Beyond the Gate of Chaos

Story Event: Stirring Shadows

Episode 5

Beyond the Gate of Chaos

Previous Quest

After Awakening

Summary

Lathna was truly terrified of the Nyarlathotep within her, but Curran and Heinwald's strong belief helps to restore her confidence.

Dialogue

Let this never be forgotten. Whelp, she ran off. What now, Heinwald? Leave her. We have little to gain from pursuing her at this juncture. Yeah, I suppose we have more pressing matters in front of us. ….. Hey, Lathna. Our name is Chaos.
Our name is nil.
Our name is Nyarlathotep! Wake up, Lathna! You’re you! We are… We are… I… I am… Oh. Awake at last. Goodness, but you certainly made that quite the ordeal. Hey, nothing wrong with sleeping now and then. Anyways, let’s get a move on. N-no, I can’t. I’m not me. I’m…Nyarlathotep. Yeah, it sure seems like it. …So? Huh? You must use your words carefully, Lathna. You being Nyarlathotep and you NOT being yourself are, in fact, very different things. I don’t understand. If I might borrow the words of the one from the archives, Nyarlathotep as a name is not bound by a single sobriquet or form. Instead, it is a being of many faces. “Nyarlathotep” refers to multitudinous entities all existing in concert. And while it strains credulity, I believe it possible that you are one of the multitude. However, that in itself does not constitute proof that you are not, in fact, YOU. In short, you are most certainly Lathna, and there is no reason for us to avoid or otherwise be rid of you. But what if I turn into Nyarlathotep and do something terrible without even realizing it? And when have you ever done something terrible? Just because I haven’t done anything bad doesn’t mean it will stay that way. It’s true that no one knows if a person will commit an evil act in the future. But we’re all the same in that regard. ANYONE could do something bad. Listen, Lathna. The timing of when you change is very clearly up to you. You do it when you want to keep people away from you or when you’re in danger. And you don’t change when it makes you feel bad. What I’m saying is YOU are in control of the Nyarlathotep within you. …! Do you see? So long as you’re yourself, even if you ARE Nyarlathotep, there is nothing to worry about. So long…as I am myself? Who you MIGHT be isn’t important. Heck, no one really knows who they actually are anyway! So instead of trying so hard to figure out who you are, you ought to think about who you WANT to be. That will give you something to hold on to so that you can remain yourself. …… Hmm? What’s up? You didn’t mess up what you said. Wh-what are you talking about?! Heh. I’m going to let you in on a juicy little secret, Lathna–Curran doesn’t actually have a problem being articulate. It’s only when he tries to act cool that he ends up mangling his words. If he tries to do something that doesn’t suit him, for example, no good will come from it. That means he wasn’t just telling you what he thought you wanted to hear. Instead, he was speaking from his heart. Right, Curran? Dammit, Heinwald! Now that you’ve spilled the beans, the magic is gone! Heh… Hee! Hee hee hee hee! THERE’S a smile! Sheesh, it took you long enough. Huh? Most problems in life can be solved by just keeping a good, healthy attitude. You should always remember that. If the going gets tough, or you feel yourself starting to worry, just try to be positive. Okay, I will. Thank you!

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Goodness, you came all the way here just for little old me? What a thrill. …… But what possible need could you have of a pathetic woman whose desires have been brought to heel? I wanted to confirm something. I was wondering if you hadn’t actually achieved your objective after all. The cruelest of questions, coming as it does from the man responsible for crushing such objective. Why on earth would you ever wonder such a thing? You had Teinsom in the palm of your hand. You had countless chances to outwit us. The fact you never did tells me the situation was never out of your control. You came all the way here to confirm that? What can I say? I have a vested interest in learning where your true motives lie. Then perhaps you might think on this: What is the goal of the cock who crows long before the coming of the dawn? …Ah. I have my answer now. No. You have but half of it. And the other half? The drowsing, faceless fragment still remains there, yes? …… But no matter. Let us, instead, turn to the little matter of YOU. I find you interesting indeed, sir. Perhaps you might watch the coming of the new dawn with me? Before we share the twilight, I have another question. Go on. Why would you think…that I have not awakened?