Guild News and Information
August 13, 03 - REPORT FROM THE NEWBIE FIELDS - As I previously mentioned, I have created several new alts. Here are some observations from their progress.
(1) The first 3 skelly guards in Najena are an excellent solo camp for a level 12 Necro. I gained at least 2 full blue bubs per sweep.
(2) The Orc camp in the SW corner of the Nektulos is an excellent level 9-11 "duo" camp. There are 5 Orcs, 2 outside the camp and 3 around the campfire. The 2 scouts can be single-pulled, and the remaining 3 can be broken without too much trouble (a Necro pet helps). Plus, the Orcs can be pulled to the wall to reduce incidental aggro from the wildlife. All in all, an excellent, but little-known camp.
August 12, 03 - I have my Temperance Spell!
August 11, 03 - RANDOM NOTES - (1) A zone may not be uniformly dangerous. Depending on which direction you travel, the zone may become more or less dangerous. For example, East Commons becomes more dangerous as you go from East to West, and from South to North. The Nektulos Forest becomes more dangerous as you go from East to West, and from North to South. Have you noticed any other "progressive" zones?
(2) If you carry a lightsource in your inventory (like a Lightstone, Greater Lightstone, Fire Beetle Eye, Globe of the Everburning Flame, among many others), this will help you locate your corpse if you die, because your body will glow.
(3) The lowly spell, Clinging Darkness, remains useful even at level 65, as a means of getting aggro.
August 10, 03 - DIE, BEGGAR! - My long-range plan is to grind out AAxp on Isabella Cellus in HighKeep. Even though she is only a 6-minute spawn, the down-time can become tedious. For lack of anything better to do, I decided to raise my Begging skill on Guard Bach, who spawns right next to my camp spot. Begging can be risky (you ARE inviting an attack). But, since I have Max Ally faction with HighKeep guards, and Bach cons green to me, I figured that the possibility of an attack was nil.
So I was medding in my corner, watching my hot buttons and pushing "Begging" as fast as it refreshed. The hours passed... All of a sudden - SWAT! Guard Bach was messing with me! I thought, yeesh, did I accidentally hit "Bash" or something? I scrolled up and saw this:
"You have become better at Begging! (24)"
"Guard Bach says, 'I despise beggars, they are not fit to live.'"
"Your attempt at begging was unsuccessful." (No kidding!?)
"Guard Bach says, 'Time to die, Roseworm."
So I ran to the zone.
I can only conclude that even if you have good faction and high charisma, and beg from a green MOB, there is a possibilty - however slim - that you will be attacked.
By the way, as if to add insult to injury, Guard Bach is very stingy. He has never given me more than one copper piece at a time.
But, to date, he has attacked me only twice.
August 9, 03 - I have earned my 19th AAxp point, which I invested in Innate Dexterity 3.
Also, I finally acquired a Tradeskill Trophy - the Grandmaster Brewer's Corker (Lore - No Drop - Primary/Secondary/Range/Ammo - Skill Mod: Brewing +5% - STR10 - CHA50 - WIS10 - INT10 - Wt: 0.1 - All/All - Effect: Summon Grandmaster's Satchel (No Drop - No Rent - Wt: 1.0 - Wt Reduction: 100% - 10 Slots - Giant Capacity)). As an extra bonus you can go to the Bazaar and give a Grandmaster's Satchel to Jolum (a Gnome who stands at (-779,-9) on the second floor balcony of the vendors' building). In return, he gives the Grandmaster Carry-All (Lore - No Drop - Wt: 1.2 - Wt Reduction: 100% - 10 Slots - Giant Capacity). So, on the whole, it was a pretty good day for me.
August 8, 03 - NERF! This nerf has been in effect for quite a while, but I want to make sure that everyone is aware of it. There are many faction quests in Norrath which require you to give mass quantities of a certain item to a certain NPC (for example: Red Wine for Lokar, White Wine for Lady Shae, Muffins for Pandos, etc). At one time, you could give 16 items at a time to most of these NPCs by placing 4 stacked items in each slot in the Trade Window. It was very efficient and a GREAT timesaver. However, ALL of those quests have been nerfed. The NPCs now accept only 4 items at a time, unstacked. Actually, they WILL take extras, but you get NO CREDIT for the extras, which are wasted. That is the main reason I want to bring this to your attention. I found out the hard way when Captain Ashlan credited me for only 4 Orc Scalps when I gave him 16. Previously, he had credited me for all 16.
August 7, 03 - SOARING SKILLS - As we all know, battle skills can be improved only by fighting MOBs which con at least Blue. In a fluke encounter, my Human Monk got a dramatic demonstration of this. She was hunting in EC when she spotted Lord Shin Ree standing in the open far from Orc 1. Shin Ree is level 17-22 and conned VERY red to my level 5 Monk. But his HP was at 25% and he seemed to be charmed or mezzed. So my Monk decided to attack (Why not?). The attack broke whatever spell was holding Shin Ree in place and he began to run toward WFP. My Monk followed, bashing away at him with a Mudman Enforcer and a Wu Stick. To make a REALLY long story short, she slowly (VERY slowly) whittled Shin Ree down while he ran back and forth between the WFP zone and the huts. Finally he gave up the ghost. Not once had he turned and counterattacked. During the fight (admittedly, a very one-sided fight), my Monk's 1HB improved from 16 to 17; her Offense improved from 18 to 19; and her Dual Wield improved from 18 to 24! And, almost too fittingly, she dinged to level 6 when Shin Ree died.
August 6, 03 - A VISIT TO WEST KARANA (The Discovery of a Fascinating New Camp) - One of my new alts is a Human Monk. Her newbie quest requires (among assorted other junk) a Shadow Wolf Paw. I had never seen one drop. Where to find them?
I went to Illia's Bestiary at Allakhazam and found a thread concerning drop zones for Shadow Wolf Paws. The best suggestions indicated 2 sites near the Ogre Shrine in West Karana. So I went to WK and began scouting around. One site did not seem very promising, so I set up camp at the other. I stayed for 2 days. This is what I discovered:
There is a static spawn point on a high mountain plateau East/SouthEast of the Ogre Shrine. Actually, there are FOUR spawn points, in a tight, little row. I calculated their EXACT coordinates: (-1224,-10302), (-1235,-10313), (-1246,-10324), (-1257,-10335)
The spawn time is six minutes, and the spawns are TOTALLY RANDOM.
While I was there, I observed these spawns (# of MOBs at a time, followed by notes on frequency):
1, 2 or 4 Black Wolves - Level 1 (Fairly common)
1 Cyclops (Once)
2, 3 or 4 Fire Beetles - Level 2 (All TOO common)
1 or 3 Giant Spiders - Level 7-9 (Fairly common)
1 Grizzly Bear - Level 9-11 (Common)
1 Hill Giant - Level 33-37 (Three times)
1, 2 or 3 Spiderlings (Common)
1 Werewolf! - Level 19-32 (Once)
The thread at Illia's never hinted at anything like this! The spawns never seem to move from their spots (except for the Werewolf, who was off and running as soon as he popped), but I cannot say for sure because I was killing them as fast as I could.
IMPORTANT NOTE - Interestingly, no matter how many critters spawn at a time, they count as a SINGLE spawn as far as spawn-timing goes. No matter how I spaced out the kills, the next bunch always spawned SIMULTANEOUSLY six minutes after I killed the last MOB in the previous bunch. This means that the re-spawn timer does not even begin until you drop the last MOB in any given spawn.
As for the drops:
The Black Wolves do, indeed, drop the Shadow Wolf Paw (go figure). It is a rare drop, but since 1-4 wolves spawn at one time, it is not difficult to obtain. The Grizzlies drop a high proportion of LQ, MQ & HQ Pelts. The Hill Giants drop Lambent Stones, FS weapons and the usual metric arse-load of loose change. The Spiderlings are VERY generous with Spiderling Silk. One dropped 5, and another dropped 6!
In addition to these spawns, there is a constant traffic of wildlife around the camp. I saw Bandits, Black Wolves, Brown Bears, Fire Beetles, Giant Spiders, Grizzly Bears, Mist Wolves, Plains Lions, Shadow Wolves, Treants, Will-O-Wisps... (The Treants were indifferent to me, and I left them strictly alone) Several times I saw "a Lion" fly by and I mean that almost literally, because he runs at SoW speed. He is hard to catch even with jboots (Tough luck for any newbie he aggroes on). I also saw a bear and 2 bandits running at SoW speed.
Everything in the zone drops a TON of stuff (one Spiderling dropped SEVEN items). Most of it is junk for newbie quests, but, if you really, really need a certain item, this is the place to look. Like the Bears, the Lions are VERY generous with LQ, MQ & HQ Pelts. Obviously, this is a GREAT camp for a Tailor. The only disappointment were the Giant Spiders, which only rarely drop Spider Silk (for that you must go to East Karana and hunt Crag Spiders).
The best place from which to observe all the action is the mountain peak at (-1069,-10113). From this spot, the spawn point is directly below to the SouthEast. To the West/NorthWest, you can see the Ogre Shrine down in the valley. All in all, it is a marvelous view. My new computer has a top-shelf video card and a ton of RAM. EQ never looked better (it is like I have been playing through dirty glasses for years). When the sun is shining, WK is breathtakingly beautiful, and you can see for miles over its sweeping vistas. Of course, when the rain is falling (the curse of all the Karanas), visibility is sharply limited and things become very gloomy, indeed. O well, nothing is perfect.
WARNING - The mountain peak is an ideal observation point, but it lies in the path of Oobnopterbevny Biddilets (what a name!), who patrols WK from one end to the other. She is a NASTY Gnome Necro (level 32-40) with a pet. I killed her twice and both were desperate battles. The second time, I died along with her when her DoTs finished me off. So you have to keep a sharp lookout for her.
If you get bored with the Spawns, you can raid the Ogre Shrine. The Ogre Guards are level 19-23 ShadowKnights with HarmTouch. The Ogre Shamans and Shamanesses are level 23-26. The Ogre Priestess is level 29. Chief Goonda is a level 34 Shaman with a pet. If you kill him you lose faction with Clurg and Green Blood Knights, and gain faction with Stormguard and Shadowknights of Night Keep. If you kill any of the others you lose faction with Rallos Zek (this faction drops VERY fast - I reached maximum KOS after only a few sweeps - and there is no way to improve it. I hope I do not regret it later). All of the Ogres have a WIDE aggro radius, so beware of adds.
It is a pretty generous camp. Goonda and the other Shamans drop the following items: Batskull Earring, Bone Armplates (very common), Bone Legplates, Chipped Bone Bracelet, Chipped Bone Collar, Giant Snakespine Belt, Sheer Bone Mask, and the Turtle Shell Helm. These are ideal as gifts for newbie Sisters, or for twinking an alt. I had both motives in mind. In the short time I spent at the Ogre Shrine, I looted a Batskull Earring, a Chipped Bone Bracelet and a Sheer Bone Mask (among other items).
In conclusion, I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself in West Karana. There was no uber-loot, no fast exp - just the joy of pure discovery in a pleasant environment. Oob and the Ogres and the Hill Giants added a little excitement once in a while - just enough to keep things from becoming boring. It is such an interesting camp - what with the random spawns (you never know WHAT will pop next)...I think it has a lot of potential. I invite solos and groups to try it out. If you discover any new insights, please report them to me. Personally, I think it would be a wonderful spot for a guild picnic. The younger Sisters could amuse themselves with the green spawns. If anything nasty popped, the older Sisters could take over.
August 5, 03 - LEVELING 1-3 (An Alternative Plan for Evil Newbies) - This is basically a review of the Red Wine Quest (August 2, 02). I did it with my Erudite Necro alt. If you are an evil newbie, go to Neriak 3rd Gate and give Red Wine (4 bottles, unstacked, at a time) to Lokar in the Library. This quest raises faction AND gives exp. So the best time to do it is right at level 1. After just 84-90 bottles, you will reach level 2. The exp drops off significantly after that. It takes about 453 bottles to reach level 3 (90-91 bottles per yellow). Then the exp drops off VERY drastically. I calculate that it probably takes about 450 bottles for each yellow, until you reach level 4. But, for practical purposes, level 3 is good enough. You will have maximum faction with Dark Bargainers (Neriak merchants) and you will be Amiable with the guards. Then you can go to West Freeport and bash Rats until you reach level 5.
August 4, 03 - LEVELING 1-5 (The Best All-Purpose Strategy For Newbies of Any Race or Class) - I followed this plan with ALL my alts. It works like this. First of all, try to get a few pieces of decent equipment. It does not have to be expensive. Even the most modest twinking goes a long way at level 1. If nothing else, try to get a Blackjack or a Walrus Tooth (depending on your class). You need a FAST weapon and these are, hands down, the best 1H items a newbie could ask for. Blackjacks and Walrus Teeth are quite cheap and easy to get in the Bazaar.
You will also need some Backpacks or containers for loot. These are easily obtained (for free) by asking the various guildmasters for the Kits required to perform the different newbie armor quests.
Then go to the West Freeport newbie field. Unless you are an Iksar, the guards will tolerate you. Your target is Rats. Concentrate ONLY on Rats. You will level quickly enough. I engaged the Orcs and Skellies only when they aggroed on me - or when the Rat spawns temporarily dried up.
