____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ / ___|(_) | ___ _ __ | |_ | | | (_) | | | \/ | ___ _ __ ___ ___ \___ \| | |/ _ \ '_ \| __| | |_| | | | | | |\/| |/ _ \ '_ ` _ \ / _ \ ___) | | | __/ | | | |_ | _ | | | | | | | | __/ | | | | | (_) | |____/|_|_|\___|_| |_|\__| |_| |_|_|_|_| |_| |_|\___|_| |_| |_|\___/ _ _ _ / \ _ __ __ _| |_ _ ___(_)___ / _ \ | '_ \ / _` | | | | / __| / __| / ___ \| | | | (_| | | |_| \__ \ \__ \ /_/ \_\_| |_|\__,_|_|\__, |___/_|___/ |___/ SILENT HILL 4: THE ROOM MEMO ANALYSIS Copyright 2007 by Sean "Mephianse" Dickinson WARNING WARNING WARNING: There are spoilers past this point. If you haven't completed the game yet, stop reading right now and don't come back until you're done, because key plot points will be revealed and dissected. You have been warned. __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ --TABLE OF CONTENTS-- Use the Search function of your Internet browser (commonly Ctrl + F for PCs) to quickly find the information you are looking for. Use the terms in the [brackets] for faster searching. For example, if you want to get to the list of all the memos, you would use the phrase [03memos]. Legal crap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [01legal] Version history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [02version] Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [03intro] About this FAQ (FRIGGIN' READ IT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [04about] Memos list. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [05memos] A few notes on the red diaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [reddiaries] When you're done / Mini-FAQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [06after] Credits/Thanks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [07thanks] __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ Version history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [02version] 1.0 6/15/2007: FAQ started. 1.1 6/17/2007: Cleaned up and spellchecked, submitted. __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ Legal crap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [01legal] This work may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. (Thanks GameFAQs boilerplate!) The only website that currently has the right to publish this work is www.gamefaqs.com. __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [03intro] Hi there, I'm Mephianse and welcome to my first attempt at an FAQ. I figured I'd start off small and with a game I know pretty well, so I thought than an analysis of all the memos you come across in the game would be important for any serious student of Silent Hill. You can learn a great deal about what's going on in the games from just the memos, if you scrutinize them closely and have a basic idea about how certain functions of the game work, like Walter's world. There's a lot of reading between the lines to be done to really decipher everything in some of the wordier memos, so I thought I'd save you some time and write this bad boy up for your future attempts to try and figure out just what the hell is going on in room 302. If you'd like to get ahold of me in regards to anything you see in this document, you are more than welcome to contact me at the following locations (as long as you can be polite). Please include "Silent Hill 4" somewhere in your subject line / initial IM, so that I know why you're talking to me. E-Mail and MSN: mephianse (at) hotmail (dot) com. AIM: Mephianse. __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ About this FAQ (FRIGGIN' READ IT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [04about] I have tried as hard as I possibly could to leave this guide free of conjecture and my own personal theories and leave you with nothing but the cold, hard truth, laid bare for your examination. I will always accept what happens in the game over what I may think, and I will never, EVER present any information that doesn't have some solid in-game backup. That's why the memos are such an invaluable source of information, they're written in plain English and they're CANON, no ifs ands or buts. If there are any uncertainties, I will provide any and all possible options to leave things as open to your own interpretation as I possibly can. However, with a series of games as open to interpretation as Silent Hill is, sometimes going out on a limb is unavoidable. Don't take my word as gospel, this is just as near as I can decipher the memos in the game. Use it as a starting point for your own conclusion about what really happened. That's way more fun than believing an outside source, anyway. I've got my own theories, sure, but they don't belong in an FAQ that should be based in fact. I assume you have a basic understanding of the plot of Silent Hill 4 and know character names, locations, and other points of interest. If you don't, a lot of this isn't going to make sense. Play through the game again or read a plot guide. I try not to use abbreviations, since I feel it makes things sound too much like jargon and I want to keep this guide easy and readable. If you haven't played through the game at all, stop reading this and go play it right now. Go on, hurry up. This guide will be here when you're done, I promise. This is not a plot guide. There are several excellent ones out there, and plenty right here at GameFAQs. If you're looking for a plot breakdown, you're in the wrong place. __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ Memos list. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [05memos] What follows is a complete list of all the memos Henry collects in his scrapbook, along with their meanings and hidden subtext revealed. Also included is an index of all the memo titles, so you can turn on your copy of SH4, find the memo you're curious about, and go from there. As with the titles of the sections, you can simply use your browser's search function to find the memo you'd like. So if you want to know what's up with the Old Picture Book, you'd type "[28]" (without the quotes) into your browser's search function. [01] First Letter [02] Book Scrap [03] Jasper's Memo Pad [04] Holy Scripture Scrap [05] Exploration Memo [06] Guard's Diary [07] Waterwheel Room Plate Message [08] Prison Diary [09] 1F Surveillance Room Report [10] 2F Surveillance Room Report [11] Secret Number Memo [12] Supterintendent's Memo [13] Bartender's Memo [14] Mike's Diary: July 1 [15] Mike's Diary: July 2 [16] Superintendent's Diary (Umbilical Cord) [17] Mike's Love Letter [18] Nurse's Memo [19] Kid's Letter [20] Jasper's Burned Memo [21] Wheelchair Doll Text [22] Descent of the Holy Mother - The 21 Sacraments [23] Note from the Bloody Prisoner's Shirt [24] Reminisces [25] Later Bartender's Memo [26] Superintendent's Diary (Man with the Coat) [27] Crimson Tome [28] Old Picture Book [29] Red Diary - April 4 [30] Red Diary - April 8 [31] Red Diary - May 2 [32] Red Diary - May 14 [33] Red Diary - May 20 [34] Red Diary Scrap [35] Red Diary Scrap (Cont.) [36] Red Diary - June 11 [37] Red Diary - June 14 [38] Red Diary - July 13 [39] Red Diary - July 17 [40] Red Diary - July 18 [41] Red Diary - July 20 [42] Red Diary - July 23 [43] Red Diary - July 25 [44] Red Diary - July 28 [45] Red Diary - July 29 [46] Red Diary - August 2 [47] Red Diary - August 3 [48] Red Diary - August 4 [49] Red Diary - August 5 [50] Red Diary - August 7 [51] Red Diary - ??/?? [52] Joseph's Letter [53] Joseph's Article [1] --FIRST LETTER-- "Mom, Why doesn't u Wake up?" A letter from Walter to his "mother", room 302. He thinks she isn't "awake" and he's wondering why she won't talk to him/let him inside. [2] --BOOK SCRAP-- "Through the Ritual of the Holy Assumption, he built a world. It exists in a space separate from the world of our Lord. More accurately, it is within, yet without the Lord's world. Unlike the world of our Lord, it is a world in extreme flux. Unexpected doors or walls, moving floors, odd creatures, a world only him can control... Anyone swallowed up by that world will live there for eternity, undying. They will haunt that realm as a spirit. How can our Lord forgive such an abomination...? (This part of the book is too damaged to read.) ...It is important to travel lightly in that world. He who carries too heavy a burden will regret it... (The book is too damaged to read any more.)" -"Through the Ritual of the Holy Assumption, he built a world." The Ritual of the Holy Assumption frees you from your physical body and lets you make a world however you desire. Walter underwent this ten years ago as part of his goal to revive his mother. Note that the "he" referred to in the memo isn't Walter specifically, since no one could know what Walter's doing and relay that information to Henry, save Joseph. Besides, this isn't written like the other stuff we get from Joseph. It's probably a excerpt from a religious text. -"It exists in a space separate from the world of our Lord. More accurately, it is within, yet without the Lord's world." Walter's world isn't really part of our world. You can't really take your physical body there. Henry's crawling through the holes to get to Walter's world is simply symbolic, he's really just passing out and his conciousness is sucked into Walter's world. It's why he wakes up on his bed when you return, rather than coming back out of the hole. The holes are just a way for Henry to concentrate on what he's doing rather than lying down and passing out. Remember Henry's line, "But I do know that if you get killed here... Then you die in the real world too..."