Greetings Norrathians!

It’s quickly approaching that time of the year again, and we are excited to announce our 15th expansion, EverQuest II: Chaos Descending! Your adventures in the Planes aren’t over yet, and this year you’ll delve deeper into the Elemental Planes to deal with the Chaos that resides within them. You’ll encounter some familiar, and some not-so-familiar faces along your way, and your journeys will take you through the Earthen Badlands, the Kingdom of Wind, the Unresting Waters, the Burning Lands, and the Great Library.

These Planes are full of deadly, powerful gods and beings. One such goddess you will meet on your quest is E’ci, the very essence of ice and the second member of the Triumvirate of Water.

Make sure to stay tuned for additional information about this year’s expansion as we’ll be revealing more expansion details and information about pre-orders and beta in the upcoming weeks. EverQuest II: Chaos Descending is slated for launch this November with pre-order and beta coming in October!

To help pass the time, as we all wait eagerly for more planar adventures, there are a series of promotions running until expansion launch:

• Our expansion prelude, Against the Elements, is live! Elementals are raging destruction across the land, and Norrath needs your help! Don’t wait to participate in this chaotic phenomenon as this content will only be available until Chaos Descending launches this November.
• EverQuest II: Planes of Prophecy is currently on sale for 50% off through October 1st, 2018 at 11:59PM PDT. Remember, Collector’s and Premium editions of EverQuest II: Planes of Prophecy come with special bonus items that won’t be included with expansion purchases once Chaos Descending pre-orders begin in October. 
• The friendly tradesbear, Yun Zi, has been sending you here and there and all over Norrath! If you haven’t yet, you should check out his current Days of Summer quest which will reward you with a bunch of awesome goodies! Don’t forget his next quest will be ready for you on Tuesday, September 17th at 12:01AM PT, and after that there will be just 4 more weeks to go.
• Ethereals are fast approaching their final phase, but never fear as Gear Up, Level Up is returning soon! Starting on September 24th, there will be bonuses each week leading up to the Chaos Descending expansion launch to help you get your characters ready. Like last year, Gear Up, Level Up will have unique weekly bonuses for both Live and Progression Servers, so everyone can join in the rewards!

We hope you’ve been enjoying all the content so far this year, but there is more to come from the spooky Nights of the Dead, the celebratory Hereos’ Festival, and the chilly cheer of Frostfell. It is because of our players that we can deliver these magical moments, and we are incredibly grateful for the continued support of each and every one of you!

See you in Norrath!

Lauren “Mooncast” McLemore

Producer, EQ & EQ2

Elementals are raging across Norrath! But who or what is to blame? The ranks of Freeport’s Academy of Arcane Science and Qeynos’ Concordium have been stretched thin as they attempt to investigate the destructive phenomenon.

Those wishing to volunteer their services for the investigation, and to help battle the onslaught, are encouraged to speak with the Concordium Pupil Adepts or Academy Apprentices who have been sent all across the world. In this time of need, heroes of all levels are encouraged to help quell these violent occurences - this means that all characters can participate in this prelude expansion event, and that the quest has requires no prerequisites!

Those who help defeat the raging elementals will be able to pick up a number of handsome new rewards! The Academy of Arcane Science and Concordium merchants have 41 new items, and a few returning ones, that they are looking to exchange for elemental storm shreds.

Norrath needs your help to put an end to the destruction! Against the Elements will be available up until the next EverQuest II expansion launches this November.

Yun Zi's next Days of Summer quest is here, with the tradesbear's travels taking you all the way out to the Thundering Steppes. Do some exploring, and the fourth quest will net you a Divine Potency Grant, charm, ring and gauntlets, as well as the Days of Summer 2018 Decoration Pack 4.

As always, you must make sure you've completed all of Yun Zi's previous quests before you can take on this week's quest!

Yun Zi will have his next quest ready for you on Tuesday, September 17th at 12:01AM PT. New quests will keep becoming available every Tuesday until 9 total weeks of questing have been completed.

Get on out there adventurer - another week of awards awaits!

