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Chapter 22: The Opening Stone  I like those blue lamps. Very tasteful. These mages could occasionally make nice things. Did you not see the sunlight magic back in Storage? That’s two nice things against an infinite number of bugs, and that six-legged wolf thing we killed. And I’m being fair. The wolf-thing should count as good. It was a warrior! Spiders, this deep? Eugh…I do not like their webs. I’m sure they don’t like your sword. This level is the library! You might actually be able to return those books. And is that the librarian? Either someone sealed themself up in barriers and starved, or someone else did the sealing. We’d have to get through to find out. An inglorious death. I hoped we were done with chitrachs. You’re never done with chitrachs. There are always more. We’re doing the valley a favor by culling them here.  Oohohohhoo! We get to see the library! What does that mean, removal? Of books? Plausibly. We’ve been finding books everywhere! How unlike university students to break rules. Thwarted! Eh. I would rather be killing. You don’t get it…none of you do. None of you! We’ll get in there somehow.   Is this old thing any good to us? Let’s see… Not unless you’re studying decay. And this would lead to the next level. Hang on, there was a door back there. The tile ahead is torn up. More gremlins? A tunnel? Good, I was tired of even ground.  Someone dug that recently. How can you tell? Debris on the walls. It settles with enough time. And the slope was too straight to be natural. Then someone might be down here with us. I know this style. That someone is the vahnatai. Cat-hell. What do we do? Are these runes safe to cross? I only took a semester, but I think so. You first. Ow. Safe enough. What do we do if we meet vahnatai? Strike first! No! They’ll kill us all. We must approach them peacefully. Why should we approach them at all? Because if they came here recently, it’s probably for the same reason we did. The curse. Not to take the school’s magical secrets? This is the species that cut Avernum into pieces with impenetrable barriers overnight, and terrorized half an Imperial continent with monster factories. They don’t need any secrets from human mages. So we talk to them. Remember, we are not Empire agents, we are not affiliated with the Empire, we do not represent the Empire. We are, if they ask, “civilian explorers.” Looking to solve the curse, same as they are.  I can do the talking. Assuming they don’t attack us on sight. Yes, assuming.  He doesn’t look hostile? Nothing for it. Hail, good, uh, fellow traveler! Greetings, Torlek. We not mean- I mean, we don’t mean war either. We are glad to meet with the Vahnatai. How far below, exactly? Tell us about yourself, Torlek. What are you guarding against? Yes, we have seen them. So, uh. You are not hostile to us? We want that too. Could you tell us more of your people? Please? I see… We are happy to make the first contact, then, and that it is a friendly one. We are also here because of the poisons. Can we help each other? Where are your masters? Thank you, Torlek. It seems like they’re a different tribe than the one that fought the Empire. Good. It was a nasty war. I’m just thrilled that we are making first contact! Hail! You must be Torlek’s masters? We are honored, Baia-Tel. Should we bow? He nodded, we nod. You want to learn more about us? But not now. Hmph. So you have never encountered humans, or nephilim? A new tribe. Just as Torlek said… So you are here because of the poisons. What clues have you gathered? We are grateful to accept.  JV, take notes. On it. Tell us of these things.  An insect? Surely not- Spiders aren’t insects. So we need to speak to the Chief Spider? I must agree. And tell us of these controls? Beware of? We might have those papers already. Thank you, Baia-Tel. Everyone say thank you to Baia-Tel. Thank you! We are also honored, I guess. What do you do? Spells? That’s a fascinating crystal you have. Your ancestors? I would love nothing more. Sincerely. Baia-Tel says you have a crystal of power?  Thank you, Zereen. How did you reach this cave? Ouch. I suspect she’s right. Zeetha. Guard? But humans are good!  You have a good blade. Do you have other weapons? Well met, Aati. Zeetha, come look in their chest! What a blade!You can steal it without them minding; all friendly areas have a theft limit. This feels gamey, and our heroes certainly wouldn’t know about it, so I don’t abuse it.  Quicksaved just to see it. Decent sword, but at Zeetha’s skill level, hit dice matter more than base damage. Get away from there! Do you want to cause a diplomatic incident!? I gotta open chests, Zeke. You’ll make me go grey. Where, baldy? These tunnels go deep. I have a map going.Not much to show back here. Some highlights:   This must lead to their tribe’s lands. I want to, but I know we shouldn’t. Zeetha kills so, so many bats. We may have caused an extinction-level event today. They attacked us. We weren’t going to hurt them. They’re bats. I think it was instinct. You can hold a creature’s instincts against it, morally speaking. It’s fine. I will not be doing that. I would have hurt one, maybe two. But no more. See? We’re benevolent! Zeetha also kills many slimes. Take care you don’t get dissolved. Say, how come you get dissolved if they hit you, but your sword is fine hitting them? Principle of action. The sword is doing the striking, so the slimes can’t affect it. They’re only beginning to understand it at the Tower. Sounds like a cutting-edge theory.  AYYYY! Who was this? Young, male…might have been a student? But why would he be down here? Probably a bet. Or a dare. Or hazing. What is “hazing”? It’s when the seniors send you into unmapped tunnels without a weapon. I love gazing long into an abyss! Makes me sick. Let’s go. We solved your bat problem.It is here I remember something important. Say Zereen, can you teach us any crystal magic? Yes! A thousand times yes! Having trouble, wonderboy? Not for long. Hrrnngnrng…After some spending of skill points, JV can train the spells.  Thank you for your teaching, Zereen. Capture Mind is nice, don’t get me wrong. You charm an enemy and it joins your side. But Simulacrum is why this was worth the point investment. Copy an enemy, any enemy if your skill is high enough. And it fights for you. This makes certain fights insane, as we will demonstrate.  Also note that gap in the spell lineup; JV is way ahead of the power curve with these two spells.  We made it out! Without starting a war! And with valuable information. Yes, now we have a real plan for how to cure the curse. That too. JV, you took the notes. What all do we still need to do? Let me see. We have the Instruction Scrolls, which I was able to partially translate. And the Crystal of Power. You’ve got to throw out that plant. I don’t like how it looks at me. Not until it tells me its secrets. And we need to turn the power on. Right. For that, we need to access the controls deep under the school, and we need the Opening Stone from the Chief Spider. We have to go back there? I barely escaped with my sanity last time. We have seen a few mind-bending things since then. I am confident in you. To the spiders! Everyone know what that means?  Back through the disease cave. I can’t wait to never breathe this air again. Everyone ready to talk to some spiders? As I’ll ever be. Hail, good Chief Spider! We heard you know where we can find a pretty rock? What is this password? I should have thought of that. No matter, we have it now. Hello. Big Bugs. I’ll bet they are.  That is a lot of bugs. More for me! All for you. Now Zeetha kills an unspeakable number of chitrachs. I am glad for my endurance training! We all are. Hey, check that wall?  How many dead bodies in hidden tunnels have we found? I’m losing count. For what it’s worth, these are cocooned goblins. What a way to go. The chitrachs have not reached this room. Spirits! To arms! Ah! My blood is freezing! Die, abominations!    I am really tired of almost freezing to death. Have you tried being stronger? Okay, Princess, how about- Gwen, I think she sincerely meant that as advice. It has worked for me  I’ll consider it. We’re too late to read these. I found one! This actually gives Gwen the spell. JV, how useful has acid been for you? Compared to healing, freezing, slowing, and hasting? I almost never have the time to use it. I guess it’s still nice to have. Big room full of bugs ahead. Zeetha, do you want some blessings? No. I like to fight raw when I can. It keeps me sharp. “Raw”?  