Sunday, May 20, 2007

Day 115-129 - Goodbye My Friend

It's been a long time since I posted but I felt it was time to get back to it...

Noble Crimson retired on Day 129. It was a sad moment but I've known it was coming for a very long time. I've decided to seek out a strong and fast female to mate with my retired Noble Crimson in hopes of having a red offspring.

...If it's a boy, Noble Legend. If it's a girl, Noble Scarlet.

However, I've also considered trying to raise a chocobo geared toward digging. I may seek out a new egg and try to raise an item-hunter first. The Noble line will always be racers, but it may be time for a new line to spring up.

Saturday, March 31, 2007

Days 112-114 - Marco? Choco!

After a few days of basic care, I told him the story of the Happy Chocobo eight times and watched over him once. I fed him five bunches of Sharug Greens, and he's completely full and wants to be with me all the time. I've decided to play Chocobo Hot And Cold with him today.

I dealt with that awful Keturah girl for as long as I had to and got my Prairie and Bush Chocographs. I used a clump of Tandjana Wildgrass and the location of treasure appeared on my map. On my first attempt, we were right on top of it! It took four tries, but when I dug the chest up, it contained a pod of blue peas and a King Truffle.

As long as I was on a rental chocobo, I decided to give digging a shot with these stacks of Gysahl Greens I've been lugging around. I got two flint stones in Konschtat and a pebble in the Pashow Marshlands, and an insect wing in Rollanberry Fields. I couldn't imagine how some people spend so much time on this! Finally, though, I dug up a Mythril Beastcoin on my last attempt before entering Jeuno. With any luck, I can raise Noble Crimson's mental abilities through Chocobo Hot & Cold, and reading him stories.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Days 99-111 - Hit The Ground Running

Various issues have kept me away from my chocobo for an inordinate amount of time recently. However, I am finally back and ready to race! But first, to take care of my Noble Crimson...


I told him the story of the Happy Chocobo once, then took him on a long walk to the Pashow Marshlands in the rain. While we were there, he found a Gregarious Worm! We then took a short and uneventful walk by the waterfall in North Gustaberg. For dinner, he ate five bunches of Sharug Greens, and he wants to be with me all the time now.

I registered and became an official member of the CRA's Bastok Racing Team, and I also took out a CRA Racing Form and a Chococard. The paperwork cost me 500 gil. Unfortunately, I then found out that I only had to present the racing form to enter Noble Crimson. I handed over the for to Jazgeh and was allowed to take part in Novice Race I!

It was very interesting to get to visit all of the birds at the paddock. However, my Noble Crimson outclassed them all by far. There was, however, a single red Chocobo named ColonelSaunders who had all substandard stats. I ordered my jockey to keep an even pace since I outclassed the others by so much, and we started our race!

It was adorable watching Markovich and his disgruntled Japanese chocobo chick, Sakura. Though I suppose he's really just her servant and translator, not her owner...

My Noble Crimson was ridden by the "empress of speed", Maurette. Markovich said there isn't a jockey in Vana'diel who loves her steed more than the empress of speed. Obviously no one here had heard of me before. My Noble Crimson got far ahead of the pack at the very start, and maintained her lead for a long time. I was sitting on pins and needles when they entered the cave at the halfway mark! When they came out the other side, my Noble Crimson was even further ahead! He was sweating, but he kept his strong lead and won by a country mile! Confetti showered down and I was thrilled!

Noble Crimson came in first, followed by Spoony Bard and Colonel Saunders who had remained neck and neck for the entire race, and Ambitious Impact had fallen into last place. Sakura said it was one of the best races she'd seen in ages, according to Markovich. For my victory, I earned 500 gil, which covered my little chococard flub.

I decided to run him on one more race tonight. Maurette rode him again. This time we were up agains five more chocobo. Immediately, Noble Crimson began to pull ahead! In the end, Noble Crimson took the crown, no contest! It was Noble Crimson, Rosse Mutine, Colonel Saunders, Moon Night, Spoony Bard, and then Ambitious Impact in last place. For this race, I received 1000 gil!

I decided to give Novice Race III a shot. Maurette rode Noble Crimson again. This time, though, he was part of an eight chocobo lineup. As usual, Noble Crimson got his early lead well ahead of the rest. If this trend persists, then I may never have to worry about dodging crashes... I'll never be behind one! Though, this race was much closer than any of the races I've entered before. Still, Noble Crimson kept his big lead all the way across the finish line. This time it was Noble Crimson, Gold Queen, Rosse Mutine, Rasender Blitz, Colonel Saunders, Spoony Bard, Moon Night, and lastly Ambitious Impact as always. This one earned me 1500 gil and 3 chocobucks.

I decided to do one Free Run before resting. This started off as a much more even race, and Invincible Leg's jockey used a speed apple that put him far ahead. Next thing I knew, they were using fire biscuits and stamina apples all around me! I had nothing to use, but Noble Crimson remained in second place, slowly closing the gap behind Invincible Leg. As Sakura says, it ain't over til the fat chocobo sings. Unfortunately, the fat chocobo was singing to Invincible Leg's victory, and my Noble Crimson came in second place. The standings had Incincible Leg in first, Noble Crimson in second, followed by Musashi, Sternenschweif, Rasender Blitz, Rosse Mutine, Spoony Bard, and Colonel Saunders. In the end, the race cost me 100g, but I earned 3 chocobucks.

The chocobo fund is now at 88,103 gil, with 6 chocobucks.

"Breeding chocobos is like stocking a warehouse with 10,000 opo-opos and 10,000 typewriters-- you're bound to stumble across a masterpiece sooner or later." ~ 'Hyper Breeder' Graciela