in which Kasheena rides the Winds of Wisdom to her Heritage Armor

Somehow, my Highmountain Tauren Druid, Kasheena, had managed to make it from her initial Allied Race level of 20 to a post-level-squish level of 42. She’d done the first few chapters of Highmountain, a little bit of the Druid Order Hall Campaign, Mulgore, a few years of Brewfest and WoW’s Anniversary dailies, and a smattering of other stuff.
Although I’d ignored the Winds of Wisdom buff last week because it was World Quest Bonus Week and I was busy with my level 60 characters, this week I suddenly realized that this was my chance to push Kasheena through to level 50 and finally, finally get her Heritage Armor. Finishing up the Highmountain main storyline, plus the Highmountain bonus objectives, opening up Suramar after she dinged 45, and doing some Legion Professions quests (she is an Herbalist/Miner), got her there in two play sessions.


I was very surprised to discover that the totems on the back of the Highmountain Heritage Armor are part of the chestpiece item, not a backpiece item.
~*~*~
Then I went and pre-ordered the Epic edition of Dragonflight and used the Boost on Kasheena; now she’s in Ardenweald with Kamalia and Kaurinka.

Kasheena just needs to get to Honored with Marasmius and Court of Night to be able to use the butterflymoth backpacks; Kaurinka will continue doing All The Things to get the other Shadowlands leather stuff I still want.
I decided to pre-order Dragonflight now and use the Boost on Kasheena (instead of saving it for my Tauren Mage) because I have for a rather long time in the back of my mind been thinking that for the next expansion it would be neat to be able to bring both a Mulgore Tauren (Kamalia) and a Highmountain Tauren (Kasheena, replacing Kerisa/Kaurinka in my roster of Mains) as well as both a Blood Elf (Kaelinda), and a Void Elf (Kaelyla).
~*~*~
(… now I’m so tempted — at this moment, at least — to buy Boosts for all my other sweet Mulgore Tauren girls, though I know that would be a tremendously gross expenditure… and when Shadowlands gets folded into Chromie Time I’ll probably be able to Mog with Shadowlands stuff with them without needing them to be level 60… and it would be better to wait to do Boosts until after the pre-patch goes live and I can roll my Tauren Rogue and Mage, anyhow…)

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Dragonflight Mog Preview Thoughts

Oh, I want that Twisted Arcanum Regalia set so much! So delish, both on its own and for mix-n-match with Heritage of the Sin’dorei, or the crimson tints of the Venthyr sets. But will it be obtainable through an activity that I will be willing and able to do?

The Tailoring Profession Equipment in Dragonflight looks nice enough; I am digging that robe. The Alchemy Profession Equipment is nifty, too — and that hat with the sprig of leaves tucked into the band is to die for! When Transmog support for Profession equipment comes online later in the expansion, will we be able to mix-and-match with any Profession Equipment we’ve learned on our accounts, or just with Professions that the individual character has learned? I’d love to wear the Alchemy hat with the Tailoring robe… Though I do wonder what the Herbalism Profession Equipment will look like…?

If the Progenitor sets were too bland, the Primalist sets are too outlandish. I’m looking at the Mage Primalist Tier Set preview and going um, nope. I’m not even imagining any mix-and-match possibilities for isolated pieces such as the belt, shoulders, or gloves.

PvP models are often recolors of either questing or dungeon sets. If that holds true for this expansion as well, then based on the Cloth PvP Armor Models preview, I’m not super excited about that gear, either. I do like the skirt and the sleeves of the robe, so maybe with a suitably coordinating tabard it would be okay?

