Diary of Rory Mackay

Lore entry #1 | 01/10/19 

Happy 18th birthday Rory!

I know, you don’t really care much about presents and birthdays. But unlike mother and father, who are drowning you in stuff they want you to wear, I wanted to be a bit creative.

Now, don’t get me wrong- I don’t have a single clue what you like. Aside of astronauts and space.

I won’t lie. I did get you a telescope but father instantly sold it again. I swear once I’m out of here, I’ll get you a new one.

Here is a way of expressing it all. Whenever you think you like something, love or even hate, put it in here. I know, it’s hard for you to actually get it out and form those feelings into words so here is a way to take your time with it. 

And I promise, I won’t peek.

Lore entry #2 | 09/2/19 

I don't like writing.

Lore entry #3 | 10/18/19 

I like the chickens in the barn. They don't speak. They're small and fragile. Don't have strong opinions on people. They don't judge. I like sitting in between them. In the barn I once burned down. I think I don't like it when they peck at me. Reminds me of mother and father.

//Doing great, Rory! keep at it! HERE'S TO MORE PAGES! - Lynn//

Lore entry #4 | 5/5/20

A farm somewhere held a barbeque I heard. They all got sick and people are panicking about it all. I don't know why they are. It's just a flue. I don't like not knowing what is going on. Lynn bothering me to write about things all day, every day. I don't see a reason why? I would? Write? Merely writing to not disappoint her. I am mighty sure she's going to peek inside again and read this. I am sorry, Lynn. I love the gift! It's not for me.

Lore entry #5 | 5/19/20

Lynn dragged me to town today. It boggled my mind. Mother and Father are going to be pissed. She wanted to introduce me to the outside world or something. It was big! It was big. So many people, all acting different from each other. They're crazy, they are all. Very loud voices, screaming on top of their lungs. We got stuck, though- hard to get back home with this chaos going on. Talking about some virus. People are very, very sick. I don't like not knowing what is going on.

Lore entry #6 | 5/19/20

They're gone? I killed them. The bandits. I killed them. The bandits. I burned them. My family is safe now. They're roaming the barn. It's a bit burned. I hope they liked the burned body I dropped in there. I hope they like it.

Lore entry #6 | 2/21/21

FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK.

Orion's belt has fallen! Leaving the archer to crumble down. Confused and without the very thing that makes him, him. I thought I was clueless, before- what am I supposed to do without my belt? What am I supposed to be?

Lore entry #7 | 4/1/21

Woohoo, fare-thee-well Muldraugh! Farewell, KY- my fucking family! Rory is a grown man, ready to explore the world. A place called CANADA, let's go! Me and Emma, us two against the rest of the world!

Is this enough personality for a diary entry, Lynn?

"GIVE ME MY HEN BACK! I'LL FUCKING BURN YOU!"

The stranger's eyes are big- staring at Rory, frozen in place now and his arms still cradled around the small creature, who is curiously looking up at the other man. Rory would clear his throat, darkened eyes fixed on the stranger as he points his Molotov cocktail at him and forced a lopsided smile along his lips. "Don't mind my manners. But I will burn you to a crisp if you don't give me my chicken back. You are a rude, rude man.“

"W- we were just hungry man, didn't know this thing was yours.“

"GIVE 'EM BACK TO ME!"

It was not clear whether the man regretted his choices for personal reasons, or saw something in Rory's darkened eyes, but he let the chicken drop, who safely hopped back to her owner before turning away, leaving as quickly as he appeared.

The guy just then glanced down at his confused-looking hen- clucking once up at his owner as Rory crouched down on the floor and gently pet the chicken.

Perhaps it was the already burning forest, set aflame minutes ago by Rory himself, why the bandit had escaped. Fire slowly spreading, small and fairly innocent but there, singing a song about Rory Mackay's unnecessary amount of fury for a chicken, but Rory and Emma the hen seemed fine. Aside from a few burn marks over the guy's body. He's got Emma back, and he is happy.

lore-focused text. This has not happened in game.

𝔻𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕪 #𝟙

4/10/01, New Denver streets

Scotch: captain scotch? Just Scotch. Just Captain Scotch. He's got a boat. He let me on the boat. He kind of started dragging me around the place. The first person I have met who did not try and steal my chicken or my stuff off my back. He talked a lot about some group of cops and how they have been hoarding and stealing a lot of stuff around town. I don't know why that's a bad thing. Isn't it a survival something something?

I guess It can be a bad thing. Because they steal, and don't leave anything behind for us to take.

And Emma needs her corn. She gets restless when she doesn't have corn.

Captain Scotch proposed for us to infiltrate them? Get information from them. Where they were going, what they have- what they were up to, and all of that. He promised resources for me in return.

Seems like the bad cop people are going to move out soon. And I got a lot of canned corn out of today. Emma is happy. So that's a win.

Captain Scotch roping me along a lot of random stuff now. I don't know why, but I don't mind it. I think.

