Explorer/Lore

—Anniversary Tales Collection Booklet

Minor:

* Lorraine Miller
* Bishop Duke

**Kurt Frank**, also known as the **Explorer**, is one of **43** playable Survivors added to Identity V.

This page is a compilation of lore and story content for this character.

## Backstory

### Character Introduction

Kurt is an experienced explorer, passionate about exploring the limits of humanity. He has sailed across the English Channel, flown over old-growth forests in a hot air balloon, and, of course, joined a life-or-death game. As a master of survival, maybe he has a good shot at winning?

### Character Relations Menu

Kurt is an experienced explorer passionate about pushing his physical limits. He sailed across the English Channel and flew over dense forests in a hot air balloon. Naturally, he couldn't afford to miss a game of life and death. As a master survivalist, can he be the ultimate winner?

### 2018 "520 Game Lover's Day" Backstory

Kurt Frank was born in Yorkshire, England, and has been moving, or rather, migrating with his parents since he was born. They moved from England to Italy, then to France, and then to England again, just like migratory moving with the seasons. Young Kurt Frank was constantly weaving in and out of all kinds of adult travelers. Whenever he looked up, he could only see the tight jawline of his parents and their hurried figures that never looked down. He felt so small and powerless and out of place. This early feeling of being ignored led Kurt Frank to develop a typical avoidant personality. He had trouble concentrating, did not want to go outside, and spent his days obsessing over ancient adventure novels such as Gulliver's Travels. He imagined he was a great adventurer and refused to accept the actual situation.

After entering the local university, Kurt often argued with others over his bushy mustache, and he soon became an outlier among the students. Kurt, who could not get approval from others, used the stimulation from horse racing to numb himself, but he lacked the vision and brains to invest, and soon lost all his living expenses and even owed a loan shark. When the creditor came to the door, Kurt had to drop out of college. After that, Kurt's parents sent him into the army, hoping to correct his behavior.

Kurt Frank boasted of his "adventure experience" in the army by relying on stories from the adventure novel. This gave him many audiences and praise. Kurt served in the army until he was 25 years old, but in fact he didn’t want to leave it as long as his health allowed him to! The ability to create a trance-like reality by simply opening his mouth was too good a deal for him.

After leaving the army, Kurt Frank lost focus. He began to think about putting his “adventure” into practice, but the cost of the adventure was too high for a veteran with high debts and lack of special skills. At this time, an invitation from Oletus Manor arrived and gave him new hope.

### Official News

***The explorer's body shrinks and travels freely***

The explorer Kurt Frank was born in Yorkshire, England. After he was born, he moved or emigrated with his parents, from England to Italy, then to France, and then back to England, constantly shuttling among all kinds of adult tourists. This unique experience made Kurt feel like a migratory bird, forming a typical evasive personality, and having difficulty concentrating. He indulged in reading novels about ancient times and adventures every day, such as the classic "Gulliver's Travels" , always imagining that he is a great explorer

The adventurer Kurt is good at sailing and hot-air balloon driving, and because he has been reading "Gulliver's Travels", he will bring this book with him almost every day when he goes out, so Kurt imagines that he can shrink like the protagonist. Fly freely in the real world. Based on this background, Kurt's skill in the game is "miniature world". He can shrink himself instantly and hide in the haystack, so as not to let the butcher notice and discover, and easily complete a successful escape.

## Deduction Quests

*All completed Objectives reward the player with +335 Logic points for the Logic Path. After the character's deductions are completed, their Worn Clothes will be available and their diaries unlocked.*

### Deduction Summaries

These are summaries found in the Character Relations menu, which can only be obtained by completing the corresponding Deduction Quests.

***Deduction 1: Russian Roulette***

Passionate about adventure stories, Kurt wasn't interested in attending a university. He was also in quite a bit of debt.

***Deduction 2: Become a Hero***

Kurt dropped out of school and joined the army - this provided him with an audience for his made-up adventure stories.

***Deduction 3: Gulliver's Travels***

As Kurt repeatedly told stories of his made-up adventures, the line between fantasy and reality began to blur.

