Exploring the Great Kourend in Old School RuneScape

The Great Kourend is a city in the region of Zeah. To give you an idea of its vast expanse, it's actually bigger than Misthalin and Asgarnia combined. Players can access it by talking to Veos in Port Sarim. From there, they can choose to arrive at the Piscarilius House in the eastern area of the city, or at Land's End in the southwest. After visiting the city from Port Sarim once, they can use teleportation to instantly travel there.

It's a whole new region to explore and gather OSRS gold. Five houses exist in the city. These are the Arceuus, Hosidius, Lovakengj, Piscarilius, and Shayzien Houses. As long as you're in the region, the game will keep track of your favor with these five houses. Some features will unlock depending on how much favor you've gained.

What You Can Do in the Great Kourend

With favor, your potential activities become more varied. Here are the things you can do when you've gained 100% favor with all houses.

·         Arceuus House

Players can access Thyria's Wares, get the ArceuusSpellbook, make dark essence blocks, make magic tablets, and get the Arceuus signet. You'll also be able to access the Blood, Dark, and Soul Altars, and Regath's Wares. Get favor by assisting in their library, collecting dark manuscripts, and mining dense essence blocks. You're going to run often to gain favor, so wear light equipment or bring energy or stamina potions.

·         Hosidius House

You can steal fruit, plant a Spirit Sapling, plant grapes, enter the Woodcutting Guild, participate in a minigame, and use the kitchens. What you've planted in the allotment patches won't die of disease, too. More than that, you can make use of the Charcoal Burner, Saltpetre, and various shops. Gain favor by helping their production of food or preparing food for soldiers. Activities for the former include plowing fields, making fertilizer, cooking in the mess hall, and planting grapes.

·         Lovakengj House

With 100% favor in this house, you'll be able to buy dynamite through ThirusUrkar's Dynamite Store, access the LovakengjMinecart Network, and blast rocks in the Blast Mine. Among the other mines players can explore are the Sulphur Mine, Lovakite Mine, and the Lovakengj Mine. Collect favor by gathering resources for blast mining and creating armor. That means making dynamite, armor, and delivering minecart control scrolls.

·         Piscarilius House

Access Kenelme's Wares, buy things from Frankie's Fishing Emporium, train Thieving by stealing artifacts and catching anglerfish. There's also Tynan's Fishing Supplies and Leenz's General Supplies here. Favor gathering activities include repairing fishing cranes, taking fresh fish to Frankie, hunting sandworms, and the aforementioned stealing artifacts.

·         Shayzien House

100% favor gives you the chance to earn a tier 5 Shayzien armor set. Other weaker armor sets can be earned in earlier favor levels. You may also access Briget's Weapons and Briget's Armor. Helping out in the infirmary, killing Lizardmen, and tackling organized crime all increase your favor with this house. The last one is quite dangerous though, so take all the necessary precautions if that's what you want to do.

Warnings and Parting Words

If you want to keep your 100% favor, make sure you talk to the corresponding house's architect to lock it in. When you start gathering favor from other houses, that 100% will go down unless you do. Don't forget!

Outside of the areas within the Five Houses' control, there's also the Catacombs of Kourend, Kourend Woodland, Kourend Castle, Land's End, Settlement Ruins, Wintertodt Camp, and the Unmarked Grave to explore. Further out there's also the Chambers of Xeric, Kebos Lowlands, Lacerta Falls, Lizardmen Settlement and Caves, Mount Quidamortem and Cave, and Xeric's Shrine. There are many things to do in Zeah, so go and explore them all!

Have fun, and keep enjoying OSRS!

MAPLESTORY 2: MONEY MAKING & LEVELING GUIDE

MapleStory 2 bestows players with the power to create their own characters which then can aptly customize with a wide of variations. They also offer various ways to how to earn MapleStory 2 Mesos to level up characters.

While you can simply buy MapleStory 2 Mesos, with our guide we’ll show you how to earn the in-game currency and level up your character quickly so that you can buy all the epic gear you want and then some!

Mining/Foraging

One thing you can do early on in the game is to begin foraging or mining for orbs and herbs. Doing so is a breeze, and the more you do it, the easier it becomes for EXP and crafting materials to come by! Best of all, you don’t need anything special to start doing this as you can begin from the very first moment you can collect the items. This makes it very easy to get some EXP early on and later for the prestige levels. Plus, if you have no need for the items you’ve collected, you can just as easily sell them in the Black Market!

For mining, you can start at Eransville which is automatically available even if you’re still at Rank 1. You can mine for Copper Veins and Copper Ores. From there, you can keep mining until you’ve reached around Rank 13, then you can go to Eileen Town where you’ll be able to mine Palladium Ores and Palladium Veins.

For Foraging, the go-to place you should head off to when you’re still at Rank 1 is also at Evansville. You can get Marjoram Herbs and Marjoram. Simply keep on foraging until you hit Rank 13, and you can proceed to Eileen Town and farm up on Bergamot Herbs and Bergamot which are essential for crafting potions.

