Tserrina Syltor? Why'd Mayong toot it and boot it?

Gninja wrote:

A) What is the something else?
B) Did the lingering souls on Odus spark some question as to how she could prevent her own soul from leaving norrath
C) Is she somehow anchored to the tower in a similar fashion as the souls temporarily lingering in odus
D) Is she already dead, has she extracted her own soul and placed it into another thing
E) Why does she have wings
F) What interesting combinations and effects could a soulless vampire have - Or in reverse, if she is 100% only soul and no longer living, what unusual effects would becoming a vampire have
G) If souls can be used to make physical things, such as the materials to make a tower - can the reverse occur and can physical things be used to create a soul
H) Why do souls linger when there are alot of them like the war on Odus - is that the reason for using the material to make the tower and is this why she would deteriorate faster outside the tower
I) Why was she even interested in souls to begin with

You really expect to get answers for any of those questions? .... Well so do we. I'd like to know as well.

Mixxit@Nagafen wrote:

I'm mostly certain the first part is after the split, the second part is definately after the split. I'm 90% sure none of this has anything to do with EQ2 Lore.

Rainmare@Oasis wrote:

There is/was a Dracolich in EQ1, just like the one in EQ2. It was a creation of Cazic Thule and resides on the Plane (Shard) of Fear. Outside of that a few more undead dragons exist but none of them are refered to as a lich. Zlandacar could be said to be a lich, but could also be said to be a ghoul as his unnatural undead life seems to be extended by the consumption of dragon corpses.
Several dragons exists as ghosts. Some ghosts are able to manifest in a way they can fight, others are just apperitions. One dragon had its spiritless body animated to guard Kerafyrm's secrets in Deathtoll. There is of course Mayong's dragon vampire. I can certainly see him attempting to dominate a dragon via his blood and if that fails containing the experiment until such time as he can destroy it completely (similarly to what he did to Tserrina actually).
As for what Tserrina actualy consumed, lets look at immortal races that exist in EQ1. Who knows how long a dragon can exist? I doubt a dragon would be used simply because they are too powerful for an experiment when there are less powerful and more easily controlable immortals around.
How long can a Djinn live? How long does an Efritti live? Shadowmen are simply not understood well enough to tell what their lifespan could be. Elementals might also be canidates for experimentation but their immortality seems more dependent on their unliving bodies than something about their very nature.
There are imps in EQ1. They exist in the Temple of Ro, and yet no explination of where they come from is given. Very few creatures have wings similar to Tserrina but other than the color...they are very similar. Imps seem as close to demons as you have in EQ1. It is possible that she worked with Najena or other Teir'dal that studdied in Lavastorm and came acrost the imps and studdied their nature and properties. Draining blood and the spirits of imps might actually be a possible path to immortality and something that would of been much easier than subduing a Dragon of a Djinn.
EQ2 imps are a bit less similar in wings, but the EQ1 imps looked more like small Nightbloods with bat wings.
As for Everling...doesn't the entire Everling story start in the 500 years after EQ1 but before the major cataclysms?

Sirutill wrote:

A) we don't know....yet.
B) probably not. Tserrina I think was a Necromancer. Souls are probably just part of that study. the only other thing i think she may have been was an Enchanter...but living in Neriak with the Lodge nearby she probably knows enough about the dark art to get a jist of what souls can do/be used for.
C) No. she's not 'anchored' to the Tower. from information given by Gninja and from the x2 Tower instance, Mayong cursed her, that if she left the tower she'd physically deteriorate...and the longer she's out, the faster it happens. In fact, at the end of the X2, rather then killing her, you break/remove her curse, and she leaves the tower on her own to settle some unfinished buisness, presumably with Mayong.
D) probably not...she maybe 'undead' in a vampiric sense, but I bet she still has a soul...prolly patchworked with whatever essence she used to attempt immortality.
E) Unknown....maybe a quirk of the turning process, or maybe an effect of whatever she used to attempt immortality.
F) In EQ2...I don't think there is a 'soulless' vampire...nor have we seen a 'solid' body that is strictly soul, either. ( usually souls are quite readily translucent in EQ2) but who knows on this one.
G) I'm going to guess on this one as a no. turning a soul into a brick or armor is one thing, trying to create a complex thing like a soul is probaly quite another. But I imagine if it could be done, it's only be able to be done by the most powerful necromancers..and probably be a VERY well guarded secret.
H) the lingering souls probably has more to do with emotion tethers, or magical constraints. the Erudite civil war was a VERY bitter conflict. and imagine the magical forces unleashed to create the Hole. I'm sure that bitterness/anger/hate and the massive magical energies probably did most of the 'capturing' of the souls there.
I) Anyone attempting Immortality is concerned with souls. either for the purpose of creating a proper Phylactery, or in Tserrina's case, looking to steal the soul of something to capture it's immortality. and of course at the time of her studies in this area, immortality through Vampirism wasn't available.

