An eq1 lore primer

ARCHIVED-DreamerCloud9 · Jan 21, 2006

“Zasarix wrote:
The Shattering of our Shackles

The following is known as the Age of the Snake. The snake race known as Shissar, slithered upon Kunark. The Iksar had yet to unite. Our people had yet to learn the Black Arts and the ways of Fist and Tail. Divided, the Iksar were enslaved by the snakes. In the centuries before the Green, the Iksar were slaves of the Shissar. They ruled from the ancient city of Chelsith which rest deep within the land now known as The Overthere. From here would sprout much evil. The Iksar were tortured like Frogs and suffered at the hands of the Shissar. The Iksar who showed genius were to help the snakes in their dark rites. These few were the seeds of rebellion. The Iksar began to plot a revolt, but a greater force would strike first.

The Shissar were an arrogant race. The power bestowed by the gods was not enough. They made pacts with other gods and demigods. They found the rifts of time and space and used them to gather magic items once held by the guardians of the planes. The Shissar's disloyalty and blasphemous pride would bring the wrath of the gods upon them. No power could stop the force to come. A green cloud formed in the skies above Kunark. The could began to descend upon the land. From it's green core, the face of death began to form. It was of no god they knew of. It opened it's giant maw and spoke in tongues unknown. From the mouth of death rushed forth a green mist. The Shissar shaman began to cast spells in hopes of shielding their city and the necromancers began to assault the mist with great weapons. All were futile. The mist rushed forth. The first snakes to be swallowed by the mist had their scales and flesh rot and fall from their bones. Horrid screams of suffering could be heard from within the mist. A river of flesh and blood flowed. The Iksar stood and gazed upon the gristle that was once the Shissar. With the Green Death came the liberation of the Iksar.

The season is now 0 A.G, After Green.

The Swifttail Caste, Fists and Tails of Cabilis

It was in dawning of the Sebilisian Empire that the art of fist and tail was forged. In the beginning, the pugilists of the great tribes were nothing more than warriors without weapons. Soon we would be forged into weapons.

Grandmaster Tynn was the father of our disciplines. He came to the empire from an unknown tribe. Some say he was a ronin who wandered the worlds of Norrath where he formed the basis of the city of Sebilis with no rebirth. He entered to form a caste which did not exist. He was quickly challenged by the warlords. He spoke his words and they did not listen. He knew the only way to make them understand was to challenge their finest in The Gauntlet. He called for four of the finest warlords and allowed them arms. The warlords agreed, thinking his challenge as easy task.

Grandmaster Tynn quickly dispatched of the warlords with nothing more than fist and tail. He fought in a way never displayed. His victory earned him much respect and Emperor Sathir soon commanded him to form the Court of Pain and raise an army of monks. Tynn formed the Swifttail Caste.

Soon the way of fist and tail had hundreds in it's ranks, climbing the rungs. Tynn showed them they were not warriors, but monks.

They would don shackles as testament to the Age of Snake when the Iksar were a race enslaved. Inner strength and harmony were taught. The Swifttail were born.

The Swifttail were disbanded during the End Days. It was not till the rise of the new empire under Emperor Vekin did the caste reform. Grandmaster Glox, a former disciple of Tynn, came to New Sebilis to rebuild the Court of Pain. In honor of Tynn, all masters now drape themselves in a robe like he wore.

A Small Tale of Captain Irontail..

(Captain Vlzk Irontail, Master of the Sea)
370 A.G.: Vlzk, student of the 5th rung, becomes the youngest Iksar monk to attain the title of Tynn Master. He takes his place among the masters of the Court of Pain.

371 A.G.: Master Vlzk becomes the only Iksar monk to be promoted to the rank of Captain within the Iksar Navy. He is promoted by the great Emperor Rile. This act solidifies the alliance between the monks and the Legion and ushers in a new age of disciplines.

372 A.G.: During a coastal patrol being conducted by Captain Vlsk, a fierce and sudden water spout hits and splinters his ship. The Navy searches for survivors and none are found.

406 A.G.: During a Deep Range Patrol, a group of Legionnaires is greeted by Captain Vlsk. He has survived in the Outlands with no aid. His once proud tail has bee ripped from his body by a Trakanasaurus. He becomes a hero. The blacksmiths are ordered to create a tail made of iron. He is now Captain Irontail.

Captain Irontail is promoted to Captain of the Iron Guard, a roving coastal armada. He is also rewarded with great items of magic. In his honor, the Baron and the Arch Duke create an awesome weapon called the Storm Sabre. They also create a lesser blade for all who serve in the Ironguard--The Tynn Foil.

