In the Codex, each Memory unlocked corresponds to a page of the Mother's life story. The obscured illustrations visible alongside the text become clearer the more memories are unlocked.
Additionally, Memories can be slotted to the Daughters' skills to grant them additional effects. To see the list of these gameplay bonuses and how to obtain them, refer to the Memories (mechanic) page.
If you'd like to have the full story in PDF format, please follow this link.
Completing the Memories codex fully unlocks the Mother's story:
|
Chapter/ Page |
Memory | Age of
Shattering Year |
Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapter 1 - 1 | Disquiet | 1214 |
"Is there something on your mind, dear? The way you're chewing on your lip makes me worry you'll bite straight through." Mama's voice is lighthearted, but I can still hear the tinge of worry. Her gaze makes me give in, and I tell her about the voices. The way her expression changed, if only for a fleeting moment convinced me to never speak of It again. |
| Chapter 1 - 2 | Treasure | 1215 |
Today my eldest brother brought me a gift! In his excitement to show me, he rushed straight into the house, tracking mud all over the floors. Even with mama scolding him, he couldn't stop grinning. He had found an old book on the side of the road, and though it was musty and barely held together, it was still the most wonderful thing I had ever seen. |
| Chapter 1 - 3 | Nightfall | 1217 |
He waits until we are asleep, my brothers and I, before letting his emotions show. However, on the nights I lay awake, I heard his muffled sobs and mama's soothing voice. The following day I would always do my best to make him smile, for I knew, deep down, that I was the reason for his tears. |
| Chapter 1 - 4 | Witch | 1217 |
A group of villagers were approaching our fields. Something was wrong, it was clear by the way they walked, by how they spoke amongst themselves. "There she is!" One of them shouted, pointing in my direction, "the bleedin' voidkin! Never had I seen such fury in someone's eyes, and so I fled as quickly as I could, their screams ringing in my ears all the while. |
| Chapter 1 - 5 | Savior | 1217 |
"Hold your fist like this, ok?" My older brother was hunched before me, and despite the blood dripping from his nose, he smiled. "Then you punch them. Next time, alright? You punch them as hard as you can, and thon you run away, run right back home." Squeezing his hand as tightly as I could, I nod, and continue wiping the tears from my eyes. |
| Chapter 1 - 6 | Impasse | 1218 |
"What do you mean? Why can't we play together anymore?" Despite looking at the ground, I could feel my friend's eyes on me. "I don't care what everyone says. They're just jealous because you're smart." Shrugging meekly, I tried explaining once more, but her persistence proved stronger than mine. |
| Chapter 1 - 7 | Visitor | 1218 |
"What sort of people do you take us for? You are a stranger to us, and yet you have the damn nerve to think we would give you our daughter Get out of my sight! Get off my property! Never show your face around me ever again, or I might very well do something we'd both regret." My father's anger did not unnerve our guest-he simply thanked my parents for their hospitality and bid them farewell. |
| Chapter 1 - 8 | Inferno | 1218 |
Mama's words rang in my ears as I fled, fire lapping at my heels. She had told me to keep on running until my legs could carry me no further, and to never look back. I disobeyed, glancing behind my shoulder. The masked attackers were in pursuit, flames and screams serving as their grim backdrop, and in that moment I thought it would die of pure fear. |
| Chapter 1 - 9 | Numb | 1218 |
It had been three days since my village was set ablaze. Three days spent praying it was a bad dream, and three nights crying because it wasn't. On the fourth day I was discovered by a stranger, and though I was terrified at first, my dread faded as he spoke ever so gently with a voice strangely familiar. By the campfire that night, curled in the large cloak of my new companion, sleep finally came. |
| Chapter 1 - 10 | Departure | 1218 |
"How about," he began, pausing for a moment while a small smile crept onto his face, "the Guide?" "The Guide?" I echoed, equal parts confusion and curiosity. The fallen leaves crunched beneath our feet, a light breeze whipping the broken fragments into the air. "Yes, the Guide," the words come out with a laugh, paired with a wink, "I like to think push people in the right direction." |
| Chapter 1 - 11 | Discovery | 1218 |
