Fleeing Phoenix

**Fleeing Phoenix** is the eighth main case in *The Sinking City*, following Self-Defense and proceeding Into the Depths.

At the end of the last case Reed received an address from Johannes van der Berg for the residence of an archeologist named Joseph Hill: Lumbert Street, between Healog Street and Hale Lane, in eastern Reed Heights, that is the first destination.

## Residence of Joseph Hill

Upon arriving, there is a dead man at the foot of the stairs and clear signs of a struggle. Reed can head downstairs to find several dead men and a large group of wylebeasts, some living some dead. From the basement there is a table that can be climbed to get into the otherwise unaccessable room above. Here he finds *A letter from the landlord*

>
> Dear Mr. Davis,
>  I have followed p on your complaint, but regret to inform you that we have no evidence that Mr. Hill has breached his rental agreement.
>  I visited Mr. Hill after receiving your letter and found no substance to your allegations. In fact, Mr. Hills apartments are in perfect order.
>  Whatever troubles with noises, voices in the night, and "horrible smells" you may have, I suggest you resolve them with Mr. Hill in a civilized manner
>  Sincerely yours,
> J.M. Guts.
>
>
>
>

There are several more dead men and wylebeasts in this apartment that can be inspected.
After exploring that apartment Reed will need to head upstairs, There he will find a broken in door, inside of which is Joseph hill and an undead Mayan girl who will become hostile immediately, teleporting and attacking with a knife. After a short fight the girl will vanish and Reed will be able to explore the apartment, on a small table is a *Crumpled letter*

>
> This is the last warning, my son. If you proceed with your self-destructive research, I'll take action. I can't watch you kill yourself, corrupt your mind, and sacrifice your health to these old fairy tales about the dead. It's not worth it. Leave it or I'll leave you without inheritance. I won't have you spend this money on your own death.
>  N. Hill
>
>
>
>

There is a framed photograph in the bedroom that can also be examined.
In the back of the apartment in the middle of a large circle of strange symbols is Joseph Hill, after a short conversation, Reed learns that the Mayan girl is an undead priestess named Usha, and she is the keeper of the key to Cthygonnaar. Reed will need to track her down to figure out how to get to Cthygonnaar. Usha kills people and drinks their blood to become stronger.
There have been reports of a vampire in Salvation Harbor, this is a place to start the investigation.
To look into these reports, Reed will need to go to the Oakmont Police Department to use the archives there.

## Oakmont Police Department

Using the archives here () Reed finds a report entitled *Bloodless corpses*

>
> J. Callahan, to Cpt. Lyons.
>  We received today a report about the latest victims of the so-called 'vampire'.
>  Several blood0drained corpses were found in a backyard on Old Church Road, between C. Smith Avenue and Maple Lane in eastern Salvation Harbor. I sent a patrol to inspect the crime scene.
>  The bodies were similar to the previous drained corpses in Coverside, Shells and Reed Heights.
>  No witnesses have come forward at this time.
>
>
>
>

This provides Reed with the address of the most recent attack, which is the next destination.

## Bloodless Corpses Crime Scene

Here he can inspect the three bloodless innsmouther corpses, a box of fish on the ground, a large hole in the wooden fence, and a leather bag containing a *Hotel owner's note*

>
> This is my final warning. If you don't pay me for the month due, I'll sell all your belongings and you'll be out on the street.
>  No one may live at the Devil's Reef and avoid payment without consequences.
>
>
>
>

This will initiate a retrocognition sequence.
1. Innsmouther bring fish to the fire
2. Man shooting at Usha
3. Usha instructing the man to kneel and obey
4. The man saying he will serve.

Using the information gained from the crime scene Reed deduces that the hypnotized man (Raymond) dropped the bag with the letter found earlier. This leads to the next destination, Devil's Reef Hotel

## Devil's Reef Hotel

Here, Reed can speak to the owner, after a short conversation the owner says he has no idea where Raymond is but Reed can look through his room, it is next to Reeds room.
In the room Reed can inspect the following things:

* A box of diving gear
* pictures on the wall examined in Mind's eye
* Illusory statue on a small desk behind which is *Raymond's diary*

>
> 3 Oct
>  Found work at a flooded lab on Moorland Rd, between C. Smith Avenue and Powderhouse Street. Boss says some weird stuff, but sounds like they'll be gold at the end!
> 20 Oct
>  Prepared everything for the mission, including getting a diving suit. Good thing I know how to use it, too, 'cause the place is underwater! Boss said the entrance is marked with five big stones.
> 23 Oct
>  Barely got out with the mummy he wanted, and worse, there was no gold in her tomb! Taking the mummy to the lab. My egghead companion claims he can talk to the dead - hopefully she'll tell him where the gold is!
> 9 Jan
>  I cant... how is it even possible? How could I know? No sleep, no rest! The mummy... Usha's whispering all the time.... hiding underwater, in her tomb... Spare me! Get out of my head!
>
>
>
>

This provides the next destination the Hidden Lab, the next destination.

