Spoiler Warning
Here you can find all the ingame lore of the game Vintage Story feel free to roam around but watch out all those entries are spoilers!
Modded Lore
Here you can find lore that does not come with the vanilla version of the game Vintage Story but instead with different mods feel free to roam around but watch out all those entries are spoilers!
A Compendium of Warfare Strategies and Tactics
Mod: BetterRuins
Chapter VI examines the role of the Forlorn Hope in siege warfare, detailing their selection for bravery and combat prowess. These elite units lead assaults to breach enemy defenses, despite facing significant peril. The chapter outlines their tactics and honors their sacrifices, ensuring their valor is remembered in military history.
Bounty on The Forlorn Hope
Mod: BetterRuins
The Iron Phalanx, led by General Aleron Ironheart, declares war on the Forlorn Hope, offering a bounty for their severed heads. They promise severe retribution against anyone shielding the Forlorn Hope, vowing to hunt them relentlessly. This proclamation serves as a stark warning against defiance.
Military Record #89
Mod: BetterRuins
The Forlorn Hope unit, led by Sir Alaric, consisted of 37 brave infantry volunteers. During the Siege of Antwerp, they breached the enemy's defenses, enabling the main army's decisive victory. Despite heavy casualties, their heroic actions earned them eternal gratitude and a lasting legacy.
Recruitment Letter of The Forlorn Hope
Mod: BetterRuins
The Forlorn Hope seeks brave warriors for a perilous mission to breach enemy fortifications. Volunteers are promised honor and distinction, with their valor celebrated in history. Sir Alaric calls for fearless souls to join and forge a lasting legacy of bravery.
The Last Wall Standing
Mod: BetterRuins
Once a prosperous fishing town known for its strength and resilience, it was destroyed in a single night by a mysterious creature of darkness. The creature's attack evaporated half the town, leaving only a segment of its ancient wall standing. This ruined wall became a grim symbol of the town's tragic end, with legends of the creature's origins and fate passing down through generations. The abandoned town and its surviving wall now serve as a haunting reminder and a warning of the devastation that once occurred.
The Last Words of a Fisherman
Mod: BetterRuins
A simple fisherman, facing imminent death, writes to convey the horrors that befell his town. One night, a monstrous creature with wings that blocked the moon and eyes glowing like embers descended upon the town, its roar evaporating half of it instantly. The fisherman, knowing they were doomed, feels a sense of hope that someone might find his words and understand their struggle and the prosperity they once enjoyed. His final words express the town's resilience and determination to fight until the bitter end, even as the remaining pages of his account are burned and crumbling.
The Dark Heat
Mod: BetterRuins
A researcher explores ruins struck by a meteor and discovers a strange, heat-emitting stone. Over several days, he experiments and learns that the stone feeds on darkness, converting it into energy, and can generate heat strong enough to melt iron. As he pushes the stone's limits, he realizes its power can be dangerous, and an attempt to increase its output leads to a catastrophic explosion, leaving him severely injured. His wounds worsen, and he acknowledges that the stone's power was beyond his control, hoping his findings serve as a warning to future generations.
Desperate Times
Mod: BetterRuins by dazedandconfused
Food is scarce, forcing desperate searches deeper into the Rot-infested wastes, increasing infection risks. Two people were recently turned away, causing tension. In a dire attempt to survive, Tobias cooked a creature from the Rifts. The meat was revolting, with a metallic smell and taste, containing chunks of metal. Despite its foulness, it staved off hunger. The hope now is for a return with better food soon.
Lost Doll
Mod: BetterRuins by Bellcross
In a decaying world ravaged by the Rot, a man sought refuge in an attic with his daughter. Tragically, she was taken by the Rot beasts, leaving only her doll behind. Alone and tormented by memories, he faced hunger and despair, his strength fading as the Rot consumed everything outside. His mind fractured, blurring reality and nightmares. In his final moments, the doll's stitched smile mocked his futile struggle. He succumbed to the darkness, and the doll remained, a silent witness to his tragic end, forever guarding his lifeless body.
Librarian's Lament
Mod: BetterRuins by dazedandconfused
The librarian learns that the Rot is spreading rapidly, making evacuation to Falx's underground shelters difficult. Authorities suggest using the Library as a temporary refuge, but the librarian vehemently opposes this, fearing the peasants will ruin the cherished space. Unable to bear the thought of the Library's desecration, the librarian decides to seal it off, choosing to die there, ensuring the preservation of its knowledge for future generations.
Diary of a Priest
Mod: BetterRuins by dazedandconfused
A scribe's faith is wavering as he hears of a devastating plague ravaging distant lands and perceives God's inaction. Despite preaching faith and belief to his congregation, he struggles with the truth of the plague's horrors, having witnessed its rapid effects on victims. He remains steadfast in prayer, hoping for divine intervention, but fears the worst, questioning if salvation will come from the Lord, Falx, or anyone at all. He tries to avoid dwelling on these doubts.
