May 30, 2005 - In Blizzard's World of Warcraft, players may choose among eight playable races. Massive and bull-like, the Tauren are normally peaceful nomads devoted to maintaining the sanctity and balance of nature. During the invasion of the Burning Legion, they allied with the fierce Orcs, who came to Azeroth from their native world, Draenor. Later, the Trolls of the Darkspear tribe joined this coalition after an Orcish leader saved them from extermination. None of these have much good will toward the Undead, but align with them, albeit rather tenuously, against a common enemy, the Lich King. These four comprise the Horde faction.

The industrious Dwarves, once disinclined to leave their mountain citadel, Ironforge, now scour the far corners of Azeroth for signs of their ancient beginnings. They have staunch friends in their Gnomish cousins; the two have become even closer since the latter were driven from their techno-city of Gnomeregan. Both are friendly with the Humans of Stormwind, which stands as the last bastion of that species' civilization. Reclusive immortals who favor the hours of darkness, the Night Elves are honorable and just, but still hesitant to trust the 'lesser races' with whom they are allied. This quartet makes up the Alliance.

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#51 Should You Play an Orc? (for all)
Orcs are not native to Azeroth; rather, they were unwillingly brought there from their home world, Draenor, to serve the Burning Legion during its invasion. Having escaped the control of their erstwhile masters, they are now part of the Horde faction. They have naturally high Strength, Stamina and Spirit, second only to Taurens, Dwarves and Undead respectively, but lower than average Agility and Intellect. Racial traits include passive bonuses to stun and knockout resistance, pet melee damage and axe skill plus Blood Fury, which can be activated to increase Strength temporarily at the cost of draining health every few seconds.

The pet damage bonus makes Orcs arguably the best choice if you want to play a Hunter, although if you plan to do a lot of grouping, it may be a bit easier to find willing companions with a Warrior. Based on observation only, the Rogue, Shaman and Warlock options don't seem quite as popular. Overall, the race seems to be somewhat oriented toward those who enjoy soloing. All the classes can contribute in parties, but only the Warrior fits what many players consider the optimum base triumvirate that also includes a Mage and Priest, and even in this case, a Tauren is often seen as slightly superior.


#52 Scarlet Monastery (for levels 30+ to 40+)
The Scarlet Monastery is a world dungeon found in one of the Horde regions, Tirisfal Glade. It is the location for a Mage-only quest plus about four for Horde characters and a couple for the Alliance. The entrance, called the Grand Vestibule, contains level 30 and 31 elites. As you make your way through, you'll have to face increasingly tougher foes; the final ones are level 42. In a few places, there are also non-elites that attack in large numbers.

Completing the Scarlet Monastery is quite a lengthy proposition. Even with a strong, cohesive party, it can take more than three hours. You should be aware that some enemies are resistant to debuffs, which means the best approach is simply to hit them as hard as possible while healing as necessary. Defeated foes can drop some nice items, many of which are quite desirable for mages and other spellcasters. Because the site is in Horde territory, Alliance characters arriving there may find the selection of available group mates limited.


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