Mementos

This week’s topic over at Blog Azeroth is near and dear to my heart. Mostly because I’m a total packrat, and I love these kinds of things, but what Feral Tree wants to know is what items or mementos have you kept (in your toon’s pack or bank) and why? Whether it be keepsakes, quest rewards, special items, random drops, whatever! – why did you decide to hang on to it? What’s its significance to you?

Now, I already did a post about what kind of junk I tote around with me in my bags, so this time I’m going to focus solely on some of the mementos that I hold near and dear in my bank. Every time I lament my lack of bank space and Brade tries to convince me to destroy things, there are certain things that I just cannot let go – no matter how full my bags may be.

Before we get started, and so that you fully understand the level of packrat-ness that I exude, perhaps I should give you a glimpse into Beru’s bank? Yes?

As I was looking through the treasure hold that is my bank last night in preparation for this post, I found it extremely hard to pick just a handful of my preciouses for this post. However, I have somehow managed to narrow it down to ten. It was a challenge let me tell you! But here are ten of my fondest memories that seem to survive every expansion and every bank purging.

The Diary of Weavil and The War of the Shifting Sands – These are both items that come from the AQ 40 gate opening event as you do that scepter of the sands quest line. Why do I hold on to them? Because they are great reads, and if I destroy them I can never get them back. The Diary of Weavil is hilarious, and the War of the Shifting Sands has great story and lore surrounding the Qiraji and Azeroth. I did the quest line with this expansion, but I really enjoyed it and these are find mementos to remember it by. Of course, I am still holding onto the scepter, the turban and the dagger from the quest line – but I think of those 3 items everything but the scepter may be at risk if I become desperate enough for bank space!

Archmage Vargoth’s Staff – Have you ever seen the mage decked out in purple just randomly appear in your raids? You have? Well, say hello to Archmage Vargoth! If you see him appear, someone is holding onto his staff. I keep it around because I enjoyed his quests, and it’s a unique type of things – and a fun memory from TBC. It’s the sort of quirky item that people will often destroy, but that I think is really fun. I also have my rocket helm from Netherstorm in the bank as well! But the staff makes the list because I have a soft spot for the little magical guy.

Memento of Tyrande – this is one of those items that will never, no matter how desperate I am for bag space, leave my bank. This memento was from our very first Illidan kill. Not only is it just an awesome item lore wise (I mean come on, how cool is it that Illidan is carrying around a memento of Tyrande?), but it’s a symbol of survival for my guild. It is by far one of my most precious items.

Frostwolf Insignia – Something that many people who know me are shocked to learn about me is that I used to PvP. Like a lot. I barely touch the stuff now, but back in my heyday I was a pretty decent PvPer. When was my heyday? Vanilla WoW. That is when I earned this insignia – as a resto druid in AV. Back when AV rep was not easy to gain, and when AV battles could take days to win. I would remember zoning in and a team of us waiting for the right time to port back to defend. I remember being on the offensive with a giant Tauren warrior named Kinn – where we’d charge in to whatever fray we came across and he’d destroy everything while I stayed back and kept him alive. That’s right, I was a pocket healer before pocket healers were cool!

While I don’t PvP much anymore, this is one of those items that’s a bit of a badge of honor for me. Hell, even now if I do PvP, I just look for the meanest looking guy and follow him around. Of course, I also still have my PvP tabards, my battle standard and of course my frostwolf. But none of those has the same significance, or memories, for me as this insignia.

The Nifty Stopwatch – I don’t know how many people will remember this quest reward, or how many people even make it out the the Badlands anymore, where the quest is offered. But for me, this is another PvP memory. Well, it’s also one of those unique items that you never know when you may want it! But mostly, it’s a memory of WSG. If you were a druid in Vanilla WoW that PvP’d you will know exactly what I’m talking about. Anyone who was anyone ran flags with their Nifty Stopwatch – and a few FAPs for turtles! I can’t tell you how many times the Nifty Stopwatch got me out of the flag room and far enough ahead to get to our base for a cap before getting smashed.

Sure – by the time I quit PvP WSG made me want to puke, but I had a lot of good times in there. And every time I see my Nifty Stopwatch I am reminded of that.

The Shard of Scale – Look closely! Yes, this is the original! Careful, don’t smudge the chrome on this antique! While most people wanted their antlers from Ony, I wanted this baby. Badly. I never did get my hands on the coveted rejuvenating gem (we won’t talk about that), but I did finally snag this fine piece of Jewelry from Ony. I suppose I hold onto it because it is one of the last pieces I have from Vanilla raiding. And it offers a lot of memories for me – like 10 manning her. Or raiding with my deviate fish addiction.

The Cannonball Runner – a prize trinket from the cannon master in Stratholme. Rare, sought after, and completely useless. Even back then! However, this fun novelty item is something that I keep for, well fun! It also reminds me of running the zone for righteous orbs, of wiping to the totally OP battle mages, of TIMMY! I had a lot of good times back in the Vanilla 5 mans.

The Barov Peasant Caller – I obtained this back when Stratholme could be raided. Back before the trash got nerfed, and people refused to visit Jandice because she was bloody well hard. Back when you jumped off the edge to avoid reclearing the trash after 4 hours in the instance, and when wiping could potentially add another hour to your adventure. The Barov Peasant Caller was the final quest reward for a series of quests that had to be completed in the instance in 5 man. It was a challenge – and it was a badge of pride. Only the most dedicated obtained the trinket before the nerfs came to the zone. While it may not be so rare now, I know that I was one of a few people on the server with this trinket when it was first available.

Blessed Qiraji Augur Staff – How many people remember these weapons? A rare drop that could only be turned in after you had successfully gotten past the Twin Emperor’s. Oh – and don’t agro C’thun on the way by! This is one of my most precious items from Vanilla WoW. Not because it was an incredible item, which it was, but because it reminds me that we were the only horde guild on our server to kill C’thun. Heck we were one of the handful of guilds to push onto C’thun and get him down. I really disliked AQ40 as a whole, but I loved the C’thun encounter. It was also the last major boss that we downed before our guild split. It was truly Monolith’s final stand in the original game – and I think that we’ve come a long way since them. But this item will always remind me where we came from, and where we want to go. It gives me character.

So how about you? What things do you have tucked away in treasure chests that you can’t part with?