 |
With brush and paint, I bring beauty to where there was only emptiness. |  | |
| - Voyta to Henry, Brushes with Death | |||
Master Voyta (Czech: Mistr Vojtěch) is an eccentric painter from Kuttenberg, whom Henry encounters during his travels in the Trosky region. He is the central figure of the Brushes with Death expansion.
Though initially appearing as a peculiar artist muttering to a painted skull, Voyta reveals himself to be a troubled but earnest man haunted by past guilt and a desperate need for meaning in his work.
Biography[]
Trosky[]
Henry stumbles upon Voyta tied to a tree in the woods near the Trosky Castle, muttering to a painted skull and under threat from wolves - an encounter Henry narrowly prevents. After the rescue, Voyta introduces himself as a painter commissioned by Otto von Bergow to complete a variety of artistic work. He explains that he had gone for a walk to enjoy the scenery and clear his head, but was nearly struck by an arrow. The men responsible apologized and invited him to their camp, offering him wine to calm his nerves and suggesting a game of dice. However, one of them turned out to be a cheat. When Voyta confronted him, the other man struck him on the head. He later awoke tied to a tree. After recounting the incident, Voyta asks Henry to retrieve the set of brushes and dice that the pair stole from him.
Investigating the camp Voyta directed him to, Henry discovers that two wanderers, Four‑leaf Clovis and Yura, are responsible for the attack. When questioned about the incident, they claim that they tied up Voyta not because of the dice game, but because of the unsettling things he said. According to them, Voyta told Yura that someone was going to murder him, and that his painted skull had revealed this to him. Disturbed by the warning, Yura panicked and Clovis struck Voyta on the head. They insist they meant no real harm and assumed someone would eventually find and free him. Henry then retrieves the stolen brushes and dice and returns them to Voyta at his workshop in Trosky. If confronted about the discrepancy in his story, Voyta admits that he may have said something troubling, as he was not in the best state of mind at the time, and the two men overreacted. Brushing the matter aside, he rewards Henry with his personal set of dice for recovering the paintbrushes and offers to paint his shield free of charge whenever he wishes.
Voyta's speaking with the skull
Intrigued by the eccentric painter, Henry asks if Voyta needs any further help. Voyta reveals that his lifelong wish is to create a painting so profound that his name will be remembered for generations. To achieve this, he is searching far and wide for a source of inspiration. He believes one such source could be an old shrine dedicated to the pagan god Veles. However, Voyta does not know the shrine's location and asks for Henry's help in finding it. He suggests speaking to an old woman named Kvyetoslava, who may know where it can be found. He tried to find the shrine himself but couldn't get anything out of her on account of her failing memory. With Kvyetoslava's help, Henry eventually locates the hidden shrine and brings Voyta there. He spends many hours painting at the shrine while Henry dozes off under a nearby tree. However, once the painting is finished, Voyta does not appear convinced that it is his long-sought masterpiece. On the contrary, he seems more troubled than inspired. The place, he says, spoke to him of the shrine's history, of Veles and of the underworld. He departs for his workshop, but not before asking Henry to visit him again soon - he has other work for him in mind.
When Henry visits him later, Voyta reveals that he wants to attempt something unconventional: to create a paint using an egg no one has tried before, a basilisk egg. Henry is skeptical, but Voyta persuades him to pursue it, if not for the reward, then at least out of curiosity. Henry eventually procures the egg, laid by a black cockerel and brooded by a toad. Upon receiving it, Voyta quickly dismisses Henry, explaining that he needs peace and quiet for the delicate process. When prodded, he admits he does not expect the paint itself to be miraculous. What matters to his potential clients is the story behind it.
Voyta's drawing at Veles's shrine
The next time Henry visits Voyta, the painter asks him to examine a sword he recently purchased with the last few groschen he had. He even admits to painting a lewd picture above the local blacksmith's bed as part of the payment. Voyta explains that he is now ready for the final task he must complete in the Trosky region: a duel to the death. He reveals that he has planned to confront and fight a bandit named Burkhard, an old acquaintance from his past, in order to find peace of mind. When Voyta discovered that Burkhard was in the area, his first instinct was to flee. However, while attempting to leave the region, he was nearly struck by an arrow - revealing that his earlier tale about taking a peaceful stroll was fabricated. Ever since, he has been plagued by an overwhelming voice in his mind whispering, "Burkhard must die! He must die!" The voice has haunted him to the point that he can no longer sleep, eat, or focus on his art.
