High Elf Quest line

[Andromath]

Madness consumed me and I re-wrote the High Elf starter quests. It's a lot, so if anyone is curious, I slapped it all into a Google Document.

There are different sections, including some for class based quests and the items you get to direct you to your trainer, as well as a gossip NPC in Little Silvermoon.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Oju ... aGjgQ/edit

[Kefke]

Honestly, hat off you you. That's a lot of serious effort put in.

[Andromath]

Thank you. Its nice to know my madness entertained someone.

[Jongyi]

Dude, that is some serious world building stuff you have put up here.
I was only to read briefly at first, but i was intrigued and read all of them in one go.

Turtle has already solid high elf story and lore as their bone. Your addition of flavour will put more meat to their solid bone and foundation. I suggest you submit them through official online quest creator or other channels. Your writings is too good to be passed unnoticed.

i am loving new custom lore of Farstriders, Temple of the Sun and Magistry. Damn, i am rooting for Grand Magister boy now. It put so much flavour in high elf narratives. And I am now shipping human hunter Daryl the Youngling and high elf rogue trainer Leela 'not-Duskstrider' lol.

Genuinely make me interested what you will come up with new story of high elf lore and even custom questlines.

Cheer mate. Interested in seeing more from you.

[Redmagejoe]

+1 for adopting these

[Galendor]

This. Is. Magnificent.
All these branches in elven society, problems within Magistry, displeasures of nobles, a reason for Vereesa calling herself a Speaker, not a Ranger-General - all you did here definitely should become lore in Turtle WoW because this is what high elves lack now. Hell, even blood magi among Magistry is something I can believe in (though I prefer another naming for their faction).
The only thing I'm afraid is that all these intriguing details of elven society will remain on paper like Stormwind nobility's intrigues, for example.

P.S. any plans to rewrite goblin starting experience?

[Andromath]

Cheer mate. Interested in seeing more from you.

Thanks for the feedback and encouragement!

There's more I wouldn't mind doing. I know some players had reservations about Tyrande's initial response to the High Elves joining the Alliance, and having done more of the custom quests in Turtle WoW I saw why (it naturally led to quests for the High Elves to prove themselves).

An evolving story focused around characters minor and more significant would be something I wouldn't mind working towards, but I do want to try and maintain what already exists. That's why I focused more on re-writing the quests in the starter experience rather than removing them entirely and putting in new quests, for example.

By that thought process, there are some things I wouldn't mind doing, but also don't want to step on any toes. For example, Vereesa feels like someone's passion project, the server's devs having gone so far as to give her custom voice acting. Without knowing more or what was intended for her, I'd be hesitant to get too creative with her. As the Speaker for the High Elves, I would love to see her take more focus as well.

Anyways, I'd be happy to do some more re-writes or toss in some additional custom questlines here and there. I'd considered the Farstrider Scouts we encounter, such as Leela the Shadow, to be part of a High Elven version of S.I. 7 (a clandestine information network), and had some ideas for expanding a storyline there to explore the unspoken paranoia and mistrust the High Elves would be feeling as a result of one of their own (Dar'khan Drathir) betraying them.

This. Is. Magnificent.
All these branches in elven society, problems within Magistry, displeasures of nobles, a reason for Vereesa calling herself a Speaker, not a Ranger-General - all you did here definitely should become lore in Turtle WoW because this is what high elves lack now. Hell, even blood magi among Magistry is something I can believe in (though I prefer another naming for their faction).
The only thing I'm afraid is that all these intriguing details of elven society will remain on paper like Stormwind nobility's intrigues, for example.

Thanks!

I wouldn't mind writing more quests to explore a lot of what is set up. The Magistry has a somewhat obvious story to tell already, whereas the Farstriders could delve into more active service in Alliance territory and be found as scattered quest givers in different hubs.

Your feedback on, 'Blood Magi,' is appreciated. I'd hesitated at first with including them. The idea was that while Kael'thas hasn't been seen in sometime, some of the survivors were really inspired by his efforts, his passion, and his ideas. That's why I tried to convey a sense that they're what you'd consider proto-type Blood Elves, in a way. They still identify as High Elves, but only in name.

