Lore:Tales of the Forgotten — Vol. 4

"And my vanquisher will read that book, seeking the weapon, and they will come to understand me, where I have been and where I was going."The following is a verbatim transcription of an official document for archival reasons. As the original content is transcribed word-for-word, any possible discrepancies and/or errors are included.

Tales of the Forgotten — Vol. 4 is a Lore book introduced in the Episode: Revenant. Entries were acquired by exchanging Manifested Pages during Festival of the Lost 2024.

Chapter 1

Faint guitar music drifted through the streets of the Last City, barely audible over the buzz of citizens in the market. Glint's iris flicked between passing patrons and the pleasing festival decorations. His self-assigned patrol was barely a distraction from his racing thoughts, but it made him feel helpful to Crow and the Vanguard—even if they didn't know and were too preoccupied to care.

A nearby stand decorated with stained glass wind chimes caught his attention. He gave them a closer look, wondering how to get one back to Crow.

"Come on! Quick!" a voice shouted. Glint turned to see four teens rush by the stall, narrowly avoiding a cart full of vegetables. To Glint's surprise, one teen carried a large pumpkin.

"These kids and their Headless Ones nonsense, I swear," the stall owner said.

"It's that time of year. Silly pranks abound," responded a patron with a chuckle.

Glint quickly floated after them.

Ghost Den – 1

[NEW RECORDING] Ghost Den–Session 1

LOCATION: Tower–Bazaar—Previously New Monarch Meeting Area

FACILITATORS: Eva Levante, Micah-10, and Mihaylova (Recordkeeper)

PARTICIPANTS: Ghost, Glint, Ophiuchus, Kugu, Lexicon, Bee, and Batt

—START OF RECORDING—

Eva: Welcome, little Lights. Thank you for joining us.

Micah: In the spirit of the season, and with recent events in mind, we wanted to hold this gathering to give you space to talk and share.

Eva: The Festival of the Lost is an opportunity to celebrate life and honor death. We often forget to do both and can feel much turmoil as a result.

Micah: Mihaylova is recording, but only so you can look back on your progress if you like. So please don't feel intimidated by her.

[CIRCLE NOTE: The participants glance at each other. Ghost shrinks under everyone's curiosity and floats closer to the open air of the balcony.]

Eva: Now, who would like to begin?

Chapter 2

Glint saw the teens running into an abandoned building and floated in behind them. The rays from the setting sun trickled through the windows, allowing Glint to find his way without providing his own light. Keeping to the shadows, he bobbed his way through piles of debris, passing half-finished murals on the walls until he found the room the pranksters had decided to make their hideout.

As he entered, he noticed a collection of curiosities that he couldn't quite place, but it was an unfamiliar book in one of the teens' hands that claimed his attention first. It looked thrown together; pages of varying quality and color poked out haphazardly, like an art project gone wrong.

"No, no, the pumpkin has to be in the center, Cash," the young Awoken girl said, exasperated.

Glint spotted "Cash." The Human boy made a patronizing face but moved the pumpkin anyway. With its carved-out eyes and sharp teeth, the item in question fit with what Glint knew of Headless Ones. Nothing about it glowed, which was a good sign, so he dipped slyly behind a box to avoid detection and continued to examine the room while the teens argued over this "ritual."

Ghost Den – 2

—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—

[CIRCLE NOTE: A Ghost with a light blue shell, Kugu, beeps and floats toward the center of the circle made by the other Ghosts.]

Micah: Ah, Kugu! Go right ahead.

Kugu: The Witness is a spineless, weak jerk that made everyone's lives horrible. Who asked for its opinion on how the universe should be run? No one! I've never seen such an entitled being in my life. I wish I could have gone shell to smoke head with it. I would have ripped it in—

[CIRCLE NOTE: Other Ghosts looking between one another, a few giggling. Another Ghost with an all-black shell, Lexicon, quickly flies up and pushes gently against Kugu.]

Lexicon: Yes, the Witness is awful, but maybe we should try to move forward? It's dead. Holding onto anger will only poison us and our future.

Micah: That's an excellent perspective, Lexicon. Thank you.

[CIRCLE NOTE: Kugu grumbles in agreement and returns to their original spot, with Lexicon close behind.]

Chapter 3

There were some unusual objects in the room. Glint scanned them when he was sure no one was looking: colorful fabrics draped over various things, a hundred or so melting candles, counterfeit Gambit coins, swords that were supposed to be Hive in origin, candy dumped in a variety of buckets, boxes, and vases. Everything was a forgery, some sort of fake.

