Azeroth Beautician’s Manual of Feminine Style — Appendix3: Racial Height & Build Comparison

Kamalia’s Guide to the Barbershop (bonus edition)

Okay, so, height and build aren’t exactly things that you can change at all, let alone at the barbershop. They are, however, appearance-related. I put together this scale comparison of the various World of Warcraft player-character races for my own reference. Although it’s kind of rough around the edges, I thought others might find it useful, too.
Click on the small picture to see a larger version.

The Alliance races were all compared to a normal-sized NPC human. The Horde races were all compared to a normal-sized NPC blood elf. I used a comparison between a tauren and a normal-sized, neutral night elf (a Moonglade NPC) to make sure that the two factions were correctly scaled relative to each other.

Also, I finally managed to update the rest of the Azeroth Beautician’s Manual of Feminine Style to include pandaren color and style information.

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Six Shamans and Two Druids

A couple of pictures that I drew around the beginning of Cataclysm.

The clothes these shaman are wearing are modeled after the apparel of the Shaman trainers in each of the starting zones. Once, each of the women in this picture was a character on my roster. Aside from Kamalia, only the dwarf and the orc remain — and the orc’s existence is somewhat tenuous.

Hey, look, it’s the curly-haired tauren! The night elf used to be on my roster, too, but, like most of the shamans, she didn’t survive the pruning I did last summer.

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going to see a Hyldnir about a Bear

A few weeks ago, Ketura went back to Northrend and began camping in Brunnhildar Village, smacking around poor tired miners and Hyldsmeet contestants and aspiring Val’kyr in hopes that someday Gretta the Arbiter would deem her worthy of a Warbear of her very own.

A week or so later, I brought Kinevra back to Brunnhildar Village, too, thinking that if I had two characters doing those dailies, I might get the bear a little sooner.

Today, Kinevra opened up her sack of Hyldnir spoils and lo and behold, there was the bear!

Hurrah! No more snowballs and salted yeti cheese!

That’s one more mount for my tally, but more importantly, now my Dwarf gals can have a loyal bear friend without having to be Hunters.

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Transmogrification Survivor round 3: NPC JD

Because I am only playing for the fun, not the prize, I thought it best that I drop out of Transmogrification Survivor after the second round. Upon seeing that I’d made it through the RNG, I did a die roll of my own to choose someone to swap places with. By fortunate happenstance, it came up as the person who’d chosen the same character I did — and done a bang-up job with the costume! — Rhuanious.

Even though I’m no longer competing, I still want to play along and test my mettle with the prompts for the last two rounds. And the prompt for the third round was a doozy indeed!

But now we move on to round three, which is all about me baby!!!

What? I’m not kidding.

…Pretend you’re part of the Blizzard development team [and] design an NPC of me. Any race you want, however you see fit. All I’m going to ask is you include a brief description of the character so that I know what you were aiming to achieve.

Jay Dee/Kenada, Amateur Raid Recruiter

Amberplate Headguard, Valorous Aegis Spaulders, Ango’rosh Breastplate & Legguards, Studded Girdle of Virtue, Spiritualist’s Gauntlets, Golden Cenarion Greaves, Cloak of War, Ironforge Smasher (Alliance-only)/Spirit-Clad Mace, Northern Barrier/King’s Bulwark (Horde-only)

In a yet-to-be-determined patch (or expansion), Blizzard finally gets around to retrofitting the pre-Dragon Soul raids with an LFR mode that uses a gear ilevel normalization algorithm similar to that currently used for Challenge Mode Dungeons to allow leveling characters to play through those earlier raids “at level” as part of the leveling process. For example, the Burning Crusade raids would be available for levels 70-75, and the Wrath of the Lich King raids would be available for levels 80-83. (Characters of sufficiently high level relative to those raids will continue to be able to solo or small-group the normal and heroic modes.) To help new players become aware of this feature, when a leveling character dings 60 and becomes eligible to enter Molten Core, they will receive an Auto-Accept quest to go to Stormwind/Orgrimmar to meet with Jay Dee/Kenada. Jay Dee/Kenada, who will be found near the Valor & Justice Point vendors, will then give the character a “tell me a story” style quest to listen to them explain how leveling LFR works. Upon completing this quest, the character will choose from a selection of stylish Bind-on-Account +5% XP belts, and the leveling LFR option will appear in the character’s queueing menu. The XP bonus on the belts would be effective from level 60 to the level cap of the immediately previous expansion, and higher level characters would be able to purchase the belts from Jay Dee/Kenada for an appropriate sum of Justice Points.

I was pretty pleased with this concept, but the “Build an Amateur” outfits submitted by the real contestants totally blow mine away!

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Things my Mages Wear: Dwarf and Orc

A collection of Transmogrification Template Kits actually worn in-game by my Dwarf and Orc Mages. I will update it whenever I change my in-game TTK. Items that are no longer obtainable are marked with an asterisk (*).

