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* ChristianityIsCatholic: Surprisingly averted, Brother Sebhat is a monk of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (not to be confused with Eastern Orthodox) and he mentions a previous ecumenical council between his church and Rome. Several other characters show interest in emerging Protestant teachings as well.
* CrapsackWorld: Most of the characters seem unhappy about their lot in life regardless of station, and it seems Tassing and Kiersau have always been that way.
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* DeathOfAChild: [[spoiler:Several of the people who die during the Act II time-skip are children, including Wolff Bauer, a newborn infant.]]
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* DeathOfAChild: [[spoiler:Several of the people who die during the Act II time-skip are children, including Wolff Bauer, a newborn infant. However these deaths are treated very casually, unlike most examples of the trope where it's played for drama.]]
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* WhoMurderedTheAsshole: Who indeed? There are numerous suspects.
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* WhoMurderedTheAsshole: Who indeed? There are numerous suspects.suspects.
* WholePlotReference: Seems to be this for ''Literature/TheNameoftheRose'', another historical murder mystery set in a Benedictine abbey.
* WholePlotReference: Seems to be this for ''Literature/TheNameoftheRose'', another historical murder mystery set in a Benedictine abbey.
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/capsule_616x353_32.jpg]]
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*DeathOfAChild: [[spoiler:Several of the people who die during the Act II time-skip are children, including Wolff Bauer, a newborn infant.]]
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* InfantImmortality: Tragically averted. [[spoiler: Several of the people who die during the Act II timeskip are children, including Wolff Bauer, a newborn infant.]]
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* InfantImmortality: Tragically averted. [[spoiler: Several of the people who die during the Act II timeskip are children, including Wolff Bauer, a newborn infant.]]
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Removed tropes that are already on the Characters page, and one that I moved to YMMV.
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* AluminumChristmasTrees: Brother Sebhat's presence might seem like simply an attempt to diversify an otherwise very white game, however during this era there really were Ethiopians on diplomatic missions in Europe.
** Josh Sawyer himself posted a list of books that he read during the development of the game, with some being referenced so heavily that knowing the book spoils plot points in the game.
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* TokenMinority: Brother Sebhat is an Ethiopian monk, and he is drawn in a style resembling Ethiopian icons in contrast to the European illumination style of the setting.
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* TimeSkip: Seven years pass between acts I and II; nearly twenty more pass between acts II and III.
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* AluminumChristmasTrees: Brother Sebhat's presence might seem like simply an attempt to diversify an otherwise very white game, however during this era there really were Ethiopians on diplomatic missions in Europe.
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* CorruptChurch: Played straight with the Abbot, though most of the individual monks and nuns are decent people and some openly disapprove of the Abbot's actions.
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** Magdalene invokes this trope in her mural, which reflects the distinct eras that Tassing and Kiersau have went through.
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* TheKrampus: Several villagers dress as them during a Christmas parade, they can even be seen making the costumes earlier in the day.
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* RetiredBadass: Brother Florian served as a mercenary in Poland, where he lost his eyes but [[spoiler: gained experience on wounds (plus sexually transmitted diseases) during his inspection of Lorez's corpse to prove Piero's innocence]].
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* RetiredBadass: Brother Florian served as a mercenary in Poland, where he lost his eyes eye but [[spoiler: gained experience on wounds (plus sexually transmitted diseases) which he demonstrates during his inspection of Lorez's corpse to prove Piero's innocence]].innocence]].
* ShoutOut: To the ''Literature/BrotherCadfael'' novels, which feature a medieval monk investigating crimes; one of the texts on herbalism in the abbey's library is apparently written by him.
* ShoutOut: To the ''Literature/BrotherCadfael'' novels, which feature a medieval monk investigating crimes; one of the texts on herbalism in the abbey's library is apparently written by him.
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* TokenMinority: Brother Sebhat is an Ethiopian monk, which he was drawn in Ethiopian Icon art in contrast to the illumination style of the setting.
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:Whoever ''actually'' carried out the murders, they were pushed into it by notes sent by the local anchoress, who in turn was just writing down her "visions" under the instructions of Father Thomas.]]
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:Whoever ''actually'' carried out the murders, they were pushed into it by notes sent by the local anchoress, who in turn was just writing down her "visions" under the instructions of Father Thomas.]]
