By: Erin “Stellara” Oakley
Hail, Norrathians! Although you may not see me on the forums (/cast Invisibility ftw), I have been reading and enjoying your feedback and stories, so keep ‘em coming. Since a few of you recommended it, I decided to hit up the Estate of Unrest before I got to be too high level to enjoy it properly.
I fire up the incredibly handy Zone Guide, which gives me a sparkly trail leading out to Dagnor’s Cauldron:
Apparently Dagnor’s is a favorite vacation spot of the aqua goblins, who set up their fashion-forward tents all along the shore. Seriously, these guys are nailing the animal print trend:
(Other decorating tips I’ve gleaned from the goblins: “Choose campfires for flattering natural lighting!” and “Put a banner of your own face by your front door!”)
The waypoint for the entry seems to be across the goblin-infested lake, but I’m not worried. As I’ve mentioned before, one of my favorite things about being a Mage is all the toys you can summon. Eager to try out a new spell, I conjure up a Waterstone and dive below the surface. (Apparently Mercs and pets have secret gills, because neither one seems bothered by the sudden lack of oxygen.) As I swim slowly past undertow skeletons and aqua goblins, I notice some sunken ruins at the bottom of the lake. Cool!
I make for the submerged columns, getting “Better at Swimming” all the while. After traversing a small tunnel, I emerge into Kedge Keep. Who (or what) was Kedge, and why did he misunderstand the concept of lakefront property? I swim on, seeking answers, but instead find swordfish.
They appear to be REALLY unhappy to see me.
After an undignified underwater scramble for the zone line, I decide I don’t care who Kedge was anyway, and head for my initial destination: the Estate of Unrest. It’s gorgeously gothic, and crawling with undead of all types.
Spoiler alert: skeletons are really flammable.
I meander through the halls, re-killing ghouls and gaining confidence as I stockpile weapons and coin. However, my humility is abruptly restored when I open a door and disturb the Fabled Undead Knight of Unrest and his hags. Let me tell you, there’s nothing quite like noticing your Merc is at 12% heath and realizing you forgot to put Gate back on your hotbar. I somehow manage to set a world record for panic-fueled spell memorizing and barely escape the Knight’s clutches.
Safe back in Crescent Reach, I decide to finish out my session with a few quests back in Blightfire Moors. There’s nothing too scary there, right? I round a bend in the road and almost need to change my armor when I see this charmer waiting for me:
Yup, that’s enough EQ for one day.
I’ll be checking out other favorite zones in future installments, hopefully with more success and less panic. Until then, Norrathians, tell me your favorite tales of narrowly escaping death!
Till next time,
Stellara