"Let me see." This time it was a demand, not a question. Still refusing, I clutched my injured hand close to my chest, my throat dry from the rising anxiety in my gut. The Guide's patience wore out, and once he'd seized my wrist and inspected it, an overwhelming silence fell over us. "I am taking you to Nostra." His words were heavy with thought, like he was still going through a million things at once. "Best to hide in plain sight." Swallowing thickly, I could do little but nod, catching a glimpse of my palm - already recovered. |
| Chapter 1 - 12 | Wake | 1219 |
Tonight I woke in a cold sweat, having lived another memory that wasn't my own. The nothingness forms in the pit of my stomach, all encompassing, drawing in all of my thoughts until there's nothing but a prickling numbness. While the other Nostra Disciples slept, I wept as silently as I could. The whispers in my head were back-once more, clawing at my skull. |
| Chapter 1 - 13 | Rush | 1219 |
The wind whips at my face as I dash around the large oak tree for the thirteenth time, collapsing in a breathless heap on the ground. Warm laughter fills the air, and from beneath the tree, The Guide speaks with a bemused lilt to his voice. "What happened, little magpie? Yesterday you ran "round it five more times. If I am to convince those Nostra heads to send you along to their esteemed swordsman, you ought be able to do a few laps. Now up you get." My lungs burning, I get up again, but not before throwing a fistful of grass in his direction. |
| Chapter 2 - 1 | Peak | 1221 |
Frost coated the steep mountain path, encasing the rocks in a slippery shell. My breath came out in large puffs of white air, muscles aching from the long trek. Were I not so tired, I might have found the temple beautiful with its large stained glass windows glistening in the spring sun. Within would be my future master, and despite having reached the end of my journey, I dared not go inside. |
| Chapter 2 - 2 | Drill | 1221 |
Fingers dug harshly into my shoulder, yanking me to my feet. I wanted to scream, or cry, or perhaps both, but I gritted my teeth and did neither. "If there's still air in your lungs, you fight. You put one foot ahead of the other. Move." My Master's hand pushed me hard in the back, forcing me to walk while my legs quaked in protest. |
| Chapter 2 - 3 | Repetition | 1222 |
Metal clangs against the frozen mountain rock. Frostbitten fingers curl up for warmth, knuckles bruised deep purple. "Pick up your sword. Get back on your feet. This time, mind your balance" My muscles burn as fiercely as the tears in my eyes, and I charge anew. |
| Chapter 2 - 4 | Comfort | 1225 |
Only once night fell, swaddling the mountain range in its comforting dark veil, was I allowed to rest. I sat cross-legged on the temple floor, balancing my soup bowl in my lap, letting the warmth of it heat my stomach. As my body finally began to relax, it soon tensed back up at the approaching footsteps of my Master. She stopped by my side, not speaking, simply sitting down. There we ate in each other's company for the first time. |
| Chapter 2 - 5 | Cornered | 1227 |
Blood dripped from the creature's large maw, its haunting pupil-less eyes fixed on mine. I could barely breathe, my heart pounding in my throat. Soon more of the twisted creatures crept ever closer from the shadows, and by now the voice in my head was overpowering my own thoughts. It begged me to let it help me, and seized by fear as I was, I acquiesced. |
| Chapter 2 - 6 | Exile | 1227 |
"After all this time, you-" my master cut herself off as her voice strained with emotion. "Do they know? Does Nostra know? No. No, they couldn't. They would not have sent you to me if they knew." A humorless laugh passed her lips, her expression momentarily twisting into one of grief. "A Chosen One. Right under my nose..." Her fingers twitched, touching the hilt of her sword before letting her hand fall. "Once you can walk, you leave. Perhaps... Perhaps you may find a way to keep that thing within you under control. But should the wilds take you, then God, so be it." |
| Chapter 2 - 7 | Pounce | 1227 |
Moving as unobtrusively as possible, I crept through the wilting grass, slowly inching ever closer to my prey. A wild boar had come to quench its thirst at the river, and though It was in the water, I could see how its dark ears still flicked towards any sound-ever alert. Holding my breath, prepared to leap from hiding, fingers tight around the hilt of my blade. It had not heard me coming, and as the animal bled out at my feet, I wondered if I'd ever grow accustomed to watching the life ebb from someone's eyes. |
| Chapter 2 - 8 | Doze | 1228 |
