The Council: Episode Five, Checkmate

Episode Five of The Council, Checkmate, is the last in the series and puts everything in its place, lifting the veil on the mystery surrounding Lord Mortimer’s island. It covers chapters fourteen to sixteen: the vote on Louisiana, the trapped minds in the Ether, and the confrontation with Mortimer himself.

The game’s mechanics, controls and story so far are described in the guide to the first episode.

Chapter fourteen: the vote

How the chapter opens depends on the choice at the end of chapter thirteen, to back Lord Mortimer or to back Holm. Your earlier choices also decide which of the guests is in which camp.

Route 1: Louis backs Lord Mortimer

After a short council with his supporters, Lord Mortimer asks Louis to speak to Sir Gregory Holm’s supporters and try to persuade them to vote for him.

Goal: convince Holm’s allies to vote for Mortimer

Giuseppe Piaggi

You find the cardinal in his room. He is unsure of himself, and asks Louis whether he called on him a couple of hours ago.

Stage 1. “You wanted to talk about something” — “Let us discuss your dream”, needing Questioning level 2, difficulty 5 and 3 skill points.

Stage 2. “I have one chance to change his mind” — “Provoke guilt”, needing Manipulation, difficulty 5 and 3 skill points.

The cardinal agrees to support William Mortimer. Success: “I convinced Giuseppe Piaggi.”

Manuel Godoy

Manuel Godoy is in his room. Like Louis, he has taken Mortimer’s side, and in conversation he confirms he is ready to vote for the lord. He even gives Louis an AMBER SHARD to prove it. Success: “I convinced Manuel Godoy.”

Lady Hillsborrow

To get the Success mark here you must have made the right earlier choices: named Emma correctly during the sisters’ confrontation, and let Emily go on the jetty after her attempt to shoot Sarah de Richet.

Emily is in her room. Choose “How did the conversation go?” and “I cannot say for certain”, and Emily decides to take Mortimer’s side. Success: “I convinced Lady Hillsborrow.”

Johann von Wöllner

His room is empty. The guide to episode four covers how to get the Success mark from searching Wöllner’s room.

Go to the jetty and open one of the crates to find the AL AZIF. Take it with you, which unlocks the trait Talented. Success: “I took the Al Azif.”

You find Wöllner himself in the dining room, talking to Sir Gregory, who asks Louis to leave them, as they are waiting for Godoy. Go to the duke’s room and enter his body.

As Manuel, Louis hurries to the dining room to Holm and Wöllner and assures them, in Godoy’s person, that he will vote for Sir Gregory. Delighted, Holm leaves the room. Wöllner suggests moving closer to the fire, since he is chilled through. Success: “I noticed that Wöllner had left the mansion.”

Confrontation with Wöllner

Stage 1. “Why on earth should I do that?” — “Holm does not care about our states”, needing Conviction level 2, difficulty 3 and 3 skill points.

Stage 2. “Indeed? Do you know anything at all about me?” — “Continue”, then “You are Holm’s son.”

Stage 3. “And what is this plan of his?” — “He will kill those who vote against him”, needing Manipulation level 2, difficulty 3 and 3 skill points.

Stage 4. “Sir Gregory will win, understand that” — “You are the only one left on Holm’s side”, needing Psychology at the highest level, difficulty 3 and no skill points.

Wöllner agrees to vote for Mortimer. Success: “I convinced Johann von Wöllner”, and “I tried to convince the guests to vote for Lord Mortimer.”

Goal: report the results to Mortimer

Go to Mortimer’s study and tell him how the negotiations went. The guests gather in the hall for the Council.

Goal: wreck Holm’s plans

Mortimer puts the question to the vote: are you for or against Spain handing Louisiana to France?

Choose “Vote for” or “Vote against”. Voting for gives the trait Obedient.

Every guest votes for, to Sir Gregory’s astonishment. Success: “I secured Lord Mortimer’s victory.”

Watch the film in which Lord Mortimer celebrates his victory over his brother. The chapter is summed up.

Route 2: Louis joins Sir Gregory’s camp

After the council in the small drawing room, Sir Gregory asks Louis to find out whether there are traitors among his supporters, ready to cross to his rival.

Goal: find out whether Holm’s allies are loyal

Manuel Godoy

Manuel Godoy is in his room but will not talk to Louis, because he is waiting to speak to Napoleon Bonaparte. Go to the future emperor of France and enter his body.

