World of Warcraft lantern or Chronology of a gift

So this is how it begun, again.

You might know how my ideas come to me. This one hit me so hard I made a 360 with the chair. But let me give you more details... One sunny day I was riding my kodo through Ashenvale listening to the song of the woods, when I thought “I must find this music, I WANT to listen to it day and night". So I did, along with many more, and I listened, for quite a while. Many days later, riding on a wolf through Winterspring, somewhere behind Everlook I saw a lantern. It just hung there, just like countless others, shining. And it was then that somewhere in my head something went click, added 2+2, appeared… I can make a lantern and integrate in it an MP3 player, so it will sing!

Awesome, right? Almost. The idea received its catalogue number, short description and was stuffed in the closet of my sub consciousness along with the others. Sure I could start working right away, but there was no pressing matter and I knew I could stand few months before the deliberate avoiding of the idea starts driving me mad. So I thought, but alas it was not meant to be. A couple of days later my closest friends said to me “You’re going to be an uncle, we’re expecting a baby”. I don’t remember what I’ve said, I remember though there was a lot of arm waving. There and then the idea came out of the closet by kicking the door open. I thought “Once I create this lantern it’s only going to gather dust at my place, so why not make it to shine and sing for the baby”? And I found no reason why NOT make it.

So I journeyed through Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms and Outland in search of lanterns. Torches, Wisps, Masterfully crafted jewels, simple lanterns... anything that shines. I end up a tad disappointed, though variety is great the lantern looking lanterns aren’t that many. Thus I narrowed my choice to two – the one I saw in Winterspring and the Undercity lanterns. After giving it a bit more thought, I gave up on the first for two simple reasons: First of all it’s three-sided (odd numbers doesn’t agree with me) and second, it has only one drawing on each of its sides.

While the Undercity lanterns are four-sided (if nothing else a suitable lantern to be remodeled is easier to find ;)) and have unique drawing on each of their sides.

Yet I was still a tad uncertain about my choice, after all a lantern from such a dark and discontent place to shine and sing? Something clicked again. Undercity wasn’t always like this. Once it was the magnificent Lordaeron, bastion of human might, a place of meeting for Humans, Dwarves and Elves. Yes, a lantern from the glorious days before the fall of Lordaeron, something bearing the blessings of the Elves, craftsmanship of the Dwarves and the spirit of the Humans. A predecessor of the grim Undercity lanterns.

And then another announcement from my dear friends came – a wedding. At which for me was designated (should I choose to accept it) the honour of being the best man. That was an easy choice. It might seem unrelated to you, but it isn’t. Now I knew not only what one of my gifts would be, but also how much time I had to create it.