This is what I know thus far The majority of the Knights of Truth and Priests of Marr left Freeport near the end of the Age of Turmoil. They left behind a meager detachment of priests and Sentries of Erollisi to tend to the temples of the twin deities. The crusade they rode off on is said to be the Befallen trap that the Overlord set for the valorous order. But rumors began to spread within the halls of The Militia House that the Sir Lucan was the one who was fooled. The knights rode off on a secret crusade, all the while playing the part of the unwitting victims. This would be the veil of their secret crusade. Is this a rumor spread by the faithful followers of the twin deities or did the knights truly ride off on a secret crusade? The Overlord would not get a glimpse of the truth until the Battle of Defiance. The secret crusade they rode off on has never been divulged, although Sir Lucan did his best to pry it from the tortured souls of the priests and sentries left behind. Not being able to find any trace of his former order, he assumed that his trap had worked. His eyes would not be opened to the truth until the Battle of Defiance when the glint of shining armor strode upon the thickened battlefield. With banners of truth and love held high and sword and shield at the ready, the knights emerged from extinction. Where they had been all this time and what brought them back has not been told, but the answers begin with the title they now carry, The Order of Marr. I mentioned the Order of Marr in past entries. I mentioned how they departed Freeport and vanished from the eyes and ears of Norrath towards the end of the Age of Turmoil. They would not be seen again until the Battle of Defiance. From a hidden fortress, the Order of Marr sent a small unit of knights to the Battle of Defiance. Imagine the thoughts racing through Lucan's mind as, in the midst of the largest battle in Freeport's history, a small but mighty cavalry unit of the Knights of Truth stormed onto the battlefield, cutting though the horde of Rallosians. They were charging through the densest and most dangerous orc forces in an attempt to reach the leader of the evil horde, the Avatar of War. The Avatar of War was in a heated battle with the Avatar of Tranquility and a band of powerful monks. The forces of war gained the upper hand and the monks would soon perish if not for the valiant charge of the Knights of Truth. Instead of looking to the Knights of Truth as an extra sword to strike at the massive Rallosian Army, Lucan saw their brave charge as a threat. Lucan led his own elite cavalry to meet the Knights of Truth within the sea of orcs that surrounded the mount. When their swords crossed, the orc elite withdrew from the skirmish either wishing to take no more losses from the two mighty knighthoods or to allow them to destroy each other. It was an epic clash that took place within an even greater epic battle. In the end, the Knights of Truth would fall to the blades of Lucan's knights. It was not until after the Battle of Defiance that Lucan would discover that the Knights of Truth were in fact part of a new Order of Marr. He knew that there must be a greater force of these knights waiting out there somewhere in some hidden castle. He would also wonder why they appeared at the Battle of Defiance with such a small contingent. Having been a knight of Marr in his youth, Lucan knew they must be on a new crusade... a secret crusade. It was within the Overrealm that some of you learned a portion of that secret crusade. You know that they are caretakers of a great artifact. They may not truly understand the origin or purpose of that artifact, but they know that the fate of Norrath is tied to it. And if some of you know about that crusade, then I can assure you that Lucan is well aware of it also. It just may be that Sir Lucan D'Lere knows more about their secret crusade than they do. What you are looking at is Lionheart Castle, part of the hidden city of Marr. The village rests beyond the bridge to the right. In an early version of the game the Knights of Truth, Priests of Marr and other benevolent residents from North Freeport migrated to this village after the Freeport Militia drove them out of Freeport. The guardians of Lionheart Castle are an order that can be seen in North Freeport since the Age of Turmoil. These guardians are called the Sentries of Erollisi. They wear ornate silver armor with a shiny silver helm. The helm's visor is shaped in the guise of Erollisi Marr. These guards don vibrant blue capes with cowls. They are highly skilled with crossbows and always have one slung on their back. Their primary weapon is a blessed ornate war hammer of fine design. Sentries also have long hair regardless of gender. A Sentry is bound to protect the Priests of Marr and any sacred ground of the Order of Marr. These elite knights are very alluring, but pure of heart. The village of Marr may not appear in game, but its original design document had many elements that have made it into EQ2 lore. Many of these secrets will be revealed in time. The village itself does not exist as designed, but there is a hidden fortress that represents this original design. So, this image does exist on Norrath, in lore. Bayden Cauldthorn is a young man in his late 20s sent by the mysterious Order of Marr to assist the city of Qeynos and her queen, Antonia Bayle. Having proven himself extremely valorous and courageous in battle, the order has dubbed him a Knight of Valor. Bayden's family has a long history within the Order of Marr. His family name in the order dates back to the time of its founding when the Knights of Truth departed Freeport and went into hiding. One of Bayden's mentors was Cannix Silverflame, a mysterious old man in the Commonlands. Bayden shows no fear in combat and is extremely zealous in protecting the weak and innocent from the evils of the world. Some fear that he can become too overzealous to the point of unnecessarily endangering himself or others. Before the arrival of the gods, Bayden felt inclined to share the message of Valor with the faithful of Marr, but dismissed the thought. He felt that leading worship and pray is better left to the priests of the order instead of a young paladin such as himself. He would soon be met by the most elder members of the order. They all have the overwhelming feeling that Bayden has been called to this most important duty and that through him Valor in its divine form will once again return to Norrath. Bayden at first reluctantly agreed to his new role and has slowly transitioned into becoming the prophet of Valor. He still has not fully embraced his new position. What is the Order of Marr up to? The last we knew (GU54 - Attack upon the Crowns!) several members of the secret order had been revealed, and the Qeynos Claymore had been hidden away by them, but that protection had not stopped the sword from being stolen. So, the original crusade must have seen its end. If so, do they have a new one now that the sword has been made inert? It's a good question! If anyone has anything to add that I missed feel free to post it and Devs got any info you can share feel free to post somthing.This is all I could save before new forums.
