Profile for Tom
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Displayed name | Tom |
| Member number | 497 |
| Title | Warrior |
| Postcount | 116 |
| Homepage | |
| Registered | Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
Recent posts
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| Author | Recent posts |
|---|---|
| Move Mountains in the Filth Factory in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Monday, January 21 2008 09:58
Profile
I prefer the complete experience myself, but rather than go all the way to Gale with a pile of money I couldn't afford to spend that early in the game (and have to save-and-load the whole way because of the high-level monsters) to get the spell from a book that I probably didn't have enough Lore to read, I simply found the third stone circle. The first two are north of Kriszan and on the Isle of Bigail (north of Kuper), so I still had to go on a field trip (I picked the one north of Storm Port, waaay on the east side of Valorim, though there's one north of Lorelei if you don't want to walk so far and don't mind fighting harder monsters), but I had a fairly easy time of it and got the dexterity increase as well. If you don't want to fight the Haakai at the end (I always did--complete experience, remember), you can stop after the Move Mountains circle and still avoid the encounter--just remember not to walk into any other circles once you find them, as the fourth and fifth don't let you refuse their 'gifts'. [ Monday, January 21, 2008 10:07: Message edited by: Tom ] -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| Post-Avernum 3 Story in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Wednesday, November 28 2007 21:56
Profile
This is certainly a minor question at best, but it's been nagging at me for some time now and I'd wondered if anyone here might have some insight. At the end of Avernum 3, the Empire granted land to the Avernites who wanted to live on the surface. Does that mean that there is a part of the surface which belongs to the Avernite Crown, or is it that the land is still Empire territory, but inhabited by former Avernites who chose to renounce their citizenship and emigrate to the Empire? Ordinarily, I would have thought that the land belongs to Avernum. That is certainly the implication given in the final quests and ending of Avernum 3. But the presence of Empire traders and the like in Avernum 4 lead me to doubt; why would they come down to the caves when they can trade up top, especially given their near-unanimous dislike of the living conditions of the caves? -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| After golems question in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Wednesday, August 22 2007 17:28
Profile
Indeed. If it was absolutely necessary for anything, the game would force you to get it. But you have the option to get the other two magical weapons instead . . . . . . Did you already obtain a different magical weapon from the Bunker? Once you commit, you cannot go back and get another. -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| The Five and their surnames in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Wednesday, August 22 2007 17:23
Profile
Could Solberg's first name not have conceivably been Cheeseball? Perhaps he projects his eponymous misery upon his familiar. [ Wednesday, August 22, 2007 17:29: Message edited by: Tom ] -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| After golems question in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Wednesday, August 22 2007 12:22
Profile
If you went to Ghikra and saw the shade (after the portal that lets only one person through), then you should be well past the point where you can order the weapon from the Bunker. Did you talk to Ostoth in particular (he's the one at the southwest corner, as opposed to Enla and Pathass, who are both on the north side), and are you aware that it takes a couple of days for them to actually make the weapon? -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| After golems question in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Wednesday, August 22 2007 07:29
Profile
As I recall, you need to go through a couple of dialogue options before he asks you who might be responsible. Also, did you check the right wizard? There are two wizards and a slith in the Bunker. Are you absolutely certain that you checked the crystal shards with the right person, and did Anaximander tell you specifically to go to New Cotra? -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| A Medieval Nethergate in Nethergate | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Tuesday, August 21 2007 20:38
Profile
