Moondog: Carn Dum Carnage! [pt. 3]

Pressing further into the wretched society that the Witch King had built around his orcs, trolls, and other abominations, we encountered much more resistance. Slaves toiled away at vile industry, mining and pumping digusting toxins into the river, turning it bright green and ominous. Simply setting foot in in the poisoned waters would bring an adventurer irrevocably to their knees in disgust and despair.

Yet this vile spew marked our path. We had to infiltrate the city's sewers. But, while such an environment was hopelessly caustic to most decent living things, horrible creatures actually thrived there, like giant slugs!

We pushed through the creeping slimy filth and into the basement of one of the lesser keeps of Carn Dum. We would have to defeat the petty warlord that abode there, and the smattering of servants alotted him that tried feebly to hinder our righteous advance on the capitol of Angmar.

Their resistance was trivial, as exemplified by the poor wretched Pale-folk.

We emerged from the first keep into the streets of Carn Dum proper. There were many crooked roads leading into dark neighborhoods. It was a decidedly urban area that was paradoxically the lead habitably place we'd ever seen. The horror of imagining everyday life here for the Angmarim chilled my soul. No wonder the Enemy had to use the ever present thread of terror, pain, and dread to keep it's society and war-machine rolling.

The scene before us, a Cargul surrounded by supplicating Angmarim priests in the town square must be a regular occurance.

Seeing the Cargul reminded me of poor Amdir... who fell and succumbed to the terrible enslavement of the Nazgul what seemed so long ago. Had we really released his soul? Or did HE prowl these dark streets too, master to even more wretched barely living things?


We knew our struggle to liberate this land had hardly begun.

Moondog: Carn Dum Carnage! [pt. 2] Anatomy of a Beat-Down

Down in the slave pits of Carn Dum, Angmarim, Pale Folk, and Trolls alike slave away in the vile industry of Angmar. The water here is so poluted it glows green and is so toxic that any adventurer who steps one foot in it will overcome and defeated from disease, poison, and dread. What's even more terrifying, though, is that some abominations thrive in this vile spew.

The taskmasters of the slaves are generally patrolling Uruks. These are the fierces warriors of Orc-kind. They may seem from their posture and intelligence less bestial than their less-developed kin, but they are in fact the most barbaricly monstrous fighters to be found in Middle Earth.

This Uruk Lieutenant tried to stop our attempts to free slaves from their prisons in the work area. He found out that despite his skill at combat, the Council's duty was more righteous than his, and we would see it done. Man Guardian Bryandt, Dwarf Champion Gonhsar, and Woman Champion Kaelin drive the point home.

Hobbit Minstrel Moondog sings a song of courage and battle that motivates our heroes to strike with more strength and do more damage with their melee attacks.

Kaelin's blow connects first as the Uruk spins around to respond to Bryandt's taunt. Meanwhile, Gonhsar winds up a double-helping of whoopass.

Gonhsar's fury lands on the Uruk's back, clobbering him a good one. Bryandt brings his spear round for a bite.

The powerful but slow Uruk sets to swing his mace at Bryandt's helmet while Gonhsar and Kaelin reset their fighting stance to strike again. Bryand sees the opening the Uruk has left in his defense.

Bryandt drives his spear into the Uruks gut. Kaelin quickly pounces.

The Uruk is completely harried and overwhelmed. Our heroes quickly finish him off.

As soon as he is smote, another charges in, trying to catch us unprepared. He is met with the combined force of all our warriors, delivered in one fellowship maneuver of ultimate power and precision. His world is rocked to it's evil core!

THAT made him mad! He unleashes a terrible frenzied battle cry to try to unnerve and unsettle our heroes. But they do not waver, and he is ultimately defeated like all the monsters before him.

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!

Ravric: Great Barrow-Downs Romp I

While much was accomplished with the fellowship between Ravric, a captain of little legend, and Moondog, a minstrel of great legend (including saving a moronic hobbit woman in the Barrow downs from and saving some stupid brigand lover, again woman, from being passed around by brigands), we took a large romp through one of the dungeons in Eriador: The Great Barrow.

The dungeon is full of elite spiders, wights, and gaunt men (as far as I know men that have been so infused with evil Melkor energy that they became Evil). I was under-leveled for the dungeon, and Moondog was way over-leveled. That meant that Billdo and I, basically hit 50% of the time and did very little damage to anything, while Moondog, the minstrel, took most things out. It took us awhil to get our method, but I did the best by using the skill Telling Mark, that is supposed to increase damage done to the marked foe. And so we killed them...

Moondog was mostly the tank, and felt it many times... but his morale rarely got below 80%, no matter the swarm we pulled.

Our first boss fight was against Thadur the Ravager a gaunt man elite. He possessed one half of the skeleton key that I needed for the dungeon. Thadur came at us, and when lost so much of his morale, he would call his goon wights in and run away for a second or two. We were doing quite well until the goon wights in the last bit go really lucky and dazed Moondog for quite some time. I staggered (ready to retreat), but Moondog made it out of the event before he too fell (he ran out of Power). The next time we faced the boss (minutes later and more readily buffed), we were much better prepared for the goon wights. Thadur went down quickly.

We made it quickly to the bosses that had the next half of the skeleton key (having been through nearly the whole dungeon and enemy patrols to find Thadur. Unfortunately, Moondog ran out of juice really quickly, and we had to retreat to the end. I will save our triumph over evil for another day. We ran out of the Great Barrow, and found ourselves face to face with a fellowship that most likely would triumph.

We had a great play session, and while we could not complete the dungeon, we did accomplish much. I tried out some new software that would take screenshots every 30 seconds. It worked out quite well, and it gave me tons of screenshots I would normally not get. I just have to remember to also take screenshots manually as well. Here is my favorite timed screenshot:

Moondog: Haudh Iarchith

My posts frankly won't be as finely hand-crafted as Rav's. I plan to just info and image dump on y'all. Hope that works out for ya. ;-}

Well yesterday old Moondog Shewsbane, Hobbit Minstrel by trade and Councilman of the Secret Fire, took a trip with some of his kinmates to one of the deepest, darkest, dreadfullest dungeons in the acursed Barrow Downs: Haudh Iarchith

The Barrow Downs were the great battlefields and then later burrial grounds of the hubric heathen kings of ancient Eriador. These were men but not Men of the west. Their avarice drew their mighty kingdoms down in corruption and conflict and now here they lie, damned to forever haunt their elaborate tombs.

You can gain reputation with the Men of Bree faction by cleansing fell places such as this on the fringes of their homeland and bringing back relics by which to remember the solemn history of the region.

At any rate... here's a taste of the unpleasant but dramatic and daring adventure we had. (click images for larger size)

I swear it was a bright sun-shiney day trapsing over the farmland of Bree to get to the Barrow Downs... now everything seems so bleak.


In the midst of the dark tunnels of ancient kings, Dwarven Hunter Buldori keeps a keen eye and a quick trigger finger for what evils lurk in the shadows.


In a grand chamber our party is accosted by the wights who were once great men, trapped too long in unending horror of their own greed and obsession. Elven Lore-Master Gorandir, followed by his faithful Raven companion charge down this stairway to aid our Champions in combat.

A whole section of catacombs has been overrun not by the dead, but infested by another ancient evil, giant spiders. Woman Champion Kaelin (she knows how to swing that big-ol' axe!) takes on this one while Elven Champion Zenaidura squishes another and Hobbit Hunter Jesla plinks away!


Where does this stair lead? An unfinished and flooded tomb? What horrors lurk down here?