Ghosts and Baskets

The Last Chaos website was pleased to announce the return of master stones to the lootforge for the Halloween weekend - but the effect was slightly spoilt by an attack of greed, with the mention that "Due to the large demand for ore and the increase in value of the prizes per round the price the Demon Blacksmith of Eres has raised the prices of Ore", to 225 aeria points each. So, over two dollars per attempt, with maybe one try in ten getting you a master stone of some sort, does sound just a bit expensive. Or maybe there will be a "tiered spender" event over the weekend to take the edge off it?

RedRackham didn't rush out to Maargadum Jail before breakfast today, as I needed to move some things around; various bits of loot got transferred across to my merchant mages on Cariae and Auzura while Kaerella on Cariae also got some more experience boosters and platinum blessed irises from my reserves. I had a look in Roy's merchant mart to see what sort of price level 97 cleric weapons, or indeed level 109 ones with a "-10" seal to allow a level 99 character to wield one, were being offered at, but there were no good cleric wands at all on offer. I do have a useful supply of skill point boosters and platinum super skill pills, but really Kae needs a faster-killing weapon if she is going to be able to grind skill points when she reaches level 103...

Once the loot had been traded across, it was time to move a few drakes around too. MistressBlaze traded her level 42 drake across to RedRackham in exchange for his level 44 one, and then MrChuckNorris traded his level 39 one to Red, getting the level 42 drake in return, so Chuck and MB have both had useful drake upgrades. After that, RedRackham went off to Maargadum Jail to work on his new level 39 drake, giving a solo party on Auzura-6 to CaptainScarlet, who headed for Prokion Temple. Red's drake was only a couple of hours into level 39 at the start, but made steady progress, using rather fewer quality stones per hour than before.

CaptainScarlet was able to take control of the orc axemen and orc sergeants room again, and managed to get up to a red Ignition run twice before lunch. He had claimed a couple of quest rewards in Dratan City before teleporting to the Temple, which had given him 14.80% experience and 78 skill points; by lunchtime he had earned another 33.41% experience from the orcs, and 196 more skill points.

After lunch, and after renewing the Elizabeth's Enhancement buff, CaptainScarlet returned to Prokion Temple. The back room was in use now, but if anything the "corridor room" close by was more useful - especially after Cap reached level 34, which meant that the experience from the orc axemen fell further, and they were no longer any use for priming Ignition. The corridor room may not be as crowded as my favourite room, but it does have a better proportion of the orc sergeants there.

Eventually CaptainScarlet went back to town, sold his loot, and then went to Merac, where he got a new quest to kill berserkers, and then did the previous quest to kill pilferers and bandits. Farming the bandits and berserkers soon got the new quest finished, and as before plenty or armour drops were picked up, plus empty baskets and, from the pumpkin ghost, a useful supply of pumpkins too. The afternoon session got Cap 49.24%, and 175 skill points; as he can use the drake he was previously levelling when he's out fighting in Merac, he got 1099 pet points too.

The early evening food break was slightly early, again, so that Kaerella and RedRydeR could get to the ancient grey mummies in Cariae-4's Tomb of Theos in time for the five until six o'clock dungeon time hour. We generally had the room to ourselves again; an assassin-rogue called Zoradysis did an hour's sp-farming, but she was the only other player around at all. Tuffsen, alias BadFairy, did get in touch, but she wasn't at her own computer, so I had to manage without her being mainly afk with her "Nanook" type polar bear, in a corner. And NaOmi must still be out farming pumpkins, I guess.

The first power hour went smoothly enough for Kaerella, with 19.99% added from 41 boosters, plus 14 skill points and 1059 pet points gained. Kaerella did a second power hour too, from eight until nine, UK time, and thanks to a bit of Ignition got through 45 experience boosters, which meant she added 21.54%, plus 15 skill points. We had had double pet experience from six until eight, and it over-ran by the whole of the next hour, plus a few minutes, so Kae's drake, SirFrancis, gained 2120 pet points in that hour.

Progress between power hours is slow, so in all Kaerella went up 43.33% during the evening, also gaining 61 skill points and 7916 pet points (almost 15% of level 45). RedRydeR, being two levels lower, added 9.62%, 66 skill points (helped by a red Ignition run), and 9416 pet points. During the final part of the session, when Kaerella goes afk, with her polar bear cub equipped, while Red continues fighting, her cute little cub reached level 15.

And now the weekend approaches. What special events will Auzura get, as compensation for those rollbacks? Will there be a special Halloween tiered spender event? All we know is that the gamesages will be around for half an hour per server tomorrow for "trick or treat" purposes, which should help us get into the right spirit.