Where would you guess this beautifully lush landscape was located? Would you believe in the very heart of grey, dismal Desolace? If you find that hard to believe, you've probably never ventured very far into Maraudon (and I can understand why you wouldn't bother -- completing the dungeon requires a marathon play session), as the heart of the instance is all tranquil pastel colors and luminous waterfalls. Pyrana of Scarlet Crusade sent this shot in, noting, "I've never seen such serene visuals anywhere else in the game."

Do you have any images of equally serene parts of the game world? We want to hear your stories (and 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!

Timothy Burke has posted an interesting article over at Terra Nova about "WTF" in the New Year. If you haven't been a gamer for long, you might not know "wtf" is slang for "What the Frak" (OK, that's only if you're a BSG fan-- the normally accepted meaning is a little more graphic). Burke, however, means he's ready for experiencing something new in Azeroth-- something he doesn't have down pat.

It's true, after you've run UBRS about 50 times or so, you've pretty much got it down to a science. You know what to do with the pulls, you know all the sayings Rend and Nef shout out, you know to tell Awbee to quit his stupid whimpering, and you know that the dragons in Drakk's room can't be slept. It's not that it's not fun-- it is. But like Burke says, it's fun in the rehearsed ballet sense rather than the-- well, the "OMGBBQWTF just happened!!?!!" sense.

So like Burke, I too am hoping Blizzard delivers on the WTF in the expansion. I can't wait to run instances I don't know yet, or figure out how to do pulls I've never done before. I can't wait to see something drop that I've never read enviously about on Thottbot, or find an easter egg that I haven't yet heard about. Burke uses the Son of Arugal as an example of a WTF moment, but I'd say even something like the end of Maraudon, with the beautiful landscape, the epic bosses, and that gnarly Princess-- that's the stuff I can't wait to see when Burning Crusade finally comes around..