Eald'narche Goes Down

Igby's got some company. Ahem.



We had a PLD, a NIN, a BLM, a SMN, a SAM, and then there was myself, a WHM. No one was /NIN, though the SMN provided us with Garuda's Aerial Armor and Titan's Stoneskin-like ability at the start of the fight. We finished in 13 minutes and 6 seconds on January 29, sometime after 9pm Eastern, after four or five failed attempts (they did two without me, so it'd be closer to six or seven, if you count strategy runs, lol).

The strategy that finally worked (it was Rikarii's idea, BTW) was for me and the NIN to keep the detector-type mobs (referred to heretowith as "the balls") busy while the PLD main-healed herself and the SAM. The BLM and SMN did damage to the Exoplates then ran away to avoid the big damage moves. I think there was some Stunning whenever possible involved, too... I'm not sure because the NIN and I were all the way on the other side of the battlefield.

I can't say enough that parties must take advantage of the large battlefield when fighting the kid! It helped immensely for us not to just be pounding away at the kid and the balls in about the same area, lol. It was chaos before and the mages were often caught in the big damage moves despite efforts to keep the kid away from the mages.

We made it work to our advantage that the balls seem particularly attracted to mages: I stood the farthest away and the balls would occasionally come over to me; at that point, the NIN would Provoke whatever ball came over to me and I'd recast Blink/Stoneskin as needed. It also worked to our advantage that this strategy left me with a lot of MP for the next half, although I did occasionally go over to heal the SAM or PLD if his or her HP was particularly low. For the most part, however, our Mithra PLD was able to main heal them as needed.

Oh, and the SMN threw a Cure III on me when my HP got into the yellow-almost-orange, too. I probably could've done it myself, but it didn't occur to me, as it's been drilled into me through countless experience points parties that one shouldn't heal oneself, lest one engender even more hate than one already has. XD

Anyway, the first time we tried the strategy, we thought we were going to win, and we got really close, so some of us, including me, 2-houred. We were going to try it again in two hours but we figured, "Meh, might as well give it another try; the strategy is sound and the NIN hasn't 2-houred." XD Anyway, that's what worked for us. Awesomely. Funny part is, I didn't even have to use the new Erase and Stona (for the second form) macros I'd made!

Ah well. The important thing is that we won! We won! Now, about that Divine Might... XD

The List Of Awesome:
Littlebit - Our awesome Galka NIN who proved for me that NIN can tank at high lvls
Rikarii - The Mithra PLD who could main heal AND tank!
Quizard - The male Tarutaru of crazy-high SMN damage and back-up healer
Desudro - Master male Hume BLM of very high damage levels and reader of the Wiki (lol)
Laurient - The male Elvaan SAM of much damage
Althaia - The Mithra WHM: Haster, status ailment-remover, and Healer who kept a few HP bars up at key moments. XD Honestly, compared to the rest of these people, I don't feel that awesome, but I guess that's the curse of the WHM (a.k.a. "She who does little damage" lol).

Defeating Maat for the First Time

Alth Aaiaa, Level 70 White Mage and Maat Champion.

So I'm 1/1 on my very first Maat fight and thank goodness, too, because you know I've got a fragile ego, lol, and I might not have handled defeat in a very lady-like way. ;)

Clear time: 6 min, 37 sec. I broke the clear time record for Shattering Stars (WHM)! And you know what that means, right? I'm the most daring and swift WHM to fight Maat since.......... the records were reset... and they do that every Sunday, right? Lol. But I don't care, breaking a record is still breaking a record in my book. Which is to say, it's still awesome sauce.

He resisted Repose twice (because I didn't bother to cap my Divine Magic skill... which was 208 without equips and 230 with), but I was able to keep him from killing me. Lucky for me, he's an old man and runs like one! With all the running I had him doing, he couldn't cast spells like Banishga II at me. ;) Repose stuck three times and he was mid-nap when I was running back towards the start area and everything sudddenly stopped. I thought maybe I'd ran too far away or something but, thankfully, it all stopped because I'd won. Wow. :D

I didn't even have to use any of the medicine I'd brought or the Tav. Taco I bought (okay, so I forgot to, sue me, lol), nor Benediction (I feel a little cheap as a White Mage for not using it during my Maat fight, lol, but it was over before I knew it!). I did equip a Phalanx Ring that I won from something, though, a Divine Torque I bought, and a Noble's Tunic I borrowed. :) I'm ever-grateful for Repose because, if I hadn't had it, I would've had to learn how to tank. Eww.

