Welcome to Avernum 6! Avernum 6 is the last installment in the unique and
extremely fun Avernum series by Spiderweb Software. Avernum 6 is available
for $28, and has a large, free demo as well. You will get about 50-100 hours
of gameplay here, rivaling many similar games.
Table of Contents:
1. Miscellaneous Info
2. Skills
3. Spells and Battle Disciplines
4. Traits
5. Walkthrough
6. Trainers
7. Crafters
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1. Miscellaneous Info
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The following is a list of important tidbits for things you should pick up and
take with you on your travels through Avernum. Pick up these items throughout
your quest, as well as any item worth anything to sell. Money is scarce in
the beginning of the game.
Quest and job items:
6 Almarian Wine
6 Limbs
8 Chitrach Husks
All Sacks of Meal
All Flawless Crystals
All skribbane
Crafting Items:
All Herbs
Focusing Crystals
Fine Leather
Fine Steel
Rare Items:
Eyestalks
Mandrake Tincture
Demon Bile
A few:
Sticks \
> for wands
Rubies /
Also, you will rapidly get the ability to travel via the pylons. The
following is a list of their locations:
Pylons:
Castle Food Depot (A0)
The Castle (A7)
North Great Cave (AB)
Patrick's Tower (AJ)
Dharmon (AK)
ALWAYS GET JOBS FROM JOB BOARDS AS YOUR FIRST ACTIVITY WHEN YOU REACH A NEW
AREA!
If you don't you may end up with uncompleted quests, especially with quests
like "Collect item Q from enemy Z". Don't say you weren't warned!
Item effects: Potions, scrolls, and wands can give benefits or cast spells
that cannot be replicated by spells. These include:
Scroll: Spineshield, which does a lot of damage to foes who attack you using
melee weapons, often doing up to 100 damage in retaliation. These are great
in fights with melee-heavy foes, like slith armies.
Scroll: Madness, a scroll that casts daze/terror/charm on all nearby foes.
It is extremely potent, making sure to wreck the ranks of your enemies. Save
these for tough, large fights.
Scroll: Speed Burst and Rod of Alacrity and Speed Potion/Elixir, which add 5
action points (AP) to your character. These effectively enable you to attack
twice in a round for a few turns. The scroll and rod are superior to the
potions as they cast the spell on all your characters (and allies) in view,
whereas the potions only cast it on the character who drinks the potion.
Scroll: Acid Shower, and Corrupting Baton. These cast a weak acid spray
spell on all of your foes. While that ensures you'll consistently do damage
every turn to them, the damage isn't that much. Still, this can be used to
make all the enemies hate the character who casts the spell and attempt to
swarm them. Hence have your tanks cast this spell. You'll get a lot of these
as wands, so I'd actually recommend selling them.
Jeweled Wand: Casts an energy attack on several foes. Kind of like
lightning spray, except more powerful and with greater targets. Excellent
wands.
Wand of Death: Blasts a single foe with a lot of energy damage. Great but
rare.
Null Wand: Hits a single foe with a damaging, stunning attack. These wands
are common, and often useful.
Energy Potion/Elixir: Restores some spell points. Very useful for
spellcasters in the middle of fights.
Shielding Potion/Elixir: Casts a long duration protection spell on you
(enduring shield/armor). You used to be able to cast this spell in A5, but
not any more. The only way is through these potions and an occasional basin.
Invulnerable Potion/Elixir: Makes you immune to nearly all damage for a
short while. Great, but rare.
Knowledge Brew/Elixir: Adds 2 or 4 skill points to your skill point total.
Great and hoard-worthy.
Other wands/scrolls/potions replicate spells and can probably be sold if you
accumulate too many.
Fiery Wand: Casts bolt of fire. Useful in chapter 1, not really useful
thereafter.
Disruption Wand: Casts disrupt undead. Quite potent in certain situations,
these wands are worth keeping for a fight with a nasty undead in mid-late
game.
Terror Wand: Casts terror on a foe, and does a decent bit of damage. In my
opinion these are better than the spell.
Sparkling Wand: Casts strong daze. Fine for early game, sell them later on.
Scroll: Return Life: Casts Return Life. I'd recommend keeping these on your
priest prior to gaining the return life spell (since a priest has healing
spells at their disposal, they may survive for the longest time), then moving
them to a character who is not your main priest once you gain the return life
spell.
Wand of the Inferno: Casts a potent aura of flames spell, very similar to
divine retribution. Since the priestly spell is hard to obtain and expensive
to cast, these wands are always useful, except when fighting sliths. As with
corrupting batons, they will encourage all foes on the screen to attack the
character that uses the wand.
Main Stats:
Strength (Str): Strength affects the amount of damage you do in melee, the
amount you can wear as armor (without losing APs), and your stun resistance.
An average character will want about 6 points total to wear nice armor, and a
melee fighter will probably want 8 points to access some of the better skills
available.
Dexterity (Dex): Dexterity increases your To Hit (TH) percentage with
missile weapons, your attacking order in combat, and your dodging ability.
It's also a prerequisite for several special skills. Aim for about four
points, that's all you'll need to grab a few other skills.
Intelligence (Int): Intelligence affects the amount of spell points (SP)
you have, and your mental resistance. Magic users will want about 8 points to
be able to cast a bunch of spells and to access magical efficiency and other
key skills. Melee fighters can probably ignore this skill, although they may
want to invest a few to access Anatomy, which is a lot easier to get to than
previous Avernums. Anatomy leads to lethal blow, which can be an excellent
skill to have.
Endurance (End): Endurance affects your hit points (HP), and your poison
and acid resistances. This skill is a bit more necessary than A4 because HP
are more necessary. Also, Magical Efficiency is a lot more powerful, so it's
probably worth try to get a decent amount of these points even for magic
users.
Combat Stats:
Melee Weapons (MW): Melee weapons affects the amount of damage you do with
melee weapons (daggers & swords), your To Hit percentage (TH) with these
weapons, and increases the number of battle disciplines you can use. Melee
fighters will want six points in this skill to get access to Blademaster. For
magic users, you may want to buy three points here to get some of the nicer
battle disciplines, but otherwise ignore this ability. With the introduction
of dual wield, melee weapons end up being the most powerful in the game.
Pole Weapons (PW): Pole weapons affects the amount of damage you do with
pole weapons (spears & halberds), your To Hit percentage (TH) with these
weapons, and increases the number of battle disciplines you can use. Pole
fighters will want six points in this skill to access Blademaster. As before,
magic users may want to buy three points to get some of the nicer battle
disciplines, but otherwise will probably want to ignore this ability. There
tend to be fewer, but more powerful pole weapons than melee weapons. Pole
weapons and their users (primarily sliths, who increase this skill naturally)
are strongest at the middle of the game.
Bows (Bow): Bows affects the amount of damage you do with bows (bows &
longbows), your To Hit percentage (TH) with these weapons, and increases the
number of battle disciplines you can use, though at half the rate of MW and
PW. There are a lot of really nice bows, and though they tend to be less
powerful than thrown weapons, they have better side bonuses. Also, they weigh
a lot less, and you don't need to carry around a large selection of them.
Nephilim increase this skill naturally.
Thrown Missile (TM): Thrown missiles affects the amount of damage you do
with thrown weapons (javelins & razordisks), your To Hit percentage (TH) with
these weapons, and increases the number of battle disciplines you can use,
though at half the rate of MW and PW. Thrown weapons are the most powerful
weapons available, but are limited in number. I tend to have 1 character
devoted exclusively to these weapons, usually a mage. Note that these can
also be quite heavy. Nephilim increase this skill naturally.
Quick Action (QA): Quick action gives you a chance of having two attacks
(about 4% per point here, reaching some sort of cap) in a single round and
increases your turn order in battle. It's not an especially powerful skill,
since you don't get a large chance to double-hit, but it's not bad to invest
3-4 points in since it's fairly cheap. It's also an easy way to increase your
turn order. Note that when coupled to dual wield, this skill is extremely
powerful.
Magic Stats:
Mage Spells (MS): This skill increases the damage you do with your mage
spells, and the number of mage spells you have access to. If you're going to
cast magic spells, this is your skill. Eighteen points is all you'll ever
need, and if you have the natural mage trait, you'll get an extra point every
five levels or so. Add about 13 points to this skill for your mage, and
that's about all you'll need. This skill is a bit more expensive than priest
spells but gives access to better spells.
Priest Spells (PS): This skill increases the damage you do with your priest
spells, and the number of priest spells you have access to. If you're going
to cast holy spells, this is your skill. Eighteen points is all you'll ever
need, and if you have the pure spirit trait, you'll get an extra point every
five levels or so. Add about 13 points to this skill for your priest, and
that's about all you'll need. This skill is cheaper than mage spells but
doesn't have as good of spells.
Arcane Lore (AL): Arcane lore increases your ability to read books (giving
new spells) and increases your mental resistance. Everyone should probably
try to get about three points in this skill so that you won't be upset when
you run across a book you can't use. You can wait for training in this skill
until Gnass, as training is cheap and early. The mental resistance is a nice
icing on the cake. Note that a few items provide bonuses to this skill so you
shouldn't need to invest more than 12 points total.
Spellcraft (SC): Spellcraft increases the damage and duration of your
spells. All magic users should increase this skill, though probably after
buying a few points in it from either Reginaldo or Tower Colony.
General Stats:
Hardiness (Hard): Hardiness increases your armor and resistances. It is a
cheap and effective skill. Buy at least 2 points for everyone, 4 if you've
got a few points (or brews or crystals) to spare. This skill is a precursor
to resistance. The only resistances it doesn't increase are mental and stun
resistances.
Defense (Def): Defense decreases your likelihood of being hit. It's
relatively cheap and inexpensive. It is the precursor to the quite useful
skill parry, and riposte. Definitely buy 6 points for all your fighters so as
to access parry.
Tool Use (TU): Tool use affects your ability to disarm traps and open doors
(as well as a few special encounters). A maximum of 14 is all that's needed
for 98% of things, 17 will open nearly everything (especially when you equip
the two tinker items). Only one character need acquire this. I'd recommend
boosting up to 14 points ASAP. Tinkers crystals will cast unlock for you, and
will open everything so long as the character with the highest tool use uses
them.
First Aid (FA): First aid affects how many HP and SP you gain after
successfully killing something. This is a useful, cheap skill that can help
delay your need to go back to town. I'd recommend buying at least 2 points
for everyone early. Increase to 4 when you have the spare points.
Nature Lore (NL): Nature Lore affects your ability to calm wild animals and
to find caches, and is used for a few special encounters. There's an early
trainer in Gnass for this skill, so you can avoid buying any points whatsoever
here if you don't mind skipping a few caches, going back to grab them later.
Otherwise buy 1-2 points for everyone at the start of the game, then set 4-6
skill points in reserve for the occasion later when you can't get a cache.
Luck: Affects pretty much everything, including resistances, armor, dodging
ability, and probably damaging ability. Add 1-2 points for everyone to
increase survivability.
Special Skills:
Key:(initial skill point cost) Name: Requisite 1 (cost of requisite when
requisite is reached) + Requisite 2 (cost of requisite when requisite is
reached): Description.
Note that special skills have requisites before you can train in them. You
can buy points, get quest rewards, get them through traits or as racial bonus,
or equip items to get points in these skill, but can only train in these
skills once you have reached the requisites. Additionally, the requisites
must be reached through training or buying points in the requisites- they do
not include other bonuses (whether through traits, quest rewards, or
equipment). Thus you must reach the point where the skill starts to cost X
points, where X is the number to the right of the skill. This will help
clarify what you need, and explains why you might have 10 points in dexterity
and still not access some of these skills- equipment, quest, and racial/trait
bonuses do not count.
(3) Quick Strike (QS): 5 Dexterity (costs 7, and bought one point) + 6 Melee
or Pole (starts to cost 7): Quick strike will give you a slight chance of
getting bonus movement points in a given round. You get about a 5% chance of
getting a bonus action point for each point in this skill. This calculation
is done twice, so if you have a lot of quick strike, you'll have a non-
negligible chance of getting +2 to your action points, giving you two actions
in a round. One of my favorite skills, well worth trying to get for all
fighters.
(3) Parry (Par): 5 Dexterity (costs 7, and bought one point) + 5 Defense
(costs 4, and bought one point): Parry gives you a slight chance of blocking
an attack completely (about 3% per point invested). A good skill for
fighters, and a prerequisite for riposte. Worth trying to get for fighters.
You can train in this skill.
(5) Blademaster (BM): 9 Melee (costs 8, and have bought one point) or 9 pole
(costs 8, and have bought one point) + 6 Strength (starts to cost 8)-
Increases you to hit% and your damage done with melee weapons. Also decreases
your fatigue time so you can use battle techniques more frequently. A
prerequisite for the top tier abilities Lethal Blow and Riposte. Worth
getting for devoted fighters as you'll be able to burn through battle
techniques with this skill. The "or" is a major change from A5, so no one
needs to increase more than one melee or pole weapon skill to get this.
(4) Anatomy (Anat): 4 Intelligence (starts to cost 7) + 7 Melee or Pole (costs
8, have bought one point): Gives a bonus to your first aid recovery, and gives
a damage bonus when fighting against humanoids. This skill is a whole lot
cheaper than it has been in previous Avernum games, and is worthwhile for
fighters and/or priests. Buy points in this skill first though. This skill
is a prerequisite for Lethal Blow.
(4) Gymnastics (Gym): 6 Dexterity (starts to cost 8) + 4 Strength (starts to
cost 7): Increases your attack order and decreases your likelihood of being
hit. Not too bad, and you can get it pretty easily. I recommend training in
this skill first though.
(1) Pathfinder (Pth): 4 Intelligence (starts to cost 7) + 6 Nature Lore
(starts to cost 4). Pathfinder affects your resistance to acid and poison.
It's cheap but no items seem to offer it. You can ignore this skill
altogether.
(4) Lethal Blow (LB): 5 Anatomy (costs 6, have bought one point) + 5
Blademaster (costs 7, have bought one point): Gives a chance of doing massive
damage when attacking with to a single foe. Not that bad, though quite
difficult to obtain. Mages get great benefit from this skill, but will find
it hard to train in. I'd recommend buying training in this and leaving it at
that. Warriors should be able to get this skill and should aim for it to get
good blademaster.
(5) Riposte (Rip): 6 Parry (starts to cost 6) + 6 Blademaster (starts to cost
8): Gives a slight chance of reflecting damage back at a foe. This skill
doesn't do too much damage, but is a modest improvement from parry. If you
build your stats for your fighters with getting this skill in mind, you will
have very powerful fighters by the end game.
(4) Sharpshooter (SS): 4 Dexterity (starts to cost 7) + 6 Bows or Thrown
(starts to cost 6): Increases damage done by bows and thrown weapons. Nice to
buy points for bow/missile characters. Archers don't do a huge amount of
damage in this game, so it's not as great as in A5. Don't bother investing
skill points for non-archers in this skill, as it takes a devoted archer to
get to it. Essentially the next "Bows" skill for archers.
(2) Dual Wield (DW): 4 Dexterity (starts to cost 7), and 7 Melee or Pole
Weapons (costs 7, must have bought one point). If you want to use two weapons
(and who doesn't?!), get this skill. It's cheap and fun. You can train in
this one, though it takes a while to get access to the trainer.
(4) Magical Efficiency (ME): 6 Intelligence (starts to cost 8) + 5 Spellcraft
(costs 5, must have bought one point): Gives a chance of decreasing the spell
point cost of a spell. Very effective, this skill is well worth getting for
your mages and your priests as well. With this spell you'll be able to spam
lightning spray and smite much longer, and your buffs are much cheaper. You
won't go wrong if you build your mage with this skill in mind.
(5) Resistance (Res): 5 Dexterity (costs 7, have bought one point) + 6
Endurance (starts to cost 7) + 7 Hardiness (costs 4, have bought one point):
Gives a bonus to most physical resistance stats. Probably not worth try to
get to, due to its cost, I'd still recommend buying three points or so for
everyone. It will make you last that much longer.
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3. Spells & Battle Discipline Guide
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The spells and battle disciplines are described below. Each spell is also
affected by spell "strength" which for a given spell is equal to the number of
times trained in that spell, plus the spell class skill (either mage spells or
priest spells), plus your spellcraft, plus your magery. The effects for
increasing your spell strength in a given spell are described by "+". The
best way of increasing your spell strength is to add points to magery and
spellcraft as both skills affect all spells cast. Training in a spell with a
teacher has less of an effect, and may not be worth the cost, especially if
you have found a book that will train you instead. The bonuses from spell
strength (from the manual) are described as well.
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Priest Spells
These are the healing spells, the buff spells, and the occasional damage
spell and summoning spells available to everyone. In general they have a much
smaller damage output per SP than mage spells, but can compensate in other
ways, including varieties of damage type and survivability. These spells are
cheaper and easier to use than mage spells.
Minor Heal: The staple health returning spell at low level. Very useful early
in the game, a bit less so later in the game. A viable strategy is to have
everyone start with one point in priest spells so as to cast this spell and
curing.
+ Increases HP regained (+ 1d3)
Curing: Removes negative effects like poison and acid from a character.
Necessary for some fights, and cheap to cast. A viable strategy is to have
everyone start with one point in priest spells so as to cast this spell and
curing.
+ Removes more levels of poison/acid.
War Blessing: Cast this before every moderate fight, it increases your chance
to hit (by 20% or so) and your damage done to foes (by 4 damage levels).
+ Increasing the level of this spell makes it last longer.
Protection: Decreases your chance of being hit by a foe and decreases the
damage received. Cast this before every moderate fight, it lasts for a long
time.
+ Increases the duration of the spell.
Repel Spirit: Does disruption damage to undead and demons. Undead take a lot
of damage from this spell, and this spell is the main damage-dealer for
priests when available. Couple it to a mighty blow to kill many undead
instantly. Demons aren't much hurt by this spell, so try to hit them with
something else.
+ Increases damage done by spell (+ 1d5).
Smite: The first major damage-dealing spell of the priestly repertoire. This
spell is costly but does a decent amount of ice damage. Great, useful spell.
Use this against sliths.
+ Increase damage done (+ 1d5).
Summon Shade: Summons a shade to fight for you. The shade isn't that
impressive but can distract your enemies.
+ Increases the length of time they stick around.
Ward of Thoughts: Wards are new spells which protect against certain attacks.
You can only have one ward active at a time. The ward of thoughts spell
protects against mental attacks (daze, terror, charm), which are annoying but
uncommon attacks. You can use this spell for those occasions when fighting
mental-focused foes, like shades and wizards.
+ Makes the spell last somewhat longer.
Unshackle Mind: Removes charm, daze, and terror effects on all characters.
Doesn't seem to always remove daze or terror, but charm is easily broken.
Very useful spell for those occasions. I'd recommend having at least two
people with the ability to cast this spell, in case your primary caster gets
disabled.
+ Increases likelihood of removal.
Heal: Provides a nice batch of health to a single character. Well worth it
for the middle of fights.
+ Increase HP regained (+ 1d5).
Mass Healing: Casts a healing spell on all your (nearby) characters. Often
useful right after a nasty hit (for instance, by a fire shrub).
+ Increases HP regained (+ 1d3?)
Mass Curing: Casts a curing spell on everyone. Very useful when fighting
poisonous-cloud launching creatures.
+ Increases poison/acid levels removed.
Ward of Steel: Wards are new spells which protect against certain attacks.
You can only have one ward active at a time. A ward spell that decreases the
physical damage you receive from attacks. This one is quite valuable and
useful as a buff spell, but is expensive to cast. Cast it before every decent
large fight.
+ Increases the duration.
Divine Fire: Hits foes with fire in an area of effect. The staple mid-high
level damage spell for priests. Not as powerful as fireblast, but still
respectable.
+ Increases damage (+ 1d5).
Control Foe: Seizes the mind of a foe, forcing it to fight for you. Doesn't
work on enemies without brains, or undead.
+ Stronger strength of spell.
Ward of Elements: Wards are new spells which protect against certain attacks.
You can only have one ward active at a time. This ward spell reduces damage
received from elements (fire, cold, energy, perhaps poison/acid). Usually
you'll use either this or ward of steel, this spell is useful against wizards
and element-using foes, whereas ward of steel is more useful in a general
sense.
+ Increases the duration.
Return Life: Brings a character back from "unconsciousness". Useful for D'oh
moments. Better than traipsing all the way back to town, for certain.
+ Increases health restored (?).
Divine Retribution: Casts a fire spell on all visible enemies. Especially
powerful on weak, distributed foes. Kind of cool, acts like a wand of the
inferno. Not too useful on higher level foes.
+ Increases damage (+ 1d4).
Divine Restoration: THE healing spell, this spell removes all negative effects
other than "unconsciousness". Also, gives the invaluable ability to
regenerate, making your characters last much longer. Some crystals can also
give the ability to regenerate, so hold on to those.
+ Increases HP regained, and regeneration duration.
Divine Host: Summons a ghost. The ghost can cast spells, but isn't too
impressive.
+ Increases spell duration.
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Mage Spells
These spells are capable of the most damage in the game. Couple that to a
high magical efficiency and a high first aid and you're mages will be the
major source of damage in the late game.
Bolt of Fire: A single fire attack to damage your foes. This spell is good
early on, and good late in the game as well. It is strong against humans and
most undead, and weak against demons, reptiles, and things colored red.
+ Increases damage (+ 1d3)
Call Beast: Summons a weak foe to come fight for you. Summons cave worms,
giant rats, huge bats, cave wolves, and cave crawlers (19-27 HP). Summoning
spells got a boost in A5, and are pretty cool for some assistance. Useful for
distractions, no doubt.
+ Increases duration, may increase probability of getting a good summon.
Cloak of Curses: Cloak spells are new spells that augment certain types of
attacks. You can only have one cloak spell active at a time. The cloak of
curses gives your melee attacks a chance to do poison damage, or to scare a
foe. This is a good early game buff, but it doesn't work consistently.
Still, it works often enough to be occasionally useful, and serves as the
default cloak buff at the beginning of the game.
+ Increases duration.
Daze: Stuns foes until you wake them up by attacking them. Cool and
occasionally useful.
+ Increases spell strength.
Haste: Gives your attack and spell actions a 25% chance to cost only 5 AP, as
opposed to 9 AP, the normal cost. This effectively gives you a chance to
attack twice in a single round. Less valuable and critical than prior
Avernums, haste effectively increases your damage by 25%, if you're only
slightly mobile.
+ Increases spell duration.
Slow: Drops the AP of a foe so that they only attack once every two rounds.
Really useful on bosses, and/or on splitting monsters (e.g., doomguards).
+ Increases spell duration.
Icy Rain: An area of effect ice attack. One of the few ice attacks available
in the game. It is nearly always useful except on ice loving foes or undead.
Don't forget about it as you fight higher level enemies, it often does more
damage than lightning spray or fireblast, depending on the size and number of
foes. Great to use on sliths!
+ Increases spell strength (+ 1d3).
Spray Acid: Hits a foe with a blast of acid, which continues to do damage
through time. Consistently useful against several varieties of foes, as few
are resistant to poison. Great in place of bolt of fire, and cheap.