Dying flames from the campfire cast abstract shapes onto the damp cavern walls. For a time I watched as the patches of light moved against their dark backdrop, dancing away the last of their light. As my heavy eyelids drifted close, Its voice whispered another apology, lamenting that it had caused my exile-this loneliness. Though sleep was taking hold, I cracked a smile, for how could I be lonely when It was always with me? |
| Chapter 2 - 9 | Return | 1229 |
As I did so many years ago, I stood once more before the stone temple nestled atop the mountains. Despite the countless days that had come and gone since then, the same nebulous dread was gathering in my chest, creeping up my throat, I knew this would be tempting fate, but my Master had spared me once before. With a steadying breath I sat down beside the doors, waiting for her Judgment to come. |
| Chapter 2 - 10 | Smoke | 1235 |
A strange thing, to no longer retch at the scent of burning flesh. Impossibly black smoke billowed from the pile of corpses as my Master tossed another limb into the flames. We had arrived too late, with half the villagers already torn asunder by the creature's mindless rampage by the time we managed to strike it down. Nonetheless, the remaining villagers thanked us for saving them. But would they still have sung my praises had they known what I was? |
| Chapter 2 - 11 | Abnormal | 1249 |
With an ear-splitting shriek, the Nightmare Creature finally fell heavily to the ground. Even so, I thrust my blade through its skull, ensuring it would never rise again. My Master came to my side, her hand gently squeezing my shoulder in silent celebration of our victory. In the growing pool of tarlike blood, our reflection gave me pause-two faces, one having grown, while the other remained as it always had. |
| Chapter 2 - 12 | Purpose | 1255 |
"But what did the letter say, exactly?" Curiosity had gotten the better of me, and I broke the silence hanging over our trek through the woods. My Master did not answer, casting a glance skyward to ensure we were still on the right path according to the stars. "It's not often our missions come with a messenger-" I continued, as I'd been ignored before, but now I earned myself a glare that made me fool like a child all over again. My Master turned halfway, the wind tousling her grey hair. "A Blade does not question the hand that wields it, it merely acts." |
| Chapter 2 - 13 | Defiance | 1255 |
"What are you doing," my master's voice was strained, her tone even, though filled with an underlying fury. The blood of the kid's parents glistened on her blade, the sharp point of which was now turned towards me. "You gave me a chance. Please - doesn't he deserve one as well?" My words made her jaw clench, her eyes flitting to the child cowering in fear behind me, then back to me. "If you do not move," she began, her words near pleading, but I had already drawn my sword. |
| Chapter 2 - 14 | Remorse | 1255 |
"Ah, you've returned. I trust that the mission was-" the Nostra messenger paused as realization flared in his eyes. "Oh, but you come alone?" I nod stiffly, my throat dry. "I see. You have my sympathies," he said, in a tone which suggested obligation rather than empathy. "The Chosen One-it killed her, I couldn't-" my voice broke, and even though I was lying through my teeth, my tears ran hot and true. |
| Chapter 2 - 15 | Master | 1256 |
The air was filled with the hollow sound of practice sticks striking against one another. A soft thud briefly interrupted the clacking, the first disciple to lose their practice duel falling to the ground. For a moment I merely observed, a few heartbeats passing while he lay on the ground, before I decided to approach. Kneeling, I offered my defeated student a hand. "Rise again. As long as there is air in your lungs, you fight." |
| Chapter 3 - 1 | Doubt | 1264 |
"Get out of there! Now! I said get out!" My voice crashed against the stone walls, released with a fury I never knew I possessed. My student paled beneath my gaze, scrambling out of my Master's old chambers as swiftly as they could. Her blade was on the floor anger faded to shame once I secured it back in its case. Had she ever known what she'd meant to me? And what right did I have, having taken her from this world, to feel such sorrow? |
| Chapter 3 - 2 | Weight | 1383 |
A dull ache had grown in my chest over the years. Perhaps it had always been there, and I was either too tired or stubborn to notice. It has only gotten worse now, rearing its head as I lie between waking and sleep, sucking the joy clean from my bones. Even my Other cannot soothe me, as much as it tries, and so I spend my night hollow. |