Do you have references for this writeup? Because I start to have increasingly the impression since I pour over all the lore collected at the atheneum and otherwhere that there are not only contradictions but a lot of people make mash-up stories whose components at least partially can not be referenced anywhere and are unclear where they come from. And migth it be unprecise reading of texts or dialogues, I've started to "appreciate" how easy it is to misunderstand a lot of the lore if not dissected very carefully - especially when it comes to placing it in relation to other events, ages or the timeline in general.
About 95 % of it came directly from VHalen ,Since I used to bugged him so much some of it he even wrote up to give me some insight on the Order of Marr to shut me up I guess the only part not from Vhalen is this section. ""What is the Order of Marr up to? The last we knew (GU54 - Attack upon the Crowns!) several members of the secret order had been revealed, and the Qeynos Claymore had been hidden away by them, but that protection had not stopped the sword from being stolen. So, the original crusade must have seen its end. If so, do they have a new one now that the sword has been made inert? It's a good question!""" but this is still valid info because it came from another Dev Im very into the Order of Marr lore something that I was hooked on from EQ1 I did every Knight of Truth quest collected any item ingame that was remotely related to them. I would kill to have their armor in EQ2 as vanity gear .I was so bummed when VHalen stepped down Out of all the Devs I feel he made EQ2 lore wise better then any game at the time. I've still havnt found a game that comes even close, prolly why I allways come back to EQ2.
I herd stories about Castle Lionheart back in beta but the entire zone was scrapped before beta. Something about it being unplayable and only useful for alpha testing. I'm not sure about Befallen being connected to the crusade the Knights of Marr left Freeport for, but the rest goes along the lines of EQ1's lore. Lucan did try to capture and torture members of the Knights of Marr that returned to Freeport trying to find out if the rest of the order still existed and were planning on returning to overthrow him. At the battle of defiance it could of happened exactly as Mitharius said. It is known that Lucan turned on the Knights of Marr and destroyed them. Also Lucan captured Soulfire from the defeated Avatar of War (which Lucan did not fight, he just looted). If the Order of Marr had a great artifact, they they probably still do. The Qeynos Claymoor was stolen from the Qeynos Pallace as part of a pre-KoS event by a dark elf who took a spire to TT and then we followed the theft from there all over the Kingdom of Sky only to discover that the Order of Marr had already recovered it and sent it back to Qeynos! Later as a pre-TSO event the Claymoor is stolen once again as well as Soulfire (and Lucan D'Leer!). Bits and peices of Lore in-game refrence Lionheart Castle so it exists just like Highhold Keep exists: refrenced in Lore but no actual assets. The whole bit about Bayden is part of the lead in for the Gods returning and Mithanial Marr being a worshipable diety. I don't think any devs have done anything with the Order of Marr since the Claymoor was stolen. I can't remember any post-Velious lore for them.
Like I said most came from VHalen, he posted the info on the old forums. I just put it all together in one post didnt change it just copy and pasted it to here so it wouldnt be losted when they take down the old forums.
