Tunic Translation

Tunic Translation
[Updated 23 May 2025]

pg. 2 Table of Contents

Cards...20
Praying...23
The Far Shore...41

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pg. 3-5
A LONG, LONG TIME AGO...

There lived a CIVILIZATION of great power. They built a city, and within that city they built a palace. They held sacred the secret of the HOLY CROSS, and understood the planar nature of reality. They ventured to the far shore and sought power from the spaces between.

As is usual, an alluring old power was discovered. Fossils of self, annealed visions of the future, entombed and cast into sarcophagi and buried. A lever in the canonical plane, a store of potential. Perhaps it is the fabled prize, THE POWER TO DEFY DEATH.

A TERRIBLE POWER RISES

The discovering HERO opened a tomb and revealed a terrible truth. A CATHEDRAL was built to venerate this new origin of life, and the faithful were granted the grace of holy oblivion.

THE WORLD IS THROWN INTO RUIN

The lever overworked! The fulcrum shattered! A hole in truth will thunder open and all manner of disquiet [sic] contradictions will on uput(???) the canonical plane. The thread is snagged into a squirming coil, with no beginning and no end. Flee to your arks, old ones, and become your predestined selves!

A PRISON & A BEACON

...But one must live outside the shivering ring, THE HEIR seeking an HEIR-TO-THE-HEIR. A beacon to bring about a ruin seeker. To either grow strong and replace an ailing heir, or to hold sacred HOLY CROSS, and ensure their wisdom lives on.

AWAITING A WORTHY SUCCESSOR

Which will you be, ruin seeker? Have you arrived here seeking treasure and glory? Or do you seek to uncover deeper truths? Look carefully, for THE GOLDEN PATH lies everywhere...

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pg. 6
Canonical Plane		The Shadow Oubliette		The Far Shore

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pg. 7
AGAIN THE SAME BATTLE, FOUGHT UNCOUNTABLE TIMES!

And so the cycle continues. Ruin seekers, drawn to the beacon, are tested. Those who abandon their quest are forgiven, and simply disappear.

Those who are strong enough to remember their true hero selves will, through violence, begin the cycle anew.

Will you be the HEIR-TO-THE-HEIR, and wait within the shadow oubliette? Before long a ruin seeker will be drawn to you. Their gifts will recall your past life, and you will grant them the same false hope you were given.

To break the curse, a ruin seeker must by some miracle invoke a relic from beyond this plane...
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pg. 9
DATA MANAGEMENT

CONTINUE	Continue most recent file
NEW GAME	Begin a fresh quest
OPTIONS		Adjust settings
LOAD GAME	Go to SAVE DATA screen

SAVE DATA
[money]		Money
[black star]	Harder quest
[black page]	Unknown

Select a file

[thought]	Who's is this!?

OPTIONS
Adjust settings to customize your play experience.

Options mean you can keep playing if the challenge is too much right now. You are allowed!!

DATA REMOVAL

Load file and resume play!

Choose DELETE to remove a file forever.
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pg. 10
BEGINNING YOUR ADVENTURE

A secret legend says that a great treasure lies in this far away land. Maybe it is the power to defy death! Why do you seek this power, tiny one? Time to begin your adventure! Here is what you will do...

RINGING THE EAST BELL

EAST FOREST	Enter the woods.
HERO'S GRAVE	A SWORD lies at the grave...
GUARD CAPTAIN	Powerful foe! Be careful!

RINGING THE WEST BELL

OLD HOUSE	You will need a key (KEY)
FLOODED WELL	P. 29
DARK TOMB	Dark! Need a light...
WEST GARDEN	P. 27
???
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pg. 11
THE GAME SCREEN

Ruin Seeker (you)

Strange Gate to The Far Shore

IMPORTANT!
Keep your eye on your STAMINA-POINTS! When you have 0 SP you are in danger!

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pg. 12

Controls

Focus (ZL)
! Focus is crucial!

Inventory/Gear (L)

Move (L stick)

(ZR) Shield

(R) Potion

(BYX) Use Item

(A) Roll, Run, Talk
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pg. 13-14

(A) Button
This button has many uses. One is secret, but if you read this book you will learn it.

Talk: Talk to signs, doors, & more.

Pray: Forbidden technique. Offer reverence to the tombs of those who came before.

Roll: Press to roll! Very very important for surviving.
Press! (A) You cannot be hit at the start of the roll!

Run: Press & hold the button to run. It is faster than rolling over and over.
Press...(A) ...& HOLD

(ZL) Button
This button has one main use, but it is a powerful one. Use it all the time, ruin seeker!

Lock: FACE YOUR ADVERSARIES
Hold this to focus on a nearby foe.