| Chapter 3 - 3 | Reunion | 1397 |
"It's not often we get visitors," I began, but my words caught in my throat. The robed figure turned to me, bathed in moonlight shining through the temple's stained glass window. Memories flashed before my eyes--not my own, yet familiar still. The woman smiled, to smile one that did not belong to her face. "Curious, I did not think you'd see through me so easily, little magpie. Would seem your training has served you well." The woman - the Guide - chuckled, brushing hair away from her face. "Alas, I do not come bearing good news. War is brewing in the east, and Nostra has sent out a call to arms." |
| Chapter 3 - 4 | Mobilize | 1397 |
The Guide had left in the middle of the night, yet her words still lingered come dawn. Nostra suspected an Other was involved in the Khanian war, as terrors beyond belief had been recounted from the battlefields across the Khan's Empire I am sure now that Others need to be pushed back from our world. Perhaps it is on the battlefield that I might find forgiveness. |
| Chapter 3 - 5 | Guardian | 1399 |
"They say the Khan's soldiers aren't human, y'know. Don't really believe it, myself, probably some hogwash to lower their enemies' morale, I reckon. 'Sides, we've got the Huntress Blade! Nothin' to worry about, eh?" The Paladin gave a hearty chuckle, nudging me in the shoulder with a wide grin. My irritation must have slipped through the cracks, for he quickly cleared his throat, and connected his posture. "Ah, that is to say, Ma'am. Don't want you or the troops worrying none not that I think you're worried, what with your skills and all, and me at your side, but." before he could prattle on further, I'd already boarded the ship. |
| Chapter 3 - 6 | Apathy | 1399 |
Sea salt laced my breath as the burning horizon grew ever closer. Nervous shuffling made the ship creak, armored shoulders bumping against one another with metallic clinks. One of the younger soldiers wept beside me, his hands trembling around his sword. Watching his tears fall, how he held back his sobs, I silently wished I was able to do the same. |
| Chapter 3 - 7 | Butchery | 1402 |
Our knights pushed the enemy lines further and further back, revealing to us the terrors left in the Empire's wake. Villages littered with the bodies of their own civilians, torn apart and hung from the dilapidated buildings. A child's broken body lay upon a large wooden wheel, bones sticking out of tiny limbs. As the horrors grew, so did our resolve to tear the Khan from his throne, our purpose driving us forward. |
| Chapter 3 - 8 | Sever | 1403 |
Steel strikes bone. A shriek as it is cloven, blood gushing from where a leg had once been. The Khan's soldiers step over their fallen, eyes black as the void. One after another, they fall, my lands stained crimson. |
| Chapter 3 - 9 | Summoning | 1404 |
As our forces burst through the gates of the capital, the Khan's madness reached its peak. One by one, his soldiers collapsed, the snapping of their bones drowning out the sounds of their screams. From the Khan's gilded palace, a tear began to form-first slowly as if the very air around it was resisting, then instantly - a gaping maw in the Veil. Our thoughts scramble, my own and my Other's, a genuine fear of which I had thought myself incapable blossoming in my chest. The creature manifesting in our Reality was beyond our worst nightmares. |
| Chapter 3 - 10 | Quietus | 1404 |
To defeat the Khan's abomination, I had no choice but to unleash the power of my Other. My comrades had already fallen, and only the Paladin's chest was still hacking for air, his bones fractured, his arm torn from its socket. The Khan still stood, despairing over his fallen creatures, his eyes bright with madness. A flurry of silks and metal, and the Khan fell to a blade not my own. An unknown knight had struck from behind, grabbing the opportunity to end this war for good. |
| Chapter 3 - 11 | Sanctuary | 1412 |
We lay on the grass, halfway between waking and sleep. "To think when we first met, you wanted nothin' of me," he said. There is laughter in his voice. Crinkles in the corners of his eyes as they meet mine. "Who would'a thought, my beloved that we would end up like this?" With no answer, I can only squeeze his hand, smiling underneath the setting sun. The shadow of our small farm grows longer over our field. |
| Chapter 3 - 12 | Dissociate | 1423 |
