As one of most effective bloodblade fighters in the lands, Althea chose to employ it here to devastating effect. For those unfamiliar with the bloodblade, it is a weapon some fighters have learned how to use. Basically, as the user is more and more wounded, the atkus and darkus of the bloodblade rise dramatically. I've seen Aldernon wield one in the arena with the darkus of a Large Sand Wurm. Unfortunately, for it to be used effectively, healers have to overcome their urge to automatically heal a wounded fighter.

Althea takes out her aggression on a hapless Zerk.

Eventually, most healers figured out when to leave Althea and her bloodblade well enough alone during a battle, but not before another minor tiff erupted between Althea and Babajaga over appearances. It seems Slyph pointed her caduceus at Althea, thinking Althea looked like Babajaga. These things happen, I suppose. At this point, with things well in hand, I learned that poor Kaija's spirit was drifting away in the Northwest Forest, so I decided to take a breather before the exiles advanced toward tanglewood.

Healing Kaija in the Northwest Forest.

Probably the worst thing that can happen to an exile is to suffer a random mishap far away from an invasion. Kaija waited it out like a trooper, and Sai, Sean and I were able to get her up easily despite the rats (good old Horus ... I don't think we would've been able to convince any more healers to help us). Soon, I rejoined the exiles advancing through a wave of warlocks in East Field, through a crowded tanglewood and on into the Orga Camp itself.

In the Orga Path, chaos and three BRO (Big Red Orga).

A cascade of lightning and the fearsome grunts of giant orga greeted our brave party. We had to retreat out of the Camp, despite the fact that several were fallen inside. Slowly as the orga came out, we were able to pick them off, weakening their forces to the point where we could rod the warlocks from the path.

Picking up a fallen left behind in Tanglewood.

While this battle raged for a couple of puddlehours, I took a quick break to chain Indigo to the scene. She had fallen in a random sn'ell of Tanglewood to simple misfortune, and whenever I have the opportunity, I like to drag people back to the scene of the action. I know how much I would hate to miss it myself, so I'm glad I have the chains and the ability to use them effectively every once in a while. These silly little rescues (like with Kaija in the Northwest Forest earlier) often mean the most to me for some reason. Thanks to Arod for helping out.

Yor and Babajaga interrogate a Fury.

Back in the Orga Camp, the tide of the battle was turning decisively in our favor. Yor and Babajaga took the opportunity to quiz one of the orga about Trillbane, the catapult plans, the foothills and so on. Not surprisingly, we learned nothing useful. Inside, then, to save the others.

As the last orga are dispatched, exiles declare victory and heal up.

Several of the fallens were pretty rat-chewed and/or lightning charred, but with all the healers present and my Horus, we had no problem getting everyone up who was fallen. A few of the exiles wanted to pursue the Orga further into snaggy or OC2, but most declared victory and went off to pursue other things. It looked like OC1 was the real focus point, and once we had won there, it didn't seem useful to push our luck.

We'll strike back soon during the next DP raid, coming up in just a few puddledays! I can't wait to see the foothills again!

It seems that if you can manage to get into a cubby hole without other creatures, it is fairly easy to remain safe there. It took a few tries for me to arrange it this way. Underground is one of the most dangerous places to rescue. So many narrow passages, so much junk, and it is still so new that not many exiles think to ask if you are fallen there. Luckily, our population of locating mystics is growing.

My idiotic stunt of the day came in the savannah, when I went to try to help save Lundar's party, fallen on the dunes to Large Sand Wurms. Try as I might, I still occasionally forget myself and charge ahead into an area, even though I really should hold myself in reserve.

Charging ahead of three more qualified exiles...

I was a little impatient, though, knowing I had to get to the library soon and that the fallens had been waiting for a few puddlehours. I realized my mistake a moment later.

Still nodding like a dummy, I face the gaping maw of a LSW.

Well, surrounded instantly, I fell pretty hard. It took 4-5 healers to raise me, and I was probably the most fallen of the group. Perhaps it was a bad omen. Some time later, we went on a DP run. Despite the presence of many fine exiles, we were unable to advance. Gurgi called an end to the raid, seeing that we didn't have the muscle, in the hopes of keeping enough people energized for the next raid, which will likely be even stronger and have better chances of success.

