This guide will help you navigate the Martinaise East area in Disco Elysium.
Martinaise East Map
Area Overview
1 – Broken Fence
With enough Perception, you’ll be able to examine the broken fence here, and with enough Visual Calculus, you’ll be able to determine that a car rammed through it before heading south. You can pick up the trail of the car by using some more Visual Calculus on the billboard to the south (#7). This will end up leading to the task Find the Traffic Hooligan.
2 – Elizabeth the Gardener (aka Elizabeth Beaufort)
You’ll meet Elizabeth the gardener here. She’s involved in the task Ask the Gardener about Gardening in March. Elizabeth will also give you some information about Martinaise. At the end of your conversation with her, if you have enough Inland Empire or Interfacing, then you’ll be able to ask her for a pair of gloves, and she’ll give you Yellow Gardening Gloves. Starting on Day 2, Elizabeth will move inside the Whirling-in-Rags (Exit A), where you’ll learn that she’s not really a gardener.
3 – Tommy Le Homme (aka Jerry Lefitte)
Tommy is a lorry driver. He’s involved in the task The Jam Mystery. You can get two skill checks with him. If you pass a “formidable” Empathy check, then Tommy will talk about missing his family. If you pass a “formidable” Conceptualization check, then you’ll impress Tommy with an impromptu poem. If you fail the Conceptualization check, then your words will be much darker, and you’ll lose Morale, but you’ll gain a bonus for the Empathy check.
When you approach Tommy, if you have at least 6 Electrochemistry, then a thought orb will appear over your head. If you click on it, then you’ll spot a pack of Smokes “Astra” just to the south.
4 – Coupris Kineema
This is Kim’s police cruiser (and also the car you heard at the start of the game). There are a few things you can do with it:
When you use the radio to call Sylvie, the missing bartender from the Whirling-in-Rags (Exit A), she’ll inform you that she wasn’t the one who called the police. If you have enough Logic, then you’ll also learn that she’s been staying away from the Whirling-in-Rags because of the crazy way you were acting there. If you talked to her boss Garte, and he mentioned that he thought she left because he asked her out on a date, then she’ll deny it but she won’t want to talk about it. At the end of the call, you’ll be given a red “medium” Empathy check:
If you pass the Empathy check, then Sylvie will list a few of the things you did during your stay at the hostel: you broke the stuffed skua (bird) that used to hang on the wall (which you might have noticed Garte trying to fix); you flushed your police documents down that toilet, forcing Sylvie to extract them (but she won’t remember what she did with them); and you repeatedly sang a sad song called “The Smallest Church in Saint-Saens.” If you learned about Garte asking Sylvie out, then you’ll also finally be able to ask Sylvie about it, and she’ll admit that she actually likes Garte. This will trigger the task Talk to Garte for Sylvie.
Pull out the toolbox. This will allow you to take Chaincutters, a Flashlight, and a Prybar. These are all tools you’ll need throughout the game.
On Day 4, you’ll meet a pair of wannabe Skulls admiring Kim’s car. If you talk to them and eventually pass a “legendary” Half Light check, then you’ll confiscate their leather jackets, Pissf****t and F**k the World. If you fail the check, then you’ll only receive Pissf****t. After claiming the jackets, if you ask Kim which one he wants, then he’ll choose Pissf****t, but he’ll generously allow you to keep both of them.
If you have at least 8 Suggestion, if you picked Fuck the World when Kim picked Pissf****t, and if you end the conversation by saying, “Still, it’s good to know we have a pair, in case the need arises,” then Suggestion will tell you to put on Fuck the World. When you comply, a Suggestion thought orb will appear over your head. When you click on it, you’ll start a conversation with Kim, where you’ll convince him to wear Pissf****t. He’ll then keep it on as long as you keep wearing Fuck the World. But note: when the two of you remove your jackets, Kim will keep his. You won’t get it back.
Note: The Composure and Conceptualization checks are white. That means you can fail them and then beat them to unlock all of the items.
