:: Updated by Hannar @ 01/20/04 06:37 pm ::

9. Lore


Sat Aug 16, 2003 09:54 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=64820&highlight=#64820

Moorgard wrote:

Luclin went boom. In fact, it went *BOOM*. It's still up in the sky, but it's pretty much just debris fragments surrounding the moon's shattered core. Looks really cool as it rotates, though. The pieces that fell to Norrath did a pretty good job of completely messing up the continents as you used to know them. Some are gone, others--like Antonica--have been broken to pieces. It sure is interesting that the two human cities were the ones to survive, huh? Makes you wonder why, and how some of the haughtier races will react to that fact.

Wed Aug 27, 2003 01:01 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=74037&highlight=#74037

Moorgard wrote:

Norrath has always had more than one moon.

Wed Aug 27, 2003 04:08 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=74571&highlight=#74571

Moorgard wrote:

The Shattering was pretty recent. About 10-15 years.

Wed Aug 27, 2003 10:24 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=75007&highlight=#75007

Moorgard wrote:

jaffa wrote: without being a stickler, in 500 eq years from eq2 release, shouldnt luclin cease to work in old eq? Remember, EQ2 is a parallel universe to EQ. As such, our Norrath could be an alternate reality of the Norrath from EQ. Other Norraths might never see the disappearance of the gods or the Shattering. EverQuest can keep on going for 1000 years if it wants to.

Wed Sep 03, 2003 11:25 pm’
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=81749&highlight=#81749

Moorgard wrote:

I've always wanted to quote myself: Moorgard wrote: As another point of clarification, the whole "alternate universe" thing is not that big a deal. Our two games are going to exist in parallel development for a long, long time, and the EQ2 team doesn't want to be forced to react to every decision those guys make in terms of future game lore. So think of Norrath's timeline. Look at everything that happened up through the opening of the Planes of Power. That's the history and lore we're building our world upon. We're not trying to rewrite history. We just want each game to be free to develop its own future. Make sense? Makes sense to me.

Thu Sep 04, 2003 12:05 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=81773&highlight=#81773

Moorgard wrote:

Apkami wrote: I have always been kind of mad that there was not a single keeper of the lore for the whole EQ genre, I really wish they would have one person to help keep all the different EQ games following the same lore and rules. You know, I was looking through the design document for the original EverQuest the other day, and I was amazed at how much that text still informs the game today. Kunark, Velious, and to a large extent even PoP and LDoN are all in there somewhere. Not in terms of specific gameplay of course, but in terms of locations, NPCs, and lore. Bill Trost has a lot to do with this fact, as it was his original pencil & paper campaigns that created many of the characters and locations EQ players have become familiar with. And it should be a comfort to know that Bill is EQ2's lead designer, and as such has been a major guiding force on the project. As a writer and fan of fantasy literature and speculative fiction, I know what you mean when you say you'd love to have one person in charge of the entire game lore. One of my favorite TV shows, Babylon 5, is the vision of a single man (J. Michael Straczynski) who created the series as a kind of novel for television. He laid out the history of his universe in detail 100 years in each direction of the series' timeline, and knew exactly how his story was going to end long before the first episode was ever shown. That said, he also had to change elements of the series along the way. Actors left, main characters were replaced, and other real-life events impacted the story. Joe still accomplished what he set out to do in spectacular fashion, but to one extent or another some changes had to happen to get the tale told. EverQuest is kind of the same way. Nobody working on the original game could ever have dreamed it would have existed this long or been this popular; games just never had that kind of lifespan before. So while in hindsight it would have been very cool to plan out every bit of lore for Norrath 1000 years in either direction so that everything in each expansion was internally consistent, it just wasn't feasible to have things work out that way. I think it's a bit late to try to shove all varieties of EverQuest under a single umbrella. That's why EQ and EQ2 (and for that matter, EQOA) exist in parallel. Each team is free to follow its own path and creative instincts while still having the same rich foundation of Norrathian lore. So don't worry, I wouldn't expect any huge inconsistencies between the games. It's not like we're going to blow up the planet or something. Just an occasional moon here and there.

