Feeling strong is not enough

Yesterday i woke again after a long while of meditation and while i enjoyed the christmas-decorated town center i pondered over the meaning of the meditation for my recent studies. Fortunately Elaine woke up too and so we decided to hunt together, as we had done so often before. Glad to get the opportunty of warming up my body and using the newly won skills i lead the way east, when suddenly i stood in a place i was sure to house a shortcut to Ursusville, but my eyes slid past the way all the time and so we had to go a good bit further than intended. Finally we arrived in Marranyin and began hunting the deserts inhabitants. Some Mahas and Tigris were the first to engage us and i found myself evading them easily while dealing out severe wounds myself.
To my joy i even found myself still very capable in recovering their warmly-red shining furs.
Even whole groups of creatures didn´t manage to bring us in any severe danger, only the great snakes living there prooved too hard and so had to be lured away. After earning quite some coins, we headed back to town and i went to sleep with the sure feeling to be able to fight nearly any creature successfully.
Just thist feeling made me search companions for a way to the 4th circle fighter test when waking up again today. What could possibly go wrong there after i had managed to kill Tigris, Mahas and Kojotes in a row the day before? Well, in the test i quickly remembered the difference between fighting alone and having a skilled healer with you, as well as making contact with sharp Leopards teeth. My best skills had always been the evasion of enemies harmful strikes, but this test showed me how much i still have to learn.
On the way back i could release my frustration on some Tok'Hans and even a leech trying to torch me couldn´t stop me.

Froggy memories

Yesterday a small group decided to hunt Kajmanos. After a quick journey to the temple we had to step into the small nutshells some people call boats to get further. As i had feared this proved to be a very dangerous means of travelling, 2 fully grown Sekats were waiting for us on the Ardvell river behind the Noth caves. It was a tough fight from the swaying boat, but Lafa took great care to keep me alive.
When we finally arrived at the Swamp, i didn´t even have time to be glad to have firm ground under my feet again, as a Giant Kajmano immediately seized my leg with its jaw and tried to twist it from my body! Together we managed to wound it severly enough for it to let go and finally we brought it down.
We then took a round around the swamp where it was pretty hard to not step in puddles deeper than my shoes. While young and large Kajmanos died pretty fast to our forces, giants were another matter and we had to concentrate to keep the upper hand in those encounters. Near the southeastern safe we encountered three of them and it took some time until we finally had managed to hunt them down. On our way north a strange thing happened. Lexlan pitied the frogs we cleared to have space when fighting more dangerous creatues. Of course i kept going and then some weird force - Splashs ghost? - took hold of me and i found myself shouting about revenge for Splash and all of a sudden we were standing in a bunch of angry frogs!
Of course they stood no chance and so we finally continued our round and although the way back was only possible via boat, we arrived safely back in town, although a huge pack of cougars tried to ambush us at one of the Kittyland paths.