Devotion
Mod: BetterRuins by dazedandconfused
Initiate Trelson vowed to fight Rot and Rust, using Prima Materia for humanity's future. A teal substance formed a necklace around his neck as he made his vow. He was declared a new warrior and his name was recorded on a stone slab, symbolizing his commitment. Yet, in the end, it barely made a difference.
Field Engineer’s Diary
Mod: BetterRuins by Blinky Dorf
The engineer keeps a journal of his expedition, detailing work on modifying Locust behavior. After settling in a remote community, he notes the locals’ mixed reactions. A young girl shows keen interest. The Locusts successfully aid farmers but exhibit odd behavior, staring at people in low light. Despite this, the Association approves the project. Tragically, the Locusts turn on the villagers, killing them, and the engineer narrowly escapes, realizing the Locusts now see humans as unnecessary.
Vanilla Tapestries
Here you can find all the ingame lore of the game Vintage Story feel free to roam around but watch out all those entries are spoilers!
Ambush
The wolves here are incredibly territorial. What could have changed to make them this way? Can they sense something we can't?
Nightfall
They’re always waiting for us, just beyond the walls. I had thought our work would free humanity from our self-made burrows.
Yet still we find ourselves huddled together, fearing what’s just beyond sight.
Rot
It left nothing behind. Not harvest, not livestock, not arbor nor stream. Not child nor mother.
When it came, you could only run and pray you did not see it again.
The Morning
I am unfamiliar with this scene. I suppose there is much I am unfamiliar with now.
Life continues unabated through all these years.
Diet of Kings
How they must have quaked then. All those crowned heads with eyes wide and furrowed brows. Asked by a mere scholar to cast aside the endless work and slaughter of their forefathers. The hoards of wealth and banners. And yet, case aside, they did.
Holding the Gate
Unknown
Seraphim
To think we would have a chance to fight again. I do not know why we are returned to this world, but I am grateful.
Salvation
There was a turning, at some point. A change in the air. The people began saying such things as “We may yet survive”.
Perhaps they started to sense it: the majesty of his work. The genius of his Machine.
Schematic A
A device to dig and organize materials. Think of it as a little helper.
One of his first automatons. They were precocious little things, always jittering about.
Many of us took them as pets: a jolly companion for the workshop or the dig.
Schematic B
A device to communicate, record, and call for help. We’ll need to stay organized.
An unpleasant worm. Detested by commoners and nobles alike, for it was always watching.
The workmen adored it, however.
The bell became a sign of good luck for them and an assurance that help would surely come
should the tunnels give way.
Schematic C
A mobile colossus for scaffold and hoisting. May they inspire our tired workmen.
When they first started moving, the crowds almost panicked and fled. But eventually a cheer went up.
Finally we had made something greater than ourselves.
Schematic D
With the prima materia, all is possible. I’ll never know how he found it, but that discovery changed everything. We became sorcerers. Miracle workers. An essence, long theorized, that opened up the possibility of heaven on earth.
Rotbeast
I’d heard rumors of these creatures, back then. When the sickness reached the brain, it sometimes led to extended bouts of madness; a patient in the lazar house might suddenly rage against those around them. In the case of beasts, it led to these wandering monstrosities: Skin sloughing off, full of rage and fear, they mindlessly attacked anything around them. Naturally, any survivors of such an onslaught were likely to contract the Rot as well.
Blackguard
To think we would have a chance to fight again. I do not know why we are returned to this world, but I am grateful.They were a grim lot with a heavy burden: to uphold some semblance of order in the depths. This looks like a strategist’s map. It reveals a section of the tunnels, covered in symbols and etchings. Each one marks a cache of water, a hidden guardpost, or suspected rebels.
Banner of the Forlorn Hope
They declared themselves the vanguard. Swords raised, oaths taken; they swore a heavenly charge against our foe. It was a challenge of will and ingenuity.
Holy
They worshipped him as a savior. He wanted none of it. Imagine the weight of all humanity upon your shoulders.
How could anyone withstand such a thing?
Old World
Unknown
Dangers of Temporality
In private he spoke of a world unhinged. Unbound by the geas of reality. "It is a place of wonders, my friends. And yet, I ask for caution -- lest we see our own world changed in kind."
Vanilla Lore
Here you can find all the ingame lore of the game Vintage Story feel free to roam around but watch out all those entries are spoilers!Additional Community Documents:
- VS TIMELINE NOTES by Darce
Blind Bat Rickhart
Blind Bat Rickhart was a curious and adventurous boy who ventured into a cave against all warnings. As he explored deeper, he fell into a dark labyrinth and encountered a terrifying metallic creature that left him blind and traumatized. His tale serves as a chilling reminder to heed the warnings about the dangers lurking underground.
Breakdown
As the project nears completion, the initial quiet desperation is replaced by excited anticipation, but a sense of impending doom looms. Visions of an incomprehensible other world start to leak into reality, affecting creations essential to the project. Disturbing incidents, such as a bloodied and mutilated eidolon, suggest a sinister influence at work.
