As I expected, the upheaval of the Cataclysm neccessitated changes to Children’s Week. I was impressed with the new quests, particularly with the greater level of interactivity (even if it was scripted) with the children during the quest events. It made me happy to see that the “buy a toy for your orphan” bit of the Shattrath and Dalaran quests had been added to the Orgrimmar and Stormwind versions. It made me happy that now I actually could share my ice-cream with the kids.
I expected the “get Cairne’s hoofprint” quest to be replaced straight-up with a “get Baine’s hoofprint” quest. I was blown away by The Fallen Chieftain.
I made sure to do at least this one quest with all of my Tauren characters, so that they each could attend and witness Cairne’s funeral. I’ve collected my best screenshots of the event in this Picasa album. I’ll probably do another post or two on this topic sometime in the next several days, as I think it would be interesting to compare Cairne’s funeral to that of Greatmother Hawkwind, and I’d also like to show off the set of class-inspired ceremonial or “best dress” outfits I assembled for the occasion.
I wondered what might replace going to see the destroyed Stonewrought Dam, and was touched that we got to see the Alliance mourning their own loss of a wise leader.
Kymberlea, my Worgen Mage, has four children. For her, going questing is not a matter of adventuring, it is a matter of finding work to earn money to help keep those children fed and clothed, while her husband struggles to establish a business in Stormwind’s already crowded marketplace. Her godmother, Kimorene, helps tend the children when she is away. Children’s Week was an opportunity for Kymberlea to spend some quality time with her own children.
The indisputable awesome quotient of Worgen on a motorcycle helped the kids overcome some of their lingering fear of Mom’s wolf form.
While they were in Westfall, Kym took the opportunity to show her kids how one of those weeks that she’d been away, she’d gone to help people who had even less than they did.
The children still wanted kites and ice-cream, but, remembering what they’d seen in Westfall, they offered up their own pennies, earned running errands after school, to help purchase them.
The rocket ride in Azshara was pretty awesome, too — though Kivrinne was really only in it for the promise of a white rat to use for her alchemical experiments.
Kamalia did Northrend Children’s Week with Roo in 2009, then couldn’t do it in 2010 because of the bug. This year, she was finally able to do Northrend Children’s Week with Kekek. Seeing how disappointed Kekek was to not see Alexstrasza in her dragon form at Wyrmrest, she knew just where to take him next.
I’ve used the teleportation orb between Silvermoon and Undercity many times since the Shattering, but I generally just hurry through the Silvermoon throne room, so it was only when Kaelinda took Salandria to see her faction leaders that I realized — hey! Lor’themar and Halduron got some sweet new gear!
Katelaira and Salandria in 2010
Kaelinda and Salandria in 2011
While I was hanging around the orphanages last week, I observed some new orphans:
By their dress, the new Stormwind orphans appear to hail from Gilneas. I observed both of these Gilnean orphans in and around the orphanage.
The new Orgrimmar orphans are a little wonky because they are the same size as normal adult Goblins. I saw the Goblin girl in the Orgrimmar orphanage, but I only saw the Goblin boy as a spawn during the foam sword rack event.
I saw both boy and girl orphans spawn for the Orgrimmar foam sword rack event, but all the times I saw the Stormwind foam sword rack event, I only ever saw boy orphans spawn. Perhaps this disparity suggests that Human culture in Azeroth teaches its children that being a warrior is mostly a career for boys, whereas in Orc culture, all children are encouraged to grow up to be great warriors.
Did any of you ever see girl orphans getting a foam sword in Stormwind?
Also — DING! — 200th post!
I too took many screenshots at Cairne’s funeral. It was a great bonus moment they included in this year’s event, something they don’t usually do with Seasonal stuff!
Also, those goblin orphans really threw me for a loop when I first saw them. And I’m not sure if you noticed, but the female goblin child’s eyes? CREEPIEST THING EVER. I took screenshots and will post them sometime. 😀
I just wrote a post about the creepy goblin child’s eyes! 😀