New land in last Podcast. Speculations?

[Mixxit]

it will probably be related to an event that happens here though just like what happened with eq2 at launch

[Zabjade]

Hmm I wonder...they mentioned that it the new zone has been mentioned a couple of times but not traveled to...The Sunless Sea? (Might have the name wrong)

I think it was mentioned in some of the Neriak Story lines and in the Freethinker Bar in Maj'Dul (Please PLEASE update this zone to have interesting stuff in it again!)

[The_Cheeseman]

My money is on the Dead Hills. As others have already pointed out, it's the logical continuation of the events involving Murrar Shar and Kyle Bayle which haven't really gone anywhere since we got into the Velious story.

[ttobey]

I hope it's Luclin!

[Calthine]

ttobey wrote:

I hope it's Luclin!

HA!

[The_Cheeseman]

ttobey wrote:

I hope it's Luclin!

Honestly, the raid bosses in Luclin had enough HP and AC, I believe they could survive the detonation of their planet.

[Iad]

ttobey wrote:

I hope it's Luclin!

Luclin better be in EQ Next, or it's your fault!

[Meirril]

Alluvial@Antonia Bayle wrote:

but didnt the 5 o clock event happen after the 3 o clock event?

Wow. The cake eh? Anyways...

The reason I'm saying to go counter clockwise is it fits the events better. The 3 o'clock event is the Rending. the 1:30 would be the Shattering. The Noon matches the Awakened (i.e. exploring Kingdom of Sky, or the revival of the Awakened Cult). X at 11 is a greenmist symbol, which could be a match for Kunark and us taking down the leviathan/rediscovery of the calendar/chelsith. Double circles at 9 could be a refrence to the roekillik (and the SF expansion). Rallos symbol refering to Drunder (and the DoV expansion). The combine symbol could be a reference to the current activity...but a location?

It could be we'll head to somewhere the combine has operated or somewhere associated with Theer next. It could be that Deathtoll is actually the seat of Theer's realm of ballance.

[The_Cheeseman]

Honestly, from the conversation with Theer during the DoV signature questline, it doesn't seem like he's really got much left to do until Kerafyrm is dealt with. His main powers have been stripped from him, and we've already made it abundantly clear that we adventurers are the stronger combat force (you know, since we beat him). I think his part in the story is basically finished, except maybe as a supporting character in the fight against The Awakened.

I find Theer to be a somewhat difficult character to understand. Supposedly, his main motivation is to preserve the balance of the universe, but he really seemed to be throwing a bit of a temper tantrum with the whole inter-planar invasion deal. I mean, I understand his desire to escape his unjust imprisonment, but by drawing Odus into Ultera to act has a bridge, he's basically doomed the universe by causing the Underfoot--and by extension the rest of the Planes of Power--to be sucked into the Void. That seems like some pretty bad planning on his part.

I guess he figures his job will be really easy when there's nothing left in the universe but a giant black hole.

[Celline-Layonaire]

The_Cheeseman wrote:

Honestly, from the conversation with Theer during the DoV signature questline, it doesn't seem like he's really got much left to do until Kerafyrm is dealt with. His main powers have been stripped from him, and we've already made it abundantly clear that we adventurers are the stronger combat force (you know, since we beat him). I think his part in the story is basically finished, except maybe as a supporting character in the fight against The Awakened.

I find Theer to be a somewhat difficult character to understand. Supposedly, his main motivation is to preserve the balance of the universe, but he really seemed to be throwing a bit of a temper tantrum with the whole inter-planar invasion deal. I mean, I understand his desire to escape his unjust imprisonment, but by drawing Odus into Ultera to act has a bridge, he's basically doomed the universe by causing the Underfoot--and by extension the rest of the Planes of Power--to be sucked into the Void. That seems like some pretty bad planning on his part.

I guess he figures his job will be really easy when there's nothing left in the universe but a giant black hole.

So,

  nothingness = perfect state of balance = no headache = easy solution, huh?  =)

and I wonder about what will come after the Age's end prophecy. You know, I'm a bit tired to see the 'world on the brink of a precipice' happening every few years. Our heroes and champions of Norrath must be tired as hell now, don't you think? 