Sun Sep 07, 2003 02:36 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=85283&highlight=#85283

Moorgard wrote:

Athuzael wrote: knowing the lore and society of iksar, do you feel it`s a little far-fetched to say the least that iksar would be sharing the same livingspace as softskins? I'm glad someone finally asked this question. Keep in mind that the Shattering happened just over a decade ago. Every race except humans has been cut off from its people by the devastation. Refugees are flooding into Qeynos and Freeport not out of choice... but because they have nowhere else to go. Some races are more upset about this than others. The Iksar in particular detest having to coexist with softskins, but they really have no alternative. At least, for now. The fact that the proud Iksar have been forced into this situation has had a major impact upon their culture. To say they're bitter and resentful is an understatement. It's worth noting that the Iksar aren't the only proud race being corralled into a situation they aren't crazy about. High Elves may be noble and good, but they also have a great deal of pride--and perhaps snobbishness. Being forced to depend on a lesser race for survival is bound to take a toll on some of them.

Fri Sep 12, 2003 05:19 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=87694&highlight=#87694

Moorgard wrote:

You may want to check out our updated Lore page on the official EQ2 site. It provides the background on city factions that I promised. EQ2 Lore

9/12/03 3:24pm
http://vnboards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=56289252&replies=9

Moorgard wrote:

Hey all, You may want to check out our updated Lore page on the official EQ2 site. It gives some background on city factions that should provide you with a bit of flavor as to what's going on in the Norrath of the future.

Fri Sep 12, 2003 10:52 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=87967&highlight=#87967

Moorgard wrote:

Mindblade wrote: On a more serious note, it says The Sleeper was awakened 500 years ago, but Moor said Luclin exploded only about a decade ago. Also, they used "cataclysms," plural. The Sleeper's awakening is used as a point of reference. EQOA takes place 500 years before he wakes, and EQ2 is set 500 years after. You are correct about the plurality of "cataclysms," however. It wasn't just Luclin going boom that left Norrath in its current state. But more on that another time. Ledce wrote: Now everyone is going to be stuck with either sand or flat grasslands to start. Actually, there will be a variety of environments you'll adventure in at the early levels. The cities have changed a lot since EQ, remember.

Tue Sep 23, 2003 11:42 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=95796&highlight=#95796

Moorgard wrote:

Certainly the gods have an interest in the mortals of Norrath, for many of the reasons postulated in this thread. The gods are often petty beings, and even the "best" of them can be prideful and vain. One might wonder how the gods would react to mortals ravaging their planes and killing the embodiments of their powers. Perhaps the gods would have different ideas about what course of action to take. Maybe, as they've done in the past, some of them would set their plans in motion...

Wed Sep 24, 2003 12:27 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=96923&highlight=#96923

Moorgard wrote:

Kendricke wrote: No one is saying that Guilds must be competitive anymore than it is being said that Families must be casual. It's a title. One may as well call Guilds "Player Organizations" or "Pledges" and refer to Familes as "Clans" or "Blood Relations". Precisely. If you want a guild, you have to register it with a city, and that city is going to require a minimum upkeep cost. Why do you need to register with Qeynos or Freeport? Because the five factions in each city want your support so that they can grow. Why should they let you have the benefits of living in a city if you don't offer them something in return? You owe the city something; it doesn't owe you. If you help a faction thrive (that is, if your guild does the most to promote that faction and thus becomes one of the "top" guilds), you will receive certain rewards for doing so. But you're totally free to pay the minimum cost and basically ignore the meta game of guild competition. To be clear: You can have a guild that is just like your EQ guild if you choose. The costs for doing so will not be prohibitive or punitive. The currency in all this hasn't been explained yet. But it isn't cash. Basically, our variety of social structures allows you more options, not less of them. You could have several great families forming an alliance and creating a hugely powerful guild. Maybe those alliances would erode over time, causing a shift in alliances that makes a new guild rise to prominence. Or imagine guilds in different cities (or even the same one) uniting to form a powerful family. There are a lot of permutations you can play around with. As far as housing goes, it is availble to guilds, families, or individuals. But the coolest buildings will be owned by the top guilds. Why? Because they're helping the city, so the city will reward them. The agendas of each city are real, not just window dressing. Galenwolf wrote: Neutral is the natural state of any universe, even if it made up. Well, there are protons, neutrons, and electrons, after all. Are there shades of grey? Sure. Not everyone in Freeport shares Lucan's agenda, and not everyone in Qeynos is singing "Shiny Happy People." But let me make your situation clear. The last 500 years have involved the people of Antonica getting the crap kicked out of them. Just about everything that could go wrong *did* go wrong, culminating with the moon blowing up and raining chunks down. You're coming into this game as a refugee, not someone in a position of power. You don't just look at the cities as a place to hang out; you *need* them. When survivors of massive devastations flood into another country, they don't immediately run off and set up shop in the wilderness; they struggle to reestablish their lives within the existing (and thriving) social structures. Bottom line is that our world has a story, and you have a purpose in it. Qeynos and Freeport aren't there for scenery; you rely upon them in order to survive. So you will pledge to support one, even if begrudgingly, because that's the reality of the world. Every story needs a beginning, and this is ours. But like any good book, our tale will take all kinds of twists and turns as the larger story is revealed slowly over time. Our initial release lays the groundwork for story elements that won't even come to fruition for three to five years, at which point you will hopefully say things like "Holy crap! That's who that guy was! That's why I did that quest!" The great thing about having a better understanding of the lifespan of MMOGs is that we can plan a *ton* of stuff out in advance. Our entire game is about planning for the future, and we have an awful lot of great stories to tell.

