North Karana

The hub

The Northern Plains of Karana are a small but dangerous area in the middle of the vast plains, and the hub for most traffic on the western half of the continent. The Western Plains lie along the whole western border. A river that cannot be crossed on foot bounds the south and east, and two bridges carry the roads over it.

The southern bridge leads to the Southern Plains and is guarded by the Qeynos guard. The eastern bridge is a vast wooden structure, rumoured to have been built by hill giants, that crosses to the Eastern Plains; nobody guards it. Monsters run from about level 10 to 30 and above.

Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Northern Plains of Karana · Allakhazam: North Karana (zone) · Project 1999 Wiki: North Karana

Painfully dangerous

The EQ Atlas calls this zone almost painfully dangerous. High-level, aggressive hill giants and griffins roam all of it. Even the lowest griffawn is no match for anyone below about fourteenth level: the guide’s writer, a tenth-level ranger, kicked one once for three points before her warrior friend died. Hill giants are fast and can spawn practically on top of you.

The guards at the lone tower are, in the guide’s words, the most overworked guards in the game, and it is common to see one at half health. Careful hunters pull beetles to the zone edges and keep a long view open; groups of fifteenth level and up, usually in their low twenties, make money and experience hunting griffins.

Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Northern Plains of Karana · Project 1999 Wiki: North Karana

Gypsies, druids and wizards

A gypsy camp stands in the plains, and characters who cannot cast their own binding could bind there; Allakhazam dates that change to March 2001. Near the eastern bend of the river are a druid trainer and a merchant selling high-level druid spells, and the plains also hold a druid ring and the wizard spires used for teleporting.

The zone held some of the only combine weapons on the western half of Antonica, the other source being the Rathe Mountains. Werewolves are often found in the north by the mountains, where the Fangbreakers roam. Xanuusus, an ancient treant, stands among the notable NPCs, with Ashenpaw, Zahal the Vile, Swiftclaw, Lieutenant Midraim and Griffin Grimfeather.

Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Northern Plains of Karana · Allakhazam: North Karana (zone) · Project 1999 Wiki: North Karana

Storm country

All four plains carry the name of Karana, the Rainkeeper, and his druids and rangers are the natural travellers here. West lies the long road back toward Erudin, Qeynos and Halas; south, past the guarded bridge, the pass toward Lake Rathetear and the southern route to Freeport; east, over the giants’ bridge, the road to Highpass Hold.

Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Northern Plains of Karana · Allakhazam: North Karana (zone)