sleeper 1.0 - Kerafyrm

As far as I'm aware he still resides on the Test Server, Mayong Server, and Al'Kabor Server. So i say we all log on during a patch powerlvl ourselves to 85 and then round up and form up a 72 man raid to drop him on the Test Server. :)

He's still asleep only on Al'Kabor, the Mac server.

Rycar Deluxe, 30 Paladin, Al'Kabor
Rycar, 50 Paladin, Prexus (1999-2001)

This may be a stupid question, but I will ask it anyway. Was he still asleep in the Progression Server(s)? And, if so, did the dragons drop Masks of Tinkering until he was awakened?

That is one scary looking dragon!

I. Veeshan

It is told, in the legend of an age long past, relayed from generation to generation of the old civilizations, the history of life on Norrath that began with the Dragon God Veeshan. What elements of this recounting are accurate cannot be fully surmized, as there are many versions of the tale, but it is generally accepted throughout the annals of history that the broader themes and aspects are undeniable.

In the beginning of history on Norrath, the Mother Wyrm, Great God Veeshan, marked the land with her talons, creating the three gigantic crevices on the continent Velious that are known as the Scars of Veeshan. By this method, Veeshan claimed Norrath as spawning ground for her kin. Veeshan's first two broodlings on Norrath were a red drakeling, and a white one. Thus, dragonkind were the first inhabitants and the most ancient race of Norrath. It is told that Veeshan left soon afterward to claim other worlds in the same manner, and over the course of the ages lesser gods came to create the other races on Norrath, known to dragons as the "second generations."

There are many accounts in ancient lore of the return of Veeshan to Norrath. It is said, for instance, that Veeshan was responsible for the near extinction of the Iksar race, who set upon Norrath as a scourge and a challenge to the supremecy of the dragons. According to the legend, Veeshan raised a fallen drake from the dead and infused it with an insatiable hatred for the Iksar, then set it loose upon their capitol of Sebilis. The creature's name was Trakanon, deliverer of Veeshan's wrath. Though there have been many accounts by far-travelling adventurers claiming evidence of such tales, their truth can be neither confirmed nor denied. It is uncertain whether Veeshan ever returned to Norrath after spawning dragonkind, or whether or not she takes an active interest in the affairs of dragons on this world.

II. Kildrukaun and The Council of Elders

When Norrath was set upon by the intrusion of the lesser gods, the dragons determined to create a Council of Elders to ensure the supremecy of dragonkind over the younger races of Norrath. While many in the council were content to live seperate from and in peace with this "second generation," they still believed that Norrath belonged rightfully to dragons alone, by the will of Veeshan. Still, there were others who could not suffer peaceful coexistence of any sort, and longed for the destruction or enslavement of the younger races. The history of the Council of Elders is shrouded in secrecy and ancient ritual, and little is known for certain of their order.

What is known, is that at some point in history a drake named Kildrukaun was appointed Arch Priest of Veeshan through divine rite and ceremony. Kildrukaun, though a being of great wisdom and calm heart for regard of his own people, still held a powerful hatred for the second generation, desiring their complete annihilation. His first decree was to condemn the unification of souls between dragons whose elemental influences were of opposition. It was of his belief, and thus the belief of the council, that such a union was against Veeshan's will and would have dire consequences upon the entire dragon nation. As fate would have it, it would be only a matter of time before this decree was broken.

Two young dragons of opposite elemental powers - one of fire, the other of ice - fell in love. They bequested the Council of Elders for permission to mate, and made appeal to Kildrukaun himself. Hearing of their plight, Kildrukaun was quick to dismiss any blessing and forbade them from ever fulfilling their desires. The two dragons were disheartened by the event, but for them the choice was clear - they would defy the wisdom of the council to be together, whatever consequence it might bring.

III. Kerafyrm and Kildrukaun's Prophecy

The two secretly fled to an unknown, isolated corner of Norrath. There, they bound their souls in a sacred union unique to dragonkind, and hatched the first prismatic dragon. They named their hatchling Kerafyrm, which means 'almighty son' in the ancient tongue of the dragons. When knowledge of this event came to the council, the two star crossed lovers were punished by death. Kildrukaun, however, took pity on their child, and came to look upon the prismatic's creation as that of Veeshan's will. Inspired and intrigued by Kerafyrm's existence, yet wary of the consequences, Kildrukaun undertook personal governence of raising the young drakeling. Throughout Karafyrm's childhood and adolescence, Kildrukaun never interacted with the prismatic dragon, but served as the dictator behind his mentors. Eventually, Karafyrm rose to a power unseen within any dragon of his still fledgling age.

