Teech from Cenarion Circle penned a brief note on the forums today about the utter agony of farming Timbermaw Hold reputation at level 70. It seems like a lot of people are revisiting this particular rep grind in the interest of obtaining "The Diplomat" title and Achievement in Wrath, for which you need to be Exalted with Sporereggar, the Timbermaw, and the Mag'har/Kurenai. I'm giving some thought to doing it myself because I've already gotten to exalted with Sporereggar and the Mag'har on my main, but Timbermaw is...something else entirely. As a matter of fact, Timbermaw makes no sense. I can understand getting a Diplomat title for being an Alliance or Horde liasion to the embattled peoples of Outland no matter how bad their sense of tabard design, but someone's going to have to explain to me how committing genocide on behalf of a pissed-off subgroup of bears in loincloths does anything to advance the cause of diplomacy in Azeroth.

Why are we so willing to believe the story being peddled by the first furbolg we see in Felwood? For all we know there's nothing wrong with the other furbolg tribes that some micro-lending couldn't cure. And let's face, it, there are other factions in the game for whom both the Alliance and Horde would be much better served by maintaining close diplomatic ties. Take the Consortium, for example. They ask you to lay waste to their colleagues all the time, but at least everyone concerned makes a buck off of it. What do the Timbermaw have to offer but a tunnel that you can fly over? Isn't the national interest of the Horde or Alliance better served by pursuing ties to factions with lots of money or weapons, or at least a massive grudge against things we already hate, rather than involving ourselves in some pointless internecine spat among NPC's whose death animation makes me squirm?

Yeah, I might just be mad I have to kill so many of them. I'll grant that the dubious honor of most legendarily awful rep grind of all time still seems to belong to the Wintersaber Trainers (although the Cenarion Circle is also getting a lot of grief in the thread), but at least the Trainers' rep isn't linked to an amusingly ironic new title. Now if you'll pardon me, I have to go slaughter another several dozen bear men in the interests of social justice for...I'm not sure. Other bears who claim it's the right thing to do. But I get something out of it anyhow, and that makes me an ambassadorial hero.

Welcome to the first installment of my new column series, Illusionary Tactics. Each episode will bring you the full intelligence on an item or quest that disguises you, enabling you to better carry out those secret missions -- or at least confuse your friends and guildmates.

This time, I'll be looking at Dartol's Rod of Transformation, a perennial favorite of my guild. I've written about this item before, but it's been a while, and it's perfect for this column, so I'm giving it some more air time.

What does it do? It turns you into a furbolg for three minutes, with a one-minute cooldown. Unlike many disguises, you can still fight while in furby form, although the form is removed if you are damaged, so it's possible (and I've seen it done) to furbolg-heal and furbolg-ranged-DPS. Just right-click the item in your inventory to activate.

We have some awesome WoTLK news for you today, as Blizzard has just updated their site with a preview of the Grizzly Hills, a Northrend zone that will adjoin the Howling Fjord. Not only are there some really beautiful screen shots, but there's a video with a fly-through tour of parts of the zone, show casing what look to be Human, Orcish, and Furbolg settlements.

The zone will be the home of the Grizzlemaw Furbolgs, a peaceful tribe that is currently arming for war due to encroachment by trappers and the goblin Venture Company, as well as an invasion by the undead Drakkari Ice Trolls (Who are listed on the Beastiary page, although still grayed out).

Not only does the zone look amazing, but it sounds like there's going to be a lot of great lore and story to go with it as well. It's good to see an old nemesis return in the form of the Venture Company, whom we really haven't seen much of since Stranglethorn Vale, and hopefully we'll have one more Furbolg tribe to ally with in the Grizzlemaw. It's also mentioned that they worship a giant bear that roams the wilderness, which feels like it could lead to a bit of new lore for druids as well perhaps, especially if the bear is related to Ursoc and Ursol somehow. Finally, the Drakkari Ice Trolls seem to have gone the same way as the Mossflayers, and it should be interesting to find out how they fell.

Reader Ankarah sends us this interesting shot from Netherstorm, where we see two Furbolg enjoying an afternoon stroll... Wait... Furbolg? Ankarah is enjoying some of the game's more interesting quest items. If you can't stand to be without Furbolg form, you'll have to be an Alliance character (sorry, Horde!) and complete the Raene's Cleansing in Ashenvale. If you lust after your own lovely glowy bubble, you have to be Alliance (doh!) and complete the Ride the Lightning quest from Toshley's Station.

Do you have any shots highlighting an interesting moment questing throughout the World (of Warcraft)? We want to see them on Around Azeroth! Sharing your screenshot is as simple as e-mailing aroundazeroth@wowinsider.com with a copy of your shot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could be featured here next!

Four Furbolg walk into a bar... no, wait, wrong article! Reader Matt sends in this shot of four interpid players who aren't just disguised as Furbolg, but disguised as Furbolg of four different sizes. So, let's think this through.... One of them is normal sized, one of them is using Winterfall Firewater or an Elixir of Giant Growth to become larger. One is using a World Enlarger to become smaller. But I'm at a loss to explain that forth Furbolg. Is there a potion that cases size changes but isn't classified as a battle elixir like the two previously mentioned potions? An engineering device isn't coming to mind? Now's your chance to gain comment fame by coming up with the answer!

Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth.

Reader Lurthaar sends in this shot taken of one of the many Furbolg camps in Ashenvale. Like all Furbolg camps, they're guarded by these creepy totems. I've tried to ask them what these figures represent, but surprisingly none of the Furbolg in the area are very chatty...

Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth.

Reader Scroto of Illidan sends in this amusing image. I imagine the Gryphon Masters in the major Alliance cities don't look kindly upon Furbolg seeking transportation -- thus this screenshot shows an attempt at do-it-yourself Gryphon riding (or perhaps Gryphon-jacking). Do these things come with an instruction manual?

Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth.

I'm honestly surprised that Zaraphel of Greymane is the first person to send in a shot taken during the Learning the Language quest chain offered to newbie Draenei on Azuremyst Isle. After completing the Totem of Yor quest in the chain, you are turned into a shadow panther, and the entire world turns into a dark blue/grey blur. (Really, this still shot does a poor job of showing how incredible Azuremyst looks through the eyes of these creatures.)

Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth.

A great favorite of my guild, Dartol's Rod of Transformation is a bit of an unusual item. It doesn't have any stats, and it doesn't do any damage; no, this is a far more potent piece of loot. It transforms you into a Furbolg for three minutes. And let me tell you, there's nothing quite like a Furbolg charging up to bubble-pull Onyxia, followed by a dozen more Furbolgs and assorted other folks. The effect breaks if you receive damage, but the cooldown is only one minute, so it shouldn't be too hard to stay furbied up most of the time.

How do you get it? Simple, just follow the quest chain "Raene's Cleansing" in Ashenvale (18 is the level of the first quest). Sorry, Hordies, but this one's Alliance-only. There's one catch: you can't finish the quest line, because if you do, they take away your pretty rod. The best way to go about it is just to not accept the follow-up: as soon as you get your rod, walk away smiling. Unfortunately, a few of us Alliance folks have completed the entire quest chain; for us, as for hordies, there's pretty much no way to get Dartol's Rod. But at least we still get Paladins on our side! (What's that? Horde Paladins in the expansion? Yeah right. Screenshot or it didn't happen.)