Two young Eliksni had been standing off to one side. At the Awoken girl's behest, they approached her in the center of the makeshift ritual circle. That was when Glint's eye caught something interesting. An altar, covered in more candles and smaller baubles that reflected against something familiar, an item he hadn't expected to find here: a golden reliquary container.

Ghost Den – 3

—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—

Eva: Would anyone else like to go?

[CIRCLE NOTE: The Ghosts idle in place, irises nervously looking around.]

Micah: Anyone…? Ophiuchus?

[CIRCLE NOTE: Ophiuchus does not say anything. He stares back at Micah and slowly blinks. Lexicon floats toward a pillow and hides behind it. Another Ghost makes a noise akin to someone clearing their throat. Eva continues to smile from her place next to Micah on the couch.]

Micah: All right, moving on.

Chapter 4

A debate had started between the teens. While they were distracted, Glint could easily float unnoticed from one hiding spot to the next. They were arguing whether to use melted candy on their hands to bond them even further before the ritual, which resulted in huffs and objections. Cash sighed at the response to his suggestion.

Glint floated past some deactivated—or more likely broken—Cabal shields and some weird blue substance in a mason jar before stopping at a box a few feet from the altar. He wasn't close enough to scan it, but it certainly looked like a real reliquary. It sat beside a book holder that took up the center of the table. There were other items around it: a gold medallion with a symbol he didn't recognize, an orb that shimmered like starlight, an assortment of scarves, and rocks that gleamed in the candlelight. But nothing looked as potentially concerning as the reliquary. Anything could be in there…

He glanced over at the group for a moment. Having checked that their attention was elsewhere, he floated over to the altar for a closer inspection.

Ghost Den – 4

—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—

[CIRCLE NOTE: A Ghost with an orange shell, Bee, floats forward. Another, Batt, dons a red shell. She hovers close to her.]

Bee: I can go. Ahem.

Batt: It's okay, you got this.

[CIRCLE NOTE: Batt gives Bee a comforting nudge. She takes a shaky breath.]

Bee: We almost died during the War. I—I know that "almost" isn't as bad as "did", but… I haven't felt the same since then.

Micah: What you experienced is just as important. No need to minimize it.

Bee: It was… terrifying. The way its limbs reached out to crush anyone in its path…

Batt: We got grabbed. It looked like that was it, but then it disappeared.

[CIRCLE NOTE: The two turn to Ghost, who can't meet their gaze. He floats a bit lower.]

Bee: We're alive because of you. Thank you.

Chapter 5

The teens stood in a circle. At the center was a pumpkin, positioned in the middle of an intricate symbol, painted with unsure brushstrokes, smudged to fix mistakes.

"Stop fidgeting, Nirysk," the young Eliksni girl muttered, tightening her grip on the other Eliksni's hands. "You don't see Cash or Rhea fidgeting."

"I'm not fidgeting," said Nirysk as he grabbed Cash's hand.

"If you're scared, I'm sure we can do this alone—"

"Melii, I'm fine," Nirysk retorted, his tone short.

"Everyone ready?" Rhea asked. The teens nodded. In one hand, she held up the book she'd been leafing through when Glint initially arrived. The words they strung together seemed a bit nonsensical, despite recognizing a few. Glint approached the altar with the intention of scanning the reliquary… but he couldn't.

Confused, Glint tried again. Nothing happened. His sensors were jammed. He couldn't even send an SOS to the Vanguard.

A violet glow danced in his peripherals, demanding his attention. He spun around and, to his surprise, saw it was from the pumpkin head—eyes and mouth alight.

Ghost Den – 5

—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—

[CIRCLE NOTE: The focus has now shifted to Ghost. The rest of the participants, quiet and waiting, turn their attention toward him.]

Ghost: I don't know what to say… I-I'm glad I could help. I just…

[CIRCLE NOTE: He looks around and retracts.]

Ghost: I can't. Not yet.

Glint: Hey, it's okay.

[CIRCLE NOTE: Glint floats over to Ghost and huddles beside him, shells touching for comfort.]

Glint: I can go next.

Chapter 6

Panic surged through Glint.

No. No, no, no. According to all the research he and Eido had done on the Headless Ones over the years, this shouldn't have been possible. It shouldn't have been allowed to happen. Nothing in this room was real, or at least shouldn't have been able to power a ritual—the book! It had to have been the book.

The teens were lost in the trance of their spell, a palpable energy lifting them slowly from the ground.

This was only supposed to be a prank! Glint tried once more to reach out to the Vanguard, to Crow, but his radio was eating static. He did the next best thing.

