A new harness

Have you ever been this close to drooling because a certain armor looks really yummy? I can't really say the Rapparee Harness is something I'd want to eat, but i sure want one. Renomus had asked me the day before if I wanted to go to Phomiuna Aqueducts and look for the Job Specific Equipment you can get from there. Or rather, an artifact which in turn can become a JSE.

I didn't get to go with Renomus yesterday, but I asked him again today if he wanted to go. He was itching to go get his own JSE done, so we agreed to meet in Jeuno. I had already visited Bastok and talked with Brygid the Stylist in hopes of her telling me about the latest "fashion". After talking to her wearing a Wool Gambison and a Carapace Subligar, she told me to go get a Gemini Subligar.

After gathering a group, we went to the Tavnazian Safehold which holds the entrance to the aquaducts. Inside we fought many a battle in hopes of getting everyone a subligar, but we died several times (because we were unlucky and there was too few of us). I was the only one being able to use the spell Reraise because I was the only White Mage in the group. That ment a lot of time spent on raising everyone because I don't have much MP in a level 40 capped place (I really hate that curse.. I hope I can manage to get rid of it some day), and being weakened doesn't really help much.

I also got kind of frustrated when everyone lotted on everything from Beastmen's Seals to cloths and ingots. Whenever they lotted on something they shouldn't lot on, I lot as well as my way of showing my dissapproval. I only accept lotting if it's a rare and/or exclusive item that is used in a given quest or on a mission. Since we were looking for subligars I didn't mind that they lot on them, but I did have a problem with lotting on smaller things which we would have shared equally anyway.

I felt really bad for Renomus who died several times. A white mage hates seeing their friends die in battle, but I tried to have Renomus raised first. He did a very good job inside the aquaducts, and it was fun being able to do something together with Renomus where we were equals for once. It's hard not to think of Renomus as someone who is superior to me in every way. I'm not really looking forward to asking for help to defeat Death from Above in Temple of Uggalepih. I hate asking my friends for such favors.

I also want to thank Rengai for helping me craft the Carapace Subligar earlier today. It looked really nice, although it didn't look that nice on me. Even the Harness I got as a reward for this run looks silly on me - I look skinny and it shows too much skin. (yes, I know I'm silly) (^^;)

Not quite there

I didn't feel very good about not finding any chests or coffers on my last run to Castle Oztroja, so I decided that I'd give it another try. After about 30 minutes of looking I gave up and took a 10 minute break to write in my diary, sitting by the altar on the top floor.

On the way down again I found a coffer, and inside there was a shiney 11,040 gil. Not really an Electrum Hairpin but it makes up for the time I spent. (^^ )

Ending the day

I didn't have to use my Purrrfect Dodge once today and I got so many things done. It made me kind of bored, so I thought: what better way to end the day than good death?

So here I present to you, a good death. (^^ )

No hairpin

I went to Castle Oztroja today to explore the tower further. Renomus had asked me if I look for the chest since he wanted an Electrum Hairpin that is hidden in one of the chests inside the place.

I didn't find the chest, although I found a treasure coffer earlier today. It was gone when I came back though. (TT )

Since no one was running through the brass door I had to force my way through. The yagudos guarding it are easy prey on me, so I was able to take them on one by one. (^^ )

The longest journey

Today I went out on my longest journey so far. My destination was Uleguerand Range in hopes of finding the beautiful Chamneat Spring. Only equipped with a Warp Cudgel, some Silent Oils and Tonko: Ichi I set out on what would become a trip I will never forget.

The place is located in the far northern part of the Valdeaunla region. The place is covered with snow - pretty much like the rest of the region. Once I entered the Uleguerand through Xarcabard I came across a vide variety of monsters. Hares, raptors, bats, worms and Buffalos. A bomb was staring blank in my direction, but I wasn't really any scared since I had both Sneak and Invisible up. If something was to go wrong I had Utsusemi and Purrrfect Dodge ready just in case.

I started running northeast, trying to walk all the way around the map. There are several tunnels you can run through, some of the having a weird artifact called Eternal Ice - whatever that means. I guess it's a block of ice that won't melt regardless of the temperature. There seemed to be like zillion Brontotaurs, a taurus variant, in this place. I almost ran right into, thanking myself for being overly cautious. These monsters have something called True Sight which means that they can see through any kind of trick to hide yourself. Sneak, invisible, hide, tonko.. you name it.

