This section of levelling took way longer than it should have. Partly because I haven't been playing much, and partly because I apparently received a blow to the head and decided to go back to the Eastern Kingdoms after I dinged 34. I know what I said earlier, and it's still true; Eastern Kingdoms is a horrible continent to level archaeology on if you're horde and can't fly yet.
However, I was getting bored of things over on Kalimdor, and I was hoping that grabbing all the flightpaths in between each digsite would make things easier on EK as well as add some variety. I'm not too sure that I've accomplished the former as digsites in Redridge still entail running from Searing Gorge through mobs several levels above me, bu it definitely added variety. I've been dying in all kinds of new [to Leeloo] and interesting locales.
Truthfully though, aside from the grabbing of flightpaths in Eastern Kingdoms I haven't died all that much, which is a bit surprising considering how poorly geared Leeloo is. Aside from the three initial pieces of heirloom gear that I started this challenge with [Stained Shadowcraft Tunic, Spaulders and the Venerable Mass of McGowan with Crusader], her gear is kind of rubbish. The auction house at 30 had a complete dearth of useful gear, and at 35 what little there was that was an upgrade had exorbitant prices. 50g for some new pants? Bugger that for a lark.
I've also come to the conclusion that this would be a lot harder if Leeloo was anything but what she is, a druid. There are other classes that would do better, in terms of survivability like a hunter or a paladin, but survivability plus ease of travel? Druid hands [paws?] down. If you're thinking to yourself that at level 20, it wouldn't make a difference at all, but I've not bought any Riding skill yet. I'm not even sure I've been able to afford it yet, except at the time of my visit to Orgrimmar upon hitting 35. But the thing is, I've talented for a faster cat form, glyphed for a faster aquatic form, and if I'm outdoors I have travel form. These are hardly the top of the class, as it were, in the realm of faster travel, but they're constant, and relatively cheap.
I'm still bleeding money like a hemophiliac, though. The double-gathering is bringing in tidy sums of money, of course, but that money, as I mentioned when I started this silly venture, is being held elsewhere. Thankfully, my higher level gains has opened up both new zones to dig in, as well as better quality relics. Now the ones I'm solving for don't just vendor for 1g; sometimes they vendor for *gasp* 2g. So upon dinging 35, I was actually sitting on a mountainous sum of 15g - which I then promptly spent on training my druid [I didn't train at 34 due to not needing the newly unlocked abilities] and her profession skills. Mining and herbalism set me back 9g.
Finally, as the title of this post implies, Leeloo got herself some archaeology achievements and is now the proud owner of a Druid and Priest Statue Set as well as the title "Assistant Professor". That title has actually saved my life now, believe it or not. I was at a digsite in ... I honestly can't remember where, but there were nagas everywhere and it wasn't Darkshore. There was also a boss-level [boss-level, not ??-level] naga there that aggroed me despite me trying my very best to avoid her. She hit me twice fo 200-odd damage apiece when I was saved by a fellow archaeologist, a blood elf priest. After solidly thwapping the naga, and me thanking her, she let me know that she only saved me because of my title. Misplaced reasoning aside, that was pretty nice.
And now... Screenshots!
