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Our run from the Commonlands to the Eastern
Plains of the Karanas was blessedly uneventful. Pausing in High
Keep to check out the hunting possibilities and binding ourselves here, we soldiered on for the eastern plains.
The run down into the plains is daunting. Be careful to stay on the path as a tumble down the cliff will mean certain death. We both marvelled at mysterious rock carvings in the mountains. Trystahnn led the way down the long and winding path until we came out into the open. East Karana is not flat and featureless: many rocky crags rise out of the fertile lowlands and trees dot the landscape. A few hardy farmers eke out their living among the lions, snakes, gnolls, spiders and giants. Our prey were the famed crag spiders. Dropping up to four silk swatches per spider (great for the aspiring tailor), crag spiders gave us experience and nice loot. Thanks to my tracking skill, we were able to hunt the spiders down without much downtime. Trystahnn usually equipped his paladin-only weapon, Messenger of the Queen, to swiftly dispatch the spiders. Our technique became a well-oiled routine: I'd lead us to the spider, snare it, cast Shield of Barbs upon Trystahnn who'd charge into combat while I cast Creeping Crud (a damage over time spell) and a few other magical attacks against the spider. If luck was with us, no one got poisoned (otherwise a few more spellcastings of Cure Poison and healing were necessary). We had to be careful and avoid the wrath of the 49th level giant, Tarbul Earthstrider, who makes the crags his home. Luckily, you could usually hear his footfalls booming loud across the rocks. After healing up from a round of spider-smashing, I was pleased to see Broon appear on my track. Broon, a 23rd level cyclops, was large, but slow. We quickly laid him to rest in the grassy plains. We hurried back to heal up near the rocky path or ramp to Highhold Pass. By the time we were at full health and mana, Broon had spawned again. We swiftly took the young cyclops out several more times. When a wolf attacked Trystahnn in mid-combat, I charmed it and sent it in after our foe. Each time Broon fell, he vowed vengeance: "ARGH!!! You will pay, tiny thing!! My big brother Droon will make you dead! And if papa Proon gets you.. argh.. you will be stain on his feets.. argh." But his threats were hollow (i.e. we never ran into Droon or Proon). A few hours of hunting in the Eastern Karanas, Trystahnn and I had both made level 25. Our packs fully laden with loot from our hunting, we made the long run back over the pass where I bid Trystahnn farewell as he continued his long run and I used my teleporting spell to race ahead to the Western Commonlands. |