Rats drop a WIDE variety of junk, for a lot of purposes:
a Piece of Rat Fur (1 newbie quest)
Plague Rat Tail (Non-stackable, 4 newbie quests)
Rat Ears (4 newbie quests, 2 regular quests, 5 recipes)
Rat Eyes (4 newbie quests)
Rat Foot (Lore, 1 newbie quest, 1 crummy quest in Qeynos)
Rat Meat (1 newbie quest, 4 recipes)
Rat Tooth (Non-stackable, 5 newbie quests)
Rat Whiskers (8 newbie quests, 2 crummy quests in Qeynos)
So, unless you need any of these for a quest, or you wish to jumpstart your Baking skill by using Rat Ears or Rat Meat as ingredients, everything looks pretty worthless. But now, look at the vendor prices:
a Piece of Rat Fur - 0-1-6-0 per stack
Plague Rat Tail - 1-9-0-5 EACH
Rat Ears - 0-2-0-0 per stack
Rat Eyes - 4-7-6-0 per stack
Rat Foot - 0-0-1-1 each
Rat Meat - 0-2-0-0 per stack
Rat Tooth - 0-0-0-8 each
Rat Whiskers - 0-2-0-0 per stack
Aha! Now the plan becomes more tightly focused. You will concentrate ONLY on Rats and loot ONLY Rat Eyes and Plague Rat Tails. Not only will you level quickly but you will also collect quite a bit of cash. The Eyes and Tails ARE rare drops, but there is no shortage of Rats in the WFP newbie field. By the time each of my alts reached level 5, she had earned enough money to buy her level 1 spells, level 4/5 spells AND level 8/9 spells - with extra pp still in the bank.
NOTE - You may wish to collect Rat Whiskers, too. I will pay 5pp per stack to any level 1-5 Sister who collects Rat Whiskers for me. I need them for several of the new faction quests which require you to give Rat Whiskers (4 at a time, unstacked) to the new Exterminator NPCs in Felwithe, Freeport West, Kaladim North, Neriak 3rd Gate, Neriak Foreign Quarter, Qeynos North, Qeynos South, and Rivervale. You may wish to take advantage of these quests, yourself. For every 4 Whiskers, the Exterminators give you exp and a 0-1-1-1 fee, as well as faction. That is pretty generous.
August 3, 03 - ON NAMES -
August 2, 03 - I have begun creating my first true alts. So far I have a Human Monk, a Wood Elf Ranger, an Erudite Necro, and a Barbarian Shaman. Each was created for one or more specific purposes. I am also considering an (Evil) Gnome Rogue, a Dark Elf Warrior, and a Dark Elf Enchanter. I will introduce them to you in the near future.
August 1, 03 - DANCING WITH PHLOATIN ("Sweet Camp") - In Erudin there is an Erudite named Phloatin Highbrow. He spawns at approximately (-1183,-318) next to the bar in BlueHawks's (Tavern) and never patrols. He is a level 17, 6-minute spawn. He casts no spells and does not seem to hit very hard. He drops some change, but no important loot. If you kill him, you will lose faction with EruditeCitizen. Since Phloatin and his sister, Sinnkin ("floatin'" and "sinkin'"...Get it? Hoho) are the ONLY NPCs on EruditeCitizen faction, this may not seem to be much of an issue. But unless you maintain this faction, Sinnkin will NOT give you Erud's Tonic. The faction can be repaired by buying an "Innoruuk's Kiss of Death"(Lore) in BlueHawk's and giving it to Sinnkin (upstairs in the Erudin City Library). In return, she will give you an Erud's Tonic(Lore). You have to do this at least 3 times each time you kill Phloatin. Since the Kiss of Death is Lore, it is a bit of a hassle.
In any case, Phloatin gives EXCELLENT exp, especially for a young Necro.
July 5, 03 - I have reached Baking 200.
July 4, 03 - Today I bought the Key to The Hole. It is sold by Rallia Hapera (+939,+762) in Paineel. It costs 106-0-4-9 at "best-price" (faction indifferent or better; CHA 104 or better). Note: The "Hole Key" looks like a small bag in Rallia's trade window.
July 3, 03 - TESTING 3-3-3-3 - At faction indifferent or better, with CHA 104+, nearly all merchants in Norrath will give you "best-price" when you buy or sell (there ARE exceptions). But how can you really be sure? There is an easy test. You should always carry an item for which you have established the best-price. Offer that item to the merchant in question (do NOT actually sell it to him). If he offers you the known best-price then you can be sure. To make it even easier, choose a test-item with a simple easy-to-read-and-remember best-price. I carry a Jade. Its best price is 3-3-3-3. Other 3-3-3-3 items include the Mithril Earring, the Minotaur Battle Axe, and the Bronze Bastard Sword. And remember: Depending on your CHA, you will probably need 1 or 2 Opal Encrusted Steins to raise your CHA to the best-price level.
July 2, 03 - JAWS! - If you need anything which drops from a shark, the best place to hunt these nautical nibblers is the harbor in Erudin Dock Area. To begin with, there are 3 Sand Sharks at approximately (+5,-490), (-215,-475) and (-275,-460). They are level 3-5 (or 7-8...estimates vary), 6-minute spawns and never patrol. Each one guards a loot-bag on the sand nearby. These bags are Pearls of Odus (no-drop) for an Erudin quest.
In addition, there are "patrollers" which swim around the harbor. One looks like a Sand Shark, the other looks like a Hammerhead. Both are labeled simply "a Shark" and are level 13-17.
Finally, there is a Diseased Shark (level unknown, but certainly 18 or higher) which is VERY agressive. It drops a lore Shark Skin for the Barnacle BP Quest in Erudin. When the Diseased Shark dies, it (she?) spawns 3-6 Young Sharks (level 1) as a kind of bonus. They drop Baby Shark Remains (lore, stackable) for the Barnacle BP quest.
All the sharks in Erudin harbor drop Shark Bones, Shark Meat and Shark Skin (LOTS of Shark Skin). The meat is relatively rare (I will pay 20pp per stack to any Sister who collects Shark Meat for me). Other drops include Lake Pebbles (no-drop) for the Guja Token quest, and (somewhat disturbingly) a Doll (for the Indaria's Doll quest).
July 1, 03 - RATS! - If you need anything which drops from a rat, the best place to hunt these nasty nibblers is the "Rat Room" (+290,-925) in the Warrens (off the Paineel newbie field). When you reach the Rat Room, you will definitely know it. There are 14 rats in a very small area and the floor looks like a moving carpet (no joke). The MOBs include Large Rats (level 4-6) and Trained Rats (level 8). There is also a Frenzied Rat (level 10-11) which is VERY aggressive. It spawns at (+317,-957) and serves as the placeholder for Packmaster Dledsh, a level 16-17 Kobold who drops a Packmaster Whip and the Filth Covered Boots (rare). Sometimes 2 (and maybe 3) Frenzied Rats spawn at once.
The Large Rats and Trained Rats spawn in 3 minutes. Yes, THREE minutes. They are in constant motion, and if you try to bash them, they will run at 50% HP. Very frustrating. The easiest and most efficient tactic is to simply stand among them and fire off AoE spells. Even at that, they re-spawn so quickly that I could not kill them fast enough. There is no better place to hunt rats.
June 30, 03 -
May 26, 03 - I have earned my 18th AAxp point, which I invested in Innate Dexterity 2.
May 25, 03 - I have earned my 17th AAxp point, which I invested in Innate Dexterity 1.
May 17, 03 - I have reached Fishing 200.
May 10, 03 - I have earned my 16th AAxp point, which I invested in Innate Agility 5.
March 31, 03 - AN APPEAL TO MY SISTERS - During the next several weeks, RL responsibilities will swallow most of my spare time. I will not be able to visit Norrath very often. So I have decided to use my limited online-time to update our Website and try to keep it updated. But I cannot do this alone. In fact, I cannot do it at all without your help.
The Sisterhood of Thorns is, as much as anything else, an information-sharing guild. Not matter what her level, any Sister can contribute something to the guild. A newbie Sister might discover a place where bears or wolves spawn rapidly - something of great interest to a high-level Sister who is trying to improve her Tailoring. A high-level Sister might discover a faction-less MOB which her newbie Sisters can camp (information on good solo camps - "sweet camps" - is always welcome). Another Sister might discover a useful spell combo, or a special tactic versus a specific MOB. If you have any morsel of information, no matter how trivial it may seem, please email it to me at Roseworm234@yahoo.com. I will check my email regularly and collect everything into a (hopefully) daily update for our website. If I spot something especially interesting, I will try to expand upon it. In any case, you will be given complete credit for anything you contribute. Also, I urge you to share your personal achievements - a new title, reaching 200 in a tradeskill, etc. And, by all means, please let me know if you are planning a special event, like a raid or a wedding.
As always, online or off, you are never far from my mind.
February 24, 03 - LEGACY OF YKESHA - My dear Sisters, I hope that all of you are as excited about the new expansion as I am (expanded bank space is something I have always wished for). I am going to redouble my efforts to promote every Thorn to Officer. That way, all of you will be able to take full advantage of the new Guild Management Tool.
February 23, 03 - TURN YOUR BANK INTO A TRADESKILL CENTER - Depending on your tradeskill(s), you can buy the following items: Collapsed Fletching Kit, Collapsed Jeweler's Kit, Collapsed Mixing Bowl, Collapsed Mortar & Pestle, Collapsed Sewing Kit, Collapsed Spit, Collapsed Tackle Box, Collapsed Toolkit (I bought most of them from Trader Kapoohtwo for 400pp each - a good price). By right-clicking on a Collapsed item, you can summon a No Drop "Collapsible" version for doing tradeskill combines. This is a wonderful convenience. To make the most of it, store all your Collapsed tools in your bank along with your tradeskill ingredients. Leave a slot in your bank (or on your person) free as a "working" slot. This slot will serve as a receptacle for whatever Collapsible item you summon for the job at hand. When you are finished, or ready to switch to a different tradeskill, simply destroy the Collapsible item (Be VERY careful NOT to destroy the "Collapsed" item). In this way, you can turn your bank into a one-stop, all-purpose tradeskill center which will be available to you in any town where you can safely bank.
February 22, 03 - DANCING WITH ISABELLA ("SWEET CAMP") - In HighKeep there is a Human named Isabella Cellus. She spawns at (+33.00,-340.00) in the Bard room on the second floor. Periodically she saunters out to the Gambling Room where she enjoys the ambiance for a few minutes before returning to the Bard Room. She is a level 38-39, 6-minute spawn with about 2300HP. She casts no spells, but she hits VERY hard and fast. She drops an average of 5pp, plus some decent items. You will lose faction with Coalition of Tradefolk, Knights of Truth, Merchants of Qeynos, and Coalition of Tradefolk Underground.
Isabella is an EXCELLENT camp for level 51 AAxp-grinders. And her loot is good, too. Her rare drops include Opals, Black Pearls, Emeralds, Flawless Aquamarines, Golden Pendants, Jade Rings, and Peridots.
HOW I CAMP ISABELLA (NOTE: This plan works only if you are NOT KOS to HighKeep guards) - I park myself on the wall-ledge (+29.56,-291.44) in a corner of the Bard Room near Guard Bach. Two Bards (Storm & Starr) are in the same room, but not close enough to aggro on me. As soon as Isabella pops, I hit her with Retribution (my big nuke). During melee I cast Retribution twice more. I watch Isabella's HP. If it drops below 20%, she will turn and run for the stairs to the first floor. I can safely chase her all over the place, but it is a waste of time. So, I wait until her HP is 22% or so, then I cast Sound of Force (or just Force). This Stun spell freezes Isabella in place and simultaneously pushes her HP below 20%. While she is stunned, I finish her off with a fourth and final nuke. She usually drops dead right at my feet and I can loot her without even leaving my corner. Then I med and heal before she pops again.
Isabella goes down pretty fast, and a good thing, too. She fights like a cornered wildcat. She punches and bashes and kicks (and doubles), and she definitely has some sort of Haste-y thing going on. My AC is 2028 and she still manages to hit me for 116 sometimes. After a fight, my MANA is at 60% and my HP is 40-60%. Make no mistake - Isabella is tough.
February 21, 03 - DANCING WITH STORM & STARR ("SWEET CAMP") - In HighKeep there are two Human Bards named Storm DragonChaser and Starr DreamSpinner. They stand on the dais in the Bard room on the second floor and never patrol. They are level 40, 28/29-minute spawns with about 3250HP. They cast no spells, but they hit VERY hard and fast. They drop an average of 5pp, plus miscellaneous items. You will gain faction with Ring of Scale and Mayong Mistmoore. You will lose faction with League of Antonican Bards, Knights of Truth, and Guards of Qeynos.
The Bards are an excellent camp for level 51 AAxp-grinders. They can be single-pulled. Their obvious disadvantage is a long spawn-time. You can avoid too much "downtime" by killing Isabella once in a while.
February 20, 03 - DANCING WITH NOBLES ("SWEET CAMP") -
February 19, 03 - DANCING WITH DYRNA ("SWEET CAMP") - In HighKeep there is a Dark Elf Necro named Dyrna Nlith. She stands (+96.00,-315.00) in the Torture Room in the Basement, and never patrols. She is a level 40-41, 6-minute spawn with roughly 2200HP. She has a pet and she DoTs like crazy.