Considering the only way to get here is after talking to the vahnatai, the team must already know why the water here is cursed. This popup may be a relic from a previous design for the scenario, where you came here before seeing the waste storage. PS: You can get here early by killing the guard spider, though once the spiders are hostile, the scenario can’t be finished. So that doesn’t explain it either. Wish I could have seen this place before it was, let’s see. Emptied, scorched, detonated, abandoned, and populated by chitrachs. In that order. Me too.  They’re just like me! JV, what is that? Null bug! Don’t let it reach us! Done, little mage.   Null bugs have a natural antimagic field. See, I’m making the motions and vocalizations, but I can’t cast spells when I’m inside it. And it tickles.One thing the Exile games had, and the remakes (like BoA) do not, is the ability for PCs to cast Antimagic Fields. One of many missing spells. This is why the general advice is to either play the original Exile series for spell variety, or the newest reremakes for polish.  I see nothing else worth taking with us. I could be here all day if you’d let me. We won’t! Die, bugs! Those must be the eggs we came for. I’m not touching those. Nose goes. Where to? Oh, you bunch of babies. Here.  Let’s get back to the chief. No delays, please. My friend, take these. All of them. Now. I knew something was in there! Back we go then.   Give me that…oh, it’s beautiful! Let’s test it out on some gates. You’re drooling. Let me have my fun. Just don’t ruin your shirt.  My protégé, how is your pouncing? I do. You have not improved in the slightest! Double drills until my return! It’s just a kid, Zeetha. I was a kid once. I drilled every day. Say, before we go back to the real library, there’s an idea I had. Remember that vampire? I do. The one making all these undead? Yes. I remember him. Had them dancing in a circle? We feared for our lives? JV, we remember the vampire. Right. I think we can take him. No way. The last thing that almost killed us was a bunch of swamp ghouls! And before that, it was a single, very large bug! What’s changed? Me. Gwen…what if we had our own vampire?We’ve spent all chapter stomping on bugs and bats. Let me make it up to you. Let me give you a real fight.  That’s the last of the Enduring Barriers. Everyone ready for this? I wrote my will on the walk over. Everything’s going to my dear mother back at the tribe. What will she do with a big pink vest? Look fabulous. Point is, I’m ready. JV? … … Nothing for it. I will see you all in your preferred afterlives. CHARGE! If you approach them to talk, everyone gets hit with a Slow spell. Don’t do that.   He’s walking right for us! Menacingly!The vampire moves first, and spends his turn walking towards us. This is the best possible start. Zeetha, distract him! Pay attention to me! Here goes… Muahahaa! It worked! It actually worked!We have a vampire on our side now, equivalent in level to the one we’re fighting.   So…cold… Hang on, Princess!Now, things get crazy.  He’s summoned a bunch of ogres? Works for me!A heal + an overheal put Zeetha back at a safe health – the vampire hits twice, hard, so she needs to be able to survive the first hit with at least 1 hp, and the second will put her at zero. That’ll keep you fighting! Now we can-  The vampire puts Zeke in a forcecage. He cannot move or act until it wears off. There is no way to end this effect early, as far as I’m aware. Zeke? Can you hear us? Yes? No? Looks like you’re doing the healing, wonderboy. Shoot.   He’s energy-resistant! I’m out of scrolls anyway! Each of the three summoned ogre mages have now summoned creatures of their own. Our vampire has summoned centaurs. A massive, glorious melee is joined. To the afterlife with you!  Your skin is tough! I shall use a sawing motion! Keep at it, he’s almost dead again! When the undead die, it’s actually called- Focus, JV! Wow, you guys are big.Giants. Aim for their knees! That’s just cruel! The centaurs are battering through the zombie horde, but enough are still swarming around Zeetha that none of the giants can reach her to do real damage. Our vampire has trapped a couple zombies in forcecages. And here he is casting Fireblast, a very powerful late-game spell. You beautiful, pale man! You’re doing great! Don’t patronize him! Begone!  Did you get him? You got him! I got him? Now it’s just cleanup. No one better die! Centaurs rock.  My last razordisk, buried forever in a giant’s knee. You could fish it out. Buried. Forever. The last giant goes down to chitrachs, an ogre, a wight, and Zeetha. You died honorably! But, you did die. Pathetic. When is Zeke getting out of that thing? Eh, we can wait.Some time later…  What did I miss? Did you kill him? No, Zeke, you died and you’re in heaven. Not true, I smell that river. We killed him. I’m so proud!  And 300 coins. This vampire was kind of broke. Not many travelers to waylay down here.If you ever play this game, make sure to have this fight at this time. It never disappoints. We got lucky in several ways – our vampire summoned centaurs and used Fireblast, while the enemy vampire did a lot of walking and hitting Zeetha. The only bad luck was the forcecage on Zeke, but that’s why we have two healers. And now this cavern is much less annoying to cross. We killed a vampire. We. Killed. A vampire. Told you we could. To the library, then? That was a long detour. Now we finally get to crack this place wide open! And do what? Read? You might as well enjoy it, Ashfur. I know I will. Okay, big brain. Let’s see if this thing works…Next time: The Library!
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Jul 18, 2023 16:08
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It lives! Just moved across the country, but I'm back in the saddle. Enjoy what might be our longest chapter yet.Black Robe posted:I'd say this path was definitely worth taking. Gwen got nice toys, Zeetha got a very stylish accessory, JV got upset and Zeke got to sigh in disappointment a lot. The perfect update. Tombot posted:Do you suppose we are going to see the ancient cave alien folk at some point, or maybe their ruins? We've certainly found enough of their stuff lying around. It's your lucky day, Tombot! habeasdorkus posted:Shame the Gremlins had an attack first policy. Slaan posted:Wow, such rude Gremlins Peace is but a dream. JustJeff88 posted:By the way, BackupDancer, what's the expected level progression for the four scenarios in BoA? As you know there was a BoE LP that started before you, but in BoE there are only three canon scenarios. Those three are in this game plus one more. I presume that you intend to play through each one with the same band of bloody misfits (I mean bloody in every way possible), and I was wondering what levels a full party is supposed to have at the start and end of each scenario. BoA is a different engine than BoE and levels may not match up. Looking at some old saves, my character with a 25% XP malus ended the first scenario at level 15, the second at 23, the third at 32, and the fourth at 38. And yes, better believe these misfits will be with us the whole time.
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Jul 18, 2023 16:25
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Fun fact: The Forcecage effect returns in Queen's Wish 2 as 'Stasis', a rare magical effect which prevents the target from attacking - or taking damage - as long as it lasts. (It doesn't prevent being attacked, though, which allows for some cheese with Stasis-ing your own summons.)
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Jul 18, 2023 21:13
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Wow, that was quite an update. It had something for everyone! Also, that line one of the alien peeps mentioned "a maze of tunnels all alike" or similar? I swear I hear that from time to time, where on earth did it come from? Could it be a reference to something or just a coincidence?
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Jul 18, 2023 22:32
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Tombot posted:Wow, that was quite an update. It had something for everyone! https://lparchive.org/Adventure/Update%2067/ There's also another similar maze where they use the same concept, but instead very slightly change the text so you can go from one room titled "a maze of twisty little passages, all alike" to "a maze of little twisty passages, all alike" to "a twisty maze of little passages, all alike", notice the very minor text differences and use that to differentiate rooms for your hand-drawn map. MagusofStars fucked around with this message at 00:58 on Jul 19, 2023 |
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Jul 18, 2023 22:53
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Interesting, I thought there must have been a reason. And the present setting was fairly appropriate too for that reference too.
