Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies

My journey began when I was fourteen years old and my friend introduced me to the online game World of Warcraft. At first I was skeptical that I would enjoy it, but my buddy insisted I give it a try. I chose to become a shaman, master of the elements, specializing in their restorative powers to aid my teammates in battle. I also began to study herbalism and alchemy, allowing me to search for and collect various herbs to convert them into potions. These potions could provide players with extra strength for a limited time, the ability to breathe underwater, or to cure diseases inflicted by enemies. My drive to play the game was fueled by the raids that only high ranked players could participate in. Essentially, a raid was a fortified stronghold where a group of ten to twenty-five players would enter and battle the most difficult bosses the game had to offer. Once I achieved the appropriate rank I applied to guilds for a spot in their raid group as a healer and potion provider. The most challenging raid at the time was known as Naxxramas, a necropolis infested with fiends and abominations. My first experience there was a train wreck being mostly due to my inexperience with the immense coordination and teamwork required. As a healer, if I made even one mistake and let a crucial teammate die the encounter could be over in an instant. However, this is the type of challenge I craved. I began to prepare for the difficult bosses by researching their abilities and crafting extra…