____  _ _            _     _   _ _ _ _   __  __
/ ___|(_) | ___ _ __ | |_  | | | (_) | | |  \/  | ___ _ __ ___   ___
\___ \| | |/ _ \ '_ \| __| | |_| | | | | | |\/| |/ _ \ '_ ` _ \ / _ \
___) | | |  __/ | | | |_  |  _  | | | | | |  | |  __/ | | | | | (_) |
|____/|_|_|\___|_| |_|\__| |_| |_|_|_|_| |_|  |_|\___|_| |_| |_|\___/
_                _           _
/ \   _ __   __ _| |_   _ ___(_)___
/ _ \ | '_ \ / _` | | | | / __| / __|
/ ___ \| | | | (_| | | |_| \__ \ \__ \
/_/   \_\_| |_|\__,_|_|\__, |___/_|___/
|___/
SILENT HILL 4: THE ROOM MEMO ANALYSIS
Copyright 2007 by Sean "Mephianse" Dickinson
WARNING WARNING WARNING: There are spoilers past this point. If you haven't
completed the game yet, stop reading right now and don't come back until
you're done, because key plot points will be revealed and dissected. You have
been warned.
___ _ _________ ____ __ _ _____ _ __________ __ _ _____________ __ _ _____ __
--TABLE OF CONTENTS--
Use the Search function of your Internet browser (commonly Ctrl + F for PCs)
to quickly find the information you are looking for. Use the terms in the
[brackets] for faster searching. For example, if you want to get to the list
of all the memos, you would use the phrase [03memos].
Legal crap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [01legal]
Version history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [02version]
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [03intro]
About this FAQ (FRIGGIN' READ IT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [04about]
Memos list. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [05memos]
A few notes on the red diaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[reddiaries]
When you're done / Mini-FAQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [06after]
Credits/Thanks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[07thanks]
___ _ _________ ____ __ _ _____ _ __________ __ _ _____________ __ _ _____ __
Version history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [02version]
1.0
6/15/2007: FAQ started.
1.1
6/17/2007: Cleaned up and spellchecked, submitted.
1.2
6/21/2007: Corrected minor spelling and formatting errors, updated legal and
contact information.
___ _ _________ ____ __ _ _____ _ __________ __ _ _____________ __ _ _____ __
Legal crap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [01legal]
This work may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for
personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise
distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on
any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited,
and a violation of copyright. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this
document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders.
(Thanks GameFAQs boilerplate!)
These websites and these websites only have the rights to publish this FAQ:
www.gamefaqs.com
www.supercheats.com
www.neoseeker.com
___ _ _________ ____ __ _ _____ _ __________ __ _ _____________ __ _ _____ __
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [03intro]
Hi there, I'm Mephianse and welcome to my first attempt at an FAQ. I figured
I'd start off small and with a game I know pretty well, so I thought than an
analysis of all the memos you come across in the game would be important for
any serious student of Silent Hill. You can learn a great deal about what's
going on in the games from just the memos, if you scrutinize them closely and
have a basic idea about how certain functions of the game work, like Walter's
world. There's a lot of reading between the lines to be done to really
decipher everything in some of the wordier memos, so I thought I'd save you
some time and write this bad boy up for your future attempts to try and figure
out just what the hell is going on in room 302. If you'd like to get ahold of
me in regards to anything you see in this document, you are more than welcome
to contact me at the following locations (as long as you can be polite).
Please include "Silent Hill 4" somewhere in your subject line / initial IM, so
that I know why you're talking to me.
E-mail: sean (dot) paul (dot) dickinson (at) comcast (dot) net.
AOL Instant Messenger: Mephianse.
___ _ _________ ____ __ _ _____ _ __________ __ _ _____________ __ _ _____ __
About this FAQ (FRIGGIN' READ IT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [04about]
I have tried as hard as I possibly could to leave this guide free of
conjecture and my own personal theories and leave you with nothing but the
cold, hard truth, laid bare for your examination. I will always accept what
happens in the game over what I may think, and I will never, EVER present any
information that doesn't have some solid in-game backup. That's why the memos
are such an invaluable source of information, they're written in plain English
and they're CANON, no ifs ands or buts. If there are any uncertainties, I will
provide any and all possible options to leave things as open to your own
interpretation as I possibly can. However, with a series of games as open to
interpretation as Silent Hill is, sometimes going out on a limb is
unavoidable. Don't take my word as gospel, this is just as near as I can
decipher the memos in the game. Use it as a starting point for your own
conclusion about what really happened. That's way more fun than believing an
outside source, anyway. I've got my own theories, sure, but they don't belong
in an FAQ that should be based in fact.
I assume you have a basic understanding of the plot of Silent Hill 4 and know
character names, locations, and other points of interest. If you don't, a lot
of this isn't going to make sense. Play through the game again or read a plot
guide. I try not to use abbreviations, since I feel it makes things sound too
much like jargon and I want to keep this guide easy and readable. If you
haven't played through the game at all, stop reading this and go play it right
now. Go on, hurry up. This guide will be here when you're done, I promise.
This is not a plot guide. There are several excellent ones out there, and
plenty right here at GameFAQs. If you're looking for a plot breakdown, you're
in the wrong place.
