A3: The first party of explorers.

[Aran]

In Avernum 3, the first party of adventurers sent to explore the surface never returned. The player's party is sent as the second one.

 

I don't have the time right now to play all through the game and find out about these characters, so could someone please tell me what were their names, and where did they each end up? I know one was lying dead in the slime pit somewhere, but I can't remember the others...

[Kelandon]

Erin is in the slime pit. Elsner is in the Filth Factory. Gwost is in the Golddale Mines. Tucker is (alive!) in Softport.

[Aran]

And Erin was a woman, and the other three were men?

[Kelandon]

I believe that is correct.

[The Yeoman Cheesemonger]

What about Sandra in Sharamik (The one who talks about the bunker).

[EndeavorBot]

She's not part of the first exploration party, but a covert operative of Anaximander. She's intended to be there. Unlike the explorers, who just got lost and never reported back I think.

[Alorael at Large]

Not lost, exactly. Three of them got dead, which severely inhibits reporting ability, and one is injured but planning to return as soon as he recovers, I believe. He doesn't do it in the first 500 days of A3, but maybe he's just a bit moribund.

 

—Alorael, who bets he put on the Xian Boots. That's probably the reason for all his foot dragging.

[TakenName]

Actualy, tucker reports back as soon as you find him. And why don't the first parties corpses have anything worth while on them?

 

Of course, we all know why they were unsucsessful and we(teh second party) win, we stick together and join the ANAMA, then turn around and slaughter them all! Followed up by training soly in magic except for one idiot who sticks with prietly magic.

 

Wow, I have an unhealthy habit going here, i think.

[Arch-Mage Solberg]

There are 3 people I know of from Avernum on the surface; Dwaine in Lorelei, Sandra (eitherin Sharimik or Lorelei), and someone in Porter's Retreat, who weren't in the first group.

[Sarachim]

Quote:

Originally written by TakenName:


Wow, I have an unhealthy habit going here, i think.

You do indeed. It's called spamming.

[Toenail Returns]

I bet that the guy in the Golddale Mines wasn't killed, he was killed by insanity from listening to X's "little friend" (AKA The Xian Skull) for too long.

[Aran]

I do wonder why the first party failed so miserably when the player party is, after all so successful. The only conclusion is that the first party considered of a bunch of lousy imbeciles, which makes one wonder why Unspec. Services chose them.

[Custer]

Quote:

Originally written by Daryl Mycroft [Arancaytar]:
I do wonder why the first party failed so miserably when the player party is, after all so successful. The only conclusion is that the first party considered of a bunch of lousy imbeciles, which makes one wonder why Unspec. Services chose them.

Or they knocked out all of the tough monsters before you even came up.

[Alorael at Large]

Or maybe they were literally the first four men and women that Covert Ops (Unspecified Services was a better organization...) could get their hands on. And don't forget that they were equipped with Xian items. That could ruin anyone's day.

 

—Alorael, who also suspects that they couldn't save and reload. Honestly, how many times have you made it through A3 without dying once?

[Lilith]

There's also the fact that the first group up were basically scouts, not fighters. The monster plagues weren't anticipated, and they certainly weren't going to be fighting the Empire in any case.

[Rent-an-Ihrno]

if i remember correctly, there is a guitar-playing woman from avernum in kriszan.

 

the first group was actually much more powerful in the beginning, only they were too arrogant.

 

im wondering... there are some problems concerning that whole first-group-thing. as an example: anaximander got some early reports from the first exploration group (he knew in which directions they went after they split up), but he apparently doesnt know that fort emergence (and valorim) is quite much the middle of nowhere.

[Aran]

Yes, a logical paradox left by the switch between Exile and Avernum and the addition of the first party. I suppose you could make up a funky conspiracy theory to fill that plothole...

 

On the other hand, it does make sense if they really *never* reported back, not even after first reaching the surface. Which, again, would make them rather incompetent operatives. Or could there have been sabotage?

[Drakefyre]

Well, it seems like they all split up, resulting in their bodies and equipment being scattered around Valorim. Facing monsters by yourself when you were just expecting to scout can be a shock. And besides, their armor may have been trying to kill them.

[Alorael at Large]

It's possible that they were sent to do some very serious and long-range reconnaissance before reporting back. Little things like traitorous equipment, monster plagues, and hostile crowds of people who lost relatives to the Worms could have impeded proper debriefing.

