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Deuteragonists
An Avatar Legends adventure by Richard Hartshorn
Guide Contents
Basics
Main Characters
The Provinces
Using the Press
Game Walkthrough
Item Notebook
Allies and Relationships
Book Locations List
Supporting Cast and Antagonists
Trivia and References
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Deuteragonists
Basics
This game was made using the Avatar Legends builder on Xbox 360 Arcade.
Controls:
X – attack (character will draw weapon automatically during battle)
Y – magic (if applicable)
B – access menu sub-screens
A – interact with characters and objects
Level Up
The player character (henceforth known as the Writer) will “level up” upon earning 100
experience points. XP can be earned by defeating enemies, but this is not a game in which to
“grindquest” - much more experience can be earned by completing quests that require some sort of
thought.
Upon leveling up, the Writer may allocate 10 attribute points to whichever talents (s)he chooses.
Strength, Stamina, and Endurance will aid in physical combat skills; Intelligence and Wisdom bolsters
magic effectiveness; and Speech is necessary to make the Writer a silver-tongued wordsmith who can
outsmart even the cleverest of enemies. Additionally, Speech will occasionally allow the Writer to lie
to other characters by coming up with a clever canard off the top of her/his head.
Travel
At the ends of certain paths, you will see two lit torches. Stepping between these torches will
lead you to the next map. “Fast-travel” to the Library hub is available during most parts of the main
game, and similar fast-travel to other maps may become available depending upon your actions in the
story. Additionally, your Ship Captain (the identity of which will change depending upon your actions
in the story) can bring you to provinces you've already visited.
Choices
Deuteragonists is full of player choice. Your choices in each of the five main provinces will
affect the development of the province and the people within it, as well as whose aid (if any) you will
have as you move forward in your adventure. Choices may range from making a snarky comment or
introducing yourself in a funny way, to choosing the new leader of a town, to destroy a castle, or to
execute a troublemaker. On your second visit to each province, you will see the results of your choices,
and your subsequent quests will reflect those choices. The fates of each province and every main
character will change at the end of the game depending on what you do. Remember that characters,
both main and ancillary, will remember the things you say to them and will react accordingly later.
Collecting Books
Much of what the Writer will do during this journey will involve collecting 100 works of
literature in order to rebuild the Library. You might get these for completing a quest, for saying the
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right thing to the right person, for making a gesture of friendship, or you might come upon a book
simply discarded in the wilderness. Books will generally appear in thematically relevant quests or
areas, so pay close attention to what you're doing, and don't forget to count your books before the
endgame.
Menu Sub-screens
Press “B” to open the menu, and flip through them using the shoulder buttons. You can use
these to look at a map of the area you are currently in (occasionally, you will need to use this to find
certain events and items), to see your character's stats, and to check the progress of your various quests.
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Main Characters
Shelley
A librarian determined to reclaim the literary canon, which was stolen piece by piece
from the Library. Shelley acts as the Writer's rock throughout the story, offering advice
and (if one's cards are correctly played) friendship.
Odette
A creative nonfiction writer and lit-mag editor who seeks to do things as DIY as
possible. Also writes grant letters and creates fake IDs. Hates sellouts and anything
artificial. After joining the Writer, Odette runs the newly-built press.
Purvis
An aging punk-rocker, short story writer, and multi-talented musician temporarily stuck
paying a debt to House Ashworth in Skylight. He and Odette often join the Writer on
adventures. Purvis himself can change the music in the Library.
Gail
A poet and sorceress, powerful, distrustful of violent heroes. She helps the Writer
control her/his magic, and promises to one day share her manuscript (a book of poems
about mountains).
Charlie
A former protagonist who finds himself as one of Mustache Pete's trusted underlings.
Tried his hand at translating epic poetry, but was distracted by his duties. Once
recruited, Charlie can perform assassinations for varying sums of money.
Alexa
A transgendered woman and former protagonist who has put down roots in the dystopia
of Avis in order to focus on her novel. Hates formula and will do anything to help the
oppressed reclaim their narratives. Once recruited, Alexa can appraise valuable items
for the player.
Biographies of the game's supporting characters and antagonists can be found later in the guide
and contain “spoilers” on their identities and roles in the game.
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The Provinces
The Fens
A sparsely populated series of wetlands that generally operate on the rules of folktales
and Irish legend.
The Auld Coast
A sprawling, Caribbean-like coastline split between pirates (or as they prefer to be
called, “People o' Fortune”) and those who seek to make their living doing honest work
(though these matters are not as black-and-white as one would hope, and choosing a side
will require much more than an elementary concept of “good” and “evil”).
Skylight
A feudal society run by Lords and Ladies from their castles, manors, and estates. The
ruling families (Coghlin, Ashworth, and O'Hannigan) attempt to share power without
stepping on one another, but that may soon change. Skylight is also home to
supernatural creatures such as witches and vampires.
Total Wreck
A dry, sandy frontier full of outlaws, mobsters, badass nicknames, and pure ambition.
Total Wreck was once home to the First Nations people, who were muscled out in the
name of industry, but the Writer just might encounter a pure heart or two along the way.
Avis
A lava-ringed dystopia controlled by an all-seeing overlord known simply as the
Manager. Avis is plagued by wasteland gangs who not only frighten the common
people, but don't seem to have any particular purpose in doing so.
Treeline
A village near a snowy peak, rarely spoken of.
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The Press
Once Greenhorn Valley is completed, the Writer and Shelley will build their own press. The
press will eventually be run by Odette.
Submit thematically related books to the press in order to gain rewards, including new
characters, buildings, and items in the Library, and also new quests. Return to the press often to see if
you have anything new you can submit.
Note: Odette will explain in detail how the press works in-game, and can repeat these details ad
infinitum if you forget.
The following combinations are possible:
Theme
Books Needed
Reward
Bildungsromans
“Norwegian Wood” (Murakami)
“Bastard Out of Carolina” (Allison)
“The Catcher in the Rye” (Salinger)
“Dubliners” (Joyce)
“To the Lighthouse” (Woolf)
“The Metamorphosis” (Kafka)
“Treasure Island” (Stevenson)
“Moby-Dick” (Melville)
“The Tain”
“The Epic of Gilgamesh”
“Stones of the Sky” (Neruda)
“Glottal Stop” (Celan)
“Orlando” (Woolf)
“No Signposts in the Sea” (Sackville-West)
Coming-of-Age Coin
Modernism
Seafaring Novels
The Quest
“Nice Poets”
Authors were Lovers
Brontë Sisters' Novels “Jane Eyre” (C. Brontë)
“Wuthering Heights” (E. Brontë)
“The Tenant of Wildfell Hall” (A. Brontë)
Vampire Duology
“Carmilla” (Sheridan Le Fanu)
“Dracula” (Stoker)
Doubloons; Melville appears in
Library
Hero Wing
Poetry Merit Badge
Sappho's Fragments; Sappho,
Woolf, and Sackville-West
appear in Library
Castle appears in Library;
Brontë sisters appear in Library
Gail appears in Library
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Game Walkthrough
Visit this section if you get stumped, or if you've already completed the game and you for some
reason enjoy reading walkthroughs.
Quests at the Fens
Bog Jumper (Main)
At the Ruined Bridge, Igbol will not let you pass. You may kill him, which will yield
consequences later, or take the more patient path, which involves shaking the trees near the Camper,
obtaining the Bear Claw, and picking the nearby locked chest with that claw. You'll obtain Ayn Rand's
Atlas Shrugged, which you can then feed to Igbol, and he will let you pass. Head to the Miry Throne
and speak to PJ after learning about the Count from Chief Magna. Regardless of the options you
choose, PJ will refuse to surrender the books he stole, and will threaten to sick the Orcs on you if you
return (this is not an empty threat – be sure to buy the Mook Masher from Hyacinth in the Wetland
Village before returning to the Miry Throne). Tell Shelley you're having trouble, then complete the
quest “A Lonely Banshee” (solving the Banshee's riddles) to gain influence, and after you do, return to
the Miry Throne. PJ will be gone, and you will have to battle Niko, who transforms into an Orc. Upon
Niko's defeat, the Fens are liberated, and you can use Niko's Key to obtain Tolkien's The Lord of the
Rings from the chest behind the throne. Return to Shelley.
A Lonely Banshee
Speak to Banshee on the Lonesome Road (unlocks conversations with Shelley, PJ, and Magna)
Speak to Shelley (completes “Learn More”)
Gather info (talk to Nina and Haley to find out about Brielle's hunger and the thunder-storm)
Speak to the Banshee and answer the first two riddles – the correct responses are “thunder” and
“hunger” (completes “A Lonely Banshee” and activates “Riddles Wisely Expounded”)
The Cruelest Thing in the World
Find the study group in Lonesome Road (cont.) and speak to Ritah. Listen to her dilemma, then
speak with the other students, Mo and Ollie, then Natasa. With 5 or higher Speech score, you can
convince Natasa to reconsider her stance. Speak with Ritah again to receive Nella Larsen's Passing.
An Anachronism That Can Eat You
Ask Magna in Wetland Village about the locked chest on the Lonesome Road. Obtain the Dig
Dagger from Olivia on the Far Border, then use it to search the water near the Miry Throne (a pool near
the center contains the Gator Claw). Use the claw to pick the locked chest. The reward is Karen
Russell's Swamplandia!
The Rope of Feats (2nd visit)
Observe the changes in the landscape: there are now gargantuan buildings everywhere. Obtain
the quest by speaking with H.W. Sleasman at the Miry Throne.
Speak to the Count
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The Count is back in his usual spot.
Visit the Wetland Village
In the Wetland Village, speak to Magna, Hyacinth, and Haley, the latter of which has some ideas
about stopping the land deal and preserving the Fens by traveling to a “region beyond.” Hear her out,
then head to the Far Border.
Reach the Region Beyond
Talk to Iannone for access.
Communicate with Scathach
After attempting to speak to her, smash the fence with Mjolnir and dig up the stud bull grave.
Bring the bone to Scathach, and she will speak to you. Exhaust all options and agree to get rid of the
land deal and the Count.
Visit the Ruined Bridge
Head there and speak with Zebbo, then complete “As Fair as the Blah Blah Blah.”
Interrupt the land deal
Return to the Count. With 25+ speech score, you can convince the Count to vacate his position,
take down the ugly buildings, and never be seen again. With 15+, you can convince him to submit
himself to Scathach's judgement. With a low speech score, you will have to fight him, though you can
also select this option with a high score. Check the locked chest behind the throne to receive Ellison's
Invisible Man as a prize. Important: interrupting the land deal will complete the quest, but do not
forget to eventually return to Scathach.
Kingdom's End
After completing “The Rope of Feats,” return to Scathach and learn about the Gae Bolg and the
Warp Spasm. To obtain the Gae Bolg (the game's ultimate weapon), have Sayyida craft the Fishing
Net, and head to the Auld Coast Crossroads after completing “She Sailed Upon the Lonesome Sea.”
Ask Lady Killigrew to let you sail again, and work with Falcon, the boatswain, to use the Fishing Net
to capture the Massive Bone. Additionally, complete the entirety of “Library School.” To obtain the
Warp Spasm, a technique that will cause the player to greatly level up before the end battle, collect the
99 possible books before the endgame (crossing the Gatekeeper's gate in Treeline). Scathach will
appear during the endgame and grant you your rewards.
Spiteful Sleaze
Obtained upon beginning “The Rope of Feats.” H.W. Sleasman will offer you 2,000 gold to
leave his business plan at the Fens alone. You can accept or decline. Accepting will end the quest
entirely, and prevent you from collecting several books. With a speech score of 34 or higher, you can
lie to Sleasman, which will get you the 2,000 gold and allow you to continue on with your plan to
destroy his harmful land deal. The 2,000 is best used to hire Charlie to kill the Manager in Avis.
As Fair as Blah Blah Blah
Speak to the knight on the Ruined Bridge to obtain the quest. Speak to Geoff nearby to learn
that he needs a new muse, then ask Amber (near Nina's hut) if she is willing. When she agrees to at
least talk to him, return to Geoff and tell him the news, after which you will need to convince Zebbo to
let him cross. You can challenge Zebbo to a fight, convince him to allow it, or simply summon your
vampire minions to kill him. Afterwards, speak to Geoff again, then Amber once more. You will
receive Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales as a prize.
Quests at the Auld Coast
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No Drinking After Death (Main)
Explore the Auld Coast
Speak to both Satling and Richelle about their expeditions. RECOMMENDED: Speak to
both the Tourist and Odette about pirates. This will make the expedition later much
more manageable and rewarding.
Learn about the Founders
First, find out their names from either Satling, Richelle, or Elizabeth.
Henry Martin – check Henry Martin's grave outside Orly's hut on the Crossroads (or ask
Odette about the Founders), talk to the Tourist and learn about the other grave keeper, talk to Margo in
O'Malley's Hills, bring her a bottle of O'Tool's Non-Toxic Brew from Pasty George's pub, and learn her
made-up song, “I'm a Little Pirate.” Talk to the Shantyman at the Tide Pools and fill in the lyrics:
“dressed in black,” “I'd like to sack,” “a whale's baleen,” “I can keelhaul ya, just like this.”
Billy Bones – Speak in any order to Ian (Rackham's Harbour), Barrett (Benbow-by-thesea), and Tugg (Crossroads). They each ask for a specific drink in exchange for information on Billy
Bones. You have two choices here: obtain a fake ID from Odette and get them the drinks from Pasty
George, or complain to Odette that you don't feel like getting them the drinks, and she will advise you
to go straight to the Shantyman (all you have to do is remember which drinks they asked for). If you
go straight to the Shantyman without getting the drinks, you'll miss out on 10 XP and 10 gold per
worker. At one point, you will learn that Bones stayed at the Benbow, and you can confront the
proprietor about it, but she reveals nothing. The Shantyman will have you sing “A Drop of Nelson's
Blood.” The responses are “A drop of Nelson's blood wouldn't do us any harm,” “another pint of ale
wouldn't do us any harm,” and “another shot of rum wouldn't do us any harm.”
