____ __ ___
/\ _`\ /\ \__ /\_ \
\ \ \L\_\ \ \ ,_\ __ _ __ ___ __ \//\ \
\ \ _\L \ \ \/ /'__`\ /\`'__\/' _ `\ /'__`\ \ \ \
\ \ \L\ \ \ \ \_ /\ __/ \ \ \/ /\ \/\ \ /\ \L\.\_ \_\ \_
\ \____/ \ \__\\ \____\ \ \_\ \ \_\ \_\\ \__/.\_\ /\____\
\/___/ \/__/ \/____/ \/_/ \/_/\/_/ \/__/\/_/ \/____/
____ __
/\ _`\ /\ \
\ \ \/\ \ __ _ __ \ \ \/'\ ___ __ ____ ____
\ \ \ \ \ /'__`\ /\`'__\ \ \ , < /' _ `\ /'__`\ /',__\ /',__\
\ \ \_\ \/\ \L\.\_ \ \ \/ \ \ \\`\ /\ \/\ \ /\ __/ /\__, `\/\__, `\
\ \____/\ \__/.\_\ \ \_\ \ \_\ \_\\ \_\ \_\\ \____\\/\____/\/\____/
\/___/ \/__/\/_/ \/_/ \/_/\/_/ \/_/\/_/ \/____/ \/___/ \/___/
LETTER FAQ
By: Gamerman555
---------------------
| Table of Contents |
|I - Introduction |
|II - The Letters |
|III - Legal |
|IV - Contributions|
|V - Conclusion |
|-------------------|
//===========================================================================\\
- I - Introduction -
\\===========================================================================//
Hello and welcome to this short but informative FAQ! Eternal Darkenss was
released back in June of 2002. Since then, Eternal Darkness has been recognized
as being one of the best games on the Gamecube. I do agree with this, for
several reasons. Firstly, Eternal Darkness has some pretty sweet gameplay.
Infact, until Resident Evil 4 came out, Eternal Darkness had (in my opinion)
the best gameplay out of a Survival/Horror game. The game is jam packed with
extras and cool features, including the very original Sanity Meter.
Well, three years later and after beating the game several times (I would
estimate around 10 now), I have decided to write up a short FAQ for the various
letters that players will find around various levels in the game. Why do this?
Well, the best aspect of Eternal Darkness, by far, was the richness of the
story. Never have I seen a story quite like this one. Spanning thousands of
years into the past, I found it to be attracting all the way through. The
core of the story, in essence, revolves around the letters. This is why it is
so important to understand them.
Alright, so why talk about them? Well, the letters mean a LOT towards the
story and their respected chapters, however many people actually miss these
letters half the time or just don't understand them. So, I'll go through each
letter and give some information about it. Then, I'll state what the letter is
talking about in relation to the story and chapter in which you have found it.
Sound good? Great! Let's get to it then!
---
NOTE: I know there may be mistakes in my diagnosis'. I could have obviously
missed an important word or phrase, or misinterpreted something that could
make my opinion completely wrong on the certain passage. If you spot an error
like this, be sure to send me an Email about the problem and explain why. Of
course, you can always send in your own opinions on the letters for me to
post in this document! As an example, take a look at the FAQ section (IV).
***
!!SPOILER WARNING!!: Some of these letters contain MAJOR spoilers for the game
story. Continue reading with caution... you have been warned!!!
***
//===========================================================================\\
- II - The Letters -
\\===========================================================================//
Alright, here we go. There are a total of 4 characters who will find letters
placed in various locations throughout those chapters: Alex, Maximillion, Paul,
and Peter. These letters can be easily missed (and, on the most part, don't
need to be read to continue on with the game), but that would mean missing out
on an interesting part of the story.
If there are any mistakes in my diagnosis of each letter, please e-mail me
right away at the e-mail address provided in the Conclusion chapter.
ALEX ROVIAS LETTERS
1. The Journal of Maximillian Rovias, Page 1
"Everything that brightened my life now engulfed me in darkness. I fed on the
light of truth yet starved on the shadows of lies. I have learned through my
lifetime but know less than a newborn baby."
