Class, Lore and Killing Peasants November 29, 2012

When I leveled my paladin through Pandaria, I felt an emotional reaction to the destruction of the serpent statue in the Jade Forest and was troubled by the enlistment of the Pandaren into our small army after the disaster we caused with the Forest Hozen. While my character tried to clean up messes caused by our arrival on these long-hidden shores, it seemed that my Horde (NPC) compatriots were determined to cause as much trouble as possible. I don’t set out to actively role-play my characters, but a little bit of the class lore tends to bleed into my feelings as I play. 

However, in recent weeks my Forsaken hunter has been my primary character, and I’ll admit that the shift from noble knight to ruthless killing machine has shifted my view of the in-game events surrounding me. From an objective view, I watch the invading Horde and Alliance armies and think what devastation we are about to unleash on these lands. But when my hunter was sent to cause trouble at Lion’s Landing today and thin their numbers, I noticed something in my emotions.

I was enjoying it.

Before me was a beach filled with Alliance footmen and cannoneers waiting to be felled by my bow and arrow. I killed more than my fair share of soldiers as I made my way on foot into the town to place the spy wards, and I found myself taking particular joy in the mass slaughter of the defenseless peasants.

I don’t know if these feelings will be the same if/when I work through the story with a different, more noble character. But I can’t wait to go back tomorrow and see what new trouble I can cause for that damned Alliance.