This is my first ever attempt at making a video like this, and it took me AGES to make. It took a while to become (somewhat) efficient with the software used, and there was quite a lot of scope creep involved (I'd originally forseen the video being 20 minutes long max), but I'm really happy I got there in the end. A significant limitation was having to make a video about an alive online world whilst showing only me the entire time. I hope it doesn't spoil the video too much. It's a bit rough around the edges, I definitely think I messed up the audio levels, but overall I'm proud I actually managed to get it finished and uploaded! Any questions? Ask away! Any feedback to give? Please do!

OG classic is the definition of soul, we will never ever see an MMO like this again.

The class quests truly were special. I started playing at the tail end of TBC, and leveled a warlock as my main. Quests to tame each of your minions every ten levels. The level 20 weapon quest, and the level 40 and 60 mount quests were truly epic. They genuinely made you feel like you’d accomplished something. Nowadays you just get it when you turn 60. But I *earned* my Dreadsteed of Xoroth the hard way - taming it at the bottom of Dire Maul with a group of guild mates helping me beat it into submission. It was a long quest, and the mats needed ended up costing more than people would pay for a regular level 60 mount, but the Dreadsteed was special.

You struck a hard chord in a lot of us with this video, I think. But it digs deeper than the nostalgia alone. A lot of us had deeply personal experiences with WoW, in our own ways. You captured the atmosphere and wonder of it all so well. I was never deep into it but I still sunk a lot of time in for years when I was a kid, on my dad's account. Watching this made me feel like a 10 year old again, playing my dad's Paladin while he was at work or asleep or away. Gathering minerals or whatever small things might help him on his path. My dad passed away last December, unexpectedly. I havent thought about WoW much over the last 10 years but since then, things like this really bite at me. The wonder of this game especially for a dumb kid was so immensely special. Lately I've been remembering forgotten feelings, and even just watching videos like this bring back so much. But this is something even more special, I'm not entirely sure why but your video truly invokes something deeply special. Maybe my dad did this quest, years ago. Maybe he didnt. I'll never know. But I feel closer to him regardless even in just watching this. And he'd love this video too. There was a magic in this world. I subscribed to you immediately. I am so grateful for your leap in making this video. Please continue to do more. This was beautiful and I hope for more amazing content. You not only brought out my lost 10-year-old-self, but you made me feel closer to my dad at the same time. You'rve given us a gift, and I sincerely hope you continue. I know my dad would want you to

2004-2006 WoW was something very special

The voice recording on this video was fantastic. No ambient noise, lowered amplitude, properly used pop filter, zero static polution. You clearly put a lot of effort into this first video attempt. It was a joy listening to you speak. The only small issue was the NPC voice lines were dramatically louder than you so it was a bit of a shock each time lol

Broh that was such a wholesome video. It was nice and "slow", with which I mean normal speed voice, without cuts and speed talking like is the standard today. It was very relaxing, I enjoyed your narrative and the scenery. I did not mind the length at all. This felt like a nice little brake from a stressful world. Thank you.

Hillsbrad foothills and Southshore world PVP were some of my most treasured memories playing wow around 2006~. If anyone called for help from my guild chat or world PVP chat that Southshore was under attack, I'd fly there straight away and fight endlessly. Some fights lasted an hour, with organised horde groups relentlessly attacking. I'd love calling my guild mates for help. Thanks for making this video!!

Your storytelling style and explanations bring back a sense of novelty i haven't felt for this game in years! Really looking forward to more, and this one was so good.

I gotta say. It is absolutely RIDICULOUS how good at editing people are becoming. I keep consistently seeing more and more videos pop up in my recommended by people that have little to no subs (honestly, no offence, just being realistic) and their videos are edited to near enough perfection. The standards for youtube videos in 2023 are at an all time high and it shows. It only took me 2 min of watching your video to be able to imagine how many hours you had to spend on it and then I went ahead and read the pinned comment. Insane. Keep it up.

The narrative, the pace, the shots, and the editing were all great

i need MORE of this. i can not even explain the feelings i had while listening to this, the quiet soundtrack in the background, the ambient sounds such as the fountain in front of BFD, the boat chimes and much more, it is simply fantastically made, great job, keep it up!

