Avernum: Escape From the Pit – Walkthrough

INTRODUCTION

In Avernum: Escape from the Pits, your character and your companions have been banished, for some unstated "crime", from the surface world to the subterranean world of Avernum. In fact, the Empire that rules the surface world has banished many citizens into Avernum for petty, and often unknown crimes against the Empire. You see, Hawthorne, the Emperor of the surface world, is evil. While most of the banished citizens of Avernum seem to fatalistically accept their new lot in life, your party does not. Your goal is to escape this forsaken place and find a way to return to the surface. To do this, your party must gain the favor of others within Avernum who can help you and train you to attain the skills and resources necessary.

Avernum: Escape from the Pits is a very good game and worthy of many hours of rewarding gaming. The goal of the game, as in any role-playing game, is to build up a character or party of characters and ultimately defeat the Big Bad Guy at the end. In this game, you will get a large number of quests to build your party as you search for this Bad Guy. Some quests are mundane, where you are to deliver some package to somebody, somewhere. Other quests though, involve entering and fighting your way through dungeons full of monsters to finally find some bauble or artifact. The Final Ending of the game is, in fact, three Endings. One of these involves killing the ultimate Big Bad Guy - Emperor Hawthorne of the Empire. The other Ending quests are to find escape routes to the surface. You can undertake and complete all three Endings as the game does not really end.

You will get the opportunity to build and customize your own adventuring party, typically consisting of 4 characters. This Guide will not cover that aspect of the game. There are several sources online that give advice for this and it is recommended that you consult those.

The game is very open, where you can seemingly choose to go just about anywhere at any time. However, there are limitations. The biggest limitation is the strength and abilities of your party compared to the enemies you meet. You start on the eastern side of the World Map and the monsters get progressively harder as you move away from the starting area. Therefore, the recommendations of where to go and what to do in the Guide are based a lot on your ability at the current point in time. Sure, you want to get right to the Tower of Magi for awesome spells or gain the ability to use the teleporters in the game. But trust me, you won't be able to get there until quite some time has been spent fighting monsters and leveling up. Follow along with this Guide and let the game reveal its charms at the right pace. You'll have more fun.

The Guide is not organized by Quests. The organization is based more on a recommended path through the game according to your party's abilities. You can obtain any number of quests and complete them at any time you wish. The quest path becomes more linear as you approach the Final Ending quests. But for much of the game, the decision as to where you go and what quests you undertake are based mostly on your ability to handle the monsters of a given area. You are very likely to stray from the path outlined in this Guide. That's OK. If you get stuck somewhere, or have forgotten something, use a search feature to find the appropriate location in the Guide. An attempt has been made in this guide to identify all of the dungeons, significant NPCs or monsters, and the quests in the game.

Recommendations for Leveling-up Your Characters

It should be obvious to anyone who plays role-playing games that you should undertake all quests, search all areas of the World to find treasure and to engage in battles to increase your experience points (XP). Each time your character attains a new level, he/she gets 1 point to increase a primary stat (strength - STR, dexterity - DEX, endurance - END, and intelligence - INT). The character will also get 2 points to allocate to a skill such as weapon skills or magic (mage/priest). Every even-numbered level, each character will also get 1 point to allocate to a Trait such as Improved Strength or Intelligence.

Once you've gained sufficient XP to level your characters, you then want to make carefully considered choices for their Skills and Traits.

PRIMARY STATS

> 1 per level up (plus 1 automatically for a different stat each level)

Each time you level up, each character will get 1 point you can assign to any primary STAT. Additionally, at each level up, one of the STATS will increase by 1 point automatically, sequencing from strength, dexterity, intelligence and endurance and then repeating. So even if you put all of your points in one STAT, say strength, the other three will increase automatically, but slowly, over time. Each of your characters should invest his/her 1 point per level in STR for a fighter, DEX for an archer and INT for a spell caster, plus an occasional point in END. [Note: A dedicated bow using character (archer) in this game apparently is disappointing and many online forums recommend that you do not create such a character].

Also, some online sources say that you do not need to increase a particular primary stat to astronomical levels. For instance, a fighter character wants high strength, but you do not need to put every point you attain into strength. Spread some around, especially to endurance and perhaps dexterity. A fighter has no need for intelligence, so that can be ignored for that particular character.

The author of this Guide found that successful and fun parties consisted of 1 fighter (most stat increases for STR), 2 mages (most stat increases for INT) and 1 priest (most stat increases for INT) OR a party of 2 fighters, 1 mage and 1 priest.

SKILL POINTS

> 2 per level up

At each level up, each character gets 2 points to invest in some SKILL. With a Fighter character, raise the chosen primary attack skill, such as MELEE, each level. For the second point, you should probably alternate between HARDINESS and PARRY. Additionally, for fighter characters, one goal is to obtain 2 Battle Disciplines - Adrenaline Rush and Battleshield. To get these, you need to increase your melee, pole, bow and thrown weapon skills. You need a total of 15 in these skills for Adrenaline Rush and 16 for Battleshield. If you choose, say, to use swords, obviously put points into Melee every level, but don't necessarily put points you acquire during leveling into the other weapon skills (pole, bow and thrown). Instead, increase the melee skill to 10 or 12 and buy the other skills at a trainer to obtain enough points for Adrenaline Rush. Having Adrenaline Rush allows your fighters to act 3 times per round (with a cool-down period).