What plot could it have? All of the magical creatures fled through the Nether Gate. Seriously, though, it's not a terrible idea, but what kind of satisfying ending could there be? I might play it just to laugh at an adventurous bunch of friars telling a bridge troll, 'The power of Christ compels you!' before they get eaten (or a divine thunderbolt strikes the troll dead--maybe we could trade Druidism for Piety and let that decide), but where would the story go that is different enough from Nethergate to be marketable? Now, a Crusades-based version is something I'd want to see. Byzantine Greek fire? Dress it up a bit and use the Avernum quickfire graphic. Efrit? Actually, I think they already are in Avernum. Jinni? Maybe the story starts when some disillusioned page-boy is busy polishing yet another lamp, but just happens to wish for some adventure. Besides, with nine Crusades, plus a number of other, similar campaigns, the sequels practically write themselves. Get in on the ground floor, folks. [ Tuesday, August 21, 2007 20:56: Message edited by: Tom ] -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| Colour me confused about the whole registration thing . . . . in Nethergate | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Monday, August 20 2007 10:40
Profile
When I originally ordered the Exile series, I got it on the special trilogy CD. When Avernum was released, it, like Nethergate: Resurrection, had a special discount price for those who had registered the original Exile . . . but that discount did not apply to those who had bought Exile on the special CD, since the CD, at forty-five dollars, was already significantly discounted from the seventy-five dollars it would cost to register each Exile game individually--and that doesn't count the character editor, which cost extra back then but was included on the CD. So, more recently, I got the original Nethergate fully registered on the promotional CD which cost fifteen dollars, and I'm not sure that the discounted twelve-dollar upgrade price applies to me. Frankly, I enjoy Jeff's games enough that I will be buying the new version at whatever price, but it would be nice to know for certain before I cut the cheque. [ Monday, August 20, 2007 10:41: Message edited by: Tom ] -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| Avernum 5, July Update in Avernum 4 | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Monday, July 30 2007 21:12
Profile
I think that it wouldn't be a bad idea to incorporate some kind of new or experimental anti-chitrach weapon. There'd be nothing like showing some good-old human (and possibly slith--Pathass did make a contribution in 3) ingenuity and giving those insectoid sons-of-queens some magical whuffor. As was said, the humans have special anti-demon, anti-giant, anti-undead (a couple of those, I think), anti-lizard, and anti-Crystal Soul weapons, not to mention the super-powerful but non-specific jobs like the Jade and Black Halberds. The sliths have an anti-human spear, which, one must admit, is a smart strategic choice. The Vahnatai have . . . what? Some magic rocks and a sword that drips poison? So what! The humans can do that without magic (or could, in Exile). No wonder the Vahnatai can't control the chitrach population; they are too wedded to their traditional style of wielding bent swords and talking rocks to come up with any kind of original thought regarding the matter. Making Bugsbane (nice name, by the way) would provide an interesting opportunity for some clever thievery, or some kind of quest--new and powerful magic must be tested, after all--and would be a demonstration of Avernum's power, that it could make magical weapons which rival the legendary artifacts of old. I'd be all for it, plot- and gameplay-wise. -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| A Few Advance Notes On Geneforge 4 in Geneforge Series | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Wednesday, April 5 2006 12:25
Profile
The Sholai are too far away to be a significant threat to Shapers. Without a base of supply, a Sholai would have to pick sides. Anyway, the real reason for my post; to resurrect an idea from earlier, I don't think a pack ornk is all that bad an idea. Going from island to island in Geneforge 3, I had to make several trips for my Shaper Equipment, crafting items, Infiltrator items, etc. etc. I'd just make it, use it, and absorb it when I got where I was going, but some way to easily transport all of my myriad forms of delayed gratification in one trip would be quite nice. As far as weaknesses, I think the ornk has plenty built in--too many, to tell the truth. First off, it's a traveling buddy, so that knocks you down to six slots for the more deadly incarnations of my Shaper's wrath. Second, ornks aren't noted for their melee ability. Loaded down with six hundred pounds of crap, their already hideous melee ability would decrease further, if they could attack at all--what would be a good weight cap for an ornk? Third, after making a full battle group of seven war-ornks in Geneforge 1, I noticed their critical weakness: these suckers are slow. In combat, they get where they need to go just fine, but that's turn-based. Out of combat, if I'm dealing with patrolling roamers or worse, I need my characters to be exposed for as little time as possible. My PC had no trouble . . . until he had to run back and save the ornks. There are plenty of ways to work around or through these various issues, but if the ornk can be made into less of a joke creation, I'd not at all mind slapping an inventory on it. Maybe, like with horses in Avernum 3, you could even ride your ornks and double your traveling time! -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| Everyone in Silvar HATES me! in Avernum 4 | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Wednesday, April 5 2006 10:33
