Where the heck do I begin? Last time I played EQ2 I was rather young, and I didn't really absorb any of the stories or lore. I've tried to return to the game 2-3 times before but I'm always overwhelmed by all the expansions and happenings in the game! Essentially, I suppose, what I'm asking is... 1. Is there a good way to progress through the game from 1 (or other recommended level) to participate in the story/lore? 2. Are there any good websites and guides that don't recquire vast prior knowledge of the Everquest universe? I mean, all I know is that Antoniya Bayle is the Queen of Qeynos and that guy voiced by Cristopher Lee is the head bossdude of Freeport. I realize a lot of stuff has probably happened since then, what with so many expansions and all! 3. If I did start to play again, be it from uh... lv1, or something inbetween (you can start off as lv85, apparently?) is there anyone who'd be willing to talk to me ingame about my questions, and stuff? I suppose I'd be on the EU servers, Splitpaw? 4. Are there any "must do" questlines because they're cool or integral parts of the lore?
I would recommend that you pick a person, a race, or an organization, Lucan, Mayong, Firiona, The Ashen Order, the Knights of Truth, Ogres, Barbarians, Erudites, etc. Whatever interests you, and start to fill in your knowledge on that one narrow topic. As you learn about it, you will also encounter other topics that have impacted the one you chose. Like ripples on a pond the lore will gradually lead outward and will broaden. There is so much out there trying to take in too much too fast may become discouraging. Start with what you are interested in, it will develop from there. The Athenaeum is a good general lore site. http://www.lorelibrary.com/ Just doing a search available on these forums will lead you very far as well. Since EQ2 begins, essentially with the withdrawal of the gods and with the resulting Rending and Shattering. That may be a good starting point.
Well, just that to begin with! Why did the gods withdraw? And... by just skimming over one of the expansions, the one with the harrowing horde in it, it still seems there are gods around? I think one of the mai nthings I'd love is to have someone to chat with, both in and out of game, who'd love to explain the lore and its significance to a dirty lil' lore newb
For questions when in-game try joining Guk.Lore or Test.Test chat channels. Guk.Lore is geared towards lore fans, obviously, but doesn't seem to get a lot of traffic. Test.Test is very active and very friendly, and people discuss all kinds of things there, including lore. And as both of these are cross-server channels, you'll be able to get answers whether or not there's a lore fan on your server at that time. Yes, you can start a character at lvl 85, but it costs 3500 station cash to do so. Pay attention to NPC quest dialogues, especially if the NPC offering the quest as a purple feather over their head. Purple feather means a heritage or signature quest, and plenty of lore can be found in the signature lines. But I think it's worth reading most dialogues at least once. Yeah, there's a lot of "kill x of y mob" quests, but the devs do try at least to put some local flavor in. SPOILER ALERT!!! Also, some of the lore connections can be incredibly obscure, such as a dwarf in Antonica who gives the Dwarven Work Boots quest (lvl 20ish). As part of the line he asks you to kill the ghost of his grandfather - apparently there's a curse on his family that every other generation someone becomes a ghost rather than going to Ethernere like they should. Fast forward 50 levels, and the final boss of the Estate of Unrest happens to have the exact same name as that dwarf in Antonica half your career ago. Turns out he's actually the original ancestor who got the whole family line cursed! If he drops a piece of leather, you can take it to the guy in Antonica, and he'll tell you about the family relationship - and offer to upgrade your Dwarven Work Boots in thanks for breaking the curse. END SPOILER ALERT!!! In your quest journal, a subtab of the Quests tab is Storylines (bottom of the window when you're on the Quests tab). These are suggested quest lines for progression, and I *think* they also hit lore lines. I'm not sure because by the time they put it in I knew where all the fun storylines I wanted to follow were. v_v And if you're following a quest with a good storyline, but find it's getting too hard for you, never be afraid to level past it and come back. I know it's hard to find groups for older content, and half the time when you do, you're the only one who wants to actually take time to read the dialogues. Taking on the content once grey is a pretty easy workaround to that. The other workaround is the /log command. Everything that goes to your chat window will be stored on your computer when logging is on. Of course, that means everything, including channel chatter, combat spam, and random /shouts. But if you're with a group or in a hurry to get through something, you can check the log later for what the NPCs actually said. Finally, when you get to lvl 20 or so, head into Fallen Gate and find a halfling ghost called The Sarge. He gives the Charge of the Leatherfoot Brigade questline, and while those quests may only give a sketchy idea of what happened in Neriak during the War of the Fay, the way the story is relayed is one of my favorites. This quest is terribly underrated!