Spell casters should put 1 point every level into their primary skill (MAGE or PRIEST) and then raise SPELLCRAFT and RESISTANCE. You likely also want to get Adrenaline Rush for your Mage or Priest which, curiously, requires that they also get 15 in weapons skills even though they rarely use a weapon. Having Adrenaline Rush allows your magic users to cast 3 times per round (with a cool-down period between uses). Who doesn't want that? For your Mage or Priest characters, you will want to purchase the weapons skills at a trainer. Avoiding using your hard-earned level-up points. Additionally, there are several items in the game that will increase weapons skills - the Warrior's Cloak which gives +1 melee weapons and +1 pole weapons; the Expedition Bow gives +3 bows; and the Discipline Blade gives +2 melee weapons, +3 pole weapons. Combine these items with purchased skills to raise your Mage or Priest to the required 15 points in weapon skills so they can use Adrenaline Rush.

You may wish your Mage and Priest characters to be a bit less squishy during battles. If that is the case, then allocate some points into Melee or Pole Weapons, then in subsequent level-ups, put some points into Hardiness.

You may also want to invest some points in ARCANE LORE (AL) which allows you to read and understand the spell books in the game, CAVE LORE (CL), which allows you to find hidden caches or entrances, TOOL USE (TU), which allows you to open locked doors or disarm traps, and the trait SAGE LORE (SL) which augments Arcane Lore. The maximum levels you need for these skills is ARCANE LORE - 10 for spell books that don't also use Sage Lore, 12 maximum; CAVE LORE - 12; TOOL USE - 14 (there are a lot of locked doors throughout Avernum); SAGE LORE - 4.

The previous numbers for a skill or trait are NOT per character. The AL, CL and TU skills are actually shared between party members. So only 1 or 2 characters need to put points in one of these skills. The whole party benefits.

TRAITS

> 1 point every even-numbered level

Every even-numbered level you will gain 1 point to put into a Trait of your choosing. Here you probably want to concentrate on the core Stat bonuses - improved strength or intelligence and endurance for the appropriate character. It is recommended that every character take NIMBLE FINGERS (to augment TOOL USE). Perhaps choose Nimble Fingers at character creation. At character level 8, every character should take NEGOTIATOR (to get more money from selling items). Every character should take the trait SAGE LORE when they reach level 12. It is not a bad idea to take the health traits for each character when they become available.

CAVE LORE (CL)

Increase this to level 11 - for the party, not each character. The party probably only needs to invest 1 point in CAVE LORE. You can buy 2 points for each party member at a trainer and you can get 1 point from a quest and one point from a map location for a total of 11.

On the online forums, there are 2 schools of thought on the use of CAVE LORE. One groups says to ignore it completely as there is nothing really great in caches you find, unless you really want items called the Ten Blessings Band or First Expedition Ring which are not necessary for a successful game. The nay-sayers claim that CAVE LORE is one of the cheapest skills to train, but you won't even make back the money you spent on training.

Another groups says to max out CAVE LORE. Higher numbers in CAVE LORE allow you to avoid outdoor fights (often very annoying and difficult fights), find renewable herb deposits for potion making, and also dig up some nifty items in caches hidden around Avernum. Like with the other access skills, it's useless to put more points in it after you reach 11. As stated above, you actually only need to invest 1 learned skill point into this in order to eventually get the full effects. You can purchase a total of 8 more levels for your party as a whole, and you can gain 2 more, 1 from a quest and one from a place on the world map, and so you would only need a single skill point to get it up to 11.

ARCANE LORE (AL)

Increase this to 10 (or to a maximum of 12) - for the party, not each character. The level 3 spells you can obtain are worth it. AL at 10 allows you to upgrade the spells Fireblast, Ward of Elements, and Domination - all of which have terrific upgrades. Having AL at 12 will get you everything. However, AL at 11 or 12 is needed only for two occasions for the final end-game quests. An AL at 11 is needed only for the Grah-Hoth and Surface Exit quest rewards, and AL at 12 is needed only for the Hawthorne quest reward. You can purchase ARCANE LORE from Erika is Erika's Tower, but you won't be getting to that location until late in the game. Therefore, you may wish to allot points to this skill earlier in your adventures.

TOOL USE (TU)

Getting TOOL USE in the party all the way up to 11 is absolutely worth it (for the party, not each character). You actually need TU 8 to complete one of the game-winning quests properly. To escape from an encounter with the Dragon Athron you need TU at 13 and to get some loot in Hawthorne's quarters you need TU at 14. The trait NIMBLE FINGERS increases your TU, so it is recommended that each party member take this trait. Perhaps choose it during character creation. To reach the maximum level (if desired), you will need 10 points from skill increases and 4 points from the Nimble Fingers trait. You can get +1 from an item (gloves).

One possible party combination and how points were allocated at level up time is given in the section of this Guide called "My Favorite Party".

Know that once your characters reach level 30, they no longer gain points to allocate. They will continue to gain levels, but receive no points. Make sure you have allocated your points efficiently for the first 30 levels. Don't wait until level 25 to begin putting points in a skill where you want 10 or more points total (such as melee or mage/priest skills). At this point in time you won't get enough points to accomplish this.

Items and Money

You also want to begin picking up items that you can sell later. Money is not plentiful in this game and you will want to sell everything you don't use. Buying spells and skill upgrades is hugely expensive, so you need to be cognizant of how you spend your coins. [Note: It is recommended to wait to sell items until you reach level 8 where you can choose the Negotiator Trait for each of your party members. This trait will net you a few more coins per item when they are sold.]

