If you’ve been in Stormwind lately, you may have seen the mysterious shiny man that walks around, smiling and helping whoever is in need. If you’re familiar with him, chances are, you may also be familiar with the raffle he runs every night at the Deeprun Tram on Stormwind’s side.
This mysterious man’s name is Harkre and my partner Kristar and I wanted to know more about him, so we hounded him for a short interview which he happily gave us after he was done with his last raffle.
Forgotten Flowers: What inspired you to start doing this raffle?
Harkre: He folded his arms while he scooted forward some. “That’s an interesting question, if I do say so myself.” He nodded at Iridella. “What inspired me? When I originally arrived in Stormwind City over a year ago...I came across Om Nom Noodles in their restaurant in the Mage District...they welcomed me and even offered to help me with the organization of my Deeprun Tram Birthday Party Bash! And introduced me to the Runaway Theater Troupe. Their kindness and generosity is what started this.”
FF: So we have to ask, the original timeline for the giveaway was only one year. May we ask why such a specific timeframe, and why so long?
H: “It started in... january I believe… but… unforeseen things happened. Now I’m returning the Deeprun Tram Gold Giveaway event from June 29th to November the 30th, we’ll see if it extends to December but I still have to plan the Deeprun Tram Birthday Bash for January 27th as well.”
FF: Oh so your family must be really proud of you huh?
H: Harkre frowned at Iridella before the mage forced an awkward smile “I’m… I don’t believe I have family… Blood related that is… uh...I’m senile… or going… But the Runaway Theatre Troupe has adopted me into their family… I suppose...ahem...yes?”
FF: So they’re like your family!
H: “Uh...yes… I work with the leader of the Runaway Theater Troupe... Dartan Roe himself as his assistant. Ahem, yes.”
FF: So it’s well-known that you live down here in the tram. We want to know, why here?
H: Harkre blinked, perking up some at the mention of it. “Seldom people ask me why… they just know… or are aware that I live down here… but… no one complains about me living down here… and there is a certain… nostalgia…”
And there you have it, that’s what we were able to get from the kind, forgetful and oddly mysterious mage of the Deeprun Tram. After we were done with the interview, we parted our ways thinking about what we had just heard, spreading kindness just for the sake of it, certainly something different to do in our selfish world, but bringing that kind of good vibes into our lives, even if it’s just a little, will help our little community to grow tighter and stronger. In these dark times, we need more people like the magnificent Harkre.
You can check out Harkre and his content, along with other links at his youtube channel: King Harkre
The Justice League was spotted earlier today in Stormwind, and the Avengers later in Dalaran! Make sure to keep your eyes peeled, for these awesome heroes do make their way into the city from time to time!
Apologies for the work leave, a lot has been happening and we should be trying to get back on a semi-regular schedule soon.
(Adding OOC: the shut down has been hard for both me and Iridella IRL, my workload has doubled and she is having issues with schooling and personal things. Posting will be choppy at best until the crisis is over, but we will be trying to keep up this blog still. Thank you for your patience.)
Scholomance, once a great keep populated by a wealthy family and their servants, is now nothing more than a corrupted place filled with the most horrible abominations you could ever imagine. As a death knight, I’ve heard about Scholomance before; they trained our liches and sorcerers in the arts of the unholy, so naturally, I found myself curious and attracted to the energies of the place, no matter how… horrifying they were.
On the outside it looks like a typical ruined castle, but trust me, this place hides way more than you can see on simple sight. If you pay closer attention to it’s surroundings they say you can note the tortured souls that once lived there and other… stuff.
I ventured to the inside of the castle, directly to the basement. Once the door was opened, I felt like thousands of tortured souls were coming out of there, asking for help… but there was nothing that could be done for them…
Now, you may be asking, ‘what happened in this defiled place?’ Well, I heard stories of the family that used to live here while I was traveling through the Plaguelands. The Barov were promised great power and immortality by the necromancer Kel’Thuzad, and in exchange, they would let him use their house to train the Cult of the Damned to get ready for the scourge invasion over Azeroth.
The first thing I found when going down was a room called The Reliquary. Now, I only know basics about necromancy and lich magic, but it seems like here the lich apprentices learn how to keep their souls stored in something they call a phylactery, to be resurrected if they die.
I kept going down into the school to find myself in the Hall of Illusion, a place where they learn how to trick people's minds and raise undead minions. The teacher in this place is none other than Jandice Barov; once a powerful mage, now just a shade serving the scourge, she was well known for her illusions of herself when she was alive.
Behind the Hall of Illusion, is the Chamber of summoning where the necromancers make their own abominations by combining bones from several different bodies. This chamber is also connected to the Butcher's Sanctum… I can only imagine the atrocities they committed in this room, as there were abominations and human flesh waiting to be used everywhere.
After a small rest in a "safe" room after the Butcher's Sanctum, I kept waking through this cursed place. I found myself in the laboratory, the Viewing Room, the place where the plague that infected the Andorhal grain was created… where the fall of Lordaeron started… there was nothing in that room but death.
My next stop was the headmaster's personal study; there was nothing interesting left here besides the Barov family vault, where the family’s bodies are laid to eternal rest. Though their bodies may lie resting however, I know their souls are still here in Scholomance, waiting for their turn to be free of the curse they placed upon themselves.
