Noctae in Owlboy: Character and Story Role
Noctae's identity in Owlboy, the Book of Noctae connection, and what role this character plays in the ancient owl lore.
Who is Noctae in Owlboy?
Noctae is one of the Ancient Owls and the co-creator of the Hex Machine, built together with Aegolius, according to the Owlboy community wiki. He is not a character you meet in the flesh in the course of normal play; his presence in the game is tied to a hologram in the Eternal Sanctuary and to the records he left behind.
What is Noctae known for?
He is remembered as the genius behind the Hex Machine and, by the wiki's account, likely the most intelligent owl who ever lived. The community wiki credits him with discovering The Loop and using math to predict events, and states that he and Aegolius created the Hex Machine specifically to stop The Loop. Aegolius, mourning him, calls Noctae his only friend and "the genius behind the Hex Machine."
The game's official store description sets the broader stage without naming Noctae: Otus is a mute owl whose life spirals after sky pirates appear, sending him through monster-infested ruins, unexpected encounters and well-kept secrets.
Is Noctae the author of the Book of Noctae?
No. The community wiki is explicit that the Book of Noctae describes the Owls' history but was not written by him, so the title is something of a misdirection. What he did leave behind, per the same wiki, are his schematics for the Hex Machine and his theorems on the Loop.
How do you find Noctae in the game?
You cannot talk to Noctae anywhere except the Eternal Sanctuary, according to the community wiki. There, his hologram sits to the left of Aegolius's hologram, hidden behind a wall. The wiki says Surnia convinced Noctae to leave a message behind.
The official announcements do not describe where this hologram sits or how it is reached, so treat the hidden-behind-a-wall placement as the community wiki describes it rather than as something officially documented.
What does Noctae predict about Otus?
According to the community wiki, Noctae's message includes a prediction that Otus dies in a great battle above a floating city. Noctae also predicted his own death to one of Aegolius's machines, and his hologram reportedly notes that his prediction about Otus's fate contradicts his other prediction that Otus would be watching the recording — he wonders whether that inconsistency might mean his Hex Machine worked. These are story claims recorded by the community wiki; the game's official announcements do not discuss them.
Does the Anniversary Update change anything about Noctae?
No. The official Anniversary Update announcement covers the new dash and auto-aim, cutscene skipping and new toggle options, while the later v1.02d announcement lists crash fixes, a fix for an IME toggle issue on Japanese and Korean keyboards, fixes for broken translations in certain scenes, and other minor changes and balances. None of them mention Noctae, his hologram or the Eternal Sanctuary.
If you are heading into the Eternal Sanctuary to find him, the Steam store page lists full controller support, Steam Cloud and 12 achievements, and the developers' own site, owlboygame.com, hosts the soundtrack and press material for the game.
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