This Guide would recommend that you do not buy anything at a shop - with a very few exceptions. Maybe you might need to buy some potions, or a scroll or two such as Return Life, but little else. Don't buy any weapons or armor. You will find much better stuff in the dungeons. You will use your money primarily for upgrading skills and buying spells.

You can pick up many items in the game and store them in your inventory or your backpack. The game graphics are tiny and many things simply cannot be seen adequately on screen. Pressing the G key (G for ground) will reveal items near your party.

You especially will want to pick up weapons, armor and jewelry that you can equip. You also want to keep those items that you won't use, but can be sold at a merchant. There are a lot of things you can pick up in the game, but not everything can be sold at a merchant. Stuff labeled "trash" is just that - trash. You can pick up things like rocks, lanterns and lamps, wood boards, saws, tools, and other seemingly useful, and saleable items. Unfortunately, most are worth nothing at a merchant and aren't used at all in the game.

List of Items to Keep or Not

There is a lot of stuff in this game. Should you keep it? Can you use it? Should you sell it? Can you sell it? These are questions you will have when you first begin playing the game. Following are several lists of items that you find and should keep as they useful or are part of quests in the game, or lists of other things you can sell or use, or not.

You have two inventory locations to store you stuff. Each character has a main inventory which holds a finite number of items, but these do not add to your encumbrance. Encumbrance is determined by the armor you have equipped. The party as a whole has a Junk Bag, which can seemingly hold an infinite number of items. You add things to the Junk Bag, either by dragging and dropping from the main inventory or by control-clicking an item. When you decide you want to sell some things at a merchant, you can choose to sell the entire contents of the Junk Bag at once, which obviously reduces the tedium of clicking on each individual item. You can even get rid of items the merchant won't normally purchase by placing them in the Junk Bag and then selling the entire contents of the Bag. Here, the merchant will take everything, but giving you coin only for those items he deems have value.

Items to Keep for Quests and/or Potion Crafting

Alchemy ingredients - You can use these to make potions, but some are also required for certain quests.

• energetic herbs
• graymold
• healing herbs
• mandrake
• spiritual herbs

Quest Items

The really important, essential quest items end up in your Special Items inventory and cannot be sold or dropped. The following items cannot be used, but are required to fulfill certain quests. Some of the items can be sold to some merchants (such as the Bars of Iron), but it is recommended that you wait until you get the quest and give the item to the quest giver. Some of the items in the list (like hammers) can only be used for a quest, but then become worthless as no other merchant will buy them. Luckily, they do not add to your encumbrance.

• Bag of Sugar
• 3 picks
• 3 shovels
• 45 bars of iron
• 3 hammers
• 3 pincers
• 3 tongs
• 50 bags of meal
• 40 wine
• 1 Almarian wine
• all Aranea fangs
• all Magical Notes
• 30 ale
• 3 pieces of meat (not a quest item, but useful in one instance in the game)

Weapons, Armor and Jewelry Items in the Game

Most weapons, shields and armor can be used or sold. However, it is strange, but true, that certain things cannot be sold such as the myriad green cloaks and mundane brown shields that you find. You can sell a crude dagger or sword for a few coins but not a low-level shield. Go figure.

Jewelry and rings can either be worn or sold or just sold. Be sure you read the inscription for all items. Some are enchanted, so equip them. Sell them when you find something better. Unenchanted jewelry cannot be worn, but can be sold for profit.

Items that can be Used, but not Sold

The following items can be used for some purpose, but they cannot be sold at a merchant.

• bandages
• belt +2% armor
• boots (armor +4%)
• candle
• cloak +2% armor (the green cloak)
• crude javelin
• crude leather gloves +2% armor
• lantern
• leather pants +2% armor
• mushrooms
• poor leather helmet +1% armor
• robe +6% armor
• sandals +2% armor
• tunic +4% armor
• wooden shield +12% armor

Items that can be Sold, but not Used

The following items have no purpose in the game, but they can be sold at a merchant.

• alchemical equipment
• beautiful crystal
• emerald
• flawed crystal
• incense
• lovely crystal
• ruby
• vase

Items that Cannot be Sold or Used

The following is a long list of items that you can pick up, but they have no purpose and absolutely no value to a merchant.

• amphora
• basket
• blanket
• board
• board game
• bolt of cloth
• bones
• bowl
• broken pot
• broken bit of husk
• broken sword
• broken clay
• broom
• bucket
• bucket of water
• cauldron
• ceramic pot
• clay jug
• clay brick
• clay bowl
• clay pot
• dice
• dry bone
• fishing pole
• fork
• goblet
• hatchet
• knife
• lamp
• lantern
• limb
• metal bowl
• mop
• mortar and pestle
• mug
• pen and ink
• pillow
• pipe
• pitcher
• plate
• pot
• potted plant
• rock
• rolling pin
• rope
• saw
• scales
• scalpel
• scissors
• shackles
• sheet of papyrus
• skull
• spoon
• stein
• stick
• stone blocks
• stone blocks
• teacup
• teapot
• thread
• tools
• towel
• trash
• trowel
• whip

Quests

You obviously want to obtain and complete every quest you can for the monetary rewards and XP. There are many, many side quests in this game. There is also a main quest line that is quite involved, with the ultimate goal being to find a way to escape from the Pits. The game keeps track of all of the quests you have been given in a Journal/Quest Log, but the Log does not indicate whether they are side or main quests. It really doesn't matter since you want to do them all anyway. The game does not keep tract of completed quests. Completed quests simply disappear from the Quest Log. The game also does not keep tract of completed steps or sub-entries for a quest. If you are told to find and kill a bad guy, the Log does not indicate whether or not you have done so - the original log entry simply stays active in your Log. You must remember what you have done and report back to the appropriate person for the reward.