___ _ _________ ____ __ _ _____ _ __________ __ _ _____________ __ _ _____ __
Memos list. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [05memos]
What follows is a complete list of all the memos Henry collects in his
scrapbook, along with their meanings and hidden subtext revealed. Also
included is an index of all the memo titles, so you can turn on your copy of
SH4, find the memo you're curious about, and go from there. As with the titles
of the sections, you can simply use your browser's search function to find the
memo you'd like. So if you want to know what's up with the Old Picture Book,
you'd type "[28]" (without the quotes) into your browser's search function.
[01] First Letter
[02] Book Scrap
[03] Jasper's Memo Pad
[04] Holy Scripture Scrap
[05] Exploration Memo
[06] Guard's Diary
[07] Waterwheel Room Plate Message
[08] Prison Diary
[09] 1F Surveillance Room Report
[10] 2F Surveillance Room Report
[11] Secret Number Memo
[12] Superintendent's Memo
[13] Bartender's Memo
[14] Mike's Diary: July 1
[15] Mike's Diary: July 2
[16] Superintendent's Diary (Umbilical Cord)
[17] Mike's Love Letter
[18] Nurse's Memo
[19] Kid's Letter
[20] Jasper's Burned Memo
[21] Wheelchair Doll Text
[22] Descent of the Holy Mother - The 21 Sacraments
[23] Note from the Bloody Prisoner's Shirt
[24] Reminisces
[25] Later Bartender's Memo
[26] Superintendent's Diary (Man with the Coat)
[27] Crimson Tome
[28] Old Picture Book
[29] Red Diary - April 4
[30] Red Diary - April 8
[31] Red Diary - May 2
[32] Red Diary - May 14
[33] Red Diary - May 20
[34] Red Diary Scrap
[35] Red Diary Scrap (Cont.)
[36] Red Diary - June 11
[37] Red Diary - June 14
[38] Red Diary - July 13
[39] Red Diary - July 17
[40] Red Diary - July 18
[41] Red Diary - July 20
[42] Red Diary - July 23
[43] Red Diary - July 25
[44] Red Diary - July 28
[45] Red Diary - July 29
[46] Red Diary - August 2
[47] Red Diary - August 3
[48] Red Diary - August 4
[49] Red Diary - August 5
[50] Red Diary - August 7
[51] Red Diary - ??/??
[52] Joseph's Letter
[53] Joseph's Article
[1] --FIRST LETTER--
"Mom,
Why doesn't u Wake up?"
A letter from Walter to his "mother", room 302. He thinks she isn't
"awake"
and he's wondering why she won't talk to him/let him inside.
[2] --BOOK SCRAP--
"Through the Ritual of the Holy Assumption, he built a world.
It exists in a space separate from the world of our Lord.
More accurately, it is within, yet without the Lord's world.
Unlike the world of our Lord, it is a world in extreme flux.
Unexpected doors or walls, moving floors, odd creatures, a world only he can
control...
Anyone swallowed up by that world will live there for eternity, undying.
They will haunt that realm as a spirit.
How can our Lord forgive such an abomination...?
(This part of the book is too damaged to read.)
...It is important to travel lightly in that world. He who carries too heavy
a burden will regret it...
(The book is too damaged to read any more.)"
-"Through the Ritual of the Holy Assumption, he built a world."
The Ritual of the Holy Assumption frees you from your physical body and lets
you make a world however you desire. Walter underwent this ten years ago as
part of his goal to revive his mother. Note that the "he" referred to in the
memo isn't Walter specifically, since no one could know what Walter's doing
and relay that information to Henry, save Joseph. Besides, this isn't written
like the other stuff we get from Joseph. It's probably a excerpt from a
religious text.
-"It exists in a space separate from the world of our Lord.
More accurately, it is within, yet without the Lord's world."
Walter's world isn't really part of our world. You can't really take your
physical body there. Henry's crawling through the holes to get to Walter's
world is simply symbolic, he's really just passing out and his consciousness
is
sucked into Walter's world. It's why he wakes up on his bed when you return,
rather than coming back out of the hole. The holes are just a way for Henry to
concentrate on what he's doing rather than lying down and passing out.
Remember Henry's line, "But I do know that if you get killed here... Then you
die in the real world too..."? He knows Walter's world isn't completely real
and realizes the distinction between Walter's world and the real one (leaving
your body behind as something to return to when you leave Walter's world, lest
you get stuck there).
-"Unlike the world of our Lord, it is a world in extreme flux.
Unexpected doors or walls, moving floors, odd creatures, a world only he can
control..."
You've seen how messed up Walter's world is. It's because he can do anything
he wants to with it. He's not bound by any of the laws that exist in our
world, so if he feels like making a door twenty feet high or filling an entire
room with a freakish Eileen head, he damn well can. And of course, since it's
Walter's world, only he can do these things. But it seems Walter actually
didn't have a whole lot of control in designing his world, it's mainly cobbled
together from fragments of childhood memories and repressed, painful, and
buried thoughts. Why else would Walter's world look so... incomplete? The only
thing that isn't rusted out, bloody or worn down is room 302, since it's the
only thing Walter cares about.
-"Anyone swallowed up by that world will live there for eternity, undying.
They will haunt that realm as a spirit."
