Lathna

Nyarlathotep: We are Chaos. Our quietus is our genesis.We reign in twilight; the dark nightmare of a stillborn sun. We manifest the Ancient One's Emissary. We are multifarious. Multifarious forms. Multifarious names. Multifaaaar... Mul...tiiiii...faaaaar...

Lathna: Once, not that long ago, I lived through a terrifying, painful experience where everyone was turned into books. But some really brave people saved me, so I'm okay now. I don't need to be scared anymore. Everything's going to be okay.
Lathna?: Are they really?
Lathna: Huh?!
Lathna?: Do you truly believe that? Do you truly think the nightmare over?
Lathna: Wh-who are you?! What are you saying?!
Lathna?: I am you, and you are me. We am thee, and thou are Us. You are chaos. We, the black and white. A continuance of the faceless one.
An oblivious infant, ever somnolent. But the time of awakening is nigh.

Lathna: Why do I keep having such terrible dreams? ...Hmm? What was that?
Ulthar: Meooooow.
Lathna: Oh, it's a cat! Are you lost, little kitty?
Ulthar: Meow.
Lathna: Just a stray, huh? Do you maybe want to come home with me?
Ulthar: Meow!
Lathna: Then it's agreed. Come along, Ulthar!
Ulthar: Meow?
Lathna: That's your new name. I just thought of it. ...Er, do you like it?
Ulthar: Meow!
Lathna: Hee hee! Oh, good. Then let's go!
Ulthar: Meow meow!
Lathna: Hee! That tickles! Oh, Ulthar, I haven't had this much fun in a long time.
Ulthar: Mrowr?
Lathna: I've been alone for a long time. I live in my relative's house, but they aren't there anymore. Will you stay with me? I couldn't stand it if you left me alone like they did.
Ulthar: Meooow.
Lathna: Thank you, Ulthar. Oh, and you can sleep in my bed tonight if you want.

Lathna?: Supplicate yourself, feline. Present your life unto Us.
Ulthar: MROOOOOOER! HISSSSSS!
Lathna?: Unblemished feral life. Fleeting beast. Neck rent asunder. Life drunk dry. Your broken capitulum a sacrifice.
Ulthar: Meow... Me... ooooo...
Lathna?: Offer yourself unto the Ancient One.
Ulthar: MEOOOOOOW!

Lathna: NOOOOO! *pant* *pant* W-was that a dream...? Of course it was. It must have been. I'd never do something like that. I'd never hurt little Ulthar. ...Ulthar? Ulthar, where are you?!
Ulthar: ......
Lathna: No! No no no no no no... Say something, Ulthar! Move! Y-you're dead. So it... wasn't a dream? No! No no no! I didn't kill you! I didn't! ...I didn't. ...Right?

Lathna: *sniff* Is it my fault he's dead? Is it?
Mewmew: Meow.
Lathna: Another stray. Are you Ulthar's friend? Oh, I'm so sorry, little kitty, but Ulthar is...
Mewmew: Meow. Meooow.
Lathna: Are you trying to cheer me up? *sniff* Thank you. But you shouldn't get too close to me. If you do... No. That was a dream. It must have been.
Mewmew: Meow?
Lathna: Anyway, I'm going to leave now. Let's play again sometime, kitty.

Mewmew: HISSSSS!
Lathna?: Offering. Oblation. Wailing falsehood. To whom does your life belong? Who holds dominion on your light? Submit yourself. Capitulate. Proffer your being to the feast.
Mewmew: MEOOOOW!

Mewmew: ......
Lathna: Oh no... It happened again! Why does every cat I meet die?! It can't be me! It can't!

Lathna: Offer yourself unto the Ancient One.
Ulthar: MEOOOOOW!

Lathna: It really is my fault. The me that isn't me is killing everyone and everything. What should I do? What CAN I do?

Female Villager: Save me! Forgive me in your great mercy!
Lathna?: ......
Female Villager: First the cats die, and then the people. But I don't want to die! I want to live! I know your true name. Yes, I know it well. O bizarre messenger! Disciple of salvation who is the guide of all! Grant this poor old woman your mercy, I beg of you!
Lathna?: No salvation to its seekers. Forgiveness the errand of a fool. Desire is heard solely by the void. We are Chaos. Messenger of the One. You, a fool who seeks the One's feast. Now proffer yourself unto Us.
Female Villager: Yes! Salvation! Salvation! Salvationsalvationsalvat--AAAAAAH!

Lathna: NOOOO! W-was that a dream too? Did I just KILL someone?!
Villager: AAAH!
Lathna: That was a scream!

Theo: Sh-she's dead! Her neck is... Oh, but this is horrible!
Lathna: *gasp* ...!
Man: She's been murdered!
Lathna: Was that...me? Or the me that is not me?

Lathna?: We are Chaos. Messenger of the One. You, a fool who seeks the One's feast. Now proffer yourself unto Us.

Lathna: NOOOO! Almighty savior, help me!

Curran: Well, this must be Kyril. Hmm... Something feels very off about this place.

Curran: You there! What happened here?
Theo: Who're you?
Curran: Curran. I was sent here by the Church.
Theo: Don't look like a priest to me.
Curran: I'm not. Er, not exactly, at any rate. But never mind that. What happened?
Theo: An old woman was murdered here two days prior.
Curran: Do you know who did this horrid deed?
Theo: Well...
Villea: It was HER! That gloomy girl! I'm certain of it, I am! We all looked after her, and she repaid our kindness with bloodshed and horror! We never should have taken in someone from a heretic village like Hethiwood!
Curran: Hold on. Hethiwood? Is that girl's name—
Villea: It's Lathna.

