The stuff of Legends.

About a week ago, I sat down and had a major brainstorming session. The part-time job that is leading a guild was wearing down my interest in the game, and I desperately needed to ignite a spark to continue to even have an interest in logging on. And I want that spark. I don't want to sound like an addict, but I WANT to play World of Warcraft for a while still. It's a game I enjoy more than other games, and as long as I want to play a game, I want to play the one I enjoy the most. Re-discovering the thrill of the game is, to me, essential.

So there I was, sitting in my cosy chair looking for a spark. And the voice in my head said to me, "Why not have a look at that new legendary?", and so I did. And the more I read, the more I realized that this weapon is entirely possible to get with dedication, hard work and focus. It's, unlike the twin glaives of I-Saw-Not, a gamebreaking and beautiful weapon that can be obtained by anyone willing to go through the labour required. Of course, killing Arthas on 25-man difficulty won't be done by any PuG, you'll have to seek compromises, alliances and fellow grinders at almost every corner. But that still means it's in our own hands. It's just harder and more involved. Unlike Val'Anyr back in Ulduar, this quest will take time, feverish and slaving dedication, and not just some random drops, kill a boss and get a mace. The operative word when grinding Val'Anyr was always "random", not "kill a boss".

With Shadowmourne, that's changed. You need to kill a boss, six bosses, even. Plus the random number of bosses needed for all the Saronite (which hopefully will be available for Frost emblems as well, though at what price, we still do not know). Plus the 1060 (+) mobs for the Souls and Shards. You need to raid Icecrown Citadel, both 10- and 25-man versions, for God knows how many resets. What you don't need, is to silently cry inside everytime you kill a boss and the thing you need DON'T drop. Full Ulduar clear and no fragments? Tough luck. Shadowmourne will, in comparison, be an absolute nightmare of a grind, but it will be predicatable and controllable. In short, it will be a perfect design for an amazing item.

Which leads us back to my chair, and my thinking. And the voice in my head says to me, "Why not give it a shot?", and I can't see any reason not to. It'll require new friends, new allies, not to mention a new realm and even a new faction. It will even require to say goodbye to the guild I've been with since I first purchased the roster for it two years ago, a roster which at least 7-8 of the original signers are still part of. But time has come to move on and start anew, and as of that day in my chair, I left alliance behind and started a new life as horde, spending my days preparing for the coveted patch 3.3 going live. I found the challenge. I found the spark.

Shadowmourne will be mine.