A Rash Impulse

I did try to leave SirGalahad pet-levelling overnight, and MistressDomino in merchant mode too, but at some point both computers got a Microsoft update to install, and thus needed to restart, so things came to a halt. Still, Gal had managed a good few hours by then, and MD had sold quite a few heaven stones and other things, so that before breakfast I was able to transfer 31 million in gold across to Rage, before SirGalahad once again headed for Maargadum Jail, and his friend the death mask lancer.

This was always going to be a busy day for me, but the busy part didn't begin until a little after mid-morning, so Rage was able to log back in shortly before coffee, and check out Roy's merchant mart for an affordable but better level 33 weapon. The best I could find was a +14 mage staff being offered by Querion, who seems to be quite a busy buyer and seller, at 19 million, so I took a deep breath and bought that, then spent another 95,000 for Collector Ryl to convert it into a rogue's crossbow. The only other expense was a further 5,000 to buy five bloodseal gems for it.

So, with Rage's physical offence stat increased from 386 to 453, there was time to finish off a few quests, since Rage doesn't intend to stick on level 31 - if she does do any Misty Canyon runs, it will be at level 32, so that the new skills she can learn at that level get finished first. There were a couple of old minor quests to finish by running around Juno, and then some quest rewards in Dratan City - followed by slaying death goddesses in the middle of the desert. There was another quest that needed silvery fur dropped by silver foxes of the desert, who were conveniently next to the death goddesses, but though I killed quite a few of them, I didn't get a single scrap of fur dropped. Over near Prokion Temple there were some desert spiders to kill - and then it was time to head back to town to claim my rewards.

In all, Rage went up 35.25%, mainly from quest rewards, and gained 110 skill points. She had spent quite a few skill points earlier in Randol, but it seems a good idea to hang on to this new bunch until level 32 is reached, so that the aforementioned level 32 skills can be started on as soon as possible.

That was all I had time for then. SirGalahad kept busy, with level 32 reached in the morning by his horse; knightofhonor was down there for a while, with the usual Combat party to boost his experience gain a little. I managed to log MistressDomino back in, and she did some more selling. The price she sold heaven stones at gradually moved up, with 750k followed by 795k, 825k, and a last batch at 845k, and she ended her stint rather richer than she started out.

A message came up that a Parade was about to be held on Auzura-4 at four o'clock, UK time, so as I'd finished most of my work, MistressDomino logged out of Tairen-1, and Kaerella, my level 67 archer, logged in on Auzura-4. There was the usual dropping of firecrackers and various transformation scrolls by [GM]Noboru, and I transformed into a jaguar, and then, for the first time, into a drake. It's strange, when they aren't moving forward, players transformed into drakes seem to "freeze" in place, with their wings unmoving; but if you're doing it yourself, on your own screen the wings continue to flap.

I didn't quite stay to the end, as a level 5 titan called Ncwerk had decided to form a party with me, and he wanted a little assistance, being new to the game. So, I had to take him out to the energy stones and help him to do the energy collection level 5 quest there, and try to explain various things about the game. I don't play all that much on Auzura so didn't really feel qualified to become his Guardian, but I gave him a drake egg, and helped him get to Jajan; we went outside the town so that he could see his new hatchling. I gave him a few quality stones, and some small health potions, but I'll leave it to his Guardian, if he enrols, to part with any actual gold.

So, the food break's start was slightly delayed. SirGalahad kept going, though, and his horse reached level 33 at around six.

It seemed time that my cleric Kaerella over on Cariae-1 had another outing, so she had the evening session - and it was a pretty varied one, though let down by a sudden impulse to try something that turned out to be way too hard, which cost a resurrection scroll. Kae had a number of new quests to do, ones only recently added to the game mainly, so instead of heading out to the akane giants straight away, I had a checklist of monsters to visit - giant larvae (level 50) and Cerebrii (51) down in south-east Merac, and the rough jaguar of desert (51) and ravenous larvae (54) in Dratan's desert. It was quite a long journey south from Dratan City to reach the larvae and jaguars, south of the Forgotten Temple - and just when I was nearly there I had a disconnection, which was annoying.

