An impromptu analysis of Florian's Second Letter, what it reveals, what it implies, and what it could mean for the future.
Also some guesses at Florian's Game because he's one of the Survivors with an unidentified Game.
The letter is an entry in the diary of a child whose family was rescued by Florian during the "Community restructuring," implied to be the restructuring of White Sand Street.
Florian has a strong performative presence. He does everything right. He bows to older women, he shakes hands with the reporter, he is a pinnacle of casual politeness. But this is not the same as friendliness.
The reporter almost seems aware of this, commenting on how he's not so polite it's theatrical, but not so distant it's strange. It's interesting how Florian's performative nature is recognized, but not a subject of concern.
The writer is overwhelmed by the intensity of the reporter's questions, which invoke traumatic memories, but is saved by Florian, who dodges the questions and tells him there's been enough for the day. To the reporter's respect.
The questions the reporter asks, though, are interesting. He notes Florian had rushed in before the building was declared safe from re-ignition to rescue the writer's family, and that he had "controversial conduct."
The reporter defends it, saying that he wants to understand what happened so that the community can rebuild. Florian retorts that it's better to focus on the cause of the fire, daily fire hazards, something that the readers would be more "interested in."
The interview, then, changes subjects, talking about a strange fire in a manor, gas lamps and their risk of explosion, chemicals, and not the writer.
After the interview, the writer thanks Florian for chasing away the "bad reporter." But Florian doesn't see the reporter as bad. He tells the writer that he was once in need of reporters and interviews himself, and tells him to keep it their little secret.
The writer believes it is alright to confess it in the personable safety of a diary, and a week later sets out to find Florian and ask how to become like him.
Florian explains that he does feel emotions such as fear. It's natural, that is how the body responds to danger. But Florian explains he acts so he doesn't feel regret.
He continues that everyone is allowed to make choices, but they must understand the consequences of their choices. The writer, he says, has time to figure out what they want to do, because he is young. If they change their mind, they change it. If they don't, they don't.
But what matters most to Florian is the journey and appreciating the days. You never know when they're gone. Florian then bids the child farewell to their family.
Florian's Second Letter is an insight into his characterization and an inner conflict between his Arsonist Syndrome attempting to patch the irreversible loss of his parents, and how it influences his philosophy at the present.
Florian has a very individualist approach to how he and others live their lives, with one caveat: they must accept the consequences of their actions. Regret is the feeling of having made a bad choice. Contrasting it with how fear is good, Florian implies regret/bad choices are bad, which is rather interesting with his Arsonist Syndrome that compels him to start fires, so that he can replicate the same "miracle" that lead to his survival. It is also interesting in conversation with two characters he inadvertently fucked up (Orpheus and Alice), whose actions are defined by an overwhelming sense of remorse and doubt.
This philosophy aligns with the characterization of Florian during Ode to the Eternal Night in 2025 (further supported by the event foreshadowing reveals about Frederick reveals in CoYY). He is a character who, in spite his somewhat snarky personality, is deeply impacted by the loss of parents in both stories, and is willing to sacrifice his chance at survival to help the protagonist escape, and Lumina (Ode Florian) reconciles his grief by sacrificing himself. I wonder if that may be the solution for Main Story Florian too.
Florian trying to encourage the reporter to research the cause of the fire is interesting, given it's extremely likely Florian started the fire himself. I wonder if a part of him wants to be caught? Whether it be for the thrill of being investigated or remorse? Florian seems particularly cautionary regarding remorse, as exhibit by his urging the writer to avoid actions that cause it. Yet, his emphasis on being aware of the consequences of ones actions shows his Arsonist Syndrome doesn't wholly blind him from the way he harms people, but his reinforced desire for praise and how he sees the fire as the only way left to retain the memory of his family prevents him from stopping himself. Even when he sees the way he risks families like the writer's.
There are constant peeks towards the person Florian is really, such as his avoidance towards personal questions, but also a fondness towards the writer, or at least the banality of the writer's life. He urges them to enjoy the little days, the time they have with their parents. He knows more than anyone else what happens when those little miracles are gone. His Arsonist Syndrome is an attempt to replace that loss.
This is ironic, given how his parents did not see the flames as some miracle. They saw it as work. Work with a great and dangerous gift, yes, but work nonetheless. Florian's emotional sensitivity lead him to see the wonder, which was fed fuel by the carelessness of White Sand (Florian First Letter). Yet, there is, deep down, an appreciation for banality, one that still flicker amidst the haze.
Overall, Florian is an incredibly fascinating intersection between selfishness and selflessness. There is, much like how the reporter is almost aware of Florian's performative nature, a near-awareness in Florian about the consequences of his actions on others.
Considering the source of his Firefighter Arsonist Syndrome, being the death of his parents saving him, then the constant praise and performance in White sand, I wonder if it can be compared to an addiction. This would explain why, in contrast to other fire-based characters like Frederick, Matthias, or Ganji, the performance qualities of Florian (Florian Third Dedication) are focused on the retention of the past rather than the destruction of it. This puts him closer to the water-motif characters such as Orpheus. I wonder, then, whether he will be placed into conflict with either a water or fellow fire-based character.
Now, character Second Letters are meant to give hints to what Oletus Manor Game they participated in, if at all.
We have one clue, where the reporter mentions a "strange fire at a remote manor," which is likely Oletus Manor. However, White Sand Street Asylum was closed by the "present" timeline, so it doesn't seem to refer to the Final Game's fire, the most famous one. And given he receives an Oletus Invitation, he has to have participated in a Manor Game, which does not seen to be the format of the post-Final Game found with Detective.
The story has gone back and forth on whether there was a first fire during the Oletus Manor Massacre; some sources imply yes (AoM 2), other sources no (CoYY). So it's possible this could be the first Oletus fire (reusing the asset for the ToR news clipping), but right now we don't know if it remains canonical.
So then, when is Florian? There are a couple more fires it could refer to.
If the First Fire Remains: Game One appears to have been a continuation of the "asylum" theme of Game Zero and likely featured Lily and Galatea (due to Galatea being the victor of Game Zero). It would also reinforce the theme of characters who have a personal connection to the Mediterranean Deal Participants in that game.
If the First Fire's Retconned: Game Four-Two (which I honestly hope for), in contrast, appears to have been a continuation of Emma's theming, which was the past and vengeance. Additionally, in Florian's announcement, if one zooms in they can see mentions of the Minerva Arms Factory fire.
There were also three fires in the preceding games: Aesop started a fire in Game Three-One, Andrew in Game Three-Two, and Emma in Game Four. Considering two of the fires were notable (the Game Threes), one possibility was that it got large enough to become suspicious, but given the lack of survivors between the Game Threes and Game Four, there was time to cool down. One of the major themes of Emma's game was the past and vengeance, with Emma being a character Orpheus shows unusual fondness for. It would be fitting then, to pit her with a character who has an equally tumultuous relationship with his past and Orpheus' past. Emma also supposedly started fires in White Sand and was ostracized for them, while Florian hid the source of the flame and was praised. Emma used fire to burn the past while Florian reinforces the past, flames at keepsakes. They are ripe for conflict.
Game Three-Three could follow this philosophy as well, and Florian's saint motif matches the religious theming of the precious game and how both Game Threes had performance and burning as well.
Lastly, there's the unlikely but notable possibility he's placed after the Final Game. Both are placed as opposing allies of the protagonist, implied to be Orpheus the Bard, in Saimhain's Realm/The Underworld, alongside the twist for the Bard that Nocturne/Michiko had been dead for years, in spite their efforts to save her, which could potentially stand in for Alice given their shared golden bird motif.
One day the IDV community will be ready to recognize the same face/body syndrome is 1. primarily a female character problem and 2. has been going on for years.
But I think that would require a willingness to self-reflect on female character designs that I do not this the community is currently capable of.
An impromptu analysis of Evelyn's Second Letter, what it reveals, what it implies, and what it could mean for the future.
Enjoy seeing my madness, since it's been six years since Martha's first letter and I still do not comprehend the You-Know-Who plot.
The "Letter" is split between three texts: two long texts, one brief text.
The first text regards the murder of the banker that defined the second half of her life. She is first introduced as the shining, mysterious jewel in clubs, salons, and ballrooms all around the world.
And then she vanished. One version of the story goes she accidentally killed a banker during a dispute over money. The other version was that the murder was premeditated then rearranged with calculation to present herself as innocent. We, the audience, know neither story is true, and both were true at once.
The police warranted an arrest and a herd of witnesses, informants, hopeful inquisitive offered tips on her locations, but each offered a different description. Therefore, Evelyn escaped with the power of disguise. But she couldn't run forever.
That is where Vilhelm Lamb enters.
The second letter is short; only a few, broken words remain on its erased page. A single name: Cynthia Lamb.
The last letter is a confidential letter sent regarding Evelyn and Martha. The sender and recipient are two higher up lambs, likely Vilhelm and Mrs. Darragh.
The writer trusts that the recipient's trainee (implied to be Evelyn) will not abandon them on their quest to retrieve the "deserter," all but implied to be Martha. Evelyn, after all, abandoned vanishing without a trace to contact her terminally ill mother (Evelyn Background Video). She would do anything for her, why woulds he do anything different?
The writer implies that the "deserter"/Martha knows information that marks her more than the title of traitor, hence why she is to be retrieved.
On a crueler note, they tell the recipient that their "spice" will no longer be shipped and they will face their final departure. These messages were sealed with the message they should be destroyed after an unknown period of time.
I find it really curious how, out of all things, there's a very heavy Orpheus parallel to this story. It is Evelyn who vanishes without a trace but becomes begrudgingly employed under Vilhelm, knowing that he can afford her mother's medication. Quite similar to Orpheus vanishing without a trace, becoming begrudgingly employed under Vilhelm, knowing that he can afford Bane, Burke, and Alice's medication. Both felt joy and felt loss regarding what they would for their adopted family. It's also interesting how, for unknown reasons, she appears in Orpheus' Cloister, something reserved for characters Orpheus either considers his family (Alice and the DeRosses as his adopted family) or people who have gravely harmed him (The Blanches). So, why is Evelyn given such significance?
At the same time, we can also see Alice parallels going on. Unlike Orpheus, the people who searched for Evelyn tried and she evaded them through disguise, much like how Alice still plays a game of cat and mouse with the Lambs in England. Like Alice, the crux of her mission is to search for someone else: Martha, who in Game Six was positioned as an Orpheus parallel. Evelyn seems to be positioned somewhere between being a "weapon" (Orpheus, Sam Bourbon) and being a "tool" (Alice, Martha) in how they are utilized by others.