Mama Frostwolf

Stonecloth Epaulets, Mystic’s Robe, Joanna’s Sash, Tangled Thread Gloves, Pagan Shoes, Thug Shirt*
Having carefully collected all three colors of this robe style for Kenosha, after Winter Veil I decided to continue on to the third color rather than going back to the first. I like to use a shirt with this robe style because the bodice is a little too skimpy for my taste; the Squire’s Shirt would probably also work well with this coloration of the robe.

Great-Mother Winter

Stonecloth Epaulets, Beaded Robe, Meat Packer Ribbon, Wet Work Gloves, Bloodcup Slippers, Red Linen Shirt
“But did you ever in your life/Know that [Great-Father Winter] had a wife?”
How Mrs Claus Saved Christmas, by Phyllis McGinley, is one of those classic stories that we read aloud every Christmas Eve in my family. It’s out of print, but I think it might be public domain by now, so perhaps you can find the text floating around the internet somewhere.

Favorite Sweater

Double-Stitched Woolen Shoulders, Seer’s Padded Armor, Belt of Dark Schemes, Godfrey’s Britches, Mangy Claw Mitts, Trogg-Slayer Boots, Seer’s Fine Stein
I have one of these sweaters for each of my cloth-wearing characters.

Wise Woman

Resilient Cap, Stonecloth Epaulets, Ancestral Robe, Willow Belt, Tangled Thread Gloves, Pagan Shoes, Bristlebark Cape, Apprentice’s Shirt
Although I modeled this outfit on a Human, a Forsaken, and a Worgen for Round 1 of Mog Madness, it was much more practical to make it in-game with Kenosha because the Ancestral Robe typically sells for sky-high prices and I had already obtained one for her. I will switch to the brown Outlander’s Pauldrons if and when Kenosha gets leveled up enough to wear them. Until then, I probably will not display the hood.

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At the Mogolympics with K, et al., week two

The second week of the Mogolympics featured the Discus throw, Wrestling, Archery, and the Javelin toss.
~*~*~

Discus — Build an outfit around one of these relatively small, circular shields.
I chose just about the plainest shield of the whole assortment, so my outfit had to be relatively plain, too. I chose a sleeveless breastplate to accentuate my model’s buff throwing arms. The toss off the back of the hand is a very advanced technique.

Helm of the Siltwater Slayer, Wyrmhunter Spaulders, Warbringer’s Chestguard, Studded Girdle of Virtue, Chitinous Plate Legguards, Reiver Claws, Warbringer’s Sabatons, Northern Shortsword, Ceremonial Buckler

Another impressive field in this event!

~*~*~

Wrestling — We’re going to deviate from olympic wrestling and go to the sports entertainment aspect instead. Using one of the “championship”/oversized belt styles first introduced with T9, design your own Azerothian pro wrestler.
Abandoned as an infant, raised by murlocs, now he’s the fearsome MURLORC!

Arion’s Crown (Normal), Spaulders of the Scarred Lady (Normal), Brackwater Vest, Coil of Ten-Thousand Screams (Normal), Brackwater Leggings, Unyielding Fists, Unyielding Footwraps, Reclaimed Thunderstrike

What a fight! What a fight! You gotta see this mob to believe it!

~*~*~

Archery — Build an outfit around your favorite bow.
Okay, so, for this event I actually built the outfit first and chose the weapon last. I suppose the outfit is just a little too fancy to make my inspiration immediately obvious — she’s a Brave lass.

Pauldrons of the Promise, Hateful Gladiator’s Chain Armor, Veteran’s Linked Girdle, Kilt of Spiritual Reconstruction, Bountiful Gauntlets, Brunnhildar Snowkickers, Formal White Shirt, Stout Oak Longbow

I used a simple bow for my outfit a) because it matched my inspiration and b) because I like that bow model a lot anyway. I was also happy, though, to see my favorite more complex bows represented, with correspondingly elaborate outfits.

~*~*~

Javelin — Build an outfit around the polearm of your choice.
My current favorite polearm is this beauty from the Lost City of the Tol’vir, so I tried to make an outfit that would fit right in at Ramkahen.

Phantasmal Headdress, Passive Resistor Spaulders (Heroic), Peerless Armor, Peerless Belt, Rugged Leather Pants, Inscribed Leather Gloves + Manacles of the Sleeping Beast (Heroic), Gold-Leaf Wildboots, Seliza’s Spear

This was a very tight competition at the top, with 16 competitors landing their throws within ten feet of each other!

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dancing with fire

I think we can all pretty well agree that the Helm of the Fire Festival, however practical it may be, is a fashion disaster.

