Key Items

How Key Items Work

Key items trigger automatically at story locations or from the journal's "Use" button when a valid zone is highlighted. They do not consume action points to use unless the subsequent scene does. Most entries stay in the encyclopedia after consumption so 100% Completion remains trackable.

If a key item seems missing, check failed companion arcs — several items are rewards from companion quests with deadlines.

Chapter 1 — Arrival and Wharf

• Transit Ledger — Proof of entry; start item; enables legal work quests.
• Wharf Pass — Night access for tutorial recon; consumed Day 5.
• Sealed Parcel — Deliver to Tamsin; unlocks guild escort tier 1.

Missing Wharf Pass usually means skipping the Day 4 evening scene — reload from Save Points.

Chapter 2 — Market and Clinic

• Medical Registry — Suri recruitment; clinic chain in Slums.
• Guild Writ — Raises escort rank; multi-step Market quest.
• Contraband Manifest — Evidence item; do not sell to Harreck before Micoco audit scene.
• Broken Compass — Points to first hidden location; How to Find.

Chapter 3 — Nobles and Festival

• Forged Invitation — Noble quarter entry; ballroom or blackmail path.
• Auction Paddle — Required to bid; coin sink; Dorian weapon gate.
• Festival Medallion — Optional minigame token; trade for Insight Pin accessory.
• Testimony Draft — Build via NPC interviews; feeds True Ending.

Contradictory testimony drafts lock bad hearings — follow NPC Guide trust notes.

Chapter 4 — Archives and Security

• Archive Permit — Chamberlain Holt; Presence or steal branch.
• Warden Key Fragment A/B — Dungeon collectibles; combine before Archive Warden fight.
• Security Log Copy — Lowers exposure if presented before Dresche fight.

Warden fragments are missable if you clear chapter four boss without backtracking hidden stacks — map markers appear after Micoco Trust 60.

Chapter 5 — Finale Prep

• Triad Seal — Main quest tracker item; phases finale countdown.
• Companion Oaths — Virtual bundle when loyalty thresholds met; not inventory clutter but journal badge.
• Gray Postman Letter (Final) — Optional lore; deluxe cross-reference on Deluxe Edition.

Finale checks listed on Requirements Checklist.

Key Item Troubleshooting

Stuck at noble gate: Verify Forged Invitation used at correct evening; Presence may bypass once.

Suri missing: Medical Registry requires Ilya triage side quest — How to Get.

Archive door closed: Combine fragments at guild table; needs Pike or Dorian scene flag.

Audit manifest gone: If sold accidentally, replay from before sale or buy back during festival limited window.

Timeline by Day (Spoiler-Light)

Days are approximate on Standard pacing — faster players compress via AP efficiency, slower players may shift ±2 days.

• Day 1–2: Transit Ledger active; Wharf Pass granted evening Day 3 prep.
• Day 4–6: Sealed Parcel chain; Broken Compass after Slums night with Micoco.
• Day 8–12: Medical Registry and Guild Writ parallel; Contraband Manifest before audit scene.
• Day 14–18: Forged Invitation paths; Auction Paddle before mid-game auction night.
• Day 20–24: Testimony Draft interviews; Festival Medallion optional same window.
• Day 26–30: Archive Permit and Warden fragments; Security Log before Dresche.
• Day 31+: Triad Seal countdown; Companion Oaths badge when loyalty thresholds satisfied.

Use this timeline with Walkthrough Hub day planners — key items should never surprise you if journal tabs are checked each morning.

Key Items vs Companion Recruitment

Several companions are gates on key items, not the reverse. Suri requires Medical Registry. Dorian often requires Auction Paddle win or steal equivalent. Vessa needs Broken Compass pointing to first hidden node before her stealth tutorials grant map access. Orin does not use a physical key — Companion Oaths virtual badge replaces hardware keys for his trial.

If recruitment fails, check key item order: Contraband Manifest must remain in inventory untagged through Micoco audit or Kael's mediation weakens, indirectly blocking Slums stability for other items. Item sequencing is story sequencing — treat the journal as a quest log, not flavor text.

Evidence and Ending Hearings

Testimony Draft assembles statements from NPCs across districts. Each interview adds a paragraph; conflicting paragraphs fail hidden checks during chapter five hearing mini-event. Remove contradictions by revisiting NPCs after conviction shifts — Justice-heavy answers unlock guard testimony, Pragmatism unlocks merchant ledgers, Secrecy unlocks hidden informant inserts.

Security Log Copy reduces Exposure before Dresche; presenting it also adds a testimony paragraph automatically. Archive Permit alone does not win hearings — fragments prove Warden knowledge, but human testimony still matters for True Ending thresholds on Requirements Checklist.

Journal Use Button Behavior

The Use button on key items gray out when you are not in valid zones — no AP spent on invalid uses. Some items auto-trigger on zone entry (Wharf Pass). Others require manual use at night only (Forged Invitation). Testimony Draft updates passively after interviews; no manual use until hearing day.

Key Item Checklist Printable Summary

Transit Ledger (start) → Wharf Pass (Day 4–6) → Medical Registry (Suri) → Guild Writ → Contraband Manifest (keep tagged) → Forged Invitation → Auction Paddle → Testimony Draft → Archive Permit → Warden fragments A+B → Security Log → Triad Seal. Optional: Festival Medallion, Broken Compass, Gray Postman final letter. Cross off each at acquisition so How to Complete audits do not surprise you.