A reference to the ghosts who dog you throughout the game. They're Walter's
victims, and since they were killed by Walter, they're irrevocably tied to his
world, never to leave.
-"How can our Lord forgive such an abomination...?"
Distinctly Christian stuff here. The Book Scrap may either be from a Christian
cult that opposed the Order, or it could be from the rival sect of the Order
(as in, not the sect that taught Walter the scriptures.)
-"...It is important to travel lightly in that world. He who carries too heavy
a burden will regret it..."
It's obviously important to be careful in Walter's world, unless you want to
end up hacked into little pieces or have your heart crushed or whatever it is
the ghosts do. As for carrying a heavy burden, that could mean a few things.
Several characters in the Silent Hill games carry heavy burdens (just about
everyone in SH2, for example), and the Otherworld used it against them. Henry
isn't carrying too much, guilt-wise, but it certainly doesn't mean he's safe,
as he's vital to Walter's goal. His burden could be his agonizing trek through
the various places he's subjected to. Or perhaps Henry's complete selflessness
makes him vulnerable to the ruthless Walter.
[3] --JASPER'S MEMO PAD--
"I'm not sure what that nosy guy meant when he said:
'His home is the orphanage
in the middle. The lake is northwest.
So the opposite is southeast.'
The nosy guy said one other thing I
don't understand.
'If you bring the dug-up key,
you can't go back.
Put it away somewhere before
you return there.'"
-"I'm not sure what that nosy guy meant."
The "nosy guy" is Joseph, victim number 15. He underwent much of what Henry
did, to fulfill his role as the Giver of Wisdom, even though he didn't know it
and thought he was just researching Walter.
The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue.
[4] --HOLY SCRIPTURE SCRAP--
"The Second Sign
And God said,
Offer the Blood of the Ten Sinners
and the White Oil.
Be then released from the bonds of the flesh, and gain the Power of Heaven.
From the Darkness and Void, bring forth Gloom,
and gird thyself with Despair for the Giver of Wisdom.
The Third Sign
And God said,
Return to the Source through sin's Temptation.
Under the Watchful eye of the demon, wander alone in the formless Chaos.
Only then will the Four Atonements
be in alignment."
This will be explained in the entry for "Descent of the Holy Mother - The 21
Sacraments."
[5] --EXPLORATION MEMO--
"Lucky! I finally escaped from the cell.
I decided to take a careful look around this building.
The scariest place was the 1st floor basement. There's a kitchen in the
northeast, but next door in the northwest is a death chamber.
To get in there, you have to punch in the right numbers. I don't know the
numbers, and it was too dark to even see the panel, so I didn't go in."
-"The scariest place was the 1st floor basement. There's a kitchen in the
northeast, but next door in the northwest is a death chamber."
There probably wasn't a "death chamber" in the water prison. The children
simply speculated about it, because the water prison was a terrible place and
they were scared. The only reason it exists in Walter's world is because he
shaped his world subconsciously around his childhood memories, and talk of
a "death room" stuck with him. Who could forget something that harrowing?
The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue.
[6] --GUARD'S DIARY--
"To get to the surveillance rooms in the middle of this complex, you have to
use
the corpse disposal chutes in the cells.
However, on the 1st and 2nd floors, these cells are locked. That's so the kids
wouldn't discover them.
So you have to get to the 1st floor from one of the cells on the 3rd floor. I
know how to do it, but it's really a pain. Also, the lights only work on the
2nd floor."
Mostly just background info for solving the water prison puzzles, but look at
how nonchalantly they discuss "corpse disposal chutes". Either the cult was
paying these guys really well, they were true believers, or they were just all-
out sickos.
The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue.
[7] --WATERWHEEL ROOM PLATE MESSAGE--
"To turn on the lights in the 3rd floor cells, turn this waterwheel. Remember
that the water must flow in the direction of the waterwheel. Of course, you
also
have to open the sluice gate on the roof."
This memo is a puzzle clue.
[8] --PRISON DIARY--
"We had beef stew yesterday.
In the cafeteria, I heard there's a death chamber behind the kitchen, and they
take meat straight from the dead people and cook it.
That really scared me."
Hints that there probably isn't a death room, just word-of-mouth rumors.
Remember, these are all kids, all of which are probably cold, scared, and
lonely. The cult is sick, yeah, but they don't show any evidence of
cannibalism in previous games. That's a big thing to hold back.
The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue.
[9] --1F SURVEILLANCE ROOM REPORT--
"This place continues to deteriorate.
The doors to a number of cells no longer open. As a result, the kids inside can
no longer go outside. But the less they now about that, the better.
I can't open the doors, but from this room, I can watch them get more and more
emaciated each day. With no food and never showering themselves, they turn into
smelly little grey slumps in there.
Following the suggestion of an engineer, we've disposed of the corpses by
digging a hole below the cells. Since each floor of this building can be
rotated
independently, we can dispose of the bodies without the others noticing by
aligning each cell with a body in it vertically.
P.S.
Chief,
I bet you're just dying to see the interrogation room behind the kitchen.
I understand your feelings, but have you noticed?
There are three rooms with bloody beds. One is on the 1st floor, one is on the
2nd floor, and one is on the 3rd floor. If you line those three rooms up, then
it's 'bingo."
