Arcanum - Summoner: Goodbye, Arcanum?

RK47 said:

Hmmm. I thought so too, but I don't know where to start searching for it. Doesn't matter, we'll be owning our own ship soon. Bye bye paid trips.

Click to expand...

Remember now, Gorgoth pass, vital for the God's Quest which you haven't bothered with anyway. Not sure if you have to approach it from the west to find it on the world map though.

Well done

Great turnaround. Can't wait for Geoffrey's comments when they find out they should have gone south instead.

Azael said:

Isn't there another pass you could take though?

Click to expand...

Ya, that would be kinda metagaming, though. Iirc there is no "proper" way to find the Gorgoth Pass.
If you want to force it coordinates are 1500W, 1443S. Might need a few travelclicks around the coordinates to force it from the east side.

If you don't mind metagaming, you could go get the Staff of Kan Tau at the coordinates 1385W, 640S (a few steps northeast from the skull is the castle, the staff is in the endboss' chest, the staff has infinite teleport charges if you don't use its other spells, even works for tech chars iirc) on your way or just skill teleport. A find traps scroll might prove useful but is not necessary.

Metagaming or no, I just despise the exploration mechanics in Arcanum. It really depends on luck or whether you want to go off the beaten path. There is hardly any clue on the location of alternate gods, and hence the Godhood quests made no damn sense to me. You just stumble on altars and hope for the best or spoil yourself.

Edit: You were expecting updates? In the works.

Weeks of journey later...


*Pokes the fire with a stick* I didn't expect him to sleep so soundly every time we made camp..
*Glances at Geoffrey's sleeping form* Yeah, he was screaming his head off throughout the journey..but lately he's been rather lethargic...think he ran out of steam?
That's probably it..
No. I merely mixed some sedative herbs with his pouch of tea leaves. That should keep him quiet.
What? *Drops the stick* Really?
*Nods.*
You better not mess with my tobacco leaves, elf.
I was only joking...*chuckles.* No one could possibly rant THAT long and not get tired. Humans...always jumping to conclusions.
(.....this woman is dangerous.) Well, let's take turn on the watch. We'll reach Caladon tomorrow...

The very next day...

For what are you preparing?
Nothing that would interest an outlander such as yourself. I'm merely working out a solution to a...political problem.
A prince has few confidants, but I'm here to lend an ear.
I've told very few of my predicament, but you seem very trustworthy. You see, I'm in love with Aria, princess of Cumbria.
Yes, I've heard. Her father sent me here to fetch her.
Praetor! No doubt you know that our kingdoms are forever at odds. I appreciate your openness, but you must understand my position. I really must ask you to leave.
Let's not get too hasty. I've information that may be of use to you.
Yes? I'm listening.
I know she's not in Cumbria, I'm searching for her myself.
That's wonderful! Perhaps she's escaped, and is making her way here! I must try to find her! Will you help me?
She set off from Cumbria more than a week ago, don't you find it strange she's not here yet.
Indeed. Any help in solving this mystery would be greatly appreciated. I'd make it more than worth your while.
I see. Perhaps we'll meet again. Goodbye.
So she's not in Caladon either. Where do we start looking?
Best we head back to Dernholm and search the coast for any sign of wrecks...it's a long shot...but...
I am NOT walking back.
Yeah, well, we're going by boat. And that's final.
Grrrr. Fine.


The party returned to Dernholm and started their search through the coast for days.



I see something! There!

Damn...it's split into two...

Think anyone survive?
Doubtful, but we need to find the princess...

Ah...there's no happy ending it seems...
Corpse's rotting for weeks...there's nothing we can do here, boss.
Yeah...*Kneels over the corpse and removes a necklace.* An inscription on the amulet..."To Aria, my love, Prince Auguste Farad." Rest in peace, princess.
It's not a total loss, with a little salvage here and there, we'd pull in a few thousand gold, and who knows, Prince Farad might be more generous than Praetor...
*Lifts the lid of the captain's chest.* Yeah, some gold here. Let's go and deliver the bad news.

Castle Dernholm, days later...


I have unpleasant news.
Out with it, then.
Your daughter died on the way to meet the prince. I found her...amulet.
Keep it, I don't want it. My daughter, my only heir...how could this have happened?
The ship crashed, all hands were lost.
Here are a few coins, I'll thank you to leave me with my grief, sir.
Very well, your majesty. I shall depart.
What? That's it? NO CHEST OF GOLD? I've had enough! I'm out! OUT! O-U-T!
Whatever you're rambling about? You're not coming with us?

