Am I The Only One Zen Around Here?*

Where my monk plays Sherlock and realizes something’s not quite *right* here.

This week, the Alt Appreciation Project celebrates Monks, in all their rolling, stick-waving, chi-consuming glory (more info about the Alt Appreciation Project can be found here: http://laeleiweyn.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/alt-appreciation.html). I knew that monks were the next class up on the list, but for once I don’t have a level 90 to show off.

Yeah.

I know, right? How dare I!

Like everyone else in existence, I rolled a monk when MoP dropped, and of course she was a wee pandaren, because the female models are adorable and I had to have one.

I always give ’em pink hair, but then go and change it later! Happy birthday Wensicia!

I got her out of the pandaren starting area, chose my faction (Horde of course!) and proceeded to level her to about 20…before leaving her somewhere in the wilds of Ashenvale. I know, it was horribly irresponsible of me, since I just stopped questing one day in the middle of nowhere and she wasn’t even in an inn and getting resting bonus (I do that a lot, it’s a bad habit). I had 85s that had to get to 90, Alyza needed to log in and faithfully do her dailies (to get rep…to get gear…yeah, not the greatest of gating mechanisms for gear, Blizzard. Thanks), and Wensicia just kinda got left to her own devices while I faffed about elsewhere. It didn’t help that she’s a gatherer–my crafters always get leveled first, for obvious reasons.

I knew Monk Week was coming, and for the past couple of months I had been meaning to go do something with her, but somehow I never got around to it. I had to grind VPs in LFR, or get my last couple 85s to 90, or get my paladin up so I could finish off my blacksmithing (still a work in progress!). The other day I logged back onto her, burnt out on everything related to my level 90s; the thought of running LFR again made my eyes want to bleed, and I just needed a vacation from Pandaria itself, if only for a little while. Wensicia was right where I left her, and after tweaking my UI around a bit I set off to clean up some of the quests in the area, to get her at least to Splintertree Post where she could rest properly.

And somehow, I magically made it to level 34, in something like five days. I know, I’m impressed with myself too ;D

At first I was clunky, and pressing the wrong buttons because I Forgot How To Monk. But once I got the hang of it again, I was back to whacking mobs in the face with my big stick, and I just kept going. I wanted to level her, instead of feeling obligated to, and I just kept going well past Splintertree Post. I fussed around in Ashenvale till I got sent to Stonetalon; did some pretty horrendous stuff to the druids and pissed off Garrosh in the process before being sent off to the Southern Barrens, where she’s currently sitting waiting for me to pick her back up again. And I look forward to it. Being primarily ranged DPS, it’s a refreshing change of pace to play a melee class that doesn’t make me feel like I’m playing with two left hands; playing a monk has a certain fluidity to it that I can admire and appreciate. Despite being stout, Wensicia is graceful and powerful, deadly and fierce yet wise and loving, someone who I imagine will become the finest of monks Pandaria has to offer:

Deeeeeeeeerp!

And monks can roll! Which, coming from the world of Blinking, I can very much appreciate–except that my distance perception is a bit off, and I end up overshooting my targets quite often. A bit like blinking off a cliff, or into a wall, which I’ve never done. Ever. At level 90 while trying to collect fatty goat steaks in the Valley of Four Winds.

No. I wouldn’t do that.

Ahem.

I also really like Zen Pilgrimage; it’s a spell that teleports your monk to the Peak of Serenity in Pandaria where you meet with your class trainers. I had a quest pop up at 30 for me to teleport there to defeat one of their masters, and in the process I got a nifty rare belt. This ties in with the Class Quest mechanic I’ve spoken about before; regularly meeting with trainers and completing quests that test your knowledge of the class, and teach you how to use your skills (especially ones you might not regularly use in the rather-fast leveling process) can only be A Good Thing in my book. The trainer I sparred with was no pushover either, and it was quite satisfying to complete it, and then carry on with my normal leveling experience. I’d love to see Blizzard extend this to other classes as well: send mages to a university; priests and paladins to a church; warriors can go to a fight club of sorts; rogues to Ravenholdt; warlocks to some secret coven hidden away in a crypt or derelict building (like Scholomance?); shamans can go on a vision quest; hunters to a hunting lodge way out in the wilderness–the possibility is there, and I hope Blizzard would expand on the idea**.

I digress.

Wensicia still has a long way to go obviously, considering she’s not even 40 yet, but I actually look forward to leveling her, and I’m eager to see if it’s a melee class I can finally get on with. I’ve played death knights and rogues and warriors at higher levels, but I always feel like the biggest derp whilst playing them. Funny enough, I initially went Mistweaver because I was under the assumption (wrongly) that I’d give healing a go whilst leveling. I’m still too scared (shut up!), so now that she’s 34 I can go get her dual spec and give her a proper Windwalker spec to play around with.  I have high hopes for my wee pandaren lady making it to 90 and possibly being a melee class I can use with some finesse and regularity in end-game. Besides which, I can’t deny anyone with a face like this, could I? ;D

Hay gurl! Isn’t she lovely? :D

*Mana Buns (or cookies if you prefer) to anyone who gets my title reference. Because of reasons.

**I didn’t include death knights and druids in this bit because they already have class-unique teleport spells anyway (to Ebon Hold and Moonglade, respectively). But yeah, class quests ftw! Get on it Blizzard! *shakes a fist*