Completed Sins of the fathers, burdens of the sons (A Gabriel Knight LP)

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Just when we though we would escape from strange dreams by going to Germany, a dragon creeped into one of them, just like that old poem by Heinz Ritter, Gabriel had in his bookshop !


"So you want to be a Dragon ?" The voice asked.
"Why would I want to be a dragon ?" , Gabriel replied.
"Well, it has its benefits... Hmmm, isn't this a Bioware game ?" , the dragon mumbled confused.
"I want to be a Schattenjager !" Gabriel said with a moronic grin.
"Ah, you're one of those old-school fuckers." The dragon finally understood. "But you know, something smells here and it's not teen spirit..."













You have used people all your life--never committed to anything. Turn back now, and I will forget that you asked for this!

NO !!





You ask to start on the path, so you shall. But you will not be a Schattenjager until you have earned it.

How?

I cannot show you the path, but I CAN tell you that you will have to let go of the greater part of yourself, Gabriel Knight.

No problem.







Oh shi-




























Day 8 : I found the wheel at last or, could it be, the wheel found me...








Chapter 12 Soundtrack :













What an intense night. Gabriel ended up killing his own trollface in his dream, crazy stuff. Thankfully in the day things look sane again... or do they ?




A key lies next to the bed...




This can't be for real, Gerde must have placed it there. We descend the stairs :



You wouldn't know anything about this key I found in Wolfgang's bedroom, now would you?

Key? Why, no, Herr Knight. I cannot say that I do.

Strange...


Strange indeed. Let's see if it's the key to understanding uncle Wolfie. We use it on the big wooden door :




It's the secret library !




Talk about a bibliophile's Shangri-la ! Gabriel scans the shelves :


There are books on Sociology, History, the occult, geography, religion, archeology, science. Both in German and English.


Gabriel scans the titles with interest, but another part of the library catches his attention...




Although it probably won't shed any light on Wolfgang's whereabouts, Gabriel picks up a book from the Ritter section....



I'm not sure I'm really interested in knowing about some of my ancestors!


Another book catches our eye. It looks like a very old diary of the wife of a Ritter Schattenjager....



This family tree really goes way back.


The Ritter documents are fascinating, but we should stay focused on the task at hand. Wolfgang is sure to have researched about the Agris tribe. If we're to catch up on him we should find out what his research revealed...




Gabriel pulls out the book and scans through it.



"Before slaving devastated many tribes, this area was populated by some of the oddest, fiercest, and most powerful tribes in tribal Africa: the Fons, the Dahomeys, and the terrible Agris. The book 'The Primal Ones' by John Roots provides insight into these fascinating cultures."


We check the sociology section :




We take it down and open it.



"This part of Africa is called the Red Basin area because of the vast amount of bloodshed that's occurred there over the centuries."




"Why did this region inspire such violent behavior? To understand, one must look even further back. See 'Ancient Roots of Africa' by Earl Lee Days."


We find the book in the history section :



"The ferocity of the tribes in the Red Basin region is traceable to their predecessors. In Egyptian time, 4000-2000 B.C, this region was ruled by powerful sun worshippers."




"See 'Sun Worshippers' by A. Curate."


We move on to the books on religion...



One of the earliest religious practices was that of sun worship. The most powerful cults of sun worshippers lived on the continent of Africa."




"The homeland of this ancient cult is still considered a sacred site of power. See 'Ancient Digs of Africa' by Professor Seymore Shards."


We locate this book too :



"The most fascinating archaeological site in Africa is the great snake mound in the People's Republic of Benin, located 50 miles south of the capital, in the Red Basin."




"Unlike other snake mounds, the African example is a double snake mound--a small snake ring within a larger snake ring. The mound is thought to have housed an ancient temple. Although archaeologists explored the mound site, the interior remains largely unchanged from ancient times."




A double snake ring???


Gabriel flips furiously, looking for a picture :




Just like in the dreams... We decide to hang on the snake mound book and show it to Gerde :



Africa? You think Wolfgang went to Africa?

I know he did.

Then I shall make you a plane trip right now, Ja?

Gerde can't wait for us to get the hell outta here and go after uncle wolfie...

Well...I guess so.

Good! Good! My poor Wolfgang! You have money for the plane, Ja?


Whoops, money you said ...?



Doesn't... the Ritter estate have any money ?

No! How Wolfgang bought his ticket, I do not know, but we have no money left!


Since Gerde has enough money just for buying potato, good old Mose will have to help us once more, may he rest in peace...


I guess we could put the plane tickets on this credit card.

Terrific! I will go make the call! Then--while we wait--breakfast!

Does that mean I get some COFFEE now?