As an alternate name, what would you think about, 'Royalists?'

One of the idea's I'd toyed with was a broader split among the High Elves at large between Loyalists (those who admire Vereesa's efforts and feel loyalty to her for being there for them), and Royalists (those whom admire Kael'thas, feel Vereesa is not anywhere near as perfect a leader as he was, and eagerly await his return). This was a division I ultimately didn't go with as it does hit the society at large, meaning even in subfactions within the magistry you'd have people disagreeing (there are certainly some nobles in the Magisters whom would approve of Vereesa, but others who'd want Kael'thas back, for example). Not that it's impossible to work around that, I suppose. Existing nobility might welcome having one of their own in charge as opposed to someone more powerful like the Prince.

P.S. any plans to rewrite goblin starting experience?

I haven't had a chance to experience it yet. One of the reasons I felt an urge to re-write the High Elf quests was inspiration from what felt like a missed chance to do some solid world-building and setting-up of storylines. I mean, leaving Loch Modan at level 5 and not even knowing who the racial leader was felt like a problem.

I'm not against it, although I'm not sure I have the time immediately. To be honest, I'm also not certain if its needed (not having played that content yet), whereas I had heard some players talking about the High Elf quests and feeling that they were a little lacking in substance (a solid foundation, but not a great deal built on it yet).

So, no plans as of now, but I'm open to it in the future.

[Aeliren]

I haven't had a chance to experience it yet. One of the reasons I felt an urge to re-write the High Elf quests was inspiration from what felt like a missed chance to do some solid world-building and setting-up of storylines. I mean, leaving Loch Modan at level 5 and not even knowing who the racial leader was felt like a problem.

I'm not against it, although I'm not sure I have the time immediately. To be honest, I'm also not certain if its needed (not having played that content yet), whereas I had heard some players talking about the High Elf quests and feeling that they were a little lacking in substance (a solid foundation, but not a great deal built on it yet).

So, no plans as of now, but I'm open to it in the future.

I definitely think that the goblin starting zone could use a bit of a rewrite as well, if only for its conclusion. If I remember correctly, their reasoning for joining the Horde over simply defecting to another goblin faction of the Undermine/Kezan (Steamwheedle, Tinkers' Union, or potentially Bilgewater or one of the other three unnamed goblin cartels led by a Trade Prince that are mentioned in the RPG) felt a bit weak and lacklustre.

In summary, the Venture Co. bails out on a job when it's too much for them to handle. Fearing reprisal from Razdunk's goons and thinking no other goblin organization will take them in (without actually trying to approach them; defections between goblin organizations do happen), Nert immediately turns to the Horde as his first option.

Maybe Nert could show some interest with doing business with the Horde much more early on, have him mention with some form of nostalgia that he used to do business with them in the Second/Third War running zeppelins and selling them supplies and have him compare it and the people he worked with to his current job in Stonetalon and the Boss (presumably Razdunk), and make it clearer that he thinks that his contacts in the Horde could get them much better deals than what the rest of Kezan and the Undermine could offer; something that gives him some direct Horde ties that warrant him turning to them first. He still knows some important people there, knows they're good for business, and trusts them more to keep the ex-Venture workers safe than the other goblin organizations.

Venture Co. isn't good business. The other goblin organizations and members of the Trade Coalition could be good business, but Nert thinks that with his old contacts the Horde, starting an enterprise with them could mean even better business in the long-term.

I might write something later for this myself when I have the time.

Regardless, I really like your rewrites for the High Elf quests!

[Andromath]

I might write something later for this myself when I have the time.

From what I just read, I think you should!

You pointed out a part of the experience that felt lacking, and provided ample ways to address it, and without having to drastically change anything either. If you do decide to write it up, I hope you share it with everyone. I'd like to read it.

[Aeliren]

Another issue a friend brought up is that the Durotar Labor Union sprouts out as a dedicated faction with enough people to staff three whole towns (Sparkwater Port, Powder Town, Mudsprocket) despite being formed from the few remaining stragglers of a failed Venture Co. operation, without much explanation as to how it exploded in numbers so suddenly.

