Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa

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"They weren't looking forward to visitors, were they?"

This article contains spoilers for Amnesia: The Bunker. Proceed with caution.

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“

Quickly! Off with the head! And Daniel, whatever happens – get me through that gate.

”

Agrippa

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa is the tritagonist of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Agrippa is voiced by Bill Corkery. Since he is highly based on the real life Cornelius Agrippa, it is very likely that he is born in or around 1486.

Information

Some time ago, Agrippa came into contact with an Orb in an ancient Mithraic temple near Alstadt. Straight away The Shadow pursued and caught him, but the guardian chose to spare the man. He couldn't speak of the incident for another decade out of fear the cosmic beast would return. He later came into contact with Alexander of Brennenburg and worked with him to study the mystic relics. Alexander managed to later recover Agrippa's Orb in order to power his machine. However, he botched his attempt to perform the Final Ritual, and so the Orb was shattered into pieces when he prematurely activated it. The elderly Agrippa then was kept prisoner by Alexander in the Nave after his former student, Johann Weyer, escaped to The Other World and enraged Alexander as he was unable to return to the world where he was banished from. His soul was trapped inside a dying husk of a body to ensure he wouldn't die of old age. Alexander wanted to further study the orbs with him, but Johann Weyer wanted to free Agrippa, giving Alexander a formula for a potion that would release Agrippa from his body. He offered to take Alexander back to his own world, but Alexander was unwilling to trust Weyer, and kept Agrippa prisoner.

Daniel encounters Agrippa in the Nave, past the halfway mark of the events in the story. Alexander had Agrippa locked up within the depths of Brennenburg Castle, mutilating his body and at the same time keeping him alive. When Daniel encounters Agrippa, he is asked to create a potion designed by his pupil Johann Weyer, so that Agrippa will be freed from his useless and unmoving body.

When Daniel approaches Agrippa, he will lose some sanity when Agrippa looks up at him. A switch attached to a container must be pulled for Agrippa to communicate further. If Daniel decides not to pull the switch, then upon entering the Nave after escaping from the Cells, and consequently, the Shadow, Agrippa's head will already be removed and he will not talk.

Concept Art "Mug Shot" of Agrippa.

  Agrippa may be telepathic; when asking questions to Daniel he doesn't wait for his answer, as though knowing what Daniel will say before he can even voice it. Apparently, Alexander also shares this ability. However, it is entirely possible that the game merely omits Daniel's dialogue.

Agrippa is used as a plot device to resemble Daniel's morality. If the player chooses not to save Agrippa, Daniel will be depicted as selfish and hateful. If the player made the effort to save Agrippa with Weyer's tonic, Daniel will be depicted as charitable and sympathetic. These choices also affect how Alexander first responds when finally confronted, and loading screen messages explaining the fate of Daniel's sister, Hazel. If Agrippa's severed head was placed in Alexander's portal at the end of the game and Daniel is consumed by The Shadow, Agrippa's voice is heard, pointing to Daniel's good character by stating that he "deserves so much more". 

Possible Ending

Portrait of the real-life occultist Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa

It is possible for Daniel to create Johann Weyer's tonic, giving him the option to free Agrippa. Upon feeding Agrippa the potion, Daniel is asked to saw off Agrippa's head, which can then be put into the player's inventory.

In the final portion of the game, Daniel can place Agrippa's head into the portal after it opens, where Agrippa will be teleported into the Other World. The Shadow will then proceed to kill both Daniel and Alexander, but Daniel will be saved by Agrippa and Johann Weyer. The game ends with Agrippa asking Johann to help Daniel, and telling Daniel everything will be alright.

If Daniel refuses to help Agrippa, then it is likely he meets his end at the hands of the Shadow.

If Daniel saws off Agrippa's head, but doesn't put it through the portal, then he most likely dies after Weyer's tonic wears off.

Quotes

• "Daniel? Like the prophet thrown into the lion's den. Tell me – are you among the lions, Daniel? You want to stop Alexander? Oh, my... so Babylon shall fall, you say."
• " I was once quite important, you know."
• "There he is. Do you see him, Weyer? He deserves so much more. Please, help him, I know you can."

See: Quotes: Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa for a full list.