Najena

The magician’s hole

Najena is the old home of a twisted dark elf magician of that name, who carved it into a hidden part of the Lavastorm Mountains to carry out her experiments and those of her allies. The undead walk its halls as if they live there. Her story is in Najena.

Monsters run from about level 12 to 30, with an experience bonus: large, greater and darkbone skeletons, ogre guards, magicians and necromancers with their pets, fire, earth and mist elementals, guard officers and a captain, an undead knight, goblin warriors, giant black widows, froglok ghouls and tentacle terrors.

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

Rooms of bones

The rooms are packed, usually with four skeletons lying on each floor, and the earth elementals and ogre guards attack on sight. Below about level 17, travel in a group, because walking into a room can bring four at once; after that only the odd darkbone skeleton bothers you. Newer adventurers find excitement enough in the front rooms.

Two pit traps on the upper level drop the unwary into a prison area, home to a damsel in distress and an injured halfling who speaks to no one but rushes to help his ogre guard, Moosh. Killing Moosh costs you faction with all of Rivervale.

Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Najena

The chain of keys

Higher levels work through a key system. The ogre guards and Moosh carry a key ring to the prison cells. Bonecracker, an undead froglok of about level 25 who shares a room with two dark elf necromancers, gives the dull bone key; the ogre captain gives the shiny metal key. Those two keep when you log off. Together they open the way to Rathyl, who gives the bloodstained key to Drelzna’s room and then returns as Rathyl reincarnate.

Drelzna gives the golden crescent key to the room of Najena herself, around level 29, with high-level protectors; she can drop the Flowing Black Robe and the Black Tome with Silver Runes. A Widow Mistress lurks near the spiders in the caves beyond the underwater tunnel to Najena’s room.

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

Getting there

The entrance is in the southeastern corner of the Lavastorm Mountains, behind a massive set of shattered doors, and the lair has no other exit. Its builder belonged to the people of Neriak; the god they serve is Innoruuk.

Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Najena · EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Lavastorm Mountains