December 8, 2010
Frostfell Is Here!
As the air starts to chill and the frost begins to cover the ground, Frostfell 2010 begins. Several of your fellow Norrathians have made their way to the major cities and the Plane of Knowledge and are search of adventurers willing to help them with their holiday tasks.
Frostfell will be celebrated throughout Norrath and beyond from December 8, 2010 through January 8, 2011. Various activities and events will be available at different intervals throughout the season, so make sure you join the fun early and before Frostfell goes away for another year.
New Hot Zones
A new set of Hot Zones have been created. Hot Zones offer an increase in normal adventure experience for the zone and have the additional bonus of some new content associated with them. Visit the zones below for additional experience and items. Franklin Teek and Skal Nethus in the Plane of Knowledge will have new tasks for you as well.
Special Ruleset Server Changes
The first round of changes for our special ruleset servers are complete - stay tuned for more to come:
Firiona Vie
- This server will have a permanent 50% experience bonus.
- We have removed the character slot limit - you are now allowed the same number of characters on this server as you are on standard servers.
Zek
- This server will have a permanent 50% experience bonus.
Hot Zone Highlights
The City of Guk – An ancient ruined city located off of Innothule Swamp, legend has it that Guk was once home to the trolls. The upper part of the city is fairly intact and home to numerous frogloks now.
Solusek's Eye – Located within the great volcano of the Lavastorm Mountains, Solusek's Eye is a set of caverns with molten lava and precious ores running through it. The depths of these lava-filled caverns are full of gnome miners, vicious kobolds, and fire goblins. The fire goblins and the fire giant - deeper within the caverns - are protectors of the great red dragon, Lord Nagafen.
The Crystal Caverns – Below Ry'Gorr Keep is the entrance to these ancient caverns. Much of this beautiful cave is formed from Velium, and was created when Veeshan breathed upon Velious. The snow orcs occupy the upper reaches, and have built fortifications in the caverns to prevent attack from below. Even so, orc guards commonly disappear without a trace. Horrors unknown lurk below in the unexplored areas.
Kaesora – The old city of Kaesora rest at the center of the wasteland known as the Field of Bon. It is ruled by a powerful Sarnak vampire lord named Xalgoz. Kaesora appears to be just a few ancient, ruined towers sinking into the hills of bones. In these towers and crevasses are passages, some well hidden, which lead into the buried city.
The Ruins of Old Guk – The lower levels of city is where the most ancient ruins of this fallen city can be found. Rumors persist of an undead legion of frogloks being built up in the depths of the ruins. The undead legions that inhabit the Ruins of Old Guk are malevolent toward all races. Those foolish travelers who venture into these dark, swampy catacombs without support from many of their most trusted companions will find themselves at the merciless hunger of the undead led by Hoptor Thaggelum - The Ghoul Lord.
The Howling Stones – Nestled deep in The Overthere is a place of mystery and dread for the iskar. Long ago, Charasis, the birthplace of Venril Sathir, was a cliff city of considerable power. Now, it has nothing but ruins scattered across a canyon floor. All that remains is the burial place – a tome of unspeakable horror filled with deadly pitfalls and ancient artifacts.
The Crypt of Nadox - Into the depths of the Broken Skull Rock, the hidden Crypt of Nadox lies. This crypt is the burial chamber of the undead troll shaman Nadox. Within, various shrines and temples honor Innoruuk, the god of the Broken Skull Clan. The crypt is a dangerous place to any who venture there. Also within the crypt, the ship of a dangerous pirate captain can be found in a hidden lagoon. The ship is filled with ill begotten treasure that the various troll pirate captains have gathered up over the ages.
Ssraeshza Temple – The temple of Ssraeshza is an enormous pyramid built for Emperor Ssraeshza. It was built by the Shissar to conduct rituals of the black arts undisturbed. Emperor Ssraeshza serves as both military and spiritual leader for the Shissar Empire, and demands both respect and fear from his subjections. The temple is rumored to hold treasures of a dreadful era long since past in Kunark's history.
Torden, Bastion of Thunder - The Bastion of Thunder is located in the Plane of Storms, hovering within an immense volcanic mountain that rises above the silver blanket of perpetual storm that coats the land below. The highest reaches of the snow-covered fortress disappear into the gray either of upper stratospheric storms.
Drunder, Fortress of Zek - Also known as the Plane of Tactics, Drunder is the large stone stronghold that towers above the Field of Blood within the Plane of War, fitted on a scale appropriate to the home of the Zek deities. The upper halls of Drunder are protected by the Diaku, the elite unites of Rallos Zek's grand army. The Diaku is divided into three district sub-groups, each overseen by one of the Zeks. Under Tallon Zek, the Gindan are unmatched in long range combat ability. They deploy bows as their primary tool of war, but are also deadly with all manner of melee weapons. The Hendin are commanded by Vallon Zek. They are the highly trained assassins of the Diaku, adept at attacking their victims quickly and without warning. Lastly, and arguably the most fearsome force in all of existence is the Decorus, led by none other than Rallos Zek himself. The Decorus are the most brutal and deadly warriors history has ever know, and are typically seen wielding great axes in battle with pinpoint accuracy unmatched strength.
Vergalid Mines – The Vergalid mines were built centuries ago by the giants as a combination fortress and mining outpost. The giants had to abandon their ancestral halls when the insane dragon known as Vergalid came to claim the area as its lair. The giants fought to their last defender, an old hero named Serric, who imprisoned the advancing dragon with his last ounce of strength. Vergalid has remained trapped to this day, held by the power of the arcane trap made of crystals pulled from the mines.
Zhisza, the Shissar Sanctuary – This sanctuary was created by Combine loyalists to both protect and confine the Shissar. It was offered as a safe haven for them at the time when the Greenmist was deployed to wipe out their race. The Shissar are in the throes of a bloody revolution against their protectors.
Toskirakk - Toskirakk is the original capital city of the ogres and the mightiest bastion of the ancient Rallosian Empire. The slave-mine within is a platinum mine where much of the currency used in Norrath's future would originate. With the growing dominance of their Empire, few outsiders remain as free people and the slave warrens grow crowded.
Kaesora Library – The great war between the Sebilisian Empire and the Ring of Scale marks a high point of focus for the forces of discord. If Norrath's timeline can be corrupted at this point, they could usurp the warlike iksar and integrate them into their world-destroying armies. The iksar would be used as shock-troopers to make first planet fall in the "discord-riders" future campaigns. With this as the goal, a resourceful discord enchanter has been sent through the rift to beguile the iksar leaders with promises of power and conquest and to ply them with weapons powerful enough to defeat the Ring of Scale's dragons. The Kaesora library was the location were the iksar's Council of Eight met up with the minions of discord to discuss an offer that would help them against the Ring of Scale.
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