Medieval Festival – Morrisburg Ontario

I’d never been to one of these medieval festivals before. I know quite a few people who have. I’ve never seen one around the Ottawa area before though. It was pure luck that I even heard about this one. It took place at Upper Canada Village, which is a historic park that depicts life in the 1800’s with walking tours through old houses and schools. It was their first time putting on the festival, and I hope they considered it a success, because I certainly did.

I got there far too early, was my only issue. Shows repeated themselves throughout the day and by the time 5pm rolled around with the banquette not even beginning until 7, I’d seen some shows three times and was tired of sitting on the grass. I wasn’t feeling the greatest at all, so I headed home early, missing that portion of the event. It was still fantastic though.

People came in costume, which I will next year. There was jousting and “Knight Richard” actually got hurt quite badly, being tossed from his horse twice, and stepped on once. Scary stuff.

There were magic trick shows, sword fighting, buskers walking along the fair grounds (there was even one family carting a bin of GIANT pickles around, that they’d sell to you on sticks. They were by far the best food at the event and big sellers). There were belly dancers (who also gave lessons, and contrary to popular belief, belly dancers have BIG bellies, not slim tiny little things. She was very beautiful).

There was also a bird of prey show, with Canadian birds mostly. Red Tailed Hawks, and Great Horned Owls. They took to the skies and flew around the crowd as the falconer explained about each bird. Great show. The royals were also there, King, Queen, and their entourage. They watched the jousting from thrones situated a little ways from the event.

For some reason even Jack Sparrow was there – and let me tell you this gentleman did not only LOOK like the Captain, he sounded like him, almost exactly. He swaggered around the park telling kids they should take extra peanuts from the bowl he carried with him. Very exciting stuff.

I took over 100 pictures while I was there, and it was just simply an amazing time. You can find 40 more of the pictures if you’re interested, here.

Hopefully it runs again next year. They’ll have learned some stuff about what people want to see, what sold well, the grounds themselves and staging could have been set up slightly better. It was difficult to catch all of the acts because unless you memorized the schedule, you had no idea what was going on or where that particular show was going on. The weather stayed relatively nice, and I now closely resemble a lobster – at least in colour. Even though I brought sun screen with me apparently it was not quite strong enough. My face and shoulder where I walked with the camera bag are a brilliant shade of red. Ah well the price we pay for a day of entertainment!

Trophies, Levels, and Just.. Stuff

Alright, before I get into the Medieval Festival (which I’ll post about later) lets talk about EQ. Heeding the advice of others, I went and did my fletching trophy quest as soon as I’d reached a skill of 50 from the freebie quests found in Crescent Reach (which you can also find in Abysmal Sea if you’re not keen on CR). The quest was simple enough, make 10 class 1 wood point arrows using large nocks, make 10 class 1 wood point arrows using medium nocks, make 4 long flight javelin shafts, 4 rough hickory recurve bows using silk string, 10 class 1 wood point arrows using small nocks, and 10 class 2 wood point arrows using small nocks.

Once all that was done, I turned them in to the judge, who gave me a score card. Turn that score card in and presto – I’ve got myself an evolving trophy. Worked fletching up another 20 points after that and it’d evolved into 37% through it’s level. Can’t complain at all.

The ranger managed to get from level 13 to level 23. I teamed up with a magician and we stayed in the hot zones, leveling in North Ro from 1-13, then porting over to South Ro until things started turning green at around 18. Then we headed over to Blightfire Moors, and completed the 10 slot bag quest – the gnolls were astounding exp, about 20% a kill at our level (they were white and yellow) so before we’d even finished the quest we’d gained a bunch of levels.

I also managed to get the beastlord a good number of levels, she’s sitting at 21 currently. I created the Vah Shir on my second account, so that I can level her with any one of my healers. A character I can just do whatever on, and not feel as though I’m out leveling anyone.

For once I didn’t really play my higher level characters, and I was content in doing so. There are plenty of lower level things I still want to do, zones I want to see, and old world quests I miss. Maybe I’ll even get an rp post out there sooner or later. We’ll see.

Now onto what I spent most of my weekend doing!

Katta Castrum

“Katta Castrum was built to house the sickened leader of the Combine Loyalists, Tsaph Katta. It was once above water and connected to several areas housing Norrath’s endangered races, the Shissar, Sphinx, and Kedge. Experiments on the Kedge triggered the wrath of the Ocean Lord, Prexus, who sunk the city into the ocean. While it sunk, the magic of a great artifact was used to protect the city and bring air to it.

