Hanweir is a small town on the plane of Innistrad, and during the Travails, culminating with the rise of Emrakul on the plane, the entire town was corrupted. Here is the tale, told in blogs, snippits, mailings to streamers, and news, on the fate of every inhabitant of the town. The history of Magic visiting Hanweir began in the first Innistrad block, with the AR game following Cathar Raben Amsel, and the short sword, the Bloodletter.
This blog is putting the Hanweir Chronicle events in correct order, for readers to experience the change of the township in the Shadows over Innistrad. You can read the original posts on the original page.
The Hanweir Chronicle is the newspaper printed in Hanweir. Led by Editor in Chief, Oliver Hayfield
Headline: Town of Hanweir declares itself Sovereign Province
Box #1:
“Deben ser fundidos. El armero necesita plata para el armamento del techo y la cima del muro. Se puede tomar éstos a él? Gracias - Oliver Hayfield”
Translation: “They must be melted. The armorer needs silver for the armor on the roof and the top of the wall. Can you take these to him? Thank you - Oliver Hayfield”
Decree attached reads "By order of the town of Hanweir, all silver munitions must be moved to the top of the village wall."
Headline: Irregular Activity Continues Outside the Walls of Hanweir
Headline: Strangely Productive Town Hall Meeting
Editor: At this point, one can already see the start of Emrakul's influences. The town is becoming unified in thought. Joined also in their new distrust of Avacyn.
Box #2: Das mysteriöse Paket wird ausgepackt #HanweirChronicle
Translation: The Mysterious Package is unpacked.
The letter inside read:
A lone vampire was spotted outside the wall last evening. She called to be let inside, but guards warned her to turn around lest she face impalement. The vampire was disheveled and travel-worn—not rabid as others have been, but clearly losing grip on maintaining her composure. She stood still in the cold rain awaiting entrance for quite some time. When she offered to trade her jewelry over the wall out of desperate thirst, it became clear she was not accustomed to the life of more nomadic vampires.
I attempted to interview her from atop the Hanweir wall.
Me: What is your name, villain?
V: My name is not important! Please! I have gold and pearls to trade!
Me: What is your lineage?
V: My lineage doesn't matter anymore.
Me: Why doesn't it matter?
V: It simply doesn't! Please, I am so thirsty...
Me: All residents of Hanweir are locked within our walls.
The vampire, upon hearing this, dissolved into a fit of manic laughter.
V: Locked within the walls! Even here, they are locked within the walls!
The vampire continued to laugh while violently kicking the stone of our walls, swearing incoherently. It became clear that the creature was mad due to starvation. I retreated to my chamber and obtained a rat from under the floorboards to throw to her.
I did so, and our interview continued.
Me: Why have you travelled so far from home if you are unaccustomed to hunting in the wild?
V: How dare you deliberately insult me! I can't eat this, you idiot!
By now the biting rain had become irritating and my patience waned. I needed answers. I sliced a small cut into my finger and dribbled it down the side of the wall. The vampire snapped its jaws and lapped it up quickly. Her glamer became weak, and her vicious hands began trying to climb up the walls. The nearby Militia Captain decided to take action and shot her with an arrow, whence she fell to her death.
Taking into consideration the immediate reprimand I received from the councilmembers, I will no longer conduct interviews with non-human beings.
I am left confused. Where did this vampire come from? Why was she so poorly dressed for the wilds? I am most upset that this was probably my last opportunity to speak with an outsider. Regardless, I must try to rest. These are terrible times.
–O
Headline: Construction of the Hanweir Wall Finished
Editor: Again, the unity and paranoia is starting to join together Hanweir citizens. They no longer are allowed to leave the newly constructed walls. They must remain together.
Headline: Turmoil at Town Hall
Editor - the last sane people leave Hanweir.
Box #3:
BOX CONTENTS:
A jar of preserved pears accompanied by a…pear of letters.
“I
write this entry from atop the Hanweir wall. I find it amusing and
self-congratulatory that not only dad my village secede from Videns
Parish and Gavony, but we felt arrogant enough to name our (one-town)
province of Hanweir. If we used a currency, would it be called the
Hanweir? Are the individual streets to be renamed Hanweir? Am I Hanweir?