ZONES/POPULATION
Shard of Hate: Reignited Hatred [Raid]

• Corrected an issue that caused Bonepiles in the Avatar of Bone encounter to not get counted when they died.

Solusek Ro's Tower: Citadel of the Sun [Raid]

• Amohn should no longer deathtouch players sent to cages.

The Fabled Ykesha's Inner Stronghold [Raid]

• Corrected an issue that caused Field General Uktap to reset encounter quickly after engaging.

ABILITIES

• Corrected a bug that prevented Feedback from triggering from combat arts.

ITEMS

• Fracture will now sell the inheritance The Flowing Black Robe.

The ambling merchant Yun Zi is back this week with another new Days of Summer quest for you to partake in! For your assistance this in the Nektulos Forest this week, Yun Zi will offer you a bundle of new rewards including a Divine Crit Bonus Grant, an earring, a ring, ranged weapons with Cyan Adornments, and the Days of Summer 2018 Decoration Pack 3.

But don't forget - you'll have to make sure you've completed all of Yun Zi's previous quests before you can take on this week's quest!

Yun Zi will have another new quest available next week on Tuesday, September 11th at 12:01AM PT. New quests will become available every Tuesday until all the Days of Summer quests have finished releasing after 9 weeks of questing have been completed.

What are you waiting for, adventurer? There are handsome new rewards for you to earn!

ZONES/POPULATION
Plane of Disease: Crypt of Decay [Tradeskill]

• You can now revive and escape within this zone.

Zraxth's Fabled Unseen Arcanum [Heroic]

• Anathraxxis Fetidspine's Decay of Souls inflicts slightly less damage and is cast less often.

The Fabled Ruins of Guk: Ykesha's Outer Stronghold [Heroic]

• The Chaos Spark now applies to the entire group when used.

The Fabled Ruins of Guk: Halls of the Fallen [Heroic]

• Only half of the summoned shin knight squires increment Guk Strong and gain benefits from it during the encounter with Lord Kurpep.

The Fabled Ruins of Guk: The Lower Corridors [Heroic]

• Only half of the summoned royal guk protectors increment Guk Strong and gain benefits from it during the encounter with King Vroak Vriip.

Shard of Hate: Reignited Hatred [Raid]

• Kpul D'Vngur should no longer target dead players with his curses.
• Corrected an issue that caused the bonepiles in the Avatar of Bone encounter to spawn extremely fast and in large numbers.

ABILITIES

• Corrected a bug with Crystallized Soul that prevented it from summoning at several levels and spell tiers.
• Corrected a bug that caused Siphon Essence to reduce the recast of Harm Touch by more than stated.
• Corrected a bug that prevented several scripted "on hostile ability cast" effects from triggering.

