Ophidian/Bane Event Question

[Warden]

Does anybody know how long this event is supposed to go on? Or where I could find more information about it? I'm finding virtually nothing about it on the web.

The reason I'm wondering is I am on vacation and out of game for over a week here, and I'm going to need some blackrock stew. I couldn't get the faction points before I left and I don't know if the event will still be going long enough when I get back. I tamed 3 bane dragons so I need a minimum of 6 stew. I can farm the crystalline blackrock (have some of it already) to pay somebody back with if they could hook me up with some stew before the event is over...

[Maldar]

I'll do my best to get you some.

[Maldar]

By the way, I know it is used to feed the Bane Dragons (which brings up another question regarding just how powerful these dragons are, compared to a Greater Dragon) but does it constantly renew itself in the bowl? (Did that make sense?) Do you need to have a bunch of bowls to feed the dragons over time? Why do you need 2 bowls per dragon immediately? Why do I sound like a 2-year-old asking about everything? I just don't understand how it works yet.

As for the length of time this war is going to last.....no clue, sorry.

[Warden]

As I understand it, each bowl of stew is consumed when you feed it to the dragon. The reason I need two per dragon is to get them to bond. Just like other pets, you have to feed them, wait a week and feed them again to bond them, and the only thing they will eat is this stew. I probably won't keep all three dragons myself, but if I transfer them to somebody else I want to be able to include the stew so they can bond them.

Feeding them over the long term is The Big Question right now. Will blackrock stew become more readily available after this event is over? I have read that they are supposedly going to introduce a more common food these dragons will eat for those who keep using them after the event, but I don't know if that's official. Hopefully they do something, because it won't be much fun to hunt with an irreplaceable pet if we have no food to bring back up their loyalty.

Thanks for your help!

[Warden]

Oh, and your question about how powerful they are... I definitely wouldn't put them on the same level as a greater dragon, and they only require 3 control slots so apparently the developers consider them around the same level as a regular dragon or white wyrm. Having fought them when taming them, I don't think I would rate them even as powerful as a normal dragon overall, but they have an interesting poison attack that could make them very useful in certain situations. It is a spitting ranged attack and inflicts deadly poison, and at least before you tame them, they do it a LOT. If that attack isn't nerfed by taming, then it will make for very interesting hunting. Plus most of the bane dragons are highly resistant to poison themselves.

[Cerberus A]

I have heard that you can feed it one of the special treats to bond it. (From the alchy quest in gargoyle city). Can't confirm as I don't have a tamer, but if anyone can confirm this it would save you some of the crystal blackrock.

[Warden]

I have read that they will eat those--Tasty Treats--but haven't seen anybody say if they will bond from them. The Tasty Treats are a pet buff usable on any pet, I believe, so I was wondering if the BD's eat them just for the buff or if they also bond/become wonderfully happy from them. I also haven't figured out exactly how you make more Tasty Treats. You get them originally through a quest where you turn in boura skins, among other things, but can you then make more yourself? Or keep turning in skins to get more treats? Dunno...

[Cerberus A]

You keep doing the quest. It has a cool down time depending on what quest it is, the higher ones take longer to recharge.

[Warden]

Ahhh, thanks, that's good to know. I would rather a recipe or something to make my own, but as long as there is a way to get them on an ongoing basis...