Tenebris Somnia: Endings Guide

The game's four endings split into two early branch choices and two unlockable finale paths. Endings 1 and 2 share the exact same turning point: once you hold the Aurifer, the yellow knife, the only thing that changes the outcome is whether you spill any Relicta blood before walking into the Séptimo Arte gallery. Ending 3 and Ending 4 cannot be selected on a first run at all — they only appear as options after the first two have been logged at least once. Ending 4 is by far the shortest, while Ending 3 demands a full replay with the book and a set of alternate puzzle solutions performed before the standard ones would normally be finished.

Ending 1 — SOLVE ET COAGULA

This path is defined by restraint. Once the yellow knife is in your inventory, every Relicta you encounter must be left alive and allowed to remain in place.

1. Progress the story until the Aurifer is handed to you.
2. Save the moment you receive it, because you will reload this exact file for the other branch.
3. From that save onward, avoid killing any Relicta ghost.
4. Walk into the Séptimo Arte theater/gallery to trigger the ending.

Ending 2 — MAGNUM OPUS

This is the mirror image of the previous route, taken from the same save file.

1. Load the save you made right after picking up the yellow knife.
2. Slaughter a substantial number of Relicta ghosts. If the Heart of Lead achievement is also on your list, clear the ghosts on every floor rather than only those standing between you and the gallery.
3. Enter the Séptimo Arte theater/gallery to finish the run.

Heart of Lead has a reputation for failing to register kills. To reduce the risk, avoid killing several Relicta in a single burst, and wait for the golden particles around a defeated ghost to vanish completely before continuing.

Ending 3 — VIVUS EX MORTIBUS

This is the longest route and is gated behind having already seen endings 1 and 2. It depends on starting a fresh file, collecting the book from the table, and using that book to solve several puzzles through alternate methods before the normal solutions are applied.

Prerequisites

• Endings 1 and 2 completed at least once.
• A brand-new run with the book taken from the table.

Steps

1. Begin a new run and grab the book from the table.
2. Head to the second-floor apartment and apply the book to the television showing static. The game will then instruct you to step on the Male/Mars symbol and strike each symbol counterclockwise six times. Once that is finished, take the red cross.
3. Travel to the Community Center, the location where film reels are viewed and their items collected. Rather than entering the usual combination, use the book and input the combination that the cutscene reveals.
4. Go down to Floor 0, pick up the yellow cable, pass through the green door, and use the book inside that room. Insert the cable and rotate through the camera six times; repeatedly mashing the camera control also satisfies this.
5. Applying the book at any of these three locations yields an inverted red cross. Gather each one.
6. Carry the inverted red crosses to the street outside Séptimo Arte, where a spot exists for placing them. Deposit them there and step through the door. The remainder of the sequence is self-explanatory once you are inside.

Ending 4 — RENUNTIATIO

This is the fastest route in the game, but it only becomes available after endings 1 and 2 are already recorded.

1. Start a fresh run.
2. Turn around right away.
3. Use the keys to exit the apartment complex. The ending fires immediately.

Quick reference

Because endings 1 and 2 fork at the same point, the most efficient plan is to save right after acquiring the Aurifer, finish one branch, reload, and finish the other. With both logged, Ending 4 costs almost no time, and Ending 3 remains the single long replay. This guide intentionally omits star locker locations, combat achievements, and unrelated missable achievements.