the 3rd frag... or not.

So I've been reading WoWWiki a lot lately about the Kara chain, and I started reading in a lot of places that the 3rd frag was duoable with another Rogue or a Drood. After my success ninjaing the 2nd frag, I wanted to give it a try.

So, I sit in LFG for a little while casting out for a partner to give it a shot. Eventually the guildless Quron answers my call, and we book it for The Arcatraz.

Well. It all turned untidy almost immediately as the initial corridor, complete with unending stream of Horrors, cast a very strong and harsh light on our unimproved stealth abilities. Eventually we zigzagged through to the next room, only to be set back with spawns and have to try all over.

An hour passes. We make it to the Sentinel guarding the Voidie Room, which contains the treasured key frag chest. The strat guide calls for a stealth sprint and well-timed CoS, which is intended to get the rogue past the Sentinel un-destealthed, so that he (I) can pull, evasion tank and vanish (or die) to get the stealthed Drood through.

Amazingly, after the frustration of the past hour, it goes off without a hitch. First attempt, Q gets to the Kara key and hugs the corner, I make my way over to him having vanished safely, and we prepare to spank the chest guardian.

So, for one reason or another, we get the guardian to 1% before we get wiped by one of the Voidies. Shame, but we're pumped and believe it's doable. We sneak in again.

Now the problems start. I'm unable to repeat my success with the steath/CoS, and the Sentinel aggroes me. I run, evasion, and die far enough away to get Q through. Sweet, I can come back. Q settles into the corner for the wait.

And wait. And wait. I'm unable to stay stealthed through the Sentinel for another half-dozen attempts. The one time I do, a Horror on the other side runs right on top of me, destealths me and I fall under a hail of blue fists.

It's now about 2 hours into the attempt and we've decided to give it one last try. Amazingly, it works. We huddle in the corner, with the chest guardian sniffing for us, and plan the fight to the nth level of detail.

It works. The guardian goes down like a cheap tent, but Q dies to a Voidie. I'm left in evasion, with my health rapidly declining, and with the Voidie standing on top of the dead guardian, I'm unable to get a loot. I die - disappointed, exhausted and lootless.

Now: at this point you're probably thinking: "no worries - just stealth back in, loot the corpse and you're gold". And you'd be right. Unfortunately, a combination of exhaustion, frustration, a time well past midnight and having already committed to "one last try" we had a collective brain fart and hearthed out.

Q logs. I cast around YouTube looking for 3rd frag videos and something in one of them triggers an awful thought in my mind. OMG. The frag is just sitting there waiting for me to loot it.

I jump on a bird and book it back to the Arc. I stealth in, die three times on the horror corridor, but eventually get to the Sentinel. I try the stealth/sprint/CoS trick, and it fails again. I die in sight of the Key corner - where there is no sparkling loot. 40 mins after the kill, it's too late.

Yes. You're right. You STUPID BASTARD, ME!

Positive end result: Quron joined the Knights, and got the frag in a guild run the next night. I logged on 3o mins too late and missed the run. Sigh. The quest continues.