This page is about the book From the Far Reaches of Hell. For the Octopath Traveler II quest with the same name, see From the Far Reaches of Hell.
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(I don't think this is where I should be going at the moment...) The following section contains potential story spoilers! |
- "The mere existence of this tome is a threat. Shall I destroy it, and banish its baleful knowledge for all eternity? ... No. Destroying the tome would not banish the darkness that exists in the heart of man. And as long as that darkness exists, people will find a way to work evil. I must preserve this knowledge, that we might put it to use for good, not evil." —Cyrus Albright
From the Far Reaches of Hell (辺獄の書, Hengoku no Sho) is an ancient tome containing the forbidden rites of Galdera. Written by Sage Salomon 270 years ago in High Hornburgian, this infernal book details the secrets of life and death, the creation of demons via blood crystals, and instructions on opening the Gate of Finis.

Cyrus discovering From the Far Reaches of Hell in the Ruins of Eld
History[]
270 years prior to the events of Octopath Traveler, Sage Salomon discovered ruins near Duskbarrow (presumably the Ruins of Eld) and from them learned of the Gate of Finis's existence. Based on the knowledge contained in these ruins, as well as other parts of Orsterra, he penned From the Far Reaches of Hell. Afterward, he recieved a revelation from Galdera and began to behave like another person.
After publishing his book, Salomon realized his mistake: the knowledge contained within could hurl the world into chaos, inciting unrest as various powers sought to conquer the Gate. His fears were realized when Jennish, the King of Bernstein, heard about From the Far Reaches of Hell and asked Salomon to open the Gate. By slaughtering Salomon's relatives, Jennish coerced Salomon into speaking the incantation that opened the portal to Hell. Thus, 53 years after his original discoveries, Salomon admitted a tide of monsters and the witch Lyblac into Orsterra. After the Gate was resealed using the dragonstones, Salomon was hanged for his role in the calamity.
From the Far Reaches of Hell subsequently fell into obscurity, its archaic High Hornburgian script proving largely untranslatable. Scholars recognized it as the last extant tract of the legendary Sage Salomon and whispered that he who could decipher its true meaning would obtain power over even life and death. The book ended up in the special archives of the Royal Academy of Atlasdam—among the forbidden volumes accessible to none but the headmaster.
Story[]
Octopath Traveler[]
15 years prior to Octopath Traveler, Lyblac began spreading knowledge of the dark arts inscribed in From the Far Reaches of Hell. She manipulated the scholar Lucia, exploiting Lucia's thirst for knowledge, into introducing her to Lucia's teacher, Yvon. Lyblac taught Yvon of the existence of ancient tomes containing the long-forgotten secrets of old, including From the Far Reaches of Hell. After Lyblac convinced him that he deserved to uncover its arcane secrets, Yvon assassinated the current headmaster of the Royal Academy of Atlasdam, then took his place. Yvon's new position allowed him to access the special archives, from which he obtained From the Far Reaches of Hell.
Yvon then returned to his hometown, Stonegard, where he commissioned a desperate man named Dominic into translating the tome. Dominic accepted the job in order to afford medicine for his sick daughter, but he omitted the book's most horrific passages. When his daughter passed away regardless, Dominic viewed her death as divine punishment and fell into a deep melancholy, while Yvon continued his quest for power.
Seeking the immortality that Lyblac promised, Yvon lent his abridged copy to the scholar Gideon, whom he commissioned to create blood-crystals as per the book's instructions. Gideon kidnapped townspeople from Quarrycrest and drained their blood in his underground lair, synthesizing their blood into mixed crystals for Yvon.
Meanwhile in Atlasdam, rumor had begun to spread that an ancient tome was missing. The illustrious Cyrus Albright, a professor at the Royal Academy, learned of the book's disappearance and set out on a mission to recover it. Using his powers of deduction, he discovered Gideon's schemes and thwarted the murderous scholar, followed the abridged copy's trail to Stonegard, and interviewed Dominic in order to learn of Yvon's role in commissioning the translation. Cyrus then set out alongside Lucia to investigate Yvon's Birthplace, where Yvon kidnapped Cyrus's pupil Therese and took her to the cellar.
Taking the blood-crystal that Lucia had sent him, Yvon transformed into a hulking demon with inhuman strength and power. He wrongly believed that the transformation would grant him immortality—a failure proven when Cyrus slew him in battle.
Lucia absconded with the original copy of From the Far Reaches of Hell to the Ruins of Eld, where Cyrus tracked her down and confronted her. She revealed her intention to gain knowledge beyond any human mind and, using a perfect blood-crystal, transformed into a demon herself. Cyrus destroyed her and at last recovered the ancient tome. His scrutiny revealed it to be "A tome wherein is writ, in horrifying detail, a forbidden rite to bring back the unholy power sealed away beyond the edge of the world."
Despite his belief that knowledge should be shared with all, Cyrus considered destroying the tome so that none could exploit its infernal evils. Ultimately, however, he chose to preserve From the Far Reaches of Hell so that its warning might be shared with future generations, arming them with the knowledge to oppose the dark powers that lie beyond. He therefore embarks on his own quest to translate the tome, which sees him burning the midnight oil for many a long night's work.
Octopath Traveler II[]
Through means unknown, From the Far Reaches of Hell crossed from its origins in Orsterra into Solistia, where it wound up in the possession of a disturbed scholar in Crackridge. Said scholar was driven into madness by its pages, his mind fixated on death, pain, and destruction in parallel to the warnings of the Ruins of Eld.
During the quest Procuring Peculiar Tomes, a librarian in Montwise's library mentions From the Far Reaches of Hell along with other two rare tomes, requesting that they be tracked down and added to the archives. She notes that the tome is written in a language that no one can read—a fact verified by young Al, who notes that its language is foreign both to Solistia and his own homeland of Orsterra. After the tome has been delivered to the library, Al seeks someone who can translate From the Far Reaches of Hell, bestowing the quest of the same name.
With the help of Georges Lazuli, a seasoned linguist from the Nameless Isle, Al successfully deciphers the tome's meaning. He then steals the book and travels to Solistia's Gate of Finis, which he opens in an effort to overcome the dark power beyond. Although he fails, Al later reveals that he came to Solistia specifically in search of From the Far Reaches of Hell—a tome that led him to the Gate of Finis. His motives in this pursuit remain shrouded in mystery.
Trivia[]
- In addition to revealing instructions on opening the Gate of Finis and creating blood-crystals, From the Far Reaches of Hell is said to contain "the secrets of life and death." These secrets may include the power of agelessness obtained by Mattias and Simeon, as Mattias's diary notes, "The dark secrets written in that tome can allow a man to cheat death, and I owe [Lyblac] a debt for sharing them with me."
- Although Al claims that From the Far Reaches of Hell is written in a language foreign to Orsterra, Cyrus and Dominic successfully translate the tome using Orsterran knowledge, so it's unclear why Al refers to the book's language of High Hornburgian as "foreign." This is especially odd considering Al's position as king of Hornburg, as he would presumably be familiar with his kindgom's ancient language. Since High Hornburgian runes form the mural in the ancient Ruins of Eld, their language may predate the kingdom of Hornburg itself and date back from the age of legends when the gods roamed the earth. If so, High Hornburgian could be a language of the gods themselves, hence explaining its otherworldly associations. High Hornburgian certainly bears a notable connection to infernal magic; not only are its runes used the mural of the Gate of Finis and From the Far Reaches of Hell, but they also appear in Gideon's lair, suggesting an association with his necromancy.
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