So, Firiona Vie and the Ethernere | Chains of Eternity

Halo of G4 wrote:

Fairly certain it was stated... either during the Friday keynote or expansion panel on Saturday, that Firiona is dead. D-E-D, dead. Wouldn't be shocked if we end up encountering her soul in Ethernere, but she should no longer have a part in Norrath.
Can't say I'll miss her much, mainly because she's never really had a role in EQ2 compared to EQ. I actually laughed when I saw the expansion art, so can't wait to giggle at it in person (even if humor wasn't their attempt, I found it hilarious that the first and only time FV is on EQ2 art is when she's dead).
We should worry more about Kyle Bayle and less about Firiona, I'm thinking. He threw around a lot of threats during the Qeynos quest series so it'll be interesting to see if he makes an appearance in the Ethernere as well.

Euri@Antonia Bayle wrote:

I could be wrong, but I thought that he *wasn't* shown on purpose and one of his minions was during the keynote when they were talking about his citadel. Might have heard wrong, though.

Cyliena wrote:

Eh we were told the same thing about Erolisi for years to though.
Not that I mind the removal of a Legendary character due to death, Rallso zek dies in a plot line to his 3 children meh ok we dont get envolved much but FV dieing in a field in antonica with people standing around doesnt really seem very "legendary" storytelling. Should have had her die along side Al'kabor fighting a huge villain imo to make her death alot more meaningful.
I hear Rainmaire has some ideas about rescuing her to help the thex bloodline though.*Coughs*

Rezikai wrote:

From what I heard, she died because of untimely soul siphoning. I mean, one should think the enemies will also use pretty devious tactics - a lot of times - if they have that knowledge and means which enable them to do so.
And in reality, not every important figures in history die in epic-looking fashion. Yeah I understand why you think so and why that kinda storytelling can be viewed as 'lazy/sloppy' storytelling, but must it be so legendary... I have to ponder

If they did kill her as a symbolic severance from EQ1, it's long overdue. I don't see why else she would die in such a completely boring manner.

One of the greatest things I've ever experienced in Norrath was during EQ1. There was a huge NPC war that took over the land, and in the very center of the Dreadlands, I watched Lanys T`Vyl fight Al`Kabor in a battle to the death.
I was so incredibly disappointed when the ethernauts surfaced. I was hoping "the 9" would be 9 legendary figures spanning all alignments / races from the ESTABLISHED EVERQUEST STORYLINE. These characters could have been given the incredible back stories and significance that they deserve, time traveling included if necessary.
Lucan D'lere
Al`Kabor or Miragul
Lanys T`vyl
Firiona Vie
Venril Sathir
Tinmizer (Or Meldrath!)
Stormhammer
Fiddy Bobbick
Askr The Lost

There are plenty of people that could have been chosen and built upon. Instead, we've got a bunch of Everquest figures that got neglected, and a bunch of new people no one really cares about.

It's a little late to mention at this point, but I really was hoping for a culmination and a huge battle along side of the Heroes and Villains of EverQuest. Looks like it's out of the question now.

you're list falls apart becuase we know what happened to most of those figures.
Lucan is ruling Freeport. we also know that in his absence, things tend to quickly go to hell in a handbasket there.
Al'Kabor is the Duality...so there's a chance he'll be in major conflicts to come.
Miragul is trapped in the Eternal Prism.
Fironia is still possible. part of the reason the Duality gets involved is not only was she a legendary figure, but his research says she was quite important to countering Ages End. For all we know, finding/freeing Fironia's soul maybe the very reason she was ripped there. Drinal tried the 'random people dying' thing and no one paid much attention. FV dies...and look at all the adventurers coming out of the woodwork! they are sure to help me with whatever issues I'm having. (As Drinal seems to me to be a very pragmatic diety. he'll do what he has to, to get the results that need gotten.)
Lanys is trapped in PoH, her corpreal form nullified by Inny when he absorbed her demiplane of Envy. and thanks to greedy SKs, odds of her resurfacing are not good. as thier epic was supposed to transfer energy to her so she could reform.
Meldrath is dead. Looooong dead. you encounter his spirit in the mine instance.
Venril is ruling the Sathirian Empire..which is at war still with the Ring, and now he has to worry about Rile rising up against him. Or Cazic Greemisting him.
Stormhammer is likely dead.
Fiddy is in Mayong's custody.
Askr was the Avatar of Storms during the Battle of Defiance..and now he's Karana's prophet, I believe. and he never was much of a fighter in the first place.
Really it seems the 'legendary' figures that may be spearheading the coming battle with Kerafyrm will be Mayong, the Duality, possibly FV, Lucan and Antonia, (through the efforts of Qeynos/Freeport) maybe Tserrina and Yelniak if you count him as a legendary figure.
and Kera's side, we got his generals...maybe Kyle Bayle? and he has no fear of dying, as he's already dead and he claims he's such a big shot in Ethernere.

