Scars That Won't Fade

Please, kind soul, could you lend a hand...?

Uncle Donat's sick... it's really bad...

They say you're the strongest Phoxhunter, and the kindest, too... Please... I'm begging you, please help him!

He's sick? Has he seen a doctor?

He has... but the doctor said it's already too late...

I, I'll give you everything I have! And if that's not enough... I'll do anything! Whatever it takes!

Where is he now?

In an alley in Mist Aken. I'll take you there!

Huh? That's weird... he was home just a minute ago...

Any idea where he might've gone?

Umm... oh! Right!

Uncle Donat kept saying he wanted to go back to "the pit"... Something like Glen... or Glum, I think?

Glevum Pit?

Yeah, that's it! Are you going there, miss? Can I come too?

He's really sick... and I'm worried that...

It's a very dangerous place. I can't take a kid with me. But I promise, if I find him, I'll bring him back. Just wait here.

Okay... Thank you. Really.

Now, tell me about Donat.

Uncle Donat's the kindest person in all of Icelake!

He shares food with us, buys clothes and books for the kids in Mist Aken with his own money.

He fixes homes and furniture, brings medicine to the sick, even takes in beggars when the snow gets bad... Almost everyone in the slums owes him something.

And, and...

...Er, I meant, what does he look like?

Huh? Oh... sorry!

He's in his early forties, tall, skinny, brown hair... his clothes are pretty worn...

Got it.

*cough*

Are you Donat?

You are...?

A child asked me to find you.

Ah... Lars, was it? That boy's a worrier.

I just... wanted to revisit this old pit. I remember it swarming with monsters, no way to get near.

Then I heard a skilled Phoxhunter had cleared them out, so... I figured it was safe enough to come back.

Is that so...? Thank you, truly, *cough*

Sorry... I need to press on a bit further in. Thank you for coming all this way. Please tell Lars I'm okay. I'll leave your reward for the commission at The Asphodel later... *cough*

I've only taken care of the largest one. There might still be Filthoids inside. You're not in any shape to explore alone. Where were you headed? Let me walk with you.

You'd... do that?

I promised Lars I'd bring you home safely.

Thank you... thank you, kind soul.

Thank you, young one...

It's even more run-down than I'd imagined...

Main gate's locked, too. Good thing this pipe still lets us through...

*cough* *cough* *cough*...

You alright?

I'm f, *cough*, fine... Let's keep moving. The place I'm looking for is just ahead.

You seem to know this place well.

I do... I used to be a miner here. Sixteen years ago, I walked this path every day.

Back then, we'd spend ten, twelve hours down here... I knew every turn, even with my eyes closed.

Darn it... it's surrounded by Filthoids...

Thank goodness... It's still intact. Thank you, truly.

Sig... my old friend. I've come to see you...

Is this... a grave?

Doesn't look like much, does it?

He called me his best mate... and this, this sorry little spot, is all I could manage for him.

Wait... is that...!? No... Why...?

Violet... why have you come back?

Violet? Who's that?

Ah... would you humour an old man for a moment? I've a few old stories to tell.

I'd love to. But let's head back first, alright? Lars must be worried sick.

Yes... yes, you're right. Let's go.

Uncle Donat, you're back!

Sorry, lad... made you worry again, *cough*

You're coughing again! Come on, let me take you to a doctor.

No, no need... This is what I deserve. No cure's going to fix it.

Don't say that, Uncle Donat...

Remember that winter, when I had to sleep next to the factory vents just to stay warm? You were freezing too, and still gave me the only padded coat you had.

Everyone round here knows what a good person you are! So why do you keep saying you deserve this? It's just not true!

...Does this have to do with the "old stories" you wanted to tell?

Mm. Sixteen years back...

Like every other dreary chapter of my life, the years I spent as a miner weren't good, but they weren't the worst either. Long days of grind, just enough to wear you down, just enough to put bread on the table.

Looking back... even though the bigwigs never treated us fairly, those might've been the least troubled days I ever had...

But my friend Sig... he wasn't so lucky. His little sister, Violet, the only family he had, fell ill. Only eighteen, that girl...

And just when you think things can't get worse... they usually do.

Phoxene from Glevum Pit grew scarcer by the day, and so did our wages. White bread became dust-stained bread... then even that was bulked with husks and sawdust.

For Sig, barely making ends meet, Violet falling ill was like hearing her death sentence out loud.

I still remember that dawn. Sig scrounged up cheap liquor from the lads, and we sat on the stone outside the pit, knocking them back one bottle at a time.

He cried like a child, rambling on about how the two of them had always relied on each other. One moment he was softly humming her favourite songs... the next, muttering curses at Fabrice Ruthford through gritted teeth.

