The depth of this world!

[Maschenny]

While wondering around Norrath I keep seeing abandoned Druid rings. Every time I do I think about a time when things were better and the good magics kept the bad at bay. When far off locations were safe and accessible to all. I think details like this add amazing depth to the world. What have you noticed in your adventures that give you this feeling?

[Ivory]

The clockwork guards in Akanon all have different black boxes.....of various types. D, E, Z.....

Thing is, these aren't for a quest....and they don't sell to merchants..... they are just there....because the world needs them, not the player :o

[Videri]

Oh man, someone post the video!!

[Llodd]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAyxdS1SSoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rr8XTSDWmY

[Maschenny]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAyxdS1SSoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rr8XTSDWmY

Whoa that was amazing. Qeynos=Sonyeq :eek:

[utenan]

While wondering around Norrath I keep seeing abandoned Druid rings. Every time I do I think about a time when things were better and the good magics kept the bad at bay. When far off locations were safe and accessible to all. I think details like this add amazing depth to the world. What have you noticed in your adventures that give you this feeling?

ahhh okaaaay, now your talkin my language

http://i.imgur.com/bhi3JlE.jpg
runes...there are always runes, and I don't know what they say. These are found in Upper Guk.

http://i.imgur.com/hV1lZBD.jpg
Don't even get me started on plane of fear - there's so many weird things in there - giant hourglasses, bells, a druid ring, skeleton dragons, and of course more strange runes all over the place

http://i.imgur.com/5nuglJH.jpg
And what is this stone for? in the Gorge of King Xorbb? In all my travels I have never seen this stone, with that symbol, and that texture, anywhere else - so why is it there? seems like a lot of effort, to put a one of a kind structure in the game, for no reason at all........

[Jimjam]

It looks to be a progress gauge of some sort. Maybe King Xorbb is counting how many big stone skulls he can stack upside down on each other?

[Maschenny]

Yeah that druid ring in plane of fear really gets me. Was the plane once Tunare's realm? I mean it is basically a forest environment. There's def a story there.
Also here's an interesting theory I just read:
"For a long time, I've been puzzled over some things regarding Cazic-Thule and the Plane of Fear. Here's a theory, and I'd like to know what others think.

The Cazic-Thule that roams around in the Plane of Fear is tough, but he's not as tough as you expect a God to be, considering all the other gods you can fight ingame. Granted he was put in earlier, but he hasn't been upgraded to the level Innoruuk has, which strikes me as odd.

Now, when venturing through the old Plane of Mischief, you could have the fortune of seeing Bristlebane spawn in his puppet theater and remark, "Where is the Cazic-Thule puppet? Ridiculously funny!". The puppets of all the gods ingame were there, and the puppets of a few gods that weren't or still aren't... yet apparently, a Cazic-Thule puppet that was meant to be there is "missing".

Back in the Plane of Fear, the Cazic-Thule that we see roaming the jungle, when killed, can drop "Puppet Strings". This, combined with the fact that he doesn't seem as difficult to kill as he should be, leads me to believe that he is not in fact an actual manifestation of Cazic-Thule, but is in fact Bristlebane's Cazic puppet, stolen by Cazic and magically enhanced to guard his plane."

[Galaorn]

Wow, that's a ridiculously plausible explanation. There's still so much to find here...

[juarezeta]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAyxdS1SSoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rr8XTSDWmY

Wow this is very good footage, and great editing and commentary. Make more please! Really brings me back. Still trying to get the game to work, but browsing these forums is making me so anxious, my god hahaha

[pogs4ever]

Amazing theory on cazic, love this game man

[Ivory]

Woaa, the puppet strings are what sold it! That makes all the sense!!

