Isle of Ro

[Descolin]

<div></div><div></div><div></div>Curious how the Isle of Ro compares to the original Desrt of Ro in EQLive. Wandering around the SInking Sands for the first time today I noticed many half buried ruins and whatnot, veyr interesting. What isthe backstory to this, what are these the remains of, and is there more of this stuff around that is even more interesting?Edit:Also, I found a number of these objects in the river leading to the see in the Croc caves. I am goofy and found them interesting, they were scattered all over the bottom of the stream/river.Edit:Scratch the above edit...croc traps >.<<p>Message Edited by Descolin on <span class="date_text">03-13-2006</span><span class="time_text">07:39 PM</span></p>

[Cusashorn]

<div></div><div>I know that Mary the Prophet is going to come in here and post that map she made where she copy-and-pasted the North Ro-Oasis of Marr-South Ro zones from EQlive over the Sinking Sands map and try to point out where everything fits, but in actuality the Sinking Sands are far too drastically changed to acurately compair it.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>All these ruins and stuff that you see scattered around the Sinking Sands were once part of the Silent City and Living Tombs of the city of Ahket Aken. A race of elves calling themselves the Sul'Dal used to live there aeons ago. They're not connected in any way to the Elves of Takish'Hiz from EQlive.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Oh and those are crocodile traps. You gotta disarm them for a quest.</div><p>Message Edited by Cusashorn on <span class="date_text">03-13-2006</span><span class="time_text">09:34 PM</span></p>

[Descolin]

Dang, was hoping it was something interesting. Now I feel silly >.<<div></div>

[Atmosphear1993]

<div></div><p>The only "familiar" part of the Isle of Ro would be the dock area before the large cliffs.  There you will find the spectre tower and what remains of the Desert of Ro from EQ1.  After you scale the cliffs onto the main desert area in SS, it is all new territory.  In fact, that is the area where you could not access in EQ1 since the cliffs were too high at that time.</p><p>The orc highway is vaguely related to the player named orc highway from EQ1.</p>

[Mary the Prophetess]

<div></div><div></div><p>Just for you Cusashorn. [winks]</p><p>Seriously, The two maps 'line-up' with several points common to both.  The Spectre Tower, and the docks to Kunark specifically.</p><p>Also included on the map are the EQoA locations for <strong>Takih 'Hiz</strong>, <strong>Takish 'Xiv</strong>, and <strong>Haciel Roven 'Dal</strong>.</p><p>However, to make the EQoA maps 'fit' they had to be compressed narrower than they are presented in EQoA.</p><p>I still maintain that the fit is reasonable and acceptable, although my learned colleague disagrees with me.</p><p> </p><p><strong><u>The Overlay:</u></strong></p><p> </p><p><a href="http://eq2players.station.sony.com/en/image_view.vm?imageId=539205#" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://eq2images.station.sony.com/000/001/043/441.jpg" height="768" alt="EQ2 Isle of Ro overlaid with EQ Live Deserts of Ro" width="698"></a></p><p> <strong><u>EQoA Map without distortion:</u></strong></p><p> </p><p><a href="http://eq2players.station.sony.com/en/image_view.vm?imageId=539207#" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://eq2images.station.sony.com/000/001/043/445.jpg" alt="EQoA map of the Deserts of Ro" height="768" width="593"></a></p><p>I have come to respect the views of Cusashorn, and am not trying to suggest that my interpretation is the only one, or even the correct one.  You are free to judge for yourself.</p><p>Message Edited by Mary the Prophetess on <span class="date_text">03-13-2006</span><span class="time_text">09:13 PM</span></p>

[Cusashorn]

<div>All I'm saying is that the spectre tower and the docks are the *ONLY* things still actually in thier places. The The rest of North and South Ro are completely submerged in water and off the map though.</div><div> </div><div>And since the western wall in Oasis of Marr that lead nowhere in EQlive is now the Pillars of Flame, that means that the Oasis of Marr map has to be stretched out further to accurately portray Sinking Sands.</div>

[lillin]

<div></div>The spectre tower, fully equiped with spectres =), and an ldon like zone.  Was there anything else in Ro worth intrest?  They put the good stuff in and added the new stuff to compensate for rather boring zones in eq1.