Wed Oct 01, 2003 08:44 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=103462&highlight=#103462

Moorgard wrote:

The Codex of War site is nicely done, but it is indeed largely fan fiction and isn't something we're basing our game lore on.

Thu Oct 02, 2003 10:40 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=103788&highlight=#103788

Moorgard wrote:

Rabscuttle wrote: I imagine that the citizens of Freeport are a bit miffed that Antonica is named after the ancestor of their enemy's ruler. You would think that they'd have some sort of propaganda campaign to rename it to something less Qeynosian - like Lucanica or D'Lereland. It's been changed before (from Tunaria) so it could happen again. It certainly could.

Mon Oct 06, 2003 02:24 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=106753&highlight=#106753

Moorgard wrote:

The Sleeper is not dead. Don't expect him to be making himself available for conversation, however.

Wed Oct 08, 2003 07:56 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=109106&highlight=#109106

Moorgard wrote:

Noviere wrote: If the gods have vanished, how are Priest classes able to cast spells? Don't they get their spells from their deities? That is indeed something to ponder. Quote: In regards to killing gods in EQLive, I always assumed they were the physical manifestation of the deity, not the deity itself. Correct.

Thu Oct 30, 2003 03:14 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=127845&highlight=#127845

Moorgard wrote:

Cross wrote: How is it that the Wood Elves and the High Elves make it to Qeynos (being the good-aligned city) when they have to cross Freeport and the tainted lands of Antonica? Are the Wood Elves and High Elves that we get to play in the game even from Faydwer? The Elves that are on the remains of Antonica have been there for a very long time. Of course, Elves have extremely long lifespans, so they are indeed from Faydwer... they just haven't been home in ages. Or, more precisely, an Age. You'll probably want to wait on character backstories until we release the lore of what's happened in the last 500 years. Quote: So far I understand that Faydwer and Odus will not be in the game. Not at release, no. Think of the initial release of the game as chapter one of our story. This tale revolves around Antonica, or what's left of it. Subsequent chapters will tell what happened to other parts of the world. Some of the stories are not at all what you might expect, and you may be surprised by the order in which we tell them.

11-02-2003 at 02:22 PM
http://www.eqlounge.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=32756#post32756

Moorgard wrote:

Chunks of Luclin fell to Norrath, but not the whole thing. It's still very visible up in the sky. Antonica wasn't ripped apart only because pieces of Luclin crashed into it. There has been a lot of devastation happening in the last 500 years.

Sun Nov 16, 2003 09:46 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=137393&highlight=#137393

Moorgard wrote:

Itzena wrote: GMs depop Kerafyrm when he's nearly been killed in EQ1, to preserve the storyline? Nice conspiracy theory, but whatever happened had absolutely no connection to our game. I mean, you don't see us demanding that paladins stop killing Sir Lucan, do you?

11/16/03 11:45 pm
http://pub148.ezboard.com/fpaladinsofnorrathfrm13.showMessage?topicID=2398.topic&index=16

Moorgard wrote:

Quote: "Sleeper is part of the EQ2 storyline, so they don't want him killed before the game is out. I can understand that, they have a whole storyline planned out or something. " Incorrect. Whether or not Kerafrym is killed on any EQ server has absolutely no relevance to EverQuest II. There's no devious plot to keep the Sleeper alive for the sake of our game.

Tue Nov 18, 2003 12:35 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=138397&highlight=#138397

Moorgard wrote:

Cusashorn wrote: well now that puts a little damper on the EQ2 storyline now doesn't it? :p I'd really like to make a painfully obvious joke about how the death of the Sleeper should only delay our release by a year or so, but about a half-dozen people would think I was serious and I'd have to post over and over again that I was kidding.