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Pandaren Homespun

As a new Pandaren Mage or Priest adventures through the Wandering Isle, they obtain three sets of beautiful, thematic, and sadly non-Moggable gear:

set 1 (white): Initiate’s Robes, Initiate’s Rope Belt
set 2 (blue): Robes of the Water Spirit, Unmarred Cord
set 3 (green): Protector’s Robes, Cord of Grieving

But wait — in Pandaria itself, the belts and pants of the white and blue sets become available as Tailoring patterns!

set 1 (white): Initiate’s Rope Belt/White Cloud Belt, Initiate’s Leggings/White Cloud Leggings
set 2 (blue): Unmarred Cord/Belt of the Night Sky, Homespun Leggings/Leggings of the Night Sky
set 3 (green): Cord of Grieving, Survival Leggings

~*~*~

Conjuror’s Sky

Sorcerer Drape, Sorcerer Bracelets, Belt of the Night Sky, Leggings of the Night Sky, Conjuror’s Slippers

White and Purple Clouds

Cat Lover’s Vest, White Cloud Belt, White Cloud Leggings, Patroller’s Footwear

Pandaren Homespun

Cyno’s Mantle of Sin, Cat Lover’s Vest, Belt of the Night Sky, Leggings of the Night Sky, Shadowmoon Grips, Footfalls of Memories, Epoch-Mender

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Prophecy and Primal Mooncloth

The beautiful crafted Primal Mooncloth set from Burning Crusade is a recolor of the Classic Prophecy set from Molten Core.

~*~*~

Book of Prophecies



Vestments of Prophecy with Gossamer Headpiece and Light’s Wrath (Hidden, 1st tint)
Some combinations of Tier set and Legion Artifact weapon were just meant to be.
I have always been covetous of the NPC-exclusive recolor of the Prophecy Mantle worn by Kosta Dawnchaser at Thunder Cleft in Krasarang Wilds — but I didn’t know the robe details well enough to recognize the differences in the robe style until I stood them side-by-side to take the pictures.

Prophecies of Power

Whitemane’s Chapeau, Mantle of Prophecy, Ruby Drape of the Mysticant, Robe of Power, Girdle of Prophecy, Boots of Prophecy, T’uure (Hidden, 1st tint)

~*~*~

Primal Mooncloth

Cassandra’s Grace, Primal Mooncloth shoulders robe & belt, Replica Virtuous Gloves + Dryad’s Wrist Bindings, Key to the Planes

Mooncloth Pennant


Mountainsage Hood/Crown of the Champion, Primal Mooncloth Shoulders, Pennant Cloak, Primal Mooncloth Robe, Rhie-Ay’s Clutching Gauntlets, Primal Mooncloth Belt/Corpse-Stitcher’s Cord, Sandswept Sandals, Apostle of Argus

Stormwind Battlemage

Mountainsage Hood, Primal Mooncloth Shoulders, Whispering Tunic, Bridenbrad’s Sash, Leggings of the Night Sky, Exiled Dabbler’s Gloves, Faith Healer’s Boots*, Bone Witch’s Drape, Stormwind Tabard, Replica Lion’s Fang, Divine Companion

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Crown of Opulence

The crown dropped by Opulence in Battle of Dazar’alor is clearly not a Troll design; rather, it looks like it must have been plundered from a Human, or perhaps Dwarvish, nation during an ancient war. I have only the LFR coloration. Shadowlands introduced another coloration of this crown, the Crown of the Righteous, which is crafted by Jewelcrafters and rapidly became available on the AH for very reasonable prices.

Crown of the Seducer, Crown of the Righteous

~*~*~

Crown of the Seducer

Topaz and Peridot

Crown of the Seducer, Imbued Silkweave Epaulets, Opulent Robes, Night Dreamer Handwraps + Fen Spirit Wristwraps, Shattrath Jumpers, Crystalfire Spellstaff (stage 3)

Queen of Blood and Embers

Crown of the Seducer, Honorbound Artificer’s Amice, Sanctified Bloodmage Robe (25H), Embersilk Cord, Primal Combatant’s Gloves of Prowess, Noble’s Fancy Boots, Vindictive Gladiator’s Ironskin Cloak, Stylish Black Shirt, Starrgo’s Walking Stick

