Current Training: Through with K'Pyn (Evus) for awhile, having reached "Grand Master", and switched to Histia.

Circle test this week: Not attempted yet, and expecting a pretty bad performance after my infection.

Donations: Loom'bir, who is building a public bath house.

Exploration: I finally made it into the interior of Kizmia's Island. I noticed that a river had changed it's course in the East Forest.

Fordi, day 75 of Winter, 546.

As I predicted, I have spent most of my time lately gathering as many furs as possible, to build my bank account back up.

My cure from Lyfelidism was swift after applying the Luminescent Salve, and surprisingly unremarkable. I do feel a lot better now, and safer as well with my Catsbane necklace tucked under my shirt. This has been a Zodiac to remember!

Sombdi, day 55 of Winter, 546.

It seems my time of infection will soon be at an end.

On Terrdi, day 52 of Winter, I finally tracked down an alchemist trained to make the Lyfelidism cure salve.

J'jh graciously agreed to mix a batch for me. Since I already had all the ingredients she needed, it took her just a moment. It seems Usto thinks she's a bit messy in the lab, but she didn't spill a single drop.

An expensive little concoction, this is:

I also bought a replacement pinch of catsbane from J'jh, for my replacement protective necklace.

I then went on a challenging Valley hunt organized by Baltok. We didn't have a true bricker along, so we all took a lot of punishment. It was a close thing for a moment, when we were beaten back by a group of Cave Cobras in the first outdoor snell and retreated into the entry cave to find Cobras had flanked us by swarming there too. Lorikeet proved her worth, as usual, with some stellar chaining.

All these mishaps have badly depleted my bank account, so today I spent my time chasing furs. A lot of furs. Mounds of furs.

I can now afford to buy my protective necklace - again.

So that means I can take my cure as well, because I know I won't be able to resist hunting Lyfelidae on the beaches of Kizmia's Island. Vanquishes are good. But I do not want to get infected again.

It will take me many months to get my savings back where it was before my misadventures began. It seems so long ago!

Merdi, day 46 of Winter, 546.

I took part in yet another hunt on Kizmia's Island, my third. The call of the Lyfelidae is strong indeed, but I feel very sobered regarding the dangers of that island.

I write this now, still exhausted and frustrated, even after a long and fitful sleep. So few of our proud band made it off the island safely.

It started well enough. We set out the evening of Lundi, day 43 of Winter, 546, and had an easy entry on the Southern shore. During the night, we did very well hunting the southern half of the island, and racked up many vanquishes.

Since I was in desperate need of a tuft of Lyfelidae fur for my cure, we all agreed to go through the cavern maze to visit Groar! and see if we could find some.

Achates was most familiar with the caverns, so he ably led us in.

I got my tuft of fur! Now all I need do is find a trained alchemist to mix up the Luminescent Salve for me.

This was the high point. Everything went downhill for here.

On the way out, one brave soul chanced a solo exit to the West side of the island, unsuccessfully.

The rest of us headed toward the East side through the maze, but we were plagued with narcoleptic comrades, and it seemed to be contagious. First one exiles would get a dazed look and stop for a few minutes, then as soon as he recovered, another seemed to do the same. It took forever to get through that maze, and not because we got lost.

Then, calamity!

Oh, I swore this would happen to no one else if I could help it, but it did.

What we all saw, was that Raldin was felled by a Starbuck Lyfelidae, and was infected with Lyfelidism. Then as he was raised, he immediately ripped the catsbane necklace he was already wearing to shreds, to get it off his neck.

We were stunned! Can you be infected while wearing one!? Do they fail!?

What actually happened was that Raldin had been doing some Mystic thing when we weren't looking, and had unadvisedly removed his catsbane necklace. When he realized that he was being slashed at, he scrambled to put his necklace back on. This was apparently at the exact instant he was felled and infected. The necklace couldn't protect him fast enough.

When he was then raised, now as a Lyfe, he tore his necklace apart in an instant.

Oh, the pain I felt for him. His timing could not have been worse. To get infected AND lose your necklace in the same instant!

Finally, we exited the cavern, and walked right into a horrid maw of the Lyfelidae. I don't know how many remained standing, but it was very very few. With some quick zuing and chaining, we fallens were finally recovered, but it was a very very close thing. At one point after everyone had been chained and raised, we again faltered and I was the only fighter left standing, deep red and hacking furiously at the also-red Cold Lyfelidae that was the root of our difficulty. Dawn broke not a moment too soon that day.

They say that dawn on Kizmia's Island leads to fatal overconfidence. I have to agree.

