Bedtime Stories is a short side quest in Valor Mortis. Two Mice, Minci and Agnes, can’t sleep because their storybook is stuck in a cellar full of monsters, and William can go and get it. It takes a few minutes and runs during Chapter 7 in the City of Orphans. The only real decision comes at the end, and that decision decides how many Catalysts you take home.
Quick answer: Bring the Bedtime Storybook from the wine cellar back to the Mice’s burrow, then pick “Read a story.” You get two Tiny Whisker Gifts, worth 6,000 Catalysts in total.
Where Bedtime Stories starts in the City of Orphans
The quest giver is a small burrow made of twigs with lit candles around it. It sits on a balcony in Tribunal Square. To get there from the Tribunal Square lantern, follow the main path through the tunnel of burning wood. Right after you come out of the tunnel, climb the stone stairs up to the balcony. The burrow is at the top.
Interact with the burrow and Minci and Agnes explain the problem. Their storybook was left behind in a house now full of monsters. You get two options:
- Offer help. Starts the quest and gives +1 Mice friendship.
- Ignore. Gives you nothing.
A “NEW SIDE QUEST” notice appears, and Bedtime Stories shows up under Active in the Side Quests menu. The journal entry gives you the clue you need: the book is in an old wine cellar under the stairs, and the Mice drew a shrike symbol next to its door.
Bedtime Storybook location: the warehouse wine cellar
The book is inside the large warehouse across Tribunal Square from the burrow. Look for the shrike symbol by its door. The building is on your normal route through the city, so the detour is short. What slows you down is the enemies inside.
Two messages confirm the pickup: “Bedtime Storybook ADDED TO INVENTORY” and “QUEST UPDATE: BEDTIME STORIES.” Your journal changes to say you should return the book to the Mice. You don’t need a key or have to solve a puzzle to get it.
Returning the book: read a story or say goodbye
Exit the warehouse and retrace the stone stairs to Tribunal Square, then interact with the twig burrow again. Give it the book to receive your first Tiny Whisker Gift immediately.
Then you find out the Mice can’t read. Two options appear, and each one ends the quest a different way:
| Choice | What happens | Tiny Whisker Gifts | Catalysts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Read a story. | William reads the tale of the Chagalog | 2 | 6,000 |
| Say goodbye. | William leaves without reading | 1 | 3,000 |
Reading costs you a minute or so of dialogue and doubles the payout, so it’s the better pick. Once William finishes the story and the Mice fall asleep, the second gift arrives along with the “BEDTIME STORIES QUEST COMPLETE” banner. The quest then moves to the Completed list in your Side Quests menu.
Bedtime Stories and Mice friendship
Accepting the quest with “Offer help” gives +1 Mice friendship. That counter matters later. The Mice reward in Entropy requires at least 10 Mice friendship, and you have to earn all of it before you reach Napoleon’s Prison. Neither of those late areas has fast travel back.
Bedtime Stories can be completed later; it does not expire by itself. Use fast travel in the City of Orphans to reach the Tribunal Square lantern and finish the quest whenever you choose. However, complete it before the point of no return, or its friendship point will not count toward the Entropy reward.
Bedtime Stories reference values
Quest journal stages
Bedtime Stories is a side quest in the City of Orphans with four journal stages. The last two are alternate endings, and only one of them is recorded, depending on your choice at the burrow.
| Stage | Journal state |
|---|---|
| 1 | Book is in the wine cellar marked with a shrike |
| 2 | Book found, return it to the Mice |
| 3 (ending) | Read the Mice a tale until they slept |
| 4 (ending) | Returned the book without reading |
Tiny Whisker Gift
The quest reward is a consumable gift from the Mice. Using it converts it straight into Catalysts. You can also sell it for the same amount.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Consumable |
| Effect on use | +3,000 Catalysts |
| Sell price | 3,000 |
| Max carried | 99 |
| Given in conversation | 5 conversations |
Fire Transmutation for the cellar fight
Fire Transmutation is built for crowds and damage over time, which makes it a good fit for the Carrion and Spewer ambush. It Ignites enemies and objects in the world. Ignited targets keep taking damage after you stop firing. It goes up to level 5.
| Level | Base / damage | Ignite | Upgrade cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 / 15 | 4 | — |
| 2 | 7 / 17 | 4.5 | Crude Transmutation Material x2 |
| 3 | 8 / 18 | 5 | Pure Transmutation Material x2 |
| 4 | 9 / 19 | 5.5 | Distilled Transmutation Material x2 |
| 5 | 10 / 20 | 6 | Quintessential Transmutation Material x1 |
At level 2, Brittleness makes Melee Attacks deal extra damage to enemies affected by Ignite. Back-Burner becomes available at level 3, increasing damage and Status Effect buildup the longer you fire. At level 4, choose Fireworks to extend flame range or Wildfire to spread the flames wider. Wildfire works better in a cramped room packed with enemies. At level 5, Never-Ending Inferno lets melee hits prolong Ignite, while Unstable Blaze makes Ignited enemies explode when shot.
Nephtoglobin Vial drops in the cellar
Transmutations cost Nephtoglobin, so it’s useful to know the cellar enemies can drop refills. Carrions and Spewers each have a 3–4% chance to drop a Nephtoglobin Vial, which refills your Nephtoglobin. You can carry up to 3 vials. Each one sells for 100. Louis’s Laboratoire sells them from the start for 200 each.
