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Kings. Chiefs. Lords. Thanes. They all proclaim themselves masters - of you, of your people, of your lands.

With quill and with ink and with fine words, they draw up maps of a world they can never understand, mark lines upon it to claim what is theirs.

With steel and with whip and with bold claims, they command that you labour upon it in their name, and make you believe that you want to.

But they are wrong. They are the masters of nothing but the minds of fools. Will their crowns and gilded chairs protect them from what is to come?

The only true masters of this world are those forces that drive the world itself. and they. are. angry.

They will tolerate the hubris of us mere mortals no longer. The earth is hungry and demands a reckoning.

Rejoice. The coming fire will burn away your chains, and we will be cast to the winds as the dust we are, to thrash and turn forevermore in the glorious chaos that awaits.

The natural order will soon be restored.

The Hour is upon us.

Spoiler:

Durotar Drought Continiues

WATER PRICES continue to rise as the situation in Durotar shows no sign of improving for another long month. The night elves of Ashenvale continue to refuse all Orgrimmar's overtures for humanitarian aid, demanding the full withdrawal of all the Horde's forces in Northern Kalimdor to south of the Mor'shan Rampart before they will bring any terms to the table. Currently, Thunder Bluff is sending shipments of food, water and other provisions through the Barrens from fertile Mulgore to aid their close allies, but the High Chieftain of the Tauren has emphasised that his people's settlements in Mulgore do not have anything like the agricultural capacity to keep these donations coming for much longer.

Another well ran dry in Razor Hill yesterday, with yet more peons refusing to work until they have a legitimate guarantee that an alternative water source will be secured for their families. The substantially reduced workforce in Durotar is struggling to meet even half its typical labour quota, which is likely to mean another quarter of stagnation for the Kalimdor economy. This marks the abrupt end to an unprecedented surge in business interests by Kezani cartels in the Horde's heartland, one which sought to capitalise on the powerful war economy that arose to supply the Warsong Offensive's efforts in Northrend. The infrastructures that arose to support the Horde's campaign and demonstrated its unique economic capabilities now seem to be in a tragic state of terminal decline as this unprecedented period of scarcity persists.

The Times received a report last week that a full warband of Grunts stationed near the Great Lift in the Barrens had abandoned their posts and are currently suspected of desertion. There has been little sign of them since, but they were last seen heading towards a supposed 'meeting' somewhere in the deserts of the south, where an alleged solution to the Horde's problems was to be discussed. Floundering under the ineffecutal rule of a so-called Warchief, who so far has refused to participate in any actual conflicts his Horde has found itself in for nearly the past decade, it is easy to see why calls for action among the orcs are growing louder. They are a people who admire strong, dynamic individuals, and while they revere the wise, all orcs know that wisdom not tempered by the willingness to act is no wisdom at all.

Crippled by indecision and a reliance on the unreliable predictions of certain Farseers, the Horde's crude governmental structures seem to be teetering closer and closer to outright collapse in the face of these challenges, while its robust military remains uneasy in its state of general demobilisation. But if Thrall cannot salvage the Horde's fortunes, then who can?

Alright. So, as we've discussed in the other threads, the Cataclysm cores are...definitely not perfect. We've been waiting a long time for fixes to a number of issues, especially database related, and the miracle patch that we've been waiting for has never arrived. It is probable that it never will.

That's why we've decided to move on to Cataclysm anyway.

Not right away. We've now set the GMs to work preparing the world for the coming of Cataclysm. The doors are now open to lead-in events if the desire to run them arises. We're preparing and getting things underway. Will it be easy? Certainly not. But we're going to try anyway, however bumpy the road is.

Consider this a holiday present from the GM team to the server.

Happy Winter's Veil again, folks!

Like the last few years, we will once again be handing out gifts today! Greatfather Grakor will be fielding requests for presents starting at about noon server, so try and plan RP after that time (presuming you'll be online).

As usual, some guidelines:

Quote:Now, bear in mind that there will be some restriction to items, and depending on what you request you may not be allowed to use it ICly. We will probably state as much when any certain item is requested. Also, no heroic gear (or equivalent-level PvP gear) will be gifted, sorry! Think of something fun to request! Preferably, write up a list of your top three choices in case your first or second choice is declined.

For anyone not able to attend, a separate thread will be started after the event to put requests in. Keep an eye out for it!

For gift ideas or to see what was given last year (or see what folks get this year as it's happening), feel free to visit the spreadsheet!

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