I'm extremely curious about how it didn't seem to be a plan to eliminate Evelyn in Game Seven, but we know it happened, alongside Martha in Game Six-Two. We know that at some point in time, "Dotdot" revealed to Orpheus that Alice had in fact not died, but was being held as an experiment subject by Vilhelm for unknown reasons. It appears that, afterward Orpheus had gone from biting the chain to biting the hand owning the leash. Oletus' Symphony implies Orpheus may have murderous intentions toward Vilhelm, too. Evelyn, unfortunately due to their unknown past, was the second target after Martha. And given the sadism aimed at Martha in her game, I doubt Evelyn was granted sympathy.
Something interesting to be is that, while the scare quotes imply it's a euphemism, there is a mention of "spice." Spice has previously appeared in Ganji's First Letter, where a writer and recipient discuss a Viscount and Duke Elgin's use of Ganji, with a casual mention of spice extraction near the end. I wonder if one of these characters could be tied to the supposed "spice?"
The spice appears to be the medicine that Mrs. Darragh relied on to ease her terminal lung disease. This leads to the possibility that, given Vilhelm seemingly knew Orpheus was turning on him, he didn't mind if Evelyn didn't come back from retrieving Martha. If Evelyn was killed, then it was one more head between him and Orpheus' chopping block. But if Evelyn was gone, then there was no need for Mrs. Darragh anymore, even if she had helped him for years (Evelyn First Letter). It highlights just how callous and cowardly Lord Melbourne is.
Because of all of the above, is it possible that the "spice" is a form of Delphi? It appears it could have physical benefits in addition to its psychological and supernatural properties. Perhaps it could alleviate pain from terminal disease.
I also find Vilhelm's refusal to acknowledge Mrs. Darragh is more than Evelyn's mentor, but her mother as well. This is in spite knowing Evelyn before Mrs. Darragh adopted her and using Mrs. Darragh's well-being as a threat to convince Evelyn to work for him (Evelyn First Letter, Evelyn Fifth Deduction). It highlights how adoption, to Vilhelm, is merely something transactional. He adopted Alice because she was of use to him, not because of any familial connection. It again creates a parallel between Evelyn, Orpheus, and Alice, and how Vilhelm has harmed all three by seeing their family connections as less legitimate due to not being explicitly blood.
The next letter will be about Evelyn's Manor Game, which I am excited to see. It's likely the game will include Miles (suspected winner of Game Six-Two) and, though now unlikely (Martha Seventh Letter), Real Martha. A game with a theme of spies could be very interesting.
Someone pointed out that if you looked carefully in one of the PVs of Cryptic Notes, you can find in the collection of unreleased books by Orpheus a book that reads “My Grandmother’s Budget of Stories and Songs”
he kept a collection of his grandmother’s stories and stuff I’m not ok…
I saw that!
It's rather interesting because, in contrast to the Blanches, grandparents (blood or chosen) are shown to have the most compassion towards Orpheus and Alice. It was Burke who voiced his anger at the Blanches' abuse, even as other employees seemed apathetic to the open secret (Bonbon Fourth Deduction vs TOR Muse Corridor). It was also Burke who refused to delete Bonbon's recording of Alice, he who, in another lifetime without pain, would have missed her more than avoiding grief (Measurer Animation).
We know very little about Grandmother Blanche, but she appears to have had more concern for Orpheus than either of the Blanches. Note how she took effort to make sure his clothing fit, while Mrs. Blanche did not. There was also the implication GMB encouraged Orpheus to write while the Blanches discouraged it. And violently so.
I also discussed whether or not GMB's death could've exacerbated the abuse Orpheus faced: if Mr. and Mrs. Blanche felt shamed by GMB, then they would have possibly tried to avoid more... easily identified forms of abuse so long as she lived (Children's Day Analysis).
It also highlights how patchwork the theme of family among our DeRoss Duo is. Both have two sets of parents (DeRosses and Blanches for Orpheus, DeRosses and Lamb for Alice), both had grandparents chosen and by blood, and both had lives turned for the worse because someone else- the Blanches, Vilhelm, the police, etc- decided who should be their family. Not who their family was.
I do wish in another lifetime, Grandmother Blanche and Burke could've met. They seem like they would have gotten along. I also wish Alice could have met her; it was Alice's remaining biological family who dumped her in White Sand Street Orphanage. I like to think GMB would have accepted her instead.
if I had a nickel every time there was an Essence where a Frederick, Lily, and Nightmare B-Tier were in an Essence starring an Alice parallel focusing on the consequences of ignoring trauma and negative emotions-
I would have two clues which is not a lot but it's weird it happened twice?
I have too many letters to catch up on to make an analysis of it but it's certainly interesting that the same subject, same parallels, and same B-Tiers are being used.
An impromptu analysis of Robbie's Seventh Letter, what it reveals, what it implies, and what it could mean for the future.
Alice travels to Somorset to understand Robbie's life before the Whyte parents had died. She first encounters Steve and Mable Grant, who run a confectionary store and had known the Whytes.
Steve was born mute and communicates through sign language. This lead him to being mocked by several children, but not the Whytes. Robbie was particularly friendly towards him, with Steve keeping memorabilia of their friendship to this day.
Steve was there the day the Whyte parents died. He was going to be one of the participants of Robbie and Dolores' "camping" trips, the same day the Whytes said they were out on a repair job. They were so happy: Steve brought extra treats, Dolores declared Steve Robbie's best friend, and they waited for the Whytes to return. And they waited. And they waited. Until they learned from the newspaper what had happened.
Initially, the Whytes stayed with the Grants. Dolores had positioned herself into the caretaker role while Robbie tried and tried to process his grief through tears. However, Mabel (and her husband) and Steve were unable to afford two more children to feed.
This was when Kreacher Pierson arrived. He advertised the benevolence of himself and White Sand Street's orphanage, back when it was just that. He brought a girl with him, the same girl from Emma's Second Letter: Ozzy.
Ozzy seemingly convinced the two to accept the orphanage, but Alice points out her appearance aligned with Veronica, from Emma's Seventh Letter. The girl who was terrified of Emma. Considering her personality, Alice becomes doubtful her intentions were benevolent, and that she had benefitted through Kreacher in some way.
Ozzy is also confirmed to be the same Ozzy mentioned in Marcus' Deductions. She was a cue player, one who was burned in the same Colosseum collapse that left Marcus with two limbs.
Mabel had reluctantly agreed due to the financial burden the Whyte children had inflicted, in spite the pleas of Steve, who had sensed this would be their last farewell.
Alice decides that to learn the next entry of Robbie and Dolores' story, she has to return to White Sand.
Robbie's Seventh Letter is an extension of his previous letter, tracing the thin line between superstition to cope with guilt and the presence of a supernatural entity.
Like Ernest before, Steve highlights Robbie's placed in a conversation about disability. Dolores had somehow lost her hand in White Sand, through neglect or deliberate mutilation, while Robbie had been given medication for unknown reasons, and the transformation in the two was what lead Ernest to encourage Robbie to convince Dolores to escape, which lead to his accidental beheading (Robbie Sixth Letter).
Steve, in contrast, highlights Robbie's relationship to disability by being disabled himself. Unable to speak, he was isolated from others, with the exception of Robbie, whose emotionality was what allowed him to connect to Steve. The very same emotions that would get him labeled a "crybaby." What was later viewed asa weakness in the social Darwinist, "perform to be adopted" system that characters such as Florian and Veronica embraced was seen as something strong of Robbie outside of White Sand. I suspect this could be an intentional parallel with Alice DeRoss and her own emotions, regarding how they were treated in White Sand vs how they were treated by her family.
Dolores having to immediately assume the role of caretaker after the Whytes die, alongside her having to be the one to avenge Robbie after his death (Robbie Fourth Letter), highlights how sisters are transformed into maternal figures in Identity V, something I've had ambivalent emotions on in the past. Sisters in IDV are placed in the roles of caretakers of their brothers or other family members when there is an absence of a mother. Sometimes this position is examined critically (such as with Lily), sometimes it is not. But it is interesting that the trend continues.
We can also see the parallels between Robbie and Dolores and Orpheus and Alice are highlighted again, through Mabel's conversation about Robbie's grief being natural. In the Children's Day event, we see that Orpheus was emotionally abused by Mrs. Blanche for grieving his biological mother, while Mr. Blanche would physically abuse him for expressing wishes or dreams. Something natural is yet again demonized for appearing in a child. There is also the gendered aspect, due to Robbie and Orpheus both being demonized as emotional boys, in contrast to grief being treated as hysteria in girls like the younger Alice.
The inclusion of Ozzy/Veronica is very curious.
Since the release of Marcus and Robbie's Sixth Letter, there has been speculation that the collapse that the Whytes died in was the Colosseum, due to it reconciling the two rumors that the Whytes died in an illegal market location and that they died in an entertainment venue (Robbie Sixth Letter). While this hasn't been confirmed in this letter, its merit grows due to the inclusion of Ozzy, one of the Four Rising Stars of billiards (Marcus Third Deduction).
There's a very deliberate contrast between Ozzy having previously lived under a masculine name and occupied a masculine hobby and Veronica, who presents herself both here and in Emma's Seventh Letter as a model of orphaned femininity. Women in IDV are often scrutinized for approaching masculinity, both in-text and metatextually. Wendy and Melly were rejected for intruding on masculine spaces (academia), while Veronica is doing as much as possible to divorce herself from her previous life.
It has been previously suspected the culprits of Marcus' (near) death Whittaker reversed were the other Rising Stars: Nigel, Walter, and Ozzy. Ozzy being confirmed to be Veronica and supposedly injured in the collapse casts ambiguity on this. Were all four victims or only Marcus and Ozzy? Was Ozzy a culprit caught in the crossfire, or just as unknowing? All we know is that she was quick to cast her past life behind her, to such a degree she would present herself as normal in contrast to individuals like Emma, in spite her own past (Emma Seventh Letter).
I wonder how all of these are going to be explored next letter, including how they intersect with Robbie. Since Marcus will receive his first birthday in 2027, we will receive answers soon.
I hope we may finally receive an answer as to why Robbie is shown with Memory in the Time of Reunion drawings.
Also Robbie's animal being a raccoon is very cute. Said creature's are associated with mischief and forests, but also surviving in urban settings, which feels fitting for Robbie.
An impromptu analysis of Edgar's fifth birthday portrait, what it means, what it reveals, and what it implies.
Content Warning: This post will extensively discuss suicide. Viewer discretion is advised.
