I love the smell of fried orc!

Actually, I don’t.  That’s a digusting thought and I’m kind of horrified that I even said it.

I have this mental picture in my head.  It’s 500 years ago and the Norrathian gods have their butt-hair all abristle because the adventurers of Norrath have pushed too far and threatened their existance.  They have a meeting and decide that Norrath must be punished… but how?

Suddenly, the lights seem to dim and a feeling of oppression covers the room as Rallos Zek, The Warlord steps through a portal into the midst of the other gods.  Like a puppy hopped up on too much adrenaline, he bounces around saying, “Let me do it.  C’mon… let me do it.  Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!!!”

The other gods relent and Rallos Zek sends his minions streaming out from Drundar into the Nexus and the Plane of Knowledge smashing the teleportation portals and killing anyone in their path.

Then, uttering a divine “oops,” Rallos Zek and his minions shatter Luclin sending pieces plummeting to the earth.  Bits and piece of the planes, including parts of Zek’s own Fortress of Zek, break through the barriers of reality and plummet to the earth.

Looking a bit sheepishly towards his fellow gods, he mutters, “I got carried away.  Still, that’ll learn them.”

Hundreds of years later, the orcish hoards have invaded and destroyed the forest of Jaggedpine and renamed it after the destruction-happy god… Zek, the orcish wastes.

I went to Zek for the first time yesterday.  I had kind of avoided it because I have read account after account of people saying that they really dislike this zone.  I figured with as much as I grew to dislike Thundering Steppes and Nektulous, I really didn’t want to jump into another zone like those two.

I was pleasantly surprised, however.  Granted, I only spent a few hours there, but I was having a ball.  Maybe it is because one of my earliest EQ1 memories is of fighting orcs in Greater Faydark and Crushbone.  Maybe it is just the whole militant feeling of the zone.  Maybe it is just because I wasn’t hugely fond of Jaggedpine Forest and seeing it lying in devastation leaves me feeling somewhat giddy.

Whatever the cause, Zek is my new home for the time being… and I find that I am enjoying my stay so far.