Finding Meaning

Finding Meaning
Type	Untradable
Obtain	The Canary Calls
Usage	Collectible

“

Select pages - Unknown author - Rewarded for finding all eight secrets in The Canary Calls.

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Finding Meaning is a collection of journal entries by an unknown author. It is obtained by collecting eight hidden Journal Pages in the Thesead coal mines during the level 85 Quest The Canary Calls. A fragment of the story can be read in each Journal Page, but once all eight are collected, they are combined into this item, containing the entire story.

The events recorded in Finding Meaning span a period from 966 to 980 AP, and cover the recent history of Thesead; Chief Clight, the right hand to Thesead's Mayor; and the region's struggle against the Canyon Colossus.

Finding the Pages

The Journal Pages are found throughout the Thesead coal mines. Two can be found before the first checkpoint in the minecart section, while the other six can be found during the mining section. To find the pages stashed in chests, you will need the
Old Drill,
Flint and Steel, and
TNT. Each chest also contains a variable amount of Emeralds and various other Crafting Ingredients.

• Page 1 is found at the beginning of the minecart section, by jumping to the right of the main track.
• Page 2 is found in the minecart section, by going backwards instead of forwards after the big drop.
• Page 48 is found at the beginning of the mining section, by swimming up the small waterfall in the cave.
• Page 97 is found in a chest in the mining section, at [-14371, 6146].
• Page 285 is found in a chest in the mining section, at [-14389, 6146]. It requires TNT to access.
• Page 324 is found in a chest in the mining section, at [-14363, 6133]. It requires TNT to access.
• Page 325 is found in a chest in the mining section, at [-14393, 6121]. It requires TNT to access.
• Page 326 is found in a chest in the mining section, at [-14380, 6095]. It requires TNT to access.

Contents

Page 1

• Finding Meaning
• Day 28, 966 AP
• I thought I was dead. Once I heard that an earthquake was happening, the whole building fell on top of me. And then everything went black. That was the last thing I remembered when I woke up today. When I opened my eyes, I did not feel like I was there. I felt like I was in a state of limbo, unable to feel anything. But as soon as I moved my body, I felt immense pain everywhere. There was a large gash on my right thigh, probably cut open by some debris. I managed to find a piece of clothing nearby so I could at least stop some of the bleeding.
• After some time, I got up and saw the most wretched thing I could ever imagine. My mother, pierced by a long piece of wood. Called her name. Nothing. Checked her pulse. Nothing. She was dead. First my brother. Then my father. And now... I couldn't save her. I couldn't save anyone. Why? Why me? Why am I even here anymore? Who decided that I should live?
• The bond my mother and I shared... It was something special. She was the only friend I ever had. She would always surprise me by taking me on spontaneous adventures. She'd do anything to make me happy, even if she herself was having a bad day. I would do the same for her, as much as I possibly could. Just to see the smile on her face. Happy is the man who can sleep, in the comfort of the smile he sees in death. And yet... What is the man to do who has not been afforded that chance...?
• The rain was crashing down on my bare skin, cold as could ever be. Not even a roof over my head. No food, no drink. I had nothing. All I had were the very clothes on my back, and even those were limited. Barely being able to walk, I searched for the nearest settlement. I searched for an answer. A way out. A way that people can live in peace again. I can only hope that I find it alive.

Page 2

• Day 29, 966 AP
• I ran into a group of miners from Thesead, a small mining settlement not far from where I lived. I've heard about this place. The town is incredibly poor, yet they're right on top of an extremely rich coal deposit. Their future, just a stone's throw away. And yet... They still manage to struggle. A struggle that would be incredibly magnified by recent events. Indeed, those miners were also searching for survivors of that earthquake. Its influence was far and wide, and its strength unlike anything ever seen before. They told me that their town was absolutely devastated beyond recognition by the earthquake.
• But words cannot describe the atrocities I saw when I first entered that place. Families struggling trying to rescue their kin trapped by the debris; a child wandering around looking for their missing family; people frantically rummaging through the rubble to find their belongings. I heard nothing but complete silence, occasionally interrupted by the wails of the town's residents. Despite being a grown man in my 20's, I could not help but feel like an innocent child at that moment. Such a mournful existence. If this life had any meaning to begin with, it was meant for nothing and despair.
• One of the miners I met earlier brought me to a nearby area under a cliff, which was seemingly untouched by the earthquake. A lot of refugees made their homes here, desperately clinging onto the last thread of life. A lifestyle that I would need to adopt, whether I liked it or not. But to my surprise, the miner offered me some money and a job to get me back up on my feet. So incredibly kind of him. He reminded me of my mother.
• His name was Clight. Seemed like a nice fellow. Apparently he had gone through a similar situation as I did. Not as grave as mine, though. Lost his home and everything a few years back. Sought refuge in Thesead. Now, he is well off and is seeking to become the chief miner one day. 'When I lost everything, I tried to look towards the future,' he said. 'It was hard, but it's the mentality that keeps me going.' His words inspired me to live on another day.

