Love is in the Air is the name of a world event in World of Warcraft.  It corresponds to Valentine’s Day in the “real world”.  The exact dates the Love is in the Air event takes place can vary from year to year, but it always covers February 14.  In 2015, this world event came before Lunar fest (which felt strange to me).

Shawn and I decided to take our low level Dwarf characters and see what they could do in the Love is in the Air world event.  The “holidays” always include at least a few quests that low level characters can do.  This blog features the highlights of Hansbrix the Hunter’s, and Bradanna the Priest’s, shared experience in the “Valentine’s Day” event in WoW.  The screenshots you see in this blog are from February 5, February 7, February 8, February 9, and February 12, 2015.

We started out in Stormwind and picked up the quests where you have to distribute chocolate or spray perfume. These are great for low level players to do because you can complete the entire quest without leaving whatever major city you started in.

Sharing Sample Bon Bons

At first, Bradanna tried to find players to give the bon bons to.  Receive a sample bon bon, and it comes with a free heart that floats over your head.  Hansbrix, on the other hand, seemed to prefer to share bon bons with the guards.

 Happy Auction House!

Happy toy vendor!

Happy Jewelers!

Happy Bankers!

Happy Hansbrix and Happy Bradanna flying away!

Shawn and I are easily amused and tend to spend more time goofing around in WoW than focusing on quests or leveling.  It’s all about whatever’s fun at the moment.  The only thing we are sticking to is completing one zone before focusing on another one.  Well, sort of.  We tend to drop everything when the world events appear so we can go work on it before it disappears.  But, then we go back to where we left off.

The very best NPC to spray with the perfume samples is… Inspector Snip Snagglebolt.  Why him? That would be because he immediately complains about being sprayed with the perfume sample! Players get to annoy an NPC Goblin with what appears to be a harmless spray of perfume.

The quest where you get turned into a Goblin is kind of fun (once you figure out that you can point the Goblin in any direction you want – but you can’t make the Goblin stop running).  It’s easy to get stuck on things, and the quest is on a time limit. Fortunately, players who screw this up can immediately have a “do-over”.

We were able to complete the quest chain that sends players running around Stormwind in search of a Goblin named Snivel Rustrocket.  It starts with a crying Human woman named Marion Sutton who believes that her boyfriend, Snivel, has abandoned her.  She’s very upset!

When players arrive in the room at the Gilded Rose Inn where Marion Sutton is located, she says:

Marion Sutton: “You…You’re not Snivel.  Did he send you?  He’s so late, I started to give up hope…”

<Tears start welling up in the woman’s eyes once she realizes you aren’t there to deliver a message from Snivel.>

“That’s not like my Snivel, but what other choice is there?”

At this point in the quest chain, it appears that the player has come across a crying woman who feels her boyfriend has left her – without a word.  She’s obviously quite smitten with this Goblin guy she met, and getting very anxious that he hasn’t met her at the Gilded Rose at the time they were supposed to meet.  He’s late.  She’s so heartbroken that she doesn’t think to question why the player has walked into the room where she is waiting. She just wants her boyfriend back.

So far, the storyline here feels very “Valentine-y”, especially when Marion Sutton tells the player more about her relationship with Snivel Rustrocket.

Marion Sutton: “I’d better start from the beginning.  It was love at first sight, [Player’s name]. There was just something about that goblin from the moment I set eyes on him.”

“After a wonderful week together, Snivel said he had come into a lot of money and that he was going to take me on a long vacation to the South Seas!  Can you believe it?”

“Anyway, he told me to pack while he ran some errands to the bank, the auction house, and the barber shop, but he never came back!  I’m beginning to think he’s nothing but a big liar!”

The player then goes chasing after Snivel Rustrocket, not because Marion is upset, but because Inspector Snip Snagglebot sent them on that task.

The first time I did this quest chain – it was super fun!  It feels like you have a time limit to catch Snivel before he gets away, and he evades you more than once.  Low level players can do this quest chain because it doesn’t require you to leave Stormwind or fight any enemies.  It is definitely a more exciting quest than the “bon bons and/or perfume” ones.

After that, you return to Marion Sutton.  This is the point where this quest starts getting icky (if you’ve been paying attention to what she’s saying).