Thu Nov 20, 2003 12:35 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=140472&highlight=#140472

Moorgard wrote:

Gnomad wrote: Besides he keeps pointing out that this is a parallel/alternate universe so in reality there would be no common lore since this cannot be the same Norrath as in EQ1. This is a parallel one. I assume by "keeps pointing out" you mean the original thread I addressed the issue in. Not sure where you think I keep talking about this. At any rate, we have no plans at this time for the stories of EQ and EQ2 to diverge at all. Our storyline takes into account their next two expansions, so unless they decide to go off in a vastly different direction, the lore between our worlds should be quite consistent. We have gone to great lengths to build off many of the storylines established in EverQuest. You will learn the fate of many notorious NPCs and organizations that have long been familiar to EQ players. In turn, the EverQuest team has shown absolute willingness to work with us to ensure consistency between our games. So I don't think there's any need to pay attention to the parallel worlds idea, apart from the fact that both games can be played simultaneously.

Fri Nov 21, 2003 02:25 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=141164&highlight=#141164

Moorgard wrote:

The Antonica you knew has been broken up into many pieces (no, I won't tell you how many; discovering that is part of the fun). Some pieces are large enough to be considered continents. The ones you will get to know initially are Karan and D'Lere, which hold the cities of Qeynos and Freeport. Some other areas that you knew are indeed located on their own islands now. It wasn't just the destruction of the moon that caused this. Norrath has suffered through 500 years of devastation. I've already alluded to a massive war. There was also a long period of natural disasters and climatic changes known as the Age of Cataclysms. You'll be getting a lot more detail on some of this stuff as we get closer to release when we expand the lore section of our site. And by the way, I've been using the name Antonica to give you a frame of reference for roughly the area we're talking about. The collection of land masses that used to be the continent of Antonica are now commonly known as the Shattered Lands.

Mon Nov 24, 2003 04:10 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=143079&highlight=#143079

Moorgard wrote:

Losstarot Hatespreader wrote: This always confused me, I mean, when you raid the Plane of Hate for example, is this the actual plane itself or like the avatars, is this just an *image* of the actual plane but not the *real* plane You are seeing the current physical embodiment of that plane, not the actual primal power that causes it to exist. The absence of the gods calls all kinds of things into question. If the gods aren't there, why does divine magic still work? Do the planes themselves still exist? If so, how? Are the gods of Norrath really divine? Did the gods make the planes, or did the planes make the gods? If the god of a particular plane isn't there anymore, what effect does that have upon the material world? Some of these questions will be answered. Others--much as religion itself--will be debated for ages to come.

Wed Nov 26, 2003 01:12 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=144703&highlight=#144703

Moorgard wrote:

The Kerra (by the way, "Kerran" is an adjective; "Kerra" is the race) are not haughty at all. They're typically quiet and reserved around other races, unwilling to share too much of themselves with an outsider. This behavior is due to the fact that pretty much only bad things have resulted from interaction with other races--especially the Erudites, who not only stole their lands but infected them with a devastating plague and zapped an entire village to the moon. Such things tend to make one distrustful of others. Around their own kind, though, Kerra are outgoing and joyful. They are quite affectionate and caring to members of their own race.

12/2/03 10:41am
http://vnboards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=60454592&start=60470979

Moorgard wrote:

The Ratonga showed up around the time of the Rending--great chasms were being ripped open on the surface of Antonica and the continent began to break apart. At first everyone assumed that the ratmen were related to the Chetari, and the Ratonga seemed to confirm this account. But then speculation arose that they were actually from somewhere in the Underfoot. On this matter the Ratonga have remained silent. The Ratonga do not talk about their origins or their history. Perhaps the truth will be uncovered as the story of Norrath unfolds.

Wed Dec 03, 2003 03:24 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=149467&highlight=#149467

Moorgard wrote:

You'd be selling roleplayers short if you said that they have to know every detail of a race to play it well. I doubt everyone who RPs a dwarf or elf in EQ has bothered to digest every bit of game lore about our versions of those races, yet they can play them very successfully. Our character creation screen gives some of the history of each race, as well as info on their personalities. This should provide more than enough information for someone who wants to play a Ratonga. They are secretive about their origins. There is a reason for this. Just as there is a reason for where they are at this moment in time. One word best describes the Ratonga: opportunistic.