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Jul 18, 2023 23:20
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Tombot posted:Wow, that was quite an update. It had something for everyone! "You are in a twisty little maze of passages, all alike" is from Colossal Cave Adventure, aka ADVENT, basically the first ever text adventure game. e: f, b
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Jul 18, 2023 23:29
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BackupDancer posted:Looking at some old saves, my character with a 25% XP malus ended the first scenario at level 15, the second at 23, the third at 32, and the fourth at 38. And yes, better believe these misfits will be with us the whole time. You said character, single. Wouldn’t a singleton level much, much higher/faster than a group of four lovable misfits?
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Jul 19, 2023 00:59
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JustJeff88 posted:You said character, single. Wouldn’t a singleton level much, much higher/faster than a group of four lovable misfits? Maybe. Bet they'd have worse action economy, though.
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Jul 19, 2023 01:19
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Quackles posted:Maybe. Bet they'd have worse action economy, though. I certainly agree that many fights are probably very, very frustrating and/or long with just one character, but I was referring to time to level in game rather than real time.
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Jul 19, 2023 03:26
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Good to see this one updating again. That vampire fight sounded bonkers. Could you have used Simulacrum more than once to get multiple vampires on your side, or is it one copy per customer?
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Jul 19, 2023 08:02
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Gonna have to make sure that the Simulacrum isn't used for evil purposes, and instead just for normal things like having one tell the bartender that she, Gwen, is covering the tab while the original is in the bathroom.
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Jul 19, 2023 14:49
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habeasdorkus posted:Gonna have to make sure that the Simulacrum isn't used for evil purposes, and instead just for normal things like having one tell the bartender that she, Gwen, is covering the tab while the original is in the bathroom. Don't give them any ideas.
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Jul 19, 2023 14:54
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I'm guessing that Simulacrum is a in-battle only spell and we can't just make random clones of people. It also sounds like one of the most OP spells possible, I don't even know how the game can balance itself around it
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Jul 19, 2023 17:12
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I know the Vahnatai are basically just gray aliens, but something about them leaves me creeped out. I don't know what it is. Maybe just the way they were mysteriously alluded to and hinted at in Avernum hit me just right and has left its mark since.
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Jul 20, 2023 17:59
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MagusofStars posted:It's a reference to Adventure, one of the first widely successful computer games ever and the game which literally created the genre of adventure games. This little essay collection is worth a read for anyone interested in Colossal Cave Adventure: https://www.ifarchive.org/if-archive/info/Craft.Of.Adventure.pdf JustJeff88 posted:You said character, single. Wouldn’t a singleton level much, much higher/faster than a group of four lovable misfits? To clarify, this was one character in a party of four. Zeke also has a 25% malus and will level similarly. Everyone else will be a bit behind him. Quackles posted:Maybe. Bet they'd have worse action economy, though. I've run singletons in the second trilogy, Avernums 4 and 6. You level much faster and can take advantage of corners and combat mode to "slice time," which somewhat makes up the action economy. But it's still just one PC, so it's much harder overall. Tombot posted:I'm guessing that Simulacrum is a in-battle only spell and we can't just make random clones of people. It also sounds like one of the most OP spells possible, I don't even know how the game can balance itself around it It is battle-only. I only intend to use it as a last resort, if there's a battle we can't win any other way. DGM_2 posted:Could you have used Simulacrum more than once to get multiple vampires on your side, or is it one copy per customer? Just tested this - yes! habeasdorkus posted:Gonna have to make sure that the Simulacrum isn't used for evil purposes, and instead just for normal things like having one tell the bartender that she, Gwen, is covering the tab while the original is in the bathroom. Ha! disposablewords posted:I know the Vahnatai are basically just gray aliens, but something about them leaves me creeped out. I don't know what it is. Maybe just the way they were mysteriously alluded to and hinted at in Avernum hit me just right and has left its mark since. Have you played Avernum 2, any version? The Dark River section is the peak of that creepy, alien feeling.
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Jul 28, 2023 17:18
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Chapter 23: The Library Now we finally get to crack this place wide open! And do what? Read? You might as well enjoy it, Ashfur. I know I will. Okay, big brain. Let’s see if this thing works…  It does! Oh cat-hell yes. Keep conversation to a minimum. We don’t know who might be listening. And keep your voices down. One of those orbs… Might as well try. Hello, orb? Any messages?  Guess it wasn’t ready. This is what I’m talking about… Fan out and check the shelves. Minor damage to everyone. Oy! Shh! What caused that? Can it bleed? I don’t see anything up there. There’s the orb again… If there are any defenses, that orb is part of them. Let it pass. Right first. And don’t forget to look up. Pssshh. Knew that.   Ow! I mean, ow. Alright, something’s going on here. Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence. What is three times? Enemy action. How about four? Four is your own drat fault. Oh shoot. Zeke! behind you!  Northeast corner, eh? That was it? Maybe there aren’t defenses here. Then do we have to keep whispering? It hurts. Of course we do! So there are defenses? Probably not, but it’s still a library. We don’t want to be rude. … Alright, I’m done whispering. Me too. Me three! You’re all barbarians. But alright. Something is moving in there.   It doesn’t look hostile? JV, it’s waiting for a book! Then I have good news. See? Barely scorched. Hardly even ruined by damp. And neglect. Just set it down.  Now we have this key. Any doors we’re waiting on? Just some we couldn’t pick. Yes, “we.”  Oh hey, it looks like this was the-  Gah!Every time you get close to the wisp, it summons a hostile shade. It’s by the door. At last! KYA! See, the library has something for everyone. Just some indices here. “Library sprites”? Yes, they help with keeping libraries clean. Can go, uh, haywire, if they’re left alone too long. Say, one hundred years? Something like that.  My skull! What’s the matter, can’t handle some old books? You are right. I must not overreact to pain. Study carrel. So our enemies consist of maddened janitorial fairies and an overly-helpful floating orb? I want the gremlins back. Do you, smelly? Oh, go fix your hair. I tried to.  No… Cave-hell. What was in here? Spellbooks? Or school records. Remember the little library in Storage, and Administration. If I was ordered to go to a library and burn it down, I couldn’t do it. You’ve burned down a few humans. Every bandit we’ve fought combined is worth less than a single book from this school.  Oh? Oh. … It’s alright, JV. It’s really not. We don’t get to see the School at its prime. No one does. We just get this burned-out husk. Jeffogel, we have to do the best we can with what we have. But Zeke, if I could have been here! Such thinking will drive you mad. You were not alive. No one who was alive cared enough to stop them. No one. We know people tried. They failed! Hear me, little mage: the only time is now. The only things are in striking distance. That is the way. I want to believe that, Zeetha. I just can’t. We cannot stay here. Are you ready? … Lead the way. More barriers. Do we not have those crystals? Should we save them? There’s no point to hoarding anything.  