Who's that?

An officer at The Aeolipile, the one who ran Glevum Pit back then.

I remember clapping him on the shoulder and saying, "What good does cursing him do? We're just nobodies. If you've got guts, why not grab the man himself and get the money straight from his pocket?"

...Sixteen years on, I still ask myself, if I hadn't been drunk and mouthing off like that, would any of this have happened?

You mean... Sig actually did it?

Yes. One day, he quit the mine without a word. When I went to his house to check on him, both he and Violet were gone.

I thought he'd taken her elsewhere for treatment... until a week later, I received a letter from Violet.

Sig and I were close back then, but I hardly knew his sister. She was always bedridden. She spent her last coins getting that letter delivered to the mine via a passing Phoxhunter.

She said Sig had kidnapped Officer Ruthford's daughter, demanding ransom. She begged me to stop him before it was too late.

He was holding the girl in an old house on the outskirts. When I found him, he was stunned... but he owned up to it.

My drunken rant that night opened a door to a nightmare. I was consumed by regret. I wanted to stop him, I truly did... but when I saw Violet, so frail she could barely speak... I hesitated.

He begged me to pretend nothing had happened. But the investigation was tightening... and the fear... it shook me to my bones.

In the end... I...

You... turned them in?

I shouldn't have... I never should have!

What happened after that?

The officer came himself, leading the arrest. During the struggle, Sig accidentally set the house on fire.

I rushed in, trying to save them, but in the chaos, I only managed to get Violet out. Her face was black with soot... only her tears had carved two pale trails down her cheeks.

Please, kind soul, could you lend a hand...?

Uncle Donat's sick... it's really bad...

They say you're the strongest Phoxhunter, and the kindest, too... Please... I'm begging you, please help him!

He's sick? Has he seen a doctor?

He has... but the doctor said it's already too late...

I, I'll give you everything I have! And if that's not enough... I'll do anything! Whatever it takes!

Where is he now?

In an alley in Mist Aken. I'll take you there!

Huh? That's weird... he was home just a minute ago...

Any idea where he might've gone?

Umm... oh! Right!

Uncle Donat kept saying he wanted to go back to "the pit"... Something like Glen... or Glum, I think?

Glevum Pit?

Yeah, that's it! Are you going there, miss? Can I come too?

He's really sick... and I'm worried that...

It's a very dangerous place. I can't take a kid with me. But I promise, if I find him, I'll bring him back. Just wait here.

Okay... Thank you. Really.

Now, tell me about Donat.

Uncle Donat's the kindest person in all of Icelake!

He shares food with us, buys clothes and books for the kids in Mist Aken with his own money.

He fixes homes and furniture, brings medicine to the sick, even takes in beggars when the snow gets bad... Almost everyone in the slums owes him something.

And, and...

...Er, I meant, what does he look like?

Huh? Oh... sorry!

He's in his early forties, tall, skinny, brown hair... his clothes are pretty worn...

Got it.

*cough*

Are you Donat?

You are...?

A child asked me to find you.

Ah... Lars, was it? That boy's a worrier.

I just... wanted to revisit this old pit. I remember it swarming with monsters, no way to get near.

Then I heard a skilled Phoxhunter had cleared them out, so... I figured it was safe enough to come back.

Is that so...? Thank you, truly, *cough*

Sorry... I need to press on a bit further in. Thank you for coming all this way. Please tell Lars I'm okay. I'll leave your reward for the commission at The Asphodel later... *cough*

I've only taken care of the largest one. There might still be Filthoids inside. You're not in any shape to explore alone. Where were you headed? Let me walk with you.

You'd... do that?

I promised Lars I'd bring you home safely.

Thank you... thank you, kind soul.

Thank you, young one...

It's even more run-down than I'd imagined...

Main gate's locked, too. Good thing this pipe still lets us through...

*cough* *cough* *cough*...

You alright?

I'm f, *cough*, fine... Let's keep moving. The place I'm looking for is just ahead.

You seem to know this place well.

I do... I used to be a miner here. Sixteen years ago, I walked this path every day.

Back then, we'd spend ten, twelve hours down here... I knew every turn, even with my eyes closed.

Darn it... it's surrounded by Filthoids...

Thank goodness... It's still intact. Thank you, truly.

Sig... my old friend. I've come to see you...

Is this... a grave?

Doesn't look like much, does it?

He called me his best mate... and this, this sorry little spot, is all I could manage for him.

Wait... is that...!? No... Why...?

Violet... why have you come back?

Violet? Who's that?

Ah... would you humour an old man for a moment? I've a few old stories to tell.

I'd love to. But let's head back first, alright? Lars must be worried sick.

