Rogue Legacy 2 Lorekeeper's Book

SPOILER WARNING, this guide contains (almost) all of the lore found within Rogue Legacy 2 as of the version 1.03 of the game.
It's probably better to finish the game first before even peering into it but even then, lots of lore is accessed way past the first game so don't say you weren't warned.

The dialogs for the NPC on the Docks isn't included since there's already another guide covering it.

Welcome to the Guide

Welcome to the Rogue Legacy 2 lorekeeper's book! This guide is a compendium of all entries, memories, and other relevant dialogue. There are some formatting rules that I followed while converting all of this:

An horizontal rule will mark the beginning and end of a single entry, like so:

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(parenthesis have location in them if they're in the title)
I will use line breaks to represent page turns.
Bold text means the words are colored in the game (mostly blue)

A typical entry will look like this in the steam guide:

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Name found at the top of the entry (place I found it in game)

blah blah blah important blue text blah blah blah

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This guide is more or less finished, it should pretty much all of the pieces of lore in the game. Also, if it wasn't made clear to begin with,

SPOILER warning.

That's about all you have to know to properly use this guide, I hope it comes in useful for all of my fellow lorekeepers, and I hope to see some nice lore discussion in the comments, or in the Rogue Legacy 2 discord. ( https://discord.gg/VAmbGgc8n5 @Sirebellum#9901 )

Intro & Tutorial lore

A lot of people (including me) forget about how the opening of the game features several entries completely unique to anything else.

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Opening Cutscene

The time has passed and they have not returned.
The Estuaries have decayed.

The kingdom demands deliverance.

Sign the contract...
                                     ... and your children shall succeed you.

Once you cast off...
                                     ... there is no turning back.

---

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Unknown Journal #1 (first Tutorial journal entry)

We've managed to cross the waters undiscovered.
A few guards patrolled the West Walls, but we were able to remove them without raising a signal.

At sundown, we'll start ascending the wall.
Provisions should be waiting for us at the top.

- J.

---

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Unknown Journal #2 (second Tutorial journal entry)

We've been hunkered here for the past few days as Z and her spies prep the West Wall.

They've rigged the trap doors ahead so we can open them from below.

Tonight, we make our move.

There are heavier patrols around, but with all the fighting at the bridge, there should be no time for reinforcements.

- J.

---

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Unknown Journal #3 (third Tutorial journal entry)

The Diving Bell Cables needed to pass the interior ramparts were waiting for us, just like Z promised.

... But our scouts underestimated how much we'd need. We're short a few hundred feet.

... Looks like we'll have to get creative.

-J.

---

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Unknown Journal #4 (fourth Tutorial journal entry)

... Looks like I've underestimated Z's charisma again.

Below me I can see all the misfits that have joined our ranks.
When did so many Rebels join? From here, it seems like an endless sea.

... This was supposed to be a suicide mission meant only for a few.

She's unknowingly rallied these souls to a lost cause, and my sins keep growing...

- J.

---

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J's Memory (hidden behind a trick wall in the Tutorial)

... There weren't supposed to be so many.
It was only going to be a small group of us, sacrificed to pay for the Kingdom's stability...

... I whispered just a few words to a few ears.
A warning to the Kingdom of the incoming rebellion.
We were supposed to walk into a trap and be stopped.

... But he never planned to stop us.
He wanted this war to happen...

All I've done is given him time to prepare...

... Z... I'm sorry... I was just trying to save you.


... Win or lose, there is no redemption on my horizon.

---

---

Unknown Journal #5 (hidden behind a trick wall in the Tutorial)

(Most of the pages have been torn from the book. Only a solitary note remains.)

I wish I was a better person. I'm sorry.

- J.

---

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Unknown Journal #6 (last Tutorial journal entry)

This is it. The end of the line.
Below us there's a Trick Wall which can only be opened with magic.

Z said it should lead us straight to the Estuaries...

... Tonight we live and die with the crimes I've committed.

- J.

---

Worthwhile mentions:

The first character in the legacy is named "Sir Lee", which is the same name as the guy from Rogue Legacy 1



This absolute lad right here can be found at the top left corner of the tutorial. Could this be the final boss? Perhaps it is the dev's interpretation of god himself?
spoilery update about it: there are 3 more of these in the entire world for you to find!

Citadel Agartha lore 1

Below are all of Z's entries found in Citadel Agartha.

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Z's Memory (found in front of the Golden Doors)

... The Golden Doors won't open until all the Estuaries have gathered together.

This is all that lies between us and freedom... If I can open it, I can fix everything.
... I can save everyone.

---

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Z (first Citadel Agartha journal entry)

(The letter is old, but carefully preserved.)

J! The rumors are true!

The Golden Doors are real, and I found them!
The doors will only open when all the Estuaries have gathered together.

I know it sounds crazy, but I have a plan to save everyone.
But I can't do it myself. I need your help, and some people I can trust.

- Z.

---

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Z (second Citadel Agartha journal entry)

The Black Roots keep growing...

They're everywhere now. The guards continuously cut them down, but they keep growing back.

I swear the land is reacting to our pain.
The more people we lose, the thicker the Black Roots seem to grow...

Sorry I've been missing our meetings at the Golden Doors.

The Estuaries demand the impossible.
They raise our work hours and they tax us incessantly, and when people complain they are arrested.

So many friends are gone. J, you have no idea what it's like over here...

The Kingdom has become a powder keg, just waiting to explode, and it's our job to light it.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, J!
We can do something! We can save everyone!

- Z.

---

---

Z (third Citadel Agartha journal entry)

I've been gathering more and more people, J.
People like us. People who are sick of living down here.

There's an Heirloom in the Citadel that grants people amazing powers.
Powers that let you dash through the air, just like you're flying!

I've been sneaking in recruits to obtain this power, but only a few are strong enough to survive the Heirloom's challenge.

If you helped train them, there could be so many more, J! You could be the difference!

Something big is happening.

The people have had enough, and their anger is spilling onto the streets.
A war is brewing, I just hope you're with us when it happens.

- Z.

---

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Z (last Citadel Agartha journal entry)

Every day our numbers grow larger, J. Word of a rebellion is spreading among the people.

One of our new recruits is a soldier.
Said he trained under you...
That you were the best.

He told me that all battles are fought on two fronts:
A physical one, and an emotional one.

And how knowledge could be the deciding factor in a fight.

There's another Heirloom in the Citadel.
I spoke with it, and it claimed to offer the Power of Empathy...

... It also said my butt's smelly so I've been avoiding it ever since.

I never thought that power was worth the risk... but after hearing what the recruit said...

- Z.

---

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Z (memory found in the Citadel throne room)

I don't know how he does it, but I keep losing Lamech's trail...

... There's no other choice. If we want to leave this island, we'll have to enter his throne room.

Only his royal retinue can open them, but I have seen how they do it.

There are two torches beside the doors.
Both torches must be lit with a strike of the foot to open the doors.

The fire goes out fast, so we'll have to be quick. There must be a way to swiftly get from one side to the other.

---

Citadel Agartha lore 2

Below are all of Lamech's memories from Citadel Agartha.

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Lamech's Memory (first Citadel Agartha memory entry)

How many years has it been since we first came down here?


... Fifty years?

... A hundred??

... A THOUSAND???

My patience is at its end!

These scholars, they jump from one fancy to the next, like they're the belle of the ball!
Just singing and dancing, and never finishing anything they've started!

They have taken our gifts of life, and have abused it.

This... lackadaisical behaviour must be brought to an end.
They must be punished.

Only through pain can we drive discovery.
I've brought this up before, but the others never agree with me - they never do.
I'll bring it up once more at the next meeting, but this time it will be different. I can feel it.

... Everyone's patience has a limit, and something tells me the thirtieth time will be the charm!

---

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Lamech's Memory (second Citadel Agartha memory entry)

I am an Estuary!
Hand-chosen by our King.

We are the pinnacle of royalty, and by the King's decree all others stand below us.

Yet here I sit, rotting in the halls after my fellow Estuaries banished me from the table!

ME!! OF ALL PEOPLE!!! FROM THE TABLE!

ME!!!!! FROM TABLE!!!

ME!!!

If I think we should kill some of the scholars, then I should be given my alloted hour to explain why!
It's not my fault the others don't spend their full hour speaking their mind!

And who cares if "I've brought up the same argument for the last thirty meetings"?
I AM AN ESTUARY. I can bring it up as many times as I want!

They think they can throw me out, like I am somehow lesser?

WELL, NO!

I am not below them, they are below me!

Every day they putter away at their civic duties like natty little nyeh-nyeh-nyeh rats.

They read their stupid little flip-flip-flip books.
They train their weak little hurp-a-durp soldiers.
And they grow their ugly little... eggplants.

... I don't know what sound an eggplant makes.

But I am above those mundanities!
My role is too important to be hindered by so-called "duties".

I am the bastion that guards the Gates!!

The last - nay only - required line of defense against any would-be attackers!

... This peace places them in a dull stupor.
They need me. One day this peace will end, and when that day comes, I will show them who is truly superior.

---

---

Lamech's Memory (third Citadel Agartha memory entry)

OOOOOOH! My hands won't stop shaking!

My skin is full of prickles, and my heart is (bump-bump) bumping!

OOOOOOH! I feel alive again!

A man - nay - a rat!
Nay - a man-rat, came crawling to me the other day with information.

In return for an official pardon and some trifling gifts, he revealed everything he knew about a secret rebellion.

He has given me everything I need to know. Letters, transcripts, memos, and more!

I cannot comprehend how something this big slipped past our spies, but none of that matters.
All that matters is that a war is coming, and I'm the only Estuary that knows of it!

My chance to show my worth has finally arrived!

I must stay calm and read these documents carefully. No one else can know of this.


... I will NOT let anyone take my glory away.

---

---

Lamech's Memory (last Citadel Agartha memory entry)

The Rebels' plan is cunning...

First, they will strike us at the gates. But this is a diversion to draw the guards.
The true battle will happen at the Ceremony of Return. They have dug a secret tunnel from the west that leads directly to the Ceremony grounds.

I always knew the Ceremony was a dangerous event. It is why I took every precaution to keep its date a secret.
The only ones who know when it occurs is me and my fellow Estuaries.

For this rabble to discover when the Ceremony happens is impossible...

... Unless there is a traitor among us.

Every move I make from now on must be planned out meticulously.
I must retreat to my abode to contemplate on this.

In the Tower of Lights I've hidden a secret door against the far wall, between the fifth and sixth lantern.

I shall retreat to it for now.

---

---

????? (journal within the Tower of Lights)

(Scribbles, lines and question marks cover the page. Nothing intelligible.)

---

---

Lamech's Memory (memory at the top of the Tower of Lights)

The Ceremony of Return draws near, and I have yet to act on this rebellion.

If I invaded the village, I could crush them before it even started... But that would only be a temporary solution.

And attacking now would reveal my hand.
I can stop the rebellion, but I will never discover which of the Estuaries are on their side.

There's only one solution to this conundrum.
I shall let the Ceremony continue as planned.

During the chaos, the traitor will reveal themself to me. I know it.

I have a secret set of guards ready to double the security of the gates at the last possible moment.
The peasants will be decimated on the bridge.

As for the Rebels that ambush us during the Ceremony?
I will take care of that.

No tricks. No treachery. I will show the people the true difference between a serf and a Lord.
I will cut them down, one-by-one, and forever crush their morale.

This is the only solution.
Let them come.

---

Citadel Agartha Prime lore

Below are all of Lamech Prime's memories found after beating him.

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Lamech's Memory (first prime memory in Citadel Agartha's throne room)

(A torn banner of a foreign kingdom flutters in the wind, buried amongst the corpses and the crows.
In the distance, Lamech stands tall on a mountain of bodies - a monument to his success.
Soldiers - tattered and wounded - raise their blades to the sky as they shout his name across the valley.)

---

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Lamech's Memory (second prime memory in Citadel Agartha's throne room)

I knew... I always knew.

I ignored the reports and made false truths in my head...
I fooled myself into believing the rebellion would be smaller than it truly was.

I could have quashed the Rebels in their homes, destroyed whatever vestige of hope they had!

... But I didn't.
... This war never needed to happen. I kept this knowledge to myself, knowing the cost.

In truth, I wanted to die gloriously. One final hurrah to end my chapter.

I wanted to be free of this eternal prison, guarding a tree that will never sprout.

... But there was no death for me, and no glory. And now, there is no one left to fight.

---

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Lamech's Memory (third prime memory in Citadel Agartha's throne room)

(The doors to Lamech's throne burst open as a wave of rebels surge into the room.
For every one that falls to his blade, another two replace them.

The fighting lasts for hours, and then for days.
Eventually there are no more foes to fight, and Lamech stands tall on a pile of bodies.)

(The room is silent.)

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Axis Mundi lore 1

Below I have listed every miscellaneous piece of lore found in Axis Mundi.

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Sign (in front of the western Agartha gatehouse)

AGARTHA GATEHOUSE


   1. Do not leave the queue or you will be arrested.
   2. Do not remove the armband or you will be arrested.
   3. Do not speak to the Estuaries or you will be arrested.
   4. Return before nightfall or you will be arrested.

---

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J (journal inside the western Agartha gatehouse)

Attention: Gregory

The bridge has fallen to the Shift, just like everything else.

And with sections of the bridge constantly switching places, the Estuaries have deemed it too dangerous to ship supplies to the outlying villages.

The people won't make it to the next harvest if we don't help.

Therefore I want you to make a call for volunteers.

We shall lead the shipments ourselves if we must.

But in order to cross, you will need an Heirloom contained in the Gatehouse's Tower.
The entrance is directly above the gates to the Citadel.

The entrance has caved in, but perhaps you can find another way in from the floors above.

And remember to keep this quiet. The Estuaries won't approve of this...

Sometimes I wonder if they want the people to starve...

But that is not the issue here.

Perhaps by doing this, we can begin to atone for our past.

---

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Gregory's Memory (memory inside the Agartha gatehouse's tower)

Stairwell's collapsed... No way to get up there now.

These wretched Black Roots were probably the cause. Must have wormed their way into the cracks.

---

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Gregory (journal inside the Agartha gatehouse's tower)

J,

The last cave-in buried the Heirloom.
The good news is that the Heirloom is still intact. Those things are sturdy.

We've been trying to dig it out, but the Tower's barely in one piece.
If it moves too much, I fear the whole Tower will collapse. If that happens, we'll bury the only entrance into Agartha.

There's nothing else we can do, we have to leave it be. Sorry J.

---

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Sign (at the beginning of Axis Mundi)

LOOTERS BE WARNED

As decreed by Estuary Irad, all gold and jewellery found in Axis Mundi is property of the Treasury.
All looting is strictly PROHIBITED.

(You will gain an additional 20% gold bonus while in Axis Mundi.)

---

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Gregory's Memory (memory at the beginning of Axis Mundi)

These temporary Resonant Platforms we've made are a fool's errand.

There are not enough volunteers with Echo's Heirloom to make the crossing, and every person we lose is a sacrifice we can't afford.

The Estuaries are right... There's no saving the villagers.

---

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??????? (journal hidden inside Pizza Mundi)

SPECIALTY ORDER PIZZA RECIPES

Lamech's Meat and Mushroom Pizza
   Tomato sauce (heavy)
   Mozzarella cheese
   Sliced mushrooms (thin)
   Crushed red pepper flakes
   Green peppers
   Pepperoni
   Sausage (light)

Enoch's Pineapple Pizza
   Tomato sauce (light)
   Mozzerella cheese (double)
   Pineapples
   Ham
   Pepperoni

---

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??????? (journal hidden inside Pizza Mundi)

Naamah's Green Pizza
   Tomato sauce (very light)
   Goat cheese
   Spinach
   Basil
   Oregano
   Cherry tomatoes
   Arugula
   Olive oil

Irad's Pepperoni Pizza
   Tomato sauce (heavy)
   Mozzaralla cheese (regular)
   Pepperoni (double)
   Cheddar cheese (Place on crust. Perforate for easy tearing.)

(On the last page there are instructions on how to repair and convert wicker plates into targets.)

---

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Sign (in front of the eastern Kerguelen gatehouse)

KERGUELEN GATEHOUSE


   1. Please keep all metals off of the soil.
   2. Please do not cut any branches while walking through the undergrowth.
   3. Please do not disturb the wildlife.

---

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??????? (memory hidden inside the Kerguelen gatehouse)

The Black Roots won't stop growing!!!

... They're going to CRUSH ME!!!

Why did I leave my weapon by the door?
That was careless of me - I need to find help!

I can jump out the window...
... Perhaps the bodies will soften my fall.

Wait... What's happening to the bodies? Are they squirming?

It's the roots! The roots are infesting the bodies somehow!

... Oh no...

Something's coming...

---

Axis Mundi lore 2

Below are all of J's journal entries found in Axis Mundi.

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J (first Axis Mundi journal entry)

It's worse than I imagined...
The shops, the houses... the fallout of war is all that dwells in them now.

We don't have enough hands to cart supplies.
Most of the soldiers are so exhausted from dredging the lake, they can barely stand.

I know I'm pushing them past their limits, but there's no time for rest.
If the lake becomes poisoned...

Well, that would be the final nail in our coffin.

---

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J (second Axis Mundi journal entry)

We have finished dredging the lake and nearly all the bodies have been removed.

As per the Estuaries' orders, the bodies are being stored in a Gatehouse by the entrance to the Kerguelen Plateau. They'll remain there for 'processing.'

Estuary Naamah is in charge of the burials, but things are moving too slowly.

She demands each body be painstakingly prepared, so it can properly fertilize the earth.

But the bodies keep mounting, and I fear we'll soon run out of space...

My gut tells me something's off, and it's not just the rot.

---

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J (third Axis Mundi journal entry)

It's over...
Food shipments, aid for the villagers, everything.

Although the Bridge succumbed to the Shift, we persevered.
But now the Gatehouse has been overrun by beasts...

I should have trusted my instincts. I could feel something was coming.

The stench of rotting bodies must have attracted the beasts, but I did not believe they could sneak past our defenses.

The Stygian Beasts are massive - unlike anything I've seen - but they are not marine creatures.
They stand on two feet - almost humanoid in stature.

They were too large for me to handle alone, and I could not marshall the soldiers to fight.
Perhaps if I were as persuasive as Z things would be different...

My only recourse was to seal the gate and trap the beasts inside.
Unfortunately, this also blocked the only supply route into the village.

I must inform the Estuaries - we need more soldiers to fend off the wretched monsters!

...Alas, I fear the villagers are on their own now.

---

---

J (last Axis Mundi journal entry)

I had the same dream last night...

... Witnessing a village abandoned as we sealed the Stygian Beasts in the Gatehouse.

That dream will continue to haunt me until I understand why the Estuaries decided to quarantine the region instead of fight.
I know it wasn't due to concern for my safety.

Thus, the knot in my stomach continues to twist as my mind reels with questions...

How did those beasts slip past our defenses?

And why was no one alerted until it was too late?

... And why were there so few guard in the Gatehouse that night?

From the beginning I was against storing the bodies in that Gatehouse. The frigidness of the nearby Kerguelen Plateau would have preserved the bodies far better.

Regardless, I know something is wrong, and it's about time I stopped ignoring it.

I'll find a way into the Gatehouse Observation Room. The guard keeps record of the night's events.

There's a hidden back entrance into the Observation Room that is revealed in the lights.

... Perhaps I'll find my answers there.

---

Axis Mundi Prime lore

Below are all of the Prime Void Beasts' memories found after beating them.

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Mehujael's Memory (first prime memory in Axis Mundi's throne room)

(Slowly lifted into position by massive cranes and pulleys, the armada's flagship vessel, the Preserver of Life, floats precariously above a massive black pit.

Atop the quarterdeck, Estuary Mehujael looks proudly upon his crew as they prepare the ship for its descent into the Stygian Waters).

(Above the masts, whitestone chains groan as they slowly begin to lower the ship.

The noise is deafening, and the reverberations threaten to tear the ship in half, but Mehujael's crew remain stoic.
He promised the ship would hold, and his words are their trust.)

