Laughing Moai

The Laughing Moai
Origin	Unknown/Rapa Nui People
Type	Easter Island Moai
Effects	Causes Paranoia, hallucinations and insanity leading to eventual suicide
Downsides	Effects
Activation	Constantly Active
Collected by	Unknown sailor on the Abel Aubert Dupetit Thouars expidition
Section	Dark Vault
Aisle	Podium FS-3
Date of Collection	Around 1838
[Source]

Origin

The Moai Statues of Easter Island are large stone heads carved by the native Rapa Nui people, possibly of dieties or diefied ancestors. They were first discovered by Jacob Roggeveen when he discovered the island in 1722. Following their discovery, many were moved and transported to various European countries for study and display.

History

This particular Moai was discovered by a crewmember on the Roggeveen expedition. His experiences of this encounter were written in a journal accessable to agents in the Dark Vault files. The journal is translated for educational purposes.

April 6, 1722

We have made land on this new island of stone heads. The locals do not seem concerned by our visit and are in fact friendly. Communication is being attempted, and is making slow progress. The crew, myself included, are facinated by these colossal monoliths that dot the island. And small scouting party of three other crewmembers and me are to set out to explore tomorrow.

April 7, 1722

The expidition went smoothly, there was little conflict from the locals, they seemed happy to share their history with us. At one point I broke away from the group and found myself in a small grotto. I cannot explain why I felt the need to go off on my own, exept that there seemed to be some urgent need to fufill my curiosity. I was not dissapointed, as near the far wall was a statue, a Moai as the natives seem to call them. Thought here was something different about this one. It did not face out to the coast as the others did, but was embedded in the earth facing a stone wall, as if it were a disiplined child. I decided to mention in to the captain tomorrow when he goes out for his own tour, but as I left the statue to its own means I am sure I heard a fainted laughter, almost amusement. I think I will kepp this to myself for now, something makes me uneasy about it.

April 10, 1722

It's following me. I can see it out of the corner of my eye. Always laughing. It started harmless enough, that haunting, almost smug laughter coming from around corners. Nothing there when I checked. Then shadows, large and square in shape, the shape of that head. They would follow me at night and when I was alone during the day. I had to go back and check, but it was gone. The head that had seemed so rooted in the earth was gone as if it had never been there. I know it is following me. To drive me mad. I saw it last night atop the mound across from our camp. It stared at me and only me. We leave the Island tomorrow.

April 12, 1722

It's following me. It's on the ship. I cannot escape.

That was the last entry in the journal. The crewmember was found dead, having slit his throat with his quill pen. A Warehouse agent boarded a ship to Easter Island and found the Moai in question, still facing the wall. It was removed and returned to the Warehouse where it was placed in isolation and later moved to the Dark Vault. Any laughter that eminates from it seems to have no effect, and it does not echo throughout the entire Vault.

Storage and Handling

Stored in the Dark Vault in a normal neutralizer field (no proximity ring). The walls of the Dark Vault prevent the artifact's laughter from affecting passing agents.

For simply touching the artifact, neutralizer gloves are mandatory. This artifact may not be moved without a full-body neutralizer suit. Due to the weight of this artifact, it may only be moved in the most dire of circumstances. Should it need to be moved, consult the Warehouse supervisor or Caretaker for details on how. Due to the nature of this artifact, it may only be moved while agents are in full body suits and may only be moved to an area covered with a neutralizer tent, preferably around the area of the Dark Vault. While inside the tent, the full-body suit must be worn at all times. When ready, this artifact must be moved immediately into the Dark Vault, at which time the agents may remove their neutralizer suits.

Dark Vault Display Card

Trivia

• This artifact is one of several in the Dark Vault that a full-body neutralizer suit must be worn when moving, the a few others being Sylvia Plath's Typewriter and William Shakespeare's Chair from the Globe Theatre.