Curse

4thVariety · Jul 07, 2005, 03:07 PM // 15:07

On July the 6th I was standing around on the Druid's Overlook, me being a lvl8 Elementarist-Monk, with the noobish fondness of Firemagic and Healing Prayers. With no friend to continue the main story-line I came across the idea of pursuing something I read on this site. A level60 Armour at Droknar’s Forge. Collecting all the stuff that ever drops I was sure to have everything I need to buy it. The only problem remaining was getting there, but "how hard can it be to make a quick pass over Lornar Pass". Lvl20 people are talking about raiding it all the time and some people just run there; so it must be easy.

Upon entering Beacon's Pearch I tried to find a group willing to do it. Luckily for me I found five other guys to do this seemingly simple journey. I was the lowest ranking character with Lvl18, but since I had Meteor Shower and Resurrect they took me anyway. The spirits were good after leaving town. But morale wasn't getting a boost on that day. After battling Ice Imps some fierce Crawls we entered the Home of the Ice Worms, and it was there when we were in for a lesson. You don't turn around just because of -15%. Having fought as fiercely as we did, we saw no reason to turn around. We did not turn around after we got assaulted by 9 worms in total. We did not turn around when some little ice cave turned out to be Ice Troll Hell. We made our way through countless Crawls, Ice Elementals, Ice Trolls, Pinesouls, even when they assaulted us all at once. And we reached Dreadnaught’s Drift at a blistering death penalty of 30% each.

When we entered it our vigilance was tested once more, as countless enemies swarmed us from two sides turning this into one dying orgy of blood, resurrection and enemy Necromancers creating Bonefiends from each of our corpses. After a haze of violence we prevailed with 60% death penalty and already two and a half hours of play-time. Every sane fibre in our mind told us to give up, but sanity is rare on Lornar's pass and so we were pushing on. The second Zone was tough but eventually we made it through.

After Dreadnaught’s Drift we knew it wasn't get any harder than that. But it also did not become any easier. Snake Dance was a test of endurance and willpower. We asked ourselves how long this was supposed to go on but none of us ever wanted to quit.
That was until time ran out on one of us. Having mastered all the pains and tests of willpower the virtual world had to offer, reality came crushing down him and we were stranded. Five people stranded in an icy desert of malevolent programming. But as Dr.Breen said: "Would we model ourselves after the trilobite?" Would we cave in before the will of the designers and turn around? Or do we show our determination by reaching at least Rankor?

After five hours of painful game experiences and the birth of a new type of masochism we stood at the gates of Rankor. Not even when the spirits of Ascalon turned against us and we had to refrain from Resurrection spells did we give up. Upon reaching another member dropped from our party of five. Too exhausted to push on. A band of four remained and decided to hire Henchmen to cross the final stretch to Droknar's Forge. The fighting calmed down now and we almost enjoyed the trip from here. Seeing the Gates of Droknar appear in the Distance and getting close to them was incredible. The feeling of accomplishment overwhelming. We did it. After nearly five and a half hours we walked the walk. We had done more than a "run" or a "mission". This was no mere goal, this was something calling out to us so profoundly that we took on any hardship to get there. And we did.
When I'm now in Droknar's Forge I'm wearing that armour as if it was some ascended unique item from the Granite Citadel. From here the Elementarist Hitomi Starfire is walking to the Granite Citadel; and nothing is going to stop her.
For all those who pay a "runner", and I don't have any idea how simply running is ever supposed to work here, mark my words: Your loosing more than just 6 Platin by doing this the easy way. How you get to Droknar's Forge tells more about you as a player than all the rarest items and Guild Halls in the world.

Aracos79 · Jul 07, 2005, 09:40 PM // 21:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4thVariety

How you get to Droknar's Forge tells more about you as a player than all the rarest items and Guild Halls in the world.

I couldn't agree more... however, not in the way that the OP intended. The only way to get to Droknar's Forge should be via Ascension. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Kudos are due for fighting it instead of running it though.

unclearconcept · Jul 07, 2005, 10:08 PM // 22:08

the fun part would be fighting your way back! with your brand-spankin new armor to show off to those silly folk in beacon's perch who have no idea what they're in for!

march into beacon's emoting "i've survived" :-P

yeah.. that's what i'm gonna do

secretsmg · Jul 08, 2005, 02:01 AM // 02:01

Traveling through draknor the hardway was fun the first time. For people's 2nd and 3rd chars is when paying for a run starting to makes sense.

Mavrik · Jul 08, 2005, 02:44 AM // 02:44

Hopefully I can make it again, each time I tried, people kept leaving the game