𝔻𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕪 #𝟚

4/12/01, New Denver neighborhood

Met the UN lady Scotch kept yelling about. A french lady. Seems like an important type of lady. And a photographer named Danii? Temporarily staying in his neighbourhood. I don't know where to go anyway. Perhaps I should stick around with Scotch? He seems like fun. I wanted to peek inside Daniis home and get some supplies from his place. More corn perhaps. But Scotch told me how that was bad. That we should not steal from good people.

But how do you know the difference between good and bad people? I know, whoever dares to steal Emma away from me is bad. I'm guessing, everyone else who steals anything is bad. and the good people are supposed to be the one's who don't steal and kill. Or something.

I'd think it's more complex than that. Perhaps even subjective. A bad person would not call another bad person, "bad". they would seem "good" in their eyes. Am I a good or a bad person?

𝔻𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕪 #𝟛

4/18/01, New Denver neighborhood

We went back up to the bad cop people again. There was a horde, and they got scared. They are moving away now and Scotch is trying to figure out where they are settling in. I want to settle in as well, I think. Scotch introduced me to someone named Wilson, said he was a friend of mine. Wilson and Scotch are planning on leaving with the boat to settle somewhere near a shore? Or a house boat thing? Something like that. Scotch revealed how he felt bad for roping be along with everything. But that is okay. I believe. I can get more corn for Emma out of them. I think I like being around them, it helps me with my supplies and this is getting scarce around town. Perhaps I should tell Scotch how I am going to follow them wherever they decide to settle when I see him again. Otherwise I can stick around with Danii and get supplies from his home. And Corn.

Oh, and I ate a bad mushroom I think. My tummy feels strange

𝔻𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕪 #𝟜

4/22/01, New Denver neighborhood

A lot of strangers in the neighbourhood. I don't like it. I don't know if they are "good" or "bad" and if they are "bad" they will kill and eat Emma. They talked to me. One was named "Noah". and he was willing to fix up my car when I said how someone had to fix my car up. He saw me chicken and we started talking about Knox. I think the chicken made him happy when he was being sad. Emma is better at making people like her and make people happy than I am. She's my wingchicken.

So after the unnesecary amount of talking and making people sad and happy again, I went away with the car I found, a few days ago. To the little store I kept hearing about on the big talking box. To get supplies. Like a tape? And glue, for my broken machete. And corn for Emma, and a smaller talking box so I can reach out to "good" people. But the shop owner, Silus, did not appreciate the trate offer I made. A rubber duck. Why didn't he like it? I don't know. Traded a gigantic, heavy hammer for it all, instead. I got a talking box now.

I think I like this Silus guy. Just like Emma and all the chickens back at home in Knox, he doesn't have much of an opinion. Seems stoic. Blatant. Does not judge. Just a human shell of nothing. I like this Silus guy. Pretty sure he does not like me and I don't know why, but I don't mind.

𝔻𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕪 #𝟝

5/02/01, New Denver neighborhood

I needed more! How could I have forgotten about all the other bottles in my trunk?! The feeling of the flames slicking against my skin and embers covering the night sky. Thick whisps raising up and stretching far above- It wasn't enough! Not nearly enough!

Mystery lady was in the neighborhood. I lost count of the people passing through. I don't care about most of them, mystery lady seems interesting, however. We went out, looking for talking boxes so we can communicate with people more. But we stumbled across a horde. I only had one molotov cocktail on me, stupid! Stupid! Stupid! We escaped. I got hurt! Emma is okay. I came back to find her and our stuff. She is okay. Mystery lady had a molotov cocktail as well..

When back, I talked with the Noah man again. Fish man. He was preparing a fish. Allowed me to talk on his big, white talking box. So someone would come and patch up the holes in my clothes. He talked a lot about Knox again. We talked about people killing people. He said how it’s a horrible thing, said how some people killed his friends. Reminded me of mother and father, and the men at our farmhouse. And how I burned them down, along with the house. And how I accidentally killed Lynn. He told me how he forgave the people who killed his friends. I’m having a hard time believing how you can forgive something like that. Burning the house down felt good. Hearing the screams as they were trying to escape- staring up at the flames dancing above the roof. It felt warm. I felt warm. But Noah thinks otherwise. Saying how we shouldn’t try and seek revenge. Keep ourselves from becoming monsters, like they were.

He does not know what I did.

Am I a monster?

I know who I am.

Perhaps it wasn't revenge. Perhaps it was something beyond that. An underlying thought. A feeling he sought to replicate. To understand. To be in control over the situation- unlike what had happened months ago, in that little farmhouse at the outskirts of West Point, KNOX country. To be able to save, rather than lose something. Someone.

It was one molotov thrown over the hay wall. Just one.

One molotov was thrown at the farmhouse- Lynn begging him not to do it, but Rory was blind. Still being able to smell the corpses of his parents in the burned down barn. He had thrown the molotov cocktail at his house.. the bandits still inside.

The Barn General Store. The store he had grown to like with only two visits- it reminded him of his home. Small, cozy- and burning.

The flames stretches far into the horizon, licking the clouds above and hugging Rory with warmth. The flames- it sung a song about Rory's rage. The rage he has been building up since childhood, the rage upon seeing the corpses of his parents. Satisfaction as the screams of terror within the burning house died out- along with the bandits within.

