Storm 280.

Current Training: Balthus, now with Urgelt.

Circle test this week: Me (red), Sas (healthy). I actually timed out trying to heal up a bit.

Donations: Helping Cassia Allin build fortifications.

Exploration: nothing new yet.

Soldi, day 2 of Winter, 550.

Happy New Year!

Late last night I joined a Full Moon hunt on Kizmia's Island with a small group (4 fighters and 3 healers).

Since the South beach entry was packed with six cave cobras, I was elected to sit offshore and attract their attention while the others whittled them down. The price of being a pathfinder!

Unfortunately, several Thunder Lyfelidae were also about, the the advance party was close to being wiped out at one point. Thank goodness for the safety of the hut there!

It was a strenuous hunt.

The extra powerful Lyfelidae nearly wiped us out on several occassions. At one point, Urgelt had to collect us all on his chain after a gaggle of Northbound Cobras ambushed us while we retreated Southward from an overlarge assortment of Lyfelidae. One cobra chased him all the way back to the South beach hut! Joshua joined us for a short time there, to get us mobile again. Later, we still had to ask for healers to help raise fallens from offshore with their caduceus. Thank Proximus!

And twice my catsbane necklace saved me from certain infection. I'm starting to worry that I will wear it out!

We hunted from somewhat after midnight, all through the night than all through the day, and went into our trees only as dusk approached. We skipped the Glacier and Lyfe Village, being tired, and still had a time of it just fighting our way past the Scarmis hive and to the North beach in the dark.

I helped vanquish well over 100 Lyfelidae on this hunt, and quite a lot of those were Thunder or Pink Lyfelidae. Quite an adventure.

I am pretty thankful we did not find a Cold Lyfelidae lying in wait for us.

Just before the New Year, I was on a hunt in the East Cove when I got smacked hard by a Flower Lyfelidae, and once again my Catsbane necklace saved me from a nasty infection. Whew!

Along on this hunt was a cute younger Fen, Kishi, who I had heard of as someone who was close to earning a Swengus Ledger too.

I took the opportunity to compare training with her and get an idea of how far along she was. It was pretty clear that she was ahead of me, having reached the next higher level with Balthus. I'm close, but not there yet.

She's a very fun Fen, and quite a good fighter too. I was pleased to have finally made her acquaintance.

Then I heard today that Kishi had just earned her own Training Ledger from Swengus. Great job!

This makes my own task a little bit harder yet again, but not by too much.

Terrdi, day 81 of Autumn, 549.

Quite awhile ago, when Sunwyrms were not incredibly difficult to hit, I was in a group that lacked healers but attacked and killed the Sunwyrm anyway.

Well, we have now caught up to the Sunwyrm's impressive extra defense yet again.

Hunting at the Rocky Cavern the other day, we could not find a healer, but pressed the attack anyway. While we did have one fighter fall, we did finish off the Sunwyrm too. With both Urgelt and Mujin-kun able to avoid most blows, and Urgelt's fell blade training, it was not terribly difficult.

One wonders whether Sunwyrms will acquire yet more defense skills now ...

I have been seeing Urgelt around quite a bit lately, and decided to switch to his version of Balthus training, after working with Mujin-kun for quite some time. I am slowly reaching my immediate training goal.

Today I noticed a spot where I can hop over the North wall of town, a bit West of where NoGurd stands. Actually, I saw Urgelt use it to catch up with me, since I had gone the long way around through the gate.

This is similar to the wall hop at the East gate, and saves a few steps when heading from town center toward the pathfinder trail to the North Field. I imagine this has been here for ages, but I never noticed.

Maybe I should check the walls near the other town gates too!

Soldi, day 50 of Autumn, 549.

I am very pleased that Swengus finally decided I was a Grand Master.

This took a lot more Balthus training than I originally estimated, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel now. If my guesses are right and if no crowd of other fighters keeps beating me to it, I should finally earn my Ledger well before the end of the fast-approaching Winter season. It's nice to have hope again after being lost and confused for so long.

Plus, my recent Balthus training has been helpful in reducing the hits I take during my circle tests from the Orga Wrath (which is pretty much unlikely to hit me now) and even the Midnight Wendecka (who still land blows far too often, but noticeably less). Another 30 or so lessons can't hurt there. The last two times I tested were noticeably better, and left just me and that Young Sasquatch to slug it out. If I can get to that point still in green health, I may just be able to beat him at last.

Otherwise, the Lands were very, very quiet this day. At one point I saw only 7 exiles awake and about. I worry greatly where the others have all gone.

I took some time to help a newer exile, Goblin, hunt in the South Forest and Kitty Beach. It's nice to see younger folk about. But it was sobering for me to watch him struggle to strike Artak Cougars, and recall those days when they were a challenge for me too. Hopefully, I convinced him that at least a little Troilus training is a good idea for any hunter.

Merdi, day 47 of Autumn, 549.

One thing I noticed right away after the recent Chaos Storm was that it is now a lot easier for me to tell who was healing me.

They seemed to have a much deeper glow than a healer healing someone else.

In this sketch, Sakura is healing me, and Larno is healing Mujin-kun.

It is a nice touch.

In last night's hunting at the KI cove glacier, I fell hard to a Tae-su Lyfelidae, and for the first time saw my protective catsbane necklace in action.

It released a cloud of dust as I fell, and presumeably warded off yet another nasty infection.

I immediately checked that my necklace was still intact, and was very reassured to feel it still tucked under my shirt. I have no desire to be infected with that disease yet again.

We also saw quite a number of Flower Lyfelidae and a few Valley Panthers at the Cove, as well as a bushel of Stinging Beetles under Fat Alice's hut and several Baltoise offshore.

After dawn, I joined a serious power group to hunt a Sunwyrm that I had sighted earlier in the Rocky Cavern.

It was interesting to watch Mujin-kun, Urgelt and Tyndall simply trap the beast amongst them all instead of doing it the usual way - with one of them holding it pinned against a wall or corner - since it was barely able to strike any of them.