My Best Pal(adin)

I haven't posted for a couple of days because Kate and I have been playing our Draenei Warrior and Paladin characters in preference to the Human characters. I didn't expect it to be that way but in hindsight I think running the older characters through areas that we'd already been through once just isn't as interesting as exploring the new.

My Draenei Paladin has now overtaken my Human on levels - I hit 14 yesterday on the strength of XP from three or four quests. I'm seriously tempted to 'strip' the Human Paladin - mail all his good gear to the Draenei, sell the rest and send the proceeds on - then delete him. Among other things I don't need or want a plethora of characters to maintain.

Making the Kessel Run in eight minutes

A summary of what my Draenei Guy has been up to...

There's not much point describing the first few levels, since they're pretty much the same for everyone. Suffice to say that the Draenei starting area is the crash site on the east side of Azuremyst Isle and once you're done there you move west to Azuremyst proper. Azure Watch is close to the middle of the island and the logical place to call home for a couple of levels, until you're ready to move on to The Exodar.

Exodar is a strange and wonderful place - a city built from the Draenei ship that crash landed on the west coast of Azuremyst. The core of the Exodar is underground, buried where the ship smashed into the ground, and the walls and floors are warped and cracked, but it's a huge space filled with light and a nice place to be.

Having explored most, if not all, of Azuremyst and its small neighbour Silvermyst to the southwest, and cleared all the quests to be done there (as far as I know), I moved north to Bloodmyst Isle about two days ago just about the time I hit level 11. One notable quest came from a character named Kessel; you have to visit three places around Azuremyst and you have just 15 minutes to hit all three and get back to your starting point. What's different about this quest is that Kessel lends you an Elekk - a mount that looks like a small elephant and moves at twice your normal running pace. I was able to do the Kessel Run (that really is the name of the quest) with seven minutes to spare, and I wish I had a mount of my own.

With that done I've now met up with Kate's Warrior (she's a few quests and a couple of levels ahead of me) at Blood Watch; we both just ran the quest that gives us access to the flightmasters, and we've set the inn there as home base. Blood Watch is also the start point for something like ten quests, so I think we're going to be around there for a little while.

Some people...

One rather irritating thing happened at Blood Watch. A level 16 Mage challenged me to a duel while I was smelting copper ore; I declined. He challenged again; I declined again. He challenged again... you get the picture, although it seems that he didn't.

After about the sixth challenge he said something - I don't remember what it was except that it was mildly insulting and evidently meant to goad me into fighting him - and I told him BUGGER OFF, at which point he took off for a while. Then he came back, challenged me one more time (can you guess what I did?), did something insulting and went away at last.

What is it with some people? You'd think one Decline would be enough, but this airhead obviously wouldn't have a clue if one jumped up and gave him a haircut. Anyway, I have his name and I'll be watching for him; if I see him again I'll load up with every potion, aura and buff I have so I'm ready for his challenge and when it happens I'll do my best to flatten him before he's had chance to cast his first spell...