CRYSTAL CAVERNS

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Text last updated: 03/31/01
Map last updated: 06/03/01

Description

The Crystal Caverns are the ancient home of the Coldain, named Froststone, long since overrun by giants and now orcs and other creatures. There are five areas within the tunnels, each controlled by either the Ry'Gorr orcs, the geonids, the stalag terrors, the crystal spiders, or the Coldain dwarves. The orcs control the upper parts of the tunnels, the dwarves the small remnants of their city, the terrors some abandoned halls, the spiders also some abandoned halls, and the geonids a set of tunnels they created for themselves.

Dangers

There is a confusing pit area near the entrance which allows access to all other parts of the zone, but is also very confusing and can lead you astray. Although you can fall or levitate down through the pit and skip much of the upper dungeon, it is adviseable to do this while invisible or you will have quite the greeting party waiting for you at the bottom. There are also a large number of orcs who walk all through this area, so if you are camped along the trail expect to be jumped frequently.

The Coldain will fight all the creatures in the zone, so you can use the Coldain as "guards" if you wish. The bad part about this is that they count the elemental illusions of enchanters as an enemy as well, and will attack them.

The Stalag Terrors are especially dangerous to hunt. They create very lethal trains and move very quickly, so pulling them is a serious undertaking. They are also, although roughly the same level as the spiders, much tougher and hit much harder.

Hunting Queen Dracnia is probably the most dangerous venture in the dungeon. There is a small area near where she spawns that most groups set up in, and a group in the high 30's can do well there fighting rapidly spawning blues. The big problem hunting in this area is the trains that are created. These have been noticed to be bad when the Queen herself spawns, where one creature will flee and all the others from outside will rush the room. The rumors that this is a planned/triggered event are untrue, however.

Benefits

The major benefit of this dungeon is that you can travel a large part of it safely within a certain level range. For instance, the orcs are all relatively the same level. You can travel in a small group from the top of the Well to the bottom and hunt the whole way down without meeting creatures so powerful that you have to stop. Also, most of the creatures in this zone drop a variety of items, and in the orc sections all of the rarer creatures can and do spawn anywhere, making hunting anywhere along the way profitable. Even without getting your hands on rare loot, however, you can easily make good money in cash from hunting here.

The Coldain city at the bottom is a relatively safe area. The dwarves who live there, while not friendly, won't attack any visitors there unless they've been hunted. They also have a bank that everyone can use, and merchants that are usable by those who can sneak and sell to them, or change faction through the use of spells or songs. The dwarves will attack all creatures that enter the area, including the orcs.

Also, the caverns are very easy to travel through with the help of a few spells. Invisibility will get you past all the monsters in the zone. Levitate can get you down to the bottom of the Well with ease. With a way to breath underwater, you can also travel through the various waterways that lace the bottom level, which can take you all the way back to Queen Dracnia's lair.

Travelling To and From Crystal Caverns

The Crystal Caverns are reached through a teleporter located in a small hut at the back end of Ry'Gorr Keep in the Eastern Wastes. The teleporter appears to be a small snowball. Ry'Gorr Keep is near -3435, -465. Upon return to the Eastern Wastes, you either appear in a small tower just outside the Keep or near the snowball, depending on which exit you use out of the Caverns.