Radagast the Brown: Gandalf's Tree-hugging Friend

Two of my kin advertised Book 2, Chapter 3: Breeders of the Dead yesterday and I immediately pounced. I normally have to PUG my books, so getting the opportunity to knock one out with kin was a drop-everything-and-go event. It didn't take long to max the group out with three more and we quickly tore through the chapters.

The peak of the book chain is Chapter 8: The Red-pass. By the time we reached this chapter, one of our lore-masters had to leave. We were really down to four because one of the champions claimed he was lagging bad and I observed him mostly just standing around absorbing the occasional group heal. Nevertheless, we successfully completed it.

The beginning of the instance is hilarious, though I'm sure not intentionally. At the very start, you talk to Radagast the Brown. This guy looks just like Gandalf except he's . . . garbed in brown. He's from the same order as Gandalf and just as much a badass. After speaking to Radagast, he starts making his way into the Red-pass. The entire zone is corrupted, to the point where the very vegetation turns on us and attacks. After we chop some trees down and perform some selective weeding, Radagast continues his stroll. At one point, he stops and talks to a fox. He talks to it about the surrounding corruption and the fox seems to like what he says because he starts following him. More trees attack us and after they're in the wood pile, Radagast talks to a frog who also joins us. The dude is like Snow White, with sparrows floating from the sky and perching on his shoulder singing. He later stops and talks to a squirrel, asking him, "My friend, where in the corruption do you find a safe place to store your nuts."

I kid you not, he actually said that.

I broke out laughing and nearly killed a fellowship member neglecting my healing duties. I think Radagast was done talking with the zone's woodland creatures at that point, in which case the instance started throwing undead wraiths and ghouls at us instead. I died midway through because no one knew how to tank and my healing aggro attracted two mobs who proceeded to pound on me with the rest of my fellowship blissfully unaware. Or aware but uncaring. Probably the latter.

Still, a lot of fun and Book 2 done. Only 11 more to go.