Who is Carcera? "Carcera says: I've spent many years wandering the lands, learning various styles of fighting." This old man has a weathered look to his skin and features that could only have been achieved by years of exposure to the elements. Even as old as he appears, he moves with a fluid grace. He is in good shape. Carcera is carrying: A scout knife. Some fine packratskin gloves (worn). A fine bearskin vest (worn). A wicked half-moon bladed axe. A fine fur quiver (worn). A dark bow (wielded in both hands). Killing Carcera: XP for killing: Varies; I have received between 10k and 26k. It seems to vary widely, probably based on other factors (one theory is that it is based on how often he is killed). Yes, I am serious. I've gotten a lot of people who won't believe me, but it's true. The XP does vary somewhat but he is normally (i.e. most of the times I personally have killed him) around 12k. Here are some party entries and the exact XP I got from him recently: Name Lvl HP SP Line XP Share XP Leader Fluiddruid 18 146 166 ON 100% 12945 Name Lvl HP SP Line XP Share XP Leader Fluiddruid 19 146 80 ON 100% 12946 Name Lvl HP SP Line XP Share XP Leader Fluiddruid 19 154 178 ON 100% 25934 His stuff: 1) A dark bow: 375 coins sale price. This bowstave is made from a dark wood that you do not recognise. It looks like it would be difficult to string. Two hands are needed to wield it. It is strung. ID: You sense that the wood that Carcera the trainer used to make this bow came from some part of this world that is unknown to you. Note: Uses archery skill, stringable/unstringable. Apparently, for a bow, a good one to use. When wielded, it is a staff. 2) A wicked moon-bladed axe: 950 coins sale price. This axe has a long shaft of oak wood, topped off by a wicked looking half- moon axehead. It seems to have been maintained well, for the blade is still very sharp. Two hands are needed to wield it. It looks very heavy. ID: You sense that this axe was made by Carcera. (Helpful, eh?) 3) Fine vest, gloves, quiver: These items change, but are all ranger equipment. I have also received boots, stoles, sleeves, and leggings. 4) Straight arrows (a quiverful): Typical ranger make, painful. The killing part: Carcera at first seems a really difficult kill, because of the additional damage of his arrows. However, once he's done with them, he's a relatively tame creature, compared to other 12k kills (such as the Dwarven Paladin). In other words, hang in there through the arrows and you'll probably do fine. As a mage, this is definitely a kill which I hit and run, simply because of his ability to shoot one arrow each round, while I can only cast every two rounds. In any case I seldom spend more than 3-4 rounds in the room with him. You will know he is out of arrows when he wields his axe. However, he may not fire an arrow every round of combat, especially if you are hitting and running and the initial round is brief. But just because he doesn't always doesn't mean he can't! (Half the danger [and excitement] of killing Carcera is his inherent erratic and unpredictable nature.) Like Alton's apprentice mage, he will pick up any equipment of people he kills. He also tends to end up with my boomerangs in his inventory if I leave the room without them. The score between Carcera and I is currently: Fluiddruid 9 Carcera 1- On the 21'st of Virrsmonth - Big gun Fluiddruid was given a last blessing, after being sent all the way to Lars by Carcera.
Why is Carcera helpful? Carcera functions a bit like Zhou, only with a twist. While alive, he can help you raise your skill, and without Zhou's 15-20 skill point 'cap', by trading skill points from other, related, presumably less useful skills. Also, you can use the two in conjunction, by raising related skills with Zhou to a certain point, then 'trading' them to Carcera. Generally, it's at a 2:1 ratio, though I believe this is not always the case. The big drawback here is that (I've heard this and it fits my own experimentation) he won't raise a skill unless you're taking points from a skill of greater value. For example, if your staff skill is at 25, he won't take away from any skill lower to 25. Also, he will not raise Exotic skill--it is too different from any other skill. However, Carcera is a good kill, and once you get to know his behavior, not a difficult one for the amount of experience. He also has valuable equipment (see above).
Where can I find Carcera?
