I am intrigued that we are missing the zone in TBL which is home to the ondine or water djinn. EQ2's Chaos Descending has a water zone called Awuidor. Will we be seeing this zone as future anniversary content?
Water & Earth are both not included in TBL. Mearatas is just, like, a convention center hosted by the Duende. Those elemental planes, and the associated demiplanes (steam & mud & ... whatever the others are), are left as space for maybe a whole future expansion. Portals to both their areas are blanks in both Stratos and Empyr. The Duende presumably have very strong feelings about the pilfering & subsequent destruction of their female jann mold in the events of The Burning Lands.
In the FoH 100 question thing, Alan remarked that the story started in TBL has a sequel...but that we would not be visiting it next (which of course is true with ToV). https://www.firesofheaven.org/threads/everquest-ama-answered.10980/ Are we going to see a continuation of the current expansion's theme in the next expansion? Water and earth Jann plot? Alan: I can only answer that last one. I have a lot of ideas about the Duende and Ondine, but I think I can say that they will not be the focus content for a while yet. I like having cool ideas and areas to explore later or for other designers to expand on in their own way. That is part of what has made EQ last, the fact that there has always been more that isn't known than is.
It would be cool to see the Ondine from an Atlantis-like city-state. They could be amassing a navy to conquer the other planes. The Duende could follow the theme of ancient Sparta, Djinn as Athens, and the Efreeti as Persia. Just throwing out ideas.
They've done a solid job in the past at the Atlantis setting back in The Buried Sea. It would lessen the Genie boredom from TBL to make something interesting (like your suggestion) with the lore and setting once they get to TBL part 2.
Interesting responses about the idea of TBL Part 2 in today's AMA: Niente: Absor: Pip: Thanks for answering my question. I enjoyed TBL and am thankful of the possibility of continuing that story. I grow weary of the ice and snow in ToV.
