Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Lunar Festival '12

The beginning of each year brings about the Lunar Festival in-game holiday. As always, it's based loosely on the Chinese New Years. All of the capital cities, as well as the regions of Nighthaven and Moonglade, decorate their towns with festival lanterns (much akin to the Chinese lanterns). For the year of 2012, the festival took place between January 22nd through February 12th. On the last day of the holiday, like all years prior, their a fantastic fireworks show in Moonglade over the Lake Elune'ara.


This holiday is one of the most simple in its design. The basic task is to go around the world and speak to the Elders of the Past. There are many located on Eastern Kingdoms, Kalimdor, and Northrend. With the release of Cataclysm, they added in a few more Elders to compensate for the new regions added into the game, as well as adjusting the locations of the previous elders due to the landscape changes that occurred due to the Shattering.


Before I put out the updated list of where all of the Elders are located, be sure that you collect the "bread crumb" quest that leads you into Moonglade. Shoot off some fireworks to get your Lunar Festival Invitation that'll port you straight there whenever you're standing in the large column of moonlight. The smaller beams created by the Elder's Moonstone will not work with the invitation. You can also get a new invitation if it expires by simply speaking to the Lunar Festival Harbinger located in or near almost all of the capital cities.

As always, the "bread crumb" quest really just gets you to Moonglade so you can get the quest to destroy Omen. It's not required to knock this particular part of the holiday out first, especially since you have quite a bit of time to get it done. Just make sure that you don't forget to do it before the holiday is over.

In short, Omen has to die. To spawn him, you need to kill his minions on the opposite end of the Lake Elune'ara and shoot off rocket clusters from the nearby cluster launchers. The general consensus is about 20 clusters, but if that doesn't work, just keep firing until he spawns in the lake. You don't have to be part of the killing party, which makes this quest tons easier for low level characters. Once Omen is defeated, his corpse will stick around for -roughly- 5 minutes and in the center of his body will be a beam of moonlight. Stepping into that beam will grant you the buff of Elune's Blessing, which is the completion of the quest.

Moving on to the other part of the holiday; world traveling and honoring your elders. Like all years previous, the Elders still hand out the Lucky Red Envelopes that always contain one of two things. You either receive an Elder's Moonstone or a Lucky Rocket Cluster. The Elder's Moonstone simply creates a beam of moonlight, which is helpful for marking targets or playing musical "chairs." And the Lucky Rocket Cluster simply boosts your maximum HP by a set amount. If these rockets scaled with level, they would be worth more to a max level character. As it stands, they give a constant buff of +250 maximum health. At 85, I would label this as absolutely nothing.

You also receive a Coin of Ancestry for each Elder you honor. These coins are not holiday-locked, so they have a turn-over value, if you didn't spend (or throw out) your entire stash from years prior. These coins are the real draw to the holiday as they are the vendor currency to purchase the holiday items. Tailors and Engineers are the still the cream-of-the-crop for this holiday, as they have the only patterns available for purchase. They're still BoP patterns, as usual, so keep your alts' coins away from them.

Aside from the patterns, there are a few other purchasable items from the holiday vendors. Dresses and pant suits, as well as a percentage based food and a "fireworks pack" are all purchasable with the Coins. This vendor also sells the Elune's Candle vanity item for a handful of silver. A separate vendor sells a glowing alcohol and individual fireworks for silver and copper.

The big "item of the year" for the 2012 Lunar Festival are the new companion pets. They are faction-specific, but as they are not BoP, they can be traded to the opposite faction. The Lunar Lantern is available to Alliance and the Festival Lantern is available to the Horde.

