THE UNDERGROUND
Created by Qarl

Contents
Description
Requirements
Installation
Cleaning a savegame (for users of previous versions)
Troubleshooting
Tips
Credits
The latest version of this readme can be found at http://qarl.rpgmods.com/readme_underground.htm.
Description
An enormous quest mod largely set in The Elder Scrolls lore. You'll encounter an attractive vampire of the opposite sex with whom you can cultivate a successful romantic relationship with and eventually have them as a full companion. You will venture into foreboding underground dungeons, labyrinths, and tunnels taking you on an engaging adventure full of puzzles and traps and many more things which require as much wit as fortitude. You may take the path of the virtuous and save the world from unspeakable evil, or take the road which leads to its destruction. The choice is yours.
Requirements Installation
  1. Since this mod is fairly resource hungry due to its complexity, it is highly recommended that you make sure your Morrowind install is running smoothly before installing The Underground. If you are already experiencing some problems with your game, it's better to fix them first. If you're really having problems you may need to uninstall Morrowind completely and wipe out your Morrowind folder (don't forget to back anything up that you might not want to lose like your morrowind.ini file and your savegames), then reinstall Morrowind an all your favorite mods. Then install The Underground.
  2. I also recommend tweaking your machine before installing The Underground so it's performing at it's highest potential. Check out TweakTown for some excelent computer tweaking tips, specifically geared toward Morrowind players.
  3. Extract THE_UNDERGROUND.exe, a self-extracting 7z archive, to your Morrowind\Data Files folder. Click YES when asked if you wish to over-write.
  4. Backup your savegame.
  5. Use the Morrowind Launcher and check THE_UNDERGROUND.esp int the Data Files section.
  6. It's also a good idea to defrag your hard drive before and after installing The Underground.
  7. Play.
  8. EXTRAS: There is one alternative face included for Synda and one for Johnny (the vampire love interest of the opposite sex to your character) in a folder named Extra Faces. You can optionally copy everything in the Synda or Johnny folders (keeping their directory structure in-tact) and paste it into your Data Files folder if you'd rather use the alternative faces. Screenshots are included.
Cleaning a savegame (not needed unless you edit the esp)
Sometimes, a savegame can become unclean from a plugin. This can lead to some strange errors and occurrences ingame. This applies to many plugins available.
    1. Open morrowind.ini, located in the root installation folder of Morrowind, in whatever text editor you use.
    2. Add the following line anywhere under the [General] section: AllowYesToAll=1
    3. Save the modified morrowind.ini.
    4. Use the Morrowind Launcher and select Data Files.
    5. Deselect all plugins you want a savegame cleaned of.
    6. Run Morrowind.
    7. Load the savegame you want cleaned.
    8. When given the choice, select the Yes To All button.
    9. Once the game is loaded, re-save. The savegame is now cleaned of whatever plugins you deselected in step 4.
Troubleshooting Tips
  1. IF YOU CHEAT BY USING THE CONSOLE, YOU CAN SCREW UP THE QUESTS. I won't be responsible if you do this. Pretty much if you use the console AT ALL you have a VERY good chance of messing up the mod's quest.


  2. NEVER use quicksave or quickload! These corrupt your savegame. Always use a real save and rotate betwean several of them so you can go back to an earlier instance if you need to and not just the last save you made.


  3. For the most complete experience, try to keep your vampire companion with you whenever possible. They provide colorful commentary and sometimes some needed clues.


  4. Your companion has my revised version of Grumpy's script on them, making them very difficult to lose (at a slight sacrifice of visual perfection when having more than one companion). If they do however, get stuck, go about 10 meters away from them and they should warp to you within 6 seconds. Or, if you can't get that far away because you're in a cramped area, you'll have to go back and lead them. Also, if for some reason they just decide to stop following you (another game engine quirk) just talk to them and select "a change" then ask them to follow you.


  5. There are a few times where your companion will lead you somewhere. I have tested this thoroughly, but if they get "stuck", trying backing away from them until they stop moving, then go close to them again. This will most often get them back on track.


