EverQuest: Prophecy of Ro

Overview

As it turns out, Mayong Mistmoore wanted a worthy group of Norrathians to slay him.  It was his death that sealed his ascension to full-fledged godhood.  Upon the completion of his ultimate plan, Mistmoore began wreaking havoc among the pantheon of gods.  After the events of the Planes of Power, the gods had turned their backs on the greedy mortals writing them off as a lost cause.  His first target was Ayonae Ro and her realm, the Plane of Music.  Mistmoore claimed the plane as his by corrupting every corner of the realm into a cesspool and renaming it as the Theater of Blood.  The gods recognized the imminent threat of this new deity, and thusly returned their attention to the mortals of Norrath.  Previously unseen planes have become open to mortals, either willingly or due to Mistmoore's corruption.  Among these are Sullon Zek's Plane of Rage and Druzzil Ro's Plane of Magic.  Druzzil Ro was integral, although mostly unseen, to the events of the Planes of Power era, so she is fully aware of what the mortal realm is capable of when it comes to raiding the astral planes.  She has invited all who are willing to join her creations, the Scrykin, in preparation for an assault on the Theater of Blood.  It is up to Norrath's best to quell the threat of Mayong Mistmoore once and for all. 
 
Tunare, the Mother of All, and Karana, the Rainkeeper, have also returned to Norrath.  Through the help of Karana's rain, Tunare has completely revealed the ruins of the once magnificent city of Takish-Hiz beneath the sands of the Desert of Ro.  And through the help of Druzzil Ro, Tunare has opened a portal through time into the lush Elddar Forest that surrounded the city before Solusek Ro, the Burning Prince, destroyed the Elves' home with wildfire and the creation of the Serpent Spine mountains, forcing them to flee to Faydwer. 
 
The eleventh expansion to EverQuest brought about several changes to the game.  Highlights of the Prophecy of Ro include: 

• New Auras: Each class can obtain four unique new spells or disciplines through various quests.
• Player-Set Traps: Get a jump start on your enemies by placing traps before the battle begins.
• Buff Filters: Predetermine which buffs you want to auto-decline in order to alleviate space for more desired spells.
• Destructible Objects: Break through certain walls to take a different route or alter the terrain to get a leg up on your foes.
• Increased Bank Space: For the first time since Ykesha, players' bank slots increased by adding eight more spots.
• Zone Revamps: The Commonlands, The Desert of Ro, and Freeport are completely redone with current graphics.

 
 

Geography

This part of Norrath's history is focused primarily on Freeport, the surrounding area, and several planes.  Portals to the Planes of Magic and Rage are easily accessible within the Academy of Arcane Sciences and the Arena in Freeport.  A magical portal through time to Takish-Hiz can be found in the Southern Desert of Ro. 
   

Arcstone, Isle of Spirits, is an island that floats at the bottom of the Plane of Magic.  It works as a nexus of magical energy, which is why Relic was built above it, to harness the power.  Much like Tunare created the Elves or Brell Serilis created the Dwarves, Druzzil Ro created the Scrykin.  Unlike the other gods though, Druzzil did not place her creations in the mortal realm.  The Scrykin inhabit the the Plane of Magic itself, and the most populated part of the plane is Arcstone.  After she created the first thirteen Scrykin, Druzzil taught them the different arts of magic.  Together, the original thirteen once defeated an invading dragon called Skylance.  The battle was so intense that a piece of Arcstone broke off, now called Bluff of Stillwillow, and six Scrykin perished.  The seven survivors were rewarded for their victory with ownership and access to Relic, where the Scrykin multiplied their population while Druzzil disappeared for a very long time.  Today, Arcstone is still populated by many Scrykin and other magical creatures. Remnants of the great dragon can still be found here as well.  Druids and Wizards have discovered the ability to teleport themselves and others to Arcstone from anywhere.  
 
Deathknell, Tower of DIssonance, is found within the Theater of Blood and was once the home of Ayonae Ro, the goddess of music.  It has now been overrun by Mayong Mistmoore and his highest ranking followers.  The saddest part is that Ayonae Ro herself still remains here, twisted and corrupted by the overwhelming power of Mistmoore.  Mortals must free her from the new god's grasp before searching for Mayong himself.  He has left three confidants to defend the tower in his stead.
 

