Signature Quest Conclusion (Spoilers.. etc.)

[Maergoth]

<p>Normally I save the suprise for those daring enough to take on the challenge.. but after that 8 hour attempt with some of the best players worldwide in Palace of Ferzhul.. I think this falls along the lines of "Sharing for us that can never see it."</p><p>So here it is. After clearing the first 4 rooms in Palace.. a Burst of energy left some familiar figures standing in the center room of the Palace. The Ethernauts were all accounted for, save one.</p><p>-----</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bayle </span>says to you, "Who are you?"</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You</span> say to Bayle, "I'm an adventurer from Norrath, here to stop the invasion  of the Void. Are you... the Ethernauts?"</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bayle </span>says to you, "I... thank the gods. You know who we are?"</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Bayle, "I do. We've been reading the stories written by Eylee.  We know all about you and what you did for Norrath. We just didn't know the end of the story, what happened after the stories were left with Elizerain."</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bayle </span>says to you, "Yes, you wouldn't... would you. I'm not the storyteller, so I will only tell you what is important. We were betrayed. Roadyle turned out not to be who he claimed, and he betrayed us. When the rest of the party had gone further in to investigate this palace, he incapacitated Eylee and took the Staff of Theer. We still don't know exactly who he was, but Eylee swears him for a dark skinned older human, and obviously a very powerful magician. Illisia believes she confronted the same man once before, in a very strange encounter in the Eternal Prism."</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Bayle, "It has to have been Miragul... No wonder he had so many of the runes."</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bayle </span>says to you, "I don't know. The name means nothing to me. It could have been. What matters is that we didn't have the Staff anymore. Without it, we didn't know what to do. We'd come so far, and severed every tether but this one. But then Fiddlewiz suggested that maybe we could overload it with all of the energy that Asharae's device, the Scryona, had consumed. I couldn't tell you his exactly logic, but basically he said that the devices were set up to only deal with so much energy, and more of that would be too much."</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Bayle, "And that worked?"</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bayle </span>says to you, "We've never known exactly what happened. For a few moments, we had to argue about it with Asharae. She maintained it would probably destroy the Scryona, and she clutched it like a woman might a child. We weren't sure whether we had persuaded her, but in that moment, we were set on by void men from all sides, and in the distance, their mistress, Anashti Sul, screamed at them stop us. "</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bayle</span> says to you, "The rest of us turned to fight, shouting at her to do what was necessary to save Norrath. Even little Fiddlewiz and Twiddy gave it their all. We fought believing we would die, focusing only on keeping them away from Asharae. Fortunately, she made the right decision, and I could hear her chanting in a magical language behind us. And then finally, we were surrounded by a shock wave of orange energy."</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Bayle, "And?"</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bayle </span>says to you, "It did... something. All of the portals exploded... and everything else, including the anchor, seemed to go to sleep. Whatever we did, it worked, and Anashati was screaming foully at us. We had all been thrust in different directions by the shockwave, spinning in the Void. It took time to find everyone again, but in time, we did."</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Bayle, "That's good to hear."</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bayle </span>says to you, "Since then, we've done our best to fight the voidmen. It became clear that we weren't going to age, and we weren't going to die of natural causes, but I believe that if we had been killed by the voidmen, we wouldn't have come back. Where we would have gone? I don't know..."</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Bayle, "What a horrible existence..."</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bayle </span>says to you, "It's not been fun, no. But, well, it's hard to describe. While I can remember many, many things having happened since I left Norrath, it all blurs together, and it always feels as if we stepped in here only yesterday. "</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Bayle, "Wow..."</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bayle </span>says to you "How long has it been?"</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Bayle, "More than a thousand years... The world has changed dramatically."</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bayle </span>says to you, "More than a thousand years... I see.."</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Bayle, "The Bayle line is well known, now. The name is borne by kings and queens."</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bayle </span>says to you, "So Danaria's son grew to be a man? And the Bayle line has continued...? I... I can't hear anymore, I'm sorry. We need to focus on what needs to be done. We have come here, and you have come here, to sever Anashti Sul's link to Norrath."