Lineage 2 Interlude is one of the best-known versions of Lineage II. For many players, it represents the game's classic era: slow progression, hunting in an open world, clan rivalries, castle sieges, and raids that required dozens of parties.

Interlude is also surrounded by confusion. It is often called Chronicle 6, its Korean release date is mixed up with the Western launch, and features from private servers are sometimes presented as part of NCsoft's original update. Here is where Interlude belongs in Lineage II history and what it actually changed.

What are Lineage II chronicles?

Players use the word “chronicles” for major Lineage II updates. These releases added territories, quests, monsters, and equipment while changing class skills, PvP rules, and clan systems.

The game's first major era was called The Chaotic Chronicle. It included Prelude and five numbered chronicles, ending with Chronicle 5: Oath of Blood.

NCsoft then began a new cycle called The Chaotic Throne. Interlude sat between the two eras. It closed the old chapter and prepared the game for the next one, whose first full-scale release was The 1st Throne: The Kamael.

Official Western announcements described Interlude as the first chapter of The Chaotic Throne. NCsoft did not call it Chronicle 6 or C6. Those names came from the community because Interlude followed Chronicle 5.

Lineage 2 Interlude release history

Interlude does not have a single worldwide release date. Lineage II was developed in South Korea, while localized versions received the update later.

Release date in South Korea

Interlude went live on South Korea's commercial servers on December 13, 2006. In its launch announcement, NCsoft presented the update as both the end of The Chaotic Chronicle and the beginning of a new stage.

December 13, 2006 is therefore the original Lineage 2 Interlude release date. It belongs to the Korean live version, not a translation or a test server. The date is preserved in an archived Korean Newswire release that carried NCsoft's announcement.

Release in North America and Europe

Interlude launched on the official North American and European servers on April 11, 2007. NCsoft's Western branch announced the date in late March and posted the maintenance schedule one week before launch.

The European retail edition of Lineage II: The Chaotic Throne also went on sale that day. It contained the previous updates as well as Interlude. The announcements remain available in the official Lineage II news archive for 2007.

The timeline is straightforward:

  • December 13, 2006 — original South Korean launch;
  • April 11, 2007 — official North American and European launch.

There was no separate official Russian launch of Interlude. The official Russian localization of Lineage II arrived later, after the game had already moved on to other updates.

Why was the update called Interlude?

An interlude is a section placed between two larger acts. The name accurately described the update's role.

Interlude did not restart Lineage II. It kept the familiar races, classes, cities, economy, and open-world rules. At the same time, NCsoft was closing The Chaotic Chronicle and laying the groundwork for The Chaotic Throne.

Fortresses are a good example. Their structures appeared on the map in Interlude, which required some monsters and raid bosses to be relocated. Players could not fight for those fortresses yet. The official patch notes explained that the buildings would gain a purpose in later updates.

The full fortress system, the Kamael race, and the Isle of Souls belong to The 1st Throne: The Kamael. They were not part of Lineage 2 Interlude.

The key features of Interlude

Primeval Isle: a hunting ground for experienced players

The most visible new territory was Primeval Isle, located south of Rune. Players could reach it by boat from Rune Harbor or by swimming.

The island was designed for high-level characters. It was home to dinosaurs and the Elroki tribe, whose quests told the story of the area. Its most dangerous section was the Lost Nest.

Consider a typical hunt. A party lands at the wharf, moves inland, and encounters a Tyrannosaurus. The dinosaur becomes enraged during the fight and starts hitting much harder. One party member uses an Elrokian Trap to reduce its attack while the others keep fighting. This was a special hunting mechanic, not a way to tame a dinosaur as a pet.

Primeval Isle introduced:

  • new story and repeatable quests;
  • dinosaurs, including Tyrannosaurus;
  • a trap for weakening an enraged Tyrannosaurus;
  • materials and recipes for new A-grade weapons;
  • a clan quest involving the capture of Tyrannosaurus;
  • a way to raise Soul Crystals to stages 11 and 12;
  • the lair of the new boss Sailren.

The trap required an Elrokian Trap and Capture Stones. Players obtained it by completing the Elrokian Hunters quest. The system is described in the official Primeval Isle update archive.

Sailren, Gordon, and revised epic bosses

Sailren was the main new boss in Interlude. Players had to complete the related Primeval Isle quest line and gain access to the repeatable Attack Sailren quest before entering its lair.

Another unusual enemy, the roaming raid boss Gordon, appeared in the Goddard region. It attacked characters carrying the cursed swords Zariche or Akamanah and tried to take the weapon.

NCsoft also revised several existing bosses. Antharas and Valakas received lower HP, physical defense, and magic defense. Antharas gained a new appearance, while its difficulty and rewards began to scale with the number of raid participants. Minions that dropped recovery items also appeared during the battle.

The developers corrected the behavior of Baium, Master Anays, and other raid enemies. Master Anays, for example, could no longer be pulled out of its intended room without consequences. The changes are listed in the official Interlude monster notes.

New class skills

Interlude introduced skills for characters at several stages of progression. The new abilities for third-profession classes at levels 77–80 had the greatest effect on high-level play.