Profile
There are some friendlies down there. Did you grease them, too? -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| Moral dilemmas in Avernum 4 | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Wednesday, March 1 2006 08:38
Profile
One would think that that would be expected. Of course, one could make a play on his wizardly forensic talents by making him an aranea (is that the singular form?). -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| A2 question (Portal Fortress) in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Saturday, January 14 2006 09:00
Profile
Not exactly; the tile is a base water type, with a special attribute that allows the party to stand on it, and another that gives a boat the option of landing or piloting underneath. Lava is a base ground type, with a special attribute that does fire damage. Shockfloors work the same way, with magic damage. I've no bloody idea about the icefloors. When the party attempts to land on a dock after flying, the base type turns out to be water, and so you drown. I suppose it's necessary; if the base type were ground, a boat would not be able to pilot underneath it. You win some; you lose some. I also don't know about Exile's lava floors. Perhaps they were a base ground type with a special attribute that let a boat on it. -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| A2 question (Portal Fortress) in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Saturday, January 14 2006 07:30
Profile
You can use the keypad, too. I know that the engine treats it as water. My puzzlement was from an engine perspective; namely, the idea being that since I can walk on it as well as boat on it, why not land on it? You can both boat and walk on that ice moat in the Archives, and in Exile, you would occasionally get boats in lava, which you could also walk through . . . why is it that landing on lava with the Orb doesn't result in a 'You land in a pool of molten rock and simultaneously melt and burn to a crisp. Luckily, you pass out from the pain before you melt past your waist.' message, but merely a few screams of excruciating pain and some relatively paltry fire damage? [ Saturday, January 14, 2006 07:52: Message edited by: Tom ] -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| [A3] Vago (Vagro?) & Abruzzo loot in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Thursday, January 12 2006 20:59
Profile
Heh. I was going to say that if you don't get the popup, then you already have it. There are very few one-time encounters in the game. -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| A2 question (Portal Fortress) in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Thursday, January 12 2006 20:41
Profile
If you're past the third guardpost, then the boat should be on the other side of the little lake, which means that you must fly. I'll suggest that you just need to straighten out your route. You can go straight along the cave wall and make it just fine. Don't go from dock to dock if that's what you're doing, either, because docks count as water. I don't know why you can't land on them, but if you do, you drown. You can start from a dock, though . . . but you shouldn't need to. [ Thursday, January 12, 2006 20:56: Message edited by: Tom ] -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| [A3] Vago (Vagro?) & Abruzzo loot in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Tuesday, January 10 2006 23:09
Profile
There's loot. It's in the statue in the warehouse. Try actually searching the statue instead of simply tramping around it. -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| The nephilim language in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Saturday, January 7 2006 13:39
Profile
Zero as a concept is one thing, but zero as a number is quite another. The earliest cultures did not use zero as a number until they needed advanced maths (such as trigonometry) for things like architecture, at which the Nephilim have never been very good. In fact, the only real castle we've seen was built with the assistance of a human mage; all the other dungeons look to be holes with haphazard partitions. The rationale for a lack of zero was something to the effect of, 'If there's nothing there, why try to count it?' Maybe the shamans would need a zero for their magical formulæ, but given the rather low power and complexity of their magic, it doesn't look like it. Sliths, what with their own history of being decent architects in the past, might well have lost a zero as they reverted to barbarism. It's actually rather funny, just how influential the power of nothing can be. -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| The nephilim language in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Saturday, January 7 2006 01:23
