Well, I am just returning from a couple hours of questing with a friend of mine. He started a Cleric in Thestra, and I decided to make a Halfling rogue to play with him. Well, I like the rogue so far, I can't believe the amount of damage the class puts out. I hit a meadow lurker earlier for right around 1500 damage! Now, it was a crit, but I was still very impressed to crank that kind of damage out at level 10. The cleric rogue combo seems to work fairly well also. My friend holds aggro pretty easily, which allows me to simply hang out behind the mob, stealthed, and wail away on whatever we are slaughtering. Which consisted of a lot of bears, spiders, and snakes. Oh, and the cockatrices. Lots of nasty looking cockatrices. I have to admit, vanguard has some of the best looking mobs I have ever seen in an mmo, hands down. The spiders, in particular, creep me out. The stupid things are HUGE! I don't like spiders in the first place, but being attacked by a 10 foot tall garden spider while I fend it off with a dagger really makes me think. Mostly makes me hope that spiders don't ever get big enough that I have to purchase a gun to defend myself from them. Or a very large can of raid. Or a really big shoe. Well, time to get back to it, those spiders aren't going to give up their "caviar" willingly. More later!

I set foot in Thestra for the first time on Tuesday morning, and the first thing I noticed was how utterly quiet the newbie area was. This bothered me a little, since newer MMOs like this usually have at least a few low levels running around, even several weeks after launch. I have to admit, I had a negative opinion of the game before I even logged in, and this did nothing but reinforce it. It launched early, and had a lot of memory leaks and other issues that have been giving it a bad name. I expected a lag filled, buggy gaming experience, and have been very surprised to find a game that runs fairly smoothly, and hasn't crashed for me once. I'm glad I decided to give the game a chance.

My first character is (of course) Knarr. Once I logged in, I walked up to the first quest giver I saw. His name is Beardun Ironguard and I asked if I could be of service. It turns out that he really dislikes kobolds, and wanted my help in thinning the population a bit. I agreed to help, and I was soon up to my elbows in kobold bits. I am loving the quests so far, as they are fairly unique. And you have no idea how utterly beautiful this world is until you see it first hand. The screenshots just don't do it justice. I find myself standing on the hill just outside the starter tower, gazing off into the distance. Now, if only I could afford to get that second 7950!

Anyway, I will update you in a couple of days on how the leveling is going, and my overall impression of the game. Feel free to send me a tell in game if you see me on (Knarr or my goblin Khrul, both on Shrideth), I'll be there, somewhere, starting at the trees...

The spirit of Lao'Jin Grand Master Shaof told Velea and I of two more masters that we needed to see along our conjoined paths of redemption and learning, but this came with a warning as well, "Your path to understanding Jin is almost complete. Only two tests remain. In the hills to our east lie two Jin masters, waiting to give you your final tests. What you have been through up to this point will seem trivial. These masters will test every fiber of your being – pushing your strength, intelligence, wit, and resolve to their breaking points."

"Master Garu will test your faith. Master Ashaine will show you the true nature of Jin. Return to me when both tests are complete."

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Our training with the Lao'Jin masters had led Velea and I to Master Kaol on the outskirts of Tanvu, where he awaited evacuees from the Ghost Wind Academy in order to quietly integrate them into city life. When we approached him he cautioned us to be careful in the city where the Emperor had taken up residence and his troops abounded, and Ra'Jin warriors looked to eradicate practitioners of Lao'Jin. He left us with some cryptic advice, "In order to complete your training, you will need to seek out the true masters. Take some time and explore the city, carefully. When you are ready for your final tests, head out of the city to the abandoned hotel in the south. You will know what to look for. Good luck, and be careful."

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I got tired of not getting much of any loot from the nearby animals so I took up harvesting. I can't stop thinking how this reminds me of Kirk from Hoodwinked. It was like I was finding the little woodsman inside of me. Well, I found a sapling and had at it with my axe. Chop chop chop. Timberrrr!!!! I like the tree falling down animation. Much more realistic then simply disappearing after I've depleted it. I'll figure out what to do with the wood later. Meanwhile, I'm just chopping down trees.

Today was my day of firsts. My first group, my first body run, and my first Vanguard CTD. My group mates had to point out that I was the healer. Really? I thought I was a DD with a heal. But it would seem Blood Mage falls into the healer category. After I figured out how to heal others we actually made some progress. I dinged lvl 7!!!!! In my glee I forgot that I was now vulnerable to body runs. And boy, being naked isn't always fun. During a body run I experienced a CTD(Crash To Desktop). I was panicked. Would my quest items still be with my gravestone when I logged back in? Would I even have a gravestone?!!!! All of my previously tweaked settings were put back to default when I logged back in. My computer protested loudly in the form of lag. This was fixed once I put the options back in their most optimal for my computer setting. There is a 'dungeon' I briefly explored which I'll investigate further tonight. From the outside it looks like just a small redcap dwelling. Inside however, there lurks danger in the deep dark space.

Velea and I lay on the top of the grassy bluff, overlooking the narrow strand between the agitated ocean and the rocky cliff protecting Tanvu from the worst of the weather. Beside us in the wind-whipped grass lay a Lao'Jin refugee and a pair of full sacks. Directly below us was a house, hidden from view from most of the top of the cliff. Just off shore lay a dragon boat riding high at close anchor. One of the boats that I remember well, having been transported in one just like it to Sheng Village such a short time ago. Clearly visible in front of the house was a battle between monks fighting in two different styles.

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Master Tallon Darkfist stood before Velea and I upon the sandy banks of the estuary opposite from the port city of Tanvu staring across the water at the governor's mansion that the Emperor had taken over for his own residence less than a year before. In his hands he held a scrap of parchment with the last words of a Lao'Jin monk killed by a kojuko manhunter on the roof of a nearby monastery. The chilly winter winds roared down the estuary making his robe and the scrap of parchment flutter. "The kojuko must be stopped, but first we have much training to do. The path to Lao'Jin is a long and difficult one, and I must see you further along it before I set you to cleansing this area of the kojuko infestation."

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