Odus · EverQuest (original release)
Toxxulia Forest
The dark, quiet forest that covers most of Odus: Erudite newbie ground north of the river, kobolds and necromancers south of it, with Erudin on one side, Paineel on the other and Kerra Isle across the western water.
Two halves
Toxxulia Forest is a dark and quiet forest that takes up much of the island continent of Odus. A river running roughly east to west cuts it in two: the northern half is more settled, and the southern half is held by the kobolds and the necromancers.
It is the Erudites’ starting ground, and much of the north is full of creatures of second level or less. The EQ Atlas lists the usual inhabitants: snakes of every kind, spiderlings, fire beetles, decaying skeletons, kobold runts, scouts, watchers, sentries and shamans, piranha, poachers, elementals and a fading spectre. It rates the zone at levels 1 to 10.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Toxxulia Forest · Project 1999 Wiki: Toxxulia Forest
Below the bridge
The south is more dangerous, mostly because it is easy to get lost and aggressive skeletons and kobolds roam. The EQ Atlas advises not going below the bridge before about fourth level. The river is a rough barrier, with the tougher creatures mostly south of the water, but not always, so it pays to stay alert north of the bridge too.
The P99 Wiki warns good Erudites about Talrigar Eklorin, who patrols the south. The EQ Atlas has a long grudge against another local, Rungupp: its author’s 11th-level ranger, and then a full group of three 11th-level characters, could not kill him, because he healed as fast as he was damaged, blinded his attackers without running out of mana, and at last vanished from the zone. Erudin’s guards, the Atlas noticed, seemed to like him and never attacked.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Toxxulia Forest · Project 1999 Wiki: Toxxulia Forest
Kobold camps
The kobold camps are the forest’s steady hunting: rarely crowded, safe to camp with care, and good middling experience. A magician with a fourth-level pet or a pair of players can take them, as long as they watch for wandering skeletons. The kobolds themselves come from the Warrens close by, and Allakhazam describes the Erudites of Odus as in a constant state of battle with them. The Kerrans keep a small village at the forest’s edge and mostly keep to themselves.
Allakhazam notes that the original Toxxulia Forest and Kerra Isle were remade and merged into one zone on February 13, 2007, with The Buried Sea expansion, when the forest also became a gateway to that sea.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Toxxulia Forest · Allakhazam: Toxxulia Forest 2.0 (zone) · Allakhazam: Toxxulia Forest 1.0 (zone)
Ways in and out
At the northern edge lies the entrance to Erudin: pass under the city’s “patio” to reach it and its docks for the ferry to Erud’s Crossing and Qeynos. To the south a second “patio” leads to the Heretic city of Paineel.
Swimming west from the dock on the west coast brings you to the shores of Kerra Isle; the channel is guarded only by the occasional piranha. Allakhazam’s 1.0 record lists the same links, Erudin, Paineel and Kerra Isle, from the original zone.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Toxxulia Forest · Allakhazam: Toxxulia Forest 1.0 (zone)
Lore tied to this zone
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Toxxulia Forest · Allakhazam: Toxxulia Forest 1.0 (zone) · Allakhazam: Toxxulia Forest 2.0 (zone) · Project 1999 Wiki: Toxxulia Forest