I like how you touch on the player friction as a important element. it's honestly why I think flying an dungeon finder / sharding ruined the game. You no longer get a chance to meet familiar strangers. Which ends up ruining any hopes of making / finding friends or rivals within the game.

I know this is the most cliche of statements but Vanilla felt like a world. It WAS a world. You really felt a part of something bigger than yourself. That was and is such an epic feeling. Also - I love the 'style' of this video! The camera following the chracter around as he runs around in game makes the video seem really cozy and like a story-time type thing. Love it!

This is an extremely charming video. Your voiceover gives perfect context without getting bogged down anywhere, and I love the wide shots of your distant character running through the varied environments; it really captures that sense of being on a grand adventure through strange lands. Even if this is the only video you ever produce, you should be extremely proud of the channel. A true gem.

The Age of Mythology music is a great touch and very comforting. Great video and very entertaining and high quality!

Completing this quest was one of my most memorial parts of the Classic release. I was questing early one Saturday morning, and received a whisper for a fellow Paladin looking to group for this. We found 3 other Paladins and rolled through this entire quest line together. Working through the dungeons as that group was great fun. I didn't know about the Silverpine Forest day/night cycle effecting the worgen village until now.

That's a beautiful way of telling a story that the majority of players have never experienced. Even as a 2005 veteran of the game who played a considerable amount of Vanilla even post the inception of TBC, I only learned of this quest through Esfand just a week ago. The algorithm blessed me with your eloquent storytelling of that same weapon's creation and the journey it entails.

This was incredible. I LOVE your method of storytelling. It's so intimate and cozy. Please continue!

This is one of my all time faborote wow videos. I've seen them all, and this ranks amongst the highest. Paladins are by far my favorite class and this quest chain is epic. You have a relaxing voice, and articulate the story well. You've earned my sib, and I hope you succeed further in this journey

As someone who never leveled a paladin in vanilla/classic, this was absolutely delightful! Loved all the cinematic shots.

I remember proudly walking around with Verigan's fist enchanted with +5 damage for the blue glow. This was truly one of my most epic quest experiences.

Thank you for the video, I love taking walks down memory lane of old warcraft. It is what we all remember rather than the big flashy content it has become today. Thank you again.

Props to the cameraman. Those shots were beautiful

Ah yes, these overly complicated, requiring-too much-effort-compared-the-reward quests were truly something. Farming red-level elementals as a level 31 warrior is still one of my fondest memories

As someone who recently completed this exact questline on Classic Era, everything you said is 100% true. It truly felt like a world-spanning *adventure*, and the culmination of your trials and toils was this awesome-looking hammer, that was pretty damn good stat-wise too. It really does encapsulate everything I love about this game, though I'm definitely a little spoiled by some of the more modern luxuries, haha. Definitely going to be watching this channel with interest, regardless of video content - your presentation style is so comfortable and warm.

Thank you for recapturing the magic I felt when I leveled my own very first toon, a human pally. I also died a lot defending against the Defias guys. I felt the same awe at traversing the world. This was an amazing video.

I'm only halfway through the video, and felt I had to comment on the sheer vastness of the original maps! All the out of the way locations, NPC that only certain classes intereact with, questlines that you may never run across without going off the beaten path, it's such a wonderful world. One of the big failures of most of the expansions is how small everything is. They throw mountains in to break up direct paths, limit flying to keep you on the roads, but in the end, the areas are shockingly small, comparatively. There is also no space spent on folly and silliness. Nothing that makes the world a world.

Wow! What a journey man. I remember doing this quest 17 years ago, it blew me away watching your video reliving it. Thank you.

What a journey! Even as a 15+ year WoW Veteran who knew that quest your approach to showcase it was really compelling! Subbed and hopefully will see more stuff in the future!

Even now, just randomly hearing Eforrsts music still brings a smile to my face... that music locked my soul to the game, forever.

This is honestly such a great production, well done especially as you say for your first video. It's clear to see your inspirations but you also have quite an original spin on your own version of storytelling, a personal 1st hand approach rather than just lore exposition. You deserve a lot more recognition!