This is mostly a puzzle clue, but the slightly jaunty way of writing about
such nasty things has always disturbed me. There's obvious disdain for the
unwilling occupants of the tiny cells, and complete disregard for their well-
being or even basic health and hygiene. I'm willing to bet the guy who wrote
this particular diary was a cultist, and a devout one at that, as you couldn't
trust an outsider with this kind of stuff.
The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue.
[10] --2F SURVEILLANCE ROOM REPORT--
"To keep a close eye on the kids,
it's important to keep the cells well lit.
The lights on the 3rd floor were
originally bought as searchlights.
As a precaution against a blackout, they were set up to run on a private
generator. There's a hydroelectric generator in the basement. To light up the
1st and 2nd floors, use the corpse disposal chutes.
Since each floor of this building can be rotated, you can light up any of the
cells by matching up the holes.
Repeating this periodically is an effective way to keep the kids fearful and
well-behaved.
P.S.
Chief,
if you turn the valve in the middle of this room, you can easily rotate the
cells. You can't rotate the 1st floor, so align the 2nd and 3rd floors with the
1st floor cell that have the blood-stained bed.
By the way, if you're using the peephole in this room, it's easy to make sure
you're doing it right. Give it a try.
Also, please don't forget to open the sluice gate on the roof.
Much appreciated, Chief!"
Again, mostly a puzzle clue with that same disregard for the pain they're
inflicting.
[11] --SECRET NUMBER MEMO--
"The Secret Number for getting through the door in back of the kitchen this
month
is '0302.'
Thanks for your cooperation."
This doesn't need an analysis, plot- or gameplay-wise. If you don't get this,
trade in your copy of Silent Hill 4 for a nice coloring book or something.
[12] --SUPERINTENDENT'S MEMO--
"(It's stained with blood, and I can't read it...)"
The Super slips this under your door before you venture into the Apartment
world. When he wrote on it, it was obviously clean, but it comes into your
room illegible. However, when you slip bloody scraps of paper under your door
in the Apartment world and check them out when you return to your apartment
via a hole, you can read them. It probably goes to show how the two different
worlds (the "real" world vs. Walter's world) aren't compatible and are
constantly at odds with one another. It may be referencing the Book Scrap
("How can our Lord forgive such an abomination...?")
[13] --BARTENDER'S MEMO--
"The boss said that the number this time is the last 4 digits of this store's
phone number. But the phone number is written right there on the sign on the
roof. Anybody could see it from South Ashfield Street. Is that really okay?"
This memo is a puzzle clue. But trying dialing the number on the billboard
from the phone in Henry's bedroom for a little something.
[14] --MIKE'S DIARY: JULY 1--
"The last few months, Joseph, the guy next door to me who gave me that rare
porn
magazine, looks like he's been work super hard.
He said if he found another rare one, he'd give it to me but he hasn't shown
his
face around much lately.
He said he was a journalist and he is always investigating stuff.
But I think something strange is going on with him. He's been shut in his
apartment and I can hear all these weird noises coming from there."
-"The last few months, Joseph, the guy next door to me who gave me that rare
porn magazine, looks like he's been work super hard."
Well Mike, he HAS been sort of wrapped up in descending deeper and deeper into
Walter's nightmare world. You'd look worn-out too.
-"He said if he found another rare one, he'd give it to me but he hasn't shown
his face around much lately."
Joseph is losing his control and can't resist the pull of Walter's world much
when Mike wrote this, so it's becoming harder and harder for him to leave room
302.
-"He said he was a journalist and he is always investigating stuff.
But I think something strange is going on with him. He's been shut in his
apartment and I can hear all these weird noises coming from there."
Joseph's unwilling forays into Walter's world do cross the threshold of the
two realities, and as such, the "real" world and Walter's world overlap at
times as described in the Book Scrap ("It exists in a space separate from the
world of our Lord. More accurately, it is within, yet without the Lord's
world.") Joseph is in room 302 when Mike hears the noises, and at the same
time, he isn't. Mike could be hearing Walter's world slowly invading room 302,
or he may be hearing Joseph's muffled cries for help.
What's interesting to note about Mike's diaries and, for that matter, all the
memos you find in the Apartment world, is that there's no way they could be
there without either Walter having read it or their writers going to Walter's
world. If Walter hasn't seen it, doesn't know about it, or hasn't conjured it,
it doesn't exist in his world, unless someone else adds it. And the only way
to add something to Walter's world is to be in it. It's why we see Frank's
diaries scattered around, there are several obvious hints that Frank has been
to Walter's world a few times. The best explanation for all the tenant's memos
lying around is that all of South Ashfield Heights is influenced by Walter's
world. Frank's all the way down in room 105 and he's been to Walter's world
(probably without even Walter knowing he was drawn in, due to the growing
power of Walter's world thanks to the murders), so the influence of Walter's
world extends far outside of room 302. Hell, Walter managed to kill a guy in
MEXICO (victim 14, Tony Archbolt) when he was still enshrined in room 302.
Walter's influence is far-reaching indeed.
[15] --MIKE'S DIARY: JULY 2--
"Oh my beautiful Rachael,
What's with the note on the red paper?
I thought you'd written a note back to me...
But I guess maybe it was somewhere else...
He took it along with my clothes.
Those were my best clothes."
-"Oh my beautiful Rachael, what's with the note on the red paper?"