12/15/03 4:26pm
http://vnboards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=61177207&start=61183228

Moorgard wrote:

Keep in mind that not every bit of lore is intended to be revealed with 100% clarity. As in our own history, details often get muddied based on who is telling you the story. So if an ogre tells you his version of the Rallosian War, it's likely to differ from a wood elf's portrayal. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, depending on whom you are more likely to believe.

12/15/03 9:06pm
http://vnboards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=61177207&start=61195763

Moorgard wrote:

We will be posting a series of short stories on our site that show you various things that have happened in the last 500 years. Rather than hit you over the head with "here is some lore," this approach gives a bit more flavor and lets you see history from the perspective of a variety of characters. Plus, they're fun to write.

Wed Dec 17, 2003 04:45 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=158027&highlight=#158027

Moorgard wrote:

Don't get too caught up on the "secrets of Norrath's future" line. This expansion doesn't link to our game in any direct way. The future they refer to is for their own game. As for their tribute system, I have no idea how it even works, but I know it isn't our idea. But to get back to the original question... Rio Rio wrote: Will we learn today that Berserker is the missing fighter class for EQ2? No, you will not be learning anything like that today.

Thu Dec 18, 2003 12:54 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=158372&highlight=#158372

Moorgard wrote:

Some up-close and personal chatter with one of our most notorious personalities.

Fri Dec 19, 2003 11:18 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=159404&highlight=#159404

Moorgard wrote:

Actually, we've gone to great lengths to tie the games together. Characters and events from EverQuest are extremely important to us, and we have many links to the lore established there. While EQOA is more distant, we've got some hooks there too--including an important part of the ratonga storyline. But to answer the original question, I don't know of a site that has put everything from all the games in one place.

Mon Dec 22, 2003 12:23 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=160033&highlight=#160033

Moorgard wrote:

Hannar Stormwolf wrote: I don't think it is from a Moorgard quote. It's not one that I have indexed. It is not.

12-22-2003 at 01:56 AM
http://www.eqlounge.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=40326#post40326

Moorgard wrote:

While my Lucan interview was intended largely to entertain, it was also meant to make you think. Lucan is a political leader, ruling a town full of evil types. Why would you believe that he is telling you the truth? It's in his best interest if you believe in him instead of the gods, after all. The nature of propaganda is to distort facts to favor a particular agenda. Lucan and Antonia are likely to look at the same historical events very differently. Which one is telling you the truth? Is either going to give you the whole story? And really, why should they? We live in a culture dominated by sound bites. In the quest to get our news and opinions delivered to us in neat little packages, it's all too easy to form assumptions based on little or no detailed information. There are no shortage of people in the world who rely upon this very phenomenon to stay in power. Why would the leaders of Norrath be any different? Maybe evil old Lucan has a lesson for us after all.

Fri Jan 02, 2004 02:26 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=167949&highlight=#167949

Moorgard wrote:

Before teleportation to and from Luclin was cut off, a small number of Vah Shir journeyed back to Norrath to adopt a simpler life with their long-lost cousins. So the strength of the Vah Shir has infused the Kerra, and in this way their bloodline lives on. As a distinct culture, however, the Vah Shir are no more. If it makes you feel any better, they fought well at the end.

1/6 3:15pm
http://vnboards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=62200034&start=62209498

Moorgard wrote:

The halflings didn't take over Neriak. There was indeed a conflict, but the little ones aren't currently the problem inside Neriak's Fallen Gate. As for what became of the dark elves who lived there, you will have to discover that for yourself.

1/9 11:09am
http://vnboards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=62123292&start=62371394

Moorgard wrote:

There were plenty of mobs killed in EQ (Sir Lucan, anyone?) that respawned over and over in that game and yet also play a significant role in our storyline. Generally the only way a mob really "dies" in EQ is if it is physically removed from the world as part of its lore. The Sleeper went away, he didn't die as part of his story. The fact that years after his script was first activated on a live server somebody managed to fight and kill the NPC doesn't alter his storyline. As for Luclin, it's safe to say that there were multiple factors that led to its ultimate destruction. Some of those factors may well have further implications down the line.