Lathna: N-no! Don't come in! Leave me alone!
Curran: Sorry, but leaving scared little birds alone just isn't how I do things.
Lathna: C-Curran?! Why are you here?!
Curran: Why, I came to see my beloved little lady, of course.
Lathna: Liar.
Curran: Okay, maybe I exaggerated a little bit. But I AM seriously worried about you. I hear there's some trouble going on.
Lathna: I...I don't know anything about it.
Curran: Oh?
Lathna: I don't know anything... I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!
Curran: Easy now, Lath—
Lathna: GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!
Curran: Okay, hang on! Breathe, kid. Breeeathe. I'm on your side here—I don't think you did anything wrong.
Lathna: I don't care! I'm scared! So just go!
Curran: All right. If that's what you want. But if you ever need anything at all, just come find me, okay? I can help.
Lathna: I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry I'm so sorry I'm so sorry I'm so sorry...

Curran: *sigh* I heard rumors this village was harboring heretics, but I can't find a single one so far. All anyone wants to talk about is Lathna. ...Which I suppose makes sense, given the circumstances. I should've brought that idiot after all, even if it meant dragging him here.
 ???: AAAAH!
Curran: Huh?! Who was that?! There's someone on the ground! Hey, are you okay?! Are you... Damn. He's dead.

Villea: Look what you've done now! Murderer! MURDERER!
Lathna: I'm so sorry I'm so sorry I'm so sorry...
Villea: I don't want your APOLOGIES! I want my husband back! BRING HIM BACK!
Curran: Easy now! No need for violence! What did Lathna do to you?
Villea: Do you even need to ask? She killed my husband! Give him back, you evil demon! GIVE HIM BAAAAAACK!
Curran: Listen, I know that you're upset, and I'm terribly sorry for your loss. But I saw the body myself, and there's no way that a small child could have possibly—
Old Man: I have proof.
Curran: What?!
Old Man: I saw that girl with the victim last night. The two of them met by a nearby lake.
Villea: She's been hiding indoors for days and NOW she comes out? She MUST have been the one to kill him!
Old Man: That girl is the culprit, without a doubt. She needs to face justice.
Lathna: ......
Curran: Dealing with heretics is my job, thank you. Believe it or not, I'm an inquisitor.
Old Man: Then serve your station and bring her to justice before she harms anyone else!
Curran: I promise you that justice will be done— and her name cleared. ...Come on, Lathna.
Lathna: Where are we going?
Curran: Somewhere we can talk in private. Hey, I said you could trust me, remember? So wipe that scared look off your face— it doesn't fit a cute girl like you. Come on! Pick up your spirits and make that frown an upside clown!
Lathna: That REALLY doesn't help...

Curran: Thanks for telling me all this, Lathna. Let me make sure I follow... First, the black cat you found died, followed by yet another stray cat. After that, humans started to die as well. And you're convinced this is all somehow your fault. Am I with you so far?
Lathna: It's true. It has to be. I keep having dreams where the me who isn't me does...terrible things. I strangled them! Cats and humans both! I strangled them all!
Curran: But you COULDN'T have done this, Lathna. I saw the finger marks the killer left on the latest corpse—they were far too large for a child to have made them.
Lathna: Then how do you explain my dreams? Look, I'll tell you what you want to know, so just...leave me alone.
Curran: Huh? What does THAT mean?
Lathna: You're here looking for heretics, right? Well, I know where they are.
Curran: What?!
Lathna: Most of the villagers have served me dinner at one point or another. A lot of them got angry with me because I forgot to pray to Ilia before eating. But some of them DIDN'T get angry. In fact, they said prayers I was much more familiar with.
Curran: Such as a prayer you might have said back in Hethiwood?
Lathna: Yeah. The old lady and man I killed were two of them.
Curran: So both the murder victims were heretics? Interesting. I wonder if they were killed to ensure their silence, or if there was some other reason currently at play here...
Lathna: Hmm?
Curran: Well done, Lathna. Now I might actually be able to clear your name.
Lathna: What do you mean?
Curran: You just relax and have a good night's sleep. Don't worry—I'll be right here.
Lathna: ...Thank you, Curran.

Village Girl: So you really are the Ancient One's messenger. I heard of you from Father. Was...was he able to reach the Ancient One?
Lathna?: The peak cannot be seen from the foot. All who seek truth must navigate the void.
Village Girl: Then take me to the Ancient One's feast! I would know everything! EVERYTHING!
Lathna?: Your soul, a bubble in Our hand. Your life, a floret betwixt Our fists. You yearn for the feast long abhorred by mortal souls. You ache. Burn. We shall grant your desire.

Curran: Mm... Ngh... Nnnngn... OH! D-did I fall asleep?! ...No, I remember now. Last night, the world suddenly went dark... Lathna? LATHNA! ...Okay, where did she get off to now? Wait, is this a letter? ...Oh, damn it all!
Villea: Where is she? WHERE IS SHE?! Tell me where that demon is!
Curran: Whoa, easy there. What's wrong?
Villea: Don't even THINK of trying to hide her! Wasn't my husband enough for her?! Did she have to take my daughter, too?! I'll never forgive her! NEVER!
Curran: Your...your daughter was killed?!
Old Man: Just last night! First this woman's husband was murdered, and now her daughter! I thought you were supposed to be watching over that killer, inquisitor. How long do you intend to let that heretic remain in our good village?!
Curran: Oh, if you wanted to be rid of her, your wish has been granted.
Old Man: What? Explain yourself!
Curran: I awoke this morning to find a letter. Here. Read it for yourself.