</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Bayle, "Yes, yes that's why I'm here."</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bayle </span>says to you, "She has the assistant of a mage named Varsoon. He is from Norrath as well, though long after we were there."</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Bayle, "Yes, the mage Varsoon is well known in Norrath. So he ended up in the Void?"</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bayle </span>says to you, "Yes, and was then recruited by Anashti to do her bidding and help her construct portals that would not only allow her to return to Norrath, but also to bring her army and all of the power the Void has given her."</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Bayle, "I see..."</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bayle </span>says to you, "Both of them need to be overcome in order for her to be stopped. We've known that we couldn't take them both, but with your help, it can be done. It is our place to take on Anashti Sul, but you should confront Varsoon. We will  take the Staff of Theer with us and use it to destroy her final anchor."</p><p> <span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Bayle, "Here you go."</p><p>(1227869777)[Fri Nov 28 05:56:17 2008] You give Bayle aITEM -1593079514 1734347460:Staff of Theer/a.</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bayle </span>says to you, "If we survive this, we will meet back here. If not... then peace be with you."</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Bayle, "And with you."</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bayle </span>says to you, "There is nothing more that we wish for more than that."</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Bayle, "I can imagine."</p><p>----------------</p><p>Upon the slaying of Varsoon.. a cutscene ensues. The Ethernauts defeat Anashti Sul, at least for the time being.. and they finally give into the void, ceasing to exist.</p><p>After speaking with <strong>FONDFATE</strong>, he thanks you for tieing the ends tight on a story that has captured the old gnome's attention. He rewards you with some finely crafted replicas of Ethernaut equipment, and tells you Antonia might want to hear this.</p><p>-----------------</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say, "Hail, Antonia Bayle"</p><p><span style="color: #00ccff;">Antonia </span>Bayle says to you, "Hello, Maergoth, you bear good news, I hope?"</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Antonia Bayle, "I do. I have worked with the Scholars of the Lost to loosen the Void's hold on Norrath."</p><p><span style="color: #33cccc;">Antonia </span>Bayle says to you, "It does my heart good to hear it. Tell me, how did it all happen?"</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Antonia Bayle, "You've heard nothing of the events, Antonia?"</p><p><span style="color: #00ccff;">Antonia </span>Bayle says to you, "Well, I have, but it would do me honor to hear it from the lips of the actual hero."</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Antonia Bayle, "Of, of course. Well, we managed to restore the artifact that the Ethernauts used to close the portals in the past... The Staff of Theer... and used it to destroy the first two anchors holding the Void to Norrath."</p><p><span style="color: #00ccff;">Antonia </span>Bayle says to you, "Do continue."</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Antonia Bayle, "We then incited a war between the Ykeshans and the Brokenskull to break the defenses the shadow-possessed trolls had enacted around the final anchor. Once that was done, I entered the Void to confront the final anchor in the Moors of Ykesha."</p><p><span style="color: #00ccff;">Antonia </span>Bayle says to you, "And then?"</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Antonia Bayle, "I actually encountered the Ethernauts themselves. They ended up trapped there when a member of their party turned out to be a betrayer -- Miragul the lich, in fact, thrust into their time when he was traveling the ether. He stole the staff, but something must have gone wrong when it tried to use it because many of the runes were gone and he had long since lost it."</p><p><span style="color: #00ccff;">Antonia </span>Bayle says to you, "Very interesting!"</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Antonia Bayle, "As it turned out, Anashti Sul was behind the invasion, and the Void lost Varsoon was working with her to transport her to Norrath with her army of shadowmen. The Ethernauts took on Anashti as my party took on Varsoon. Fortunately, we both managed to overcome our opponents."</p><p><span style="color: #00ccff;">Antonia </span>Bayle says to you, "And the Ethernauts? What became of them? I should like to talk to them, especially the one named Bayle."</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Antonia Bayle, "They... didn't come out. Anashti and everything in the room was sucked away... including them."</p><p><span style="color: #00ccff;">Antonia </span>Bayle says to you, "Oh dear, I am sorry to hear that."</p><p><span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>say to Antonia Bayle, "Hopefully they've found respite somewhere... They deserve it."</p><p><span style="color: #00ccff;">Antonia </span>Bayle says to you, "I hope so too... Well, Maergoth, you have done a great thing here today. All of Norrath should and will know of your heroism."<span style="color: #00ff00;">You </span>have been granted a new suffix title: , Hero of the Ethernauts</p>

