Jones: How exciting! <Player's Name>, I know we have a shady cult to chase, but can we take a peek at those ruins? It will be like an adventure movie! "David Jones and the Return of Xerda!"
The police department arrives to Old Town, the Historical Center of Grimsborough, to start their investigation on The Higher Truth, a mysterious cult that has been making anonymous donations to DreamLife. Before that, however, Jones, Gabriel, and the player first decide to take a visit at Xerda, a legendary Underground City that went missing ever since the 3rd century but now has been exposed to the world thanks to the earthquake unearthing it. Once at the excavation site, it doesn't take long for the officers to stumble onto the body of archaeologist Karen Boulder, killed after being forced to ingest tar through a hose.
Tropes
- Advanced Ancient Acropolis: Xerda's inhabitants were apparently this, since you discover they possessed some quite advanced Ancient Artifacts such an accurate seismograph that helps you better understand what happened to them.
- Alliterative Name: Skylar Sage.
- Ancient Artifact: During the Additional Investigation, you discover an ancient, functional seismograph created by the Xerdans that, with some help from Ray and Alex, helps you understand how the Xerdans disappeared back in the 3rd century.
- Beleaguered Bureaucrat: Theresa Cole, the city hall employee in charge of managing building permissions, road closures, demolitions, and now permissions to excavate Xerda, is shown to be so exhausted and overworked by the ancient city's discovery she seems to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown... or rather, she already had one, since said exhaustion led her to kill Karen.
- Bookends: As it turns out, Xerda and its people went gradually extinct after an earthquake buried and destroyed their city in the 3rd century. Now, it's been discovered thanks to another earthquake.Gabriel: How extraordinary! Destroyed by an earthquake, found by an earthquake. History comes full circle!
- The Bore: During the investigation, you find out that Ray, Chief Parker's husband, was Karen's Ancient Civilizations professor back at the university, but she found his lectures to be so boring she filled a complaint against him because of it.
- Bound and Gagged: Karen had her wrists tied up before having a hose shoved down her throat by the killer.
- Brick Joke: When you visit the Pink Tea Leaf during the main investigation, Jones says he'd like to order a donut before being reminded he's in the middle of a murder investigation. After the killer is arrested, the first thing Jones says is that he can now go eat his well-deserved donut.
- The Bus Came Back: Steven Crowe, who was last seen in Case 26 of the first season, returns as the leader of The Higher Truth.
- Call-Back: Ray Parker reappears as a suspect.
- Cargo Cult: During the Additional Investigation, you discover The Higher Truth is convinced that DreamLife's satellite is actually a Guardian Angel that fell from the sky and holds the knowledge to reach "the higher truth," at least partially explaining why they've been donating to DreamLife all this time.
- Church of Happyology: The Higher Truth operates like this, promising happiness, wisdom, and letting people's spirits reach "the higher truth" (whatever that is) if they join them.
- Civilization Destroyer: An earthquake was the one responsible for Xerda and its inhabitants disappearing back in the 3rd century, as your investigation leads to concluding after the case is solved.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Both Steven Crowe and Skylar Sage, the leader and a member of The Higher Truth, respectively, speak and behave like stereotypical acolytes of a Church of Happyology.
- Compliment Fishing: Jones does this with Martine while the latter is giving you the autopsy report.Martine: <Player's Name>, your latest case sounds like an adventure movie! Ancient ruins, a lost city... Has the good-looking hero made an appearance yet?
Jones: You mean I don't qualify? - Confidence Sabotage: Ray suffered from this after Karen filled a complaint against him due to his boring lectures. It's unknown if this was her true intention, but the damage was done.Ray: Karen's words undermined my confidence. Every time I heard a student laugh, I imagined they were mocking me. I thought my colleagues were looking at me sideways.
I became depressed. Eventually, I had to resign to save my sanity. - Continuity Nod: Pink Tea Leaf, the tea parlor visited twice in Season 1, makes a return here as a crime scene. Gertrude Piccadilly, its owner, doesn't appear though.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Yeah, doesn't being forced to swallow tar until you asphyxiate just sound like so much fun?
- Early-Bird Cameo: Grayson Rosewater, Steven's second-in-command, makes a brief, one-line appearance alongside him before his proper introduction in the next case.
- Exhaustion-Induced Idiocy: Theresa became so overworked with the discovery of Xerda she decided to kill Karen so that authorities would be forced to close the excavation dig due to an unsolved murder.Jones: So, you were overworked and exhausted, but instead of taking a vacation, you decided to kill an archaeologist?
Theresa: Sleep Deprivation gives you the wildest thoughts, <Player's Name>! - Fanboy: Alex seems to be one of Marcus Butler, to the point he manages to recognize an unsigned sketch drawn by him solely because of how Marcus draws tentacles.
