Current Training: Rodnus.

Donations: Helping Undrus dig to the East (40-50% done).

Exploration: not much to speak of.

Soldi, day 76 of Autumn, 552.

Late this morning I joined a small group on a raid deep into the Orga Camps to try to obtain another Strange Stone for Lundar. The Moon was full today, and the Orga Magician was expected to be working his powerful magicks starting about Noon.

Although it was a fairly small group (only a few folks who came along aren't pictured in my quick sketch), we advanced readily into the Orga Camps beyond various Illusions and through paths. Arriving a bit early, we sat around behind an absorptive crowd of healers for a time awaiting the arrival of the Orga Magician. Those Orga Warlocks do love to put on a spectacular light show!

A bit after the strike of Noon, we fighters rushed toward the Magician, and this time I was the one to reach him first and I struck him dead in a single blow. A slaughter, I was amused to find.

Unfortunately, Lundar was unsuccessful in obtaining a Strange Stone. That happens from time to time, for reasons that we simply don't understand. Did we attack too early, so that the Magician had not yet summoned the Stone? Did Lundar not have enough Exiles sharing him, or forget to bring his lucky Lyfelidae claw? Perhaps we will never know why this quest is so fickle.

Once Lundar had given up, I took the opportunity to enter the Power Room, and scanned it carefully for paths. I saw nothing that might lead us further toward the source of Orga power.

Fordi, day 60 of Autumn, 552.

Yesterday afternoon, I helped rescue a hunting party that had been overrun at the Jade Arachnoid lair. A trickle of rescuers became a flood, as most exiles awake in the Lands at the time eventually joined in. The problem often is, though, that the exiles best suited to rescuing from Jade Noids are the ones already slipping to the bottom of the cavern. Rescues can take awhile while the strength of the rescue team grows to match the challenges below.

It seemed a fairly easy rescue at first, since after just a bit of clearing (3 or so Noids) we were able to run all the way down the cave to try to chain the fallens out. I broke two chains in quick succession (and lost 2 metals, doh!) trying to latch onto everyone, though, and only managed to grab 3 of the many fallens again before a rush of Arachnoids drove us out. Three times we cleared the cave of Arachnoids and were on the verge of getting everyone out when a backspawn threatened to trap us all (and did claim a few rescuers each time). On the third time, I had most every fallen on my chain (8 or so by then), when a backspawn did indeed trap Nightbird and myself inside the cave. I started a slow retreat deeper into the cave, hugging one wall and wrapping the fallen exiles around me for protection as the gathering Arachnoids glared and snapped at me. Nightbird had to keep pulling his way deeper into the clump of fallens as they continually slipped around him, leaving him open to attack. After a time, reinforcements arrived from above and cut us a path to safety. I wish I had had the time to make a sketch, but it was a very hectic moment! Finally, with the help of most of the original hunting party, all the fallen exiles were successfully retrieved.

Last night and in the wee hours of this morning I hunted inside the Caverns of Kizmia's Island with this small group (Pyromanic is hiding in this sketch). The hunt started innocently enoughearly in the evening at the East Cove. When we ran into what turned out to be seven Tae-su Lyfelidae on the Glacier, we started calling in help, and before long decided that we had a strong enough party to venture into the Island interior. Once again, we entered through the Cave in the Cove Glacier.

The Lyfelidae Caverns seemed to be of two minds. One half was chock full of tough Lyfelidae (Starbucks and Orgaberries and Flowers), while the other end seemed filled with crowds of lowly Harvest Lyfelidae and Cavern Rats.

Overall it was a very productive run, and the dawn broke all too soon.

Soldi, day 48 of Autumn, 552.

Last night and today have been quite busy. It was a Full Moon night and day.

I started my hunting in the Kizmia's Island East cove with a small group (Yor, Natas, Nightbird, Gorton, Axell, Talin and Tharlock). În the afternoon, we entered the caverns from the Cove glacier entrance, which I had never done before. We then hunted our way through the twisting caverns to the interior of the island, and waited in the river hut for sunset.

Once the sun went down, we advanced much more carefully, since the Lyfelidae were now at their fullest power.

Right away, near the river, we ran into a Cold Lyfelidae. Uh oh.

We instantly retreated across a bridge, and carefully lured it to us.

Once it crossed, we instantly surrounded it and quickly vanquished it. Dead simple.

Most of the night, we hunted inside the Caverns, since it is a actually bit safer than the Island surface on the Full Moon night: it's harder to be ambushed and there are generally fewer Lyfelidae attacking the group at any one time

We eventually paid a visit to Groar! He didn't seem to want to break up his nap and had little to say, but that Gem adorning the Lyfelidae God he guards beckoned each of us to try to claim it.

