Hux

JOURNAL

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Mar 19 - PREPARATIONS

As the unofficial start of the quest, I started work on creating the rules and limitations once I had a dragon to put them on. Since the floor price of dragon hatchlings is 6g/kt, I stalked the AH until I could grab a dragon under that price, picking up Vale for 2 gems (and failing to grab his sibling). I kept an eye on the fodder floor, and later the same evening, I picked up Zyrephon and Apsalara for 5kt each.

With the team established, I prepared for the wait during the Mistral Jamboree. Before I started the challenge, I'd want to complete all my Mistral Jamboree tasks in case my new team could not get enough currency during the event. Fortunately, I had a full row of currency left over from the previous year - all that was left was to save up the treasure needed to purchase extra copies of the skins and the spare inventory crate. With this in mind, I set out to the coliseum to continue my existing boss drop quest and earn the treasure needed, with the goal of getting two of every skin by the end of the festival.

Mar 20, 21 - SEARCHING

I spent these days looking for a dragon to hold onto the lore and journal. Until then, Vale handled it.

MAR 22 - FOUND

After some searching, I picked up Vagabond and Hux, and began training Vagabond to 25. He reached 13 by the end of the day.

MAR 23 - MISTRAL JAMBOREE

I was ill overnight and woke up unfortunately drained. However, I was able to rename Vagabond to Vex, and get him another level. Luckily, my stored currency was also enough to get me duplicates of everything. I set my first of two prismatic tokens brewing; the second would begin at the end of the mistral jamboree, to be used during the next festival.

With all my dragons prepared, I began planning the lore. Hux received the extant rules and journal, and Vex would be host to the lore. Hux would also record any significant drops or events which occurred during the journey, as part of the journal.

Vale, Zyrephon, and Apsalara were due to grow up on the 25th. As such, I aimed for Hux and Vex to have all their stones and most of their stats by the time the trio were adults.

MAR 24 - TRAINING HUX AND VEX

I was still sick, and somewhat busy, but managed to pull off getting Hux to level 17 and Vex to 21, allowing me to fill in all their stones. I wrote some lore for Vale, Zyrephon, and Apsalara, outlining their personalities and creating a template for their 'character cards'. Once I was done, I placed all my apparel and all my battle stones in the vault to track what I gathered during the quest more easily.

MAR 25 - BEGINNINGS

With Vale, Zyrephon and Apsalara all grown up, it was time to start the quest proper. I set up a Quest page in the forums, drafted the framework for the story, and began work in the coliseum.

I battled until they were level 9, with 10k experience to go. I noticed that the Woodland Path seemed to be the largest speed bump; I could safely battle in the training fields while struggling in the path, and found it difficult to gain enough experience to move on to the scorched forest. I got 5x as much experience from battling in the scorched forest, but had to reach level 9 to grind there reliably, as I overinvested in speed compared to strength.

I also noticed the difficulty in getting the correct element of stones. My dragons did not get any stones on this day, because none of them were the correct element. If I had had Aid, an Arcane Might Fragment, or an Ice Acuity Fragment, I would have been able to greatly strengthen my team.

MAR 26 - WOODLAND PATH/SCORCHED FOREST

The second day went far more slowly than the first. After hitting level 10, enemies at level 4 (the porcupines in the woodland path) ceased giving experience. I swapped between the woodland path and the scorched forest for novelty, aiming for Aid, Regeneration, or fragments that I could apply to make use of the empty battle stone slots I had unlocked.

At one point, I accidentally went to the blooming grove, and realized that I was able to manage single battles there as well. With this in mind, I also began occasionally dropping into the boneyard, hoping to balance getting enough experience and having enough battles to get rarer drops.

My efforts paid off. While my dragons only gained two levels today, I was able to grind far enough to get an acuity fragment for Vale and a might fragment for Apsalara.

MAR 27 - BONEYARD ATTEMPTS

During my site activities, I received an Eliminate from Tomo. I decided against using it in the challenge, since I wanted it to be at least somewhat independent from what else I do on the site. I will use an eliminate stone if I receive a second one from Tomo or if I get one in the coliseum.

I battled in the Boneyard until I hit level 12 on hissing foulscales, then went back to the woodland path to grind for useful battle stones. I received two copies of Sap, which I put on Zyrephon and Apsalara to give them a healing option.

