The Council: Episode Four, Burning Bridges

Episode Four of The Council, Burning Bridges, covers chapters eleven to thirteen: the hunt for the true head of the Spear of Longinus among Mortimer’s eleven forgeries, the scene on the jetty, and the forged letter to the Pope. It ends on the choice that decides the whole finale.

The game’s mechanics, classes, skills and controls are described in the guide to the first episode.

Three episodes of important decisions lie behind you, and what happens now depends on which ones you took and what you did. This walkthrough follows one worked example through the branches rather than every possible route.

Chapter eleven: the instigator

The chapter opens with a short recap of the previous episodes and of the main subjects Louis de Richet discussed with the other characters, Lord Mortimer’s guests and the lord himself.

The undercroft

Louis and his mother, Sarah de Richet, are in the undercroft, the secret door having been opened without harm to Louis. The talk turns to the Spear of Destiny, the spear of the centurion Longinus, with which he pierced the body of Christ.

Choose whichever lines you prefer.

The available lines vary with the decisions and actions you have already taken, with the class you chose at the start, and with the experience you have accumulated.

Sarah suggests Louis look for the spear while she goes to the jetty to prepare their escape from the island. She advises him to look carefully around Mortimer’s study, since there are paintings of the spear hanging there. Louis has to pick out the right spearhead and hide it under his coat where nobody can see it, or “it will all come to nothing”. Suggesting he speak to Piaggi first, Sarah leaves.

Hint gathered: I need to find the Spear of Longinus.

Along with the task list, the top right corner of the screen now carries a reminder that your notes open with a right-click. How many hints you gather affects the marks in the Success and Failure columns at the end of the chapter.

Goal: question Piaggi about the Spear of Destiny

Collect the useful items around the area. Note that spearheads are lying on the balustrade posts, on the balustrade itself and on the floor, and note the sarcophagi of churchmen and dignitaries here too; a closer study of the place can wait.

Leave the undercroft for the crypt and go up into the garden, then to the mansion.

The dining room

You find the cardinal on the dining room balcony, standing with his back to Louis. Louis insists he turn round and answer a couple of questions, and with some reluctance he does.

Opportunity, needing Vigilance: click on the point on the cardinal’s face. Louis notices that Piaggi’s nose has been bleeding.

Goal: find out what the Spear of Destiny looks like

Confrontation with Piaggi.

Stage 1. “So you are looking for the Spear of Longinus?” — “I am simply curious”, needing Manipulation at the highest level, difficulty 8.

Stage 2. “Have you spoken about it to anyone else?” — “No”, or “Yes”, then “To my mother” and “Nobody else”, none of which need a skill.

Stage 3. “Why do you need this spear?” — “To protect myself”, needing Logic level 2, difficulty 4 and 3 action points; or “To drive off the demons”, which needs no skill.

The cardinal tells Louis about the Spear of Destiny.

Hint gathered: Piaggi told me the head looks like a boar spear. Success: “I convinced Cardinal Piaggi to help me.”

Goal: find more hints

Three kinds of source are worth pursuing: people versed in esotericism, works of art, and people versed in texts.

Leave the dining room for the hall and talk to George Washington by the fireplace. He cannot help with a description of the spear but suggests von Wöllner, who knows his theology.

Go to the stairs and up to the first floor, then to Johann von Wöllner’s room.

Von Wöllner’s room

The Prussian king’s envoy is not in. Search the room.

Pick the blotting paper up off the floor in front of the bureau; it has been used recently, and Louis can make out some words. Choose “Think how to read what is written”, and Louis thinks about a reagent that von Wöllner, who is keen on chemistry, may have. Take the BLOTTING PAPER and go to the bedroom.

Look at the case of reagents at the foot of the bed and choose “Examine the chemicals”. Louis decides to bring out the impressions on the blotting paper. Choose “Take the ammonium sulphide”, and Louis reads the recovered text:

“Sir Gregory, I shall go to the jetty and leave the Al Azif there when I get the chance. Yours sincerely, Johann von Wöllner.”

You get the item DISCOVERED MESSAGE and the trait Gifted.

Success: “I learned that Wöllner is to hide the Al Azif at the jetty.”

This mark can also be had by reading, with the right skills or with CARMELITE WATER, the note lying on the table. But if you do that before recovering the same text from the blotting paper, you get neither the trait nor the item.

Look at the books beside the travelling bags and choose “Study the books”, needing Erudition level 2, difficulty 1 and 3 action points. Louis finds a biography of the Roman soldier Longinus and takes it with him.

At that moment von Wöllner walks into the bedroom.

Confrontation with von Wöllner

Stage 1. “What are you doing in my room?” — “I was looking for you”, needing Manipulation at the highest level, difficulty 3.