? He knows Walter's world isn't completely real and realizes the distinction between Walter's world and the real one (leaving your body behind as something to return to when you leave Walter's world, lest you get stuck there). -"Unlike the world of our Lord, it is a world in extreme flux. Unexpected doors or walls, moving floors, odd creatures, a world only him can control..." You've seen how messed up Walter's world is. It's because he can do anything he wants to with it. He's not bound by any of the laws that exist in our world, so if he feels like making a door twenty feet high or filling an entire room with a freakish Elieen head, he danm well can. And of course, since it's Walter's world, only he can do these things. But it seems Walter actually didn't have a whole lot of control in designing his world, it's mainly cobbled together from fragments of childhood memories and repressed, painful, and buried thoughts. Why else would Walter's world look so... incomplete? The only thing that isn't rusted out, bloody or worn down is room 302, since it's the only thing Walter cares about. -"Anyone swallowed up by that world will live there for eternity, undying. They will haunt that realm as a spirit." A reference to the ghosts who dog you throughout the game. They're Walter's victims, and since they were killed by Walter, they're irrevocably tied to his world, never to leave. -"How can our Lord forgive such an abomination...?" Distinctly Christian stuff here. The Book Scrap may either be from a Christian cult that opposed the Order, or it could be from the rival sect of the Order (as in, not the sect that taught Walter the scriptures.) -"...It is important to travel lightly in that world. He who carries too heavy a burden will regret it..." It's obviously important to be careful in Walter's world, unless you want to end up hacked into little pieces or have your heart crushed or whatever it is the ghosts do. As for carrying a heavy burden, that could mean a few things. Several characters in the Silent Hill games carry heavy burdens (just about everyone in SH2, for example), and the Otherworld used it against them. Henry isn't carrying too much, guilt-wise, but it certainly doesn't mean he's safe, as he's vital to Walter's goal. His burden could be his agonizing trek through the various places he's subjected to. Or perhaps Henry's complete selflessness makes him vulnerable to the ruthless Walter. [3] --JASPER'S MEMO PAD-- "I'm not sure what that nosy guy meant when he said: 'His home is the orphanage in the middle. The lake is northwest. So the opposite is southeast.' The nosy guy said one other thing I don't understand. 'If you bring the dug-up key, you can't go back. Put it away somewhere before you return there.'" -"I'm not sure what that nosy guy meant." The "nosy guy" is Joseph, victim number 15. He underwent much of what Henry did, to fulfill his role as the Giver of Wisdom, even though he didn't know it and thought he was just researching Walter. The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue. [4] --HOLY SCRIPTURE SCRAP-- "The Second Sign And God said, Offer the Blood of the Ten Sinners and the White Oil. Be then released from the bonds of the flesh, and gain the Power of Heaven. From the Darkness and Void, bring forth Gloom, and gird thyself with Despair for the Giver of Wisdom. The Third Sign And God said, Return to the Source through sin's Temptation. Under the Watchful eye of the demon, wander alone in the formless Chaos. Only then will the Four Atonements be in alignment." This will be explained in the entry for "Descent of the Holy Mother - The 21 Sacraments." [5] --EXPLORATION MEMO-- "Lucky! I finally escaped from the cell. I decided to take a careful look around this building. The scariest place was the 1st floor basement. There's a kitchen in the northeast, but next door in the northwest is a death chamber. To get in there, you have to punch in the right numbers. I don't know the numbers, and it was too dark to even see the panel, so I didn't go in." -"The scariest place was the 1st floor basement. There's a kitchen in the northeast, but next door in the northwest is a death chamber." There probably wasn't a "death chamber" in the water prison. The children simply speculated about it, because the water prison was a terrible place and they were scared. The only reason it exists in Walter's world is because he shaped his world subconciously around his childhood memories, and talk of a "death room" stuck with him. Who could forget something that harrowing? The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue. [6] --GUARD'S DIARY-- "To get to the surveillance rooms in the middle of this complex, you have to use the corpse disposal chutes in the cells. However, on the 1st and 2nd floors, these cells are locked. That's so the kids wouldn't discover them. So you have to get to the 1st floor from one of the cells on the 3rd floor. I know how to do it, but it's really a pain. Also, the lights only work on the 2nd floor." Mostly just background info for solving the water prison puzzles, but look at how nonchalantly they discuss "corpse disposal chutes". Either the cult was paying these guys really well, they were true believers, or they were just all- out sickos. The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue. [7] --WATERWHEEL ROOM PLATE MESSAGE-- "To turn on the lights in the 3rd floor cells, turn this waterwheel. Remember that the water must flow in the direction of the waterwheel. Of course, you also have to open the sluice gate on the roof." This memo is a puzzle clue. [8] --PRISON DIARY-- "We had beef stew yesterday. In the cafeteria, I heard there's a death chamber behind the kitchen, and they take meat straight from the dead people and cook it. That really scared me." Hints that there probably isn't a death room, just word-of-mouth rumors. Remember, these are all kids, all of which are probably cold, scared, and lonely. The cult is sick, yeah, but they don't show any evidence of cannibalism in previous games. That's a big thing to hold back. The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue. [9] --1F SURVEILLANCE ROOM REPORT-- "This place continues to deteriorate. The doors to a number of cells no longer open. As a result, the kids inside can no longer go outside. But the less they now about that, the better. I can't open the doors, but from this room, I can watch them get more and more emaciated each day. With no food and never showering themselves, they turn into smelly little grey slumps in there. Following the suggestion of an engineer, we've disposed of the corpses by digging a hole below the cells. Since each floor of this building can be rotated independently, we can dispose of the bodies without the others noticing by aligning each cell with a body in it vertically. P.S. Chief, I bet you're just dying to see the interrogation room behind the kitchen. I understand your feelings, but have you noticed? There are three rooms with bloody beds. One is on the 1st floor, one is on the 2nd floor, and one is on the 3rd floor. If you line those three rooms up, then it's 'bingo." This is mostly a puzzle clue, but the slightly jaunty way of writing about such nasty things has always disturbed me. There's obvious disdain for the unwilling occupants of the tiny cells, and complete disregard for their well- being or even basic health and hygenie. I'm willing to bet the guy who wrote this particular diary was a cultist, and a devout one at that, as you couldn't trust an outsider with this kind of stuff. The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue. [10] --2F SURVEILLANCE ROOM REPORT-- "To keep a close eye on the kids, it's important to keep the cells well lit. The lights on the 3rd floor were originally bought as searchlights. As a precaution against a blackout, they were set up to run on a private generator. There's a hydroelectric generator in the basement. To light up the 1st and 2nd floors, use the corpse disposal chutes. Since each floor of this building can be rotated, you can light up any of the cells by matching up the holes. Repeating this periodically is an effective way to keep the kids fearful and well-behaved. P.S. Chief, if you turn the valve in the middle of this room, you can easily rotate the cells. You can't rotate the 1st floor, so align the 2nd and 3rd floors with the 1st floor cell that have the blood-stained bed. By the way, if you're using the peephole in this room, it's easy to make sure you're doing it right. Give it a try. Also, please don't forget to open the sluice gate on the roof. Much appreciated, Chief!" Again, mostly a puzzle clue with that same disregard for the pain they're inflicting. [11] --SECRET NUMBER MEMO-- "The Secret Number for getting through the door in back of the kitchen this month is '0302.' Thanks for your cooperation." This doesn't need an analysis, plot- or gameplay-wise. If you don't get this, trade in your copy of Silent Hill 4 for a nice coloring book or something. [12] --SUPERINTENDENT'S MEMO-- "(It's stained with blood, and I can't read it...)" The Super slips this under your door before you venture into the Apartment world. When he wrote on it, it was obviously clean, but it comes into your room illegible. However, when you slip bloody scraps of paper under your door in the Apartment world and check them out when you return to your apartment via a hole, you can read them. It probably goes to show how the two different worlds (the "real" world vs. Walter's world) aren't compatible and are constantly at odds with one another. It may be referencing the Book Scrap ("How can our Lord forgive such an abomination...?") [13] --BARTENDER'S MEMO-- "The boss said that the number this time is the last 4 digits of this store's phone number. But the phone number is written right there on the sign on the roof. Anybody could see it from South Ashfield Street. Is that really okay?" This memo is a puzzle clue. But trying dialing the number on the billboard from the phone in Henry's bedroom for a little something. [14] --MIKE'S DIARY: JULY 1-- "The last few months, Joseph, the guy next door to me who gave me that rare porn magazine, looks like he's been work super hard. He said if he found another rare one, he'd give it to me but he hasn't shown his face around much lately. He said he was a journalist and he is always investigating stuff. But I think something strange is going on with him. He's been shut in his apartment and I can hear all these weird noises coming from there." -"The last few months, Joseph, the guy next door to me who gave me that rare porn magazine, looks like he's been work super hard." Well Mike, he HAS been sort of wrapped up in descending deeper and deeper into Walter's nightmare world. You'd look worn-out too. -"He said if he found another rare one, he'd give it to me but he hasn't shown his face around much lately." Joseph is losing his control and can't resist the pull of Walter's world much when Mike wrote this, so it's becoming harder and harder for him to leave room 302. -"He said he was a journalist and he is always investigating stuff. But I think something strange is going on with him. He's been shut in his apartment and I can hear all these weird noises coming from there." Joseph's unwilling forays into Walter's world do cross the threshold of the two realities, and as such, the "real" world and Walter's world overlap at times as described in the Book Scrap ("It exists in a space separate from the world of our Lord. More accurately, it is within, yet without the Lord's world.") Joseph is in room 302 when Mike hears the noises, and at the same time, he isn't. Mike could be hearing Walter's world slowly invading room 302, or he may be hearing Joseph's muffled cries for help. What's interesting to note about Mike's diaries and, for that matter, all the memos you find in the Apartment world, is that there's no way they could be there without either Walter having read it or their writers going to Walter's world. If Walter hasn't seen it, doesn't know about it, or hasn't conjured it, it doesn't exist in