Confession
Leading people into the hellish depths, the narrator reflects on the monstrous creation they've wrought and the desperate conditions of their followers. The common people, seeing the creation as salvation and the narrator as a messiah, endure filth, hunger, and Rot. Despite their dire state, they revere the narrator, offering their meager supplies and weeping with joy.
Diet of Kings
In 1318, Master Jonas Falx presented a grim report to the court, detailing the devastating effects of a plague. The disease, causing numbness, darkened skin, and eventual loss of limbs and senses, leaves victims in a cataleptic state before consuming their entire body. Despite the king's inquiry, Falx confirmed that there are no treatments or effective preventions, but hinted at offering a better fate to those afflicted.
Brief Discussions with the Traveler
In a series of encounters, the enigmatic Traveler engages individuals in profound conversations about their struggles and beliefs. Odwin, a proud scholar, is challenged to consider his vulnerability; Cassia, a seasoned huntress, is reminded of the importance of light and hope; Wyre, a discontented man, is encouraged to see the hidden potential in his land; and Metilda, a grieving widow, is urged to hold on to hope and community amidst despair. Through these interactions, the Traveler imparts wisdom on resilience, potential, and the power of dreams.
Dmetri's Notes
Dmetri Arvo grapples with a mysterious black substance spreading uncontrollably, fearing the consequences if no solution is found before Lord Chamberlain Folse's visit. He criticizes the acceptance of the Falx boy, a sellsword's son, into the university, seeing it as a threat to noble heritage. Reluctantly joining an expedition to investigate a blight threatening the harvest, Arvo eventually acknowledges the genius of Lord Falx, whose Grand Machine is deemed the only hope against their impending doom.
Letters
Desperate and starving, the survivors are reduced to chewing leather and rationing meager catches like squirrels and goslings. Despite prioritizing the miners, their health is deteriorating, and hope is fading as the Rot claims more lives. The relentless starvation and grim environment drive them to cruel measures to prevent the disease's spread, all while clinging to a fragile faith in survival.
Reflection
Raised to treat life as a task, the narrator reflects on the power of thought, which has lifted him from poverty and strengthened his village. His bond with Jonas Falx, a prodigious inventor, began when they were both young and grew into a partnership aimed at improving their world. Despite the dire circumstances and relentless adversities, the narrator finds hope in their unity and the impending fruition of their greatest endeavor.
Return
After waking in darkness and pain, the narrator crawls through changing tunnels for months, encountering dead ends and hearing ominous sounds. Eventually emerging into a world where life has returned, they find themselves severely broken and disfigured. Over centuries, they adapt, learning from past scholars, and now plan to use this knowledge to protect humanity from an impending danger.
The Morning
In ancient times, a woman named Bearfirth emerged from darkness into a vibrant world. Hunted by monstrous shades, she received the madness to struggle from a god in exchange for her fealty. Bearfirth led others out of hiding, taught them to fight against the horrors of the night, and, through her sacrifices and trades, inspired the foundation of their first village and the enduring spirit of resilience.
An Inconvenience
Due to a shortage of supplies and a broken pump, there are disruptions in the generator powering the archives. While Ibrahim has repaired a faulty gear, delays in acquiring a new pump mean accessing the library through the maintenance room. He assures Florian that the situation is temporary and safe.
Whinging
Eustace is weary of his daily task of shoveling coal into the boiler and gasifier. He dreams of little metal men taking over his job so he can oversee them as Foreman Eustace, ensuring everything runs smoothly.
The Patronage of Tibalt Amaro
Tibalt Amaro, a nobleman, purchases a mysterious device endorsed by his cousin, the King, and becomes intrigued by mechanical inventions. Disappointed by an alchemist named Dastan's initial offerings, Amaro's interest is reignited when Dastan unveils a set of wings that enable flight. After successfully testing the invention himself, Amaro vows to fund Dastan's work, dreaming of a future where flight is accessible to all, marking a potential historic milestone.
The Spy and the Sparrow
A spy infiltrates a group of bandits known as the Flock, gathering information for his lord about their activities and intentions. Despite gaining their trust, he is eventually discovered, leading to his execution and a stern warning from the group's leader, Sparrow, about underestimating their resolve and autonomy. The Flock is depicted as a self-sufficient, diverse group rejecting traditional authority, aiming to live by their own rules and principles.
The Weight of Stone
A miner gifts his niece a set of marbles he made, symbolizing the town's deep connection to the mines. Conversations reveal the community's struggles with depleting ore, dangerous conditions, and the impacts on their lives. As accidents and hardships accumulate, the townspeople face a grim future, marked by a poignant farewell as trade halts and hope dwindles.
Admirer of the Miller
A young cowherd woman recounts her tender memories of meeting the miller's son. She first encounters him by a peaceful pond, then again during a snowstorm, and finally in his mill. Despite their growing bond, they are separated by chaotic events, leaving her with a cherished acorn necklace and the hope of reuniting one day.
