SHATTRATH, April 6—It's five o'clock on Tuesday, and raid leader Anarassa is standing at the entrance to the World's End Tavern. In her hand, a spreadsheet print-out contains the names, levels, and ID numbers of the 25 students eligible for the night's raid to Hyjal—far fewer than the 42 would-be raiders standing in a queue that stretches down the street to the netherdrake vendor. Some are carrying valid, college-issued raid identification cards. Others, riding the crest of a recent surge in fake ID schemes, are taking a shot at beating the system.
"It's getting to the point where I can remember who has the [fake ID]," says Anarassa. "They just keep trying and trying. Oh, here comes one.”
A gnome caster wearing a mix of Karazhan and season-one gear walks up to the podium, holds up his card, and declares, "I am McBorkin.”
Speaking on behalf of the Office of the Dean, raid leader Benkenobi dismissed allegations that the college has been letting policy slip. “What are you talking about. Of course we check IDs. We check them all the time. Like, we check them in the middle of raids. Hey, where’s your ID? Hold it up. Well, how do I know that’s not fake? I’m just going to assume it’s fake. That’s how concerned I am about fake IDs. I just assume they’re all fake. I think you better leave now. This isn’t the interview you’ve been looking for. Move along.”
Nonetheless, anecdotes from college faculty, not to mention admissions of guilt from students using counterfeit IDs, have contributed to the feeling on campus that the administration has been lax about enforcing identification procedures. In addition to World's End Tavern, student hotspots such as the Opera House in Karazhan and Nalorakk Around the Clock in Zul'Aman have been seeing unusually high attendance for this time of year.
"I just want to be clear, for the record, that the Opera House does not accept fake IDs of any kind," declares stage manager Barnes. "We check IDs at the door, we seat people, and everyone has a good time exploring the tale of forbidden love or plumbing the depths of the human soul. That said: yes, business has been good."
For students, relaxed attitudes about the use of fake or altered identifications are rampant. Newly arrived student Toksick carries five different IDs at all times. "This one's for pugging Gruul on Wednesday nights. This one's for Saturday nights. This one was actually my brother's—I don't remember when I last used it. Then I have two more for Hyjal and TK." All IDs were easily purchased online for under 25g and delivered by mail. When asked about the penalties for using counterfeit IDs, Toksick shrugged off accountability. "I think if the Dean was serious about people not using these, he'd make it harder to get away with it. Besides, I'm helping myself, I'm helping the school, and I'm helping the economy and whatnot. Maybe [the rules] should be changed to reflect that."