Plot: Pathologic 2

The following synopsis covers the plot of the Haruspex's Route in Pathologic 2. This page is not spoiler free! This only covers the relevant plot details and should not be considered a direct walkthrough. This may serve as an overview of the story's events through a narrative lens. Due to the act structure and nature of Pathologic 2 events may occur in individual games in an order that differs from this synopsis. For clarity game-play such as sating hunger and exhaustion has been omitted.

Summary
The events of Pathologic 2 take place over the course of twelve days in the remote Town-on-Gorkhon on the Steppe. When an outbreak of a unique strain of Plague grips the town, it is up to the Haruspex - a surgeon born and raised in the Town - to discover the cause of the Plague and deal with it.

Prologue
"You are Artemy Burakh, a surgeon. You're coming back to your hometown, summoned by a disturbing letter from your father."

The Haruspex wakes up in an unfamiliar Theatre, backstage before a show. He heads to the front of the stage and sees a strange man standing there. He is the Theatre's director, Mark Immortell. He berates the Haruspex for being a bad actor as he has failed his performance. Mark then shows the Haruspex his failures, transporting him onto the stage in a new version of the Theatre. It is the 12th Day. He is met with the screams of the dying echoing in his ears. He steps off the stage and speaks to the Bachelor who informs him that he has been forbidden from entering the Cathedral as the Inquisitor and Commander no longer wish to hear what he has to say. The Haruspex then speaks to the Changeling, who offers to heal his headache. He makes his way up the Theatre stairs to speak to the Executors who inform him of the meeting in the Cathedral.

The Haruspex steps out of the Theatre and is met with a Town destroyed by Plague. The Military has failed, the Inquisition has failed and most of all he, and the other doctors, have failed. The Town is dying, held in its final death-throws. The Haruspex makes his way to the Cathedral. On his journey he sees a firing squad of soldiers firing upon people that seem to be civilians. The Haruspex may choose to agree or disagree with the action but the choice ultimately means nothing. He then makes his way across the bridge to the Atrium and meets Aspity. Aspity implores him to speak to the Commander first, no matter how he feels towards the Inquisitor.

The Haruspex makes his way to the Cathedral and inside he find the Inquisitor and Commander at opposite ends of a large table. He speaks to one of them first, and then the other. They say that they are going to make the decision without him as nothing he can say will convince them he has a chance at stopping the plague. Mark Immortell then appears under stage lights. He offers the Haruspex a second chance at his performance. He takes it.

He wakes up on a train car travelling back to his home Town. He moves across the cabin floor until he is stopped by a coffin falling onto the floor and opening, revealing a man who refers to himself only as the Fellow Traveler. The Fellow Traveller steps out of the coffin and asks how the Haruspex got inside of this coffin. The Haruspex is confused and accuses the Fellow Traveller of being a free-rider.

The train car suddenly jolts as the train crashes. The Haruspex turns on his lamps and steps outside to an unfamiliar field. A giant bull - Bos Turokh - is standing on the tracks. They were the cause of the trains crash. The Haruspex makes his way over to an Executor who explains that there is no longer blood running through this artery, and that there is a clot. The Executor asks the Haruspex if he brought any medicine with him. The Haruspex asks the Executor what the black particles ahead of the train are. The Executor is unhelpful and so the Haruspex walks out into the cloud. He is quickly infected and passes out.

The Haruspex wakes up in the train car once more. The Fellow Traveller is still there, but now he has a handful of dice. He asks the Haruspex if he would like to share secrets. The Fellow Traveller reveals that he is afraid he is going to be unwelcome in the Town. The Haruspex either replies that he is worried about his father, worried about his path, or does not reply at all. The Fellow Traveller then invites the Haruspex to play a game of dice. The stakes are his fate.

The Haruspex is then transported to a strange house. In the side rooms there are a number of the Bound; Maria Kaina, Capella, Katerina Saburova, Oyun, Peter Stamatin, and Anna Angel. As soon as the characters notice the Haruspex looking at them they unmask, becoming Tragedians. The Haruspex finds a sickly woman in the back room who begs for water. The Haruspex makes his way outside to the water barrel by the door. He may be distracted by the Doghead's and the Fellow Traveller by the nearby train. After he collects the water he returns to the house where all the Tragedians have now become coffins. On the way to the woman the Haruspex opens the door to the Bachelor and the Changeling, who appear to be arguing. As soon as they notice the Haruspex they also unmask, becoming Tragedians. The Haruspex rounds the corner to the sickly woman to see an Executor standing over her. He wakes up.