The Clues
Sunlight split his silhouette in two, as though the world itself, with strokes of brightness and shadow, were turning the painter into an unfinished study.
The wording of this clue is curious, dividing Edgar into two silhouettes, even though we don't see it in the portrait itself. This could be a potential clue towards him receiving an IDENTITY Swap: The key characteristic of IDENTITY Swaps are an extreme divergence in identity that includes the self perception, perception by others, and an ambiguously supernatural event.
Edgar's sense of identity is heavily warped and tied to his profession. Very early into his life, his value was associated with art, encouraged by Count Barriere (Edgar Second Deduction). He embraced this, but he was held back by his affection for his sickly little sister Ella. Her death from heatstroke left Edgar inspired by death but detesting anyone he saw a hypocrite, culminating in his murder of his mentor Mr. Sarai (Edgar First Letter).
Edgar's devotion to art is intense enough it motivated him to go to Oletus not for reward but inspiration. It was the reason he was a wild card in the first stage when Vera and Jose turned on Patricia and Kevin. His inability to turn from this devotion was what lead to Patrica's curse on him being fulfilled: instead of learning to see beyond his profession, to accept the flaws in himself and others, he sacrificed himself to make the perfect piece (Patricia Fourth Letter, Edgar Third Letter).
Who is Edgar without his art: something that survived the death of Ella or is there nothing but flesh pumping pigment?
His garments were tailored with precision, and the traces of pigment along the shawl and cuffs marked the fleeting moments when inspiration descended.
Edgar came from a wealthy family but, like most IDV artists, struggles with burnout and a lack of inspiration. "Artistic" characters struggling with their performance is a theme tied to self-destruction in Identity V, due to the perfect performance coming at the cost of one's life.
Previous victims of the final show include Mike Morton and Moon River Circus (Mike Fourth Letter), Sangria and the Game 3-2 cast (Andrew Fourth Letter), and Norton Campbell (Unperformed Movement). Unconfirmed but suspected cases include Hernando Romero, Richard Sterling, Cléo Decroux, and Frederick Kreiburg. Survivors of this fate include Orpheus.
What contrasts Edgar with most of these other characters is that his self-destruction wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision, nor precedented by an erosion of ideals. It merely happened. It was a natural conclusion of who he was, rather than an intervention from supernatural forces like Jose's arc, or an inability to resolve the inner turmoil within like Vera. He came here to do this (Edgar Backstory Video).
Fingertips stained with crimson hovered in the air, measuring where the brush might next fall, or perhaps hesitating at the edge of the coming stroke.
I think this comment is interesting, given the implication that the "crimson" is his own blood (Edgar Fourth Letter, Edgar Elevate Emote). Edgar is hesitating, even after he has slit his own wrist and prepares to paint his magnum opus. Is it because he's worried about his life, or because it won't be perfect, or that maybe his life isn't enough? Why does he hesitate on the verge of ending everything?
But we know he made that final stroke. We know he opened both wrists. We know he made the best possible painting.
Most of the canvas sank into shadow, its subject unseen. The finished work and his conception still lingered only within the dark.
We don't know what the subject of Edgar's final painting was, other than it was inspired by Oletus Manor, which can "strip human nature bare." This is curious, given how well it aligns with Naib's theory that the monsters are already within people, but something about Oletus Manor can expose them. Delphi can do so physically. Because of this concept of one's nature exposed, I suspect it may have been a self-portrait by Edgar, who has previously made distorted paintings of himself (Edgar Third Deduction).
Edgar had loathed the hatred, the intrigue, the shallow selves he saw in his father, in his mentor, in others. The perfect way to distinguish himself would have been to paint himself bare (Edgar Third Letter).
Blue, white, violet, colors arranged neatly on the palette, yet only one space remained empty.
The colors here refer to the colors mentioned in Edgar's Fourth Letter. Violet comes from Vera, blue from Jose, white presumably from the canvas or Kevin, and the missing color representing Patricia and Edgar: Crimson.
Blood.
The Message
"Perhaps the Edgar Valden of old regarded art as a confession drawn outward from within, but the reflections and gestures he laid upon the canvas received no sincere reply. Endless, hollow praise drained his expectation until at last he became both creator and critic of himself, his own living work, answering the blank canvas's quiet question with silence and color."
As implied by the clues, the message is a buildup to his fate: slitting his wrists to provide the "crimson" for his swan song. Edgar bears similarities, then, to characters such as Sangria and Mike Morton, who also died during their "final performance." Edgar's happened to be visual rather than audio or theatrical.
Edgar was the product of every comment made about him, about creating no distinction between himself and his art, as so many other IDV performers have been stripped. But art is a reflection of oneself, not the truth, something Edgar could never comprehend. The destruction of himself was valid because it meant he could finally be one with his art. There was nothing worthy of value to preserve.
Moving onto the speculation...
Edgar is considered one of the current suspects for the IDENTITY Swap of Game Five, alongside Jose (most likely), Vera (second most likely), and Patricia (least likely).
So what does the Portrait say?
We don't know!
As I discussed in the Ganji Fifth Birthday Portrait, shadows appear to be clues but not guarantees. Because Edgar's portrait does not depict a highly unusual shadow, if any of the Survivors barring Vera (who has a shadow of medium discrepancy) receives an IDENTITY Swap, it will mark the confirmation that the Shadow Theory doesn't entirely hold weight, due to several characters with discrepant shadows having yet to receive IDENTITIES. Right now, the best predictor for Hunter Swaps appears to be an event aligning with six months before/after their fifth birthday, while Survivor Swaps' predictors remain unclear. I do want to note there is a second set of portraits for the tenth birthdays, so if the Game Five event is 2033-4, the most likely suspect is Vera.
Unless Game 5 is the next side story after Game 0, we'll have to wait and see.
”#oh absolutely, #the quiet agony of knowing there is a very good chance they won’t stick the landing, #when you don’t have proof it’s going somewhere bad yet but the warning signs are there, #but you can’t just back out because you really want it to be good”
I’m shocked you haven’t brought up Yidhra and her connection to Orpheus and Alice! I swear I sound crazy but once you start looking for connections you don’t stop finding them! Wait no, come back!!!
I've alluded to it a couple times before, such as whether Miss Nightingale forms a trinity with Yidhra and Memory, or which one of the Da Capos possibly summoned her in the Darkwoods, but let's go into depth about it, shall we?
Yidhra is a curious goddess cause, when compared to Hastur or the Eye of Darkness, she seemingly only has one connection: Luchino Diruse, whom her serpent bit. Apart from Fiona's investigations of Lakeside Village (which are more focused on Hastur and Grace), the only other clue we have to her existence is the burning specter that manifests when three Surviors are eliminated in the Darkwoods.
Her "participation" via Luchino (And Hastur's via Arthur) represents a notable turning point in the Manor Games: the supernatural is undeniable. Previously, there was just enough wiggle room with characters like Philippe or Antonio for Orpheus to deny the supernatural. Several people melting into puddles while the only Survivor becomes a lizard after a mental breakdown? Undeniable. It was through Yidhra's participation that "Dotdot" could encourage Orpheus to explore the supernatural side effects with Delphi (Orpheus Third Letter, Orpheus Fourth Letter). With the right person, Delphi will cause more than mental side effects.
In the popular Virgillian version of the story (from the Georgics), Aristaeus the beekeeper (uh oh) chased Eurydice and, as she ran from him, she stepped upon a serpent, which bit her and killed her. Her untimely death lead to Orpheus descending into the Underworld to bring her back. He swayed its rulers with a musical plea, but they told him he could not turn around until both were out of the underworld.
Notice the mention of a serpent? Orpheus identifies himself as this serpent in the Final Game, giving himself a card of the serpent and the piccolo. This is likely Orpheus' self-hatred manifesting, seeing himself as the killer of Eurydice (be Eurydice Alice or Oletus itself). While we can't be certain yet, due to there being multiple suspects and perhaps culprits, we can say that this self-loathing likely manifested a self-fulfilling prophecy, because it lead to the circumstances that likely culminated in Alice dying. At the same time, Orpheus lost his memories.
But it didn't remove the trauma. So Detective and Charm return to the past and the current question is whether they will acknowledge it and heal like the previous Orpheus identities couldn't. Something is seemingly tempting him to stay, be it mundane or supernatural. Something that Memory and Charm are seemingly trying to warn Dec about.
Yidhra's character day is also exactly six months after Orpheus' which is the first IDV anniversary (release in CN).
"Nightmare," be he one of Orpheus' direct identities or a chimerical composition like Memory, is heavily associated with both dreams and purple. Yidhra is the only other character to have similar palette and dream motif. Considering characters with similar motifs are tied together story-wise, such as the feline characters, we need to explore whether Nightmare has some unknown connection with her. Considering her offer to give gifts such as immortality at a price and Orpheus has shown interest in resurrecting the dead before (Leo, Percy dubiously, the Cat Cult Game), I can't help but wonder whether Orpheus hoped Yidhra could bring back the DeRosses? I doubt he went anywhere with it*, but even being mildly associated with the gods will grab their attention, as Luca, Luchino, and Norton show.
*On the other hand, there is whatever happened in the Darkwoods that Final Game. We have multiple suspects but, given Nightmare's interest in theology and the motif associations, he is most certainly a suspect.
Delphi is heavily implied to have a distorted effect on Orpheus' dreaming (Primarily Novelist's) and I do find it curious that Delphi is named after the Oracle of Delphi, a site tied to the slaying of a Drakon or Drakaina by Apollo. Yidhra has had Drakaina associations before and, considering the implications Delphi's symbiosis is parasitic, it's interesting to compare it to Yidhra and Yima.
Lastly, but perhaps the most notably, Yidhra's Birthday Emote, Revival, depicts her turning one of Nightmare's ravens into a snake. Granted, other corvid models are either extremely low-poly or were implemented afterward, but I find it curious. Especially since Novelist's emote features a similar raven and both discuss the decay of memories.
Moving onto Alice, let's start with Alice, though in this case, I think it's important to discuss the character Alice was Swapped from: Memory.
Memory is a somewhat chimerical character, a mixture of Alice's childhood, Orpheus' childhood, and somewhere between an entity Alice associates with herself and a personification of childhood trauma Orpheus remembers instead of Alice.
Memory, therefore, is akin to a dream, something acknowledged in her skin Eurydice, which is a part of Orfeo's Game and has the description of "Are you from a memory or a dream?"
Notably, if one looks at Moonlit Mirage, the color of childhood trauma appears to be purple, in contrast to childhood nostalgia being associated with the gold of Alice and Memory. Very curious given Yidhra's seeming association with Nightmare, who formed from extreme childhood trauma.