Yes... yes, you're right. Let's go.

Uncle Donat, you're back!

Sorry, lad... made you worry again, *cough*

You're coughing again! Come on, let me take you to a doctor.

No, no need... This is what I deserve. No cure's going to fix it.

Don't say that, Uncle Donat...

Remember that winter, when I had to sleep next to the factory vents just to stay warm? You were freezing too, and still gave me the only padded coat you had.

Everyone round here knows what a good person you are! So why do you keep saying you deserve this? It's just not true!

...Does this have to do with the "old stories" you wanted to tell?

Mm. Sixteen years back...

Like every other dreary chapter of my life, the years I spent as a miner weren't good, but they weren't the worst either. Long days of grind, just enough to wear you down, just enough to put bread on the table.

Looking back... even though the bigwigs never treated us fairly, those might've been the least troubled days I ever had...

But my friend Sig... he wasn't so lucky. His little sister, Violet, the only family he had, fell ill. Only eighteen, that girl...

And just when you think things can't get worse... they usually do.

Phoxene from Glevum Pit grew scarcer by the day, and so did our wages. White bread became dust-stained bread... then even that was bulked with husks and sawdust.

For Sig, barely making ends meet, Violet falling ill was like hearing her death sentence out loud.

I still remember that dawn. Sig scrounged up cheap liquor from the lads, and we sat on the stone outside the pit, knocking them back one bottle at a time.

He cried like a child, rambling on about how the two of them had always relied on each other. One moment he was softly humming her favourite songs... the next, muttering curses at Fabrice Ruthford through gritted teeth.

Who's that?

An officer at The Aeolipile, the one who ran Glevum Pit back then.

I remember clapping him on the shoulder and saying, "What good does cursing him do? We're just nobodies. If you've got guts, why not grab the man himself and get the money straight from his pocket?"

...Sixteen years on, I still ask myself, if I hadn't been drunk and mouthing off like that, would any of this have happened?

You mean... Sig actually did it?

Yes. One day, he quit the mine without a word. When I went to his house to check on him, both he and Violet were gone.

I thought he'd taken her elsewhere for treatment... until a week later, I received a letter from Violet.

Sig and I were close back then, but I hardly knew his sister. She was always bedridden. She spent her last coins getting that letter delivered to the mine via a passing Phoxhunter.

She said Sig had kidnapped Officer Ruthford's daughter, demanding ransom. She begged me to stop him before it was too late.

He was holding the girl in an old house on the outskirts. When I found him, he was stunned... but he owned up to it.

My drunken rant that night opened a door to a nightmare. I was consumed by regret. I wanted to stop him, I truly did... but when I saw Violet, so frail she could barely speak... I hesitated.

He begged me to pretend nothing had happened. But the investigation was tightening... and the fear... it shook me to my bones.

In the end... I...

You... turned them in?

I shouldn't have... I never should have!

What happened after that?

The officer came himself, leading the arrest. During the struggle, Sig accidentally set the house on fire.

I rushed in, trying to save them, but in the chaos, I only managed to get Violet out. Her face was black with soot... only her tears had carved two pale trails down her cheeks.

Please, kind soul, could you lend a hand...?

Uncle Donat's sick... it's really bad...

They say you're the strongest Phoxhunter, and the kindest, too... Please... I'm begging you, please help him!

He's sick? Has he seen a doctor?

He has... but the doctor said it's already too late...

I, I'll give you everything I have! And if that's not enough... I'll do anything! Whatever it takes!

Where is he now?

In an alley in Mist Aken. I'll take you there!

Huh? That's weird... he was home just a minute ago...

Any idea where he might've gone?

Umm... oh! Right!

Uncle Donat kept saying he wanted to go back to "the pit"... Something like Glen... or Glum, I think?

Glevum Pit?

Yeah, that's it! Are you going there, miss? Can I come too?

He's really sick... and I'm worried that...

It's a very dangerous place. I can't take a kid with me. But I promise, if I find him, I'll bring him back. Just wait here.

Okay... Thank you. Really.

Now, tell me about Donat.

Uncle Donat's the kindest person in all of Icelake!

He shares food with us, buys clothes and books for the kids in Mist Aken with his own money.

He fixes homes and furniture, brings medicine to the sick, even takes in beggars when the snow gets bad... Almost everyone in the slums owes him something.

And, and...

...Er, I meant, what does he look like?

Huh? Oh... sorry!

He's in his early forties, tall, skinny, brown hair... his clothes are pretty worn...

Got it.

*cough*

Are you Donat?

You are...?

A child asked me to find you.

Ah... Lars, was it? That boy's a worrier.

I just... wanted to revisit this old pit. I remember it swarming with monsters, no way to get near.

