Thundering Steppes

Credits:

• Kebia, Original guide creator
• Savanja, Faithful guide updater

Latest Update:

• (9.04.06) Guide Updated!

To-Do List:

• Something you'd like to see added? Great info you'd like to pass along? Please send me an e-mail to let me know! I give full published credit for any submissions that I use!

Contents:

• Overview
• Minimum Level
• Connecting Zones
• Quests
• Soloing and Grouping

Overview

The Thundering Steppes is often the first really advanced open
zone for the Qeynos-based player.  Up until now you have learned
the ropes in Antonica and its dungeon type zones such as
Stormhold. In TS you can find so
many ways to quest, adventure, explore, and learn.

OK, you have arrived in TS. Let's say you have come from
Antonica by way of the main entrance south of the Griffon station.
  You will see a path curving down through rocky ground toward
open vistas.  On the left are undead ahead.  On the right
there is a dwarf NPC who gives out repeatable quests.  As you move
up you will see a tower on the right. This is Tower One.  These
are lookout towers for the guards.  There is a string of 5
following the main road in a generally southerly direction. By Tower
One there is a pit containing gnolls.  Between the pit and the
undead on the left is the main road. If you stay on the road you can
avoid aggro. Follow the road about halfway around the gnoll pit until
you can make a very sharp left turn. This little road that goes up a
steep hill leads to the docks. There you can find merchants, quests,
and the bells that lead to various zones.

Minimum Level

There is no required minimum level, but I wouldn't adventure into the Thundering Steppes any earlier than level 18/19. And even then, you're likely to die a gruesome death at the hands of one of the many bears that roam the areas around the paths. I think level 20 is a good time to head on in, and start with the easier mobs nearest to the Antonica gate. I find TS to still be useful, via some of the dungeons held withint the zone, well into my 30s.

Connecting Zones

The Thundering Steppes are a hub of travel in Norrath. On the
docks you can find bells for the following zones: href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&file=index&func=display&ceid=567&meid=211">Nektulos
Forest, href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&file=index&func=display&ceid=517&meid=200">Zek
the Orcish Wastes, the href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&file=index&func=display&ceid=516&meid=196">Feerrott,
and Everfrost.  TS adjoins href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&file=index&func=display&ceid=564&meid=209">Antonica
in two places, one in the northeast and one in the northwest. 
Also in TS you can find the href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&file=index&func=display&ceid=501&meid=191">Splitpaw
Saga expansion zones. The Terraporters lead to the href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=504&meid=191">Delving
into the Darkness prequest. The Splitpaw href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=502&meid=191">Upper
Tunnels leads to the main Splitpaw Den.   There are also
locations that lead to small instanced zones, such as the Sinkhole.
This little zone is located in the Dead River not too far from
Thundermist Village.  The instanced zone Cove of Decay is integral
to 2 heritage quests and is located on the Dead River south of Tower
Five.  To the southeast is the popular group zone Ruins of Varsoon. This maze of tunnels and pitfalls is home to many quests and
mobs, most of them heroic and aggro. 3 Heritage Quests have some steps
in RoV, and it is also a great place for groups levels 25-35 to get
experience.

Quests

• Heritage Quests Involving TS:
• "These Boots Were Made for Walking" - An Antonic based quest, but there are 2 steps to do in TS, kill Bloodtalon and turn in the
  materials to the dwarf NPC Minty Frostbeard in Thundermist Village.
• "An Axe From the Past" -

  Remember those Giants you were killing? They occasionally drop giant totems which when examined trigger the Words of a Giant language quest. Collect more totems to master the language. Then talk to Obsid Boulderboom the Giant to start this quest.

• "The Journey is Half the Fun" -

  One leg of this heritage quest is run in TS. Be advised you will need someone to evac you to the docks to finish in time.

• "Hadden's Earring" -

  This heritage quest begins and ends on the dock in TS. Talk to Kerath McMarrin to start this quest.