+ Increases initial damage (+ 1d3), adds more acid.
Cloak of Bolts: Cloak spells are new spells that augment certain types of
attacks. You can only have one cloak spell active at a time. The cloak of
bolts increases the damage you do with thrown missiles and bows. There are a
few occasions where this spell is useful (fighting foes on a ledge, for
instance), but definitely one of the more situational spells.
+ Increases duration.
Minor Summon: Summons a middle level foe to fight with you (Searing Slimes,
Ghasts, Spitting Wyrmkins, Chitrachs, Fire Lizards, Wights, Hellhounds- HP 53-
78). Good for distractions, and some have some special attacks. Especially
useful for mage-heavy parties.
+ Increases duration, may increase probability of getting a good summon.
Lightning Spray: The middle-upper level staple damage spell, this spell does
energy damage to up to three foes. The foes must be 2 spaces (diagonal counts
as one) from the target foe in order to give them spray damage. Few foes are
strong against energy damage, so this spell will do damage consistently. Its
expensive cost in SP is moderated by a high magical efficiency and first aid.
Boost magical efficiency enough and you may even use this spell against single
foes.
+ Increases spell damage (+ 1d4).
Terror: Scares foes so that they run away. Might be useful on melee-focused
strong foes, I don't use it too much.
+ Increases likelihood of terrorizing.
Cloak of Blades: Cloak spells are new spells that augment certain types of
attacks. You can only have one cloak spell active at a time. Cloak of blades
increases the physical damage your melee warriors do to foes. This should be
your stock-cloak spell for the majority of the game. Very few foes are good
at blocking physical damage.
+ Increases spell duration.
Dispel Barrier: A necessary spell that removes barriers. Piercing crystals
are the early game equivalent, but piercing crystals don't always remove
barriers. You'll get this in the Tower Colony, by doing a tough quest. If
you can hold off, you can get this one by doing Gladwell's second quest for
free.
+ Brings down stronger barriers.
Summon Aid: Summons a pretty powerful creature to fight with you (Warped
Wolves, Mutant Lizards, Experimental Rats, Rabid Hellhounds, Plated Chitrachs,
Revenants, Worgs- between 58 and 111 HP). Some have special attacks or good
resistances.
+ Increases duration, may increase probability of getting a good summon.
Strong Daze: Strongly stuns enemies. Useful when surrounded by low level
melee fighters/foes. Not bad in emergencies, though many upper level foes
resist this spell.
+ Affects stronger foes.
Fireblast: The generic damage spell at high level, this one replaces icy rain
in damage output. Expensive to cast though.
+ Increases spell damage (+ 1d5).
Arcane Summon: The strongest summon spell for mages, summons Writhing Masses,
Guardian Hellhounds, Enormous Cavebats, Terror Wolves, Pustulant Zombies,
Gnawing Stoneworms, and Skeleton Warriors (HP from 125-154). Very useful as
distractions and as damagers.
+ Increases duration, may increase probability of getting a good summon.
Cloak of the Arcane: Cloak spells are new spells that augment certain types
of attacks. You can only have one cloak spell active at a time. The cloak of
the arcane increases the damage you do with spells. This spell can be
invaluable in certain occasions (like a battle with a certain lich), and can
be highly useful if your mages have adrenaline rush, because three lightning
sprays blessed and with this spell in a turn should kill most foes.
+ Increases spell duration.
Arcane Blow: The final rung on the damaging ladder, this spell casts an area
of effect blast of energy. Does a lot of damage, and costs a lot of SP.
Actually manageable if you have enough magical efficiency, though not for too
long.
+ Increases spell damage (+ 1d6).
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Battle Disciplines
Battle disciplines were new to Avernum 5 and continue to be exceptionally
useful in Avernum 6, and are the closest thing to fighter-spells. These
operate on a different set of rules than spells- your character can use a
discipline, but will become fatigued for a certain amount of time so that they
can't use another. You can access disciplines according to your skill with
weapons (equal to MW + PW + 0.5 (Bow + Thrown weapons). Note that you can
train for cash in for a total of nine battle discipline points (3 Melee, 3
Pole, and three blessings increasing everyone's melee, pole, bow, and thrown
weapon skills), making a minimal investment necessary to get to the better
disciplines.
You can decrease the number of rounds your character is fatigued for by
adding points to Blademaster, and by wearing armor that has "fatigue removal"
under the description. I've maxed out at about 3 fatigue points removed per
round. These disciplines are extremely worthwhile for all characters, and I
would recommend training everyone in some skills so as to access these skills
(at the very least the first two) by mid-late game. These disciplines are
stackable with spells, and if a caster can get to adrenaline rush they can
become a dervish of destruction. These disciplines are useful enough to merit
making all your characters either sliths or nephilim.
The highest level discipline you can access is equal to your melee weapons +
pole weapons + bows / 2 + thrown missiles / 2 skills (I call this battle
skill). Points can be trained or acquired by equipment, they aren't picky.
Points from traits or racial bonuses count as well, making it very easy for
sliths and nephilim to get these disciplines.
Well-Aimed Blow. 5 battle skill points needed needed, gives 3 fatigue.
Increases the damage done of your next attack by about 20-30%, give or take.
Can make a huge difference late in the game, especially for mages (an extra 30
damage every three rounds will bring that boss down 30% sooner).
Shield Breaker. 6 battle skill points needed needed, gives 5 fatigue. Curses
your foe so that they take more damage (again about 20-30% more). Use this
skill on foes first then hit them with a well-aimed or mighty blow. Try to
get to at least this skill for your mages and priests once you've maxed out
their priest/mage spells skills.
Leg Sweep. 8 battle skill points needed needed, gives 5 fatigue. Curses your
foe so that they do less damage to you. Makes a big difference early on in
the game, less later. Use on low-level bosses.
Berserker Rage. 9 battle skill points needed needed, gives 6 fatigue. Blesses
and shields you but does some damage as well. Myeh, I prefer war blessing +
protection to this. This might be more useful for singletons who are caught
off-guard.
Focus Spirit. 11 battle skill points needed needed, gives 5 fatigue. Removes
negative effects from your character (slow/curses). The ones that you really
need it to remove (terror/charm/daze) it can't affect because you can't use
it. Occasionally useful, but the next discipline is much more so.
Mighty Blow. 13 battle skill points needed needed, gives 4 fatigue. Adds a
hefty bonus to damage to your next attack. Excellent for everyone, including
mages and priests. Priests are a bit more likely to get to it though. Use
this one on foes who have retaliatory counterattacks (like casting charm foe
on you when hit), instead of adrenaline rush. You'll do more damage with less
opportunity to lose a few AP (or attack your friends).
Adrenaline Rush. 15 battle skill points needed needed, gives 8 fatigue. Adds
a lot of AP in exchange for HP. The HP cost is minimal, and usually easily
recovered by first aid. You will be able to get three attacks off with this
discipline as long as you use this discipline with at least 7 AP left, more if
you have the haste spell on you. Probably the best discipline in the game.
Get it for your mages and watch the carnage- not much can stand 3 fireblasts!
Blade Shield. 16 battle skill points needed needed, gives 8 fatigue.
Increases your parry ability. Cool while waiting to get to battle frenzy.
Stunning Blow. 18 battle skill points needed needed, gives 5 fatigue. Stuns
an enemy with your next attack. Couple this to a slow spell and that foe
won't be moving any time soon! Use this with all four of your characters, and
that foe will lose 2 turns!
Battle Frenzy. 20 battle skill points needed needed, gives 12 fatigue. The
final discipline, this hastes you (stacks with the haste spell and other AP
increasers). Not the show stopper of Avernum 5, but not awful. I tend to
prefer adrenaline rush, as four characters with that discipline will kill
nearly everything minor in a single turn. Given haste is not as powerful in
A6, this can be useful, though there are a lot of potions, scrolls, and wands
which will cast haste on you as well.
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4. Traits
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Traits are character features that increase (or decrease) the effectiveness
of certain abilities. You can have up to two traits which will affect the
rate you gain experience, plus a race, which will also do the same. You will
get about 40 levels for a human with no traits, which means that each 6-8%
decrease will cost you about 1 level (or 5 skill points) by the end of the
game. However, most traits more than make up for this decrease. I do not
recommend any negative traits.
Traits give slow increases to skills which means one point at the beginning
of the game and one point every 12 levels or so, and fast increases to skills
which means two points at the beginning of the game and one point every eight
levels or so.
Good Constitution (1 level lost): Increases your resistances. Effectively
acts as a free two points in hardiness, and gives a few more points in mental
and stun resistances. Good cheap trait if you hate losing levels.
Nimble Fingers (1 level lost): Gives a bonus of 2 points initially to tool use
which increases quickly, and a bonus to first aid which increases slowly.
Not really worth it, compared to Avernum 5. You want the tool use early, not
late in the game.
Thick Skin (1 level lost): Gives a bonus to armor naturally. No bonuses to
resistances, and I prefer good constitution slightly.
Strong Will (1-2 levels lost): Hugely increases your mental resistance (by
about a full 50%!). Good if you hate charming and terror, especially good for
priests (so that they can cast unshackle mind in following turns). Not
necessary though.
Ambidextrous (1-2 levels lost): Gives a great bonus to dual wield. Dual wield
is pretty cheap and easily accessible, and you can train in it about halfway
through the game, so you're better off giving your fighters elite warrior and
divinely touched in terms of power. If you're bored of that option, this is a
fine trait.
Deadeye (1-2 levels lost): Gives a bonus to sharpshooter (+2) which increases
quickly. OK for dedicated archers and nephilim. Archers aren't that great in
this game, so you can skip it entirely. There are better traits for everyone
else though.
Fast on Feet (2 levels lost): Increases your attack order and occasionally
gives one bonus AP. A really nice cheap trait if you can't stand not maxing
out your level.
Pure Spirit (2-3 levels lost): Gives a bonus to priest spells which increases
quickly and gives a bonus to magical efficiency which may also increase
quickly. Any dedicated priest (the character who is aiming for 18 in Priest
spells) should get this trait.
Natural Mage (2-3 levels lost): Gives a +2 bonus to mage spells which
increases quickly, and allows you to have up to 20% encumbrance before losing
the ability to cast spells. Extremely potent for mages, definitely go for it
for your dedicated mage.
Elite Warrior (2-3 levels lost): Gives a bonus to parry and blademaster which
increases quickly for both skills, and a slight bonus to your carrying
capacity. Great for melee warriors, or any sort of meat shield characters.
Divinely Touched (4-5 levels lost): Gives slow increases to magery,
blademaster, and sharpshooter, with +1 free points to these skills. Also
gives a very healthy increase to armor. You can't go wrong with giving any
character this trait, especially characters who want to do more than one
thing. This trait will benefit everyone.
Weak-Minded (1 level gain): Decreases your mental resistance. Not worthwhile.
Delicate Skin (1-2 levels gained): Decreases your fire and cold resistances,
and perhaps your energy resistance. Ouch.
Sluggish (1-2 levels gained): Decreases your attack order, and sometimes takes
away an AP. May find mild use for late-stage characters (for instance,
priests who need to cast cure, unshackle mind, or healing spells) but probably
not worthwhile.
Brittle Bones (2-3 levels gained): Increases damage taken from melee attacks.
Ouch.
Frail (3-4 levels gained): Everything goes badly for you. Double ouch. The
extra levels aren't worth it.
Races:
Due to the introduction of battle techniques, all non-human races are quite
useful as they will get you significant bonuses to the abilities which decide
what level battle techniques you can use. Some may suggest that you give your
entire party a non-human race, which really isn't a bad idea as the cost isn't
that high. I would recommend making an all-nephil party due to the power of
bows in the late game, or a 3 nephil-1 slith party. Anyway you try it, you'll
be wiping the world clean. I'd recommend either race for priests and mages.
Humans make ok dual-wielding fighters, though you'll need to get at least nine
points in a melee weapons to access the best disciplines.
Human: No penalties or bonuses. I'd recommend this for dual-wield fighters.
Nephilim (about 2 levels lost): Gives a bonus to bows, thrown missiles, (+2
for both and which increases quickly ) and gymnastics (+1 which increases
slowly). Excellent for archers or anyone who can use a bow (OK, so everyone).
Slithzerikai (about 3 levels lost). Gives a bonus to pole weapons (+2 and
which increases quickly), and a bonus to fire, poison, and acid resistances,
and a few bonus HP. Excellent for pole fighters, good for mages since the
fire resistance helps them stick around a bit longer when foes retaliate for
your spells. The bonus to pole weapons helps mages get to great battle
disciplines.
KEY:
Name of place (number)
Q: Quests available {rewards for job board quests}
S: Skills, spells, and trainers (cost)
U: Secret Doors
C: Cache supplies
I: Items of Note
$: Merchants [Key Items] *Constructions*
////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\
1. DEMO AREA
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Castle Food Depot (A0):
Q: Find Sergeant Nichol, Kill Some Rats, Help Lieutenant Katlyn, Back to
Nichol, Deep Storage, See Katlyn Again, Hunt Down Trinket, Delivery: The
Castle, Goblin Trophies, Lost Lizard, Infested Trash Pit, Go to the Castle
U: Second Food Locker, East deep storage
C: Leather Helmet
I: Blessed Bauble (2%)
$ Or'Vysss
You start out in your quarters. Grab the supplies to the east and then go
talk with Sergeant Nichol. He tells you to go kill some rats. Head south and
do so, claiming a scroll for your time. Also loot the box for some minor
items, and grab the food nearby the water pit. Keep as much food as you can
on you at all time, probably on one character. Tell Nichol when you've
succeeded, and he sends you upstairs. Explore a bit and you'll find a new
region. Head south, pillaging the few stores of some food. In the second
locker area is a secret area with some rats. Kill them for some more armor.
Head west then north, grabbing the bag of meal. Talk with Katlyn and she
sends you on your way. Head back, and you're confronted by two refugees.
They can't be helped, so push them on out. You then find Runkle. Go ahead
and refuse to help him and kill him instead for some more armor. Back down to
Nichol.
You're given your first longer quest, to investigate the deep storage. Head
west, and go kill the goblin and rats. A nearby secret button opens a passage
that leads to some crystals and a suit of chainmail armor. Head south, and
kill a few more goblins. Go east, and you'll find Lord Trinket. Kill his
minions (blessed bauble necklace as a reward), then go south and see where he
went. Open the portcullis to leave, and report to Nichol. He tells you to
see Katlyn again, after some crying.
Katlyn tells you to hunt down Trinket. You can also leave the base, for the
first time. Ask Katlyn for some help and you're given some items in a locked
bin in the barracks (with unpleasant soldiers). You can trade with Or'Vysss.
I don't recommend buying anything, but be sure to sell off all of your junk.
Talk with Dominica, then head west out of the depot and look at the job board.
Grab all of the quests, and explore the area. To the east is an unfinished
part of the fort. Kill the goblins there. A cache to the SE of the fort has
a leather helmet. A bit further to the SE is the trash pit which has been
infested with slimes. Kill them to complete one of the job board quests.
Your rewards: Lizard quest (spineshield scroll), Goblin Trophies (300c),
Infested Trash pit (steel shield).
Completion of the Trinket quest gets you sent to the castle, and 300c. Time
to head north!
Goblin Mine (A1)
S: Icy Rain
I: Fine Cleaver (6-12 d, +1 Dex), Woven Silver Chain (1 HER), Shielding Ring
(4%, 5 SR)
Be sure to get the Goblin Ear job board quest before attempting this area!
Talk with Vandarin, the goblin hunter. You can get him to join with you if
you'd like. Do so briefly at the very least so that he opens his locker for
you allowing you to grab a few decent (especially right now) items. If you
leave the area, Vandarin skips out on you. You can recruit him back into your
group when you come back here.
When you're ready, head on south to the mine proper. Open up the locked
door for some decent minor armor and loot. In this room is also a button to
push with some decent gems and pants. Continue to explore the top portion of
this map and you'll find Cleaver Grog. Kill him for your first significant
magic weapon, a fine cleaver.
Head down the north path first. GO north, and kill the goblins. You'll find
one named Drexa Eyebite, kill her for a woven silver chain. Two heavily
locked doors are nearby, you will open them later. Go back upstairs then go
down the south stairs.
You'll find a large group of goblins. Kill them. TO the north is a locked
chest (tool use ~8), open it for some crystals. Grab the other minor goods in
the nearby chests and on the table, then use the platform. You are attacked
by bats and goblins along the way across. Be sure to stay in combat mode so
as to kill them all and not get overwhelmed. Trinket taunts you all the way
across. The SE area holds a few rats, and a nephil and some goblins. Unlock
the nearby cabinet for a ruby. Go north, kill the wolves and loot their
nests. Be sure to loot everything because you can't return here. When ready,
use the next platform. Again, enter combat mode and stay in it, you will
again be taunted by Trinket (you can't kill him yet).
The NE is the last major area. Trinket and his consort, Esmerelda, are
here. Kill them both. Trinket has a couple of tricks, primarily summons, but
isn't very tough. If you find this fight difficult, remember to use your
blessing and shielding spells. Grab the loot they drop- a chainmail suit,
some iron bracers, and a shielding ring. Trinket also drops a key which you
instantly pick up. When they're all dead, go talk with the shadowy slith.
This is Khrez-Yss, one of the leaders of the sliths horde. He threatens you
and walks away. Loot the rest of the area for some fine leather (keep this!),
a mysterious scroll, and other minor goods.
You can now loot the area. Go through the door nearby Drexa to find a spell
book of icy rain, an extremely useful spell. This spell requires 3 arcane lore
in order to learn. Continue into the central area and you'll see some crystal
spires. They are guarded by Warmaster Gella. Kill him for an iron
breastplate. Head back to your home base to report your success.
Southern Great Cave (A2)
C: Healing Potion
I: Swampwalker Leather (12%, 10 SR, 5 PR, 5 AR), Helm of Klin (9%, +1 Pa, +1
BM)
Here you will find the lizard that is the object of a job board quest. Kill
the various lizards that come for you then go down the stairs. Go around,
kill the lizards and loot their nests. At the end you'll find a blue lizard.
Beat it until it submits.
If you're coming here from Patrick's Tower, you'll find some goblins in the
region slightly to the east of the main path. Shaman Bonesnap is their
leader, and he drops a swampwalker leather on death.
If you're here from underneath Patrick's Tower, you'll find more worms and
crawlers. The most important thing you find is near the center of the map.
Here you find an imprisoned demon. Luckily you get first strike. Buff up,
then hit it with everything you have. You get a knowledge brew and a helm of
Klin for you time.
Portal Keep (A3)
Q: Shades Downstairs, Flawless Crystals, The Crystalspawn
C: Leather Greaves
U: Crystalspawn reward room
I: Ruby Necklace (2%, +5 FR, +10 ER), Shadow Band (+1 PA, +1 Gym, +1 Def)
$: Portmaster Bronner
Until you need to be here, there's not too much to do here. You can grab
some leather greaves from a cache, and a passage down to the SE. You're
attacked by skeletons on the way down the passage. Down the passage are two
more skeletons, one of which drops an iron breastplate on death.
When you've got a mission to come here from the castle, go ahead and enter.
Talk with Portmaster Bronner for a mission- to clear out some ghosts. Go
downstairs and talk with Sage Angela (completing a delivery for 100c). Go
south and kill all the wisps, including the glowing one (wisdom crystal
drop!). When they're all dead, talk with Asta again. She gives you a quest
to get her some flawless crystals. You'll find a lot over the course of the
game. Each one gets you 30c, and some experience. Give her two and she gives
you a piercing crystal. Four, you get a purging crystal. Six a battle
crystal, and eight, a wisdom crystal. Ten gets you a ruby necklace.
Portmaster Bronner will now buy your stuff and teach you to use the portal.
Go back to Meryhew to report your success.
When you've reached level 10 or so, Bronner will ask you to kill a new
shade, the Crystalspawn. GO down the stairs, buff up, and attack. Try to get
two rounds of attack on it to kill it. It summons nasty help when you attack.
The floating globes can do a fair bit of damage. First kill the shade and the
globes are weakened. You can kill each weakened globe with a blast from a
fiery wand, if you need to kill them all at the end. You get an extremely
powerful shadow band for your efforts. The nearby body has a potent wand,
grab it then tell Bronner of your success. Grab the loot he tells you to
claim (don't forget to touch the button to open a bit more loot!).
If you're coming here from underneath Patrick's tower (note that there are
two ways- from the west and from the south), you'll find a set of shades to
the north. Kill them, including the radiant shade. Then kill the radiant
shade to the NE. Claim your fine leather and other decent goods, then head
back to Patrick's Tower to report your success.
Memorial Grounds (A4)
U: East tomb
I: Apprentice Belt (2%, +1 ME), Runed Greaves (4%, +5 SR, +5 ER)
There are a few things to do here. Several tombs are waiting to be looted.
The ones to the northwest hold a ruby skeleton guarding some decent armor, and
a trap with a steel spear in a tomb. To the center are a tomb with some
aranea and a null wand, and a heavily locked tomb. TO the east is a tomb with
a secret button. Buff up before pushing it, then push it and kill the
bandits. The evil mage Hathirix drops an apprentice belt.
There's a strongly locked room near the south central (12 TU to open). Once
you can get in, buff up, then kill the death worshipper and his quickghast
minions. This can be a tough battle if it catches you off guard. For your
time you get a focusing crystal.
Note that the crypt wight is fairly tough and you may have to wait a bit to
take it on. Go and hit it, it eventually disappears and possesses one of your
characters. After two turns the wight returns with four skeletons. Kill the
skeletons, then hit the wight. After it is beaten a bit, it possesses another
character again. Wait two turns, then it summons skeletons again. Hit it and
it possesses your character for a final time. After two turns it summons
skeletons. Kill it and claim your reward, some runed greaves. Also grab the
emerald from the skull pile.
Webbed Woods (A5)
Q: Case's Infestation
C: Group Heal
I: Swamp Pants (2%, 5 PR), Swamp Boots (4%, 5 PR, 5 AR)
$: Case
A spider haven. Kill all of the nests of spiders for a variety of minor
goods. You can find some swamp boots here which are the most notable of
items. To the SE you'll find Case. Case asks you to kill a nearby slime.
Go north, and go down the pit. This slime splits when you hit it (once per
turn), and is strong against magical attacks. Hit it with physical damage
(melee, pole, bow, thrown) until it dies, then kill the copies. Grab some
herbs as a reward, and loot the north body for some swamp pants. Tell Case
once you've succeeded to buy some stuff from him. Buy the energetic herbs,
the rest you don't really need.
North of Castle (A6)
C: Gold Bar
$: Hessesha
This area is, well, north of the castle. A few merchants are here,
including Hessesha, who has interesting ideas on who is causing the blight,
and Vaclav, who will sell you some food. You should never need to buy food if
you're good at hoarding it. To the west is a cache (6 Nature lore required)
which will get you a gold bar when you dig it up.