The Devastation is where mortals arrive when taking the portal from the Freeport arena to Sullon Zek's Plane of Rage.  Rallos Zek created this plane as a gift to his daughter.  The massive field of war here is a nexus to the other regions of the chaotic realm.  It is said that whenever someone commits murder in an act of rage, they are doomed to spend eternity here and trapped in a constant state of ire.  The many factions here are seemingly in a constant state of war.  Many of Norrath's races can be found among these various factions including Barbarians (Furies of the North), Evil Eyes (The Irebound), Vah Shir (Furies of Shir), Zombies (Ravenous Undead), Drachnids (The Venom Swarm), Giants (Legions of Sverag), Dwarves (Stormbreaker Furies), Kobolds (Wildfang), Orcs (Redfist Legionnaires), Shiliskins (Deathshed Legion), Ogres (Bonecracker Furies), Trolls (Blood Furies), and Werewolves (Ragefang). 
 
The Elddar Forest exists only the past and visiting it is made possible by a portal through time created by Druzzil Ro at the request of Tunare herself.  The lush forest surrounds the Elven city of Takish-Hiz before it was destroyed by the fires of Solusek Ro during the creation of the Serpent Spine mountains.  The forest is inhabited by many different types of creatures including treants, unicorns, wolves and bears.  There is also an ongoing war between a tribe of orcs, the Nogdha, and a clan of giants, the Vorzek.  It is Tunare's hope that Norrathians that travel through time will return with great knowledge learned from her people, then use these new skills to fell Mayong Mistmoore.   
 

Razorthorn, Tower of Sullon Zek, is found within the Plane of Rage.  It is surrounded by Sverag, a fortress controlled by any one of the warring factions found within The Devastation.  The tower looms from so high above that it can be seen from anywhere within the plane.  Sullon McKlarren was a valiant Barbarian who honorably defended Halas from ice giants, goblins, and other beasts.  She was able to focus her intense rage in battle in a way no one had seen before.  Sullon was unstoppable in this state, so much so that it frightened her friends and her wolf pets.  Her abilities were so unique that Rallos Zek took notice and summoned her to Drunder, the Fortress of Zek, where he tested her skills.  When all of his tests were passed with ease, Rallos Zek himself stepped into the arena.  With their axes locked in a great struggle, Zek let loose a laugh that shook the foundation of Drunder and broke the focus of Sullon.  She knelt, accepting death in her defeat, but it was then that the Warlord proclaimed Sullon to be the Maiden of Rage.  Some historians hypothesize that Rallos built Razorthorn, not to honor Sullon, but to imprison her, for he feared that she could one day unseat him.
 
Relic, the Artifact City, lies within the Plane of Magic above Arcstone.  As magnificent as Druzzil Ro's creations are, the Scrykin have one major flaw.  As they age, they are gradually overcome by madness and paranoia.  The first Scrykin, Daosheen, has locked himself within the tower of Skylance.  The mighty dragons (Ashenback, Shar`Drahn, and Tsikut) are at odds with each other as they vie for political power in the wake of the waning Scrykin.  Porthio the Second Born, who is the second Scrykin created by Druzzil Ro, now rules in Daosheen's absence.  
 
The Root of Ro is a cavern that extends deep beneath the Desert of Ro where many Elves were trapped after the burning of the Elddar Forest by Solusek Ro.  in the darkest depths of the caves is a fire demon known as Suchun, guarding the the Blood of Ro and wielding powers drawn directly from the Plane of Flame itself.  Defeating this mighty demon is required by Maelin Starpyre's instructions on how to gain access to Deathknell.  While Suchun is obviously the biggest threat, one should not underestimate the corrupted sand Elves that survive here.
 

