The Watchers of Easter Island

Valparaiso and Beyond

Once everyone was discharged form hospital, and matters cleared up, so far as they could be, with the local sheriff, the Investigators returned to Boston. Sebastian, following the letter from Stanford he had discovered in Christopher Edwin's house, sent a enquiry off to the British Embassy in Chile. A week or so later he received a telegram confirming that Stanford had in fact been positively identified. The Investigators immediately made preparations to head for Chile, and a few days later, visas in had they departed on a steamer from San Francisco headed towards the port of Valparaiso. A few days out, a second telegram was received, advising that Stanford had fled Valparaiso by sea just before the police had arrived, who had been investigating several murders.

On arrival in Valparaiso, they were met by the military attaché, who had arranged accommodation for them. Over lunch he informed them that  there has been no word at all concerning Carl Stanford’s ships and  expedition. No one in the South Pacific has seen them. But he does have some news. On Easter Island, about a dozen people, including some American archaeologists,  disappeared a few days ago. he does not have details, but apparently the island’s authorities are quite concerned. Many radio messages have passed between Hanga-Roa and Santiago. This morning, the American ambassador was notified that units of the Chilean navy, among them the cruiser O’Higgins and a company of marines, have been ordered to Isla de Pascua. Arrangements were made for the investigators to travel on the regular military supply ship which was leaving in a couple of days. This gave them time to resupply and also briefly investigate the scene of the murders Stanford was accused of - where they found carvings of the tentacle-headed monsters that they had seen several times before.

A week or so later they arrived on Easter Island ,eventually, they were greeted by a young naval officer and fortunately, as none of them spoke Spanish, one of the American archaeologists, Professor Winthrop Metheridge, who offered to translate for them.They were taken to the military commander of the island, Captain Periera, who after thoroughly checking their bona fides, and confirming their intentions,  eventually turned them loose. As the Investigators explored they quickly discovered Hanga-Roa was split into two distinct sections one housing some two hundred Chileans, foreigners and their families, most buildings being government ones - barracks, administration offices etc.The remainder housed families of the officers and some of the civilian sheep ranchers. Beside living quarters, there were three large warehouses in the government sector on the east side of town, a small church, and a government-run general store. 

The second part of the village was where  about eleven hundred Easter Islanders lived in small huts, each with a vegetable garden in front. On the east side of the native section was a large tilled area where these quiet, poverty-stricken people grow their staple — sweet potatoes. Part of the village fronts on the beach, where the villagers keep small fishing boats, another important source of food.

The Investigators secured accommodation with the Montoya's one of the ranchero families, where over dinner they learned a little about the recent disappearances and disturbing stories of strange lights flashing from the hillsides, of figures standing around the stones, and of voices chanting.That evening after dinner they heard singing coming from the native quarter. Many songs are sung. But just as the sky in the west darkens and all the stars become visible, the natives break off whichever song they were singing and break into a new, very rhythmical song.

Next day they began their investigations. Matthew made contact with the local priest, Father Jorge, who over tea told him some important snippets of local folklore. Sebastian interviewed Professor Metheridge, who brought him up to speed with their work and the recent disappearances. While Virgil made enquiries about hiring local guides, Dan and Vincente toured the area around the village. That evening after dinner they decided to head into the native quarter to listen to the singsong, again noting the strange change in tone when the stars emerged. Asking one of the locals about this was met be some evasion and mutterings of "Tradition" and "Hanau-Eepe". Eventually one of the elders told them if they needed to know more they must speak to the Tangata-Manu, and they made arrangement to be taken to see him next day.

The Investigators set out early next morning led by one of the guides Virgil had hired who led them to the south of the island to an enormous extinct volcano crater where steep cliffs led down to the sea below. The guide pointed to a cave in the cliff face and they had to climb. clamber and jump in places along a decaying pathway to reach it. Once there, Matthew noticed that amongst the numerous bird carvings, the entrance to the cave was marked by a number of Elder Signs. Inside, they were met by the Tangata-Manu, an ancient priest who seemingly spoke perfect English.Reassured by the fact they had passed the protections of the Elder Signs,  he setted down and told them something of the history of the Island from the native's perspective. He also told them that he was able to offer them help in the form of the artefacts provided by Noa.

The Cave Of Evil

Matthew headed off down the treacherous path to a small rocky beach at the foot of the cliffs and stripping down to his long-johns placed the bird-priest's mask over his face. There was an unsettling sensation as the mask moulded itself to his features, but after he plunged into the surf, he quickly discovered the mask allowed him to breathe and see clearly underwater. Grimly he set out to the sacred island of Motu-Nui. While James remained on the shore watching over Matthew's progress, the others headed back to Hanga-Roa to hire a fishing boat.

Matthew had almost reached his destination when the other investigators caught up with him in one of the local fishing boats. They had stopped to pick up James, but he had been reluctant to swim out to the boat given the violence of the surf at the base of the cliff. Matthew began clambering up the cliffs to the top of the island and after a brief rest began searching for the cave but not finding it. After some reflection he plunged back into the surf, realising that the fact the Tangata-Manu had supplied the mask was the cave was most likely under water.

As he located the cave he was suddenly attacked by two spear-wielding fish demons . His companions in the boat above discharged their revolvers into the water to distract the attackers, but this only succeeded in drawing their attention to the boat. Vigil, his bowie knife clenched between his teeth, dived into the sea to try and help Matthew, who was engaged ina life of death struggle with one of the deep ones who had thrust a spear into him, badly wounding him. Matthew managed to wrest the spear from the deep one and swam for the cave mouth, noting it was protected by an Elder Sign. The fish demon pursued but was unable to enter the cave which allowed Virgil to catch up and despatch him with a thrust of his knife. As Matthew pressed deeper into the cave the second deep one, who was attempting to sink the boat was despatched by the simple expedient of Dan hanging over the side, while Vincent held his ankles, and shooting him!