A way he suggested getting around this was having Nert say that he’s getting his contracts bought out by the Horde in exchange for their loyalty (going back to him trying to do business with the Horde and why they’d be Horde-exclusive; Nert gets an exclusive deal for his nascent union, but in exchange he pledges loyalty to the Horde), and that following that him saying that he is working on recruiting more workforce from Kezan, hence the population growth of the faction allowing them to establish three towns across Kalimdor.

[Galendor]

Your feedback on, 'Blood Magi,' is appreciated. I'd hesitated at first with including them. The idea was that while Kael'thas hasn't been seen in sometime, some of the survivors were really inspired by his efforts, his passion, and his ideas. That's why I tried to convey a sense that they're what you'd consider proto-type Blood Elves, in a way. They still identify as High Elves, but only in name.

As an alternate name, what would you think about, 'Royalists?'

One of the idea's I'd toyed with was a broader split among the High Elves at large between Loyalists (those who admire Vereesa's efforts and feel loyalty to her for being there for them), and Royalists (those whom admire Kael'thas, feel Vereesa is not anywhere near as perfect a leader as he was, and eagerly await his return). This was a division I ultimately didn't go with as it does hit the society at large, meaning even in subfactions within the magistry you'd have people disagreeing (there are certainly some nobles in the Magisters whom would approve of Vereesa, but others who'd want Kael'thas back, for example). Not that it's impossible to work around that, I suppose. Existing nobility might welcome having one of their own in charge as opposed to someone more powerful like the Prince.

I believe that most of 'royalists' are now with Kael'that or among blood elves on Azeroth because they definitely wouldn't call themselves high elves. So, you know, this division already happened in a manner. If only there aren't some secret agents loayl to Kael'thas and now trying to win over Magistry of Alah'Thalas for unknown purpose... But even if Elenai Astralis or some of her inner circle are, in fact, real blood mages, they will not reveal it till the end.

I prefer Phoenix Mages btw - to emphasize their connection with fire and most recognizable spell of Kael'thas and to separate them from blood mages.

[Andromath]

I believe that most of 'royalists' are now with Kael'that or among blood elves on Azeroth because they definitely wouldn't call themselves high elves. So, you know, this division already happened in a manner. If only there aren't some secret agents loayl to Kael'thas and now trying to win over Magistry of Alah'Thalas for unknown purpose... But even if Elenai Astralis or some of her inner circle are, in fact, real blood mages, they will not reveal it till the end.

It's certainly tricky to address certain things without knowing how Turtle WoW intends for them to be addressed. Namely, the Blood Elves.

Are they going to be a friendly faction in the future? Are they going to be raid fodder? How much do the High Elves know about them? Without having answers it's hard to really cover all of that, but at the same time ignoring it didn't feel like a good idea either.

Vereesa herself has some quest dialogue mentioning Kael'thas and how she wished he was present to see Alah'Thalas. So, it doesn't sound as if there is some hard divide or hatred between the two groups yet.

There are no actual Blood Mages among the Magistry, or at least, that was my intent behind writing the quests. You have some pretenders (I noted some people trying to figure out how to summon phoenixes), but that's all. None of them are using fel or demons or anything like that. The three subfactions were more meant to reflect the three Mage specs, with the nobles as the more traditional Frost spec (greatly favored in Vanilla raiding), the Blood Mages as the Fire spec (because thematically that fits perfectly), and lastly the Arcaneum as the Arcane spec (considered by many to be a joke or useless outside of utility).

Elenia Astralis is... Well, let's just say the only reason she's the leader of her faction is because they respect power the most, and she's been able to wipe the floor with all of them. She's very hands off as a leader, more focused on her own research. She also holds a very dim view of any course of study where her power wouldn't be her own, so she's never been even slightly tempted by the path of the Warlock, as the power comes from the demons more than it would come from her. She also holds shamans in similar contempt.