+(A) FOCUS & EVADE to roll and dodge while still staying ready to strike.

+(ZR) FOCUS & BLOCK to raise your shield and face the foe.

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pg. 15
UNDERSTANDING STAMINA-PONTS

STAMINA-POINTS represent your poise and strength to perform certain actions. When you evade or perform other moves, your STAMINA-POINTS go down. When at 0 SP, you can still do many actions [misspelled with final /s/ instead of /z/], but at a disadvantage.

MOMENT OF SAFETY
At the start of evasion you have INVULNERABILITY briefly, so evade at just the right moment!

STABILITY
Take enough hits and you will FLINCH! If a hit is really big, you can even be KNOCKED OVER.

The hidden STABILITY gauge is 25% of your total HP.

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pg. 16
With Vigor
Use vigor to roll. You are safe for a tiny moment.

Found the shield? Block! Vigor fills more slowly. Hits will use up vigor.

No Vigor (0%)
Oh no! You ran out of vigor! You can only hop and are highly vulnerable.

Watch out!
NO SAFETY
LOW STABILITY
HURT MORE

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pg. 17
TREASURES & TOOLS

SWORD
Is this the hero's blade? Or a forgery?

STICK
Just a stick!

SHIELD
Left by a RUDELING
Use to deflect blows.

(ICE) BOMB
Unstable powder made from the furry [sic; probably meant "fury"] of the West Garden.

(BOOM) BOMB
Made from slorm, the pudding that goes boom.

(FIRE) BOMB
Fire fire everywhere, and owowowowow.

KEYS
You need a key to open one of the rare old doors. The key disappears...

FRUITS
Eat fruits to restore HP or MP. They are gone forever, so snack sparingly.

HOT PEPPER/IVY
One is spicy, one is minty. Gives a boost to ATT or SP.

EFFIGY
Betray for coins. Each betrayal is sweeter than the last.

LURE
Doll of the beloved hero. Foes will be tricked!

GOLDEN COIN
A special treasure that allows a wish. Use at well to give to wish eater.

MAGIC ITEMS
Some items use the power of your soul. MAGIC-POINTS refill when you rest, but there is a finite number of souls in the world.

Shows uses left. Even a drop of MP is enough.

NOTE: HOLY CROSS is more than a mere item!

MAGIC POTION
Life blood of the hero. Quaff to restore your will to go on. Mysteriously refills whenever you touch a CHECK-POINT.

[FRAGMENT] Find some and you get a free flask!

[ASH] Offer up ash to make your magic potions more potent! It is said the ash of heroes fortifies the blood.

Cards are ways to be inspired to unusual greatness.

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pg. 18
IF YOU SEEK TO INCREASE YOUR POWER...
Risk an offering to the heir

[money] The price goes up each time...

As the shore [outlined] bleeds one of falsehoods and memories, the heir [outlined] hungers for reminders of the corporeal world. Offer these mementos and share a delusion of power.

Warning! Pilgrims to the shore [outlined] are stripped of this false power.
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pg. 19
OH NO!
Bad news! The ruin seeker has run out of HEALTH-POINTS!

But wait!? A strange being has given us another chance!

Such a debt is a dangerous thing to have...

What was but is now not

The ghostly form is an ECHO-OF-SELF. Touch it to break its connection to this cycle and let it drift back into the shore. Be kind, as this is your fate as well.

Cards can change its nature...

"YOU CAN DO IT!"

GARDEN KNIGHT

Future cycles look back with faith, knowing the course! Persevere and be sure to boost your power despite the cost.
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pg. 20
CYAN PERIL RING
Raises DEF when you are in PERIL.

INVERTED ASH
Quaffed potions restore MP instead of HP.

LUCKY CUP
Foes leave hearts to help you a bit. Rare. (15%)

MUFFLING BELL
Sneak sneak sneak...foes notice you less.

There are many more cards! What do they all do? It's a secret..!

Cards
Cards can grant powerful inspiration! Change them often, depending on the challenge you face.

1. Open the inventory

2. Choose the slot icon

3. Choose a card to memorize

Wells and Coins
Granting wishes requires payment, and further inspiration requires wishes. Those who wish enough can be formidable indeed...but to whom are you giving payment?

Choose wisely, ruin seeker!

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pg. 21-22
HELP! HINTS AND CLUES
Stumped? Here are some clues for you! Try to help your friends if you can.

I entered THE TEMPLE but it was empty. What now?
Here is where a ruin seeker would would place 3 KEYS.

Where are the keys?
You can't find any without prayer...try [totem].

How do I get to THE RUINED ATOLL?
Traverse the far shore with [pad] and prayer.

