Part 24: Continued

And so, we finally made it to Jan's house.

Mommy! Jan's back!
Jan! Didya bring me some candy?
Calmly, little ones. I've brought you each a Flasher.
I wanna use it right now! Where's the cat?
It's my cat, stupid! I get to flash him.
Those are the twins, of course. The girl is Tat, the boy is Tot. They are my youngest cousin's. Glandig's children.
Where is this Glandig?
He's most likely working in the mines. My mother watches his children when he's away. They're actually quite impoverished since his wife died. These tales are best kept for another time. Follow me. I must speak with my mother.

I'm sorry, Ma. The turnip trade is a demanding mistress.
Not so demanding as your own mother, boy. You've been in trouble, I suppose.
Of course not, Ma. I've been very good. Why, look at the fine bunch of people I'm travelling with!
Hmph! If you say so.
What's going on, Ma? Beeloo made it sound quite urgent.
Lissa has been staying with us for awhile. Her daughter, too. We just thought that you might want to know. She does seem to need your help, with her parents passed on and all.
Is she all right? Did he... did he hurt her?
Lissa's not hurt. It's the little girl. I gave them your old room. The girl is sick and Lissa is with her. Why don't you go and talk to her. She's been waiting for you.
Okay, Ma. I'll head upstairs immediately. Asim, please come with me.

You look fine, Lis. You look beautiful.
I missed you, Jan. You disappeared for a long time after the wedding, and when you returned I hardly saw you at all. You should've come to visit me, Jan.
I couldn't, Lis. I mean, I didn't want to intrude on you and Vaelag. It wasn't my place to.
I'm sorry, Jan. I've been terrible to you. Everything has come crashing down on me. Please forgive me, Jan.
You don't have to apologize, Lis. I would do anything to make you happy. Tell me what happened. What's wrong with your daughter?
She's hurt, Jan. I don't know what's wrong with her. She just lies in bed staring at the wall. Won't even eat. Please heal her Jan. She's just a little girl.
When did this start?
It started a few months ago, before it ended with Vaelag. He was always a cruel father, and hard on Jaella. He beat her if she did anything he didn't like.
He hath betrayed his paternal trust, betrayed the stewardship granted over his daughter! Children are gifts given to us. May Tyr's justice strike at him!
Someone has rattled the little one's brains? Hmm, I know how she feels. If this was done on purpose, he deserves a mighty kick in his posterior, at the least!
Did this happen after that bastard beat her?
I don't know, Jan. Can you help her?
She isn't physically harmed, Lis. It is her mind that has been injured. My magic can do nothing for this sort of thing. Have you spoken with Uncle Gerhardt?
Yes, but he told me that you could help.
Excuse me, Lis. Asim, could you go to the basement and speak with my Uncle Gerhardt? Maybe find out what he knows about this illness. He's a bit eccentric but he knows more than he lets on. I'd guess that we have 10 days before Jaella will die.
He's in the basement you say? Yes, I'll go and discover what he knows.
Thank you. I'll stay here with Lissa. I have to... it's hard to explain.
I think I understand. I'll be back when I've found your Uncle.

Down in the cellar...

We are the Gibberlings Three. As merry a band as you ever did see.
Well I've nary a sausage to feed ye. Have ye come to devour Athkatla?
Indeed! It's been quite tasty so far. Listen, we're not here to devour everything. In fact, we'd like to help a little girl named Jaella.
Aye, she's been hurt. Poor lass - WHERE'S THAT CURSED POTION?
Which particular potion did you need?
Not a potion, boorish fool. A sausage. Are you hungry? Methinks I've got some sausages under me bed.
Thank you, I am feeling a bit peckish.
Well I've nary a sausage to feed ye. Have ye come to devour Athkatla?
Indeed! It's been quite tasty so far. Listen, we're not here to devour everything. In fact, we'd like to help a little girl named Jaella.
Aye, she's been hurt. Poor lass - WHERE'S THAT CURSED POTION?
Can this hurt be healed, Gerhardt?
'Tis a hurt of the mind. Only one rich in such powers can heal her.
Where can I find such a person?
The Hidden is the one you seek. Go to Jysstev at her estate in the Government District. She shall lead you to the Hidden. Now where's that sausage...
Were the life of a child not at stake, I would say leave these mad gnomes to their own devices and forbid them from ever reproducing again.

I love that conversation. It's so random and loops if you're not careful.


About a decade ago, my Uncle was hired to treat a rather unsavory fellow, a thief named Ralg. It was fairly obvious that Ralg was a high-ranking Shadow Thief. He had power and money, two things more than rare in Athkatla without family connections. Ralg was also daring. There are places in this city where no sane man treads, places in the bowels of the earth that have even the most powerful drow clerics quaver with fear at the mere mention of their cursed names. Ralg set into motion the systematic plunder of these places. He was a modern man, not given to the superstitious fears of the plebian masses. The story goes that Ralg was found in the old Temple of Bhaal, gibbering and mad with fear. Uncle Gerhardt, an expert in odd conditions, was called in to treat the ravaged man. As my Uncle had learned through his studies, these afflictions can never be treated without knowledge of their cause. Since none but Ralg had survived the trip, my Uncle made the foolish decision to travel to these unholy places, in search of this knowledge. He left for the graveyard and the places of the profane that are known to lie beneath it. He was gone for months and we thought him dead. Ralg was shipped off to the asylum that lies off of Amn's coast. Nearly a year later, Uncle Gerhardt returned a changed man. Something that he had seen on his travels left him quite unhinged, though hardly the mindless sack of flesh that Ralg had been. With this change came a strange ability that occasionally shows itself in Gerhardt's verbal ramblings. He has become a prophet of sorts. He predicts events, some small and some of portent. During the Time of Troubles, his gift was particularly evident. He seemed to know everything. He'd rage and stumble about the basement screaming of slaughtered gods and tumultous magic. But that is in the past. He has examined Jaella and, especially in his present state, he knows things. He told Lissa to bring me home and I hope that he has given you some direction as to how we can help this girl.
Well, amongst the ramblings of sausages and chickens, he did have a few things to say. He said that for one to heal Jaella's mind, one must know one's own mind. He also mentioned something about seeking the Hidden.
The Hidden, you say? Lissa mentioned this. It seems that Lady Jysstev knows something of the man. You can find the Jysstev estate in the Government District. Will you solve this mystery for me? I must stay with Lissa.
Yes, I will try to find the Hidden and a cure for Jaella.
Thank you friend. I shall be here when you return. Jaella's not eating so I estimate you have ten days at most.

Up until Jan's Throne of Bhaal epilogue gives it the final resolution in fitting Jan Jansen style, this is the most element of the game, as you will see in the next update when I reach the resolution of it.



Oh, and if for some reason you're wondering what happens to Edorem eventually, I was originally going to post the story that Sillara wrote to give him an epilogue, but it's very much a tl;dr thing, so here's a brief summary:

Two hundred years later, Edorem is mysteriously still alive and hunting a vampire. There's some half-elf girl he thinks is more beautiful than Saerileth was and he gets briefly emo about this. Eventually it turns out that the girl is a vampire turned by the one he's hunting and in love with him, and she kills Edorem with his squire's sword.

Also, it wasn't that good with the whole "being split into paragraphs in a manner that aids it in making sense" thing, and I'll be damned if I'm going to fix it.

Archival Commentary - oh look, I actually did something intelligent in regards to that shit!

Quick edit - I swear that I will never, ever do anything like what I did with the Saerileth thing again. Don't worry.
_{Unless you all ask me to.}