but all that aside. I think the Harrowing Horde is under the influence of the dead gods Cazic Thule and Rallos Zek. Cazic from Eq1's timeline, and Rallos from ours...and that influence has left them wide open for Kyle Bayle to take control. War and Fear. Fear makes them want to steal souls. maybe they think that undeath is somehow going to collapse things and are scared for thier existance. and War gives them the aggressive behavoir and resolve to do something about it..and since thoe emotional states aren't axactly common in Ethernere (as it takes the death of a god to get his influence in the realm) it leaves thier minds/essence wide open for Kyle Bayle's experience in politcal intrigue and manipulation.
remember Kyle said he reach in Ethernere was absolute...but he is not Drinal, his is a different power. I'll bet his 'power' is he's in command of the Harrowing Horde. and while the wanderers or wayfarers whichever name they are, and the loyal to Drinal Alusians? the jackal like guys...are fighting against them, Kyle bayle is trying to supplant Drinal. then he can take the leadership of Qeynos...by simply removing Antonia from Norrath.

"Al'Kabor is the Duality...so there's a chance he'll be in major conflicts to come."
just a part of him

"Venril is ruling the Sathirian Empire..which is at war still with the Ring, and now he has to worry about Rile rising up against him. Or Cazic Greemisting him."
i beleave the ring and venril are cannonly dead, its why rile has been able to begin amassing power as he has, granted we do still have something of his....

"Really it seems the 'legendary' figures that may be spearheading the coming battle with Kerafyrm will be Mayong, the Duality, possibly FV, Lucan and Antonia, (through the efforts of Qeynos/Freeport) maybe Tserrina and Yelniak if you count him as a legendary figure."
heh your forgetting someone else, no mortal can fight Kerafym properly while he weilds theers powers

"but all that aside. I think the Harrowing Horde is under the influence of the dead gods Cazic Thule and Rallos Zek. Cazic from Eq1's timeline, and Rallos from ours...and that influence has left them wide open for Kyle Bayle to take control. War and Fear. Fear makes them want to steal souls. maybe they think that undeath is somehow going to collapse things and are scared for thier existance. and War gives them the aggressive behavoir and resolve to do something about it..and since thoe emotional states aren't axactly common in Ethernere (as it takes the death of a god to get his influence in the realm) it leaves thier minds/essence wide open for Kyle Bayle's experience in politcal intrigue and manipulation."
Gods dont enter ethernere, that was discussed back a few erolsi days ago. they dont get an afterlife if they truly die.

and sorry... its late and saw this post and had to add some more insight. dont mean to cause issues.

I wasn't saying we could simply "replace" the ethernauts with that list. I'm saying that if you're going to create a story from scratch using 9 characters, you could use ones that already existed.
There's nothing saying the story HAD to be written as it was, with those characters getting stuck somewhere. There's also nothing saying you have to use that list specifically. My point stands as it was.

SOE's giving us a quick recap:

http://www.everquest2.com/news/arti...12&id=51431

My guess is this, the whole storyline having to do with Kyle Bayle and Qeynos might be concluded in an expansion after Chains Of Eternity with perhaps the Dead Hills. I mean take a look at other introduced storylines, such as the Rime Army In Kunark and the Shard of Love. Both events took two years at least to unfold. Spring 2009, we got the Rime army setting up camps in Kunark, we thought were we suppose to head to Velious next, but instead it was Odus, and we waited two years for DoV to come out for that storyline to unfold. We got the Shard Of Love in 2009, again, took roughly two years or so for events to unfold with A Goddess Risen update. Deadhills and its surrounding lands might be a follow up expansion to CoE, who knows really.

shadowscale wrote:

If I recall, the heritage quest: The Name Of Fear, that came with TSO mentioned that Venril is still in power. I don't think we got rid of him completely. Storyline wise, he wasn't a large threat, we just needed something from him (Amulet of Drolakis) for Fiddy Bobbick. In fact, his reign of power is probably accepted by people outside of Kunark because he keeps thing in line there.