What is the secret of the Golden Path?
Look to the stars, and to P.49.

[thought bubble] I'm stuck!

The CHECK-POINT says "DEAD"!?
It must see to the core. Look for a nearby [totem].

OLD BURYING GROUND is too hard! Why?
It is a place of despair. Only ghosts may enter.

What's up with the DOOR IN THE MOUNTAINS?
All the clues you seek are here in these pages.

How do I defeat the heir?
Gather the relics from THE HERO'S GRAVE.

How do I open these doors?
Seek the HOLY CROSS.

Can I go back to how things were?
Perhaps there is a way. Maybe this is all a dream...

What's behind the waterfall?
Do you know of the FAIRIES? Turn to P.47 and look carefully...

What's the next piece of the puzzle?
Every page has a secret, even this one.

How do I truly escape?
Share your wisdom and break the cycle.

I found a trophy. Can I see them all?
Yes, there is a place...
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pg. 23-24
[bubble] Do you know the secret way? Go to the DOOR IN THE MOUNTAINS and check behind it...

POTION
Monastery

HP
Fortress

ATT
Forest

SP
SWAMP

MP
Library

DEF
Garden

The Secret of Prayer
To pray, be still for a moment and rest. Ruin seeker, press and hold A for a short time.

No holy being will ever hear you, but venerate those who gave of their core and awakened the tools of a lost age.

[bubble] Praying...
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pg. 26
SURVIVAL TIPS

KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR BARS
Your will to go on. Improve potions with ash to gain more HP per sip.

If it's flashing, you're out of breath. Remember, you take EXTRA DAMAGE!

The power of your soul. Using magic items consumes it. Some foes leave their souls.

TIRED ALL THE TIME?
You can run! Your STAMINA-POINTS refill, even when running, so you can enter fights strongly. Rolling everywhere will exhaust you!

Try new cards
Have you discovered how to use cards? Be sure to make wishes if you have coins.

USE YOUR ITEMS
Today is the rainy day, so don't hoard valuable tools. Rewards await those who use liberally.
EXTRA BOMBS FOR SOME REASON? YOU MUST LIKE USING THEM!

USE SPECIAL TECHNIQUES
Roll and sword at the same time to perform a fast stab.
NOTE: It uses STAMINA-POINTS

CHECK THE MAP
Someone has made maps for you! There are secrets hidden on them, so look carefully...
You are here

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pg. 27-28
Fairy FAIRIES

To the west of the great palace are the gardens. Many paths are broken, but there is a way.

MAGIC DAGGER
A magic item from a fairy. Use it to freeze foes with ice.

RINGING THE WEST BELL
Can you see the bell, but not reach it? Try going to the WEST GARDEN via the DARK TOMB
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pg. 29-30
UNDER THE WELL & BENEATH THE EARTH

Flooded lair beneath the surface, filled with monsters. Walking in water will slow you, but also some foes. Watch out for what lies below...

TIP!
Use a shield! (Watch your vigor!)

Beneath the earth are many scary places. Be sure to take a LANTERN.

Below the fortress is a cave.
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pg. 31-32
FORTRESS OF THE EASTERN VAULT
One key to the shadow oubliette is guarded by the last great machine of war. When the siege was done, this beast was coaxed into this lonely purpose.

The Last Machine of War
Siege Engine

To the dark cave p. 30

Those who live in the fortress do not know the secrets of prayer. Use your knowledge wisely, and who knows what you will find...
To the Far Shore ->		To the Hero's Grave ->

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pg. 33-34
THE RUINED ATOLL

Under the library is the skeleton of a great abbey that served as its annex.

Once, some others made this their home, and built on the ruins.

Only flora and fauna live here now, but the frogs may be on patrol...

Summoning the library path means venerating to the 4 corners, so take a knee!

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pg. 35
Odd Ord [should it say "Orb"?]
MAGIC ORB
Rotate it around the forbidden axis and partially summon a disquiet being.

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pg. 36
Many have fought the secrets of this world, drawn by the great power and other secret legends.

THE LIBRARIAN has learned much, including powerful sorceries. He makes his home high above the clouds, waiting for foolish ruin seekers to bring him more pages.

Although powerful, his tragedy is his belief that the HOLY CROSS resides in the CATHEDRAL.

He will never visit The Far Shore.

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pg. 37
BOSS OF THE SCAVENGERS

Will stop at nothing to obtain the [blue key]. She has long known that it lies in the ROOTED ZIGGURAT but has only now entered its depths. It cost many lives, but any price would be acceptable.
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pg. 38
MONASTERY
Once a place of worship for the gods thought to live beneath the earth, it was abandoned when the cathedral's influence reached its peak.

