In Anthem, there are several NPCs who are eager to start a conversation with you after your missions in Fort Tarsis. Among them are also some stories that take an unexpected turn.
In Anthem, you not only zip around in your upgraded Javelin, but you also experience the single-player story in the city of Fort Tarsis. There are some NPCs who simply want to talk to you or need your help.
The more you engage with the different characters, the more they reveal about themselves. Some of the stories even take a surprising turn.
Spoiler Warning: If you haven’t completed the main campaign of Anthem yet, you might learn some details about the story here. If you don’t want to know anything about it, you should probably not continue reading!
Merelda and the Search for Her Child
Merelda is a friendly older woman you encounter in Fort Tarsis right at the city gates. She is searching for her child, who should be arriving at the Fort any moment now, and says that your Freelancer reminds her of her son or daughter. If you continue to talk to her, she tells you that her child was in Freemark.
As you learn from the campaign, Freemark was attacked over ten years ago by the Dominion – only a few people survived. You can give her hope and say that her child might still come, or you can tell her that you don’t think she should continue waiting for her family.
If you speak to the old lady again, she believes that your hero is her child. You can then tell Merelda that she is mistaken or let her believe that it is indeed true. If you choose to tell her that your Freelancer is her son or daughter, she will be delighted and treat you maternally in every conversation.
At some point, your Freelancer must confess to her that he or she is not her real child. At first, she appears confused, as she believed that the Anthem of Creation worked a miracle and saved her child. After a while, however, she can come to terms with the death of her family and thanks you for allowing her to experience a mother’s love once more.
The Story of the Worrying Caretaker and the Two Tailors
Pirndel Blatch is the caretaker of the Fort and is responsible for maintaining and improving public spaces. He hopes that your influence can help make his security proposals more popular among the people of Fort Tarsis.
As the story progresses, Pirndel worries, for instance, about the restored fountain. Puddles would now form all over Fort Tarsis, and these would hardly get along with the cables lying around everywhere.
Enter Marl and Gunther: Marl is a tailor who, along with his muse Gunther, wants to give the Fort more beautiful outfits and colors. The two open a shop, and Marl is even inspired to create a completely new look: a golden scarf.
But then disaster strikes: the shop burns down overnight, and Marl and Gunther blame each other for starting the fire. However, our caretaker Pirndel Blatch shows up and announces that it was not arson, but that a cable lying in a puddle caused the fire.
If only the people of Fort Tarsis had listened to the caretaker’s warnings beforehand!
On the next page, the stories continue!