After coffee ,sausage and potato, it's time to leave...








Africa, here we come !

What happened to the looped soundtracks? They were a great touch. And a good update. Funny how each author named the exact book needed for extra information...

Well, it took a lot of time making / uploading them and since not many people listened to them, I decided to scrap the whole thing.

Yep, a very thorough reference system.
I searched in case the books were real, but Jensen made them up. It would be good to know what books she actually read for her research on the story.

To hell with wanting to be a dragon or a shattenjaeger, I want to have a private library!

Well, Malleus Maleficarum is at least a real book, and really fucked up.

Also:



His grip is all wrong! How can he be a Ritter if he stabs with a longsword? (discuss!)

It's also completely fake. The author was a wanna-be witch-hunter who wanted to become rich and famous, so he wrote a book full of bullshit. It wasn't taken very seriously amongst educated at the time of writing.

These are good writers, obviously.

Why do you want to fuck UK Immigrants, RK47? Point me towards the thread that will illuminate this mystery.

Ah yes. This thread gave me a little deja vu. The old LP (note the author's name) did not go very far... but I see I already have a reply to move to this thread:

Fuck China.
Fuck AoD.
Fuck UK Immigrants.

No, 47. You are the decadent Chinese immigrant.

Kuso.

Oh right, you live in Hong Kong?

nah enuff bout me k

I love the castle part. Cheesy, but it complements the game. Does the game ever give any info on what exactly was that Dragon? A tempting archangel? Some creepy and twisted St.George apparition? A demon? The devil himself? The physical manifestation of the key means it wasn't just a figment of Gabe's subconscius.

Why would you call it "fake"? All evidence points to it being actually written(or at least acknowledged) by Sprenger and Kramer, who were actually the most active Catholic inquisitors of Germany back in those days. While much of what appears in it is indeed bullshit and baseless flokloric superstition, part of it is a very interesting outlook of what those inquisitors actually met and what were the widespread views on women during the medieval witchhunt crazes.

The philosophical themes contained in the book were somewhat influential and many of the witchcraft acts described in it are material rather than supernatural(infanticide, caniballism, abortion, psychological manipulation, hypnosis, ritualistic murder, poisoning, use of psychotropic herbs, etc).

I don't think there's any more info on the dragon and it's probably for the best, such matters are better left vague.

You just said it yourself. Just replace "much" with "everything". Being a witch hunter at that time wasn't an occupation that required an university degree. The authors were basically grifters who made their living through conning superstitious, uneducated people. First problem already is that witch hunts didn't only target women, nor were women always in majority. Swedish, Finnish and Russian crazes killed more men than women and even in HRE and France, were women were a simple majority, there were plenty of men killed as well. Nor do other Inquisitors journals collaborate with that book. It's the best known only because its so outrageous and thus sparks the imagination of people even centuries later. Like Necronomicon. Or the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

The website she used for "Sidney" articles is still online. There is a lot of really obscure occult stuff into it. I actually wish she hadn't used it, lots of really retarded quackery there.

Not that I advocate or defend witch-hunts or anything like that, but both Catholic and Protestant inquisitors were usually educated(though I do concede exceptions happening on the latter, specially after the 15th century). The book we are talking about was in latin, remember?

I wouldn't go that far. Truth is that claiming that the inquisition only targeted proto-feminists, heretics and crypto jews is somewhat ignorant. The post-reformation witch crazes were indeed mob rule and mass panic that resulted in the death of thousands of innocents, but to say that the inquisition never encountered actual devil worshippers that acted up on their beliefs and commited horrible crimes is folly. There are many records of genuine criminals involved with the occult being persecuted both before, during and after the witch craze, and the parts of the Malleus Maleficarum that concern ritualism and religious inspired murder are not to be considered "bullshit" even by the most harcore skeptic.

In fact, some cases creep me out. This one in particular:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giles_de_Rais

But anyway, let's not litter this LP. I guess reply on my profile if you feel like it. The topic is interesting and the discussion would naturally be derailed a lot further.

Keep your GD shit of defending the INQUISITION outside this thread, please.

Well I certainly didn't expect the Inquisition to find me here. Then again, nobody does.

You know, Gerde is the least consistent character in the series. Why did she went from from being a young and naive blonde plaything to being a "why so serious" feminist secretary in her 40's?

Nice LP, dawg.

Ceterum censeo FretRider esse bannum.

Perdona me. Recursus da mihi Azrael's Tear LP.

I'm so impatient.

LOCATION : Africa, Republic of Benin











MISSION : Locate uncle Wolfgang, Find Tetelo's remains, get hold of amulet, vanquish voodoo cult.