Could there be agents within the Magistry trying to pave the way for Kael'thas' return? Oh absolutely. I mean for the Magistry to be a supreme mess of conflicting agenda's and childish spite. There wouldn't just be Blood Elves within operating for Kael'thas/Rommath, there would be members of the Cult of the Damned, Twilight Cultists, etc... I would imagine the Magisters would've had the most risk of infiltration from outside forces, just from the sheer desperation its members felt with the loss of the Sunwell.

I'd also hoped to write a lot of new quests to explore that and help the current Grand Magister root it out, so that by level 60 the Magistry is united and functioning free of traitors and the likes.

I prefer Phoenix Mages btw - to emphasize their connection with fire and most recognizable spell of Kael'thas and to separate them from blood mages.

Ooooh, that's pretty good, actually.

[Kefke]

Right now, Blood Elves are a group that the High Elves don't seem to like to talk about but are aware of. Also, there is a quest to go and kill some of them in Felwood. Beyond that, I can't say, but it seems like Turtle intends to keep them as an antagonistic faction.

[Andromath]

Right now, Blood Elves are a group that the High Elves don't seem to like to talk about but are aware of. Also, there is a quest to go and kill some of them in Felwood. Beyond that, I can't say, but it seems like Turtle intends to keep them as an antagonistic faction.

That would seem like the logical course, but at the same time there are donation-reward customizations for players to be Blood Elves, so I can't help but wonder exactly what's going on there. Is Turtle WoW repeating Blizzard's story of Kael'thas betraying his people for power? Or are we seeing some Blood Elves betraying him in the pursuit of their own power?

How the High Elves react to this would go a ways to giving some hint I'd imagine. It might be as simple as, "these Blood Elves in Felwood wear the prince's insignia. Does this mean the prince sent them here?" Or, "These Blood Elves in Felwood... they lack any mark or document indicating they're a part of the prince's army. But how did they end up here, and why, if not by his command?"

[Kefke]

TBF, there's also skins for things like Dark Rangers, Fel Infused Humans, Necromancers, Zombie Trolls, Death Knights, and Leper Gnomes. I'd assume it's a safe bet that most things that you can buy as skins aren't meant as plans for future player options, but more for roleplaying purposes.

[Galendor]

Right now, Blood Elves are a group that the High Elves don't seem to like to talk about but are aware of. Also, there is a quest to go and kill some of them in Felwood. Beyond that, I can't say, but it seems like Turtle intends to keep them as an antagonistic faction.

Yes, high elves are aware of blood elves and heard rumors about events that lead to Kael'thats departing from the Alliance. Caledra Dawnbreeze is the one who tells it to your character before you are able to travel to Alah'Thalas. But I'm not sure about blood elves being antagonistic: IIRC, devs had plans to make 2 factions for players to choose in Outland, and of course it's Illidari and Watchers. So, if nothing changes in this year, blood elves will not be pure antagonists - or, at least, I hope so. On the other hand, there are felblood elves in Silvermoon raid - where are they from? Who is their leader? God only knows.

[Karrados]

I am quite sure they said that Blood Elves are going to be the "Baddies" and that Silvermoon will be a Raid for both the Alliance and the Horde to tackle.

[Tamamo-no-Bae]

Hi! I am Tamamo, the writer of most of those quests. (The only one I didn't write was Marik's)
I've been reading your document and I really like the rewrite, especially of the prose and the closer involvement with the characters such as incorporating the children and refugees directly into the questing. but I do have some problems with it lorewise and from a writing perspective and I will lay them out here as well as explain my reasoning for how I wrote it:

1. I do not like the Farstrider valley being a leyline nexus. This isn't a place High elves will stay nor will it become a future home for them. It is a temporary stop for the refugees, and there is no real way to sate the addiction here. Alah'thalas is their future home. As it's been written, the lodge was essentially abandoned after the second war and dwarves took it over. Vyrin Swiftwind didn't get ordered to stay behind, she chose to. (Although the reason has not been written yet.)
The single Tender and single Thalassian tree were both planted by and tended by Vyrin.