The Castle (A7)
Q: Learn to Use Pylons, Grave Robbers, Bounty: Giant Spiders, Message: Lower
Portal, Delivery: Fissure Post, Crypt Wight, Corrupted Mushrooms, The Blessed
Athame, The Onyx Scepter, The Crystal Shards, Demonslayer!, Aid Dharmon, Aid
Gnass, Aid Patrick's Tower, The Great Portal, Aid Tower Colony, Aid Almaria,
Aid the Excavation, Melanchion's Message, Jobs for Levitt, Aid Silvar, Aid
Cotra, Aid Fort Dranlon, Slay Ghavassa-Oss, Aid Solberg, Rescue Fort
Monastery, Reopen Fort Draco, The Vahnatai, Go to Melanchion, Aid Melanchion
S: Sage Asta, Correlea, Cloak of the Arcane, Divine Host, Arcane Summon,
Arcane Blow
I: Assassin's Shield (21%, +2 QA, +1 Anat, +2 LB), Pearlescent Band (4%, +5
SR, +2 PW, +1 SS), Archer's Cloak (3%, +2 Bow, +2 TM, +1 QA), Oozing Sword
(11-33, +10 AR, +5 TH), Mercuric Plate (24%, +50 SR, -20 TH, +1 Battle Speed,
-1 Str), Symbiotic Cloak (5%, -1 Str, -1 Dex, +2 Int)
$: Ssem'Ess
Commander Meryhew is your leader for the next few chapters. Talk with her
for your next mission- to learn to teleport. She'll also open the northern
locker for you for a few minor goods.
Go ahead and find the job board and take the quests. Look around as well.
Most of the best stuff right now is to the NW. Also look upstairs to find
more people. Sage Asta will train you in priestly magic, and will teach you
smite if you'd like. She also gives you a quest to retrieve some corrupted
mushrooms. This quest will span the game. The nearby mushrooms get you 50c
and two healing potions. Mushrooms from the Abyss get you 100c and two energy
potions. Mushrooms from the Eastern Gallery get you 200c and two healing
elixirs. Mushrooms from the northern isles get you 300c and two energy
elixirs, as well as a pack of crystals and some advanced training
opportunities. Nearby Asta is Lark (give her the delivery from the Food Depot
for 50c), who gives you a series of quests as well. Her first quest is to
recover the Blessed Athame. Returning the athame gets you a knowledge brew,
wand of death, and the pleasant assassin's shield. Next Lark wants you to
retrieve the Onyx Scepter. Finding the scepter gets you a pearlescent band, a
knowledge brew, and a spellbook with cloak of the arcane. Next Lark wants the
Orb of Thralni. Finding the Orb of Thralni gets you an archer's cloak and a
point in divine host. Next Lark wants some crystal shards, part of the
vahnatai communication system. Do so for a point in arcane summon and an
oozing sword (which is less powerful than the venomous blade you just earned).
Lark's final quest for you is to claim demonslayer. Claiming demonslayer gets
you the final reward, a point in arcane blow, the awesome mercuric plate, and
a knowledge elixir. Downstairs you find Ssem'Ess, the quartermaster. He will
give you a per diem, not quite every day (I know...). Return whenever you
complete a quest for the castle, and you may (MAY) receive 40c. You may also
get to grab a few of the items in nearby boxes. To the east is Correlea, who
trains you in magic spells, including the fairly useful slow spell. Be sure
to touch the nearby pylon. A bit south you'll find Ghall-Ihrno, a vahnatai.
Talk with him, then go into his chambers. Loot the vahnatai blade, it's the
strongest melee weapon you'll find for a while. Also grab the piercing
crystals. Finally go talk with Kanox to the SW. He'll give you a loaf of
bread. Return to him whenever you've eaten something for more bread.
Finally, Jasmine in the center of the castle asks you to ask for help from
Leavitt. Be sure to do so before you actually go to Silvar.
The barriers here have a basilisk behind them (nearby Correlea), and an
experimental slime (nearby Sage Asta) which drops a focusing crystal.
Completion of Grave Robbers quest gets you 200c and a chainmail vest, as
well as another task on the job board. Completion of the spider quest gets
you 300c, and a steel helmet. Completion of the crypt wight quest gets you
400c and an iron halberd.
When you've done the portal quest, return to tell Meryhew. She gives you
three quests, to help cities around the Great Cave. I'd recommend first
trying to help out Gnass, as you then gain access to a trainer who helps
significantly. Once you've helped a city, tell Meryhew and collect your per
diem, and get Ssem'Ess to open a supply box for you (some minor potions).
Once you've completed the other city quests, you can claim a second supply box
(healing elixirs and energy elixirs) and per diem. Your next mission is to
help out at the great portal. Return when things go wrong. You increase in
rank to sergeant, and are give the task to help three more cities. Once
you've helped one, return for your per diem. When you've helped two or three,
return for a new boss. Don't forget to get your per diem as well. You also
get to take the final supply box, getting you some healing elixirs, a
knowledge elixir, and an invulnerability elixir.
Levitt is now in charge of you. You can get to him by going up the NE
stairs. Once you've found him he opens up the latch so that you can get to
him more easily. You increase in rank to Lieutenant now, and are given a
quest to retrieve a message from Melanchion, a dragon. Also, tell Levitt
about Jasmine and her request for aid to Silvar (be sure to tell her
afterwards!). You can also loot 10 skribbane from the nearby chest. Correlea
will now train you in advanced magic, including the cloak of blades spell.
Return to Levitt when you have the message, and he'll open up a north storage
room for you. He then gives you quests to help three cities. Complete one
for a renewal of your per diem. Complete two and you're given a nice new
quest- to slay Ghavass-Oss, the slith warlord. Ugh, no small task! For this
you are given a boat. Claim your per diem then head north of Almaria via
pylon. Tell Levitt when you've succeeded and he'll open up another supply
room to the north. Your next quest is to aid Solberg. Help him slay Ess-
Kalyn, then report to Levitt. The pylon to northern Avernum should now be
awake. He gives you three new quests- to help places in northern Avernum. If
you want to do the vahnatai quest, be sure to speak with Ghall-Ihrno prior to
attempting it. You ascend a rank as well.
Completion of the Fort Draco quest with most of the soldiers surviving gets
you 500c. Completion of the other two quests get you nothing of note.
However, you can now enter the throne room.
If you want, you can loot the castle. Head SE from Lark, and open the room.
Kill the two sentinels, and claim the symbiotic cloak. Then head past the
traps to grab the blessed breastplate and greaves, and the crystal mirror (a
quest object).
Talk with King Starrus. He gives you your quest- to go speak with
Melanchion. Return when you've done that quest for the next quest- to help
Melanchion.
Webbed Woods (A8)
C: Gold Bar, Spiritual Herbs
I: Blessed Silk Tunic (6%, +1 SC)
This area continues with the abandoned, spider-infested region of Avernum.
An item of note here is the blessed silk tunic, which is guarded by some
spiders and an aranea.
Gnass (A9)
Q: Bounty: Salamander, The Killer Koepp, Tasty Limb Meat, Meat for Gnass,
Rescue Treviass, Seleeass's Scrolls
S: Seleeass
I: Fine Slith Spear (11-44 d), Chilling Band (2%, 15 FR), Coated Cloak (4%, 5
FR), Nimble Chain (+1 Gym)
$: Ethssyn
Gnass is home to friendly sliths. Be sure to grab the quests on the job
board. One of the quests here is to bring six limbs of dead creatures for
food. The limbs are green, webbed arms. Doing this gets you 400c.
Completion of the salamander quest gets you a nimble chain. Completion of the
Koepp quest gets you four good scrolls.
Ethssyn sells pole arms to you. Aktitoss will tell you about the sliths.
Pelin-Ath has a request of you- to get meat from Dharmon. Doing so (you are
given a choice not to) gets you a coated cloak. Gless-Thsss is chief here and
asks you to rescue his son, Treviass. This will satisfy a major mission for
the castle. He is at the Bandit Lands (AA). Completion of this quest gets
you a fine slith spear, the best pole weapon you'll have for a while.
Seleeass is the priestess here. She talks with you some more about a mission.
She will also train you in priest spell sup to ward of thoughts, and will
increase you arcane lore and nature lore for cash. Both are expensive unless
you complete a quest for her. Completion of her quest by finding some scrolls
gets you a chilling band. She also will translate the scroll from the goblin
mines for you.
Go down the stairs nearby the blacksmith. You'll find a bunch of lizards.
Kill them, then beef up. Kill the mutant lizards for some fine leather,
herbs, and good potions (invulnerable brew, knowledge brew).
Bandit Lands (AA)
C: Lovely Crystal, Emerald
S: Unshackle Mind
U: Nearby Smith Grrargh
I: Shining Golden Band (1%, 7 ER), Girdle of Endurance (2%, +1 End), Woven
Silk Robe (12%, 10 ER, 10 FR, 20 SR), Shield of Warmth (12%, 5 CR)
Bandits and goblins seem to stick together. Head south, killing the
sentries as you encounter them. Go south, and then approach the statue. So
long as you have the info from Gnass, you'll be able to enter. Go down the
stairs.
To the east are some wolves. Go ahead and kill them and take their stuff.
When ready (probably make a new save), head east. Go through the gate, it
locks behind you. Go east, and some nephil drop rocks on crates releasing
worms. Kill them, then kill the nephil. Head north. Kill shaman Baorla for
a shining golden band. Continue north, you'll see a guardian hellhound. Beef
up (bless, shield, haste) then kill it. Happily it lets you attack first so
long as you don't get too close to it. Try to hit it with smites as they do
the most damage. Read the nearby book for a point in the unshackle mind
spell, which may have been useful in this fight (7 arcane lore needed). You
also find the scrolls for Seleeass here. Grab them. Use the nearby basin for
25 spell points.
Go back and head up the stairs. Go down and kill the few cultists who block
you. Then go south and claim the minor loot. Head north, and you'll see a
bunch of calderas. Enter combat mode and run to the end of this area (go
ahead and kill the salamanders, you have time). At the end you find Smith
Grrargh, an ogre. Kill him for a girdle of endurance, then loot the area.
Nearby you find some fine steel. Through the door is a limb and fine bronze
helmet. Head a bit west to kill some lizards and claim a dazing wand. Also
hit the nearby secret button to open up the area above the wolf den.
Continue west. If you can, break into the room north of the gated dungeon
for a basin that restores some SP. You are confronted by Fahdroth Benttail.
Treviass is with him. Focus on Fahdroth, and ignore Treviass. When you kill
Fahdroth, Treviass relents. Fahdroth drops a woven silk robe on death. Loot
the area for a shield of warmth.
North Great Cave (AB)
C: Healing Herbs, Spiritual Herbs, Energetic Herbs
Not much here beyond some caches and the pylon for Gnass.
Fort Emerald (AC)
C: Spiritual Herbs
You can't do much here, ever, unfortunately.
Blosk Ruins (AD)
C: Graymold, Scroll- Group Heal
S: Minor Summon
U: NW basement room, Getting the cache,
I: Grounded Boots (4%, +5 ER), Deadeye Cloak (4%, +1 SS)
Come here when you have the mission from Dharmon's mayor. You are accosted
by a few thugs outside. Kill them. Then head north. Talk with Sssolak to
get in. I'd head SE first. Go and touch the secret button to open up a room
with a passage to some bats and iron bars. Grab the fine steel bar and head
back up (this fulfills one of the quests on the Dharmon job board). Most of
the people here are friendly and you can talk with them. Duffy will fill you
in on what's going on. Head north and you'll be set up for a trap. Head
east, to face Mangan. Prep for battle, then kill Mangan. He drops some
nimble sandals on death. Now hurry north, and go down the stairs to the east.
Enter combat mode, and continue west. Kill all the brigands you encounter
(don't bother picking up their loot just yet though- do so later). You'll
kill about four groups of brigands until you run into Sssolak. Kill them for
some blessed gauntlets, deadeye cloak and grounded boots. Go back and loot
for a blessed short sword, a spell book that teaches minor summon, and a
knowledge crystal. Return to Dharmon to tell of your success.
West Great Cave (AE)
C: Flawless Crystal (x2), Beautiful Crystal (X5), Piercing Crystal
I: Girdle of Strength (2%, +1 Str), Spectral Falchion (7-14, +2 Def, +4 HER)
This area is full of crystals. Go down the northern mine, you'll find it
full of salamanders. Most are young and weak, but one is a bit tougher (and
not described as young). It drops a fine leather and a girdle of strength on
death. The best way to attempt this area is to send two fighters out to kill
the salamanders and heal with your mage + priest. Alternatively, the route
east is not riddled with volcanic vents. Loot the nest and leave this place.
A miner named Wilkie offers to see you his claim. It's worth buying, but
pretty well haunted. Wilkie eventually leaves if you buy the claim, allowing
you to loot his camp. Head south and you'll find the nasty shade. The ghost
here splits off three vengeful shades every time it dies. You have to kill it
four times for it to finally die. Claim your reward- lots of crystals
(including a wisdom crystal) and a spectral falchion.
Fissure Post (AF)
Q: Hunting Holda, Hunting Herwin, Claim Checks
C: Healing Herbs
S: Reginaldo
I: Enchanter's Robe (9%, +1 MS, +1 PS, +2 SC), Armor Ring (6%, +8 SR), Leaden
Band (8%, -10 TH, +15 SR, +4 HER)
A little bit of a respite from the chaos. Talk with Yardley for the low-
down on the inn. He will sell some overpriced foodstuffs as well. Be sure to
talk with Adelard to get a couple of quests. The first is to find his
daughter, Holda. She's a long way off, and you won't find her just yet. Once
you find her in Silvar, tell Adelard for an armor ring. Next he wants you to
find Herwin, his son. Herwin is in Spire, being attacked. Let his dad know
his whereabouts for a leaden band, a ring with powerful armor.
Talk with Mother Alice for another quest- to investigate her land holdings.
The holdings are at (AO, AS, C1). Completion of this quest gets you a number
of gems. Eventually you should head upstairs. Talk with Herwin. In the
northern part of the second floor you'll find a heavily trapped chest. Grab
the enchanter's robe inside. Go to the NE, and you'll find Reginaldo. In
order to do so you must disarm his trap, and kill a salamander. Talk with him
(fulfilling a delivery quest for a focusing crystal and some fine steel). He
will train you in spellcraft and magical efficiency. Another trainer later is
cheaper than Reginaldo, but it may take you a while to get to her. He also
sells scrolls.
Scuttler Woods (AG)
C: Spiritual Herbs, Healing Herbs, Flawless Crystal, Graymold
S: Summon Shade
U: Down the building
I: Shining Silver Band (+7 CR)
This area is home to several scuttlers. You job is to kill the pack
leaders. One is just south of the fissure post inn. There's a second on the
peninsula west of the portal keep. There's also an abandoned building here.
Go down the stairs to find more scuttlers and a secret door.
If you come here from underneath Patrick's Tower, there's a lot more to see.
To the NW is a body with minor goods. A bit east are two "Forgotten Shades".
Kill their minions, then kill them for a wisdom crystal and scroll. Use the
nearby book for a point in summon shade. Head south from here, kill the
slimes and the spiny crawler for a shining silver band.
West Great Cave (AH)
C: Iron Bracers
I: Ratskin Helmet (5%)
$: Cavarin
Some goblins are at the east. Kill Shaman Torkh. Cavarin is a crafter and
will make some decent items for you out of fine leather. I'd recommend a
ratskin helmet or two. To the north you'll find some more scuttlers,
including a packmaster. Head down the nearby mine and you'll find some rats.
Kill them and continue west. GO north, nad you'll find the rat hivemother.
Focus all of your attacks on the hivemother as she summons nasty unstable rats
if you don't get rid of her fast. Unstable rats explode on death. She drops
a ratskin helmet on death.
Sorengard's circle is here. Buff up, then talk with the red sentinel. Try
to kill a few sentinels during this fight, but not the red one. The second
test is easy, provided the sentinels haven't regenerated. If they have, then
try using spineshield and a few haste scrolls to kill them. It doesn't matter
here if you kill them all.
West Great Cave (AI)
C: Gold Ring
I: Thick Wool Tunic (6%, +5 CR), Blessed Shortsword (10-20)
This area holds the mushroom test for Patrick's towerm which you can reach
from the west. Also on this side is another scuttle pack leader. Kill it to
help fulfill Gladwell's job board quest.
When you're ready, head towards the blue stairs. Go down them, and ignore
the sentinels. If they attack you, you need to get the mushroom quest first!
Go north, and explore. Nearby you will find some spiny crawlers (an object of
a quest for Patrick's Tower) and venomous worms. Kill them. As you head
east, you'll find some traps. These are some of the protection set up by the
squatters. Other protection is south in the form of trained worgs. Kill them
and loot their nests for a thick wool tunic (fairly worthless). When you're
ready to deal with the squatters head up the stairs. More worgs confront you,
though these aren't too difficult. Dhera is the leader of the squatters. You
can convince them all to leave without a fight, but if you're feeling vicious,
take them out for a blessed shortsword.
Patrick's Tower (AJ)
Q: Sparkling Shades, Tunnel Worms, Scuttler Packs, The Ice Wraith, Test the
Mushrooms, Construct Test, The Buried Seal, The Dark Spiral, The Mayor of
Spire, The Spider's Egg
S: Spray Acid, Control Foe, Ward of Elements, Lightning Spray, Dispel Barrier,
Fireblast, Arcane Blow, Sorengard
U: Nearby Icy Wraith
I: Singing Rapier (10-20, +2 QA, +1 BM), Shielding Knife (6%, 4-8), Crystal
Woven Chitin (12%, +20 SR, +1 SC), Shield Ring (4%, +5 SR), Piercing Gloves
(2%, +1 Anat), Incantor's Ring (6%, +1 MS, +1 SC), Nullity Shield (18%, +15
SR, +5 ER, -2 FR), Runed Plate (34%, +50 SR, +20 MR, +2 SC), Jade Halberd (20-
80, +10 HER, +10 Protection from Weapons)
Here is one of the mage refuges of the great cave. You'll see the job board
immediately. Grab all the quests now. The scuttler quest gets you 500c.
Completion of the spiny crawler quest gets you a steel broadsword. Completion
of the radiant shade quest gets you 250c and a shield ring.
Inside Patrick's Tower are a number of mages. First go talk with Solberg.
You get your orders to continue. Ildiko is the librarian here. She asks you
to recover a book by killing a nasty wraith. Do so for some scrolls. Julz
will make potions for you (I wouldn't really bother, and don't make anything
that requires energy herbs!). Nearby is a magic barrier, which if you dispel
it with a piercing crystal, gets you a point in the spray acid spell (which is
a great all-purpose single enemy damage spell). Talk with Horyn when you want
to complete the tower's main quest. Horyn wants you to test the mushrooms.
Doing so requires you to clear out some squatters, kill the fungal beast, and
turn a wheel. Completion of this quest gets you a shielding knife, which can
be useful for mages. Finally, Sorengard has a few quests for you, and can
teach you several spells. He wants you to tests some sentinels to the north.
When you've done the first test, tell him and claim your reward, some piercing
gloves. The second test is to survive. Completion of quest #2 gets you an
incantor's ring and a point in ward of elements.
If you go downstairs nearby Julz, you'll find a magic barrier. Head east,
use the secret button, and you'll find a piercing crystal to bring it down
with. Go back west, buff up, and kill the wight. Use your disrupt undead
spell as best you can. Read the spellbook for a point in control foe.
When you come here to test the mushrooms, be careful. Try to kill a few
worms, then make your way to the center of the map. Kill the fungal beast.
It summons some worms, but is not too fierce. It drops a singing rapier and
knowledge brew on death. Next turn the wheel. Wait a bit and all the
mushrooms become infected with the blight.
Gladwell is one of the most important people in the tower (if not,
interestingly, in all of Avernum!). He has a series of quests for you, of
dubious moral character. By no means do you have to do any of them! His
first is straight-forward enough, free some shades in Fort Remote. Do this
quest, claim your reward of a crystal woven chitin armor, a wisdom crystal,
the ability to cast lightning spray, and other minor goods. Gladwell will send
you on another quest, to break the circle of protection at the dark energy
center nearby Mertis. When you've done that, tell him and you'll be able to
use a book that improves you dispel barrier spell. Additionally, you can
claim the mediocre nullity shield. Your next quest is to bug, literally, the
house of Spire's mayor, Annatolia. This ends up killing the mayor. For this
evil act you get a runed plate, the best armor for mages out there, as well as
a wisdom crystal. Use the book to improve your fireblast skill. Next
Gladwell wants an egg from the Giant Intelligent Friendly Talking Spiders, or
GIFTSs. You will want to wait to do this quest until after you have claimed
the rewards from another quest, the mean shaman quest. Completion of this
quest gets you a silk-woven cord, a knowledge elixir, and the ability to cast
cloak of the arcane. Next Gladwell wants Erika's tower. This finishes
Gladwell's tasks for you and gets you a point in arcane blow, the jade
halberd, and a knowledge elixir.
Dharmon (AK)
Q: Message: Vanessa, Nephilim Rogues, Kyra's Symbols, Lost Blosk Supplies, Aid
Leonhart, Saving Koepp, Evict Kiril, The Blosk Hoarders, The Skribbane Eaters
C: Broken Pot
S: Priestess Kyra
U: To Captain Puvner
I: Stunning Blade (3-6, stun damage), Blessed Breastplate (34%, 50 SR, -20
TH), Blessed Shield (21%, -5 TH), Blessed Boots (8%), Stability Bauble (10 SR)
$: Patricia, Rippel
This is one of the major cities of the Great Cave. Most of the action is
underground. Sergeant Estragon will give you rations (until you make Puvner
honor the deal with Gnass), and gives you a quest to save Koepp. This quest
contradicts the quest from Gnass. Vladimir is a bum who will give you advice
for a fee. Probably the most important person in town is the priestess Kyra.
She will train you in some priest spells, but the major opportunity she
provides are her blessings. These give you a significant bonus to everyone in
your party to a single skill for 3000c. You can get improvements to your
melee skill (sword), pole weapon skill (spear), bow and thrown skill (eye),
and spellcraft (mind). You will want to buy them all at some point. You can
also go up her stairs and dispel the barrier to grab a steel breastplate and
an iron halberd. Pereles is a tailor with some decent items, most notably the
cap of thoughts. It's pretty expensive though. Patricia will trade with you.
Rippel is the most important of these three as she will construct items for
you. You can also loot her supply closet for a steel breastplate and
broadsword, both fine items at this stage of the game. Thrace is the
innkeeper to the south. She asks you to evict a tenant of hers, Kiril. GO
upstairs and you'll find him in the east room. Be firm, and he'll attack. On
death he drops a stunning blade and a scroll. Thrace gives you 100c for your
time. If you want to get the food delivered to Gnass, head to the SE. GO
into the abandoned room, and use the secret button to open a passage. Hit the
second button, and you'll find Puvner. You now have a choice- you can either
force him to give food to Gnass (getting you a coated cloak), or take his
bribe of a blessed breastplate, which is some excellent armor. If you go up
the nearby stairs you'll find a chest from which you can steal (and get
caught) a blessed shield.
