ESCHALON TRILOGY - Q&A (SPOILERS)

[Leezar]

Oh, come on. Malkur is so obviously full of shit. The reason you see his face in the beginning is because the little creep is trying to enter your mind telepathically to make you his bitch like he made the chancellor and so many others. Karamiklan plays along for shits and giggles. And Erubor is initially clueless, but then attracted to the power of the gems like a teenage boy that discovers porn for the first time.

[Lord_P]

Take for example the Crimean example.

Too soon, mate.

[Lord_P]

Sorry for doubleposting, but I have a question about the world of Eschalon.

BW, can you tell us about Barrea. About it's people, it's government (if anything exists apart from the competing warlords), it's environment and it's history. I'm planning on making a mod after the semi-official (Basilisk Games endorsed) tools come out.

[Kreador Freeaxe]

Sorry for doubleposting, but I have a question about the world of Eschalon.

BW, can you tell us about Barrea. About it's people, it's government (if anything exists apart from the competing warlords), it's environment and it's history. I'm planning on making a mod after the semi-official (Basilisk Games endorsed) tools come out.

Actually, I think overall this would be a good thing, if BW had a PDF with a lot of his notes on the history and world background that would-be modders could download if they want their mods to actually fit in the existing world of Eschalon.

[BasiliskWrangler]

Actually, I think overall this would be a good thing, if BW had a PDF with a lot of his notes on the history and world background that would-be modders could download if they want their mods to actually fit in the existing world of Eschalon.

I wish my notes were so organized as to be releasable in .pdf format, In actuality, they are scattered among dozens of hand-written papers, text files, and "historic documents". This is one of the reasons I occasionally contradict some of the lesser facts about Eschalon.

= BARREA =
Barrea is considered a province, but has no unified governing body. Most established cities in Barrea are just clan settlements ruled by warlords. Not all warlords are hostile; many settlements welcome outsiders who bring with them gold, spices and unique items for trade. Some warlords are known for their kindness and desire to provide a better quality of life for their people. Still, many stereotypical "tyrant Warlords" do exist, and they often rule over smaller clans or armies that frequently try to conquer weaker clans.

Barrea is one of the largest unexplored regions in all of Eschalon. Although it is assumed to be all arid wasteland, some explorers have reported finding vast oasis areas filled with lush and strange flora and fauna. It is said some of the most remote clans have never seen any outsiders, leading to myths about the "Savages or Barrea" who still work with stone tools, speak in odd languages, or use forms of archaic magick that have been long forgotten. Barrea is also known to be home of giant-folk, though they are rarely seen anymore.

[Lord_P]

Cool, thanks.

[MyGameCompany]

Heh, I was thinking about doing a Barrea mod too, Lord_P! It will be interesting to see how our mods compare and contrast when they are done.

Like you, though, I need to wait until the modding tools are more fully featured. I need to be able to create my own NPCs, dialogue trees, and quests. And it would be nice if the giants were available in the Book 3 engine.

[Lord_P]

Heh, I was thinking about doing a Barrea mod too, Lord_P! It will be interesting to see how our mods compare and contrast when they are done.

Like you, though, I need to wait until the modding tools are more fully featured. I need to be able to create my own NPCs, dialogue trees, and quests. And it would be nice if the giants were available in the Book 3 engine.

Yours will be better, of course.

Can you also tell us about Nor'land?

[xolotl]

Why is Malkur always naked in the cinematics? How many people do you know that would walk in the middle of a battlefield with no clothes or armor on?

A lifetime of Moisturizing Candecium Dust Lotion, probably. Won't do much in the short term, but after a few years of regular treatments, your skin'll be better than dragon hide armor!

I suppose the nudity could be an indimidation tactic, too. "Holy hell, look at that... thing. Totally buck naked. I'm not going anywhere near him..."

[BasiliskWrangler]

Why is Malkur always naked in the cinematics? How many people do you know that would walk in the middle of a battlefield with no clothes or armor on?

Put some clothes on man!

The Orakur were underground for so long, they would have had minimal access to textiles and hides, so clothing would have become less and less accessible. With no large enemies, armor would not have been needed. Cloaked in darkness, in the heat of the deepest mines, clothing would have become a forgotten item.

Also (I mentioned this previously) that I envisioned the Orakur to have exceptionally long life spans (perhaps immortal) at the cost of any reproductive ability. They are asexual beings, and as such have no more shame in being naked than you do leaving the house without a hat.

[BasiliskWrangler]

Shina wore pants while in Talushorn. I doubt the Taurax would of been so kind as to provide him some. Your argument is therefore invalid. Did it cost more for the artist to draw clothes and/or armor?

Ruel's research book mentions the Orakur having armor. I doubt Malkur took all the good stuff when he was cast out so some of the other Orakur should have some. They should of had the wisdom to craft something for you.

Ruel also spoke of weapons, of which never came into play during the game. This is because what was considered to be weapons that could "cut through steel plate like wind through fog" were actually tools, used for cutting and shaping metals. The Orakur's "armor" was actually akin to welder's gear, designed to protect them from sparks and flying bits of metal while they worked. The plasma wand in Book II, which was discovered could be used as a powerful weapon, was in reality just a welding stick that was designed to bind metals. The point it, even Ruel's book is not fully accurate.

The whole point of the Orkaur (as a story element) was to show how fear leads to misunderstanding. Or specifically, when something appears different and strange to us we tend to fear it- to demonize it. This projects through to Malkur himself and his actions; whether he was "good" or "bad" is completely dependent on how you choose to interpret his explanation of events.

[Painted Lady]

Speaking of Ruel, why did Malkur have Wendy murder her brother for? Wouldn't it of been easier to have Wendy talk to Ruel like Julian did with her? The research book on the Orakur wasn't a danger to his plans because it is never mentioned again as having any influence.

Are you absolutely certain it was Wendy who murdered her brother? The bloody boots were in a barrel that was easily accessible from the church yard as well as from Wendy's house. Maybe Julian was the villain....

[Ssschah]

I thought Wendy's brother was murdered by those outlanders. Not everything has to be related to the main story...

[Ssschah]

Can you tell us more about Nor'Land, specifically all the towns, mines, the capital (if there is one), etc.?
Also, just saw the movie Unknown and the plot is incredibly similar. I like what you did with it

[SpottedShroom]

I thought Wendy's brother was murdered by those outlanders. Not everything has to be related to the main story...

That's what I thought, too, until I noticed the unique bloody boots item in the barrel behind the covenant. Those pretty much have to be a clue. They do make it seem like Julian was the killer rather than Wendy, but it could easily have been either. As for why Malkur had the brother killed instead of brainwashing him, I suppose there has to be a limit to his mind control powers. Maybe the brother knew enough about the Orakur for it to protect him?