Wizardry 8 - Story - Beginnings

Beginnings

As with the first two installments of the Dark Savant trilogy of Wizardry games, Wizardry VI and Wizardry VII, Wizardry 8 has multiple beginnings that continue from the previous games' multiple endings. There are five beginnings in all. Characters imported from Wizardry VII: Crusaders of the Dark Savant start in the Umpani stronghold or in the T'Rang stronghold, depending on the player's alliance. If the imported characters failed their mission in Wizardry VII, resulting in their banishment into space, they are given a message that they are "still floating in endless darkness" and are not allowed to start their adventure in Wizardry 8. New characters or unallied characters imported from the previous game start in the Higardi monastery.

In the final area of Wizardry VII, the Isle of Crypts, the party has a choice to tell their enigmatic partner, Vi Domina, whether or not they have a way to leave the planet Guardia. They have the option of telling the truth and informing her that they found a spaceship, or lying and saying that they have no way to leave. If the party follows the path of truth, the Girl and Globe endings are open to them. If they lie, the Umpani, T'Rang and Globe endings are open to them.

The "Umpani" path

In Wizardry VII, the party lied to Vi Domina and said that they had no way to get off the planet. They speak with her again in the Forbidden Zone of New City, where they first met her. The Dark Savant, the main antagonist of Wizardry VII, suddenly appears there with a captive Vi and offers her life in exchange for the Astral Dominae, a deal which the party accepts. Soon after, a group of Umpani and T'Rang, two alien races from Wizardry VII, burst in fighting. The party joins in on the final melee, and choose to side with the Umpani. After the T'Rang are defeated, the party and Vi Domina join the Umpani on a spaceship to follow the Dark Savant to Dominus, the planet where the events of Wizardry 8 take place. Unfortunately, when they arrive there, the Savant blasts the Umpani ship from the sky, and it crashes. When the party is pulled from the wreckage, they are brought to Mt. Gigas, where the Umpani base on Dominus is located. They are released from active duty in the Umpani army, but are informed by the Umpani Sergeant Balbrak that they are welcome to enlist in the army again. Vi leaves soon after for Arnika, the home of the Higardi.

The "T'Rang" path

In Wizardry VII, the party lied to Vi Domina and said that they had no way to get off the planet. They speak with her again in the Forbidden Zone of New City, where they first met her. The Dark Savant, the main antagonist of Wizardry VII, suddenly appears there with a captive Vi and offers her life in exchange for the Astral Dominae, a deal which the party accepts. Soon after, a group of Umpani and T'Rang, two alien races from Wizardry VII, burst in fighting. The party joins in on the final melee, and choose to side with the T'Rang. After the Umpani are defeated, the party and Vi Domina join the T'Rang on a spaceship to follow the Dark Savant to Dominus, the planet where the events of Wizardry 8 take place. Unfortunately, when they arrive there, the Savant blasts the T'Rang ship from the sky, and it crashes. When the party is pulled from the wreckage, they are brought to Marten's Bluff, where the T'Rang base on Dominus is located. They are released from the service of the T'Rang, but are informed by a drone that they may serve the T'Rang Empire again if they so wish. Vi leaves soon after for Arnika, the home of the Higardi.

The "Girl" path

In Wizardry VII, the party told Vi Domina that they found a spaceship in the City of Sky, the city of the Helazoid, and go to meet her there. Instead, they meet the Dark Savant, who is holding a bloody and battered Vi in his grasp. He offers to exchange her life for the Astral Dominae, and the party agrees. The party and Vi board the spaceship together and take off for Dominus, and arrive only to be shot down by the Dark Savant. Their spaceship goes down on the beach near the Monastery, and Vi leaves by herself for Arnika.

The "Globe" path

The party either told the truth or a lie to Vi; it makes no difference. The Dark Savant offers her life in exchange for the Astral Dominae at one of the two meeting points, and the party chooses to keep the globe. The Savant waves his hand, and darkness surrounds the party. In the end of Wizardry VII, the player is told that the party floats in endless darkness. In Wizardry 8, a message appears and similarly explains that the party is still floating in darkness. The game cannot proceed at this point.

The "New" path

A party that starts fresh in Wizardry 8, or which did not successfully complete any of the previous requirements, accompanies a Mook named Grimpak as his personal body guards on a space voyage to planet Dominus. The Dark Savant shoots the ship down over the Higardi Monastery, and though Grimpak dies, the party survives.