So, last time we met a group of slith that didn’t want to kill us! We even helped get their stone back. Sadly they have to stay in hiding since Sss-Thss basically screwed the pooch on diplomacy.
With this chunk of land almost explored. I decided to quickly finish up and then head towards the Freehold to see what it is they want. In fact there’s not really much left, though what I do find is really important.
This little monastery is hiding out here, away from Avernum and its wars so the clerics can practice their healing arts. Better yet they’re willing to teach us. of course and what are they teaching?
They’re only teaching one spell. It’s return life, the games resurrection spell. I buy up both levels ASAP.
Anyway, aside from a fungus patch where we can gather some healing herbs, we’re done with this area. I head back to the boat and sail around to the freehold.
Welcome to Kyass’ Freehold. They’re rather keen on us talking to Kyass. Now. Probably best to do that before we go exploring. Besides, we did have a message for him.
Meet Kyass. We heard some mention of him much earlier in the playthrough, outside of him being ambitious we don’t know much of him. At least until now.
For what it’s worth Kyass is a new-ish arrival. He’s only been down here for 5 years, but they’ve apparently been a busy 5 years of him wandering the caves, gathering allies to get the freehold started.
As for the Freehold itself? Well Kyass sees it as a place of strength and freedom, with no kings The people of the Freehold follow him because people respect his strength and see value in obeying his will. The day he can no longer command respect, someone else will rise up to lead everyone.
Coincidentally. He got thrown down here for running his mouth.
Anyway, we came here to see what his intentions are. He tells us it’s the same as he told all the previous groups sent to ask: He plants to expand his little nation into the northern caves and further downwards, noting that there’s plenty of room to expand out there. He also claims to be no threat to Avernum, but doesn’t agree with the idea that they own the entire underworld.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, he note’s that while outsiders are welcome to trade here. They must first prove themselves by performing services for the Freehold itself, the more you do for them, the more they’ll help and more importantly, the lower the prices doe said help will be..
He actually has a mission for us already: Brigands have taken over the northeast tower in town, and he wants us to deal with it. As for how a bunch of brigands took over well…
Turns out the leader is an old buddy! his words also reveal one of the ugly truths of the freehold: He says people follow him out of respect and seeing wisdom in his words, but in truth there’s a good bit of “obey or die” at play here. Plus apparently promotion via murder is kind of a thing that happens.
Anyway our main job at this place is done, and sadly since we’ve done nothing for the Freehold yet, the town is basically useless to us. We do pick up on a couple quests though.
Evysss here is looking for a magic tome that belongs to the dragon Pyrog.
and Kendrew could use some Graymold.
We also meet Hornby Who lets us in in what happens to trouble makers.
The Freehold is a brutal place. It’s worth noting that the people here are mostly here for lack of options. Evysss for example, was form Gnass, the peaceful slith town. She didn’t feel safe with Avernum nearby and wasn’t keen on the whole “let’s be barbarians!” deal with Sss-Thss so she ended up here. Meanwhile Kendrew was saved by Kyass when it turned out the man she was following was a thug, and allowed to stick around due to her skills as a trader.
With that done, I return to the castle to deliver the news. The captain doesn’t take it well and asks me to go back, and tell Kyass to leave or he’ll be violently driven out.
He’s likely not going to take that well. That said since I’m aiming for a pro-Avernum play through I’ll go do it.
Later though, Right now there’s something important I need to do: We need to get to Bargha and talk to the Scimitars. We’ve already met the Freehold and the Surface Envoy, both offering missions for us, and have done work for Castle Avernum, it’s about time we meet the last major player in the underground that we’re aware of.
Bargha is west of the Freehold. So we g back there and head west.
Much like the area east of it, the land west of the Freehold is giant country. We find a trash pit with something past it, but decide to move on for now.
Also: amusing signs.
The entrance to Bargha is blocked by a group of giants. They’re relatively tough, but not a major threat.
Sadly, we can’t get into Bargha from this way, as it’s walled off. We’ll have to come around from the other side.
Fortunately, we can get there relatively quickly by skirting around the edge of the Waterall maze. We don’t see much of the maze, it’s a little trick to navigate as while going down a waterfall is safe, you can’t go back up one. you’re basically forced to go southward Still, we’ve explored the area south of the maze, and can sail back around to the north to enter the maze again from there, so it’s not a major problem for what we’re doing now.
On the way over, we end up entering the Abyss. We heard about the abyss before: It’s where the people even the exiles feel a need to exile end up, and Bargha is a part of it. not a good sign there.
We ask to be let in, than immediately head over ot the barkeep to ask about the Scimitars.
He points us to a hidden staircase behind the inn, and tells us the password to get past the doorman.
The Scimitars we already heard about. They’re a group dedicated to rebelling against the empire for throwing us all down here, and they’re well aware that the empire has spies and envoys down here to keep tabs on Avernum.
We’ve already proven our skill to them what with how high our reputation is. but we still need to do them a favor. There’s a place near fort Spire called the Scree Pit The surface has a hidden base inside of it, and said base houses a crystal sphere that lets their troops report the surface. We need to destroy that.
Oh, and mind the gremlins.
Between the Scimitar, the Freehold, and the surface envoy The sScimitar is the one I plan to actually do missions for. As well as more stuff for Avernum. Knowing this, next update I might risk giving the ultimatum to Kyass, then I should either go find that base or finally figure out what happened at Fort Remote.
There’s also the matter of killing death, finishing Demonslayer and going to take care of that demon for Solberg, I might be ready to try that again soon.