On to the achievements!
  • Lunar Festival Finery: Take five of those lovely little Ancestry Coins you've been tracking down from the Elders and use them to purchase a Festival Pant Suit or Festival Dress of any color. To note, the red festival dress/pant suit made by tailors does not count toward this achievement.
  • The Rocket's Red Glare: Spend a tiny little bit of your money on purchasing up 10 -red- rocket clusters. Make sure they're red or they won't count. After that, find yourself a cluster launcher and have at it. With 25 seconds on the timer, you really can't mess up unless you purposely screw it up or lag hates you.
  • Frenzied Firecracker: Just like the rockets, purchase firecrackers from the Lunar Festival vendors. You'll, again, need ten of these. Set them to a hotkey and toss 'em out on each cooldown. This one is easier to screw up, missing a single cooldown will make you fail. Grab some extra 'crackers if you don't think you'll get it in the first ten. Just keep going until you get it.
  • Elune's Blessing: Complete the pre-requisite quests to gain access to the Elune's Blessing quest to go after Omen. Whether you actually participated in besting the beast or if you showed up during the aftermath, you can still complete the quest. As long as the beam of moonlight is there to grant the Elune's Blessing buff, you're good to roll. Turn the quest in to complete this achievement.
  • Elders of the Eastern Kingdoms: Simply honor all of the Elders located on the Eastern Kingdoms. There are 24 total Elders on the Eastern Kingdoms that count toward the various Elder achievements. See the complete list after the break.
  • Elders of Kalimdor: Simply honor all of the Elders located on Kalimdor. There are 26 total Elders on Kalimdor that count toward the various Elder achievements. See the complete list after the break.
  • Elders of Northrend: Go around Northrend and honor the 25 total Elders there. Some count toward the Dungeon Elders count, but they all matter toward completing the Meta. See the complete list after the break.
  • Elders of the Cataclysm: Venture forth to the newest additions to the region with the Cataclysm expansion pack and find the 9 hidden Elders there. See the complete list after the break.
  • Elders of the Dungeons: Seek out the 13 Elders hiding away in instances on any of the three continents. These Elders might require some creativity, ingenuity, or friends. As always with instance achievements, doing this at level cap is significantly easier. See the complete list after the break.
  • Elders of the Horde: Saunter, or tip-toe, your way through the Horde capitals and honor their very own Elders. There are 3 total Elders for this achievement. See the complete list after the break.
  • Elders of the Alliance: Much like the Elders of the Horde, make your way through the Alliance capital cities and honor the Elders of the Alliance. There are 3 totals Elders for this achievement as well. See the complete list after the break.


EASTERN KINGDOMS
Snowcrown: Eastern Plaguelands, Light Hope's Chapel (75, 54)
Farwhisper: Stratholme, Live Side near The Unforgiven
Windrun: Eastern Plaguelands, Crown Guard Tower (35.6, 68.8)
Meadowrun: Western Plaguelands, Weeping Cave (63.5, 36.1)
Moonstrike: Western Plaguelands, Outside Scholomance (69.2, 73.5)
Graveborn: Tirisfal Glades, Brill (61.9, 53.9)
Darkcore: Undercity, Ruins of Lordaeron Throne Room (67, 38)
Obsidian: Silverpine Forest, The Sepulcher (45, 41.1)
Highpeak: The Hinterlands, Creeping Ruin (49, 47.9)
Darkfeather: Twilight Highlands, Thundermar Ruins (51, 33)
Firebeard: Twilight Highlands, Dunwald Ruins (50, 70)
Silvervein: Loch Modan, Thelsamar (33, 46)
Goldwell: Dun Morogh, Kharanos (53.9, 49.9)
Bronzebeard: Ironforge, Mystic Ward (29, 16)
Ironband: Searing Gorge, Blackchar Cave (21.3, 79.1)
Morndeep: Blackrock Depths, Ring of Law
Stonefort: Lower Blackrock Spire, Inner Bridgework
Dawnstrider: Burning Steppes, Flame Crest (53.6, 24.5)
Rumblerock: Burning Steppes, Dreadmaul Rock (70.1, 45.4)
Starsong: Sunken Temple, Dragonkin Ring
Bellowrage: Blasted Lands, Dark Portal (54.3, 49.5)
Starglade: Northern Stranglethorn, Zul'Gurub (71, 34.3)
Winterhoof: Cape of Stranglethorn, Booty Bay (39.9, 72.5)
Skychaser: Westfall, Sentinel Hill (56.6, 47)
Stormbrow: Elwynn Forest, Goldshire (39.8, 63.7)
Hammershout: Stormwind City, Stormwind Gates (34.2, 50.6)