In the cave Matthew made his way towards a distant glow. Inside the tunnel was a softly glowing crystal about the size of a man’s hand. It rested in the sand, at the centre of an Elder Sign.As he picked it up there was a sudden discharge of built-up energy that knocked the unfortunate pastor unconscious. Back on the boat the Investigators realised something was wrong as Matthew failed to return. Taking a deep breath Virgil plunged once more into the sea, hading for the cave Matthew had disappeared into. Fortunately he was able to hold his breath long enough to retrieve the unconscious Matthew whose hand  still clutched the crystal in a death-grip!

They returned to Hanga-Roa, meeting up with James and after resting, headed out before curfew to Orongo, the place of star watching. As the moon reached its zenith it clearly illuminated a set of Moai on the side of the Rano Raraku volcano. Matthew also though the spotted the moonlight fall on a spot some distance beyond.

Next day after picking up supplies, they set out on the trek to Rano Raraku, deciding to camp that night at the foot of the volcano.The statues they had seen the night before were about three hundred feet up the side of the volcano and as they examined them they noticed ominous dark stains at the foot of four of them, which Dan proclaimed to be blood! Matthew led them some distance beyond the states to the area he had seen indicated and they found a hidden entrance to a cave.

They entered cautiously, James leading the way.  As they headed down, Virgil spotted a brief glow of greyish light out of the corner of his eye and called out a warning. Shuffling toward them in the darkness was the, blasphemous form of a black thing not wholly ape and not wholly insect. Its hide hung loosely upon its frame, and its rugose, dead-eyed rudiment of a head swayed drunkenly from side to side. Its fore paws were extended, with talons spread wide. James began to turn, but it was too late as the creature's claws raked down his back ripping through the flesh. As James collapsed in a bloody heap, the creature turned it's attention to Dan and Vincente. Matthew dragged James to the side and began frantically first aiding him. There was a fusillade of shots from the others. The creature staggered and then made a gesture as if pulling apart curtains and stepped though into nothing and vanished.

Sanctuary of the Monolith

After James was stitched-up, bandaged and pumped full of pain-killers, the Investigators moved deeper into the cave system, noting the strange glassy nature of the rock surrounding them. Suddenly Virgil spotted the strange greyish light he had seen before and just had time to shout a warning before the dimensional shambler appeared and attacked again. Already wounded from the previous encounter the monstrosity went down in a hail of bullets before it could do much damage and the Investigators proceeded on to where the cave opened to a chasm about sixty feet across. A smell like rotting flesh wafted up from the bowels of the volcano. Around the interior of the chasm a way spirals downward, cut from the lava tuff of the island. This spiral ramp varies from one to three feet wide with no handholds. Not fancying the look of the perilous descent, they quickly returned to the compound to purchase what additional rope and makeshift climbing gear they could. It was well that they had, as once they arrived back and began the descent, a few of them slipped on the glassy surface falling and fortunately only coming away with scrapes, bumps and various contusions.

The chasm led to a network of caves where they had to fight their way through waves of deep ones, Vincente very nearly being slain, and Matthew once again being badly wounded. Fortunately the crystal proved effective, once Matthew discover it could fire beams of light that seared and burned their opponents. Near the rear of the cave system they found the survivors of those the deep ones had kidnapped and not yet sacrificed to the moai. Most of the survivors were severely traumatised and some continually muttered incoherently about "the worms". While Dan and Matthew offered help and support to the survivors, the others pressed on to the rear of the caves where they could see greenish glow from a larger cave beyond.

In the centre was a chiselled stone slab approximately three feet thick, six feet wide, and eight feet high. Blasphemous images covered it, and set atop the monolith was a statuette of Cthulhu, made of the green stone of Mnar, tendrils of sickening gray smoke wafted up from the monolith itself. That was not their immediate concern as barring their way stood a loathsome figure composed of thousands of worms and maggots. Each squirming member was individually alive and constantly moving, though they always held to the general shape of a human body. It raised its had, and beginning a loathsome chant that echoed loudly round the chamber, “Eyahyahayhaaahaaahaaa nguluiiiii yagagaga Cthulhu nafl ftaghn,”, tossed a ball of something sticky that latched on to James and began to pulse and swell, sucking at his very mind.

James and Vigil immediately fired, but their bullets seemed to do little damage to the writing mass of worms. As his chant echoed louder round the cave, seeming sustained by something else, the Crawling One raised his arms again casting a spell, summoning a dimensional shambler to his aid. As Dan and Matthew entered the cave, responding to the gunfire, James, and Virgil abandoned firearms and leaped forward to attack with bowie knife and spear looted form one of the deep ones. Dan shot, Matthew used the crystal which seemed to do the most damage to their loathsome foe.Vicente meanwhile, had edged his way round the combat and fired at the statue -to no effect. As he did so he found himself grappled by the tentacles of smoke and flung back against the wall of the cave, already wounded he collapsed in a broken heap, just as the Crawling One was finally despatched!

James, his mind ravaged by the Black Tarry Pitch, ran forward and tried to grab the statue from the altar, but what was left of his mind recoiled in utter horror as for a brief second it touched the horrific alien immensity of the dreaming mind the  statue represented and he collapsed into a catatonic shock!

Desperately, as smoky tentacles reached out for them and the chanting echoed now so loudly at such a level to cause physical pain, Dan shouted to Matthew to use the crystal. Instantly the pastor leaped forward and touched the crystal to the statuette. As the two mutually opposed artefacts touched, there was a blinding discharge of light, as they annihilated each other in eldritch fury!