Shadows of Luclin
From EQ KnowledgePit
| Shadows of Luclin | |
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| Release date(s) | December 3, 2001 |
Contents |
[edit] General Information
Most notable about this expansion is that it marked the addition of AAs. Other than that, it opened the moon orbiting Norrath, known as Luclin, up to players. Luclin is chock full of zones, much larger than either of the two prior expansions. It also added the Vah Shir race, a race of bipedal cats from the city of Shar Vahl, exiled to the moon by the Erudites. Last but not least, it added the Beastlord class, a hybrid between a Monk and a Shaman.
[edit] Zones
There are a ton of zones throughout Luclin. It was by far the largest expansion to date.
[edit] Cities
The Bazaar - intended to create a more uniform method of commerce within the EverQuest community, this zone has no gravity (no matter how encumbered you are, you can still run full speed, allowing you to carry extremely large amounts of coin), and has stalls under which players can set pricing for their items and set their characters up to act just like a normal vendor, who will sell items automatically to any player who has enough money and hits "Purchase". This zone has been changed twice over the years; first, the layout was completely revamped to add many more walls, to reduce video lag caused by the extreme amounts of player models all in one location; second, a feature was added that allows players to set up their characters to buy desired items at a given price. Both incarnations of the zone contain both a bank and several normal NPC vendors.
Katta Castellum - it is unknown who (or what) built this ancient city. Found in the twilight regions of Luclin, between the Tenebrous Mountains and Twilight Sea, the current inhabitants of this city hold a deep disdain for the dark arts, such as necromancy. There are many quests available within, to rid nearby zones of creatures such as vampires. This zone contains a bank, several vendors, and all the tradeskill containers, such as brew barrels.
Sanctus Seru - a huge, ancient city located between Marus Seru and the Dawnshroud Peaks, this zone is always very bright. The city contains support for every tradeskill, along with an arena and dungeon. Like any city, it contains a bank and abundant vendors. Evil races are not welcome here, and often find that the experience to be gained from the guards is quite good.
Shadow Haven - the large city created by Norrathian settlers of every race, all races are welcome here. It contains two banks and countless vendors, along with a guild hall for every class. It connects to the Paludal Caverns, Fungus Grove, and two well-hidden entrances to the Echo Caverns.
Shar Vahl - new home to the Vah Shir after the Erudites exiled them (then the Kerrans) to Luclin, this city has a distinctly middle-eastern feel to it, with lots of cement and sand-colored buildings. Like any normal city, it contains a bank, guild halls for all the classes that Vah Shir can be, lots of vendors, and a newbie area. The buildings are also set up with a slight slant to the walls, so players can climb them (this was done to illustrate that the Vah Shir can climb extremely well, being cats; however, any player can scale the buildings).
The Nexus - the entry zone to Luclin, there are four sets of Wizard spires on Norrath that will teleport players within range to the Nexus every fifteen minutes. There are also pads in the four hallways of the Nexus that will teleport players to these spires, also at fifteen minute intervals. The four spires can be found in North Karana (Antonica), The Dreadlands (Kunark), The Great Divide (Velious), and the Greater Faydark (Faydwer). There are zone lines from here to Shadow Haven, The Bazaar, and Netherbian Lair. The portal to the Plane of Knowledge can be found at the end of the remaining hall.
[edit] Outdoor Zones
Dawnshroud Peaks - a large, mountainous region, this zone is popular for players level 30-40. It's full of rockhoppers, rock golems, lightcrawlers, and Gorangas (vaguely similar to orcs). Notable attractions include the small camps of settlers, which include vendors.
The Grey - a wide, gray (aptly-named) plain punctuated by the occasional cluster of boulders, this zone has no air. What this means for players, is that they can be in the zone for a certain amount of time, based on their swimming skill (lung capacity in The Grey is equal to your lung capacity underwater), or have Enduring Breath and they can stay however long they like. In the center of this zone is a large pyramid that is the top of the Ssraeshza Temple.
Grimling Forest - a dark forest full of tall trees, this zone contains a small Vah Shir outpost with some vendors and a bank, along with sonic wolves wandering the zone, a large treetop village of aggressive Grimlings (similar to Kelethin), and the cave entrance to Acrylia Caverns.
| Luclin Surface Map |
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Hollowshade Moor - although also directly connected to Shar Vahl, it is ill advised to go here with a low-level character. This zone contains some mid-level mobs, such as sonic wolves. Tradeskillers are also attracted to the zone, due to the camp event that can be used for tradeskill components.
Maiden's Eye - a huge plain, loaded with large Gorangas, deadly shades, and even humble (but powerful) bats, this zone is popular for players level 45-50 for experience.