The problem with info given via private messages is they're very hard to prove. Public resources, like the Tome of Destiny (once on EQ2's main website, now preserved at the Athenaeum), are very easy to reference. That link up there goes to the Battle of Defiance. Please note that Lucan was not an idiot, and did not attack the Knights of Truth while the orcs were still in battle around them. He, and everyone else in that battle, dealt with the main issue first - the invading Rallosians. Only AFTER the orcs were sent running and the Avatar of War was killed did he turn on the Knights of Truth. While I do remember some talk about Lionheart Castle as a planned zone that was scrapped, the rest of the info in the OP is either unfamiliar to me or provably inaccurate. If the OP has some links to publicly-available posts that confirm this version of the tale, as opposed to the official one, I'd be glad to read them.
These are all taken from Vhalen's posts on the old History and Lore forums. I copied them and bundled them together, so I am not altogether sure where one post ends and another begins. I tried to separate the separate posts with a line, but I may not have edited them correctly: Castle Valmarr is a little known piece of Norrathian history. Here's a bit that may enlighten you on the Ruins of Valmarr. Castle Valmarr was the birthplace of the greater guilds of valor that sprang from the eastern shores of Old Antonica, in a region known as The Commonlands. The vestiges of what we now know as the Order of Marr all lead to this fortress that resided within the wilds of The Commonlands during the early days of the Age of Enlightenment. In the days leading up to the Age of Enlightenment a number of knightly orders converged upon the The Commonlands. Some say they were led here by the calling of their gods, Erollisi and Mithaniel Marr, the Twin Deities of Valor and Love. Their true nature for converging on this land has never been divulged, but what can be said is that these orders did come together to form one mighty union. This first incarnation of the Order of Marr would be comprised of the great orders of The Priests of Marr, The Knights of Truth and the Order of Marr's Fist. Although a few other knighthoods were formed within the order, none would be as prestigious as those mentioned and none would be as instrumental in liberating The Commonlands from the evil denizens that lurked there. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ The first structure created to house the Order of Marr would be Castle Valmarr, a hastily constructed citadel built within the hostile plains of The Commonlands. It was not an easy task to construct such a castle while under frequent assault by orc raiders, but Castle Valmarr was eventually completed in the early days the Age of Enlightenment, long before anyone would ever know the name Freeport. The castle would eventually be abandoned for more fortified structures. What remains is the ruins of the birthplace of the Order of Marr, long destroyed and nearly picked clean of what building resources it could offer residents of The Commonlands over the ages. Some say secrets still remain in the ruins, secrets that could explain why the Twin Deities sent their followers into the region and where they may have vanished to in the Age of Destiny. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ The majority of the Knights of Truth and Priests of Marr left Freeport near the end of the Age of Turmoil. They left behind a meager detachment of priests and Sentries of Erollisi to tend to the temples of the twin deities. The crusade they rode off on is said to be the Befallen trap that the Overlord set for the valorous order. But rumors began to spread within the halls of The Militia House that the Sir Lucan was the one who was fooled. The knights rode off on a secret crusade, all the while playing the part of the unwitting victims. This would be the veil of their secret crusade. Is this a rumor spread by the faithful followers of the twin deities or did the knights truly ride off on a secret crusade? The Overlord would not get a glimpse of the truth until the Battle of Defiance. The secret crusade they rode off on has never been divulged, although Sir Lucan did his best to pry it from the tortured souls of the priests and sentries left behind. Not being able to find any trace of his former order, he assumed that his trap had worked. His eyes would not be opened to the truth until the Battle of Defiance when the glint of shining armor strode upon the thickened battlefield. With banners of truth and love held high and sword and shield at the ready, the knights emerged from extinction. Where they had been all this time and what brought them back has not been told, but the answers begin with the title they now carry, The Order of Marr. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ What you are looking at is Lionheart Castle, part of the hidden city of Marr. The village rests beyond the bridge to the right. In an early version of the game the Knights of Truth, Priests of Marr and other benevolent residents from North Freeport migrated to this village after the Freeport Militia drove them out of Freeport. The guardians of Lionheart Castle are an order that can be seen in North Freeport since the Age of Turmoil. These guardians are called the Sentries of Erollisi. They wear ornate silver armor with a shiny silver helm. The helm's visor is shaped in the guise of Erollisi Marr. These guards don vibrant blue capes with cowls. They are highly skilled with crossbows and always have one slung on their back. Their primary weapon is a blessed ornate war hammer of fine design. Sentries also have long hair regardless of gender. A Sentry is bound to protect the Priests of Marr and any sacred ground of the Order of Marr. These elite knights are very alluring, but pure of heart. The Paladins of Erollisi were known as the knights of Passion. __________________________________________________________________________________________________