February 18, 03 - BLACK CEREMONIAL COFFINS (Where To Find Them) - This is the component required for the spell Lesser Summon Corpse.
Ak'Anon - "A Clockwork Merchant" (actual name)
HighKeep - Merchant Dominick
Neriak Foreign Quarter - Palais Derekor
NK - Mrysila (Gypsy woman)
Oasis of Marr - A Gypsy (need more info)
Paineel - Dovan Sires (+875,+491) Fell Blade (SK Guild)
Qeynos South - Fellesha Varshen (+500,-300)
Rivervale - "Bag Merchant" (actual name)
ShadowHaven - Falina Silinilak
Thurgadin - Agar - Agar's Adventuring Supplies
WC - Ruby Boxcrafter (-200,+595)
February 17, 03 - JADE INLAID COFFINS (Where To Find Them) - This is the component required for the spell Summon Corpse (NOT Tiny Jaid Inlaid Coffin).
Bazaar - Dashelo Dalroshan (?) Need more info
Cabalis - Need more info
Neriak 3rd Gate - Need more info
Paineel - Need more info
February 16, 03 - I am a Baroness! After I earned my sixth AAxp point I discovered that I had been tagged with a title. How about that.
February 13, 03 - DUNEDIGGER! In NRO, Sister Darkening killed a Dunedigger - a level 12-15 MOB which resembles a huge armadillo. It dropped a Scute Shield - AC15 - STA9 - Wt8.0. Those are amazing stats for an item dropped by such a low-level MOB.
killed a February 4, 03 - PETS WITH PROCS - Sister Mortality offers a nice suggestion: Arm your Pet with a proc weapon. If he can dual wield, give him two proc weapons. Obviously, the weapons cannot be too expensive. Velium weapons (Effect: Velium Shards) fit the bill perfectly. They are plentiful and cheap.
It gives me an idea, too. Suppose you were camping a very powerful MOB which dropped an uber-item worth, say, 20K or more? In a situation like that, it actually might be worthwhile to equip your pet with an expensive proc weapon, like Club of the Ice Ocean (Effect: Frost Strike). Since Pets can dual wield identical Lore items (something else which Sister Mortality discovered) the Pet could hold two Clubs of the Ice Ocean. A Pet proccing 149 damage with each hand would be AWESOME. Question: Can you cast a DEX buff on a Pet?
January 31, 03 - BIG IDEA: LANGUAGE/FACTION BONUS
January 12, 03 - JUNK BUFFS - MOBs which dispell will strip you of one, two, three or more buffs. Lady Vox in Permafrost will strip your first four buffs. The best way to counter this is to cast "junk buffs" on yourself. A junk buff is a superfluous buff which you will not miss if it gets stripped away. "See Inviz" is a good junk buff.
January 11, 03 - I have the Key to Charasis!
December 23, 02---January 4, 03 - No internet access
December 12, 02 - PLAYING WITH FIRE -
December 7, 02 - NEW GUILD MOTTO - I have changed our Latin motto. I was never completely happy with "Patience, Discipline & Aggressiveness" (which may explain why I never actually got around to finding a Latin translation). They are good virtues to have in Norrath, but "Patience, Discipline & Aggressiveness" simply sounds too much like the sort of dreary motto one associates with Marxist 5-year plans. Bleh. So I decided that we needed something a little more graceful. You will find the new motto on our Home Page.
November 28, 02 - HISTORY OF THE THORNS - I would like to add a History of the Sisterhood of Thorns to this website. I need information. Specifically, I need:
(1) Date of Charter / Creation (RealTime)
(2) List of Charter Members (and current status)
(3) List of all pre-Roseworm Guild Mistresses (Smackekak was my immediate predecessor)
My personal lack of knowledge may seem odd, but it is easily explained. When I became a Thorn, there were very few active members. By the time I became Guild Mistress, I was virtually the ONLY active member. So I rarely had the opportunity to talk to anyone who might be familiar with the history of the guild.
If you have any information, you can contact me online, or email me at Roseworm234@yahoo.com
November 27, 02 - As you may have noticed, I have added a new page to our website - the Leveling Guide. I intend to make this as detailed and comprehensive as possible. To do that, I need your help. If you have any knowledge of a good camp (or camps), I can use any information you can share. Specifically, I am looking for:
Location of camp. Recommended minimum level. Recommended class. Solo or Group? Number and type of MOBs. Approximate /loc, HP and level of MOB(s). Spawn times. Does the MOB hold its position or patrol? (What path does it patrol?) Is the MOB a caster? (What kind of spells?) Does the MOB resist spells? Recommended tactics. Does the MOB fight to the death, or does it turn and run? If it runs, what % of HP loss triggers its retreat? When it retreats, what path does it follow? Does the MOB drop a significant amount of platinum or any special loot? How good is the exp? What kind of faction pluses or minuses are involved?
As you can see, there is no such thing as too much information. You can contact me online, or email me at Roseworm234@yahoo.com
November 26, 02 - MERCHANTS WHO TOLERATE DARK ELVES - Being a Dark Elf newbie is tough - everyone hates you. However, the following Merchants will do business with you:
A Shady Swashbuckler (EC Tunnel)
Bubar (EC Tunnel)
Gadallion (Oasis of Marr)
Katha Firespinner (EC)
Noresa Sparkle (WC) but her prices are TERRIBLE
Rushka Deklamoor (EC Tunnel)
November 25, 02 - GREEDY MERCHANTS - If you can possibly avoid it, do NOT buy from, or sell to, the following Merchants:
Aimie Moonspin (NFP Bank)
ANY Merchant (The Overthere)
Boomba the Big (WFP Gate)
Merchant Ueaas (outside Kelethin Bank)
Noresa Sparkle (WC)
Ping Fuzzlecutter (WFP newbie field)
Tubal Weaver (North Qeynos Gate, or, Crow's Pub & Casino)
Their prices are AWFUL.
November 24, 02 - "SWEET CAMP" (Dancing With Katta Guards in Twilight Sea) - Sister Kucla, Sister Warmera and I have discovered a good camp for our 50+ Sisters. In Twilight Sea, at the entrance to Katta Castellum (-110.00,-1865.00), there are four NPCs. Two (Brolan Geppal & Herald Shelia Gransith) stand on the dock at the foot of the entrance ramp. The other two (Legionnaire Eandalion & Legionnaire Frankulus) stand at the top of the ramp near the zone-line. They never patrol. All four are level 40, 20-minute spawns with roughly 3200-3300HP. They cast no spells, but they hit VERY hard and fast. They drop no cash or loot. You will gain faction with Citizens of Seru, Seru, and Shoulders of Seru. You will lose faction with Katta Castellum Citizens, Validus Custodus, and Magus Conlegium.
This is an excellent camp for long-suffering, level-50+ "exp-grinders." You can single-pull the NPCs at your own pace without worrying about adds. You can med & heal in safety (unless someone trains you on their way into Katta). If something goes wrong, you have an escape zone at your back (You can safely zone into Katta, but do NOT go far. The first chamber is full of guards).
Recommended tactics:
Solo - Stand near the zone-line and single-pull the Legionnaires. When their HP falls below 20%, they will turn and retreat down the long, zig-zag entrance ramp. This will give you plenty of time to finish them off, either with spells or melee. For me, the chase offered a valuable opportunity to practice Bash or 2HB.
Note: If you can fear-kite with a pet, you will be able to pull the guards from the dock, as well. Time the spawns carefully.
Group of 2 - Stand near the zone-line and single-pull all four NPCs.
Group of 4+ - I have yet to test this, but, with a larger group of 50+, it may be possible to zone into Katta itself and fight the guards inside. They are MUCH tougher, but they drop armor and weapons.
November 23, 02 - GUILD CHANNEL - The Sisterhood of Roses has created an inter-guild channel. To join, type /join roses:icegiant. To communicate, type /1 . To get a channel "who all", type /list roses.
This channel is potentially very useful if you are looking for a group, a rez, or simply a quick answer to a question. I am going to encourage all our allied guilds to use it.
November 22, 02 - RECRUITING CHANGES - I have broadened our recruiting guidelines in two ways.
First, we will now accept any female follower of Rallos Zek or Cazic-Thule (in addition to Innoruuk and Bertoxxulous). This means that we can now recruit Bards (of Rallos Zek).
Second, we will now accept ANY female char who is a PK (Player Killer). I toyed with the idea of admitting PKs a long time ago. It seemed to me that choosing the Path of Discord is the epitome of evil, and that any girl who chose that path should be welcomed into the Thorns. But I put the idea aside. Recently, however, several of our Sisters (independent of each other) decided to create PK alts for the Thorns. So I have decided that it is an idea whose time has come, and it is now official guild policy. Some of you may be worried about the possibilty of the Thorns being flooded with non-Evil races. Frankly, I do not think that will happen. Playing a PK is VERY difficult (take it from one who knows), and I do not encourage anyone to take that path.
November 21, 02 - I have Dawnfire!
If you want to bash undead, it is difficult to find a better weapon than Dawnfire, Morningstar of Light:
1HB - Primary / Secondary - Magic - 11/34 - WIS+7 - SvP+10 - SvD+10 - Effect: Banish Undead (procs at level 40) - Cleric / All
I wear a Wurm Scale Coat (Focus Effect: Improved Damage II), which raises the damage cap on my Banish Undead from 585 to a wizardly 702. So, as you can imagine, once I had Dawnfire I could hardly wait to try it out. I hurried to Kaesora. When I zoned in, I was attacked immediately by a Spectral Guardian. I counterattacked, Dawnfire in hand. It procced once (672 damage), twice (631 damage), and, in less time than it has taken you to read this, the Spectral Guardian was dead at my feet. What a weapon! It will help me immeasurably when I camp Lower Guk, The Grey, and other zones populated with undead.
My destiny is clear. I will make myself Queen of the Undead, and I will rule by Terror.
November 15, 02 - INTERESTING TIDBIT - Sister Mortality has discovered that a Pet with Dual Wield can hold identical Lore weapons (like two Walrus Teeth). I do not know if this ability is useful, but it might be worth keeping in mind.
November 8, 02 - WOLF PELTS (Where to find them) - In Qeynos Hills there are two locations where Wolves spawn rapidly: (+4123,-168) and (+4043,-198). To activate these spawns a Ranger must first track and kill every Wolf in the zone. Once that is done you simply stand near the two spawn points and bag the Wolves as fast they pop.
November 4, 02 - RAID REPORT (Plane of Innovation) - Damur, the guild leader of Medieval Brethren, invited me to tag along on a raid to the Plane of Innovation. Our group rendezvoused in the Plane of Tranquility. Besides myself, there were:
Damur Ironarse (Medieval Brethren)
Purrfection Purrsonified
Miane Wildwinds (Kindred Spirit Guardians)
Valvedsica Wildwinds (Kindred Spirit Guardians)
Scorina Ahmeanie (Kar'Sial)
Then we went to the Windmill in PoT. There are four vertical drive shafts in the center of the Windmill. One is stationary. Left-clicking on this one ported us to the PoI (+516.00,+263.00).
Let me say at once that the Plane of Innovation is a very ominous place. There is a towering edifice of metal surrounded by rusty junk and greasy desolation. It looks like a steel factory in hell. You can almost smell the toxic fumes. And the area is patrolled by large, shambling, patchwork robots, such as Archaic Models, Obsolete Models, Rusty Models, etc. They are, apparently, factory castoffs.
We did not go far. Our group pulled to the entrance point. We got an early taste of what we were up against when we pulled two MOBs and three group members (including myself) died VERY fast. Some of the Models are equipped with multiple circular saws and they deal out the sort of damage you might expect from such weapons. We decided to recruit more help.
As the raid progressed, we added new raiders while others dropped out. At one point, we had 14 raiders (including 60+ types), but people were still getting killed. Adds were a constant problem. And metallic rat-like Scroungers (yellow to me) seemed to spawn right in our midst. In addition, we had trouble getting the right mix of classes. Bards and Enchanters were in especially short supply. The raid finally petered out with an average of 1+ death per raider (twice for me).
If nothing else, a pick-up raid is a great way to meet new people from different guilds. Our reinforcements included:
Abygale (Tenacity)
Alysin Hhel (Tenacity)
Angelo Dethh (Empire of Shadows)
Deiaqwin Dreamcaller (Kindred Spirit Guardians)
Etelka Bezuydenhout (Pravus Mortis)
Krakin Danutz (Syndicate of Gods)
Lianu Dank (Twilight Requiem)
Natalina Kobayashi (Kindred Spirit Guardians)
Pickpokets (Viribus Unitis)
Riathinor (Medieval Brethren)
Scail (Forge of Ro)
Sedax Stupefied (Torvus Vir)
Vickausia Deathkiss
Yinlitini
Zartac Warblades (Crystal Oracle)
Zyphe (Kindred Spirit Guardians)
I want to personally thank everyone who participated.
November 3, 02 - The worst thing about Smithing is simply carrying all that heavy ore to the forge. If you buy enough ore for a worthwhile trip, you cannot move. If you carry less, it is still a long, slow trudge. You can avoid that problem with this trick: Simply bind yourself in front of the forge. Then go to the merchant and buy all the ore you want - 300lbs if you like! When you are loaded up (and immobile) cast gate - POOF! - You are right back at the forge, ready for a round of Smithing.
