In all-too-nearly four years, a dozen realms, a maxed-out litter of fifty characters – not counting many a noble suicide – I think I may still count on one hand the number of dungeon instances any of The Brood has entered in earnest, seeking loot or quest reward for self.

Tzuzeku of Tirisfal, Dethecus, the primogenitress of all, once wore Whitemane’s Chappeau, stylishly, around downtown Orgrimmar, in and out of the Auction House, to the Bank and Mailbox, through The Drag to the Tailor’s shop and back again. So The Scarlet Monastery, once upon a time, makes one.

And, I vaguely recall, the same original Tzuzeku, in the inexperience and impurity of her first incarnation, also sometime wore some serious BoP caster’s leggings out of Blackrock Depths; making two.

But since then, what few dungeon instances I’ve seen, I’ve seen in a more or less disinterested, supportive role – along for the ride. And The Brood has worn none but professional crafted gear and weapons, market-bought BoE items, battleground rewards and, here and there, external world quest prizes.

Mine are Creatures of the Market. My twinks, Market Twinks, living and dying by only what can be bought, sold, made, cast, applied, eaten and imbibed. And the market, itself, pays for it all….

These days, an indifferent war gamer, I seek instead to dwell virtually, searching out the different paths, odd choices, the less usual option and unexpected availabilities – any direction but that of The Game’s shortest and quickest race to the top, to the “end game,” to the best and last word in BoP gear, or toward the top of the PvP corpse pile.

I seek the world in The World of Warcraft. And I find it most distinctly in the Auction House: that there is indeed a genuine economy there in operation, one capable of supporting virtual life, almost without questing.

Not a bad measure of the viability, playability and likely longevity of any given MMORPG: Is there a vibrant in-game market and how many pure virtual speculators can it support?