I ran through this place two and a half time, sliding down the mountain twice. That was really fun, but I missed the platform I was hoping to reach, so I was unable to get to the spring. I did however run into Jormungand, a dragon that makes Guivre look like a little kitten. Funny how a little trip like this can change your view on the world. (^^;)

On my second attempt to get to the platform I also ended up inside Bearclaw Pinnacle but had to exit again because of a giant cyclone that was in my way.

I spent two hours in here, running around exploring the place. I got to see a few nice places, although I never made it to my destination that is said to be the most beautiful place in all of Vana'diel. I got to play hide and seek with the taurus - an experience that was really exciting. There is nothing more exciting than knowing that even the smallest mistake can get you killed. Having your life on the line can be a lot of fun. I got to see more of a place I've only been to once before. I got to see the monsters that live here, but never got the chance to fight anything - I probably would have died anyway. (^^;)

Daybreak Gambler

After coming back from Ifrit's Cauldron I decided that it would be a good idea to get the map for King Ranperre's Tomb since I'm going to spend some time there anyway.

The remains of Dragon King, one of the heirs of the San d'Orian throne, is said to be inside this enormous network of catacombs. The catacombs are filled with bats, scorpions and various other not-so-nice creatures now, so one better be careful before wandering into this place. A map would be even better.

After spending some time on researching where one could get the map, I ended up in San d'Oria (the natural place one might think). I ran around looking for people who might have an idea of where to obtain such an item. Aurege seemed to be the person I was looking for, but he was too busy to help me out. It would seem that one of his coworkers seems to be missing. Varchet seems to have a thing for gambling, so I had to look for some greedy looking person looking for people to steal money from.

I found him standing near the fountain outside the Residential Area in Southern San d'Oria. He asked me if I would make a bet, so I gave him 5 gil thinking maybe I'd get a quick gil or two. We rolled our dices and ‹meow›, I won! He looked at me and sighed dejectedly saying that he'd return to Aurege and do his job.

Ifrit's Cauldron

So, what's the most scary place you can possibly come across I thought to myself this morning. Ifrit's Cauldron would sure have to be the most nasty place you can walk into if you aren't careful.

Ifrit's Cauldron is the name of the lava-filled crated located in the Elshimo Uplands region. The place is mostly inhabited by bombs, bats and wasps in addition to a few wyverns.

Once I had entered I couldn't help but cough. The volcanic gasses that fills the area makes it hard to breath, and there is a lot of steam so it can be hard to see too at times. Anyone thinking that you can just sneak through this place better be careful because of monsters being aggressive to the use of magic.

Finding the coffer here wouldn't be easy, and having no map of the area didn't really make things any easier. I had heard some gossip among the mithran citizens of Kazham that the map of the area has been locked inside a coffer in hope of keeping people outside the area. And you know me, I'm always up for a challange. I think I spent about 10 minutes inside the cauldron before I found the coffer - a little too easy if you ask me - and after a few attempts i managed to pick the lock on the coffer. A shiney new map was mine.

I grinned to myself over my little personal victory when I noticed this beastmaster resting not too far away from me. I ran over to him and tried comforting him. A bomb had blown up on both him and his pet leaving the poor beastmaster at low health. I thought the least I could do was give him a Navarin in hopes of boosting his vitality. A big smile appeared on his face.. it looked like he really appreciated the little gift and we waved farewell to each other as I was warping back to Windurst.

A new hat

After hours of tedious fighting inside King Ranperre's Tomb I finally reached level 54 and I'm now able to use my Rogue's Bonnet.

It's nice getting to use artifact equipment, especially the Thief set since it looks really nice. I hope to reach 56 in a few days.

The couple

You got plenty of time to flirt with your beloved while waiting for the airship to arrive. Here's a picture of me and Zelthas enjoying the view from the airship's deck.

Hello Snoll

Once I got out of Fei'Yin I started looking for other nearby ruins I haven't had the chance to explore yet. Pso'Xja seemed like the purrrfect place.

There seems to be several entrances to the ruins in Beaucedine Glacier, so after taking care of a Giant - that had decided he'd tease me by throwing stones at me - I went inside the ruins.

