Velious · The Scars of Velious
Skyshrine
Skyshrine is the tower-city of the dragons in the Wakening Land: home of Lord Yelinak and the Claws of Veeshan, who hold it against the giants and keep them from the Western Wastes.
Lord Yelinak’s city
A classic zone atlas calls Skyshrine the home of Lord Yelinak, the dragon who rules the zone and keeps the giants from reaching the Western Wastes. A player guide describes a massive tower, home to Yelinak and his Claws of Veeshan, entered from the Wakening Land or through a portal in Cobalt Scar.
The dragons are the children of Veeshan; their lord’s story is told in Skyshrine and Lord Yelinak.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Skyshrine · Allakhazam: Skyshrine (zone)
A difficult climb
a player guide warns that navigation is tricky: winding stairs, twisting caves and a maze among many wurms, wyverns and drakes. The Atlas explains the maze. It fills a large part of the zone and is full of spinning traps and teleports that can keep a party trapped for a long time until it learns the way.
Some monsters may see through invisibility, and Summon Corpse works only near the entrance. A player guide sets a minimum level of 46 to enter, and its advice is blunt: unless you are an ally of the Claws of Veeshan, avoid the city.
Sources: Allakhazam: Skyshrine (zone) · EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Skyshrine
Friends of the dragons
For those the dragons like, Skyshrine is rich. The Atlas says many quests can be done here if your faction is high enough, and many spells drop or can be found in the zone. Melee characters can bind in certain areas, notably the courtyard that leads to Cobalt Scar.
Its allies reach beyond the walls. In the Wakening Land, the great dragon Wuoshi shares Skyshrine’s faction and guards the dragon portal, and a player guide notes the uneasy alliance between the dragons and Tunare’s court against the giants of Kael Drakkel.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Skyshrine · EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Wakening Land · Allakhazam: Wakening Land (zone)
The statue and the key
Skyshrine stands toward the west of the Wakening Land. The way on to Cobalt Scar is a statue: click it to be carried to the tower in the Scar. You need the Shrine Key, which Ziglak Whisperwind gives as a quest reward or drops when killed, depending on how the dragons regard you. Coming back needs no key.
Monsters here run from about 35 to 60, by both player guides. A community wiki confirms the two neighbours, the Wakening Land and Cobalt Scar.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Skyshrine · EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Cobalt Scar · Project 1999 Wiki: Skyshrine · Allakhazam: Skyshrine (zone)
Lore tied to this zone
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Skyshrine · Allakhazam: Skyshrine (zone) · Project 1999 Wiki: Skyshrine