William Hollander – Talk to Evelyn in O'Malley's Hills and ask if she is related to
Hollander. Ask her a personal question and she'll tell you a story about her father, and that the
Shantyman has a song about Hollander. The correct song lyrics to the song “Whiskey Johnny”
correspond to the details in Evelyn's story – the correct options are “Whiskey is the life of man! Always
was since the world began!”; “Whiskey made me pawn my clothes! Whiskey gave me a broken nose!”
and “Whiskey killed my poor old dad! Whiskey drove my mother mad!”
Choose a side – Once you learn about all three Founders, agree to give the info to either Satling
or Richelle. Joining one prevents you from joining the other. Speak to Liza (if you joined
Satling) or Jian-yu (if you joined Richelle) to continue.
See the Expedition through – Travel to Hypothetical Island and speak to whomever your
leader is, then fight through the Skele-mooks to encounter Chuckbucket, Cutthroat Steve, and Wanker,
who are busy desecrating the wreckage of the Hispaniola. Tell Chuckbucket you know more about
pirates than he does. If you spoke to Odette and the Tourist about pirates, you will have additional
dialogue options (Odette's information enables the correct answers). Correct Chuckbucket's posturing
by saying “Grace O'Malley,” “actually, he died in a hurricane,” and “actually, she died of a fever in
prison.” You will then battle all three villains, but if you got all three correct answers, they will be
severely weakened and still yield the same XP reward (95). Either Richelle or Satling will thank you
for cleaning up the sea, and you'll be sent back to the library with a new transportation option. NOTE:
in the tide pools to the northwest (see your map), you can retrieve the engagement ring necessary to
complete the quest “That Bird Had Flown.” If you do not pick it up now, you will not be able to return
until you obtain the fast-travel system from Wingbar.
Broadening the Masthead
Speak to Odette about leaving; ask Richelle to let Odette leave; speak to Jian-yu, Pasty George,
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and Liza for info on how to convince her (only Liza is necessary to obtain a dialogue option), talk to
Richelle, tell her that letting Odette go would be good for people o' fortune to see Richelle's Code in
action because they'll get a larger share of the plunder with fewer crew-members. Odette appears in the
Library once “No Drinking After Death” is completed. This quest must be completed before either
Satling or Richelle will take you on their expedition.
William Taylor
Speak with Kenzy at Benbow-by-the-sea. Agree to find William Taylor. Pasty George has the
info you need: William appears at the Tide Pools early in the morning. Travel to the Tide Pools during
the day and speak with William. He will try to bribe you into telling Kenzy that he's gone for good,
which you can accept, but then you will not receive the book reward and there will be no subsequent
way to obtain Jennifer Egan's A Visit From the Goon Squad. If you return to Kenzy and tell her where
William is, she will thank you and give you the book as a prize, then she'll set off to kill William and
his new girlfriend.
If you have a high enough Speech score, you can lie to William about letting him off the hook,
and you will receive money from him as well as the book from Kenzy if you tell her the truth.
Three Drunken Maidens
Talk to Sally in Rackham Harbor's pub, and she'll tell you that she and her mates, Susie and
Carol, are leaving town due to the rising price of alcohol. Visit the brewer, Sordid Sven, on the
Crossroads, and convince him to lower his prices by using a cheaper malted barley. To obtain this, visit
Wingbar at Rackham Harbour and accept his challenge to ask him for this favor using a grammatically
sound sentence (the correct response is the third one down). Bring the “Stuff to make booze with” to
Sven, and then deliver the good news to Sally. The reward is James Joyce's Dubliners, and the quest
“Malt Has Come Down” opens.
She Sailed Upon the Lonesome Sea (2nd visit)
Talk to people in Benbow about what's going on, then head to the Crossroads and speak with
the man calling himself the Rover.
Who else should be here?
More strong pirate leaders are needed to combat the oncoming threat. Find the “Drunk
Woman” in Benbow and complete “An Poc Ar Buile” to recruit Sadie the Goat. Once you do, Sayyida
al Hurra will be in Benbow, and you can recruit her by speaking to her. Return to the Crossroads to
visit your new recruits, and you'll also be joined by Ulie, your new cabin boy.
Return to the Rover
Tell the Rover you have enough recruits.
Defeat the Admiral's forces
Speak to Nonso when he appears at the end of the dock, then complete “Day of the Clipper.”
Speak to the crew
Approach the Rover, who will nail a thick book to the statue behind him and offer it as a prize
to the first sailor who chases down the Admiral. You should collect the Wick, Gunpowder, and Brig
Dagger from Naomi's shop at this time.
Sail the seas
Talk to Lady Killigrew about your choices, then tell her you want to set sail. At sea, talk to
Sayyida while awaiting the Admiral's ship. You can say you want to explore, and Sayyida will allow
you to use the dinghy. Building a spyglass using the Brig Dagger (obtained from Naomi's shop in
Benbow) will allow you to see a glint in the water, after which you can take the dinghy out and grab the
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Note in a Bottle (necessary to complete “The Glass is Falling”). After speaking all you like with
Sayyida, say you're ready to wait for the Admiral. When the ship appears, you have a few choices.
Firing on the Admiral will mildly damage his ship, but will provide no real advantage. If you got the
wick and gunpowder from Naomi, you can have Sayyida craft a grenade that will destroy the Admiral's
ship. Choose “What should we do?” and make your choices. The best option is to destroy the ship
yourself with the grenade, but you can also send Ulie to either use the grenade or drill holes in the
bottom of the ship (both of these will get him killed and prevent you from collecting a certain reward
afterwards). When the ship is gone, speak to Sayyida and head back to the Crossroads. Sayyida will
open a shop in the Library if you speak to her, and both Sadie and Lady Killigrew can join you in the
endgame with a high enough Speech score. Speak with the Rover to receive Melville's Moby-Dick as a
prize.
An Poc Ar Buile
Find the Drunk Woman in Benbow. Agree to find her a beverage.
Find Sadie a beverage
Head to Pasty George's pub in Rackham Harbour. Talk to him about Sadie the Goat, and once
you finish the conversation, grab a barrel of ice water from behind the building.
Who would be friends with Sadie?
Head to O'Malley's hills and find Sayyida al Hurra near Evelyn's place. Ask Sayyida to help
out.
Wake up Sadie
Back in Benbow, toss the ice-water on Sadie and talk to her sober self, who isn't actually much
different.
Day of the Clipper
After speaking with Nonso, enter Benbow and battle the officers there. Do the same at the
entrance to Rackham, and then return to do the same at the Crossroads. After all three battles are won,
speak to Nonso again and either try to take him hostage (in which case he escapes with the Admiral) or
strike the cigarette case to kill him.
The Jack-a-Roe
On your first visit to Auld Coast, check out Faber Shipping, Worldwide at the Tide Pools.
Leave a note in the box, and on your second visit, J.M. Faber, the owner will be present. Offer a
partnership with her to complete the quest and get 10XP. When you reach Legends' Ledge during the
endgame, she will be there, and you'll be able to travel back here without climbing the mountain again.
Quests at Skylight
Weary With Hunting (Main)
The main quest-line in Skylight. Obtained upon speaking to the Coghlin Knight guarding the
portcullis at the Keep Approach.
Find out which books are being kept in Skylight
Begin by speaking with the heads of House Coghlin, House O'Hannigan, and House Ashworth.
Lord Ruadh and Lady Germaine give you very little to work with, but speaking with them is necessary.
Lord Lazlo O'Hannigan has shut himself in his castle since a dangerous criminal escaped, so you must
speak with sorceress Gail Gavina instead. Talk to her about books and about her own writing. Finally,
speak with Purvis at House Ashworth, and ask him what books are in Skylight. Agree to team up with
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him.
Shift the power
From here, you must complete the following quests: “Love is Always Selfish,” “Bonesaw in My
Backpack,” “The Bell Brothers,” and “Nevermore.” Between each, both Purvis and Lord Ruadh will
have new things to say. Once these four are finished, speak with Brav Bravad at Skylight Keep and
complete “The Big Tilt.” Talk to Purvis afterward, and learn of Lord Randall's death and a dinner party
being held by Ruadh and Germaine.
Return to Ruadh
Speak to Ruadh and then to Germaine to move forward.
Relax
At the party, speak with Purvis and Odette about what to do. Speak with the guests, George G.
and Godwin, then ask Purvis how to get George to give you the time of day, and ask Odette what to do
about Godwin, since they both have books you want. Find out about the “lottery” for the books from
Odette. After speaking to Purvis about George, ask everyone at the party what they know about
George. When you have all of the information, speak to George again and say that you heard he was a
“giant chicken.” He finds this amusing, and speaks with you. Navigate toward the “laconic”
conversation, and use the specific info you learned about George to create “Chuck facts” about Lord
Byron. You will receive Don Juan as a reward. Offer to play a game with Godwin, and answer all of
her questions with questions, avoiding non-sequiturs, repetition, rhetoric, and statements. You will lose
5 gold for each error, and receive Frankenstein when you win. Tell Odette that you're ready to be done
with this party, and Germaine will draw Ruadh's name as the lottery winner. Fortunately, you've
already got the books. Thank Germaine for her hospitality, and you will be transported to Skylight
Keep. Do what you like in Skylight before talking to Ruadh again.
Don't die
At the Gallows, speak to Purvis, Gail, and Lady Pierce, making sure to exhaust all conversation
options. When you reach Ruadh, ask for one last smoke, and you will receive the cigarette case you
took from the Hollow Tree (whether or not you killed Ol' Crabapple, since you won't have the case
either way at this point). Choose to strike the case with the Raven's Talon, and then strike it by
pressing “A” without moving forward. Once the vampires appear, move forward until the scene plays
out. Return the way you came, speaking to your friends again. Meet Lady Pierce at House Ashworth,
then take the path directly behind Delia's house to the Peddler's Path. Buy the Big Dagger from Arno,
then speak to Audrey about Lord Randall's true fate. Move forward to the Path's End, and make sure
you are healed before speaking to Pendergast. During the ensuing battle, use distance attacks if
possible. After collecting his books, return to the Library.
The Bell Brothers
Speak with Acton at the Vagabond Bluffs and agree to deliver his letter to his brother Ellis.
Speak with Gail at the Cobbles (just past House O'Hannigan) and she will tell you that Ellis can be
found at House Ashworth. At the Graveyard, offer to help Ellis after delivering the letter, then dig up
Cathy's grave (the large cross in the center of the map), which yields Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights
as a reward. Find Currer, the eldest brother, at the Forgotten Woods, and convince him to trust you by
choosing the option “it's like that book: the crazy wife...” and offering to call her siblings. Head to the
fountain in the center of the Cobbles, and call. Return to Currer to receive Charlotte Brontë's Jane
Eyre. Speak with Acton, agree to dispose of his empty bottles, then talk to Purvis at House Ashworth
(or simply toss the bottles into the river in front of Purvis without talking to him). Return to Acton to
receive Anne Brontë's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. This completes the quest, but if you bring all three
Brontë books to Odette's press, the Bell Brothers will appear in the Library under their true identities:
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Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, and Anne Brontë.
Love is Always Selfish
Try to get to know Lady Pierce, and ask what's bothering her. When she refuses to talk about it,
ask Purvis for advice; he will tell you to open up to her first. Tell Lady Pierce that you were once good
at something, but did not pursue it, and she will tell you the sad tale of a young lover who ran away
from her when she took up her family's mantle as head of house. Oddly, this lover only appears at
night, and in the woods beyond the graveyard. Head there at night and meet Cameron, who will tell an
interactive version of her and Lady Pierce's story. You must fill in certain lines, all of which must
begin with the next letter of the alphabet, so watch the first letters of all of Cameron's sentences. When
you're done, return to Lady Pierce and decide what to tell her. She will give you Joseph Sheridan Le
Fanu's book Carmilla as a reward.
Bonesaw in my Backpack
Speak with Delia at House Ashworth. Agree to help with her witch recipe, then meet her at the
graveyard at night. You must have the Bonesaw in your inventory to continue (you can buy this from
Allie, an aspiring undertaker, at Skylight Keep). Walk over to the grave and choose to hack the
corpse's arm off, then give the Hand of Glory to Delia. You receive Trinie Dalton's Sweet Tomb (as
well as a nondescript bone) as a reward.
Nevermore
Speak with Ed Reynolds at House O'Hannigan. He holds something he cannot let go of, and is
tormented by the sounds of a raven in his head. Go to Gail Gavina and she'll ask for a hawk's talon for
an unknown reason, and tell you to ask Reynolds specific questions. Use the Dig Dagger to obtain the
Hawk's Talon in the House O'Hannigan pool near the yellow tree. Ask Ed more questions. Return to
Gail and tell her that Reynolds is asking the raven questions that he already knows the answers to, and
then tell Reynolds that Lenore is gone and never coming back, and to stop asking the raven questions.
The prize is Edgar Allan Poe's poem “The Raven.”
The Big Tilt
After completing “Nevermore,” “The Bell Brothers,” “Love is Always Selfish,” and “Bonesaw
in my Backpack,” Speak with Brav Bravad at House O'Hannigan. Agree to battle the giants, then head
past the Cobbles to the Wind Power Field. Attack each windmill for 5 experience, then return to Brav
Bravad. Give him either answer to receive Cervantes' Don Quixote as a prize.
The Bird Song (2nd visit)
Return to Skylight with Gail
Visit Gail at her usual spot at the Cobbles.
Visit House Ashworth
Speak with Lady Pierce and her cousin Roland about the situation.
Visit Delia
Speak with Delia about what she did with the Hand of Glory.
Attend the witch convention
Return to the Cobbles, speak with each witch, and then exhaust all conversations with
Xosha.
Deal with the situation
Go to the Forgotten Woods and speak with the mercenaries and the vampires. You may
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choose to let the vampires kill the mercs, or cover the mercs' escape to avoid violence.
If you choose the latter, Yusuf will not genuinely honor his word; he will give you
“wooden nickels,” a virtually worthless item that can be sold to Alexa for 10 gold.
Speak with Xosha after the objective completes.
See to Gail
Return to the Cobbles to witness the witches' song. Speak to Xosha and then to Gail,
and you will have a decision to make. Once Gail “changes,” speak to her again to complete the quest.
In the chest that appears behind her, collect Aimee Bender's The Girl in the Flammable Skirt. Return to
the Library and talk to Gail again to receive Helen Oyeyemi's White is for Witching.