November 2, 02 - WORDS WE WANT - Many of our Sisters are Necromancers, and need many, many Words for their Spell Research. Here is the list:
Abatement, Absorption, Acquisition (Azia), Acquisituon (Beza), Allure, Anthology, Bidding, Burnishing, Cazic-Thule, Cloudburst, Collection (Beza), Collection (Caza), Crippling Force, Dark Paths, Derivation, Descrying, Detachment, Dissemination, Dissolution, Duration, Efficacy, Enchantment, Endurance, Enlightenment, Eradication, Ethereal, Eventide, Extinct, Grappling, Haunting, Imitation, Incorporeal, Material, Mistbreath, Motion, Neglect, Obligation, Odus, Parasitism, Possession, Projection, Psyche, Purification, Quickening, Quivering, Radiance, Recluse, Refuge, Requisition, Resolve, Reviviscence, Rupturing, Seizure, Sentient (Azia), Sentient (Beza), Specter, Spirit, Spoken, Subordination and Suffering.
If you loot any of these Words, please save them for your Necro Sisters.
November 1, 02 - POP! GOES THE MOB - A non-static spawn is one which can appear anywhere in a zone (like the AC in SRO), unlike a static spawn which always appears at the same location (like the AC in OOT). A good time to hunt for rare non-static spawns is imediately after a patch or a zone re-pop. Both events tend to trigger non-static spawns.
October 31, 02 - RAID REPORT - Today we conducted our first major guild raid, into Maiden's Eye and Akheva Ruins (our primary target, Tenebrous Mountains, was camped). In spite of a couple of mishaps, things went reasonably well. I want to thank Sister Evilkiyone (who organized and led the raid), Sister Kucla, Sister Paigee, Sister Warmera, and our guests, Cxeron Scytherless (Coven Nex), Kindina Spiritwalker (Midnight Council of Fate), Londriel Aldaeer (Covenant of Swords), Pholinis, and Tulani Thetreegirl (Sisterhood of Roses). With this experience fresh in mind, I would like to offer some general suggestions for future raids:
(1) Take every opportunity to practice your Sense Heading. Once it reaches 200, your Compass UI feature (combined with /loc) will become a precise instrument capable of saving your life in an unfamiliar zone.
(2) Practice your swimming. Pulling yourself through water at a snail's pace is very depressing, especially if something is on your tail.
(3) Before you go on a raid, always, ALWAYS download maps of every zone you will be raiding in, or merely passing through. I cannot emphasize how important this is. If the raid is planned well in advance, you should make a "dry run" through the zones involved (if it is not too dangerous) to familiarise yourself with the route. Going on a raid is scary enough without the added stress of crossing unfamiliar territory.
(4) Prepare an /loc Hot Key. If worse comes to worst and you are about to die, hit this key. It will help you and your teammates recover your body. Nothing is more depressing than not knowing where your body is.
(5) A raid roster should include at least two Clerics, a Healer and a Battle Cleric. In a pinch, the Battle Cleric can heal, and the Healer can nuke Undead. Plus, the presence of two rezzers improves the groups chances of recovering from a disastrous engagement (if one Cleric goes down, you have a spare). RULE #1 FOR CLERICS - If you are the only Cleric in your group (or the only surviving Cleric) and your group is getting wiped out, do not be a hero. Try to get to a safe place and camp while you can. That way, you will be able to log back on and rez your group.
(6) Whenever you go on a raid, you should have the following items in your inventory (regardless of your spellcasting abilities):
.....A handful of Peridots (for the Clerics)
.....1 or 2 Cloudy Potion (for Invisibilty)
.....1 or 2 stacks of bandages
.....5 or 10-Dose SoW Potion (even if you have jboots)
.....Chipped Bone Rod (for locating a corpse)
And you should be prepared to share these with your teammates. Also, designated members of the team should carry "specialized" items, depending on the nature of the raid. For instance, one member might carry a 5 or 10-Dose Enduring Breath Potion (and some Fish Scales), while another might carry a 5 or 10-Dose Levitation Potion (and some Bat Wings).
My point is, a raid is much like a military operation. If you are well-trained, well-equipped and otherwise well-prepared, your chances of survival increase dramatically.
October 30, 02 - CHAOSS'S STRATEGY - I met a char named Chaoss who has reached level 65 with his alt (or Main) Youngg. He told me that he uses the same strategy to level all his chars. Here it is:
Level 01-10 - Field of Bone
Level 10-20 - Kurn's Tower
Level 20-25 - Lake of Ill Omen / Paludal Caverns
Level 25-39 - Frontier Mountains
Level 39-49 - Dreadlands
Level 49-55 - Karnor's Castle
Level 55-65 - Velketor's Labyrinth
He did not offer any specific details about the MOBs he hunts or the tactics he uses, except to say that he picks the easiest MOB(s) he can kill (by this, I assume that he means dark-blue MOBs) and then groups up for chain-pulling. Obviously, this is not a solo strategy.
October 29, 02 - WILLAMINA'S NEEDLES (The Quest for the Planar Traveler's Manual) - This is a basic quest which you must complete in order to unlock other quests on the Plane of Knowledge (some NPCs will not talk with you unless you equip the Manual). It is a long, tedious quest which requires you to run from NPC to NPC like a crazed pinball. Not fun at all. So I have simplified it for your convenience. Below is the run-down. You will not have to hail the NPCs or even talk with them. The two-digit numbers following their names refer to locations on the PoK map.
(A) Go to the Library and find (-93.00,+977.00,+66.00) near Sir Geravaldi. On the bottom shelf is a book - History of Evils: The Age of Scale. It is a spawn which you can pick up.
(B) Give the book to Agrakath Theric (-550.00,+1204.00) near (23). He will give you a "Note to Caden."
(C) Give the note to Caden Zharik (25). He will give you "Boiron's Standard."
(D) Give the standard to Boiron Ston (35). He will give you a "Letter to Elisha."
(E) Give the letter to Elisha Dirtyshoes (41). She will give you "Narik's Ring."
(F) Give the ring to Arch Mage Narik (36). He will give you "Onirelin's Jewel."
(G) Give the jewel to Onirelin Gali (23). He will give you "Cador's Artifact."
(H) Give the artifact to Oracle Cador (37). He will give you "Black Lava Powder."
(I) Give the powder to Mirao Frostpouch (32). He will give you "Curative Potion."
(J) Give the potion to Bolcen Tendag (42). He will give you "New Sewing Needles."
(K) Give the needles to Willamina (-427.00,+1154.00) sitting on the grass near (22). She will give you the Planar Traveler's Manual.
Nothing to it.
October 28, 02 - I have reached Level 51!
October 27 - HUNTING PELTS (Tip From Sister Mortality) - If you are an aspiring Tailor, or you need pelts for any reason, the best place to hunt is in the Stonebrunt Mountains. The big cats in that zone frequently drop LQ, MQ & HQ pelts, almost to the exclusion of ruined pelts. And they sometimes drop as many as three pelts at a time. Sister Mortality even suggests a good camp spot (-4720.00,+408.00), near the ocean cliff. She says that this is also a good place to loot gems off the Pandas and Gorillas which wander by. But beware of Snowbeast the Titan.
October 24, 02 - LIGHTSTONE LOTTERY - Sister Kucla offers an excellent suggestion for making pp. Here it is, in her own words (very lightly edited), with my own comments in brackets:
"For making platinum in EQ, I have another method for the under level 30's, which I've dubbed the Lightstone Lottery - Hunting Will-O-Wisps in East Commons, West Commons, etc. [Will-O-Wisps can also be found in Befallen, EK, Erud's Crossing, GFay, Nektulos, NK, QH, Toxxulia and WK].
Will-O-Wisps in these areas are [Level 9-14], and drop Lightstones [LS] fairly regularly and Greater Lightstones [GLS] less regularly, but often enough. LS can be sold directly to vendors for about 1pp (with good Charisma) [The Shady Swashbuckler in the EC Tunnel gives the best prices to evil-types]. If you're strapped for cash, you can sell the GLS to vendors for about 4pp [5pp to PCs]. However, to maximize profits, save up a couple of backpacks full of GLS, and take a trip to South Ro. The GLS can be handed in to Smith Tv'Ysa for some positive faction [Dark Bargainers, DreadGuard Inner, DreadGuard Outer] and a Concordance of Research. The Concordance can be sold back to Tv'Ysa for about 9pp. You can also hand in LS to the Smith for faction and a book on spell research. Again, the book can be sold back, but I believe you make slightly more money selling the LS directly.
Two caveats for this scheme -
(1) You will need a magic weapon in order to melee Will-O-Wisps
(2) The Concordance is a container, so make sure you have some open general slots when you do the hand in."
[WARNING - The Dark Elf camp in SRO is under constant siege by nasty MOBs, including Crypt Mummies (13-15), Ghouls (13-17), Sand Mummies (14-16), and, everyone's favorite, the dreaded Dry Bones Skeletons (15-19). If you are much under level 20, this can be a dangerous trip, especially at night]
October 23, 02 - WORDS FROM KUUKUKU - Sister Kuukuku has extra copies of the following Words:
Allure, Cloudburst, Discernment, Dissolution, Element, Enlightenment, Eventide, Extinct, Imitation, Possession, Quickening, Radiance, Recluse, Reviviscence, Sentient (Azia), Sentient (Beza).
They are free to any Sisters who need them.
October 21, 02 - GETTING YOUR SEBILIS KEY -
October 20, 02 - I have the Key to Sebilis! My heartfelt thanks to Heily (who organized the expedition, and then tracked and pulled Frogloks), and to Sayrah and Sister Velinaa, who also obtained their Keys.
October 19, 02 - THE FASTEST, EASIEST WAY TO MAKE BIG MONEY - In a nutshell: Make Leather Padding and sell it in the Bazaar (stay tuned for details).
October 18, 02 - ALTERNATE ADVANCEMENT (My Strategy) - As I approach level 51, I have been giving a lot of thought to AA (Alternate Advancement). This is what I have decided to do:
As soon as I reach 51, I am going to go exploring until I find a "sweet camp" (an exp "gusher" like Ratraz) which provides relatively fast and easy exp. Then I will divert 100% of my exp into AAxp and camp the MOB indefinitely, until I improve all the AA General Abilities I want.
At that point, I will switch back to regular exp and level normally until I reach 55. Then I will find another "sweet camp", divert 100% of my exp to AAxp, and settle in until I improve all the AA Archetype Abilities I want.
Once I am satisfied with that, I will switch back to regular exp and level normally until I reach 59. Then I will find yet another "sweet camp" and divert everything into AAxp until I improve all the AA Class Abilities I want.
By the time I reach 60, my personal stats are going to be impressive, to say the least.
Will this take a long time? Absolutely. But it is well worth the wait. I know that many (perhaps most) players wait until level 60 before they divert exp into AA exp. This is a serious mistake. Exp comes much more slowly at 60 than at 51. Therefore, AAxp comes more slowly. You should divert exp into AAxp EARLY, while exp is still easy to get, especially if you find an exp "gusher".
Look at it this way: We have all experienced the joy of finding a "sweet camp" (like Ratraz) which helps us level quickly. But eventually the exp dries up. So we have all experienced the heartbreak of "outgrowing" a sweet camp. The point is, by diverting 100% of your exp into AAxp, you put the sweet camp "on hold", as it were. The sweet camp will stay "sweet" forever! Of course, you will not be leveling at all, but so what? Once you finish improving the AA abilities you want and switch back to regular exp, you will still be able to take full advantage of the camp for regular leveling.
And besides, if you improve your abilities as soon as each stage of AA development becames available, you will be much better equipped to face the rigors of regular leveling. Why wait NINE levels (51-60) to improve your General Abilities when those abilities could help you against the countless MOBs you will face during that period?
October 17, 02 - POST-PATCH OBSERVATIONS -
Strange Dark Fungus (a ground spawn at the Greybloom Farm in Kaladim) is now stackable.
Captain Ashlan in HighPass has either been nerfed, or is bugged. He is not taking 16 Orc Scalps at a time. Give him 4 at a time (one in each trade slot) until further notice.
October 16, 02 - LOOK OUT BELOW! - Sister Evilkiyone posed this question: If you cast Divine Barrier (29 Cleric spell - 18 seconds of invulnerability) on yourself, will you take damage from falling? I decided to find out. First, I went to Neriak, cast Divine Barrier on myself, and jumped from a guard tower. No damage. Then, I went to Kelethin, cast DB on myself, and jumped from the highest platform I could find (this is certain death for a newbie). No damage. Finally, I went to the Field of Bone in Kunark, cast DB on myself, and jumped from Kurn's Tower. No damage! So I think it is safe to conclude that Divine Barrier DOES protect you from falling damage.
