On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness/Case 2: The Game Is Afoot

The hunt for the giant robot that destroyed your home, and the main thread of the game.

Objectives

 * Look for evidence of the giant robot in Hobo Alley.
 * Return the lubricant to Anne-Claire.
 * Search the ruins of your home on Desperation St. for more clues.
 * Return the steaming bolt to Anne-Claire.
 * Look for more clues in Hobo Alley.
 * Return the giant winding key to Anne-Claire.
 * Look for more clues in Pelican Bay.
 * Return the gear to Anne-Claire.
 * Look for an undamaged robot in Hobo Alley.
 * Return the inactive robot to Anne-Claire.
 * Look for more clues in Pelican Bay.
 * Return the massive light to Anne-Claire.

Walkthrough
Once you've spoken to Anne-Claire after the tutorial, this case will be unlocked. She'll suggest searching for clues to the robot's whereabouts in Hobo Alley, which is now unlocked on your map.

Once you're there, head directly east - Tycho will prevent you from doing much of anything else for the moment. You'll encounter a Mime, but he very quickly leaves the scene. It appears that he was looking at some strange liquid on the ground. Suggest to your colleagues that it should be investigated, and Tycho will take a sample. Return the substance, which turns out to be some kind of lubricant for the robot, to Anne-Claire and then ask her about it, then ask what to do next.

She'll suggest looking in the ruins of your old home, in case part of the robot broke off on its way through - so it's back to Desperation St. The area is now overrun with mimes - and these ones won't leave as soon as you turn up. Fight your way through, stopping to talk to The Silent Pope at the old orange tree. You won't get much out of him.

When you get to the ruins of your house at the end of the next panel, search it to retrieve the Steaming Bolt. Return to Anne-Claire's room and present her with the item; during the conversation, Tycho will suggest searching Pelican Bay which will then be unlocked on your map. When you end the conversation, Anne-Claire will join you as a support character.

Before you go to Pelican Bay, there's plenty still to do in Hobo Alley, so head there first. Speak to James Filth in the first panel to open Case 7: The Rise Of The Refuse, and Gerhard Kettle in the Grove Bend panel to open Case 5: The Meat Of Human Kindness. Head to the north end of Hobo Alley, and you'll find some hobos guarding a giant winding key in the West Chestnut and Grove panel. Fight them, and then take the key back to Anne-Claire.

In order to continue with this case, you'll need to complete Case 7: The Rise Of The Refuse, which will reward you with a red token. This can be exchanged at Kurtis Swindell's souvenir stand in Pelican Bay for a giant gear, which you should then take back to Anne-Claire.

Ask her what's next and she'll ask you to retrieve her a complete version of the miniature robots from Hobo Alley. You'll have to head to West Chestnut Park in Hobo Alley, which is the panel directly north of the starting point in the area. There, speak to Dr. Ernest P. Whimple to open Case 6: The Nobel Pee Prize. You'll have to partially complete this case, up to the point where his lab has been reopened and he's given you the reward; once that's done you'll be able to enter The Shithole in the northeast of Hobo Alley.

Inside The Shithole, speak with the Slum Lord and look into each of the rooms; after you've seen them all, the Slum Lord has left, allowing you to use the door on the far right. This brings you into the Warehouse, where you discover a hobo workforce building Fruit Fucker robots. Before you take on the Slum Lord, you should make sure you're well-stocked with Hot Toddies and healing items.

With the Slum Lord defeated, you've got the inactive robot for Anne-Claire, but there's a couple of other things to do here before you head back. Firstly, grab an On Switch from the box beside the furnace, then use the stamping machine on the Hobo Meat as part of The Meat Of Human Kindness, and inspect all the workbenches to retrieve machine parts from each one.

Bring the robot to Anne-Claire and she'll do some customization work, presenting you with your latest support character, Fuchsia. Then head to Pelican Bay and present the ticket you got from Ernald to Kurtis, who'll open the gates after some pursuasion. Just inside the gates is Dr. Coriander Stripe, who will open Case 9: To See, Or Not To See when you speak to him.

The final piece to retrieve from the giant robot isn't immediately accessible, however; you'll need to get most of the way through Case 10: The Mistress Mysterious in order to find it; inspect the Madame Zodora machine in the "Midway" part of the boardwalk to open that case.

Once you've gotten the third fortune from Madame Zodora, go to the Cataract to the right of the Balls and Holes and speak the words from the fortune to dissolve it. Further to the right you'll find the massive light you're looking for; follow the path a little more and you'll be knocked out.

Before you leave the boardwalk, you should go see Madame Zodora again to close The Mistress Mysterious, and you should now also be able to retrieve Dr. Coriander Stripe's lost property from the mimes in the area, closing To See, Or Not To See.

When you take the light back to Anne-Claire, that will close Case 2: The Game Is Afoot, and will open Case 4: To Fell A God.