"Nightmare"/Lore

—Anniversary Tales Collection Booklet

**"Orpheus"**, also known as the **"Nightmare"**, is another younger self of Detective Orpheus, the Hunter identity of the Novelist, and one of the **28** playable Hunters added to Identity V.

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

## Backstory

### Social Media Posts

The raven is often associated with a bad omen, the feared reality revived through him. Perhaps, only "Orpheus" knows about her, the memory relived from a nightmare.

It’s not always we remember our dreams to tell it again.
But yet we share our “Nightmare” as if we have lived through them.

As the saying goes, there are always two sides to a coin... it'll be hard to find that perfect balance. The constant struggle for power within, the Novelist and "Nightmare" who will prevail?

### Character Trailer

IdentityV - “Nightmare” Background story full version"Nightmare" Background Story
#### Trailer Transcript

*It was never a ruse.*

*This is a requiem.*

*Requiem for peace in a chaotic landscape*

*even if it amplifies their fear.*

*Requiem for an exercise to extend the amygdala*

*extracting every last drop of that crystal drew.*

*It cast their memories into the abyss again and again*

*as they stand on the border of truth and vanity, warning them:*

*"Don't look back!"*

## Self-Analysis Quests

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

## Letters

This section contains the letters the player receives after completing "Orpheus"'s Character Day/Birthday event on April 2nd each year. Each is removed from the player's mailbox in a week, but can still be accessed from the deduction quest menu. These letters are shared with his Survivor Persona, Novelist.

* 2023

## Lore Connections

### A Scrunched Letter (2023)

...

We regret to inform you that we must decline your visitation request once again.

Alice is still unstable at the moment. Her treatment is at a critical stage right now, and her attending doctor suggested that we should minimize external stimulation.

You mentioned that you and she had known each other for a long time. However, you should know that what happened in the past wasn't great memory to her.

Please don't worry about her. All of us feel bad about what happened to her, and this also caught the attention of a kind individual. After your generous donation last time, this person also offered a significant amount of financial assistance to the orphanage and put together an excellent treatment package designed exclusively for Alice.

I'm sure Alice will recover soon, at which time you will be the first to know.

I hope you will reunite soon.

Best wishes,

...

(Information about the sender in the top left corner has been removed. Information about the recipient in the bottom right corner has been removed and replaced with "LIAR!" in red. The person who wrote this was clearly furious.)

### Rewards

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

* If this is the first time the player has completed the event, they would get a portrait for the character and the 2023 letter.

2023 Portrait
## Character Resources

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

* Character Relations
* Quotes & Media
* 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 "Nightmare" has not been released, we know a few of the characters that would be on it, which have been included below.

* As "Fool's Gold"
* As Journalist

### Character Day Questions

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

* 2023 Character Day questions:
	+ Question 4: *"Where is Orpheus's scar?"* Answer: *"Left hand"*
	+ Question 5: *"Whose commission did "Orpheus" accept when he came to the manor?"* Answer: *"James Reichenbach"*

### Quotations

* During Time of Reunion, he directly says *"See you, Orphy"* at the end.
* Deduction Star 2022 quotes:
	+ *"I'm always at your side, between the borders of vanity and reality."*
* Valentine's Day 2023 Cards:
	+ *"You're such an interesting person. Maybe you can write our story next time."*
	+ *"I didn't think I would ever receive an interesting card like this one, but it doesn't seem to match my color. Are you sure you've given this to the right person? Or are you being mischievous and playing a prank on me?"*
* 5th Anniversary Congratulatory Video quote:
	+ *"What's gonna come after today.
	Another beautiful dream for a year, or a nightmare repeating again and again in the middle of the night?"*
* Deduction Star 2023 quotes:
	+ *"Human brains can alter memories to suit themselves. This momentary happiness is nothing but an illusion."*
	+ *"Do you like to dream? Would you prefer a beautiful dream or a nightmare?"*
	+ *"(Humming a requiem whilst looking at you.)"*

### Japanese Twitter Replies

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

**"Nightmare"** has been mentioned in the following documents for other characters:

### Backstories

* Novelist's Backstory (Character Introduction, Character Relations Menu & Character Trailer)

## 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.

**Game Location: Darkwoods**

**Date: July 15th**
 "Fool's Gold" | Norton Campbell (Prospector)
 Unknown | Melly Pliny (Entomologist)

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

The "Nightmare" is an alternate personality with violent and scheming tendencies which belongs to the Novelist/Detective Orpheus. Due to this, his backstory is very closely tied to the Novelist's backstory.