"Hey!" he shouted. It worked instantly. The startled teens yelled in surprise and, with their concentration broken, tumbled to the ground with loud thuds.

Ghost Den – 6

—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—

Glint: The war with the Witness was never going to end without losses. I don't think any of us wanted that, but we all knew that if it meant saving lives, we'd pay whatever price was asked.

Glint: But I've never felt a Ghost's death before.

[CIRCLE NOTE: The circle falters for a moment. Many of the Ghosts shift uneasily. They don't look at Glint.]

Glint: I didn't know Targe for very long. The nature of our mission in the Pale Heart brought everyone's Ghosts together. I've talked with Ghost a lot in the past and consider us friends, but it was nice to be around Targe and Ophiuchus. To see things from a new perspective.

[CIRCLE NOTE: Glint sighs. Ghost looks to him. Ophiuchus does not react.]

Glint: I wish I could have gotten to know him better.

Ophiuchus: He didn't have to die.

[CIRCLE NOTE: All eyes snap to Ophiuchus, shells twisting with curiosity.]

Chapter 7

"The hell is a Ghost doing here?!" Cash asked. Everyone had risen, hissing painfully, to their feet. They looked around as they brushed themselves off and checked for injuries.

"Wait," Melii said. Glint floated closer to them, and the Eliksni's eyes widened. "That's not just any Ghost, egghead! That's the Hunter Vanguard's Ghost!"

"Glint?" Nirysk asked. Melii nodded. Beside them, the flickering candlelight danced on Rhea's pale violet arms as she folded them protectively over the book.

"That doesn't answer the question," she said defensively.

"I could ask you the same," Glint said. He looked at each of them in turn, but found his gaze drawn invariably back to the book. Even from a distance it didn't look special. "What in the world were you trying to do, exactly? Summon a Headless One?"

"What? No! That'd be ridiculous," Rhea said. "Everyone knows there's no way to do that."

"Yeah, exactly," Cash said. "We were trying to speak to the dead."

Glint blinked.

Ghost Den – 7

—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—

Ophiuchus: Targe was a pain, just like Zavala, sometimes… but he was a good Ghost.

[CIRCLE NOTE: A soft gust of wind passes through the circle. It sounds closer to a roar in the silence.]

Ophiuchus: You get used to someone's presence when you've been around them for so long. Even if you don't speak often.

[CIRCLE NOTE: Ophiuchus sighs.]

Ophiuchus: I knew he was going to do it. Something reckless… But I thought he would make it out. He and Zavala have been in many a bind, so I foolishly thought this would be no different.

Ophiuchus: I do think I miss him.

[CIRCLE NOTE: There is a long pause. The other Ghosts share glances.]

Ophiuchus: Ghost…

Ophiuchus: What was it like when you died?

Chapter 8

"You were trying to… what?" Glint asked, taken aback.

"Well…" Melii started, then paused. She looked hesitantly at her peers. "We were talking about how many people fell during the war, and, uh, we just wanted to try to speak to them."

Glint noted the cautiousness in her voice. He floated higher to be level with their faces and saw how they all looked away from him, as if ashamed. Or… was it something more?

"We don't care about stupid pranks," Rhea explained quietly. "We had heard that this time of year was the best to try something like this…"

"The Hall Between," Glint muttered. They nodded.

Realization dawned on Glint.

They'd lost people to the Witness, and they were looking for solace. For answers. They wanted to feel close to their loved ones again after having had them taken away so suddenly and without warning. Glint could understand that.

Ghost Den – 8

—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—

Glint: You don't have to answer that…

Ghost: No, it's fine. I'm fine.

[CIRCLE NOTE: Ghost's shell flexes and shakes a little. Micah and Eva watch him carefully.]

Ghost: Final Deaths are always a possibility. We all know that.

Ghost: There's a complacency we feel, a comfortability, when it comes to our immortality… But, being in the Pale Heart, fighting alongside the Guardian, feeling the damage to me increasing with each moment…

Ghost: I don't know why I came back.

Ghost: I… I don't know why it was me and not Targe. He was just as important as any of us.

[CIRCLE NOTE: Ghost's shell droops. The rest of the group look away. Some float closer to one another.]

Ghost: He should have come back…

Chapter 9

"I put this book together with all the things we found during our research," Rhea said. She gently placed the book on its stand at the altar. "My mentor…" Her voice faltered. "She always said to keep your notes in one place, so they're easier to find… She never liked things to be messy."