Quests at Total Wreck
Kansas City Shuffle (Main)
Explore Total Wreck
Speak with every member of Shady Grove's gang, and tell her you've given her men good
advice. Move on to Total Wreck Proper, and get as much info as you can from Odette, Mayor Pamby,
and Charlie, then do the same with Big John Henry at the Rail Yard and Ford at the Homestead, then
Dierkes at the Corral. Return to Odette, and she will tell you what Pete is up to.
Collect the books from the mines
Follow the two available paths in the Badlands and defeat the Sandmirks in the interiors of both
the Schaeffer and Hammett mines. Collect all ten books. Go to the Rail Yard and tell Big John Henry
you need to access the third path, and he will have his men clear it. Complete the Butterfield Mine the
same way. Mustache Pete and Drago will confront you on your way out.
Settle up with the mob
Talk to Pamby in town. Speak with Charlie and Odette about how to solve the murder. To get
all the evidence you need, speak with Odette, Charlie, Ford, and Agostina, and remember the advice
you gave to the outlaws at the Rugged Roads. Give each piece of evidence to Mayor Pamby, then tell
Odette you figured it out. The murderer's identity changes depending on your choices (if you told Lee
to pursue and Pumpkinseed not to, Lee is the killer. If Pumpkinseed pursued and Lee did not,
Pumpkinseed is the killer. If they both pursued, Lee is the killer. If neither pursued, Billy Reuben is
the killer). Head to the Badlands if Lee or Pumpkinseed is the killer, or to the Corral if it's Billy.
Allowing Lee or Pumpkinseed to go free will gain you their support. Gain Billy's support by making a
deal with him (you will instantly fail at this if you say you're going to take him down). Whatever you
decide, inform Charlie, and then speak with Odette again.
Gain influence
Complete “Schwarze Milch der Fruhe,” “The Hunt,” and “Such Vigour Came Rolling,” then
speak to Charlie. NOTE: Gain all allies before talking to Charlie again (depending on your previous
choices, these can include Shady Grove, Billy Reuben, Lee, Pumpkinseed, and Mickey).
Make your move
Speak with Charlie, then go to the meeting. Speak to Odette and pretend you don't know her,
then take coats from Dierkes and Drago. Get everyone to tell you what they want, then tell Charlie
which plan you want to go with (your available choices depend upon which allies you have). If you
choose the “no allies” plan, you will receive much fewer benefits later. You will receive the greatest
assets by making Shady Grove sheriff. When the sequence finishes, speak to Charlie again, and ask
him what he will do now. Once the quest completes, speak with Ford at the Homestead and receive
John Nichols's The Milagro Beanfield War.
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Wretched Mockeries of Justice
See “Kansas City Shuffle” for directions on how to solve the murder.
A Plant Where No Seed has Been
Speak with Bartram on the Rugged Roads and agree to find the flowers for her. Patches of
flowers can be found in Badlands 1, 2, and 3, and can be collected in any order. Return to Bartram
with them. Choose the most comprehensive and pro-nature-anti-human answers possible. Receive
Thoreau's Walden, Emerson's “Nature,” and Frost's North of Boston as rewards.
Swallow the Dead Girl
Speak with K.C in Total Wreck. Search the places near Hammett and Schaeffer mines where
K.C makes map annotations, and dig to recover the bones. Present these to her, plus the bone you
recovered from the graveyard in Skylight. Receive Robert Vivian's The Mover of Bones as a reward.
Stop Speaking to Me of Time
Speak with Rose at the Rail Yard and agree to find her a cellist. You can ask Agostina, Kayla,
and Charlie about cellists, but they cannot find one. Speak with Purvis when he shows up in the Rail
Yard (after you solve the murder), and then speak with Rose again. Receive Beckett's Waiting for
Godot.
The Hunt
Speak with Alabaster at the Homestead to get the quest. You can only proceed with it after
completing “Wretched Mockeries of Justice.” Head to the Badlands to battle the beast, and kill it (there
is no way to avoid this). Return to Alabaster to receive Go Down, Moses by William Faulkner.
Such Vigour Came Rolling
After completing “Wretched Mockeries of Justice,” speak with Adeline at the Rail Yard. Agree
to her request, and head to Badlands 2. When you approach the lighthouse, it will vanish. Speak to the
Junker nearby and ask if he saw the lighthouse. Leave the letter and return to Adeline to receive
Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse.
Schwarze Milch der Frühe
Speak with Goleb at the Refuge after getting John Henry to clear the boulder in the Rail Yard.
Use the map to find the stars (all in the Refuge), then speak with Goleb again, and agree to find new
homes for the stars. Receive Paul Celan's Glottal Stop.
I Always Knew this Day Would Come (2nd visit)
Activate the quest by speaking with whomever the new sheriff is: Shady Grove, Nazir, or Billy
Reuben. The sheriff will be located at the Stonewall Corral.
Visit the Rail Yard
Speak to John Henry.
Talk to the “hicks”
Speak with the two men near the usual entrance to the Refuge.
Inform John Henry of the hicks' demands
Speak with John Henry again.
Work something out with the sheriff
Travel to Stonewall Corral and speak with either Shady Grove, Nazir, or Billy Reuben. If
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Shady Grove is sheriff, she will want you to get rid of the zealots and continue the railroad project.
Reuben, on the other hand, is more interested in the personal wealth he can garner by cooperating with
the Brain Trust. Nazir doesn't really care. Whomever the sheriff is, tell them you'll take care of it, then
return to the Rail Yard.
Decide what the best way really is
At the Rail Yard, speak to Pennypacker. You can tell the truth or lie about what the sheriff's
decision was (which will have consequences later). If you deny their deal, you will have to battle
transformed versions of both Pennypacker and Wallace. If you take the deal, you will avoid a battle but
get less experience.
NOTE: If Shady Grove is sheriff and you decide to take the Brain Trust's offer, she will
eventually find out and subsequently refuse to help you. If Reuben is sheriff and you refuse the offer,
he will eventually find out and attempt to kill you.
Inform John Henry of the result
Return to John Henry and tell him what you decided, and receive Achebe's Things Fall Apart as
a reward. If you refused the offer and allowed the railroad to be built, you will receive John Henry's
aid later.
Don't Lie to Yourself
On your second visit, return to the Homestead and witness an argument between newcomers
Earl and Frankie about whether to open a shop there, or in town. Listening to either of them triggers
the quest. Hear both sides, then speak to Agostina, now the head of the mob in Total Wreck.
Depending on your choice of sheriff from earlier, Agostina will give very different views on whether
Earl and Frankie should set up shop in town or at the Homestead. After this conversation, return to
Earl or Frankie and tell them what you think they should do. Following Agostina's advice will yield
better results later. Receive Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov as a reward.
Quests at Avis
Beyond Loxodrome (Main)
Meet Alexa in A Safe Place to activate the main quest line.
Find something worth doing in Avis
Complete “Irksome Paradox” and “Don't Ask for Guarantees,” meet the Flying Scotsman at
Styx, then speak with Alexa.
Meet Alexa at Styx
Head to Styx and speak to Alexa, Bogdan, Georgina, the Flying Scotsman, and then to Alexa
again.
Cross the river
At the moment, it is impossible to cross, and Alexa will resign from her aspirations in order to
get some reading done. Agree to this, and then head back to the Outskirts (Alexa will now
appear in Styx instead of A Safe Place). Complete “A Knowledge That Will Not Subside,” then
speak to the Scotsman again.
Find something hidden
Go past the coliseum and press A when prompted to “Walk off the Earth.”
Participate in the Apocalypse
Speak with Alexa, explore the village, and enter the coliseum to obtain and complete “Who
Controls the Past Controls the Future.”
Break the Formula
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You can speak to many characters in the Outskirts about who shoud rescue Georgina (including
the Flame Queen, Cricket, Slater, Franco, and others), but the one you need is Maev, Georgina's
mother, whom you may have met when preparing for the Apocalypse. After speaking with her on the
matter, you will be given the quest “This Cruel Necklace Becomes Me.” Complete it, then head to the
Manager's Office after finishing any loose ends in Avis. Negotiating with the Manager requires a high
speech score (28+ for the best options). If you choose to keep Alexa in Avis, you will not be able to
recruit her until after “Dirty Scribblings” begins, and even then, only if you have Charlie assassinate
the Manager so that you can briefly reenter Avis. Either way, once you've made your decisions, the
Manager sends you back to the Library.
This Cruel Necklace Becomes Me
After speaking with Maev on the matter of Georgina, speak to Alexa in Apocalypse, then follow
the road across A Well-Heated Place, battling Skele-Mook Alphas as you do. In An Unpleasant Place,
take the road on the right to reach Bogdan's Bog-den. Speak to Bogdan, battle him, and then admit
defeat. Maev will show up and slay Bogdan while he's distracted. Afterwards, speak to Maev and
Georgina, then loot the treasure hold to receive Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber and Lucy Corin's
Everyday Psychokillers: A History for Girls.
A Knowledge That Will Not Subside
After obtaining the quest from Alexa, speak to the newly-appeared Cricket near the pyramids in
the Outskirts. Ask him about the Imperative, then go to A Safe Place to check out the monolith. The
Bogdanian will not let you by. Speak with Byrne, Rena, and Melphy for ideas, with Melphy being the
only one who can help. The Bogdanian captain will reject the Snack Bag, but you can now purchase
figs from Pinky nearby. The Bogdanian accepts the figs, but needs something to cut them with. Obtain
the Fig Dagger from Roughshod (the woman standing near Byrne). When the Bogdanian walks off,
examine the monolith, then return to Alexa. After hashing over this with her, head to the only tree with
leaves in the Outskirts, and choose to sit and think. In the Briefly Dreaming room, speak to the Dream
Figure and exhaust the options for some interesting responses, then ask her about the Scotsman to
move forward. With a speech score of 30+, you can tell her that you used to dream of her as a child,
and she will reveal more about her nature. Wake up, then return to Alexa and tell her the Scotsman is
an independent entity who does not work for Management. Receive Joyelle McSweeney's Flet as a
reward.
Who Controls the Past Controls the Future
After exploring the new “Apocalypse Village,” enter the coliseum and speak with the Manager's
Assistant. Between rounds of fighting, speak with Sai and Liszt. After defeating Lizst (Tier 4), you
will receive William Golding's Lord of the Flies as a reward. If you talk to Jackie (in the cage nearby)
after defeating Liszt, you can convince her she is brainwashed, in which case she will give you George
Orwell's 1984.
Irksome Paradox
Meet Wally in the Outskirts and read the inscriptions on the walls near Sparks's tent. Speak
with Melphy in A Safe Place and Petty (part of the Flame Queen's gang) in the Outskirts about Wally's
writing. Return to Wally and promise to put his finished work in the Library, adding that you'll tell
Management that Wally made all the progress he was ever going to. Receive David Foster Wallace's
Infinite Jest as a prize.
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Don't Ask for Guarantees
Speak with Byrne of the Disciples gang in A Safe Place. Accept his request to stop a rival gang
from burning books. Meet the Flame Queen in the Outskirts, and either promise to keep the book safe
from the Disciples, or lie (with 20+ speech score) and tell her you'll give the Disciples a fake book.
Return to Byrne and decide what to do (with 20+ speech score, you can lie to him as well). Receive
Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 as a prize (if you give it to Byrne to complete the quest, you will be
able to buy it back from Pinky after the main quest line in Avis is finished).
A Modus Proposal (2nd visit)
Obtain the quest by completing “Arrivederci” (hiring Charlie to assassinate the Manager), then
speaking to Georgina in the Avis Outskirts.
Head to the Manager's Office
While this objective is active, you can speak with the gangs in Avis about the brewing conflict.
Return to the office, fighting your way through the new enemies. Speak with Carrero about the
implications of your previous actions, then decide how to deal with him before using the monolith to
broadcast a message through all of Avis.
Approach the Monolith
Speak to the Brain Trust Bot and deliver a message. If you slander the Brain Trust or encourage
the people to go to war, Carerro will attack you. With a Speech score of 25+, you can choose the
peaceful option, which will get you more XP when you return to Georgina.
Return to Georgina
Georgina will either approve or disapprove of your choice of message, and then will ask you to
speak to her mother.
Speak to Maev
Try to convince Maev to settle down with her daughter by telling her the danger has passed.
You can get the best option (mentioning Scathach) by having already done “The Rope of Feats” at least
up to the point where you meet Scathach, which will net you some extra XP and Maev's support in the
endgame. If you choose to let her keep doing what she's doing, you will miss out on XP and you will
also not have her support in the endgame. Receive Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior for
completing the quest.
Girl on Fire
Speak with Biggs on the Outskirts and suggest that the Flame Queen needs a cold drink.
Collect a sample of Clear Water from A Clear Space and bring it to the Flame Queen during the second
visit to Avis. This will change the fate of Avis later on.
Quests at Treeline
The Note that Jarred (Main)
Enter the Plaza from the Escarpment (you cannot pass the Gatekeeper until after the main
questline is completed – this will lead to the endgame). Speak to Iva, then whomever you like, ending
with Vlacil.
Collect the books with Dedrich's help
Speak to Dedrich after getting the quest from Vlacil, and he'll send you on two wild goose
chases, which involve spitting on ice and shaking a tree. Claim that his instructions were not clear,
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then ask Vlacil why this is so difficult. He'll instruct you to speak to Tuppence.
Speak to Tuppence
Voice your concerns to Tuppence nearby.
Obtain a Lodge membership
Speak with Dedrich again, and he'll tell you to procure a certain beverage. From Joan's shop
nearby, purchase cocoa powder, milk, and whipped cream, then return to the Library and have Sayyida
craft Hot Cocoa. Return to Tuppence to trade the drink for a membership.
Obtain Treeline's books (for real this time)
Bring your season pass to Ray at the Lodge, then talk to Purvis, Alexa, and Odette inside. They
will give you hints about where to find the two books you need in order to move forward, and also give
you personal quests (which will yield one book apiece). Complete “Why?” and “On a Snowy
Evening.”
Regroup at the Lodge
Talk to the special visitor at the Lodge, then speak to Tuppence in the Plaza. Complete “The
World was Here First.”
Obtain creative control in Treeline
Return to Tuppence once the quest is complete and convince her that there is no need to
summon the Brave Knights to quell the threat. If you do not have 41 or higher Speech score, you will
be forced to summon the vampires to kill her. Collect Shakespeare's Macbeth from behind Powder
Hounds. Speak to Vlacil, then return to Shelley at the Lodge.
