Cusashorn wrote: I don't think they do, they don't seem the type to be related to the residents of Halas. I'm betting they're related to Velious, and we won't see them wrapped up with this expansion.
In eq1 there where ice giants that resided at the frost peaks of the serpent spine that had escaped the curse. Sure technically the serpent spine exp came out after the timeline split but who knows. just the first thing that came to my mind when i started the questline.
Just a little thought about Kraytoc. During the Rime quest lines someone mentions that Kraytoc Killingfrost may not necessarily be his really name. It's really nothing that would jump into the eye, but when I read it I just thought "Why would they mention it, if it was completely out of interest?". Someone also mentioned that he was the biggest man this person has ever seen - if he possibly isn't an ice giant or another sort of giant, he surely is oversized, just like the avatars. Now, could it be possible that Kraytoc Killingfrost in fact is Rhoen Theer, and the mighty artefacts he is looking for are the Claymore and Soulfire in order to restore his or his master's power?
I doubt Kraytoc could be Theer himself, why would he bother sending people after the voidmen of Kurn's Tower while he, at the same times, controls the voidmen (after all he gives orders to Munzok...) but someone ingame says "he is a man of a giant" or something like that... I am quite sure the "skin" of ice giant was used for these people but they are not giants at all, just big "modified" barbarians.... I have never seen societies of giants who cohabit peacefully with all other "lesser races" such as dwarves, half-elves, erudites, ratonga... they must be from FrostFang... this new archipelago starting city or something like that , that was presented as "Halas" in the last Fan Faire...
I'm really not sure on the Rime stuff anymore because they have kind of bounced around or changed certain parts. The biggest, most staggering change was "We are the bitter wind from the north." to "We are the bitter wind that blows from across the sea." For one thing they are not really "peacefully" coexisting with other races, it is entirely a situation of convert or die. The "giants" (I'll call them that for sake of ease) are still the ones primarily in charge, with Kraytoc at the top. A few of the NPCs state that Kraytoc is a "giant of a man" yes, and they themselves say, "Do not think me some simple giant fool, I am much more!" Which means they are either not giants, or consider themselves special or distinguished from others of giant kind. Brenlo was stated as referring to them as frost giants during a recent interview. Now, a key thing we need to remember here. Ice, and Frost giants are HUGE differences. Ice giants were and are the ones who reside in Everfrost under King Drayek in Permafrost. Frost giants coexisted with Storm giants in Kael Drakkel in Velious. The huge nagging doubt I have about them being related to EITHER is that they dont quite fit the bill for either type due to some glaring differences. For one, they are smaller than northern Ice Giants and have some other physical differences; ie different hair and beard colors never seen among the ice giant tribes in Everfrost and Permafrost. They do share the blue skin though. They have unique armor and a distinguishing symbol that is upon their banners, as well as the symbol of a Ram's head upon much of the armor. As for being related to Frost or Storm giants, well...they weren't blue, I am racking my brain but I am fairly sure they were all fair skinned with hair colors ranging from white to dark blue, but always fair skin. The giants of Velious where also HUGELY devout of the Zek triumvirate. Considering how the other Rallosian races still maintain a fanatical zeal in their loyalty to the Warlord, I doubt the isolated Velious tribes decided to get all butt hurt for any reason and be like "Well, we don't WANT to follow you anymore, because YOU were like, distant from us! *sniffles*", if anyhing Zek's followers had the least distance from their God. He led a long, world changing war upon Norrath and he always inspired a very devout loyalty in his followers. While a great many things can change over the years, considering the isolation of both of these races and how little changed with the Ice Giants of the North, I really doubt much would change in Kael Drakkel upon Velious.
There is a rather simple possibility to it. If they are indeed from Velious, or what's left of it, that could be WHY we will find the new Halas. We might not get to Velious itself for a whole nother expansion (and a year and a half), but the invasion by the Order of Rime could trigger us finding the new Halas. Or, the new Halas (Frostfang, I think it was called) could be the home city of the Order of Rime. I think we'll get our answer when Frostfang comes out, and I don't think it's going to be clear cut either way, I think the new Halas is going to be a lot different than the old. Who says the city has to be actually run by the barbarians and not someone else?
