Post Cards from Caius – Northrend Travel

 Hi All.  Zyrena here again with more interesting things from my intrepid cousin, Caius, up in Northrend.  This time he sent me a letter talking about some of the neat ways he’s encountered to get around since he got there.

According to Caius, he can’t fly his pretty white gryphon there yet. While the gryphon has no issues, Caius himself needs to learn how to cope with the colder air temperatures at such a northern climate before he can use her.  Yet another indication that my cousin may be a bit more…umm…delicate… than I had previously realized.  Ah well.

I mentioned the great icebreakers to you all before when we talked about Caius’ journey to Howling Fjord and Valgarde.  The Northspear can get through almost anything the northern seas can throw at her and do it with grace.  But Caius sends home word of another kind of ship used up there to get between the Tuskarr villages.  It seems they employ Giant Sea Turtles.  The Tuskarr tame these huge sea animals and build cabins on their shells.  I noticed from Caius’ picture that they are using a bunch of carrots on a stick to get the turtles to go where they want.  I’m guessing that at each port the magnificent creatures are rewarded for their service.  Otherwise, I’d think they’d get tired of the monotony and just dive.  That would be a rather uncomfortable situation for any passengers I’d think.  Apparently, there are sometimes traveling merchants on these vessles who can take any extra goods to help adventurers lighten their packs and sometimes there are even Tuskarr adept at gear repair aboard.

While wandering one of the Tuskarr villages, Caius came upon some personal water craft that he found noteworthy.  The Tuskarr use small outrigger canoes to go out on the water to fish and to get about on personal business.  These small craft are fitted with metal plating on the bows.  Caius surmised in his letter that this plating must protect the skin of the vessle from shell ice and burgs floating around that are too small to bother paddling around.  The metal plating also had serrations along the keel and bow-sprit.  The only uses I can think of for this would be for traction on the ice if one were to drive the bow into an iceflow, or to dig into the ice after the bow was dragged up on a flow.  Maybe this is how the Tuskarr keep their outriggers from floating away as they hunt over the ice.

The next interesting mode of transportation Caius wrote about is the cable-boat.  I know that sounds odd, but I’m not sure what else to call it.  It is a suspended cable system with a goldola in the shape of a small long-boat.  It has one end anchored above the Tuskarr village of Kamagua in Howling Fjord.  The Kalu’ak, the local Tuskarr, call this “The Ancient Lift” and it runs up from the Isle of Spears to the mainland, just to the south west of Ember Clutch and to the north west of New Agamand.  Personally, I’m not so sure I’d be using something called “Ancient” that travels over open northern waters and traverses such verticle distance.  I’m starting to think that for someone so delicate, Caius is much more adventurous than he should be.

Or that’s what I thought until I read on farther int he letter and saw the next two modes of transport he tried up there in the frozen north.  I mean really.  A Gnomish float plane with a cable hook on the back?  What do they use that cable hook for anyway?!  I’m not really sure I want to know.  I also couldn’t help but notice in the picture he sent me that the pontoons have maniacly grinning faces painted on them.  That must be to show the state of mind of any pilot crazy enough to fly one of these things.  And the plane hardly looked big enough to be carrying around a draenei of Caius’ stature.  May the Naru help him if they happen to encounter any low flying water fowl!  I really am starting to doubt the sanity of my cousin.

One more paragraph and I knew we had come to the end of Caius’ mental capacity.  He’s not “adventurous”…he’s insane!  Apparently Gnomish flying contraptions are not quite exciting enough.  Without a picture from an incredulous by-stander in Valgarde, I never would have believed this next one.  Caius writes that he was sent up above Wyrmskull Village to see a man called Icehammer.  That man sent him on a couple assignments having to do with massive harpoon guns.  At the end of the last mission… at the end of the last mission Caius was sent back to Valgarde.  Not by horseback, not back through Utgarde Keep… but…. on the back of a harpoon.  Yes, my brilliant cousin, the renouned priest, fired himself out of a harpoon gun.

