Part 32: Update XXXII - The Place That Sends You Mad

Update XXXII - The Place That Sends You Mad



We rejoin our heroes having just brought Tarius to the church.

Grandy... why did it have to be Tarius? Why not me, or...
That is the way fate goes. Believe me, Libra, I've seen so many souls come and go... you get used to it.
Maybe I don't want to get used to it! After all, I'm a human being and not some son of a dark god!
...
...
1) You're doing Malthur wrong... 2) I completely agree!

The first option is a Good Thing, the other a Bad Thing. So let's go with the former.

Malthur couldn't pick his fate himself either. We can't even begin to imagine the burden that he has to carry ever since he was brought into this world.
You're right, dear.
Please excuse my outburst, Malthur. Sadness and anger are clouding my judgement.
But regardless, we can't give up now, folks!
Wahnfried proved to us that he doesn't want to wait until we find him.
You're right - we've wasted enough time. Let's go hunt some vampires!

Well, first of all, let's go check in with the church and see what's what.



What happened to your friend is terrible, but I'm sure the Gracious Father is taking good care of him now.

Nothing much going on right now. Let's check in with von Junzt, maybe he found something interesting for us over night.



What happened? I don't see young Tarius at your side?
He's dead, and Wahnfried and his cronies are to blame!
We won't rest until we have brought that bloodsucker to justice!

Well, that's a lie. Resting is the main method with which you move from day to night for the following days, so we'll be doing a bit of that.

And for that, we need your help, sir von Junzt. Dankwart sent us to you with an important question.

Oh, right, there was a reason why we went to von Junzt! Bet some of you had already forgotten that part.

Speak, my young friend.
This'll be a long story, I'm afraid...
Take all the time you need. As opposed to you, I have all the time in the world.
The story begins in the Eastern Marches, a far-off province east of Düsterburg...

Fade to black.

Wahnfried has our daughter, and we don't have the slightest clue what he's planning with her. We assume he's trying to do some dark thing, and Dankwart suggested we head to you, since you're an authority on the subject.
It is indeed a dark tale you've told, Grandy...
Wahnfried is planning to make contact with the Dark God, and your daughter seems to be the key...
There's a rumor going around amongst disciples of the Dark God that there's a way to give him a form in this world.
I wrote a book about this. Wait a moment...

He heads over to one of the bookshelves and comes back.

Read it! The part with the witch burning should be of particular interest to you.

Well, let's take a look inside.



The Witch Hammer

by Wilhelm von Junzt

But I saw it, and I tell you: Special attention shall be given to those words that the dying Alazifa Kazrad managed to throw out in her final agony. Spittle hung from her corner of the mouth as she threw them towards the judge:

"The firmament will darken forevermore, when from the choking depths of the cyclopian abyss of forgotten times that creature will be reborn that will give the Lord his form. Burn me! For I was not capable of being the vessel the unspeakable one desires to fill!

It must be a child of pure heart, born under an evil star! A freak in the face of eternal time! And HE will arise, for time lords over death! But there comes a time, when death ceases to exist and then his servants will rejoice the way I rejoice now!

The stars will be in alignment! The stars!" That terrible woman continued to drivel, but according to reports, her final words were undisclosed pieces of foreign language that can not be described. A secret language that was so terrible that the judge ended it by starting the fire...



You brought quite the dark story to paper there, sir von Junzt, but I don't see the connection.
Didn't you notice that the witch that wanted to give her body for the Dark God was not appropriate for it?
Well... her babbling sounded quite confusing...

You're telling me - I had to translate the shit. "Choking depths of the cyclopian abyss of forgotten times" - fuck me.

She could not take the soul of the Dark God into her body because the body must fulfill certain prerequisites.
And what are those?
I haven't understood every sentence of the prophecy myself, but look: "...born under an evil star"...
The solar eclipse?
So you did get it! Furthermore, they must be of "pure heart". This is hard to find. Most creatures have a tendency towards good or evil, but a "pure" heart is rare.
With the exception of insane people and very small children!
...and then the next passage: "...an freak in the face of eternal time...". Your daughter shouldn't even exist!
Well hello there, sir von Junzt! You're going a bit far with that!
That was not an insult towards your daughter, sir Grandy. But her existence is a paradox. She can't have been born because there was nobody to have born her.
That's right. Thanks to Wahnfried the two of us have only existed for a very short time...
But your daughter is still alive. A mistake in the time flow! That's what the prophecy is talking about.
So am I getting this right? You're saying that Wahnfried needs our daughter so that the Dark God can come into her body?
Exactly!
By the gods! We have to find Wahnfried and take the child away from her!
I'll be doing some research on "...the stars will be in alignment..." in the meantime. You can use your room upstairs if you want to rest. You haven't gotten a bit of sleep last night!

