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Perhaps it’s Thomasina’s Jungian shadow making an appearance?

I enjoyed this chapter as much as the previous one. The writing and voice acting with the lovely accents are excellent. The dialogues with Tillet and Mrs de Plancy more than made up for the fetch quests and very simple puzzles. I’d knocked on the cobbler’s door several times and it felt good to walk past the house at night and realize who is behind that lighted window.

Something I didn’t find very plausible: Thomasina got much info from Tillet about James and Mr Shoulder. She also knows Shoulder was in the alley that first night because he dropped his glove. (Interestingly, that’s the only scene where the player has an advantage: We see his face, Thomasina who follows him does not. I wanted to be absolutely sure it was Shoulder, so I went back to that scene and checked.) So why does she do as he asks. Why doesn’t she call him a liar. Why doesn’t she listen to all the people who warn her against the excavation. Because an immensely creepy hobgoblin tells her he can save her father, who has been in a sort of coma for 25 years? Eh…

I guess all the mysterious events (milkman, girl with violin, father Roache throwing up, the dreams and flashbacks) will start to make sense in the last part. But going by the letter Thomasina writes to her mother in the black screens I expect the ending to be pretty bad. Her voice is also different, she sounds sad and depressed, not at all like her brisk, independent personality in the rest of the game.

Yeah, I think the same. The ending is going to be really bad. By the way, I finished “Expiscor”. Too much running errands for my taste, but I enjoyed Jane’s juggling puzzle, the writing of course, Mrs. de Plancy personal lost, and how well described is the life in Bewley.

About Thomasina keeping on with the excavation even though she knows Mr. Shoulder and Lord Panswyck are fishy, I would dare to say it is the same that Lord Palpatine used with Annakin Skywalker to turn him into de dark side: his love for Padme. Thomasina has repeatedly said she would do anything to help his father, and that is what she is going to do, even if it will cost her blood.

So, what do you think about Thomasina’s father? What was his real accupation? He had manby documents at home which Thomasina’s mother burnt. In one of them, she managed to read “Abra…”, which I presume is Abraxas, and old god and demon. So he did believe in supernatural.

I can’t wait for the last chapter and discover the real horror of Hob’s Barrow…

walas74 - 15 January 2023 06:28 PM

So, what do you think about Thomasina’s father? What was his real accupation? He had manby documents at home which Thomasina’s mother burnt. In one of them, she managed to read “Abra…”, which I presume is Abraxas, and old god and demon. So he did believe in supernatural.

Good point, I didn’t make the connection with Abraxas. After reading your post I had another look at the diary, but it doesn’t tell me much. Abracadabra and symbols or codes. Except for the Abraxas I don’t see evidence he believed in the supernatural.

Excavation, here I come! 

I’m at the beginning of Episcor after that strange “not a dream.”  I read the diary, which I suspect will be helpful later, but haven’t left the bedroom yet.

I don’t understand why the door to the bell tower is on your list of loose ends? Most puzzles in this game feel a bit contrived to me and finding the key father Roache hid nearby is no exception. Beats me why he doesn’t keep a spare key in his home.

Sylv, I am more than ready. I will try to answer your post later.

My guesses:

- the milkman: we won’t hear from him again.
- the reason the assistant never shows up: he knew what happened to Thomasina’s father and no way he was going to travel there.
- the door to the bel tower: was not the door to Father’s private garden?
- the flashbacks: no more flashbacks
- the girl with the violin: we won’t see her again.
- father Roach throwing up: just cancer.
- the dreams (the cat for instance): I am afraid that will remain unexplained.

I’m currently exploring the barrow and solving puzzles. Came across some names I wanted to google, read a wikipedia article and hey, what’s this… a guy called De Plancy wrote a book about demonology early 19th century. 

On my way to the barrow I noticed 2 new details: the unpleasant goat is gone and the bird pecking at the hole with the worms is dead. Ominous!

PS: You may be right about the assistent, walas. Sounds plausible.

I just finished the game. Too speechless to write more in this moment.