his world, unless someone else adds it. And the only way to add something to Walter's world is to be in it. It's why we see Frank's diaries scattered around, there are several obvious hints that Frank has been to Walter's world a few times. The best explanation for all the tenant's memos lying around is that all of South Ashfield Heights is influenced by Walter's world. Frank's all the way down in room 105 and he's been to Walter's world (probably without even Walter knowing he was drawn in, due to the growing power of Walter's world thanks to the murders), so the influence of Walter's world extends far outside of room 302. Hell, Walter managed to kill a guy in MEXICO (victim 14, Tony Archbolt) when he was still enshrined in room 302. Walter's influence is far-reaching indeed. [15] --MIKE'S DIARY: JULY 2-- "Oh my beautiful Rachael, What's with the note on the red paper? I thought you'd written a note back to me... But I guess maybe it was somewhere else... He took it along with my clothes. Those were my best clothes." -"Oh my beautiful Rachael, what's with the note on the red paper?" Mike's obviously obsessed with Rachel. As for the note on the red paper, Henry seems to be getting a lot of those, too. It might be Joseph, wandering in the Apartment world, slipping notes under people's doors and asking for help. But if the Superintendent's Memo is any point of reference, they wouldn't be able to read it (Clean in one world, bloody in the next). -"I thought you'd written a note back to me... But I guess maybe it was somewhere else..." No dice, stalker. Rachel isn't too find of Mike. What woman would LIKE a creepy stalker, especially when said woman is already obviously attached to someone else? "He took it along with my clothes. Those were my best clothes." "He" is Richard Braintree. Mike's referring to the "skinned Mike" incident, set off by Richard's explosive temper. Remember, Mike wasn't really skinned, Richard just beat him up. It didn't stop little Walter from thinking Mike really got skinned, though. Still, that's not cool, Richard. He's a weirdo stalker, yeah, but you need to take some Valium or something. The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue. [16] --SUPERINTENDENT'S DIARY (UMBILICAL CORD)-- "The red box seems even stranger today. It's giving off a terrible smell. It's disgusting, but I just can't throw it away. It must have been around 30 years ago. That young couple was living in the apartment, but one day they just suddenly disappeared. Ran off just like thieves in the night. I don't know why. It must have been money troubles, or maybe they got themselves into some kind of danger. The problem came after that. They left their newborn baby when they took off. I even found the umbilical cord. I called the ambulance right away and I heard the baby survived, but I don't know what happened to him. Although a few years later, I often saw a young kid hanging around the apartment. One day he just stopped coming by. But now that I think of it, I'll bet he was that abandoned baby. It's a horrible story. Abandoning a newborn baby... That all happened in Room 302... And the umbilical cord I found there... Well, I still can't get myself to throw it away." -"The red box seems even stranger today. It's giving off a terrible smell. It's disgusting, but I just can't throw it away." It's no wonder the box seems strange. It's the most important piece of Walter's physical body since it ties him and his "mother" together physically, mentally and emotionally, and with Walter's strong otherwordly presence in South Ashfield Heights, I'm not surprised Frank is worried by it. It would explain why he can't throw it away, either. -"It must have been around 30 years ago. That young couple was living in the apartment, but one day they just suddenly disappeared. Ran off just like thieves in the night." They most likely ran off because of Walter's father. If we're to believe Walter's memories of his father, he didn't want a child, and felt that abandoning it would be the best course of action, regardless of what it would do to the baby. -"I don't know why. It must have been money troubles, or maybe they got themselves into some kind of danger." Again, Walter's dad is just a heartless jerk and didn't want a child. They may have had some other unspecified trouble such as money issues, but it doesn't matter that much. What does matter is that Walter's father WANTED to leave him behind, and had no compunctions about doing so, forming the bedrock for Walter's psychosis. -"The problem came after that. They left their newborn baby when they took off. I even found the umbilical cord." The newborn baby WAS the problem and why they took off. Seems pretty gruesome, doesn't it? Give birth, cut the cord, then run like a bat out of hell. No wonder Walter's messed up. -"I called the ambulance right away and I heard the baby survived, but I don't know what happened to him. Although a few years later, I often saw a young kid hanging around the apartment. One day he just stopped coming by." Frank knows more about Walter than he's aware of. Since Frank's got ahold of Walter's umbilical cord, he's subject to Walter's supernatural powers, more so than the other residents of South Ashfield Heights. After all, Frank is the only one who makes any mention of having been to Walter's world, even if it is a vague one. Or it might be because of Walter's strong presence in South Ashfield Heights. How else could his diary end up in Walter's world? There's no way Walter ever read it, especially this entry (since Walter was dead by the time this was written and can't interact with the real world unless he pulls a person through to his world). And the only other way people can influence Walter's world is by going into it, so... Frank obviously took a trip or two himself, and just doesn't know what was going on. A later diary entry by Frank, the Superintendent's Diary (Man with the Coat) details a strange "dream" Frank has... either way, he visited Walter's world and stayed long enough to leave a little piece of himself behind for others to see. -"But now that I think of it, I'll bet he was that abandoned baby." Gee, you think? You're a swift one, Frank. -"It's a horrible story. Abandoning a newborn baby... That all happened in Room 302... And the umbilical cord I found there... Well, I still can't get myself to throw it away." One of your first big insights to what makes Walter tick. He was abandoned in 302, and eventually comes to think of it as his mother. Frank's right, it IS a horrible story. [17] --MIKE'S LOVE LETTER-- "Rachael... ...love you...always watching...window... protect you...ith love, Mike" Another insight into the twisted mind of the stalker extraordinaire, Mike. His love is unrequited. Probably because he's a freakin' stalker. However, he does make mention of watching Rachel from the window, which can tip you off that looking out your apartment window and spying on your neighbors can yield some... interesting results. [18] --NURSE'S MEMO-- "I lost Eileen Galvin's hospital room key. She was a patient brought in with severe injuries. I wonder if I left it in one of the other hospital rooms. I really hope not..." Pretty much a puzzle clue, but my main concern is: Why were they locking Eileen up? She was in no condition to walk right when she was first admitted, and there's no way her injuries were self-inflicted, so she wouldn't be on suicide watch. Maybe because of the distinctive numbers carved on her back and the police having suspicions about a Walter Sullivan copycat, the hospital staff and the police were worried about the killer showing up to finish the job. The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue. [19] --KID'S LETTER-- "Mommy, I'll giv you this so pleez wake up soon. It's inside my toy train." Another letter from Walter to his "mother". Is he giving her gifts as an incentive to wake up, or this the young, innocent side of Walter you see wandering around actually trying to help Henry out of some misguided benevolence? Your call... but I vote it's a gift to "mommy". The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue. [20] --JASPER'S BURNED MEMO-- "Something's here but nothing's here. I feel something from the well. Something's missing. Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!!! It has begun!!! Jasper" -"Something's here but nothing's here." Remember, Walter's world operates on no specific rules, save what Walter wants. There are things there (ghosts, Wish House, the Mother Stone, Jasper himself, etc.), but at the same time, none of it really exists. Jasper may be coming to realize his new role in Walter's world as simply a spirit haunting it. -"Something's missing." A lot could be considered "missing" in Walter's world. The actual physical world, perhaps? A sense of reason and coherence? The ability to leave of your own will? Or he may simply be hinting at the wheelchair doll puzzle. -"Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!!! It has begun!!!" Jasper's an occult nut, so he could just be babbling. But he probably isn't. I'm willing to bet that he's referring to Walter drawing closer and closer to completing the ritual. He would just be entering the Last Sign, after all... only Eileen and Henry left. [21] --WHEELCHAIR DOLL TEXT-- "Though my body be destroyed, I will not let you pass here. To prepare for the Receiver of Wisdom... I cut my body into five pieces and hid them in the darkness. When my body is once again whole, the path to below will be opened. If you are the Receiver of Wisdom, you will understand my words. The ritual has begun..." -"To prepare for the Receiver of Wisdom..." That'd be you, Henry. Dig out those ears and listen up! -"If you are the Receiver of Wisdom, you will understand my words. The ritual has begun..." Henry is the Receiver of Wisdom, so there's no doubt he'll understand what the charred doll is talking about. And like we mentioned earlier, Walter just started the Last Sign, all he has left to do is kill Eileen and Henry. We're nearing the climax. The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue. [22] --DESCENT OF THE HOLY MOTHER-THE 21 SACRAMENTS-- The First Sign And God said, At the time of fullness, cleanse the world with my rage. Gather forth the White Oil, the Black Cup and the Blood of the Ten Sinners. Prepare for the Ritual of the Holy Assumption. -"Time of Fullness." Makes it sound like the ritual has to be performed at some opportune time. This probably doesn't deal with Walter so much as it does the cult leaders who taught him the ritual. Maybe Walter's abandonment and conditioning made him ideal for the ritual. -"Cleanse the world with my rage." The cult probably sees this as they always do, as in "Paradise by killing everyone so they can be happy in nothingness." Sounds pretty par for