A lost Race

Some days ago i felt excited when leaving the tower. Not only were several hardened Arilonians around, they were also up for a hunt! At first we could not really decide, which became the fate of the Albino Maha roaming town for some time. He tried to get a sniff of us and in return we tried to tickle him with our weapons, Dresko showing impressive skill with hers not for the only time that evening.
In the end we settled for Orga Woods and started with the obligatory tour through camp 2, a visit at the Orga Chief, a sidestep to the Grendels and on to camp 3. As well as the group worked together and brought down whatever foes threatened them, sadly no one had brought a ladder to clear this encampment of even the last Orga witnesses to the slaughter.
Even the way to the Orga Woods was uneventful and a quick look out of the cave showed just a few Warlocks and a Fury and a Rage waiting to challenge us. Due to this we took hold of the entrance snell without really breaking asweat, but the real challenge should lie before us. The mazelike way through the woods leading south provided hiding places for a bunch of Orga Shamans who shamelessly slung their fireballs at us just when we were occupied fighting other enemies. A little way in we met our first LDV which accompanied an Orga Dredlock. Both immediately fell on us and our two younger companions went down faster than we could blink, but luckily us others could retreat out of the Shamans range and bring the pair down.
With a little luring we managed to seperate the LDVs waiting for us near the tomatosellers hut and with that reached its safety much faster and with much less resistance than i had expected. Of course we didn´t let the opportunity pass to create a fearsome war paint on our faces for the way ahead.
On we went, always keeping to the eastern trees. I peeked ahead and then lured beasts in the waiting blades of the group until it was safe for all to cross and repeat the procedure just a bit further south.
None of the feared stronger BROs bothered us, not even an LDAV was to be seen and just like that we reached the southern mountains, where we relaxed and tried to regain a little strength in the safe before we passed Ogrus Han on his plateau leading into the pirate caves. When i tried to scout ahead though, i disturbed a pack of LDVs and Frenzymac had no chance to escape when two of them pinned him down with his back to the steep mountainside. Eventually we managed to secure the region again, fending of the vermines and a Dred, but Ariel and Frenzymac had suffered wounds too severe for Tarra to heal alone. Not even a healing potion helped getting Frenzy to his feet and our prayers died away unheard.
After i had futilely looked for places to crawl through the densely standing trees on our way i was eager to do so on the way to the portal and we were quite sure we wouldn´t be able to chain the fallens back to safety, so a plan was forged. Every one of the remaining Arilonians would step west and run north as fast and far as he could, with the one getting furthest winning this race to death. Of course i intended to run along the eastern line of trees to keep an eye on possible paths, but immediately my lack of field practice became my doom. A gap i judged broad enough to pass through suddenly was blocked by the Zerk coming from behind the treetrunk and my trail of pursuers sealed off the backway - i had become trapped not even a mile away from our starting point, still more than 5 away from the portal place! It took the vermine quite some time to bring me down, but eventually i fell without managing to wriggle out of the trap. Still, it had been a most impressive hunt, thanks to the great group!

Canyon? A walk in the park...umh.. dark!

Another short time out of the tower brought the next visit to a wrongly feared area, the Canyon! Balaforn had earned the title Ferrumo by impressing the fighters guild enough and so we set out to Dinken to buy a freshly forged hatchet. Except for some nasty snakes whose bites caused a temporary nausea, the way there was rather uneventful, pieces of hyenas were flying left and right as we carved our path to the town. Although Mordor and myself had not much time left i got the idea to peek into the depths of the canyon.
We climbed down the ladder and immediately some dim shapes waddled our way and red eyes glowed in the dark. I moved without thought and brought the hatchet down hard between the nearest pair of eyes. I heard the crack of bones and when i lifted my weapon the limp body of a dark vermine slid down from it. I had no time to wonder, as the shapes had come closer and were now recognizable as fungi.
We closed in around the first one and soon had chopped it into pieces, but the other required immediate attention by trying to wound us. I don´t know how long it took to fight them - illuminated only by the glowing healing crystals of our healers, the sun never touches these depths - but quite soon we stood there alone, only a nasty beetle was still around.
We finally managed to trap it near one of the steep walls and began trying to pierce its chitin hide. I managed to evade its bite most of the time, but the fight began lasting quite a while until we realised that just when we had made a scratch into it the blood began to dry and the wound to close. Either this beetle had studied long under T'rool and Hyenas or both of them are just poor nature's imitats of this creatures healing abilities and so we finally left it alone. Still, the first snell of the canyon again proved of not much difficulty, i can´t wait which formerly hard area i´ll conquer next time i wake up!

Orga Woods? Piece of cake!

Some days ago i woke from my meditational state - in which i had fallen after hearing from the higher beings at the meeting that eventually evil will overwhelm our beloved lands and there´s nothing we can do about it - eager to stretch and hunt. Luckily a group was about to head to the Orga Camp and so i quickly joined them.
Only some Zippos and Ari made some problems when we cleared Camp 2 and so we set on toward Camp 3. We didn´t encounter much resistance along the way and so decided to make a detour to the Grendels, who we brought down and devided their riches among ourselves. Upon arrivl at Camp 3 i found that i brick the Trotzkis fairly well as well as hit them. Camp 3 itself wasn´t populated that much and so we had quickly conquered it. Some cowards had even climbed the steep wall in the camp to evade our blades.
Being in a bloodrage we didn´t care about having just Lafaborns healing skills around and so decided to go on and have a look into the Orga Woods. Neither stronger BROs nor Large Dark Vermines tried to bar our way there and so we arrived safely in the cave leading to the forest. A quick look outside showed some LDVs, an Orga Dredlock and some minor Orgas. Together the fighters set out to get rid of the furry vermines, which worked pretty well.
With healing up just once we managed to go out again together and reduce the rest of the Orga until finally we only had the Dredlock to face. He fought desperately, but i managed to evade his blows well enough, while every strike of McM and Ari caused gaping wounds in his hide. Finally our foe sank on his knees and died, we had conquered the first snell easily!
Sadly i had to leave again and so this short, but funny trip ended with a run home via several paths.