The serpent mound looks familiar to Gabriel...






Yeah. Sure. Wait here, please. I may be awhile, though.

The jeep driver has settled into his seat for a nap...



Quickly, cut out his heart, now that he's sleeping !

Huh ? Why would I want to do that ?!

Just do it, you'll thank me later...

No way.

Well at least take this fake pig's heart with you. Look, when you squeeze it, it spills fake blood. Hah ! Everybody loves them, they're the "heart" of the party !

I don't want this crap. Gather your stuff and get the hell outta here !

Ok, but it's your loss, man...

Wait ! You forgot your fake doggie poo poo ! Here.

What fake doggie poo poo ? I never had such an item in my inventory.

... ... ... Ah shit.























Day 9 : And then the wheel turned round and round.










Chapter 13 Soundtrack :










Gabriel is on a rise overlooking an ancient snake mound in the People's Republic of Benin.




It's time we saw the mound up close :




Mummy-like figures in contorted poses appear to be the only residents here.


Was this a burial mound, or does their presence serve some ritualistic purpose?


Who knows. Out attention shifts to a strange stone on the wall...






It has a hole in the middle and it seems it's removable. We decide to take it with us. The circular corridor has many rooms.




In each room there's a notch on the wall and on most of them there are these strange stones adroned with snakes :






We gather all of them. Each stone shows a different number of snakes.




The walls bear ancient paintings--the handiwork of the sun worshippers, no doubt.




One of the tablets doesn't want to come out.




We have a closer look :




Hmm, what the deal with this stuff ? Suddenly, a shadow flickers in the corner of Gabriel's eye.


Is there anybody there ?


There is no answer. We move on to the next room where we find :



It's shaped a little like a snake.



We take it. Eventually we reach a room with a big mural.




Could this be a door ? We insert the rod into the opening but nothing happens. Then we try to take out the tablet, but this one is also stuck :




Let's have a look at the tablets :




There are 12 rooms and we have 10 tablets, while 2 are still etched on the walls. Each stone tablet shows a number of snakes ranging from 1 to 12...


Maybe each table needs to be placed in the corresponding room, in the correct order. And since there are already two of them stuck on the walls, then...


... then it should be easy to find out in which order to place them ! This one here is number six and the other one stuck was number 12. We start placing the stones :




As Gabriel moves around he has the creeping sensation that he's being watched...




We've finally placed them all. Let's try to use that rod again :




But...


Nothing happened.


Well, we'll just have to use it in all the holes. Gabriel --experienced at putting his rod into tiny, dirty holes-- performs the task with ease :






We've almost come full circle, when suddenly :






I have a feeling THAT did something!


Oh, it did. The mummified figures are starting to move !





Gabriel fumbles around in panic !





FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU





The Zombi smashes Gabriel's ribcage with enormous force...





Takes out his heart...





And leisurely eats it.









We decide to give it another try. We soon realize that we don't have to use the rod in all the holes, just a specific one which is 3 rooms below the 12th room. Hey, just like the poem at the start of the day said !



Anyway, let's rumble :




This time we're faster !




I'm guessing we need to reach the room with the big mural...




Damn, there are too many of them !












FUCK. Whatever we do, the way to the mural room is guarded by three impenetrable zombies that always kill Gabriel. I was stuck in this goddamn place for a long time, let me tell you. I needed all the help I could get.


Hey Mac, I could use some help.

Just do what I would do. You'll figure it out.

Hmmm, how about cutting my clothes to threads, tie them into a rope, hang it from the ceiling and then use it to propel myself over the zombies and into the mural room !

Yeah. Or you could use the vines.

The vines ?

Yep.

... ... ... Ah shit.




Vines, some as thick as Gabriel's wrist, hang down from the damp, earthen ceiling. Let's grab 'em !
















But this room is swarming with zombies too !




We're doomed !





WHEN SUDDENLY


















Go to what?

The secret panel, Boy! These creatures are only alive while it's open. Close it, Gabriel, and hurry!


How the fuck do we close it ?! Gabriel does what he knows best, he uses his rod...
















Lot's of fuck year moments here.






Uncle Wolfgang sure kicked some ass back there, but it took a toll on him. He looks frail and shaken, but determined to make a good impression for Gabriel.

Are you okay? You don't look so hot.

I'm fine, Gabriel. The wheel--you dreamt it?

Yes! And you?

Yes. I must congratulate you on the 'three snakes' connection. I had missed it. You will make a wonderful Schattenjager.

Yeah right, we just went on trying various things until we stumbled on it.

Who, me?




Three quests huh ? Interesting.

Well, It's nice to finally have someone around who knows what the hell's going on.

