2006

Happy Halloween and all the rest

Silverstep, standing in her spooky backyard

Halloween in Norrath would have been slightly more entertaining if they did not just repeat the two quests we had last year. They compromised of a haunted house (with different rewards this time I suppose it should be added) and trick ‘n treating, with a few new face masks as rewards. I still found it slightly disappointing. However with the 2 year anniversary of the game on the 9th of this month, along with the newest expansion upcoming (which I have been off beta testing) I don’t really blame them for not putting much effort into the newest holiday.

I’ve sequestered myself to the crafting tables for the past few days, on various characters while I prepare for the two new sub-classes, tinkering and transmuting. The sage reached level 45 (finally) the jeweler 65, and Silverstep herself managed to level to 56 woodworker. I really do hate woodworking might I add. I get on average 1-2 new recipes a level. So in order to work this skill I’ve resorted to grinding out guild writs, which seem to be the only way I can handle the monotonous grinding. Granted, with the guild at level 50 even that seems to have little point, but the personal status is good and the faction is not too bad. I’m saving up for (another) 5 room house, and there are some Qeynos faction items I’d like to be able to purchase such as vendor stands.

Of course there are always the usual raids, last night was Vyemm, nothing of any significance happened there though, a few guild members played alts and we cleared it with three groups in less then two hours. I think pretty much everyone is looking forward to EoF just simply for a little new content, even if there is no level increase. Hopefully the expansion gives everyone something to do. I certainly can’t complain.

Raids, Updates, and other Randomness

Not that much is new this week, thankfully. I’ve been taking it easy after grinding out claymore and deathtoll access last week. This week? I crafted a bit, and did some farming of Poets Palace. I’m trying to get my level 55+ spells (masters) to drop, to no avail. I’ve seen the same dirge master drop twice now (which I sold for 10p each time) as well as the level 58 guardian offensive stance (which I’m holding onto until I can check with guild leader / friends to see if they need it first), and a few tradeskill items like vanadiums and pearls, a few cobalt. Nothing grand though.

Drama on Lucan has been quiet, I like it that way. I tend to ignore almost everything that goes on in channels unless it directly affects me. No need to get into that huge mess that goes on.

Tonight the guild attempts Chel’Drak again, after our success last week it’ll be interesting to see if we can do it again. We’re also apparently doing HoS, the most boring zone in the world that drops garbage. Anyone else out there who’s done this zone knows what I mean! Hopefully more screen shots and interesting stories to post tomorrow.

Silverstep – From Warden to Fury –

(( A continuation of all the other Silverstep Rp notes I have on this site ))

Silverstep tried to clear her head from the fog that surrounded her, and blinked one lazy eye open. The events of the past few days drifted through her mind and she grimaced, wondering if half of it were not some sort of weird dream. Alas, she knew it was not.

Upon waking, she was briefed, that was the best word to describe it. By a prophet of Solusek Ro, the Burning Prince himself. She was told that her life was owed to him. That they had brought her back from the brink of death by whatever means they had available (on this fact it was made no clearer), and thus she was in debt. She didn’t have the energy to argue, or question it. Her thoughts seemed muddled and there were portions of her daily life that did not make sense any more. So she accepted this debt she had incurred without question. The druid who had life in South Freeport was no more, and even though one may look at these changes and see them as some sort of manipulation by the Burning Prince and his prophets, Silverstep took it in stride. She did not have many friends after all, things could be worse.

The prophet never told Silverstep what was required of her. Only that she was needed for some future plan. There had been vast rumors spreading throughout both Qeynos and Freeport, of the return of the Gods. It seemed the tremors throughout the land were proof enough of Brell’s eventual return. Each day Silverstep grew a little stronger, her recovery more apparent. With this recovery came changes though. The once tame and quiet druid explored the woods alone one day, and found herself with a branch in her hands, slowly spinning it between her fingers. She contemplated life, and what it had handed her. What she had made from it. Anger slowly fused under the surface and the branch burst into flames. She gasped and dropped it to the ground, ashamed at herself for daring to destroy something of nature’s hands. It was not the last time that the Burning Prince would exert his power over her.

She moved to Qeynos, as the prophet advised. She really had no alliance towards the city of Freeport or Qeynos, though she did miss her home quite a bit, she remained impartial in that regard at least. She tried to think back, to see if perhaps she had at one time stood up for either of the leaders in Norrath, and could simply not remember. She grew frustrated over these pockets of missing information. The prophets told her it was common, with the mind moving so close to the spiritual wall of death. It did not lessen her worries any, but she kept them to herself.

On the way home one day, the man whose voice she had heard along side the prophets stopped her at her door. His eyes gazed into hers and she shivered for no explainable reason.