Hear ye, hear ye!

An important meeting for all the inhabitants of Arilon has been called for on Friday the 25th at 21:00. I wonder what is so important as to gather as many as possible of us.

Into the Urdar Mines

Yesterday i came out of meditower to find the world covered with a thin layer of fog. At least, to my eyes it seemed to be, others told me it was a fine day, so i guess it only was some sleep still clinging to my eyes. I wandered around a little, until i was asked to join a group going into the Urdar mines. At first i hesitated, wondering if i´d be of any use with seeing things through a thin veil, but some exercises with my hatchet showed me that at least my muscles worked properly and so i went after them. The first snell was quickly cleared and in the second we met not only bats and spiders, but also Urdar ghosts.
It was surprisingly hard to hit them where they would feel it and only Dresko seemed to have gotten these lessons from Battuo yet. Still, with some patience we managed to bring them down. At the next crossing we turned north and landed in a dead end, but had the chance to see a marvellously carved statue of a dragon in a paved spot.
Sadly we could linger much longer as the spiders were reproducing quickly and more and more ghosts came toward us, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. The next way to the north was blocked too. We could the the remnants of a stone wall, but boulders had crashed down from the ceiling and stopped us even before.
Just around the corner we suddenly faced a dozen urdars and ghostspiders. We managed to bring down several of them, but our healers slowly failed to heal our wounds as fast as we got hurt and more and more urdar mages showed up, hurling their lightening on us.
Our lines wavered and we had to watch our back too. I managed to cut the legs of two of the ghostspiders and gather them intact, but there was no time to examine them further as we were pressed back.
We tried to run to a safe, but one by one we fell, some bitten, some hit and especially he fighters powerless against lightening stikes coming from all directions. Only Newt managed to reach the safe and for once the steep ground that caused the bodies of Crash and Lafa to slide down to it seemed to be helpful. But in the end even Newt fell to the creatures waiting for him just outside the safe and so we were finally defeated.
Back in town i immediately talked to Battuo, asking him to teach me more, so that i soon may be able to find the weak spots even of ghosts.

Wake up - it´s hunting time!

The last days i was lucky enough to come out of the meditower right when a hunt was about to start. Two days ago i was asked to join a group going to Yarimada. We made our way pretty quickly to the first tower, although with all the weight i have gained i was out of breath a little when we arrived. We made our way down to the basement and then disturbed the water in the well to summon the first Orga. I had to watch my balance in this fight even more than usual, always fearing to stagger and land in the water.
All in all the hunt was very successful. We proceeded well and had nearly no trouble with the bigger Orgas or the Pirates. At one point we didn´t watch out though, and Newt fell. Tarra and me had to wait for Crash to chain him to town and come back with Tofors additional healing power. Together we gathered the last pearls for the firerum Crash wanted to get. Although i fell on my way home, as it had become rather late it had been a very nice trip.
The next day i awoke and was immediately occupied with sorting my thoughts as i received lots of questions wether i´d stay awake longer with my thinking crystal. Soon it was decided to hunt in Ardvell and i headed to the eastern Kittytemple. Sadly there´s still no way to avoid the waterway if no portal-trained mage is available and due to the mage chosing the wrong landing place i had to search for a safe place to wait for them.
When we finally arrived on the spider plateaus, we immediately started killing some spiders. It went quite well, only advancing too fast into the next snell without looking and landing amidst a dozen mammuth spiders made some problems, but the group reacted quickly and solved the dangerous situation excellently.
After a while we were heading west and south from the landing place. Suddenly we saw a ladder mounted on a steep part of the cliffs to our right. We quickly agreed that it had not been there in the past, but of the builders we could find no sign. We climbed up and made a quick end to the Ch'omaks.
The small plateau was connected to one further south by a small rift, invisible to the untrained eye. But our way led into the cave opening and so we found ourselves in a new entrance into the Noth caves. We were not able to destroy some of the catapults that make the boat travel to Ardvell even more dangerous, but some of the hooded inhabitants of the caves fell to our blades. I was pretty excited and curious how well we can perform in Noths already, but as it had become late i gathered what courage i had and made my way home over the river alone. Luckily i encountered just a single Sekat and so was able to row safely home, where i started meditating, wondering which hunt will start the next time i wake up.