406 A.G.: During the Infamous Battle of Timorous Deep, Captain Vlsk Irontail is defeated as well as most of the Sebilisian Navy. A horde of dragons descended upon them. The navy was vastly outnumbered. So was the end of the great Captain Irontail. Long live his spirit.

The Crusades of 1312 A.G.

This is the time of the scattered and defeated Iksar empire. The great dragon, Trakanon and his allies of scale have left the empire in rubble and our people are divided yet again. the once grand city of Sebilis is claimed by the one who descimated it.
The remaining Iksar are scattered among the outlands of Kunark. Their places of refuge are now the dwellings of dark denizens. In the wilds, a few castes come to unite. One of these are the remnants of the Crusaders of Greenmist. They are lead by a powerful shadowknight named Nok Nilok.
The army of shadowknights number in the hundreds. Within their ranks are a few mystics and legionnaires. The tribe names itself after their leader, they are to be named, The Crusaders of Rok Nilok and they shall purge the lands of Kunark.
The Crusaders burn across the Dreadlands and death comes quickly to those who dare stand in their way. They slay many giants and many goblins. There shall be no prisoners or slaves. The empire shall be rebuilt by the hands of the Iksar. All other shall perish.
Kamors Castle is the first major objective of the Crusaders. It has now been taken over by goblin clans. The Goblins soon find themselves under siege. for twenty days they hold ground until the Crusaders choose to assault as a band of goblin deserters flee. A swift battle ensues and the castle is reclaimed.
The Crusaders now set their sights on the city of Cabilis. While the march is designed, Rok Nilok discovers something very evil. Nothing is known of his discoveries. No record exists of it's evil. All that is known is that Rok Nilok made a pact and soon shall suffer for it.
During the battle for Cabilis, a strange rain falls which shrinks them to the size of dolls and their heads are set aflame. Nilok's head burns red. And the goblins squash the would be emperor and his minions.

The Shissar

No one knows where they came from or how long they were in power, but historians have no doubt that the great empire of the Shissar was powerful indeed. Quite possibly shaping much of Norrath's culture and planting the seeds of much that exists today. They were devastating and vile, torturing souls for no other reason than their own pleasure and driving the largest slave army ever built to the brink of death and starvation.

Their monuments are rare, for the Shissar paid little homage to their god, Cazic Thule. Only two great stone hands protruding from the swamp of Innothule show their acknowledgment of the diety. As their power grew, so did their vanity. They renounced Cazic Thule and proclaimed themselves walking gods upon Norrath. They drove the Iksar slaves harder then ever and brought the lizard-people to the brink of extinction.

Freedom of the Green Mist

Then came the Green Mist. Unknown in origin, many believe it to be a plague engineered by the fiendish alchamists of Cazic Thule in his poisoned plane of Fear. A tool of revenge against his lost children, it was released upon Norrath seeking out the Shissar alone among the enormous slave population. The Shissar's whip wielding hands fell and soon the slave races found themselves without masters. The Shissar had been wiped off the face of Norrath forever and freedom was given to a race that had known nothing but torment.

For many years the Iksar wandered Kunark, seeking shelter and food. They began to form small packs, which formed larger tribes. After six decades, these tribes numbered five - the Kunzar, the Obulus, the Jarsath, the Kylong and the Nathsar. Feuds and skirmishes between the five tribes tore much of Kunark apart. Some shaman of the Iksar tapped into the powers of their original master, the god Cazic Thule, and their power grew. Others began delving into the darker arts left behind by the Shissar and others practiced hand to hand combat as an art.

Than one stepped outside of the tribes, stronger and smarter than all the others. He alone held the power to unite them, and unite them he did. The young warrior of the Kunzar, Venril Sathir, knew the key to uniting the tribes. He taught them patriotism. For only in the love of their species, the love of their society as Iksar united, would they be able to unite. And thus the empire was born.

Emperor Venril Sathir

Venril Sathir's empire grew quickly. Great monuments were built, embedding a great pride in all the Iksar and inspiring fear in all those who would oppose the huge empire. Cities of grand scale were built by the Iksar's goblin and giant slaves. Venril Sathir wed the eldest daughter of the Obulus wizards, Druzilla, and together they built the greatest empire ever known.

But Sathir was not sated. Discovering a dark tome of necromancy, said to be one of the original texts left from the Shissar, Venril Sathir began a ritual to grant him immortality. Knowing of this dark corruption, Venril's eldest son, Rile Sathir, interrupted the dark ritual and destroyed the body of Venril Sathir, burying all evidence in the tomb of Charasis.

