NPCs

Four people are still awake in the abbey. They are never in a fight and never in your way, there are no quests to accept and no replies to choose. You only have to stop and listen.

How talking works

Fly close and a small mark shows over the person's head. Hover beside them for half a second and they speak.
One new talk at a time. Each visit plays their first talk you have not heard this run whose conditions are met. Otherwise you get a short idle line.
Beating a boss counts for good, in any run, and so does reading a fallen bearer. You can go back in a later run to hear what it opened.
Talks start over each run, but a gift is handed over only once.
Now and then you will also meet one in a cleared room, with a single line for the road.

Why bother? They hand over four of the eleven guns and four of the armours, and how far you follow each one helps choose your ending.

Hesk, the Dockwarden

By the first dock of sectors 1 and 10

Keeps the berths swept, in case anyone ever sails. He knows the docks, the bells, and more than he says about who you are.

Ah. Awake again, bearer? ...No, don't mind me. I'm the dockwarden. I keep the berths swept, in case anyone ever sails. Hear the bells, under everything? Ten of them, ringing the same night over and over.

Follow Hesk's story (spoilers)

Talks play in this order. One whose condition is not met yet waits until it is.

When	What happens
In sector 1	He tells you about the berths and the ten bells.
In sector 1, once you have beaten any Guardian	He hands over the Grave Lanterns.
In sector 1, once you have beaten the Pale Interceptor	"You fly like someone I used to see off."
In sector 10, once you have beaten the Last Organ	He hands over the Warden Mail. This finishes his story.
In sector 1 or 10, after the Eclipse Archon	His farewell. He is gone for the rest of that run.

What Hesk says on the road

Out stretching my legs. The docks get lonely. Mind the dark in here, bearer.
Found a lantern hook on the way. Nothing hanging on it. There never is.
I walk the old pilgrim route sometimes. My knees remember it better than I do.

When there is nothing new to say: "The docks remember you. That's all they're for."

Sorrel, a mourner

Moorings of sectors 2, 4 and 7

Came down on the pilgrim train to sit a vigil for her child Wren, a bearer, and never stopped sitting it. Her hands keep weaving as she talks.

Have you seen my Wren? A bearer, like you. Small, quick, always humming. I came down on the pilgrim train to sit the vigil, and the night never ended, so I never stopped sitting it.

Follow Sorrel's story (spoilers)

Talks play in this order. One whose condition is not met yet waits until it is.

When	What happens
Any of her sectors	She asks if you have seen Wren.
After reading Bearer Wren among the fallen bearers	She hands over the Psalm Lance, which still hums.
Once you have beaten the Candle Parliament	She has lit a candle of her own, and thinks she might be allowed to stop.
Once you have beaten the Iron Pilgrim	She hands over the Vigil Shroud and leaves. This finishes her story.

What Sorrel says on the road

Wren came this way once. I can tell. The dust is lighter where someone hummed.
I'm only resting. Mourners walk slowly, and the night is long.
Do you hum while you fly? Wren did. It drove the others mad.

When there is nothing new to say: "I'm still sitting. Someone has to."

Ambrel, the Horologist

Moorings of sectors 3, 6 and 10

Stopped every clock in the abbey at eleven fifty-nine, by his own account. He would like the minute back.

Tick. ...Forgive me, habit. There's nothing to tick. Every clock in this abbey says eleven fifty-nine. I should know. I stopped them.

Follow Ambrel's story (spoilers)

Talks play in this order. One whose condition is not met yet waits until it is.

When	What happens
Any of his sectors	He tells you about the minute, hidden in the belfry behind a wall that isn't.
Once you have beaten the Borrowed Minute	The second hand twitches. This finishes his story, and opens the Horologe Harness.
In sector 6 or 10, once you have beaten the Griefwell	He hands over the Ossuary Rail.
In sector 10, once you have beaten the Last Organ	He tells you what waits below. Only before the true ending.
After the Eclipse Archon	His farewell. He is gone for the rest of that run.

What Ambrel says on the road

Eleven fifty-nine in here as well. I checked. I always check.
A clock in this room started once, for a moment. I came to listen. It stopped.
Walls keep time badly. Some of them hardly keep at all.

When there is nothing new to say: "Eleven fifty-nine. Still. Always."

Corwin, the Lantern-wright

Moorings of sectors 5 and 8

Made every Lanternbound suit. He recognises his rivets on yours, and tells you that one he made first.

Hold still. Let me look at that plate. ...These are my rivets. I made every Lanternbound suit, but this one I made first.

Follow Corwin's story (spoilers)

Talks play in this order. One whose condition is not met yet waits until it is.

When	What happens
Any of his sectors	He looks over your plate.
In sector 8	He warns you about the First Wing, and hands over the Reliquary Bolt.
Once you have beaten the Pale Interceptor	His confession. He hands over the Wright-Forged Plate and leaves. This finishes his story.

What Corwin says on the road

Came out to look for scrap. Your plate's holding, I see. Good rivets.
Every room in this place was built by somebody. Hard to remember that, down here.
If that left thruster pulls, lean into it. Don't fight it. It never listens.

When there is nothing new to say: "Mind the left thruster. It always drifted."

Who gives what

Who	Where to look	Gun	Armour
Hesk, the Dockwarden	By the first dock of sectors 1 and 10	Grave Lanterns	Warden Mail
Sorrel, a mourner	Moorings of sectors 2, 4 and 7	Psalm Lance	Vigil Shroud
Ambrel, the Horologist	Moorings of sectors 3, 6 and 10	Ossuary Rail	Horologe Harness
Corwin, the Lantern-wright	Moorings of sectors 5 and 8	Reliquary Bolt	Wright-Forged Plate