Welp, busy busy time lately. Where to begin?

Firstly, went out with MrNewby to show him the Valkurm Dunes glitch. I visitted this glitch before, even used this glitch when dealing with gil sellers. MrNewby thought it was pretty cool.

I then went out and finally finished the Purple Belt quest. As a 69 MNK, everything I needed to kill was a massive pushover. I also went a bit on a questing binge, since I was getting so many Rare/EX items that I had no idea what they were for. I found I had half of the items needed for a quest in Alteppa, so I went and visitted the gob who starts the quest. I also wrapped up a few Windhurst quests I had had for a while.

I then went and helped a few people with 5-1. The hope was they would in turn help me with 5-2, but that didn't work out. See, I had never done 5-2 because real life things prevented me from doing them. So I was a bit desperate to get help for 5-2. We started out to 5-1 during a snow storm, and we had a decent party of both LS and non-LS members. The trip was boringly uneventful as no one was low enough to get aggro. We made it to the burning circle and switched to our 50-cap gear for battle.

Upon entering, we buffed and fought the Archlich. Now, I've done this battle a few times, and knew what to expect as a Monk. Needless to say, the others didn't and we died. We did try again with a BRD replacing our RDM (who didn't need the battle anyway) and we had more success with the horde slept.

After this, I finally convinced fellow clan members to help me with my Shadow Lord fight, and we headed out. Killed some elementals on the way, and made it to Castle Zvahl Baileys without any problems. Inside we had a couple people who needed sneak (Thersty was 67, and Cyclonus was 66) but everyone else was able to move aggro free. We came to the doorway that led to the bridge to Shadow Lord's fortress. We then rested to full at the entrance to the battle itself.

The battle was a pushover. We only had 5 people, but our lowest job was 66. We pretty much creamed the Shadowlord who just couldn't seem to hurt us much. At the end of his first form, when he hit invincible we just nuked the crap out of him. I actually dealt the final blow with Chi Blast for 600+ points of damage.

After we beat him, we ascended again for Darkkit, who also needed the battle. The acsent we even easier because Thersty (who had needed sneaking) sat this battle out. Darkkit was a 65 SMN so, once again, we were overly prepared. Once again, the battle was not a problem even with only 5 people, except this time I was delegated to the butt so that Cyclonus (BRD) could keep his songs seperated. After the battle, we celebrated at the entrance to the castle where I took some footage for a clan movie.

After this battle, Darkkit and I wanted to try some BCNMs. So I loaded up my level 20 MNK gear and headed out. We did BCNM 20: Charming Trio a couple of times, then went to Pal. Mines to meet up with Palandra and try the crabs one. We came very close to winning, but Palandra mis-timed a Hi-Potion cast and we lost our NIN. With the NIN down, there was not much we could do.

As I said, I was gathering footage for a new clan movie. Well, I needed footage of some dead bodies in Promy so we headed out and did that. Wound up getting some great stuff :-)

Where's Maior?!

Finally, rounded out the week trying to level up WHM. I decided to level up with my NPC since I will have a hard time in the low levels as a Galka WHM. Killed stuff in the Sarus, and generally had great success. Made it from 7-10 quite easily.

Then I moved to the canyon where a bad pull and a link of two "Tough" birds sullied the whole experience. So I gave up for the week.

Busy weekend.

Started the weekend out leveling my WHM some more. Got to 12 or 13 (I forget which) with my NPC and was doing chain #2's off of EM and T Crawlers in the Canyon. The only trouble was I had to compete with people farming them for silk, which made it difficult sometimes. Eventually I had to move to Dhalmels because the Crawlers had become DC. The Dhalmels were harder because they hit so damned hard and have such high HP pools. Dropped down to chain #1's, if I was lucky. Then a bad link killed off me and my NPC, so I called it a day for my WHM.

I then went out with Arb and Cyclonus to farm for keys in Castle Oz. It was for someone's AF, but I forget whether it was Arb's or Cyc's. Killed lots o' nasty Yagudos. This shot looks like I am serenading one. After we got the key, we decided to wrap up my MNK AF (finally) by killing the MNK NM needed for it. Huu Xalmo was tricky, he had over 30,000 HP and did Hundred Fists, during which Arb commented it was a battle of the monks. But we were victorious and I finally got my orange shorts. I guess I do look pretty bad ass with full MNK AF.

