The general official FAQ explicitly includes living characters.
Resource evidence boundary
Forgotten Stories Shards
Forgotten Stories Shards are confirmed by one official FAQ rule: leaving still awards shards whether the character is dead or alive. Public Book cards separately list writing costs in Ink Shards and signing costs in Ink. Because the checked sources do not explicitly equate those labels, this Forgotten Stories Shards page reports both facts without inventing a conversion or shared wallet.
Verified3 primary source routes · checked 2026-09-13The same official answer explicitly includes dead characters.
No checked official source gives an amount or formula for leaving.
Public Book cards use a more specific label for writing costs and list Ink separately for signing.
Source-linked records
Search the records
4 records. Search includes the full requirements and effects; expand a result to read its source fields.
BooksPublic Trello · Open card
Abigails Diary
Read all Abigails Diary requirements, effects and limits
Description
“Abigail left this book behind, this looks like the life of an ordinary person, perhaps and adventuring one… Some pages are torned off.” ~ Ingame Costs 300 Ink Shards to write Costs 150 Ink to sign
Obtainment
Unwritten: Defeat 10 enemies using claws skills. Defeat Abigail (Defeat in anyway) Written: Defeat 5 enemies using claws.
Passives
Gain action Killthirst
Stat Bonuses
Lifesteal: 1% Physical Damage: +2.5%
Effects
Applies Killthirst +4 to self.
BooksPublic Trello · Open card
Living Garden
Order · Healing · Water · Wind · Earth
Read all Living Garden requirements, effects and limits
Description
“After a huge blizzard hit the world, life began to spread through the dead canopies…'' ~ Ingame Costs 200 Ink Shards to write Costs 100 Ink to Sign
Obtainment
Unwritten: Reach 10 points in Earth and Order, 5 in Water and Wind Affinity. Defeat an Aggrovant. Written: Reach 7 points in Earth and Order, 4 in Water and Wind Affinity.
Passives
You gain spell Bloom & Fragrance.
Stat Bonuses
Outgoing Healing: +10% Incoming Healing: -20%
BooksPublic Trello · Open card
Mana Veil
Order
Read all Mana Veil requirements, effects and limits
Description
“Magic capable of creating impenetrable shields of fragile mana, these resist the strongest strikes, but doesn’t last much.'' ~ Ingame Costs 150 Ink Shards to write Costs 75 Ink to sign
Obtainment
Unwritten: Reach 15 Order Affinity and heal anyone 10 times in total Written: Reach 12 Order Affinity
Passives
Gain Action Conjure Barrier
Stat Bonuses
- Max Mana +1 - Elemental Damage +2%
Effects
Applies Barrier +4 to an allied target
BooksPublic Trello · Open card
Undying Heart
Other
Read all Undying Heart requirements, effects and limits
Description
“You saw your life flash before your eyes, but somehow you managed to pull out a clutch, your still here... alive.” ~ Ingame Costs 150 Ink Shards to write Costs 75 Ink to sign
Obtainment
Unwritten: Win a battle with 20% or less remaining health Written: Unlocked on spawn
Passives
Once per battle, taking a mortal hit will set your health to 1 instead of killing/downing you.
Stat Bonuses
Max Health: +2
Practical route
Putting it into practice
- 01
Use the official leave rule only as written
The verified Forgotten Stories Shards rule covers eligibility after leaving: dead and living characters still receive shards. It does not state that both outcomes receive the same amount.
- 02
Do not infer an award formula
The checked FAQ does not publish shards per tile, quest, boss, death, victory, or elapsed time. Any fixed farming rate would therefore be unsupported.
- 03
Read Book costs by their exact labels
Current public cards list examples such as Undying Heart at 150 Ink Shards to write and 75 Ink to sign. Ink Shards and Ink are visibly separate card fields.
- 04
Keep generic shards and Ink Shards separate
The official leave answer says shards, while WIP Book cards say Ink Shards. Until a primary source defines the relationship, this Forgotten Stories Shards guide does not call them the same resource.
Source-linked media
Images and demonstrations
Limits to keep in mind
- No checked source publishes a shard reward amount, reward formula, maximum, minimum, multiplier, or farming rate.
- No checked source explicitly says the FAQ's generic shards are identical to the Ink Shards used in public Book writing costs.
- No currency conversion between shards, Ink Shards, Ink, copper, and silver was found.
- Book costs come from a public work-in-progress Trello and can change before or after a live build update.
Direct answers
Common questions
Do you get Shards if you leave alive?
Yes. The official FAQ says leaving still awards shards whether the character is dead or alive.
Do you get Shards after dying?
The official FAQ includes dead characters in the leave rule, but it does not publish the amount or say it matches a living run.
Are Shards the same as Ink Shards?
That relationship is unverified. The FAQ says shards, while public Book cards use Ink Shards for writing and Ink for signing.
What is the fastest Shards farm?
No primary source checked for this page publishes a reward formula or verified farming rate, so no fastest route is claimed.
Primary evidence
Sources and check dates
Connected field routes
Related guides
01Archivestown costs and currency
Keep town currency and shard terminology separate.
02Startofficial-answer indexOpen the original staff-maintained leave answer.
03Official sourcesTrello evidence guideCheck current WIP Book cost records.
04Startbeginner checklistFollow the verified first-run route without an invented farm.