Part Two of Everything Marr: The paladins that followed Erollisi Marr were known as the Knights of Passion (referred to by the NPC Gygus Remnara on the lower level of the Temple of Marr. This was the NPC a new paladin of Erollisi was directed to speak to.) __________________________________________________________________________________________________ The village of Marr may not appear in game, but its original design document had many elements that have made it into EQ2 lore. Many of these secrets will be revealed in time. The village itself does not exist as designed, but there is a hidden fortress that represents this original design. So, this image does exist on Norrath, in lore. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ I mentioned the Order of Marr in past entries. I mentioned how they departed Freeport and vanished from the eyes and ears of Norrath towards the end of the Age of Turmoil. They would not be seen again until the Battle of Defiance. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ From a hidden fortress, the Order of Marr sent a small unit of knights to the Battle of Defiance. Imagine the thoughts racing through Lucan's mind as, in the midst of the largest battle in Freeport's history, a small but mighty cavalry unit of the Knights of Truth stormed onto the battlefield, cutting though the horde of Rallosians. They were charging through the densest and most dangerous orc forces in an attempt to reach the leader of the evil horde, the Avatar of War. The Avatar of War was in a heated battle with the Avatar of Tranquility and a band of powerful monks. The forces of war gained the upper hand and the monks would soon perish if not for the valiant charge of the Knights of Truth. Instead of looking to the Knights of Truth as an extra sword to strike at the massive Rallosian Army, Lucan saw their brave charge as a threat. Lucan led his own elite cavalry to meet the Knights of Truth within the sea of orcs that surrounded the mount. When their swords crossed, the orc elite withdrew from the skirmish either wishing to take no more losses from the two mighty knighthoods or to allow them to destroy each other. It was an epic clash that took place within an even greater epic battle. In the end, the Knights of Truth would fall to the blades of Lucan's knights. It was not until after the Battle of Defiance that Lucan would discover that the Knights of Truth were in fact part of a new Order of Marr. He knew that there must be a greater force of these knights waiting out there somewhere in some hidden castle. He would also wonder why they appeared at the Battle of Defiance with such a small contingent. Having been a knight of Marr in his youth, Lucan knew they must be on a new crusade... a secret crusade. It was within the Overrealm that some of you learned a portion of that secret crusade. You know that they are caretakers of a great artifact. They may not truly understand the origin or purpose of that artifact, but they know that the fate of Norrath is tied to it. And if some of you know about that crusade, then I can assure you that Lucan is well aware of it also. It just may be that Sir Lucan D'Lere knows more about their secret crusade than they do. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ The village of Marr, Deathfist Citadel and Busheldown were all designed at the same time. They were some of the first zones to be built. I wrote a lot of lore for each of these places and did not wish to see that lore abandoned when the zones were. The 8 Virtues of Marr and the holidays Marr are bits of lore that I hope to introduce soon. That and other lore from original documents lives on and has even become part of the greater tales of the Age of Destiny. Busheldown and Marr still contain points of interest that I find to be some of the most beautiful locations we have made. The Cathedral of Marr inside Lionheart Castle and the Temple of Sullon Zek inside Busheldown are still amazing to gaze upon. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Knights of Thunder have not been forgotten. Their story does not end with the demise of Stormhold. The evil that befell their subterranean fortress has forever linked them to a greater tale that will be told. There are hints of where the tale took the brave Knights of Thunder. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ As for the dungeon called Befallen, it is part of that tale and does exist in Norrath. I cannot promise you will see it again nor can I declare it will never be rediscovered. It still has secrets that would need to be revealed before we march to... well... to some place dangerous that I cannot mention yet. There are a few npc's that have great interest in the fate of Befallen and Stormhold. One of them has been encountered by a few of you lucky enough to encounter the spirits of the Peacock.
