EverQuest: Underfoot

Overview

Now that Norrath's greatest adventurers have traveled through time and space to save the world, their next quest involves the exploration of the only unseen parts of the world.  For many years, tales have been told in Paineel and Erudin by those who ventured to the deepest depths of The Hole about an inaccessible tunnel.  Many have hypothesized that it must lead to the realm of Brell Serilis, the Plane of Underfoot.  The passage formerly guarded by Master Yael has now been opened, and it leads to Brell's Rest and the rest of Serilis' realm.  Something is amiss down here, and it's up to Norrath's best to resolve the issue threatening the Heart of the World.

The sixteenth expansion to EverQuest brings about several changes to the game.  Highlights include:

• Expansion Progression Window: Easily tell what you have accomplished within Underfoot, and what needs to be done next.  The system works much in the same way as Achievements.
• Focus Target Window: A new targetting window allows the player to choose specific targets to monitor, friend or foe.
• New Weapon Models: Underfoot features twice as many weapon models as any of the previous expansions.

Geography

The Heart of the World is a sphere of magma that seemingly hovers within a vast, empty sphere as if it were in the center of the planet.  This is the realm of Brell Serilis, the Duke of Below.  Brell manifests himself as a Dwarf in elaborate mining gear.  He wears a crown of six candles, allowing him to see in the pitch black darkness of the Underfoot.  Brell was the first to discover Norrath after Veeshan made her mark on the planet.  He planted the seeds of life deep within the world, then returned to Underfoot.  He called a meeting of the pantheon to discuss this potentially powerful world.  Brell, Tunare, and Prexus agreed to divide the world among themselves and give it life.  Unbeknown to Tunare and Prexus, Brell had already done so.  Rallos Zek was at this meeting, but did not agree to their pact as he did not trust the other three.  Tunare was given the surface and created the Elves and a myriad of plants and creatures.  Prexus was given the oceans and seas where he created the Kedge and various lesser aquatic creatures.  Brell, of course, claimed the underground caves and caverns that stretched far and wide below the surface.  He first created the Dwarves in his likeness.  The three agreed that this all must be done to keep Veeshan's power in check.  Rallos Zek watched and waited, seeing the works of the other three gods.  He then took action by creating the Giants in an attempt to dominate the new world himself.  Bristlebane and Cazic Thule then came to Norrath, and Brell met with them as well, attempting to make a second pact in order give him allowance to create more races.  He even convinced Rallos Zek to join the alliance, which led to Zek's creation of the Ogres, Orcs, and Goblins.  Bristlebane went on to create the Halflings, while Cazic-Thule crafted the vicious Shissar, Trolls, and Iksar.  Brell returned to the depths of the world and created the Gnomes, Gnolls, and Kobolds.

TIER 1

Brell's Rest is where worthy worshippers of the Duke of Below go when their mortal life on Norrath ends.  Most of the residents of the Rest are Gnolls and Kobolds.  The Dwarves and Gnomes tend to prefer afterlife in the Shining City where they perfect their crafts such as brewing, smithing, or tinkering.  The Gnolls and Kobolds don't always get along peacefully, since combat is what they both love.  Because of this, they are not often welcome inside the city.  The nearby arena though is always an exciting place to be whether its to see a scuffle between some Gnolls and Kobolds, or mighty Dwarven warriors and paladins testing their skills in battle.  Recently though, the Gnolls have been acting strangely, as if they're hiding something.  Many of them do not speak to the other races, but can be heard whispering about an entity they call "The Undying One" and "The Destroyer."  

The Cooling Chambers are where the water that feeds Norrath runs hot due to the lava that is the life blood of Underfoot.  The water vapor is cooled by Brell's servants and, through a series of processes, is converted into ice making it easier to export the water throughout the realm.  The primary residents of this region are the Coldain Dwarves of Velious.  The ice is also used to keep an enormous necromantic monster in cryostasis, locked in a glacial iceberg.  Recently, some of the Coldain have been experimenting on the creature, attempting to harness its power.  Many are not happy with their role in Brell's realm, but no one else performs as well in the frozen depths.  Some have begun to rebel, and conditions have gotten worse with the undead that have crept into the chambers.  The bottom line is that many of the Coldain here are heroes that died in the service of Brell and their people, and they believe they deserve better.

Pellucid Grotto is home to a race known as the Crystalkin who have been here since before anyone remembers.  The beautiful crystals, gems, and ores that are found here are the basis for much of which Norrath is built upon.  Their city, Geodech, is partially built into a hardened flow of obsidianite called The Obsidian Scar.  Here the Crystalkin refine and polish the gems which are then taken to the Repository, which literally places gems into the mortal world.  The city is divided into an upper level and a lower level, which rival each other.  Recently, the rivalry has become more heated, resulting in violence that has led a faction of Crystalkin to leave the city.  In the grotto, there are various veins of metal ore, most of which are common to Norrathians.  But one is unique to the grotto; Euthorium.  Due to the increased violence, production has slowed greatly, which could quickly begin to affect the economy and the people living on the surface.

