Dominance Offensive

   Yes, I know just how far behind I am to bring this patch up, but I admit that I had neglected it until now. When Patch 5.1 came out, I hadn't really gotten anywhere with the base factions so I didn't have much in the way of good gear. I hadn't run many dungeons (only 3, total) and so I didn't really have any gear there, either. I was hopeless. Still, I gave it a go when it came out.

   I struggled hugely to take down the first twin mogu set I came across in the Ruins of Ogudei, and when I saw how little rep I was getting from such a struggle, I gave up immediately. I had a similar problem with the Isle of Thunder, but I stuck that out, to a degree, and got to honoured before giving up.

   I decided to go back to the Dominance Offensive recently to get the mounts. I didn't expect the amazing story line that came with it.

   Like I said, I realise how far behind I am, but the story line from patch 5.1 is probably the most exciting thing I've experienced in WoW for some time. I love lore - yes, I prefer the historical lore more, but I've always been more interested in history than present day, both in games and in real life - and it was great to really feel like I'm a part of it again. I knew that the Sunreavers had been kicked out of Dalaran, and I had assumed that it was because of Jaina's personal position towards the Horde after the fall of Theramore. But when the huge questline took me to Darnassus, I found out otherwise.

   Due to the fact that it was the Sunreavers who had been responsible for the Divine Bell being stolen from Darnassus, Jaina saw fit to remove them since they were clearly no longer a neutral part of the Kirin Tor. But then the questline led you into Dalaran while the purge was taking place. It was so exciting!

   When I got there, I saw two water elementals but just assumed they were guards and thought no more of it. I went about the quests and eventually bumped into the elementals, who had changed position. And who was with them? Jaina. She attacked me and teleported me into the Violet Hold. I admit to being a little disappointed here, it would have been more interesting to have been at least teleported into the Violet Hold itself, and better still to be put into one of the cells and have to use some kind of charm given by Rommath to get out, but instead I was just teleported between the two doors at the front of the instance. Still, I was surprised to see Jaina there.

   I left the following - and, it turns out, final - quest of the Dominance Offensive until the next day because I had stuff I needed to do, and I admit to finding the last quest a little anti-climactic. Perhaps it's because, after everything in Dalaran, I had expected a little more from the end of everything, not to see the bell shatter and crush the little brat benevolent prince. If I had known, I wouldn't have waited.

   Still, I consider the whole questline to be the most exciting thing to happen since I reached 90 - this is, of course, coming from someone who never raids and has no friends to play with. I've not finished with the Isle of Thunder yet, and while I know I should be more interested in it, I'm not. It just feels repetative, and I'm not seeing as much of a storyline here now. But I'm a little more sure of the timeline. I haven't read Vol'jin yet, so I'm still missing some bits of info, but it's all slowly getting pieced together.