Red Queen




Crown of the Seducer, Mantle of Perpetual Bloom, Imperial Red Tunic, Wild Gladiator’s Cord of Cruelty, Leggings of the Festering Swarm, Gloves of Abhorrent Strategies, Infernoweave Boots, Cloak of the Betrayed, Rubellite Staff of Intuition

~*~*~

Crown of the Righteous

Blue Queen




Crown of the Righteous, 7th Legionnaire’s Amice, Sorcerer Robe, Shadowlace Cord, Sea Sculptor’s Cuffs, Eelskin Flippers, Crafted Cloak of War, Blue Linen Shirt, Court of Farondis Tabard, Replica Lion’s Fang, Sinister Combatant’s Etched Vessel
This coloration of the crown originally dropped by Opulence in the Battle of Dazar’alor raid is a Shadowlands Jewelcrafting design.

Royal Guardian Serpent

Crown of the Righteous, Shoulders of Foaming Fluids (N), Royal Gown, Healer’s Belt of Final Winter (N), Eelskin Flippers (LFR), Fang of Nemaeus, Nathrian Tabernacle

Fae Enigma


Crown of the Righteous, Faewoven Amice, Winterwoven Bulb, Enigma Robes, Cerulean Filigreed Doublet, Cord of Uncertain Devotion, Corpse-Stitcher’s Treads, Blue Diamond Witchwand + Winterborn Harp

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Getting the Fel Out

“I want to have a baby,” Keija announced, “and I would rather not give birth to a Feltotem. I am not actively working with felslate anymore. Please remove these.” She swept her right hand down the length of her left arm, where bulges of scar tissue at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist encased small shards of felslate.

“What will you pay me to do this for you?” Felsmith Nal’ryssa asked.

“The remnants of one hundred demons killed on the Broken Shore, and all of my unused stock of felslate.” As she spoke, Keija opened a satchel and dumped the materials in a heap by the Felsmith’s forge.

“Very well,” Nal’ryssa responded, smiling slightly. “This will not be pleasant. Are you prepared?”

“I am prepared,” said Keija. “I have brought healers with me.”

The Felsmith looked around, and Keija knew that although she was blind, her spectral sight allowed her to perceive Keija’s sisters, Kaohana and Karaelia and Kamalia, and Kamalia’s husband, Haitou, standing nearby.

“Then let us begin.”

Keija turned and pressed her face into her husband’s chest, and Raharto wrapped his arms securely around her, leaving her left arm exposed.

With the same firm, gentle touch that Keija remembered from before, Nal’ryssa’s fingers probed around each of the lumps of scar tissue.

“Hold the wrist steady, please,” Nal’ryssa instructed. Raharto grasped her wrist firmly. With one swift, deft movement, using the very tip of her warglaive, the Felsmith sliced open the scar tissue and hooked up one end of the shard of felslate embedded within it. She took a pair of tongs that had been heating in the forge and pulled the shard out. The jagged edges of the shard tore at the tissue around it as it came out, but Keija had experienced worse arrow removals. She gritted her teeth and grunted.

In a moment, she felt the fizzing sensation of holy magic, and the pain dulled. She heard the thump of a totem dropping, and pulses of cool water began washing over the wound as Nal’ryssa carefully wrapped it.

Felsmith Nal’ryssa waited until Keija’s breathing and heartrate had steadied before continuing. Keija’s sisters continued to soothe her with small healing-over-time spells.

“Now the elbow,” said Nal’ryssa. “If you could hold it above and below?” Raharto held her upper arm, and Haitou grasped her lower arm, just below the elbow. Another swift slice, another yank with the burning hot tongs. This one hurt much more than the first one had, surprising her into growling out an “AARRRRGH!”

It took longer, this time, for the pain to subside as her sisters cast healing spells and Nalryssa bandaged the wound.

Once more, the Felsmith waited until Keija’s breathing and heartrate had steadied before she continued.

