Superba

I agree about the, say, balance of power on surface Empire. It is possible but not likely Garzhad planned the Party to act against Hawthorne before you win all the battles to reach the surface. A small evidence of this is the in game speech he makes before you crash one of the Empire communication crystals; he sounds definetely enraged, promises to kill you soon. At that point of the game the Party seems to be for him an ordinary obstacle while he tries to interfere and take control of the underworld, in presumable accordance with Hawthorne wish.

You maybe forget about Galazhad whatshisname possible influence on Hawthorne. Maybe he already surrounded Hawthorne with Golems he controls but couldn't yet decide to kill him because everybody know who's their master. Then you come and he could kill you in the Hall, so it is written, but he doesn't. Instead he lets you go further, judging you are as a good weapon to use for his plans. Maybe.

And I believe I reveal no secret if I say you even don't need the Circlet and the other requested object to pass over Sulfras. You can simply go there and kill her, it's for sure a hard fight but when she dies the gate opens. The quests for the objects you can always do, only difference is they will never disappear from your Quest Log. However you may like to bring the objects to Sulfras and kill her just after she grants you the right of passage. AEFTP is a masterpiece also because of the choices you are allowed to.

The idea Hawthorne is an old and cruel oppressor whose body was made thin and weak by greed and corruption has sense to me, nevertheless I expected to find more resistance, and some secret chamber too. Emperor weakness is maybe a payback for Avadon's Redbeard strenght?

Ok, thank you very much.

I'd like to update to version 1.01 so I downloaded the file from Spiderweb Software Homepage - News - Avernum: Escape from the Pit Update.

However, before installation I noticed file's name is "AvernumDemo". I purchased the game and obviously wouldn't like to risk to downgrade it.

Is it all right installing this file or I got the wrong one?

My first computer was a Mac Classic in 1991 and I remember as well Mac Games were very good. I still own a Cd-Rom titled "300 Great Games for Macintosh" which came out in 1996 in my Country (by the way, a game named Exile is on it).

Thanks a lot, I completely forgot about the Shattered fortress, in fact it is the only cave I didn't visit. Already have the key, thanks again.

I forgot where Akhronath is and it's not on the global Map. Patrick says it's the first place where the Triad imprisoned Grah-Hoth and I thought to remember Skarragath and Grah Prison but the seal is not there, as far as I can say. I also went back to Grah new fort but nothing; searched the Tower of Magi just to be sure it was not there. Don't know where else to look...

Thanks, I banished the damned "death curse" being now and on singleton it ain't easy. Luck I read that thread on splitting curse chances summoning a Divine Host...

Don't think so, where is him?

I know the pillar, but it says I'm not ready to use it. I have been to Solberg without quest and without password, so I believe I need the quest first and then going to the pillar. I already killed Grah-Hoth, now I need to enter Solberg fort and only then I could kill Grah Leutenant in the Tower of Magi.

I am sorry I sometimes forget things from past playthroughs and when can't find help with the Search button I come here with quite basic questions like this: where do I get Solberg's quest and password for his gates please?

I don't like the autokill of the Hall if you go back after you slay the Emperor. It seems to me an illogical consequence, as I wrote in a different thread.

First you are hurried with in game messages to be quick and reach the Emperor, second the same foes regenerate close to a closed gate to make you better understand the warning. But, third if you do hurry up and don't loot royal chambers, when you go back to corridors you get default autokill, and adieu treasure.

I'm sorry to say this, however I believe this peculiar autokill doesn't match at all with previous indications.

I have nothing against the 4 brooches autokill, you are warned something could go wrong without the fifth brooch and, even if the autokill is unexpected, you are the only one to blame for being lazy.

In Avadon it is a lack of information which determines a mistake, that is to believe there's no other way to enter the castle, but there is and it is a significant part of the game.

I wouldn't consider the three situations so similar, they are different, peculiar and regulated by some different logic (or not) to me, as I wouldn't say the autokill is just a matter of preferences.

I wonder what if you save the game when in Emperor palace and you didn't save the game in previous Avernum locations... would it then be impossible to get back to look for the fifth brooch? Game over?

I believe I see your point, it took me a while to get there, obviously the post hasn't anything to do with "our" Jeff

There's this little boy Jeff in Blosk. He's son of Leith, and says his mother is in Fort Emerald, fighting. He misses her. I tried to locate her to inform Jeff is well but no luck, I mean I believed this was an implicit quest, maybe it's not (but then why being so specific about the mother?). However, anyone know who is Jeff's mother?

You could have spoken with Scab also before entering the Arena buying the ticket to watch the duels. Also, if it happens you already won the duels, spoke with Scab, took the Circlet, killed Meena, then you still can buy the ticket from the ogre inside, he doesn't seem to notice you killed almost everybody in town... neither Scab

I mean a character with very high edited attack/defense stats and spells levels from the beginning AND uses cheat codes. My singleton is a berserker which only need blades to kill a foe and Divine Retribution to kill groups. It's quick. I mean, I already have played several playthroughs with traditional parties, and one of those was "full cheated" as well, so I believe I can tell the difference is speed... and more fun.

Unfortunately I am a Mac user not a Hack user, honestly I believe the cheats cover the whole range of desires, except maybe for money, to which I am slightly critic, because it's boring to hit "iampoor" so many times. Furthermore, hitting the code again and again is getting close to influence the way I look at reality. It makes me feel... poor!

@ Necris Omega: there is a difference in game speed with less characters in the party. I am trying a (full cheated) singleton on Normal right now; in a few hours he accomplished missions the regular party would need two days.

The four characters party maybe reach the aim to let the player use most of the items and better understand the game in its complexity. A good point, I believe. On the other hand I don't know about Exile, but in Avadon a singleton looses all significant dialogues, where AEFTP has no party dialogues. A point for smaller characters parties in Avernum, I presume.

They will not bump into my party anymore.

It's annoying what happens with the two merchant bands close to the Tower of Magi. Every time you pass that narrow path they bump into your party, you waste time stoppin' and clickin' the "move on" option (twice).

When you don't want to do some shopping (most of the times) this interruption really annoys me. It happens the same way with other merchants around Avernum.

Another cheat I would much appreciate might be "killbela"... Bela makes you waste time, for sure.

The job board, that's what it is, I forgot to check it after the first slimes quest, thanks!

There are two access to the underground, the Portal one and the trapdoor close to lizards. But, when you are down there a small area with a secret switch is visible SE. I found no trapdoor on the surface or underground access to get there, has anyone?