---

---

Mehujael's Memory (second prime memory in Axis Mundi's throne room)

(In the dark, the once pristine decks of the Preserver of Life are awash in the black and blood of monstrous Void Beasts. Their numbers seem endless as more and more of them emerge from the Stygian Waters.

Visible only through the flash of cannon fire, a giant tentacle from the Stygian Kraken crashes down onto the wooden deck, sending Mehujael and his crewmen flying through the air.

For a moment he is weightless, then he feels the icy sting of the Stygian Waters).

(Deadly to the touch, the Stygian Waters threaten to drag him further under as every drop pulls on his soul.

In the distance, First Mate Byarith barks orders at his men, and ropes are hurled into the waters in an effort to save those flung overboard.

Struggling against the waves and flotsam, Mehujael grasps one of the ropes, then looks back at his flailing men.)

(He knows the ropes won't help. The sailors are too far out, and too weak from the touch of the Stygian Waters to save themselves.

One after another, the silhouettes of his men sink under the waves.)

(With one last prayer spoken before taking a breath, Mehujael releases his rope and dives into the brackish waters to save those he can.)

---

---

Mehujael's Memory (third prime memory in Axis Mundi's throne room)

(The Sun from the Tower shines brightly upon the shipyard in the Kerguelen Plateau, as the Preserver of Life is slowly dismantled.

It has been many years since a Void Beast has emerged from the waters, and the materials within these ships are better used elsewhere.
Under Naamah's guidance, the ship's hull and nails will build new homes, and its sails, new clothing.)

(In the offices above, Estuary Mehujael accepts the offer to take ownership of the Nibiru Deep Mines.
Though hardly a glamorous position, it was the only way to keep his crew together.

After his proposal is approved, he offers his crew the choice to stay above and continue their lives in the sun, but none will abandon their captain.)

(As the centuries pass, the Nibiru Deep Mines transform into their own bustling world.

Separated from the other Estuaries, a new underground culture flourishes; a society built upon equality and respect.)

---

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Mehujael's Memory (fourth prime memory in Axis Mundi's throne room)

(Shouting and commotion fill the tunnel as a small stream of Stygian Water trickles down the passageways.

Mehujael barely has time to think before the trickle becomes a torrent.)

(He quickly guides his people towards the Atlantis Spire, a massive ventilation shaft that travels to the top of the mine. The other exits are flooded - there's no other way to escape...

The vent is narrow and dark as night, but his people have no recourse but to scale its walls. Those that lose their strength, fall to the rising waters.
Mehujael carries as many exhausted men as he can on his back, but not everyone can be saved.)

(After climbing for an eternity, he finally breaches the surface. Half a dozen people cling to his back, and he barely manages to pull himself up before giving in to exhaustion.

A storm rages on the surface, obscuring his vision. The wind breaks just long enough to see that Nibiru Deep is no more.

The water has risen to such a level that the land surrounding the mine is now completely flooded.
Only the very tip of the Atlantis Vent is still visible.)

(With little strength remaining and no concern for what's to come, Mehujael produces a knife...)

'Take from me a piece of my flesh. Become my child and survive this night.'

---

---

Mehujael's Memory (last prime memory in Axis Mundi's throne room)

(The memory is split and largely incoherent. A thousand different images and emotions assault your mind.

You see people swimming across the Stygian Waters, towards the glowing light of the Sun Tower.

You see the relief in their eyes for having made the journey, but feel an undercurrent of fear.
Becoming an Estuary of an Estuary is sacrilege, and there will be repercussions.

An unspoken pact of silence is the common thread uniting a hundred different voices, spread across a hundred different lives.)

(The memories are a jumble as their hosts wander aimlessly. But eventually they all coalesce upon Axis Mundi.

The Children of Mehujael are together once more, hiding in the shadowed recesses of buildings populating the bridge.

The unnerving silence is broken by the sound of a single horn. Its low groan emanates from Citadel Agartha.
With a single nod, the Children of Mehujael gather their weapons. They emerge from the shadows, and begin their assault on the Citadel.)

---

Kerguelen Plateau lore 1

Below are all the journal entries (most from J) found in the Kerguelen Plateau.

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J (first Kerguelen Plateau journal entry)

(The letter is old and has been carefully wrapped in leather to protect it from the cold).

Dear Z,

You must be more careful. Talk of the rebellion is spreading.

Some Estuaries may be deaf to such whispers, but those in the Study hear everything.

As a result, we were ordered to cast the Heirloom of Zephyr into the Stygian Waters to prevent rebels such as yourself from reaching it...

... But all is not lost!

A recent Shift churned up the riverbed, and the heirloom has resurfaced a slight way off the Far Shores.

I know how important that Heirloom is to you, so I've tethered a Resonant Rope to it just below the waterline.
You should be able to reach it from the shore.

I can't protect you forever, so good luck and stay low!

---

---

J (second Kerguelen Plateau journal entry)

You have a gift, Z.

Stop wasting your talents trying to help everyone you meet.
You could be working in the Citadel and making change from the inside.

You don't have to suffer like this.

If you fight, you'll die. Trust me, there's no winning this war...

You have no idea how powerful Lamech is.
It would take a hundred soldiers plus a miracle to stop him...

... Forgive me. I don't know why I'm writing this...

I love you Z, but you must be open to compromise. I hope you don't hate me for what I'm asking.

Yours,
- J

---

---

J (third Kerguelen Plateau journal entry)

My soldiers are good people, Z...
They're just scared.
They've spent their whole life training so they could provide for their families.

Not everyone can throw it all away.

...

When the time comes, I'll do my best to pull the guards away from the fight.

But I can't move them all. There WILL be fighting on the bridge.

... And casualties will be unavoidable.

I can help train any Rebels you've gathered.
Give them a fighting chance...

But I'll only do this under certain conditions.

1. I will not fight. I'll train the villagers but I cannot turn my sword against my own men.
   
   
2. If we lose, you must disband the Rebels. No one leaves a war unscathed, but the Estuaries WILL look kindly on a clean surrender. I can ensure it, if it comes down to that.
   
       And finally...
   
   
3. You don't join the fight either.

You are no use to the Rebels dead, and this way I can be sure you're safe. Remember, all great Generals die from old age.

This may not be what you wanted, but those are my conditions.

I hope you find this arrangement... acceptable.
- J

---

---

J (last Kerguelen Plateau journal entry)

Dear Z,

I know it must have been hard, but thank you for agreeing.

When do I start?

---

---

??????? (hidden inside the cave under the Kerguelen heirloom statue)

(A drawing of the entire Kingdom is strewn across the table. Arrows and markings dot the landscape in a codified manner you cannot decipher.)

---

---

??????? (hidden inside the cave under the Kerguelen heirloom statue)

(A copy station has been erected, with dozens of duplicate maps of the Kingdom drawn out in various states of completion.)

---

Kerguelen Plateau lore 2

Below are all the memories (most from Naamah) found in the Kerguelen Plateau.

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Naamaah's Memory (first Kerguelen Plateau memory entry)

Only Father believed in me.

If not for him, my brothers would have sacrificed me years ago.

No farms, no mills, no hunting. Everything must stay in its natural state. We took care of the land, then the land cared for us.

The yields were kept small and the forest remained untamed.
And due to my wisdom and efforts, my garden has blossomed.

In this land of death, I have birthed a cornucopia of life.

  - Do not till the earth, for it will drain the soil.
  - Do not pen the animals lest sickness spread among the livestock.
  - Do not cut the young bough, for their growth enriches the land.

  - Tend to the forest as I tend to my own children.
  - Take only that which is needed.
  - Harvest only that which is dead or dying.
  - Always cull the poison. Always.

---

---

Naamah's Memory (second Kerguelen Plateau memory entry)

... My success has become my undoing. My brothers have blamed me for the rebellion and washed their hands of all responsibility!

Lamech commands the guards and Enoch supervises the spies, yet the failure to discover the Rebels falls on me?

They seek to provoke me.

Their soldiers trample the undergrowth, they cut down the trees, and they dig ditches to dispose the bodies.

Everything I have done, they seek to undo out of jealousy and spite.

They left me no choice. Now I must oversee the burials.

They offer no support, and mock my 'traditions.' They pressure me to lower my standards, but I shall not!

  - Remove the broken metal, lest it pollute the soil.
  - Clean out the wounds, lest sickness spreads through the people.
  - Mourn the bodies of the young, for they bore no children.

  - Tend to my children as I tend my forest.
  - Pass down all trinkets, for sentiment is needed.
  - Honor those who are dead and dying.
  - Pray for the poisoned. Pray.

... But the bodies won't stop coming.

---

---

Naamah's Memory (third Kerguelen Plateau memory entry)

It has been a hundred days since the monsters arrived on the Bridge, and the gates were closed.

For one hundred days we have carried out our duties.
We have nursed the wounded.
And rationed our food.

One hundred days have passed, and now the Eternal Summer has faded.

The Ashen Snow continues to fall, but instead of nourishing the soil it suffocates the land.
The earth is cold, and the Forest bows under the weight.

If supplies don't arrive soon, all the villagers will perish...

And without them, my forest, and centuries of careful stewardship, will be gone.

---

---

Naamah's Memory (fourth Kerguelen Plateau memory entry)

  - Tend to the forest, as I tend to my own children.
  - Take only that which is needed.
  - Harvest only that which is dead or dying.
  - Always cull the poison. Always.

... I cannot go on...

I must escape the noise.

Tonight, I shall steal away from the village.
And find a nook high above the cliff's edge.

There I can contemplate in peace.

---

---

Naamah's Memory (last Kerguelen Plateau memory entry)

The Conservatory is my home now. The villagers want nothing to do with it.
To waste such a space is an insult to all we have sacrificed.

I will make it beautiful.

Two lilies, for those who have fallen and for those who will fall...

I shall give my children a final celebration and a final meal...

The forest must come first, and sacrifices must be made. To take from the land would undo everything we have worked for...

... One day they will understand...

---

---

Eupraxia's Memory (memory found in the Kerguelen Plateau throne room)

She won't see anybody.
She hasn't left the Conservatory in months...
You should stop wasting your time...

Estuary Naamah won't open the door, unless you have an offering.

She demands two Lily of the Valley blossoms, but they are not easy to find.
She has harvested most of them already.

Good luck in your search.

---

---

Naamah's Memory (memory found at the top of the Kerguelen Plateau entrance room)

The gates look strangely beautiful at night...

I know the villagers hate me for what I did...

But I had no choice.
The land has gone cold, and my brothers refuse to send aid.

The weak, the old, the wretched... I gave them all a merciful end.

The villagers still believe the gates will open one day, but I know they will not.

... Yet every night as I stare down at those iron bars...

... I'm afraid they just might.

---

Kerguelen Plateau Prime lore

Below are all of Naamah Prime's memories found after beating her.

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Naamah’s Memory (first prime memory in the Kerguelen Plateau's throne room)

(Autumn leaves dance in the sky as a young Naamah opens her eyes. She wipes the metallic taste of blood from her mouth.

... The ambush had gone terribly wrong.)

(She glances about and finds her older sister, Miriam, lying unconscious nearby, her leg clearly broken.

As she reaches out to her ailing sibling, she suddenly feels cold metal clamp down around her throat. She grasps at the gauntlet as Estuary Lamech effortlessly lifts her off the ground to face him.

With a desperate cry, Naamah swings her sickle, only to feel it shatter against his chestplate - the farmer's blade useless against the unyielding royal armor.)

(Even as she struggles to breathe, she thinks about how he had ransacked their farm, destroyed their home and ruined their lives.
She and her sister had spent their days seeking vengeance, but their hatred meant nothing to him.

She stares deep into his eyes but sees only apathy. A ghostly blue sword materializes in his free hand, and she braces herself for the end.)

'LAMECH, STOP!'

(A voice rings out from behind her, and the grip on her neck suddenly releases. Devoid of strength, she crumbles backwards into the dirt.

She feels the sting of a rock strike the back of her head, then darkness envelopes her.)

---

---

Naamah’s Memory (second prime memory in the Kerguelen Plateau's throne room)

(Naamah awakes with a throbbing headache, and finds herself lying on a cot inside a giant makeshift tent. Around her lies dozens of wounded soldiers, tended by a handful of doctors and nurses.

She turns to see Miriam sleeping on a cot nearby, her leg wrapped in a makeshift splint. The throbbing in her head subsides.)

'You're finally awake. I see they've taken good care of you and your sister.'

(The voice was the same one she heard earlier. It comes from a man in a gold-laced cloak, emblazoned with a white and black tree - the sigil of the invading army.

He grabs an empty chair and neatly places it by her bedside before settling down.)

'My name is Enoch and I was hoping you could tell me about this...'
(He pauses and fishes an apple out of his pocket... an apple she had grown.)

'Nothing grows where armies have fought.
The corpses stain the soil, and the metals poison the water.'

'To grow food on that kind of land takes talent.
To grow the amount you have, takes a miracle...'

(His compliment sparks a sense of satisfaction she can't repress. And she hates herself for it.)

(He waves a hand gesturing towards the other soldiers in the ward.)

'The war may claim the lives of thousands of soldiers. But starvation will claim the lives of millions of innocents.'

'I understand your distaste for politics, but the reality is people starve - kings don't. So will you help us help the people?'

(He hesitates before tossing the apple back to her. He smiles when she catches it.)

---

---

Naamah’s Memory (third prime memory in the Kerguelen Plateau's throne room)

(Naamah stands up to stretch, and looks over her reclaimed land with pride.

The topsoil - once scorched and poisoned from countless battles - is now a verdant green.)

(Over the years, people have begun calling her Naamah of the Harvest;
She who brings feast from famine.

She and her growing retinue have worked ceaselessly following the wake of the King's armies. They retilled the land, buried the dead, and cared for survivors from both sides of the battlefield.

Wherever she went, the fighting stopped.)

(The King's armies conquered lands, but it was Naamah's army that united them.)

---

---

Naamah’s Memory (fourth prime memory in the Kerguelen Plateau's throne room)

(Trumpets blare and streamers colour the skies as a procession of bards and jugglers parade through the streets.

At the centre of all this revelry is a giant raised palanquin wrought with vines and flowers. Carried by seven men and seven women, it gives every onlooker a clear view of Estuary Naamah sitting upon its dais.)

(Tonight's ceremony would be forever celebrated as a historically momentous event. The King has appointed the first female Estuary into his fold.

They are scarcely halfway through the procession but the palanquin is already covered in Lilies of the Valley, thrown by the adoring crowds.

She remembers placing these flowers on the graves of the fallen, but now they have become her symbol, and she is determined to honor it.)

(Naamah pushes aside her veil and waves to the crowds, then feels an empty ache in her heart, for she knows Miriam would not be amongst them.

By swearing fealty to the King and becoming an Estuary, Naamah has cemented her identity as a traitor in her sister's eyes.

Miriam wished for a free world. Naamah simply wished for a better one.
She wonders if they would ever speak to each other again.)

---

---

Naamah’s Memory (fifth prime memory in the Kerguelen Plateau's throne room)

(At home under the canopy of the Kerguelen Forests, Estuary Naamah pores over weekly cultivation reports sent to her by Stygian Study scholars.

She can feel the land and trusts it, but the scholars do not leave anything up to 'intuition'.
Every foot of land is tirelessly graded and monitored by Estuary Enoch to ensure the forests flourish.
Yet beneath the pages of measurements and predictions, she finds markings that are out of place: A small smiley face encircled by hearts.

Intuition tells her this bit of silliness is meant for her eyes alone, and a smile graces her lips.)

(The baby kicks, and she reflexively puts her hand on her stomach. She glances around nervously, but thankfully she is alone.

Extending the bloodline is an obligation every Estuary has to their King. Many children, many souls.

But of all those children, only the father had been an Estuary. Her child however, would be the product of two Estuaries.

And she knows what the consequences would be if it were discovered.)

---

---

Naamah’s Memory (sixth prime memory in the Kerguelen Plateau's throne room)

'Please take care of her.'

(Naamah reads the note one last time before sealing it inside the envelope and placing it beside her baby.
The envelope is plain. Only a simple drawing of a heart with 'To M' written inside to adorn it. The only thing.
It isn't much, but it is all she could muster.

She kisses her child one last time, then places the crib of knotted branches down in front of the farm house door.)

(From a distance Naamah watches as the door opens, and her sister Miriam answers the cries of a mewling baby.)

---

Stygian Study lore 1

Below are all the journal entries found in the big lore room (with a set of 3 doors) in the Stygian Study. Note that the room has 6 possible tables with journal entries, but only 4 of them (chosen randomly) will spawn during a run. It also has the 2 memories associated with the Archives (Murmur miniboss' room).

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Enoch's Notes(journal entry from the lower left table)

                                   HESTIA'S RELIQUARY

The only Heirloom to ever be created by man.

The box binds the body of whichever user signs the contract. Upon their death, their body, along with any belongings they had, are transported back into the Reliquary.

From there, the Reliquary can only be opened by the next soul to sign the contract. In return, they will inherit all of the previous bearer's belongings.

It has been said, however, that more than just the physical belongings transport over.

Rumors claim that the previous owner's soul and memories are passed on to the new owner as well.
This has been difficult to prove, as the ancestral line that is bound to the Reliquary have been notoriously tight-lipped about its effects.

---

---

Enoch's Notes(journal entry from the upper left table)

                                 THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS ON THE ADDITION OF
                                   PHILOSOPHERS TO THE RESEARCH GROUPS

Against my better judgement we have added philosophers and free-thinkers to our research groups.
To my surprise, they have helped us expand the ways we've been examining our world. Just don't tell them that.

Of all the ideas they've pitched, the one that piques my interest the most is their "Unified Soul" theory.

In general, it abandons the assumption that we are all individual souls. What if we each had our own soul, but on a metaphysical level they were all interconnected?

The ramifications of this theory are far-reaching.
If we are all interconnected, then do we really have to transfer the soul from one vessel to another? Could we not bind one soul to multiple objects?

If we're all connected, does harming others bring harm to ourselves?

---

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Enoch's Notes(journal entry from the far left table)

                                   DEFINITION OF SHIFTS AND ANCHORS

Definition of Shift

Shifting is when a set of rooms, buildings, and even landscapes suddenly become displaced within the Kingdom.
Initially a rare occurrence, these events have become increasingly more common with each passing year.

Definition of Anchors

Anchors are special locations within the Kingdom that seem immune to the effects of the Shift.
These include the entrance to Citadel Agartha,
the Sun Tower's summit,
the Far Shores,
and the entirety of Axis Mundi*.

   *(Before the rebellion and destruction of the bridge.)

Refer to note: 'The Room Problem.'

---

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Enoch's Notes(journal entry from the lower right table)

                                   THE ROOM PROBLEM AND VISUAL AGNOSIA

During a Shift, massive chambers may be moved thousands of steps away from their original location.

This has precipitated what researchers call "The Room Problem".

How does a room know it's a room? Why do rooms always connect cleanly, rather than merge into a grotesque mess?
We believe we know the answer.

The Room Problem was partially solved during a visit to a villager in the Kerguelen Plateau, who had reported that objects in his house had fused together in a formless way.

The villager suffered from Visual Agnosia - the inability to categorically recognize an object - which meant he had difficulty identifying a table as a table.

Interestingly, the only objects that fused were the man's most personal affects, which he kept in a private room. The moment I entered and observed the objects however, their fusing stopped.

It is as if there is a collective unconscious in the world that determines what a room IS, and what it ISN'T.
But this raises more questions. Is the identity of an object solely reliant on the observer, or the subconscious group-think?
As more observers become aware of a room, does the room become more vulnerable to the Shift?

Is this why Lamech's hidden chamber seems immune to Shifting?
Only he and I know where it is, and we both have a very concrete understanding of what it is...
Thus it never changes?

---

---

Enoch's Notes(journal entry from the far right table)

                       ON THE TRANSITIVE PROPERTIES OF BLACK ROOT
                                   AND THEIR FUTURE APPLICATIONS

(... As you ignore the words in the document and look for pictures, you come across an earmarked page...)