I think I have to go and lay down now.

Until next time, have fun and keep safe

 – Zyrena

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Tags: Ancient Lift, Icehammer, Northrend, Tuskarr, Valgarde, WoW

Deadmines Tour, Part Three of Three

 Now about that ship we found.   There was a massive cavern with an underground bay behind the last doors and the warship was sitting placidly amidst a network of docks and gangways.   The docks were crawling with Defias Shipbuilders, Pillagers and Pirates.   And to add insult to injury, even the Pirates’ parrots are trained to attack. 

At the bottom of the gangplank, there were two rogues carefully lying in wait for the first unfortunate person to set foot near the ship.   At the top of the gangplank was Mr. Smite, the ship’s First Mate.   Whoever said that Tauren were placid has obviously never met Mr. Smite. He was not pleased to see us at all! 

After my …chat…with Mr. Smite and his War Stomping self, we were able to gain the deck of the ship.   The Defias must have an impressive payroll!   I’ve never seen so many Pirates in one place without it resulting in total mayhem.   Making our way around the left side of the lower deck, we found one of the reasons why.   The Ship’s Cook, Cookie (original, I know), was wandering the deck and letting the loafers know what he thought and where the galley was for potato peeling duty. 

Personally I think it is fairly obvious that the Pirates and Smugglers have way too much time on their hands here.   Any crew that has time to paint flames on their cannons just to make them look more impressive obviously has not yet been shown the finer points of polishing the ship’s brass fittings!   Apparently Captain Greenskin didn’t agree with me.   As I was “admiring” the paint job on one of his “pimped” guns, he tried to forcibly get me to leave the ship.   I didn’t want to leave yet, having not reached the upper cabins to see exactly what he had up there.

Once we finally reached the upper deck, we found Edwin VanCleef himself lurking in a cabin. But he is never alone.   It’s a good thing we remembered this before we tried to talk with him. When we approached him, two Rogues engaged us and VanCleef himself seemed to take an instant dislike for us and attacked.   After taking out VanCleef, we still had his Bodyguards to deal with before we could relax. 

VanCleef had a letter on his person that Varimoog picked up so he could deliver it to the appropriate authorities.   The only remaining task was to get back out of the mine safely. 

We jumped down off the upper deck at the far side of the ship, using the tops of cabins below to break out fall so we didn’t injure ourselves. We had plans to leave by the tunnel at the back of the cavern.  However, before making our escape, we decided to cause a bit more disruption by introducing a bit of chaos into the camp on the shore. 

After that little duty was performed, we made our way out the back passage and into the light of day.   This back passage led us out at the very southern most part of Longshore. In fact the lighthouse was in view through the fog in the distance. 

And that was the adventure in “the Barn” in Moonbrook.   This is what the locals have been referring to as “The Deadmines”.   Sarra is going to be upset she missed this adventure, but there will be many more I’m sure.

Until next time, keep safe. 

–Zyrena

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Tags: Captain Greenskin, Cookie, Deadmines, Edwin VanCleef, Mr. Smite, WoW

Deadmines Tour, Part Two of Three

 We’re back again and ready to continue on into the deep entrance into the Deadmines. Upon moving on through the deep entrance, we initially found more of the same:  miners, rats and henchmen.   The difference was that the miners were more rugged and more ready to jump in and defend their territory.  There were also more patrolling non-workers.   The Defias must be offering very good pay to have so many wizards at their disposal for walking damp mine tunnels. 

We continued deeper and deeper through the miners and rats and slag until we came upon a large ogre in our path.   I guess it makes sense to have an ogre in the mines as they seem to favor subterranian dwellings and cave complexes.   I would have preferred to leave the ogre,  Rhahk’Zor he said his name was,  alone with his two buddies but he seemed to take exception to my presence and he attacked with some drivel about how he’d get paid for our heads.   Not a friendly sort at all.   His friends were about the same.   Although they likely decided we weren’t friendly when Rhahk’Zor fell. 