The Fellow Traveller is shaking the Haruspex awake, waking him from his nightmare. He is soon once again thrust into another dream. He is in a fighting circle, surrounded by the Kin who speak a language the Haruspex can no longer understand. A man is standing before him who tells him that his heart is rotten but promises that a fight will show his true nature. The pair fight and the Haruspex wins. The man then offers him his good heart in exchange for the Haruspex's rotten one. The Haruspex awakens once again.

The train car is open. They have arrived, but the place is strange. The train has stopped outside of Isidor Burakh's House.

""…My dear son, Artemy, I write to you after so many years apart in the hopes that you may find a way to return to us. Something worries me. I fear a difficult trial approaches. I hope that your studies have proven fruitful, and that you have achieved great skill as a surgeon. Such skill might be of use here. I remain the only physician in this town. But you know that I am growing old. I need an assistant…""

The Haruspex returns to his childhood home with the voice of his father in his ears. He is able to take items from the cabinets, but he will hear laughter as he does so. He makes his way up to his father's room, hearing someone strange in the back room. He opens the door and falls into nothingness.

Day 1
The Play finally begins in earnest. The Haruspex steps off the train to a sudden attack. Three men armed with knives ambush him and he fights them off. He survives - but only barely. He is bleeding, and he is already hungry and already tired. A nearby Doghead named Lika mocks him, bragging that he saw the whole thing. He teases the Haruspex for having issues with his anger, knowing that the Haruspex is now already responsible for three murders. The Doghead gives the Haruspex a Tourniquet to help still his bleeding.

The Haruspex walks towards the Town to see two Executors standing before him named Talon and Beak. They explain that the Haruspex will need to watch his health, exhaustion, hunger and, specifically, the passing of time in order to survive in the Town. A Tragedian sits behind one of the Executors, claiming that the birds have just lied to the Haruspex. He warns the Haruspex not to go home under any circumstances.

The Haruspex continues into the Town. He may do one of four things upon his arrival. He may speak to Bad Grief in Bad Grief's Nest, speak to Lara Ravel in the Shelter, speak to the Bachelor in Stanislav Rubin's Apartment, or return to his home and speak to the crowd outside. As soon as he speaks to one of the four options he will discover that his father Isidor Burakh is dead and he has missed him by mere hours. Worse, the Town believes that his death - specifically his murder - was caused by the Haruspex. The Haruspex soon becomes hated in the Town. People close their doors in his face and hide their children from him. He is an outside to the Town he once called home.

Throughout the Town the hunt for Isidor's murder becomes bloody. Many believe the killer to be a Shabnak-adyr, a creature made of clay with bone legs. It is a local legend, brought up by a grieving Town as an explanation for the atrocities that had occurred the night before. Many Herb Brides die during the hunt as the Townsfolk believe that there is a possibility that they may be the clay creature of Steppe legend. One of them is burned at the stake in the Bone Stake Lot.

The Bachelor, sitting in Rubin's Apartment, will inform the Haruspex that not only does the entire Town think he killed his father, his old childhood friend Stanislav Rubin believes it too. The Bachelor claims that he has heroically prevented Rubin for resorting to violence and in return he attempts to ask the Haruspex to become his aide. The Haruspex refuses in no short terms. As the Haruspex steps out of the apartment he is confronted by two children who ask him to hurry to the Soul-and-a-Half Fortress in the Warehouses as their friends Alma, Duke and Wolfling have been poisoned.

Bad Grief, one of the Haruspex's childhood friends who is sitting inside of his Nest, will ask the Haruspex for his medical help. One of his gang members has been stabbed and is bleeding out in a house in the Tanners. The Haruspex makes his way to the house and finds two men inside, one severely injured. The Haruspex discovers that Piecework - the man with a lockpick in his stomach - was responsible for burning the woman in the Bone Stake Lot. The Haruspex may be angered by this and choose to kill the pair, or he may uphold his promise to Grief and save the dying criminal. No matter what choice the Haruspex takes the house will be free to loot as the Haruspex is easily able to blame theft on the two of Grief's men. The Haruspex may then report the bloody lockpick back to Grief. Grief expresses concern for the state of the criminal underworld he resides over, but - if Piecework was saved - appreciates the Haruspex's work.

