| “ | If you don't kill the Old Bear, you'll never make it out of Mystery Lake. Finish what Jeremiah started. In-game description
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Jeremiah's Folly was the fourth mission of the Predux Episode 2: Luminance Fugue of the Wintermute story. It has since been replaced after the V1.47 Wintermute Redux version of the game, but is still playable to those that download versions V1.15, V1.30, or V1.37 of Steam version of The Long Dark by using the Time Capsule.
This mission was poorly received due to its unfair and confusing method of tracking the Old Bear, and has since been replaced by the mission What One Man Can Do. Chasing the Old Bear with a Rifle was kept in the Challenge The Hunted, Part Two however.
Objectives
- Use your map to track the bear to his favourite haunts in Mystery Lake.
- [0/6 Bear Encounters]
- Bring The Old Bear's Ear back to Jeremiah, as proof of your hunting prowess.
Walkthrough
| Mission details | |
|---|---|
| Mission length | Medium |
| Start location | Trapper's Homestead |
| Enemies to kill | The Old Bear |
After finishing Jeremiah's Survival School, Mackenzie is now eager to finally leave Mystery Lake in search of Astrid. Jeremiah reels him back in for one more task however, to kill the Old Bear. Mackenzie finally states he has enough of this, as he has Astrid to find, but Jeremiah says that there's something bigger at stake, bigger than Mackenzie finding Astrid, bigger than Jeremiah, and it all begins with killing the Old Bear. Jeremiah then commands Mackenzie to use himself as bait, as bears can smell fresh blood over 20 miles away, and then Mackenzie will be able to take the Old Bear once and for all. Mackenzie agrees to help the crazy trapper one last time, grabs his rifle, makes his way to the door, and then turns around, cutting his left hand with Jeremiah's Knife and showing his hand to Jeremiah.
Find and kill the Old Bear
After the cutscene ends, IMMEDIATLY arm yourself with the Hunting Rifle, as the Old Bear will be outside the Trapper's Homestead the moment you step outside. There is no warning for this, so to avoid being mauled, have your rifle ready, remove any clothing you don't want ruined, and have some Bandages on stand by, and make sure you are fully rested for what is to come. You may also notice that 8 Rifle Ammunition has been added to your inventory.
Step outside and unload into the Old Bear, who has somehow already tracked you down, and wait for it to flee. You will most likely be mauled so either allow it to happen or find a place to run and hide where the bear cannot reach you. If you are mauled, then when you wake up the Old Bear will be gone, so tend to your wounds and begin tracking the beast by looking for fresh blood and footprints in the snow.
- Use your map to track the bear to his favourite haunts in Mystery Lake.
Each shot into the Old Bear will not harm the bear, but instead the game tracks how many times you have harmed the bear at it's favorite encounter locations. Check your map for Exclamation Points labeled "Possible Old Bear Location" and head there. The following are the 6 haunts the Old Bear will go to, with the order shown below more or less the path he takes as he flees:
- Trapper's Homestead
- An area south of Unnamed Pond
- Frozen Creek
- Derailment
- Area near Logging Camp
- Clearcut
The Old Bear will be at one of these spots, so it is critical that you don't lose track of the bear's trail after wounding it. Continue firing at the bear until it runs away, and when he does, he will not stop running until he reaches one of his other encounter locations. If you lose his tracks in the snow, take a mental note of what direction he was last seen heading, and then look at your "Possible Old Bear Location" on your map, then head there next.
Jeremiah's advice to fire only when it gets close to heart is very iffy at best, as attacking the Old Bear from far away so that it flees rather than engages you works more often than not. Always shoot the bear in the head, otherwise it will not flee. The beast will see you when you get close enough even if you do not provoke him, so steel yourself and wait for it to get close before firing. If you fire too early, then you may get mauled before Mackenzie can cycle the next round into your rifle. If you do hit the bear at the right distance up close, then it will run off to another nearby encounter location while also adding a point to your "Bear Encounters" checklist. Damaging the Old Bear while it is still inside the encounter area multiple times adds a point to the counter.