When I felt the spasms, my body rejecting that within me, I left. Staggering from our home in the midst of the night, it was as if I was watching myself from somewhere else, that this was not me-It could not be me, for I wouldn't be able to continue if it was. Such grief leaves you numb, a haunting in your own self. Hollow, I waited until my hands were steady again before going back-I could not bear to tell him we'd lost another. |
| Chapter 3 - 13 | Winter | 1457 |
His hand found mine-it had grown thin with age, yet felt impossibly heavy. My Paladin smiled, his eyes so very far away. A sigh, and he was gone. While the snow fell outside, I sat holding his hand, not letting go until night finally fell. |
| Chapter 3 - 14 | Anew | 1489 |
How I wish to be rid of these ghosts that linger in the walls of my home and my heart. Memories so vivid, granted to me in hopes of solace, only made me fall further. I am grateful to have felt, thankful for all I've had, but the lives I've led cling to my soul like lead. Today I set them free, fire rising in glowing tendrils across old wood, that which once was rising to the skies in white swirls. I walked away, his broken shield hanging on my back. |
| Chapter 4 - 1 | Loop | 1883 |
I have wandered for so long that there is nowhere left to go. Blank spaces have been filled, my Other and I walking as one-two when solitude erodes my spirits. Returning to the land of my birth, I take a breath so deep my lungs ache. I find myself retracing steps already taken, trying to find pieces of myself that I lost along the way. |
| Chapter 4 - 2 | Persuasion | 1887 |
"We have become a creature of habit, have we?" Again the Guide had found me, donning a new face, but wearing the same smile. "A good thing, truly, that there's at least one person out there dealing with all these abominations and whatnot day and night." His voice sounded strangely bemused, perhaps proud. For a while we spoke, a tone near familial, a feeling of nostalgia brimming in my chest-perhaps that is why I let him convince me. "Nostra isn't what it used to be, mags. It grew a new branch, Vostra, who are in charge of figuring out how to deal with this whole Chosen One business-end this struggle between us." He winked, "And I think they could use the help of someone like you," a brief pause, and a small huffing chuckle, "plural." Inside my head, the Memory Other was puzzled. |
| Chapter 4 - 3 | Compassion | 1888 |
The Guide's words sent me to the capital, to see for myself if there had truly been a change within Nostra's organization. For months I went from one bounty to the next, ensuring that word of my deeds would soon reach their ears. A Disciple came to me one morning, asking for my services, inviting me back through their doors. What I saw within their Headquarters made my heart lighter, and I accepted their task without hesitation. |
| Chapter 4 - 4 | Crew | 1888 |
"'Tis not a very inviting place, is It?" The Medium's nose wrinkled, sharp eyes scanning the bog ahead with a look of near personal insult. He was a rather sheltered young man, likely due to the mysterious abilities that let him find Chosen Ones. Watching him hesitantly prod the uneven ground ahead with his foot made me stifle a chuckle. "Get on with it" The Bounty Hunter shouted, a grizzled hand shoving The Medium Into the murk. "Fuckin' scobberlotcher." |
| Chapter 4 - 5 | Shelter | 1890 |
Smoke still billowed from The Bounty Hunter's shotgun, the slaver's blood wetting the sand beneath our feet. Cowering, the young girl-the Chosen One we had been seeking-clenched her hands tight in prayer. Even as we removed her shackles, she trembled. "You're going to be alright, I kept telling her, with all the warmth in my heart. "We are going to bring you somewhere safe." |
| Chapter 4 - 6 | Vow | 1891 |
As soon as the Nightmare Creature fell, its grotesque frame riddled with holes, I felt sick. This time, we had arrived too late, and the young Chosen One had already given up, throwing himself to the creatures. The Bounty Hunter clicked his tongue, breaking the silence between us. "Easier to kill those fuckin' things than tryin' to talk sense to them nightkin anyway." My nausea rose as he spoke, though his words solidified a thought: never again would I allow myself to become so jaded. I did envy his ease with pistols, though. |
| Chapter 4 - 7 | Erase | 1892 |
It was only a matter of time before he found out. I could see it in his eyes one night, a flicker of realization across his face, and that's all it took. Before he had the chance to speak, I placed my hand upon him, whispering an apology before my Other wiped the revelation from his mind. The Medium's eyes come back into focus, and for yet another night my nature as a Chosen One remained secret. |
| Chapter 4 - 8 | Unmasked | 1893 |
