Editing Lovecraft's Diary

{{Infobox
|name = Lovecraft's Diary
|class = [[:Category:Terms/Defiance|''Legacy of Kain: Defiance'' term]]
|image = [[File:Defiance-Texture-AvernusCathedral-TheBookIsTheKeyToTheUltimateKnowledge.png|250px]]
|caption = An [[Avernus Cathedral]] Lovecraft's Diary inscription in ''[[Legacy of Kain: Defiance]]''.
|introduced = {{#invoke:Icon|Icon|Defiance}} ''[[Legacy of Kain: Defiance]]'' (2003)
|appearances = {{#invoke:Icon|Icon|Defiance}}
}}

'''Lovecraft's Diary''' was a written language of [[Nosgoth]], encountered in [[Legacy of Kain: Defiance|''Defiance'']]. Messages written in Lovecraft's Diary could be found throughout ''Defiance'', particularly in the [[Sarafan Stronghold]], [[Avernus Cathedral]] and [[The Elder's Lair]]. The characters of the text were intentionally meant to look 'Alien' and consequently the inscriptions could be easily missed, resembling 'squiggles' to the untrained eye.

Lovecraft's Diary had a 26 letter alphabet that functioned similarly to [[Blood script|Blood Script]] messages seen in [[Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain|''Blood Omen'']] and ''[[Soul Reaver 2]]'', in that messages could simply be 'decoded' into the Latin alphabet and 'translated' into English (or French in some inscriptions). Unlike ''Blood Omen'' however, there was no decoder for Lovecraft's Diary and only the real world font (see Notes) provided the basis for translation of the symbols.

==Profile==
[http://www.searchfreefonts.com/free/lovecrafts-diary.htm Lovecraft's Diary] is a real world font (named after [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Lovecraft H.P. Lovecraft] whose stories inspired the [[Legacy of Kain]]) developed by Blambot Comic Fonts and Lettering. The font was spotted in pre-release pictures of [[Avernus]] Cathedral by forum member 'Lucent' and was subsequently found to be featured in various messages throughout ''Defiance''.<ref name="LovecraftDC">{{#invoke:Icon|Icon|Dark Chronicle}} [http://www.dark-chronicle.co.uk/def/lovecraftsdiary.php Lovecraft's Diary at Dark Chronicle]</ref> The font is never named in-game.

Further confusing the language issues of Nosgoth, some messages in Lovecraft's Diary translate into somewhat broken French rather than English (such as the "Crime et Chatiment" - "Crime and Punishment" inscription in the Sarafan Stronghold's dungeon).<ref name="LovecraftDC"/>

Whilst most messages are simple titles or phrases with 'innocent' explanations; some inscriptions are more sinister: particularly those in Avernus. There is also a significantly larger message hidden in The Elder's Lair; it is difficult to make out with the [[Spectral Realm]] effects, but it decodes into broken French which translates as: "The Children of the terror hidden under the debris of Oblivion, all expect the beneficent breast of the Elder God, Soul, to comfort you under my wing...us"<ref name="LovecraftDC">{{#invoke:Icon|Icon|Dark Chronicle}} [http://www.dark-chronicle.co.uk/def/lovecraftsdiary.php Lovecraft's Diary at Dark Chronicle]</ref><ref name="LovecraftNRF">{{#invoke:Icon|Icon|Nosgothic Realm}} [https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/nosgoth/a-secret-t2340-s20.html A secret???] at the Nosgothic Realm Defiance Forums (by snake) (archived at Tapatalk)</ref><ref name="LovecraftEF">{{#invoke:Icon|Icon|Eidos Interactive}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20060622134423/http://forums.eidosgames.com/showthread.php?t=25256 SPOILER - Hidden message discovered] at the Eidos Forums (by Lucent) (archived at Wayback Machine)</ref><ref name="LovecraftEF2">{{#invoke:Icon|Icon|Eidos Interactive}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20060622134255/http://forums.eidosgames.com/showthread.php?t=55219 Is there an archaeologist in the house?] at the Eidos Forums (by soothsayer) (archived at Wayback Machine)</ref>

The origin of Lovecraft's Diary in-universe is not explained. It is featured most noticeably in the Sarafan Stronghold, which could suggest a [[Humans|Human]] origin. However, its appearance in Avernus - along with the sinister "The Book is the key to the Ultimate Knowledge" message in reference to the [[Dark Scripture]] - as well as the message in the Elder's Lair, may suggest other origins.

==Behind the scenes==
==Notes==
==Gallery==
<gallery widths="120" captionalign="left" columns="4">
File:Defiance-Texture-SarafanStronghold-Stronghold.png|"Stronghold" (Defiance).
File:Defiance-Texture-SarafanStronghold-CrimeEtChatiment.png|"Crime et chatiment" (Defiance).
File:Defiance-Texture-Underworld-LovecraftMessage.png|A French message in the Underworld (Defiance).
File:Defiance-Texture-AvernusCathedral-TheBookIsTheKeyToTheUltimateKnowledge.png|"The book is the key to the ultimate knowledge" (Defiance).
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[arcane symbols]]
*[[Ancient tongue]]
*[[Blood script]]
*[[Feral humans' language]]
*[[Meridian's written language]]
*{{#invoke:Icon|Icon|Dark Chronicle}} [http://www.dark-chronicle.co.uk/def/lovecraftsdiary.php Defiance: Lovecraft's Diary] at [[Dark Chronicle (fan website)|Dark Chronicle]] (by Ardeth Silvereni).

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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