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Zone Lore

Shard's Landing

When the Triumvirate was killed, Cazic Thule's power blew a hole through the roof of the Sepulcher, and cracked the mountain above. Over time, his power started to coalesce into shards. The largest, and the heart of his power, dropped onto this previously unknown plateau, just missing the hole, and creating a crater. Many smaller shards also landed.

The mountainous area was all but inaccessible prior to this explosion. With the explosion came a renewed interest in exploring this area. With that exploration a number of Alarans and Norrathians have uncovered the previously secluded sect of Alarans. The sect of believers has been living in these hills for many generations and is removed enough from the rest of the continent that the news of the Triunity's fall is a surprise to them. They are more welcoming of Norrathians than most of the other groups of Alarans that adventurers have encountered thus far.

The Norrathians that have established a camp in the crater are now working toward resurrecting Cazic-Thule. Regardless of any setbacks the group is determined that if they bring together all of the power that resides in the shards of crystal they will be able to reinstate their god. Part of what this unified group is doing in addition to simply obtaining the power of the crystals is building portals to all of the known locations where crystals have rained down on Norrath. The end goal of this group is the reconstruction of the central crystal known as "The Heart of Fear". They believe the resurrection of Cazic-Thule lies within its power...

East Wastes, Zeixshi-Kar's Awakening

Zeixshi-Kar's Awakening is a vast area of frozen tundra covering much of the northeastern continent of Velious. There are many groups here such as the Coldain, Kromrif, and the orcs of Ry'Gorr Keep, who have outposts or homes here.

Cazic's essence has been destroyed and shards of concentrated fear are hurled across the globe. One of these shards of concentrated fear has entered Norrath’s atmosphere and has embedded itself deep into the tundra of Zeixshi-Kar's Awakening. The shard radiates a large aura of intense fear, keeping all but the most powerful of creatures from approaching it too closely. To make matters worse, the shard’s power has attracted the attention of a powerful dragon named, Zeixshi-Kar. Zeixshi-Kar is the only being in this area that is immune to the shard’s essence of fear and has taken control of the shard, amassing a small army of Frost Giants, Ry’Gorr, and Coldain to protect it.

Zeixshi-Kar has also recruited an elite few who he has given pieces of the shard to. These individuals have retreated to the nearby Crystal Caverns and Kael Drakkel to further spread fear and chaos and strengthen Zeixshi-Kar’s rule.

The Coldain, Frost Giants, and Ry’Gorr not recruited into Zeixshi-Kar's army have began amassing their own armies, and fight to control what little territory they still have left. Attracted by the power of the shard, several creatures from the Plane of Fear have arrived, feeding off the shard’s essence of pure fear.

Gildorn Icebreath is the only being in the Eastern Wastes that understands that the shard must somehow be contained, or if possible, destroyed. This has made him an outcast among the Coldain and only brave adventurers can help him accomplish his goals.

Crystal Caverns, Fragment of Fear

Crystal Caverns is a narrow, yet massive dungeon beneath the icy tundra known as the Eastern Wastes. Within, reside a clan of Ry`Gorr orcs as well as a sect of Coldain dwarves who maintain a frozen fortress called Froststone. Among the dwarves and orcs are numerous creatures that thrive in frigid conditions, like stalag terrors and crystal crawlers.

With the arrival of the fear shard, the caverns have begun to adapt to the presence of fear. New crystal deposits are being mined, and fear-tainted creatures are emerging.

The current leader of the Coldain defensive forces within Froststone, Captain Dunstan Coldheart is concerned by the increased presence of the Ry`Gorr clan. The orcs and dwarves have been able to reside within the caverns for generations without much confrontation, but now the orcs are beginning to storm the gates of Froststone with more power than ever before. Captain Dunstan s determined to figure out why the orcs are increasing in numbers...

Kael Drakkel, the King's Madness

The storm and frost giants within Kael Drakkel have fought for years with the dragons and coldain. The giants withstood the invasion of the dragons, and they harried the coldain in the city of Thurgadin. The giants thought they knew their enemies. They were unprepared.

A malevolent, mysterious power has entered Kael Drakkel. Though unaware of this incursion, King Tormax's thoughts have become troubled. He sees enemies everywhere: the coldain, the dragons, the mercenaries, and even the kromrif. Even ordinary citizens have begun to see their fears coming to life. The brothers of Iceshard Manor are afraid that Tormax will destroy the city from within. Their only hope is a forceful intervention by mercenaries brave enough to confront the king's madness.

