Expedition: general discussions.

Yes, Thiaral was Lapistia 2.0. In both expansions, there were mercenaries, and the "Heroist" carried all the battles on his own. In the first case, the organization fell apart because someone didn't want the "Heroist" in their collection and set a trap. In the second case, the trap was set by the "Heroist's" allies, who brought him into their collection.