Final Fantasy XI Playdiary
Entry 6 - Hunting Hunting Hunting
Today I vowed I would get to level thirteen no matter what it took! Did I succeed this time or get distracted by my usual bumbling around? Read on to find out....
I got off to a good start by being invited to join a party early on in my boring soloing in the canyon. Everyone else in the party was Japanese and most had higher levels in other jobs and subjobs so they were very professional compared to little me. We had two bards - this was the first time I had hunted with bards - and it was great. They kept us all powered up. Curono, the tall chap in white mage gear, was very bold and daring and kept running around bashing monsters with his rod whilst the others rested in between fights. It was amusing.
Once everyone had regained their MP the casters set to work renewing all of our spells to keep us safe. The bard songs looked fantastic in action but I kept being too slow to catch any really good shots of little Kupo singing them (tarutaru bards are adorable ;_;).
What we were hunting were the extremely strong wild Dhalmels that lived in this desert in herds. They were so huge that I could hardly reach to hit them higher than the knee. It was dangerous but very rewarding when they fell to our little group.
Healing up after battle. I didn't tend to take much damage as the monsters were set on taking out our healers and warriors (since warriors have a taunt ability). I wish I could taunt them too to take advantage of my high HP and keep the healers comfortable.
After a scary run in with an Air Elemental from which we barely escaped with our lives, the healers had to go to sleep. Timezones are such a pain. I wasn't too far from my next level so I ran off to Outer Horutoto ruins again to solo some experience whilst I still could. In a few levels time I would probably be too strong to get any experience there. I ran into a group consisting entirely of tarutaru mages and watched them as I healed up after some fighting. There are actually five of them there but they blend together in my picture since they're all so small and round ^^;.
During my hunt the Signet spell cast on me back in Windurst wore off, so I had to head back to have it reapplied. Signet allows me to gain points for my home in the world conquest and earn special items and crystals. I took a scenic route to snap some pictures of people and places.
I really hate the look of my Headgear item. Here's me "blush"ing by the auction house. The animation looks very cute in full as I wave the camera away.
Still at the auction house, I saw a resting galka with a disturbing name - Kogal. Ergh ^^;.
Running on, I bumped into a member of my Linkshell. I had never met Peacemaker before but he was very friendly and stopped to say hello. He said he'd hunt with me sometime on his white mage but for now was experimenting with other classes. I was happy to have met yet another nice person and grabbed a picture of him for my album.
Two different NPCs. I include them because I really like their outfits. Perhaps one day I will be able to find something similar? The second one is Nanaa Mihgo who gave me some money for fetching her some Yagudo Beads and has asked me to work on Mission 4. Unfortunately it is still quite difficult to finish that at my level.
An adorable tarutaru I saw fishing as I headed to check up on a quest I have been working on. I should really stop taking tarutaru pictures for no reason >_<. The quest is to find an appropriate stone for a little tarutaru called Chamama, but she is never satisfied with what I bring her. Grr.
With Signet back I resumed my solo hunting. Being unusually adventurous I headed to Giddeus and took on the Yagudo forces there. I was getting confident exploring the cave system (with no map as I once again forgot to plan in advance and buy one) when I stumbled and fell through a hole in the floor into a subterranean cavern full of very hostile worms. Scrambling out as fast as I could I ran into a Yagudo Medicant and Piper. I finished off the first but the second calmly slew me as I ran for my life. His bard songs set me to sleep when I outran him and each time he walked up and smacked me. It was a good place to hunt, but I will be more cautious if I come back.
Fighting Balloons back in the ruins I eventually got up to level thirteen as I'd hoped. Success! Here is a nice picture of one Balloon exploding beside me to try to take me out with him. I excitedly equipped my new robe which looked green when I bought it and found it looked very similar to my old one when equipped with a few minor differences. Disappointing, but the stats on it were still worthwhile.
Feeling tired after all this work I decided to call it a day - after smacking a few weaker Yagudo around to take out some of my frustration about my earlier death. In a few more levels I will be able to leave these familiar grounds and explore more of the world thanks to the chocobo transportation I will have access to. I have had so many adventures already in this one town that I can't begin to imagine what the rest of the world I live in might be like.
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Date entered: 17th December 2002