Arcanum, ISLE OF DESPAIR: Part XVIII

(Part XVIII of Arcanum Walkthrough for Troika's cRPG Definition of 2001, Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura).

Isle of Despair

Isle of Despair Location

The Isle of Despair is located off the coast of the harbortown of Ashbury, on the eastern seaboard of Arcanum. Captain Edward Teach of Ashbury can sail us to the Isle of Despair.

We have sailed to the Isle on Captain Teach's ship in order to locate the BMC Dwarves.

Note that Teleportation cannot be used on the Isle. There is a lore-based explanation that technology is blocking magick, but it isn't enforced for other spells.

The Isle consists of nothing more than an enclave and three wilderness locations. The enclave is a small settlement with a wooden-walled perimeter, which guards patrol. Virgil is scared of the place, Magnus scoffs at islands and fears water, Sogg has heard that the strongest booze is brewed here, but Vollinger sums it up nicely: the Isle is a prison colony filled with thieves and murderers.

cf. Geographical & Magickal Properties of the Isle of Despair: A Brief History of the Dreaded Penal Colony, by Sir Isaac Thrush, esquire.

To continue the main quest, all we need to do is persuade Ogdin to let us see the leader of the enclave, Thorvald, and then get Thorvald to mark the location of the Wheel Clan on the Arcanum map. That is the minimalist approach.

However, there is more content on the Isle to be milked:

The Sorcerous Beast

Follow the track northwest to reach the enclave. A 20th level human guard is standing at the gate:

The guard requests that we slay a "sorcerous beast" to the north. 

Temporal Crusher

Follow the tracks (footprints) of the beast to the north of the enclave, slay the 29th level Temporal Crusher, and loot the Baneful Gauntlets and Charmed Ring nearby. There is also a pile of gold to the east.

[1,200 XP, Good +2, Serpentine Necklace]

Shades Beach

Back in the enclave, Jones the Collector requests that we retrieve ancient tech-junk from Shades Beach, which he marks on our map.

It's a simple matter of traveling to the beach, slaying the aggro around the submarine, and looting the tech-junk scattered in the vicinity.

Ancient experimental submersible watercraft of 
Vendigrothian origin

In a newspaper found much later in the game, we learn that this watercraft never returned from its maiden voyage. Professor Aldous Hunley, who built, launched and piloted it, was presumed dead by the League of Scientists.

In Thorvald's diary, we read that he tried to get the watercraft going again, but to no avail. I guess he lacked the technological aptitude...

Loot: Reanimator schematic, Bronwyck's Gun schematic, Ancient Filament, Ancient Gears, Ancient Looking Glass, Ancient Pocket Watch.

Enemies: 7th level Greater Spider, 15th level Dread Spider, 30th level Skullcrusher.

[1,500 XP, Vendigrothian Gun Chassis]

Norian & Maximillian

Norian is found standing about in his shack, waiting for us to come and pick up the quest he's got on offer. As if we haven't got better things to do, he requests that we deliver his potato moonshine to Maximillian, whose house he marks on our map:

It turns out that Maximillian is actually the rightful heir to the Cumbrian throne, as Lianna Pel Dar alluded back in Dernholm. Max is the old friend of her late father, Warren, and Praetor's elder brother.

Yes, but men will create all manner of evil in pursuit of power.  The mage council, who controlled the younger son [of King Torren], brought false allegations against the older son, charging him with treason.  He was taken in the night, and sent away to rot in prison for the rest of his days... Yes, stranger.  The older son was me.  I was sent here by my own brother, King Praetor the First of Cumbria.  And I've been here ever since...

Return the receipt for the moonshine to Norian: [1,200 XP, Good +2]

Cynthia Boggs

Cynthia Boggs is found standing outside one of the shacks in the enclave. She requests that we help her escape enslavement at the hands of the enclave, and marks the location of female nomads on our map, with whom she hopes to gain refuge:

Lorria & the Nomadic Women

Out in the wilderness, the leader of the women's camp, 25th level Lorria, refuses to help Cynthia escape. All she does is give us a gun to give to Cynthia; the thought being that she can fight her way out:

We can either watch Cynthia die as she tries to shoot her way out of camp [1,500 XP] -- amusingly, our OWN party AI does her in -- or have her temp-join the party and assist in her escape. We can do that by timing our movements versus the enclave patrols or by persuading the guards that she's our property [2,500 XP, Good +6].

