Gothic 1 Remake: How to Get Rid of Mud
Finding a loyal companion in a ruthless prison colony sounds like a massive advantage until he actually starts talking.
Your first few hours inside the Old Camp are chaotic enough on their own. While you are busy trying to secure a physical map without getting scammed or simply hunting down an empty bed so you can pass the time, you will inevitably stumble into Mud. He is the first NPC in the game who actually attaches himself to you and follows you around.
The novelty wears off instantly. He acts like a lost puppy with zero social awareness. Mud constantly stops you in your tracks to deliver weird, clingy rants about how you are like a big brother to him. Worse, he actively interrupts your crucial quest conversations with other NPCs just to insert his own unhinged commentary. Telling him to piss off buys you exactly five seconds of peace before he comes sprinting right back to your side. Even if you manage to go to sleep, you will wake up to find him walking directly toward you. You cannot outrun him.
Why You Should Keep Mud Alive
Before you drag him behind a hut and introduce his face to your club, there is a major catch. Beating him up too early completely ruins your chance at unlocking the Mud Freak achievement.
To secure that achievement, you have to suffer through all 24 of his unique dialogue interruptions. Several of his annoying interjections only trigger after you speak to specific NPCs or select exact dialogue choices while he is hovering over your shoulder. If you care about 100% completion, you have to grit your teeth and let him yap until you exhaust every single line.
He does offer a tiny sliver of actual utility while you wait. He occasionally screams about hidden scrap piles and ore nuggets nearby. Unlike his regular needy banter, these callouts do not freeze you in place, making him a halfway decent loot radar. He also functions as excellent free bait if you accidentally run into dangerous wildlife.
How to Permanently Lose Him
Once that achievement finally pops and you cannot stomach another word out of his mouth, you have two highly effective ways to remove him from your life.
The Direct Beating
The fastest approach is just straightforward violence. Draw your weapon and swing at him until his health bar bottoms out. He is a massive coward, so once he hits the dirt, he decides he has had enough and will permanently flee the area. If you want true closure, you can just execute him while he is down.
The absolute best part of this method is the complete lack of consequences. The Old Camp guards genuinely do not care about Mud. You can openly assault him in broad daylight right in the middle of the street and nobody will bat an eye or turn hostile.
The Lizard Bait Method
If you want to keep your own hands clean, you can easily use him as a meat shield. Lead Mud entirely outside the camp boundaries and find a pack of aggressive lizards. Run around in circles until the monsters drop their aggro on you and lock entirely onto him.
You can stand back and let nature take its course, or you can start swinging at the monsters and let your friendly fire take him out. Just make sure you only lure him into a group of enemies you can actually defeat on your own, otherwise you will get yourself killed trying to loot his corpse. Once he is finally dead, you can strip his body for a club, some water, and a truly pathetic five ore nuggets. It is a terrible payout, but the absolute silence you get in return is priceless.
