TGIH03A nears its end...on Velious...

Drexxell · **Posted:** Thu May 29, 2003 6:59 am

[Fade In]

[Drexxell is sitting in a bar in Thurgadin, sipping mulled wine, turning page after page of a Tome labeled "The Plan". Thunderhart and Talinoth are with him, enjoying some Frost Giant Steaks, and talking in whispers. Xandamir enters, and a joyous reuinion occurs. She nods approvingly at Drexxell's new blade, Talinoth's Medallion and hugs Thunderhart as he hands over the Forlorn Totem of Rolfron Zek. All seems well, until the conversation turns to the future......]

Xandamir: It's great to be back. I see you've all been busy while I've been away. Where to next?

Thunderhart: We were just discussing that. Looks like we're headed east of here....

Talinoth (quietly): Eastern Wastes, Xan. Ry'Gorr fort is out there, where Firbrand the Black was last spotted.

Xandamir: That's what I thought. I'm glad I returned then. You'll need all the help you can get to take on Ry'Gorr fort. In fact, I put out a call to the troops...you'll see what I mean soon...

Drexxell (quietly): And what about..."the other item"...out...in the Eastern Wastes, Xan?

Xandamir: (quietly): I didn't get it...we may have to...(whispering)..."convince" a few Coldain Missionaries, to hand over their Totems. Merri won't give me the rose otherwise.

[All four nod quietly, with seriously worried looks on their faces, occasionally looking around, making sure none of the Coldain in the room can hear them discussing this.]

Xandamir (quietly): Perhaps we should cross one bridge at a time.

[At this point, two barbarians (A female Warrior and a male Shaman) enter the bar...our long lost Wayfarers Bralia and Franklyn!]

Xandamir: Bralia! Franklyn! You came!

Bralia: Of course! When we got your summons to join you, we couldn't refuse the chance to teach the blasted Ry'Gorr a lesson!

[A few drunken Coldain raise their mugs, shouting "Down with the Ry'Gorr!" With that, the 6 Wayfarers settle up, and put on their travel gear, ready to head east across the Great Divide into the Eastern Wastes, with Xandamir leading. Upon entering the Wastes, she makes sure all are together, and leads them bravely to Ry'Gorr fort....]

[Fade to Black]

(See pictures...To be continued...)

Drex

Nealyn · **Posted:** Thu Jun 05, 2003 2:05 am

It's my fault don't blame the cleric. She gave me this message days ago but I ...um.. forgot to get it to the temple for her. Better late than never in this humble druids opinion.

I think I have been cursed. I had been, in the past, content with my studies and research and to do the bidding of my Elders. It was all I had known for too many years. But now, now after having had the freedom to hunt and fight alongside of my chosen companions, to be able to set wrongs right, to free the enslaved, to discover and explore whole new lands and to complete quests of such startling magnitude as I have become accustomed to completing, now I find myself chaffing at the restriction of returning home to do my Abbessâ€™ bidding. Thankfully I was only required to remain at her side for a short term, but those two weeks seemed to be the longest two weeks of my entire life. Finally freed of her compulsion, I was allowed to return to my hunts and my friends. I knew we still had unfinished business with our new item hunts, but I had no real idea where we were all supposed to meet up. As I was preparing for my journey, an Elder came to my chambers requesting to speak with me about a message that had just been delivered bearing my name.

My Elder was concerned it seemed by the messenger bearing the note, not necessarily the note itself. It seems that Drexxell had sent one of his â€œpetsâ€ with the note. Now of course I am accustomed to his skeletal familiars, but my kin did not take kindly to it. One of the junior acolytes saw the messenger and attempted to destroy it not realizing it was a summoning from a reasonably powerful necromancer. They assumed that it was just a normal skeleton that inhabited the forests surrounding our home. Thankfully, the lad was just injured and not maimed or killed. He should recover from his wounds in a reasonably short time. (This should make Drexxell happy to know that his skeleton pet withstood the attacks of a novice cleric of Tunare.) I was asked to relay to my â€œfriendâ€ to please choose a different messenger in the future or to refrain form sending one entirely. I realize it was unseeming for a Cleric in the service of Tunare to associate with a Necromancer of the Plague Bearer and I apologized for my disregard for propriety, but my defense was that I am and have been trying to turn the lad away from the evil he is practicing. I am not sure how much he believed, but he did not press the issue. He handed me the message and left.