If we keep Cynthia in our party when we leave the Isle, the reward is no different. You'd think Troika would have differentiated between Cynthia joining a tribe of nomads stuck on an island, and bringing her back completely free to the mainland of Arcanum, but no, it doesn't seem like they did. Still, it's nice that we can bring her back to civilization.

The Pit

An ogre called Ogdin Big Fists stands guard outside Thorvald's house. In order to gain entry, we need to either persuade Ogdin to let us in...

... or fight in the enclave pit by scheduling the pitfights through Gorrin the Pitmaster:

The Pit is the gaping hole in the middle of the enclave; indeed, its focal point.

In order, the pitfight opponents are as follows:

• 10th level Half-Ogre, Borag (axe)
• 12th level Female Human Bandit (a very good sword)
• 11th level Male Elven Thief (magickal dagger)
• 14th level Male Human Bandit (hammer)
• 12th level Halfling Bandit, 15th level Halfling Wizard, 15th level Halfling Priest (rusty broadsword)

This is dead-easy for Mage PCs with decent Dexterity because they always go first in the battle.

Champion of the Pit on the Isle of Despair

Reputation: Champion of the Pit on the Isle of Despair. By defeating all of the pit warriors, you have gained the reputation of being the most grizzled pit fighter of them all.

Note that by going through the pitfights we receive 1,500 more XP than if we employ Persuade, but it's not like XP acquisition is difficult at this point, is it.

Thorvald Two Stones

Thorvald is a 20th level Dwarf of the Wheel Clan. He was imprisoned on the Isle when he defended the honor of his clan against a gnome merchant who called his clan "ditch-diggers" (he killed the gnome with one punch to the neck).

Now, Thorvald is the leader of the enclave.

Thorvald doesn't know where the BMC is, and he's surprised to hear that his clan would be involved in "magicks." He should have been just as surprised to hear that they have been consorting with elves, but no, no mention. And he and Magnus don't acknowledge each other, which is odd.

Anyway, Thorvald recommends that we speak to the Wheel Clan in relation to the fate of the BMC, and to that end, he marks the location of his clan on our map:

[2,800 XP]

Wheel Clan Spectacles

However, we can't see the entrance to the Wheel Clan mine unless we're wearing special Dwarven spectacles:

Thorvald has a pair of Wheel Clan Spectacles on his person, which we can pick pocket or slay him for. Or we can take the schematic from Thorvald's chest and make our own pair.

Or, we can do what I did, and employ persuasion in order to recruit him into the party as its NINTH member:

Nice.

And now, we make our way to the Wheel Clan in the Grey Mountains to the north:

◦ Finding no trace of the Black Mountain Clan on the Isle of Despair, you must travel to the Wheel Clan in order to find out what may have befallen them.

Arronax Waylay

En route to or upon our arrival to the entrance of the Wheel Clan, we are waylaid by a mysterious apparition of 50th level:

This is just a scripted waylay that fires in order to introduce, Arronax. He demonstrates his power by slaying our party, but we are resurrected after he leaves.

Arronax was mentioned by Stennar Rock Cutter at the crash site ( "... He, of great power"), and also by the Panarii priest in Tarant [cite].

cRPG Blog	8. Thieves' Guild Arcanum	17. Ashbury Arcanum
ARCANUM (Index)	9. Cassandra Pettibone	18. Isle of Despair
1. Arcanum Walkthrough	10. Gilbert Bates	19. Wheel Clan Arcanum
2. Shrouded Hills Arcanum	11. Garringsburg Heist	20. Durin Stone Arcanum
3. Bessie Toone Mine	12. Madam Toussaude	21. Stillwater Arcanum
4. Jongle Dunne	13. Ancient Maze	22. Qintarra Arcanum
5. Doc Roberts Arcanum	14. Dernholm Arcanum	23. Bedokaan Village
6. Amulet of N'Tala	15. Black Root Arcanum	24. Persuasion Master Arcanum
7. Tarant Arcanum	16. Black Mountain Mines	25. Caladon Arcanum (to the end)