Homes were built for the endangered races, but over the years those races began to see the Loyalists as jailors. This is especially true for the Shissar, who broke through to Katta Castrum and began to destroy it. The Loyalists have defended the central part of the city, but fear they may lose it all soon. Not only the Shissar threaten them, but the artifact in their city has begun to weaken, allowing water to seep through their barrier of protection…” – Allakhazam

Yesterday it was time for a good ‘ol EQ1 experience grind. Which meant looking for a group, buffing up, and sitting at a camp for hours on end. Katta Castrum (which I had never been to) was the destination, and the Green House was the camp. In the hours I was there (boxing Ellithia and Kameeko) Ellithia hit level 70 (finally!) and 7aa, and Kameeko hit 69, and also managed to get herself a few aa. We weren’t here for loot (thank goodness, because I think all that dropped was one piece of chain defiant) but the experience was steady, and we managed to do a few quests involving faction (which can later be used to get gear, or so I’m told).

It was nice to go to a zone I’d never even heard of before. Out of all the screen shots available I probably picked the poorest one to actually take, but my mind was elsewhere.

Where exactly? Ah, on the Medieval Festival tomorrow of course! I’m feeling slightly under the weather, and so have decided tonight to do the right thing, go to bed early, relax, make sure I’m all packed up and ready. Tomorrow it’s supposed to rain (60% chance) but I’m hoping for some reason the clouds decide to avoid the festival. I’m most eager about the birds of prey show, and the King’s Banquette with the entertainment to follow. I should get there around 1pm or so, and be staying until midnight. It’s an hour drive there and back – but so worth it!

The only way it could be any more fun is if I were going with a bunch of my friends (who would undoubtedly get into so much trouble it would make me simply shake my head at them). Someone mentioned that I should organize a trip to Disney World for Nostalgians which actually didn’t sound like THAT bad of an idea. It comes in handy that my Mother is a travel agent. Something to ponder in the future. Perhaps not Disney World since I’m not exactly keen on that place, but some where else that’s not TOO extravagant a price.

More rambling once I get back from the festival, though it probably won’t be until Sunday.

Newtfish, Nukette, and Grieg

“I love those little time capsule moments we leave behind for ourselves” – Einhorn

Those words could not be more true. Pictured above is Newtfish – a name I created from an inside joke between myself and my former EQ1-buddy, Fistinyereyes. I’ve mentioned him before, I know. Anyhow. We used to duo, and I’d box my clr / rogue and he’d box his bst / druid. We were owners of old world zones, and on our frequent list of named to kill, was Grieg Veneticus, farmed for all his phat loots. We weren’t even sure we could duo it just the two of us. The first time we did was painful, especially since both of us forgot that Grieg blinds. We did it though, and on the first kill he dropped a nice haste belt for Invis, and the horse mount he has which we sold.

After some time, we ran out of ‘useful’ gear from him for our mains and even our higher level alts. So we each created a level 1 character. Mine was Nukette, a gnome wizard, and his was Newtfish, a gnome magician. We some how (I don’t even know how) managed to run them to Grieg’s End. I think we ended up using a druid port to DSP (Dawnshroud Peaks) and then running (invis) along the wall. Once we were in the zone, it was simply a matter of sacrificing ourselves, giving the group consent to drag our corpses, and rez’ing within Grieg’s room.

Newtfish is decked out with four pieces of gear from Grieg, and Nukette had her four as well.

Anyhow, the point to this whole droning story? I logged into my old account (since I’ve decided to box, I’ll be moving Ellithia back over to that second account and I’ll have a clr / ench combo, or a rogue / clr combo or whatever else I feel like playing). Low and behold, there was Newtfish. Exactly as I’d left him. Standing in Grieg’s End, in the room just before him. Since the servers had also just come up a few hours before – he was actually UP too. A flood of memories came rushing past me.

When I left EQ1 for EQ2, it wasn’t intentional. I had no plans of ever leaving the game. In fact I’m pretty sure I was one of those people who spoke adamantly about not leaving the game ever. I bought the game though, the day after it released, played for an hour or two and was hooked. I played it off and on for three years between multiple other mmo’s before settling back down here in EQ1, and for now at least here’s where I’ll stay. EverQuest offers me things that no other mmo can offer. The complexity and comfort that I find within the game, and the very unique (and wide spread) character customization through alternative advancement (aa) is just incredible. The crafting (while annoying at times) is exactly as I wanted it to be, and with aa I know it will only get better.