When attempting to leave Bad Grief's Nest the Haruspex is stopped by Var, who explains that he is willing to pay good money for organs. He has come to Bad Grief to ask for his add in his enterprise, but Grief has refused. The Haruspex, as a Menkhu, has the ability and right to cut open bodies. This interests Var and he shows the Haruspex where he lives in the The Bridge Square so that they can discuss it further.

Lara Ravel, standing inside of her home the Shelter, is less than pleased to see the Haruspex. She, too, was part of the Haruspex's childhood friend circle. She is grieving her father, Captain Ravel's death as he died earlier in the year. She is sympathetic to the Haruspex's grief over losing his father and offers him a place to sleep. The Haruspex may sleep on Lara's couch for a moment before being woken to her frantically claiming she hears noises upstairs. The Haruspex makes his way upstairs to find the Changeling rummaging through Lara's things, looking for bread. She tells the Haruspex that she sees that he will "spill rivers of blood" in his future. The Haruspex is sceptical, and tells her to shoo. He reports back to Lara who insists that it may be better to let her stay. She tells the Haruspex that she has spoken to some of the women in the northern parts of Town to clear his name. He will no longer be attacked on sight in the Flank, the Backbone, or the Chine.

While dreaming the Haruspex sees strange things. First, he sees the bodies of the men who attacked him at the train station laid out in a row. A Tragedian stands over each of their bodies and speaks for the dead men. They express their regrets to the Haruspex. From this the Haruspex discovers that not only was Isidor killed the night before he arrived, so was Simon Kain - a well-respected and beloved man in the Town. He relives the attack and an Executor mocks him for thinking he can struggle against his fate. He warns that men who struggle against their fates may find themselves repeating the same events but with a limp. In a second dream the Haruspex sees a dream of the Rat Prophet who warns him not to sleep his life away for there are people in the waking world who require his help. Once the conversation is complete the Rat Prophet explodes into a flock of birds and the Haruspex wakes up.

The Haruspex makes his way to the Soul-and-a-Half Fortress where the children claim three patients are in need of help. Upon arriving he will discover that not only are the patients already dead, they were also dogs, not people as he first thought. The leader of the Soul-and-a-Halves, Notkin, puts the Haruspex on trial. He asks the Haruspex if murder is ever justified. Notkin is planning to kill, or, at least punish, the Doghead Lika for poisoning the dogs. If the Haruspex had said that yes, in some cases killing is meaningful, he is able to suggest to Notkin that he can handle their issue with Lika. Notkin agrees and gives the Haruspex a leash to give to Lika by the Gumstone. The Haruspex can give the leash to Lika and return him to the Soul-and-a-Halves or he may keep the leash and tell Lika to get lost. Should Lika be let free he promises to meet the Haruspex at the Town Hall to vouch for his innocence.

Though warned by Bad Grief and well meaning Townsfolk not to approach the Town Hall the Haruspex is able to. If the Haruspex steps inside he is confronted by Alexander Saburov, the Town's Mayor. He believes, like the rest of the Town, that the Haruspex is the killer of Isidor Burakh. The Haruspex is swiftly thrown into a cell below the Town Hall. The Town Hall plans to keep his imprisoned until Isidor's real killer can be found but on the word of Big Vlad the Haruspex is released from prison. With Big Vlad's word the Haruspex's name is cleared and he can walk the streets freely.

Following his release the Haruspex is directed to Big Vlad by one of his young messengers. Big Vlad is in the Lump. When meeting the owner of the Bull Enterprise Big Vlad remarks on how similar the Haruspex is to his Father. He explains that he is interested in finding Isidor's real killer and urges the Haruspex not to interfere with the Town outside as it would only bring trouble. Big Vlad tells the Haruspex that it is likely that Isidor will be buried the following morning as the Kin's rites insist upon a speedy burial. The Haruspex thanks Big Vlad for his help and, upon Big Vlad's suggestion, makes his way to the Broken Heart.

In the Broken Heart the Haruspex meets the two Stamatin brothers Andrey Stamatin and Peter Stamatin. They introduce themselves as the architects that built the Polyhedron standing in the Bridge Square. Peter Stamatin shares some of his Twyrine with the Haruspex and explains that drinking the liquid will dull the other senses and allow him to hear the Town speaking to him. He urges the Haruspex to do just that. The Haruspex cheers to his Father's memory and drinks some of the alcohol. He then hears the Town whispering to him behind the Theatre. Following the twyrine's trail the Haruspex finds a cache behind the Theatre. It is filled with a number of childish knickknacks as well as a note.