Then I heard a skilled Phoxhunter had cleared them out, so... I figured it was safe enough to come back.

Is that so...? Thank you, truly, *cough*

Sorry... I need to press on a bit further in. Thank you for coming all this way. Please tell Lars I'm okay. I'll leave your reward for the commission at The Asphodel later... *cough*

I've only taken care of the largest one. There might still be Filthoids inside. You're not in any shape to explore alone. Where were you headed? Let me walk with you.

You'd... do that?

I promised Lars I'd bring you home safely.

Thank you... thank you, kind soul.

Thank you, young one...

It's even more run-down than I'd imagined...

Main gate's locked, too. Good thing this pipe still lets us through...

*cough* *cough* *cough*...

You alright?

I'm f, *cough*, fine... Let's keep moving. The place I'm looking for is just ahead.

You seem to know this place well.

I do... I used to be a miner here. Sixteen years ago, I walked this path every day.

Back then, we'd spend ten, twelve hours down here... I knew every turn, even with my eyes closed.

Darn it... it's surrounded by Filthoids...

Thank goodness... It's still intact. Thank you, truly.

Sig... my old friend. I've come to see you...

Is this... a grave?

Doesn't look like much, does it?

He called me his best mate... and this, this sorry little spot, is all I could manage for him.

Wait... is that...!? No... Why...?

Violet... why have you come back?

Violet? Who's that?

Ah... would you humour an old man for a moment? I've a few old stories to tell.

I'd love to. But let's head back first, alright? Lars must be worried sick.

Yes... yes, you're right. Let's go.

Uncle Donat, you're back!

Sorry, lad... made you worry again, *cough*

You're coughing again! Come on, let me take you to a doctor.

No, no need... This is what I deserve. No cure's going to fix it.

Don't say that, Uncle Donat...

Remember that winter, when I had to sleep next to the factory vents just to stay warm? You were freezing too, and still gave me the only padded coat you had.

Everyone round here knows what a good person you are! So why do you keep saying you deserve this? It's just not true!

...Does this have to do with the "old stories" you wanted to tell?

Mm. Sixteen years back...

Like every other dreary chapter of my life, the years I spent as a miner weren't good, but they weren't the worst either. Long days of grind, just enough to wear you down, just enough to put bread on the table.

Looking back... even though the bigwigs never treated us fairly, those might've been the least troubled days I ever had...

But my friend Sig... he wasn't so lucky. His little sister, Violet, the only family he had, fell ill. Only eighteen, that girl...

And just when you think things can't get worse... they usually do.

Phoxene from Glevum Pit grew scarcer by the day, and so did our wages. White bread became dust-stained bread... then even that was bulked with husks and sawdust.

For Sig, barely making ends meet, Violet falling ill was like hearing her death sentence out loud.

I still remember that dawn. Sig scrounged up cheap liquor from the lads, and we sat on the stone outside the pit, knocking them back one bottle at a time.

He cried like a child, rambling on about how the two of them had always relied on each other. One moment he was softly humming her favourite songs... the next, muttering curses at Fabrice Ruthford through gritted teeth.

Who's that?

An officer at The Aeolipile, the one who ran Glevum Pit back then.

I remember clapping him on the shoulder and saying, "What good does cursing him do? We're just nobodies. If you've got guts, why not grab the man himself and get the money straight from his pocket?"

...Sixteen years on, I still ask myself, if I hadn't been drunk and mouthing off like that, would any of this have happened?

You mean... Sig actually did it?

Yes. One day, he quit the mine without a word. When I went to his house to check on him, both he and Violet were gone.

I thought he'd taken her elsewhere for treatment... until a week later, I received a letter from Violet.

Sig and I were close back then, but I hardly knew his sister. She was always bedridden. She spent her last coins getting that letter delivered to the mine via a passing Phoxhunter.

She said Sig had kidnapped Officer Ruthford's daughter, demanding ransom. She begged me to stop him before it was too late.

He was holding the girl in an old house on the outskirts. When I found him, he was stunned... but he owned up to it.

My drunken rant that night opened a door to a nightmare. I was consumed by regret. I wanted to stop him, I truly did... but when I saw Violet, so frail she could barely speak... I hesitated.

He begged me to pretend nothing had happened. But the investigation was tightening... and the fear... it shook me to my bones.

In the end... I...

You... turned them in?

I shouldn't have... I never should have!

What happened after that?

The officer came himself, leading the arrest. During the struggle, Sig accidentally set the house on fire.

I rushed in, trying to save them, but in the chaos, I only managed to get Violet out. Her face was black with soot... only her tears had carved two pale trails down her cheeks.

Please, kind soul, could you lend a hand...?