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* TokenMinority: Brother Sebhat is an Ethiopian monk, which and he was is drawn in a style resembling Ethiopian Icon art icons in contrast to the European illumination style of the setting.
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:Whoever ''actually'' carried out the murders, they were pushed into it by notes sent by the local anchoress, who in turn was just writing down her "visions" under the instructions of Father Thomas.]]]]
* WhoMurderedTheAsshole: Who indeed? There are numerous suspects.
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:Whoever ''actually'' carried out the murders, they were pushed into it by notes sent by the local anchoress, who in turn was just writing down her "visions" under the instructions of Father Thomas.
* WhoMurderedTheAsshole: Who indeed? There are numerous suspects.
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* GambitRoulette: [[spoiler:The Thread-puller's modus operandi is to send letters to everyone who hates the intended murder victim to remind the recipient of the soon-to-be victim's crimes against them. As long as at least one recipient is angered enough to murder the target, the plan works.]]
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* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Magdalena and Andreas put an end to Father Thomas's plots, but Claus succumbs to his head injury.]]
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** Act II involved Andreas joining a trip with a musket-wielding hunter, for which he could show disdain for his weapon depending on the player's dialogue choices.
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Fixed a typo
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* RetiredBadass: Brothe Florian served as a mercenary in Poland, where he lost his eyes but [[spoiler: gained experience on wounds (plus sexually transmitted diseases) during his inspection of Lorez's corpse to prove Piero's innocence]].
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* RetiredBadass: Brothe Brother Florian served as a mercenary in Poland, where he lost his eyes but [[spoiler: gained experience on wounds (plus sexually transmitted diseases) during his inspection of Lorez's corpse to prove Piero's innocence]].
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Adding a trope.
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* CastOfSnowflakes: The entire cast is very diverse in facial features and body types, with some such as Brother Sabhat even being in different art styles.
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* RainbowSpeak: In non-printed fonts, references to God are written in red (rubrication), emphasis in blue.
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** In the beginning of Act I, Baron Lorenz showed interest in Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses and attempted to start a debate with the Abbey much to the monks' shock and the senior abbot's objection. [[spoiler: This became the context of unrest in Act II that coincided with the Peasant War]].
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** In the beginning of Act I, Baron Lorenz showed interest in Martin Luther's Ninety-five Ninety-Five Theses and attempted to start a debate with the Abbey much to the monks' Brother Guy's objection along with causing shock and among the senior abbot's objection.monks. [[spoiler: This became the context of unrest in Act II that coincided with the Peasant War]].
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** In the beginning of Act I, Baron Lorenz showed interest in Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses and attempted to start a debate with the Abbey much to the monks' shock. [[spoiler: This became the context of unrest in Act II that coincided with the Peasant War]].
to:
** In the beginning of Act I, Baron Lorenz showed interest in Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses and attempted to start a debate with the Abbey much to the monks' shock.shock and the senior abbot's objection. [[spoiler: This became the context of unrest in Act II that coincided with the Peasant War]].
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* ItWillNeverCatchOn: Despite the development of the printing press in the 16th century, the monastery still maintains a traditional scriptorium, with Andreas and several monks employed to hand-write and illuminate books. [[spoiler:By Act II, the scriptorium has gone out of business.]]
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* ItWillNeverCatchOn: ItWillNeverCatchOn:
** Despite the development of the printing press in the 16th century, the monastery still maintains a traditional scriptorium, with Andreas and several monks employed to hand-write and illuminate books. [[spoiler:By Act II, the scriptorium has gone out of business.]]]]
** In the beginning of Act I, Baron Lorenz showed interest in Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses and attempted to start a debate with the Abbey much to the monks' shock. [[spoiler: This became the context of unrest in Act II that coincided with the Peasant War]].
** Despite the development of the printing press in the 16th century, the monastery still maintains a traditional scriptorium, with Andreas and several monks employed to hand-write and illuminate books. [[spoiler:By Act II, the scriptorium has gone out of business.
** In the beginning of Act I, Baron Lorenz showed interest in Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses and attempted to start a debate with the Abbey much to the monks' shock. [[spoiler: This became the context of unrest in Act II that coincided with the Peasant War]].
