Part 78: Blackwell Epiphany - Update 9

Update 9

Last time, Rosa and Joey found Lia hiding in a bunker in her basement. In a rather harrowing scene, we became aware that Kendra's body was in there as well Lia promised to tell them what was going on, what had happened to George, and everything else - but only if they saved Kendra's spirit first. Unfortunately, Kendra doesn't even want to leave her room, much less move on to the next plane of existence. But perhaps Lia can help with that?

Lia Pierro



Rosa tries asking Lia about Kendra's breakfast question.

Breakfast? What does that have to do with anything?
I don't know. She keeps asking about breakfast.
Oh. The password.
Password?
If I was... busy on a case, I'd ask a colleague to escort Kendra home. She didn't know everyone I worked with, so I taught her to ask them "What did I have for breakfast?" And if they replied "Prunes and a danish," she would know they could be trusted.



Oh man I see this update isn't going to be any less depressing than yesterday's was. Anyway, it seems the breakfast question was indeed a safeword thing. Hopefully Kendra still remembers the answer as a ghost.

I'm going to leave now, Lia. I'll be back when... well, I'll be back.

Lia isn't quite done, however.

Just one question before you go.
How is she? Does she know that she's... you know?
No, but she will. That's part of how it works. They come to terms with it, and then they leave.
I see.

Hmm. Looks like Lia isn't completely aware of how the whole Bestower thing works, despite knowing as much as she does.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry you have to do this. This whole thing just spiraled out of control.



With that, the wall panel retracts, leaving a shaken Rosa and Joey in silence.

Yeah. It always does.

Kendra Plays Piano (Alternative)



In a daze, Rosa stumbles back up the stairs.

You okay?
Sure. Just give me a second. I THOUGHT that basement smelled a little funny, but I never thought...
Yeah. Take all the time you need.

Oh, God. Rosa clears her head as best as she can, and then her and Joey plan their next move.

If we're going to talk to Kendra, you'll be the one who has to do it. She seems to like you much more than me.
It's because you're not a spook. Stop breathing and maybe she'll talk to you.
[img] I'll pass, thanks.
Kendra says she's waiting for her Dad. If we can get her over to Emil's place, maybe that will be enough?

I really, really hope so.



Now that we know the answer to Kendra's breakfast question, this should be easy.

Um. Why?
Look. Your dad really wants to see you. I'm here to take you to him.
What should I have for breakfast?
I believe the answer is - prunes and a danish?
...

Kendra thinks over the answer, and then...



...bingo! We're in business.

You betcha.
Okay! Let's go.

The poor little dear sounds so excited here.



At this point, Kendra will follow Joey around, and he proceeds to ignore Rosa for a little while.

She's following Joey around like a lost puppy.

Joey motions for her to follow him out of the room.

Just follow us, Kendra. We'll be there soon.
Okay.



As they leave Kendra's room, she speaks up.

Mom must be asleep.

I'm afraid she's not, Kendra I don't think she's slept in days.



We're a bit railroaded at this point, as Kendra won't let us take her anywhere other than directly to her father.

Oh. Just making sure everything's secure.



Kendra also won't let us take her down to the basement, which is probably a very good thing.

I... I don't think we should go down there. Let's just go to Dad's, okay?

I guess this is the usual ghost thing of taking subconscious steps to avoid doing anything that will make recognising their death impossible to avoid. Let's just head outside.



Kendra is a bundle of excitement as she floats out into the snow, before hesitating for a moment.

Should I go back in and get a jacket?

Oh geez, no. The last thing we need is for her to go back in that place. Joey thinks on his feet.

Are you cold?
... Funny. I'm not cold at all.
Then you should be fine.

Again, we are very much railroaded, with Kendra complaining if we do then try to return to the house:

Hey! Why are you going back inside?
Oh. Just checking to see if the door was locked.
Come on. Let's go.

Late Night



As they leave the yard, Kendra speaks up again. She's a talkative little girl.

Yeah?
How come she leaves footprints but you and me don't?
Oh. Well, that's easy. Just between you and me?
She's much heavier than she looks.
I CAN hear you, you know.