I see a rune trap ahead, everyone be ready. There’s books back there still! Do I step on this rune? Why not? The trap triggers even if you walk on the empty tile. No way around.  At last! A creature of flesh and blood!  That didn’t take long. Joy is fleeting. Let’s see what’s in these books…   Pfaugh! Why would I study magical exercises? Focus is good for everyone. Spiderweb fact: cold books are almost always bad for you. Should you be reading that? It’s a book, what else am I supposed to do with it?  Q.E.D. What were we talking about? I forget…  Oh hey, a cure for Hock Rot! And a strength potion recipe. Seems I can have it all. Another pile of bones. Mage. Killed first, then sealed in? Or sealed and left to die? It will remain a mystery. Another barrier, but this room refunds your crystal.  Easy money.  Zeetha, you’ll enjoy this. Is it better at slashing, or thrusting? I’ll show you later. Gwen, you’ll want the ring. How’d you know? And Zeke, wrap that up and stow it deep in your pack. Can do. That was a profitable little excursion. Best kind of little excursion. Feeling better, JV? Eh. At least we got something out of this. What’s this thing? It’s got buttons. Didn’t someone in Blinlock ask for mining knowledge?  Any ideas about this? It’s certainly about mining. And you know that because…? All the little cartoon hard hats. Some things never change.If you press the woodcarving button…  What did you expect? And the machine still breaks.  Shoot. Zeetha, if you could? I could. … … Zeetha, please kill the shade. Why did you not say so?  So we got a key. And some mining scrolls. And some treasure. But now I’ve got this little crystal, there’s some places we need to revisit. This is the happiest day of my life. JV, can we do anything with this? We can transform it, as if by magic, into money. One of my favorite spells. Ow! Find anything? Just these enormous, heavy sacks with the currency symbol of the Empire on them. Let me take another crack at this. I’ve been practicing. How rewarding. You don’t even know enough about locks to be properly impressed, you goof. Ha! Your goblin’s blood is fit only for polishing my boots! Were they always red? Don’t touch that!Quicksave to demonstrate…  From Zeke’s character screen. Watch the Experience.   Yes, Powder of Lethe drops you 1000xp, a full standard level! This would be a complete bastard move, except sharp-eyed players will notice the value is only 10 coins, and extrapolate that it’s bad. We, of course, reload. I won’t touch it! Sheesh. Aha!   Strong group cure, useable once a day. Nice. This has powerful healing magic. I may keep it for a while before giving it to that mayor. Will it make the acid cave more pleasant? Less unpleasant, maybe.In the meditation halls…   They had a little library? Lucky. Oh, let me guess, you had demons or whatever. Not in the meditation halls! Geez. Our breakroom just had a bunch of dusty old card decks. With half the cards missing. That is pretty bad. You couldn’t explain rules because of the vow of silence, so it was all pantomime and frustration.  Don’t go making me obsolete now. Unlock is more for clearing magical protection, it can’t jimmy physical locks. Phew. How about this book? Read that on your own time, Princess. I will. I’m not done with this stone. To the upper school!  Ugh… Hang on. How is everyone feeling? Better. Like garbage. But cleaner garbage. I would like to fight something. Then it’s a success! Zeke, you are still a pacifist, correct? I will not directly engage in violence. That’s a kind of pacifism. Why? I find violence distasteful. I think an ideal world will have none. So I am doing my part by not engaging. But violence can be necessary. Only because of other violence. Why am I the odd one out? Why shouldn’t I reverse it, and ask you why you want to attack everything you see? It is only natural. Why do birds fly? Why do you grunt every time you stand or sit? Do…do I do that? You do. Well, I’m old. You’ll do it too, someday. Wrong, Zeke. I will never get old.    Verrry nice. Gwen, before you say anything. There should be a secret passage on the east wall. How did you know? Simple deduction. The map I made…there was an empty spot there, and we’ve tried all the other walls. Deduction, schmeduction. I just look for a shimmer. I never see any shimmer.  Humans. How you won all the wars, I’ll never know.  At last! “Magical pants?” I would like to see them. We all would, but where’s the valuables? Check the other chests! Just our favorite book. Lame. Next gate!  Ha! It was not a smooth evacuation after all. If that woman is mad, I’m happy. That ends my list of magical gates. My pack weighs heavy with loot. Let us return to town.  Axel, our man! Good news, I hope.  You can’t have everything. But I want to!We also try telling Mayor Crouch about the vahnatai, but she doesn’t have any dialog for it. A long walk later…  Down again. We just keep going deeper…I can’t help but think of all the rock over our heads. I’m getting used to it. How are you feeling, JV? I am no longer mourning what is gone. Mourning is useless. The only thing that can save the world is power. Cool. Very cool. Zeetha? Surely the next floor must have creatures to fight? Surely!Next time: The Experiment Halls!
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Jul 28, 2023 17:24
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I will never understand solo runs through party-based RPGs. I'm still mourning the loss of six-person parties from the very early Spiderweb games. I'm not sure why it was cut back at all, but so much... 6 to 5 is a cut, but 6 to 4 is an amputation.quote:Ow! I mean, ow. This made me laugh.
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Jul 29, 2023 00:44
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Well I guess we have a partial explanation as to why we kept finding dead bodies in places. they must have been trying to stop the school from being shut down or being some kind of impediment. Incidentally I hope nothing bad happens our heroes if they mention they entered the school to any empire officials, I know that decree is most likely older than any of them and not common knowledge but it would be a shame if they were punished based on a technicality.
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Jul 29, 2023 02:08
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Tombot posted:Well I guess we have a partial explanation as to why we kept finding dead bodies in places. they must have been trying to stop the school from being shut down or being some kind of impediment. Incidentally I hope nothing bad happens our heroes if they mention they entered the school to any empire officials, I know that decree is most likely older than any of them and not common knowledge but it would be a shame if they were punished based on a technicality. Didn't the empire hire them to go figure out what was going on there, though?
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Jul 29, 2023 02:16
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Well it was a decree from the emperor, maybe it supercedes that. Who knows?
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Jul 29, 2023 02:53
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Tombot posted:Well it was a decree from the emperor, maybe it supercedes that. Who knows? I'm pretty sure that the current Empress, who has departed from the precedents of previous emperors in much more fundamental ways*, would not give even a single moment's thought about what her forefather decreed. (* She has recognized the existence of a surface nation that owes her no fealty.)
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Jul 29, 2023 07:36
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TheDavies posted:I'm pretty sure that the current Empress, who has departed from the precedents of previous emperors in much more fundamental ways*, would not give even a single moment's thought about what her forefather decreed. If you haven't (you = everyone in this thread), read berryjon's trilogy of LPs about the original three Exile games. He writes a whole over-arcing narrative that expands upon what's in the games. The change in power to the current empress is a major culminating point of that arc in the first three games, and the fallout from that is addressed in Avernum 4, 5 and 6.