The job board provides several jobs here. Completion of the nephilim bandit
quest gives you some blessed boots. The aid Leonhardt quest gets you a
blessed shield. Completion of the holy symbol quest gets you 200c and a
stability bauble. Completion of the Blosk supplies quest gets you some gold
bars and fine steel.
The mayor is to the SW. He gives you your main quest- to retrieve food from
the Blosk Hoarders. Completion of this one well (not letting any bandits
escape) gets you a terror wand and 300c. If you talk with him enough he also
gives you a quest to kill the skribbane supplier in town. The Skribbane
supplier can be found if you exit Dharmon and head to the north and go down
the hidden stairs. Head to the west and you'll find a room with rats. Kill
them for some fine leather and skribbane. To the east is the skribbane
dealer, Zeleny. Here you have a moral dilemma. You can either kill Zeleny
and rid Dharmon of the skribbane menace, or you can let him live and sell him
skribbane. The latter option gets you a quest to retrieve skribbane herb for
him, for 20c each and some experience. Note that you can only give him your
skribbane once for experience (in the Windows version anyway). Completion of
this quest gets you 500c.
West Great Cave (AL)
C: Lovely Crystal, Beautiful Crystal (x3), Piercing Crystal, Spiritual Herbs,
Energetic Herbs, Iron Bracers
I: Treated Carapace (18%, 10 PR)
In the mine to the north you'll find some zombies and a goblin body with an
iron key on it. Continue west, through the zombies, then up the stairs. Kill
the skeletons for some nice loot, including a wisdom crystal. Head down the
south mine next. Kill all the worms and go through the door. Kill the
nephilim, then kill Chief Kah'Horrr. You get a treated Carapace Shield for
your time. The only other place of note is an old foundry. Inside is a
sentinel who won't attack if you've taken on Patrick's Tower's major quest.
Western Great Cave (AM)
C: Spiritual Herbs
S: Mass Healing
U: Skribbane growers camp
I: Woven Golden Chain (1%, 2 SR)
$: Vanessa
More to kill here. The brewery holds several drunken goblins. Kill them
for some Almarian Wine. Head to the SW and you'll find some lizards and a
mushroom patch. The mushroom patch is full of the diseased mushrooms
requested by Sage Asta. Talk with Dragan here and he'll tell you about the
nephilim bandits. Shaynee's Retreat is also here. The store is run by
Vanessa. She is the object of a delivery quest from Dharmon, and gives you a
flawless crystal and 50c. She sells you a spell book for 500c (mass healing)
which you should either purchase or break into to access. You can also claim
a blessed shield, some plate greaves, a steel breastplate, and a null wand for
your time. To the east is a small hatchway that takes you to some skribbane
growers. Kill them for some skribbane and a woven golden chain. More
skribbane growers meet you when you leave this place.
West Great Cave (AN)
C: Beautiful Crystal (x3), Flawless Crystal
S: Ward of Thoughts
I: Ivory Band (2%, 15 MR)
Go down the northern mine and you'll find an ogre, Horg Toothsnap. He has
the priestly symbols from Dharmon. Kill him (or trade him 5 flawless crystals
if you're feeling wimpy). He's quite susceptible to fear, so try to hit him
with that (the ward of curses worked for me). On death he drops another steel
breastplate and some plate greaves. Grab the amulets.
The southern mine was the home to the necromancer attacking Leonhardt. Kill
the undead, and claim the ivory band from the barrow wight. Grab the loot
here then read the book to increase your ward of thoughts spell.
West Great Cave (AO)
C: Suede Gloves, Healing Herbs (x2), Flawed Crystal
I: Suede Gloves (3%, +2 SC, +2 Res)
Some scuttlers are to the NW. A bit to the south of the scuttler den is a
cache with the excellent Suede Gloves. Be sure to grab them. Also nearby is
one of the claims Mother Alice wanted you to check up on. Kill the Pit Goos.
Haunted Fen (AP)
C: Graymold
I: Blessed Gauntlets (5%), Swamp Boots (4%, +5 PR, +5 AR), Bladeshield Chain
(1%, +1 Rip)
This area is the object of a job board quest. Proceed forward a little bit
here and you'll be attacked by zombies. Search around and you'll find lots of
herbs and other similar loot. Make your way to the SW. Here you'll find
Leonhardt, an alchemist. You can buy some herbs off of him (I'd recommend
buying all the energetic herbs). You can also go up the nearby stairs and
loot his stuff for some mandrake and some blessed gauntlets. Don't drink
either basin here though. Ask if he needs any help. He'll tell you about the
undead that are stalking him. Offer to help, then go a bit north. Kill
everything that approaches. There are four waves of foes, with the last
bringing in a ghast and a necromancer name Ghalna. Ghalna drops some swamp
boots and a nice bladeshield chain on death. Leonhardt gives you some herbs
as a reward. The key the necromancer drops opens the door at (AN).
Fort Remote (C0)
Q: Lost Caravans, Unstable Firebats, Message: Prenvil, Special Worm Ichor
You can't do anything here if you haven't bought the game except for
touching the pylon.
If you have bought the game (It's well worth it), I'd recommend trying this
area a little later. You can go ahead and help Gladwell if you'd like though.
GO to the SE room and approach the paintings. One will open a secret passage
for you. Go up it. Some bats block you. In the SE room is a secret button.
GO north and you'll find an invulnerability potion and a regeneration scroll.
When you're ready go north, and ignore the first two doors. Go into the
third. Enter combat mode. Send one character to the platform, trigger the
encounter, then run! Try to make it close to the door going down, then wait
for the ghosts to fade away. You don't need (and shouldn't!) to kill any of
the ghosts. The other doors you can attempt much later.
Northern Great Cave (AQ)
C: Healing Herbs
I: Treated Leather (10%, +10 SR, +2 HER)
Notable here is an abandoned tannery. Go down the stairs, and kill the
rats, then head west past the traps. You'll find Koepp, who is the object of
two quests. Either kill him (treated leather) or tell him to go to Dharmon.
Remote Marsh (AR)
I: Airy Greaves (4%, +5 SR, -5 TH, +1 Gym, +2 QS)
The remote marsh is a challenge area. You can do part of it right away, but
other parts may take you a bit longer. Spitting salamanders are immediately
out of the exit. You can clear all of these guys, but I'd avoid the center
lizard for a bit. The nephil archers up at the top are a bit difficult, but
if you've cleared all the salamanders, they shouldn't be too hard- tedious,
yes, but not hard.
If you think you're willing to take it on, go fight the lizard. It dies
fast, spitting out four worms. Each worm spits out four crawlers on death, so
you can quickly be overwhelmed if you don't take your time and kill things
deliberately. The set of creatures drops some airy greaves on death.
East Great Cave (AS)
Not too much here- Mert the creepy meat salesman will sell you some meat,
and there's a claim to check for Mother Alice here.
East Great Cave (AT)
C: Cavewood Longbow
Some Avernites, Goodwife Rhoswen and her husband are here. They ask,
indirectly, for a bag of meal. Give it to them. Innkeeper Taggart is a bit
south. He warns you about his patrons. Be most leery of Incatnor Tenelan.
He's tough at this level. Kill him for some decent minor magic goods.
Eastern Great Cave (AU)
U: Secret passage
I: Blessed Belt (6%)
$: Vira the Tinker
Vira the Tinker will trade with you. He has a piercing crystal you may want
to buy. Head a bit to the south to the abandoned farmhouse. Go down the
hatch and use the secret button to see what's happening. You come across some
smugglers. Kill them (this is an Almaria job quest but it doesn't matter when
you complete it). Hrothwar drops a blessed belt on death.
East Great Cave (AV)
I: Magestone Band (1%, +1 ME)
There are lots of scuttlers here. You also find Grieg here, as well as a
Fang Clan outpost. Shaman Trr'Orr is their leader. Kill him for a magestone
band
Almaria (AX)
C: Healing Herbs
You can not enter Almaria until you have bought the full version of the game
and you have permission from Meryhew. You can search around the edges in the
meantime, grabbing a few hidden herbs.
East Great Cave (AW)
C: Graymold
The pylon for Almaria is here. Also here is the navy, which you will
eventually get permission to "join". There's a small hatch here as well wth a
dead body (with a blessed belt).
When you have permission to use a boat, come here and get one. You only
have three boats, so don't lose them!
Almaria (AX)
Q: West Smuggler Tunnel, Honeycomb Hideout, Delivery: Tower Colony, East
Smuggler Tunnel, Locate Cundo, Skribbane Infestation, Message in Almaria,
Donating Meal, Novice Ximun, Noam's... Rats, Empire Hostages
C: Healing Herbs, Mandrake
S: Abbot Erlanger, Mass Curing
U: Mandrake Cache, Hostage rescue
I: Polar Fur Cloak (4%, +5 CR), Girdle of Nimbleness (2%, +1 Dex), Bonding
Knife (7-14, -1 Str, -1 Dex, -1 Int, +4 End)
$: Serilda
You can not enter Almaria until you have bought the full version of the game
and you have permission from Meryhew.
Once you have that permission, return. Search around. Commander Horrmarin
has a mission for you- to deal with the Skribbane Infestation. You can do so
(I'd do the two quests for the dealer first if you want to powergame) for a
composite longbow and some fine lances). Also nearby is a closet full of
valuable goods. Go ahead and loot it. Head east. A refugee named Kelagan
gives you a message, which starts a small quest to fight the sliths. To the
NE you'll find Edmund, who is leader of the refugees. Edmund is important
later, but for now he asks you for meal for the refugees. You don't get
anything for donating the meal, other than experience (which can add up to a
full level at the end of the game!). Oh, and you do get a return life scroll
if you give him 5. Serilda will trade with you. TO the SE is a secret button
on the wall of the town. Touch it and you can grab a cache with mandrake in
it. Abbot Erlanger is the priest of the town. He will teach you spells, and
gives you a quest- lay a beat down on his former novice, Ximun. If you don't
kill Ximun then you get an invulnerable potion and a knowledge brew, in
addition to opening up the locked room downstairs. Inside you'll find a book
that teaches you mass curing. Neither Mayor Regan nor Noam, the wine
salesman, are helpful just yet. They will be after you do the portal quest.
When you're ready to leave, chat with Tardiff. She will open the gate for
you.
There's a job board just outside Commander Horrmarin's office. Grab all of
the quests. The west smuggler tunnel (at (AU)) gets you 300c. The east
smuggler quest gets you 500c. Completion of the honeycomb bandits quest gets
you 200c and a jeweled wand. Finding Cundo gets you an acid shower scroll.
When you're sent here to help out by the castle, people open up a bit more.
Talk with Mayor Regan and she asks you to rescue some empire hostages. First
go talk with Commander Horrmarin. He sends you to Edmund. Edmund sends you
to Edgar, a bum walking the streets. Find Edgar and give him 5c. Then get
him to tell you what he knows. Edgar tells you about a secret passage. Get
the mayor to let you down. Go down the sewer, and head west. Go north, then
east and north past the rats. Use the secret button, and head in. The
captives are nearby. When you let them out, keep close to them so that they
aren't hit by the kidnappers. Or you can block them in and kill the
kidnappers. One of the kidnappers drops a polar fur cloak and a girdle of
nimbleness on death. Try to keep all three of the hostages alive. Tell the
mayor when you've succeeded for 400c and a bonding knife. Noam will ask your
help now as well. Talk with him for a quest, to kill some ... Rats. Head to
his basement, and buff up prior to clearing the corner. A ratcaller demon
waits for you. It drops a ruby breastplate on death. Tell Noam when it's
dead for some wine and 250c.
East Great Cave (B0)
S: Taddeo
Haskell is an alchemist here. He will make you potions for your herbs. I'd
recommend avoiding anything requiring energetic herbs. You can head a bit
south and you'll find a hatch. Go down it, kill the rats, and grab the minor
loot (+ swamp boots, if you need another pair).
The most important person here is Taddeo. Talk with Taddeo and he'll offer
to train you, if you fill his grocery list. He requests a bag of meal, some
meat, and some Almarian wine. Finally he will train you, improving your
anatomy, melee weapons, gymnastics, and sharpshooter skills. Of these,
gymnastics is the only one you may want to avoid as there is a trainer later
who is cheaper. You can also loot his stores for some decent saleable items.
Fungal Woods (B1)
C: Battle Crystal, Mandrake
U: Stairs up from Gremess's tunnel
I: Girdle of Insight (2%, +1 Int), Grounded Cloak (4%, +5 ER), Warmth Ring
(2%, +15 CR)
Plenty of interest here. Head to the SW to find some more diseased
mushrooms (these still count as the first batch, unfortunately). Head to the
SE to the tannery. Go south through the gate, and you get trapped. Go down
the hatch and you find Gremess. He taunts you and leaves. Head east. Take
the stairs up and use the buttons to get some mandrake. You can fight some of
Gremess's pets (lizards, worms, etc.) here, or you can avoid them completely.
I'd fight them- they aren't that difficult. You'll find some fierce undead to
the west. The crypt ghast can terrify your guys, so bring up the ward of
thoughts if it starts to bother you. You can claim a girdle of insight on
killing the ghast. Don't drink from the nearby basins. Instead head a bit
east to find another room with a basin that restores your spell energy. Head
east, kill the worms, then head south. Go a bit further south to loot some
supplies, then head north and up the stairs. You'll find Gremess and two
sliths. Kill them, and take their stuff. Gremess drops a grounded cloak and
a warmth ring.
East Great Cave (AV)
C: Healing Herbs, Spiritual Herbs
I: Spectral Gloves (5%, +5 ER, +10 SR)
Some worgs are around here, as is an odd tunnel. Go down the hatch. Head a
bit west then south. An icy draft alerts you that undead are behind you.
Kill them, then search the opened area. Continue on, and another icy draft
hits you. Kill the undead and loot the new room. Continue a bit further and
the final undead attack hits you. Kill the ghouls, then explore the new room.
Some shades attack you. Kill them and take the spectral gloves as your
reward.
Fort Haledon Ruins (B2)
Q: Chrysander's Thieves, Chrysander's Delivery
C: Speed Potion
I: Aranea Silk Tunic (6%, +8 FR), Eyebeast Chitin (21%, +40 SR, +25 MR),
Duelist Gloves (3%, 10% Fatigue Removal, +2 Rip)
This is the home of skribbane dealers. Search around first, killing some
spiders. Go down the hatch to find a lot more spiders with three aranea.
Grab the aranea silk tunic. When ready, head to the NE. If you're not
overtly hostile, you can get in. Chrysander is in charge here. He will sell
you skribbane. If you want, you can get a quest from him to take care of some
thieves. They are nearby Fort Remote. When you've killed them, return for
some blessed greaves. Chrysander next gives you a quest to give a package of
skribbane to Xylia in Silvar. Completion of this quest gets you 1000c, 4
skribbane, and an eyebeast chitin.
If you're here to kill Chrysander, buff then enter his south room. He gets
upset. Kill him (this isn't too tough a fight if you wait until after you've
done his two quests) for some duelist gloves and a girdle of endurance. Loot
the rest of his stuff for several skribbane and other goods.
East Great Cave (AW)
C: Healing Herbs, Spiritual Herbs
An orchard is here. Grab all the fruit you'd like. Druella will talk with
you. She sells wine. If you don't mind incurring the wrath of the hellhounds,
you can loot her basement. You can avoid the trap by not stepping on the
brown mat in front of the door, I believe.
Portal Caldera (B3)
Q: The Cackling Demon
C: Energetic Herbs, Graymold
I: Mercuric Leather (10%, +10 SR, +1 Speed, -1 Str), Archer's Band (+2 SS)
$: Hossni
The portal caldera is where all the normal people go to flee Avernum. Hossni
will trade with you. Captain Skye will talk with you as well. She gives you
a quest to deal with a cackling demon. This quest is moderately difficult.
If you want you can head to the north and take the stairs down. You'll find a
small shrine with nothing else in it beyond some fire lizards. Come back here
after you've fought the cackling demon a couple of times and you'll finish it
off here. When you've cornered it, buff up then attack. It summons demonic
help but isn't too tough. Grab the mercuric leather it drops, then get your
reward, an archer's band, from Skye.
Murdock, the object of a job board quest, is in a building to the north.
The Honeycomb (B4)
Head here from the Portal Caldera. Kill a few brigands as these are the
goal of the Almaria quest. They drop some swamp pants, a fine slith spear,
and other goods on death. There's not much else here you can reach from this
side- a few spiders, but that's it.
Portal Caldera (B5)
C: Gold Bar, Spiritual Herbs
I: Tribal Symbol (+1 Lck, +1 Hard)
Talk with Sergeant Mrrerum. He fills in some backstory. Head to the NE and
take a passage down. You'll find Cundo, who is the object of a quest later
on. Also down below are some goblins. Kill them. Chief Gank drops a
valuable tribal symbol. Be sure to touch the pylon here as it'll save you
time later.
Portal Caldera (B6)
C: Beautiful Crystal
U: SE room underground.
Lava bats and flaming goop are around here. The bats will tend to be tame
if you haven't attacked them. Some lizards are hiding to the east. If you
head to the SW you'll find the vahnatai ruins. Go south first to kill some
lizards, then head north. Go down the stairs. Head the only direction you
can and Ximun mocks you. Continue along, and some imps attack you. You have
to fight two waves. In the SE room be sure to hit the secret button and go
along the secret path for a bunch of useful crystals. Buff, enter combat
mode, then go across the lava bridge. Kill the hellhounds and get away from
the vents. There's a chest to lot nearby with minor goods in it. Head north
and you'll see Ximun. You can either kill him for a discipline blade or let
him go. Letting him go gets you a better reward from Erlanger.
The cackling demon is also here. Be sure to buff up prior to attempting
him. Then hit him hard. He should vanish, heading north. Hit it again with
all you've got. Its final resting place is the crypt at (B3).
Great Portal (B7)
C: Piercing Crystal
I: Tinker's Gloves (2%, +2 TU)
Head to the downstairs. Sergeant Nichol greets you. He wants to get you to
work. First, I'd recommend looting things here. There's a fair bit of food
here, and it doesn't hurt to grab it now, rather than... later. When you've
pillaged everything, head on down and talk with Nichol again. Go upstairs and
through the gate. Nichol and Vanderin will greet you. Tell two people to go
through, then check out the crystal. Run away! Kill the imps that come out,
then try to get out of there. Nichol is lost. Report back to the castle to
tell of the awful news.
When Agass-Ess sends you here, be prepared for some difficult fights. Go
down the stairs. Buff up, then kill the four cave demons. Head south, then
west to kill the Icy Baloth. Whatever you do here, don't leave! All the foes
regenerate if you do! Head south, killing the inferno worms and their crystal
kin. Then head east. Nightmare imps are your next foes. These guys are
quite annoying. Try to use the terrain to your advantage- put you tanks on
either side of the bench and hit the distant imps with magic. Next you have
two barriers that must be dispelled. Here's the tough part- time to not kill
the enemies here! Remember, your mission is only to grab a book, and not to
kill everything. As you enter the room, run and try to loot the two bodies.
One of the bodies has a set of tinker gloves on it, which are among the most
useful items in the game. Then try to run and grab the book, and the stuff
off the desk (that's worth anything, anyway. How I did this without dying was
I took my character, had them use a speed potion, then go and loot the bodies,
and run back to the safety of the hall. They then went and grabbed the book
and looted the desk, returning to the hall each time. This got me the
necessary items. Return back to the mage colony with your success!
Colony Lands (B8)
C: Mandrake (x2), Graymold
I: Mica Band (2%, +15 AR, +15 PR), Girdle of Genius (5%, +2 Int), Lava-Fired
Spear (11-33, +10 FR)
When you have permission from Meryhew to help out the next round of cities,
come here. If you're coming to investigate the ogre's muck, this is the place
for you. Make your way to Chief Torpek. He opens the gate to the muck. Go
down the hatch and you're locked in. Lots of mutant ogres here. There are
two varieties- weak and strong. Your goal is to head to the SE and see the
muck. Kill the slimes and claim the fine steel, then head on out. You can go
SW, SE, or E. SE takes you to Komlos. SW takes you to the horror's lair.
East holds several nasty foes called pustulent zombies. Luckily they all drop
decent stuff, including a mica band.
Once you've done the muck quest, come back here and kill all of the ogres.
The ogre mage drops a girdle of genius. Chief Torpek drops a lava-fired spear
and a knowledge brew.
Colony Lands (B9)
C: Gold Ring, Spiritual Herbs
I: Nephar Warblade (10-20, +1 Str, +1 Dex, 10% Fatigue Removal)
If you're here on X's orders, you'll find Galgath sitting pretty in the
middle of a circle. You can tell him to leave, which means you have to fight
him. He summons lots of imp friends. Lightning spray works well on him. Get
him down to about 1/3 of his health and he'll leave.
On the route to Mertis you'll find sage Laurel who sells scrolls.
On the other side is a nephil clan. Shaman Dhelarrr and Chief Bhag'Vrrr
don't like you and attack (if you provoke them by going onto their land). You
can grab the nephar warblade as a reward
Tower Colony (BA)
Q: The Horror's Lair, Delivery: Undead Spiral, The Dancing Bones, Slay the
Horror, Ogre Treachery!, The Tower Records, X's Testing Ground, Great Portal
Papers, Purge the Haakai, The Ogre's Muck
C: Scroll-Spellward, Scroll-Steelward
S: Agass-Ess, Summon Aid, X, Divine Restoration, Dispel Barrier, Arcane Summon
I: Crystal Symbol (2%, +1 ME), Inertial Shield (12%, +40 SR), Pustulent
Greaves (4%, +5 SR, -5 TH, +8 AR), Clover Boots (4%, +3 Lck), Tinker's Bauble
(+1 TU), Blessed Helmet (7%, -5 TH), Cracked Demonslayer (1-3, Demonbane, +15
FR, +15 ER, +15 CR), Hero's Necklace (6%, +1 MW, +1 BM, +1 LB)
$: Djokov
Touch the pylon immediately to save trouble. Go talk with Kelner, he is in
charge around here. He gives you the task to save the tower colony notes.
Talk with Captain Bahgdatis as well. Then go talk with X. If you've accepted
the delivery mission, X opens a box for you as a reward. X also gives you
several quests, the first of which is to clear out his testing ground to the
north. Once you've banished the demon, return for a point in summon aid. He
then wants you to reclaim the anvil from Fort Draco. Do so, and he will train
you. Additionally you get a point in divine restoration. Talk with Agass-
Ess, who will be your biggest friend soon. She can train you in several
magical talents, and spells but is currently quite pricy. The most important
thing she does is give you a quest to retrieve some records from the Great
Portal. Once you've done so, her prices drop and she will train you to dispel
barriers (wow!). Buy the spell, and go loot the tower. Talk with Sage
Ardella. She fills you in on the situation upstairs. She also gives you a
quest to check on ogres and their muck. Completion of this quest gets you
some clover boots, which are very useful boots. Djokov is the final person of
interest here. He will trade with you, and will make you wands.
