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The Guide [a4sm_desc]
==========
Ever missed one of those special message boxes in Avernum 4? This guide will
eventually have all the messages in Avernum 4.
==================
Start of Game [a4sm_edst]
==================
Avernum is a place. It is a nation that exists entirely underground.
The Avernites live far below the surface of the world, in a huge, seemingly
endless network of caverns and tunnels. There are forests of giant fungi and
black, subterranean lakes.
It is a hot, wet, shadowy place, lit by glowing fungi and kept warm by natural
steam vents. And it is inhabited by a proud people, determined to make their
fortune and maintain their independence.
The surface of the world is entirely controlled by the mighty Empire. Avernum
began as a prison colony. The Empire teleported its misfits and petty
criminals into the underworld, a life sentence with no parole.
But that unhappy past was years ago. The Empire now tolerates Avernum and
grants it some degree of independence. Travelers can now move back and forth
between the surface and the depths.
Avernum is now a land of fortune seekers. Miners, explorers and adventurers
come to explore the tunnels, looking for valuable metals, gems, and crystals.
Adventurers are mercenaries, wanderers, blades for hire, who roam Avernum and
track down monsters and criminals, in return for the hope of wealth and fame.
You are adventurers. It is a career with great potential, but a high causalty
rate. You have only just finished your training. Because of your promise, the
Castle soon hired you to help keep the peace.
You have been sent to Fort Monestery, one of Avernum's smallest and most
remote outposts. These caverns are dotted with small mines and farms, and
perpetually troubled by goblins.
That is why you have been sent out here. The goblin infestation have become
too widespread for the small garrison to handle.
You have only just settled into your quarters, in the dank tunnels under the
fort. You are supposed to go upstairs to Captain Matos and receive your
orders.
Goblin hunting is a poor way to begin your career. The creatures are wily,
nasty, and poor. It is more pest control than a task for an aspiring hero.
But you have to start somewhere. And maybe, if you're very lucky, something
terrible will happen soon. Something will give you the opportunity to display
your heroism, face terrible foes, and withstand great danger.
Unfortunately, your wishes are about to come true.
Welcome to Avernum 4! You are at the beginning of an epic adventure, a journey
that will carry you many miles through the winding and deadly tunnels and
caverns of Avernum.
Before you can begin this journey, however, you need to learn the basics of
the game. You are in your quarters now, the dampest and most remote chamber
of Fort Monastery. You need to equip yourself and make your way to the upper
level of the fort.
To begin, try moving around. Click on the floor near you and you will begin to
walk to that space. Move around the room a litte.
You step out into the dank and smelly cavern just outside your dank and smelly
bedroom. Your low rank in the Avernite army doesn't get you very good lodgings.
You are down in the ruins on the old monastery the fort was built on.
This chamber is a disused clasroom, where you have been leaving your armor and
weapons while you sleep. Before you go upstairs, you should get and equip
your weaponry.
There are weapons on the table to the south. You should get them and equip
them. To pick up an item, bring up the inventory window. Press the Inventory
button by a character's portrait (to the upper left, it looks like a backpack)
or type 'g'.
This is the inventory screen, where you will pick items off the ground and use
them. Items like potions and wands, you can use. Items like weapons and armor,
you can equip (i.e. wear or ready them).
Items you can pick up are in the ground area to the upper right. Click on an
item to pick it up.
You can only pick up items you are close to. (If you don't see the weapons
there, move closer to them and bring this window up again.)
Once you pick up an item, click on your character's graphic to equip it. To
have a different character get an item, click on his or her portrait (or type
'1' - '4').
Please check the button the the lower right when you're done.
The blade in your hand makes you feel much better. Avernum is a poor land.
Like most weapons down here, it is dented and dull. However, it should do to
fend off an angry lizard or arachnid.
You should get the armor and shield from the other table. Also, there is a
helmet in the box to the east. Click on the box to open it.
When you're ready to continue, go through the door to the east.
Oh, no. Somehow, a goblin managed to slip down here. It's not too surprising.
