Wayfarers of Veeshan

Hey lads and lasses... I browbeat Xanda into continuing her story... she had made up some lame excuse like she was really busy and in the middle of her hunt with her buds so she didn't have time to tell you what was going on. Don't worry.. I held her down and threatened to tickle her if she didn't continue... so here it is....


Well my friends, I realize that my communications have been absent for awhile and I would really like to apologize for that. It’s not that I have been lazy or neglectful, it’s just that we all have been very, very busy. I am sure that this will not came as any surprise to those of you who have been following our saga, but my friends Drexxell, Thunderhart and Talinoth and I have decided to continue our quest to stamp out rampant evil throughout all of Norrath. We have had our share of ups and downs of course but I truly feel that we have the tiger by the tail so to speak. Let me continue my stories now, as it is our duty of course to instruct the young so that they too may learn and appreciate the efforts of those who have walked that road before them.

After many long months of toil and struggle, we had finally vanquished Najena and the evil goblins that infested the noxious hole known as Runneye. All four of us sat down at that time and decided that if we were to continue our fight, we needed to become better equipped. My Mistress Tunare had finally agreed that Talinoth was fully capable of shepherding others while he teleported from place to place. She now granted him the ability to take us with him when he traveled. We decided that now was a good time to take a break from our destruction of evil and to begin our search for artifacts that would enable us to fight to the best of our abilities. While we have been gifted with many beautiful and helpful items from the Wayfarer clan, we still needed more.

Thunderhart’s armor was woefully behind the times and his weaponry was severely underpowered. Talinoth’s armor was also pitiful. Yes it covered his beautifully sun-tanned form, but it did little else in the way of enhancing his innate wisdom. Drexxell also needed items that would boost his spell casting ability. While he was not looking for better armor on the whole, as that was Thunderhart’s job to keep him safe from harm, he did need items that would elevate his intellect. My armor was also just a conglomerate of odds and ends passed down from friend to friend. After all, we needed to look the part of solid adventurers as well as acting like them if we wanted our foes to take us seriously. The three of us scholarly types sat down and compiled a list of items we had heard about or read about that may help us in our endeavors. I believe Drexxell helped Thunderhart stumble through a list of his own so we could come up with a plan. Some of the items we wanted were known things. We knew where they were and who had them. It was simply a matter of going in and getting them from the person or creature. Others could only be achieved through diligence and patience and the completion of quests.

We sat down with our lists and concocted a plan. We each pared our list down to five items each and decided how to best go about what was soon to become known as the Great Item Hunt of 2002-03. Drexxell with extreme care compiled the list, methodically figuring out where the items were and how we were to get to them. While all good plans are subject to revision, we decided the only time we were going to deviate from the said plan was in the event one of us decided that we no longer wanted something from the list. We also noticed that many items could be purchased at bargain prices from other adventurers so our list was shortened as we acquired things that way.

Thunderhart desired (in addition to better swords) some pieces of finely crafted armor that was given in response to a quest that needed to be performed for some centaurs in South Karana. Talinoth and Drexxell both requested items that were in the possession of some foul ogres in Western Karana. They also wanted items that could be found in the bowels of Solusek Eye. Tali was also looking for a belt from a goblin in Dagnors Cauldron. I wanted a book that was torn into pages that I would have to acquire from bandits in High Hold Pass and a pair of leggings that were reported to have been eaten by an ancient crocodile in Upper Guk. This was among other things of course.

So the GIH of 2002-03 was initiated.

I will continue my story at a later date, just as soon as I get my notes in order. There is a lot to compile my friends and I hope you can bear with me a little longer. At the time of this letter, the item hunt is not yet completed, but we are nearing the end. We are currently in Sol A trying to get a set of gloves for Drexxell and a shield for Talinoth. Any further entries I make will be by way of explaination of how we acquired what we have to date.

MAKE HER GO AWAY.... if the druid pesters me any more, I will NOT continue my story.

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

I will jump in with this tale and try to ease the burden on my companion Xandamir (may Bertoxxolus praise her and some day show her the true path of Plaguebringing)...

TGIH 02 was, if memory serves, the brainchild of none other than Thunderhart. "Talinoth can port us around, and [insert Barbarian droning] I need new armor, I need new weapons, I need a new helm, I..." (something to that effect).

It turned out to be a remarkably solid idea, considering it came from one of the race of brain-frozen Halas-ites. (I've secretly wondered if there isn't some hidden intelligence hidden behind his grotesquely gigantic form). We had accumulated some wealth over the years from our own adventuring, as well as contributions from my little sister Dralia and Xandamir's sister Nessah who had perfected some form of money laundering they call "Stein running".