Suit yourself, Geoffrey. It was fun...
Hmph!
Gonna miss his whining, but what the hell, one less mouth to feed.

The party returns to Caladon with the bad news...


I bring news of Aria and a ship, the Elizabeth Dane.
Dear god! Speak up, man! Is she in trouble? Where is she?
Her ship crashed off Razors Pointe. She's dead.
No! Not my dear Aria! Alas, I am to blame...I sent an incompetent sea captain! I am lost. If only I had something to remember her by...
Please accept this, her amulet. I share your grief, my prince.
Good sir, please accept my deepest thanks, as well as this insignificant sum. You'll never know what this means to me.
I thank you.
Looks, like we're set all set. Ready to sail a ship?
Not a moment too soon.

Black Root Shipyards...



Where to, Captain?
Thanatos. Why, you're scared?
Uncharted territories, evil man eating beasts, and more myths and legends than a damned elven historian! Ha HA! No place I'd rather be!
We're off then. Raise the anchors, unfurl the sail!

Days later...


So..what are we seeking in this forsaken island?
Nasrudin's final resting place.
Where, exactly? I haven't the faintest idea where to start....
The Archaeon mentioned the 'southernmost tip of the land,' we just have to travel south.
I follow your reasoning, but very doubtful on finding anything of interest.
We'll see..

Hours later...


Hold...there's a thick forest in front of us..
We can't continue?
Hmm...yes we can. But it's going to be very slow...get ready. There's bound to be some nasties...

Hmm?
Cool. A family of apes. Let's blow their heads off.


All manner of beasts with differing colors descended upon the party. Green ,Red, Black furs were torn and slain at the end of the day.



Many battles later, the party finally broke through the thick foliage, and all is quiet. A lone hut at the end of the dirt path.


End of the line?
Looks like we've arrived. Z'an? Do you sense anything?
I...
Speak up. I can't hear you.

*Smiles and pushes the door open.*
Hey wait! Be careful, it could be a trap!

Hail. And well met. We seek Nasrudin.

Z'an: What i see is impossible!
Alain: What? Impossible is nothing, elf! <opens door with a kick> Morning, getleelfs!



Gonna miss the greedy ranting necromancer.

Finally, Nasrudin!

Gonna miss Geoffrey too, he was a hilarious ranting fuck.

EDIT: Am I the only one who would love a RK47 LP of other classic RPGs, like Fallout 1 and 2?

The Brazilian Slaughter said:

Finally, Nasrudin!

Gonna miss Geoffrey too, he was a hilarious ranting fuck.

EDIT: Am I the only one who would love a RK47 LP of other classic RPGs, like Fallout 1 and 2?

Click to expand...

Not at all!

Honestly I think I'd love RK lping pretty much anything. While his Sheppard LPs were solid - this Arcanum one has been nothing short of inspired greatness.

Guys need a solution:
Screencap key will skip past the video in arcanum. Scroll lock, Prt Scrn. Etc.
Recommend me a software to cap please. I've been using their in game screen-cap (F12 key) for my LP so far...

Thanks. Also: No Update. I've got class tonight.

Oh, it would have been much more fun to tell King Praetor that the Princess Aria was murdered/imprisoned by Arland, and then go to Caladon and tell the Prince the opposite thing. IIRC, that triggers a war between the two countries.

RK47 said:

Guys need a solution:
Screencap key will skip past the video in arcanum. Scroll lock, Prt Scrn. Etc.
Recommend me a software to cap please. I've been using their in game screen-cap (F12 key) for my LP so far...

Thanks. Also: No Update. I've got class tonight.

Click to expand...

I had the same issue. Fortunately, all Arcanum videos are available on youtube, so you can play them fullscreen and screencap them from there instead.

No update. Gonna eat dinner after work...then head off to watch Trannies: Dark of the Moon.

FRAPS will probably do the job

RK47 said:

No update. Gonna eat dinner after work...then head off to watch Trannies: Dark of the Moon.

Click to expand...

