Storm 264.

Circle test this week: Beaten up pretty badly when I got myself surrounded.

Donations: Helping Cassia Allin build fortifications.

Exploration: Not much. Too busy hunting.

Soldi, day 87 of Summer, 548.

With the Bawkmas celebration season upon us, I have been out-and-aboutin the Lands quite a lot lately. I spent a lot of time gathering furs, but have managed to go on many more serious hunts as well. In adition to the usual spots (Kizmia's Island East Cove, Melabrion's Island passes), I spent a lot of time hunting in the Sasquatch Valley with several good groups of exiles. I also saw Silky find a rare set of Lyfelidae whiskers, and she let us all see them. No wonder I have never found any!

I spent my share of time in the Bawkmas Cold and Snowy grove, and as always will miss it sorely when it melts. But not quite as much, now that one slope of the glacier on Kizmia's Island is easily accessible from the East Cove cave. And there are always exiles staking out the area, so I rarely found anything there but folks waiting for another spawn, or in trouble from rampaging Frost Giants or Ice Giants. Still, I helped vanquish many a cold tree there lately.

Soldi, day 59 of Summer, 548.

Yet another advance with Swengus yesterday, as I catch up on much-needed Regia training.

Approximately 50 more trainings should get me a ledger, if I persist at training only with Regia until then and if no one beats me to it and raises the requirements yet higher.

We'll see.

A small hunt yesterday on the frozen slopes leading up from the Kizmia's Island East Cove turned bad when several Flower Lyfelidae ambushed us in the snow.

I managed to gather everyone on my chain, and even slipped past a Cave Cobra in the exit cave to the safety of my boat.

When all were healed, we headed back for revenge.

I wasn't so lucky in today's hunt in the Sasquatch Valley with Yor and company. I was the lead pathfinder and took hits from three Cave Cobras as we entered, felling me beyond the healing power of the three healers along. In the end, we needed to recruit a fourth healer and I still needed a potion to be raised. Once we got going though, it was a fine hunt. We saw mainly Valley Cougars and Cave Cnbras today, and almost no Young Sasquatches to speak of.

I also had a bit of bad luck in a solo run to Wisher's Gate later. I was in Rieger snell, pretty low on health, but keeping up with spawns and nibbling at Bones' snell while healing slowly. I was caught on the far Southeast side of Rieger's snell fighting some Orga Rages when a Warlock decided to slip in at the North side, and by the time I reached him, I was very low on health from a few of his bolts. As I killed the Warlock, a Rage nailed me from behind. Thankfully, K'Pyn and J'jh were willing to come get me, and gracious enough to let me peek through Wisher's Gate before heading back to town.

In town, I also had the chance to start two more exiles training, Farhope and Droch. Thanks folks!

Lundi, day 39 of Summer, 548.

While hunting today in the Kizmia's Island East Cove cavern and in the dank basement under Fat Alice's hut on the West Cove, I saw several somewhat odd looking Valley Rats.

They were a bit lighter tan in color than the more grey Valley Rat.

After I collected a couple of specimens and examined them more closely, I saw that they were in fact the distinct species named Cavern Rat. So far I have only seen these underground on Kizmia's Island.

But where did the Valley Rats that used to live here go? I saw those only above ground.

Today I noticed several Orga Zealots in the "Zerkwood" on Devil's Island.

It made me wonder:

If an exile was fallen here for some time and the Zealots began to chant a loud song of teleportation, where would that exile end up?