Uncle Donat's sick... it's really bad...

They say you're the strongest Phoxhunter, and the kindest, too... Please... I'm begging you, please help him!

He's sick? Has he seen a doctor?

He has... but the doctor said it's already too late...

I, I'll give you everything I have! And if that's not enough... I'll do anything! Whatever it takes!

Where is he now?

In an alley in Mist Aken. I'll take you there!

Huh? That's weird... he was home just a minute ago...

Any idea where he might've gone?

Umm... oh! Right!

Uncle Donat kept saying he wanted to go back to "the pit"... Something like Glen... or Glum, I think?

Glevum Pit?

Yeah, that's it! Are you going there, miss? Can I come too?

He's really sick... and I'm worried that...

It's a very dangerous place. I can't take a kid with me. But I promise, if I find him, I'll bring him back. Just wait here.

Okay... Thank you. Really.

Now, tell me about Donat.

Uncle Donat's the kindest person in all of Icelake!

He shares food with us, buys clothes and books for the kids in Mist Aken with his own money.

He fixes homes and furniture, brings medicine to the sick, even takes in beggars when the snow gets bad... Almost everyone in the slums owes him something.

And, and...

...Er, I meant, what does he look like?

Huh? Oh... sorry!

He's in his early forties, tall, skinny, brown hair... his clothes are pretty worn...

Got it.

*cough*

Are you Donat?

You are...?

A child asked me to find you.

Ah... Lars, was it? That boy's a worrier.

I just... wanted to revisit this old pit. I remember it swarming with monsters, no way to get near.

Then I heard a skilled Phoxhunter had cleared them out, so... I figured it was safe enough to come back.

Is that so...? Thank you, truly, *cough*

Sorry... I need to press on a bit further in. Thank you for coming all this way. Please tell Lars I'm okay. I'll leave your reward for the commission at The Asphodel later... *cough*

I've only taken care of the largest one. There might still be Filthoids inside. You're not in any shape to explore alone. Where were you headed? Let me walk with you.

You'd... do that?

I promised Lars I'd bring you home safely.

Thank you... thank you, kind soul.

Thank you, young one...

It's even more run-down than I'd imagined...

Main gate's locked, too. Good thing this pipe still lets us through...

*cough* *cough* *cough*...

You alright?

I'm f, *cough*, fine... Let's keep moving. The place I'm looking for is just ahead.

You seem to know this place well.

I do... I used to be a miner here. Sixteen years ago, I walked this path every day.

Back then, we'd spend ten, twelve hours down here... I knew every turn, even with my eyes closed.

Darn it... it's surrounded by Filthoids...

Thank goodness... It's still intact. Thank you, truly.

Sig... my old friend. I've come to see you...

Is this... a grave?

Doesn't look like much, does it?

He called me his best mate... and this, this sorry little spot, is all I could manage for him.

Wait... is that...!? No... Why...?

Violet... why have you come back?

Violet? Who's that?

Ah... would you humour an old man for a moment? I've a few old stories to tell.

I'd love to. But let's head back first, alright? Lars must be worried sick.

Yes... yes, you're right. Let's go.

Uncle Donat, you're back!

Sorry, lad... made you worry again, *cough*

You're coughing again! Come on, let me take you to a doctor.

No, no need... This is what I deserve. No cure's going to fix it.

Don't say that, Uncle Donat...

Remember that winter, when I had to sleep next to the factory vents just to stay warm? You were freezing too, and still gave me the only padded coat you had.

Everyone round here knows what a good person you are! So why do you keep saying you deserve this? It's just not true!

...Does this have to do with the "old stories" you wanted to tell?

Mm. Sixteen years back...

Like every other dreary chapter of my life, the years I spent as a miner weren't good, but they weren't the worst either. Long days of grind, just enough to wear you down, just enough to put bread on the table.

Looking back... even though the bigwigs never treated us fairly, those might've been the least troubled days I ever had...

But my friend Sig... he wasn't so lucky. His little sister, Violet, the only family he had, fell ill. Only eighteen, that girl...

And just when you think things can't get worse... they usually do.

Phoxene from Glevum Pit grew scarcer by the day, and so did our wages. White bread became dust-stained bread... then even that was bulked with husks and sawdust.

For Sig, barely making ends meet, Violet falling ill was like hearing her death sentence out loud.

I still remember that dawn. Sig scrounged up cheap liquor from the lads, and we sat on the stone outside the pit, knocking them back one bottle at a time.

He cried like a child, rambling on about how the two of them had always relied on each other. One moment he was softly humming her favourite songs... the next, muttering curses at Fabrice Ruthford through gritted teeth.

Who's that?