Mike's obviously obsessed with Rachel. As for the note on the red paper, Henry
seems to be getting a lot of those, too. It might be Joseph, wandering in the
Apartment world, slipping notes under people's doors and asking for help. But
if the Superintendent's Memo is any point of reference, they wouldn't be able
to read it (Clean in one world, bloody in the next).
-"I thought you'd written a note back to me... But I guess maybe it was
somewhere else..."
No dice, stalker. Rachel isn't too find of Mike. What woman would LIKE a
creepy stalker, especially when said woman is already obviously attached to
someone else?
"He took it along with my clothes. Those were my best clothes."
"He" is Richard Braintree. Mike's referring to the "skinned Mike"
incident,
set off by Richard's explosive temper. Remember, Mike wasn't really skinned,
Richard just beat him up. It didn't stop little Walter from thinking Mike
really got skinned, though. Still, that's not cool, Richard. He's a weirdo
stalker, yeah, but you need to take some Valium or something.
The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue.
[16] --SUPERINTENDENT'S DIARY (UMBILICAL CORD)--
"The red box seems even stranger today.
It's giving off a terrible smell.
It's disgusting, but I just can't throw it away.
It must have been around 30 years ago. That young couple was living in the
apartment, but one day they just suddenly disappeared.
Ran off just like thieves in the night.
I don't know why. It must have been money troubles, or maybe they got
themselves
into some kind of danger.
The problem came after that. They left their newborn baby when they took off.
I even found the umbilical cord.
I called the ambulance right away and I heard the baby survived, but I don't
know what happened to him.
Although a few years later, I often saw a young kid hanging around the
apartment.
One day he just stopped coming by.
But now that I think of it, I'll bet he was that abandoned baby.
It's a horrible story.
Abandoning a newborn baby...
That all happened in Room 302...
And the umbilical cord I found there...
Well, I still can't get myself to throw it away."
-"The red box seems even stranger today. It's giving off a terrible smell.
It's disgusting, but I just can't throw it away."
It's no wonder the box seems strange. It's the most important piece of
Walter's physical body since it ties him and his "mother" together physically,
mentally and emotionally, and with Walter's strong otherworldly presence in
South Ashfield Heights, I'm not surprised Frank is worried by it. It would
explain why he can't throw it away, either.
-"It must have been around 30 years ago. That young couple was living in the
apartment, but one day they just suddenly disappeared.
Ran off just like thieves in the night."
They most likely ran off because of Walter's father. If we're to believe
Walter's memories of his father, he didn't want a child, and felt that
abandoning it would be the best course of action, regardless of what it would
do to the baby.
-"I don't know why. It must have been money troubles, or maybe they got
themselves into some kind of danger."
Again, Walter's dad is just a heartless jerk and didn't want a child. They may
have had some other unspecified trouble such as money issues, but it doesn't
matter that much. What does matter is that Walter's father WANTED to leave him
behind, and had no compunctions about doing so, forming the bedrock for
Walter's psychosis.
-"The problem came after that. They left their newborn baby when they took
off. I even found the umbilical cord."
The newborn baby WAS the problem and why they took off. Seems pretty gruesome,
doesn't it? Give birth, cut the cord, then run like a bat out of hell. No
wonder Walter's messed up.
-"I called the ambulance right away and I heard the baby survived, but I don't
know what happened to him. Although a few years later, I often saw a young kid
hanging around the apartment. One day he just stopped coming by."
Frank knows more about Walter than he's aware of. Since Frank's got ahold of
Walter's umbilical cord, he's subject to Walter's supernatural powers, more so
than the other residents of South Ashfield Heights. After all, Frank is the
only one who makes any mention of having been to Walter's world, even if it is
a vague one. Or it might be because of Walter's strong presence in South
Ashfield Heights. How else could his diary end up in Walter's world? There's
no way Walter ever read it, especially this entry (since Walter was dead by
the time this was written and can't interact with the real world unless he
pulls a person through to his world). And the only other way people can
influence Walter's world is by going into it, so... Frank obviously took a
trip or two himself, and just doesn't know what was going on. A later diary
entry by Frank, the Superintendent's Diary (Man with the Coat) details a
strange "dream" Frank has... either way, he visited Walter's world and stayed
long enough to leave a little piece of himself behind for others to see.
-"But now that I think of it, I'll bet he was that abandoned baby."
Gee, you think? You're a swift one, Frank.
-"It's a horrible story. Abandoning a newborn baby... That all happened in
Room 302... And the umbilical cord I found there... Well, I still can't get
myself to throw it away."
One of your first big insights to what makes Walter tick. He was abandoned in
302, and eventually comes to think of it as his mother. Frank's right, it IS a
horrible story.
[17] --MIKE'S LOVE LETTER--
"Rachael...
...love you...always
watching...window...
protect you...ith love,
Mike"
Another insight into the twisted mind of the stalker extraordinaire, Mike. His
love is unrequited. Probably because he's a freakin' stalker. However, he does
make mention of watching Rachel from the window, which can tip you off that
looking out your apartment window and spying on your neighbors can yield
some... interesting results.
[18] --NURSE'S MEMO--
"I lost Eileen Galvin's hospital room key.
She was a patient brought in with severe injuries.