though I have a related question here too. we have a few examples of elves that appear to either A) able live for several millenia or B) are Timeless. if this is the case, what kind of immortality would one really want to acquire? if elves can't die of age...was she looking to become immune to say, disease? or poison? was she trying for a physical toughness to make her nigh unkillable to weapons/magic?
like Teren of Teren's Grasp...he was the leader of the FV outpost in Eq1, some 500 years ago. and in EQ1, he gave the definate impression that he was a veteran soldier. probably just past or at his prime. so Teren is over 500. the only Elizerain we have mention of being a royal was the Queen of Felwithe some 3k years ago. Leyna's mother is also elizerain, both had visions of the future...there's too many similarities to think that the elizerain from the Ethernaughts isn't the same one that we know died only recently due to grief at the loss of her husband in the War of the Fay. so she was/probably was at least 3500.
Cristanos seems to be the same one from the origins of the Tier'dal...that puts her plenty high up in age too. and she's nto showing any indication that she's going to kick the bucket or is getting 'old'. possessed maybe, but not old.
which again has me wondering. lets say elves are not timeless...but live for a VERY long time. Tserrina's actions then seem to be...almost rushed. impatient. hardly the actions of a Teir'dal. especially given the cutthroat nature of Neriak politics and guild prestige/standing.

So maybe, Elves are Timeless. Age can't kill them. but weapons can, magic can, disease adn poison can. you still keep the 'vampiric' immortality in the manner that older vampires are notoriously difficult to slay, and they are untouched by disease or poisons.
So let use this theory. Tserrina was looking to gain immortality by limiting/erasing her weaknesses. what are the big dangers in Neriak. dagger in your back? yep. being poisoned, afflicted with magical disease? probably. which is the most dangerous. probably being poisoned/afflicted with disease. so she does her studies, attempts to merge her essence with something that will make her immune to poison/disease. doesn't seem to cause a physical change.
Mayong attempts to turn her. the turning process works much like a disease or a poison does. it's very much, to quote the blade movies, a 'cancer with a purpose'. whatever essence she used to try to make her immune conflicts with the vampiric blood, and causes the strange mutation/the 'oopsie' in her turning process. So she's not a Teir'dal anymore...but she's not a Vampire, either. she's something new.
just my crackpot theory. and probably completely wrong but what the heck I like it all the same

Rainmare@Oasis wrote:

This is something muddied. Elves i think can die of age.. as i believe Elizeran did. But her body when found in the PnP books is inside a crystal casket that people can see her dead body inside it still blonde haired and youthful looks to her face.
I think elves do age... I think they just dont physically show it. I think they can die of old age... but I think there is a way many of them can survive for either great extended periods of time as Vhalen pointed out when he described "lifespans" of races.
Becoming Immortal would have some ramifications the gods would take ill to i think.

Hey I didn't write that!

Is it possible that the item Tserrina used to alter her self prior to Mayong turning her into a vampire was the claw of veeshan that we grab in the ascent instance? The witchdoctor guy as he is using the claw says that the energy beam he is using it for atm is nothing compaired to what it is truely capable of.
And seeing as that it was once a part of veeshan and she created the dragons, who i believe are ageless. Then maybe Tserrina found the claw and thought that if she could harness its essence she to could become ageless(immortal) with it. Which could explain Mayongs sudden disintrest in her no longer being a pure Teir'Dal because she could now possibly be in some way tainted by the essence or something of a dragon. An example of this taint could be her wings and inability to be controlled (dragons are often said to be very high minded and stubbron).
Most likely none of this will be right in away but figured what the hell

I dug out the crystal claw of veeshan event quest a few years back and posted them in a forum lemme see if its still there

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The Crystal Claw of Veeshan (GM Events)


The Song of Sainy Dragonfriend


Sainy says, 'I shall now sing this song of great import'
Sainy strums her lute.