There is no time limit for any of the quests. Once it is given, you can complete it at any time you wish. There are a few overlapping quests, where 2 or more people may want the same item. You have to make the choice of who to give the item to. Know also that there may be some quests you will not get. For instance, a character named Thantria will give you a series of quests. But you may decide at some point in the game to eliminate Thantria. Obviously, in that case, you will never be given some of her quests.

Most quests are not part of a chain - meaning that they are independent of each other. For some quests, especially the Final Ending Quests, some of the sub-parts of the quest must be done is a certain order. Unfortunately, the Quest Log does not give any clues to the proper order. Perhaps that is why you are reading a Game Guide.

Boats

Some boating advice here. Wear a life-vest. More importantly for this game, remember where you parked. There is no indicator on the World Map that marks the location of your boat. You can only see the boat if you are walking near it in the countryside. Write down where you last landed so you can go back to the boat. After you buy a boat in a town, you cannot buy another from that same town. [Note: there is a cheat code available that lets you "reset" the location of your boats. But who wants to cheat?]

As you play the game, you will likely have to buy two or three different boats from two or three different locations as not all of the waterways are interconnected. And you MUST have a boat because certain areas are inaccessible except by boat.

WALKTHROUGH

Arrival Caves

Quest: Escape the Arrival Caves

You and your party have been cast down into the Pits of Avernum by the Empire on the surface. You begin the game in a cave called the Arrival Caves which lie below the town of Fort Avernum. Your ultimate Goal of the game is to escape the Pits. Your immediate goals are to explore the towns and countryside, obtain quests and fight enemies, all to gain experience and levels for your characters. As you explore and complete quests, you will eventually discover how to escape the Pits and "win" the game.

You begin with an initial quest Escape the Arrival Caves. This is a tutorial of sorts to allow you to become familiar with the controls and fighting enemies. Your characters start out with nothing but the shirt on their back (Leather Armor), a Crude Dagger and a Healing Potion. You don't even have pants. You need to learn to explore areas thoroughly to find more and better stuff. Your first enemies in this area will be a few thug bandits and some rats. Not too tough. This Guide will not point out all of the potential battles in each area. You should explore every nook and cranny of a dungeon or town and discover the highlights for yourself. Only the most relevant events of an area will be detailed in the Guide.

Reminder of What Items to Keep or Not

in the Arrival Caves, you will find things such as sticks, rocks, stone blocks, clay pots, and sheets of papyrus. These can be picked up and placed in your inventory, but none of them are usable and none of them are worth anything at a merchant. Leave them behind. To drop an item that has been picked up, open your inventory, click the item in your Pack and then click a slot at the top of the inventory column that's labeled "On Ground:". You also have a Junk Bag where you can store lots of items you intend to sell later. To quickly place something in your Junk Bag, control-click the item. Keep things such as extra weapons or armor and crystals because these can be sold for profit. A list of items to keep or not is in the List of Items to Keep or Not section of this Guide.

You will find things such as mushrooms which can be eaten to restore some health. You will also find some healing Herbs. Keep the Herbs as they will be used to make potions later. You will also find some items called Bar of Iron and Bag of Meal. Keep these as they will be needed for a quest later.

Talk with Lagran and Rescue Brissa

Work your way through the caves until you finally get to speak to the head bad guy, Lagran who is lurking in the northwest side of the dungeon. Say whatever you want as there are no consequences at this time. Lagran will wander off after this conversation, but you will get to fight him later. A bit further along from Lagran, you will meet Brissa and some forlorn citizens. Talk to Brissa and she will heal the party if you ask her to help you. Tell her that you will help her escape. [Note: To gain XP after you defeat Lagran later, be sure to return to Brissa and tell her it is safe to leave the Caves.]

Continue west from Brissa until you encounter Rolan and some Thugs and Nephil Archers. Dispatch them. Then continue on to find Lagran and his minions. He will have a few words with you, but you will ultimately fight him. He can be tough for your pitiful beginning party. Beat him down and kill his minions. It is recommended that you kill the minions first. When you have reduced Lagran's hit points sufficiently, he will break a flask that inflicts a Terror spell on the party. Your characters will flee like screaming little girls, and then Lagran escapes up the stairs. So, you won't actually kill Lagran (You don't really want to at this time. You will get a chance to kill him later in the game.)

Save Brissa and the Citizens

Now go back to Brissa and her friends to report that they can leave. Lead the group to the stairs and wait until all the citizens have left to gain more XP. You actually have to move around a bit, otherwise the citizens stand around and gawk at you. Your party should reach level 2 at this point. Go through the level-up routine and allocate your points. Then take the stairs up to Fort Avernum.

Fort Avernum

When you go up the stairs and enter Fort Avernum, you will immediately be met by Andrew, the Greeter, who will fill you in on some background information. This will complete the quest Escape the Arrival Caves.

You now want to thoroughly explore Fort Avernum. You will soon be automatically contacted by Varan, who will give you the quest Meet Silvar's Mayor. After you accept this quest, talk to everybody in town for background information and potentially obtain more quests. Pick up anything you can find to sell later - but avoid getting caught stealing. If you are caught stealing, you just make people mad, your reputation will suffer, and they will fight you. That being said, know that there are places and rooms where you CAN steal without consequences, which means you are not seen when you steal the item. Know also that each town has a limit of how many items you can steal before you trigger a reaction from the townsfolk.