## Letters

This section contains the letters the player receives after completing Kurt's Birthday Event on March 1st each year. Each is removed from the player's mailbox in a week, but can still be accessed from the deduction quest menu.

* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023

## Lore Connections

### Mentioned NPC's

* Bishop Duke
* Sister Lorraine

### Letter to Bishop Duke (2020)

Dear esteemed Bishop Duke,

The White Sand Street Asylum completed the reassessment of its patients last month, and we will begin the process of discharging healthy patients on the 15th of next month.

This particular letter is intended to discuss the conditions of patient no. 93. It is with our deepest regret to inform you that the reassessment of patient no. 93 indicates that his Delusional Schizophrenia persists. He claims that he had flown solo across the English Channel, possesses extraordinary survivalist skills, and is capable of the construction and operation of, including but not limited to, Blimps.

As you can see, despite your assurance of his well-being, we are certain that his delusions will evolve in a scale of grandiose when exposed to outside influences. Patient no. 93 currently does not possess violent tendencies, yet with his deteriorating mental health stability and elevating delusions, he may pose a threat to society through conspiracy with others. We are well aware that he has never and is incapable of operating a Blimp across the uncharted jungles, but consider his eloquence in persuasion, the decision to discharge him from the asylum cannot be granted without serious considerations.

Please reconsider your decision with great importance.

We look forward to your reply. May the Lord sanctify your spirit with his eternal light.

Your humble servant,

Lorraine Miller

## Lore Connections

### Mentioned Playable Characters

* Forward
* Wildling
* Mercenary

### A Page from an Adventure Novel (2021)

^...this was quite a thrilling journey.

It snowed heavily for two days, so the road was slippery and there was ice everywhere. I was trapped halfway up the mountain with the other three–a lost hunter, a young man who couldn't really think because of the cold weather, and a man who had already lost his mind.

We found a wooden hut. The hunter and the young man followed me to hide inside. Yet that odd man didn't listen to me and went into a tree cave nearby alone.

I made a fire with matches and dried grass in the wooden hut and found some fish in the river by the hut. The water current was rapid and I almost lost my footing. Yet I must take care of my companions–who else but an explorer would have experience of surviving in the wild? At night, as the young man and I kept watch outside, we heard the sound of wild beasts roaming around the shrubs... The forest was indeed quite dangerous!

When we woke up early in the morning, the man in the tree cave was gone. He might have left in secret, or he might have been devoured by the wild beasts. Those without experience could seldom survive. It's the experienced explorer who would be the ultimate winner.

At dusk, I went in search of water and found traces of blood and some fragments of man's clothes in the snow. I then followed the trace...

"I saw a wild beast dragging his corpse into the shrubs. It bit off his head."

"Are you sure you saw a wild beast?" The hunter asked.

"I'm sure."

After a few days, I just had to tell the hunter what I saw. I didn't want to tell them that man had died, but I had to make them understand the danger of getting out of my sight. The hunter thought about what I said, returned to the wooden hut, and took out a knife.

"It's not safe here." He said, "I'm afraid you'll have to take me to the wild beast's lair so I can eliminate the risk."

He was right; we have to go out there tomorrow. Who knows, maybe we'll find that man's body...

## Lore Connections

### Mentioned Playable Characters

* Forward
* Wildling
* Mercenary
* Magician

### A Page from Kurt Frank's Experiment File (2022)

Serial No. 9-?-1

Name: Kurt Frank

[Test Indicators]

1. Avoidant personality disorder

2. Curiosity killed the cat

[Inclination]

A fantasist disassociated with reality

[Test Results]

1. Overall Evaluation:

Due to his avoidant personality disorder, No. 9-?-1 desperately wants approval from others. The fantasies and fabricated experiences were tools for evading anxiety and self-protection. Yet these became his downfall when he's among a group of people trying to hide their secrets.

