Unfortunately, Percy is going to be difficult to work with. Without a familiar material form to possess his attention appears fleeting and his memory scattered. I did, however, plan for this contingency.
Tremaine's Manual of the Dead has a number of sections pertaining to returning life to the dead. Zombies, for example, are simply corpses occupied by magic or a soul that didn't originate in that vessel. The Manual only touches vaguely on anything more elaborate, so I got to thinking: Whatever Percy did to the rest of the Midnighters and I must have been based on Tremaine's incomplete studies.
So I went through Percy's notes and discovered the ritual he used on us, but there's a catch. We'll need to recover his physical remains.
There was nothing left of him.
Perhaps not of him, but from what I recall of our brief duel, his armor was nigh well invulnerable. It almost certainly survived the ritual that killed Percy, though it is probably no longer in one piece. I found Percy's helmet here in the Mansion. Take it and use it as a focus while traveling through the stable portal just outside the Mansion's grounds. It will translocate you to where Percy fell.
Find whatever parts of his armor and body that you can and bring them back to us. The ritual will recombine them and fill in the blank spaces with magic. He won't be whole, but he'll be better than dead.
Unnecessary Solicitation
Percy's remains should still be in the caverns beneath First Ward's Forbidden Crags where he died interrupting Serene's magical ceremony... assuming nobody moved them.
Mission Objective(s)
Map: FW_TALONS_TUNNELS_01
You step through the portal and into some familiar caverns. The walls shudder and echo as the spirit world presses in on all sides.
Recover Percy's Physical Remains
Recover Percy's Remains
Defeat Percy's Animated Remains
You successfully recovered Percy Winkley's remains, but learned of a dangerous new plot of the Talons of Vengeance.
Oracle: The Netherworld isss here to claim you, sssister.
Oracle: And in your place the Netheworld will remain!
Combat Start:
Oracle: Ssshe isss too ssstrong to join usss, kill her and feassst on what remainsss!
Captured Seer: No! NOOOOOOO!
Before Combat:
Oracle: Your sssacrifice will not go unrewarded, sssister.
Combat Start:
Oracle: You die today, but will be reborn in the Netherworld.
Captured Seer: H... Help me!
Before Combat:
Banshee: I live again?
Combat Start:
Banshee: Die!
Before Combat:
Oracle: I cassst thee into the Netherworld, and from the Netherworld you ssshall be gifted with great power, sssister!
Combat Start:
Oracle: Ssslay them!
Captured Seer: I see... Darkness.
Animated Midnight Dialogue
Before Combat:
Animated Midnight: Intruder! Slay him / her!
Oracle: We are impressed with your work.
Oracle: The spirits of the dead will swell our ranks to the tipping point!
Oracle: Continue your work, I must attend to the Animus Arcana now...
Animated Midnight: As you will.
Animated Midnight: Ha! Just as I had predicted.
Animated Midnight: The apparitions and the souls of the dead make perfect subjects!
Animated Midnight: These banshees can travel at will between the world of the living and the dead!
Combat Start:
Animated Midnight: Your efforts are pointless, my magical protections are so complex that no attack can hope to breach my defenses!
75% Health:
Animated Midnight: Ha ha ha! See, my spells adapt to overcome even your strongest attack! It is hopeless!
50% Health:
Animated Midnight: Most impressive, but the harder you fight the stronger I become!
25% Health:
Animated Midnight: You've doomed yourself, now I know your every move!
Upon Defeat:
Animated Midnight: How could this be?! There must have been a flaw... Something left unseen... No, this is impossible!!!
Editor's Note:
Animated Midnight returns to full health when he reaches 75%, 50%, and 25% health.
Percy Winkley's Physical Remains
Percy Winkley's corpse and armor certainly put up a fight. Now that you have them in your possession you can return to the Midnight Mansion and begin the ritual to restore him to a semblance of life.
Banshees
From what you overheard, Master Midnight's animated armor had created a technique by which the Talons of Vengeance can use Apparitions and the souls of the dead to create creatures called Banshees. Considering the number of dead souls trapped in the Night Ward, the Talons may have found all the recruits they could ever need.
Bring Percy Winkley's remains back to Montague in the Midnight Mansion
Unnecessary Solicitation
You have Percy's remains? Excellent, bring them back to the Midnight Mansion so we can reconstitute him physically and spiritually.
Mission Objective(s)
Bring Percy Winkley's remains back to Montague in the Midnight Mansion
Excellent work in recovering Percy's armor, and what remains of his body. I am, however, concerned about the magical rituals that the Talons of Vengeance were up to, and the fact that Percy's Armor was animated and helping them. It is disturbing. It's almost as if Percy's armor became sentient, like the wards that were placed around the Midnight Mansion which transformed into the Animus Arcana.
With the ritual the Talons were conducting it seems that there is a distinct connection between the Talons and the events drawing First Ward and the Netherworld together into the Night Ward.
There is certainly a link there, as each of the Animus Arcana broke free from the Overspell at points where Percy's magic had woven them together, but I need Percy's ability to help me put it all together. Let's conduct the ritual of reconstitution now, there is no sense in waiting.