If Henry presses him further, asking why he is only now confronting Burkhard after knowing him for so long, Voyta confesses that he had already tried turning to unchristian methods to rid himself of the torment. The shrine and the egg were never about artistic experimentation, but rather a desperate attempt to silence his inner demons. At the shrine of Veles, he prayed not only to the pagan god, but also to the Devil, after feeling abandoned by the Christian god. And the basilisk egg was part of a ritual he performed, along with a prayer to the Devil. Voyta sincerely apologizes to Henry for leading him on.
Voyta's "Judgement Day"
But despite his efforts, the burden remains. With no other recourse, he believes that an honorable duel is the only way to put an end to the torment. Henry, however, objects, pointing out that there would be nothing fair about such a duel - Burkhard is a seasoned fighter, while Voyta's real skill lies in painting. Henry offers to face Burkhard in his place, and after some hesitation, Voyta agrees. His only request is that Henry spare Burkhard's gang. Voyta explains that Burkhard often recruits young, aimless men who lack direction. They are not truly evil, only lost, and Voyta knows this from personal experience he refuses to tell about. After Henry deals with Burkhard, Voyta does not feel the sense of relief he had hoped for. He is genuinely proud if Henry chose to spare the gang, though visibly saddened if they were killed along with Burkhard. Once again, Henry tries to get Voyta to open up, but Voyta deflects his questions. He says he would feel more comfortable speaking freely at home and invites Henry to visit his workshop in Kuttenberg.
Kuttenberg[]
Unfinished masterpiece
Sometime later, fate brings Henry to Kuttenberg, giving him the opportunity to take Voyta up on his invitation. Voyta is glad to see him and excitedly shares news about his latest commission - an altar for the Sedletz Monastery. The abbot recently received a Saint Vitus relic from King Sigismund and intends to redesign half the chapel for it. Voyta believes this could finally be his chance to create a true masterpiece. Unfortunately, his joy is short-lived. Bellissimo, a former friend and now a rival, appears and arrogantly boasts that he managed to steal the commission right out from under Voyta's nose. As Henry investigates, he discovers that Bellissimo agreed to paint the altar for free, offering his work in exchange for absolution from the monastery for his many sins. Determined to reclaim the project, Henry and Voyta come up with a plan: to convince Bellissimo that the Devil himself has come to claim his soul. Henry gets Bellissimo drunk enough to fall for the ruse, while Voyta crafts a terrifying costume and transforms Bellissimo's workshop with torches and visions of Hell. The trick worked - Bellissimo was thoroughly shaken, and in the end, the commission was returned to Voyta.
While Voyta continues work on his opus magnum, Henry helps him wrap up the commissions he previously started. Voyta takes care of a simpler task himself, collecting payment for a signboard he painted for a local armourer. However, he sends Henry to resolve a more complicated matter. The bailiff of Pschitoky has refused to pay the agreed price for the decoration of a newly built fortress, which was a valuable lapis lazuli stone, the source of the finest blue pigment. In the meantime, Henry continues encouraging Voyta to open up about his past, and this time, he succeeds. Before discussing it, however, Voyta asks Henry to visit an old dugout northeast of Maleshov, a place that once meant a great deal to him. There, Henry encounters Libor, an old friend of Voyta's. Libor is barely lucid and clearly traumatized by what happened to their mutual friend.
When Henry returns to Voyta, the painter is visibly surprised - he truly expected the dugout to be abandoned. With a heavy heart, he finally opens up about his past: the name "Voyta" was never his. It belonged to a the friend who was killed long ago, and he took it as his own out of guilt and grief, feeling personally responsible for what happened. He asks Henry for another last favor - to visit his friend's grave and say a prayer for him, since it's likely been neglected for years. Voyta admits he cannot bring himself to face it yet, but hopes that if Henry describes how it looks, he might find the courage to go himself one day.