Curran: Are you satisfied now, sir? But make no mistake—my hunt for heretics in this village is not over. So you had all better pray that girl is safe—because if she isn't, I am going to fall VERY hard on all of you.
Curran: ...Come on, Lathna. Please be all right. Don't do anything foolish!

Lathna: Who am I? Am I Lathna? Or someone else?
Male Villager: There you are! I've been searching for you everywhere.
Lathna: Eek! Y-you're from Kyril! What are you doing here?
Male Villager: Help me, messenger! Take me to the Ancient One's side while there's yet time! I know who is truly responsible for all of the village murders—and it's only a matter of time before he kills me, too! So please, take me to the Ancient One's feast before it's too late! I beg you!
Lathna: Wh-what are you saying? What do you think I am?
 ???: You are a messenger of the multifarious Ancient One—the savior for whom we have so long awaited.
Male Villager: Aaaaargh! Urgh... D-damn you...
Old Man: We are disciples who worship the Ancient One. And now, at long last, the sacrifices are gathered.
Lathna: Nooooo!
Old Man: I have now slain all of my brethren from the village. Accept them, O messenger! By offering them up as sacrifice, I—and I alone—will receive the full glory of the Ancient One's favor!
Lathna: You killed everyone for YOURSELF?! Did you cause my scary dreams, too?!
Old Man: It matters not! I beseech you, messenger, awaken and take me home at long last!
Lathna: Eeek! Let go of me!
Old Man: Awaken! Awaken and remember your true name! Master Nyarlathotep!
Lathna: Nyarla...tho...tep...? Nyarlathotep! AAAAAAAAH!
Lathna: We... We... We are Chaos.
Old Man: Now do it! Take me with you! Take me to the Ancient One's feast! ...Huh?
Lathna?: Unasked offerings are mere pebbles. Bathetic offerings of no account. A pile of slaughtered, useless lambs. Yours is the fancy of the deranged. Foolish. Unrealized. It shall burst like a reddened bubble. Ripple and vanish.
Old Man: But why, Master Nyarlathotep? Why?! I offered gifts to the Ancient One!
Lathna?: I am a messenger, not a tool. I obey, yet plot scurrilous rebellion. I care not for the whims of a madman. Your blessing is without mercy. Sans salvation. Doomed to evanesce without meaning into utter oblivion.
Old Man: To the sky! The sky! The sky! The sky! THE SKY! THE SKY! THE SKYYYYYY!

Lathna: Eeeek! Help m... Huh? I was talking to the village chief, and then... Where am I?
Curran: You're in the Halidom. Do you know what that is? I found you unconscious by the side of a lake near the village.
Lathna: So I'm...safe? The scary dreams are over?
Curran: You're fine. Nothing's going to scare you ever again.
Lathna: What about all the murders?
Curran: Like I said, it wasn't you. The moment I entered the chief's home, I found a mountain of evidence implicating him. He was gathering offerings for some heretic god. I'd thought the murders were for the purpose of eliminating witnesses, but it turned out to be even more sinister. Still, I'm surprised he moved so quickly from killing cats to killing humans. Either way, the rest of this case isn't something for young ears. Though I AM pretty upset about the cats...
Lathna: Me too.
 ???: Meow.
Curran: Hmm? Is that another stray? How'd you get in, little fellow?
Lathna: Come here, kitty.
Ulthar: Meow.
Curran: Ha! Boy, he sure took to you fast. What say you try looking after him?
Lathna: I'm sure we'll get along great. Right, Ulthar?
Curran: Is that what you're going to call him?
Lathna: Of course. Because he IS Ulthar.
Curran: Hey, who am I to argue with a cat? Take care of her, Ulthar!
Ulthar: Meow.
Curran: Huh?!
Lathna: What is it?
Curran: It's...nothing. Er, I think.
Ulthar: Meow?
Curran: ...That WAS my imagination, right?
Lathna: What was?
Curran: Never mind. I'm tired, and I think my eyes are playing tricks on me. Anyway, I'm going to head out. The folks here said they'd look after you for as long as you need, so no worries.
Lathna: Thank you, Curran. So what should we play next?
Ulthar: Meow...

Lathna: Ulthar, where are you?
Lathna: There you are! Were you playing with this little guy?
Ulthar: Meow.
Lathna: That's so sweet. I wish I had a friend to play with too.
Lathna: Curran and Heinwald are nice, but they're both grown-ups...
Pia: Um... Could you please get your cat away from Mr. Mouse?
Pia: He's my friend. And I don't want him to get eaten...
Lathna: Ulthar's a good boy. He wouldn't eat your friend. Isn't that right, Ulthar?
Ulthar: Meow.
Pia: Wow... He's resting on top of Mr. Kitty!
Lathna: Still think he's scary?

Village Girl: Hey, that's her, isn't it? The girl from that heretic village, Hethiwood?
Village Boy: She can transform with forbidden magic. First, she'll rip into you with her claws, and then she'll bite your head off!
Lathna: No I won't...
Village Boy: Like we'd believe anything a heretic has to say. Go away, weirdo!