These lands are infested with these vicious little creatures, and Fort
Monastery is not terribly secure. They have been sneaking in constantly,
causing all sorts of trouble.
When a creature attacks you, you will enter combat mode automatically. Each of
your characters will get a turn, which can be spent moving around, attacking,
casting a spell, or so on. When you have done enough, the next character takes
a turn.
Fortunately, while goblins are nasty and stupid, they are also small and weak.
Right now, you should have a melee weapon ready. Click on the goblin to attack
it. You should be able to defeat it with minimal difficulty.
You have just killed an enemy. Sadly, there are many more to come. You rest
for a minute to recover from the fight.
In the future, when you are tired and damaged from fights, return to a friendly
town or fort. You will be healed when you step inside. You can also heal damage
with healing potions and magical spells (you'll learn about these later).
When you are done with combat, you can exit combat mode by pressing the button
with the peace symbol at the right side of the screen.
The goblin mischievously closed this old, rusty gate behind it when it snuck
down here. It sealed itself in, probably not realizing that you were down here.
Fortunately, you can reopen the gate by turning the wheel to the south. (Click
on the wheel to turn it.)
Magic spells are very useful. They can damage, confuse or control foes, heal
you when you are damaged, or summon assistance during a tough fight.
There are two sorts of spells, Mage Spells (which damage enemies and summon
aid) and Priest Spells (which heal you and make you stronger in combat). You
can learn new spells by talking to people in towns.
To cast a spell, press the Mage Spells or the Priest Spells button. You can
then select what spell you cast. (See above.)
Casting spells tires you out. Each spell drains some spell energy. When you
don't have enough spell energy, you can't cast a spell. To regain spell
energy, return to a town.
There is someone in the corridor ahead. You prepare to defend yourself, afraid
that another goblin broke in. But then you see that it is Bodrie, the cook for
the fort. She looks nervous.
She seems to want to talk to you. To speak with her, click on her.
You enter the main barracks for Fort Monastery. The air is fresher up here, and
the buildings more spacious. After a few weeks down in the hole, you look
forward to when you get moved up here.
You should wander around the fort and speak with people. You will learn a lot
more about how things work.
Also, try holding down the Tab key. This identifies all nearby characters and
tells you what all of the buttons do.
Now that you have made some progress, you should save the game. Saving the game
creates a "snapshot" of your progress. Later, you can load the saved game and
continue where you left off.
To save the game, press the disk button (pictured above) and select Save Game.
On the save game window, type a name for your saved game and click the Check
button. You have recorded your progress!
Later, to load a saved game, press the disk button, select Load Saved Game,
and select your saved game. You can then keep going. This can be very useful
if you die.
Save often. You never know when you might get killed.
Finally, the game saves for you automatically every few minutes. If you die,
you can always load the Autosave game.
Before you go out on your first adventure, you should know about experience.
When you defeat enemies and complete quests, you gain experience. When you get
enough experience, you gain a level.
Gaining a level increases your health and spell energy. It also gives you
skill points. Skill points are like money you spend to increase your skills.
This is called training.
To train a character, press the Train button to the right of its portrait.
Press the '+' button to the right of a skill to increase it. Click on a spell
name for its description.
You are at the entrance to one of two storage caves at the west edge of Fort
Monastery. If you explore the storerooms, you can find some useful supplies
and learn more about the sorts of items in Avernum 4.
The building to the east is Appelo's shop. Appelo is the largest merchant out
here on the frontier (though small scale next to everyone else). Most of the
supplies in the fort are shipped in by her.
You can speak with Appelo to buy supplies and sell treasures you find during
your journeys. Talk to merchants you meet throughout Avernum to buy and sell
items.
A bow has been left on the table here. Missiles can be valuable weapons when
trying to pin down a hard-to-reach enemy.
Equip missiles (like bows and javelins) like you equip melee weapons.
You start out attacking with your melee weapon by default. To switch to
attacking with your missile weapon, press the Use Missile Weapon button
(shown above). To switch back to using a melee weapon, press the Use Melee
Weapon button.