As it were, the only skills I needed were healing, resting, relieving status ailments, running away, and not panicking -- well, not TOTALLY panicking -- as I was getting beat on down to half my life. All things that White Mages are very good at, if I do say so myself, haha.

This has been a long time coming. Maat asked me to recall when I first became an adventurer and I remembered back to being a little lvl 1 White Mage, scurrying around Windurst and cracking wise with my best friend (at the time) Ellsie the Tarutaru Warrior (well, as I recall, she was a warrior, and a fierce little one at that). I called her Ellsie-Wellsie or Elly and she's primarily the reason I can't call Eleadora "Elly." She retired to a fishing boat.

But I'm going off on a tangent here. See, I started playing in December of 2003 (or that's what I thought until I looked at my billing information... turns out it was early January of 2004, lol, and I must've gotten FFXI for Christmas). In any case, NA PC release, which was the first release outside of Japan, was October 2003. So, the point is, I was a newb when everyone was a newb.

And it was grand. Sure, we sent the economy into a tailspin (same as when the PS2ers came, the European players, the XBoxers, etc...), but we always had plenty of people for EXP groups.

And group we did. We grouped in Tahrongi Canyon, in Bubumuri Peninsula, in Valkurm, and skipped on over to Jugner Forest. After we were all of sufficient level (18-20), my EXP group and I made the arduous journey to Jeuno through Batallia Downs. I had no idea what they were talking about, what this Jeuno was, or what laid ahead for me in my future.

Looking back, I can see that coming to Jeuno was the end of an age... an age of innocence. But it was an amazing journey to get there.

And I've experienced many amazing things since in Vana'diel. I'm sure I'll look back on defeating Maat as yet another milestone as I prepare for the world of Endgame.

Thanks to:
1. Deathfog for coming with me to skill-up in The Boyahda Tree right before the fight and for lending me that Noble's Tunic for the fight. :) Deathfog also utterly destroyed his Maat right after mine, so congratulations to him.
2. Korlic for coming with me to get my White Mage Testimony in Gustav Tunnel last month.
3. Braxus for believing in me, offering to be my male cheerleader, offering to give me a ton of stuff to help me and also help me in any way he could.
4. Evvy for giving me that tip about watching Maat WHM fights on YouTube. I decided to fight him on Lightsday because of it.
5. All my LSmates, all my friends, and everyone who ever helped me get EXP for my white mage job, lol. Guess that would include my "Hume Helper" Jesimae. ;)

Dynamis -- Wave of the Future?

My first Dynamis run will, hopefully, be Sunday, December 7th, Auspiciously, it's Dynamis-Windurst, the Dynamis associated with my hometown. Not so auspiciously, it's a date which will forever live in infamy (because of the attack on Pearl Harbor). It's also my mom's b-day. Hmm.


Source: DynamisBums Strategy: Windurst

In any case, in celebration of the fact that I've joined my first Dynamis shell (NinjaMooseClanLS), thanks to Nohytuu, and because it'll be easier to keep track of Dynamis this way, I've made a new entry just for it.

Dynamis Info

Linkshell website:
http://nmcdyna.hqforums.net/

How To Solo Garliage (for those Infinity Cores):
http://www.whirlingwindls.com/wiki/index.php?title=Look_Mommy!_I_can_solo_Garlaige_Citadel_coffers_all_by_myself!

Dynamis Runs: Show up at 7:45pm, stay as long as you can (11pm-12am):
12/07/08: Windurst: Won at 11:30pm, ended at 12:10am.
12/17/08: Bastok: Won at 12:16am, I left at 12:17am. Started late (approx. 9:15pm).
01/04/09: San d'Oria: Won at 11:45pm, I left at 11:45pm, ended at 11:48pm. Found out today that it won't be such a great idea for me to continue with Dynamis at this time due to, let's just say, my current "home situation." Sigh.
01/11/09: Windurst: Won at 11:23pm, ended at 12:06am.
01/14/09: Jeuno: Failure! Ended at around 11:38pm. I think. I forget. XD
01/21/09: Jeuno: Won at 11:42pm, ended at 11:44pm.