Memory's shared Essences with Yidhra before, notably the Swallow of Deception and Miss Pomegranate Plate Essences. There appears to be significance to Swallow of Deception to the characters themselves: Aging, Memory's skin, refers to Alice wishing to tell her parents that she's grown up after their deaths. Homesick, Novelist's B tier for the same Essence, depicts him as an amnesiac, reflecting Novelist's decaying memory as a side effect of Delphi. Yidhra, in contrast, represents the decay of memories, wishes, dreams. You can float a hundred paper boats, fold a thousand paper cranes, but the moment they touch the water, they are for naught (Paper Queen Concept Notes).
Madam Seamstress, the Logic Path connected to Miss Pomegranate Plate, represents Clotho, who spins the thread of life. Implicitly, this places her above the other characters in the Essence, due to her representing a will that even the gods must bend their wills to. Quite curious when Novelist represents Hades, Memory Persephone, and Alice Demeter. It is Yidhra who watches them all, Yidhra with the final say.
Memory, curiously, is depicted at times as either a greater, implicit threat (Silver-Throated Bushtit) or a player trying her best to resist the schemes, but unable to rise above them (Eurydice).
Alice, in contrast, is the one who gives the final push to free Orfeo from Orfeo's Game, at the cost of her being remembered. This is significant given Alice's B tier Smelling Salts, where she awakens others to the pain of the real world, freeing them from Morpheus' Vestibule's influence. On the other hand, CoA VII Alice's B tier Official Report represents refusing to acknowledge the painful reality for a false optimism.
(Also for anyone curious: The reason why I'm more cynical is that Memory Scar's Essence is described as being Alice's analysis, so I don't know how much of her depiction of herself in Dreaded Silhouette is accurate to her actions toward the past.)
Alice is also associated with Alice in Dreamland/Alice in Wonderland, where the titular Alice of that story explores the nonsense world of Wonderland in a dream. Something curious is that Alice dislikes Wonderland and its lack of logic, rather than embracing it. I think this could potentially factor into both the positives and negatives of Alice's philosophy towards the past and dreaming. One that places her into opposition... but perhaps not mutual exclusion with Yidhra. I do think Alice and Yidhra have a similar philosophy of getting their goal no matter the cost. For Yidhra, it's staying in the dream forever and for Alice it's trying to forcibly move on from the past without acknowledging it first. (It's also curious in contrast to Gentleman Dreamer Novelist's reaction towards 'Wonderland.')
I would like to argue that on one end of the scale, there is Yidhra, and perhaps Miss Nightingale whatever she is, while in the middle is Memory (hence a potential trinity between Yidhra, Nightingale, and Meme) and the opposite is Alice. Living in a dream no matter the price, a dream trying to convince you to move on, and waking up to a painful reality, or perhaps even denying the importance of dreams. Whether any of these are good or not is a different question, but there's a curious dichotomy going on.
It seems that the true "balance" in IDV is acknowledging the past and moving on from it, rather than refusing to acknowledge there was beauty and pain (Alice) or refusing to move on from the past (Orpheus), or whatever the "burn everything to the ground"/third protagonist(?) is. Yidhra is at the end of the extremes.
The one difficulty is that we have two other Da Capos who fit into potential Yidhra connections: Norton and Frederick. Norton Campbell is pretty heavily associated with serpents. He's associated with cleverness, two-faced nature, greed, and wisdom and intelligence, which are some traits associated with serpents in various cultures. Infernal Sin and Orphan of Goetia are based off the serpentine demon Amon. The Mine God could potentially be associated with Yig, who is Yidhra's consort. The Mine God, Fool's Gold, and Envoy, the Yidhra skin associated with Orfeo's Game/the release of Alice, utilize the same shade of teal.
I'm willing to rule Norton out due to him already being 'chosen' by.... whatever is in Golden Cave. But he still remains a suspect for why Yidhra is here.
Frederick is also a suspect for Yidhra connections. He's incredibly associated with fire and already has connections to the Black Goat Cult via Mrs. Nicholas, a cult that also worships a fire and desire-based deity. He is also heavily associated with serpents with his debut skin, Dragon Hunter, being based off dragons. Yidhra, via Drakaina, was one of the A tiers in said Essence. Considering he has a love of the occult and we know the least about his role in the Final Game, he remains a suspect.
Melly I have the least suspicion of, given a lack of thematic resonance, but her position as a potential Aristaeus must be acknowledged. If Yidhra is tied to the serpent, whoever it is, then Melly is the one who chases Alice to the serpent.
Hopefully we'll get more answers by 2027. We're running out of IDENTITY characters for the Prequel Story, so I wouldn't be shocked if we're nearing the resolution.
A thank you to everyone who helped acquire the lore. I have a drive of screenshots for anyone who wants to read it themselves.
For anyone curious, the Arthur I am referring to isn't Arthur Byers. Another Arthur for the Russel/Byers/now Winston connection.
Since Cryptic Notes will continue adding anomalies, I will be editing this post and reblogging it whenever more lore is added. If it's a significant update, such as the second part, it will be in a separate post.
TLDR: It's meh with a promise of "there will be more soon."
The protagonist enters the decrepit Winston Manor 10 years after the murders of Arthur, Isabella, and Jules Winston. The protagonist is accompanied by Herald, Sage, and Warrior, who are named after the three roles found in Cryptic Notes Season 0. The four enter Winston Manor in the hopes of writing a detailed report about the murder for an unknown employer, with the narrator justifying it as funding his daughter's medical treatment.
The Winstons were slain October 22nd, 1863, the testimonial laid down on the foyer table. An elegy of warning, rather than mourning, most likely from the police or the parish. But why fear a long-abandoned house?
There is a missing page in the visitor register, between October 15 and October 21st. Someone had arrived at Winston Manor, but details of their arrival had been erased.
Arthur Winston had paid off the servants to leave before the massacre, nailing all the entrances shut with planks. The Shane Gang- the name of the murderers- managed to pry one off near the dining room to intrude.
From there, the Shane Gang attacked the Winstons, who eating in the dining room. The first to fall was Arthur Winston, his outline painted into the wall with dried blood. He died at 9:17 PM, a clock broken in the scuffle marking the time of death.
Two days before the murder, Arthur wrote a letter to "William", is brother, detailing how he heard the bandits nearby. He had nailed the windows shut and pleaded to the Sheriff for more patrols, but it was not enough. He pleaded for help sent by his brother. But the letter was never sent.
In the kitchen, bloody footprints tell of Isabella's Winston desperate retreat. She ran with blood on her footprints, dripping from either a puddle of her own she stepped in or Jules between her arms. She fell, but she kept going.
Arthur Winston's delicate study had been torn apart by the Shane Gang, who had done their research to find the hidden safe. From a pile of papers, there is a torn wanted notice for the three members: Daniel Shane, Patrick Doyle, and Colin Fleming. They had stolen and murdered before; Arthur tore the wanted notice in fear.
Alongside the wanted notice, there are three letters exchanged between Arthur and Sheriff Barnes. On September 28th he requested inspectors after bandits were spotted. On October 5th, Barnes sent an inspector who found nothing, but confirmed reports of potential bandits. On October 12th, Arthur pleaded for more help, citing how close the bandits were, but there was no reply.
Arthur also kept chloral hydrate, a sedative to cope with worsening nightmares and insomnia. He got a prescription in September, but his disorder began earlier. Why it started is left unknown.
From August, a clipping of the Woodley Farm Family Murder was laid on the desk. Mr. and Mrs. Woodley and their two sons killed by the Shane Gang, their estate plundered. Arthur knew the Gang was coming for him and his family.
At the stairway was the beginning of the end for Isabella Winston. She had ran from the dining room to the kitchen, but somehow the Gang caught up to her. Bleeding out, she clawed her way up the staircase.
A hall ahead, a family portrait of Arthur, Jules, and Isabella rests. Apart from Arthur's face, cut by one of the bandits in anger, it remains intact. Its description is of three figures, which doesn't correspond with the painting seen in-game, which shows a little boy in addition to the murdered three.
On the second floor, in the middle of the corridor, rests the bloody outline of Isabella Winston. In spite her wounds, she attempted to reach the nursery to protect Jules, but was murdered before she could arrive. Her rage permeates the moldy walls.
In the master bedroom, between robbed jewelry boxes and dusty glass is Isabella's prayer book, a lock of Jules' hair the bookmark.
In contrast is a stack of letters from Winston Senior to Arthur, filled with nothing but harshness. In the photograph of Winston Senior, he looks out with unnaturally hollow eyes.
The nursery is scattered with toys and bloodstains. Jules hid beneath her bed, just as Alice DeRoss had. Unlike Alice, she did not have an adoptive brother to save her, and Jules' tiny bloodstained outline and shoes are all that remain.
On the other side of the bed is the murder weapon: a bloodstained dagger. In addition to the axes, the hammers, there was the dagger. Left behind, without a fear they would be caught.
Much like the almost-intact painting, the beside hosts almost-normal children's drawings. Christmas trees, gardens... and the Man at Night, three days before the murder. The bandits were sneaking into Winston Manor, scouting it out, and Jules Winston saw them.
Jules had hid in a toy chest, designed by Isabella, with a note telling her to hide within until her mother arrived. She hid and they found her anyway.
In the gallery, someone placed a funeral cloth, candles, and a bible, the pages open to the Book of Job. The book dedicated to the Problem of Evil. Someone had left it mourning, in warning, and in question. How could such a thing happen?
Alongside the book is an emotionless report of the massacre. None of the subjects were caught. A crime committed for no other reason than greed, the owners blindsided. That is the truth. Or... is it?
The narrator and his crew walk back to the fireplace, where they scavenge out the burnt remains of paper. All that can be discerned from them is that Arthur had been making financial exchanges in October, and of someone's eyes haunting him. Someone had burnt them, found them too dangerous to remain. But why is left unknown.
Back at the inn, the narrator starts his first report. He has an alternative proposal: the reason why the boards were nailed up was to keep something in, not out. Arthur and the Winstons left because leaving was more dangerous than the bandits. Something else was in Winston Manor that night. Possibly for much, much longer. The narrator needs to go back.
In-Game
The Winston Manor we enter is implied to be some form trapped in the night of the Massacre, with the spirits of its inhabitants trapped forever within. Something appears to want the players to remain, with the words WELCOME BACK painted in blood and the words STAY WITH ME on the Dark Mirror's glass.