One big flaw in that. Order of Rime = Bad New Halas = Good city Perhaps there will be some live event lead in but I doubt they run the place or live there. Otherwise they would not have changed the "Wind from the North". I have a feeling Frost Fang will be a small island or ice floe out away from Everfrost but still in the northern hemisphere.
Homeskillet wrote: Yep, thats the fundamental conflict between the Order showing up and us getting this new good city. I think that the order will somehow lead us to the city, or that the city will make itself known in order to drive off the Order.
Don't be so quick to judge the Order as being bad or evil. Conquerers as they are, Kraytok Killingfrost is extremely smart. He knows what is going on. He sends us into Kurns Tower to kill Ione and retrieve the orb she is carrying, because he knows that history is repeating itself with the void invasion. I haven't been able to complete the X2 yet (I don't think anyone has) so I can't tell you what Kraytok intends to do with the orb, but the fact that he so openly admited that he knows what is going on leads me to believe he's not as evil as people think.
Kraytoc's actions about the orb are not just him 'knowing that history is repeating itself'. they broke into the Anatheum for items with the Solus marking on them. the burynai legend is they 'caprtured the sun and took a peice of it'. Kraytoc wants the orb because he thinks it's the artifact he's looking for. no more or less. and he, according to one of his followers, already has a plethora of other powerful artifacts in his possession. He was looking to invade Kurn's tower to plunder it. you beat him to the punch, and report to him the Void is there consuming it. you tell him Ione has the orb. beyond that, I don't think he cares one way or another about the void problem in Kurns. he leads a force that is 'convert or die' and he has standards obviously, as he kills those he deems 'too old' even if they want to convert. While his personal motives are unknown and may have a more 'neutral' bend...his methodology is clearly 'evil'. and I only found 1 person that refers to Kraytoc as a 'man'. using the term 'giant of a man' and the next words out of his mouth are 'I've never seen a giant before'. which sounds to me that he's just making an assumption Kraytoc is a man, based on some preconcieved notion of what a gaint should be.
At any rate, good or evil, What we're doing to help Kraytoc with Kurn's Tower just might be the right thing to do.
Homeskillet wrote: You are assuming Order of Rime is bad/evil. Just because they are KoS does not make the bad/evil.
I betrayed my brigand to a swashbuckler the other night... and noticed that the NPC that starts the betrayal from freeport has the surname of "Rimebreaker". http://eq2.wikia.com/wiki/Corporal_...enk_Rimebreaker Just thought that was a little weird, and decided to post it in this thread
Tizzlewizzle wrote: That is probably just his name because he is a barbarian. I doubt it has anything to do with the Order, since that NPC was out long before this content.
His name has more to do with the word Rime itself rather than the Order of the Rime I think. Rime means a light coating of frost, so for a barbarian, it certainly fits.
This is of course a guess because my raid schedule has not permitted a x2 Kurn's run. Heres a quote though from Vhalen from the 2005-06 time frame "Halas has not been rediscovered yet. I cannot say if you will ever discover it. I hope so. It has seen some bad times. The defiant city in the Northlands has withstood a massive siege during the Age of War and the massive geographical devastation of the Age of Cataclysms. There is also a little secret something that went on that no one would know about unless you were in Halas when that epic battle took place. Unfortunately, the Halasians that did survive that mysterious battle won't be telling tales anytime soon. But clues remain that may reveal the secret war between ________ and the brave Halasians that stood against this force." Could the _________ be "the order of Rime" or "the ice giants". My working theory right now, since Halas is to be a good city, is that the Order of Rime is realated to this unnamed enemy. The Halasians that stood against them were victorious and they are now in search of objects of power to return an wreak vengence upon the Halasians that stood against them and defeated them. As I said, just a working theory but there it is
Well... that post can be interpreted as the original Halas still being out there. At this point, we know it's not. We know that it was destroyed and that the "New Halas" is not the old one. But the Frost Giants or whatever make up the leadership of the Order of Rime could be what attacked Halas. There's just no way to be sure at this point.