October 15, 02 - THE KILIJ QUEST - For this, you will need 3 enchanted gold bars and a copy of the "Kilij Plans" (this drops from a level 29 SG in SRo named "Sand Giant Husam"; it is also easy to find multiple copies at the Bazaar). Go to Kelethin and locate Bilrio's Smithy. It is appended to the platform which houses Soldiers of Tunare (the Druid Guild Hall). Outside the Smithy you will find a Wood Elf named Bilrio Surecut (-648.00,+386.00). Give him the Kilij Plans and the 3 enchanted gold bars. In return you will receive a HUGE shot of exp (3/5 blue bub for me at 50) and a Brazen Brass Kilij. Also, you gain faction with Emerald Warriors, Faydark's Champions, and (most importantly) Anti-Mage and Merchants of Kelethin. As an extra bonus, when you sell the Kilij to a vendor, you will receive enough money (33-3-3-3 for me at CHA110) to reimburse you for the cost (31-5-0-0 for me at CHA110) of the gold bars! This is one of the best quests in Norrath. Its only drawback is that the Kilij Plans are Lore.
October 14, 02 -
October 13, 02 - RANDOM NOTES
MIMIC! - I was down in Runnyeye, snooping around the bank vault. I clicked on a treasure chest, just to see if it would open. Suddenly I saw this message: "A mimic is not a treasure chest!" Then the chest came to life and starting BITING me (the lid was snapping open and shut like a mouth, with big teeth inside). I killed it easily (no loot), but it was a very startling (not to say bizarre) experience. I had never encountered the mimic on any previous trip to Runnyeye.
UNDERCON! - I was at the Hogcaller's Inn in WFP, when I spotted Trissa Whistlesong. I hate Bards so I decided to kill her (she conned light blue). When the fight ended, Trissa was at 50% health. I was at 40% health, OOM and running for the EFP zone. According to my calculations, Trissa has at least 8500HP and probably a lot more. An undercon, for sure.
October 11, 02 - PLATINUM IN PAINEEL 2 (Field Report) - I finally had the opportunity to test my platinum-mining idea. First, I went to the Bazaar, where I bought KEI and a Gallenite's Ruby Bracelet (a No-Rent Mage-summoned item which increases damage by 10%). Then, I hurried to Paineel, where I killed skelly guards for 2 hours and 21 minutes until my KEI evaporated. The final tally for my loot was 938pp. This is about 6-6-5-2 per minute - very close to 1000pp for a full 2 1/2 hours. Needless to say, I was pleased with the results (1K is a lot of money no matter how high your level). However, it was an EXHAUSTING camp. For 141 minutes I was constantly killing guards, looting corpses, selling loot, and running hither 'n' thither from spawn to spawn. Frankly, I was relieved when my KEI went away and I could finally rest. Still, it is nice to know that this kind of money is available. If all you need is a quick 100, 200 or 300pp, you would not even need KEI. Just kill a few rounds of guards and med at leisure in between.
(NOTE - Before trying this camp, be SURE to read the entry for Sept 19, 02 first ("Platinum in Paineel 1"))
October 10, 02 - STUMPED! - There are two sphinxes in the Rathe Mountains. Ankhefenmut is the "Good" sphinx. Zazamoukh is the "Evil" sphinx. I was struck by the opposing factions, so I went to Illia's Everquest Bestiary (a link from Allakhazam's Magical Realm) to do some research. As it turns out, no one is quite sure what the sphinxes are all about. But one player did post a interesting message. He hinted (from personal experience, I assume) that the sphinxes are part of a worthwhile quest. He offered three clues. One, you need good faction with one sphinx or the other, preferably based on your char's philosophy. Two, you need to master a certain language in order to talk with a sphinx. And three, there IS a way into the Sunken Temple of Veksar in the Lake of Ill Omen (???).
Needless to say, I was intrigued. This was a challenge! I went to the Rathe Mts and located Ankhefenmut. He conned scowling-ready-to-attack. Then I located Zazamoukh (-1735.00,+1325.00). She conned indifferent. That confirmed that she is the "evil" sphinx and the one I wanted. I hailed Zazamoukh in all 25 languages spoken in Norrath. No response. So I decided to improve my faction with her. I camped the three named "Ankh" scarabs at their Altar. They are Ankhesenaten (+1726.00,+381.00), Ankhetperure (+1490,+96.00), and Ankhnesmerira (+1493.00,+230.00). They are level 7-9, 6-minute spawns. Killing them raises your faction with Zazamoukh and lowers it with Ankhefenmut (there are three named "Zaza" scarabs at another Altar on opposite faction). After only 2-3 hours (waxing each scarab with Wrath as soon as it spawned) I reached Max Ally with Zazamoukh. I went back and hailed her again, in all 25 languages. No response. I recalled a pass-phrase from the Innoruuk Regent Quest: "Hate be my guide." I spoke that to her, in all 25 languages. Still no response. Poo.
For now, I am stumped. For the record, I also went down to LOIO, swallowed EB potion and explored the Sunken Temple. I found the entrance (DEEP underwater) but was unable to get inside. The place is guarded by some rather nasty Bloodgill Goblins. I would like to lead a small party of 49+ Sisters to LOIO and try to get inside the Temple. I will buy EB potion for everyone in the group.
(OBSERVATION - Zazamoukh is the female sphinx, which is only fitting, since she is sympathetic toward the Thorns, a female-only guild. Also, she is MUCH more impressive than her "goody" male counterpart. Whereas Ankhefenmut is hidden away in a narrow little gully, Zazamoukh hovers majestically on top of a large hill surrounded by flying Drakes. She is truly awe-inspiring)
October 9, 02 - DANCING WITH CYNDREELA ("SWEET CAMP") -
October 8, 02 - LANDMARK - On Tuesday, October 8, 2002 (around Noon), Sister Vaampira became the first member of the Sisterhood of Thorns to reach Level 60. This is a great achievement. Besides being a skilled player, Sister Vaampira is also a treasure-house of information. She is ever-ready to help her Sisters in any way she can. Any guild would be proud to have her.
October 7, 02 - I have reached Level 50!
October 6, 02 - RIDING THE FIREPOTS (The only way to fly) - In Timorous Deep, there is a place called the Teleportation Firepots, or, the Firepot Room. It is located at (-12260.00,+4665.00,-277.00) in the extreme southwestern corner of the zone. To get there, you must swim until you spot the Combine Teleportation Towers rising above the water. Then you dive straight down between the towers until you spot an entrance on the ocean floor. This leads (safely) to the Firepot Room. There you will find 12 Firepots, three along each side of a square room. If you left-click on a Firepot (or simply walk into it - BE CAREFUL!) you will be teleported to a specific location. Here is a listing for each Firepot, giving its location in the room, a description of the pot, and its destination:
North Left (fire on floor) Inside Grobb (-100.00,0.00/at the entrance to The Feerrott)
North Center (6-sided gray) Inside Oggok (-345.00,-99.00/at the entrance to Innothule Swamp)
North Right (6-sided tall) Inside Erudin (0.00,0.00/near the dock)
East Left (6-sided gray) Inside Neriak Commons (+3.00,-500.00/above the waterfall, at the entrance to Neriak Foreign Quarter)
East Center (4-sided wood) In Greater Faydark (-20.00,+10.00/under Kelethin)
East Right (6-sided rust) Inside Northern Felwithe (-25.00,+94.00/at the entrance to Greater Faydark)
South Left (Brown box) Inside Halas (?/near the dock)
South Center (Dark with blue) Inside East Freeport (-14.00,-950.00/on the dock)
South Right (tall gold vase) Inside Cabilis West (-783.00,+767.00/at the entrance to Lake of Ill Omen)
West Left (White marble) Inside South Kaladim (-18.00,-2.00/at the entrance to Steamfont)
West Center (Lava lamp) Inside Ak'Anon (+47.00,-35.00/at the entrance to Steamfont)
West Right (torch stand) Inside Rivervale (0.00,0.00/at the entrance to the Misty Thicket)
Obviously, this is a very good place to bind oneself. Technically, no one is supposed to be able to bind in Timorous Deep, but if you go to the Firepot Room and type /char, that will do the trick.
(WARNING - There is a dragon-type named Faydedar in this area. He hates everybody and cons red to 51, but I think he is an infrequent spawn)
(WARNING - Before you ride a Firepot, make sure you have picked the right one. Popping inside a KOS city is no fun, especially if you cannot Gate your way out)
October 5, 02 - "SWEET CAMP" (Dancing With Spectres in The Feerrott)
October 4, 02 - "SWEET CAMP" (Dancing With Spectres in Oasis of Marr) -
October 3, 02 - TIP FROM SISTER KUCLA - If you press your Num Lock key, this will put you on "AutoRun" or "AutoSwim." To stop, press Num Lock again.
October 2, 02 - MISCELLANEOUS TIPS -
(1) You may have noticed that skellies can be difficult to loot. The easiest way to loot any skeleton-type MOB is to right-click directly on its skull. Switching to overhead view helps, too.
(2) When you receive your nexus shard, IMMEDIATELY click on another target to remove the Nexus Scion from your target window. This will prevent a fatal accident if you are forced to fight a MOB which aggroes on you while you are waiting at the Spire (Nexus Scions hit for 2000+).
(3) SoW and jboots can be cast in the Bazaar, Freeport, HighKeep, Nexus, Kelethin and Paineel (other cities pending).
(4) When you shop at the Bazaar, switch to over-head view. For some reason, this helps to relieve the lag.
(5) Orc Scalps taken in Crushbone or Greater Faydark will work for the excellent faction quest based in HighHold Pass (You give Orc Scalps to Captain Ashlan).
October 1, 02 - TIP FROM SISTER MORTALITY - The MOB is on the run. Just as the killing blow lands, the rotten thing crawls inside a tree or rock and dies out of sight, preventing anyone from looting it. Has this ever happened to you? Of course, it has. But Sister Mortality offers a solution. Cast Sense the Dead (if you or a teammate has the spell). This will target the nearest corpse. Then simply type /loot.
UPDATE/NERF ALERT - Regretfully, this camp has been nerfed. The following vendor prices are now in effect (if you sell):
Aqua Goblin Backbone ....... 0-0-4-3
Aqua Goblin Blood Vial ..... 0-0-7-1
Aqua Goblin Head ........... 0-0-7-1
Dirjadak's Chipped Stein ... 0-0-7-1
September 30, 02 - HOW I WORK - Before I post any information about "sweet camps" I always investigate the camp in person. For example, this is the way I followed up a recent tip:
Fyrah (Sisterhood of Roses) told me that the Aqua Goblin Marauders in Butcherblock were dropping an unusually generous amount of loot. I am always looking for ways to help our Sisters make money, so I decided to confirm this. I went to BB and located the two Aqua Goblin Camps, one at -200,+2925, another at -720,+2935. There are five Goblins at each camp, four clustered around the campfire with a fifth standing guard just outside camp.
To verify the tip, all I had to do was kill Goblins and inventory the loot. I equipped my big AoE spell, Earthquake, and went to work.
I killed 60 Aqua Goblin Marauders in about 75 minutes. They are 6-minute spawns with 100-150HP (roughly level 7-10).
They dropped:
...No cash at all
...12 Aqua Goblin Backbone (stackable)
...13 Aqua Goblin Blood Vial (stackable)
.....9 Aqua Goblin Foot (stackable)
...10 Aqua Goblin Head (non-stackable)
...19 Aqua Goblin Headdress (stackable)
...17 Aqua Goblin Tongue (stackable)
.240 Arrows (stackable)
...11 Brick of Crude Bronze (non-stackable)
....5 Dirjadak's Chipped Stein (non-stackable)
Then I equipped 2 Opal Encrusted Steins (for CHA 110) and sold the loot. The Arrows fetched 8cp per; the Feet, Tongues & Headresses fetched 1sp per; the Crude Bronze fetched 4sp/8cp per; and the Heads, Backbones, Chipped Steins & Blood Vials fetched a VERY nice 4-7-6-2 per.
The grand total for 75 minutes of hunting was 193-3-7-8.
Jackpot!
That is roughly 155pp per hour - an average of about 3.2pp per Goblin - VERY generous for such low-level creatures.
So I am happy to report that the tip was accurate. I have added this camp to the "Spare Change" entry (Aug 26)
September 29, 02 - FINDING WORDS - The best place to shop for Words is the Bazaar on Luclin. PC Traders always have Words for sale, and the NPC vendors are usually well-stocked with Words that players sell when they come in from the hunting fields.
The second-best place to shop for Words is Neriak. This city is truly a magic-user's supermarket. It is worth taking the time to search every NPC vendor in town.
The EC tunnel used to be a good place to hunt for Words, but that was in pre-Bazaar days.
REMEMBER - A patch wipes out the secondary inventory (items bought from players) on every NPC vendor in Norrath. If you must shop, and you know that a patch is scheduled, be sure to shop BEFORE the patch.
September 28 02 - DUCK, YOU CASTER! - If, for whatever reason, you need to interrupt one of your own spells, just tap the "D" key twice in quick succession. The first tap will make you duck, INSTANTLY interrupting your spell. The second tap will bring you upright again, INSTANTLY preparing you to cast another spell.
September 27, 02 -
September 26, 02 - I have reached Level 49!