What about an expansion where the main story arc isn't related to such words like "invasion, threat, evil one, bloodshed, world's end, catastrophe, killing, etc.." ? I mean, Norrath needs peaceful time at least once, like Ultima 4 : Quest of the Avatar   

[Zabjade]

ttobey wrote:

I hope it's Luclin!

I ALREADY named that one in my mind LONG ago. Instead of "Shadows of Luclin" the new one is "Shards of Luclin" and you get a tinkered Gnomish ship (Based on studies of the Temple of Life in Qeynos)to go between the survable pockets!

[Mixxit]

Meirril wrote:

Alluvial@Antonia Bayle wrote:

but didnt the 5 o clock event happen after the 3 o clock event?

Wow. The cake eh? Anyways...

The reason I'm saying to go counter clockwise is it fits the events better. The 3 o'clock event is the Rending. the 1:30 would be the Shattering. The Noon matches the Awakened (i.e. exploring Kingdom of Sky, or the revival of the Awakened Cult). X at 11 is a greenmist symbol, which could be a match for Kunark and us taking down the leviathan/rediscovery of the calendar/chelsith. Double circles at 9 could be a refrence to the roekillik (and the SF expansion). Rallos symbol refering to Drunder (and the DoV expansion). The combine symbol could be a reference to the current activity...but a location?

It could be we'll head to somewhere the combine has operated or somewhere associated with Theer next. It could be that Deathtoll is actually the seat of Theer's realm of ballance.

I thought the 3 o' clock event was the shadowed men symbol? I figured it was 12 Rending, 1:30 Shattering, 3 Shadowed men arrival (TSO), 4:30 Theer/Odus events, 6 Combine begins formation, 7:30 Plane of War, 9 - something happens with the ratonga (lead up to the Qeynos launch and the arrival of the ratonga there?) 10:00 death?

Although Al'Kabor says "I don't believe so.  The symbols don't seem to match the events taking place at this moment, although it's possible I could be misreading them.  It appears to portray certain pieces being in place, but what those pieces are, I cannot say."

[Meirril]

Alluvial@Antonia Bayle wrote:

Meirril wrote:

Alluvial@Antonia Bayle wrote:

but didnt the 5 o clock event happen after the 3 o clock event?

Wow. The cake eh? Anyways...

The reason I'm saying to go counter clockwise is it fits the events better. The 3 o'clock event is the Rending. the 1:30 would be the Shattering. The Noon matches the Awakened (i.e. exploring Kingdom of Sky, or the revival of the Awakened Cult). X at 11 is a greenmist symbol, which could be a match for Kunark and us taking down the leviathan/rediscovery of the calendar/chelsith. Double circles at 9 could be a refrence to the roekillik (and the SF expansion). Rallos symbol refering to Drunder (and the DoV expansion). The combine symbol could be a reference to the current activity...but a location?

It could be we'll head to somewhere the combine has operated or somewhere associated with Theer next. It could be that Deathtoll is actually the seat of Theer's realm of ballance.

I thought the 3 o' clock event was the shadowed men symbol? I figured it was 12 Rending, 1:30 Shattering, 3 Shadowed men arrival (TSO), 4:30 Theer/Odus events, 6 Combine begins formation, 7:30 Plane of War, 9 - something happens with the ratonga (lead up to the Qeynos launch and the arrival of the ratonga there?) 10:00 death?

Although Al'Kabor says "I don't believe so.  The symbols don't seem to match the events taking place at this moment, although it's possible I could be misreading them.  It appears to portray certain pieces being in place, but what those pieces are, I cannot say."

Getting rid of the cake image for sanity's sake.

I'm perty sure that Everling Lore indicates that the double triangle image is the Rune of Oblivion.

 http://www.lorelibrary.com/?page=book&bid=287

Which does point to a relationship with the Shadowmen/Theer. Not sure why I think it is also associated with the Rending. But that could also point to it being the end of the events.