In the above screenshot, Bradanna is breaking the bad news to Marion, while Hansbrix sits next to her and offers sympathy.  Fridge, Hansbrix’s Hunter pet, is so utterly bored by all of this that he started hitting his head against the wall.  (Good thing bears are resilient!)

Marion Sutton: “All he talked about was leaving town with all his money?  Then he really has abandoned me, hasn’t he?”  

“Oh, [Player’s name], I was such a fool to fall for him, but how could I help myself?  He was so irresistible!”

<Marion listens with horror as you tell her why you’re trying to track down Snivel.>

“You mean, he might’ve used some kind of chemical on me?  Ew!  I can’t believe I fell for that fraud!”

She then immediately tells you exactly where you can find Snivel.  The player rushes down to the Stormwind Harbor to find him.  After that short encounter, (which leaves Snivel completely able to leave Stormwind, since the player somehow isn’t there to stop him), the quest can be turned in to Inspector Snip Snagglebot.  That ends the quest chain.

Let’s take a closer look at this situation:

* Snivel has been hired by the Crown Chemical Company (which is under investigation because something is not quite right with the perfume they are giving out free samples of).  The perfume makes people feel like they are in love.  Snivel uses this perfume on Marion (unbeknownst to her).

* Marion (a human) meets a Goblin named Snivel.  She immediately finds him irresistible and believes she has fallen in love with him.  One could reasonably assume that Marion thinks that feeling is mutual.  This is an unusual situation on Azeroth, since humans and Goblins are of different factions, and also because the “event” Goblins are clearly up to something nefarious in the Love is in the Air world event.

* Marion and Snivel spend “a wonderful week” together.

* The player finds Marion sitting on a bed in the Gilded Rose Inn, where she is waiting for Snivel to return, after being told to pack her bags for the trip to the South Seas.  It is strongly implied that this unlikely couple’s “wonderful week” took place in this room (and on that bed).  I mean, she’s not waiting for Snivel at a table in the main part of the Inn – she’s upstairs in a room!

* Marion “listens with horror” as the player informs her that Snivel used a chemical on her (and that the chemical is what made her fall in love with him… and do whatever they did together during their “wonderful week”.)  She immediately blames herself for what happened. “I can’t believe I fell for that fraud!”  The way I see it, Marion is not at fault.  The chemical in the perfume appears to be Azeroth’s version of a “date rape” drug.  What happened is not her fault at all – it is entirely Snivel’s fault.

* The player now realizes that he or she has been spraying random people in Stormwind with the same perfume that Snivel used on Marion.

* Snivel gets to leave Stormwind – and completely evade having to face any consequences for what he did to Marion.  (He also gets to escape all consequences for whatever part he’s played in the distribution of the chemical laden perfume).

It turns out this quest chain wasn’t a love story – and it wasn’t very “Valentine-y” – after all.  It’s just plain disgusting!  It does not appear that whomever at Blizzard was in charge of this particular quest chain thought things through – or asked women what they thought of it.

Now, if Blizzard decided to update the Love is in the Air world event someday – I think they should move Marion Sutton out of the bedroom entirely.  Have her waiting for Snivel at a table in the Gilded Rose instead.

That way, the player could reasonably assume that Marion and Snivel’s “wonderful week” involved going out to dinner, having a drink at the Inn, and maybe riding the Love Boats around the canals.  In other words, Marion’s heart would still be broken, but players wouldn’t be left with the sick feeling that it wasn’t just her emotions that had been violated due to a chemical a Goblin secretly gave her.

Moving on… Hansbrix and Bradanna made several frustrating attempts at the Crushing the Crown quest. Inspector Ship Snagglebolt sent them to Grove of the Ancients in Darkshore.  We could kill off the Crown Thugs, but it was a challenge.  The respawn so quickly!

It didn’t take long to discover that the quest was “bugged”. Throwing the bomb at the chemical wagon there simply did not register.  The only good thing from this was that we were getting lots of the charms that you need in order to make Lovely Charm Bracelets for the Leaders.

The trip to the Grove of the Ancients sent Hansbrix and Bradanna through an area that had Enraged Earth Elementals (that were looking for a fight). Hansbrix learned he could mine them.  Fridge found that to be absolutely hysterical!