Diagnosis: This letter, as in all of Max's letters that Alex will encounter,
ties in with Max's chapter. Max wrote these letters as he found the secrets
and horrors within the mansion. Around this time Max started to go mentally
unstable, which we see in full effect at the end of his chapter. Max is
stating that he knows very little about what is going on around him. The things
that 'brightened' his life could also be the mysteries to the mansion that he
was finding. These same things, or 'beings' as I should say, also turned his
life into a dark void. From what Max has learned in his life has now all
turned around. He may know a lot, but when it comes to the mysteries of the
Mansion, he knows very, very little.
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
2. The Journal of Maximillian Rovias, Page 2
"I sought to love all, yet now love causes me pain and suffering. I have
learned to fear nothing, although it is nothing that I most fear. All that
were loyal to me now number among my worst enemies."
Diagnosis: This is the second letter from Max that Alex will find. By this time
you may be able to tell Max is losing his mind. He doesn't know what is going
on around him anymore. Everything that Max loved is now seemingly against him
in every possible way. This ties in with the last sentence in the letter where
he says that everything that was loyal to him (in this case, he is talking
about his servants) is now his worst fear. There is a scene in the game that
shows Max killing his servants as he thinks they are all possessed by the
satanic monsters that bury themselves inside you. This is one of the most
famous cutscenes in the game, as it shows Max has finally lost his mind.
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
3. The Journal of Maximillian Rovias, Closing Notes
"As I contemplited these ideas, my suspicions of my servants grew and I
became increasingly fearful of them. I began to watch them carefully.
Days ago, I watched one of them stretch his neck. I could have sword I saw it
twist in a most peculiar direction, and a bulge of muscle tissue collect and
grew in the most incorrect of manners, as if a bone was being displaced from
its proper location and something else moving in its place. I stumbled away
knowing that I was surrounded by unholy creatures that wore the skins of
mortal men and women! I had to take action!
Dear God, let my hand be swift and merciful, lest the world see more of these
diabolical creatures!"
Diagnosis: This is where Max ended his Notes. By this time, the authorities
had captured him and placed him inside a cell as they thought he was insane.
As mentioned in Page 2, Max now talks about the servants in greater detail. He
says they have some sort of super human 'aspects' that just don't seem right.
They are able to move in weird ways, and it seems that there is something
inside of them. This pushed Max over the limit. The action that Max is talking
about was to kill the servants in his mansion and let the rest of the world
know about them. Of course, when he brought his story into the authorities,
they thought he was a lunitic and for the safety of others they locked him
away in a dark, damp cell. As quoted from his insanity "May the rats eat your
eyes!"
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
4. Note From Edward
"My Dearest Alex,
I am glad that you have followed my paper trail thus far. I knew I could
depend on you. This will be the hardest part of your journey. Look for the 88
keys to continue your journey into the past.
Your loving Grandfather, Edward."
Diagnosis: Alright, so what was this all about? Alex will find three letter's
written by Edward throughout the Mansion. This letter mainly gives you a clue
as to where to go next. He mentions that when you find the 88 keys (which open
a lock somewhere), you will be able to find the next chapter page.
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
5. Hidden Note From Edward
"Dear Alex,
I have left you a small surprise to keep you going when everything seems to
go away. It was my favourite tipple, and there are several barrels of it in
the basement. Please help yourself to what you can find. My guess is that I
won't be needing it.
Your loving Grandfather, Edward."
Diagnosis: The key word in this note was that of "tipple". Firstly, no; it
has nothing to do with the things every human has on their chest. A tipple
has more than one definition, however its meaning here is a alcoholic beverage
served from a keg. This is a bit of a funny note... as he says that when
everything seems to go away, Alex should drink this alcoholic beverage to make
her feel better. Of course... one would think that getting drunk would only
make things worse. Anyway, Edward is saying that you can refill your bottle
at anytime via the barrels in the basement. There is an unlimited amount down
there, and it is quite helpful when you are really low on Sanity. Be sure to
keep this in mind!
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
6. Letter From Edward
"Dear Alexandra,
If you are reading this, Alex, then I am surely dead. Knowing that the police
will contact my only living relative, I made sure to leave this message for
you. As I write this letter, Pious Agustus is waiting for his chance to stike
me down for what I have done to Guardian City. I believe I have slowed
Agustus's plans down, but not stopped them completely.