Character, I have no idea how Percy is going to react once he and his armor are reconstituted. For all we know he may turn on us, or try to re-establish dominance over myself and the other Midnighters. If that happens, be ready to stop him.
Reconstitute Percy's body
Unnecessary Solicitation
I need your help in conducting the ritual. If Percy turns on us again I'll need you to stop him.
Mission Objective(s)
Map: NW_MIDNIGHTMANSION_VAULT
The Midnighters have gathered to return Percy Winkley's soul to a physical form, this could very easily go badly for them.
Reconstitute Percy's Body
Talk to Montague
Participate in the ritual
Return Percy's soul to his body
Save Percy's Soul
You completed the ritual and restored life to Percy Winkley!
The ritual will reunite Percy with his body, making him whole... In a manner of speaking. This should enable him to once more function as the talented wizard I now know him to be.
Alright, what do you need me to do?
Whatever evil lurking within Percy's armor will try with all its might to regain control of his soul. I want you to stop that from happening.
And if that happens...?
Then Percy will likely regain control over us through whatever wicked magic he used to enslave our spirits in the first place. Only he knows the full extent of what villainy we commited according to his whims. I shudder to think on it...
(Heroic) Don't worry, you can count on me.
Splendid! Now, we can begin when you are ready.
Let's get started.
(Villainous) Interesting... Oh, you can count on me.
Splendid! Now, we can begin when you are ready.
Yeah... Let's get started.
Heroic Ritual Dialogue
Before Combat:
Montague Castanella: Percy Winkley, I compel you to come back.
Montague Castanella: Come back to your body.
Percy Winkley: Ungh!
Percy Winkley: Gaaaah!
Percy Winkley: Aaaaaaaaaaagh!
Percy Winkley: ... What... Has happened?
Percy Winkley: I... Live?
Montague Castanella: Feel the flesh and blood.
Montague Castanella: Breathe the air.
Montague Castanella: Can you feel these good things?
Percy Winkley: I live... Again.
Percy Winkley: I have returned!
Montague Castanella: Percy, you've returned to us!
Montague Castanella: The ritual has worked...
Percy Winkley: Oh... The ritual worked all right, Montague.
Percy Winkley: But you will refer to me as Percy no longer...
Montague Castanella: What are you saying, Percy?
Montague Castanella: No, push such dark thoughts from your mind...
Percy Winkley: Push them from my mind?!
Percy Winkley: They are what fuels me, slave.
Montague Castanella: Percy, fight it!
Percy Winkley: Now, bow before your master!
Montague Castanella: Don't let the darkness command you again.
Montague Castanella: You have a choice!
Percy Winkley: And so does Character.
Percy Winkley: Will you stand with me, or fall with Montague and these weaklings?
Montague Castanella:Character, now!
Montague Castanella: The darkness is trying to reassert control, we need to push it out now!
Percy Winkley: So be it, Character!
Percy Winkley: Prepare to die!
Combat Start:
Percy Winkley: Fools, you can't stop me.
75% Health:
Percy Winkley: You couldn't stop me then, what makes you think you can stop me now!?
50% Health:
Percy Winkley: Oh, my beautiful zombie morons.
Percy Winkley: I'm five spells ahead of you at every turn!
Montague Castanella: The power of darkness cannot overcome the light.
Upon First Defeat:
Percy Winkley: Well done, but ultimately futile.
50% Health:
Percy Winkley: Let's see how you deal with this...
Upon Second Defeat:
Percy Winkley: Gah!
Percy Winkley: Raaaaaaaaaaagh!
Percy Winkley: Wait... It's... It's me!
Percy Winkley: Percy...
Percy Winkley: The... The darkness...
Percy Winkley: It's...
Percy Winkley: Gone...
Villainous Ritual Dialogue
Before Combat:
Montague Castanella: Percy Winkley, I compel you to come back.
Montague Castanella: Come back to your body.
Percy Winkley: Ungh!
Percy Winkley: Gaaaah!
Percy Winkley: Aaaaaaaaaaagh!
Percy Winkley: ... What... Has happened?
Percy Winkley: I... Live?
Montague Castanella: Feel the flesh and blood.
Montague Castanella: Breathe the air.
Montague Castanella: Can you feel these good things?
Percy Winkley: I live... Again.
Percy Winkley: I have returned!
Montague Castanella: Percy, you've returned to us!
Montague Castanella: The ritual has worked...
Percy Winkley: Oh... The ritual worked all right, Montague.
Percy Winkley: But you will refer to me as Percy no longer...
Montague Castanella: What are you saying, Percy?
Montague Castanella: No, push such dark thoughts from your mind...
Percy Winkley: Push them from my mind?!
Percy Winkley: They are what fuels me, slave.
Percy Winkley: Now, bow before your master!
Montague Castanella: Percy, fight it!
Montague Castanella: Don't let the darkness command you again.
Montague Castanella: You have a choice!
