Alorael at Large

I view E1 as the lengthy introduction to the world. Only the very end has anything to do with plot, and the plot carries over into E2. I like E1, but E2 is the one that actually has things happening. —Alorael, who doesn't think he would have enjoyed E2 nearly as much if he weren't already familiar with Exile. Seeing Cotra in ruins is much worse when you remember shopping there fresh out of Fort Exile.

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?

If you ask for a custom title, you'll never get it (unless you're SMoE). Thus, I cannot ask for any title I want. —Alorael, who would be happier without Canned or Banned, both of which are technically custom titles.

Please do not raise long-dead topics from the dead. —Alorael, who will put this one back to rest.

No. Only the slime and roach plagues can even be begun in the demo. —Alorael, who was under the impression that Dispel Barrier was a reward for being diplomatic (sort of) with Vothkaro, not for using the Ritual of Sanctification on the altar.

The dragon scales and Erika's rune are both misleading clues. Jeff put them there so you wouldn't figure out who made the plagues too easily. Rentar-Ihrno put them there for much the same reasons. —Alorael, who is sure it wouldn't be too hard to either find old dragon scales or create fake ones. What good is a personal rune if anyone can counterfeit it, though?

Anaximander is in E3 and so is Flanagan, the agent. —Alorael, who also thinks that Dispel Barrier is the troglo quest reward.

This is in General. Are you confused? —Alorael, who admits nothing.

Most of that time was spent with the tried and true name of Alorael. You can remember that, I hope! —Alorael, who thinks he'll have to switch back sometime. He's still waiting for his title, but a landmark of names would be good too.

You can get everything with the editor, so that's not much of a reason to avoid any non-critical areas. I think there is a pair of Micah's Gloves in there as well, but that's not much better. —Alorael, who can't recall any wondrous treasure from the crypt. It's mainly annoyance with the odd entertaining quickghast.

This poll is ancient and should remain happily dead. —Alorael, who disapproves of topic necromancy when the original was nothing to post about.

Be was keeping a list at one point. I don't know if he still is or if he has all the intervening names on it, but still, he has a significant advantage. Don't get any ideas, anyone! —Alorael, who apologizes rather insincerely and unconvincingly for the horrible abuse of this topic.

Vahnavoi are undead vahnatai who don't have any magical abilities. The undead spellcasters are hraithe, or maybe hraithes. I can't recall the proper pluralization. —Alorael, who would call them liches if they weren't much more common and much less powerful than ordinary liches. They're closer to souped-up spirits, except they're more fleshy.

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?

That is the first good reason for changing your PDN that I've ever heard. —Alorael, who has had almost three hundred PDNs now. Some day he'll have to give a prize for the person who remembers the most. Ben may be disqualified for cheating.

She is pretty distracted by Ko... —Alorael, who likes the extremely, overwhelmingly pessimistic and depressed man banished for his negativity. He's in either Blosk or Dharmon.

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?

He denies his fabulous wealth strongly and repeatedly. Exile 4 isn't going to happen. —Alorael, who believes copying a game in a scenario is a copyright violation. Comparing BoE to any Exile game, it's also highly impractical.

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?

You can meet Bon-Ihrno in A2 before registering if you like him for his personality... —Alorael, who realizes that this comment is not at all helpful. He'll make a pathetic attempt at salvaging it by adding that there aren't currently any sales or discounts beyond the regular cut price for registering the entire trilogy together and the lower prices for BoE and Nethergate if you buy them with something else.

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.

They are often described as feline or cat-like, the pejorative term for them is "kitties" (more frequently in E1 than E2 and E3), and they have fur. They don't really seem all that avian to me... —Alorael, who would be interested in knowing what memory suggested bird people.

Your dictionary is fine. Exile 3 and Avernum 3 use a strange new definition for dervish that doesn't appear in any standard usage. —Alorael, who thinks the point of being made an honorary anything is not having to meet the usual qualifications. Besides, General Baziron is described as an honorary dervish who may not make the physical cut (monster type aside) but whose astute tactics earned him the distinction of dervish rank.

The number of people who show up for help and stick around after winning and who show up only after winning means that the number of people who have completed any given game is always on the rise while the number of people who are on the boards and who haven't completed any given game tends to remain static or go up more slowly as people who have no interest in a game join. —Alorael, who brings you this overly analytical look on behalf of nothing in particular.

Bird people? There aren't any in Exile that I know of. —Alorael, who would guess that it was a subconscious thing. He needed a name for his cat people and his brain provided nephilim. He used it without thinking on it too much. It turned out to be Biblical.