Challenges!

Not much has happened the last days. One day i woke up when a call for help in Boanyoo reached me. Due to my skills in finding paths that shorten the way significantly i soon arrived at the entrance to the area, where Sophos and a pretty sick-looking Rion were waiting for me. We had just climbed outside when a bunch of poisonous lizards came running towards us, trying to find victim to intoxicate. We were able to fend them off and even an Earthwyrm didn´t stop us on our way to the fallens.
The rescue then turned into a nice small hunt through Boanyoo, although a good many of the lizards were about, making you watch every step and always trying to keep yourself between the purple creatures and the healers. In the south we had some challenging moments when we met two Snigils and a sandworm at once or when a large group of Jawas tried to lay a hand to our purses. It was fun, but somehow i felt the challenge missing that had made the area even more interesting before.
Later that day we tried to hunt in Ardvell, but sadly there were always people sleeping or having to leave, so that Leda ported some of us in vain to Ardvell and back again. I decided it was time to prove myself again and so i started trying myself on several challenges offered throughout the lands in the last days. While some, like the wildcat challenge required a bit of preparation, others were managed quite easy. With the help of Lafaborn i was able to hunt enough Derain snakes, Barwidgee wolves and rats in time to complete the challenge on the very first try, i´m really grateful for the help of my clanmate here. Others, like the foxchallenge seem to require more preparation than i had thought on the first try, but i´m confident that i will be able to complete this and other challenges pretty soon.
Other than that i´ve begun to use my short muscle-stretchings outside of meditower for quick searches of ore. Recently Bertus has shown that he is really working and not only pretending to and as i´d like to have my own house one day i´m now providing some more building materials for him than i have in the past.
I´ve also made a proclamation for another try of the LDV-hunt, i´m really curious if enough people turn up this time to do what i intend to try.

Bugs!

Once more a group of Arilonians sat in town, some discussing what to do, others napping peacefully. Suddenly a brown bug appeared walking on its hind legs, its wings on the back buzzing frantically, but unable to lift the massive body, and the forelegs raised for attack. At first just a few of the Blymoids appeared and we quickly slew them.
But with passing time stronger Blymoids appeared, like the red shimmering ones or the ones looking like innocent walrusses. These made for tough fights in town and we had a hard time to bring them down.
I hadn´t heard or seen anything from them since we had defeated Snarl, so i was pretty much suprised by their attack, especially considering that Snu should be grateful for our help. But maybe with their newly won strength the Blymoids now want to take revenge for their losses taken in that struggle. I wouldn´t be surprised to find that they have dug entrances from their hives to the surface again.