At Midnight the Haruspex is called to the Theatre to see a Pantomime. On the stage the Haruspex sees himself. He is speaking to the director Mark Immortell who is sitting in the audience. Immortell introduces the actor Artemy Burakh and explains that the most important thing in his journey is to avoid dying as it would irreversibly wound the world if he did. He tells the Haruspex that there will be a happy ending to this performance - one that makes him think that he has won. The Haruspex asks where the other two healers - the Bachelor and the Changeling - are. Immortell tells him that the other two are waiting for him to exist the stage so that they may learn of their fates as well. The stage lights then go dark and the Haruspex (the Player) is able to speak to Immortell off-stage. Immortell explains that he is staging a performance to which the actor is the only audience member. He hopes this will bring about a more authentic theatrical experience.

Once the Haruspex leaves the Theatre he is able to find the Fellow Traveler in the Town. He explains that he will trade dead items such as ampules and bloody bandages for useful items.

Day 2
On the morning of the second day Isidor Burakh's funeral is occurring in the Cemetery. The Haruspex arrives and quickly discovers that all is not well. A number of the Kin are gathered around the Graveyard to pay their respects, but Isidor is not buried. Both the Changeling and Grace, the Cemetery caretaker, explain that Isidor Burakh's corpse was buried - but the Earth pushed him back out. The Haruspex is shocked that something so terrible could happen to his father. He asks those gathered why his father is not buried. They tell him that Isidor cannot be buried because the Earth senses that he has a debt unfulfilled. A debt that the Haruspex is to take on.

Before burying his father he is able to examine his body and will remark upon too oddities - dirt under his fingernails (when he was quite a clean man) and unusually dry skin despite Isidor's age. After examining the body the Haruspex is able to take his father's inheritance and allow his father to be peacefully buried. Or, instead, the Haruspex is able to refuse his inheritance and have Isidor's body cremated.

Following Isidor Burakh's funeral Aspity will ask the Haruspex to return to her Hospice with her to discuss his father. There the Haruspex will learn of his fathers List; a piece of paper with eight names written on it. The eight names are Victoria Olgimskaya (known more commonly as Capella, Khan, Sticky, Murky, Notkin, Grace and a mysterious Steppe symbol known only as The Eighth. The symbol, the Haruspex discovers, is the symbol for an "Udurgh". As some of those names on the List are familiar to the Haruspex goes to speak with either Notkin or Grace about their involvement in the list. Neither of them can explain it beyond that they used to see Isidor Burakh a lot and tell the Haruspex to go to Capella, their leader.

The Haruspex makes his way to the Lump and enters the back of the mansion to find Capella in her room. Capella is the daughter a Mistress, and almost a Mistress herself. She has the gift of clairvoyance and as such already knew the Haruspex would arrive and that they would one day be friends. She tells the Haruspex that she dreamed of him and that she can see trails of blood under his feet. This is eerily similar to the prophecy the Changeling gave him the day before. When the Haruspex inquires about the List she explains that she believes that Isidor was training the children on there to be the next leaders of the Town. They were the group Isidor Burakh trusted the future to. It falls then to the Haruspex to protect the children on his list - as well as The Eighth.

On the balcony of Capella's Wing in the Lump sits Yulia Lyuricheva. She is the one responsible for building the Towns roads, having been summoned from outside of the Town by the Kains for the very task. She explains to the Haruspex that the Kains have a very specific idea of architecture. They believe that buildings are uniquely powerful in moulding human souls and, in some cases, capturing them. She explains that she built the Town's roads so that the people walking through them became blood cells in a vein.

While walking along the streets of the Town the Haruspex once again finds the Changeling. She asks for his help, claiming that Grace in the Cemetery is attempting to contact his father from beyond the grave. Unfortunately the strain of such an act is hurting Grace and, Clara suspects, killing her. The Haruspex then hurries to the Cemetery to meet with the caretaker. Grace is indeed contacting Isidor Burakh's spirit and it is causing her great distress. The Haruspex is able to ask her to contact Isidor again at the risk of her life or tell her to rest as he does not want to risk her health for the sake of speaking to someone already dead. If Isidor's spirit is spoken to he speaks, but he does not speak to the Haruspex. He appears to be talking to someone else, detailing the events that occurred the night before he was murdered.

