As proof of my achievement, here is a screen shot. It is in no way altered or doctored.
I thought there’d be a parade. I pictured half-naked people appearing to pleasure me and feed me grapes. I mean, I am now part of the cream at the top, aren’t I? I’m an 80!
Well, nothing of the sort happened. A few people gave me congratulations in guild chat. I’m only a social member and they’re all hardened elite raid-monsters, but they were still very kind enough to take notice that it was my first 80 and to shower me with attention. I’d have made a true party of it, but the assault on the Arathi Basin Stables wasn’t going to pause for my celebration.
Shortly after, I was invited to a random heroic! ”Random heroic,” I thought. ”That sounds fancy!” I shouldn’t have felt let down when it happened, because I already knew, but there was something off-putting about rushing into my brand new “random heroic” and seeing dungeons I could’ve already done prior to 80. We’re sort of lead to believe there’s some mind-altering world behind the curtain. Instead, I saw the Wizard and found him to be a lie! I don’t even get any ruby slippers! Hmm, you know, Ruby Slippers work a lot like Hearth Stones.
Level-cap seamlessly continues along. There’s more quests to do. There’s dungeons to do. I can still PvP (if I want to spend a few hours as paste under the shoes of super-geared gods) in all the same areas. But now the number next to my name is the same as my friends, so I can join them on random dungeon runs. It’s not that there wasn’t anything new. It just came along over the last 10 levels. There’s more to come. But it doesn’t magically appear just because I’m 80.
So what of progress? Well, as anyone will tell you, it’s all gear now. Which means running heroics in rapid succession and gathering emblems and drops. I’ve gathered a strong sad 47 Emblems of Triumph and 4 Frosty ones. I finally found the emblem merchants, though I’m still sorting out just what I’m supposed to want.
I want a PvP set, because even though it was the BGs that just got me this capped level, I’m already itching for it again. I haven’t clawed out a spine in a couple days. I need my fix, man!
I guess I need to start getting some PvE gear. I’m only doing 1.5k DPS on the average heroic. I hear “that’s not horrible for a starting 80″. Everyone I’m grouping with is breaking 3k. Including the tanks. Sad kitty needs hurty sticks.
Then there’s the Heirloom items. I suspect I should save these for last. I’m not going to lie, I’ve been considering doing them first. I have a fever and the only cure is alting. My Resto Shaman is in that sweet spot of early 30s where she can heal most of her groups while AFK with a healing stream totem. There’s something satisfying about hearing “omg finally a good healer, thanks” as I spend half the fight stumbling with a spilled drink.
Anyham, I’d best get back to it. I need about a thousand emblems, and I’m getting them at a rate of about 5 a run. This could take a while.
Your fortune cookie:
There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. Crap, my last bind is in Exodar. WTB port 2 Kansas.
