While many of us have had our attention focused on the Celestial landscapes and the threats therein lately, others have never stopped looking across the vast oceans of Norrath. An enterprising captain by the name of Douglan Wakerunner is convinced there are uncharted lands still waiting to be found! He has convinced the Far Seas Trading Company to invest in his endeavor, and is now looking to hire a few good adventurers to join his crew.

The prelude event leading up to the 2021 EverQuest II expansion is just around the corner! This event will go live on September 14, 2021.

This event consists of:

• 1 nonrepeatable adventuring quest for level 10+ adventurers
• 3 repeatable island adventuring instances that can be ground for event currency
• 3 repeatable tradeskill quests for all levels and classes that can be ground for event currency
• 3 collection quests (one on each island) that grant titles
• 1 merchant with 18 new items, and several returning items from past events

Adventuring Quests

Non-Repeatable (Once per character)

The nonrepeatable adventuring quest meant for level 10 and above adventurers is "Unknown Shores" offered by Douglan Wakerunner on the Isle of Mara docks. He is positive there are uncharted islands and untold treasures just waiting to be found, and has somehow convinced the Far Seas Trading Company to invest in his expedition.

Click on the nearby dinghy to zone over to the instance and speak with Korrom Flintknuckle, one of the members of the Swimming Oak crew. There's a pretty malevolent feel to things, however, that needs to be dealt with first. Wander across the shore and kill all seven of the skeletons ("cursed scallywag") on the beach to dispel the barriers on the cabin. Then head to the cabin to kill Captain Rattlebones, and be sure to loot his chest for two extra Bobbing Acorn currency (4 for members). While you're still in the instance, you may want to wander around a bit more and find the two purple shinies that will be located in the instance.

Once done, zone out and return to Douglan Wakerunner in order to complete the quest. In addition to 5 of the event "Bobbing Acorn" currency (doubled to 10 for members), completion of the nonrepeatable introductory adventure quest will grant you a Vicious Pterodon Plushie.

Repeatable Adventuring Quests

These quests can be repeated endlessly as long as the prelude is active. (Likely until the launch of the next expansion.) Your character must have completed the above non-repeatable "Unknown Shores" before these quests become available.

For each of the below, you zone into the appropriate instance by way of the dingy, and then click on the crate that will be on the ground next to where you zone in to pick up the quest. You then turn in the quest by clicking on the crate to "fill" it once you are done with the quest, before you zone out. Each time you repeat an instance, you may pick up two more purple shinies within the zone.

• For Goodness Sake - Zone to Skerry Hideaway, click on the crate to pick up the quest, then collect 6 stolen drums of sake for a reward of 3 (6 for members) Bobbing Acorn when you click on the crate to complete the quest. If you also kill the 7 cursed scallywag on the shore while there, you can then go kill the boss in the cabin to get a couple more Bobbing Acorns.
• Lichveil Crockery - Zone to Lichveil Island, click on the crate to pick up the quest, then gather 6 ancient iskar pottery for a reward of 3 (6 for members) Bobbing Acorn when you click on the crate to complete the quest. If you also kill all 7 of the summoned phantom you can then climb up the path and enter the cave to kill Phan'ghul for a couple extra Bobbing Acorns.
• Jars Aplenty - Zone to Savage Cay, click on the crate to pick up the quest, then splash your way over to gather 6 mystical jars for a reward of 3 (6 for members) Bobbing Acorn when you click on the crate to complete the quest. If you also kill the 7 monkeys ("an enraged macaque"), you will then be able to kill the sphinx Sayhanneh that spawns on top of the little worship area at /way -1001, -8, 211 for a couple extra Bobbing Acorns.

Tradeskill Quests

These quests can be completed by any crafter, and repeated as often as you like while the event is running. You will need a bunch of resources of any tier, so I personally recommend emptying your harvest bags, then raiding your depot for some of your more plentiful resources. All NPCs are located in the Mara docks area, crafting stations and a fuel vendor are also nearby, so a well-stocked crafter can breeze through these pretty well. You want to make sure you do NOT use your rares when the ingredients autofill, so put your rares safely away before you craft.

You will find that Mara Resin can be harvested from random spots around the Isle of Mara using the graphic of the buyable Mara Resin Jar pictured in the buyables section of this writeup.

Each combine yields 2, so while you need to produce 6 each time, that will only require 3 combines per quest.

