more questions (poss spoilers)

I have some more questions about the game that I can't seem to figure out.

1. I have noticed that some of my skills...especially the lower level ones, seem to have 'points' spent on them already. Do you increase your skills through use as well as training and experience? I have noticed this mostly on sorcery...i ascended a charcter from a non spell casting roll to a spell casting one...and when they advanced for the first time, their SUN skill and SOrcery was already halfway filled in. I perused the manual, but did not come across anything to that effect.

2. (Spoiler) The hint book mentions that if you give H'Thark (The prisoner in the Temple) the lock picks that GORTHIUS gave you, he will cooperate. I have already gotten by that point in the temple, but i was checking out the hint book to see if i missed anything cool. SO...who the heck is GOrthius? I have been all around Ishad nha, and vlaeira, and have never ran into this guy. I have been everywhere in the temple, no luck. The hint book says nothing about where he is. Has anyone found this guy? (When i go throughthe game the next time, i would feel better about myself not torturing this guy if i don't have to )

Thanks for any pointers.

I usually save training at the guilds for skills I haven't acquired or stats like strength (some many points, so little gold). As near I can tell, (sorry a moose just walked by my basement window, er where was I) UMMMMM Oh yes, each time a character goes up a level they complete their training and can (geez there are two of them!) begin training in a new skill. When you say "half way full" are you talking aobut the display with the six colored balls? I haven't figured out if that is a measure of your level in that magic OR mana left to use in that particular book.

Gorthius is in the area South East of Valeia (the town you started in) I missed that area for quiet a while.

You get H'Thark's lock picks from the leader of a pack of rogues/thieves that lurk inside a demolished house near the town where you start.

Well, those picks sell for a lot of $$$ and you get a stack of 3 (or 4?) from Gorthius - I opted for splitting the stack, kept a single set so I could get the hints from H'Thark without having to use that nasty poker iron and sold the others for some nice cash.

[carg]

1. yes, using a skill improves it, although it doesn't go really fast. I noticed that definitely on damaging spells, and am not sure about p.e. healing. I should try out using every ounce of magic on unnecessary healing spells, because a target for those always exists. Note that you'll only see the skill advance when levelling up, so you'll have to be patient to see the results of exercising a skill.

2) If you exit Valeia East and go as far south-east as you can, there are ruins of a house with 3 rogues and Gorthius. He'll tell you about having 'misplaced' H'Tharks lockpicks, and asks if you can return them to him.