Walking Memory Lane in Old Town

I spent much of tonight with Fhox farming in Oldton Movalpolos. He was treasure hunting and invited me along. I think we were there for about 90 minutes in all. What was interesting is how much we chatted about RDB history. It all started because on my way through Bastok to meet Fhox, I bumped into Monkeylori.

We said our cursory greetings and she asked where I was off to. I said farming in Oldton with a shell-mate. “Fhox?” she asked. A bit surprised, I said yes, and she wished me luck and mentioned what a creepy place Oldton is.

When I finally made it in, I had to agree – it looks like a mining facility straight out of “Temple of Doom” complete with crazy mine cart track runs and rickety wooden platforms jamming out of the rocks every which way. I told Fhox who I’d seen and he said he was surprised she acknowledged him, and thus began my first real lesson into the origins of RDB.

The shell was apparently co-created by Monkeylori (!) and Blueeyed. There was apparently a fight, not sure what about, and then Blueeyed split. Later, Lori would leave and Fhox assumed control then (I believe). There was apparently further tension when Fhox allowed Blueeyed back in. Fhox seems to think he may have PLed me early on.

Fhox asked how I knew Lori, and I said from random parties and bump-ins. He said she left the shell before I came in. Interesting. If she has any ill will towards RDB, she’s never shown any toward me ^^

Somewhere along the line he also told me Chucho was a founding member but had taken time off, and I came in during that break.

As for the farming, we got me a key and he let me open the next chest for the area map. We never did find another chest for the key he’d been holding. And all that for a top payout of 6k. I teased him about tele-whoring himself thinking his /WHM would be leveled enough for the core teles. (But I now think he’s more like RDM65, so…)

He said he wouldn’t because he hates sitting around. Hmph! I hate running in circles fighting low or no XP mobs for a chance at only 6k… I appreciate the time we spent and the history lesson, but damn, I could’ve pulled 6k in for a lot less effort.

The good news is I upped my battlefield skills a bit – I changed my Sleep and Silence macros from targeting to after we pulled several Moblin and Bugbear links involving spellcasters or serious damage risk. I’m feeling a little better about how I handle things.

I left Fhox to give the Vollbow OP run a shot, now that I knew I could get there. I made it to Kuftal Tunnel, coffer key in hand, and began looking for the chest after buffing up and sneaking myself. Maybe 10 minutes later I suffered a double-death at the hands of an Air Elemental that seemed to sense me from very far away while I applied Invisible so I could run past it into the main tunnel.

That little accident cost me about 1,700 XP and now I’m only 300 or so into 57 – another death without a buffer and I’ll delevel ><

Also, I think tonight is when Fhox introduced us to Benvolio, yet ANOTHER Bastokan. I really think I’m the only non-Bastokan in the shell now!