Aqual Quintessence

It took me a full two weeks of deliberation to come up with a name for this blog. I wanted something WoW related, I wanted something that sounded interesting. Yet most of all, I wanted a name that reflected my long history with the game. I’ve played since release in 2004, and felt that a term that honored the game’s past and reflected the raids and accomplishments I've witnessed would be most appropriate. I came up with Aqual Quintessence.

Far past the Eastern Edge of Aszhara lies a tiny island inhabited by a mysterious elemental. A lord, an emissary of a faction that has mysteriously broken free of Titanic control: Duke Hydraxis of the Hydraxian Waterlords. In the olden days of WoW, players ventured out to Duke Hydraxis,  working to complete a questline and earning the right to collect Aqual Quintessence. This item was required to douse the ruins of the Molten Core bosses, allowing progress to Majordomo Exedus. Seven bosses, seven raiders forced to make their way to the farthest reaches of Azshara each week. As of patch 1.11 (The introduction of Naxx40), those revered with the Waterlords could purchase the Eternal Quintessense, a water that lasted forever and carried a one hour cooldown.

These days (Since 3.0.8) neither Aqual Quintessence nor its Eternal counterpart are required to complete Molten Core. It is a questline and an item that no longer exists outside of sentimental bank collections. Completion of that line and possession of Quintessence also provides a Feat of Strength. So in the end, I found Aqual Quintessence to be an appropriate blog name because of that nod to the origins of the game, because I sometimes feel like one of those 40man old-timers, and because those links to Azshara and Molten Core will once again become relevant in the Cataclysm to come.