At night he's very difficult to find. At approximately 9:50pm AA time I followed him into the residential area of Tantallon--he lives there? Odd for a ranger who can build tents. In any case, during the day, he'll likely be at one of the below favorite spots, or in transit. (He tends to be spotted at the crossroads and along the road north to Hobbitat; I've also gotten reports of him riding the boat to the puffin beach.)Grasslands near Burnham Wood "Carcera says: Ahh, I love the wilderness. So quiet, so peaceful." The grass is a bit higher here, waving in the constant wind. You can hear the chirping of the grasshoppers which are hidden in the grass around you. Obvious directions are: north, south, east, west. A campfire (burning). Carcera, the grizzled old ranger. +----------------------------------+ | OO OO OO OO OO +O +O +O +O +o +o | | oo oo OO OO OO OO OO OO OO oo ^^ | | /\ ^^ 88 oo OO OO YO OO oo oo ^^ | | /\ /# /\ #O OO OO OO OO OO oo oo | | oo oo oo oo OO "" OO OO OO oo oo | | oo 88 88 oo ""<"">"" OO OO oo +o | | /\ /\ /\ oo OO "" "" OO Y# +o oo | | /\ /\ /\ /\ oo oo oo oo oo +o oo | | /\ /\ /\ #\ /\ oo OO OO OO +O OO | | /@ /\ /\ ^^ ^^ oo oo "" oo oo +o | | /\ ^^ ^^ oo oo "" "" ## +" +o +O | +----------------------------------+ Y# is Burnham Wood. (slightly southeast of Carcera.) Carcera says: The grasslands west of Burnham Woods are pleasant. The Northern Expanse "Carcera says: I prefer to do my training in quiet, out of the way places." The endless spread of the flat plains is dwarfed only by the infinite bowl of the sky above you. The vastness of the view makes you dizzy. The sharply tilting slope to the north gives you pause. Steep, snow-covered mountains glower above you to the east. A dense conifer forest is to the south. Obvious directions are: north, south, west. A campfire (burning). Carcera, the grizzled old ranger. +----------------------------------+ | "" /\ /\ /\ "" "" ^^ /\ ^^ ^^ "" | | "" ^^ /\ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ /\ /\ "" "" | | "" "" /\ /\ /\ /\ ^^ /\ == "" "" | | "" "" "" ^^ /\ /\ /\ == == "" "" | | "" "" "" "" ^^ ^^ /\ == == == ^^ | | "" "" "" "" ""<"">/\ /\ == OO /\ | | "" "" "" OO OO +O OO ^^ ~~ ~~ ~~ | | OO OO OO OO OO /\ +^ +^ ^^ @\ /\ | | OO OO OO OO ^^ /\ /\ ^^ +^ +O +O | | OO ^^ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ | | OO /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ | +----------------------------------+ @\ to the southeast of Carcera is the 'stone marker' of Drute's area (I believe). Carcera says: There's a large expanse of grasslands to the west of Lake Haley. I particularly like the eastern end of it. Crescent Lake You are in some dry grasslands. Birds fly above your head, heading towards some nearby trees. A deep forest stretches to the north. The trees are sparse to the east. Dark lake water extends to your west. Obvious directions are: north, south, east. A grizzly bear. A campfire (burning). Carcera, the grizzled old ranger. +----------------------------------+ | YO ~~ OO OO OO ^^ ^^ OO oo +o OO | | OO ~~ OO OO OO OO ^^ OO OO +o OO | | +O +O +| +o +O +O +O +O +O OO oo | | "" OO ~~ oo oo OO OO OO +# OO oo | | OO oo == oo == OO OO OO +O OO OO | | oo == == == ==<"">oo OO +O OO oo | | == == == oo == "" oo OO OO +O ~~ | | 88 == == == == ~~ OO o# oo ~~ oo | | OO oo == == "# OO ~~ ~~ ~~ oo #" | | OO "" oo oo oo OO OO OO OO OO "" | | 88 "" oo OO oo oo 88 88 OO OO oo | +----------------------------------+ Carcera says: I often spend time on the eastern shore of Crescent Lake. Lake Rover You are in a grassy pasture. The lack of trees which might provide shade to this area has left the ground dry and dusty. The tall grasses rustle in the breeze. The sapphire-grey grandeur of Lake Rover spreads out to the north. An ancient hardwood forest can be seen to the south. Lake Rover laps at a pebbly shoreline to the west. Obvious directions are: south, east. A campfire (burning). Carcera, the grizzled old ranger. +----------------------------------+ | OO OO OO OO OO +O OO OO OO OO OO | | OO OO OO OO +O OO OO OO OO OO +O | | +O +O +O +O == +O +O +O +O +O ~~ | | OO == == == == == ~~ ~~ +| ~~ OO | | OO == == == == == OO OO OO OO OO | | == == == == ==<"">OO OO OO ## OO | | OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO | | +O OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO | | +O OO OO ## OO OO OO OY OO OO OO | | +O OO OO "" oo OO OO OO OO OO OO | | +O OO OO "" "" oo OO OO OO OO "" | +----------------------------------+ ## to the east is Grem Village. Y to the southeast is the ranger camp. Carcera says: There's a nice quiet grassland on the southeastern shore of Lake Rover.AA Yellow Pages
You softly whisper sweet words of love to Carcera. Carcera looks uncomfortable. You kick Carcera! Carcera kicks you. OUCH!! 123: 86> 123: 86> stand You stand up. 123: 86> e HP: 101 SP: 86 Carcera smashed your body hard. HP: 90 SP: 86 Carcera pummeled your arm repeatedly. Endless spread of grass (n,s,w) A campfire (burning). Carcera, the grizzled old ranger. 90: 86> You pounded Carcera's head heartlessly. You try to dodge, but end up moving right into Carcera's attack! HP: 75 SP: 86 Carcera pummeled your head repeatedly. Carcera draws a straight arrow from a fine fur quiver (worn). Carcera nocks a straight arrow. Carcera shoots you with an arrow! HP: 50 SP: 86 Your Fireball burns Carcera's leg badly! say Ouch! You say: Ouch!