Letter From the Tumbleweed

(Idle)

Jason: You got scammed, Dad!

Edwin: No way! That's impossible!

(Talk to Jason)

Jason: Nonsense? I can smell a scam from a mile away, even blindfolded! Dad, you've been sharp for years! How did you fall for this?!

Scammed? What scam are you talking about?

(Maybe I should stay out of this drama.)

Jason: You've arrived just in time, (‍brobroText for Wise / sissisText for Belle‍). Here's the thing: My old man came all the way from the city to meet his "23-year-old girlfriend"! Can you believe it?

Jason: I'm not saying you're not a catch, Dad. You've still got it, but aren't you a bit too weathered for a 23-year-old lady?

Jason: You know, there are tons of... well, lonely hearts on dating apps, waiting to be scammed by some smooth talker!

Edwin: Nonsense! I know Caroline better than anyone! We're engaged, and I'll wait for her! She'll marry me when the red tumbleweed rolls in!

Jason: What "red tumbleweed"? Is that some sort of code from that scammer?

Red tumbleweed?

Red tumbleweeds...

Jason: What? You know what that means? Hold on... you're not that "23-year-old girlfriend," are you?

No way!

I don't know either!

Jason: (‍Yeah... you don't seem like someone who'd scam an old man...Yeah... you don't seem like someone who'd scam an old man...Text for Wise / Yeah... you look way younger than 23, and you don't seem like someone who'd scam an old man...Yeah... you look way younger than 23, and you don't seem like someone who'd scam an old man...Text for Belle‍)

Edwin: Caroline is not a scammer! She's NOT! She's always been true to me, always...

Jason: You can't just stay here forever... without food or shelter, dad! How about this? I'm waiting here instead of you, and you head back to the city for some rest?

Edwin: No, I'm not budging! I'm waiting for Caroline!

Jason: Man, who in New Eridu is this Caroline? I can't ask all the locals in the town, can I...?

(ProtagonistProtagonistWise / Belle): (I wonder who that Caroline is...? And what is a red tumbleweed...? Maybe someone in Blazewood knows.)

(ProtagonistProtagonistWise / Belle): (‍Old Demir seems to know everything around here. He might have some answers.)Old Demir seems to know everything around here. He might have some answers.) Tooltip for Old Demir seems to know everything around here. He might have some answers.)ⓘText for Wise / (Old Demir seems to know everything around here. He might have some answers!(Old Demir seems to know everything around here. He might have some answers!Text for Belle‍)

Ask Old Demir about Caroline

 Step Description

---

Maybe Old Demir knows who Caroline is. Ask him about her.

(Idle)

Jason: Just head home, Dad. Your daughters are waiting for you there...

Edwin: No!

(Talk to Jason and Edwin again, optional)

Jason: Seriously, Dad! You...

Edwin: No!

Jason: I haven't said anything yet! It looks like I really need to start with Caroline after all...

(Idle)

Old Demir: What tales would you like today?

(Talk to Old Demir)

Old Demir: What tales would you like today? The Outer Ring beasts posing as mountains? The oil well-dwelling black sprites? Or maybe the prophecies of Huffy-Puffy?

Have you ever heard of "red tumbleweeds"?

Old Demir: Red tumbleweeds? I've never heard of it... What is it, a new dessert from Cheesetopia?

Do you know a woman named Caroline?

Old Demir: Caroline... Caroline! Where did you pick up that name?

I heard it from an old man...

You tell Old Demir about the father and the son.

Old Demir: ...Edwin! That's gotta be Edwin! I had a hunch the moment I heard it! I thought he was a goner! And now he's back, after all these years! Indeed, there was a lady named Caroline, about thirty... no, forty years back.

Old Demir: Back in the day, when this place wasn't even called Wildfire, Edwin and Caroline were the talk of the town. Edwin was a Hollow Raider, and he'd dive into the Hollow every now and then.

Old Demir: Once, he vanished and never surfaced. Caroline vowed to wait for him to return, but after six months of waiting, there was no sign of him.

Old Demir: Eventually, her family made her move away. Her heart was so broken that she didn't leave a contact.

Where did Edwin go?

Old Demir: Beats me! Either he dumped Caroline or he met Caroline or he met his end in the Hollow. That's what we all figured back then, but I never thought he'd show up after all these years...

Did Edwin actually dump Caroline?

Old Demir: That's what we all figured back then. Either he dumped Caroline or he met Caroline or he met his end in the Hollow. I never thought he'd show up after all these years...

Old Demir: Anyhow, I'm planning to catch up with him later, hah! An old buddy is a rare sight at my age!

(ProtagonistProtagonistWise / Belle): (Anyway, I'll fill in Edwin and his son about Caroline.)

(Idle)

Old Demir: What should I take along to meet that guy...?

Talk to Jason

 Step Description

---

Tell Jason about Caroline.

(Idle)

Jason: Not only have I failed to find Caroline, but even several people I asked don't recognize the name...

