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Long ago, the whole eastern part of Massachusetts was once home to
seven different Indian tribes; but for some reason, even before the Europeans
settled, all those tribes were displaced but the Micmac.
The Micmac Indians were once known as "The River People".
They believed that Miskatonic was the name
of the Great Spirit who created and kept watch over this entire valley. Local folklore tells of a powerful Creek Medicine Man from the south called Red Feather, who led a coalition of tribes to challenge the River People's claims to the richest hunting grounds in the valley. The Micmacs rebuffed him, citing their heritage as direct descendents of the Great Spirit Miskatonic. Red Feather, envious and foolhardy, returned to his camp and summoned a dry, scorching wind to drive out the buffalo and wither the maize. But the Great Spirit Miskatonic rose up and turned the wind against him, and two of his allied tribes, the Abnaki and the Iroquoi, lost their courage and fled into the north. Angrily, Red Feather conjured a massive swarm of insects to bring disease and madness to the River People, but Miskatonic reached down into the River and drew forth a Great Fish, which swallowed the swarm of flies in one gulp. With a mighty splash, the Fish dove back down into the river, and the waters washed the Erie and the Ojibwa tribes into the west. Finally, the furious Medicine Man sent the fiercest warriors of the Mohawk tribe to abduct the Micmac Chief's beautiful daughter, Etobicotha, and hold her for ransom. Under cover of night, the raiding party set forth in kayaks across the river. The next day, they returned jubilant, with a black-haired figure wrapped in a blanket. They carried the bundle to the camp of Red Feather, who crowed triumphantly. When he tore off the blanket, however, he realized that he had been tricked. They had kidnapped not a beautiful maiden, but a ravening Black Bear! The animal slew the surprised Mohawk warriors where they stood, and Red Feather and his loyal Creek tribesman fled terrified into the woods. After a few days of meditation, he formulated a plan to poison the Spirit that barred his eastern advance. Gathering a handful of red berries, he took the whole of his remaining tribe to the shore of the Miskatonic. There, he cursed the River Spirit at the top of his voice, and emptied the poisonous berries into the current. The River began to foam and boil, and from its depths Miskatonic rose up, stained red and terrible to behold. With a thunderous cry that shook the whole valley, the Spirit siezed the Medicine Man by the legs and tore him in half. The tremendous spray of blood that issued forth painted the Spirit of the Sky a deep crimson, and caused the Spirit of the Sun to hide Her face. The remaining Creek warriors begged for mercy, and indeed, Miskatonic spared those who quit the valley immediately to flee south, but those who lingered by the riverbank were driven mad by the poisoned waters and turned feral. They ate each other's flesh and drank each other's blood, and the river ran red from the cannibalistic slaughter.
After a ferocious thunderstorm that lasted three days, the waters finally cleared. The peaceful River People were once again free to hunt and fish the Valley unchallenged, thanks to the protection of the eternal Spirit of the River. |
Unless you brought your bathing suit, I wouldn't recommend going any further.
Actually, even if you did feel like taking a dip, I would strongly advise against it.
You see, it was right around here that Zachariah Carter
was caught by the dangerous current and dragged under.
His body wasn't recovered for three days.
North will take you to the Garden, east leads downriver
(to the ocean), and west will take you inland, to Arkham.
Go south to visit Willow Island.