2. Methodology:

The commonality of this group of participants was that they all had a secret: either to get ride of their past or to maintain a disguise. Except for No. 9-?-1, the others all suspected each other, and their secrets were on the edge of being unveiled. Initially, No. 9-?-1 wasn't in the middle of the conflict, but he was excessively proactive. He was the first to discover No. 8-?-5 who survived the last round which got No. 9-?-3 suspicious. After observing other carefully, No. 9-?-1 wrote an adventure novel based on fantasy rather than reality, which for No. 9-?-3 even more suspicious. Despite that his action wasn't malicious, he was ticked off by the paranoid and highly dangerous No. 9-?-3. No. 9-?-1 disassociated with the conflict but was the first one ousted and was used by No. 9-?-3 as the fuse to oust No. 9-?-4 later on.

3. Analysis Summary:

No. 9-?-1's experiences prompted his avoidant personality disorder. He was extra sensitive about others' opinions of him and fearful of criticism, isolation, and disagreement.

No. 9-?-1 was scared of being excluded in a group. On the one hand, he forced other to communicate with him as he was desperate to prove himself to them.

No. 9-?-1 even fabricated the contents of his diaries, affecting the experiment's records and conclusion to a certain degree.

No. 9-?-1 was ousted mainly as a result of his excessive self-awareness and indulgence in fantasy. However, the fact that the participants in this group would do anything to hide their secrets was the fundamental reason why they ousted one after another. The closer their disguise was to being unveiled, the more extreme the measures people would take to cover it up. The sense of danger that their secret would be exposed could easily ignite hatred and make people harm one another. In fact, we might not even need the medicine...

## Lore Connections

### A Publishing House's Response Letter (2023)

Mr. Kurt Frank,

Thank you for writing to us. We have read your work - Kurt Frank's Travels. I have to say, it was a very interesting read full of ups and downs and fantastical elements. After some discussion, we're happy to publish Kurt Frank's Travels, and we hope to establish a long-term relationship with you and be the first to publish your future work.

I can't imagine how a talented individual like yourself has been left unnoticed until now. My favorite part of your book is when you sailed across the English Channel, and your trip to White Sand Street is very popular as well. We really look forward to the ""Oletus Mountain Survival Challenge"" you previewed in the book.

We look forward to your next masterpiece. Additionally, I've attached the publication and explanatory documents for book one, Kurt Frank's Travels, in this letter. Please look through it and send it back as soon as possible.

Feel free to write back if you have any other questions.

Blackett Publications

### Letter Summaries

These summaries are found in the Character Relations menu after the letter has been received.

***Letter to Bishop Duke***

In the letter, the asylum's nun suggested that the bishop should not discharge patient No.93.

***A Page from an Adventure Novel***

The novel describes an over-the-top adventure story of a team of four.

***Kurt's Experiment File***

The experiment report analyzes why Kurt indulged in fantasies and enjoyed writing adventure stories.

### Rewards

Every letter comes with 30 Fragments, and depending on how many years the player has participated and completed the Birthday Event, will determine which letter they receive and the extra reward.

* If this is the first time the player has completed the event, they will get a portrait for the character and the 2020 letter.
* If this is the second time the player has completed the event, they will get a portrait frame and the 2021 letter.
* If this is the third time the player has completed the event, they will get a dynamic graffiti and the 2022 letter.
* If this is the fourth time the player has completed the event, they would get a emote and the 2023 letter.

2020 Portrait2021 Portrait Frame2022 Dynamic Graffiti2023 Emote
## Character Resources

The additional in-game and external documents for this character include:

* Character Relations
* Quotes & Media
* Diaries
* Event Appearances
* Mentions

The Character Relations menu shows how certain characters are connected and how they feel about each other. It also contains other personal information on characters that cannot be found anywhere else. It can be found in the Notebook, under the "Clues" tab. Although the web of relations for Explorer has not been released, we know a few of the characters that would be on it, which have been included below.

