The World of Avernum
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Apprentice
Member # 4483
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written Thursday, June 17 2004 02:47
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Greetings, I've been thinking about storylines for scenarios but I'm not very familiar with the world in which the game is set. I'll be registering BoA soon but I want to know how I would go about learning about the creatures, conflicts, mythologies etc that inhabit the world of Avernum. Is there a document or something that talks this or would someone be able to post explaining the above? Thanks, Total Flappish -------------------- "Sport is for people who dont know how to GAME!!!!" Quote Mungo the Great and Moose Posts: 18 | Registered: Monday, June 7 2004 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 4506
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written Thursday, June 17 2004 03:48
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quote:Depends what you want to know. There are lots of different things in Avernum's history, and also, probably, it's future. As an Avernite I can help slightly, such as tell you the basic history and so forth. ~Avernum was formed by the Emeror Hawthorne, who was totally cruel and wicked, and expected everyone to serve him. Ofcourse, people resisted, so he sent them down to Avernum. Now the people in Avernum decided that if they were stuck down there, they had better get on with their lives. SO they built cities, and tamed the caves, fighting with the Slithzerakai and the Nephilim. And also the other big evil things that lived down there. Sometime while the Empire was sending down prisoners into Avernum, there was a power struggle amongst the Empire Wizards and Mages. The leader of the group who lost, a young mage named Erika, was sent down into Avernum, along with several of her followers. To make sure that she however, stayed underground, she was cursed by the empire : if she was ever touched by sunlight again, she would die a horrible death. Now Erika was not happy about that, so she helped the Avernites build a nation. Then she built her own Portal to the surface, for the sole purpose of assaniating Emperor Hawthorne. She sent a band of Adventurers up. Emperor Hawthorne died, but the Empire was not happy. Five years later they invaded, attacking Avernum. At the same time though, Avernum was being attacked by the Vahnatai, most displeased because the Empire had stolen several of their most precious things - Crystal Souls! With each section of Avernum cut off from each other by the Vahnatai's giant magical barriers, their way of attacking, it was only a matter of time until Avernum was destroyed. Luckily, the Vahnatai wanted to talk to Humans, so they allowed a band of Adventurers, perhaps the same, to come down into Vahnatai Lands, even deeper below the surface. The Adventurers travelled far through hostile lands, until they met the Vahnatai. After discussions, the Adventurers recovered the Crystal Souls from he Empire, and the Vahnatai agreed to be allies. The barriers were dropped, and Avernum was free to help themselves. The Vahnatai, furious with the Empire, helped Avernum to repulse them. Finally, after many battles, the Empire War was won. The Vahnatai became friends, and Avernum set about the task of rebuilding. A few years after that, Avernum decided to send an expedition up to the surface, to see if they could claim some land for themselves. They sent two groups of Adventurers, the first, a very experienced multi-race group, was lost in action, so they recruited a band of Amatuers. Amazingly, that group of adventurers managed to go onto the surface. But what they found, was beyond their wildest dreams. They were on the utmost outskirts of Empire rule, and there were very few cities. However, those few cities that did exsit were being plagued by an assortment of monsters, all extinct for centuries. Troglodytes, Giants, Golems, Slimes, Roaches, even terrifying Alien Beasts. After many battles and false trails, the group of adventurers destroyed the plagues, one by one, and enlisted the help of Erika the Archmage. They made a deal with the Empress Prazac. Destroy the sorce of all of the plagues, and Avernum got a quarter of a continent. So the Adventurers travelled far to the the source of the plagues, and they found out that they were made by Vahnatai! After many skirmishes with their former allies, the Adventurers came at last to the lab where all of the plagues were created. There Erika the Archmage fought the Vahnatai Archmage Rentar-Ihnro. The battle was firce, and while it was going on the Adventurers were able to destroy the tower. Rentar-Ihnro began to lose the battle, so she attacked the ceiling of the cave with a powerful magical blast, and a shaft of sunlight hit Erika, and she burst into flames. With the tower collapsing, Rentar-ihnro teleported away, furious, leaving the Adventurers to their fate. Luckily, the Empress teleported them away, and Avernum got part of Valorim, as they had agreed.~ hope that helps. I'm sure some others will say I've missed things out, which I'm sure I have - But I did say BASIC - didn't I? -------------------- "You dare Trifle with Avernum?" ~ Erika the Archmage -------------------- My Scenarios: Undead Valley : A small Undead problem, what could possibly go wrong? -------------------- Richard Black - PROOF of his existance (the Infernal one's website). -------------------- MY FORUM! Randomosity at it's highest! :) Posts: 1370 | Registered: Thursday, June 10 2004 07:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Thursday, June 17 2004 04:09
