Lithic Walkthrough Part 1<------------> Lithic Walkthrough Part 3
3. Mountain Valley
The Mountain Valley is an open play area with a variety of locations. They need not be visited in any order and the only one that needs to be visited is Hoke Town.
You will need to be careful to avoid open spaces as the Spotter and Aggressive morean are out looking for you. Use of the Golden Seals is allowed freely in this area. The Adjunct will run through their use.
Locations:
Mill
This is the first building you’re likely to encounter. An old grist mill, it sits on the river, acting as a bridge over the water. While you can cross the river, the water makes you slow and the moreans will attack as soon as you cross (they will avoid attacking you in the water, as they’ve learned from their comrade’s death).
The mill has a small yard filled with weeds and this is where you will encounter the dead girl.
The dead girl is a zombie. She isn’t hostile to the player, but instead wanders around with her neck craned at the sky. If the moreans land next to her, she will attack them.
Trying to interact with the girl will open a three dialogue options:
IMI
Hi how are you?
Do you know how to get out of this valley?
Hey! Look at me!
None of these options will elicit a response from the dead girl. Attacking her will cause her to become hostile and Imi’s weapons are too weak to defeat her. Respawning does not change her hostility.
Inside the Mill are some broken radio equipment and furnishings. On the end table in an upstairs bedroom is a photograph of the dead girl when she was alive with her mother and father.
Gas Station
The gas station is surrounded byzombies. Like the dead girl they are not hostile unless attacked. They do show considerable aggression toward the moreans, however.
The gas station isn’t a safe place however. A new enemy, an earth child resides here. It is a small spirit made out of rock. While slow, they can knock you down and their attacks do considerable damage. Imi’s Spark spell can freeze them for at least six seconds.
Inside the gas station you can find a lighter and a map. The map gives a highly stylized view of the valley but lists out all the major areas. Hoke Town is by far the most exaggerated element of the map.
Behind the gas station is an abandoned truck. In its bed is a glyph. Collect the glyph.
The glyph will take you to the level up screen. You can either put it into Spark, Dim, or Shield.
Leveling up Spark makes the spark attack a little more powerful, able to stun enemies for longer and cause more damage. Leveling up Dim increases your invisibility time.
If you put the glyph into Shield, you unlock the Emeric Shield.
ADJUNCT
Shield online. Five percent.
The shield will block weak projectiles offering some protection against ranged attacks. If the shield reaches 0% it “breaks.” It will come back eventually, but a faster way to get it back is to reset it by double tapping the attack button when you have the shield spell selected.
River
The River cuts the map in half. It’s dangerous because crossing through water slows Imi down and the moreans are still hunting you.
There are a few interesting things here. The loose rock by the mill hides a silver key. The key opens up a lock box found in the forest.
Near the bend of the river, there is a stone totem, the totem will heal Imi and recharge her shield if she has it.
Meadow
The Meadow is a large open field beyond the mill. It isn’t a safe place to be, but if you can use the scattered trees to get close enough, you can grab some shards from the field. If you collect 100 shards, Imi becomes supercharged and can wield enormous energy (all her spells are boosted to their maximum level for three minutes).
Forest
The forest runs along the valley. It has numerous Earth Children and one Wood Nymph. The nymph is vulnerable to spark and can be killed with it. Killing her gains you 3 shards.
Additionally, there is a lock box here. You need the silver key to open it. It contains seven shards.
Hoke Town
There are enough zombies here that the moreans will only watch you from the rooftops. The zombies will ignore you unless you attack them. (If you do, there’s no way to fight them all.) The zombies are all focused on the townhall, which has a barrier made out of ruined cars, parts of buildings, and other obstacles. Occasionally, a shot will ring out from the townhall, and a zombie will die.
Objective: Reach the Hoke Townhall
Explore the rest of the town first. Collect as many shards as you can and avoid attacking any zombies. A few of the buildings contain Earth Children and nymphs.
Be sure to visit the library. There is a particularly aggressive Earth Child here, spark it into submission and grab the Aspect of Water from the stacks.
The Aspect of Water can be activated once for three minutes. It will enhance all magical effects and double all shard values for its duration. Specifically, it makes Spark do triple damage, the shield 15% more effective, and Dim last as long as the Aspect is working. Once three minutes expires, the Aspect will become quartz and useless except to trade.
After exploring the town, head to the townhall. You won’t be able to go straight in, but you can enter through the back by climbing up the neighboring library’s clock tower and throwing a Golden Seal past the fence. Jump off the clock tower to kill yourself, and respawn inside the wall. You can then walk in through the front door.
4. Hoke Townhall
The Townhall isn’t empty. Upon walking into the building you are confronted with several armed soldiers pointing their weapons at you. A cutscene follows:
SOLDIER 1
Who are you? How’d you get past the zombies?
SOLDIER 2
(if Imi didn’t attack the zombies)
I saw her. They just ignored her.
SOLIDER 2
(if Imi attacked the zombies)
You were pretty lucky to get out of there.
IMI
Whoa, whoa! I’m just passing through. I need to get to somewhere safe.
SOLDIER 1
This place look safe to you?
