Wayfarers of Veeshan

Well my friends I hate to let you know that we are now nearing the end of the Great Item Hunt. Last evening Drexxell wanted to finish off the quest for the Mystic cloak. We already had the cloak from Najena and he just needed to turn it into the young ladies father to prove that she had been found. Drexx was a bit nervous, him being an evil necromancer and all. He didn't know how well he ould be received by the High Elves of Felwithe. So he asked Nealyn, our undependable druid friend, to provide some support and transportation. THey waltzed into Felwithe and handed off the cloak with no hitches. He received an different cloak in return. He then mumbled something about knowing the key to making the non-magical cloak magic again.

Then they teleported off to the Toxxilla and forest and ran to Erudin to get his cloak "Mysticated" in his words. Just what does Mysticated mean Drexx?

While they were off doing that I was biding my time practicing my brewing and waiting for Talinoth. He finally showed up and we all went back into Sol A to get Tali his shield. We were still hunting the elusive EXG clockwork. So in we go, cast our spells of warding and camoflage and head down toward the EXG's home. Talinoth looked for signs of the EXG's passing and let out a whoop!!!!! The tracks were there and they were fresh. A couple of goblins, casters with more intelligence most probably, saw through our invisibility and forced us to fight on the way down. The battles were uneventful in general . The only real problem we encountered was when Thunderhart stooped to loot the corpse and he froze. He was under attack by the dreaded, invisible lag monster. He lost the battle and briefly disappeared.

We were all in a frenzy... we wanted the EXG.. we had him tracked and we were concerned that some other hunters in the dungeon would find him and kill him first. We decided somewhat foolishly to head down without THunderhart and lay claim to the EXG. All would have been well had Talinoth and Drexxell and I had not been separated. I initially went the wrong way... Tali followed me but didn't see me turn around and head back the other way. We all ended up fighting our own separate enemies. Well I had one and Tali had 4. He was rooted and I was rooted. I was trying to get back to him but by the time I got there he was dead. The goblins were out in force after that. They had the taste of blood in their fanged mouths and they were not going to give up easily. Drexxell got their attention while I made a break for the entrance. I reasoned that if I could make it to the outside, I would lose them cause they were afraid of the sunlight. As soon as I was clear, Drexxell played dead.

Thunderhart came back and between the two of them Drexxell and Thunderhart tried to recover Tali's body. Again Drexxell and Thunder became separated. The goblins were not going to fall for the playing dead act this time, they had been warned. As a result we now had two Wayfarer bodies rottiing down there. We abandoned the corpse retrieval in favor of just purchasing coffins and having Drexxell summon them. I know it's a handy ability, but it still turns my blood cold watching dead bodies appear out of nowhere. /shiver

The boys suited up and we headed down again. The EXG was still up, at least briefly. We found her, followed her and then when she was all but alone we jumped her. A pair of other clockworks came to her aid, but she fell very easily. It was very anti-climatic. We killed her and Tali looted her shield. Then he evacuated us out so that we didn't have to kill anymore hapless clockworks than we had to.

Well since things were going so well now, we decided to have Tali port us all to West Commons and then make the long run to Guk and to try to find the fabled ancient crocodile for some leggings for me and maybe some sleeves for Drexxell. I didn't really need the leggings anymore but since it was on the list we still thought we could skill the croc and give the leggings to those less fortunate. A short while ago Kahmon gifted me with Acrylia Studded Leggings that were very very nice. I wonder, have I thanked him for those yet? I will have to put in a good word for him to my Mistress Tunare. His good deed MUST be rewarded, if not in this life... then in some other one.

So we all ran from the commons to the bug infested Innothole swamp. Well let me rephrase that. Tali ended up getting lost AGAIN and wound up in Freeport. We were in the Northern Desert of Ro by that time and just told him to meet us in the Souther Desert. He could just teleport there and wait while we finished the run. It's amazing to me how 4 fully seasoned adventurers can get lost as often as we do. We all made it to the entrance to the upper levels of Guk and found the path guarded by frog-creatures. They didn't come right out and attack us, but they were definitely dubious about our presence. Well...they hated Drexxell on sight, but we have come to expect that. We just decided that unless we attacked goblins we would be safe in Guk so we just needed to keep Drexxell invisible and not beat up on the soft-skulled frogs.

We entered and sent out a shout asking if anyone had seen the ancient crocodile or was hunting him. No one answered so we headed down to his lair. The tunnels in Guk are even worse than Sol A and Runnyeye put together. I was thoroughly lost within minutes. Our little gnome friend instictively seemed to know his way however. We were at the lair in short order... well Tali and I got lost AGAIN just once but it was a brief separation. We all got together and hit the croc's lair. Unfortunately someone was already there. He had not answered us, perhaps he felt that he didn't need to bother <shrug>. It was late and we were where we wanted to be. We decided to camp outside the crocs lair and hopefully when we camp back in three days we could take out the crocodile.