[Cusashorn]

<p>Awesome conclusion. You mentioned a cutscene of the Ethernauts fighting Anashti... Was it an actual cut scene or were the NPCs just fighting her there?</p>

[asdfasdf]

<p>The whole story line is interesting, though not much player could finish this "Heroic" signature quest. We stuck on Varsoon for 4 days, an thank you for the rest of the story. =)</p>

[Maergoth]

<p>I wish it was an actual cutscene, but it was just a little camera zooming around the NPCs beating on anashti mindlessly for a few seconds <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Cusashorn]

<p>Well if the game for any reason takes camera focus away from your character without your actions, then it counts as a cutscene in my opinion.</p>

[Apocroph]

<p>This answers quite a few questions, but raises some at the same time.</p><p>-How did the Staff of Theer find its way away from Miragul?  The man hoarded all manner of magical objects, and this one clearly harbored some power.  Why ditch it?</p><p>-What purpose does Palace of the Ancient One serve if the Palace of Ferzhul encounter with the Ethernauts and Varsoon concludes the quest and seemingly severs Anashti's last link?</p><p>I'm now thoroughly befuddled.</p>

[Cusashorn]

<p><cite>kuraan wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>This answers quite a few questions, but raises some at the same time.</p><p>-How did the Staff of Theer find its way away from Miragul?  The man hoarded all manner of magical objects, and this one clearly harbored some power.  Why ditch it?</p><p>-What purpose does Palace of the Ancient One serve if the Palace of Ferzhul encounter with the Ethernauts and Varsoon concludes the quest and seemingly severs Anashti's last link?</p><p>I'm now thoroughly befuddled.</p></blockquote><p>It will be quite a while before I even start the signiture questline, but does it ever once say just how you ended up with the Staff of Theer for the quest? It's entirely possible that Miragul lost it sometime else along history, but I wanna know if there's any info on who recovered it and gives it to you.</p>

[Maergoth]

<p>You end up looting the staff from the first obelisk I believe. It's possible that Miragul gave it to them <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" /></p><p>And it could have been a nice cutscene, like the old EQ2 intro or the Bloodlines previews at least.. but nope, just auto attacking NPCs in movie-mode<img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Coniaric]

<p>The Staff of Theer was obtained pretty early in the quest line. Just few steps into the line at the Obelisk of Akhzul (if that's spelled correctly). The one who held the staff was over-confident and refused to hand over the staff over to Anashti when he should had ... so he lost it to us instead.</p><p>The Void recovered the staff ... at least, that's what it appeared to be during their dialogue just before the fight. Also it seemed to be a recent event or else it would be in Anashti's hands already.</p><p>I kind of doubt Miragul would just hand over the staff after he ran away with it, leaving his companions behind to face the Void, and hid out in his Menagerie in Norrath.</p>

[BleemTeam]

<p>My group WW1st this zone and the items and everything else at the end of TSO Signature Quest. FYI there was no cut-scene for us.</p>

[ke'la]

<p><cite>kuraan wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>This answers quite a few questions, but raises some at the same time.</p><p>-How did the Staff of Theer find its way away from Miragul?  The man hoarded all manner of magical objects, and this one clearly harbored some power.  Why ditch it?</p><p>-What purpose does Palace of the Ancient One serve if the Palace of Ferzhul encounter with the Ethernauts and Varsoon concludes the quest and seemingly severs Anashti's last link?</p><p>you have to remember that</p><p>I'm now thoroughly befuddled.</p></blockquote><p><span >Anashti Sul is going to be unlocked as a worshipable god, I assume via a raid of some kind... hopefully there is lore involved in how she is brought to Norrath, and that could explain the Palace of the Ancient One.</span></p>

[Cusashorn]

<p>Her prophet states that her physical destruction inside the Void itself was not part of her intentions, but by destroying her physical body, the adventurers cut the tether that held her to the Void, allowing her to return to Norrath.</p>

[Apocroph]

<p><cite>kela wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><span ><span>Anashti Sul is going to be unlocked as a worshipable god, I assume via a raid of some kind... hopefully there is lore involved in how she is brought to Norrath, and that could explain the Palace of the Ancient One.</span></span></blockquote><p>I know that, and I'm still confused.  If the Ethernauts defeat her in a group instance, what could possibly be waiting for us at the end of her palace?</p>

[troodon]

<p>Wow, portraying the only black man in the story as a liar and a thief.  Way to go, SOE. </p><p>^The above is a joke.</p>

[Apocroph]

