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THE ASHEN AGE, PART 1 I
couldn’t really attempt a ghost run of DrK’s The
Cinder Notes without playing the mission that started it all. Sliptip didn’t make many missions, but he is well known for
the ones he did. Ashen Age is a beautiful daytime mission, set in a
Venice-like cobblestoned city. It is incredible how a mission from the pre-NewDark era could look this stunning. Although on the
shorter side, with clever gameplay and a solid story, this one still comes
recommended. My
main task was to find information on the disappearance of four keepers, in
addition to grabbing 1,500 in loot. On expert, it was also forbidden to knock
out any of the city watch. Due to this, my blackjack run had been on hard,
but I assumed there weren’t too many differences between difficulty levels. Streets Accessed
the city watch station through the sewer canal. I could sneak in through the
front door, but not without a first alert. Cleaned everything in here without
issues. The stationary archer was practically deaf. He didn’t hear me picking
the lock on the nearby door, nor making noise right behind him. Yet he did
notice the slightest of speed enhancements way down the other end of the
street. Moved
east to the hotel. I could take all the items while the manager was upstairs.
Room 1 could be accessed from the outside later, and room 2 didn’t have any
loot, only a vault code. The room 2 key was on a nobleman further west in
town, and I couldn’t return the key without alerts, so I never took it. It’s
a bit immersion breaking to avoid a bust by just reloading after reading the
code, but hey. Corrado’s Hexameron’s report from 2008 mentioned three major trouble spots; one of them
was a thief outside Corrado’s main entrance. On
street level there was no way to avoid a Ghost bust, as there was no shade
and the thief never moved. My thoughts immediately went to the rooftops. I
could ascend the wall just east of the city watch station from the canal side
(left image below). It required a few mantles, but nothing too difficult. In OldDark without newmantle it
would require a rope arrow into the top eave. I snuck along the ledges
heading south, to just above the aforementioned thief (right image below). I
then had to drop onto one of the ledges below to the thief’s left in order to
avoid damage. I always got a first alert from this, but no hunt mode.
Occasionally the thief would turn around and attack, but I eventually found a
predictable method that both avoided fall damage and the second level alert.
Hexameron
also wrote how he couldn’t dodge the thief outside Corrado’s
office. I’m surprised he said that, as this one is quite easy to get by. I
could stand in the hallway just outside the stairs and have the thief pass
safely (left image below). Then I just followed him and let him turn, and as
he headed back I started picking the lock. This spawned a first alert, but
that was ok for regular Ghost. I rushed back to the hiding spot halfway
through the pick and waited for the next round. On the second pick, I got
through. I think Hexameron maybe gave up a bit too
quickly because of already busting to the first thief.
Inside
the office, another thief could see me through the bookshelf. This was a
secret exit leading to the canal. I just waited for him to be gone and opened
the bookshelf so I could monitor his whereabouts. Cleaned the office easily
otherwise. In Corrado’s storage room, I got the
next keeper painting. Had to skip the coins in the control room for Supreme. Corrado himself alerted to the door opening. The intended
way to leave from here was via the canal to the north (right image above),
but I couldn’t find a way to drop into the water quietly. I tried with
potions and crates from multiple angles, but to no avail. Corrado
and his henchman always second alerted to the splash. Hexameron
didn’t even mention this problem in his report, so I suspect he just went
back through the pub, since he had already knocked out the two thieves from
earlier. I think he even killed one of them. My solution was the same, but I
couldn’t climb back up to the rooftop outside the main entrance, so I
resorted to pushing the thief down the sloped street (left image below). This
was an engine exploit, but a last resort, and thus acceptable for Ghost.
Vaults Back
in the streets I couldn’t get all the coins in the fountain for Supreme. I
managed to get the woman’s purse and three of the coins at the eastern end of
the pool, but the remaining loot was unobtainable for that mode. In order to
get the rest, I had to nudge the nobleman over to the western wall as well as
the woman a tad in the same direction (right image above). Again a last
resort option, which is allowed following the rules. Entered
the vault station by climbing a rope to the bell tower. This eliminated the
main entrance, which would’ve been impossible anyway. Once inputting each
vault code, I went back down the rope and entered via the south gate (left
image below). This eliminated the need to pick the lock on the control room
door on the top floor, plus it made dodging the camera in the vault room
easier.
Pump Station Hexameron
also reported that he busted by alerting the zombie in the pump station when
using the explosive charge to clear the rubble. The trick to avoid this was
to time the explosion when the zombie was in the control room atop the stairs
(right image above). If not, it heard the noise as there was an open access
window in the canal further south through which the sound travelled. If it
was in the control room with the door shut, it never alerted. I didn’t even
need to have the other door closed, the one door up top was enough. Perfect
Thief success! Awesome!! Statistics: Time: 1:07:14 Loot: 2412 out of 2412 (Supreme: 2327) Pickpockets: 4 out of 7 Secrets: 2 out of 2 Locks Picked: 6 Damage Dealt: 0 Damage Taken: 0 Consumables: 1 explosive charge and 1 broadhead arrow Ghost: Success! Perfect Thief: Success! J Supreme Thief: Failed! Perfect Supreme Thief: Failed! Notes: -
Got three first alerts from the thief outside Corrado’s main entrance. Once from dropping down next to him,
a second from the door when entering, and a last from the door when leaving.
All Supreme busts. -
Got a first alert from the thief outside Corrado’s office. He alerted to picking the lock on the
door. Another Supreme bust. -
Skipped a coin stack worth 25 in the canal office at Corrado’s for Supreme. Corrado
alerted to the door opening. -
Had to push the thief outside Corrado’s
main entrance forward in order to leave. This is allowed as a last resort for
Ghost, but not for Supreme. Another bust to that mode. -
Skipped 35 loot in the fountain outside the pump
station for Supreme. The nobles caught me unless I nudged them, which I did
for regular Ghost. -
Skipped the loot worth 25 in Renzo’s office for
Supreme. He alerted to picking the lock on the safe. -
Got a final first alert from the noblewoman by the
fountain when opening the door to the pump station. Yet another Supreme bust. |
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