Part 40: .2

Chapter 34.2: Ritualistic Failure

The final showdown is now. The stakes have never been higher, and the tension is thick. And when things get tense, players don't necessarily make the best decisions.




Gabriel hurls off the wolf costume, ready to show this cult just who they've been fucking with.



...but without flashing the talisman, it doesn't quite have the impact Gabriel would want.





Dr. John runs headlong at Gabriel and Mosely. Mosely digs for his gun ...



... but by the time he grabs it, it's too late.



Dr. John slams Mosely with the full force of his elbow.



In a flash, he has Gabriel by the throat once again.



And for like the hundredth time, Gabriel is violently choked to death.



Once again, we're taken to this moment in time. Tetelo has the ku-bha-sah in hand, and she's ready to add Grace to the long list of victims. It's time to act!



... and do what, exactly? Gabriel freezes, panicked. What could he possibly do to stop this?



And then his brief window of opportunity comes to a violent close.







From here the situation works out the same as before.





Our three heroes just can't catch a break.



And now we jump ahead in time. Gabriel's done the smart thing and flashed the talisman, and Mosely's done the smart thing and gunned Dr. John down from across the room. This leaves Gabriel and Tetelo in a standoff.




At every decision point in the ritual, you can choose the Talk option to get a little extra dialogue. The only problem is that the game counts this as doing nothing and murders you accordingly.





Tetelo ignores Gabriel and waves her arm at Grace and Mosely.



An unseen force blasts out from her hand, easily knocking the two out of the picture.





She readies her whip before Gabriel can react.



With a loud crack, she latches onto the talisman, wrenching it from Gabriel's grip.





Tetelo prepares to strike with the whip once again.



It wraps around Gabriel's neck. Tetelo effortlessly drags Gabriel down to the floor.



In no time at all, she plunges her knife deep into Gabriel's chest.





Once again we find ourselves at this critical juncture. Tetelo has given a clear order, and there's no reason to think she won't follow through with her threat on his best friends. Only one thing to do.



Gabriel gently tosses the talisman to Tetelo.








In retrospect, he really should've seen that one coming.



Moving forward again. Gabriel's passed the talisman to Mosely and Grace, and they're slowly limping their way to the exit. No matter -- Tetelo can deal with them later. Right now, there's a Schattenjäger to murder.








The Gedde idol sits within reach, inches from Gabriel's face. All it would take is one strong throw ... but he just can't figure it out in time.





Malia's influence on her own actions is obliterated. The knife slides cleanly through Gabriel's throat.



So far we've focused on what can happen if Gabriel makes a mistake during the ritual. But what if the biggest mistake was made before the ritual even began?



Gabriel enters the center chamber, completely alone.



Dr. John enters shortly after, carrying Grace to the sacrificial table. She's doing a damn good job of acting unconscious.



Malia dances in from another entrance -- but something's wrong.





Dr. John takes the chickens, squeezing the blood out of them while Tetelo dances around the fire pit. Gabriel watches in silence.

This goes on for some time until the cultists are ready to strike.




Gabriel throws the wolf costume off and defiantly points the talisman in Tetelo's direction.








Grace dives from the table just in time. Tetelo's knife slams uselessly against the sacrificial table.



Dr. John storms towards Grace, prepared to do whatever it takes to keep the situation under control.



Grace actually manages to get a good kick in on Dr. John's face.



But before she can strike another blow, he's already recovered and ready for the counterattack.













Grace collapses like a fucking sack of bricks.







Lesson learned: whenever you're infiltrating a Voodoo cult, always bring along someone with a gun.



The "restart" button is a cruel joke. Hell, the first possible death is more than halfway through the damn game.



Video!
65. Violence begets violence (Self-hosted) (Dailymotion) (Youtube)