Thief 3 Ghosting Report: End of the Bloodline
Ghost: SUCCESS
Perfect Thief: SUCCESS
Time: 36 minutes
Loot: 2125/2125 (100%)
Locks picked: 8
Pockets picked: 1
Damage dealt: 0
Damage taken: 0
Apparently someone thinks Garrett needs assistance getting into the house and wants you to make a big commotion dousing that light in plain sight. Luckily there is a window to the left that provides access without anyone noticing, although it is also possible to sneak in the front door if you're very careful.
The first floor is very straighforward sneaking and you will only be forced to draw a first alert when you open the chest with the guard standing next to it. Guess our training was right...slow does equal quiet (although I wonder what's so exciting out that window to keep the guard staring so intently).
The main hall has ample hiding places.
Don't forget the gem on the statue near the stationary guard in the hall by the stairs...he won't notice when his back is turned.
Guard with torch + room with things to knock over = thief hell. Watch your step.
Skip the basement but clean out the rest of this floor before returning to the central stairs. The stairs are also straightforward, and there are several mantling and hiding opportunities to get around the guard.
The servant in the room upstairs isn't a big deal either with the right timing, but try not to let him see the door when it is open or he gets curious (this is a general problem I think and we'll need to be careful to avoid unnecessary alerts from these when Ghosting). Slide the box out of the way while the servant and stair guard are away so they won't hear anything. Once you have the painting, return to the second floor crossover and go to the next part of the level.
Travel along the upper area to the door (walking behind that guard is easy in the darkness) and enter afer saving in a dedicated slot.
On your left you run into this level's only serious problem...the stair guard. Once the conversation finishes he will walk upstairs, come back down, walk back up and stay at the top forever. In this position he blocks your escape...I don't know if this is intentional or a problem with the guard's patrol route, but he makes it impossible to Ghost as there is both loot and a special loot up there (required for Expert). You can douse the torch during his only trip back downstairs, and on the way out you can slip quickly into the dark parts of the hall while he is there but I've not been able to get past him without full alert (I'm not bumping him, but he can see well enough to find you when you are that close).
To buy us more time upstairs, hug the right wall and move quickly to the window near the guard to Lord Ember's room.
Hop out the window and back in the window to Lord Ember's room. The bookcase in the far corner has the key to Lady Elizabeth's door, but don't waste a lot of time with Lord Ember because the conversation is running at the foot of the stairs.
Grab the key and backtrack to the foot of the stairs. You can't dawdle anywhere or you won't make it, and don't forget to crouch-drop out of the window. Beware the guard with the torch...you'll probably have to pause briefly while he passes.
You can move pretty quickly up the spiral stairs until you catch up with the guard. If you were fast, this is his first trip up.
Hug the wall in the last dark spot and do a quicksave. When the guard passes, start moving...he won't hear you if you're careful.
If you had to pick Lady Elizabeth's door you might not make it. Luckily we have the key.
You want to run everywhere EXCEPT on these stairs. Openning the door may get a first alert, and these stairs are directly above the guard so you can be heard going up or down. Slow down until you're past the first part, then run again.
Pick the lock on the chest (the sequence is up-right-left) and get the critical item. Pick the candle up from the table on the back left and place it on the floor, then jump onto that table and jump again to reach the loot on top of the bed. Grab the poisons in the bookcase on the right and then hop the banister and drop down (remember to slow down on the lower stairs).
Quickly get back into a safe spot and hug the wall again (the inside wall seems to work best here).
You'll have to sneak around the shadows behind the maid to get the loot under the stairs.
If the guard with the torch has stopped, you can use the passage on the left to get around him (the picture is from behind so the passage is on the right now).
If you wait by the window you can pick Lord Ember's pocket for his key (not that we need it). Be sure to get close or you won't catch him...crouch-walking is barely faster than his walking.
Head back to Lord Ember's room (get the ring on the balcony first) and grab all the loot you missed the first time. On some occasions I've seen Lord Ember get stuck in the room near the bed, making it impossible to grab one of the loot items he is staring at. He also notices the absence of his medalion but doesn't seem too bothered about it. Switch the torch to open the portcullis downstairs, exit via the balcony and drop down the lower courtyard (crouch-land on soft grass, not hard stone). Unlock the door under the balcony but don't enter...the conversation there activates the maids.
Enter through the main door and slip past the drunk guard into the dining room to clear it out.
Slip past the gabbing maids to the kitchen. When they leave, you can unlock the cook's room for his chest and then exit via the door you unlocked previously (unlocking it earlier just saves you the time while you are inside and more vulnerable to being seen).
The guard in the room won't see you if you hug the right wall on the way to the basement. The other guard is easy to time, but remember he likes to look down to the next level...don't get seen when you pass through that area.
If you go out the way the cook would have let you in, you can get the loot here.
All in all, this was a good mission for Ghosting.
©2007 Donovan Hawkins <hawkins@cephira.com>
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