The Concentration and the Romance
After speaking with Shelley about the festival, head to the Great Freeze and speak with Mikel
about dancing. Ask either Shelley or your love interest to dance (if you have not professed your
feelings for anyone, Shelley will be the only option). Speak to Shelley again. The end of this quest
constitutes the game's Point of No Return, so finish everything before heading to the gate at the
Escarpment (the maximum number of books you can have at this point, not counting Atlas Shrugged or
any of the gift books, is 98. The last two will be obtained during the final quest).
Because I Could Not Stop for Death
Return to the Library and have final conversations with everyone, ending with Shelley. After
speaking with her, head to the Escarpment and speak to her again (now clad in custom armor).
Ascend the peak
Pass through the first two sections (The Long Climb I and II), battling enemies and conserving
items. When you reach Legends' Ledge, you will be confronted by either Shady Grove or Billy Reuben
(if you betrayed either of them). Collect Baldwin's Go Tell it on the Mountain from the chest. If you
have Ancalagon, speak with Shield Maker to receive the game's best shield, Continuum. If you
obtained healing magic from Gail, there will be a totem to replenish your health here. Depending on
earlier choices, representatives of John Henry and Agostina's mob will appear to offer further
assistance. When ready to leave, speak with Scathach on the ledge – if you collected all 99 available
books so far, she will trigger the Warp Spasm, which will level you up five times. If you completed
“Library School” and collected the Massive Bone from the Lowlands, she will construct the Gae Bulg
for you. Tell her you're ready to write again, and you'll be sent forward to the Gauntlet, where you and
Shelley will battle the elite Brain Trust soldiers.
When you reach the Court of the Knights, you will see your entire group of companions, plus
any supporting characters whose allegiance you have gained (these can include Shady Grove, Calamity
Jane, Sayyida al Hurra, Lady Killigrew, Sadie the Goat, and Xosha). Speak to them for assorted
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bonuses (and in the case of your companions, goodbyes). When ready, speak to Shelley, then approach
the newly revealed Brave Knights. Speaking to Dedrich will trigger the battle.
After the fight, you are transported to Freytag's Pyramid to settle things with Oswald. When
you beat him (use the guide below if you need help), use Mjolnir to smash Freytag's Pyramid and speak
with the Lady, who will answer all questions, help you decide what to do about Treeline (it is advisable
to keep your promise to the witches if you made it), and give you the final work of literature on the list:
the poem “A Book.” by Emily Dickinson. This completes the quest.
In the epilogue section, “Acknowledgements,” you will see the results of your actions (each
province and character has multiple possible endings). If you have a love interest, they will be waiting
for you when you reach the end of the path, along with Shelley. If you have collected all 100 books,
the structure behind Shelley will be glowing will blue energy, and the conversations with both she and
your love interest will be more in-depth. Additionally, if you collected all 100 books and did not
romance anyone, you can now profess your feelings for Shelley. After the conversation, walk into the
blue light and choose to “Achieve higher existence” by reentering the Library (unless you did not
obtain all books, in which case the game will end after Shelley tells you to “Just focus”).
On a Snowy Evening
Speak with Kazuhiro in the Snowy Hills after you unlock the objective “Obtain Treeline's books
(for real this time)” above. Agree to find his poem, and you'll be allowed into the Rabbit Cave. There,
collect Li Po's “A Mountain Revelry” from one of the two chests, and return to Kazuhiro. Give him the
poem immediately instead of keeping it to yourself.
Why?
Speak with the Gatekeeper at the Escarpment and tell him it seems lonely here. Agree to find
the German poem, which can be found at the Rabbit Cave (the chest containing Rilke's The Book of
Hours unlocks when you agree to this quest). Return to the Gatekeeper to receive Alice Walker's The
Color Purple as a prize, and you'll also be allowed to keep the Rilke book.
Tablet XIII
This is Odette's personal quest, available only if you've developed a friendship with her up to
the completion of “Library School.” Speak with Odette at the Lodge and ask if she wants to go on a
hike. Meet her at the Snowy Hills, after which you'll be taken to the Wellspring. Collect the Antique
Coins from the chest, then speak to Odette near the lone tree, and learn more about her. Tell her you're
glad for her friendship, or that you want something more. Regardless of your choice, you'll then have
access to a chest containing The Epic of Gilgamesh.
Sprawling on a Pin
This is Alexa's personal quest, available only if you've developed a friendship with her up to the
completion of “Library School.” Speak with Alexa at the Lodge and say you wish you could hang out
more. Play Fly Loo with her by following the directions onscreen (she will always win). When the
game is over, head to the Great Freeze, speak to Alexa again, jump in the water, then speak to her once
more. Tell her you're glad for her friendship or that you want something more. Regardless of your
choice, you will have access to a chest containing T.S. Eliot's “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.”
The Almost Star-Studded Adventure
This is Purvis's personal quest, available only if you've developed a friendship with him up to
the completion of “Library School.” Speak to Purvis at the Lodge after getting the season pass, and tell
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him you want to spend more time together. He'll invite you to a jam session at the Plaza with a bassist
named Jade. Speak to Purvis there and rock out on the “drums,” then tell him your band is awful.
Suggest whatever you want afterwards, then tell him he's a good buddy, or that you have feelings for
him. Receive Zbigniew Herbert's Hermes, Dog and Star as a reward.
The World was Here First
Obtained after Shelley arrives at the Lodge. Speak with Tuppence, then speak to the groups of
people in order, beginning with the witches (talk to Xosha), then on to vampires (talk to Cameron), the
mob (talk to Agostina), and ending with the group at Schaeffer Mine led by Calamity Jane. You can
tell everyone what you like in terms of whether they should overtake Treeline or not, but it is wise to
keep your promise to the witches if you've made it. With 40 Speech score or higher, you can convince
Jane to leave Treeline alone and help you against the Brain Trust. Once she cools off, collect Rumi's
“Any Soul that Drank the Nectar” from the chest. NOTE: You will be instantly killed by Calamity
Jane's gang if you challenge her to fight.
Other quests
Riddles Wisely Expounded
Obtained by completing “A Lonely Banshee.” The most important thing to remember
throughout this quest is that the solutions to the riddles must reflect what Brielle's answer would be.
After the first set of riddles is completed, the Banshee will ask you two more: “What is higher than the
trees? What is deeper than the seas?” During the quests at the Auld Coast, complete “Broadening the
Masthead” to recruit Odette, and then ask her if she knows Brielle. She'll tell you that Brielle had
“high hopes.” On Hypothetical Island, speak with Pierre, who babbles that he loved Brielle, and
mentions his rage at the fact that she got rid of him. Travel back to the Banshee – the new answers are
“hope” and “rage.” In Skylight, speak with Audrey at the end of the Peddler's Path about Brielle. The
new answers are “snow” and “down.” In Total Wreck (fourth set), speak with Lloyd in the Rail Yard,
and ask who else works there. He will talk about Brielle's tenure in the Rail Yard and her ideas about
traveling to a snowy peak, which he hopes the train can someday reach. The new answers are “flowing
hair” and “willpower.” In Avis, speak with the “Retired” Manager's Assistant in A Clear Space. Ask if
anyone interesting comes through here, and he will mention how Brielle inspired him. The new
answers are “icicle” and “optimism.” The banshee now vanishes, but still wails. NOTE: Hints about
who should be spoken to about Brielle can be revealed by talking to Odette about it in the Library.
One of those Curious Children
Obtained upon completing “Riddles Wisely Expounded” and talking to Shelley again, and
completing Shelley's part of “Library School.” Once you have access to Treeline, wait until Shelley
shows up there, and ask her “personal stuff.” Bring up the subject of how she's doing concerning your
earlier talk about Brielle, and Shelley will tell you to meet her at the Rabbit Cave. Do so (you will now
have access to a new area of the cave, as Shelley will destroy a boulder blocking a secret path), and
speak to her there. Make either choice at the end of the conversation to receive Milne's When We were
Very Young. Light the torch nearby to complete the quest and receive 33 experience.
Frayed Binding
After telling Shelley you want to relax, sit under the oak tree behind the press, then speak to
Oswald after awakening. In “?”, pick up the Lord of Boxes and place it in the pile near the stream. Do
the same with the Peasant Box, then cross the bridge. Speak with the pixie, then check the Lord of
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Boxes when it reappears behind her. The chest containing Mjolnir will now be unlocked. Use this to
smash the gates of the blocked graveyards and read the signs. Once you read the one that says
“Vorpal,” the objective will complete. Speak once again to the pixie and one-off verses of
“Jabberwocky” with her. Now the wall blocking you from reaching the Assembly will vanish. Speak
to every member of the Assembly, ending with Orlando, who can send you back to the Library.
I've Got a Flying Machine
Obtained by speaking with Wingbar in Rackham Harbour about his invention. For the first
component, talk to the Tinker in Total Wreck Proper, and choose “I need those components; I want to
help Wingbar.” Second, talk to Sparks in Avis's Outskirts, and choose […]. Third, talk to Sasha at the
Ruined Bridge upon your second visit to the Fens, and choose “Wingbar once said to me...”. Tell
Wingbar the good news, and you will have access to fast-travel. Note: you will not have access to the
Avis areas until after you have Charlie assassinate the Manager so that you can reenter. Speak with
Wingbar when this is done in order to unlock fast-travel to Avis. Once you have access to Treeline,
return to him again for these locations, as well as Hypothetical Island if you haven't solved the second
set of banshee riddles or acquired the Engagement Ring, without which you will miss a book in the
Fens.
Malt Has Come Down
Obtained by completing “Three Drunken Maidens.” Once you have access to Skylight, head to
Skylight Keep and inform Gil, the owner of Greasy Gil's Pub, about the drop in malted barley prices.
Later, in Total Wreck, do the same with Mickey, the owner of Mickey Doyle's Pub. In Avis, do the
same with Marr in A Safe Place at the Future Perfect Pub. Finally, at the Fens (during your second
visit, not before), speak to Hyacinth. If you have completed all of the other pubs, you will have the
option to help her get the advantage over Terry (employee of the greedy land developer) by telling her
about the drop in prices. Doing so completes the quest and gets you “in Just” by E.E. Cummings.
Das Sternbild
Obtained by completing “Schwarze Milch der Fruhe.” The first star should be placed in Avis's
A Clear Space (see your map for the exact location). The second should be placed in the Fens's
“Lonesome Road (cont.),” the third in Total Wreck's Rail Yard, the fourth in the Auld Coast's
Crossroads, and the fifth in Skylight's Wood Path. Receive Neruda's Stones of the Sky as a reward.
NOTE: The order in which the stars must be place can be gleaned by looking at the quest info in your
menu.
A Poet Adrift
Obtained by speaking with “S.” in A Clear Space. Once you collect Orlando and All Passion
Spent, bring them to the press for Odette. This will unite Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West,
which satisfies S.'s request. In the chest that appears, collect Sappho's poetic fragments. Once you
have Sayyida build an elevator for you, you'll be able to reach the upper level of the Library to talk to
Woolf, Sackville-West, and Sappho herself.
That Bird Had Flown
Obtained by speaking to Darrell in the Fens Far Border. Agree to find the engagement ring, and
use the Dig Dagger to dig it out of the tide pool on Hypothetical Island. Either return it to Darrell to
receive Murakami's Norwegian Wood, or wait until you recruit Alexa and sell it to her for 300 gold.
The book will be unavailable if you take the latter path.
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Library School
Obtained after “Frayed Binding” when the Lord of Boxes appears in the Library. Speak to
Scathach about what you need to do to obtain the Gae Bolg, then check the Lord of Boxes to trigger the
quest. Speak to Shelley about a gift, then buy Villette from Lynn at the Dust Jacket (which you can
reach by ship). Follow this same cycle with the indicated party member. For Odette, obtain Pride and
Prejudice from Leah by trading Antique Coins from the Fens (if you sold two of them to Alexa already,
you can score a third by speaking with Hyacinth in the Wetland Village after completing “The Rope of
Feats,” and another once you have access to Treeline). For Purvis, speak to him, and then speak with
Guru Garry at the Dust Jacket and answer honestly, which will get you Sardanapalus by Lord Byron
(or choose “something lighter,” which will change Purvis's development later). For Gail, speak to her
after “The Bird Song” is completed, then talk to Jive in the Dust Jacket about what Gail needs in order
to finish her poetry collection. Receive Jody Gladding's Rooms and Their Airs and trade it to Gail for
Can Xue's Dialogues in Paradise. For Charlie, speak to him and then to Shea at the Dust Jacket. Buy
Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and trade it to Charlie for Toni Morrison's Paradise.
For Alexa, speak to her and then to Jules at the Dust Jacket. Buy Virginia Woolf's Orlando, then speak
to Alexa again. You will keep Orlando, which you can submit to Odette's press in conjunction with
Vita Sackville-West's No Signposts in the Sea in order to complete the quest “A Poet Adrift.”
The Healer
Obtained after Gail's transformation (“The Bird Song”). Talk to Gail in the Library about
learning some healing magic, and she'll ask you to get the approval of the other witches. Speak with
Xosha at the Cobbles, and she'll want you to prove your dedication to her kind. When this has
completed, you can express deeper feelings for Gail, and while she cannot reciprocate anything
romantic, she can turn you into an honorary witch if your character is female.
Grey, Green, and White
Obtained after checking out the patch of soil near the oak tree in the Library. The goal is to
create a garden from which you can grow healing items (and thereby avoid the steep prices).
Find seeds and plant them
You will find a Bag o' Seeds on Skylight's Wood Path. Bring them to the garden and plant
them. Check on them to see that they've been eaten by animals.
Build a fence around the garden
To do this, wait until you recruit Sayyida al Hurra, and obtain “Some More Lumber” by buying
it from her. Have her craft a fence for you.
Find a quality spade
Travel to Avis's A Safe Space and talk to Gardener. Purchase the Garden Spade for 5 gold.
Find quality seeds
Complete “The Glass is Falling” to bring novelist and gardener Vita Sackville-West to the
Library. Talk to her about the seeds to obtain them from her personal stock in Kent (she can also give
you info about where to find the spade if you haven't completed that).
Plant the seeds
Do so, and you will now be able to harvest unlimited Nettles (one of the strongest healing items
in the game).
