We are trying to make the next step in power to hit harder targets. Right now, we are farming NToV when we get a shot at any of the named and trying to get ST keys when we get that shot too. We are going to need primal weapons from ST to have the DPS needed to break into the high-end PoP zones. We are also going to need gear from VT to handle the 2K AoE and other nice features of those encounters. To get into VT, you need to be able to kill the Emperor Ssra. But, Ssra and VT shard farming hasn?t gotten the attention that NToV has, probably because they are ?harder? (i.e., you can?t just zone in and kill shit, you need to sit in long camps getting keys) . But, now the push is being stepped up, yay.

Today was a Server Reset Day, which always gets us rangers flushed out and about looking for FFAs. PE had beaten us to NToV (again) and none of the first brood were up (ST key holds). PoI targets were also engaged, so we headed for the Shade in PoN. Enroute we got information that Rhag1 was up in Ssra and if we hurried, we could take a shot at him. Ssra is currently a highly contested zone with a couple of other guilds our size trying to make the move up another notch in power.

Who comes up with these names? I know they are trying to add to the flavor of the game, but I have trouble with Latin rooted English and then EQ throws Rhag Zhezum at you. Colloquially known as Rhag1 since he (it?) spawns on the first floor. He is a punk, perma-rooted, no AoE, slowable. I used Trueshot on him and hit a new high crit of 516 with acrylia arrows. ¾ of the way through the fight Krushh says not to use offensive disciplines because killing this guy spawns Rhag2 (Rhag Mozdezh) and he is harder. Great. Too late.

As it turns out, that was fine since it took us long enough to clear to Rhag2 that TS was back for me. This time I used mage summoned arrows and they didn?t hit near as hard. We had a mage in our group and she mistook an exclamation I made about no arrows (referring to the emperor fight since you can?t make band damage arrows) as that I was out of arrows. She gave me a quiver and 6 stacks of arrows. I felt compelled to use them (also, acrylia arrows are in short supply and expensive).

Rhag2 isn?t slowable, but still went down pretty quick. The loot from both was good even though there was nothing for me personally. We definitely need to get on these guys? dance card on a more regular basis. Although I can see how tough it will be since there were TWO other raids in the zone at the same time, over 150 people. I was stunned the zone didn?t crash.

Killing Rhag2 spawns Arch Lich Rharg'Zadune, but you need a key to get to him and no one on the raid has that key as yet. IMHO, just as well as it was approaching 1am EDT, late enough for this little ranger.