He will still try to bring his Ancient into this world. You must continue
what our ancestor Max has started. You must gather the Artifacts and call
forth an Ancient to combat what Agustus brings into this world. Of the
artifacts, there are four, but one of these is in the clutches of Pious
himself. They are:
The Black Heart of Mantorok
The Claw of Chattur'gha
The Sigil of Xel'lotath
The Veil of Ulyaoth
You skill in the arcane science will not be as strong as Pious', who has had
two millennia to prepare his gate. You will need the remaining artifacts to
match his power. It all rests with you, my dear. I wish you well in this
desperate act. I wish I had more guidance for you but I am at my wit's end
and I am running out of time.
Your Loving Grandfather,
Edward."
Diagnosis: This is one of the longer letters in the game, however, it is
probably the most important out of them all when it comes to filling in the
game story. You will get this letter right when you start the game, and it
makes sense why. There isn't all that much that can be said about this letter,
as it is mainly straight forward.
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
MAXIMILLION ROIVAS LETTERS
The following letter's are found ONLY during Maximillion Roivas' chapter.
They have all been written by Aaron Rovias, a family member who discovered
the lurking horror of the mansion before Max came into the picture.
***
1. Letter #1
"Dear Friend,
The antiquity of which you ask is indeed the Tomb of Eternal Darkness or a
copy of it at least. Its secrets are still hidden from me, for I have been
unable to read it, as have most scholars who have tried.
It will remain within the sanctity of the mansion, for in the wrong hands it
would be a powerful weapon.
Persue it if you will, but beware its Magick... it is a harsh mistress.
Aaron Roivas."
Diagnosis: Alright, this is the first letter that Max will find on his journey.
It is found right at the beginning of the quest. There are some interesting
parts to it when you look carefully. Firstly, this letter must be old. Very
old. Max is an older man, and you can see Aaron titled this letter "Dear
Friend" instead of the expected "Dear Max" meaning he probably never knew that
Max would be next in line in the journey. Aaron states that he doesn't know
the secrets of the Tomb, however he knows that it could possibly be a powerful
weapon if placed in the wrong hands. He knows it has Magick attributes, and it
is a "harsh mistress" (in other words, it has great power that can serve for
bad purposes).
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
2. Letter #2
"Dear Friend,
The House has been forsaken by the Ancients - I dare not enter it for fear of
my mortal soul. I would suggest that you leave also. Bring the book. It is a
far more potent tool than you have learned, and may well swing the balance in
our favour.
A. Roivas."
Diagnosis: As Max's progress in the chapter continues on, the progress that
Aaron also went though is also continuing onwards as this letter shows us. We
see that Aaron has found out that this house has been seemingly 'cursed' by
the Ancients, and he now completely fears it. He is afraid that his 'mortal'
soul will not be able to take it... and it is shown later that the other
mortal souls in the family won't be able to take it either. He thinks that the
follower of the letters should also leave and be sure to take the Tomb of
Eternal Darkness with him. He has seemingly discovered all that the book has
to offer, and knows that it probably houses the power to change the outcome of
this pending war in the favour of mortal souls.
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
3. Letter #3
"Dear Friend,
As I suspected, the Ruins of Ehn'gha-that blasted necropolis-lies deep under
the site of the mansion! The accursed servants of [Chattur'gha/Xel'lotath/
Ulyaoth] are so close I can almost hear their chittering!
There is a secret opening in the basement, and from there we can gain
access... I urge you to gather some men and seal it, or better still,
destroy the damned place!
I have stowed something that you will find useful on the upper level. Look to
the light and you will find it.
I wish that I could be at your side, but my ailment worsens daily and I know
that my time is short...
A.R."
Diagnosis: Another letter showing that the darkness seems to slowly be
currupting our good friend Aaron. He has found the necropolis of Ehn'gha...
which is a giant city located under the mansion. Depending what you made Pious
choose at the beginning of the game, that will depend what kind of servants
are located there. A clue states that there is a secret opening in the
basement leading down here (which turns out to be under the well). Although
it looks simply amazing, it is a place of death. Aaron thinks that it would be
best to gather some men and destroy the whole city.