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* RetiredBadass: Brothe Florian served as a mercenary in Poland, where he lost his eyes but [[spoiler: gained experience on wounds (plus sexually transmitted diseases) during his inspection of Lorez's corpse to prove Piero's innocence]].
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* TokenMinority: Brother Sebhat is an Ethiopian monk, which he was drawn in Ethiopian Icon art in contrast to the illumination style of the setting.
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* JobStealingRobot: [[spoiler: The coming of printing press in Act II put Andreas along with many scriptoriums out of business.]]
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* HijackedByJesus: InUniverse, some of Tassia's folklore comes in both "pre-Christian" and "post-Christian" versions. [[spoiler:It turns out this happened on a wider scale to the ''entire town,'' whose veneration of Saints Moritz and Tasia is derived from damaged and repurposed idols of Mars and Diana.]]
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* HijackedByJesus: InUniverse, some of Tassia's Tassing's folklore comes in both "pre-Christian" and "post-Christian" versions. [[spoiler:It turns out this happened on a wider scale to the ''entire town,'' whose veneration of Saints Moritz and Tasia is derived from damaged and repurposed idols of Mars and Diana.]]
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* FutureImperfect: [[spoiler:A mostly-destroyed statue of Mars has been reinterpreted by the locals as one of St. Moritz. Similarly, the eponymous pentiment is the icon of Mary holding a labyrinth in the local church, which has been painted over an older image of Diana.]]
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* HijackedByJesus: InUniverse, some of Tassia's folklore comes in both "pre-Christian" and "post-Christian" versions. [[spoiler:It turns out this happened on a wider scale to the ''entire town,'' whose veneration of Saints Moritz and Tasia is derived from damaged and repurposed idols of Mars and Diana.]]
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* AbandonedMine: There's an old salt mine on the outskirts of town, a relic of the Roman occupation.
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** The game marked the end of the Medieval era with the background of social unrest and the Protestant Reformation.
** Andreas' occupation reflected this as the printing press would make his occupation as an illuminator obsolete in short moment.
** Andreas' occupation reflected this as the printing press would make his occupation as an illuminator obsolete in short moment.
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** The game marked marks the end of the Medieval era with the background of social unrest and the Protestant Reformation.
** Andreas' occupationreflected this reflects this, as the printing press would make his occupation job as an illuminator obsolete in short moment.moment. [[spoiler:By act two, he's switched over entirely to painting.]]
** Andreas' occupation
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* ItWillNeverCatchOn: Despite the development of the printing press in the 16th century, the monastery still kept hand-copying and illumination as a method of manufacturing books that Andreas was commissioned about it.
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* ItWillNeverCatchOn: Despite the development of the printing press in the 16th century, the monastery still kept hand-copying and illumination as maintains a method of manufacturing books that traditional scriptorium, with Andreas was commissioned about it.and several monks employed to hand-write and illuminate books. [[spoiler:By Act II, the scriptorium has gone out of business.]]
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* PatronSaint: Tassing has two: a former Roman legionary and a local peasant woman, both of whom converted from paganism early in the history of Christendom. A shrine at the monastery hosts a relic purported to be the legionary's arm, and attracts many pilgrims.
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* PaintingTheMedium: Characters "speak" in one of several fonts; most of these are medieval scripts reflecting their social standing or level of education, but printers instead use serif print (which, the first time they speak, is seen "being printed" onto their speech bubble). Sometimes a character's font will even ''change'' if Andreas learns something that changes the way he sees them.
* PatronSaint: Tassing has two: a former Romanlegionary legionary, St. Moritz, and a local peasant woman, St. Tasia, both of whom converted from paganism early in the history of Christendom. A shrine at the monastery hosts a relic purported to be the legionary's Moritz's arm, and attracts many pilgrims.
* PatronSaint: Tassing has two: a former Roman
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* GreyAndGrayMorality: As per Obsidian games, the game will make the players choose questionable decisions as they progressed the plot.
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* EndOfAnAge:
** The game marked the end of the Medieval era with the background of social unrest and the Protestant Reformation.
** Andreas' occupation reflected this as the printing press would make his occupation as an illuminator obsolete in short moment.
