{Joyeuse}{Found it!}

My hands are still shaking as I write this.

Considering my recent luck at NMs I want to kill, I really ought to look into fighting more NMs before this streak runs out. So many things had to go right for today to happen, and I'm still quite amazed everything pulled together so smoothly.

At all started like this: after my Dynamis today, I was feeling a little bit bored, and was talking to Sakurato about how I'd like a Joyeuse. For those two don't know, a Joyeuse is basically the Red Mage's dream sword, or at least one of. Many people place the Joyeuse as being better than the Enhancing Sword, but since I don't actually have an Enhancing Sword, I'd be hard pressed to actually verify that statement. ^^

Anyway, we got talking, and then, completely on a whim, I decided to drag Saku down to the Sea Serpent Grotto and try to pop Charybdis.

The bad news was that Saku had to leave for a birthday party in 45 minutes, but we decided to just try our luck anyway. After all, with just 45 minutes in what I hear is a pretty large window (4 hours or so?) with no knowledge of Charybdis' last ToD (time of death), what were our chances?

Not much, right?

So, you can imagine my surprise when we literally walked in to find this wandering around:



As it turned out, two Japanese players had popped him while leveling their NPC fellow. The problem was, they were NIN and WHM and couldn't kill Charybdis as they stood. I asked if they were going to fight Charybdis and if they had a Bard, and they said that their Bard friend was afk, and couldn't be reached.

Sakurato then told me that with a Bard, the three of us could trio Charybdis, and then it became a rush to get a Bard down here. Doing a quick /sea all brd 73-75, I didn't recognise any names who might help us. I didn't have very many Bard friends on a friendlist, at least, not until I looked again and saw that Hirushi was online. Coming back into the game just three months ago, he leveled like a fiend and had since attained his goal of BRD75. Thankfully, he was free, and quickly responded to my call for help, and rushed down to the Sea Serpent Grotto the fastest I have ever seen.

In the meantime, I had a little bit of a moral stance to make. As Saku told me, Hirushi, herself, and I could probably take and beat Charybdis. However, the Japanese did pop Charby, so it sounded very crass to just barge in and steal the claim. I know there are those who believe that unclaimed NMs are fair game, but I felt it'd be very rude to just take the claim for ourselves.

It was then we decided we'd team up, and /random for the Joyeuse. The plan was set. A 50/50 chance at the Joyeuse for both parties sounded like a decent compromise- after all, they popped Charby, but we had the people needed to beat him. Fair trade?

When Hirushi got to the Sea Serpent Grotto, we joined together into one party and went over battle tactics. Just to reiterate, we were RDM/WHM (me), THF/NIN (Saku), NIN/WAR (Sabo), WHM/BLM (Furiae), and BRD/WHM (Hirushi).

First off, Sakurato would tank, since as a Thief, she has the highest Evasion of the group, and would be the person best suited to handle Charybdis' permanent Hundred Fists effect. The Furiae and I would make sure everybody was alive and working, with Haste, Cures, Barwatera, Blindna, Erase and Refresh. Hirushi's job was to support with curing, and Ballad, but more importantly to keep double Mambo on the melee. This ensures that Saku has 300+ Evasion, so tanking Charybdis would be a breeze.

Unfortunately, due to concerns regarding giving Charybdis TP, we asked Sabo not to engage, and just enfeeble. It sounded a little bit of a waste, but I guess Saku had her reasons when she told me to tell Sabo not to attack.

Because of potential aggro from the Water Elemental that spawns behind the door (one of the reasons most people have trouble with Charybdis), mages would stand on the bottom of the slope while melee fought with Charybdis on the top.

After checking if everybody knew what they were doing, we pulled Charybdis with Sabo's Provoke, letting Saku open with a Sneak Attack'ed Dancing Edge, stealing hate, and we were off!



As the Red Mage (and the only non-75 person there, I might add ^^), my task was to keep Sakurato Hasted, and Charybdis somewhat enfeebled. Because Sabo was also enfeebling with Ninjutsu, the only enfeebles I really needed to keep on Charybdis was Gravity, Poison II, and Bio II. Yes, the plan was to literally DoT Charybdis to death. Hirushi and I would Dispel/Finale Charybdis' buffs, namely Evasion Bonus and Regen. All three mages would Erase and Blindna to keep the melee working, and Barwatera to minimise the effect of some of Charybdis' TP attacks.

Sakurato was right when she said that just the three of us (Hirushi, herself, and I) could beat Charybdis, and to be honest, it didn't take as long as I thought it would. Then again, Sakurato is an exceptional Thief, with maxed out merits and practically every single piece of dream Thief gear around (including her new acquisition- the Love Torque from the Jailer of Love!), so perhaps taking any random THF75 friend to solo tank Charby might not be the best of plans.

Anyway, as Charby's HP slowly ticked into the final few percent, we went on {Full attack!} mode, which unfortunately, only amounted to Sabo actually engaging, and myself chaining nukes. A couple Blizzard IIs later, I snuck in the killing blow, and there it was:



I have to admit. I was a nervous breakdown at this point. >_<

My lotting suck is terrible (but then again, isn't everybody's?) and I really, really wanted to win the lot on the Joyeuse. After the Joyeuse fell into the treasure pool, everybody else passed, while Sabo and I just stood there.

After a while, I managed to get Sabo to lot first (for some reason, I'd rather go second).

Sabo lots a 264!

ｶﾞーーーーーーン！

I hold my breath and cast my lot. I had a good chance of beating a 264, right?

Tuufless lots a 671!

And the Joyeuse is mine!

Words cannot really express how relieved I was to get the Joyeuse. I don't really know why, either, since the Joyeuse technically isn't that big a deal seeing how little Red Mages actually melee, but I guess it was more symbolic than materialistic. Although I won the lot and the rest were sending {Congratulations!} my way, I still felt a little bad for taking Charybdis off the Japanese, despite their reassurances that it was okay. I think I'll go help them out the next time they camp Charybdis, just as a token of appreciation, like what I did the very first time I camped Charybdis for Aysuu.

After the party disbanded (and Saku ran off to catch her friend's birthday party), Hirushi and I went out to test out the Joyeuse on unknowing Sahagins, and yes, I'm very happy with my new sword. ^^




Thank you to Sakurato, Hirushi, Sabo, and Furiae for the help! Now, with a Joyeuse in hand, perhaps I should look into trying to melee the Red Mage's Maat fight, ala Grendal-style. ^^