  6. You vampire companion needs to "feed" about once every 24 hours. They will say something to you and give you the option to:
    1. Give them a shot of blood to drink.
    2. Wait there while you go get them a shot of blood
    3. Ask you to wait for them while they go get themselves someone to drink. (This takes about an hour game-time (only a couple minutes real time.) You need to be in the same cell for them to return to you.
    4. (Shots of blood they need are available from the bartender in The Underground for $8000. There will also be some found in various dungeons. Also, when they actually become your "companion" meaning you now have access to their inventory, you can stock them up with shots of blood and they'll use them when they need them.)
    5. Tell them to drink from you. They will walk over to you, put their arms around you and suck your blood. This drains your Health and Fatigue by 50%.


  7. You should try to keep your vampire companion's disposition at least at 85 if you want to pursue a romantic relationship with them. Also, if you let their disposition dip to 20 or below they will not go any further with you and will be very difficult to continue your quest with them -I believe if you stay out of the cell they are in for 72 game-hours, their disposition will go back up and you can ask them to join you again though. Also, there are a couple pivotal points in your adventure where your companion wants to take your relationship to the next level. You'll need to choose the correct dialog choices for this to happen AND you'll need their disposition higher than 85 (in the dialog when you say the right things it will increase). If you screw it up, you'll won't get another chance later, so you may want to reload an earlier save.


  8. Your companion when following you, will be able to stay with you when you do any kind of Almsivi or Divine Intervention, go through any Propylon warp with you, and recall to any OUTDOOR mark you've made.


  9. If you accidentally hit your companion a few times and they start attacking you, say "a change" to them and ask them to start following you again. They'll stop attacking and return to following you.


  10. If your companion is in your way, click on them and say "please move" and they'll get out of your way.


  11. Be careful when talking to guards if your companion is with you. Guards tend not to like you traveling around their jurisdiction with a vampire companion. Also, some merchants may not want to trade with you if your vampire companion is with you. It's often best to leave them outside before entering a shop to do business.


  12. If you lose your companion, you can go to the bar (the Underground) and say your companion's name to the bartender and he'll say that they're in the back room -and they will be.


  13. Later in the quest, you'll meet a skeleton which you can ask to join you as another companion. He doesn't really serve any other purpose than to just be another weapon in your arsenal (or cannon fodder) or to carry things for you. He's not an integral part of the story the way Synda & Johnny are, so it's safe to leave him behind if you don't want another companion along.


  14. Save often. There are many puzzles and traps which may kill you when you least expect it. Also, you may make a dialog choice you regret and will wish to reload from your last save to, um, take it back. :)


  15. Talk to everyone. Not just new NPCs in the mod. Standard Morrowind NPCs will have new things to say about what's happening. Also, it's a good idea to talk to people later on in the quest that you've already talked to. They'll likely have new things to say. Ashlanders, Temple members, and Blades members (and with regard to certain topics, Sixth House members) tend to know a little more than most about what's going on.


  16. There are some monsters which are not really meant to be killed -or, have a secret weakness which you need to exploit, but is currently unknown to you and will be revealed (if you're clever) in time. Don't waste too much time trying to kill them. :)


  17. Some areas are filled with so many monsters it may be in your best interest to just get through and do what you need to do without trying to kill everything.


  18. Many things have multiple solutions. Example: You may try to reason with a creature to get the info you need from them, or try to kill them and they'll stop and beg you to spare them and they'll give you the info, or maybe if you kill them they'll have a note with the info you need on it. If playing a "good" character, there are often ways to avoid killing (except for REALLY evil things that you would be doing the world a huge favor by killing them.)


  19. You may want to hone your magic skills a bit. You'll need to be able to cast a semi-high-cost spell at the end of the main quest.


  20. In several places you can choose to take the evil course of action. This will mean that you are no longer able to finish the main "good" quest, and can only finish the less involved "evil" quests. The reason the evil quests are less involved is well, there's only so much maiming, torturing, and killing you can do before it becomes routine. And there's no huge powerful evil things to destroy because you become the huge powerful evil thing. One thing you may want to do is try the evil route and go as far as you want, then reload an earlier save and continue on the good path. Also, at some point relatively early on in the evil route your companion will no longer stay with you (you're just too evil to build a romantic relationship. And everything isn't all evil/good black/white. You can do semi-evil things without your companion leaving you. You can actually kill whomever you wish and have a huge price on your head and your companion will still stick with you as long as you don't do evil things which will negatively effect them.


  21. If you're playing as a vampire, you can restore your health by drinking the blood bought in The Underground bar.
Credits