Nope, we've still got shit to do!



First of all, it's a new day, and some new people have shown up.

What do you want?
1) Who are you? 2) What do you know about Königsberg? 3) Any rumors going around?

My name is Feldherr. I'm a mighty warrior!

Feldherr is the alias of one of the guys that worked on this game. Feldherr is also a word, coming out to "commander" or "general", leading to...

Feldherr? But that's a job, not a name!
I gave myself that name! You just don't get taken seriously as a great warrior when your name is Joachim Hoffmann.
But "Feldherr"? Those are the guys that command armies and stuff. That just sounds stupid as a name!
If you keep talking like that I'll introduce you to my sword, "Admiral"!
Keep the Admiral packed away, sir Feldherr. I'll shut up.

I just arrived here myself. I want to make a name for myself in this big town as a mighty swordsman.

Some travelling merchants told me that there's big happenings in Düsterburg! A guy called "Grufti" and his friends apparently gave the duke there some real problems!
"GRUFTI"?

"Grufti" basically comes out to "crotchety old fart".

Pretty stupid name, right? Seems to be a capable guy, though. I'd love to meet that guy and join his group. I bet there's always something happening there!
1) You found him! 2) Look for him in Düsterburg, then.

Maybe we can get some respect from this guy?

However, my name isn't "Grufti", but Grandy!
Don't you be telling stories! This guy is supposed to be a mighty warrior, not some wimp!

...fucking developer cameos. No respect. No respect at all.



Now, due to Tarius dying and running after Serena, we didn't really get an opportunity to search through Serena's house. Let's change that.



Look here! This seems to be a book where Serena wrote down her expenses.
Probably to demand the money back from Wahnfried later on.

Well, yes, that's how remotely operating agents with the task to procure things generally work.

Did she also write down who she gave the money and for what?
No, these entries were made unreadable...
What enormous amounts are those? 200.000 bucks! For what?
And two times as well!
A house, perhaps?
We should be able to find out if that is the case. Transactions like that must be registered in a city like Königsberg.

Seems we now have a reason to head to city hall.



A stuffed bear! Well, that just fits perfectly!
I've noticed a while back that people that commit themselves to the Dark God seem to need things like this for balance.



And on the desk we find a little note.

Things are going bad! Urgently require ship passage to Sarabia.

W.

The note is so small... I presume it was delivered by a carrier pigeon.
I'd probably bet on a bat, instead.

Well, now we have a goal - head to city hall and see if Serena recently bought a house. I'm sure this will go off without any problems at all.



Can I help you?
We're looking for houses that got flogged recently.
What?
Umm... I mean, when somebody buys a house, that has to be written down somewhere, right? We want to know that...
You seem confused...
What my companion wants to say is that we wish to see the records of the land registry office.
Ah, now I understand. You'll have to speak to my colleague in Officium 2.
"Officium 2"? Now what is that supposed to be?
Just follow the corridor. You can't miss it.

Grandy steps away.

I hate these places!



What can I do for you?
We would like to... to...
...see the records of the land registry office.
I'm sorry, but those are not publicly available unless a very important reason is given.
A vampire is going through the city killing random people. Is that important enough for you?
One moment please...

She steps over to the bookcase in the back and then comes back.

I'm sorry, sir, but that case is not mentioned in our regulations. I can't help you.
And what if the city was burning? Is that in your regulations?!
But of course, sir. We have to be prepared for anything.
I give up...
Is there really no way for us to see those documents?
Permission from the mayor would work...
Not again...
Then we would like to speak with the mayor!
Sorry, but that's not possible. He started travelling to Düsterburg yesterday in order to talk about the future trade relations with the new duke.
Quite a lot has been happening over there recently, you must know.
We know...
Calm down, dear.
And how about permission from the baron?
That would work as well, as would one from his advisor, sir Schlangenzahn.
Never mind sir Schlangenzahn. Still, thanks. We'll get you that permission.

Yay, more running around. The true bureaucrat experience!



