I'm at that cross-road. Seems that the Templar issue may not be completely necessary to Ascend. The Rapax don't appear very central to the story. I've already investigated (with appropriate savegames) becoming an initiate and it made no difference to my status with the Rapax - common are still hostile and allied with Dark Savant, Templar are still neutral. Is this just a side-trip for experience and goods, or what? (Don't get too spoilerish). Only thing that the Rapax may be hiding is a way into that nasty Tower in Arnika....that's my hesitation at dropping the whole thing, right there.

Maybe you only started the initiation, or you checked a bit too early.
After you completed the initiation, take a few steps and talk to the NPC there. Then all Rapax will be neutral.
I usually do the templar thing very late, to keep them hostile. I like the fights against big rapax groups.

You're right, becoming a templar isn't completely necessary to ascend. But in normal play, you'll come to a point where you need to do it. There a a few ways to avoid it, if you know what the problem will be. But without that knowledge, it's necessary.

As soon as you become a templar, rapax templar and rapax common will become friendly.

So, having the Badge of the Initiate is not enough, you have to finish off the initiation before the Rapax will change status. I guess that makes sense, now that I think about it. The hostile Rapax are not that big of a deal - they are a good fight. This was starting to look like a big detour from the Ascension Mission, but based on what Wereboar is saying, it looks like the first time through - I'll have to confront that Al-Sedexus creature.

As for alliances - I've been playing T'Rang off of Umpani, so why not Savant off of Rapax?

not just the initiation. You have to "sacrifice" a member, then when you talk to Al-Adryian again, the Rapax all turn green. Interesting and maybe important
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Kill Al-Sedexus first, before you even talk to her in her temple behind El Dorado; she's easier, and you never get hexed, plus, if you go back later, the harder Al-S will still be there, to kill again.
If you kill Al-Adryian before you go to the Altar, he may drop some very nice things, and still reappears, and is friendly, on the other side of your little tryst.

If you didn't become a templar. Will there be any love child to be fought with at the ascension peak?

Ok, I did the initiation bit and made the Rapax friendly. Then went adventuring through the Rapax Castle. The place is THICK with green-dot Rapax; if I piss them off now, I'll have a very difficult battle.

So, went bck to the savegame before initiation. Most monster groups are neutral (Templars) so they don't attack while I'm looking through the castle. But, overall, there are fewer Rapax than when I became Templar (so it seems). In direct comparison, I get basically the same number of Rapax encounters whether I'm Templar or not. Although, this might change if I head back to the Rift.

Kakero; no. In fact, even if you become one, but never take more than one of the Three Items into AP at a time, there's not even a big fight with the Prince and all them.

[ 04-28-2005, 10:30 AM: Message edited by: Scatter ]

Scatter: Are you implying that I get different encounters depending upon whether, or not, I'm carrying around the special items that I have been collecting? I stashed them in Arnika as soon as I got them, should I be carrying them around?

There are two encounters and one event that are triggered by having two items in your inventory.
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spoiler ahead
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The big battle aginst the Rapax army at AP.
The existance of the Rapax Away camp.
The Landslide on AP.