Lake Rathetear

Almost a small sea

Lake Rathetear sits in the distant wilds of Antonica, between the Southern Plains of Karana and the Rathe Mountains. People who want to get away from the cities come here for its seclusion, and the lake and its shores are home to many who have carved out a niche: aviaks, spellcasters, goblins, ogres, bandits, barbarians, gypsies, gnolls and the occasional hermit.

Monsters run from about level 15 to 35: water snakes, bandits, aqua and deepwater goblins, gnoll shamans, embalmers and nobles, aviaks, orc warriors, dry bone and stone skeletons, and reef sharks. Named figures include Webclaw Murkwave, Prince Kyrmit Keroppi, Megaladon, Turgen the Reliant, Lord Bergugle and the Goblin Net Master. The lake is named for the Rathe, the council of earth gods.

Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Lake Rathetear · Allakhazam: Lake Rathetear (zone) · Project 1999 Wiki: Lake Rathetear

Water everywhere

The most dangerous spot is the entrance from South Karana, overrun by gnolls by day and undead by night, who even wait on the dock for your boat. Cross it fast, invisible if you can. The zone is mostly water: boats are no longer reliably at the docks, most walls can be scaled, but some stretches must be swum, and fighting aqua goblins, sharks or Webclaw in the water is no fun. A lake monster is rumoured to roam.

Land comes in small pockets separated by water, with little room to rest. The hermit’s hut faces away from shore; he is about level 19, attacks good and evil alike, and strikes as soon as you step on his dock. The stone skeletons hide in their tower and summon pets; the orc and bandit camps in the north have almost nowhere nearby to rest.

Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Lake Rathetear

A camper’s lake

The zone is not one big open space but a set of mini-zones, like Butcherblock or the Rathe Mountains, with room for eleven or more groups to camp. Its place beside Karana and the Rathe makes it a busy transit area, good for auctions, and it has merchants enough that a busy adventurer could stay for weeks, leaving only to bank.

Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Lake Rathetear · Allakhazam: Lake Rathetear (zone)

Shores and tunnels

The entrance to the Southern Plains of Karana is in the northwest corner, on the northern shore. Just west of it, through a tunnel by some aviak lookouts, is the Arena. The Rathe Mountains open from the lake as well, the road on to the southern swamps.

Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Lake Rathetear · EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Rathe Mountains · Allakhazam: Lake Rathetear (zone)