Another Note: The sneakers will cost you 50 real, but buying them will allow you to buy the speakers for 50 cents. You can then turn around and sell the speakers at the pawnshop (#6) for 30 real, making the price of the sneakers much more manageable.
The first time you meet Siileng, he’ll shoot his finger-pistols into the air. With 5 Composure, you’ll be able to shoot yours off, too. This will unlock the thought Finger Pistols (9mm). Later, if you pass a “challenging” Rhetoric check with Siileng, then you’ll be able to convince him to give you 10 real. Siileng is also involved in the task The Jam Mystery.
6 – Roy’s Pawnshop
Outside this pawnshop, you’ll find Fingerless Gloves and Nosaphed in containers next to the entrance.
Inside the pawnshop, Bird’s Nest Roy will sell you a few things:
Street light. This will cost you 700 real, which you’ll never be able to afford using regular money, but if you increase your net worth during the task Become a Man of Plenty, then you’ll be able to trade some shares of stock for the light. Of course, even if you buy the street light, you won’t be able to tote it around with you. It’ll remain in the pawnshop.
Tape Player “Harmon Wowshi W02.” You’ll need this for the tasks Doorgunner Megamix and Sing Karaoke. Roy will sell you the tape player for 12 real, but if you wait until you’re working through the task Doorgunner Megamix, then you might be able to get a police discount, which will reduce the price to 4 real.
Otherwise, you’ll be able to sell “items” to Roy to make some money. He won’t buy your clothes. If you pass a “challenging” Electrochemistry check with Roy, then he’ll give you Pyrholidon.
7 – Ruined Billboard
This billboard will only be here during the first two days. If you pass a “medium” Visual Calculus check when examining it, then you’ll work out how a vehicle used the pawnshop as a ramp and then jumped over the canal, damaging the billboard and the water lock (Exit B) in the process. This will lead to the task Find the Traffic Hooligan.
8 – Rene Arnoux and Gaston Marrtin
You’ll meet Rene Arnoux and Gaston Marrtin here. They’ll be playing a ball game called petanque. If you attempt a “medium” Hand/Eye Coordination check, then you’ll grab a ball and force your way into their game. If you pass the check, then you’ll throw the ball into the bay, losing it. This will trigger the task Replace Lost Boule. If you fail the check, then you’ll make a perfect petanque throw.
Otherwise, Rene will teach you the history of the area. If you pass a “legendary” Composure check with him, then you’ll notice that he’s wearing two medals. If you listen to his story for how he earned them, and pass a “legendary” Drama check to make up your own heroic story, then Rene will offer one of them to you. If you accept it, then you’ll receive the medal The Setting Sun. If you decline it, then you’ll gain honor, which will help you towards unlocking the thought Overproductive Honor Glands. Rene is also involved in the tasks Ask Rene about the Photo, Ask the Petanque Player about May Bells, and Turn Back the Wheels of Time.
Meanwhile, you’ll notice that Gaston has a Giant Ham Sandwich. If you keep asking him for a bite of it, and if you pass a “legendary” Rhetoric check, then he’ll give it to you. This will allow you to eat the entire sandwich yourself or share it with Kim. “Friends forever!” Either way, you’ll heal some Health. Gaston is also involved in the task Address Gaston’s Cheating in the Petanque Game.
On Day 5, Rene will disappear and Gaston will move over to the nearby bench (#9). When you talk to Gaston, you’ll learn that Rene died during the night. This will cancel all of Rene’s tasks. If you have the Photo of a Happy Couple, then you can give it to Gaston so he has something to remember his friend by. With Rene dead, you’ll also be able to loot his Royal Carabineer Jacket and Royal Carabineer Pants from the night watchman’s booth (#37).
9 – Bench
If Kim isn’t with you, then you’ll be able to sit on this bench and pass time (up to an hour). You’ll conduct thought research during this time, so you can send Kim to bed and then sit on the bench and research thoughts without any penalty. There isn’t any way to sleep on the bench and end the day.
If you pat the box, and if you have at least 2 Perception, then you’ll get to commiserate with it. If you say “been there” or “I feel you,” then you’ll heal a point of Morale.