September 25. 02 -
September 24, 02 -
September 23, 02 - BEST FACTION CAMP -
September 22, 02 - ORC SCALP QUEST - Collect "Orc Scalps" which drop from Orcs in Crushbone, Greater Faydark, and (rarely) HighPass. Go to HighPass and locate the gate (-562.00,+209.00) near the Orc area (off Kithicor). Here, you will find Captain Ashlan. He patrols around, but you can often find him on the rampart above the gate (-567.00,+226.00) where he stands for about 14 minutes before moving on. Give him the Orc scalps. He will accept 1-4 scalps (unstacked) at a time. In return for each scalp you will receive exp and 0-5-2-5 in cash (good money!). Also, you will gain faction with Carson McCabe, Corrupt Qeynos Guards, Freeport Militia, HighHold Merchants, and HighPass Guards. You lose no faction.
(WARNING - HighPass Guards hate evil-types. You will have to kill many HighPass Orcs before Captain Ashlan will accept the scalps from you (instead of trying to kill you). Killing the Orcs will also improve your faction with Kithicor Residents)
September 21, 02 - CRUSHBONE BELT QUEST - Collect Crushbone Belts which drop from Orc Centurions in Greater Faydark, Crushbone, and Lesser Faydark. Go to South Kaladim and locate Stormguard Hall (the Warrior Guild). Inside, you will find Canloe Nusback (-15.00,+536.00). Give him the Crushbone belts. He will accept 1,2,3 or 4 belts at a time. In return for each belt, you will receive exp, 6-14sp, and a Tattered or Patchwork item (which you can sell). Also, you will gain faction with Kazon StormHammer, Merchants of Kaladim, Miners Guild 249, and Storm Guard. You will lose faction with Craknek Warriors.
(WARNING - Faydwer Dwarves hate evil-types. You will have to kill many Crushbone Orcs and Dwarf Bandits before you can safely enter Kaladim)
September 20, 02 - DEATHFIST BELT QUEST - Collect Deathfist Slashed Belts (DF belts for short) which drop from Orc Centurions in EC and WC. Go to West Freeport and locate the Freeport Militia House. On the second floor, on an outside balcony (-132.00,-33.00), you will find Captain Hazran. Give him the DF belts. He will accept 1,2,3 or 4 belts at a time. In return for each belt, you will receive a healthy dose of exp and 3gp. Also, you will gain faction with Freeport Militia and Coalition of Tradefolk Underground. You will lose faction with Knights of Truth and Priests of Marr.
September 19, 02 - PLATINUM IN PAINEEL 1- You can make 6-7pp per MINUTE in Paineel by camping the skeleton guards. Each skelly guard ALWAYS drops a Bronze Bastard Sword and a Kite Shield which are worth a total of 8+pp. Most drop cash, too. And there is NO faction hit!*.
However, to take full advantage of this, you MUST have (1) good faction in Paineel, (2) a Big Nuke which does 550-600 points of damage, and (3) KEI.
Good faction in Paineel is a given. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to improve this faction. All you have to do is kill (many) Kobolds in The Warrens. This also improves your faction with High Guard of Erudin.
You need a Big Nuke because the skelly guards are TOUGH. They are under-cons to discourage exp-campers (If you attack a guard which cons dark blue, you may find yourself in serious trouble). And they regenerate quickly. If you try to melee them, they take FOREVER to kill. The idea is to kill them FAST, to make money in a hurry. So a Big Nuke is essential. I use Banish Undead, a level 44 Cleric DD versus Undead which does 585HP of damage.
(FEEDBACK - Sister Paigee reports that the Skellies resisted Conflagration (level 44 Wizard fire-based DD) five times in a row. And the damage from her Lightning spell was greatly reduced. The skellies are apparently HIGHLY resistant to magic. I did not suspect this because they never resisted my Banish Undead. We need more research on this problem. Will they resist cold-based spells? Does any other DD equivalent to Banish Undead work on them? Until we receive further information, it looks like this camp is suitable only for Level 44+ Clerics or Level 49+ Necros)
You will need KEI if you intend to camp the guards for an extended period and really make a lot of money. Your nukes will use up a LOT of mana very quickly.
Here are the recommended targets (with approximate level, /loc, spawn-time and required nukes):
Abbilash - Level 20 - (+842.00,+505.00/The Fell Blade entrance) - 10 minutes - One Nuke
Buldoral - Level 24-25 - (Patrols) - ? minutes - Two Nukes
Kellolonren - Level 20 - (+884.00,+600.00/gate to the courtyard outside The Fell Blade(SK Guild)) - 10 minutes - One Nuke
Korlack - Level 15 - (+642.00,+497.00/Paineel entrance) - 25 minutes - One Nuke
Lecknar - Level 20 - (+612.00,+497.00/Paineel entrance) - 25 minutes - One Nuke
Lelton - Level 18 - (+864.00,+600.00/gate to the courtyard outside The Fell Blade(SK Guild)) - 10 minutes - One Nuke
Pendleir - Level 23-26 - (+875.00,+477.00/inside The Fell Blade entrance(You should pull him out into the courtyard to prevent NPCs in the SK Guild from healing him)) - 6 minutes - Two Nukes
Polzdurn - Level 24-27 - (+986.00,+762.00/outside False Idols) - 25 minutes - Two Nukes
Rireboln - Level 20 - (+907.00,+505.00/The Fell Blade entrance) - 10 minutes - One Nuke
Tynaryn - Level 24-27 - (+664.00,+542.00/near the Soulbinder) - 25-26 minutes - Two Nukes
Yerlash - Level 23-26 - (+910.00,+721.00/outside Superior Supplies) - 6 minutes - Two Nukes
As you can see, there is quite a disparity in spawn-times. You will have to work out your own system of attack, based on your mana pool and med-time. I recommend hitting the slow-spawners first and working your way down to the fast-spawners until you are out of mana. The idea is to reduce them, in effect, to 1-minute spawns, or better. Loot the swords and shields as you go. When you are full, or OOM, sell the loot to Dovan Sires (+900.00,+440.00) in the SK Guild (He gives the best prices). I STRONGLY recommend equipping yourself with a pair of Opal Encrusted Steins (see entry for Aug 8). This is one place where they will REALLY pay off.
(* - Apparently, you DO take a very tiny, "invisible" faction hit with the Paineel vendors. Each time you finish a round of guard-killing and sell the loot, you get a little less money in return. When I began my field test, I was getting 3-3-3-3 per Sword (top price). When I finished, 2 1/2 hours later, I was getting 3-2-8-8. This is still a good price, but it is irritating to watch it slowly, ever so slowly, melt away. I believe that this is intended to prevent an uber-guild from camping Paineel for days on end, and killing every guard in the city as fast as it spawns (There are, after all, 32 different skelly guards - a LOT of tempting loot). In a case like that, the price for the loot would fall dramatically)
(WARNING - Do NOT attack Hetorzuz or Lidozarnn inside the entrance to The Abbatoir. If you do, you will be aggroed by Kelkarn (the Accursed Bard) and his drinking buddies, the Dancing Skeletons (Archenm, Gernatis, Loleluz and Loleton). All five are level 50)
(WARNING - Do NOT attack any of the guards in the Overlord sector. Unless you use a much bigger Nuke (700+ damage) there is no guarantee that you can kill one with a single shot. And a wounded guard will run for help. In that case, you may get aggroed by Royal Guard Lilkus, Royal Guard Sheltuin, or even (shudder) Overlord Virate Manaar himself. The risk of dying and losing your KEI is simply too great.
(Note - confirming these no-nos cost me three deaths, so I advise you to take the warnings seriously)
(Initial tip courtesy of Sister Ravno)
September 18, 02 - PK (What It Means To Be A Player Killer, And Why I Chose That Path) - I am a Daughter of Discord, popularly known as a "Player Killer" (PK for short).
September 17, 02 - GENEROSITY (A Guide To Giving Within The Guild)
September 16, 02 - THE POTC EARRING QUEST (How You Can Help)
September 15, 02 - SPIDERLING SILK (Where To Find It) - If you want to collect a lot of Spiderling Silk in a hurry, the best hunting zone is The Feerrott, specifically the area surrounding the Druid Ring (+395,-1855). Here, Jungle Spiders (level 3-5) and Jungle Spiderlings (level 1-3) spawn abundantly (Interestingly, BOTH drop Spiderling Silk). They are bright, poisonous yellow in color. If you carry any source of light, the Spider(ling)s become VERY conspicuous against the green, gloomy background, so they are easy to hunt.
(WARNING - The Spider(ling)s have an annoying habit. If they are wounded and running away from you, they will try to die inside a tree, to prevent you from looting them. If this happens, cast Sense the Dead. This will target the nearest corpse. Then simply type /loot)
(NOTE - The Feerrott is a creepy place, but not particularly dangerous as long as you avoid "hot spots" like the entrance to Plane of Fear, the entrance to Cazic-Thule, and (if you are KOS to Ogres) the entrance to Oggok. None of these places are close to the Druid Ring. The worst thing you will meet is a Marsh Bear (level 8-10). But if you are strong enough to kill Young Kodiaks (level 8-11), you can solo the Spider(ling)s in perfect safety. Also, there are no guards at this Druid Ring, so you can teleport in safely)
Another good hunting zone is the ice canyons of Everfrost. This is the newbie field outside Halas. Wooly Spiderlings (level 2-3) are common here. So are Polar Bear Cubs (level 2) and Snow Wolves (level 2), which drop pelts of various qualities. This is a very good place for an aspiring Tailor to hunt.
Spiderling Silk can also be found in:
Butcherblock (Rock Spiderlings)
East Commons (Spiderlings)
Field of Bone (Bonecrawler Hatchlings)
Greater Faydark (Widow Hatchlings, Large Widow Hatchlings)
Innothule Swamp (Crab Spiderlings)
Kithicor Forest (Spiderlings)
Lesser Faydark (Spiderlings)
Misty Thicket (Spiderlings)
Nektulos Forest (Araneidae Spiderlings)
North Ro (Dune spiderlings, Desert Spiderlings)
Qeynos Aqueducts (Sludge Spiderlings)
Steamfont (Spiderlings)
Toxxulia Forest (Spiderlings, Widow Hatchlings)
(TIP - No matter where you hunt, be sure to take a Sewing Kit with you. That way, you will be able to combine the silk as you collect it (2 Spiderling Silks = 1 Silk Thread). This will conserve space and allow you to collect twice as much silk.
September 14, 02 - ON LANGUAGES - Our "official" guild language is Froglok, but, truth be told, this is merely an attempt on my part to inject some "color" into the Sisterhood of Thorns. The fact is, any Sister who remains with the Thorns will eventually become a Master in ALL 25 languages spoken in Norrath.
September 13, 02 - THE WHITE WINE QUEST - Buy several stacks of White Wine. Go to West Freeport and locate the Hogcaller's Inn. Inside, you will find a High Elf named Lady Shae. She will either be on the first floor (-144.00,-451.00) or the second floor (-174.00,-502.00) or walking the stairs in between. She stands at each spot for about 13-14 minutes. Give her the white wine. She will accept 1-4 bottles (unstacked) at a time. In return for each bottle, you will receive exp (no cash) and gain faction with FelGuard.
(WARNING - Lady Shae REALLY hates evil-types. Sister Alania (a PK like me) was kind enough to Inviz me while I gave wine to Lady Shae. Otherwise I would not have been able to do this quest at all. In fact, Lady Shae conned scowling-ready-to-attack-me FOREVER, even after hundreds of bottles. Finally, I passed some sort of "hidden" faction threshold. Though she was still "scowly" with me, Lady Shae began to accept wine from me while I was un-Inviz. After that, my faction with her rose rapidly)
September 12, 02 - MUFFINS FOR PANDOS - Buy several stacks of muffins. These are very cheap and available from many vendors. Go to West Freeport and locate the Hogcaller's Inn. On the second floor, you will find a Dwarf named Pandos Flintside (-196.00,-497.00). He is Lady Shae's flunky. Give him the muffins. He will accept 1-4 muffins (unstacked) at a time. In return for each muffin you will receive exp (no cash) and gain faction with Clerics of Tunare, Faydark's Champions, King Tearis Thex, and Soldiers of Tunare. You will lose faction with Crushbone Orcs.
(WARNING - Pandos HATES evil-types. He killed me once and chased me to the EFP zone several times when I first began this quest. But I persevered and finally my faction and/or level was high enough that I could (carefully) approach him)
September 11, 02 - NEWBIE ARMOR (Helping Your Younger Sisters) - Regardless of race or class, all newbie armor quests everywhere in Norrath have one thing in common. Each one ultimately requires one or two components which are heartbreakingly difficult to find. The various Dark Elf newbie armor quests based in Neriak are no exception.
These components are rare:
...Ash Drakeling Scale
...Deathfist Orc Templar Scalp
...Pyre Beetle Carapace
These components are VERY rare:
...Pristine Ash Drakeling Scale
...Deathfist Orc Scout Scalp
...Pristine Pyre Beetle Carapace
The Deathfist Orc Scout Scalps are ESPECIALLY critical. Most of our Sisters are Dark Elf Necros, and their newbie armor quest requires THREE(!) Orc Scout Scalps. Frankly, I think this is unfair, but we have to deal with it. Here is my suggestion:
Regardless of your race or class, whenever you are jogging through the Nektulos Forest, keep a lookout for Orc Scouts. You do not have to go off-trail or take the extra time to find one. But if you spot an Orc Scout, PLEASE take the time to kill it. If it drops a Scout Scalp, loot it and save it for our Sisters.