After the key & AF run, we had another Clan Garrison. We had pretty decent turnout considering we're so close to the holidays. We only did 4 runs, and our pool is substantially smaller than it has been in the past, but I can't deny that doing 4 runs is a lot easier than doing 8+ :-)

After Garrison, I went with Darkkit who wanted to get me an Xmas present of a Mannequin Head. Somewhere, off in the distance of this shot, Darkkit is being slaughtered by 3 nasty pugs. Stupid pugs. Oh well, it's the thought that counts. Besides, Dark's now sacrificed 40 beastman seals trying to get this for me. I really don't want her to try again (it'd be easier for us just to go and do Charming Trio and then sell the hands so I can buy the head :-)

After the failed Shooting Fish attempt, I headed out with Dark to help her get her coffer key at Temple of Ugglapith. We teleported and ran through the Jungle. I haven't been here in a very long time, and was shocked to find everything Too Weak with only a few Easy Preys as we neared the temple. We wound up wandering around the temple a bit because no one knew where to find the mobs we needed. In fact, it was pretty hilarious because we had all these stupid 70+ players that somehow didn't know the first thing about moving around without aggro.

We eventually found the spot we needed, and got Dark her key. Unfortunately, both she and I died a couple of times in the process. I wound up tanking most of the night even though we had a WAR/NIN and a PLD both past 70. Throat stab is pretty bad when you're a 69 MNK.... but what ultimately did me in was a freaking Temple Bee's "Final Sting" which one-hit killed me.

Started out the week in Tam's ENM monday event. We kicked ass... of course. We also kicked ass in Thersty's static. Between these and Hilk's on Sunday (that I was unable to join) we managed to get Arb through his Promy missions within 3 days of purchasing the CoP expansion. How many people can do that? :-)

On our way out of Thersty's tower, we found a fought good old Goblin Archeologist. He's kind of anti-climactic now-adays because so many of us are 65+. But we fight him whenever we see him anyway because of getting our ass kicked at 40 by him :-)

Then, I did a little quest that wasn't too terribly important... I shouldn't mention it because it really is so non-important.... But I'll talk about it anyway...

I went to a certain BCNM naked and traded something called a "testimony". When I entered in, there was this fuddy little old man called Maat. Anyway... I kicked his ass up one side and down the other. It was my first try (obviously, because I haven't mentioned it here before). You can read more about it (and see my video of it) by checking here.... You know... if you're interested :-)

After my fight with Maat, I went back to wrap up the quest with the old man. As the sun set on Ru'Lude Gardens, I left Maat a free man. No longer would I be chained to him every five levels for limit break quests.

I then went out and leveled with Cyclonus. We were in a mediocre bones party in Gustav. While we were there Ungur spawned. We called in Arb and an alliance to kill it while Cyc and I watched.

After the party, I traveled to the Safehold to prepare for the 3rd clan CoP 2-3/2-5 event. As usual, most were not ready, so many of us went in to fight Fomors for subs while we waited. We ultimately didn't have enough to do 2-5 afterwards, but we managed to get another 5 people through 2-3 at least. After this, we teleported out and popped the Gobline Archeologist for kicks.

I then went and leveled Liabelle some more. She is probably ready for a new weapon, but I am still holding off on upgrading until after I level my WHM some more. Drifter, who if you recall had a Astral Ring on time-share, is back and playing. This time when she goes back to school, however, she will lend me the ring so I can continue WHM (I already have one ring, I just need a second).

Now is where the tale gets sad.... So, stop for a bit, go grab a tissue box, and prepare...

I went out with Hilkiah and his ENM static. I had heard they had problems in the past, but they were still successful previously. Also, by now, I guess I kind of take it for granted that everyone has read my ENM and Promy guides. Silly fucking me, I know...