With some ready cash in hand and Talinoth's newly gifted
power of group teleportation, we set out. Because we had only recently returned from hunting the Karanas themselves, we decided to begin there, where Thunderhart could gain Crafted Armor pieces from the simpleminded beasts of burden known as Centaurs. They seem to value shiny things, so before we went, I had my sister Dralia purchase some rather big shiny rocks from a vendor in Freeport (they give her better deals than I, if they even bother talking to me. One day I swear I'll kill every vendor in Norrath who ever called me a "scumbag Necromancer"....). Anyway...

You may recall our obsession with destroying Najena....(despite Xandamir's whining about "eradicating evil", the real truth is that my ego won't allow any caster in Norrath to control undead better than myself. As such, Najena has it coming...). It was in Najena (where we still must return, as Najena herself has not yet felt the mouldy touch of Bertoxxolus) that we found Trazdon, a fool of a caster, wearing a Dark Circlet. Some months back, after teaching him some manners, we pried the Dark Circlet off of his dead, frozen head, little realizing it would be the key for beginning TGIH02.

That brings us, patient readers, to the first item. It seems one of the horseboys had a thing for shiny rocks and Dark Circlets. Easy as pie, Thunderhart gave the Clods-dale 2 Star Rubies and the Dark Circlet and received a remarkaby nice set of Crafted Greaves. From whom the animal stole such fine armor, I can't say. But Thunderhart found them useful, and we moved on. (I should note that I was glad to see a small epidemic of hoof and mouth disease in the camp).

That is all for now. Perhaps Xandamir can find her tongue again to tell you how we found the next few items.

Drexxell

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

As my compatriot Drexxell pointed out previously, we decided to start our questing in the plains of Karana as we were nearby and seemed to know the area pretty well. Besides the centaurs we were dealing with for Thunderharts armor resided in the Southern plains anyway, just it just made good sense. We did in fact have a distant relations of Drexxell get us the gems that Thunder would need to complete his tasks for the centaurs. On a side note… I am left wondering just how the gnome Drexxell IS related to the Erudite Dralia. Maybe he means sister in spirit, as they are both spell casters?

The gathering of Thunderhart’s armor seemed pretty routine actually. We were well advanced of the of the petty floating eye creatures in the gorge of King Xorbb. Not many things there bothered us at all. Perchance they already knew of out towering reputation and were fearful that we would hunt them next and chose not to tempt fate. Regardless, it did not take us long at all to acquire the bundles of optic nerves from the floating gas-bags, and move on. We needed two nerve bundles for his bracers, which we now had.

On our travels throughout the plains we also happened upon the carcass of a decaying griffon. As you may have guessed… it was Drexxell that pried the griffon’s eye from its head. We needed that eye to complete the task for Thunder’s Vambraces. I am glad Drexxell was along for that as I was loath to desecrate that creature. We had absolutely no idea how it died and that carcass might have been plagued for all we knew. Luckily Drexxell didn’t seem to suffer any ill effects from the dirty deed and we decided to head back to Runneye and get the last components for Thunder’s armor.

This next part was little more daring actually. We needed to invade Runneye and locate the goblins that were holding some of the evil eyes from the gorge as captives. Apparently, the goblins had been performing hideous experiments and using the eyes as test subjects, because by the time we arrived at the jail site, the eyes were enormously strong and terribly insane. We had no trouble vanquishing the goblin jailers, It was dealing with the eyes themselves that we had trouble with. The eyes were much tougher than their brethren in the gorge were and we could not get them to understand that we were there to free them. Sadly we had to put the poor sad creatures out of their misery. We had hoped to free the creatures and to get rewarded with the runes they possessed. Thunderhart needed those runes to finish off his requirements for the crafted pauldrons. We had to settle for killing the creatures and looting the runes of their still warm carcasses instead. We acquired the first two runes very easily. Unfortunately we needed three runes and we could not locate a third evil eye in the vicinity. We were all getting tired and we needed a rest. We camped out for the evening and vowed to return to continue our search for the third evil eye.

It was a few evenings later when we actually returned. Thunderhart, Drexxell and myself were waiting around for Talinoth to finish up some errands when Thunder reported he had located the remaining eyes. The three of us decided to head down and to see what we could do about getting the third rune. It was touch and go there for a bit because all the goblins seemed to harbor a grudge against us. They were harassing us with every step we took. I am sure it was primarily due to the fact that we had recently spent a great deal of time killing their brethren and they apparently have long memories. We did manage to get to the prisoner pit free two more eyes from the chains of life with only a few moments of worry.

