A Meeting Undaunted

He strode through the halls of Ironforge, looking as menacing as most death knights do. He wore armor of the darkest black, though no longer adorned with the skulls and their dreadful grins. The armor, lined with silver, bore the markings of his family name. Glowember.

With each step he took, the floor lined with frost, leaving behind an icy footprint as he walked down the corridors of the ancient dwarven city. There was no wind down here, and as a matter of fact, had a musty heaviness to it. Yet the white hair of the death knight, let loose from his helmet, swayed as though a breeze swept by.

He kept his gaze straight, his eyes never straying from the path set before him. Distractions only cost him precious time. And then it happened. The menacing death knight, leaving a path of frost behind him, tripped and fell.

Landing with a clatter loud enough to wake the dead, he shot an angry glance at the object that caused him to fall. The figure stood, rubbing his head and his hind quarters at the same time, though not in a very coordinated manner. The figure stood slightly shorter than a dwarf, had long white hair and a beard to match. He turned to look at the death knight, and realizing what had just happened, ran over to help him to his feet.

The gnome reached the death knight, running at a full sprint. Unable to stop himself in time, the two collided with a thump and rolled over. Swearing and cursing louder than a drunk dwarf, the death knight finally managed to detangle himself from the gnome and get to his feet. Shaking his head, the death knight started off again, albeit a bit quicker.

The gnome, seeing the death knight walking away, gathered his oversized red robes about him and ran as fast as his stubby little legs could carry him. He caught up to the death knight and walked beside him, huffing and puffing heavily. He had to take two extra steps to the larger human’s one step, but was determined to keep up.

“Could you please slow down! If you walk too fast, I’ll never be able to keep up with you!” The gnome stated, in between breaths.

“That’s the point.” Khelandros didn’t waste any time.

Khelandros kept up the pace, all of the way to the gryphon master, the little gnome chatting up a storm. There were points in there that the gnome sounded like he was either talking too fast, or in a different language, but he thought he heard a name in there somewhere.

“So what’s your name, mister?” The gnome asked as he watched the death knight pay the flight master for his trip.

Khelandros never answered. He just hopped on one of the many griffons and took the sky, as fast as he could. He soared out through the great halls of the dwarven city and out into the frigid open sky of Dun Morough. Glad to be free of the chattering gnome, Khelandros sat back and relaxed, enjoying the peace and quiet of the trip.

“So um… where are we going?”

Khelandros’ eyes shot open. He looked down in horror to see the gnome dangling precariously from the leg of the griffon. His eyes, wide with fear or excitement, were looking straight ahead. He tried to get the griffon to land, swearing and cursing, pulling on the reins, but to no avail.

“You know, they’re very stubborn. They won’t deviate from their course for any reason.”

Khelandros knew that there was no getting past it. He would have to help the gnome. And by helping the gnome, he knew, that he would never be rid of him. With a deep sigh, Khelandros lowered his hand, grabbed the gnome by his oversized red robes, and flung him up onto the griffon into the spot in front of him.

“So what did you say your name was again?” Khelandros asked.

“Conundrum! I’m a warlock! Sowherearegoing? Iveneverbeenonanadventurebefore…” The gnome prattled on for the rest of the flight to Southshore.

The Next Step

Welcome once again to The Conundrum Effect! Thank you all for taking a small part out of your day to take a look at this blog and share in my thoughts and adventures through this strange and inviting land. Today I will be focusing on whats next for my Death Knight.

Achieving Achievements

Completing the meta achievement for Midsummer was easier than I expected it to be. I think it took me a total of four nights, spending roughly an hour and a half to two hours each night, to complete. The longest time spent on it was traveling to each of the Alliance and Horde fires to honor or desecrate them. By far, the most fun I had during this holiday season was killing Ahune. I tried to solo him the first time.

That didn’t end very well.

I ended up grouping with two other people, and we killed him multiple times. He dropped the Scorched Stone only once, and I was lucky enough to roll the highest. The rest of the times, he ended up dropping different versions of the same cloak and that was all.

New Armor Set

So now that I have completed this holiday achievement, what is next in line for Khelandros Glowember? I have decided to improve his armor. A friend of mine from work recommended the website WoW Heroes. This website is pretty awesome. I can see exactly where I should be raiding and I can look for upgrades to my current armor set.

Here is a link to Khelandros on WoW Armory: Khelandros

All of my gear is from quest rewards currently. I don’t have anything that is crafted, and nothing from PvP rewards. So what am I shooting for?

Heroes’ Scourgeborne Battlegear

This set includes the following pieces:

Heroes’ Scourgeborne Battleplate
Heroes’ Scourgeborne Gauntlets
Heroes’ Scourgeborne Helmet
Heroes’ Scourgeborne Legplates
Heroes’ Scourgeborne Shoulderplates

I don’t even know where to begin farming these pieces. I think 10-man Naxx is what I’m seeing over on WoW Head, so I’ll try to get picked up for a Naxx run. But I will try to keep everyone updated on my gear runs.

