Game Design Exercise: Open Objectives in Farahlon

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I told you more than once that I wasn’t abandoning the project – just delaying it until further notice. Of course, that notice took a bit longer than expected, but we’re back. The thing that propelled me to come back the most was constant hits I’m receiving on the Farahlon articles, as well as my other ideas that I want to develop in these posts. So stay tuned. Meanwhile, Farahlon!

Character Profiles: Izzik Shienor

Izzik in the Swan’s lab

Name: Izzik Shienor
Race: Arakkoa
Gender: prefers not to specify ((female))
Age: 20
Class: Shaman (elemental)
Professions: herbalism, alchemy, fishing, cooking
Religion: Holy Light
Alignment (per D&D): Neutral Good
Traits (per CK2): diligent, charitable, kind, patient, gregarious, poet

Character Profiles: Verroak Krasha

by enipnion

Name: Verroak Krasha
Race: (Outcast) Arakkoa
Gender: Prefers not to specify ((male))
Age: 67 (as of this posting)
Class: Druid (balance)
Professions: herbalism, alchemy, cooking, archaeology
Religion: Holy Light (in theory), atheistic (in practice)
Alignment (per D&D): Neutral Evil
Traits (per CK2): Quick, weak, lunatic, scholar, mystic, diligent, proud, deceitful, craven, shy, chaste, ambitious, cynical, paranoid, cruel

Finding his place

Well, well, I haven’t written on this myself for a while now. Partially because there wasn’t much happening. Actually, now that I think of it, there were things happening. Not all of them I can recall at moment’s notice, such is my memory at my age, but most recently I decided I needed to exert some more direct control over this rift. I mean, I now have some interest in the Draenor I could find on the other side and the exit suddenly drifting away from it would be most unfortunate. So against my better judgment, I decided to use the services of an ethereal I knew, Shazaad, to find a way to control the rift better.

I should buy a house

If you didn’t know it yet, I just won over 900 000 gold pieces today. Remember that whole escapade to another timeline? While there, I learned from Sargeras the whole deal of how his timeline has come to pass. Kairozdormu interrupted Garrosh’s trial and took him to past Draenor, before the Horde was ever formed and before the orcs drank the demon’s blood. So I knew Hellscream was going to escape and knowing the future, I did what everyone would do in place – I placed a bet. As it turns out, only twelve people across Azeroth placed a bet that Garrosh successfully escapes. So when he finally did, the total sum of money all the fools paid was divided between these twelve people. After subtracting some outrageous tax the goblins must have invented on the spot, I won 911 087 gold pieces. I’m (almost) a millionaire!

Now I can’t help but wonder what can I do with that kind of gold. First of all, I should hide it very well because thieves aren’t uncommon in this city. But then, I got to thinking, I’m probably the richest arakkoa alive right now. I won’t buy a boat, I’m not a cat after all, but that’s enough to buy a building. A house, or a tower – I could just set up my own tower, hire some alchemy apprentices to produce a ton of potions for me and start my own business and my own tower in this city. This is probably the smartest possible outcome of this – INVEST. Besides, I would like to see the look on Maginor’s face.

But I wonder where could I place this tower. The first thing to come to mind is in the Stormwind City Outskirts. There’s a lot of place there, and the view is pretty nice but the distance from city infrastructure, while remaining fairly close to thieves, might be a problem. Then I thought about Shattrath. Now that I know Outland is not going away after Hellscream’s escape (we still have contact with Trollbane), I could return to that town but I’m not sure about it. Draenei are so sanctimonious, I prefer humans for being slightly more… morally flexible. And then I thought, maybe I should build it out in Duskwood, in Twilight Grove. The dragon’s gone, the thieves won’t go out that far away, and I could keep contact with the city via a personal flightmaster. Bonus – no more SI:7 nosing around the rift business.

All that said, I’m not sure what should I do. I mean, it’s pretty sure I’m making my own business right now. I just don’t know where should I build that tower. What do you say, mammals? Stormwind, Shattrath, or Twilight Grove?

Grey Friday in Stormwind

Looking at the sky over here makes me depressed. And anyone who knows me, knows I’m not exactly the happiest person alive even without it. The sky is completely grey. It’s way too cold for my tastes. And the level of light is stuck in this awful half-darkness that irritates both day and night people. It’s not exactly a paradise over here, if you know what I’m saying. So I’m just sitting in this room, straining my eyes to see what I’m writing, and trying to figure out what is happening to Draenor.

Mammals smell

Mammals smell badly. It’s a well known fact. It’s because of that thing you call “sweat”. Birds don’t sweat. The whole idea of covering yourself with a smelly liquid to cool down is completely alien. And stinky, did I mention that? And try to explain sweat to someone who doesn’t speak Common or any mammal language.