Rumour (and i emphasize that word) has it that the new quests involving Kunark are leading into the next expansion.  So I popped on test and to the right of Dregs there is an encampment of mostly dwarves with icy spirits and ice graphic weapons roaming around.  My Velious hopes are now heightned even more!! but I digress.  They are called The Order of Rime and  I dont recall anything by that name in Everquest but I do not claim to know everything either lol.  Was curious if anyone remembered  anything about this order or if its something entirely new. 

Does it explain why they are attacking?

atm the quest giver is missing so I can only see the mobs, cant get any info on why they are there.

Dwarves? Emperor Rile Sathir? What?

Guess I'll have to see for myself what this is. Obviously it's something new. That much is certain.

head out to the cost in fens near tangrins island. its.. wow...

They look amazing, the ones in Jarsath glow green, use velium weapons (appearance and ice/snow shatters every swing they take) Mob name is *a hidden sleetsabre*

so far so cool... no important dialogue to report yet

edit : They battlecry "We fight and die for Killingfrost" .

edit: more mob named *an invading flurryburst* and *an invading shardhammer*

SSs or it didnt happen

Killingfrost is a named NPC out in fens by the way.

It seems that 2 Chel'Drak type beasts are pulling an Iceburg Ship, so to speak, called the Spinebreaker. Here, Kraytoc Killingfrost holds rank.

Also on this floating icecap is a chained up iksar female named Elna Tsernin. She is a bard it appears by her particle effects.

This entire area of the map is a sheet of ice, POI called "The Sheet". The actual "area" itself is called "Dragon's Rest Shallows". In the cliffs there are boats, pieces of boats and wreckage everywhere. It's really a spectacular sight.

The larger "ice giants" as they appear seem to resemble the Coldain dwarf. Just much larger.

The NPC's in fens have wierd armor too...unless thats already in game and i didnt notice...it looks kinda awesome

Test Update Notes, with relevant excerpts:

http://patch.everquest2.com:7010/pa...dates_test.html

"FEATURED
Emperor’s Athenaeum
The Order of Rime has managed to re-open this ancient vault of Venril Sathir’s. What secrets lie within? What terrible guardians? Venture in with a single group of adventurers to find out what awaits!"

"Kunark Overland Quests
A mysterious army has appeared upon the shores of Kunark and begun pillaging the land and slaughtering those that oppose them. Citizens of Dreg’s Landing in Kylong Plains, Riliss in Fens of Nathsar, the City of Jinisk in Kunzar Jungle and Danak in Jarsath Wastes are looking for your help in learning about the invaders and defeating them."

Rime, definition:

Brailyn@Lucan DLere wrote:

It seems that 2 Chel'Drak type beasts are pulling an Iceburg Ship, so to speak, called the Spinebreaker. Here, Kraytoc Killingfrost holds rank.

Also on this floating icecap is a chained up iksar female named Elna Tsernin. She is a bard it appears by her particle effects.

This entire area of the map is a sheet of ice, POI called "The Sheet". The actual "area" itself is called "Dragon's Rest Shallows". In the cliffs there are boats, pieces of boats and wreckage everywhere. It's really a spectacular sight.

The larger "ice giants" as they appear seem to resemble the Coldain dwarf. Just much larger.

The last name of that NPC that has chains on her is awfully close to Tserrina isn't it?

And that really big Dwarf looking guy....well, that is REALLY big for it to be a pure-blood Dwarf don'tcha think? What if (and this is a HUGE if) the Coldain and the Kromrif/Kromzek got together in the interest of survival and started gettin it on? I know it sounds outlandish seeing as how much they hated each other in EQ, but it certainly isn't without presendence in EQ2. I mean, look at Teren's Grasp, and Dreg's Landing in Kunark, or the Grobbish Trolls and Guktan Frog's coming together to make the Survival Accord. If I hadn't seen these groups come together with my own eyes I would never have believed it, but since I have , I can't dismiss the possibility.

Back to Tserrina and the surname of that NPC in the screenshot....maybe Tserrina has thrown her hat in with some of the other factions, and is helping them out as well. Of course, it could just be a big coincidence that the names are so similar, but such large coincidences aren't common in Norrath, and when such things are seen they usually are a clue to what we will be seeing in the future.

exept Tserrina was a dark elf vampire, not an iksar.

althogh illusion isent out of the question.

Edit-thought kraytoc hadnt been found yet but didnt pay attention to ss above

I'll wager the chained iksar is how these giants, and they are giants...they look to my like the EF giants with blond hiar rather then white...foudn Kunark in the first place. remember when we first discovered Kunark, it was due to Iksar pirating ships, and in the greenmist line you do lead at least 1 successful raid on Freeport.

It's not out of the question an iksar ship was captured by these giants, and Elna was thier 'helper' in finding Kunark itself.

of course I like elaborate vampiric plotting, so I can see Tserrina taking on an illusion (though i think she was more necromantic type in EQ1) and allowing her new giant allies to 'capture' her. if the giants win, she just waltz in with them. if they lose, those that come agasint them might 'free' her, still letting her get her hands on the treasure trove of arcane toys in Charasis and/or make deals with the Domini/Venril