the course for the Valtiel sect, but I have to wonder if Walter didn't question this. Does "rage" sound like something Walter's ideal loving mother would partake in? Walter seems to think he's going to purify his mother from the world's sins, but really, it's the other way around (his "mother" is purifying the world of sin.) Might be a translation error, or Walter just not believing something that doesn't fit into his grand scheme. Then again, Walter was forced to memorize this as a child. He's said these words so many times, they've probably lost their meaning to him and the entire thing translates to "revive mother and be happy" for him now. -"Gather forth the White Oil, the Black Cup and the Blood of the Ten Sinners." The White Oil and Black Cup are obviously tied with rebirth, as we witness in Silent Hill 2 ("Rebirth" ending, "Born From a Wish" scenario.) He wouldn't need the Crimson Ceremony or the Book of Lost Memories as James would, since Walter is already familiar with the cult's teachings. Since Walter would be no good as a dead man, he needed the oil and the cup to bring himself back to life, or at least prevent his conciousness from disappearing. So he takes the oil, the cup, and the hearts, and performs the ritual. Maybe this would explain why no one else in the series has been successful with the whole rebirth thing, they're missing the ten hearts. You can potentially make a case that James was successful in reviving Mary in the "Rebirth" ending, but you'd just be speculating. -"Prepare for the Ritual of the Holy Assumption." Pretty simple. After getting the Blood of the Ten Sinners, White Oil and Black Cup, perform the Ritual of the Holy Assumption. It doesn't exactly state how the ritual is performed, but Walter is obviously well-versed in cult teachings and pulls it off. The Second Sign And God said, Offer the Blood of the Ten Sinners and the White Oil. Be then release from the bonds of the flesh, and gain the Power of Heaven. From the Darkness and Void, bring forth Gloom, and gird thyself with Despair for the Giver of Wisdom. -"Offer the Blood of the Ten Sinners and the White Oil." No mention of the Black Cup this time around, maybe it's used to hold either the blood or the oil. Either way, make some kind of offering with it. Probably to the cult's god. -"Be then release from the bonds of the flesh, and gain the Power of Heaven." The line about releasing from the bonds of flesh should be obvious: Abandon your physical body. Gaining the power of "heaven" means that you have control over your own realm (see Book Scrap) and can mold it as you see fit. Walter's world is designed mostly from his childhood memories of the places that were focal to his development (Wish House, the water prison, South Ashville Heights). It's also influenced by his childhood fears, which explains why a lot of the foes you come across look like freakish fascimilies of people. Remember, Walter was taught that the outside world was bad and scary, and it shows in how he constructed the people as part of his world. Chances are, his world wasn't formed by concious thought, but rather cobbled together from his memories as a child. -"From the Darkness and Void, bring forth Gloom, and gird thyself with Despair for the Giver of Wisdom." Darkness, Void, Gloom and Despair are all murder themes. Darkness and Void probably refer to Walter's world which is obviously a sad, scary place. Gloom could refer to the bad feelings he brings to his victims. Walter's plenty girded in Despair, as he led a horrible, lonely life. Giver of Wisdom isn't a murder theme, rather, it's a person (Joseph Schreiber). Walter had to have some background stuff to pass on so the Giver of Wisdom would have some wisdom to impart to the Receiver (Henry). The Third Sign And God said, Return to the Source through sin's Temptation. Under the Watchful eye of the demon, wander alone in the formless Chaos. Only then will the Four Atonements be in alignment. -"Return to the Source through sin's Temptation." Two more murder themes, Source and Temptation. Walter botches this one and doesn't follow the murders in the same order as depicted in the scriptures, though. Outside of the obvious murder themes, you can draw a lot of conclusions from this. The Source is probably his original goal (reviving his mother), or it could be the innermost part of himself where the final battle takes place. Sin's Temptation may refer to his victims, all of which were "Sinners". -"Under the Watchful eye of the demon, wander alone in the formless Chaos." The Watchful eye of the demon is most likely the cult's god(s), watching and observing his progress. They'd obviously have a stake in Walter's success. He obviously does wander alone withe formless Chaos (his world). Sure, he isn't alone since Eileen and Henry are both there, but in many respects, he is alone. Eileen and Henry don't want to be there, Walter wants them to be so he can complete his mad scheme. He pops up wherever he feels like. He can't be killed. It's his world, other people are just visiting at his behest. He is alone. -"Only then will the Four Atonements be in alignment." There is never any mention of these Four Atonements. They could really be anything you want to infer. As far as I can tell, it's the four cards you find to create the second hole in the laundry room. The Last Sign And God said, separate from the flesh too, she who is the Mother Reborn and he who is the Receiver of Wisdom. If this be done, by the Mystery of the 21 Sacraments, the Mother shall be reborn and the Nation of Sin shall be redeemed. -"And God said, separate from the flesh too, she who is the Mother Reborn." Push aside the flowery language and it's obvious: Kill the Mother Reborn, which is obviously Eileen. -"And he who is the Receiver of Wisdom." Henry. Duh. -"If this be done, by the Mystery of the 21 Sacraments, the Mother shall be reborn and the Nation of Sin shall be redeemed." The cult's ultimate goal: Revive their god. It's one of those nasty "Paradise by killing everyone so they can be happy" kind of things. Yeah, redeem our sins by killing all of us. GREAT idea. [23] --NOTE FROM THE BLOODY PRISONER'S SHIRT-- "My room is on the 2nd floor and I had to drink something with black things in it. I hid the sword with the triangle handle under my bed. That guy, the fat one, took the basement key. Next time I'll stick this triangle sword into that pig and take the key." -"My room is on the 2nd floor and I had to drink something with black things in it." Those leeches on the wall are black, aren't they? Ewww. DeSalvo's a sick puppy, alright. It may have some signifigance with the cult, or it could be DeSalvo being DeSalvo and torturing kids. -"I hid the sword with the triangle handle under my bed." A Sword of Obedience, they have a triangular hilt. -"That guy, the fat one, took the basement key." Again, he's talking about DeSalvo. -"Next time I'll stick this triangle sword into that pig and take the key." If you are at all surprised that the inhabitants of the water prison feel angry about being locked up in there and would do almost anything to get out, there's something wrong with you. [24] --REMINISCES-- "I want to go back to that time... Things were so good then... The day of my birthday... The cute cat in the pet store... All those balls in the basket... Playing pool was fun too... The door of time was wide open... When I see four things, I can't help but remember that time..." This is a memo from the first ghost you see in the Building world, the one with the Sword of Obedience stuck in his belly. He was murdered on his birthday, and it's no wonder he has fond memories. Nostalgia aside, it's a puzzle clue. [25] --LATER BARTENDER'S MEMO-- "The boss said we had to change our phone number 'cause all of the complaints about the weird noises. Now we have to change the store sign on the roof. What a pain. By the way, the number is the last 4 digits of the new phone number. Not too smart if you ask me..." -"The boss said we had to change our phone number 'cause all of the complaints about the weird noises." Ever tried dialing the number for the bar from Henry's phone? Try it. It's fun. [26] --SUPERINTENDENT'S DIARY (MAN WITH THE COAT)-- "I had that weird dream today. The one with the man with the long hair and coat. He was crying and looking for his mother again. I saw that man with the coat 10 years ago at this apartment. He was going up the stairs, carrying a heavy tool, and old-looking bowl and a bag that was dripping blood. I never saw him again after that. But a few days later, the neighbors complained that they heard strange noises coming from the supposedly empty Room 302. So I took a look around Room 302 and found signs that someone had been in there, but nothing odd other than that. But that's when it all started. I still hear strange noises coming from the window of Room 302. Sunderland" -"I had that weird dream today." Frank's dreaming about Walter's world too, hmm? We all know that Walter is dead and buried, and the only way you can come in contact with him is to pay a visit to his world. That would explain how Frank's diaries seem to find their way into Walter's world... -"The one with the man with the long hair and coat. He was crying and looking for his mother again." I really doubt that Walter is looking for his mother. He knows exactly where his "mother" is, and what he has to do to wake her up. Besides, Walter isn't the crying type, that's Wally's territory. So why could Walter be crying? Maybe because he lead such an amazingly depressing life, that would make plenty of sense. But I still don't buy Walter crying, when Wally's around. This line was probably just added because it sounds cool, or it may have been a translation slip-up. -"I saw that man with the coat 10 years ago at this apartment." That's a point of contention. Was Walter dead before he showed up at room 302 and performed the Ritual of the Holy Assumption? That's a can of worms I'm not willing to open here, read a plot guide instead. This is just a memo analysis. -"He was going up the stairs, carrying a heavy tool, and old-looking bowl and a bag that was dripping blood." The heavy tool is the Great Knife you see lying on the table of the secret room in 302. The old-looking bowl is the Black Cup. The bag that was dripping blood was holding the Blood of the Ten Sinners (or more specifically, their hearts). -"I never saw him again after that." Don't feel too bad, Frank. No one did. You're just unlucky enough to be the super of South Ashfield Heights. -"But a few days later, the neighbors complained that they heard strange noises coming from the supposedly empty Room 302." The "noises" could be a lot of things. Maybe Walter didn't have full control of his new powers, and as his twisted world was being created, it spilled into our world