Post-Avernum 3 Story

[Tom]

This is certainly a minor question at best, but it's been nagging at me for some time now and I'd wondered if anyone here might have some insight.

 

At the end of Avernum 3, the Empire granted land to the Avernites who wanted to live on the surface. Does that mean that there is a part of the surface which belongs to the Avernite Crown, or is it that the land is still Empire territory, but inhabited by former Avernites who chose to renounce their citizenship and emigrate to the Empire?

 

Ordinarily, I would have thought that the land belongs to Avernum. That is certainly the implication given in the final quests and ending of Avernum 3. But the presence of Empire traders and the like in Avernum 4 lead me to doubt; why would they come down to the caves when they can trade up top, especially given their near-unanimous dislike of the living conditions of the caves?

[Randomizer]

It appears that the unsettled lands in the areas near Fort Emergence are controlled by the Empire, but inhabited by Avernites. The Empire never gives up control of anything they get.

 

Empire traders come down to the caves for the same reasons all other businessmen do, cut out the middlemen to increase profits. Avernum 5 goes into it more, but basically there are certain items that are available in the caves that can be sold for a major profit in the Empire. By going directly to the source they can better control the supply and prevent rivals from being able to cut into their trade.

[Jeran Korak]

Actually, the empire gave Avernum the unsettled lands to the far east of the continant. You recive a special encounter when you get near them and Prazec says as much to you in the ending.

[Aoslare]

That's true. Also, it's unclear that the surface portal just goes to Upper Exile. Since the original Exiling portal went from the surface down, presumably there's at least a possibility the the new surface portal actually goes to the surface.