Was Gristol Malik working alone?
I mean, how did he parachute into the Psychonauts headquarters, get Truman out without being seen, or get anywhere without assistance? How did he scare Loboto to the point where Loboto was able to break through the construct Sasha created, and would fear have been able to even do that, as Sasha said he would have needed help to do such a thing? Also, Milla is able to sense multiple instances of Delusionist activity across the globe, drawing closer at the game goes on, which wouldn’t have been possible if Gristol was the only one.
I think Gristol is just the spearhead of a larger anti-Psychonaut movement that is lurking in the shadows, be it the Delusionists, Gastronauts, or a combination of multiple organizations. Gristol was probably wealthy enough to hire some of these people, Loboto included, and plan things out like the puppetmaster he sees himself as. Perhaps a pilot to get him where he needed to go, be it the Psychonauts headquarters or the Rhombus of Ruin, or a hypnotist/mental persuader to instill mental protections of Maligula into Loboto’s mind so that the doctor wouldn’t be able to divulge his identity, effectively tying up loose ends (though this last one he could have done himself, if he was able). We know he was originally considering Necromancy as a way to bring back Maligula, were there people he got in touch with to try and make that happen? (Also, wasn’t there a scene where there was an article or something where someone raided Maligula’s tomb? It’s been a while since I played the game)
Honestly, it is rather hard to rightly discern how much Malik was able to do on his own. Being brought up in a pampered lifestyle, one would imagine he would be lacking in some basic skills. Though, given how extensive his plan seems to be, how he was able to blend in at the mail room and so forth, it is possible he has learned a great deal to reach his goals. Still, it is highly unlikely a pompous man such as Malik would do all the work himself. Loboto is proof of that.
What do you guys think? Who else, if anyone else, do you think did Malik hired? Have I missed any details? (Again, I need to replay 2 for more analysis)
