Twilight Highlands: Level 84 - Monday, May 9, 2011

When you reach Level 84, you become eligible for a quest that has been issued by the King of Stormwind himself, Varian Wrynn.  

The King charges you with finding out more about the mysterious activities of the Twilights Hammer cult, which he says has his people terrified, since he doesn't know how deep their treachery runs.  He also asks that you take his son, Anduin, along on some of your adventures, and show him to be strong and decisive.  

The King tells you to meet with the person in charge of the Twilights Hammer investigation, a completely normal, non-treacherous looking guard named Major Samuelson, who tells you that he suspects something is happening down at the docks.  

You find nothing talking to the dock workers, and even find out that the expedition that is nearly underway to the Twilight Highlands, the Twilight Hammer's front door, is missing supplies and gunpowder.  Anduin grows suspicious.  He insists that you take him to the city's records office to do some research on Major Samuelson, whom he thinks has a lead on the Twilights Hammer, and is trying to keep all the credit for himself.  

The truth is much more serious.  You find evidence that Samuelson is part of the Twilights Hammer, and has stolen the gunpowder to set off a bomb underneath the Stormwind Cathedral.  You are able to defuse the bomb, and get back to the castle, where you confront Samuelson who, cornered, admits his guilt and attempts to kill the king.  Varian is protected by Anduin's abilities as a priest, and furious, Samuelson transforms into a faceless monster.  

After defeating him, you have the king's gratitude, and he sends you to head up the expedition to the Twilight Highlands.  You hitch a ride from a dwarven pilot in the harbor.  

The overzealous pilot flies way too fast, and you pass out, coming to at the Twilight Highlands port of Highbank, which is under attack by the Horde-allied Dragonmaw Clan.  

You assist in the effort to fight off the Dragonmaw Clan, which results in Highbank becoming a fully functional Alliance base.  (As you complete quests, flight masters, mailboxes, profession trainers and a functional portal back to Stormwind all phase in.)  From there you set off on the task to unite all of the dwarf clans scattered throughout the Highlands under the Wildhammer Clan banner. 

This proves to be more difficult than it sounds.  The various clans are under attack from the Twilights Hammer and Black Dragonflight.  There is also infighting among the dwarves, with each clan also accusing the others of abandoning them in their time of need, but it turns out that with constant attacks on every clan, there is no opportunity for aid.  

Slowly but surely, you are able to aid each of the surviving clans, and gain their support.  Once all possible have been rescued, a council is held to decide if all of the clans will unite.  However, all of the old arguments arise at the summit, as each clan still feels abandoned and refuses to join the Wildhammers.  However, one dwarf sees an opportunity; if one of the Firebeards marries a Thundermar, they'll be bound by blood to unite.  You discuss the idea with the two dwarves involved, and they both agree, as they've fallen in love in a recent battle.  You help with the marriage preparation, like escorting the vital beer to the ceremony...

 and for your efforts, you are given the honor of walking the bride down the aisle.  

However, things go awry at the ceremony, as it turns out that the master of ceremonies has been corrupted by the Twilights Hammer, and attempts to interrupt the ceremony. 

You and the rest of the now-united Wildhammers fight the beast back.  You are successful, and the entire Wildhammer Clan joins the Alliance effort.  

Elsewhere, you receive a summons from the Earthen Ring, who are investigating a giant, writhing mass nearby, which they suspect is corrupting people into doing the Twilight Hammer's bidding.  

You and some Earthen Ring envoys conduct a flyby of the tainted ground, when your gryphon is seized by one of the giant tentacles, and you are deposited into the maw of the beast.  

Inside, you and the rest of the survivors attempt to fight back the countless blob creatures that the stomach produces as a defense mechanism.  There are too many, and you succumb.  Just as you are about to die, you are resurrected by Thrall, of all people, still at the Maelstrom's mouth.  

He tells you that he has brought you back because he is in need of your assistance.  Far in the distance, you can see Deathwing attacking the various members of the Earthen Ring that you've been helping since Vash'jir.  Thrall urges you to help, but you are rendered completely helpless and unable to act.  

All you can do is watch your allies get picked off one by one, Thrall berating you the whole time, and calling you worthless.  

Eventually, Deathwing turns his attention to you and Thrall....

and just as his fire consumes you, you wake up, back in the stomach of the massive beast.  Deathwing's attack was a hallucination brought on by the creature you are trapped in.  You free the rest of the Earthen Ring from its tentacles...

and attack the brain of the beast, before you are flown to safety.  

There's no time to rest, however, as you are greeted at the Earthen Ring location by an ambassador to the Red Dragonflight who is having a hard time gaining their trust.  Knowing that you have a knack for getting things done, they request that you go in their place.  After performing some tasks for Alexstraza's son, Calen, to get in the Dragon Queen's good graces, you eventually run into her as you clear out some Twilights Hammer saboteurs from outside Grim Batol, a former sanctuary for dwarves that has been overrun by Deathwing's forces.  

She says that there is no other choice...Deathwing must die for his atrocities.  She takes you and Calen to a sacred spot in the Highlands and calls out Deathwing, who arrives in style.  

After some banter, Alexstraza and Deathwing take to the skies for a dragon hug fight, while you ride a red dragonflight mount to thin out the black drakes protecting Deathwing.  

Eventually, it seems that Alexstraza has defeated Deathwing, but has been severely weakened by the fight.  Suddenly, Deathwing reappears and Calen charges you with protecting his mother as he attempts to buy you some time by fighting Deathwing.  

You and Alexstraza make your escape, and reunite with Calen, who is safe.  He says that Deathwing has retreated into hiding to recuperate from the fight.  

Finally, some of Stormwind's most seasoned forces decide that the time is right to attack the Twilights Hammer where they live.  You head up a group of elite soldiers as you attempt to infiltrate the Bastion of Twilight and cut off the head of the Hammer, or rather TWO heads, since the cult is led by a two-headed ogre named Cho'Gall.  

As you and the group sneak up towards the Bastion, Cho'Gall finds you and destroys your squad.  You have no choice but to retreat, and find one of Stormwind's most dangerous spies below, who gives you a task of utmost importance.  He has learned that the Twilights Hammer has been overseeing the creation of a powerful weapon, commissioned by Deathwing himself, that, if completed, could turn the tide in the Hammer's favor.  It is called...wait for it...the Hammer of Twilight.  

You learn the location of the Hammer, and before you can take it, Cho'Gall shows up again and reveals that you have walked into a trap.  He unleashes a giant gronn upon you and the forces that have arrived to take the Hammer, and you must kill it.  However, it is too late to obtain the Hammer, and Cho'Gall has retreated to the safety of the Bastion of Twilight, where only a raid of players can kill him.  

Coincidentally, as I was doing some quests in the Highlands, Deathwing showed up, as he does from time to time, and breathed fire on the entire zone, killing everyone in it.  Here's a look at the aftermath.  

Oh, also, this happened in Twilight Highlands.  More on my next update.