Outside of Grace's Lodge Murky is waiting. Murky has had a falling out with Grace as she believes that Grace's methods are dangerous and not worth the risk. She believes that her method of contacting the dead is far superior - and far safer. She takes the Haruspex out into the Steppe to collect herbs, claiming that with the right combination he will be able to speak to Isidor. Once the Haruspex collects the needed herbs he asks Murky to teach him her method. She says that her method is thinking really hard about who you want to speak to and they will appear. The Haruspex becomes frustrated, realising that Murky's method was nothing but daydreaming. He leaves in a huff.

As the Haruspex reacquaints himself with the Town through their bartering traditions he is able to speak to a number of them about the happenings in the Town. The children of the Town tell the Haruspex that there is a particularly interesting event happening in the Nutshell. Once the Haruspex makes his way there he steps inside to see Maria Kaina and Capella in the middle of an argument. They are both short with him, telling him in no vague terms to leave immediately. As the Haruspex steps outside of the Nutshell he is stopped by the Changeling who also warns him to stay out of the business of the Mistresses. She warns that if he doesn't stay away she will curse him to silence, forbidding him to speak to even those he wishes to. The Haruspex either leaves the girls to their business or, instead, he returns to the Nutshell and finds that the Changeling was, in some ways, correct. He cannot speak to either of the girls. In the corner, another version of the Changeling is sitting curled in a ball.

While wandering the streets the Haruspex speaks to one of the men along the way. He tells the Haruspex that the Governor Alexander Saburov is beginning a neighbourhood watch in response to Isidor's death and most willing and able men are going to the Town Hall to join. The Haruspex makes his way to the Town Hall but is stopped outside by the crowd who become angry that he is pushing ahead of them. A clerk asks if the Haruspex is here about his Father's house. The Haruspex replies that he was not, but with this new information he supposes that's what his visit is for now. Inside of the Town Hall Saburov concedes that he has no legal rights to hold the key for Isidor's house now that his son is available. He gives the Haruspex the key and then he is free to leave.

The Haruspex makes his way back to his father's house and finds it now empty, a stark contrast to the crowds gathered the day before. The Haruspex enters his childhood home and is immediately beset with the feeling that this house is not as it should be. With the whispers of the Townsfolk in his ears the Haruspex makes his way through the house towards the back room. On the second floor he opens a room and finds a cloud of black flecks floating in his father's workshop. As the Haruspex approaches the cloud retreats, disappearing. The Haruspex then continues through to the backroom and finds a bloody handprint on his fathers bed. On the table there is a chest and from it he pulls a note. It contains a key to a factory building and is labelled with V.O.

Quickly deciding that he wants nothing to do with this house where his father's blood was spilled the Haruspex retreats to the front door. In a side-room he finds the Changeling. He asks her why she is here and she asks if he plans to live in this house. The Haruspex says that he doesn't want to and exits the home. Outside is the Bachelor has come with a sanitation order for the home. He demands to inspect the house and the Haruspex, with some resistance, allows him to. The Bachelor asks the Haruspex what the mould on the walls is. Confused, the Haruspex turns to find the walls that were once just brick covered in reddened sores - as if it were alive, and sick. As the Haruspex leaves the houses front yard he sees a number of bystanders gathered around nearby buildings. They, too, are covered in sores. They wonder if it is due to the soot blowout from the nearby factory. The Haruspex warns them not to touch it and then leaves.

Around noon the Haruspex will become convinced that Rubin couldn't possibly think that he actually killed his father. He makes his way to Rubin's apartment and, unlike the day before, actually finds Rubin home. He is with Lara, and he is furious. Lara has attempted to calm him down but is seems to have done very little. Rubin snaps at the Haruspex, claiming that he really does believe that the Haruspex is his fathers killer. He is enraged that the Haruspex would take his fathers legacy - his work - when it was Rubin, and not him, who had been beside Isidor in his final days. The Haruspex concludes that Rubin is acting a fool and leaves.

By the Termitary a group of the Kin are waiting outside. In one of the windows a woman is wailing and soon she jumps, falling to her death. The crowd tell the Haruspex that she did not mean to fall, only escape. Inside of the Termitary there is an apparent riot brewing and the building has been closed. A group of Kin ask the Haruspex to ask Big Vlad to open the Termitary, offering him coin to do so. The closure of the Termitary ensures that the Haruspex is unable to meet Taya Tycheek. Following the trace of the letter found in his Father's house the Haruspex makes his way to either the Lump or the Broken Heart to speak with one of the men named Vlad Olgimsky. The Haruspex asks the Vlad's what the key is for and who had given it to his father. If the Haruspex is speaking to Vlad the Older he will tell the Haruspex that he has no knowledge of the key but vows that he will look into it. If the Haruspex is speaking to Vlad the Younger he tells the Haruspex that it was he who gave Isidor the key to the Warehouse.