01-09-2004 at 08:54 PM
http://www.eqlounge.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=42998#post42998

Moorgard wrote:

The Combine lore is essentially the same in the original EQ manual and in the most recent revision for EverQuest Evolution: "The Combine Empire, as this lost race of Humans is called, spread throughout the known world, but then died even more quickly than it grew, and for reasons still unknown. And while they are the ancestors of every Human on Norrath and their relics and ruins still litter the lands from Odus to Faydwer, little history of the period remains." What you later discover, of course, is that the Combine Empire moved to Luclin. Since that moon experienced a slight problem recently in our world (i.e. went boom), the Combine don't exactly have a lot to do with EQII.

Wed Jan 21, 2004 02:05 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=186841&highlight=#186841

Moorgard wrote:

Velious was affected by climatic changes, and some of the ice coating the ground below melted away. But the continent did not melt away into complete nothingness. The tale of Velious is an interesting one, to say the least. But there are other parts of the overall story that must be told first for the full impact to be realized.

1/28 12:53am
http://vnboards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=63351752&start=63352178

Moorgard wrote:

If you looked up at Norrath's sky in EQ, you saw the moon called Drinal. It's still visible 500 years later when EverQuest II takes place. Nothing bad happened to this moon, and it has been there since EQ was launched. If you went to the Plane of Sky in EQ you could also see the moon of Luclin, rings and all. It had long been veiled from the eyes of mortals. Transportation to it was reopened with the Shadows of Luclin expansion. It is the moon of Luclin that went BOOM in the Shattering, and this is the partially destroyed celestial body you see in EQ2's skyline.

1/30 6:03pm
http://vnboards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=63476386&start=63519303

Moorgard wrote:

The only problem with some of the sites out there that collect EQ lore is their tendency to take liberties with their interpretation the material. Really the only stuff you can consider canon is what has appeared in manuals and in game. And in the case of the latter, even that is suspect, as some NPCs want to deliberately mislead you about history in order to serve their own purpose. As for the history that takes place between EQ and EQ2, you will indeed be able to read a lot of it as we get closer to release. Some things, though, will be mysteries that you will have to solve.

Wed Jan 21, 2004 02:05 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=186841&highlight=#186841

Moorgard wrote:

Velious was affected by climatic changes, and some of the ice coating the ground below melted away. But the continent did not melt away into complete nothingness. The tale of Velious is an interesting one, to say the least. But there are other parts of the overall story that must be told first for the full impact to be realized.

Tue Jan 27, 2004 12:39 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=193047&highlight=#193047

Moorgard wrote:

According to ancient lore, Veeshan didn't make Norrath--the Nameless did. The pictures in VP show Veeshan clawing the world, which created the Scars of Velious.

Fri Jan 30, 2004 02:07 am
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=196600&highlight=#196600

Moorgard wrote:

Hmmm. That Hannar guy might be on to something. As a wise man once said: "No one here is exactly what he appears."

Fri Jan 30, 2004 03:13 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=197157&highlight=#197157

Moorgard wrote:

Cusashorn wrote: Keep in mind that Moorgards "Interview" with Lucan is just that. An Interview. Lucan, being biased towards evil, always thought the Ashen Order was weak. Exactly. As I mentioned in another thread, you have to consider the source. Everything Lucan says is merely his version of history. Why would you expect him to give you an objective account of anything? The guy is frickin' evil! I'm sure if you were to track down an Ashen Order monk, you would get a very different account of their departure from Freeport. The Ashen Order has returned to Freeport only once since they left, and that was to help defend the city during the Battle of Defiance. Lucan, of course, is unlikely to give credit to anyone for helping to save Freeport.

Fri Jan 30, 2004 03:18 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=197166&highlight=#197166

Moorgard wrote:

KillSwitch75 wrote: This was the evil guild in the Qeynos sewers. I wonder if they are still around. There has to be some Bertoxx followers still sneaking around Qeynos. Perhaps that would be a good thing to investigate as you explore in and around the city. You never know what you might find.

Tue Feb 03, 2004 04:10 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=200554&highlight=#200554

Moorgard wrote:

Lycrist of Lanys wrote: The lore for EQ2 hasn't been created yet, they have to finish up the graphics first afaik. That is very incorrect. The game's lore has been in development for as long as the game itself has. Besides the overall lore of what happened to Norrath, the design document for every zone includes the story behind its purpose in the world. Why is it there? Who are the major players and powers in it? What do those characters want from the people who discover them? Basically, we don't build zones until we know the story behind them. The artists need that information to really make each zone come alive. We have an in-depth timeline encompassing the 500 years between EQ and our game. We have stories written for expansions you might not see for years, yet those stories inform the actions of some of the characters in the initial release. All of this contributes to the richness of our world and the beings who inhabit it. As for what we will reveal to you before launch, there will be an extensive amount of it. The current plan is to give you a series of short stories that show you different perspectives on what has happened and to tell you the story of the war, the cataclysms, and select other tales. But there will remain many stories that you will have to uncover as you journey through the world.