As the story ends (the end of Max's chapter), he will finally realize that he
is up against an enemy that he cannot defeat alone. He does go to authorities
and tells them what is going on. Of course, in the time period that Max lives
in, a story such as this will make one think that you have gone insane. The
penalty for such is being locked up, which is how Max's life eventually ends.
This letter actually leads to his ultimate destiny and death.
Finally, we see that the darkness is starting to finish off Aaron in the
last sentence of the letter. He wants to be with you, however he feels that
his death is coming up rather soon.
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
4. Letter #4
"Dear Friend,
As I expected, the beasts are drawing closer to our discovery. They want the
book for themselves it seems, and do not want us to have it in our
possession. I have taken steps to ensure that their ilk will not touch the
key in this envelope should you fall prey to their claws.
The envolope containing the basement key has been sealed with a corrosive
Magick-if one not aligned to us tries to open it, it will be released,
inflicting pain, suffering and a grievous blow to their sanity, should they
have any left!
Be swift with your task!
A.R."
Diagnosis: This is the last letter that Aaron leaves us, as he probably dies
soon after he wrote it. He knows that the beasts have located the book, and
that they want it for themselves. He also feels that they will stop at nothing
to try and get it (which is probably what ended up killing him). He even says
that they will try to target you too (doesn't that make you feel great?) if
they know you are in possession of it. Because he feels that you may also fall
to their power and force, he has sealed the envolope with the downstairs key
with a corrosive magick. This means that anyone who is not aligned to the
forces battling against the Darkness will go insane if they touch it. Of
course, since you are a part of the fight against the Darkness, you won't have
to worry about this corrosive Magick. Finally, Aaron stresses that you must
be swift with your task.
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
PAUL LUTHER LETTERS
These following letters are ONLY found in Paul Luther's chapter. The Diary
Pages refer to another Monk who has found out that the church is the home of
a great evil. The Book except comes from a page found from a lone book.
***
1. Diary Page 1
"I have finally arrived at Amiens, and my pilgrimage to see the Hand of Jude
draws to a close.
I cannot wait to lay eyes upon the sacred relic. My journey here has been
arduous and it shall be good to relax for a while in this peaceful village.
Amens is full of good people, strong in their faith and their role in our
world. If the blight of witchcraft is present in this world, then I doubt it
is in Amiens."
Diagnosis: What makes this letter so great is the amount of irony it contains.
If you don't know what irony is, it is basically the hiding of reality. For
example, in this case, the Monk feels that this small French village of
Amiens is the most pure place in the world. Of course, as the player of the
game, in reality we know that this village is the centre of the greatest evil
possibly in the world. Basically the letter is the exact opposite to what is
really happening in this area.
This is stressed heavily in the very final sentence that reads, "If the blight
of witchcraft is present in this world, then I doubt it is in Amiens." This is
emphasizing even more the amount of irony that is being used here to really
make a great literary impact. This letter is also placed at the beginning of
Paul's chapter when things, seemingly, are just fine. Paul doesn't meet any
enemies until he finds the next letter... when the Monk who is writing these
letters starts to find something fishy about this small town.
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
2. Diary Page 2
"I suppose it is understandable that they will not show me the Hand of Jude
on such little notice, but I must confess that the preparations they make
are most unusual.
No acts of consecration, no daily prayer or worship are demonstrated by this
strange order. One wonders if they are holy at all, let alone being under the
auspices of the Grand Inquisition.
Perhaps it is my naivete of our faith. There are many practices associated
with it, and they differ greatly from region to region. Perhaps Amiens is
merely more eccentric than others."
Diagnosis: Well this is a change from the first Diary page. We have gone
from hearing that this place is the gem of the world to it possibly having a
part in the Grand Inquisition. The suspicions revolve around how this church
has its practice. There is no prayer or worship... which is quite weird when
you think about a church. The writer even wondered if the people here are
holy at all...
We see that the irony that was shown in the first letter is slowly starting to
fade away. The writer is starting to see that this place isn't all that it
used to seem to be. The great thing is that at this time of Paul's journey is
when he starts to notice weird things around the church as well...