That is actually the story of why EQ2 exists in the first place. 500 years ago back in the EQ1 days adventurers found a path into the Planes of Power where the Gods live. There they did the adventurer thing and started killing the gods. As you might guess, the gods took great exception to being hunted. The big plan (as detailed in the book: The Tome of Destiny) was for the gods to withdraw all access and direct influence from Norrath. This would lead to disasters and they knew it when they choose this plan. It was less radical than wiping out the existing races and restarting, which a few gods were in favor of. After a little prep work the gods took a 500 year vacation. Because of that Norrath experienced some massive cataclysms and in general a dark age where magic regressed and things were lost. Most of the major cities were cut off from each other and many of them fell. 500 years later EQ2 starts. The gods were not back when the game started. The gods are back now, but chronologically they didn't return until the Echos of Fadewyr expansion came out. In general you can say a norrath year goes by for each expansion. Generally speaking Lore is something you should experience for yourself. Take your time doing quests, read everything (especially quest dialogue, you only get to see that once), explore. Pay attention to what NPCs say and do. Look for connections. One quest line that is very heavy in foreshadowing is the Peacock Club quest line in Maj'dul. It is the first real glimps of what is coming later and eventually becomes the main signature quest line of EQ2. You'll keep looking back and seeing how it ties in with what you learned from the Peacock Club quest line.
Some of the questions concerning the events at the end of EQ Live and EQ2 can be found in the Tome of Destiny It covers the following events as presented through the eyes of the gods and of ordinary mortals. (Very) short version: Basically the trouble began in the EQ Live timeline when mortals found a way into the realms of the gods. This happened with the release of the Planes of Power expansion. Mortals were invading the gods' home planes, attacking their followers and even challenging the gods themselves. They met. Some, like Rallos Zek favoring annihilation. Others like Tunare favoring patience. In the end the gods decided to withdraw from Norrath. There was an unintended consequence. Without the favor of the gods and the magical support for the material plane, a large portion of the Underfoot known as Sub-Tunaria, collapsed. This was called the Rending. It began about 500 years ago (in the EQ2 timeline), and lasted off and on for several hundred years. Velious melted, Antonica was shattered, and many locations known in the EQ1 timeline disappeared entirely. With physical chaos political chaos ensued.
I am on the Peacock Club Line now and yes buried within its tales are small glimpses and insights that the road ahead will not be easy. That those you trust may use treachery, that sometimes the ends don't justify the means. The stories of Norrath weave like eddies and channels in a great river, swirling and tugging against each other. Open your mind, be your character, accept that no one source holds the answers. And follow the river, at times it may seem off course and side tracked, but it will always wrap back to where you need to be. Do your god quest, do your city quests in Freeport or Qeynos. Read the books in the game, go to kill ten rats, and then read the next chapter. At first all these tales won't tie in; what has Nektropos to do with anything? Why care about the words of a seller of antiquities in a humble tent amid the shining white towers of Maj'dul? But little by little they form a tide, a flowing sweep that offers little insights. No quest won't tie in and add another strand to the tapestry. And your Norrath won't be mine, because my eyes, the lens I view the world through is undoubtably a bit different than yours. Most if not all the stories here are posed in such a way to allow us to be left wondering, to have to interpret and decide for ourselves what it means. Nothing is absolute and nothing is clear cut past the point of further mystery and inquiry. Need proof? Do the old neighborhood quests in Qeynos. Get the Call to Maj'dul quest. Run the Cobalt Scar line. Sometimes we fail. The heroes of Norrath are fallible and we are led astray by lies more than once. There is no neatness to Norrath, so handily wrapped packed set of books, so we are left to go forth, as seekers. I think this is more noble and more magnificent than a quest were slaughter is the only aim and design. We aren't mechanical beings programmed and set forth; we are adventurers with different goals. Some see a world to save, others profit to be had, some seek to consolidate the thin strands of knowledge and save them before their dry pages crumble to dust. Some hear the call of Norrath as a war song, others hear the chimes of the end of an age of threnody. If you find yourself to be a lore seeker, one driven to know, to ken what has come before and see what may yet be, you must find one mystery, one small thing, and see it through. It will carry you to the next and the next. Use ZAM and the wiki. Use the books in the Concordium. Read on the gods and decide which fits you, then chase those quests. Chase the ones that come after. Keep chasing. Google it. Jot it down. Do lore and legend quests and then read the books they offer as reward. Read them again. Come to the boards and ask why this or that is a certain way. Be prepared for ten different answers from nine different people. Read on your race. Who are you and from whence do you come? That will form some small frame work. Lore hunting is a dangerous thing! It tends to ignite curiosity and lead you to threat filled dungeons that are over your head and where you are out of your depth, and all for the glory of a new book, another answer, and always *always* more questions to chase. Bountiful hunting to you, Ava
Oh, and one more thing. Whichever alignment you choose, go to Qeynos or Freeport an explore every inch of the library. You'll find things there that give you information, answers to questions you don't have yet. Some of them will lead you to other parts of Norrath. Some of the big questions get answered in libraries. You'll be back later. I'm sure of it.
