Veil of Darkness - A Weapon for Every Being

Written by Zenic Reverie

Thanks for hanging around.

The mace I found at the monastery was quite effective against the skeletons, and good thing too because no other weapon made a mark on their bones. Combat beyond normal wolves and bats has required a dedicated weapon to deal damage. This has led me to cautiously approach new enemies, and keep most weapons handy. I dispatched them one at a time, retreating to heal at the gypsy camp. With those two cleared I was clear to explore the graveyard and collected some betony. I found there wasn't much else to do without a means to banish the guardian in front of the crypt. Next location of interest was a crossroads that connected the towns. Here was the man hanged for the murder of Eduard. His soul, still attached to his body, had much to say. He warned me to stay away from a nearby hut that was home to an old crone.

I promise I won't give it to the witch unless it's part of the quest.

Ambrose, the hanged man, wanted his soul redeemed. Finding the true murderer was necessary. Continuing to claim full innocence, he elaborated that the magistrate had to make an example of someone to appease the Dark Lord Kairn. While in this limbo state he communicated with the spirits of the monks from the monastery, blaming their deaths on the nearby witch. The key she sought from the monks unlocks their library where a book called Etheric Rites is held. How Ambrose came by the key wasn't covered.

The witch, Monika, wasn't completely mad as Ambrose claimed.

Monika was driven to such extreme measures in order to free her grandfather, Vladmihr, who was hunted down as a vampire. It turned out that's whose spirit guards the mausoleum in the graveyard. At first, she thought the book was on the island in the middle of Blackwater Lake, but discovered it actually resided in the library below the monastery. She mentioned that she even went as far as to research how to revive the ferryman, but would only assist in doing so if I helped put her grandfather's spirit find rest. I showed her the talisman I bought from Constatine, and she identified it as a charm of protection.

Great, I'm putting this on right now!

I returned to the cemetery to hash things out with the spirit of Vladmihr. He wasn't much help. He confirmed Monika's story, and would let no one pass. I stopped by the swamp where the airplane was dragged and picked up a knapsack, machete, rope, pistol, and a lighter. Then I ended up back in the first village to ask Annabelle about some herbs I'd collected and sell some excess. She reacted very strongly to some parsley I picked from Kregorh's garden, claiming only murderers planted that herb. That was the third clue implicating him, and enough for Aleksai to set things right. Ambrose was declared innocent, and Kregorh was hung on the same tree.

Kregorh's book of souls told me Kirill's son's name.

I returned to Christiana with the name of her beloved. She immediately snapped out of her trance after I spoke it. She had one request: that I kill Andrei. He was returned to life as a zombie by the Dark Lord, a bargain struck by Kirill. Christiana had spied them digging up Andrei's grave, and followed them to the castle. She had watched in horror as they wrangled a zombie that was her betrothed back to Kirill's house. When I confronted Kirill, he offered some resistence before I name dropped Christiana. He then gave me the key to the room. At the same time, he informed me that Deirdre was taken by Kairn... most likely to his stronghold. Before I confronted a zombie I returned to Ambrose, received the key, and used it to find the book of rites.

Even though this is merely a fetch quest, I liked following the clues to perform the rites.

A candle was previously bought and now blessed by the monk. I had enough silver to request a bell be forged by the silversmith. Monika's story of her grandfather mentioned an iron spike that was driven into Vladmihr's skull to prevent him rising again (obviously it didn't work). The gravedigger's shovel proved handy beyond using it as a weapon. Candle lit, I used Deirdre's ribbon to hold the bell aloft, and stuck it with the iron spike. The guardian vanished with a roar. The mausoleum was home to skeletons and zombies, of which I could only destroy the skeletons. I'm thankful that creatures appear to remain destroyed. I skirted around the zombies that crawled throughout the crypts below, finding some items scattered throughout. The most interesting room held the spirits of Kairn's family. The floor was decorated with triangular patterns which formed six pointed stars.

Nikolae tells of more fetching to do.