(Talk to Jason)

Jason: Not only have I failed to find Caroline, but even several people I asked don't recognize the name...

Now I know who that Caroline is.

Actually...

You tell Jason what you heard about Caroline from Old Demir.

Jason: Turns out... Dad has a heartrending past... Why didn't he mention it to us...?

Jason: Truth is, I'm not his blood child, neither are my two sisters. He rescued us from the Hollow on the day. I was a kid back then, and without him, I'd have been toast in that Hollow.

Jason: Dad never tied the knot, but raised us on his own, and watched us all start our own clans. But out of the blue, he gave his savings yesterday and only kept 3,000 Dennies for himself, leaving a note that he was heading to the Outer Ring...

3,000 Dennies is barely enough for a bowl of noddles [sic].

How could 3,000 Dennies be even enough?

Jason: You bet! I was freaking out! When I saw that note, I ditched my job and scoured the Outer Ring for him. I was dead set on bringing him back, but now...

Jason: Now that I've learned about the whole story, bringing him back might not be the best choice. If Dad intends to stay here, I'll find him a cozy spot here so he won't be roughing it.

Jason: As for Caroline, we'll try to figure out something once we go back to the city. She must be a granny by now, if she's still kicking...

At this thought, Jason reaches out to his family while searching for the best inn for his father.

Talk to Edwin

 Step Description

---

Tell Edwin about Caroline.

(Idle)

Edwin: Caroline, hehe... Caroline...

(Talk to Edwin)

Edwin: Caroline, hehe... Caroline...

Old Demir told me what happened back then.

Edwin: Old Demir? Who's that...? Hold up, you mean Vlad? The pesky guy who used to pilfer from me every day?! Can't believe he's still alive and kicking! So, what about Caroline? He must know where she is, right?!

You tell Jason [sic] what you heard about Caroline from Old Demir.

Edwin: ...I see... Old Demir said it like that... She... is waiting for me...

Edwin: Blame me... Don't be fooled by my age, my mind is quite clear. I know very well that I wasn't deceived by anyone... I'm the one doing the deceiving.

Edwin: Back in the day, I promised her that I'd tie the knot with her once I went out of the Hollow, and she was 23 back then. But when I ventured into the Hollow, I ran all [sic] sorts of... unexpected problems. By the time I could move freely again, I was already sporting these wrinkles.

Edwin: Well, that's water under the bridge now! Now that the kids I rescued from the Hollow have grown up and I've honored my late buddy's final wish, it's time for me to check off my bucket list.

Edwin: In my final days, I'm staying here, turning those tumbleweeds red... Wherever Caroline is, married or not, I owe her an apology...

As the old man spills his heart out, he picks up a tumbleweed from the ground and ties a red thread to it.

This is... the red tumbleweed?

What's with this red thread?

Edwin: When I bade farewell to Caroline back then, she told me that whenever she missed me, she'd tie a red thread on a tumbleweed. That way, no matter where I roamed in the Hollow, her thoughts would drift my way on the breeze.

Edwin: Now, it's my turn. I'm going to tie red threads on all the tumbleweeds out there, and one day she'll know it...

I'll tie one for you.

Edwin: Haha, sure thing! Tie one if you're missing someone too!

Tie a red string on a tumbleweed

 Step Description

---

Tie a red string on a tumbleweed to express longing.

(Idle)

Edwin: Knowing that is good enough to me...

Edwin: She really did wait for me...

(Interact with the tumbleweed)

Tumbleweed: The tumbleweed lies there still, awaiting for [sic] its next wandering journey.

Tie a red thread thinking of Caroline.

Tie a red thread thinking of your most cherished one.

The tumbleweed clings to the heartfelt crimson thread, ready to roam to... any place beyond one's sight.

Edwin: Thank you, young (‍manmanText for Wise / ladyladyText for Belle‍)... Thank you on behalf of the tumbleweed.

(Idle)

Edwin: Caroline, I'm coming back, honest and open.

Edwin: I... I'm not a criminal...

Edwin: I... I can finally meet you now...

(Idle)

Kitty: I wonder what that lady was like...

(Talk to Jason next to the road on the upper level of Blazewood, optional)

Edwin: Oh, my... what are you all doing here? Skipping work, huh?

Fiona: We're here to help tie tumbleweeds, Dad.

Kitty: Yeah, big bro told us everything about it! With the four of us here, sure it's much faster, right?

Jason: Chill out, Dad! I've got some amazing helpers looking for Caroline, and we will find her! You just kick back, take in the sights, and enjoy your holiday! And if you want to get back to the city, just give us a shout.

Edwin: Ah... O-okay...

Edwin: Even if you find her, just don't mess with her life... She's probably... got her own family now.

Jason: No worries, Dad, I've got this! Trust me!

(Talk to Jason again, optional)

Fiona: Caroline must have been stunning in her prime to have Dad so fixated on her.

Kitty: If Dad hadn't saved us, wouldn't they have...

Jason: Shush! Stop it! Dad would be sad. Let's focus on the tumbleweeds!