Story

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This page serves as a comprehensive write-up of the story of Sons of the Forest.

Prologue to the Story

Puffton Corporation

The bidding war between Puffton Corporation and Sahara Therapeutics.

Before the events of the first game, a multi-billionaire named Edward Puffton has a fascination for ancient artifacts, and a fixation on specifically a golden cube found throughout many legends. This started a bidding war between his company, Puffton Corporation, and a rival company, Sahara Therapeutics.

(We can tell this happens before the start of the first game because it isn’t until after they set up a location on the island that they receive emails about the discovery of Artifact 1)

Sahara Therapeutics' stock market started to plummet, it’s unknown if this continued after the events at the Peninsula, or if they recovered.

What is known, however, is that Edward Puffton quickly started a mining operation to look for an incredibly valuable new metal found only on the island (as far as we know). This mineral appears to be a matte black metal with a shining golden finish, giving it an otherworldly appearance in its raw form. When refined, the metal is a brilliant gold, and can be made into many metallic objects including doors, mechanisms, masks, and even armor. (An email from "Rob Blue" to “Jackson Poulet” both puff corp at Jan. 7th 13:27 shows what they are looking for.) Along with that, he started the construction of a bunker community resort called Holosprings.

Island Research

It is unknown if the Holosprings was meant to be a cover for the research done on the island or the original intention of Edward Puffton. However, it quickly turned into a research station for Artifacts. On July 1 at 1:05 of an unknown year a Sahara Therapeutics employee named “Hector Liter” emailed a Puffton Industries employee called “Jackson Poulet” about the discovery of Artefact 1. (Apparently discovered above ground in a field)

Only a few days later July 7 at 11:18 Hector once again sent an email to Jackson. This time, containing a picture of a stone carving depicting Artefact 2 and what may be interpreted as an eye. Only minutes later (11:21) another email from Hector to Jackson was sent, another picture of a stone carving of Artefact 2.

After this interaction and presumably, just before the events of the first game, they started full-scale research. Email communications mention that the cube "causes a brief dimensional switch", referred to as an "activation". Dimensional distortion mutated the natives outside the cube, but they noted that the internal subjects were safe. They also discovered what appears to be an obelisk placed inside of a cube. (Causing the creation of Ambulance Theory)

We are unsure at what time Edward Puffton's daughter Virginia Puffton became mutated, or in what manner. Somehow most of the excess dimensional energy was able to be removed from her before it was too late. What we do know is that she was kept in a room in a bunker, and appears to have lived there most, if not all of her life. We currently don’t even know if she can speak. We do know that Edward Puffton loved her very much and at some point left all of his will to her and none to their mother, "Barbara Puffton".

After the Peninsula as more and more people started to come into the bunker community and live in the rooms, use the gym, etc. More people of importance started to come as well. Funnily enough one of those was one “Miles Goldstein”, a renowned golfer. Who over the course of a month sent three email complaints to one “Hank Kays” about the lack of golf clubs and golf balls. However, this was eventually resolved. After this, “Carl Planter” a Puffton maintenance man, stole one of Edward Puffton’s private historical paintings of one of the artifacts. And so Hank sent out an email to everyone asking for information. (It was never returned.)

Dining Hall Incident

The note handed out to all bunker community residents, asking them to come to the dining hall.

Just over a month before the start of Sons of the Forest and approximately 16 years after the events of The Forest (judging by the visuals of Timothy Leblanc), Edward Puffton asked everyone of importance to meet in the dining hall one night. His family and he were supposed to be there along with Hank Keys and one "Gordon Lankston".

This just so happened to fall on the day when the cube "activated" and caused everyone in the bunkers to start seizing up while standing. The dimensional energy pulling alternate versions of themselves in as it simultaneously caused dimensional distortion, mutating the people beyond recognition. The fate of everyone in the dining hall and in the bunkers were sealed. Those who didn’t mutate fast enough were presumably killed by the ones who already had.

Hank Keys appears to have mutated into a Ronnies/Fingers, and Gordon Lankston into a Twins. The identity of the Rattler Twins is not known, though it does appear to be two individuals.