** The game marked the end of the Medieval era with the background of social unrest and the Protestant Reformation.
** Andreas' occupation reflected this as the printing press would make his occupation as an illuminator obsolete in short moment.
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* ItWillNeverCatchOn: Despite the development of the printing press in the 16th century, the monastery still kept hand-copying and illumination as a method of manufacturing books that Andreas was commissioned about it.
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Then his friend and mentor is found clutching a bloody knife next to a dead man's body.
It's up to Andreas to [[ClearTheirName clear the suspect's name]] and [[GuiltyUntilSomeoneElseIsGuilty pin the crime on someone else]] by any means necessary. Doing so, of course, will only draw him deeper into the mysteries that lie beneath Tassing...
It's up to Andreas to [[ClearTheirName clear the suspect's name]] and [[GuiltyUntilSomeoneElseIsGuilty pin the crime on someone else]] by any means necessary. Doing so, of course, will only draw him deeper into the mysteries that lie beneath Tassing...
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Then his friend and mentor mentor, Brother Piero, is found [[BetterManhandleTheMurderWeapon clutching a bloody knife knife]] next to a dead man's body.
It's up to Andreas to [[ClearTheirName clearthe suspect's Piero's name]] and [[GuiltyUntilSomeoneElseIsGuilty pin the crime on someone else]] by any means necessary. Doing so, of course, will only draw him deeper into the mysteries that lie beneath Tassing...
It's up to Andreas to [[ClearTheirName clear
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* NecessarilyEvil: [[spoiler:The outlook of the mastermind behind the killings, Father Thomas. He feels deeply guilty for his involvement and for taking advantage of the anchoress under his care, but nonetheless thinks it's essential to maintain the lie the town is built on in order to save the locals' souls.]]
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* TooUpsetToCreate: [[spoiler:In Act II, Andreas is emotionally exhausted due to his failing marriage and demanding patrons, which leaves him so miserable and disillusioned that he's looking for any excuse not to return to Nuremberg.]]
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* TooUpsetToCreate: [[spoiler:In Act II, Andreas is emotionally exhausted due to his failing marriage and demanding patrons, which leaves him so miserable and disillusioned that he's looking for any excuse not to return to Nuremberg.]]
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:Whoever ''actually'' carried out the murders, they were pushed into it by notes sent by the local anchoress, who in turn was just writing down her "visions" under the instructions of Father Thomas.]]
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:Whoever ''actually'' carried out the murders, they were pushed into it by notes sent by the local anchoress, who in turn was just writing down her "visions" under the instructions of Father Thomas.]]
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Notably, while multiple suspects are presented for the murder, it's [[AmbiguousSituation left deliberately ambiguous]] who actually ''committed'' it. Instead, the player is left to determine the most likely/plausible suspect, build their case, and see [[ChoiceAndConsequencesSystem how things play out from there]].
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Notably, while multiple suspects are presented for the murder, it's [[AmbiguousSituation left deliberately ambiguous]] who actually ''committed'' it. Instead, the player is left to determine the most likely/plausible suspect, build their case, and see [[ChoiceAndConsequencesSystem [[ChoiceAndConsequenceSystem how things play out from there]].
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''Pentiment'' is an AdventureGame developed by Creator/ObsidianEntertainment, released on November 15th, 2022.
A journeyman illustrator, Andreas Maler, has nearly finished his [[WalkingTheEarth Wanderjahre]] and will shortly be returning to his home in 16th-century Nuremberg. For the moment, however, he's staying in the small town of Tassing and working on his latest commission - a prayer book - at the local monastery. Things are going well enough, even as he works under a stern prior and abbot and awaits [[ArrangedMarriage his marriage]] to a woman he's never met.
Then his friend and mentor is found clutching a bloody knife next to a dead man's body.
It's up to Andreas to [[ClearTheirName clear the suspect's name]] and [[GuiltyUntilSomeoneElseIsGuilty pin the crime on someone else]] by any means necessary. Doing so, of course, will only draw him deeper into the mysteries that lie beneath Tassing...
Notably, while multiple suspects are presented for the murder, it's [[AmbiguousSituation left deliberately ambiguous]] who actually ''committed'' it. Instead, the player is left to determine the most likely/plausible suspect, build their case, and see [[ChoiceAndConsequencesSystem how things play out from there]].