The best fire-hats currently in the game are cloth and mail; I didn’t find any fire-hats that appealed to me in leather or plate. It’d say that this must be because the classes with Fire-themed damage specs — Fire Mage, Destruction Warlock, and Elemental Shaman — wear cloth and mail… but the first mail fire-hat has stats for a Hunter or Enhancement Shaman.

The cloth fire-hat is the classic Circle of Flame from Ambassador Flamelash in BRD. Many Transmogrification Template Kits have been created using this hat — but here are a few more.

Left: Mantle of Closed Doors (Normal), Corsair’s Overshirt (Normal), Archmage/Elementalist Belt, Spellstrike Pants, Soulcloth Gloves, Ritual Sandals
Right: Geomancer’s Spaulders, Corsair’s Overshirt, Sash of the Burning Heart, Crimson Silk Pantaloons, Ebony Flame Gloves, Embersilk Boots

The Soulcloth Gloves and Ebony Flame Gloves display under the sleeves of the Corsair’s Overshirt in MogIt. The display of these gloves in WMV is bugged rather badly, so the pictures show the Jumanza Grips and Embersilk Mitts — which display over the sleeves in MogIt as well.

Left: Exquisite Sunderseer Mantle, Cindercloth Vest, Grom’tor’s Bloodied Bandage, Crimson Silk Pantaloons, Earthmender’s Bracer of Shattering + Gloves of the High Magus, Infernoweave Boots
Right: Consortium Mantle, Flameheart Vest, Voidweave Cilice, Spellstrike Pants, Red Mageweave Gloves, Ritual Sandals

Arachnidian Spaulders, Corsair’s Overshirt, Wise Man’s Belt, Spellshock/Arachnidian Leggings, Soulcloth Gloves (not shown due to WMV bug), Outlander’s Boots (light brown shoes, invisible on this model)

The first mail fire-hat, the Crown of Destruction, drops from Ragnaros1.0 in Molten Core and is visually almost identical to the cloth Circle of Flame. The second mail fire-hat, the Crown of Flame, drops from Ragnaros2.0 in the Firelands. I prefer the Normal version to the Heroic version, and Kamalia will never, ever get rid of hers.

Left: Crown of Destruction with Bloodlust set
Center: Crown of Flame with Engraved set and Rocket-Chief Pauldrons
Right: Crown of Flame, Bloodforged shoulders, Bloodlust breastplate, Chiselbrand Girdle, Engraved leggings, Molten Fists, Radiant boots

I like the look of the Amber Filigreed Shirt underneath the Engraved Breastplate for the less-slender races.

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the Shamadin Collection

Glimmering Mail Pauldrons, Captain’s chestpiece belt gloves and boots, Triumphant Legplates, Restorative Mace, Emerald Shield, Green Linen Shirt

The first time I saw the Emerald Shield over a year ago, I knew that I just had to use it with the Captain’s armor in an RP set for a Paladin someday. Then Transmogrification came along, and I realized that because the Captain’s armor is mail, if I wanted to use that concept in PvE, I’d have to do it with a Shaman. I therefore think of this ensemble as my “Shamadin” Transmogrification Template Kit.

Kamaliya (aka “mini-Kam”) has been wearing this outfit in LFD ever since she got leveled up enough to use all of the items in it. (Her full TTK also uses the green Tracker’s Headband to Transmogrify the red Preened Tribal War Feathers.) Although no-one has ever whispered Kamaliya about it, I’ve wondered if her random party members have ever been caught off-guard by her outfit when they first zone in and found themselves momentarily confused — “Hey wait just a second, is this healer a Shaman or a Paladin?”

Although the Emerald Shield is the key piece of my original concept, the Crystal Pulse Shield looks equally impressive with the Captain’s mail — especially with Light’s Justice as the coordinating weapon.

This completely golden set creates an even more Paladin-like appearance.

Glimmering Mail Pauldrons, Dreamwalker Armor, Sparkleshell Belt, Triumphant Legplates, Radiant gloves and boots, Restorative Mace, Highlord’s Favor

The Spare Part Leggings (H)/Irongoat Legguards (A) are the exact style match for the Dreamwalker Armor. The quests they are rewarded from are rather deep into the Stonetalon Mountains quest chain, however, so Kamaliya is content to re-use her Triumphant Legplates for the time being. If The WoW Factor ever comes to Lightninghoof, I might make the effort to go pick up the Spare Part Leggings to make the outfit just a little more polished for the competition!

Silver and gold together evoke memories of the distinctive Lawbringer Armor, though the brightness of these sets is more subdued.

Glimmering Mail Pauldrons, Mail Combat Armor, Sparkleshell Belt, Electrostatic Legguards, Radiant gloves and boots, Devout Aurastone Hammer, Highlord’s Favor

Lead Surveyor’s Mantle, Pythas’ Vest, Myrmidon’s Girdle, Electrostatic Legguards, Mail Combat gloves and boots

A blue and gold look is especially appropriate for Alliance Shamadins, who may wish to use the Commander’s Crest instead of the Highlord’s Favor.

