Chapter One

The city is walled off but there are ways to the woods if not just over the wall, one could explore forever but for the purpose of telling, the tale follows the immediate events, each prologue covering a different region.

Here the city.  As inevitably the player reaches the mayor's manor on the far edge of town from the dock.

('Trying to Get to Heaven' ~ Dylan cover by Bowie)

 

A decadent mass overflows its steps and balconies, desperately celebrating desperation itself to stave off the Hell seeking them from beneath their feet.

 

They player passes through as they mock their own fates in masquerade of the demons which hunt them.  Walled off by the parapets as long as they'll hold while everyone knows in the end, they will not.

 

Blowing fire into the air drunkenly, one is ignited to flight, encircled and pushed back with sticks and beaten til dead in their revelry.  The crow sounds.

 

They shy away as cowered beasts, reminded by the Killer's presence who and what they've become.

 

Their guest's success will save them, but leave them no reason for their current state which they've come to prefer.  Fearing to lose their reasons why for madness slightly less than the death the Killer's come to spare them.

 

Damnation feared even less than that, in spite of Hell's growth all around them.  The tones at play among Vampyres.  Among nobility it's considered an expensive serum to the madness which besets the useless.

Every glance as they all cease their variety leads directly to cowering away in their shames or their lasciviousness poking its curiosities forth for simply being something new.  Powerful.  Desire.

Tones become hushed as a path is cleared to the mayor, while in the rooms it's much the same.  Levity becomes silence.  Up the steps and through the crowd swirly to the dance, the Mayor atop the stairs chatting his accountant.

'The Mayor' - "Ah.  Welcome.  Your secrets are safe with us, we have aplenty our own.  And we'll keep you here as well, to be safe from these secrets you flee."

Killer - "I don't flee my past and I haven't chosen to stay.  You're another safe harbor on my own personal map.  Though I admit.  It is very nicely out of the way."

Mayor - "As we sought it.  And to the point, our sad little tale."

Killer - "I'll tell you.  Your perfect world was lost because of someone betrayed you.  Correct ?"

Mayor - A smile, "Correct."

Killer - "So I'm assuming your cult's founder is at the heart of the matter.  Where's the body ?"

...

Mayor - "In the Mortuarium."

Killer - "Really."

...

Mayor - "A place we do not go."

Killer - "But you do have the key."

...

Mayor - "I do.  But you cannot let anything escape."

Killer - Smiles and starts loading up.  "What happens then ?"

Mayor - "Then Hell takes us all.  Even you.  Surely it's where you were headed along your way here, so I'd imagine our plight interests you only in the most 'selfless' of terms."

Killer - "If you could see you in the mirror saying that to me."

Mayor - "There are no mirrors in this house.  Your room key in the nearest motel.  Gather your companion and meet me at the Mortuarium."

Killer - "Companion ?"

Mayor - "Another one come to ... 'save us all'."  A laugh, "Of course.  Be good to that one, you have more in common than you know."

Killer - "I'm not splitting the check."

Mayor - "I didn't ask.  Meet me at the Mortuarium.  And then to meet our maker.  Without me."

Killer - "Isn't that what everyone wants ?"

Mayor - Turning away to the returning sounds of celebration, "Far fewer I think than those who like to say it.  I've already mourned him."

________________

 

At the Motel ~

Lady at the desk - "Ah !  The killer killer ... killer killer ... ha !  Thank God for you there's plenty a doin' for that around here.  Chelsea Cotter.  I'm not one a them.  Yer one of us.  Room's up the stairs ... the one what don't sound like fucking."

Indeed the case and one the noisy ones may even be unlocked !  Two for the second play-through and three for the third ?  (the hot coffee mod was terrible)

 

Found the right room, inside sitting on the bed reading, The Learner.

Learner - Spots the Killer, "Ho-lee shit look at you.  They tried to tell me but hm.  Mm-hm.  You must be the total fucking psychopath.  As requested."  Circles in bemused examination ...

Killer - Drops the weapons to refit the pistols to his gear.  "That's a dated term.  No legitimate practitioner uses it anymore." 

Learner - "Who told you that !?"

Killer - Begins disassembly with the tools from his belt.  "My therapist.  It did actually make me feel a little better."

Learner - "Nice.  Got any pills ?"

Killer - "Sometimes."

Learner - "Well then ... looks like I'm your Demonologist."

Killer - "I heard they call you 'the Learner'."

Learner - "I've learned a lot of things.  Now I'm learning that."

 

Killer - "Huh.  Me too."  Done adjusting the gear, "Shall we 'away to the Mortuarium' then ?" 

Learner - "Delighted."  Notes the crow on the sill, "Funny that."  Then back to the Killer, "So you're here to kill everything out of my way while I solve the great big mysteries of these freaks lives, right ?"

Killer - "I would very much like to believe that's the case.  Lead the way."

________________

On the first play through, any companion has the same stats as you and grows from there.  If playing through again, the Learner here is your own character from that prior play (still has gear).

The Learner seems uniquely aware that they're in a game.

Takes nothing seriously but the puzzle of it, and is only frustrated at the times a gamer would be, as opposed to a character who believed what was happening is real.

A platform and puzzle player mostly, likes to activate all the mini missions when you're not looking, then run off finding keys and secrets, babbling them on return.

Pretty much everything a shoot-gamer hates doing, this one does automatically.  Very talky, immediately flees all battle and swears a lot when hit, occasionally badass.