 

—Alorael, who would also like to point out that most player parties probably don't return to Fort Emergence all that frequently. Who's to say a bunch of hot shot heroes would be more prone to reporting?

[banned sapmmer]

So three guys and one girl. The guys dumped the girl dead in a pit, covered with slimey oozes. Then one went off ended up in a pile of filth, the other was a money mad, and the last preferred softport. I think I overestimated Anaximanders prowess in choing a group.

[Dolphin]

The first group could have easily been amateurs. The second group (player group) was entirely inexperienced. They recommended taking care of the Avernum’s minor problems that children with sticks could have fended off, but I was able to go to the surface whether they ware dealt with or not.

 

Alexander probably just wanted the first group to look around and make sure the surface was still inhabited. Of course once you get out in to the sun and meet all the nice tan people there is a lot to do. There is also the possibility they just didn’t want to go back.

 

I may be over analyzing, but how is it that no one else in the world could solve these problems but our group? The Empire was willing to send thousands of soldiers down to Avernum to avenge their king, but not to protect their surface home. If four or less of us could fix these problems surly 50 of them could have before so much death and destruction resulted.

[Aran]

Quote:

Originally written by Dolphin:
The first group could have easily been amateurs. The second group (player group) was entirely inexperienced. They recommended taking care of the Avernum’s minor problems that children with sticks could have fended off, but I was able to go to the surface whether they ware dealt with or not.

Alexander probably just wanted the first group to look around and make sure the surface was still inhabited. Of course once you get out in to the sun and meet all the nice tan people there is a lot to do. There is also the possibility they just didn’t want to go back.

I may be over analyzing, but how is it that no one else in the world could solve these problems but our group? The Empire was willing to send thousands of soldiers down to Avernum to avenge their king, but not to protect their surface home. If four or less of us could fix these problems surly 50 of them could have before so much death and destruction resulted.

Ouch. Anaximander. Emperor, not King.

Someone check it, but I'm pretty sure thousands were never sent down to Avernum. The teleporters would not have sufficed for that amount of troops.

Also, the teleporters to Avernum were in the established parts of Ermarian, where a lot of soldiers can be mustered rapidly. Sending these soldiers over the mountain ranges to defend Valorim would have been very tricky. Although they have, in fact, managed to do so: A huge host of Empire soldiers is camping in a small valley southeast of Blackcrag.

Well, the player group are the heros. If heros were as mortal as Non-Playing Characters, this wouldn't be called an RPG, right?

[Alorael at Large]

It is a bit strange that the Empire is willing and able to teleport troops into hostile territory in Avernum but can't set up a similar system in Valorim, where the troops are needed and wanted and the locals are probably inclined to be helpful rather than murderous.

 

—Alorael, who doesn't have any explanation for why Anaximander sends out a bunch of wet behind the ears level 1 bumblers. Sure, he says that he needed someone urgently before the military botches everything, but... padded resumés, perhaps?

[Drakefyre]

There definitely were thousands of soldiers in Avernum - the party kills hundreds of them by themselves.

[Aran]

Quote:

Originally written by Mourning Account #21:
It is a bit strange that the Empire is willing and able to teleport troops into hostile territory in Avernum but can't set up a similar system in Valorim, where the troops are needed and wanted and the locals are probably inclined to be helpful rather than murderous.

With the tongue firmly in cheek, I might briefly explore the possibility of an allegory to real world politics. Always take into account the views of the author.

After all, Avernites could be described as terrorists...

[Dolphin]

Yes the larger teleporter was not yet functional, however it would not be too difficult to send a single soldier through at a time. It would be easy to send thousands through within a couple hours.

 

Hmmm, maybe we killed all their forces when they were sent to Avernum. They possibly didn’t help their citizens because they had barely enough soldiers to hold on.

 

Just for the sake of saying it, it would not have been very difficult of over through the throne. I wonder if the common folk would have supported that, seeing as we were their protectors.

[Sarachim]

I think the rationalization for the Empire's responce (or lack thereof) to the plagues was that Prazac was concerned about maintaining an effective quarantine. Presumably, if there's a way for soldiers to get in, there's a way for monsters to get out.

[Aran]

Besides, Avernum 3 wouldn't be half as much fun with huge armies of Empire soldiers tearing apart the plagues. What would be the point of the game?