Hahahahahaha Joey delivers his line in a perfect "whisper-but-not-a-whisper" tone. I can almost see him holding the back of his hand to the side of his mouth for effect



Trying to Kendra anywhere other than Exeter House has her kick up a fuss. Girl knows what she wants!

George's apartment:
George is NOT my father. Dad lives this way.

Police station:
I thought you knew the way.

Lia's house:
Why are we going back? Come on. Dad's is this way.

The Wired Abacus:
I don't think he's at work this late. Come on. I wanna see him.

Alright, Exeter House it is!



Thanks for taking me. I've got my own key. I can get in on my own.
Sure. You... you be safe, now.

With that, she floats inside. Joey and Rosa wait a minute, to let her find her way up there. Then...



...they decide the time is right to follow.

I hope she's okay.



Fortunately, Rosa took the key to Emil's house before, so we can just let ourselves in.

It fits.

Emil Haskins



Rosa is about to enter Emil's apartment, when she thinks the better of it.

I probably should check to see if Emil is home before barging in. That would be... awkward.

Yeah, actually, it probably is just better if Joey goes in on his own at the moment. No point having Emil start to ask difficult questions when we're so close to helping Kendra out.



As Joey enters, he finds Kendra hovering sadly above her father, who has fallen asleep on his chair in exhaustion.

Yeah. He's had a rough time of it.
Does he know?
Know what?



Wow. I guess she figured it out. Funny that there is no ghostly wind this time. Perhaps it doesn't happen for kids?

... No. He doesn't. Not yet.
Good.

Joey figures he should probably try to figure out what happened to her.

Do you remember what happened? How you... how it happened?
Not really. I... remember being with my mom. It was dark, and cold, but she was telling me everything would be all right. That I would be safe.

I guess maybe Kendra died of starvation in the bunker, or something? But earlier, she seemed to have her whole ghost cognitive dissonance thing when talking about walking home, so it would make more sense for her to have been killed then. Maybe Lia can help clear it up later.

Joey feels absolutely awful about what has happened to Kendra.

I'm sorry.



Why? It's not your fault.
Doesn't matter. This kind of thing shouldn't happen.

Kendra offers the kind of wisdom that only a child can.

Lots of things happen that shouldn't.
It's just... stuff.
Yeah. Stuff.



She's taking this very well

*sigh* Just... just come with me.



Kendra and Joey rejoin Rosa outside Emil's apartment. Joey sounds like he's ready to scream out loud here.

She's waiting for us. We shouldn't drag it out.



You don't have to ask. I already do.
... Fair enough. Come over here. Just take ahold of this.
Okay.

The Void (Alternative)



Joey solemnly removes his tie, hands it to Rosa, and they help Kendra into the void. The music here isn't used in the game, but presumably was the original void music. It's quite nice, actually.

Once in the void, Kendra immediately perks up.

The music! It's amazing.
Music?
It's everywhere. Can't you hear it?



Kendra sure is a musical little girl. Or was, I suppose

Do you think... Do you think they need a piano player?
I don't see why they wouldn't.
I'm gonna need to practice. But somehow... I think I'll have plenty of time.

She sounds so hopeful and positive here. I'm not sure if that makes this harder or easier than it would otherwise have been.



I'm sorry. This is a trip you have to take alone.

Honestly, it looks like this is much harder on Rosa and Joey than it is on Kendra.

Tell them I'll miss them, okay?
Of course.



And, blessedly, Kendra then makes her way through the light and onto the next world. I've never been so relieved to see someone go through.



Phasing back to reality, Rosa remains on her feet.

Still standing at least.
Yeah. A bright side.

The two of them reflect on Kendra.

She was so... easy going.
Something about kids, I guess. Their minds are more adaptable. Flexible to new ideas. Even death.
... Do you really believe that?
Do we have any other choice? Come on. We're not done yet. Lia has some questions to answer. We should get back there.

Yes, hopefully Lia can finally help us to figure out what happened to George. They head back to her house.

Lia Pierro



The TV screen comes out again.

Oh. It's you, Bestower.

Rosa passes on the "good" news.

Kendra is safe, Lia.
You mean she's...
She's moved on. She said goodbye to her father. And she said... she said she'll miss you.
...



