The Masquerade Massacre

**The Masquerade Massacre** is a side quest in INSOMNIA: The Ark.

## Quest targets

* Bring Gekk ten pieces of sea glass
* Speak with Finch
* Destroy the World Wrecker
* Return to Gekk
* Ask Reps the Urn to open a path to Shelter
* Give the helmet to Gekk and Finch

## Typical Journal entry

The boy by the name of Gekk, whom I met on the coast, asked me to be a judge in the Masquerade Massacre—a game he plays with his brother Finch. During the first stage of the game, they collect resources, and Finch is in the lead so far. Gekk is certain that Finch robbed him by cleaning out the shore, and now he is asking me to collect 10 pieces of sea glass, to correct the situation.

I helped the impudent boy collect the missing pieces of sea glass and now I need to go see Finch to judge the first stage.

Finch was extremely upset that he lost the first stage. He said that Gekk is building an incredibly powerful weapon at his base—a World Wrecker. According to him, this seriously changes the balance of the game. Finch asked me to create a diversion and destroy the devastating weapon.

Planetary threat liquidated. It's time for the children to enter stage three—open conflict. I need to speak with Gekk and find out if everything is ready for the battle.

It looks like Gekk didn't bring the helmet that is meant to be the prize in the Masquerade Massacre, and now I need to go get it myself. I need to speak with Reps the Urn—he can open a path to the secret sanctuary, where I'll find the helmet.

After a hard fight, during which I thought of the boys fondly, I managed to get a SORG golem helmet. I now need to return to Finch and Gekk, in order to decide which of them is worthy of the main prize.

## Quest notes

Gekk won't give you this quest at first; you need to progress the main quest before he does.

Sea glass is not very common in the game, but there's a locked safe to the right of the Buddha on the shore which contains a few pieces; you need a Lockpick to open it, but don't need the Scammer skill. If you face the water, to Gekk's left is a jetty sticking out into the water; a container just to the left of this contains another two pieces of sea glass. In the rotunda further to the left is a backpack, which contains another piece. There is a single piece in the safe on the top floor of the House by the Sea.

To get to the "World Wrecker", have the Ferryman take you on his boat. You need to smash the "desintegrator" which is on the nearby shipwreck.

It's a good idea to save the game before you talk to Reps the Urn, as you may find yourself unequipped for the impending boss fight. Talk to Reps, then walk behind him to the Buddha figure, which will open and enable you to travel to the Salt Wastes you visited when you first encountered Gralem Hall. You will find yourself in a "trench" in the rocky ground; you need to defeat four SORG golems. The first three are melee fighters; the fourth has a plasma weapon.

A possible tactic for the fight is as follows: advance only until the first of the golems comes to life (you will see its headpiece light up with green fire). Attack the golem; either ranged or melee combat will work, but you will have to keep out of its way, as its melee strikes are very damaging. Plasma weapons work well here. Don't go beyond the first golem, as you will very likely activate the second one, and then have two bosses to handle at once. Once the first golem is down, save the game, and repeat the process for the second and third golems.

The fourth golem needs different tactics, as it's using a plasma blast, but is thankfully easier to take down. If you stay in the "trench", you can find positions from which you can fire at the golem and avoid most, or all, of its blasts. Then it's just a matter of patiently whittling down its health. You will now find the Sorg Helmet in your inventory; return via the Rupture.

When you return to Gekk (who says he represents the Nomah Hierarchy) and Finch (who represents SORG), you can decide to give the helmet to either of them as "victor".