I wonder if I left it in one of the other hospital rooms. I really hope not..."
Pretty much a puzzle clue, but my main concern is: Why were they locking
Eileen up? She was in no condition to walk right when she was first admitted,
and there's no way her injuries were self-inflicted, so she wouldn't be on
suicide watch. Maybe because of the distinctive numbers carved on her back and
the police having suspicions about a Walter Sullivan copycat, the hospital
staff and the police were worried about the killer showing up to finish the
job.
The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue.
[19] --KID'S LETTER--
"Mommy, I'll giv you this so pleez wake up soon.
It's inside my toy train."
Another letter from Walter to his "mother". Is he giving her gifts as an
incentive to wake up, or this the young, innocent side of Walter you see
wandering around actually trying to help Henry out of some misguided
benevolence? Your call... but I vote it's a gift to "mommy".
The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue.
[20] --JASPER'S BURNED MEMO--
"Something's here but nothing's here.
I feel something from the well.
Something's missing.
Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!
It has begun!!!
Jasper"
-"Something's here but nothing's here."
Remember, Walter's world operates on no specific rules, save what Walter
wants. There are things there (ghosts, Wish House, the Mother Stone, Jasper
himself, etc.), but at the same time, none of it really exists. Jasper may be
coming to realize his new role in Walter's world as simply a spirit haunting
it.
-"Something's missing."
A lot could be considered "missing" in Walter's world. The actual physical
world, perhaps? A sense of reason and coherence? The ability to leave of your
own will? Or he may simply be hinting at the wheelchair doll puzzle.
-"Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!!! It has begun!!!"
Jasper's an occult nut, so he could just be babbling. But he probably isn't.
I'm willing to bet that he's referring to Walter drawing closer and closer to
completing the ritual. He would just be entering the Last Sign, after all...
only Eileen and Henry left.
[21] --WHEELCHAIR DOLL TEXT--
"Though my body be destroyed,
I will not let you pass here.
To prepare for the Receiver of Wisdom...
I cut my body into five pieces and hid them in the darkness.
When my body is once again whole, the path to below will be opened.
If you are the Receiver of Wisdom, you will understand my words.
The ritual has begun..."
-"To prepare for the Receiver of Wisdom..."
That'd be you, Henry. Dig out those ears and listen up!
-"If you are the Receiver of Wisdom, you will understand my words. The ritual
has begun..."
Henry is the Receiver of Wisdom, so there's no doubt he'll understand what the
charred doll is talking about. And like we mentioned earlier, Walter just
started the Last Sign, all he has left to do is kill Eileen and Henry. We're
nearing the climax.
The rest of this memo is a puzzle clue.
[22] --DESCENT OF THE HOLY MOTHER-THE 21 SACRAMENTS--
The First Sign
And God said,
At the time of fullness, cleanse the world with my rage.
Gather forth the White Oil, the Black Cup and the Blood of the Ten Sinners.
Prepare for the Ritual of the Holy Assumption.
-"Time of Fullness." Makes it sound like the ritual has to be performed at
some opportune time. This probably doesn't deal with Walter so much as it does
the cult leaders who taught him the ritual. Maybe Walter's abandonment and
conditioning made him ideal for the ritual.
-"Cleanse the world with my rage."
The cult probably sees this as they always do, as in "Paradise by killing
everyone so they can be happy in nothingness." Sounds pretty par for the
course for the Valtiel sect, but I have to wonder if Walter didn't question
this. Does "rage" sound like something Walter's ideal loving mother would
partake in? Walter seems to think he's going to purify his mother from the
world's sins, but really, it's the other way around (his "mother" is purifying
the world of sin.) Might be a translation error, or Walter just not believing
something that doesn't fit into his grand scheme. Then again, Walter was
forced to memorize this as a child. He's said these words so many times,
they've probably lost their meaning to him and the entire thing translates
to "revive mother and be happy" for him now.
-"Gather forth the White Oil, the Black Cup and the Blood of the Ten Sinners."
The White Oil and Black Cup are obviously tied with rebirth, as we witness in
Silent Hill 2 ("Rebirth" ending, "Born From a Wish" scenario.) He
wouldn't
need the Crimson Ceremony or the Book of Lost Memories as James would, since
Walter is already familiar with the cult's teachings. Since Walter would be no
good as a dead man, he needed the oil and the cup to bring himself back to
life, or at least prevent his consciousness from disappearing. So he takes the
oil, the cup, and the hearts, and performs the ritual. Maybe this would
explain why no one else in the series has been successful with the whole
rebirth thing, they're missing the ten hearts. You can potentially make a case
that James was successful in reviving Mary in the "Rebirth" ending, but you'd
just be speculating.
-"Prepare for the Ritual of the Holy Assumption."
Pretty simple. After getting the Blood of the Ten Sinners, White Oil and Black
Cup, perform the Ritual of the Holy Assumption. It doesn't exactly state how
the ritual is performed, but Walter is obviously well-versed in cult teachings
and pulls it off.
The Second Sign
And God said,
Offer the Blood of the Ten Sinners and the White Oil.
Be then release from the bonds of the flesh, and gain the Power of Heaven.
From the Darkness and Void, bring forth Gloom,
and gird thyself with Despair for the Giver of Wisdom.