After Rhahk’Zor was dealt with, the doors behind him swung open revealing yet more miners.   Before we could continue through, we were surprised by a patrol coming from behind us.   It seems they were coming to investigate the disturbance at the door.   We found that at every further set of doors we came upon and managed to open, another patrol would appear to investigate.   This seems a bit of the “closing the gate after the horse” to me. 

Through the doors there was another branching of tunnels with the main tunnel continuing on to the right and a short shunt off to the left.   Down the left tunnel, we came across a gentleman who seemed to be more astute than the other miners.   His name is Johnson and he was very intent in his work.   In fact, he was rather grumpy to be interrupted. 

We went back and took the right branch down to another door.   Upon opening it we found what seemed to be a Mast Room.   There were a bunch of goblins in there hacking away at long poles.   Patrolling along the boardwalk and handling the heaviest cutting was Sneed in his Shredder.   Nasty bit of machinery that. 

Once the shredder and Sneed were out of the way, the next set of doors opened to more miners and more downward sloping tunnels.   Eventually we came to the doors to what turned out to be the Goblin Foundry.   This is where all the ore was disappearing to! 

The spiral walkway around the outside of the foundry wall led down to the bottom where cannon balls were being cast at an alarming rate.   Gilnid, the Smelter in the Foundry, took exception to us being there and came to have words with me.   It turns out that when you fight one goblin, you end up fighting them all!   In no time at all I had a pile of goblins flailing at me with torches and sending mini-shredders after me.   It was quite a fight to win our way through to the doors out the back of the Foundry. 

Once to the doors, we made our way through more sloping tunnels with what seemed like an endless supply of Wizards and Henchmen determined to slow our progress and stop us if they could.   At one point, in an alcove to the left of the main shaft, I found a cask of Defias giunpowder.   I thought they really didn’t need any more weapons to cause trouble with so I had my tourist friend, Varimoog, scoop that up and load it into his bag.

This turned out to be a good thing.   When we got to the next set of doors, they were locked solid; and us with no Rogue to pick the lock and help us sneak in.   So Varimoog loaded the cannon and used the powder we had scavenged to fire the cannon to blow open the doors. Unfortunately, since we had to be so noisy, there was an immediate alarm raised.   Again, I was lamenting the lack of a Rogue.   No firing of the cannon would have meant there would have been no immediate attack when the doors were blown open. 

Once the doors were open and the opposition cleared, we had a wonderful view of, of all things, a warship!   But not just any warship.   The hull was being fitted with metal plating and the decks were bristling with cannons.   We knew we had to get onto that ship and find out the plans for it.   I’ll tell you all about that the next time.   One more installment and we will have explored the entirety of this “Barn”.  

–Zyrena

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Tags: Deadmines, Gilnid, Miner Johnson, Rhahk'Zor, Sneed, WoW

Deadmines Tour, Part One of Three

 Hello all, Zyrena here. 

Last evening I decided to check out the reports of a Defias hideout in Moonbrook.   The first step was a gryphon ride into Sentinel Hill.   Sentinel Hill is the Alliance outpost in the Westfall area.   It garrisons the local militia, a sawmill, a forge and a trade caravan where the local farmers can find a few of the essentials and an occasional luxury.

The “official” military presence is housed in the tower.   Gyran Stoutmantle is up there along with the Quartermaster and a couple other stalwart military men.   They are always looking for assistance with the Defias infiltrators.   This is where I first learned of a “Defias hideout” in the area.   Through some investigative work, it has been determined that there is more to “The Barn” in Moonbrook than it appears.   So I travelled to Moonbrook to see for myself. 

Moonbrook looks like it was a very nice little town at one time.   The buildings are all run down now, however.   It seems the maintenance skills of the Defias leave a bit to be desired. My guess is that they were not chosen for their abilities with hammer and saw or their expertise in the application of whitewash. 