Confrontation with Manuel Godoy

Stage 1. “I support Holm and shall vote against Mortimer’s proposal” — “I can see straight through you”, needing Conviction level 2, difficulty 3 and 3 skill points.

Stage 2. “Explain, please, I do not understand” — “We both know what this is about”, needing Manipulation level 2, difficulty 3 and 3 skill points.

Stage 3. “Confess” — “France is on Mortimer’s side”, needing Logic level 2, difficulty 2 and 3 skill points.

Stage 4. “If you are on Mortimer’s side, why did he set you to question me?” — “Mortimer wants to test you”, needing Psychology level 2, difficulty 3 and 3 skill points.

Manuel Godoy is ready to cross to the other camp. Success: “I talked to Manuel Godoy.”

Giuseppe Piaggi

The cardinal is in his room. To “What do you mean?”, answer “You might have turned away from Holm”, needing Manipulation level 2, difficulty 3 and 3 skill points. To “For heaven’s sake, keep this to yourself!”, answer “I shall tell nobody”. Another traitor in Holm’s camp.

George Washington

The president tells Louis honestly that he will vote for William Mortimer’s proposal, to whom he personally owes a great deal. Another of Sir Gregory’s supporters falls away. Success: “I talked to George Washington.”

Lady Hillsborrow

This describes the route where the sisters were misidentified, Emily was the one shot, and Louis let Emma go on the jetty rather than shooting her.

Louis finds Emma completely out of touch with reality, talking about the life they will share and their children. Choose to help her. Success: “I talked to Lady Hillsborrow.”

Johann von Wöllner

His room is empty. Again, the guide to episode four covers the Success mark from searching it.

Go to the jetty and open the crate marked with a cross to find the AL AZIF. Take it, which unlocks the trait Talented. Success: “I took the Al Azif.”

You find Wöllner himself in the dining room, warming himself at the fire, and he suggests you come closer since he is chilled. Success: “I noticed that Wöllner had left the mansion.”

Choose “Strike Wöllner” or “Say nothing”. Success: “I talked to Johann von Wöllner.”

Goal: report to Holm in the drawing room

Go to the small drawing room and report on everyone you questioned. All of them are turncoats except Lady Hillsborrow, whom Louis suggests sending to the mainland for treatment. Success: “I talked to Sir Gregory’s allies.”

Goal: wreck Mortimer’s plans

Mortimer puts the question to the vote: are you for or against Spain handing Louisiana to France? Every guest votes for, which dismays Sir Gregory.

Choose “Vote for” or “Vote against”. Voting against gives the trait Stubborn. Success: “I secured Sir Gregory’s victory.”

Watch the film in which Lord Mortimer denies his brother his celebration. The chapter is summed up.

Chapter fifteen: the prison of the mind

The branches join here.

Sir Gregory asks Louis to find the way out of the Ether, where his mind has placed all the guests, because Holm’s strength is failing.

Goal: find Holm

Examine the frozen figures of the guests and listen to their innermost wishes. Then go up to the painting and pass through it.

You find yourself in front of a row of frozen figures of every character. Holm asks you to hurry and to “settle them”.

Goal: arrange the guests

Listen to each character and build the connections. Arrange them, left to right, in this order:

1. the sisters Emma and Emily Hillsborrow
2. Louis de Richet
3. Sarah de Richet
4. Johann von Wöllner
5. Gregory Holm
6. Elizabeth Adams
7. William Mortimer

The figures vanish. Success: “I arranged the guests.”

Go to the painting on the right and pass through it. You arrive in Lady Hillsborrow’s bedroom.

Find Emily, or Emma, depending on which of them Louis had killed in the bedroom, in the next room. Talk to her, choosing your answers according to your skills and class. She asks for help getting out of this place; decide how to answer her request for a promise. Then enter the painting in the corner.

Success: “I met the spirit of Emma (Emily) Hillsborrow.”

You arrive in the familiar cave with the crypts. Holm asks you to follow his thoughts and memories.

Goal: restore the sequence of Holm’s memories

Listen to Sir Gregory, then go into the painting on the left of the area. Louis finds himself in Elizabeth Adams’s room.

To the questions of Asaïl, the father of the demons Gregory and William, answer “I am Louis de Richet” and “I am William Mortimer’s son”. Then choose:

• ”Ask about Elizabeth” and “Was it you who possessed Elizabeth?”
• ”Talk about your companion” and “Please tell me who you are”
• ”Tell him about the assembly” and “Holm is dying”

End the conversation. Success: “I met the spirit of Asaïl.”

