ZG 12/13 Motivation Issue (major spoilers of course)

Okay so we just got to the big shake-up climax helix bit partway into adventure 12 where we start adventure 13 right in the middle of it. And my players were pretty confused - and me along with them. Maybe I missed something, but if the party is pretty convinced that their expedition to the gyre was the only way to save the world, since that's how it got built up ... and it looks like they failed ... and furthermore since it looks like going along with Nicodemus is probably the only way not to destroy the world ...

Why is the party supposed to fight? What's in it for the good of them or the planet?

Is it just an expectation of spit & vinegar, assuming the players will defy Nicodemus until the last even if it destroys everything? Or is it relying on player knowledge that the end isn't assured?

Basically - did I miss something? I completely missed this while prepping the adventure, I confess, but my players noticed it right away.

I'm kludging things a bit, because one the PCs is a Deva Spirit Shaman and Discarnate who's used to living all kinds of lives by now, so I'm saying he's seeing all sorts of visions of this other party who didn't fail. But without that, I'm not sure that anything other than "surrender to Nicodemus and not destroy the world" makes sense, from the Adventure 13 Party's perspective.

Have you seen those episodes that every sci-fi show inevitably has, where the main cast are stuck in some alternate timeline, or a VR simulation, or a psychic construct, and the characters just have a sense that things aren't right. They can't quite put their fingers on it, but they know there's more than just the world they see in front of them?

That's how it's supposed to be in Avatar of Revolution. You show up, and while it appears that the world is doomed, and that probably even Nicodemus's plan won't stop it from being drawn into the Gyre and crushed, you just know that all hope isn't lost. You can feel, in the core of your being, that someone is still striving to save this world.

I get what you're saying, but ... that's not really made clear anywhere in the prologue. Instead, it's all about failure and reminders that the Adv13 Party doesn't have any idea what's going on in the Gyre. Pemberton says he has a plan, but that's about it.

Anyway, thanks for the input.

One more last question - Rites of Rulership bonuses are gone on arrival back in Risur, no? I'm going to guess Harkover Lee and Nicodemus were at least that thorough.

Run it how you want, I suppose. I'd personally have them active but weakened until the party deals with Harkover.