MAR 28 - SANDSWEPT DELTA

I moved on to the sandswept delta after testing I could battle there reliably. I got Yet Another violet highnoon hank, not sure why they like me so much... either way, I trained to level 13 in the delta, then did another round of 100 battles in the woodland path - no battle stones I really wanted dropped, though.

MAR 29 - SILK-STREWN WRECKAGE

This is the first day I did not gain a level - mostly due to being busy, to be honest. It would be possible to last longer in the coliseum with a healing battle stone of any kind, so going forward, I'll be doing 100 battles in the woodland path, then jumping to exp grinding, in the hopes of getting battle stones.

MAR 30 - SILK-STREWN WRECKAGE 2

I started with 100 battles in the woodland path, fishing for stones I wanted. Nothing special came up, so I then went to the Silk Wreckage to continue training, and the team hit level 14. Fought the first boss, a Moth Keeper.

MAR 31 - BLOOMING GROVE

I did two rounds of woodland path x100 today. I didn't get a level on my dragons, but I got another 20k experience in the blooming grove and silk wreckage, and got plenty of drops to compensate. (Unfortunately, not any healing stones.) Most notably, I got a lightning egg from a maned cerdae in the blooming grove!
This week of training has really hammered home that healing stones are especially critical, since I keep having to reset after a few battles. I considered putting Sap on Vale, but quickly realized it would be pointless, as his minimal attack stat would prevent him from getting anything out of it. I'm aware I could buy aid or regen, but keeping to my rules, I'd rather not buy stones unless absolutely necessary to progress. So long as I can win in a venue that gains experience, I won't do it.

APR 1 - APRIL FOOLS DAY

While mostly occupied with Marva's mayhem, I did get in some training on this day. I did two rounds of 100 battles in the woodland path and also applied Polkadot onto Apsalara, replacing Ghost.

APR 2 - BLOOMING GROVE 2

An unusually lucky day. I received yet another egg from the blooming grove, and additionally got Berserker from Pinkerton. Since the latter was entirely luck-based, I removed it to the vault instead of using it.

APR 3 - BLOOMING GROVE 3

I began to really feel the pinch of not having healing options for Vale here. I kept going but only got through ~10 battles in the grove; otherwise, I kept to the woodland path.

APR 4 - FORGOTTEN CAVE + AID

This was the day I caved (haha) and purchased Aid for 6500t. I paid for it using the money I received from opening the leafy packs dropped up to this point, plus any other chests I had received, which was just over 6500t. I also began item-grinding in the scorched forest, and managed to get my hands on Congeal and another Frozen Acuity Fragment, which I applied to Vale.

I fought a Burrow Bear and found it relatively difficult. It was difficult to keep up with both healing and contusing the bear; a copy of discipline or ambush would go a long way going forward. I then returned briefly to the grove to see if it was any faster to gain experience there - it was certainly easier, so I will likely swap between the grove and cave until the grove stops giving experience.

APR 5 - FORGOTTEN CAVE 2

A very slow day. While I got some good practice against the burrow bear and dire claw, and Congeal proved useful in battle with its bonus effect, my dragons seem to be equal in speed to the current enemies. I received very little in battle.

APR 6 - BAMBOO FALLS & BLOOMING GROVE

I hit level 16, and with 17 in sight, I decided it was high time to begin grinding for the big five - Eliminate, Berserker, Scholar, Ambush and Discipline. These all have identical drop pools, coming from neutral monsters starting at the Blooming Grove, so going forward I aimed for these stones.

APR 7 - BLOOMING GROVE

I updated and consolidated the Journal, moving the image-heavy tracking of the team's stats and day's drops to the forums and maintaining the details in Hux's journal. Everything was backed up offsite.


APR 8 - BLOOMING GROVE

Got a nature egg from the blooming grove, none of the battle stones I wanted. Utterly baffled by the number of eggs in the grove, to be honest...


APR 9 - BLOOMING GROVE

Got Berserker #2 from Pinkerton. Will not be vaulting, but trying not to lean on it yet - not unless I fail to get any battle stones I need in the next few days.

APR 10 - 14

Took a break for IRL reasons.
On the 14th, received my second eliminate from Tomo - considering valid if I need to apply it. Got Ambush from Pinkerton - not considering valid.

APR 15

Returned to grinding in the blooming grove. Nothing particularly interesting.

APR 16, 17, 23, 27, 30, MAY 8

More on-and-off grinding; reached level 17 in the grove and then went to forgotten cave, followed by bamboo falls. Took a break from constantly updating the main page since I only did a handful of battles each of these days.