Diary Page
Diary Page
- Location
- Forced Entry
(Bava Nisos, Mistburned Barrens) - Type
- Book
- Interact
- Yes
- Destructible
- No
Diary Pages are books can be found in the Mantle's Arrival during Forced Entry.
Story involvement[edit]
Janthir Wilds[edit]
Text[edit]
Page 2[edit]
As I'd predicted, our limited food sources have worn down the other two far more quickly than myself. Both chastised my unwillingness to hunt, Tatyanna deeming me "selfish," Ulrich muttering some slight under his breath. I told them if they quit wasting their energy whining about hunger pangs, they'd be faring better. That shut them up, for now, at least. Though, I've mostly chosen to keep to myself.
I, on the other hand, find the pain an ideal anchor for meditation. And for cultivating that state of clarity, I credit what happened next.
Late last night, from somewhere across the vast expanse of dark, I heard a call—is this what Tatyanna claims to hear, when Ulrich and I venture into the ruins and leave her alone? It began as a low rumble. In a state of half sleep, I mistook it for the early thrums of thunder. Then I started to make out coherent words...
"They see not your promise... What you're capable of..."
Stirring me fully awake, I decided to brave the night. I ventured out, trying to decipher the direction of their source, still unsure if they were dream or reality. As if to reassure me, the voice called out once more:
"You're a righteous man... Please, help me..."
Then, silence, save for the hollowing wind.
I lay awake the rest of the night, in something between a meditation and a stupor. Had I imagined it? Was this voice the product of an empty stomach? Of a lone mind coloring in a blank chasm? No. It was real. Clear as the toll of a lone bell across the abyss.
"You're a righteous man."
I spent the night pondering the message and its source. As of now, I'm unsure whether to share it with the others—it may be the last wound that drives Tatyanna mad, and I am unsure what lengths Ulrich would go to secure his mission to our false prophet. Beyond this, they don't seem eager to indulge my company.
But that's of no importance. My earliest memories onward have been a lone wade through life's flood. Saul too bore the immensity of revelation alone. But rather than hoard its light, he held it before him like a lantern, guiding those around him so they too could see the way.
—
As a vessel of Devotion,
give me the strength
to fulfill my role as guide,
to set the unseers upon the right path.
May I act as an offering,
my body a sacrifice,
a transmutation of mortal flesh.
I am the Votive,
the lit flame,
from which darkness bows to light.
I chose not, rather
I was chosen,
to illuminate the Way.
Page 3[edit]
After a night of long deliberation, I decided it was my responsibility to share what I'd heard with Ulrich and Tatyanna. Unsurprisingly, Ulrich dismissed it as a hunger-induced fever dream, clearly attempting to shield Tatyanna's dwindling sanity. She herself seemed intrigued but remained mute during the exchange. So be it. If I am to claim myself a "righteous man," I will see to it that they come around in time.
Update 1: Things have come to a head. Another argument over food. I'll spare the same rehashed details. But the crux of the argument came when Ulrich blamed my initial reluctance to hunt for contributing to our downfall. He claimed that if we'd reached Bava Nisos in better condition, we'd be better suited to withstand our current scarcity.
I'll admit that, in a moment of anger, I forgot my vow to guide the ignorant. I shot back that, given his inability to withstand even the most minimal of worldly discomforts, he'd never be more than a mere bootlicker. And that his ill state wasn't so much hunger for food as hunger for the scraps of Caudecus's validation.
At that, Ulrich accused me of jealousy, going as far as to apologize for Caudecus's "dismissive" treatment of me. The accusation was so wildly off base, I burst into a fit of laughter. He dubbed me out of my mind and stormed off into the night.
Now, as night descends, Tatyanna and I retire in silence, save the occasional sound of pen on parchment from our respective tents. I've never known her to journal, but I have seen her write to Caudecus. While Ulrich's devotion to him is a cry for validation, Tatyanna's is a desperate plea to belong. One I can relate to. I sought the same when I joined the White Mantle. The difference being that I retained the ability to question. To think critically. And that is where our paths diverge.
—
In my times of weakness,
Forgive me for my failures
to treat the hubris of others
not as curated malice,
but consequence of ignorance.
Like Saul himself embodied,
none escape this life
free of temptation
from mortal folly.
Be it not a cause for shame,
but a source
from which understanding
springs.
—
Update 2: He calls upon me once more in the dead of night: "My last hope left me here to rot... Please...help me... Closer... Come closer..."
I must seek him. Our fates have become entwined.
Related achievements[edit]
Absolution: Fact Finder — Locate all of the clues hidden around the abandoned White Mantle camp. (3
)
