In either this latest game update, GU49, or the previous one, SOE added new recipes for tailors so that cloth-wearing classes, the ones whose clothing choices have previously been limited pretty much to all-covering burkas, can have a little more flexibility with their look.

Last night I stood in front of a loom and looked at some of these new options.

Some of the new outfits are ungodly ugly, at least on halflings. But a couple really stuck out. I must point out, though, that the claim in the GU48 patch notes that all outfits would be complete doesn’t seem to be the case. If you could previously only make four pieces of a particular suit, you should now be able to make all of them. This wasn’t the case with the tier 1 Tranquil sets, below. Both were missing boots and bracers, and neither the hat nor the shoulder pieces had a graphic.

Pristine Tranquil Sackcloth armor

Pristine Tranquil Threadbare armor

Both are fairly unique looks. The Sackcloth reminds me of the tier 7 cloth armor out of Castle Mistmoore, while the Threadbare looks almost like a gi.

A note about the screenshots. They were both taken at max quality in Gorowyn, with the multicore fix working. I was getting about 15 fps at max settings — in Gorowyn, long second only to Neriak as a difficult place for my computer. Unfortunately, running at max settings for very long crases EQ2 for me after it runs out of memory. But it’s a huge improvement over what I had before, and for me, is the best improvement that came with the latest patch.

The EverQuest 2 GU48 world quest deals with, from the evil side, anyway, discovering who is responsible for the death of a Qeynosian Seeress who died mysteriously just before she was to make a pronouncement. All the signs point to work by Bertoxxulous’s disciples, but the high priest of the god of disease swears that though they have no love for any follower of the Prime Healer, Rodcet Nife, it wasn’t them. They were framed.

I put my necromancer, Adora, on the case. If this investigation was going to veer into life and death, who better than a necro to get to the (blackened, shrunken) heart of the matter?

Adora hunted for clues all over Norrath. Her investigations finally led her to a small apartment in Neriak, where she listened, hidden, as shadow creatures plotted with mortals about some foul deed. Then Adora was discovered.

While her pet went on a mad rampage and killed every living and unliving thing in the apartment, Adora picked up a curious amulet from the floor, and was immediately gripped in the power of a vision that seemed all too real.

Thousands — millions of void beasts and shadowmen gathered in what can only be the Void, all looking at a mysterious figure addressing them from atop a tall stone…

Though robed and shrouded, the woman on the stone wielded incredible power, and she held Adora’s soul in a grip so powerful she could not struggle nor scream… and then she was suddenly released.

Adora never suspected a necromancer could show fear. But there are some things in the universe more powerful, and more dread, than mere death. Adora realized that she had been left to live for one purpose only — to give up the creed of Brell Serillis and to help reveal to the world the coming of the Queen of Unlife, Anashti Sul.

Adora got a replica of Anashti’s staff as well as the amulet she found (now drained of its connection with The Void) and … a treant pet? Not sure how that fits into the lore, but whatever. The bubbling bowl of poison on the floor was a gift from a grateful Evdonia for helping her clear the good name of the Disciples of Disease.

Today is possibly GU49 and the continuation of the story. One of the very nice things about EQ2 is how each expansion is set up with months of storyline and lore quests — these have been going on since spring, and each one gets more elaborate.

Thought I’d never finish the thirty gathering missions necessary to get the “Guild Hall Constructor” title. I’d get bored, or find something else to do, or… pretty much anything else. But I did want to get the title before the event ends. After all, what better way to tell the world you’re an obsessive-compulsive whose probably going to try and sell you something?

It would have been harder without Stargrace’s sage advice. She would grab a mission and head to Sunken City. Few people went there. If she couldn’t finish the mission there, the Graveyard was a short hop away, and it would have the stuff.

I made sure and harvested all the creature and shrub nodes, because neither one was needed for the tier 1 harvesting quests, and it would be best if they were harvested so they might respawn as something useful. On the way back, I’d see which harvest was most plentiful, and make that my next assignment.

Worked pretty well. It was awfully dull, though.

GU 49 looks a lot more exciting — there, you’ll kill and craft to help drive back the invaders. ANYTHING but that tedious harvesting!

Anyone want some waxed leather armor? A lot of it? Just let me know.

I guess I know what I’ll be doing tonight…

VEKSAR!

Though now that I have capped out my AAs, part of me doesn’t want to finish any more quests or explore any new zones because, heck, I have 60 AAs to earn pretty soon.

But yeah…

<strong><bad>VEKSAR!
VEKSAR!

And the Veksar goes live to-niiiiiiight</bad></strong>