ITEMS

• Hunters Coin: Kunark have been made Heirloom
• Corrected an issue that caused the blue Foundation of Excitement, Ruin, and Thought to go into an orange adornment slot instead of blue.
• Planar Mastery: Necromancer will now increase the base duration of the necromancer's Blighted Horde before any other modifiers.
• Added The Shadow Odyssey heritage rewards to Fracture. If you have already completed one of the The Shadow Odyssey heritage quests and have the achievement for earning that reward on the Fallen Gate server, hailing Fracture will grant the account flag that allows you to purchase the rewards for your alts.
• Bittee Silvertail will now sell Riftwalker's armor to Channelers for Void Infused armor patterns.
• Centered Mantle of the Lava Lotus: Potency decreased by 0.5, Primary Attributes increased by 100, Stamina increased by 78, Crit Chance increased by 4, Ability Mod increased by 350, Mitigation Perc increased by 2.8, Defensive Skills increased by 23
• Elemental Infused Shoulderpads: Potency decreased by 1.5, Primary Attributes increased by 76, Stamina increased by 95, Crit Chance increased by 3, Ability Mod increased by 340, Added 25 Offensive Skills
• Ethermage's Flamespun Mantle: Potency decreased by 1.5, Primary Attributes increased by 74, Stamina increased by 90, Crit Chance increased by 3, Ability Mod increased by 325, Added 25 Casting Skills
• Ulteran Pouch of Pain: Potency decreased by 0.2, Crit Bonus decreased by 0.2, Primary Attributes decreased by 4, Stamina decreased by 9, Crit Chance decreased by 0.2
• Recurve of Paineel: Potency decreased by 0.2, Crit Bonus decreased by 0.2, Primary Attributes decreased by 4, Stamina decreased by 9, Crit Chance decreased by 0.2, Offensive Skills decreased by 1
• Staff of the Deeps: Potency decreased by 0.2, Crit Bonus decreased by 0.2, Primary Attributes decreased by 4, Stamina decreased by 9, Crit Chance decreased by 0.2
• Focus Wand of Infidel Decimation: Potency decreased by 0.2, Crit Bonus decreased by 0.2, Primary Attributes decreased by 4, Stamina decreased by 9, Crit Chance decreased by 0.2, Casting Skills decreased by 1
• Ulteran Ornate Bow: Potency decreased by 0.2, Crit Bonus decreased by 0.2, Primary Attributes decreased by 4, Stamina decreased by 9, Crit Chance decreased by 0.2, Offensive Skills decreased by 1
• To correct a bug that prevented Artifact flagged adornments from being returned after being removed from an item they will now return an otherwise identical non-artifact flagged version when removed.
• Familiar coins and mercenary coins from the Heroic Bundles may now be sold for status.
• Corrected a bug that prevented many characters from gaining the PoP Rune: Planar Ascension account flag when crafting Rune: Planar Ascension. Characters who previously crafted the Rune: Planar Ascension may obtain the account flag by removing the adornment from any item it is socketed on, re-socketing it.
• Corrected a bug that prevented several scripted "on hostile ability cast" effects from triggering, such as the Planar Mastery rune's chance to recast any offensive combat art or spell used.

QUESTS

• The hunter's union have made their way to the Moors of Ykesha and now offer quests for collecting bounties within The Shadow Odyssey dungeons.
• The Days of Summer merchant and quests are available once again.
• High Tide - Journal now correctly identifies the location of the shrine as Great Divide.
• Broken Equipment - Deletion of the quest now removes "Essence Injector" and "Undying Essence" from player's inventory.
• Book of Thex - A Curious Tome will now drop off Fallen Scholar Edgars, for players level 101 and higher.
• Picking Up Slack - Ginwyss D'Arkenett will now complete the quest, as intended, even if the player has completed "A Guard Insignia?" already.
• Restoring Valor Guk tradeskill mission will now update A Restitch in Time.

More notes after the jump.

Ready for an extra rewarding week in Norrath?

From 12:01AM PT on Friday, August 31, 2018 until 11:59PM PT on Thursday, September 6, 2018, ALL players on ALL servers will receive double XP and double Currency!

In addition to these bonuses, you'll also enjoy double Ethereal Coins, which means bonuses will stack and you'll earn FOUR TIMES the rewards! If you're playing on a TLE server, this bonus will apply to Hunter's Coins.

But that's not all... If you're a member, you'll also receive 25% off all Marketplace items! If you’ve had your eye on something in the Marketplace, now is the perfect time to pick it up!

If you're playing on the Antonia Bayle server, your bonus week will extend an extra day to make up for the server merge downtime, with bonuses running through 11:59PM PT on Septemer 7, 2018!

Not an All Access member yet? With bonuses, discounts, access to new content, and more, there’s never been a better time to join!

Yun Zi’s second quest is now available! This week the tradesbear is looking for more help, and will be sending you off to the Commonlands. Complete this task and he’ll reward you with a slew of useful and interesting new items including a Divine Stamina Grant, as well as a charm, bracelet and helm, and the Days of Summer 2018 Decoration Pack 2.

Remember, in order to accept Yun Zi’s new quest, you must first finish his previous quest, and his quests from last summer! If you haven’t completed these yet, you’ll have to catch up before you can unlock the next set of summer rewards.

Yun Zi’s week 3 quest will become available Tuesday, September 4th at 12:01AM PT. Quests will continue to unlock once per week until the summer season turns to fall on October 16th, 2018. At that point, all of the merchant's quests will be available for Members to complete.

What are you waiting for, adventurer? More travels await!