Illusionary Tactics: The Hyldnir
Yes, I know this column has been gone a while. Sorry about that. Or wait, actually - it wasn't gone, it was just undercover! That's it! You didn't really think Encrypted Text was just talking about rogues this whole time, did you? Wake up, sheeple!
Wrath of the Lich King has been upon us for some time, and with it came zone after zone of prolific questing and fascinating scenery. I'd like to spend the next few weeks talking about some of my favorite quests and items that provide disguises or change your appearance in WotLK. Obviously, there will be spoilers in some of these posts for those of you that haven't done all the quests in Northrend yet; I'll put all such behind a cut, so don't click on if you don't want to know about the content.
Let's start out with the Hyldnir of Storm Peaks.
After a few quests from K3 you'll get led to the mines of these seriously frightening blue Vrykul ladies; the quests from here, in turn, lead to what may be the best questline in WotLK - but I won't go into that here. The reason I bring the area up in this column is that for all of your questing there, you get to turn into one of them! It's pretty fun running around on a gryphon that looks like a toy, with a PW:Shield that comes up to your knees. Feral druids also get the amusement of beating on things with your staff while actually in cat form (shapeshift graphics get overridden), as well as swimming through air while in flight form. That covers the two classes I've taken through the zone, but I'm sure other classes have other amusements to relate.
So how do I get one of these amazing disguises, you ask? Simple, just do the quest chain starting with "They Took Our Men!", from Gretchen Fizzlespark in K3. After a few steps you'll be speaking with Lok'lira the Crone, and from then on you'll be clad in a fetching Vrykul disguise. After you finish A Change of Scenery and move on to Brunnhildar Village, you'll automatically be costumed every time you go to (or fly over) the village, which is good, because they have some dailies that you might want to do later for a chance at the Reins of the White Polar Bear.
Unlike much of the stuff I talk about in this column, the Vrykul disguise is yours to play with whenever you want it, assuming you can trouble yourself to get down to Hyldnir village. Sadly, they're missing (among other things) a dance animation; I imagine the model could do a pretty good robot. Still, it's fun to be blue every now and again.
Filed under: Features, Wrath of the Lich King, Illusionary Tactics






Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Gond Jan 5th 2009 11:20AM
As a druid, I'm convinced what's keeping me flying in this area is nothing more than the power of my Epic Bewbies!
Stormsinger Jan 5th 2009 7:00PM
I love swimming over town. But if the issue was positive buoyancy shouldn't I be doing the backstroke?
Durane Jan 5th 2009 11:34AM
I think the Vrykul would make a great playable race in the future. I realize that they are similar to Humans (hell, they are progenitors of the Human race), but the whole Norse-esque feel would a welcome change for some.
Or Blizzard could give humans Vrykul hairstyles. That might hold us over.
Jake Jan 5th 2009 1:40PM
This x1000
Zhiva Jan 5th 2009 9:07PM
Vrykul hairstyles. Yes please!
Mideah Jan 5th 2009 11:52AM
I really enjoy being a Vrykul, one of my very very favorite quest lines. Plus, they are hawt!!!
Amaxe Jan 5th 2009 12:13PM
I imagine Blizzard could give Vrykul to the Alliance and Goblins to the Horde. Then the Alliance will have some giant counterpart to the Tauren and the Horde will have an annoying counterpart to the gnome.
I imagine most people will hate this however
Jay Jan 5th 2009 12:21PM
I don't think the money hungry goblins would shut the Alliance out and ally themselves with the horde.
Zuldim Jan 5th 2009 12:28PM
@Jay
Well not the steamwheedle cartel, obviously it would have to be another faction of them. The horde probably just bought this faction of goblins if they ever add them.
AyaJulia Jan 5th 2009 12:51PM
@Jay: Speaking as someone with both Alliance and Horde toons, there are most definitely more goblins Horde-side than there are Alliance-side. They're already quite Horde-leaning.... I don't really know why the Alliance buys into them being neutral at all anymore, to be honest.
Yes there's the Steamwheedle Cartel, but honestly, the Alliance isn't exactly a shining example of "Oh, this guy did this but he's not representing his whole race." ;) The fact that the goblins gave us Horde all those fancy zeppelins should be enough to piss them off about ALL goblins if we're being lore-consistent....
Malkavos Jan 5th 2009 3:59PM
You obviously didn't see the bill they sent to Thrall.
Narlic Jan 5th 2009 12:45PM
Also, have you seen their walking animation? Those hips don't lie!
sickbox Jan 5th 2009 10:12PM
i must say they do look pretty cute while running
Za Jan 5th 2009 1:23PM
This costume also turns on whenever flying from Dalaran to Dun Niffelem.
And yes, being a druid with Swift Flight Form made those quests alot of fun. I was a superhero for a bit...
Za Jan 5th 2009 1:31PM
Oh, and it was also the only costume I can recall that was more powerful than my forms. All the orbs, flasks, and food I've used were canceled whenever I went into form.
devin Jan 5th 2009 7:01PM
What does the druid flight form look like when you're shifted into one of these?
Spazmoosifer Jan 6th 2009 4:40PM
"as well as swimming through air while in flight form"
Would seem to me that he was trying to say that you look like a Vrykul swimming through the air while you are in [druid] flight form.
Xaro Jan 5th 2009 2:24PM
I always find amusing that using priest spells while they are beating on you with a mace doesn't send off red-flags to them.
Quickshiv Jan 5th 2009 2:23PM
You just walk slow in rogue stealth and there is no dance animation. That needs to be fixed.
Quickshiv Jan 5th 2009 2:24PM
Just to clarify I don't care about the rogue thing but these guys need to dance.