I've always been a Horde player since WoW released, so seeing the old world from the Alliance's perspective feels so strange and yet so familiar. I'd love to see a video talking about some of the original raids, the Sunken Temple instance, or even old weapon questlines like for Thunderfury, Rhok'delar, or Anathema/Benediction!

Thank you for taking us back for a trip down memory lane. I remember embarking on this epic journey with friends who are long since gone. This certainly is one of the greatest quests the game had to offer. ❤

Instantly realized which quest it was despite not playing much Paladin. Guess that proves it was very memorable. you got my subscription before I even finish this.

Thank you so much for this. Having been a kid who started playing back during Wrath as a human retribution paladin right off of playing Frozen Throne, very little in the game made me feel more like the paladins of old who I aspired to be like than this quest and the reward at the end. This is when I really felt like I'd made it, that I could really call myself a paladin, and I ended up using Verigan's Fist for well longer than 10 levels, not replacing it until I'd reached the Western Plaguelands to face the horrors that made me play a paladin in the first place and got a sick glowing sword as a quest reward. Even then I kept the hammer in my bank, unwilling to sell the weapon that I'd worked so hard to get and which carried me for so long.

8:16 hit me like a truck of nostalgia, the fable music is so good and fits really well!

As a horde player in Vanilla Wow, this is the first I’ve heard of this. Kind of reminds me of the shaman quests I had.

I usually played Horde back in the days but i did play Alliance paladin once, but never remembered this quest. That being said, i feel very nostalgic seeing this. The old memories, the liminal feeling and the sense of wonder and awe. Thank you for this, old enemy.

Naming your best creation after your late friend has so much touch in it it almost made me cry. Very manly, very civilised.

when vanilla dropped on 2019 I thought it was all fake hype because of nostalgia, I had a paladin on retail so I tried Paladin on classic yet, and even though it was one of the easiest classes, it was challenging, yet so much fun, leveling in retail never felt like this when I got the quest for this hammer, I actually had a good weapon, the Hydra strike, but the journey was so fun, going around the world, a fellow paladin taught me how to get into the elite ogre zone without a group to get the mats, and after it was done, I felt so POWERFUl, this is what WOW should be, fun leveling, a hard challenge, and a reward that makes you feel stronger retail has none of these things

I am stunned that this is your first video and the quality is so insanely cinematic. I was a Horde player so this was a wonderful peek into the Alliance side of the journey! It reminds me of the mystery, amazement and joy I felt while following the (at the time Horde only) Shaman questline to attune to the elements and gain access to totems. I can't wait to see more of your work, chap au bas.

I have only played WoW as a teen some 10+ years ago (well, for several years) and never got to mass raids or anything like that. I enjoyed the quests, scenery, helping lower levels. I salute you for this video and for others on your channel. I have found you randomly just today, but these bring the best kind of nostalgia to me. Seeing old locations that are half-forgotten now (and which were half-forgotten by some even 10 years ago, because they were not on the "ideal levelling journey") warms my heart.

I played the game for 17 years, always played Horde. About 1,000 days played time only on retail, probably hundreds on private servers+classic; never saw an Assassin's Blade drop. That's sick

My first ever character was a paladin, and by a funny coincidence he looked a lot like your character. This quest chain was really memorable when I did it the first time in Vanilla, and I really enjoyed your cinematic recap of it.

What a fun watch, your storytelling skills are great, and the little details you gave to have the video understandable by non-WoW players were great, without dragging it out too much for those of us familiar with the game. I can't wait to see what you put out next!

I love how the video started with : I can't really do anything well but Ill try anyways, very relatable dude xD

Absolutely love the immersive narrative style of your videos. I've been playing WoW since I was 8, on my cousin's account, until I got my own at the age of 12. Needless to say WoW has been a huge part of my life and remains so to this day as I'm autistic and it's one of my special interests. Watching videos like these fills me with such a deep sense of nostalgia. Most creators would have covered this quest in a way that showcases how annoying it is to get all the items, but honestly it is an adventure and a nice one at that. It reminds me of the druid aquatic form quest. It sent me all over the world and I didn't hate any minute of it, it filled me with a sense of wonder and set me on a path where later in the game I'd go out of my way on purpose to explore inaccessible areas and secrets. I'd love to see a video on it, as a young night elf it really left a mark on me

The nostalgia. I'd do anything to experience WoW Vanilla the way I did when I was a kid.

