Rakshasa Claw, Rakshasa Claw

Way back when Lessah was in the group, she got super excited about a Rakshasa Claw during our adventures in Demon Sands. Over e-mail I composed a little re-write of "I feel for you" by Chaka Khan. Here's a link the song if you don't know it: click!

rakrakrakrakrakRakshaka Claw, Rakshasa Claw, Claw, Rakshasa Claw
Claw, 'Shasa Claw, let me Rakshasa Claw, 'Shasa claw it's all I wanna do
'Shasa Claw, 'Shasa Claw, Let me Rakshasa Claw,
Rakshasa Claw, Let me feel for you!

Lessah, Lessah, when I look at you
I get a warm feeling inside
That's a paladin with cure wounds too
And she keeps me satisfied

I wouldn't die on you, baby
Check my manly magical ring
Cure mummy rot for you, baby
Makes me wanna sing

CHORUS:
I heal for you
I think I cured you
I heal for you
DDO nerd too

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Anyway, we fought Rakshasas in the epic quest A Cry for Help, and Spode kept singing the epic intro to Rakshasa Claw. Maybe someday I'll have to grab a microphone and Karoke that thing to see if DDOCast will play it. ;p


This little instance was one we actually had missed. I discovered it when I was out and about farming the other day and ran through it solo. Since Ulan was out of town to hunt Bambi, we decided this might be a good instance for the rest of us to run through together this week. Death to backward-handed-tiger-people! The coolest part of this instance has got to be the ending. You actually get to see Raksasha use their shapeshifting abilities!!! GASP! And I know that had to make Ophiga happy since she's had her panties in a bunch about that for a while (and I quote):

"*begin standard Rakshasha rant*
The first AD&D Monster Manual listed Rakshasha as shapeshifters. The illustration showed a tigerman dressed in a smoking jacket, but nothing was ever said that they would always appear as a tigerman (smoking jacket optional). And yet *every* *single* *time* they appear in DDO, it is as a tigerman.
*end standard Rakshasha rant*"

No longer a true statement! :)

Come to think about it, this whole instance had Ophiga written all over it. It was chock full of traps and had her mythical Rakshasas in it. What more could one drow want? (Hopefully the answer to that is not halfling burgers.)

She did her job splendidly too as in the end she disabled 5 traps and earned us an extra +15% experience. (I'd like to point out that's one more than listed on the DDOWiki entry for A Cry for Help . . . she's awesome)

Unless Spode is out charging through the traps pulling his I NO CARE attitude (SPODE, Y U NO CARE ABOUT TRAP?), Ophiga is leading the group looking for traps, and we're all hanging back waiting for her to yelp her familiar cry of "TRAP!" There's nothing more comedic than watching your rogue go smashing through the floor, narrowly avoiding some impaling spikes and then seconds later hear Ophiga give a deadpan delivery of the words, "um, trap."


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So here's my favorite screenshot of the night:


Look at the eyes on that Jarilith!! EVIL DEMON LION!

And here's our experience report on that quest for the night.


Yes I took a death. There's this horrible spot in the instance where archers and casters will plunk away on you from above a couple suspended bridges. They got me. Grrrr. I'm just happy we won!

The second part of the night was seeing how far our Trio of Spode, Ophiga, and Gleek backed by three NPC healers could get in the Tor. We actually did a lot better since we knew what to expect and I wasn't afraid to gulp mana potions. Let's just say it was an expensive night in the mana potion department . . .

I am happy to say that we figured out how to spawn the Gatekeeper thanks to a little tip from this insane 20th level toon who solo'd Gianthold Tor and put it up on YouTube. The major tip there is that NPC clerics are very good at staying hidden. So I put my cleric invis'd against the very back wall on one of the spawning squares and Ophiga and her cleric stayed put invis'd against the wall on the other spawning squares while the rest of us waited outside the room for the gatekeeper to spawn.

Bada bing bada boom . . . gatekeeper!


Bada bing bada boom . . . dead at the first dragon!


Hopefully things will end better with Ulan by our side next week. :) It's a learning process . . . Hopefully what we learned here is that kiting might be our best option for Team Spode. If you're reading this Ulan, warm up that blade barrier!

Happy dueling!