2. I do not like to bring up Vereesa early, her involvement in the Silvermoon Remnant is meant to be hush. She does not want to become a rallying figure, she just wants to help her people. She isn't even the leader, the Silvermoon Remnant leads by council, they chose her as the Speaker. It'd be best if Vyrin instead hinted that there may be hope and she has received a message and an offer but she will discuss it with you later.

3. While no new Grand Magister has been appointed yet (So Andirath could be easily incorporated), there is a current leader of the Thalassian Temple. Namely Rae'moran Anar'belore.
I also disagree with involving representatives of Alah'thalas this early on. Why? Because the idea is that you're meant to feel lost. Your mentors at the lodge are just the best qualified refugees to help you. It helps you feel a sensation of unease and uncertainty for the future which is the idea with this part of the story. Ultimately you can look back at how the High elf character starts as a nobody with almost nothing but ends up a great paragon of the High elves. The letters and later quests of course need editing because of this.

4. On the topic of that, while the fate of Kael'thas isn't known for sure, word is that he betrayed the Alliance, and sided with dark forces. This is word from both Dalaran and the survivors of Garithos's expedition. After the fall of Quel'thalas, he renamed his people Blood elves in honor of the fallen. The reason why the High elves here did not switch, is precisely because of this word. They do not want to be associated with the Blood elves, plus there are Illidari blood elves around the world already doing nefarious deeds. While some may privately hope the rumors are false, they will understand that Kael'thas is not someone they can look up to, or rely on right now. Best keep the High and Blood elves separate, as their division will be touched upon one day.

5. Just a reminder that the difference in how High and Blood elves handle their addiction is that Blood elves siphon mana from things, while High elves meditate and carry magical artifacts, it might be better if Malvinah calms down by drinking a mana potion instead of getting a mana crystal.

Of course these points sadly means a lot has to be rewritten, but not discarded. The expanded material of Alah'thalas is really good! It should just be saved for Little Silvermoon instead. Perhaps have Little Silvermoon be the place where the class quests take place, and where you're introduced to Alah'thalas as a concept and such.
Kathy Wake's rewritten personality is also amazing! Some things have to be adjusted to make it possible to show it ingame though. Forexample how would you show Refugees comforting Malvinah during her breakdown?

Overall this was really good! I like it. :3
If you can adjust the pointers I brought up, I'll pass it before our narrative lead and see what he thinks.

[Andromath]

Good evening, Tamamo!

Thank you for reading and responding. Much of what I wrote up was without a clear understanding of the narrative goal for the early quests, so your insight was a breath of fresh air! Knowing now the intent behind them helps me understand why the current quests exists as they do, and I certainly agree that my rewrite takes away that sense of uncertainty and despair, which upon reflection I agree is something that shouldn't be cast aside so early in the High Elf narrative. It'd be no different than how Blizzard had the Worgen rage resolved within their starting quest, as opposed to allowing that story to play out first.

I'd like to respond to a few of your clarifications as well.

1) Loch Modan Leylines: I had not meant to imply that the Farstrider Lodge could serve as a permanent home for the Quel'dorei Refugees by reference to this, although I was uncertain whether or not that would be an outcome, as by the end of the existing requests, Malvinah mentions several refugees choosing to remain. Perhaps this can best be remedied by mentioning the High Elves remaining at the lodge don't intend to do so indefinitely, but until they regain their strength? At the same time, focusing more on the addiction/withdrawal would be easier if this nexus did not exist close to Loch Modan, so I do agree, it's removal would certainly help the narrative flow better.

2) Vereesa Windrunner: This was one of my biggest concerns when re-writing these quests on a whim, that it felt like you had a very specific plan for her, and I was worried about interfering with it. Knowing this now, I agree mentioning her prematurely would be a mistake. Instead it might be worth bringing in rumors of potential figures the Quel'dorei may be rallying behind, but which Vyrin is uncertain of due to how isolated the lodge is.

3) Rae'moran Anar'belore: I had seen certain NPCs in the Citadel of the Sun in-game, but hadn't been sure if any had been incorporated into quests or stories. It sounds like you have a plan for him, so as with Vereesa, I don't want to interfere with it. If you'd be open to sharing more I'd be happy to listen, or if you're keeping it wrapped up for future content, I fully understand.

