[theduramater]

So I recently replayed Gabriel Knight 3 and I thought I'd ask you guys something that I never understood.

After you have Mallory and MacDougal's tire print, you can compare it to tire treads at l'ermitage.

WHY were they there??? If it explains it in the game, I missed it. For about 11 years.

[Ascovel]

bigger SPOILER and question

Why were their dead bodies left where they were? There doesn't seem to have been any point of leaving them up in the open, not to mention at a tourist attraction.

[AndreaDraco83]

The tire marks were there so that you could compare the marks with the ones in front of Chateau de Serres. And the bodies were left in the open as a message against the Free Masonry.

[Ascovel]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

And the bodies were left in the open as a message against the Free Masonry.

What message? Until that moment the blood cult didn't even want to alert anyone of its existence and indeed the Freemasons didn't know about it.

[AndreaDraco83]

Originally Posted by Ascovel

What message? Until that moment the blood cult didn't even want to alert anyone of its existence and indeed the Freemasons didn't know about it.

That's not true. Prince James didn't know about them, but it doesn't mean that Freemasonry ignored their existence or, at least, suspected it. Why on Earth should McDougall and Mallory visit Chateau de Serres otherwise? Maybe they didn't know what Montreaux was up to, but, as far as I'm concerned, they knew that Montreaux was a (possibly) third player in their game.

As for the bodies, I may have expressed myself wrong (too tired). The bodies were probably arranged so for some ritualistic purpose. Since Montreaux and his adepts are basically Hermetics (symbols, rituals, etc.), the arrangement of the bodies probably bear some kind of symbolic meaning.

[theduramater]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

The tire marks were there so that you could compare the marks with the ones in front of Chateau de Serres. And the bodies were left in the open as a message against the Free Masonry.

I don't get that, though. You could get the tire tracks right near where you find the car (and you can compare those to Chateau de Serres).

And I thought the bodies were left there to send a message to Prince James, as they were *his* body guards. I don't think it matters where they were killed, it matters more that they were killed. They were apparently on to the night visitors?

[Ascovel]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

That's not true. Prince James didn't know about them, but it doesn't mean that Freemasonry ignored their existence or, at least, suspected it. Why on Earth should McDougall and Mallory visit Chateau de Serres otherwise? Maybe they didn't know what Montreaux was up to, but, as far as I'm concerned, they knew that Montreaux was a (possibly) third player in their game.

Spoiler:

That's not what was said in the game at all. Gabriel was able to question the local freemason (the one that McDougall and Mallory met) and, while it took some time before he spilled the beans, he clearly had no idea where his colleagues could have gone to. Neither did Prince James (with whom you have a long chat near the game's end), nor any other freemason. It was confirmed in the game that both the freemasons as well as the priory were completely ignorant of any possible third players. If James ever thought that Montroux is a third player, he would look into him long ago - the whole problem of the "night visitors" was that nobody had any clue where to look for them.

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

The bodies were probably arranged so for some ritualistic purpose. Since Montreaux and his adepts are basically Hermetics (symbols, rituals, etc.), the arrangement of the bodies probably bear some kind of symbolic meaning.

Spoiler:

It's definitely possible, but just as well the killing could have been done this way just to appear ritualistic. Anything we come up to explain this is pure speculation as the game doesn't address the murder in any way later on. Which is a shame, because its circumstances seemed very important when it happened.

[AndreaDraco83]

Evidently I can't explain myself. I stated pretty clearly, I think, that Prince James didn't know anything about the blood cult. Mesmi did, though. And I always thought that it was Mesmi who directed McDougall and Mallory to Chateau de Serres. As for the ritualistic killing, that may be up for interpretation, but to anyone who knows anything about such cults as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Down, Thelema and the likes, it's pretty evident the ritualistic symbolism of the bodies' arrangement. Speculation, as you say, of course.

[KasiaD]

It is a very interesting issue, pity it didn't came up during the GK3 playthrough. Why were the car tracks at the l'ermitage, I have no clue. Are you 100% sure there were tire tracks there?

As for the method of the killings, and the fact that the bodies were left (almost) at the crime scene, it seems to me that the vampires felt fairly sure of themselves and confident they would not be caught. So they left the bodies in a symbolic place (Armchair of the Devil as I recall) to discourage possible overcurious people sniffing around the vampire business and show off with their power.

[Ascovel]

Originally Posted by KasiaD

It is a very interesting issue, pity it didn't came up during the GK3 playthrough. Why were the car tracks at the l'ermitage, I have no clue. Are you 100% sure there were tire tracks there?

I think McDougall and Mallory having no good leads went driving around the entire valley looking for anything suspicious.

Originally Posted by KasiaD

As for the method of the killings, and the fact that the bodies were left (almost) at the crime scene, it seems to me that the vampires felt fairly sure of themselves and confident they would not be caught. So they left the bodies in a symbolic place (Armchair of the Devil as I recall) to discourage possible overcurious people sniffing around the vampire business and show off with their power.

That's indeed probably the best explanation we can come up with. It's quite a radical change in behavior on the vampires' part though - they have been in hiding for centuries and suddenly they stop caring. Also, they must have known there is no way they can discourage Prince James having kidnapped his son.

[theduramater]

Originally Posted by Ascovel

I think McDougall and Mallory having no good leads went driving around the entire valley looking for anything suspicious.

Maybe they sat there waiting for the black sedan Gabe described to drive by...which led them to Chateau de Serres (and eventually their own demise).