I Hung My Head
Available after completing Charlie's part of “Library School.” Talk to him at any time after this
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to obtain this quest. Once you accept it, take the ship to Benedict Outlook. Talk to Charlie, then to
Dunmer, and make a decision about whether to go through with the hit (as long as you gave Maya
Angelou's book to Charlie earlier, this will not affect his ending, just his attitude afterwards). Talk to
Charlie again to receive Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, then return to the Library for follow-up
dialogue.
The Cruel Ship's Captain
Available only if the player sided with Richelle during “No Drinking After Death.” After
completing the main questlines in all five provinces (i.e. after completing “Frayed Binding”), speak to
Jian-yu in the Library and ask about his upbringing. Travel to Rackham and ask Richelle about Jianyu's parents, and she'll direct you to a ne'er-do-well named Hangin' Johnny, who frequents the pub.
Head there. Answer however you'd like (the game will acknowledge whether you've already completed
“She Sailed Upon the Lonesome Sea” and eliminated Nonso) and then head to the spot Johnny marks
on your map in O'Malley's Hills. Note: Johnny wants the treasure for himself and will set up an
ambush for you (worth 10XP if you defeat them), but you can eliminate the threat by traveling back to
the Library immediately and having Charlie assassinate Johnny before you go to the Hills. When you
get to the spot marked on the map, you can dig up the sack full of 300 gold coins. Return to Jian-yu
and decide whether to give him his inheritance or to keep it for yourself. Receive Camus's The
Stranger as a reward.
One Spring Morning
Available only if the player sided with Satling during “No Drinking After Death.” After
completing the main questlines in all five provinces (i.e. after completing “Frayed Binding”), speak to
Liza in the Library and ask about her upbringing. Her comment about her brothers triggers the quest.
Speak with Satling to learn more about Liza's family, then talk to Hangin' Johnny in Rackham near the
pub. Head back to Liza in the Library and agree to sail to Teuta's Cay, where you will confront
Macklyn, Liza's brother, and fight two of his crewmembers. Speak to Liza again and choose whichever
option you want, then speak to her once more in the Library to receive Camus's The Stranger as a prize.
NOTE: At any time after this, you can have Charlie assassinate Macklyn (your character will cite fear
of his “trying to pull something”), after which Charlie will bring you a sword called the Magnificent
Bastard, which packs 25 damage.
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Item Notebook
The following special items can be obtained in Deuteragonists:
Magic
Obtained from Ol' Crabapple during “The Deal”
White Wind – 16 damage
Static Shock – 16 damage
Bonfire – 17 damage
Obtained from Gail after “The Bird Song”
Provider's Bane – 25 damage
Scar-maker – 25 damage
Bertha's Hand – 25 damage
Special
Healing totems (complete “The Healer”) - fully heals player in specified areas of
game map
Summon Vampires (complete “Weary With Hunting” and obtain Cigarette
Case) – summons vampires to slay certain enemies
Henry's Mallet (complete “I Always Knew this Day Would Come” and promote
the railroad project) – 30 damage
Maille-Melter (become a witch and then speak to Xosha at the Court of the
Knights) – 38 damage
Daggers
Name
Dig Dagger
Big Dagger
Pig Dagger
Brig Dagger
Fig Dagger
Jig Dagger
Craftable items
Name
Elevator
Grenade
Hot Cocoa
Fishing net
Caladbolg
Vorpal Sword
Intimidatyr Shield
Ancalagon Shield
Continuum Shield
Catastrophic Cocktail
Fence
Gae Bulg
Location
Far Border
Peddler's Path
from Reuben
Benbow
A Safe Place
Great Freeze
Effect
Enables searching of water
Collect water from cacti
Enables Charlie to kill Pete
Enables crafting of Spyglass
Distracts Bogdanian Captain
Enables dance w/companion
Items needed
Cables/pulleys/lever
Notes
Enables travel to top level of Library
Wick/gunpowder
Whipped cream/cocoa powder/milk
Strong netting/float line
Caladbolg hilt/blade
Vorpal hilt/blade/steel
Intimidatyr grip/buckler
Ancalagon iron/grip/buckler
Ancalagon
All “gag” drinks from festival
Lumber
Sea Monster bone / complete
“Library School”quest
Destroys Admiral ship
Gains Lodge membership
Get sea monster bone
Talk to Len (Peddler's Path) for hints
Bring Ancalagon to Legends' Ledge
Given to Purvis for XP
Protects garden
Can only be crafted by
Scathach
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Sellable items
Name
Wooden Nickels
Demon Pirate Costume
Hero Wing
Coming-of-Age Token
Antique Coins
Ruby Choker
Doubloons
“Man” dolls
Engagement Ring
Poetry Merit Badge
Sells for
10
40
65
100
200
200
200
300
300
500
Notes
Side w/mercs during “The Bird Song”
Send Charlie after Hangin' Johnny
Submit “Gilgamesh” and “The Tain”
Submit 3 Bildungsromans to press
Found in the Fens
Complete Avis main quest
Submit “Moby-Dick” and “Treasure Island”
5 total (Paisley, Ice, Colorless, Fire, Slender)
If sold, 1 book sacrificed
Must be lent to Sappho first
Component locations
Ancalagon iron – library chest on top level
Ancalagon buckler – Wood Path chest near exit
Ancalagon grip – buy from Len on Peddler's Path during 2nd visit to Skylight
Caladbolg hilt – submit modernist works to press
Caladbolg blade – buy from Sayyida
Vorpal blade – buy from Sayyida
Vorpal hilt – find in “?”
Vorpal Steel – in Forgotten Woods across from Cameron
Paisley Man – library top level
Fire Man – song with Shantyman after 2nd auld coast quest completed
Colorless Man – escarpment near old campsite
Slender Man – in Dust Jacket behind far wall
Ice Man – in rabbit cave
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Endgame Allies
Name
Maev
Xosha
Calamity Jane
Juan Carlos
Luca
Sayidda
Sadie the Goat
Lady Killigrew
J.M. Faber
Aid
XP
New spell
XP
New spell
Healing item
Shop
XP
XP
Transport
How to Recruit
Help Maev with her trauma during “A Modus Proposal”
Become witch and promise to give Skylight to the witches
Get her to join you during “The World was Here First”
Allow John Henry's railroad project to continue
Talk to Agostina during second visit to Total Wreck
Recruit Sayyida after “She Sailed Upon the Lonesome Sea”
Ask for her help after “She Sailed Upon the Lonesome Sea”
Ask for her help after “She Sailed Upon the Lonesome Sea”
Complete “The Jack-a-roe”
Personal Relationships
Friendships can be maintained and grown with the various companions throughout the
adventure. Completing the quest “Library School,” in which the player is tasked with buying personal
gift books for each companion, provides access to vital persona quests specific to each companion later,
and can also grant the player the opportunity to profess her/his feelings for the involved companion. To
access this, complete “Library School” and then speak to each companion in the Treeline Lodge and
complete their personal quest. In the case of Shelley, you must perform her entire quest chain,
beginning with “Riddles Wisely Expounded,” followed by her part in “Library School,” followed by
the conversation at the Lodge and the remainder of “One of those Curious Children,” and then wait
until the end of the game to tell her how you feel. In the case of Gail, there is no romance, but she can
make a female writer an honorary witch if certain conditions are met, in which case she will follow
through on giving you her manuscript at the very end. IMPORTANT: Expressing romantic feelings for
a companion will prevent you from doing the same with another companion later (monogamy bolsters
replay value!).
Companion
Odette
Alexa
Purvis
Shelley
Gail
Interested in
Any gender
Any gender
Any gender
Any gender
Women only
Quest
Notes
“Tablet XIII”
“Sprawling on a Pin”
“The Almost Star-Studded Adventure”
“Riddles Wisely Expounded” / “One of those Curious Children”
“The Healer”
Must not kill
Ol' Crabapple
Assassinations
Target
The Manager
The Count
Billy Reuben
Hangin' Johnny
Macklyn
Dunmer
Price
2000
300
500
250
150
Free
Notes
Necessary to complete “Dirty Scribblings”
Enables completion of “The Rope of Feats” without confronting him
If you betrayed Reuben, this keeps him from attacking you later
Prevents ambush during “The Cruel Ship's Captain” quest
Yields special sword, Magnificent Bastard
Part of “I Hung My Head” quest – optional
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Book Locations
Note: The game's events (and especially its ending) can change drastically if all 100 books are obtained.
Remember to revisit areas, speak to everyone, exhaust conversation options, and frequently check your quest
sub-screen to make sure you don't miss anything.
1 Anna Karenina (chest in Greenhorn Valley)
2 O Pioneers! (chest near tent in Ruined Bridge area)
3 Swamplandia! (complete “An Anachronism That Can Eat You”)
4 Where the Long Grass Bends (answer first batch of Banshee's riddles)
5 The Lord of the Rings (complete “An Unexpected Inconvenience” - chest behind PJ's throne)
6 A Visit From the Goon Squad (complete “William Taylor”)
7 Dubliners (complete “Three Drunken Maidens”)
8 Diving into the Wreck (near the hut on Hypothetical Island)
9 Treasure Island (complete “No Drinking After Death”)
10 Islands in the Stream (found in Tide Pools using Dig Dagger)
11 Dracula (chest in third chamber of the Hollow Tree)
12 The Prince (Ruadh's chest inside Skylight Keep)
13 Frog Poem (chest at the Cobbles)
14 Carmilla (complete “Love is Always Selfish”)
15 Sweet Tomb (complete “Bonesaw in my Backpack”)
16 Wuthering Heights (dig up Cathy's grave for Ellis Bell)
17 One Hundred Years of Solitude (answer Banshee's 2nd batch of riddles)
18 The Stranger (Complete “The Cruel Ship's Captain” or “One Spring Morning”)
19 The Raven (complete “Nevermore”)
20 The Catcher in the Rye (chest in Wind Power Field after game w/Ethel)
21 Don Quixote (complete “The Big Tilt”)
22 Jane Eyre (call the Bell siblings for Currer Bell)
23 The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (dispose of Acton's bottles)
24 Don Juan (win “Lord Byron facts” with George G.)
25 Frankenstein (win “Questions” with Godwin)
26 Cat's Eye (in Skylight Keep)
27 A Cold Spring (in Skylight Keep)
28 Gatsby (complete “I Hung My Head”)
29 The Satanic Verses (Library upper level)
30 Emma (be polite to Opal in Skylight Keep)
31 The Bell Jar (chest in Ashworth)
32 Live or Die (chest in Ashworth)
33 Iliad (Pendergast chest)
34 The Metamorphosis (Pendergast chest)
35 Karate Chop (Schaeffer mine)
36 Dorian Gray (Schaeffer mine)
37 Reasons to Live (Schaeffer Mine)
38 Elle (Schaeffer Mine)
39 At Swim Two Birds (Schaeffer mine)
40 Alamut (Hammett Mine)
41 Cold Pluto (Hammett Mine)
42 A Tale of Two Cities (Hammett Mine)
43 The Great Enigma (Hammett Mine)
44 Death in Venice (Hammett Mine)
29
45 Interpreter of Maladies (Butterfield Mine)
46 Shui Hu Zhuan (Butterfield Mine)
47 Antwerp (Butterfield Mine)
48 For Love Alone (Butterfield Mine)
49 Count of Monte Cristo (Butterfield Mine)
50 The Mover of Bones (Complete “Swallow the Dead Girl”)
51 Go Down, Moses (complete “The Hunt”)
52 Nature (complete “A Plant Where No Seed Has Been”)
53 North of Boston (complete “A Plant Where No Seed Has Been”)
54. Walden (complete “A Plant Where No Seed Has Been”)
55. Waiting for Godot (complete “Stop Speaking to Me of Time”)
56. Glottal Stop (complete “Schwarze Milch der Fruhe”)
57 Milagro Beanfield War (complete “Kansas City Shuffle” and talk to Ford)
58 Infinite Jest (complete “Irksome Paradox”)
59 Fahrenheit 451 (complete “Don't Ask for Guarantees”)
60 To the Lighthouse (complete “Such Vigour Came Rolling”)
61 Flet (complete “A Knowledge That Will Not Subside”)
62 Lord of the Flies (complete “Who Controls the Past Controls the Future”)
63 1984 (complete “Who Controls the Past Controls the Future” and speak to Jackie)
64 Everyday Psychokillers (complete “This Cruel Necklace Becomes Me”)
65 The Bloody Chamber (complete “This Cruel Necklace Becomes Me”)
66 Huntsman, What Quarry? (answer banshee's 3rd set of riddles)
67 Losing a Language (answer banshee's 4th set of riddles)
68 The Awakening (answer banshee's 5th set of riddles)
69 Bastard out of Carolina (Avis Manager's vault – unlock with three Odd Rings)
70 Brave New World (Avis Manager's vault – unlock with three Odd Rings)
71 Norwegian Wood (complete “That Bird Had Flown”)
72 The Girl in the Flammable Skirt (complete “The Bird Song”)
73 in Just (Complete “Malt Has Come Down”)
74 Passing (complete “The Cruelest Thing in the World”)
75 Stones of the Sky (complete “Das Sternbild”)
76 The Tain (speak to Scathach in the Region Beyond)
77 Canterbury Tales (complete “As Fair as the Blah Blah Blah”)
78 Invisible Man (complete “The Rope of Feats” and check behind Count throne)
79 Sappho's Fragments (complete “A Poet Adrift”)
80 White is for Witching (complete “The Bird Song”)
81 The God of Small Things (trade Pride and Prejudice to Odette)
82 District and Circle (trade Sardanapalus to Purvis)
83 Dialogues in Paradise (trade Rooms and Their Airs to Gail)
84 Paradise (trade I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings to Charlie)
85 Things Fall Apart (complete “I Always Knew this Day Would Come”)
86 The Woman Warrior (complete “A Modus Proposal”)
87 The Brothers Karamazov (complete “Don't Lie to Yourself”)
88 Moby-Dick (complete “She Sailed Upon the Lonesome Sea”)
89 No Signposts in the Sea (complete “The Glass is Falling”)
90 The Book of Hours (in Rabbit Cave)
91 A Mountain Revelry (in Rabbit Cave)
92 The Color Purple (complete “Why?”)
93 The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (complete “Sprawling on a Pin”)
94 The Epic of Gilgamesh (complete “Tablet XIII”)
95 Hermes, Dog and Star (complete “The Almost Star-Studded Adventure”)
30
96 Any Soul that Drank the Nectar (complete “The World was Here First”)
97 Macbeth (complete “The Note that Jarred”)
98 When We were Very Young (complete “One of those Curious Children”)
99 Go Tell it on the Mountain (on Legends' Ledge in chest)
100 A Book (complete “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”)
31
Other Characters
(Main Supporting)
Lady Pierce Ashworth
Head of Skylight's House Ashworth. Melancholic, romantic, and trustworthy. Not to be
confused with “The Lady.”
