▁div ides ▁A ver num ' s ▁forces , ▁making ▁them ▁we aker . ▁ ▁The ▁player ▁controls ▁a ▁party ▁of ▁characters ▁that ▁meets ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁V ahn ata i ▁cre atures ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁bar riers ▁in ▁A ver num , ▁and ▁travel s ▁to ▁meet ▁with ▁their ▁leaders ▁to ▁negoti ate . ▁The ▁party ▁finds ▁out ▁that ▁the ▁reason ▁of ▁the ▁host ility ▁is ▁the ▁the ft ▁of ▁the ▁cry stal ▁sou ls ▁by ▁the ▁Empire . ▁The ▁party ▁retr ieves ▁the ▁cry stal ▁sou ls , ▁and ▁in ▁turn ▁the ▁V ahn ata i ▁join ▁the ▁A vern ites ▁in ▁opposition ▁against ▁the ▁Empire . ▁With ▁their ▁support , ▁the ▁A vern ites ▁turn ▁the ▁tables ▁on ▁the ▁Empire ▁and ▁successfully ▁rep el ▁the ▁invasion . ▁ ▁Starting ▁A ver num ▁ 2 ▁player ▁may ▁choose ▁to ▁have ▁Ne ph il im ▁and ▁Sl ith zer ikai ▁characters ▁in ▁the ▁party , ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁the ▁original ▁A ver num ▁that ▁allowed ▁only ▁human ▁characters . ▁ ▁A ver num ▁ 3 ▁ ▁A ver num ▁ 3 ▁takes ▁place ▁ten ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁events ▁of ▁A ver num ▁ 2 . ▁A vern ites ▁have ▁done ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁prepar ation ▁and ▁are ▁ready ▁to ▁send ▁a ▁selected ▁few ▁back ▁into ▁the ▁light ▁of ▁the ▁surface . ▁After ▁those ▁selected ▁few ▁van ish , ▁they ▁send ▁a ▁selected ▁few ▁more . ▁While ▁those ▁who ▁emer ge ▁are ▁at ▁first ▁st unn ed ▁by ▁the ▁she er ▁beauty ▁of