“Can I help you?” She asked some what strained, she was not in the mood to be around people this evening.

He said nothing to her, but embraced her suddenly, and lowered his lips to hers. Hot fire shot through her and she tried to pull back, some what dazed.

“That,” he murmured, “is for being so beautiful.” She lost her footing, and fell to the ground, the man letting her drop and making no effort at all to stop the fall.

“That, is for being a traitor.” He turned away from her, leaving her to pick herself up from the ground, and went on his way down the street. Silverstep brushed herself off, blushing like a fool. She fumbled with the doorknob and let herself into the house, ashamed that she had let someone affect her so. She dropped a few books onto the counter tops and tried to seek some solitude in the garden. She felt enclosed, and confined, had to get away to some open space.

No one else in South Qeynos that night noticed the thunderclouds that hung low towards only one house. The low rumble of the storm reverberated between homes and scared a cat, but again, no one noticed. She was very much the nobody that she had always been.

Qeynos Claymore, and Deathtoll access : Complete!

Silverstep sporting her new Qeynos Claymore shield!

What a weekend. I said I had hopped to complete my Qeynos claymore, as well as my deathtoll access, and what do you know, I did! A huge thank you to my guild Torrent Knights, and all of my friends who helped me accomplish these goals. Without them I most certainly would not have done it. I’m exceptionally glad that I’ve finished them before EoF comes out, as I’m sure the guild will have new goals and quests to work on. Of course I can’t just say I’ve completed the quests without some links to the new pretties!

New bracelet from completing the Deathtoll access quest

One I finished this access quest, I also received a quest for a flame shield, that wants me to head back into Deathtoll in order to claim it. This will have to unfortunately wait, since I’ve got a lock out on the zone now. We went in with a full raid, and finished in a little under three hours, including everyone’s updates. We pulled Tarinax on the first pull, no deaths. It was great.

The Qeynos Claymore, reward for priests.

What a very long quest. I am exceptionally glad to be done with it, the rewards were of course fantastic. Legendary for the later ones, and fabled at the end. They reminded me of the epic quests in EQ1 for your class weapons, maybe not as unique, since everyone wears the same one, but still a very tedious and fun line. I’ve not yet decided if I’m going to do this quest with my templar or my coercer.. we’ll just have to see!

Another reward from the Claymore series

Fitzpitzle is a named gnome located in Deathtoll, and after visiting the zone and getting random update locations, you have to kill him, then kill Tarinax. The reward is pretty nice, I love anything that has a proc that goes off when I cast beneficial or hostile spells. More so with my fury now since I can push out some dps if I put my mind to it. Granted I am most certainly not on par with a T1 dps’er like a wizard or warlock or a scout, but I have my moments.

Next on the list? Getting Dasie (my 67 templar) some experience before EoF comes out, and working on tradeskills as well as book / collection quests to stock pile those aa’s! Going to be fun, I can tell…..

Chel’Drak DOWN!

Torrent Knights, Gathered around the body of Slain foe, Chel’Drak

I have to say. This has been one of the most absolutely amazing weekends I’ve ever had game-wise in EQ2. Wow. Where to even start. The guild began our night by attempting to take down Chel’Drak, which is a named mob in the Fallen Dynasty adventure pack, in a raid instance that you gain access to by completing a chain of quests (as always) as well as a x2 zone, Roost. He’s an orange epicx4 with a unique tactic that has to be used to kill him, as he spawns verious types of adds and he also has two types of aoe’s that go off, one of them proximity based. This is certianly no easy fight I could not be prouder of our raid force.

Not only did we kill Chel’Drak (on our last attempt for the day none the less) but I won one of his loots, a pair of very nice priest boots, server discovery.

Looted boots from Chel’Drak, to keep Silverstep’s feet warm

Once we downed Chel’Drak it was a breeze through Labs, granted I did die three times, but we decided to get playful and were not really seriously attempting to take down Vyemm the first few pulls. Then we buckled down. I needed Labs for claymore updates, tomes within the zone in fact. Managed to complete it! Which means, today I should be getting my Qeynos Claymore. FINALLY. Apparently the guild is also going to kill Gorenaire today, which means I’ll have completed my DT access quest as well as my Claymore in the same weekend that we took down Chel’Drak. Talk about incredible. I was excited and happy and chattered with friends, it was great. Marauders took down Vyemm for their second weekend in a row, and I was exceptionally proud to hear that. I also got a fancy new ring from completing the Fallen Dynasty quest lines, with a 5% reduced re-cast time on all my spells as an effect. For those spells that take three minutes to refresh it knocks 10 seconds off the re-cast timer, which is better then nothing, not to mention the ring is actually pretty nice. Hopfully tomorrow’s post will have some claymore screen shots!

Nomadic Gamer