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
3. Diary Page 3
"With a shudder my heart turned to ice. I came to the brutal realization that
the entire order were heretics and that I was in incredible jeopardy!
Who knows how long they had kept their dark secret-masquerading as
Custodians of the Hand of Jude, when in fact, they guarded their own damnable
relic, the essence of their dark lord [Chattur'gha/Xel'lotath/Ulyaoth]?
And used IT to lure potential victims to their hideous sacrifice! I felt sick
and, despite my faith, I felt intense fear and hopelessness. I know that I
must escape, this place before they suspect my knowledge.
I must warn the world and notify the real inquisition of their presence.
Knowing death is just around the corner and fearing every moment, I commit
these words to paper. Augustine will find this book.
I will remove certain pages and hide them, so that all who may follow might
discover the truth before it is too late."
Diagnosis: Well, now we see that the entire story has turned around. From the
beautiful village image, the Monk has now found out that this village is
really the area of death. The writer has found out about the Ancients, and he
wants to warn the world of what is going on around here. He fears that he
won't be able to escape, however. To our knowledge, he never does escape, as
no information he has ever reaches greater authority. At least, the game never
tells us this happened, however upon reading the last few sentences, I think
it is safe to say that he was killed.
We now see that the irony presented in the first letter has now turned into
full reality that the writer now sees. Even as a headstrong Monk, he can't
stand to see the sacrifice acts. It makes him feel sick and made him feel
intense fear and hopelessness.
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
4. Forgeries of the Reliquaries
"Doubtless, many obscure orders, requiring more income than can be garnered
from the tithe, resorted to forging ancient relics to bring people from
outside the region to their diocese, and thus become more lucrative. While it
could be said that a false hope is still hope, relics such as Cuthbert's
Jawbone, the Hand of Jude, and the infamous Thighbone Flute of Connaught,
while being forgeries, deceive the righteous unjustly. Their existence as
"true" relics is the utmost heresy.
Diagnosis: Who wrote this letter? I sure don't know, however it is placed
quite well in this beautiful literary library that one has found over the
course of this chapter. From the complete illusion of irony, the full reality
of the whole chapter has now come out. The Monk who wrote the previous letters
must be dead now. This final letter in Paul's chapter is here mainly as a
final conclusion to the chapter. Any questions you may have had before while
reading the previous two letters should now be answered. It seems that this
order of whatever is in this area relied on creating false relics in order to
attract visitors from outside. These monks and others who came from outside
thought of this place to be nothing more than heaven on earth, as we had seen
from the first letter written by the Monk.
Personally, I find the best part of this letter to be the very final word
used, 'heresy.' The title of Paul's chapter is indeed Heresy, so it worked out
well that the final letter would conclude with that word. Heresy is, by quote,
"a belief that rejects the orthodox tenets of a religion." Paul is regarded to
be a heretic, as he has different believes to those of the current rulers of
this church... which led to Paul's ultimate death. However, at the same time,
the whole order of this church is one big heresy, as they trick others with
false relics in order to bring people there. This is the last letter that will
be found in Paul's chapter.
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
PETER'S LETTERS
Peter's chapter is considered (by many) to be the darkest and most suspensful
chapter in the game. To some extents, I agree with this, as the letters in
this chapter are quite dark themselves.
The reason why Peter's letter's are so interesting is because this chapter
takes place in the same area that Paul's chapter took place, the church in
Paris. This story takes place during World War II, and the church has been
turned into a hospital for fallen troops. Of course, we all know that the
Hospital (aka Church) is not a place for the sick to go. This place is not
a place of healing, it is a place of death. These letters, written by a
wounded soldier (and for some reason they are scattered through the whole
level), are a lot like those written by the Monk, although the irony isn't
quite as heavy in the first letter. The soldier realises right away that
something is weird, and by the final letter, he has pretty much lost his mind.
He knows something is not right here...
***
1. Soldier's Letter #1
"I was admitted to this hospital on Tuesday. The damage caused to my legs was
slight, but there is no way I could ever walk normally again. I hate this
place-every day I am reminded that I will never be able to do the things I
love.
