I have had the great fortune to be re-accquainted with death over the last
few nights, but I think I can safely attribute that to moving homes and
losing my fast IDSN connection for a somewhat flakey 56k connection. I am
having to relearn my attack strategies to deal with the lag.

Anyway, here is a tale of what happened to me a few levels back...

I had spent most of time between the 11th and 12th choruses pounding skels
in the Steamfront Mountains. It was slow work, but with Hymn and other songs
I happily pounded the undead back into the ground, never once seeing the
illustrious Mino Hero come out of his cave, but that was all about to
change.

Shortly after attaining the 12th level of training I returned to Steamfront
to hear the sounds of a group of like level adventures forming a party to go
inside the minotaur caves. Thinking that I had advanced enough to safely
journey there, I contacted the party leader and made my way there. On
arriving I was greeted by a group of 5 other adventures all ready for battle
and adventure, after a round of buffing by our druid we entered the mouth of
the caves.

Once inside we saw that another group had already taken position at a prime
location at the mouth of the many tunnels. Our group leader suggested
further in to find some Mino slavers. All the party members being first
timers to these parts agreed, and slowly we ventured farther in. At one of
the many junctions of passageways our leader bade us to stop so that he may
go off and pull some prey back to our intrepid band, with aniticpation we
waited, and then a call from our leader told us to venture forth to his
location where he had cornered a slaver. With haste we came running to his
call, my groupmates all began to attack the dreaded slaver, but I turning
the corner realized that is was not one slaver we were attacking, but many
all occupying the same space, an odd site indeed. I began into the first
stanza of Anthem de Arms, to late to stop, only to have what now apperaed to
be five slavers turn to attack me.

You have be slain by a Minotaur Slaver..
LOADING

Sadly the same fate befell most of my group, some fortunate few had gated
themselves away from the carnage. We all agreed to meet at the cave entrance
to begin the task of retrieving our corpses. Upon arriving at the cave
entrance, I found that our brave leader had already entered the caves and
retrieved his corpse, and was now relaying the dark news that he would be
departing this world ASAP. Other parties members who had gated and were now
hearing this news choose this time to depart our group, begging other
engagements and their condolences. With great anger three of the remaining
group ventured forth under guise of camoflage to get our lost bodies. It was
hard and slow work, but with time we all were succesfull.

A sane adventurer would at this point taken off his pack for the evening and
returned to the comforts of Kelethin for a fine ale, but not I.

Our group soon found new members, but they were spread across All of Norrath
not knowing the way to the minotaur caves. So with my trusty drum I ran
several times to where the Steamfront Mountains meet the forest of Lesser
Faydark to guide people to our groups location, and it would seem that each
time I did another party member of mine would fall victim to a stray slaver
escaped from the caves, or be mobbed by wander earth elementals. Soon I was
not only ferrying new members to the group's location, but running now
defenseless group members back to their corpses.

In time, a full group of able-bodied and equipped adventures went forth into
the mino caves, the party that had taken post at the mouths of the tunnels
was gone, so I suggested we camp there, but the rest of my party was sorely
tired of dying and wanted to hop into the action right away. Slowly we made
our way down the tunnels once again, this time running into many slavers
that we easily defeated, so easy that one of our higher level members
decided to go and find something a little more difficult. Not a second later
she came running back to our group with Meldrath on her tail.

You have been slain by Meldrath.
LOADING...

One of of members was able to gate out succesfully, the rest of us assembled
in Kelethin for the long run back. Upon arriving at the cave entrance we
began to formulate our plan, each party member would go in with a guide both
would be camoflaged making it a tricky venture since no one had the ability
to cast see invisible. Our first member went in with our druid giude, only
to lose invis half way to his corpse. Amidst thier screams they emerged from
the mino caves trailing a slaver. With much effort we all managed to pummel
the beast into submission with our bare hands and whatver spells or songs we
had memorized.

After a brief session of playing Hymn to heal everyone, the brave volunteer
once again entered the cave only to get lost before finding his corpse.
Panicking, he tried to make his way back to the entrance, only to have the
Mino Hero show his angry presence and slay most of the party once again.
Luckily I survived this attack by making haste to run to Ak'Anon, I then
ventured back to the Steamfront entrance to wait for my parties arrival.

Once assembled again, we ventured to the mino caves and started to shout for
the assistance of any high level players in the area. While we waited for
some reply I recieved camoflage and made my way back into the caves. Knowing
the way fairly well to where I fell, I found my corpse and started the long
process of dragging it back to safety, wearily eyeing the many slavers that
I crossed paths with. Finally dragging my lifeless body out into the
sunshine I looted my items and let my heart rate drop to a normal level.
During this time a seasoned Druid in the form of a wolf came to our aid and
began to guide people into the maze of tunnels to recover thir corpse, with
time all but one of our party had recovered their items, and the last was on
his way into the caves to complete our foul task. Just then the Mino Hero
once again showed his ugly face, and while the rest of my comrades fell once
again, the high level druid and I took turns running the beast to any guard
we could find in hopes of them defeating it. Some six guards later the beast
was dead.

In the end once tht party was reassembled, our last party member let the
Wolf Druid loot his corpse for him and upon the successfully reclaimation,
this fine person offered to group gate us to anyplace in Norrath some we may
have a more fuitful adventure, but alas we were all far to tired to
contemplate another travel to some distant land. With many thanks with broke
our company and all headed to our respective homelands.

Bernwyn