Rory had closed his eyes, grinning from ear to ear as he recalled the day. That day. The day he found himself, and lost it right after.

𝔻𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕪 #𝟞

5/22/01, New Denver neighborhood

Some people were bothering Silus and his store, I heard it on the radio thing. He promised rewards for the people who came to help him, so I rushed.. I don't know what has gotten into me but I crashed thee times when trying to reach the barn. Perhaps I should've traded a car when I was there.

Told us how some maple men bothered him with guns? But he had escaped, and other people had saved him.

No matter that. He threatened Emma! I think he wanted to eat her. Like the guys in the forest? Like how the bandits at Knox stole my family from me, Silus wanted to steal what I had left of my family. He didn't believe I had it in me. He thought I was weak, sure he did. When I showed him my bottles? He provoked it! He did.

I shouldn't still like the man after the threats. I'm not sure why I do. Perhaps because he allowed me to burn his place down, which made me happy.

I came back after midnight and threw a molotov cocktail at his place. Just one. Just an innocent flame dancing above his barn. I loved it. It made me feel strong. In power, again. In control over who I am and want I want.

...to forgive someone, so you don't become like them. Noah told me that. Otherwise, you'll become a monster, just like them.

I'm a monster for not forgiving and walking away?

𝔻𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕪 #𝟟

6/02/01, New Denver neighborhood

King said how revenge is useless, unnecessary.

Chad said how it's "best served cold"?

Elly Lady said how it's fine, depending on the situation..

Clem seemed very disapproving. Against Revenge, how revenge begets revenge in an endless loop.

I got stabbed by Silus. When Clem, and Gregory and I were out, clearing roads from zombies. He had sent out a broadcast before... putting a bounty on my head. Saying how he wants me dead or alive in return for some rewards. He appeared in front of us after crashing our car with his. Had a bandana on his face? Did not know it was him. And when Clem turned around to fix up his car, he went and stabbed me. Says we're even now. Assessing what everyone has said about revenge, I suppose I deserved the stabbing and shouldn't try and stab him back? Guess he also changed his mind and did not kill me... at least... I guess.

They don't like me and neither do they like my actions, I think I can see why? Not sure. Everyone has been staring at the graves in the neighborhood with some kind of fear? The ones someone dug as a threat to us. I tried to fill them up again so the fear may disappear. It felt less fulfilling than burning Silus his place down. But at least I'm not getting stabbed for it.

𝔻𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕪 #𝟠

6/12/01, New Denver neighborhood

Silus wanted me to commit arson! I think I feel disappointed for not visiting The Barn at once, when I heard his broadcast, asking for me. I did not care much, I had my things to do. Only visited a few hours later, and he said how he wanted me to throw molotovs at his neighbor trader to scare them away. But he went and intimidated them himself. He seemed appreciative that I did show up, in the end. I like Silus.

I also got a dog. Named biscuit. Showed up at my door. He is mine now.

𝔻𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕪 #𝟡

6/14/01, New Denver neighborhood

Screams were coming from the forest. Scary noises. I am not sure how to describe it. Emma did not like it at all. It was after the man with the stitched-on mask and a suit glued onto his skin, came to ask for my help. I did not like that I think. Him, barging into my room and scaring Biscuit and Emma like that. He got crazy, running away once the noises started. Jia and Greg were here too.. seemed like they knew what to do? Seems like The masked guy was plagued by some voices he kept hearing once the scary noises outside started?

He ran away and died, and got shot by God knows who. Jia also got crazy and tried to stab me and Greg. Greg seems very fond of her. And handling stuff with molotov displeased everyone. So I tried to take her knife away instead of stabbing her, which was my initial instinct. I think I did well.

She has been hearing voices as well, apparently. Like the man with the mask did?

I don't know.

Oh, and I got mail. A mailman is delivering us mail in the apocalypse.

𝔻𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕪 #𝟙𝟘

6/26/01, New Denver neighborhood

I bought plants from a guy named Milo. Biscuit went out to play with another dog named Marma-something. Owned by Roxanne. I talked with people a bit. I don't know how to act or behave or say the thing that will not displease them, so I have been studying them instead. Trying to figure out how they act around one another and what kind of behavior displeases them. I do not know why I care about this now- perhaps I just do not want to get thrown out.

Or perhaps I am trying to figure out if I can control this.

𝔻𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕪 #𝟙𝟙

7/19/01, New Denver neighborhood

We got attacked. Or somewhat. UN Lady, Clemence told us about a group of bandits, the "Preserval" is plaguing us. Because we had someone named May around the neighborhood, who was an ex-bandit from the group and the Preserval wants her dead.

I am curious why we just won't give May to them.

They placed crates all over the place when we were discussing whether we wanted to attack the preserval before they could attack us, or talk with them, or give them the supplies they want from us. And shot the place up. And disappeared after. They want us to put our supplies in there. Clem went and gathered all the crates from the houses and put them together, saying how we are in this together.

It made me feel strange, I do not know what it was. Perhaps I am happy that I won't have to put too much effort into the crates, now.