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Jul 29, 2023 14:32
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Chapter 24: The Experiment Halls Do we know what this next floor will be? We know there are magical pants still unaccounted for. They must be down there. The pants floor! The air is not as stale here. There must be a route to the surface nearby. You can’t hear it, but the soundtrack on this floor is a combination of distant mechanical clanging and electrical zaps. Bit of a mess here. Those are droppings…looks like rabbits, rats, or something along those lines. It is not likely to be rabbits. “Rear exit…?” Now that is good to see. Anyone want to go topside now? Get some air? Sit down for, I don’t know, five minutes? Not yet, we’ve just begun here.  I thought we saw discipline on the student quarters level? They must have needed more. A chair, a bed, and a bucket. Discipline indeed. Spirit! Get it!   Impressive shooting, Ashfur. I’ve been practicing! So that was the spirit of a student? Left to rot in the discipline rooms. The admins had a sadistic streak. What’s around that corner? Not rabbits.Mung rats have a little more health and cause disease when they bite you.  One gate is stuck open. Hang on, let me check something.   Congratulations, JV. Now we have two open gates to choose from. It’s good to be thorough! This will be a good floor. I can feel it. Where shall we go first? Start right. What a disgusting amount of slugs and rats. My blade needed cleaning anyway! That room looks…unclean. Which one?   More waste? Why here?  I see. This room was where they stored waste temporarily, and they would teleport it to the repository. Remember we found a portal there too. So the waste was coming from this floor? They must have laboratories down here. Should we go in there? I don’t want to, but I see money. So… Me first! At last! To glorious batt-  -ghkhk She’s paralyzed! We have to kill it! I’m not touching that thing! Everyone, keep your heads!The little photonegative guy under Zeetha’s portrait is paralysis. Happily, this one is weak, and fades after two rounds. Allowing Zeetha to:  KYA! Another in a long series of gross monster lairs. At least there’s no undead here. There could be. Give me an hour and a couple good bezoars… I won’t! Now this, we keep.Half a level, in a bottle.  These gates are shut tight. No chance you could force them? Only at risk of a hernia. I suspect it’s another gatehouse and a lever, accessible from the gremlin halls. We saw a staircase. I forgot the gremlin staircase! It seems so long ago. Meeting aliens will mess with your priorities. Smell that? There are so many smells. Which one? My pathetic human nose can only make out the stench of sulfur and rodents wafting from that shattered wall. Count yourself lucky, wonderboy.  Rodents! And a demonic creature! Who knew? Help her! That’s the minor enemies handled, now we just-  AIEE! I see a time of widespread peace, when brotherly understanding pervades the world, men and women growing weak! Is she…terrified? Don’t judge anybody else’s mental effects, it’s considered very r- -uuooh my skin! Get back, I’ll shoot it! Haha! He healed himself! That’s not fair! Neither are we! Destroy that imp! Got him! How invigorating fear can be. You wanna talk about it? The real world is chaos and violence, as always. I am content again. Let’s see what’s down there. And get ripped up by the next monster? No thanks, we’re going out to recover. But Zeeeeeke! Jeffogel Foglio Vogel, you will come with us! …fine. He knew your full name too…he must have some kind of power. Hmph. Just let me sleep. Uh, okay, “Foglio.” Goodnight! How did everyone sleep? Do you want an honest answer? Only if it’s positive! I slept like a kit in a caboodle. That’s wonderful, Gwen, because we’ve got a big day ahead. And they’re all dead? You were here when we made sure of that. Yes, all dead. Phew. Just as I suspected, we’ve back in the experiment halls. Storeroom! Might as well check for those pants. I found this dull-colored, heavy, metal bar. What’s it smell like? …metal. Let me get a deep whiff…yep, that’s metal. It cannot be that important. Just make sure to store it close to your body, so the weight doesn’t unbalance you in combat. I know how to organize a pack, old man. It goes next to the food. Let me bite into it first…nope, not gold. Or silver. Hmm. On we go, then. That should open the gates to our south. Human bones here. Unbroken, full of good marrow. The rats must not have gotten in. Check those boxes for clues. “Settlers of Valorim”…whoever it was, they had friends. Or wished they did. Now can we go down that shady passage? Of course, JV. What’s going on in here? Storage and records, it seems. They look like lasers to me. What is a “laser”? Touch one, I bet we’ll find out. Don’t do that! It’s a concentrated beam of light. It can burn right through fabric and skin, so…don’t touch. Books! Clues to the beast we fought, way back in the visitor quarters…oh my. What? It says there were two kept on this level. Oh no. Oh yes! This seems to confirm the pants are on this level…no clues as to where. You seem awfully obsessed with an object that’ll probably go to Zeetha. I want to salvage things from this old ruin. Sue me. Zeetha, what’s that one? A book. Right. And what is that book about? Some kind of acid spell? It is beyond my expertise. “High spill potential”…we might encounter it. If not, so much the better. Okay, wonderboy, if we can’t touch lasers, how do we get at that cabinet? Maybe we cannot get at every cabinet. I refuse to believe that. JV? There might be a secret passage at the back, or a way to turn them off.  This note seems to confirm that Vinnia murdered Palhatis and Pergaltho by her own hand. Cold. I don’t know…who leaves incriminating evidence just lying around like this? Someone who knows that the mightiest government on the planet is about to permanently seal all the evidence away? Eh. If I ever murder anyone, you bet it won’t involve handwritten notes. “If I ever…” Gwen, you’ve killed so many things. Many of them people. No notes though! Secret passage! Barrier!There’s another textbook and a scroll back there. Not worth the crystal.   This is the last corner. We have to hope the pants are back here. And the second beast!  This would be the new acid they invented. Guess we go around to the other side. Aha! What? Is it the beast? An Aranea! And another imp! To glorious battle! Aranea are spellcasting spiders. If you can close to melee range, you’ll be fine. Beasts of this level, come out to face me! KYA! Don’t follow too close…if that imp can see us, it can cast spells at us. She’s going to get herself killed. That’ll slow them down. Zeetha, keep it up!  Got the shade! Move up! Any more spiders up there? No, I’ve run out. Okay, good. Go, go, go!  Here’s where those altered beasts came from. Your detective work can wait, little mage. There is a demon to slay. Hello, creature of the demonic realm! Princess of the Lost Kingdom! Our battle shall be glorious! That was satisfying. Think they used this whip on it? I would not put anything past the mages who worked here. Check that cabinet. We got them! Oooh… Aaah… You are right, JV. These are good pants. A lot of skill went into making those. Do your best to be worthy of them.They are, to be fair, very good by the standards of pants. We’ll hang on to them for the rest of the game.  That lever probably did something. Seems careless. It’s the experiment halls, Zeke! Get into the spirit. You can’t see it, but every couple rounds, lasers shoot out from those machines to the rocks opposite. You would all die if we tried to walk across here. And you wouldn’t? Maybe of loneliness. I shall sprint across, then you all must follow me. You made it! I am very proud. Don’t push it, Princess. Handy if we ever meet an ice hydra. With our luck, I’m sure we will. The gimmick here is those little green mines. You cannot disarm them, and they (along with most magical traps) ignore the zero-health safety net. Zeetha has to walk up to each one and let it detonate in her face, one round at a time.  Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!That last mine did exactly 49 damage. One more and she’d be dead.  Zeetha, we don’t deserve you. I do my part. So that’s what the lever did! Told you, Zeke. Everything is attainable somehow. We get several crystals and a decent charm out of it.  You guys hear that? … The heavy breathing? No? Your hearing is better than ours. I forget. It might be the other beast. Bless me, and I shall find out. Ha haa! Charge! Definitely the other beast. Should we help her? Obviously we help her. Okay, but none of us can get close. I’ll shoot it. I can slow it down. Okay. JV, you shouldn’t have to do any healing, but if Zeetha really gets hurt, you heal her and I’ll restore the Enduring Barrier. Can do. Let’s go! Uh… It’s dead? As dead as a thing could possibly be. Huh.  Don’t open that yet. Hear me out. Why wait? We should take that exit out, rest up, make sure we’re ready. There’s a couple locks I want to pick, out in the valley. We can fight that hidden spirit! How do you mean, fight it? We couldn’t get close. It is a powerful, ominous monster. Of course we can fight it. The only question is how. I have an idea about that. I guess I see the merit to this…but why now, when we’re so close to ending the curse? It’s going to be dangerous out there. I can feel it. Can’t pick locks if you’re dead! Exactly. I am compelled to explore every corner of this valley, regardless of how it affects pacing. So I’m outvoted again? Yessir!Next time: the exit, the spirit, training, and other loose ends. Then we finish this.
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Aug 18, 2023 16:49
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TheDavies posted:I'm pretty sure that the current Empress, who has departed from the precedents of previous emperors in much more fundamental ways*, would not give even a single moment's thought about what her forefather decreed. Prazac is a pragmatist and seems more interested in peace and commerce than in throwing endless hordes of her own people into the caves to get killed. Still, our heroes would be wise to keep this on the down-low. Unrelated, but I am trying to get my old A5 LP archived, and have gotten no responses from Baldurk using the email in the sandcastle. Email was sent in July. Does anyone in here have an archived LP? Is that normal and I should just be patient? Or is there something else I need to do?