You will get two quests in Fort Avernum, one quest already mentioned is from Varan who is wandering around the town. He wants you to see the Mayor of Silvar (quest Meet Silvar's Mayor). The other quest is given by Warrick in her shop. She wants you to find her sister Anastasia, who is in Silvar (quest Find Anastasia). Doing the latter quest will net you +1 Reputation. It is important to gain Reputation because the higher it is, the more people will like you and be amenable to talking, and the more quests you will get. You can check on your current Reputation by clicking on the question mark near a character's portrait. Right now that should read - Completely Unknown (0).

Further Exploration of Fort Avernum

In a storeroom in the southeastern part of town, you will find a Bag of Sugar (quest item). Take this and keep it as it is used in a later quest. There are several locked doors in Fort Avernum where you need some points in Tool Use to open. It is advisable to increase Tool Use for your party as there are a lot of locked doors and treasure chests throughout the realm.

In one room in the southeastern part of town there is a glowing columnar object blocking a door. This is a Magical Barrier. Your Mage will eventually learn a spell called Dispel Barrier which will do just that, dispel the barrier. Know that there are 3 levels of magical barriers and there are three levels to the dispel barrier spell. Since there are a lot of these barriers throughout Avernum, it is advisable to obtain this spell for your Mage and upgrade it to its maximum. Unfortunately, it will be a while in the game until you get this spell. These barriers will tend to frustrate you in the beginning of the game because you will not have the ability to dispel them. Although you won't get the Dispel Barrier spell for some time in the game, and you will encounter a number of these barriers early, most of the earlier encountered barriers don't protect anything significant. Remember where you saw them and come back once you have obtained the spell.

Know that there are objects in the game called Piercing Crystals which can be used to dispel some Magical Barriers without your mage having the knowledge of the spell Dispel Barrier. You find these crystals during your adventuring and, on occasion, they can be bought from a merchant. Be aware, however, that Piercing Crystals cannot dispel every barrier as some barriers are too high level for the crystal. Stock up on these crystals when you find them and use them where you feel it is absolutely crucial.

In a bedroom-type chamber in the southwest of town, you will find a gray podium-type object. This is a Spellbook Pedestal or simply Book Pedestal. These podium objects are found in towns and dungeons throughout Avernum. These may teach you a magical spell or upgrade the spell if you've already learned it, or they may give some other type of information or item to the party. This Guide will call them Book Pedestals since not all of them teach magical spells. The one here in this room in Fort Avernum will teach the spell Call Storm. Know that you have to have sufficient Arcane Lore in order to read many of the Spellbook Pedestals in the game. The one here requires that your party's Arcane Lore is at least 7. Come back to this pedestal when you have increased this Skill for your party.

Your party is a likely at Level 2, Reputation Completely Unknown (0).

The Town of Silvar

After you have done most of what you can in Fort Avernum, head for the town of Silvar a short distance to the west. Here you will find Anastasia who is part of a quest you got in Fort Avernum (Find Anastasia). After you meet Anastasia, don't forget to go back to Fort Avernum and talk to Warrick to gain +1 Reputation. The highlights for Silvar are: 1) consult the Job Board to get some initial quests [Picks & Shovels; Misplaced Knowledge; Bat Swarms; and Message - Fort Duvno.]; 2) talk to Gary in the Inn to get the quest Hot Springs?; and 3) talk to Mayor Jonathan. Talking to the Mayor will complete the quest Meet Silvar's Mayor and he will give you two quests: Silvar Sewer Worms! and then Formello's Mayor after you complete the Sewer Worm quest.

Many of the towns of Avernum have a Job Board where you can select from several quests. It's a good idea to look for this Job Board as soon as you enter a town. Often the quests are local and you can gain some experience and reputation easily. It's also a good idea to periodically check back at the Job Board. Sometimes, when you have completed some of the original quests, the Board will offer some new ones.

Right next to the Job Board is the office of the Mayor of Silvar, Jonathan. Talk to him to complete the quest Meet Silvar's Mayor. Ask about a job and Jonathan will task you with removing the creatures from the sewers of Silvar (Silvar Sewer Worms!).

You can buy a boat from Krantz for 350 gold, but don't do so yet. You don't need a boat at this point in time (you won't be able to handle the enemy encounters in many of the areas you could float to). You will be able to buy a boat in another town, and a bit cheaper, later.

Further Exploration of Silvar

Next to Carol's shop is a pen with some cows. Walk out into the cow pen and on the wall you will see a brown brick. The brick is a switch and pressing it will open a hidden door. In all future towns and dungeons, look carefully for these switch bricks so as to open the hidden rooms or doors. This Guide will call these a wall switch. Sometimes, in fact, often, you will feel you are unable to progress further in a dungeon. If this is the case, you need to further scrutinize the walls a second time for any of these switches you may have missed the first time through.

Outside of the cow pen you will see a dead body. When you approach the body, you will be ambushed by some goblins. Deal with them and loot the body. You can report this good deed to Carol, but you get no reward (this is an undocumented quest).

In the NW of town is the Small Inn, with Innkeeper Gary. Gary will tell you he is looking for some Hot Springs (Hot Springs?). These springs are located to the north of the town of Formello. In the NE corner of town you will find the Training Hall. Here Eric Threescars can train you in Quick Action and Gymnastic. The fee is expensive and you likely don't have much money at present. Return here when you get money and feel you need to increase these particular skills.

