Were the Vhanitia things in Avernum 1?

[Yellow Sub]

I heard a while ago someone saying something about this, dont know if im imagining things, but were they in A1?

[Kelandon]

How hard is it to spell vahnatai? Sigh.

 

Yes and no. There was a strange cavern (possibly going by the name "Strange Cavern," possibly not, don't remember) in the northwest of A1 that was clearly made by the vahnatai. However, there were no living, awake vahnatai beings in A1.

 

EDIT: I think there were other references to them, also, come to think of it. But no vahnatai themselves.

[Alorael at Large]

The Alien Blade and the Mind Crystals are vahnatai artifacts. There is also at least one crypt with either corpses or paintings that resemble vahnatai. What other spindly bug-eyed humanoids that wear funny robes do you know?

 

—Alorael, who is more interested in knowing how many of those were in E1. The Alien Blade was, but the Mind Crystals weren't. How about the strange cavern (or Strange Cavern) and generic crypt?

[Fort]

I believe Athron made a reference to an old, benevolent race that would awaken soon. Definitely Vahnatai material. The Strange Cave was undoubtedly made by the Vahnatai, though someone who hasn't played the later games wouldn't have known that. The crypt near Formello I think was Vahnatai, and there was one Crypt of which I don't remember the name of that had a lich in the center was the ancient crypt of the Vahnatai. At least that was what that Ghost told me...

 

Besides the generic undead in that crypt, there are no real Vahnatai in the game. Does anyone know if there are any razordisks in A1?

[Yellow Sub]

My Avernum 1 is on my other computer currently under fixing. Can someone post a picture of this Strange Cavern and any other referances to Vhanitia in A1? Please?

[Tristrana]

Vahnatai.

[bogus standard candidate]

Hello. It ain't that difficult to spell Vahnatai.

Here's a Quick and Dirty Guide (easy to use) that may help in what appears to be a more difficult task than it actually is.

-Tai --> rhymes with "tie" which is that annoying thing that they make you wear in offices so you look like a clown and, in other words, don't differentiate yourself from the rest of the sheep. Though you can still represent your individuality with funky designs. "tie" is also a verb used when you put together knots (which are not negatives with a kilo before them). It can also be what happens when a game ends up without a winner or a looser.

However, -Tai, can be more easily related to "thai" which may a food or someone who comes from thailand. It is of UTMOST imprtance to remember that there is NO "H" in the -Tai of the Vahnatai.

-Na- --> means nothing. Rhymes with "Ma" which may be a short form of "Mom." It can also be a very informal (and only politely used in conversational, not written, English as long as it is understood that it is Very Informal Conversation English (VICE for short, no relation with any of the minor vices such as smoking, drinking, or drugging ugly old ladies poodles.) Example: "Don't touch ma thing."

Vah- this is the MOST important syllable and one that often brings problems in the spelling of this revered race. NOTICE the "H" in it. THE ONLY "H" in the word! It is similar in sound to "Bah" an expression commonly used to express, in simple monosyllabic terms, that you don't care for ma tie, for instance. The only difference, but an important one, is that the "Bah" for distaste has what is called in some countries a "Tall B" thik of it, if you will, as the "B" for Burrito. Or "B" for "Boob" if that helps you more. The "V" in the "Vah-" for the Vahnatai is commonly associated with "Victory." Although you may think of it as the "V" for "Vini.Vidi.Vici" if you want to.

In fewer words: Vahnatai has Three "A" and only ONE (1!) "H" which is properly placed before after the first (1st!) "a" and before the ONLY "n" in the word.

This is a necessarily abridge version of the guide. For more info look for the article by Harry Festoon and Castor Jungens "Vahnatai: Why Is It So Bloody Difficult To Write It Properly" in Journal of Ermarian Studies XXII, pgs. 234-289.

Hope this has helped.

 

As for the Map for the Strange Cave. Go here:

 

http://www.silverchat.com/~silver/

 

One of the links will take you to an Awesome annotated maps page.

[Yellow Sub]

My computer couldn't establish a connection to that link after trying for 60 seconds. Can you please post the image as a whole and not a link.

[Kelandon]

I think that Silver's page was down for a bit. This is a direct link:

 

http://www.silverchat.com/~silver/Avernum.old/Wrappers1/SulfurCaverns.html

[bogus standard candidate]

Also, I noticed this too late, but if you still haven't been able to see the map, you can just link from the forum.