Edward Puffton's fate was ultimately sealed as a Blind Mutant, and because of this, both he and his corporation failed to contact the outside world for 31 weeks, this causes a small military force owned by his corporation to go looking for him. It consists of two teams, A and B.

You are a member of team A sent to recover him and his family, without knowing his fate. This is where the story of Sons of the Forest starts.

Sons of the Stars

At an indeterminate time prior to the player's arrival, a cult named Sons of the Stars have arrived on the island, presumably to establish a safe haven away from public scrutiny. Several of its members can be found dead in groups around the Island, donning white robes and flower wreaths. While their deaths could at a first glance be attributed to the various atrocities occurring on the island, a camera retrieved from a dead cultist and stored inside the Residential Bunker's morgue shows gruesome footage of a collective suicide, where groups of cultists were stabbing themselves to death.

Liminal Story

In 2032, you find yourself aboard a Puff Corp helicopter, owned by the CEO Edward Puffton, traveling to the last known location of Mr. Puffton and his family: a mysterious island. There are two other people on board, aside from the pilot, wearing tactical jackets and bearing nametags reading Fisheye and Kelvin. You are able to view a laptop in front of you, giving you minimal information on the CEO, his socialite wife, and their adult daughter.

Once the laptop is closed, the protagonist is seen viewing a tattooed mantra on their arm reading "Fight Demons." In a matter of seconds, the windows are covered in bullet holes and the helicopter spirals out of the air.

There are three spawn locations in the game.

Forest: If the protagonist's helicopter crashes over the forest, they will be stuck on a tree. Shortly after, the pilot attempts to leave the helicopter but loses his footing, falling to the ground far below. If the fall didn't kill him, the helicopter door that follows behind him likely did. The protagonist then frees themselves from the tree and awakens on the forest floor.

Mountain: If the protagonist crashes over the mountain, they will find themselves surrounded by snow. The pilot is seen dead while the helicopter is crashing and rolling down the mountainside.

Beach: If the protagonist's helicopter goes down near the beach, they have a watery arrival. The pilot is seen being dragged into the depths by some unknown force and you are prompted to kick open the helicopter door to avoid drowning yourself. Once you are free from the wreckage, you will find yourself on the beach with your gear lying in front of you.

Each opening involves a mysterious man wearing a silver jacket who strikes the player with a Chiappa Rhino 60DS, rendering them unconscious. It can be assumed that he disposed of at least some of the other operatives who arrived on the island with you.

Once awake, you discover a single operative has survived alongside you named Kelvin. His survival does not come without its consequences, however. He's been rendered deaf and mute, and thus the player has to direct, command, and instruct him using handwritten notes.

Your life on the island has now commenced.

The protagonist's primary objective is to locate the missing operatives via their GPS tags, indicated on the GPS as purple pointers, and search the last known locations of missing multi-billionaire, Edward Puffton, indicated on the GPS as green circles.

While the socialites worried themselves with trivial things such as golf balls, the workers busied themselves building out the underground bunkers, expanding on what appears to be an island resort including night club and spa, as well as searching for a mysterious mineral.

Additionally, the protagonist will encounter Virginia Puffton, the adult daughter of Edward and Barbara Puffton. While she is incredibly fearful and flighty at first, she will eventually come to seek refuge and comfort with the protagonist should they choose to protect her.

Some of the missing operatives and many of the workers of Puffton Industries meet their demise in the various caves found around the island. Locating them will reward the protagonist with incredibly invaluable tools and weapons left behind by the dead, but you will have to thwart the various residents found therein.

The final bunker, the Puffton Bunker, is located on the eastern shoreline of the island. The bunker was the home of the Puffton family during their time on the island, as evidenced by the ballet shoes that the player can find indicating that one of the bedrooms belonged to Virginia. Progressing through the bunker, the protagonist will encounter a cave which ends in a staircase. With the maintenance key card, the protagonist will get through a maintenance door and encounter an orange door. Passing through this door starts a non-interactive cutscene.