Likewise, knowing the atmosphere the starting experience is supposed to have, I quite agree that the idea that we're dealing with acting representatives of the orders of High Elven society goes too far. It shouldn't be hard to re-write them as acting of their own initiative.

4) Kael'thas and the Blood Elves: This is a very elegant solution to broaching the relationship between Blood Elves and High Elves early on, and I think it would be quite easy to bring it up in the initial quests. What I'd like to do with these early quests is help give players an idea of how to RP a High Elf, so introducing certain points early would go a long way towards that. Having the refugees point out they choose not to identify as Blood Elves because of rumors seems a very simple way to do so without getting too in-depth, and sets a solid tone. Thank you!

5) Sating the Addiction: Sadly, my knowledge of how the elves deal with the addiction is derived from retail WoW, although seeing that Meditation is their racial led me to believe the RPG had been used as a resource as well. For example, in BC, at the Allerian Stronghold, a High Elf named Ros'eleth has the player gather, 'Vessels of Power,' from draenei ruins to help the High Elves sate their addiction without turning to demonic power. Now that I think on it, however, there is no implication of them draining these artifacts, as opposed to keeping them in their presence and being passively sustained by them. By the same token it had always seemed as if the Blood Elves had drained mana from living beings, like mana vampires. Knowing Turtle WoW's distinction certainly does provide a new perspective, and I'll work on revamping the quests with that in mind. Thank you.



I'd be happy to work on moving a fair bit of these over to Little Silvermoon. Right now in game it feels a little under-utilized, but I think you're right in that providing some class quests in that area would go a long way towards resolving that.

Thank you again for the feedback! I'll begin working on it and provide a new link once I've finished for another review.

[Tamamo-no-Bae]

1. Yeah they were staying temporarily to help other refugees or wait for loved ones. The only ones who might stay permanently would be some rangers who'd enjoy the area.

2 & 3. Thank you! I appreciate the understanding. :3

4. Agreed, if a quest could be added about this, it'd go a long way.

5. Yeah I also firmly saw that quest as them having these vessels close to them, not draining them.

Lovely interaction overall! I'm looking forward to the revised versions, let me know when it is done!
If you need to add extra npcs for the class quests in Little Silvermoon, feel free to!
Not every class has a trainer there afaik.

[Andromath]

1. Yeah they were staying temporarily to help other refugees or wait for loved ones. The only ones who might stay permanently would be some rangers who'd enjoy the area.

2 & 3. Thank you! I appreciate the understanding. :3

4. Agreed, if a quest could be added about this, it'd go a long way.

5. Yeah I also firmly saw that quest as them having these vessels close to them, not draining them.

Lovely interaction overall! I'm looking forward to the revised versions, let me know when it is done!
If you need to add extra npcs for the class quests in Little Silvermoon, feel free to!
Not every class has a trainer there afaik.

Thanks a lot for the replies. I'll log in and take a look around Little Silvermoon to write down the named NPCs in the area, see what's missing, and work from there on revising the class quests.

[Andromath]

I've completed the revisions for the Farstrider Lodge re-write.

I've held off on working on adding Class Quests to Little Silvermoon for the time being. Busy weekend sadly. I hope these work better to preserve that atmosphere of despair giving way to hope as discussed. As always, I'm happy for any further feedback from anyone.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zEE ... sp=sharing

[Aeliren]

So I got around to doing the rewrite for the goblin quests; I used the same layout as your layout for the high elf quest revision.

I'm not changing too much, because I actually think that the goblin starting experience story holds up together quite nicely. I just think that the ending and conclusion leading to joining the Horde is weak and feels somewhat lacklustre. Nert's excuse for not trying to look for employment with other goblin organizations feels like a handwave to get them into the Horde.

In my version, the idea is that Nert is trying to look for ways to bail out from Venture as the situation is clearly getting out of hand, eventually getting word from some old contacts in the Horde that they're willing to hire him out and buy out his contracts for a better price than what some of the other cartels are offering him, though it is in exchange for his loyalty to the Horde.

