Ravric: Troll's Teeth

First, check out Disseminated's post containing a new first for our humble blog: VIDEO. There is a deed in the Lonelands that requires you to kill level 24-26 elite trolls from the Balt-Olog clan. To complete the deed through both stages you need to kill 180 of the fat beasts.

I set up my first event with my guild Council of the Secret Fire to just try and have a good time grinding together. I was a little worried about whether it would be fun or tiresome because normally the grinding activities are done solo.

It was a lot of fun. We started with four or five people from the guild, and we had our core group including myself, but players started rotating in and out depending on how many they wanted to kill, etc. The best part was we also had a burglar in our group, a person that can make fellowship maneuvers. Fellowship maneuvers are very powerful events that require the coordination of every member of the group to get the most juice of the event. Basically when a fellowship maneuver pops up every person in the group can pick 1 of 4 colors, and the order which those colors are picked creates a certain fellowship move. It is almost like a simple mini-game within the overlying game.

It felt to me that this was a taste of what Public Quests coming in Warhammer Online would feel like. As you stayed longer throughout the Public Quest you would begin to develop more of a relationship with others that stayed longer, however, new blood would continuously be coming in. So, I think even if you are doing a repetitious activity, this style of play keeps it fresh.

I look forward to more activities like this once in awhile. It makes grinding things out a lot more fun.

Moondog: Smiting Trolls in Harloeg

The foul abominations were running amok down in the swamps of the Lone-lands. Sure, they didn't bother anyone there, but it was clear they were gathering in preparation for an attack on the civilized realms!

Luckily Ravric mustered Councilmen Moondog, Lorthalin, Ferimgard, and some local allies to go clean up that mess!

Ravric: Garth a'goin

Members of the Council of the Secret Fire, led by the oath-sworn originators of the Council - Slashy and Moondog, joined as a fellowship in Ost Guruth with intentions of going into the Garth Agarwen instance to help with some of the quests. The fellowship was fairly well balanced, and there was really no trouble (read: we steamrolled the sucka) with two overleveled members. Especially with a minstrel of such a level. I was lucky to have come along, being a tad underleveled, but since a captain's job is to mostly make the other members better, I didn't have to worry much about my DPS or what not.

Garth Agarwen, like many MMO dungeons, is a melting pot of enemy factions. In our short romp, we mostly hit the Creoth tribes, and only at the end of our journey did we start hitting the Dead.

Like I mentioned earlier, we had relatively no trouble with any of the bosses. Fellowship manuevers were flying left and right with Slashy's burglar skills, and Moondog's healing (minimally supplemented by yours truly) dealt with the high-speed, over-agroing of the two hunters and the champion. It was fairly obvious we were a "green" group of dungeon dwellers, but once Slashy started to control our pace, I felt we started doing pretty well. The Grimbark encounter was over so quickly, I had no idea what was going on.

Unfortunately by the time we got to the twins, Edan and Esyld - two wights that drop a pretty good chest. It was getting late, and after the short battle, Moondog and I had to sign off for some much needed rest. I was lucky enough to gain the zweihander Aegrist from the Brother's Chest - a two-handed sword with pretty good damage. I checked out the forums, and people said it used to be awesome as a level 30 or 31 req, but now it is a level 34 req, which people say makes it much weaker. Time will tell, when I get to that level.

Moondog: Carn Dum Carnage! [pt. 1]

Looking out from the Ranger enclave of Garth Forthnir the grim desolation of the Witch-King can be seen in the wastes of Angmar. We must march now on Carn Dum and see if we may depose the King's Steward, Mordirith, who still plagues these lands in his master's absence.

It is a long road into the city. Our first view upon exiting the wilderness is a long uphill road towards Carn Dum proper. Images of the terrible spectacle of fell armies of Orcs and Trolls and even worse marching endlessly out of this evil city's throat are enough to quake the hearts of our heroes, yet compel us further in. Woman Champion Kaelin, Man Guardian Bryandt, Dwarf Champion Gonhsar, Hobbit Minstrel Meijha, Elf Lore-Master Gorandir, and Hobbit Minstrel Moondog charge to their destiny!

The road has watchers. Mighty trolls and wicked Men try to waylay our advance. Dwarven Champion Gonhsar narrowly avoids the giant beast's mace blow. Cobble stones are kicked up by the impact. Brayndt and Kaelin charge in while Gorandir conjures some scientific machination to turn the tables.

This troll keeps the first gate to the city with power and rage. But, he is no match for the righteous fury of the Council of the Secret Fire! Man Guardian Bryandt and Gonshar harry him.

We make our way into the outskirts of the accursed capital city of the Enemy. Gorandir and his Eagle Companion Zorandir hurry to meet his friends in the deadly square.

This street is guarded by Goblins. Extremely tough little bastards! It takes even Woman Champion Kaelin, Gohnsar, and Bryandt a while of wailing on this one to continue on our way.

Kaelin et al. are surrounded by the gnarly Goblins. They don't have much trouble plowing through.

The wonders of the world never cease! The fellowship's quest is so righteous, and their might so noble, that an Oath-Breaker spirit choses this moment to redeem his wretched soul and aid our cause to defeat the Orcs of Angmar!

The closer we get to the city proper the more vicious terrors we encounter! At the imposing gates of Carn Dum this behemoth guardian provides the ultimate defense!

Of course... the Beast was no match for us in the end...

To be continued!