At the far end of town is a large barn.   Current intelligence is that this barn is a front for some sort of Defias operation.   When I got to the front of the barn, I could see why it had gone so long unnoticed; other than the Defias operatives all over the town that is.   When I went into the barn, I didn’t find any animals at all.   In fact, I think it was the cleanest barn I’ve ever walked into.   Even old barns usually have some stray straw laying around somewhere.   This one doesn’t.   After making my way to the very back of the building through the inside I found what it did have:  a hole where the wall should have been and a mine shaft entrance. 

Being the intrepid explorer that I am ~smirks~ I made my way down the ramps and steps to see what I would find.   I wasn’t expecting a whole mine complex.   But something seemed a bit off about the whole thing.   The ore was not being hauled to the surface, but farther down into the tunnels.   I decided to continue on to see what I could find.

At the first real fork in the tunnels, I chose to go left.  This branch took me over a bridge with miners working in a pit below.   I stopped to look over the side and I caught a glimpse of a lady who had been reported to have fallen in with the Defias, and with Edwin VanCleef in particular.   Marisa du’Paige does indeed seem to have joined with them here. 

I continued on down the branch I was exploring and was stunned to find a bunch of ghouls and skeletons running around.   They seem to be former miners and foremen as they are continuing in un-death the jobs they must have had in life.  Near the end of this branch I found a former foreman.   I believe he has a brother still alive in Stormwind that is looking for information on his whereabouts.   Thistlenettle is the nondescript…err…chap…at the back in the middle of this particular picture.   I can understand why his brother is having a hard time getting information.   Not only is it hard to recognise anyone after their skin has rotted away and is covered with bandages to try to hold it in place, but upon trying to talk to him I found him less than friendly.   Makes it kind of hard to pass on messages when you are being beaten upon. 

Back to the main branch, there is a bridge from which you can see the main mine entrance. I’m told that’s where the most secret operations are being carried out and thus, it is my main goal to get in there and see for myself exactly what is going on.   The main mine entrance is to the right of the bridge and the bridge is heavily guarded.   Behind me is the tourist I brought with me into the mines.   I think it was his first time and like all tourists, he kept getting into my pictures . 

I cleared the guards off the bridge and then just jumped over the edge to the floor.   It is possible to cross the bridge and then go around to the left and back under the same bridge and then left again to the main entrance.   I just decided to do things a bit faster. 

Now that we’ve managed to make it to the deep entrance with our tourist intact, I’m going to stop for now.   But please come back for the next part when we continue on into the deep mine to see what the Defias are up to.

 –Zyrena

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Tags: Deadmines, Defias, Gyran Stoutmantle, Marisa du'Paige, Moonbrook, Sentinel Hill, Thistlenettle, WoW

The Zangarmarsh Trip, Continued

 Hey there.   Sarracenia back to bug you all.   I realized today that in my distraction with the pumps in the marsh, I left out a few more sites I found out there that I wanted to share with you all. 

I spent the night in Zabra’jin.   That’s the big troll village in the middle of the marsh.   It actually has an inn and a blacksmith.   Although I’m not so sure the blacksmith is really happy to be there…and he might actually be an engineer.   I always thought Gnomes tended to be a bit nervous around us trollies but this guy has enough attitude for a tauren with hoof-rot.   Anyway, Zabra’jin is a laid back kinda place to visit.   There are even guys playing catch in the yard (yeah, right over your head as you enter the main common area…brats! — Zy).   There are also many more of the apartments hanging off the mushrooms overhead too.   I could get used to being there. 

I left the village to go exploring some more and traveled to the west for a while.   I eventually came to the sporelok village, Sporeggar.   There were sporeloks in the main common area harvesting fungi and they had gardens and cozy mushroom houses.   They seem to be doing okay for themselves there.   They have to patrol their village these days though, because of the troubles they have been having with the bog giants and bog lords. 

When I left Sporeggar I went around the edge of the marsh and checked in on the little guys at the Spawning Glen.   Things are sadly the same there:  Bog Lords and Bog Giants everywhere harassing the sporelings that tend the Glen.   As I continued around the edge of the marsh I came upon one little Sporelok, named Coosh’coosh, tending a mushroom garden on the border between Zangarmarsh and Terokkar.   I stopped to pass on the news from the Spawning Glen and Sporeggar to him.