[Y]

While it's always interesting to see how closely some parts of EQ2 resemble EQ1, I for one am thankful that not everything lines up perfectly. If it did, EQ2 would feel rather more confined than it already does.That said, if you get the chance, check out the revamped Desert of Ro in EQ1. It's a rather nice re-envisioning of the original, imo <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /><div></div>

[Mary the Prophetess]

<div></div><p>Looking at the maps of all three EQ time periods, EQoA, EQ Live, and EQ2, I notice that the location of Tak 'Xiz [North]  from EQoA,  The LDoN dungeon entrance for Takish 'Hiz,  and the EQ2 entrance for the Clefts of Rujark [East], are all almost exactly lined up.</p><p>EQoA has Takish 'Hiz located further to the south than it's entrance is in LDoN suggests, but it lists the following other locations along with it.  One, Tak 'Xiz [North], is located almost exactly at the same spot as Takish 'Hiz in LDoN, and the Clefts of Rujark [East] in EQ2.</p><p>Tak 'Xiz [North]</p><p>Tak 'Xiz [South]</p><p>Tak 'Xiv [West] (although there is no Tak 'Xiv [East] that I could find)</p><p>Takish 'Hiz</p><p>Holciel Rowen 'Dal</p><p>Takish 'Hiz, and Holciel Rowen 'Dal, exist in the lore from both EQoA, and EQ Live. But Tak 'Xiz, and Tak 'Xiv, are totally unknown to me.  They are listed as zones in EQoA, (as is Takish 'Hiz).  I have never run across a reference to either of them in EQ Live or EQ2. </p><p>Are there any EQoA players that can add anything about these places?</p>

[dalaorn_eq2]

<div></div><div></div>The majority of land area in those zones whose names started with Tak' were vast wilderness, a cross between charred and burned boreal forest, rolling plains dotted with rocks and burnt-down trees, and creeping desert -- no doubt remnants of the burning of the Elddar that spread somewhat beyond Takish'Hiz itself.  There were a few small treehouse villages where elf scout and occasional druid NPCs would hang out.  As far as the native fauna is concerned, a lot of it consisted of bears, wolves, elvish-like centaurs known as sylvans (sylvan druids and sylvan rangers, they were likely Tunarian in nature yet aggressive to everyone, unlike the centaurs of the Karanas who were generally indifferent to outsiders and whose upper bodies and faces were more humanlike in appearance), emerald and jade drakes, green slimes and blobs, and many, many treants who all liked to give my necromancer a hard time for just being there.  They were nice zones to visit once in a while but you rarely ever saw people there unless they were doing certain epic quests for out-of-the-way quest spawns.Being mostly wilderness in the unsettled outskirts of Takish'Hiz, there probably wouldn't really be any significant lore on those areas, and were probably just elvish names for certain parts of the former Elddar.edit: I also just noticed "Holciel Rowan'Dal" is listed down around the Burial Mounds zone on your map, but it was the Tomb Of Kings (way way way up north, also on your map) where you saw any of those skeletons named like "holciel commoner", "holciel bureaucrat", etc.  In fact I don't remember anything really vaguely elvish in the Burial Mounds zone, just an old graveyard with skeletons and ghosts and the occasional dark elf NPC rummaging around old graves.  And who were the Rowan'Dal?  The word itself is certainly very, very familiar, but I've never heard any actual lore on them.  Doing a google search for both Rowen'Dal and Rowan'Dal and other possible spellings yields just EQOA sites.  If they were the desert elves, then who were the Sul'Dal?<div></div><p>Message Edited by dalaorn_eq2 on <span class="date_text">03-19-2006</span><span class="time_text">02:28 AM</span></p><p>Message Edited by dalaorn_eq2 on <span class="date_text">03-19-2006</span><span class="time_text">02:28 AM</span></p>

[Mordock of the Highwynd]

<div></div><p>Hociel Rowen Dal <strong>is</strong> Tomb of Kings.</p><p>Where it says Befallen, it isn't.  This is Tomb of Light/Marr's Fist/Present day Val'Marr.</p><p>Tak Xiv is what is left of the Elddar.  Proudpine Outpost is located here.</p><p>Takish Hiz is well...Takish Hiz...</p><p>If you have anymore questions pretaining to EQOA Ro, let me know.</p>