----
!!The game provides examples of:
* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: After [[spoiler:Andreas's apparent death at the climax of Act II]], point of view shifts to [[spoiler:the printer's daughter Magdalene, who has her own separate set of skills.]]
* CrossoverCosmology: Some of the older townspeople still pay homage to the pagan goddess [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perchta Perchta]], despite otherwise being fully Christianized. [[spoiler:An ''unintentional'' example underpins the entire story, as the townsfolk have been unknowingly venerating Ares/Mars and Artemis/Diana as saints.]]
* HistoricalFiction: The story is heavily defined by late-medieval Catholicism and the burgeoning [[UsefulNotes/TheProtestantReformation Reformation]] as they affected the UsefulNotes/HolyRomanEmpire.
* MultipleChoicePast: At the start of the game, the player chooses what Andreas is like as a person, what sort of things he learned at his university, and where he spent most of his Wanderjahre. [[spoiler:At the start of Act III, you get to similarly choose elements of Magdalene's backstory... though part of it is also determined by what book Andreas bought her when she was still a small child.]]
* PatronSaint: Tassing has two: a former Roman legionary and a local peasant woman, both of whom converted from paganism early in the history of Christendom. A shrine at the monastery hosts a relic purported to be the legionary's arm, and attracts many pilgrims.
* TooUpsetToCreate: [[spoiler:In Act II, Andreas is emotionally exhausted due to his failing marriage and demanding patrons, which leaves him so miserable and disillusioned that he's looking for any excuse not to return to Nuremberg.]]
A journeyman illustrator, Andreas Maler, has nearly finished his [[WalkingTheEarth Wanderjahre]] and will shortly be returning to his home in 16th-century Nuremberg. For the moment, however, he's staying in the small town of Tassing and working on his latest commission - a prayer book - at the local monastery. Things are going well enough, even as he works under a stern prior and abbot and awaits [[ArrangedMarriage his marriage]] to a woman he's never met.
Then his friend and mentor is found clutching a bloody knife next to a dead man's body.
It's up to Andreas to [[ClearTheirName clear the suspect's name]] and [[GuiltyUntilSomeoneElseIsGuilty pin the crime on someone else]] by any means necessary. Doing so, of course, will only draw him deeper into the mysteries that lie beneath Tassing...
Notably, while multiple suspects are presented for the murder, it's [[AmbiguousSituation left deliberately ambiguous]] who actually ''committed'' it. Instead, the player is left to determine the most likely/plausible suspect, build their case, and see [[ChoiceAndConsequencesSystem how things play out from there]].
----
!!The game provides examples of:
* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: After [[spoiler:Andreas's apparent death at the climax of Act II]], point of view shifts to [[spoiler:the printer's daughter Magdalene, who has her own separate set of skills.]]
* CrossoverCosmology: Some of the older townspeople still pay homage to the pagan goddess [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perchta Perchta]], despite otherwise being fully Christianized. [[spoiler:An ''unintentional'' example underpins the entire story, as the townsfolk have been unknowingly venerating Ares/Mars and Artemis/Diana as saints.]]
* HistoricalFiction: The story is heavily defined by late-medieval Catholicism and the burgeoning [[UsefulNotes/TheProtestantReformation Reformation]] as they affected the UsefulNotes/HolyRomanEmpire.
* MultipleChoicePast: At the start of the game, the player chooses what Andreas is like as a person, what sort of things he learned at his university, and where he spent most of his Wanderjahre. [[spoiler:At the start of Act III, you get to similarly choose elements of Magdalene's backstory... though part of it is also determined by what book Andreas bought her when she was still a small child.]]
* PatronSaint: Tassing has two: a former Roman legionary and a local peasant woman, both of whom converted from paganism early in the history of Christendom. A shrine at the monastery hosts a relic purported to be the legionary's arm, and attracts many pilgrims.
* TooUpsetToCreate: [[spoiler:In Act II, Andreas is emotionally exhausted due to his failing marriage and demanding patrons, which leaves him so miserable and disillusioned that he's looking for any excuse not to return to Nuremberg.]]