If you kick the box, then you’ll take a step towards gaining the thought Anti-Object Task Force, but if you have less than 7 Pain Threshold, then you’ll lose a point of Health.
11 – Book Displays
You can examine several books here, but they won’t lead to anything.
On Day 1, you’ll meet Annette here. She’s the daughter of Plaisance, the owner of the bookshop Crime, Romance, and Biographies of Famous People, which you can visit inside the Doomed Commercial Area to the north (Exit B). Annette will try to interest you in buying books, and she’ll also reveal that businesses in the Doomed Commercial Area tend to fail because they’re cursed (thus the name).
With 4 Empathy, you’ll notice that Annette is cold and that she should be in school. If you pass a “challenging” Composure check, then you’ll deduce that she bites her nails because of pressure put on her by her mother. If you pass a “medium” Suggestion check, then you’ll realize that you’ve met Annette before because she stands in front of the bookshop every day. Later, when you talk to Plaisance, if you noticed that Annette chews her nails, then you’ll be able to convince Plaisance to let Annette come inside the shop. This will result in Annette giving you Dick Mullen’s Hat.
On Day 2, you’ll meet a working class woman browsing books here. If you keep insisting that her husband — or her daughters, or her cockatoo — is missing, then she’ll call you a cockatoo. If you ask her about the birds, then you’ll trigger the task Find Your Heraldic Bird. After talking to the woman, if you walk over to the nearby drunk to the south, and if you have at least 2 Authority, then a thought orb will appear over your head. If you click on it, then you’ll decide that the drunk must be the woman’s missing husband. When you point him out to her, she’ll deny that he’s her husband, but then she’ll finally admit that she hasn’t seen her husband since yesterday, and she’ll describe him to you. This will trigger the task Find Working Class Husband.
12 – Plastic Bag
On the ground here, you’ll find a Yellow Plastic Bag. If you hold it in one of your hands, then you’ll be allowed to pick up tare (recyclable bottles) and redeem them at the Frittte store (#28).
On Day 1, if you pass a “medium” Volition check with Joyce, then you can convince her to give you enough money to cover your bill at the Whirling-in-Rags (that is, up to 130 real). Afterwards, with 4 Suggestion, you can get another real from her.
If you ask Joyce about Wild Pines and then later ask her, “Eight percent of *all* cargo in the world?” then you’ll unlock the thought The Fifteenth Indotribe. During the task Get a Reality Lowdown, if you ask Joyce, “Where *are* we?” then you’ll unlock the thought Jamais Vu (Derealization).
You’ll find Magnesium (and some money) inside these containers.
15 – Grate
If you have Chaincutters or a Prybar equipped, then you’ll be able to open this grate and loot a Signal-Blue Naval Coat from it. You can get the tools from Kim’s car (#4).
This trash container will start out locked. When you examine it, you’ll trigger the task Open Trash Container. When you get it open, you’ll be given three options:
Look under the boxes. You won’t find anything.
Pick at the rags. You’ll find the hanged man’s shirt and jeans. This will trigger the task Who Put the Clothes in the Trash? You’ll also find a Yellow Man Mug, which you’ll need for the task.
Browsing the white papers will complete the task Read Your Ledger and Name the Case. This will start your case file. If you don’t have a pen yet, then Kim will give you a Blue Oblong Pen. Afterwards, if you pass a Logic check, then you’ll be able to look through your old case files. This will reveal that your initials are HDB. You’ll also be able to read about five old cases. They’re amusing, and each one will take half an hour to go through.
Looking at the clipboard and passing an Interfacing check will reveal a postcard hidden inside. Reading the card will transform the Damaged Ledger into either a Ledger of Failure and Hatred (if you read the card all the way through) or a Ledger of Oblivion (if you’re outside and throw the card into the wind). If you wonder what was on the card after throwing it away, then you’ll gain the thought Caustic Echo.