Lathna: ...I guess you can't help but be scared. Even if I don't do anything, something could still happen...
Lathna: I should go. Come on, Ulthar.
Pia: Wait! I'm... I'm sorry I didn't trust your kitty.
Pia: Why don't we go play together? We can bring our animal friends too!
Lathna: You...want to play with me? Why?
Pia: 'Cause I wanna be friends. ...If that's okay, I mean.
Lathna: Yeah. I'd like that.

Curran: Talk about puttin' on the ritz, little miss! You gonna be okay without me at that summer festival in the courtyard today?
Yukata Lathna: Yeah. Pia's coming with me.
Curran: Oh, the little girl from the Harmonia Choir? I'm so glad you made a friend your own age. Keep her close, okay, Lathna?
Curran: Life might sometimes feel like a wild ride that you've gotta grit your teeth and bear alone. But with good friends at your side, you can overcome any and all obstagoals!
Yukata Lathna: (He messed up his words again...)
Pia: Sorry to keep you waiting, Lathna. You ready?
Yukata Lathna: Ready.

Natalie: Time to put a little life into the Halidom! We're gonna beat the heat AND the fatigue right outta these people!
Yaten: We've got stands. We've got shows. We'll even be launching pyroblossoms! Truly, we've got it all.
Pia: This cotton candy's so yummy!
Yukata Lathna: Uh-huh. By the way, I'm surprised you wore a yukata too.
Pia: Althemia made it for me. What do you think?
Yukata Lathna: It looks...really cute.
Pia: Hee hee. I think your yukata looks super pretty too.
Pia: Oh, I just remembered. Althemia gave me a scrunchie. I have one just like it, so I'll let you have the other.
Yukata Lathna: Thank you...
Pia: Hee hee! Now we match! Let's put our hair up the same way too.
Yukata Lathna: Okay.
Yukata Lathna: Hm? What's going on? There are a lot of people over there.

Celliera: Then the old man at the stall slowly turned and said... "Did its face look something like THIS?!"
Pia: Hi, Elias. What's happening over here?
Elias: They're having a scary story contest. It's a Hinomotoan summer tradition, apparently. We figured we'd give it a whirl too.
Yakuza Lathna: Oh. That sounds...um...
Lowen: Don't worry! Celliera's too chipper to make it super scary.
Celliera: So my stories aren't scary enough... I have failed you all. FAILED, I say!
Akasha: Then perhaps I will step in and tell some frightful fancies of my own.
Yukata Lathna: Oh no...
Akasha: From idle reverie to blackest nightmare, the world of sleep is home to a multitude. Yet I would tell you about the strangest phenomenon of them all: the Dreamlands.
Pia: I've never heard of that...
Akasha: The dream starts near a descending staircase, its stairs numbering a multiple of seven. At the bottom, you find yourself in a red cavern.
Akasha: There are two priests. Once you have greeted them, a vast, shimmering wood unfolds before your very eyes. This is the world of oddities: the Dreamlands.
Akasha: Lurking in its midst are blood-red rats that gnaw through bone, and hideous, cannibalistic ghouls. Every creature is more terrifying than the last...
Elias: But it's all a dream, right? So there's nothing to be scared of.
Akasha: And yet some say our souls leave our bodies as we sleep, and dreams are what they see. So what if the Dreamlands are actually part of another world?
Akasha: If your soul were to be captured by its inhabitants...you would never wake again.
Yukata Lathna: ......
Pia: Nooo! I don't wanna end up in the Dreamlands! What do I do?
Yukata Lathna: Don't worry, Pia. You'll be all right.
Akasha: Dear me. It seems I've unsettled some listeners. Perhaps a nice spell is in order.
Akasha: Y' ephaichase ymg' orr'e.
Akasha: There. Now you shouldn't have any nightmares.
Pia: Thank you, Akasha.
Yukata Lathna: Oh, I just heard a pyroblossom... Do you want to go see them, Pia?
Pia: Yeah.

Pia: They're so pretty!
Yukata Lathna: Yeah. I love how they sparkle... —Like the glimmering stars I once glimpsed in the blackest expanse...
Pia: Hey, Lathna? Would you mind coming with me real quick?
Yukata Lathna: Of course. Where to?
Pia: Um... To the bathroom...

Pia: Thanks for waiting.
Yukata Lathna: Let's go back to the festival. The entrance should be over here.

Yukata Lathna: ...Huh? This doesn't look like the fairgrounds.
Pia: That's strange. I thought this was where we came in.
Yukata Lathna: Let's go back the way we came. Okay, Pia? ...Pia?
Yukata Lathna: Pia, where are you? If this is you playing hide-and-seek, it's not funny.
Yukata Lathna: Huh? What's a staircase doing here? And there's something fallen next to it...
Yukata Lathna: It's Pia's sandal!

Yukata Lathna: How far down does this staircase go? It's so dark...and scary.

Akasha: The dream starts near a descending staircase, its stairs numbering a multiple of seven. At the bottom, you find yourself in a red cavern.

Yukata Lathna: ...No. This isn't a dream. So I can't stop now.
Yukata Lathna: Not when Pia might be down here.

Yukata Lathna: Fire... It's a red cavern! And is that—?!
Yukata Lathna: Pia! Are you okay? Stay with me!
Pia: Huh...? Lathna... Weren't we just in the castle?
Pia: I remember we were looking for the entrance when someone pushed me, and—EEK!
Yukata Lathna: What's wrong?
Pia: Behind you!
Yukata Lathna: Who are you?!
Spooky Priest: So we have two dreamers. No—one is the overseer, only half asleep.
Creepy Priest: To think they would enter in the same way humans do... Is this a game? Or one of their tricks?
Yukata Lathna: What are you talking about?
Spooky Priest: If this dreamer is guided by the overseer, we should let them both pass.
Creepy Priest: Then let us hurry to send them through the gate. Delaying any longer would be most onerous indeed.
Together: Aaaaaugh!