Emperor Rile Sathir

Soon after being crowned, Rile Sathir continued to open the Iksar nation to prosperity. While Venril used the honor of the Iksar as a weapon, Rile used the water. Under his command, a great navy was built, larger than any Norrath has ever seen since. Led by Rile's weaponsmaster, Vlzk Irontail, the navy knew no dangers and no bounds. The Iksar became the richest nation upon all of Norrath. Rile's land army was as formidable as his navy and he soon built a massive slave army of goblins and giants. Only one race was left unruled on Kunark - the dragons.

Guardians of Cabilis

The Ring of Scale, an ancient order of great dragons upon Kunark, understood the threat of this growing empire and their leader, Jaled Dar, acted upon it. They sent fourth an agent of Scale, one known for his viscousness and ruthless nature. While the Iksar empire was large, the great circle of wyrms knew only one agent would be required. Swooping out of the great caverns of Veeshan's Peaks flew the powerful green dragon, Trakanon.

It was said that a great storm destroyed the armada of Rile Sathir, but other historians know differently. Standing from the bow of his greatest warship, Rile pondered the strange messages his network of sages had given him, feelings of terror and confusion from the other ships of his armada. He looked out over the great sea into the vast waves of the storm around him. In the distance, a great wave traveled in the wrong direction and at its crest flew the enormous Trakanon. Giant arrows the size of trees were fired from the ballista of Rile's ship, tearing through the leathery wings of the huge beast. Trakanon flew only a few feet above the ship and crashed down onto Rile's sister ship, breaking the hull in half with its great claws. Balls of fire and storms of electricity raked over the dragon but Trakanon was relentless. He turned and breathed a great cloud of acidic gas upon the ship's deck, killing scores of the crew instantly.

Rile watched as his weaponsmaster, Vlzk Irontail, leapt onto the back of the powerful wyrm and crushed the beast's ribs with a great swing of his steel tail. Twisting too fast to see, Trakanon plucked off the heroic Iksar and bit him in half. With the grin of a thousand teeth, Trakanon leapt onto Rile's own ship and faced the soon-dead emperor of the Iksar.

The battle was quick but its scale enormous. In the great battle, Rile Sathir's armada was sunk and Rile himself was lost at sea. While single handedly destroying the largest navy of Norrath's history, Trakanon himself was mortally wounded and crawled into a deep cave to prepare to die.

Emperor Atrebe Sathir

Rile's eldest son, Atrebe Sathir, unprepared for his inheritance to the empire, drew upon the dark powers of the Shissar legends and magiks for his source of power. Buried deep in his labs along with the greatest Iksar alchemists, he began experiments in breeding. His first result was a race of dragon-like soldiers called the Sarnak, powerful warriors and spellcasters used as fodder for his army. His second more successful breed was a great flying mount called Sokokar, a cross-breed of froglok and dragon. With this powerful new weapon, Atrebe builds an air force of winged knights, able to battle with the dragons of the sky.

A great fifty four year war breaks out between Atrebe's armies and the Ring of Scale. Great devastation fell upon Kunark as drakes and wurms scorch the earth and tear apart the once great cities. In a final great battle, high above Cabilis, Atrebe himself battles the queen of Scale, Jaled Dar herself. In the greatest display of magic ever seen by mortals, the two embraced in combat, both destroying themselves in a huge column of fire over a mile wide. All that remained of the battle was the great crater known as the Field of Bone and the skull of Jaled-Dar, fallen leader of the Ring of Scale.

The Fall of the Empire

With no heir to the throne and much of their military in waste, the Iksar once again found themselves fragmented. The rebellious slave armies of goblins, giants and Sarnak broke apart the mighty empire, sending the bulk of the Iksar people to the port city of Cabilis.

From a poisoned grave, the once great agent of Scale, Trakanon, arose. His soul had been stripped from the rotting husk of his body, a price he paid for vengeance against the Iksar. The Ring of Scale, now led by Phara-Dar turned the dead dragon away, marking him a traitor for his descent into the dark arts but with the aid of the freed Froglok slaves, Trakanon destroyed the last sorcerers of Sebilis and claimed the ancient city as his own lair.

Sathir the Lich King

Rumors spread that the legendary emperor of the Iksar, Venril Sathir, had returned from the dead, his attempt at immortality partially successful. He raised a powerful army of lycanthropic warriors, the Drolvargs, and overtook the feeble forces that held the fortress of the wizard Karnor. Sathir's bride, Druzilla, was buried along with her servants and protectors in the tomb of the once great city of Charasis. It was said the howls of the damned could be heard throughout the canyons, giving it the name Howling Stones to adventurers who crossed its path.