I played around with the idea of having Nert having formerly worked for the Horde during the Third War and looking back on it with nostalgia compared to the current job, but I didn't end up working it in. Maybe I'll try working it into a hypothetical later revision.

I also cut out Nert's post-quest dialogue in Stonetalon that involves him walking to the plane and disappearing as I think it's slightly disruptive, and I'd also cut him out from the landing area in Durotar. I think that the only two versions of Nert that should be available in-game are the version of him in Venture Camp in Stonetalon and the version of him that is Grand Taskmaster in Sparkwater Port; currently there are two Nert Blastentom NPCs in Durotar, as one of them is still making camp near the Razor Hill guard tower. As to not leave a broken link between the two quests, Nert would give the boar meat quest in Stonetalon and instruct you to do it upon arrival in Durotar; as usual, he'd appear with an NPC script when you talk with Gar'Thok to finish the introduction, and everything else would go pretty much the same.

Finally, I made one actual quest addition where Nert welcomes you to Sparkwater Port and gets you to check out some of the amenities (inn, docks, quartermaster and riding trainer) before checking in with his second-in-command in the port. The quest also explains how a small, motley crew of refugees that were the remnants of a failed operation grew to such a capacity that they could form their own entire faction and run three towns (Sparkwater Port, Powder Town and Mudsprocket): after being hired by the Horde, Nert is still busy running the whole union and is still recruiting people as part of the labor union's workforce, leaving Laz to run the day-to-day affairs of Sparkwater.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/127j ... Qpato/edit

[Torta]

Hello there :) Please reach out to me on Discord (Torta#2728) if you're interested in joining our team!

[Jongyi]

I love community is contributing more and more to the dev team. I am not talented in writing as i am from third world country with english not being first language.
But I always love lore and story written by other passionate people. Cheer to both Andromath and Aeliren. And also thanks to Tamamo for great story so far and solid foundation.

And High elf quest rewrite part. It is more depressing at Farstrider's Lodge but that is the intended effect.
I just miss interaction (sort of) between Daryl the Youngling and Leela the Shadow in the first draft.
Interested to see what is next!

[Andromath]

Hello there :) Please reach out to me on Discord (Torta#2728) if you're interested in joining our team!

Thank you very much for the invitation! I'll be happy to reach out to learn more as soon as I can.

[Andromath]

So I got around to doing the rewrite for the goblin quests; I used the same layout as your layout for the high elf quest revision.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/127j ... Qpato/edit

I'll preface this by saying I still haven't had an opportunity to experience the current goblin starting quests yet, but I really enjoyed what I read. With a few lines of dialogue each of the class trainers felt like they had unique personalities of their own, well defined, respecting different aspects of Goblin culture without losing sight of that one thing that the race is most known for: the quest for wealth.

Nert felt very relatable, just like a disgruntled employee who'd had enough, done some job searching, and found a job with a promotion, higher pay raise, and better benefits. While at first I wondered if it might be uncharacteristic of him to miss an opportunity to rub it into his boss's face, he does seem to be that sort of rare goblin (like Gazlowe for example), who doesn't develop what I'd call, 'short-term gains syndrome.' What I mean by that is, there are many Goblins in WoW who seem to be willing to lose customers in the pursuit of an immediate payoff by cutting corners in their work. Here, Nert's departure very clearly avoids burning bridges, as if he's leaving his options open in case something falls through with his plans.

Overall, I really liked what I read. Again I have to admit I haven't played through the existing Goblin quests, but what you've written feels very organic and flows into the narrative of Goblins joining the Horde smoothly.

[Tamamo-no-Bae]

Wow this is really good! I got a few nitpicks though:

1. The lodge has a baby and a child already and it is not Malvinah's sister, so there's already kids. It should still be a surprise but not such an earth shattering one that she's the first.

I expected to have more criticism but this is really solid!
Well done! :3

[Andromath]

Wow this is really good! I got a few nitpicks though:

1. The lodge has a baby and a child already and it is not Malvinah's sister, so there's already kids. It should still be a surprise but not such an earth shattering one that she's the first.