Only one thing better than your own nostalgia, and that's experiencing someone else's. The time investment on this video is obvious, loved it!

One can tell the heart was invested in telling of the story. I especially enjoyed the wide shots of the hero making his way on the journey. Great video

What an enjoyable breath of fresh air. In the current age of BiS-fixation, min-maxing and optimisation, it's really pleasing and nostalgic to join you on a calm little tour of the old world. This is truly how I think the devs envisioned the game being played back then; reading, piecing everything together. As a predominantly solo player, seeing you plod along taking in the atmosphere brings back such fond memories of a simpler time in my life. Back when I felt I had the freedom to get engrossed and invested in this strange new world...I wish I could do it all again for the first time.

The music of these areas in wow really was something else. Brilliant composition. Timeless.

This feels so comfy and outschool. Thank you for making this :) Your editing is amazing! Please make more. New games have forgotten how important the journey is. Now it's all about the prize and the destination. I feel like that's why it's so forgettable.

Alot of the time, "opinionated" video essays and "In My Opinions" can get bogged down with tons of minutia, or the presenter gets caught up in their own biases and the whole thing ends up feeling like a lecture or rant. You did a wonderful job of presenting your feelings like a storyteller. Even if someone had little to no knowledge of WoW, you presented your stance in this wonderfully captivating style that blurred the lines between essay and short story. It's the kind of thing you could listen to over a hot cup of tea, it's so incredibly cozy. I hope you pursue this further, I think you have a wonderful talent.

I must say man these songs you chose the background music are amazing. All of my favorite games are brought up in mind while watching :P witcher, m&b, morrowind and wow.

subbed in the first min.

Loved the vid, you’re good at story telling and got an amazing voice to boot, looking forward to seeing what else you make.

I love the first person narration you chose to bring up here. The kind of soliloquy while walking in the tunnel "and oh, we arrived". It really moved me, it is a powerful way of narration for me. And I was elated to hear those zones' wonderful background musics that accompagnied me for hours and hours. Well done for the editing and thank you

I really love this video! It was mellow, but the pace was good, and I like your balance between being kind of poetic and story-focused as well as having a lot of your personality on show. Inspiring work--thank you for sharing it with us!

Happy the algorithm picked this up. Great story, and beautifully explains why vanilla WoW is a true world with heart and soul in it, something that was sadly lost starting with the expansions. Barny's epic story with the Scarab quest shows that too. Always super cool to have videos like these to showcase that special piece of history. Oh and my first character was a human paladin too. I fondly remember the journey to Silverpine as well... and the hammer really slaps :D

Vanilla/classic WoW has such a unique experience that it can't be replicated. I've studied game design for a decade plus. I know why vanilla was good and it's a combination of getting multiple things right at once. I could literally write a 30 page report on it. Despite the game still having massive game flaws and unfinished it's still one of the best games of all time.

The nostalgia is real. Very very good video, makes me want to start a new character to play through these zones again

Fantastic storytelling in this video and great editing with the sound effects as well. Can't believe it's your first, it's that well made!

As a life long Tauren this tour has shown me many fascinating things that I have never seen in all these years. It pleases me to see that the nostalgia is not limited to my own experience.

Aaaahhh. The amount of nostalgia you breathed into me is astounding. And this is coming from someone who spent 14 years on-and-offing with Vanilla Wow. Loved your video and the small humorous accents you finessed within! Keep it up, you earned yourself a new subscriber :)

This opening music flooded my brain with so much old emotion. Thank you for the nostalgic return to the old days this morning. It was a pleasant surprise.

This was fantastic, thank you. I'm looking forward to more!

Loved the way you laid the information out. Your shots are very well put together and the editing work is very enjoyable. Honestly, your video came up in my recommendations and I was very surprised when I saw you had only three subscribers (now four). The only thing I have as a critique is your microphone level. Your narration is a bit too low compared to the ambient sounds. All in all, I loved your video and sincerely hope to see much, much more! Greetings from Portugal!

I loved WoW. So much fun playing with my friends and guildmates. I fear it will never be equalled, and those that never played wont understand when we try to explain to them how great it once was.

incredibly well made video, my attention hasn't been held for a 30min KZfaq video like this for a long time.