An officer at The Aeolipile, the one who ran Glevum Pit back then.

I remember clapping him on the shoulder and saying, "What good does cursing him do? We're just nobodies. If you've got guts, why not grab the man himself and get the money straight from his pocket?"

...Sixteen years on, I still ask myself, if I hadn't been drunk and mouthing off like that, would any of this have happened?

You mean... Sig actually did it?

Yes. One day, he quit the mine without a word. When I went to his house to check on him, both he and Violet were gone.

I thought he'd taken her elsewhere for treatment... until a week later, I received a letter from Violet.

Sig and I were close back then, but I hardly knew his sister. She was always bedridden. She spent her last coins getting that letter delivered to the mine via a passing Phoxhunter.

She said Sig had kidnapped Officer Ruthford's daughter, demanding ransom. She begged me to stop him before it was too late.

He was holding the girl in an old house on the outskirts. When I found him, he was stunned... but he owned up to it.

My drunken rant that night opened a door to a nightmare. I was consumed by regret. I wanted to stop him, I truly did... but when I saw Violet, so frail she could barely speak... I hesitated.

He begged me to pretend nothing had happened. But the investigation was tightening... and the fear... it shook me to my bones.

In the end... I...

You... turned them in?

I shouldn't have... I never should have!

What happened after that?

The officer came himself, leading the arrest. During the struggle, Sig accidentally set the house on fire.

I rushed in, trying to save them, but in the chaos, I only managed to get Violet out. Her face was black with soot... only her tears had carved two pale trails down her cheeks.

Please, kind soul, could you lend a hand...?

Uncle Donat's sick... it's really bad...

They say you're the strongest Phoxhunter, and the kindest, too... Please... I'm begging you, please help him!

He's sick? Has he seen a doctor?

He has... but the doctor said it's already too late...

I, I'll give you everything I have! And if that's not enough... I'll do anything! Whatever it takes!

Where is he now?

In an alley in Mist Aken. I'll take you there!

Huh? That's weird... he was home just a minute ago...

Any idea where he might've gone?

Umm... oh! Right!

Uncle Donat kept saying he wanted to go back to "the pit"... Something like Glen... or Glum, I think?

Glevum Pit?

Yeah, that's it! Are you going there, miss? Can I come too?

He's really sick... and I'm worried that...

It's a very dangerous place. I can't take a kid with me. But I promise, if I find him, I'll bring him back. Just wait here.

Okay... Thank you. Really.

Now, tell me about Donat.

Uncle Donat's the kindest person in all of Icelake!

He shares food with us, buys clothes and books for the kids in Mist Aken with his own money.

He fixes homes and furniture, brings medicine to the sick, even takes in beggars when the snow gets bad... Almost everyone in the slums owes him something.

And, and...

...Er, I meant, what does he look like?

Huh? Oh... sorry!

He's in his early forties, tall, skinny, brown hair... his clothes are pretty worn...

Got it.

*cough*

Are you Donat?

You are...?

A child asked me to find you.

Ah... Lars, was it? That boy's a worrier.

I just... wanted to revisit this old pit. I remember it swarming with monsters, no way to get near.

Then I heard a skilled Phoxhunter had cleared them out, so... I figured it was safe enough to come back.

Is that so...? Thank you, truly, *cough*

Sorry... I need to press on a bit further in. Thank you for coming all this way. Please tell Lars I'm okay. I'll leave your reward for the commission at The Asphodel later... *cough*

I've only taken care of the largest one. There might still be Filthoids inside. You're not in any shape to explore alone. Where were you headed? Let me walk with you.

You'd... do that?

I promised Lars I'd bring you home safely.

Thank you... thank you, kind soul.

Thank you, young one...

It's even more run-down than I'd imagined...

Main gate's locked, too. Good thing this pipe still lets us through...

*cough* *cough* *cough*...

You alright?

I'm f, *cough*, fine... Let's keep moving. The place I'm looking for is just ahead.

You seem to know this place well.

I do... I used to be a miner here. Sixteen years ago, I walked this path every day.

Back then, we'd spend ten, twelve hours down here... I knew every turn, even with my eyes closed.

Darn it... it's surrounded by Filthoids...

Thank goodness... It's still intact. Thank you, truly.

Sig... my old friend. I've come to see you...

Is this... a grave?

Doesn't look like much, does it?

He called me his best mate... and this, this sorry little spot, is all I could manage for him.

Wait... is that...!? No... Why...?

Violet... why have you come back?

Violet? Who's that?

Ah... would you humour an old man for a moment? I've a few old stories to tell.

I'd love to. But let's head back first, alright? Lars must be worried sick.

Yes... yes, you're right. Let's go.