Liza
Boatswain to Captain Satling in Benbow-by-the-Sea. A former pirate, she is idealistic
and honorable. Can be recruited if the player sides with Satling during “No Drinking
After Death.”
Jian-yu
Quartermaster to Governor Richelle. Pragmatic and unfeeling. Can be recruited if the
player sides with Richelle during “No Drinking After Death.”
Shady Grove
Leader of an outlaw gang in Total Wreck. Retires to pursue a career in “dry
goods,” but can become both sheriff of Total Wreck and a valuable ally to the Writer,
depending on player choice.
Maev
A middle-aged warrior woman whose daughter, Georgina, was bartered to Bogdan in
exchange for a small amount of money due to her family's poverty.
Xosha
De facto leader of the “cassowary” witch brood who arrives during the player's second
visit to Skylight in order to help Gail with a personal problem. Heads of the other witch
broods include Belien, Ai, Malesha, Eliria, Jocelyn, and McKean.
The Assembly
A group of influential characters from literary history who gather for reasons unknown.
The group is made up of Orlando (Orlando by Virginia Woolf); Gandalf (The Lord of
the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien); Othello (Othello by William Shakespeare); Elizabeth
Bennet (Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen); and Anna Karenina (Anna Karenina by
Leo Tolstoy). They aid the Writer in escaping a nightmare created by Oswald, and can
later teach the former how to win at “Shakespearean Insults.”
Dream Figures
A series of sprites who appear in the writer's dreams and visions.
(Antagonists)
Oswald
A self-proclaimed “big reader” who reads nothing written in the past three hundred
years, makes a point of enjoying everything for what it is, and believes that everything
has already been done. He frequently appears doing next to nothing while the player is
questing, and berates the latter for always “looking for some problem to solve.” Holding
a personal vendetta against the book-collecting, well-read Writer for what he considers
32
to be “sanctimonious baloney,” Oswald becomes a bounty hunter for the Brave Knights,
revealing incredible power that he uses to antagonize the Writer whenever possible, all
in the name of proving that nothing new can actually be written.
The Brave Knights
Colloquially known as the Brain Trust, the Brave Knights were a group of heroes
dedicated to protecting the legacy of the Lady. The Brain Trust is made up of Dedrich,
a hipster who pays no mind to context or clarity and thinks it's enough if someone
“knows what you mean;” Roland Ashworth, a warrior obsessed with fighting and
action with no concern for substance or sympathy (not to mention reasons for fighting);
and Conrad, a robot who speaks in form rejection letters. Henchmen of the Knights
encountered during the player's second visit to each world include H.W. Sleasman, a
businessman sent to drain and industrialize the Fens; Wallace and Pennypacker, two
zealots trying to shut down the railroad project; Yusuf and Thrasher, mercenaries
recruited by Roland Ashworth to kill vampires; Carerro, an agent sent to prevent the
writer from installing a new Manager in Avis; and the Admiral and Nonso, naval
officers sent to raze the Auld Coast under the pretense of ridding it of pirates.
The Manager
The shadowy figure behind the workings of Avis. The Manager maintains an exact
balance that cannot be disrupted, lest the instigator be imprisoned or disappeared,
which causes everyone to relive the same stories over and over again.
Bogdan
A former military officer in Avis who consecutively marries several daughters of
unfortunate parents by paying with handfuls of jewels. Similar to Bluebeard in his
practices.
Ruadh and Germaine Coghlin
Machiavellian heads of House Coghlin, the most powerful family in Skylight.
They are distrustful of the Writer from the start and have always planned on framing
them for Randall's death, although they seem (initially) polite and hospitable
enough.
Mustache Pete
Mob boss and the financial backer of Total Wreck. He seeks to stick to the “old
ways;” beginning with burying contemporary lit in abandoned mines, and going as far as
not allowing anyone to write anything new.
Dierkes
A greedy cattle-baron in Total Wreck who insists that several poor homesteaders are
living off of his land.
Pendergast
An escaped felon in Skylight who has read so many books involving supernatural
transformation that he is able to transform into a cyclops. Pendergast serves as the
precursor for what is to come in the game: seemingly normal people who have harnessed
the power to transform into horrible creatures.
The Count
A wealthy charlatan who plans on turning the people of the Fens into Orcs.
Drago
Mustache Pete's righthand man.
Niko
P.J.'s righthand man. Drove the last Count out of the Fens.
33
Chuckbucket, Cutthroat Chad, and Wanker
A group of modern-day imbeciles celebrating Talk Like a Pirate Day. They have
taken their antics too far, commandeering a real shipwreck and keeping R.L.
Stevenson's Treasure Island from readers (it's bad enough that people think pirates
actually talked like that, and these guys are keeping the book that invented “pirate
speech” to themselves).
Igbol
A violent troll who has appropriated the Ruined Bridge.
(Real-life Authors)
Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë
The sisters appear as their aliases, the “Bell Brothers,” until the player reunites them. If
the player chooses to submit their books to Odette at the press, the sisters will appear in
the library under their real names, and offer conversation/advice for the rest of the
adventure.
Lord Byron
Appears as “George G,” a famous poet and adventurer. The player uncovers his identity,
although he is tired of being considered a celebrity, and plays a game of “Byron Facts”
to break the ice.
Mary Shelley
Appears as “Godwin” at the dinner party where the player meets Lord Byron. She plays
a game of “questions” with the player, and touches on some of the themes of
Frankenstein (including the loss of a child).
Virginia Woolf
Appears as “Adeline” in Total Wreck's Rail Yard. She is looking for a lighthouse she has
apparently seen in the desert, and tasks the player with delivering a note for her. Can
appear later as a more aged version of herself in the Library.
Sappho
Appears as “S.” at Avis's water source. Explains the difficulty of poetry to the player
while lamenting a lost “someone” (presumably Atthis), and tasks the player with both
collecting her poetic fragments and proving to her that love isn't only to be found in
poetry.
Geoffrey Chaucer
Appears as “Geoff” during the second visit to the Fens. He is on his infamous absence
from real-life history, and seeks a new muse for his tales (while of course inadvertently
antagonizing knights).
Herman Melville
Appears as “The Rover” during the second visit to the Auld Coast. He organizes a crew
to combat the coming forces of the Brain Trust, gathering the best pirates of the non
“Golden Age” along with the Writer. Much like Captain Ahab, the Rover nails a
“doubloon” of sorts (in this case Moby-Dick itself) to a mast-like structure and promises
it to the one who sinks the Admiral's ship.
Vita Sackville-West
Appears as “Victoria” during the second visit to Skylight. She despondently wanders
around the House O'Hannigan apartments, lamenting the fact that every library she's
been to carries not her written work, but biographies about her various sexual affairs.
She can later be reunited with Virginia Woolf.
34
Emily Dickinson
Appears as “The Lady,” a figure of great myth and mystery in the game's unnamed
universe. The player can meet her in the endgame, uncovering the truth about the Brave
Knights and gaining insight on the legacy of a writer.
(Other real or folklore-based characters)
Scáthach
The Irish warrior who trained Maev, Cu Chulainn, and countless others. She can craft
the ultimate weapon (Gae Bulg) and skill (Warp Spasm) for the writer.
John Henry
The legendary American railroad driller. He appears in Total Wreck, and the player can
aid him (during the second visit) in seeing the railroad project through, which yields
results in the endgame.
Elizabeth Killigrew
The 1500s Cornish pirate pardoned by Queen Elizabeth I. Appears as “Lady Killigrew”
during the player's second visit to the Auld Coast.
Thomas Cavendish
The 1500s explorer and pirate who was the first person to circumnavigate the globe (on
purpose).
Sayyida al Hurra
Early 1500s Moroccan pirate. Returns to Auld Coast for the revolution, and can later
open a shop at the Library, where she crafts items for the player. Sayyida becomes a
regular companion when recruited, and a friendship can be developed with her.
Sadie the Goat
1860s Irish-American pirate on the Hudson River. Appears as “Drunk Woman” in the
beginning, and joins the revolution against the Navy during the second visit to Auld
Coast. Resents the fact that Anne Bonny is the only female pirate anyone remembers.
Calamity Jane
The 1800s frontierswoman appears during the second visit to Total Wreck, joined by Lee
(whether or not Lee was the killer and whether or not she was captured).
Casey Jones
American engineer and folk hero who briefly appears, looking forward to the job he'll
get once the railroad is built.
(Supporting)
The Fens
Banshee – a mysterious figure who speaks in riddles.
Camper – A camper near the Ruined Bridge.
Nina – An adventurer near the Ruined Bridge.
Olivia – A former gator wrangler living at the Far Border.
Wetland Villagers - Chief Magna, Haley, Hyacinth, Glenn, Fletcher
Auld Coast
Captain Satling – Aging naval officer in search of the Hispaniola wreck.
Governor Richelle – Overseer of Rackham Harbour; also wants the Hispaniola.
Wingbar the Magnificent – an inventor in Rackham Harbour.
Pierre – A sailor marooned on Hypothetical Island.
Benbow villagers – Naomi, Barrett, Kenneth, Rebecca, Jenna, Andi, Kenzy
35
Rackham Harbor villagers – Pasty George, Sally, Susie, Carol, Tourist, Ian
At the Tide Pools – Shantyman, William Taylor, Nan, Werner
At the Crossroads – Sordid Sven, Shawna, Tugg, Ulie
At O'Malley's Hills – Margo, Evelyn
Skylight
Ol' Crabapple – A witch.
Audrey – Lord Randall's true love.
Ethel O'Hannigan – Daughter of Lazlo, reclusive head of House O'Hannigan.
Vampires – Three supernatural people residing within the Hollow Tree.
Cameron – A vampire once involved with Lady Pierce Ashworth.
Skylight Keep Villagers – Brav Bravad, Gil, Celine, Lotte, Allie, Coghlin Knights
House O'Hannigan Villagers – Marionna, Ed, O'Hannigan Peacekeepers
House Ashworth Villagers – Delia, Cal, Ashworth Defenders
Peddler's Path – Arno, Kim, Fleck
Total Wreck
Billy Reuben, Lee, and Pumpkinseed – outlaws; part of Shady Grove's gang.
Agostina – Keeper of the Publik House; affiliated with the mob.
At Rugged Roads – Sandy, Bartram, Nathan
At the Rail Yard – Big John Henry, Mike, Rose, Frances, Bert, Greg
In Total Wreck Proper – Mickey, Mayor Pamby, Tinker, Betty, Faye
At the Homestead: Ford, Kayla, Alabaster,
Avis
Georgina – A young woman married to Bogdan under dubious circumstances.
Roger – Keeper of the water source and critic of overused narrative tropes.
The Flying Scotsman – A belligerent, kilt-wearing man who controls transportation.
Byrne – De facto leader of the Disciples gang in town.
Flame Queen/Lori – Leader of the Incandenza gang.
Sai – Reporter for the Avis Record.
Liszt – A gladiator who battles in the arena.
Manager's Assistants – Identical figures who deliver messages for the Manager.
Bogdanians – Followers of Bogdan.
In A Safe Place – Roughshod, Axel, Marr, Melphy, Pinky, Jude, Rena, Michelle
At the Outskirts – Sparks, Wally, Petty, Biggs, Cricket, Slater, Bogdanians
At Apocalypse – McCounaghey, Joel, Maya, Grub, Led, Tun, Jackie, Nurse Tricia
In A Clear Space – Roger, S.
Treeline
Tuppence – Lady-Macbeth-like figure who advises Vlacil, the mayor.
In the Plaza – Iva, Vlacil, Joan
At the Escarpment – Gatekeeper
At the Lodge – Ray, Kelso, Vivian, Otis
At the Snowy Hills – Kazuhiro
On Legends' Ledge – Sadiq, Shield Maker, Giaimo, Juan Carlos, Luca
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Trivia and References
Shelley, upon giving the Writer her/his first quest, claims that “it's dangerous to go alone, and all that.”
This is a reference to The Legend of Zelda.
Nina, afraid to cross the Lonesome Road, claims that she does not want to risk “an arrow in the knee.”
This is a reference to the famous Skyrim meme.
Igbol's rhyme – “Well, come along, I've got big fists / to maim ya and shame ya (you get the gist) / if
you wanna survive and cross Igbol's bridge / hand me a nice thick tome – unabridged!” is similar to the
troll's rhyme in The Three Billy Goats Gruff.
The evil Count who usurps the Miry Throne and claims that the Fens belong to him, as well as loving
all things Orc, is a parody of Peter Jackson, whose Tolkien-inspired films have diluted the original
Tolkien lore and literature to the point that the Orcs might as well be the main characters.
The Count's rhyme (“I am the Count and I count for three / no banshee I've seen / so no banshee there's
been”) is a reference to a similar rhyme from the Italian folktale “The Count's Beard.”
Niko, the Count's righthand man, is a parody of Jaime Lannister (and named after Nikolai CosterWaldau) from Game of Thrones. He claims to have eliminated the previous Count by making fun of
him behind his back until he disappeared. If the player criticizes this, Niko asks, “Would you admire
me more if I'd made fun of him to his face?” - a reference to Jaime's slaying of the Mad King by
stabbing him in the back.
Niko mentions that the last Count had to be removed because he “thought cartoon adaptations of
literature were the future,” and that his name reminded Niko of a fish. This is a reference to Jules Bass
of the famous Rankin/Bass company, who produced The Hobbit and The Return of the King animated
films.
Shelley at one point mentions that PJ, the Count, wants to turn everyone into an Orc. If the player asks
what she means by “everyone,” Shelley replies, “EV-ERY-ONE!” - a reference to Gary Oldman's
famous line from Leon: The Professional.
