Enchanter Howling Stones Adventure

These are the adventures of Jamm the Enchanter in the fabled Howling Stones.

Each of my trips into HS has provided an interesting story and interesting lesson. They are documented for you below and I hope they help out all my solo Enchanter/Necro/Shaman brothers and sisters that wish to attempt this fun and dangerous zone.

Notes:

I have done all of my soloing in the entrance only using Cajoling Whispers. I bought Allure, finally, but I still don't need to use it.

You will eventually become KOS to the outpost, and they are greedy merchants anyways, so bring at least 3 stacks of peridots and a ton of food/drink before you attempt this good time. Probably not as big of an issue on Blue, since porters are everywhere.

Day 1, level 55

This is it, my first attempt to enter the sacred zone. Many guildies were polled and begged to join, but a resounding no (with a smattering of curses) was the consensus. Nonetheless, I am determined to conquer this zone, despite its abandonment, and my lack of rechargeable goodies.

I buff up fully, beserker spirit above my rune, I've been told, and throw on IVU (a guildy recommendation). The Scorps all like me at this point, so I wander down and casually click my key against the roiling sphere with a shaky hand.

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Right before I command+Q with my heart beat hammering in my ear, the zone pops. I quickly mouse turn and keyboard turn to see if anything is attacking me, but I am safe. I turn and see a devourer very near to me, but not aggroing. I slowly begin to back up, but alarms go off in my mind, "Beware the East pather!!!!". I furiously mash my sense heading button.

You have no idea which direction you are facing.

Really? Classic.

You have no idea which direction you are facing.

Sweat breaks out on my brow. Eff this game.

You think you are facing South.

I'm safe. I slowly back away, pull up calm and charm.

I calm the devourer and then the skeleton. Congratulations, I have broken and and will probably survive. I keep gate memmed the whole evening though. That's called respect.

I went on to spend the evening killing the North, South, and West golems while avoiding with all diligence the Eastern doors. No loots were had, HP was dropped below 50% many times, and many golems, skellies, and devourers were killed. I called it a night, gated to the outpost, put on an illusion, banked my plat and camped out. With illusion on, I am now apprehensive after one evening.

Lesson: HS isn't that bad, quit being a sissy with gate up the whole time.

Day 2, level 55

I decide to return after exping in Seb and KC a bit. I buff up, IVU up and zone in. I are getting eaten! 2 devourers are on me and my beserker spirit is gone. I drop an aoe mez on myself and moonwalk to the north stairs. Roots, tashes, and a Cajoling Whisper fly out and I am good to go for this round, or so I think. After my first rotation, the roamers repop and I prepare my skeleton pet to ambush the next pop. He pops, I root him in the Southeast corner and sick my pet on him. Life is good in HS, we are all having a great evening.

Mid fight though, I notice the Hamal Skeleton on the East platform begins to cast a spell. Interesting...I didn't know he buffed the golems. A plague of disease appear around my pet. Oh no!

The spawn point for the south east roamer is not a safe place to fight, I am invading his realm. Luckily, my pet had almost finished the other roamer, so I let them finish their fight while the Hamal cast on my pet. He then entered the fray. I decided to push the envelope a little bit, lets see how bad this pather really is.

I mez him with my level 4 and back off my pet. It lasts 4 seconds, so I cast again. It breaks mid root cast and he begins casting. I don't have any pots on me, oh no! He lands the magic line dot (boil blood or something), but sadly, it is in the 8th buff spot. Time to flee. I let him fight my pet as I mem gate and recant magic. I then chain cast mez in pure terror until gate pops and gate my way to safety. 2 or 3 casts of recant and I am safe. So I sit down at 50% health and 20% mana, lets call it a night.

Lesson: The east pather is a bad mob, but he doesn't bring his golem friends with him, which is nice.

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Day 3, level 56

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After leveling, I decided to head down for more fun. I have a similar experience this go round, except a new phenomenon has started to occur. I got some loots! A ruby and Heroic Bond, plus a few other spells. Theft of thought for me to turn in and hopefully snag Clarity II. I also see my first bile golem and make the mistake of charming him. He is not a big fan, MR must be through the roof.

A guildy Necro shows up and we go down into the basement to have some fun. We don't plan anything and decide to wing it, like the best duos do. Good times. He pulls way too many and I am in the middle of my pet tanking something. He trains me with 4, one being an oblation (wizard). I go into a trance and 10 minutes later all the mobs are dead except my pet with around 40% hp. He has CR'd by then and is floating down. I don't really remember what happened, but AoE Mez + PE + ToT + one caster mob = a good evening in HS.

I had a rude awakening after gating out this time, they hate me in the outpost :( Even with collaboration, my banking/selling days are over with my Outpost buddies. I wave a last goodbye to the Cliff Golem and move my bind spot to the top of the canyon above the HS entrance.

Lesson: Enchanters are definitely as OP as people say they are. 6 mobs at once in the hardest dungeon in the game. And watch out for bile golems.

Day 4, level 56

Red population has taken a hit recently and groups have been scarce. Solo exp in HS is comparable to group exp, so I decide to add a long grinding session to my experience and possibly aim for 60 in here. I zone in to aggro from a bile golem and the skeleton jumps in with a quick HT and boy, we are having fun tonight!

After I survive that, get rebuffed and med for what feels like 10 minutes, I begin working on the golems. I make it all the way around for roamer repops. I set my skelly pet on the other skelly and we are going to have ourselves a fight. Charm breaks pretty quickly, and instead of making a beeline for me, this skeleton decided to take a full running tour of the platform.

The East pather aggros, boil blood on me, time to mez and gate. I have the same issue with the pather again. Breaking mez super quickly and being a pretty big jerk.

I escape, completely debuff myself again (notice how I never learn?) med for a few hours and go back in.

Something I didn't mention before, the scorpions that guard the entrance to HS are KOS to me now, so I calm them all before running in with IVU up (unless I know there are only live roamers inside). Another fun thing that EQ gives you to do. Yay!

I make it back in, grab my previous pet, kill the roamer and move on to making the rounds on the golems. I earn about 30% of 56 (on red) in 3 hours. Not too shabby.

Before logging, I decide to try something new. I log out invisible next to the golems guarding a door. I am going to see if I can save myself the trouble of floating down and breaking in. We will see how it works out next time!

Lesson: A mob running at you across the central platform can take two or three different routes, depending on the angle. One of those paths apparently involves right in front of East.