Today, the Iksar continue to rebuild their once great empire one day at a time. Few know of the motivation of the lich-king Venril Sathir or his budding army of werewolves. Few know of the City of Mist or of Cabilis, and few know what the dracholiche Trakanon desires. It is rich hunting for the mighty adventurer and rich lore for the historians who dare to explore the ancient and lucrative ruins. Though of dubious morality, little can argue with the might of the once great Iksar empire.”

I believe those two hands in Innothule Swamp in EQ1 were called Hands of Innoruuk or Hand of Innoruuk.

ARCHIVED-Cusashorn · Jan 21, 2006

They are.

ARCHIVED-Pyrrhx · Jan 26, 2006

“Xalmat wrote:
What is missing from this is how the events of the original EverQuest release up to Planes of Power fit into the overall story. As best as I can figure out:

-EQLive is released
-Not long after, the Battle of Bloody Kithikor occurs (correct name? I can't remember) turning Kithikor into an undead nightmare by night.
-The gateways to the Planes of Hate, Fear, and Sky are discovered
-Dark Elf settlements in the Overthere, and High Elf settlements in Firiona Vie appear
-Various Epic Quests are completed, reshaping the land of Norrath, and the natives begin to draw attention to themselves from the gods
-The first ships reach Iceclad Ocean and eventually Thurgadin. (Depending on your server's history) Kerafyrm is awakened, slaying everything in his path. With the discovery of Velious the portals to Planes of Growth and Mischief are opened.
-Luclin's orbit brings it close enough to Norrath for the spires to work again. Vah Shir return to Norrath, some intermingle with the remaining Kerra population and eventually the modern form of Kerra emerge.
-Random books appear throughout Norrath.
-Books turn out to be the portals to the Plane of Knowledge. Through the Plane of Knowledge, the Plane of Tranquility (which leads to all the other Planes) is discovered
-While the Planes of Power saga is occuring, Mithaniel Marr "re-creates" the Frogloks, who overthrow the Troll city of Grobb and rename it Gukta, the Outpost of Marr.
-Mortals defeat the elemental gods and travel through Time (via the Plane of Time) and free Zebuxoruk from his captivity
-The Gods turn back time to before Zeb was freed starting a parallel timeline. Thus begins EQ2.”

ARCHIVED-Nilgiris · Jan 27, 2006

Isn't Sinking Sands in DoF meant to represent the Desert of Ro / Oasis of Marr? There are lots of similarities in that zone coupled with Oasis of Marr etc... i.e. Orc Highway, Hatar etc...

ARCHIVED-Cusashorn · Jan 27, 2006

Considering the Specter Tower and the Oasis of Marr haven't moved 4 feet in the past 500 years I'd have to say yes..

ARCHIVED-TaleraRis · Jan 28, 2006

“Tamat wrote:

EverQuest 2 - 500 years AFTER EverQuest.”

Also on a different timeline. I got the impression from the book near the Sage Indis that we're on the leg of the Trousers of Time that didn't get rolled back by Druzzil Ro after Zebuxoruk was freed from his prison on the Plane of Time, since I know this is the story as it stands in EQ1. Druzzil Ro did reset things there, so it stands to reason that we're the other version.

Although Pyrrhx does bring up an interesting point. From what I knew of GoD and OoW, I assumed when I read that book in EQII that the differences that happened were in EQ1 and involved all the Discordian things, especially since the gods turned their backs on all the mortals who dared to invade their realms.
Message Edited by TaleraRis on 01-28-200608:08 PM

ARCHIVED-githnaur · Jan 29, 2006

Some great links to original EQ lore for those interested:

http://www.1stfistoflight.com/html/1fol/everquest/eqcodex/default.htm

The "EQ Codex of War" is a superb source for very early lore.

ARCHIVED-Cusashorn · Jan 29, 2006

“githnaur wrote:
Some great links to original EQ lore for those interested:

http://www.1stfistoflight.com/html/1fol/everquest/eqcodex/default.htm

The "EQ Codex of War" is a superb source for very early lore.”

The Codex of War is notoriously well-known for being bits and peices of stories thrown together and massively warped with Fanfiction.
Even Moorgard once said that site is to be taken with a grain of salt...

ARCHIVED-DreamerCloud9 · Jan 29, 2006

Yeah, the EQ codex of war is not considered actual and official EQ Lore.

ARCHIVED-Arthais · Jan 30, 2006

“Nilgiris wrote:
Isn't Sinking Sands in DoF meant to represent the Desert of Ro / Oasis of Marr? There are lots of similarities in that zone coupled with Oasis of Marr etc... i.e. Orc Highway, Hatar etc...”