The decayed Winston Manor appears to be a mixture of the decayed Oletus in the present timeline and the Oletus of the prequel timeline, with some features similar to the real rooms (such as the master bedroom) while other features are highly embellished, such as the frog statue being located in a passageway rather than the garden.
The environment never changes, with it always being a dark and stormy night. The same night as the Winston Family Massacre.
The piece "Her" can be found in the Piano Room when interacting with the piano (creating a safe space) and from the Muse's Music Box, the same as in the DA CAPO video. This is likely due to Jules drawing from Orph's distorted memory of Alice when he thought she died.
Also in the Grand Piano Room, two of Orpheus' novels can be spotted: Flute of Death and Beneath the Rose Windows. The former is expected, given it's based off Orpheus' experience with the Oletus Manor Massacre. But why Beneath the Rose Windows? Especially with the recent hints of Richard's origins?
There is no explanation for the portrait having Not-Orpheus in it. Either this is a case of staying tuned for more information later. or this was drawn without input from the writers.
When interacted with, the portrait says "The ending remains unwritten." It is likely the hidden portrait will be used in the next parts of Bringer of Doom. Most likely, it will be used to access the final boss.
So far, we can see the biggest question is who the little boy in the portrait is. Especially since it contradicts the artwork found in the textual story. Because it was hidden behind the Muse statue, it's implied that someone, most likely Arthur Winston, didn't want anyone to see the portrait, but also didn't want to remove it. Was this little boy a child of the servants, a child of Arthur Winston, a child of a different Winston? He was included in the family and wore wealthy clothes, but we have no hint to his identity.
If he was a child of the servants, he's certainly well-dressed, with no other servant in the portrait, making his presence unusual. Even comparing Orpheus, with his liminal, adopted status, his biological parents are still placed in the portrait with the DeRosses, highlighting his contested status. This boy is uncontested.
I wonder if he is related to either Daniel Shane, the narrator, or the narrator's employer. Shane seemingly had a hatred towards Arthur Winston, but it also appears Arthur didn't know who he was until the Woodley Farm Murders, so perhaps a relative. If he was a relative of Arthur Winston, then what lead to him to hide his existence? Was he a bastard or adopted child? An estranged nephew?
Or, perhaps he's a child of no one, some supernatural presence making itself known?
If he's still alive, given his age he'd look like he'd been in his 20s. Is the narrator harsh-faced, but a young parent, allowing himself to be this little boy, memories erased? Or is he the employer, trying to find out what happened ten years ago. But why wasn't he there?
It seems that, whoever this is, Winston Manor wants him too, greeting "WELCOME BACK" in blood, like a cat offering a bird.
We can also suspect he is meant to stand in for Orpheus, the same way the protagonist of Flute of Death was based off him.
Anomaly Codex
The Dark Mirror was obtained by the founder of Winston Manor (likely a parallel to the naval officer founder of Oletus) and is part of a series of mirrors made with 14th-century Murano mercury. It was passed down for generations, witnessing all the fortune and doom of the families thereafter.
The youngest child of the Winstons could see something moving within the mirror, including a pair of "sanguine eyes." No one else could see them. Not even when Jules was murdered and, as the blood cracked the glass and something seeped out.
The Clumsy Raider was the newest member of the Shane Gang, either Patrick Doyle or Colin Fleming. He was an undignified, clumsy man who could barely hold a weapon, and was tasked by the others with hauling loot or keeping watch, in spite desiring Classics for his own. During the night of the massacre, as all the lights were snuffed out, he grabbed a plank, hoping to protect himself.
Now, he remains trapped in the eternal Winston Manor, still stuck in that night. He lingers between life and death, wandering between eternal hallways, swinging his plank to drive away the darkness. Useless hope keeps him going as he searches for an exit that doesn't exist.
The Nightcrawler is the second member to join the Shane Gang, meaning he is either Doyle or Fleming. He was the sharpest pickpocket, capable of discerning a man's wealth from their clothes. He dreamed of stealing the great Classic (likely the Cursed Sapphire) of Winston Manor, supposedly obtained by the founder making a deal with the devil.
During the night of the massacre, his greed overwhelmed him, and he opened a small box within the study. Inside, he found only a single, black feather. It thrusts itself into his eye, but his cries were those of corvids. Now, in the endless Manor, he hunts for that necklace, targeting anything shiny with the relentlessness of a crow.
The Nameless Doll was made for Jules' fifth birthday by Isabella and became her stalwart companion. She would whisper of the nightmares she saw, such as the red-eyed child, or the nightingale. She was still holding onto it when she died.
In the endless night, the Nameless Doll has gained "two fragments of a soul," one desperately wandering, searching for the love that Jules gave to it. If someone tried to offer it this, the coldness of such loneliness woulds seep into them, making them forget anything but the solitude.
If the doll is neglected, then the second soul, the Doom Poppet, would rip out, transforming its body. Filled with only rage and malice, it would hunt down whoever it could find. The only way to stop it was to tear it apart, stripping it of its souls. Only temporarily, though. Hatred is natural in Winston Manor.
The Sighs were once balloons bought for Jules' eighth birthday, the last birthday she would have, and the last joy Winston Manor would bear too. They witnessed the murder of the three Winstons. Now, they float aimlessly, the last breaths of the three creating vague faces in their appearances. They look for intruders to strangle so that they may finally release those sighs.
The Pale Man is none other than Arthur Winston himself. He was a good man, a good father, filled with wealth and a cursed bloodline his family spoke nothing of. He tried to cure Jules' sudden sleepwalking and chanting with doctors and priests, but it was ineffective against doom. Then, Winston Manor tempted him, showing visions of his wife and daughter's deaths, whispering that if he killed them first, he would grant them a more merciful death. But he did nothing, even as his soul died but the body went through its motions.
Now, in Winston Manor, he's forced to replay the night over and over again. His empty body wanders with a bloodstained axe, interrupted with howls of horror as he realizes what he's done, what he's doing. No one can understand why, though. No one can know what the Manor did to him.
The Wraith was hired by Arthur Winston to patrol the grounds, which he did dutifully, except the night of the murders (October 22nd/October 31st), when he was drunk in his hut. When he woke up and rushed over, he could taste the blood and hear the laughter. Something held him back from entering. He was found dead by the morning, still clutching his chain and axe.
He is still trapped in that night, always attempting to kill the first bandit, but he is always one step too late. In guilt and despair, he continues trying to stop the massacre, but he never will.
The Forlorn Tome was part of the Winston Manor archive, one of the largest collections in Europe. It was also an archive of the House of Winston's bargains with "something infernal." The servants weren't allowed within, with Jules capable of hearing something whispering to her in an unknown language. After her death, the books "heard" a "summons," and a volume written in blood glowed beneath the cruel moon.
The Anomaly entries have a couple important revelations for whatever's going on within Winston Manor.
The first thing notable is that it confirms that Winston Manor has an "endless" alternate realty, similar to the one suspected in the main continuity, where no one truly died in Oletus Manor. Unlike the one implied in the mai continuity, the Winston Manor realm is trapped in a time loop, with the victims unable to comprehend what they're within. It seems that anyone who enters Winston Manor is at risk of entering this realm. They will likely remain there if they die within.
Something curious is the implication that there was another entity, or several, residing in Winston Manor and had interest in the Winstons. It appears to manifest as a red-eyed child or a nightingale (though these could also be separate entities) and that it had a fascination with Jules Winston, likely the source of her nightmares and nursery rhymes. It also appeared to have attempted to convince Arthur to kill his family.
I wonder if the red-eyed child is the little boy in the portrait. There appear to be two different entities, one a raven, one a nightingale. The raven punished the invaders of Winston Manor, while the nightingale is responsible for interacting with Jules. Both of their skeletal forms can be seen in the Dark Mirror. Both, of course, also tie to the main story characters of Alice and Orpheus.
Based off the addition of the Forlorn Tome, it appears that the Winstons and, possibly the DeRosses, were heavily involved in the Occult, with the bloodline having a particular gift for it. They seemingly made a deal with the entity mentioned beforehand for knowledge and wealth.
Daniel Shane was missing from the Anomaly list. It's possible that he will be added as an Anomaly later, but it's possible that he escaped from Winston Manor while the others didn't. Perhaps he's related to the employer or narrator. Perhaps he's related to the little boy.
The Nameless Doll implies that something inside Manor can cause objects (and perhaps people) to gain two fragments of souls. I find this curious under the IDENTITY System of Identity V, where Swap characters barring Orpheus (5 playable identities) and Alice (3 playable identities) can have two playable identities. Is there something about some individuals that, combined with the psycho-supernatural effects of Delphi, causes their souls to split? Is it related to how Orpheus' DID has a minimum of two dominant identities at once?
It's also curious how we have a Bane stand-in with the Wraith, but we are lacking a Bonbon and Burke stand-in. It's possible they will be added later but, like Orpheus, their mission status is conspicuous.
I don't know how I feel about the implication Arthur Winston (and potentially from that, Dennis) were being tempted by the Manor to kill their family, as an explanation as to why he didn't leave when he had over a month of suspecting the Shane Gang / the Oletus Raiders would arrive. Nor how I feel about the idea that Jules Winston / Alice DeRoss was haunted. While there's some precedent, such as the Libero patriarchs and Novelist's NPC Story implying Alice had Neurasthenia, I do think it cheapens some of the tragedy and is less interesting than Oletus being more ambiguous in its nature. But we'll see how it goes.
Classics
The Jewelry Box was a wedding gift from London, owned by Isabella Winston. It was damaged by one of the members of the Shane Gang, who tore it with such a violence it could never close again. Intruders in the ruined Winston Manor will see it a proof of a murder a decade and three weeks ago.
The Golden Spoon was a Winston family heirloom, only taken out in celebration, such as Jules' birthday. It wasn't found by the Shane Gang, leaving it untouched by the slaughter.
When one of the present intruders takes it "out of the story," they do not realize its significance until they return, and an identical copy has taken its place. This has some rather interesting implications on the eternal Winston Manor, where it will generate copies to guarantee that the massacre goes exactly the way it did ten years ago. It is also interesting this realm is called a "story." What is the difference between story and reality?
The Muse's Secret was hidden in a forgotten room within Winston Manor. It was torn from its resting place in front of the treasure room, waiting to play its song. Inside Winston Manor, there is a secret from the Muse, a lyre, that can only be unlocked by returning the music box. Only when the "nightingale sings" can the treasures be granted.
This is curious because we've seen this music box before in DA CAPO, where it calmed an upset Nightmare, sometime after he had mauled Norton. In-game it plays "Her," a piece likely composed by Frederick Kreiburg and/or Mrs. DeRoss and associated with Alice DeRoss' memory. The music box here is associated with something lost, forgotten by memory, which could potentially be an allegory for how Orpheus' memory issues have affected his memory of Alice, trapping it when he last saw her before her assumed death: the age of six, right before the Oletus Manor Massacre.