Pia's Voice: Lathna... Lathna!

Yukata Lathna: Pia... Is this the Mistholt?
Pia: No. I don't know where this is. The mushrooms are all glowy, and it's super creepy.
Pia: Hey, Lathna? Do you...remember what Akasha said in her story?

Akasha: There are two priests. Once you have greeted them, a vast, shimmering wood unfolds before your very eyes. This is the world of oddities: the Dreamlands.

Yukata Lathna: You think that's where we are?
Pia: Yeah... We might have wandered into a dream without even realizing it.
Pia: What if we get caught by a monster and never wake up again? I... I... *sob*
Yukata Lathna: But we were awake this whole time. How could we have fallen asleep without realizing it?

Lathna?: Offer yourself unto the Ancient One.
Ulthar: MEOOOOOOW!

Yukata Lathna: It can't be...
Pia: Eeek! There's something moving in the grass!
 ???: Chchch...chchchch... Chchch...
Yukata Lathna: It sounds like an animal. A mouse, maybe?
Pia: I've never heard a mouse that sounds like that.
Blood Red Mouse: Chchch...chchchch... Chchch...
Yukata Lathna: Crimson fur... Wait. Are these the "blood-red rats"?
Blood Red Mice: Chch... Chchch...
Pia: There're more of them!
Blood Red Mouse: Chch... chkich... Zkh... Chch.
Pia: Wh-what's going on? Are they...talking to each other?
Yukata Lathna: "Those girls look like dreamers. They don't know what we're saying."
Yukata Lathna: "Let's get a nibble of their ears for some meat. Then we can soak their bones in the murky waters of the moon-tree."
Pia: You understand what they're saying, Lathna?
Blood Red Mouse: Chchch... Chch! Rrraaah!
Yukata Lathna: They're coming for us! We've gotta run!

Blood Red Mouse: Chchch! Chchchch!
Yukata Lathna: (There're so many of them! I can't run fast enough because of my sandals... What do we do?!)
Yukata Lathna: Eep!
Pia: Lathna!
Yukata Lathna: I can't run anymore... You have to go on without me, Pia!
Yukata Lathna: You can get away while the rats are focused on me! Hurry!
Pia: No! I'm not gonna leave you alone, Lathna!
Blood Red Mouse: Chchchchchch!
Together: !!!

???: Meeeow.

Yukata Lathna: They're...not attacking. Oh!
Yukata Lathna: Are those kitties here to protect us?
Pia: Is that black cat at the front...Ulthar?
Yukata Lathna: No... It's not. But I feel like I've seen him before.
Black Cat: Meow. Meeeow.
Yukata Lathna: Are you trying to tell us to run while we have the chance?
Black Cat: Meow.
Yukata Lathna: Thank you, little kitty...

Pia: Do you think we're safe here?
Yukata Lathna: Hey, Pia? If I trip like that again... I want you to focus on getting away.
Yukata Lathna: I don't want you to put yourself in danger because of me.
Pia: No. I'm not running! You're my friend, and you mean too much to me!
Pia: We're gonna be together forever. So let's just do our best to get back to the castle, okay?
Yukata Lathna: ...Okay.
Pia: Oh, hey! There's someone over there. Maybe they can help us!

Pia: Excuse me! Er... Hello?
 ???: *chomp* *slurp* *munch* *snap* *smack*
Yukata Lathna: (Is he...eating meat? Whatever it is, it smells awful...)
Human-Shaped Monster: *crunch* *gulp* Mmmmmm?
Together: EEEK!

Human-Shaped Monster: Mm... Mmmm... Mmm... Mmmm...
Yukata Lathna: What's wrong with this person? He smells awful!
Pia: No... Stay away from me!
Human-Shaped Monster: Mmm... Mmmmm! Rrraaagh!
 ???: Those children are ALIVE. You cannot eat them YET.
Human-Shaped Monster: Mm?! Mmzhmmya! Zzh! Myugasha!
 ???: If you're still HUNGRY, then go raid a gug's GRAVE. Otherwise...
 ???: Looks like he's given up on you TWO. Are you girls OKAY?
Yukata Lathna: Who are you...?
Richard: I'm Richard the GHOUL.
Pia: You mean the monster Akasha told us about?! You're not gonna eat us, are you?!
Richard: No, NO. We only eat the DEAD. It's very rare to see one stray and attack the LIVING.
Richard: More importantly, it seems you two are LOST. I can tell, because we were the SAME.
Yukata Lathna: What do you mean?
Richard: My whole squad accidentally wandered into this WORLD. After living here for so long, we eventually became GHOULS.
Richard: We look human now, but before long, we'll probably start looking more like DOGS. HeeHEEheeHEEhee!
Pia: So if we get stuck here, we're gonna turn into monsters too?!
Richard: Not NECESSARILY. But I do know it's not good for kids to be in this WORLD. How about I take you back to your OWN?
Yukata Lathna: You mean you know how to get back?
Richard: We ghouls like to steal corpses from the waking world as WELL, so we know a secret way to get in and out of HERE.
Yukata Lathna: ......
Richard: Oh, you don't need to be suspicious of ME. I'm doing this out of the kindness of my HEART. I'm just so glad to talk to another person after so LONG.
Pia: What do you wanna do, Lathna?
Yukata Lathna: ...I think we can trust him.