Profile
Well, another part of the problem is how human you want to make the Nephilim. For example, real cats of all types have small hearts and lungs for their bodies; they can exhibit great bursts of energy, but they simply do not have any real endurance. For intelligent cats with opposable thumbs, that would certainly give them incentive to get really good with bows, especially if their mouth structures, changing for speech, lost the killing teeth. Or, like is theorised in some circles for humans, the use of tools to kill freed the mouth to develop toward speech. But the point is that small lungs would keep long words from coming into existence, since they simply would lack the capacity for them. That, in turn, would mean that you'd have to come up with a mid-word stop or a long alphabet of letters (or phonemes, if you want to go that route). How many fingers would Nephilim have? That would affect their maths--you won't need words for 'nine' and 'ten' if they have only four digits per hand. You can probably drop the idea of a zero (as a number, not a concept), as well. Are you trying to create a written language, as well, or just a transliteration of a spoken one? Any written language would most likely be inscribed in some readily-available material. While paper grows in trees, it does not grow on them, and paper-making is rather an involved process. So, where do Nephilim come from? If they come from a temperate, forested clime, then their written language might be runes with few or no transverse strokes, since the easiest soft-but-durable material to obtain would be wood, and wood has a grain. Then again, incentive to get really good with bows might come from their originating in a place where wood is scarce, and so they would have to get the best results from limited materials. Any Nephil who doesn't shoot well doesn't eat, and so all remaining Nephilim have a genetic disposition for higher dexterity. If they come from a place where clay is plentiful, they could use pictograms . . . yeah, right. Let's keep this practical. Even if you want to come up with a few thousand pictograms, you'd never finish it. Edit: You can forget about Americans pronouncing your language with anything remotely close to accuracy. They don't even spell things correctly. I think it is because they harbour a deep-seated resentment of authority . . . but such is their Constitutionally-guaranteed right. Edit Again: Without constructing your language to internationally-accepted phonetic standards, you could explore a phonemic written language, as I mentioned. Create a bunch of basic blocks for each complete sound in the language, and put them together like syllables. [ Saturday, January 07, 2006 01:45: Message edited by: Tom ] -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| The nephilim language in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Saturday, January 7 2006 00:45
Profile
The humans were sent to Avernum, too, and they don't speak a radically different language from the Empire humans. Besides, for such a change in language to occur, it would all have to happen with some kind of division from the parent group and the resulting divisions remaining isolated from one another. On the cave side, they were, but people and Nephilim both were banished to Avernum continuously for at least fifty years, if not more, and Nephilim have been reported to have been sent by the entire tribe, if possible--which makes sense anyway because they were sent down for what they were, not what they did. Even so, continual replenishment would continually reinforce the basic existing language, even though many words would need to be invented (e.g. stalagmite) and others would lose their meaning (e.g. sun). Actually, it could conceivably make your job easier, because the Nephilim sent to Avernum all went to the same place. Such forced interaction among the tribes would give rise to a common tongue, instead of a bunch of different tribal dialects . . . but that's assuming that being driven to the literal end of the Earth (or at least Valorim) by the Empire for a few centuries didn't do that already. I don't understand what you mean by limitations. I know it is said in several cases that no one knows why Nepharim are born--that it just happens, and so it would not be subject to any kind of legal restriction. What I meant by my discourse of mouth structure and pronunciation is that they could not produce the human sound; the letters we see in the dialogues are transliterations, and a human trying to pronounce a Nephil name after having read it would sound very odd (much like a Japanese- or Chinese-speaking person trying to pronounce R or L in English). The Nephilim might use R as a vowel, but we don't, and it sounds (and looks) funny to us, which means that we can't tell the difference between various grades of vowel without lots of training. I can make a decent miaou to my own ear, but that doesn't mean my cat believes me. For that matter, if you've ever heard a cat miaou, then you know that the word is a close