The player can ask Shelley to simply tell her/him the answers to the Banshee's riddles. To this, Shelley
replies, “What do I look like? GameFAQs?” (a popular website that provides solutions to video game
puzzles, as well as full walkthroughs of games)
The quest “Riddles Wisely Expounded” is named after Child Ballad #1, and many of the Banshee's
riddles are derived from that song.
When Shelley describes the Auld Coast as “piratey,” the player can respond, “But I don't wanna be a
pirate!” - a reference to the Seinfeld episode “The Puffy Shirt.”
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The player can tell Andi, proprietor of the Benbow Inn, that she/he is interested in “wealth beyond
measure,” a reference to the famous phrase from Morrowind.
The quest “William Taylor” is similar to the song for which it's named: in the song, William Taylor and
an unnamed heroine are to be married, when the former is pressed into service by British sailors. She
comes to his rescue, only to find that he has taken a new “lady gay.” In response, she procures a pair of
pistols and shoots them both dead. In the game, the player can choose to let Taylor live, but sacrifices
the book reward if so.
Sally and Susie are the names of the same character in various versions of the folk song “Three
Drunken Maidens,” about three women who spend a night drinking and racking up an enormous tab.
In the game's quest of the same name, two of the three women are named Sally and Susie.
The quest “An Anachronism that can Eat You” is named for a line in Karen Russell's Swamplandia!
(and the book is the prize for completing the quest).
The quest “A Lonely Banshee” is named after Richard Hartshorn's film group, Lonely Banshee, which
was named by poet Laura McCoy.
At the outset of the adventure, Shelley mentions that a lot of umlauts will be missing from this game.
This is a reference to the fact that the Avatar Legends program does not allow for umlauts and accent
marks of any kind, so names like Brontë appear without them. Wingbar the Magnificent also calls
attention to this if the player claims to be the sixth Brontë sister.
Wingbar the Magnificent takes his name from the fact that Richard Hartshorn worked for nine years in
a deli, in which they had a chicken-wing bar (known as the “wing bar”). Hartshorn and coworker
Howard Jones always thought “Wingbar” would be a good name for a magician (the in-game character
is an inventor, but the player mistakes him for a magician upon their first meeting), and the final
inventor the player encounters proclaims that “Wingbar leaves a salty and vinegary taste in my mouth.”
Benbow-by-the-sea is named after Admiral John Benbow, for whom a folk song is named, as well as
the famous Admiral Benbow Inn from the novel Treasure Island by R.L. Stevenson, where the player
can stay in the game.
Rackham Harbour is named after Calico Jack Rackham, a 1720s pirate most famous for creating the
skull-and-crossed-swords flag, which appears on the mast of a ship seen in his namesake town in-game.
Hartshorn played the role of Rackham in the 2014 independent film A Tattered Flag.
O'Malley's Hills are named after Grace O'Malley, the Pirate Queen of 1500s Ireland.
The player can imply that she/he is “Casey O'Malley from County Kerry,” and that the hills are named
after them, but Jian-yu catches this as a poor impersonation of an Irish person. This is a reference to
Oregon Trail II, in which American voice actors put on stereotypical ethnic accents, including an
Irishman named Casey O'Malley.
The player can introduce themselves to Wingbar as Hugo Gernsback, a famous sci-fi author and
inventor. Wingbar tells the player not to expect to have an award named after them (a reference to the
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Hugo Awards for Science Fiction Writing).
The player can introduce themselves to Jian-yu as “Threepwood,” a reference to Guybrush
Threepwood, protagonist of Ron Gilbert's pirate parody adventure game series Monkey Island. Similar
to characters in Threepwood's game, Jian-yu screws up his name.
The player can introduce themselves to Jian-yu as Mary Read, a real-life pirate who sailed with Anne
Bonny and Calico Jack Rackham.
Odette referes to the Tourist as “the worst thing for pirates since Disney.” This is a reference to the
historically inaccurate Pirates of the Caribbean films.
The Founders of Rackham Harbour and Benbow-by-the-sea are named William Hollander, Henry
Martin, and Billy Bones. The first two are named for famous folk songs about the dangers and
temptations of real piracy, and their in-game narratives follow what happens to the folk characters. The
latter is named for the character in Stevenson's Treasure Island.
The player can tell the Tourist in Rackham Harbour that they are “an irate pirate.” The Tourist
responds, “a real swashbuckling buccaneer?” These lines echo an episode of Epic Rap Battles of
History entitled “Blackbeard vs. Al Capone.”
When obtaining a fake ID from Odette, the player can choose their pseudonym to be “T.J. Eckleburg”
(a reference to The Great Gatsby), “Artoo Deetoo” (a reference to the Star Wars character R2-D2), or
“McFisheye – no last name” (a reference to “McLovin” from the film Superbad). Odette understands
every reference, and responds in kind.
“Mentor's Spiced Rum” is a reference to the fact that Sir Henry Morgan, for whom Captain Morgan's
Spiced Rum is named, appears as a character called “Mentor” in Hartshorn's 2014 film A Tattered Flag,
which concerns 1700s pirate characters. The other fictional alcohols, “None-the-Weiser Premium
Grog,” “Corps Lite Navy Ale,” and “O'Tool's Non-Toxic Brew” are knockoffs of Budweiser, Coors
Lite, and O'Dhoul's, respectively.
Orly, the deceased grave-keeper on the Crossroads, is a character from Hartshorn's earlier video game,
The First Saga, in which he is also missing from his hut and presumed dead. In that game, the player
could discover his fate, travel through his booby-trapped crypt, and receive a reward from his ghost.
The player can introduce themselves to Odette as “one of the lost party members from Quest 64.”
Quest 64 was an RPG on the Nintendo 64 that was considered by some to be “unfinished” due to
having only one party member. Odette considers this reference to be “needlessly obscure.”
Chuckbucket, leader of the evildoers celebrating Talk Like a Pirate Day on the Hispaniola wreck, is
named after both “Chumbucket,” the pseudonym of one of the inventors of Talk Like a Pirate Day, and
LeChuck, the main antagonist of the pirate-themed Monkey Island series (and in fact wears LeChuck's
outfit). His name also sounds like a repository for vomit, which is no coincidence.
Margo's song, “I'm a Little Pirate,” is very similar in structure to the playground song “I'm a Little
Dutch Girl.”
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The main quest line in the Auld Coast is entitled “No Drinking After Death,” a line from the pirate folk
song “Down Among the Dead Men.”
Skylight is named after the Adirondack High Peak of the same name.
The first quest in Skylight, in which Ol' Crabapple asks the writer to enter a hollow tree and retrieve a
small box for her, is based upon the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale “The Tinderbox,” and partially
inspired by Lucy Corin's “Eyes of Dogs,” a version of the same story.
If spoken to after the player hands over the cigarette case, Ol' Crabapple sings, “Double, double, goatee
and stubble...” - a reference to the rhyme of the witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth.
The third vampire in the Hollow Tree mentions that he was a writer in his lifetime, but his story was
told in a more accessible way by less talented writers, and his tale was forgotten. Given that Bram
Stoker's Dracula is found in this vampire's chamber, this may be a reference to the fact that everyone
remembers Dracula, while Le Fanu's Carmilla, the inspiration for Dracula, is largely forgotten.
Acton, Ellis, and Currer were the real-life pseudonyms of Anne, Emily, and Charlotte Brontë. The ingame “Bell Brothers” turn out to be the Brontës themselves.
Lotte, at the pub in Skylight Keep, sings, “Lentin adie, toorin adie, lentin adie, toorin ee.” This is the
lilt that constitutes the chorus of the folk song “The Barnyards of Delgaty,” about working at an estate
in Scotland.
Lord Randall, head of House Coghlin, is named for Child Ballad #12, wherein a Lord of the same name
is poisoned by his true lover, which is discovered too late by his mother. The quest “Weary with
Hunting” is named for a line in the song, and Randall's fate turns out to be identical to that of his
namesake.
Several weapons and shields that can be obtained in Skylight, including Hareton's Hammer and the
House Earnshaw Shield, are named after characters from Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights.
Purvis is named after Pete Purvis, a multi-instrumentalist who plays bagpipes and other instruments in
Celtic fusion band Gaelic Storm.
The player can introduce themselves to Ethel O'Hannigan as “Sookie Stackhouse,” the protagonist of
Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries. Ethel responds, “Girl, why didn't you end up with
Eric?” - a reference to the HBO series True Blood, based on Harris's novels, but known for taking great
departures from the source material regarding Sookie's romantic exploits.
The player can introduce themselves to Ethel as “La Cabaza Grande,” which is Spanish for “the Great
Pumpkin,” a reference to the famous Charlie Brown Halloween special.
The player can introduce themselves to Ethel as “The last of the Earnshaw family,” a reference to
Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights.
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Purvis aspires to be a Byronic Hero, i.e. a character who is proud, cynical, moody, insatiable when it
comes to vengeance, yet capable of deep passion and love (the modern-day “antihero” is a facsimile of
the Byronic Hero). The player can compare him to famous Byronic heroes from literature, including
Conrad the Corsair (from Lord Byron's own work), Edmond Dantes (from Dumas's The Count of
Monte Cristo), and Mr. Rochester (from Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre). When he finally encounters
Lord Byron at a party, Purvis nearly loses his mind.
After Purvis mentions fixing a tournament between Coghlin and Ashworth, the player can tell him he
has a real “Arnold Rothstein vibe.” Rothstein was an infamous gambler and gangster who fixed the
1920 World Series.
Lady Pierce's involvement with the vampire Cameron is similar (in some ways) to the relationship
between protagonist Laura and the vampire Carmilla in Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's novel Carmilla The
book is the prize for helping Lady Pierce reconcile her feelings about this.
The “Bonesaw in My Backpack” quest contains several references to Trinie Dalton's Sweet Tomb,
including the scenario of a witch digging up a corpse and hacking off its hand for a charm recipe. The
book itself is the prize for completing the quest, and Delia, the witch in question, bears a passing
resemblance to Trinie Dalton herself.
The “Nevermore” quest closely resembles the narrative of Edgar Allan Poe's poem “The Raven,”
(which is the prize for completing it) and is named after its famous refrain. “Reynolds” is the name
Poe himself was said to be shouting incoherently before he died of alcohol poisoning.
At the end of the “Bell Brothers” quest, the player must convince Currer Bell (Charlotte Brontë) that
they're willing to help by presenting an example from Charlotte's own book, Jane Eyre (“it's like the
book where the crazy wife sacrifices everything to let the new woman be with the husband”). The
other examples, which Charlotte does not understand due to anachronism, are from Harry Potter and
The Great Gatsby.
The quest “The Big Tilt” involves a Don Quixote facsimile named Brav Bravad telling the player that a
bunch of windmills are actually giants that must be slain. The player, after completing this, can either
tell Bravad that the evil giants are gone, or that they were just windmills and that these haphazard
violent actions are pointless. Choosing the former leads Bravad to speculate that the player “missed the
point entirely.”
During the Coghlin dinner party, Odette mentions that there will be a lottery. The player can respond
by referring to either Shirley Jackson's story “The Lottery,” in which the “winner” is stoned to death;
J.K. Rowling's Goblet of Fire, in which the person whose name is drawn must compete in deadly tasks;
or can respond with a version of the New York Lotto's old catchphrase, “You can't win if you don't
play,” which annoys Odette to the point of threatening to slap the player.
The character of Godwin is implied to be Mary Shelley using a pseudonym. Hints include mention of
her losing a child, having a difficult family, and her possession of the book Frankenstein, which she
quotes from if the player asks how to get rid of Ruadh and Germaine.
As revealed in-universe, George G. is Lord Byron. Much of his dialogue is taken from actual Lord
41
Byron quotes, and the player's game of laconic “Byron facts” is very similar to “Chuck Norris Facts”
and “The Most Interesting Man in the World” commercials, which the real-life Byron himself
personified in his time (and with a clubfoot, no less).
Lady Pierce's joking claim that George G. is not Lord Byron, but a “giant chicken disguised as a man,”
is a reference to the “Chicken Boo” cartoon from Animaniacs.
To try to get out of being executed by Ruadh and Germaine, the player can say, “Wait a minute! I get
another shot!” - a reference to Mel Brooks's Robin Hood: Men in Tights. The line does not work on
them.
Purvis at one point tells the writer to lay off the “gotta catch 'em all” attitude. This is a reference to
Pokemon.
The player may tell Pendergast that their name is “No-Man,” before Pendergast transforms into a
cyclops and attacks. This is a reference to Homer's The Odyssey, in which Odysseus does the same to
avoid revealing his identity to a cyclops.
If the player expresses regret at killing Ol' Crabapple, Jian-yu mentions that there are no “paragon
points” in this adventure. This is a reference to BioWare's Mass Effect series.
Total Wreck is named for a real ghost town in Arizona.
The gang on the bluff in Total Wreck have interesting names: “Shady Grove” is a folk song in the
bluegrass tradition about a woman the singer pines for; Lee is the name of the narrator of the folk song
“Little Sadie” (about a murderer, which Lee can turn out to be depending upon player choice); and
“Billy Reuben” is pronounced the same as bilirubin, an important liver enzyme of which many people
have a deficiency. Reuben himself mentions that animals and plants depend on him, and the player can
later comment, “Classic Billy Reuben: a serious deficiency when you really need him.”
Bartram the botanist is named after John Bartram, a famous real-life botanist.
The quest “A Plant Where No Seed Has Been” is named for a quote by Henry David Thoreau, whose
book Walden is one of the prizes for completing the quest.
The quest “Wretched Mockeries of Justice” is named for a quote from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
“Mustache Pete” is a term denoting Sicilian mobsters who arrived in America as adults in the early
1900s, and who were infamously set in their ways (specifically refusing to work with non-Italians),
which led the younger gangsters to eliminate the Mustache Petes altogether, seeing the millions of
dollars that could be made by working with Jewish and Irish partners. In-game character Mustache
Pete is such a person, and his appearance is based on that of Joe “The Boss” Masseria, one of the most
famous Mustache Petes.
Drago is an Italian name that means “Dragon.” The character of the same name, who serves as
Mustache Pete's righthand man, serves exactly that role (the tough-righthand-man trope is often
referred to as “the dragon” in pop culture).