Some clear examples include:

  • Aura Flash, which let combat mages hit nearby enemies and cancel their targets;
  • Celestial Shield, which allowed a Bishop to protect a selected character briefly;
  • Braveheart, which restored 1,000 CP to several high-level warrior classes;
  • Sonic Barrier and Force Barrier, which temporarily protected Duelists and Grand Khavataris;
  • Song of Silence, which blocked an enemy's physical and magical skills;
  • Mirage, which gave an Adventurer a chance to cancel an attacker's target;
  • Cleanse, which removed debuffs from an ally;
  • Salvation, which revived a character while preserving most buffs;
  • Feline King, Magnus the Unicorn, and Spectral Lord for the summoner classes.

New passive skills reinforced class identities. Knighthood strengthened knights in heavy armor, Archery improved bow users, Assassination enhanced dagger classes, and Summon Lore increased summoners' defense and casting speed.

Level 80 abilities formed another layer. Party members had to transfer power to the caster through Battle Force or Spell Force. The system made a character's strongest skills depend on the actions of the whole group.

Existing abilities changed as well. Soulshots had a much greater effect on melee physical skills. Curse Fear and Horror began to work against players, and NCsoft revised the power, cost, or conditions of several other skills. The details appear in the archived Skills and Magic notes.

Weapon augmentation

Augmentation was one of Interlude's defining systems. A player could bring a C–S-grade weapon, a Life Stone, and the required gemstones to a blacksmith. The blacksmith then added a random bonus to the weapon.

Possible results included:

  • an increase to STR, CON, INT, or MEN;
  • higher physical attack, magic attack, defense, or accuracy;
  • an active skill;
  • a passive effect;
  • a skill triggered under certain conditions.

The augmentation process always succeeded, but players could not choose the result. Two identical swords could therefore receive completely different bonuses.

Augmented weapons came with strict restrictions. They could not be sold, traded, dropped, or placed in a clan warehouse. The owner first had to pay a blacksmith to remove the augmentation. The original rules are recorded in NCsoft's augmentation guide.

New weapons and items

Interlude added a set of top A-grade weapons:

  • Sirra’s Blade;
  • Sword of Ipos;
  • Barakiel’s Axe;
  • Behemoth’s Tuning Fork;
  • Naga Storm;
  • Tiphon’s Spear;
  • Shyeed’s Bow;
  • Sobekk’s Hurricane;
  • Themis’ Tongue;
  • Cabrio’s Hand;
  • Daimon Crystal;
  • Damascus × Tallum Blade dual swords.

Adding a special ability to one of these weapons required a stage 12 Soul Crystal. Some recipes and components came from quests on Primeval Isle. Their statistics are listed in the official Interlude item archive.

The update notes did not announce new full armor sets. Interlude added weapons, augmentation, Life Stones, and several head accessories: an eye patch, a pirate hat, angel and demon circlets, a scar, and a butterfly hairpin.

This detail helps separate the original release from private servers. Many private versions add armor and accessories from other updates even though they were not part of NCsoft's Interlude.

Shadow Weapons

Shadow Weapons gave characters temporary access to suitable equipment. They matched the appearance and abilities of normal weapons but had a limited lifespan.

Their timer decreased while the weapon was equipped. When it reached zero, the item disappeared. A Shadow Weapon could not be enchanted, augmented, crystallized, or transferred to another player.

Characters received a D-grade Shadow Weapon coupon after their first class transfer and a C-grade coupon after the second. Weapon shops also sold certain B- and C-grade versions for Adena.

This was not a free permanent equipment set. It was a short-term progression tool that also let players try different weapon types. The rules are documented on the official Shadow Weapons page.

The cursed sword Akamanah

Interlude introduced Blood Sword Akamanah, a cursed dual sword that joined the existing Demonic Sword Zariche.

The owner of a cursed weapon became a visible target in the open world. Other players could track its location on the map and try to kill the carrier. When the owners of Zariche and Akamanah fought each other, a hit immediately reduced the target's CP to zero.

Picking up the other cursed sword did not let a character carry both. The newly acquired sword disappeared, and the equipped weapon gained a level. Its owner also received the active skills Void Flow and Void Burst.

Akamanah created encounters that players could not fully schedule. A party might be hunting peacefully, notice a cursed-sword marker on the map, and find itself in the middle of a mass fight a few minutes later. The original mechanics are preserved in the Blood Sword Akamanah notes.

PvE and raid organization

Interlude improved the Command Channel, which linked several parties under one leader. NCsoft integrated it into the chat window and added commander messages and a report showing each party's composition.

The update also clarified raid looting rights. A Command Channel needed more than 18 members for a normal raid monster. Bosses such as Queen Ant, Zaken, Orfen, and Core required more than 36 members. Antharas had a separate rule: more than 225 channel members had to be present in its lair.

Those figures show the scale of the original game. A dragon raid was not a fight for one well-equipped party. Leaders had to coordinate dozens of groups, healers, tanks, and damage dealers. A mistake by one unit could disrupt the entire attempt.

Characters above level 75 gradually lost less experience on death. NCsoft also set ordinary monsters in several high-level hunting grounds to level 80 without changing their previous abilities or rewards. The Command Channel rules are available in the official Interlude archive.