I broke the seal and read what was written on the parchment. Hastily scrawled in Drexxellâ€™s flowing script was â€œEasternWastes â€“ Ryâ€™gorr fort - Meet at Thurgadin at Sundown, Donâ€™t be late!!!!!!!!â€

Well now I knew where we were headed. I collected my things and headed to the Plane of Knowledge for a bit of a refresher on the Ryâ€™Gorr blacksmith Firbrand. I knew this was the orc we were hunting this night, as I had picked him myself for the gauntlets he created. Like most of the selfish races, Firbrand had created a wondrous item, which he jealously guarded. He certainly was not in the habit of giving them over to a high-cleric of Tunare for safe keeping. So be it. The Ryâ€™gorr Orcs of the Eastern Wastes had allied themselves with the Giants in stamping out the Coldain Dwarves from existence. They had made their alliance choices, and I have made mine. After a few hours in the Great Library, I found the book I sought. The â€œLibrium Frigidous de Desolation - Eastâ€

Firbrand â€“ Chief Blacksmith to the Ryâ€™gorr orcs. Creator of the Blackened Gauntlets and the Burning Ember Mace. Frequently seen within the Ryâ€™gorr fort, near the armory. Often guarded by one or more of the Elite Guards of the Ryâ€™gorr chief. When Firbrand is not at the forge, the forge is typically manned by a lesser blacksmith and the normal orc lackeys.

There was further documentation concerning the Chief and his elite guards, but it was late and I was hesitant to show up at Thurgadin after everyone else was already there. I scanned the information and headed to Thurgadin to collect some more Jaspers for my spells of protection. I completed my purchases and wandered outside to await my companions. I had climbed atop the dwarven watchtower to better oversee the comings and goings of the many adventurers wandering throughout the land. I saw a few quasi-familiar faces pass me by as I sat there on my frozen seat, waiting in the cold. As I stood to brush the snow off my robe, I saw a pair of polar bear-clad warriors trot out toward the Nexus spires. I did a double take and realized it was my good friends Bralia and Franklyn. I was off the tower in a flash and running to meet them. They seemed surprised to see me here in the cold wastes, as they knew how easily chilled I got. I explained what our next objective was and they seemed more than happy to join us. While we waited for the boys to show, the three of us decided to take a bit of sport in â€œgiant bashingâ€ as Bralia called it. Besides, Franklyn said his pet was getting flabby and needed some exercise.

After a short while Drexxell joined us, then Tali and finally Thunderhart. We formed up, made a marching order and headed out to The Ryâ€™gorr fort. As I began barking orders, Drexxell snickered and said MAâ€™AM!!!! YES MAâ€™AM. From that moment on, I was the â€œMGâ€ Major General or madam General, or whatever it stood for. Thatâ€™s fine, I mean after all it was MY quest, I knew the most about it and I have hunted at the fort before so it was only natural they would just allow me to lead in this instance. As we approached the Fort, we made sure everyone was protected and ready for hunting and then I bade Tali to make Bralia, Thunderhart and I invisible. I wanted to be able to show them where the forges were. This way they had a better understanding of the environs and the inhabitants.

For the most part the evening w as just one big slaughter. Bralia went in, found an orc and brought it out to Thunderhart. We sent Bralia in to give Thunderhart a break. He has been working very hard lately and it was nice for him to sit back and just swing his swords for a change. The only major heart-stopping instance was when Bralia returned with 2 of the elite guards in tow. I kept telling them to follow me. I wanted to lead them down into the Crystal Caverns, but I think the Battlerage was on both our worthy warriors. They seemed not to hear me and continued fighting. Personally I think they just were loath to allow themselves to be the first to cut and run at the request of the cleric so they were going to stay til the bitter end. As it turns out, even 2 guards were no match for us. Then Bralia returned with the Chief himself. Now I was frightened. I had heard rumors, that if the chief was defeated, he would send a squad of AVENGERS to make the offenders pay for his death and try to reclaim his personalized armored breastplate. Thankfully, he was not wearing his breastplate when Bralia caught him and the avengers didnâ€™t feel the need to respond to his summons. We got off very lucky this time but I spent the better part of fifteen minutes chastising my comrades for their folly.