a little bit. Maybe Walter was still alive in there (He was SEWN TO A CROSS, for God's sake. You'd make noises too before kicking the bucket, and it would take a few days.) But the noises are most likely Walter's world crossing the boundaries a teensy bit. It obviously does that from time to time. -"So I took a look around Room 302 and found signs that someone had been in there, but nothing odd other than that." Frank obviously didn't notice the newly blocked-off wall to the room where Walter performed the Ritual of the Holy Assumption, which makes me question just how good a super this guy is when he doesn't notice whole freakin' rooms just missing. He didn't notice anythingtoo huge, just a sign or two that someone was in there, like tracks on the carpet (he couldn't have seen blood, the blocked wall, or anything else suspicious). Makes you wonder why Frank didn't let Joseph or Henry know about this, huh? "A guy dragged a bloody bag up to this apartment and went inside, but we never found him. Did I tell you about the move-in special?" Maybe Walter's world held some tiny amount of sway over him and prevented him from letting potential tenants know about 302's... issues. It would help explain why Frank can't get rid of the umbilical cord and didn't notice an entire room of 302 missing, too. -"But that's when it all started. I still hear strange noises coming from the window of Room 302." It actually started 34 years ago when Walter was born, but I'll let you slide on that one, Frank. And since room 302 is definitely not normal, strange noises are par for the course. Again, the noises are probably Walter's world overlapping with ours. Or in this case, he could be hearing Henry's muffled pounding and cries for help, he just can't figure out what they are. [27] --CRIMSON TOME-- "'Crimson Tome' She who is called the "Holy Mother" be not holy one whit. The "Descent of the Holy Mother" is naught but the Descent of the Devil. Those that be called the "21 Sacraments" be not sacramental one whit. The "21 Sacraments" be naught but the 21 Heresies. To give birth to a world of wickedness within the blessed realm of our Lord be blasphemy and the work of the Devil. If thou would stop the Descent of the Devil, you must bury part of the Conjurer's mother's flesh within the Conjurer's true body. Thou must also pierce the Conjurer's flesh with the 8 spears of "Void", "Darkness", "Gloom", "Despair", "Temptation", "Source", "Watchfulness" and "Chaos." Do so and the Conjurer's unholy flesh will become that which once it was, by the grace of our Lord." Poetic junk aside, this is mostly a clue (use umbilical cord on fetus thing and stab it with spears to defeat Walter). There are a few interesing points, though. -"'Crimson Tome'" Joseph obviously got his hands on this bad boy somehow, as it appears in room 302 of the past. But where does it come from? Joseph was pretty intent on Walter and the Order, so we can assume he found it somewhere during his investigation of one or the other. Is it a religious text from the rival faction of the Order? It would make sense, wouldn't it? Is the Book Scrap also a part of the Crimson Tome? Again, it would make sense, seeing as a lot of the memos you find in 302 are Joseph's doing (Red Diaries and whatnot). Besides, Walter sure as hell wouldn't want you to see this, as it goes against his God, his religion, and his goal. And look at how it rags on the Sacraments, the Holy Mother, the whole shebang. An outside cult probably wouldn't have this much knowledge of the Order's inner working, so I think it's safe to say the Crimson Tome is part of the rival sect's teachings. -"If thou would stop the Descent of the Devil, you must bury part of the Conjurer's mother's flesh within the Conjurer's true body." Conjurer = creator of his own world (he "conjured" it) = Walter. Wait... that ugly white deformed thing is Walter's TRUE body? I don't have much to say on that subject, that's just gross. -"Thou must also pierce the Conjurer's flesh with the 8 spears of 'Void', 'Darkness', 'Gloom', 'Despair', 'Temptation', 'Source', 'Watchfulness' and 'Chaos.'" It's no coincidence that the eight spears you have to stab Walter with are all murder themes. The first ten murders were all part of the same binding theme (Ten Hearts / Ten Sinners) and weren't too important. You'll notice "Mother Reborn" and "Receiver of Wisdom" aren't on the list, since Walter obviously hasn't taken care of them yet. That only leaves eight other people, all of whom had to fit a specific archtype to work for Walter's plan. Stabbing Walter with spears named after them could symbolic of Henry robbing Walter of the power he gleaned from their deaths, or it could be symbolic of these eight people getting their revenge on Walter. Both of those explanations work pretty well for me. -"Do so and the Conjurer's unholy flesh will become that which once it was, by the grace of our Lord." The "grace of our Lord?" Boy, sometimes the cult sounds like your everyday, run-of-the-mill religious nutjobs, and sometimes they have to get all pseudo- Christian on us. It's a head job, alright. Oh yeah, their "Lord" probably wouldn't be doing us any favors, anyway. The cult's gods have a bit of a bad track record. [28] --OLD PICTURE BOOK-- "There once was a baby and a mother who were connected by a magical cord. But one day the cord was cut, and the mother went to sleep. The baby was left all alone. But the baby made lots of friends at Wish House, and everyone was very nice to him. The baby was happy. His friends told him how to wake up his mother. So the baby went right away to go and wake her up. But the mother wouldn't wake up. No matter how he tried, she wouldn't wake up. Because the one that he was trying to wake up was actually the Devil. The baby has been deceived. Poor baby. The baby cried and cried and cried. When he thought of the mother, he remembered the feelings of being connected to her through the magical cord. Just then, a ray of light came down from the sky. The light was very warm and made the baby feel good. When the baby looked into his hand, he saw that the magical cord was lying there. With the cord clutched in his hand, the baby went happily to sleep." -"There once was a baby and a mother who were connected by a magical cord." Walter really does believe that his umbilical cord links him to room 302. In a way, it does, but not in the way he wants. But Walter probably doesn't know this, otherwise I'll bet Frank would have ditched that nasty thing years ago. -"But one day the cord was cut, and the mother went to sleep. The baby was left all alone." The cord being cut sounds symbolic of the beginning of Walter's sadness and subsequent break with reality. It's here he decides he wants to perform the ritual, so he won't have to be alone and unhappy. We never really know exactly when Walter and reality part ways. It could have been at Wish House, or when he was a student at Pleasant River, or some indeterminate time between during one of his many visits to room 302. However, my money's on his time at Wish House. Since Wally seems to represent Walter's more innocent and benign half, Wally is probably Walter right before they split. -"His friends told him how to wake up his mother. So the baby went right away to go and wake her up. No matter how he tried, she wouldn't wake up. Because the one that he was trying to wake up was actually the Devil. The baby has been deceived." Ah ha, now THIS is interesting. This has to be Joseph's doing, Walter would definitely not like seeing this. Walter believes so much that what he's doing is really waking up his mother, when all along, it's the cult's devil (or the devil as another faction sees it). So doesn't it seem like Walter was used by the wackos in Wish House to revive their God? Ding ding ding! Why else would they teach all those kids the sacraments, treat them so harshly, and teach them the outside world is evil and scary? They were conditioning future cultists, and due to Walter's scarred psyche and suggestability, they groomed him to perform the ritual. Walter was used, deceived and lied to from the very beginning, all for the cult's own good. I'm starting to hate these guys even more as each subsequent game comes out. Some "friends" they are. -"Poor baby. The baby cried and cried and cried." I really don't blame the baby for this one, he really got the short end of the stick. But Walter's grief is his driving force to acheive his goal, which the sick cultist had to have planned on. -"When he thought of the mother, he remembered the feelings of being connected to her through the magical cord." The cord seems to symbolize Walter's happiness with his mother here. Thing is, Walter has never been really happy. He was only with his "mother" for a few hours at most before Frank found him and got him to Saint Jerome's hospital. Is that the only happiness Walter's ever had, a slight few hours right after he was born that he probably doesn't even remember? That might very well be, aside from a few (very brief) moments scattered thorought his life (Eileen giving him the doll, for example). Walter's striving for a goal he can't achieve. I'm also willing to bet Walter has at least some idea that he won't get anything out of this, too. But he's come too far to stop now. -"When the baby looked into his hand, he saw that the magical cord was lying there. With the cord clutched in his hand, the baby went happily to sleep." Apparently, all Walter needs to do is hold the cord for whatever reason. Since the umbilical cord was Walter's link to his mother, he'd want to keep it around if it had a chance of reconnecting him with his "mother". Lucky for us, since we need it to ice his crazy ass. __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ --A FEW NOTES ON THE RED DIARIES BEFORE WE CONTINUE.