I left the cursed place feeling guilty for all the atrocities I committed in the name of the scourge. Scholomance is just a constant reminder for all death knights who recovered their conscience of all the horrible things they had to do while being a part of the scourge.
The World’s End Cabaret(on Wyrmrest Accord) is a refreshing club where everyone is the star! Hosted by Perchedon Heartthorn and Nigel Midwinter, this is a show with comedy, magic and karaoke that you won’t soon forget. This particular night was open mic, so we got to see the performances of some of the other club goers(Iridella, Xepher, Denfehlath, and Nazgo’rak) in the form of dancing, poetry and singing. This is a club that definitely deserves more recognition than it gets.
You can find the cabaret hosting a booth at the upcoming World’s Faire Carnival.
World’s End Cabaret: https://discord.gg/j9jZXyQ
World’s Faire Carnival: https://discord.gg/HB2aWUD
Hello ladies and gentlemen and humanoids of all kinds! Today, Taverns of Azeroth brings straight to your homes the forgotten beauty of the Deepwater Tavern!
This once-proud tavern and inn combo rests in the now-flooded Menethil Harbor, and harbors refugees escaping the effects of the disaster. The tavern itself is safe from the flooding, so step inside for a relaxing, dry time!
The inside is quite beautiful, and has a very cozy atmosphere. It’s the kind of place you can bring your buddy, your date or your family!
The staff is friendly and always ready to serve! If you’re in need of aid, you’ve got a medic right at the front door! If you’re in need of wares, there are tradesmen and even a shady dealer on the second floor(for all of you that we know like to bend the rules a little ;)).
You’ve even got live entertainment in the form of drunken regulars dancing for the amusement of the other bar-goers! This totally makes up for the iff-y cook that only shows up about the half the time. You’ll forget all about it!
All in all, the tavern itself is nice, with an interesting crew. You just have to wade through inches of water to get there! If you ever find yourself stranded in the Wetlands, this is the place to go!
Special thanks to Xiaohai, Saqueas, Willashan, and Iridella!
Thank you again to Enigma for hosting their very own Love Fest! Iridella and I had a blast exploring this event featuring booths from Darkmoon’s Finest, Om Nom Noodles, Mistvale Orchard, Pin n Ink Parlour, and more! There were Ski ball and darts, Punderome contests, card games, love games, a raffle and even an auction(in which I won highest bid on an Onyx Panther for Iridella)! Fireworks ended the show in brilliant flashes, lighting the dark faces of the lovers gathered for a romantic and fun night out. Cheers, and thank you for the first of what will be many wonderful and fun events!
Iridella, my best friend, my confident. When I met you, in a place of ill-repute, you appeared to be the dark brooding type, very quiet, very distant. Over all the time we've been traveling and having adventures together, I've gotten to know the softer, kinder, more beautiful side to you; and my, are you beautiful. You are brave and valorous and so witty, being around you is such a joy.
You told me once that you....that you love me. And I wasn't sure what I wanted, and I all but ran from you, so here I am, admitting to the world that I...I want to try. I can't quite tell you *that*, not yet, but...I want to be a part of your life. I want to be your partner in this crazy, broken world, I want to be the one you run to when things go wrong, the one who holds you and who kisses you when you need to be reminded how beautiful you are.
So, my dearest Iridella, would you do me the honor?
Today, ladies and gentlemen of Azeroth, we’re proud to announce the beginning of our new series, Taverns of Azeroth! That’s right, for all those unable to travel, now you can experience the wonder of taverns all around the world without ever leaving your city! Iridella and I are both excited to reveal our first tavern...The Rose Garden! Located in Lakeshire, nestled in Redridge Mountains, this quaint little corner has a knockback staff and an eye-catching menu.
Outside right away, you get a feel for what kind of place this is, with the adventurers hanging around and the ‘Help Wanted’ board posted. Fear not, however, for this just adds to the tavern’s appeal.
Upon walking in, you immediately notice the atmosphere. Staff that works well together, a chef hard at work, patrons happy and comfortable.
After ordering our drinks (A Mother’s Kiss and a Dawn’s Blossom-yum!), we had a chance to talk to the owner himself, Walerrek Hale.
We had a short but very interesting talk about the tavern's history; most of the staff is comprised of war veterans who fought against the legion, but retired to a simpler life after seeing too much bloodshed.
We were curious about why, of everything they could've done after the war, they decided to open a tavern, so we asked Walerrek about it. These were his thoughts on the subject:
“Do you want to know what’s an interesting thing about taverns? Most adventurers start their stories there. They come back and tell their tales and pick up jobs and all the while rest and relax with friends. I came to this lifestyle because I feel a tavern is necessary to all adventurers. And adventurers are necessary for Azeroth.”
From left to right: (Back row) Ignazin Seascore, Vyerani, (Front row) Kaelan Hartford, Walerrek Hale, Kaylyn Hartford.
Walerrek runs the tavern with his wife, who he met while he worked as the guard for a noble house and she studied under the lady of the house. Operating hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm, and quest hours are Fridays from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
Rose Garden Menu: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pK5RN1wkFLqyboV-9A1j4OZVYelv3vHQbRoppM2vLzo/edit
Rose Garden Quest Board: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13ycum0kyYRuji6N_cTM7RBC4oK-ao2kyGPEu5qR-WN8/edit
Special thanks to Iridella Frostwolf, who co-wrote this article.
