New Linkshell

Ummmmmmm... no comment.

I joined a new linkshell today after Quieren got one of the members to travel to Windurst to give me the pearl. He was also going to add Gravely and Kristofer, but neither of them were on. I could've logged out and switched over to K's character, but I'll leave that for him. Mostly I ran around killing crawlers, fishing, and taking sexually suggestive screenshots.

It's strange being in a linkshell with a lot of people. They're constantly chatting and helping each other. It's a very different vibe from RainbowCarnage, which has only three or four regulars who almost never see each other.

Ticket to Ride

It's so cute! (Click to enlarge.)

Wooooo-hooooooooo! I can ride chocobos now. It cost a paltry 140 gil to rent one and ride it all the way from Jeuno to Selbina. I didn't have to worry about getting attacked by tigers or goblins or anything. Sweet!

I teamed up with a taru ranger named Evnon for the second part of the trip. He was traveling to Windurst to start his quest to become a summoner. We were slaughtering crawlers all the way to the city.

I bought a scroll of Thunder, now that I can use the spell. I fished awhile and kept casting enchancing spells -- Protect, Barstonra, Aquaveil, etc. -- in order to raise that particular skill. Not a bad day.

Welcome to Jeuno

A Walking Tree lurks in Jugner Forest.

A giant attacks the party in Quifum.

What I love most about Final Fantasy XI is the way it appeals to my sense of wonder and love of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Running around Vana'diel is as close as I can get to being a hobbit in Middle Earth.

Now that I have my Black Mage and White Mage skills leveled up to twenty, I decided it was finally time I traveled to Jeuno to get my Chocobo license. Quieren arranged an escort for me. I met Nile in the port city of Selbina, and the two of us set off through Jugner Forest. It's very dense, with lots of trees and low-hanging branches which reduce visibility. Tigers lurk inside to attack unwary visitors, and Nile dispatched three of them before we cleared the forest.

The most surreal moment came as we were walking along a ravine. Nile pointed and said "A Walking Tree. I'd love to take out one of those." I looked, and saw it standing almost motionless to blend with the surrounding flora. It moved out of range and we headed off.

Jeuno is an amazing city. It's built on four levels reaching high into the clouds. The upper level is an amazing garden, while shops and residences are clustered below. Jeuno is a powerful city because it stands at the center of Vana'diel's trade routes. It also has control of airships and uses the leverage the technology gives it in maintaining the fragile peace. It reminds me of the Spacing Guild in Frank Herbert's Dune novels.

I found the Chocobo stables near the entrance. One of the giant birds is ill, and I have to nurse it back to health. When that's finished, I'll be given a Chocobo license and will be able to rent them from stables all across the land. They're faster than running on my tiny taru legs, and I don't have to worry about being attacked by monsters when I'm in the saddle.

At one point I wandered out into Rolanberry Fields to check out the local monsters. I soon found they were too strong to face alone and used my Warp spell. Unfortunately, I'd forgotten to set my home point in the city and found myself back in Jugner Forest! Another group of mages being led by a high-level Warrior was passing by, and I joined them for the return trip.

Quifum Island, where most Level 20 players go to gain experience, is connected directly to Jeuno via a tunnel. A party quickly invited me, so I helped them fight clippers for an hour or so. Our party was attacked twice by the giants who roam the area, and we were forced to flee each time to a nearby tower.