One thing to note: According to Lore Rallos Zek was defeated prior to the formation of the New Combine Empire and we moved on to Skyshrine. I can't remember exactly which quest that is mentioned in but I believe its Vishra that says Rallos Zek has been defeated which hasn't actually happened as far as raid progression goes.

[Mixxit]

If it is going clockwise the bone symbol at 11 o clock could represent what happened (or may be still happening) in the Dead Hills

I mean logically it would be our next step after the qeynos event if that is indeed tied to ratonga and the symbol at 9 o clock

[Meirril]

Alluvial@Antonia Bayle wrote:

If it is going clockwise the bone symbol at 11 o clock could represent what happened (or may be still happening) in the Dead Hills

I mean logically it would be our next step after the qeynos event if that is indeed tied to ratonga and the symbol at 9 o clock

The symbol is tied to Caertax who is a Roekillik/Ratonga diety. A guy that hangs out in an eternal maze in isolation who has amazing psychic powers. Assumedly he sequesters himself because he doens't want to be bothered with other being's thoughts.

But the symbol isn't proven to mean Caertax either. It is just an association with him. It could mean the maze he is in, it could mean Ratonga, it could mean Roekillik, it could refer to the place where the Roekillik were imprisoned (the valut of brell). We're not sure exactly what it means. You could encounter Caertax in the Hole, but he was just a trash named. Heroic. It couldn't be the diety of the Roekillik race. I'm assuming that was an imposter or a Roekillik posessed by Caertax.

Now for my question: Why do you want to associate the Greenmist (the X symbol) with the Dead Hills? 

[Raknid]

Maybe it was there all along and I just noticed, but last night when I was using a travel globe there was a land feature off to the west of the map that I had not notices before.

[Cyliena]

Raknid wrote:

Maybe it was there all along and I just noticed, but last night when I was using a travel globe there was a land feature off to the west of the map that I had not notices before.

This is from pre-Velious (May 2010): http://eq2.zam.com/Im/Image/166913

Since they're unmarked on the bell, the far west land is Odus and northeast is KoS. Was it something different that you saw?

[Raknid]

Cyliena wrote:

Raknid wrote:

Maybe it was there all along and I just noticed, but last night when I was using a travel globe there was a land feature off to the west of the map that I had not notices before.

This is from pre-Velious (May 2010): http://eq2.zam.com/Im/Image/166913

Since they're unmarked on the bell, the far west land is Odus and northeast is KoS. Was it something different that you saw?

LOL. No, that was it. Guess I just never noticed it.

[Mixxit]

Meirril wrote:

Alluvial@Antonia Bayle wrote:

If it is going clockwise the bone symbol at 11 o clock could represent what happened (or may be still happening) in the Dead Hills

I mean logically it would be our next step after the qeynos event if that is indeed tied to ratonga and the symbol at 9 o clock

The symbol is tied to Caertax who is a Roekillik/Ratonga diety. A guy that hangs out in an eternal maze in isolation who has amazing psychic powers. Assumedly he sequesters himself because he doens't want to be bothered with other being's thoughts.

But the symbol isn't proven to mean Caertax either. It is just an association with him. It could mean the maze he is in, it could mean Ratonga, it could mean Roekillik, it could refer to the place where the Roekillik were imprisoned (the valut of brell). We're not sure exactly what it means. You could encounter Caertax in the Hole, but he was just a trash named. Heroic. It couldn't be the diety of the Roekillik race. I'm assuming that was an imposter or a Roekillik posessed by Caertax.

Now for my question: Why do you want to associate the Greenmist (the X symbol) with the Dead Hills? 

Ooo I wasn't aware it had been asssociated with the greenmist, is that on an item or something? I just took it at face value as death

I totally agree on the symbols representing something and not particularly an object (like the the rune of phenomena one being at erudin since eq1 for example) I think some symbols might be direct links like the combine symbol and others representing objects or a force etc like the shattering

There hasn't been much of a description of what caused the Dead Hills to be the destroyed appearance it is - except snippits of lore from the Xulous and 1001 tales of maj'dul. It would be interesting to hear if the green mist was involved with any of that he certainly had some influence in that area with the feerott/temple of cazic not being so far away

I remember rezekiel saying something about how the lizardmen fled the dead hills during that event

Edit (made it a bit more readable)

[The_Cheeseman]

The symbols themselves were found by the Shissar among the planes and were subsequently appropriated by various people for their own use. The symbol the Combine Empire uses pre-dates Katta and probably most of the species on Norrath. There are entities in the Planes that even the gods don't fully understand, so it is entirely possible that the central symbol that looks like a head with horns, and has been connected to both Innoruuk and Veeshan, actually has nothing to do with either of them.

