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Now it's time to finish exploring Maj'Eyal. We will still prefer to avoid adventuring parties should we see any, but wandering animals shouldn't be a problem.
We're going to be looking for that last alchemist, and for the Lost Merchant. We'll start by heading toward the Sandworm Lair, in the west.
Be careful here; the blind corners can hide adventurer party ambushes. They're actually really common around the Sandworm Lair, and sometimes they spill out to this part of the map.
Wolves are no problem; we can just ignore them, and if they do attack us, we can walk right through them. Basically free XP (but not very much). We do end up fighting this group, though they don't take us to level 14.
Another group is guarding the pass northeast of the Sandworm Lair, so we have to fight them to get through. This group takes us exactly to level 14, so it's not a total waste of time.
This time we put all 3 points in Constitution, bringing it to 20 (without swap gear). Then before we spend talent points, we check to see if we have a +3 or better Con swap item. As it happens, we do -- we've got a +3 Constitution hat, which we swap in now.
This lets us spend our generic point on Thick Skin (3% resist all). We spend the class point on Step Up.
Then we swap hats again.
We explore the mountain pass, and we get the prompt for the Lost Merchant quest. We enter the tunnels.
These tunnels are chock full of rogues of all kinds.
Like these.
One of them drops a champion's rough leather cap of dexterity (+1) (0 def, 1 armor) which is an upgrade for our other champion's hat (losing a point of Strength and some Armour, but gaining 3 Dexterity).
We find the stairs and proceed down to the assassin lord's hideout.
A brief discussion with the assassin reveals irreconcilable differences in our positions, and a physical confrontation ensues.
His Defense is only 22, but we still miss from time to time. Typically when it counts most. In the end, we defeat him (and his gang), netting a bunch of gold, a couple daggers, and a purple light armour to sell. Oh, and the Merchant. We rescued him too. Yeah, that was totally our goal all along.
We discover the entrance to a Hidden Compound in the mountain pass. We won't be doing that yet, but we'll come back later.
Next we head into the frozen wastes north of Kor'Pul. In the second cranny (or is it a cul-de-sac), we find the Ruined Dungeon, and our hermit.
The hermit says he can make us an elixir of focus (2 class talent points) if we can bring him a vial of greater demon bile, a bear paw, and a pouch of luminous horror dust. Well... the bear paw will be simple.
We're not quite ready to do the Ruined Dungeon yet, so we're going to finish exploring to the east (looking for the Elven Ruins or the Golem Graveyard), before heading back to warmer climes.
We do find the Golem Graveyard, over in the far eastern mountains. Again, we won't be going in; we just wanted to know where things are.
Next order of business is to force the lumberjack quest, so we head to the plains north of Last Hope. Then we walk back... and forth... and back... and forth... and oh, what's this? Someone wants us to help his village! Well, then, let's go.
Funny how nobody can see that village until it's attacked....
Going in, I hear screams. I'm stuck in the corner, so I hit the teleport rune. No matter where I end up, it's got to be closer to the action than where I am now.
Not bad. From here, I can Rush, and Shield Pummel, and Assault....
The surviving lumberjacks give me 22.80 gold, and Ben gives me level 15, some weapons to sell, and a backup Regeneration infusion (151/Willpower, not as good as what we have, or what Derth still has on the shelves).
We put 2 points in Strength, and 1 in Dexterity. Level 15 is a multiple of 5, so we get 2 class points instead of 1 class and 1 generic. We put a point in Step Up, and a point in Shield Wall (maxing it). With current gear, we now have 97% stun resistance, which is just a touch short of where we want it.
At this point, we are more than ready for the second-tier dungeons.