December 10, 2009

The New Dangers of Freeport

I never thought it would happen. Yet it did. Yesterday will be marked in history for the effect it had not only on Freeport, but also on Qeynos. In fact all of Norrath shall feel the repercussions of this incident. As I stood there, gazing at the fallen citadel, my heart sank. What of those wounded? With familes. Homes that once lay along the cobbled streets peaceful were now smashed, stone and rubble everywhere.

I wish that were the worst of it, but it was not.

I soon learned that Tayil N’velex betrayed my treasured leader, Lucan D’Lere. He is currently missing, trapped in the void. Deathkneell has crashed. Tayil D’Velex was ordered to steal the soulfire – and decided to claim it for herself, the wench.

What’s even stranger is that Murarr Sharr was apparently possessed by the void, as my informants told me later in the day. He was under the control of a man in the Bayle family which doesn’t surprise me in the least. That entire family is a little crazy. As such, the Claymore has also been stolen. For what purpose, we are unsure of yet.

The Queen herself, Antonia Bayle, decreed that Qeynos should help (yes, that’s right, you read it correctly) free my lord Lucan D’Lere. I practically cracked up laughing once I had heard that. I can just imagine the looks on those poor Qenosian faces when they heard.

That is none of my concern. While Freeport is without a leader, gangs of Juggernaughts have started showing up. Then there are the Dreadnaughts, who were sent to help protect and have decided to act as self appointed loot distributors. The Thexians also recognize no one but themselves as the rightful rulers of Freeport, and have added to the ruckus on the streets. I am not sure how long this disorder can last. While I am all for the occasional bar brawl and seeking havoc in the streets of Qeynos, having it come to my own doorstep in an area that is typically patrolled quite strongly by the Freeport Militia is not something I am keen on. What to do next, I am unsure. I overheard patrons of the Raven Mythic last night taking in those who had been wounded by the disaster, and healing them. At least that one location is safe from the disorder that is out in Norrath. As for the rest? Well. We shall just have to see.

Yesterday Will of the Tyrant kicked off, and wow. It was incredible. East freeport shows a crashed citadel, which you can see in person from West freeport. You can even see it missing, when you’re outside in Commonlands. The destruction was amazing. A job well done. There are new quests, on both the Qeynos and Freeport side involving this event, with two new titles, and two new relics for your home. You can complete the quests on each side, but be VERY careful doing the opposing side, as the guards are epic, and they do con to a level 80 character.

I’m so excited about Frostfell going live today. This certainly is a fantastic time to be playing EQ2. Have to head out for now but I’ll certainly have more to say on the matter later.

A Little Aion Combat

I’ve been playing Aion for work writing leveling guides (I pay for my own account and don’t get anything press related associated with it, let me just state that here and now), and while it’s not exactly my game of choice, I’ve played worse. The stories are true, it is a grind. It’s a lot of grind. Thankfully, I’ve got a friend playing with me and let me tell you, that makes ALL the difference in the world. I’m actually enjoying myself and having a good time. I can appreciate the graphics because they are absolutely astounding, and I notice the little quirks a lot more because I’m not paying attention to the grind. That’s really key for me, NOT paying attention to the grind.

I love the combat, love the classes, the outfits are exceptionally detailed and you can customize them with dye. Crafting is another grind, harvesting is a grind, but I don’t mind those things. I don’t actually mind the basic grind, either. Maybe I’m used to it from my EQ camping days.

In any case, here’s a small video I took while working my way through level 20. The next guide for Asmodians will be out in Beckett MOG #23, and should be in stores mid-January. In the mean time I’m working on 20-30. If you happen to be playing feel free to drop Ellithia a tell!