Smuggler's Rest

Smuggler's Rest is the training area for new characters. It includes the first dungeon, Euphonia's Challenge, quests that walk the new player through the basics of DDO, individual training areas for Combat, Combat Magic, Healing Magic and Stealth, and the first weapon vendor, Four-Fingered Thad. At the conclusion of Smuggler's Rest, the character talks to a sailor for a one-way trip to Stormreach Harbor.

Smuggler's Rest is small, safe, and short. Geographically, it's about a quarter the size of the Harbor, so most of the area fits on the minimap. Danger is hard to find, and other than the advanced training golem in the Combat training area, the hazards are all environmental - the only way to die is by falling. Its quests are entirely optional, although the experience points for Euphonia's Challenge make it worth doing. It's short enough that a player can complete all the relevant quests (Euphonia's Challenge, a couple training areas and all the associated "You should talk to..." quests) in about twenty minutes.