The crossed bones symbol has been linked to the Greenmist, but I can't recall the exact reference at the moment. Can anybody help out with that? I don't think anybody has connected it to the Dead Hills, as far as I know. The reason we suspect the Dead Hills will be the new land the devs referred to is because there is currently an unfinished storyline in the game centered around Kyle Bayle's resurrection, and he was the one who founded the kingdom in the Dead Hills.

Personally, I think the crossed bones symbol represents the destruction of the Shissar empire by the Greenmist. I say that, because it is explicitly stated by the book in Nektropos Castle that the Shissar called it a "Doomsday Calendar" because it foretold both the destruction of their race and the end of Norrath.

[Mixxit]

The_Cheeseman wrote:

The symbols themselves were found by the Shissar among the planes and were subsequently appropriated by various people for their own use. The symbol the Combine Empire uses pre-dates Katta and probably most of the species on Norrath. There are entities in the Planes that even the gods don't fully understand, so it is entirely possible that the central symbol that looks like a head with horns, and has been connected to both Innoruuk and Veeshan, actually has nothing to do with either of them.

The crossed bones symbol has been linked to the Greenmist, but I can't recall the exact reference at the moment. Can anybody help out with that? I don't think anybody has connected it to the Dead Hills, as far as I know. The reason we suspect the Dead Hills will be the new land the devs referred to is because there is currently an unfinished storyline in the game centered around Kyle Bayle's resurrection, and he was the one who founded the kingdom in the Dead Hills.

Personally, I think the crossed bones symbol represents the destruction of the Shissar empire by the Greenmist. I say that, because it is explicitly stated by the book in Nektropos Castle that the Shissar called it a "Doomsday Calendar" because it foretold both the destruction of their race and the end of Norrath.

Quote:The shissar referred to the calender as a doomsday calender since it held the date of the death of the shissar race and destruction of Norrath. Among the many runes of this calendar was the rune of Sunder, the foreteller of the death of the moon.

What if the Rune of Sunder is the death of the Shissar (since they fled to luclin) notice how it says Race and not Empire in the above quote

I haven't ever seen the reference for the crossed bones being the greenmist but i'd love to read it if there is one

You say to Al’Kabor, “What is your theory, then?”Al’Kabor says to you, “Look at the sigils and what they represent. Look at how they are placed. What do you see?”You say to Al’Kabor, “Well, if what you’re saying is correct, then the inner symbols seem to represent beings and places. Similarly, the outer ring would appear to be events – things that have happened in Norrath’s past represented on the Chelsith Stone.”Al’Kabor says to you, “My theory is this. The sigils in the outer ring are a specific series of events. These events are somehow connected, either with each other or with a larger event that they all play a part in. As these events come to pass, we grow ever closer to the culmination of Age’s End.”

Perhaps the central ring may give us more information as to where we are going next as well

[Meirril]

Alluvial@Antonia Bayle wrote:

Quote:The shissar referred to the calender as a doomsday calender since it held the date of the death of the shissar race and destruction of Norrath. Among the many runes of this calendar was the rune of Sunder, the foreteller of the death of the moon.

What if the Rune of Sunder is the death of the Shissar (since they fled to luclin) notice how it says Race and not Empire in the above quote

I haven't ever seen the reference for the crossed bones being the greenmist but i'd love to read it if there is one

You say to Al’Kabor, “What is your theory, then?”Al’Kabor says to you, “Look at the sigils and what they represent. Look at how they are placed. What do you see?”You say to Al’Kabor, “Well, if what you’re saying is correct, then the inner symbols seem to represent beings and places. Similarly, the outer ring would appear to be events – things that have happened in Norrath’s past represented on the Chelsith Stone.”Al’Kabor says to you, “My theory is this. The sigils in the outer ring are a specific series of events. These events are somehow connected, either with each other or with a larger event that they all play a part in. As these events come to pass, we grow ever closer to the culmination of Age’s End.”