<p><cite>troodon wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Wow, portraying the only black man in the story as a liar and a thief.  Way to go, SOE.</p></blockquote><p>And a turncoat!  Don't forget turncoat!</p>

[Cusashorn]

<p><cite>kuraan wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>kela wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><span><span>Anashti Sul is going to be unlocked as a worshipable god, I assume via a raid of some kind... hopefully there is lore involved in how she is brought to Norrath, and that could explain the Palace of the Ancient One.</span></span></blockquote><p>I know that, and I'm still confused.  If the Ethernauts defeat her in a group instance, what could possibly be waiting for us at the end of her palace?</p></blockquote><p>If they programmed it so that the prophet could be accessed on an account by account basis for anyone who completed the sig quest, then it would work just in the same way as how the Froglok race was unlocked. That way, some people could work to start worshipping her, while the rest of the server can wait for the whole server to unlock her.</p>

[Maergoth]

<p>My concerns are the ends that have yet to be tied up..</p><p>Who is Theer?</p><p>What's the deal with Everling and what's his conclusion?</p><p>No more about Soulfire?</p><p>etc.</p>

[Cusashorn]

<p><cite>Maergoth wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>My concerns are the ends that have yet to be tied up..</p><p>Who is Theer?</p><p>What's the deal with Everling and what's his conclusion?</p><p>No more about Soulfire?</p><p>etc.</p></blockquote><p>Why should any of them have anything to do with the Ethernauts?</p>

[Maergoth]

<p>They shouldn't, but after this.. we're assumed to be done with the void for a while at least. They had nothing to do with the ethernauts, but now we're left looking to a single raid zone for all those answers and I don't think we'll be getting them.</p>

[ke'la]

<p><cite>Maergoth wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>They shouldn't, but after this.. we're assumed to be done with the void for a while at least. They had nothing to do with the ethernauts, but now we're left looking to a single raid zone for all those answers and I don't think we'll be getting them.</p></blockquote><p>Other then Theer, none of those have to be connected to the Void at all... and even Theer could only have the one connection... the creation of his/her staff. The story of the void invasion is over... or will be. Besides we have a whole year of LUs that might shead more light on the subject.</p>

[Maergoth]

<p>Soulfire is Aeteok, right hand of Theer.</p><p>Everling = Kantus Mor'tael = Servant of Theer..</p><p>Also.. which race were the shadowed men before they were banished? And what was the atrocity they committed? I was told they look a lot like Jal'Raeth.. which was Rodcet's race, but that doesn't seem to make sense. Rodcets race were all turned into Nightbloods for the most part as far as we know, and they didn't seem like a race able to contradict the gods' wills so harshly.</p><p>I think these are reasonable concerns, we better have elaborations on the lot of the unanswered stuff in time</p>

[Apocroph]

<p><cite>Maergoth wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Also.. which race were the shadowed men before they were banished? And what was the atrocity they committed? I was told they look a lot like Jal'Raeth.. which was Rodcet's race, but that doesn't seem to make sense. Rodcets race were all turned into Nightbloods for the most part as far as we know, and they didn't seem like a race able to contradict the gods' wills so harshly.</p></blockquote><p>It's interesting that you mention this...  I'd been researching what I could on the Jal'Raeth, Xulous, Rodcet, Bertoxx and Anashti prior to the launch of TSO.  I sorta put it on hold hoping for some answers with the new expansion, but it's not looking like we're going to get them, so maybe I'll post my notes.</p><p>I noticed an awful lot of physical similarity between the Grathok (Void Beasts), Xulous (Shadowed Men) and Jal'Raeth.  The Grathok almost look like the Xulous were experimenting on themselves to make a more durable, almost weaponized form.  Similarly, I've always maintained that Rodcet and Bertoxxulous look an awful lot alike at times, so there's definitely something worth thinking about there.</p><p>I'll take another look at my notes and post what's relevant so we can work through it.</p>

[DrkVsr]

<p><span style="font-size: medium; color: #993300; font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">One thing ah don't understand: if the Ethernauts have been stuck in the Void for near a thousand years, how did Fiddlewiz know Antonia's name? Or was Fiddle not one of the lost Ethernauts?</span></p>

[Cusashorn]