Stage 2. “Are you looking for the Spear of Destiny?” — “Why are you so agitated?”, needing Psychology level 2, difficulty 4 and 3 action points.

Stage 3. “Do you mean to outwit Piaggi and me?” — “I am concerned for you”, needing Subterfuge level 2, difficulty 4 and 3 action points.

Wöllner suggests they share what they find about the spear, since several people are after it at once.

Hint gathered: Wöllner believes the spear is edged with copper. Success: “I got everything I wanted out of Wöllner.”

Out in the corridor, look through the centurion’s biography.

Hint gathered: the biography of the centurion Longinus says a fish was engraved on his spearhead.

Cardinal Piaggi’s room

Call on the cardinal, whom Wöllner mentioned. The room is empty; in Louis’s view the cardinal is still at his gluttony. Finding nothing of interest inside, go out onto the balcony and read the notes on the armchair.

Hint gathered: Piaggi’s notes said the spearhead resembles a wedge.

Leave the balcony and the room and head for the stairs.

Lord Mortimer’s study

Go up to the statue of Saint Longinus, holding a spear.

• “Examine”, needing no skill: the statue’s spearhead is leaf-shaped. Hint: judging by the statue of Longinus, the head is leaf-shaped.
• “Study closely”, needing Vigilance level 1, difficulty 5. Hint: I found the symbol of a fish on the spearhead when I studied the statue of Longinus.

Look at the painting The Adoration of the Shepherds with Saints Longinus and John.

• “Study the painting”, needing no skill: in this painting the spear has a wedge-shaped head. Hint: I noticed the spearhead in the Longinus painting is wedge-shaped.
• “Question it”, needing Erudition level 2 and 3 action points.
• “Reflect”, needing Psychology level 2, difficulty 3 and 3 action points. Hint: the wedge-shaped head in the Longinus painting reflects Mortimer’s own opinion.

Head for the crypt.

The crypt

Look at the Bible lying on the table in front of the disc.

• “Find the lead”, needing Erudition level 2, difficulty 3 and 3 action points.
• “Remember who the killer was”, needing Erudition level 2, difficulty 3 and 3 action points.

Hint gathered: the Church speaks of a gleaming metal.

Success: “I found every hint pointing to what the Spear of Longinus looks like.” You get the trait Exacting.

Choosing the spear

Go to the undercroft. Examine and study the sarcophagi, Lord Mortimer’s among them, which gives the trait Meticulous. Slide the lid aside, which gives the trait Unceremonious.

Examine every spearhead in the area around Mortimer’s sarcophagus, eleven of them. Success: “I found all the duplicates of the Spear of Longinus that Lord Mortimer collected.”

Then look at the head lying by itself on the stone stand ringed by the balustrade. Putting the hints together, the spear you want has a wedge-shaped head, edged with copper, bearing the Christian symbol of a fish. That is this one.

Choose “Choose this spear” and you get the SPEAR OF LONGINUS.

Success: “I chose the Spear of Longinus.” Leave the crypt. End of chapter eleven.

Chapter twelve: farewell

Marks available in the Success column:

• ”I stopped Napoleon Bonaparte getting hold of the Spear of Longinus”
• ”I talked to Manuel Godoy”
• ”I convinced Jacques Peru to lower his weapon”
• ”I learned that I am a demon”
• ”I reached the jetty before Sarah de Richet was killed”
• ”I stopped Lady Hillsborrow shooting Sarah de Richet”
• ”I learned what Sarah de Richet lied about”

Goal: meet your mother at the jetty

Cross the garden maze towards the mansion. Bonaparte stops Louis at the entrance, demanding he hand what he has stolen to Lord Mortimer; Piaggi and Wöllner told him about the theft.

Goal: keep the spear

Choose “Convince him”, which needs no skill.

Confrontation with Napoleon

Stage 1. “Where have you been?” — “Lord Mortimer trusts me”, needing Manipulation level 2, difficulty 1 and 3 action points.

Stage 2. “Show me what you have there, quickly…” — “Throw him off”, needing Diversion level 1, difficulty 1; or “Show him a rare manuscript”, which needs no skill, and show him the Hortus Deliciarum.

Success: “I stopped Napoleon Bonaparte getting hold of the Spear of Longinus.” Napoleon decides the matter is settled and goes.

There is a different mark, “I overcame Napoleon Bonaparte”, for choosing “Strike Bonaparte” instead.

Continuing to the jetty

Go into the mansion and towards the hall. In the dining room exchange a few words with Manuel Godoy. Success: “I talked to Manuel Godoy.” Then open the door into the hall.

The hall

Lord Mortimer, standing by the fireplace, calls Louis over and asks him to stay for a talk.

It is not established exactly what decides whether you reach the jetty before the end of the scene or arrive at the moment of Sarah’s death. On the route where you talk to Godoy in the dining room and then work through every topic with Mortimer, you arrive at the jetty after the fatal shot. If you cut the conversation short by choosing “Go on” a couple of times, you get there in time for the climax itself.