### Moonlit River Park Quiz (Website)

*You are not a focused person. You can easily get distracted by the things from the outside world. You have a rich spiritual world, and sometimes even a little 'crazy'. But you believe that the unknown of the world is explored step to step by explorer. Daring to think and daring to do make an extraordinary life.*

### Personality analysis chart (Bilibili)

*Your super adaptability has endowed you with the desire to visit various places. You are always imagining all kinds of wonderful life, and you are willing to make every effort to realize it. Sometimes you can be a little "nervous", and a little thing will make you nervous.*

### Personality Heartbeat Index Quiz Results (Website)

*[Death-defying Explorer]*

*In a thrilling world, you rely on your wisdom to overcome obstacles. As a representative of high EQ and IQ, you don't need to rely on anyone, there are various Freestyle ways to live. The more exciting you are, the higher you will be~*

### Birthday Questions

*Only the questions and answers relating to his backstory were included here. The other questions not listed relate to gameplay.*

* 2022 Birthday questions:
	+ Question 4: *"What is Kurt Frank's favorite fiction genre?"* Answer: *"Adventure"*
	+ Question 5: *"Which book does Kurt Frank carry with him?"* Answer: *"Gulliver's Travels"*
* 2023 Birthday questions:
	+ Question 4: *"What does the Explorer dislike the most?"* Answer: *"Insects"*
	+ Question 5: *"Which of the following is the Explorer's talent?"* Answer: *"Public speaking"*

### Quotations

* Qixi Festival 2018 quote:
	+ *"Lilliputian"*
	+ *"When will I meet my Sancho Panza?"*
* Chinese First Anniversary (2019) quote:
	+ *"Hi, look here, can you find me? The gift is here, come and get it."*
* 2020 Mid-Autumn Festival interaction:
	+ *"Hey, Moon Rabbit! I'd like to go on an adventure to the moon!"*
* Deduction Star 2019 quotes:
	+ *"I love you guys! Vote for me! Don't hesitate any longer!"*
* Deduction Star 2020 quotes:
	+ *"The world portrayed in books is the most beautiful."*
	+ *"Come explore the ends of the world with me, will you?"*
	+ *"Don't ever underestimate me. I'm a famed survivalist."*
* Deduction Star 2021 quotes:
	+ *"Instead of fearing for danger, I'm more afraid of regrets."*
	+ *"Whose life isn't an adventure with no return?"*
	+ *"I want to play the role of a mushroom capable of changing sizes."*
* Valentine's Day 2023 Cards:
	+ *"Whoa! Thanks for the card! I knew you really liked me. I have one for you, too. I wish I had the time to tell you about my adventures."*
	+ *"I love birds! They are just like the dragon I tamed — they have wings that let them fly without a care in the world. If we get the chance, I'll take you to see the dragon and take in the breathtaking scenery with you."*
* 5th Anniversary Congratulatory Video quote:
	+ *"A new year, a new birthday, and a brand new adventure will soon begin! Detectives, let's continue our journey in Oletus together!"*

### Japanese Twitter Replies

Please press "Expand" to see in-character replies from the official Japanese Twitter.

The Kurt Frank Diaries are transcribed on their own page due to length and complexity of content.

Explorer has been mentioned in the following documents for other characters:

### Letters

* Mercenary's Letter (2022)
* Forward's Letters (2022)
* Magician's Letter (2022 & 2023)

### Diaries

* William Ellis Diaries
* Servais Le Roy Diaries

## Canon Manor Game

We can gather who was in a canon Manor Game together by information in Letters and Diaries, and very occasionally from character quotes during events.

Edits to this table can be made here.

## Compiled Overview

The following section contains an overview based on canon information.Please note that some information may be missing as it may not have been provided from official sources. See the given references for further information.
### Background

Kurt Frank was born into a family that traveled often, and in order to cope with his ever-changing surroundings, he turned to novels and stories. From those stories, he imagined he was a participant in the fictional adventures. His delusions only grew greater over time, and when his father forced him to go to college, he did not get along with any of his peers or teachers. Turning to gambling, he soon fell into debt, and was kicked out of college. Disappointed in their son, his parents sent him to the army. He passed off the adventures from his novels as his own, impressing the other soldiers and further encouraging him in inserting himself in all the stories he had read. However, his stories and adventurers were revealed as lies, as he proved to be a coward on the battlefield, and then all the soldiers who once admired him ignored him with disdain. Unable to handle the rejection, he completely immersed himself in his fantasies until he completely and utterly believed them. Upon his return from the military, he was admitted to the White Sand Street Asylum, as patient number 93. During the Asylum's reassessment, he was marked as sane and released, but Sister Lorraine believed that he "currently does not possess violent tendencies" and could possibly manipulate others into believing his delusions. Despite this, he was still let go from the asylum and released to the outside world once more.

