Missions: The Black Coffin (ToAU 9-18)

This Saturday, Yobun planned to get as many people in the linkshell through the latest set of Missions for Aht Urhgan, specifically the NM fight for Mission 14, The Dolphin Crest, and then the 6-man BC fight for Mission 15, The Black Coffin. The rest of the missions 9 through 18 are pretty much just cutscenes that we did mostly on our own. I've really enjoyed the ToAU mission cutscenes.

We all had to get a vial of Jody's Acid, a ~50% drop off of Ameratats in Wajaoam Woodlands. These didn't pose any problems for anyone in the group, and we all traded them to Pyopyoroon in Nashmau for a key item to prepare us for the ghost fight in Caedarva Mire. We ended up with 14 people for the mission. For the NM ghost, we fought as an alliance and easily defeat it and got the key item we needed for the BC fight (an Ephramadian Gold Coin, to use as fare for our boat ride) . Then it was back to Whitegate for another cutscene with Naja, and then off to Dvucca Isle for the BC fight.

We used the Dvucca Isle Staging Point runic portal and were able to quickly sneak over to the area for the fight. We didn't have two full parties, so we split up into two, with the PLD (me) and WHM (Wendell) needing to complete the mission and come back and fight it with the others. The poor second group didn't have much to do in the meantime but just sit and wait for Wendell and I to get back. Our first line up was pretty much the former LLS, with Yobun on BLM instead of THF:

Itera MNK75/WAR37
Elboron BRD75/WHM37
Grymalkyn THF75/NIN37
Yobun BLM75/RDM37
Wendell WHM75/BLM37
Tsakiki PLD75/WAR37


Second group:

Charcole MNK75/WAR37
Richelle BRD60/WHM30
Izan DRG75/WAR37
Anastasia BLM75/RDM37
Wendell WHM75/BLM37
Tsakiki PLD75/WAR37

For the Black Coffin fight, you first face 5 Fomor Crew members. Two RDMs, two RNGs, and one COR. Gessho, an NPC Yagudo, assists in the fight, and our plan was to have Yobun try to keep most the Crew asleep, while we would kill whichever Crew member Gessho was fighting. Once the first five are defeated, 4 more Crew members spawn, along with the Captain. You only need to defeat the Captain to win the fight, so we would go all out on the Captain, with the Monks using their two hours.

The fight wasn't quite as smooth as we had hoped, since the Fomor started resisting sleep, and we had a hard time coordinating which to fight (mostly because they all had the same name). We won without incident and found ourselves back in Nashmau for another cutscene.

Wendell and I ran out to the graveyard to get a second gold coin from the headstone (you don't need to fight the NM again), then warped back to Whitegate to complete the mission cutscenes. For one of the cutscenes, you are invited to the Imperial Palace, and Naja helps you decide how to dress properly. Some of us were already wearing acceptable clothing (my Adaman Cuirass), some had something appropriate with them (Grym's Blue Cotehardie), while others had to borrow body armor. I enjoyed the cutscenes and am very intrigued as to where they're leading, but I must say Naja's really getting on my nerves. She's just not a very fair boss, but I guess that's why she's the President and I'm a lowly mercenary.

Mission completed, Wendell and I used the Runic Portal to get back to Dvucca Isle and ran back to the Cutter, where the second team was restlessly waiting for us. We decided we would have Kiki get aggro and provoke the center Crew member, while Charcole and Izan would each provoke the two on either side of the one Kiki got. Anastasia would try to sleep them, and we'd pretty much ignore Gessho and kill the COR first, then the two RDMs, and finally the RNGs. It didn't go quite as planned, but near enough. When the Captain spawned, we focused our attention on him. Charcole used Hundred Fists and pulled hate, so I used Invincible to pull it back and cured him, but he pulled hate again, and was hit with a weaponskill while pretty low in hp (I was in the middle of a Cure IV on him at the time - I should have used the faster casting Cure III instead) and ended up dead.

We defeated the Captain soon after, and Wendell and I found ourselves on the dock leading to the Cutter, while the rest of the group ended up in Nashmau for their cutscene. Wendell had to get back to Nashmau to Raise III Charcole, so he cast Escape, putting us in Caedarva Mire. We snuck back to Nashmau, arriving just in time to see someone had got Charcole up before we got there. I learned that Wendell hadn't got his Caedarva Mire map yet, so a few of us walked him through the quest and headed out to Bhaflau Thickets to kill the Plaque Chigoe with him. The funny little flea really hits fast, but doesn't take too long to kill.

New Title: Ovjang's Errand Runner