The Haunted Doll was a gift from an unknown person for an unknown celebration, but its appearance reminds of Jules Winston. She knows some secret she cannot say. Now she remains, the little girl who once held her long gone.
Much like Dennis DeRoss, the Large Painting implies Arthur Winston was an art collector. The Shane Gang left the panting behind, too heavy to loot, and it was spared both the wrath of invaders and the decay of time. One day it could be repaired.
The Fruit Tray, filled with delicious food from the Mediterranean, was another survivor of the raid. It remained there, its last orange decaying with time, until all that was left of the once-beautiful fruit were two leaves.
The Phantom Crystal was an ancient ore mistaken for quartz, but its value dropped after its flawed haze couldn't be filed away. Something, though, slept within, awakening after Jules fell while running with it, and it was left with a crack. From that crack, something millennia old stirred, and a color like an eye came into view.
The Amethyst Ring was commissioned as a family heirloom, to showcase that the Winston family was legitimate and pure, handing the ring down from one generation to another. It was discarded with its age and the loss of its bloodline, until it is now a worthless a curio in an antique store.
The Arc Light is one of the most mysterious Classics in the Codex. A pen that belong to no one, that wrote no thing, yet constantly tempting intruders to pick it up. One of the Shane Gang members tried, but apart from a glimmer of light, nothing happened, and he threw it away in frustration. It rejects any attempts to write with it and yet it begs. Only when someone frees it from the story, from the eternal Winston Manor, did its ability to be used as a weapon, to repel the darkness and rewrite reality, become exposed.
The Silver Nightingale Candlestick, one of the more advertised Classics, was left unseen by the Shane Gang. Strangely, it was never damaged. It once watched many people, including a little girl, and, flame always trembling, it tries to sing an ancient nursery rhyme, likely the one Jules was found chanting. It is likely that this is one of the two rhymes found in the Cursed Sapphire Necklace.
The Silver Statue of Terpsichore was a collector's piece from Florence, Italy. It is said the silversmith saw Terpsichore herself and she inspired him to make the statue. Somehow it escaped looting, perhaps divine intervention. At midnight, one can faintly hear a ancient melody near her, sounding like a farewell.
The Golden Tattered Page was supposedly written in human blood by a Venetian alchemist. Only those "bearing the Manor's bloodline" were permitted to touch it. The Shane Gang, luckily, did not raid the library that night, and did not receive its wrath. Still, in spite its bloodline supposedly lost, it lies in wait, for one day someone will find it and understand it.
The Red Coral was pulled from the Mediterranean Sea, a rarity like the one found in the recent summer event. It was said to protect the children of a household from harm, so it was played in Jules' room. But it was just a piece of coral, a calcified skeleton left behind from its dead colony. It could do nothing, not even return, when the Shane Gang found its owner.
The Gilded Chalice was a supposedly from a smith in Dublin, Ireland, but its origins remain unknown. In it is a pool of coins bearing four-leafed clovers, touched by ancient magic. Anyone who sees it wants the chalice and all the coins, but no matter how hard they try, when they steal it, some will always spill out and never be seen again.
The Classics imply that the Mediterranean Deal was not the only exploration of the Mediterranean Arthur/Dennis was involved in, but it was part of a long trend of supernatural objects obtained from Italy and Greece by the DeRosses and their associates (The Bourbons, the Lambs, the Barrieres, and the Kreiburgs).
The 'specialness' of the Winston/DeRoss bloodline implied in these Classics could be an explanation for why Alice reacts so weirdly to Delphi, on top of her having been experimented on. It could also mean that, given the implication Norton Campbell is possessed, the reason why she sees Hunter forms while under Delphi is because, like Naib suspects, Delphi reveals buried monstrosity, and Alice can see the supernatural when affected by the drug.
On the other hand, the Page mentioning that the bloodline of the Winstons puts Orpheus in an unusual position, one that is rather to maintain. The story has always highlighted Orpheus' ambiguity within the family, both a DeRoss and not one at the same time. His chances of being a DeRoss extinguished. But if there is a special "bloodline" of the DeRosses, then what is he? Because he is probably not blood, is he rejected, accidentally saying that adopted kin isn't really family? Are these Classics capable of making an exception for him, weakening the idea of the "bloodline" being special? Or will Orpheus be revealed to be some secret DeRoss, be it by illegitimacy or some long-lost ancestry, and solving the conundrum by confirming he is "blood," though it weakens the emphasis family is chosen in COA IX? None of the answers seem exactly satisfactory.
Likewise, it is left unknown who the one that will "awaken" the Classics is. Is it someone chosen by the entity of Winston Manor? Or, is the bloodline not as extinguished as previously believed.
And then there's the necklace.
The Cursed Sapphire Necklace
This is perhaps the most interesting lore snippet so far in Cryptic Notes. It's currently unfinished, with the final story likely being tied to the final boss.
The Cursed Sapphire Necklace was a necklace of three contradictory stories of origin. One story was that it originated in 14th-century Milan, inlayed with a star-shaped sapphire. The base came from the Florentine Goldsmiths' Guild. Another story was that it was originally a Visconti family gem, inherited by the Winston family through 16th-century continental collectors.
But the folk story told in Yorkshire was very different. Told again and again, with the frame it was from a relative that "used to work there," the story was that old Winston wore the necklace the entirety of his life, dying of scarlet fever at the age of 99. Very odd when most people were lucky to reach seventy. But another relative said he lived only to 80, but he looked much younger than that. His presence, though, was very different. Though he looked healthy, something about him felt rotten, like a tree with good bark and a beetle-eaten core. And he never left Winston Manor. Were it not for that grand funeral, he would've been assumed dead for years.
The third entry is a nursery rhyme, much like the one engraved on the back of the necklace: "Blue stone, blue stone, / Father hangs it on his son's neck. / Death comes knocking at the door, / Sees the stone and turns to leave. / Blue stone, blue stone, / Inside lives an old friend. / The old friend says let me go, / Father says wait a while longer, / Wait until my son's hair turns white."
The last story remains unreleased.
The Cursed Sapphire necklace heavily implies something is trapped within it, capable of extending the life of a person at the cost of their soul. It bears some similarities to Dorian Gray (and Joseph Desaulniers') keeping their youth by trapping his age and sins in a painting/photo. It also brings to mind Valentina and how the red stone she obtained seemingly turned her into a vessel for the Baba Yaga, in a series of individuals who extended their lives via the stone's cursed symbiosis.
It's possible this entity is the "infernal" entity that the House of Winston made a bargain with. Based off the riddle on its backside and its ability to delay death, it appears to be associated with death, misfortune, fate. Doom. However, in exchange for extending lives, it appears to possess its bearer, hollowing them out to be a vessel.
Given Jules Winston could see things in the mirror, could hear the nightingale tell her rhymes, it appears that whatever was trapped in the necklace wanted her, due to the necklace sharing the same nightingale imagery as whatever haunted her. Based off the final boss, the title of the book, and the eternal Winston Manor, it appears it got what she wanted. The nightingale may be wearing Jules/Alice, but is it actually her? Or, like Winston Senior, is she now a hollow vessel for the harpy entity?
There is also the raven/crow, who has an unknown association. Is it the form of the entity or is it another being? Are there two of them?
If one recalls, the stream COA IX was announced in implied that the blue gemstones used to obscure the true world contained a clue about the main storyline. In the May 2026 livestream, it was repeatedly emphasized how similar the Cursed Sapphire Necklace was to Alice's (and by extension Mrs. DeRoss') necklaces.
Since Alice bears the necklace in the main story, is it possible she did die at some point, such as the Asylum fire, but the necklace prevented her death? What happens then if it breaks? Is she even Alice anymore?
Additionally, we also have the existence of the supposedly-cursed Blue Hope, previously owned by Mary Kreiburg. The Kreiburgs were friends of Mrs. DeRoss, so is it possible that Blue Hope is from the same 'lineage' as the DeRoss necklaces? How much Frederick Kreiburg is interested in Blue Hope remains ambiguous, but if he is interested in it, the potential reason could be supernatural curiosity. If so, it has some rather disturbing implications as to what the necklaces can do, thanks to the Mary Amalgamation that comprises the Bloody Queen.
Is Miss Nightingale a similar amalgamation?
Part I Video
At the end of Part I, this video plays.
This video implies that the reason why Arthur Winston and the other Winstons didn't leave, in spite knowing the Shane Gang was coming was due to something inside Winston Manor. Something keeping him within. Something that he nailed the entrances shut to prevent from escaping.
At the end of the video, the illustration has a frame bearing thorns, the Cursed Sapphire, and bird skulls. In the corners are a vague silhouette of a face, one that looks awfully similar to the torn-out face of Jules Winston. It is difficult to tell if the bird skull is a raven or nightingale but, based off the thicker beak, it is a raven. The thorns are both associated with Bringer of Doom and with trauma in the Eden storyline and Moonlit Mirage skin.
Now, there's quite a bit of speculation among myself and others about this video, notably whether the man seen represents an avatar of Orpheus or even an avatar of Roy. Considering the possibility "Orpheus" was Roy's pen-name before the Baron's, it's possible that the novel was written by Roy rather than Orpheus.
It would certainly explain discrepancies.
First Evaluation
The part leaves far more questions than answers, though most of what we see centers on the idea of what if Orpheus didn't intervene or didn't exist during the Oletus Manor Massacre, resulting in the death of Alice in addition to Dennis and Mrs. DeRoss. Afterward, the ghost of Jules/Alice haunts Winston Manor, most likely as Miss Nightingale, while Arthur/Dennis haunts as The Pale Man. Mrs. DeRoss/Isabella Winston is nowhere to be found.
I am curious whether the upcoming Nightinalice is an "amalgam" of Jules Winston/Alice DeRoss, Isabella Winston/Mrs DeRoss, and the "Nightingale"/unknown entity associated with the necklace. Considering the story of the red nightingale, we are slowly seeing a contrast between the red/false nightingale and the golden/true nightingale. The latter is associated with Alice, the former another being, one that seemingly dislikes Alice. If the entity is the false nightingale, then why did it possibly possess Alice?
We have potential evidence for some longstanding suspicion that the DeRosses were involved in supernatural business, not just the Mediterranean Deal. It's difficult to tell what it is given the novel blends innovation with inspiration. But it is there, as is the implication there is something horrible and avian within Winston/Oletus Manor and that it is interested in the DeRoss siblings.