After leaving him to his mushrooms, I wanted to check out the roaring I could hear nearby. I found a set of waterfalls where the marsh empties into a lake in Terokkar.   It was a very pretty scene that I happened upon there with the water spraying and pouring out between the glowing mushrooms at the border. 

When I was done gawking at the falls, I continued on to investigate the huts I could see in the distance while I was talking to Coosh’coosh in his garden.   It turns out they belong to a swamp people that make their homes there in the boggiest parts of the marsh.   This collection of huts is Umbrafen Village.   The huts seem to be made of the outer skin from the caps of some of the big mushrooms.   I can only guess that the support beams in their village are from the old mushroom stalks maybe from the same ones where they got the covers for their huts.   That would make sense I guess since trees are in rather short supply and mushrooms are everywhere. 

Behind Umbrafen Village are some ruins that don’t really look so ruined to me.   There are shamans and druids, from Umbrafen Village I presume, protecting the stairs up to the main temple but I got a picture for you all from the bottom of the steps.   The ruins, in Zabra’jin I found out they are called the Boha’mu Ruins,   look to me like they were made by the same people who made Shattrath City.   They have the same shape and the same kind of markings on them.   I’m thinking that means they maybe the oldest buildings in Zangarmarsh, along with another set of ruins I rode past on my way from Zabra’jin to Sporeggar.   I didn’t stop there because there were a bunch of rowdy Alliance people hanging around them at the time.

The next stop I made was the entrance to Hellfire Peninsula through Thornfang Hill.   I was thinking I may want to go through there and do a little tour around the peninsula, but there was a big ravager looking at me so I thought maybe that would wait for another day. 

You all keep yourselves well until next time

– Sarra

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Tags: Boha'mu Ruins, Coosh'coosh, Sporeggar, Umbrafen, WoW, Zabra'jin, Zangarmarsh

Sarracenia’s First Impressions of Zangarmarsh

 Hey there everyone.   Sarra here with some nice pictures I took when I went to Zangarmarsh this afternoon.   Zyrena says she has to translate my whole article, but I’m not sure why (She hasn’t caught on yet that not everyone reads “Sarracenia” — Zy).

I was out traveling around in the Outlands and when I went down the hill out of Hellfire Peninsula through the brambles of Thornfang Hill I nearly fell out of my saddle (most undignified if you ask me – Zy).   What I saw can only be described as the BIGGEST fungus I’ve ever seen.   The mushroom caps towered yards and yards above the ground and some of the stalks were as big as the biggest trees in Stonetalon!   They also have a strange “glowiness” about them.   I can only presume that the dampness of the marsh along with all the rotting vegitation have created the perfect conditions for them to flourish.

My first stop was the Cenarian Refuge.   Those Druids sure have set up a nice place for themselves there.   They have a cosy inn and a watch tower and a moonwell.   They even have a couple of their “Elders” there who, so I’ve heard, give blessings to those adventurers who have proven themselves to be friends to the Druids.   I’d think you have to be watching yourself there though.   Adventurers must look awful small to those Elders.   I’d hate to get caught between the toes of one of those guys!

After taking a quick look around the Refuge to see all the pretty things, I rode on to Swamp Rat Post to introduce myself to the Flight Master.   Seems like a decent sort of trollie.   (She said he had nice hair ~sighs~ –Zy).   The post is a nice little place to visit.   It reminds me a bit of Sen’Jin Village back in Durotar.   Except these guys are more serious and a lot more experienced.   I especially liked the apartments hanging from the mushrooms.   Those were really interesting.   I think if I was going to move in there for a while, I’d want me one of those.   At least then I wouldn’t have to worry about having my feet wet all the time.   But I must say, the huts we trolls usually build are well suited for the marsh.   Stilts are good!