The closer our little group grew, the more lax I became. The Medium was by my side the moment I woke, and I immediately realized what I had done-or rather, did not do. My words spilled out quicker than I could form thoughts, asking him to keep quiet, for I had finally a chance to help those like myself. "I am not going to tell anyone," he said in the end, a small but hesitant smile on his face. "Just swear you won't make me forget again." The campfire crackled. |
| Chapter 4 - 9 | Ritual | 1894 |
After discovering my identity as a Chosen One, The Medium theorized that he might be able to use his powers to explore my mind-our mind - to see through my Other and beyond the Veil. A glimpse of Unreality. Despite my trepidation, he talked me into it, and so we sat facing one another, his palms limp against mine. The Medium lurched backwards, the color draining from his face. Only a second had passed and yet he seemed to have aged several years. As I tried to help him to his feet, he scrambled away from my touch, muttering under his breath. From that night onward, his eyes would meet mine no more. |
| Chapter 4 - 10 | Fracture | 1894 |
There was no mistaking it. This was one of the Chosen Ones we had saved months past. Even if I had been able to, I would never have forgotten a single one of their faces. Neither would my Other. The young boy now had a scar zigzagging across his face-one eye no longer matched the other. Trembling, he spoke of his escape from Vostra's Headquarters-the very place we had sent him, sent all of them. Giving him all that we could, we left for the headquarters to confront what truths lay ahead. Such fear in his eyes... |
| Chapter 4 - 11 | Ruin | 1895 |
Faces. Too many. Stitched and melded. Tiny limbs and smaller sobs. The Medium's voice void of empathy, words dragged like barbs across my skin. An amalgamation of Chosen Ones. "Might open a gate to Unreality beyond the Veil. We can rid our world of the creatures from their source." From the Aberration, a feeble voice. It prays, a memory stirs, and my heart bleeds. |
| Chapter 4 - 12 | Mercy | 1895 |
I stood drenched in the blood of Vostra, a massacre of I my own making. The voices of countless Chosen Ones spilled from the amalgamation, too many of which I had led happily to this fate. Placing my hand upon it, rid them of their painful memories so that when struck down-the only merciful fate-they could pass in bliss. In this moment my Other wept the tears I couldn't, for I had no more to spill. |
| Chapter 4 - 13 | Burnout | 1895 |
"If only-if only you'd seen what I saw. Within you-beyond the Veil! It's coming - an Other will break free." The Medium's voice was frantic, his hands shaking. The Bounty Hunter's body lay lifeless between us, the last barrier keeping us apart. "It's coming. A Suffering is coming and now we can't - we can't stop it His Advent is imminent! If you'd joined the other Chosen Ones, then maybe we could have-". Was it madness or fear in his eyes? I could no longer tell. His rambling continued even as I moved past him. Too long I've lived, and too many lives I've taken. |
| Chapter 4 - 14 | Twilight | 1895 |
For once, I was the one to find him. The Guide listened quietly while I recounted the atrocities I'd unknowingly partaken in-and the lives I had taken. "I'll cover your tracks, mags. Get out of the City as soon as you can and don't ignore that Medium's words. There's something on the horizon." Under the stars strung in the sky, I left the capital, daring to hope that there might yet be lives for me to save. |
| Chapter 5 - 1 | Persistence | 1895 |
Autumn rain poured from the skies, crashing against bare trees. Before my departure, the Guide had spilled what he'd known about this "Suffering" on the horizon, albeit hesitantly. Far to the west the Veil was thinning, while rumors of secret atrocities grew. This time, I swore, wiping rain from my brow, I would not be too late. |
| Chapter 5 - 2 | Succor | 1896 |
My Other had gradually begun insisting on breaks-their determination growing in counterpart to my own negligence. I sat partially awake beneath a pine, lulled by the faraway cooing of a forest dove. With the sun dripping gold, my brothers and I chased one another through a forest of wheat. Morning came, and so did my gratitude, for the night had been filled with warm memories. |
| Chapter 5 - 3 | Reassurance | 1896 |
Do you not despise me for all the misery you've had to face? Their voice was hesitant, barely a tug at the back of my mind. Before my Other's doubt could grow, I spoke. "Had you not chosen me, my life would still have been filled with both sorrow and joy. With you at my side, I've been given the chance to fight-to keep on going until both I and others may experience more joy than grief, and for that I will always thank you." I swear I heard him give a sigh of relief. |