Breeding Grounds

A shard of fear has crashed through the icy Western Wastes terrain, piercing the pool of magma that boils beneath the heart of Dragon Necropolis. A cascade of slow-moving magma burns down through the crypt walls, creating tunnels which lead to depths within the Necropolis that no one ever knew existed.

The excess magma on its own was enough to cause a world of trouble for the dragons that would have chosen to die in the Necropolis, but the fear shard has had an unnatural effect on its surroundings as well, tainting everything in its radius, including the magma that now pours through the crypt.

While the flowing fire still burns, it doesn't emit the same concentrated heat as it once did, allowing deeper portions of the crypt to cool and crystallize. Lengthy tunnels of ice and crystal formed where the magma once flowed, exposing an ancient breeding. Tainted by the hint of fear, these eggs have finally begun to hatch, producing dragons unlike any seen before on Norrath.

Other areas, where the magma still flows, are brimming with heat and fear-inspired creation. While the shard is lodged deep within the Necropolis, it radiates the essence of fear to its surroundings and all the creatures within, dead or alive. Dragons once thought to be eternally deceased, have now become dancing skeletons, brought to life by the fear that animates their bones.

With the birth of fear-tainted hatchlings, the dragon-eating Chetari have reappeared in alarming numbers, ready to feast on fresh dragon corpses.

Grelleth's Palace, Chateau of Filth

The Fear Shard punctured through the earth of Alaris inside a secluded, inaccessible mountain valley near the Resplendent Temple. The resulting crash created a hole in the earth that connected to the Swinetor underground tunnels.

Shortly thereafter, the Fear Shard was found by a Swinetor warrior named Grelleth who happened to be nearby and went to investigate the incident. She claimed the shiny shard as her own, taking the fragment of Cazic Thule's power, and becoming quite powerful and equally terrifying.

She quickly gained the respect of the other Swinetor after dispatching a number of them (including a revered necromancer) who tried to steal it from her, and causing most Swinetor to cower in fear of her mere presence. Clan's Piq'a and Ulork yielded as those loyal to her increased in number, and she became Grelleth, Queen of the Swinetor.

The Swinetor have since moved through the tunnels and out into the valley which Grelleth claimed as her new kingdom, with her sons and daughters taking the place of leadership beneath her. They started building a massive, crudely constructed palace of garbage for her under her command. The pristine lake, trees, and grass nearby of this small, enclosed valley were quickly polluted with Swinetor filth, and the unappealing tower a blight on the landscape.

Thanks to the Fear Shard, Grelleth with her newfound power and rule-of-fear installed in her minions is no laughing matter. Now, the Swinetor have now spread their disease further than they have in any time they could remember. Plans to spread the new Swinetor empire to other parts of Alaris are being planned.

Chapterhouse of the Fallen

Chapterhouse of the Fallen is an extension of the original Befallen, which was inaccessible until the fear shard crashed here. Befallen was previously a military outpost built by the Order of Marr's Fist, a group of knights and clerics who worshipped either/both Mithaniel Marr and Erollisi Marr.

Over time, many have entered Befallen and attempted to claim the dark power for their own. One of these was a gnome necromancer named Menizzia, who gained some control over the dark power there and used it to resurrect the long dead Marnek Jaull, a gnome necromancer who had fought the elves of Takish Hix long ago. Though he was once powerful, he had lost much from his death centuries ago.

With the arrival of the shard of fear, he was able to use its power to gain total control over the evil within Befallen. At the same time, the shard's impact opened up routes to previously inaccessible areas of Befallen. Marnek Jaull has made his way deep into these new areas and is working on absorbing all the power from the shard of fear.

Evantil, the Vile Oak

When the essence of Cazic-Thule was destroyed, one of the fear shards landed in the barren area of southern Beasts’ Domain. From the center of the crater, Evantil the Vile Oak grew. It quickly enveloped the fear shard in its roots and began to feed off its evil energy. Large, red flowers with fruit as black as night, grow within the fear tree’s canopy. The normally docile creatures of the forest began to eat the fruit and were corrupted. This caused them to mutate into frightening, evil versions of their former selves.