Uncle Donat, you're back!

Sorry, lad... made you worry again, *cough*

You're coughing again! Come on, let me take you to a doctor.

No, no need... This is what I deserve. No cure's going to fix it.

Don't say that, Uncle Donat...

Remember that winter, when I had to sleep next to the factory vents just to stay warm? You were freezing too, and still gave me the only padded coat you had.

Everyone round here knows what a good person you are! So why do you keep saying you deserve this? It's just not true!

...Does this have to do with the "old stories" you wanted to tell?

Mm. Sixteen years back...

Like every other dreary chapter of my life, the years I spent as a miner weren't good, but they weren't the worst either. Long days of grind, just enough to wear you down, just enough to put bread on the table.

Looking back... even though the bigwigs never treated us fairly, those might've been the least troubled days I ever had...

But my friend Sig... he wasn't so lucky. His little sister, Violet, the only family he had, fell ill. Only eighteen, that girl...

And just when you think things can't get worse... they usually do.

Phoxene from Glevum Pit grew scarcer by the day, and so did our wages. White bread became dust-stained bread... then even that was bulked with husks and sawdust.

For Sig, barely making ends meet, Violet falling ill was like hearing her death sentence out loud.

I still remember that dawn. Sig scrounged up cheap liquor from the lads, and we sat on the stone outside the pit, knocking them back one bottle at a time.

He cried like a child, rambling on about how the two of them had always relied on each other. One moment he was softly humming her favourite songs... the next, muttering curses at Fabrice Ruthford through gritted teeth.

Who's that?

An officer at The Aeolipile, the one who ran Glevum Pit back then.

I remember clapping him on the shoulder and saying, "What good does cursing him do? We're just nobodies. If you've got guts, why not grab the man himself and get the money straight from his pocket?"

...Sixteen years on, I still ask myself, if I hadn't been drunk and mouthing off like that, would any of this have happened?

You mean... Sig actually did it?

Yes. One day, he quit the mine without a word. When I went to his house to check on him, both he and Violet were gone.

I thought he'd taken her elsewhere for treatment... until a week later, I received a letter from Violet.

Sig and I were close back then, but I hardly knew his sister. She was always bedridden. She spent her last coins getting that letter delivered to the mine via a passing Phoxhunter.

She said Sig had kidnapped Officer Ruthford's daughter, demanding ransom. She begged me to stop him before it was too late.

He was holding the girl in an old house on the outskirts. When I found him, he was stunned... but he owned up to it.

My drunken rant that night opened a door to a nightmare. I was consumed by regret. I wanted to stop him, I truly did... but when I saw Violet, so frail she could barely speak... I hesitated.

He begged me to pretend nothing had happened. But the investigation was tightening... and the fear... it shook me to my bones.

In the end... I...

You... turned them in?

I shouldn't have... I never should have!

What happened after that?

The officer came himself, leading the arrest. During the struggle, Sig accidentally set the house on fire.

I rushed in, trying to save them, but in the chaos, I only managed to get Violet out. Her face was black with soot... only her tears had carved two pale trails down her cheeks.

I was terrified she'd be punished for her brother's crime. So I hid her in a water barrel, hoping the Legion wouldn't find her.

In the end, Sig was caught. And the officer's daughter... all they found was her charred remains in the rubble.

The officer was enraged. He didn't even wait for a trial, he executed Sig with his own hands. As for Violet... I gave her all the bounty money and smuggled her out of Icelake, praying she'd get away from all this.

I still remember her face when she left, worn thin by sickness, but her eyes were burning with fury. She was wearing this violet ribbon that day...

She said she'd leave Icelake for good. Said she never wanted to see me again.

And who could blame her? I was the drunk who doomed a friend and the coward whose fear cost two innocent lives. Why would anyone want to see me again?

You're right.

Yeah! You just did what you thought was right, Uncle Donat!

That's what they all say. But it doesn't change the fact that two innocent lives were gone because of me.

After that, I got really sick. Then I started doing what I could to help others, trying to make things right. I thought... maybe each good deed could chip away at my sins.

But still... I see Sig in my dreams, glaring at me in rage. I hear poor Enola screaming as the fire takes her. They say no kindness to the living will ever buy forgiveness from the dead.

Violet... is that why you came back to Icelake? Because you still can't forgive me... just like I never could?

Have you come to put me out of my misery...?

Uncle Donat!? Are you alright!?

Whew... he's fine. Looks like he just fainted from exhaustion and stress. Keep an eye on him, don't let him wander off again.

Mm. I'll get the others, we'll take care of him together.

Um... can I ask you something, miss?

What is it?

Do you think... Uncle Donat is a bad person?