I have played this game from launch. And before that I played EQ1 for 5 years. I am an avid lore addict. Yet through 15 years, two games, dozens of expansions, scores of books, hundreds of discussions on the lore boards I can honestly claim to have a deep reservoir of lore knowledge in only several areas. In many areas I am as much as a novice as you may feel. Imagine being a Tolkien lover. But instead of having three books on the Lord of the Rings and a few other pieces on Middle Earth, you have 30. It is a long road you have chosen, and you have just begun to climb the mountain. Good luck. There are many here willing to help.
Such good advice from these posters. I want to click LIKE for the whole thread. Lore in this game is intricate and deep. I agree with the recommendations to read every book and every NPC dialog. If you happen to be in a 'just want to grind' mode make sure your log is on so you can go back and read any dialogs you may have just clicked through. I play with my 'click through it' husband a lot and learned to make sure my log was on as I missed a TON of lore with my main in the early days. I also started a level 85 alt for the heck of it and found that I had zero status and couldn't use the chronomage to chrono down to early levels. This weekend was a hoot getting that little bit of personal status and running the early heritage quests! Stiletto, grrr, that little Ratonga gave me the slip for 2 hours before I managed to get his orders. In other words, even if you start with an 85, be sure to go back to the early levels and run quests for lore. You won't be sorry. And, yes, keep posting questions in this forum. As you can see, there are many here willing to help. Many of those with an incredible storage of lore tucked into their memory banks. Welcome back!
There is indeed much to learn, and many legends and stories. there are Gods that have fallen into darkness, Dragons that have power beyond imagination...deities that seek dominion and some that seek solace and to help mortals. there are heroes and legends that you'll get to meet, some are well known, though their histories may be shrouded. The Foci, for example...the Overlord himself. remember legends can be colored by the person telling the story. Some call the Overlord a God, some call him Undead...some call him savior, some call him destroyer. Some acts are regretted by those that did them. some wish they'd acted when they didn't. but they all are part of a tapestry that is still being weaved, threads light and dark. the stories that move you, follow through. learn of Garanel and Unrest...or Rikantus and Nektulous Castle. Walk the corrupted streets of Maj'dul...perhaps you'll simply find a place in the Courts..or seek to bring back what was lost. Would you help the Dragons of Skyshrine against an ancient enemy? Are you willing to strike a bargain with Lord Nagafen. Plenty to see, plenty to do, and plenty of stories of the reasons why you should, or should not, do those things...dependingon your point of view.
Man, thanks for all of the replies! I didn't expect such a warm welcome, cheers! I think I'll play from level 1, even though it'll be fairly lonely most of the time. Not sure if I'll be able to do some of the cooler group stuff either, sadly... but levelling from 85 isn't my thing. The character wont feel like it's... mine.
And that's where a guild comes in, one that matches your playstyle, be it rp, casual, working towards raiding, whatever it may be. Guilds are a great way to feel part of Norrath as a whole.
Heh, thats what a lvl 85 alt is for... view current content.. and use the lvl 1 to start the great epic that is EQ2 trying to piece the great puzzles together over the levels... soon you'll be as lore addicted as every one of us in this nuthouse hehe.
I'm the queen of chronoing down and doing lower level quest lines, there is literally no danger so I can focus on the story and not the mechanics if that makes sense. I love in game challenges but sometimes you just want to dive into the story deep and not fret over having a group set up just right for the zone, or worrying over gear. My main is a collector of stories and lore, yes she is a warrior but that is a means to get her to the hidden corners of Norrath where all the undiscovered artifacts and stories reside. It seems every week I dig up info on some level thirty or forty quest line in the middle of nowhere that rewards a book!... And off I race to the chronomage to level me down so I can take up the hunt.
If you can get a merc that will allow you to do any of the non-raid content at lower levels. Mercs are seriously over powered till you hit 90.
NPCs in each of the home cities (except Haven) who will set your level back for a bit of gold and status. It works similar to mentoring (which reduces your level to match that of someone else in your group), except you don't need another player to mentor. One of the side-effects of mentoring is that the scaling of your abilities is a bit wonky. Basically, if you fight a boss when you are lvl 20, and then fight the boss again if you are lvl 50 but mentored/chrono'd to lvl 20, you will have a MUCH easier time in the mentored fight. So it's a good way to go back and visit content you missed, and still get xp/aa credit for the quest/any killing you do. It's also useful for getting through holiday quests that automatically scale to your level and are giving you a hard time. The quest mobs will scale to your mentored level and be much easier to deal with. (This is important to keep in mind with one of the quests for Nights of the Dead, later this week.)
They are merchants in the cities that allow you to lower your current level to a lower one at a reduction of experience. It usually costs about 10gp or so. Additionally they have a person there that will give you a quest to kill a famous named MOB from earlier levels if you skipped over them, and a third merchant that you may purchase special items from. If, as an example, you bought a 85th level character, and thereby skipped over the lower levels and content, you can go to the Chronomage and lower your level to level 20 (for instance) to do the content you skipped over.
