Yeah, I'd use the task system for that. It has more of an initial learning curve than quests, but it has proven to be far more powerful. Once you get the hang of it, and use KLS' awesome editor you'll find it is easier than writing quests! In this case, using globals as a counter is just plain ugly. I hate the practice myself, and am often required to do so for lack of a better alternative. Since your server is custom you can take advantage of the task system, since you're not bound by what's Live Like.
Here is all the info you'll ever need, be sure to read everything:
http://www.eqemulator.net/wiki/wikka...SystemOverview
Here is KLS' taskmaster editor:
http://code.google.com/p/projecteqemu/downloads/list