The wall panel then closes, and the shelf slides aside, revealing Lia's bunker and Lia herself. Thankfully we don't see Kendra's body. Lia stares straight at Rosa.

How could something that was so right go so horribly wrong?

Lia then walks out and stands next to Rosa, facing the wall.



Without prompting, she begins to tell her story - but she's not telling it from the start. What meetings does she mean?

What kind of meeting?
We were all so lost. So hungry for direction and not knowing where to go.
All of us. Searching for that elusive something. That revelation that would fix our lives.

She's still going in circles here. Finally, she comes to something a bit more concrete.

The meetings at Grace. Somehow... gave them to us.
Gave them to you?
Yes. No matter how confused we were, we all found our way. But this. All this was the price.

Okay, so let me try to get this straight. Lia and some others (presumably George was one) attended some meetings at Grace Church. It somehow taught them what they needed to do to fix their lives - after all, Emil said George had been a loser previously before suddenly becoming rich out of nowhere - but then it lead to... what? Their souls getting torn in half? Someone hunting them down with a gun? I feel like we're still missing a big part of the puzzle here.

Lia. I need you to focus and tell me what happened.

Lia is too worked up to focus now, however.



I... did good. Didn't I? I thought I did.

Lia then turns and faces Rosa.

And you. You do good. That's what I heard. You always help, right?
I help the dead.



Suddenly, without warning, Lia whips out a pistol and shoots herself point blank in the head Holy fuck.



Seconds later, the ghost of Lia Pierro shimmies out of her corpse and speaks out in a frightened voice.

Did... did it work?

Rosa is understandably horrified by what she has just witnessed.

Why, Lia? Why do this?
I'm sorry. But it's the only way. My only escape is through you. I know what you did for Kendra. Now do the same for me. Please.



I guess she wants us to move her through the light before her soul gets ripped in half as well. But, Jesus. This is an even darker turn for the series.

Rosa and Joey look to each other for guidance.

I don't know what to say right now. There's nothing TO say right now.
I have no words. I just don't have any words. Joey. What the hell do we do?
What we always do, kid. What we always do.

The instinct to flee kicks in for a split second, but they quickly think the better of it.

God no. We can't leave Lia like this.
As much as I'd like to leave her stewing, we can't leave her like this.

Finally, they look at her.

She looks absolutely terrified. Although after what she's been through... it's hard to blame her.
That took guts. I'll give her that, at least. Her eyes are huge, pleading and terrified. If we're going to do something, we shouldn't just string her along like this.



Rosa tries to talk with Lia about what's happening.

You need to tell us what's causing all of this.
No. Please. If they find me here... Just take me somewhere safe. You can do that, right? Do that, and we can talk.

I guess that's reasonable. We can talk in the void.



Joey goes to explain the process to Lia...

That's Officer Pierro to you. And I know how it works.
Great. That saves time.

...but apparently she knows that much. How she learned about us and ghostsaving in general is unclear at this stage.

Red here is going to take you somewhere safe. And when she does, you're going to have a chat. Okay?
Fine. Fine. Let's just do this. Quick.

Joey turns sternly to Rosa.

You hear me? Don't let this one just fly off into the light.
Don't worry.
All right, then.

The Void (Alternative)



For the second time tonight, Rosa pulls on the magic tie, and enters the void. Lia is immediately calmer upon arriving.

It's so quiet here. That little room was quiet, but... not like this. It's like I'm hearing everything and nothing at the same time. Can you hear it?
No, but Kendra said something similar.
...

Lia looks out to the light.

Is she... out there somewhere?
Yes. But Lia. Before you go, I need you to tell me how you got this way. What led you to... this?

Finally, we're about to get some answers.



We met once a week. We would talk. It was... nice.
So it was kind of a self-help group?
Kind of.

What does she mean, "kind of?"

Kind of? What did you talk about?
...
Funny. I don't remember. All I know is that it worked. For all of us. It was like magic. We all learned what we were meant to be.

That's really suspicious. So somehow these meetings taught everyone who attended, exactly who they were "meant" to be? But Lia can't even remember what happened at them. That sounds to me like something supernatural occurred at the meetings.

I joined the police academy and never looked back. George discovered a love of art. Made a killing as a dealer.