Percy Winkley: And so does Character.
Percy Winkley: Will stand with me, or fall with Montague and these weaklings?
Montague Castanella:Character, now!
Montague Castanella: The darkness is trying to reassert control, we need to push it out now!
Percy Winkley:Character!
Percy Winkley: Yes!
Percy Winkley: Aid me and we shall forge an alliance for all eternity!
Combat Start:
Montague Castanella: Percy, stop!
75% Health:
Montague Castanella: You don't want to do this!
50% Health:
Montague Castanella: Fight it!
25% Health:
Montague Castanella: Don't do this...
Montague Castanella: Don't go down this path.
Upon Defeat:
Montague Castanella: You... Are better... Than this...
Percy Winkley: Ha... Just as pathetic as before, Montague.
Percy Winkley: If only you could wield your knoweldge as power, then maybe you would be the master.
Percy Winkley: Fortunately for you, Montague Castanella and I are better keeping you around for that knowledge.
Percy Winkley: You will make an excellent librarian.
Percy Winkley is restored (Heroic)
Percy Winkley has been restored to a semblance of his former glory and the evil has been driven from his soul. Thanks to your efforts an evil man has been redeemed and put back on the path of righteousness!
Percy Winkley is restored (Villainous)
Percy Winkley has been restored to a semblance of his former glory, and the Midnighters are once more under his command. But now it is you who can claim the title of Master Midnight, for now Percy Winkley serves your iron will!
Talk to Montague about reactivating the Mansion's wards
Montague appears lost in thought as you approach, the battle with Percy having obviously sapped much of his strength. He looks to you blankly and then speaks plainly.
Character! Thank you so much for your help in returning Percy to us. I've been talking with him and he has given me tremendous insight into what is happening here in Night Ward. I'm afraid it is not good.
How not good?
Tremaine's Manual of the Dead has revealed a dark truth to us. The Night Ward, it seems, exists only where the worlds of the living and the dead overlap. As time moves on, Night Ward grows larger as the Netherworld and the world of the Living begin to overlap one another.
Character, if we do not stop this, then soon there will be only one realm, the Night Realm; a place where life and death exist and cancel each other out. A place where life cannot live and even death may die...
Percy and I agree, that before we can combat this darkness, we must first defend ourselves from it.
Agreed, but where do we start?
Montague smiles.
Percy was most helpful on that front. With him, many holes in our knowledge have been filled. It appears that the creation of the Animus Arcana are not only unsurprising to Percy, he reflects that he had counted on them being created, should he die. But that is not the focus right now.
What is the focus, exactly?
Ward; the Overspell of the mansion.
Percy revealed that he had added sentience to the spell in an effort to stop Cerulean from breaching the mansion interior. The Night Ward, however, seems to have amplified that intelligence and gifted Ward, and those spells that Percy wove into him, with life.
Ward's behavior, is rather... Fatherly. As such, it will do everything in its power to ensure that the mansion and all of its inhabitants remain safe.
Without Ward on our side, we have no chance to survive what Night Ward is preparing to throw at us. Additionally, the presence of the Talons of Vengeance here is most concerning. Ward has asked to speak with you.
Interesting.
After Villainous Ritual
Montague appears lost in thought as you approach, the battle with Percy having obviously sapped much of his strength. He looks to you blankly and then speaks plainly.
Master / Mistress... there is much to learn and much to do.
Tremaine's Manual of the Dead has revealed a dark truth to us.
How dark are we talking?
The Night Ward exists only where the worlds of the living and the dead overlap. As long as nothing is done, Night Ward will continue to grow. If we do not stop this, then soon there will be only one realm, the Night Realm; a place where life and death exist and cancel each other out. A place where life cannot live and even death may die...
Can we harness this power?
Montague frowns.
Master Winkley has made it most clear that attempts to do so would be... Disastrous. I am not one to question his wisdom, but Tremaine's Manual of the Dead is quite vague on the matter.
There is a more pressing matter, however, my master / mistress.
And what would that be?
The Overspell of the mansion is... alive...
According to Master Winkley, he gave the Overspell sentience in an effort to stop Cerulean from breaching the mansion interior. The Night Ward, however, seems to have amplified that intelligence and gifted Ward, as it calls itself, life, along with every spell that Percy wove into him.
Ward's behavior, is fatherly... As such, it will do everything in its power to ensure that the mansion and all of its inhabitants remain safe.
Is Ward a danger to us?
No, quite the contrary. Without Ward on our side, we have no chance to survive what Night Ward is preparing to throw at us. Master Winkley has also expressed great concern that the Talons of Vengeance are here in Night Ward, and were conspiring with his material remains.
I believe Ward and I should get better acquainted.
Debriefing
Montague seems lost in thought.
This is all just the beginning. The Night Ward is only beginning to pull realities together, but soon... Very soon, the pace will quicken and chaos will rain down upon worlds.
That the Talons of Vengeance have their claws in this is only further proof of the grave situation we face. Until now, Ward was the only protection we needed, but now, we aren't so sure.