Everyone was feeling rushed, so all the East side folks went into their trees immediately, while the West side folks took all the barrels to fill with tar. A dangerous gamble!

The tunnels below the island held several Banshees. It was now day, and I once again found myself unable to hit these foul creatures or defend against their attacks. Iho bravely ran them for some time and eventually raised me, but I'm afraid I got him killed finally when we met head-on in the tunnels with Banshees and Cobras behind us both. Finally, Urgelt and Yoshida-X arrived to kill these. ( In my weakened state, I estimate that I have lost the use of 30-40 of Atkus' lessons on attack, and definitely lost some of my defensive skills. I'm pretty sure I would not pass the Fifth circle test now, if I took it during the day, even after training at least 60 times more with Evus since I did pass!)

By the time we all had reached the whirlpool, three of our five Healers had pendanted home, and we had lost our Mystic and a couple more fighters to hurried departs.

The small group of seven that remained did manage to grab a pinch of catsbane, which will be given to Raldin.

We pressed on quickly though, not hunting so much as covering our retreat. But Yor got confused and lost while trying to race ahead of us to the boatbuilder, and somehow fell into the Scarmis den. Urgelt bravely tried to rescue him alone, but could not find him and then got trapped. The Queen herself quickly finished Urgelt off.

The remaining five of us sat stunned, and debated quite awhile whether we could attempt a rescue, but finally decided it was far beyond our limited power. We hadn't even the kudzu left to protect ourselves, let alone explore for our friends.

On the frenzied final run to the Boatbuilder's hut, Achates and Drue both fell. I grabbed Drue on a chain, which actually saved me from the Cave Cobras chasing me, and I slipped into the hut on a very low red.

Achates was fallen far past the point Iho could heal alone, and he waits there still for help.

The rest of us left the island, quickly - with cobras on our heels, with heavy hearts.

Soldi, day 42 of Winter, 546.

I am very angry, confused and depressed.

I have been working very hard to raise money for my cure and for a protective catsbane necklace. Since I can't just buy the cure from Fat Alice at the moment, I am working on finding the one remaining cure salve ingredient so I can have an alchemist mix a batch for me.

But I did have the extra catsbane I needed for a necklace, and the coin, so today I decided I would have Big Meggs make my necklace. And what better place to carry a new necklace, but around one's neck?

5/14/02 9:28:12a Big Meggs says, "Greetings, Azriel."
5/14/02 9:28:14a Big Meggs says, "For 5133 coins, I can make you a catsbane necklace."
5/14/02 9:28:17a Big Meggs asks, "Would you like me to do that?"
5/14/02 9:28:18a Azriel says, "yes"
5/14/02 9:28:18a Big Meggs says, "There you go. Have a nice day."
5/14/02 9:28:26a You equip your catsbane necklace.
5/14/02 9:28:26a You go crazy clawing at your neck.
5/14/02 9:28:31a You relax now your catsbane necklace is destroyed.

You can bet I gave Big Meggs a piece of my mind for not warning me!

Who knew that an amulet that protects against infection, but does not cure the disease itself or actually ward off real Lyfelidae, would have a direct effect on an infected exile like that, or be destroyed in an instant before I could take it off?

I didn't even have the time to make the sketch I was planning before it was in shreds at my feet.

So now I have no extra catsbane for a necklace and a lot fewer coins. And I don't feel particularly wiser.

Be warned.

Terrdi, day 38 of Winter, 546.

Well, that old man Evus finally decided to recognize me as a Grand Master. Maybe he isn't totally senile after all. I immediately switched from K'Pyn's training, to Histia. It is my lowest skill overall, and I know that if I decide to stick with her for awhile, Evus should recognize yet another level in my training.

I managed a quick hunt in the Kizmia's Island beeches, and between the two, found almost two dozen Lyfelidae as well as several cave Cobras and Stinging Beetles. Fat Alice is still not offering the Lyfelidism cure salve.

I also peeked into Hatred Hollow for a moment, since I want to prevent this path from growing over.

I noted today that a river had changed its course, and now flows in the Northern part of the East Forest from near the North Pass to near the Tanglewood, where it drops into a chasm. Thankfully, some stones in the river make convenient crossing points. I walk here almost daily, but had been so distracted elsewhere since the last storm, I missed this!

Soldi, day 28 of Winter, 546.

Well, I went back to Kizmia's Island again last evening, after coin-whoring all the day. The call of the Lyfelidae is strong in me now.

After spending the whole night hunting pretty smoothly on the south end of the island, we seemed to fall apart from fatigue as dawn broke.