-"Offer the Blood of the Ten Sinners and the White Oil."
No mention of the Black Cup this time around, maybe it's used to hold either
the blood or the oil. Either way, make some kind of offering with it. Probably
to the cult's god.
-"Be then release from the bonds of the flesh, and gain the Power of Heaven."
The line about releasing from the bonds of flesh should be obvious: Abandon
your physical body. Gaining the power of "heaven" means that you have control
over your own realm (see Book Scrap) and can mold it as you see fit. Walter's
world is designed mostly from his childhood memories of the places that were
focal to his development (Wish House, the water prison, South Ashfield
Heights). It's also influenced by his childhood fears, which explains why a
lot of the foes you come across look like freakish facsimilies of people.
Remember, Walter was taught that the outside world was bad and scary, and it
shows in how he constructed the people as part of his world. Chances are, his
world wasn't formed by conscious thought, but rather cobbled together from his
memories as a child.
-"From the Darkness and Void, bring forth Gloom,
and gird thyself with Despair for the Giver of Wisdom."
Darkness, Void, Gloom and Despair are all murder themes. Darkness and Void
probably refer to Walter's world which is obviously a sad, scary place. Gloom
could refer to the bad feelings he brings to his victims. Walter's plenty
girded in Despair, as he led a horrible, lonely life. Giver of Wisdom isn't a
murder theme, rather, it's a person (Joseph Schreiber). Walter had to have
some background stuff to pass on so the Giver of Wisdom would have some wisdom
to impart to the Receiver (Henry).
The Third Sign
And God said,
Return to the Source through sin's Temptation.
Under the Watchful eye of the demon, wander alone in the formless Chaos.
Only then will the Four Atonements be in alignment.
-"Return to the Source through sin's Temptation."
Two more murder themes, Source and Temptation. Walter botches this one and
doesn't follow the murders in the same order as depicted in the scriptures,
though. Outside of the obvious murder themes, you can draw a lot of
conclusions from this. The Source is probably his original goal (reviving his
mother), or it could be the innermost part of himself where the final battle
takes place. Sin's Temptation may refer to his victims, all of which
were "Sinners".
-"Under the Watchful eye of the demon, wander alone in the formless Chaos."
The Watchful eye of the demon is most likely the cult's god(s), watching and
observing his progress. They'd obviously have a stake in Walter's success. He
obviously does wander alone in the formless Chaos (his world). Sure, he isn't
alone since Eileen and Henry are both there, but in many respects, he is
alone. Eileen and Henry don't want to be there, Walter wants them to be so he
can complete his mad scheme. He pops up wherever he feels like. He can't be
killed. It's his world, other people are just visiting at his behest. He is
alone.
-"Only then will the Four Atonements be in alignment."
There is never any mention of these Four Atonements. They could really be
anything you want to infer. As far as I can tell, it's the four cards you find
to create the second hole in the laundry room.
The Last Sign
And God said, separate from the flesh too, she who is the Mother Reborn and he
who is the Receiver of Wisdom.
If this be done, by the Mystery of the 21 Sacraments, the Mother shall be
reborn
and the Nation of Sin shall be redeemed.
-"And God said, separate from the flesh too, she who is the Mother Reborn."
Push aside the flowery language and it's obvious: Kill the Mother Reborn,
which is obviously Eileen.
-"And he who is the Receiver of Wisdom."
Henry. Duh.
-"If this be done, by the Mystery of the 21 Sacraments, the Mother shall be
reborn and the Nation of Sin shall be redeemed."
The cult's ultimate goal: Revive their god. It's one of those nasty "Paradise
by killing everyone so they can be happy" kind of things. Yeah, redeem our
sins by killing all of us. GREAT idea.
[23] --NOTE FROM THE BLOODY PRISONER'S SHIRT--
"My room is on the 2nd floor and I had to drink something with black things in
it. I hid the sword with the triangle handle under my bed. That guy, the fat
one, took the basement key. Next time I'll stick this triangle sword into that
pig and take the key."
-"My room is on the 2nd floor and I had to drink something with black things
in it."
Those leeches on the wall are black, aren't they? Ewww. DeSalvo's a sick
puppy, alright. It may have some significance with the cult, or it could be
DeSalvo being DeSalvo and torturing kids.
-"I hid the sword with the triangle handle under my bed."
A Sword of Obedience, they have a triangular hilt.
-"That guy, the fat one, took the basement key."
Again, he's talking about DeSalvo.
-"Next time I'll stick this triangle sword into that pig and take the key."
If you are at all surprised that the inhabitants of the water prison feel
angry about being locked up in there and would do almost anything to get out,
there's something wrong with you.
[24] --REMINISCES--
"I want to go back to that time...
Things were so good then...
The day of my birthday...
The cute cat in the pet store...
All those balls in the basket...
Playing pool was fun too...
The door of time was wide open...
When I see four things,
I can't help but remember that time..."
This is a memo from the first ghost you see in the Building world, the one
with the Sword of Obedience stuck in his belly. He was murdered on his
birthday, and it's no wonder he has fond memories. Nostalgia aside, it's a
puzzle clue.
[25] --LATER BARTENDER'S MEMO--
"The boss said we had to change our phone number 'cause all of the complaints
about the weird noises. Now we have to change the store sign on the roof. What
a pain.