So that's what you think... I see. Thank you, miss! This is for you, I saved it up for a long time!

(That violet ribbon... it must've been left by Violet at Sig's grave.)

(Sixteen years... she'd be in her thirties by now. Has she really returned? Maybe I should ask around when I get the chance.)

Another restless night... no peace for the weary!

O, wretched soul, do you too wander these icy halls, chasing the distant gleam, yearning for love and a starlit dream?

Da... Da da...

Who's there!?

Oh, pardon me. I didn't mean to startle you. I'm right here, five steps ahead. Yes, just here.

A good evening to you, sleepless one.

It's not just you. I really am talking.

Must there be someone hiding inside? Can't a crate simply... talk?

Sorry, I'm just a plain old crate. I don't grant wishes.

But... how can a crate talk?

If you must ask, tell me this: what's harder, singing or speaking?

Singing, I suppose.

Little music boxes can sing, simply wind a key and out comes a melody. Since speaking's easier than singing, and I'm larger and better made than any music box...

Why shouldn't I be able to talk to you, just as you're talking to me?

But...

I understand, you're confused.

People think crates shouldn't talk, like hollow trees, only echoing back your voice. But be honest with yourself: wouldn't you want a crate that actually answers?

You didn't pry me open straight away. That means... part of you wanted me to speak, didn't it?

...

Seems like you've come to terms with it. So, will you stay a while and talk?

What do you want to talk about?

Hmm... how about the opera at the Galea Theatre, two nights ago?

It was called Putini. Did you see it? What did you think of the lead's voice?

I'm just a crate, after all. I can't go to the theatre.

Sorry, I didn't see it.

That's all right. No one's blaming you. But you should see it someday, it's a beautiful piece. The heroine, Putini, she's radiant, kind... and brave enough to chase her freedom.

I want to be like her. But I'm just a crate.

So, I made a decision.

What is it?

I want to set sail. Who says crates must stay on street corners? A crate could become a boat, drifting on the tide... I want to feel the sea wind, rough with salt and sand.

But leaving here means losing everything I have.

To leave the cage... is to leave the shelter. And freedom, well, that means stepping into the unknown.

So tell me, my friend... what do you think I should do?

...You're right.

Thank you for keeping a lonely crate company, kind soul. Dawn is close... and with it, the magic in these old timbers begins to fade.

May every sleepless night you face... no, may all your nights be filled with peaceful dreams.

(What just happened...? That voice in the crate somehow steered the whole conversation.)

(It's probably some local kid messing around... but I can't just leave it. I should ask around.)

Excuse me... who are you? You've been hanging around my place for a while.

Looking to hire someone? I take all kinds of commissions, tracking, foraging, courier work, so long as it's legal.

Commission?

Huh? So you're not here to hire me?

Alright. I guess Camilla oversold it..."Giselle the Phoxhunter" isn't exactly a household name.

Giselle the Phoxhunter... yeah, that does sound familiar.

Thanks, but you don't have to say that just to make me feel better.

No no, I mean it...

So, a crate behind my house struck up a conversation and suggested you watch an opera. Got it.

...

That's... not quite the reaction I was expecting.

No? Well, that's me. Whether it's a kid in a box or a box with a voice, either way, I've seen stranger.

Thanks for letting me know. I'll ask around.

Oh, wait, you're Vita, right? You've made a bit of a name for yourself among the Phoxhunters.

Thought so. Good to see my instincts aren't getting rusty.

Relax. Talented newcomers like you don't stay under the radar for long.

Bit on the nose... but certainly hard to forget.

If you're free, I could use a hand.

I need a few herbs, I'll give you the list. Just drop them at The Asphodel once you're done. Camilla will be holding your payment.

You don't want them delivered here?

No. The Asphodel's fine.

(This should do it.)

(These herbs... they're just common types. Why would a Phoxhunter like Giselle ask me to gather them? She could've easily done it herself.)

(Come to think of it... she was acting a little strange.)

(Better drop these off at The Asphodel. Maybe Camilla knows what's going on.)

Afternoon. Here for a drink, or looking for a gig?

Just here to drop something off. Giselle asked me to deliver these.

Giselle? She was here earlier, actually left something for you. But... something felt off. What exactly did she ask you to do?

...

What is it? Something wrong?

The job itself checks out... but her reason for it doesn't.

Those are just common herbs for colds. She could've picked them herself before breakfast, no need to hire help.

She did mention she's a Phoxhunter herself.

Mm. She used to be a Captain in the Escort, left sixteen years ago after a falling-out with her superior over a case. Now she's a Phoxhunter. Sharp, skilled, well-respected in the trade.

Anyway... no point overthinking it. The job's valid, and she did leave you something. I won't pry.