ToME: the Tales of Maj'Eyal

They're all determined to die, so how did any of them survive long enough to need our help? Maybe on the first level of a zone, where they may have just wandered in and not yet seen any mob they're determined to be killed by, but it's a mystery how they can be anywhere else.

So...what is the explanation for the Great Escort Survival Mystery?

They keep stair-hoping to stay alive.

They are using an old beta and ran out of health potions

Because escorts, like the player, get multiple lives.

Just, by the time you reach them, they're all on the last one. Every single last one.

For obvious reasons.

Just imagine how many you don't get to in time.

They're not really adventurers, they're monsters in disguise. Their sole purpose is to lure you into difficult groups of enemies, or to just generally annoy you so you're distracted when their masters come to feast on your flesh. You're best just killing these creatures on sight.

One word:
Elbereth.

Well, they claim they're badly wounded. Maybe they all started life with 5 billion hitpoints.