Mogging With Mementos

Tabana: Classic bows are always a popular topic with hunters. Last week Laeleiweyn at World of Lae wrote a great article on the complex and challenging quest chains leading to Rhok’delar, Longbow of the Ancient Keepers, and yesterday Anne Stickley at WoW Insider wrote an interesting article explaining the lore associated with the bow. Likewise, transmogrification has been a popular topic with hunters since its inception. At WHH, we’ve reposted many blog posts and screenshots with very creative and cool hunter transmogs over the last few months, and several weeks ago we gathered them all together into a guide that has also been popular.

For me, the main draw of transmogrification is that I’m able to use the mementos, of challenges overcome and good times with close friends, that I’ve been keeping in my bank over the years. Rhok’delar is a night elf bow, thus it had an extra meaning for me as a night elf hunter. Not long after transmogrification became available I set up a screenshot and transmog to try and complement the appearance and lore of the bow.

Rhok'delar, Longbow of the Ancient Keepers (click twice to enlarge)

I found a spot near the Darnassus target dummies where there are vines growing on the side of the warrior’s terrace that look very similar to the bow. They are twisted, with bright flowers sprouting from them, giving the impression that the bow might have been made from the same vines. The screenshot is my tongue-in-cheek take on protecting the sacred grove. :)

Aside from the bow, which is no longer obtainable, all of the other pieces of the set are easy to get:

Der’izu Chestpiece (BoE world drop)
Gryphon Mail Pauldrons (BoE world drop)
Oceansong Kilt (drops from the reward chest after killing Vazruden and Nazan in Hellfire Ramparts heroic)
Ruthless Gladiator’s Links of Cruelty (1650 Conquest Points)
Tsunami Gloves (leatherworking)

Scepter of Celebras and Black Bow of the Betrayer (click twice to enlarge)

The second transmog set is the set I’m currently using and plan to use for the foreseeable future. It’s not a particularly unique set; I see many hunters with similar looks. However, I like it, and it incorporates several mementos including a staff that was rewarded from a quest I completed a long long time ago: The Scepter of Celebras.

Many years ago, I was asked by Cavindra, great granddaughter of the goddess Elune and the demi-god Malorne, to find her corrupted brother Celebras and deliver the two parts of his broken scepter to him. The two parts were of course held by bosses in different sections of Mauradon, a long and complex maze. There was also the added detail that Celebras was so corrupted that in order to even speak with him we had to kill him. The reward for these efforts was worth the trouble: The Sceptor of Celebras could be used as a teleportation device to transport myself and my party directly from the pre-instance area to Earthsong Falls in inner Mauradon. Back then, it was a device that could potentially save hours of time. Once I was done running Maura, I kept the Sceptor in the bank to help friends who were leveling. In Wrath of the Lich King, the portal function of the Sceptor became obsolete. However, seeing that it was given to me by the ghost of Elune’s great grandson, I kept it anyway.

Sceptor of Celebras

The boots and bow for my transmog are both from the Black Temple. They are easily obtained now and if you are adventurous you can even solo the bosses to get them. It’s much easier to farm them though if you bring a friend or two along. When I got the bow and boots it was not such a a quick and easy affair. Before one could even enter the Black Temple, one had to go to Hyjal Summit and kill Rage Winterchill. In order to gain entry to Hyjal Summit, one had to accomplish a great many difficult tasks, as summarized in this chart from World of Raids:

The Burning Crusade Raid Attunement Chart (click twice to enlarge)

The journey to the Black Temple took nearly the entire expansion to complete. Once there, it took a month of resets before the bow dropped from Illidan, the night elf demon hunter turned demon. Along the way, many good memories were made, and warm friendships developed that have lasted to this day. I kept the Black Bow of the Betrayer as a memento of those experiences and am happy that I can use it once again; aside from the memories, it’s a very cool looking bow.

The other pieces of my transmog set:

Mail Combat Headguard I used to just turn off helm display but one evening after making Seafood Magnifique Feasts for the raid I forgot to remove my chef’s hat (doh!) so I picked up the most inconspicuous helm I could find.

Demon Stalker Shoulderguards Token drops from High King Maulgar. How to solo Maulgar and Gruul.

Demon Stalker Greaves Token drops from Gruul

Mistshroud Tunic I had originally planned to use the Demon Stalker Harness for this set but while I was compiling the night elf transmog gallery I saw a screenshot with the tunic and decided to use that instead. It is dropped by Yor in heroic Mana Tombs. Yor is a two-headed, fire-breathing demon puppy imprisoned inside of Nexus-Prince Shaffar’s Stasis Chamber, just before the final boss. In order to release Yor, you must either have Shaffar’s Stasis Chamber Key (requires completion of a quest chain and revered reputation with The Consortium) or The Eye of Haramad (requires completion of a quest chain and exalted reputation with The Consortium). The tunic is BoE and can sometimes be found on the AH.

Swiftarrow Gauntlets I’m a leatherworker and wanted to craft one piece. Mats for the gloves are easy.

War-Feathered Loop Purchased from G’eras in Shattrath for 312 Justice Points.

Softstep Boots of Tracking Drop from Teron Gorefiend in the Black Temple. I think the skulls add a touch of whimsy :)