approximation, but not an exact pronunciation. So Frrrrr, the name of the third default party member from Exile II, might not actually be what it looks like, but rather something that requires a lot of spit and a good falsetto, with rising and falling tones in the string of Rs that make up his name and might distinguish it from Frrrrr of Exile III's default party whose R string is monotonic. The distinctions between long and short vowels would behave the same way; there are two ways to pronounce tomato, and you can't tell which is which without hearing them or using a phonetic spelling. So while I stand by my earlier statement in that Nephilim speaking English as a second language can't pronounce various fricatives correctly, perhaps my focus was on the wrong party. Perhaps I should have said that humans likewise can't produce Nephil vowels. It's something to think about, in any case. Oh--before I forget: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purr Edit: Oh. Well, ignore the parts about Avernite influences on the language. What I said about the Empire driving them to Valorim still stands, since Valorim has only been settled for two centuries (as of Avernum III) and the Nephilim (specifically, the Ratbane Clan, according to the in-game text) had developed strongholds there during the settling of . . . whatever's to the north. [ Saturday, January 07, 2006 00:55: Message edited by: Tom ] -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| The nephilim language in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Friday, January 6 2006 23:09
Profile
Not so. Cats either purr or roar, not both. Lions and tigers can't purr--the theoretical reason is because the laryngeal structure required to allow a domestic cat (or puma, cheetah, or any other purring cat) to purr is too constrictive to allow a roar; the most you get is a scream, not a true roar. Roaring cats have a nice, big larynx that gives their roars a lot of volume, but it also means that there is no chance for the constriction whose vibrations we hear as a purr to take place. Instead, you get growls, not a true purr. Some big cats can make a purring sound while exhaling, but a true purr occurs independently of the direction of airflow; small cats can purr while inhaling and that's what counts. [ Friday, January 06, 2006 23:49: Message edited by: Tom ] -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| The nephilim language in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Friday, January 6 2006 20:49
Profile
That is certainly possible, with such incidences as Anastasia's defection in Avernum I and the obvious integration of Nephilim in subsequent games. I'd think that the priests would try to preserve the old tongue for religious texts (we know they have them) and other such, much like Ecclesiastical Latin. I did some more looking. One of the major points while raiding the Nephilim Castle in Avernum I was the single English paper, addressed to 'Thinshadow' and left in a desk in the robing room/rectory behind the temple. Obviously, the priests understood English. Furthermore, in Avernum II, a Nephilim raised by humans owns the inn in Almaria, and one of the most easily-noticed things about him (according to the dialogue) is that he speaks English quite clearly. This would suggest that it's like a Japanese man speaking English as a second language, and that the only substantial difference between human and Nephil speech lies in the fact that they developed completely isolated from one another--limitations imposed by the Nephilim mouth structure either do not exist or can be effectively compensated, unlike the Slithzaerikai, who apparently have a permanent impediment to human speech. I'm going to tentatively suggest that Nephilim laryngeal structure evolved, not parallel to the human homologue, but approached the same limit from the other direction, assuming that evolution plays a part in the world--after all, the wide variety of Priest Spells proves a number of deities (or at least one with many faces), whose influence might throw a monkey wrench into the works. In any event, the mouths of both need to allow easy speech, but both are also for eating and breathing. Nephilim almost certainly came from carnivores, while humans almost certainly came from herbivores. Nephilim are obviously toolmakers, and excellent archers, so they probably don't use their teeth to kill. They might use their mouths to pant, and don't sweat normally like humans, which would imply a large surface area and elongated tongue. Where are the bleeding graphics files? I might as well get the portraits of the Nephilim and pray that they qualify as legitimate, instead of the dreaded 'Artist's Rendition'. [ Friday, January 06, 2006 20:52: Message edited by: Tom ] -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| The nephilim language in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Friday, January 6 2006 12:55
Profile