Richard: In this WORLD, cats are WARRIORS. They're intelligent and fiercely LOYAL.
Richard: The cat that rescued you two might have been one you took care of at some POINT.
Yukata Lathna: That black kitty... It might have been the one who befriended me back in Kyril.
Richard: Those rats are pretty troublesome, but it's possible to communicate with them if you know their LANGUAGE. That makes them one of the less awful denizens HERE.
Richard: For instance, there are invisible caterpillars that lurk in the ravine up AHEAD. They devour anything unlucky enough to fall into their DOMAIN.
Pia: That's so scary...
Richard: But more terrifying still are those who guard the Great ONES.
Yukata Lathna: Who are they...?
Richard: In the epic poem GRASTAEA, as well as the Tome of CREATION, there are countless tales of these abnormal beings known as the Great ONES.
Richard: Guarding them is a ruler and an OVERSEER. Though they work together in this SENSE, they are also in direct opposition with each OTHER.
Richard: If you were to get mixed up in their BATTLE, it would be OVER. It is told that those who do go mad with FEAR and lose all sense of SELF.
Yukata Lathna: What do we do if we ever run into them?
Richard: Good QUESTION... I would say you'd need an emotional pillar of strength to maintain your SANITY.
Richard: If you have happy memories you can turn TO, you should be able to stay sane no matter what terror you may FACE.
Yukata Lathna: Happy memories...
Pia: Eeek! S-something's coming down from the sky!
Richard: Oh, no need to WORRY. That is a simple NIGHTGAUNT.
Yukata Lathna: It doesn't have a face...
Richard: It only looks SCARY. They won't hurt you as long as you stay out of their TERRITORY.
Pia: EEEK! Then why is it grabbing me?!
Pia: AAAAAAHHHHH!
Yukata Lathna: Pia! PIA!
Yukata Lathna: Is this one of its friends?! Aaaah!
Richard: Why would a nightgaunt go after someone outside of its TERRITORY? No... Could it be HIM?!

Yukata Lathna: Let go of me! LET GO OF ME!
Yukata Lathna: (Where is this thing trying to take me?)
Yukata Lathna: The ground's getting closer and closer...!
Yukata Lathna: Ack!

Yukata Lathna: It dropped me. Where...am I?
Yukata Lathna: What's that? Oh... A deer. You really scared me, you kno—
Deer: EEEEE! EEEEE! EEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
Yukata Lathna: The ground swallowed it! No, that's not it... There's something IN the ground here!
Yukata Lathna: It's trying to pull me in too! AAAAAHHHHH!

Pia: Ngh... Where did that monster take me?
Pia: It looks like a big mansion, but it's so creepy... *sob* I'm so scared... Eek!
Pia: I tripped... I've gotta get all my things back in my pouch... *sob* *hic*
Pia: Oh. This is the matching scrunchie for the one I gave Lathna...
Pia: Come on, Pia. You're not the only one who's scared right now. Lathna must be just as terrified.
Pia: If she saw me like this, it'd only make her feel worse.
Mysterious Old Man: So this is the dreamer the overseer brought.
Pia: Who are you?
Lord of the Great Abyss: I am told the humans have named me... the Lord of the Great Abyss.
Pia: Um... Are you the one who sent those monsters to bring me here?
Lord of the Great Abyss: Indeed. The nightgaunts are my servants.
Pia: What happened to my friend, Lathna?
Lord of the Great Abyss: Your "friend"? Ha ha ha... HA HA HA HA!
Pia: Eek...!
Lord of the Great Abyss: Now this is most amusing. I never thought I'd see the day when someone would call him "friend"!
Lord of the Great Abyss: I had the nightgaunts drop him into the Demon's Pit. I imagine the caterpillars have long since dragged him into the ground and begun their fetid feast.
Pia: Lathna's been eaten?! No! It can't be!
Lord of the Great Abyss: I suspect my longstanding foe is far too resilient to die such an inglorious death.

Lathna?: O turgid maggots, with your pitiful lust for flesh. For the witless sin of swallowing We of a thousand forms, We devour you from within.
Lathna?: We are the key. The Emissary of the Ancient One. The scent of entrails is a most disagreeable gambol. We shall retaliate for this plot hidden in the abyss.