During this time, the dragon nation had split into two seperate factions of opposing power - The Ring of Scale, who fled the dragon continent Velious and took up residence in Kunark, and The Claws of Veeshan, the original order and council of dragonkind. It was known that Kildrukaun was furious with the division and he strongly believed that it was Veeshan's will for the dragon nations to reunite once again, lest they become as weak and pitiful as the second generation. Kildrukaun prophesized that Karafyrm would lead The Claws of Veeshan in a great civil war against The Ring of Scale that would reunite the factions and fulfill Veeshan's will. Kerafyrm was known as the Prophetic Savior - a champion of the Claws of Veeshan whose destiny had yet to be filled.

However, the council dismissed Kildrukaun's prophecy, exclaiming that although they must find a way to bring the Ring of Scale back under the wing of the elder council, they could not wage a war and abandon the threat of the giants of Kael Drakkal. Kildrukaun was furious, although he did not confront the council directly. Over the passing centuries, he swayed three of the council elders to his side and personally oversaw Kerafyrm's final stages of growth.

IV. The Sleeper

When he was ready, Kerafyrm quickly ascended through the ranks of the Claws of Veeshan, eventually becoming their most powerful general. He led several successful campaigns against the rising threat of the giants of Kael and his influence grew among the elders of the council. However, something dark grew within him -- his bite became venomous and his talon ruthless in its command over his troops and allies. Eventually, his dominion and influence was nothing short of a monstrous creature of pure malignant hatred and an unrivaled lust for destruction and chaos.

The Council of Elders had no choice but to order Kerafyrm's destruction - a ruling that Kildrukaun was present to hear. Kildrukaun, always tactful and cautious, decieved the council by conding this action. Shortly thereafter, Kildrukaun and the council elders whom the arch priest had managed to sway with his charismatic diplomacy flew to Kerafyrm, where the five of them made preparations for the inevitable war to come.

Although short lived, the war between Kerafyrm's legions and those of the Claws of Veeshan was a near crippling blow to the survival of the elder dragon council upon Velious. Kerafyrm's legions were severely outnumbered by those of the elder council, but time and time again they displayed their awesome strength and power. Eventually, Kerafyrm was restrained and taken to what would be his place of indefinite slumber.

The circumstances of Kerafyrm's defeat and imprisonment are a somewhat vague issue. The story has been relayed differently throughout the ages and depending upon whom you ask. The most famous expression of the story holds that Veeshan returned to Norrath to deal with Kerafyrm herself. Although there is little evidence to suggest that Veeshan ever did return to Norrath, it is conceivable to many scholars that it would have taken the powers of the Goddess to subdue a creature as destructive as Kerafyrm, and if ever she needed a reason to return, this would probably have been it. Still, it is more likely that this legend is the result of mistelling the story through the ages, and references that are interpretted to mean "Veeshan the Goddess" actually mean "The Claws of Veeshan."

In any case, it would have been a magnificient propoganda ploy by the council of The Claws of Veeshan to bring the aspect of divine intervention into this affair. It was, after all, the council who allowed Kerafyrm's continued existence, who were fooled and betrayed by Kildrukaun, and ultimately were responsible for the war and the creation of one of the most destructive and dangerous elements known to Norrath. To relay Kerafyrm's creation as something that was out of their control, and the subject of divine providence and prophecy, would maintain the image of untarnishability that many held in regard to the council.

The most likely scenario is this: The legions of the Claws of Veeshan outnumbered Kerafyrm significantly enough to subdue him, but could not destroy him. Therefore, they placed him in a tomb and held him prisoner with powerful magic, and banished Nagafen and Vox to their respective lairs of Lavastorm and Permafrost. The council appointed four powerful dragons of seperate elemental influence to guard Kerafyrm, and instituted a selective breeding program to produce replacement warders over the ages. Meanwhile, Kildrukaun and the other traitorous elders who had aided Kerafyrm in his war fled Velious to unknown locations, awaiting the return of their master.

Henceforth, Kerafyrm was known as "The Sleeper," and the subject of much secrecy and sacred legend among the dragons.