Silvar Sewers

One quest you got from Mayor Jonathan in Silvar was to remove the infestation of hostile worms in the sewers of Silvar. You can find two entrances to the sewers, in the NE and NW corners of the town. Descend and slay the worms. Be sure to pick up the 2 shovels and 2 picks you find. These are needed for a quest later (you will need a total of 3 of each).

In the south-central area of the level, you will meet Droknarr, the Boss of the level and the one you are looking for to complete the quest. He is a tough guy and can summon creatures to fight for him. You may want to come back here later when you have leveled up. If you do fight him and win, you will get a Slime-Stained Tunic as a reward.

In the northeast corner of the sewers, there are two locked doors that are easy to open if you have some Tool Use (TU6) skill. Otherwise, Mayor Jonathan will unlock the doors after you finish the Sewer Worm quest. In the area beyond the doors, there are two stone servants you can try to talk too, but you won't gain much yet. Later in the game you will get the ability to communicate with the Golem Statues. Of particular note in the NE corner is the sparkling Pylon beyond the locked doors. This is a teleporter Pylon. Unfortunately, you can't use it yet. You will discover how to use the Pylons when you get to the Tower of Magi much later. For now, touch the Pylon. This will make it available for your use once you attain the ability to use the pylons.

Collect Your Reward for Clearing the Sewers

If you cleared the sewers and defeated Droknarr, then return to Mayor Jonathan for your reward. You will get the Shining Silver Band. Ask Mayor Jonathan if he has any advice to give you. He will tell you about the Pylons, about a castle called "The Castle", and something called the Crown Token. When you ask for more information on the Crown Token, he tells you it is a device to allow you entry to The Castle and you might be able to get one from the Mayor of the town of Formello to the north. This starts the quest Formello's Mayor.

Also, don't forget to go to Fort Avernum and tell Warrick you found her sister, Anastasia. This, plus clearing out the sewers of Silvar, might bring your party to level 3. Wahoo.

This Guide would recommend that you visit a few towns for some quick XP (delivering messages and doing quests within the town), but hold off doing any of the outside quests for a while. You need to build up your party first. So your party should visit Cotra and Fort Duvno after you have explored Silvar.

You party is likely at Level 3, Reputation Completely Unknown (1).

The Town of Fort Duvno

Walk north from Fort Avernum to the small town of Fort Duvno. Here again, as in all towns, talk to everybody and get all the quests you can. You have a message to deliver here obtained from the Silvar Job Board (Message - Fort Duvno). You need to deliver this message to Captain Johnson in Fort Duvno. After delivering the message, talk to the Captain again, and ask twice about how you can assist him. You will receive 2 new quests - The Nephilim Problem and Bandit Irritation.

When you talk to Jason in his shop in the SW corner of Duvno, he tasks you with removing some brigands in the quest Brigand Extortion. He will also sell you stuff. Next to Jason is J.R. who will train you in weapon skills, but only after you have attained sufficient reputation (you must be at least Well Known (16)). Right next to J.R.'s shop is Walner, the Sage. He will make potions for you if you have the necessary ingredients. He is also the quest location for the quest Misplaced Knowledge.

The Town of Cotra

After talking to everyone and doing what you can in Silvar, then go to Cotra. The roads in the area of the three beginning towns are relatively safe. As in every town, talk to everybody, take what you can steal without being caught, get quests, and don't buy anything because you will find better stuff in the dungeons soon.

Visit the Job Board to get a nice assortment of quests (Nephilim Encampment, Delivery - Formello, Message - Fort Dranlon, and The Slith Menace). For the quest Delivery - Formello, you need to take a package to Formello. The package, called the Cotra Mage Package (quest item), is found in the underground region of Formello. Be sure to pick up this package before you go to Formello or else you will have to trudge all the way back to Cotra.

While you are in Cotra, be sure to talk to Mayor Steele for a quest to free some prisoners (Nepharim Prisoners). Notice the Mayor's secretary, Paul in the outer office. For some of the quests you receive from the Job Board, such as Nephilim Encampment, you need to report back to Paul.

If you walk along the outside wall of Cotra on the southeastern side of the town, you will find a switch to open a hidden door. In the small room you will find two dead bodies. Loot them and then report their discovery to Mayor Steele for some XP. (This small quest is undocumented in your Quest Log).

The Darklake Pub has several people you want to talk to. Elizabeth is the Barkeep and will sell you some Ale and give some information about a crypt to the north. Cryptic. A snooty wizard named Konig is lounging in the Pub and will give you some information about a crystal cavern and a fellow named Cortath. Also cryptic. A fellow named Asp won't give you much information now, but he will become significant later in the game.

Cotra Underground

Be sure to enter the underground area (stairway in the northwest corner of the town). Here you will meet Tamus on the other side of the door. He will explain the Pylons to you and tell you that you eventually need to go to the Tower of Magi for training on how to use the Pylons. After he's done talking, he disapparates. Loot the area and touch the Pylon so that it become available once you have learned how to use it. [Note: if you visit the Tower of Magi and learn how to use the teleporters before you go to the Pylon in Cotra, Tamus will not be there.]

Look for the wall switch on the north wall to enter an area that contains a blue chest. The contents of the chest, a book wrapped in lizard skin called the Cotra Mage Package (quest item) in your Special Items inventory, is required for the quest Delivery - Formello. Take the item and eventually deliver it to Miles in Formello.