This hunt can take several days in game to track and kill the beast if you lose his tracks in the snow or are mauled multiple times. The game will continue add ammunition to your backpack (replenishing any rounds not in your gun up to 10 rounds) without telling you, so don't worry about ammunition. Rest up after encounters and remember the last location where the bear could have gone. Try not to sprint to the next location and wear yourself out if you drive him to the next location, patience is a virtue. You can also quicksave the game the moment you see the Old Bear, to save time in case of failure.
After your "Bear Encounters" checklist reaches the maximum amount, the bear will die on the spot and the weather will automatically become foggy (the game will LAG for a moment).
- Bring The Old Bear's Ear back to Jeremiah, as proof of your hunting prowess.
Interact with the slain beast's carcass and take The Old Bear's Ear. Harvesting the pelt is meaningless since the Episode will end after the next mission, but take the Bear Meat (Raw) if you need food. Return to Jeremiah and Mackenzie will throw the bear's ear into the trapper's lap, proving that he prevailed in the hunt and impatiently asking if he can finally leave the area. Jeremiah laments that the Old Bear is dead, expressing his grief that he's "actually gonna miss that guy," only for Mackenzie to quip that he can visit and talk to him some time, as he wants Jeremiah to do something to help him escape Mystery Lake.
Jeremiah finally tells Mackenzie how to escape the region, go through the guts of the Carter Hydro Dam, follow the Winding River on the other side to a place called Pleasant Valley, then find a radio station called Signal Hill. Jeremiah can't guarantee that the Aurora will power the station, but it will be powerful enough to reach Perseverance Mills if it works. Then follow the signs to Perseverance Mills, though this will take days to walk there on foot.
Mackenzie is bewildered as to why Jeremiah didn't just tell him this before, considering how easy this task sounds. This is when Jeremiah reveals that the whole plot to kill the Old Bear was only to prove that Mackenzie was strong enough to reach Perseverance Mills, with a message in tow; "Wintermute." The Trapper begs Mackenzie to find someone living in a cabin in the hills near the town named Atwood, as this message is of utmost importance that it gets out, to the point where Jeremiah prepares to leave the cabin in his injured state to deliver it himself before collapsing. Mackenzie agrees to take the message with him and Jeremiah gives Mackenzie the code to unlocking the powered door inside the Carter Dam, 7611. Mackenzie asks if the trapper needs any more help before he leaves, but Jeremiah declines, wishing Mackenzie that he hopes "She has more sense than you." Mackenzie doesn't remember revealing that his friend he is searching for was a she, but the coy trapper deduced that due to Mackenzie's wedding ring and the look in his eye when talking about her, his friend must have been a women. Mackenzie tells the hermit to take care of himself, before leaving with the door closing behind him. Jeremiah then states that he has his own path to tread, before getting out of bed and opening a panel in the floorboards containing a ham radio, and flipping the power switch on it.
Transcript
Differences from Redux Episode 2
Several plot points and locations have been replaced/altered since the Redux re-release of Episode 2:
Plot Points and Gameplay Changes
- This entire mission was cut from the game, and was instead replaced by the mission What One Man Can Do. Rather than hunting the Old Bear, the Old Bear now hunts you, before Mackenzie finds the Bear Spear and turns the tables on the Old Bear.
- Astrid Greenwood would be the one to use the Signal Hill to get a message out to Perseverance Mills in Episode 3: Crossroads Elegy
- After Mackenzie leaves, Jeremiah opens a panel in the floorboards containing a ham radio. This plot point was reworked into the open, with the radio being present from the start of the Redux Episode 2 and serving as the way that Jeremiah originally tries to get the message Wintermute out.
Game History
- Added to game.
- UPDATE 17 December 2018 (Update):
- Removed from the game as part of the Redux edition.
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