Mentioning George reminds Lia of the horrible truth.

He won't be out there, will he? He's gone. He risked himself and then he...

Murderer on the Loose



Suddenly, Lia cries out in anguish Rosa immediately forgoes any concern about asking questions.

Oh no. Lia - get through the light. Quick!
...
I... I can't move!

Oh, shit. Not again

How did they find me? HERE, of all places?
I don't know! Just try and hold on.

Lia stares imploringly at Rosa.

You were supposed to help us!
I'm trying! Please, I just need time!



Unfortunately, time has well and truly run out for Lia, and once again Rosa bears witness to the horrible aural combination of an anguished scream and a torn spirit.

Not again.

Rosa looks around in desperation, before hanging her head in resignation.



She sadly shuffles back through the portal to reality.

Lia Pierro



Joey, of course, has no idea what has happened. Rosa informs him in a shaky voice.

No. No, I'm not okay. We were too late.
Too late?
She was taken. Just like George was.

Rosa walks sadly over to Lia's still-bleeding body.



This is just terrible.

I refuse to believe that. I just can't. Did she say anything? Anything at all that could help us?
There wasn't time. And there was... something else.
Something else?

I'm not sure what Rosa is referring to here - perhaps the fact that Lia was unable to move, which was different to last time - but before she has a chance to explain herself...



Oh, fuck. This is the last thing we need right now. And with Kendra's body back there as well, Jesus Christ.

No. Wait. Listen. I don't have time for this!

The police officer is in no mood for Rosa's words, however, and advances on her with his gun out.

I SAID: Turn around! Hands behind your head!

Rosa does as she's told.



Please just-



This day has just gone from bad to worse, to even worse, and somehow, to even worse again...


Thank goodness we were able to help Kendra to move on at least. Now we need to figure out why George and Lia met such grisly fates. What happened at the Grace Group meetings? Is anyone else in danger? Of course, that's assuming we can avoid getting ourselves chucked away for life after having been found standing over the freshly killed body of a police officer, with her dead daughter in the next room. This has turned very ugly indeed. We'll see what comes of this tomorrow!




After such a dramatic update, today's Word of God update will be a bit lighter in tone like yesterday's was.

After spending more than ten years making his dream come to life, Gilbert is quite proud of his Blackwell legacy (there's some wordplay from the LP author!) - and so he should be. New pixel-art indie adventure games are often referred to as "having a Wadjet Eye Games vibe", and he's very much recognised as being a successful indie developer from before the rebirth of indie games.

Obviously, though, nothing is perfect. I asked Gilbert, if he could change one thing about the series, what would it be?

Gilbert would have given Joey more powers

Gilbert commented that one problem with creating a series of games is that you end up having to make decisions for the first one that you're bound to stick with for the rest of the series, even if those decisions end up limiting you later on. If you recall, back in Legacy, Joey wasn't even a playable character. He was really just a companion. Deciding on his abilities in that context really wasn't so important, since you never used him. However, in subsequent games, it meant he was very limited.

Gilbert writes: "I often regret limiting Joey so much. He can float through walls. Can sort of disrupt wireless signals. He can generate a light breeze… and that's really it. There's not a lot for him to actually DO, and I found myself often having to contrive situations for him to blow on things. How many small objects were placed on the edges of desks or tables? Too many! Giving him an extra power or two would have gone a long way in making the puzzles more varied and interesting, but by the time I realized this it was a bit too late to change it. I was stuck with what I had. Giving Joey new powers in the middle of the series would have felt contrived and forced."

In terms of storyline, as I mentioned earlier, Gilbert mentioned that his biggest regret was being a little bit too enamoured with the real-world history aspects which showed up most notably in Convergence. It's funny, because most people in this thread have indicated that Convergence was their favourite of the first four games, but it seems to be Gilbert's least favourite of them. He says he was originally inspired to try to blend real-world history with a fictional story after playing the Gabriel Knight series, but that the overarching story itself suffered as a result. Gilbert comments: "If I could do it all over again, I'd put more effort into making a good story, and less effort on the history stuff (as interesting as it might be)."

Personally, I'd recommend that if Gilbert was going to do it all over again - that he just do exactly what he did the first time.