With the key in hand the Haruspex makes his way to a warehouse on the outskirts of the Warehouse District. Lit by a lantern the location of the factory building becomes obvious. The Haruspex steps inside to find a small den filled with machinery and work tables. Inside he finds Sticky, the boy from Isidor's house. The Haruspex is shocked by his presence as he was supposed to be the only one with the key to entry. Sticky claims that he has never needed a key. He tells the Haruspex that he helped Isidor with his work and perhaps he may be able to help the Haruspex with his. Sticky tells the Haruspex that both the alembic (used to make tinctures) and the brewery (used to mix tinctures and more potent components such as organs and blood) are both broken. Inside of the cabinet in the Lair the Haruspex finds the springs needed to fix the alembic, though the brewery will pose a much greater challenge.

Upon repairing the alembic the Haruspex falls into a dream-state where he talks to his old childhood Tumbler Toy. The toy is mimicking the voice of his father and teaches him how to make tinctures and how to apply them to vulnerable and infected patients.

The Haruspex then makes his way to the Bridge Square to the Polyhedron to meet Khan. The Haruspex finds his path stopped by two Dogheads who are guarding the entrance. They forbid him from entry claiming that if his meeting was truly important Khan would have informed them of it. The Haruspex leaves as it becomes apparent that he will not be able to meet Khan.

In the Bridge Square a group of enthusiastic children have been waiting for the Haruspex in order to introduce them to their game. Their game is a cache game and involves bartering and trading items between hidden chests dotted all over the Town. The children often also leave notes in the caches. The children tell the Haruspex that recently a murder has been leaving scary and threatening notes in their game. The Haruspex suspects that this might very well be the person responsible for the death of his father and agrees to play. The children warn him that if he plays unfairly he will face the consequences. He is the second adult they have ever let into their game, a position they covet strongly.

After playing the children's game and searching through the caches by the Bridge Square the notes in the chest lead him to a cache in the Gut. This, in turn, leads him to a playground by the Theatre. Inside of the playground are a group of children who wish to play hide and seek. They invite the Haruspex to be the seeker, asking him to turn around and count to five. The Haruspex turns around and allows the children to hide, starting the game. When found the children trade him their nuts for his and, strikingly, one of the children trades him a Shmowder.

In the evening children gather at the Train Station. Lead by the instructions of one Soul-and-a-Halves the Haruspex makes his way to the Train Station. When he arrives he finds a group of children gathered by platform. They tell the Haruspex that they are attempting to play a game they call "train summoning". With their thoughts they are hoping to summon a train to the Town so that they may restock food, medicine, and, for one child, his father's peaked cap from the way. It isn't going well. They invite the Haruspex to play. Should the Haruspex agree he makes his way to the end of the train tracks, at the last turn before disappearing into the Steppe. While there the Haruspex is to name the train something and then wish for it very hard. As the Haruspex stands at the end of the tracks he hears the sound of a train in his ears - an event that seem to foresee a more sinister event than the supply train the children were hoping for.

At midnight the Haruspex is once again summoned to the Theatre to view the performance. There he watches as the three healers - the Bachelor, the Changeling, and himself - argue on the stage on the best methods to defeating a future epidemic. The Changeling claims that she is capable of miracles, that she is able cure people of ailments simply by laying her hands on them. The Bachelor claims that science is all powerful, and that the solutions to diseases are found only through scientific methods. The Haruspex supports local medicine, claiming that although while away studying he began to see the practices as backwards at times it did work. In the wings Talon and Beak mock the healers, laughing that while they bicker like children none of their methods will be any use to them.

Day 3
Before sunrise a number of the Kin gather at Aspity's Hospice for her guidance. The Haruspex can make his way to the Hospice and speak to them. Many of them speak of a future "flooding of the Town". One man even sacrificed his own entrails to a mysterious cause of a similar nature. The Haruspex then speaks to Aspity about their words and she claims that though they were there to see her they were eager to speak to him. She explains that it is not the answer that matters, but the listening. The Haruspex listening to the Kin was enough to offer them guidance.