Once Axell had to leave us using her pendant, we went even more carefully and slowly. Still, on the slow march from the Cavern exit to the hut at the South end of the Island, we ended up using three Red Healing Potions (mostly for Orgaberry Lyfe victims) and still had a fallen Gorton in tow on a chain when we headed for home through the Portal. Dawn broke upon us just as we were reaching the South end of the island, and I for one was glad to see the bright sun after a tiring night. It was quite a hunt, with over 100 vanquishes and 100 kills!

Not an hour later, I joined a group on a Full Moon Orga Camp Raid to try to steal a Strange Stone from the Orga Magician for Hepta. Things went quite smoothly and we had time to spare waiting in OC4 for the Magician to appear at Noon. I took the opportunity to scan the perimter of OC4 for hard paths, but saw nothing unusual.

When the time came, I was only half a step behind Yor rushing at the Magician yet I still didn't manage to get a swing at that frail Orga master; he seems to die to the first hit!

In any case, Hepta got her Strange Stone, so the trip was a success.

Our exit from the deep Orga camps was a bit messier than our entry, when we ran into a multitude of Warlocks in OC2, but we all eventually left under our own power.

In the Meadow, Hepta set a teleport mark.

I wonder where she will try to set the other terminus?

A couple of days ago, I heard a cry on the sunstone that exiles needed help in Melabrion's Castle . Normally I bypass the castle and just hunt Young Sasquatch in the passes around it, so I headed that way to look around. The courtyard was very busy with Guards and Mud Golems, but I was able to grab Highlander on my chain, as well as would-be rescuer Roffian. However, when I dragged them out to the passes to be raised, a gang of Sasquatch crowded the rescue group. I dragged my fallens to Centaur Island, but most of the group headed back into the Castle area and ran the gauntlet of the Courtyard to reach the basement Conference room. I fell on the beach fighting off some Sasquatches alone, and the rest of the group grabbed me on their way out.

After everyone was raised, Brimstar suggested revenge, so I joined in. I was a bit surprised to vanquish most of the Mud Golems we fought, since I had in mind that they weren't worth hunting. Anyway, we eliminated a number of those. In the midst of the fight near the stairs, I saw what looked like a rock flatten Couer de Leon. I was very amused when I took a closer look to see that it was in fact a tile shaken loose from the ceiling by all the Golems rumbling about . Only Couer would actually fall to a ceiling tile!

Melabrion apparently needs to spend some time and coins on upkeep in his Keep!

Merdi, day 31 of Autumn, 552.

The Bawkmas season has brought out more than its share of town invasions. Lately, I have seen Giant Vermine and Large Vermine invasions in town and in the surrounding farms and fields.

Today it was Large Vermine, and I was surrounded when I stepped out of the Fighter Hall. I sliced quite a number of these too before the invasion was put down. During the invasion, Honor announced that Afrit had passed the 6th Circle Fighter test. Congrats!

Right before Bawkmas, I was caught in the East Field during a Giant Vermine invasion. I managed to run and nip at the ones that got too close for awhile, but I didn't make a dent in their numbers. Eventually I was utterly surrounded and spent quite some time hacking my way out again. I counted over 400 Giant Vermine that I killed myself!

About the time I finally got the East field under control, several Fire Drakes landed nearby. A number of exiles showed up, and we attacked the Drakes. Aeol did a fine job rodding the one I was attacking, but the few fighters present could not kill it before it decided to fly away. Once Drakes start running to take flight, it's pointless to try to wound them I've found, so I started attacking another Drake. There were so many Fire Drakes (about four or five) and so few exiles doing significant damage to them that all of them eventually escaped. We wounded each of them seriously, but they were each still able to fly off. Disappointing, to say the least.

Today I joined Yor, Natas, Highlander, Tharloch and Larno for a Kizmia's Island Scarmis egg hunt. We set out just before noon and hunted our way to the Pitch lake to fill some barrels. larno had to nap a bit in the river hut, so we took a quick tour through the Lyfelidae Caverns looking for more tough Lyfelidae. We did find a few Orgaberry Lyfes and a single Cold Lyfe. When we all were reunited, we headed down into our trees and quickly dropped into the Scarmis den itself. The entry area was pretty full of annoying Harvesters, and I was wounded pretty severely by some larger Scarmis before I could hack my way out of the crowd and into the open. Yet more Detha for me, eventually. Otherwise, the den was fairly easy, and we advanced steadily in. We quickly vanquished two Scarmis Queens, and found one Scarmis egg. Larno won it, and hopefully it finds its way into the hands of someone who desperately needs it. By the time we emerged above ground again, it was night, and we vanquished a few more Starbuck and Orgaberry Lyfes before setting out for home on our boats.

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