... We theorize the Black Roots originate from the Stygian Waters, but it is impossible to find their true source as there appears to be none.
Following the roots lead to that which can only be described as impossible 'knots.'

Attempts to unfurl these knots cause the roots to retract upon themselves, whereupon they disappear, seemingly out of existence.

It is difficult to explain in words, but even harder to comprehend.

Interestingly though, no matter how many Black Roots we cut down, they always return.

... But only when no one is around to spectate.
Are the roots sentient? Or does the existence of an observer change their properties?

---

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Enoch's Notes(journal entry from the upper right table)

                                   PROPERTIES OF THE BLACK ROOT
                                   AND THEIR FUTURE APPLICATIONS

(... You sift through the documents when you find an earmarked page...)

... Eureka!

I've discovered that the transitive properties of Black Roots can be used to bind objects to a person's soul.

After some lengthy experimentation, I've successfully bound the souls of High Scholar Murmur and the Gonghead* Twins to my Study doors.

Their collective life-force now ensure the doors remain impenetrable, even to the craftiest of locksmiths.
Truly fascinating!

   *Note to self: Stop calling Athanasia and Zoe the 'Gongheads'. They are still family, after all.

The possible applications of this discovery are endless! I could bind my siblings to the Golden Door and free the need for soldiers to stand guard.

Or I could bind a soul to a treasure chest and create a perfect assistant!

I could even... bind a soul to an eggplant and...
make it walk around...

... Hmm, I guess I just made a really complicated door lock.

---

---

Antioch's Memory (found in the room with the portal to the Archives)

I can't believe I left my notes behind... I can't complete my research without them!
I can't get past these Void Doors without Pallas' Heirloom...

I doubt the guards will fetch my notes for me, so perhaps I should try currying Pallas' favor on my own?

She's somewhere in the Study, and her Power of the Void would be very beneficial.

---

---

J's Memory (found inside the Archives)

This infestation... I've seen it before.

... Condemn the Archives. Gather what you can and start barricading the hallways.

Whatever infested the bodies in the Gatehouse has found its way here.

Spread the word, and keep the guards on watch. The scholars here are lost.

---

Stygian Study lore 2

Below are all of Enoch's journal entries found by entering the middle door in the big lore room in the Stygian Study, as well as all the lore associated with the Observatory, the long exterior room on the right of the area.

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Enoch's Notes (first Stygian Study journal entry)

               AN ANALYTICAL BREAKDOWN OF PAINT AND THEIR DIFFERING DRYING SPEEDS
         BASED UPON THEIR APPLICATION ON UNIQUE SURFACES AND ROOM TEMPERATURES


                                                           VOLUME I OF X

... That title should keep most prying eyes at bay.

These are the personal journal entries of Estuary Enoch. If you are not me, then your actions are considered a capital crime.

If you are me... then please, continue reading.

It has been nearly one thousand years since we were first sent down here to tend the garden, but the Tree has yet to bear fruit.

Each year, during the Ceremony of Return, my siblings and I congregate and open the garden gates in hopes of finding a bud. But every time we are met only with disappointment.

According to historical documents the tree should have borne fruit decades ago, yet it remains barren.
I doubt our toil will be rewarded, but Estuary Irad does not share my cynicism.
He is loyal to a fault and will do anything for his King, even if it means damning us for eternity.

Unless I can prove to him no fruit will ever grow, we shall be stuck here for another thousand years.

---

---

Enoch's Notes (second Stygian Study journal entry)

... A horrible tragedy has befallen us. The Nibiru Deep Mines have flooded with the poisonous Stygian Waters.
Thousands of miners have perished, including our brother, Estuary Mehujael.

The Nibiru Deep Mines have been sealed, and a hundred days of mourning has been enacted.
All mining operations must be moved to the upper Pishon Lake bed...

Siphoning the waters of Pishon Lake into the Gihon Reservoir may be costly, but it is a small price to pay to honor the fallen.


(The entry continues, detailing the logistics of draining Lake Pishon into the central reservoir).

---

---

Enoch's Notes (third Stygian Study journal entry)

Converting mining operations to the Pishon Dry Lake has been met with additional complications.
The Black Roots have aggressively spread through the camp, and have even made their way into the Citadel.

Monsters have also begun to make their way into the Citadel, which is causing development to grind to a halt. Every miner now requires a guard to escort them through the halls, but we need production to continue.

It looks like I'll have to divert my energies away from the Tree's fruit and focus on this annoyance for the time being...

---

---

Enoch's Notes (fourth Stygian Study journal entry)

The Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis is a type of fungus that attacks insects, and infests the host's brain with spores.
The spores take over the insect's neural functions, and when the insect dies the fungus bursts out from the carcass, spreading more spores onto the bodies of unwitting hosts.

The Black Roots act in a similar manner, with the roots being the fungus, and the monsters that accompany them as their spores. If this analogy is apt, it would stand to reason that these monsters exist to infect more host bodies.

Is that why they're attacking us? But why have they only become aggressive now?

I can't help but feel this is connected to the Nibiru Deep Mines flooding...

---

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Enoch's Notes (fifth Stygian Study journal entry)

There is only one way the Tree will grow... But I cannot tell the others.

We must leave this place now, or live for another eternity in this subterranean wasteland.

I cannot reason with Estuary Irad. He would rather kill us all than return to his King empty-handed.

I need to present him with an ultimatum he cannot refuse.

---

---

Enoch's Notes (last Stygian Study journal entry)

The rebellion war poisoned the land, which in turn created this infestation. And now the infestation threatens to destroy the Kingdom.
The cycle is vicious.
The lightning storms are also getting closer, but we lack the manpower to build the windmills to disperse the Ash Clouds.
My private sanctuary is now mired within those clouds; the bridgeway torn apart by the electrical winds.

The Ancients and their philosophies were right, we ARE all connected, and not just this world, but all worlds. And it is the Stygian that binds us together.

If someone is reading this, come seek me out. I would like to chat. My soul is bound to a bridge on the Eastern parapet.
That bridge is still standing, though it exists not in this world.
USE your will to pull the bridge into existence...

---

---

Enoch's Memory (found at the top of the Observatory after crossing the bridge)

... Come to read my memories, have you?

Don't be shy. I knew this day would come.

I am leaving this memory behind before I succumb to a concoction of my own design.
I have made a poison that can kill any being, even one as powerful as an Estuary.

I don't know who you are, but I pray you understand the nature of the rebellion.

The Fruit will never grow, but Estuary Irad's loyalty to the King blinds him from the truth.
You must kill Estuary Irad, for he guards the Bell of Return, which is your only path of escape.
My poison contains the essence of the Black Roots. It will infect any soul it touches, rotting it from the inside.

We were careless though. Both High Scholar Murmur and I have been infected.

In this box I've placed the vial.

I beseech you, ascend the Sun Tower and poison Estuary Irad.
It is the only way...

...

(... you search the box, but the vial is missing.)

---

---

Telescope (found at the top of the Observatory after crossing the bridge)

(The telescopic lens has been scratched apart by the ashen storm clouds.

Through the lens, you can barely make out the Gatehouse that blocks the entrance to the Kerguelen Plateau.)

---

---

Mannequin (found in the hidden room below the Observatory)

(A life-like mannequin lies dismembered within a box.
Nearly imperceptible strings extrude from its limbs.

Engraved on the mannequin's left heel is a single word: 'Nous'.)

---

---

Charts (journal in the hidden room below the Observatory)

(The table is full of lists and charts about the Kerguelen Plateau. Among them are predictions on how long food stores will last.

The numbers are dangerously low.)

---

Stygian Study Prime lore

Below are all of Enoch Prime's memories found after beating him.

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Enoch's Memory (first prime memory in the Stygian Study's throne room)

(Enoch crumples the despicable letter in his hand.

He was being reprimanded for not spreading his seed?! Absolutely preposterous!

He saw the letter for the charade it was:
A formalized attempt to perpetuate a thoroughly detestable and toxic tradition.

And he for one refused to acknowledge its legitimacy.)

(He understood that one of an Estuary's primary duties was to keep the Legacy growing.

But the Kingdom of Genesis had grown such that its population now rivaled that of the surface.

This tradition now only served to satisfy an Estuary's carnal appetites and their desire to subjugate.)

(He had made clear his disdain for this practice numerous times already, but his remonstrations fell on deaf ears.

Let the others carry on with their 'traditions'.

... One true partner was more than enough for him.)

---

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Enoch's Memory (second prime memory in the Stygian Study's throne room)

(Enoch's makeshift observatory hangs precariously off the Eastern ramparts of the Stygian Study.

He instructs his assistant, High Scholar Murmur, to open the windows while he carefully adjusts the lens of his telescope, taking in the breadth of the Kingdom of Genesis.

The lens slowly pans across the spires of Citadel Agartha, beyond the burning bridges of Axis Mundi, and lands on the gatehouse leading to the Kerguelen Plateau.

Within that gatehouse lies the giant Void Beast. And at its entrance stands Estuary Lamech.)

(After the rebellion, Lamech had locked himself into his chambers and refused visitors.

It was many months before Enoch could coax him outside, and many more before he could convince the legendary Spellsword to confront the Void Beast.

But as he watches his brother stand before the giant doors, Enoch knows these efforts are for naught, for despite all the fury and bravado, Lamech is a soldier.

... And slaying the Void Beast is in direct violation of Irad's orders.)

(As Lamech turns to leave, Enoch feels a wave of despair overtake him and he loses his strength.

High Scholar Murmur tries to steady his master, but Enoch crumples to the floor.

The gravity of the situation is suffocating, and now he is left with no choice:

In order to save Naamah and the villagers... Irad has to die.)

---

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Enoch's Memory (third prime memory in the Stygian Study's throne room)

(A piece of Black Root finally falls to the floor, and Enoch slumps down next to it in exhaustion.

His fingertips - now black and gnarled - hum with a resonant pain as the poison seeps through his body.)

(Despair settles over him as his mind goes over his recent failures:

... He failed to evacuate Naamah and the villagers before the gates were sealed.
... He failed to cure the Dragon, and stop the eternal winter.
... He failed to convince Lamech to stand against Irad's orders.
...
... All he succeeded in doing was poison himself and High Scholar Murmur...)

(But it was all due to this malignant growth weaving its way through the Kingdom!

Despair gives way to anger, as Enoch grabs his knife off the floor. He hacks away mercilessly at the Black Root, and with each strike his anger grows.

His attacks become more and more vicious until all that is left is an impossibly knotted core.

He stabs at it until the tip of his blade breaks.)

(With his anger redoubled, Enoch grabs at the knot with his gnarled hand, wishing to tear it out in frustration...

... But as his fingers make contact, he is shocked as they make no purchase. They, instead slide effortlessly within.

... In an instant, he feels his whole body drift away, and a white light explodes in his head...)

---

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Enoch's Memory (fourth prime memory in the Stygian Study's throne room)

(Enoch finds himself floating in space, free from the confines of his body.

He does not know how he knows this, but he is now part of the Black Root, and can sense all it can sense.

The roots stretch on for millions of miles, across countless other worlds and planes of existence.

He realizes the knot he struck was only a single point in the network of roots that exist in his world.)

(Gone is the Study, as new planes of experience open up within his mind.

In one world it seems the dead roam freely across the land, and flying metal cubes swarm the night sky.

In another, a battle rages on at the foot of a massive armored tortoise as explosive weaponry fires out from its metallic shell...)

(Enoch tries to reach out with his mind and grasp any artifacts he can find, if only to convince himself it is real.

... He reaches for a strangely shaped drill here, a black metal hammer there...

Everything he touches vanishes from sight. Somehow he knows they are being pulled into his world, like a faded memory forced back into clarity through sheer recollection.)

(And despite the sensory overload, he can still sense the Black Roots pulling at him...

It is a pull that absorbs the souls of the dead and dying, and brings them back to a glowing white tree at the centre of it all.)

(Countless different worlds, each with their own Stygian manifestation, feeding their own tree.

Some trees are saplings, while others are so large their branches wrap around the moon.

Yet despite each tree being different from the next, Enoch knows they are one and the same.)

(He wants to stay and learn more...
... To experience more...

... but he can feel the Tree rejecting his body...)

---

---

Enoch's Memory (fifth prime memory in the Stygian Study's throne room)

(As Enoch awakens, he is horrified to find the Black Root enveloping most of his body.

He knows he cannot save himself, but he needs time to recreate the poison, for it is the only thing powerful enough to stop Irad.

... But he can feel the strength draining from his body and his limbs harden like wood.

He needs to find a surrogate to transfer his consciousness into before the roots overtake him...)

...
(The life of a Mimic Chest is proving more trying than anticipated.

Transferring his soul into this new vessel bought him precious time, but without proper limbs, he is forced to use his former body as a puppet to perform the actual work needed.

He also realizes it would be impossible for him to infect Irad with the poison once he has concocted it.

... That duty would have to fall to someone else.)

(There is no time to find a trustworthy candidate. He can feel the Black Root pulling at his mind. Soon he will be gone, and the rest would be left up to fate.

Enoch scuttles into his makeshift observatory with his wooden puppet in tow. Behind him, the bridge that once connected his chambers to the Study's ramparts is now gone, displaced into another plane of existence...
It is the last precaution necessary to safeguard the poison.

He hopes the clues he left behind would be enough to find a worthy successor...)

(Enoch tries peering through his telescope one last time, but the Ash Clouds have become so dense that Naamah's domain can no longer be seen...

With a heavy heart, he summons his wooden body to his workdesk, and wills it to put pen to paper...)

...



"... Come to read my memories, have you?

Don't be shy. I knew this day would come..."

---

Sun Tower lore 1

Below is the first part of Irad's journal entries found in the Sun Tower.

---

Irad's Notes (first Sun Tower journal entry)

                                            Journal Entry #1
                                   15 Days Since the Rebellion

I have not been sleeping recently.
This sudden bout of insomnia won't seem to end.

Estuary Enoch took notice of my ailment and referred me to Philosopher Nous, a so-called specialist.

I expected him to offer a tincture to help me sleep, but all that kook did was give me this journal.

'Ailments of the mind come from the mind.'

Outrageous! Nous believes my insomnia is subconsciously self-inflicted...

But he came at my brother's behest, so I must continue to fill in this journal, if only to humour this 'specialist' for now.

---

---

Irad's Notes (second Sun Tower journal entry)

                                            Journal Entry #2
                                   18 Days Since the Rebellion

'A fool is the man with nothing to learn.'

Philosopher Nous insists I continue this 'journal therapy'.

I admit he is knowledgeable, but his diagnosis is built off false assumptions.

He believes the mind of an Estuary is comparable to that of a commoner.
That is the flaw in his reasoning.

We are not the same class of creature. The pressures that would bring him to his knees would not so much as cause me to sweat.

He does not understand how much work it takes to rule a kingdom. My subconscious is pure, and my mind is sharp.

Despite eight sleepless days, I am still more astute than he'll ever be.

---

---

Irad's Notes (third Sun Tower journal entry)

                                            Journal Entry #5
                                   25 Days Since the Rebellion

I will admit, I have grown fond of transcribing my thoughts into this journal. There's something deeply satisfying about reflecting upon your own genius.

But today, my journal serves another purpose.
Leto, my personal Page, has fallen ill. So for today, I shall be my own assistant.

It will be challenging, for it has been 15 days since I last slept, and keeping track of my daily tasks has become... difficult.

TO DO:

(0600 to 0700) Power up the sun.
- Need to speak to Estuary Enoch about the worsening >Ash Clouds.
- The clouds are so thick, the sunlight can barely pierce through them.

(0700 to 1300) Trawling the Gihon Reservoir.
- We need to be thorough. We cannot allow anything to contaminate our water source.

(1300 to 1400) Lunch.
- I'm thinking pizza.

(1400-1700) Assemble a scouting party for the Pishon Dry Lake excursion.
- Estuary Tubal fled to the mines and sealed them off when the rebellion started (does he think the war is still going?). I will personally find him and drag him out.

It has been 15 days since I last slept (did I say that already?), and I am still working.

Tubal's dereliction of duty will not go unpunished.

---

---

Irad's Notes (fourth Sun Tower journal entry)

                                            Journal Entry #9
                                   37 Days Since the Rebellion

My head has been fuzzy all day, but I am relieved to finally exit the mines.

After five days of searching, there is no sign of Estuary Tubal. I think it is safe to presume that he has perished.

Perhaps he succumbed to the Black Root, or was swept away by the Stygian Waters.
... Either way, he is no longer my concern.

His death warrants more ceremony, but I do not have time for such banalities. There are more pressing matters at hand, and I am having growing trouble keeping track.

I have already missed multiple appointments with Philosopher Nous due to this miasma of the mind.
I've also had my personal Page issue constant reminders of my daily tasks.

TO DO LIST:

- Restart Tubal's automatons.
- The Dragon has fallen ill and is causing the Ash Cloud epidemic. We will need to find a way to nurse it back to health.
- Install more of Tubal's SAWS to combat the Black Root in the caves.
- Install SAWS in the Tower? They work quite well.
- Lunch. Pizza.

---

Sun Tower lore 2

Below is the second part of Irad's journal entries found in the Sun Tower.

---

Irad's Notes (fifth Sun Tower journal entry)

                                            Journal Entry #35
                                   60 Days Since the Rebellion

It has been weeks since I last slept. The insomnia is taking its toll.
Spoke to Nous about it. Having trouble writing anything other than lists.
Before I left he tasked me with one last exercise.

'In your own words, tell me what it means
 to be an Estuary'.

... So tired... Even with a prompt, I am having trouble thinking what to write...

                                  What is an Estuary?


An Estuary is a soldier, chosen by our blessed Father - the Immortal King - to enact His will.

All souls belong to our King.
And we give our lives gladly to extend His own.

An Estuary partakes of the King's flesh, becoming eternally bound to His will.

To serve Him is to serve ourselves.

To become an Estuary is to have the highest honor, for it is given only to the deserving.
And I am most deserving...

I have earned my place thrice over.

Once as His General, for conquering the world above.
Again as His Miracle, for capturing the Dragon.
And once more as a Leader, for ruling the Kingdom of Genesis.




So Nous, you asked me 'What is an Estuary?'
This is my answer:
I am an Estuary.

---

---

Irad's Notes (sixth Sun Tower journal entry)

                                            Journal Entry #120
                                   145 Days Since the Rebellion

Looked for stairs. Needed way down.
Hard to climb down Tower. Maybe stay up here.

Need to keep watch. Rebels could attack. Sun's so bright.
Talked with Nous today. He doesn't make sense anymore.
He gave me another test. Feels like I've been doing these all day.
Don't mind. Kind of fun.

Sharpness of Mind Test

What is 12x12
120.

Split this word - Apple
Peal, Leap, Pap, Pep, Pal, Peal.

Where do you reside?
Tower.

What is 100/11
11.

Where does the Bell reside?
Garden.

Split this word - Return
Turn, Urn, Tre, Nute, Tern, Rune, Run.

What is 510 + 620
50, 51, 60, 20, 206, 015206, 620, 100, 102.

Where does the REAL Bell reside?
Top of Tower.

---

---

Irad's Notes (last Sun Tower journal entry)

How did they know where the Bell was?
Its true location was known only to me - A secret I would have taken to my grave.

Did a Memory leak out? Nay, that's impossible. I suppressed them long ago...

Either way, the Bell of Return has been rung, and the King will soon arrive.

The noise was deafening. The reverberations were so loud, they crumbled the top of the Sun Tower.
But it was the wake-up call I needed - I have never felt more cognizant than I do today!

I intercepted the soldier that rang the Bell, but was unable to stop him.
He was very skilled... almost as good as Lamech.

He managed a few strikes on me before he fled, but they will heal quickly enough.

His escape doesn't matter. By ringing that Bell, he has condemned us all.

When the King arrives, He will see the Kingdom in ruin, the Tree barren, and rebels running rampant through the halls of the Citadel.

He will not look kindly on our failures. I doubt any of us will be spared.

But perhaps this unrelenting pressure was what I needed all along! The malaise from my insomnia is gone - flushed out by this flood of adrenaline.