Venril, and his Domini, will 'live' as long as thier phylacteries are intact.
though I have learned a bit more from beta on the happenings in ethernere...and it still seems to leave it up in the air wether or not FV will be restored.
Drinal doesn't seem the kind to not correct errrors in the cycle of life and death (like someone dying before thier time due to being ripped from thier body thanks to an unstable force/plane) but he also might just consider what's done as done.
*Spoiler*
You do get to talk to FV in ethernere, and while she does know she's dead, and she accepts that because she's dead, she won't be there to face Kerafyrm...she also knows that she didn't die like she was supposed to. she was forcibly ripped out of her body with no means of natural death. So it seems its all up to Drinal. Doesn't sound like FV would go petitioning him to return her to life, but she wouldn't turn down the opportunity to be restored, either.

Rainmare@Oasis wrote:

Im thinknig along the lines that drinal being the god of death means he is ripping people's souls against the natural order ether to warn mortals that there is trouble in ethernere or he is bringing them there to aid him in some fight for power over ethernere or both.
it's also stated that people from the past and present will attempt to mend the ages end this might mean ether people are plucked from their timelines at their prime from all EQ realities or drinal reaps everyone and the ages end battle/mending is attempted in ethernere along with ppl from the god's planes.

okay a little more spoiler:
Drinal was not a god until recently. Ethernere was not a 'plane' like say Plane of Water, but more like Ultera.
When the gods left norrath in EQ2, and when they had thier own issues in EQ1, the souls go to ethernere but couldn't go to thier dieties plane. Some souls choose to stay. either they made a deal with Drinal, or they are actively hiding out form thier God's call/ignoring it.
but all that soul energy built up until Ethernere became a full fledged plane. when it did that, Drinal, who runs the place, Ascended to a Diety.
Now enter the deaths of Rallos in EQ2, and Cazic in Eq1. Ethernere was never meant to hold to powers of the gods. but rallos and Cazic both saw a 'get out of jail/void free' card. Rallos was trying to manifest himself in Ethernere through the Ogres. Cazic infected the realm with fear, and it trying to find a way to drag EQ2 Cazic to Ethernere to absorb him and thus restore himself.
War and Fear permeating Ethernere, which adjusts itself to the perceptions of those within it, can't handle the stress. it's overloading it, and the Harrowing Horde are being driven insane by it. Drinal himself is supposedly in a similar state and a lot of pain included, becuase tearing Ethernere tears Drinal.
Odds are right now it seems Ethernere/Drinal is ripping souls in a desperate bid to keep it/himself intact. which could mean once he's restored/able to manage the plane again, he'll return those he ripped from the Prime Plane to thier rightful lives/fates.
if Ethernere collapses..it's bad news. so yeah we are fighting the fight to stop that. but Ages End/Kera isn't part of that. KEra is very much alive, very much on Norrath, and Norrath is where we will deal with him. whcih is why FV states she won't be there for that fight..as she is in Ethernere and can't aid i the confronation destined to happen if she is.

"Really it seems the 'legendary' figures that may be spearheading the coming battle with Kerafyrm will be Mayong, the Duality, possibly FV, Lucan and Antonia, (through the efforts of Qeynos/Freeport) maybe Tserrina and Yelniak if you count him as a legendary figure."

Only of key faction that came about in eq2 then disappeared is Order of Marr , What are they up too their secert crusade back fired in their face just as Mithaniel Marr came back into play. I think they will be the key part in the battle vs Kerafym. Unless SOE doing a failcom put a bunch of time and effort in them and their lore to just place them on a shelf to collect dust. They played a key role in alot of major storyline quests. So where are they now any Devs care to enlighten me or did they die out when Vhalen left.?

Rainmare@Oasis wrote:

Interesting, indeed.

So, that's probably why the amygdalans in Upper Eidolon Jungle said something like that to me...