The Stars Align!

[Thalraxal]

Many years ago, Lavarinth gifted me with a 2009 World of Warcraft daily calendar as part of my third place prize in the StarCraft Mini-Campaign Contest. Tragically, I got my calendar well after 2009, and so I have been waiting patiently for the stars to align, and for January 1st to be on a Thursday once more so that I could finally make use of it. Now, the time has come!

My calendar promises a "pwn-promising adversary" with "everyday offering a new challenge to overcome!". Naturally, I felt the best move was to share this calendar with everyone. So join me, friends, on an amazing adventure into the future, and into the past!


"Tell the warden that the prison is ours now!"

We start the new year off with Bazil Thredd. Because nothing says happy new year like an arrested criminal and rebel who's instigated a prison riot and taken control of the very facility meant to contain him. I think it says something about making the best of a bad situation, or taking control of your destiny or something.

So how's life going for Bazil Thredd these days? Well, he's probably dead, with his head cut off and handed in as a quest objective by adventurers. Since then, I think he's been replaced by Hogger? Perhaps we can all take solace in that no matter how bad your year has been, or will be, or had been, you probably didn't get your head chopped off and get replaced by a world famous gnoll.

[IskatuMesk]

wiping in that instance (repeatedly) was a disgusting enough experience

[Thalraxal]

Stockades was one of those dungeons I never really visited very much. It never really seemed like it was worth the effort of finding a group and hiking down to Stormwind.


"I can sense the SHADOW on your hearts. There can be no rest for the wicked!"

We continue the year's tradition of bosses removed from the game as of Cataclysm with Lethon! Lethon was one of the four Dragons of Nightmare, former guardians of the Emerald Dream who'd been corrupted by the evil force that had invaded it. He, alongside the other three Dragons of Nightmare, emerged from the Emerald Dream, intending to spread their madness and corruption into Azeroth. Since then, Lethon has been killed in canon. 2015 seems to be off to a rough start.

Despite persistent rumours of an Emerald Dream expansion or raid, the portals he once guarded still remain non-functional.

[IskatuMesk]

Many a lowbie died to him, riding upon my encouraging words. Almost as many that died to WPL.

[RazorclawX]

I only got to do one of those green dragons and I don't remember which.

Speaking of old WoW, the Lv.100 Molten Core so accurately re-created how awful Molten Core was 10 years ago that people whined about how awful it was and that it needed to be nerfed. Suddenly all the cries of "Vanilla was the best" shut the hell up.

[IskatuMesk]

Haha, Golemagg didn't even have his debuff and people still managed to wipe on him.

[Thalraxal]

This weekend only, a man who needs no introduction, The Lich King!


"Warriors of the frozen wastes, rise up!"

I really didn't expect to see The Lich King so early. While I expected to see him in the winter months, I thought he would have had a much more portentous date, like December 21st. I suppose he does get a whole weekend to himself though, representing both January 3 and 4.

In 2009, The Lich King was doing pretty good. Sure, he'd lost Acherus, and had an entire chapter of death knights defect, but those were all expendable resources. The Alliance, Horde, Argent Crusade, and Scarlet Onslaught had all just landed armies on the shores of Northrend, but really all that meant was that everything was going exactly as planned.

Of course, even that in early in 2009 the writing was on the wall. The Lich King was the clear and obvious final boss of the expansion, it was named after him after all, and considering how many people were after his head, it seemed unlikely he was going to get through that one alive. Except, in a way, The Lich King did survive the expansion, as we all learned, there must always be a Lich King.

Arthas, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky.

[IskatuMesk]

Lick King*

[RazorclawX]

Except, in a way, The Lich King did survive the expansion, as we all learned, there must always be a Lich King.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxIMzSjunE4

[Thalraxal]

Lick King*

The Frozen Throne is actually a giant popsicle.


"Now there is only one way out - to walk the lonely path of the damned."

Monday, January the 5th brings us: Gothik the Harvester. Gothik enjoys long lonely walks, harvesting ghouls, and card games.

2009 was a good year for Gothik the Harvester. He'd just gotten back from his vacation in the Scarlet Enclave, and had just settled back into his usual routine at the newly relocated Naxxramas. The assault on Wintergarde Keep was going well, and while he had to deal with near constant attacks on the necropolis by adventurers, that was really old hat to him.

Fast forward to 2015, and Gothik might be the first person in my calendar with the honour of not being dead. At the very least, he's still in the game and has an appearance in Hearthstone, meaning he's already doing better than Bazil Thredd and Lethon. Kel'thuzad likely survived the assaults on Naxxramas in Northrend, as his phylactery managed to once more evade destruction. If that's the case, it certainly bodes well for Naxxramas' own survival, as well as Gothik's continued service to the Scourge. As the new Lich King remains in a dormant state, there's not much for a dread citadel like Naxxramas to do. So for now, Gothik the Harvester waits, playing Hearthstone to pass the time.

[Lavarinth]

This is.. the best calendar.. ever!

[IskatuMesk]

lol frogger

[Thalraxal]

"Do not think of betraying me, Broken. We both know who owns your soul!" -Illidan Stormrage

The Shade of Akama was a portion of Akama's soul extracted and used by Illidan to bind Akama to his service, and ensure the broken draenei's loyalty. With this piece of his soul held hostage, Illidan would have been able to snuff out Akama's existence with a thought. While this prevented Akama from leaving his service, or openly defying him, it also forced him to be considerably more creative. What Illidan didn't know, would probably hurt him quite a bit.

The Shade of Akama is no more, having been siphoned into the unoccupied phylactery that once belonged to the lich, Rage Winterchill, and consequently freeing Akama from Illidan's service. It's unknown if Akama has been reunited with this piece of his soul, or if he's still keeping it in that phylactery.

[Thalraxal]

Today we go behind the once sealed gates of Ahn'Qiraj, where the Qiraji once waited and prepared for the day when they would be unleashed upon Kalimdor once more!

"Moam senses your fear."

Moam was an Obsidian Destroyer constructed by Vek'lor and Vek'nilash, the Twin Emperors of Ahn'Qiraj, and brought to life by the powers of their master, the Old God, C'thun. While Moam already possessed considerable physical and magical strength, Vek'lor and Vek'nilash were surprised to discover that their master had further imbued it with power drained from the three dragons they'd captured at the end of the War of the Shifting Sands, granting Moam powers far beyond those of an ordinary Obsidian Destroyer. Following the reopening of the sealed gates of Ahn'Qiraj, Moam was likely destroyed as the Might of Kalimdor and large groups of adventurers stormed the city. His creators, the Twin Emperors, were killed, C'thun was defeated and the captured dragon empowering him were freed.

As of Cataclysm it was revealed that Moam and the Obsidian Destroyers were actually Titan constructs not crafted by the Qiraji at all, but instead enslaved by the Qiraji and corrupted by the Old Gods? Or maybe Moam was a Qiraji construct designed in the image of the Titan constructs the Qiraji had captured and corrupted earlier? Who knows! I've always been surprised, however, that we never encountered any of the Obsidian Destroyers employed by the Scourge and the Nerubians.

Incidently, two of the three dragons used to empower Moam have been killed following their rescue from Ahn'Qiraj in completely unrelated events (Arygos and Caelestrasz have been killed, while Merithra is still alive. For now).

[IskatuMesk]

retcons!!!!!! the lifeblood of any blizzard intern