Later i was invited to join an expedition to Marranyin, the newly discovered area east of Ravyn. Before i knew what i´d have to face i had agreed and so i suddenly found myself not walking towards the path, but to another way into the area, which involves not only a long trip with the boat, but also running through a dark cave which houses the Grendel-like Thyonen, which are as dark and being pursued by them try not to fall into the water but jump in one of the boats! Luckily the river we had to row along lay still and was too muddy for any hostile fish to live in.
We then fought our way back north along the river, where mostly kojotes were to be found and we managed to collect several of their furs.
We then turned east, into the desert, where we met quite a lot of the adult Raste-Winder, who were a big challenge to us, as well as several cobras. These reptiles seem to feel completely at home in this hot, sandy environment on which not even Kudzu will grow.
Suddenly we saw some palm trees ahead and when we got closer we could make out a small lake and some houses. We made a small break in this village, it is called Weyiny, to investigate the houses and took the opportunity to drink to compensate for the fluid loss in the outside. Several rooms held bookshelves, but most of the books were too fragile to handle. One of their inhabitants may be worth another visit though, he is selling spiked shields.
Next we began a systematic walk over the spiderplateaus in the northeast of the region. Crash ran with his map from landmark to landmark while i took the opportunity to study the surroundings for possible paths. We did find a safe with someone offering coins for slaying lots of the spiders in a short time and a lower lying area with a pyramid inside, but we couldn´t make out any way down. A monolith in the plains made me wonder about their purpuse though, maybe one of our mages will find a way to transport people through them.
We were already heading back, when suddenly i accidently brushed one of the sand-towers and a group of angry termites stormed out to defend it. While the small ones were killed quickly, the mediumsized bugs seemed to have a very thick chitinarmour that we could pierce only after lots of tries. Soon after we found a gaping hole in the ground and as it turned out, this was the entrance to an old mine that the termites have taken over.
It had become late and so we didn´t go deep in, but headed back to the river. Several kojotes seemed to take us for a worthwhile meal, but in the end we managed to bring them down and continue on our way. Minowia and me headed back to Arilon by then, while Newt, leda and Falk were already waiting for the rest of the group to go back. I´m curious about the discoveries they can tell me when i meet them next.

No LDV - but still a nice hunt

In the last days i wasn´t travelling around that much, most noteworthy was a Wendiehunt. We did quite well and managed to kill the wendies quickly, only forgetting in our frenzy that the forceful strikes crashed the skulls of our opponents. Even Night- and a Morningwendecka were no obstacle for us and so we made it all the way to the narrow valley in the north blocked by rubble, where a moment of unawareness together with a Bloodback made an end to our hunt.I had also heard of the Cursed Marsh, a swamp in the south where it was all too easy to get lost, but which was said to be home to Kajmanos. To not get lost i decided to visit just the entrance to this area, but i didn´t even get as far as that. The so-called swamp is covered by more than kneedeep water! It seems i have to either purchase the Kajmanoskins i need or travel by boat to the Ardvell swamp, which is at least a little drier.
After my previous two crystals that i have really liked have unfortunately crumbled lately, i have decided it was time to combine some of those i still had in a more offensive way and so asked mages to mount several crystals that enhance my force of swings. I´m pretty happy with the result as these cougars had to find out.
Yesterday i had planned the first "LDV - Large Death Voyage", an open hunt that my clan Fast Feet plans to hold regularly from now on. Sadly just 7 Arilonians were present and so the plan to hunt through the Orga Woods was a bit overambitious. Instead we decided on a tour through the normal Orga Camp. We started with Camp 2, where i found that bricking Trotzkis is well within my abilities now. On we went into the underground cavern to challenge the Orga Chief. It took two tries, but eventually the big Orga crashed to the floor and didn´t move anymore, while we happily devided the coins from his treasure.
Back in Camp 2 we finally met several furies but had to experience that fighting more than two at once was too hard. But regrouping and advancing a little slower then made quick work of the furies.
After the Camp was cleared again we headed for Camp 3 with a short sidestep to the Grendels. Camp 3 and the northern passage were rather uneventful, not even a handful furies and only a single LDV were waiting for us. At the ladder we then met Leda and together entered to visit the Wyrms. Thanks to Ledas mental enhancements we had no bigger problems with two Wyrms at a time, but often we found ourselves in the middle of another spawn as we weren´t fast enough with killing. Nevertheless, these situations were not only challenging, but also great fun, at least to me.
In the end many wanted to try to reach the far end of the cave and investigate the entrance to the den there that had always been blocked in the past. I was still very sceptical that we could reach it, but with some determined trying to kill as fast as possible and some luck with rather empty western snells we finally made it. The dense carpet of poisonous mushrooms in front of the destination made some trouble and 2 of our 3 healers fell to them. Falk and Lafa tried several tactics to reach them, but none worked. In the end we managed to get everyone back on their feet though and headed back home, as it had become late. The controlled hunt became a flight when we ran into half a dozen Wyrms who followed us all the way to the entrance of the cave, but in the end we survived even this dangerous situation and so arrived exhausted, but happy back in town, although the planned LDV had to be cancelled.