I expected to have more criticism but this is really solid!
Well done! :3

Thanks! I hadn't noticed a baby or other children (admittedly when I played through there were a lot of players), but that's something very easy to remedy I imagine. In a way it opens up an opportunity for a different sort of tragic take on the High Elves' state. I can imagine Arisha had many friends whom died, and decided to explore rather than make new friends because of how much it hurt to lose the old ones. That said I can certainly see Ashanya trying to whip up a tea-party to also introduce the children.

Also, I'd reviewed the existing quests more closely, and originally had missed gathering Pumpkins and Berries happened in the same quest, so I removed the pumpkin gathering quest and included it into the one for the berries.

I did also add two new quests to go over the racial and the identity of the High Elves as opposed to the Blood Elves, to try and make it seem much more common knowledge.

[Tamamo-no-Bae]

Yeah it's really really good! Let me know if you decide to join the team. Your help with implementing this would go a long way. :3

[Andromath]

Yeah it's really really good! Let me know if you decide to join the team. Your help with implementing this would go a long way. :3

Will do! I'd love to work alongside you and everyone else for sure.

I'll tweak the existing document later tonight after work to address the presence of other children and a babe, and any other suggestions you have for me to improve it/bring it in-line with existing assets and narrative intent.

In particular I'm still uncertain how Rae'moran Anar'belore is intended to be characterized, so Trandromar's gossip about him was a shot in the dark. Feedback on that in particular would be greatly appreciated.

[Tamamo-no-Bae]

Other than him existing, nothing much was done with him. I like what you came up with. :3
The High elven character I've developed the most is probably Arcanist Anu'delen.

He gives out a lot of quests and daily quests. You can see that he is an anti-social brusque guy, who used to be quite arrogant but was brought down a peg by what happened to his people. So he is quite bitter but with a heart of gold and he ultimately wants to do whatever he can to help his people.

[Aeliren]

So I got around to doing the rewrite for the goblin quests; I used the same layout as your layout for the high elf quest revision.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/127j ... Qpato/edit

I'll preface this by saying I still haven't had an opportunity to experience the current goblin starting quests yet, but I really enjoyed what I read. With a few lines of dialogue each of the class trainers felt like they had unique personalities of their own, well defined, respecting different aspects of Goblin culture without losing sight of that one thing that the race is most known for: the quest for wealth.

Nert felt very relatable, just like a disgruntled employee who'd had enough, done some job searching, and found a job with a promotion, higher pay raise, and better benefits. While at first I wondered if it might be uncharacteristic of him to miss an opportunity to rub it into his boss's face, he does seem to be that sort of rare goblin (like Gazlowe for example), who doesn't develop what I'd call, 'short-term gains syndrome.' What I mean by that is, there are many Goblins in WoW who seem to be willing to lose customers in the pursuit of an immediate payoff by cutting corners in their work. Here, Nert's departure very clearly avoids burning bridges, as if he's leaving his options open in case something falls through with his plans.

Overall, I really liked what I read. Again I have to admit I haven't played through the existing Goblin quests, but what you've written feels very organic and flows into the narrative of Goblins joining the Horde smoothly.

I can't take credit for the class trainers' dialogue. I didn't really change it, I just kept it in the doc because I did tweak both Nert and Gar'Thok's dialogues slightly for that part and the class trainers' dialogue was sandwiched between the two.

But I appreciate the kind words as to the rest of the rewrite!

And yeah, Nert being a somewhat more considerate boss (for a goblin) isn't uncharacteristic for him taking into account the questing done with him, though that's not my work either. He gives you a free weapon (quest reward) to help with doing some bruiser work he gives you, though he does ask that you not tell anyone he did so. But again, me using that characterization for the rewrite is just me working on the groundwork already laid by the Turtle WoW team.

[Xerilin]

Hello there :) Please reach out to me on Discord (Torta#2728) if you're interested in joining our team!

Wise choice!

[Derikom]

Great writing, Andromath! And good advice from Tamamo I think, can't wait to see the rewrite as well! (no pressure ;) )