Katalam

Katalam is the first of the new areas in 4.0 and was home to the ancient Danuar race. It can be accessed via the teleporter in either of the capital cities (Pandaemonium, Sanctum, Sarpan). Quests and monsters in the area cater to players of level 60 to 63, although higher levels players of either faction are encountered here just as often. It is bordered in the south by Danaria.

Katalam is rich in diversity. An abudance of lush green with farms, marshlands and forests, is found towards the north/east/west sections of the map; the centre is an arid wasteland with cliffs, mountain formations and rugged wildlife; while the south is entirely covered in snow, featuring many caverns and imposing ice formations.

In Katalam, Asmodians and Elyos will each have few specific areas that are free of PvP, respectively on the left (Asmodians) and right (Elyos), as well as a shared neutral ground in the north. The center and bottom sections are accessible to both factions. At the bottom of the map, there are 4 entrances to Danaria. Transportation on the map itself is done via a network of wind streams, base teleports and flight transports.

Katalam is the first map to be full open-world PvPvE: both factions have access to the same areas and thus PvP can and will occur anywhere, anytime. The map is also littered with bases, small camps that yield numerous and varying benefits for the occupying race and can be claimed by defeating the controlling warcaptain. Due to the bases providing weekly quests for Blood Marks, they are hotly contested locations. Each faction has an obelisk and safe pad near each base, although a future patch will raise them in the air to prevent abusing.

Katalam has one fortress near the centre of the map, Sillus Fortress. The race that holds it will have access to the popular Danuar Mysticarium instance and various other benefits.

History

Katalam was originally occupied by an ancient race known as the Danuar. After the Cataclysm, Tiamat invaded Katalam in an attempt to gain even greater power by acquiring a deadly Danuar Hyperion weapon. While she succeeded in occupying Katalam, she failed to harness the weapon's power. Failure to properly fuel the weapon contaminated the surrounding areas, mutating the creatures in Katalam with Ide, the weapon's power source. Desperate to reclaim their lands, the Danuar attempted to repel the Tiamat Army. However, they made a fatal mistake by detonating one of their weapons, which resulted in the ancient people's demise.

With Tiamat dead, Katalam is on the brink of crisis as  Beritra's legions move in to take over. Each force is mired in its own intense battles, the Elyos, Asmodians, Tiamat remnants, and Beritra. They all seek to control the bases and fortresses of Katalam to gain the ultimate tactical advantage.