After the Fall

*Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light...**This article is about The Dark Pictures Anthology's third installment,* ***House of Ashes***
***.***

## Chapter Guide

**After the Fall** is the first chapter of Act 2 in *House of Ashes* and the eighth overall.

The player controls Jason (Theatrical Cut) and Nick (Curator's Cut) as the duo gathers with Eric in the temple.

## *Chasm, 1935 HRS, 162 FT.*

If Eric is alive, the chapter will begin in the chasm. He can be heard calling out for Rachel.

* If Eric/Rachel cut the rope, Eric will cry apologizing to Rachel for messing up. Nick arrives and asks what happened and where Rachel is, to which Eric replies that Dar attacked them and he had to cut the rope, as Rachel pulled him with her.
* If Nick saved Eric, he will call Rachel and ask Eric what happened to her, to which Eric will answer that Dar attacked them and Rachel fell into the chasm, despite all Eric's efforts to keep the rope.

If Eric is dead, the chapter will start with Nick and Jason exiting the sand caverns. Upon reaching the chasm, the group will find Eric's corpse and Jason says it was inevitable as soon as they fall underground. Nick anxiously asks if Rachel was with him, to which Jason needs to find somewhere to hide first.

* If Merwin is alive, he will scold the guys for taking him with them.
* If Nick killed Merwin, he will blame himself for it. Jason will say it was an accident, to which Nick will mention the woman from the checkpoint.
* If the creatures killed Merwin, Nick will say that the creature took him like it was nothing, to which Jason will say to stay close and focus, otherwise they will die too.
* If Merwin was left behind, Nick would scold Jason for it, even though he knew what state Merwin was in.

The group returns back to the temple. Eric warns them to be on the lookout, as Dar might be here, to which Jason states that the Iraqis are their least problem at this point. He tries to contact Joey on the radio, but Nick tells him that he is dead.

Jason then closes the door while stating that they should form up some defenses. Eric is curious what he means when he said that the Iraqis are the least of their problems. Jason asks him if he believes in God and when Eric answers "no", Jason advises him to start believing, as they were attacked by an unknown being and even he doesn't believe in it. Nick adds them up as monsters, angering Eric, who thinks they imagined it. Jason then states that the place is not a silo, before Eric says that he can fix Caelus by improving its algorithm. Jason can reassure him or be enraged, while Nick can be restrained or bitter.

Suddenly, the light goes off. Jason commands Eric to stay and guard the door or Merwin if he's still alive. Jason and Nick then approach the temple's main hall, exchanging sarcastic remarks about "Saddam's weapon silo" and Eric's "pioneering thermal satellite system". They manage to find the generator, which is now broken and apparently sabotaged. While both of them fix the generator, Dar watches them from the distance. After fixing the generator and returning the light, they notice a light broken in the west gate. They then walk through the corridor. They can go to a side room and find a secret.

As they approach a room, a tripwire is seen set on the ground.

* If they complete QTE, they will notice the tripwire. They speculate that the trap is set by Dar, before cutting the tripwire itself. This will allow them to explore the room.
	+ If Eric is alive, Jason reports to him about "Iraqis love notes". Eric then tells that he'll come join them, much to Nick's dismay.
* If they fail QTE, they will trigger the tripwire, whicn then explodes as they fall back. This won't let them explore the room.
	+ If Eric is alive, the explosion will alert him and he will come join the guys, much to Nick's dismay.
* In Shared Story, Nick can complete a QTE to hold Jason back if he fails the QTE to avoid it.

While exploring the room, if they didn't trigger the tripwire, they can find:

* Star map.
* The second part of Randolph Hodgson's journal.
* A picture.
* A crate blocking a passageway. This will progress the story.

Pushing the crate blocking the passageway, the guys hear Joey's screams at the end of the corridor.

* If Joey died in Nick's arms, he will insist that he is dead, although Jason will still think that Joey might be alive.
* If Joey was killed in front of Nick, he will stop Jason by saying that it might be a trap, but Jason insists he can't be sure and they won't leave a man behind.

Soon Eric arrives at them and after being informed about Joey, decides to go check with Nick. Eric reminds them that he leads the way, but as he walks forward, Jason proceeds to block his way.

* If Merwin is alive, Jason can either be defiant or compliant.
	+ If Jason is defiant, Jason insists that he and Nick go. Eric tries to reason with him, but Nick supports Jason. As Jason and Nick move forward to search for Joey, Eric will quietly mutter to Jason "*well fuck you too*" in anger.
	+ If Jason is compliant, Jason will volunteer to guard Merwin and ask Eric to investigate with Nick. Eric and Nick then move forward to search for Joey.
* If Merwin is dead, Jason can either be resistant or assertive.
	+ If Jason is resistant, he will ask Eric to stay in a safer place. Eric will then say that he will wait in case other units come by. Jason and Nick then move forward to search for Joey.
	+ If Jason is assertive, he will say that he will lead the way. As Jason and Nick move forward to search for Joey, Eric will say "*not without me you don't*" before joining them.
* In Curator's Cut, Jason's decision depends on his relationship with Eric.

## Collectibles

### Secrets

* Reference Book - In a side room on a crate.
* Star Map - In the trapped room on a crate. Can only be collected if tripwire is avoided.
* Randolph's Journal - Part 2 - In the trapped room on the floor. Can only be collected if tripwire is avoided.

### Pictures

* Staked - In the trapped room on a crate. Can only be collected if tripwire is avoided.

## Trivia

* Failing the QTE to avoid the tripwire will affect Rachel's fate in a later chapter.