Breakfast Topic: What's the saddest quest in WoW?
by Chris Clow 
May 12th 2011 at 8:00AM
Quests serve a number of purposes in the game. Beyond the obvious experience and gold rewards, they advance the story and provide soloing content that wasn't available in earlier MMORPGs.
Each quest has a theme that it sets. There are epic quests, funny quests, story-based quests, disturbing quests -- and then there are the sad quests. From Pamela in Eastern Plaguelands, to Rheastrasza in the Badlands, to Crusader Bridenbrad in the shadow of Icecrown, Blizzard has implemented quests designed to tug the heartstrings of the players.
For me, the saddest quest I've seen so far is The Mosswalker Savior in Sholazar Basin. As part of the Oracles quest line, the player gets tasked with saving Gorlocs from the Scourge attacking Mosswalker Village. The player arrives to find the village in flames and the Scourge running rampant. You can already tell that you arrived too late to save most of the villagers, and the remainder are being mercilessly tortured, dragged through the street on a chain.
What really makes it heartrending is the way that most of the Oracles don't really understand what is happening or why it's happening. They just ... apologize, as if that were all it would take to appease the Scourge. The quest sits smack dab in the middle of Sholazar Basin, which is the most lighthearted zone in Northrend. You spend most of your time in that zone hunting animals, digging up shinies, and making booze. All of a sudden, Blizzard drops the Scourge back into your lap with all the subtlety of your average anvil.
What's the most emotional quest you've done?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 11)
Sam May 12th 2011 8:02AM
For me it's the wrathgate questline since Cata. You can't even avenge Bolvar's pseudo death anymore, and all the work that the loyal soldiers of the alliance and horde have done is destroyed in one fell swoop. And then Bolvar becomes the lich king and Saurfang becomes a death knight. Pretty sad.
joshychrist May 12th 2011 9:39AM
Zuni.
edgarrinwow May 12th 2011 11:24AM
Agreed, Wrathgate is was most
REDMJOEL May 12th 2011 2:38PM
Doing the Wrathgate as an undead is even more emotional. I actually felt guilty. This was one of the high points of Wrath for me.
Spectrum May 12th 2011 8:03AM
Pamela's Doll.
That one just wrenches at the heartstrings.
Poppy May 12th 2011 8:28AM
I did that one last night - the whole chain had me so sad thinking how awful it must have been for the poor townspeople as well as Pamela herself
/sniff
Maymer May 12th 2011 8:40AM
Can you help me find my dolly? I left her by the windowsill. Have you seen my Daddy? I think he went off to war. And can you tell my family I've been missing them, for oh so very long. Ask them why they'd leave me here.
In Darrowshire
Boz May 12th 2011 9:08AM
By the time I finished redeeming Darrowshire I was glad to be rid of Pamela (the quest was a raid quest back in the day, and often quite buggy). When Bridenbrad was saved by the Sha'tar, I sighed happily that I would not have to do any more flying around. I didn't blink when I dropped off the Waterlogged Letter I found to Sara Balloo. I sold Rhea's Last Egg and used the gold for repairs. I recognize that these are quests designed to tug the heartstrings.
Maybe I've been desensitized after slaughtering thousands of Quillboar, mercilessly wiping out the opposite faction for "strategic positions" in battlegrounds, picking up poop for a half-dozen quests (who knew it was so versatile?), and torching the homes of the Vrykul. Maybe I've kidnapped a few too many Wolvar babies for faction reputation with the The Kalu'ak. Maybe it's the crazy stuff I've seen in real-life on the internet, both saddening and disturbing.
Though in real life I am a happy father, donate to charities, hope to leave the Earth a little better off that it was before I arrived, and even give sincere answers to questions asked by other players in Trade chat, after over three years I have never in all that time been able to suspend my disbelief long enough to emotionally to tie myself in with this particular game. Heck, I cried at the Lion King (twice). Certainly I have fun, feel rewarded by my activity, and I've been highly entertained by the stories, but have never had a true, heart-felt response to an in-game plot line.
Coming here and reading how many players have been sincerely moved by in-game events is wonderful, but I sometimes ponder whether if I am, in fact, the only person that feels, well, not much at all.
chehggy May 12th 2011 10:03AM
Why is this voted down? While I certainly am a bit disturbed about the fact, that Boz seems to suffer an emotional burnout concerning the game, I really like the question he asks (and probably a couple of you should ask yourselves).
How good is Bliz reallly in telling stories that are truely captivating? After all it's a game that ultimatley designed to entertain and waste your time on it. Certainly Blizzard always cared a lot about story-lines and athmosphere – but could it have been done better?
loreaddict May 12th 2011 10:59AM
@maymer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dTxcHulFBI
MattKrotzer May 12th 2011 10:19AM
Maymer:
http://youtu.be/sgfklKnOg4w
mbison May 12th 2011 11:18AM
Yeah, I have to agree that Pamela's Doll is by the far the saddest quest in all of World of Warcraft. It really drives home the pain and suffering that the Scourge Plague has inflicted on the citizens of the Alliance.
Therinor May 12th 2011 10:19AM
To me, it was both Pamela in WPL, and the newer Rhea-questline in Badlands.
Ill hold on to the final reward of that chain forever, its so touching to remember what happened to Rhea, and to see the message when you point the mouse at the item...
There are many others I found touching/emotional, like i.e. the part of the Quel'Delar chain where you fight alongside the elf hero, and when his men leave, he asks you whether you will stay with him and fight with him...knowing his fate, that somehow hit home for me, too.
Anyway, many others I could list, but those were the first that came to mind
Zebreck May 12th 2011 8:12AM
The quest All That Remains in the Draenei starting area
http://www.wowhead.com/quest=9527/all-that-remains
You are tasked with finding the mangled remains of a peaceful fisherman's family after the native owlbeasts suddenly go into a frenzy. After you finally find them, and he begins to have some sort of closure, you tell him that YOU are responsible for the deaths of his family and that YOU are the reason he's suffering. That ripped my heart out the first time I did it. Really brings the personal impact of the "great hero" you play in wow into perspective.
The Giant May 12th 2011 9:11AM
You're redeemed when you end the Bloodmyst chain, though. His wife wasn't eaten, and they're reunited.
LynMars May 12th 2011 12:26PM
That's actually his daughter, not his wife. There's a quest where you can find her hiding on the opposite end of the island and escort her back to him.
The Giant May 12th 2011 12:41PM
Ah, of course, in my haste to reply I forgot about that quest.
Psiwave May 12th 2011 1:44PM
What!!!
I never knew about her!
*runs off to rescue her on every dranai char*
suh8lim3 May 12th 2011 1:47PM
It's actually his daughter Magwin you help. His wife Thalrisa are the bones you find in the belly of the owlbeast.
Amaxe May 12th 2011 3:40PM
I never knew you could rescue his daughter.