The Battered Hilt

With some gold burning a hole in my pockets, I ran over to the auction house today, plunked down the 9700g for a battered hilt. If you don't already know, this is the 'epic' quest chain that has you rebuild one of the "ancient" weapons. The quest chain has you piece together the pieces of the weapon, fix them, bless them then get permission to use the weapon. When completed, you get to choose from 4 different swords. I am loving the Lens of the Mind (comparison) as a Warlock. Sure I'll lose some +hit, but I'll gain:

• 7 Int
• 20 Sta
• 54 Crit (1.18%) 
• 107 Spell Power

Once you get the hilt, you head up to the Argent tourney grounds and meet with a weapon specialist up there. He helps you identify the hilt. Once you've identified it, you get a surprise meeting with an ICC boss, who tells you to STOP. It's a very dangerous weapon that this boss helped destroy to prevent the Lich King from finding and fixing.

Night Elf in Filthy Animal

One of my favorite pieces of the quest chain, so far, is turning into a Silver Enclave guard and running up into the Alliance inn, which is the first (and probably only) time I've ever seen the inside. Note, you do the Alliance version of this quest (not the horde according to Wowwiki). The Arcanist is in the library above the entrance, hit the stairs and turn around. You have some time after the transformation, so feel free to look around. If it runs out, run back to the Filthy Animal to be re-transformed.

This is wear the guards get there clothes washed.

This is also another phased quest chain. Here I was washing laundry on the top floor of the Threads of Fate, while people were running through looking for the books.

 The hardest part about the entire quest is going to be running all 3 Icecrown instances and doing a quest item in the middle of each. "Hold on group, got the hilt quest to do."

Pit of Saron can be done in Normal mode (all can be done on normal.. Highly suggested, at least on my server because this was an immediate entrance. (Not the normal 15-minute Heroic random time for DPS.) I did not find all 5 infused sarronite until right before Ick, and it would have added a few minutes for me to run back. I wasn't about to hold up my group, so I ran back after killing Scourgelord Tyrannus to the forge and completed the quest. (not sure if this was because someone stuck around in group with me.) Just make sure to loot the quest item off Garfrost after the kill. All dead npcs disappeared after the completion (live ones we skipped did not).

Frozen Halls turning in quest. Remember this place? I forgot.

Next Forge of Souls. This was easy. No interruption in the instance, no gathering. Simply toss the sword in the forge after the last boss fight, before zoning out.

whirlwind is new elite spawning, look closely.

Finally, Halls of Reflection. For this fight, I had an almost 20 minute queue time. I think it's because most people don't really like the waves upon waves of ghosties, then scourge. Walking into this instance is a bit different. Immediately, Uther materializes and yells at you "Don't bring that sword in here"... Well, then your party better be ready to subdue this new level 80 elite. Fight done, the rest of the instance goes normally.

being detained at sunwell, while cleansing sword.

Now out to Isle of Quel'danas and the Sunwell. No raid required. After proving to the previous ghost owner that you are responsible, you get free pass to the stairwell outside the Sunwell. Now, not sure if it is zoned at this time, but there's a lot of changes going on now on that island. For one, no beasts fighting before the sunwell and the portal has been shut down. At the Sunwell, they try to take the sword from you. No fight, but political subterfuge. You've already proven yourself, so you keep the sword.

mighty spellpower enchant added sparkles.

Woohoo! Now port back, turn in quest and now I have a shiny new sword! Unfortunately after a 500g enchant, am now also broke (1g on main, 200g in bank). Not even enough to post my gem auctions.

/cry