7.26 From 47 Voter(s) Last September, I showed everyone the quick and dirty way to get through Sirens Grotto from Cobalt Scar to Western Wastes in under 30 seconds without an available Succor. That's great for us spell-casting folk, but if you're out in Western Wastes without Gate, you'll need to come back through the Grotto at some point. A request in the forum reminded me that the trip I showed everyone through Siren's Grotto is one-way, so I'd like to tell you all how to get back if you need to. This guide builds on the information in my earlier one, so if you haven't seen it, it may be a good idea to have a look.
Is it safe? Hell yes! pretty much. Can it be done in less than 30 seconds? It certainly can.
For this trek, it's advisable to have some sort of invisibility, and in fact, if you have some invisibility, it can be done without any danger at all.*
(* - Very seldom, there will be one of the revamp-named mobs in your way, and they can see invisible. If not, you're golden - if you see one of these named, you may want to slow down and kill it instead of rushing, they can drop nice goodies.)
If you haven't got invisibility, you'll probably want to have some armor, Dodge, or Feign Death going on. You will take some hits, but not a whole bunch. Remember, no forms of levitation work in this zone, so you'll be strictly earthbound. Increased run speed and good swimming skill can be quite beneficial.
We enter from Western Wastes, in a safe corner facing out to some waiting mobs. Unless one of those walruses ahead of you is a named, they won't even scowl at you. If you have invis, fire it up, we're moving!
- 0-5 seconds:
If you're invis, follow the yellow line straight down the hall and at the end you'll find a hard left. Just follow this passage until it opens up in the Grotto "lobby".
If you haven't got invis, you may have a little better luck taking the first left (as seen in orange on the map); this route often contains only non-KOS walruses and may get you to the "lobby" a little safer, although it's a little easier to take a wrong turn going this way, and there are roamers who will aggro you and turn those peaceful walruses into enemies. You'll take that first left and look for a sharp right which places you in the open area.
Here is a rare panoramic Everquest screenshot depicting the open area (click for larger view).
Invisible people will enter the room at the right, those who took the walrus shortcut at the left beyond the pagoda.
- 5-10 seconds:
Here is where non-invisible folks will meet their first aggro, this open area is crawling with molkors, ulthorks, and bulthars. The water swarms with fish and seahorses. If you're still invisible, you'll probably want to follow the left side around the water. If you're not, just barrel through and jump off of that waterfall cliff in the distance. The jump will release you from the train behind you, as they look for a way down, but you'll be diving into new mobs.
- 10-15 seconds:
If you didn't like the water and went for the left side, jump on those rocks and follow them around the bend above the dropoff. You can dive at any point, but as the non-invisible people have discovered, there are fish and seahorses at the bottom of that waterfall. If you've managed to avoid aggro, stay on the rocks a while and look for an easy way down onto land. In the water, you'll face fish and seahorses, lose your invisibility, and start your train. If you land on the platform below, you'll take 170 falling damage and be ready to finish your voyage.
- 15-25 seconds: If you came down the waterfall, you'll be better off hopping out of the water to your left. Sure, there's some bulthars there, but you'll ditch the fish instantly, and the bulthars are slower and weaker, and may not have noticed you yet. At this point, you'll be able to see the exit but there are mobs in the water you may not see between you and it. They're marked roughly with red dots, and the one in the middle of the channel roams from the waterfall to the doorway by CS. You're so close, it's not worth trying to avoid them, just scoot to the zone-out.
- 25-30 seconds: Proceed straight south, quickly, and it's best to avoid the water as much as possible; although you will have to cross a short distance of water, guarded on all sides by sea creatures who will probably take a poke at you while you're in there. You'll see the exit before and after you do your swim, and only one molkor, ulthork, or bulthar guards it. Get past him and you're home free in Cobalt Scar.
Certainly this route can be simplified as "Run south straight through the zone", and you will know this route after having done it once; but when dealing with angry, high level mobs, it never hurts to absorb an experienced perspective before you dive in.
Good luck!
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