Important Rewards I have won:
12/07/08: Infinity Core, Key Item: Hydra Corps Lantern, couldn't lot on the Cleric's Duckbills because it was my first run. As much as I understand the policy, which focuses on rewarding repeat players like Tarosama, it was still a little saddening. Oh well, I'm not even lvl 70+ yet, so it's not like I need it right now, lol.
12/17/08: Wootz Ore (six dropped, but you're only allowed to get one per run; I was lucky... and I got the first one), 2 Gold Beastcoins, Key Item: Hydra Corps Eyeglass. There wasn't any relic armor for white mages in Bastok Dynamis. Although I had 300 points, I still couldn't point lot because I'm not lvl 70+ yet. Still, because it was my second run, I could've Hope lotted. Someone gave me the idea to lot on free lots for things that I might like my Mannequin to wear, but I'll try not to win items if it appears someone else wants them. I'm thinking I'll take extra SCH and DNC pieces, both for my mannequin and in case I take either of those jobs to 75.
01/04/09: Cleric's Cap (my first piece of Relic Armor! Gotten by Hope lot because I was only lvl 69 at that point), Relic Gun (it requires ancient currency to upgrade it to a usable form so I dropped it), Griffon Hide, Key Item: Hydra Corps Command Scepter.
01/11/09: No WHM AF dropped the whole run, but there were at least two people ahead of me (Point lot) and one other Hope lot, lol. Braxus got his valor leggings, plenty of those dropped, so he was happy. It does seem like more AF drops after the Mega Boss is dead. Relic Dagger (which I'll dispose of; I forgot to pass on this lot), Mythril Beastcoin (virtually useless, but I'll sell it or something). The main boon of this run, for me, was getting more points. It's clear that you'll need a lot of them to bid on AF in the future.
01/14/09: Infinity Core (note to self: these go for 1325 gil from NPCs), Mythril Beastcoin (sold for 1500 gil), Cleric's Pantaloons cost me only 300 points because after Chakoteh got DNC on Hope, I was the only one with WHM on Point left! Yay! I died after using DS+CuragaIII and obtained the pants at the same time, lol. Found out you CAN lot on Relic weapons. That would've been nice to know last Sunday, lol, when the Relic maul or two dropped.
01/21/09: Key Item: Hydra Corps Tactical Map. Yay, we won! Got nothing else, though. Was a stingy day for AF in general, too.

Access:
Dynamis-Windurst: O
Dynamis-San d'Oria: O
Dynamis-Bastok: O
Dynamis-Jeuno: O

Access: Complete Windurst, San d'Oria, Bastok, and Jeuno: O
Dynamis-Beaucedine: O

Access: Complete Beaucedine: X
Dynamis-Xarcabard: X

Access: Complete PM 3-5: O
Dynamis-Valkurm: O
Dynamis-Qufim: O
Dynamis-Bubumiru: O

Won:
Dynamis-Valkurm: X
Dynamis-Qufim: X
Dynamis-Bubumiru: X

Access: Complete Valkurm, Qufim, Bubumiru
Dynamis-Tavnazia: X

Althaia's Stats and Accomplishments

Levels:
White Mage - 70 (goal: 75, at least!)
--Genkai 1: O
--Genkai 2: O
--Genkai 3: O
--Genkai 4: O
--Genkai 5: O
Thief - 25
Summoner - 40 <--at lvl 41... so I could afford to die, lol
Ranger - 14
Monk - 8
Corsair - 7
Dragoon - 1
Puppetmaster - 1
Beastmaster - 1 (goal: Write a reflective RP with pet bats)
Dancer - 1 (goal: who knows!)
Scholar - 1 (goal: said to be an amazing subjob for WHM)

Rank:
Windurst: 8
Shadowlord Era Windurst: Bronze Star
Zilart: Complete!
Promathia: 4
Aht Urghan: 15 (hopefully will do with Jobberwock and Ariehn sometime)
Shadowlord Era: 10

Skills:
Hand-to-Hand: 60
Sword: 60
Scythe: 0
Axe: 42
Staff: 164
Club: 164
Polearm: 0
Dagger: 78
Throwing: 37
Archery: 60
Marksmanship: 45
Shield: 92
Parry: 14
Evasion: 172
Guarding: 3

Magic:
Healing: 196
Divine: 230
Enhancing: 192
Enfeebling: 204
Summoning: 104

Crafting Levels:
Clothcraft: 13 (Rank: Recruit)
Woodworking: 19 (Rank: Recruit)
Goldsmithing: 11 (Rank: Recruit)
Cooking: 4
Bonecraft: 10 (Rank: Recruit)
Leathercraft: 2
Fishing: 1