IMDB reviewer said:

User Reviews

Forget number 1....forget number 2.....Dark of the moon DELIVERS!
12 June 2011 | by arcticmonkey1992 (United Kingdom) – See all my reviews

I was extremely lucky to go see an advance screening of the morning over in the USA last week. And after seeing the disaster of the second movie, i didn't really have high hopes for this movie. The trailer made the film look like it was going to be EXCELLENT!! And after spending nearly 2 and a half hours in the cinema viewing this movie, i came out thinking "wow!!" Michael bay promised he was going to improve on the second film and he did it sensationally. The 3D in this movie was incredible (up there with the 3D effects of avatar). The performances in this movie was incredible, the special effects were just out of this world, i don't know how Michael bay fits 20+ robots on the screen at the same time? it's just genius. I would recommend this movie to absolutely everyone, even if you're not fans of the series, this movie is still worth a watch. Amazing summer blockbuster. And Michael bay, thank you for giving the world such an amazing, and wonderful masterpiece of a film. 10000000/10

Click to expand...

I tried FRAPS, the fps counter wouldn't come up...means it didn't work.

...ok ghost. u made ur point, we'll head home after dinner n update.

So..I didn't watch Tranny3. But some work related stuff cropped up and demands attention. Sorry for the delay on the update.

Apologies for the shortness of this update. It was kinda hard to find a video capture that works...I had to rely on some other guy's youtube footage. Hence the crap quality.


And who might you be?
I am no one of any importance, just an old soul who wishes to be left alone. As I have already asked you, I might point out.
We seek Nasrudin's final resting place. Know of it?
Ahhh, searching for the "Great Nasrudin". Hah! The "Great Nasrudin". What was so great about him? Damned fool, if you ask me.
Why so bitter?
How dare you, old man! Do you have any idea who you're talking about? Nasrudin was the wisest and most benevolent elf in the history of Arcanum! He saved us all, and that includes YOU, so I recommend you keep your comments to yourself...
Perhaps it's best to let him finish first, Virgil..
Oh? And you think you know about Nasrudin, young man? Who are you trying to tell ME about that old, worthless elf?
Worthless? Why I ought to..no, I'm not going to sink to your level, old man. Nasrudin would have had more patience with men of your kind, and so will I. I don't have to defend him.
Hmm..
Oh, of course you don't have to defend him, young! The old elf was completely incorrigible! There's no defense whatsoever for individuals of such low character as he. You've chosen well not to waste your words on the likes of Nasrudin...
You're testing my patience, old man. Another bad word about Nasrudin, and it might just be the last one you say on both feet. Do we understand each other?
There's no need to go that far, Virgil.
Your robes...they remind me of someone I once met, many years ago. I can't remember the young man's face, but he was part of some religion...the Panarii, I think it was called. Are you also of the Panarii, young man?
*He seems shaken, unsure of something.* Y-yes...I am of the P-panarii. I am Virgil, a new acoltye, but strong in my belief. W-ho are you?
*He pieces Virgil with a fierce gaze* You call yourself one of the Defenders, and you don't know who I am?
Eh?
Oh, my...master, please, forgive me...*Falls to his knees.* I didn't know...I mean, I thought you had been reborn. *He bows his head* Greetings, great Nasrudin...
Well, this is unexpected. You're Nasrudin?
I would say 'in all my glory', but I'm afraid I haven't any left.
But you did stop Arronax once, didn't you?
*Suddenly, his modd shifts to one of quiet and sadness. He shakes his head slowly.* No, I delivered the world to Arronax. I put in place the system that he felt was his for the taking, I even imparted my elven arrogance to him. I must bear full responsibility for his actions.
How? By staying in an island full of rabid apes and killer chimps?
You do not understand...he was my son. I taught him. Everything. Only to see him be carried away by his youthful temper. I should have seen it. There must have been a way to stop him before it came to...what it did.
I...I see. Forgive my rudeness, let's start over. My name is Alain Gilford. Please, tell me more of your son. What really happened...
It started in the Age of Legends. I was young, headstrong. I thought I could take on the world, and I did. I fought the good fight,
So you...fought..the..*chuckles.* Sorry, continue.
...to protect the 'lesser races', as I arrogantly called them, from the chaos that raged everywhere. Dragons, demons, evil sorcerers, I fought them all and won. And this all before even the days of the Elven Council.
How did the Council come about?
I gathered a group of idealistic mages together, and we created an Elven Council. 'For the good of all.' We really believed that. For a time, I suppose it was even true. I really believe things began to change when we discovered a way to banish things from this place of existence.
Ah...the Void. Why did you think so?
It was the ultimate weapon. Once something was banished from this plane of existence, it could never return. With ultimate power comes ultimate responsibility, and ultimate corruption. We were quick to use it on new and ever more terrible threats. The Bane of Kree. Kraka-Tur. Gorgoth. Kerghan.
And Arronax.
Sometime during all this heroic carnage, my son came of age. I quickly ushered him into the council, amidst some of the others' protest about his young age and inexperience. And then it all came crashing down upon me. *He pauses.* Are you certain you really want to hear all of this self pitying drivel?
Yes, I do. Tell me, what did Arronax do that was so terrible?
He had taken it upon himself to 'keep the balance', as he termed it. He believed that being a member of the council validated any course of action he chose to pursue. This meant attacking anything he saw as a threat, such as a city that had begun building advanced technological devices. Vendigroth, it was called.
I know that name...
He warned them to cease their 'destructive behavior' and destroyed one of their factories to underscore his point. Justifiably afraid for their very lives, they swiftly constructed a device that could destroy even the most powerful wizard. Arronax responded by callong on forces that few of us had ever seen, and wiping not just the city, but the whole province of Vendigroth from the face of Arcanum with one blow.
An entire province? How?


