Missing NPCs in Act I

[Adarious_Mistdancer]

So, I after saving Gareth the first time, I returned to the Sanctuary, talked to him .. chose the option to alert him I already had a wand, and he..along with most of the npcs in the sanctuary packed up and left. I was supposed to meet him at an area shown as Abandoned Camp. Lots of generic 'dead seeker' corpses around, and only one living npc Ymmit...with a 1 liner answer.

This means...no Gareth, no Exter, and no Gratiana either. This has me unable to continue unless I can somehow finish the ensuing fight with my party alone, and then what? With the absence of Gareth it's kinda busted, I don't get it?

[Demian]

Did you find purging wand already (cold cave with Braccus rex treasure)? Did you finish quest with Snow/cold dragon (to kill a wizard in the cave with roses)? I think it can help you.

[Adarious_Mistdancer]

I did all that. He simply was not at the designated location. I ended up having to push forward and do the fight without him. He was present on the boat afterward.

[Spoopy]

If he was present on the ship after the act then that was normal. After telling them the path is clear they run to the boat and you do the battle without them. What isn't normal is them skipping meeting at the camp, however it sounds like you didn't miss much if they were on the boat anyways.

[Adarious_Mistdancer]

I was under the expectation he would have supplied some sort of assistance with the fight. I know if I'd been in a position where I had to have it to beat the fight itself, I'd be pretty annoyed right now, but that didn't turn out to be the case clearly.