Pso'Xja is unlike any other ruins. It has a special aura telling you that this place is to be feared. I ran into Snolls, Cryptonberries, Lizards and Elementals, all of which was ready to kill me if they had noticed me. I explored the place for a few hours before I decided that I'd be a lot better off just warping back to Windurst instead of playing with death like this. I will remember Pso'Xja as a confusing but really nice place though. (^^ )

The shiney belt

I woke up early this morning and got out of my little house, ran into the streets and thought to myself - what a wonderful day? I had gotten myself a Life Belt the day before, so I decided to ask the townspeople where I could find such an item. I was told Fei'Yin was the place I was looking for, so I decided that I'd give the place a visit.

Thanks to the outpost teleportating services I managed to get there in only a few minutes. Upon entering the tower I started sneaking around, looking carefully around each corner. Getting noticed by the monsters inside could prove fatal, so stealth was of great importance.

It didn't take long before I found a chest hidden far inside the tower. I tried picking it with a few Living Keys, and I was succesful on the third attempt. And I couldn't believe my luck today - I got a Life Belt. (oO )

Close call

You don't get to shake paws with Guivre too often, but I was unlucky today and ran into him. I was running around inside Kuftal Tunnel trying to find the coffer while my party was forming. I had failed to find the chest in Fei'Yin a little earlier, so I had hoped I would find the coffer now.

I was getting a little impatient so I used Flee and ran like the wind inside the tunnel when I suddenly ran stright into Guivre. He was very happy to see me this morning since he was getting kind of hungry (you know, dragons eat a lot after all), and here I am - the purrrfect meal, eh? Well, even though he hit me 26 times, I only got damaged once thanks to my Purrrfect Dodge. Don't get me wrong though, that one hit is deadly enough - 568 damage. (›‹ )

The Federation Aketon

I've been wanting to get myself a Federation Aketon for some time now and I spent about hours browsing the Jeuno bazaars in hopes of finding someone selling one. A friend told me that he had found a bazaar carrying a Kingdom Aketon for 400,000 G, so I asked the merchant if I could buy it for 375,000 G. I was really happy when she told me that she accepted my offer.

Kind of strange though how silly it looks on me. Since I'm a Windurstian I decided that I should try doing a few shouts in Jeuno and after about 10 minutes I found someone who was willing to trade my Kingdom into a Federation Aketon.

Now both me and Zelthas have a Federation Aketon, though I think the Republic Aketon looks a little better on me.

You can run, but you can't hide

Skilling up is an important part of one's job. I've been wanting to go level Thief again but I haven't been able to because of my lack of skill in Marksmanship.

It's been awhile since I've used my crossbow the last time, so I was very anxious when I took it out of my safe inside my house. Moogle stared at the me and asked me if I really wanted to do this. I guess he was kind of worried, and to be honest, I was worried too. Equipped as a ranger I decided that I'd go to Western Altepa Desert in an attempt to level my marksmanship.

My destination was Rabao where I would perform the final preparations. I had spent countless hours in Jeuno earlier that day to find bolts of various sorts. Bloody and Holy bolts was of particular interest. I took a few steps outside Rabao and started scanning the area for worms. Worms are an easy target for rangers since we can take them out without being worried about getting hit. Well, I wish that was how it worked though. Worms has a particular interest for Stonega II, a spell that will penetrate even the strongest Utsusemi defense, so I was very careful about my target's moves. The Anticans around me wasn't too happy about seeing me and started chasing me over and over again. I just grinned at them and thought: "You can run, but you can't hide" to myself. I pointed my crossbow at them and fired a paralyzing shot at him. Shadowbind can help you get away in a bad situation. It can also help your mages cast a few enfeebling spells on the target before he arrives at the camp.

I got skill level 150 in the end and I'm looking forward to getting back to my Thief. I even got level 15 Bard the other day which made me happy although it means that I can't level it any further before I get a few more items. Mary's Horn and the Monster Signa would be of tremendous help. (^^ )

Beasts

Vana'diel is inhabited by many monsters, some more fearsome than others. I would say Guivre is one of the scariest beasts I know of (well, other than those inside Promyvion that is).

I stumbled into a dead body while I was running around inside Kuftal Tunnel. I knew immediatly what that meant and cast Tonko: Ichi on myself, only to meet up with Guivre himself in only a few seconds later. Only a few seconds of hessitation would have proved fatal, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for the other party there who had lost one of their dear to a monster like that.

Monsters like Serket makes me shiver in fear when I hear it's name. I saw him for the first time only a few days ago and he was enormous. I hadn't cast Stoneskin on myself, so I got wounded by his deadly attacks. I made sure both Reraise II and Stoneskin was up before I once again entered the battlefield. A large group of people had gathered to get to see the monster, some of the even died.