Grab the missions on the job board. Investigating the horror lair is worth
250c. Killing all the ogres gets you a bunch of potions. Completion of the
dancing bones quest gets you the very nice tinker's bauble. Killing the
horror gets you a blessed helmet.
When you're ready, head upstairs. There are four quadrants here. Each is
separated by a small group of blind rotworms, which are annoying foes. The SW
holds several spitting plants, the NW holds hellhounds (one of which drops a
crystal symbol). Avoid the center of the area or a haakai will kill you. If
you get too close the haakai will send some minions after you. The NE holds
spiders who aren't that tough. The SE holds an icy revenant. Hit the icy
revenant hard and it will fall, leaving you an inertial shield. Head a bit
east and grab the required book. Additionally you can grab the mandrake
tincture, one of two in the immediate area. Return to Kelner. You get some
pustulent greaves for your effort, as well as access to a spellbook with ward
of steel. Your next (optional) quest is to purge the haakai. You won't be
doing that anytime too soon, though.
When you've returned the anvil to X, you can attempt the fight with the
haakai. Talk with X, and he tells you to meet him upstairs. Go upstairs,
kill the blind rootworms again (to save you the trouble later), and meet X up
at the top. Buff then talk with him. Veknok Mindbreaker challenges you. He
can death-curse you. If that happens, take the character up north and use a
basin to remove the curse. In the meantime hit the demon. It will summon
demonspawn assistance, kill them and keep them away from X. Eventually X does
something . . . series ending, and you're left alone. Grab the stuff off the
body (including demonslayer a hero's necklace, and a radiant shield), and go
claim your rewards. Loot X's place for a point in dispel barrier. Kelner is
very pleased, and lets you read a book of arcane summon.
Colony Lands (BB)
Q: Mandrake Tincture
C: Battle Crystal
I: Stained Swamp Gloves (2%, +20 PR, +20 AR, +2 NL, +3 TM)
$: Komlos
This area is home to a powerful smith. Head down, killing or ignoring the
bats along the way. Talk with Komlos. He needs a flask of mandrake tincture
in order to craft for you. You can loot around his place without fear. Be
sure to grab stuff in his basement. If you want to grab the mandrake
tincture, head to the SW and go down. This is the lair of the horror, a nasty
creature. The mandrake tincture is on a body to the SE. Looking around this
lair also fulfills a job for the tower colony.
If you're here to kill the horror, buff up. Hit it with all you've got.
It'll die, leaving some mandrake and the nice stained swamp gloves.
Near Mertis (BC)
C: Graymold
There's a haunted house here. Go around the perimeter of the house and kill
all of the skeletons. Then buff, and go inside the house. Several skeletons
are inside. However, they are all indestructible. You must destroy the green
skeleton which is hiding in a room to the south. Wait one turn, and you'll be
able to destroy all the other skeletons. Asmara and her husband sell lizard
bits, including some fine leather.
Mertis (BD)
Q: Find Murdock, The Dragon Gate, Bounty: Tunnel Hunters, Checking the Wards,
Honeycomb Horrors, Maxfield's Experiment
C: Wisdom Crystal
S: Mayor Arron
I:
$: Saskia
Mertis was one of the important cities of Avernum, but is now fairly empty.
Grab the job board quests. Getting the bounty filled nets you some blessed
bracers. Completion of the dragon's gate quest gets you some scrolls.
Saskia will trade with you. Talk with Sage Perth. He is an expert on the
undead spiral. He gives you a quest to check the wards. Do so for 300c and a
fiery wand (cheapskate...). Mayor Arron is the priestly leader of the town.
He will train you in priest spells for cheap. He also gives you a difficult
quest, to kill the one in charge of the honeycomb horrors. When you've killed
the wizard Hirickis you get some nice scrolls and potions, as well as the
ability to train in ward of steel and divine fire for cheap. Maxfield is a
farmer with some skill. He gives you a quest to kill some creatures living
amongst his plants. Head to his shed to the north. Don't hit the plants!
Kill the wolves, and get out. Report to Maxfield for your reward- some
blessed gauntlets.
Honeycomb (BE)
C: Mandrake, Flawless Crystal.
S: Cloak of Blade
Wolves charge you when you enter here. Explore this area, being sure to
kill whatever gets in your way. Three tunnel hunters are on the WNW side.
There are four stairways up here. Taking (a) down takes you to (A), and (b)
takes you to (B). Nearby (B) is a barrier with a demon behind it. Kill it
and read the book to gain the Cloak of Blades spell. (c) takes you to some
ghosts. More tunnel hunters (3) are in the SE of the down map. Effectively
all stairs here are dead ends, so if you want to move further into the
honeycomb, you're best off on the top floor. (3) will go quite far, however.
Mini Map: THE HONEY COMB
+-------2--+------3---+ +--6-------+--------1-+
5 | 7 |
| a | | |
| a | | A |
| | | |
| b | | B |
+ + + +
| | | |
| c | | C |
| | | |
| | 4 |
| | | |
+----------+----------+ +----------+----------+
Mertis Area (BF)
C: Graymold, Ivory Band
U: NE chamber
Touch the pylon here to get a teleport spot. Weylin follows you and asks
for your help. It's a trap, and he and some friends attack you. The slith
mage drops a girdle of insight on death.
Honeycomb (BG)
C: Beautiful Crystal (x2), Ruby
I: Drakeskin Shield (15%, +10 FR), Girdle of Avoidance (5%, +2 Dex)
You get your first taste of chitrachs here, coming from (2). Some ogres can
be found by going down (e). They are led by a shaman who drops a drakeskin
shield on death. From (e) you can go up (J) to find a gong. Buff, then use
it. Wyrmkin climb up and attack you. The final foe is an inferno wyrmkin.
It drops a girdle of avoidance on death.
Paths (f) and (e) do not help you get anywhere and instead loop around.
Path (d) can take you to (I) which leads you to three more tunnel hunters.
Coming in from (!) gets you to staircase (K). Go up and kill the unstable
masses, and claim your warmth ring. Go down the stair at (l). Go across the
bridge to (M). Head to (n), then to (O). (O) leads you to the dragons gate
via (^).
Mini Map: THE HONEY COMB
+----------+----------+ +----------+----------+
^ O k l | | K N |
| m | | L M |
| n | | O |
| j | | J |
| | | I |
+ i + + +
| | | |
@ h d e | ! H D E |
| f | | F |
| | | +---+
| | | | |
+-------2--+------3---+ +--6-------+------+1--+
Undead Spiral (BH)
C: Spiritual Herbs
I: Blessed Halberd (15-60), Helm of Khar (7%, +1 Anat, +1 Gym)
This area has been thoroughly tamed. Well, relatively speaking. Head to
the NE and fight some zombies. Then talk with Sage Martella, then head to the
stairs. You are attacked by some skeletons along the way. Go down. Head
east. Investigate the first ward. Then drink from the basin. GO north.
Some wisps are attracted to you. Kill them, then investigate the NE circle.
Head west and fight some ruby skeletons. Check this circle. Then go south,
hugging the west wall. You'll find Sage Clarey. Dispel the barriers and try
to talk with him. Some undead don't like that and attack. Kill them and talk
with Clarey again. Give him the message you've probably been holding on to
for some piercing crystals. Go down the east passage from here. Dispel the
barriers, then buff up. Quickghasts protect the final circle. Kill them for
a knowledge brew. Check this last circle, then head back to Sage Perth.
If you're here to destroy the wards from Gladwell, mess up this final ward
here. Run on out- you'll face a few wights at first. Then in the skull pile
room skeletons will pop up from the piles, followed by emerald bones, followed
by skeletal warriors, the leader of which drops a blessed halberd. Wisps then
block you, but drop a return life scroll. Ghosts are next, followed by a
banshee. Next are the fearsome dead which drop some elixirs. You final foe
is the scariest, the Chaos Wight. In order to kill this thing, you will need
to go drink from the clarifying basin. Killing it gets you a helm of khar.
Leave this place, and you're accused of wrong doing by many. Oh well.
Honeycomb (B4)
C: Mandrake
I: Farsight Longbow (10-30, +1 SS. 10% Fatigue Removal), Mercuric Chain (16%,
+20 SR, -5 TH, +1 Battle Speed, -1 Str)
You explore this area as part of the larger honeycomb complex. If coming
from (4) you'll find some bandits. Kill them and take their stuff. Tunnel
hunters (3) are downstairs to the north.
Coming in from (7) gets you to fight with a budding shambler. It drops some
graymold and a knowledge elixir on death.
Coming in from (#) nets you the Honeycomb Bandits. Give them Xylia's
package. When you're ready to take them on, go past Vandar. Kill everyone as
you make your way to the entrance. Chief Ghelarr is the biggest foe here. Kill
him and grab the farsight longbow as your reward. Go down the stairs. Buff
up. A nasty fight is ahead. The chieftain attacks. He's quite difficult, but
ends up dropping a mercuric chain and wand of alacrity on death.
Coming in from (%) gets you in a fight with a bunch of ghosts. You can
claim a wisdom crystal for your time, though.
Honeycomb (BI)
C: Emerald
U: Near Emerald cache
If you're coming here from (9) or (8), kill the lava worms. (@) leads to
(#). The (^) leads you to the dragon's gate.
Honeycomb path to the bandits: From (BE) go north through (3) to (BG). Take
stair (d) to (I), then go to exit (@) to (BI). Go through (#) to (BE), and
talk with the bandits.
To get to the Dragon's Gate, go from (BE) via (3) to (BG). Take stair (d)
through (6) to (BE) to (B4) to (BI) via (8) or (9). From (BI) go into (BG)
via (!), then to staircase (K). Go up and kill the unstable masses, and claim
your warmth ring. Go down the stair at (l). Go across the bridge to (M).
Head to (n), then to (O). (O) leads you to the dragons gate via (^).
Honeycomb
There's a small area here with crocolisks which gets you some gems if you
kill them all.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Excavation area map
C6
|
C5
|
C4
|
C3
|
C2
|
C1-CO
Fort Remote (C0)
Q: Lost Caravans, Unstable Firebats, Message: Prenvil, Special Worm Ichor
S: Healer Danika, Sergeant Kaye, Cloak of Bolts
I: Girdle of Might (5%, +2 Str), Blasted Greaves (8%, +8 SR, -10 TH, +1 Str,
+2 Res)
If you have bought the game (It's well worth it), the soldier in front will
let you in, and you can explore. You can get some rations from Mrrema, a
nephil cook. I'd recommend the meat as it's actually worth something, even if
it does come from rat. Healer Danika will teach you some priest spells, and
will also give you a quest to procure some worm ichor. When you've got the
goo, Danika will give you two return life scrolls. Sergeant Kaye is a trainer
here but won't train you unless you rank higher than her. When you're a
lieutenant, come back and have her increase your pole weapons, dual wielding,
parry, and lethal blow skills. Head to the south and you'll see some
barriers. Dispel them then go in the east one to kill a rotting shambler and
get some mandrake. The west door holds a second barrier as well as a book of
cloak of bolts. A third barrier down this route holds an experimental horror.
On death the horror drops a girdle of might.
If you're here to help Gladwell go to the SE room and approach the
paintings. One will open a secret passage for you. Go up it. Some bats
block you. In the SE room is a secret button. GO north and you'll find an
invulnerability potion and a regeneration scroll. When you're ready go north,
and ignore the first two doors. Go into the third. Enter combat mode. Send
one character to the platform, trigger the encounter, then run! Try to make
it close to the door going down, then wait for the ghosts to fade away. You
don't need (and shouldn't!) to kill any of the ghosts. The other doors you
can attempt much later.
Grab the quests on the job board. Completion of the firebat quest gets you
a rod of defense. Completion of the caravan quest gets you 500c.
Much later in the game you may choose to take on the other creatures, buff
up before doing each room. In the east you'll find some huge basilisks. Kill
them for some fine leather and other goods. In the north room you'll find a
fungal construct. It drops some blasted greaves on death. Loot the area for
a wisdom crystal and some mandrake behind a secret door. In the west room is
the final foe, a shade construct. Kill it for a radiant shield and some
demon's bile.
Western Reaches (C1)
C: Ruby, Thick Wool Tunic
U: Down passage
Lots of worgs here, but most are friendly. There's a group of unstable
firebats in the central south. They are the object of a quest. The SW holds
one of Mother Alice's claim, as well as a body with a blessed silk tunic.
Head down the passage in the center and hit the button to reveal a vahnatai
ghost. To the east is another batch of firebats.
Western Reaches (C2)
C: Beautiful Crystal, Wisdom Crystal, Energetic Herbs, Mandrake, Graymold
I: Ratskin Shawl (7%, +5 PR, +5 TH)
This area is guarded by yet more firebats. Yet even more are to the NW.
Worms are easy. If you go down the east tunnel you'll find a caravan and some
nephils who caused its downfall. Chief Ga'Nak drops a ratskin shawl on death.
Head down the westmost passage to find the special worm. Buff up, then hit
the worm until you collect some of its ichor. Send one or two other
characters out to grab the stuff around the cave (mostly herbs) It's tough,
so run away once you've got its goo. If you don't, it'll likely hit you with
an ultra-powerful attack that will kill you.
Western Reaches (C3)
C: Beautiful Crystal, Scroll- Speedburst, Plate Greaves
I: Swampwalker Leather (12%, +10 SR, +5 PR, +5 AR), Static Band (2%, +15 ER)
Three routes from C2 lead into here. The central one leads to some ghouls.
Kill them. The west route leads to some rats, then some crystal shades. Kill
the shades, then head north to kill another batch of firebats. There are
three stairways up from this level as well. The southernmost ladder leads to
the east route into this area. The center stair from the west route leads to
a rune which summons several assassin scuttlers. The northmost ladder takes
you to some recovering skribbane users. Tamas is the object of Chrysander's
quest. Kill them for a swampwalkwer leather and girdle of nimbleness.
The eastern route to this region will allow you to explore better. There
are five pathways north, which I will refer to as 1-5, west to east. 1) takes
you to the west path into this zone, allowing you to kill Tamas and do a few
other little things. 2) and 5) are connected and don't reveal anything new.
3) takes you to a rune which summons a frozen hellhound who drops an
invulnerability potion on death. 4) is the way north and is denoted by a worn
path leading through it. Kill the rats. Head east and you'll find a shade
(like the scary ones from Avernum 4) which will attack you. Luckily it's
unstable and soon decays to a focusing crystal and static band. West takes
you to another flock of unstable firebats and a ladder which will let you
explore the underground region fully. Down below you'll find the ruined
caravan that's a job quest. Go north to C4.
Western Reaches (C4)
C: Mandrake, Healing Herbs (x2), Graymold, Spiritual Herbs
S: Heal
I: Serpentskin Helmet (5%, +10 PR, +5 AR), Drakeskin Bracers (6%, -5 TH, +3
SR, +2 FR)
There's a pit down on the east. Go down and you are faced with another
branching path. The north path takes you to some spraying bushes, a cache and
a body. The south path takes you to some ghosts guarding a barrier with some
minor vahnatai goods. Continue west and kill the Hraithe. Go up the stairs,
and then down south. Go around and down the last set of stairs. You'll find
Prenvil. Give him the message for a flawless crystal and a wisdom crystal.
If you go down the second set of stairs near to where you came up you'll find
some lizards. Kill them, then head east and bring down the barrier. You'll
find a crystal which teaches you Heal (x2).
Nearby the pit are two bridges. More firebats are to the NE. Nearby is
Rach, an ogre. You can kill him if you want. That makes the ogre camp mad,
which isn't that big of a deal. Go down the north hatch to open the latch,
then go down their south hatch and kill the lizards and worms. Continue
through the gate to kill more ogres. You find Shaman Khleg and Chief Thok-Ak
at the end of the pit. For your time and effort you get some drakeskin
bracers and a serpentskin hat.
Head across the west bridge, and continue to the western excavation.
Western Excavation (C5)
Q: Inspect Main Dig, Pacify the Ogres
C: Emerald
U: Room nearby entry to C6
I: Ice Hydra Helm (5%, +10 SR, +5 CR)
Touch the pylon (and probably go through it to sell off all your crap to
Bronner). Enter the fort. Talk with people- apparently the ogres are on
strike. Healer Isla will heal you. Talk with Commander Rana. She tells you
to inspect the dig. Go down the stairs then north to C6.
When you tell Rana about all of what you see, she sends you to go speak with
the ogres. There are a few routes to doing this, but the best one is to kill
as few of the ogres as possible. Go down the stairs and talk with the ogres.
Gunza wants you to kill Hydera. Go north to find Hydera. Talk with him, but
don't attack him. Instead state you want to find another way. Then go back
to talk with Gunza. Challenge him. GO to the center pit and kill him. He
drops an invulnerability potion and an ice hydra helm on death. Tell Hydera
about Gunza's death. Then tell Rana to fulfill the mission. You get a
blessed shortsword for your time.
If you're here for the Anama, go tell Rana. Rana is easy to convince.
Western Excavation (C6)
Go north, and watch the action. Uh-oh. Head back to Rana.
Fort Saffron (D0)
Q: Message: Bargha, Fort Spire Records, Abyss Thugs
C: Armor Elixir, Fine Steel, Scroll-Spellward
U: Near armor elixir cache
I: Viperskin Boots (6%, +10 PR), Girdle of Life (5%, +2 End)
$: Edeline
This place is the boundary of the Abyss. You can enter here at any time
after you have the mission from Lark to get the Blessed Athame, but you can't
exit through the north until you're sent there.
There's a job board nearby with several things to claim. Returning the
records to Melo gets you some Viperskin boots. Killing the Abyss Thugs gets
you two scrolls.
Commander Melo is in charge here. He gives you a quest to find some
evidence that there are Darkside Loyalists in the Abyss. When you've found
good evidence, tell him for a girdle of life. Edeline will trade with you.
Sergeant Horrum is the quartermaster. Whenever you're ready, head to the SE
and go up the stairs. Head to the east.
When you're told to retrieve a message from Levitt, come back here. Melo
will let you through the gates. Go and explore, claiming a few caches.
Near Fort Saffron (D1)
S: Mass Healing
I: Warrior's Greaves (4%, +5 SR, -5 TH, 20% Fatigue Removal), Spectral Boots
(8%, +5 CR, +1 Def)
This is the temporary home of the Blessed Athame. Enter the fort, then go a
bit north. You'll find a number of spiders. Kill them, then dispel the
nearby barrier (note- you will need the spell to do this as piercing crystals
aren't strong enough). Claim your gems and research notes, then head back
out. Buff up, then proceed to the center of the fort. Some darkside
Loyalists accost you. They are attacked as well by pit and static crawlers.
Kill everyone. This is a fine time to use jeweled wands and wands of the
inferno. Loyalist Sepko drops some fantastic warrior's greaves on death.
Head west from the battle, and go up the stairs. Open the north cell and pull
the lever, then pull the second lever. Go back down the stairs. To the SE
you will find several crystal pylon enemies. Kill them, and loot the nearby
chest for some blessed gauntlets. Go up the stairs in the south central area
and pull the lever there too. Then head north a bit. The two orange pylons
summon demons if you get too close. Then go up the proper looking stairs.
You should be able to explore the upper area fully now. There's an icy shade
in the main room. Buff up, then attack it. It summons banshees, but they
don't help until a few turns have past so try to focus exclusively on the
shade. When it dies it drops the very nice spectral boots. Go north and
collect the blessed athame. Read the nearby spellbook to improve your mass
healing ability.
You can come here after being let out and explore. Claim a cache and loot a
dead body. Ah good times!
Fort Spire (D2)
S: Cloak of Bolts
I: Thrusting Gauntlets (4%, +1 BM, +1 LB)
As you approach here some avernites are fleeing some bats. Kill the bats to
help the scouts. Then continue north into Fort Spire. Some Abyss soldiers
have taken up residence here. Talk with Galvas, the leader. Galvas tells you
about the two main residents of the fort- a demon, and a slith. Go into the
fort. Sentry lizards attack you. Make your way to Hrramen-Drayssa. She
tells you to find Breck-Drayssa. She recommends asking Gall, of Spire, for
help.
If you want to fight a demon, go upstairs. You'll find the Chiroptera
(greek for Bat) Demon. Hit it. Do a bit of damage, and it is healed and
spits out a bat. Hit it. One more bat. After about ten bats, you can kill
the demon. The demons final hit points should be about 450 when you can
finally kill it. Thrusting gauntlets and some demon's bile (a crafting
ingredient) are your reward. Loot this place, grabbing the records from the
desk, drinking from the basin behind the barrier for some experience, and
reading the book to improve your cloak of bolts spell.
The Abyss (D3)
C: Graymold
I: Reflecting Shield (15%, +5 HER)
Go north. Some bandits confront you, led by Koppel. These are the object
of a job board. Kill them. They can be tough, but if you get them to fight
you to the south, the grim apprentice won't fight here, so it's a fair bit
easier. Koppel drops a reflecting shield on death.
A nephil clan is also here. Kill them and take their stuff.
The Abyss (D4)
C: Energetic Herbs
Head to the east from the south coast. Some ghasts are there. Kill them,
then grab the mushrooms. These are some blighted mushrooms desired by Asta.
On the north side of the shore are some farmers. Rem will sell you some
stuff, including a tinker's bauble. Note that you will get one for doing a
job for the tower colony, so keep that in mind.
The Abyss (D5)
C: Ratskin Helmet
S: Terror
U: Open two blocks
I: Clarity Talisman (4%, +1 MS, +1 Hard)
$: Thyra
Thyra will trade with you here. Once you've killed the raiders she'll sell
you herbs (probably buy the energetic ones) and crystals.Head to the spit of
land, and you'll find two buildings. The first is a spring which heals you,
the second is the bandit hideout. Go into the hideout and either kill the
archers or run past them. You'll find the leader, a mage named Kahlash (who
appears to be a darkside loyalist). Kahlash drops a clarity talisman on
death. Go through the barriers to the west, and read the book for a
substantial boost to your terror spell.
Spire (D6)
Q: Reclaim the Farm, Worm Ichor, Hidden Brigands, Farrar's Keep
S: Mother Twymon
U: Thug basement
I: Bow of Decay (7-14, acid damage), Girdle of Genius (5%, +2 Int), Radiant
Plate (40%, +50 SR, -20 TH)
$: McGoff
Unlock previous Avernums, this is actually the friendlier of the two towns.
Touch the pylon to the SW. Talk with mother Twymon. She sells spells,
including divine fire. She also asks for your help in learning about Farrar's
Keep in Bargha. Finding the passage gets you a bow of decay and 400c. McGoff
will trade with you. Talk with Mayor Annatolia. You can learn about
Melanchion if you follow the right conversation path. Also, you'll learn
about Gall, who is in the arena. If you have 17 Tool Use or more you can loot
the treasury of the town as well. Go to the arena, and talk with Gall. Gall
tells you to go to Bargha and find Overbye.
