High up in the North in the land called Svithjod, there stands a rock. It is a hundred miles high and a hundred miles wide. Once every thousand years a little bird comes to this rock to sharpen its beak. When the rock has thus been worn away, then a single day of eternity will have gone by.
— “The Story of Mankind”, Hendrik Willem Van Loon
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear
Young girl, Aya, stands terrified before nightmarish abomination. How she found herself in this situation? How it all begun? Nevermind. We must preserve and go.
While monster cannot move, it is wise to get away. Go up stairs back to East Hall. Most logical thing to do now is, of course, opening safe. From Code Memo and known information we can conclude that code is 7482 (that’s it, seven, four, eight, two). Go to Mom’s Bedroom and enter it (Z, select proper numbers from keypad and OK). Safe contains mom’s belongings.
There’s a lamp there. It might be useful… I guess I’ll take it! Just borrowing this, mom…
Something else fell out.
? This is… Mom’s perfume…
Uh, oh… flashback incoming! Alert! I repeat, FLASHBA-
Is he still at work?
Doctor…
…Eh? Fat… her?
Wild domestic mom suddenly appears.
Aya, there you are! Doesn’t your father always tell you not to go into the basement?
M… Mom…
Mother checks door.
I can’t believe this… some girl he picked up on the street! I won’t forgive him…
Mom rans away to her room.
Rrgh… this stupid thing…!!
…and in fit of rage throws perfume outside. Aya takes it.
Mom’s usually so nice, but she seemed so different then…
Flashback ends.
This perfume… I put it back on her dresser after that, but… she took care of it… that’s good. After all, mom got this from father on their anniversary… so I’m sure mom loved father to the very end… I’ll take it as a charm… alright mom?
In my circle people that talk with dead are called necromants. Okay, leave alone that cellphone, flash grenades, shotgun, 50 shells, first-aid kit and walk out of Mom’s room. What? I swear, they were inside!
Visit your room again – red-eyed stranger is obviously gone long ago. Oh, Snowball waked up. It is dangerous to go alone! Take him.
Here, Showball! Snowball loves father too, don’t you?
Why screen darkens? Oh for love of nonexistant God, not this again!
Snowball! Snowbaaall! Where are you?
Aya looks around.
I’m worried…
Small white animal with long ears runs into courtyard.
Snowball!
Rabbit runs into Aya’s lap.
W
here did you get to? I was so worried when you disappeared! I couldn’t wrap up that wound with you running around! Wait, huh? Your wound’s healed…
Father enters scene.
Whew… what a troublesome rabbit.
Father!
Aya, try to not let Snowball out of your sight, will you? The rabbit made a mess of the kitchen.
Sorry… Snowball must’ve been trying to get a bite of Maria’s cooking again, huh… did you find Snowball, father?
Yes, and healed that leg wound while I was at it.
Good thing father’s around, huh Snowball? Thank you, father!
Snowball’s a member of the family, treated as well as any other.
Yeah!
Out of flashback.
Let’s go save father together!
Checking out things again in her room… la la la laaa… wait, why the hell there are animal corpses in her drawers?! Let’s pretend nothing happened.
N
ext t
hing to do is returning back to Archives. Remember, you ran away prematurely due to some pesky ghost. Wuss.
Time to read rest of shelves, bottom row, from right. At fourth shelf you will find “The Flame Egg”.
Ah, I remember this book… there’s a girl who has the mysterious power to control fire… and she goes to a journey to find the family she’s been separated from. Proclaiming “Burn all those in my way!”, she did exactly that to all her foes. But I think in the end, her power got out of control and destroyed the world… so she never met her family in the end. She was all alone. A poor girl all alone… If I lose father, I’ll be alone too… I don’t want it… I have to save father quick!
Last interesting thing on shelfs is handwritten memo.
“Humans are beautiful. But that beauty soon fades. That is the law of this world. But I have overturned it. After years of research, I have found “eternal beauty”.
A body that will never fade even in death. A body as fresh as when they were still alive. They have eternal beauty within their grasp.”
