As I continue to re-immerse myself in Norrath, I was thinking about how little EverQuest lore I know. While I could easily watch fan-made explanation videos or read wiki entries, I thought it would be more fun to explore primary sources, starting with the game’s original manual and official player’s guide.
The manual opens with a creation myth, running through how Norrath was formed and the origins of the races. The 8 pages of text start at the beginning of everything and end describing The Age of Turmoil, which is where the original 1999 game began.
I’m not totally sure I had ever read this before? It’s fairly compelling stuff- especially the parts about The Combine Empire. What I love about this set up is that it gives you a basic amount of history, and then leaves you with free will. There’s no “now you must band together to defeat <blank>!” It’s just “the world is a mess, live however you want.” Sagely advice for existences both virtual and real!
That was essentially the extent of the lore in the manual (the rest of it is filled with cool Rick Schmitz art and system requirements and such).
The official player’s guide on the other hand is absolutely packed with lore, in surprising ways.
The guide cold opens with a story of a gnome’s first adventure. There are bits of world-building here, but it mostly serves as an introduction to the EverQuest experience: team up, fight enemies, get loot, grow more powerful.
From here we get the creation story from the manual, condensed in some ways, expanded in others. I had to do a double-take because some text is lifted verbatim, while other parts are brand new to the guide.
The player’s guide is written partially in-universe, while breaking the fourth wall at times to explain mechanics (think Dungeons & Dragons manuals).
There’s quite a bit of world-building here which gives some selected insight into the setting. In the early days of EQ, this guide was likely many players’ primary way of understanding the world they were inhabiting.
While I’m sure there are elements that have now been retconned or declared non-canon, the manual and player’s guide remain a fascinating look into early EQ lore and world-building. I’m excited to dig into some of the other texts I have to not only learn more about the world, but to see if/how the storytelling evolves over time.
Next up: The Ruins of Kunark
All photos taken by me.
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