SOE markets "EverQuest II" not as a direct sequel, but as a "parallel universe" to the original "EverQuest". It is set in an alternate future of the original game's setting, having diverged at the conclusion of expansion (the lore is explained in an in-game book). This allows both development teams to pursue whatever direction they want to take without impacting the other, and allows players of the original "EverQuest" to continue receiving updates without forcing players down a specific path. In that sense, they are two completely separate games bound together by name only. Players of the original "EverQuest" will find many familiar places and characters, as well as "heritage items" that are similar in name and function to items known from "EverQuest" and can be gained via heritage quests.