This post is going to look back on some of the early History of EQ2 and some questions that have not really been explained and why this has become an unfinished story.
When EverQuest 2 was released a number of short stories were released explaining the events that lead up to the shattering, this and more of the early information on EQ2 can still be found at
http://lorenorrath.free.fr/ . Two of these I will post here since they are directly related.
3 - Attack of the Nexus
Ayenden concluded his business in the Bazaar and strolled into the Nexus. The usual crowd of travelers was passing through, and Ayenden thought he might look around for some familiar faces with which to seek adventure. He caught sight of an old friend standing atop the platform. “Enkasha,” he called out. “I didn’t expect to see you here today.”
The tall, serene Erudite saw him and smiled slightly. Ayenden knew this was the extent of the emotion she was likely to show. She walked down the stairs and greeted him.
“You are correct, my friend. I am indeed overdue for the festival. I was exploring the planes with my guild mates, which took far longer than I had anticipated. I am certain to be chided for my tardiness.”
“It sounds like a glorious occasion for your people,” Ayenden said. “Are you sure I can’t convince you to take me along as a guest?”
Enkasha rolled her eyes and sighed, a gesture Ayenden knew to be playful rather than demeaning. “You know full well that the celebration of the anniversary of Erud’s birth is a sacred and private ritual for us. Outsiders are never allowed to attend.”
“Yes, you told me before,” Ayenden muttered. “I hope you will tell me the details later, at least. I’m sure this eighth centennial will be quite an occasion. Who knows, one of you might even tell a joke.”
Enkasha sighed again, but the faintest of grins betrayed her amusement. “It shall indeed be special, though not for the reason you posit. But enough of this chatter; I must see the scion about teleportation to Odus.”
Before he could respond, Ayenden’s attention was drawn to a commotion atop the Nexus platform. The air itself seemed to crackle and sputter as a vortex of energy began to swirl. “What in the name of Tunare is that?”
Enkasha turned and watched, her eyes narrow. “Something is teleporting into this chamber.”
Ayenden shook his head slowly. “That is no ordinary spell. Someone is opening a doorway to this place, and is expending a great amount of energy to do so.” He muttered the beginnings of an incantation, his eyes fixed upon the growing vortex. “I think perhaps you should be visiting that scion now, my friend.”
“Nonsense,” Enkasha protested. “Who else will defend a fragile old wizard like you?” She cast a spell to summon forth a fiery pet and commanded it to stand in front of her. The swirl of energy on the platform above them was expanding rapidly.
“You pick a curious time to develop a sense of humor, milady. Not that I’m ungrateful, but I really must insist that--“ Ayenden gasped as the portal opened and dark, massive beings began to rush through it. “The Diaku!” he shouted in disbelief. “Get back, Enkasha!”
The huge, heavily armored soldiers poured through the opening with weapons drawn. They stormed down the stairway toward the crowds that had gathered and began to attack.
“What are they doing outside the Plane of Tactics?” Enkasha cried out. Instinctively she bolstered her pet and ordered it forward as a soldier charged her. The Nexus was now flooded with adventurers from the Bazaar and Shadowhaven, but more Diaku continued to charge out of the gateway. “There are so many!” she exclaimed. “We cannot stop them.”
“Let me translocate you away, Enkasha,” Ayenden pleaded. “Now is the time for neither jokes nor pride.”
“No, I will stand here and defend this place,” she countered, healing her pet as it fought against a Diaku swordsman. “But you must go and warn others. We need reinforcements.”
“I will not leave you!” Energy bolts flew from his fingertips as more planar invaders kept coming.
“Which of us is being prideful? You must go, and go now. I think something else is coming through the portal.”
From behind the Diaku came tall beings whose very heads seemed to be made of fire, their massive weapons burning with the arcane power of their master.
“By all the gods!” Ayenden hissed. “Those are the servants of Solusek Ro. And they seem to be carrying a massive gem of some sort with them.”
Enkasha was pouring all her strength into her pet, struggling against the assault of the Diaku. “There can be no more delay. We need help, Ayenden. Go now!”
He wanted desperately to stay by her side but knew that she was right. Ayenden cast his gate spell and waited for it to spirit him away. “I’ll be back soon. Stand fast, my friend.” As reality began to shimmer around him, he saw a Diaku archer take aim at Enkasha from atop the platform. He tried to call out to warn her, but before he could utter a sound he was gone.
The familiar scent of the Faydark filled his nostrils, instantly replacing the stench of burning air that had permeated the Nexus just moments before. Teleportation was always vaguely disconcerting, but no more so than this night. He turned and sprinted down the pathways he had learned so well in his youth.
At last he caught sight of the guards outside the grand city of Felwithe. “Sound the alarm!” he shouted. “The Nexus is being attacked!”
Ayenden charged past the various people milling around the open gate and ran inside. He had to tell the paladins to gather their forces. This invasion may take an entire legion of knights to repel.