When you ask Cuno about his name, he and Cunoesse will start shouting that you’re trying to rape Cuno. If you pass a “challenging” Physical Instrument check, then you’ll punch Cuno, and he’ll gain respect for you (which will make it easier to pass the Empathy check below). If you fail the Physical Instrument check, then you’ll miss with your punch, fall down, lose a point of Health, lose one or two points of Morale — and obviously lose respect. To regain Cuno’s respect, you’ll have to complete the task Make Truce with Cuno. Of course, you can also just back off instead of resorting to violence, and you won’t lose or gain anything.
After the “rape” incident, if you pass a “legendary” Empathy check, then you’ll realize that Cunoesse is Cuno’s problem. If you tell Cuno that Cunoesse is “crazy scary,” then Cuno will start confiding in you, and you’ll learn that Cunoesse just showed up in his house one day and has been following him around ever since. The way you end this conversation is important:
If you say “Understood” or “I can respect that,” then Cuno will like you better, which will allow you to complete the tasks Buy FALN Pants from Cuno and Split a “Kilo” with Cuno. Cuno will also tell you about his shack (#21), which will make it easier for you to detect it.
If you ask, “Who are you kidding, kid?” then Cuno will disown you completely, and he’ll never talk to you again.
After searching Cuno’s shack (#21), if you ask him about the tube of Magnesolam you found in there, then a thought orb will appear over your head. Clicking on it will allow you to unlock the thought Magnesium-Based Lifeform.
After completing the task Return to the Whirling-in-Rags (aka the mercenary tribunal), if Kim ends up in the hospital, then Cuno will make himself available as your partner. Cuno will only help you to explore the Island, a small part of the game, but the sequence is still amusing.
Beneath the body, you’ll notice a bunch of footprints. If you can pass a “medium” Visual Calculus check, then you’ll determine that the footprints came from eight pairs of boots, and you’ll catalogue their styles and sizes. If you fail the Visual Calculus check, then you’ll lose a point of Morale.
20 – Gary’s Apartment
This is the apartment of Gary the Cryptofascist. You’ll eventually meet him in Martinaise West. After completing the task Inspect the Traps, Gary will return home, and you’ll no longer be able to enter his apartment.
Outside the apartment, next to the front door, you’ll find an Orange Bum Hat and Nosaphed.
21 – Cuno’s Shack
You’ll need to pass a “medium” Perception check to notice the entrance to this shack. Inside, you’ll find a ladder leading up to the roof of the harbor office (#32), where you’ll find some money, Nosaphed, and tare. You might also notice an RCM Patrol Cloak hanging on a railing below the roof (#34). If you pass a “challenging” Savoir Faire check, then you’ll be able to jump down to the cloak and claim it as your own (it’s probably yours anyway). This will give you a way into the harbor without having to deal with Measurehead (#33). If you fail the Savoir Faire check, then you’ll chicken out of the jump, which will cost you a point of Health.
22 – Bucket
Inside the bucket here, you’ll find the postcard Grand Couron ’37. You’ll only be able to reach this spot via the ladder in the nearby shed (#21).
You’ll find a White Tank Top inside the crate on the back of the lorry here.
26 – Paledriver
You’ll meet an elderly female lorry driver here. She’ll be staring at a photograph, oblivious to your presence. If you have Kim with you, then he might prevent you from talking to her. If that’s the case, then you can always return to her after Kim has gone to bed, or wait until you’ve triggered the task The Jam Mystery. Paledriver will talk about boiadeiros and the past, but she’s not involved in unlocking the thought Boiadeiro (see #30 for that).
Talking to the racist lorry driver here (#27) will give you a chance to support or denounce racism. If you support it, then you’ll be able to ask the lorry driver for a smoke, and he’ll give you Smokes “Astra” (but Kim won’t be thrilled). The driver is also in involved in the task The Jam Mystery. If you search the driver’s lorry just to the east (#27a), you won’t find anything interesting.
28 – Frittte
Frittte is a convenience store. This is where you can redeem tare for 10 cents each (or 20 cents each, if you have the Hobocop thought). You can also buy alcohol, cigarettes and drugs here, plus a Plastic Rain Coat. With 4 Interfacing, you’ll notice that the rain coats are displayed in such a way making them easy to steal. This will allow you to liberate one by passing a “challenging” Savoir Faire check. Just be aware that if you fail the check, then you’ll lose a point or two of Morale.