Other Accomplishments:
Equipment
RSE: O
Artifact Weapon 1: O
Artifact Armor: O
Carbuncle Mitts: O
Light Staff: O
Apollo Staff: X
Dark Staff: O
Wind Staff: O
HQ Wind Staff has -3 Garuda cost instead of -2: X
Federation Aketon & Signet Staff: O
Spiked Club+1 (in rememberance of Gerai): O
Glowing Wind Crystal Necklace (Maximeo gave it to me...okay, this is an RP item but I don't want to forget it, lol): O

Spells:
Erase: O
Elemental Pacts: O
Ifrit: O
Titan: O
Ramuh: O
Shiva: O
Garuda: O
Leviathan: O
Fenrir: X
Diabolos: X

Items
4-Leaf Mandragora Bud: O
Star Globe: O
Arcane Flowerpot: O
Goldfish Bowl: O
Federal Mercenary's Hammock: O
Leather Pot: O
Tsahyan Mask: O
Totem Pole: O
Noble's Bed signed by Velfire: O
Ngoma: X
Green Hobby Bo: X
Winged Plaque: X

Delivered Supplies to:
Sarutabaruta
Kolshushu
Derfland
Li'Telor
Norvallen
Qufim
Valdeaunia
Fauregandi
Kuzotz
Aragoneu
Zulkheim
Elshimo Lowlands
Elshimo Uplands
Vollbow
Tavnazian Archipelago

Access:
Delkfutt Key: O
Kazham Key: O
Airship Pass: O
{Sky}: O
{Sea}: X
3 Mages Gate Portal Charm: O
Rhinostery Certificate: O
Unlit Lantern: O
Monastic Cavern Crimson Orb: O
Star Orb: O (so what'll I use it for, hmm? Probably the two-DRG, one-Anything jelly fight.)
Tavnazia Access: O (Promy.Holla record of 8min 23sec, prev. was 8min 30sec)
Dreamland Dynamis: O (PM 3-5 record of 7min 40sec, prev. was 8min 36sec)
Aht Urghan Boarding Pass: O
Lycopodium Lights require Carnations each and every time!
Lycopodium Light at Garliage Citadel {(G-10) of the second map}: O
Lycopodium Light in Batallia Downs {(F-5)-(F-6) border}: O
Lycopodium Light in North Gustaberg (F-9): O
Teleport-Holla: O
Teleport-Dem: O
Teleport-Mea: O
Teleport-Yhoat: O
Teleport-Altep: O
Teleport-Vahzl: O
Recall-Meriph: O
Recall-Jugner: O
Recall-Passh: O
Teleport-Whitegate from Windurst: O
Teleport-Whitegate from San d'Oria: O
Teleport-Whitegate from Bastok: O
Teleport-Whitegate from Jeuno: O
Runic Portal at Azouph Isle staging point: O
Runic Portal at Dvucca Isle staging point: O
Runic Portal at Halvung staging point: O
Runic Portal at Ilrusi Atoll staging point: O
Runic Portal at Mamool Ja staging point: X
Runic Portal at Nyzul Isle staging point: O
Dynamis-Windurst: O
Dynamis-San d'Oria: O
Dynamis-Bastok: O
Dynamis-Jeuno: O
Dynamis-Beaucedine: O
Dynamis-Xarcabard: X
Dynamis-Valkurm: O
Dynamis-Qufim: O
Dynamis-Bubumiru: O
Dynamis-Tavnazia: X

Storage:
All three Mog Safe upgrades: O
All eight Gobbie Bags: O
All five Mog Locker upgrades: O
Maximum Storage space: O
Mithran Mannequin: O

NPC Info:
Name: Jesimae Brody
Relation: Friend
Weapon: Kanesada
Headgear: Trader's Chapeau
Favorite combat style: Attacker
Level: 42
Connected to Althaia through her deceased grandfather, who was Telemain Brody.
Upgrade #1: O
Upgrade #2: O
Upgrade #3: Blessed Radiance: X
Check here for more: http://www.koolaid-ffxi.org/linkshell/space/Fellowship+NPC
Not exactly an upgrade: Cameleon Capers: (Leads to an Advanced Job for your NPC)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/quests.html?realm=&fquest=698

Wyvern Info: Feminine. Nanaja. (currently Vhiki)

Puppet Info: Masculine. al-Faris al-A'isha Jibril al-Janah (Knight of Althaia Gabriel the Wing).
-Battle Name: Mashira (upgrade to Prestidige)

Chocobo Info: (nothing yet, I want a Green Jennet)

Pankration Info:
-1. Relentless Heart - Boreal Couerl - THF/BLM
**Blaster: Paralyzes the opponent
**Chaotic Eye: Silences the opponent
-2. Griffe Reaver - Woodland Runner - WAR/DRK
**Scythe Tail: Inflicts a moderate amount of damage on the opponent
-3. I forget but I've got more pets now.
-4. I forget but I've got more pets now.
-5. I forget but I've got more pets now.