This is further Marr Lore from Jindrack and Kaitheel: An early draft for the eight virtues of Marr has the following elements named: Love [Erollisi] Sacrifice [Mithaniel] Honor [Mithaniel] Passion [Erollisi] Charity [Erollisi] Devotion [Erollisi] Truth [Mithaniel] Might [Valor] [Mithaniel] I wouldn't consider these "official in-game lore" but more as interesting background trivia at present. If they were to appear in game I'd like to change out "Might" for "Courage" or "Valor" as I feel one of those would fit better for the eighth virtue. Just a little info to toss out there. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Eight Virtues of Marr: (as revealed in game February of 2009) Charity [Erollisi] Compassion [Passion?] Devotion [Erollisi] Honor [Mithaniel] Love [Erollisi] Sacrifice [Mithaniel] Truth [Mithaniel] Valor [Mithaniel] __________________________________________________________________________________________________ The following from a player, not a Developer I believe: The only thing I was told was that the Truth of Marr, originally 2 'ten commandment' type peices of living metal, had been lost in the Sphere of Malvolence (apparently what the guy calls SoF) and thus had been corrupted. he tells me that the weapon can be cleansed and restored, and sends me to the Priestess in North Qeynos. She tells me about the Rings of Contrition, a method to purify the blade to it's original glory, that she learned from an ancient Marrian text. she hadn't bothered to bring it up before, because we were looking for the Truth of Marr, and she thought at the time it was still a pair of tablets, and not a blade. The idea is you put the rings over the weapon, and the rings will purify it. the only clue I get is that there must be very secure places, or very powerful creatures that possess the rings. granted that they've been located, at least 2 of them...but just saying 'very secure places or powerful creatures' certainly doesn't narrow the places I could spend days looking/raiding through for them. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The following from Jindrack, correcting inconsistencies in the Books on Ardathium (the maps are a reference to possible locations of Ardathium based upon the original text which were included in the post): Ardathium C would be a good approximation to where the fortress was located. The contradictions may be coming from the trouble the writer of "Ardathium Vol. I-VI" had in translating the old texts in found in the ruins. This is something he admitted at the end of vol. I. "The script was ancient, but I recognized bits and pieces of the runic tongue of old." I believe he mistranslated a few things, mainly in regards to direction. "...the Fortress of Ardathium was erected in the northernmost fields outside the Elddar Forest." Translated correctly this should say "southernmost". The additive mark in the rune for "southernmost" to the untrained eye may look like a mark across the rune that would indicate "most not south", instead, on careful reading the of the second mark, the rune translated to "most south". Like roman numerals, the ancient script he remembers uses an additive and subtractive quality to properties where IV equals 4, but VI equals 6. This would also explain why the account carries the mistake of naming the age wrong. To quote "In the first years to crown the Monument Age...". We know this couldn't be the case because humans were not around at the time. If the writer spent more time with the documents he found he may have discovered that the runes didn't indicate the Monument Age, but the era known as The Lost Age, two ages further down the timeline. Not entirely literate of the script he was reading, he saw a familiar rune for the Monument Age (an age most races recognize as the milestone where the power of mortals really started to flourish) and disregarded the additive marks that indicated "two more", or as a literal translation of "two ages more than the time of Monuments". Little is known of The Lost Age. What is known is that in this age the Elddar Forest was destroyed and humans appeared and obtained much power. It is unknown the order of events, but these books would be a good indication that the Elddar Forest and Takish'Hiz still existed after the humans had gained somewhat of an influence in the eastern part of Tunaria. A couple other mistranslations could be seen with "...green canopy of the Elddar Forest to the south", which should read "north", and "...first battles with the troll armies of the east..." should read "south".
These bits are taken from two sources: First, from the Hills of Shade lore from EQ Live. And since these events predate the time split, they may be taken as valid lore for EQ2. The second is from The EQ2 RPG game module 'Forests of Faydark'. This is non-official lore (or perhaps semi-official lore) and though it has many parallels with The EQ Live lore, it varies from that lore on several points: The undead were eventually noticed by two of the gods – Mithaniel and Erollisi Marr. Concerned about this development and other goings on throughout the continent, the twin gods ordered their worshipers to undertake a crusade. Not only were the undead of the Hills of Shade to be destroyed, but numerous other objectives on Faydwer [...] Tholius Quey says ‘In the year thirty one hundred fifty, the Knights of Truth were called upon by the twin gods Erollisi and Mithaniel Marr. They were instructed to go forth across the Ocean of Tears and across the lands of Faydwer to purge the lands of undead. It was during this crusade that Freeport was left in [...] Valeron Dushire says ‘During one of our crusades into the lands of Norrath, we left Sir Lucan in charge of the