It wasn’t long until the Domain Clan of the Beasts' Domain, led by Treg, discovered Evantil. Treg forbid the tribe from eating the fruit. Treg understood that this was a tree of evil and realized what the fear fruit had done to the once peaceful canopy-dwelling creatures of the forest.

One member of Treg’s clan named Talorsin, ignored Treg’s warning and ate the fear fruit. The evil contained in the fruit immediately consumed Talorsin’s body, corrupting it into a twisted, evil form. Talorsin was deemed an outcast of the tribe. With nowhere to go, Talorsin eventually made the interior of Evantil home. Over time, Talorsin convinced other Domain Clan members to eat the fear fruit and they became corrupted as well. Treg has named this group, the Wretched, and forbids the Domain Clan to have any contact with them. The Wretched now live, empty, sad lives inside of Evantil, addicted to the fear fruit.

The creatures that live in Evantil, are in a constant battle to obtain fear fruit to sustain them. They are unable to gain sustenance from anything else, so without the fruit they will die.

The Wretched have claimed the interior of Evantil as their home and greedily hoard all of the fear fruit they can obtain. The Wretched consider the fear shard to be a religious relic and worship it like a god. The Wretched tend to stay inside the tree, but sometimes have to venture to the canopy to gather more fear fruit. These gathering expeditions are very dangerous and many Wretched lose their lives to the creatures that dwell there.

The canopy is home to the fear howlers and giant apes. These two groups are constantly at war over the fear fruit and will do whatever they can to obtain more of it.

Valley of King Xorbb

Deep beneath a valley forgotten, trapped in a lightless prison, King Xorbb waited for the day he would be free. Then the shard fell, bursting through the valley floor and breaking though the walls that for so long had confined him. Rising from the debris, Xorbb claimed the power of the shard. With it he created the valley anew: He sculpted its hills and rivers, carved its tunnels and caverns, and secured a sanctum for himself. He brought goblins and minotaurs that would do his bidding and prepare for an assault on Norrath. He would no longer be subjugated; he would be the subjugator. And Rivervale would be the first to fall.

Imprisoned for far too long by the wretched Pickclaw goblins, King Xorbb is now driven by his lust for power and revenge. He has chosen to empower the Runnyeye goblins that remained loyal to him while using their innate abilities to further his own mining desires. Though Xorbb has rewarded his loyal servants, they are still his servants, and he maintains careful control over their ambitions.

Chelsith Reborn

While the shards of fear were falling on Norrath, a significant shard landed in a remote part of The Grey. It was discovered by one of the undead Shissar stalkers who delivered it to a Shissar, Vyzh'dra. Vyzh'dra recognized the power of the shard immediately. He recognized the power of Cazic-Thule. Rather than embracing the power and being overwhelmed by it, this Shissar isolated the shard and began to work on a plan to regain their empire and free themselves from the prison they made for themselves in The Grey.

He encased the crystal in a magical container and has begun experimenting with siphoning off some of its power.

Not too long after this, a new city emerged in the middle of The Grey. It is a massive and pristine city reminiscent of ancient shissar architecture and designs, and outsiders seem confused as to how it came to be. No one has come out of the city since it arrived.

Plane of Shadow

Ahkevan legend has it that long ago, there were two planes at war, the Plane of Light and the Plane of Darkness. The Plane of Light was filled with verdant valleys, rolling fields, pristine palaces, and radiant, angelic beings. The Plane of Darkness was filled with dark pools of decay, desolate expanses of cracked ground, crumbling fortresses, and demonic, bestial beings. The planes generated countless warriors of fearsome strength, each wielding light or dark magic, and these warriors fought each other for countless years, dying and rising again through the powers of their planes.

The forces of Light could not overcome Darkness, nor could Darkness defeat Light. The only reward for both sides was the constant sting of death and resurrection, and the pain of watching comrades suffer under the spells and swords of enemies. After the fiercest battle in the history of the two planes, three quarters of the inhabitants of Light and Darkness had been slain. The leaders of both sides looked over the bodies of the fallen in sadness.

But through grief came wisdom. The leaders recognized no plane would ever win the eternal battle. Until the two sides could be reconciled, there would be only suffering. The greatest spell casters from Light and Darkness met in concert and began the incantations that would alter their planes forever.