The painted skull
The grave turns out to be overgrown and unkept. To honor the memory of the real Voyta, Henry clears the weeds and offers a heartfelt prayer for both the dead man's soul and the painter's. At this point, Henry may choose to dig up the grave. Inside, he discovers that the body is missing its skull, which is the very one the painter has been speaking to. He also finds a carving on a nearby tree with the initials "R+V+L". The "V" stands for Voyta and the "L" for Libor, so the painter's real name must have started with an "R." When Henry returns, the painter admits that so much time has passed he no longer remembers what the "R" stood for, and asks Henry to continue calling him Voyta. If Henry confronts him about the disturbed grave, Voyta is furious at first. However, if Henry presses further, he confesses that he was the one who dug it up long ago and has carried the skull with him ever since, believing that his friend had been calling to him.
With the truth out in the open, Voyta's mental state begins to deteriorate. He now trusts Henry enough to ask for help with something more personal: gathering ingredients for a Mandrake decoction. Years ago, he bought the recipe from a wandering herbalist, and it's the only thing that seems to quiet the inner voice that torments him. Meanwhile, Voyta's masterpiece nears completion - only the face of Saint Vitus and the wooden altar figurines remain. The figurines should have been finished long ago, but with Voyta still unwell, Henry offers to check in with the carpenter responsible for them. After tracking down the final statuette, Henry returns it to Voyta.
Finale[]
As the painting nears its end, Voyta slips into a strange, unsettled mood. The decoction has helped, but not by much. He finds himself conflicted about the very goal he has spent his life chasing. Part of him wants to honor the real Voyta's memory, but another part fears the inspiration for the painting came not from within, but from the Devil. In a fit of paranoia, he even begins to question Henry's motives - what if Henry was sent by the Devil too? Henry manages to calm him down, at least for the moment. Still uncertain, Voyta asks for Henry's opinion: what should he do with the painting? Henry now has two choices.
- If Henry encourages Voyta to finish his work:
Voyta's finished masterpiece
- Voyta turns back to his work while Henry goes to fetch the monks from the monastery. By the time they return, the face of Saint Vitus is finally complete. This time, however, Voyta draws inspiration not from the skull of his dead friend but from Henry himself. The help and support Henry has given him have allowed Voyta to confront, if not silence, the guilt that has haunted him for years. The voice of his old friend is still there, but it has quieted.
- With a sense of peace, Voyta hands the finished painting over to the monks. He tells Henry that he knows it will not bring the real Voyta back, but he wanted to create something in his name. It was his way of giving his friend more time in this world, and in a way, it worked. Now that the burden has lifted, he hopes to live a little for himself. What he enjoyed most while working on the painting was all the places it took him, and he hopes to keep traveling. He mentions Rychnov as a possible next destination.
- At last, Voyta is ready to part with the skull. He asks Henry to return it to the grave and grant his friend eternal rest. When Henry reburies it, laying the skull where it belongs, the painter is deeply grateful: "Thank you again, my friend. You saved two Voytas from eternal damnation."
- If Henry convinces Voyta to destroy it:
Voyta's masterpiece, destroyed
- At first, Voyta is appalled by the mere suggestion. But Henry argues that Voyta spent his whole life chasing a grand masterpiece, only for it to destroy him. All Henry sees when he looks at the painting is Voyta's suffering. Eventually, Voyta gives in. The two leave the city and burn the painting together. They sit by the fire and watch it turn to ash.
- Voyta admits that he does feel lighter, and the voice of his dead friend has gone quiet - for now. Still, he worries about what might happen in a year or a decade. Despite that, he decides that hiding away in his workshop is behind him. He wants to spend more time among people, especially after seeing how much good it did him to be around Henry. Notably, he still keeps the real Voyta's skull.
Associated quests[]
|
|
Trivia[]
- Voyta has a deep affection for cats. At his home in Kuttenberg, he cares for three named Adela, Agnes, and Daniela. He also enjoys the company of several cats that live in the loft of Trosky castle, where he has set up his workshop.
Gallery[]