Goal: talk to Lord Mortimer

Go to the fireplace and the lord begins.

On his remark “I would rather you did not go on following her down a false path”, choose “Ask him to repeat that”. Offer “Go on” and hear Mortimer’s statement that he has been called William Mortimer for six hundred and two years.

Say “You are the devil”, to which the lord answers that this is all religious prejudice, since he has neither horns nor hooves.

Ask “What have parables to do with it?”, needing Occultism level 2, difficulty 2 and 3 action points. Ask “Where did the demons come from?”, which needs no skill. Choose “Ask about historical events”, needing Erudition level 2, difficulty 4 and 3 action points, and put the questions from the list.

Move on through the remaining branches, which open up the story. Ask every question and hear the answers.

Mortimer offers to show Louis something and walks him across the hall. Louis asks why he was the one chosen. To the lord’s counter-question “Have you still not understood?”, choose “I think I can guess”, needing Logic level 2, difficulty 3 and 3 action points. Louis supposes that he too is a demon. To “And would you want to be one?”, choose “No”.

Mortimer confirms that Louis is a demon, and tells him that Sarah is not his mother, and that his father is the demon, Lord Mortimer.

Success: “I learned that I am a demon.”

Goal: calm Jacques Peru

At that moment Jacques Peru bursts into the hall with a pistol and levels it at Louis, having overheard that he is a demon too.

Stage 1. “You are just like him!” — “I do not understand any of this”, no skill needed.

Stage 2. “So they have finally told you what you are” — “Believe me, everything will be as it was”, needing Manipulation level 2, difficulty 1 and 3 action points.

Stage 3. “You know perfectly well what happens if you fire.” — “Your daughter will grow up without a father”, no skill needed.

Jacques Peru lowers the pistol and drops to his knees. Success: “I convinced Jacques Peru to lower his weapon.”

Louis and Mortimer resume their interrupted conversation. Mortimer suggests his son find Sarah and talk to her, and puts him through a session of suggestion, after which Louis begins to hear other people’s thoughts.

The jetty

Leave the mansion and go down the stairs to the jetty. Louis finds Lady Hillsborrow with a pistol pointed at Sarah de Richet, and tries to intervene. Success: “I arrived before Sarah de Richet was killed.”

Goal: stop Lady Hillsborrow shooting Sarah de Richet

Stage 1. “I warned you what would happen if I found her.” — “Lower the weapon”, needing Psychology, difficulty 4 and 3 action points.

Stage 2. “What did you say?” — “If Sarah dies, it will be by my hand”, needing Manipulation level 2, difficulty 3 and 3 action points.

Stage 3. “What on earth are you talking about?” — “Mortimer is a demon”, needing Occultism level 2 and 3 action points.

Success: “I stopped Lady Hillsborrow shooting Sarah de Richet.” Louis tells Emily what he has just discovered, that Lord Mortimer is a demon, and Emily leaves the jetty.

If you arrive after the murder

Talk to Emily, choosing your lines, then decide what to do with Emily Hillsborrow: “Kill” or “Send her away”.

If you named the wrong sister in episode three

On the jetty Louis finds Lady Hillsborrow aiming at his mother. He still takes her for Emily, and Emma laughs in his face and tells him he was wrong.

Confrontation with Emma

Stage 1. “What have you done?” — “Emily loved you”, needing Psychology level 2, difficulty 4 and 3 action points.

Stage 2. “You cannot be serious?” — “Holm is using you”, no skill needed.

Stage 3. “So many people have died already…” — “I want to tell you a secret”, needing Psychology level 2, difficulty 6 and 3 action points.

Emma holds the pistol out to Louis. Choose “Kill” or “Let her go”.

Letting her go, Sarah de Richet asks Emma where the Al Azif is, and she answers: “Sir Gregory meant to take the book off the island. I would not be surprised if he sends it to the continent at the first opportunity…”

Success: “I learned from Emma Hillsborrow that they want to take the Al Azif to the mainland.”

Sarah de Richet

Louis talks to Sarah. Use your new ability to hear thoughts, and your skills, and take the topics:

• ”They told me everything”, which opens after listening to her thoughts
• ”What was the point of it?”
• ”You really did a great deal for me”
• ”Let us talk about Venice”, which opens after listening to her thoughts
• ”Explain what happened in Venice”
• ”What did you do with the child?”

Listen to Sarah’s thoughts and learn that there were nine children. Sarah admits she is Mortimer’s daughter. She turned out to be a poor pupil of her father’s, because she could not enter other people’s bodies.

Choose “Make peace”, which needs no skill. Louis says he has to stay. Choose “Hand over the letter”.