I have come to love and fear this wall. Councilwoman Blackwell, in her anger, seems to have been a bearer of overwhelming truths. By enclosing ourselves we have ensured that anything sealed with us behind the walls of Hanweir cannot get out. This truth became far too clear last night with the unfortunate discover that former popular pear farmer, Hadwin Dodd, was a lycanthrope. He was killed last night in front of his own house after a most disturbing public transformation and moonlight hunt. He died only after slaughtering two children in his lupine state.
Perhaps we, the makers of our cage, deserve this. We have sinned, and our punishment is raining in blood from the sky and tearing transformed flesh behind our doors.
I find myself praying to no one in particular. Avacyn and her vultures will certainly not help me. Instead I whisper desperate prayers to the void of the night–to the cold witch-hour, when only the moon can hear me. It feels pointless. I’m not sure if the moon can do me much good.
Perhaps all I can do is turn to those around me.
Perhaps the only solution is to join with the rest of the sinners and wayward souls here in this hapless box we made.
Our salvation is not in the skies or in the hymns or in books. It is closeness with our neighbors, embracing each other and embracing our humanity.
As I write with my pen, the truth becomes manifest.
Coming together is the only option.
- Oliver Hayfield”
“Preserved Pears - Perhaps you’ll enjoy these more than I do. I can’t stand the taste anymore.
- Oliver Hayfield”
Sounds like things are getting a little Hanweird.
Box #4: j'ai recu un petit colis a la maison, qui renfermait un plus petit colis, qui renfermait une etrange liste
Translation: I received a small parcel at home, which contained a smaller parcel, which contained a strange list
Editor: A list of groceries or items to purchase in French, for the town of Hanweir.
The list translated showed it was a trading list. Check out what the haves are!
NEED:
Grain (barley, spelt, oats)
Wool
Firewood
Hay
Candle oil
Coat for 8
Fruit (any)
Vegetables (any)
Milk (any other than goat)
Beer
Whiskey
Wine
HAVE:
Horseshoes
Haunted cloak
Ballista arrows
Books (mundane, secular)
Quill (singular)
Urn (decorative)
Leather goods
Used children's shoes
Preserved pears
Magnifying glass (singular)
Box #5: Recebi uma caixa misteriosa da Wizards of the Coast!! #HANWEIRCHRONICLE #MTGSOI
Translation: I received a Mystery Box from Wizards of the Coast!! #HANWEIRCHRONICLE #MTGSOI
Rem Karolus,
I write to you from the Hanweir Province (formerly the town of Hanweir). I understand that recently you have been hunting angels, but we found something that might still be of interest to you.
Our captain of the wall recently killed a werewolf within the perimeter of our town and was startled to find that the creature did not transform back to human form when he died. I have included part of the skin and the tip of the arrow that killed him as evidence. Please answer as soon as possible – my town grows in apprehension and concern about the condition of the world beyond our walls.
Thank you,
Oliver Hayfield
Headline: Decree Passed for Mandatory Communal Meals
Editor: A large number of twins have been born simultaneously in Hanweir, suddenly.
Box #6: 这顶帽子不太适合我们了 …..
Translation: This hat doesn't quite suit us anymore...
Box #7: Hanweir Chronicle to Abandon Byline...
Headline: Hanweir Chronicle to Abandon Byline
Box #8: Strange Tidings from a man who has forgotten that punctuation exists. Get well soon, Oliver!
Headline: ... Tremendously alive...
And so ends the Hanweir Chronicle... and the entire village. Emrakul's influences combined all twins, merged all the populace, to one horror. Farewell, Oliver...
This shows how the influences of Eldrazi affects even ordinary citizens. The people of Innistrad were changed, mutated, merged, into Eldrazi horrors. The Travails were at their climax with Nahiri pulling Emrakul from Zendikar to Innistrad. And so the stage was set for the Gatewatch to come to stop this Eldrazi threat!
