Darkness Of Hallowvale
Entry posted by Merch Gwyar
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Alone amongst my recent quests, I actually planned to do 'Darkness of Hallowvale'. A combination of learning that a potential (now actual) 8k Construction xp lay at the end of it and the amount of people who'd claimed it was their favourite quest made it a very attractive idea. I looked through the items needful to complete it and there weren't many. I had them all in my bank already.
I'm learning not to log onto 'Canting Away' whilst doing quests. It's useful to be there to seek advice if I'm particularly stuck and it's invaluable if I should die and need to sound an urgent SOS for gravestone tending, but on the down side it's full of people trying to talk to me as I'm mid-conversation with NPCs or else concentrating on a tricky bit. The upshot is that I look very rude in not responding. My presense on the list of people in the room belies the fact that I'm not paying attention, so I occasionally look down to find that someone has, for example, randomly come in to ask if the gilded altar is open. Invariably, Zach or Cougar or Skull or someone has been fielding the queries, explaining that they are very sorry, but it isn't and is unlikely to be open today. I get a pang of guilt that they are having to be my de facto secretaries.
While I'm on the subject, many people over the months have read this blog, or that of other members of 'Canting Away', and have come to visit us. Everyone is welcome, so it's all good. However, human nature dictates that anyone visiting to find themselves the only person without even a smiley face beside their name will ask me if they can be added. I've never had a problem with this, though an increased number of people on my friend's list means that I'm less likely to switch my private IMs on. Much as I love people saying hello, when its 100s of them you never get anything done for saying hello back! Over the weekend, Sk3tch asked me to add one of his friends, which I tried to do only to discover that I couldn't. I have 200 people on my friends list. :o Therefore, if I'm doing a quest or am otherwise distracted, please don't go on and on at those in 'Canting Away'. If you return often enough, then you will be automatically added when I've had a purge of those who came in once and I've never seen hide nor hair of since.
Anyway, back to the plot. I set off to Burgh de Rott still marvelling at how quick the journey over the swamp is these days. I'm practically running over a bridge which, a couple of weeks ago, was a massive undertaking to cross. It seems like I'm over and in the town in a matter of a minute or so, whereas before I used to have to pack for an arduous expedition, not daring to put a toe over the threshold without a lot of nature's bounty in my bag. The preamble passed quickly and enjoyably, then I was out into Meiyerditch. I crossed the wall well enough but after I'd kicked the wooden planks in, I thought I had a glitch. The narrative told me that I'd fallen, but I hadn't. I was standing in mid-air, then walking and eventually dancing in mid-air. After an amusing couple of minutes, the novelty wore off and I was ready to continue with my quest. I logged off and on again, but I was still in mid-air. <.< I even clicked the report abuse button thinking that I could report a bug, but there's only the option for bug abuse there. I didn't want to report myself for snowman dancing on the air, so I came out of there. I read and re-read the guide, eventually focusing on a line that said 'go down'. I'm trying! But it occurred to me that if you just fell, then the guide wouldn't bother telling you to do it. Further investigation, right-clicking on my surroundings, revealed the option 'go down the floor-boards'. Ah... I did and I was in the city proper.
I wanted the boots. For months, whenever you see Simple or Kuemper they are in those high-heeled, kinky boots that look like they'd cripple you in real life. Recently, Cougar has taken to wearing them too. My habitual boots of lightness are pretty and practical, but for true style you need the Vyrewatch boots. Once I'd spoken to Old Man Ral, I nipped over the road to buy my boots. But Sven didn't have a trade option. 
I logged out to find clues in the city guide, but there were none. ^_^ Eventually I got it sussed. I had a conversation with him and he asked if I wanted to see his wares. Yes! Yes I do! A couple of seconds later, I was the proud owner of some kinky boots. But what was this? I put them on and there were no heels. Had I got the male boots by accident? Nope, he only sold one sort. I'd already got the trousers, maybe they were male trousers and affected my boots? :) There was nothing I could do about it, so I just put them on and carried on. It was only after I'd thought to check what my character looked like using the button rather than just looking at the screen that my high heels magically seemed to appear! Yay! Roll over Kate Moss.
The agility course was confusing, even with the best efforts of the guide, but it's not the fault of the latter. My propensity to examine everything and wander off the beaten track meant that I frequently lost my place in the guide and had to retrace my steps. It was fun though. I was utterly absorbed for ages doing that route. I was also amazed at the sheer lack of people. In the old days, that must have been drop party paradise, because no-one is there to see you. I saw one other player in Meiyerditch, right at the beginning of the quest, then lost him and never saw him again, nor anyone, for the several hours that I was there. It was like my own private, personal bit of Runescape.
Eventually I was at my destination and had to return to Burgh de Rott, I took the Ectophial option, then rushed through the Canifis and Varrock elements, before the moment came to return to Meiyerditch via Burgh de Rott. This was the exact moment when my interest waned. I'm not a fan of quests that put you in a world, then take you out, only to put you back in again. Had I remained in Meiyerditch all along, I'd have happily stayed for a week; but having been taken to Varrock, within sight of farming patches, it suddenly felt like a long quest that I hadn't the will to continue with, especially when the guide made it look as if I was only halfway through. I took a break.
Returning, I decided to continue with the quest, as the lure of that Construction xp was so strong, however I'd got as far as the tunnel under the swamp before I was bored again. I, perhaps foolishly, entered the chat channel, so to have Zach singing to me all the way to Burgh de Rott. I say foolish not for the entertainment value inherent in Zach, but because it exposed us all to requests for the gilded altar and someone incessantly asking to go on my friends' list. Enter Zach the singing, cooking, fletching and now secretarial nub, while I'm trying to survive against predatory Vyrewatch.
Once I was back in Meiyerditch and down in the mine, the quest picked up again. I was thoroughly enjoying it, even the part where I waited about 20 minutes on a castle wall, with 11 Vyrewatch circling me and not one of them coming down for a nibble. This moment being, of course, the one time that I wanted them to. In fact, I was having a lot of fun right up to the scene where I entered the lab, glanced at the guide and noted with a sinking feeling that I'd forgotten my telegrab runes. This will mean nothing to someone who's never been to Meiyerditch, but I was right up in the Northern Sector before I realized my mistake. Oh... my... goddess... Zach was highly sympathetic in chat, but there was nothing he could do. The moment recalled the time in 'Underground Pass', when I desperately needed someone to come and take my stuff for fear of dying but I knew (well thought...) it would take them an hour to come. This time I knew it would take forever for someone to get to me, so I might as well teleport out and get them myself. :s I decided to continue with the quest as far as the telegrab incident. This involved searching a broken runecase, which I found and did. Oh wow! It contained telegrab runes! Woot! Much happy dancing ensued.
Thereon, it was a simple thing to complete the quest. I got my 2k Construction xp, then used the tome of experience to get another 6k. Shortly afterwards, a genie turned up which gave me another 710xp! Hurrah. I'm now well within the top 14k Construction skillers in the game, strangely enough. :s
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