Dumb Thoughts : The Average Person, Travelling Displays and Adventurers

Wyrmrest Accord
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So, the amazing TeaCommonShark pumped out another banger, this time using the Monster Hunter franchise and the ‘boom-de-yada’ song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbZ8kxPihOA&ab_channel=TeaCommonShark

And it makes me think, there’s so much amazing flora and fauna in the world, and in the aftermath of certain world events, the Darkmoon Faire doesn’t really travel around the Eastern Kingdoms, especially since it got harassed so badly in the comics/manga by Humans for their Non-Human/Inhuman staff, and the ‘freakish’ nature of the Alliance-race staff.

Sure, a lot of people see a lot of crazy things, but very few people seem to travel, or have any knowledge of the world outside of their immediate area, soldiers, mercenaries and adventurers notwithstanding.

And it gave me this weird idea. What if there were mobile attractions, displaying living creatures to the general public, strange relics and plants, and displays of magic and general weirdness? Much like the old staples of the ‘Freakshow’ carnivals, but without the abuse and horrific conditions the ‘attractions’ often suffered at the hands of their masters.

Think about how amazing some of the stuff we’ve gotten jaded with would be to the average joe in some farming village in Westfall or Azshara would be. A kodo in Elwynn Forest would be massive draw, while a tame Chimera that breathed frost would be the highlight in hot and dry Durotar.

And what about the races we’ve met? Hell, Draenei probably spent years on Azeroth having people being either terrified of them or shyly approaching them, asking what they were. Imagine a young Sin’dorei child who has only ever heard Trolls are dangerous monsters meeting a Darkspear Troll who lets the inquisitive child touch his tusks and hair and then ‘hires’ the child to show them around, trading their stories of the world outside of the Elven lands for a native guide.

Imagine a convoy of ships that travel around, with a menagerie and rotating display of exotic artefacts and strange magics, the centerpiece is a Siren or a Naga that sings from their reinforced tank that is dutifully carted from ship to shore, and some band of adventurers think they’re saving the Naga or Siren from slavery, only to find they’re actually the owner of the whole show, and just put themselves in the display because it causes less frustration than trying to explain to twitchy guards and grunts that, no, they’re not here to serve Azshara and drown all the land-walkers, they just want to see the world and sing, and get filthy rich in the process.

Imagine some retired mage who makes their living with illusions. Sure, everyone has seen fireballs before, but what about a barn-sized illusion you can touch and interact with, where you can step from calm and green Elwynn Forest into the redwood forests of Un’goro Crater, or the sweltering deserts of Tanaris, complete with temperature, sounds, the works. Wield the fabled Wand of Mutti, which can turn you green, blue or red for a few minutes, and watch the children giggle as they blast each other with magical bubbles that turn them all the colours of the rainbow.

Imagine how much people would line up to touch a Dragon, a real life Dragon, let alone be allowed the ride it? Imagining an old Red or Blue Dragon very gently gliding through the air, making sure their passengers are firmly in the saddle and wrapped in slowfall spells before pulling off some hilarious maneuvers in the air, like some sort of airborne rollercoaster from hell. Imagine some little girl, sobbing uncontrollably and refusing to let go of one of the unicorn-like horses from the Broken Isles, because this is the best day ever and she’s not ready to let go? A gaggle of children nestling into the side of a very sleepy riding saber whose rider is right there, just in case, because children probably don’t understand that ‘Kitty’ is a war-beast, not a pet.

It just struck me how jaded we are, as players and as characters, to the amazing wonders that Azeroth and beyond holds. Dinosaurs, mythical creatures, bizarre magical beasts, strange and physically exotic races of people from all walks of life, ancient magical relics and schools of magic, both arcane and mystical, that have little bearing in the fields of battle but amazing potential in the civilian sphere, be it entertainment or otherwise.

This is just my brain going off on another weird tangent and I just want to sleep, but it won’t shut up until I make the thought somebody else’s problem again.

