SPOILER ALERT - Endings explained (my theory at least)

[Freak Wolf]

After I've saw that memento #56 was fixed, I've re-read everything and tried to cross some info...so here is what I think it happened (time wise):

Pre-PS: English isn't my birth language, so be kind and ignore some misspelling.

Hundreds of years ago, there was a gigantic group of people from all kinds of wealth and wisdow devoted to worship the sun as a god, not-so-politely called Sun Sect. They began building such a tower in order to reach even further in their faith, using it's height to segregate royalty from commoners, and even among them there was a difference from those who could bathe / live under sunlight more than others. Their work never stopped no matter how tall they went, using stone from the mountain and then steel when stone couldn't suffice and even tecnology when people couldn't suffice.

For unknown reasons, the entire Sun Sect dissapeared overnight. Thousand of people vanished and left the tower, no itens or treasures or anything was taken, the machines kept working until they break by itself, nature, weather and wind doing their part as well, even though the tower never collapsed no matter the holes and effort it took. All there was left was a titanic monument for adventurers, scholar and some photographers.

Our little climbing photographer always loved cameras ever since childhood, and naturally began working with it, yet her personality and job began creating a 'shield' where she began nourishing herself from the joy and happiness from all those moments she captured. To better explain, associate her as with someone addicted to series: her life was dull, boring and numb, yet one can always reach feelings and memories from the TV, as the bad part, just throw it away, cut it off or fast foward.

Such personality made it easier for her to be more daring. Risk-taker. Her photos was cover of many books and dissertations about the tower, and she was known. It was easy to risk a hollow life, she felt. And it made easier as she got used with risking her life, the idea of death shrinking to a distant idea, and not really important even if it happened.

But one day, while she was making part of a group of people visiting the tower for work, one man often hired to take a band of academics throught already known safe spots inside the tower, saw her through her lens, and for someone with little social interaction, having sudenly an adult romantic relationship was completely new to her, as so it confused her deeply with ideas she never had to think about: "Why does he love her? Why does SHE love him?" She just knew she loved him deeply, even if those never-ending thoughts tortured her.

He was one HUGE problem: He was married, and already had a daughter. She loved him, and she was a lover, fully aware of, sharing their bed and looking at the family picture when she woke up. She didn't exactly knew how to deal with that, more than some competition maybe. She even gave him his goldwatch , just to make him remember her always.

One day he made the decision. He invited her to go with him, to not worry about his family and be with him. She lost her voice as he went on with his pleadings, dreams and ideas, and when she asked 'what about them', he just said 'they'll be okay'. Doubt, uncertain and fear gnawed her. She only cared about him, but at that time, she could only care about herself. She muttered "I'm sorry" and ran away, leaving him.

A long time passed, the wound in her heart never closed and the hole in her soul never filled. She heard that his family had an accident and both wife and daughter died, and he decided to bury them at the summit of the tower, as he could take the bodies up there easily due knowing every nook and spot. None of them were part of the Sun Sect or anything similar, at max they loved the sunrise. Whatever made him take that decision, matters little for her, because she decided to see him, at least she believed she owned him that much.

And so she climbed the tower she long avoided because of the flood of memoies of him coming into her head. The idea of death still was barely existing: It didn't matter to her if she'd die a stupid, romantic, honorable or painful death. Yet the idea of finding him send intense cold shivers all over her, let alone the heart-breaking reflexions she had while climbing and re-thinking all that happened.

It was only when she realized the summit was within reach that she began thinking what she'd do. Beg for forgiveness, or ask for a second chance, or whatever. It terrified her to meet him, but she never doubted he'd be there and she'd see him, even when her entire body shook in fear when she saw the tombstones and approached him.

She asked for a second chance, but it's noticeable that the man was deeply hurt and sad by what happened, both to his family and to himself thanks to her, and the request only angered him, insulting her to take a picture and live her live by it. She stands her ground, and made him run away, just like she did before.

Ending A- Death: Happens when you fall near the end. The picture shows the man still running as the woman falls reaching her hand out for him. Apparently he knows she is falling and will die, yet he don't look away, perhaps finding some vengeance for what she did, or even some grief, losing another loved person by death.

Ending B- Death: Happens when you reach the end but takes even if 1 photo. She reaches the end only to see him dissapear and all that's left is his hat. He commited suicide and she was too late, all that she was chasing was his ghost, or maybe even his image throught her lens, what she wanted to see. From that on all we know is that the idea hit her very hard, and she collaped crying it out.

Ending C- ??? - Is there an ending C? Always wondered why there was no Ending C.

Ending D- Deliverance: Happens when you reach the end without taking any photos. The man seems to run away from her but also reaching the other end to kill himself by throwing himself off the summit ( Which also might explain why the indifference in ending A. He was going to kill himself anyway). Yet she reaches just in time and grabs his feet to stop him. By the name and picture, all we can say is that he didn't killed himself, they both lived. Maybe together, maybe not.

That's all I could find by re-playing the game, even if just a little. I have some questions myself, that maybe would enrich my text, and if someone knows, I'd love to see it explained:

1) Why no Ending C? I could deduce it was C of 'Cowardice', as if it is a meaning that, in one ending, she never had the courage to see him again and her journey never started.

2) Sometimes while re-doing the chase, the man suddenly loses his hat and ran all the way hatless. when he reaches the end, it magically pops up on his head. Error?

3) While chasing him, the background changes to some thin-looking leaves and branches, where you run over them. Near the end before it changes to what seems to be a hollow tower, I can see an Arrow and the letter "E" on the foliage little over the man's path. What do it mean? any hint?

[DeRockProject (jongyon7192p)]

Awesome, man!

Can you screenshot arrow with E? That one's dubious. I never noticed it even though I've been grinding that level to get a PB.

btw what'd you say is your interpretation of ending AB? Did you see it? I activated both endings at once. I think ending AD is possible too, but I didn't try yet cuz I still have a lot to glitch hunt.

I'll add the videos for context for everyone.
https://youtu.be/ww3N_b5tK1U
https://youtu.be/FSbuGTzJmIM

[Freak Wolf]

Here's a SS of the letter and arrows: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9ejgpjonlk74fe2/20170708033157_1.jpg?dl=0

And as about the glitch...I guess it is just a glitch in the end. The game is kinda funky in that sense, I've had a lot of trouble with maps where monsters would just respawn out of their place and all. So plot-wise I don't think it has any meaning.

[DeRockProject (jongyon7192p)]

This is entirely different though. These ending glitches have been completely unknown to everyone since 2012 until I just now randomly did what I did. It works with achievements too, I tested it out.

Can you use something else? that dropbox link seems unusable.

[Freak Wolf]

Urg, dropbox don't work properly for me, don't know why... I suggest you use your own videos to check what I meant, the letter is easily noticeable on it. Just remember it's slightly above the man's path on the foliage just before the last huge construction.

[Coiler12]

Now that there is indeed an Ending C, is it just ending after the meeting? That's the impression I got from other threads here, but am wondering if that's confirmed that it is, indeed the case.

[Freak Wolf]

I've saw Ending C, and it still fits my theory,actually. Ending C says that she arrived so early, that he didn't had time to finish burying the coffins, so while helping him, they have a long conversation and end up getting along.
You can also say it's a spoiler from Ending D, she manages to convince him to not only live but also stay with her.