Across Azeroth, mighty heroes of both factions are taking time out to give back to the orphans of war. It’s children’s week again and by visiting the orphanage matron, you can take a child under your wing – seeing what now has perhaps become commonplace through the eyes of an innocent child, experiencing the joys and indulgences of childhood (strawberry ice cream, cakes and doughnuts), reuniting separated siblings or introducing playmates, playing with paper balloons and giving your young charge a taste of what it is like to be a champion in a world torn apart by conflict. Children’s week combines innocence, fun, travel, light-heartedness with a fair twist of the ambiguities of the WOW universe. For while taking an orphan on sightseeing trips and introducing them to important personages is admirable enough, and eating ice cream and cake in his or her presence is innocuous enough – there is surely some tough questions about taking along one of such tender age to battlegrounds, a dungeon populated with hostile undead or indeed some (though not all) of the dailies.
In themselves the quest lines are relatively simple as are the majority of the achievements. Still only level 75+ will be able to finish the meta-achievement due to the entry requirements of Utgarde Pinnacle. The quests give experience (or gold at level 80), faction rep (for classic & outlands at least) and companion pet(s). While the meta-achievement For the Children gives a title.
Quests
There are three quest lines – one that starts in the old kingdoms (Kalimdor & Eastern Kingdoms) with alliance & horde variants easily completed at level 20; one starting in Shattrath (with alliance & horde variants) for 6o+ and one starting in Dalaran (you can choose between a wolvar or oracle orphan) for 70+ players. Any one of these quest lines will give you an orphan for a week which will enable you to complete the related achievements until such time as you take him or her back to the orphanage.
Old Kingdoms
The quests in the old kingdoms start with Orphan Matron Nightingale in Stormwind (alliance) or with Orphan Matron Battlewail in Orgrimmar (horde). The matrons will give you the quest Children’s Week – in which you use the whistle to talk to the orphan who is now your charge for a week.
For alliance, completion of this quest leads to the Bough of the Eternals (show your orphan the Darnassus bank tree – yes it is the shape of a bear and has an eagle on top), the Stormwrought Dam (north Loch Modan), and the Spooky Lighthouse (Captain Grayson’s ghost at the Lighthouse in south-west Westfall). Once these three are completed 2 more become available: You scream, I scream (give Tigule & Forfor Strawberry Ice cream to your orphan) and Jania’s autograph (ask Jania in Theramore for an autograph on behalf of your orphan). Note that Theramore can be reached by boat from Menethil Harbour, Wetlands, by running down through Ashenvale and the Barrens or by getting a port from a friendly mage. Once these 2 are completed you will get Warden of Alliance in which you return your orphan to the matron.
For Horde completion of the lead in quest leads to the Lordaeron Throne Room (show your orphan the Lordaeron Throne, in the top part of Undercity), Down at the docks (the docks at Ratchet), and the Gateway to the Frontier (Morshan Ramparts in northern Barrens). Once these three are completed 2 more become available: You scream, I scream (give Tigule & Forfor Strawberry Icecream to your orphan) and Cairne’s Hoofprint (ask Cairne Bloodhoof in Thunderbluff for a hoof print on behalf of your orphan). These then lead to the finishing quest Warden of the Horde.
Completion of the quest line rewards you with a choice of pets (a rat, a pig and a turtle) or a bag of 5g which arrives in a letter of gratitude from your orphan.
Shattrath
Quests start with Orphan Matron Mercy in the Lower city. She gives either Draeni Orphan (Alliance) or Blood Elf Orphan (Horde) followed by the three quests to take your orphan to see 3 different places – the Dark Portal for both Alliance and Horde and to Auchindon Ring of Observance (meeting stone) & Aeris Landing, southwest Nagrand to see Dornaa’s big brother Jheel for the Draeni orphan or to the Sporeggar (northern Zangamarsh) and Throne of the Elementals (northern Nagrand) for Blood Elf orphan . Again this leads to 2 follow-on quests - for both Horde and Alliance to speak to Zaladormu and buy a toy dragon in the Caverns of Time (eastern Tanaris though it can be reached through a portal in Dalaran)and to visit O’ros at the bottom of the Seat of Naaru (the Exodar) for Alliance (O’ros then directs you to speak to Farseer Nobundo, Exodar) or visit the Elite Tauren Chieftain in Silvermoon City, Evensong Woods for Horde. The quest line concludes with Back to the Orphanage to return your orphan and the choice of 3 pets (Elekk, Eggbert and Sleepy Willy) and a letter of appreciation from your orphan.
