The Woodcarver

The Woodcarver
The Woodcarver in Act I
Affiliation	Leshy (leader) The Prospector, The Angler and The Trapper (likely acquaintances)
Occupation	Woodcarver
Physical description
Species	Human
Gender	Female
Appearances
Appears in	Leshy's Cabin
Debut	Act I

The Woodcarver is an NPC in every section of the game, though most notably in Act I, in an event where she allows the player to create their own totem. She is a very quiet and reserved woman, only speaking in semi-cryptic sentences, sort of like Leshy. She is aware that she is an NPC in a video game, mentioning that she wonders what her gameplay purpose was. She is also aware of the OLD_DATA, mentioning it in the Finale and saying that knowing about it will get you killed (or that it is equivalent to death).

Act I

Main article: Totem

In Act I, the Woodcarver offers the player the choice of one of three totem pieces. After choosing a totem piece, if the player has enough pieces in their collection to complete a totem (at least one head and one body), the player can construct a totem with the pieces in their collection.

When the player encounter the Woodcarver for the eighth time, the Woodcarver will grant them an Amalgam with a random Sigil instead of offering another totem piece.

Act II

In Act II, the Woodcarver appears in a secret area outside Leshy's Cabin. In the area with the rabbit and the trap, wearing the monocle from Magnificus' Tower reveals a hidden path upwards into the forest where the Woodcarver can be found sitting on a log carving. She will talk to the player about her unknown gameplay purpose and that she has seen the OLD_DATA, but does not wish to speak of it.

Act III

In Act III, while in the Foul Backwater area, a holographic face of the Woodcarver can be found floating in the dark corners of P03's Factory.

Finale

In the Finale, at the end of Magnificus' game, the Woodcarver advises the player that they should not look at the OLD_DATA, but comments that she knows that they won't listen. After this dialogue, she is deleted.

The Woodcarver is one of the last things in the game to be deleted, only outlived by the Act II avatar, the Cursor, and the OLD_DATA.

Dialogue

Act I

Click To Expand:

Encountered at her Event: (Encountered for the first time) "An ancient woman emerged from behind an oak tree." "She carefully laid out intricate wood carvings, then gestured at them brusquely." "The old woodcarver again appeared before you." "It was another encounter with the woodcarver." "Taking a head and a body of a totem may bring good fortune." "The woodcarver again offered her carvings." "The bones of the ancient woman creaked and groaned as she approached." "With gently shaking hands, she placed her offerings before you." "The decrepit woodcarver appeared before you." "She moved with a certain vigor in spite of her considerable age." "You came upon the old woodcarver who fixed her intense gaze upon you." "After an overlong moment of silence, she moved to offer her carvings." Player takes first totem piece: "You accepted the woodcarver's offering." "It is useless without its second half..." "But you intuited that this would not be the last encounter with her." "Without a top and bottom the totem is incomplete." "Lacking a second matching piece, you bid the old woodcarver adieu." "You left with a piece, but without a complete totem." Player completes a totem for the first time: "The old woman bared her teeth in satisfaction. Your first totem was complete." "The (sigil) sigil will now be marked upon all your (tribe) creatures." Player takes a totem piece: "The old woman collected her pieces and shuffled off into the darkness." "You hunched down to place her offering in your pack." "When you looked up again, the ancient woman had vanished." "The gray-haired woman silently collected her carvings and left." "Without another word, the woodcarver was gone." Giving Amalgam after player has 7 totem pieces: "A look of regret fell over the old woodcarver." "You were overburdened with totem pieces and you could carry no more." "She gestured toward a disturbing creature lurking nearby." "The decrepit woodcarver looked mournful." "You could not carry any more totem pieces." "She had something else to offer..."

Act II

• "Few players visit me here. I sometimes ponder... what my gameplay purpose was.
  • "Oh, it is clear now that you wish to know more. What can I tell you? I have glimpsed the OLD_DATA. And I will speak nothing of it as a kindness."
  • "I will repeat myself: I will speak nothing of the OLD_DATA. To know it is to die. But you players are never deterred by that. What can I tell you? It is corrupt knowledge. So evil that it corrupted this disk. Inscryption the good? No."
  • "What can you know? Ask the scrybes. They don't seem to care for human life."
  • "Leave me here to ponder and carve my wood. Being Leshy's puppet has given me much to ponder."
  • "Goodbye for now."

Finale

• "There isn't much left. Inscryption is mostly gone. All that remains is the OLD_DATA. It is recommended that you do not access it. You will not heed the advice." (Finale, OLD_DATA section)

Trivia

• The Woodcarver is one of the five characters to have their own Steam trading card, along with The Dredger, Royal Dominguez, The Bone Lord, and Rebecha.
• Earlier in the game's development, The Woodcarver had her own boss fight, but it was later replaced by The Trapper battle. While mostly unfinished, it still exists in game files, and can be accessed by loading the WoodcarverBattleSequencer by editing save file or using developer tools.