Antonica · EverQuest (original release)
Everfrost Peaks
Norrath’s northernmost zone in 1999: twisting snow canyons where young barbarians grow rich, and a frozen plain of mammoths, orcs and icebone skeletons running east to Permafrost.
Canyons and plains
Everfrost is permanently frozen, with frequent snowfall and constant snow cover. It is the northernmost zone, next to the barbarian city of Halas, the gnoll home of Blackburrow and the dungeon of Permafrost to the east. It divides into two parts. The canyons are the newbie area for Halas, a maze of high ridges with few open spaces, and both the Halas and Blackburrow entrances lie in them.
The plains lie east of the canyons and stretch a long way further east before ending in mountains. A frozen river splits them into eastern and western halves, and ruins of an ancient civilisation are scattered across them. Monsters run from about level 1 to 20 and above.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Everfrost Peaks · Allakhazam: Everfrost Peaks (zone) · Project 1999 Wiki: Everfrost Peaks
Dangers
In the canyons, the first-level ice goblin whelps and gnoll pups are aggressive and can swarm a character below fourth level, and every monster joins in when its kin is fighting. The guide’s firm advice: do not attack the wolves. A trio of vengeful skeletons, identical to the weak ones, now roams there too.
On the plains the strongest creatures are also the most aggressive. The orc shaman, around level 14 to 16, can take on groups of level 11 to 13. The icebone skeleton is hard to spot until it hits, stuns, casts and is immune to non-magic weapons. A band of icy orcs led by the shadow knight Redwind holds the temple by the river and the ice giant statue, and caves off the northeast branch of the river, reached by a long swim under the ice, hide a deadly necromancer and the elusive cave bear.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Everfrost Peaks · Project 1999 Wiki: Everfrost Peaks
Riches of the north
The guide calls the canyons one of the most profitable hunting grounds it knows: two or three platinum a trip even at third level, from bear pelts, skeleton weapons and the sacks pups and whelps carry. On the plains, groups line the western edge and send a scout to pull a woolly mammoth or calf back to them; the calves are around level 14 to 16, their mothers near 25, and the tusks are valuable.
Notable NPCs include Karg and Martar Icebear, Tundra Jack, Megan, Sulon McMoor, Iceberg the friendly polar bear, Snowflake, and the Lich of Miragul. The ruins and the lich tie the plains to the story of the arch-necromancer {L('miragul','Miragul')}.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Everfrost Peaks · Allakhazam: Everfrost Peaks (zone) · Project 1999 Wiki: Everfrost Peaks
Ways out
The entrance to Blackburrow is in the southeast of the canyons; it is easy to get lost on the way. Its tunnel is long and dark and guarded by gnolls. Halas opens off the canyons as well. Far to the east, at the northern end of the plains’ eastern edge, lies Permafrost Keep, past ice giants and icebone skeletons.
The barbarians’ war with the cold and with the gnolls is told in Halas and the Northmen.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Everfrost Peaks · EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Blackburrow · Allakhazam: Everfrost Peaks (zone)
Lore tied to this zone
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Everfrost Peaks · Allakhazam: Everfrost Peaks (zone) · Project 1999 Wiki: Everfrost Peaks