May 2008

More LDoN’s Bite the Dust

Last night was another weekly get together of Nostalgia. It was one of those nights where I wish everyone would show up, but alas that was not the case. Missing two wizards, a shaman, a beastlord, and who knows what else. I was on Dainty, but just not feeling it. However, once the groups got started, things went better. Our first run was just an easy, and due to level ranges – it was gray to me, and when not gray, it was green. Hrms.

We blew through that, Tipa sitting out until more people logged in. Next run we split into two groups, and my group decided to take on a difficult mission.

I forgot how some times, they really are difficult.

We were this close to finishing it on time and if it were not for the fact that it took us almost an hour to find our groove, we’d have had it. Alas we failed, and decided to get a normal to follow it up. The night ended with a few levels but not too many, some defiant gear (I think one piece of chain) and some augments. It was an ok night, but I am really looking forward to the future ones. They consist of going to Dulak and possibly Skyshrine. Two zones I loved hanging out in. We’re basically trying to get to 51, so those who want to play more can switch to aa experience and play, and we won’t feel as though we’re out leveling anyone else.

Afterwards, Kuron, Lackey, and myself headed to Lower Guk. Lackey needed some bags, and Kuron needed to.. stretch his wings. Not exactly how I want to remember the dwarf warrior but to each their own, eh. We sat around in the assassins room for an hour or two before calling it a night, the bag-dropping fiend (whose name eludes me right now) did not make an appearance. Ishbel did manage to hit 41 and almost 42 there though.

Wait a second, Ishbel, the healer? That’s right. After discussing it some with Tipa, I switched my Nostalgia main back to the cleric. I enjoy the rogue but I love the cleric. I love healing. Once that was decided, it was time to work on gear, and levels. I hunted Stone Hive with Kuron for defiant gear, and after some time went to Dulak with Rogbog for some exp. We just duo’d the entrance and before I knew it I was level 45 – the cap for this week. The pulls were nice and easy, and I barely ran below 80% mana. Ah yes, I love playing a cleric.

When not stretching his wings, Kuron can be found in Dulak – getting stuck in invisible walls. Having to petition to get out of them, managing to wiggle his way out, some how, and getting stuck again later. Personally? It’s all the honey he has stuck in his beard from Stone Hive, causing him to stick to the walls. All those honeyblaster ladies just can’t keep their hands off of him.

A few more defiant pieces dropped, as well as some augments. I of course need to shop for new spells, but that wasn’t the end of the fun, oh no. I farmed Dulak with Invis, my rogue, along with Kuron, in the hopes of more defiant. A REALLY nice pair of boots dropped, I of course lost the roll on those. Congrats Rogbog. Afterwards, Woosao wanted to get some experience, so I logged into Minxe, my 36 necromancer. We ran around Stone Hive together and before I could blink he’d leveled to 40, and me to 41. More spells to buy.

Yes, I’m having a blast in EQ1. Who needs any of those new fancy games when you have fantastic friends, and old world fun.

What is it..

I’m not sure what it is exactly, but it looks pretty cool. Hard to tell, but his eyes actually don’t line up at all, as though he’s got some horrible deformities under that helm. It’s wonderful the various things you see while you’re standing around the bazaar (or guild lobby, for that matter).

As an experiment, and from listening to Tipa talk about her shrouded experience, I decided to try it out myself. I took Kameeko, the 68 enchanter, and shrouded her down to level 15, a bear warrior (I want to be like Urtog).

I know shrouding her down to 30-40 would probably be a better level range, but for now, this works. After 1.5 hours of hanging out in Paludal Caverns, with mobs that were mostly red and yellow, I gated back to PoK to revert to my ‘normal’ self, and gained 3% regular exp, and 59% of a level through my shroud form (hoping to unlock the wolf one next).

Not bad. Next I’m going to switch all that to aa experience, and perhaps up the level of the shroud, to see what a difference it makes. I had a level 50 druid trailing with me for heals and buffs. I imagine I can go to stone hive with much the same set up and kill there. The closer to your natural level you are (I assume) the more experience you gain while shrouded. Rogbog came along as well, and gained a level and a half from the shroud experience, leveling from 37-38.

Two of the new ‘defiant’ pieces also dropped. For those who haven’t heard, these are random bits of gear that SOE accidentally threw into live yesterday. The stats are FAR superior to pretty much everything out there. They work by tier, and are amazing. I wasn’t sure what was going on with them, so I poked around the eqplayer forums, and discovered a few devs speaking up about this incident. They admitted they were not meant to go live yesterday, and that they WILL be nerfed in the future, so people shouldn’t count on them having the stats they have now.

Good thing. I found a level 26-40 chain helm that has +spell dmg, some sort of sight buff (for those who don’t see well) +20-16 to various stats, and I didn’t have to do any real work to get it aside from killing bixie in stone hive (which was pretty boring). I prefer my crafted stuff that I worked so hard to make. I hope to see this fixed, alas it probably won’t be until next week some time.

Tonight is Nostalgia night, we’re headed to Everfrost LDoN. I’m fairly certain I’ll be playing Dainty (call it a hunch) it should be interesting, to say the least. Maybe this time I’ll remember to take screen shots.

Mayong’s Cruelty: The Drachnids

“Mayong’s Cruelty: the Drachnids”

From the diary of Najena, Tier’Dal sorceress.

