IS FEAR REALLY FORGOTTEN?

Greetings internet dwellers!

I came across something a while ago, that made me think. It regarded Fear, and how HHN, wants you to forget about him because of his lackluster appearance at HHN XX. I know he has his haters, but HHN doesn't want you to forget about him AT ALL. In fact, it is quite the opposite. First, some history.

The character of Fear, was initially conceived as an entity who had been responsible for all the horrors at the event, for the first nineteen years. He had been trapped inside a lantern for those years, until he was released for the twentieth year. 

How was he released? Legendary Truth, came across a series of photos which they eventually figured out, were pieces of a puzzle. Legendary Truth put the puzzle together which lit the lantern, and Fear was released. It was also revealed that he had five "heralds," whom were doing his bidding while he was trapped. The five heralds, were actually HHN Icons, and they all represented a certain aspect of fear. 

• Jack the Clown- Chaos
• The Caretaker- Death
• The Director- Sacrifice
• The Storyteller- Legend
• The Usher- Vengeance

When Fear was released, he wore five totems on his belt, each representing his five heralds. Those totems, actually contained the spirits, or essences, of those five heralds. In other words, he had control over them. 

When HHN XX ended, the lantern was extinguished, and Fear was once again trapped in the lantern. His five heralds went with him. The idea, was that HHN wanted to put the old Icons away for a while, and go in a different direction. Hence the tagline of HHN XX: A New Age of Darkness Begins. 

Now, the claim that I came across, was HHN doesn't want you to remember Fear. And the evidence was pointed at HHN XXV. Fear wasn't in the Icon Scare Zone. Hence, he never "existed." And the Icons were trapped in the lantern with Fear, yet THEY were at the event.

​However, Fear WAS represented at HHN XXV. And in multiple ways.

First and foremost, the Icon Scare Zone, saw Fear's minions roaming around. His minions are the black dressed figures, that had the lighted faces. When I attended the HHN Media Preview last September, I specifically asked Laura Wallace, about the Icon Scare Zone. In the interview, she started to talk about who, and what, would be represented in that zone. When she revealed that Fear's minions would be in there, she kind of hesitates. For what reason, I don't know. But I found that interesting at the time. 

Fear's prison, his lantern, was also at the event. It was in the Evil's Roots Scare Zone. Get it? Evil's Roots? Fear's lantern. Fear was the root of all evil, the first nineteen years at the event. Get it? Good. More on the lantern in a moment. 

Let's talk about Legendary Truth. We all know, like they did the year before, Legendary Truth came back at the end of the event. Last year's experience, sent operatives on a scavenger hunt of sorts. With the last part of the hunt, operatives were "transported" to the Legendary Truth mansion, where some kind of event took place. Operatives, investigated what happened in the mansion. The investigation, and the scavenger hunt, revealed quite a few things. 

On the scavenger hunt, operatives came across Fear's totems, which someone had bagged, and dumped in Sting Alley. In the mansion, someone (or perhaps something) had ransacked a room, where the totems were being stored. Also in the mansion, operatives came across Fear's lantern, which was in fact lit. Based on Fear's back story, that's not possible unless someone lit the lantern on purpose. 

However, the experience also hinted at the possibility of MULTIPLE lanterns, or portals. These portals would allow not only Fear, but other entities to cross over into our dimension. This would include the Icons. 

This explains how the Icons were at the event last year. Especially Jack, and the rest of Fear's heralds (The Usher, The Caretaker, The Storyteller, and The Director).

How Fear's minions were at the event and not Fear, isn't clear. However, I suspect Legendary Truth players, may find that answer sometime in the future. What is clear, is someone was able to release the Icons, and Fear's minions, without actually releasing Fear himself. Perhaps, a certain psychotic clown had something to do with it... 

Let's also not forget, HHN allowed guests to actually purchase replicas, of Fear's totems. That is, if you wanted to take out a second mortgage on your home. 

If the argument is that the average HHN guest doesn't know Fear, because of his lackluster appearance, than one could argue the same about most of characters in the Icon Scare Zone. Does the average guest know who Cindy is? Does the average guest know who Gluttony is? Does the average guest know who Fear's minions are? Most people, even veterans of the event, confused La Llorona, for Bloody Mary in that zone. 

If the intent was to neglect Fear altogether at HHN XXV, then why even place his minions in the Icon Scare Zone? While Fear may not have been front and center at HHN XXV, his presence was definitely there. And in multiple ways. You just had to know where to look. While yes, his appearance at HHN XX might not have been the best, HHN doesn't want you to forget him. He's all around.

He is Fear, after all.