I know, my boy. I know. But let us see what is here. You have found the heart of the apple, but it might be poisoned still.


We have a look around...




A mummy lies on the floor, apparently having fallen inanimate where it stood when the secret passageway door closed. We turn our attention back to Wolfgang :



So, let's talk about voodoo.

It sounds as though you have learned much during your investigation in New Orleans. Perhaps YOU will fill ME in when we have a chance to sit down and talk.

Well, now it's as good a time as any.

I came across the term "cabrit sans cor'" It means 'goat without horns'--it's a term used for human sacrifice in Voudoun.

Well, let's hope we can avoid any more of that in this family.

Any ideas on where the Gedde hounfour in New Orleans might be?

Leider nicht. You will have to try to find it when you return to New Orleans. You must not go in alone, though. Even if we find the talisman, it will be quite a battle.

You'll be there to help me anyway. Do you know anything about the significance of animal masks ?

Yes. Tetelo's people wear animal masks for their rituals, don't they? It is not at all uncommon. Many occult groups are based heavily on animal totems.



Even our family is associated with the image of a lion.

While the Geddes are associated with snakes. Damballah, the snake. He's one of the primary Loa of the Gedde tribe.

I see. Good work. That information might prove useful.

Not to mention Ogoun Badagris...

It is another Voudoun Loa, is it not?

Yes. A particularly nasty one, so I understand. Have you come across anything about it in your research?

He seems to be feared by most Voudoun groups. I haven't come across very much specific information.

I've also found some interesting information about rada drums.

Rada drums? You mean ceremonial drums?

Yes. The Gedde tribe uses drummers around the French Quarter as relay messengers, to keep track of their business.

Hmmm. Those drums have a ceremonial use, too. It would be useful to know their code, Gabriel.

I had Grace find some information on them.

That's my boy.



I can feel her presence here. I wouldn't be surprised if she knew we were violating her sanctum.

Do you think the talisman is here ?

I'm sure of it. You must find it if you want to be a true Shattenjager.

But what does that mean, being a Shattenjager ?

We have not the time to discuss that here. You have started the path; I can see it in your eyes. You must trust yourself and be true to your inner voice.

Inner voice, huh ?

The GOOD voice, Gabriel. You'll know it when you hear it.


Well enough chit chat, time to start looking for the amulet. In the other side of the room we find a big stone table :





Can you make it out?

A tribesman discovers the snake mound hidden in the jungle...




In this room, he bows down to a small idol of some sort. The thing is radiating, like a sun.




The idol was probably once kept in this table, but they would have it with them now. It must be destroyed.


An idol even more ancient than the Agris tribe... We inspect the stone slab :



I saw that. This is undoubtedly a sacrificial table. That trough is for a human heart.

That's sick!


The table's lid fits heavily on the base. At the seam there are two large holes on either side. We glance at the wall.




Maybe we can use them on those holes !



Good idea ! Let me help you.







They're handles ! Let's try to open the lid.




They both use all their strength, but...




Damn, it won't budge ! I know it's in there!

Yes. It IS in there. I have not felt this powerful since...well, ever.

Why won't the damn lid come off?



Oh, great! Where are WE going to get a heart?

Gabriel. YOU must take the talisman and be Schattenjager. You performed the ritual and dreamt of the dragon, no?

Yes, I did! But, you're the current Schattenjager, I only did that because...

Because you were driven to it. I have done nothing with this title for many years. Even in my prime, I had few cases....<sigh> No, if my life had a purpose, it was to bring YOU to this point.

But I have NO idea what I'm doing.

It is not a science, Gabriel! It is instinct, and you have it in your blood. Trust it. The castle is yours now. It has many documents and records which will help you in the future.

Well, thanks for the confidence, but what about this table?

I want you to go into the next room and get the heart from that dead creature on the floor.

Will that work? Doesn't it need to be...fresh?

Let us try. Perhaps there's some of the old Ritter magic left. Go on.


Well, it doesn't hurt to give it a try...












Ummph !




































Tetelo, you're gonna pay for this, you BITCH !!





Goodbye Uncle Wolfgang, you were a true bro.






MEANWHILE...








He is trying to locate Wolfgang. Has something happened ?

<sigh> No, it's okay. I'm just a little...anxious.

Have they tried to hurt you ?

No, they haven't. I just need to talk to Gabriel.



They haven't tried to hurt her, YET. But I don't think Tetelo would take kindly to Gabriel's recent actions...















Something wicked this way comes...

Uncle Wolfgang was so awesome. A shame he had to die

I also dislike the fact that the piture of him you find in GK2 looks like Kenny G.