• "Strange Black Rock" - This heritage quest requires you to find a power source in TS and to gain
  access to a special chamber in RoV which requires an access quest that takes part in both RoV and TS.
• "Stiletto's Orders" - There is a Ratonga who wanders around in the Skindancer gnoll area. His name
  is Stiletto. Kill him and he drops Stiletto's Orders, which when examined starts the heritage quest.
• Common Quests:
• "A Message for Kitty" - This quest start with Amy Bhorgese found within Qeynos Tower 3. She sends you off to find her sister, Kitty. We will need to visit 3 locations for the auto-updates. First is in the Ruins of Karana near tower 4. Second is Archer's Wood in Antonica. Third is Behemoth Pond in Nektulos Forest. You'll need to speak to Kitty who is found just south of the pond, then return to Amy. Reward: Experience, coin, and a wrist item.
• "Watch Your Step in Thundering Steppes" - This starts a series of quests that seems pretty worthwhile to do for experience. It starts with Jaques found in front of the gate to Antonica, he sends you to deliver a message to Blerton Blumble at the TS docks. Blerton will then give you the following quest. Reward: Experience and coin.
• "Blumble Blunder" - You are asked to find Blerton's Grandfather. This was a bit of a pain because the in game instructions were wrong. It tells you to locate a X on the beach. What you are actually looking for is a rock, the same that takes you to the Pirates Hidden Stash instance, instead you choose Halfing Hole. You'll find Grandpa deep within the caves. Grandpa will then give you the following task:
• "Search for Grandma Blumble" - Go find the lost Grandma. She's on the beach, southeast of the dock. Reward: Experience, and a necklace. Once that is completed, you head back to Blerton and he rewards you for finding Grandpa with experience and a choice of weapon. This then opens up the following quests from Jaques:
• "Watch Your Step in Thundering Steppes - Part II" - Jaques asks you to deliver a message to Tish Tickers, found in watchtower 3. This will then open up a quest from Tish that you will need to complete. Reward: Experience and coin.
• "A Scrying Shame" - Tish needs for you to find 5 ancient coins. This quest is a bit of a pain. You need to use the scrying stones at the aura lights (look like rainbows on the ground) which take forever to find, and then not all auras will give you coins. You'll need more than the scrying stones than what Tish gives to you, buy more from merchants on the TS and Nek docks. Once you complete this quest, you may return to Jaques.
  Reward: Experience, and a lantern.
  This then opens up Watch Your Step in Thundering Steppes - Part III.
• "Watch You Step in Thundering Steppes - Part III" - Jaques sends you out one last time to deliver supplies to Bryanna in Thundermist Village. You will find that you have lost some of the supplies, so Bryanna will ask you to replace them. Reward: Experience and coin.
• "Supplies for Bryanna" - You must replace 5 forged tin longswords for Bryanna. This will take the very basic of tradskilling. Gather your supplies to create, then use the forge. Remember to stop the process after you have reached the "forged" quality of the sword, she won't accept any other quality. Reward: Experience and container.
• Other Quests
• Find information on Collection Quests, Language Quests, and Lore and Legend Quests,
  by following the links.

 

Soloing and Grouping



Thundering Steppes is a soloers dream come true! It's a vast, wide open zone and with many zone changes, and mostly solo mobs reside in the areas most traveled. I reccomend skeletons found in the basin, or those found around the Ruins of Varsoon. There are lots of bears, birds, and other yard trash near the paths after entering from Antonica. There are gnolls all over, and if you have the Splitpaw adventure pack, that is a great place for loot and experience when playing solo.

For grouping, the southern areas of the basin have plenty of various heroic mobs. There are giants, and undead all through the area. Skindancer Gnolls, found in the southern most part of TS near the coast are a nice challenge. Also, heading into the Ruins of Varsoon is a great option for skilled groups in the mid 20s level range.

 

Thanks for reading the Ten Ton Hammer guide to the Thundering Steppes! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to e-mail me!