OGR Previews: Rise of Kunark - an EverQuest 2 Expansion
By: Sean “Luxx” Gibbons

Rise of Kunark, the latest expansion releasing for EverQuest 2, could only be described as Trakanorific! Well okay, it could be described as a few other things, but I’d need a whole article to tell you about it. Hey look, what’s that below?! It’s a whole article about Rise of Kunark!

A little tour group was formed, headed by none other than EQ2 Community Manager Craig “Grimwell” Dalrymple (aka The Devourer of Kittens) and I just happened to take notes like a good little Sarnak.

For those who don’t know, the Sarnak are the new character race introduced in RoK. I got to make a brand new shiny one and play around with the different horn, color, and scale customizations. They remind me of humanoid Chinese dragons. After I got my Sarnak up and running, there was a little time to play before the ‘tour-o-wonders started’, so I made the best of it. Ah to be a newbie again, wandering around aimlessly, picking up those first few sea shells for collection quests. Only this time the grounds are in Timorous Deep and I didn’t doddle long before kicking some Spiroc beaks in.

(Timorous Deep)

Timorous Deep will take players from level 1 up to 20. The place is freaking vast. As you can see, the Sarnak architecture is quite nice and fairly calming. The Sarnak of Gorowyn are a warrior race, but they’re fairly well centered; not blood thirsty crazy like some other races I’m thinking of (Halfling). Players will learn all about the history of these Sarnak as they explore throughout Timorous.

Once they hit the end of their adventures in Timorous Deep, new Kunark players will then have a chance to blend in with the rest of Norrath. The rest of the Rise of Kunark expansion is based on levels 65 and higher. That means sailing out via the docks in Gorowyn and leveling up the rest of the way in the preexisting zones from 20 to 65. When players return to Kunark, they’ll enter into the Kylong Plains:

(Kylong Plains)

The Kylong Plains is a huge “overland” comprised of multiple zones which span roughly from levels 65 to 70. Players will return to Kunark through different means, including new Druid and Wizard portal spells which will drop you off here. A lot of players from EQ1 will recognize landmarks from the old Dreadlands area such as Karnor’s Castle; which will be the first real group-oriented area for 65+ players in RoK.

The expansion introduces some very interesting technologies to EverQuest 2 such as zone and atmosphere blending. That is, having multiple “zones” all within one large seamless overland with multiple blending environments. For example, when players approach Karnor’s within the Kylong Plains, the atmosphere changes gradually until you’re standing at the front door and everything is gloomy and raining. It also means players will experience far fewer loading screens as they travel across the continent. In short; less zone time means more time to kill Drolvargs and collect their spit: makes great coffee!

(Before & after transition between Kylong and Karnor’s)

(Dirty stinkin’ Drolvargs)

Not only have the Adventure and Tradeskill levels increased to 80, but the guild levels have as well and now players now get a maximum of 140 total Achievement points. Kylong Plains alone will only get you progressed so far, and the tour took us onwards and upwards to the Kunzar Jungle.

Kunzar is in the 73 to 78 level range and contains quite a few angry angry Iksars among other things. Sebilis makes it’s return as a 75 – 85 dungeon zone within the Kunzar Jungle. If you’re not familiar with the name here’s a tip: Prepare to have your cookies stolen by golems. A max level 85 means the place is built to be a challenge even when everybody in your group is maxed out.

Speaking of things which beat the crap out of you, one of our last stops of the night was Jarseth Wastes. This overland contains spanning wastelands up into the Skyfire Mountains which cover a significant part of the area. Also found here is the tomb city of Charasis. The entire area is designed for players level 77 and up. In order to test this level claim, I later ventured into the zone with a level 76 character. I was immediately decapitated and told to go back home to my mommy. Thankfully I had already gotten to see Veeshan’s Peak at the end of the tour…

Oh sorry, what’s that? Veeshan’s Peak? You’ve heard of it?

(Jarseth Wastes & the entrance to Veeshan’s Peak)

This is still the hideout of those wonderful Veeshan-follower dragons; the Ring of Scale. The whole zone is within a volcano where the Ring of Scale defends against the attacks of Venril Sathir’s growing Iksar Legion. Designed for level 80+ raids; I believe when you clear this zone your computer will shoot out sparks and confetti, but this is purely my own speculation and cannot be confirmed nor denied by SOE Spark & Confetti Officials.

By the end of our Rise of Kunark expansion tour, the remainder of the tour group held a party and got blind stinkin’ drunk back in Kylong Plains. Many of the outposts in Kunark are based on unique factions; players then gain entrance by building on said faction through various quests and so these outposts serve as safe ground throughout the dangerous overlands. So… suffice to say we had a hard time finding a decent pub. Our faction suxx0red and we had also lost three people during the night’s ordeal. I had my leg taken off somewhere near Chardok, and Grimwell had been turned into a newt (he got better). Hopefully when EverQuest 2 Rise of Kunark is released later this month, you’ll have better luck!