Oh, and ghost left Pendant. Take this, obviously. Return to Mom’s bedroom and use Pendant when you are on pool of blood.
Familiar child enters room.
Collina!
MAMAAA…
A
ya moves out of way, Collina runs to mother and hug her. They dissapear, leaving gem. Good job, you just saved first two souls. There will be more later.
Time to enter place where we weren’t before: Cafateria! You already have key, so it is matter of going to Entrance Hall and using middle large door.
Little messy here, noi
ses from those hall zombies can be still heard, yet another crow (how many there are?), and something is behind curtain… dead body?! If you walk away, body with horrible cuts will fall to floor, revealing seventh gem on windowsill. Of course, to get it, you must stand on corpse. How fun.
Go right, to Kitchen. Other noise starts to be clearer… like something voraciously eating meat in mess… oh, shit, this is giant zombie dog!
At le
ast it is busy, so you can partially explore kitchen. Open underside of sink – eighth gem will fall out. In gas cooker you will find Oil. This carpet looks unhinged, try to flatten corner… wait. Thers is something under it.
Heh, another secret passage? I guess this kind of mansion is full of them.
Open it (stand on it and Z), obviously.
Yikes… it’s pitch black… oh… the lamp!
Not very much is visible in Storehouse Entrance. Door is locked. Next to it is hole in wall. Aya will not fit in, but her companion will. Yes, Snowball, we count on you!
Please, Snowball…
We
are in control of miniscule brain of this small mammal. Run left, up and right – you will find Lighter Oil. Take it in teeth and return back. That was short.
Control back to Aya. Snowball runs away, but Aya manages to get Lighter Oil, so all is good. But you… may not want to check wall hole again, as something red flows out. A little unsettled, we decide to go back. Suddenly darkness.
Oh no! The light went out?! …
You can hear her tries to light it up again.
Why won’t it work? Please…
! Was someone… behind me…? Just imagining it…
Maybe Aya thinks that, but I am sure Mom’s Perfume was in inventory just a while ago. Oookay… I think we better get out. Up to Kitchen, exit left to Caf- AAAH this dog! Run away! In Cafateria some mindless monsters from nowhere roams around table. Don’t stay in their way and all will be fine. Go back to Entrance Hall and right into East Hall. It changed a little.
Yes, indeed. It is as you think – we have everything needed to kill abomination below. Go and stand before this blasphemy. First, use Lighter Oil to fill Empty Lighter.
With it move forward…
I can’t get through here… what should I do… ! It’s like in The Flame Egg… “Burn all those in my way!” Yeah! I can burn it! But… how…?
…and confirm use of oil and lighter. Aya will throw oil at flesh and light it.
IT HURTS… HELP… ME…
Ah… No…
Aya runs away, scared by what she did. When she goes back, only bloody smear is visible on floor.
Go right. You will find yourself Outside Laboratory.
Fat
her’s laboratory and it’s terrible content can wait. Walk down to Taxidermy Room. Its fairly dark here, but you can take Wood Bucket next to entrance.
Walk down and left, checking shelves. Aya will not like what she discovers.
Gross…!
When walking away, Aya will notice something fell out. Ew, Eyeball Bottle? Yet again heroine of horror game, that just balked at gross things on shelves, apparently don’t have any problems at all with pocketing bottle with eyeballs. Huh.
Ti
me to put out fire in Reception Room! Up, left, up, left, left through Entrance Hall, enter Reception Room and walk into Courtyard. Use Wodden Bucket on pond to fill it with water. Transport filled bucked to fire and use Z. Excellent, enter fireplace.
There is no doubt, someone cries! Push out wood to uncover hole. Somewhere down girl weeps. How, why, for how long? We don’t know how to help. Nothing more left to do – time to enter laboratory. Save before – you have crow literally next to lab door.
! Maria!
Aya runs to assistant.
You’re wounded…
Ah… But I will be fine… forget me. Escape somewhere safe… It is… dangerous here…
Where’s father? I heard him scream from my room…
Ah…! I must save the doctor!