After you are happy with your time in Fort Duvno and Cotra, your party is now ready to complete some of the quests you've been given. If you look at your World Map, the eastern portion of it should be littered with exclamation points indicating areas where a quest is to be done. Leave Cotra and head to the east back toward Fort Duvno.

Exploring the Countryside Near the Starting Towns

An easy bit of XP generating activity is to eradicate the Goblins who are camped straight east of the entrance to Fort Duvno. This is not a quest, just something to do. Look for the little campfire site on the ground. The Goblins aren't very strong, but they also don't have much loot.

Head Northwest from the Goblin camp and you will come upon the Bandit Keep sitting atop a hill. This Keep will keep you busy for a little while. Pay the Bandits a visit.

The Bandit Keep (Brigand Fort)

Quests: Misplaced Knowledge and Bandit Irritation

The Bandit Keep is not very difficult and will be much more fun that those pitiful Goblins you just stomped. The Keep, which is located just to the north and west of Fort Duvno, is the site for 2 quests, Misplaced Knowledge and Bandit Irritation. Just waltz in through the main gate and kill everyone you see and loot anything of value. After you clear a couple of rooms, you will get an onscreen message that some brigands have come in through the main gate. Go get 'em. While you explore the Keep, be on the look-out for items you will need for later quests such as tongs, pincers, ale, and hammers.

In a room in the SW corner, you will fight a Rogue Acolyte. Nearby, you will find a ladder that leads upstairs. At the top of the ladder, you will find some Goblins and Goblin Flingers to fight. After the battle, open the chest and find the scrolls (Filthy Scrolls - quest item) that you need for the quest Misplaced Knowledge. Go back downstairs.

In the NE corner of the main area, enter the room and fight some Rats. There is a wall switch in the wall that opens a hidden room. The hidden room has a couple of barrels and chests to open, but nothing of significance. The locked door can never be opened.

In the central area, a room is occupied by the Mage, Arcanist Perigin. This is the bad guy you are looking for in this dungeon and he is guarded by Hunter Alos and other minions. He's actually just a snotty whippersnapper. You can try to negotiate with him, but in the end you will just to do him in and get it done with. Take the baubles (the Apprentice Belt and Electrum Bauble) and loot the rooms. There is a spellbook pedestal in the room that will improve your Call Beast spell if you have sufficient Arcane Lore. You need to have Arcane Lore of at least 4 to be able to read the book.

Both of the quests you just worked on were for people in Fort Duvno. So return there for your just rewards. Consult your quest log for the appropriate people to report to. These would be Captain Johnson and Walner the Sage.

This very likely will advance your party members to level 4 and Reputation Completely Unknown (2).

Continue Exploring the Countryside of the Eastern Gallery near Fort Duvno

Head north from Duvno following the road. You might encounter a lone Slith wandering about. These guys can be tough to beat early in the game, but, hey, one all by himself . . . Give him a try.

Follow the road north and when you approach the Gate in the stone wall, you will be accosted by a band of roving brigands. These are the Brigands you are looking for in the quest Brigand Extortion. They should pose no problem for your party. You will need to return to Fort Duvno and talk to Jason to report this good deed.

Just to the west of the Gate is a small house. When you investigate, you will be accosted by some brigands. Clear them out. Straight to the east from this small house is a hidden cave entrance in the wall (it will appear yellow on the map). Investigate to find a small bit of loot.

The Town of Formello

It is likely that you party still is not of sufficient caliber to attempt some of the dungeon quests you have in your log. What you need now are some good magic spells. It is recommended that you go to the town of Formello to get some better Mage and Priest spells. You should have two quests for this town where the only requirement is that you show up. There is a Mage and a Priest in Formello who will sell you spells. So let's do that.

If you are currently in or near Fort Duvno, head north toward the Gate in the cavern wall. Go through the Gate in the stone wall and follow the road north to Formello.

Exploring the Town of Formello

As usual, talk to everybody to gain information about the lands and increase your skills. The Job Board has an eclectic assortment of quests for your questing pleasure. Pick up the following from the Job Board: Invading Ogre, Delivery - Motrax, Bounty - Rat Nest and The Deadly Crypt. Later, after you finish some of these, check the Board again for the quests Invading Giant and Delivery - Fort Draco.

Make a visit to Evelyn, the Mayor of Formello. Talking with her will complete the quest Formello's Mayor and Evelyn will give you the quest The Stolen Necklace. In this latter quest, you are to recover a stolen Necklace. Part of your reward will be the Crown Token. The Crown Token will allow you entry into the main castle of Avernum called The Castle.

There are two doors on the eastern wall of Evelyn's chamber. The upper door leads to an area with a blue trap on the floor. Be forewarned. Interacting with the blue trap at this point in the game will lead to the untimely death of your entire party. Return later when your Tool Use is sufficient to disarm this trap.

Outside of Evelyn's chamber, to the east, is a stairway to the underground of Formello. At this time you will encounter a short passage that ends with a Magical Barrier blocking the door. You do not have the spell yet to dispel magical barriers and likely you do not have a Piercing Crystal which will also dispel some barriers. So you won't get through here yet.

To the west from Evelyn is the training hall called Vermeers' Center with Vermeers, the trainer. He can train you in Blademaster and Cave Lore if you have the funds. Find Miles the Sage who can train your mages in the mysteries of magism. In particular, buy the spell Icy Rain. This is an AoE spell and is great at eliminating groups of enemies. Talking to Miles the Sage also completes the quest Delivery - Formello (if you have the package from Cotra).