Nal’ryssa probed the shoulder scar tissue again. “This one will not be as easy as the others,” she said. “Secure the shoulder.” Raharto grasped her shoulder joint, and Haitou wrapped both hands around her arm, holding the already bandaged areas as gently as he could. This time, the slice exposed the felslate shard, but did not begin to pull it out. Nal’ryssa spread the edges of the wound with the fingers of one hand, then carefully dug with some kind of small blade until she was able to extract the shard. Blood poured down Keija’s arm. As she felt the shard tugging out, it seemed like it was trying to pull a portion of her soul with it, and she screamed, arching her back against the unyielding support of Raharto’s arm. Her head swam and spun.

Keija awoke lying on her back on the ground. Her head was pillowed on her empty satchel, a blanket had been wrapped around her, and her feet were propped up in Raharto’s lap. Her shoulder had been bandaged, and her sisters were pouring healing magic into her. Her arm throbbed from shoulder to wrist, and she felt weak all over — but her spirit felt somehow lighter and cleaner than it had since, well, since she had allowed the Felsmith to put the shards in. She struggled to sit up, and Raharto quickly shifted position to support her.

Keija looked around until she found the Felsmith. “Thank you,” she gasped.

Nal’ryssa just nodded and returned to her work.

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thrice more through the Maw

I didn’t play on Monday because I was busy doing other things, nor on Tuesday because the authentication issues prevented me from logging it. That still left plenty of time to bring Kaelyla, Keliora, and Kalaneia through the Maw into Oribos. That will do, for now.

I also took those three characters, as well as Kaelinda and Kaurinka, to the Darkmoon Faire. It’s been many months since I last visited the Faire, because beyond making the first set of crafted gear for each of the armor types, I ignored Professions during Battle for Azeroth. But with Professions being, by all reports, more reasonable to level and more genuinely useful in Shadowlands, I thought it was worth my time again to get those 5 free Profession skill points. My Druid is an Herbalist and Scribe; all my other Herbalists will funnel their herbs to her to craft Staves and Missives. Kaelinda is an Herbalist and Tailor; all the rest will send her their cloth so she can craft the Shrouded Cloth and Shadowlace sets. Kalaneia is an Herbalist and Alchemist; I’ll work on leveling her Alchemy after my Druid has reached her crafting goals. Keliora is a Miner and Engineer (because Goggles); leveling her Engineering will be slower because no-one else will be feeding her ore. Kaelyla is an Herbalist and Miner, but she’s Alliance, so all of her materials will go on the AH and make her rich!

I’ve been contemplating what I might do about raiding in this expansion. I sat out LFR entirely in Warlords and did very little in Legion and Battle for Azeroth. It sounds like just getting ready for raiding — even at the LFR level — is a long haul of dungeon running and shelling out gold for crafted gear, plus running Torghast to craft whatever Legendary is BIS for one’s class & spec. Of course I haven’t gotten there yet, but I’m not sure if I’ll like Torghast very much. After all, I only did as much of Horrific Visions as I needed to get the first Shroud of Resolve appearance upgrade. Even though I think the second appearance upgrade for the Shroud of Resolve is very pretty, whenever I have thought about doing more Horrific Visions — and more Black Empire Assaults to buy those attempts — I end up saying, “meh, I don’t feel like doing that.” So I think I only want to raid with one toon at most, if I can even manage that. That toon will probably be my Druid because I like the leather set from Castle Nathria ever so much more than the cloth set.

But then how to get all of the different Covenant weapons? Hmm… If I pick up a Castle Nathria weapon token and use it for one Covenant, then change Covenants, I know that I won’t be able to use that weapon appearance with that character anymore — but will I still be able to use it with other characters in that Covenant? So could I get a Castle Nathria weapon token, spend it with the Covenant I’m currently in, change Covenants, get another Castle Nathria weapon token and spend it with the new Covenant, and so on until I’ve gotten the Castle Nathria weapons for all of the Covenants? I would just try for all of the Staves, I think — though that Night Fae Harp is lovely and after I’ve gotten all the Staves and come back to the Night Fae, I’d want to get one more Castle Nathria weapon token to spend on that. From an RP standpoint, Kaurinka will want to stay devoted to the Night Fae, but Kaiuna might be up for some Covenant-hopping….

