With the release of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, new adventurers are joining the ranks of the Horde and the Alliance almost every day. Though these players are able to find a lot of helpful information through our in-game tutorials and community guides, when you're learning the ropes, nothing really beats the wisdom of an experienced player. That's why each week we'll be reaching out to all of our veterans for tips, tricks, and trade secrets about a variety of different topics to help put new recruits on the path to success. To kick things off, this week's inaugural topic is: questing.

Off the coast of Dun Morogh, beneath the sunlit reaches of the Great Sea, swims the arbiter of the deep. Known to many as simply "the whale shark," this legendary leviathan patrols the sunken ruins of Vashj’ir, casually devouring any inattentive or overzealous adventurers who cross its path. Tales pour in daily from those who have fallen victim to -- or somehow managed to survive -- the whale shark’s wrath. But, how about you? Have you encountered this abyssal beast yet, and if so, how did you fare?

Ready for more digging, travelers? Fantastic! There's a plethora of game and community developments this week just waiting to be discovered. Let's dive right in.

As many of you have already discovered, one of the focal points of the new World of Warcraft community site is, well...you! Not only do you have a variety of controls at your fingertips, but you're now represented by unique 3D renders of your in-game characters. These new character images will appear in your Armory profile, in the character card once you’re logged in, and whenever you post a comment or reply. A number of players have been asking for more information about these 3D renders, so we've put together an FAQ to explain how they work and how they're created.

Welcome to World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, adventurers! Azeroth is positively buzzing with activity, so grab your shovels and let's dig into the latest community and game developments.

Greetings, travelers! While it's good to see you survived Deathwing's return, there's unfortunately no time for idle chatter. Much has happened these past two weeks, so let's sift through the rubble and explore the latest community developments.

Bountiful Tables have been set up with care. Cooking fires blaze brightly in the failing autumn light. And wild turkeys once again roam the shaded pastures outside the Undercity and Elywnn Forest. Pilgrim's Bounty is in full swing. From cooking, to eating, to hunting, to (food) fighting, there are countless ways to celebrate the holiday. But of everything there is to do, which festivity do you enjoy the most?

Azeroth's capital cities, once bastions of trade and commerce, are now under siege by forces from the Elemental Planes. While faction leaders have recently established Evacuation Portals throughout each city, allowing concerned denizens to safely escape before the next full-scale invasion occurs, we understand that accidents can still happen. In the event of an emergency, for example, you may become trapped, separated from your evacuation party, or be otherwise unable to reach a secure location. To ensure that you're adequately prepared for this worst-case scenario and can survive until reinforcements arrive, we've created a list of items to include in an Invasion Survival Kit to help you withstand the wrath of the elements.

Pull up a chair, grab a sizable helping of your favorite food, and prepare to reflect on the year's good tidings -- you're invited to Pilgrim's Bounty! The festivities start this Sunday, November 21, and continue all the way through next Saturday, November 27. Try your hand at cooking, hunt down a wild turkey with friends, or throw tradition to the wind and participate in an all-out food fight. There's fun for everyone, so we hope to see you there!

With patch 4.0.3 now live, the stage has been set for the coming cataclysm. The return of Deathwing is imminent, and soon Azeroth will be changed forever. Many of you have been anticipating this moment. You've posted, blogged, podcasted, and even tweeted about it. But, after the world is torn asunder by the wrath of the corrupted Dragon Aspect, what will you do first?

Throughout the years, World of Warcraft players have opened up their hearts to the community and shared with us their inspirational stories of romances found, friendships built , and hardships overcome. With Pilgrim's Bounty just on the horizon, we've selected three uplifting stories to share, submitted for your reading pleasure. These are personal accounts from your fellow World of Warcraft enthusiasts that touch upon the importance of family, love, and laughter and remind us that there's so much in our lives for which we should be thankful.

The earth shakes with growing frequency. Elementals pour out of rifts like rodents escaping a sinking ship. Your esteemed faction leaders, barely recovered from the strain of the campaign in Northrend, have been summoned to deliberate on a matter most urgent. And now, doomsayers affiliated with the Twilight's Hammer are gathering openly within the city walls, preaching the coming of something dark and ancient... and the ruination of all. What in the Light's name is going on? With the world in upheaval and its people in a panic, it's time to prepare for the worst. If the end of Azeroth is indeed at hand, how would you want to spend your final days?

It's a question you've been asking us for a little while now. And, based on all the posts, emails, petitions, and letters we received following the announcement that the Insane in the Membrane achievement would no longer be in available in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, we started to wonder if maybe we had gone a bit loco.

To help prepare the denizens of Azeroth for life after The Shattering, we've been exploring a variety of dungeons, zones, and Battlegrounds that will be featured in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, highlighting their key gameplay elements and delving a bit deeper into the characters that make these environments unique. If you missed out on any of these environment previews, search no further! We've compiled and organized them by their respective categories for you below. Be sure to check back periodically, too, since we'll be continually updating this page as new information is revealed. Enjoy!