In the morning the Haruspex gets the urge to check on Lara to see how she is doing. He heads to the Shelter to visit his old childhood friend and finds her just as standoffish as she had been in the days before. The suggestion of reuniting the childhood friends of Lara, Grief, and Rubin arises. The Haruspex agrees to help gather the friends together, promising that at midnight of today they would all meet at the spot by the Apple Basket Road just as they had done as children. Both Grief and Rubin are resistant to the idea, explaining that they are both terribly busy. Both are worried of the rift that has grown between the childhood friends and Grief in particular is concerned that he will not be welcomed by Rubin and Lara. The Haruspex convinces them both otherwise, begging them to consider his offer.

Later in the morning the Haruspex will receive a message from Big Vlad asking him to come to the Lump to speak of his father and his inheritance. The Haruspex makes his way to the Lump. There he finds a group of protesters outside of the mansion, angered by Big Vlad's decision to shut down the factory as they all no longer have employment. They ask the Haruspex to speak to Big Vlad inside. The Haruspex makes his way inside to speak with Big Vlad and finds that the owner of the Bull Enterprise is uninterested in speaking about the crowd gathered by his doorstep. Instead, he asks the Haruspex if he would like his father's house. The Haruspex answers that he does not wish to live in a place where blood was spilled. Big Vlad insists on the Haruspex reclaiming his fathers house, even if it only so that he may sell it as Big Vlad is interested in owning it. Though reluctant, the Haruspex agrees and is told to see the Judge in the Bridge Square.

The Haruspex makes his way to the Bridge Square to speak to the Judge Georgiy Kain. On his way he sees three people staring up at a flock of crows gathered above the Cathedral. They claim that the crows are a bad omen and that anyone who doesn't notice them has a terrible fate awaiting them. The Haruspex continues towards the Crucible. Here he meets Victor Kain who directs him to the Judge's workshop. As Rubin is Maria's wing of the Crucible he may be spoken to about Lara's reunion. Outside of the Judge's workshop a woman is standing who tells the Haruspex that he will not be hated for hunting criminals and he will instead be awarded. Eventually the Haruspex makes his way to the workshop of Georgiy Kain and asks for the deed to his house. The Judge hands the title over with little resistance. He tells the Haruspex that before the end of the day the deed must be given to the prefect of the Skinners District to claim the house.

As the Haruspex enters the Skinners District it becomes obvious that something is not right. The entire district is clouded in the same black miasma the Haruspex found in his father's house. An orderly by the entrance to the district warns the Haruspex that the entire place is under quarantine. On the order of the Bachelor he provides the Haruspex with protective equipment and immunity packets and warns the Haruspex that they are only allowing doctors and authorised personnel to enter and leave the district. With this in mind the Haruspex makes his way to the prefect's office and finds it filled with cloud of disease. He carefully makes his way up the stairs to find one the prefect in the room at the top of the stairs. He tells the Haruspex that this house is now free to loot as it is better that he takes the items to save someone. This also applies to other infected houses. With this in mind the Haruspex still gives the prefect the deed, despite it's uselessness.

At noon the Haruspex is approached by a frantic Soul-and-a-Half who urges the Haruspex to come to the Soul-and-a-Half Fortress as quickly as he can. Patches, one of their friends, has fallen ill and desperately needs a doctors help. As it turns out Notkin had already begged the Bachelor for help but the Bachelor's solution was only to suggest that the place become quarantined as he was desperately needed elsewhere, claiming that the Haruspex should leave Patches and report to him as soon as he can. The Haruspex is able to help and treats Patches using his knowledge of the Layers, lowering his infection and maybe saving his life.

After treating Patches the Haruspex rushes to the Stillwater, an observatory owned by Eva Yan that serves as a guesthouse for visitors and the current residence of the Bachelor. The Haruspex makes his way inside and finds Eva Yan on the first floor. She demands to know who he is and why he is here. The Haruspex asks her where the Bachelor is and she grows wary. She tells him that the Bachelor is in the Town Hall. Suspecting that she is lying the Haruspex makes his way up to the Loft only to find that she was indeed telling the truth. The Haruspex leaves the Stillwater.

As the Haruspex exits the Stillwater he hears the Town's alarm bells begin to ring. As he walks through the streets he sees that they are barren. The only figures along the streets are Tragedians pointing his way to the Town Hall. The bell rings in time with his footsteps as he makes his way through the silent Town. The Haruspex eventually arrives at the Town Hall to find a meeting occurring. Inside he sees Big Vlad, Vlad the Younger, Victor Kain, Alexander Saburov, Katerina Saburova, Stakh Rubin and the Bachelor gathered. As he approaches the group he is stopped by Big Vlad who explains that there is an epidemic beginning in the Town and they are planning the best way to handle it. He explains that though there are only two doctors (and three healers) in the Town he wishes to take the Haruspex as his own personal physician. The Haruspex refuses, knowing that his duty must instead be to the Town.