Marus Seru - a popular zone for players level 25-35 or so, this massive desert is full of rockhoppers, rock golems, and lightcrawlers.
Mons Letalis - a thick, craggy set of hills between Marus Seru and The Grey, this zone is full of rockhoppers, rock golems, and other bizarre Luclin creatures. All the creatures in this zone are heavily attracted to a fight, so be careful no matter where you decide to kill.
Scarlet Desert - aptly named, this great red desert contains a diverse mob population, such as aggressive cacti. There is a large mesa in the northeast region of the zone; on and around this mesa are a large number of sun revenants, which are good experience for level 35-45 players. A large canyon runs diagonally across the middle of this zone, making an easy path between The Grey and the Twilight Sea.
Shadeweaver's Thicket - the level 5-15 or so zone found right outside Shar Vahl, this zone is full of low-level mobs, quests, and vendors. Because of this, it is a young Vah Shir's playground.
Tenebrous Mountains - a large mountain range found on the dark side of Luclin, this zone is punctuated by the occasional plant. The only major points of attraction in the zone are the small house of vampires in the northeast part of the zone, and the zone line to Katta Castrum centered on the western zone wall.
Twilight Sea - this lunar sea contains a location to which both Druids and Wizards can teleport.
Umbral Plains - home to the terrifying Doomshade, the great Rumblecrush, and the massive Zelnithak, this zone was once a popular place for entry-level raiding guilds to get some easy gear. Today, however, the gear from these mobs pales in comparison to single-group items.
[edit] Dungeons
| Luclin Underground Map |
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Acrylia Caverns - home to tons of Grimlings, this zone is popular due to the speed at which players level 50-60 can gain experience, and because of its remote location; there is often very little contest for mobs in the zone. It is also popular for groups because of the great number of acrylia bricks that drop, which are useful for tradeskills, primarily Smithing. There are also several raid encounters in the "inner sanctum" section of the zone.
Akheva Ruins - a once-great, now-crumbling ivory labyrinth, this zone is highly dangerous due to the large number of trap mobs that will remain unspawned until a player is very close. This zone is only popular due to the handful of raid encounters, and its intricate ties to the Vex Thal key.
The Deep - a pair of intricate caves adjoined by a deep cavern, navigable only by invisible bridges, this zone is home to lots of dark cavern creatures. Notably, it is home to the camp for the Wand of Imperceptibility, a coveted item that can shrink its owner infinitely.
Echo Caverns - divided into two individual parts, half of this zone is between Shadow Haven and The Deep, with the other half being between Shadow Haven and Fungus Grove. The part that connects to Fungus Grove is accessed via a secret panel near the Nexus portal in Shadow Haven, while the part that connects to The Deep is accessed by a tunnel near the Dwarven area of Shadow Haven.
Fungus Grove - a series of dark, twisted tunnels, this zone can be accessed two ways, both somewhat hidden; one is via the "secret" part of Echo Caverns, which is hidden behind a secret panel near the Nexus portal in Shadow Haven; the other is via a teleporter in the mage's tower in Twilight Sea. This zone is filled with all manner of fungi and plants; some attached to the floor or walls, some not.
Netherbian Lair - a four-pointed zone that connects The Nexus to Marus Seru and Dawnshroud Peaks, this series of tunnels is popular for players to go from level 25 to 30 or so. There used to be an exploit where players could walk behind a pillar near the center of the zone, and go outside what should have been the zone boundaries, which also allowed them to jump off the side of the zone, teleporting them to the safe point of the zone, near the Nexus zone line. However, that breach in zone geometry has since been plugged up with a brick wall (literally).
Paludal Caverns - a popular place where players can go from level 15 to 25 in just a few hours, this zone is highly contested. Full of great camps, including the two bandit camps, the zone full of phlarg fiends, and tunnels packed with ((something)), this is a great place for low-level players to gain very quick experience.
Ssraeshza Temple - an intricate labyrinth underneath a great pyramid, this zone was created by, and is home to, countless Shissar. Tons of quests find their way into this zone; particularly, the quest for the key to Vex Thal. In order to complete the key, players must first complete a quest to enter the throne room of the Temple, then they must confront and kill Emperor Ssraeshza.
Vex Thal - the only locked zone on Luclin, little is known about this labyrinth of hallways. It is the end-game zone of the Luclin expansion, and as such, it's no walk in the park. Luclin saw the addition many mobs with more than one million hitpoints, and Vex Thal was full of them. The final mob in the zone is Aten Ha Ra. Players often joke about this zone, and how the mob names are nigh impossible to pronounce, and extremely difficult spell.