Hansbrix and Bradanna got just enough charms from the Enraged Earth Elementals to create their first Lovely Charm Bracelet.  They gave it to King Varian Wrynn.  What does he do with all these Lovely Charm Bracelets?  He must be receiving a whole bunch of them while Love is in the Air is going on!  Does anyone give bracelets to Genn Greymane?  I mean, he’s right there…

The next stop was Ironforge, to meet with more Goblins with the same quests. Hansbrix and Bradanna shared bon bons with each other (and handed out the rest to whoever happened by).  Fridge didn’t seem interested in the bon bons.

 There were more nefarious Goblins here in Ironforge (giving out quests).

Irresponsibly spraying perfume at Goblins!

One more attempt at the “Crushing the Crown” quest brought the Dwarves back towards the Grove of the Ancients again.  They ran into completely different Elementals (that were just as irate as the Earth ones were).

If you happen to come across a Stag in the forest out there, who is accompanied by three or four does, DO NOT ENGAGE!  The Dwarves learned the hard way that attacking the Stag triggers the does to come in and fight, too.  This was unexpected (and rather amusing) especially when they started throwing lightning.

This attempt at the “Crushing the Crown” quest gave the Dwarves enough Lovely Charms to make a  Lovely Charm Bracelet for Muradin Bronzebeard.

Bradanna had 40 Love Tokens, which she used to purchase the Lovebird Hatchling companion pet from the Goblin vendor.  I adore this little pink lovebird much more than I expected to!   When he runs to catch up with the player, his little toes got tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick!

Bradanna, Hansbrix, and Fridge make such a great team that it’s like they are one person!

Shawn went online and found a way to get around the “bug” that was preventing us from completing the “Crushing the Crown” quest.  The problem was that we could throw the bomb at the chemical wagon in Grove of the Ancients… but the game wouldn’t recognize it or count it.

First, go talk to the Goblin in Stormwind and accept the “Crushing the Crown” quest.  Next, go to the chemical wagon in Mirror Lake Orchard in Elwynn Forest instead of the Grove of the Ancients.  Throw the bomb at that chemical wagon – and the game counts that portion of the quest as “complete”.  (You still have to make your way out to the Grove of the Ancient to kill the required amount of Crown Thugs, though).

While searching around for the chemical wagon in Elwynn Forest, Bradanna stopped to do a pet battle (in the hopes of capturing a cat).  There were many “pit stops” along the way so the Dwarves could do pet battles and collect pets.  This time, Bradanna earned an Achievement.

Petting Zoo: Collect 100 unique companion pets.

A quick trip back to Stormwind – and The Dwarves were finally able to turn in the “Crushing the Crown” quest!  Success!

Dangerous Love: Assist the Steamwheedle Cartel in stopping the sinister Crown Chemical Co. plot.

Hansbrix was a slightly higher level than Bradanna, so he had to go to Darkshire to complete the “Crushing the Crown” quest.  Bradanna accompanied him, and it was a good thing she did, because those enemies out there were tough!

 

Bradanna can “rez”.  She can also heal herself, Hansbrix and Hansbrix’s Hunter pet!

Next stop, Darnassus!  Before taking any more quests, Hansbrix and Bradanna made sure to make time to ride the Love Boat.  This part of the Love is in the Air world event is one that Blizzard got exactly right!

If you’ve never put any of your characters into a Love Boat – be warned!  Once you jump in, you can’t get out until the boat completes the entire trip around Darnassus and returns to the dock. Added bonus for low level players – if you haven’t explored all the areas of Darnassus before, you will automatically do so as the Love Boat enters each area.

The Dwarves made one last trip out to the Grove of the Ancients in the hopes of collecting enough Lovely Charms to give a Lovely Charm Bracelet to Tyrande Whisperwind.

The stag that lives out that way had not forgiven the Dwarves for killing him (and his harem of fighting does).  He will not hesitate to follow a player as she jumps over the cliff and into the water!

The Dwarves managed to gather up enough charms to give a Lovely Charm Bracelet to Tyrande Whisperwind.  That’s three out of four for the Achievement.

Fridge, once again, photobombs what might have been a lovely photo.

Thus ends the adventure of Hansbrix and Bradanna in the Love is in the Air world event.  The Dwarves managed to make their way to the Exodar, but didn’t end up having time to gather more Lovely Charms or make a Lovely Charm Bracelet to give to Prophet Velen.

Before I end this blog, I wanted to share some screenshots from the Love is in the Air world event from 2012.  The original Hansbrix shared a Love Boat with Riglee, my Death Knight.  (Their guild had a different name back then).

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