The Founding of the Esoteric Order of Dagon

The clumsy robot was loaded with a large amount of supplies and tools.

I followed behind a group of people wearing steam-powered exoskeletons.

"Sizzle~"

The intricate gears on the exoskeleton turned, spewing out white mist.

Their speed immediately increased.

This group of people were the personnel sent by Arkham to explore and expand the Land of New Life.

Furthermore, they applied their innovative and practical steam-powered robot and steam-powered exoskeleton technologies.

Compared to those who initially explored and discovered the ruins of Arkham's precursor city.

The difference in their efficiency is enormous.

More mountains and rivers have been discovered, and resource points have been marked.

The exploration team members all wore excited smiles.

These newly discovered resources could drive another rapid development of their civilization.

After nearly half a year, the entire expanded area of Land of New Life has been explored and understood.

Their greatest discovery was undoubtedly the Sea of Death.

"It was an ocean that stretched as far as the eye could see, shrouded in mist, yet the sea itself was not covered by mist."

"At first glance, it was so cold and deep, as if it would suck you into the sea."

"Although it seemed lifeless inside, we still found marine life there."

"But those marine creatures were incredibly ugly, so ugly that even if you just took a lump of clay and shaped it into something else, it would be more beautiful."

This is the explorers' initial description of the Sea of Death.

And it was recorded in their chronicles.

The Sea of Death hasn't attracted much attention yet because of its distance from Arkham.

Although some have already linked the sea that appeared there to the dreams of those madmen.

Based on the maps drawn from their explorations, Arkham began to expand, uncovering more resources.

One year, two years, three years... until five years passed.

With Arkham as its core city, two smaller cities were subsequently established in different locations.

Towns of all sizes connect these major cities.

Steam technology has improved again, and civilization has taken another step forward.

But they still couldn't deal with those Eldritch Beings and fantastical creatures, not to mention the Great Ruin that appeared precisely on the day of the annual festival.

The more I understand, the more powerless I feel.

Many radicals have gradually chosen to return to the conservative camp.

After all, Arkham had already established a well-developed monetary system.

Wealth and poverty were amplified even more under the influence of steam technology.

They too have to struggle to make a living.

The entire premise is built upon fear and the unknown.

Regarding the Sea of Death, some of them also visited it several times during this period.

However, there are no towns nearby, nor any sea transportation.

I don't know much about it, except that the sea stretches to the horizon.

It's not very dangerous, and although the marine life inside is ugly, it tastes quite delicious.

In order to further explore resources and understand this world.

This year, they built a small town relying on the Sea of Death.

And it was named -- Innsmouth.

Two years passed after Innsmouth was established.

A considerable number of people migrated there one after another.

Those who especially believed in those strange dreams all moved to Innsmouth.

They built steamships there and began to develop the fishing industry.

The ocean's resources were far richer than they had imagined, and fishing quickly became a booming industry.

More and more people are joining the fishing industry, and they are sailing farther and farther out to sea.

During this period, people in Innsmouth discovered a feature about the Sea of Sea of Death.

That is, the Sea of Death will be unaffected whenever the Day of Great Ruin arrives.

Believing dreams to be real is a projection of a place.

I'm even more convinced that the sea in my dream is the Sea of Death!

This will be the place that can shelter them and bring them the truth of this world.

But even more people don't believe it.

They believed this sea was a more terrifying place than the Day of the Great Ruin, and even more terrifying than those Eldritch Beings and eerie creatures from legends.

However, the fishing industry here has become a "gold rush," and the number of people leaving has not decreased significantly.

But they were completely unaware that there was a group of fish-men from the deep sea known as the Deep Ones.

They had already begun to silently observe everything they did.

These humans are greedy, cowardly, timid, blind, and live in fear.

They need a faith, a great faith!

People living in Innsmouth who believe in the Sea of Death.

Their dreams became increasingly vivid, and in their sleep they vaguely heard the call of the sea.

They saw a group of creatures, and those creatures guided them.

Finally, one late night, this group of people, who were on the verge of going insane and should have been imprisoned in Arkham Asylum, were...

The group went to the beach, where they finally saw them!

Its skin was a dull green, with a cold, icy texture.

Like a human fish with its head held high, standing motionless in the sea.

It's like a statue that has been washed up by the sea and buried for millions of years.

The Deep Ones emitted hoarse, shrill guttural sounds... conveying all the emotions that its face could not express.

The scene in their eyes began to distort, and their gazes became filled with fanaticism.

This place seemed exactly like their dream.

They gradually came to understand the strange guttural sounds of the Deep Ones.

Although "understanding" here doesn't mean it in the literal sense.

They began to understand, began to accept...

So there was a great being sleeping in the ocean!

His servants will guide them; they need only awaken Him.

They can understand everything and obtain everything!

The fervor reached an extreme, and they began heading towards the ocean, towards the Deep Ones.

They stretched out their arms and looked up at the sky.

The cold, sharp teeth tore apart the bodies of some of them.

Blood stained this sea red.

But no one was afraid.

They are performing a sacrificial ceremony, which is dedicated to Him.

From this moment on, they are His most loyal believers!

With their faith intact, they parted ways with the Deep Ones and returned to the town of Innsmouth.

They began to join another group of believers.

This group of believers were people who initially feared the Sea of Death, but stayed because of fishing.

They encountered Deep Ones while fishing in the deep sea.

They went from initial fear to discovering they could sacrifice crew members to the Deep Ones.

To acquire abundant marine resources.

Greed consumed them.

Further contact with the Deep Ones led to their minds being warped.

They gradually came to understand that great being.

--The Sleeping God, Lord of R'lyeh, the Great Cthulhu!

The Cthulhu believers who gathered together were also representatives of the radical faction.

Guided by the Deep Ones, they founded a cult that worshipped Cthulhu.

--Esoteric Order of Dagon!