We really only have 2 more items to get I believe....The reed belt from Bilge and the leggings from the croc.

Xandamir *Humble Servant of Tunare*

_________________
Xandamir - 57th level Templar (Ranger Rezzor)
Perisai Troublemaker - 56th level Sacrificial OUTRIDER
Pulkaria - 54th level Beastlord (Furry Ranger)
Nealyn Prae - 43rd level Druid (Ranger Wannabe)
Calithe - 47th level bardling (Never wanted to be a ranger)
Nessah - 37th Level Ranger Mezzer

Just wanted to add a few notes to Xandamir's account...

First off, we still have an appointment with Chief Goonda
in WK for another of Tali's Chipped Bone Bracers, and an
extra Batskull earring for myself.

Secondly...when I saw that my friends were dubious to the
Froglok guards, and I myself was KOS, I thought back...
when..when did I ever kill a Froglok? Sure there was Bonecracker,
the undead Froglok of Najena, but Tali, Xanda and Thunder were in on those kills too. I could think of no other Frogloks I'd ever hunted, and had to conclude that these slimy, stinky, croaking vermin were pompous enough to hate me for who I was alone. Can you imagine anything more *insulting* than having a FROG turn it's nose up to you? Believe me when I tell you.....I will wipe Upper Guk clean one day, just out of spite....

TGIH 02 is 11 for 12. Leggings, Bracer, Earring and Belt remain.

Drex

_________________
Drexxell , 71st GNecrOMancEr -- Wielder of ()
Druul , 60th Troll Shaman () + Wielder of and
Driss, 51st Dwarf Priestess of Brell Serilis
Dralia, 36th Erudite Enchantress

_________________
Drexxell , 71st GNecrOMancEr -- Wielder of ()
Druul , 60th Troll Shaman () + Wielder of and
Driss, 51st Dwarf Priestess of Brell Serilis
Dralia, 36th Erudite Enchantress

_________________
Xandamir - 57th level Templar (Ranger Rezzor)
Perisai Troublemaker - 56th level Sacrificial OUTRIDER
Pulkaria - 54th level Beastlord (Furry Ranger)
Nealyn Prae - 43rd level Druid (Ranger Wannabe)
Calithe - 47th level bardling (Never wanted to be a ranger)
Nessah - 37th Level Ranger Mezzer

With 2 of our 3 remaining items found in the same location, we left Upper Guk
and headed for the altar camp of our old nemesis, Chief Goonda and his band of
Ogre goons, in Western Karana. It had been almost 5 months since we had last
tangled with the Chief, barely escaping with a few items and our lives. Now
older, wiser and more experienced, we returned for an attempt at two more
items.

Our first night went well, though quirky. Although I arrived early and
made sure that nobody else was seeking revenge on the Chief that night,
nonetheless, a rogue adventuress found her way opposite the Ogre camp from
me and was slowly taking them away. Her flat attempts to claim that she
hadn't heard me fell on deaf ears, and eventually she slinked away with
her tail between her legs, just as I was preparing to bring the wrath of
Bertoxxolus down on her head.

Her interference, however had an upside. The camp was sparsely populated, and
presented easy pickings for us. Even the Chief himself, whom we feared so
much a few months ago seemed little more than a trifle annoyance, though we
were still careful to not underestimate him. Through the course of the night,
we noticed that the Ogres seemed to be carrying many fewer items than from
our last visit, and wondered if the god "Vee-Eye" had been putting his hands
in the Ogres pockets. I'm all for keeping Ogres poor, but not when we came
here specifically to rob them of lives AND possessions. Nonetheless, our
persistence paid off, and Talinoth found one stray Shaman wearing the matching
Chipped Bone Bracer that he needed. Thank goodness it was a particularly
scrawny specimen, or that bracelet would have looked like a waistbelt on Talinoth.
This one, however, fit like a glove.

Our 2nd night hunt went a little different. When we arrived, it was clear that
the Chief had heard of our previous attacks and called in the reserves. Three
ogre guards, 2 shaman and the Chief himself were guarding the altar. This worried
us not at all, as Talinoth had cleverly come up with a plan. He would send in a
bear pet to stir up the ogres like a hornets nest, and draw their attention off to
himself. Then he would draw them further off using his Cheetah's Spirit, eventually
spreading the ogres through the land, and he would Gate back to help us pick them
off one by one as they returned. Or, so the plan goes....unfortunately Talinoth's
deity, Tunare, decided that he was not ready to summon the Cheetah Spirit, and so
before his Wolf Spirit could carry him to safety, he was rooted to the ground and
surrounded by 6 huge ogres. If Talinoth weren't my friend, I would have said that
the crunching sounds would have given me pleasant dreams for months. Needless to
say, Talinoth cleared the camp as planned, but at the cost of his life. With eyes
red with rage, we cut down 6 ogres, one by one, as they returned. And, of the 6,
there were only a few coppers on them, all told. We shook our fists at the sky,
cursing "Vee-Eye". But time was pressing, and while Talinoth's spirit waited with the
group, I tracked down his bloody corpse and brought it back for rejoining.

