 |
| Ruined River Fort |
| Avernum 2 | Ruined River Fort | Dark Waters |
Navigation: General Hints, Notes
List of all towns and shops in Avernum
|
|
| Ruined River Fort |
When you try to get through on the river you find your way blocked by a portcullis. Whether you leave your boat just north of this or go back and land outdoors, you end up by entering the fort from the west. In the western part of the fort are lots of undead – Repel Spirit is a godsend, particularly if two or three of your party can cast it.
Once you have found the wheel that opens the porutcullis and have found out how to turn it, you can row past the main part of the fort only to find another locked portcullis in the south. As the wheel controlling this one is not to be found on the west side of the fort it must be somewhere in the east.
On entering through the west gate you will be greeted by wights and ghouls. It is best to kill all of them before proceeding to the room to the northeast, where two Vanhavoi (undead Vahnatai) are guarding a wheel. If you try to turn the wheel you find that it has no handles but just a hexagonal hole. There are two hexagonal bars laying around which you can pick up and use. They are however bent and do not do the trick. What you need is an undamaged hexagonal bar. If you have not got one yet you will have to search further!
When you have found a hexagonal bar, you can turn the wheel which opens the north portcullis. You could go back to your boat and row down the river; but if you are feeling adventurous you could explore the western part of the fort.
Except for some weird meat and a couple of waveblades (one cursed) there is nothing to be picked up in the rooms which must be cleared on getting to the control room. To the north of this room are four ghouls but again without any loot. To the NE of this room is a locked door behind which is a spectre that can be very dangerous, so prepare well. In the crystal box the spectre was guarding is a Blessed Dagger.
Further to the west of this room is another locked room with a crystal box in it. If you look into the box you find a package which explodes injuring all members of the party; but there are four magical scrolls in it.
When you have opened the northern portcullis you can row a bit further down the river only to come to another locked portcullis. This time you can see a wheel in a room on the east side. You can also see some Vahnatai through a window further south. So you can expect either help or trouble.
You can land just south of the first portcullis. Just to the east is a room with four Vahnatai. To the north is another room with one Vahnatai. In the NE is a Vahnatai shaper which keeps summoning spirits.
Further east is another room with a Vahnatai shaper and five normal Vahnatai. None of the Vahnatai drops anything very useful. In the NW corner of this complex is a secret passage leading to a healing pool. In the NE corner is a locked door leading to a Vahnatai cabinet containing a Fine Crystal, a Vahnatai Cloak and a Healing Potion. In the east wall is a hidden door to a passage with two traps. Around the corner is a tome which increases the Mage Spell ability of all those with some mage power by one.
Note: finding this tome helps later.
If you go south you find the tunnels rather fragile. There are many rock falls, some injuring you and some blocking the way. You probably have to go through the precarious tunnels to come into a room just south of the control room. Here is a Vahnatai. To the south is another room with two Vahnatai Warriors – a bit tougher. In this southern most storeroom are some crates and barrels with rather unintersting items except perhaps for a bit of food. There is also a landing stage with a boat, which saves you opening the portcullis and going back through the unstable tunnels to your own boat. But before travelling onward you could explore the passages to the south.
There is a secret door on the north wall of the passage SE of the cotrol room. It is however empty. South of this are some tunnels which lead to a chasm you cannot get across. There is however a secret door in the middle of south wall of the southern storeroom (the one with the landing stage). The passage leads east to a cave slime and then around a corner to the ledge across the chasm. Here is again nothing! Searching the southern wall however reveals another hidden passage, this time with a corpse which has some Drakeskin Boots, a Fine Waveblade and a Vahatai Cloak.
Now it is time to continue the journey south.
