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For a growing group of educators, the online role-playing game World of Warcraft is a place to go to relax, network, and discover potential learning strategies-- and slay a few monsters if they get in the way.

"Does anyone know where to find best practices for a unit on reptiles?"

Vyktorea herself belongs to Catherine Parsons, assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction, and pupil personnel services for Pine Plains Central School District in New York state. Parsons is the founder of this "guild"-- a community of game players with a shared interest. Called Cognitive Dissonance and populated entirely by educators from both K-12 and higher education, it meets regularly in WoW's elaborate, monster-laden fantasy adventure world, where members play, share ideas, and explore possible instructional crossover. Parsons created the guild two years ago and now runs it with help from Sandy Wagner, director of technology for New York's Auburn Enlarged City School District.

But he had an additional qualification his prospective employer wasn't aware of, one that gave him a decisive edge: He was one of the top guild masters in the online role-playing game World of Warcraft.

To celebrate the history of World of Warcraft and the imminent destruction of Azeroth in Cataclysm, The Escapist has compiled a visual history to highlight the important milestones and events to date, from the servers opening to the Real ID fiasco last month.