April 14, 2009

Autoquests are Fun!
by Loreis

Lerris is ignoring trade run multi level requirements. I am not pleased with this decision, but there is nothing I can do about it. Having chosen this route, Lerris often finds herself trying to complete autoquests that are, let's say, challenging. Case in point-this morning. Lerris found a few torn and brittle scrolls in corpses around the City of Medievia, and chose carefully. Well...we'll see. Her first quest was one she had solved before: procuring a fluffy towel for the Queen's towel boy in the Realm of the Cloud Giants. No, there would be no gold, and the total points were lessened, but if it put a dent in the MLR, why not. Lerris bought the towel in Dragmire Stronghold(odd place to find a fluffy towel) and was rewarded with 15,000 pieces of gold and a smile. Whoo! Checking her level requirement, Lerris realized that if she was going to do this, she would have to suffer. And suffer she did. She gingerly opened the next scroll. First objective-find a hunter in The Esacha Fen near Enara. Ok. Easy. Lerris knows that zone well, and zipped right through, finding the hunter easily. He whispered to her of his desperate need to disguise himself as a bear. He needed Lerris to procure for him a bear hide, found in a glade, and a headband with bear teeth attached. The headband rang a scary bell in Lerris's head, but she did not heed it. As usual. Calling her golden dragon, she flew to the peaceful glade, and snuck in between the trees until she found her prey. One black and golden bear, with a pelt that was bound to her. A few shockwaves later, success, and she pondered her next task. Suddenly, she remembered. Uh...the headband is found on a particularly vile mob in Eldrick's Tomb. It's a hidden entrance to a grave (shudder), you have to kill a really tough mob for the key, then trap, lure, kill. There are a few flees thrown in there, as well. Lerris gulped and asked if anyone in Clan 22 was available to help. Eriathan, the brave and generous Avatar, offered his assistance, as did Nildur. Whew!

Lerris flew to The Abandoned Lighthouse, and disembarked from the safe, broad back of her dragon.

"You're nuts, you know that?" the golden dragon muttered to Lerris.

"Ok, which would you rather do-fly me to ONE location, or all over, looking for trade run values?" she replied sharply.

The dragon stuck his tongue out at her, and flew off. Snotty little...oh well.

Meeting at the gates leading into the cemetery, Eriathan roused his form, and off they went. Eriathan knew Eldrick's well, and Lerris was so thankful to have both Nildur and Eriathan along for the help and moral support. They killed mud golems, leeches, maggots, and eventually, the undead corpse of Rimuldar, who held the key to the grave. The final objective was Ludoc, who loaded the bear teeth laden band Lerris needed. It was at this point that Nildur met his death. Eriathan and Lerris fled, ticked, and Nildur corpsed. Timing is everything! They waited for Nildur to live again...and waited...and waited. Eventually, Lerris and Eriathan realized that Nildur may not be back, so standing, they prepared to meet Ludoc. Running through the graveyard, Lerris and Eriathan searched every grave until they found it -a faint outline. The key crumbled, and a gaping chasm opened up at their feet. Eriathan gave instructions, Lerris trapped rooms north and south, and Eri crept down into that foul hole, trying to lure Ludoc out into the open, and hopefully, into a trap. Of course, with all the corpses and leeches stepping into them, there would be no traps left! Argh, Lerris groaned, and created even more traps, all the while watching Eriathan's hit points move lower and lower. He crawled back out, panting and bloody. Lerris healed, and back he went. They did this at least three times, and Lerris was gathering her mana when Ludoc clambered out, missed both traps. and just started beating the crud out of Eriathan and Lerris. Shockwave, colour spray, everything they had, they unleashed on Ludoc. And finally, he fell. Eriathan smiled as Lerris grabbed the band of teeth from the corpse! Lerris thanked Eriathan, and called a dragon, ready to fly back to Enara and complete the task set before her. As Eriathan mounted his dragon, and Lerris began the long flight back to Enara, Nildur rejoined the land of the living. Clan resonated with welcoming greetings, and Lerris thanked everyone who had come and helped.

Landing at Enara, Lerris made her way into the gypsy camp, killed Parslow for his swamp fetish, and ran through the Fen, into the docks, and gave the bear disguise to the hunter. She held her breath as she checked her score-Autoquests leveled! YES! She promptly sent me a letter, telling me her way was working, and detailing her latest adventure. All I can say is thank you Eriathan and Nildur for helping keep Lerris on this path of madness! For Vryce's sake, take the girl on a trade run! I am very proud of Lerris, no matter what. She is level 27, four away from Hero. It has been a long road, and I know the next few months (it will take that long) will be fun, challenging and maddening. Well, for her, I already did this! *ducks*

Loreis-out