Chronicle of the First Druid - Minoan Axe

[Magi]

Chronicle of the First Druid

The first time I successfully shifted into the form of a mighty Minotaur, I'd felt it. An overwhelming sense of sheer power; the knowledge that I could rip out an enemy's guts and spill them on the floor. Even the strength to chop limbs and heads with my powerful blows.

But something was missing. Despite my best efforts I could never get the right leverage to perform these feats of strength.

At 6 o' clock am on the Day of Thunder, I undertook the quest 'leverage'.

From dusty tomes, to obscure villages, and even in detestable taverns, I sought a weapon that would grant me the power that was rightfully mine. My fellow adventurers laughed me to scorn and wished me luck only with the greatest of sarcasm. But, by Thunder, I was the First Druid! As a child [0x38] I'd learned to take the form of an ancient wurm. I'd wrested the form of Naga from the elements while warriors were still learning the use of iron and blade [Milestone 2x40]. If there were any chance of success in this quest, I would not leave it to another.


At length, I found my first clue in an ancient library [the eq list, no mob indicated]:

An irrelevant legend of a time best not remembered mentioned an unlikely hero; a minotaur! Details were not forthcoming, but it seems he had wielded a 'cloven taurine axe'.

I travelled the world, and with bardic song persuaded the locals to part with any knowledge of the unlikely weapon. Unfortunately, even the minotaurs of Ebony TowerT, the Crypt, the Labyrinth, and NEW_AREA [vision 4.minotaur] had no knowledge of the tool. On every continent I found naught but discouragement. Onward.

Bolstered then, by the knowledge that a minotaur had once wielded weapons, I undertook to find one that still possessed such an implement. There was only one:

"The gruesome minotaur lowers its head at you, blowing fiery smoke from its
nostrils. Panting, it scrapes its left hoof coarsely across the floor, and
raises its axe. It has an insatiable appetite. There cannot be much time
before it charges."

He would not speak with me, and charged immediate to attack. Sustaining heavy injury, I was forced to flee the battle.

I resolved to return again and again until I could decipher the manufacture of the axe, or perhaps convince him to part with it. On the second attempt, on the Day of Major Futility, I beat him to within inches of his life, and left him to ponder the wisdom of his futile aggression. A third time, at Dawn on the Day of the Bull, I again beat him down.

That evening as I returned to seek him again, I saw him wielding 'a Minoan labrys'. [A Labrys, as all true students of history will recall, is a Greek Doubleheaded Axe.] I could not pass up the chance to study the weapon, and unfortunately in my excitement, I killed the gruesome beast. Sorrowful for the loss of life, but in possession of the Minoan Axe, I completed the quest 'leverage' at 8 o'clock pm on the Day of the Bull.

------------------------------

Object 'axe minoan labrys double enormous', Item type: WEAPON
Item is: GLOW 3x40-ITEM
Weight: 20, Value: 38057gold, Worn in: TAKE WIELD
Damage Dice is '2D3'
Can affect you as:
Affects: DAMROLL by 2
Only those who are at least supreme druids, and have attained supremacy in
at least three classes may use this item.

The axe can only be wielded in Minotaur form (not human or other shifted). It functions for both deathblow and limb chopping (on lyme, in temp areas only). Much thanks to whichever immorts were involved in adding this item ingame so my quest wasn't a failure!

[Magi]

Just to clarify, since I got some tells right after posting this. The quest 'leverage' was my quest to locate the axe. That quest has been completed now that the axe has been discovered, and had no reward other than the privilege of posting the info to the crier and bolstering my resume as master of things druidy.

The axe pops on the gruesome minotaur in the Labyrinth as normal equipment.

[Teron]

Not bad.

How good/bad was the poprate on the minotaur?

[Sleeping Forest]

it is horrible. up to 32 kills now.

[Magi]

I killed the minotaur 3 times for my first axe, followed by 20 kills with nothing. I'm hoping it doesn't shatter like lesser specs, but I'm too afraid to test it without having a spare. Deathblow is too awesome to be without.

[Teron]

Ick, I was hoping it'd be possible to use unbreakable axes to chop, while waiting for spec areas to repop.

[Magi]

Got a second one, so pops on 3 and 22.

[Sleeping Forest]

Your weapon shatters as it hits your victim.

Bye bye axe.

Was well worth the whole eq pop day to get one.

Broke it on Lyme chopping in Minotaur form.

[Tuck]

Your weapon shatters as it hits your victim.

Bye bye axe.

Was well worth the whole eq pop day to get one.

Broke it on Lyme chopping in Minotaur form.

that sucks. whole eqpop day for nothing. i hope that mighty imms will fix it, so axe will be permanent.

[Shyla]

though I agree it sucks it broke I am not sure I would make it unbreakable because you can use it to deathblow and to chop and it doesn't seem fair to me that a druid can pop an unbreakable chopper. If you don't want to risk it breaking just don't use it for chopping. I will however state it might be nicer if the pop rate was increased a little bit if it is going to be a breakable item.
Just my 2 cents
shyla

[Teron]

For the record, you can deathblow with:
- specularems
- curved knives
- double bladed axes

Possibly with:
- scimitars
- blazing swords

Haven't tested triblades.

So deathblowing while chopping isn't unique.

I'd make it unbreakable, because its poprate is abyssmally low, compared to specs/macus. I wonder if axe has the same chop rate for your x5 attacks, though. If that's the case, then it will probably remain breakable.