remaining knights. He did much good and the people respected him. He was overtaken by power. He soon began to hire mercenaries to guard the city, calling them the Freeport Militia. His true downfall [...] The oldest known mention of the Ocean of Tears appears in the ancient log of a Captain Eweniel, a high elf paladin who piloted her ship from Wielle to Faydwer during the elven exodus. She talks of attacks by aqua goblins and a seafury cyclops, lives lost to storms and starvation, and of enemies from [...] The joint rule of the Knights of Truth and Priests of Marr lasted for several centuries. Freeport continued to have problems with underworld factions, as any port city, but was for the most part a safe and respected place to do business and to raise a family. The influence of Freeport’s forces reached ever further [...] The region known as the Grave Mounds contains the densest collection of barrows within the Hills of Shade. Located in the northeastern corner of the hills, the grave mounds include tombs dating back to the Combine Empire and the mysterious civilization that built the Black Tombs, and also features crypts crafted by the ancient forebears [...] The undead were eventually noticed by two of the gods – Mithaniel and Erollisi Marr. Concerned about this development and other goings on throughout the continent, the twin gods ordered their worshipers to undertake a crusade. Not only were the undead of the Hills of Shade to be destroyed, but numerous other objectives on Faydwer were commanded as well. To this day, no one knows the full extent of the gods’ commands but their chief followers. The Priests of Marr and Knights of Truth, both based out of Freeport, took up the call and bent their full, considerable power to the Crusade. Through careful and complex diplomacy, the followers of the Marr twins managed to gain acceptance from local governments on Faydwer for their fight, and were free to march through the wilds of the continent as they wished. The Crusade took many years and eventually cost the orders the control of their home city, but in time the will of their gods was carried out. Whatever else the Crusade’s warriors may have done, they cleansed the Hills of Shade of undead and made it once more nothing but an empty wasteland. A failed crusade across the Ocean of Tears to rid Faydwer of undead: As they often do, the Knights of Truth received a vision with the Priests of Marr compelling them to launch a crusade against the undead of Faydwer. Heeding what they assumed to be the call from their god, Mithaniel Marr, both orders rallied behind Roley DeFarge and led their assault into Faydwer. Lucan, meanwhile, was left in charge of the remaining knights - which proved woefully inadequate for the defense of the city. At the time of his taking office to defend the city, the roads were often plagued by orcs and bandits, and the city was constantly at odds with its neighbors, such as the Teir`Dal of Neriak.
Second bit: Crusade of Tears: While little recorded history of the Crusade of Tears remains, evidence exists that indicates that it ended in abysmal failure. Lycanthropy, which had initially been introduced during a Qeynosian mining expedition into the Underfoot had already begun to plague Norrath - and as they returned from Faydwer, the disease only grew. Roley DeFarge was driven mad by his experiences there, and disappeared in a scandal so devastating to the knights, that his history was the center of a vast cover up. Reports indicate that the Crusade was one of the largest undertakings by the Knights of Truth in their history - and in the process had taken with them the majority of their force and required an unheard of level of nautical power. The Crusade was met with mixed feelings at home - several citizens felt abandoned by the Knights, some even calling into question if there truly was an urgent threat that required their attention overseas. Most disturbing to some citizens was the relative absence in police force of the city, which found itself wracked by bandits, orcs, and other threats. The Freeport Milita: With the number of knights available in short supply, Sir Lucan turned to raising a mercantile police force - a deed which drove a wedge between him and the traditional guardians of Freeport. It has been noted that Sentry Dilius was vocally in protest to the hiring of these new guards, and some knights even believe that this was the beginning of what they refer to as Lucan's "downfall". Formed out of a mercenary band run by Captain Hazren and Commander Drazden, the mercenary group was integrated into the city's police force and named the Freeport Militia. Contrary to the Knights of Truth, who at the time required their candidates to be of noble birth, the Militia was formed from primarily lower class men-at-arms and "ruffians". Rumors have even spread that some of the ranks were filled with criminals from the Freeport prisons. When Lucan later broke away from the Knights of Truth, the Militia remained his loyal, secular law enforcement. Instead of acting as a temporary provision until the return of the Knights, they became a permanent, volunteer institution. Lucan's Fall and Leaving the Knights of Truth: For circumstances as yet unknown, Sir Lucan and Sentry Dilius - who himself was noted to be ill-tempered - got into a quarrel that resulted in the sentry's death. After that moment, Lucan emancipated himself from the order of Mithaniel Marr, and, with the backing of the citizens of the city, ended theocratic rule of the city. The Knights were replaced both as a police force and the military force of Freeport, and their legislative and judicial authority was replaced by the Freeport City Council and Lucan himself. Protected