<p><cite>DrkVsr wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; color: #993300;">One thing ah don't understand: if the Ethernauts have been stuck in the Void for near a thousand years, how did Fiddlewiz know Antonia's name? Or was Fiddle not one of the lost Ethernauts?</span></p></blockquote><p>Well, Maergoth doesn't specifically quote Fiddlewiz as saying Antonia's name. He just implies that she would like to hear it. Maybe he actually says that the current ruler would like to hear the info or something.</p>

[FreaklyCreak]

<p>Both the claymore and soulfire were revealed to be arms of Theer?</p><p>Who or what is Theer? Why is everling a servent to Theer? What are the intentions of Theer creating such powerful weapons?</p>

[missdoomcookie]

<p><cite>Cusashorn wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>DrkVsr wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; color: #993300;">One thing ah don't understand: if the Ethernauts have been stuck in the Void for near a thousand years, how did Fiddlewiz know Antonia's name? Or was Fiddle not one of the lost Ethernauts?</span></p></blockquote><p>Well, Maergoth doesn't specifically quote Fiddlewiz as saying Antonia's name. He just implies that she would like to hear it. Maybe he actually says that the current ruler would like to hear the info or something.</p></blockquote><p>I think the person mistyped and meant Professor Fondfate, who you work with for the signature quest. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> You return to him first and then he sends you back to your ruler.</p>

[Coniaric]

<p><cite>Maergoth wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Soulfire is Aeteok, right hand of Theer.</p><p>Everling = Kantus Mor'tael = Servant of Theer..</p><p>Also.. which race were the shadowed men before they were banished? And what was the atrocity they committed? I was told they look a lot like Jal'Raeth.. which was Rodcet's race, but that doesn't seem to make sense. Rodcets race were all turned into Nightbloods for the most part as far as we know, and they didn't seem like a race able to contradict the gods' wills so harshly.</p><p>I think these are reasonable concerns, we better have elaborations on the lot of the unanswered stuff in time</p></blockquote><p>I don't think it's explicitly stated that it's Rodcet's race that was turned into the Nightbloods. In the Remembrances book, the world of Prime appeared to have a large number of its population changing into creatures with similar description of a Nightblood.</p><p>And it was stated somewhere else that a world Rodcet favored highly was taken over by the Shadowed Men or the like.</p><p>Rodcet's race and Rodcet's favored race don't necessarily mean that it's the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">same</span> race. To me, Prime is more likely to be Rodcet's favorite world, not just his native world.</p>

[Thrads]

<p>Trakanon had the Chelsith Stone, which the players get, and Mayong wants.  He then states he's searching for the "Monoliths of Theer."</p><p>Soulfire is the "Right Hand of Theer" (I am Aeteok of the right hand of Theer and this is my gift to my other) which Mayong has had for a REALLY long time.  The Qeynos Claymore is the "Left Hand of Theer." </p><p>"Before his Knighthood, Vallius Bayle was a great adventurer of <a title="Norrath" href="http://forums.station.sony.com/wiki/Norrath"><span style="color: #002bb8;">Norrath</span></a>. He traveled to the Tower of Solus and the heart of <a title="Neriak, City of Hate" href="http://forums.station.sony.com/wiki/Neriak%2C_City_of_Hate"><span style="color: #002bb8;">Neriak, City of Hate</span></a>. It was while lost in Subtunaria that he happened upon the <a class="new" title="Duchy of the Dead (not yet written)" href="http://forums.station.sony.com/index.php?title=Duchy_of_the_Dead&action=edit&redlink=1"><span style="color: #ba0000;">Duchy of the Dead</span></a>, and met <a title="Soulfire" href="http://forums.station.sony.com/wiki/Soulfire"><span style="color: #002bb8;">Soulfire</span></a>. The great sword was sitting upon a stone slab with dark elf priests all around it. When the holy men departed, Vallius Bayle crept up to touch the hilt of the sword. It spoke to him, saying "I am Aeteok of the right hand of Theer and this is my gift to my other." A crimson circle appeared before Vallius and then runes appeared. Vallius would not understand this vision until his time with the <a class="new" title="Order of Marr (not yet written)" href="http://forums.station.sony.com/index.php?title=Order_of_Marr&action=edit&redlink=1"><span style="color: #ba0000;">Order of Marr</span></a>. It was then that High Lord William Taros shared his knowledge of <a title="Soulfire" href="http://forums.station.sony.com/wiki/Soulfire"><span style="color: #002bb8;">Soulfire</span></a>, and Vallius began his odyssey to learn the origin and purpose of the sword. His quest lasted a full quatrain. The path lead him to his former village kingdom and to the obelisk of shadows. (Source: Dialog from the quest <a title="Knights in the Round" href="http://forums.station.sony.com/wiki/Knights_in_the_Round"><span style="color: #002bb8;">Knights in the Round</span></a>) "</p><p>Everling - "Mor'Tael of Vul Merchant of Oblivion, Servant of Theer"</p><p>Personally I was hoping for clarification on most of these, especially on Mayong's part in this, as he's trying to save the world too, using the Monoliths of Theer.  I'm hoping something pops up after beating Zarakon, such as Mayong showing up and revealing more.</p>

