EQ Never

Big Flex_sl said:

close. get rid of the everquest component and it'd be spot on.

Click to expand...

Hello, friends! Paul ?Cronyn? Molina here, taking a break from furiously writing lore to continue our series on the religions and mythology of EverQuest Next?s Norrath.

If you?re a longtime player of the EverQuest universe like me, then you are probably very familiar with the classic deities of the universe. Some of those names, such as Rallos Zek, Brell Serilis, and Erollisi and Mithaniel Marr, are staples of the world and its culture. It would be hard to imagine Norrath without their influence upon it. When envisioning the world of EverQuest Next, we wanted to preserve many of those iconic figures as powerful entities that mortals might choose to worship.

The most widely accepted belief system during the Age of Heroes (the time period in which EQNext takes place) is a pantheon of gods called the Seraphs, sometimes referred to as the Eight. They are worshiped by the Devoted, a religious order which has built temples across Norrath and actively spreads the teachings of the Seraphs.

While concepting the Seraphs, we?ve drawn heavily from the list of familiar Norrathian gods, along with some aspects that are unique to our lore and story. As you know, EverQuest Next is a reimagining of the franchise, and thus, while we attempted to keep as much familiarity as possible with what has come before, there are some changes we made to help flesh them out and make them distinct. We wanted each of the Seraphs to be unique in their flavor ? how they appear, their spheres of influence, and how they interact with the world and its denizens.

These are the names of the Eight, along with a title that signifies their role in the pantheon and a list of influences commonly associated with each.
Mithaniel - The Champion - Valor, honor, war, battle, tactics, justice, victory, chivalry, law
Brell - The Builder - Smithing, crafting, invention, construction, innovation, settlement, housing
Solusek - The Scholar - Learning, arcane study, knowledge, history, sun, fire, summer, spell casting, passion, anger
Erollisi - The Sower - Growth, nature, birth, motherhood, love, spring, beauty, fertility, mercy, the arts, wisdom, tranquility, peace, healing
Anashti - The Reaper - Death, winter, revenge, decay, winter, judgment, cruelty, wrath, plague, undead, retribution, harvesting
Karana - The Traveler - Journeys, aging, weather, roads, seas, trade, music, wanderers, the lost, messengers
Luclin/Drinal - The Seers ? Moon, shadows, night, autumn, harvest, past, secrets; prophecy, dreams, omens, future
Taylin - The Trickster - Thievery, secrets, mischief, deception, wit, music, wine, celebration, luck, gambling, illusion

You?ll notice that some influences overlap or compete with one another. This is by design, as a way to make religion more nuanced in the world. For instance, someone seeking justice for a crime committed against them would likely appeal to Mithaniel. But if justice for the criminal is not forthcoming, the victim might then make an offering to Anashti to mete out vengeance. While some aspects of the deities are clearly either positive or negative, there are intentionally gray areas as well.

In general, most Norrathians worship the Seraphs as a pantheon while paying homage to a particular Seraph for a specific task or deed (for example, making an offering to Karana before a long journey to help ensure safety, or marking a smithing hammer with the symbol of Brell to invoke his favor). Some citizens and groups, however, are dedicated to a single Seraph, and will espouse the virtues of that Seraph whenever possible and to whoever will listen. These groups will also have influence in the world, and will have goals and needs that align with the aspects of their chosen Seraph.

The heroes, through their actions, will be able to help or hinder these groups, gaining favor or making enemies depending on what they do in the world. Is a disease spreading through the Jaggedpine Forest? Adventurers can help the druids stop the plague, but doing so might anger the followers of Anashti, who see disease as a blessing instead of a blight. We want the heroes of Norrath to be able to interact with the world in multiple ways, which means that those interactions will have consequences that need to be considered carefully.

So why did we settle on this list of Seraphs, and why did we change some of the influences associated with them? Remember, EverQuest Next is a world that often revolves around resources and control, and belief is one of the most potent (and contested) resources of all. The Seraphs are playing their own game of control, and the Eight agreed to a pact that keeps their influences clearly defined so that they can maintain balance between them. Should someone within their ranks (or a force from outside the pantheon) disrupt that balance, imagine the possible repercussions!

Are these eight Seraphs the only ones you?ll encounter in EQNext? Rest assured that just because you don?t see a favorite name among the Eight doesn?t mean that god won?t appear in EQN. There are many other Seraphs who have played parts in Norrath?s past and will make their mark upon its future. You?ll learn about the details as more of our story is revealed.

The Seraphs are an integral part of the history of Norrath, and we on the content team hope to make the Seraphs, their followers, and their goals all part of the overarching storyline, which will give adventures plenty of opportunity to interact with them. We will bring these enigmatic figures to life through the story of the game, and give the heroes a real chance to feel connected to one or all of them as they see fit.

Click to expand...