Maverick tried all possibilities to save Sir Gregory Holm in The Council’s fifth and final episode. He reached various conclusions while doing so, which he is sharing here.
The Short Answer
No matter what you try, Sir Gregory Holm dies at the end of the Mind Prison quest. You can, however, make him die happily. This locks you into a specific set of endings, as well, so if this is worth it is debatable. We’ll go over the consequences of this decision at the end of this post. First, let’s discuss how to actually pull it off.
How to “Save” Gregory Holm
You may think it’s a matter of speed, like it is when saving Sarah de Richet. This is not the case here. Instead, there is a specific sequence of steps you need to follow.
At the start of the Mind Prison quest, ignore the paintings you can easily spot to the right. Instead, make your way to the lone painting to the left, pictured on the screenshot above. After entering this painting, you will meet Asahel, father of both Gregory Holm and William Mortimer. He is a powerful, imposing daemon who is quick to anger.
To end this encounter with as little confrontation as possible, answer directly and avoid skill checks except Etiquette. Even if you can’t resist the temptation to explore different dialogue paths, however, you’ll be mostly fine as long as you don’t try to read his mind.
When the conversation is at an end and you try to leave, Asahel will propose to possess you to take care of Lord Mortimer when the time comes. If you accept, he will reveal himself at the end of the quest, preventing Mortimer from absorbing Gregory’s Soul. He also expresses how proud he is of Holm, who then dies happily.
What if Elizabeth Adams Is Dead?
If you went to have “fun time” with Emily instead of going with Elizabeth or didn’t drink with her until the end, she will no longer be alive at this point of the game.
You can still meet Asahel in this scenario, however, taking on the appearance of Elizabeth. That is because, as he mentions himself, it is your mind giving him that shape so you can see him. He is not actually Elizabeth Adams (nor is he possessing her at that moment).
Can You Save Gregory Holm by Letting Him Enter You?
Excuse the sus phrasing.
When you take Sir Gregory Holm’s side in the conference until the end, you will get an additional option at the end of the Mind Prison Quest. Apart from following Mortimer or following neither of them, you can also choose to “follow him (Holm) until the end.”
Sir Gregory Holm will then enter your body to allow you to communicate with the Ether. This will allow you to meet Asahel in the next and final Quest, locking you into the same endings as you will read about below. However, this ending is not as positive for Holm as what we discussed before. When he enters you, he simply gives you some of his power. He doesn’t transfer his soul to you, so it still gets devoured by Mortimer shortly after.
The Consequences of “Saving” Gregory Holm
If you decide to take Asahel up on his offer, he will take care of Mortimer in your body. Before reaching that point, you will enter into a confrontation with him. During that confrontation, he will ask you to prove your innocence in the fate of Gregory Holm:
- Failing the confrontation will result in being buried alive. Lous will then never see the light of day again.
- If you pass the confrontation successfully, he will welcome you into the family. You then no longer have the option to refuse your Daemon side.
The Best Ending
The best ending of The Council is highly debated. In the end, it’s much of a “everyone is a hero in their own story” scenario:
- Gregory Holm believes that humanity needs guidance and manipulating their monarchs is the best way to do so. He also believes that following the ruleset by Asahel is the best way for everyone involved.
- William Mortimer also believes that humanity needs guidance. He, however, believes that humanity needs to have the illusion of freedom to be better controlled. He also believes that Asahel’s rules are outdated and isn’t above using violence to rebel against them.
- Asahel has similar believes as Gregory Holm, but has little regards for humans. Everyone not part of his family doesn’t get a choice in their own fate. Those part of his family need to follow his rules for the good of all or face the (violent) consequences.
- Humanity believes it needs no guidance, but it is hard to deny we are pretty good at killing each other and damaging the planet.
Following your humanity and taking out Mortimer without Asahel is implied to incur his wrath in many endings. The actual consequences of this are unknown by the end of the game, but is implied to be something Lous wiFollowing Asahel’s lead, on the other hand, enlists you in the family. You then have no choice but to embrace your daemon nature, including their manipulation of humanity (or perhaps rebel later, as dangerous as that may be). Both endings have pros and cons, so it is up to you to choose your preferred one.