If anyone has any advice on other gear sets that I should go for, please feel free to drop me a line here or through email. I can be reached at wyrmsfire at hotmail dot com.

Thanks for sticking with me this far. I really do appreciate it! Take care all and happy hunting!

Until the next time…

Achieving Achievements

It’s time for another character update on The Conundrum Effect. I know what you are asking: “Where in the hell have you been?!” I’m sorry for the lack of updates. I really meant to get back into posting again, but then the Lunar Festival hit and I really needed to get Khelandros up to 80 in order to gain that coveted Elder title. And you know what … I did it! Just want to run down a list of the achievements I gained in just one session of playing. It really felt like I accomplished something!

Ok, so first and foremost, the most important achievement by far was Level 80. It was 10:40am PST yesterday when I hit the level cap. I was questing in Zul’Drak and dinged after killing a mob by the name of Blood of Mam’toth. Not as epic as I had hoped, but it gets the job done!

From there, I headed to Ebon Hold to complete my training and dropped my last talent point into Frost. I am a deep Unholy Death Knight with enough points invested into the Frost line to be able to gain the ability to spam Obliterate without it consuming any diseases. The talent is called Annihiliation, just FYI.

So, I’m ready to get that last Elder. The one located in the heart of Heroic Gundrak. I had never done the instance at all, and being that I just hit 80, this was going to be my first Heroic setting. I was nervous. I quickly found a group and we proceeded to clear through Gundrak. We got to Eck and cleared him, and I got sprayed with his goo. I think he actually threw up on me. Gross! After that, I found the Elder, claimed his token and then proceeded to clear the rest of the dungeon. I received the following achievements:

What the Eck?
Gundrak
Heroic: Gundrak
Elders of the Dungeons
To Honor One’s Elders

That’s a lot of achievements to spam in chat in just one setting. I am in no way attempting to brag by any means, which I sort of feel like I am doing. I just wanted to share my feelings of accomplishment with you all. My in game goals are far from being reached. I want to still obtain my Netherdrake mount, and I also want the Red Drake mount that comes from the Wyrmrest Accord as well.

Well … Thank you very much for spending your time with me here at The Conundrum Effect during our Tuesday morning downtime. I’ll see you next time. Until then .. Stay safe!

I would like to post a short story I wrote about my Death Knight, Khelandros Glowember. It was inspired by a song I heard by Saliva, called Don’t Question My Heart. I hope you like it!

“I heard you’ve been looking for me but,
You looked for trouble.
You’re gonna see that
Your words are dangerous,
Your talk is cheap.
So now I’m standin’ here.
Now I’m standin’ here.

You tell yourself you know what to do and
You realize that I am comin’ for you then
You’ll change your mind and run like a child when…
You see me standin’ here!
Now I’m standin’ here!

Don’t question my heart!
Don’t question the fire that burns inside!
Don’t question my heart!
Don’t question a heart prepare to fight!

I got where I am because I didn’t chase fame.
And I seen you before and you’re all the same.
Just one more mouth talkin…
Words insane.
Just one more mistake…
With different names!

Don’t question my heart!
Don’t question the fire that burns inside!
Don’t question my heart!
Don’t question a heart prepare to fight!

I heard you’re lookin’ for me…
I’m standin’ here.
Still standin’ here.

I’m standin’ here!
Still standin’ here!

Don’t question my heart!
Don’t question the fire that burns inside!
Don’t question my heart!
Don’t question a heart prepare to fight!”

Saliva, Don’t Question My Heart

***ONE MONTH AGO***

Honor. Loyalty. Duty. Respect. These values were present with Khelandros before he served Arthas. These values are what the Glowember family prided themselves on, almost following them blindly. He never forgot them, even in service to the Lich King. There were many times that each of these values were tested and called into question. And each time, Khelandros proved that no matter what, he was worthy of each of these values. Even now, when he walks through the streets of Stormwind, he is called to prove
himself. Over and over again.

Tired of the constant beratings, the constant mistrust, Khelandros exiled himself to the peace and quiet of Ashenvale Forest. Even when the rain was pouring down and the lightning illuminating the sky, as it did now, Khelandros felt at peace. The rage and fury of the storm taking place in the night sky above were reminiscent of the turmoil within his soul. So caught up with the storm, he never heard her sneaking up behind him.

“You will never redeem yourself, brother.”

Khelandros kept his back to her, still looking to the sky and taking in all of the energy of the storm raging above the tree tops.

“Redemption is forever out of my reach, sister. But you… are not.”

Twirling with a quickness and agility that even rogues envy, hefting a huge two handed sword emblazoned with runes burning with a bright blue frost fire, Khelandros brought the edge of the sword down upon the stump where his sister sat. The edge of the sword bit deep, embedding itself into the wood.

For many long moments, as the rain poured down around him, matting his hair in tendrils to his face, Khelandros stared at the stump. Empty. Where his sister had been standing.

“We will meet again, my sister.”