[Maergoth]

<p>Corrected, sorry.. I did mean Fondfate. I just had Fiddlewiz's ridiculous flight goggles in my face while standing in the Palace of Ferzhul <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>It's hard not to let that kind of thing affect your typing <img src="/smilies/1cfd6e2a9a2c0cf8e74b49b35e2e46c7.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Apocroph]

<p><cite>Coniaric wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Rodcet's race and Rodcet's favored race don't necessarily mean that it's the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">same</span> race. To me, Prime is more likely to be Rodcet's favorite world, not just his native world.</p></blockquote><p>Especially since we have old draconic legends that say he was a native Norrathian.</p>

[Wilin]

<p>I think I know the answers to some of these things, but I need some time to digest all the new lore and integrate it into my unpublished theories.</p>

[DrkVsr]

<p><span style="font-size: medium; color: #993300; font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">Wait, wasn't General Theer the nasty ape from Planet of the Apes?</span></p>

[Lodrelhai]

<p><cite>Coniaric wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite></cite>And it was stated somewhere else that a world Rodcet favored highly was taken over by the Shadowed Men or the like.</p><p>Rodcet's race and Rodcet's favored race don't necessarily mean that it's the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">same</span> race. To me, Prime is more likely to be Rodcet's favorite world, not just his native world.</p></blockquote><p>From the plague live event last spring, when speaking to the Seeress:</p><p>You say to Seeress Ealaynya Ithis, "You have holy curatives?"Seeress Ealaynya Ithis says to you, "Yes.  I was given items and potions of a healing nature by Rodcet Nife.  They are to be used in the coming invasion of blights and pestilence."You say to Seeress Ealaynya Ithis, "People are suffering from a mysterious blight right now!"Seeress Ealaynya Ithis says to you, "So it has begun already.  I had hoped to have greater time to prepare, but alas we do not have such a luxury!  The Prime Healer warned of this coming plague.  He has encountered it before as it ravaged another world, one very dear to him.  We must thwart it before it spreads further and becomes a more virulent strain!"</p><p>So Rodcet's favored world was ravaged by plague, or what he believed to be plague, not Shadowed Men (I personally think that, if Rememberances - Prime is in fact about this world, that they were hit by both plague and Shadowed Men and he just didn't realize they were separate forces).</p><p>Kuraan also said the Xulous are the Shadowed Men - where did that come up?  Last I heard, the Xulous were destroyed by Bertoxxulous and the undead he raised from them taken with their royal crypt to the Plane of Disease.  The Shadowed Men have been hinted as having been an ancient race, predating the Shissar, who so offended the gods they were banished to oblivion.</p>

[Daine]

<p>A 'plague' doesn't have to mean a 'disease.'  The Bible had plagues of locusts, frogs, etc., it's possible that the Seeress didn't just refer to the diseases.  The diseases started around the time the Void beasts started invading, perhaps she knew of both the disease and the invasion.  I think it's possible to have a plague of Shadowed Men  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/385970365b8ed7503b4294502a458efa.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Lodrelhai]

<p>While a plague can refer to other things besides diseases, the Seeress spends the previous paragraph refering to diseases and the curatives the Prime Healer gave her for them.  And invasions typically do not develop into "a more virulent strain".</p><p>Technically, she did know something about the Void invasion - she asked for the Ab'l Hayat because she'd had a vision that it would be useful, and while it did nothing for the illness being spread by Bertoxxulous's people, it did free the creatures trapped by the Void storms a month later.  Still, this was something she asked for - Rodcet did not include it among the original cures and items he gave her.  Ergo, it was not a possibility he was considering, and not the plague he expected to be unleashed on Norrath.  Nor was it how she expected the Ab'l Hayat to be used - she had us try it on the diseased first, and only gave us the syrum Rodcet originally gave her after the Ab'l Hayat failed.  It was only after adventurers brought her word of the Void Storms that she connected them to her vision of the Ab'l Hayat.</p>