Still, after getting SirGalahad back to work, I got Kaerella back down there. Luckily the rough jaguars weren't protective, in the way the level 8 ones in Juno are, so it was easy enough to get the quest items from them - and the ravenous larvae were right next door. so the actual fighting didn't take long. I memorised the spot, as the ravenous larvae might well replace the akane giants as Kae's adversary of choice in a level or two.

Even though they weren't as high level, the giant larvae in Merac seemed more aggressive - and the cerebrii, which are protective and have a magic attack, did Kae some real damage a time or two. I was also a little distracted as Ratel was chatting to me by then, it's a long time since we talked, it seemed to me, so it's good to know that he is still able to play, and having fun. Coincidentally he too had been surprised by a different level of experience/skill exp loss from what he had been expecting, so with my new-found knowledge I was able to assure him that the penalties had always been higher at lower levels. After a few minutes of action, those monsters got crossed off my list too - and then back in Merac village I had another quest I'd not previously noticed, to venture down into Maargadum Jail.

So, for a few minutes I had characters active on the fifth level of Maargadum Jail on both Tairen-1 (with SirGalahad pet-levelling there) and Cariae-1, with Kae killing a few death mask soldiers to get her quest items. The only problem was that on the way down I'd picked up another quest from the guard on level two - and that required me to kill the Jail's boss, the Death Knight of Iris.

Common sense told me that was a bad idea, with his strong area-of-effect magic attack, but foolishly, encouraged by the ease with which the death mask soldiers had died, and with horse buffs still active, and Kae's own anti-magic buff applied, I went on into the Jail's final room - and it didn't take the Death Knight very long at all to kill me. I don't think I'll be trying to finish that quest again, it would be safer to let the quest expire than to have poor Kae expire again. A level 12 magic defence mineral might be an option, but those are probably more valuable than the quest reward, and success still wouldn't be guaranteed.

Well, the last of the quest rewards were claimed, so that, including the various bits of fighting, Kaerella had gone up by 13.58% and 68 skill points, along with just 61 pet points - and then it was time for a more predictable bit of farming, with a trip out to the akane giants.

There hadn't been a party available earlier, but bluray had got one going now, so I was able to join that - and who should join it later than an old Norcaine member, Stanislav, on a level 90 character called ArCh3r. He told me that he has a level 53 titan as well, and I was able to assure him that I was still in Norcaine, and that Elvastar/Ratel was still playing too. I seemed to do a lot of chatting with a level 27 player, Chola, who had only recently returned to the game - so that the information about the free level 33 weapons and 30/32 armour set was, well, news to him.

I left the party for a few minutes when a low-level Mad Monster Spawn on Cariae-4 was announced; I was a bit late changing over, actually, and by the time my level 27 rogue Karella had rode out there, the event was almost finished. Still, Karella was in time to pick up some of the generous spawning of loot that the GM, presumably JediMike, provided. It was only a single wave of monsters, I think, and there was no word of any higher-level MMS event to follow, so Kae returned to her party on Cariae-1. While she didn't get any further announcements, SirGalahad got a notice about a low-level MMS on Tairen-4 - but unfortunately I didn't spot it on his screen in time.

Kaerella's session ended a little abruptly and early, as Kamira finally decided to put in an appearance at just gone ten past nine, UK time. By then Kae had added a further 10.04%, so is almost a third of the way through level 52 now, along with another 76 skill points, and 872 pet points. On the loot side, she picked up a heaven stone dropped by one akane giant - and the next one she killed dropped another. There was a third, as part of a Hand of the Warrior, not long after, too. Which makes up for having to use that resurrection scroll, I guess.

Keerella, my mage, teleported out to deal with Kamira, and did so easily, getting all the usual goodies but no rare accessory. Her inventory is so full she had to drop a medal of honour to make room for the (rather ordinary) necklace that was dropped, but I don't want her to spend much time in town transferring items to a different character, as she has the "Christmas Cheer" buff still running, and it would be useful if that lasted for a few more meetings with Kammy. And that seemed a suitable point at which to end the day's excitements, just leaving SirGalahad to go on until close-down; by then the horse ought, I think, to be halfway through level 33.