• Stock the Deck - Borix Debolt. You are asked to use the loom to make either Bolt of Sailcloth or Coils of Waterproof Rope. Once you have picked up the quest from Borix, click the tailors' crates behind him to be assigned to whichever they need the most. Craft six of the required item, return to Borix for 2 Bobbing Acorn (4 for members). [Bolt of Sailcloth: 1 Mara Resin, 3 harvested roots, 2 harvested leather pelts, 2 harvested metal, 3 glowing filament. Coils of Waterproof Rope: 1 Mara Resin, 3 harvested roots, 2 harvested leather pelts, 2 harvested metal, 3 glowing filament.]
• Stock the Hold - Brilsa Stouthandle. You are asked to use a wooodworking table to make Empty Shipping Crates or Stack of Waterproof Planks. Click on the woodworkers' crates behind her to be assigned to whichever they need the most. Craft six of the required item, return to Brilsa for 2 Bobbing Acorn (4 for members). [Empty Shipping Crates: 1 Mara Resin, 2 harvested wood, 3 harvested roots, 2 harvested metal, 3 glowing sandpaper. Stack of Waterproof planks: 1 Mara resin, 2 harvested wood, 3 harvested roots, 2 harvested metal, 4 glowing sandpaper.]
• Stock the Galley - Erich Trinner. You are asked to use the stove & keg to craft Baskets of Dried Meat or Casks of Grog. Click the provisioners' barrels behind him to be assigned to whichever they need the most. Craft six of the required item, return to Erich for 2 Bobbing Acorn (4 for members). [Basket of Dried Meat: 1 Mara resin, 2 harvested wood, 3 harvested roots, 2 harvested meat, 3 glowing kindling. Casks of Grog: 1 Mara resin, 2 harvested wood, 3 harvested roots, 2 harvested crop (aka shrub harvest), 3 glowing kindling.]

New Merchant Items

Aariena Glitterflitter is on the Mara docks, and sells items in exhange for Bobbing Acorn currency.

Alliz Ew Morbid Display 1 Bobbing Acorn	Alliz Ew Tent 1 Bobbing Acorn	Deino Egg Shells 1 Bobbing Acorn
Detailed Desert Jar 1 Bobbing Acorn	Detailed Desert Vase 1 Bobbing Acorn	Dock Torch 1 Bobbing Acorn
Exquisite Desert Vase 1 Bobbing Acorn	Gull Plushie 1 Bobbing Acorn	Hammered Brass Bowl 1 Bobbing Acorn
Mara Resin Jar 1 Bobbing Acorn	Petamorph Wand: Veiled Owlbear 6 Bobbing Acorn	Plunder Chest 1 Bobbing Acorn
Shallow Woven Bowl 1 Bobbing Acorn	Spotted Croc Plushie 1 Bobbing Acorn	Swimming Oak Captain's Hat 3 Bobbing Acorn
Striped Pteranodon (fluff mount) 45 Bobbing Acorn	Striped Pteranodon (converted to housepet)	Wantia Clay Pot 1 Bobbing Acorn

Sandstone Cutouts*

Granite Cutouts*

*The cutouts pictured above come from the new "Building on Sundered Ground II: Cutouts" recipe book that are sold on the vendor for 40 Bobbing Acorn currency. It contains recipes for both the granite and sandstone cutouts that go with the block sets that are in the Building on Sundered Ground recipe book (returning on the vendor for this event).

Returning Buyables

In addition to the above items, Aariena sells many returning event items: Eryslai Crystal Block set pieces (individual cut-outs come in bundles of 8, individual base block pieces come in bundles of 15), Bazaar Rug of Acquisition, Bazaar Rug of Profit, Bowl of Shade Spice, Broken Dawnshroud Pine Crate, Building on Sundered Ground (recipe book), Ceramic Amphora, Dawnshroud Pine Corner Work Table, Destroyed Dawnshroud Pine Crate, Earthcrafter Smithing Hammer, Kithicor Armapine (housepet), New Combine Grain Sack, Recuso Tor Hitching Post, Recuso Tor Water Trough, Reishi Grazer Plushie, Replica Dragon Ring, Replica Wizard Spire, Root-Wrapped Stone Monolith, Root-Wrapped Stone Pillar, Root-Wrapped Stone Wall, Roughspun Leanto, Row of Old Books, Rug of the Arcanist, Savage Treasure (housepet), Scholar's Podium, Seru Arx Pectoris Rug, Square Rug of the Arcanist, Traveling Merchant Cart, Vasty Deep Work Table, Wracklands Rock Wall Divider, Zephyren Eggs.

Collection Quests

• Deino Egg Shells - 2 collection pieces can be gathered per run of Skerry Hideway. Reward for the 6-piece collection is the suffix title: Shell Stalker.
• Esoteric Gems - 2 collection pieces can be gathered per run of Lichveil Island. Reward for the 6-piece collection is the suffix title: Esoteric Gemologist.
• Trinkets of the Sphinx - 2 collection pieces can be gathered per run of Savage Cay. Reward for the 6-piece collection is the suffix title: Trinket Tiller.

A Closer Look - Videos

Despite dealing with massive attacks of Real Life, Ocarinah has provided us with a full video preview of all of the new house items and appearance item and a shorter silent version