The Horrors of Hethiwood

Facility Event: The Accursed Archives

Episode 3

The Horrors of Hethiwood

Previous Quest

Seeking the Unknown

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Nyarlathotep (Event Story)

Summary

The party arrives in Hethiwood—the village from which all the citizens disappeared—and find evidence of a suspicious ritual led by none other than Nyarlathotep. With this new information in hand, they rush back to the library to confirm their suspicions.

Dialogue

Phew... Back from the library, Curran? What about Heinwald? Still surrounded by mountains of books. I just came here to let off a little steam. Maybe we should have helped him out a little more... Your giving us rooms in the castle is help enough. Plus, you're all lending a hand with Lathna. It seems like she's slowly getting better, which is a huge relief. All thanks to you letting her stay here, where she's surrounded by friendly people. Frankly, I don't think I could have helped her on my own. NOOOOO! That was Lathna! Euden! What's wrong, Lathna?! D...dream... Dream? From what I gather, she's been having the same exact dream every night. In it, she's chased by the villagers until... ...Shadow. Killed by...black shadow. Dream or not, that just isn't right. I don't think this is an ordinary nightmare. Hmm... Actually, I remember Heinwald saying something about disturbances in mana having an effect on dreams. We should go ask him about this. ...No! Don't like...that man! Look, I get that he's a bit creepy, but he's not THAT bad of a guy. Plus, his talents are legit. But...I can't! I'm...scared! Okay, okay. We'll come up with some other plan. Black shadows... It can't be... I have...to go back...to the village. You mean Hethiwood? Why? Don't...know. But something... important there. Hey, if you think it'll help, I'll take you back to the village. Kids have to fellow their dreams, after all! (...There he goes again.)

---

So this is Hethiwood, the village where everyone vanished in a single night... It sounds scary when you put it like that, and yet it looks so...ordinary. Yes, yes, quite fascinating. Now then, what exactly is the purpose of our coming here? Surely it would be more beneficial to continue our investigation in the library? It's the first rule of an investigation: When you're stuck, go back to the scene of the original crime! Bah. You should have just come here on your own and left me be. You think I could leave you on your own? I know you're up to something in that library that you're not telling us about. You speak as if I am plotting mischief. I am interested where this conclusion of yours is coming from. Quit bellyaching and let's look for clues. For a long time, this village didn't have a place of worship, but eventually the Church dispatched a priest here. If the villagers were worshiping something other than the goddess, it means that priest would have been seen as the heretic, and not the other way around. In other words, there could be information here that cannot be found elsewhere. Oh, I do love it when you finally bring something to the table, Curran. Quit running your mouth and let's start looking around already! You say that as if it is an easy thing, yet we know not what we are even looking FOR. At times like this, you have to think from the perspective of whoever might be trying to hide something. Who's hiding what now? The priest was trying to suss out what the people here believed in—and he didn't want them to know about it. For if he was discovered, there would be no one here to protect him. So even if he DID know something, he would have kept it hidden. Well, if I was that priest, I'd hide my evidence in a place the villagers would be likely to avoid. So maybe if we just... Ah ha! A hidden door! How clever. What lies beyond must be important indeed if he went to so much trouble to disguise it. In any case, let's head inside. Ah! EEEEEK! A COOOORPSE! By the Goddess, look at it... What a horrible way to die. It's like he was torn apart... What could have done this? For now, let us bury this poor man. Then we can search the house. We will go room by room and see if we can't figure out what happened here. ...Now we'll hopefully be able to find something. This place isn't that big. If we all split up, we— Hey, guys! Look! It's the priest's diary! I'd normally frown on rummaging through a man's private thoughts, but I don't think we have a choice in this case.

---

Day 13, First Month of the Dragon:
Some time has passed since my
appointment here to spread the
teachings of the Goddess Ilia.

The Fruits of my labor are not sweet,
for these people seem to worship
something that is not our Goddess.
I can only pray it is not some
nefarious evil.

Day 25, Month of the Lovely Dragon:
The villagers and I recently learned
that an inquisitor has been sent here.
They are most displeased with this.

It is no wonder those who do not
carry the teachings of Ilia in their
hearts would be frightened by this,
for an inquisitor's questioning can be at
times quite severe.

The villagers tell me they are praying
for salvation. And yet, I know not to
who--or what--these prayers are
being offered.

Day 28, Month of the Lovely Dragon:
I hear the villagers outside of my home.
They are chanting gibberish
to the night sky.

"Tsthyuku!" they chant. "Tsthyuk!
Teb'zah Ay'rah Teb'zah!"

I know not if it is merely a strange
language or some fell magic, but
it is most deeply disquieting. Indeed,
there can be little doubt that I am the
heretic there--not they.

Day 5, Month of the Wardragon:
The villagers say something called
the Emissary has appeared, and that
the ritual will begin and salvation
will come.

But there was no way I could believe
that dark, disturbing being was an
Emissary of salvation.

Yet if I give voice to this,
I will be driven hence by the villagers
and slain!
O, Goddess! Pray deliver me!

...Goddess help me, I saw it.
Their "ritual." Their "salvation."

Lies! Such a thing could never be
salvation. Caught by a great power
and locked away, they transform
from human to something...not.

Lies. Humans. Warped. Twisting.
Black. Nightmare. Chaos.
It comes. It comes. IT COMES!

IT COMES IT COMES IT COMES
THE EMISSARY COMES FOR THEE

N Y A R L A T H O T E P COMES!

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Nyarlathotep?! I KNEW he was plotting something! But he has been trapped within the library for as long as it has been sealed, yes? Then who could the Nyarlathotep in the diary be? I can't imagine there are TWO beings with that name. ...... We might be able to figure something out if we go ask the Nyarlathotep who lives in the Library Obscura. Then let's hurry back and put the question to him. If we're going that far, I'd like to also try gathering some more information. Whatever you need to do. Let's just hurry!