Sarah gets into the boat to leave the island. In parting she tells Louis about the spear he now has: if Mortimer is wounded with it he will not be able to leave his mortal body, and will eventually die.

Success: “I learned what Sarah de Richet lied about.” End of chapter twelve.

Chapter thirteen: the first time

Marks available in the Success column:

• ”I sent the Pope a forged letter”
• ”I blackened Lord Mortimer and Sir Gregory in the letter to the Pope”
• ”I mastered a new ability”
• ”I backed Lord Mortimer”
• ”I stopped von Wöllner poisoning me”
• ”I learned where the Al Azif is hidden”
• ”I called on Lady Hillsborrow”

Louis is in his room, trying to collect himself after everything that has happened. Answer his thoughts as you prefer, then there is a knock at the door.

Goal: open the door

Sir Gregory Holm comes in. Talk to him; he invites Louis to ask about anything he wants to know. Choose whatever your skills and earlier decisions make available. Holm suggests Louis find his father, hear him out, and think about what he says.

Goal: talk to Mortimer in his study

Along the corridor, knock at Emily’s door. She refuses to talk. Go in anyway.

Duchess Hillsborrow’s room

Louis tries to calm the duchess, who has decided to drown her feelings about her sister’s murder in wine. Choose whatever lines are available. Louis learns that Emily is Mortimer’s daughter, and therefore his sister.

Opportunity, needing Vigilance: click on the active point on Louis’s own forehead. Louis realises Emily is trying to read his thoughts and demands she stop. Leave the room.

If Emma is the one who survived, Louis finds her here instead, half out of her mind, and gets out of the room as quickly as he can.

Success: “I called on Lady Hillsborrow”, either way.

Mortimer’s study

Go to the stairs and up to the second floor. Talk to the lord at his desk. Available lines, by way of example:

• ”I am shaken”, answering his question about how you are
• ”He is worried about you”, needing Etiquette, difficulty 3 and 3 action points, when Sir Gregory comes up
• ”What is your part in it?”, to carry the conversation on
• ”Is that your purpose, then?”
• ”Do you have other arguments?”

Work through the questions about the various aspects of Mortimer’s proposed innovations for the development of the United States, then go on:

• ”Perhaps you are right”, on the lord’s wish to understand what they, the demons, actually are
• ”How is it done?”, “How do you manage it?” and “I am ready”, on Mortimer’s wish to teach Louis to control people

Mortimer says he needs Piaggi to tell the Pope that he has come over to Mortimer’s side. Choose your answer; “Say nothing” works. Mortimer says Louis will have to enter another person’s mind, the cardinal’s. Choose your answer; “Press for details” works. Mortimer sends Louis to Piaggi to write a letter to the Pope in the cardinal’s name.

Goal: go to Piaggi’s room

Choose the available lines and offer to talk. Louis enters the cardinal’s mind and goes to the desk to write to the Pope.

Goal: write the letter to the Pope

Louis looks at two letters on the desk, which he needs to compare with one another, and at three different seals.

Read the letters, first one then the other, and choose “Think about the content”. Then decide:

• ”Blacken Holm”
• ”Blacken Mortimer”
• ”Blacken both Holm and Mortimer”

Choose “Choose a seal”, then “Remember what was said about the seal” and “Remember the motto”, needing Etiquette, difficulty 2 and 3 action points. Look the seals over and stamp the letter with the one carrying the Latin motto Floret In Domo Domini.

Choose “Write the secret code”. Look at the options and choose “Leave it without a code”, needing Subterfuge, difficulty 10 and 3 action points.

The code itself, if you write one, is AF FCHG. Which way you go here does not affect the story.

Finish the letter and you get the FORGED LETTER.

Goal: calm von Wöllner

Von Wöllner walks in without knocking and looks in bewilderment at Louis’s slumped body in the armchair.

Stage 1. “What is going on here, Piaggi?” — “I gave Louis a sedative”, no skill needed.

Stage 2. “Can you keep a secret?” — “Keep them to yourself”, no skill needed. Then “Has he brought you over to his side?” — “Holm will not like that”, needing Conviction level 2, difficulty 3 and 3 action points.

Stage 3. “I am not asking you to help me” — “I shall tell Holm everything.”

Von Wöllner leaves the cardinal’s room, displeased. Success: “I stopped von Wöllner poisoning me.” Louis returns to his own body.

Goal: find Mortimer in the dining room

Speak to Lord Mortimer, sitting alone at the head of the dining table, and hand him the letter. Choose the available lines and carry the conversation on.

Sir Gregory strides up to the table and gets into an argument with his brother about Louis. Choose the lines offered. The brothers’ quarrel reaches its limit.

• An important choice: “I am a demon” or “I am a man”.

• And another: “Back Mortimer” or “Back Holm”.

End of chapter thirteen.