How can I help you?
Your gra-... umm... sir Baron, we need access to the city archives, but we need your permission to do so.
I understand. Give me half an hour and I'll have a permission written up for you.
1) Alright, we'll wait until then. 2) We'll come back later.

Let's come back later - we've got other things to be doing, since we have one more track to follow up on.



A grave... the usual hiding spot for a vampire.
Especially when it has an opening mechanism like this one...
You're right, Malthur - the grave can be pushed back.



Shazam!

Yuck! It smells like a slaughterhouse down there!



Can somebody turn on the light?

Good thing we brought our lantern. The cavern itself is entirely uninteresting bar one thing...



...a coffin! And vampires on my ass - please don't attack me. I don't want to fight you because .

Wahnfried's coat of arms...

We open it, and...



...god damnit.



Yeah, this goes about the way you'd expect at this point. Libra unleashes murder, Grandy unleashes murderdeath, and Malthur unleashes murderdeathkill. These fuckers don't last long. Now, let's look back at that coffin.

...soil!
Excellent!



Kaboom! One down, two to go. Now, I think the baron should have our permission slip ready.



Ah, there you are. I've already had your letter written up.

And we get the permission slip. Wow, that was surprisingly easy. I guess I'm still not used to the idea of government actually being on our side for once. Back to city hall!



Here's your letter.
Wonderful. Just follow the corridor. The archives are in the cellar.



First, however, we have doors we can knock on.

Hmm... no response...
Wait, there's something written here:

Room 003 - Mayor

The mayor's office is closed until further notice due to a business trip. Please report to the secretariat in room 002!

Of course...

We walk to the next door and knock.

Nobody's opening...
Oh, there's something written here:

Room 002 - Secretariat

The secretary is currently on vacation. Please report to Officium 3 in room 001.

Oh man, they're really giving you the runaround here.

Over to the last door, another knock.

Nobody's opening...
Oh, there's something written here:

Room 001 - Officum 3

Officium 3 is closed for the next few days due to sickness. In very important cases, please report to the mayor in room 003.

I can't believe it! First they send you through the entire place and then you end up right where you started from!

Well, that was fruitful. What's in that cupboard?



Let's see what we've got here...
Samples of certificates, tax returns and application forms for a certain...
..."Permit A-38"?
I best put that back, everything's already starting to spin.

This is the best reference. If you don't get it, just watch this. Hell, even if you get it, watch it again. Hell, just watch the entire movie again. Love it.

Anyway, let's check out the cellar.



Plenty of shit around here. Every bookcase has its own dialogue attached to it, so let's get going.

Oh my. The deaths of the last few centuries...
There were quite a few deaths 21 years ago. The cause given here is the "White Fever".
We know the real cause!

Records of all married couples in Königsberg.
There's nothing like that for us...
We'll make up for that... promise!

Here are all the births of the last centuries.

Records of witch burnings, mass murders and other court cases.
Surely entertaining reading, but not quite what we're looking for.

Interesting! Plans for the sewers of Altenburg!
No thanks.

Here it is! All entries are about buying and selling of any sort of land of the last century.
The last few years should be enough.
Ah, here's Serena. She bought a house three months ago... in the "Katzengasse", number 5.
Every proper archive also has city maps. That would save us some annoying questions.

Well, let's keep looking, then.

Also, "Katzengasse" comes out to "cat alley". As if there wasn't enough cats here already.

A register of the guilds in Königsberg.
That doesn't help us at all.

Now what the hell is this supposed to be? A whole bunch of numbers without any context...
Ah, here we go. This is a listing of every produced unit of a certain thing in Königsberg. That being...
...
...
...MEATBALLS?
Ah, I remember... until about a hundred years ago, Königsberg was pretty much only known for its excellent meatballs. There weren't any academies here or anything... just a bunch of butchers.
And why not today? Since we've been here, I haven't seen a single meatball.
As far as I can remember, there was a bit of a scandal regarding the recipe...
Sounds interesting. Tell me more!
Come on, boys, you can gossip over recipes later. The day doesn't last forever and the night belongs to the vampires.

Sounds like mystery meat.

And yes, "Königsberger Klopse", as they are referred to in the original text, are a real thing. It's pretty good stuff. I've had a few myself, and when made well, they're really delicious. Capers aren't quite my bag, though.

