Antonica · EverQuest (original release)
South Karana
The southernmost, liveliest stretch of the plains: elephants, centaurs and a whole aviak town, the pegasus Quillmane overhead, Lord Grimrot in the undead ruins, and the stone claws of Splitpaw rising from the middle.
North of the Rathe
The Southern Plains of Karana are the southern expanse of the plains, just north of the Rathe range and the swamps beyond. There are no hill giants or griffins here, and the EQ Atlas finds it quieter than the rest of Karana. Wolves, lions and elephants roam, with centaur hunters in pursuit.
It is also one of the busiest zones in Norrath for creatures. Monsters run from about level 4 to 30; Allakhazam rates it 15 to 35. A character could hunt here from the low teens to the early thirties without leaving. No other zone has elephants, centaurs or a whole aviak town; the aviaks live to the south and the centaurs to the north.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Southern Plains of Karana · Allakhazam: South Karana (zone) · Project 1999 Wiki: South Karana
Cracktusk, Grimrot and Quillmane
The zone is deadly only if you have made enemies of its lions, wolves and elephants. The exception is Cracktusk, an elephant driven to murderous rage by the crack in his tusk; he senses you from farther than you can see him and runs faster than any character can. The guide’s ranger was tracking him from a distance and first saw him mid-charge.
Lord Grimrot, the bane of the Qeynos area and the subject of many quests, spawns at the northernmost undead ruins just south of the bridge, as a plate-clad man with a great scythe or as a skeleton. The guide knew level 50 paladins who could not solo him. Quillmane, a pegasus, sometimes flies across the north or middle of the zone. Named animals and a cyclops have joined them, and a hermit lives here too.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Southern Plains of Karana · Allakhazam: South Karana (zone)
The claws of Splitpaw
In the middle of the zone, directly between the northern and southern passes, rise rough stone spires marking the claws of the Lair of Splitpaw, a gnoll stronghold. The small tunnel to the lair below runs between them. Escaped Splitpaw gnolls and the Tesch Mas gnolls hunt the plains around it.
The best spawn spots, by the aviak town, the treants and the Splitpaw spires, are usually taken around the clock, so the guide suggests coming with a group in mind. Druids love the open ground for kiting.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Southern Plains of Karana · Allakhazam: South Karana (zone) · Allakhazam: Splitpaw Lair (zone)
Passes north and south
On the northern edge, the hills fade to a pass that leads down to the bridge to the Northern Plains, guarded by the Qeynos guard and their commander from a tower at its northern end. On the southern edge a narrow pass leads to Lake Rathetear, and from there to the Rathe Mountains and the swamps of the ogres and trolls. This is the southern route from Qeynos to Freeport.
The plains belong to Karana; the gnolls’ wider story is in Blackburrow and the Sabertooths.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Southern Plains of Karana · Allakhazam: South Karana (zone) · Project 1999 Wiki: South Karana
Lore tied to this zone
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Southern Plains of Karana · Allakhazam: South Karana (zone) · Project 1999 Wiki: South Karana