[Apocroph]

<p><cite>Lodrelhai wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Kuraan also said the Xulous are the Shadowed Men - where did that come up?  Last I heard, the Xulous were destroyed by Bertoxxulous and the undead he raised from them taken with their royal crypt to the Plane of Disease.  The Shadowed Men have been hinted as having been an ancient race, predating the Shissar, who so offended the gods they were banished to oblivion.</p></blockquote><p>From that same live event, actually.</p><p align="left"><em>When he spoke, I couldn't understand what he said, and I merely stared up at him with a mixture of curiosity and terror. He seemed to wiggle something near his ear, and then when he spoke, I heard clearly:</em></p> <p align="left"><em>"Is there disease here? Has the Xulous force reached this world?"</em></p><p align="left">So unless we have two world-hopping multi-dimensional demolition forces warping around the galaxy, I'd say that's a pretty strong link.</p>

[Lodrelhai]

<p><cite>kuraan wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Lodrelhai wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Kuraan also said the Xulous are the Shadowed Men - where did that come up?  Last I heard, the Xulous were destroyed by Bertoxxulous and the undead he raised from them taken with their royal crypt to the Plane of Disease.  The Shadowed Men have been hinted as having been an ancient race, predating the Shissar, who so offended the gods they were banished to oblivion.</p></blockquote><p>From that same live event, actually.</p><p align="left"><em>When he spoke, I couldn't understand what he said, and I merely stared up at him with a mixture of curiosity and terror. He seemed to wiggle something near his ear, and then when he spoke, I heard clearly:</em></p> <p align="left"><em>"Is there disease here? Has the Xulous force reached this world?"</em></p><p align="left">So unless we have two world-hopping multi-dimensional demolition forces warping around the galaxy, I'd say that's a pretty strong link.</p></blockquote><p>That's not from a live event, that's from the story of <a href="http://eq2players.station.sony.com/news_archive_content.vm?month=062008&id=1751" target="_blank">Rodcet Nife's first appearance on Norrath.</a>  And note he asks "Is there disease here?" - seems to me he's chasing the forces of the God of Disease.  Which again ties back to what the Seeress said that a world Rodcet Nife held dear was ravaged by a plague.  Please note what comes in the next paragraph (emphasis mine):</p><p><em><span>It was as if speaking broke the spell. Some people panicked, running from the sight, while others drew swords and nocked their arrows. Still others yelled that we should talk because he had come to save us,<strong> for as it happened disease had swept through a neighboring region </strong>and claimed lives with the unbiased carnage of a great fire.</span></em></p><p>Disease.  Not invasion, not strange creatures or a black tower, not people disappearing.  Rodcet Nife is chasing Bertoxxulous, not Shadow Men.  While I do think that the Plaguebringer has been blamed for things which weren't entirely his doing (he's taken advantage of the kind of fear and uncertainty which accompanies a Void invasion to promote his own goals), Rodcet thinks it's all on him, and the disease is the only thing he's concerned about.</p><p>The Xulous are BERTIE'S people, not Anashti's.  Yes, we DO have two world-hoppingl demolition forces, one of which appears (to me at least) to be an opportunistic parasite which dives in on an already-weakened world to take advantage.  The difference is that one comes from the Void and one from the Plane of Disease.  We've also had a planet-sized dragon world-hopping around out there dropping kids off left and right, and a demolition force from Norrath that invaded the god-planes long before modern Norrathians got spanked for doing the same.  It's not a new theme, because having a god backing you up precludes the need for spaceships or time-space warping technology.  And taking advantage of a weakened state is what most diseases DO, so it makes perfect sense to me that the God of Disease and his minions would do the same on a massive scale.</p><p>editted to add last paragraph</p>

[glowsintheda]

<p>I think it is fairly obvious how miragul lost the staff of Theer.  In Scion of Ice in the room with the 2 Sphinx there is a void beast frozen in ice throwing around the little satyrs and pumas from the zone.  The forces of the void obviously managed to infiltrate the phalactry and recover the staff.  As was mentioned, probably fairly recently as the Executor in OOA still had it when we got there.</p>