These two experiences made me remember how important being prepared can be. You can die in an instant if you aren't prepared for the worst.

Something amazing

There are times when things doesn't go your way. There are times when you hate yourself, and others. And there are times when you loose all motivation to go on. At times like that there is really nice to have someone that cares and comforts you. I was feeling really depressed today when Zelthas asked me if I could come see him in Ru'Lude Gardens. I thought that it would be nice to get something else to think about, so I went to the place he had asked me to meet him at being very curious as to what he had in mind. And believe me, I had no idea - no, I couldn't even imagine that something so wonderful would happen to me.

At the balcony above the gardens kneeled to me:

I've been waiting to do this for a while now...
Kimiko, my one true love~
Will you marry me? ^^

He caught me completely off guard. I have dreamed of something like this and I was speachless for a second. I didn't know what to say and do. I blushed, I was overjoyed.. I hit 7th heaven. "Yes, I would love to ^^" was my answer. He even gave me a ring - a Leather ring which he had the engraved with the words: "With love - Zelthas".

This is the best thing that has ever happened to me. A moment I will never forget. To see someone you love fall down on his knees and propose to you does something to you. I love Zelthas with all my heart, and always will. I was so excited, so happy that he would do something like that for little me. I can't help but cry tears of joy when I think about it. This really ment a lot to me.

We sat down and talked for awhile, embracing each other and watching the sun rise. It was nice just sitting there, looking at each other - smiling. This is love. (^^ )

On a sidenote, I've been wanting to give Zelthas something special. I'm almost halfway to that goal now, and I really hope he'll enjoy the item I want to make him. Now I feel even more motivated to complete this gift I'm knitting. (^^ )

New places along the way

Not many people takes the time to visit Yhoator Jungle after they are finished partying there. The jungle is a really nice place to get your tan if you remember to bring your tan lotion along. The jungle has a lot more to offer than goblins. Beautiful locations, ruins to explore and monsters to stalk.

I took these three pictures while on my way to the Den of Rancor.

Waiting

So, here I'm sitting in Selbina writing in my diary. Lonely as ever, only being comforted by my cat Kira. Awww, she's such a little cutie. I wish Zelthas was by my side right now, I miss him whenever he's not around. *sigh*

I was able to pick up a few new items when I was back in Windurst. My new Harp +1 and the Zealot's Mitts should be purrrfect for my Bard.

Noble's Crown

I'll be honest and say that the Healer's Cap isn't really my favorite piece of equipment. After browsing through the auction house I came over the Noble's Crown. The Noble's set is one of my goals and I was shocked when I noticed that I could almost wear the crown and that it was only 93,000 G.

I was a level 65 White Mage when I bought the crown, and a few hours later my friend Orangeknight asked me if we should try to put together a party and try to level a little. Leveling White Mage is only fun if you get to play together with people you like, so I told him that I wanted to go with him. We were unable to find a party, so I decided that I could just as well just go get some sleep.

After about 2 hours of sleep I get dressed and run into the streets and meet up with Orangeknight for another attempt. About 5 minutes later someone asks me if I would like to join their party. I told them that I'd love to, but that Orangeknight is also looking for a party. Yay, the luck had turned since we both got into the party - or so I thought. It didn't take long till we realized that this party wasn't really going to work out as we had hoped.

We were fighting inside Boyahda Tree and the Thief never let me and Orangeknight try to regain a little MP. The paladin had problems keeping the hate and her spells got interrupted all the time. In addition, the crawlers we were fighting was spitting silk and poison on us so I didn't really get much time to do other things like cast support spells.

Did you know that by casting Barwatera and Barpoisonra you will reduce both the damage taken by the poison attack and the chance of it sticking all together?

I did get my level and I even learned the spell Regen III which is going to be one of my favorite spells. 20 HP recovered per 3 seconds is really helpful. Now that I'm level 66 I can wear the crown and cast the Regen III spell. I just hope I'll get level 70 soon. I really want Raise III.

The gifts

So, anyone curious as to what I gave Zelthas for his birthday? (^^ )

• Snow Lily - it smells wonderful!
• 6 Boiled Crab - I made them myself, but the crystals wouldn't carve my name on them. (TT )
• Fire Staff - The last staff he wanted for his staff collection.