Perhaps the central ring may give us more information as to where we are going next as well

The only thing I can come up with off the top of my head is the Greenmist Orb uses a coin with that symbol as a cutout. Outside of that I can't think of anywhere the crossed-bones gets uses that isn't a pirate flag. Usually you figure out what the symbol represents by who carries it. No where in EQ or EQ2 does it say what the Combine symbol looks like, but we know because it was used by both Katta and the Loyalists. The same applies to most of the other symbols.

But who would use a symbol for the Greenmist? Honestly, only the Shissar. It isn't like Cazic followers are going to start sporting Greenmist symbols instead of Cazic symbols.

What I find interesting is you can link most of the symbols into the various expansions, if your willing to streach a little here and there. Now does that make the Shattering symbol represent the beginning of EQ2, or its end (of this story arc)? Both?

[Mixxit]

Meirril wrote:

Meirril@Antonia Bayle wrote:

The only thing I can come up with off the top of my head is the Greenmist Orb uses a coin with that symbol as a cutout. Outside of that I can't think of anywhere the crossed-bones gets uses that isn't a pirate flag. Usually you figure out what the symbol represents by who carries it. No where in EQ or EQ2 does it say what the Combine symbol looks like, but we know because it was used by both Katta and the Loyalists. The same applies to most of the other symbols.

But who would use a symbol for the Greenmist? Honestly, only the Shissar. It isn't like Cazic followers are going to start sporting Greenmist symbols instead of Cazic symbols.

What I find interesting is you can link most of the symbols into the various expansions, if your willing to streach a little here and there. Now does that make the Shattering symbol represent the beginning of EQ2, or its end (of this story arc)? Both?

Oh wow! How can I not remember the orb in PR! If the shissar assigned that symbol to it and it was supposed to soak up the greenmist it does sound like it was linked to the greenmist entity itself or perhaps the power that fuels the greenmist - they got all these symbols from the planes yep?

Assuming what Al'Kabor said is right about the outer items being events do you think the greenmist symbol is representing the shissar greenmist event, the battle of defiance event or something to come?

What do you mean by the shattering representing the end of this story arc? 

It's hard to look at the combine empire as an event as I can't think of anything in the past that would have triggered this doomsday process - perhaps it is just something to come or as you mentioned the appropriation of this symbol (again the shissar got these symbols from the planes didn't they?) it is an event that happened quite some time ago

I can see now how looking at the calendar from different perspectives can completely change it's overall prophetic uses and now I'm still not sure what the next expansion location would be 

[Meirril]

Alluvial@Antonia Bayle wrote:

Meirril wrote:

Meirril@Antonia Bayle wrote:

The only thing I can come up with off the top of my head is the Greenmist Orb uses a coin with that symbol as a cutout. Outside of that I can't think of anywhere the crossed-bones gets uses that isn't a pirate flag. Usually you figure out what the symbol represents by who carries it. No where in EQ or EQ2 does it say what the Combine symbol looks like, but we know because it was used by both Katta and the Loyalists. The same applies to most of the other symbols.

But who would use a symbol for the Greenmist? Honestly, only the Shissar. It isn't like Cazic followers are going to start sporting Greenmist symbols instead of Cazic symbols.

What I find interesting is you can link most of the symbols into the various expansions, if your willing to streach a little here and there. Now does that make the Shattering symbol represent the beginning of EQ2, or its end (of this story arc)? Both?

Oh wow! How can I not remember the orb in PR! If the shissar assigned that symbol to it and it was supposed to soak up the greenmist it does sound like it was linked to the greenmist entity itself or perhaps the power that fuels the greenmist - they got all these symbols from the planes yep?

Assuming what Al'Kabor said is right about the outer items being events do you think the greenmist symbol is representing the shissar greenmist event, the battle of defiance event or something to come?

