WTF?

I am obsessed with this tree. It wasn't there before. I know it wasn't there before. Does anyone know what I am talking about? This mangled old tree just outside of Rabao. It wasn't there before the update, I swear that it wasn't. Why is it there now? Why am I obsessed with this tree? Someone please go check it out, it doesn't fit the scenery around it much. It just kinda sticks out. I don't remember seeing a tree like this anywhere else in the Altepa Deserts. And strangely people have mentioned seeing them elsewhere. They are likely part of the new event that is going to happen after this bamboo-haiku thing. But why stick them in now? BAH! TREE WHY DO YOU HAUNT MY DREAMS! Here is another shot of this tree: Ok, off of trees but onto other weirdness. Since when do SMN mobs elementals drop stuff? And it wasn't like it was killed either, just died when the SMN mob died. I know there are special cases like Alastor Antlion and Steam Cleaner, but these are special mobs with special drops. This was a normal summoned elemental and a normal drop. Just weird I tell you, weird!

Anyway, onto other stuff. Did some skilling up and Assault last night. Had a bit of trouble with Escort Professor Clavauert Assault simply because we were limited on healing and Omoi was running after the professor and the DD were falling behind, which left the professor getting overwhelmed at one point, and we just barely lost when the professor died while digging to complete the mission. Ah well, we will get it next time. On a better note the other group completed Mamool Ja Tier 1 which is the last one that a bunch of people needed, so they can start working on Level 2 now. I think Lilkathy should now be able to get Level 3 Assaults also. We have about 12 people that do assaults now, and we do them with 6 people per group usually. Not the best way to build up AP but it is the best way to rank everyone up pretty quickly. People have been moving very quickly through the missions, and we will soon be able to split down into smaller groups to build AP much more quickly.

I am now getting quite obsessed with my MNK, it is just so much damn fun. I thought it was going to be all "engage and punch" but really I am able to pound through EP and DC mobs so fast that its not even a challenge. I can go through my Empress Band soloing in a Promy (I was helping to farm for animas for the Promyvion-Vahzl run that a bunch of Versus people are going to do) killing like 5 EP and DC mobs in a row without resting. After getting my Boreas Cesti I am quite pleased with the neato wind effect on every hit. LOL I can't wait for counterstance, because once I get it I can just use it and have Berserk up because its not like that is going to hurt me anymore. LOL I counter a decent bit just on regular mobs, and I already have capped evasion from NIN so soloing is a piece of cake. I got my MNK to 32 with a little assistance from Omoi and no real help what so ever from Hellz. In fact I believe Hellz was searching the bush in the Jungles to find more Goblins to hump. We have also rather unsuccessfully been camping Nue for its stupid fang. Been losing claim mostly, but even when we get it, it doesn't drop anything. LOL Outside of this, I am still looking for Black Belt items if anyone wants to sell them to me for cheap, or is doing any KS99 I can leech off of :) Ah well, once my MNK can actually wear it I will consider it more intensely.