The Search for the Best Quest Series Ever: Contender #1

From now on, the title of this column is going to to be shortened to SBQSE. It doesn’t really roll off the tongue, but it’s better than typing all that out again. Anyway… the search for the best quest series ever. This column is going to be dedicated to finding the quest series that made me sit back and say “Wow. Now that… that was something special”. Quest series that properly impacted on you, making you want to do them again and again. I, of course, already have a few in a mind. WoW is littered with quest lines after all…

But today, we will be dealing with the Death Knight start area and the quest line there. So, hit the link if you need a reminder, and move on if you havn’t experienced it yet and don’t want it to be spoiled.

The quest line starts when you log in as a fresh faced Death Knight Initiate. No fancy sword, no amazing armour, just some robes, a waxy complexion and an old blade that you pick up off the floor, just about. The start quests are your basic storytelling/teaching deal. Pick up sword, learn to rune forge, fight fellow initiate and so on. The real joy starts when you fly down to Deaths Breach, and get sent on a killing spree through Havenshire, killing soldiers and citizens, collecting arrows, and in my favourite part, stealing horses.  Its fairly chilling when you Death Grip a fleeing woman back to you, hear her shout “Please don’t! I’ve got two children!” and proceed to stab her anyway.

As the story progresses you’re sent to perform more dubious tasks for the Lich King, who by the way, is constantly whispering at you and watching your every move. Clearly, the guy has no sense of personal space. Anyway, things start to turn around when you’re told to kill a prisoner in Avalon… it’s an old friend of yours, and boy is he unhappy to see you. He tells you how you were once a great hero, protecting the innocen, fighting for good and so on. At this point, despite my enjoyment of the role of a totally heartless thug, I actually felt a little guilty. Part way through his speech though, your superior wants to know what’s taking so long, so you have to kill the poor guy. This I did not like. I was most tempted to go and beat my superior into the floor, but of course you can’t. This is pretty much where you start thinking… hey, I don’t want to be evil. It’s not nice.

Fortunately, you don’t have to be for long. For soon after this event you’re sent over to Light’s Hope Chapel. Here, 300 (I see what you did there, Blizzard) Argent defenders are waiting for you and Darion Mograine, as you attack the Chapel in an attempt to wipe out the resistance.  You get creamed. Absolutely thrashed. Tirion Fordring is not a happy fella, and seems to be wiping out Scourge troops left right and centre. Eventually you’re beaten, and forced to kneel to Fordring. At this point, the Lich King appears, somewhat unhappy that you caved. Fordring asks him what the deal is, why he sent his own troops to die. His own troops being Mograine, and YOU. The King replies that we’re essentially worthless and our sacrifice means nothing. Mograine, annoyed by this, tries to deck him, but the King is having none of it. Mograine’s father appears, and Mograine gets upset and his inner child goes off to have a renunion. Fordring has had enough of the King standing there oozing cold and evil, and jumps him. The Lich King can’t beat him, and legs it.

So it pretty much turns out that you go back to good side because 1) The Lich King was using you and didn’t really love you at all, and 2) He’s a total pushover. Seriously, get him on some Holy Ground and the lad’s got nothing. Nothing!

If you havn’t made a Death Knight yet, go and do it, for the starter quests alone. That quest line is contender #1, as it’s awesome, funny, and really good lore wise.

Keep an eye for the next column, for it features a quest line so epic I required a change of clothes at the end of it.