CAVITY
Exposed fossil that has dented a patch of local truth out of the canonical plane. Being near it does not hurt, but does instill a terrible feeling of hopelessness.

THE ROOTED ZIGGURAT
A house for strange gods, exposed by erosion and greed.

GUN
Powerful, but uses a lot of magic. Savvy explorers have been known to quest for this soon after their arrival.

LOWER MIASMA
The bottom of the quarry will sap your will to go on, unless precautions are taken. Were the rumors that "the heir is poisoned" misunderstood because of this miasma?

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pg. 39
THIS ZONE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND IS BEST LEFT ALONE, EVEN IF YOU'RE FEELING BRAVE. ONLY GHOSTS ARE PERMITTED TO ENTER THE INNER GROUNDS.

FLEEMERS
Equipped in various ways. The flesh may be stripped away but the will to fight is strong.

PHREND
A disquiet fragment who lives in a skull and wants to taste everything.

LOST ECHO
An ECHO-OF-SELF from a past ruin seeker whose owner gave up. Watch and listen closely, and release it from its agony.

[skull forehead] R I P

Around the cathedral is a wasteland of graves.

Those who had remains to bury after the final battle are laid here, but many are not at rest.

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pg. 40
THE CATHEDRAL

The seat of power for the first heir

1	The sound of chanting in the air. [think the ??? is because it's spelled the same as "heir"]
2	A large chamber, filled with the smell of incense.
3	A shaft descends into blackness. Activated by 10.
4	Doorway to eastern rooms.
4a	A group of lost friends covet the elixir.
4b	The baptismal font.
5	Upper balcony offers a view of the main hall.
6	In the library there is a double secret.
7	A rough hewn passage.
8	A moonlight bridge blocks access to a treasure.
9	The chalice/vessel.
10	Device to power the lift at 3.
11	Lift shaft.
12	Ruined chamber. Has checkpoint.
13	Gauntlet with 6 challenges.

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pg. 41
The Far Shore

The Shadow Oubliette

QUARRY					EASTERN VAULT
WEST GARDEN				TOWN RUINS
RUINED ATOLL				Stolen Device
Sword of the Heir			Ruin Seeker's Arrival

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pg. 42
Understanding the Strange Effects of The Far Shore

NORMAL
Offerings to the heir give power in the corporeal realm.

In Far Shore/GHOST
You are a shadow of yourself, and the false gifts of the heir have no effect.

With Hero Relic
Attune to a true memory of yourself, instead of a pale retelling.

How Does a Ruin Seeker Become a Hero?
Seek the [candle, i.e. hero's grave] and pray...

...to visit THE HERO'S GRAVE

& claim your heroic past.

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pg. 43-44

The ruin seeker begins to understand the HOLY CROSS

HIDDEN SECRETS

Much is hidden in this world, bound behind the power of the HOLY CROSS.

Prove to those who gave of their core that you know of it deeply.

Open the vaults left to help wise ruin seekers.

Free the souls that stayed behind to guide you and receive their gift.

49 Follow THE GOLDEN PATH.

The monolith in OVERWORLD

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pg. 45-46

SHARE YOUR WISDOM B

...Wisdom that is untempered by kindness is no wisdom at all.

Be free.

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pg. 47-48

Fairy souls are tucked away in all corners of the world. They lock themselves in gold chests, awaiting the clever ruin seeker who knows the power of HOLY CROSS.

A hidden fairy will always leave a trace of magic nearby. They await a particular song and listen for it eternally. Look around to find a secret spell hidden in the world.

SEEKING-SPELL

Tiny false fairies will be drawn along the small fold of local truth the real fairy has created as a nest.

SECRET GATHERING PLACE

But where do they go? Find a special location where all the freed fairies gather.

It is said they have a "FINAL" TREASURE and will only give it up when a certain number of their friends are freed.

Where do the fairies hide?

Flowers 1
Flowers 2
Moss
Caustic light
Maze (Column)
Vane/Vein
Hus (House) ["hus" spelled as if a Wisconsin accent for "house"]
Patrol
Cube
Maze (invisible)
Fountain
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pg. 49
The Golden Path		The Greatest Spell





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pg. 51

Did you retain the letter from us? Immerse it in water for 60 SECONDS to see a secret message.



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pg. 54

FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT & SECRETS

1. Find some rare golden statues.

2. Traverse the glow to visit 12 strange beings

3. "Unsing" to them the greatest song, the song of the Golden Path, as seen from within.

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pg. 55

Up-down-up-down-left-right-left-right-up-down-left-right | under the moon, | contemplate this power. | near an ancient tomb | plundered for its blade | lies a special place.