Here it is again: I tamed the Spirit Beast!
When I first heard about Loque’nahak I thought to myself, that’s a pretty cool cat, but not worth the huge effort it requires. I read about people spending a week (and that’s a week 24/7, completely dedicated to looking for it, taking shifts in front of the pc) in Sholazar Basin before they finally found one. No one knows exactly how often it spawns, where it spawns (there are six confirmed spawn points) and if it stays in the world until killed/tamed, or despawns on a timer (ten minutes have been suggested). It also shares spawntimers with two other rare beasts in Sholazar, so only one of them are “active” at any one time. In addition, people get an achievement from killing it. Add to that the fact that there’s usually at least 3 other hunters doing the same search and you got yourself a proper hunt. AFAIK it’s considered one of the rarest, if not the rarest, spawn in the entire game.
Anyway, as I said I didn’t really think twice about it before. I had a look when I was in the basin, read other people’s stories and was generally happy with my other pets. Then came the infamous hunter nerf (TM) and I respecced and lost my ability to tame exotic pets (you need 53 points in BM). The cats were also nerfed that dreadful day, the day Blizzard decided everyone should be playing Druids or DK’s, as some like to call it.
After that respec I thought even less of the Spirit Beast, but tried to stay away from the Basin as I was sure I would stumble over it the first time I was close to a spawnpoint (murphy knows all about that stuff).
About a week later a new build was suggested on EJ, which allowed for 53 points in BM while still keeping the important stuff from MM and SV. I respecced, mostly because the Devilsaurs was by now crowned the best pets (post nerf) and they require the exotic pets talent. Gradually I began searching for Loque again. Gradually I became more obsessed with finding him… Last week i got sick and had lots of time during daytime to look for him. The last couple of days I have spent maybe five or six hours every day circling the basin without ever seeing him, or the other two rares, dead or alive. I spammed guildchat asking people to keep an eye out, which you did (thanks!), but no one saw him anywhere.
Today I started around 10am. I enabled my /target loq macro and told it to play a raid-alert sound if it found anything. I circled, I stood watch, I circled some more. I killed som monkeys, I got a lot of leather. I nervously watched the other hunters flying around on the same mission. I tried to alternate going clockwise and anticlockwise (have no idea why). Finally at around 2pm, with more and more hunters coming online, I decided to idle while I went shopping groceries.
I came back about 15 minutes later, checked the screen, no new info. Made myself some lunch and sat down in front of the computer again, deciding to fly one last patrol before taking a break. At the second spawnpoint my raid alert starts going off like mad. My heart jumped up to my throat as I saw Loque was targeted. I frantically looked for him on the ground and saw him about ten yards away. I dismounted (and fell to the ground). I tried to abandon my devilsaur but it was “offline”. I panicked slightly and was sure another hunter would come swooping down and tame my cat. Finally, after what must have been a whole second or two, my devilsaur spawned and i abandoned it. I quickly threw down a frost trap, stood on it, and started taming. I was shaking and feeling a huge adrenaline rush (at the same time being slightly ashamed for feeling this way about a game!).
Ten more seconds and the cat was all mine. ALL MINE!
To non-hunters, this must seem utterly silly, but for a hunter, it’s maybe the best moment the game has to offer.
I’m still a little shaky…
Loque'nahak (Spirit Beast)
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