OLD DATA

The **OLD\_DATA** is a file located within *Inscryption* and plays a role in the Inscryption ARG, being the thing directly corrupting the game itself. It appears to have the ability to make the game three-dimensional and has other, more mysterious effects. These include:

* Completely driving the game away from its intended development path (Creating the Scrybes' struggles to get the OLD\_DATA, and making assets for the 3d worlds, as seen in the Finale, those are game files, and not made on the spot.)
* Creating in-game cards, such as The Daus.
* Making luke break property of GameFuna

Despite seemingly being mere code, it behaves in ways that appear to be supernatural. It is unknown exactly how old the OLD\_DATA is, but it predates the creation of *Inscryption*. The Karnoffel Code appears to be an earlier form or component of the OLD\_DATA.

## Act I

There is very little mention of the OLD\_DATA in Act I compared to the other Acts of *Inscryption*, having one notable reference in the form of the Glitched card. When this card is flipped over in a card draw, Leshy's comment will be in binary. The exact quote is "01100100 01100101 01100101 01110000 01100010 01100101 01101110 01100101 01100001 01110100 01101000," and when translated, reveals the message "deepbeneath." This is part of a cipher to unlocking the OLD\_DATA in the ARG. When the card is drawn, there is a visible glitch effect on screen, similar to what happens in other instances of the OLD\_DATA appearing.

Additionally, if the Challenger beats Leshy three times in a row without the film roll and while still in Act I, then the "Empress" OLD\_DATA card can be found in the red basket under Leshy's safe. Repeatedly beating him early also unlocks new dialogue (up to the fourth time you defeat him) where he expresses sadness that his intentions behind how he plays the game were misunderstood and in fact, were "pure" (in his own words), alluding to him knowing about the contents of OLD\_DATA.

## Act II

The OLD\_DATA begins receiving more mentions in Act II of *Inscryption*. Several characters refer to it, be it directly, or subtly.

* The Woodcarver mentions the OLD\_DATA in passing, telling the player that, out of kindness, she will speak nothing of it.
* The Angler mentions that he is fishing for OLD\_FISH for Leshy.
* Rebecha alludes to it, saying that Grimora wants to delete everything because there are bad things on this disk.
* The Mycologists almost speak of it, however, they stop themselves before they do so.
* If the player gives The Bone Lord an offering, he will speak of the OLD\_DATA, claiming he does not truly understand its meaning. If asked again, he will give them a key, and tell them they will see him again.
* If the player explores several areas, they may find pieces of the OLD\_DATA scattered around the map.
	+ One can be found in Leshy's woods, going in-between the trees right next to the bait bucket in the lake room. A glitched photo of a woman, potentially Kaycee Hobbes.
	+ Another can be found in the top left corner of the first room of Magnificus's Tower. A somewhat redacted glitching document, Barry Reginald Wilkinson's ID card from the Department of Defense.
		- Notably, the Card Serial Number of 129278 and Date Issued of 8 Feb. 1954 is a reference to Marilyn Monroe's Department of Defense Identification card.
* When meeting The Dredger, he picks up what can be assumed to be a piece of the OLD\_DATA, and sends it to P03.
* At the end of Act II, P03 uses that piece of the OLD\_DATA to take control of Inscryption.

## Act III

The OLD\_DATA remains mainly unspoken of in Act III, unless the player has interacted with both The Bone Lord and The Mycologists and gained their keys from Act II.

* In eastern Botopia, if the player moves their mouse near the bottom right of the waypoint, they will find a hidden route. Going through it, they will find a door coated in mushrooms. If the player has the key from the Mycologists, it can be opened. A confused P03 will then be taken over by The Mycologists. After a battle, The Mycologists will merge several cards, the final two being Gem Detonator and The Daus, and manage to create a fragment of the OLD\_DATA. Afterwards, they will leave, and give the player their merged card if they managed to make one.
* In The Archivist's crypt, there is a locked door that can only be opened with The Bone Lord's key. When opened, The Bone Lord will speak to them, and tell Luke Carder of the OLD\_DATA. However, he claims they must not be recorded. The screen goes black, and when it comes back on, The Bone Lord departs. Both P03 and Luke Carder seem horrified of whatever they have witnessed.
* At the end of Act III, Grimora gains complete file access. While going through the files, the OLD\_DATA is briefly seen. Grimora begins the deletion process.

## Epilogue

During the Epilogue, Grimora once again tells Luke that there are things on this disk that must die, referring to the OLD\_DATA.

When in the white void at the end of the game, The Woodcarver can be found. She will warn the player not to go near it, but knowingly claims that the player will not heed her warning. Roaming some more, the player will find a large, glitched file floating about. Once touched, the game begins to unpack the OLD\_DATA. Tons of redacted photos, documents, and images flash on screen, the redacted area growing larger as more is unpacked. When Luke Carder sees this, he shouts, horrified. He then takes the disk out and begins to smash it in an attempt to destroy whatever he has seen.

## Kaycee's Mod

By beating a run in Kaycee's Mod, the player unlocks dev log entries from when she was working on *Inscryption*. In it is confirmation that The Angler found a piece of the OLD\_DATA while fishing and then brought it to Leshy despite not having any walking animations. Upon leaving and reopening the game on the disk, Kaycee is greeted with a third-dimensional version of Leshy's Cabin; exactly as we see it in Act I.

In Entry #04, Kaycee questions why Leshy only talks about it while wearing The Woodcarver's mask. She also mentions the logs discovered when decrypting the OLD\_DATA in the ARG, specifically referencing Kaminski by name.

1. ↑ https://themarilynmonroecollection.com/marilyn-monroe-true-size/marilyn-monroe-uso-id/