He felt himself betrayed when the council condemned his actions. He showed no remorse. In his arrogance, he was sure he would be vindicated. I cast the deciding vote to banish my own son.


It was a harsh dawn that morning on the plains of Brodgar... and it was there, in the shadow of the Black Spire, that our armies met in the most terrible battle that Arcanum has ever seen.




As the sun set, only four of us were still alive to witness the destruction we had brought to pass.



I found Arronax among the corpses of our decimated armies....











And it was there that I condemned my own son to the Void. In the end, it was only through our combined might that Arronax was subdued, and I watched my own son fall into the horror of the Void. But such was the fury and power unleashed by this conflict that the very fabric of reality was torn asunder.


With our remaining energy, we were able to seal the rift with powerful wards... and the Ring of Brodgar still stands today as a monument to my son's destructive pride, and my own unforgivable failure.

When I regained consciousness, I was on the shore of Thanatos. I had regained just enough energy to seal myself in a regenerative shell. I remained that way for a thousand years. No one had ever stayed in a shell for anywhere near that amount of time. Somehow, my "magical hibernation" extended my life much beyond that of even the most powerful Elven mages.
But still, why do you hide yourself in Thanatos?
The world out there is not mine, it only serves to remind me of my failure. Everyone I knew, everything I held dear, is gone. I myself should have died long ago. Besides, I do not fancy being worshiped as a god.
You know about the Panarii?
I am well aware of the whole Panarii tomfoolery, yes. When I emerged from my regenerative state, I traveled to the mainland. I suppose I thought I could somehow live among the world again..after I spoke with that Mannox fellow, I knew I was deluding myself.
Did he tell you how the Panarii began?
He did not know much, mostly some fanciful notions mixed with bits and pieces of history. As near as I was able to put together from speaking with him, K'rynn Urden, started the Panarii simply to maintain the wards. To periodically strengthen them, as it were.
Did you tell him who you were?
After I listened to his insane beliefs for what seemed like hours, I hinted that I had actually known Nasruddin. He was already too far gone. He would not have believed any of my protests or denials of my godhood. He most likely would have interpreted the whole thing as some sort of test, I suppose.
Are you aware that a dark elf named K'an Hua murdered Mannox?
When Mannox disappeared, I knew that something of that nature must have transpired.
And you did nothing about it?
I decided it was no longer my place to play a god. Who am I decide who is right?
No. Stop and think for a minute, you old fool. A man was murdered for knowing the truth, and you turned a blind eye to it? How is that even-
When I took that role before...well, you have already heard what happened then.
So be it. Thanks to you, they believe I am your reincarnation.
I pity you, then. I received a taste of their hero worship from Mannox, and I can tell you I didn't like the taste of it one bit.
An interesting point of view, considering you didn't even have a crashed airship, or assassins after your head...
Hold on there! Do you two realize exactly what you're talking about here? Perhaps this is an interesting philosophical debate for you two, but we're talking about the foundations of the Panarii religion here!
*Facepalms.* Virgil, I don't think now's the time...
I mean...if you're *points to Nasrudin* not dead that means you're *points at Gilford* not his reincarnation. Where the bloody hell does that leave the rest of us?! Are any of the prophecies true? Have all of us Panarii just been running around half-cocked for the last 2000 years?!
Easy, young Virgil. I know how all of this must make you feel, and I apologize for making light of your beliefs. Unfortunately, I don't have the answers you're seeking...
I mean no disrespect, Nasrudin..but if YOU don't have any idea to what's going on here, than you'll forgive me if I'm having a few doubts concerning the validity of my new found religion...
*Chuckles.* Good, Virgil. If there is one thing in life that one must learn, it is to question everything. In the end, I'm sure you will have the answers that you seek. And whether or not this is all the fulfillment of a prophecy, or just random chance, does it change the gravity of our situation. Would you do anything differently, if you knew one way or the other?
*Smiles* No, I wouldn't. And I will see this until the end, regardless of the reasons behind it. Thank you, Nasrudin. At the very least, your wisdom warrants a religious movement, even if its followers tend to be a bit soft in the head.
Well, that reminds me...Nasrudin, are you aware that Arronax is returning?
*He sighs. It is almost as if the weight of those words pierced his spirit.* I feel as if I've been waiting to hear those words since I awoke, those many years ago. I had hoped it would never come to this. *He cries out in anguish.* Why Arronax? Why can't you see the folly of the path you've chosen. *He looks at Gilford.* What are you going to do about this?
What? He's your son. What are YOU going to do?
I fear there is nothing I can do. I am old, tired. I do not believe I could stand up against my son now, even if I could find the heart to try.
How is it that he is still powerful after all this time?
We do not know what life in the Void is like, if it can be called life. Who knows what sources of power could be found on the other side?
There must be a way to stop him.
I can only think of one possible strategy to defeat him, now. You must retrieve the Vendigroth device that was meant to destroy him.
You siad Vendigroth was destroyed.