From the world's core, the rock children rose
Shielded from wurms eyes by dirt and stone
With gnarled hands and broken bones
They carved their place into Veeshan's home
Soon after, the woodlands and deserts and swamps
All nurtured life planted, by interloping Gods
Veeshan left her children, in peaks carved by her claws
Turned her back on Norrath, and her fellow God's laws
The Crystalline Dragon content in her lair
Sealed off the Sky and still slumbers there
Some dragons went mad, apart from their queen
Others took charge and formed a wurm Ring
The rebels were hunted and sent from the peaks
To dwell in the lands inhabited by the weak
One of these rebels, a lady white as snow
Swept up a shard of a nature unknown
As years dragged on one by one the wurms fell
Into a deep slumber from what no one could tell
Their magic had faded, because of the Shard?
Or perhaps from the magic they call Veeshan's Veil
Now a new verse to this legend I'll share
In regards to the Sky and what is happening there
Veeshan still slumbers, the veil has worn thin
The Wurm Queens neglect wakes her children again


Sainy's song ends.

Sainy says, 'My song is done, but I will warn you to heed the words of my verse, for they speak the truth.'
Sainy says, 'Mortals now visit where Veeshan slumbers, and only dragons once dwelled, but the door to Sky is not a one way portal.'
Sainy says, 'There is much to learn from the great Wurms and much to fear'

A drake says, 'Screech !'

Sainy says, 'I must travel further, to spread my song to others'
Sainy says, 'Come my drake friend'
Sainy says, 'Let us move on'

Sainy bows.


The Veil of Veeshan


Sainy hums a tune to herself, but all you can make out are names of the Gods here and there.

A drake nuzzles against Sainy's shoulder.

Sainy says, 'I thank you all for coming. Please, do everything you can to get as many people here as possible. It is very important that as many people hear my message as possible.'

A drake chirps happily at Sainy.

Sainy says, 'I am Sainy Dragonfriend, messenger of the great Ring of Scale. A pleasure to meet you.'

Sainy bows.

Sainy says, 'Friends! I am about to tell my tale.'

Sainy says, 'First, let me thank you for coming. Many people doubt the seriousness of the matter at hand.'

Sainy says, 'Now, make yourselves comfortable, as I tell you The Tale of Veeshan's Veil .'

A drake screeches happily.
A drake perches on Sainy's shoulder.

Sainy says,


From the world's core, the rock children rose. Shielded from wurms eyes by dirt and stone.'

With gnarled hands and broken bones, They carved their place into Veeshan's Home.'

Soon after, the woodlands and deserts and swamps, All nurtured life planted by interloping Gods.'

Veeshan left her children, in peaks carved by her claws , Turned her back on Norrath, and her fellow Gods laws.'

A drake nips at Sainy's earring.

The Crystalline Dragon content in her lair, Sealed off the Sky and still slumbers there.'

Some dragons wend mad, apart from their queen, Others took charge and formed a wurm Ring.'

The rebels were hunted and sent from the peaks, To dwell in the lands inhabited by the weak.'

One of these rebels, a lady as white as snow, Swept up a shard of a nature unknown.'

As years dragged on one by one, the wurms fell, Into a deep slumber from what no one could tell,'

Their Magic had faded, because of the shard? Or perhaps from the magic they call Veeshans Veil.'

Now a new verse to this legend I'll share, In regards to the Sky and what is happening there.'

Veeshan still slumbers, the veil has worn thin, The Wurm Queen neglect wakes her children again.'


A drake flutters around.

Sainy bows.

Sainy says, 'My song is done, but I will warn you to heed the words of my verse, for they speak the truth.'

Sainy says,

Mortals now visit where Veeshan slumbers, and only dragons once dwelled, but the door to the Sky is not a one way portal. There is much to learn from the Great Wurms and much to fear .'

Sainy nods at A drake.

A drake chirps at Sainy.

A drake says, 'Screeeech.'

