Drok's Run - Raptor Edition!

Credit for this idea really goes to @"Just a flesh wound.3589" who is/will be attempting the much more ambitious goal of running all over Tyria on a brand new character riding a raptor. I love that idea but its too much for me, and I didn't want to out-right steal it, so I went for a simpler version: recreating the Droks Run from GW1. Players would run low level characters down through Lornar's Pass to Droknar's Forge to get max stat armour (which was not level locked). My version started from Hoelbrak instead of Beacon's Perch, because it's the nearest town.

Here's our intrepid level 2 adventurer ready to begin his journey:

Things started well, enemies in the northern part of Dredgehaunt Cliffs are fairly sparse and use attacks with a delay, so the raptors speed and leap ability were enough to keep me safe. I got all the way down through Troll's teeth and the Svanir infested Steelbrachen before I ran into my first big problem: I have a very poor sense of direction, even worse in games and I'm not great at reading maps, not that I could afford to stop and check the map anyway. I knew the entrance to Timberline Falls was somewhere east of me, but couldn't remember exactly where, or what lay in between.

But, nothing to do but keep going and hope for the best! I ducked through the pass into Heimdahl's Last Stand, narrowly avoided falling into Tribulation Rift, dodged through the dredge defences and...a dredge shot me in the back just as I reached Frostland Melt!

According to the rules which I'd just made up as this happened I had to go back up to Hoelbrak and start again. This time I took the more direct route through The Wide Expanse and down The Grey Road and made it through into Timberline Falls.

Again my unreliable sense of direction combined with a vague recollection of these maps became an issue. I knew Timberline was roughly split into two north-south 'lanes' and the exit into Mount Maelstrom was at the southern edge of the western most one, but I'd entered to the east and vaguely remembered the mountains being easier to cross further south. I decided charging blindly forward had served me well so far and my eager traveller plunged onwards.

This worked surprisingly well and I got as far as the Hunting Banks on the northern edge of Nonmoa Lake before I ran into my next big problem: the kitten big lake between me and my destination. Swimming was not an option as anything more dangerous than a small tuna would destroy me in seconds, but the uneven shoreline hindered the raptors running ability, leaving me vulnerable. After a moments consideration I detoured into the mountains and went south through Stromkarl Heights. This worked well and apart from one terrifying moment when I discovered that mounts don't work around the Pact camp in Malorean Wilds I made it through!

By Comparison northern Mount Maelstrom was a cake walk. I followed Broken Arrow River down to the edge of the Mire Sea and then went along the shore until, finally I saw my destination ahead!

Ecstatic with having succeeded at this goal I decided to keep going. But now I was presented with 3 options:1) Swim across the Mire Sea. Not gonna happen. There are many things in there bigger and more dangerous than a small tuna.2) Retrace my steps back to the northern edge of the map and work my way around the safer western edge of the volcano. But this is not the kind of adventure where you go back!3) Run down the (as it turned out too narrow for a raptor) bridge to Oxbow Isle, scrabble along the shore and charge through the wind riders, earth elementals and Grenth knows what else on the southern edge of the volcano. So I did that.

With a few narrow escapes, and more than a few swear words I made it through to Fort Trinity!

From there the run got surprisingly easy, going across the bridges and islands of the Shark's Teeth Archipelago. Then I hit a problem. Or rather a gate made of bones and guarded by risen who could kill me just by looking at me. Which they did.

And that is where our tale must end...for now. My normal way around that gate is to swim north and into the little bay in Xenarius Bayt, but a level 4 character doesn't have a hope of surviving that. I could go through Blighted Battlegrounds, but that's a long route. I'm thinking I may just have to try and catch it when the gate is down.

fun idea for expert mode you should get to go black citadel (closest area the where Ascalon city was) to LA than LA to sunken Drocknar's

Nice challenge you've set up for yourself. :) I hope you keep trying, and report on how you're doing.

It's kind of fun to see how far you can get and to open up maps that way. I've gotten all starter maps wps so far and parts of other maps, including parts of Frostgorge and Straits of Desolation. In the Straits I was stopped by the recent addition of no mounts to the jp puzzle near a bridge I need to get across. The jp no mounts areas extends across the bridge, which is guarded by level 70ish foes who promptly one shot me when I tried to get by. I'll need the skimmer to cross the water to bypass that area.

@Danikat.8537 said:recreating the Droks Run from GW1. Players would run low level characters down through Lornar's Pass to Droknar's Forge to get max stat armour (which was not level locked). My version started from Hoelbrak instead of Beacon's Perch, because it's the nearest town.

Awesome idea and great storytelling.

my unreliable sense of direction combined with a vague recollection of these mapsI can relate :frown: