The Tattered Notebook: Brew Day
It's spring in Norrath, but if you're out adventuring in Velious, you might not realize it. Thankfully, Brell Serillis is helping us remember that sometimes we need a break from all the snow and ice, and what better way to celebrate than pouring a nice foamy mug of Tumpy Tonic or Minotaur Hero Brew!
That's right, EverQuest II's festival of Brewday is back, and in this week's Tattered Notebook, we're going to search for the best brews, don our beer goggles, and even do a little cow tipping. Read on for a look at some of the quirky quests and boozy rewards that come with Brell's spring holiday.
Our first stop is Antonica, to seek out the Avatar of Below. He's given us a challenge to find the best brews in Norrath -- Blackburrow Stout, Gigglegibber Ginger Ale, Love on the Coast, Minotaur Hero Brew, and the elusive Tumpy Tonic Max. This was no easy challenge, and along the way, I had to knock down a Minotaur, play matchmaker to a Maj Dul merchant, streak across the Butcherblock docks, and worst of all, share a drink with a Gigglegibber goblin. (Yes, that's a burp you hear when you drink the ginger ale.) My efforts were rewarded, though, and I proudly displayed my Helm of Foamy Goodness, which allows me easy access to fine brews any time I want.
Next, I visited the Bar of Brell, which only appears once a year to offer fine drinks and good company. Upon entering, I bumped into Gilin Rockbreath, who had an odd request. He was concerned that a few ladies he met might not have been quite as attractive as he thought. He was afraid that he might have had on a pair of beer goggles, and he wanted us to search for the ladies and clear things up.
Sadly, he was right -- his judgement was impaired. (Surprising for a Dwarf!) I barely had the heart to report back to him to let him know that he wasn't even in the ballpark. I guess the good news is that he didn't flirt with a Gigglegibber, but that's not much comfort. For my rewards, I got a nice stein for my house and my very own pair of Improved Ale Goggles!
The next task I took on was a riddle from Valla in the bar, and it actually requires the goggles. She's asked me to find ingredients for a special brew, which are harvested from Bountiful Brewday Gardens located in many of the lower level overland zones like Antonica and the Commonlands. You can only see the gardens if you're wearing the goggles, and harvesting them will provide you with the necessary ingredients. The reward is one of my favorites -- a flying Carpet of Clover that actually leaves a trail of little shamrocks when you ride it. The runspeed on it is only 35%, but now that there's an appearance mount tab in game, you can use it for looks and still keep the speed and stats of your best mount.
A visit to Snoogle was next on my list. As you probably know, I don't particularly care for Gnomes, and Snoogle doesn't do much to help that. This rambly, long-winded, annoying Gnome wants me to basically get drunk and run around looking for four "powerful" items around Norrath -- a pink elephant, a flying pig, a small lizard toy, and a strange cabbage. Oddly enough, a swig from Snoogle's flask did indeed give me the ability to see these things, and I was able to bring them all back to him. For my trouble, I got a party keg and a choice of one of the items I had collected. I highly recommend the pink elephant!
I decided that with all this talk of drinking, it was time for me to hop over to the bar and grab a drink for myself. But before I could order, the brewer nearby, Rasel Alechaser, asked me to go on a quest for Everlasting Brew. That's a challenge I could not pass up, and I set off to get the ingredients. First I had to gather up pure water from various locations, which was easy enough on my flying griffon.
Next, I had to head to Thundering Steppes to find a farmer named Prew Drowers, who has the best hops but the worst brews. (Using the water from the cow trough might be part of the reason.) Prew was about as stubborn as his cow Bessy, and I had to get clever if I wanted his hops. I decided to get to him through his prized cow, Betsy. Shoulder down, I charged right into the Bard and knocked her flat off her feet. Prew came running, I hustled back into his house to snag the hops and flew off to get the barley.
Little did I know that Jimmy Runner was even more obstinate than Prew. I discovered that he's quite the angry drunk, so I needed to first sober him up and then slowly mellow him out with the right combination of spirits and ale. Eventually, he gave up the goods, and I was set for my final step, which involved a visit to the Sanctorium of Brell.
If you've ever seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, you'll appreciate the final challenge in the Sanctorium of Brell. In the main room, you'll find a table with several steins of different shapes and various materials. The Keeper of the Stein tests your knowledge of Brell, and you have to drink from the correct stein in order to pass the test. The only hints we're given is that Brell, like all Dwarves, loved riches but didn't flaunt them. Also, he often bashed his fellow Dwarves over the head with his stein. Knowing this, which would you choose?
I eventually chose the right one and was rewarded with a nice Brew Day cloak. Here's what it looks like. I know it appears a bit fuzzy, but that's because Rasel made me taste Brell's Brew, which is pretty powerful stuff!
Brew Day has a little something for everyone -- from unusual appearance and house items to some fairly easy AA experience. On top of it all, these quests are just flat out fun to do. So grab your stein and head over to the Bar of Brell. And don't forget to snag any purple shinies you come across, because they're part of the special Brew Day collection. If you need any details on locations or updates, be sure to visit EQ2i. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to help Oldar Foambeard compare some brews.
Bottoms up!
From the snow-capped mountains of New Halas to the mysterious waters of the Vasty Deep, Karen Bryan explores the lands of Norrath to share her tales of adventure. Armed with just a scimitar, a quill, and a dented iron stein, she reports on all the latest news from EverQuest II in her weekly column, The Tattered Notebook. You can send feedback or elven spirits to karen@massively.com.