Wed Feb 04, 2004 01:16 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=201308&highlight=#201308

Moorgard wrote:

At release you will be exploring the shattered remains of what used to be Antonica--not any other continent. While that might sound like a smaller world, we're on a completely different scale than EQ is. Trust me, you'll have plenty of places to explore and things to do. Just as an example, we will ship with quite a bit more high-end content than EQ had at launch. Again, we have the advantage of being able to plan this kind of thing out in advance. And for the record, Kerafyrm is not the child of Nagafen and Vox. The Sleeper was born in the distant past. Vox and Naggy were placed in their respective prisons by the Ring of Scale because the two dragons wanted to mate, and the Ring feared the birth of another prismatic. Given the massive destruction during the Age of Cataclysms, one might imagine that those prisons are not as secure as they once were. And if that's true, certain parties might not be too happy about it, and would decide to take action. Sounds like an interesting story to investigate. That is, if the dragons feel like talking about it.

Fri Feb 20, 2004 10:58 pm
http://www.eqii.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=217304&highlight=#217304

Moorgard wrote:

I could tell you what happened to the Glade... but I'd rather see the look on the face of the first ranger who learns the truth.

:: Updated by Hannar @ 07/03/04 02:47 pm ::

03-23-2004 03:02 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=lore&message.id=313#M313

Moorgard wrote:

You will be getting a timeline of pertinent events that occur in the 500 years between EQ and EQII. The lore will be revealed bit by bit as we get closer to launch.

04-09-2004 11:41 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=lore&message.id=590#M590

Moorgard wrote:

Nope. The source of Luclin's destruction is a mystery worth investigating in game. You'll be getting some hints soon enough.

04-30-2004 09:46 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=lore&message.id=919#M919

Moorgard wrote:

Glorfendill wrote: Anyone notice in the lore how Brell placed "all manner of creations" deep into the underworld of norrath right after Veeshan placed the dragons? An interesting observation indeed.

05-07-2004 12:58 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=lore&message.id=1282#M1282

Moorgard wrote:

The maps and zone details should have been proofed better, but we didn't have any dedicated proofreaders on staff at the time. The best part about the Atlas book is the lore it contains. There are tons of backstories included in that book, and far more in the various game and expansion design docs that I've discovered since working here. The great Roger Zelazny published an essay included in his Unicorn Variations collection talking about how whenever he wrote a novel he also wrote short stories about its characters. These stories were not included in the novel, but might be referred to offhandedly at some point in the book. He did this to give his characters a real history, and it also helped him flesh out their personalities in ways he might not otherwise have been able. We've taken much the same approach in the lore for EverQuest II. There are tons of great backstories for much of what has happened during the last 500 years, some of which we'll reveal and some of which we won't. But it all goes toward the motivations for the people that exist in our game: their histories, their conflicts, their backgrounds. Every zone has its stories, as well as its secrets. It's one of my favorite things about this game.

05-09-2004 09:19 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=lore&message.id=1383#M1383

Moorgard wrote:

That "Prophecy of Trakanon" stuff surfaces every couple months, as there are several sites that still have it posted. It's interesting how players tied a whole bunch of stuff together like that, but it is indeed a mish-mash that has little factual information in it. And it doesn't have anything to do with the events that lead up to our game. That's not to say Trakanon's influence won't be felt in other ways, of course.

05-15-2004 01:49 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=lore&message.id=1748#M1748

Moorgard wrote:

It is just one of many major storylines in the game, some of which connect and some of which do not.

:: Updated by Hannar @ 07/03/04 10:00 pm ::

05-29-2004 10:33 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=lore&message.id=2277#M2277

Moorgard wrote:

Stonestair Byway stands as a testament to the power the Overlord holds over his subjects. When the Erudites and kerra were first put together in one district, riots broke out. The Overlord immediately sent in his Militia to put down the uprising in swift and decisive fashion. While the tension remains, no one dares overtly break the peace. The fact that two races with an abiding hatred for one another could be made to live side by side shows how complete Lucan's control really is. The Overlord relishes this fact and uses the district as an example of what happens to those who defy his will.