Fishing

Fishing is a more relaxing way of earning XP and is mostly considered as an “AFK” activity. Fishing is not considered as a way to farm items, but is more often done to gain trophies and explore stars. You can get some good EXPs out of fishing, and if you use the right lures and baits, you can get some Mesos out of it at the same time! You should always fish in the same region as your fishing skill. For example, if you have a fishing skill of “Newbie”, you should look for an area the same as your skill so you can get better and cast for new species of fishes. In general, fishing is a good way to get random rewards like money or items. However, be warned that fishing takes a considerable amount of time, so it’s not really for players who want to be really active in the game.

World Bosses & Elite Monsters

Slaying World Bosses and Elite Monsters is worth doing because they yield a good amount of EXPs, Mesos, and special rewards depending on which monsters you kill. Before doing this, you’ll need to be in a group if you want to slay them quickly. Additionally, you should be already at around level 20 or more, depending on the monster/boss you want to face. Otherwise, you and your team will be eliminated before you know it if your level is still too low.

Creating Music

You heard that right! Creating music is really a thing in MapleStory 2 since you can create your own musical scores! Sadly, it’s not really a popular thing to do to gain EXPs and explorer stars compared to other ways. Like fishing, music-making is also used by people mainly for AFK tendencies. Creating music can be really fun if you know how. Compared to the rest of the options, this activity can actually cost a lot at the beginning and you also need to buy MapleStory 2 Mesos to get in-game samples. You’ll also need to skill up consistently to gain better rewards. Music can also bring EXPs and trophies, so no MapleStory 2 Mesos to be found here! Creating music can be a great way to level up at the beginning levels or mid-game around level 20-45. Overall, music is one of the features in the game where you can best utilize the autoplay function to go AFK for a while.

APEX LEGENDS: OCTANE QUICK LORE AND GUIDE

What’s amazing about Apex Legends is that despite starting small, it got big almost overnight. By small, we mean the roster, which is less than half of what Overwatch launched with. But Respawn and EA obviously have plans to expand the cast. Kickstarting this said expansion is Octane, a legend that’s all about speed. Read up and check out if he’s right up your alley.

Going Off on a Limb

As the son of Silva Pharmaceuticals’ CEO, headcap, goggles, and gas mask-wearing Octane, AKA Octavio Silva, is mostly bored with his life. So he does what any red-blooded son of a CEO usually does: perform insanely dangerous stunts. In fact, he’s so passionate about him being a daredevil that he decided to finish with flying colors in a race by using no less than a live grenade.

Unfortunately, this stunt cost him his legs. This would’ve meant that his death-defying days are over, but the ever-defiant Octavio had something else in mind. Not wanting to give up the fast life, he contacted Ajay Che (Lifeline), who then gave him awesome self-repairing bionic legs to allow him to move even faster than ever before. With these new appendages, it dawned on him that his old stunts were no longer enough. It’s high time for him to take on the big league: the Apex Games.

Better, Faster, Higher

If there’s something Apex Legends is good at, it’s how its legends’ design reflects their play style and role. The same is very much true with Octane, whose slim frame and choice of apparel are both very telling of his gameplay being focused on mobility and trickster-like maneuverability.

Octane’s abilities are the following:

•       Tactical Ability: Adrenaline Junkie – 30% increased movement speed for six seconds at the cost of a little health.
•          Passive Ability: Swift Mend – Octane slowly recovers over a period of time.
•          Ultimate Ability: Launch Pad – Octane deploys a jump pad, which he can use to jump great heights and distances.

Now that we’ve defined what his skills are, here are a few more tips about them so you can use them to the fullest.

Getting Your Skills Right

First is Swift Mend. Despite the name, it actually provides a rather sluggish life recovery. So if you don’t have any recovery Apex Legends items, it’s going to take a bit of time if you’re going to solely rely only on this passive. However, when used in conjunction with Adrenaline Junkie, it’s actually a pretty solid skill. This is because while Adrenaline Junkie consumes a bit of your HP, Swift Mend helps in getting it back.

Speaking of Adrenaline Junkie, here’s the thing: don’t be afraid to use it. Like what’s been said before, Swift Mend helps you recover life anyway, so use it liberally, especially in situations that require you to do so. Plus, when you have 1HP left, it’s not going to deplete it any further, so just use it anyway in case you hit 1HP for some reason.

Lastly, for his ultimate, well, it’s just a simple jump pad that makes your jumps higher and/or longer. It might sound like it’s not much, but it’s actually quite helpful, especially when you and your team are mounting an offensive. And yes, your teammates can jump on it too.

Do note, however, that when you’re running and you need an instantaneous boosted jump, you’re going to have to wait a few moments before it’s activated. So if you have plans of using it for a quick getaway, don’t–it’ll be too late for you the moment you bring it out.

Without a doubt, Octane is a solid addition to Apex Legends, and his abilities help him assume a role not often seen in team-based shooters. So, if you have an undeniable need for speed, Octane is definitely your best bet.