September 10, 02 - ESCAPE FROM BUTCHERBLOCK
September 9, 02 - HUNTING HALFLINGS FOR FUN & PROFIT
September 8, 02 - TRADESKILL TIPS - TAILORING
September 7, 02 - TRADESKILL TIPS - SMITHING -
September 6, 02 - TRADESKILL TIPS - POTTERY -
September 5, 02 - TRADESKILL TIPS - JEWELCRAFT -
September 4, 02 - TRADESKILL TIPS - FLETCHING -
September 3, 02 - TRADESKILL TIPS - BREWING -
September 2, 02 - TRADESKILL TIPS - BAKING - Here is the "Brute Force" method for raising your Baking Skill from 0 to 135:
Make Fish Rolls. Combine 1 Fresh Fish and 1 Batwing in a Spit or Oven. Just keep cranking out Fish Rolls until you reach Baking 135. It is that simple.
Both ingredients are cheap and easy to get. Many vendors sell Fresh Fish in unlimited quantities (Or you can catch them yourself, and practice Fishing, too). For the Batwings, go to EC and find Katha Firespinner. She is an Erudite in a hut (+234,+4730) near the Inn by the WC zone. She sells Batwings in unlimited quantities.
September 1, 02 - I have reached Level 44! My 10 new spells include Banish Undead (DD vs Undead), Earthquake (DD AoE - I LOVE these), Resist Magic (finally!), Restoration (75% Rez!), and Retribution (my first new general DD spell since level 29 - finally!).
August 31, 02 - FACTION TAPPING - If your intended faction-farm is being camped by someone else, here is a little trick you can use: First, equip your weakest nuke (I use Strike, a level 1 DD which hits for 8). Then, sit on the sidelines and watch as the other player or group fights. Each time they pull a MOB, sting it with your "baby" nuke. This will not rob any exp from the player(s) doing the actual fighting, but it will ensure that you share the faction boost when the MOB dies. This is a fun, relaxing way to raise faction, especially if you are feeling lazy. This is also a good way to raise faction when you are between levels 14 and 44, and not strong enough to farm faction efficiently.
(NOTE - Before you start tapping, be sure to explain to everyone involved exactly what you are doing. You do not want to be accused of kill-stealing)
August 30, 02 - FACTION FARMING - The best time for faction-farming (in my opinion) is from level 1 to 14, and from level 44 up. It is a matter of efficiency. From 1-14 you can still get exp for most of the MOBs you kill for faction. After level 14, the exp dries up but you are not strong enough to kill the MOBs fast enough to make faction-camping worthwhile. By level 44, though, most casters have acquired devastating AoE spells. Then you can train 20-30 Orcs, Gnolls, Bandits or Kobolds at one time, collect them all together in a tight little knot around yourself, fire off a big, fat AoE, and watch them topple like tenpins. Not only is this a good way to raise faction, it is an awful lot of fun!
(NOTE - The best way to train a MOB is to hit it with a spell, preferably a newbie-nuke. If you simply bonk it with a weapon, it will follow you, but after a while (especially if you lead it on a merry old chase) it will tend to lose interest and give up on you. But if you hit it with a spell, it will follow you relentlessly)
August 29, 02 - PLATINUM MINE - Recently, I put a little money-making idea into operation. I will outline it for you.
Several months ago I visited Runnyeye Citadel with the intention of taking advantage of its 20% exp bonus. Since I was already at a relatively high level at that time, I was able to penetrate to the deepest level of Runnyeye with no real aggro problem. There, I discovered a Goblin Banker (+16.00,+83.00), a Goblin Bartender (+75.00,+93.00) and two Goblin Merchants (+7.00,+129.00) and (+60.00,+139.00).
To me, there are few things in EQ as convenient as a place to bank and sell. I decided that, instead of raiding Runnyeye, I would build faction there, and establish the Citadel as a base for raids into the Misty Thicket (Note - the Goblin Merchants sell food and water).
To improve faction, I spent considerable time in the Gorge, killing Muddites and Minotaurs, and camping the Evil Eyes. This is worthwhile by itself. Besides the faction boost you get with Runnyeye, you can also collect some decent loot. The Muddites drop Heavy Clay and Muddite Mud(valuable ingredients for Pottery), and the Evil Eyes drop cash, gems, Words, Onyx Rings, Polished Bone Hoops, Polished Bone Bracelets, and all sorts of miscellaneous junk, including various quest items.
(WARNING - The Evil Eyes are dangerous Enchanters and (by my count) cast 20 different spells, including Summon Pet. Once you break the Evil Eye camp, the trick is to hit each EE as soon as it spawns, to prevent it from summoning a pet.)
Eventually I made a very happy discovery. When my faction with the Goblin Merchants reached "Amiable", they paid me as much for my loot as a "Max Ally" Merchant in Neriak! I love Goblins. Though I continue to improve my Runnyeye faction, I now concentrate on hunting Halfling guards in the Misty Thicket. Each one drops a Spear worth 10+pp and they spawn like crazy. When I have looted 15 spears or so (and can hardly run) I just nip down to the merchants in Runnyeye, sell the spears, bank the cash, and dash back to the Misty Thicket with no great time lost.
August 28, 02 - THE NECRO PROJECT - I cannot participate directly in this idea, because I am a Cleric. However, I am outlining it here so that you, my Necro Sisters, may act upon it, if you wish. The idea is based on two rules changes.
On June 5, 02, the Exp Rule regarding Pets was changed. Formerly, your Pet would steal a certain amount of exp from each kill. Now your Pet steals NO exp as long as you personally deal even a single point of damage (magic or melee) to the MOB.
On September 4, 02, the rules in regard to Spell Stacking were changed. Formerly, two different players could not cast the same DoT on the same MOB. Now every caster in a group can cast the same DoT on the same target, and EACH will take affect.
These changes gave me an idea.
Necros are generally considered to be the strongest solo class in EQ. Suppose six Necros group together? Because of the rules changes, they can now use ALL SIX Pets without worrying about an exp penalty. They can now ALL cast the SAME DoT SIMULTANEOUSLY. This would be a truly AWESOME group. The idea of six Pets rushing a MOB (which already has six DoTs gnawing away at it) is downright scary. So I am inviting you to put this idea into action. The ideal experiment would involve a full group of six Necros within a 6-level window (I encourage you to invite Necros from other Guilds, if necessary). Any problems you encounter will most likely involve combat spell-casting. Some spells interrupt each other, some spells neutralize each other, and some spells simply do not stack. You should concentrate on working out ways to avoid these problems. Personally, I think the best tactic would be...(1) Everyone DoTs (2) Everyone attacks with a Pet (3) Everyone plinks the target with their weakest Nuke to ensure that the Pets take NO exp (4) Everyone sits in the shade, lights up cigars, and watches the MOB die.
I am certain that Verant is unaware of this idea. They will almost certainly nerf it when they find out. I want you to have a chance to enjoy this idea and make the most of it, before Verant shuts it down.
Good luck to you all.
August 27, 02 -
August 26, 02 - SPARE CHANGE - EQ is deliberately designed so that you will always be short of money until level 30, when you are finally strong enough to hunt for serious loot. However, sources of quick cash do exist. Here are some MOBs you can mug:
...AQUA GOBLIN MARAUDERS (Butcherblock) - These are level 7-10, 6-minute spawns with about 100-150HP. They drop TONS of loot. Specific items to look for: Aqua Goblin Backbone, Aqua Goblin Blood Vial, Aqua Goblin Head, Dirjadak's Chipped Stein. They are all worth about 5pp each. For more information, see the entry for Sept 30.
(Tip courtesy of Fyrah / Sisterhood of Roses)
...PEG LEG (Bandit Camp (+250,+1655), Butcherblock) - He is a level 14-15, 12-minute spawn with about 375HP, and ALWAYS drops Dirjadak's Chipped Stein (NON-Lore), which is worth about 5pp.
WARNING - When Peg Leg dies, a lesser spirit (in Wolf Form) spawns over his corpse.
...RATRAZ (Maidens Fancy, Neriak 3rd Gate) - He is a level 19, 10-minute spawn, and ALWAYS drops a Warclub, which is worth about 5pp. He also drops decent cash and, sometimes, one or more items, including gems. He is VERY generous.
WARNING - Before you start mugging Ratraz, be sure to read the entry for August 10.
...KOBOLDS (The Warrens) - They are level 4-25, ?-minute spawns, and drop mostly junk, but they drop so MUCH junk that, if you keep collecting it and selling it, the pp really begins to add up. And, sometimes, they drop something nice, like Soft Wicker Armor and various Japanese weapons (which sell for good pp).
(WARNING - Do NOT fall into The Pit outside Paineel)
...BOGLING SCOUTS (Echo Caverns) - They are level 22-24, ?-minute spawns, and drop weapons (Mallets, Spears, War Spears & Battlespears) which are worth about 5pp. The weapons are Lore, but it does not really matter because you can sell them to vendors in the same zone.
August 25, 02 - I have jboots! My heartfelt thanks to Azazal (who camped the Ancient Cyclops), to Treelilly (for tracking Hasten Bootstrutter in the Rathe Mountains), and to Alazatia, who rode shotgun and pitched in with everyone to kill Shadowed Men in WC.
August 24, 02 - NUTS & BOLTS - BASIC EQ LORE - An hour in Norrath is exactly three (3) minutes in RealTime.
In Norrath, clouds always travel from East to West.
If you drop an edged weapon on the ground anywhere in Norrath, the "business end" of the weapon will always point North.
August 23, 02 - DANCING WITH TRAVIS - In the Nektulos Forest, there is a Human Bard named Travis Two Tone. He stands at the base (-2230,-305) of the south wall near the entrance to East Commons, and never patrols. He is a level 25, 20-minute spawn with about 825HP. He casts no spells, but he hits hard. He drops some cash and, occasionally, a Word or Rune.
Travis does not spawn quickly enough to qualify as a "sweet camp", but he is an excellent source of "run-by" exp.
Or, you can do what I did. Each time I killed Travis, I set a timer for 20 minutes. Then I hunted for silk or pelts, or practiced Fishing off the Nektulos Bridge. When the 20 minutes was up, I ran back and killed Travis again (This drove run-by visitors and casual hunters crazy. Thanks to my system, they must have thought that Travis was not spawning at all...Teehee).
August 22, 02 - DANCING WITH ICEFANG ("SWEET CAMP") - In the Eastern Wastes there is a Dire Wolf named Icefang. He stands inside a hut (-8100, +3245) at the Coldain Camp southeast of Kael entrance, and never patrols. He is a level 38-39, 12-minute spawn with about 2550HP. He casts no spells, but he hits hard. He drops no important loot, but, more importantly, gives NO faction hits.
This is a VERY sweet camp for 44+ solo hunters. The biggest advantage is this: The Coldain Camp is "aggro-free"! No MOBs ever wander dangerously close. Nothing will "add" on you while you fight Icefang. And in between fights you can med and heal in perfect safety. Also, while you are waiting for Icefang to spawn you can hunt Ulthorks and Walruses west of the Camp, or Wooly Mammoths, Wooly Rhinos and Frost Giants east of the Camp. Everything gives good exp, and the Ulthorks drop some decent loot, including Velium weapons.
(CUTE TRICK - Icefang HATES Frost Giants. If you pull a FG to the camp, Icefang will help you kill it. This is a little tricky, but if you deal over 50% damage to the FG and get in the killing shot, you will get exp. Otherwise, Icefang will KS you. Also, if Icefang still has 51% of his health left after the fight, you can kill HIM for exp. Note - Icefang will NOT protect you against any other type of MOB)
(WARNING - Do NOT attack Icefang if Korrigain is up. Korrigain is an Undead Coldain with a soft spot for Icefang (They have a long, sad history together). He spawns just north of the Camp (-7970,+3250) at 10pm GameTime, and despawns at 7am GameTime. If you attack Icefang during this period, Korrigain will give you good reason to regret it)
(Tip courtesy of Sister Vaampira)
August 21, 02 - DANCING WITH HAPP ("SWEET CAMP") - In Lesser Faydark there is a Gnome Mage named Happ Dremblenod. She stands outside the Gnome Huts near Steamfont entrance, and never patrols. She is a level 35, 6-minute spawn with about 850-1000HP. She casts fire-based spells and summons an Elemental. She drops no loot, but, more importantly, gives NO faction hits.
Happ gives excellent solo exp from level 44 through 47 (48 if you squeeze her dry). Although she has only 1000HP at most, this is deceptive. If you do not kill her quickly, she can REALLY hurt you, especially if her Pet is up. Happ is dangerous enough, in fact, that I can recommend this camp to you ONLY if you have a DD spell which does close to 500 damage. Once you break the camp, attack her as soon as she spawns, to prevent her from casting a Pet. If you do that, Happ has three random responses. She will either rush you, cast upon you, or summon a Pet anyway. So, even if you do everything right, there is a possibilty that you will be facing a Pet. In that case, kill the Pet first. It has about 500HP.
(WARNING - Do NOT approach the Gnome Huts. If you do, Happ's fellow Gnomes will aggro all over you, and they are ALL casters. Simply stand near Steamfont entrance (I usually position myself at +1135,-1890) and pull Happ with a spell.