Now free, Kurt wanted to truly begin his “adventure,” but due to his debts and lack of funds he was unable to travel. So when he received the invitation to Oletus Manor he accepted the opportunity to obtain a fortune to fund his adventures.

### Events at the Manor

Kurt was the second participant to arrive at the Manor. At the Manor, he tried to talk and made friends with everybody. He was the only one who knew about Murro Morton's death beside Naib Subedar.

On December 5th, Kurt entered room 1F02 and met Servais Le Roy. They had a short conversation, with Kurt talking about Naib and William Ellis. At the end of the conversation, Kurt showed that he was glad to talk to Servais and said goodbye as no one had actually listened to him for a long time, then he walked away.

On December 6th, Kurt greeted good morning to Servais and started a conversation with him. Kurt told that the twig he saw Servais holding yesterday belonged to Murro and Murro used it to feed his boars. Kurt left and Servais headed to the forest outside the Manor. He then went to the garden and met William. He told William that Servais keep asking about Murro and Servais called William a simple-minded Barbarian. Later on, he entered the porch of the Manor to show Servais and Naib what he had found not knowing that he interrupted the heated conversation between the two of them.

On December 7th, Kurt entered the Entrance Hall from the Dining Room and had a short conversation with Servais. He told that Murro's boars were annoying but never came out during the day, then wished Servais good luck in investigating about Murro's disappearance.

At some point before December 15th, Naib murdered Kurt in fear of the exposure of Murro's death. It is unknown exactly how it happened, though his second letter implies that Naib followed him into the woods and eliminated him there.

## Gallery

Page from the official Reference Book (Volume 1)Page from the official Reference Book (Volume 2)Appeared with one arm reached out from crushed wall, looked like a death scene, on the upper left corner in 2021 Mercenary's Chinese Birthday Art (Weibo)
## References

1. ↑ Character Relations Menu and official Reference Books
2. ↑ See the Kurt's Wondrous Journeys event for more information on his backstory
3. ↑ Backstory from the official Identity V website - https://idv.163.com/character/index.html
4. ↑ Story according to the 2018 "520 Game Love Day" (520游戏热爱日), read by the voice of Jack in Identity V - https://freewechat.com/a/MzU2MDAxNzE4MQ==/2247485238/1
5. ↑ Announcement of Explorer on official website, along with the Mechanic - http://id5.163.com/news/official/20171020/26476\_719801.html
6. ↑ The old letter's title was "A torn page from a detective novel"
7. ↑ An old personality analysis chart which is removed, only showed Explorer and Gardener result in Official Bilibili's post
8. ↑ The correct answer was previously shown as "Hunting" but is it actually "Public speaking". The answer was fixed only in Chinese server.
9. ↑ Original Chinese: 小人国
10. ↑ Original Chinese: 何时才能遇到我的桑丘，潘沙呢？
11. ↑ Original Chinese: 嗨，看这里，你能找到我吗？礼物就在这里，来拿吧。
12. ↑ Translation by @IdentityV\_\_Sub.
13. ↑ Translations by @fc\_idv.
14. ↑ See the "Become a Hero" deduction quest specifically
15. ↑ see Explorer's 2020 Letter
16. ↑ See Naib's 2021 Chinese Birthday Art.

