Fading Embers is the third installment in This War of Mine: Stories. The expansion features a narrative-driven scenario that portrays the story of Anja. Living in a warzone and carrying a heavy burden, Anja wrestles with herself to answer the question of what is more important - survival of human legacy or the survival of a man.
Story/Gameplay[]
Right at the beginning, an unknown man stumbles through a blizzard, trying to reach safety. Anja takes this man in and tries to take care of him, as he is severely wounded and ill.
Anja's house is equipped with one bed and a Garden to grow vegetables in. There is a shed which used to be her grandfather's workshop. There his old artwork and some memorabilia are stored. These can be convert into different amounts of fuel
Trying to sustain herself, she soon meets one of her neighbors, Tito, during her nightly scavenges. He asks Anja for 6 fuel to keep him warm. He also points her to the The Samuel Institute (Final Cut) for resources. If Anja gives Tito fuel or he dies, she can take his records to add to her memorabilia.
It is helpful to search the Construction Site first to get enough Material for a second bed, as the stranger will occupy the available bed at all times, preventing Anja from getting the much needed sleep. Make sure to visit Tito only after securing enough basic materials, as the visit will trigger some events. First, your home is shelled, caving in a part of the workshop. Second, you only have 3 days to gather enough fuel for Tito to survive. Saving on fuel for Anja's home slows the recuperation of the stranger, but keeping the temperature around or somewhat above 0 degrees, keeps him alive for the moment.
At day 2, Milena, curator of The Pogoren Museum is visiting Anja, offering a shelter for her, the stranger, and most of all, the artwork of Anja's grandfather. As the stranger can't be moved at the moment due to his bad condition, this option is out of the question at this time.
Anja's house is then shelled collapsing the shed which contains her collection, causing 2 piles of rubble to appear in the shed blocking the player from the remaining memorabilia. If the player digs through the rubble they can secure the remaining collection. Franko will also visit having dialogue about the shelling.
Some days later, Milena will repeat her offering, but Anja again declines the offer, as the stranger is still in no condition to be moved. However, some days later, Milena returns with 2 pill bottles, which should help the stranger to recover substantially.
After some time, the stranger begins to mutter in his sleep and is even addressable when awake. Anja learns that he is Jewish and his Synagogue was attacked by the Grazni military and almost all members of the congregation were killed. The stranger is called Ruben, a stage actor, and he managed to save some very valuable Jewish items. His backpack of items can also be put in to the collection.
Once Ruben is just Sick, being able to move around Anja's house, (and all memorabilia is secured?) during the Night Anja and Ruben can move into the Pogoren Museum. Note the player cannot return to Anja's house and will only have 18 inventory slots to move into the museum. It may be recommended to use a Hatchet on remaining furniture and to move items from the house onto one map for quick recovery later.
Milena will then greet the player to the Pogoren Museum, introducing the Main Warehouse where exhibits can be moved and secured, a checklist for the Museum and side objects, the janitor Zoran who becomes the third playable character, the pillars of the Museum which are starting to collapse from previous bombings, and finally The Battle of Leech Swamp which is the priceless painting, valuable to the Vyseni people. Anja will then have a flashback to visiting the museum with her grandfather.
The player can scavenge the Museum and must start back with a Workshop and Simple Heater. The new objective of the player is to secure the remaining exhibits and Anja/Ruben's items. The support pillars around the museum have a circle that shows their durability, using 5 Components and 3 Wood to increase to durability giving the player more time to move the exhibits, but can only be done once. Once a pillar falls the (unsecured exhibits items are destroyed?) and the pillar under starts it's durability circle. You cannot secured exhibit items if the durability of the pillar is too low.
The player can go to an Orphanage where they can help save an orphan, where the orphanage will then ask for fuel. The next day after going to the orphanage a woman will bring books. After giving fuel an orphan will ask for books, which the player can give by taking the books the woman gave. Visiting the orphanage again you can interact with Adam who will tell the player about a Railway Station, unlocking it, by which the orphans can escape. Going to the Railway Station for scavenge the layer can meet Goran, who will then take the player to the leader. The leader will ask for the Sefer ha-Zohar manuscript, one of Ruben's belongings, in order to smuggle the Orphans out. If you give the manuscript to the leader, Ruben will leave the morning you come back only leaving a note.
Heavy bombing will hit the Museum, so no scavenging can occur that night. Milena will inform Anja she will get a truck to move the exhibit. The single previous pillar will collapse and then be replaced by 4 more pillars, 3 on the top floor and 1 on the second floor.
The player can visit The Samuel Institute (Final Cut) to obtain more memorabilia to add to the Museum, Including War Crimes Documentation 1941-1945
Taras will visit the Museum looking for Property Takeovers and Extortion 1972-1978, to which the player will refuse. Taras will also trade with the player.
Milena will then arrive with the truck which needs Canister with Fuel and Car Engine Parts, unlocking the Petrol Station and Car Workshop for scavenge. The Cannister can simply be scavenged from the Petrol Station. In the Car Workshop the player will meet Crow, who will (let the player take the engine parts?) for Anja's Necklace by taking it from the collection. Alternatively if the player talks to Crow when he walks to the left they learn of his truck Bertie, the player can then unlock the opportunity to steal the car battery off Bertie. You can then tell Crow you saw someone try to steal it, he will leave letting you watch his stuff and letting you take the engine parts for the truck. Refilling the fuel of the truck costs the Cannister and 2 Components, fixing the Engine costs the engine part and 5 Components.
The day after Milena gets the truck, Colonel Markov will visit describing the orders given to destroy Vyseni culture and his checkpoint on the roads, offering to let the player pass through if they give him The Battle of Leech Swamp. Eventually the Army Base will open for scavenge. When the player visits a soldier will lead the player to Colonel Markov, where the player can give The Battle of Leech Swamp.
The next day Milena will then leave the Museum in search of an alternate way to get out of Pogoren.
The next day Taras will visit saying the army is getting closer and has a safe space for the collection. He will also trade.
Some days later Maria will visit, she's a cook for a military warehouse and describes how Milena got caught by the military trying to get safe conduct papers for cargo. She is now captured and beaten at the warehouse, where Maria was able to deliver us a letter from Milena. The letter describes how the player now has to find their own way of escape for the exhibit. The Warehouse is then unlocked for scavenge. Visiting the Warehouse you can go to the kitchen and talk to Maria who got Milena out by giving her a Sawblade and describes how she has escaped but was shot in the process. Investigating the top floor of the Warehouse you can find Milena's footprints, a letter she wrote describing how the Colonel cannot be trusted, and her belongings in a cell to the left. If you peak through the door on the top floor by the right side you can hear 2 soldiers describing how she left, was shot, couldn't have gone far, how interested the Colonel is in her, and how they'll look for her body.
Taras will visit again saying how he has access to bank vaults that can hold all the collection, but only if you give him the papers he wants at the Construction site. He will also trade. Visiting him at the construction site reveals Taras has been torturing a man to find other people trying to testify against him in a major property takeover from the papers. You can give him the papers in order to use the bank vaults
On the Last day Maria will visit the Museum saying they've been moving lots of weapons and explosives and are going to bomb the city again. On the last day the player can either leave in day by the right icon over the truck or by ending the day, each one offer a different outcome.
Endings[]
There are several endings to this story and not a single one is fully satisfying. You can only aim for the least costly one.
Spoiler Warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
'Bad' Ending: The truck is not fixed
If the truck was not fixed prior to the last day then the bombing occurs with the remaining survivors escaping the burning building. Anja regrets having failed. The game will end with you failing to save the collection. The game will then offer to restart from the last day so the player has enough time to get both truck parts (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqZMvkUs04E)
Collection Ending 1: Giving The Battle of Leech Swamp to Colonel Markov
If the player gave the Leech Swamp painting to Colonel Markov Anja tells Milena we gave the painting and he promised safe passage. Milena laments how he's untrustworthy and just wants his hands on the collection far from his superiors eyes. Milena then goes alone to the mountain pass. The soldiers confirms the collection, where the Colonel shoots Milena and takes the collection. Taras' bank vaults are shown to be empty. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBZ2j_9LO6k)
Collection Ending 2: Give Taras the Property Takeovers and Extortion
If the player have Taras the papers Anja will tell Milena that she gave some documents to let them put the collection in a vault. Milena will say Taras has a dark past and that the Colonel will be looking for the collection. Anja says they can hide the collection but after Milena gets help for her wounds. Milena denies help and instead takes an empty truck to the mountain pass. Once the soldier finds it empty the Colonel shoots Milena. At the Bank of Pogoren the collection is shown to be stored in a vault. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYnb-f4MOUI&)
Orphanage Ending 1: Give the Railway Leader the Sefer ha-Zohar
If Anja gave the manuscript to the Railway leader then congruent to the either Collection ending, Adam hears a knock on the door from Anja. The orphans, Adam, and Anja are shown going through an underground tunnel, exiting on a hill overlooking Pogoren during sunrise.(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBZ2j_9LO6k)
Orphanange Ending 2: Don't give the Railway Leader the Sefer ha-Zohar
If Anja does not give the manuscript to the Railway leader then congruent to the either Collection ending, Adam hears a knock on the door from Anja. Anja then joins the orphanage as they tell stories and paint. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYnb-f4MOUI)
Endings of the Major Works of the Collection:
The Battle of Leech Swamp:
If the painting was not given to the Colonel then it remains safe in the vault and return to the rebuilt Pogoren Museum as a center piece and reminder of city and it's inhabitants.
If the painting was given to the colonel then 2 years after the war the painting was found on a freight thanks to an anonymous tip and returned to the rebuilt museum.
Sefer ha-Zohar:
If it was given to the Railway Leader then it's location is unknown with the Samuel Institute trying to find it after the end of the war. While the search has been fruitless the staff have no intention to give up.
If it was not given to the Railway Leader then it remains safe in the bank vault. It will then be moved into the Samuel Institute as a silent reminder of the tragedy which took place there.
Property Takeovers and Extortions:
If the papers were given to Taras then the documents were never found with Taras presumably destroying them. After the war many criminal and civil property takeover cases were discontinued due to missing documentation and missing witnesses.
If the papers were not given to Taras then the papers are destroyed, but because many witnesses from the document survived they testified in civil and criminal property takeover cases ending in the conviction of several 'housing mob' members including Taras
A Tale of the Rosko Brother's Collection:
If they were given to the orphanage then Little Nika will keep the books after the war, reading them to her children
If they were not given to the orphanage then they will remain safe in the bank vault. After the war they were transferred to the city library, rebuilding the collection lost during the 'cultural cleansing'. Due to their incredible history they became part of a special collection exhibited in bullet proof glass
Anja's Necklace:
If the necklace was given to Crow then it disappears when Crow dies. Since his garage was plundered and burned the only remaining thing was the beloved car Bernie
If the Necklace was kept then Anja gives it to little Nika saying 'My mother gave it to me and she got it from her mother' she tells the little girl hugging her closely.
If the collection was in the bank vault then since Taras still had access to the vault when the Museum staff catalogue the collection some of them were missing. Taras was an obvious suspect but nothing could be proven
Map exploration (including tools needed and general information)[]
| Location | Crowbar | Saw Blade | Shovel | Hatchet | Important |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abandoned House | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | * 1 Mixer * 3 armed thugs (kill them all) |
| Army Base | 2? | 3? | 0? | ? | * 10 or more armed soldiers. Colonel Markov is immune to firearms and has a massive health bar. Markov can be instantly killed by a stealth ambush attack, though he dropped nothing upon death and his death has no effect on the story. * Colonel Markov wants "The Battle of Leech Swamp'" in order to provide a safe [according to him] escape route out of city (triggers one ending at late game) |
| Car Workshop | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | * Crow wants "Anja's Necklace" in order to give car engine parts (used to fix the truck, but you can steal the parts by fooling Crow) |
| Construction Site | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | * 1 Thermo Regulator * Trader Taras wants "Property Takeovers and Extortions" in order to help out with the collection (triggers one ending at late game) |
| Neighbour's House | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | * Tito wants 6 Fuel and 1 Raw Food in order to (a) stay alive, (b) talk about The Samuel Institute, (c) give "Tito's Vinyl Records" and (d) give 1 Saw Blade plus some items |
| Orphanage | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7 | * 1 Mixer * Adam wants 10 Fuel in order to (a) keep the Orphanage warm and (b) talk about Railway Station * Nika wants "A Tale of the Rosko Brother's Collection" to help the children deal with their traumas |
| Petrol Station | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | * 1 Heat Lamp * 1 Hatchet * canister with fuel (used to fix the truck) |
| Railway Station | 0 | 1 | 0 | ? | * Gregor wants "Sefer ha-Zohar, 14th century" in order to smuggle the children out (if you give the artifact, Ruben will leave the Museum at the next day) |
| Supermarket | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | * 1 Thermo Regulator * Trader Bojan * Andreas (a kid) will talk about the Orphanage |
| The Samuel Institute | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | * "Nenedian Vase" * "War Crimes Documentation, 1941-45" |
| Warehouse | 1 | 2 | 0 | ? | * information about Milena * 6 armed soldiers (kill them all) |
Tip: it's possible to explore everywhere in the map (including Anja's House and the Museum) without building a single Shovel, so keep that in mind if you want to spare resources.