Welp, went and did an Assault run this weekend with Cyc et al. It was pretty damned fun. Here I am making a supply run so I could use the warp.

Before the event began, we met in the Hostel, which we found as incredibly fun. Here's Maior as a wee little girl. See, in the Hostel, you get all the Mochis so you can become different children. There are also Attendants to cater to your every need. The Hostel was great fun.

Life is so strange... being so small....

Before long, Milo started getting 'humpy' and Maior started looking up skirts. But we knew the party was over when Milo shouted "PENIS".

Anyway, we continued on to the Assault staging grounds. Here is Tam just as she is teleporting in. Outside the arena, you could find many people gathering. Our little group entered and we were off.

The Assault we did was one where you had to rid a tunnel system of Leujaoam Worms. Our first attempt was a failure because we went the wrong way in the tunnels (DOH!) but we regrouped and tried again. This time, we went the northern route and won. We got one ??? ring that turned out being a Bronze Ring... WOOOOT! ... Ahem... anyway...

I then did my NIN Subligar quest. Here I am in all my finery. I had to put on a Velvet Robe and Silk Slops for Brygid so that she could give me my Nokizaru Gi for my Ninja.

I then unlocked BLU (which had some great cinemas, I might add) and warped my ass back to Jeuno... or there-abouts. Pretty hilarious that Taru warped me on top of this structure in Saurumongue Campaign.

Soon I was leveling NIN and, before long, I could wear my Nokizaru Gi. Damn, don't I look bad ass in this?!

Welp, first let me show you... once again... just how badass my NIN is looking now. Damn, I'm one sexy Galka.

I gathered with Cyc, Milo, Avatarx and some others to head out and grab a staging point. Unfortunately, we got side-tracked waiting for a silly Besieged to happen. It never did, and the mobs were outside unattackable and invisible. Still not certain if this was a glitch or intentional.

Eventually, we gave up and headed to Nashmau (sp?) and went out to get the staging point. Well, the staging point was freaking far away and it took us a while. We even had one person get pissed because we weren't invising him (everyone was asked to bring powders and oils) and left. We still made it, but damn was it a long and tiring journey.

Here we are fighting Skeles on the way. We also fought some Merrows. Eventually we made it to the gate to the staging area. Some of our members were a bit lost so I waited outside while Cyc went to fetch them. Soon everyone was there and we went inside.

After that, I went on a "Puk Party". This is where you fight little dragon critters known as Puks and chain them VERY VERY high for insane EXP rates. We would peak our EXP chains with Mamool Ja beastmen and their ilk.

Before long, I could finally wear my Melee Gloves which I've had for a few weeks now. Joy!

Well, we had an NM Extravaganza over in ClanAM this weekend. I was actually surprised how well it went, I didn't think we'd get any of the NMs we were looking for except for the spawned ones...

Anyway, we started out by seeing Rose Garden spawned en route to Temple of Ugglapith. We did get the mob, but we did not get the drop.

We got to the temple. This was Trix's first time through so I figured I'd take a picture of us killing the guardian for posterity.

We then proceeded to Beryl-footed Molberry who is a spawned NM that drops a Katana I want for my NIN. His 2 hour one-hit killed Trix (because Trix forgot to bring up shadows... n00b) but we killed him. No drop.

After Molberry, we went back to the first floor to the painting room there for our next NMs. There we spawned Trompe L'Oeil, which is an NM for a quest that Trix and I were on. We had to spawn him twice because we both needed the kill, but he was a pushover.

Between Trompe spawns, Sozu Sarberry spawned. We actually weren't there to kill him, but since he decided to spawn we did. He was pretty damned mean, and had NIN 2 hour. Here I am kicking him. He ultimately killed me twice, and Trix once, but we got the drop, "Hocho" a Katana that goes for anywhere between 8 million and 20 million (we're trying for 20 million).

We rounded out the event by killing Molberry a few more times. Never did get the drop, however. We also managed to get everyone a Tonbery Lantern who needed one, as well as 3 Paintbrushes of Souls. In spite of not getting all the items we wanted, I feel we had a very good run.

So, for the scorekeepers out there:

• Rose Garden : 0/1
• Beryl-footed Molberry : 0/4
• Trompe L'Oeil : 2/2
• Sozu Sarberry : 1/1

After this was finished, I headed out to Vazhl to help Cyc get his BLM AF2. This was my first time here on 360 and damn do the Demons look nice!. Here are Cyc and I as we enter the keep. I pulled out Liabelle to help clear the gobs. She dinged 48... wahoo!

Rounded out the evening heading the Al Zahbi with Avayr and helping Trix get access to the new areas.

Criswellious's 360 Blog.

BAH!

Started out by making a run to the Halvung staging point while LFP. All I lack is the Ilrusi Atoll one now.

I then got into one of the coolest party-types I've ever done in FFXI. It was a Marid & Chigoe party. The idea is simple:

• Marids are big Elephants. At 70-75 they are T, VT and IT. At my level (73) they give approx. 200 EXP each.
• Marids are infested with fleas known as Chigoes (Chigs). Each one is DC-EM with some EP at 74+. These Chigs can usually be one hit killed by a MNK for 40-100 EXP each.
• As you fight the Marid, Chigs fall off and attack.
• The MNK disengages the Marid and kills/tanks each Chig as they drop.
• The Marid alone is slow EXP, due to their very large HP pool, so they take a while to kill. During this time, 5-20 Chigs will drop.
• Thus, at the end of each battle, when you add up all the EXP from Chigs and the Marid, you will gain ~500+ EXP.

Why I say this was fun was because of how busy it was for a MNK. Normally MNK is just stand there and punch with the tedium broken up by skillchains. This is why you will find a lot of lazy MNKs out there who watch TV while they play, and get away with it.

Every once in a while a Grand Marid would pop. This wasn't a NM, but was tougher than the normal Marids. The Grand Marid would also drop Chigs like the normal ones, but had a much bigger HP pool. I still don't know what the Grand Marids are for, but I'd guess they are a placeholder for some Marid NM. Anyway, I gained around 17k in a little over an hour of play, so I was pleased.

Upon returning who should I see? Meretrix, bitch!

Cyc and I have been chiding Trix for a while because his bitch-ass doesn't level any more... and yet we want to do stuff with him. So, in response to peer-pressure, he finally ended his 6 month hiatus of not leveling and went out to level with my NIN. We had a lackluster party in Kuftal, but at least it was a party, damnit!

I then went on a random NM hunt. Honestly, I was only going after my NIN AF, but happened upon so many other NMs that I made it a NM hunt :-P

Here I am fighting Fyuu the Seabellow who dropped the Rare/EX "Frog Trousers" (bah, I need to level WHM). I then found his buddy Seww the Squidlimbed who, unbeknownst to me at the time, is a part of an annoying quest. Still, I killed him and his friends and got the drop.

Then, on my way to Raboa, I met up with Dame Blanche. Poor Dame, so screwed. She dropped a cloth that I sold off for 90k.

Finally fought my NIN AF NM, Enagakure. He was mildly tougher than I expected and nearly killed me, but I won anyway and got my funny NIN shorts.

I had one more party with Trix. This time in Quicksand Caves. We each got to 53 before some general fighting between a couple of BLUs in our party over how to play BLU soured the evening and I left.

Finally wrapped up the weekend fighting a couple of NMs for a quest Trix was in. Here is Orna and his friends, the Fomorian Spears. They were a pushover.

Ding, baby....