By the way, the number is the last 4 digits of the new phone number. Not too
smart if you ask me..."
-"The boss said we had to change our phone number 'cause all of the complaints
about the weird noises."
Ever tried dialing the number for the bar from Henry's phone? Try it. It's fun.
[26] --SUPERINTENDENT'S DIARY (MAN WITH THE COAT)--
"I had that weird dream today.
The one with the man with the long hair and coat. He was crying and looking for
his mother again.
I saw that man with the coat 10 years ago at this apartment.
He was going up the stairs, carrying a heavy tool, and old-looking bowl and a
bag that was dripping blood.
I never saw him again after that.
But a few days later, the neighbors complained that they heard strange noises
coming from the supposedly empty Room 302.
So I took a look around Room 302 and found signs that someone had been in
there,
but nothing odd other than that.
But that's when it all started.
I still hear strange noises coming from the window of Room 302.
Sunderland"
-"I had that weird dream today."
Frank's dreaming about Walter's world too, hmm? We all know that Walter is
dead and buried, and the only way you can come in contact with him is to pay a
visit to his world. That would explain how Frank's diaries seem to find their
way into Walter's world...
-"The one with the man with the long hair and coat. He was crying and looking
for his mother again."
I really doubt that Walter is looking for his mother. He knows exactly where
his "mother" is, and what he has to do to wake her up. Besides, Walter isn't
the crying type, that's Wally's territory. So why could Walter be crying?
Maybe because he lead such an amazingly depressing life, that would make
plenty of sense. But I still don't buy Walter crying, when Wally's around.
This line was probably just added because it sounds cool, or it may have been
a translation slip-up.
-"I saw that man with the coat 10 years ago at this apartment."
That's a point of contention. Was Walter dead before he showed up at room 302
and performed the Ritual of the Holy Assumption? That's a can of worms I'm not
willing to open here, read a plot guide instead. This is just a memo analysis.
-"He was going up the stairs, carrying a heavy tool, and old-looking bowl and
a bag that was dripping blood."
The heavy tool is the Great Knife you see lying on the table of the secret
room in 302. The old-looking bowl is the Black Cup. The bag that was dripping
blood was holding the Blood of the Ten Sinners (or more specifically, their
hearts).
-"I never saw him again after that."
Don't feel too bad, Frank. No one did. You're just unlucky enough to be the
super of South Ashfield Heights.
-"But a few days later, the neighbors complained that they heard strange
noises coming from the supposedly empty Room 302."
The "noises" could be a lot of things. Maybe Walter didn't have full control
of his new powers, and as his twisted world was being created, it spilled into
our world a little bit. Maybe Walter was still alive in there (He was SEWN TO
A CROSS, for God's sake. You'd make noises too before kicking the bucket, and
it would take a few days.) But the noises are most likely Walter's world
crossing the boundaries a teensy bit. It obviously does that from time to time.
-"So I took a look around Room 302 and found signs that someone had been in
there, but nothing odd other than that."
Frank obviously didn't notice the newly blocked-off wall to the room where
Walter performed the Ritual of the Holy Assumption, which makes me question
just how good a super this guy is when he doesn't notice whole freakin' rooms
just missing. He didn't notice anything too huge, just a sign or two that
someone was in there, like tracks on the carpet (he couldn't have seen blood,
the blocked wall, or anything else suspicious). Makes you wonder why Frank
didn't let Joseph or Henry know about this, huh? "A guy dragged a bloody bag
up to this apartment and went inside, but we never found him. Did I tell you
about the move-in special?" Maybe Walter's world held some tiny amount of sway
over him and prevented him from letting potential tenants know about 302's...
issues. It would help explain why Frank can't get rid of the umbilical cord
and didn't notice an entire room of 302 missing, too.
-"But that's when it all started. I still hear strange noises coming from the
window of Room 302."
It actually started 34 years ago when Walter was born, but I'll let you slide
on that one, Frank. And since room 302 is definitely not normal, strange
noises are par for the course. Again, the noises are probably Walter's world
overlapping with ours. Or in this case, he could be hearing Henry's muffled
pounding and cries for help, he just can't figure out what they are.
[27] --CRIMSON TOME--
"'Crimson Tome'
She who is called the "Holy Mother" be not holy one whit.
The "Descent of the Holy Mother" is naught but the Descent of the Devil.
Those that be called the "21 Sacraments" be not sacramental one whit.
The "21 Sacraments" be naught but the 21 Heresies.
To give birth to a world of wickedness within the blessed realm of our Lord be
blasphemy and the work of the Devil.
If thou would stop the Descent of the Devil, you must bury part of the
Conjurer's mother's flesh within the Conjurer's true body.
Thou must also pierce the Conjurer's flesh with the 8 spears of "Void",
"Darkness", "Gloom", "Despair", "Temptation",
"Source", "Watchfulness" and
"Chaos."
Do so and the Conjurer's unholy flesh will become that which once it was, by
the grace of our Lord."
Poetic junk aside, this is mostly a clue (use umbilical cord on fetus thing
and stab it with spears to defeat Walter). There are a few interesting points,
though.
-"'Crimson Tome'"
Joseph obviously got his hands on this bad boy somehow, as it appears in room
302 of the past. But where does it come from? Joseph was pretty intent on