The Ruins of Takish-Hiz were partially visited after the Wayfarers Brotherhood's discovery of the Lost Dungeons of Norrath.  Now, through the aid of Karana's rain, Tunare has uncovered more of the ruins beneath the sands of the Desert of Ro.  Inexplicably, there are Elves who survived the destruction of the city, and over the centuries trapped beneath the sand, they have evolved into what is commonly referred to as Sand Elves.  These elves have mastered the art of geomancy.  Surprisingly, despite the destruction caused by Solusek Ro's fires and the creation of the Serpent Spine mountains, much of the city's elegant architecture is still in tact.   
 
The Seething Wall is a twisted mausoleum of sorts located in the Plane of Rage.  Those who fall in battle upon the fields of Devastation are absorbed into the wall.  The wall itself is built completely from the bodies of warriors who succumbed to rage.  It seems that a disturbance has caused unrest among the undead within the wall as of late.
 
Skylance is the massive tower that connects Arcstone to Relic.  Within the tower is a library, a laboratory, and an oubliette.  More importantly though, is that it is the home of Daosheen the Firstborn.  He is the first Scrykin created by Druzzil Ro and the most powerful, but he has since gone mad.  Daosheen has barricaded himself within Skylance, studying new magic unavailable to any other for over 100 years.  Sarcrynn, an apprentice mage within the tower, fears that Daosheen is a threat to the Plane of Magic itself and implores adventurers to defeat him.
 
Sverag, Stronghold of Rage, is a fortress built within Sullon Zek's Plane of Rage located in the middle of The Devastation.  Entrance is earned by knocking down a weakened wall from The Devastation.  The fortress is what the various warring factions that are locked in eternal battle within the plane vie for.  Whichever faction controls The Devastation will be found populating the stronghold.  The rival factions will typically send one member to scout the enemy and entice adventurers to collect proof of those they slay in an attempt to overthrow the occupancy.  Standing in the center of Sverag is the Tower of Sullon Zek, Razorthorn.  
 

The Theater of Blood is the former Plane of Music, which has now been overtaken by the new god, Mayong Mistmoore.  Ayonae Ro's realm was created by Druzzil Ro as an extension to the Plane of Magic.  It was once a beautiful paradise and every bard's dream to have their work heard here.  It is said that if music from the mortal realm is pure enough, that it will be heard within the Plane of Music, and take physical form there as well.  Now, it has been ravaged and corrupted by Mistmoore.  Eodue the Pure, the only spirit able to withstand the corruption, was created by the music of the legendary Selo himself.  The other six spirits have succumbed to the taint of Mistmoore.  There is no physical portal to this realm.  Adventurers must complete a quest to obtain a Twisted Harmonic Chime that will translocate its owner to the plane.  The main goal for mortals coming here is to obtain access to Deathknell, the tower in which Mayong Mistmoore himself now resides, and to end the curse upon this plane. 
 
Tunare's Shrine is located within a massive tree in the Elddar Forest, which is only accessible by a portal through time.  It resembles the one in the Plane of Growth, in which Tunare lives.  Inside though, the shrine is much more elaborate.  The Elves living within the shrine have already been corrupted by Solusek Ro, similar to the way Innoruuk twisted the ancient Elves into his own image.  Shalowen the Pure is on a mission to investigate the cause and resolve it.  The protectors of the shrine, and their leader Brazlin the High Priest of Ro, will not leave quietly. 
 
 

Extra Content

Aside from the zones, both traditional and instanced, featured within the eleventh expansion, there are also several bonus instanced zones featuring quests and missions outside of the Prophecy of Ro storyline.  Some of them take place in older zones in the game, and some even take place in the past. 

• Academy of Arcane Sciences: Spirited Spirt
• Dulak's Harbor: The Grozmok Stone
• Eastern Wastes: Cage Kerafyrm
• Everfrost Peaks: Battle for Permafrost
• Freeport Arena: The Arena Master's Challenge
• Freeport City Hall: Drachnid Spies
• Freeport Militia House: My Precious
• Freeport Sewers: Ratfink Mystery
• Great Divide: The Defense of Thurgadin
• Great Divide: The Founding of Thurgadin
• Kael Drakkel: A Daring Raid
• Rivervale: Zombie Invasion
• Theater of Tranquility: Creepy Concerto