And in its place, an epiphany! But I must be careful. This journal is the only thing keeping my Memories from leaking out.

I need somewhere safe to ponder this...

My old room at the base of the Sun Tower should do. The entrance has been boarded up, but there's a Trick Wall to the right of the void lift that I can enter.

---

---

Irad's Memory (found in the hidden room at the base of the Sun Tower)

------------------------------------------
It's perfect! Everything I predicted is true.
I know how to make the Tree bear fruit!

I shall condemn the other Estuaries as traitors, and gather them to be sacrificed.

Lamech will be the most difficult to capture, but even he is nothing but a shadow of his former self. Very little stands in my way.

... Tomorrow, I shall set my plan in motion.

For now, I shall surrender myself to sweet, well-deserved slumber. May it invigorate me for the trials ahead.

But first I'll turn off the sun and coat the world in darkness whilst I rest...

And hopefully my arm heals as well.
These scratches that Rebel gave me have been itching all day.

---

---

Irad's Notes (found in the hidden room at the base of the Sun Tower)

------------------------------------------
(Diagrams, horticultural growth charts, stacks of battle documents, Kingdom death rates, and a pile of other random papers cover the desk).

---

Sun Tower Prime lore 1

Below is the first part of Irad Prime's memories found after beating him.

---

Irad's Memory (first prime memory in the Sun Tower's throne room)

(Atop a grassy knoll, Estuary Irad peers down upon his army's encampment below.

In the clear moonlight, the massive silhouette of Dragon Ladon towers over the makeshift tents.
Hundreds of thick iron chains anchor it to the ground and scrape against its scales as it sleeps. Reverberations from each of its breaths can be felt throughout the camp.)

(The beast's capture was the final task before he could descend down into the Stygian with his brothers and sisters.
Soon they would begin fostering the Tree of Life - a plan decades in the making.

But for Irad, today's victory was in name alone.)

(Twenty thousand Dragon Lancers flew under his banner today. Less than half returned.

Ladon proved to be a far greater adversary than anticipated, and the cost in life was devastating.)

---

---

Irad's Memory (second prime memory in the Sun Tower's throne room)

(In the waning firelight of his chambers, Estuary Irad reaches into a hidden recess in his oakwood desk, and withdraws two small chests.

The chests, each no larger than a perfume box, are both ornately engraved with a white tree and a golden sun. Identical in every metric, even down to their seeming imperfections.

Irad pulls up a chair and gestures to his valet, Messenger Jabal, to sit down.)

'These chests are the Blackseed Twins - an experiment by the Old Scholars. They are built from the same material that crafted Hestia's Reliquary.'

(Irad opens the boxes, revealing identical red velvet interiors. He takes a pen off his table and carefully places it in one of the boxes.)

'When the night hits its zenith...'
Irad pauses to the sound of bells rhythmically chiming in the distance.
'... what is placed in one box, is revealed in the other.'

(As he withdraws the pen from the other box, a look of astonishment crosses Jabal's face.)

'With these devices I can maintain communication with our King.'

(Irad hands one of the Blackseed Boxes to Jabal.)

'Keep the box safe, and keep it secret.
Though we are at peace now, war will come again. But if the King knows I can be reached, that eventuality will be vastly expedited.
Our people deserve a reprieve.'

'Only when war becomes inevitable shall you give this to the King. Until then, I will be waiting.'

(Jabal nods as he cradles the box to his chest as if a newborn babe.)

---

---

Irad's Memory (third prime memory in the Sun Tower's throne room)

(For 500 years the Blackseed Box remained empty, and for 500 years there was peace.

In that time Irad had turned the barren wilderness of the Stygian into a thriving Kingdom worthy of the highest praise.

But this tranquility was interrupted the night he received his first message from the box.)

(Soon, the Blackseed Box surged with plans, schematics, and requests for his expertise.
And for years Irad dutifully maintained a secret military correspondence.

He provided tactics and strategies remotely, satisfied with the knowledge that each victory on the surface would expand his already illustrious record.)

(As Irad pores over the latest war plans, a smudged marking in the corner of a document catches his eye.

A signature, hastily scrubbed out but still legible, reading 'Estuary Jabal, the Supreme Strategist.')

(Irad could feel dark rage filling his body. Estuary Jabal, this so-called 'Supreme Strategist' had betrayed him!

One missed signature, one unscrubbed lie, was all it took for Jabal's treachery to be revealed.

The Blackseed Box had never reached his King's hand. Instead, his messenger had been stealing his notes and taking credit for his victories...)

---

---

Irad's Memory (fourth prime memory in the Sun Tower's throne room)

(When Irad confronted Jabal, he expected to be served hastily built lies and supplication...

But instead, Jabal insolently presented Irad with an ultimatum.)

'In war, there is only victory and death.
Those are your words Irad.

The next great conflict is upon us. You will continue to serve your King from the shadows,
or you can choose to abandon His men, and let them burn in the fires of battle, knowing you could have prevented it.

This is no bluff. They will be the ones to suffer should you choose to betray your King.'

(The color drains from his face, for he knows his fate has been sealed.

... There is no future for him.

Even if he leads the surface armies to victory, the King would never know.
With his reputation stolen and the Tree yet ungrown, the King would have him executed for his failures, and likely replaced by this treacherous opportunist!)

(From atop his spire, Irad looks down upon the prosperous Kingdom he has built. This is more than just a land of peace and stability - it has an army 200,000 men strong... and growing.

Jabal wanted to take everything from him and push him to ruin.

... But Irad would not be subjugated. He would destroy anyone who tried.)

'Let the world above burn in the fires of war.'
Irad crushes the Blackseed Box into splinters.

'A new one will be ready to take its place.'

---

---

Irad's Memory (fifth prime memory in the Sun Tower's throne room)

(Estuary Irad smiles as he pores over the reports once more. Over the past decade, the population for the Kingdom of Genesis had exploded, and the size of his army had more than tripled.

Citadel Agartha, which was once a well-fortified city, was now a towering fortress - a monument to his will.)

(Irad was almost ready for war.
His prior correspondence with the surface had provided him with invaluable information about the King's army: its production capabilities, spread, growth, even its petty rivalries between generals.

Not only was he strategically prepared to mount an assault, but he was confident the King's army would slowly fall apart without his expertise.)

(Estuary Irad frowned over another report. He had taken an aggressive stance on conscription, and the morale of the populace was suffering. But he knew it would pay off soon.

Short-term discontent was a worthwhile trade for certain victory.

Just a few more years, and the true battle would begin...)

---

Sun Tower Prime lore 2

Below is the second part of Irad Prime's memories found after beating him.

---

Irad's Memory (sixth prime memory in the Sun Tower's throne room)

(Flames of chaos flicker in Irad's eyes as he views the destruction from his tower.
As the Rebels continue their assault on Citadel Agartha, he finds it difficult to follow their movements.

Ever since the rebellion erupted, his sleep had been stolen by the voices pounding within his skull.)

('... My Kingdom is burning...
... my army is dying...

... I just needed more time...
how did it all fall apart?')

(At the very start of the siege, the Rebels had gained the advantage by sealing the entrance to the Tower, trapping Irad and his men inside.

These were not the tactics of simple farmers. The attack was well planned, and expertly executed.)

('... I caused this...
Increased recruitment over the years...
Minimal supervision, too little oversight...

Not enough loyalty built amongst the soldiers...')

(Once the path was cleared, Estuary Irad directed his Dragon Lancers to strike at key Rebel camps with surgical precision.

But with every Rebel slain, two more appeared.

Their numbers seemed endless...)

('I was too greedy...
Raised the population too high...
Too many people... too little food...

My dreams have turned to a nightmare...')

(Suddenly Irad feels the ground shudder. In the distance, he hears a dull crack as the Axis Mundi Bridge buckles. Irad feels hope drain from his body as entire pathways fall into the reservoir below.

Blood and rage resound throughout the Kingdom, but it's deafened by the voices in his mind.)

('Nothing can stop the King from taking your head now...')

---

---

Irad's Memory (seventh prime memory in the Sun Tower's throne room)

(In the rain-soaked rubble of Axis Mundi, Irad nervously paces its broken steps as his men carefully lower a massive gate.
Soon the Kerguelen Plateau will be cut off from the rest of the Kingdom, sealing all those inside.

Naamah was to blame for all of the failures down here. The Tree, the Rebellion, everything.

If Irad could convince his King of this, perhaps he could be spared.)

('... She is the Estuary of the Harvest...
... yet the Tree won't grow...

The people loved her...
... yet the Rebels rose under her watchful eye...

... Why should I be punished for her negligence?...')


                                                                  ('... But you are their leader, not her...')

(Throughout the conflict with the Rebels, Estuary Naamah tended to the wounded on both sides.

In her eyes, it was an act of mercy...
... but to Irad - and more importantly the King - it was an act of treason.)

('... The timing is perfect...

... The Void Beast's arrival coincides with Naamah's actions...
... I can blame it all on her treachery.')


                                                                  ('... You betrayed your people above...
                                                                 ... Now you betray your people below...

                                                  ... Who will be left to shoulder your failures?...')

(Irad's migraine had become relentless. Every thought was now difficult, every waking moment a terrible pain.

He couldn't recall when he last slept. But no matter, for this turn in events may just be enough to exonerate him.)

('... No place for weakness in war...

... Only victory and death...
... It is what I taught my soldiers...')


                                                                           ('... It is what you taught Jabal...')

(As Irad lays to rest, he knows the attempt is futile as the voices in his head continue to scream.)

---

Pishon Dry Lake misc. lore

Below are all the miscellaneous lore entries (lone journal or signs) found in the Pishon Dry Lake.

---

Sign (at the entrance of Pishon Dry Lake)

                                        WELCOME TO PISHON DRY LAKE

For your safety, all parties must be accompanied by a guide with a Sun Lantern.

(An additional letter has been nailed to the front of the sign.)


                                                  NO TRESPASSING

BY ORDER OF ESTUARY IRAD, PISHON DRY LAKE HAS BEEN SEALED OFF INDEFINITELY.

---

---

Enoch’s Notes (journal entry near the first attenuation fork)

                                               ATTENUATION FORKS
                                    AND AUDITORY MAPPING THROUGH
                                  THE  ACOUSTIC PROPERTIES OF  THE
                                                  PISHON DRY LAKE

As per your request Estuary Tubal, I have created the Attenuation Forks to help with navigation through the region.

They ring at a certain frequency which will cause other Attenuation Forks to oscillate in harmony. By measuring the "echo" response time, you can map out the position of other Attenuation Forks that have been placed.

Be warned, the data gleaned from this technique is limited. You cannot tell which room it is, and only a small number of forks can be used, otherwise the reverberations will intersect and muddle the echos.

So please place the forks sparingly!

---

---

Sign (at the entrance of the flooded Nibiru Deep)

                                                  NO TRESPASSING

BY ORDER OF ESTUARY IRAD, NIBIRU DEEP HAS BEEN SEALED OFF INDEFINITELY.

(Scratched into the bottom of the placard lies another message.)
'In memory of Estuary Mehujael and his family.
To the very best captain, and his stalwart crew.

Today, justice was served, and vengeance was earned.'

---

---

Sign (leftmost sign inside the storeroom)

(It's a map of this storage room that displays how items are to be sorted.)


<------ NAILS, LINKS, ROPE


<----- FARMING EQUIPMENT




<----- MISC.

---

---

Sign (rightmost sign inside the storeroom)

(It's a map of this storage room that displays how items should be sorted.)

<------ WEAPONRY


<----- ARMOR




ACCESSORIES ----->



<----- EXIT

---

Pishon Dry Lake lore 1 (new entry added in 1.2)

Below are all the journal entries found in the Pishon Dry Lake's Storeroom.

---

Irad's Notes (first Pishon Dry Lake journal entry)

(The page is torn on the edges. It seems to have fallen out of a book.)

                                            Journal Entry #6
                                   33 Days Since the Rebellion

This storeroom will have to suffice as our base of operations for now. It is large, dry, and full of crates that are completely empty!

Estuary Tubal is a fool.

He has more than enough crates to move supplies all over the Kingdom, yet no supplies to ship!
My men were all woefully under-equipped when the Rebels struck.

This storage room is a testament to his incompetence!

I... forget myself.
It must be the air down here - it has an oppressive quality which leaves me in a foul mood.

Despite his failings, Tubal is still my brother, so I must do my best to find him.

I am confident we won't be down here for long. My men are disciplined and thorough.

I shall find my brother in short order.

---

---

Irad's Notes (second Pishon Dry Lake journal entry)

                                            Journal Entry #7
                                   34 Days Since the Rebellion

We've wallowed in this filth for two days now, and and there's still no sign of Estuary Tubal.

Pishon Dry Lake is too large. There are no landmarks to orient my men, and the Shifts come far too frequently.

I've already lost over fifty men...
I shan't lose any more.

As distasteful as it is, if I have not found Estuary Tubal within the next 24 hours, I shall pronounce him dead, and withdraw my men.

Tomorrow, I'll summon Estuary Enoch down here to figure out how to gain control of the automatons.
Our soldiers desperately need rearmament. I'll be damned if we leave ourselves exposed to another Rebel attack.

---

---

Irad's Notes (third Pishon Dry Lake journal entry)

                                            Journal Entry #8
                                   35 Days Since the Start of the Rebellion

Never trust a man who keeps his hands hidden.

I stumbled upon some seemingly innocuous notes left by our esteemed Estuary Tubal today.
The letters track the growth of fungi within the caves, and provides details on their properties.

I have known my brother for more than a thousand years, and he has never shown any interest in living things. Not people, nor animals, and especially not plants.

Our brother is keeping secrets from us, and I intend to root them out.

Estuary Enoch should be arriving soon to aid me, but I think it best to keep this information to myself for now.

---

---

Enoch's Notes (fourth Pishon Dry Lake journal entry) - (NEW added in 1.2)

                                      MUSINGS ON THE DRAGON LADON,
                    HIS ILLNESS, AND ITS REPERCUSSIONS TO THE BIOSPHERE

Estuary Irad has ordered me down to Pishon Dry Lake to get the automatons working again, but something else has piqued my curiosity.

Dragon Ladon is a truly fascinating specimen.
Captured at the behest of Estuary Naamah, the dragon has been the primary driver of this Kingdom's ecology.

The depths of the Kingdom prevents any plant life from growing. But by harnessing the dragon's exothermic abilities, we can generate heat and distribute warmth throughout the Kingdom, and create steam to produce power.

Ladon's den below the Gihon Reservoir has the added benefit of speeding up evaporation, ensuring a frequent and consistent rain cycle across the Kerguelen Plateau.

Altogether, a truly remarkable system.

Alas, this explains why after the dragon fell ill, the biosphere slipped into complete disarray. And unless it recovers, I fear the Kerguelen Plateau will continue to freeze.

Unfortunately, there are no previous records of a dragon ever becoming ill!
Their internal body temperature is so high, it was believed no disease could survive within them.

It falls on me to find a cure... but how can I help if I do not even know what ails it?

---

---

Enoch's Notes (fifth Pishon Dry Lake journal entry)

                                      ASH CLOUDS AS A NEW SOURCE OF ENERGY

Before the dragon fell ill, it would fertilize the soil by precipitating nitrate rich Dragon Ash across the land.

Since the sickness though, the number of Ash Clouds have more than quadrupled.

In addition, the chemical composition of these clouds has changed. The ash is denser, and extremely conductive.
Like storm clouds they generate incredible amounts of electricity, but their frequent discharges are tearing away the Sun Tower.

It is, however, theoretically possible to pull the electricity from the clouds via grounding poles, which could prove to be a limitless source of energy!

A full reconstruction of the Citadel would be necessary to harness this power, which would take many years.

I shall start my experiments within the Study, and if all goes well, I will expand operations to the Citadel.

---

---

Enoch's Notes (sixth Pishon Dry Lake journal entry)

                          AMIDST AN AUDIT: AUTOMATONS AND ABSENT ARMAMENTS

The automatons have been re-activated, and after cutting away much of the Black Root infestation mining operations have started up again.
Raw ore is being collected at an impressive rate.

... And that is exactly what I find troubling.
The speed in which we are gathering ore far exceeds what Estuary Tubal noted in his monthly reports.

With this amount of resources, Tubal could have made armaments for every man, woman, and child thrice over!

Yet all the storehouses are empty...

I do not know what Estuary Tubal was hiding, but I feel it may be the key to finding our dear brother.

---

---

Irad's Notes (last Pishon Dry Lake journal entry)

I have just discovered a document belonging to Estuary Tubal that may hold a clue to his whereabouts.

It's a schematic of this very storehouse.

At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary... except for a small note that suggested the existence of an additional wing...

It appears to be located EXACTLY where the Accessories are stored, but I've searched far and wide and have yet to find anything.

---

Pishon Dry Lake lore 2

Below are all of Tubal's journal entries found in his secret room, hidden in Pishon Dry Lake's Storeroom.

---

Tubal's Notes (first journal entry in the secret area)

(This paper is old. It is stained yellow and is on the cusp of disintegrating into dust.)

Success!
After nearly a dozen attempts I was finally able to Anchor another room to this storehouse!

The problem was every time I tried to construct a hidden room to this storehouse, it would invariably disappear to the Shift.

I needed to find a way to Anchor rooms together.

So I examined Enoch's notes on The Room Problem. Understanding its connection to the shared subconscious only partly helped in finding a solution.

The full answer hit me after examining Lamech's hidden chamber in the Tower of Lights.

I asked myself, 'what was it that anchored his hidden chamber to the room that hid it?'

All I had to do was turn around for the answer to become clear.

It is the unique portal shared by both rooms that makes them unmistakable and unforgettable to the shared subconscious, thus they are anchored together!

---

---

Tubal's Notes (second journal entry in the secret area)

(This writing is faded. It was written a long time ago.)

The Mimics above are rudimentary - capable of performing only the most primitive tasks.
My new creation - the 'Flying Automaton' - is a robust and versatile piece of engineering. I can order it to defend me, mine ore, and even work the foundries to forge new equipment!

With enough of these, the peasant workers around me will be redundant!

People must be fed and clothed, they require rest, and they can suffer injuries. My automatons, however, work non-stop, every hour of the day.

I requested a meeting with the other Estuaries and demanded we replace all peasant labour with automatons, but my proposal was soundly rejected...
They do not have the stomach nor the tenacity to bring the future forward...

They must be made to understand all progress demands sacrifice.

---

---

Tubal's Notes (third journal entry in the secret area)

(Sketches and diagrams of metallic flying hands fill every page.

The interior cavity of each gauntlet is shaped to protect an urn.)

---

---

Tubal's Notes (fourth journal entry in the secret area)

Today was supposed to be a momentous occasion.
I finally succeeded in allowing my mind to escape this wretched place, even if my body could not.
With one hundred of my beautifully crafted, mechanical hands, I broke through the ceiling of our subterranean Kingdom, and drilled up to the surface until I saw the true sky!

My return should have been magnificent...
I came bearing a hundred gifts for my King...

Everything was perfect...

But the King...
He betrayed us...

He betrayed ME!

For a thousand years we have toiled down here in servitude.
We have done EVERYTHING He has asked of us, but during this time He has sired other Estuaries on the surface.

Is this how He repays our devotion?
By replacing us with these new upstarts? This Estuary Adah and Estuary Jabal, and however many more wretches?!

They are merely imposters! Pretenders!

These False Estuaries prance about on the surface, and know nothing of loyalty or sacrifice!

We, who have endured for centuries in this suffocating purgatory, trying to fulfill an impossible task for our King...

We will NOT be forgotten!

I ...

... They shall reap what they have sown.

---

---

Tubal's Notes (fifth journal entry in the secret area)

(On the table are maps charting every corner of the Kingdom.

The location of Shifting storerooms are marked, along with notes detailing the amount of 'misplaced' inventory.

Another page seems to be tracking Rebel camps and what supplies they have procured.)

(It is hard to be certain, but the supply losses seem intentional.)

---

---

Tubal's Notes (last journal entry hidden behind a trick wall in the secret area)

(This letter is newer than the rest. The pages have yet to yellow over time.)