PvP and penalty-free duels

Interlude added one-on-one and party-versus-party duels. They let players test their characters without the normal penalty for losing.

In a solo duel, a player won by reducing the opponent's HP to one. After the match, HP, MP, and CP returned to their previous values, while debuffs received during the fight disappeared.

For a party duel, both teams moved to a dedicated arena. Each match lasted two minutes. Players could not start a duel during a siege, Olympiad match, private trade, or ordinary combat.

The system did not replace open PvP, clan wars, or castle sieges. It provided a safe practice ground for testing an augmentation, rehearsing a skill sequence, or comparing two parties without losing experience. The full rules appear in the official Dueling System description.

Other notable changes

Interlude updated both the interface and siege rules. Players could enlarge the mini-map to fill the screen. It tracked Zariche and Akamanah, and five early-game dungeons received their own maps.

The party window could display allies' buffs and debuffs. When an enemy attacked a character with no selected target, the game automatically targeted the attacker. The Command Channel received a party-composition report.

New players gained Blessing of Protection, a buff intended to reduce the threat from characters far above their level.

During castle sieges, defenders could no longer destroy their own gates. Control of the Seal of Strife affected the use of siege weapons. NCsoft also adjusted the Olympiad, pets, teleport destinations, and the behavior of several doors.

How Interlude differed from Chronicle 5

Chronicle 5 expanded the northern lands, clan systems, and high-level content. Interlude took a more focused approach. Rather than rebuilding the world, it deepened systems that already worked.

Its main differences were:

  • Primeval Isle with its own story, monsters, and boss;
  • random weapon augmentation;
  • temporary Shadow Weapons;
  • penalty-free duels;
  • new third-profession skills;
  • better tools for large raids;
  • Blood Sword Akamanah;
  • fortresses placed in preparation for a later update.

The foundation remained unchanged. Players still needed a party, a clan, resources, and plenty of time. The market relied on drops and crafting, while rival alliances often fought over access to bosses.

Interlude felt familiar but richer. That set it apart from The Kamael, which introduced a new race and began a more visible restructuring of the game.

Why Lineage 2 Interlude became a classic

By the time Interlude arrived, early Lineage II had developed a complete identity. It had third professions, the Olympiad, Heroes, advanced clans, castle sieges, epic bosses, and a large player-driven economy. Interlude added new goals without breaking that foundation.

The version worked especially well as a social game. A lone character struggled to obtain rare resources, clear difficult areas, or fight epic bosses. Players looked for parties, joined clans, divided responsibilities, and arranged raid times.

Classes remained sharply different. A healer could not replace a tank, a tank could not replace a combat mage, and the rare buffs supplied by bards could change the result for the whole party. Players had to cooperate rather than merely share the same map.

Augmentation added personal stories of its own. A useful skill on a weapon could become a result discussed by the entire clan. The system never guaranteed a good bonus, so every new attempt demanded more resources and patience.

Interlude later gained a long life in the wider community. Many private servers used its client and name while changing experience rates, drop chances, class balance, shops, and item lists. A server like that may differ substantially from the original Lineage 2 Interlude despite having a familiar login screen.

Interlude's place in Lineage II history

Interlude preserved almost all of The Chaotic Chronicle's foundation while adding systems that continued to evolve. Augmentation, duels, improved Command Channels, and dedicated high-level hunting zones did not disappear when The Kamael arrived.

The version also marked the boundary between two eras. Fortresses already stood in the world but did not yet work as a separate PvP system. Existing classes gained powerful high-level abilities, but the new race had not arrived. Players saw the familiar Lineage II alongside the first signs of future changes.

Interlude is therefore remembered as more than a set of popular mechanics. It was the most complete version of early Lineage II before the larger changes of The Chaotic Throne.

What a new player should know

Lineage 2 Interlude was NCsoft's official transition update. It launched in South Korea on December 13, 2006 and in North America and Europe on April 11, 2007.

The update added Primeval Isle, Sailren, dinosaurs, augmentation, Shadow Weapons, new top A-grade weapons, Akamanah, duels, and dozens of class skills. It kept the slow progression, open world, and heavy reliance on parties and clans that defined early Lineage II.

For a new player trying to understand why people remember classic Lineage II, Interlude offers a clear answer: individual strength mattered, but it rarely settled everything without a team.

FAQ

When did Lineage 2 Interlude launch?

It launched on NCsoft's Korean servers on December 13, 2006 and in North America and Europe on April 11, 2007.

Is Interlude Chronicle 6?

Its official name is Interlude. Players adopted Chronicle 6, or C6, because the update followed Chronicle 5.

Which new location did Interlude add?

Its main new territory was Primeval Isle, home to dinosaurs, the Elroki quest line, and the boss Sailren.

Did Interlude introduce the Kamael?

No. The Kamael race and the Isle of Souls arrived in the next major update, The 1st Throne: The Kamael.

What was Interlude's main system feature?

Weapon augmentation with Life Stones was its most prominent new system. Primeval Isle, Shadow Weapons, duels, and high-level class skills were also major additions.

Sources