Firbrand was next on the pull list. He had decided to show up and see how his forge was running. Unfortunately for us, it was getting late and he had brought with him a whole new set of personal guards. Everyone wanted to camp for the evening, but I was driven at this point. I am sure everyone was grumbling under his breath about me but I wanted to make sure we got the gauntlets this night instead of waiting any longer. Eventually Bralia had thinned out the ranks again and we pulled the big guy. He was very easy once you got past the myriad guards he had posted. And YES he was wearing the fabled gauntlets, which I promptly divested him of.

During another moment of introspection, I find it astonishing now how easily I will don gear, which had just previously been on a dead foe. In my days in the Temple I was fastidious. Only wearing garments that we pure and clean. My standards must be slipping.

Xandamir *Humble Servant of Tunare*

Nealyn · **Posted:** Thu Jun 05, 2003 2:08 am

Well finally, the druid wakes up from whatever she has been smoking and manages to deliver my message. This is not meant as a slur to ALL druids, I just need to find a better messenger :roll:

Drexxell · **Posted:** Tue Jun 10, 2003 5:31 am

Dearest readers,

With the death of Firbrand the Black, and Xandamir's looting of the <a href="http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=3837">Gauntlets of the Black</a>, <a href="http://www.kreative.net/smith/pages/dru/games/eq/tgih03a.theplan.txt">The Great Item Hunt 2003-A</a> was now 6 for 6 out of <a href="http://www.kreative.net/smith/pages/dru/games/eq/tgih03a.wishlist.txt">8 items.</a>.

We next turned our attention to that secretive matter whispered about in the Thurgadin bar...Xandamir was on a hunt for Curator Merri, of the Plane of Knowledge, for 4 rare artifacts found throughout the known world. You may recall that one of the items was acquired in Warsliks Woods, the <a href="http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=16923">Idol of Woven Grass</a>. Additionally, Xandamir's sister Perisai had picked up a <a href="http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=13671">Petrified Totem</a> (I can't recall if it was hunted or gifted from a guildmember..if so, we thank thee). The 3rd item, you may recall was found, after much difficulty, in Stonebrunt, the <a href="http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=6549">Forlorn Totem of Rolfron Zek</a>, in Xandamir's absence.

Xandamir had 1 more item to acquire, a certain <a href="http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=18500">Coldain Fetish</a>, held only in the sacred hands of those Coldain Missionaries working with the heathen Orcs and Giants in the Eastern Wastes. Xandamir (and Talinoth) were wringing their hands for weeks over this issue, as Merri was adamant in acquiring this 4th item, but it would certainly mean killing some Coldain...good friends of ours to be sure, and not something taken lightly by those (like Xanda and Tali) who are working on their Coldain Prayer Shawls.

On our first attempt, our good brother Tanliel the Minstrel joined us in the Eastern Wastes, claiming that at the very least, our deaths should prove entertaining enough to be worth a song (bards have such a strange sense of humor). We headed from the Great Divide to EW; Xandamir leading our small band, and skirted most dangers, arriving to open arms at a small camp of Coldain. I admit that even I had a slight twinge of guilt, thinking about what we were about to attempt, as we sipped beer with the Coldain while simultaneously casing the camp for a good strategy of isolating the sole missionary for a kill. We excused ourselves from our hosts, stepped outside the ring of the camp, and formed our plan. We were slightly fearful, as Dobbin Crossaxe himself was at this camp...a Coldain with a well-established reputation for battlerage...nonetheless, with bravery bestowed upon her by Tunare, Xandamir stepped into the camp and attempted to Pacify all those who might view her actions as damnable. Thunderhart then pierced the left shoulder of the missionary with an arrow, and we soon found that even Tunare's Pacifying blessings didn't soothe Dobbin. He ran to aid the missionary and we found ourselves needing to Root him to his spot and Xandamir Atoned for her sins. Meanwhile my pet, Talinoth, Tanliel and of course Thunderhart, were beating the Missionary about the head and shoulders. Once Dobbin was under control, Xandmir and I turned to the casting of our spells upon teh missionary...we watched as it faded...faded...bled hard and fast...and then....her wounds disappeared! The blasted Missionary had completely healed herself, and with Dobbin just breaking his root, and Xandamir and I running low on mana, we nearly paniced! But it was "wash, rinse, repeat" (as Xanda likes to say), and soon Dobbin was rooted and quiet, and as the Missionary was fading again, I sprayed her repeatedly with magic jets of acid, and watched as she faded into a nearly formless pile of goo. And yet...the Fetish was not carried by this Missionary.