(WARNING - BEWARE OF EQUESTRIELLE - Equestrielle the Corrupted is a crazed, black mare who gallops around the zone, looking for someone - anyone - to kill. She is officially listed as level 40, but this is almost certainly an under-con. She debuffs, hits for 112, and Harm Touches for 401. She has been known to cast Lifetap, Heat Blood and other SK spells. And she runs faster than SoW.
If Equestrielle attacks you, simply zone into Steamfont as fast as you can.)
(Tip courtesy of Qixid)
August 20, 02 - DANCING WITH RUATHEY - In Lavastorm there is a Barbarian named Ruathey. She stands on the south wall (-1515,+280) near the entrance to the Nektulos Forest, and never patrols. She is a level 32-35, ?-minute spawn with about 2250HP. She casts no spells, but she hits hard. She drops no loot, but, more importantly, gives NO faction hits.
Ruathey does not spawn fast enough to qualify as a "Sweet Camp", but she is good for some "run-by" exp.
August 19, 02 - RAIDING POLICY - The Sisterhood of Thorns is NOT a raiding guild (not yet, anyway). We are a loose sorority of (mainly) solitary hunters. If you feel the urge to raid, I recommend "piggy-backing." Check with our allied guilds. If a raid is on their schedule (or already in progress) you may ask permission to join.
RAID COURTESY - Take one or more Peridots as a gift for each Cleric in the host group. Peridots are expensive, but they buy a lot of goodwill.
August 18, 02 - MAPS ARE A MUST - If you do not have maps of Norrath at hand, you are playing with a serious handicap. Without a map, it is very difficult to find your way around an unfamiliar zone. Needless to say, this is also a very dangerous way to go exploring. And if you die, the /loc of your body is relatively useless without a map to pinpoint the coordinates. I NEVER enter a new zone without a map (unless one is simply unavailable). Even if I am in a newbie zone I know well, I like to have a map handy, in case I have to give or take directions for some reason. I STRONGLY urge all of you to go the EQ Atlas website and begin downloading maps (as you need them). Thanks to the new Compass feature, maps are more useful than ever.
August 17, 02 - I have completed the PotC Quest!
August 16, 02 - CREATING A MULE
August 15, 02 - MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR BANK - If you have Shadows of Luclin, this is easy. Go to the Bazaar and find Merchant Tekrama (-760,-25). He sells Trader Satchels. They are cheap, 10-slot containers with GIANT capacity. They weigh 25lbs, which makes them worthless as backpacks, but they are PERFECT as liners for bank slots. If you do NOT have SoL, there is an alternative, but it involves a long, dangerous trip. Go to Iceclad (in Velious) and locate the Gnome Pirates at the Igloo Outpost (+4500,+1250).
(WARNING - BEWARE OF THE SNOW COUGARS)
Find Adinel Jailbar (+4536,+1286). He is easy to spot because he is wearing what appears to be (VERY incongruously) a Fremen still-suit. He sells Deluxe Tool Boxes, which are cheap, 10-slot containers with GIANT capacity.
August 14, 02 - GETTING YOUR JBOOTS (How to Camp the Ancient Cyclops in South Ro) - At precisely 10PM (GameTime), kill whatever you find in the Ruined Temple (-365,-225). Then, from 10PM to 5AM (GameTime), kill every Undead MOB you find in the zone. Sometime during that period, the Ancient Cyclops will spawn. Kill him and loot the Ring of the Ancients. Note - Several of our Sisters report that the AC tends to spawn in the NE corner of the zone.
(Tip courtesy of Azazal)
August 13, 02 - URGENT WARNING - Tragically, Sister Effany's char is now under the control of a hostile player (her (ex?)boyfriend) named Mellifleur. He may try to harm the guild by inciting arguments, hurting peoples feelings, or even recruiting unqualified members. Please stay alert for trouble. Sister Effany is no longer the char we know and love.
August 12, 02 - DANCING WITH VHALEN ("SWEET CAMP") - In South Karana there is a Human Bard named Vhalen Nostrolo. He stands near Vhalen's Well (-50,-120) and never patrols. He is a level 31+, 6-minute spawn with about 1325HP. He casts no spells, but he hits VERY hard.
Vhalen is excellent solo exp for those in their upper 30s (Necros can start camping him at 35). NOTE - There is a little tree at (-225,-220). If you stand there, you will conveniently be at maximum spell range.
August 11, 02 - TWISTING WITH DARK & DRIZDA ("SWEET CAMP") - In the Innothule Swamp, there is a Human Bard named Dark Deathsinger. He stands at the base (-2595,+175) of the south wall near the entrance to Grobb, and never patrols.
In the Feerott, there is another Bard - a Half-Elf named Drizda Tunesinger. She stands at the base (-1170,-2920) of the east wall near the entrance to the Innothule, and never patrols.
Both Bards are level 25, 20-minute spawns with 800-850HP. They cast no spells, but they hit hard (Drizda seems to be marginally tougher). They drop some cash and, occasionally, a Word or Rune.
By themselves, neither Bard spawns quickly enough to qualify as a "Sweet Camp." The trick is to camp both of them simultaneously ("Twisting" is EQ slang for camping two or more sites at the same time). Simply kill one, med and heal, then run and kill the other. This tactic effectively turns them into 10-minute spawns. And they give excellent exp.
This camp offers other advantages, too. In the Innothule, you can practice Swimming by taking a short-cut between Dark and the entrance to the Feerott. And you can practice Fishing in the swamp while you med.
August 10, 02 - DANCING WITH RATRAZ ("SWEET CAMP") - In Neriak 3rd Gate, inside The Maiden's Fancy, there is a Troll bouncer named Ratraz. He stands near the bar (+890,-1423) in the first room, but sometimes he goes outside on patrol up to the ramparts above the city, where he stands (+720,-1410) for a few minutes overlooking the Rogue Guild Hall, and then returns to The Maiden's Fancy. He is a level 19, 10-minute spawn, with about 575HPs.
Once you reach level 20, you will DEFINITELY want to camp Ratraz. He gives excellent loot and excellent exp in a safe, cozy environment with NO aggro problem. He is one of the sweetest camps in Norrath. Many Sisters have taken advantage of him. So many, in fact, that "Dancing with Ratraz" has become almost a guild rite-of-passage. I, personally, leveled on Ratraz from 20 through 26. WARNING - Before you camp Ratraz, do the Red Wine Quest (Aug 2) first. Then, during the camp, keep your faction repaired by giving Red Wine to Lokar every 3rd kill or so. According to my own calculations, if you kill Ratraz 4 times, exactly 21 bottles of Red Wine will repair the faction. Cheap and easy.
August 9, 02 - DANCING WITH ROLYNN ("SWEET CAMP") - In Neriak Foreign Quarter, there is a Dark Elf guard named Rolynn B'Div. He stands near Chon Chon the Ogre girl at The Smuggler's Inn, but sometimes he goes on patrol up to the second floor of Market View and back. He is a level 10, 6-minute spawn, with about 250HPs.
Rolynn is interesting because he is on Indigo Brotherhood faction, while all the other guards in the zone are on DreadGuard faction. This creates an opportunity. If you do not mind losing faction with Indigo Brotherhood (I am KOS with them, but it has been no handicap to date), you can camp Rolynn for some fast, easy exp in a safe environment. He drops no money, but, rarely, he will drop a Fine Steel Dagger or, more rarely, a Fine Steel Rapier or, very rarely, a Fine Steel Spear. They all sell for good platinum. Also, you gain faction with Emerald Warriors, Steel Warriors & Primordial Malice.
(WARNING - If you decide to camp Rolynn, I strongly recommend that you do the Red Wine Quest (Aug 2) first, just to make sure that no other guards aggro on you)
August 8, 02 - OPAL ENCRUSTED STEINS - So many new recipes have been patched into EQ recently that a few good ones (with some interesting uses) have been generally overlooked. One of the best is the Opal Encrusted Stein (CHA25, MANA10). It can be carried in the Primary or Secondary slot. Here is the trick: If you equip TWO (for a whopping CHA+50), you will get better prices (by roughly 20%) whenever you buy from, or sell to, an NPC vendor.
August 7, 02 - TIPS FOR DARK ELF NEWBIES - First of all, forget about leveling in the Nektulos Forest. It is the most dangerous newbie field in Norrath and always has been. Recent patches have only made it even more dangerous. If you try to hunt in the Forest, you will die and die and die. Fortunately, there is a good alternative. Put your head down and run to West Freeport. If you have access to some money, you can do the Red Wine Quest (see Entry for Aug 2).
August 6, 02 - Sister Mortality has completed the first 2 Coldain Shawl Quests. Many thanks to Sister Paigee, who provided all the Toes and Heads.
August 5, 02 - Today I completed the First(Burlap) and Second(Cloth) Coldain Prayer Shawl Quests. I am deeply grateful to Sister Paigee for her help. If you wish to begin the Shawl Quests, you need Apprehensive Faction with Coldain, 4 Frost Giant Toes (for the First Shawl) and 10 Frost Giant Heads (for the Second Shawl).
IMPORTANT - If you have finished the first 2 Quests, but you are still hunting Frost Giants, please save your extra Toes and Heads for other Sisters.
August 4, 02 - EXPERIENCE BONUS - A few zones in Norrath award a certain percentage of extra experience. These zones (with the exp percentage) are: Mines of Nurga (12%), Temple of Droga (12%), Befallen (13%), Najena (13%), Permafrost Keep (13%), Solusek's Eye / Sol A (13%), Splitpaw (13%), Kaesora (18%), Kerra Isle (20%), Runnyeye Citadel (20%), The Hole (25%)
August 3, 02 - As of today, Punmietz is the official leader of the Sisterhood of Roses (Terine stepping down). This is very good news for us. Ever since I formally declared the Thorns independent from the Roses, Punmietz has steadfastedly and wholeheartedly supported my vision for the Thorns. I look forward to working closely with her for the mutual benefit of both guilds.
August 3, 02 - Today, the Sisterhood of Thorns entered into a Formal Alliance with the Sisterhood of Roses (at the Roses' invitation). I want to make one thing very clear. This is NOT a merger. The Thorns are NOT rejoining the Rose family.
The Thorns still retain their (fierce) independence.
Both guilds still retain very different philosophies.
But the Thorns and Roses will now work together (as equal partners) to pool resources on various quests for the benefit of all. Our first mutual target is the mammoth POTC Multi-Quest. Our goal is to see that every Thorn and every Rose acquires an Earring of the Solstice (AC5 - STA5 - WIS8 - INT8 - HP55 - MANA55 - SvF5 - SvC5 - SvM5 - Flowing Thought 1 - All / All - Lore - No Drop).
August 2, 02 - THE RED WINE QUEST - This is an excellent way to raise faction in Neriak and the Nektulos Forest. Buy several stacks of Red Wine. Go to the Library in Neriak 3rd Quarter. In a small room you will find Lokar To'Biath (+895,-1245). Give him the Red Wine. He will accept 1-4 bottles (unstacked) at a time [WARNING - Lokar has been nerfed. He used to accept 16 bottles - 4 stacks of 4. No more]. For each bottle you will receive exp and gain faction with Dark Bargainers (EVERY merchant in Neriak, and EVERY Dark Elf merchant in Norrath), DreadGuard Inner and DreadGuard Outer. Repeat until you max out the factions. There are NO negative faction hits. This is also an excellent way for a level 1 newbie to reach level 4 or 5. Every member of the Sisterhood of Thorns should make an attempt to do this quest.
August 1, 02 - I have made a momentous decision. I am going to promote every single Thorn to Officer. We will be a true Guild of Equals. As Guild Mistress, I will merely be first among equals.
I am doing this for two reasons. First, to promote guild growth. If, at any given time, only one Thorn is in Norrath, she will be able to recruit new members. I have never forgotten the lonely days before I became Guild Mistress, when I was the sole active member, but not an officer. I was forced to turn away many potential recruits.
Second, and more importantly, I am doing this to destroy any possibility of a political hierarchy developing within the Thorns. I DESPISE hierarchies and everything associated with them - Inner Circles, Supreme Councils...I reject them all. They serve absolutely no purpose, except to foster resentment and frustration among the rank and file.
The Thorns do not need anyone to give them orders. They know what needs to be done and they do it well.
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Classified
If you loot the Kilij Plans off a sand giant in SRo, please save them for me. I need the plans for a good quest in Kelethin.
If you are having trouble finding rare drops needed for your Dark Elf newbie armor, I have the followings items:
20 Ash Drakeling Scales
9 Pristine Ash Drakeling Scales
4 DF Orc Templar Scalp
4 DF Orc Scout Scalp
4 Pristine Pyre Beetle Carapace
Sister Kucla has an alt named Fluffer who can buy Tradeskill (mainly Baking) items in JaggedPine.
Sister Alezahrahh has a stockpile of Polished Bone Hoops and Polished Bone Bracelets which she will share with our Sisters.
Sister Lindrai is practicing her Baking skill. She needs Eggs (all kinds) and Frost Giant Meat, if you do not need them yourself.
I, Roseworm, will help any young Sister who is trying to collect her newbie armor.
Sister Ischarde is looking for Shaman-wearable armor with good AC / HP.
If you are NOT a Cleric or Wizard, please save any Peridots you loot for Sister Paigee.
Sister Vaampira is giving away Black Ceramic Bands (Effect: Lifetap) to our Necro Sisters. Feel free to ask her for one.
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