by the Freeport Militia, Lucan's Militia House is essentially impregnable by a direct assault - although the Knights have taken to the usage of spies to infiltrate the Militia's ranks. There has been some debate about Lucan's origins - while Valeron Dushire asserts that he was a paladin who had his powers stripped from him, some have pointed out that this may be little more than a ruse on the Knights' part, as Lucan has taken the mantle of Warrior Guildmaster as well. After the Knights of Truth: Following the dismissal of the Knights of Truth, Sir Lucan became the central figure of the city of Freeport. While day to day tasks are left up to the Freeport City Council, Lucan appears to hold ultimate judicial and executive power in all matters in the city - allowing him to veto anything presented by the Council, or implement his own laws or policies if needed. Nevertheless, this appears to be a rarely used practice, as he tends to maintain himself in the day to day regimen of training his Militia and administering law enforcement. Lucan plays an active part in attempting to establish order in the city, which itself is currently in a state of near open warfare as the Knights of Truth and Freeport Militia quarrel in the street over the Knights' claim to leadership of the city. Bounty on Lucan: The Priests of Marr and Knights of Truth have a standing bounty on Sir Lucan and any of his Militia - however citizens have either been uninterested or unable to claim it. Valeron Dushire claims that separating Lucan from his guards is all but impossible, but has suggested granting an award to young apprentices who pull off the deed. If there is a distinction between the two names, I do not know about it. However, I would be very interested to find out, as lore involving the various Orders of Marr are of special interest to me as well. Here are some interesting facts gleaned from Vhalen: The Isle of Erollisi: This is the largest of the islands and also contains the highest mountain peak compared to the other islands. Unlike other peaks, this one is too steep to climb and even has ice forming at the highest point. It truly towers over all in the region. A stream flows and falls from the frozen peak and runs into the sea. Hidden behind the trees and waterfall is the hidden entrance to the Sisterhood village called Tearfall. A dock is built along the Southwest corner of the island for frequent stops by sailing vessels. Goods from the village of Tearfall are sold by the Sisterhood in a tiny outpost. Dugout rentals are also available for long and difficult trips to other islands that the ships do not anchor near. All creatures on this island are docile and protected by the Sisterhood of Erollisi. Tearfall: Tearfall is the private sanctum of the Sisterhood of Erollisi. It is accessed via a hidden pass located behind a waterfall. The pass opens up into a crater like valley. The village is where the sisters train and hold contests. At first, only Elvenkind were allowed in this sect formerly from the Greater Faydark Feir’Dal Empire. Now females from around the globe who have heard of this sect seek out this place and dare to challenge the sisters in combat for a chance to become one with them. Men are not welcome within this sanctum, other than those invited or the Dwarven forge masters sworn to the service of the sisters. The village is small but contains all facilities needed by the sisters including a shrine to the great goddess of passion, Erollisi. A beautiful and towering statue has been carved into the face one of the inner cliffs by the Dwarven forge masters. Sentries of Erollisi, and the Knights of Passion: .
The following is from the RPG Game: The Hills of Shade and the Crusade of Tears: The Elddar Elves fled Tunaria, the land now known as Antonica, to escape the destruction that Solusek Ro wrought upon their land. They found their way east, to Faydwer. Over time on the new continent, the Elddar branched off into two distinct tribes: the Koada 'Dal and the Fier 'Dal. A fraction of the Fier 'Dal population settled in the Hills of Shade, creating a small village they named Kirathas. The Elves of Kirathas cherished nature, and resided in simple wooden huts not unlike the structures of Kelethin. Much later, an enterprising group of Humans led by their captain Han Jensen, "discovered" Faydwer while searching for profitable fishing routes. They erected a crude port on the northern coast, opposite from Kirathas in the southwest, and named it Blackwater. Under Jensen's orders, they made a point of keeping Blackwater's location a closely guarded secret. This protected the sanctity of their bountiful fishing port, but it also eliminated any possibility of a rescue should disaster strike. It was only a matter of time before the Elves and the Humans met. The first introduction was between a young fisherman, Fendel, and the daughter of Kirathas' leader, an Elven girl named Amber. They stumbled upon one another at an elder oak tree. Their initial fear of each other melted away, replaced by curiosity. Curiosity turned to friendship, and friendship blossomed into love. This was a union that was blessed by the goddess of love, Erollisi Marr. Unfortunately, the subsequent interactions between the citizens of Kirathas and Blackwater were anything but blessed. Territorial skirmishes and confrontations spiraled out of control, escalating into all-out war between the two villages. Not long after Amber gave birth to Norrath's first half-elf, she was slain by her own father. He felt the act of sacrifice would end the conflict, but Fendel's screams of anguish reached Erollisi's ears. She descended upon the squabbling tribes, furious that her gift of love would be twisted into