The captain of the guard walked toward the wizard, flanked by his lieutenant. “What is this attack you speak of? Tell me quickly.”
Ayenden gulped for air as he told the captain what had transpired. The captain considered the wizard's words for a moment, then turned to his lieutenant. “Send word to the king of what is transpiring. Tell him we may need additional reinforcements. I will bring a squadron with me to hold these beings back.”
The lieutenant saluted and marched quickly down the corridor. The captain pointed back toward the city gate. “Meet me outside. I must gather my forces, and then we will need you to take us to the Nexus.”
Ayenden nodded and ran back outside. After what seemed an eternity, the captain and his guard arrived, accompanied by additional wizards.
“Weave your magic and take us to the Nexus,” the captain ordered. Ayenden began to cast immediately, and as he chanted the spell he felt the familiar gathering of energy around him and his passengers. But suddenly the gate collapsed and the spell was broken.
Ayenden cursed to himself and began to cast again. This time his power seemed lessened, despite the fact that he had been meditating for the last several minutes. He looked at the captain and shook his head.
The captain turned to his wizards. “You take us there,” he ordered. They began to cast, but their spells fizzled as well.
“I cannot explain this,” one of them said aloud. The others were just as baffled.
“We must go to the spires. The scion can take us there,” Ayenden pleaded. The captain nodded and ordered his soldiers forward.
This run seemed far longer to Ayenden than the last one had, but finally they reached the gigantic forest spires. He knew something was wrong before they got there. The familiar hum was gone, and the scion stood alone at the center of the spires.
“What is it? What has happened?” Ayenden cried out. “Tell us!”
The scion looked around helplessly. “They’re dead,” he said softly. “The spires are silent.”
Ayenden stood, his mouth agape. He looked up at the sky, feeling more lost than he could ever remember. He thought of his friend so far away.
“I’m sorry, Enkasha,” he whispered to the clinging darkness of the night. “I’m so sorry.”
At this point Norrath is now cut off from porting to the moon of Luclin.
11 - The Shattering
They crept through the shadows and waited for the guard to pass.
"He's gone, Tielya. It's safe."
"The guards should be the least of your concerns," she replied. "If my father ever found out that a human like you would be so bold as to touch a Teir'Dal maiden, he'd have your head on a pike before dawn."
"Good point," he said, pulling her close to him. "And what do you think he'd do if he found out that I'm going to marry you?"
"Impudent human!" she exclaimed, pushing away. "What makes you think a daughter of the house of V'Dreth would consent to such a union?"
"This," he answered, kissing her softly.
She smiled. "Even so, my father will be furious. I'm not joking when I say we have to be careful."
"I know," he answered, "but your father isn't here right now. And if we don't make our way to the docks soon, the guard will be back. Let's go."
He took her hand and led her to the pier. A small boat was tied up below the dock. They climbed down into it and untied the rope, rowing quietly into the harbor.
"Such a beautiful night," Tielya said. "I love the darkness of the new moon. Don't you, Sarven?"
"I love the darkness of your skin more, but the moon is nice, too." He smiled. Her eyes glinted back at him.
They rowed around the edge of the harbor, past the tall ships anchored at the Freeport docks. Their boat glided out of sight of the watchtowers to a deserted spot near the sandy shore. Sarven put down the oars and Tielya leaned back against him. They looked out across the silent water.
"The sea hasn't been this calm for a long time. A good omen, I think," she said to him.
"Indeed. Maybe it's a sign that we should run away from your family and start a new life somewhere else."
"Where could we go that a human and a dark elf would be allowed to live together? The Commonlands are overrun by orcs. If we fled to Nektulos, the fanatical Thexians would eagerly hunt you down. And while you might be able to find a place in Qeynos, I doubt they'd be very welcoming to a Teir'Dal. The oceans are still unsafe to cross. Our options are--"
She stopped when she noticed the sky over the water begin to shimmer and grow brighter.
"What is that?" Sarven asked.
"Some kind of distortion is forming. Whatever it is, it's enormous."
The flickering light coalesced. There, in the sky before them, was a round moon circled by an ephemeral ring.
"By the gods!" Tielya exclaimed. "Can that be Luclin?"
"I read about it growing up, but access to the moon was lost centuries ago. It was said to be hidden behind some kind of veil. Why would it be visible now?"
As he spoke, the moon began to glow brighter. Lines of energy arced across its surface as if the entire sphere crackled with power.
"What is happening?" she asked.
"Tielya, cover your eyes," he told her.
"But it's so beautiful."
"Cover your eyes!"
For an instant the sky flashed as bright as day. Sarven squinted and shielded his eyes with his arm. After a moment the light dimmed, and he looked up to see Luclin broken apart in the sky, a wave of energy carrying chunks of debris rapidly toward Norrath.
"We need to go quickly," he said. I don't know how far away Luclin is, but it looks like pieces of it will be hitting soon."
