To keep you well-informed about the NPCs you've met, the monsters you've fought, the locations you've discovered, and many other gameplay aspects, the game sports one of the most impressive journal systems I've seen in a video game to date. It's also linked to the gameplay, in that missing journal entries may keep you from taking certain actions. For example, if you haven't previously read about, been told about, or otherwise researched Hellebore Petals (a type of alchemical ingredient), then you can't gather them from the plant that produces them. As another example, if you haven't learned anything about the Bloedzuiger monster, then you won't be able to accept any witcher contracts that deal with slaying such beasts. It's a great system that actually has you spending your hard-earned Orens on books and scrolls from vendors just so you can read up on certain topics and, as a result, add a new entry to your journal that may or may not unlock some additional options for Geralt.