| Chapter 5 - 4 | Farewell | 1897 |
Ahead lay the supposed birthplace of Suffering, a City all too quiet. The smell of the Plague was everywhere. The Guide finds me yet again, and what he tells me might be the last thing I hear. His parting gift is that of truth, his voice ever spirited. "I am Curiosity, and I've always wondered what would become of you, here at the end of the world." |
| Chapter 5 - 5 | Threshold | 1897 |
I could feel Curiosity's eyes linger on my back as I went. The City's dark spires loom overhead, reaching high into the sky. As we break through the heavy gates of the quarantine, a shiver runs through my very core. Suffering knows we've come. |
| Chapter 5 - 6 | Distorted | 1897 |
Shimmering rifts lined the city streets, the Veil torn thin. For each twisted creature I felled, another soon took its place, each more fearsome than the last. These grotesque beasts, their shapes so much more human than any l'd ever faced. I could not bring myself to Imagine what had become of the population. |
| Chapter 5 - 7 | Retreat | 1897 |
Dark spots danced before my eyes. Cold seeped under my skin, clinging to bone. Barely avoiding another group of monstrosities, I stumbled into the underground. The lights of the flooded subways-were forever extinguished. My legs gave in and on white noise filled my skull, I slumped against the wall. |
| Chapter 5 - 8 | Collapse | 1897 |
Wandering aimlessly beneath the City for what felt like hours, the adrenaline which had forced me into motion was ebbing away. Again I sank to the floor, a useless heap of flesh and bone. My Paladin's voice bagged me to rise. Then my Master. My Family. My Other Alas, even for all of them, my eyelids proved too heavy. |
| Chapter 5 - 9 | Slumber | 1897 |
Whether or not my eyes are open, I do not know, as darkness lies eternally ahead no matter which way I turn. However, there is motion-bits of nothing falling off of itself and gathering before me. A tangible shape forms, pieces of void peeling themselves backwards-revealing brown skin beneath. I run to him, tossing what remains of myself into my Paladin's embrace. |
| Chapter 5 - 10 | Mirage | 1897 |
"I know you're not him." The look of surprise on his face made me feel guilty for one fleeting moment. "I thank you for... For trying to give me some peace, my dear friend." The shape of the man loved flickered, the forest around us with him, before disappearing before my eyes. My Master now stood in his place, the temple's stone walls rising around us. "You needed rest. And this-this is the only way I can help you," in my Master's form, my Other began to weep. For each step I look forward, their shape altered. Faces we had known so well shifting in and out of view, until all were no more than a light-one I held onto for all that I was. |
| Chapter 5 - 11 | Merge | 1897 |
Once their tears ran dry, my Other apologized once more, their voice blending with those I had once known. Here, to the confines of their own space within mine, they had taken me until my body could recover. Though were I to wait, the very thing I was fighting to prevent might come to pass. To hasten my recovery, my Other hesitantly suggested a pact - what if I were to become mad as the Khan? Capricious as Curiosity? Placing my hands upon them, I could only smile for the worry they always expressed, for I had no fear - I trusted them more than myself. |
| Chapter 5 - 12 | Resurrection | 1897 |
Upon waking, I am calmer than I've ever been. A newfound strength, so unlike what I've previously possessed, pushes me off the cold underground floors My head feels lighter, occupied by one rather than two. United, I re-emerge from the depths to face what lies ahead. |
| Chapter 5 - 13 | Epicenter | 1897 |
Even united, carving a path through the hordes of Nightmare Creatures proved challenging. Never had we witnessed such distortion, each rift tugging at the veil-a rope on the verge of fraying. Beneath the towering spires of the City's church, I can no longer tell what belongs to this world or the Veil. On the steps sits the vessel of Suffering, a Chosen One, as I once had been. |
| Chapter 5 - 14 | Extinguished | 1897 |
His scream sends ripples through the air, leaving holes for claw and bone to creep through. I try putting one leg in front of the other. Skin tears from my arms, my voice dead in my throat. Then there is nothing. I wanted to see you one last time, my Dear Friend. Just one last time. |