... A False Estuary has passed from the world above.

... Fallen to the blades of an unknown assassin.
Such a shame.

But his death proved more useful than his life, for it has given me the knowledge that has eluded Enoch for centuries.

... I can make the Tree grow.

The same day that False Estuary perished, I noticed a new bud appear on the Tree!

And with that single bud, I have pieced together why the Tree has not grown.

At the core of this world, we are all interconnected.

It is said the souls of the dead enter the River Styx, which nourishes the Tree of Life and gives birth to all new life...
But the river has been stagnant for millenia, which explains the Tree's long stasis.

So where have all the souls gone? I posit that the King, having consumed the last fruit from the Tree of Life, has become that place of return. The souls of the dead are diverted away from the river, and towards him instead.

It explains the King's longevity. He is feeding upon the deaths of his subjects, their children, and their children's children. He has become their purgatory.

Now as Estuaries, we have partaken from his flesh and thus share in his immortal life.
We are now part of our King... so it follows that when we die, a part of the King dies too.
And once released, those souls siphoned by the King can finally return to the Tree...




...
... The world needs a new king. A grateful king.

... And I can do it. I can grow a new fruit.

My brothers and sisters, I am sorry... but progress demands sacrifice.

---

Pishon Dry Lake lore 3

Below are all of the dragon Ladon's dialogs when talking to him in the Pishon Dry Lake's Throne Room.

---

Ladon the Dragon (first conversation, before removing both chains)

CHILD... A THOUSAND GREETINGS TO YOU...

TOO MANY CYCLES HAS IT BEEN
SINCE ONE HAS DARED VENTURE DOWN HERE...

THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE SOUGHT THE ONE NAMED TUBAL...

WHY DO YOU SEEK THIS VILE MAN?
HE IS NOT WORTHY OF YOUR REMEMBRANCE.

CURIOUS...
ESTUARY, YOU ARE NOT...

... NOR MORTAL ENTIRELY...

... YOUR ALLEGIANCE EVADES ME...

WHOM DO YOU SERVE?

NO MATTER, THE COVENANT IS THE SAME:

FREE ME FROM THESE SHACKLES...
AND I SHALL REVEAL TUBAL'S LOCATION.

---

---

Ladon the Dragon (subsequent conversations, before removing both chains)

TWO CHAINS BIND ME.
ONE OF BODY AND ONE OF SPIRIT.

FREE ME AND THE DRAGON'S VOW I WILL HONOR.

---

---

Ladon the Dragon (subsequent conversations, while one chain remains)

CHILD... ONE CHAIN REMAINS...

FREE ME AND TUBAL'S LOCATION SHALL BE REVEALED.

---

---

Ladon the Dragon (conversation after removing both chains)

CHILD, YOU HAVE HONOR...

TUBAL, THE ONE YOU SEEK, LIES WITHIN ME...

MANY CYCLES AGO, THE NOISE ABOVE GREW LOUD...
I AWOKE TO FIND HIM HERE, BOUND BY OTHER MEN, PRESENTED AS A SACRIFICE.

I ACCEPTED THIS OFFERING...

... BUT TUBAL WOULD NOT SUBMIT.
HE CONTINUES TO LIVE, POISONING ME FROM WITHIN.

CONFRONT HIM IF YOU WISH...

BUT HE IS TUBAL NO LONGER.

HIS MIND WAS CONSUMED LONG AGO...

... THOUGH NOT BY ME.

---

---

Ladon the Dragon (conversation right after defeating Tubal)

TOO MANY CYCLES HAVE I LAIN RESTLESS.

YOU HAVE BROUGHT ME GREAT COMFORT....

MY GRATITUDE IS GIVEN.

MY ENERGY ELUDES ME...

I MUST REST...

---

---

Ladon the Dragon (first conversation, after removing both chains)

CHILD... YOU FREED ME.
A BLESSING GIVEN FROM A STRANGER NOT MET...

AN HONOR A THOUSAND THANKS COULD NOT RECIPROCATE...

A GIFT I RETURN INSTEAD.
OTHERS, LIKE YOURSELF, SOUGHT TUBAL'S LOCATION.

FIND HIM, THEY COULD NOT, FOR WITHIN ME HE RESIDES.

CONSUMED... BUT NOT SUBMITTING.
... HE CONTINUES TO LIVE, POISONING ME FROM WITHIN.

CONFRONT HIM IF YOU WISH...

BUT HE IS TUBAL NO LONGER.

LONG AGO, HIS MIND WAS CONSUMED...

... THOUGH NOT BY ME.

---

---

Ladon the Dragon (after defeating Tubal, first conversation with a different heir)

A THOUSAND CYCLES HAVE PASSED...

SINCE I WAS TAKEN FROM THE LANDS ABOVE...

THE FOUL ESTUARY IRAD AND HIS LANCERS ATTACKED...
AT THE END OF MY LONG REST...

WHEN I WAS AT MY WEAKEST.

NO HONOR IN THEIR WAYS... TRICKERY IS ALL THEY KNOW....

---

---

Ladon the Dragon (after defeating Tubal, second conversation with a different heir)

WE DRAGONS DO NOT AGE.
OUR BODIES GROW...
AS LARGE AS THE LAND ALLOWS...

THESE WALLS HAVE RESTRAINED ME.

YET HAVE BEEN MY HOME FOR AN ETERNITY.

TAKE CARE...

NOT TO IMPRISON YOURSELF.

---

---

Ladon the Dragon (after defeating Tubal, third conversation with a different heir)

MY DRAGON'S BREATH IS GONE.

TRAPPED SOMEWHERE DEEP WITHIN.

EVERY NIGHT I LABOUR TO BREATHE...

AND EVERY NIGHT I GROW COLDER.

---

---

Ladon the Dragon (after defeating Tubal, fourth conversation with a different heir)

MEHUJAEL WAS ONCE MY KEEPER.
AN ESTUARY BELOVED BY YOUR PEOPLE.

THOUGH AN ENEMY IN PRINCIPLE...

HIS DEATH BROUGHT ME GREAT SORROW.

---

---

Ladon the Dragon (after defeating Tubal, fifth conversation with a different heir)

THE ONES WHO BETRAYED TUBAL...

MUCH LIKE YOU, BUT ALSO DIFFERENT.

THEIR SCENT WAS UNIQUE...

AND THEIR TRUST, I HONORED...

THEIR DEED DONE, TO THE STYGIAN THEY RETURNED.

MORTALS, THEY WERE NOT...
SO ESTUARIES, THEY MAY HAVE BEEN...

THOUGH LIKE NONE I HAVE SMELLED BEFORE.

---

---

Ladon the Dragon (after defeating Tubal, last conversation with a different heir)

CHILD...
YOU HAVE MY GRACE FOR LENDING YOUR EAR.

A GIFT FOR THE TIME I HAVE TAKEN...
AND FOR THE TIME YOU SHALL RECEIVE.

---

---

(message when trying to talk to a sleeping Dragon the first time)

The dragon is asleep

---

---

(when trying to talk to a sleeping Dragon the following times)

*your character pets the dragon*

---

Pishon Dry Lake Prime lore

Below is the first part of Tubal Prime's memories found after beating him.

---

Tubal's Memory (first prime memory in the Pishon Dry Lake's throne room)

(In a dimly lit cave, Estuary Tubal sits at his workbench, tightening the last leather strap on a mechanical gauntlet.

Satisfied with his work, he rises and crosses the room. Against the far wall, stacked from floor to ceiling, lie identical urns of a purplish hue.)

(Tubal picks one at random, then slowly removes the lid, revealing a white mist inside.

He utters a low incantation, and a black mist escapes from his lips. The mist flows into the urn, mixing with the vapours within.)

(He quickly reseals the urn, then begins to rock it in his arms, cradling it as if a newborn.
The urn's purple hue slowly fades away like a sick pallor, first turning gray, then white, then finally becoming black as pitch.

Content with this mixture, Tubal turns back to his worktable, and carefully slides the urn into the gauntlet's fitted hollow.)

(The urn suddenly cracks, and wisps of black smoke begin to seep out. Dark tendrils weave themselves into the gauntlet's internal clockwork.

Mechanical fingers bend and flex as the tendrils make themselves at home in their new host.
Tubal smiles to himself and closes his eyes. He takes a long, slow breath...

When he opens his eyes, he sees his own massive body, slumped on the bench in front of him.
He can feel the coldness of the steel, sense every scratch on its surface. Each gear whirrs into motion as he stretches his metal fingers wide...)

---

---

Tubal's Memory (second prime memory in the Pishon Dry Lake's throne room)

(Estuary Tubal turns the bottle of wine in his hand as he sits atop the parapets of Citadel Agartha, then decides against it.
The celebration would have to wait.
Tonight he needs all his faculties unburdened.

He watches the Sun Tower slowly fade to black as the artificial sun settles into its night cycle.
Closing his eyes, Tubal slows his breathing and his body relaxes.)

(Below him, the surface of the reservoir begins to bubble as hundreds of gauntleted automatons slowly emerge from the waters.

They rise up and soar past the Citadel spires, past the darkened Sun Tower and the glowing field of floating jellyfish, and up through the massive tunnel that leads through the ceiling of their subterranean kingdom.

The machines emerge onto the surface, and move silently across the true night sky for hours before coming upon a small encampment.)

(From the shadows, he watches as Estuary Jabal raises his glass and cheers his fellow men on the success of another hunt.

They are far too drunk and tired to notice the stars disappear as an army of hovering automatons blanket the night sky above.

In an instant, the night lights up with the blinding gleam of a hundred floating blades unsheathing in concert...)

---

---

Tubal's Memory (third prime memory in the Pishon Dry Lake's throne room)

(Tubal watches on in amusement as Estuary Enoch rushes through the garden gates. Every morning, Enoch would spend hours around the Tree of Life, excitedly jotting down notes, and charting every possible measurement.

In a single year, the Tree had grown more than it had in the past thousand - this excitement was more than justified.)

(But Enoch's fervor would amount to nothing, for Tubal alone knew the one thing that mattered:
An Estuary had died.

He knew what he had to do to become King.)

---

---

Tubal's Memory (fourth prime memory in the Pishon Dry Lake's throne room)

(This was the year.

Tubal carefully checks his ledgers once more to make sure the numbers would not raise suspicion.
He had successfully armed the Rebels via 'acceptable manufacturing losses,' and had been feeding them intel on the Kingdom's weaknesses for the better part of a decade.

A revolt was imminent. All he had to do was keep the odds in his favor...)

(Tubal closes his eyes as his mind travels over to his legion of flying automatons in the Nibiru Deep vents.

He examines the early warning system that Estuary Mehujael created to protect his men in the event of a flood.)

(Tubal works quickly, ordering a group of his automatons to silently cut the ropes to the warning bells, while the rest of his mechanical minions drill through the lakebed above.

Within minutes, a torrent of water comes crashing through the tunnels, and cries of confusion and panic arise.
A smile spreads across Tubal's face as the screams are drowned out by the sound of rushing water.)

---

---

Tubal's Memory (fifth prime memory in the Pishon Dry Lake's throne room)

(From a hundred different viewpoints, Tubal watches the fighting unfold as his flying automatons navigate the chaos of the Kingdom.

He revels in the screams of rebels and soldiers clashing in the Citadel while his body lies peacefully in a chamber, deep within the Pishon Dry Lake mines.)

(No matter how explosive the fighting becomes, he knows he is safe, for he had taken precautions and sealed off the entrance to the mines before the fighting started.

Soon, once the fighting dies down, all that will be left is to emerge with his army of automatons and slay the remaining Estuaries.)

(He feels a sharp, piercing pain in his chest, and is suddenly jolted back into his body.

He tries to open his eyes, but he cannot see anything. He struggles to move, but is completely restrained.

He realizes he is tied up and being dragged, gagged and blindfolded, through the tunnels of his domain.)

(His blindfold is removed to reveal six figures standing above him, dripping from the poisonous waters of the Stygian.

One of them is holding a dull metallic object. Tubal squints and realizes it was one of the warning bells he had cut.

These must be Mehujael's men, but how could that be? They must have swum through the flooded Nibiru Deep to reach him!)

'No one escapes this place. Not even an Estuary.'

(The bell is rung, and the figures slunk away from view.

The chime of the bell echoes throughout the massive chamber, and Tubal feels the ground tremble. He tries to scream out, but the gag chokes him.

As the dragon rises and opens its jaws, Tubal shut his eyes and tries to will himself back to his automatons.

But all that meets him is darkness...)

---

Nameless Knight

Below are all of Nameless Knight's dialogs when talking to him in various locations around the 6 biomes before opening the Golden Doors.

---

Nameless Knight (in Aesop's Tome heirloom room, after completing the challenge)

... Another bearer of Aesop's Tome?

A word of caution, Traveler.

Be mindful what you learn.

The truth can be misleading.

(after talking to him again)

People change, memories don't.

---

---

Nameless Knight (at the Golden Doors, after entering the Castle with a new heir)

So... You're next in line to sign the contract?

Everything in the name of duty, I presume.
Never stopped to think of what you might be losing...

Well if you're looking for the treasure, you'll have to find the King's children first.
Can't get through those doors otherwise.

I've tried...

(after talking to him again)

I know who you are, even if you don't.

... Let's see how far the apple falls from the tree.

---

---

Nameless Knight (at the top of the Tower of Lights)

Welcome Traveler.
Not many people know of this spot; not many should.

Everyone deserves a place to be themselves.

Even an Estuary.

(after talking to him again)

... Imagine having to hide, just to open up.

---

---

Nameless Knight (in Citadel Agartha's throne room, after defeating Lamech)

Thank you for putting Estuary Lamech to rest.

Regardless of what he's done, he deserved a warrior's death.

(after talking to him again)

He fought for his people.

Didn't matter if they were right or wrong.

---

---

Nameless Knight (in Axis Mundi, next to Pizza Mundi)

.....

---

---

Nameless Knight (in Axis Mundi's throne room, after defeating the Void Beasts)

... I'm well past my prime.

I would never have stood a chance against those beasts.

..... You have my thanks.

(after talking to him again)

It has been a long winter for those inside.

---

---

Nameless Knight (in the Kerguelen Plateau's Far Shores room)

Welcome to the Far Shores, Traveler.
It's been a while since I've been here.

..... Despite its history, the view is quite nice.

(after talking to him again)

Ever tried skipping rocks?
There's something calming in its simplicity.

---

---

Nameless Knight (in the Kerguelen Plateau's throne room, after defeating Naamah)

Never could accept Naamah as an Estuary.

She was one of the good ones...

It's easy to make exceptions after condemning a group...

... Took me a long time to realize that everyone's an exception.

(after talking to him again)

Sometimes good people are forced to do bad things.

---

---

Nameless Knight (in the Stygian Study's throne room, after defeating Enoch)

His head was always in the clouds... Trying to solve problems that didn't need to be solved.
If he had just looked down a little sooner, things might have been different.

(after talking to him again)

The root takes us all.
Some quicker than others.

---

---

Nameless Knight (in the Sun Tower, in Irad's journal room)

You might not be stronger than the Estuaries, but you have something they don't.

Another chance...

(after talking to him again)

You have the choice to learn from your mistakes.
Don't take it for granted.

---

---

Nameless Knight (in the Sun Tower's throne room, after defeating Irad)

The sun is up...

Thank you for that.

(after talking to him again)

... Don't mind me.

---

---

Nameless Knight (at Pishon Dry Lake's entrance, before defeating Irad)

Heading down into the deep below?
Be careful, over-confidence can be lethal.

Even Estuaries won't venture any further without a Sun Lantern.

Not many of those Lanterns are left...
And the ones remaining lost their ember long ago.

If you restore the sun I can reignite the ember.

... We'll talk more then.

(after talking to him again)

Even Estuaries won't go down into the Pishon Dry Lake without a Sun Lantern.

... And you're no Estuary.

---

---

Nameless Knight (at Pishon Dry Lake's entrance, after defeating Irad)

Traveler, before you continue I offer a gift.
You'll need it for where you're going.

It's called a Sun Lantern. It is an heirloom that will help light your way.

It lost its charge a few years back.
But after you restored the sun, it lit up again.

(after talking to him again)

Take care of that Sun Lantern.
It's the last of its kind.

The others were lost in the Nibiru Flood.

---

Death Cutscenes

Below are all the messages from the cut-scenes occuring randomly after a character's death.

---

                                             HESTIA'S RELIQUARY

---

A new Contract signed...
                                                  ... A new successor chosen.

---

Accept the Reliquary...
                                             ... And be bound to your ancestors.

---

The Bell rings for those who pass...
                                                                      ... A new heir must be chosen.

---

Crafted from the Seed...
                                        ... For a sin unresolved.

---

You shall inherit more than just belongings...
                                                                           ... But memories as well.

---

The Seed is a choice...
                                                  ... The Fruit, a punishment.

---

The Contract binds body and soul...
                                                                 ... No food for the carrions. All belong to the Reliquary.

---

Your legacy lives on...
                                        ... Even if your children do not.

---

---

                                                  TREE OF LIFE

---

Enter the Golden Doors...
                                                       ... Your King demands it.

---

One thousand years...
                                        ... One thousand more.

---

No growth...
                         ... Without sacrifice.

---

Change is slow...
                                   ... But it is relentless.

---

The sacrifices grow...
                                        .... And the water rises.

---

The White Tree...
                                   ... Hides Black Roots.

---

Garden of Eden lore 1

Below is the first part of Jonah's dialogs when talking to him in the Garden of Eden.
There is a total of 8 different dialogs before you can fight him and every time you open the Golden Doors, enter the Garden, and talk to him, you will advance through them.

---

Broken Vial (found on the right of the Garden)

A broken vial made from white wood sits on the shore.

The contents were washed clean in the Stygian waters.

---

---

Jonah (first dialog before the fight)

… Welcome to the Garden of Eden, Traveler.

Our little slice of purgatory.

I've been following you closely on your journey. You are not the only one who can read memories with the power of Aesop's Tome. And I've been reading yours…

After every hard-won battle against an Estuary, you left behind a fragment of your past. But every memory dropped was of a different life…

I now realize you are the bearer of Hestia's Reliquary, the fabled Heirloom that transcends life and death itself. Those bound to it inherit the soul and wisdom of every previous vessel.

And in your memories I saw the very first soul to ever be bound to it…
That of the King's twin brother, Abel.

Now I know why the King sent you to retrieve the Fruit.
You are the last of his legacy, and the only one he trusts.

The Fruit is yours for the taking if you can defeat me, but know that I have already suffused it with the Black Root poison.

The poison won't kill the King, but it will weaken him greatly. The King must be stopped. Even now we can hear the war drums above, and it is clear his invasion will not end until he has claimed the entire world.

His very existence is perverse and unnatural. He retains his vitality by stealing the souls of the people and has interrupted the growth of the Tree of Life itself, all to feed his avarice.

He is not like you, Abel. You save the lives of others, while he profits from their deaths.

So I ask you, Abel, what will you do?
Will you give the poisoned Fruit to your King, or warn him of the truth?

Keep the answer to yourself. Words carry lies.
I will extract your memories in combat and determine the truth.

For King or Country, let this battle show me who you truly are!

---

---

Jonah (second dialog before the fight)

… We've been here before haven't we, Traveler?
This encounter, this conversation…

It's all so familiar…

… The longer I am by this tree, the more the fog lifts, and I can remember my past self.

Our story is being retold, over and over, but it seems this tree remains constant, everywhere, at all times.

And even though some force is changing the Tapestry of this world, we are still fated to repeat our past mistakes.

All of us, it seems, except you.
Perhaps it is your connection with Hestia's Reliquary that separates you from the Threads that bind the rest of us.

It is only now, at the very end, am I bestowed the clarity that you've had all along.

And because of that, I understand you are the only one that can make a difference. Only you can make our future brighter.

If we've battled before, we will battle again.

Come, show me how this story ends!

---

---

Jonah (third dialog before the fight)

Hello again, Traveler.
It is good to see you.

Is it fitting to call you 'Traveler', I wonder?