A Few Short-Term Goals (for my own reference use)
-Artifact Armor 2 a.k.a. Relic Armor (I have Cleric's Cap & Pantaloons): X
-Nadrs (lvl 24 thf): http://ffxi.somepage.com/itemdb/279 : X

Some Medium-Term Goals:
Opo-Opo Crown (have Giant Fish Bones)
Chocobo breeding! I want my own Green Jennet.
RSE2: X
RSE3: X River equipment.
Relic Accessory lvl 70: X
JSE: X
Avatar Primes' Ring Collection {to go in Mog Locker}: X
Goldfish Bowl from Goldfish Set: Likewise this item can be used to craft a smaller Goldfish Bowl for your mog house. For that you only need a woodworker with level 10 experiance at least and the following ingrediants: Bronze Ingot, Lauan Lumber, Crawler Calculus, Sieglinde Putty, Glass Sheet, Goldfish Set, Tiny Goldfish, Black Bubble-Eye and a light crystal.

My Long Term Goals:
Rank 10 and get a Windurstian Flag: http://ffxi.somepage.com/itemdb/4547 : X
Trump Crown: http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?fitem=8900 : X
Chocobo-dig to get a Red Jar (B.Downs, Rolanberry, or S.Champague): http://ffxi.somepage.com/itemdb/3671 : X
Sahagin Key quest: http://ffxi.somepage.com/questdb/514
Escort for Hire (Windurst): http://ffxi.somepage.com/questdb/247 : X
2nd Mannequin Quest: http://ffxi.somepage.com/questdb/424 : X
3rd Mannequin Quest: http://ffxi.somepage.com/questdb/425 : X
70000 Clothcraft Guild points (Skill 48+) and get a Magnifying Specs: X
100000 Clothcraft Guild points (Skill 68+) and get a Weaver's Apron: X
150000 Clothcraft Guild points (Skill 88+) and get a Gilt Tapestry: http://ffxi.somepage.com/itemdb/5277 : X
40000 Clothcraft Guild points and get a Cloth Purification: X
40000 Clothcraft Guild points and get a Cloth Enscorellment: X

Items I've learned to live without: Rabbit Charm, Kosshin, Mithran Scimitar, Mithran Fishing Rod, Bounding Boots, Empress Hairpin, Astralogos, Magic Slacks (HQ of Black Slacks). More to come.

Items on my Radar:
Various Furniture Goals
Stone Gorget & Dia Wand: http://ffxi.somepage.com/questdb/323
Civet Sachet -- Mithra-only ammo type: http://ffxi.somepage.com/questdb/523
Nimbus Doublet: http://ffxi.somepage.com/questdb/74
Rabbit Belt: http://ffxi.somepage.com/news/69
Chocobo Wand: http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?fitem=3781
entrancing ribbon rare/ex
DEF:5 CHR+2
Lv.11 MNK/WHM/RDM/THF/PLD/BST/
BRD/DRG/SMN
Yagudo-style headgear from AltarRoom in Castle Ozjotraz
Quadav-style headgear might actually look cooler on Mithra, can only have one or the other Beastman headgear.

Some stuff about Linkshells and Profiles

Aside from my many Linkshell Community Beta pages (don't they ever take down dead shells? Lol.), I've got profiles on the FFXI wiki (but there isn't much there), vanadielprofiles.com, and myffxi.com. Just putting that out there so I don't forget, hopefully. Lol.

Linkshell considerations have always been a source of concern for me. You can back one group and see it fail or try to be a part of multiple groups and find you're not very connected to any of them, even engendering mistrust from those who would really like you to just pick one.

I originally had this at the bottom of that first, massive post but I figured it'd be easier for me to update and sort out my situation by creating a new post.