We had a good turn-out, and made it to the spire with only a few deaths. Unfortunately, here is where things turn sour. For the ENM run we had all but 2 people die. This, in and of itself, is a non-issue.... Remember that if you die in an ENM, you do not lose EXP, and if you are raised before anyone touches the sphere you still get EXP. This is why ENMs are so great, they literally are no risk provided you know how to kill the mob.

However, as we lay there dead, a certain WHM ran to the sphere and touched it. Bam! 2 people got EXP (pro-rated to an alliance of 9) and everyone else got zilch. This WHM felt horrible afterward, and I couldn't be too terribly mad at her (even though I was... but I got over it). The WHM honestly did not know that, and had never read my guide.

In addition to this, we discovered that the people remaining who needed the Promy boss did not have enough Anima to be successful. So the boss run was cancelled.

Alas, an hour ascent wasted, no boss for those who needed it and no EXP for me.

After this, Arb and I went with some others to make a CoP 2-5 run. Now, this wasn't a clan thing. Honestly, by this point I was a bit peeved at a lot of people in the clan (I tend to get a lot of people through missions and things, but a recurring theme is those I help through missions rarely return to help others, this is why 2-5 had been cancelled the day before. Additionally, I'll admit the events of the ENM earlier that day were still bugging me). So this was just Arb and I, and a few friends.

We start out farming Dragon Scales, which went well enough. We then began our ascent. We had little difficulty moving from portal to portal and ascended Riverne #A01 quite easily. However, I was not leading this one up because I was sick of leading things, and our leader led us the wrong way bringing us back to where we began (if you look at the map, there is a little loop from J-10 to K-10). This meant we were back farming scales again, which was only difficult because of how long it took for the scales to drop. Soon we had the scales again, and were ready to ascend.

We get to the very tippy-top of the area, just at the zone to the ENM, and our WHM (who I did not know personally, and who is the red haired elvaan in this picture) logged out. No "goodbye", no "Sorry, I've got to leave", no red disconnect dot, no anything. They just kneeled down, and logged out.

At first we thought that we had to have seen that wrong. Why would they have spent the last few hours with us, ascending, backtracking, farming more scales, and ascending again, only to get inches from the zone to the boss and log?!!

Our group gave them over an hour to return, and they never did. During our wait, I did get some awesome pictures of the scenery. But they never came back, so we had to find a replacement and start all over again.

After we replaced the WHM, we had to refarm more scales (remember, you use two just to ascend) and ascend again. This time we make it to the boss, and think we have everything all sown up. We were using the death/re-raise strategy for the Mammet fight, and we were doing really well. We had the last Mammet locked on DRG and had it down to a sliver of life.

However, because Arb mis-fired his 2 hour earlier in the match and wasted it, we ran out of time. The last Mammet was literally one or two hits from death, and we lost...

Fucking A'....

Because of Thersty's ENM static, my WAR is now high enough to start getting my WAR AF gear. So, I went out with Liabelle to fight Gavotvut and Barakbok, two Davoi NMs involved in the WAR AF1 Axe quest. Barakbok was the DRK of the two, and had very low defense so I killed him first then focused on Gavotvut. Neither were ultimately very hard, they could barely hit me, so I really didn't need Liabelle. Still, better to be safe than sorry :-)

Afterwards, I headed to Windhurst for some reason, and saw someone who had found a kick ass glitch. Also, this year's Starlight Celebration was going on. Honestly, this year I didn't have the time to really devote to it.

In my last party with Cyc and Arb I had made it to 70 (I may have forgotten to mention that, don't remember), and we were getting too high for Bibiki Bay what with Arb being 71. So, we headed out to Ro'Maeve and fought weapons and golems. We had a pretty good group of guys, many from the clan, and we were litterally tearing through things. Unfortunately, it had to come to an end when several people had to go. I wasn't through leveling, so I headed to Bibiki Bay with a new party, trampling a poor taru on the way. Later on that day, Arb, Cyc, Kit, Dark, and myself headed out and did Dem and Holla ENMs for EXP.

I finished off with trying desperately to skill up my Axe and Great Axe with Liabelle. All these ENMs have earned me EXP, but they have left my skills capped at 30. So I am basically fighting nasties with Liabelle to try and cap my skills again. Liabelle and I even shared a touching moment or two.