The Footsteps of the Dismal Man (Questline)

The Footsteps of the Dismal Man is the first of four main questlines in Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones. The player character will begin this series of quests at the start of the game. The full questline itself is only completed once the game is finished.

Quests
The following list includes all of the quests (and subquests) encountered throughout the Footsteps of the Dismal Man questline, recorded in the order in which the quests are received.

The Footsteps of the Dismal Man
The character is woken in the attic of The Old Eel House by a knocking sound. Upon stirring they find themselves face-to-face with the Dismal Man, who prompts the character to follow him downstairs.


 * A year ago I met a mysterious gentleman. I can recall little about him but his name: The Dismal Man. He knew about the Black Day and also the fact that I’d be in Arkham. He told me to find him… Who is he? Does he have answers?

Two Lamps in Darkness
Grabbing a lantern, the character proceeds to follow the Dismal Man out into the streets of Arkham, where the provocateur summons a number of apparitions. Undead couples begin appearing out of thin air in bursts of smoke, dancing to a waltz. As the character continues heading West, the dancing couples become frenzied and violent toward one another. The dream ends in an explosion of light as the Dismal Man disappears beyond the gates of Miskatonic University. The character awakens once again to find themselves back in the attic, a chest of belongings at hand. Gathering their equipment, they venture forth with the goal of finding the Dismal Man and escaping the damned ruins of Arkham.


 * I awoke in the attic of the Old Eel House to the light of the Dismal Man’s lantern. It seems he wants me to follow him...

At the Gates of Miskatonic
Upon returning to the spot where the Dismal Man was last spotted, the character finds a key numbered ‘0’. The gates leading in to the University are crumbled to bits, making them inaccessible for the time being.


 * The last spot I saw the Dismal Man in my dream was by the gates of Miskatonic University. Perhaps I should take a closer look...

A Key Numbered Zero
Key in hand, the character must ask around town to discover its true significance. When speaking with Marino, the character will have a chance to bribe the old bartender with cigs in order to learn more about the strange artifact. Though Marino's intel comes up dry, he is able to point the character toward the owner of a local antiques store by the name of Isidore Schmidt, who himself has an affinity for keys.


 * I found a peculiar key at the entrance to the ruined university, marked with the number zero. Perhaps I could find someone to tell me what it unlocks.

The Key Collector
After speaking with Isidore, the character learns that the key belongs to a safe deposit box in the Bank of Arkham.


 * I learned that the proprietor of the antiques store, Isidore Schmidt, has a thing for keys… I suspect he can help me unlock the secrets of key number zero.

The Bank of Lunatics
On first approaching the bank in Main Street, the character will watch as a Raving Lunatic suddenly escapes the entrance, only to be shot down by a Mob Gun. Moving cautiously, the character explores the bank, taking in a host of Raving Lunatics along the way. Once they are able to reach the back of the bank, the character discovers a false wall behind a large portrait, assumedly housing the safe deposit box.


 * At last I’ve learned what the key unlocks: a Bank of Arkham safe deposit box. I should explore the ruins of the bank in the Main Street to uncover more.

The Safe that should not be there
After finding a way to break through the bricked wall, the character reveals and accesses Safe Number Zero using the matching key. Inside they discover a small statue and a poem.


 * I found the chamber housing the safe deposit boxes but it seems the one I’m looking for is behind a newly repaired wall. If I cannot access the other side myself, I should find someone to help me.

Your Carven Doom
After obtaining the Cthulhu Statuette from the safe deposit box, the character is left with more questions than answers. Where is it from and what is its purpose?


 * The safe deposit box also contained a grotesque statuette of one of the Awakened. Will it help me, I wonder, or hasten my doom… The antiques store might be a good place to start.

The character seeks out Isidore once again in the hopes of learning more about the statue. Unfortunately, Isidore is equally puzzled, evincing only that it is likely a relic of the cult.


 * I didn’t learn much from Isidore. I should keep an eye out for someone who could tell me more about this frightening figurine.

On speaking with Krogh, an exiled member of the cult, the character learns that the statue is an icon of Cthulhu, high priest of the Old Ones.


 * I suspect this Cthulhu is the governing deity of the Cult’s pantheon, but I still don’t know what I’m supposed to do with the figurine.

A Cryptic Poem
On reading the poem contained within the vault, the character will find themselves puzzling through an indecipherable riddle. It seems that only by solving the poem will the character stand a chance of escaping Arkham.


 * I finally unlocked safe deposit box zero but it only raised new questions. There was an enigmatic poem inside the box. Was it meant to be a prophecy or a set of veiled instructions? Perhaps both...

A Lead Bottle
The first line of the Dismal Man's Poem can only be solved once the character has successfully investigated the Stabber in the Dark crime spree. Once the A Stabber in Dark Alleys questline is complete, the first line of the poem will vanish.

The Last Wish of the Starfarer
The second line of the Dismal Man's Poem can only be solved once the character has successfully followed up on a potential escape route out of Arkham, proposed by Stanley Fredkin. Once the A Possible Exit questline is complete, the second line of the poem will vanish.

Case Notes

 * Bank Manager's Note: There are three such notes scattered within the Bank of Arkham, recounting the strange circumstances around the safe deposit box 0. They will also provide clues regarding the exact whereabouts of the safe deposit box
 * Dismal Man's Poem: Obtained from the safe deposit box in the Bank of Arkham
 * Keys, Paths and Meanings: Obtainable from Schmidt's Antiques before completing the quest The Key Collector.