It seems to me that Drexxell died during one of these two confrontations, but I cannot remember which one. Drexxell has an annoying habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and his numerous deaths are starting to run together. I realize that he is very good at what he does and for that reason he seems to get the attention our opponents a little more that he should. I also think that if he were to try to work on his physique a bit more… he might be able to withstand a little more punishment and survive until Thunder could pull the enemy off him. When I broach this subject with him he usually mumbles something about how we can’t have it both ways… brains or brawn, and then he stalks off. There is just no talking to him when he gets in those moods.

Anyway, we now had all the components for the remainder of Thunderhart’s armor and it was a simple matter of running over to the centaurs and turning them in. We did and it was a joy to watch Thunderhart try on his new armor. He capered about like a little boy on his birthday… how does it look, doesn’t it fit nice, woooooot now I can protect my friends. Very nice and congratulations Thunderhart, and I am sure Drexx has your medication about here somewhere.

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

_________________
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

_________________
Surphat, Dragon Rider!

Surphat (DH) Paladin of 52 Seasons
Surfeedar Monk of 55 Seasons
Surhinlain Shaman of 62 seasons
Srailkat Rogue of the 52 Seasons
Sursadan Cleric of 57 Seasons
Surailadan Ench of 56 Seasons

_________________
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

_________________
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

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

_________________
Surphat Paladin of 53 Seasons
Surfeedar Monk of 56 Seasons
Sirhinlain Shaman of the 63 Seasons
Sursadan Cleric of 57 Seasons
Surailadan Ench of 60 Seasons

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

_________________
Surphat Paladin of 53 Seasons
Surfeedar Monk of 56 Seasons
Sirhinlain Shaman of the 63 Seasons
Sursadan Cleric of 57 Seasons
Surailadan Ench of 60 Seasons

Shaking our fists at Dagnor's Cauldron, we moved out and went to Najena's lair itself, where I found the elven (elvish? elvin?) captive still where we left her, rotting in a cage in the dungeon. It was such a lovely sight...but I digress...I was, after all, selfishly after the reward of a Mystic Cloak and cared little which elf's behind I had to kiss to get it. I handed the key I had looted off of the Priest of Najena to her. She quickly wrote out a note to her father, and asked me to deliver it to him in Felwithe while she planned on setting herself free at the first opportunity. Pocketing the letter, I urged us all to leave before Najena realized that we were back in her lair. The time to face her has not yet come....

I was tempted to take the letter directly to Felwithe (though dreading the possibility that the guards wouldn't let me in the door to deliver the letter). However, upon checking our well laid plans, we saw that our group was hoping to acquire 3 items from Solusek's Eye, which was so close to Najena. We put off our trip to Felwithe, and searched the libraries of our local cities, and found many maps and pieces of information about the goblins and gnomes that live so perilously close to one another in that dungeon.

As for myself, I was eager to test my mettle against a pesky fire imp named Kindle and to pull the very skin off of his hands. (I am told that Gloves made of Impskin boost one's intelligence). Talinoth had heard of a Reckless Efreet in Sol A who wore an Armband of Platinum which would fit him nicely. Finally, Talinoth also heard that a Clockwork of exceptional craftsmanship, called the CWG EXG, had been created by using a Charred Guardian Shield. We hoped to find that clockwork, dismantle it, and remove the Shield for Tali's use.

It took us many different nights of fighting our way in and out of that dungeon to learn its secrets (avoid the PITS! don't let injured goblins run away! Lava Elementals hate Necromancers! Gnomes like hurting anything the Lava Elemental decides to attack!). Upon each trip, our strength, confidence and knowledge grew. We picked a favorite spot, deep within the goblin side of the dungeon, and Talinoth would constantly check the ground for tracks of any of our 3 prey. Then, one night, a smile crept over his face. "Looks like a Reckless Efreet passed by here recently" he announced. We all nodded, kicked aside the pile of goblin corpses we had collected around ourselves, and followed Talinoth down into the Efreeti pits. There he was, full of confidence and laughing at us. (If you have never seen an Efreet before, it is a bit disconcerting at first). But we all took a deep breath, and lept upon him like lions upon an antelope. And to our surprise, that is about how the fight went. The Efreet, for all his viscious looks and reputation, fell dead within 30 seconds. With the blood of the Efreet running down its arm, Talinoth easily slipped the platinum armband off of it, wiped it clean (sissy!) and put it on his arm, holding it up for the torches to flash upon it.

TGIH '02 was now 8 for 9.

That brings us, gentle readers, to where we are as of this writing. Kindle and the EXG are in our crosshairs. We hunt them even now.

Drexxell

P.S. As a side note to other gnomes hunting Sol A: I am somewhat leary of hunting clockworks, as I do intend to return home to Steamfont one day to try my hand at tinkering. But I'm sure that I can teach my lesser gnomes to like me enough one day. You need only kill enough minotaurs to make them think you're buddy buddy. Some gnomes are so naive...

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