06-17-2004 12:36 AM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=Non-Gameplay&message.id=11151#M11151

Moorgard wrote:

Lucan was married and now his wife is dead. He is a widower. He has, whether by old age, foul play, or some other circumstance, been widowed. While widowed is a transitive verb, I think it works fine as a description of his marital state. It is not as versatile a word as married, but I'd still argue that it fits. Pretend it says "widower" or "married, wife deceased" if you wish.

6/17 3:24pm
http://vnboards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=70556173&start=70593270

Moorgard wrote:

Quote: Who knows Ratonga Lore? Though it may sound facetious to say, the only correct answer to your question at this point is "the ratonga."

06-26-2004 02:35 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=fighter&message.id=6295#M6295

Moorgard wrote:

We have no plans to change the name bruiser. Lots of names for the various professions were considered, and we feel the ones we came up with do a good job of portraying their roles well. As for why there are no monks in Freeport, consider the following facts. Lucan grew to despise the Ashen Order because they were the last major organization in the city that refused to submit to him. Despite numerous efforts, the monks would not bow down to the Overlord or take a role in the expansion of his power. Lucan tried to subvert them by introducing his own elements into their ranks in an effort to corrupt them. This failed, resulting in the Ashen monks leaving Freeport so that they could remain untainted by Lucan's influence. The Overlord will tolerate most practices within his walls as long as they take a second place to obedience to him. This includes religion or any other kind of personal belief. Lucan didn't want a new order of monks in Freeport because their devotion to discipline threatens their devotion to him. So instead he encouraged the development of a more savage form of physical combat which he could control without question. So while built in many ways on the legacy of the Ashen Order, the techniques of the bruiser emphasize force over everything. Lucan saw his position as vindicated when he learned that the Ashen Order had developed the Arcanic Combat Arts and refused to share this knowledge with Freeport. The Overlord captured and tortured monks to obtain the information, but his law against the establishment of another monk guild in Freeport stands to this day. For their part, the iksar saw little choice but to accept this situation. As I've already mentioned, their strict devotion to Cazic-Thule has fallen into question. And considering how most of the iksar residing in Freeport came to be there, they weren't exactly in a position to argue.

06-26-2004 09:31 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=lore&message.id=3340#M3340

Moorgard wrote:

The Sleeper was awakened (in a lore sense) as part of the Velious storyline. In other words, he took off before the portal to Luclin was opened and before the Planes of Power were breached. Think of our game as one of the possible futures of Norrath. We don't want to limit what the EQ team does with their storyline, thus the parallel universe idea. Keep in mind that our story arc has been planned out for quite some time already, building upon events up through the PoP/LoY/LDoN era.

:: Updated by Hannar @ 07/04/04 08:49 am ::

06-30-2004 09:37 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=lore&message.id=3525#M3525

Moorgard wrote:

She's EverQuest's icon, not ours. We'll leave her fate in their hands, as we have a couple icons of our own.

:: Updated by Hannar @ 08/01/04 03:53 pm ::

07-13-2004 10:33 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=lore&message.id=4125#M4125

Moorgard wrote:

The Ashen Order returned to help defend Freeport at the request of the Avatar of Tranquility. After the Battle of Defiance, they disappeared once more to their hidden fortress in the sand.

07-15-2004 10:13 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=Newbie&message.id=16527#M16527

Moorgard wrote:

The preorder disc includes a short story that will be of interest to you.

07-25-2004 01:17 PM
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=lore&message.id=4662#M4662

Moorgard wrote:

Different tribes of kerra have different cultures and have evolved quite differently over the years. The kerra were originally united under the leadership of a male, Kejaan. His tribe would, under the rule of his son Vah Kerrath, become known as the Vah Shir. The males were larger and their culture was definitely patriarchal. Though the kerra people were united under a single ruler, they still mostly lived in separate tribal villages. When that ruling tribe of Vah Shir was teleported to the moon of Luclin, the kerra tribes who remained behind reverted back to self rule. The Kejek remained isolated in the Stonebrunt Mountains, and the inhabitants of Kerra Isle resumed their matriarchal ways (for example, under the leadership of Princess Mitty in the time of EQ). Despite the fact that there was some intermingling of Vah Shir blood back into the kerra when the portal to Luclin was opened, our kerra are descended from the matriarchal heritage present on Kerra Isle. But as you might imagine, kerra from different tribes may not always see things the same way.