• An important choice: “Leave” or “Hear him out”.

Hearing him out

Asaïl asks Louis to open his mind so that he can settle in it when the time comes. Choose “Agree” or “Refuse”. Agreeing gives the Success mark “I let the spirit of Asaïl in.”

Either way, Louis leaves the room.

The memory sequence

Head for the entrance, moving from one painting to the next and listening to Holm’s voice. The order is:

1. ”He prepared the trap long ago”, the first event that led to Holm’s death
2. ”He let me invite Emily to this assembly”
3. ”And who arrived on the same ship as Emily?”
4. ”And when I was left without Elizabeth…”
5. ”He is training Louis up while I still do nothing”
6. ”And finally, I drank his cursed tea”

Success: “I restored the sequence of Sir Gregory Holm’s memories”, and “I got out of the Ether.”

Louis moves along a strange corridor and comes out onto a platform where Gregory Holm is being held. Mortimer appears at the far end of it. Tell Gregory that Mortimer is already here.

• An important choice: “I shall back Mortimer” or “I trust neither you nor Mortimer”.

This choice is offered if you decided earlier not to let Asaïl into Louis’s mind.

Choosing “I trust neither you nor Mortimer”, Holm asks Louis to find his sister. Success: “I chose to serve humanity”, for the route where you refused to let Asaïl in.

William Mortimer pulls the soul out of his brother. The chapter is summed up.

If Sarah de Richet died in the previous episode, you can meet her spirit here. Success: “I met the spirit of Sarah de Richet.”

Chapter sixteen: the last move

If you chose to serve humanity

Louis is back in the assembly hall. Talk to William Mortimer, who says he intends to rest in the dining room.

Goal: go to Lady Hillsborrow for help

Go to Lady Hillsborrow’s room and talk to Emily, or Emma, on the topics you choose. Louis and Emily, or Emma, in a servant’s body, are joined by Emma, or Emily, whom Holm helped return from the Ether before he died. The three of them decide to face Mortimer together.

Success: “I gained the support of the Hillsborrow sisters.”

Goal: face Mortimer in the dining room

Head for the dining room. The Hillsborrow sisters meet Louis at the door. Choose “Enter”.

William Mortimer has guessed what Louis and the sisters intend and does not consider them serious opponents. Choose “Strike with the spear”, and Louis drives the head of the Spear of Destiny into his father.

Success: “I killed Lord Mortimer with the Spear of Destiny”, and “I killed Lord Mortimer together with my sisters.”

The three of them leave the mansion for the jetty and join the other guests.

Success: “I took the Al Azif back to the mainland”, and “I left the island alive and unharmed.”

If you agreed to let the spirit of Asaïl in

Asaïl takes possession of Louis’s mind and speaks to his son, William Mortimer. The lord ignores his father and goes off to the dining room.

Goal: face Mortimer in the dining room

Head for the dining room, and Asaïl calls out to Louis.

Goal: prove your innocence. Confrontation with Asaïl

Stage 1. “What part have you in all this?” — “I am guilty of nothing.”

Stage 2. “Did you tell Gregory of William’s design once you knew the details?” — give no answer.

Stage 3. “What did you do to hinder William?” — “I blackened my father in the letter to the Pope.”

Stage 4. “What do you think should be done with William?” — “I know your rules”, needing Etiquette level 2, difficulty 15 and 3 skill points.

Success: “I convinced Asaïl of my innocence.”

Louis, as Asaïl, enters the dining room where William Mortimer is already waiting. He tries to set his servants against his father, and it does not help. By his father’s sentence, Lord William Alexander Mortimer is to be buried alive.

Success: “I let Asaïl possess me and punish Lord Mortimer”, and “I saw Lord Mortimer sentenced to eternal confinement.”

Louis de Richet goes down to the jetty and leaves the island with the other guests.

Success: “I took the Al Azif back to the mainland”, and “I left the island alive and unharmed.”

If you chose to leave rather than hear Asaïl out

If you chose “Leave” in the scene with Asaïl, having backed Mortimer, the closing section runs differently. Louis goes to meet Mortimer in the dining room alone.

Refusing to hand over the Spear of Destiny and lying that Bonaparte has it, Louis hears the lord out. Mortimer says he has decided to continue his life in Louis de Richet’s body. Louis holds the Al Azif out to Mortimer, then choose “Strike with the spear”.