Good memories of The Hidden Forest

[Ydiss]

The Killing Fields

A number of years ago the server ran an event in Western Karana. No one knew exactly what would happen, but around 40-50 players gathered with anticipation at the zone line to receive instruction.

We were told that there was an outbreak of Scarecrows in the fields and we had to eliminate them. 200 of them

Our task was to take them out but we were told that just one of the 200 had a leather choker in its loot. Whoever looted it would win the event and a unique title.

We were given the ready, steady go and dozens of players rushed into the field. It was utter carnage... battles everywhere, players running about, scarecrows dying, players dying, people screaming and crying and limbs flying everywhere. It was like a scene out of Braveheart; only fewer Scottish people, more brave and a whole lot of heart

There were just two of us; we had no idea if we'd need a healer, but we brought one along just in case. We're glad we did We didn't have a lot of DPS so we had a game plan, quickly devised, to split up and kill as many as we could. Our game plan didn't really work very well! Scarecrows refused to sit still, agroing multiple targets within moments, running all over the place.

We focused our efforts and decided to stick together, Rigz pulling them in to the healer and me helping him to kill them. We killed one... two... three... soon we lost count. We could see dozens of dead scarecrows scattered around us but I began to wonder if anyone would even survive.

We had a pile of bodies to loot so I thought it would be a good idea to actually start doing that and then... there it was... The leather choker!

While the battle still raged on around us, I looted it triumphantly and sent a tell to Lillu to claim our prize. As the sun set on the fields, some pitched fights still echoing around us, the eerie, insane laughter of the few remaining scarecrows heard hauntingly around the fields, we helped to clear the remaining scarecrows, tended to the dead and injured and headed back to the forest with our heads held high and our shiny new titles.

Yvez & Rigz the Scarecrow Slayers.

PS I still have the leather choker in my bank to remind me of that day

[Sian]

This is pretty hard to pick just one, so I will pick few of them but that shows something important to me but all on a different scale.

1) Vistrinda's first kill
We were several guildmates playing and we wiped quite few times on her trying to understand what was the script like and what was to be done. This was our last try. We had understood how adds were working and that those giant eggs were poping and that we needed to do something but we had no idea what ! So we did it the hard way, the long way. We took those corrupted dragorns on us, again and again while trying to diminish the growing number of adds. We were dying a lot but we still managed to take those dragorns that were hitting so hard and to cope with them untill they depop and that another were poping. You all know how many adds you can see on that event so it was a real chaos, a really fun chaos ! And then Vistrinda was "enraged" so heart began to bump faster, and then she was at 0% and then she died !
That was a real guild effort and a very nice thrill. I later got told by a friend what was to be done with those eggs (*waves at W the fatty*) but we were still proud to have killed it that way. I could have named our first Chaos kill all alone that was a real fun nightmare, or our first Lithluran, which is to me the best event in the whole game, but I picked Vistrinda, maybe because this is the last boss of the zone and maybe because Firenze the Insane was there !

2) Epic
Second memory is pretty new. Vaion has started releasing epics 3.0 some time ago and with a bunch of players from many guild, we started working together, hand in hand, to figure out what was to be done and to help finding out the little "ooops I forgot that" from Vaion
I especially remember working a lot with Sosten on shaman raid task 1. We both are from different guild, different country and even if we had talked a bit before epics, it's really with cleric epic and shaman epic that we started getting close. Finding out what do on that fight AND finding out where was the fight located, took us hours. And we finally did it, and it was a real blast because that script is really well designed and well thought.
With all those people (that I won't name because I am sleepy and I could forget some and that would make me sad to lol) that worked together on epics, there has never been a single "it's me first". We shared, experienced, died together.
That's to me the essence of epics and the essence of EQ itself. Creating bounds that are not limited to guilds. You all have proof of that of people you don't know, helping you and so on.

3) Surprises
When you realize that someone you know very well ingame and that lives in another country is going beyond the bounds created online to surprise you RL by sending you Christmas presents for your kids, you really realize that this community and that this game is awesome. You realize that yes, online game can create virtual friendship but also real friendship. I knew it from live but it was years ago. That's always magic
Chrom, I love you

[Bareth]

While I don't have a specific single memory. My crew I have now represents the nearly 3 years I have been on the server. My playtimes are a bit erratic, and you can see my 6 characters usually standing around doing nothing in THF by the Headhunter NPC but when I do play, I always have fun.