Then the bardess arose from her seat and made her way for the spires...

Sainy's song ends.

Sainy's song ends.

A drake chirps.

There was an eerie mist as she entered the spires, then silence, and she was gone...

Sometime later did the agents of Mistmoore stumble into a troublesome member of the League of Antonica Bards that forewarned of the events coming to pass. The dreaded Mayong Mistmoore tormented the bard with his family whom he had imprisoned within the dungeons of Castle Mistmoore. The Minions of Mayong Mistmoore (which included Khasra) watched with glee of the interrogation by their master. It was discerned from the bard, the waning of The Veil and use of the Crystal Claw of Veeshan by the Ring of Scale to destroy what remained of it. The whereabouts of that poor bard and his family are yet unknown...even and until this very day.

It was then the awakening began. Mayong Mistmoore came across a wounded dragon which had been assailed upon by rangers. From the dragon Mistmoore discovered that Lady Vox when banished from the Ring of Scale for trying to make a second Kerafyrm (The Sleeper) with her mate Lord Nagafen, had taken with her the Crystal Claw of Veeshan.

The master vampire along with his retainer Lord Galendore then made their way to Dagnor's Cauldron to seek out an agent of Carson McCabe, Kivgor Illbriar (After this event there were faction hits in High Pass Hold that went up for the Ring of Scale when fighting the people of McCabe). Upon entering the Cauldron Lord Galendore aquired the services of their ally, and informed him of his need. To this day as a result of those events stands a dwarven paladin on that same isle within the Cauldron that is allied to the Ring of Scale (faction hits).


Found in a shop of High Pass Hold. A memory of Carson McCabe and his involvements of affairs concerning the Crystal Claw of Veeshan.

At the events transpired within the Cauldron, Mayong Mistmoore awarded the most helpful of mortals that had assisted Lord Galendore in the finding of Kivgor Illbriar. Lord Galendore gave to them his Runed Bolster Belt and Mayong Mistmoore a potion that transformed them into "Eternity's Knight"; a vampire thrall of the lord of the damned.

-------------------

Tale of Events from Eternity's Knight (GM Event Log)
The telling of events from Steamfront Mountains to Dagnor's Cauldron

A number of dragons then appear within the hills outside the city of Qeynos and assumed mortal form. One of their number being a blue drake named Drakel took the form of a high elf, Lady Zavo Zatanov. They gather a band of adventurers to escort them to lair of Lady Vox, who is found howling in rage over the theft of the shard from Veeshans claw; left from when Veeshan struck the world in its creation.

These dragons now in mortal form from the Ring of Scale confront Carson McCabe's agent and is felled by their hands, attaining the Crystal Claw of Veeshan. Leaving the ruins of Permafrost Keep they run into the lackeys of Mayong Mistmoore that had been sent to escort Kivgor Illbriar back to the halls of Castle Mistmoore. A battle ensues between the dragons and their adventurous allies against the agents of Mistmoore who are driven off, with Lord Galendore left slain. At the commencement of their victory they are asked to aid them in a ceremony that would be performed within the confines of the Rathe Mountains.

At the Rathe Mountains the members of the Ring of Scale that are present begin preparations for their ceremony that will forever rend the veil, and awaken dragons all across the face of Norrath from their slumber. However, before the ceremony can even take place Mayong Mistmoore arrives confronting the dragons and their allies.

Three of the dragons who had now assumed their true form are slain before the gathered adventurers can drive Mayong from the Mountain Passes. With the ceremony now in ruin Lady Zavo asks for a volunteer to sacrifice himself and keep the Crystal Claw of Veeshan in safe keeping, who was then dubbed "The Scaled Claw".

After the above, Plane of Sky is opened as some of you will remember - (kinda like a GU before Kunark)
Around this time the first fist of light began their propagander campaign! So check and double check sources if you are using any of it as a lead

Sirutill wrote:

Its a great story, but what does Lore from EQ1 AFTER the time split have to do with EQ2?