The thumbnail of this video instantly gave away the quest. When my paladin got to higher levels, I spent a fair bit of time helping other paladins get their hammers.

Great video. Refreshing change of pace. Thanks!

Hope to hear more of these with you! Definitely hits the nostalgia for Classic "as it was" big time.

You know what's beautiful about this quest? I've played wow since the beginning and I don't recall this quest. Thank you.

ill never forget doing this quest. i must've been 13 or 14 at the time. things like this are part of what made WoW so magical in the beginning

Nice, I recognized Muisic from Witcher 1 (Murky Waters) and Guild Wars 1 (Pre-Searing). Games which I actually know quite well. Your videos are a pleasure to watch and even more to listen to. Thanks!

this video came up in my recommended and wow. what a nostalgia hit. gave me all the good feelings of playing with my friends and exploring all the areas you walked through. i think i even vaguely remember doing this quest! great video. i'm subscribed and eager to see what else you make!

this video is incredibly special. several times through watching i was completely overcome by nostalgia and sorrow that i will never be able to have experiences like those described in the video again. I remember the run to my favorite druid trainer in mulgore, I remember gathering all of my other cow druid friends together and showing them the secrets of the world to get them their own funny seal form. Things are just too fast and impersonal now in WoW that moments like these are impossible to have. And honestly, it’s for this reason that i started to do roleplay. I just wanted to know I wasn’t alone in the world anymore. the pace, tone, scenery shots, and especially your word choice and voice are very powerful and deliberate. Thanks for a walk through memories!

Great job on your first showing, looking forward to many more!

This video was quite exceptional. Great work, looking forward to more in the future!

Thank you so much for making something like this. Absolutely loved hearing the music from some of my favourite games of all times (Fable, Mount and Blade…) Amazing to see we share the same perspective on a great game and on elements of it that often go unnoticed by the casual player.

Amazing work. brought a lot of memories back watching it. Looking forward to your next video!

Always great to see someone enjoying wow the way I do, exploring the world and getting immersed! Excellent video.

These videos are phenomenal. You’ve gained a new fan today. Keep them coming!

Those still shots of the world with you running through them, made me so nostalgic for early zones in this game, amazing job. Also, you're so right about all the little nooks and crannies in the world. Finding somewhere of the beaten path, even the ones that don't have quests or stories tied to them, makes the world feel so alive and wonderful.

Thank you for this video. It's a beautiful video essay. I can't wait for your next one. Also excellent use of soundtracks. You put some of my favourite games in there.

Amazing video, brings back many happy memories of Wow. Your narrative is easygoing and captivating at the same time!

Before I clicked on this video I had the thought “Ive never seen his channel before… but I bet this video is a hidden gem!” And wow- I was so right. Beautiful work

This is a wonderful story told in a way that feels very personal. Thanks for making this!

It’s been more than 10 years since I quit playing World of Warcraft.. this video has brought me some strong nostalgia, Life is incompatible with playing now at le, to enjoy videos like this is quite awesome! Thank you

i keep coming back to watch this cozy video and its so cozy

Great Vid! Amazing quality and story telling for your first video! Thats amazing.

Brilliant video! You really captured the feeling I'd get when undergoing similar quests, back during vanilla. Thank you for this! 😸

Awesome videos, thank you for the memories of this awesome quest!

I could watch videos like this for ages! You write and narrrate really well and you're spot on about what makes WoW amazing More plzzzz

Fantastic video. I can see the Mad Season Show inspiration and the love you have for the game. Keep it up!

This was fantastically well made. The level of story telling put into this to really spell out the world lore, zone influence, and everything to a point that someone unfamiliar with WoW themselves would be able to watch and enjoy and understand this. The editing points around the Ogre camp were great with the screen pop-ups of relevant quests in their in game quest track info was great. Really taking us on the strolls even in somewhat expedited manor was amazing, and walking us through the experience of what jumps out visually and makes it feel like exploration was super cool. Subscribed and looking forward to seeing what else you make!

Amazing start for a new channel. Looking forward to your future videos :)

I love how chill and relaxing this video is. Very nostalgic also! Thank you for your job!