With all our efforts for nought, Xandamir led us southward, and to a larger camp of Coldain, this with some 10 dwarves, 3 of them Missionaries. We immediately recognized our imminent danger, and sent a psychic calling out to our good friend Ggnarl, master-mezmerizer. He answered our summons with the enthusiasm we have come to appreciate in our guild, and we soon found ourselves forming plans, mezmerizing, pacifying, harmonizing and basically killing one Missionary after another while never harming a single other Coldain. In this way, the original 3 were down, and a 4th had arrived, and soon joined his brothers in the afterlife. Five missionaries down in one night, and not a single Fetish to be seen. Our resolve waning, we called it a night.

Upon returning to our camp a few days later, Xandamir's resolve was back and with just the 4 of us (Tali, Xanda, Thunder and I), we returned to the original small camp, to find that Dobbin and his twin brother were both there (ed note: I have a screenshot of this...Dobbin Crossaxe standing right on top of Dobbin Crossaxe)! Thankfully neither of them seemed to remember anything about our attrocities, and we soon made ready to "wash, rinse, repeat". Again, Dobbin (though not his twin) were not to be pacified, and it was a struggle to bring him under control while knocking down the Missionary. But this time we were prepared, and Xanda called upon Tunare to Stun the Missionary just as we saw him attempting the gesticulations necessary for a Complete Heal. With his casting interrupted, and Thunderhart and Talinoth having reduced him to a nearly dead pulp, a few more strikes with their weapons and a few more bursts of acid and the missionary was no more. And this time, thankfully, Xandamir found that it carried the Coldain Fetish. "Woot" she cried out, and Talinonth quickly opened a magic portal to the Plane of Knowledge.

Xandamir then rummaged through her bank vault, and in a panic, overlooked one of the items. But eventually she had all four, and we were off to find Merri, where Xanda turned in the 4 items for <a href="http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=16472">A Fine Antique Velvet Rose</a>. It was a beautiful blood red, pulsing with power, which she immediately pinned to her robes. <a href="http://www.kreative.net/smith/pages/dru/games/eq/tgih03a.theplan.txt">The Great Item Hunt 2003-A</a> was now 7 for 7 out of <a href="http://www.kreative.net/smith/pages/dru/games/eq/tgih03a.wishlist.txt">8 items.</a>.

We were all happy...Thunderhart for having successfully bested another new type of opponent, Xandamir and Talinoth for not being ostracized by the Coldain for their few indiscretions, and I because we could now finally turn our attention to the final item, located in the Warmly Inviting Tower of Frozen Shadow.

Drexxell

Drexxell · **Posted:** Mon Jul 07, 2003 5:27 am

The Tower of Frozen Shadow....

A career-long dream of many a necromancer...to reach this pinnacle of undeath and claim its treasures for ones own. Ever since dedicating my soul to Bertoxxulous, I've trained for this moment, and been both humored and supported by my closest allies Talinoth, Xandamir and Thunderhart, with many brothers and sisters of our guild along the way. Dungeon crawling through the pits of other necromancers and undead filled our group's resume'. Befallen. Najena. Unrest. Mistmoore. Dalnir. Preparing us for the final task in TGIH03A....The Tower of Frozen Shadow. My treasure was rumored to be found on the 5th floor of this 7 story colossus.