V. The Awakening

Five hundred years ago, the races of the second generation discovered the dragon continent Velious through brave expedition and conquest. During this time, dragon lore was of extreme interest to scholars of the younger races, and many of dragonkind's most sacred artifacts and hidden histories were stolen through the efforts of adventurers. In their wake, the second generation left careless destruction and wrought terrible havok upon the entire dragon nation, and Norrath itself.

For reasons difficult to understand, the key to the Sleeper's Tomb was revealed to one particular group of powerful, yet foolhardy, individuals. Seeking fame and fortune, they ventured forth into the Tomb, slaying the dragons mercilessly, until finally confronting the four elemental warders themselves. When the warders had been slain, and the four seals broken, Kerafyrm awoke from his slumber with a mighty roar, exclaiming "I AM FREEE!". A tremor of mortal terror shook deep in the souls of his enemies across the land. Kerafyrm, observing his second generation saviors, devoured them whole within moments, and then proceeded to make his way to the outside.

Velious felt Kerafyrm's wrath. Heading straight for Skyshrine, he left a path of destruction and vengeance. Any living creature he encountered along the way was felled effortlessly and ruthlessly. Confronting the council members one by one, Kerafyrm ripped their flesh into shards, annihilating every vestiage of their existence. The wise and ancient dragons of Velious were hardly a challenge for the prismatic, and it is said that with every foe he dispatched his bloodlust became more insatiable, and his wrath more vicious. Living things everywhere fled in terror.

Finally, Kerafyrm came to Lord Yelinak, King of the Dragons in Skyshrine. They battled feriously, and Yelinak bravely defended his honor. However, despite his power and wisdom, Yelinak was no match for Kerafyrm. The battle lasted only a matter of minutes. Yelinak was dead, and Kerafyrm was undaunted.

When Kerafyrm had finished, he paused for not a moment before he flew away to places unknown. Kildrukaun and the other Ancients returned from hiding, taking up guard over the former tomb of their master. Not long afterward, dark times fell upon Norrath, and all of existence here felt the terrible, unforseen cataclysms that were brought on by the carelessness of the younger races. That, however, is a different story...

Syrinx, Sage of Ancient Lore.

From what i understand there is only one way to actually kill the sleeper. Mayhong Mistmoore is supposed to give a quest to a paladin that results in some kind of god granted weapon that has some sort of proc/bane damage that may actually negate the sleepers insane regen rate.

There was a GM some time ago that was the only one to play mistmoore and he would only play him on his daughters birthday. Apparently after his daughters death he vowed never to play Mistmoore again. Thus the quest was lost forever.

This is only legend as i have heard it. It may also be that once the sleeper is awoken Mistmoore would never again spawn on that server and give the quest.

We EQ fans speculate and speculate about the lore and legend of the sleeper endlessly. Many of us wish to just simply catch a glimpse of the must discussed sleeper and gaze in wide eyed wonder at his beauty.

Maybe now with the next expansion we may finally have that chance!

To all who say Kerafyrm was never meant to be killed, let me begin with this:

Kerafyrm was supposed to be killed, but never supposed to be understood.

Veeshan (in my opinion superior to the gods themselves, laughing at them like they laugh at Norrathians) was the first to discover Norrath and created the race of the dragons. The dragons, however, should be superior to all the other races that were created by the gods. The purposes of these creations are never to be discovered by mere barbarians, trolls, elves, etc. for their minds and consciousnesses are not capable of such acts of creation (Ants do not understand why a little boy is throwing rocks at them). So, in the eyes of a dwarf, a dragon would be a sinister being that strikes from the heart of the unknown to rip his sanity apart. Also, the dragons are quite powerful enough to feed at other races like wolves among the cattle.

It is told that Nagafen and Vox are not the parents of Kerafyrm, but have planned to create something similar to her and therefore were imprisoned. That sounds like a very simple story for a race so superior, think upon that. I mean, dragons have proved themselves as conspirators during the war between iksars and the ring of scale.

So Nagafen and Vox could also be the real parents of the sleeper, or, the sleeper was just the result of a magical experiment mixed with dark science. Whatever the sleeper is or was, she has been the most powerful creature that Norrathians could face in Everquest. Told to be powerful enough to even challenge Veeshan.

The dragons are also known for their endeavour to become the rulers supreme. Kerafyrm is a dragon, and it is told that she, in her eternal rage, would bring death to everything. This would mean that the dragons would also die, so she was given a tomb to sleep in, and one day, or another, die in. Maybe the dragons were not powerful to finish the job, or it is just another law given by Veeshan that dragons may not kill dragons. Otherwise, why should they do the dirty work when the inferior races could do it in the future? Kerafyrm was left slumbering, which means that she had to wake up or to be awoken one day.