So, nothing fancy, but I found something cute, something useful and something he wanted. Not a bad deal, eh?

The snow lily is kind of rare since it was just recently discovered and not many people have been able to get their hands on them. They smells really nice, and I thought that it would make a cute gift for my sugarrr~. The boiled crab is the least thing every paladin should be eating. It boosts your defenses and vitality, so I hope Zelthas will like them.

Zelthas has been trying to collect all the level 51 staves around and with this Fire Staff his collection is complete. I wonder if he'll be able to use them all though. (^^ )

Haunted

I guess this is my lucky day. After helping Obsidian get his Exoray Mold for his In Defiant Challenge (limit 1) quest, I decided to go back and look for the coffer inside Crawler's Nest.

Someone in my linkshell had already found the coffer, so I knew where to find it. I ran with all my might there, and when I finally got there I was overjoyed to see that it was still untouched. I tried picklocking the coffer, only to get poisoned by the trapped coffer. Awww, bummer I thought to myself.

So, what is a girl to do? Just stand there looking silly? Nah, you try again. (^^ ) I decided to try the Kuftal Tunnel, so I paid a White Mage to teleport me to Eastern Altepa Desert. I found the coffer 2 minutes after entering the tunnel, but it was heavily guarded by Haunts there. Oh well, I thought to myself. I tried picking the coffer once the haunts were out of range, but now a Mimic decided to slap me in the face. The Haunts wasn't exactly were happy about seeing me there and decided to teach me a little lesson.

Random thought - Noises

Have you ever wondered why a warrior can use a Warcry to boost both himself and his friend's morale even though he is silenced? According to my mithran dictionary:

war cry (noun)
a call made to rally soldiers for battle or to gather together participants in a campaign.

So, if that Antica somehow managed to get you silenced, why can you still cry out for help? Not to mention "Call for help". You can't use ninjitsu or any magic either.. that's okay I guess.

The strangest part of the effect silence is bards not being able to play an instrument. I understand that they can't use their voices, but why can't they play that flute or harp?

Happy birthday Zelthas!

Happy birthday Zelthas! My dear fiance is 18 years old today and I hope he'll have a great day together with his friends.

So, what is a girl to give her fiance on a day like this? A flower, some chocolate? Nah, that won't do. I'll try to find something cute, yet helpful. (^^ )

Singing

I wrote about how I want to bring light into other people's lives through singing. Renomus has started leveling his Summoner and he invited me to join his party in Valkurm Dunes. Singing for others are really nice, but I'm not really good at it. I really hope I can learn more about this profession, because it is a fun way to play together with other people.

'em bones

I'm not really that fond of wasteland areas, but I think Buburimu Peninsula might be a exception. Although most of the place doesn't look very nice, the coast line is really worth visiting.

I ran around in Buburimu logging, but had to give up because of all the competition. I stumbled over this landmark though. Monsters lurk near these, so I think I was right about running away as fast as possible.

My home

After a long days work I could finally return to my house. I was really happy today because I had been able to get the last piece of furniture I wanted. Moogle brightened up when she saw that I entered the door and welcomed me with the usual "Hello master, kupo!". You know, moogles are really cute. I need to tell her I'm really happy that she would work for me. She's always helping me out when I'm away. Maybe I should let her go on another vacation? I'm sure she misses her parents a lot.

Like I was saying, I got my last piece of furniture today, a Bookshelf to keep all my scrolls, books and maps that I have gathered througout my many adventures. The bookshelf is made of both stone and wood and although it costed me a lot, it's crafted very well.

I had Moogle take a few pictures of my house. You can see my table where I write letters to others, there's also two bamboo wicker boxes for my clothes. On the other side of the room is my library where I study ancient magical scrolls, memorize songs and so on. Trust me, every mage should have one.

My bedroom includes two mahogany beds, two cabinets and two chests decorated with beautiful flowers. Waking up smelling the summer scent is really refreshing. The two tarutaru folding screens are there to seperate the bedroom from my dining room. Listening to the water flowing out of the fountain makes me relax while I'm eating.

So this is where I live. I hope you enjoyed seeing my little home, and I hope you will come visit me some time. (^^ )

Images

Every Ninja needs Utsusemi: Ichi to survive on the battle field. My friend Kylin is leveling Ninja as a support job and asked me if I could come help guide her to the room where the scroll is hidden inside Sea Serpent Grotto.

