Online:Mathen Galenus

Mathen Galenus is an Imperial spirit who can be found at a cottage near Gideon.
 
Related Quests



Quest-Related Events
The Ghostwriter of Giovesse
When he gets summoned for the first time:
:Mathen Galenus: ''"Who … who's there? Alizinda, my love. Is it you?"
:Yisara: "So, this is Mathen? Gracious. Grandmother Alizinda clearly knew how to pick them."

He is summoned as part of the quest, and can be spoken to about what happened to him:
:"This light … it offers some respite from my sorrows. You have my thanks. I am Mathen Galenus, heir to the Duchy of Giovesse. What brings you to this place?"
:Your mother, Duchess Astella, asked us to speak to you. She said you're both victims of a curse.
:"Curse? Is heartache not curse enough? My great love, Alizinda, poisoned me on the very night I meant to propose to her. Someone deceived her—told her I meant to marry another. She killed me, yes, but it was an act of jealous grief, not witchcraft."
:So, if Alizinda didn't lay a curse on you, why are you and your mother still here?
:"I … I do not know. I've learned that certain objects hold a grip on the soul. Things we treasured in life. In my darkest moments, I sometimes feel drawn to the chapel where they laid my body to rest. I see harsh light glinting off my golden armor."
:Do you think this golden armor could be what's keeping you here?
:"Maybe? These long, gray years make it difficult to think. Seek out the chapel. You will find it to the west, amidst the ruins of the castle. If my armor keeps me in this sorry state, I beg you to find it. Without love, there is nothing for me here."
:All right, we'll go to the chapel and look for your armor.

He then speaks to Yisara:
:Mathen Galenus : "My lady. Forgive my impertinence, but you are the very image of my lost love, Alizinda. How could this be?"
:Yisara : "Oh my goodness. I, uhm … I believe I'm her descendant, brave sir duke. Er, baron. Whatever. My name's Yisara, by the way. What were we talking about again?"
:Mathen Galenus : "You share her spirit, Lady Yisara. At last, fate grants me a kindness."
:Yisara : "We must help him. That poor soul!"

After you find his helm, you summon his spirit again"
:Mathen Galenus : "Lady Yisara? I had not expected to see you again. Why do you summon me?"

:"Where are we? It's been so long since I walked the grounds of the castle, I scarcely recognize it. Whatever the place, it is good to speak to someone again. And to see the fair image of my lost love."
:Your mother is responsible for the curse. She told us to find your armor so we can break the spell.
:"Spell? Some ill-conceived plot to resurrect me, I presume? Mother never could suppress her passion for the occult. Now we both pay the price. But even so … I feel something else now. Some other force that nags at my soul. Something fairer. Softer."
:We found the ring you planned to give to Alizinda before she murdered you.
:"My ring of Mara? I had not thought to see it again. I see it clearly now, though—at rest near the heart of the fair Lady Yisara! The course is clear, friend. Gather my armor and rid me of the curse. In the meantime, I will bask in Yisara's glow."
:What do you mean?

He then speaks to Yisara:
:Mathen Galenus : "Lady Yisara, you bear not only Alizinda's ring, but her spirit as well. Had I a heart, it would pound like a drum at the sight of you."
:Yisara : "I, uhm … thank you, Mathen. I'm sorry for what happened to you. My friend and I will fix it, I promise."
:Mathen Galenus : "Having you beside me is all I need. Come, let me sweep you away."''

He and Yisara then disappear in a poof, with Mathen's last comment:
:Mathen Galenus : "Find my armor and break the curse. Your friend will be safe with me in the meantime."
:Yisara : "Oh my! What is—? What just happened?"

After finding the other pieces of the armor, and the sword, everyone gathers in Tavia's Tower:
:Duchess Astella Galenus : "Mathen, my darling boy! We can finally end this curse!"
:Mathen Galenus : ''"And now I part with the Lady Yisara as well? Is there nothing you won't take from me?"
:Duchess Astella Galenus : "Place the regalia, adventurer. It is well past time we left."
:Mathen Galenus : "Farewell, dear lady. I wish we had more time."
Speaking to him before you go through with placing all the pieces of the armor:
:"Do what you will, my friend. It seems my mother controls my fate in the afterlife as well."''

