An Insignificant Encounter??

[CerebroDragon]

Whilst trying to get my Druid to level 14 to complete the Trademeet/Druid quests, I've been stumbling about the Bridge District trying to complete the reconstruction of kangaxx. I have the arms and legs, and so still have the torso to find. I know its in this district somewhere from my previous game... so I'll keep searching....

Anyhow, whilst I was wandering around, I found an encounter with a bunch of warriors/mages which features the fairly rare ocurrence of there being no dialogue whatsoever, in that they are immediately hostile as soon you walk into their little stable like lair. Since I had no quests whatsoever seemingly regarding them, I found it slightly tedious that I had to quickly slap the space bar and then proceed to destroy them without really knowing why. (Other than the obvious quick easy xp of course!) Its in a small buiding in the North sector of the Bridge district.

What irritated me further, is the fact that the mage in the group has a name which is ripped straight out of Forgotten Realms AD&D gaming history, from a very legendary figure indeed. And yet the encounter is such a dull, seemingly insignificant one! Dracandros is his name. Grr! How dare they besmirch this great character!
Any who realise or remember the significance of his name, well - you'll have gained my respect. I think Valeria was another in the group, I can't recall any of the others...

So if I've missed the actual trigger that this encounter has to make it actually meaningful, could someone tell me? Cheers in advance.

[Dar'tanian]

Do you mean the little encounters in Athkatal when your trying to pass to another district and you get waylaid in a small area buy a group of hostile humans...?? Cause if thats what your talking about then I dont rember a Dracandros....It could be qeust related or I just dont rember encountering them...

[Brainless One]

I know what he is talking about. On the way to fight the fallen paladins in the bridge district is a small building that contains a mage named Dracandros, and some other warriors. I believe they are hostile because they are part of the fallen paladins, and you trespassed into their home. Im not sure if it is possible to join the paladins and they will be neutral, someone else may know.
-Brainless One

[CerebroDragon]

I'm not sure if they are a part of the Fallen Paladins group, as I've already had that encounter (via the Temple related quest) and killed the main group.

I guess it is possible that they are related, but I doubt it really because of the general fact that the fallen paladins have all been fighters and have no clerics, thieves or other classes in their midst.

Spoilerish:

I found it possible to join Anarg and his Fallen Paladin pals but didn't manage to convince them that I was genuine.(which I wasn't)
I wonder if it makes a difference to Anarg if instead, I murdered everything in my sight for his cup as opposed to just asking for it in the quest...hmmmm.

But back on topic - Dracandros was a grand mage of some repute, I doubt very much he'd get messed up with some ragged bunch of fallen do gooders.

[ 01-11-2004, 12:08 PM: Message edited by: CerebroDragon ]

[Rataxes]

Part of an unfinished quest I would presume. There's a mod which supposedly attempts to flesh out this encounter a bit, but otherwise they're just a nice source of experience.

[ 01-11-2004, 01:40 PM: Message edited by: Rataxes ]

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

You can't get the Cup by killing, it's not on anyone's body. You can only get it by asking for it. However...
SPOILER...
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Tell Anarg, when he asks you if you want to join, that you changed your mind. What's-His-Face, the honorable guy, will be horrified at how he reacts to this and will leave, so you don't have to kill such an honorable man... for such little loot besides.

Edit- Correction. Ryan Trawl is the paladin who gives you the quest. I changed the name to "What's-His-Face" because for all I know that IS his name... though it might begin with "A" and have a "de" or the like in the middle.

[ 01-12-2004, 02:26 AM: Message edited by: Illumina Drathiran'ar ]

[Dundee Slaytern]

Illumina Drathiran'ar, that will only work if...
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... they do not see Anomen or Keldorn in your party. If they see either of them, all will turn hostile.

[Olorin]

SPOILER...
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The little encounter with Dracandros can actually be scary. I stumbled on to them my first game while still low level; and then ran like hell from the gated demon that he brought in (which chased me out into the streets). It might have helped if I had either some decent magical weapons or a magic license.

Nowadays, I just barge in and take them down no problem--but of course now I know all the tricks to make sure enemy mages don't get a chance to cast their spells.

[CerebroDragon]

Yes, it can be a tricky encounter. I had to reload the one time to make Korgan drink an oil of speed to ensure he and Minsc got to Dracandros fast enough. He'd gotten in far too many nasty spells the first time around and my party was rightly punished. [img]smile.gif[/img]
No-one has confirmed yet whether or not there is any dialogue at all with him and his cronies so I'm assuming then that regardless, this party is always hostile upon entry and are just xp fodder for the well prepared party.

Which is a shame, since Dracandros (I'll expand on his history now, since no-one has spoken up!) is the name taken from the powerful red robed mage in the AD&D goldbox Vol II game Curse of the Azure Bonds. His plotline within that game was one of my favourites, not to mention his dialogue, a meeting with 20 odd Black Dragons and the epic battle with him at the end within his tower in the township of Hap.
Obviously its not him, but a little in-game reference - but how I despise it for using his name in vain! I'm sure Dracandros would agree too. Grr!

[Dundee Slaytern]

You can always do him justice by making a mod out of it. [img]tongue.gif[/img]