This Friday Nostalgia will be heading to Kaesora. I admit now, I haven’t been there very frequently. A few quests took me into the zone and I don’t even recall what for any more. I remember getting stuck down there I believe on my rogue when she was just tiny. Spiders that liked to maul her. That is, if I’m thinking of the right zone. I remember ruins beneath the FoB (Field of Bone) and ghosts and other goodness. I want to say I was camping a sword or something in the zone, but who knows any more. I’m excited about it, even if our local hero Gnewton won’t be there to cast his wonderful clarity (note to self, stock up on potions).

In other news – Ellithia dinged 69 last night, and 40% (two yellows, I believe?) into her level. The experience was not the greatest I’d seen, but it was steady and safe (for the most part). I spent it again in The Nest, off of Broodlands (which is off of Lavastorm, a DoN zone). I have every intention of seeing her to 70, then stopping to work on a good chunk of aa. Once I hit 300aa or so with her I’ll move up to 75, and then aa again. I’m also going to look into her cleric 1.5, how can I not! I’ll be attempting the same with kameeko, though I’m not sure yet how that will go. Getting back into the game has been wonderful (as I’ve said time and time again now) and there’s just still SO much to do.

Yesterday as I boxed I was impressed with how smoothly things were running. I play both accounts on the same computer (windowed) and then alt tab between the two. I noticed if I left the background character stagnant for too long (we’re talking hours here) there was a little lag as I tried to move around. It would clear up as I tried to move the account around, so that’s good. I used to love boxing, and while I do also just simply love playing the game with one character (as I will on Friday) there’s something to be said for accomplishing things in that manor. In fact, I’d say a large portion of EQ1 players have resorted to boxing. Be it duel, or 5 or even more. Over the years as people have left the game for their various reasons, it only makes sense that some would turn to this method of game play so that they could still accomplish what they wanted to do without the hassles of having to LFG for hours, or finding people in their time zone.

Two more days until the Medieval Festival – I am so excited. It’s going to be a blast. Expect lots of pictures when I get back!

Uber is as Uber Does

I’ve never been uber before, in any game. Not by the uber people’s standards at least. I’ve never really cared about gear or what zones I’ve been key’d for or anything like that. What I have cared about is knowing my class, knowing how to play, inside and out. Even then there’s always room for improvement. I like knowing little tid bits of information that no one else would find useful. I know most of the short cut key commands to UI features just because.

Anyhow. My cleric, Ellithia is by no means uber. She’s three years out of date and there’s no way she could keep up with anything ‘current’. She’s got a tiny little mana pool – which I’m going to work on. Yesterday I spent some time with her in the Nest, which is a DoN (Dragons of Norrath) zone off of Broodlands. I managed to get from 31% exp to 90% exp which I was of course just tickled pink over. I really am eager to continue leveling her and see where I can get her. Maybe even work on my 1.5 (now that would be amazing).

In my travels down memory lane, Einhorn linked me this site, for PoM (Plane of Mischief). There’s some confusion as to when PoM was revamped, if it’s still revamped, or back under the ‘old’ layout. I don’t even know if the PoM I am used to is the revamped version or the regular version. Servers are down today for their 8 hour patch and won’t be back up until after 4pm EST – so I’m twiddling my thumbs contemplating things in the mean time. I’d like to take Invis (the rogue) out there to scope things out and see what it looks like, affirm in my mind that everything is as I’ve left it.

If things have changed, well. I can’t exactly blame SOE — oh wait, yes I can! If a zone is not broken, don’t fix it!

I’d like to organize some ‘old’ world exp running for higher level Nostalgia characters – since now almost everyone has one moved over to Luclin. The majority of us are out of date in gear and I’m not so sure we’d be able to stand up to the newer content, but there’s no reason we can’t go traipsing through the old world stuff. Even if Nostalgia itself is planning on doing that over time. I know, I’m impatient eh.

I still have two character slots, and have been contemplating what I want to make. I’m also contemplating closing down station access, and boxing in EQ1. I have two other EQ1 accounts, void of characters – and that would mean a lot more alts.

*Gets side tracked by something else and forgets where this post was going* Ah well, good enough ending for now..