Deal with the Devil | The Sinking City walkthrough The Sinking City guide, walkthrough

Last update: 28 June 2019

In this section of the Guide to The Sinking City you'll find a walkthrough of the main case Deal with the Devil. It begins immediately after returning from the Temple of Dagon. Reid has to find Ebernote Blackwood again, find out who stole the seal and retrieve it. As you complete the case, you will of encounter one big choice.

• A visit to the hospital
• Find Billy Drennon
• Calm Shore
• Find the entrance to the Blackwood Manor
• Exploring the Blackwood Manor
• Find the cannery
• Exploration of Blackwood-March
• Meeting Ebernote Blackwood - key choice
• Reaching the place of meeting van der Berg

A visit to the hospital

This case begins automatically after the case Nosedive. Under mysterious circumstances, you will find yourself in the Hospital of St. Mary. From the very beginning the first clue is available - The Seal is Missing. Talk to Johannes van der Berg, from whom you will learn how you got to this place. It will also find that the Seal disappeared and must be retrieved. Unlock two new clues - Van der Berg's Address (this is the place you will visit at the end of this case) and Getting My Bearings. You will also get access to a new gadget - Firebomb.

If you chose to cooperate with Harriet in a previous case, you will learn that the woman has unfortunately died. You can visit the morgue in the basement. Next to Harriet's body you will find the Coroner's Report (image above).

Find Billy Drennon

Go to the reception on the ground floor and talk to Dr. Grant. Ask him who brought Reed to the hospital - it was the Good Samaritan Billy Drunnon.

The next step is to find Billy Drunnon. Use the hospital archive:

1. As evidence for the analysis, select the Good Samaritan.
2. Select the category Subjects and then Patients.
3. Select the Period category and then, After the Flood.
4. Select the Department category and then Therapy.

You will determine that Billy Drunnon is a frequent guest at the Seven Oaks bar.

Go back to The Seven Oaks. You can first approach the bartender and ask him about the person of interest, or immediately start a conversation with Billy Drunnonem - you can see him in the picture - he's easily recognizable thnaks to his yellow scarf. Ask him all possible questions.

If desired, you can give Billy 1 cartridge to buy another drink, but you won't get any XP for it. You will discover a clue Washed Up on the Calm Shore.

Calm Shore

The game will mark Calm Shore on the map a - it is a short distance south of the bar. Upon arrival at this place, you can expect the appearance of several small monsters. Deal with them before you start exploring the area. Here are the tracks and items available in this location:

1. Search two containers to get some minor loot. Materials for crafting and ammunition are also visible.
2. Look at the corpses without faces. Activate the Mind's Eye and follow the signs - flying creatures - to reach the symbol drawn on the rock. Look at it.
3. Find the dagger next to the corpse. Again, use your mind's eye to view an image of the past (stabbing of a person).
4. Watch the suit and once again use the Eye (see picture). You'll see the moment the seal was stolen.
5. Inspect the scratches on the rocks.

A blue cloud will appear and so you can proceed with the retrocognition. Here is the correct chronological order:

1. Taking the suit with Reed out of water.
2. Taking Reed from the beach.
3. The man screams to leave Reed and the monsters appear.

Conclusion: Blackwood caught Reed, but he was surprised by Drunnon. In addition, Blackwood has the seal. The beach is 100% explored.

Go back to The Seven Oaks. Where Drennan had stood before, you will find a picture. Talk to the bartender and ask him about the location of the Blackwood Manor.

Find the entrance to the Blackwood Manor

The Blackwood Manor, will be marked on the map of Oakland - it is in the area of the Grimhaven Bay. You can go there by boat or walk from the east side of the Bay (there is a fast travel point). Choose one of the paths leading to the hill.

The main entrance is not available, and in addition, there will be various monsters there. The door is barricaded and you can't break the barricade. Just look at the symbol by the door. Go to the backyard of the building, and check the corpse oon your way there. Examine the seemingly inaccessible back door from the picture. Engage the Mind's Eye and go to the entrance to make the bricks (illusion) disappear, allowing you to use the back door.

Exploring the Blackwood Manor

On the first floor start fighting new monsters (if necessary, you can flee the building). Search the container with minor loot and go upstairs. There will be more monsters. At the moment you can only open the container here with minor loot and look at the painting (you will come back here later).

Go down to the first floor and inspect the locked door with an eye icon. Start your Mind Eye and follow the figure of the character. You have to go down to the first level of the basement and find the wall-illusion shown in the picture. Bring the symbols closer together to make the illusion disappear.

Before you go down, inspect the first level of the basement. When approaching the characters drawn on the floor, a big monster will appear. Run all over the basement when youre attacked by this creature. In this area, you will find a chest with a minor loot, a first-aid kit and some ammunition. Go down to the second level of the basement and continue the exploration:

1. Look at the objects on the table to the left of the altar.
2. To the right of the altar in a dark place, you can see the symbols (I marked them in the picture). Go there and use the Mind's Eye to get rid of the illusion.
3. You will unlock access to a small room with graves. Look at the freshest grave.
4. Come to the altar. Lift a large boulder and activate the Mind's Eye to see an image of the past (shows a failed ritual).
5. On the altar there's also the Ritual Log. Open the Mind Palace. Combine the following clues: Burial and Ebernote's ritual - you will unlock deduction - Ebernote's rituals were deadly.

