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Easter
eggs are everywhere. No I am not talking about those bright and
colorful dyed eggs that make their appearance via the Easter Bunny. The
Easter eggs I refer to are hidden messages, jokes, and other tidbits
that feature in places such as books, CDs, computer games, web pages,
and other media outlets. The only thing these Easter eggs have in
common with those delivered by the infamous Easter Bunny is that both
are hidden, and in order to enjoy them they must be found.
The term Easter egg was coined by Atari after they discovered one of
their programmers, Warren Robinett, had left a secret message in the
game Adventure. However this claim to the name Easter egg is
perpetuated by none other than Warren Robinett himself, so where the
name came from and who first used it remains a heated debate. Easter
eggs such as the one described above are usually fun and lighthearted
however in recent years due to the increase in security threats some
companies forbid the use of any software containing Easter eggs.
With that in mind if your company is one of the above mentioned that do
not allow software with Easter eggs for security reasons, you will be
disappointed to find out that World of Warcraft is littered with Easter
eggs. Not that you should or would be playing WoW at work
anyways….right? While there are tons of Easter eggs hidden
throughout WoW ready and waiting for the adventure seekers among us, I
have narrowed down the list to seven of my personal favorites. So here
they are in all their Easter eggy glory.
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The Children of Goldshire
North
of Goldshire in a house that appears to be home to the skinning
and leatherworking trainers
something more sinister lurks. If you dare
venture to the second floor you will find six seemingly
innocent children. Upon first glance these children seem
harmless enough, but take a closer look
and the children’s
dark secret will be revealed. The children are forming the shape of a
pentagram.. Stay long enough and you will be treated to an eerie
warning “You will die” from a familiar voice. It is
rumored that the children do occasionally leave the house, always
walking in a pentagram formation, and have sometimes been spotted just
outside Stormwind.
Cluck!
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Cluck!
Chickens in WoW are everywhere, usually around human settlements where
they run around and basically fade into the background. It appears that
those annoying chickens are more useful than previously
thought. First head to either Farmer Saldean in Westfall (Alliance) or
William Saldean in Brill (Horde) and purchase the [Special Chicken
Feed] they have for sale, you will need it later. Find any
chicken and select it but be sure not to accidentally kill it as
tempting as that may be. Check to see if your "view low level quests"
option is enabled and then /cheer at the chicken followed by /chicken.
After a few seconds the chicken will look at you expectantly and become
friendly. You should also notice that the chicken now offers you a
quest to retrieve it some chicken feed. Any nearby player may get the
quest while the chicken is active. Since you have already purchased the
food simply complete the quest and the chicken will transform itself
into an egg. Loot the egg to free the chicken and get your very own
Westfall Chicken pet to add to your collection.
Challe’s Home for
Little Tykes
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Challe's may be more than it
seems.
Deep in the hills between Nagrand and Zangarmarsh is a very special
orphanage. Created as a haven for the parentless children of both
factions this orphanage is run by Challe, a troll female, who stands
guard outside. Challe’s is unlike the other orphanages in WoW
because it is only here that you can get your first glimpse of the only
known Tauren, Troll, and Night Elf babies
in game. There are also several children romping outside. Perhaps there
may be something more sinister behind Challe’s orphanage, for
if you explore behind the hut containing the infants you will find
cages of various sizes. One of which seems to hold the bones of a very
small person. Is Challe making a meal out of her small wards? You
decide.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
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Cowabunga dudes!
Who didn’t love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when they
were younger? It seems that there is at least one fan amongst the
Blizzard developers as well. Deep in the Underbelly of Dalaran near a
pile of old bottles filled with green goop you may see something
surprising. What may look like just another bunch of random critters is
more than it seems. If you look closely you will find the a level 80
rat surrounded by four level 1 turtles, in what can only be a reference
back to this classic from the past.
Caylee Dak
It cannot be said that Blizzard doesn’t have heart, as the
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Caylee and her faithful
companion Dusky.
game is scattered with memorials of all types. One of my personal
favorites can be found on Aldor Rise in Shattrath City. There is no
gravestone, or fancy plaque here, instead here resides Caylee Dak a
level 70 elite quest giver. In a mismatched set of gear, this
quest
giver is indeed more than she seems. Caylee is named after Dak Krause
who died of leukemia in August of 2007. In remembrance of this player
Blizzard placed an exact replica (including his gear and his pet Dusky)
of Caylee, Dak Krause’s real in game character, Caylee is
part of a quest that begins in Stormwind City where a little girl
Alicia asks you to deliver a poem to her friend Caylee. If you take the
time to read the poem it is quite lovely, but ultimately about death.
Nova Shrine
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The final resting place of
Starcraft Ghost.
Another memorial of a different type can be found in the strange land
of Netherstorm. Just south of the Arklon Ruins on a small floating
island only reachable by flying mount lays some very Starcraftesque
looking minerals, accompanied by a strange blue stone resembling a
Draenei tombstone. On the tomb itself flashes the letters N, O, V, and
A. What you are looking at is the memorial to the game Starcraft: Ghost
which was discontinued. May it rest in peace.
Deeprun Tram
Some say in the depths of the subterranean lake housing the
Deeprun Tram lurks a monster of epic proportions. If you are brave
enough to venture into the tram tunnel alone, keep a close eye out and
you may get more than you bargained for. Along with various objects
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including treasure chests, shipwrecks, and other odds and ends resides
a very strange and elusive creature named Nessy. Nessy is a threshadon
beast and is inaccessible to players, making the beast unkillable even
if you manage to get inside the dome.The question remains as to if
Nessy is a mere relative of the Loch Ness Monster, or if Loch
Ness and the subterranean lake surrounding the Tram somehow connect
making Nessy the infamous Lock Ness Monster.
I hope you have enjoyed these Easter eggs, and will seek them out to
view them for yourself first hand. I feel like they add a
little extra something to the game. Many more are to be found
throughout the game for those willing to seek them. Feel free to join
us on the forums to share your favorite WoW Easter eggs.
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our World of Warcraft Game Page.