It was in the beginning of the apex of my career of sorcery when I accomplished what I still believe to be my prized achievement. They were beautiful beasts with carapaces that gleamed so black they seemed to be cut of obsidian, multi-faceted eyes that could not even begin to comprehend, and they were many hundreds, possibly thousands, of times the size of their much smaller cousins: the black widow spider.

They were beautiful, deadly, and my creations.

Once I had discovered the secret of raising these magnificent beasts, I sent some as gifts to those I admired. Among these individuals was Mayong Mistmoore. Seeking to curry his favor, and to let him know exactly how capable of a sorceress I was, I sent him one as a gift.

Imagine my surprise when he sent it back, irrevocably changed. And my poor emissary, L’Dalt, butchered for his experiment.

What had left as two different beasts returned as one. He had grafted the head and torso of L’Dalt onto the body of the spider, and the two walked as one. L’Dalt’s personality and memories seemed to have been lost in the shift, but his cunning and magical powers were still there – capable of being carried to and utilized wherever the body of that spider could take him. It was a truly formidable combination.

I couldn’t help but feel a hint of amazment and respect for Mayong’s ingenuity. At the same time, however, he had stolen my design and used it to his own ends. The thank you note he sent, “Thank you for supplying Mistmoore with suitable raw ingredients for true servants”, mocked me. I vowed to learn all I could of these creatures and create something better.

I studied these creatures, which came to be known as Drachnids, after Mayong began to release them into Norrath in packs.

They settled into small, neatly organized colonies. The young males spun the webs, and the young females caught food for the nests. The business of the mature males was always elusive. They seemed to be carrying out orders, possibly of Mayong’s, but to what ends? I could never tell. The mature females fought for dominance in the position of nest matriarch. These Widows fiercely protected their station and killed the younger females that might challenge them. It all had a beautifully simple design to it. Mayong was truly a genius.

My studies ended when I was discovered. Trapped in their webbing for days, I nearly went mad from hunger and thirst and finally, out of a purely desperate attempt to live, I managed to use my magics to get free. I evaded all who pursued me, though I know I am truly only alive today because I never had to contend with any mature Drachnids, and hid beyond their borders.

Before I was to truly escape, however, I confronted Mayong. He seemed to be waiting for me, on the edge of their territory, and his face was without pity, or humor as I approached. I outlined what had happened, expecting, well, I am not sure what, but something from him. He, however, only coldly acknowledged that his creations seemed to be establishing themselves well and learning to act together.

When I told him exactly how offended I was that he cared not for what had nearly happened tome, he merely stared at me and informed me that the only reason he had called off the mature Drachnids was because I had played a small role in their creation. I felt foolish then, incredibly so, for imagining he would be angry at his creations for capturing me. If anything, it was a testament to their prowess, and had doubtless pleased him. He told me then that my boon had been expended, and that I should not lurk around their nests anymore. Next time I would not likely find so fortuitous a path to safety. Nearly every hour of every day, I think of something I should have done or said to prove to him that he had crossed the wrong sorceress, though the truth was that I said nothing to him. I only ran away in a wash of emotions I do not care to admit to having felt.

Once back within my own dominion, however, I began to plot.

I designed newer, more ferocious creatures to match and surpass his own. He, I vowed, would feel that same fear and humiliation I had, and I would not rest until he had been shamed.

I am still striving. I have created creatures from all manners and pitches of nightmares, but none seem to have quite such deadly perfection as those beasts.

I will find one though. It is only a matter of time, and then Mayong Mistmoore will regret what he did to me, and regret having ever made the Drachnids.

By my blood,

Najena

Sorceress of the Teir’Dal

A History of the Sporconid

Thousands of years ago, a group of brilliant iksar druids sought a power unlike any other possessed by their people. They tapped into a deep, ancient power that drew on a very different aspect of nature.

This power is the root of decay – truly a mixture of nature and shadow power. Where most natural power gives energy and life and growth, this power sucks it away. Some powers of wardens and furies draws on this in small doses, but none plunge straight into it the way that these iksar did.

They might have had the world at their feet if the nature of the magic hadn’t slowly drained them of their mental power. They fed more and more on it, and as they did, they lost more of their mental acuity and of their physical form.

Soon, they had little more will or reason than fungi, and their bodies had grown to resemble their intellects;ashen skin covered in slime-like glaze. A small growth, protruded from their head, and as time passed, it swelled and swelled until it resembled a mushroom cap.

Today we know these beasts as the sporconids, and they dwell in the much near Dragon Drool Lake. Though they may resemble giant mushrooms, they have a measure of sentience, and an undeniable power at their finger tips. Fortunately, they don’t have the guile to harness this power fully.

And so we see what can result from harnessing a power that is not fully understood. What might have been a world devastating force became the idle plaything of a childlike, simplistic race of swamp dwellers.

Should the sporconids ever once again realize what they have in their hands, and find a way to apply it fully, all of Norrath might be on their knees before them. Fortunately, they would need an intellect magnitudes greater then their own to do so.

When Tinkering Goes Dreadfully Wrong

For the past two days, this has been the new look to the magus in the guild lobby. The model is called a “Girplan” (I believe.. I may have gotten it wrong after all) and if memory serves, came out with Gates of Discord. Or at least, I remember fighting a whole lot of these guys for someone’s epic in a discord zone. I think they look sort of cute. Still curious how it ended up that way though. Maybe project illusion can be cast on npc (an enchanter aa) or a bored GM was wandering around. In any case, it was something I noticed as I headed to the guild hall, and couldn’t help giggling over.