Odus · The Scars of Velious
The Warrens
The kobold caves of Clan Kolbok in the heart of Odus, opened off Paineel’s newbie area: a low-level hunting ground for all of Odus that breaks through into the Stonebrunt Mountains.
Clan Kolbok’s home
The Warrens is a network of caves claimed by the kobolds of Clan Kolbok: partly their old home, and partly caves they have dug down into far older structures, which have let out some of the stranger creatures of the depths. The EQ Atlas places it in the heart of Odus and rates it at levels 4 to 25.
Allakhazam places it in the tunnels behind Paineel’s newbie area and dates its release to March 14, 2001, during The Scars of Velious; on time-locked servers it opens with Velious.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): The Warrens · Allakhazam: The Warrens (zone)
Who you meet
The kobolds come in every rank: runts, guards, watchers, archers, sentinels, protectors, fishermen, pit fighters, enforcers, shamans lesser and greater, pack leaders and elders, alongside rats, cave bats and batlings. There are prisoners too: Erudites, Kejekans and Kerrans held captive.
The named include King Gragnor and Prince Gragnor, High Shaman Drogik, Warlord Drrig, Huntmaster Furgrl, Jailor Mkrarrg, Foodmaster Rargnar, Lorekeeper Roggik, Krode the Diviner, Mighty Bear Paw, Muglwump and the Cave Bat Lord.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): The Warrens
Hunting here
The main danger is the front entrance, where the crowd of kobolds makes for good hunting and, at worst, very dangerous trains. Wandering kobolds join fights all the time, so crowd control or a good group helps. The batlings, a group made up entirely of wizards and shamans, are especially risky.
The kobolds get steadily stronger the deeper you go, and further in there are separate camps with only the odd wanderer. The zone has its own gear: Soft Wicker armour that counts as leather and has its own look, and weapons with what the Atlas calls a very Japanese look. Killing kobolds here raises your standing with both the Heretics and the Erudites.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): The Warrens
Getting there
The entrance is near Paineel’s newbie area, in a small pool-filled room on the way to the Hole’s entrance. The EQ Atlas thinks it easy to reach even for good characters, who can bind just outside; evil Erudites could stay at home for their first twenty levels.
Good characters need only get past the skeletons in Toxxulia near Paineel’s gate and move briskly past the unaggressive guards of the newbie area, and turn invisible if they meet the high-level necromancer who sometimes stands in the passage. At its far end the kobolds have broken through into the Stonebrunt Mountains.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): The Warrens · EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Stonebrunt Mountains
Lore tied to this zone
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): The Warrens · Allakhazam: The Warrens (zone)