[Pyrrhx]

<div></div><div></div><p>On your map:</p><p>Tomb of kings is Holciel</p><p>Befallen is temple of light (but still prob befallen; not Val'marr.. Val'marr is closer to FP in eqoa)</p><p>What is listed as temple of light is actually mulins reach.</p><p>Message Edited by Pyrrhx on <span class="date_text">03-20-2006</span><span class="time_text">02:05 AM</span></p>

[Mary the Prophetess]

<div></div><div></div><div></div><p>I am not sure if the difference between 'Tomb of the Crown', and 'Tomb of the Kings', is of any significance, although the text suggests that Holciel Rowen 'Dal lies to the West of Takish 'Hiz, rather than to the North (as you have suggested), or to the South (as I suggested). </p><p>However, the skeletons being named 'Holciel' at the 'Tomb of the Kings' in EQoA would seem to be definitive evidence to me that the 'Tomb of the Kings', (and <strong>not</strong> the 'Burial Mounds' listed on the map), is Holciel Rowen 'Dal.  I'll make the change on my map.  Many thanks.</p><p>Now, on to Befallen, and Castle Val 'Marr.</p><p>I am still uncertain if the 'Temple of Light' on the EQoA map is supposed to be Befallen, or Castle Val 'Marr. </p><p>One thing I <em><strong>am</strong></em> certain of, is that initially, Befallen was Ardathium.  They are the same place. </p><p>Additionally,  I am certain that Castle Val 'Marr, and Ardathium/Befallen were <strong><em>not</em></strong> the same site.</p><p>I am also (fairly) certain that by the time of EQoA, Ardathium had already become Befallen.  Ardathium fell at the end of the Age of Monuments, in about the same period of time that Takish 'Hiz did. </p><p>By the time of EQoA, (which is near the beginning of the Age of Enlightenment, I believe),  Castle Vall 'Marr was first occupied, and was an active, occupied site.</p><p>So:</p><p>Is the 'Temple of Light' active and occupied in EQoA, or is it full of undead?  It certainly occupies a site that corresponds, (roughly), with where Befallen <em>should</em> be.  However, if it is not full of undead, then either it is not Befallen,</p><p> -or-</p><p>The transformation of Ardathium into Befallen had not yet occured, and I am reasonably certain that by the Age of Enlightenment, that it had.</p><p>I need some further clarification.</p><p>__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________</p><p> </p><p>The following is an excerpt from the EQoA official lore site concerning the Tombs of the Crown:</p><p>__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________</p><font size="2"><p>When a village, town, or city is built, the builders must take into consideration not only the living occupants, but also the dead. Takish`Hiz was no exception. <b>Off to the <u>West</u>, within the Serpent’s Spine, the tomb and catacombs of Takish`Hiz were built. It was named Holciel Rowen`Dal, roughly translating to Tomb of the Crown.</b></p><p>For hundreds of years the honored dead of Takish`Hiz were brought to Holciel Rowen`Dal and laid to rest. Commoners, lesser nobles, nobles of houses close to the throne, and royalty were all brought to the tomb, carried there by family members and servants along the Road of the Dead in great processions. The tomb was divided among the social castes and each Elf had his place.</p><p>After the forest of Elddar fell to the advance of the burning sands, most of the elves of Takish`Hiz left Tunaria for new lands, desperate to escape the wrath of the spiteful god who envied Tunare and her creations. Not all left however. Many remained, believing that the forest could be restored to its former glory. Though hundreds died and their bodies were swallowed by the sands, hundreds more were taken to Holciel Rowen`Dal. In these dark times the Tomb was visited now more than ever, and even though the sands buried the Road of the Dead, the Elves still remembered its path.</p><p>Takish`Hiz remained, under the oppression of the desert’s intense heat and biting sands. The Elves were forlorn as experiments to restore Elddar were unsuccessful. Their numbers dwindled year after year, the Elves now desperate. It was then that the Teir`Dal appeared and made war on Takish`Hiz, the home of their ancient enemies. With Al`Karad’s defeat, Takish`Hiz was doomed. Great battles were fought, but in the end the tide of darkness that were the Teir`Dal overcame the elves, slaughtering all who could not escape.</p><p>The Dark Elves began the looting and defiling of the ancient Elf city. Treasure was, and still is, being shipped to Neriak. Through their exploration of the city, they also learned of Holciel Rowen`Dal, and began the looting of the catacombs, as did the greedy and opportunistic Human nomads from the north. Treasure was to be found in great quantities there, though that was not all that was found. The dead were not always restful, and the spirits of the Kings and Queens still haunted the halls. And now, to this day, treasure hunters come from afar to take their chances in the catacombs in search of precious Elven artifacts and glory.</p><p>Rumors, lies and half-truths abound in many circles on Tunaria regarding the whereabouts and details of the Tomb of the Crown. What is clear is that any journey to the tomb is perilous in and of itself. Fearsome creatures of all sizes lurk in the Desert of Ro; one can only hope that they are few when crossing it in search of the gorge that leads to the tomb. <b>Scorchstone Gorge </b>was once not so scorched. The forest still stood near by when a site for the tomb was being sought. The gorge was hidden from casual travelers and no creature lairs were found in its walls, making it a prime site for the construction.</p><p>Solusek Ro’s curse of the forest also affected the gorge. Plant life withered and was swept away by the winds while the small creatures that lived there moved on or died. Now the gorge is inhabited by deadly beasts as well as other competing treasure hunters, not to mention the dead that wander from the tomb to seek out and destroy the living.</p><p>Without Takish`Hiz and the Elven people to link the spirits to their former selves, they have become lost and bitter. The spirits are now spectral beings that haunt the catacombs and consume any life they can find. The bodies of unfortunate adventurers are risen and guard the tombs from intrusion. Not only death lurks around every corner, but also the curse of unlife if one is unlucky enough to fall victim to the wrath of a spirit king. However, Elven treasure is still to be found, and few can refuse the compelling promise of glory.</p><p><font size="3">__________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ </font></p></font><p><span class="time_text"></span> </p><p>Message Edited by Mary the Prophetess on <span class="date_text">03-20-2006</span><span class="time_text">10:11 AM</span></p>