## Hidden Lab

Upon entering the lab Reed can inspect a bloody hand print on a broken door, manacles on a pole, torture implements on a metal table, a book on a desk entitled *Auctarium ad Vitam Peirescii*

>
> The essential Saltes of Animals may be so prepared and preserved, that an ingenious Man may have the whole Ark of Noah in his own Studie, and raise the fine Shape of an Animal out of its Ashes at his Pleasure; and by the Iyke Method from the essential Saltes of humane Dust, a Philosopher may, without any criminal Necromancy, call up the Shape of any dead Ancestour from the Dust whereinto his Bodie has been incenerated.
> Borellus
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>
>
>

Upstairs Reed can examine a glass jar on the desk, an *Alchemist's journal* on the desk

>
> 7 Jun
>  Materialization successful. Had to burn subject with acid to make talk. Who could imagine the entrance was the crypt!
> 12 Sep
>  Materialization successful. Hard to understand the deceased. Dialect is very old, and he knows nothing about stopping madness.
> 23 Oct
>  Raymond found the mummy I was after, but she refuses to discuss Cthygonnaar or madness. Even acid didn't help.
> 9 Jan
>  This dain Raymond wants his gold, but she remains silent. Told me I'm not Kay-chosen! We must try harder. Usha may wish for death, but as long as I have her essential salts, I can revive her. There will be no escape from the pain.
>
>
>
>

This will start a retrocognition sequence.
1. Hill and Raymond talking upstairs
2. Usha breaking free of the chains
3. Usha attacking Raymond in front of the broken door
After this sequence Raymond will show up with a message from Usha. She asks Reed to kill Joseph Hill and in return she will provide him with the information he needs.

From here Reed will need to return to the residence of Joseph Hill

## Residence of Joseph Hill

Here Reed can speak to hill and will need to make a choice, to side with Usha or with Joseph Hill

## Side With Usha

After killing Joseph, Raymond will show up at the apartment hallway speaking to Charles as Usha's messenger. Usha will just tell Reed to meet her at the at Usha's Hideout beneath St. Botolph Cemetery.

After an underwater segment, Reed will find Usha in the underwater Mayan Temple. Here, she will just telling Reed all the information he needs to enter the Cthygonnaar without challenges, as she sees Reed as the 'Marked Man' who deserves the knowledge. She tells Reed that he will need to find three Kayfingers to open the central monolith at St. Michaels Church of The Burning Bush in Advent, and warned him that he has to sacrifice himself and will not be survive.

In the last choice before ending the conversation with Usha, Reed can choose to let her live or kill her. If Charles decided to eliminate Usha, he will have to fight her as if he siding with Joseph Hill.

This ends the *Fleeing Phoenix.* When Reed goes back to the Devil's Reef Hotel, it will appear the cutscene where the ghost of Joseph Hill is sitting at the table, waiting for Reed. Joseph then moves his fingers, summoning a walking man, commanding Reed to come sit with him. Then Hill drank something and offered Charles to drink a red drink in front of him, which looks like blood. Charles looks at the red drink in disbelief before being distracted by Victor's cough, who is standing at the bar watching them. But when Charles turns back to Joseph, he and the red drink on the table are gone.

In Charles's room bulletin board will appear a newspaper page *Another scientist dead!,* announcing the death of Joseph Hill.

> *Oakmont has lost another great mind.*
>
>
> *Prominent local scientist and archaeologist Joseph Hill was found dead in his study in Reed Heights overnight.*
>
>
> *Who would dare to take the life of this renowned researcher - and, more importantly, why?*
>
>
> *While those questions remain unanswered, it seems like Oakmont University's finest are haunted by some kind of unenviable doom.*
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> *Joseph Hill was not the first to leave us grieving his absence, nor, it seems, will he be the last. And yet, he is not entirely gone. He will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him, and his science is sure to inspire a new generation of ambitious students.*
>
>

## Side with Joseph Hill

After speaking to Joseph and agreeing that Usha needs to be dealt with reed will receive a *Mystical Ointment* to put on his bullets, from here he will need to head to Usha's Hideout located beneath St. Botolph Cemetery. It can be via a mausoleum surrounded by five rock pillars.

After an underwater segment where Reed will need to pass through an illusory wall and deal with an underwater monster Reed will arrive at Usha's Hideout.
There, Reed will need to kill Usha, Throughout the fight she will teleport, stab, and throw knives. After taking damage she will head to the center of the room where a man is tied up and drink his blood. This provides Reed with ample opportunity to damage her while she is not moving.

After defeating Usha, Reed can head back above ground where he finds Joseph waiting for him. He instructs Reed to meet at his lab where he will raise Usha again and finally get the answers he is looking for. Once there he learns that Reed will need to find three Kayfingers to open the central monolith to get to Cthygonnaar. He also learns that the fire-worshipers at St. Michaels Church of The Burning Bush know the location of the three monoliths with Kayfingers.

Thus ends *Fleeing Phoenix* and begins Into the Depths