A Glimpse into the
Everquest 2 "Desert of Flames" Expansion

On Friday, September 9th, Ryan "Blackguard" Shwayder was good enough
to invite select members of the press (though, with reference to
myself, I use that term very loosely) along for a brief tour of "Desert
of Flames" expansion. I was all set to go, my flying carpet was gassed
up and purring like a Persian cat, when I got the unfortunate news that
the tour would be taking place on the Beta
Server rather than the Test
server that I had dutifully patched up the night before. Of course SOE
had sent an email to this effect, which hotmail promptly gobbled up and
spat into the "junk mail" bin (by the way, this goes out to Bill Gates:
beta invites are never, ever junk mail!).  It's a 4 hour download
even with a fat pipe connection, so I dropped the ball folks; no
firsthand account from your halfling herald of happy happenings.

There is, however, some good news. Blackguard took pity on me in my
folly and sent along a few tidbits that you might find interesting.
Have a look!

A Sampling of Zones
from "Desert of Flames"

Cities:

• Maj'Dul: The contested
  and dangerous city of the dervish people. Perched atop the central mesa
  of the desert of flames, this city walks the edge of lawlessness and
  anarchy at all times. Only through the sheer power of Mudeef and the
  Sha'ir can any semblance of peace be maintained. You can also access
  the headquarters of the warring courts of Maj'Dul within the city.

Regions:

• The Sinking Sands: The
  entry point into the expansion. From the docks, anyone can take the
  carpet ride to Maj'Dul or run across the sands to The Clefts of Rujark
  or the Pillars of Flame.
• The Pillars of Flame: The more dangerous of the two major
  overland zones. The Pillars of Flame can be accessed either from inside
  the Clefts of Rujark or from the Sinking Sands. It is home to the two
  dragons Siyamak and Barakah, the Ashen order monks and disciples,
  harpies, naga, goblins, and many other dangers.
  

Dungeons:

• The Clefts of Rujark:
  Home to the Rujarkian orcs. Found off the Sinking Sands and Pillars of
  Flame, the Clefts are a natural fortress built by the orcs as a defense
  from harpies and as a staging ground for their conquests of surrounding
  lands.
• The Living Tombs: The
  ancient city of Ahket Aken pulled underground by the power of the gods
  still flows with the tainted undead, creating water that both blesses
  and curses the Sinking Sands.
• The Silent City: Locked
  away from living eyes, the Silent City can only be accessed once an
  adventurer has learned the secrets of finding this buried city within
  the Living Tombs.
• The Gates of Ahket Aken (raid):
  Warring factions of undead minions can be found trying to steal or
  protect the secrets of the ancient city
• The Court of Al'Afaz (raid):
  A fragmented copy of the Shimmering Citadel created by a jealous rival
  of the Djinn Master. Now nearly forgotten, its links to the true
  Shimmering citadel still keep it from collapsing in upon itself.
• The Shimmering Citadel:
  The courtyard and flying island of the Djinn Master's Palace. The Naga
  Qadira within the Pillars of Flame holds the secret to gaining access
  to this flying citadel.
• The Poet's Palace (group):
  The palace of the Djinn Master. Once in the courtyard of the Shimmering
  Citadel, this palace of the djinn can be accessed.
• The Poet's Palace (raid):
  The more heavily defended and guarded version of the Poet's Palace.
  

Instanced Adventure Zones:

• Lockjaw's Lair: Locked
  away within the Crocodile caves in the Sinking Sands.
• The Hidden Cache: Hidden
  away from prying eyes within the Sinking Sands.
• The Sanctorium: The final
  resting place of a revered paladin. Found within one of the graveyards
  in the Sinking Sands.
• Azhar's Penitence: Home
  to an angry and vengeful djinn. Found on the beach of the Sinking Sands.
• Scornfeather Roost: Found
  high on the ledges of the Clefts of Rujark.
• Vault of Dust: Found
  within the lowest levels of the Clefts of Rujark.
• Cazel's Mesa: Located
  behind an iron door within the Pillars of Flame.

The "Official" Features List

[Ed. note- You might have seen this
before; it's the DoF "press spiel" that SOE regularly hands out.
Included here as a bit of a primer to the expansion if the zone
writeups have piqued your interest! You might also find a few hints to
make your experience in DoF smoother. Be sure to cue the dramatic music
at the end!]

Set within an Arabian Nights theme, Desert of Flames builds upon
familiar EverQuest lore, while
including all the classic elements of an action packed desert
adventure.       

You will face all new challenges as you fight, quest, or tradeskill
your way up to the new level cap of 60.   

• Escape from enemies and explore over a dozen new zones by
  climbing up
  cliffs and walls in a new dimension of gameplay - vertical
  movement.        
• Ready yourself to battle familiar foes, like crocodiles, spectres
  and, of course, sand giants! 
• Desert of Flames will add over 30
  new creatures to the world of Norrath, including genies, sphinxes,
  mummies, and harpies. A host of new enemies awaits you at every turn.
• More than half of all creatures and quests in Desert of Flames
  are
  tailored to soloers and small
  groups. But, don't worry, the
  massive desert landscapes and twisting desert dungeons provide plenty
  of room for large group content.   
• All new group and raid encounters await to test your skills and
  new abilities. 
• Expect the unexpected as quests and epic foes come looking for
  you.    
• Collect all new weapons, spells, and combat arts to ready
  yourself for the heroic challenges ahead.    
• At the center of the Desert of Ro stands the colorful bandit city
  of Maj'Dul.  
• While many of the
  expansion's adventures and quests flow outward from the city, Maj'Dul
  is itself full of potential dangers.   
• Watch your step in the
  sordid streets of this desert stronghold. A wrong turn or unchecked
  tongue can get you in trouble with the city's NPC inhabitants, all of
  which can be attacked and killed.     
• Get involved in the conflict within this rough and tumble city by
  taking over key buildings. The adventures and quests available will
  dynamically change based on your actions.
• Team up with other players to take on the powers that rule
  Maj'Dul in a series of story-driven adventures.
  
• There are, of course consequences for open conflict in the
  streets of Maj'Dul. If things get too heated, the city's wizard
  guardians will descend from the sky to enforce the law.
  
• If you can\'t settle it in the streets, take it inside to the
  player-versus-player arenas of Maj'dul. Here, you'll have the
  opportunity to fight as yourself or take control of an arena champion.
  Fight other players using a wide variety of creature champions. Collect
  orc warriors, goblin wizards, golem servants and dozens of other
  monsters as you expand your stable of champions.
• Arena battles are rarely a straight-up fight. Choose from a
  variety of scenarios to even the odds. 
• Take advantage of your goblin's speed in Capture the Flag or your
  golem's strength in Defend and Assault. Each scenario will require new
  skills and tactics. This is the first introduction of PvP in EverQuest
  II, and we\'re very excited for what that means to both new and
  existing players alike.
• With every win, earn fame and reputation for your player versus
  player prowess.
• As you might expect, not everything in Desert of Flames plays by
  the rules.
• Take on the most dangerous foes yet seen in the new world of
  Norrath.
• Use dozens of new voice emotes to personalize your character and
  coordinate combat with your friends.

Prepare yourself for a
new level of adventure, a new kind of player versus player combat, and
for challenges beyond anything you've experienced before...

But make absolutely sure you're ready. 
      

Uncover the
mysteries and follow the adventures within EverQuest II: Desert of
Flames… where all new adventures come alive. Coming in September 2005. color="#000000" face="Arial" size="2">