Breakfast Topic: Make yourself at home
by Christy Pritchard 
Jul 31st 2010 at 8:00AM
My gryphon soared away from Ironforge as I headed to Loch Modan. Loremaster of Eastern Kingdoms lay 200 quests away, and my journey would pick up in Thelsamar. My leather soles hit green earth and I quickly picked up the quests I had previously left behind. Mounting one of my swift sabers, I made a leap off a nearby embankment. I stopped momentarily to consider my next move. Should I use one of my few remaining Elixirs of Water Walking to ride across the lake, or should I shift into Aquatic Form and race under the water?
While considering my options, I glanced around, and I was surprised to find a small home nestled into the wall of earth behind me. In front of the house stood its owner, fishing trainer Warg Deepwater. His wife, Khara, stood on the porch. They welcomed me into their small but cozy home, complete with a round fireplace, a wooden table and pictures on the wall.
This house and its occupants got my attention. Here in this world of vicious animals, monsters, dragons, undead, evil kings and heroes lived a normal family, doing what they always did. It struck me as a token of warmth and familiarity nestled into a land of sometimes cataclysmic chaos. I felt welcome, like I could take a seat on those steps and discuss Ironforge politics or family gossip. Maybe we could pour a few mugs of ale and listen to a chorus of crickets while we watched the sun go down over the lake.
I waved farewell to the Deepwaters and slid into the water, feeling refreshed enough to swim across the lake. As I shifted forms and sped under the surface, my heart was glad to have found that place.
What places or characters make you feel at home in Azeroth? What were the things that made you notice them?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Lillebowski Jul 31st 2010 8:07AM
I'd love to take a vacation in Sen'jin Village, just sit on one of the porches, eating fresh crab and watching the sunset. Maybe later a little drumming and dancing by the bonfire.
elstor Jul 31st 2010 9:20AM
Either that or go dancing in the troll village in Darkshore
KrusherX Jul 31st 2010 9:32AM
Ah, catching crabs around a bonfire.... good times
Ashstryke Jul 31st 2010 9:49AM
@ KrusherX,
I see what you did there :D
Well played sir. Well played indeed!
Jamie Jul 31st 2010 8:08AM
When I play on my dwarves or gnomes, I always feel in snowy places in Dun Morogh & Ironforge, the cold weather and just the feeling of being safe from it all makes me feel at home.
The huge great forge of Ironforge is iconic of this, it is the largest "hearth" in the game and as such the perfect gathering place for all races alike.
When I play as my Human Paladin, I always feel at home where ever the Argent Dawn or Crusade are.
As a rogue, stealth is a must, I feel at home sneaking around enemy cities, observing them while stealthed is the only home I need.
Moeru Jul 31st 2010 12:36PM
I feel the same way :D Except I don't play Gnomes or Dwarves. For me, it's all about Darnassus and my Night Elves.
Gamer am I Jul 31st 2010 8:09AM
Moonglade always makes me feel at home. I suppose it being a significant zone for druids, as well as one with very few hostile enemies, helps that, but more than anything, it's a combination of the serenity of the design and the fact that there are very few players there (I'm an introvert, so finding a lonely spot is a treat for me.) When I need a break from the bleakness of Northrend and the hubbub of Dalaran, I just hit Teleport: Moonglade, and it's like I'm home.
WanderingMex Jul 31st 2010 1:10PM
For very similar reasons, I love porting to Eon Hold as a DK; perhaps more so because only DKs (currently) can access it.
Way back when I used to play a NE hunter, I'd love to log out in any one of the second floor residences in Darnassus. It just seemed right to return there after a long day of questing and fighting monsters in dungeons.
JBcani Jul 31st 2010 8:11AM
I feel most at home in Goldshire, watching the duelists fight it out and sometimes participating in a few myself. Lucky for me, there's no cybering on my server.
jealouspirate Jul 31st 2010 8:16AM
My main is a Draenei Shaman, and I've been feeling a little 'meh' about her lately. I can't wait to race change to Dwarf in Cata, and that combined with the lack of Draenei in Northrend was making her seem so unappealing.So then I thought... stop wishes you were a Dwarf! Stop riding your ram! Stop running around in Northrend, with all these humans and Dwarves!
So, I went to Outland. I'm was leveling during BC, so I missed almost all of it. So I'm doing quests, rep grinds, etc. I now always ride my talbuk, and I'm very close to finishing the Netherwing grind. And I love my Draenei again, because she is so perfectly at home in Outland, and I'm trying to embrace as much of it as possible.