TIER 2

Arthicrex was built by a race of ant-like, hive-minded people called the Cliknar.  Built from the mud of below and trimmed with hardened chitin and stone, the city is a maze of winding tunnels and circular rooms.  Entering the hill would be unwise, as dozens of Cliknar can swarm an enemy and devour them in mere seconds.  In the south end of Arthicrex, there are a group of Underfoot's people who have built a temple based on the idea of enlightened self interest.  The cult calls themselves Autarchians and their teachings of Faith of Self have caused the hive mind of the Cliknar to deviate greatly from Brell's vision.  North of Arthicrex is a vast desert, though it used to be a beautiful grove.  It has been overrun with spiders, mining expeditions, and the expanding Cliknar forces as they prepare to overtake all of Underfoot.  Some claim that the very unfaithfulness to Brell has ruined the once fertile land.

The Foundation is literally that.  It is the foundation upon which Norrath is built.  Some say it is the birthplace of mountains.  Long ago, Brell created a race of stone giants called the Genari and used them to raise mountains across the globe.  A large cave within The Foundation, the Cavern of Clay, is possibly the deepest region of Underfoot.  The clay found here is known throughout religious lore as the Clay of Cosgrove and it is the material used by Brell in the creation of his races.  The clay was here in Norrath's core before Brell arrived, and it is the only such substance in Underfoot not created by him.  It bubbles up from an unknown source, and Brell has set strict rules about gathering the clay.  The Cliknar have recently begun disregarding these rules, for what purpose is unknown.  The Foundation itself is a beautiful place with phosphorescent fungus that grows along the walls giving the region a mystical feel.  No mountains have been created in ages, so much of the area around the dormant Genari is used as farm land.  When Ro raised the Serpent's Spine Mountains on his own, it created many problems for Brell.  He was forced to quickly create more Genari to carry the weight, but many died in the unexpected, violent shifting of earth.

The Underquarry is a massive mine where Brell's servitors work eternally to extract the various metals from the rich veins running through the Underfoot.  A rift in the ground was created when Brell smashed his fist into the earth, revealing the running lava far below.  The Rive, as the denizens of Underfoot call it, is used to seed these goods in the mortal realm, thus providing them to the jewelers, smiths, architects, and bankers.  The minions that carry out the hard, manual labor do so without complaint for it is in service of their god and creator.  They have all heard of the traitorous Cliknar, and fear they will soon be overrun by the hive-minded insects.  The Burynai, a race of mole-like people, who are usually loyal to Brell, have recently begun blocking off many of the paths to and from the Underquarry.  The Cliknar have already taken over portions of the vast mining system, and force the workers to work endlessly, which is causing massive overproduction of what the mortal realm normally would see as rare materials.

TIER 3

Brell's Temple is where Brell Serilis himself currently resides.  Much is still unknown about this region.

The Fungal Forest is spotted with towering mushrooms of every color imaginable.  The air is heavy and dank due to the fungus and lichen that cover the ground and walls.  The Mephit workers gather around the nearby lake to relax after hours of labor.  The region is being threatened on two fronts recently; the Cliknar from the northeast and the undead sporali from the southeast.  Many more recognizable creatures can be found here as well, such as snakes, spiders, and other insects.  Another race of creatures found in the forest are the Telmira, created by Brell of course, they are highly intelligent elementals that understand all languages.  They carry out simple tasks that keep the Underfoot operating properly.

Kernagir, the Shining City, is constructed partially by Brell Serilis himself but also with the help of the finest craftspeople Norrath has ever seen.  While other races are sometimes granted access to the city, it is primarily inhabited by Brell's personal creations.  The legendary architects that spend the afterlife here are responsible for inspiring the living to build magnificent structures in honor of Brell.  The beautiful stone walls are lined with impeccable glass, various runes, and precious metals.  In the afterlife, sleep is not necessary, so the denizens of the city continually work on perfecting and expanding the beauty of Kernagir.  Recently, disagreements between citizens have escalated, and without Brell's guidance, many fear it will result with violence in the city.  Sensing weakness, the followers of Faith of Self have attempted to lure some of the craftspeople to their side.  The divide between ideologies has only exacerbated the tensions within Kernagir.

Lichen Creep is a cavern of lava that flows out of every crevice.  It has been mined continuously for an ultra rare stone ore that carries an innate ability of levitation.  The ore is used to power many of the contraptions and productions throughout Underfoot.  The most common creatures found here are the Mephits that mine the ore.  They tend to ignore the other races that reside in the tunnels and caves, but will react violently to any who meddle in their affairs or tampering with the ore.  The Cliknar have been encroaching on the area, scouting it for inevitable conquest.  Sporali have seemingly become lost, finding themselves in Lichen Creep.  While curious about the Underfoot, most of them wish only to return to Corathus Creep and escape the Cliknar who feed on them.

TIER 4

Volska's Husk is literally the carcass of a slain Greken.  The Greken are a race of giant serpents that live in the lava of Underfoot.  They are responsible for shepherding the various metals and gems through the magma and distributed into the mortal realm.  The Cliknar are responsible for the death of Volska.  They killed her simply to see if they could.  The Greken were innocent, not knowing of death and murder, and now they shy from all other creatures.  The obsidian bones still hold up the husk while the creature's heart still glows hot like the lava.  Many denizens of Underfoot have come out of curiosity or to see the might of Autarchians.  The rebels who have turned away from Brell in favor of the Faith of Self welcome any who want to join their beliefs.  Many see the death of Volska as confirmation that Brell has forgotten about them, thus they have decided to join the rebel faction.