In the meantime, back in town on the morning of the 47th, I came out of the library to find myrms all over town. Mostly small ones, though. It seems that I just missed a major invasion. Artifacts of it still exist, however, including a tunnel the myrms dug up into town near the auction house that leads (one-way!!) into the Queen's Chamber.

Aftermath of a myrm invasion ... a passageway directly to QC.

J'nder, Tara and many others were already healing the last of the fallens from the counter-invasion in the Queen's Chamber, and it took several hours to clean up the various myrms around town. I wonder if all the myrms boiling up from underground has any connection to the numerous rat spawns, especially in the TGBG, that are continuing. Is this in response to our tunnel building or something more ominous, like a change in the island's geography?

We encountered a few Orga Hatreds, several Large Death Vermine and more Orga Warlocks and Dredlocks than you can shake a stick at, and we had to retreat out after getting all the way to the choke point twice due to lightning fallen. But patience, perseverance and leadership finally won the day as we cleared the entire passage of Orga.

I get a glimpse of the North safe cave.

North of the usual foothills entrance, I ran up to see the safe cave. It takes some pathfinding skill to enter, I think, and the inside is quite large, looking somewhat like the interior of a large orga hut in the village. Sadly, we didn't have too much time to explore since we were desperate to get through before a respawn. That seems like a good goal for next time, because inside that cave is a pretty big place.

Exiles head into the foothills (and all healthy!)

So we got together and headed in. With Entil'Zha's map of the foothills in hand, we decided first to explore Ash Valley thoroughly. The way there was difficult.

Fighting monstrous wendecka near the safe cave.

So many dangers exist in these battles. Not only do the Midnight Wendeckas (especially the large ones) have amazing darkus, the pebbles they throw rarely miss and do lots of damage, often hitting exiles after they fall. Our group was strong enough to survive the first onslaught, and we made it through to the valley, which was cleared in short order (with some planning).

A strange pool is explored in the foothills.

We did some further exploring, but we didn't find any new passages. The same caves are still blocked, and we still aren't sure what the story is behind this pool. We suspect it somehow marks the way to Trillbane, but how? We will continue to explore in the time we have remaining.

The Mushroom safe cave in the foothills.

I also managed, with my relatively meager pathfinding ability, to enter the safe cave with the giant mushrooms where Entil'Zha took a nap. Most of the rest of the time we spent hunting. With Gorton and Hunter there, we will be very rich by the time we get back.

After the initial day of explorations, many exiles headed back toward town through the outback. Gurgi magnanimously accompanied them to help out, and although it was a very close call, they all made it alive. I hear Merlisk's bravery contributed mightily to their success, but I do not know the entire story. All of us were glad to see them make it. I will have more news if we make any new discoveries!

We dispatched it with some difficulty (in fact, we even earned a 69c bountry for killing it ... perhaps a reward from Katpus? Who else would pay such a bounty?), but what if it had showed up during one of our frequent retreats from the passes? The cave east of the safe cave has a nasty habit of spawning about a dozen LMW's all at once, and with the small breathing space, it is very hard to manuever and kill them. Urgelt led us around through the south foothills entry so that we could lure them gradually out through the back entrance to the cave, and that worked great.

This despite a surprise spawn of a few Large Death Vermine. We still have enough exiles here to handle some tough monsters. A good thing, too, because when I awoke this morning in the safe cave, Urgelt and I wandered outside and encountered a very fast-swinging Orga Hatred lurking. As I write this, I am cowering in the safe cave, hoping more powerful exiles wake up soon so that we can explore some more prior to the chaos storm.

We also had a problem with spriggins, which was exceptionally painful since we are all laden with so much cash and have no bank in which to deposit it safely. While many of us were dreaming sleepily in the safe cave, hanging around in case we might be useful, a nasty group of spriggins stole several thousand coins from the group before they were dispatched. Perhaps if we resolve to all sleep much more deeply in the future, that won't be a problem.

We also managed to visit the shimmering pool again near the stroke of midnight, but nothing unusual happened. We're just about out of ideas for new places to explore or how to find our way through. Some of us hope that the coming chaos storm will unblock some of the caves here that are blocked from the far side, but my feeling is that we are missing something. I just don't know what.