On to Blood Raven, rogue scout or go home. Imagine running to one side of the graveyard, firing a few firebolts, back around her army to the other side, a few more firebolts. Took several minutes but she fell and took her army with her. Didn't leave anything good for me though
I proceeded to clear the crypts and mausoleum of creepers after I made friends with Visala, my new bow wielding friend. Left cold plains behind at level 10, raw fire damage of my firebolts growing with each advance.
Stony Field didn't bring much, a few stones here and there...no good loot to speak of. Headed in to the underground passage having just glimpsed the ring of stones, leaving it's denizens for a return trip. I walked, I killed, I took a wrong turn at Albuquerque and ended up at the entrance to a lower level of the passage. Oh why not peak, it won't take long! No loot worth mentioning abandoned in there. Back to Albuquerque to take the proper turn and moments later emerge from the passage.
The furry Treehead and his band were nearby, rushing over as soon as they caught my scent! (I HAD showered!) They tuckered out from the flames and took a dirt nap while I examined the magical tree. Scroll in hand I wandered to the waypoint and returned to Akara to hear what the scroll contained. A sequence to activate stones? I would never have guessed!
Back to stony field...there I met up with a spakly blue Smurf, well, turns out Rakunishu isn't really a Smurf. Coroner's report claimed charred demon, but he sure fit the part. I followed the directions on the scroll, well, really I tried but those directions are never quite right. I managed to figure it out on my own though and was amazed to find a portal open to a mystical land, Tristram. I've heard legends of this theme park and I couldn't wait to go.
Rushing into the portal I was surprised to find no lines of people, well, not live ones anyway. It looked nothing like the brochure, do they ever? The only ride I found was being hogged by none other than THE Deckard Cain! Some sort of swing that wasn't swinging so much. He was kind enough to come down when he saw me line up next in line.
For some reason that made the ride operator, Griswold, angry with me and he tried to chase me away. Chase ME away? This wielder of untold power? Have I mentioned I learned a new trick with the flames? Shape em into a huge ball that bursts on impact. Griswold knows all about it now, though I'm afraid he can't tell you. Akara was grateful that she was able to get Cain's autograph before he wandered to another village and gave me, a flame wielding sorceress, a +20 attack rating ring. I'm sure it was accidental...mind all abuzz with the celebrity in town.
The journey continued right to a crumbling inn. The service was terrible, so bad I left a review on the tavern bulletin board. "1 star, wouldn't stay again, like my blood intact." Anyway, I asked to speak with the manager. NOT a nice lady! She did drop some funny stone tiles though. TAL. I do believe that is half of stealth! (Olde olde English). At this point, the speak to management routine became daily. She dropped different tiles some times. Ith, Ral, Ral, Eth. The other half of stealth, someone's looking dapper now! What else can I use these stones for? Oh yeah. Leaf...if I just had a proper staff...oh Akara!!
After much bartering and haggling, Akara finally opened up her reserve collection and I found the most perfect 2 socket +2 fireball staff...ok, not perfect, but it will do in a pinch. Back to the management routine. Ith, Ral, Ral, Ral..started feeling like a cheerleader. RAL! RAL! RAL! Go TEAM! Then on my 13th complaint to management, poof, the awaited TIR dropped.
Equipped with new duds and a new powerful staff I resumed the journey. Happened upon the wealth of the neighborhood, a huge expansive (not to mention expensive) monastery. Now a too elegant home for the fiends inside. Poking around a bit I found some stairs to a jail level. But Charsi asked for a favor, and she'd done so well with my repairs, I had to at least give it a try. I tracked down her forge and trusty hammer. Horadric Malus. With a name like that you would think it would do some neat trick. Nope, just sitting there on a rack. The Smith turned to hand it down to me but got too close to the forge and burst into flames. Yes, yes that's what happened, trust me. The char marks on the far wall were most certainly not poorly aimed fireballs.
Charsi was so happy to have her hammer back, and there is something weird going on there the way her eyes took in the hammer when I pulled it from my sack, anyway, she was so happy she fixed me up with a fancy new belt. One with 3 rows for potions! Yes, that was its best feature. At this rate I am going g to have to craft my own gear if I want something decent.
Back to the monastery to check out the way cool jail! Down and down and eventually stairs going up! Inner cloister, fancy name for a garden, and right into a massive cathedral! The weren't allowing tourists but I quickly slipped into a side room and made my way towards the alter. This priest had fasted so long he really had become bone or ash or Bone Ash. No match for my growing power! I am unstoppable! Off to the side I found some stairs leading into the catacombs.
As eerie as any others I've seen with the added bonus of walking dead and other miscreants. The bottom of which houses a massive mutli armed woman. Spider like she moved, spewing poison all about. Fortunately, she doesn't like fire. Off her feet pops the first set item I've seen yet, Hsaru's boots and an upgrade for me!
All in all not seeing much impressive drop...but it is early and I don't have a lot of magic find %..just a couple flawed or chipped topaz in a helm at this point. The RALs will be nice...and I found a couple unusable uniques, The Gnasher and the other escapes my memory at the moment, will have to check my screen shots again.
On to Act 2, starting out in the low 20's.
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