Flame Warden Destylae

Last year, when Des was only around level 50 or so, the Midsummer Fire Festival hit. I saw the Honor The Flames achievements and thought, "That's what I want. I can use these to help me get Des closer to the Explorer title!" And so, I set out on an epic journey.

I died. A lot. Running through high level areas - nowhere was harder than Outland, though. I was ten levels below where I should've been to be running around out there, and the Path Of Glory was my death SO many times.... But then I'd done it. I had all three achievements complete... Though I hadn't Desecrated any of the Horde's flames. I felt quite accomplished.

This year, as I'm now 85 and actively working toward the What A Long Strange Trip It's Been achievement, the Midsummer Fire Festival was the next achievement and title in line for me. Remembering the hell it had been to do all that traveling last year, I wasn't really looking forward to this. This festival contained a Holiday Boss, something I'd never been able to participate in before, as well as a hell of a lot of traveling AND deliberate assaults upon the opposing Faction's main cities. I expected this to take the full 2 weeks of the festival, honestly.

Imagine my shock when I came out of my first day doing the Festival with the title of Flame Warden... as well as the title of Assistant Professor, as during my wanderings to honor and desecrate the fires of the world, I also found a rare archaeology item and earned THAT title. As well as the ability to, ah... encase myself in amber for five minutes at a time, for no reason other than that it's amusing.

So yeah, as my fiance put it - this is the easiest Holiday ever. :P Another step down on the path to What A Long Strange Trip... and all the more to show for it!

On another note, I noticed something that I feel is awesome, as a Hunter, when the latest patch dropped. Now, when I mount on a ground mount, my pet doesn't despawn - he stays and runs beside me! This is something that existed in Vanilla WoW that I'd wished they'd bring back, but didn't see a way to in these days of all-world flying... However, they did! The moment you jump on a flying mount and take to the air, it acts as it always did, with your pet despawning and respawning when you dismount. But for ground mounts? Hatari never leaves my side now.

It's an encouragement, to me, at least, to take the slow path of the ground more often. I don't think I'll ever tire of seeing him at my side. :)