Tax revenue records...
Take a look under "W" for "Wahnfried", maybe we can get him for tax evasion.
Do you really think so?
No... not "really".

Hey, worked for Capone, so why not a vampire?

A listing of all civil servants and dignitaries of the last few decades.
If we took the time, I'm sure we could uncover enough dirt and corruption to keep the inquisition busy for years.
If you need something to do after we take care of Wahnfried, go right ahead!

Records of unsolved mysteries and unpunished crimes...
We've already got enough to do.

Here we have all sorts of legal foundations that can be looked up during tough cases.
I'm sure that's interesting, but not quite the topic we're looking for.

Here it is! All sorts of maps that have even the smallest alley in Königsberg.
Look for the "Katzengasse".



There's Katzengasse number 5. Right at the pier.

Great, but before we go there, we've got some other places to seek out.



First of all, there's this house in Altenberg...



...which is actually Robert Bloch's office!

Greetings, sir Grandy. I've been wondering how long it would take before you visited me in my office.
How am I supposed to take that, doctor?
Well, even the simplest farm boy can see that you're getting worked up over your hero role in a pathological way.
And that leads to you having a compulsive desire to help everybody, even if that help is not desired.
This neurosis is quite common with you warrior-types. It's also called "world-saver-syndrome".
I'm not really sure if I'm up for being overanalyzed by a shrink...
This defensive reaction is typical for people like you. I'd suggest thinking it over...
I'll give you a special bargain, too!
1) Tell me about Königsberg. 2) Tell me about your work. 3) I need your help!

Königsberg is a goldmine for my profession. The standard of life is too high. Because of that, everybody constantly thinks up new illnesses they have, just to make their everyday life more dramatic.
And of course, there is Wilhelm von Junzt, may he rest in peace in whatever hell he landed in...
The old fart never paid his bills, but in the end, he brought me quite a few patients in a roundabout way.
How am I supposed to take that?
Well, his books are quite popular here. The people can't get enough of them.
Perhaps one should attach a package insert to those scribblings warning of the following side effects:
Nightmares, paranoia, loss of sleep, lack of appetite - the list is practically endless.
Luckily, there's a doctor in town that knows all about these things, and that's me.

When I finally managed to come back home after your little fiasco, the patients were practically piling up in front of my door. Symptoms: All sorts of delusions! I have no explanation for the mass appearance of this disease pattern.
But like I always say - as long as the money keeps rolling in, I'm not going to complain.

I knew you were going to come to your senses - for a paltry 200 bucks we can start with the first session!
That's not all that cheap, but it's worth it for the sake of my soul...
Alright, Grandy... let's start there, where all your problems began... let's talk about your mother!

...you know, I've got a sneaking suspicion I know where this is going.

Now what does my mother have to do with this?
Without your mother, the world would not have seen this textbook example of the world-saver-syndrome... after all, she put you into this world.
Well, I can't actually tell you anything about my mother...
Your relation was that terrible? Come on, Grandy! Tell the good doctor about the unspeakable...
You don't understand! I can't remember my mother at all!
I see... textbook case of repression...
I'm not repressing anything! The dark duke stole my memories of my actual life!
...guilt rejection...
Furthermore, I'd like to know why you keep harping on about this. I believe you must have had a little problem with your mother as well!
...projection...
Now don't you keep talking down on me with all your fancy words! I can't remember, and that's that!
Well, then I suppose we'll just have to accept that for now... but your behavior does allow for some inferences regarding your relation with your mother.
Really? Now that would be interesting...
Your mother was definitely a very dominant woman that couldn't stand the fact that little boys have to explore their limits.
She controlled you the entire time, and the entire time you'd have to repress your desires just to please your mother! Your desire of freedom and adventure grew with the years, as did your hate for your mother! Finally, you came to the sickening conclusion that you had to take the role of your mother yourself. You went to her wardrobe...

So yeah, Bloch here is not just an allusion to Robert Bloch as a protege of Lovecraft, but also Robert Bloch as the author of Psycho.

Now what? Your story's just starting to get interesting...
Nothing... do some soul-searching and think hard about what I said. You can come back the day after tomorrow.
What? And I paid 200 bucks for this?
Just wait until my descriptions have settled in your mind. Then you'll understand. Currently, your defensive demeanor is too strong.

Well, that was interesting. Let's leave...