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Aug 18, 2023 17:03
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I'm wondering about that Lead bar, were the students learning alchemy and trying to turn it into gold?
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Aug 18, 2023 17:55
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So adventurers all have lead poisoning? Makes perfect sense. also, "Jeffogel Foglio Vogel" 
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Aug 18, 2023 19:12
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Look, Zeke, we have to faff around a bit longer so the lead poisoning kicks in. It's called foreshadowing. also  for JV's full name.
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Aug 19, 2023 08:40
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BackupDancer posted:Prazac is a pragmatist and seems more interested in peace and commerce than in throwing endless hordes of her own people into the caves to get killed. Still, our heroes would be wise to keep this on the down-low. Sadly, I know a bit about this and am worried. Baldur was silent from November until May, I think. The Prolific PurpleXVI of so many RPGs had a hard time getting in touch with him as well. In late May, and it still shows this as the last update if you go to lparchive.org, there was a flurry of a few dozen games archived... the last of which was Betrayel in Antara by PurpleXVI. That was 24 May, and nothing since. Were I a betting man, I fear that Baldurk is painfully burned out and/or real-life obligations are destroying him.
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Aug 20, 2023 05:22
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Chapter 25: Loose Ends  Steamy in here. I can feel my fur matting…we’ve got to get out. That would be why. What an interesting geological feature…I wonder if there’s a miniature ecosystem in here? I wonder what sound you’d make if I pushed you in. Come on!  Where exactly are we? Just north of Blinlock. There was something here after all! How about that.After some pacing back and forth…  Do we have to go back there? If we intend to explore everything, yes. I hear lizards! Charge!   One missed step and we’re toasted. Then do not miss your steps. This could be something. Zeetha has dashed across the lava to get those crystals. You cannot open chests, lockers, etc. in combat mode, but you can pick things up. It burns so good! But, when we end combat, she gets placed on the lava. Little trick: if you switch places, the person switched onto the lava doesn’t take damage. How strange, it doesn’t hurt at all. That’s cool! Let me try…  That’s one way to fix a haircut.Back in Sweetgrove…  This lock seems so simple now. Don’t mind us, Axel! We’re just, ah… Armed. I suppose that’s true. So, don’t mind us. Nice digs. I have to know what’s in his bedside chest. A pretty blue potion. Smells like sweat. Don’t drink that! I would rather do anything else.Yes, Axel, the one man in this scenario who should know better, has a draining brew by his bed. Don’t ask me why  Hello again, Littleford. We found some mining information. 200 coins and some xp. Nice!  Next we use our access-consumables. Back in the Holding Cells: Let me position myself right… You missed one. Deal with it, Ashfur.That last cell doesn’t have anything. But the ones we did open… What is that light? My word! It is beautiful. How does that work? Are the flames magical, or is there some regenerating fuel within the hilt? Could it be- Do not touch it. But its mystery intrigues me! I’d do as the lady says.Technically this does less damage than her greatsword, but gently caress you. Flaming. Sword.  Those slimes will never bother anyone again! Didn’t seem like they were bothering anybody. Bothered me. But never again!Lastly…  You get the crystal back! Very considerate. Fantastic. Now, to the walled-off arena full of undead! …why? Because it’s there!SallieKat had it right, you can knock down the walls by the gates.  Nothing in here besides that scroll. And a bunch of goop. And the satisfaction of killing undead.That bottom corner just has a couple more zombies and an emerald. I’m skipping over a lot of minor stuff to keep this update moving. To the library!  Vinnia was a piece of work. Agreed, but I bet she had help. It’s never just one person. Either way, that solves one mystery. Not entirely. We found the bodies of Palhatis and Pergaltho. But who was this? Maybe another dissenter, who covered her tracks better. Not better enough. Finally, we’re back in the Experiment Halls. Be ready, we don’t know what’s in here. …nothing? Ooh, a corpse!  This person must have been important. What’s this ring do? I’m not entirely sure. Then let’s hit Sweetgrove, sell everything, and- Surely everyone heard that. Yup. To arms! Against what? Gah! Black shade! It’s invisible! Everyone out! Except me! Got them! Zeetha, find it! KYA! What just happened? Black shade. They’re undetectable by normal means.This includes targeting by letter – so you can’t hit them with lightning, ice, repel spirit, etc. Whoever this was, they were barricaded in this cell with it and devoured. Or, they died so angry that their spirit lingered. And Vinnia never saw justice for any of it. But Zeetha, how did you know where it was? I knew where it was not. From there, it was easy. Axel, we have one last ring. So sorry about robbing you. No we’re not! Eh, we deserved that. Glad I didn’t put it on. Another thing before we go back – remember those wandering ghosts? I have a hunch. I know stretches for that.We wander the overworld until:  Trap it! Okay, what was the hunch? Let’s go back to that circle by Marallis. Rule of threes. Here we are again. But this time, with a plan. Everyone blessed up? I’ve made sure of it. Uh…should we…? Yes! Yes! To battle! To battle. I’ve always thought so.  I feel funny.This thing is incredibly nasty. Two heavy hits that can rip through Zeetha’s Enduring Armor and kill her in one unlucky round. Draining touch. Buckets of health. It’s a high level too, so it dodges a quarter of her shots. I can’t keep her alive for long! I have a plan! We have to use our superweapon. It worked again! I could get used to this. What, someone else fighting for you? I thought you already were. Go back to your glass house, Ashfur. Zeetha! Get away from that ghost! We run Zeetha away so our simulacrum will attract its ire. They’re fighting! Hooray! Zeetha’s still alive! Battle is beautiful! Yes, most excellent. Haven’t you ever cheered before? That is enough time spent idle, I am going back in! Zeetha! I can’t resurrect the dead! Why would you need to do that? Agh!She’s safe – once an enemy picks a melee target, it’s hard to make it switch.  Nice shot!Gwen’s missiles are starting to do real damage.   Finish it! KYA!  Sweet victory! Hooooly cow. We must do that again. After I have rested. This spell…could it be…too powerful? Don’t talk crazy. You’re right. I must seek power over all other considerations. JV? Hmm? That’s the spirit. AYYE!  Pshaw! What would I need with this? I am happy to take it off your hands.If you come here after solving the curse, the spirit thanks you and gives everyone some XP. Not our style. Back to the school, then? Everyone get some good rest. We’ve got a long haul ahead of us. The vahnatai mentioned “fierce and odd beasts.” I bet we can take ‘em. Let’s not take chances. I want everyone in tip-top shape for tomorrow.Training time!  Zeetha ups a bunch of basic skills so she can access Quick Strike and Parry, which make her faster and much more defensible respectively.  Assuming Parry works the same as in later games, it has a chance of completely blocking melee damage.  Zeke becomes a better priest. Magery gives a bonus to every spell you cast.  JV becomes a much better caster. Note Magery here too.  Gwen is spread rather thin. She can’t keep up with JV in mage spells, but her archery keeps her handy in combat.  