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The Sanitarium is a building in Brackenbury that houses patients suffering afflictions of the soul, and animancers that research them. Animancers inhabited here also form an independent faction of a kind in Defiance Bay.

Background[ | ]

Founded in 2729 AI, the Sanitarium is the heart of research into animancy in the Dyrwood. Although the science has not been without controversy, the concentration of soul scientists in one place allowed the revolutionary nation to stay at the forefront of scientific development in this branch. However, its original purpose was far more limited: As with many cities, the growth of Defiance Bay brought with it a host of problems. One of the worst was that those born with sick souls came to populate its streets in droves. Thus, the sanitarium was established. Brackenbury was a natural fit. It was growing but there was also a lot of money here a hundred years earlier. In fact, the sanitarium owes its survival to the curiosities of the wealthy more than anything, strong enough to allow it to survive a time when great suspicion surrounded animancy.

As the suspicions waned, the sanitarium remained at the forefront of animancy's resurgence, hosting many gifted researchers and pushing the boundaries of knowledge in ways never thought possible. The sanitarium was where some of the first safe transferences were made, while major strides happened in soul purification, lineage analysis, preservation, and more. However, nothing lasts. As of 2823 AI, with the Waidwen's Legacy in full swing and the Dyrwood reeling from the instability caused by this fallout from the Saint's War, the Sanitarium is under heavy guard due to public backlash against animancy and calls for banning the research. The complex science is difficult for the public to grasp and many see animancers as hiding facts about the Legacy away from the public's eye, simply because of their in-depth understanding of animancy.

The staff of the sanitarium is working double time, not merely carrying out research, but also participating in the drawn-out animancy hearings at the Ducal Palace. Through their representative Ramir di Barrasc, animancers are trying to convince Duc Aevar Wolf-Grin to continue the traditional tolerance for animancy in Defiance Bay, to prevent a wholesale ban on the science.

Points of interest[ | ]

  • The upper floor is a beautiful example of colonial architecture, with walls covered in expensive timber paneling and marble floors, with comfortable sofas and chairs provided for wealthy patrons and the animancers to use in the course of their duties. The main hall doubles as the sanitarium's library, watched over by head warden Ethelmoer, currently embedded in a stone statue.
  • The rooms contain, counter-clockwise: Audmer conducting a lecture on soul maiming treatments, Nans focusing on her research, and in the back room, stairs leading down.
  • The lower floor contains the working areas, filled with various mechanisms used in treating and manipulating souls. It's divided into two halves, the studies of the animancers (clockwise: Bellasege's, empty, Riply's, Moedred's ) and the dungeon, where patients with no hope of improvement are kept locked away.
  • Azo's office has Riply and a pickable container on the table containing four patient records. The bookcase contains a note from Azo.
  • To enter the dungeon you need to collect evidence implicating Caedman Azo in unsanctioned experiments (documents in his office suggest as such) and talk to Ethelmoer that you want to confront him. The central area contains the mess hall, with Azo in his laboratory to the south (Blaidh Golan and Ravenwing can be found in the chests), the north wing housing the most dangerous patients to the, well, north (upper-right), and wichts sequestered away in the chamber to the west (upper-left). Corridors are lined with cells belonging to functional patients.

Characters[ | ]

  • Ethelmoer: In the main lobby. He is the head warden, and transferred his soul to a statue in order to preserve his life.
  • Caedman Azo: An animancer on the bottom floor in the patient ward. He performs experiments on many of the patients. You must gain access to this section from Ethelmoer before you can speak with him.
  • Bellasege: An animancer from the Vailian Republics who specializes in Awakenings. She is part of the quest Two-Sided.
  • Moedred: An animancer involved in the quest A Voice from the Past.
  • Riply: Azo's assistant.
  • Nans: Found in the main hall during Clandestine Cargo. She will buy Engwithan scepter parts from you, or construct a scepter from them.
  • Ramir di Barrasc: Representative of Sanitarium animancers during the animancy hearings at the Ducal Palace.
Patients
Backer NPCs

Enemies[ | ]

Vessels:

Insane Patients:

Loot[ | ]

Note: For a complete list of random loot found in the Sanitarium, see here.

Notable loot[ | ]

Basement:
Bookcase (Moedred's study):
Bookcase (Azo's study):
Barrel:
Wooden Box:
Bookcase:
Bookcase:
Crate:
Container (Hidden, Difficulty 2 - Northeastern corner of the patient ward):
Crate (Locked, Mechanics 6):
Crate (Locked, Mechanics 7):
Container:

Behind the scenes[ | ]

  • This area contains developer commentary, triggered upon entering the lower floor
Caring for mentally-ill citizens is pretty primitive in this era of Pillars of Eternity, hence the dungeon-like conditions the patients are living in. Nobody really expects the patients to be cured. This is just a place to hide them away and forget about them.
~ Jeff Husges, Senior Designer

Map[ | ]

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