Thinking about TOS Jim Kirk and Spock and the beautiful tragedy of their story. The way they ended and how even in that they reflected each other.
How they both became swallowed up by space anomalies, only to find themselves in a different time, lost to everyone they know and love. And died alone, so far from home and each other.
Jim, in the Nexus for so many years, trapped by the way it messed with his mind. A distorted dream. Only to finally escape, and so much time has passed that everything he knows would be different, the ones he loves no doubt old and gone. Except Spock. But he can’t go to Spock, can’t be selfish and choose him, because the needs of the many must come first. So he dies alone, on an alien world, without Spock.
Spock, pulled into another reality, where everyone he knows is so young. Young, same and different, their stories changed by his actions. His own distorted dream to endure. His own Nexus. And he escapes it in much the same way. On an alien world, alone, without Jim.
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The less travelled paths through the House of Hope
Hyperfocus put to good use (I spent way too much time down here).
Staying on good terms
You can enter the HoH, loot the secret vault (with the staff and helmet), and leave again without angering Raphael.
I wondered, if one could play with Haarlep without stealing, and if there'd be an opportunity to talk - on friendly terms - with Raphael about the incubus.
But the moment you open the portal to the HoH, Raphael (and Korilla) vanish from Sharess' Caress.
So even if you don't touch anything inside, Raphael will be gone.
But wait! If you
don't kill Raphael
deny the emperor in the final astral prism scene
and manage to not acquire, or lose the orphic hammer (you can f.e. reverse-pickpocket it back into Raphael's pockets after making the deal (yes, enjoy the mental image of Tav shoving a giant hammer into Raphael's pants ...sneakily))
Raphael will show up for a chat, insult you for your idiocy (charmingly) and give you the hammer again / or force you (scarily) to sign the contract, if you haven't already
So I thought maaaaybeeee....
but no. You can not mention Haarlep to him there. :(
I suppose the end of the world is more important at that point (pfff!)
Note though, I have only tested the "visit Haarlep but don't steal" route without having signed the contract. But I imagine that there will still be no Haarlep talk option during the astral prism hammer scene. I'll try it out another time to be thorough though.
Alternative paths and rare dialogue
I will go out on a limb and guess the path through the HoH most players take most often is thus:
Decline deal / sign contract
Go to HoH
Talk to Archivist, get boudoir invite
Enjoy or kill Haarlep
Get Hammer / destroy contract
Free Hope
Fight Raphael
You will already notice a difference in available conversation paths with the archivist, depending on whether or not you signed the contract. If you did, instead of playing the role as inquisitor, you can tell him you have regrets and pass a charisma check for him to still give you the invite.
This is not the only path though.
Optional breadcrumb/rare dialogue:
If you already killed Gortash before you visit the HoH, go talk to the guy in the portal room. Once he mentions Gortash, you can tell him that you killed Gortash. Happy to hear that, he will tell you about the secret path from the balcony to the boudoir —
Note: I'm not sure if he was insinuating, that he visits Haarlep sometimes when the boss isn't watching. You could read that into it, if you want.
— whether or not you spoke to the gnome, you can skip the archivist talk and go straight to Haarlep via the outer balcony (there's also a path to the prison here).
Boudoir scene will happen as usual.
When you go to the archivist afterwards, Korilla is already gone. Archivist talk goes as usual, and he'll give you the boudoir invite if you chose the usual conversation path as well. Moot, of course, but I suppose he can't know that.
Korilla lives
If you manage to avoid Korrila's death - you can knock her out via non-lethal attacks, but beware Raphael's reckless aoe explosions - Hope will recognize this during her last dialogue. She'll tell you that she's glad Korilla survived, and that she still loves her.
Hope dies
If you confront Raphael without freeing Hope (f.e. because you shoved the orphic hammer back down Raphael's trousers), she dies with him.
Return to her prison after the fight, and you'll only find a burned corpse.
On a stray note, ik I'm not the first to point this out, but it fit the post:
If you click the orb in the Devil's Fee, before you enter the HoH, you see Raphael.
If you click it again, after killing Raphael, it describes him being devoured by Mephistopheles.
I realize he's just a bunch of pixels, but for some reason this really pains me. I already avoided killing him in most of my runs, but especially now with this in mind.
I tried to save his soul² but to no avail.
Neither knocking him out, nor picking up his corpse changes the message. It will still say he's being devoured. 😔
(² for those unaware, a fiend's body is their soul. Unlike mortals, whose body and soul are two separate things. Though there'sword out there that cambions might have a mortal soul as well.)
Alright, thanks for listening to my TED talk. BYE!
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