The Black Sketchbook

For the similarly-named item, see the Black Sketchbook.

Start

• Complete a certain ending of the The Missing Artist quest to find a Black Sketchbook.
• Use the sketchbook while in Southside.

Walkthrough

NOTE that this quest contains undiscovered content. You may find something new if you ignore this walkthrough.
You can check which items your hero has in your quest log.

If you have a binding tome and want to get Stolen Artistry, you'll get to summon more items if you explore the book thoroughly. Check below the walkthrough for more details.

1. The Black Book. If you see a faceless hero, choose "look for more eyes". Meanwhile:
   1. The Innocent Pile of Crates will randomly either start in "eye" formation (scattered) or "pyramid" formation (stacked). Do both the following:
      1. While in "eye" formation, look for a view in the crates (your hero gets a collection of his own limbs)
      2. While in "pyramid" formation, search for an image from atop the crates (unlocks bug encounter)
      3. To swap between formations, look for other crate arrangements to change to "pyramid" formation and see if the hero moves them to change to "eye" formation.
      4. (from now on, the crate encounter doesn't matter. "atop the crates" is always a safe option.)
   2. Then: Against the Bugs: See what happens (your hero gets a jar of acid)
      • (from now on, the bug encounter doesn't matter. "look if the hero escapes" is always a safe option.)
   3. Then: Meat on a Chain: See if the hero cuts the chain (your hero gets a long hooked chain)
   4. Then: A Faceless Hero: See if he lowers himself to the fire.
2. Fires of the Black Book. If you see chained lake, choose to swing across. Meanwhile, accomplish the following in any order:
   • Wall of skulls: Take a skull (your hero gets a human skull. Do not break through right away (see below)
     • Over the lake of fire: see if he gathers fire (your hero gets a blazing skull) (you will die if you don't have the skull. Until you get one, find fishing sketches instead)
   • If you encounter the ghoulish trio, feed them. You may now break through the wall if you haven't yet, to unlock the mushroom encounter below.
   • If instead you encounter the mushroom forest, first gather a bag of mushrooms, then eat the mushrooms and note the result (do you grow smaller or bigger?). You may now break through the wall to unlock the ghoul encounter above.
   • After you've done all of the above, choose to "duck into the tunnels" at the chained lake.
3. Tunnels of the Black Book. If you see branching caverns, look for pictures of other caverns. Meanwhile, accomplish the following in any order:
   • At The Dead End, remember your result eating the mushrooms, then sneak through or tear it down depending on whether you got small or large.
   • Every time you see a dark stone altar, you can see if he plays with the bones. Write down the results. There's no point in doing it again if you haven't encountered a forked intersection since the last time you played with bones.
   • Every time you see a forked intersection, choose a path based on what the bones said. "Many" or "Boredom" are the safe routes. Use process of elimination if the bones told you two other routes. If you didn't play with the bones since the last time you saw an intersection, "Browse" is safe but useless, or you can get lucky if you guess (1/3 chance of progressing, 2/3 chance of getting beaten up). You need to pass successfully through 6 of them.
   • Gravestone: Decide what you want your eventual reward to be.
     • If you want Stolen Artistry, make sure you have a binding tome or it's impossible. The gravestone doesn't matter much but you can get more benefit from your skill if you do various optional things in the book. Check below the walkthrough for more details.
     • If you want Etheric Seed, pick "write in a ghoul name" then "pay your respects" (get a rose bud), then approach the ghouls at a dark stone altar encounter (turns into a dark rose).
     • If you want Undying Heart, pick "scratch in a name" then "pay your respects" then "dig it up" to get a battered pistol
     • If you want Fire Dancer, you can ignore the gravestone.
4. the Towering Figure
   • • If you went for Stolen Artistry, equip your binding tome in advance and "draw in a binding"
     • If you went for Etheric Seed, "see if he bows"
     • If you went for Undying Heart/Fire Dancer, "look for the battle's result" (you get Undying Heart skill, unless you have Channeling Matsuo active, in which case you get Fire Dancer instead)

Optional stuff for stolen artistry:

• Get the battered pistol (see walkthrough above) to summon an improbable gun
• Get the dark rose (see walkthrough) to summon a black rose bud
• After finding have a dark rose: write in a ghoul name, don't pay your respects, and then dig up the grave to get your hero a jade amulet. Then encounter the faceless hunter and breaking the fourth window. afterwards you can summon a jade amulet

Other stuff:

• Fight the ghoulish trio with a pistol to get your hero a grisly crown of teeth. This probably unlocks a ghoulish sinew drop, but you might need to do something else too. Maybe stolen artistry and painting a ghoul is required? Not sure.
• I might be missing something?
• There's undiscovered content, so play around.

Rewards

You can gain one of the following skills:

• Etheric Seed
• Fire Dancer
• Stolen Artistry
• Undying Heart

Quest Log

First part of quest description depends on which quest location you are currently in:

When in The Black Book:

A black sketchbook once belonging to a ghoulish artist has fallen into your possession. From what you can tell, it's utterly out of order, but details a hero's journey through a filthy charnel house.

When in the Fires Of The Black Book:

A black sketchbook once belonging to a ghoulish artist has fallen into your possession. From what you can tell, it's utterly out of order, but details a hero's journey through fiery pits.

When in the Tunnels Of The Black Book:

A black sketchbook once belonging to a ghoulish artist has fallen into your possession. From what you can tell, it's utterly out of order, but details a hero's journey through a black labyrinth.

The second part of quest description depends on which items the hero has found. It always begins with:

The hero wears a long coat and a hat tipped over his blank face.

If you have found only one item, it continues:

In one hand he eternally carries [an item].

If you have found exactly two items, it continues:

In every picture he carries [an item] and [an item].

If you have found multiple items, it continues:

In every picture he carries the same bizarre array of objects, including stuff like [list of items]

Possible carried objects includes:

• a jar of acid
• a long hooked chain
• a collection of his own limbs
• a human skull/a blazing skull*
• a bag of mushrooms
• a battered pistol*
• a grisly crown of teeth*
• a rose bud/a dark rose*
• a jade amulet*

The last part is unchanging and appears if you're not in Southside:

You'll probably want to find somewhere comfortable to rest and go through it. It's not something you can really manage while you're wandering around.

Finished quest

You unraveled the mysteries of the artist's black tome.

* Finding these items in the book affect the outside world, eg. with Stolen Artistry.