42
The character Charlie is in some ways similar to real-life gangster Charles “Lucky” Luciano, whose
progressive ideas required the bumping-off of the old Mustache Petes, including Joe Masseria, his
mentor and boss.
The available shields in Total Wreck are named after famous horses: “Lil' Blackie” for Matty Ross's
horse in True Grit; “Ol' Dollar” for John Wayne's real-life horse, and “Shadowfax” for the horse-lord
from The Lord of the Rings. The “Winchester Quik-Stab” sword is named for the Winchester firearm
company.
The name “Dierkes” is a reference to John Dierkes, the actor who plays Morgan Ryker (brother to the
villainous cattle-baron) in the classic western film Shane.
Adeline resembles Virginia Woolf, and uses Woolf's given first name. She quotes both To the
Lighthouse and “The Death of the Moth” (from which “Such Vigour Came Rolling” takes its name),
and the quest to deliver her note, along with the Junker's comments, imitate many folks' reading of
Woolf's postmortem essay, which many consider to be a sort of “suicide note.” The prize for
completing the quest is To the Lighthouse.
When Purvis shows up in Total Wreck, he makes a reference to Joey Ramone (“it's like Joey said:
you're too tough to die”). The player responds with a choice of Ramones references, and Purvis
responds with yet another before seeing the player off with the phrase “gabba gabba.” Ramones songs
referenced include “I Wanna Live,” “Too Tough to Die,” “She Talks to Rainbows,” “I Believe in
Miracles,” “Psycho Therapy,” and others.
Alabaster's personality change during “The Hunt,” which yields William Faulkner's Go Down, Moses
as a prize, resembles the character of Boon Hogganbeck from Faulkner's story “The Bear” (from that
collection), particularly Alabaster's claim that the squirrels belong to him.
The quest “Swallow the Dead Girl” is named for Robert Vivian's The Mover of Bones, the prize for
completing the quest. K.C's talk about a magical traveling dead girl is a reference to the main action of
the novel.
When Shady Grove expresses desire to become sheriff of Total Wreck, the player can ask if she plans
on turning the town into a “wretched hive of scum and villainy.” This is a reference to Obi-Wan
Kenobi's line in the original Star Wars about Mos Eisley Spaceport (which is itself a version of El Rey,
a mythical city of outlaws, used in plenty of fiction).
Big John Henry is a facsimile of the American folk hero of the same name. Nearby engineer Casey is a
reference to Casey Jones.
The quest “Stop Speaking to Me of Time,” which involves a bereft musician waiting for a cellist who
never comes, is a reference to Beckett's Waiting for Godot, which is also the prize for completing it.
Mickey Doyle's pub is named for the real (defunct) pub in Troy, New York, as well as the character of
the same name on mobster series Boardwalk Empire, who shares a wise-cracking personality with the
in-game Mickey.
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Faye in Total Wreck mentions that she doesn't want a “Yojimbo situation.” The classic film Yojimbo
(and the Western remake, A Fistful of Dollars) involves a drifter wandering into town to settle a conflict
between two violent factions.
Alabaster mentions that the player's accomplishments make them “a regular Rooster Cogburn.”
Rooster is the protagonist of the novel True Grit and the film of the same name. Charlie later makes a
similar comment about the player being a “regular Wyatt Earp,” a reference to the famous real-life
sheriff.
Alabaster's quest, “The Hunt,” and specifically his attitude after the player completes it, resembles the
character of Boon Hogganbeck (including his insistence that “The squirrels are mine!”) from William
Faulkner's Go Down, Moses, the prize for completing the quest.
Ford's predicament with a greedy cattle-baron is similar to the story of Jack Schaeffer's Shane.
The world of Avis is a reference to Avis Everhard, protagonist of Jack London's The Iron Heel, widely
considered to be the first work of modern dystopia.
The characters of Lori and Petty are references to actress Lori Petty, known for playing the eponymous
lead character of dystopian film/comic book Tank Girl. Lori, known as the Flame Queen, also wants a
drink of water.
When the player meets Alexa, they can ask whether a certain quote about crusades (a paraphrase of the
opening line of Mary Ruefle's lecture “Madness, Rack, and Honey”) is actually a quote by Gandhi,
Henry Rollins, or George Orwell.
The player can tell Alexa that they hope this dystopian adventure won't turn out like Battle Royale or
The Hunger Games. If the player picks the former, Alexa says that if this is the case, she'd better pack
some popcorn “and cheese” (a reference to the “Royale with Cheese” conversation in Pulp Fiction). If
the player picks the latter, Alexa mentions that if the player had to pick a YA reference, she's glad it's a
“ballsy” one, but “not literally” (because The Hunger Games was both written by a woman and stars a
female protagonist).
The quest “Don't Ask for Guarantees” is a reference to Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, which is the
prize for completing the quest: a mission to stop books from being burned.
“Beyond Loxodrome,” the main quest in Avis, sounds a bit like Beyond Thunderdome, the third entry in
the dystopian Mad Max series.
The quest “Irksome Paradox” contains plenty of references to David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest and
The Pale King, the former of which is the prize for completing it. Additionally, the nearby gang is
called the Incandenzas, a reference to Infinite Jest.
One of the Flame Queen's minions is named Biggs. The player can ask him, “Where's Wedge?” - a
reference to the Star Wars characters of the same names. Biggs will respond, “Don't be square,” a
reference to the fact that the Square-Enix company often places characters named Biggs and Wedge in
44
their Final Fantasy games.
The player can introduce themselves to Melphy as a “Light Warrior,” a reference to the original Final
Fantasy game, or as “Just a collector,” which prompts Melphy to reference both Nicolas Cage and
BioWare's Mass Effect 2 (although she's not sure whether Nicolas Cage or an evil, human-harvesting
alien is worse).
Bogdan is similar to Bluebeard, and Maev's quest to rescue her own daughter (instead of a “stubbly
hero” saving the day) is similar to Angela Carter's re-imagining of Bluebeard, “The Bloody Chamber.”
The quest “This Cruel Necklace Becomes Me” is named for a line in the book.
The quest “A Knowledge That Will Not Subside” is packed with references to and lines from Joyelle
McSweeney's poetic dystopian novel Flet, which is the prize for completing it.
The weapons and shields at Slater's shop contain references to sci-fi and dystopia fiction: “Robby's” is
a reference to Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet; “Ripley's” is a reference to Ellen Ripley, the
protagonist of Alien; “Lifesaber” is a reference to Star Wars's lightsaber.
The quest “Who Controls the Past Controls the Future” is a reference to George Orwell's 1984, which
is possible to obtain after completing it.
During preparations for the Apocalypse, there are three fans named Maya, Grubb, and Led. These
characters are named for three central characters in the 1999 Valkyrie Studios dystopian RPG Septerra
Core.
Roger is similar in some ways to film critic Roger Ebert (not in appearance), including his use of
“thumbs up” and “thumbs down” to rate narratives.
The resolution with the Manager is similar to the ending of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, in
which three offenders in a dystopian World State must converse with the master overseer to determine
their fates.
To enter A Clear Space, the player is prompted to “Walk off the Earth.” Walk off the Earth is a popular
Canadian band featuring Gianni Luminati and Sarah Blackwood, known for their viral Youtube videos.
The members of the Assembly, all characters from famous lit, speak several phrases from their
respective stories.
After Gail's transformation, the player can ask if she “went Super Saiyan.” This is a reference to
Dragonball Z, in which characters who gain power often grow wild blonde hair.
Byrne of the Disciples gang is named after Hugh Keays-Byrne, who appears as the infamous gang
leader Toecutter in the dystopian film Mad Max and as villain Immortan Joe in Mad Max: Fury Road.
The player can actually ask whether Byrne should be off antagonizing Mel Gibson, to which Byrne
responds, “Shouldn't we all?”
The name of the quest “That Bird Had Flown” is a reference to the Beatles song “Norwegian Wood,”
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which lends its name to Murakami's novel, the prize for completing the quest.
The quest “Don't Lie to Yourself” involves themes of faith vs. fact, much like Dostoyevsky's The
Brothers Karamazov, the prize for completing it.
If the player chooses to kill Zebbo by summoning the vampires, Zebbo's last words are, “Two days to
retirement!” - a reference to the common movie trope.
The quest “An Poc Ar Buile” (Irish for “The Mad Billy Goat”) is named for an old folk song, and
involves recruiting the historical Sadie the Goat, who was known for headbutting people.
The Rover's practice of nailing a book to a tiki statue with the promise that the first person to complete
a certain task to claim it, is similar to that of Captain Ahab in Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, who nails
a valuable doubloon to the mast of the Pequod under the same circumstances and offers it to the one
who catches the whale. The Rover turns out to be Melville himself.
The quest “The Note that Jarred” is named for a line in E.B. White's childhood essay “Once More to
the Lake.”
The quest “One of those Curious Children” is named for a line in A.A. Milne's introduction to his book
of poems When We Were Very Young, the first book to feature his Pooh characters.
Shady Grove often closes conversations with the line, “Peaches in the summertime, apples in the fall...”
- this is a line from the traditional folk song “Shady Grove,” after which the character is named.
The Gatekeeper in Treeline is Richard Hartshorn's Xbox avatar. He makes references to the Star Wars
shirt he's wearing, and to Hartshorn's real-life partner Laura McCoy, a poet who speaks fluent German
and has lectured on translation.
The Gatekeeper provides Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple, which includes letters that will never
be received (some of which only contain the word “Why?”) and the serious subversion of gender roles,
both of which the Gatekeeper's behavior and dialogue make reference to.
The player can tell the Gatekeeper, “The cold doesn't bother me.” The Gatekeeper will reply,
“Whatever you say, Elsa.” This is a reference to the song “Let it Go” from Disney's Frozen.
Kazuhiro's story about quitting his warlike ways after seeing a crying woman and recalling a poem by
Li Po from his childhood is based upon a true story referenced in Mary Ruefle's poetry lecture
“Madness, Rack, and Honey.”
After Gail “transforms,” her appearance takes on one similar to Karyn Crisis, lead singer of the metal
bands Crisis and Gospel of the Witches.
The quest “Sprawling on a Pin” is named for a line in Eliot's poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred
Prufrock,” the prize for completing it.
The quest “Tablet XIII” is named for the fact that The Epic of Gilgamesh was written on twelve stone
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tablets. The adventure with Odette to find this work is implied to be of great enough significance to
constitute a thirteenth tablet.
The quest “The Almost Star-Studded Adventure” is a reference to Zbigniew Herbert's poem “The
Almost Mystical Adventure.”
Purvis's song during “The Almost Star-Studded Adventure” is a parody of the punk band Crass's song
“Do They Owe us a Living?”
The quest “Girl on Fire” is a reference to The Hunger Games.
The quest “The World was Here First” is a reference to a quote by Mark Twain: “The world owes you
nothing. It was here first.”
Ellen Smith, one of Calamity Jane's posse, is a reference to the folk song “Poor Ellen Smith,” which
concerns an ill-fated outlaw by the same name. The other henchman, Burdett, is named after the
antagonist of Rio Bravo.
The final quest, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” is named for the Emily Dickinson poem.
If the player starts a relationship with Alexa, she jokes that the only arguments they have will be over
their favorite brand of olive oil. This is a reference to the season 5 finale of Community.
One of Purvis's endings involves him starting a band called “Garlic Storm.” This is a reference to
aforementioned band Gaelic Storm, in which Pete Purvis plays.
The recurring mention of Shady Grove prospering in dry goods is a reference to the epilogue of the
movie Unforgiven.
The quest “Grey, Green, and White” is a reference to Vita Sackville-West's garden in Kent. The author
herself can help a stumped player figure out the quest once she appears in the Library.
The quest “I Hung My Head” is named for the Sting song of the same name, famously covered by
Johnny Cash, concerning a wrongful death and the subsequent shame of the accidental killer.
The character Hangin' Johnny is named after a popular folk song.
The character Randy in Rackham Harbour is singing the folk song “Randy-Dandy-O.”
Sumbhaji's Cutlass is named after historical pirate Sumbhajee Angria.
The quest “The Cruel Ship's Captain” is named after an old seafaring folk song about a captain who
kills his own cabin boy in a rage. The opposite quest, “One Spring Morning,” is also named for a folk
song, this one about a man who leaves his fiance' in order to serve in the navy, and later returns to find
that she has married someone else. Both quests yield Camus's The Stranger and deal with the loss of
parents.
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If the player asks Sadie what to do with Nonso, she will respond with “Murderdeathkill!” This is a
reference to the 1993 film Demolition Man.
A character near the Hollow Tree sings, “Ki-mo-kee-mo-ki-mo-kee / way down yonder in a Hollow
Tree” - these lines are from the famous folk song “King-Kong-Kitchie-Kitchie-Ki-Me-Oh.”
The quest “A Modus Proposal” is named after the famous Jonathan Swift essay “A Modest Proposal.”
When the player gives Sayyida the Ancalagon pieces, she exclaims, “Where do you kids get these
things?” This is reference to the 1982 film The Flight of Dragons.
The quest “The Jack-a-roe” is named for L.A. Meyer's historical seafaring book series Bloody Jack,
and the character J.M. Faber is based on the protagonist, Jacky Faber, who seeks to start a company
called Faber Shipping, Worldwide. Additionally, “Jack-a-Roe” is a famous folk song that inspired the
book series.
The player can ask Alexa if the situation in Avis is a “You may not like what you find” situation. This
is a reference to Planet of the Apes.
Liszt's story about being kicked out of Skylight for smoking at a bar, after which he was decked by the
bartender, is a reference to the Gaelic Storm song “The Night I Punched Russell Crowe.” Liszt himself
is wearing the helmet Crowe's character wears in Gladiator.
If the player bothers the Gatekeeper about entering the gate after doing his sidequest, the Gatekeeper
will respond, “(deep voice) I am altering the deal, Calrissian.” This is a quote from Darth Vader in The
Empire Strikes Back.
The Writer's suggestion to Tuppence that Treeline is maintained by an imprisoned child is a reference
to the short story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula Le Guin.
Purvis's comment about “Anarchy in the Wherever the Hell We Are” is a reference to the Sex Pistols
song “Anarchy in the UK.”
Shelley's endgame “yea/nay” routine is from Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
During Purvis's personal quest, he comments that the player's drumming is “Not my tempo.” This is a
reference to the 2014 film Whiplash.