Eugene Hayward

This article contains information on a **Non-playable Minor Character**.As these characters are often only mentioned in passing, all information is gathered from various canon sources then compiled here. Due to this nature, some **assumptions and theories** may be included and will be updated as more sources and information is revealed or discovered.

## Story Details

### Connected Characters

Major: * Margaretha Zelle (Niece)
* Hastur (Sacrificed to)
* Michiko (Hid body of)

Minor:

* Marjorie Hayward (Wife)
* Mr. Donnelly (Employer)
* Volcker Berlgund (Acquaintance)

### Connected Locations

Lakeside Village

**Eugene Hayward** is Female Dancer's uncle. He married Marjorie Hayward and lived in Lakeside Village before died in a ritual.

## Character Details

**Eugene Hayward** is described to "always wear a frown upon his face, as if nothing in this world pleases him." With his wife, Marjorie Hayward and his niece Margaretha Zelle, he moved to Lakeside Village and resided there for 15 years before his and his wife's deaths. The reason of their departure from their previous hometown is unknown, but it is mentioned that they were "immigrants" who had "fled to this small village", suggesting that they left in a hurry and were desperate to leave their previous location. Together they lived in the village peacefully, "waking up at the crack of dawn to fish" in the nearby lake each day.

Margaretha soon left Eugene and Majorie after her marriage to her husband, Sergei. After her departure, Eugene and his wife were visited by a surveyor named Volcker Berlgund on September 12th, sent to instigate an investigation in Lakeside Village. He and his wife generously let Volcker stay with them in the empty bedroom Margaretha had left behind.

However, Eugene, Majorie and Volcker were the only villagers in the town who were not disciples and did not participate in the customs of the village - to sacrifice an animal and throw its bloody flesh into the lake, as an offering for the god who resides in the waters and to shout out what their greatest wish was. The wishes made by villagers were recorded in a book periodically. On January 14th, the villagers performed yet another ritual, writing their wishes down in the log book. Eugene and Marjorie made wishes as well, but due to the doubtful tone and nature to their wishes made, the disciples believed that they "should baptize these three at the sacrificial ritual. Yet to cleanse such filthy ones with water will be an insult to god. Instead, we should erase their filth with fire", deciding to burn them as a sacrifice to Hastur, the god residing in the lake.

### Further Potential Details

* What happened to Margeretha's parents or why she was forced to live with her aunt and uncle at such a young age is unknown.
* It is unknown exactly when Eugene first began working for Mr. Donnelly. One of these tasks was to "secure and store" an item underneath his care "to avoid unwanted attention".
	+ The "item" he mentions in his letter is most likely referring to Michiko's corpse, as it is mentioned to possibly "attract unwanted attention", and to be highly expensive to store.
		- As Eugene lives in Lakeside Village with his wife, there is a possibility that he had disposed of the corpse via dumping it into the lake.
			* However, it is also known that Hastur resides in the lake, who is known to only accept live offerings that are of the quality of pure virgins or children. A corpse would not meet these requirements of an offering, which may have been an additional cause to his death, other than blasphemy.

## Mentions

### Letters

He appears in four letters:

* Fiona's Letter (2020)
* Hastur's Letter (2020, 2021)
* Yidhra's Letter (2021)

He is the writer and sender of one letter:

* Michiko's Letter (2020)

### Deductions

* Female Dancer's Deduction #5: "Uncle Eugene"

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 See Female Dancer's Deduction Quests #3 and #5: Aunt Marjorie and Uncle Eugene
2. ↑ See Fiona's Letter (2020): Investigation Report 1
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 See Hastur's Letter (2020): "An Unsent Letter"
4. ↑ See Female Dancer's Deduction Quest #1: Fishing Village
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 See Hastur's Letter (2021): "A huge log book of wishes"
6. ↑ See Michiko's Letter (2020): A Decrepit Letter