The next place I checked out is a place the trolls at Swamp Rat Post call the Dead Mire.   I guess it used to be a nice lake, but now it’s more of a mud hole.   I think that’s why the hydras there are so grumpy.   They got all dried out and the mud isn’t enough of a moisturizer for their scaley hides.   While I was there I noticed a machine in the mud hole.   It seemed to be trying to pump something up.   I know the Bog Giants seem awful upset about the whole thing.   I think they were getting kind of dried out too.   Whoever put that pump-thing out there obviously wasn’t too concerned with the local creatures.

Another place the Swamp Rat Post Flight Master mentioned to me was the Spawning Glen.  Apparently there are these little guys running around out that way that are kind of like part of the marsh.   He told me that they don’t do things like we trolls do.   They have little ones in spore sacks almost like the mushrooms around them.   Sounded kind of dubious.   Me being a tourist and all, I thought maybe he was pulling my leg a bit so I went to see for myself.   Imagine my surprise and delight when I got there and actually saw some of these little spore-guys running around!   There were spore sacks everywhere too.   I was distressed to see that there were bog giants there though.   The giants were running around and harassing the little guys and eating their spore sacks.   It made me sad to see it, so I stayed a bit and helped them out.

As I was traveling from place to place I noticed all kinds of odd and interesting looking things.   There were some pretty plants of the regular size under the mushrooms, like these water lilies.   What wasn’t “regular” was the Fen Strider walking through the lilies.   I had to ask someone back at Cenarian Refuge what exactly it was.   I had an awful time describing it to them.   They couldn’t figure out what could be “like a squid that walked upright on it’s tentacles but with more attitude…all of it bad”.   They explained to me that it’s not a squid.   And it’s not related to murlocs, even though it apparently went to the same drama classes.

In some places in the marsh there are bugs so big they could carry you away.   And I’m not talking about how the guys at Stonard complain about their mosquitoes.   These things are “really” big!   There are different ones out there too.   Some have purple backsides.   And each of the breeds have a different kind of poison that they inject with their stingers.   Some of it even makes you glow.   (Now I think she’s just pulling your leg, but I’m just the translator – Zy).

There are apparently more kinds of mushrooms out here in Zangarmarsh than I could ever cover in one report so I’ll just add one more that I saw.   This one gets used by the people that live out in the marsh as a decoration.   I saw them out growing on their own and in places like beside the moonwell in Cenarian Refuge and in the graveyard near Telredor.   It looks like a set of cups attached one above another and they spill water out their mouths and down into the cup below.   They are really very pretty.

I took the time outside Telredor to take a picture to show you all.   I had to work fast though because the Draenei guards seemed to assume I was there to cause trouble and…umm…insisted I move along.   But I did manage to get a shot of the lower dwellings and the magical lift that the Alliance people use to get up and down the huge mushroom that holds the village.   Now you all have to keep in mind that I took this picture from farther away than I would like and I’m looking up!   The lift is to the right of the picture and has just left for a trip to the top so it looks like it’s floating away.   I can’t figure out how they do this at all.   I’m very impressed! (me too actually –Zy)

In my travels in the marsh I noticed that there are an awful lot of naga slithering around. But I guess that makes sense since there is water everywhere.   Naga like the water.   But I also noticed that almost everywhere there were naga villages, there were also more pumps like the one I saw in the Dead Mire.   It seems kind of counter productive to me for a bunch of water loving naga to be pumping the marsh dry.   I’m thinking there is more going on here than it appears.

When I went and checked out one of the big lakes, I found the biggest pump so far!   It seemed to be spewing stuff up into the sky though.   And it wasn’t water because that would have come showering back down.   I think someone somewhere is using those naga to do their dirty work.   I just haven’t figured out what that “dirty work” is yet.

I’m going to go and put some thought into that I think.   Maybe I can get Zy to think with me. I’m going to ask her to come and look at this with me.   (I think I’ll be making that trip with Sarra to see what’s going on with my own eyes –Zy)

I hope you liked seeing someplace as different as this.   We’ll be looking for more to share with you.