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No loot does not mean that a mob was not meant to be killed, anyway. That the sleeper has so much hp is just to represent the unfathomable power that lies in her.

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The game content in Everquest is huge. I guess that there are hundreds of quests from the beginning until now that have never been solved. So maybe the real story about this dragon is to be discovered one day.

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Please don't mix the storylines of EQ1 and EQ2.

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The fact that the sleeper could only be killed one time per server might be to leave part of the storyline to be written by the players themselves. So if the sleeper had first been killed on Rallos Zek server, Rallos Zek the Warlord may play an important role in the future storyline.

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Why are Nagafen and Vox the only mobs (at least the only ones I know of) that cannot be killed by high level characters because you get teleported away when approaching to near? I have never heard of another mob like that. And there are enough "old world" mobs that get killed permanently by high level characters for their loot, just to sell it in the bazaar.


Remember that this all is just my opinion, I may totally wrong with all that, and if someone has facts or good web links concerning the storyline, please tell me here.

After all, I am glad that Verant and SOE have created such a @#%^ing great game, it has the best storyline that I have ever experienced in a fantasy game.

This mob is in Allakhazam's Mob Graveyard, meaning it has been decomissioned. Is this true? This thing used to be THE mob, the toughest in the game, and now SOE has taken it out?


Edit: Now that I have read more about this, I understand that this was a one time event, once the four guardians were killed and Kerafyrm spawned, he either killed everyone in the area (which happened in all cases but one, on Rallos Zek with Wudan, Ascending Dawn, and Magus Imperialis Magicus) or he was killed. Then him and his four guardians were done and gone, with no repops. Technically, it could still be spawned if the four guardians weren't killed on a server (though I assume that they have been killed everywhere). So kudos to RZ; it was a lot of fun hearing about it. It would be cool if SOE did something like this again sometime, thought it was actually Verant still when Velious came out.

Edited, Sun Feb 12 20:12:45 2006

OK read the story about the sleeper. The parents of Kerafyrm(AKA The Sleeper) were killed. THEN Nagafen and Vox had the idea of mating and creating another prismatic dragon and control him and conquer some stuff, but they were found out and banished. Vox to the caverns of permafrost, and Nagafen to lavastorm


From the lore that ive read anyways...

Edited, Thu Jun 23 01:41:30 2005

The facts as reported in December 2004 edition of PCGAMER. Kerafyrm, The Sleeper was in fact killed by 3 guilds on Rallos Zek server. They all came together in what has to be one (if not the) the most impressive cooperative efferts in the history of online gaming.

Kerafyrm has "over 3 million hit points" and "claws for 6,999. Is 100 percent immune to spells. Oh, btw "procs a 20k death touch" and has "no rage limit".

These are a few excerpts from the aformentioned articale. I got the magazine today and read with my jaw hanging open. Gratz Ascending Dawn, Wudan and Magus Imperials Magicus for doing the unthinkable! ;o)

Shalizor

Edited, Fri Dec 24 17:16:15 2004

How much does this guy hitfor,hes the big baddie of EQ, and i dont know how much h hits for...

Lol, i bety i can take him tho soo, 51 druid, doing 600 dmg/ cast and root/snare him, he would drop like a fly. Betcha i couldtank him, i got 1400 hp.. he is nothing

YEAH RIGHT...

Lol, anyway, just tell me how much he hits for as a comparative estimate of what he is compared to any other mob in the game pls!

The Sleeper has Awakened.

On even the two servers (one of them Firiona Vie, I forget the other) where it was still asleep, SOE set it to awakened, and it looks like that's the end of the Sleeper's time on Velious. Rumors are flying, but nothing is known.

It is confirmed that this was not done by some rogue group of people.

good christ pyon.......is it really that hard to believe or do you just like bickering?

First off, why make it drop no loot. People should be rewarded for what they accomplish.
Mezzo
http://www.magelo.com/eq_view_profile.html?num=1048272

Here are the official screen shots of The Sleeper's death on Rallos Zek.

That really makes you wonder:

Up until Rallos Zek made the first attempt at killing the great Kerafyrm, no one came close.

Rallos Zek almost killed Kerafyrm, they despawn him. Does this mean there was possibly loot on it that wasn't meant to be had? And was just taken off when they despawned him? I know when they actually did kill him, there was nothing.