We found trouble when we headed for our trees, and beyond. First, a pack of Banshees was waiting in the crypts below the island, and killed most of our party, one at a time. I found myself totally unable to hit these foul creatures, which I suspect is one effect of my infection, and soon fell myself. The strongest Dwarves and Zo among the party did kill them finally. Second, we lost two fighters who were unable to slip down their trees after all the healers and chainers had. That is a hazardous moment. Thankfully, another group had by then started their hunt and they agreed to pick up our comrades. Third, while working our way to the North Beach to leave, we were stampeded by Lyfelidae and Large Sand Wurms and had to fall back with most in the group fallen and on chains. Even in daytime, this seems a very deadly island indeed.

By the time we left the island, I was totally drained. And wouldn't you know, a group of Cave Cobras slithered after the last of us as we pushed our boats into the surf. Thankfully, they were too slow on this occasion.

My clanmates Thuja and Shen Calin were also most generous today. Thuja gave me a Scarmis Egg and Shen Calin gave me a pinch of Catsbane. Thanks!

So I lack only one ingredient of the Lyfelidism cure, and still have Catsbane left over to make into a necklace.

Fat Alice is no longer offering her Lyfelidism cure, so having an alchemist brew one up seems to be the only option today.

Lundi, day 22 of Winter, 546.

So many things have happened today. Where to begin?

I started the day trying to get in on a Valley hunt, but the group I was trying to join was so busy surviving some large spawns that it took them over an hour to do a single pass, and they never came back to the west cave for me to join them.

When it was clear I wasn't going into the Valley, I joined Mujin-kun in hunting Lyfelidae in the Kizmia's Island East Cove Caves. Since we were a strong group, we tackled a Culcan off Fat Alice's beach, and then cleared her basement. I noted that Fat Alice was in residence again today.

Well, it was a strong group, and Valtrim was awake, so we decided to tackle the Scarmis den. Urgelt also wanted to then try to reach the Ethereal Plane in search of Ethereal Boots. We had some difficulties, but pretty quickly cleared the Queen's chamber without losing anyone to a spit of acid. No egg.

I did manage to see and open the path to the Ethereal plane. We quickly subdued the Guardian and obtained the box.

Lucky me! I won the dice roll and got a fancy set of Ethereal boots for the day.

I noticed I could run faster than usual, but not really MUCH faster. Still it was a joy to have this unusual footwear.

We next decided to hunt the interior of Kizmia's Island. But in the meantime waiting for a few other exiles to arrive, we killed some time by heading back to the East Cove caves.

It was night.

That's when my problems began.

As the proud new owner of shiny fast boots, I was doing the luring from the forest area into the caves. Things were going fine until a Starbuck Lyfelidae cornered me in coming back into the cave. I felt an awful pain and fell, and knew that I had been infected. Sigh.

Not-so-lucky me!

Well, I am nothing if not a trouper, so I crashed my boat to lead the others ashore, and we started our hunt.

Anyway, since I was already infected, what worse could happen?

The hunt was pretty methodical, as Urgelt and Yor hunts are, until we ran into a Cold Lyfelidae and his friends. At night. Most everyone fell.

With my fancy quick boots and a quick hand on the chain, I grabbed most of the fallens and retreated a couple of snells to relative safety.

Thankfully, Lard was still vertical, and I pulled all the fallens close to me against the rock wall to make a protected fort away from the Lyfelidae and Cobra.

We were it. Thank goodness for those boots.

Lucky me!

With some effort, Lard started healing parts of our wall and we stabilized this snell. With the help of quite a number of offshore healers and Yor's suicide chaining runs, all the fallens were eventually gathered and raised, and we continued our hunt.

The other big surprise of the day came in the Glacier cave, where Achates found FOUR pinches of Catsbane!

In sympathy for the Lyfe-infected folks along, I was offered one and Achates another, and the rest of the group rolled a die for the remaining two pinches. So, I now have the most important ingredient for a Catsbane necklace, to see that this never happens again.

My poor bank account is going to be very unhappy with me, I fear, when I do seek treatment and have a necklace made.

We finally made our way off the North shore of the island. For me, my first trip to the island interior was exciting and adventurous, and I was pleased with how I handled myself in the crunch. I felt a sting of pride as I pushed my boat into the surf and headed for home.

I earned an astounding Five lessons with K'Pyn today. I didn't think I was still capable of such advances!

Afterward, Swengus noted my progress by declaring me a "credit to the craft". Now if only Evus would notice my progress too, the old coot. I will be a Grand Master yet. "Soon" even.

Click here for my report on the previous storm.

Click here for my report on the next storm.

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