-- [reddiaries] The Red Diaries given to you by Joseph Schreiber contain some of the most important information in the game. As the Giver of Wisdom, it's Joseph's job to make sure that Henry knows exactly what's going on. As the Receiver of Wisdom, it's Henry's job (and yours, by proxy) to take the information to heart. It should be obvious at this point, but I'll say it anyway. Joseph went through most of, if not all of, what Henry went through. He visited much of Walter's world to gained the knowledge required of the Giver of Wisdom. How else would he know about the Swords of Obedience, Holy Candles, Saint Medallions, and all that other stuff? How else could he prepare for his role as the Giver of Wisdom? Joseph gives you pages of the Red Diary in pieces for a reason. If he gave it to you all at once, Henry would become the Receiver of Wisdom too early (i.e. before Walter had killed his way up to Henry's number). It's debatable as to whether Joseph knows he's the Giver of Wisdom. He knows Henry is the Receiver of Wisdom as evidenced by a Red Diary entry and your conversation with him, but if he knew he was the Giver, he probably wouldn't have given Henry the Red Diaries. With no information, Henry can't become the Receiver of Wisdom, and Walter has no final victim. On the other hand, at the point Joseph is giving you the Red Diary entries, he could be just a puppet of Walter's world with no will of his own. But that's not entirely possible, because Joseph knows how to stop Walter, and lets you know about it, too. But then again (again), maybe knowing how to stop Walter is part of the Receiver of Wisdom's role, and he's supposed to fail. There isn't enough information provided in the game to be certain. I like to believe that Joseph is unaware of the role he's playing and just thinks he's helping Henry, but we can't be sure. Many of Joseph's entries are self-explanatory, so they won't need much commenting. However, when it's needed, I'll do my best to clarify what Joseph means and uncover any hidden meanings. It can be hard to tell, but from in-game events and Red Diary entries we can pinpoint how long Joseph was stuck in room 302. We know that Henry moves into 302 six months after the previous tenant disappears and lives there for two years before the same fate befalls him. We know that when Joseph started writing his diary, Walter had been dead for seven years. Joseph's diary spans April to August (five months) of an unspecified year. We know that when we begin the game as Henry, Walter has been dead for ten years. If you start Joseph off at seven years after Walter's death and place Henry at ten years after Walter's death, Joseph only has six months to write his diary and die, because for six months the apartment was vacant and the other 2 years Henry's living in room 302. Since Joseph's diary spans 5 of those months and he can't exactly die between April 4th and August 7th, he must have died somewhere between August 8th and September 8th. After that the apartment was vacant for six months, then Henry moves in for the two years leading up to the game. He couldn't have died in the 2 1/2 years of his "disappearance", since we know that your physical body can't be drawn into Walter's world, only your conciousness. That leaves the only time of death for Joseph between August 8th and September 8th. __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ [29] --RED DIARY - APRIL 4-- "Lately I've been feeling like my life is in serious danger. I've been through a lot in my life, but I've never felt this kind of pure, animal fear. In case something happens to me, I've decided to write down what I've learned for whoever you are that's living on the apartment now. I've been investigating the mass murder that took place 7 years ago in which 10 people were killed in 10 days. They were killed in a variety of ways, but the one thing they had in common was that each corpse had the following numbers, in order of their deaths, carved into them: 01121, 02121, 03121, 04121, 05121, 06121, 07121, 08121, 09121, 10121 ... The name of their killer... it was carved in as well... His name was...Walter Sullivan." -"In case something happens to me, I've decided to write down what I've learned for whoever you are that's living on the apartment now." It seems that Joseph is already preparing himself for his role as Giver of Wisdom, whether he knows it or not. This was written while his death was possible, yes, but it wouldn't happen for a little while yet. [30] --RED DIARY - APRIL 8-- "Although the cult itself is gone, I'm sure the spirit of it is still alive. There are too many strange things happening in that town. I'm investigating two people. Or maybe I should say just one. I've just about discovered what's going on." -"Although the cult itself is gone, I'm sure the spirit of it is still alive." Joseph contradicts himself. He knows that the Order existed, and that they ran Wish House (see Joseph's Article), yet now he's certain the cult is gone. He may be referring to the main sect of the cult responsible for the whole Alessa / Cheryl / Heather mess, or he may be hinting at Silent Hill's otherworldy phenomenon. But it's certain that at least some offshoots of it still exist unless it was very recently eradicated. Since Joseph's article contains no date and all the Red Diary enties have no dated years, this is entirely possible. But it is much more probable that a sect or two still exists in one way or another. -"I'm investigating two people. Or maybe I should say just one. I've just about discovered what's going on." Joseph is referring to Walter Sullivan and the alleged "copycat" murders. Even this early, he believes that Walter is killing from beyond the grave. If he's that easy to convince, he must have had a hard time being a fair and impartial reporter. [31] --RED DIARY - MAY 2-- "I figured out the riddle behind the numbers. "01121" is actually "01/21." In other words, 1 out of 21. So Walter was planning to kill 21 people...? But he never finished the job. He was convicted for the murders of Billy and Miriam Locane, the 7th and 8th victims. Afterwards, he commited suicide in his jail cell. The grisly mass murder of 10 people shocked the world and came to be known as the "Walter Sullivan Case." There are two big puzzles here. The first is: What was the motive for the murders? The second is: Why did he kill himself before completing his task? Was he simply insane...?" -"He was convicted for the murders of Billy and Miriam Locane, the 7th and 8th victims." I've always wondered why he wasn't even brought to trial for his other eight victims at the time. Maybe it was in the works and his suicide cut it short. Still, with not even a whisper of Walter being charged with, tried for, or accused of the other eight murders, it makes me think something's missing. Though it could just be a simple oversight. The rest of this note explains itself. Or rather, the rest of the note is explained if you've been paying any attention to the game at all. [32] --RED DIARY - MAY 14-- "It was four years ago that they discovered the body with "12/21" carved into it. Right away I had this terrible feeling and couldn't stop shaking. The victims had been murdered six months earlier, but Walter had been dead for seven years, having commited suicide three years before the murder. The police thinks it's a copycat crime, and are calling it the Sullivan Case Round Two. But something about it bothered me..." -"It was four years ago that they discovered the body with "12/21" carved into it." Remember, Joseph started writing his diary seven years after Walter died. Four years earlier means that Walter started killing again three years after he bit the big one. Why did Walter wait three years to continue his work? There's no concrete proof, but there's plenty of theories. Perhaps he didn't have a reign on his new powers yet, and it took him three years to get things under control. Even after a decade Walter's world is pretty unstable, I wouldn't be surprised if it was even worse when he first created it. Perhaps he waited for the world to forget him so he could operate with less suspicion (not like it matters, the cops can't arrest a dead man). Then again, if Walter drew too much attention to himself, Frank may have mentioned Walter's little visit to 302 after his death, the cops might search the place and find Walter's body, and that would mean game over. Or perhaps Walter didn't have a specific reason to wait three years, he just waited for the hell of it. With no in-game proof, we can only speculate. Personally, I like the first theory. [33] --RED DIARY - MAY 20-- "I picked up the key that Eileen from Room 303 must have dropped. I thought I'd return it but she wasn't home. I guess I'll give it to the super." This memo is a puzzle clue. [34] --RED DIARY SCRAP-- "I lost the key to Eileen Galvin's room. I've gotta find it and bring it back. Let me think... The last place I saw it was... (It's ripped here and I can't read the rest)" This memo is a puzzle clue. [35] --RED DIARY SCRAP (CONT.)-- "Oh yeah, I had a really wicked headache that day and just collapsed on the bed. Maybe if I look near the bed in my room -302's bedroom- I'll find it. I get headaches every day now. It's terrible. What am I going to do?" "I get headaches every day now. It's terrible. What am I going to do?" Headaches seem to be sort of a recurring theme in Silent Hill. It usually heralds the transition between one world and another. Could Joseph be visiting Walter's world already, and is simply unaware of it this early on? The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue. [36] --RED DIARY - JUNE 11-- "Walter Sullivan did kill himself. He died in his prison cell of blood loss after he stabbed himself in the neck with his spoon. His body was buried in a cemetery just outside his hometown of Silent Hill in an unmarked grave. After that, his name became famous all over the world and it looked like his string of mass murders was finished at 10 out of 21. But 3 years later, they found a corpse that had "12/21" carved into it. The corpse was from 6 months earlier. In other words, the person was killed two and a half year after Sullivan commited suicide. The MO was exactly the same as Sullivan's. Except for one thing. All 10 of Sullivan's victims were found with their hearts cut out and their chest wounds sewn together expertly with thread. On the other hand, the "12/21" victim still had their heart. Naturally the police think it's a copy cat and are proceeding on that basis. But they haven't made any progress and recently discovered victim number 13. This corpse also had their heart intact. The police still haven't identified a suspect. I've got a working hypothesis. Very few people knew the details of the original crimes and would be able to copy Sullivan's MO so precisely. First I'll head to Silent Hill. To the graveyard near that beautiful little lake. Maybe I'll find the answer there." -"Walter Sullivan did kill himself. He died in his prison cell of blood loss after he stabbed himself in the neck with his spoon. His body was buried in a cemetery just outside his hometown of Silent Hill in an unmarked grave." Oh God, PROBLEMS PROBLEMS PROBLEMS. As I have stated earlier, this is not a plot guide and this is a HUGE issue with Silent Hill 4's plot, so I'm not going to go into huge detail. Besides, for all the theories out there, there is very little proof as to what really happened. Rather, I'll just pose the question to you and let you come to your own conclusion. With no proof, that's as good as we can do. Here you go. IF WALTER WAS DEAD AND BURIED IN SILENT HILL, HOW COULD HE GET TO SOUTH ASHFIELD HEIGHTS TO PERFORM THE RITUAL OF THE HOLY ASSUMPTION? He couldn't have performed it already, we know he did it in the storage room of 302. And we