Rainmare@Oasis wrote:

The Queen Cristanos Thex on the Nerriak throne now isn't the origional. Read the obelisks in Fallen Gate and you'll see the names of a succession of Kings and Queens. The current queen took the name Cristanos to help legitimize her rule just like the last king took Terris's name. Though the current queen has been there a long time.
Teren was a young elf who wasn't the leader of the Firona Vie outpost, he was just one of the guards. He managed to survive and pull together the survivors from FV and the Overthere outposts. Elves do seem to have long lives so he's probably reaching either his prime or just after his prime now.
If you check the hollow tree house just outside of New Tunaria you'll meet a very old Fier'dal enchanter who is nearing the end of his life. Old age hasn't been kind to him. Yes elves can die of old age. Meeting Firona Vie you notice a slight change in her hair, a little white instead of all gold like it was in EQ1.
Elves live for long periods, they arn't immortal.

Meirril wrote:

This is still the same Christanos from EQlive though.

personally I never put any stock into those statues since Neriak was released. the same stuff of those statues were supposed to be of leaders after Cristanos/Naythanox from Eq1....adn we know Cristanos in Eq2 is the same one. so unless she was dethroned, and those leaders kept her dethroned, until recently so I never much put any stock in them now.
Teren was the Paladin guildmaster in Eq1 at the outpost. him and two others were the 'leaders' of the outpost, I could have sworn...maybe I am wrong on that one though.
But even so we have notes that even the one elf from the Tarton's Wheel story...he was at the very least, around 3k+ years ago. he even talks in teh story like he was there when Inny stole the original monarchs...that would put him in the Elder Age.
though yeah he probably has done things to extend his life...and Elizeran seemed to live from the lost age to the age of destiny..it seems at the very least, elves can live several thousand years.
which still makes me think Tserrina's actions then were impatient, rushed actions which simply makes no sense to me at all for someone from a noble family in Neriak. all the intriuge, backstabing, status mongering that occurs in that city would have to ingrain patience and VERY careful preparation...and paranoia. if you don't have those you end up dead.
some of her comments and actions seem to indicate she's relatively young when her and mayong split....which simply makes her using an essence to attempt immortality strangly out of context. like it was a impulse omg moment rather then a carefully studied and thought out attempt.
and compare that to the actions of Opal, Cristanos, Talvus, the prisoner in PoJ from eq1, Layns, her mentor, virtually every other dark elf we've encountered. They plan for decades, centuries, and are careful and meticulous. everythign we hear about Teir'dal society says that if you don't act like that, you end up with someone's dagger in your back.
So why would Mayong even be interested in an apparently noble girl who hasn't the apparent sense to self preservation of a goblin?

Meirril wrote:

before sweetie, the plane of sky came out just before kunark

Rainmare@Oasis wrote:

fixed for ya.
As for Mayongs fascination with Tserrina... i believe he indeed was using her for her studies. Something she must have stumbled upon while doing her research for immortality. Something that he either was interested in himself or took to while she was creating her experiments. Him actualy loving her was his manipulation i'd think as he's shown his love for power rules over most any woman except for maybe Xanne.

Hey can you give me the line about her seeking immortality? I can't seem to find any reference to it and i don't want to end up burning this in my mind like the dracoliche stuff
Cheers!

Sirutill wrote:

It's in the book that you gain after you finish the quest Tserrina's Strife. You get the starter book in the Library in ToFS. Find the pages, kill the Shadowed Tome, and you get the journal. It's also needed for the general quest for the whole tower, The Tower of Frozen Shadow. When you get the journal, it dings that quest.
Tserrina had been looking for a way to gain immortality. She had found a creature, never stated what it was, that she'd been searching for a long time and gained it's essence. After taking that essence into herself, she noticed no changes, and figured it just didn't work. Hop to the time with Mayong, he tried to turn her into a vampire, the essence in her made the change odd, and she wound up as she is now with the wings etc. Even Mayong had no idea she had that in her and accused her of being not of pure Tier'Dal blood and figures she'd ruin his rep in Neriak with rumors and lies. He sealed her in the tower, she had a hissy fit, trapped all of the guests and servants, they can't leave either, and there you have it.

Thank you for this! I still need to get two more levels before I journey back to that wretched place - looking forward to getting my hands on that book!

Tserrina was at one time called the "Enchantres of Neriak", so she would of been an enchanter, one of the old EQ1 classes, not a Necromancer. Probably one of the best of the Spurned, I wonder if she ever knew Najena?
Both were in good favor with King Naythox Thex.