The Magnum Opus

**The Magnum Opus** is an unfinished work that haunts the Painter.

The painting also acts as the primary save feature when you interact with it.

## Significance

The mere sight of the work inspires fear, disgust, sadness, which causes the player to fall further into madness. Haunted by his wife's disfigurement and death, he seeks to create his masterpiece in order to bring back what life took from him. Using the body parts of his beloved wife, the painter seeks to create his greatest work. The content of the work, and the fate of the Painter, are determined by the player's actions.

## Iterations

### **Empty Canvas (Iteration 1)**

The Empty Canvas comprises of a muddled green and off-white backdrop with grungy-looking edges and a two small red paint splatters. This is the starting canvas every player encounters, regardless of actions completed prior to this.

### **Blood Flamingos (Iteration 2)**

The background of this iteration of the portrait is similar in appearance to its predecessor, although much, much darker. As the name implies, there are two splashes of paint on the portrait that somewhat resemble flamingos with bright red feathers.

### **Gaping Flesh (Iteration 3)**

The appearance of this iteration of the portrait resembles the entrance to a cave dripping with a bright red liquid. Though the painting somewhat a wolf raising its paw, its ribs the entrance of the cave, it also mildly resembles a scorpion with one of its claws larger than the other. (It may refer to the tale of the red riding hood that can be seen at the beginning of the game.)

###  **Taking Form (Iteration 4)**

The shape in the portrait begins approach that of a human bust, though the resemblance is vague in this iteration. The white color of the 'face' and 'neck' resemble a fish turned on its tail.

### **The Face Emerges (Iteration 5)**

This iteration of the portrait contains a recognizable human bust, though large swaths of skin and flesh are missing from the subject, making the bust appear heavily mutilated.

### **Docent of Perfection (Iteration 6)**

This iteration of the portrait is the second to last variant of the Magnum Opus and is the most recognizably human of the variants prior to iteration seven. It greatly resembles the painter's wife.

## **Final Iteration (Iteration 7)**

In the final form, there are three different paintings, each representing how the artist accepts his actions.

* The Loop Ending is a painting of the Painter's wife, that initially is perfect, but becomes disfigured with burn scars. The painting taunts him, and he cries out in frustration as he almost completed his work. He throws the painting into a pile of other failures. The Painter returns to his studio, where he starts the process all over again in an never ending cycle.
* The Art Ending is a self-portrait of the Painter, which ends in a showcase of his work. He realizes here that all of the pain and suffering was worth the price of restoring his talent.
* The Family Ending is a picture of his wife and their daughter. He realizes that all his hard work will never bring his family back, and burns all his paintings. He throws himself into the fire, and dies by self-immolation.

## Trivia

* The painting is suggested to be created out of his wife's remains, judging by the nature of the objects collected for the magnum opus.
* In the Neutral Ending, if you return to the room of failures, the player can see the true forms of the discarded paintings. The paintings are almost all perfect, with the exception of various burn marks or scars on the wife's face.