The hospital is a very strange place. Converted from an old cathedral, there
is an odd atmosphere around it. Silent but for the words of the wounded out
in the night. There is no doubt it is haunted...
What I find most odd in this place is that you never see anyone leave during
the day. It's not right-no good-byes or farewells. Just an empty bed when you
wake."
Diagnosis: Right off the bat this soldier realises that something is wrong. We
don't know who the solider is (as a name or appearence is ever mentioned or
shown... he has probably fallen to the darkness). He must have been in some
sort of accident that ruined his legs that will keep him from walking normally
which is a pitty, as he must have loved doing things that required the use of
legs (such as sports).
He mentions that this hospital is a very strange place. He also mentions that
there is a weird atmosphere around it. He also says there is a weird silence
around... as if no one ever talks, including the nurses. He knows that it
must be haunted. Boy is he right.
He also found it weird that there were never any good-bye's or fareweels. The
mention of just an empty bed when you wake leads to wonder what happens to the
bodies if no one sees them leave...
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
2. Soldier's Letter #2
"I've been here for over a week now, and there is no word when I will be
allowed to leave.
Strange things have happened. At night, the sounds of the hospital change-
echoes of voices that don't belong to anyone haunt the walls and corridors.
The restless ghosts perhaps, or sounds of movement, or whispers. I have seen
war firsthand and the sounds at night in this hospital scare me more than I
ever thought possible. What is going on here at night? Why so I feel so
threatened?
My fears are worsened by the talk of the other young soldiers... One said he
heard cries for help in the middle of the night-cries that were only answered
by snarls of rage, and not compassion. Another said Lance Corporal Hasskill
had not been dischanged, but had gone missing.
I stare at his empty bed with a sense of unholy dread gnawing at my heart."
Diagnosis: Even though you know this game is pure fiction, I found it hard to
read this letter and not get a sense of fear from it. The soldier now knows
that there is something going on here... something that isn't normal. He even
compares first hand sights of war to this hospital, and this hospital scares
him even more than the war. That seems somewhat supernatural.
A huge key to this letter is the point at which he states he had a discussion
with another fallen soldier. It is interesting when the soldier says that the
cries in the night are met by snarls of rage instead of compassion. Is there
something wrong with the nurses also? I guess only time will tell...
Another interesting area of this letter revolves around the missing Corporal.
For a wounded soldier to just go missing... that doesn't really seem possible
unless he was taken somewhere.
It is also interesting where the soldier says that he feels that unholy dread
is "knawing" at his heart. Foreshadowing... perhaps?
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
3. Soldier's Letter #3
"It's been two weeks since Hasskill went missing, and I'm afraid to go to
sleep.
More than once, I saw shadows of people moving past my bed, peeking though
the blinds to see a wounded soldier being taken from his bed, drugged and
delirious in the dead of the night, never to be seen again... as Hasskill
was, perhaps as I will be...
What happened to them, I don't know... I am afraid to ask what happened, for
I know that I would surely be the next one to be taken into the darkness."
Diagnosis: This is the final letter that you will see in Peter's chapter,
however it is also the most gripping of fear. With everything that has been
going on, the soldier can't even go to sleep anymore.
Why can't he sleep? Well, he answeres this right in the letter. He says he
sees shadows of people moving past his bed. He says he peaks through the
blindes (the beds in these hospitals were often surrounded by a tend like
structure (even though these beds were indoors) for privacy) to see some
people take a wounded soldier away from his bed and taken away into the
darkness. What makes this weird is how he says the soldiers being taken away
are "drugged and delirious"... in other words they are still alive. If one was
dead, then they couldn't be "delirious." Why are the hospital 'staff' taking
these soldiers, while still alive and recovering, away into the darkness.
What makes this even weirder is why do these soldiers never come back from
where they are being taken. Yep, the solider writing these letter's has a good
reason of why he won't fall asleep.
To bad that whether you are asleep or not... it seems that the Darkness will
always overcome you.
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
That ends this section. I hope you have found my diagnosis of each letter
useful. If you have any question, please be sure to contact me at the address
below. Please view section IV - Conclusion for a contact address.