And so it was, above ground. There are many catacombs and tunnels lying beneath the surface. Some of the members attempted to retrieve it to use against Arronax, but they never returned. We were forced to battle him without it, and you know the consequences of that.
What does the device do?
Extremely powerful mages have the ability to regenerate themselves whenever they are badly hurt, as I did. If one is powerful enough to hurt a master sorcerer gravely, the mage will retreat into his regenerative shell, and emerge stronger than ever. The device is the only way known to disrupt the regenerating shield.
And its disruptive field kills the mage within?
Quite so. The technology of the device is designed to disrupt the field in such a way to drain the life force, instead of regenerating it. Quite gruesome to contemplate, actually. Further, it is said that one who is killed in this manner is forever seperated from this world, with no chance of being returned magickally or otherwise.
Why don't you retrieve it?
I must conserve what little remains of my energy to banish you to theVoid, once you have retrieved the device. This spell is rarely performed by a single mage, its power requirement is so great.
Hold on a moment - you are going to banish me?
Certainly. If we were to wait for Arronax to breach the wards, I fear the loss of life would be immeasurable.
So after all that effort to seek your aid, now, it's still all down to me, stopping Arronax - in the Void?
The irony of all this is not lost on myself. One might almost believe the prophecies to be true. It does appear that you are instrumental in halting this cataclysm. If only this were not necessary. I had hoped if Arronax ever returned he would have realized the error of what he had done.
Judging from my encounter with him, I'd say he had not.
Yes, yes. It is obvious to me that he has committed himself to a path which can only end in his destruction.
So, what do I do once I've retrieved this device?
Meet me at the site of the wards, the Ring of Brodgar, as they are now known. The barrier between the worlds is thin enough there for me to be able to send you across by myself. I suggest you bring as much help as you can recruit, as it will be no easy task to defeat Arronax.
I'll do it, but can you clarify some things for me before I am off?
What is it that is troubling your thoughts?
The others who were banished, tell me more...
The first...Gorgoth, is a simple tale, though disturbingly common in the Age of Legends. He was a mindless beast with an insatiable appetite. He had a liking for halflings, if I recall correctly. Bringing him low took quite a fierce battle, though a mindless one. We could think of nothing to do with him, so we banished him to the Void to keep him from wreaking any more havoc.
Should've killed him instead..what about the Bane of Kree?
The Bane of Kree. Bringing him to justice was what established my reputation as a warrior. The Bane was a nomad warrior who was able to gather together nearly all the ancient nomadic tribes and create a vicious army out of them. I became involved when he slaughtered the army of Kree.
What happened then?
His legendary courage failed him. When faced with certain defeat, he lost his mind and fled back to Kree. He had his army slaughter every man, woman, and child in his desperation. I do now know what he hoped to accomplish by this. When I caught up with him, I was overcome by a bit of the madman myself. I banished him single handedly in my fury, which was not an easy thing to do, even then.
Can you tell me about Kerghan?
Kerghan was a member of the council, the only human one, in fact. He was a dabbler, always experimenting and searching for new magicks. His discovery of the Necromantic Arts was the beginning of the end for him. The council took a dim view of magicks that had the ability to manipulate the very life force of a being, and we bade him to stop and further inquiries in that area.
I'm assuming he didn't?
He totally disregarded our warnings and continued his ghastly experiments. Arronax was assigned to investigate, and turned up the rather disturbing details. Kerghan had been stealing corpses and experimenting with their life forces. What was infinitely more disturbing, though, was the vehemence of Arronax's drive to have Kerghan banished rather than simply exiled.
Why is that?
Our mission was to impartially judge, to rule for the common good, regardless of our personal feelings, Arronax did not even attempt to hide his hatred of Kerghan. Worse, I always suspected that Arronax's hate was based more on the fact that Kerghan was a human on the Elven Council than on the facts of the case.
Did you not think Kerghan's crimes warranted the banishment?
I believe our decision was the correct one. It is just that there is a proper way to conduct oneself, and Arronax was neither unbiased nor objective. I began to have serious misgiving about his membership on the council after this. The whole Vendigroth situation exploded shortly afterwards, before I could come to a decision about Arronax's role on the council.
How was Kerghan 'experimenting' with his victims' life force?
He was pulling their spirits back from the other side to attempt to communicate with them, experimenting in different ways to perfect his resurrection magick, and worst of all, casting their life force out of the bodies once again.
Ah...I see. Last question then, tell of the owner of this eye. *Shows the Eye of Kraka-Tur.*
Kraka-Tur was a conniving coward who found a way to turn himself into a twisted monster, half-man and half-dragon. In this form, he terrorized cities and villages, killing their inhabitants and burning them to the ground. After a colossal battle and his defeat, he cried and begged us not to banish him. Pathetic.
Thank you, Nasrudin. We'll be leaving for Vendigroth now...
I wish you luck, Gilford. I shall await your arrival with the device at the Ring of Brodgar.