[Cutscene] Heading through the door, the protagonist encounters "Timothy/Timmy Leblanc", fighting a Sluggy. The protagonist approaches the sluggy, presumably in an attempt to help, and is thrown to the ground. Saving the situation is "Eric Leblanc" with a shotgun who shouts “Get down, son!” He then is shot by the mysterious man with the silver jacket who is accompanied by three men wearing helmets and dark combat gear. The protagonist is attacked by the sluggy and knocked unconscious. When they awake, they are alone on the floor in the bunker, grasping for their Tactical Axe.

Ending

Passing through a broken wall in the bathroom, the player will come across an ornate golden door. The door has a depression shaped like an arm, and the player must adorn the Golden Armor in order to unlock the door and progress. The player encounters a type of mutant called the Demon. (Like the Christian Missionaries.) They can use the crucifix that they collected earlier to scare them off and burn them temporarily. Making their descent through magma-filled caves, they finally arrive at The Artifact.

After stepping inside, the doors begin to shut behind the protagonist. Timothy/Timmy Leblanc is already present and holding a laptop with a countdown timer. Should the protagonist keep Kelvin and Virginia Puffton alive, both can be seen squeezing into the box behind the protagonist. Jianyu Zhang, the man with the silver jacket, arrives at the last instant and attempts to enter the chamber, but does not make it in time. Timothy/Timmy Leblanc begins convulsing as the timer reaches zero, and dimensional energy starts pulling alternate versions from him before converging back into one. After a moment, the opposite side of the box opens, revealing what appears to be an alternate dimension/earth. The view is high above (maybe the cube is flying like in the paintings) what appears to be a futuristic ecumenopolis, with flying cars and large skyscrapers. Large spheres glowing with patches of dull orange light hang in the sky, and bolts of lightning flicker. If Virginia Puffton is with you, she will tremble violently, similar to Timothy/Timmy Leblanc, and pass out into the protagonist's arms. Once the box returns to normal and the first door reopens, it's revealed that Jianyu Zhang has mutated into a large mass of flesh, his head dangling upside down from the ceiling.

Once you awaken, you're on the beach outside the entrance to the eastern bunker, presented with two options. You can either leave the island with Timothy/Timmy Leblanc and Eric Leblanc in a Puff Corp helicopter, or you can reject their offer, turning your back to retrieve your gear in order to stay on the island and fight the demons you swore to. If you choose to stay, Kelvin and Virginia Puffton will be waiting for you where you last left them.

There are three possible achievements that can be gained when the game ends:

• Leaving the island will give you the "Fought Demons" achievement
• Staying on the island will give you the "Fight Demons" achievement
• Completing the story with Kelvin and Virginia Puffton alive will give you the "Keep Your Friends Close" achievement.

Collectable/Findable story elements

Story elements

• 
  Barbara Puffton’s request to have all email communications printed out.
• 
  The discovery of “Artifact 1”
• 
  Picture of a stone carving of artifact 2 (#1)
• 
  Picture of a stone carving of artifact 2 (#2)
• 
  Primary findings, and the findings of brief dimensional switches.
• 
  Native test subjects noted to be safe inside cube.
• 
  The discovery of a second resurrection obelisk inside of a cube.
• 
  Last will and testament of Edward Puffton. (state of Patch 03)
• 
  Hank reporting that a painting from Mr Puffton went missing. (state of Patch 03)
• 
  Puffton Employee Record Management, Showing Jianyu Zhang as High-Security Risk
• 
  Email warning Puffton Corp that Jianyu may be working for Sahara

Video Tapes

Notices

• 
  Notice on gym wall about air conditioner going out.

Trivia

• Part of the cutscene with the Sluggy is shown in the "Sons of the Forest - Exclusive Official Release Date Trailer"
• There is a theory that the Sahara Therapeutics employee named “Hector Liter” may be a Puffton Industries spy. This may have been changed to Jianyu Zhang as an email in the 3d printer bunker confirms he was suspected to work for Sahara.