Who's that girl? Singer

This is an odd one. In one of the earliest posts on this blog I talked about Gravis Slipknot, a human rarespawn found in the Alterac Mountains. Just like Gravis, the rare in this entry wears the garb of the Syndicate, the band of thugs and robbers created by dispossessed Alterac nobility. And just like Gravis, this rare has some... quirks concerning her status with the group. Read on and you'll see.

This post is about Singer.



Who is Singer and where can I find her?

Singer is a rare mob human found in the Arathi Highlands in the Eastern Kingdoms.



Northfold Manor is the main base of the Syndicate in Arathi, and true enough Singer can be found there. She spawns in a few different locations, all inside the buildings. The small shack on the edge of the central field is a possibility, as is the barn. She may also appear inside the small buildings, though I have personally never seen her there. Singer does not wander at all, just moving around her spawn point a few steps this way and that. She also has a rather distinctive appearance as she is the only mob around the area to wear a dress. Her respawn time is fairly short (I have observed her spawning more than one time per day) and will thus often be found alive.



As a side note, I never quite got why Northfold is called a "manor" when it is quite obviously just a farm. Sarcasm? Boasting?

Fighting Singer

Singer is an odd mob to fight. She has very little health, and her standard ability is just a warrior-like demoralizing shout. She then wades in swinging a blade in each hand. For any character high in level this is all there is to her, a mob with a name who dies very very fast. However, for characters of level 25 or lower, Singer can be a very different fight.



Singer possesses an ability called Dominate Mind which is effective only on enemies level 25 or lower (although there are some differing accounts on the exact level range, this is the value given by wowhead and I'll believe that) which mind controls the character. For characters trying to defeat Singer solo, this means she will most likely de-aggro and go out of combat. For characters with pets, being mind controlled while your pet kills Singer, this will make it impossible for you to loot her afterwards. This ability is pretty much the only real threat Singer poses, so be careful if you are of a level able to be affected by it.



Interestingly, while Singer does wear the orange bandana of a Syndicate member, Singer does not change your Syndicate reputation when slain. Neither does she drop the Mark of the Syndicate trash item. However, Singer has two unique drops to her, neither of which fit her at all. Her cloak and amulet are both items heavy in spirit, something which makes no sense considering her abilities as a melee-heavy enemy. Maybe her mind-dominating ability indicates that she's a priest of some kind?

Her cloak is actually quite pretty with very bold colors. If Singer spawns inside the small hut, there is also quite frequently a treasure chest right beside her as well. This may cause LoS issues, and even make her bug out, so be careful!

Singer's story

As noted, Singer wears the bandana of a Syndicate member but this is not supported by anything else in-game. Singer remains hostile even to those crazy enough to grind themselves up to Neutral with the Syndicate faction. This makes her a bit of an enigma. Who is she? Is she just some crazy person who's holed up here and dresses like the Syndicate for fun?



My explanation for this would be that Singer is, for lack of a better word, nuts. She's a somewhat deranged and violent young woman recruited by the Syndicate for her terrifying ability to control the minds of others. The source of this ability, be it corrupted divine magic or an arcane version, remains mysterious. Still, Singer seems quite happy to just carve people up with her blades, and thus if her mind control fails to impress an enemy, the Syndicate can always rely on her to go in with flashing steel as a backup plan. However, maybe she's just a bit too nutty to recognize friend from foe, which is why her affiliation is with the Syndicate is tenuous at best?



And hey, while I'm speculating, I like to think that her name comes from the fact that her song is the means by which she mind controls someone. Singing a mesmerizing song like a siren would be an interesting twist on it...

Singer is a pretty cool rare, with her own drops and a cool look. She's well worth seeking out for those interested!

Until next time, put cotton wads in your ears.

~Dragonshade