When the final words of the ceremony were spoken, a sound as of thunder rolled throughout Light and Darkness. The sky darkened in the Plane of Light, and the low clouds grew brighter in the Plane of Darkness. The trees in Light began to wither; tufts of grass began to sprout in the arid cracks of Darkness. Light's palaces began to crumble; Darkness's sagging fortresses and towers lifted their broken heads. The ground in both planes shook violently, and all sound fled from the air.

In a moment it was over. The warriors of Light and Darkness, the spell casters, the leaders: every being disappeared. The pain of thousands of years vanished in an instant. A dark orb lit only by a faint corona hung in the sky. Dim flames, both light and dark, floated between intertwined trees, ruins, and fabrics. Wherever the light fires touched, stones and roots and veils remained pristine; as the light faded to darkness and gave way to the dark fires, objects decayed and wore a tarnished sheen. The planes of Light and Darkness had become one: the Plane of Shadow.

In the new plane's heart, a chrysalis hung, a black cocoon embroidered with light. As it opened, Luclin was born into the world of shadow, alone except for the light and dark fires that still burned, remainders of the beings who once walked the planes of Light and Darkness. The child of angels and demons wandered the infant plane, reading the runes left scrawled on the remaining palaces and fortifications. She learned of the ancient war and peace accord that birthed her. She learned that without shadow, light and dark will be forever at war, the sides surging back and forth across the face of time, like phases of the moon.

Luclin matured in understanding and nurtured the Plane of Shadow. Servants were born to her. In the absence of light, they wore the faces of their ancestors of Darkness; when illuminated, their visages became angelic. They tended the light and dark fires, and arranged the face of the plane such that shadows cast by the lights and objects would be pleasing to Luclin.

Soon, though, Luclin grew curious about what lay beyond her plane. Discovering the portal at the edge of her domain, she emerged onto a Norrath that was being divided by other gods. She spoke with these gods, attempting to befriend them, but they thought her strange and unbecoming, with her dark complexion and silver eyes. They did not trust a creature filled equally with light and darkness.

Luclin did not trust the other gods. Spurned by them, and wary of their words and intentions, she claimed the moon of Norrath, and made it the seat of her plane. From this vantage, she would remain aloof from the rest of the gods, and peer down upon them if she so desired. She would create a land of her own, one where the light and darkness could coexist. The moon of Luclin would be the home of shadows.

When Cazic's essence was dispersed from the Sepulcher of Order, a large shard sailed to the moon of Luclin, smashed through the halls of Vex Thal, and ruptured the portal to the Plane of Shadow. Half of the ruined temple and altar ended up inside the Plane of Shadow, along with the massive Fear Shard. In the impact, hundreds of pieces of the shard were shorn off and scattered throughout the Plane. Luclin's fears began to become reality: Bright light began to pour into the Plane through the ruptured portal, and the shards of fear began to emanate a bright glow that was slowly intensifying, illuminating the structures of Luclin's realm. Ahkevans rushed in through the portal and attempted to help their goddess eliminate the threat, but terror of both light and dark began to fill the minds of any that got near the shards.

Some Ahkevans will help players, while others will attempt to claim the shards for themselves. Aten Ha'Ra and her Liako warriors, accompanied by the Torgorath and Senshali, entered the portal with the intent to assess the damage and remove any of the shards that are threatening their goddess's realm. The Torgorath, having received less mental training than Liako and Senshali, were driven to madness by the fear shards. They began attacking their own people, swallowing the smaller fear shards, running off into the depths of the plane. The Senshali began to distrust the Liako, believing that the Torgorath and the Senshali were being sent to their doom. So, the Senshali set out into the plane alone. Adding to the tension, Telaris have been hired by more unscrupulous Ahkevans to enter the plane and steal shards for their employers. Very few individuals in these groups trust the influx of Norrathian adventurers who have also entered the plane.

Aten Ha Ra has been shaken by the events inside the plane, and she has become wary of everything, even Luclin. The priestess knows that Luclin's orbit has been shifting, and she is concerned that Luclin is being driven mad by the fear shards. In an attempt to clarify what is happening, Aten Ha'Ra has set out to have an audience with Luclin. Bringing along her Liako warriors, the priestess wanders the halls of shadow, slaying any threats she finds, be they Norrathians or her own traitorous people. She will not rest until she finds Luclin and resolves the crisis.