Darlaran
Quests start with the Matron at the Dalaran fountain. You can choose to care for either an oracle or wolvar orphan. Once again the lead in quest, opens up three quests to take your orphan to 3 different places – Playmates (take the oracle orphan Roo to Winterfin retreat, western Borean Tundra or the Wolvar Kekek to Snowfall Glade, southern Dragonblight), and for both to the Great Bear Tree or Biggest Tree ever (Grizzlemaw in Grizzly Hills) and Bronze Dragonshrine (eastern Dragonblight). The 2 follow-on quests are Meeting the Great One (take Roo through the waygate in Sholazar Basin to Un’goro to see Etymidian or take Kekek to meet Helmut Nesingwary) and both to meet the Dragon Queen Alexstrazia in Wyrmrest Temple . The line is completed with Trip to Wonderworks (buy a toy paper Zeppelin – not the kit – in this shop in Dalaran and throw it to your orphan) and Back to the orphanage to hand him back to the matron and the reward is either an oracle or wolvar companion pet respectively received in the mail.
Note: Currently there is a bug which prevents players who completed the Dalaran quest line when they were introduced with patch 3.2 last year from getting the quests again. However, Blizzard is working on this problem.
Achievements
- Home Alone Use our Hearthstone while your orphan is with you
- Bad Example – Eat the sweets listed below while your orphan is watching
- Daily Chores – Complete five daily quests with your orphan out.
- Aw, Isn’t it Cute? Obtain one of the Children’s Week reward pets.
- School of Hard Knocks – Take your orphan into the battlegrounds and complete the feats listed below.
- Hail to the King, Baby – Defeat King Ymiron in Utgarde Pinnacle with your orphan out.
- Veteran Nanny – Acquire Egbert’s Egg, Sleepy Willy, and Elekk Training Collar on one character. (This one is not necessary for the meta-achievement For the Children and therefore not necessary for What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been.
The achievements are on the whole fairly simple – and require doing a number of actions or tasks while your orphan is with you such as using your hearth stone (Home Alone). For Bad Example, all except Delicious Chocolate Cake, Tasty Cupcakes and T & F Strawberry Ice cream, can be bought from Aimee in Dalaran, outside the north bank. The ice cream can be bought from special vendors in Stormwind & Orgrimmar, from the Zeppelin Vend-o-matics, from alliance & horde innkeepers in Nagrand and from Brivelthwerp in Simmering Flats, Thousand Needles. The other two can be made by players with the recipe and may be available on the Auction House. Dailies are only available at level 70 (Daily Chores) and Utgarde Pinnacle (regular) has a minimum requirement of 75 (Hail to the King, Baby). King Ymiron is not an easy boss fight (depending on gear) – probably the most difficult aspect for some is the four pvp tasks in School of Hard Knocks (returning a flag in Warsong Gulch, assaulting a base in Arathi Basin, capturing the flag in Eye of the Storm, and assaulting a tower in Alterac Valley) but with a little (well maybe a lot) persistence and luck they are achievable. The final reward for each of the three quest lines is a pet (Aw Isn’t it Cute?) and having completed one of the quest lines, you can do start again in a different location (if your character is at a high enough level). Completion of all but Veteran Nanny gives the meta-achievement For the Children and the title Patron or Matron – and helps towards the Violet Proto-drake.
Just remember that you need to have your orphan out while completing each of these actions. Hearthing, going through a portal, taking a flight path, flying or riding over complicated terrain, and calling companion pets and will either leave your orphan behind or dismiss them. However, you should keep your orphan mounting and shape shifting. In the past using jewel crafting trinkets dismissed the orphan but that is not the case now.
As for the ambiguities of the For the Children – In living memory, children often started working at 12 or 13 and took on more responsible roles in the family’s home, farm or business than many, modern, western children do today. Children’s freedom to roam and explore can often be curtailed due to the need to protect them from harm in our large, impersonal, anonymous cities. I would not be alone in the thought that intentionally exposing children to the actual realities of warfare is horrific. Yet while in many ways our children may be some of the most pampered and protected of any generation they can potentially be exposed to a far greater flood of violent and “mature” multimedia /virtual content and to those who would prey on their innocence -than any other generation. And in our affluent societies we have often stretched out the years of childhood (more education, less responsibility and a longer period of financial dependence) while exposing our children increasing to consumer pressures that seek to make them mini-adults far too soon (for the profit of big business).
This seasonal event is a good reminder that children are important, they give a refreshing and unique view on life, they have great potential to become heroes and they follow the footsteps of the adults and older peers they admire. They are indeed worthy of our protection, love and attention.
Kharin