Anyone's free to chime in if you know something about these shells I haven't listed. Thanks, Ferra, for giving me the link to the archive page -- it was very nostalgic to see the old Dawn LS page again. :)

I've never broken the oOMithraPrideOo linkshell and I still consider myself a member of MithraPride. Here's the URL: http://www.mithrapride.org/

Linkshells I'm in:

1. ReignofChaos (Braxus' and Korlic's shell; I've come to like many of the people in that LS, but it's just not fulfilling all of my needs.)
http://www.reignofchaosbismarck.webs.com/
I still haven't been added to the Members page, sigh. >.<

2. GuardiansofLight (my new one... supposedly going to be a drama-free zone where we can help each other with quests and missions and leveling -- a.k.a. what ReignofChaos used to try to be, before, it seems, they gave up. I don't really know the people yet, so I'm not as comfortable with them as I am with the ReignofChaos group.)

3. Turns out NinjaMooseClanLS's leaders were stealing from the members, so they made a new Dynamis LS called TheOrganization.
http://theorganization.dkpsystem.com/

4. PiratesofGurguBlue - This is Ragemalachi's linkshell and it has three members in it: Him, myself, and Sebastienne (my mule). I think we're all sackholders and above, too, lol. It was once a thriving shell, but now it is a mere shell of the shell it once was. Hehe.

5. FAITHinCHAOS - When TheAstralPlane broke up, it gave way to AstralPlane. When AstralPlane broke up, it merged with FAITHinCHAOS. I've resisted joining for a while, despite so many of my fellow AstralPlaners being in it, instead keeping to ReignOfChaos, but I bumped into an old LSmate of mine, Nevill, so I decided to take a pearl from him.

Reminder: TigerLilyB was going to invite me to Regulators Reborn as a social shell, too. Don't think I'm gonna join now, though, considering all the shells I have, lol.

Reminder: Telna may be starting a roleplaying Linkshell! That would be awesome. 01/14/09 update: Nothing's come of it that I've seen, lol. Oh well.

Possible end-game LSs: I'll only try one at a time, but here's the list so I don't forget any.

1. DynamisFun (contact: Qwendalin) Jumping to the top of the list is DynamisFun, with its brightly-colored green linkpearl. They do Dynamis Tuesday and Saturday at 7pm EST (well, show up at 7, enter by 8), which will definitely work better for me than NinjaMooseClanLS, but I feel bad about leaving NinjaMooseClanLS now and it would certainly conflict with them and their policy if I just started doing DynamisFun runs instead. So I'm writing it down here, along with Qwendalin's name, in case this NinjaMooseClanLS thing doesn't work out. Oh, and they're looking to start doing sky on Fridays soon. I've got sky now, so whoo hoo! Maybe I'll finally get Divine Might done... hah. Oh, and on another interesting note, an old TAP LSmate of mine, Homek...err Homefry (I call hime {Home key}, which is supposed to be like "homey," lol) told me that this LS was started by Qwendalin, her hubby Troyy, and Homek... Homefry and Oddone! I always liked Oddone. Homey and Oddone were sackholders for TAP. I'm definitely considering DynamisFun.

2. Orange (Okuza's; sky and dynamis) "Orange is only about a year old & does just dynamis & sky atm (limbus, sea & salvage "soon"). Orange is very much an event shell -- social side is usually pretty slow, but growing a bit recently." ~Okuza

3. Lunarians (Okuza's; HMN) "Lunies are a really old HNM shell -- been around as long as I have basically. They do things like Nidhogg & King Behemoth & Khimera." ~Okuza

4. ArchDominus (Dekker, Ferra, and Velfire) "AD is semi-partnered with Lunies. They also do HNM. I think, but am not sure, that AD is a bit less rabid about their HNM camping." ~Okuza
www.archdominus.valkurm.com

5. TheBlackOmen (Baddaboom) I wrote it down as "The Dark Omen" next to Baddaboom's name, but I'm hoping that's just due to fatigue, lol. TheBlackOmen is a Sky shell.
www.blackomen.topic-board.com

6. HandsoFate Fossil told me the URL. Social/Sky/Dynamis, goes into Limbus and Sea. "Also, we have a severe disliking for shell hoppers. If you are one of these types of ppl, please don't apply to our shell." http://www.handsoffate.com/forums/index.php

7. Domination Pixiegoddess was shouting about this. They do events every day at 5:30 EST, like sky, sea, Limbus, Dynamis, ZNM/HNM, Einherjar... they have a website but it's for members only. What the heck kind of policy is THAT? :P

8. EyeofTigor (Ragemalachi; This is his endgame shell, not his pirate shell).

9. prophets (Schism's) In the words of Schism, a bunch of endgame {Bastard Swords}.

10. BladeKnights www.bladeknights.com (ENMs and Assault)

12. CrystalWarriors (Felinity's) a Dynamis shell that does it Wed. 7pm and Sun. 4pm, which, obviously, conflicts with NinjaMooseClan.

