The Charnel House (Reopened)

For narrative speculation on this location, see Historia Aetherium: The Charnel House.

Location

This area is located in the first warehouse on The Docks.

Note: This area is located in the same warehouse as the Charnel House. The following encounters appear only during The Missing Artist quest (and replace the old set found during the Problems on the Docks quest).

This area is aboveground, indoors. (?)

Each time first entering this area:

The warehouse is even stranger than first time you came here, which could be considered both a good sign and a bad sign.

Black stone has obscured the concrete floor and great pillars of it reach towards the rafters. Everywhere the stone doesn't obscure is filled with a strange mist or smoke, lit by a distant red light.

Legend
	Combat Encounters		Etheric only
	Noncombat Encounters		Non-Etheric only
	Choice Encounters		Requires Fishing pole
	Gang Warfare Encounters		Can lead to a Hacking Encounter

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Combat Encounters

	Opponents	Encounter Text	Notes
		You ease your way through the maze-like interior of the warehouse. Pillars and walls of volcanic rock reach into the rafters, illuminated by fiery red light reflected from somewhere in the distance. It's hard to explain how the stone could be here or flow over the rafters so organically, but even harder to keep an eye on the shadows surrounding you. In the silence, you can easily hear something scratching against the stone. It wouldn't surprise you to be followed and hunted in this place, but the emaciated thing's grin as you turn around… It stops running its jagged nails along the wall and bounds at you.
	x3	The faint red light of this place conceals more than it reveals among the pillars and acrid mist. By the time you notice dark, loping shapes emerging from the mists, they're already upon you.	With Perception < 15; if you lose/run away, +1 Ghoul pursuit
	x5	A few chips of black stone clatter down from above, although their source is concealed by the acrid mists. Faint, dark shapes move above you, bouncing back and forth between walls and pillars. A heartbeat later, they've dropped to the ground loosely surrounding you. The central figure grimaces, baring its narrow teeth.	With ≥10 Ghoul pursuit
		Echoing between the stone pillars, you can hear a sound like running machinery or chains clinking against each other. The shadows creep in, conspiring to hide the source of the noise. When a bony humanoid finally slinks into view with hooked chains pulled over its body, it's hard to shake the impression that you walked into one of the artist's paintings. The thing's chains… posture… feral grin… everything is exactly the same. Even the way its legs tense before it pounces.	Only if you found the disturbing canvas of the ghoul with a chain
		Near one of the newly-formed rivers of flame, you see an apparition floating from the crimson fire. Although at first it's merely the suggestion of a skull, it grows more and more solid as you watch. You stand, entranced, until it finally turns silently towards you.	Only after breaking a wall in the Dry Riverbed

Noncombat Encounters

	Encounter	Result	Notes
	Hunting Shapes	Gain 10 energy of Broken World	Only without an air filter.
	Fae in the Fog	Gain 10 energy of Fae Blessing	Only with Fae Sight
	The Mists Close In	Gain 20 energy of Degenerate Mists	Only with Broken World active

Choice Encounters

Ghouls in The Fog (Requires Perception ≥ 15)

1. Turn and run - fight 3 Ghouls; if you lose/run away, +1 Ghoul pursuit
2. Stay motionless - fight 3 Ghouls or with Will ≥ 14, walk away; if you lose/run away, +1 Ghoul pursuit
3. Charge them - fight 3 Ghouls; if you lose/run away, +1 Ghoul pursuit

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Guard in the Mists

1. Take him out first - fight a Slags Guard (Gate Guard)
2. Try to talk - fight a Slags Guard (Gate Guard), or (with containment suit equipped)
   1. Jump him - fight a Slags Guard (Gate Guard)
   2. Offer help - fight a Slags Guard (Gate Guard)
   3. Ask why he's here - Find out about S43 in Midgard Laboratory
   4. Ask about the area - Information
   5. Leave him - Walk away?
3. Lure him back as bait (with any Ghoul pursuit): –1 Ghoul pursuit
4. Back away slowly - Walk Away

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Dry Riverbed - Stops showing up after breaking down 5 walls

1. Hammer at it - Destroy a wall with ≥12 Melee Power and ≥15 Strength, take damage
2. Try some dynamite - Destroy a wall, take damage
3. Break out the NitroX - Destroy a wall, gain 3 XP in Perception and Reflexes
4. Climb the wall - Gain 6 XP in Reflexes, take damage
5. Leave it be - Nothing

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A lake Covered by Mists - Only after spending 5? turns in a row in the charnel house, or after getting Fae in the Fog

1. Head for the island - With Dying Artist effect active gain Body and Spirit skill, Otherwise:
   1. Examine it - gain 6 XP in Perception
   2. Meditate before it - gain 6 XP in Will
   3. Sketch it (with Unscathed Sketchbook equipped) - Lose Unscathed Sketchbook, gain Living Sketchbook
   4. Lash out at it - gain 6 XP in Strength
   5. Topple it (with chain weapon) - Learn Twisting Chains skill if it is wobbly
2. Dive in and have a look - Gain Unscathed Sketchbook or 1 of cold syringe, holocaust coat, red hot pipe, remains of a coat, scarred silver mask, scorched watch, or stopped watch and 2-3 of: mottled crystals, powdered glass, sulfur
3. Run around the lake - gain 4 XP in Strength or 5 XP in Reflexes or Will
4. Try fishing (with fishing pole) - Lose all line and lure effects
5. Find somewhere more hospitable - Nothing