Lady Taffer on 27/7/2024 at 06:01

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I'm playing it again and I have a question about the story. Hopefully this is a good place to ask it? I always wondered what happened to Abubtiyar's tablets. It seemed like you got them at the end of Jaws of Darkness, but then they just disappeared. I assume that Hume gave them back to the Keepers for them to translate at some point---probably between Arcane Sanctum and the final mission If so, it might have been nice to see in a cutscene, or to have Hume mention it in the briefing because it felt a little like something was missing there.
Also, at the beginning of the last mission Hume has a note from, I assume, one of the Keepers that ends with "this must feel like a betrayal," which I'm a little confused by. They translated the tablets for him, didn't they? And Hume was never actually allied with them, so how could they have betrayed him?

baeuchlein on 28/7/2024 at 00:57

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The two things are connected. If you re-read the note again, you will notice that the note indeed is from one of the keepers, most likely the same one who leads the Keeper compound into which Hume breaks in (sort of). Reading another message again, the message Hume found in the quarters of the Keeper leader, completes the picture.

Some of the Keepers knew from their prophecies that Hume would come and break into their compound. The leader decided that Hume should fetch the Tablets, but should not keep them, as apparently the Keepers thought it would be better that they kept the original Tablets, and helped Hume by translating them and giving him the translation as a compensation as well as a help for his further business. Thus, the Keepers made Hume think they would aid him in getting the Tablets and keeping them, but in the end, they would take the Tablets from hin again. This could be the betrayal that was meant.

The Keepers also knew that the Mages would not help Hume and that he would have some trouble in the Mage compound in the mission where he tried to make the Mages help him. But instead of telling Hume that there would be no point in trying to convince the Mages to help him, and that he could ignore the archmage and go for the artifact hidden in the Mage compound right away, the Keepers let him run into the archmage and get into trouble once the arrogant Mage would call for the guards. Could also feel like betrayal to Hume.

Another possibility is that the betrayal also included that the Keepers knew from their prophecies that Hume would only have partial success in his last mission. Hume's plans were to prevent the Necromancers from getting their revenge and in the process submitting many people to a gruesome fate, and Hume also wanted to save himself from the statuette's curse. While Hume would indeed stop the Necromancers and prevent many people from suffering from their plans, Hume would not be able to save himself (or at least, he would not completely get rid off the curse - we don't know what happens to him after Victoria meets him in the cutscene just before the end credits, and we can only assume he will die). Thus, the "betrayal" could also mean that the Keepers did not tell him the truth about his future - he would succeed in saving the world, but fail in saving himself. And the Keepers wanted him to save the world, thus they ensured he would attempt it by keeping from him the knowledge that it would not mean any significant change for Hume himself. They did not tell him the truth and let him run blindly into his doom because it would suit them. But he had to assume it would also help himself, or he might not even have attempted to stop the Necromancers. So they betrayed him by telling him some part of the truth, but not all of the truth, not all of what they knew would come.

This is what I can assume from the information I gained during "The Black Parade".

Lady Taffer on 28/7/2024 at 03:19

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That's what I figured, though I still don't see why Hume would view the Keepers keeping the tablets as a betrayal. I mean, all he needs is the translation (which he gets,) not the actual tablets themselves.
As for the rest about the Keepers telling him part of the truth about his outcome, that makes sense, although I can't help but think the Keepers needn't have done that. In the instructional note you find in the Superior Elder's office that says "We know why you're here, this is the book you need, this is where it's kept, etc. . " and then it ends with this paragraph teasing that they know the final outcome of Hume's efforts and my reaction was: "DUDE, why did you say that! Whether it's the fact that the mages aren't going to help him, or Hume's ultimate fate, you didn't need to hint at that!" They could have just told him all that he needed to know, but no more, and there wouldn't have been any talk of betrayal! :cheeky:
Ah well, I guess I overthink things sometimes. Thanks for your answers!

JoergA on 28/7/2024 at 11:54

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It's a masterpiece. Thanks a lot for creating, hope you are not too exhausted now :D to start all over again after a while :cheeky:

Darkness_Falls on 5/8/2024 at 00:54

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Ahh, that's right. Thanks!
It's not my favorite look, but after playing more... like the keeper library (around mission 6 or so) mission... I appreciate that decision more, especially for those who prefer T1 over T2. It's not my preference, but I can see its appeal