Arcanum, DERNHOLM, Part XIV

(Part XIV of Arcanum Walkthrough for Troika's cRPG Definition of 2001, Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura).

Dernholm Arcanum

Full-sized map of Dernholm, annotated: [2256 * 1148 px]:

Dernholm Location

Dernholm is located southeast of Shrouded Hills and south of Black Root. Percival Toon, Jongle Dunne and some Villagers of Shrouded Hills can mark Dernholm on the Arcanum map.

City of Dernholm

Visitation to Dernholm is required in order to satisfy the Bessie Toone quest in the Good way, and also to satisfy the second quest offered by Jongle Dunne. 

Coming to Dernholm early can also be useful if we want one or both of the companions on offer: Vollinger and Jayna Stiles. Otherwise, there isn't much to do in Dernholm until we progress the plot. (There is also another companion that unlocks later).

Lianna Pel Dar

Upon our arrival in Dernholm, Lianna Pel Dar gives us some background on its tragic history: Cumbria -- of which Dernholm is capital -- was once the greatest Kingdom in Arcanum. However, Tarant caught up and overtook Cumbria because it embraced technology, whereas King Torren outlawed technology Kingdom-wide. 

In the war with the tech-powered Tarantian Industrial Council, Cumbria's Dragon Knights -- of which Lianna's father was Captain -- were obliterated by gun and cannonfire, and the King was also slain. Cumbria is now in tatters, Dernholm is a husk of what it once was and the Cumbrians are a poor people. 

There is also some intrigue: Lianna mentions that King Praetor is not the rightful heir. We can tell her about Maximillian -- an old friend of her late father's, and the true heir -- once we have been to the Isle of Despair [1,500 XP, Good +5].

Note that we can Fate pickpocket Lianna for the Sword of Baltar.

King Praetor

Gar told us that the Kingdom of Cumbria is dying and has lost all of its provinces because it refused to embrace technology. King Praetor is anti-tech. Indeed, he considers it "the devil's work" and says it will never have a place in Cumbria.

Black Root Taxes

King Praetor is standing in the throne room of Castle Dernholm. He requests that we collect taxes from the town of Black Root, to the north:

This marks Black Root on our map:

Mayor of Blackroot

The mayor's mansion is located in the far north of town. He protests that Black Root is subject to Tarant; of the Unified Kingdom -- not to Praetor's Cumbria.

We can pick-pocket the mayor for the taxes, slay him and loot them from his corpse or retrieve his stolen badge of office -- a silver ceremonial dagger -- in exchange for them [covered in Part XV: Black Root].

[800 XP, Good +5, 200 GP, Persuade: +75 GP]

Praetor offers us two other quests once we have progressed the plot.

Two Arcanum companions can be found in Dernholm:

Vollinger

Vollinger is standing in the common room of King's Pub & Inn. I decide to recruit him despite the protests of Virgil. Vollinger turns out to be an agent of the Molochean Hand, and will betray us when push comes to shove.

Jayna Styles

Jayna Stiles is found in her home. She won't join the party unless the PC's technological aptitude is >=5. Since I've actually maxed my aptitude in the opposite or Magickal direction, I can't recuit her.

Gladys & Archibald

Gladys

An old woman called Gladys is found in her residence in the west of Dernholm. She requests that we retrieve a family heirloom that she says was stolen from her; a ring:

Archibald

Archibald is found pacing around his hovel down at the docks. When we ask about the ring, he threatens to have us beaten up by his son, Bernard:

Bernard

Bernard is working at  the docks. It turns out that Gladys and Archibald are just lonely and attracted to each other:

We tell Archibald that Gladys is attracted to him. The poor old man will even give us all the money he has (50 GP) to put in a good word for him (which we can refuse):

We then deliver the ring to Gladys and tell her that Archibald sends his regards.

[1,600 XP, Good +7]

• If we pick pocket the ring and give it to Gladys: [800 XP, Good +7]
• If we keep the ring after Gladys can't pay 50 GP for it: [Evil +5]
• If we slay Archibald and give the ring to Gladys: [0 XP, no Evil shift]

There is more questing as it relates to Sir Garrick Stout, King Praetor and the Pits, but that isn't unlocked yet.

cRPG Blog	8. Thieves' Guild Arcanum	17. Ashbury Arcanum
ARCANUM (Index)	9. Cassandra Pettibone	18. Isle of Despair
1. Arcanum Walkthrough	10. Gilbert Bates	19. Wheel Clan Arcanum
2. Shrouded Hills Arcanum	11. Garringsburg Heist	20. Durin Stone Arcanum
3. Bessie Toone Mine	12. Madam Toussaude	21. Stillwater Arcanum
4. Jongle Dunne	13. Ancient Maze	22. Qintarra Arcanum
5. Doc Roberts Arcanum	14. Dernholm Arcanum	23. Bedokaan Village
6. Amulet of N'Tala	15. Black Root Arcanum	24. Persuasion Master Arcanum
7. Tarant Arcanum	16. Black Mountain Mines	25. Caladon Arcanum (to the end)