What do you mean by the shattering representing the end of this story arc? 

It's hard to look at the combine empire as an event as I can't think of anything in the past that would have triggered this doomsday process - perhaps it is just something to come or as you mentioned the appropriation of this symbol (again the shissar got these symbols from the planes didn't they?) it is an event that happened quite some time ago

I can see now how looking at the calendar from different perspectives can completely change it's overall prophetic uses and now I'm still not sure what the next expansion location would be 

Back then we wern't going around and saying the graphic for items had any lore value. Now? Not so sure after all that Ydal business.

The Orb from PR is suppose to contain a little bit of the Greenmist. It wasn't the Shissar that made it, rather it was an attempt by the ancient Iksar to make sure they had weapons against the Shissar if they ever returned.

Like I said above I think the Greenmist symbol is a stand in from Kunark, or possibly the Moors as the Greenmist had a huge hand in the current state of both expansions. Out of the two, the Greenmist touched the Moors of Ykesha much more recently and indeed, spared some Ogres that agreed to worship Cazic.

Or it could be we'll finally find out what the greenmist actually is. The story behind it is very much untold.

As for the Combine symbol, it could be refering to the New Combine Empire's formation. Or it could be pointing towards an old abandoned Combine city. It is difficult to think there is such a thing, but it is possible. Maybe Catta Castillium or Seru (the city) survived the Shattering and the Awakened are using it as a base? Maybe Greig's mad experiments into teleportation managed to save...something.

Oh! Or maybe Emperor Katta will walk out of his status chamber and lay a claim to the New Combine Empire? Exploring his statis chamber may be interesting...to lots of folks. Not just agents of Mayong Mistmoor.

[Exothria]

Maybe Drinal?

[Cusashorn]

Exothria wrote:

Maybe Drinal?

Drinal is canonically no different from Earth's own moon, Luna. An exceptionally minimal atmosphere not capable of supporting life, and it's surface is scarred with craters from millions of years of asteroid impacts.

Of course, nothing is stopping the devs from retconning Vhalen's little tidbit about it right into oblivion and making the moon whatever the hell they want.

[Celline-Layonaire]

Cusashorn wrote:

Exothria wrote:

Maybe Drinal?

Drinal is canonically no different from Earth's own moon, Luna. An exceptionally minimal atmosphere not capable of supporting life, and it's surface is scarred with craters from millions of years of asteroid impacts.

Of course, nothing is stopping the devs from retconning Vhalen's little tidbit about it right into oblivion and making the moon whatever the hell they want.

Of course they can, but will they 'really' do sh*t on lore of that magnitude in 5 years from now, it's another question...

[The_Cheeseman]

I doubt they'll ever do anything with Drinal. It would seem like just "Luclin v2.0", always existing in the shadow of its predecessor (pun intended). Plus, if they wanted to have another moon expansion, they wouldn't have blown-up Luclin in the first place.

[Meirril]

The_Cheeseman wrote:

I doubt they'll ever do anything with Drinal. It would seem like just "Luclin v2.0", always existing in the shadow of its predecessor (pun intended). Plus, if they wanted to have another moon expansion, they wouldn't have blown-up Luclin in the first place.

Oh! I know. We'll do an entire expansion based on chronomagic sending us to alternative dimensions where we have to steal key parts for a device to sever the link between Odus and The Void while also sealing The Hole to prevent Norrath from being sucked into The Underfoot.

And we get to be the villans. We blow up Luclin. We trap Rikantis Everling in the void and rip his soul to shreads. We teach Miragul the fundamentals of chronomagic and lure him to the Eternal Prism. We set up the Ethernaughts to buy us time. We begin the void army. We kill off the Kedge. We cause Ro to curse Tunaria. We do it all to save Norrath.

[Celline-Layonaire]

I currently have no evidences at all to back my argument, but I wonder if anyone is guessing the recent story arc about the Qeynos revamp might be related to the next expansion?   

Some of people here seem to be pointing to the Dead hills place...  and I hear Kyle Bayle is currently related to the Circle of Ten..