Abel may be the name given to you long ago, but that is not who you are anymore.

And although you are immortal, you are not like your brother, the King.

The King devours the souls of those who have passed as a means to extend his life-force. He learns nothing, and gives nothing in return.

You, on the other hand, have willingly bound yourself to Hestia's Reliquary and offered to share your knowledge and wisdom with all those who come after.

You may have lost your own identity, but you are truly the voice of the people. If there is anyone to place my faith in, it would be you.

But I cannot risk our future on faith alone.

Though you may have changed, Traveler, my duty has not.

Let us play our roles and see what fate has in store!

---

---

Jonah (fourth dialog before the fight)

We meet again, Traveler.

I have a confession. Before I became a Rebel soldier I was a General of the Citadel's army, and known as the 'Master of Swords'.

Even after secretly switching sides, I could not halt my duties to the Estuaries as it would raise questions. So I trained Citadel soldiers by day, and Rebel fighters by night.

Training your students to kill each other is a curse I'd never wish upon anyone…

… The pressure broke me, Traveler.
All I wanted was for the war to stop.

But in the end, I failed. I tried to do what I thought was right, but instead I betrayed them all…

Our entire Kingdom burned in the ensuing war.
So many souls lost, and I was to blame.

All hope was lost, but then you arrived…

Every time a new Thread is sewn and the story starts over, you triumph. The King falls, the Stygian waters rise, and the people of this realm escape to the surface.

And it ends with a promising future for the survivors… for Z…

You may be a source of hope for the others, Traveler, but my sins are set in stone.

I shall play my role for all eternity if it guarantees them a brighter tomorrow.
Let us not keep Fate waiting any longer!

---

---

Jonah (fifth dialog before the fight)

Hello again, Traveler.
The Thread has reset, and the loop continues.

In your absence, I've taken the time to speak to Charon.
… He's not much of a conversationalist, but he is a good listener.

Did you know the Chthonic Gods are considered benevolent beings? They appear during grim times in human history to help us through.

All of the Gods you have met on your journey have aided you in some way. All except Charon…

Geras cleanses the traumas of our past, while Elpis paves the path for our future. Even the Keres siblings renew the souls they consume.

Yet Charon takes, and gives nothing in return. He may simply be the black sheep in the family, but I believe there is more to it than that.

For many, greed is the greatest sin. Humans will steal, cheat, lie, and kill for wealth. Kings and pharaohs bury themselves with their riches as people starve in the streets.

Charon takes that all away. He strips you of your greatest weakness before you embark on your divine journey.

Or perhaps these are the musings of an idealistic soldier, who is ready to meet his end.

Facing mortality makes philosophers of us all, Friend.
Come, my blades have been waiting.

---

---

Jonah (sixth dialog before the fight)

Traveler, it's strange.

Recently I've found myself reminiscing more upon my childhood.

Estuary Lamech was my father.

That may be surprising, but he was the father to many. It was a mandate by the King that all Estuaries keep the lineage growing, although some followed it more than others.

To Lamech I was nothing, but being a child of an Estuary changes your life, Traveler.

The common folk called us 'Citadel-born'. Bound by blood to the Estuaries, we were never trusted, and suffered much disdain…

Growing up, we had nowhere to go, so most ended up as soldiers working for the Estuaries. And every time another one of us joined the ranks, the bias would grow and the pattern continued.

A truly vicious self-fulfilling prophecy.

I almost succumbed to that never-ending cycle myself, until I met Z. She believed in me and gave me a purpose.

But I am not like Z. She fought for a better future.
… I only fought for her.

My path has been set, Traveler, but yours changes with every Thread.

Now let us continue this dance, and may your resolve never waver!

---

Garden of Eden lore 2

Below is the second part of all of Jonah's dialogs when talking to him in the Garden of Eden, as well as additional dialogs from Charon.

---

Jonah (seventh dialog before the fight)

Traveler, thank you for all the talks we've had.

These conversations have helped me gain a clearer perspective on my life.

Even though you completed your journey long ago, you continue to traverse new Threads to uncover the tragic past of our sordid Kingdom.

Your steadfast endeavour to bring to light our history is truly meritable, and has inspired me to do the same.

I've been taking the time to traverse the Citadel and resolve some unanswered questions, no matter how painful they may be.

One day I hope to fully understand everything that transpired, and honor the sacrifices of the people.

But another Thread has reached its end, and we shall battle once more.

Show me that you will always be the hero I believe you are!

---

---

Jonah (eighth dialog before the fight)

Everyone has a plan, Traveler.

Nobody is honest down here, not even me.

The Rebels wanted to do a surprise assault when the Estuaries gathered for the Ceremony of Return. Cut off all the heads of the hydra at once, as it were.

It was a bold plan, but one I knew was never going to work. As the '˜Master of Swords', and Lamech's protégé, only I understood the Estuaries' true strength. The Rebels would have been massacred.

So I revealed their plan to Estuary Lamech. He was supposed to snuff it out before it began. Sacrifice a few people to save tens of thousands.

Instead, he wanted the glory. He wanted the war, so he let it happen…

By trying to do what I thought was right, I became what I hated the most, a traitorous '˜Citadel-born'. And in the end I still failed to save anyone. Myself, the Rebels, and Z.

… I gave up everything for nothing.

But in my recent quest to reveal the truth, I discovered life is full of schemers.

It turns out I was never more than a puppet, being manipulated by more strings than I could count.

The Rebels never fully trusted me - they had contingencies planned in the event of my betrayal. My actions never had an effect on the final outcome.

But in the end, none of that mattered. Even when the Rebels used my betrayal to ambush Lamech when he was alone, he still single-handedly cut them all down.

Knowing I simply played my part gives me no solace. I cannot forgive myself for my actions. But instead of condemning myself, perhaps I can work towards making amends.

Thank you, Traveler, for helping me come to terms with everything that has happened. It has been many, many Threads.

… Now, unsheathe your weapon, Traveler.

Let us not break tradition when we are so close to the end!

---

---

Jonah (talking to him before the fight, after exhausting his dialogs)

Take as many Threads as you need, Friend.
I am grateful for the company.

No matter how many journeys you take, I’ll always be waiting, ready to test you.
Now raise your blade. Honor demands we give our all!

---

---

Jonah (first time talking to him after losing/restarting the fight)

You have what we don’t, Traveler, a second chance.

Don’t let complacency weaken your resolve!

---

---

Jonah (second time talking to him after losing/restarting the fight)

I will show you no mercy, Traveler.

Honor demands you show me none either!

---

---

Jonah (third time talking to him after losing/restarting the fight)

This battle is inevitable, Traveler.

Duty drives us both!

---

---

Jonah (fourth time talking to him after losing/restarting the fight)

The fear of death has lost its edge on you.

Let only victory drive you forward!

---

---

Jonah (fifth time talking to him after losing/restarting the fight)

This is a life and death battle for me, but only a training lesson for you.

Give it your all, or we’ll be locked in battle for all eternity!

---

---

Jonah (sixth time talking to him after losing/restarting the fight)

Your word is not enough, Traveler. I demand the truth.

Save yourself a painful loop and defeat me!

---

---

Jonah (when you defeat him the first time)

I was right about you, Traveler.
You are not like the King.

Thank you for sparing me. I’ve seen your thoughts, I now know your intentions.

The Fruit is yours to do as you will.

Speak to Charon to the West.
Your journey home has been paid for in advance.

---

---

Jonah (when you defeat him the second time)

… Good luck facing your brother, Traveler.
It is always difficult to turn one’s blade against family.

I failed to find the resolve, and the people paid the price.

---

---

Jonah (when you defeat him the third time)

… Thank you for the fight, Traveler.
Your intentions are clear.

My journey is over, but yours has just begun.

---

---

Jonah (when you defeat him the fourth time)

… The Thread continues.

Thank you for always fighting for the people.

---

---

Jonah (when you've defeated him at least five times)

… The Fruit is yours, Friend.

May luck be with you in the battle ahead.

---

---

Fruit of Life (received after beating Jonah)

The immaculate white surface is marred by a thin black pip.

---

---

Jonah (when you defeat him the eighth time)

Thank you for the battles, Friend.
And I apologize for being so secretive of late.

For more lifetimes than I can count, I’ve punished myself for what happened down here.

It was easier to do that than pick up all the pieces. But that’s changing…

One last gift for you, Friend. It helped me find closure, and perhaps it will help you as well.

---

---

Mysterious Key (received after beating Jonah eight times)

What it unlocks is a mystery.

---

---

Jonah (first time talking to him after the fight)

My journey ends here, Traveler.

I made my choices long ago.
It is time for me to accept the consequences.

---

---

Jonah (second time talking to him after the fight)

Charon’s boat lies just to the West, Traveler.

Take it and return home.
The King awaits you.

---

---

Jonah (third time talking to him after the fight)

I arranged for your passage in advance, Traveler.

Typically, Charon would never let someone cross the Stygian without paying their dues… But even gods have their vices.

---

---

Jonah (fourth time talking to him after the fight)

… Charon always had an appetite for lost Sacred Obols that would wash ashore at times.

… The Estuaries would pay a generous sum to anyone who brought them one of these relics.

They hoarded them in anticipation of the Great Return.
A token for every man, woman, and child to cross the Stygian Ocean when their King came down to release them from this purgatory.

No one would be left behind.

… Sometimes I forget the virtues the Estuaries held before it all collapsed.
Thank you for helping me remember the good in them.

---

---

Jonah (fifth time talking to him after the fight)

Traveler, thank you for putting the Estuaries to rest.

It could not have been done without you.

---

---

Charon (talking to him before the fight)

… Your toll belongs to another, Traveler…

… Speak to the one named Jonah and earn his blessings…

---

---

Charon (talking to him after the fight)

… Traveler…

… Your passage has been paid for in advance, your destination already determined…

---

Castle Hamson lore

Below are all the dialogs found in Castle Hamson during the ending sequence.
Cain's dialog is from the Hestia's Reliquary room.
Maria's dialog is from the supply closet (and a special one on the Docks).
And Gilgamesh's dialog is from the underground heirloom room.

---

Maria (talking to her on the Docks, if you're ready to fight Cain)

We saw what happened, and we're here to help.

Did you want to go back?

---

---

Cain (talking to him before he eats the fruit)

Brother, you have returned bearing gifts.

You have done what my Children could not, and brought the Fruit of Life.
Too far have I divided myself, but with this I shall become whole once more.

My Children failed to tend to the Garden, and in turn failed me.
You have brought an end to their dissidence and will be rewarded.

In honor of your duties, Brother, you shall rule the Kingdom of Genesis in their stead.

Continue to tend to the Garden, Brother, and someday you too shall rule by my side.

---

---

Cain (after he eats the fruit)

… BROTHER…

… BETRAYER…

---

---

Cain (after he's defeated)

… BROTHER…

… I WILL NOT GO QUIETLY…

… MY BODY…

… RETURNS TO THE STYGIAN…

… BUT THE WATERS SHALL RISE …

… AND MY VENGEANCE SHALL BE SEVENFOLD …

---

---

Maria (after exiting the Hestia's Reliquary room)

Traveler!

There’s not much time!
The water levels are rising, and if we don’t do something quick, we’re all going under!

I’m down the hall in this supply closet. Come quick!

---

---

Maria (talking to her in the closet)

Hey Traveler.

Ever since you slew the King, things have been going crazy! Castle Hamson has started Shifting and the Stygian Ocean is rising. And it's rising fast!

The land is going under, but I've got a plan. I can tell where rooms will Shift, and I can feel there’s something weird in the bowels of this Castle, Traveler.
Something powerful.

This castle was brought down to this land, so I think it can go back up. There must be a mechanism that can get the whole thing to safety, and if my gut feeling is right then this closet is going to be connecting to a room that leads to that mechanism very soon.

This is our only chance, Traveler. Get whatever it is down there working, and I'll get all the refugees into Castle Hamson. It's a long shot, but we’ve gotten this far, right?

What’s one more miracle?

---

---

Maria (talking to her in the closet without having met her before)

Hey Traveler, name’s Maria - I’m a Pizza delivery girl and I work for the Rebels.

Sorry for the short introduction but we don’t have much time.

Ever since you slew the King, things have been going crazy! Castle Hamson has started Shifting and the Stygian Ocean is rising. And it's rising fast!

The land is going under, but I've got a plan. I can tell where rooms will Shift, and I can feel there’s something weird in the bowels of this Castle, Traveler.
Something powerful.

This castle was brought down to this land, so I think it can go back up. There must be a mechanism that can get the whole thing to safety, and if my gut feeling is right then this closet is going to be connecting to a room that leads to that mechanism very soon.

This is our only chance, Traveler. Get whatever it is down there working, and I'll get all the refugees into Castle Hamson. It's a long shot, but we’ve gotten this far, right?

What’s one more miracle?

---

---

Maria (after the closet shifts)

………..

……………..

… Aaaand we’re here.

You’re on your own from here on out Traveler, so good luck!

We’re all counting on you.

---

---

Maria (talking to her again after the closet has shifted)

I’m gonna ride this closet back to the Docks. I have to get as many refugees into Castle Hamson as possible.

Good luck, Traveler. If you pull this off, I’ll give you free pizzas for life!

---

---

Gilgamesh of the Miracle (talking to him for the first time)

Traveler, you are seen.

I am Gilgamesh of the Miracle.

The last wielder has perished.
Their soul, returned to the sea.

My power, free to bestow upon another.

Traveler, earn your worth.

Accept the challenge, gain my powers.

---

---

Gilgamesh of the Miracle (talking to him the following times)

Traveler, you return.

Are you ready for your future?

---

---

Gilgamesh of the Miracle (talking to him after completing his challenge)

Honor Traveler. Your worth is proven.

Your respect is due.

---

Castle Hamson Prime lore

Below are all Cain's Prime memories found outside the Hestia's Reliquary room after you defeat him.

---

Cain's Memory (first prime memory in Castle Hamson)

(Cain tumbles through a boundless space as images of strange lands and foreign cultures assaults his mind's eye. From all directions, sensations, voices, and thoughts demand his attention.)

(He feels his consciousness being pulled into an in-between space, until all that stands before him is a giant glowing white tree. Its network of branches seem to divide infinitely and touch every soul in existence.)

(As he gazes downwards, he sees its roots form a black mirror of the tree itself, except its branches form a network a thousand times larger, snaking deep into the inky darkness. The roots burrow through the corpses of the dead, absorbing all knowledge, sin, and virtue collected over a lifetime. He strains to take in the immensity of it all, but feels the substance of his body returning...)

(He blinks.

Suddenly he is standing in an ocean of white grass. In front of him stands the white tree, but all around him are warring soldiers bloodied from combat. They cease their assault and kneel in silent submission to him.)

(He looks to his left hand and sees the Fruit of Life - a single bite taken from its flesh. The fruit withers to ash before his eyes, leaving only a seed in his palm.

In his right hand, he holds the body of his brother - cold and lifeless...)

---

---

Cain's Memory (second prime memory in Castle Hamson)

(Cain stands within a sacred hall, its walls emblazoned with the image of a white tree with black roots - the chosen symbol for his fledgling kingdom.

In front of him lies Hestia’s Reliquary - a massive tomb, gilded on every side with the symbols of his kingdom. Atop the Reliquary, a bell rings.)

(An initiate steps forward, kneeling in front of the Reliquary as two priests sprinkle holy water atop his head, thus beginning the ritual.

The initiate pulls out a small dagger and bravely wraps his other hand around its blade. He winces, but holds his tongue, as he lets his blood fall upon the orange parchment.

'Let your blood symbolize the sacrifice you make for the good of your kingdom.')

(The priest holds a hand over the boy, 'You are the first and only of your order, but know you will not be the last. May your wisdom and character guide all who come after.'

After giving his benediction, the priest removes the parchment, returning it to the safety of the Reliquary, while Cain bandages his new steward's wounded hand. He clasps the boy's hand between his own, then suddenly gives him a great hug.

Startled at first, the boy freezes, then awkwardly returns the gesture.

'Arise, my brother, and know you are forever reborn.')

---

---

Cain's Memory (third prime memory in Castle Hamson)

(As the poison seeps deeper into his body, Cain feels black roots burst out of him and dig into the dirt and stones beneath.

He feels the pull of a thousand invisible strands as the Stygian desperately reaches out to take back what was stolen from it.)

(And as Cain feels his body turning to stone, he does not resist. He can feel himself slowly becoming a part of the castle's walls, and knows this is not the end.
He feels the souls of all who perished within its walls beckon him...)

(As his vision turns to stone and his mind darkens, Cain looks up once more towards his brother Abel, before uttering his final curse.

Death holds no dominion over me.)

---

Topside lore

Below are the dialogs from all the NPC that can be talked to on the surface, before you befriend them.

---

Charon the Ferryman (first time talking to him)

… You have returned.

(talking to him again)

… The Castle belongs to the Stygian.
Those who pass, must pay the toll.

---

---

Noah the Architect (first time talking to him)

Child, you survived!
You’re lucky like me, aren’t you?

Are you also old like me?

(talking to him again)

I wonder what I’ll do next, Chillld.

Maybe I’ll stay here for a little while longer.

---

---

Atticus the Living Safe (first time talking to him)

PSSSST.
Friend-o, down here.

I got caught on a wave and it launched me all the way up here. Lucky, right?

Wonder what I’ll do now?

Being in a bush ain’t much better than being in a buoy.
The change of scenery is nice, though.

(talking to him again)

Don’t you worry about your investments.
They may be a little wet, but they’re still safe and sound(proof).

Gnyarf! That was a ‘safe’ joke.

---

---

Lady Quinn the Dummy (first time talking to her)

… Maaaaan I'm g-g-g glad someone came and carried me out.

I’m not the f-f-fastest dummy, and I sink pretty good.

(talking to her again)

Friend! You made it!

I didn’t get to see you fight, but I bet you were awesome!

---

---

The Sage Totem (first time talking to him)

MORTAL, I SEE YOU HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN AVOIDING DEATH.

… I TOO HAVE AVOIDED DESTRUCTION.

… WHAT A FUNNY COINCIDENCE.

(talking to him again)

….

… ENDINGS, AM I RIGHT?

---

---

Elpis the Bearer of Hope (first time talking to her)

The Tapestry continues its weave, Traveler.

Your actions here are just the beginning.

(talking to her again)

The one constant in humans is that they all need time and experience to become better people. Most are offered neither.

Let us meet again in the future, Traveler. There is much more to see.

---

---

Geras the Caretaker (first time talking to him)

Traveler, I knew you could do it.

I knew it because I dreamt it.

My dreams don’t always come true, so my previous statement means nothing.

Did I mention that I have narcolepsy?

(talking to him again)

Farewell Traveler, perhaps we will meet in Erebus again.

---

---

The Keres (first time talking to them)

I saw everything you did, Traveler. It was amazing!

                                                                                                                              … What’d they do?

You probably have a lot of new souls you’re looking to get rid of, and I just wanted to remind you that we’re always on the market to buy!

                                                                                                                                    … Souls please!

(talking to them again)

We’re just taking a small break. The sun is nice.

                                                                                                                                       … I’m hungry!

---

---

Nunet the Enchantress (first time talking to her)

Ducky, you made it!

Everyone was in a kerfuffle when the waters began to rise.
I had to leave so quick, I left behind most of my pillows!

But at least everyone is safe, and that is what matters…
(… I still miss my pillows.)

(talking to her again)

I think I pulled a muscle running up those steps.

Those stairs seem awfully big when you’re this small.

---

---

Athos the Blacksmith (first time talking to him)

Those last moments were wild weren’t they, Kid?

One minute I’m smithin’, mindin’ my own business, and the next minute folks are shoutin’ that the water’s risin’.

I just grabbed as much as I could and started climbin’.
Don’t even know how much I lost. Don’t even know if I care.

(talking to him again)

Not sure what I’ll do next…

… Maybe I’ll go an’ see what’s beyond the horizon.

---

---

Maria the Pizza Girl (first time talking to her)

You did it Traveler! You saved us all!

Sorry I couldn’t help you, I had to go back and get as many people into Castle Hamson as possible.