Also, if you find any errors in this document, PLEASE be sure to send me an
e-mail stating what the error is. For example, if one of my diagnosis is
clearly wrong because I missed something in the letter. Although I have
scanned the letters several times to try and make the most sense of them as
possible, there is always room for mistake. Thanks very much!
//===========================================================================\\
- III - Legal -
\\===========================================================================//
I'm bad at writing copyrights, so many thanks go to Michael Sarich of
gamefaqs.com for writing this for contributors:
***
This entire document is (C) 2006 Alex Gam. All trademarks are property of
their respective owners. No section of this guide can be used without my
permission. This includes, but is not limited to posting on your website,
making links to my guide, including parts of my guide in your own, or making
reference to any material contained within.
All the sites mentioned below have permission to do the above. Please email me
at [[email protected]] to enquire about gaining permission to use this
document.
gamefaqs.com
aol.com
gamespot.com
- Thanks to Michael Sarich for this Copyright -
***
IMPORTANT: IF YOU SEE THIS GUIDE POSTED ON ANY SITE OTHER THAN THOSE MENTIONED
ABOVE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW RIGHT AWAY AT THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESS:
<< [email protected] >>
IF YOU WISH TO USE MY GUIDE, SIMPLY CONTACT ME AT THE ABOVE ADDRESS FOR
PERMISSION. I CHARGE NOTHING TO USE MY GUIDE, HOWEVER I ALWAYS MUST KEEP TRACK
OF WHO IS USING IT. SINCE I CHARGE NOTHING, IT WOULDN'T BE ALL THAT FAIR IF
I GET NO FINANCIAL BENEFIT OFF OF IT, WHEREAS SOMEONE ELSE DOES. IT ALSO
ISN'T FAIR IF SOMEONE TAKES THIS DOCUMENT AND CALLS IT THEIRS. IF YOU SEE
THIS HAPPEN, PLEASE CONTACT ME RIGHT AWAY!!!
Thanks very much for all your cooperation. :)
//===========================================================================\\
- IV - Contributions -
\\===========================================================================//
Here are contributions sent in by fellow readers. Please note that these are
opinions like how mine were.
----
Sent in by "Makeitstop"
In relation to:
"Journal of Max, Page 1"
"I believe the light of truth/shadow of lies line refers to his life as a
scholar, and suddenly finding out that his rational view of the world was
completely wrong. He has spent his life in pursuit of knowledge, but has
just found out that he has been wrong all this time. This leads us to how he
knows less than newborn, which would not have dismissed all that max is
encountering as folly or madness. Ironic, given that the reason he will
eventually be locked up (aside from the brutal murder of 3 people and
something that looked like a person) is because he now sees reality for what
it is while everyone else is in denial."
In relation to:
"Max Letter #1"
"And of course, the harsh mistress line doesn't mean the book can be used for
good or evil (the previous line handles that) but rather that those who get
mixed up with the book often pay dearly because of it.
Also worth noting is that the line "dear friend" does not necessarily mean
that it is not addressed to max, as it was not uncommon in the 18th century
to avoid using first names. However, the fact that all these letters are
found at once, and max does not yet understand the mysteries of the mansion
probably does imply that this is a conversation between some unnamed 3rd
party and a previous Roivas. Of course, this 3rd party probably met a
grizzly demise, given that the sealed envelope remained sealed, and no one
knows what he discovered. And yet that raises the question of how all those
letters managed to remain scattered about the house if they were so old. One
would think that with so many people cleaning all the time they would have
been either collected or thrown out. So either these letters are addressed
to max and we just have to accept that more time is passing than we are
witnessing, or we must accept that the previous occupant who originally
received the letters never left any useful clues of his own, and that the
cleaning staff is extremely incompetent. But that's the problem with the
oddly placed messages used to advance so many game storylines.
One last thing. It is interesting to note that most scholars have been
unable to read the book. This implies not only that many people have tried
(which is interesting since most characters encounter it by passing into
another dimension, and because we know the bad guys must want to get their
hands on it) but also that the book can control who is able to read it. That
explains why a book that has been around for thousands of years is being
read by people who couldn't even talk to each other. I mean, how many
firemen do you know that have studied obscure ancient languages?"
In relation to:
"Paul Luther Diary Page #2"
"Also, you write as if the inquisition would have been viewed as a bad thing.