(P.S. I also have a lvl 80 Night Elf Druid, and I get an odd satisfaction just running around Ashenvale or Teldrassil in cat form)
MusedMoose Jul 31st 2010 8:50AM
Wholly agreed on the draenei-in-Outland thing. My draenei mage spent much of her Outland leveling time in Nagrand, downing hundreds of ogres to get the talbuk, and then went back and did the Netherwing grind to get a massive purple dragon. It's weird but very cool how much those lands feel natural to that race.
Wolftech Jul 31st 2010 8:23AM
Home is where your hearth is :) With my gnome mage, only the city of mages feels like home (at least until Gnomeregan is retaken... then that is where I will be spending my off time :D).
Orion Jul 31st 2010 8:30AM
I always enjoyed seeing small things like that. It really is the little things that make the game.
Whether it's climbing a hill in the Barrens and finding a Tauren woman and a small flock of Plainstriders(later I learned she was part of a quest, which made my discovery feel less important), or seeing the random Goblin merchant walking.
Really makes the world feel alive. I'm glad Blizzard is adding more of that kind of stuff to Cataclysm.
Orion Jul 31st 2010 8:33AM
On topic, however.
My favourite place to chill was the Mage tower in Stormwind. I really felt like a Mage walking my level 10 Mage through that portal. And while waiting on dungeon queue's(or simply while bored), I kept walking up the ramp and slow falling off the top.
I always hung out there, and when we got guildmates to meet in one spot and simply goof off, I kept suggesting the Mage tower. Sure it looks boring, but a Brewfest Pony Keg and a few TCG items fixed that.
Sleutel Aug 1st 2010 10:29AM
More NPC activity is definitely something I'm looking forward to. It's one of those things that you never really THINK about, because it's a game, but all those people just standing there doing nothing is pretty unnatural.
Torque Jul 31st 2010 8:32AM
I love the Brewfest and Hallows End (come to think of it all) holidays at both the Orgrimarr and Ironforge locations. It always reminds me of my youth running around and playing in the autumn and it is a nostalgic feeling more than anything.
Torque Jul 31st 2010 8:38AM
I'd figure I'd add that all zones and places in Azeroth stir up real life or in game memories whether it be late nights avoiding ganking in Stranglethorn, jittery evenings dodging monsters in Duskwood, or fun weekends where I discovered a holiday has sprung up in Azeroth! My love for some zones is triggered by real life memories like my early childhood or recent ones like my survival training for the AF in Washington state; which always reminds me of the Grizzly Hills and makes me especially happy there!
Sinfulle Jul 31st 2010 8:41AM
Astrannar is where I loved to be. It reminded me of a cabin on a lake we rented during the summer. It was so peaceful, the shade of the trees, cool breezes off the water, semi-tame Mallard ducks in the lake to feed, beach campfires at dusk. There was a small woodland path where I learned to ride my bike, and learned what a garter snake was.
I remember exploring the shores of the Little Two Hearted Lakes for wild blueberries, and the thrill of hearing stories about bears who browsed for those same berries. I never saw any bears, but the thought of encountering them sent chills down my spine, in a good way. I was young and foolish and wanted glimpses of wildlife no matter how dangerous they might have been. That's what spending hours reading Ranger Rick can do. Loch Modan reminds me of those times, especially when I see a black bear.
I miss those adventures in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. No matter how hot a summer day was, a few seconds spent immersing my feet in Lake Superior had me shivering.
I had forgotten many past memories until exploring the wilderness of Warcraft.
By the way the NPCs at the lake shore in Loch Modan sell a cooking recipe for Loch Frenzy, one that I had missed.
Thatron Jul 31st 2010 12:11PM
Michigan? As soon as I hit the grizzly hills in northread I know I'm home no matter what race I am. There's just something about those trees, that lodge and those crazy worgen that reminds me of the UP
MusedMoose Jul 31st 2010 8:48AM
Ironforge pretty much always ends up being home for my characters. Something about the city just makes me want to spend time there - not sure if it's the way it's dug deep into the earth, the circle way it's set up making it easy to get around, or just the fact that it's dwarven and I really like dwarves. ^_^ More of my characters ride rams than any other mount.
Gotta say, though, Nagrand is definitely my Outland home. The place is just beautiful and peaceful, with the grasslands and the floating islands and the packs of animals roaming all around. I fly around and think about how so much of Draenor used to be like this.
And hey, it's hard to beat a zone that has a goblin asking you to launch yourself into a tree via trampoline. *grin*