Yes, quite true. Which makes my original post in error.
However, given that I wrote it a year ago, it was true at the time =P

ARCHIVED-Dredhawk · Feb 3, 2006

I must say you have done an excellent job. A lot of work, time and effort went into that I know.
May the storms of Karan not blow down your house.

ARCHIVED-merula · Mar 3, 2006

Very good stuff from all of you. But for those of arguing which lore is correct from which game, just remember, history is always different depending on who told the story... That's what makes it so fun. You have to read it all, and try to figure out what REALLY happened. :smileywink: Very good stuff though.

ARCHIVED-Saragoth · Jun 16, 2006

worst write up ever.. lol

ARCHIVED-initocian · Dec 7, 2006

what i want to know more about is Karnor's Castle which is where Venril Sathir was located. Is there any history behind who the castle is named for?

ARCHIVED-Vhalen · Dec 7, 2006

As with most Sebilisian strongholds, Karnor's was named after a hero of the first iksar empire. I cannot say for certain whom this Karnor is. Perhaps I need to delve deeper into my archives. Here is a bit I can tell you.
Fortress Karnor is an ancient iksarian stronghold. It was most likely constructed around 825 A.G. by order of Emperor Venril Sathir. It was during this time that the Sebilisian Empire was involved in a vast campaign of slaughter and subjugation. This was known as the First Slaves' War, a war to enslave the Kromdul and frogloks. Fortress Karnor was built to contain the iksar army in the southwest territory of Kunark. It was there that the iksar crushed and enslaved the Kromdul, hill and forest giants. It was often called the Karnor by iksar officers. It was designed to withstand the pummeling of hurled boulders that you might find departing from the hands of an enraged giant. All aspects of the Karnor were designed to either withstand or contain the Kromdul.
Although the Karnor was one of the most formidable fortresses in Kunark, it would eventually be toppled by the might of the Kromdul who had been integrated into a massive giant army commanded by the giant hero, Warslik. But the Karnor would not remain in ruins forever. Hundreds of years would pass and Venril Sathir would return to occupy the fortress to yet again plague the giants with his evil.
What condition could such a formidable stronghold be in now? Who now dwells in the halls of Karnor's Castle?

ARCHIVED-selch · Dec 7, 2006

“Vhalen wrote:
What condition could such a formidable stronghold be in now? Who now dwells in the halls of Karnor's Castle?”

Possibly ghost iksars like any ancient castle or place

Y training days

ARCHIVED-DreamerCloud9 · Dec 7, 2006

“selch wrote:

“Vhalen wrote:
What condition could such a formidable stronghold be in now? Who now dwells in the halls of Karnor's Castle?”

Possibly ghost iksars like any ancient castle or place

Y training days ”

Trains to the RIGHT! Not the left!

ARCHIVED-stahlej · Dec 8, 2006

“DreamerCloud9 wrote:

Trains to the RIGHT! Not the left!”

Have some nice memories from that place. You could get some really awesome trains in there.

ARCHIVED-Zagats · Dec 8, 2006

Who could reside there? Venril Sathir probably. He is/was a lich, right?
Makes me wonder if his dead wife Drusella is still looking in that mirror, pretending that she's a "pretty" iksar even after all those years...
Hard to wrinkle scaly skin I suppose.

ARCHIVED-initocian · Dec 8, 2006

“Vhalen wrote:
As with most Sebilisian strongholds, Karnor's was named after a hero of the first iksar empire. I cannot say for certain whom this Karnor is. Perhaps I need to delve deeper into my archives. Here is a bit I can tell you.
Fortress Karnor is an ancient iksarian stronghold. It was most likely constructed around 825 A.G. by order of Emperor Venril Sathir. It was during this time that the Sebilisian Empire was involved in a vast campaign of slaughter and subjugation. This was known as the First Slaves' War, a war to enslave the Kromdul and frogloks. Fortress Karnor was built to contain the iksar army in the southwest territory of Kunark. It was there that the iksar crushed and enslaved the Kromdul, hill and forest giants. It was often called the Karnor by iksar officers. It was designed to withstand the pummeling of hurled boulders that you might find departing from the hands of an enraged giant. All aspects of the Karnor were designed to either withstand or contain the Kromdul.
Although the Karnor was one of the most formidable fortresses in Kunark, it would eventually be toppled by the might of the Kromdul who had been integrated into a massive giant army commanded by the giant hero, Warslik. But the Karnor would not remain in ruins forever. Hundreds of years would pass and Venril Sathir would return to occupy the fortress to yet again plague the giants with his evil.
What condition could such a formidable stronghold be in now? Who now dwells in the halls of Karnor's Castle?”

thanks for the quick reply, it sums up alot of info. for me...

post 500 yay!

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