While you were fighting the Estuaries, I was bringing refugees from the Kingdom back across the Stygian ocean with me.

Thankfully the folks in Castle Hamson were more than willing to take in the villagers when the waters started rising.

In the end, it was just people helpin’ people, y’know? Glad that’s what it all boiled down to.

(talking to her again)

…. Sorry… Just lost in thought.

A lot of people were saved today… A lot of people.

It’s difficult, because you always think you can do better, y’know?

---

Topside Befriended lore

Below are the dialogs from all the NPC that can be talked to on the surface after you've fully befriended them.

---

Charon the Ferryman (first time talking to him)

… The company was appreciated, Traveler.

… And so was the food.

(talking to him again)

… Seek new lands, Traveler.
Hamson belongs to the Stygian.

---

---

Noah the Architect (first time talking to him)

Child, you did it. You’re like a hero from one of my tales!

I am going to the capital along with Nunet and Athos. I’ll regale every Inn that we stop by with your story, Child.

Yes… I will call it the ‘Tale of the Clever Hero’, and it will have elephants, and circuses, and peanuts!

(talking to him again)

… How should I start the story?

‘Long ago there was a hero. But this hero was very clever…‘

---

---

Atticus the Living Safe (first time talking to him)

PSSSST.
Friend-o, it’s your good buddy the Living Safe.

Good job beatin’ Cain. That dude was quite the chum.

I’m glad we met, Friend-o, and I mean that honestly.
Never really get to talk to my clients, y’know? It’s mostly all business with them.

Plus, being down there has helped me see what’s important in life. I’m gonna spend the next few years reconnecting with my kid.

He may be old now, and he may be senile, and he may tell the worst stories I ever heard, but you don’t often get the chance to make up for your past mistakes…

… (sniff) Sorry, I think I’m leakin’ some oil.

Gnyarf! That was a ‘safe’ joke.
... No it wasn't. I'm actually crying.

(talking to him again)

Best of luck, Friend-o.

And if you ever need a loan, you know who to ask.

---

---

Lady Quinn the Dummy (first time talking to her)

Totes said we’d travel the world after we came back up, but I didn’t think it’d be so soon!

It’s pretty exciting! (And a little s-s-scary.)

We’re gonna follow Nunet and Athos to the capital first, and then Totes and I will go wherever the winds take us. Or with whoever’s willing to give two wooden logs a ride.

I hope you join us!

(talking to her again)

Good luck with wherever you go, Friend!

I know you did all the work, but I hope I was helpful to you in some small way.

---

---

The Sage Totem (first time talking to him)

MORTAL, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FRATRICIDE.

YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PROVEN THAT YOU ARE THE SUPERIOR OFFSPRING.

THIS IS A GOOD THING, RIGHT?
LADY QUINN IS STILL TEACHING ME THE NUANCES OF MORALITY…

LADY QUINN AND I ARE TRAVELING THE WORLD, MORTAL. I WILL SHOW HER THE CULTURE AND FIGHTING TECHNIQUES OF OTHER LANDS, AND SHE WILL MAKE ME UNDERSTAND THEM.

WE ARE A PERFECT MATCH.

(talking to him again)

DESTROYING A BAD MAN DOES NOT MAKE YOU BAD, MORTAL.

… I AM 50% SURE THAT IS RIGHT.

---

---

Elpis the Bearer of Hope (first time talking to her)

The imbalance Cain brought to this world threatened to tear the Great Tapestry apart. We may seem oppositional at times, Traveler, but we Cthonic beings must serve the balance too.

Perhaps it was not our place to intervene as much as we did, but we feared the outcome of inaction.

We may never know the full consequences of what we’ve done, but we can live knowing we stayed true to ourselves.

I hope the world is a better place for you and your kind, Traveler.

(talking to her again)

The future is stabilized but the past can always be perfected.
If you wish to continue your journey, feel free to speak to me in the future.

---

---

Geras the Caretaker (first time talking to him)

You saved more than just the people here, Traveler. You’ve saved the lives of generations to come.

Your actions and the scars you’ve healed in Erebus will not be recognized by others, but I know glory was never your goal, Traveler.

The lands would have rejected you otherwise.

This is only the beginning of your journey, Traveler.
There are more great things to come.

(talking to him again)

The invitation is always open if you ever wish to join us in the Drift House, Traveler. It always helps to have a mortal’s point of view on our journey.

Plus, I’ve always wanted an underling.

---

---

The Keres (first time talking to them)

You did it, Traveler! You’ve helped restore the Tapestry, and defeated Cain! I’d like to think that it was a group effort, so I’m glad our wares were of benefit to you.

                                                                                                                        It was 90% us! 10% you!

Our shelves are always stocked, so if you’re ever interested in continuing to grow, feel free to speak to us!

                                                                                                                                             Buh bye!

(talking to them again)

If you’re ever looking for somewhere to spend those souls, Traveler, our door is always open.

                                                                                                                                         Mmmmmine!

---

---

Nunet the Enchantress (first time talking to her)

Ducky, you did it!

I always believed in you. It’s why I’ve been selling my Runes to you at a discount!

… Ok, that last bit is a lie, but I really did believe in you!

Athos and I are going off to the capital, and you have to join us! We’re getting married, so I'm going back home to gather my family together for the celebration! (And for the Henna night!)

Plus, I like to cook big meals, and if you don’t come along Athos will eat your portion and get fat.

(talking to her again)

You have to join us, Ducky!
It’ll be great fun. I promise!

---

---

Athos the Blacksmith (first time talking to him)

Good job Kid, I knew you had it in you.

Now that it’s all over, you have any plans on what to do next?
Me an' Nunet are going back to the capital, and y're welcome to join us.

With her in my corner, I'm hopin’ I can become a Mastersmith. I’m not interested in the title anymore, but passin’ the test will give me a voice at the table.

If you can smith, you can smith. Ancient rules can try keepin’ people down, Kid, but there's no point ‘n stickin’ with the past.

(talking to him again)

Keep bein’ good, Kid.
Lotta people lookin’ up to you now.

---

---

Maria the Pizza Girl (first time talking to her)

You did it Traveler! You saved us all!

Sorry I couldn’t help you, I had to go back and get as many people into Castle Hamson as possible.

While you were fighting the Estuaries, I was bringing refugees from the Kingdom back across the Stygian ocean with me.

Thankfully the folks in Castle Hamson were more than willing to take in the villagers when the waters started rising.

In the end, it was just people helpin’ people, y’know? Glad that’s what it all boiled down to.

(talking to her again)

…. Sorry… Just lost in thought.

A lot of people were saved today, just not everyone.

---

True Ending

Below are all the dialogs unique to the True Ending.

---

(approaching the Parade sign, a cutscene starts: Ladon the Dragon lands and spits out Jonah, who rolls on the ground and stops right by Maria)

Maria the Pizza Girl

Jonah!!!

Jonah

Ouch, my face.

(Maria and Jonah hugs each other)

Maria the Pizza Girl

Jonah!!!! Jonah!!!

You made it!
I couldn’t find you, and when I finally saw you down by the Tree I thought I had lost you forever.

Jonah

Wait! Stop, I’m covered in dragon goop…

Maria the Pizza Girl

Oh Jonah, I’ve missed you!

Jonah

………..

… I missed you too, Z.

---

---

Maria the Pizza Girl (talking to her after the cutscene)

I know we just got out, but there’s so much to do.
A lot of people are homeless now, and I don’t think anyone wants to hang around Castle Hamson because it doesn’t feel right.

Our journey’s just begun, Friend.

I’m not sure where we’ll go, but a lot of people are counting on us.

(talking to her again)

Thank you again, Friend!

We really couldn’t have done this without you!
If you’ve nowhere else to go, I hope you’ll come and join us!

---

---

Jonah (talking to him after the cutscene)

There are still many sins I need to atone for, but before I could help others I had to help myself.
Thank you for making me see that.

I was in a dark place, and I needed a hand to climb out.

I’ve lived a hundred years, but I feel like my life’s just started.
And I don’t think I’m the only one that feels that way.

Everyone here deserves a new life, and I owe it to all of them to help rebuild it.

(talking to him again)

… I also need to help repay Ladon somehow.
… Not sure how just yet, but I should have a few centuries to think it through.

---

---

Ladon the Dragon (talking to him after the cutscene)

CHILD... I HAVE SEEN THE CHANGES IN THE THREADS…

…THE ONE NAMED JONAH, REQUESTED MY AID…

MY MEANS OF TRAVEL BROUGHT MUCH PROTEST FROM HIM… A TANTRUM FIT FOR A BABY…

PERHAPS I SHOULD HAVE EATEN HIM…

(talking to him again)

OUR JOURNEYS GO IN SEPARATE WAYS CHILD…

MAY YOUR ACTIONS CONTINUE TO BENEFIT OTHERS …

---

---

Ladon the Dragon (talking to him after the cutscene when befriended)

CHILD... WE MEET AGAIN…

... I HAVE SEEN THE CHANGES IN THE THREADS…
…THE ONE NAMED JONAH, REQUESTED MY AID…

… SOON OUR WAYS SHALL PART…

… BUT A WARNING, I LEAVE…

THE IMMORTAL KING'S FOOTSTEPS SHOULD NOT BE FOLLOWED…

… BROTHERS YOU MAY BE, BUT THE PATH CARVED IS YOUR OWN.

DO NOT TARNISH YOUR NAME WITH A ROGUE’S LEGACY TOO.

(talking to him again)

TOO LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE I’VE SPREAD MY WINGS, YET I FEEL THEY BEGIN TO GROW…

IN THE FUTURE WE WILL MEET AGAIN, AND MY SIZE SHALL BE UNENCUMBERED.

---

Eupraxia's Chamber lore

Below are all the journal entries found in Eupraxia's Hidden Chamber, hidden in the tutorial behind the door opened with the Mysterious Key.

---

Eupraxia's Notes (found at the entrance of the room)

(This document is newer than the rest.

It seems to track the number of survivors successfully ferried from the Kerguelen Plateau to Castle Hamson.

There are hundreds of names. Z had been using her power over the Shift to create shortcuts for Rebels throughout the Citadel. Almost everyone was saved.)

(Scribbled at the bottom of the page, a small note reads: “Lethargic, appetite's changed, and she gets bouts of morning sickness. Could Z be…”

… The last portion of the note seems to have been torn off.)

---

---

Eupraxia's Notes (found below the entrance)

(A list displays the names of hundreds of Citadel-born soldiers who’ve switched sides and joined the Rebels. Each convert is assigned a tracker - a true-blooded Rebel whose job it was to keep tabs on them.

Written at the top of the sheet is the name Jonah (J). Next to that is the name of his tracker, Gregory.)

---

---

Eupraxia's Notes (found in the top right of the room)

(There's a document tracking the behavior of all individuals considered at high risk of double-crossing the Rebellion.

J’s name appears on it, with a note beside it mentioning a contingency plan: ‘Rebel Road’.)

---

---

Eupraxia's Notes (found on the far right of the room)

(A massive schedule shows when and where Rebel soldiers are to meet up with Z inside Citadel Agartha.

It seems like they were using Z’s power over the Shift to place Rebel soldiers all throughout the Citadel.)

---

---

Eupraxia's Notes (found on the left of the room)

(This outlines all protocols and actions to implement in the case that Estuary Lamech discovers the Rebel army and attempts to stop them.

A diagram shows the placement of thousands of tonnes of explosives all across Axis Mundi, ready to be ignited after Lamech crosses, in an attempt to strand him on the other side.

The Rebel Road network is a network of wooden walkways running across the treetops throughout the Kerguelen Forest. It allows Rebels to cross through the lands unnoticed, and can be served as an elevated position from which archers can ambush Estuary Lamech.

The Narrow Praxis specialized training program has been given the go-ahead, in order to train archers for this contingency.)

---

---

Eupraxia's Notes (found on the left of the room)

(A collection of notes Gregory has been keeping on J:

One document praises J's excellent methods in training Rebel soldiers, but notes he is showing severe signs of stress.

Another document lists several infractions J has committed in opposition to the false ‘Gate of Return Plan’.)

(A final note basically states that since J is currently in a relationship with Z, any antagonistic action towards him should be discouraged.)

---

---

Eupraxia's Notes ( found on the bottom right of the room)

(The ‘Ceremony of Return’ plan lays strewn out on the table. Fake documents and false names fill every corner. Months of work were placed into creating this intricate facade; a necessary precaution against betrayal.)

---

Scars lore 1

Below is the first part of all the lore related to the Scars.

---

Introduction

Geras the Caretaker (first time talking to him in the Drift House)

.... Mmmrr' wasn't sleepin'!

...........

... Oh, it's just you. Hello Traveler, glad you could finally make it.

Welcome to the Drift House, our cozy little world between worlds.
Name's Geras, and I'm the Caretaker of Souls.

I believe you've already had the pleasure of meeting my brother Charon?
Tall, dark, not much of a talker? Well, please don't take any offense from his silent treatment.
He's young and going through that rebellious phase.

Me on the other hand? I love to talk. Love it.
I'm all about understanding the human condition. Can't get enough of it.

I'm also a bit narcoleptic, so before the sweet embrace of sleep takes me away, let's talk shop.

This is the Drift House, home of the Cthonic Gods.
The house is an anchor - a point of land between our Drifting Worlds.
It exists both nowhere and everywhere.

All of us Cthonic beings have our own duties to uphold.
Some ferry the dead, others tend to the souls. You get the deal.
It's a lot of work, but I love it.

And while we may be gods, we're not omnipotent.

Even gods occasionally need the help of mortals, you know?

And that's where you come in!
You help me, you help you.

If you're interested, then let's stop the chit-chat and get down to work!

---

---

Mending Erebus

Description:

Learn about the Scars of Erebus.

Geras the Caretaker (talking to him inside the Mending Erebus scar)

Welcome to Erebus, the Astral Plane of the Collective Subconscious.

In this vast expanse, all the souls of both the living and the dead are connected to one another.
Out here our memories, our emotions, and our deeds are laid bare.

You see, no one exists within a vacuum. We all have an effect on one another.

I am the Caretaker of the Souls of Erebus. I nurture virtuous emotions, while weeding out the negative ones.

But sometimes an event can occur - one so catastrophic - that the psychological trauma creates a Scar across the lands.
Left unresolved, these Scars will poison the minds of future generations.

The red memories you see in the world are called Scars.
Bring them to me and I will help you cleanse them.

People tend to hide their darkest fears, which makes Scars difficult to find.
But I can hear their echoes, so speak to me and I will guide you to them.

These traumas... these Scars, I cannot resolve alone.
I lack the ability to fully empathize with the struggles you mortals face every day.

And this is where you come in. I need the empathy of another mortal to help heal these lands.

Your compassion can mend the world.

The Scars you face on your journey ahead are treacherous. They will push your skills to the limit.
And in Erebus, physical strength can only take you so far.
Your body will be constrained by your Empathic Connection.

But if you can improve your connection by finding Empathies, you can reduce, and maybe even remove, these limits.

Welcome to the top of the caldera, Traveler.

This mountain you have been climbing is my Scar, and it continues to grow alongside my fear of failing to save the people.

Down here there has been so much pain and suffering.
So many Scars have grown wild, polluting the lands.

Our traumas will be passed down and corrupt countless generations to come.

These people deserve better.

So what do you say? Will you help me bring closure to the forlorn?

I know it's a tall task, but this is a tall mountain.

... Plus, if you do well enough, I'll even give you a trophy! Everyone loves trophies!

---

---

A Simple Start

Hint:

(In Erebus, a hooded figure sits inside a cave, quietly sleeping.

In the darkness, a red Scar slowly floats out from his chest, before settling by his side.)

Description:

Defeat the Monsters in the Tower.

Geras' Memory (red memory)

Will the Traveler be strong enough to conquer a Scar?

It has been a long while since I've worked with a mortal... and the last time did not turn out well.

But I must have faith. I have seen the Traveler triumph over many obstacles...

However, the corruption caused by a Scar is a different kind of beast...

---

---

Heavy Weapons

Hint:

(In Erebus, a fireplace is cozily nestled against a wall.

A green hooded figure approaches the nearby wall, before frantically mimicking the action of throwing a fireball.)

Description:

Destroy all the Targets in the Forest.

Geras' Memory (red memory)

Scars can be hard to find...
... But I mustn't let my negative thoughts start spiraling.

If they have found one, they can find the others!

... Traveler, if you can hear this, I believe in you.
You will find the Scars!

---

---

Two Masters

Hint:

(You see a shadowy figure in the rafters.
He lies hidden in the canopy, perched above the Golden Doors...)

Description:

Defeat the Twinmechs.

Gregory's Memory (red memory)

Lamech's protege is dangerous.
He will soon surpass his teacher...

... That type of power cannot be trusted.

Z convinced him to join our cause, but J is still Citadel-born.
Still a master's lapdog.

He turned once, he'll turn again.

---

---

Narrow Praxis

Hint:

(A woman quietly enters the back of a Pizza Store with a stack of large wicker plates.
She sets them aside, and stoops to gather a new pile, freshly painted red and white).

(The store is now in shambles, with the entrance sealed, but a crack at the base of the wall barely large enough to crawl through, betrays the facade).

Description:

Destroy all the Targets on the Bridge.

Demetrius' Memory (red memory)

Draw it to your cheek. Both eyes open. Square your stance. Breathe out while releasing, eyes on the target, adjust for wind, and don't look down when re-drawing.

Too slow. Do it faster, faster, faster!

It's too much! I can't keep up!

... Gregory is going to fail me again... I'll never be good enough to be recruited.

---

---

Bladed Rose

Hint:

(In the cover of night, a small procession of peasants furtively glance around as they push aside some heavy rocks, revealing a secret passage beneath a massive statue.)

(With the Resonant waves crashing against their backs, they make their way down into the hollowed crevasse...)

Description:

Defeat the Brother and Sister.

Eupraxia's Memory (red memory)

... J doesn't have faith in our plan.

He says the Estuaries are nearly unstoppable when they work together.

He wants us to call off the whole thing off. Stop the war before there can be any bloodshed...

... I knew he never wanted to fight. His interests were only in Z, not us.

---

---

Closed Space

Hint:

(A tall, lanky scholar enters a massive ocular room full of dusty tomes. He pushes aside a barrel by the West end, and enters a concealed doorway.)

Description:

Defeat the Chest in the cellar.

Murmur's Memory (red memory)

Keep it together. Don't show Enoch you're unwell. He'll turn me into a box, I know he will!

That would be a horrible fate indeed. Left in the cellar to do his bidding!
... I just need a few more days to find a cure.

---

Scars lore 2

Below is the second part of all the lore related to the Scars.

---

Automatons

Hint:

(The lumbering shape of Estuary Tubal drags a hollowed-out body through a false wall next to a banner in his workshop.)

(Within this secret chamber lies a massive grate installed in the floor. With great effort, Tubal lifts open the grate, and tosses the body into the deep dark pit below.)

Description:

Defeat the Hands of Estuary Tubal.

The Amalgamation (red memory)

(A wave of voices crash through your head. The cries of hundreds of souls all clamoring to be heard melt together to create a deafening noise.)

---

---

Spreading Poison

Hint:

(A tall, lanky figure crawls along the roof of the Gong Head Sisters's lair. A crack in the roofing allows him entrance into the rafters, and from there, he drops into their study.)

(He carefully rubs a small piece of parchment against a nearby pillow, then withdraws a crystal vial from his robe.

He drops the parchment into the vial, then gives it a gentle shake. The liquid within slowly turns black, and he shakes his head in disappointment.)

Description:

Defeat the Poisoned Void Beasts.

Murmur's Memory (red memory)

They're poisoned... Just like me.
... I should tell them... They should know.

... But it's only a little bit, so maybe nothing will happen... But I should still tell them.

... Why am I being such a coward? Stop making excuses and just tell them!

---

---

Preserver of Life

Hint:

(With a bottle in hand, a forlorn figure sits atop the Gatehouse in Axis Mundi.</LB> From here he peers towards the shipyard in the distance - its workers slowly dismantling the remains of his old life.