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my Professions wish for Shadowlands: crafted backpacks

Whomever thought of using the cloak slot for Tauren totems — first for the cosmetic totem items from Highmountain in Legion (which overwrite the display of whatever item you have equipped in the cloak slot), and then for the Tauren Heritage Armor totem — was utterly brilliant. I’m delighted to see the devs & artists expanding that idea with the new backpacks.

I haven’t quite felt up to RAFing myself and paying a full year subscription fee* to get the Renowned Explorer’s backpack, though.

Now that I’ve had to pick up an extra class for this semester (classes begin tomorrow) because one of the faculty members in my department abruptly quit last week, the chances of me getting the Wrathion backpack have plummeted to essentially zero. Not that I was very likely to get it to begin with, as it requires 40000 Corrupted Mementos to purchase after spending 69650 Corrupted Mementos to completely fill out the Titanic Research Archive**. I will probably play through the Patch 8.3 intro questline to get the first stage of the new legendary cloak, and I do intend to go do the Assaults in Uldum and Vale of Eternal Blossoms at least once each just to see what they’re all about — but even before my course load increased, I wasn’t really feeling up to doing that kind of grinding anymore***.

I would still love to have a backpack or two that I could display on my characters.

My Big Wish for Professions in Shadowlands is that there will be crafted backpacks for Transmogrification. Tailoring and Leatherworking at least should each be able to craft a backpack.

~*~*~

* Or trying to talk BTH into coming back using RAF and paying for a whole year, when at the beginning of BFA, he only lasted for six months

** Someone else, however, can do the maths on how many weeks it would take an “average casual” player to acquire 109650 Corrupted Mementos, and thus estimate the “expected lifetime” of Patch 8.3.

*** I never got around to doing Deaths of Chromie during Legion, and I still haven’t ever gotten around to playing through the Alliance version of the Patch 5.1 storyline, so I’m not likely to come back to do that if I don’t do it while the expansion is current…

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Sunday on the Promenade 72

Faction dichotomy takes the stage in this week’s installment of the Sunday Mog Show.

Druid of the Talon

Dragonhawk Hat, Preened Ironfeather Shoulders, Vest of Sobbing, Narf’s Explosiveproof Strand, Oil Gush Leggings, Discarded Slaughterhouse Gloves, Scourgebane Treads, Fordragon Blades
I first saw this glaive carried by the Druids of the Talon at the Shrine of Aviana. I’d never noticed it as a player weapon before, so I assumed that it was an NPC-exclusive model. When the Wardrobe came out, I searched for it in the array of polearms that I hadn’t yet collected, but couldn’t find it, so I continued to think that it was an NPC-only model. Recently, Alunaria tipped me off that it is an Alliance-exclusive model from the Trial of the Crusader. My Horde Druid still can’t imitate the Druids of the Talon, but now my Alliance Druid can!
The NPCs are wearing a brown recolor of the Feralheart hat that isn’t available to players. The Dragonhawk Hat seemed like the best substitute.
Some of the other Druids of the Talon, most notably the female Tauren, are wearing the Phantasmal Headdress, a recolor of the shoulders that is only available to players in mail, the Vest of Restraint, and pants that match the vest but are unavailable to players.
The Druids of the Talon found at Skysea Ridge on Draenor-of-the-alternate-timeway are wearing different armor, but carry the same glaive.

Paku’ai or Raptari?

Coarse Leather Armor with Chieftain’s Headdress and Warmongering Combatant’s Battle Staff
The Horde version of the Battle for Azeroth crafted leather gear (also the Jambani quest set from Zuldazar and the Brutohide BOE set) is the outfit worn by the Paku’ai flight masters of Zandalar. These devotees of the pterrodax loa Pa’ku are led by Hexlord Raal. This armor is also worn by Wardruid Loti, the leader of the followers of the raptor loa Gonk. Given that Loti and Raal are Zandalar’s version of Beatrice and Benedick and that Raal incites his followers to an intense (and rather juvenile) rivalry with hers, the shared armor appearance leads to all manner of annoyingamusing confusions.

