CRUSHBONE
| Location: | North of Kelethin |  click to view expanded map and overlays... |
|---|---|---|
| Adjacent Zones: | Greater Faydark | |
| Level of Monsters: | 2-20+ | |
| Types of Monsters: | Orc Pawns, Orc Centurions, Orc Legionnaires, Orc Trainers, Orc Slavers, Orc Oracles, Orc Emissary, Emporer Crush, Orc Prophet, Orc Royal Guard, Orc Taskmaster, Orc Warlord | |
| Notable NPC's: | Ambassador D'Vinn, Lord Darish, Rondo Dunfire, Retion Brenclog, Emperor Crush, The Prophet | |
| Unique Items: | Dwarven Ringmail Tunic, Screaming Mace, Shiny Brass Shield, Bracer of Battle, Dragoon Dirk, Prayer Cloth of Tunare | |
| Indoor/Outdoor: | Outdoor |
Allakhazam Links: Bestiary
|| Equipment
|| Quests
|| Strategy
Text last updated: 11/21/00
Map last updated: 01/14/01
Description
Crushbone is the home of the Crushbone clan of orcs. It is located directly to the north of the wood elf city of Kelethin, and is the major thorn in the sides of all the inhabitants of the island of Faydwer. The city is accessible from only one entrance, and is set up in the shape of a ring. To the west side of Crushbone lies a small building where elves and dwarves actually live, as well as the entrance to the slave pits. The the northeast lies the home of Emporer Crush, and is a dangerous place to hang out in as his troopers continuously move about. In the center is a large hill where the orc trainer trains his troops. A river flows around and through the area.
Dangers
This level is extremely dangerous, despite the fact that there are orc pawns here, I would not recommend it for anyone under 4th level, and even that is pushing it. It is dangerous for several reasons. The first reason it is dangerous occurs when there are very few people around, the other when there are too many people around.
The first danger occurs when there are few people around, and this is that the orcs reclaim their area, slowly spreading out from the back areas to the front by spawning in gradually further forwards areas. Once all of the forward spawn sites are full, the patrols begin. These patrols usually consist of a pair of fairly tough orc centurions who run from one side, out to the entrance, and then back in and over to the other side. There are usually two opposing troops that move in this way. After them come the Legionnaire patrol, which consists of the Legionnaire and two very high level orc centurions (around 9th or 10th) who walk the same route. The only way I saw all of this is by hiding next to a tree and watching them all go by, and it made me sweat.
The second problem occurs when there are too many people in the zone (which is most of the time now). This generates a rapid spawn rate because there is a rapid kill rate, and trains result. Now, trains around here aren't the type of trains that occur in Blackburrow, for instance, which consist of a dozen gnolls running around. The trains here consist of the orcs that people tend to flee from, namely the Legionnaire and his centurions, who are high level, or Emperor Crush himself and an oracle or two. Now, these aren't huge trains, but they are very deadly as these troops are very powerful and can take out a large number of midlevel troops before being taken out themselves. The other problem with this is that they tend to attack indiscriminately, so simply standing too closely could mean that you get whacked, and people tend to not warn you that they are coming with hell on their heels, so you can get caught unaware. Again, keep your eyes peeled.
Benefits
Despite the great danger in this area, there are many good reasons to hunt here. The first is the wealth that you can gather in a short time here. As a 7th level by myself, I gathered 2 platinum in the time it took me to go up less than one bubble. Most of the orcs here have some form of cloth armor or weapon on them, all of which is worth money. Some of the best weapons on the weaker orcs are Cracked Staffs, which you can sell for over 1 platinum to a friendly merchant. There's no better feeling than going home encumbered because you've got 3 or 4 of these in your backpack.
Probably the biggest reason people hunt here is for the treasure trove in unique items and quest items that can be found here. Some nice low-level items come out of this dungeon exclusively. First of all, there is the Shiny Brass Shield, a shield that sometimes appears on the Orc Trainer. This is a nice shield that is relatively cheap to buy now, and should be resting on everyone's arm if they can't use two weapons. Also, the Legionnaire's have shoulderpads and bracers that are regularly on the market for sale, as well as items that can be used to get one of the quest items, the Screaming Mace. Some of the other items that have become staples of this game are the Dwarven Ringmail Tunic, dropped by the Emperor himself, and the Dragoon Dirk, a highly sought after low- to mid-level piercing weapon, that drops off of our favorite newbie killer himself, D'vinn.
I personally greatly enjoyed hunting in Crushbone. The monsters came in more manageable numbers and the number of other hunters wasn't as annoying as it was just outside the gates. Also, they spawned closer together, so there wasn't as much of a problem with roaming (by you) or camping (by others). You can watch several spawn spots by yourself and make a good profit and good exp quite quickly.
Travelling To and From Crushbone
There is only one entrance to Crushbone, directly north from the city of Kelethin. You can get to it by heading north from the northernmost lift in Kelethin (it's the one furthest away from the other two) or by following the path straight out. The entrance is ringed by two pyres, so it's hard to miss. From Felwithe you can either follow the trail to Kelethin and go north from there, or turn right directly out from the main entrance and follow the border of the zone all the way to Crushbone. Although the second method is more boring, it's also quicker and almost impossible to get lost doing.