[Pyrrhx]

<div><strong>"Off to the <u>West</u>, within the Serpent’s Spine, the tomb and catacombs of Takish`Hiz were built. It was named Holciel Rowen`Dal, roughly translating to Tomb of the Crown"</strong></div><div><strong></strong> </div><div>Here's the problem.  Tomb of Kings is in roughly the correct location on the map.. the problem however is that the map does not show the rest of the serpent spine mountains that the Tomb was cut into.  The serpent spine mountains ran all the way down to the Desert Hate, where there was a small gap.. then continued on into the serpent hills.  So..</div><div> </div><div>Off to the west within the serpent's spine (which is still west) the tombs were built.. although they were built further north from true west.</div><div> </div><div><strong>"Scorchstone Gorge </strong>was once not so scorched"</div><div>This is the northern Gorge along the Serpent's Spine</div><div> </div><div>As to Val'marr~befallen..</div><div> </div><div>Here's what I offer:</div><div> </div><div>Val'marr as it exists in EQ2 is a stand alone keep surrounded by rivers to the N, E, W.  Temple of Light in EQOA was cut into the side of a Mountain and surrounded by plains, much like Stormhold.  Temple of Light at this point in time is full of the living.  **Of note there is a Fist shaped statue reminiscent of the statue that can be found in the main room of Stormhold (not identical, but certainly similar) </div><div> </div><div>Just North of FP in EQOA there is a small keep accessible by two bridges which is home to Paladins and Clerics of Marr.  My best guess is that is the EQOA equivalent of Val'marr, and at some point the geography changed.</div><div> </div><div>So basically:  is it more believable that the geography changed pushing what i propose as Val'marr away from the coast further inland or that the entire Internal structure within the Temple of Light shot out of the mountain and appeared above ground? </div>

[Mary the Prophetess]