I am curious whether the hints that the Shane Gang were spying on the Winstons have merit for how long the Oletus Manor Massacre was planned. We know it was at least several months due to Mrs. Blanche's illness and the loan taken out by Mr. Blanche (Orpheus' Second Letter). We also know from Bonbon's Deductions there were efforts for some time to implement security tools into Bonbon. But it also feels... weird to imply that the DeRosses knew the Massacre would happen soon but didn't attempt to leave, especially with less implication Oletus was holding them captive the same way Winston Manor did.
The Winston Manor realm existing in the story is rather curious, given the implications there is a Manor Realm in the Dreamlands the game players go to when they "die." Does Orpheus in the main story know about the Manor Realm and it's why he wrote it in? Or is there something else that he accidentally guessed correctly?
On the more negative end, I do think that all of this feels a bit...... fluffy? For such supposedly big reveals they feel like nothing but reveals. That they aren't going to have any true impact on the narrative and any potential they could have are softened by the novel's "twisted allegory," to quote the stream. Even though all stories are allegories or can be interpreted as such.
Assuming that the implications do hold weight, then some of the implications, such as the special Winston/DeRoss bloodline, or Arthur Winston knowing the massacre would happen soon, feel like they conflict with the themes quite horridly. Family can be chosen, except when it isn't and it must be blood! Dennis DeRoss didn't leave with his family even as he suspected a massacre would happen! Especially with the idea Alice has some kind of magical powers and that was why she obtained the moniker of "Cursed child" after the Massacre was laid at her feet. It feels distrustful that the audience would like her based off characterization.
It also feels like it is relying so heavily on a "stay tuned" that it struggles to write anything meaningful. When almost anything here could be meaningful or just an Orpheus(?) story, then why hype it up as this big mystery, especially regarding characters and events that should've remained mysterious like Miss Nightingale and the Oletus Manor Massacre.
As someone who wanted more supernatural exploration of Oletus Manor, I'm incredibly disappointed. It feels like an uneven mixture of long-planned ideas and sudden plot twists, which fit together like opposite jigsaw puzzle corners.
I'm almost done with the Cryptic Notes analysis that makes me want to kill someone, so I think the best cleanser is discussing a theory that's been bothering me.
The possibility Frederick represents Lucifer in Identity V.
The Process of Elimination
First off, something that's immediately noticeable in Identity V is that Alice and Memory (and sometimes Orpheus) represent the (anti)Christ of Identity V. This can be seen in the harrowing of hell via entering the Underworld, rising from a presumed death, the theme of forgiveness, martyrdom, and in Memory/Alice's case, lamb imagery.
In contrast, the Da Capo Hunters are associated with demon imagery. Fool's Gold Infernal Sin skin is explicitly based off Amon, a demon depicted as a bird-wolf-serpent and is associated with wrath. Queen Bee's fairy design invokes The Lord of the Flies, Beelzebub, with her original (more insectoid) design matching of the demon's designs, her Memory Scar skin a spirit, one likely demonized (literally). Nightmare's Abyss represents a fallen Adam who embraced sin, while his design recalls several demons, most notably Malphas.
By this logic, Frederick's Hunter and, to a lesser degree, is Survivor, must represent a demon in some form. A demon that isn't Amon, Beelzebub, or Malphas. We have a couple options: Phenax, Marchosias, and Focalor. All three bear more inner turmoil about their hellish positions and all there have avian aspects.
A depiction of Marchosias. Note the bird wings, fire breath, serpent's tail, and wolf torso.
But there's some other aspects to keep in mind about Frederick. Phenax, Marchosias, and Focalor are motivated by earnest desire to "redeem" themselves. While it's true that Frederick has obviously felt it at some points (most notably Endless Banquet and Delicate Green), there are also implications Frederick does not care for his redemption anymore. At least, in a way that would fit the previously-mentioned demons. No, instead, Frederick seems to find peace with his rejection, even as he bitterly mourns good food and good clothes (Composer Third Letter). He finds meaning in revolution.
So, with a thousand other demons to choose from, which one is Frederick?
To find out, we need to look at the Kreiburgs that constituted his "fall."
The Kreiburgs
According to Cage of Yesteryear, Umber, and Frederick's Second and Third Letters, Frederick's disownment from the Kreiburg family should not solely be taken by passive abandonment, but active rejection. Though Frederick had already been displaced by the Kreiburgs due to his skin condition, mental illness, and unique composition style (Frederick Deduction Five; Frederick Second Letter), he was still considered a rising star. Due to Umber, it's implied that he was the "winner" of the Kreiburg eugenic game in Cage of Yesteryear, due to the winner being depicted as a wolf, and Umber being a werewolf who left the over wolves out of disgust for their brutal traditionalism.
Rebelling against the desires of family as the "rising star" bears more significance than Frederick solely being a failed experiment. But it was also against Frederick's nature: his more experimentation music, found in his Second and Third Letters, is considered noteworthy, and to embrace the skill he has, he must reject the Kreiburg within him. In the description for his Concerto, it's noted Frederick has a more talented, but crueler person within him. One that, based off his Third Letter, he chose to become.
We also need to discuss Frederick's stillborn twin. Frederick's twin represents everything holy to him denied, his act of Cain from which he bears the marks of hellfire. Frederick looks like this twin but is not him and the Kreiburgs wishes his twin survived instead (Frederick Deduction Six). Frederick shows consistent self-loathing and hatred towards his brith marks and, by extension, himself for not being his twin.
Among the angels, two angels are placed in opposition, with the Angel Michael being shown as the dragonslayer, casting Lucifer out from Heaven. He is the chief of the angels, the warrior, and the one who casts judgement during the Apocalypse. Michael is also the angel depicted on the tarot card Judgement, the same card that is Frederick's card.
I would like to note that Survivor Frederick's debut skin was Dragon Hunter, a self-loathing dragon hybrid who slays the last of his kin, only (implied via concept art and Richard' Essence) to become a dragon himself. It visually bears similarities other than depictions of Michael in artwork.
But if Survivor Frederick represents the Frederick who is still living up to the ghost of his twin, then who is Frederick himself? Who is the Frederick that Orpheus encouraged to unmask?
It seems like Lucifer is the answer.
Oletus
Frederick was encouraged by the "host" (translated as hostess) of his book club to embrace his uniqueness. It is heavily implied via Frederick's Deductions that this host was Orpheus, which explains how he was able to obtain a tuning fork associated with the Mediterranean Deal. Orpheus, therefore, encouraged Frederick to become colder, but also more at peace with himself.
At the same time, there is a significant possibility that Frederick is the "Dotdot" mentioned in Orpheus' Third and Fourth Letters. This is because of Frederick being implied to be an old accomplice in Cage of Yesteryear (Alice finds a tea set in a hidden study, with two old cups and one new. The new cup is implied to be Norton's), has known Orpheus at the earliest around Game 0 (due to knowledge Roy Kafe helped research White Steed but was gone by its publishing), and associations with the occult and the Mediterranean Deal. "Dotdot" appears to have encouraged Orpheus to embrace the supernatural aspects of Delphi, while also selling out Sam Bourbon and potentially Vilhelm Lamb.
If so, this twists Frederick and Orpheus' relationship into something of mutual destruction and temptation. He is transformed from someone exploited to a corrupter himself. One who pushed Orpheus down the slippery slope of vengeance, rather than helplessly watching him embrace the eldritch.
Frederick's reasons for remaining at Oletus remain unclear. He's clearly been around for some time, but while he shows some interest in Blue Hope for an unknown sentimental reason, it doesn't seem to be the sole reason. He didn't steal Blue Hope several times he had the chance, is implied via his background and Endless Banquet to have obtained what he abstractly wanted (appreciation), and, if he's Dotdot, is more interested in experiment with the occult. He is, so far, the only known "victor" of Oletus Manor.
Frederick's association with Orpheus is associated with the goddess Aphrodite in his Eighth Deduction, in contrast to Frederick comparing his relationships with his family to the Euterpe. Aphrodite became syncretized with the Roman goddess Venus and both of whom have connections to the goddess Inanna. All three are associated with the planet Venus, better known as the Morning Star. The planet itself was personified with the name of Lucifer.
As a side note, both Sangria and Antonio are associated with Lucifer. Sangria is associated with the Black Goat (based off the Lovecraft forest god), while Antonio is possessed by a demon.
The Great Red Dragon
Several times now, we can see Frederick has associates with Lucifer, the Devil, and this has implications for his role in the main story.
"But Nightmare is associated with the Devil" and that is true from his tarot cards. However, I would like to propose Nightmare is associated with an older conceptualization of satan (the Accuser) rather than Lucifer Satan. They are both adversaries in the sense that they must be adversaries, rather than it being indicative of their natures.
We can see this in the setup to the Book of Job, where God and the Satan discuss whether Job loves God out of piety or because he has experienced a good life, so God tests Job by making his life miserable. It is a test of The Problem of Evil, how bad things can happen to those who are faithful to God. Satan is a part of the structure of the universe, approved by God, rather than something abnormal that must be corrected for.
Likewise, Nightmare is not inherently malevolent, but his job was to originally suffer the pain for Orpheus (Piety Concept Notes). He is "evil" in the sense that he must experience evil deeds, not because of an evil nature. Fittingly, Nightmare is the Orpheus identity that experiences the most remorse and distress regarding Orpheus' choices. He may be brutal, but he is not evil.
Frederick, in contrast, finds both distress and comfort in the idea of acting as himself, which includes good things (such as rejecting the Kreiburg eugenics), but also includes embracing the colder, crueler, unique sides of himself. Though the Kreiburgs were no heaven, he chose defiance and sacrificed everything to listen to this nature. Now, in the Underworld of Oletus, he finds both loathing and victory.
This Luciferian character of Frederick could hold clues into his Hunter Design. It's possible it could include horns, feathered (or draconic) wings, halos, spade tails, or other features of Lucifer in various depictions.
On a greater note, it makes any choice of his incredibly ambiguous. We have last seen him in the trailer of Cryptic Notes, "saving" Alice from one of the Doom Poppets. However, it is unknown if this was a choice made of altruism or remorse, or another plan we currently lack information on. Note how in the majority of Frederick's Event appearances, he has been an aloof friend at best (Christmas Concerto) to a morally ambiguous ally (Halloween), to a villain mastermind who can only be played into a stalemate (Last Voyage of Oceanus). Considering Alice sees herself as Jesus, Frederick's seeming benevolence should be treated with extreme caution.