I learned much from Constatine about the old family. Enough that I should be able to piece together what each brother and their father most desires from their former life. Unfortunately part of the curse that binds them also prevents them from revealing exactly what will free them. Nathan probably wants something from the dark forest, so I decide to go there next. Michael immediately responded to the gold quill. Aleksander could need his head or rapier. Khristian most likely desires his violin. That's two reasons to return to the Severed Head. Feodor probably wants one of the coins he minted. Whatever Peter wants is probably at Blackwater lake. Nikolae is still a bit of a mystery, though maybe the dagger that killed him would do or the diamond from his ring that Kirill had in his possession (actually in his son's coat). Having gone toe-to-toe with zombies below the mausoleum I knew I didn't have the proper weapon to kill them yet.

Time to go werewolf hunting.

Erasmus plated silver onto the bullet in the pistol for only 2 coins. I then went around asking everyone about the werewolf. The mayor's butler laid the death of Kregorh on my hands even though he had been guilty of killing Eduard. The bulter helped Kregorh hide the body and kept it secret. Something more may be afoot, but he wasn't the werewolf. As I continued my search, I was a little too lax in preparing for a fight. While I had the gun in hand I was way too close to fend off any attack.

Next time aim the gun before accusing people.

Boris was a bit upset to learn I had to kill his werewolf of a wife. Aleksai produced the pouch of coins, in which was one that stood out from the others. I saved it for Feodor and spent the remaining on a silver sword before I ventured into the Dark Forest. There I met a woodsman who spoke of wolves and banshees. I did have to dispatch a few wolves before I found a branch from a rowan tree. Giving this to the gypsy man Carolus rewarded me with a beautifully carved staff imbued with magic symbols. This staff is so far the only weapon that can take out the zombies. I returned to the village intent on killing Kirill's zombie son. But first I stopped by the Severed Head to ask for the violin, only to find Jascha torn to bits in his room by the werewolf (must have happened before I killed her)... luckily the violin was untouched. Next to Jascha was a pouch with a key that opened the locked door in the catacombs behind which I found a signet ring and a wide belly jar painted with a face. In another room of the inn, Matthias was resting after having been assaulted by someone named Crazy Frank. He told me where Frank lived and talked about creating a voodoo doll from one of Frank's teeth, but the gypsy woman wouldn't do it given the motivation for revenge. I wasn't sure why, but I ended up buying one of Crazy Frank's teeth from Matthias.

Sometimes the main character has more of an idea of what's going on than I do.

Since I was at the camp, I also had the healer make the medicine for Natalia.

I gave the potion to Natalia's mother. Natalia came back to lucidity. Grateful, her mother gave me a golden pin. I had tried to intimidate Crazy Frank with the voodoo doll using an iron spike, lighter, and silver sword all to no avail. But, this tiny pin, that's what he feared I'd stab the doll with. Natalia started rambling about speaking with her dead father while she was in the depths of her madness. Lucian's spirit, Natalia's father, was waiting for me in the graveyard. He bestowed a key to me, and cautioned to beware the hedge maze for it is most dangerous. Before heading to Crazy Frank, I returned to Kirill's house and used the staff to take down his zombified son, retrieving a crystal.

Back to Crazy Frank and his crazy story.

Frank told me about a cave to the west where some vampire women scared him. As he ran through the cave he saw a book floating in the air chained up. That's the Agrippa. I didn't see the cave on the map initially, only the hedge maze to the west, but the cave is just below it. I haven't been to either yet and ended my session here with two new locations to explore. I still have to return the violin. I've also collected a number of potions; yet I find it easier to take enemies down one at a time, then return after visiting the gypsy healer before taking on another one since their numbers appear limited. I'm on the look out for an ivory horn the witch can enchant, a way to deal with the balls of light hovering near the lake, and any information on how to take out the banshee. I don't think I'm ready to take on the stronghold to rescue Deirdre, but that also might be a location to keep in mind. I've run into the weight limit a couple times, and dropped off the pitchfork and shovel at the gypsy camp for the time being.

Overall some steady progress on the main quest.

Session Time: 2h 30m
Game Time: 9h 15m

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