What are your thoughts?

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I’ve wondered how Taurens would be received by the average citizen, and not by adventurers. I believe they would be a bit of a rarity outside of parts of Kalimdor. Lore wise, I think Tauren are not the most numerous of the races and they tend to keep to themselves. So I imagine the usual reaction would be “oh crap, it’s a giant, two legged battle cow!” from many of the common folk. I mean, yeah, people have probably heard of them, but never thought they’d see one. And depended on their faction, and whose story about them they heard, they might have some misconceptions.

I’d be pretty shook if I walked into the neighborhood grocery store and saw a minotaur trying the select just the right cantalope.

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This gave me flashbacks to every sci-fi show I’ve ever seen where people were kept as zoo attractions.

I’m also not sure traveling relics or plants are a good idea o.O

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With some of the plants and relics in Azeroth, yeah that could be bad. I’m thinking more of the dark age and middle ages “relics”. The relics that are relics because I say they are, but are just really stuff from the junk shop.

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I will say, playing Thomas whose been stuck in the same place for decades ICly has really made me appreciate playing the character who hasn’t seen this stuff and gets to have their mind blown every few months or so by a new race rolling into town or stories of the latest adventure zones. It’s even fun for him to not fully put the pieces together and come away with strange beliefs. (He thinks Night Elves evolved from Nagas and not the other way around) The dynamic between adventurers and homebodies is something that should be explored in rp more often!

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Does Azeroth have the Singing Bass enchanted wall-ornament, is what we want to know.

But that does make me wonder, is there a $2 Shop or a Dollartree equivalent in Azeroth? Cheap alchemical and magical tools that’ll break in a few weeks but will still function decently in that time? Like, considering how easy enchanted lights must be to make, since we see them everywhere, why do people use torches and lanters?

Is there still a subtle bias/phobia about arcane magic amongst the Humans and Dwarves of the Alliance? Certainly, the Orcs, Tauren and Trolls lacked that kind of arcane knowledge for a long time and there was a biological advantage in that both Orcs and Trolls see better in the dark than Humans do, so for them, a simple torch or even star- and moonlight would be more than sufficient.

And yeah, Kirsy makes a good point, since historically, a lot of carnival ‘freakshows’ and travelling oddity shows were notorious for not only abusing their ‘displays’ constantly, but being fronts from thieves, prostitution and, in the last century, smuggling contraband. But it does make me wonder if a Naga, or a Gnoll, or even a Mogu, showed up at the gates with such a traveling group, would they be afforded ‘Human’ rights? Or even allowed within the city limits given the hostility between the Mega-Factions and these ‘Enemy’ races?

This is definitely getting the hamster wheel I have for a brain spinning something fast.

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Khadgar 100% invented this. When the champions of the Alliance and Horde visit his place he always makes it sing. Unlike our version though, it can learn new songs so Khadgar never gets tired of the novelty. We indulge him. For better or for worse.

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Rogue tangential thought:

https://youtube.com/shorts/-z1Izd_iDbs?si=_QxERBckm8fUlxeD

Is this why Blizzard won’t give us expansion-agnostic followers, because then we’ll have a perpetual witness to all of our warcrimes and shenanigans?

And how often does Therazane creep on Thrall/Go’el?

No, wait, something cuter and more wholesome, Therazane decided to keep tabs on Go’el and Aggra after the events of Cataclysm and Legion, and finds little Rehze adorable and subtly keeps an eye on her.

Some kids have imaginary friends. Rehze’s is just a little bit too real to be imaginary, and you have this scene where Go’el and Aggra are watching Rehze skipping along, chattering seemingly to herself, but the rocks and pebbles around her all turn to keep their flattest surfaces facing her at all times, and then turn to look at each other with “…Oh. Oh no.” expressions. And the few children who have bullied her complain of stones just randomly flying at their shins when nobody is around.

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