Until next time — Sarracenia

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Tags: Cenarian Refuge, Dead Mire, Spawning Glen, Swamprat Post, Telredor, WoW, Zangarmarsh

Postcards from Caius – First look at Howling Fjord

 Hello again.   Zyrena here today.   My cousin,Caius, left for Northrend a while ago and he’s been sending back pictures of things that he found interesting.   I thought it may be nice to share some of them with you so that you can see what some of the areas up there are like.   So every now and then, we will include a set of his pictures so we can all enjoy his travels together.   Sarra and I have been going through the packages and thought we’d start at the beginning of the journey to one of the ports of entry to Northrend.

Menethil Harbor is out in the Wetlands of The Eastern Kingdoms.   Nice place if you like crocolisks, gnolls and raptors apparently.   Caius complained bitterly about them and the dampness.   He did, however, say he really liked the harbor.   The picture he sent is very beautiful.   He also noted that the people, for the most part, are friendly as long as you are careful in the tavern.   There are two docks here.   One has a ship that travels back and forth to Theramore in Kalimdor and the other, the one of particular interest to us today is where the icebreaker Northspear docks when coming in from or departing for Howling Fjord in Northrend.

The journey across the sea is very easy according to Caius.   He hardly noticed the time passing until the chill of the north started to penetrate the hull.   He says the time seemed to slow down at that point.   Personally, I think he just needs to stop worrying about how his robes match his belt and get something warmer to wear up there.

As he neared the coast, he noted some of the local wildlife that seemed to be having a better time with the temperature than one certain poor Draenei priest.

The fjord that is the entrance to Valgarde was impressive.   Caius said the icebreaker handled the wild currents with no indication that she felt them at all.   Such a large ship, built to handle the ice of the northern waters, rode the froth and turbulant currents with ease.

The small fjord that the Northspear travels to go in and out of the harbor is winding and the walls are so close in places that Caius said they almost scraped the hull.   Apparently the defences of this harbor are unconventional and harsh.   I never would have believed the story Caius sent us if he had not included a picture.

Apparently there are great barbed chains hanging in the channel that can grasp an enemy ship and hoist it up the very cliffs, there to be left to the mercy of the defenders.   I am unclear as to who the defenders are exactly, as the ship in the picture looks like the ships I have seen in Booty Bay, Theramore and Stormwind. But I know that the Bloodsail also use ships of similar configuration.

Caius noted that the wildlife is different in Northrend.   I guess because it’s colder there the animals have adapted in different ways to their environment than they have here in the more southern climates.   One picture he sent to me was of hammerhead sharks.   I’ve seen such things before, but they were not as big nor as bold as these specimens seem to be.  

As the Northspear pulled into the harbor at Valgarde, Caius said he was startled to find the enemy so close and actually attacking Valgarde.   He took a picture of what he thought was an interesting village on the way into the docks, only to find out later that it is occupied by a race of very large people calling themselves “Dragonflayers”.   These large warriors are using worgs and dragons to attack Valgarde from the neighboring village, Wyrmskull.

The people of Valgarde are doing everything they can to hold off the attackers long enough to create a rallying point for new arrivals in the area.   The repair crews are at work night and day to keep up with the damage.

Not everything in Valgarde has been left in ruins.   But this is due to the monumental efforts of the repair crews and the defenders who work in shifts round the clock to keep their little foothold in Howling Fjord.   Along with them are the dockworkers, quartermasters, field medics and others all giving everything they can to keep Valgarde on the map.   Caius was greatly impressed by the efforts of this fine group.   He sent too many pictures to post here, but we have selected one to give you an idea of what Valgarde actually “feels” like.

And ever curious about the livestock of the area, Caius couldn’t resist commenting on the fact that turkeys seem to be everywhere in Valgarde….I have to say it…Takes one to know one

That’s all we have for now.   But sometime soon we will post another of Caius’ packets to show you a little more of the frozen north.   Until then, keep well and talk to you soon.

–Zy and Sarra

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Tags: Howling Fjord, Northrend, Valgarde, WoW, Wyrmskull

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