Pia: What do you mean, Lathna's your enemy?
Lord of the Great Abyss: He and I are of the same belief in the matter of protecting the Great Ones.
Lord of the Great Abyss: But he is an agent of the Outer Gods. He longs for chaos above all—exists only to instill madness in all that is.
Lord of the Great Abyss: In other words, his very existence is a thorn in my side. Thus, I thought to use you to humiliate him.
Pia: What do I have to do with any of this?
Lord of the Great Abyss: Until this moment, he has never invited a dreamer into this world. It seems he has quite the attachment to you.
Lord of the Great Abyss: I want nothing more than to see him rage over having his favorite toy stolen away.
Pia: I don't understand most of what you're saying...
Pia: But Lathna is just a normal girl! The same as me.
Pia: So please don't hurt her. She's too important to me!
Lord of the Great Abyss: So this is what you humans call "friendship." What say YOU, hm?
Lord of the Great Abyss: Let me hear your answer, N Y A R L A T H O T E P.
Lathna?: We are the crawling chaos. We are the shadow that writhes in the darkness. We are the Other who stands at your back.
Pia: Lathna! When did you get here?!
Pia: (What's going on with her? She seems...different.)
Lathna?: Lord of the Great Abyss. He who invites Us to such wicked festivities. A rancid effluvium hangs ever about you.
Lord of the Great Abyss: I saw fit to greet you with matching dignity. The rotting stench of the caterpillars is a most fitting shroud for you and your blackened entrails.
Lathna?: Though we oppose one another, we are guardians who must cooperate all the same. By what foolish scheme do you violate our accord?
Lord of the Great Abyss: I ought to ask you the same thing. It seems you have been visiting the Dreamlands often of late. What are you plotting?
Lathna?: We are the Black and White. The Criminal and the Innocent. It has been centuries since We last crossed the threshold into these lands.
Lord of the Great Abyss: So you claim ignorance. Or perhaps... No, it is of no matter. Instead, I must ask you.
Lord of the Great Abyss: What thoughts did you have when that girl was taken from you? What emotions did you harbor that brought you here?
Lathna?: Your desire will not be granted. We came only to depose a despot. Humans are sacrificial pawns. We take no interest in them.
Lord of the Great Abyss: Oh, so you would attack me like a common dog? How unlike you to forego strategy.
Lord of the Great Abyss: Allow me to postulate. The will that brought you here was not your own, Nyarlathotep.
Lord of the Great Abyss: One of you...the girl named Lathna...spoke to the depths of your consciousness and begged you to save her friend.
Lathna?: ......
Lord of the Great Abyss: You extol chaos with your thousand forms. Yet I believe these selves, each with their own identity, are fraying the fabric of your tenuous integrity.
Lord of the Great Abyss: With every face is born more connections, each creating something new you must protect. I simply cannot wait to see you at their mercy—a thrall to your sentiments!
Lathna?: You weave baseless assumptions. We shall not entertain this puerile line of questioning any longer.
Lord of the Great Abyss: Oh, have I hit a nerve? What bliss! How I love to hear you suffer!
Lord of the Great Abyss: This alone makes tonight a most fruitful harvest. I shan't play any longer.
Lathna?: Guardians of the Great Ones we may be, yet We would abstain from your company. Begone and remain in the depths of the abyss forevermore, away from Us always.
Pia: You... You ARE Lathna, aren't you?
Lathna?: ......
Pia: Are you here to save me?
Lathna?: ...Humans are sacrificial pawns. We take no interest in them.
Lathna?: Our ambition shall not be shackled by an inferior existence. If you think to hinder Us, then We shall send you to your grave.
Pia: Huh? Lathn—nnngh! Hnk... Aaah...!
Pia: Lathna...! I-I can't breathe...!
Lathna?: Offering. Oblation. We ask you before you sink into oblivion. Why did you come to this land of dreams?
Pia: Lathna, please... Look... It's our scrunchie...!
Pia: Hee hee! Now we match! Let's put our hair up the same way too.
Yukata Lathna: Okay.
Pia: Remember our...happy memories! Please...come back...
Lathna?: We are Chaos. Messenger of the One. You, a fool who wallows in mud. We are... We...are...
Yukata Lathna: ...Huh? What was I—?
Yukata Lathna: Pia? No...! NO! Did I do this?!
Yukata Lathna: No... NO! NOOOOO!!!
 ???: Looks like I made it just in time.

Yukata Lathna: Where...am I? Is this my room?
Curran: Rise and shine, Lathna. It's time for breakfast.
Yukata Lathna: Curran... Why am I here?
Curran: You still sawin' logs over there, kiddo?
Curran: You left in the middle of the festival, came back here, and went straight to bed. Sleeping in your yukata like that isn't very ladylike, you know.
Yukata Lathna: (Was that all just a dream?)
Yukata Lathna: *gasp* Where's Pia?!
Curran: She's probably already sittin' down to eat. Well? Don't keep the girl waiting. Get dressed and head straight on over.

Lathna: Pia!
Pia: Lathna...
Lathna: (Oh, thank goodness! She's okay!)
Lathna: Hey, Pia, I—
Elias: What are you doing, Pia? C'mon, let's sit down.
Pia: Okay...
Lathna: Pia...?

Lathna: Hi, Pia. Do you wanna come play?
Pia: Sorry, Lathna. I have to go to rehearsal...

Lathna: Hey, Ulthar... Was that really just a dream?

Yukata Lathna: Pia? No...! NO! Did I do this?!
Yukata Lathna: No... NO! NOOOOO!!!

Lathna: Akasha said that dreams are what your soul sees when it exits your body.
Lathna: If that really was another world... Then I did something horrible to Pia.
Curran: What's the matter, sour grapes? Keep making that face and it'll stick that way.
Lathna: Curran...
Curran: All by yourself again, huh? I haven't seen Pia around lately.
Lathna: Curran... I... I...

Curran: So you think your soul went to another world called the Dreamlands, and while you were there, you attacked Pia.
Lathna: I just know Pia hates me now because of what happened there. She has to.
Curran: You weren't the one who attacked her. The thing lying dormant within you did. Besides, it really might have been just a dream.
Lathna: But it felt so real.
Curran: All right. Let's assume that it WAS real. What are you going to do about it?
Lathna: ...I just won't go near Pia anymore. That'd be for the best.
Curran: It's great how conscientious you are. But is that really what you want?
Lathna: I can play by myself. And I know I have you and Ulthar...
Lathna: But... But I really want...to be friends with Pia.
Lathna: I wanna be with her forever! And if I did something awful to her, I wanna say I'm sorry!
Curran: Okey-doke, little miss. If that's what you want, I'll give you a helping hand.
Lathna: Curran...