After that, the ogres only showed up one at a time, and were systematically brought
down by us. Little or no loot was found, but finally, a Shaman showed up for prayers,
and I noticed the bloody skull of a bat hanging from its ear. And evil grin crossed
my face, and Thunderhart went up to the Shaman, "tapping" it on the head with his
sword to get its attention. It fell at his feet moments later...Ogres are just so
weak. I pulled out my sacrificial knife to cut the whole ear off, but Xandamir's
"good taste" caused her to hold me back and gingerly remove the earring and hand
it to me. Grumbling about the weak stomachs of High Elves, I hung the gorey thing
off of my ear. Ahhh...a matching set!

TGIH 02 was now 14 for 15.

It was at this time, dear readers, that we reached the final question. Fifteen items
were on the list...one was skipped. We turned to Talinoth and asked..."Do you really
believe in the existence of Bilge Farfathom and his fabled Reed Belt?" He answered
slowly, wisely..."yes...but I see that hunting Dagnor's Cauldron for the beast is not the
way to proceed". Talinoth then formulated a plan. Our little band of adventurers
would move on, hunting for experience, where the whims of chance take us. But, Talinoth
would not forget the Reed Belt...he would bind his very soul to the center of Dagnor's
Cauldron, returning thither regularly, to inspect the grounds for tracks of Bilge, and
bring us any word of his existence. Thus, good readers, with unanimous consent, we
claimed that The Great Item Hunt of 2002 was at an end, and a great success. It was
5 months (about 40 hunts), and 4 levels ago that we sat down and made a list of
15 items that we would seek out. We found 14 items in 40 hunts. Not a bad record,
considering the rarity of some of the monsters and the rarity of their loot, and that
each hunt only lasted about 3 hours.

For those who like summaries...all in all, we acquired:

For Talinoth, our Druid:
2 Chipped Bone Bracers
1 Charred Guardian Shield
1 Platinum Armband
Totalling: +22 WIS, +18 AC, +3 STR and Affliction Efficiency II

For Thunderhart, our Warrior:
2 Crafted Bracers
1 Crafted Greaves
1 Crafted Pauldron
1 Crafted Vambraces
Totalling: +58 AC, +4 STR, +4 DEX, +4 INT, +2 SvMagic,
+2 SvFire, +2 SvCold, +2 SvPois, +2 SvDis

For Xandamir, our Cleric:
1 Testament of Vanear
1 Bracer of the Reverent
1 Gatorscale leggings
Totalling: +19 WIS, +10 Mana, +16 AC, +15 HP

For Drexxell, our Necromancer:
Mystic Cloak
Impskin Gloves
Batskull Earring
Totalling: +15 INT, +10 Mana, +10 AC, +5 SvMagic,
Affliction Efficiency I, Reagent Conservation I
and 10 Steelskin charges


What comes next? Well, we all have a few bruises from our last trek through
Najena's lair. We intend to return with all our new gear, our new experience,
and "wipe the floor with her" (and I will take one of my first, earliest steps,
in the long road of acquiring my duck on a stick epic).

_________________
Drexxell , 71st GNecrOMancEr -- Wielder of ()
Druul , 60th Troll Shaman () + Wielder of and
Driss, 51st Dwarf Priestess of Brell Serilis
Dralia, 36th Erudite Enchantress

BRAVO BRAVO...... Well written my friend.

The ogres of Western Karanas are of a most degenerate and dangerous caste, deceiving themselves with the conceit of civilization in the construction of foul temple travesties that corrupt the very soil and stone and airs of the green land. Surely the loot we seek from these brutes was not crafted by them, but rather must have been taken from their victoms. The vile practices and offerings of these creatures fills me with such loathing that I find myself nearly lauding the casual efficiency in which Drexxell vivisects the dying brutes. Thunderhart seems to be taking easy sport with them. What a difference from the wary and cautious manner of our first arrival a scant month ago! Only Xandamir retains much of her original caution, taking greatest risk when she approaches to confound the chief as he attempts to summon his pet. Alas, were I that cautious; for it was the incessant biting of the pet that slowed me to an untimely doom just this past night when I strayed to close to the temple site. The pummeling I received for my error was…well, extreme in its ferocity. I thank Tunare for the gifts she has bestowed upon Xandamir, giving her much skill in pulling the party back from the Valley of Death, and I thank Xandamir for exercising those gifts for the well being of a certain incautious Druid.

--From the Birch Bark Memoirs of Talinoth, pg. 31