know he died in his cell, too. Further confounding things are various in-game texts contradicting each other (one places his burial at Pleasant River, another at Silent Hill, one text states his birthplace was Pleasant River when we know it was Ashfield). So how could he get from point A to point B as a corpse? Several theories abound, but they are just that, theories. All the texts and game dialogue are posted right here at GameFAQs. Read them over and figure out whatever makes you happy, you won't be able to do any better. [37] --RED DIARY - JUNE 14-- "The weather that day was very strange. Even though I avoided the earlier storm, there was a thick fog clinging to everything. Fortunately, that allowed me to avoid being seen and get right to work. The police are still stubbornly acting as if it's just a copycat case. So I figured things probably hadn't been touched here. But I was wrong. I should have come sooner. The cemetery was in such bad condition that it was almost sad. The storm must have raised the sea level. Anyway, that's how it was when I found Walter Sullivan's grave. (This diary is too damaged around this point and I can't read anymore.) I'm still in shock... There was no body in the grave... And on top of that, written on the coffin were the number '11/21'..." -"Even though I avoided the earlier storm, there was a thick fog clinging to everything." Either Silent Hill is naturally extremely foggy, or the dark forces were at work when Joseph paid a visit. But to what end? -"I'm still in shock... There was no body in the grave... And on top of that, written on the coffin were the number '11/21'..." Obviously, Walter was his own 11th victim. The theme of victim 11 has to be "Assumption", as in the one who is going to undergo the Ritual of the Holy Assumption. Sorta sucks you have to die for this to work, doesn't it? [38] --RED DIARY - JULY 13-- "I don't think I can protect myself. He's truly insane. I can't hold on any longer. His power can't be measured. I was so scared today that I sealed off the back of the storage room. I wonder if Eileen Galvin is okay. She has no idea what's going on... But she's in danger nevertheless." -"I was so scared today that I sealed off the back of the storage room." He's most likely talking about the hole that appears in the laundry room (the one you need the four cards to open so you can make your second trip to each of the worlds). It's not explained HOW he had the power to seal it off, though. Maybe he had some cement handy? -"I wonder if Eileen Galvin is okay. She has no idea what's going on... But she's in danger nevertheless." Joseph is doing a mighty fine job as Giver of Wisdom, isn't he? He's already learned that Eileen is the Mother Reborn. He probably figured it out from one of his many forays into Walter's world. This is also the last entry where we can be sure that Joseph is able to leave room 302, since he went to Silent Hill. Mike also saw him before July 1st (See Mike's Diary - July 1st). After this point he never mentions going out of room 302 again, so he may well be trapped from July 14th onwards. [39] --RED DIARY - JULY 17-- "A few days after Walter killed himself in his cell, several residents witnessed a long-hair man with a coat here. Through his window, Richard Braintree in 207 saw the man moving something heavy and doing something in Room 302. Even Sunderland, the superintendent, saw the man with the coat hanging around Room 302, and confirmed there were signs of someone having been in there." This memo ties back in to the huge problem of Walter getting his own corpse to room 302 after his suicide. You're on your own on this one. I have some ideas, but they are pure speculation and have no place here. [40] --RED DIARY - JULY 18-- "My theory is that Walter never died at the prison. It may have been someone else who commited suicide. Either that, or the person the police arrested was not the real Walter Sullivan. I'm in no position to investigate what really happened in the prison, but in any case, Walter didn't die at the prison. The man with the coat that showed up here was the real Walter. 7 years ago he did something in that apartment. I'm certain there's a link between that and the bizarre things that have been happening here. Just a little bit more and I'll have this whole thing figured out. I may even find that the real Walter is somewhere nearby." -"My theory is that Walter never died at the prison. It may have been someone else who commited suicide. Either that, or the person the police arrested was not the real Walter Sullivan. I'm in no position to investigate what really happened in the prison, but in any case, Walter didn't die at the prison." Hey, cool! Look! A theory about what's up with Walter's apparent suicide! But... he doesn't really give any evidence outside of "he didn't really die", does he? Even Joseph doesn't have a decent idea, and he dies before he can get one. The game at least HINTS that Walter didn't die in his cell on the 22nd, so you can use that as a launching point. [41] --RED DIARY - JULY 20-- "You've seen that world as well... That horrible nightmare. But if you get sucked into it, it's not just a nightmare. Don't get lost in there. If you get pulled in, you'll be killed. But there's still hope. Maybe this "small key" will guide you. If you've seen the door with the placard set in it, look on the other side of the door. Then keep going down. To the deepest part of him. And look for the ultimate Truth." -"You've seen that world as well... That horrible nightmare." Joseph was always writing this for the next tenant of room 302, but now he's really getting into the swing of things. It's like he KNOWS this is going to happen to someone else, doesn't it? Hmm... -"But if you get sucked into it, it's not just a nightmare. Don't get lost in there. If you get pulled in, you'll be killed." Joseph knows his real body isn't going to Walter's world, but that doesn't lessen the danger. He just wanted to let you know. Gee thanks, Joseph, all this time I've been LETTING this freaking monsters have their way with me. -"If you've seen the door with the placard set in it, look on the other side of the door." Remember those doors you saw in each world? Joseph is directing you to those, since they lead to the Spiral (a deeper part of Walter's subconciousness). -"Then keep going down. To the deepest part of him. And look for the ultimate Truth." Joseph wants you to plumb the depths of Walter's psyche (the deeper you go in the Spiral, the more you learn about Walter) to find out exactly what's going on. Boy, it sure sounds like he's setting you up to be the Receiver of Wisdom, doesn't it? How innocent is Joseph, really? [42] --RED DIARY - JULY 23-- "I've found something that's extremely effective against the ghosts. It saved my life. It was stuck into the huge rock in the woods near the orphanage. It's a sword blade with a hand-made, triangle-shaped wooden handle that has some kind of spell written on it. As a weapon, it's heavy and hard to carry. But somehow it seems to change in response to the ghost-victim's power. Strike when the sword is energized! If you don't reduce their power, your attack will be repelled. As far as I know, there are only 5 swords in existence with that kind of power. It's extremely valuable." This one explains itself, although, "Strike when the sword is energized!" is a tad misleading. It should really read more like, "Strike when your foe is down!" [43] --RED DIARY - JULY 25-- "I've found two mysterious and powerful artifacts that seem to be very effective for evading the ghost-victims: the Holy Candle and the Saint Medallion. Not only are they effective against the ghost-victims in the Other World, they also seem to prevent them from invading my room. Just light the candle near where they're coming in and its holy power is activated. The Saint Medallion seems to repel unholy energy when it's worn (equipped). I'm starting to gain some hope." -"I've found two mysterious and powerful artifacts that seem to be very effective for evading the ghost-victims." Joseph already knows that the ghosts in Walter's world are his victims, Henry never would have had concrete evidence of this if not for Joseph. It really helps to tie things together for poor Henry. Thanks, Joseph! Again, this one explains itself. Holy Candles and Saint Medallions are good! [44] --RED DIARY - JULY 28-- "I'm going to summarize everything that I've learned about Walter Sullivan so far. He was born right here in Room 302 of "South Ashfield Heights." His parents abandoned him soon afterwards and disappeared somewhere, leaving the baby alone. He was discovered and sent to St. Jerome's Hospital. He was "adopted" by "Wish House," an orphanage in the forest near Silent Hill that's run by the secret Silent Hill religious cult. When he was six years old, someone from the cult showed him where he was born. Since then, he started to believe that Room 302 itself -- in other words, this room -- was his mother. Every week, he travelled from the orphanage to South Ashfield Heights, a pretty long trip for a kid his age. Sometimes he took the subway, and sometimes the bus. ---------------------------------------- I'm tired. My headache is already killing me. I'll write more tomorrow." -"When he was six years old, someone from the cult showed him where he was born." That "someone" was Dahlia herself, of Silent Hill 1 fame. Man, is there ANYTHING she won't try? What a nutcase. Other than that, this memo is awesome on its own and needs no explanation. [45] --RED DIARY - JULY 29-- "Continuing from yesterday, I'm going to summarize everything that I've learned about Walter Sullivan so far. Naturally, it was a long way for a kid his age to travel, but he made the trip every week by subway or bus. Unfortunately, someone else was living in this apartment and so he couldn't be reunited with his mother (Room 302). For years, he continued to come here, almost like he was possessed, just to peek into the apartment. Eventually, the tenants began to complain and treat him badly when they saw him hanging around. Walter began to fear the tenants and see them as obstacles preventing him from seeing his mother. As the years passed and Walter matured, he began to be more and more influenced by the teachings of the cult. Furthermore, his obsession with his mother and his feelings of resentment towards the other world became even deeper. Walter became preoccupied with one particular tract from the cult's "Bible." "The Descent of the Holy Mother -- The 21 Sacraments" "By the 21 Sacraments, the Holy Mother shall appear in the countries of the world and shall bring salvation to the sinful ones." After Walter left Wish House, he moved to Pleasant River, a town neighboring Silent Hill. For a while, he lived the life of a normal student, but he was