[pickled_heretic]

opal darkbriar. she's a high elf wizard guildmaster and also a dark elf cleric guildmaster in two different zones in freeport. I spent some time hailing the two different versions and asking npcs about opal darkbriar but I never got any information. The wiki says the board game gives some more information about her, but meh.

mayong mistmoore has always been one of my favorite dudes ever. he kills dragons. why? because he's bored. also he's completely MIA, other than a brief time of being on live, which makes it even better. You never see him. People don't get to kill him. Even though he has a zone named after himself. Super mysterious.

[coki]

Yeah that druid ring in plane of fear really gets me. Was the plane once Tunare's realm? I mean it is basically a forest environment. There's def a story there.
Also here's an interesting theory I just read:
"For a long time, I've been puzzled over some things regarding Cazic-Thule and the Plane of Fear. Here's a theory, and I'd like to know what others think.

The Cazic-Thule that roams around in the Plane of Fear is tough, but he's not as tough as you expect a God to be, considering all the other gods you can fight ingame. Granted he was put in earlier, but he hasn't been upgraded to the level Innoruuk has, which strikes me as odd.

Now, when venturing through the old Plane of Mischief, you could have the fortune of seeing Bristlebane spawn in his puppet theater and remark, "Where is the Cazic-Thule puppet? Ridiculously funny!". The puppets of all the gods ingame were there, and the puppets of a few gods that weren't or still aren't... yet apparently, a Cazic-Thule puppet that was meant to be there is "missing".

Back in the Plane of Fear, the Cazic-Thule that we see roaming the jungle, when killed, can drop "Puppet Strings". This, combined with the fact that he doesn't seem as difficult to kill as he should be, leads me to believe that he is not in fact an actual manifestation of Cazic-Thule, but is in fact Bristlebane's Cazic puppet, stolen by Cazic and magically enhanced to guard his plane."

awesome!

[SowIsLifeSowIsLove]

http://www.project1999.com/forums/showthread.php?t=232554&highlight=Bait+masterson

[Vandaen]

http://www.project1999.com/forums/showthread.php?t=232554&highlight=Bait+masterson

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/g_zA-R_-jhc/hqdefault.jpg

[Rygar]

Yeah that druid ring in plane of fear really gets me. Was the plane once Tunare's realm? I mean it is basically a forest environment. There's def a story there.
Also here's an interesting theory I just read:
"For a long time, I've been puzzled over some things regarding Cazic-Thule and the Plane of Fear. Here's a theory, and I'd like to know what others think.

The Cazic-Thule that roams around in the Plane of Fear is tough, but he's not as tough as you expect a God to be, considering all the other gods you can fight ingame. Granted he was put in earlier, but he hasn't been upgraded to the level Innoruuk has, which strikes me as odd.

Now, when venturing through the old Plane of Mischief, you could have the fortune of seeing Bristlebane spawn in his puppet theater and remark, "Where is the Cazic-Thule puppet? Ridiculously funny!". The puppets of all the gods ingame were there, and the puppets of a few gods that weren't or still aren't... yet apparently, a Cazic-Thule puppet that was meant to be there is "missing".

Back in the Plane of Fear, the Cazic-Thule that we see roaming the jungle, when killed, can drop "Puppet Strings". This, combined with the fact that he doesn't seem as difficult to kill as he should be, leads me to believe that he is not in fact an actual manifestation of Cazic-Thule, but is in fact Bristlebane's Cazic puppet, stolen by Cazic and magically enhanced to guard his plane."

This completely blew my mind, I had no idea Bristlebane said that! Kudos to the theory!

If I had to propose an alternate theory to this, I would say that Cazic-Thule is indeed Cazic-Thule, but that he DID steal the puppet from Bristlebane (or had it stolen). He cut the puppet strings for himself and placed the puppet in the Temple of Cazic Thule (which is now the Avatar of Fear, which is a 'mini' cazic-thule like the puppets). When the strings were cut, the puppet lost some power so isn't as strong as the Plane of Mischief puppets.

Cazic-Thule, now armed with the Puppet Strings, uses them to control his multitude of skeletal pets (does any other mob have this many pets? says 6-9 pets per the wiki).