### Events at the Manor

Upon arrival at Oletus Manor after accepting the invitiation, "Orpheus" was soon exposed to various chemicals that enhanced paranoia, caused hallucinations, and erased certain memories. As he investigated the manor to try and figure out its secrets, he suddenly remembers that the "Little Girl" who was to play in the game that day was someone precious to him and he rushes to the game grounds to protect her. Upon reaching the game location, he finds the little girl and does everything he can to protect her. When Norton Campbell attacks the other participants, Orpheus snaps, and the "Nightmare" takes full control. The "Nightmare" attacks Norton and beats him to death. Due to the hallucinogens all of the participants are under, and their heightened fear, hostile players are seen as monstrous, which is why the "Nightmare" has differences in appearance from what he actually looks like.

Dissociated from his identity as the Nightmare, Orpheus flees into the forest and explodes a gas line, which sets the entire forest on fire and he faints.

### Following Events

After his official Manor Game, Orpheus was kept and had many experiments done on him, with his memory wiped each time. Multiple personalites began to sprout within Orpheus due to these experiments besides Nightmare, and by using them he was able to hold on to enough memories to fake his death and finally escape the manor.

Many years later, the amnesiac Detective Orpheus returned to the manor in his search of a missing daughter that he had been commissioned to find. In his search his lost memories begin to awaken and he not only remembers his time as the Novelist, but as the "Nightmare".

## Gallery

Orpheus and his "Villain" persona *[source needed]*"Let me tell you a strange and bizarre story about a beautiful bird..." - Manor's Stormy Night "Surprise" Game Story Artwork by 黒田ヱリ (Twitter, Twitter)Manor's Stormy Night "Surprise" Game Story Art (Twitter)Orpheus' Nightmare mask.
### Videos

IdentityV - New Storyline"Something ominous is brewing... A missing girl... An anonymous invitation..." - Time of Reunion Teaser Trailer (YouTube)IdentityV - Go Hunting"Predator or prey, you decide... Hunt or prepare to be hunted! Hold on tight and seek refuge!" - Go Hunting Video (YouTube)Identity V - DA CAPO"In the circle of life, death will be inevitable... We will have to go back to the beginning to find our purpose, reborn again..." - DA CAPO Video, featuring "Nightmare" at 2:23 (YouTube)IdentityV - “Nightmare” Background story full version"Find yourselves lost in the chaos, shake off your fears because "Nightmare" shows no mercy!" - "Nightmare" Background Story (YouTube)
## References

1. ↑ The official version of Identity V released in China on April 2 2018, and since the game is told through "Orpheus"' perspective, his Character Day being the release date of the game is likely a reference to his essential role in the story.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2023 April Calendar - https://twitter.com/GameIdentityV/status/1641983727462154240
3. ↑ Time of Reunion
4. ↑ Character Release Twitter Post - https://twitter.com/GameIdentityV/status/1458253077417320449
5. ↑ Concept Art Twitter Post - https://twitter.com/GameIdentityV/status/1458623011666358276
6. ↑ Live Action Video Twitter Post - https://twitter.com/GameIdentityV/status/1459400636701704196
7. ↑ Translation by @IdentityV\_\_Sub.
8. ↑ Translations by @fc\_idv.
9. ↑ All of this content occurs during Act 2-3 of the Time of Reunion event
10. ↑ See the animated video "Da Capo" for the awakening of Nightmare
11. ↑ See the "Go Hunting" video, which shows how Orpheus perceives Norton and Melly as monstrous
12. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoxbbQdNl7I Time Of Reunion See You, Orphy

### Manor Game Table References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Both Melly and Norton are seen as "monstrous" beings on Orpheus's point of view from the Go Hunting Promotional Video