- Felony Misdemeanor: Theresa hired Ramirez to follow the victim around in efforts to find proof of Karen committing any kind of infraction now matter how small (such as littering) so Theresa would be allowed to deny her excavation permissions in Xerda, as Karen was starting to annoy her with her insistence.
- Force Feeding: Karen was killed by having a hose shoved down her throat and forced to ingest tar until she asphyxiated.
- Frame-Up: During her arrest, Theresa confesses the only reason why she killed Karen via such an unconditional manner is because she wanted authorities to suspect The Higher Truth, believing that such a weird cult would be the focus of the investigation.
- Granola Girl: Skylar Sage.
- Guest-Star Party Member: Alex performs some analysis in this case, first to point out who drew the superhero sketch found at the excavation site and later to help Gabriel and Ray discover some pieces of Xerdan mythology that help understand how the civilization disappeared centuries ago.
- Holier Than Thou: Skylar feels this way towards anyone who isn't part of The Higher Truth, as demonstrated during her conversation with Karen where she insisted on her joining the cult, claiming that her religion was far more important than science due to showing the true light.
- Improvised Weapon: The murder weapon is tar.
- Inspiration for the Work: In-Universe example with Marcus, who is using the ruins of Xerda as inspiration for his latest superhero saga "Miracle Girl."
- Lost World: Xerda had been a legend for generations ever since they disappeared in the 3rd century, and the discovery of the city has brought tons of archaeologists, explorers, and excavators to discover more about it.
- Nervous Wreck: Theresa Cole has been so overwhelmed the past few weeks due to Xerda's discovery she's always seen on the verge of a nervous breakdown. It probably helps she's also the killer.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: Karen accused Theresa of being this, calling her a "small-minded paper-pusher" and an "ignorant office drone" because Theresa wasn't giving her excavation permits as fast as Karen would've liked despite the fact she wasn't the only one in need of them.
- Our Gods Are Different: The Xerdans worshiped multiple Gods, one of them being Qii the protective god of the earth, whose image on a shield tearing apart a mountain helps the department understand about the earthquake that destroyed the civilization.
- Real After All: Xerda, the Lost World that was a legend towards everone for nearly a millennium, is revealed to exist in this case.
- Resigned in Disgrace: Ray quit being a history teacher after Karen's complains about his boring lectures led to him losing all of his confidence.
- Saying Sound Effects Out Loud: Marcus tends to do this.Marcus: First, she sent that other guy, Bruno, to kick me out. He threw his hiking boot at me, POF! But I dodged it, HAHAAAA!
- Saying Too Much: Skylar accidentally reveals where the leader of The Higher Truth is after she initially refuses to tell you.Skylar: I sense suspicion and disdain in your voice. The Enlightened One forewarned us about such false seekers.
He cautioned us just now, when we were in the tea room-
Oh, by the crystals! I shouldn't have told you that! - Sequential Artist: Marcus Butler, a rising comic book artist who's been visiting the ruins of Xerda to get inspiration for his latest wok.
- Shout-Out:
- Marcus Butler is based on Steve Marcus, an employee in Pretty Simple.
- Jones says exploring the ruins of Xerda would be like an adventure movie, even coming up with the title "David Jones and the Return of Xerda."
- The returned Steven Crowe is reminiscent of Jim Jones.
- In the Pink Tea Leaf scene, there is a familiar gold idol.
- Shmetris is a parody of Tetris.
- Judge Powell references the Tide Pod Challenge.
- Chapter 2's cover image features an unnamed character resembling Henry Jones.
- Marcus Butler wears a scarf of red, yellow, blue, and green.
- Skewed Priorities: When you inform Bruno about the murder, he's more concerned about the fact he no longer has an excavation partner than the fact Karen died. It probably helps he's a Straw Misogynist who thought Karen was just slowing him down.
- Straw Misogynist: Bruno Camper, Karen's excavation partner, is a massive sexist who believes women shouldn't be allowed to do field work, hence why he sent an apron to Karen telling her she should be serving dinner instead then called her a "typical hysterical female" when she tore it to shreds.Bruno: Karen mentioned some kind of machine. I... forgot the details. I tend to tune out when women talk.
Gabriel: Wow, <Player's Name>, this guy "tunes out" when women talk? He sure has unresolved mommy issues! - Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: The fact that a massive lost civilization suddenly appearing from the ground has attracted not only interested excavators and archaeologists, but also tons of paperwork, permits, and total administrative chaos is touched upon in this case, which also serves as the killer's motive.Theresa: You can't imagine the administrative burden of suddenly finding a lost civilization! I've had no sleep since Xerda was discovered!
- Took a Level in Idealism: Steven Crowe went from being a goth Cloudcuckoolander with delusions of being the reincarnation of a vampire to a cult leader Cloudcuckoolander who believes in reaching higher planes of existence and spiritualism.
- Underground City: Xerda is located inside a subterranean network of caves underneath Grimsborough.