After I had helped Shirly gather her elements for her Summoner job, I ran over to Norg to meet up with Obsidian and Kylin. Obsidian wanted to stay behind because he didn't really need the scroll (or was just scared - you figure ^^;), so I brought Kylin to the place where the Utsusemi scroll was hidden.

Going home

Getting tired of walking, the rain that began to fall
I chase after the rabbit I couldn't catch
your eyes are like the clear water
breathing deep down in the ocean
call me, call me, I'm here
where can I go, to where, so that I'm satisfied?

Let's go home, when tomorrow comes
will I be laughing saying that it's all ok?
call my name, call me, I'll embrace you
so close your eyes and remember those innocent times.
- YUKI

Being able to go home to Windurst every once in a while is really great. Take a break from all the everyday struggles and rest up. Moogle is always taking care of my house and he gets kind of lonely at times, so I've decided that I should decorate my house a little so that he can enjoy it a bit more. My house isn't very big, but it is big enough for me, Zelthas and my moogle.

I made a little teaser of what my house look like inside and I'll give you a larger picture in a few days. I still need to get myself a Bookshelf before I consider my decoration complete.

Encouraging words

Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.
- Margaret Cousins

I've been playing for almost a year now, and I'll admit that my personality may have change quite a bit over the time I've been around. It's something I really didn't want to happen. I've written about how I miss "those early days" in my diary several times.

The days when every trip was a new adventure, every new person I met was a happy new face - a friend. I have decided that I will once again be the happy girl I once were.

If you are in a party, take your time to thank people for the tiny things that others may take for granted. I'm a white mage and I'm expected to teleport the party - that's one of the benefits I give the party after all - but have you ever seen someone take the time to thank the white mage for actually bringing the party somewhere? I have - in a wonderful group of Japanese people.

I always thank my white mages when I get teleported regardless of how I got teleported (hired taxi or in a party). Someone had to use Escape, Warp II a two hour ability or any other ability that saved your party? Thank them. You got a raise? Thank them regardless of what their job and party they are.

But this post isn't just about thanking people. It's about encouraging them, helping them and so on. We are all proud of our work, but why not "start anew" whenever you join a party. Be curious. Tell your party that you appreciate being invited to play with them, tell them that they are welcome to give you any feedback that may help you help them better.

If someone asks for an Erase for the 14th time, answer "coming up ^^", or even better, use the treatment spell long before they even notice. Say thank you to people buffing you or saving you if you pulled too much hate. Say I'm sorry if you did something wrong. Smile, cry, use emotes. We all have feelings, express them!

Take the time to send your fellow party members a tell saying that you enjoy playing with them, tell them that their haste or erase or whatever they cast landed at the purrrfect time or really helped you.

I'm not asking everyone to start spamming "thank you" or "I'm sorry" on the party line, what I want is to remind people to encourage others, help them and make them feel that you appreciate their hard work.

Getting a tell "You are an awesome White Mage, thank you." is one of the few moments that can make me cry tears of joy. Because that really makes my day.. it makes me be even more proud of my job, and work even harder to become a better white mage.

Like an older sister

As a little kitten I always had people I looked up to, and still do. I have already mentioned my friend Raseleanne, but there is one more person I'd like to talk about. Her name is Azura.

Azura is like an older sister to me, a girl I look up to and admire. She is one of the few people I will always do whatever I can to help. That's what friends are for, right?

I was really surprised when I met her the other day during our avatar run, and happy that we could do something together again. It's been a long time since I've been able to party with or do things together with some of the people I care about.

The beastmaster and summoner

Renomus finally got his Dark Spirit Pact today after hours and hours of fighting.

He has been working on his beastmaster for a long time now, so I'm pretty sure it feels kind of familiar. Battosai on the other hand has picked up beastmaster.

Life is good

Life is a canvas
And the paint is hope and promise
The world is ours
No one could ever take it from us
The sky is blue
The day is new
The sun is shinin' down
You know life is good
We got each other
And that's all we need

Tomorrow will tomorrow
Be today, today
Anyhting that people say don't mean a thing
'Cause it's time for livin'

Hey! It's okay
We can paint the world bright, any color
Yeah, coming back from nowhere or on the way
- Maaya Sakamoto

Now this is the song I want to carry on to other adventurers, and for the past 3 days I've been working eagerly on getting my Bard equipment ready. I'm only level 10, so I'm below Amateur, but I'm working on it. Bard is a nice job. (^^ )

Movie - Avatars

Renomus asked me if I could help his avatar party as a healer today, and I decided that I should definitly go since they were doing a few avatars that I don't have. But I wasn't really neccesary to be honest. We had three white mages in our party, and all of the avatars got killed pretty quickly.

