosen to shut down, nor does she have a reaction to how they look.

Clearly these constructs did not just shut down because they were at the end of their time.  They were fighting and were terrified.

A particular friend of hers, Ausgazur not only shut down, he was robbed of his gems. They had a fun, still warm waxy trail leading down to the river that seemed intriguing, but it just died there, with no more trail.  Tsk.   Notice he isn't "inert", though?  Hmmm....

You get to spend time in the outer area of the Waterworks looking for those gems and bombing kobold tunnels.  

It's packed with kobolds of various ilks.   One is Glintwick the Gem Grabber.  She's kind of adorable.   

Also here, what looks like a Treasure Chest, is the Water Pipe Puzzle I'd seen pictures of.  It's a sliding tile puzzle, not something I excel at.

Scooting around getting herbs, I found a quest called An Opportunity to Relax.  I almost didn't take it because it seemed so shady-give pamphlets to tired workers at Gundargaz.  I'm thinking ha!  They recruit these poor tired Earthen with these pamphlets, lure them out of the city, then turn them into the Inerts to weaken the numbers of working Earthen, forcing the Ringing Deeps into certain ruin.  No idea as of this writing if any of that is true.  Devs probably don't read as many mysteries as I do, so it's probably something else that's going on.

It seems odd to me that kobolds are down here in the middle of the earth. They are a bit bulkier, a bit meaner looking than their surface relatives.  There is a subplot about a kobold who is The Candle King (haven't met him yet), and some kobolds who are in rebellion against them.   See? Plots inside of plots.

Someone besides me doesn't like mushrooms, because they keep showing up and are pretty terrifying.

Then there's this cutie just hanging around by a river.