The Haruspex speaks to The Ruling Families gathered in the Town Hall and discovers that a Fund is to be set up in order to help the doctors of the Town. He speaks to Rubin who claims that the midnight meeting is called off. The Haruspex is surprised that Rubin is planning to work both days and nights. He also speaks to the Bachelor who asks for his help in creating a vaccine against the disease.

As the Haruspex goes to leave the Town Hall he is stopped by Georgiy Kain who asks a favour of him. He asks the Haruspex to travel to the infected districts to check in on the two Stamatin brothers as their minds are too precious to lose to disease. The Haruspex agrees and makes his way to Peter Stamatin's Loft. Inside he finds Peter alongside a Tragedian who explains that the Haruspex must help the characters of the Town in order to increase their chances against the disease. The Tragedian explains that though he can increase their chances of avoiding infection he cannot truly prevent it. With that advice in mind the Haruspex speaks to Peter who, despite not remembering who he is, is grateful for his help. Peter asks the Haruspex to also check in on Anna Angel in the District over as he knows that she is mysophobic and is likely panicking. The Haruspex agrees to his request.

The Haruspex then makes his way to the Willows to treat Anna Angel. She is paranoid and flighty, snapping at the Haruspex to stay away from her as he may have brought the disease inside. The Haruspex attempts to calm her and administers an immunity booster, increasing her chances of resisting the disease. Once he has dealt with Anna the Haruspex then visits the Broken Heart to check on Andrey Stamatin. He is completely safe as his District has not yet come under the threat of the Plague. Andrey asks the Haruspex to look after his brother, telling him that it is important that Peter survives. Andrey then gifts the Haruspex some twyrine.

As the Haruspex goes to leave the Broken Heart he sees Notkin meeting with a boy the Haruspex has never seen before. The Haruspex approaches the boys and finds out that the one sitting across from Notkin is Khan, the leader of the rival Dogheads. They are discussing the existence of a House of Death somewhere in the Town. They claim that the legend says that was Death is a home-bird he will always take a house as a place to rest. If one were to enter Death's house and either light a number of candles inside or wait until midnight they would scare Death away, saving his victims from his presence. Neither of the boys truly believe in the legend but they do claim that when their is smoke there is fire and it is likely that the legend does explain some sort of phenomenon. Hearing this the Haruspex insists on finding the house instead of the boys. The two refuse, both not eager to hide behind the back of another man.

The Haruspex finds the House of Death in the Crude Sprawl. It is covered in the same infectious welts that the buildings in infected areas are covered in. He enters and the door locks behind him. He makes his way up the stairs and finds Notkin and Khan in one of the rooms at the end of the hallway. The Haruspex admonishes Notkin, thinking that the door locking behind him was one of the Soul-and-a-Halves playing a trick on him. Notkin says it wasn't one of his lot. He suggests that they might as well try to light the candles as the legend says. The house then becomes sinister as a face appears on the wall to follow the Haruspex. The whole house becomes infected and the Haruspex begins to breath in the infection. The longer the Haruspex stays inside of the house looking for the candles the high his chance of both infection and death becomes. Eventually the Haruspex tracks down and lights all six of the candles. He returns to the boys and takes them out of the House. With his actions he has protected the Crude Sprawl from infection on the following day.

In the evening Lara, Grief and Rubin meet by the Gumstone. The Haruspex takes a moment to join his friends at the campfire and discuss the future with them. Lara is cynical, claiming that the Plague will only be bad for relationships in the Town. She tells the Haruspex of the First Outbreak, telling him that five years prior the Crude Sprawl was completely annihilated by the same disease that threatens the Town now - the Sand Plague. It is called Sand due to the drying effect it has on the skin. Rubin is planning to work to fight to outbreak for as long as he can. Grief is conflicted, unsure how the outbreak will effect his standing among his men. The Haruspex reunites with his friends, but under circumstances he never could have predicted.

At midnight the Haruspex is once more called to the Theatre to observe the nightly performance. On the stage stand Talon and Break. Together they announce the outbreak of the Plague and have a morose and pessimistic outlook to the survival of the Town. They claim that there is only about a week left.