While a contemporary view tends to be unflattering, for a monk at the time
it would have been seen as being quite holy. Those involved with the
inquisition (as I believe Augustine claimed to be) would have been a sort of
religious elite. The best of the best. He is saying that he doubts that
these people are even on god's side, let alone his most trusted servants."
In relation to:
"Paul Luther Diary Page #4"
"If I remember correctly, this was not a letter at all, but a book. In fact,
I would suspect that this may be where they got the idea for the hand of
Jude in the first place. The fact that it is mentioned in some old book
implies that it is relatively famous, and the fact that it is fake means
that no one else has it. Since this is before widespread literacy or mass
publication, it is probable that most people wouldn't know that the hand is
a fabrication.
Also, I disagree with your comment that Paul is a heretic as he remains
entirely faithful to the religion in question (spell casting books aside)
and that it is only the secret little cult disguised as a church which is
heretical. If we take the perspective that he opposed this cult's belief,
than the whole of Christianity (and all other religions) are heresy as well.
Heresy generally implies some sort of obligation is being violated, so it is
a word which is usually reserved for those who are somehow involved in a
religion either personally, culturally or legally. In other words, heresy is
a sort of betrayal and without some sort of relationship or obligation,
there can be no betrayal."
In relation to:
"Peter's Chapter"
"Before we even get to the letter there is a huge mistake. You said this was
in World War II, but it was actually in world war I. though the year 1916
sort of gives that away, there are several other factors which point to that
as well. For example, the mention of mustard gas and trench warfare is a bit
of a hint. It is also important because of peter's comment that while the
posters tried to convince people that this was part of some greater cause,
it was hard to see it that way. That attitude is quite typical during WWI
(especially for an American) but WWII was far more likely to be viewed as a
great battle against evil. and most of all it is important because the
implication that the war was started by pious in order to feed the beast (as
well as any other opportunities it may have provided which are not aware of)
makes a lot more sense in first world war because the chapel is in France,
which is the country that got hit hardest.
Also, I must say I thought this was not the darkest chapter, but actually
the opposite. In this chapter, evil was at its strongest, had brought
incredible destruction upon the world, and had the home field advantage, but
from the very beginning I knew this man would be victorious (the mention of
his account of the war implied that he survived to write about it). In fact,
I'd say that this is the true climax to the story, as it is the point where
we finally see that good can and will triumph over evil. It is dark in that
evil is being shown at its worst, but it is also light because that evil is
ultimately doomed. This is the chapter that finally introduces hope where
all others had shown only despair."
***THANKS VERY MUCH TO "Makeitstop" FOR THESE!!!***
//===========================================================================\\
- IV - Conclusion -
\\===========================================================================//
Contact Notes:
If you have a question or comment about this FAQ, then please send me an
E-mail at the following address located below. Also, if you find a mistake
located in this guide, please send me an E-mail address with the mistake
location and what it should be corrected to. All corrections will be
recognized in this guide with your name beside the contribution. If you wish
to add anything to this FAQ, please send me an E-mail with everything you have
to say. DO NOTE that this guide is only about the letters in Eternal Darkness,
nothing else.
If you have a general question about the game (even when not relating to the
letters), I would be more than happy to answer it for you. Simply send me
an E-mail. I usually takes me 1-3 days to respond to E-mails.
EMAIL ADDRESS FOR CONTACTING ME: << [email protected] >>
*Do not include the "<<" and ">>" when sending me an email.
Thanks to all!
*****
Well, I hope this FAQ has given you some more insight to this beautiful game
of Eternal Darkness. I hope I have shown how important these letters are.
They really do serve a major purpose in the game. They aren't just there for
you to read (or skip) and then continue onwards. They are here to provide you
with more enjoyment. They reveal a lot more story than you will get if you
didn't read them.
I hope that all of my diagnosis' have been clear. Again, if you find any
mistakes with anything in this FAQ, please send me an E-mail so I can clear it
all up. Good luck with the game!
~End of Document~
All diagnosis' in this FAQ are pure OPINION. They are NOT confirmed by
Nintendo or Silicon Knights. All opinions have been written by gamerman555.
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