How to solve the second murder in Pentiment

Successfully proving Brother Piero’s innocence concludes Pentiment‘s initial act. Fast-forward a bit, and you’ll see that Andreas is back in the town of Tassing. And, as expected, something sinister occurs once more. Here’s our Pentiment guide to help you solve the second murder, that of Otto Zimmerman.

Note: For more information, check out our Pentiment guides and features hub. Likewise, please be reminded that this guide contains spoilers.

Pentiment guide – How to solve the second murder (Otto Zimmerman)

This particular act in the game concerns the rising tensions between the peasants and the clergy. Otto, the leader of the peasantry, has clear demands. Sadly, he meets his untimely demise during the festival. Someone loosened a contraption’s ropes, causing him to get crushed underneath. The peasantry, now driven to a frenzy by Peter, march to Kiersau Abbey, holding the priests hostage until the suspect, Father Gernot, admits his wrongdoing.

Andreas knows that Gernot is innocent. But, things take a turn for the worse when the duke’s soldiers arrive. They vow to kill everyone in Tassing unless the abbot and priests are released. You have less than a couple of days to find the evidence. The entire endeavor will lead you to two persons of interest in the second murder investigation in Pentiment:

• Martin Bauer (eastern farmlands where Ottila’s house is located)
• Hanna Berger (Golden Hand Inn)

Screenshot by PC Invasion

Martin Bauer

• Visit the Golden Hand and buy everyone a drink. Pay respects to Otto and try to be chums with everyone.
  • Josua and his family – Joke around that kids will make him curse, and share info that you’re trying to solve a murder.
  • Werner – Don’t bother mentioning your opinion about Pliny’s works. However, do tell Werner’s friends (twice) about his role in finding Otto’s body.
  • Werner will tell you that Otto once had a scar when he was a kid, but, now, it’s completely gone.
  • After the scuffle at the inn, talk to Josua again. He’ll confide that Martin looks like an entirely different fella that he met in another town.
• Go to the Bauer’s farm to the left. You’ll be told by the NPCs there that Martin seems to be an impostor.
• Go to the Bauer’s farm to the right. Talk to Martin’s mother and his wife.
• Finally, talk to Martin. If you’ve gathered enough information, you might get him to admit that he’s an impostor. He’s trying to reform due to the mistakes he’s made in the past, but he wants to keep his true identity hidden.

Hanna Berger

• Talk to Sister Gertrude in the convent. Tell her about the flowers.
• Go to the Shrine of Saint Satia in the woods. There’s a pathway to the right of the screen. You won’t be able to venture further if it’s already afternoon, so you have to do this in the morning.
• Andreas and his apprentice, Caspar, fall down the pit that leads to an old Roman aqueduct system.
• Follow the tunnel until you see the second opening. Caspar can climb up and grab a fireplace poker. This object can be used in the previous chamber so Andreas can move the rocks that are blocking the path.
• Upon exiting, you’ll hear an argument between Hanna and Lenhardt, the miller. The two are having an adulterous affair. Hanna admits that she does want Otto eliminated, but Lenhardt knows she’s not the killer.
• You can visit Lenhardt’s mill north of the labyrinth church. Join his family for a meal and agree to go on a hunt. He’ll tell you that he has suspicions about Martin, as well as how much he hates the peasantry. Basically, he’s an a-hole.

Conclusion and results

With all of the above done, it’s time to solve the murder of Otto in Pentiment. Come sunset on the second day, and with a few shenanigans occurring, you’ll be able to accuse someone of the crime:

• Martin Bauer – It’s possible that Otto found out about his true identity. Martin may have wanted to keep him quiet for good.
• Hanna Bergman – She did want Otto out of the equation so that the shrine remains intact. This ensures that pilgrims visit Tassing and, naturally, their family’s inn.

Note: Due to the chaos, Andreas will tell Caspar to leave town. However, since we’ve been quite nice to him the entire time, this attempt led to failure. It also seals Caspar’s fate.

Regardless of the person you accuse, Lenhardt will show up and say that person is under his protection. It’s a bit weird if you choose Martin, since he wanted you to accuse him just moments prior.

In any case, the peasant mob advances to the mill. Things escalate, and Lenhardt, as well as the person you accused, die in a fire.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

It doesn’t end there, because the mob heads to the abbey. They agree to let the abbot and priests go. Still, Peter decides to burn the library. This causes Andreas to run inside, panicking because of all the knowledge that could be lost.

In any case, this completes your investigation into the second murder in Pentiment. It also ends this particular act, culminating in the slaughter of several townsfolk. Don’t worry, because the campaign does continue. Eventually, you’ll have to solve a pottery puzzle, followed by the final mural and endings.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

Pentiment is available via Steam.