Things don't go entirely according to plan, with the Duchess disappearing in a poof:
:Duchess Astella Galenus : ''"Mathen! Why aren't you—? Mathen!"
:Mathen Galenus : "I'm … I'm still here?"
:Yisara : "My poor Mathen! What went wrong?"

You can then speak with Mathen:
:"I am sorry for absconding with dear Lady Yisara. I found myself … conflicted. Torn between two intentions. One in the cursed armor and another in the ring of Mara. You sundered mother's curse, but it seems my soul remains tied to the ring."
:You mean you're still trapped here despite breaking the curse?
:"Trapped? Perhaps. The foul burden of necromancy no longer weighs me down, but my connection to the ring is no less intense. It's passionate. Fiery. It's like all my unfulfilled dreams and desires remain bound to that band … and to Lady Yisara."
:Is there a way to free you?
:"Perhaps. Part of me still yearns for the warmth of Aetherius. But now, as I behold the beautiful Lady Yisara, I'm given pause. She is so like my beloved Alizinda, with a heart as warm as the sands she walked as a child. I must speak with her."
:All right. I'm sure she wants to talk to you, too.

He then speaks with Yisara:
:Mathen Galenus : "Lady Yisara, light of my … afterlife. That ring you carry is the key to my heart. I leave my fate in your hands."
:Yisara : "My hands? Mathen, what are you saying?"
:Mathen Galenus : "If you choose to wear the ring, I will remain by your side—an attentive and loving guardian."
:Yisara : "Are you serious? Tall Papa preserve me …."
:Mathen Galenus : "Destroy the ring, and I will pass to Aetherius. The choice, my lady, is yours."
Speaking to Mathen before you talk to Yisara:
:"Lady Yisara seems overwhelmed. I regret that I must place this burden on the woman I adore. Won't you help her along? She trusts you."

After choosing, there will be a short conversation between the two. If you chose to keep the ring:
:Yisara : "I want you to stay with me, Mathen. I know it's weird, but—"
:Mathen Galenus : "Weird? No, my lady. Unique. Unique and perfect."

You can then speak with Mathen:
:"How refreshing it is to have something to look forward to. An existence outside the walls with a beautiful woman at my side …. It is a miracle. And I have you to thank."
:You're not troubled by abandoning the afterlife?
:"Not in the slightest. The light of Aetherius pales before Yisara's smiling face. I have no regrets. Not anymore."
:Do you think your mother made it to Aetherius?
:"Hmph. In truth, I hardly care. I'm not so petty that I would wish some ill fate upon her, but I'm in no rush to see her again. Wherever she went, she can stay there."

If you chose to destroy the ring:
:Yisara : "I want you to stay, Mathen. I really do. But it wouldn't be fair to you or Alizinda. Our friend will destroy the ring."
:Mathen Galenus : "I understand. Yours is a loving heart, Yisara. I pray you find someone worthy to share it with."
Speaking to him before you destroy the ring, he will accept his fate:
:"It seems Lady Yisara's made her decision. I sense that my time here near its end."

Heroes of Blackwood
If you helped Yisara out and Mathen stayed with her, then he will be present at the celebrations in Gideon:
:"You made the right decision having Yisara keep me around. We will be very happy together, the muse and the writer!"

Dialogue
After completing the quest, Mathen can be found with Yisara at the inn if you decided that he should stay. He and Yisara can be found on the second floor of the inn in Gideon:
:Yisara : "I think I may stay here for a while, so that I—or rather, we—can get used to dealing with our curious partnership."
:Mathen Galenus : "Curious it may be, but I am not sure I was ever happier, even when I was flesh and bone."

You can also speak to them:
:"Greetings, my friend. It is a real pleasure to see you again. And to be seen! It appears that I'm invisible to most people. A blessing in surprise, perhaps. At any rate, I hope you are well."
:Any second thoughts about turning your back on Aetherius?
:"None. Yisara's smile is all the radiance I need, my friend. In the end, that was what my mother understood least. I was born to wealth, yes, but I never aspired to more than being a worthy partner for my lady love. This is where I belong."
:What if she meets a living man and …?
:"Then I will be glad for her. True love is not miserly. What we feel for each other is deep and true. In the end, all I wish for her is joy and fulfillment. If a day comes when she cannot find that with me? So be it."''