such hatred and pain. She cursed the inhabitants of the hills to relive their mistakes, forever. Today, the Hills of Shade are haunted by all manner of twisted and tortured creatures. The residents of Kirathas and Blackwater continue to battle each other even in death, seemingly unaware of their tragic fate. The Elves' ancient burial catacombs, the Crypt of Shade, are overrun with the undead. Feeding off of the decay are a vicious new breed of Sporali, darkly transformed by the remains they consume. The foliage of the grove, disfigured by the divine curse, stand guard near a statue to Erollisi. A flock of crow aviaks known as the borrowers has taken up residence in the northwest, decorating their home with scavenged baubles, brightly colored cloth, and bone. Two camps of relative newcomers have arrived in the Hills: the benevolent members of Camp Valor, and the Gnomes that call themselves Bertoxxulous's Chosen. Both groups are recruiting passing adventurers for assistance with their wildly different goals. The Gnomes' attention is on scavenging dead bodies. For a necromancer, the concentration of death and decay are a valuable untapped resource, and profitable if one is willing to risk one's neck collecting it. The paladins of Camp Valor have come to the Hills for a more noble cause. They desire nothing less than to fend off the undead and destroy the curse. They are failing thus far, however, and their membership dwindles. The Crusade of Tears was undertaken by the Priests of Marr and the Knights of Truth much later in an attempt to lift Erollisi's curse from the Hills of Shade. The majority of the Order embarked upon this endeavor, leaving only a skeletal force of Knights in Freeport to fend off the maurading Orcs and bandits. A promising young Paladin, (Lucan D'Lere), was left in charge. He organized the remaining garrison, and hired mercenaries to form the Freeport Militia, and really effectively defended the city. However, his taste for power apparently awakened some dark desires within him, and---well, you know the rest of that story. Tearfall was originally established by the Sisterhood after the Crusade of Tears, and was originally for female Elvish converts to Erollisi Marr. It was later expanded to include any female worshiper of Erollisi. The fact that Shirrana was raised at Tearfall, and that she is still in her twenties, indicates that The Sister's Isle survived the Rending and the Shattering, and remains within the old Ocean of Tears waiting to be re-discovered. Tholius Quey says ‘In the year thirty one hundred fifty, the Knights of Truth were called upon by the twin gods Erollisi and Mithaniel Marr. They were instructed to go forth across the Ocean of Tears and across the lands of Faydwer to purge the lands of undead. It was during this crusade that Freeport was left in the care of Sir Lucan D`Lere. How unfortunate. Valeron Dushire says ‘During one of our crusades into the lands of Norrath, we left Sir Lucan in charge of the remaining knights. He did much good and the people respected him. He was overtaken by power. He soon began to hire mercenaries to guard the city, calling them the Freeport Militia. His true downfall began when he killed Sentry Dillius, a paladin of the Priests of Marr. His divine powers were stripped from his soul
I cannot find the screenshot; but there is a pre-release screenshot of a log cabin style building that was titled "Isle of Marr". It obviously never made it into the launch. Of course using pre-release EQ2 Data in lore is tricky because they changed and removed things upon release. For example; you mentioned in the first post that the Order of Marr was sent into a trap in Befallen. Well there was a pre-release video from E3 if I remember correctly showing Befallen and an avatar with silver and gold trimmed armor that never made it into the game. Befallen however is easily recognizable as being Stormhold; it was probably re purposed since Befallen didn't actually make it into release. Because of that mix-up the Order of Marr may actually be in the "Tomb of Valor" instance in Stormhold simply because the developers didn't get to finish the entire game.
Perty sure Befallen was repurposed into Stormhold because the commonlands had three dungeons and antonica only had one (at launch). Entire zones were scrapped during beta because they wouldn't work within the hardware limitations SoE was aiming for. The specs they went with were very high end at the time too. EQ2 looks perty decent even against today's competition because its design was thinking far in advance of release. Anyway you want to look at it, the Order of Marr wasn't going to be found in Befallen. The Order of Marr exists in cells spread through out Norrath (like the Froglocks in Tenebrus Tangle, or the members in Qeynos) and in the hidden fortress of Castle Lionheart.
Yes, Befallen was repurposed. The zonefile for the zone is still Befallen I think. I remember placing a guild flag there and got the message I'd placed a flag in Befallen. They didn't even change the quests for the zone (Ahem Gynok and the Bone Bladed Claymore). Also that elf ghost offers you a quest, while the text omits it, the voice over invites you to find the secret of Befallen's hidden treasure. Furthermore, the dungeon that sits where Befallen should be is Fallen Gate, which should be in Nektulos. Anyone that had played EQ1 noticed the swap right away. I believe in an alpha stage video from E3, the one with the awesome half naked paladin armor, the dev said the zone was Befallen as well. I'm fairly certain that the Knight's of Truth keep from the Commonlands was repurposed into Deathfist Citadel, though a lot of the original Knights of Truth art still exists in the zone.