One by one I made my characters in order of their need. I started off with my warrior, then shaman (WoA), mage, cleric, bard, and then a SK (for Redfang).

While pushing through normal progression. I also try and get the 50 LDoN wins for any new characters I make for the updated LDoN armor and augs. Out of all the custom content, the updated Sol Ro Tower is my favorite, I could talk for hours about everything I like about it, and the amount of creative thinking that was put behind all of the items.

Currently I am stuck behind the boss of Dredspire, and fail pretty bad every attempt on him. But I still have so many other options to chose from when I do play.

[Boltanica]

1) Being able to play here with a friend, moving through the content together, is definitely something I enjoy.

2) Here I have to agree with Sian on the epic 3.0. I was never one of the first, but I was working on mine at the same time and received a lot of help from people in other guilds. It was time consuming no doubt, but talking with others, helping each other, trying to decode the code, all of these things have made the epic 3.0's fun (mostly--there are some "I want to kill myself" moments as well! ). I appreciate all the people who were willing to help or take turns as we camped mobs. In addition, I never played live so these quests have made me experience zones I never would have explored.

[peterigz]

When we first started on the server back in xmas 2009, it was just with the aim of visiting some old zones for a nostalgia fix, but thanks to the fact that the Hidden Forest is such a well run server we're still here, and still enjoying it. Lots of great memories from this server which seems to keep calling us back even after year long breaks

One of my fondest memories was keying for Sleepers Tomb so we could finally complete the epic 2.0s. We were a fledgling raid force at the time, working our way through ToV. We defeated 3 of the dragons required until hitting the brick wall that was Sontalak, who ate us for breakfast lunch and dinner. Not only did he hit for 10k, but he debuffed as well! Fortunately we discovered the beast could be slowed and finally brought him down after a nail biting, health yo-yoing fight.

Most recently when I started playing again after a break from the game I thought I'd have a bash at the raid aura quest. We were in tier 6 gear but it seemed to be a tier 7 quest. I asked if would be possible and some people said no, others said yes. I thought there's no harm in trying so I began what I consider to be one of the best quests on the server taking me all over the world and into kedge keep, having some epic long fights with the mermaids and finally Pnhingel. Then came the greatest challenge we'd faced yet in the shape of Miragul. I thought, if we can just beat him once I'd get the raid aura and it would make all subsequent attempts easier. So after a few failed attempts we finally nailed it and Rigz became the deathbringer

Other honourable mentions that have stuck in my head one way or another: Skullcracker, The Froglok King, and the Ghoul Lord, Chardok Royals, Avatar or War, Emporer Ssraeshza, Vulak, The Sleeper, Pyronis, Avatar of Wind/Dust, Xegony, Phara Dar, Cazik Thule.

Most recently we downed Xeru and is probably the highest challenge so far and one of the most fun fights to be a part of, but it's too fresh in the memory to mention here.

Some great memories, but here's to the future of THF, long may it continue

[myboombox]

My first character created Faully: Oct 31, 2010, back then i didnt have many boxes or lots of friends so i enjoyed playing through ldon progressing (gems didn't drop then) to beat hard ones. I spent alot of time grinding ldons and helped alot of people along the way. Met some awesome friends, got some good loot for that time, least seemed good =). And to this day I still hold the number one spot for Shadow knights in Hard ldons by well over 400 wins. Dozen or so more I will be rank one for overall hard ldon adventers. Now i enjoy my free time playing and enjoying the content that the great devs created and the community that is THF. Thanks for 5 great years!!!

[Firenze]

My best memories was beeing awarded an artifact by lillu

[conradd]

My best memories was beeing awarded an artifact by lillu

Firenze is my reference as ass licker ! he is so good !

[Firenze]

My best memories was beeing awarded an artifact by lillu

Firenze is my reference as ass licker ! he is so good !

[myboombox]

Tell us what was your greatest experience, most exciting adventure, epic battle or any fun story you had at THF. We'll give out random small gifts for those who take their time to post and don't mind sharing it. <3

I got 5 lillu distillers and 5 dyes thanks lillu