Brutus

(Version 1)

▶ "That Marcus... how dare he?!"

(Version 2)

▶ "Thanatos above, please guide my family's souls..."

(Version 1)

▶ "Ugh... Marcus... he spoke the truth."

(Version 2)

▶ "Ugh, now... I'm slowly coming to understand him."

(First interaction)

Brutus: Thanatos above, please, guide the souls of my family...

Brutus: Oh, my apologies. I was praying and did not notice you. Are you new here, too? Hello, my name is Brutus. I arrived not long ago.

What were you praying for?

Brutus: I was saying a prayer for my family. I wish they may have eternal peace.

Where are you from?

Brutus: My home... It is the closes scenic holiday spot to Okhema. The climate there is wonderful... My home had a gigantic garden in the rear courtyard. My wife filled it with her favorite dusk roses.

Brutus: ...Sorry, I should rephrase that. It was the closest scenic holiday spot to Okhema... Was.

Brutus: ...When the black tide came, I was watering the garden. Who knew that would be the last time I tended to those dusk roses...

Brutus: My wife loved those roses... Every morning she would pick one and pin it to her hair. Thinking about it now, I should really have planted some more.

Brutus: I came here to seek shelter with an old friend but, when I arrived, I heard that he just recently... Ah, forget it. I guess no one in this world can ever really know what tomorrow will bring.

Brutus: At least I'm still alive, right? I hope that Janus will guide me through this misery. Although, sometimes I wonder if I'm actually fortunate to be alive or not... Is it really fortunate to be the sole survivor?

I'm sorry for your loss.

Brutus: Thank you.

You're a disciple of Janus?

Brutus: No. Ever after I saw the black tide, I have become a disciple of Thanatos. I will spend the rest of my life praying to Thanatos for the eternal peace of my family.

Brutus: If you were me... You'd need something to believe in, or you wouldn't even be able to get out of bed in the morning.

Brutus: By Thanatos above... They would not leave my family lost in the darkness, would they? I'm [sic] there is a place of peace and quiet for my family to rest. My little son was afraid of the dark. I hope that he is not scared where he is now.

Brutus: You know, sometimes I talk at Thanatos — I ask a lot of questions. When I pray, I always wonder if my family are doing well over there, do they have enough food to eat and clothes to keep themselves warm. Unfortunately, I never got the answers.

Brutus: Hmph. I have also considered... I have offered Thanatos fine food and drink. There's no way that I have not been loyal enough. I keep thinking and...

Brutus: It must be that Marcus. Every time I go to pray, he makes noises. He must have disturbed Thanatos...

What did he do to you?

...Do you want to tell me more about it?

Brutus: Ugh, he's the madman that lives next door. I call him the "braggart"... He is constantly telling stories of battles he's been in, how he killed ten monsters by himself, or how he hid behind a tree and watched others fight them. His stories are self-contradiction itself. You can never trust a single word he says.

Brutus: The worst thing of all is that he claims those who are devoured by the black tide will never be at peace! He says that he sees their captain's face in the mist and hears his comrades calling him to join them in the black tide...

Brutus: The Great Thanatos above! Thanatos has equal mercy for the deceased and supreme powers above all... That Marcus, how dare he utter such nonsense!?

Brutus: Sorry, I let myself get carried away. I hope I did not scare you.

(Continue on to dialogue options below)

(Subsequent interactions)

Brutus: By Thanatos above, please guide the souls of my family... Oh, it's you. What's up?

Can you tell me about yourself?

Brutus: About myself? There's not much to say. I'm just a normal Mountain Dweller. Feel free to ask if you are curious.

What happened to you?

Brutus: ...On the day the black tide came, I had just put dinner on the table. The children were clamoring that they wanted to eat snacks instead. Who knew that would be the last meal we ever had together? Thinking about it now, I should have made sure they ate more.

Brutus: You know what? That day, my daughter was throwing a tantrum and saying that the food I cooked was horrible. I told her off. If I could go back, I would let her have whatever she wanted.

Brutus: Every day before I sleep, I think to myself... Should I have let them have some more candy? I really should have done it...

Brutus: I keep dreaming lately that they are still here with me. That feeling of loss I experience when I wake up... Ah, only praying to Thanatos can calm my heart...

You seem to really hate Marcus?

Brutus: Marcus, you mean the "braggart"? He's always talking about how he's a veteran. He says that he saved people when he fought off the black tide. But his stories are so full of contradictions! I can't help but feel like he's making them all up just to make his stories sound cool.

Brutus: Although... A few days ago, I saw him alone speaking to a wall. I heard him quietly say: "I'm sorry." I don't know who he was speaking to, but I suddenly felt like he had suffered even more than I have.

Brutus: Life is tough for everybody already. I just don't like how he fabricates the stories of those that passed away. It is sheer disrespect. That's why I have no good words to say about that Marcus.

Are you okay?

Brutus: It's fine. I'm not used to living here yet, I always feel like something is missing. I imagine it's because my family aren't by my side.

Brutus: There is a saying where I come from: "There is no god powerful enough to hold onto those that Thanatos must take away." I often use this phrase to comfort myself. The past is in the past, and the living must make the most of their lives.

Brutus: Ah, I don't want to talk about this anymore... Have you been to the baths before? I went once. I was so relaxed that I almost forgot about everything that had happened. If you get a moment, you should try them out.

Thanks for talking with me.

Nothing. I just wanted to say hi.

Brutus: Thanks. This is a cold place. Having someone check in with me brings warmth to my heart.

"Fallen Twilight City" Okhema

Brutus: Marcus... he wasn't lying... he was right. It's all my fault...

Brutus: Uh, hello? Have you seen a guy named Marcus? He's a big, simpleminded guy, used to hang around here a lot.

Who is Marcus?

Brutus: A retired soldier, always talking about strange encounters with the black tide. I always thought he was just making up stories, using the misfortunes my family went through as material...

Brutus: My family died in the black tide, and when I fled to Okhema to stay with relatives, Marcus was always hanging around the street nearby.

Brutus: He kept saying that the people taken by the black tide would return, that they might even call out to the living. I was furious. I just wanted my family to rest in peace.

Brutus: So every time he told his stories, I'd argue with him. Thanatos up above watches over every soul equally... but now, I'm not so sure... Maybe Marcus really can hear some mysterious calls after all.

Brutus: The day disaster struck, I was pinned under a collapsed cabinet. He saved me, but not long after, he started acting strange again, constantly shouting "Don't take them away" before rushing out.

Brutus: No one has seen him since. If you have any information about his whereabouts, please contact me immediately... I owe him too much...

Any news about Marcus?

Brutus: The guards told me they found a body outside the city that looked like Marcus. But I haven't confirmed it yet — they said I must wait until the remains are prepared before I can go see.

Brutus: I pray it's not him... It must be a mistake... I'll keep searching. Regardless, he saved me — I can't abandon him now.

Brutus: ...That body, I hope it's not him. By Thanatos, spare this poor soul.

What do you think of Marcus?

Brutus: He's a good man, though perhaps... not right in the mind. He always believed he failed his comrades, claimed he saw the captain's face in the black tide, and heard comrades calling him.

Brutus: I used to think it nonsense, and accused him of disrespecting the dead. But lately... I've started dreaming, too. My wife calling from afar, children running through rose bushes...

Brutus: Ah... Marcus... perhaps he was right after all.

I must go now.

Brutus: Contact me immediately if you hear anything about Marcus.

Marcus: *sigh* You have no idea how absurd my experience was. I fear my trauma cannot be healed.

Brutus: If you have the time, could you come to my place and tell those stories to my daughter? She really loves hearing tales like that...