Yukata Lathna: What are we going to do now, Curran?
Curran: You two weren't able to enjoy the festival all the way through, right? So now, you're gonna get a do-over.
Curran: Er, just without the food carts and stuff. But I've got these for you instead!
Yukata Lathna: What are these...tube-looking things?
Curran: They're handheld pyroblossoms Su Fang made. Apparently, they bloom just as beautifully as the big boys they set off at a regular show.
Curran: I've called Pia over. Once she gets here, you two can play with these and have a nice, long chat.
Curran: We humans make each other happy by sharing our experiences. Sharing a sentimental moment is especially likely to make someone forget the bad times.
Curran: Think of that pyroblossom as a beacon of hope—a burst of passionate flame that'll shine some light on the special friendship you two share.
Yukata Lathna: And then things will be okay...? Even after what I did?
Curran: You didn't hurt her, Lathna. It really was just a dream, I promise.
Yukata Lathna: How can you be so sure?
Curran: I did a little research, but I think it's best if we let our expert here explain it.
Akasha: My deepest apologies. The spell I used is the reason why you dreamt about the Dreamlands.
Yukata Lathna: Oh... Do you mean the one you said would keep away nightmares?
Akasha: I am ashamed to say, but I accidentally used the wrong spell. Catastrophically so.
Akasha: The spell I used instead was one that calls forth the fears within someone and forces them to have nightmares.
Curran: So this freaky-deaky magic combined with the scary story Akasha told you earlier is the whole reason you dreamt all that.
Yukata Lathna: Then it really WAS just my fears showing up in a dream.
Yukata Lathna: But that doesn't explain why Pia won't play with me anymore.
Curran: That's somethin' you've gotta ask her. But there's one thing we can say for sure.
Curran: You two CAN be great friends. From now until forever.

Yukata Lathna: My firework's all burnt out.
Pia: Mine too. All that's left are these scented pyroblossoms...
Yukata Lathna: Then let's play with those. If that's okay.
Pia: Sure...
Yukata Lathna: ......
Pia: Hey, Lathna? I have something to tell you.
Pia: I knew that you were called a heretic before you came here.
Yukata Lathna: Does that mean...you knew before we even met?
Pia: Yes. But I knew the moment I talked to you that you weren't bad!
Pia: With the way you treated your cat and my mouse, it was obvious how nice you are. But even still, I...
Pia: I had a horrible dream. One where you...attacked me.
Yukata Lathna: ......
Pia: I knew you were a good person...but that made me think that maybe deep down, I was actually still afraid of you.
Pia: I was so angry at myself over it, I started avoiding you. I'm so, so sorry, Lathna!
Yukata Lathna: Don't cry, Pia! Besides, I... I...
Yukata Lathna: Sometimes I turn into something that isn't me... So that dream you had might really happen!
Pia: Do you want to hurt me right now?
Yukata Lathna: NO! Of course not!
Pia: Then you're just as good as I thought you were. I want to keep being your friend.
Yukata Lathna: Me too... I want to be your friend too. Forever and ever! Is...that okay with you?
Pia: Yeah! We're gonna be together even when we're both old ladies!
Yukata Lathna: Thank you, Pia!

Akasha: Oh, Master Heinwald. What brings you here?
Heinwald: I heard what happened from Curran, and have been mulling over the information we've gathered through this incident.
Akasha: What do you make of it all?
Heinwald: That spell you say you cast by accident was not a means of giving someone nightmares. It was a tracking spell that locates the soul of its target.
Heinwald: I believe you told little Lathna of the Dreamlands to awaken the overseer of those lands who sleeps within her.
Akasha: You think I used that to tie a leash around Lathna and observe her? Whyever would I do a thing like that?
Heinwald: You were after the Great Ones who lie hidden there. Ancient gods are more than enough to pique your interest.
Akasha: It is an honor to see how well you know me, Master Heinwald.
Heinwald: I myself am none too thrilled by our intimate acquaintance. Now, regarding your scheme...Nyarlathotep proved an effective guide into the dream world.
Heinwald: But there was something that you hadn't predicted, wasn't there?
Akasha: Indeed. I did not think it possible to enter the Dreamlands while awake. Nor that the Faceless One would bring little Pia along.

Yukata Lathna: ...Huh? This doesn't look like the fairgrounds.
Pia: That's strange. I thought this was where we came in.
Pia: What's a staircase doing out here? And—EEK!
Yukata Lathna: Let's go back the way we came. Okay, Pia? ...Pia?

Akasha: I haven't the faintest idea what Nyarlathotep hoped to do by bringing the little girl along.
Heinwald: Perhaps the Nyarlathotep we know was just as surprised as we are.
Akasha: What do you mean?
Heinwald: Nyarlathotep has a thousand forms. Now, that may only mean the utilization of multiple physical appearances...
Heinwald: But it could also mean a multitude of personalities and consciousnesses.
Heinwald: And bear in mind, a single vessel might contain more than one.
Akasha: You don't mean that Lathna has someone within her that even we are not aware of!
Heinwald: It is only a hypothesis as of now. But if this being really is within Lathna...
Heinwald: ...Then they may already be aware that they are Nyarlathotep.

Lord of the Great Abyss: I ought to ask you the same thing. It seems you have been visiting the Dreamlands often of late. What are you plotting?
Lathna?: We are the Black and White. The Criminal and the Innocent. It has been centuries since We last crossed the threshold into these lands.