Chapter 3: The Grey Mother
The first NPC Will encounters, and she shoots at him. Well this is shaping up to be a fruitful relationship. But at least she gave us a map, which you can access from the menu or by pressing “M” on your keyboard. Any mission objectives, story or side, will appear on the map, giving you a good idea of where you need to go.
The Long Dark Episode 1 Guides:
- The Long Dark – Memories Walkthrough / Episode 1 Chapter 1
- The Long Dark – The Crash Walkthrough / Episode 1 Chapter 2
- The Long Dark – The Grey Mother Walkthrough / Episode 1 Chapter 3
- The Long Dark – Paradise Lost Walkthrough / Episode 1 Chapter 4
So we now have three new objectives. Grey Mother needs food and fuel. Specifically, she needs 12 hours of burn time to be placed in the bin outside her door.
This can come from sticks, reclaimed wood, etc… so there’s no real need to go chop limbs. If you explore the town, you should find enough coal and reclaimed wood to fulfill the quest. As a quick reminder:
- stick = 8 mins
- reclaimed wood = 30 mins
- coal = 1 hour
- cedar wood = 1 hour
- fir wood = 1 hour, 30 mins
If you do need to chop furniture or limbs, head to the tool shed just behind Grey Mother’s house (follow the bloodstains). There will be a hatchet sitting on the red toolbox outside (if you didn’t take it on the way in). It’s also a much better weapon against wolves than the metal shard Will pulled from his hand.
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The second objective is to place 8,000 calories worth of food in Grey Mother’s fridge. You should honestly be able to get enough by looting the abandoned houses of Milton. However, it’s much easier to get food from old gas station (quest #3) so be sure to check it out. To get there, just turn left after leaving Grey Mother’s house and follow the road out of town. The station will be on your right and it’s visible in good weather. Watch out for wolves, since they tend to blend in with the tree stumps.
Once you enter the gas station, you’ll meet this guy:
Talk to him, and he’ll introduce himself as Methuselah. None of his dialogue options are required, but they do give some interesting background information about the state of Great Bear Island and the storm that knocked Will out of the sky. Plus the developers did put a lot of effort into voicing all those new lines so….
Anyways, once you’re done speaking with Methuselah, raid the gas station to your heart’s content. There’s plenty of food to keep you and Grey Mother going. And I strongly recommend grabbing the bedroll and lantern since those will be very helpful in the future.
You’ll also find a note here that will start the Highway Robbery sidequest.
Once you’ve filled Grey Mother’s fridge and wood bin, she’ll drop some more information about the night of the lights in the sky. You can also access the optional sidequest: More Supplies. See that section of the guide for more details.
It seems Astrid may have left town via the tunnel. But the way Grey Mother is talking about “being too late” is a little disconcerting. Will’s next mission is to go check out the tunnel: just follow the road past the gas station and you’ll find a wrecked bus.
You’ll then get a new mission to explore the bus. To proceed, just click on the back of the bus, where there’s a large door. A small scene will play where Will wipes the fog from the windows and sees the word “Perseverance” written on the floor. After this, report back to Grey Mother.
Well that’s sad. I’m starting to like Grey Mother… she even makes you delicious soup. But still, I’m getting the distinct impression that Grey Mother and Will are talking about completely different people. Either way, let’s humor her (if only for the sake of story progression). The farmhouse has been marked on your map, so it should be easy to find. Don’t forget to check the mailbox for a potential rifle round!
As you approach the farmhouse, Will notes that things do not look good, what with all the blood. Go ahead and enter the house for a very dramatic scene with Hobbs, an escaped prisoner from the bus crash. After hearing exactly what happened the night of the lights, Will is presented with a choice: you can either help Hobbs by removing the knife or you can kill him by pushing it in deeper.
Now, this choice has no effect on current gameplay. Hobbs will either be dead, or just lay on the bench dying for the remainder of the story. HOWEVER, this choice will influence future gameplay, similar to games like Fable where your actions can cause the main character to be classified as good or evil later on. So whichever option you choose, keep in mind that it will affect how Will interacts with other survivors in the future.
Anyways, once you make your choice, grab the key in the box next to Hobbs. You’ll then need to make your way to the bank. But don’t forget to loot the farmhouse; there’s plenty of food for you and Grey Mother, as well as some nice clothing. And if you check the building on your left as you exit the farmhouse, you’ll find a rabbit snare. Just watch out for the wolf that patrols the area.
If you haven’t started the Milton Deposit Box quest, now is as any good a time as ever. The deposit boxes are found in the vault at the back of the bank. The vault code is found in the bank manager’s house (the one with the Canadian flag), and you need his house key to get in (found in the desk drawer of his office). For specific details, check the Milton Deposit Box sidequest.
Go ahead and open the deposit box. You get another box, which is for Grey Mother. Head on back to her place.
…and the box contained pearls? Oh dear, it seems Grey Mother confused Lily with Astrid in her old age. Still, she has revealed that there is another way through the mountains, down the climbing paths. While Grey Mother won’t be able to make it, Will is capable. Once you receive the key to Lily’s trunk from Grey Mother, the chapter will end.