If you want to fight in the arena, talk with Pitmaster Ghrum. Your first
foes are four goblin pitfighters, one of which is a shaman. Try to kill the
shaman first so as to prevent spells from helping the goblins. Here's a hint
for all pitfights. Buff, then enter combat mode. Go north, and trigger the
encounter. You'll get 2 rounds in which to hit them with everything you've
got. Killing them all gets you 250c. Your next foes are three pit
salamanders and a pit basilisk. Try to kill the basilisk first. One of the
lizards drops some fine leather on death. You get 500c for this fight. The
next fight is much more tough. You fight three pitfighters- Geert, a priest,
Kremen, a fighter, and Faiga, a mage. The spellcasters are the most
dangerous, although Kremen can hold his own. You get a girdle of genius,
750c, and other goods for your time. Two gazers/eyebeasts are next. Hit Elu
with physical damage, and Ayi with poison and smite. Elu should fall first.
Ayi will need to be hit for 10 rounds or so to go down. Elu drops an eyebeast
stalk on death. Your pay is 500c and a wand of alacrity. Next you fight a
nasty beast called the arena horror. This beast is easier than the last two
fights. Claim your reward, and fell in the second round of fighting for me.
You get the final prize, a radiant plate.
Grab the job board quests. Tizane gives you 250c for clearing out her farm.
Commander Diver gives you some blessed greaves and 100c for killing the
brigands to the west. Mother Twymon gives you several scrolls for getting the
worm ichor.
Go outside of the city walls, and find a hatch going down. Buff up then
attack the thugs inside. You get some blessed bracers for your time. Be sure
to use the secret button! Continue along, using the second button, and
dispelling the barrier. Kill the zombies, then grab the knowledge brews from
beyond the barrier.
If you're here on Gladwell's errand, I'd recommend about 16 tool use. Enter
the mayor's mansion, then approach the bed. Leave the bug. If you don't have
the tool use, you can get in through the yard. You'll have to time the guard
just right though.
The Abyss (D7)
C: Mandrake
U: Down north stairs
I: Girdle of Might (5%, +2 Str)
Head to the coast here with a limb in your inventory. Approach the light
mushroom areas in combat mode. Try to kill every worm in 1-2 turns in order
to get the juicy ichor. Revenants are also to the west. A clan of farmers is
here to, you won't do anything with them until you get a quest from Bargha
(even then, you probably won't want to do the quest). If you want, head down
the north stairs. Push the button, go through the portal, kill the ghosts.
Push the secret button just south of the tomb, then go up the stairs. Buff!
Four banshees are here. Kill them. The blight mushrooms are here. Grab the
stuff you find (girdle of might) and go back.
The Abyss (D8)
I: Oak Shield (15%, +1 Gym, +1 Pa)
To the SW you'll find the farm that was stolen from Tizane. Kill everyone
inside. The ogre drops an oak shield. To the east are some fang clan
nephilim. Kill them and take their stuff. Grab the limb, you'll need it to
attract some worms.
The Abyss (D9)
C: Graymold
U: Bargha Jail
I: Radiant Belt (8%), Sniper's Vest (4%, +1 Dex, +2 SS)
This area holds the jail, in addition to more worms. Go to the NW when
you've got the info from Overbye. Hide and watch as a soldier hits the secret
button, then do the same. The guards here are fighting with a giant. Kill it
and the guards. South are some torturers. Kill them and prisonmaster Gvessa
for a radiant belt. Grab the key from where the archers were, and investigate
the cells. Breck-Drayssa is in the SE. Get the message, and get out.
Captain Korte and other nasty people block you in. Korte drops a sniper's
vest on death.
Bargha (DA)
Q: Drive Off the Farmers, Clear the Tunnel
S: Incantor Oenslager, Haste, Slow
U: Secret passage to Farrar's Keep
I: Crystalline Plate (+34%, +50 SR, -20 TH, +15 AR, +15 ER)
$: Overbye
As you enter Bargha, you see some fleeing mercenaries. Kill them. First
you must talk with Lord Farrar. Go and see him. He doesn't say much.
Effectively he's enslaved the populace to make sure to grow enough food.
Incantor Oenslager is an odd fellow who has been allowed to do whatever he
wants. He will train you in spells, though Correlea is equivalent and
cheaper. Go down his basement and you'll see a demon. Kill it. Read the
book to improve your haste and slow spells. To the north is Overbye (giving
him the message you received gets you 200c). Overbye will trade with you.
Overbye also tells you well to find Breck-Drayssa. Head to the inn, and go
the back rooms. Hunt out the secret buttons and briefly step in Farrar's
fort.
Head to the NW and go down the stairs. Disarm the traps for Oenslager.
The job board doesn't have much on it. Grab the tunnel quest at least.
Your reward is two elixirs.
If you have the quests from Melanchion, come back here. Go through the
secret door you discovered and kill everyone in the fort. Go down the stairs
and kill Farrar. He's not that tough, and drops a crystalline plate and
knowledge elixir on death. Loot the rest of this place, then escape by the
tunnel to the north. Grab the mandrake tincture on the way out.
The Abyss (DB)
C: Energetic Herbs
Kill the ogres and hellhounds here, and head south.
Wild Abyss Woods (DC)
S: Divine Restoration, Divine Host
C: Mandrake, Graymold
U: West of haakai
I: Crystalline Aegis (25%, +10 HER, +2 AL, +2 SC, +2 ME), Lightning Girdle
(8%, +2 QA, +2 QS, +2 LB, +8 ER)
Mutant lizards and basilisks block several nests. Four spark lizards are
the toughest foe on the surface here for now. One of them drops some fine
leather on death. Also here is Gremmin, a "hunter". Buff up then charge into
his fort. Kill everyone inside the top floor. Loot their stuff, including
reading the note in the wood box. I recommend not going down the hatch until
close to the end game.
When you're here either at the directive of Gladwell or Melanchion, head
down the stairs. Buff when you see the archer chamber, and go forth and bring
down the barriers. Kill the loyalists. Head to the north next, and kill a
few more loyalists. Some come from behind to attack- kill them too. Head
west then, and buff before you enter the main compound. Kill some loyalists,
while make your way north. You'll find Gavrahoss. Kill his dervishes, then
focus on him. He taunts you, then summons four shades. Hit the four shades
with either fire, and see which one takes damage. Another shade is vulnerable
to ice, and yet another is vulnerable to physical damage, and the final is
vulnerable to disruption. Gavrahoss then calls back the four shades and
summons a demon. If you've done enough damage to his shades, he'll die. The
demons stick around- kill them (either physical-red-or fire-blue-damage will
work). Gavrahoss drops a crystalline aegis on death. Claim your mandrake
tincture. Explore the rest of the area, mopping up the last of the loyalists,
and being sure to grab the spell book of divine restoration.
When you're ready to help Gladwell, kill the sentinels, and open the door.
Go up the stairs and you end up in Erika's tower. There's an imprisoned
haakai immediately nearby. Kill it for some demon's bile. Use the two nearby
basins, and continue west. Go down the nearby stairs and buff. You'll find
the tower lich. This lich is strong against most damage types. Destroy the
nearby energy spheres to make it vulnerable. Kill it and Gladwell comes in to
calm things down. It drops a lightning girdle on death. Talk with Gladwell.
If you want to kill him, now is the time to do so. However, Gladwell is
fairly friendly, and allows you to loot the area. Grab the point in divine
host, and head back to Patrick's tower for the rest of your reward.
Eastern Gallery (E0)
Q: Meal for Neron
C: Healing Elixir
$: Neron
You can enter here when told to by Levitt. However, you may be subjected to
sniffing by lizards. Drop all of your skribbane prior to being sniffed, and
go through the gate.
Here you find Nazil, who wanted you to find Murdock (on the Mertis message
board). Tell him for 100c. Give him a bag of food for pity. Talk with
Neron. He has a request- sell him your meal for 30c a bag. You do get some
experience for doing so. Your alternate quester, Edmund, gives no cash, but
does give experience. You get about the same experience either way.
Silvar (E1)
Q: Drake Tribute, Scout Horned Gate, Bone Shards, Hellhound Pack, The Aranea
Queen, Hunt the Lich, Silvar's Traitors, Honeycomb Delivery, Basilisk Skins,
The Hidden Foundry, Spider Silk
C: Scroll- Regeneration
S: Divine Fire
I: Helm of Klin (9%, +1 Pa, +1 BM), Temperate Necklace (2%, +10 FR, +10 CR),
Girdle of Life (5%, +2 End), Flowing Silk Cloak (10%, +1 Pa, +1 QS), Fibrous
Breastplate (20%, +50 SR, -15 TH, +12 ER, -5 FR), Farsight Band (+3 SS)
$: Nabile
Grab the job board quests. Scouting the Horned Gate gets you a phat 1000c.
Killing the Hellhound pack gets you 500c and an invulnerable potion. Killing
the aranea queen gets you a girdle of life. Grabbing enough bone shards for
Nabile gets you a fibrous breastplate. Giving the drake its tribute gets you
a corrupting baton. Killing the lich Kavarus gets you a farsight band.
Mayor Augustus will reward you for telling Levitt about Jasmine. He also
gives you the main quest of dealing with traitors. Xylia is in the boatyard
basement. Talk with her and give her the skribbane from Chrysander for six
nice gemstones. She has a quest for you- to take some skribbane to some
bandits in the honeycomb. Do so for a bunch of gems and a helm of klin. Talk
with Soussana, the innkeeper, about the Anama. She directs you to their camp,
and puts in a good word for you. You find Holda to the SE. She will tell you
more about the traitors. Be sure to tell her that her father is looking for
her. Nabile is a merchant you can trade with. Additionally, she gives you a
number of quests. The first is to procure some basilisk skins. Getting the
basilisk skins gets you 400c and some scrolls. Next she wants you to get her
some infused steel. Give her the steel for 400c more and a spellbook of
divine fire. Contador is a tailor who has a few decent items. He also gives
you a quest to get some spider silk. Give him eight for a flowing silk cloak,
and 100c for the spare silk you've grabbed.
When you want to pursue the traitors quest, head into the basement. Make
your way to the center where you find some refugees. There's almost a fight
but Wetzel stops it. Go north and look in the chest for a scrap of paper.
Return to Wetzel and tell him about it. He will agree to give you more info,
and gives you a key. Once you've cleared out Fort Avernum, talk with Wetzel.
He relents. Go tell the mayor of your success. You get 750c and a temperate
necklace as rewards.
Silvar Road (E2)
Q: Belgan's Ogre
C: Emerald, Ruby
I: Radiant Boots (14%)
Touch the pylon here. There's an abandoned building north of the pylon with
some rats in it. Kill the rats then go down the hatch. More rats. You can
head into Silvar and kill some slith infiltrators while you're here. They
drop a wisdom crystal and other loot, and the body has some blessed greaves on
it.
Belgan and Kreger are here. They ask you to hunt down an ogre that's been
in the woods. Make your way to the center of the woods. Kill the wolves,
then head south. Kill the two ogres and the ogre mage Tragym. Grab the
radiant boots as your reward. Tell Kreger for a platinum ring and some fine
leather as a reward.
Fort Avernum (E3)
C: Beautiful Crystal, Flawless Crystal
S: Lightning Spray, Summon Aid
U: Just north of Wetzel key door.
I: Shockwave Bow (8-16, stunning damage)
Explore the perimeter here, then go down the hatch. Use Wetzel's key to
unlock the door. You are attacked by warriors. Go east, kill the worgs and
loot their stuff, then go up the stairs. Loyalist Stovall greets you. Kill
him and his cronies. You get a shockwave bow for your efforts. Finish up the
area, killing a few more loyalists. One dropped a girdle of avoidance for me.
Other places on the top floor held some drakeskin bracers and a blessed
helmet. Check the room south of Stovall for a demon (kill it), and a book of
lightning spray and summon aid.
Go down the beastmaster's stairs first. Buff up, then go south. An icy
wraith is guarded by four ruby skeletons. Kill them. Turn the wheel, then go
down the archer's stairs. GO to the area you just open up and buff up. You
find a portal haakai, a nasty demon. It's not too complex, but is difficult.
Break out your regeneration scrolls and bring up the ward of elements for this
nasty creature. You get a jar of demon bile and some knowledge elixir for
your time. Loot the body for the onyx scepter.
Eastern Gallery (E4)
Q: Aid the Anama
C: Flawless Crystal
U: Nearby frozen worms
I: Blessed Longbow (14-42), Mica-Flecked Chain (3%, +18 ER)
Here you find the Anama. You can't join them this time. Talk with teacher
Jessica. So long as you mention Soussana, you'll be able to deal with these
folk. Jessica gives you a quest- to get permission for the Anama to head to
the excavation site. When you have permission from Captain Rana, report to
Jessica. She gives you a mica-flecked chain as thanks, and all the Anama will
leave (letting you loot this place!). Kill the crocolisks to the south, and
grab the fine steel and blessed shield.
North of the Anama are some frozen worms and a spawner. Kill them, then
take the south path. Go downstairs, and proceed west. Some fungi and bushes
are here. Kill them, then kill the lizards that followed you. Go up the
stairs, buff, then kill the undead. Grab the treasure- a blessed longbow.
Now go back and head up the north stairs. Kill the rats, and take their
stuff. Once again you are attacked by lizards. Kill them again.
Eastern Gallery (E5)
C: Mandrake Root, Graymold
The Hellhound pack is here. Private Crowley will also stop you to speak
with you. There are two stairways down here- one to the SW, which takes you
to a seemingly empty basement, only to be surrounded by unstable firebats, and
a stairway to the NW. The NW holds several hellhounds. Hellhound Alpha is
their leader- note that it drops a knowledge brew on death.
Cotra (E6)
Q: Find Asterios, Destroy Cotra
U: NW corner of Cotra
I: Warrior's Cloak (5%, +1 MW, +1 PW, +1 Hard, +1 Def), Slith Warspear (14-56,
+8 FR, +5 TH)
This place is empty, in anticipation of its destruction. Talk with
Commander Myranna. She tells you that they can't destroy Cotra until you find
Asterios, an Empire alchemist. Talk with Sergeant Cowen to unlock more
supplies for you. Sage Gijon will heal you.
Once you've rescued Asterios, return here. Talk with Myranna. She tells
you to assist the destruction of Cotra. Tell Asterios you have permission,
then go to the stairs north of here. Go down the stairs. Get to Asterios.
Buff. Myranna kills him. Kill Myranna, and the sliths that join her. Grab
the warrior's cloak she drops. Asterios, barely alive, sets the barrel to
fire. Quickly run north. Stay in combat mode, and quickly kill anything that
gets in your way. There's a body immediately south that has some loot.
Continue north, kill the sliths. Grab the wisdom crystal hidden in the room
to the north, then continue west. Kill a few more sliths, then head north and
up. A few more sliths greet you on Cotra's ground floor. Kill them, and try
to make it out of the town. Horde raider Akosss drops a knowledge brew on
death and a slith warspear. Go north and get out of here. Wait for the
destruction of the town. You can't explore much once Cotra is destroyed.
Arachnid Ruins (E7)
C: Beautiful Crystal (x2),
S: Control Foe, Lightning Spray
I: Radiant Gauntlets (10%, +15 TH)
Throughout this level you will want to press the "U" button to find
spiderwebs which give silk. Check the NE room for some (1), go up the ladder
and grab some more (2). Go back down and go to the SE room, grab some more
(3), then go west. Open the large western area from the south. Kill the
spiders within. Grab some more silk off the SW wall (4), then proceed north.
Grab a bit more silk off the north wall of the second room (5), and kill some
more spiders. The third room to the north has some more silk on the west wall
(6), and the northern room holds the final bit on this floor (7). Go up the
ladder to the SW. Grab the silk right next to you (8), and slowly go north.
Kill the nastier spiders, and grab some more silk near the entrance to the
scary room (9).
If you're ready for a nasty fight (the fight is easier in the Windows
version!), buff up then head north. You'll face an aranea queen and her two
constructs, as well as a death widow or two. This is a bit of a battle of
attrition- it will take you a while to bring down the queen. She is weak
against fire, if that helps. Once she is dead claim your radiant gauntlets as
your reward. Go read the two webs for points in control foe and lightning
spray.
Fort Duvno (E8)
S: Hardiness, Stuart
U: Basin room
$: Sergeant Frannie
There's not much to do here just yet, but be sure to hit the pylon. You can
loot the NE room if you have at least 16 TU (or some tinker's crystals).
When you come here reporting for duty with Solberg, look around. Solberg
gets no respect. Sergeant Frannie will trade with you. You'll also find
Vanderin again, you'll see him soon enough. Hapscomb is a talented smith
here, he will make a number of artifacts for you. He's also one of the few
who likes Solberg. Commander Andros is in charge here. Talk with him if you
want, and loot his upstairs room. The room north of Andros holds the most
interest for you. Use the secret button to open up a small cubby with a
basin. Use the basin to give everyone in your team a bonus to hardiness.
Incantor Stuart is the last person of note here. He will train you in mage
spells, gymnastics, and resistance. Come back after you've done Solberg's
task and his prices will be much better.
Finally talk with Solberg. Offer to join him in his fight against the
horde. Go out into the courtyard and watch what happens. At least you are
accompanied by Vanderin!
Eastern Gallery (E9)
Q: Giscard's Memories
C: Fine Steel, Flawless Crystal
U: Through tunnel east of mansion
I: Symbiotic Cloak (5%, -1 Str, -1 Dex, +2 Int)
There's a mansion here, owned by Giscard. He asks you to retrieve some
paintings from his house near Formello. You will be able to do this quest
much later. Completion of this quest gets you access to his storage area.
You can break in now with a tinker's crystal if you'd prefer. Head north and
go into the tunnels. Go down the stairs, and you'll find some basilisks.
Kill them, beings sure you're successful skinning at least three of them.
More are west, including an ancient basilisk. The ancient lizard drops a
symbiotic cloak and some fire leather on death.
Eastern Gallery (EA)
C: Graymold, Piercing Crystal
I: Frozen Blade (11-33, +10 CR, +15 TH)
You'll encounter sliths here. Head east and you'll see some curse-bearing
rats. Shoot these things from afar, as when they die, they spawn several
unstable rats. Hit the unstable rats subsequently and let them explode,
taking all the rats with them.
If you go too far to the northeast, horde infiltrators attack you (2 sets,
one from south, one from west). Go to the NE and the Shade of Ess-Kalyn stops
you. She sets you up for a test vs. her friends (including two demons and
Demontamer Kyzyss). Luckily they fall without too much difficulty (especially
if the shade doesn't notice you and you can get a good position in the fight
amongst everyone). On death, grab the loot, including the wonderful frozen
blade, a blessed bauble and a stability bauble. The frozen blade is great for
dual-weilders and will last you a long time.
Go down the passage to the north. Buff then kill the sliths inside. Loot
the stuff.
The Horned Gate (EB)
C: Armor Ring
I: Spirit Cloak (*%, +2 PS, +2 FA, +2 Hard)
You can't do too much here yet, but look at the forces while in combat mode.
When you're here with Solberg and Vandarin, buff up then go north. Kill the
sliths guarding the gate. Solberg forces the gates open and casts lots of
powerful spells. Enter the horned gate, and Solberg calls a challenge to Ess-
Kalyn. First lizards go out to fight you. Then you fight humans and drakes.
Heroes of the horde attack you next. Finally you are attacked by Ess-Kalyn.
Take her down. Solberg is fairly good at soloing her. You get an excellent
Spirit Cloak for your trouble. Grab the rest of the loot and return to Fort
Duvno.
West Cotra (EC)
C: Skribbane, Scroll-Lightning
I: Opal Chain (3%, +18 CR), Armor Ring (6%, +8 SR)
Touch the pylon here. Orbus will make you potions. As always, stay away
from those that use energetic herbs or mandrake. There's a jail nearby. Head
down and you'll find an altered shambler. Hit it hard, it spawns enemies each
turn. When dead it drops some mandrake and an opal chain. To the NW is an
ogre named Grumus. He has some cronies, kill them all for an armor ring.
Eastern Gallery (ED)
C: Gold Bar, Healing Herbs.
U: NE underworld entrance
I: Icedrake Greaves (7%, +5 SR, -5 TH, +12 CR), Reflecting Shield (15%, +5
HER), Radiant Shortblade (16-32, +15 ER, +10 TH)
Some sliths stalk you here. Kill them. This area is home to a substantial
swamp lake, being patrolled by goblins. They have high parry skill and will
probably block 1/4th of your hits. Make it to the center of the lake and kill
Swampwalker Galk for some Icedrake Greaves. Go into the center island and go
down the stairs. Grab the fine steel. GO down the SE stairs and through the
vents to kill some worms and get a reflecting shield. The center of this area
is home to several chitrachs. If you come here from (EG)'s central path,
yu'll find the foundry Nazile wanted. Kill the pit crawlers then search the
table for the infused steel. Loot the rest of this place for a radiant
shortblade
Eastern Gallery (EE)
C: Graymold, Mandrake, Fine Bronze Helmet, Razordisks
Or'Hss and his slith scouts are to the NE. Kill them and take their stuff.
There are two entrances down from here. Inside you find Wyrgryss, the drake
who demands tribute. While that would normally rankle your adventuring
senses, the tribute he demands is reasonable- go kill some sliths. Or you can
pay him 1000c. When you've killed the sliths tell the drake, and he considers
the tribute paid.
Eastern Gallery (EF)
C: Spiritual Herbs, Energetic Herbs, Graymold, Flawless Crystal
I: Drakeskin Cloak (10%)
A virulent chitrach and its minions are to the west. Kill them for a
drakeskin cloak. Asterios's trail is there, where some bandits are at. Go
down the stairs and head to the southwest.
Eastern Gallery (EG)
C: Graymold, Ruby
There's not too much to do on top until you start the Dranlon quest. In the
meantime head down and explore the underworld. There's a chitrach ambush to
the north, undead to the NE, and a small mine with some pit crawlers blocked
in by a magic barrier to the south.
Once you've started the Dranlon quest, your caravan is attacked at the
exploded caravan site. Defend the caravan from the marauders, and kill Karak.
He drops a chitrach charm on death.
Fort Dranlon (EH)
Q: Ghost of Skunky Joe, Chitrach Egg Sacs, Bounty: Slith Spy, Caravan Escort,
Almarian Wine
I: Deadeye Chainmail (22%, +20 SR, -5 TH, +5 SS, 10% Fatigue Removal)
$: Damita
Touch the pylon south on out of here. Grab the job board quests. The
chitrach egg sac quest can be tough if you don't know what to look for.
Whenever you kill a chitrach, it has a chance of dropping a white egg sac.
They look like broken bits of husks. You need five, and if you look you'll
find them easily in your battles with the bugs. Bring them to him for a
deadeye chainmail. Killing Skunky Joe gets you several elixirs. Killing the
slith spy gets you 800c.
Talk with Commander Boswell. He gives you your main task of the area- to
find some raiders and kill them all. First he wants you to escort a caravan
to draw them out of hiding. Other important people here include Tania Venia.
She will train you in priest spells, including divine fire. She also gives
you a quest- to procure five bottles of almarian wine. Do so for a nice rod
of alacrity. Damita is also quite useful. She will trade with you, and will
craft several artifacts. I'd strongly recommend the gloves of the hammer and
the warrior's cloak. Burn through some of those mandrake tinctures and
demon's biles, what else will you use them for (to see what else you can use
them for, look at the bottom of this FAQ). Finally, talk with Rogelio.