### Manor Game Table References

1. ↑ This Manor Game is suspected to be at the Forest of No Return, as this is the location protected by Gamekeeper, Bane Perez.
2. ↑ According to the note found by Forward during his third diary, the "hunt" would begin on December 19th. However, the elimination of Kurt Frank and Murro Morton in First Stage caused the Game to end prematurely. Moreover, Mercenary's 2023 Letter seemingly implies that the Game ended before December 15th.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 See Mercenary's 2021 Letter.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 See Forward's 2023 Letter: "*After he witnessed the execution, the man attempted to hide in the forest, but Burke and I spent a day finding him and bringing him back.*" The executed participant could possibly be Naib, but William asked where he was after being re-captured.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Details and confirmation of Naib killing "anyone who got in his way", which included his main target Murro and then two others, is found on his 2022 Letter.
6. ↑ Despite escaping, due to him making a mess of the game, he was successfully recovered by one of the Manor's "Executioners" and punished by execution. See the "Follow-up Records" part of his 2022 Letter.

### Deduction Quest Changes

1. ↑ Previously: *Basic Objective: Successfully heal 1 teammate* / *Advanced Objective 1: Successfully heal 2 teammates* / *Advanced Objective 2: Successfully heal 3 teammates*
2. ↑ Previously: *Basic Objective: Rescue 1 teammate from Rocket Chairs* / *Advanced Objective 1: Rescue 2 teammates from Rocket Chairs* / *Advanced Objective 2: Rescue 3 teammates from Rocket Chairs*

Explorer's Deduction Quests were adjusted on April 16th, 2020.

1. ↑ Previously: *Basic Objective: Rescue 1 teammate from Rocket Chairs* / *Advanced Objective 1: Rescue 2 teammates from Rocket Chairs* / *Advanced Objective 2: Rescue 2 teammates from Rocket Chairs*
2. ↑ Previously: *Basic Objective: Achieve 100% decoding progress* / *Advanced Objective 1: Achieve 200% decoding progress* / *Advanced Objective 2: Achieve 300% decoding progress*
3. ↑ Previously: *Basic Objective: Escape from the Hunter 1 time* / *Advanced Objective 1: Escape from the Hunter 3 times* / *Advanced Objective 2: Escape from the Hunter 5 times*

Explorer's Deduction Quests were adjusted on March 9th, 2023.

1. ↑ Previously: *Basic Objective: Open 1 chest* / *Advanced Objective 1: Open 2 chests* / *Advanced Objective 2: Open 3 chests*
2. ↑ Previously: *Basic Objective: Achieve 50% co-op decoding progress* / *Advanced Objective 1: Achieve 70% co-op decoding progress* / *Advanced Objective 2: Achieve 100% co-op decoding progress*
3. ↑ Previously: *Basic Objective: Encounter 1 teammate* / *Advanced Objective 1: Encounter 2 teammates* / *Advanced Objective 2: Encounter 3 teammates*
4. ↑ Previously: *Basic Objective: Successfully heal 1 teammate* / *Advanced Objective 1: Successfully heal 2 teammates* / *Advanced Objective 2: Successfully heal 2 teammates*
5. ↑ Previously: *Basic Objective: Rescue 1 teammate from Rocket Chairs* / *Advanced Objective 1: Rescue 1 teammate from Rocket Chairs* / *Advanced Objective 2: Rescue 2 teammates from Rocket Chairs*
6. ↑ Previously: *Basic Objective: Achieve 100% decoding progress* / *Advanced Objective 1: Achieve 160% decoding progress* / *Advanced Objective 2: Achieve 220% decoding progress*
7. ↑ Previously: *Basic Objective: Stun the Hunter with a pallet 1 time* / *Advanced Objective 1: Stun the Hunter with a pallet 2 times* / *Advanced Objective 2: Stun the Hunter with a pallet 3 times*
8. ↑ Previously: *Basic Objective: Escape via dungeon* / *Advanced Objective 1: Escape via dungeon* / *Advanced Objective 2: Escape via dungeon*
9. ↑ Previously: *Basic Objective: Escape from the Hunter 1 time* / *Advanced Objective 1: Escape from the Hunter 2 times* / *Advanced Objective 2: Escape from the Hunter 3 times*
10. ↑ Previously: *Basic Objective: While shrunk, run for a total of 20 seconds* / *Advanced Objective 1: While shrunk, run for a total of 40 seconds* / *Advanced Objective 2: While shrunk, run for a total of 60 seconds*