Antonica · EverQuest (original release)
Freeport
The great port of the east coast, where the Commonlands meet the Desert of Ro: the mercantile heart of Antonica, the only regular boat to Faydwer, white temples above and dark-elf tunnels below.
The hub of Antonica
Freeport stands on the east coast of Antonica, where the Commonlands meet the great Desert of Ro. Most people consider it the hub of the continent. It is the mercantile centre, with the only port that has a regular boat to Faydwer, and it has facilities for almost every artisan trade, so budding craftsmen travel here from everywhere.
The classic city was three zones, North, West and East Freeport, which Allakhazam records were merged and remade in 2006. Humans and half-elves begin here, and every class except rangers, druids and shamans has a guild hall in the city.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Freeport · Allakhazam: North Freeport (zone) · Allakhazam: West Freeport (zone) · Allakhazam: East Freeport (zone) · Project 1999 Wiki: West Freeport
Three faiths, one city
Freeport’s religious houses serve Mithaniel and Erollisi Marr and Innoruuk. The Temple of Mithaniel Marr in North Freeport is built of the whitest granite and looks nothing like the rest of the city; the Knights of Truth keep the Hall of Truth. The magic users’ guild is a floating structure over a small pond, reached only by teleporters. Most shops cluster in North Freeport around the bank, and in East Freeport.
Under the surface the city is less noble. The guards walk the corridors like ordinary guards, but the paladins of Marr secretly hunt them, because they are corrupt, and their leader, rumour says, was once a banished paladin. That leader’s story is in Lucan D’Lere and Freeport. Allakhazam adds that in the arena run by the Steel Warriors stands a massive statue of Sullon Zek, the Maiden of Rage, which serves as a portal to the Plane of Rage.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Freeport · Allakhazam: North Freeport (zone) · Allakhazam: East Freeport (zone)
Tunnels and bazaar
Freeport is a city of layers. The tunnels beneath it let the dark races reach their hidden guilds and the docks without walking the streets above. The worst part of town is the bazaar in East Freeport, where the guards are unaware of what goes on just below them, dark elves are a common sight, and the surface doors to the hidden guilds are found.
The people are as mixed as the city: ogres and dark elves, humans and elves, beggars in between, and powerful guild members passing through on business.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Freeport · Allakhazam: East Freeport (zone)
Ways in
From the west, travellers come through the easternmost Commonlands into West Freeport. From the south, the Northern Desert of Ro opens into East Freeport. From the east, ships cross the Ocean of Tears from Faydwer to the East Freeport docks.
West lie the Commonlands and, far beyond, Highpass, Qeynos, the barbarians and Erudin; south, the Desert of Ro runs down to the troll and ogre swamps, home of sand giants and dervish cutthroats; east, the ocean to the elves, dwarves and gnomes of Faydwer.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Freeport · Project 1999 Wiki: West Freeport · Allakhazam: Ocean of Tears (1.0) (zone)
Lore tied to this zone
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Freeport · Allakhazam: North Freeport (zone) · Allakhazam: East Freeport 2.0 (zone) · Allakhazam: West Freeport 2.0 (zone) · Project 1999 Wiki: West Freeport