Claudette is a priest of the Temple of Chance and she will train your priest in priestly spells. Buy what you can. A useful priest spell at this point in the game is Call the Storm. Both Icy Rain and Call the Storm spells are AoE and will serve you well for the foreseeable future. There is a spell book pedestal in Claudette's temple, but you cannot interact with it until you have done a quest for her.

In the NE corner of the town there is a back room in the barracks where you find a switch to reveal a hidden area. Inside the hidden area is a floor trap that requires a high level of Tool Use to disarm. You likely will not be able to access this area until much later in the game. When you do remove the trap, you will find two chests. The NE chest, when opened, will conjure some Specters. These guys are tough and will decimate even a mid-level party. The chest contains 2000 coins. The southern chest contains Dragonskin Gloves, but will also inflict the party with the Dread Curse. You can have Throndell in the Tower of Magi remove this curse (will cost 500 coins).

Stop at the Dark Pinnacle, the Pub of Formello. Here you can talk to Gad, the Barkeep. Gad tells you he wants some sugar. No, not a kiss. An actual Bag of Sugar. You probably found one in Fort Avernum, so give it to Gad. Golizar, standing about in the Pub tells you about an artifact that can let you fly. This is the Orb of Thralni. You won't get a quest at this time, but eventually you will and you will search for and find this Orb. It does indeed let your party fly.

In the NW corner of Formello, talk to Jen who tells you about a shortage of food. She will give you the quest Mushroom Meal where you need to give her Bags of Meal that you find during your adventures. She will buy up to 51 Bag of Meal. Any others you might have you can discard as no one else wants them.

Formello Underground

At the southeastern end of town is a Trapdoor that leads to the underground area. Once underground, enter the room to the south and activate the teleporter Pylon. You cannot teleport yet, but touching the Pylon will make it available when you do acquire the ability later in the Tower of Magi. On one of the central walls is a switch brick which opens a hidden passage. Follow the passage and you will encounter some Giant Rats along the way. Try out your new Icy Rain or Call the Storm spells. Cool. In a nearby room you will encounter a Vapor Rat who drops the Ratskin Helmet on its death. Wiping out the rat infestation fulfills the requirements for the quest Bounty - Rat Nest.

Motrax the Dragon

Quests: Delivery - Motrax and The Wisdom of Motrax

For some easy experience with no fighting, travel north from Formello and go to the lair of Motrax. Here you will deliver a message and get some information for another quest. So re-enter Formello from the underground and leave through the west exit.

North of Formello there lives a friendly dragon named Motrax. You have a delivery to make to him (Delivery - Motrax) and you are to seek some of his wisdom (The Wisdom of Motrax) for Claudette in Formello. After you leave Formello and follow the road to the north, you will pass through a gated wall. Continue north along the road. We'll come back to explore the region more thoroughly later. For now, just find Motrax.

You will soon reach some pools of water and a sign that says Cave of Motrax (the Cave of Motrax is called Lair of Motrax on the World Map). Enter the Cave. The Cave is actually a small town of sorts with a couple of townsfolk to talk to. First, let's go see Motrax. Head straight north from the entrance until you see Motrax in all his dragonly glory.

Click on him. First, he takes your delivery package to complete the quest Delivery - Motrax. He eats it. Second, talk to him again and exhaust the dialogue options. One thing he will talk about is a Stone Key that probably lies to the SE of his Cave. You'll want this Key, so you should go find it as soon as you finish things in the Lair.

Motrax mentions that you can take the trinkets that lie in the tunnels to the west of his throne room. But these tunnels are guarded by Fire Lizards and you likely will not survive their attacks at this point in the game. Know that one of the trinkets you will find is the Ivory Brooch (quest item) which is needed for one of the Final Ending Quests of the game. Obviously, you'll come back here later.

The tunnels east of Motrax's throne lead to his treasure. However, the passage is blocked by a magical barrier which you cannot dispel yet. You definitely will have to come back later.

Find the Stone Key that Motrax Mentioned

Motrax mentioned a Stone Key that may be near his Lair. To find this Key, take the passage that lies just south and along the east wall from Motrax's Cave. At the first intersection you come to, go to the east, and then go north. You will reach an area where a battle was waged (a message will tell you so). Walk into the area and an onscreen message will indicate that you found the old Battlefield and Stone Key. There is nothing else in the area. The Stone Key will be used much later in the game.

After you acquire the Key, you should explore some of the immediate area to the south of Motrax's Cave. You will find an area with a cave door in the wall. The cave doors are yellowish objects that will simply allow you to pass through when you approach them. Go through this door and fight some lizards. Explore more thoroughly and find 3 emeralds. If you explore in the area a bit more you will likely be attacked by roving bands of lizards, but they should be push-overs for your party by now.

Your party will likely attain Level 5 and have a Reputation of Anonymous (3).

Find the Hot Springs for Gary

Not too far to the north from the Lair of Motrax, you will find the Hot Springs that Gary of Silvar mentioned. From the Lair of Motrax and head north, then west. You will come across an area that has several small pools of water. These are the Springs you are looking for (you will get an onscreen message). Eventually, report this the location to Gary in Silvar to complete the quest.

The Bat Cave

Quest: Bat Swarms

You party should be ready to tackle the Bat Cave. The Job Board in Silvar gave the quest to remove the pesky bats. Head south from Formello and go through the passage Gate and enter the Eastern Gallery region. The Bat Cave is to the east.