Honourable Foes
Leveling to 80 on a PvP server brings its share of mistrust about the opposite faction, the amount of backstabbing gankers on both sides sees to that.
I’m therefore always quite wary of my surroundings when engaged with some NPCs when alliance shows up.
Today, deciding to clean up my dragonblight quest log of the remaining group quests I never managed to do before, specced tankadin for a change to see where my ragtag offspec looting left me (532 def, 50% avoidance ex holy shield), it was no different, or so I thought.
I had an appointment in New Heartglen, to put an end to the High General in charge there.
After clearing around and waiting for the general to show herself, I quietly engaged her and calmly worked her down. And suddenly, behind me, a lower level alliance death knight shows up.
One of 73 seasons would probably have been manageable in tank spec – after all, it’s not as if the fight were taxing me to the limit, only my mana pool was something to keep an eye on from time to time.
The Death Knight engaged in combat too – with the general. So once my affair was over, and he picked his own fight, I gave him a hand in return. Death Knights may be powerful, but soloing the general at level 73? Nah. She was having him for dinner. The most difficult part? Not using any AoE abilities for fear of killing the DK.
We parted ways after exchanging salutes. Would the outcome have been different if he too were level 80? Possibly. Still, the human Death Knight Horcan was honourable in battle, and Honour I returned.
tsk. After said salute you should have murdered him.
Bah. Takes forever on prot spec.
/grin
From this ol chair vantage point, I see that you acted nobly and honorably and that the DK – whether through mindful intent or lucky accident – acted in a manner that avoided foolishness! Putting yourself in his shoes, he is 7 levels under you and has a near impossible quest fight in front of him to which he does not need an aggravated and vengeful player further exacerbating.
He was certainly respectful to assist you and to salute you – credit where credit is due.
Had he been the 80 and you the 73, he showed up after you had begun, and *still* helped – THEN he would indeed by honorable.
An observation I have found [unfortunately] to be true virtually every day is that if the opposing faction outnumbers you, or outlevels you, or both — then their behavior changes drastically from noble to nefarious. You see it all the time. You and a member of the opposing faction are questing in the same area and go through that brief moment where you size each other and watch to see intent, then respectfully go about questing ‘near’ each other without any hostilities. Then as soon as one more of their faction arrives, they gank you!
/sigh
Perhaps it is pack mentality, or hubris, or a simple lack of that there honorable nobility that you clearly had in Hearthglen!
It is nice to hear a story like this every now and then. I too play on a PVP server on the Horde side and unfortunately, it is not often that these encounters end honorably. Actually, I cannot think of once where, when I was lower that I did not end up running back from the grave yard. It doesn’t bother me, I actually enjoy the challenge of leveling through those low level zones (except Stranglethorn Vale, I avoid that place…..bad memories) and trying not to get killed. If they kill me, no worries. It is the corpse camping that irritates me and draws my wrath. Otherwise, if you kill me and go on, hey after all I do play on a PVP server. I am sure you will get yours.
When WoW was released, I rolled on two pvp servers. For the first few years, that’s where I leveled to 60 and remained. I raided the Core and saw millions get slaughtered outside the entryway for their 40 man raid. I occasionally joined the pile of bones when I wasn’t fast enough to get inside (or someone got off a darn fear).
I honestly don’t recall any occasion back then where any Horde helped me. I think as the game has evolved, so have the players. It’s interesting to see it first hand and I’ve actually witnessed it on the PVE servers I now play on.
i also level on a pvp server (dentrag Eu) horde and when i get beat im like ok, then i get beat again b the same person and they just find it enjoyable when im just trying to kill mobs and quest it stupid! then i call a lvl 80 and thats quite fun!
PVP server…. I miss leveling in Stranglethorn Vale. Oh, the never-ending gankfest…