In the first page of the Avernum Trilogy board are a series of links, one of them is called "Avernum Annotated Maps" this will take you to an indexed page (at least it did to me), click on the "old site" link and you'll have more options for maps for A1 and A2.

Good luck!

[Harry Potter -Boy Wizard]

Hi!

Added to all the above, I saw, in the Arena Cave near Fort Draco, a skeleton, undoubtedly Vahantai with a soul crystal beside it becauseits description suits that of the Vahantai!

[Alorael at Large]

A Mind Crystal, you mean? I am 100% sure that there are no soul crystals in A1.

 

—Alorael, who isn't so convinced that every single vahnatai corpse is really a vahnatai. Even in Avernum they must have had their Calista Flockharts with strange fashion tastes.

[Harry Potter -Boy Wizard]

Oops! Sorry!

You're right! Its a mind crystal!

[Frozen Feet]

Alo, you were wondering about were there signs of vahnatai in E1. Well, there was that place where you had to take those six crystals. It is in A1 too if I remember right.

[xXLoracXx]

References to the Vahnahtai (sp?) appear in many places throughout Avernum I, primarily in secluded areas which are near impossible to find without lvl 3 far sight. as a veteran player of the avernum trilogy i have to say, the incorporation of the vahnahtai has to be one of the most exciting things in avernum I, i had a smile on my face and my heart was pounding when i played through avernum for the first time and i pieced all of the clues together, then playing avernum II and seeing that my speculations were correct was a wonderful feeling.

[mcubed9877]

wut are the quartz crystals for then

[Dallerdin with a custom moniker.]

Selling, I believe.

 

And of course, teaching people not to raise topics from the dead.

[mcubed9877]

not the mind cyrstals. quartz that show up in the special items box

[mcubed9877]

and not the green crystals either

[Kelandon]

Quartz crystals are for repairing the quartz cave in a secret passage north of Cotra.

[Controversial]

I believe the spellshards in A3 are the only real reference for vahnatai-made crystals. Nothing of the sort in a1 or a2. With the exception of crystals in vahnatai towns in a2.

[Alorael at Large]

Mind Crystals are also vahnatai artifacts, as is the Alien Blade (not a crystal, but made by vahnatai). The vahnatai cave in A1 probably has some crystals as well, but I don't remember exactly what.

 

—Alorael, who missed the fact that spellshards are always made by vahnatai. Where does that piece of information come from?

[Solodric]

Alrighty. To answer your question, in one post, here goes: There is a cave. The cave has a plaque saying "We the revered race of the Vahnatai, leave this land to (our others or something, cant remember) for now, and come to reclaim it (insert threat against those who defile the caves here, cant remember exact wording) there is a corpse on the ground of a "thin alien creature the likes of which you have never seen" holding an alien blade. If you go into the cave you will encounter quite a few odd things. The undead in the crypt are Vahnavoi's, roleplay-wise, but as far as thier graphics/names/fighting abilities, they're just normal undead. Explore the crypt (it's hard to get into, you need to find the key to it on another dead Vahnatai elsewhere in Avernum). Also, you can find a dead Vahnatai in the Aranea caverns near Fort Draco and the Friendly Spiders. And you can find a dead Vahnatai in the Giant Intelligent Friendly Talking Spider lair, as well, near all the dead "bad humans", through some web. There also one other dead Vahnatai with a mind crystal somewhere else, can't remember which dungeon. But, in essence, no. The Vahnatai had not begun to wake from thier long, dark slumber by the time the events in A1 took place. It is rumored that the only reason they woke up for A2 was because the Great Adventurer's from A1 woke them. But hey......who knows? Also, there are no Waveblades or Razordisks in A1. Theres just the Alien Blade, which is a two-handed waveblade thats got +20 poison damage, a sick weapon overall. I doubt Jeff truly intended to introduce waveblades/razordisks all that much in E2 when he made E1, which I'll assume to be pretty much the same Either way, the Waveblade is one of the great artifacts of the Avernum series, alone with Smite(Giantslayer), Ghoulbane, Demonslayer, Thralni's Orb (Orb of Thralni), the Onyx Scepter, and the Jade Halberd. Not listing the Legendary Artificats in A3 yet because they've only got 1 game to thier name (unless they're in BoA)