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In the game Atomfall, one of the side missions, known as a "Lead," involves investigating a murder at St. Katherine’s Church. This quest can be stumbled upon naturally as you explore the game world, and the decisions you make during this investigation will have significant effects on the characters you encounter. Your rewards will be influenced by whom you decide to believe and how you choose to navigate the quest.
While Atomfall has some similarities to titles from the Fallout series, it distinguishes itself through its unique approach to Leads. Leads are side quests that players receive by interacting with various characters or objects in the environment, offering hints about events and locations of interest. Some leads may surface from rumors, while others can be found simply by investigating objects you come across.
Starting the St. Katherine’s Church Lead
To kick off the St. Katherine’s Church Lead, you must head to the church itself, located in Wyndham Village at coordinates (33.0E, 78.8N). You’ll naturally find Wyndham Village while progressing through the story, especially as you navigate through Slaten Dale towards more populated areas. Important figures, like Captain Sims of the Protocol, can be found at the Village Hall.
As you maneuver through the military presence in the area, you will enter the church and discover two people standing over a deceased woman. Engaging with the priest, Vicar McHenry, will initiate the Lead, as he reveals the identity of the victim: Maisie Higgins—a murder he wishes to keep under wraps.
Throughout the Lead, you can inform Captain Sims about the murder of Maisie Higgins, but this will upset Vicar McHenry, depriving you of potential rewards for solving the case first.
How to Solve Maisie’s Murder
Like other Leads in Atomfall, clues can be found on Maisie’s body that will help unravel the mystery. Upon starting your investigation, you’ll discover a Bloody Note on her corpse that outlines her recent actions and hints that she was spying on a location called Mereview Hotel from a nearby cottage within Wyndham Village.
Your next step should be to go to the cottage at coordinates (31.4E, 82.1N)—the same place Maisie was using to observe the hotel. Be aware that the Protocol has marked the cottage as "Condemned," making your entrance illegal. Still, sneak inside to search for evidence.
Eventually, you’ll find a note titled "Recent Movements" in the room where Maisie was staying. This note mentions Vicar McHenry instructing her to keep an eye on anyone who seemed suspicious in the Village. It also notes that Maisie had seen a man entering a rat-infested cellar.
From here, head past the hotel, across a stream, and to an abandoned structure known as the Brewery Cellar. Look for blue doors leading into the cellar Maisie noted, and continue your investigation.
Rewards for Completing the St. Katherine’s Church Lead
Once you’ve identified the murderer, you have a few options regarding how to proceed:
- Report Morris Wick’s guilt to Captain Sims
- Confront Morris directly about the murder
- Make a deal with Morris
- Exile Morris from the Village
Each decision impacts your experience differently, whether it affects relationships with key NPCs or alters the rewards you receive. Similar to Dr. Holder’s Inoculation in Atomfall, you must align yourself with one character—either Captain Sims, Vicar McHenry, or Morris—to finalize this Lead.
Siding with Vicar McHenry
Choosing to stand with Vicar McHenry and bring Morris to justice can be handled in several ways when confronting him in the Village Shop. You can threaten to report him to the Protocol or instruct him to leave the Village.
If you choose to report him, Morris will attack you, and you’ll have to eliminate him. Afterward, you can go back and inform Vicar McHenry about your findings. Alternatively, threatening to exile Morris might lead to a less contentious resolution.
After updating McHenry at the Church, he will reward you with the Vicar’s Key, which unlocks a chest in the Church’s upper area, containing an Atomic Battery—a coveted item for accessing hidden locations in the game.
Siding with Morris
If you decide to support Morris, you can choose to blackmail him to keep him quiet about the murder. Although this angers Vicar McHenry, it secures you a different reward: a Training Stimulant and crafting manual, which can enhance your crafting abilities within Atomfall. Morris can also inform you about Mother Jago, a significant character in the game.
Reporting the Murder to Captain Sims
Lastly, you have the option of going straight to Captain Sims to report the murder at the church. While this will upset both Morris and Vicar McHenry—blocking access to their rewards—it will positively impact your standing with Captain Sims and the Protocol.
Establishing a good rapport with Protocol can significantly ease your explorations later in the game. However, if you want to secure rewards from this route, consider negotiating with Morris before reporting him, which allows you to benefit from the crafting manual.
Your choices throughout this Lead will impact the overall narrative and determine the fate of those involved, ultimately completing the St. Katherine’s Church quest in Atomfall.
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