If the Nephilim have a surface homeland, the closest thing would be grottoes and hovels housing the scattered remnants of tribes in Valorim. Whether they are actually native to Valorim or were driven there by Empire expansion through the other continents is anyone's guess. As to the language, there would be some limitations imposed by the structure of the Nephil mouth. Since they can purr (Avernum II, when you cure the diseased clan near Mertis), then they are related more to housecats than to plains cats and cannot roar. They would have trouble with the dentals and probably use sounds for F and H that are substitutes for a human fricative. Though it would be funny to see a Nephil trying to make an F the human way and spitting out the sides of his mouth. They are omnivorous, however (the slave-driver Nepharim in the fort northeast of Fort Duvno in Avernum II forced the Nephilim to tend mushroom crops), which means that the limitations normally imposed by carnovire teeth would not necessarily apply to them. Even so, they do have elongated, catlike faces. They would not be able to rely on the human range of facial expression, but their tails and ears could make adequate substitutes, so you should not need to build that into the language. Even those human expressions they could use would be altered, however. A smile, for example, would not indicate happiness--they can purr, so they'd have no need for it. Actually, my cat only ever smiles when she's royally pissed off, which maes sense, because it frees the teeth to bite. -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| Removing "drunk" effect in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Friday, January 6 2006 12:22
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I know of no way to cure drunkenness, but that's probably because it isn't considered a 'bad' status effect. I know it reduces your to-hit percentage, but I'm not sure if it also reduces enemies' to-hit against you (a la drunken boxer). Still, multiple blessings will counter the effect; you'll come out hitting as well or better than normal, but obviously not as well as when legitimately triple-blessed. To make it more realistic, I think it would be rather interesting for spells like Light to cause damage to your party . . . anyone who's ever been really hammered will know what I'm talking about. -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
| How do I get the evidence? in The Avernum Trilogy | |
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Warrior
Member # 497
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written Monday, December 19 2005 12:28
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First: You can get the Crystal Souls in any order, so saying 'first' and 'third' tells us nothing. Second: Since you did say Pyrog's Cave, then what you need to do is this: You have to go to Fort Dolthar. It's where Sss-Thsss's castle was in Avernum I. To get there, take a boat from Silvar (I think the easiest place to get boats for this is Silvar--they cost 400g) across the lake and north to Fort Dranlon. Head west from Fort Dranlon, and south before you reach the Waterfall Warren. Fort Dolthar is the one with the three groups of Empire Soldiers guarding the gates. You need a blue or grey pass to get by them without a fight, but if you raise Hell in the fort, then you'll have to fight them on the way out. Better to enter the fort from the south, by boat. Once in the fort, murder, burn, and pillage your way up to the second floor. There are a few ways up, but only one will actually go anywhere (the others are escape routes or traps and only let people down), and it's the big stair at the south end of the first floor. Once on the second floor, hack and slash to the northeast corner. It'll stand out because of the Vahnatai architecture. Kill everyone inside and look around; there's a chest with the evidence you need. Now, the critical part is this: you must take that evidence to Olgai if you want to get into Pyrog's Lair by the rear entrance. The Council knows how to find the secret door to get in, and until you get it from them, you don't. With that newfound knowledge, you can take a boat (from the Empire Docks, past the Lair) for which you need red and blue passes, and a grey if you want to avoid a fight with some wanderers near the Lair (though you will have unavoidable fights at the guard tower nearby and the Docks themselves), use the back door, execute a few giants, work your way to the mage quarters, and retrieve Jekknol-Bok. For the rest of it, anyplace in Empire Lands from which you are barred will either stop you or kill you. Bargha, for example, just won't let you in. You'll automatically run from some other guardposts where you're seriously outclassed. Some places will kill you automatically: at the front near Dharmon, after killing several groups, you can advance to the Empire camp. They kill you quickly. If you try to fly over the chasm at Garzahd's fortress, a bunch of demons eat you. Just watch it when you're far from home and save often. [ Monday, December 19, 2005 12:31: Message edited by: Tom ] -------------------- Evil comes in many forms. I am but one of them. Posts: 116 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |