I wonder why Young Vlad seemed so agitated about the whole fake panacea thing. The Apiary was closed for almost a week, and I don't think the Olgimskiy family is very eager to stir things up so soon.
Seems like the death of the Hump didn't do much to calm down the criminals. Maybe it will take the army to get them under control.
If the army actually arrives then they better spring into action right away because the town's guard is starting to lose the battle.
Time to bring out my trusty rifle. This time I'll be the one guarding them.
Actually getting a rifle and enough ammo to actively use it turns the arsonists into relatively normal enemies. Just don't go overboard and you should have enough shots to last you the rest of the game.
(I'm pretty sure that by the last day I'll be running around shooting everything that moves.)
A dog! It's the first I've ever seen in this town, come to think of it. It's chasing the rats around and didn't seem very interested in me. I can't imagine those rats tasting very good, even to a dog.
The air around the Apiary is very oppressive. There's no way in or out without risking a good dose of the Sand Plague. I hope the unlocking of the doors hasn't exposed the workers inside too much.
That's strange. There are a lot of guards here. They gave me some strange looks when I approached, but let me through without a word.
Let's see what the place looks like on the inside...
These people must have been infected days ago! So the plague was already inside when Olgimskiy ordered the place to be locked down? I bet he knew about it. Closed for their own safety, indeed!
This is making me sick. I thought the mass burials were bad... I better find someone who can help me find the Worms quickly.
: You've come here in vain. It's dangerous here. You can't deal with the ones trapped in here.Bachelor: Somewhere here in the Apiary there are a group of worms making false panacea. Do you know anything about it?
Burakh: What? Who would do such a thing? This is...
Bachelor: Yes, it's very serious. Have you noticed anything suspicious here?
Burakh: Wait a moment... I was asked by some of the Worms to bring the recently deceased to them. I thought they were looking for a relative or something. I did not pay much attention. Look for a big room on the wall opposite the entrance, on the second floor.
Bachelor: Thanks, Burakh.
It's easy to get to the right floor, but the Apiary has a lot of side rooms and corridors on each floor. It took me a while to find the right place.
: Peace to you, Oinon. Live and let live, so say the wise.Bachelor: There you are. Well, can I make an order of your miraculous panacea?
Worm: So you have heard of us? You are welcome. We sell cheaply, just thirty thousand. But for you, Oinon, this is free. Dead porridge, lovely business. It removes all the decay and all the evil from you.
Bachelor: Only thirty thousand? Don't you sell it too cheap, my friends? For a price like that you could hardly get the real deal. Am I right?
Worm: Oh, take pity of us! You have found us out. We shall not sell any more panacea, if you leave us alive and don't hand us over to Mother. We'll tell you something interesting, if it will calm your fury.
Bachelor: If I like what you tell me, I'll let you go.
Worm: We are not the most guilty. The son of Old Vlad is the guiltiest. We only do what we have to do to survive. Our brews won't harm anyone. But he buys up all the true panacea for himself! He's visited all those who Burakh gave a panacea to and bought it all up, took it away from everybody and took it all for himself. If you threaten him or shoot him you can get all the panacea you'll need for yourself. Then you'll thank us later.
Bachelor: And where did all this real panacea come from?
Worm: Only Burakh can make it. He knows the lines. He gave the bottles to the children of Bodho and to the townspeople, but the son of Vlad took all of it for himself, to sell to villains and blood-suckers, to trade for iron and gold. Have mercy, Oinon! Let us go, we won't do anything more. We shall escape into the earth silently.
Bachelor: You better not still be here when I come back next time. Leave while you still can!
Summary: Good news! It seems Burakh can actually make a working panacea. Only in small doses, but it will still be enough to save some of the Adherents.
The fake panacea turned out to be something called Dead Porridge, which might actually have some medical properties after all. It doesn't cure you from the Plague but at least we won't have to hunt it all down to prevent any sudden deaths. That would be a fun side-quest! (No, it wouldn't.)
Young Vlad had good cause to be nervous, because he's been buying, extorting or stealing all the working panaceas from around the town and is trying to sell them at extreme prices to desperate people. This is a big problem, so we'll go and confront him about it next.
In case I haven't mentioned this before, Children of Bodho is what the Steppe people call themselves.
Oinon is a honorary title. It's similar to Doctor but is used for people who are able to control more 'arcane' arts, like elders, shamans, haruspexes and so on. Burakh is often called Oinon and the Bachelor is called it when dealing with the Worms. They might not be completely sincere at all times, though.
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