Tidespray Linen


Tidespray Linen set with Fangcaller’s Staff (H)/Tidespray Linen set with Lord Aldrius’ Greatstaff (A)
The crafted gear from Battle for Azeroth has faction-dichotomous appearances. For Horde characters, the tailored Tidespray Linen set has the same appearance as the Loa Speaker quest set from Nazmir. For Alliance characters, the Tidespray Linen set has the same appearance as the Wickerwoven quest set from Drustvar. If Horde characters want the Alliance appearance, they should look for the Heartsbane set on the AH. If Alliance characters want the Horde appearance, they should look for the Bloodhex set on the AH.

~*~*~

This series of posts began because I set myself a goal to document new Transmogrification outfits in a more timely fashion. As soon as I create a new outfit, I write it up in a draft post. As the weekend approaches, I start working on taking fashion screenshots, processing them, and updating “Things my [Class] Wears” posts. On Sunday — though not every Sunday — I publish the collection of my recent efforts. Then I begin the next “Sunday on the Promenade” draft post.

Occasionally, I have ideas for themed Transmogrification collections that take several months to completely assemble. Thus, some of these outfits might get re-posted at a later date as part of such a themed Transmogrification collection.

If any of you, my dear readers, have kits that you’d like to share, I’d be happy to add you to the show! Just email me your picture(s), along with a list of the items in the outfit. I don’t regularly check my blog email, though, so if you’ve sent me an outfit, please make a comment on the most recent Sunday Mog Show post so that I know to check my blog email for your contribution.

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A Shred of Your Humanity

Keija’s arm hurt.

Keija had thought that she knew what to expect from her previous experience with the miscellaneous splinters and shrapnel of mining, smithing, and battle. Blind Nal’ryssa’s touch had been surprisingly deft and gentle as she probed Keija’s arm, finding just the right place to drive small, jagged shards of felslate into the muscle or under the skin without damaging major blood vessels, nerves, or tendons & ligaments. One went in at her shoulder, another at her elbow, and a third and final piece at her wrist.

It hadn’t hurt any more than an ordinary splinter wound, at first. By nightfall, though, the wounds had become inflamed, infected, and such agony that Keija barely slept that night — or the next. It might have been tempting to not use the arm, to minimize the pain, but Keija knew better. To do so would only risk losing mobility and strength. So she kept mining, kept hammering leystone with the special technique the Ironhorn had taught her, kept swinging the Warswords of the Valarjar against the foes of the Valarjar, the Valkyra, and the Highmountain tribes.

Keija suspected that it was the fel in the stone that made these wounds so exquisitely painful. She wasn’t entirely sure that the felsmith had been merely jesting when she’d said that Keija might experience “stray urges to burn worlds and sow chaos” for the next week or two, but she hadn’t felt any such impulses… not yet, at least. The intense pain was, however, making it almost as difficult to control her rage as it had been when she was fighting against succumbing to the influence of the Shas of Anger, Violence, and Hatred in Pandaria.

She’d never quite understood the Orcs’ custom of piercing their arms with teeth, claws, or metal as a display of toughness, but this was different. The felsmith had said that taking felslate into her body was necessary to improve at mining and smithing it. It did seem to Keija that since she had done it, she had been better able to spot nodes and seams of felslate, and that it had been easier to discern the grain of the stone and just how to place her pick to break it free from the surrounding rock and to split it into nicely workable pieces — moreso than what she’d learned under Mama Diggs’ tutelage.

She would endure the pain for as long as it lasted… but it would be nice if it would subside sooner, rather than later.

~*~*~

This little story was inspired by this Legion Mining quest. My Paladin completely noped out of it — didn’t even accept the quest. My Hunter did it, but only as a game mechanics thing, not as an actual event in her life.

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