Page 48

• Day 117, 968 AP
• I think I'm starting to get used to this place. I've been working for a while now as a coal miner. It may not be the easiest job in the world, but I'm at least earning money for a roof over my head and food on the table. I wake up every day thinking not of the grueling task at the start of the day, but of the rewards I'll reap at the end of the day. It's kind of funny, really. It's funny how much I've changed over such a short period of time. That day, when that man Clight offered to help me walk on this twisted, beaten path, I started to look at life differently. Taking the good with the bad, you know?
• Clight was like the light at the end of the tunnel. Everyone aspired to be like him. He was a hard worker with relentless determination to make Thesead and its residents the best they can be. When we went to the bar after a long day's work, Clight would often bring us boilo, a sweet citrusy alcoholic beverage originating from Thesead. Traditionally, everyone has their own unique take on boilo. My boilo, which I loved making, was something I was always proud of. But Clight's boilo? It was by far the best boilo I've ever tasted. He would do that just to put a smile on everyone's faces. Indeed... I've seen that smile, somewhere before.
• Clight was the only person who I really liked. Looked up to, even. He was always there for me in my times of need. I would go as far as to saying he's perfect. However, when I look into his eyes... I see imperfection. Like a diamond, there is always something flawed about it. Something just... doesn't feel right. Like he's trying to hide something by acting in such a way. Or perhaps... I see my own reflection. Indeed, we are...the same.

Page 97

• Day 65, 970 AP
• Today, I was nominated for chief of the Thesead coal mine. Right hand of the mayor. Four years of hard work finally paid off. This is my chance to find the answers we are all looking for. The answers that I once began to search for on that fabled day when I lost everything. Finally, a chance for us all to live in peace again. No more tragedy, no more disaster. Just... happiness. Happiness, security, and stability. With the power as chief, I will make that my goal.
• Indeed, the perfect Thesead will be realized under my leadership. In order to achieve security and stability, my first course of action as chief will be to make everyone into miners to ensure that one is left without a job. They will work towards a common goal - eliminating the threat of the Colossus. Thesead will become a safe haven in the Canyon, a sanctuary in the midst of chaos. No one will be left homeless or poor, unhappy or misfortuned. Freedom from suffering, in its simplicity. It is...the best existence possible.
• I was running against Clight. As a man of high respect and trust, I was not surprised that he was nominated. Regardless of whoever wins, I trust that he will do great things. We desire the same thing, after all. Prevent the Colossus from interfering with our futures. The one who ravaged our homes, ruined our lives, and shattered all hope. We wouldn't have to live in fear anymore. I know it's wishful thinking, but... a man can dream.

Page 285

• Day 304, 977 AP
• The past couple of years have done wonders for myself and Thesead. Ever since I became chief, I have not lived a single day that I felt was unfulfilling. I was able to revolutionize the coal industry and bring in much more profit. With that profit, I began planning my reconstruction for Thesead, as part of my goal for mitigating the Colossus' impact on the city. It took many years, but today, the project has finally been completed. The new Thesead is completely unrecognizable compared to the old one, and I daresay it's one of the best looking cities in Gavel, as well as the safest in the Canyon.
• Clight and I have also been getting along well. Despite losing in the chief election, he has been there by my side. Second in command, if you will. However, even though we are good friends, we still have arguments from time to time, mostly how to proceed further with Thesead. He always mentions how rebuilding the city was a waste of money, instead wishing it was funded a direct way of dealing with the Colossus, rather than an indirect one. 'You're letting this continue to be a problem. Destroy the Colossus and there won't have to be any more worrying,' he says. Truthfully, I don't know if I can answer that. I just... I don't know if I can. I'm... afraid of the consequences.
• It is a huge task. Anxiety inducing, in fact. I just can't bring myself to face it. And I'm not sure why. I just... want to live a peaceful life. No more problems, no more anxiety, no more fearing the future. This new Thesead can make that happen. Yes... The endless now. Thesead, in stasis, forever frozen in time. Miners forever working to maintain the status quo. As it...should be.