"Sarven," she said softly, her eyes staring forward.
"Yes?"
"I can't see anymore."
"What do we know?" he asked.
"Very little," the informant replied. "Most in Freeport were asleep when it happened, though of course the intensity of the light awoke them."
"Can we even confirm it was Luclin?"
"Some who claim to have been to the Plane of Sky long ago agreed it looked like what they saw there, but who can say for certain? The planes play tricks on the eyes, and nothing may be what it appears. If it was Luclin, it was not as distant as many thought."
"Any idea as to the cause?"
"Just rumors. Luclin has been cut off from us for so long now, many had all but forgotten about it. The priests think its destruction is a portent that the gods will soon return. Others speak of an invasion that happened there long ago and claim this is the result. The ogres blame it on gnome meddling; the humans suspect the ratonga. The Overlord has begun an investigation of his own, but at this point nothing is certain."
"How bad are the casualties?"
"Too many to count. The largest pieces hit first, causing huge impact craters and scorching the lands. The Arcane Scientists claim that debris may be falling for years, perhaps even decades. They simply don't know."
The older Teir'Dal scowled. "I must have answers. Bring him in."
Two guards opened the door and left the room, returning moments later dragging a man between them. He had been beaten badly and couldn't walk on his own. They brought him before their master and held him up.
"Tell me, human, what did you see?"
"I... already told you," he replied weakly.
The dark elf slapped him hard across the face. "Vile wretch! You blind my daughter and now lie to my face! No one may do that to V'Dreth and live!" The Teir'Dal slapped him again.
"We were... on the boat. We saw the flash. I begged her to look away. I would never hurt her."
"Lies!" V'Dreth cried out as he hit Sarven again. "You kidnapped Tielya to hold her for ransom and stole her sight to hide your identity! Now tell me what you saw!" He clenched his fist and prepared to strike him again.
"Enough, father," Tielya called out from the doorway. "Do not hurt the man I love."
V'Dreth cringed. "You do not know what you are saying. He is a filthy human who has cast some spell on your mind. You could not love one such as him!"
She let go of the doorway and walked forward, nearly stumbling when she reached the edge of the table. She felt her way along it until she stood near her father.
"You have asked him over and over again what he saw. Why do you not ask the same of me?"
V'Dreth was silent for a moment. "Alright then, what did you see?"
She smiled faintly as she stared straight ahead with sightless eyes. "The moon was so clear. It was alive with energy flowing through every part of it. Then it was as if something in the center broke loose and leapt outward, like a bird of prey hatching from an egg. I couldn't turn away. It was so beautiful."
He looked down at the ground, then back at his daughter. "Do you really love this human?"
"I do," she said defiantly.
"Then have him," he said, motioning for his guards to drop Sarven on the floor. "Leave now, and never return to my house. I no longer have a daughter."
Her face was stoic as she nodded once, bending down to help Sarven to his feet. "Guide me, my love, and I will carry you," she whispered to him.
V'Dreth watched them go. He turned to the guards. "See that they find a room in an inn, somewhere out of the way. Deliver her things there. Make sure no harm comes to them, but never speak of them to me again. Go."
The guard saluted and walked away. V'Dreth turned back to his informant. "There must be more answers to be had. Find them."
The informant bowed and headed through the door, leaving V'Dreth alone in the dark chamber. The Teir'Dal touched the edge of the table his daughter had followed, then clenched his fist and stared into the shadows.
So for may year this is all we knew of the moon of Luclin we never knew what become of the inhabitants if everyone perished when the moon was shattered or did some survive. Shards of Luclin can be found in a number of areas around Norrath.
In the expansion Tears of Veeshan in the final confrontation with Kerafyrm, Roheen Theer attacks Kerafyrm directly and while locked in battle Jorlak shots them both to Luclin.
Luclin is now made whole but what is the fate of Roheen Theer and Kerafyrm?
With the release the expansion Altar of Malice we return once again to the Isle of Refuge where our adventure all began.
When we arrive on the isle the tower has been destroyed and we learn that the Far Seas trading company has been searching and finding Shissar Artifacts.
As we work thru the signature line we encounter Grimlings, than the Akheva and finally the Shissar.
Now one thing we must remember from the original Everquest is that these three races were not at all friendly toward one another, but it seems in EQ2 that the Grimlings and Akheva have been conquered by the Shissar.
In our final confrontation with the shissar they are trying to open a portal to allow them to bring an invasion force to Norrath. You thwart their plan, but the question remains are they still on Luclin or are they some place else, and will we encounter them in the future?
With the release of the new expansion Chaos Descending on November 13th, 2018 we get a small insight to will we see the shissar again. During our final confrontation with Najena, in her closing speech before she flees the battle she states who will save Norrath when the Shissar invade.
So we may conclude that Najena has some knowledge of the Shissar and that we may be seeing them again soon, but whether on Norrath, Luclin or another realm entirely we do not know.
RGX