Also, as you stated, it seems like the Plane of Fear is actually more of a forest type zone that was perhaps once Tunare's. I think the gods are involved in a 'Game of Thrones' type situation where they are invading realms and taking over each other's turf. I always thought the Plane of Hate seemed like a Fear plane to me, with all the undead and eery buildings and churches (I always feel creeped out walking down its narrow streets). Perhaps Cazic invaded Tunare's plane and Innoruk took over Cazic's while he was weakened from the attack. Tunare replanted in the Plane of Growth and stays in her tree to draw power from the earth and strengthen herself for fear of another attack (or prepare for a counter assault).

So fun to think of things like this! Maybe a 'planar invasion' by the gods could be a type of GM event when we reach custom content.

[Rygar]

Another thought to why the plane of fear has a druid ring... Perhaps it was once where Karana the Rainkeeper dwelled until Cazic Thule took the realm for himself. He slew the physical form of Karana and built the temple with the ring of fire to contain his essence from escaping into another physical manifestation. The spirit of karana is in constant suffering in this realm, which is why the rain manifests as blood.

[Tecmos Deception]

But can your fancy lore explain why I get kicked by snakes?

[Secrets]

But can your fancy lore explain why I get kicked by snakes?

Snakes are warrior NPCs, and therefore possess kick at a lower level instead of bash.

[Dinbin]

Snakes are warrior NPCs, and therefore possess kick at a lower level instead of bash.
A lot of snakes have vestigal leg-stubs. They must be very powerful.

[Dinbin]

A bashing snake would be fun too
Head-butt, basically?

[EQBallzz]

Yeah that druid ring in plane of fear really gets me. Was the plane once Tunare's realm? I mean it is basically a forest environment. There's def a story there.
Also here's an interesting theory I just read:
"For a long time, I've been puzzled over some things regarding Cazic-Thule and the Plane of Fear. Here's a theory, and I'd like to know what others think.

The Cazic-Thule that roams around in the Plane of Fear is tough, but he's not as tough as you expect a God to be, considering all the other gods you can fight ingame. Granted he was put in earlier, but he hasn't been upgraded to the level Innoruuk has, which strikes me as odd.

Now, when venturing through the old Plane of Mischief, you could have the fortune of seeing Bristlebane spawn in his puppet theater and remark, "Where is the Cazic-Thule puppet? Ridiculously funny!". The puppets of all the gods ingame were there, and the puppets of a few gods that weren't or still aren't... yet apparently, a Cazic-Thule puppet that was meant to be there is "missing".

Back in the Plane of Fear, the Cazic-Thule that we see roaming the jungle, when killed, can drop "Puppet Strings". This, combined with the fact that he doesn't seem as difficult to kill as he should be, leads me to believe that he is not in fact an actual manifestation of Cazic-Thule, but is in fact Bristlebane's Cazic puppet, stolen by Cazic and magically enhanced to guard his plane."

Wow! That is an amazing theory. I knew all those bits of info but never would have thought of that. As some added thoughts..CT was more powerful in Plane of Time than PoF but I do seem to recall he was one of the easier encounters iirc. I don't really remember what the correlation between the original versions of the gods were with the PoT versions, either. Not sure how that fits in with your theory of PoF (if at all).

[Cuktus]

Some really fun theories here. Thanks for sharing. Here's my thoughts on druid rings.

We know the rings are old. Very old. They can be used by druid to move people and things from one place to another. They are all over the world and even in the planes of the Gods. Some are broken and no longer work.

My theory is that the rings were not made by druids, they stole them from someone else. While the argument of the Combine could be made, the lost valley in dreadlands comes to mind, they are not really known for invading the planes. No, the only empire who could have built them all is that of the Ogres, giants, orcs, and goblins before the green mist. The Zek empire was huge, they needed the rings to move slaves and resources. They invaded the planes... like, a lot. And let's be honest, if someone is going to make magic portals by stacking up some rocks it was one of those races.