I got Ramuh, Ifrit and 10,000 G (Titan reward) as a reward, which was really helpful at the time. I made a movie of the battles that can be downloaded (40.8 MB) here.

Congratulations to Renomus and Battosai that got their Fenrir shortly after we did the avatar run.

You'll need to install DivX to watch it. (^^ )

Another diary (^^ )

I wrote about writing diaries a few days ago, and it seems like someone came across my diary. Mininou's diary is about a strong Black Mage who decided to enter the hall of summoners.

She hasn't been writing long, but I encourage everyone to read her diary. (^^ )

Also, take a look at Adventures in Vana'diel, Elboron's Adventures and Russta.com. (^^ )

Supplying the outposts

Getting around in a quick and convenient way is an important aspect of every adventurer's life. Like most of you should know, you can get teleported from Windurst to any region where you have delivered supplies to earlier. You can also get teleported back to Windurst from the outpost which can save you a lot of headache every now and then. Ever been to Valkurm Dunes and want a quick way to get back home? Well, now you know how. (^^ )

I decided to go deliver a supplies to the Valdeaunia, Derfland and Kuzotz region, so now I can get instant access to Xarcabard, Pashhow Marshlands and Eastern Altepa Desert. (^^ )

Evil Spirits

I went to Xarcabard together with Renomus today in an attempt to get the Dark Spirit Pact scroll that Viscount Morax carries around.

We did an outpost teleportation to the Valdeaunla region since I went there as a Thief and not a White Mage as I'm usually going with. Climbing the tower wasn't really much of a problem thanks to Renomus who kept me sneaked.

We fought for about one and a half hour before Renomus gave up and we decided to just go back home. In the meantime we had killed quite a few demons, and I even got to attempt to solo one. I say attempt because once he tears my Utsusemi apart, he hits for 80-120 dmg per hit. That really hurts. (TT )

Aquarius

I got stranded in Boyahda Tree when I got seperated from my party yesterday. I thought that since I was here, I could just as well try to find the treasure coffer since I still had a few keys on me.

I ran around inside the tree when a monster got my attention, I had run into Aquarius, a crab that inhabits the tree. I yelled that I had found him and a Warrior and Red Mage appeared not too long after. I asked the Warrior if he could help me get the Fransisca if they decided to fight Aquarius. He accepted the offer and they started fighting, but it didn't take long before I realized that they were both going to die.

A Beastmaster and Redmage came along and started fighting the crab. Once again I asked for help getting the axe, but I didn't get any replies. I stood there cheering on them, and after about 10 minutes of fighting the crab finally died. Still no reply, but then he ran up to me and looked at me. I decided that I should say that I'm ready to party, and he invited me.

Thank you Maldini and Necojiru for helping me get the axe. (^^ )

Say hello to Entice

I want to dedicate todays post to my good friend Entice who I met in Garlaige Citadel. We've run into each other before, and it's been a long time since the last time we saw each other. I'm really glad to meet you again Entice. (^^ )

Concerns

I have met many nice people throughout Vana'diel, some of which have become my good friends later on. Of course, there are people I'd rather not see again too. Today I had one of those experiences.

I was asked to join a party that was about to leave Jeuno. They were heading to Boyahda Tree, so I said yes and came along in hopes of getting more experience to hone my thief's skills. Someone from my linkshell, WindurstShell, was also in the party.

We had just arrived in The Sanctuary of Zi'tah when one of my team members was getting angry because he had been informed that the Hhhh gang was back. According to a few bulletin boards I've read, the Hhhh gang has been known to kill friendly people, and work for the local mafia.

I told him that he shouldn't speak about other people without being able to prove anything, and he was kind of upsetting me by bringing something like that in our party in the first place. He then told me to shut up (in a very rude manner at that) because he had 500,000 G in his delivery box back home which one of the Hhhh members had sent him. "Oh, doesn't that make you equally guilty?", I thought to myself, trying not to let him irritate me further.