Rogelio is a chitrach hunter.
When you're ready to start Dranlon's quest, talk with Driver Melisenda.
Tell her to start moving. Follow them, but stay close. Tell Boswell once
you've done this, and mention the charm. When you've killed Ozimus, return
for your reward- a wand of inferno. Kind of disappointing, but oh well.
Eastern Gallery (EI)
C: Graymold, Beautiful Crystal (x2), Tinker's Crystal, Mandrake, Flawless
Crystal
U: Stealth Route
I: Runed Helm (10%, +2 SC), Explorer's Ring (+2 NL, +3 FA, +2 Luck)
There are a few chitrach ambushes here. Grab the stuff left over as they
typically leave ok loot. The ogres to the SW are the main foe. They are led
by a giant named Tharvil Bonegnaw. The giant drops a runed helm on death,
excellent armor for mages and priests. Here you also find the blighted
mushrooms for Asta's quest.
If you're coming at this area from underneath, you'll find chitrachs galore.
If you have the charm from the marauders as part of the Fort Dranlon quest,
some of them will ignore you. Kill the rest. You can either try to avoid the
chitrachs, or you can kill them all. I enjoy the latter, but if you're
attempting this quest early or at low levels, you may choose the former. If
the former, stay on the path and use the buttons to get around the bug nests.
Eastern Gallery (EJ)
C: Scroll- Speed Burst, Emerald
I: Fibrous Breastplate (20%, +50 SR, -15 TH, +12 ER, -5 FR)
Go down the west stairs here. There are some sliths to kill. Scourger
Ka'Yss is the leader. Kill it, and take the wisdom crystal as your reward.
Up on the ground floor you'll find some sliths to the NE. Kill them and their
demon. You get a fibrous breastplate for your time. Go north to reach the
skeletal ruins to collect bone shards for Silvar.
Eastern Gallery (EK)
C: Beautiful crystal (x2), Energy Elixir,
I: Radiant Greaves (10%, +10 SR, -10 TH)
If you're coming here to kill the sliths, head north. The horde
lizardmaster is your first victim, followed by his lizards. Kill the sentries
that come for you, then buff up. Kill the warriors, then head east to kill
Kereass. Grab your drakeskin cloak as a reward, in addition to some fine
leather. Dispel the barriers for a focusing crystal and other loot. Go up
the stairs. Buff again, then charge the sliths. You'll find Kerek'Oess with
two lizard wizards. Kill them all. You get some radiant greaves for your
time. Grab the rest of the loot here.
If you're here above ground, sliths attack you as you make your way north.
They have minor loot.
Near Formello (EL)
C: Mandrake, Graymold
I: Stability Girdle (6%, -5 TH, +12 SR)
You can come here briefly from the sliths to the south on the drake tribute
quest, finding some giants. Kill them all. Chief Ribsnap is a bit harder,
but he'll fall just the same. Grab the stability girdle as a reward.
Eastern Gallery (EM)
S: First Aid
Wandering around here you'll find the ghost of Skunky Joe. Attack him, and
he'll disappear. To the north are several passages guarded by hellhounds.
Explore them and you'll find some nasty people led by Taramir. Kill them.
You get a knowledge elixir. You can claim more blighted mushrooms here too.
If you come here underground from (EN) you'll find Skunky Joe amidst many
undead. Kill the undead and make it to Joe. Joe takes no damage as long as
his sentinels are alive. Kill them first, then kill Joe. Use the nearby
basin to increase everyone's first aid skill by 1.
Eastern Gallery (EN)
I: Suede Gloves (3%, +2 SC, +2 Res), Slith Warspear (14-56, +8 FR, +5 TH),
Molten Halberd (12-48, +2 QS)
If you go into the SE building, several slith hunters chase you down. Kill
them and take their stuff. To west you'll find a passage down which takes you
back to (EM).
Veress'Yss, the slith spy is here. Fight him until he runs off. He
summons lizards, then basilisks, then mutant fire lizards. He then jumps down
a pit. Go a bit west to a small tunnel, and go up the NW passage. Dispel the
barrier, buff up, then go through the portal. You'll find the spy with two
horde warlizards. Hit them hard. Killing the spy gets you some suede gloves
and a slith warspear.
Underneath you will find a mass of chitrachs. There's also a very tempting
gong. Buff then hit it. Unstable rats flood out after you. Run to the SE
corridor. Hit them as they come. The Muridae Infernal is the associated
demon with these creatures, hit it hard. The infernal drops a molten halberd
on death.
Eastern Gallery (EO)
C: Healing Herbs, Mandrake
S: Return Life
A few enemies and caches are here. Niveau and her family are odd but
friendly. Talk with them, then defend them from chitrachs when they attack.
Try to keep the farmers alive and you get extra experience.
Check out the underground to the NW. You'll find an abandoned mage workshop
which has a book with the nice return life spell in it.
Skeletal Ruins (EP)
C: Graymold, Mandrake
S: Divine Retribution
U: 3 below.
I: Jade Chain (3%, +25 PR, +25 AR), Putrified Gauntlets (9%, -1 Str, -1 Dex,
+50 AR, +5 SC)
Let's start rekilling some undead. Every undead you kill has a chance to
drop a bone shard, so be sure you have Silvar's quest prior to doing this
quest. Go north, and kill everything that moves. The minor boss of the area
is a mummified priest, which drops a jade chain on death. Eventually you'll
want to head down the stairs. Ruby skeletons taunt you from above. Kill the
skeletons below, then dispel the barrier and use the basin for a long-term
shield. Head east, kill the ghasts, then go north. There's a secret button
to push that lets you go upstairs and open the gate, go ahead and use it.
Continue west, kill the ghosts above, then kill the skeletons. Continue
through some skeletal warriors, and kill some more ghosts and skeletons.
You are faced with a nasty fight ahead. You may want to attempt this one
later. The lich to the west has a nasty trap. Hit him to begin with, then
run to the south around the orange pylon. Use your disruption wands, wands of
death, nullity wands, and wands of the inferno from your fighters, and your
priest must use disrupt undead to bring the Lich Kavarus down. The pylon to
the north explodes cold energy, killing anyone who's not next to the south
pylon. The south pylon then starts to chill, so you must try to bring him
down quickly. You may be able to run up to the north pylon, but since the
lich has probably been summoning away, you may not be successful. Again, this
is one of the toughest fights in the game. I'd strongly recommend using cloak
of the arcane, and ward of thoughts in this fight to make your life slightly
easier. When Kavarus dies, he drops some putrified gauntlets, which provide a
huge bonus to spellcraft. Go south to pick up a knowledge elixir behind a
secret passage. Now it's time to head north. It's time to take this lich out
for good! Go to the NE, and use the secret button to go above. Travel to the
tomb, then try to break the shard.
Concentrate on the spirit sentinel first as it charms your characters.
Beast has a spineshield, so hit it with spells. I find lightning spray to
work like a charm here. Compared to the prior battle, this one is a cinch.
Smash the shard when everything else is dead, getting three wisdom crystals,
then read the book for a point in divine retribution. Nice.
When you leave this place, be sure to go through the gate that you opened up
prior to killing the lich. Go quickly east for a graymold cache, then head
west. Kill the few foes, and loot the cache for some mandrake.
Occupied Lands (ER)
There's not much you can do here just yet, but you can kill a few goblins.
The Oculus Cult (ES)
S: Return Life
U: East room
I: Runed Jade Necklace (2%, +10 PR, +10 AR), Farsight Cap (5%, +1 Bow, +1 SS)
GO here to follow Asterios's trail. Head east, and buff. Kill Cultist
Visius and the other cultists. Visius drops some blessed boots. Go ahead and
use the nearby basin to get another buff. Head south, kill some more
cultists, then head SW. Corma-Eye, an eyebeast, is waiting for you. He's not
exceptionally difficult, but can surprise you if you're not watching. You get
a runed jade necklace on its death, which is strangely strongly inferior to
the jade chain. Grab the key from the nearby blue chest, dispel the barrier,
and read the book to improve your return life spell. Use the basin for some
experience. Now go explore.
The eastmost room has a secret button. Use it and dispel the barrier. Grab
the mediocre loot. Go to the west, kill the demons and cultists, then grab
some better loot from the cabinet. Next head to the north. Four cultists
block you- kill them. Now unlock the door, and go up the stairs. Time to
kill some more cultists. Kivara is about to sacrifice Asterios. Stop them
all. Kivara drops a farsight cap. Talk with Asterios, and free him.
Central Avernum (ET)
C: Graymold
Take this route to kill the Dranlon Marauders. GO west and kill some of
them. Others follow behind you, kill them too. You get some moderate loot
for your time. Go down the hatch. You'll see some trained chitrachs. Go up
the stairs.
You can take a brief foray west, then north. Kill the ogres and grab the
loot and cache (purging crystal).
Then head east. You can continue east to reach the eastern gallery map (EM)
and you'll find a hatch with, when you go down, gets you a cabinet with an
invulnerable potion in it. When ready head north to the Marauder's Hideout.
Marauder's Hideout (EU)
C: Mandrake
S: Cloak of the Arcane
U: Two in Nociduas's lair
I: Stability Girdle (6%, -5 TH, +12 SR), Specter Robe (10%, +5 ER, +20 SR, +20
MR, -4 FR), Quicksilver Bulwark (21%, +1 Battle Speed, +1 Anat, +2 LB)
Ozimus taunts you. Go and kill his minions. Cultist Dreva drops some
drakeskin bracers on death. Head north. Kill Marauder Tergia for a stability
girdle, then buff up. GO west and you'll see a circle of mages. Ozimus flees
from you, so kill the mages. I killed them all before they were able to
summon anything bigger than an imp, I suggest you do the same. Loot the
place, then it's time to track Ozimus down. Go down the stairs. This is
Nociduas's lair, a nasty necromancer. Buff, then enter combat mode. You'll
see a blue crystal. Smash it. Then go find Ozimus. He's trapped by three
vengeful shades. Kill them all, and grab the specter robe. You can either
try to take on Nociduas while you're here, or you can go back and report your
success.
If you'd like to take on Nociduas, buff up and go south then east. Destroy
all blue crystals you come across. You especially want to take out the divine
shade-summoning crystals. Use the button near the two tombs to grab a
knowledge brew. When ready, buff up, and use the two basins. Now go talk
with Nociduas. Time to take him out. He summons several zombies. Head over
and kill them, standing in the central circle. You can not do damage to
Nociduas. Instead, when you stand in the circle, friendly shades are summoned
that do damage to him instead. You can also augment these summons with your
own, they will do damage as well. The summons are fragile, so you may
actually need to heal them in this fight. Eventually, as long as you don't
move off the circle, your summons will overwhelm Nociduas. You get the
awesome quicksilver bulwark shield for your time. Time to loot his place.
Read the book just to the north for a point of cloak of the arcane spell. Go
north and kill the two nasty hellhounds. You get some boots and mandrake
tincture for your time. Use the nearby secret button to unlock a basin that
gives you experience. You can now head west to explore. Tizka-Eye, a gazer,
talks with you from above. You can't do much with him now. Head on back to
Fort Dranlon.
CHAPTER THE NEXT. A MAGIC BOAT RIDE.
Go to the Almaria pylon, and head north. Take a boat. Grab the caches
(healing herbs, spiritual herbs, graymold x3) on the way out. You can now
explore nearly all of Avernum. I'm not going to draw a map, instead just
recommend you row your boat everywhere and pick up all the caches you find.
There are two major area's I'll cover here- the Remote Marsh/Fang Clan
Fortress, and Honeycomb Horror Lair.
Remote Marsh (AR)
C: Spiritual Herbs, Mandrake
Kill the nephilim and lizards that attack you. You find evidence of the orb
of thralni here. Go north to the Fang Clan Fotress
Fang Clan Fortress
C: Graymold
U: Spider chamber
I: Cap of Thoughts (5%, +1 SC, +1 ME), Grounding Vest (16%, +20 SR, -5 TH, +10
ER), Avenger's Ring (6%, +2 Anat, +2 LB, +2 Levels damage in Combat)
Buff, and go north. Worgs and nephil archers attack you. Kill them, and
you have a choice. You can either continue north, killing more nephilim, or
head to the SE. To north you'll find Shaman Thorr'Mra. He summons two
fighters to help him, and shields them significantly. Concentrate your
attacks on the shaman, and kill him to bring down the shields on the fighters.
Try to kill the shaman quickly or he'll hit you with nasty magic. For your
time you get a cap of thoughts. Go west and you'll find the trophy guardian
demon. Kill it. Grab the shards from the orb of thralni. No flying for you
:(. Head to the SE after you've claimed it and go down the stairs.
Fight a few Fang Clan conquerors. Prep, then go to the north. Move next to
the door, and some slimes appear. Use the turnwheel and kill the slimes.
Stay in combat mode, and enter the next room. Some rats appear. When they
do, use the wheel. Enter the next room, use the wheel when the slimes appear,
kill them and run through the door. Now you will see a platform. Buff and
get on it. Archers attack you first (use lightning spray), then fighters,
then archers again (situated so that lightning spray won't hit them), then
nasty cave giants. The cave giant diviner drops a grounding vest. Head south
to fight some spiders, and use the buttons to open up secret rooms with useful
basins. Go up. The Nephar Chieftain is surprisingly not hostile. You can
leave without a fight. Grab the stuff in the nearby chests (including a
mandrake tincture). Killing him is tough, but gets you a powerful avenger's
ring. Note that this fight is a great time to use invulnerable potions.
Dragon's Gate
C: Mandrake
S: Arcane Blow
U: Nearby NW nest
I: Flaming Sword (11-33, fire, +10 FR, +10 TH), Infernal Shroud (4%, +15 FR,
+15 ER, +2 LB, +1 Anat)
Note that this area may be a bit too difficult for you when you first gain
access to a boat. You may instead choose to take this area on after
completing a few more key quests. Open the gates from nearby where you find
the gazer-spawning pool. Then go through the honeycomb to get to the gates.
When you see a nest, buff up. You are attacked by a pack of wolves. Next you
are attacked by a lot of lizards led by a drake, Kazass-Hrros. Kill them all
for a flaming sword.
Go down the stairs. Hirickis is to the NW. Buff and attack. He retreats
when you do a lot of damage. Find him at a circle south, then east, then to
his inner sanctum. He pleads for his life after a bit. I'd recommend killing
him. Grab your infernal shroud reward. Look around here for a spellbook of
arcane blow and minor other loot.
When ready, head up north past Fort Dranlon. Land at the west edge of the
northern fens.
Northern Fens (F0)
Search around here and you'll find Sergeant Dalliman. He'll give you some
info. There's a pylon here as well, but it won't work. Finally, some giants
are to the NW. Practice killing them.,
Grindstone (F1)
C: Scroll- Acid Shower, Beautiful Crystal (x3), Flawless Crystal
S: Arcane Summon
U: Access to chief
I: War Chief's Bulwark (18%, 10% Fatigue Removal, +3 levels damage in combat,
+2 QS), Eagle Eye Band (6%, +2 Bow, +2 TM, +3 SS)
Grindstone was a fair bit more important in A4. Now it's giant town.
There's a building here with a barrier. It is quite difficult to take down.
I found I needed a combined magic spells + spellcraft of over 40 to take it
down. Do so for a bunch of crystals and a secret way in to fight the giant
chieftain.
If you're killing the giant chieftain the old fashioned way, go to the mine.
Head east to the path down. Go down. Kill the hellhounds and giants, and
head north. Giant overseers and flingers are next. The flingers are lined up
perfectly for lightning spray. Go read the book for a point in arcane summon,
then head west. Get in the boat, head west, kill the giants including Headman
Glathnok. Glathnok drops a nice war chief's bulwark shield, then go north and
head east. Let free the spiders. Accompany them to the west. Help them kill
the giants (it's also entertaining to see the spiders in action- they're no
slouches!). Take the boat east now, and go south. Land and kill some giants,
then get back in your boat and go south.
Get out at the next spit of land, and you can go fight the chief. He has a
nasty attack that sends you flying south which also stuns you. Unshackle mind
is a must. Kill him for an eagle eye band. Go north and grab the speaking
stone, then get out of here.
Giant Lands (F2)
C: Graymold
I: Gazerskin Sandals (16%, +10 HER, +10 SR)
If you try to cross the bridge here you are stopped by the giant Drethnar.
Kill him for a sparkling wand. Further to the west is the gate to the dragon
lands. There's not much there for you now, but go ahead and talk with Tarmik-
Drayssa and leave (this fulfills a later job). To the SE you find a tunnel
which eventually leads to a one way drop. If you want to go into it, you'll
find Tizka-Eye (friend of Nociduas). Kill it for the most excellent Gazerskin
sandals and an eyebeast eye (an ingredient for high-level crafting). Note
that you lose use of a boat if you do this, so only do this path once prior to
clearing out the slithzerikai leaders!
There's a pit to the NW. Go down it to kill some undead and grab some
graymold.
Giant Lands (F3)
C: Gold Necklace, Scroll- Spineshield, Fine Steel
S: Mass Healing, Lightning Spray
U: North exit to scuttler den
There's a shack on the east coast that has shamblers in it. Kill them for
some mandrake.
Head to the NW. You'll find an abandoned camp. Go down one of the three
stairs down. Head to the SW, then buff once you see the helmet on the floor.
Kill the scuttlers, first the blues, then the reds, then the greens (strong
against lightning), then the sparkling. A scuttler mutant is the boss here.
Kill it for a wisdom crystal. Loot the rooms around here. Use the basin to
the SE for a point in mass healing. Use the secret button the north to get a
boat that allows you to drink from a second basin to improve your lightning
spray spell. Go up the north stairs to claim some of the poisonous mushrooms
requested by Asta.
Giant Lands (F4)
S: Magical Efficiency
Wolves and giants roam here. The giants are tough packmasters.
If you're coming from underneath, you'll find some shamblers. To the SE are
the nastiest foes here- five altered giants. Buff then fight them. Your
reward is a knowledge elixir and lots of valuable loot. Near the center of
the map are several oozing corpses. Kill them. Skip the basin, then open the
door. Kill the lich inside (compared to other liches you've fought, this one
is a cinch). Use the nearby basin to improve everyone's magical efficiency by
one point.
Northern Fens (F5)
C: Graymold
U: East part of pit
I: Charmed Buckler (18%, +3 Lck, +3 SS, +2 Rip)
A slith party is north. Kill them and loot the body. Go down the pit here,
kill the crawlers, and loot their stuff. You get a charmed buckler as a
reward.
Near Fort Monastery (F6)
C: Emerald, Terror Wand
I: Mooneye Girdle (6%, -5 TH, +10 ER, +15 MR)
You can raid the small outpost, but won't get too much.
On the other side of the river is a cave, which if you go up it has a
maddened giant. Kill it for a mooneye girdle. He also calls forth a horde of
vicious crawlers, with a crawling horror as the last foe. Grab the skribbane
and fine steel and leave.
Occupied Lands (F7)
C: Graymold, Energetic Herbs, Mandrake, Beautiful Crystal (x2), Flawless
Crystal
I: Fungal Bow (14-42, +10 MR, +1 QS)
Land on this shore when you're ready to start killing some sliths. I'd also
recommend leaving your loot here so that you can take it back and forth from
Fort Dranlon (if you'd like). You can also drop them near Fort Monastery,
which will save you a fair bit of time later onl. You'll pull a lot of minor
goods out, possibly enough for some training. Shamblers are here, and they
disorient you, making you lose fatigue.
There are four paths down from here. It doesn't matter too much which one
you take, but prepared to fight a lot of shamblers if you explore. The boss
of the area can be found to the north. There you find the Lord of the fungus.
Kill it (again it can fatigue you, making battle disciplines fairly useless)
for a fungal bow and a knowledge elixir.
Occupied Lands (F8)
C: Razordisk, Curing Elixir
Some sliths are fighting shamblers here. Stand back and watch the action.
Mop up the winners (or try to land the killing blows!). Here you find Private
Weir, who tells you about the human force here.
Occupied Lands (F9)
Q: The Horde's Slaves, The Horde's Traitors
C: Graymold
S: Incantor Abadon
I: War Chief's Bulwark
Go down the SE cave. Some of the few friendlies are here. Talk with
Captain Esmee to gain knowledge about the lay of the land. She also gives you
a quest to free two batches of slaves. Do so for some experience. Incantor
Abadon also has a quest for you- to kill some traitors. Killing Kellar will
encourage Abadon to train you. His prices are extremely cheap.
Some sliths are north of the SE entrance. Kill them, including battlemaster
Taross, who drops a slith warspear on death. Head through the barrier to open
the gates. Also here is Kellar, a traitorous scum human. Kellar drops a war
chief's bulwark on death. There is a horde demonmaster in the center of the
map, kill it for a wand.
There are effectively two paths to Formello, the north path and the south
path. The north path is by far easier, but the south path has a nice bit more
loot. Along the way you will be warned when you might face overwhelming odds
by the game. Try not to go those routes, as the enemies there can be tough
even for end-game parties.
Occupied Lands (FA)
C: Emerald, Invulnerable Potion
You're at the northern end of enemy territory here. This is a major slith
caravan route, which you may see as you try to cross the bridge. If you want,
you can go down the NE hatch. Kill the slimes and grab the stuff.
Fort Monastery (FC)
Q: Bounty: Cave Giants, The Scuttler Hive, Scout the Gateway.
C: Ruby, Scroll- Speed Burst
S: Battlemage Winant, Priestess Rrone
U: Under the fort
I: Dragonskin cap (9%, +1 Res), Mauler's Ring (6%, +2 QS, +2 LB), Acid-Etched
Legs (6%, +7 SR, -10 TH, +1 Anat, +5 AR)
$: Oliver
There's not much you can do here until you clear out the slith triad.
Once the three sliths are dead, come here from the south underground.
There's an area with three buttons, explore the paths (but watch out for the
SW- charged goop!), then make your way up the ladder.
Oliver will trade with you. Captain Khatessa will talk with you, but
doesn't say much just yet. There's a job board and pylon here, both become
accessible only after you have rescued the fort. Battlemage Winant will also
teach you spells. Priestess Rrone will also teach you priestly spells.
Finally, go see Commander Matos. He readies the attack.
The gates are opened. Buff, and head down to the gates. Kill the sliths as
they enter. Some have names, these will tend to leave cool stuff. Luckily, as
long as you stay in the fort, you'll have plenty of help and can kill the
sliths with ease. The general of the sliths drops a dragonskin cap on death.
Things open up when freed. Grab the job board quests, and talk with
everyone. Matos opens up a room for you with a mauler's ring in it.
Completion of the gateway quest gets you some potions. The cave giant bounty
quest gets you some acid-etched legs. Completion of the scuttler quest gets
you a cool 1500c.