That fire should burn for a long time. Just don’t forget to extinguish it. What kind of putz doesn’t put out their own fire? Good question…I’ve gotta go. Hey Zeetha! Whatcha reading? A book. What’s it about? Is it good? There is a beautiful man rescuing a strangely noncombative princess. I am enjoying the graphic violence. What’s he rescuing her from? … Slithzerikai. Cool! But, I’m curious. Why read about battles when that’s what you spend all day doing, every day? I enjoy combat. Why would I not read about something I enjoy? That makes a kind of sense. Besides, it is not all combat in here. Let me find it…read this. Hmm. Oh. Oh! Wow. Right? I didn’t know you could use muscle oil for that. It is a versatile substance. Could I uh, borrow that book? When you’re done. I think that would be bad. What, is it deeply racist in a way I could hardly believe, or something? Well…One firm, yet understanding, conversation later: You are right, Ashfur. I must be on guard lest my subconscious biases become reinforced by the media I consume. I trust you to do that, Princess. JV, how about you? What’s that book? One of the school’s textbooks. I would think you’d be tired of schoolbooks. You can learn a lot from them. For instance, this was written before we understood modern essence dynamics – they still thought in terms of spontaneous transportation! Tell me why that’s interesting, because I don’t follow the details at all. It means – everything we’ve seen in there, they did with much more primitive magic than we have access too. So how did they do it? The sunlight spell, the altered beasts, the extra-spilly acid? I’m not sure. The most similar magic I know of is Vahnatai, but we’ve only met them in the last century. But also, look here. What am I supposed to be seeing? That’s a written-out chant for summoning acid. Okay…can’t you already do that? Yes. But it’s in an Empire textbook. Is that unusual? Imperial schools these days don’t teach real spells to first-years, and they certainly don’t write formulas down where just anyone can see them. Regulations must have tightened drastically between Stewart and Hawthorne. Maybe even starting with Stewart. He did close the school. Maybe so. But you see what that means? Yes…the Empire hasn’t always been this way. And if it changed once, maybe it can change again. Maybe. That, Gwen, is what you can get from a “schoolbook.” Alright, wonderboy. Not bad. Zeke, what are you up to? Looking at the stars. Care to join me? Why not? … … That’s really something. It’s because we’re so far from any large cities. I haven’t had a view like this in a while. Really something. They’re almost completely different from the ones over my farm…see over there, the three bright ones in a row? Over there? Yep. That’s the Herdsman’s Belt. They can see it from my home, but it’s on the other side of the sky. So you’re far from home too, huh. I have never been farther. I get homesick. That so? I like your stews, but you can’t cook salmon like my old mom. Ha! No one can, right? Not that I’ve found. The only one who can cook like my mother anymore is me. I guess that’s the best way it could go. You take the pleasures you can in life. … I’m turning in. Goodnight, Zeke. Enjoy the stars. Goodnight, Gwen.  Up and at ‘em, everyone! We need to get moving! Hooray! We get to fight fierce and odd beasts! Ugh… Gwen, stick a claw in his side, would you? Don’t, don’t! I’m awake. Aw.Back in the Experiment Halls, we use the brass key from the library.   Oh my. I’m getting cave-ja vu. Ashfur, you disgust me. How deep does this school go? We shall find out.Next time: Master Control!
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Aug 31, 2023 23:27
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Black Robe posted:Look, Zeke, we have to faff around a bit longer so the lead poisoning kicks in. It's called foreshadowing. For some reason, no one is buying my 500-page novel about four sociopaths slowly going mad from lead exposure. Tombot posted:I'm wondering about that Lead bar, were the students learning alchemy and trying to turn it into gold? That's better than any theories I had. JustJeff88 posted:Sadly, I know a bit about this and am worried. Baldur was silent from November until May, I think. The Prolific PurpleXVI of so many RPGs had a hard time getting in touch with him as well. In late May, and it still shows this as the last update if you go to lparchive.org, there was a flurry of a few dozen games archived... the last of which was Betrayel in Antara by PurpleXVI. That was 24 May, and nothing since. Were I a betting man, I fear that Baldurk is painfully burned out and/or real-life obligations are destroying him. Eesh. Whatever the case, I'm sure it's more important than my dusty old thread.
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Aug 31, 2023 23:31
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What was the superweapon that you used against the angry spirit? Was it a reference to a previous chapter that I have since forgotten?BackupDancer posted:Eesh. Whatever the case, I'm sure it's more important than my dusty old thread. I weep for all the LPs that will go unpreserved. Since you mentioned SallieKat, I watched a bit of her current Exile 3 LP. Apparently on Mac there are some very nice reskins and (especially) auto-mappers for those old games. Does anyone know of similar for Windows? I have a save of Exile 1 that I haven't touched in years because I am completely lost.
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Sep 1, 2023 02:52
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The secret weapon is Simulacrum which makes a copy of a target creature, and is exactly as powerful as you can imagine.
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Sep 1, 2023 02:56
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It just goes to show there is always another piece of treasure somewhere you might never think to look. Also I was not expecting to see somthing like a magical flaming sword so early, is the fire useful against anything we'll face like the slimes?
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Sep 1, 2023 03:55
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BackupDancer posted:Yes, Axel, the one man in this scenario who should know better, has a draining brew by his bed. Don’t ask me why To punish thieves, obviously. It's like putting a decoy sandwich full of hot sauce and salt in the work fridge.
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Sep 1, 2023 07:40
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SIGSEGV posted:The secret weapon is Simulacrum which makes a copy of a target creature, and is exactly as powerful as you can imagine. I just unlocked this in Avernum 2: Crystal Souls, and am excited about the potential. Somewhat related thing I've been wondering about that someone here might know: were the vahnatai hinted at in the original Exile, or something Vogel dropped some foreshadowing about into the remakes after he decided to create them for the sequels?
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Sep 2, 2023 19:11
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I think they were hinted, waveblades for a start already existed, and if I recall properly there were hints of the existence of crystal souls and Vanhatai sorcery.
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Sep 2, 2023 19:14
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disposablewords posted:I just unlocked this in Avernum 2: Crystal Souls, and am excited about the potential. https://lparchive.org/Exile-Escape-from-the-Pit/Update%2039/ When he remade Exile into Avernum 1 (and then re-remade it into Avernum: Escape from the Pit), he added a bit more direct foreshadowing since he already knew where the story would go. You can find more Vahnatai-style weapons, there are some crystals that directly teach you abilities, Athron actually tells you about another race that still exists, etc.