Robert?
A woman's voice? But there's nobody else here!
It's nothing, mother... just a few patients...
I told you not to work so hard all the time, Robert. And don't forget my hot-water bag again when you come up!
Yes, mother... I definitely won't forget it...
Now I see where this guy gets his mother stories from.

Hrm. Well, anyway, we've got something else to do.



Particularly, we need to check back in the little shack in Klipping, because...



By the gods! How terrible! That poor little dog!
That was the cats, that's for sure. Look at the wounds! Little sharp claws... definitely!
There's something written on his collar... "Fidibus"...
That's Hagolf's dog. We have to tell him what happened to his little friend.
We'll bring Fidibus to him...



I'm really worried about Fidibus... he won't go out of the way of a confrontation with a cat, and they have the numbers advantage right now.
Hagolf, I'm so sorry... but... we found your Fidibus. The cats got him...
That... that... a man bears even a tragedy like that with dignity. Please... leave me alone with Fidibus...

Well, that was depressing. As you can probably gather, that was a necessary trigger for that killer cat sidequest.



Now, for our main objective.

Katzengasse number five... this is the place.
Locked!
That was to be expected.
Should we... 1) ...come back later? 2) ...open the door with our lockpick? 3) ...run down the door?

Now... you're supposed to come back later, at night, when the guard is no longer here. The other two options are Bad Things. However... there is a bit of leeway with the Bad Things. It's pretty tough, but you can stomach one or two, after all, avoiding all of them can be quite the task for somebody that doesn't know what he's in for (and without reading a guide, you won't). This is one of those moments where taking the Bad Thing actually leads to a fairly decently sized extra scene, so let's do it. Lockpick away!

Grandy looks over to the guard.

This guy has to be blind for him to not notice this...
1) Doesn't matter! 2) Let's not do this.

The game does give you a chance to back out. But we won't take that. We open the door, and...



Say, have you gone mad! This is a decent city, and breaking and entering means going to the dungeon here!
Umm... I forgot my keys...
You can tell that to Reyven Krähenschwinge!
Sometimes, I really wonder how you managed to get this far, Grandy.





That's the way I like it! First act like a big shot, then break the law! You're going to grow mold here, sir Grandy!
But sir Krähenschwinge! We had our reasons, believe me! In that house...
Silence! You can tell that to the judge!
And when will that be?
The date will be determined by the mayor, so it'll be quite some time...

Reyven goes to leave.

If they make any trouble, you know what to do!
Kick, beat, lock them up! Got it, commander.

And he leaves, so let's talk to the guard to see if we can't get out of here somehow.



HEY, GUARD! COME OVER HERE!
What are you screaming about, pal?
1) I'm bored. 2) Who are you? 3) I have an offer for you.

This is one of those conversations where we have to tread carefully. We can get a game over here. First, let's ask who he is.

My name is Roderick von Deppen. I've been with the guards for 40 years, and got clavi, flatfeet and bow legs from it.
1) "Von Deppen"? 2) That must have been a hard life.

The first option leads to Grandy laughing at his name - as I previously pointed out with Deppert Drombusch and the Deppen in the Rabenstein Marches, "Depp" means "idiot". This, as you can imagine, is not a good idea. Let's go with the other one instead.

That sounds like a hard life. It's about time you get rewarded for your hardship!
Nice speech. What are you suggesting?

Now we select the third option.

Listen, Baron Davidoff has to know that we're stuck here. Can't you do that for us?
You must be crazy! That could cost me my job!
1) So? 2) Davidoff will take care of that!

Obviously, just going "meh" isn't going to solve things. Option two it is.

Well, of course you can just say that. How about a little risk pay?
5000 bucks? Would that be enough?
That sounds reasonable. I can't just disappear here, though. You'll have to wait until my shift is over.

If we didn't have that money, Grandy would offer one of his swords to him - and yes, you can lose your good weapons here. I guess that could be what the dagger is for? Well, no, because Grandy can't equip it, and the offering process goes through Grandy's equipped weapons. In fact, only Dankwart can equip that dagger, and spoiler alert, he's not going to come back into our party! What the fuck is that dagger for?

Anyway, now that we convinced the guy to talk to the baron to bust us out, it's time to go to sleep until that happens.



Here's an interesting thing I noticed while saving - after Tarius dies, the pictures of our party change. Attention to detail!



And with that, night falls on Königsberg. Next time? Königsberg by night! And you know what that means? That's right, it's time to get shitfaced!