Occupied Lands (FD)
Q: The Mean Shaman, Captured Spiders
I: Charmed Plate (28%, +40 SR, -15 TH, +3 Luck, +8 HER)
Here you find the Giant Intelligent Friendly Talking Spiders (GIFTSs). Go
down and talk with them. They give you two quests (I can't provide you with
the names of quest givers to any specificity- you'll see why). The first
quest is to kill a slith shaman. The other quest is to rescue spiders from
the giants. The latter quest you may have already fulfilled. Your reward is
some loot in the basement, including an impressive charmed plate. You can
also grab the eggs for Gladwell if you go down the basement (use the webs).
NOTE: If you do grab the eggs, the GIFTSs are hostile the next time they see
you. Try to fulfill the mean shaman quest first. The mean shaman quest gets
you a bunch of potions.
Occupied Lands (FE)
C: Wisdom Crystal
U: In mine
Some guards are on the bridge here. There's also a secret path to the
friendly humans from the SW side of the river. To the north are some slith
miners. Kill them and take their stuff. Also here are some traitorous
nephilim. Kill them and take their stuff.
Tenevra (FF) & Rentar Ihrno's Keep
Q: Vahnatai Cultists, The Speaking Stone
S: Pathfinder
U: Secret area with hostile vahnatai
I: Magus Vest (20%, +1 MS, +1 PS, +2 AL, +1 SC), Lodestone Bracers (10%, -10
TH, +2 DW, +10 SR, +4 Hard), Venomous Blade (12-36, +12 PR, +12 AR), Ghostly
Blade (8-24, +6 Protection from Weapons, +6 HER)
Not much you can do here just yet.
Once you get the mission to help out Tenevra, get the mica sheet from the
vahnatai at the castle and come here. Speak with Torkia, then look around.
The NE holds Kian-Ihrno, who will ask for your help for Tenevra. She wants
you to kill some vahnatai cultists. She will also help you find some
communication shards. Unici-Tel is in charge of the portal. He also has a
quest for you- to recover the speaking stone from the giants to the west. If
you freed the spiders, you may have also done this quest. Completion of this
quest gets you a magus vest. The most important individual by far here is
down a hatch to the SE. There you will find Palom, the alchemist. In
exchange for one of each herb, he will make you a knowledge brew. Cash those
herbs in! While you're here, be sure to dispel the barrier and use the basin
to improve your pathfinder skill. Go speak with Salasi. She asks you to kill
a fungus beast to the SW (you may have done this if you took the south route
to Formello). Do so for several potions.
When you're ready to do Kian-Ihrno's quest, head to the center portal. Go
in it. You'll find Rentar-Ihrno's old keep. Avoid the orange pylons unless
you want a fight (and you probably do). Soulsear demons (weak vs. fire)
attack you. West some cryos demons (weak vs. fire again) attack you. South
and west and you are attacked by ghostly vahnatai. Talk with Clodeca-Tel.
She sends you below. Head west, buff, then run through the vents in combat
mode. Vahnatai attack you, including Gavaw-Te. Kill them for the lodestone
bracers. Continue north and kill the sentinels (fine steel drop), then find
Dagas-Ihrno.
In this fight you must stay in the circle or Dagas ends it. He summons
spheres to fight you. Kill everything from a distance. Eventually he drops
his shield. Kill him. He drops a venomous blade on death. Tell Clodeca and
Kian-Ihrno for a focusing crystal and rod of alacrity. Kian will also let you
claim the vahnatai crystal shards. Go down the nearby stairs, buff, then face
the hraithe. Stand next to the pylon surrounded by blue lights and hit it.
The blue lights will move while the shade attacks you. Hit the pylon with
blue lights until the shade gives up and attacks you on its own. Kill it for
a ghostly blade. Loot the nearby rooms for some crystals and the shards.
Fort Draco (FG)
C: Spiritual Herbs
S: Strong Daze
I: Eliavri's Bow (14-42, +2 QA, +3 Bow, +2 HER)
Not much you can do here just yet.
Once you have the mission from Levitt, come back here. Go through the gate.
Go down the stairs behind the barrier in the north building. Go past the
runes. You'll find three gazers, one of them named. Kill them for an
eyestalk and a wisdom crystal. Go touch the anvil to send it to X. You can
also explore the inn's basement.
When you're ready, replace the stone on the pylon. Lieutenant Gelbart
greets you. Your mission is to keep this crew alive and healthy through this
mission. This is fairly easy until you get to the very end.
Go south. You are greeted by the gremlin king. Do whatever you will, then
head to the SE. Go through the hatch. You face a shade construct. Kill it
quickly, as it casts an area-of-effect cold spell. Heal up after killing it,
then continue onward. Next the soldiers are frozen by some magic. Kill the
rockhounds and keep the soldiers alive. Then go north to fight a trash
dragon. Kill it (ice works well) for Eliavri's Bow. Head south and the
soldiers are controlled by the gremlin king. Ignore them for a few turns and
they'll get better. Go south, and loot the place. Grab the book for a point
in strong daze, then go outside.
Yup, the gremlin king attacks you. Kill him and his minions. His minions
have a nasty lightning aura attack which can kill the soldiers, so keep them
healed if they are hit too hard by it. Success with this mission is
guaranteed if you keep at least one soldier alive. Keep most of them alive
and Levitt likes you more.
Occupied Lands (FI)
C: Scroll- Spellward, Gold Necklace, Platinum Ring
I: Ceremonial Longbow (13-39)
You're being watched here. Loot everything to the west, then you find
Khrez-Yss. He splits into 4. Hit them all- one won't take much damage, this
is the original. Hit them until he runs away. Kill his lackeys for a
ceremonial longbow
Occupied Lands (FJ)
C: Purging Crystal
Avoid the bridge here with the sliths are you may be overwhelmed.
Occupied Lands (FH)
C: Mandrake, Energetic Herbs
A slave camp is here. Head to the SE, and kill the sliths. Talk with the
slaves, they tell you that some drakes will eat them if you don't help. Go
down the SE ramp, and kill the drakes. Go back up, buff, then tell the
slaves. Protect them as they escape.
Occupied Lands (ER)
C: Mandrake, Flawless Crystal, Ruby, Focusing Crystal, Beautiful Crystal
I: Dragonskin Bracers (9%, -5 TH, +20 FR, +10 ER)
There are tri-budded shamblers here which spawn lots of foes. They are
quite obnoxious. If you're here from the underground, you'll find several
nasty drakes. Buff up and kill them. They are led by Darathna. Use extra
buffs (speed, regeneration) and ward of elements to make the fight a bit
easier. You get some dragonskin bracers on beating these nasties.
Near Formello (FK)
This area is blocked by the horde. Be careful if you try to go this route.
I'd recommend going east from Fort Draco.
Near Formello (FL)
C: Mandrake, Gold Bar, Graymold
I: Incantor's Buckler (15%, +1 SC, +1 FA, +1 AL, +1 ME)
Welcome to Formello. Here you will find the dragonscale shaman. Kill it
for a stunning blade and an incantor's buckler.
Near Formello (FM)
C: Beautiful Crystal, Energetic Herbs
I: Silk-Woven Cord (6%, +5 Protect from Weapons, +2 AL, +1 SC, +1 FA)
Sliths, sliths, sliths. Intriguingly there is a friendly one to the south
named Kesha. Moderately friendly, anyway. You can get a hint on where to go
from her. If you want, you can kill this old lady. I don't know what you get
though. Head to the north, and you can listen in on some of the politics of
the sliths. Then attack. Go down the stairs at the gatehouse. Buff up prior
to going north, then kill the scourge mages. You get a silk woven cord for
your time
Near Formello (FN)
C: Battle Crystal
S:
U:
I: Quicksilver Sandals (2%, +1 Battle Speed, -2 Str)
Here you can enter a tunnel that leads to Formello. Kill the demon-
summoning sliths for a number of goods (including a knowledge elixir). Also,
enter the runed room to kill the high mage Dassra and her two servitor orbs.
You get the excellent quicksilver sandals for your time. Head to the NE.
Some undead are fighting some sliths. Kill the winner, then go downstairs.
Kill a few more undead, and you'll find Sage Tobias. Tobias is a bit insane,
having to resort to necromancy in order to stay hidden in slith lands, but is
otherwise helpful. He lets you use his pools, then tells you to go into
Formello. Head there now.
Formello (FO)
S: Strong Daze, Divine Host
U: In Khrez-Yss's east chamber
I: Talisman of Might (+4 Str), Heartwood Aegis (15%, +20 MR, +20 SR, +1 Res),
Slith Bloodspear (17-68, +10 FR, +5 TH)
Walk forward, into the trap. You find Kerrorr to the north. He's not
helpful just yet. When you're ready, head west, then south. Get trapped.
Buff. Go forward, you'll find Khrez-Yss. Time to take him down. Your
mission here is to find and destroy four crystals. They are spread around the
area, one across each bridge. Smash them all. Khrez-Yss will try to flee,
then panics. Kill him. He drops a talisman of might on death. Grab the key,
and go open the locked doors for a point in strong daze. You also get a lot
of powerful but nondescript loot. Head to the NW, use the south basin, and go
up the stairs.
Kill the guards, then go northeast. Dispel the barrier and read the book
for a divine host point. Go east to the Arena. Kill the three sliths that
jump down, then use the gong. General Zhavress jumps down to fight you.
CHalleng Ghavassa-Oss again. Tell him you have kill Khrez-Yss. He will not
accept such an insult. Kill him. Grab the slith bloodspear and the heartwood
aegis and head south. Try to avoid fighting a bit so as not to get
overwhelmed. Hit the pylon and get out! Go tell Levitt of your success.
Near Fort Monastery (FP)
C: Purging Crystal
S: Fireblast
I: Thug's Cap (7%, -5 TH, +1 BM, +8 SR)
Here you should go if you want to free Fort Monastery. Kill the slith
spies, then go into the alchemy shop. The ambulatory goop spawn charged goop
on death. The charged goop can be fatal, so hit them from a distance. The
nastiest encounter is a bit to the north. There you will find several
ambulatory goops (each spawning 4 charged goops) and an infested ogre mage.
The ogre mage attacks you quick, so it's not easy to get an exploding
fireworks show with the mage and the goop (though it can be done
satisfactory). Kill them all for a thug's cap. Dispel the barrier, use the
basin for some experience, and read the book to improve your fireblast spell.
Now go down the stairs. Go save Sage Savara, then go east and north (save
south for later).
After you've freed Fort Monastery, head south.
Breeding Tunnels (FQ)
C: Flawless Crystal, Purging Crystal, Wisdom Crystal, Emerald
U: NW mines
I: Eyebeast Chitin (21%, +40 SR, +25 MR), Ruby Chain (3%, +18 FR)
This area is home to lots of warlizards. Head into the SE mine and fight
some basilisks. Head to the NW mine to pillage some more. Under the NW mine
you will also find the mother salamander. Buff then attack her. Salamanders
hatch during this fight too. Kill them all for an eyebeast chitin shield. To
the west you will find trainer Oruss. Note that if you hit him, you get the
lightning aura spell cast on you. Kill him for a ruby chain.
Breeding Tunnels (FR)
C: Runed Plate
U: Central NW
I: Runed Plate (34%, +50 SR, +20 MR, +2 SC), Heartstriker Bow (8-32)
This area is home to more lizards. Kill the sliths to the SW. To the
Northwest and central are a series of buttons that eventually yield a cache
with a runed plate inside. Grab it!
The most fruitful part of this area entails the NE stairs. Go up them, then
buff. Run across the area to the south, and kill the gazers and eyebeasts.
The Obelisk of the Eye is in charge, and killing it yields an eyebeast eye.
Go down the stairs and talk with Arrorra.
Head down the NW stairs. Ignore the first basin, and the second, and use
the third (after the fight) for some experience. Kill the lizards here as
well as the slith battlemage Eckth. Grab your reward- the heartstriker bow
(the best bow in the game), as far as damage potential
Lair of the Scourge (FS)
C: Flawless Crystal
S: Arcane Blow
U: Ascending the cliff area
I: Blessed Breastplate (34%, +50 SR, -20 TH), Grounding Vest (16%, +20 SR, -5
TH, +10 ER),Answering Gauntlets (3%, +2 PA, +3 Rip)
You can't do much here until you're told to by Melanchion. You can go to
the north side and kill the lightning crawlers. Grab the blessed breastplate.
When you're told to come here by Melanchion, approach the front gate. Go to
the green crystals, and Melanchion crushes the scourge defenders. Head on in
and kill the sliths. Take their stuff. To the SW is an undead vahnatai
inhabitation. Kill them and clear them out. You'll find a secret area at the
end with a vahnatai revenant. It's not undead, but kill it anyway for a
grounding vest.
Go down the stairs. Get ready for a slogfest (there's an armor ring in one
of the skull piles). Ascend the stairs slowly, killing everything in your
path. You're confronted by Vorus of the Circle. He has two golems with him.
They try to hit a gong. Kill Vorus as he's easier than trying to kill the
golems. You get some wands when he dies. To the west is Tial of the
Circle. As you fight her, her wizardly avatars attack you. Concentrate on
Tial. She drops a hero's necklace on death. To the east is Gssch of the
Circle. Gssch is halfway between life and death. You can't successfully
attack him unless you have a death curse cast on you. You get a death curse
by using the north basin, and can remove it by using the south basin. Get
your death curse on 2-3 PCs (everyone standing next to the basin when it's
used gets the curse, then hit him. After 2-3 turns of fighting, go cluster
everyone at the south basin and get rid of the death curse. You can do this
in 1 or 2 cycles, depending on how smooth you act. Gssch drops some answering
gauntlets on death. Loot the south room for some demon's bile and a nice (+2)
boost to arcane blow.
Near Formello (FT)
S: Gymnastics
I: Ceremonial Leggings (8%, +8 SR, -10 TH, +4 Str, +2 Res)
These are the slith training grounds. Go around, killing the trainees and
their trainers. Be sure to loot the slith sauna, and use the basins there for
a point in gymnastics. The other point of note here is a slith named Yahsso
of the Spear. He challenges you. Kill him for the extremely valuable
ceremonial leggings and a slith warspear.
Near Formello (FU)
I: Stability Boots (8%, +1 Dex, +20 SR), Temperate Necklace (2%, +10 FR, +10
CR)
You can't go too far this direction as there are a lot of sliths. There's
an endless horde of 1200 HP sliths that attack you. However, if you hug the
west wall, you can pass by them. You can then head to the SW. You'll find
Giscard's mansion. Enter it and kill the sliths within. Kill Commander
Bhish'Ess for a temperate necklace and some nice stability boots. Approach
the picture near the dresser to pick it up for Giscard. Go up the nearby
stairs to find battlemage Gliesss (with the second painting right behind him).
Kill him.
Near Formello (FV)
C: Graymold, Mandrake
U: Bottom floor to the north
I: Cryos Spear (11-33, +15 CR, +1 Battle Speed, +1 LB)
Here you find the second slave encampment, as well as a useful spear. Head
to the SE, and buff. Formellan thugs attack you. Kill Dedrick and his thug
buddies. Try to keep as many slaves alive as you can.
Down the stairs is the wormspawn shambler. Hitting it spawns flaming
bushes, which can be quite annoying. You get the cryos spear for your
efforts.
There's a small hatch nearby the slavers that leads to some giants and an
ogre mage. Kill them and take their stuff.
Occupied Lands (EL)
I: Robe of the Magi (18%, +3 SC, +2 Res, +4 ME)
Keep hugging the west wall and head to the SW. Kill the elite guards and
scouts. You'll find General Tregart. This is a tough fight as you can't
quite use your melee fighters. Raid his stuff for a blessed breastplate, robe
of the magi, and knowledge elixir. The robe is easily the best mage-specific
armor in the game.
Melanchion's Lands
G3-G4
| |
G1-G0
|
G2
Refuge (G0)
Q: Rebellious Gazer, Demonic Intruder
C: Platinum Ring
S: Divine Restoration, Divine Retribution
$: Meeam-Drayssa
This area is home to the Drayssa, or dragon worshippers. Meeam-Drayssa will
buy from you. She will also sell you mediocre items if you complete some
quests for Refuge. Almara-Drayssa is in charge, loosely speaking. She gives
you info and two quests- to beat down a gazer and kill a demon. You get 1000c
for each one you kill/subdue. Quessik-Drayssa here will heal you, and reward
you for completion of the quests with spells. You can get divine restoration
and divine retribution. There's also a pylon here which you should touch.
Melanchion's Realm (G1)
C: Ruby, Beautiful Crystal, Wisdom Crystal
U: Zahur's treasure room
I: Lightning Ring (6%, +3 QA, +2 QS, +1 PA)
Head south to the Keep first thing.
The quarry to the NE has lots of nice gems and is guarded by salamanders.
Go down the west stairs to find the Almara-Drayssa's demon. Kill the imps
then head up the stairs. Demons attack you. Buff and head down the south
stairs. You find Zahur Firecaller. Hit it. It starts to call in the lava.
Stay next to the demon so as not to die instantly from the lava as it moves
inward. He summons four imp friends that attack you. One is vulnerable to
ice, one to fire, one to energy attacks, and one to melee attacks. Keep
concentrating on Zahur and eventually it'll fall. Grab your demon's bile as a
reward, then loot the treasure for a lightning ring. Then go through the
portal.
Melanchion's Keep (G2)
Q: Hunt the Loyalists, Assault Bargha, Remove the Scourge, Sack Tenevra,
Testing the Brew, Research Notes, The Magic Mirror
S: Divine Restoration, Cloak of the Arcane, Arcane Blow, Divine Retribution,
Lethal Blow
I: Warmaster Helm (7%, 25% Fatigue Removal, +25 SR, +2 Levels Damage in
Combat), Emerald Chestguard (42%, +20 PR, +20 AR, +1 BM, +20 SR), Radiant
Soulblade (16-48, 8%, +2 LB, +2 QA, +3 PA)
$: Vassch-Drayssa
Time to go speak with Melanchion. Speak with him, and he tells you that he
will save Avernum if you serve him. This is as a soldier, not a mindless
Drayssa, fortunately. Once you have this message, head back to King Starrus.
Come back afterwards, and Melanchion tells you what he'd like from you. He
wants you to destroy four enemies- Lord Farrar, the Scourge, the vahnatai, and
the darkside Loyalists. You need only do two quests to get Melanchion's help.
Lord Farrar is an easy quest. You can complete both the darkside loyalists
quest and Gladwell's final quest in a single sitting if you so desire.
Glenny-Drayssa is in charge of food. She'll give you some if you ask
nicely. Vassch-Drayssa is an alchemist who will trade with you. Be sure to
buy his knowledge brew as well. He also gives you a quest- to test a potion.
Use the nearby basin to get a nice armor spell, then go down the stairs. Use
the brew- you get a death curse. Enter combat mode and had north through the
wolves and other creatures. Use the basin at the end to remove the death
curse. Go up the stairs and tell Vassch to access his spellbook (divine
restoration) and a basin which increases your experience.
Breck-Drayssa is to the NW. He gives you a quest to retrieve research
notes. Each research note gets you 100c. You also get a tinker's crystal,
piercing crystal, purging crystal, battle crystal, and wisdom crystal for
bring several to him. Thereafter each gets you 100c. Poila-Tel-Drayssa is a
vahnatai who serves Melanchion. He gives you a quest to retrieve a magic
mirror from the castle. Do so for a rod of alacrity and a point in cloak of
the arcane.
Each major quest you complete for Melanchion gets you access to his
supplies. Completion of one quest gets you a warmaster helm and a point of
arcane blow. Completion of the second quest gets you the almighty emerald
chestguard and a point of divine retribution. Also, he gives Avernum its
promised crystal pylon to repair the portal. You can quit now to beat the
game. Complete three quests and you can get a basin which increases your
lethal blow skill, as well as a radiant soulblade, the most powerful melee
weapon in the game.
Melanchion's Realm (G3)
C: Healing Herbs, Graymold
S: Divine Host
U: Nearby Aranea Archmage
$: Shafrir
Shafrir is here, and is the last crafter of the game. I'd recommend the
jade halberd for any pole weapon users you have, it is easily the best weapon
in terms of damage in the game. The other items are powerful, but you may
have copies of them already. Also here is the final batch of blighted
mushrooms, retrievable via secret door. Be sure to read the spiderweb for a
point in divine host.
Melanchion's Realm (G4)
C: Graymold, Flawless Crystal
I: Explorer's Ring (+2 NL, +3 FA, +2 Luck)
Lots of enemies here. Clean them out. You can reach the docks here, but
there's not much there beyond some minor loot. Go down the stairs to the
north. You'll find Akhal Many-Eyes. Beat some sense into him. Watch out for
its pylons as they can do a lot of damage. You can either let the gazer live
or kill it. Killing it gets you less of a reward from Refuge, but an
explorer's ring and a lot of minor loot.
END GAME: Head back to the castle, and tell King Starrus about your victory.
You are sent to complete the great portal. You'll encounter Vanderin for the
last time, then are sent to protect the crystal pylon. Buff up, and kill the
demons that attack. Imps, then hellhounds, then terror wights, then an icy
horror, then an infernal thrasher attack. This is repeated 3 times. Then a
haakai (Infernal Lord) attacks. The demon cycle continues a few more times
The end game is determined by how much you helped Melanchion and Gladwell.
Helping Gladwell all the way (despite the evilness of his quests) makes a
stronger Avernum. Helping Melanchion do three or four quests (and there are
three that are clearly beneficial to Avernum or to the Abyss) makes him quite
strong. Helping him only twice gets you a weak dragon.
X (Exorbitant)
Summon Aid
Strong Daze
Fireblast
Cloak of the Arcane
////Priest\\
Sage Asta (Pretty Average)
Minor Heal
Curing
War Blessing
Protection
Repel Spirit
Smite
Sage Asta (After Mushroom Quest -Expensive)
Return Life
Divine Retribution
Seleeass (Pretty Average after quest)
Minor Heal
Curing
War Blessing
Protection
Repel Spirit
Smite
Summon Shade
Ward of Thoughts
Priestess Kyra (Slightly Expensive)
Minor Heal
Curing
War Blessing
Protection
Repel Spirit
Smite
Unshackle Mind
Heal
Healer Danika (Expensive)
Mass Healing
Mass Curing
Abbot Erlanger (Exorbitant)
Summon Shade
Ward of Thoughts
Unshackle Mind
Heal
Mass Healing
Mass Curing
Ward of Steel
Mother Twymon (Exorbitant)
Minor Heal
Curing
War Blessing
Protection
Repel Spirit
Smite
Summon Shade
Ward of Thoughts
Unshackle Mind
Heal
Mass Healing
Mass Curing
Ward of Steel
Divine Fire
Control Foe
Mayor Arron (Extremely Cheap)
Minor Heal
Curing
War Blessing
Protection
Repel Spirit
Smite
Summon Shade
Ward of Thoughts
Unshackle Mind
Heal
Mass Healing
Mass Curing
Ward of Steel (After Dragon Gates quest)
Divine Fire (After Dragon Gates quest)
Tania Venia (Slightly Expensive)
Summon Shade
Ward of Thoughts
Unshackle Mind
Heal
Mass Healing
Mass Curing
Ward of Steal
Divine Fire
Control Foe