13. ATribeCalledDynamis (Baddaboom, some members of DarkStalkersInc) Not very convenient Dynamis times for me.

Former LSs:

1. FirionaReborn (Firiona was the roleplay server of EverQuest). Joined this RP at the start with my friend from EverQuest, when it broke, I dropped the pearl.

2. Ridir, another RP shell. I've still got my bright green linkshell sack in storage. Sigh. I'm afraid to re-equip it lest I find it broken, lol.

3. Various Other RP shells that were formed in the ashes of Ridir, like Dawn and Dusk and Dawn II. Lol. God, I miss these creative, fun folks! Oh, and the one with Olairik as a sackholder but I forget what that was called. Meh.

4. Various incarnations of MithraPride, the oOMithraPrideOo one being the one I ran; I still have the Linkshell in storage, unbroken.

5. TheAstralPlane (TAP) and AstralPlane (AP). TAP was so great, but AP fell far from our expectations. But still, it was great to be a part of a large, Windurst-only shell for a while there. The leader himself, Astral, gave me a linkpearl in Windurst Woods.

6. MSIB - My Sack Is Blue. Yes, that's the kind of humor this group of badasses had, hah. It was great while it lasted. I met them defeating some big ostrich-like bird NM in Rolanberry Fields totally by accident; they let me join their group to get some sort of Arcana Breaker club and then invited me to the LS. ^^ They helped me successfully complete my one and only Escort (too bad it wasn't Windurst!). The pearl never broke, but hardly anyone was on anymore, including the leader, so I just tossed it one day.

7. DarkstalkersInc (formerly Darkstalkers, sent my information to Lilgyd, an alt of the leader. I used to be more active in it but I'm not at the moment; they themselves aren't as active with missions and such as they used to be, following some drama and restructuring, but I remember the good times we had, so I keep it. As the leader has decided to take a break from the game, and all my friends from it have either quit the game, moved on to other shells, or gone to another server, I'm just going to put this one in storage.

{fun}+{excitement} in Kuftal Tunnel

I went to Kuftal Tunnel not really expecting to find the coffer at, oh, 3:50 am but thinking I might as well give it a try before going to bed.

So guess what? Lol, I find the coffer pretty darn easily (it was near the part from which I entered), but it was guarded by a "decent challenge" Haunt with high evasion and defense, so I summon Titan (hey, big beefy guy, right?) and my NPC Fellow (sorry, Jesimae!) to engage it, then quickly use the key, netting me my gil prize.

I turn to see first Titan, then Jesimae bite the dust one after each other very quickly. I know I have to get out of there but, instead of hitting a macro, being the newbish (hey I haven't played in a while!) me, I open my magic list and go for the first teleport spell I can lay my fingers on. Luckily, I've scrolled through my list and know it well enough to find a teleport within a second or so.

The Haunt starts casting Burst (the only reason I'm not dead yet!) and I start casting Teleport-Mea, but its Burst finishes a little sooner than my Teleport-Mea, causing 690 damage to me!

Then it attacks me twice (for 82 HP and 75 HP!), but my Teleport-Mea kicks in at that point and I teleport away! I escaped with 49 HP! Lol! 49 HP! Geez.

I got 13,690 gil from that coffer in Kuftal Tunnel. :D And yes, this just happened to me, at 4 o'clock am lol. Anyway, that was fun. Just wanted to share. :)

On Love and Loss

I am a woman, lost.

As the celebration of my 21st birthday fast approaches, I often find myself staring out to sea wondering how my life could've gone so wrong.

Was it my fault? Was it fate? Or, more likely, a mix of both. I can't help but think, sometimes, that I was born until a mischevious star that likes nothing more than to toy with me.

My first boyfriend was an Elvaan dragoon. Funny how it was only five years ago and yet I've forgotten his name. I've never been good with long, cumbersome Elvaan names. His face, however, full of exuberance and hope, yet with something more sinister bubbling beneath the surface, I'll never forget. We had our fun... I was so young, then.

I am so old, now.

He's disappeared now, just as he'd disappeared back then. I hope that he is well. Some time after he left, I reconnected with Avertan.

Oh, Avertan... where are you now, my love?

We first knew each other when we were but eleven or twelve years of age. It feels like a lifetime ago: I was a thief apprentice and he, an assassin in training, both of us kept by treacherous adults who claimed to have our best interests at heart. I didn't realize the depth of my feelings for him then, nor those of his for me, but when we met each other years later, the truth was revealed to me. He had known it all along.