Knighted By Death

Knighted by Death is a segment that chronicles the story of my Death Knight, Khelandros Glowember, from an IC perspective. Here I hope to relate to you the story of a man who sacrificed his life, his family, and everything he held dear to end the rampage of The Scourge. Herein lie the journal entries, written by Khelandros as he prepares to leave Northrend for Acherus.

Journal Entry, Day 1.

In just a few short hours, I will be leaving here. Lord Arthas is summoning all of us to Acherus in preparation for our invasion. Those impetuous fools of the Horde and the Alliance have no idea what awaits them. The crates filled with our plague were just the beginning.

I am hesitant to return however. I left that land behind me, with my former life. It means nothing to me now. No, the only thing that matters now is the will of Arthas. He gave us a new life, with new meaning. I embraced it willingly, and I am thankful. There are those here though, who do not thank him. They will see in time, and if they don’t, well that’s where I come in.

I have been given the honor of commanding a small contingent of Death Knights. We have trained for this moment. I have tried to get them to see, to understand. We must fight as one. We must think as one. We must be.. one.

So we leave today. Who knows if we return. To honor our Lord, to fullfill the mission. That is all that matters. We shall see to the future when the future comes.

Until then…

On to Acherus!

An IC look at my Death Knight

Knighted by Death is a new segment that chronicles the story of my Death Knight, Khelandros Glowember, from an IC perspective. This will be my first serious attempt at a role playing character in World of Warcraft. Here I hope to relate to you the story of a man who sacrificed his life, his family, and everything he held dear to end the rampage of The Scourge.

I do not regret the path that I have chosen. I do not regret what I have become. You call me a monster, a traitor, and a fiend. These are just whispers, though, for you dare not speak them aloud in my presence. You think you know of love, of sacrifice, pain, and torture. You know naught of these. You have yet to experience true suffering. This is your folly.

The Human in Me

I had a sister, once. She was my one true friend, who understood me fully. Together she and I would brave the dangers of the surrounding lands. We sought riches and glorious battle. Treasures beyond our wildest dreams found their way into our possession. For a time, we were content. We had friends join us in our adventures. It was on one such adventure that I came into possession of a sword. Magnificent, it was beautifully crafted, covered in runes. Light as a feather, and wonderfully balanced, it seemed made for me and me alone. With this sword, I would be able to beat my enemies. Single handed, I would bring and end to The Scourge.

Wyrmsfire the Dragon Blade

The runes that decorated the blade pulsed with power. I could feel it’s power coursing through my body, controlling my actions, predicting my thoughts. It spoke to me, and me alone. Together, we were one. The others were jealous of us. I could see their eyes lingering on the sword, eyeing it in hunger. One of them would try to take it from me. I would not let them.

Over time, I learned about the origins of the sword. It called itself Wyrmsfire. Forged long ago in the depths of the Dragon Blight, it was created to fight the invading demons of the Burning Legion. And fight it did, the blade glowing with blue frost fire, cutting a path through the Legion. The owner was careless, and the sword was lost. For centuries it lay, waiting for the one who would once again wield it. This time, they would face a new enemy. That of the Scourge.

True Sacrifice

We traveled to Northrend, to help in the fight against the Scourge. Arthas and his treachery would not go unpunished. My sister and her friends came with us, to help us, she would often times say. I could see her lingering gaze fall upon Wyrmsfire. She would try to take it, but I wont allow it. We argue constantly now. She does not understand. How can she.

I sleep fitfully now. Nightmares invade my dreams at night. I am surrounded by the Scourge. Wyrmsfire is not there. She has taken it from me. I am defenseless as they beat down upon me, unable to fight back without the sword. I wake each time just before the killing blow is landed, and Wyrmsfire is there, right were I left it. This time, though, is different. I awaken to find Her standing above me, holding my sword. In my anger, I rise and take it from her. I am rough with her, and she falls to the ground. I feel bad, and try to help her stand. But she isn’t moving any more. The snow is white no more. Instead, it is soaked with her blood. She had hit her head on a rock. In my anger I had killed her.

I toss the sword and gather my sister into my arms. I cry over her lifeless body, wishing desperately for her to wake up. It does no good, for her lifeless eyes are forever fixed. The sword calls to me, blaming me for her death. I have no one else now, I am forever alone. I want her to have a nice grave, so I bury her in a pile of rock and snow. Frost flame ignites the cairn, fusing the rock, turning it into a crystalline tomb, forever preserving her body. I will visit often. I promise her.

Service to the Scourge

We hunt the Scourge at every opportunity, Wyrmsfire and I. The time passes unnoticed by us. One particular hunt was to be our last against them. They were cleaver and lured us into a trap. There would be no escape. I would fight to the death, and in death, I would again be reunited with my sister. But there would be no death for me. It was widely known that the enemies of the Scourge who fell in battle were soon raised as mindless slaves. The only escape was to accept the offer that was made. Serve the Lich King willingly, surrender my body and my soul, an eternity in servitude. In return, I will be granted power unlike any I had ever seen before.

I accept the offer.

I serve the Lich King loyally, to the best of my ability, for now. One day I shall find a way to break free of his will. Until then, I am his to command. I am… Knighted by death.