The party didn't really work out too good inside the tree, and our Paladin was whispering to me that he wanted to leave if things didn't get any better. When the Paladin finally said that he was leaving and notified the others that there were currently no other paladins available. The guy from earlier then started grumbling about people never being on when he wanted them to be on doing their job. I told him that we are all people with different kind of interests and an agenda of our own. He then said the following to me:

u will walk away before i run this sword thru ur neck

I was kind of startled by his outburst, and I felt threatened. I don't think too lightly of people who are trying to harass or offend me, so I told them that I would stay behind and look for a treasure coffer inside the tree. The black mage cast Warp on the remaining party and I decided that I could not let this slip. I called the police and explained to them that I had been gotten a rather rude message that I thought of as a threat. I also told them about his association with the mafia that he had admitted earlier.

This is the second time I've ever called the police department because of an other player. The officer I was talking with was very friendly and was patiently waiting while I was explaining what had happened. I told him the place and time of the scenes and he promised me that he'd look further into it. I told him I understand that they may not take immediate action, but that I thought of it as my duty to report people abusing or breaking the law.

It's kind of sad how people can't speak with others without being angry, rude or swearing at them.

Parrying

I found a good place to level my parrying today in Yuhtunga Jungle right outside the tunnel to Sea Serpent Grotto. The Creek Sahagin and Young Opo-opo there seemed purrrfect, but I had to give up after awhile when I didn't get much parrying skillup.

I decided to check the Norg auction house for a Parrying knife, Strike Shield and an earring to increase my parrying skill. I got my items and returned to the Jungle and continued skilling up. It was a bit easier now, but because I didn't carry my Bloody Bolts I had to spend a long time resting up. I decided to go back to Jeuno and try skilling up in Qufim Island instead, but Renomus asked me if I would help his friend get his coffer key in Beadeaux.

We went to Beadeaux, but quickly realized that we had ended up in a party that just didn't work out. It was a total chaos there, but we managed to get one out of four keys before Renomus wanted to head back to Castle Zvahl Baileys to camp Viscount Morax who drops the Dark Spirit Pact scroll. I went back to Jeuno, and then to Windurst to prepare a few things of my own.

There are times when you want to get away from the crowd. This is especially true if people are either insulting you or saying things you don't want to hear. I decided that I'd make myself a little exclusive linkshell where I can relax when WindurstShell seems too noisy. I ended up making:

• TheAdventurers
• ExploreVanaDiel

By exclusive I mean a linkshell where no one gets invited but myself. I have quite a few merchants running around trying to sell the items I make while I'm out of town. One of them is Crystalfeather. So it's not like I'm not being true to my friends.. it's just that I need a little peace every now and then. Oh, and no, you can't have a pearl. (^^;)

Sea Serpent Grotto

To celebrate my new level, I decided to go to Sea Serpent Grotto to get the map for the place. My last attempt failed miserably when I realized it was trapped as I opened it, leaving me sick for days afterwards. I tried finding the coffer there afterwards, but with no luck. Stingy coffer. (>< )

Chaperone

I got really amazed today when Gothicgoddes and Gukai asked me if I would be their chaperone. They seem to have been engaged for a month now, and I was really happy when I heard they wanted me to help them out. Of course I accepted the offer and sent the application to the Windurst High Council. So if me and Zelthas - and now Gothicgoddes and Gukai - will get our wedding dates soon. (^^ )

Now that I've got two weddings to take care of, I decided that I should probably get my act together and go level Thief seriously. I want to get level 58 before the weddings, and I think I should be able to make it by then. I hit 52 today, so I can now wear my beloved Rogue's Armlets. I just can't wait to equip more of the artifact parts. Next up is the Rogue's Bonnet.

The Sixth Ministry

I went to Toraimarai Canal today to do The Sixth Ministry mission (Windurst 7-1) together with Renomus, Alane and Battosai.

Other people have been telling me that the four Hinge Oils that guard the library inside the inner parts of the Canal are really hard to fight, but I'm not sure if I can agree with them about that. Sure, they can hurt you a lot if you are unprepared, but we killed them pretty quickly.

I had planned to go do the Awakening of the Gods mission, but I wasn't feeling well and couldn't go with the others. I'll have to do missions on my own since both Battosai and Renomus are ahead of me.

Initiate

I've been working hard on crafting lately, and I'm finally getting some of my money back now. At least I've got enough money to continue leveling again. It's kind of sad when you can't do anything because you have no money.

At least Ponono loves the items I'm making (old picture, I guild level is 21). (^^ )