For narrative rewards and secret content, first check gestral village since multiple collectibles are clustered there. Journals tend to appear near environmental puzzles or story moments, and they'll glow slightly when you're close - really important to grab these as you progress since some like the survivor entry can get permanently locked if you miss the old key early on. Whenever you spot a lost gestral, definitely interact with it right away, as they trigger unique npc conversations and special scenes that expand the story. The timing matters here, since certain npcs might move or become unavailable as you advance.

Most journals are pretty straightforward to find if you're thorough, but keep an eye out around the edges of areas especially after major story beats. The lost gestrals are trickier since they're often tucked away in spots you wouldn't expect, and they actually change the environment when activated which can reveal hidden paths. For achievement hunting, you'll want to focus on follow the trail first, since that unlocks most of the critical narrative content, while music records can wait til later unless you're going for full completion. Just remember that journal entries stack together nicely with the secret dialogues from gestrals, giving you the fullest picture of what's really going on in this world

A neat trick is checking previously visited areas after major story developments, since new collectibles sometimes appear in places you've already been through. Makes the whole collection process feel more natural and tied to the actual narrative progression