His grasp falters and the bottle tips, releasing its contents into the waters below.)

Description:

Destroy all the Targets on the Ship.

Halphar's Memory (red memory)

There's nothing left for me now.
The sea was my passion, my purpose...

I'm too old to start over.

---

---

The Rebels' Road

Hint:

(Wreathed in shadow, a figure watches Estuary Naamah whisper silently to a row of gravestones.

Naamah finishes her prayer and turns around, forcing the figure to retreat within the recesses of a nearby cave.)

Description:

Destroy all the Targets on the Rebels' Road.

Geras' Memory (red memory)

... Why does Naamah visit these gravestones so often?
Her constant pilgrimages are causing her to neglect the harvest.

I need to tell the others what I've seen.
I shall take the Rebel's Road. It may be a rough path, but I mustn't let Naamah see me.

---

---

The Two Lovers

Hint:

(The figure glances behind him to ensure the Dimensional Platforms can be seen inside the Observatory.
He then takes a single step off his telescope platform, and falls into the Ashen Clouds below...

Landing softly on the hidden platform, the figure heads West, back towards the Observatory.)

Description:

Defeat the Forbidden Couple.

Enoch's Memory (red memory)

Irad is too erratic. His decision-making has become unreliable.

If he keeps going down this path, everyone in the Kerguelen Plateau will starve...

I need to fix this...
I must save her.

---

---

Nightmare Premonitions

Hint:

(From the top of a hidden tower, a silhouette covered in blades sits upon its crenellations.

He stares off towards the Sun Tower in the distance and mutters to himself, as he attempts to find his courage.)

Description:

Defeat Lamech's Nightmare.

Lamech's Memory (red memory)

Tell him it's a mistake.

Just tell him...

Irad, let me fight.

I can defeat the Void Beasts and re-open the gates.
We can free Naamah, and help the surviving villagers.

This is my chance to do something right for once.

...

... Why can't I tell him he's wrong?

---

---

The Atlantis Spire

Hint:

(Releasing his grip on the rock wall, the massive figure reaches out into the darkness, hastily grabbing a woman out of the air before she plunges down into the black waters below. Dozens of chains rattle against the figures back, each weighed down by men, women and children).

(Down below, the The Stygian Waters rise, flooding the entrance to the Nibiru Deep, trapping them all in their nocturnal ascent.)

Description:

Save all the Crew Members in the Atlantis Spire.

Mehujael's Memory (red memory)

... I can save one more.
... I can save one more.
... I can save one more.
... I can save one more.

---

---

The Armada

Hint:

(A lone figure sits on a rock jutting out of the lake on the Far Shores, his clothes still dripping wet.)

(Between his fingers, he spins a warning bell, the cord, cleanly cut.)

Description:

Relive the battle for control of the Stygian Ocean.

Byarith's Memory (red memory)

... No longer for honour, but for vengeance.

You conquered the seas, Mehujael. It had no right to take you back...

---

---

Divergent Dimensions

Hint:

(Atop a snow covered roof, a figure sits by a makeshift campfire and silently drinks tea. She looks up and sees the western walls of Citadel Agartha loom overhead, obscuring the sun.)

(Finished, she carefully reaches under the campfire to open a hidden trap door, then disappears within.)

Description:

Battle the Mind and Eyes of the Rebellion.

Jonah's Memory (red memory)

I was never an ally to them. They never trusted me.

They called me a knight, but I know I was just a pawn.

---

---

Mending Erebus (after getting at least bronze trophies on 15+ different scars)

Geras the Caretaker (talking to him inside the Mending Erebus scar)

Traveler, welcome back to Erebus, the Astral Plane of the Collective Subconscious.

You've done what I always knew you could. The Scars of this land have been mended, and the strife for future generations averted.

Without your help, these Scars would have festered and grown, bringing all the pain from previous generations to new ones.

I can only temper the wounds, but you have healed them, Traveler.
Thank you for all that you've done.

Welcome back to the top of the caldera, Traveler.

The Scars are no longer, and love and empathy have begun to take root in the soul.

Soon, new gardens will grow and new Edens will flourish.

Your journey has just begun, Traveler, and the world beckons for your return.
You are always needed, but there's a beauty knowing there is no limit to how far you can go.

Also, when you jump into the caldera, Traveler, don't forget to flip!

---

Dreams lore (new as of 1.2)

Below is all the lore related to the Dreams.

---

Dragon Flight

Hint:

(Flames flicker from the maw of the massive beast as he slowly licks his wound. From the corner, a stone hidden deep within the monster's lair thrums silently, calling out to you as it waits to be found.)

Description:

Help Ladon Escape from the Kingdom of Genesis

Ladon's Memory (purple memory)

(The dream always begins the same.
As Ladon's snout breaches through the earth's crust, the blinding light of the True Sun illuminates the darkness below.

From the shadows cast beneath him, thousands of mechanical floating hands reach upward, grasping at Ladon's scales as they desperately try to pull him back down into Genesis.)

(His claws dig deep into the soil above, and he wrenches himself out into the skies above.
As his malformed wings desperately beat against the wind, he continues to climb upward, but the army of automatons maintain their pursuit.

The automatons relentlessly claw and tear, and he can feel the fatigue starting to overcome him.)

(... But this time the dream is different. Before Ladon succumbs a mysterious figure bursts through the horde.
The Traveller - their form always changing - has joined the fray, fighting alongside Ladon to free him from his captors.)

---

---

Boogie Days

Hint:

(A figure lies lazily atop a nearby parapet that towers over the entrance to Citadel Agartha. To abate his boredom, he occasionally skips stones across the waters below Axis Mundi.

Deep in the distance a bell begrudgingly chimes, and as the figure gets up to leave, a drowned dream is left in his wake.)

Description:

Surf a Tsunami

Mehujael's Memory (purple memory)

(The steady rise and fall of the artificial waves sink Mehujael deep into a zen-like state. The relentless duties that he must carry out every day seem to dissolve beneath the waves. Out here there is only him and the aqueous vastness that stretches on forever.

In his mind, the waves become impossibly deep, and the shoreline disappears.
As Mehujael paddles deeper out to sea, a mammoth riptide slowly begins to form. This was the moment. As he quietly mounts his surfboard, he can feel the wave slowly sweep him and all his worries away.)

---

---

Training Daze

Hint:

(A squeak of delight escapes Lady Quinn's lips as she passes her stumpy arms across the notches etched within the training dummies. This was his sanctuary. His place of worship to the blade.)

Description:

Survive Lady Quinn's Sparring Session

Quinn's Memory (purple memory)

(Breathe...

Two left jabs to the face conceal the sudden body punch that she applies with her right. Through complete instinct, Quinn deftly dodges back, barely avoiding Lamech's incoming counter attack.)

(Breathe...

With space between them, she can see the surprise on Lamech's face. He did not expect her to be such an accomplished sparring partner.)

(Breathe...

Quinn begins to feel her stoic facade break as the adrenaline threatens to burst out as joy at any moment.

She needs to stay calm. Retain her composure. This was everything she dreamed of, and she didn't plan to disappoint.)

---

NPC Dialogues & Heirlooms

Rhadamante did all the NPC's dialogues before me, here's his guide: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2529175906

It contains the dialogues from all the NPC on the Docks (including the Chtonic Gods in the Drift House) as well as from the Heirlooms.

Tree Garden theory (Early Access)

While the game was still in Early Access and most of the lore not yet in the game, several players made theories about the ending of the game. You'll find them below, kept for legacy.

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The Tree Garden Theory (By Sirebellum)

The Tree/Fruit Garden theory is a theory that all of the Estuaries' main purpose is to guard the golden gates, and get the "Tree of Eternal Life" (Source: Hestia's Reliquary) to bear fruit. The tree is behind the gates, and it is the Estuaries' job to check on the tree and see if it has grown fruit yet. They hold the meetings somewhere near the gates, and the ceremony of return is just them checking on the tree. Enoch's notes refers to being "down here" with Irad for 1000 years and Lamech talks about being "down here" for about 1000 years as well. The "down here" they talk about is speculated to be down in the kingdom, implying the Estuaries moved in from somewhere other than the kingdom. The reason I do not believe the "down here" is the citadel is only because Lamech's throne is in the citadel, so it wouldn't make sense for him to refer to it as "down". Loose evidence, but we don't have so much to work with. Anyways, the Estuaries have these meetings about getting the tree to bear fruit called the Ceremony of Return. It's my guess that the name of the ceremony refers to the King returning to take/consume the fruit once it has grown, and then having everyone return to wherever they were before they moved into the in-game kingdom.

Theres a very interesting detail about the door that supports the garden theory, which is how you can see a tree with people worshiping it on the door.

Enoch's notes talk at length about how they need to get the fruit for the king, which at this point is still mostly unexplained. However, discord user Tadpole#2060 made an interesting connection between the fruit and the bible, which is how this theory first started. (See section "Cain Theory" for more details on how the bible relates to the game)
If we assume the Cherubim are like the estuaries, and Cain in this story is just the estuaries gathered together, we can assume that the fruit is a gift for the King. Why give it to the king? What does the fruit do? I don't especially know, but I can only assume that the Estuaries were sent down to the in-game kingdom to get this "eternal life fruit" for the king. But as I said earlier, this game does take notes from biblical stories, so we'll have to keep an eye out for those references when they come up.


Now, some unrelated but interesting door lore. Enoch has been known to experiment with black roots and binding souls to doors. As we see in his boss chamber, the doors will only open if the bound souls gather or die. Where else do we see something involving black roots and deaths to open doors? That's right, the golden gates. The golden gates are bound with black roots so that the estuaries must gather or die for them to open.
In summary, the golden gates having the roots on them just means someone (Likely Enoch since he knows most about the roots) cast that same spell, and made the doors extra secure. This is why the rebels' plan is to wait until the ceremony to ambush the estuaries, just because the doors are open during that ceremony. Of course, there will be guards during the ceremony... unless they strike at the bridge just as they planned. We don't know for sure what happened after this ambush, and the timeline just gets all jumbled up when trying to guess what happened before and after the great rebellion. I'd appreciate your ideas in the comments below.

The Stygian Study is home to some strange looking posters that may be silly aesthetics, but could also be neat lore. It seems like the cloaked figures hailing the eggplant may just be a joke, but what if this means that flamelocks and frosten are scholars from the study corrupted by the root or by some other thing? Could all monsters either be humans corrupted or other stygian beasts? It's something to think about.


Note: Look at the strange charred looking man, it seems like the smoke coming out of him is going up towards a fist.This is complete speculation, but could this be a person's soul being transferred into a gauntlet to become one of the many hand enemies we see in game?

---

Cain theory (Early Access)

---

Cain Theory (by Tadpole)

Many games create lore by taking the lore from history, mythology, and other such works, and adapting it to fit their own themes. Because of this, if you can find the source material, you can make predictions for the path that a story will take, and the intent behind the lore.
For example, in the original Rogue Legacy, you can predict that there's a strong connection to the fountain of youth as a story element due to 3 of the bosses being involved in the legacy of the fountain (Herodotus, Alexander, and Ponce de Leon). If we extrapolate from this, and note that many stories about hunting for the fountain of youth end in sacrifice and suffering, you can begin to see that the suffering of the rogues and the creatures of the castle is tied to the endless quest for the fountain of youth. It is by destroying the fountain, and accepting life without the fountain that the darkness fades and they can once again see the sun (while a bit of a stretch on my part here, the concept could be seen).
From the Garden Tree theory, we can assume that one of the major pieces that this game's lore is based off of is the story of Cain and Abel, as every Estuary shares a name with a child of Cain.


Cain Theory is the process of looking deep into the actions and meanings of Cain and Abel to gain glimpses into the intent of the story in Rogue Legacy 2, as well as what the main themes may be as the story progresses. It is all theory, as we cannot gain evidence until the lore grows with each passing update, but is worth giving its own section because of the value this may hold.

---

The Story Itself

The entire story of Cain and Abel is told within a single chapter of the bible (Genesis 4). Cain is the firstborn of Adam and Eve, with Abel the second-born. Cain tilled the ground and Abel kept the sheep.
One day, They both gave an offering of their work to god. God accepted Abel's offering, but not Cains. This made him angry, and he killed his brother out of jealousy, committing the first murder.
God then cursed Cain for his actions, and cursed him: "When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield it's strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth." God does give Cain a mark however, so that whomever kills Cain will take vengeance sevenfold.
From here, the story simply tells of the progression of his life, and the children he had. Some are given titles of what they did, while others are simply named, and never brought up. The most notable of them is Lamech, who the city is named after, and later boasts to his two wives of how he killed a man, and surely if he was hurt he'd be avenged seventy-sevenfold.
This is the last that's ever brought up of the story of Cain and his children, except as a reference of why you shouldn't let your jealousy overcome you. It is likely that any remaining of Cain's family perished during the flood in the story of Noah's Arc.

---

The Themes

The most noteworthy theme of this story is Envy. While the Estuaries all work together, they all desire recognition, and suffer for it. Lamech allows the rebels to gain surprise as he envies respect. Namaah believes her brothers Envy her success, and that is why her garden fell to ruin.
The next is betrayal and the willingness to kill family for one's own sake. Enoch schemed to kill Irad, leading to their own Undoing. Enoch also believes Irad would kill them all to have something to return to his king. As we learn more about the Estuaries, I believe that none of them will be willing to trust one another, or those they do trust they envy them and aren't someone the other should trust. I would like to also note that J secretly betrays Z in revealing the rebellion to Lamech for a pardon, and is willing to let the other rebels die for their sake.

---

The Names

While the story tells us more about themes than specific characters, all names have a meaning, and there is some information in a few of them. I will be ignoring the lineage, as they've referred to each other as 'siblings' before, and after a thousand years a difference in age is likely to be ignored.

Lamech: Depending on your source, Lamech either means 'to lay low', or 'conquer', the latter being the likely intent for the game's meaning. As the only child to have characterization in the bible, we know he is prideful and arrogant. This reflects the Lamech of Rogue Legacy well, as he constantly bothers the estuaries with the same thing, simply saying he has the right to as an Estuary. When he hears of the rebellion, he assumes he can take them all on his own, and refuses to tell any others.

Namaah: means 'loveliness, sweetness, grace, beauty', and is used to show an importance of appearance over other characteristics. While this is all that is said in the biblical story, she is an example of how they cultivated crops despite the curse; the phrases she repeats aren't about tilling the ground, as it wouldn't yield it's strength. Instead, she harvests by letting the ground go untamed, and just prevents poison from being involved.

Enoch: means 'dedicated' and while they were shown to be more dedicated to their studies than their mission, does show how they had the drive to face even Irad.

Irad:: Means either 'wild ass', 'heap of empire', or 'dragon'. Given his dedication to his task, heap of empire is the more likely means. This would imply he thinks little of what he's building, only that it is increasing in scale, like a heap. With dragon being another name, and his location being the 'sun tower,' there may be some connections to a boss-fight themed around Japanese dragons (the land of the rising sun), but that's not what this speculation is for.


Mehujael: means 'destroyed of god'. He is also the Estuary who has died in the flooding of the Stygian Waters, perhaps implying that the Stygian is in some way God's wrath.

J and Z: While neither of these characters are called Estuaries, they may have connections to them as we learn more about their story. Of the remaining children of Cain, Zillah, meaning 'shade' is one. While the meaning leans more into 'shade of a tree' and therefore comfort, they could be using that same thing for a spy. For J, both Jubal and Jabal could be other names, though as Jabal was a farmer and Jubal was a musician, it's likely not referring to the warrior J. It is worth noting that Jubal means 'stream' and Jabal means 'flowing', which could tie into the Estuaries as to why they're called Estuaries

---

Other Theories

The King: the King will likely go unnamed for the majority of the game, as revealing the name Cain would spoil the concept prematurely, as many cannot confirm to which lore the tree's refer to right now (tree of life, Yggdrasil, or others). The king has a mark, which implies that anything done to him will be avenged sevenfold, which may mean that some suffering has been caused to Cain by the hands of either one of the Estuaries or the Rebels, and the dark curse hanging over the kingdom is the consequence of this.
Stygian Wrath: As brought up with Mehujael, there is a possibility that the Stygian Waters is part of this curse for causing suffering, as Enoch couldn't understand why it occurred when it did. This would also lead to why Black Roots can be used to bind souls, as the wrath is more than just to cause physical suffering.

---

Credits

MrLisreal has been an instrumental helper in the writing of this guide. I took a long hiatus around the 0.6 update (when a bunch of huge lore got added) and he was there to add all of the new stuff from it. Massive thanks, this guide wouldn't be what it is without his contributions.
Guide updated to 1.0 (Tubal Prime, Scars, Garden of Eden and all Ending lore added, rest of the guide updated) by Rhadamante.

Big thanks to Tadpole for formulating the Tree Garden theory with me in the Rogue Legacy discord server (https://discord.com/channels/403607175638941706/), and making everything in the Cain Theory section.

Shotgun Crusader, Alphastring, and Teelore from the discord also pitched some good ideas in and helped solve some stuff.

Guide initially created by and most content re-written by me, Sirebellum :)

[Sirebellum]

This guide wouldn't be anything without the help of contributors such as Rhadamante

[Rhadamante]

Added the new lore entry in Pishon (about Ladon) and the Dreams' lore.

[Sirebellum]

Sooo yeah, the theory section is greatly outdated. But I still find it impressive how spot-on it ended up being before there was basically any mention of the major plot-points. Read up on Gnodab's guide if you want a story synopsis

[Gnodab]

Hey Sirebellum, I just made a huge lore post on the forums that I've been cooking up over the past week. Give it a read, and feel free to incorporate anything you like into the guide. Also interested in any feedback you might have.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/1253920/discussions/0/2961670721759530926/

[Sirebellum]

Thanks! I've always had a little bit of trouble with that word.

[John Helldiver]

Just fyi Rogue Is spelled wrong in the title ^^

[Gnodab]

Yeah! I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the matter. My mind really runs wild with this kind of material; Biblical, souls, multiple dimensions, wave function collapse. Pretty meaty stuff. Excited to see where the story heads next month.

[Sirebellum]

I really haven't looked into the lore of this game for a few months now, but this lore speculation you're dropping seems pretty awesome. When the new update rolls around (Or perhaps earlier if I have time) I'm definitely gonna try and get back into the lore since it seems to be really really interesting. It's good to know there's gonna be a lot of people like you to discuss lore with when that happens.

[Gnodab]

At first, the rebellion was meant to be a small sacrifice to make the Fruit grow. But it didn't go as planned. Formerly, there was an Eternal Summer propagated by Irad's control of the Sun. But per Enoch's journal the rebellion poisoned the skies, resulting in the Ash Clouds; and per Naamah's journal, Ashen Snow. The Ashen Snow prevents anything from growing, resulting in more death and more bodies. Irad being at the top of the Sun Tower allows him to observe the entire kingdom. But due to the Ash Clouds obscuring both the Sun and his sight, the Black Roots are able to grow rapidly without the presence of an observer(per Enoch's notes). The Roots then provide more bodies for the Fruit to grow.

So, the rebellion failed in its initial mission; but by poisoning the skies, it set in motion events that make the Fruit grow anyway.

Roadmap has just been updated; The Dragon's Vow. Zillah as Dragon boss confirmed? xD

https://roguelegacy2.com/roadmap

[Gnodab]

Great observations. Been playing a long time and still missed all sorts of details, like the magic walls in the tutorial, and the fact Enoch cast the same soul-binding spell on the Golden Doors.

There's so much info missing it's impossible to say anything for sure, but I'm willing to bet Zillah is the final Estuary. One small detail is if you look at the portraits around the Golden Doors you see square frames for the male Estuaries, and an oval frame for the one confirmed female. The final empty portrait has an oval frame. Z is the traitor, the final Estuary is likely to be female; Zillah would make sense.

Some more info on the Black Roots. What we know about the Black Roots is that they infest bodies in order to create monster hosts which then create more bodies. It's all but confirmed that the Tree needs a sacrifice of bodies in order to make the Fruit grow, and as such here's a wild theory of mine tying some things together. See next post.