KALIMDOR
Bladeswift: Darnassus, Cenarion Enclave (39.1, 31.9)
Bladeleaf: Teldrassil, Dolanaar (57, 53)
Starweave: Darkshore, Near Lor'danel (49.5, 19)
Nightwind: Felwood, Jaedenar (38.8, 52.9)
Riversong: Ashenvale, Astranaar (35.6, 48.9)
Windsong: Mount Hyjal, Sanctuary of Malorne (26, 62)
Evershade: Mount Hyjal, Nordrassil (62, 22)
Brightspear: Winterspring, Lake Kel'Theril (53.2, 56.8)
Stonespire: Winterspring, Everlook (60.1, 49.9)
Skygleam: Azshara, Ravencrest Monument (64.7, 79.3)
Darkhorn: Orgrimmar, Flight Master Tower (52.4, 60)
Runetotem: Durotar, Razor Hill (53.2, 43.6)
Windtotem: Northern Barrens, Ratchet (68.4, 70)
Moonwarden: Northern Barrens, Crossroads (48.5, 59.3)
High Mountain: Southern Barrens, Vendetta Point (41.5, 47.5)
Bloodhoof: Mulgore, Bloodhoof Village (48.3, 53.4)
Ezra Wheathoof: Thunder Bluff, Elder Rise (73, 23.3)
Splitrock: Maraudon, Rotgrip/Tinkerer Gizlock Area
Mistwalker: Feralas, The Maul (62, 31)
Grimtotem: Feralas, Lariss Pavillion (76.7, 37.9)
Primestone: Silithus, Crystal Vale (30.8, 13.3)
Bladesing: Silithus, Cenarion Hold (53, 35.5)
Thunderhorn: Un'goro Crater, Slithering Scar (50.4, 76.1)
Menkhaf: Uldum, Khartut's Tomb (65, 18)
Sekhemi: Uldum, Ruins of Ammon (32. 63)
Ragetotem: Tanaris, Ruins of Uldum (37.2, 79.1)
Dreamseer: Tanaris, Gadgetzan (51.3, 27.8)
Wildmane: Zul'Farrak, Gahz'rilla's Pool
Morningdew: Thousand Needles, Fizzle & Pozzik's Speedbarge (77.1, 75.6)
Skyseer: Thousand Needles, Freewind Post (46.4, 51)

NORTHREND
Sardis: Borean Tundra, Valiance Keep (59.1, 65.6)
Arp: Borean Tundra, D.E.H.T.A. (57.3, 43.7)
Pamuya: Borean Tundra, Warsong Hold (42.9, 49.6)
Northal: Borean Tundra, Transitus Shield (33.8, 34.4)
Igasho: The Nexus, Ormorok the Tree-Shaper Area
Sandrene: Sholozar Basin, River's Heart (49.8, 63)
Wanikaya: Sholozar Basin, Rainspeaker Rapids (63.8, 49)
Bluewolf: Wintergrasp Fortress (49, 13.9)
Morthie: Dragonblight, Star's Rest (29.7, 55.9)
Skywarden: Dragonblight, Agmar's Hammer (35.1, 48.3)
Nurgen: Azjol-Nerub, Post-Hadronox
Thoim: Dragonblight, Moa'ki Harbor (48.8, 78.2)
Jarten: Utgarde Keep, Post-Prince Keleseth
Chogan'gada: Utgarde Pinnacle, Under Skadi the Ruthless
Beldak: Grizzly Hills, Westfall Brigade Encampment (60.6, 27.7)
Lunaro: Grizzly Hills, Ruins of Tethys (80.5, 37.1)
Whurain: Grizzly Hills, Camp Oneqwah (64.2, 47)
Kilias: Drak'Tharon Keep, King Dred's Den
Tauros: Zul'Drak, Zim'Torga (58.9, 56)
Ohanzee: Gun'Drak, Drakkari Colossus Altar
Graymane: The Storm Peaks, K3 (41.2, 84.7)
Fargal: The Storm Peaks, Frosthold (28.9, 73.7)
Stonebeard: The Storm Peaks, Bouldercrag's Refuge (31.3, 37.6)
Muraco: The Storm Peaks, Camp Tunka'lo (64.6, 51.3)
Yurauk: Halls of Stone, Pre-Krystallus

CATACLYSM (Since the portals are located in either contintent depending on your faction, I'm not going to put them as part of any order. Get these at your leisure, just don't forget them.)
Moonlance: Vashj'ir, Shimmering Expanse (57, 86)
Stonebrand: Deepholm, Temple of Earth (49. 54)
Deepforge: Deepholm, Stonehearth (27, 69)


For more in-depth information on this holiday, follow the following link to Wowhead's article and guide: 2012 Lunar Festival Guide


And on to the part that no one really cares about, but I put on here to show how much of a completionist I am.. The list of my own personal achievements!

Warrior: Elder of '09. Despite already having the meta completed, Cataclysm Elders completed in '12.

Paladin: Elder of '10. Despite already having the meta completed, Cataclysm Elders completed in '12.

Druid: Elder of '11. Despite already having the meta completed, Cataclysm Elders completed in '12.

Death Knight: Elder of '10. Despite already having the meta completed, Cataclysm Elders completed in '12.

Mage: Elder of '11. Despite already having the meta completed, Cataclysm Elders completed in '12.

Rogue: Elder of '12. Firecrackers and rocket launching completed in '09, Alliance Elders in '11, and all other achievements completed in '12.

No further progression made on alternate alts. Will continue to complete holidays as alts reach personally set required levels, despite the future release of account-wide achievements, and will post them up as they come. Will also begin removing/replacing toons as newer ones begin their holiday ventures, unless new achievements come out.
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