IMI
Safer than out there. Please.
SOLDIER 2
We can’t send her back out there.
SOLDIER 1
Damn it. You’re right. What’s your name, girl?
IMI
Imi.
SOLDIER 1
I’m Florence. That’s Private Doyle.
DOYLE
Yo.
The cutscene ends. Follow the soldiers up the stairs. This leads to the Observatory. The soldiers have knocked down one wall so they can look out at the town. You have a clear view of the valley from here. Several other soldiers rest here, including the sniper, who instead of resting is watching the zombies through his scope.
FLORENCE
You caught us at a bad time. We’re running out of ammunition and food. Soon we’ll be just more of them. We’re supposed to be scouting into Colorado territory, but that’s not going to happen anymore.
One of the other soldiers objects to this.
VIVI
Hey, is she a local? You can’t be talking about our mission.
DOYLE
She doesn’t sound like a local.
You can talk to the soldiers now. There are seven: Florence, Doyle, Vivi, Sessmen, Joseph, Dun, and the sniper Wurthers. It doesn’t matter what order you talk to them in, so long as you talk to Florence last.
WURTHERS
I ain’t happy you’re joining us in our graves, miss. Did you hear the gunshots? Ha! Humans! Safety! It’s a lie.
(ask about the soldiers)
We’re supposed to report back on the potheads’ position. You know, what kind of fortifications they have. Jokes on us, they’re all dead. Ha!
(ask about the zombies)
Don’t know. They stink. At least we’re not in some place like New York.
(ask about him)
Texas 1st Infantry, sniper elite Lt. Marly Wurthers at your service. One shot one kill. Or something like that. Can you kill ‘em if they’re already dead?
DUN
This is a bad time to be here. The zombies aren’t so bad, but the sun is setting soon and the more intelligent ones come out then.
(ask about the soldiers)
We’re here because of the war.
(ask about the war)
Seriously? Basically, the potheads have all the nuclear launch codes and won’t turn them over for the rest of our safety. That’s the cliffnotes version.
(ask about the zombies)
Okay, so they are a problem. The thing is, they sort of attack you mentally too. You fight them, and if you can’t clear them fast enough you get depressed and feel like you can’t win. If that gets bad enough, you set down your weapons and go out to join them.
(ask him about himself)
Nothing to tell.
JOSEPH
Civies shouldn’t be here. I don’t know where you came from, but you stink of magic.
(ask about any subject)
Nothing. I got nothing to say.
SESSMAN
I know I should be optimistic, but I think we’re going to die here.
(ask about the soldiers)
We got overwhelmed. You want to know the worst part? The part of our squad who got killed? They come back at night.
(ask about the zombies)
We have them in Texas too, but we’ve mostly got them under control. Out here they’re more wild. More aggressive. And zombies aren’t the only things in the undead army.
(ask about him)
Just a dead man, miss.
VIVI
Nice to have another woman around here.
(ask about the soldiers)
Nothing say’n. It’s not that I have anything against you, it’s just not good strategy, and here’s a secret: the things out there aren’t stupid. It’s just that whatever controls them hasn’t noticed us yet.
(ask about the zombies)
If you got passed the shamblers out there, how’d you do it? I can’t stay here any longer!
(ask about herself)
I’m fine, really. It’s just weird to think I’ll die here. You know?
DOYLE
I miss home most I think. You ever visit Austin? It’s beautiful in fall. I suppose it’s beautiful here too, but… how far away from home are you?
IMI
I don’t think I ever had a home.
DOYLE
Military brat?
IMI
I don’t remember my childhood. The only thing I can remember is being a prisoner. I escaped.
DOYLE
Like no memories at all? Who kept you locked up?
Imi shudders.
DOYLE
(ask about soldiers)
We’re going to have to break out of here soon. We’re nearly out of food and if we die here, we become one of them.
(ask about zombies)
They’re kinda weak back home. You have to be bit or scratched to turn. Out here anyone who dies comes back. There’s vampires too. It’s scary.
(ask about himself)
Private Ryan Doyle. I’m not modest, I just wonder what a girl as pretty as you could possibly want to know about a guy like me.
When you are done talking to the others, talk to Florence.
FLORENCE
You came at the worst possible time. Do you know how to shoot?
IMI
Yes. I think.
He gives you a pistol. The pistol is a light range weapon that does 3 damage against “soft” targets. It’s useless against the moreans, but will kill Earth Children in two shots and the nymphs in one.
(Note: It is possible to kill any of the soldiers, but they will all turn on you. Not that it matters. You can respawn as many times as are needed. You’re constant reappearance will scare the hell out of them too.)
FLORENCE
I’m sorry I can’t offer you better, but that’s all I can spare. Soon the sun is going to set. We won’t last another night. We’re going to go out the back and try to get to the main road before dark. You can stay here or come with us, but frankly, I think you’ll die either way. Hard truth, but the truth. That said, are you with us?
You can chose either option. If you decide to stay, the scene fades to night and all the soldiers vanish. Since that is the less interesting option, you should chose to follow them.
Lithic Walkthrough Part 1<------------> Lithic Walkthrough Part 3