Glimmering Mail Pauldrons, Breastplate of the Lost Paladin (A)/Kingslayer’s Breastplate (H), Sparkleshell Belt, Thaelrid’s Greaves (A)/Scales of Aku’mai (H), Sundered gloves, Radiant boots, Devout Aurastone Hammer, Highlord’s Favor

Blue Dragonscale chestpiece and leggings with Doc’s Belt and shoulders gloves and boots from the Sweet-Tempered Mail set

I have re-used some items several times in Kamaliya’s versions of these outfits. This set of peripheral items coordinates well enough with all of the core chestpiece + leggings combinations, and I like gold, so I’m happy to save the inventory space.

I used the Seaspeaker Mantle with some items from the pink Bloodscale plate set as a Love is in the Air RP outfit for my Death Knight in 2011, but I had to come up with something different — something Transmogrification-friendly! — for Kregga to wear this year. Kregga will probably be DEing her Seaspeaker Mantle now that Kamaliya can wear this lovely ensemble:

Seaspeaker Mantle, Wrathfin chestpiece, Brigade Girdle, Wrathfin leggings, Brigade gloves and boots

Kamaliya doesn’t have any suitable weapons to match with this set yet, so here are some suggestions:

Left: Hammer of Judgement and Aegis of the Vindicator
Right: Seaspeaker Mantle, Demon-Forged Hauberk, Wrathfin legguards, Scarlet belt gloves and boots, Dire Maul, Shield of the Wayward Footman (Overlord’s Shield and Malistar’s Defender would also be good choices)

This outfit would look absolutely stunning with a Sawbones Shirt… oh bother, I’m going to have to go farm Scholomance again, aren’t I?

The last color of the Captain’s chestpiece style is the Dark Iron Mail. If you are so fortunate as to be able to find a Blacksmith who can craft it for you, you can make this dramatic black and white TTK.

Krom’gar Champion’s Chain Pauldrons (Horde-only) or Ornate Pauldrons, Dark Iron Mail, Bonelink belt, Bloodmail Legguards, Impenetrable gloves and boots, Formidable Cape

With a Tuxedo Shirt or Stylish Black Shirt, this ensemble would be appropriate for any elegant or formal occasion!

There is also one more color of the Dreamwalker Armor style, the Breastplate of the Terrible Price. This is the only variation of these two chestpiece styles that I think is completely unsuitable for a Shamadin; its gray-green coloration is too evocative of a Hunter stalking silently through the shadows of a forest (it would, however, be fine for an Enhancement Shaman). In the interest of providing TTKs for all of the colorations of this style, though, here are some outfits that make use of it.

Left: Bog Epaulets, Breastplate of the Terrible Price, Nerubian Belt, Green Dragonscale leggings and gloves, Windreaver Greaves, Drape of Smoldering Dreams
Right: Spaulders of the Protectorate, Breastplate of the Terrible Price, Nerubian Belt, Obsidian Scaled Leggings, Ancient gloves and boots, Drape of Smoldering Dreams

I leave the completion of the other side of the Shamadin equation as a challenge to my readers — can you design a Transmogrification Template Kit that will allow a Paladin to be temporarily confused with a Shaman?

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art post: the Mother Under The Mountain

Last year around Mother’s Day, I was thinking about mothers in Azeroth. Perhaps because the leader short story about the Council of the Three Hammers had just recently come out, the first person I thought of was Moira.

I think that Moira must be quite devoted to her son — that while she certainly uses him to support/assert her own political status, she also has genuine affection for him. He is, after all, all she has left of the husband who gave her an escape from her disappointing father.

I hope that little Dagran grows up to be fiercely devoted to his mother in return, but still able to win the respect (if not the love) of Bronzebeards and Dark Irons alike.

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art post: now play nicely, children

I drew the lineart for this picture in February 2008. Around February of this year, I decided it would be a lot more interesting with some color. I’d always mentally titled it “Kids in Shatt”, thinking of the children from the orphanage in Lower City, so I filled in the background with an appropriate screenshot. The wrong angles and sizes of various ears and the Draenei boy’s missing chintacles are due to the early date of the drawing. Fortunately, the much-too-small size of the Gnome girl’s head in the original lineart was easily remedied in Photoshop. I’m not sure anymore whether the Troll youth was originally intended to be a boy or a girl. The idea for the sign he-or-she is carrying came from my very poor recollection of this classic Norman Rockwell painting.

A doodle from February 2009. I’m not entirely satisfied with it because I drew the Gnome child first and then all the other children ended up looking much older than him. The gender of the Night Elf child is intended to be ambiguous.

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