Page 324

• Day 47, 980 AP
• 'This is for your own good. Goodbye.' Those were the last words I heard from him. We were going down into the mines to investigate a suspicious gas leakage. Took our canary with us and everything. Just another day in the life. I was stood on a ledge overlooking a crevasse, where the gas supposedly was, to get a better look of the area. And then... He pushed me off. As if I was some kind of piece of trash.
• He did it, that mudder Clight. He said those words with no hesitation, no sarcasm, no nothing. It was genuine. Or, at least, I think it was. I glanced at his eyes very briefly, and I saw tears. Tears of joy? Or...sadness? I don't even know what to think anymore. Everything I've experienced, all the moments we've shared, all the trust we've had for each other. It was all a blatant lie. An act. And for what? Wealth? Power? Dominion? No... That is not the Clight I know. And yet, somehow, it happened. It happened. Yes, it did happen. It really did happen. Happen. Happen happen happen. Happy. Yes, I am happy. The happiest person in the world. Happiness.
• Indeed, happiness is the meaning of life, if you are a naive little kid. Life has no meaning. How foolish it was of me to think it had any meaning. No... The true meaning of life is to blindly walk a path to find that fabled 'meaning', only to find no end in sight. Suffering leads to the pursuit of happiness, which only leads back to suffering, and so on. What is the point, really? Even inside my perfect Thesead, people were still suffering. And Clight... Was it all...pointless? Was there...any point in my existence? Maybe I'll just... No. There is only one more thing meant for this world. Destroy what's left of it. People won't have to suffer anymore. I now finally understand why the Colossus claimed so many lives.
• I have decided, at long last. My true purpose in life. Kill Clight, destroy Thesead, and restore order to this world.

Page 325

• Day 51, 980 AP
• Food and water are incredibly scarce. My clothing is beginning to wear and tear. My sanity is dwindling by the minute. Darkness envelops the caverns, and not a soul to be seen. Yet somehow, I've managed to survive in the mines for a couple days. Perhaps it's luck? Or fate? I don't even know anymore. It feels as if my memory and thinking spells are incredibly clouded. It hurts me to even write this very passage.
• This gas... It's not normal. In fact, I don't even think it is a gas. It's like... some kind of magical force. There's this constant pressure against my head, as if it's about to explode, and I can't stop coughing. I tried casting the handful of Air spells I still remembered from my childhood, and they changed form...? Although they became a lot weaker. Maybe I'm just misremembering, given that I barely used them. Regardless, I have never experienced anything like this, in all my days of mining. This force... Could it be the Colossus' doing? If it really is, then that means... No...
• No matter. Time remains a mere obstacle in my path. It will not stop me from achieving my goal, nor will this force. Nothing will stop me, for I am destined to be this world's saviour. People are born into the passage of fate, doomed to float aimlessly in the sea of suffering. Many have tried, but none have ever managed to escape its torrential flow. And yet, recent events defy that fate.
• I have escape society, the heart of suffering. Solved the puzzle. Reached enlightenment. I am...the chosen one. Chosen by the Colossus to rid the world of the cycle of suffering, the very nature of the world, the very fabric of reality. There is only one person meant for this world, and I AM IT. That is ME, and NO ONE ELSE.

Page 326

• Day 60, 980 AP
• I think I'm going insane. Strange apparitions keep appearing in the corner of my eye. Were they ghosts? Or real people? I couldn't tell. It constantly feels as if I'm zoning out from time to time. It's as if I'm a figment of his imagination, real but not real. His judgment, clouded by perception. Wait, what did I just write? No, scratch that. No idea...where that came from... Ugh. My head... The pain is indescribable. But it feels very good, like a nice little massage. What the...? There it is again. It's like time stops, and suddenly there's words on the paper. Are they...the thoughts hidden deep within my subconscious... ?
• One of the strange apparitions I saw recently was what seemed to be a blue canary, like the one I brought with me on that day. And it was...talking to me? It seemed like it was incredibly angry at me. It cursed at me, made threats against me, and wish I had never existed. It didn't throw any regular curses, no, it threw the harshest curses and the most horrific threats at me. Was it real? Or just my imagination? Likely the latter, but... what was it supposed to mean, then? Was it...a warning? Did I...glimpse the future? Or was it just a manifestation of my thoughts? If so, then... perhaps it was him.
• Indeed. The one who ruined my life and got away with it. No... He will not get away with it. I will not allow that to happen. For the sake of the world, he must be stopped. He... That's him, right? Am I even thinking about the same thing...? Ugh, every part of my body is aching. I can't even write anymore. This may be the last entry in my journal. I will continue on as my flame still flickers. Rest assured, I will not die here. I cannot die here. I must do...his...bidding. I will change my identity, erase my past self from the face of the world, anything... Anything to achieve my goal.
• But I will leave this journal here to remind future miners of the fabled 'meaning' they are hopelessly searching for. Stop searching for it, there is no point in finding meaning. If you persist, then... you may end up like me. Two paths, side by side. Present, and future. One of them is...hopeless. The other is the road I must walk. Our paths won't cross. But... Should we, in fact, ever meet up... On that day...
• Signed,
• ?̶̖̣̏̈́?̵̨̛̃☐?̵͎͌̎☐?̴̮̮̈́

Trivia

• During the HERO Beta for the 2.0 update, Finding Meaning's original title was "Mystery, Mischief, and Misery". However, it was unreadable during the Beta, and was changed to its current title in the release.