Maria tries to stand, but falls back.
Oof…
You can’t go with that wound!
But…
Maria, what happened to father?
The doctor is further in… his wife, she…
! His wife…? My mom? What do you mean?! Maria!
…
Maria!
My, it seems she’s passed out.
How convenient. Aya notices someone in other corner of laboratory.
You again…
Deeper into underground maze…
What did Maria see? Mom passed away, right…? What’s going on here? Don’t tell me the curse…
You’ll only be able to confirm your suspicions by pressing on, won’t you?
Ogre enters other door out of laboratory.
What a weird guy…
You are in control. Check out Maria twice – you will find Room Key.
Remember door in Archives? That’s her room – and now you have her key. Walk there – on your way you will be haunted multiple times by same ghost, looking very, very sad.
I
n West Passage, door to Archives opens by itself. How inviting. After witnessing last ghost enter Maria’s room.
Only interesting thing inside is bookshelf, where you find diary.
Could this be… Maria’s diary?
“Doctor, it has been a year to the day since I came to this mansion. I will never forget that day…”
Please… food… food…
Food… somebody…
Father notices her and comes closer.
A bum…? (She could be a fine subject with some work…)
Well, it wasn’t unexpected way of acquiring subjects. No one will notice or care about vanishing hobos and other homeless.
It’s pitiful to see one so skinny… come to my home, please. I’ll give you clothes and delicious meals.
After that unsurprisingly she lands in cell.
I’ll tell my family about you.
Family…?
I have a wife and a girl turning 7. I’m sure they would welcome you.
Family…
Alfred walks away. Maria notices someone badly hurt on bed. Is this ghost that appeared before Aya on way to her room?
Ah… ooh… oogh…
(Is this person like me…?)
Oof… ugh…
(What awful injuries… it must hurt… perhaps I could do something…)
Maria tries to find something in shelfs.
Whew… hew…
(My skirt won’t be enough cloth… but the only other cloth I have is…)
S
he continues her work, halfnaked. When Aya’s father discovers it, he is amazed by it.
(I’m surprised… he was about to die, but he recovered overnight… it seems he was given excellent treatment.) Did you treat him?
How handy… You’re exceptionally talented.
Please. I…
(I couldn’t let this go to waste…)
What’s your name?
Ah…? Uh… I’m… I am… Maria…
Maria, hm? An appropriate name.
Father crouch next to her.
Maria, would you be my assistant?
Oh…?
I do not wish to lose you. Please, stay with me.
…!
Well…? Will you entrust me with the rest of your life?
Maria smiles for the first time.
Yes…
So, instead of becoming victim of Alfred’s mad experiments, Maria becomes accomplice instead. Yay?
“I was so happy… so happy you had saved me. I was alone, but you made me needed. You gave me love. As long as I am needed, I will stay with you. How would I live without you… I love you, doctor…”
… I never really knew anything about Maria, after all… Maria must really love father, too.
G
o back to Laboratory and enter door. In long corridor, lined up with vats, body in labcoat lies far away, at end.
Father!
Aya runs towards him, but someone familiar appears.
M… mom? Is that you?
Mom and father’s body suddely moves away through door.
No way… was that really mom…? There’s no way I mistook her… that was mom… why was even mom…? It must be the curse, right?
Haven’t you noticed?
Ogre moves in sight from one of vats.
This tragedy was brought about by the power of a woman’s curse. The malice for your father… that malice turned to a curse, seeking out your father’s death.
Could that woman be…
So you do realize. Yes, your mother.
That can’t be!
Why do you think that?
Because mom loved father! Mom even understood father’s work… and father loved mom in return. Wasn’t mom happy? I couldn’t believe she has a grudge against father… but… maybe mom didn’t like father and Maria… I don’t want it to be true… but…
So you’ll go find the truth?
…
Aya exits corridor.
What horrible truth awaits? What possibly could be worse than we already know? We will discover it, eventually. Look forward to part 4!
Sanity Is Overrated 