Heart of Fear

The Heart of Fear... It's time. The desperate battles, relentless hunts, and cutthroat dealings of the past year have all been working up to this moment: the final confrontation with Cazic-Thule's terrifying power. The god of fear is dead, but brave adventurers must enter the final reservoir of his lingering power on Norrath, the Heart of Fear, to conquer its evil once and for all. But brave adventurers are not alone in their quest—a myriad of monsters both familiar and new inhabit the Heart of Fear, hoping to steal Cazic-Thule's power for themselves and ascend to become Norrath's new god of fear. Can you stop them all in time? Can you even find them? A betrayer in your midst is eager to teach you the new meaning of fear. Prepare yourself.

In Shard's Landing, found next to the giant shard in the crater, are two emissaries of shadow:

The light emissary of shadow tells its companion, 'I told you they would come. They always come when there is blood to be shed.'

The dark emissary of shadow tells its companion, 'Of course they came. How often does one get to kill at the direct order of a god? It's the height of life. I hope some of the beasties escape so we can slaughter them out here!'

The light emissary of shadow tells its companion, 'The height of death, perhaps. Regardless, I'm glad to see so many serving our Lady.'

The dark emissary of shadow tells its companion, 'Speaking of death, here comes a bloodthirsty hunter right now!'

"an adventurer" approaches the duo...

The light emissary of shadow greets the approaching adventurer, 'Hail, raging subjugator! Do you come to do battle, and ultimately die to the unspeakably horrific beasts lurking within this crystal?'

an adventurer says 'Wait. This isn't Nereu's birthday party? I'm out!'

"an adventurer" leaves...

The light emissary of shadow shrugs, looks at its companion and says, 'Well that was odd.'

You say, 'Hail, an emissary of shadow'

an emissary of shadow says 'Hail, violent _____! Do you come [to kill], [be killed], or [search for shiny things to steal and sell to shady merchants in distant lands]?'

You say, 'I came here to kill, not to be killed!'

an emissary of shadow says 'Touch the crystal to enter the Heart of Fear, then. You'll find no shortage of monstrosities to vent your rage on.'

You say, 'Hail, an emissary of shadow'

an emissary of shadow says 'Greetings, adventurer. Have you come to answer [the call] of our Lady, [Luclin]?'

You say, 'I come to answer the call'

an emissary of shadow says 'You haven't heard? No matter. Do you wish to know what you [fight for] or, like my [companion], would you rather just go [kill]?'

You say, 'What about your companion?'

an emissary of shadow says 'The Plane of Shadow has found peace in balance. It hasn't necessarily found friendship just yet.'

You say, 'What about Luclin?'

an emissary of shadow says 'When the shards of Cazic-Thule's power fell to Norrath, Luclin knew there'd be [fools] eager to [resurrect him] and [monsters] eager to usurp him.'

You say, 'Who are these fools?'

an emissary of shadow looks around raises its voice as it speaks, 'The Harbingers of Thule is a suicidal cult that does not understand the ramifications of its goals. Its members, while surprisingly hospital, are fools blinded by devotion to their [dead god].'

You say, 'Dead god?'

an emissary of shadow says 'Cazic-Thule is dead, and it's best for everyone that he remains that way. That's why our Lady stole a [large shard] from Norrath and has kept it hidden in her plane.'

You say, 'What about this plan to resurrect him?'

an emissary of shadow says 'Cazic-Thule is dead, and it's best for everyone that he remains that way. That's why our Lady stole a [large shard] from Norrath and has kept it hidden in her plane.'

You say, 'What about the large shard?'

an emissary of shadow says 'Of course, the massive shard you see floating in front of you is the largest remaining piece of Cazic-Thule's power. The [Heart of Fear].'

You say, 'Heart of Fear?'

an emissary of shadow says 'Such a large resevoir of Cazic-Thule's power has attracted all manner of evil beings, eager to drink its power and absorb the power of true fear. They grow inside to monstrous sizes, but greater [threats] than beasts and demons lurk within, ______.'

You say, 'What threats?'

an emissary of shadow says 'Some things you must see yourself to believe. Be careful who you trust [inside], _____. Fear warps everyone it touches, and can bend reality itself. Stay balanced.'

You say, 'How do I get inside?'

an emissary of shadow says 'Touch the large crystal behind me when you're ready to enter the Heart of Fear. Luclin protect you, friend.'