For 5 nights, we braved the halls of this sepulchral monument of death. Each adventure different than the next, but slowly learning the ways of the tower. It seemed that mishap plagued us repeatedly, as deaths occurred too frequently, or the accidental mis-use of the teleporting mirrors came into play, or party members would disappear all of a sudden. Many of our brothers and sisters joined us, helping in many ways, attempting to overcome this curse. Lilttlerezzer and Salyon, Quatree and Elgcahl, Cattikie, and finally Kithrana and Xanda's sister Perisai. All saw first hand how the Tower itself seemed intent on keeping us from moving upwards toward our goal. But one by one, the secrets of each floor were learned, keys were acquired, and last night found us on the 5th floor, facing a ghostly silent wedding in progress.

Through the pacifying words of Kithrana, and later Xandamir, we were able to attack each creature singly. As such, the wedding party, frozen in time, were sent one-by-one from undeath to their graves. But the item of our quest eluded us. Time and again, the Tower regenerated the spirits of the damned on that floor, and time and again, we attempted to send them to their final rest. Finally, on our 3rd attempt, Nosja, the tortured and fate-sealed groom was destroyed, and upon his finger I found what I sought: A <a href="http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=3850">Diamond Wedding Band</a>. With almost total exhaustion, our party roused a WOOOOT, and realized that <a href="http://www.kreative.net/smith/pages/dru/games/eq/tgih03a.theplan.txt">The Great Item Hunt 2003 (A)</a> was finally 8 for 8 out of <a href="http://www.kreative.net/smith/pages/dru/games/eq/tgih03a.wishlist.txt">8 items</a>. It was over.

We stayed a while, training ourselves further, but exhaustion and a sense of travel weariness came upon us all, and Talinoth quietly opened a portal to the Plane of Knowledge, where the four of us settled down to a well needed rest.

Drexxel, Xandamir, Thunderhart and Talinoth would like to heartily thank those guildies who either contributed items, time, or directly joined the hunt at some time. They are far too many to name, but can be seen in the thread-summary below.

------------------------------------------------------------------

For those who enjoy summaries, here ya go:

The Great Item Hunt 2003 (Part A):
-----------------------------------------
2 1/2 levels gained
4 months from beginning to end
about 25-30 total hunts
8 items out of 8 were achieved (in addition to
other miscellaneous lucky upgrades along the way)

For Talinoth, our Druid:
1 Imbued Elven Chain Gloves
1 Imbued Elven Chain Skirt
1 Blackened Alloy Medallion
Totalling: +11 WIS, +19 AC, +11 INT, +4 CHA, +4 Magic Resist,
Mana Preservation II

For Thunderhart, our Warrior:
1 Bracer of Scavenging
Totalling: +9AC, +5 STA, +5 DEX

For Xandamir, our Cleric:
1 Gauntlets of the Black
1 Fine Antique Velvet Rose
Totalling: +8 WIS, +19 AC, +4 STR, +5 INT, +10 Magic Resist,
Extended Range II

For Drexxell, our Necromancer:
1 Visceral Dagger
1 Diamond Wedding Band
Totalling: +13 INT, +2 AC, +3 DEX, +5 WIS, +8 Fire, +8 Cold, +15 Mana

What's next? We don't know...will there be a "Part B" of TGIH03, as previously planned? It seems the bug of XP and Platinum gathering is upon us again, and level 50 is starting to look like a more interesting goal than anything else...but time will tell....

To read the entire saga in order, here are the threads:
http://www.wayfarersofveeshan.com/phpBB ... php?t=1251
http://www.wayfarersofveeshan.com/phpBB ... php?t=1289
http://www.wayfarersofveeshan.com/phpBB ... php?t=1367
http://www.wayfarersofveeshan.com/phpBB ... php?t=1463
http://www.wayfarersofveeshan.com/phpBB ... php?t=1669
http://www.wayfarersofveeshan.com/phpBB ... php?t=1723

Your humble narrator and guildie,

Drexxell

Allegretta · **Posted:** Mon Jul 07, 2003 5:41 am

Grats! I'm happy for you that you achieved all your goals. It was great reading about your progress, and I look forward to the next chapter. :)

Wayfarers of Veeshan

TGIH03A nears its end...on Velious...

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