Outside the store, right next to the entrance, you’ll find Magnesium in a trash can.
29 – Scab Leader
The scab leader will tell you about the strike. With enough Composure / Empathy / Rhetoric, you’ll notice that he seems to be off, like he’s just playing a role, but if you challenge him about it, he’ll just clam up. Eventually, you’ll learn that he’s a Wild Pines mercenary. The scab leader is involved in the tasks Ask “Scab Leader” about Tattoos and Return to the Whirling-in-Rags.
30 – Call Me Manana
Call Me Manana is an underling to union boss Evrart Claire (#39). He won’t have much to say to you when you first meet him, but if you ask him for money, then he’ll give you 1 real (even if you fail the Hand/Eye Coordination check, as long as you don’t mention almost having a heart attack).
Later, after accepting the task Open Apartment Door for Evrart, you’ll be able to ask Manana, “Why are you striking?” At the end of your discussion, you’ll need to say, “Got the picture. Let me ask you something else.” With at least 4 Suggestion, you’ll then be able to ask him about his name, which will lead to a “legendary” Inland Empire check. If you pass it, then you’ll be able to name yourself Tequila Sunset, which will cause Manana to shout, “Boiadeiro!” If you ask him what that means, then you’ll trigger the thought Boiadeiro.
The eastern door to this office will start out locked. Opening it will allow you to enter the office as well as the harbor itself. To open the door, you’ll have two choices:
If you’re outside the office on the harbor terminal (eastern) side, then you’ll need to beat up or come to an agreement with Measurehead (#33), who guards the button that unlocks the door. Pressing this button will only unlock the door long enough for you to get into the office.
Once you’ve entered the office, you’ll need a Debardeurs’ Union Card (which is categorized as a key in your inventory) to unlock the door so you can get back out. You’ll get this card from Evrart in his sanctum (#39) when you talk to him — unless he’s already gone to bed for the night, and then you’ll find the card in the antechamber of his sanctum. The card will allow you to open the door from either side.
File Cabinet. If you pass a “medium” Volition check, then you’ll notice one of Easy Leo’s to-do lists. It’ll mention “Special Whirling Borscht.” If you ask Easy Leo (#40) about this, then you’ll trigger the task The *Special* Borscht.
Payphone. If you pass a “challenging” Interfacing check, then you’ll call Video Revachol, which is located at Voyager and Main. This will give you a clue about your past.
33 – Measurehead / Door Button
Measurehead (aka Jean-Luc) is a very large racist, and also the guardian of the button that unlocks the door to the harbor office (#32). To convince him to press the button for you (or to press it yourself), you’ll have two choices:
You can “subscribe” to his race theory. This will require you to pass a “medium” Conceptualization check. When you succeed, you’ll be treated to a long, all-caps discourse about the races, which will unlock the thought Advanced Race Theory and trigger the task What is the Race Enigma? If you research the thought and internalize it, and return to Measurehead, then he’ll press the button for you.
Note: When you return to Measurehead, if you tell him that you’re going to give up alcohol, and if you stick to your guns when he doubts you, then you’ll unlock the thought Waste Land of Reality.
You can beat up Measurehead. This will require you to pass a “formidable” Physical Instrument check. When you succeed, you’ll punch Measurehead in the throat, staggering him. If you follow this up with a spin-kick (and not a right hook, which will cost you Health), then you’ll knock him out and you’ll automatically press the button yourself.
Note: If you fail the Physical Instrument check, then you’ll be able to ask the scab leader (#29) for advice. His words will give you a +1 bonus the next time you try it.
Note: You might notice a box behind Measurehead. You’ll only be able to get to it if you knock him out, but you’ll only find a bit of money and tare inside.
If you press the “Marche” (“On”) button on the control panel here, then the nearby crane will lower a large cargo container (#36) to the ground, allowing you to interact with it.
