Deal with the Devil

This is the sixth main case of the game, following Nosedive and preceding Self-Defense.

## Hospital of St. Mary

Charles Reed wakes up at the hospital under mysterious circumstances, with Johannes van der Berg standing by him. The Seal is missing. When Charles asks Johannes what he is doing here, he answers that he heard Charles and got admitted to the hospital and got curious. When Reed mentions that the last thing he remembers was being underwater, Johannes asks him what he was doing there. Charles can either tell him what happened or argue it's none of his business. Charles asks Johannes what happened to Harriet Dough. It's not good news - she's also been admitted into the hospital, but at the morgue. She had gotten fished out of the Calmshore Marina earlier.

Reed asks where are his belongings and Johannes mentions the Seal. When asked how he knows about this, he answers enigmatically.

> *Mr. Reed, there are plenty of things you do not yet know. Luckily, I want you to succeed.*
>
>

He advises Charles to return where he was found, asking the staff where that was. Johannes tells him to find him at his theater once he's found the Seal, saying he might then answer Charles' questions. He disappears and Reed walks down to the morgue. Harriet's body is laying on the table. A coroner's report next to her head gives the cause of death as drowning due to a ruined diver's suit.

When asking the doctor at the reception about the stranger who saved Reed, the doctor says it's one of their regulars, called Billy Drunnon. The doctor gives him belonging back but says he has seen nothing resembling the Seal. Searching the archive (Subjects: Patients, Period: After the flood, Department: Therapy) reveals a document entitled Billy Drunnon which reveals that the reeds rescuer is an alcoholic and a Seven Oaks Bar regular.

## The Seven Oaks

Billy recognizes Charles as he speaks to him. The latter thanks him for the rescue. When Charles asks if he has seen the Seal, Drunnon gets offended, thinking that Reed is implying he might have robbed him. Defusing him, he tells Charles that he found him on the Calm Shore and didn't look around for round objects when seeing the state that Reed was in.

Before leaving Drunnon asks if Charles is not even going to buy him a drink as a thank you gift. Charles can either give him a bullet or refuse, knowing about his hospitalization history.

## Calm Shore

Calm Shore is located at the south-west corner of Salvation Harbor. Going on the beach, Charles gets attacked by a few wylebeasts. A man is lying on the sand, his face gone. Using Mind's Eye, Reed is directed to the surface of the cliff delimiting the beach, where a sigil similar to the one drawn by Ebernote Blackwood in the Orion Club to summon monsters. Following a blood trail leads to another corpse. Next to it is a knife on which Mind's Eye can be used, showing Ebernote stabbing him.

Further down the beach is a diving suit. Another use of Mind's Eye shows Ebernote standing above Charles washed up body, holding the Seal. He is ecstatic, having finally found the Seal, and hurries back to his manor. A rock near the diving suit has scratch marks on it. The events unfolded as follows :

1. The Yellow Kings, Drunnon included, catch Ebernote kneeling by Charles' body.
2. The Kings grab Charles and leave, knowing he's the Chosen.
3. Ebernote summons wylebeasts to try to stop them.

Going back to the Seven Oaks to talk to Billy, Charles only finds a note he left, with a sign drawn on it. Asking the bartender, he answers that Drunnon was there a moment ago, scribbling something, and that he left without paying. Reed asks the bartender where the Blackwood Manor is situated. The man answers that it's been empty every since the Blackwoods left, and that it's on top of a cliff in Grimhaven Bay, on Wharf Street.

## Blackwood Manor

Arriving at the manor, Charles should be well-armed (but there is also a good amount of loot inside the building), as he is greeted by multiple sigils summoning many wylebeasts. The main entrance is boarded up. Going around to look for another, Charles finds a few bodies. The back door is walled off, but Charles can get through the illusion using his Mind's Eye.

On the ground floor, there is a door with the EOD's eye drawn on. It is locked and Mind's Eye leads Charles to the basement. The latter has two floors. On the first is a big sigil from which an Acheronian will spawn. The key is located on the second floor, which seems to be a well-equipped space dedicated to rituals. A Ritual log and a key are laying on the altar. The log details numerous attempts by Ebernote to extract the dreamers seed but all fails. It also mentions another 'Chosen'.

Walking to the wall where a sigil is drawn, Mind's Eye reveals a dirt floor with many graves, including one recently filled.
After a retrocognition sequence Reed learns that Ebernote was trying to do some sort of ritual which ultimately failed leading him to beleive he needed a stronger focus from Cthygonnaar.

After obtaining the key Reed can now enter the previously locked door, behind which is a painting of an uncannily fish-like woman, A post card entitled "Come unto the sea!, and a Letter to I. Blackwood.

Upstairs Reed can find a painting of the sea in one room, and an illusory, barnacle encrusted bottle on a desk in another. Behind this illusion is Blackwood's diary.

The clues here lead to the Blackwood cannery. Reed knows it would need to be in one of the port districts and that it has existed for roughly as long as the Blackwoods have been citizens of Oakmont. Using the archives at Oakmont City Hall (Subjects: Enterprises, Period: 19th Century, District: Grimhaven Bay) he can find a document on the 'Blackwood-Marsh cannery'. This document provides Reed with the address of the cannery: central Grimhaven Bay, corner of Nantucket St and Fitz O'Callahan St.

## Blackwood-Marsh Factory

After entering the Blackwood-Marsh Factory Reed finds several armed men there, all a part of the Yellow Kings. They claim they are there to make sure Reed can safely get 'something important'
The basement door is locked.
Upstairs Reed finds tables with a lot of old food on them, A lecturn with the EOD symbol on it, a map on the wall, which can be viewed with his minds eye, an illusory stack of books, under which is the factory key, and a letter To E. Blackwood

Key in hand, reed can now go into the basement. Inside he finds an altar, to the right of which is an Ancient prophecy and the Seal of Cthygonnaar. After picking up the seal Reed hears a commotion upstairs. There he finds Ebernote, in conversation with him Ebernote expresses that he beleives that he is 'Chosen' and wants to 'extract the dreamers seed' from Reed, he believes he can lift the curse upon Reed.
From here Reed needs to make a choice, to give the Seal to Blackwood and submit to his ritual in an attempt to lift the curse. Or to keep the seal to himself.

### Relinquish the Seal

If Reed chooses to give the seal to Blackwood, he will need to go back into the basement and lie on the altar, what follows is a short cutscene where Ebernote attempts to extract the dreamers seed from Charles and in a vision they fight over the seal. Reed then awakens in the basement again with Ebernote dead on the ground and the seal on the altar. After claiming the Seal he can investigate the altar and Ebernotes body.

After that a retrocognition sequence begins

* Ebernote changing in front of the altar
* Charles standing, with tentacles on either side of him, with Ebernote cowering.
* Charles killing Ebernote with his bare hands.

After the sequence Reed just needs to head to the address provided by Johannes (western Advent, Vinland Ave south of University St.)
After choosing this path the document Canning factory mystery will appear on the bulletin board in Reeds room in the Devil's Reef Hotel.

### Keep the Seal

If Reed chooses to keep the seal he will have to fight Ebernote and a group of wylebeasts. After the fight Reed heads to the address provided by Johannes van der Berg (western Advent, Vinland Ave south of University St.)

## Crown Theater

Regardless of the choice made, Reed will need to head to the Crown Theater. The front door is locked but sounds are coming from the alley on the left. There are several wylebeasts there along with a dead policeman. The side doors lock can be broken. After entering, Reed finds a dead Johannes van der berg. Thus ending Deal with the Devil and starting Self-Defense.