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The world of Avernum is divided into the surface and Avernum. The surface is ruled by the Empire: a mostly-benevolent dictatorship currently run by Empress Prazac. The surface contains four continents: Aizo and Pralgad, the most "civilised" continents, Vantanas, an inhospitable jungle continent with vast natural resources, and Valorim, wild and only recently settled. Avernum is an enormous series of caves extending below the surface, with at least one known mouth in Valorim. It was once used as a prison by the Empire. After the assassination of Emperor Hawthorne, a war between Empire and Avernum, and the exiles' defence of the Empire from the Vahnatai (see below), the people of Avernum were given a parcel of land in Valorim. Some moved to the surface; others chose to stay in Avernum. Avernum is ruled by King Micah, who has one arrogant fool of a son, Chevyn. There are three main non-human races: Nephilim: Feline humanoids (cat-people). Rare due to past wars and purges by the Empire. Tend to live in small, isolated tribes on the surface or in Avernum. Often resort to banditry for survival. Slithzerikai: Reptilian humanoids (lizard-people). Highly skilled fighters, traditionally using two-pronged spears, and also have significant magical ability. Most are peaceful and live in caves deep below the human-inhabited parts of Avernum. A few live in the upper caves; some of these are at war with humans, and some others aren't. Ectothermic ("cold-blooded"), so prefer warm environments. Vahnatai: Weird spindly insect things. Agile and intelligent. Once lived on the surface but now confined to the deeper caves of Avernum, below human-inhabited areas. Extremely long-lived: entire clans frequently hibernate for centuries when resources are scarce. Practise a form of ancestor-worship: their most revered leaders come back to life after death in the form of crystals, known as Crystal Souls. Names are hyphenated: major leaders (the sort who are candidates for being Crystal Souls) have names ending in -Bok, mages have names ending in -Ihrno, minor leaders have names ending in -Tel, and so on. Some clans of Vahnatai are at war with humans due to an incident involving the Empire kidnapping Crystal Souls, but others aren't. Oh, and the planet on which the Avernum series takes place is known as Ermarian for historical reasons. That's most of what you really need to know to make scenarios. I predict we'll see this topic turn into a spirited debate on the finer points of Ermarian history within, oh, half an hour or so. Be warned that a good deal of what others will try to tell you consists of conjecture and assumption, and is not considered canonical. [ Thursday, June 17, 2004 04:12: Message edited by: Thuryl ] -------------------- The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 4506
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written Thursday, June 17 2004 04:27
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Thanks for giving a more basic summary. All I managed to do was the basic history - Which is still important! -------------------- "You dare Trifle with Avernum?" ~ Erika the Archmage -------------------- My Scenarios: Undead Valley : A small Undead problem, what could possibly go wrong? -------------------- Richard Black - PROOF of his existance (the Infernal one's website). -------------------- MY FORUM! Randomosity at it's highest! :) Posts: 1370 | Registered: Thursday, June 10 2004 07:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 4483
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written Thursday, June 17 2004 04:56
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Thanks for the informative posts so far. Just a few questions from what you guys have said: a) Could you tell me the difference between a mage and a wizard? b) What was the empire like before the creation of Avernum? (I mean was it a prosperous nation etc) c) Are the Vahnatai now hostile with the Avernites because of their attack on the plague creating labs? And has the alliance swapped from Avernum and Vahnatai to the Empire and Avernum because of Avernum's help with the plague? Thanks, Total Flappish -------------------- "Sport is for people who dont know how to GAME!!!!" Quote Mungo the Great and Moose Posts: 18 | Registered: Monday, June 7 2004 07:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 4484
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written Thursday, June 17 2004 06:29