36 – Cargo Container
If this container has been lowered (see #35), then you’ll be able to interact with it, but you’ll discover that its door is locked. To open the door, you’ll have to pass an “impossible” Rhetoric check. You can make the check easier by having the dice set Sirens, by unlocking (but not necessarily researching) the thoughts One More Door and The Precarious World, by waiting (you’ll get +1 after two days and another +1 after “many” days), and by working through the task Become a Man of Plenty.
Inside the container, you’ll meet a mega-rich light-bending guy (aka Roustame Diodore). If you request money from him, then he’ll give you 3 real, and he’ll ask you to come up with an investment plan. There are two possible plans — one “solid” and one “sure to fail” (the latter requires 4 Suggestion) — and you’ll have to pass a “godly” Conceptualization check to sell him on your idea. The two possible outcomes are listed below:
If you fail the Conceptualization check for the bad plan (making it a double negative, so you succeed) or pass the Conceptualization check for the good plan, then you’ll pitch a youth center to the mega-rich guy, and he’ll pay you 100 real.
If you fail the Conceptualization check for the good plan or pass the Conceptualization check for the bad plan, then you’ll either pitch improvements to the RCM or a board game based on the Fortress Accident project you might have seen in the Doomed Commercial Area. Either way, the mega-rich guy will pass on your idea, and you’ll unlock the thought Bankruptcy Sequence.
Note: These are red checks, so you’ll only get one crack at them.
After talking to the mega-rich light-bending guy and leaving the container, it’s possible that you won’t be allowed back inside, which can break the task Become a Man of Plenty (we’ve seen it happen, and we’ve seen it not happen; it might depend on the version of the game you’re playing). So if you want to play it safe, then you should avoid the container until you’ve chosen a political vision task (see the Political Vision Tasks Introduction for more information).
37 – Night Watchman’s Booth
Inside this booth, you’ll find a Photo of a Happy Couple. If you pick it up, then Kim will ask you why. If you say that you want to ask Rene (#8) about it, then you’ll trigger the task Ask Rene about the Photo. You’ll still be able to complete that task even if you don’t trigger it here.
If you have less than 4 Volition when searching the booth, then you’ll be given the option to sit down and rest. If you look around while you’re doing this, then you’ll find Hypnogamma and Nosaphed.
Evrart Claire is the boss of the Dockworkers’ Union. The first time you talk to him, he’ll force you to sit on an uncomfortable chair, and he’ll bring up your lost gun. Combined, these two things can damage your Health by 1 and your Morale by 2, so be prepared. If this damage is enough to kill you, then you’ll have to twiddle your thumbs for a while. That’s because Evrart will give you a Debardeurs’ Union Card when he talks to you, and you’ll need this card to exit the harbor office (#32) and return to the rest of Martinaise. But if you wait until Evrart goes to bed at 22:00, then he’ll leave the card on the coffee table in his sanctum, allowing you to leave the harbor unscathed.
When you talk to Evrart, the first thing he’ll do is offer you a Giant Novelty Cheque. You can turn this in at Frittte for 25 real. He’ll also keep calling you Harry Du Bois, so if you’ve been wondering what your name is, this will give you the answer. Other topics with Evrart will depend on where you are in your investigation. For example, if you’ve examined the hanged man (#19) but you haven’t yet gotten him down, then you can ask Evrart for help, and he’ll send Measurehead (#33) to do the job.
You’ll meet Easy Leo (aka Leonard Bellec) here as he “redecorates” the Wild Pines containers in the harbor. He’ll ramble on about most topics, but he’ll let slip that Elizabeth’s (#2) last name is Beaufort. This won’t lead to anything. If you ask Leo about the to-do list from the harbor office (#32), then you’ll trigger the task The *Special* Borscht.
Water lock leading to Martinaise West. You won’t be able to close the water lock and cross the canal until Day 3 (Wednesday). At that point, you’ll need to interact with the control panel next to the lock to close it. This will complete the task Close the Water Lock on Wednesday. On Days 1-2, if you talk to the man next to the control panel, then he’ll give you some salami, which will heal a point of your Health.
Resident role-playing RPG game expert. Knows where trolls and paladins come from. You must fight for your right to gather your party before venturing forth.