Our love was as deep as the deepest ocean, our bond was as tough as the toughest steel. So where did we go wrong?

The truth is, there was always something dark in him. I was the only one who could calm him when his demonic side took root, but, after a couple of years -- nae, a mere year and a half of a "happy ending" -- he told me that he felt he could no longer contain it. He said he had to go, for my sake as well as his, and that I could not go with him.

Avertan had become my husband in all but name. We were saving up for a real ceremony, a shinier ring, but none of that mattered to me. I wanted you, Avertan, body and spirit.

He and I had come to what was, at the time, a sensible agreement: he'd stay behind in the Far East to fight monsters and his own demonic side and I would sail beyond the horizon, back home to Mindartia.

I should've known better.

I should've known that, in love, there is nothing sensible.

I let him go and my heart has ached for him every damn second since.

Altana, Altana... please don't punish me so.

Avertan... when will you come back to me? I know you told me to expect you never, but "never" is too long.

It's been nearly three years since you left but it instead feels like three lifetimes.

After Avertan and I agreed to part ways, I came back to Mindartia to find that my life was nothing like it was when I'd gone to the Far East. Linkshells, shattered; friends, lost to the winds. I felt helpless, I felt hopeless, and all I wanted to do was bury my head under my pillow and never emerge from my Mog House again.

I'm ashamed to say that I did not aid my friends in their search for Maximeo, or "Maxim" as we called him, at this time. But you see, if you could possibly understand, I felt the world had turned to mush beneath my toes.

They found him, of course, without my help and, as it turns out, he eventually became my new best friend -- and then, my love.

Maximeo... his smile, so kind; his demeanor, so easy. Unlike Avertan and I, it seemed he didn't have the weight of ten continents on his shoulders (although, as an orphan, he seemed to have reason enough to -- but it just wasn't in his nature, Altana rest his soul).

Although I told Maximeo I'd never stop loving Avertan, I came to care for Maximeo deeply. It brings a smile to my face to think of our time together. I'll always remember his kind, yet carefree ways. He always looked after me. He...

He was taken from me too soon. Too soon, Altana, into your warm embrace.

Had I only paid more attention to the glittered allure of the Near East. I blame Aht Urhgan, particularly the Blue Mage order, for his death. I warned Maximeo not to play with "blue magic," I begged him to stop, and it seemed I'd won: he agreed to stop serving the Empire and come home with me. On our way home, out at sea, in our quarters by himself (I had stepped out for just a little while) , that's when it happened.

It's still difficult to think about.

I came back, and he wasn't moving... though I'd become a skilled white mage, this was one wound I couldn't heal. I.... don't know what happened to him, but I know it broke my heart. What few friends I could find attended his funeral in the nation he loved, San d'Oria.

I don't understand... why must I lose those I love?

I was angry after Maximeo died; so angry, I closed myself off from what few friends I had. It wasn't a wise move: by now, I can count on one hand those I know and care even a little about. I chased every rumor I'd heard of Maximeo somehow being alive for several months. Even though I'd seen the body, I thought, perhaps, some strange monster skill had brought him back to me...

But, nae. That was not the case. Instead, I gave up on love. After serving Cap'n Kirrund for years as a pirate, it was easy to find the Corsairs and convince them to let me join their ranks. I would have my revenge against the Empire. I used my connections with the mercenary company in Whitegate to spy on the Empire for them and banished all thoughts of a "happy ending."

I thought I'd learned my lesson, but now I see I've found love again, in another brave, dashing knight: Braxus Lionheart. He's heroic, he's couragous, and he wants to take care of me. So what's the problem? Why have I delayed our wedding time and again with excuses of some business to which I must attend alone? And, more importantly, why does he stay with me through it all?

We were so happy together when he proposed to me... why aren't I that happy now?

Have I not fallen in love, but merely settled for someone who will love me and, in my perception, never leave the way my loves Avertan and Maximeo did? Even before Avertan, people had been leaving me my entire life... through death, retirement, or disappearance. Has it all scarred my heart so badly that I've convinced myself I'm in love with Braxus just to avoid being alone?

I don't know.

I don't know if Braxus is right for me.

I don't know if I've been too cruel to him.

I don't know if I will be even crueler to him.

Altana, guide me. Altana, protect me. Altana, do not abandon me.

I am a woman, and I am lost.

~Alth Aaia, Windurstian hero and white mage