CHAPTER 24: ESCAPE FROM THE IMPERIAL MINES
In
this chapter, you take your leave of the imperial mines (through
stealth or strenght) and seek the rumored haven of ex-slave
rebels known as New Canaan - all the while trying to stay alive
and hidden from the Lankharhan Imperials!
[Note #1: you need to have had at least one disturbing dream concerning your identity (see Chapter 23).]
[Note #2: chances are you will have heard of the legend of the Chosen Ones, those favored by the lost Gods to deliver the world from the God-Emperors (mentarchs, Mind Lords).]
[Note #3: chances are also that you will have heard tales about ex-slaves turned-rebels hiding somewhere in the northwestern Khanark Rockies.]
Feature #1: as mentioned briefly in Chapter 23, there are two ways to escape from the mines: there's the easy way (Part I below) and then there's the hard way (Part II below). It's up to your fancy to decide which one you want to play out.
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I)
The easy (lazy, boring) way to gain your freedom:
- when in the mines, seek the secret door at
x28y4. Walk in the secret passage to x28y1, with the search
function turned on. You will find a breach in the rock that you
can break - this allows you to step to x29y1.
- from there, go to x30y2 and then to x34y8 (again with search
on): you will find a fissure in the rocky ceiling there. Hack at
the ceiling with your mining pick and then walk to the surface in
the mountains (at x62y3).
- then walk straight south to the cave at x62y6: there, those of
your PC's with spell casting abilities will acquire them back
miraculously. The same will happen to Nerylka, if you have her
along. This brings Nasslass' question: could you be the Chosen
Ones?
- now that you are back on the surface, you need to find the
ex-slave rebels without stumbling in Ylsasnorh, the neighboring
imperial town, or the garrisons and slave quarters. The fastest
way is the following:
- enter the cave at x62y11 and exit through the cave at x68y21. Treck south-east to the cave at x75y38 and exit through the cave at x76y44. Walk west to the cave at x40y48 and exit at x36y47. Then walk further south-west to the cave at x13y59 and exit at x3y76: the gates of New Canaan (ex-slave community) lie just in front of you, at x5y76! You can now go on to Chapter 25!
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II)
The hard (thrilling, fun) way to gain your freedom:
- when in the mines, you will have heard of Zorg
the half-orc and his secret meetings at his
hut. Next time you finish your shift, return to your hut (see
Chapter 23) and rest until about 9:45 PM. Leave your hut and walk
to Zorg's hut (see key to slavequarters - Chapter 23): however,
do not try to enter until it is at least 10:01 PM and no later
than 10:59 PM!
- inside the hut, look for a trap door on the floor: open it and
climb down the ladder. You land in a small underground cave at
x7y82 - find a secret door at x7y83 and enter the passage to exit
through a cave at x14y84: there, you will find numerous slaves
arguing among themselves, with Zorg putting in his own arguments.
- Zorg will tell the story that the True Gods are still very much
alive, contrary to what the Mind Lords (and thus false gods) have
been letting on. He will also speak of the Chosen Ones, who are
among the slaves, and who are destined to change the fate of the
world, thus ridding it of the Mind Lords and returning things to
what "they should have always been". He also entices
the slaves to blindly follow the Chosen Ones the moment they
manifest themselves (i.e. start a rebellion).
- once Zorg's monolog is done and the slaves go back to arguing
among themselves, walk among them to hear what some of them have
to say.
- then, walk over to Zorg himself (at x26y83):
A) if you did not yet have at least one dream (see Chapter 23), he will answer your questions cryptically (after that, return to speak to him again at one of his meetings once you finally have a dream).
B) if you had at least one dream, them he will tell you outright that you are the Chosen Ones - but you do not need to hurry to start a rebellion ... however, next time you have the opportunity to do so, then (please be so kind as to) do it and all the slaves will follow you.
Feature #2: so ... how do you start a rebellion? Easy: either from within the mines, or above, simply make a serious transgression (stealing ores, coming in late in the morning shift, camping in the mines outside of a safe area, etc.) and stand your ground! Battle will ensue ... with many slaves joining the fray at your side.
[Note #4: after the first battle that effectively starts of the slave rebellion, those of your PC's with spell casting abilities will acquire them back miraculously. The same will happen to Nerylka, if you have her along. This brings Zorg to exclaim happily that this is the final proof that are indeed the Chosen Ones!]
[Note #5: if you start within the mines, then you will have to walk your way through to the surface, then to the gates of the mines, then to the gates of the slave quarters, and then to the other gates to the west in order to ultimately reach the outer gates (leading to the garrison barracks and residences - see key to slave quarters, Chapter 23). In other words, many battles galore (and some of them are quite tough too)!]
[Note #6: obviously, better grab any chance you get to acquire better weapons and armors after each battle, by taking up what your foes leave behind. From within the mines, the two guard houses can be looted (see key to the mines, Chapter 23). Also, as you progress through the mining center on the surface (see key, Chapter 23), you may loot the following: one of the watchtowers (x79y7), one of the overseers' barracks (x71y8), the officers' barracks (74y15) and the residence of the Imperial Master and his Tribunes (x75y14).]
-
the moment you finally cross the main gates, your party and Zorg
(along with the other slaves) will part company. Zorg tells you
outright and rather cryptically that it will not matter whether
they survive or not - only that you find New Canaan and "set
the world back to what it is supposed to be".
- ending up outside of the Imperial mining center (at x70y21),
then all you need to do is get to New Canaan as already explained
above (just remember that you happen to be already standing out
of the cave at x68y21: thus, you only need to treck south-east to
the cave at x75y38 and so on - see Part 1 above). Once you reach
the gates of New Cannan, it's onward to Chapter
25!
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