Look for the blue cloud and proceed to retrocognition. The correct sequence of events:

1. Ebernote leads Gordon to the basement.
2. Failed ritual.
3. Gordon's burial.

Conclude that Ebernote had a failed ritual with the participation of the men who died. Ebernote is looking for a strong man for the next ritual.

1. Open the Mind Palace again. Combine the clues: Ebernote has the Seal and Focus from Cthygnaar - you will unlock deduction: Ritual has been improved.
2. Click on the new entry marked with the question marks. You can choose one of two possible deductions - Rituals are done to fail or Ritual could save me. Remember that this decision is non-binding. The choice regarding a possible participation in the ritual as volunteer will be made later.

Inspect the altar and this time, take the Manor Key. Engage the Mind Palace and follow the crows. They will take you to the office on the top floor. Look at the image of the artifact that was shown on the table. Once the symbols converge, the illusion will disappear. You can take the Blackwood's Diary.

At the end, go back to the first floor of the estate. Find the door shown in the image with a big eye drawn on them. You can use the newly obtained key and unlock the storage room.

1. Look at the picture hanging on the wall.
2. Take and read the Letter to I. Blackwood.
3. Pick up the picture of the creatures entering the water and read the message Come Unto the Sea! on its reverse side.
4. Open the Mind Palace. Combine the clues Blackwood Exodus and Place of Pilgrimage - hence unlocking the deduction: Finding the Cannery.

The Blackwood Manor has thus been explored 100%.

Find the cannery

Now you need to determine where the factory is located: visit the Oakmont City Hall. Use the archive:

1. As evidence for the analysis, select Finding the Cannery.
2. Select the Subjects category and then Enterprises.
3. Select the Period category and then 19th Century.
4. Select the District category, and then Grimhaven Bay.

You will find information about the Blackwood Marsh Cannery.

Exploration of Blackwood-March

Go to the Grimhaven Bay. The Blackwood-Marsh Cannery, located in its central part near the port - see the attached picture.

After entering the building, you'll notice a few men, but do not attack them. Talk to one of men, and you will learn that the represent the interests of The Yellow Kings. You can open the Mind Palace and combine the clues: The Chosen go mad and I was woken by a nightmare - unlock the deduction: The Seed will drive me mad.

You can safely poke around the factory:

1. Next to the stairs leading to the floor, there is a closet with a small loot. Upstairs, you will find another locker.
2. Also upstairs, see a table with food leftovers.
3. On the second floor, inspect the podium with an eye sign painted on it.
4. Upstairs, check the map hanging on the wall. Launch the Mind's Eye and look at the picture from the past (with Ebernote).
5. Open the Mind Palace. Connect the clues: Monitoring the Chosen and Ebernote's Ritual - unlock the deduction: Ebernote fights the curse. Depending on previous decisions taken in the Mind Palace, you will unlock one of the two final deductions - abandoning the Ebernote's plan, or accepting his help in lifting the curse.
6. Take from the letter to E. Blackwood from desktop on the second floor.
7. Stay near the table and use the mind's eye. Track the stack of books shown in the image above. After the symbols converge, the books disappear and the Factory Key appears.

Go down the stairs to the first floor of the plant, and continue the exploration:

1. Search the locker with loot.
2. Use the factory key to open the main room in the basement.
3. To the right of the altar, find the Ancient Prophecy.
4. Take The Seal of Cthygnaar from the altar.

Meeting Ebernote Blackwood - key choice

When you return to the first floor of the factory, you will meet Ebernote Blackwood. Meeting him suggests an important decision is coming. However, you can say I need to think about this and use this to save the game manually. This will allow you to explore both options.

The first choice is about agreeing to participate in the ritual (dialogue: Might be my last chance. I'm in). After listening to the next conversation, go back to the basement and interact with the altar. Reed will lay down and a cut-scene will commence. Wait until you regain control of the hero. You will get some XP and will unlock the Trophy What Could Go Wrong?

Take the The Seal of Cthygnaar again. Before you leave the factory, you can further examine Blackwood's body and undergo a new retrocognition to determine what actually happened. The correct sequence of events:

1. Reed's body levitating over the altar.
2. Reed walks away from the altar, little tentacles.
3. Men brawling, big tentacles.

You conclude (Ritual Went Wrong) that Reed has lost control and is responsible for the death of Ebernote Blackwood.

The other option is about refusing Ebernote's proposition and taking the Seal (dialogue: No way. I'm taking the seal). Get ready to attack Ebernote and the monsters, which he summons to the factory. Using a shotgun is advisable, as all the targets appear right in front of you.

You will get XP and unlock the clue I killed Blackwood.

Reaching the place of meeting van der Berg

The last part of this case takes place regardless of how you acted during the meeting with Ebernote. You have to analyze the clue unlocked at the very beginning of this investigation - the Van der Berg's Address.

The location you're looking for is the Crown Theater, from the above image. This is the Vinland Avenue in the western part of the Advent district. Reach the place from the north to avoid monsters.

The main entrance to the theatre is closed. Examine the police barricade and explore the alley to the right of the theater building. There will be some monsters there. Try to fight them away from civilians, to make sure the police stays away too.

After the fight, search the alley - you will find two containers with lots of small loot and a dead police officer. Reach the side entrance to the theater. The lock on the door is bigger, hit it several times with a melee weapon or use one bullet. When you enter the theater, go to the stage with the dead van der Berg. Completing the current case, you will get XP and a new Case will open, called the Self-Defense.