still filled with bitterness and resentment towards the rest of the world. Several years later, he launched his plan there. The 21 murders..." -"Unfortunately, someone else was living in this apartment and so he couldn't be reunited with his mother (Room 302)." We never find out who the "someone" is, but we do know that Walter doesn't kill them. They're the only people to live in room 302 since Walter was abandoned there and not get royally shafted. Lucky them! The rest of this memo needs no assistance, it spells everything out for yo. [46] --RED DIARY - AUGUST 2-- "What's with this room? It's covered in blood and rust... This is my room... But what the hell has hapened to it...? This room... Is it really my room...? It's in terrible shape... The air is so heavy... My head hurts... Creepy... It looks like a face. What the hell am I writing...?" Everything Joseph writes here are comments that you can possibly make when examining room 302 at the very beginning of the game. In case you didn't know, the intro to the game has you very briefly playing as Joseph Schreiber himself. It's why he asks why where his typewriter is, questions the presence of the TV, and doesn't recognize the picture of Henry (room 302's future tenant and Walter's most important victim). [47] --RED DIARY - AUGUST 3-- "I can't break down the wall." Joseph is either trying to break down the wall to Eileen's room (hence the digging done there and the tiny peephole), or he's trying to bust down the wall to the hidden room that contain's Walter's body. Either would make plenty of sense, seeing as he can't break down either wall, but I'm more inclined to believe he's talking about Eileen's wall. He makes mention that he doesn't even know why he has to break down the wall to the secret room, and it doesn't even look like he's tried. [48] --RED DIARY - AUGUST 4-- "When the bell rings, Eileen=mother's body, blood." Eileen is victim 20, the Mother Reborn. Duh. [49] --RED DIARY - AUGUST 5 "The Crimson Tome "Bury part of the Conjurer's mother's flesh within the true body of the Conjurer." Part of the flesh=super's room?" Walter's umbilical cord is in the superintendent's room. Double duh. [50] --RED DIARY - AUGUST 7-- "No. 1...Ten heart... No. 2...Ten... No. 3...Ten hearts... No. 4...Ten hearts Steve Garl... No. 5...Ten... No. 6...Ten heart... No. 7...Ten hearts Billy Locane No. 8...Ten hearts Miriam Locane No. 9...Ten hearts... No. 10...Ten... No. 11...Assumption Walter Sullivan No. 12...Void... No. 13...Darkness... No. 14...Gloom... No. 15...Despair Joseph Schreiber No. 16...Temptation Cynthia Velasquez No. 17...Source Jasper Gein No. 18...Watchfulness Andrew DeSalvo No. 19...Chaos Richard Braintree No. 20...Mother Eileen Galvin No. 21...Wisdom Henry Townshend" Definitely creepy the first time you read it, seeing your own name on Walter's murder list. Joseph is leaving things out, obviously. Here's what it should really look like. No. 1... Ten hearts Jimmy Stone No. 2... Ten hearts Bobby Randolph No. 3... Ten hearts Sein Martin No. 4... Ten hearts Steve Garland No. 5... Ten hearts Rick Albery No. 6... Ten hearts George Rosten No. 7... Ten hearts Billy Locane No. 8... Ten hearts Miriam Locane No. 9... Ten hearts William Gregory No. 10... Ten hearts Eric Walsh No. 11... Assumption Walter Sullivan No. 12... Void Peter Walls No. 13... Darkness Sharon Blake No. 14... Gloom Tony Archboly No. 15... Despair Joseph Schreiber No. 16...Temptation Cynthia Velasquez No. 17...Source Jasper Gein No. 18...Watchfulness Andrew DeSalvo No. 19...Chaos Richard Braintree No. 20...Mother Eileen Galvin No. 21...Wisdom Henry Townshend The first thing on the list is the theme of the murder (Ten hearts, Void, Temptation, whatever) and the second thing is the name of the victim. As we can see, Walter planned the murders after Ten Hearts pretty meticulously. [51] --RED DIARY - ??/?? (Sometime between August 8th and September 8th, see notes at the beginning of the Red Diaries for more information.)-- "How long has it been since I left this room? I can't tell if it's been days or hours... But during that time, they've found the body of '14/21.' I've been having hallucinations lately. I think I'm losing my mind." -"How long has it been since I left this room? I can't tell if it's been days or hours..." A month at the most, buddy, but I'm willing to bet it's closer to a few days. We have no idea how much Joseph has to eat or drink in there, and it's not like he can go the grocery store at this point. -"But during that time, they've found the body of '14/21.'" Joseph obviously knows he's next. Man, that has GOTTA suck. -"I've been having hallucinations lately. I think I'm losing my mind." I really don't understand why Joseph thinks he's hallucinating. He knows what Walter's world is like and what it can do. He has to understand that what he's seeing are the product of an insane mind, yes, but it's not HIM that's insane. Maybe Walter's world finally got too far under his skin and he lost it. You can hardly blame the poor guy. [52] --JOSEPH'S LETTER-- "He used this place as the locus for the creation of his world. I'm certain he must have performed the "Ritual of the Holy Assumption" near here. But I'm not strong enough to stop him anymore... He locked me up in this room and played with me just like a toy... My eyes are starting to go blind... The pain... I can feel my body starting to die... But...things are taken care of... Whoever lives here after me... You'll be the 21st, the last of the sacrifices... I leave it up to you... When the bell tolls, the ritual begins. Eileen=mother's body, blood. Part of the mother's flesh=super's room. This is all I've been able to figure out. I hope this letter gets to you in time... Joseph Schreiber" If you can't figure out what Joseph wants you to do, I feel sorry for you. [53] --JOSEPH'S ARTICLE-- "Teaching Despair: 'Wish House' 'Wish House,' an orphanage on the outskirts of Silent Hill. But behind it's alse image is a place where children are kidnapped and brainwashed. Wish House is managed by the 'Silent Hill Smile Support Society,' a charity rganization sometimes called '4S'. It's true that 4S is a well-respected charity that "takes in poor children ithout homes and raises them with hope." But at it's heart it is a heathen organization that teaches its own warped ogma in lieu of good religious values. Mr. Smith (temp), who lives near 'Wish House,' had this to say: 'Sometimes at night I can hear their weird prayers and the sounds of [children] crying. I went there to complain one time, but they ran me right out. Since then it hasn't changed a bit.' In fact, this reporter was refused admission when he attempted to take photographs in the facility. What exactly do the folks at 'Wish House' have to hide? During my investigations I was able to discover, however, a suspicious-looking round concrete tower which appears to be part of their facilities. Unfortunately no one was willing to tell us what the tower was used for. But it seems unlikely that it has anything to do with the business of raising orphans. It may in fact be a prison or a secret place of worship. The cult religion that operates 'Wish House' is known by the locals simply as 'The Order.' It's a religion that is deeply interwoven with Silent Hill's history. But it's worshippers' fervent belief that they are among the elite 'chosen people' has a dark and dangerous side. I intend to continue my investigation of 'Wish House' and the cult behind it. I've always believed that 'telling the whole truth' and showing the children the true path is our most important duty. Joseph Schreiber" Good on you, Joseph, you find the truth! Never mind what it's going to cost you... __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ When you're done / Mini-FAQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [06after] Now that you've read the analysis of the memos (or at least what you wanted to read), you should have a better understanding of some of that nasty hidden context. You may be feeling a few things. Allow me to answer your questions before you ask them. "You are an idiot and all this is wrong blah blah blah et cetera." It's cool if you don't agree with me. Like I said, everything in the Silent Hill series is extremely subjective, and if you feel I'm incorrect, I welcome your criticism. But if you resort to baseless insults or are otherwise insulting to me, your message will be deleted without a response and your e- mail and / or IM info will be blocked. Criticism is cool, it helps us realize our mistakes and better ourselves. Being a jerk won't get you anywhere. "You made a grammatical mistake / typo / some other kind of error that relates to formatting or spelling and not the actual FAQ." Please please PLEASE let me know about it. I pride myself on my grammar and spelling, and it's the one kind of mistake I can't abide. "Can you back this crap up?" Yes, everything in this guide can be supported by some in-game event or official Konami documentation. I didn't include it all in here because it's either A) widely known, or B) it supports itself. Besides, this thing is long enough already without a bibliography. "Are you open to talk about Silent Hill stuff?" Absolutely, yes. If you want to IM me about anything Silent Hill related, please feel free to do so. This is sort of a mania for me, and I love to share it with those who are willing. "Something else is wrong with the FAQ that isn't covered here." Then go ahead and e-mail or IM me and let me know what it is. I'll change the FAQ depending on the validity of your point. "I have some other nonspecific question I want to ask." Unless it pertains to the guide or Silent Hill, I'd rather you didn't e-mail or IM me just to "chat". I work tech support, I "chat" with people enough, thank you very much. __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ __ __ _____ __________ Credits/Thanks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [07thanks] To my mom, for being my mom. To everyone who helps GameFAQs the invaluable gaming resource it is, site staff and contributers alike. This place would be nothing without the stellar contributions it gets on a daily basis. Keep it up. To Longsword24, for reposting Konami's victim information in his Victim FAQ. By the way, I'm the Mephianse@*e-mail address here* in your FAQ that pointed out victim number 4's little shovel thing is called a "trowel". I know I didn't contact you for permission, but since it's just Konami info, it should be covered under fair use. To Sunderland for his Memo FAQ, it saved me a LOT of time on manually typing out all the memos. You have no idea how helpful that was. Again, I know I didn't contact you with permission, but since it's just copying verbatim from the game, fair use should cover me. Copyright 2007 Sean "Mephianse" Dickinson