<div></div><div></div><div></div><p>Geographically, it makes more sense for the Temple of Life = Ardathium/Befallen. </p><p>The fly in the ointment is the time scale. </p><p>Ardathium <strong><em>should</em></strong> have become Befallen by the time of EQoA, and therefore full of undead.  However, the Temple of Light in EQoA, which is certainly occupying the correct location geographically, is <strong><em>not </em></strong>full of the undead, but instead is an active, occupied location.</p><p>I am not sure how to explain that.</p><p>By the way, Scorchstone Gorge is (I believe) the common name for Holciel Rowen 'Dal.  At least that is the way I read it.</p><p>As to the location of the small keep for Clerics and Paladins North of Freeport, that too makes sense as being the EQoA equivilent of Castle Val 'Marr, and the upeavals of The Rending may be able to explain the diffirence between it's EQoA location (slightly north of Freeport),  and the location of the ruins in EQ2, which, (I believe), are to the west of Freeport.</p><p>However, I think we can pretty much nail down the Tomb of Kings in EQoA as definately being Holciel Rowen 'Dal.</p><p><span class="time_text"></span> </p><p>Message Edited by Mary the Prophetess on <span class="date_text">03-20-2006</span><span class="time_text">02:04 PM</span></p>

[Pyrrhx]

<div></div><p>Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you using:</p><p><u><font color="#ff3300">The Lost City of Ardathium: Volume II</font></u></p><p>It is an account during the age of Monuments, correct?  Then why:</p><ul><li>Do humans and half-elves exist?  They would not have existed in that age.</li></ul><p>Further.  As I understood it, the BBC was brought back to befallen with the curse of Opalla which eventually caused the curse of undeath.. and when the Sword was taken to Stormhold it caused the same curse there. </p><p>Point being:  Humans were living and involved with the downfall of both fortresses, telling me that the timeline is off, and that Befallen fell much later than the point in time you are using. </p><p>It seems possible to me that what ever befell Befallen could be in it's beginning stages in EQOA, thus in what I've guessed to be Befallen, there are still the living.</p>

[Mary the Prophetess]

<div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><p>That's an excellent point, and, yes, I was using the Lost City of Ardathium, [from EQ Live (lore found in books in the Library on the Plane of Knowledge)], as a reference.</p><p><u>From Volume II:</u><font size="2"></font></p><p><font size="2"><font color="#ffff00">[</font><em><font color="#ffff00">In the first years to crown the <strong>Monument Age</strong>, the fortress of Ardathium was erected in the Northernmost fields outside the Elddar Forest. Established by the Half-Elven Paladin, Countess Vianny, Ardathium would be the <strong>first of the great monuments established in the name of Mithaniel Marr throughout all of Norrathian history.</strong> Dedicated soley to the crusades of the Truthbringer, in the name of Valor, Honor, and Truth, Ardathium was one of Norrath's most beautiful, though tragically <strong>short-lived</strong>, treasures</font></em><font color="#ffff00">.]</font></font></p><p>It would certainly help this time-line problem if the events in the books took place near the Age of Enlightenment instead of the Age of Monuments.  But all the references to Takish 'Hiz, the Elddar Forest, etc. in the volumes seem rather clear that they set the story of Ardathium in the Age of Monuments.</p><p>Something is obviously wrong with the whole time line from EQ Live.  You can't have humans existing during the Age of Monuments when they are not even supposed to have been 'enlightened' until the Age of Enlightenment.</p><p>So how do we reconcile this contradiction?</p><p>Either the Age of Enlightenment has to be redefined as the Age of  Erud and his followers and their exodus to Odus, (and allow humans to have been around from a far earlier Age), or we have to move up the  Ardathium/Opalla/Bone Bladed Claymore  stories from the Age of Monuments to the Age of Enlightenment.</p><p>If SOE came to me and asked me to re-write the inconsistencies out of their own lore, I would choose to have the humans be around from an earlier Age. </p><p>Vahlen or Jindrack,  would either one of you care to take a crack at this one?</p><p><span class="time_text"></span> </p><p><span class="time_text"></span> </p><p>Message Edited by Mary the Prophetess on <span class="date_text">03-21-2006</span><span class="time_text">11:59 AM</span></p>