RK47 said:

then head off to watch Trannies: Dark of the Moon.

Click to expand...

Why would you do that?

RK47 said:

So..I didn't watch Tranny3. But some work related stuff cropped up and demands attention. Sorry for the delay on the update.

Click to expand...

I'd say everything went better than expected. Even a short update is better than no update.

I don't think I've ever played through the non-bugged Nasrudin dialogue. Godd stuff, would read again, etc.

Well, it was still broken. If you pick the wrong option, Nasrudin won't even let you ask about the other prisoners and the options would just be 'Yeah, off to Vendigroth then!' like some whacked out Scooby Doo script.

I had to go through the whole dialog trees over n over to make sure I didn't miss a thing.

I think the sup Drog patch fixes that

It's possible that my half assed attempt at updating it to drog latest patch might have messed it up a bit. Oh well, a little too late to reroll.

Real life work is starting to eat up my time again, and I've a test coming on 22 July. Not much time left...Sorry for no updates.

No sweat, man. Real life > internet shit, even if this is a good LP.

Knockout stuff, as always. Good luck with the test.

And you're right about the Drog patch; while the conversation's better now, it's still easy to miss out on content.

Just got caught up (haven't had much free time for the last month). Excellent work, as usual.

By the way, I think the whole opposite/truth thing in Mannox's tomb is actually supposed to be a hint about how to find his journal, not that Nasrudin is still alive (it could be both, but Mannox seemed to think that the Nasrudin he met was a physical manifestation of his god rather than recognize that it was the original, still-living Nasrudin). The stone outside the Roseborough Inn came from the Ring of Brodgar, and if you start at the RoB and follow its directions, you end up in the middle of nowhere. But if instead you go the opposite direction from those listed, you end up near the cave where you find the journal. (I think. It's been a while since I played that far into Arcanum.) The "truth" part, of course, refers to how you get inside the cave.

While we're waiting for the next update: I've never been able to get the Dernholm tax quest to work since the first or second time I played the game despite multiple installs on different computers. I figured Drog's patch broke it somehow, but apparently not as RK47 seemed to have had no trouble with it. Anyone know what might be causing this quest to break? The problem is that the mayor doesn't recognize I've recovered his knife, and even if I get the gold some other way, the king doesn't recognize that I have it.