Something interesting to note is how Alice's association with the golden-winged nightingale brings to mind The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed In Sun by poet William Blake. It depicts the titular Book of Revelation characters as the Dragon tries to kill the Woman. The Dragon, of course, stands in for Lucifer.
If Alice and Frederick are meant to stand in fro the Woman and the Dagon, then this supports the theory that Frederick will be the adversary Alice faces in the Final Game, due to Orpheus' position as an antagonist being complicated by Alice's motivation to protect him. Alice also considers Norton and Melly to be her "temporary allies." Frederick, therefore, may be delegated the role of the most active antagonist, due to having the coolest relationship between them.
Just like how Norton Campbell's Judas parallel makes him a danger to Orpheus and Alice, Frederick's position as Lucifer marks him as someone dangerous to both of them.
Speaking of, if the theory Frederick is the Red Protagonist/Reichenbach is true, then Frederick may return to the Lucifer role in an attempt to corrupt Detective, by attempting to find a conclusion to the Final Game and his longstanding associate. Detective, taking the role of Jesus from Alice, but also Dionysus from his adoptive father Dennis, would be challenged by resisting the temptation and leaving the Underworld of Oletus, with Frederick being defined by his refusal to move on.
There is also a possibility Frederick's S Skin, particularly if it takes place in the Eden storyline, may be based off Lucifer, with a strong chance it is based off the Red Dragon or the Book of Revelation declaring the Serpent of Eden to be him.
There are many possibilities that remain to be seen.
This is super late but here are some things I like about the game!
My most favorite thing is IDV's premise! The whole "mystery manor and mysterious games" thing is super interesting and sets it apart instantly from Dead by Daylight. As much as I love Dead by Daylight, the whole "evil entity forces people in eternal death games" thing can get pretty tiring sometimes.
The lore is something I like too. I like putting the events and characters together, even if it can be annoying at times. It makes me feel like a detective. I also appreciate how a lot of characters are nuanced and aren't completely good or bad, even if some lean more on either side.
In terms of gameplay, I enjoy how IDV doesn't have a similar perk system like DbD. In a way, IDV has a more "active" stance in survivor gameplay as it depends heavily on survivor items, skills, and personas compared to DbD's perk system where it utilizes things such as invincibility, speed, and stuns rather than full on item abilities (with the exception of some addons and certain perks).
Accessibility & convinience is a great factor of why I like IDV too. My laptop got busted which is :/, and IDV is the only horror 1v4 (as far as I know) that's available on multiple platforms which I am thankful for. Like I can open up a tablet or phone and I can still play regardless.
(Also this isn't a diss on DbD. I love DbD! But IDV's differentness from it makes it really refreshing.)
More on the sillier side, I like IDV because it has 2 of my favorite characters in it. Bane Perez and Kurt Frank! Oughhh I love them so much... I literally joined the game because I saw Bane and was like "I need to kiss him". For Kurt, I think he's very cute with a likeable personality! I like his whole shrinking and hiding gimmick even if it isn't the most meta thing. He's so sweet, I think he deserved better. Actually every IDV character deserved better. Especially Orpheus and Alice. Whole game tragic 😭🙏
Anyways, there's this one final thing I like about IDV. It's a certain ship and rarepair, can you guess? That's right.... KurtBane. So sorry to add shipping in this ask.... but I have to be honest, thinking about them together in both a platonic and romantic way is really fun for me. There's something about them that makes me compelled to put them together... like magnets... I think it's because of the super brief encounter they have, and also of the "what if" aspect on if they actually met. I might be the only person who ships them 🤕🤕🤕
Anywho, that's what I love about IDV! I hope this cheers you up somewhat rather than annoy you. Have a good day!
Aw, thank you so much for the kind words.
IDV s a Gothic Horror story in a world where stories like that are now very rare. Especially video games. Of the few that exist, the majority of them are adaptations of previously existing Gothic Horror media. To tell an original story in the genre is special.
I think, as someone who plays DBD, the reason why IDV's story is more appealing is that it leads somewhere. Most of the characters in DBD aren't connected and, by the time they get to the Entity's Realm, it's a sandbox setting. Meanwhile, almost every IDV character has several characters tied to them through a Game and if post-game content is more to your liking, there's the stage play continuity that focuses more on the Manor Realm, which is vaguely implied in the game but never elaborated on.
I think the mystery is the fun part, even if I feel some characters are neglected to draw out the suspense (Orpheus, Arthur, Miles, Dolores, etc). I love watching a character's story slowly unfold and realizing what is going on. Regardless if whether theories are right or wrong, the thrill of the reveal is unparalleled. I can't describe the sheer excitement I've felt the past few months seeing the Imposter Orpheus/Roy theory finally come true.
That's very true! Even though I've always focused on Hunters in both IDV and DBD, I care about the IDV Survivors a lot more. The interchangeability in DBD really dampens the interest in acquiring new Survivors beyond acquiring new Perks. In IDV, Survivor completely changes how you play. Kurt doesn't play like Amanda doesn't play like Melly doesn't play like Naib. There's someone for every play style and it makes me want to try out Survivors more.
A similar thing happened to me as well. I had my PC unable to run any video game beyond Don't Starve for a year, so I had to rely on an art tablet I somehow successfully downloaded IDV on (how unorthodox) and learned how to play with a stylus and hand. I wouldn't have been able to play IDV otherwise. A quick in memoriam for DBD Mobile: gone but not forgotten.
(I have a more... sour relationship to DBD now than I've had in the past, particularly in the aftermath of the Unknown Incident and the increased "Fortnitification," but I still have a soft spot for it. I still keep up with news and occasionally log on. At my core there's still love. Knight/Trickster/Artist main.)
Yes! I've mentioned it before, but the first Game I fell in love with was the Game Nine crew. Bane, Kurt, Naib, Servais, and William (and Murro). Something about their story is incredibly compelling to me. It's a story about trust, where a deer man scarred by trust supervised four (five) individuals who could've trusted each other. Could've become friends. But, due to their respective traumas, never did. It's such a beautiful tragedy with characters perfectly designed to complement each other, but it's still so under-discussed. I'm grateful for the Game 9 Diaries finally being added because wow. They're incredible. Kurt's Diaries are still some of the best additions to the lore of the game. As fun as Closing Night was, I think when push comes to shove, I think I enjoy the Diaries more.
Kurt is such an underrated character, it isn't fair. He's a great subversion of the "mentally ill red herring" character, where he's the one who noticed Bane first, is among the most open-minded characters of his Game, and is also a resourceful and passionate man.
And Bane! My beloved Bane. Bane who was the first character to give us anything about the main story lore, as little as we knew it then. Once we were introduced to Burke, then Bonbon, the three heads of Oletus' "Cerberus" became clear.
Don't apologize for loving a ship that makes you happy. I certainly am no stranger to rare pairings. And, even with ships I don't ship myself, it makes me happy? I have ragged on the downsides of shipping culture before, particularly in how it leads to mischaracterization of characters like Orpheus, but, in all honesty, there's a lot to love about it. I love looking up a character's name in Tenor and seeing whatever gifs shippers made. Whoever bears the passion to make Bane/Antonio or Joseph/Burke gifs when no one else does bears the passion of a thousand fans. Same with the butler photos in IDV lobbies. Speaking of, with the new wedding furniture, I expect an uptick in ship photos. I may not discuss shipping much due to the persona of this blog being very dry and academic, but I can assure me and my archiving team do have a deep fondness for the variety of IDV's shipping culture and especially the rare pairs.
As for Kurt and Bane, don't forget that Kurt was the first to believe in Bane when no one else did. There's a lot of potential to be held there, especially in an alternate continuity where they interacted as Game Nine went down. Kurt's compassion towards animals, such as when he abandoned a chance to escape to protect a stray cat in the rain, aligns well with Bane's compassion towards wildlife.
This did cheer me up, thank you. And don't apologize for it, it was very sweet. I hope you have a good day as well.
My take on hunter Frederick heavily inspired by @corviscor's various analyses!
Please go check them out, I've been fascinated for hours reading everything they've deduced about Frederick...
The name "L'Ortolan" was suggested by my good friend @n0va2020! Go check out his page <3
I have many ideas for this hunter, so it's likely you'll see him again- and if you're interested, you can attack him on my art fight page!
Fun facts under the cut!
Originally called Composer, Frederick's monstrous form now strongly resembles a phoenix who specializes in aggressive offense; though his flames give away to survivors where he is on the map at all times.
Eaten alive by the media, "L'Ortolan" only wanted to be known for his musical prowess but was instead sought after for his looks. Now donning a mask, his roaring flames make sure everyone will know him for his talent and talent alone.
The crackle of flames can be constantly heard in his presence, only quieting when "L'Ortolan" plays his music. While walking, survivors may catch glimpses of burning music sheets trailing behind the hunter before they burn to embers.
His conductor's baton can be switched out for his tuning fork when his flames engulf his right wing, revealing a new ability set. Although no longer able to dash forward, his tuning fork allows him to use echolocation to pinpoint survivor locations if they are currently on a cipher.
When stunned by a pallet or ducking through windows, "L'Ortolan" will fluff out his feathers and shake off whatever disturbed him (big bird... <3)
I am screaming.
First thing I see when checking my notifications. The colors, the usage of Frederick's blue in the "peacock" accents, the way he contains design elements similar to Miss Nightingale, the melting wax and ash. Truly impeccable.
And I love the name L'Ortolan too. A sinful dish that God will judge you for consuming. Perfect for the hellfire composer himself.
I have no idea how to react so take a rapid Hunter Composer sketch as a thank you. Imagine the paper is your reference sheet.
Incoherent Crack Theory: Survivor Galatea in Game One
What if the developers have two hands and Galatea is a reverse-Luchino where she participates (and likely dies) in Game One as a Survivor while she was a Hunter in Game Zero?
I theorize Game One was the game with Lily (the unlikelier option is Lily is in Four-Two) and Lily previously was convicted by Galatea to kill her father. We've had a previous case of characters who've known each other in the past appear in a character's second Game in the form of Luca Balsa. He hadn't met anyone in Game Ten before being imprisoned, but survived to Game Eleven where he met Amanda (daughter of his prison warden), Dogma (fellow prisoner), and Alva (mentor and father figure).
To explain how she could potentially still have a Survivor Swap (given how much it was hyped in Nightmare's Video) but not be the Survivor of Game 0.
This is also potentially supported by Alice, Orpheus, and likely Frederick, where none had IDENTITY Swaps on display in the (pseudo)game at the Kreiburg Racecourse, but likely were all in IDENTITY Swap mode during the Final Game.