[Eldritch_Cadillac]

There is nothing to suggest that the 1st group were a bunch of incompentant amateurs. They may well have been an elite group of highly trained killing machines. However they are not the prodigously gifted folk of legend that our parties quickly prove themselves to be, then who is?

 

We wipe out hideous, plagues that have over-whelmed the combined efforts of entire continents; destroy beasts of darkness they have reigned with terror for decades and uncover long lost mythical treasures than many have spent thier entire lives searching for, in futile.

 

Don't be so hard on the 1st party (God rest thier souls), we're just different class.

[Toenail Returns]

The first party of explorers were probably well equipped, but too careless. They thought they were the best of the best, the creme of the crop, but they went their different ways, and died one by one.

 

Either that or there was a plauge of Dragons and the dragons killed all of them and framed cochroaches and slimes.

[Starrodkirby86]

Quote:

Originally written by Holy Toenail4.333333....:
The first party of explorers were probably well equipped, but too careless. They thought they were the best of the best, the creme of the crop, but they went their different ways, and died one by one.

Either that or there was a plauge of Dragons and the dragons killed all of them and framed cochroaches and slimes.

yeah i really like that. The first party never had the Avernum editor! MUAHAHHAHA! Anyways, wow...

[Dolphin]

Maybe they would have done better had they remained a group.

 

While on the topic of their equipment, how long did everyone carry the Xian Scull around? That thing spoke up at some really bad times.

[Oni of Chaos]

They would have probably died by Dark Wurms or Empire assasssins

[Aran]

Quote:

Originally written by Dolphin:
Maybe they would have done better had they remained a group.

While on the topic of their equipment, how long did everyone carry the Xian Scull around? That thing spoke up at some really bad times.

That thing could well have been their doom...

*cue 4 adventurers silently sneaking through a dark tunnel*

Elsner: (whispering) Don't make a noise, or the Ogres will hear us and we're dead.

Xian Skull (loudly yelling): HEY FOLKS, I'M A TALKING SKULL, AIN'T THAT GREAT?!

...

[Frozen Feet]

...

 

Well, that could be one reason, but the fact that they split up was propably the cause of their unsuccesfulness. Seriously, play the game trough with a singleton without dying and reloading even once, and then call the first party amateurs.

[Toenail Returns]

Why did X create the Xian Skull, or the Xian Plant, for that matter? What's really the point of either of them?

[Alorael at Large]

X has a tenured academic position. He's not required to be useful anymore. He has time, resources, and immense magical powers, and he can make magical multiplying plants if he pleases.

 

—Alorael, who would really like to know what Xian items Tucker still has. Could there be an Xian Wand of anvil flinging?

[Aran]

Certainly it must be something good if it was able to make up for the rest of the crap they got and allowed him to survive...

[Dolphin]

I didn't equipped any of the Xian stuff (except the scull, I kept hoping it would say something useful eventually.) It all seemed to do more harm than good. X made it all sound like great stuff. He was very powerful, surly he could have created things that would not diminish the wearer.

[Aran]

X has a weird sense of humor, if I remember correctly.

[Tehan]

Quote:

Originally written by Daryl Mycroft [Arancaytar]:
X has a weird sense of humor, if I remember correctly.

The kind only the most talented and demented of wizards can muster. 20,000 volt handbuzzers, anyone? Anvils above the door, mayhaps?

[Tom]

Actually, the fact that no one seems to make it through the game without dying a couple times raises a good point.

 

You can't cast Raise Dead on yourself.

 

Splitting up was the worst thing the party could have done. Maybe they would have done alright in pairs, but going each his own way was a stupid thing to do.

[Mortimer]

I always thought the lack of troops was particially due to the Empire lacking an "adequite" leader in the eyes of most of the nobles and other high ups, it seemed like Empress Prazac was struggling to maintain power and control after the death of Emperor and the failed war with Avernum, I suspect there was alot of serious political whatnots going on in the background.

 

As for the why the first expedition was slaughtered, the following conversation may explain why.

 

Solberg "hmm, I can't remember, did we tell that first expedition not to stare directly into the sun?"

 

X "hmmm ... well ... we taught them about trees ... and how to get hit by a fireball .... no, can't say we told them that"

 

Solberg "Uh well, maybe next time eh?"

[Drakefyre]

Valorim was a backwoods continent, and there were not many troops there to begin with. And with the destruction of the Keep of Tinraya, they decided that they would basically just abandon Valorim to its fate unless/until they could find out what was creating the monsters and how they could stop it.