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I think the best for you, Total Flappish, is just to play the Avernum trilogy :) !If you don't have the time, just download the demo, and read the manual, there is some background...Or, you can check the links of the Avernum and Exile trilogy sites via spidweb.The Drakefyre's Demesne site have some infos, if I remember well... -------------------- "Il est interdit de se battre sur le Champ du Massacre; dit-il avant de marquer une pause, le temps de reflechir a la logique de ses propos." Discworld, The Colour of Magic Posts: 178 | Registered: Monday, June 7 2004 07:00 |
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Shake Before Using
Member # 75
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written Thursday, June 17 2004 08:31
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Blaspheme - Not all information in places like that is canon, though. Total Flappish - a) Could you tell me the difference between a mage and a wizard? In pure game terms, a wizard is a higher-ranking, more powerful mage. These terms are practically interchangable, however. b) What was the empire like before the creation of Avernum? Well, it controlled the entire frigging world, so you could probably say it prospered. c) Are the Vahnatai now hostile with the Avernites because of their attack on the plague creating labs? And has the alliance swapped from Avernum and Vahnatai to the Empire and Avernum because of Avernum's help with the plague? Rentar's gang is probably pretty pissed at the Avernites at this point, yes, but her clan is far from the only Vahnatai clan out there. Avernum and the Empire are, as of the timeframe immediately following Avernum 3, allies, courtesy of the peaceful Empress Prazac. [ Thursday, June 17, 2004 08:32: Message edited by: Imban ] Posts: 3234 | Registered: Thursday, October 4 2001 07:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 3022
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written Thursday, June 17 2004 12:52
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The vahnatai aren't insects! At least, I am pretty sure they aren't insects. I think they are pretty close to the Gray sort of aliens, popularly in UFO folklore. Minus the flying saucer, of course. Vahnatai go into hibernation for long periods of time, and Rentar-Ihrno's gang has just woken up. According to ZKR, the bad sort of sliths are currently engaged in a war with Avernum, though the Avernites are holding them off. The Empire is in internal crisis from a host of minor rebellions, who have been encouraged by events on Morrow's isle, Prazac's new liberal policies, and the reconcilliation with Avernum. Posts: 269 | Registered: Saturday, May 24 2003 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Thursday, June 17 2004 13:23
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The vahnatai creationism theory holds that they are extraterrestrials and that they created all the other humanoid races. It's a fun theory, although it's not really applicable to any modern BoA scenarios. A large amount of history has been created right here on these forums to give some background to the events in the Avernum trilogy. I'm not sure where to find it, but someone can surely provide a link. —Alorael, who supposes you could go digging through the old posts or use the search function. The topics are from a while back, but they may not be pruned yet. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 4548
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written Thursday, June 17 2004 16:09
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Oh, this whole thread was so cool to read that I printed it (and I don't' do that!). I knew the story because I've been playing for several years, but to see it all written down in one place was an almost spiritual experience. Thanks to Total Flappish for the question and Michael and Thuryl for all the basics. Oh, I hear the little spiders calling me. :) byeeeee Bekah all -------------------- No fear, no brains. J. Joyce.... Ulysses Posts: 8 | Registered: Tuesday, June 15 2004 07:00 |
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Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
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written Thursday, June 17 2004 22:50
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I gathered a fair number of history thread links here. -------------------- Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens. Smoo: Get ready to face the walls! Ephesos: In conclusion, yarr. Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00 |
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Triad Mage
Member # 7
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written Friday, June 18 2004 00:41
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quote:That's not right. Avernum was discovered by Hawthorne's grandfather, and Erika et al were sent down by Hawthorne's father. However, most mass exilings were made by the Hawthorne of Exile I. Canon History There's also some more of my view of history on that page, and at Encyclopaedia Ermariana. -------------------- "At times discretion should be thrown aside, and with the foolish we should play the fool." - Menander ==== Drakefyre's Demesne - Happy Happy Joy Joy Encyclopedia Ermariana - Trapped in the Closet ==== You can take my Mac when you pry my cold, dead fingers off the mouse! Posts: 9436 | Registered: Wednesday, September 19 2001 07:00 |