Confession

Hello, I'm Snarefoot and I am a gearoholic.

When I returned to my long-suffering hunter a couple of months ago after burning out on my druidic affair, I was content with the gear I had. The hodgepodge of dungeon, Naxx, and Ulduar swag I was sporting was good enough to trivialize any single-player content in the game, good enough to run a dungeon respectably, and good enough to see me well into the grind to 85 when it comes around. I also had 10k gold, which from what I could tell, was all the money I would ever need.

As I probed around the game looking for new things to do, I wasn't even thinking about my gear. I was grinding my way through Netherwing Ledge, re-earning my Crusader title, and just messing around with pointless things, as is my custom.

Then, something strange happened. I suddenly. And quite without warning, became very anxious about my iLevel 200 rings and trinkets.

Maybe it was because I still had gearscore installed from my heavy pugging days with the tree, maybe it was just an inevitable outcome, but suddenly my epeen was just not enough. I needed upgrades.

No, I know what it was, it was the damn scorpion.

I ran Forge of Souls one night with Eric. At the time I was running a pug here there just for fun. It wasn't badgefarming or drophunting, just enjoying group content when I could get a friend along. Eric was there for the Needle Encrusted Scorpion, though. As we neared the Host of Souls I told him I'd roll need if the thing dropped, and give it to him if I got it. The poor guy had run that pitiful little dungeon 25 times without getting the trinket and I was good with my antiquated gear, so I figured I'd help him out.

Of course, the thing drops.

And of course, there is a glitch in the looting.

The rolls spin off in the chat frame and I win the item. We all say our goodbyes and I drop group and teleport out of the dungeon back to Dalaran and tell Eric to come find me. Then I look in my bag.

No scorpion.

Wtf?

I check the log - I had the winning roll, but there's no record of the item being distributed. It's still on the corpse back in an instance I am now locked out of.

Bugger.

So we each open a ticket.

Three days later, mine is still unaddressed, but his is escalated to the ninja department.

Another couple of days go by and I get an in-game mail that let's me know that my raid leader had reported a looting mistake and here's your item. My ticket has vanished.

So, five days of waiting and wondering what would happen later I have an untradable but really choice trinket and a sudden compulsion to get the epic achievement monkey off my back - all I need is a belt and a ring afterall, no biggie.

A few days of pugging and 3k gold less later, I had the achievement, but I also have a sad little 4200 gearscore. That stuff was so easy to get, just a few more pieces and no one will groan if they get me in a pug. A couple of weeks of that flawed thinking later and here I am, desperately clawing at 5k, stooping so low as to pug Halls of Reflection and plotting ways to get to 5200 without actually raiding, and watching my bank balance plummet daily. I am a desperate junkie hunting high and low for that next hit of purple dragon, and I need help.

Where is the rehab instance, and does it drop badges?