"My sister was also like that," Cash said, eyes downcast.

Nirysk and Melii looked at each other. One of Melii's arms wrapped around Nirysk.

"Our brother went into the Great Machine as well…" Melii started.

"It should have been me," Nirysk whispered.

Glint felt their sorrow deeply. They were all so young.

"I was going to join him. I was supposed to be there," Nirysk said. "But I was a coward. I turned back. He… he didn't look at me with shame, only understanding, and that somehow makes it worse. I should have given my life to protect the Great Machine, too."

Nirysk kicked the pumpkin head just hard enough for it to tumble out of the circle they'd painted on the floor, its face dark and mocking.

Ghost Den – 9

—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—

Micah: I'm proud of you for expressing how you're feeling about this, Ghost. I know it can't be easy.

Micah: Targe's death was a tragedy. And so was yours.

Micah: No one could possibly have known you'd get a second chance.

Micah: And it's okay that you don't feel okay. Any one of us would likely feel the same.

[CIRCLE NOTE: The participants nod in agreement, empathizing.]

Micah: You're not alone, Ghost. You are here and we're here for you… We'll get through it together. It'll just take a little bit of time.

[CIRCLE NOTE: Glint nudges Ghost for reassurance.]

Chapter 10

"You shouldn't think like that," Glint said, his tone soft and full of empathy. "I know that's easier said than done but trust me when I say, I understand. Someone I knew died, and I thought… 'Why not me?' It's so easy, isn't it? To blame ourselves and think we could have done something differently? 'If only I'd been there, maybe they'd still be here…'"

Emotion welled up within the Ghost, and he struggled to contain it.

"How do you get past that?" Nirysk asked. "It just feels like… Ether draining out of me constantly and I don't know how to stop it."

"Time," Glint said simply. "You give it time… and you lean on each other. You get through it together."

The teens were quiet. Glint knew it wasn't the answer they wanted. They were here in search of closure. Their hopes pinned on forged relics and fabricated rituals. All they wanted was closure.

Ghost Den – 10

—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—

[CIRCLE NOTE: The other Ghosts have dispersed. Eva and Micah linger behind to watch Glint, Ghost, and Ophiuchus, who float by the edge of the Tower, looking out at the Last City.]

Glint: Are you okay, Ghost?

Ghost: No, but… I think I will be.

Glint: Good.

Ophiuchus: Maybe it's inherent for all Ghosts to want to sacrifice themselves eventually. As morbid as that sounds.

Ghost: …I'd do it again.

Glint: I know… Should we just have a moment of quiet? For Targe?

Ophiuchus: Yes.

[CIRCLE NOTE: The silence permeates the air as they float by the edge. They naturally migrate closer together.]

[END OF SESSION 1 RECORDING]

Chapter 11

"We're sorry," the teens mumbled together, their voices sad.

"Are we in trouble with the Vanguard?" Rhea asked.

Glint shook his shell from side to side.

"No, you're not, but I'm going to clear this place out and make sure nothing is amiss. Get on home, ok?" They nodded and turned away. He added, loud enough for them to hear, "And no more rituals. You don't know what could happen if you accidentally mix real spells together."

"Thank you, Glint," Nirysk said, and lingered for just a moment before he joined his sister.

Glint sighed.

Any other year, he'd have been excited at the idea of a potential ritual to summon a Headless One, but this year… This year, he simply wanted some time for quiet contemplation. Figuring out what had caused such a strange phenomenon could wait. It was a problem for him and Eido to revisit at a future date.

For his own peace of mind, Glint scanned the reliquary and was relieved to find that it was just packed full of candy.

Epilogue

"Everything has been moved to a vault designated by Ikora, for future inspection," Glint reported. "She thinks one of those Hive swords might have been real, so she's sending someone to investigate the market where the kids got everything."

"Why didn't you call me?" Crow asked, arms crossed as he leaned against Amanda's old workshop table. Glint floated in front of him.

"You've been busy, and I didn't want to waste your time with what looked like a prank—"

"I'm never too busy for you, Glint," Crow said, sincerity in every word. Glint's shell slumped a little in response. "Were they alright, at least?"

"I think so?" Glint said. "As alright as one can be after everything… I think they just needed someone to talk to."

Crow considered Glint for a moment.

"Come here," Crow said and held up his hand for Glint to float to. He obliged and was taken by surprise when Crow pulled him to his chest for a tight hug. "I'm sorry I haven't checked in with you. I'll try to do better. I promise."

"Ok," Glint said and pressed himself into Crow's cloak. They remained like that for a while.