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Sep 3, 2023 20:27
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Chapter 26: The Cavern and the Tower  Looks like we’re on the right track. Hey, do you guys see that? Something’s moving over there. Gah! This area has one type of enemy: altered beasts. They come in ones and twos. More of them? I thought there were only two escapees? Think about what you just said. …okay, right, I get it. You can see the Flaming Sword’s special ability here – there’s a bit of extra fire damage in addition to the base sword damage. It caps at 8. This is a fun sword, but it won’t break the game. KYA!  So that’s what the vahnatai were talking about. I am glad I did my stretches!  How many do you think we could take at once? Many, but not all. That’s a lot of howling. Hang on. Follow me north.  Beast ambush! Just as I suspected! Then why did you bring us here?! Beast ambush!   I am going to like it here. We’re very happy for you. So many bones…I wonder how many generations of beasts have lived here? How many fit in a century? Oh, and check that wall. A little cave? And nothing more.The wandering beasts can’t enter here – you can stay a while to heal, but you’ll find the exit crowded.  Hang on, my foot just went through the wall. Ooh, an isolated magical pool! Careful… I don’t like it. Logically, we shouldn’t drink from it. How can you say that? You don’t even know what it is. If it’s restorative, it won’t do anything. We’re in good condition. If it’s harmful, well, we shouldn’t drink it anyway. I guess that follows.If you choose to drink…  Healing. We hold off on draining the pool.  Hooray! Combat!This place is absolutely lousy with altered beasts. If you haven’t sharpened your skills, it’s a punishing gauntlet. I am skipping most of the fights.  I see more of them across the way. Soon we shall meet, beasts!   What is that structure? A good example of late Stewartist architecture. A roadblock. Ew. We have to get through, one way or another. A fight is a fight. Charge! You cannot run forever, spirit!  Got it! Decent defenses. I’m glad they didn’t resurrect any archers. Did they really think that would stop anyone who made it this far? The Empire loves redundancy. If you don’t spend all the undead funding you get in one year, they’ll cut it the next. This water, we definitely don’t drink.Another resting cave.  Zeetha, are your eyes closed? …maybe. This really is a bottomless pit! Wow! You could fall forever! I see. Here, grab my arm. Same healing spring as before. If the beasts beat on you too much, these are nice to have.  Another wall? Another wall. Same as before, then. We can- My skin! Our skin! My fur! Everyone stay calm, I’ll keep you alive. Me first! Sorry, are you surrounded by the hungry dead? Ooh! Ooh! I am! I suppose not. Then wait your turn. Get that spirit! Got it! I guess that fight was a little tougher. I saw you panicking too. This has to be it.  Gwen?    Yep, this is the place. That hum has my teeth on edge…let’s make this quick. JV, is this summoning circle active? I don’t detect any magic. Maybe they used it back when this was built. They weren’t very thorough. Look at all these gemstones! Time crunch. Woah!  Any idea what that is? Besides a wall covered with magical devices? None at all. Did those papers say anything about this? The only part I could translate was about the waste storage. And I tried. It just goes on and on. We’d better not fiddle with it. There might be defenses. They almost certainly have a self-destruct sequence that we won’t know how to disarm. At least this is familiar and comforting. What is? That false wall next to you. Hope there’s treasure in here! Uh…   More and more murders. All this killing wasn’t incidental…it was fundamental to school politics. And Vinnia lived out her days somewhere nice, I’ll bet. The Empire pays well for keeping order. Glad to be out of there. Say, that panel is free-standing. I wonder if… We’re not injured. Yet!If you do press it:  Large group heal. But we don’t need that.  If you had to guess, what do these machines do? They don’t seem to do anything. No damage, healing, summoning, transportation, creation, or communication use that I can see. Is that all that magical machines can do? Clearly not. I suspect they’re all part of the same whole. But you would need a lot of people, or a lot of energy, to operate them all simultaneously. And I’m not even sure what it would accomplish. Slimes! Do you ever get tired of swinging that sword? You spend much of your time uncertain. I do not. We seem to be getting somewhere. Orb! Oh, good. Allow me. Ah yes, the masters. Which we are. Of course. Wisp, tell us. Why are you here? What are you, exactly? Palhatis! We know of him. Do you know who did it? Yes, Vinnia. We’ve seen her handiwork elsewhere. Then why was the school closed? What sort of research was that? Thinking devices? That sounds complicated. It would be. No one has ever managed that. Unless you count demons. I do not. Wisp, tell us what Palhatis did to prevent disaster.  Northern chamber. Got it. Wait, do we know how to do that? I think we do. That’s what the scrolls were about. Unless we got the wrong scrolls. We must hope we didn’t. Tell us of the school’s closure.  And these traps? Wonderful. Eh, we can take ‘em. That’s a powerful construct. Notice how it talked about the death of its creator? It must have some limited ability to adapt its programming to events. Hence the “thinking machines.” Exactly… This should be it, right? Shoot. I thought that pentagram was inactive! So did I! I wonder how they managed that… No more talk! Prepare to fight! I am ready! I remain ready! My feet are sore. I am still-ah, there you are! Attack! A series of constructs rushes us piecemeal from both north and south. Zeetha swings around to hold the south; everyone else handles the north side. Stay where you are! I will strike you with my blade! Ow! Shoot, we need to block that thing. Striking will commence shortly! A rat? A rat. Anything you’d like to say about that? No, just…you chose a rat?  Haha! The striking! Got it. We’re safe. Thanks, JV. Don’t thank me. Thank the rat. I will not do that.   We’re destroying them! Yes, we-no! Rat, look out! Oh, poor baby. Did you get attached to your summon?   For his memory! Yes, in honor of that rat! I have returned from singlehandedly holding the southern approach! I am covered in soot and ectoplasm! Look at me and feel vicarious power! It’s just…he lived so short a life, and he gave it up to protect us. Sorry, JV. I should have honored him better. He was truly underappreciated in his time. What happened here? Why is no one blinded by my sweaty glories? Princess, you are very impressive.   There is some very nice armor in a nearby cabinet.  JV, you read those scrolls, right? I did. You take this. Sitting! No chair trap. That’s good. The thought hadn’t crossed my mind. Now it has!  I think I activated the machinery in Waste Storage. Then we’ve done what we came here for. Can you do anything else with it? Better not. JV, I am shocked! But you’re right.  Now this…I just want to see it up close. And touch it. Should we leave you two alone?  How’d it go, wonderboy? Couldn’t get past first base. Maybe this one… Ashfur? Hmm? What is a “base”? It’s a mage term. Ah. Shoot. Shame about those controls. But we can still explore the rest of this tower. Good, I’m in no hurry to fight more beasts. Another healing panel. No need. How’d you find that one? I’ve been tracking that humming sound. It’s coming from in here. There’s the culprit. I’m tired of caution. Let’s push some buttons! Hmm.The same happens if you try to destroy it. You barbarian.  Ah! Hooray! Thanks, Zeetha. No problem. Another one. Do I dare? Of course you do. Hang on, this one just has words. So THAT’s how derivatives work. So THAT is where dragons are weak. So THAT’s the etymology of “clue.” So THAT’s how you make good hollandaise.XP boost!  I hope this isn’t another murder scene. Watch for spiders. There was a struggle here. But if there’s any bodies, they got moved. Probably to the north. None of them have need of this mandrake any more. I don’t get it. Why have living quarters here? Maybe this is where the mages who worked here stayed. It’s a long walk back to the school. So Vinnia or her goons broke into the living quarters, won a short fight, and dragged the unconscious or dead mages to the northern passage, where they finished the job. Not sporting. There is one good thing. As we’re out of school to explore, this may be our last unpleasant discovery. Shall we return? I don’t see anything else to do here. Much as I would love to study these thinking machines. We do have a valley to save. And beasts to fight! Yes, we have dallied long enough. Time to go.    One last place to go.Next time: The Fire and the Ashes.
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Sep 20, 2023 14:08
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disposablewords posted:I just unlocked [simulacrum] in Avernum 2: Crystal Souls, and am excited about the potential. It works differently there than here. A2's simulacrum is more like pokemon, where you need one spell to capture something's essence and another to release it into battle. I prefer that version because you can collect all the nastiest cave creatures. Make sure to get a lich. MagusofStars posted:A little bit. There were a couple things like the restoration crystal in Fort Emerald and the "Alien Blade" but for all the original Exile tells you, those might as well be relics from some long dead civilization. There's one real direct hint of the Vahnatai in a remote barrier filled cave in NW Exile (see below, about 1/3 of the way down), but even that could easily be interpreted as them being long gone. I like how, often, it's unclear whether you're encountering relics from an extinct civilization, hints of a living one, or just the natural oddities of cave magic. Tombot posted:It just goes to show there is always another piece of treasure somewhere you might never think to look. Also I was not expecting to see somthing like a magical flaming sword so early, is the fire useful against anything we'll face like the slimes? The flaming sword functions as a normal sword with a small amount of bonus fire damage. Sadly it's almost entirely flavor. Nastier swords are in our future.
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Sep 20, 2023 14:17
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