How to Get World of Warcraft's Rare Baa'l Battle Pet

Data miners have found this adorable goat-like battle pet during the expansion's alpha and beta testing. It might've been mistaken as a WoW mount, but it's a battle pet. Players have scoured the game to figure out how to get it. Alas, their efforts have thus far proven unsuccessful. That is until the official release came around. They took a few weeks to figure it out, and now you don't have to.

To get Baa'l, you have to go around KulTiras and Zandalar, collecting pebbles along the way. They're in hidden or out-of-the-way spots, so this guide will come in handy. Keep in mind that the numbers in parentheses are coordinates to help you locate the objects or entrances.

The Scavenger Hunt

Start hunting for the pebbles in Nazmir. By the Heart of Darkness, there is a note hidden on top of the citadel (51 59). Get to it by jumping off a bridge (46 54) nearby using a glider and walk to the note. The note should say ‘Begin at the beginning'.

The next location is at the Broken Shore. In Drak'thul's hideout, there's a table (37 71) where one of the Kosumoth Orbs is located. One of the pebbles on it is a light color, and you can interact with it. When you do, a prompt will show up saying, ‘An ordinary pebble, unremarkable in every way'. If Drak'thul is standing on the table, wait for him to move away. Otherwise, drink an invisibility potion, stand on top of him, and angle the camera down.

Another pebble to collect is at the Hook Point in Boralus. There's a cave behind some nets (49 40) and the pebble is near the end of it. Because of its light coloring, it shouldn't be hard to miss. On this pebble and all pebbles after, no prompts will appear. If you need the assurance, there are macros that keep track for you. Be sure to check if you've really collected them when using one.

There's also one in Atal'dazar in Zuldazar. Go to the non-instanced version by heading to the right of the dungeon portal. Keep your eyes peeled as it's rather hard to find. You have to follow a path up, behind a waterfall, behind a golden ruin, glide down a cliff and land near a cave hidden by trees. The pebble is near the entrance, beside a wooden post and two other rocks. A video can show you the exact route.

A hidden cave behind the waterfall in GolOsigr, Drustvar hides a pebble as well. Climb the mountain near Arom's Strand, find the top part of the waterfall (36 53), and jump down. There's an effigy inside, and the pebble is in its eye.

A Clatterback guards the next pebble. By the tortollan settlement in Tortaka Refuge, Vol'dun, jump down to the rocks from the Flightmaster, landing near a tree (63 21). There's a small cave nearby that houses the creature. The pebble is hidden among the rocks near it.

After that, sail to the island near the Shrine of the Storm in Stormsong Valley. The pebble is a cave network, but the easiest entrance is under a canopy of trees (65 11). The pebble is in the middle section of the cave, on a wheelbarrow by a small pond.

Go diving in The South Seas for the next pebble. Within the fatigue zone next to Nazmir, a sunken ship (54 7) holds it. It is recommended to take supplies that increase swim speed or breath duration and the like to help you get there. You'll find the pebble near a skull design on a window.

The Proudmoore Keep in Boralusholds the next pebble. Somewhere in the hedge maze, you'll find cadets role-playing and an entrance hidden by some shrubbery (37 80). The pebble hides behind some barrels.

On the Western Watch in Drustvar, climb around the lighthouse to get to a cave. Mind the gaps as you do so! The pebble is actually well-hidden among the shrubbery around the entrance, not inside the cave.

Two pebbles are in Tiragarde Sound, one in a cave above Kennings Lodge(75 70), the other in a waterfall cave (80 19). Be careful in going to the first cave, as it is filled with undetectable hidden Clatterbacks. Make use of invisibility effects, or use crowd control skills as they rush you. The pebble is in a puddle of blood between a carcass and an ice block. In the waterfall cave, the pebble you need is under a scroll.

The second to the last pebble, if you've been following this guide, hides in an underwater cave near Boralus. Algae (10 82) conceals the entrance, as well as the pebble's position. Some shrinking effects can make interacting with it easier.

The last pebble rests in the ocean, way off the coast of Vol'dun(55 -10). It's past the fatigue zone and deep underwater. The pebble's right at the entrance. Try to find a video showing where it is because words won't be enough. When you've interacted with it, a prompt will appear with the words, ‘Heckler of the Murkiest Thugs, sheathe your Bat and remove the Keg Cork, Wot?'.

It's an anagram, and solving it will reveal the phrases‘Get back to work' and ‘Kurgthuk the Merciless'. You'll find the latter near a volcano (62 22). At this point, Baa'l waits in the middle of the volcano. Defeat him to gain the ability to summon him in battle. However, he'll be almost impossible to defeat, unless you or someone else also trying to get him completely equips Uuna. She can weaken Baa'l for 15 minutes for everyone which makes it easy for any level 25 pet to beat him.

Enjoy Your New Battle Pet!

Baa'l can learn 6 skills as he levels up. Go and use him in your adventures! You've worked hard to get him. Just don't mind his ramblings so much.

See you on the battlefields!